by Ryan Kirk
In the distance, two shapes crested the hill. Koji cursed. In his exhaustion, he had forgotten that if he could sense them, they likely could sense him as well. So much for the element of surprise. He thought about drawing his sword, but then thought better of it. His arm would barely respond to his commands.
The two shapes solidified, and he heard one of them yell his name. Of course, he thought, they remember me from their meeting.
Koji attempted to stand to greet them, but his legs gave out from under him and he collapsed, his last vision of the white snow fading to black.
When Koji came to, he was warm, and his bed was soft. He awoke slowly, looking over at the fire that kept the cold at bay. As his awareness returned, he sensed another with him, and he turned his head to see Akane’s concerned face.
“We were worried about you, Koji. When you, Ryo, and Hiroki didn’t meet at the gathering point, we feared the worst but couldn’t delay our attack. Our scouts brought you in, but we couldn’t figure out why you had passed out. The dayblades’ best guess was that it was a case of exhaustion, pure and simple.”
Koji tried to sit up, both to see how he felt and to give himself time to think. The truth would get him killed, but lies were slow in coming.
Fortunately, Akane’s concern overwhelmed any suspicions she might have held. She leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder. “Rest, please. There’s no hurry now. You’re safe among friends.”
Her words had an unintended effect, spurring his imagination to a story.
“I needed to hurry. As we left the farmhouse, we were ambushed by two nightblades. They were strong, and in the ensuing battle, they killed Ryo and Hiroki. I killed them, but I feared they were part of a larger party. I sought a horse, but none were nearby. I ran as fast as I could to come and warn you of the possible danger.”
To his relief, Akane nodded as though his story was perfectly reasonable. “As always, Koji, you are an inspiration to us. That was no small journey you undertook. I had hoped for more time, but the council has shadows everywhere. No doubt they hope to stop our movement before our ideas can spread like wildfire. I will prepare our blades and double the number of our scouts. We will not be caught by surprise!”
After making sure Koji was cared for, Akane went about her work, and he realized just how misguided she was. She saw conspiracies where there were none, and in her mind, he could do no wrong because he had killed a king. Koji was sickened by all the blades, but none so much as her.
Not long after, he fell back asleep. Koji was exhausted, and he knew that even if his story was doubted, someone would need at least a full day of riding to get to the farmhouse and back. He had the time to rest, and the soft lapping sounds of the river against the bank outside his house soothed him to sleep.
When he came to again, he was able to take his feet with ease. He stretched his body out, pleased that everything seemed to be in order. His muscles were still sore from the demands he had placed on them, but they reacted with their usual speed. If he needed to fight, he would be at his full strength.
Hearing Koji was awake, Akane came to give him a tour of River’s End. She showed him a well-equipped woodshed, a stable for their horses, and the river access that gave the village its name. But the highlight of the tour was the center of the village. A post had been buried in the ground, and tied tightly to it was Asa.
Akane saw Koji’s flash of recognition. “You’ve seen this nightblade before?”
He nodded. “Yes. She tried to kill me twice.” The statement was true, even if it didn’t tell the whole story. But Koji was learning about Akane, and his statement confirmed everything she already believed.
“I’m not surprised. She’s a foolish one. She fought against us all in an effort to protect the villagers. As punishment, I made her kill the two she had tried to help escape. She’s been out here all day, and I expect she’ll die from exposure soon enough.” The pride was evident in her voice.
Asa reacted to the conversation about her, and her eyes met Koji’s. Koji saw the hate and resignation and hoped desperately that Asa wouldn’t say anything foolish. As it was, he’d never had more respect for her than he did now. They had been on opposite sides of a battle, and now Koji realized he might have been on the wrong side. She was a blade who acted with honor.
Koji resisted the urge to cut down Akane. He needed to know more about the layout of the village and where the blades were stationed. But his new path was clear. As Akane turned around to continue the tour, Koji gave Asa an almost imperceptible nod.
He studied Asa, both with his sense and with his vision. Her scalp had several cuts that had bled down her face, and one eye looked as though it had swollen shut. He saw she had been cut deeply at least twice. The blood had clotted, but who knew what damage was beneath the surface? His sense told him that her energy was strong considering all she had been through, but he could also feel it waning. She had some time, but not much.
He kept his face neutral through the rest of the tour, nodding appreciatively when he thought the gesture was expected of him. While his face was steady, his mind was working through the escape. Akane was a decent commander. The patrols around the village were consistent, and Koji knew that the gifts of those patrols overlapped, casting an impenetrable net over the village. As soon as he acted, the alarm would be raised.
Too many blades were present for him to fight alone. He was good, but he wasn’t sure anyone was that good. From experience, he knew patience would be rewarded, so he allowed his mind to continue working on the problem.
Koji waited until most of the blades were asleep before he wandered from the home he had been given. The patrols were still out, but Koji paid them no mind. They were a problem for later. First, he went to the stables and saddled a horse with supplies. It would be ready for him when he returned for it. Others would sense him. So long as the blades didn’t act right away, he should be fine. He didn’t need much time.
As Koji approached the center of the village, he noticed that a few people were still awake and following him closely with their sense. Koji ignored them. He expected Akane to be suspicious. If she acted before he could, he would deal with her.
Extending his sense, Koji felt Asa’s energy, weaker than earlier today but still strong. That was good. If she didn’t have the strength, he wasn’t sure escape was possible.
He walked straight to her. In a village where everyone could sense your moves, there was no point in delaying.
Her good eye opened as he approached. He wasn’t sure if she’d gotten his reassurance earlier, so he wasn’t sure how she’d react. He was fortunate. Her whisper was hoarse. No doubt she hadn’t been given water. “I thought you were with them.”
Koji didn’t bother replying. His actions were answer enough. He could sense the blades coming behind him, but he could ignore them for a few more moments. “Can you stand? Can you escape?”
Her eye narrowed in anger, which Koji took to be an affirmation. “Let’s go, then. Start working your way toward the stables.” He drew his sword and cut her bonds. She fell to her knees, and for a moment, Koji wasn’t sure she’d be able to move. But slowly, she stood up.
“What are you doing?”
The voice came from behind, and Koji recognized it as Akane’s. He turned around, eager for the chance to fight. Diplomacy and subtlety were not his ways. He excelled with a sword, and it was time to remain true to that.
“I’m leaving.”
Akane laughed. She had only brought two other blades with her, and all had their steel drawn. Already the village was stirring, and if he and Asa were to have any hope of escape, they needed to leave now.
Akane began to lecture him. “If you think you can leave . . .”
Koji didn’t let her finish the thought.
He darted toward the blade farthest to his right. The blade reacted, but too slowly. Koji swung with strength, backed up by the full power of his short sprint. His opponent managed to get his blade up to defend, bu
t Koji’s swing knocked the other warrior’s sword far off-center. Koji followed with a stab, piercing the heart of the nightblade.
Akane had already turned her sword to face Koji. They passed twice, but Koji’s speed was far superior to her own. Koji sliced cleanly through her neck and moved on to the final blade. The duel was almost too easy. He dodged the first cut, but the blade didn’t dodge Koji’s.
Asa pointed to a pile of weapons not far away. “Would you grab my weapons?”
Koji did, then half supported, half carried Asa to the stables. Shouts rose behind him, but Koji was relying on a few moments of confusion. Killing Akane had been a bonus. If Ryo had been her second, that meant he had killed most of the rebel blades’ leadership.
The two mounted the horse, Asa grunting with the effort. Koji was worried about her. He was fairly certain they would escape the village, but she was weaker than he had surmised. No matter. The only way was forward. Koji cut the ropes holding the others’ horses in place and screamed as loudly as he could. The animals were spooked, and Koji and Asa rode out in the midst of a small stampede.
As soon as they could, Koji turned away from the village and in the direction of Starfall. The seat of the blades seemed their best option. The council needed to know what was happening and take action to stop the rogue blades.
One of the patrolling blades tried to catch them, but Koji kicked his boots into the horse’s side and pulled easily away. They rode into the night, Koji enjoying the feel of the wind in his face, his boiling blood cooled.
Not long after their escape, Koji sensed life behind him. Two blades were in pursuit, their horses gaining on his own. No surprise. His horse had to carry two. Confident they were far enough away from the village not to be interrupted, Koji brought the horse to a stop and dismounted. He was a decent sword mounted but didn’t dare risk their horse.
The pursuing blades never paused. They attempted to ride Koji down, one on each side of him. Koji smiled, his memories of training coming back to him. He and his fellow students had even practiced this exact scenario. He had been the only one who “survived.”
As the riders approached, Koji ran at them, hoping that he could throw off their timing. At the perfect moment, Koji cut to his left. To the rider, it must have looked as though Koji had stepped right in front of her horse.
Koji just managed to avoid the charging beast, feeling the reverberations of the hooves in his feet, the snort of air that blew at his hair. His sword flashed, slicing deep into the thigh of the rider, a lethal cut if given enough time.
The rider turned, but Koji knew the battle was over for the blade. Without saying anything, the woman kicked the horse with her good leg and rode back toward the village, no doubt hoping she would make it to a dayblade before she lost too much blood. Koji didn’t rank her chances high.
The second rider had turned and dismounted. A fire blazed in his eyes, and Koji assumed the blade thought he was better off a horse than on. Koji sympathized. He felt the same way.
The exchange was over in two passes, and Koji was cleaning his sword.
He extended his sense, trying to feel if there was any more pursuit heading their way. It didn’t seem so. Between the confusion and the defeat of the pursuers, he imagined he and Asa had an open road ahead of them. If not, his steel was still sharp.
Koji’s worry was on the edge of becoming panic. Asa was fading quickly. He was no dayblade, but he assumed that her internal injuries were even worse than her external ones. He could do nothing but ride faster.
As evening turned to morning, a storm came upon them with unexpected ferocity. Koji fought off the biting cold as well as he could, but he was losing a battle as well. Asa had been unconscious for most of the night, and Koji had tied a rope around both of them so she wouldn’t fall off the horse.
If the weather hadn’t been so dangerous, Koji might have found it beautiful. He imagined watching the storm from the shelter of a house, a fire warming the inside. Flakes dashed against his face, tiny freezing pinpricks that gradually sucked the feeling from his skin. He had covered as much of himself as possible, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
The road markers were his only guide. He would find one pile of stones and then desperately seek the next one. Marker by marker, the two made their way toward Starfall. The going was slow, and Koji was becoming more certain they wouldn’t make it.
His options were terrible. He could leave Asa behind as she was already dying. Better one of them survive than neither. But his spirit rebelled against the idea. He had risked his life to save hers. He wasn’t going to give up simply because the task became more difficult. Killing the horse could potentially give them shelter, but that was Koji’s last option. Once they went down that path, he was certain they would have to wait for rescue, and the road to Starfall didn’t seem too crowded.
More than that, Koji couldn’t allow himself to fail. Not with Asa’s life at stake.
Her presence brought back memories of their duel, in particular the day Koji had killed Juro.
Asa had known there was no way for her to win that fight, but she had fought anyway. Knowing what had resulted from his actions, he knew she had been in the right that day.
He had wronged her then. But not today. Koji refused to fail her.
Koji pushed forward, desperate to find shelter.
When he saw the lights off in the distance, he thought he was imagining safety. Who else was on the road to Starfall, trapped in this storm? He rode toward the lights, hoping there might be shelter and help available.
He came upon a well-provisioned camp, with a large, sturdy tent built up against the wind. Even more surprising, Koji’s sense informed him that the tent was filled mostly with blades, with two civilians inside. After his most recent experiences, he was wary, but he and Asa needed shelter and aid. Beggars could hardly afford to be choosy.
Koji reined the horse to a halt on the outskirts of the camp. He gently untied Asa from him and the mount, then began the complicated process of getting her off. He leaned her body forward, hoping she would remain balanced long enough for him to dismount.
He half slid, half fell to the ground, his feet shooting needles of pain up through his legs as they recovered from disuse. Asa, fortunately, remained on top of the horse. He pulled her down and caught her. She seemed too light.
The two were greeted outside the tent by a pair of nightblades who had doubtlessly sensed their arrival. They gave Koji a shallow bow when he stopped short of them, shallower than would be expected of blades meeting on the road.
The two blades looked relaxed, but their hands rested near their swords. Despite their advantage in numbers, they were nervous. Given everything happening in the Kingdom, Koji understood.
“She needs help,” Koji said, his voice cracking from disuse.
They glanced at each other and nodded, pulling back the door of the tent so he could bring her inside.
The inside of the tent was plain, with several sleeping pads laid out and a small table currently used for a small game of strategy between a dayblade and one of the two civilians, a man clearly in the military. Despite the simplicity of the tent, its warmth immediately brought hope and new energy to Koji.
Koji was surprised when the civilian woman approached him. “Greetings, stranger. My name is Mari. What brings you on this road?”
Koji thought her wording unusual, but his mind caught up quickly. She hadn’t offered aid but instead asked his purpose. The dayblade and the civilian were still playing chess, while all other eyes were on him and Asa. Several of the nightblades were ready to draw on him if Mari gave the word. They were nervous, too, and under the command of a civilian woman. Who was she?
He offered as much of the truth as he thought was wise. “We were attacked by nightblades. I killed them, but my friend was beaten. We were on our way to Starfall to seek healing.” Koji glanced around the room again and took another risk. “We were going to inform the council that there are rogue blades taking over
villages.”
The tension in the room eased considerably, and Koji knew his guess had been right. These were loyalists, dedicated to the Kingdom. First, Koji felt a weight come off his shoulders. Just to know he wasn’t alone was a relief greater than he’d imagined. Second, he wondered why this group, if they were loyalists, were so nervous.
The woman seemed to understand his thoughts. “I’m afraid you’ll find no help in Starfall, friend. News of the rogue blades has already reached them, but Hajimi gathers the blades within their walls to protect them. He will not act.”
The simple statement hit Koji hard, a punch that knocked the air out of him. “The blades refuse to help the Kingdom?”
Mari nodded, sympathy in her eyes. “Most, but some, like these before you, have committed to saving the Kingdom however they may.”
He breathed deeply, trying to center himself. The world was worse than he thought, but there was still hope. Some still fought.
Koji’s confusion had been so great he had momentarily forgotten about Asa. Feeling guilty, he looked around the room. Two dayblades were present. “Please, masters, will you help save my friend?”
An uncomfortable silence settled upon the space. The dayblade who had been playing chess looked up and spoke to Mari. “It could very well be a trap, my lady, a distraction to seep the energy away from our healers.”
Mari seemed to be contemplating the same thing. Koji thought that whatever had happened in Starfall, it had made this group exceptionally suspicious.
Mari’s answer was quick. “Perhaps, but if we start refusing aid, we are doing no one any good. Are you able to heal this woman, Jun?”
The dayblade stood up and walked toward Asa, putting his hand on her chest. He closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments. When he opened them again, urgency filled his voice. “It is worse than I thought. I believe I can, although her injuries are severe. The healing will drain me.”
