Flara winced, but then took a step forward and resumed her bold stance. “I understand what you’re saying.” She paused for a moment and allowed her gaze to fall for but a second. She bit the bottom of her lip, and then sighed ever so slightly. “Maybe I c-could offer you something in return for your support to my mother.”
Amori waved her hand at her. “I’m sorry, my dear. There’s nothing you can offer me to make me risk the lives of my citizens. We’re well entrenched here. Your Imperial military will either succeed without us, or you’ll weaken the enemy enough for us to somehow survive against them.”
Flara grasped her hands to her chest and gazed longingly at Amori. “Wh-what if I could legitimize your claim to your position? What if I could give you a direct tie to the Imperial Throne through…?” Flara took several rapid breathes.
Rayko gasped, and she grabbed Apisa’s hand. As dense as Nori was, even he knew what Flara was about to suggest.
Amori leaned forward a little. Her eyes took on the expression of a starving wolf. “Through what?” Surely Amori knew as well.
Flara swallowed hard. “Through marriage.”
Amori chuckled. “I’m flattered, but I’m not into women.”
“Neither am I,” Flara replied. “But am I to understand… that you have an unwed son? I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”
Vihori watched the whole scene unfold with an opened mouth. He kept switching his gaze between his mother and Flara. The degree of danger had diminished in the air, and so Nori took his hand off of his dagger handle. He shifted in his spot uneasily.
Amori peeked over Flara’s shoulder. “No, my son is not married at the moment. I mean no disrespect, but do you expect me to hand over my precious boy to a stranger?”
Luxi spoke up. “She’s the sweetest person I have ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people. She reads all of the time, and she has the magical ability to communicate with kami spirits. Though she may be shy at first, she’s courageous when she needs to be.”
Amori glared at Luxi.
Luxi returned her mother’s hard stare. “You may hate me for leaving you, but you know me. You know I would never vouch for anyone unless I really believed in them. Miss Flara would make a great bride for Vihori. I swear upon Father’s soul.”
For a moment, Amori looked as if she might lunge across the floor and attack Luxi right then and there. Nori crouched ever so slightly and braced himself.
“It looks like the Onistan watches out for you too…” Amori said. She reached out to touch Flara’s chin. Their eyes met again. “If I agree to do this, you’ll talk to your mother on my behalf? I have to be recognized as Governor of Gohoda. There will be little direct Imperial alterations to how I do things, are we clear… my future daughter-in-law?”
Flara swallowed hard. “Yes, my f-future mother-in-law.”
Amori gently caressed Flara’s cheek. “You don’t have to be nervous around me in the future. If you are true to your word and your mother protects my people, I will be a loyal governor.”
Vihori cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, don’t I get any say in the matter?”
Flara and Amori gazed over at him.
Amori gestured to Flara. “Are you saying you’re opposed to such a union?”
“Well, I would like to get to know her before I agree to marry her,” Vihori said. “I’m not a prize to be won, or a commodity to be traded. Miss Flara is quite beautiful, and I’m sure that I would find her interesting…”
Amori shrugged. “Then go with her. Get to know her. Announce your engagement to the Empress. I will not give up my ships until a deal has been struck though.” Amori frowned at Flara. “I’m sure you understand.”
Flara gave her a weak nod. “I do understand. I h-hope that something can be worked out. The Empire needs all of the allies it can get if we are to survive the horror that is to come.”
Vihori asked, “What is this horror exactly?”
Flara looked back to where Nori, Apisa, and Rayko stood. Apisa gave a gentle nod of the chin. Rayko did as well. Flara’s attention finally drifted to Nori.
Did she really want his input too?
Apisa nudged him in the ribs and made a strange noise in her throat. Nori nodded.
Flara told Amori and Vihori everything.
THE COOL NIGHT air sent rippling chills down Nori’s back. A star-filled sky stretched overhead, and the moon shimmered with a luminous radiance. Nori leaned over the railing of a balcony and beheld the mystifying splendor of the river. Most of Gohoda had been blanketed in darkness, but a few lights beamed out of windows like fireflies in a field.
Thank Saito he didn’t have the nightmare again.
Nori scanned the serenity of the city once more before staring at the celestial orb that hung in the heavens.
“Mesmerized, are we?” a voice called out from behind.
Luxi moved up beside him and leaned on the railing like he did. She gazed at the moon. A large smile creased across her face. She didn’t have her sword by her side, and she was dressed in a loose, baggy shirt and a pair of light brown shorts. A dark bruise sat right under her right eye. She also placed more weight on her left leg
He said, “Watching the moon helps me process my thoughts. Are you okay? You’re hurt.”
Luxi relaxed her shoulders and breathed in the night air deeply. Her eyes closed before she exhaled. “I’ve really missed this place. I never realized how much I did until just now. My father and I used to sit on one of the piers at night and gaze out into the harbor. My mother used to get so upset; she said it was dangerous for us to be out when our enemies were still in power. Back then, we didn’t care about that.”
“How did the duel with your mother go? I see that you’re still alive,” Nori said. “Does that mean…?”
Luxi chuckled, and then shook her head. “We didn’t duel to the death. It was merely to demonstrate superiority. Damn that woman… she hasn’t changed a bit. It’s okay, I still got her pretty good. I broke her nose, among other things.”
Nori shifted so that he faced her, but he still leaned against the balcony rail. Whenever Luxi breathed in, Nori found himself alert in anticipation for her exhale. She drummed her fingers against rail, and the soft thump thump thump encouraged his heart to beat in time.
“Is that a good thing? You seem quite pleased with yourself,” Nori said.
Luxi stepped up from the wall, but winced slightly as she put a little too much weight on her damaged leg. “Yeah it’s a good thing! I told you that she was once my master, much in the same way that your mother trained you. I showed that old cow that I’ve grown as a warrior.”
“You remembered that about me?” Nori asked. “I’m impressed.”
She turned ever so slightly, but still peeked out at him from the corner of her eye. “Of course I remember the things you tell me.” She let out a small ‘humph.’ “I take it you’re not used to having people be kind to you, huh? That’s shame that people don’t give you more of a chance. You’re actually quite sweet.”
Nori’s tongue pressed against the top of his mouth. His throat became as dry as a desert wasteland. He tried to swallow and conjure more spit, but his body refused to cooperate. “Um… thank you.”
Luxi got closer to him, and placed her shoulder against his. She stared at one of the ships in the harbor. Her voice sounded light and airy. “So it’s crazy about Flara and Vihori, right? I totally didn’t see that coming.”
“Yeah,” Nori said. “While I’m a little shocked that she actually made an offer like that, a large part of me understands where she’s coming from.”
Luxi asked, “How so?”
“Flara isn’t doing this for herself. She’s doing it to provide additional forces to combat the Celestial Ones. She’s sacrificing herself so that the people of this country can have a chance at survival.” Nori ran his fingers against the rough stone surface of the balcony. Slowly, he skin glided against the porous surface. “What’s he like? Is he going to treat
Flara well?”
Luxi chuckled. “My brother has always done his best to serve the people under my mother’s banner. Sometimes, he can come off as a real asswhipe. Still, Vihori always has good intentions. He’s loyal, intelligent, and he has an enormous capacity to empathize with others. It’s been five years since I saw him last, but he still carries himself in the same manner that our father once did.”
“I’m sworn to protect Flara,” Nori said. “If he harms her in any way, it won’t end well for him.”
Luxi turned her body so that her chest rested an inch from Nori’s shoulder. “I don’t doubt that, big guy. I’ve seen you in action, and how you react when people you care about are in danger. By the way, were you really going to draw that knife on my mother if she came after me?”
Nori beamed a nervous smile at her. “You noticed that, huh?”
Luxi rolled her eyes and slid a little closer to Nori. “Oh yeah, and so did Vihori and my mother. It was touching. So if they got married, would that mean you would be protecting Vihori too?”
“That depends on whether Flara stayed around him or not,” Nori replied. “I am duty bound to follow her until I am assigned elsewhere.”
Luxi reached up with her hand, and delicately traced her index finger around the folds of Nori’s ear. It tickled him, but he didn’t stop her, and he didn’t move away. Great winged beasts flapped within him, making him tremble slightly. If Luxi noticed his unease, she either pretended to remain ignorant or she reveled in it.
“So that’s your future, huh? To go where you’re told?” Luxi continued to play with his ear. She started to use her other fingers too. “Do you not have any say on where your future leads?”
Nori shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I get to guard someone I care about, so it works in my favor. The situation might be different if I were assigned to someone that I didn’t know… especially since my homeland has fallen.” He stepped away from her, out of her grasp, and settled along the balcony again. His eyes floated on unwept tears, yet he refused to allow himself to break down in front of her.
Luxi moved up to him again. Her shoulder rubbed up against his. Their eyes met.
“I know I said this before, but I’m so sorry about your people,” Luxi said. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but I feel so badly for you.”
Nori gently bumped her with his body. Doing so sent living streams of warmth throughout his nerve endings. “I appreciate it. How about you? What will your future hold?”
Luxi twisted her body and traced her fingers up Nori’s arm. She stopped at his shoulder, and then placed her hand on her hip. A sassy twinkle sparkled in her eyes. “I’ll do the same thing I’ve always done. I’ll do what I want, when I want, and how I want.”
Nori swallowed hard. “A-and what is it that you want right now?”
Luxi rose up on her toes and gently kissed Nori’s cheek. “Right now I want to get to bed. We have a long trip ahead of us. Don’t stay up too late, we’re going to need you soon. I can feel it.”
She walked over to the doorway leading back to the palace, but she paused before she went in. Luxi looked over her shoulder, a sultry grin beaming at Nori. “It’s a shame that more girls don’t take the time to see past your gruff exterior. You’re a gem, far more valuable than most of the ass wipes that are walking about. Don’t let anyone ever make you think differently. See you tomorrow.”
Nori watched her disappear into the palace, but then stared up at the white moon. Fire burned in both ears. The cool night wind failed to ease him of his hot blood. Even though Xian Ba loomed ever close than it did at the start of this river voyage, there was still much to do. Nori adjusted the bulge in his pants, and then went inside.
A GRAY OVERCAST sky lingered above them as they moved down toward the Grinning Panda. Nori walked behind Flara and Vihori as they exchanged small talk. To his great surprise, Flara had been quite talkative to the pirate prince. Granted, she stuttered every once and while and fumbled with her fingers.
One thing was absolutely clear: she was trying to open herself up to him.
Just as Luxi had told him, Vihori treated her with the utmost respect and dignity. He appeared attentive at the right times, and he kept engaged in their conversation. According to Rayko and Apisa, he maintained that same behavior toward Flara when they were alone last night.
Rayko had somehow acquired an elegant parasol from somewhere. In the back of Nori’s mind, he wondered whether it had been real or not. Apisa walked behind the group, and she moved with uncharacteristic silence.
Nori slowed his approach so that he kept pace with Apisa. “Are you okay? I’m not used to seeing you so distraught.”
Apisa glanced up to him for a moment. “Oh, hey. I’m okay.”
“No you’re not. Come on, tell me what’s up,” Nori said.
Apisa winced. “You’ll think it’s stupid.”
Nori held out his hand. “I pinky promise I won’t think it’s stupid.”
Apisa shifted her attention from Nori’s face to his hand. Slowly and reluctantly, she raised her hand, and interlocked his littlest finger with her own. “Okay, but you can’t laugh. I feel kind of… ugly around Rayko and Flara. Hell, even Luxi has guys ogling her. But me, they all look at me like I’m the help or something.” She paused and frowned a little more. “Now I understand how you felt.”
“Since when do you care about what other people think about you?” Nori asked. “Back in Jadai, you were bold, brash, and you didn’t let anyone make you feel badly.”
Apisa’s shoulders sank a little. “I know that, but Jadai is a lot different than Nagasi or Gohoda. Jadai’s a lot like Buka. People there are used to seeing people like me. The people here all have this elevated vision of what a woman should look like. I don’t have a thin waist or big boobs. I’m a working girl, and that’s all I’ll ever be. I’m not ashamed of it, but it makes me sad to see how everyone always ignores me, and pays attention to the others. Like I said… it’s stupid.”
For a few moments, Nori just walked side by side with her. Her limbs wobbled as she moved. The sullen expression she carried before became more pronounced. Apisa’s eyes appeared empty, where they usually had such unshakeable vitality within them.
“Let me tell you something interesting,” Nori said. “Back in Onista, we had our own vision of beauty. The women of my homeland were all tough as rocks, muscular, physically fit, and they didn’t care about looking good for anyone. They lived their lives in earnest. Onistan men actively sought out the women forged by their own challenges.” He gestured toward Apisa. “Women like you.” He paused for another moment before he said “If we were back in Onista, I’d be more inclined to try and get your attention, rather than people like Rayko or Flara.”
Apisa’s eyes perked up a little, and her shoulders reared back ever so slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’re trying to tell me I’m pretty.”
Nori averted his eyes for a second. “You are pretty. More than pretty. In truth, you remind me so much of the women from my homeland that it’s scary. If I would have lived in Onista rather than coming here, I would have been overjoyed to marry someone like you.”
Apisa took a deep breath, and then finally broke through the gloom with a grin. “Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that.” She reviewed the people that they passed by. “I’m not like these skinny wispy girls, and that’s a good thing! ‘When there’s work that needs to be done, you need to have a strong back and a stout heart!’ That’s what my mama used to say.”
For the rest of the walk to the Grinning Panda, Apisa embraced her usual happy self. By the time the sailors had untied the mooring lines from the dock, Apisa had reverted to the same vibrant person that once forced herself to be Nori’s friend.
Luxi called out for her crew members to prepare to re-enter the river. As her sailors moved about furiously, Luxi took her place behind the helm. Vihori stood beside her, but he did nothing to unsettle the very established sense of command th
at Luxi exuded. Flara, Apisa, and Rayko returned to their room below deck.
As for Nori, he stayed at the bow of the ship. Slowly, Gohoda’s harbor got smaller. He gripped his tetsubo tightly in his right hand, and swung it several times slowly in front of him. Any sense of vulnerability left him rapidly.
The Grinning Panda slowly left harbor and floated down the river again. Nori watched as the water parted ways for the ship. Bits of sunlight peeked through thinner layers of cloud. The scent of rain still hung in the air like a perfume.
A male voice beckoned behind him. “We’ve not had a real chance to talk. I think it’s long overdue.”
Nori peeked over his shoulder. Vihori stood behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyebrows descended lower toward his eyes, and his mouth formed a tight little line just below his nose. Vihori stood up to Nori’s shoulder.
“I suppose we should,” Nori said. He placed his back against the rail and set the top of his tetsubo between his feet. “And what shall we talk about? You’re intentions for Flara perhaps?”
Vihori’s eye brows jumped higher for a moment. “Miss Flara? Oh yes, that’s right… You’re her bodyguard.”
“No, I’m her Qu-Tar.” Nori said. “Luxi tells me that you’re a good man. I hope that’s true.”
Vihori’s lips formed a small smirk, yet his eyes maintained a considerable degree of suspicion. “That’s amusing. I wanted to talk to you about Luxi. However, I’ll honor your inquiry first. I don’t mean Miss Flara any harm or ill intent. I was caught by surprise by her proposition, more so than anyone else. To be honest, I don’t really know what this will entail.”
“Neither do I,” Nori replied. “I know one thing for sure. I’m going to be by her side until her mother orders me away. So long as you don’t try to take advantage of Flara or hurt her in any way, then I won’t be forced to decimate you.”
The Wrath Of the Forgotten Page 23
