by Ryan Kirk
The evening trainings came in handy as he reached out his own sense, trying to understand the flow of energy surrounding him. He found it and inserted his will as he had felt Tenchi insert his, feeling immediately the power that came into him. Ryuu stood up, flexing his hands, amazed at how he felt. He saw Tenchi nod and the nightblade across from him leapt to his feet in an attack of blinding power. Ryuu was surprised, but his instincts took over and his will warped the energy around him. His sword was resting in the corner, but he was able to sidestep the swing and deliver his fist right into the nightblade’s stomach.
He didn’t think he had hit too hard, but the nightblade went sprawling backward, tumbling over his head before coming to a not-gentle stop along the wall. He coughed up blood, and Ryuu felt the power leave him as he lost his focus.
Tenchi had a stunned look on his face, but he called for a dayblade, who came rushing in moments later. Ryuu registered it and realized that Tenchi had expected someone to get hurt.
Tenchi looked at Ryuu with a mixture of awe and fear in his face. “Practice, Ryuu. He will be fine, but you should rest and practice. Let this skill become second nature to you.”
They sailed in the dark. Not of the seas, they trusted their lives to the smugglers who brought them across with promises of riches untold. Their ship was crewed by eight, all vicious-looking men with gold and death in their eyes.
The smugglers didn't need any light, practiced as they were sailing through the dark. Their two passengers didn't either. The beacon they followed was as bright as fire, and as easy to track as smoke on the plains.
They reached the island before the sun rose. The beacon on the ship had stopped shining, but another beacon directed them to a hidden passage, not the bay their target had sailed into, but a depression in the rock covered with painted leathers, a lifeboat for an emergency no one expected to occur.
The two killed the eight then. It was nothing to them, though the eight were surprised to be killed by only two. The two climbed out of the ship and followed their guide up the dark and hidden ways. Already they could sense their prey. The island was filled with strength, but one stood out among the rest. He would be easy to find.
They climbed upward in the dark, their hunt drawing to a close.
Chapter 21
Akira’s decision to call a Conclave had been controversial. He didn’t dare trust any besides Makoto and Mashiro with his plans, and even their approval had been begrudging. If his plan was going to work, Tanak needed to be taken by surprise.
The Conclave was a measure inserted into the treaty which governed the Three Kingdoms, designed as a way for the three Lords to seek reunification should the day ever come. Akira hadn’t been sure the treaty and the Conclave would still be honored. Tanak had ripped the treaty to shreds with his invasion. Fortunately, the power of the Conclave still drew them all together. For the chance, Akira was grateful.
A Conclave was a right granted to each Lord of the Three Kingdoms. When called, all Lords were required to assemble. Each was to appear with no more than one hundred soldiers, the number which had become the size of each Lord’s honor guard. The purpose of the Conclave was to bring the kingdoms together. In the thousand cycles the treaty had stood, only one Conclave had been called, about six hundred cycles ago. There had been a great famine at the time, and the Three Kingdoms had come together to save their people. The records said that after the famine had passed, there had been hope the Kingdom could be rebuilt, but the Lords at the time couldn’t agree to terms, and life and politics had returned to normal.
Now a second Conclave would be held, and Akira was certain Tanak would lose his throne.
Though the Conclave had been called, it hadn’t halted Tanak’s advance. He continued to drive deeper into the Southern Kingdom, and the second significant battle of the campaign would happen soon. It might already be happening. Akira had felt guilty, abandoning his men as they went to war for him, but he could do little of practical use in the battle. Makoto and Mashiro would be fine without him. His troops would be fine without him.
The Second and the Third would meet Tanak’s Second in battle. Akira’s forces needed an overwhelming victory. If Makoto and Mashiro could pull it off, there would still be a chance to save the kingdom if it came to war. Akira hoped his work here at the Conclave would prevent more violence. If he could depose Tanak, the invasion would fall apart. In his imagination, Akira even saw some paths which led to reunification. He hoped it could be true.
Their caravan followed a trail that curved around a mountain. As they came upon the city of Stonekeep, Akira was struck again by the sheer brilliance of the Northern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom was the least populous of the Three Kingdoms, largely because of the geography. Even though there were fewer opponents, Akira felt sorry for the general tasked with trying to conquer the territory. In all his planning, Akira had never thought to take the Northern Kingdom by force. Their army was small compared to his, but the land here would give the northern soldiers an insurmountable advantage. They had been in the kingdom for days now and Akira had the opportunity to watch the mounted riders and scouts who ranged far and wide over the land. Even the least skilled of them could control their mounts over terrain the best of Akira’s riders would think twice about. A small group of northern riders would be a match for any regiment of Akira’s in this terrain.
When Stonekeep came into view, Akira stopped his horse to take in all the details. The capital of the Northern Kingdom was perfectly positioned, the most defensible position Akira had ever seen. It wasn’t a large city. It sat high in a valley, the trail they were on the only entrance. The trail dipped down into the valley and worked its way back up, edged by a precipitous drop on one side and sheer cliffs on the other. Akira wasn’t even certain there was space on the path to bring up a battering ram.
His eyes moved up the trail to the wall. From his current position Akira could see that the wall was both tall and wide. It was an engineering marvel. Akira scanned it carefully, but he couldn’t see any way to attack the wall without tremendous loss of life. He wasn’t sure the wall could ever be taken by military means.
Beyond the wall was the city, a tightly packed maze of narrow corridors. Like the surrounding mountains, Akira suspected it was easily navigated by those familiar with the area, but a nightmare for those new to the passageways. Akira shook his head. Even if an army was to somehow breach the wall, their blood would make slick the roads of the city.
A siege wouldn’t work either. Akira saw that above the city were terraced fields, currently full of a bountiful crop. A river came down from the top of the mountain, and even this late in the season, it crashed down the valley, strong and clear. It wouldn’t dry up, no matter how long the siege lasted. In short, Akira wasn’t sure it would be possible to conquer the city. It had been many cycles since Akira had last visited, but the place instilled a sense of awe in him every time he saw it.
Akira waved one of their escorts to him. The man, a young officer in Sen’s army, rode over with an easy grace.
“Yes, Lord?”
“What is behind the valley which contains the city?” Akira asked, pointing to the crest of the valley.
The officer chuckled. “Many leagues of mountains. There are few of us that dare to venture in there. The mountains are too steep and too high even for our mounts to carry us.”
Akira chuckled. It really was the perfect place to keep a city. He admired Sen’s ancestors. It was the safest place he could imagine to hold a Conclave.
As soon as they were in the city, Akira was led to Sen’s palace. It was small and compact, fitting for a city in which everything was smaller than Akira was used to. From the outside it barely looked a palace, but once inside there was no doubt. The space was warm and decorated lavishly with fabrics and scents Akira couldn’t place. Most of the outside trade of the Three Kingdoms came through the Northern Kingdom, and through Highgate in particular.
Sen stood up to greet him, his bow deep
. Akira bowed to an equal depth. He was impressed by Sen’s vitality. He had seen fifty-six cycles this summer, but he still moved with the grace of a warrior. There was strength in those bones, and his eyes were lit with an intelligence that couldn’t be hidden.
Akira had always looked up to Sen. They had been introduced when Akira was young, and his father and Sen had been as close as two rulers of the Three Kingdoms could be. Sen ruled his kingdom well and his people were content. He had ruled for over forty cycles, close to a record for any Lord of the Three Kingdoms in history. The man was wise and benevolent, but Akira had to remind himself that he was dealing with another Lord. To Sen, the needs of the Northern Kingdom would always come first.
Sen had granted the location for this meeting, but Akira didn’t make the assumption he was dealing with an ally. As Lord, Sen had the interests of his Kingdom first, and no bond of friendship or respect would change that.
Sen, as host, spoke first. “Welcome, Lord Akira.” He smiled and moved forward to hug Akira.
Akira let down his guard a little. They were Lords first, but friends too. “Thank you, Lord Sen.”
They sat down on comfortable cushions while beautiful women brought them tea. Akira couldn’t help but let his eyes wander. He had been with his armies too long and hadn’t given women any attention for many moons. The women who served Sen were strong, and Akira suspected they were trained as guards in addition to serving staff. Akira found their obvious lithe strength appealing. It made him think of Ryuu’s partner, Moriko. He would never tell Ryuu, but he found her attractive. She was strong, and Akira loved that. He wondered if there were other nightblade women he might find.
Akira caught Sen’s slight smile, and he knew Sen had caught him glancing. He returned Sen’s smile and sipped at his tea. The quality was excellent. They sat in companionable silence and enjoyed the drink.
It was Sen who broke the silence, which surprised Akira. He had expected to be the more impatient of the two.
“You come in difficult times.”
Memories came flooding back to Akira. Sen was a traditionalist, a man who rarely said what he meant. He was subtle in a way Akira couldn’t manage.
“Yes.”
“It is a historic occasion, a Conclave called after six hundred cycles.”
Akira tried to grasp Sen’s meaning. Did he think Akira had been rash?
It was difficult to overstate the importance of the Conclave. The Three Kingdoms had been formed in the hope that one day they would be unified again as one Kingdom. Akira wondered for the first time if he had gone too far. He was less interested in reunification and more interested in trapping Tanak. Perhaps he was taking the wrong action. Akira thought carefully, an effect Sen always had on him.
“The treaty has never been broken, not for almost a thousand cycles.”
“And you have been building up the strongest army the Three Kingdoms has ever seen, along with trade policies that have hurt the Western Kingdom.”
Akira processed this. Sen had realized his intentions, then. But Akira hadn’t acted on them. Tanak had broken the treaty, not him.
Akira wanted to tell Sen his plan. He wanted to let Sen know about Tanak’s collusion with a nightblade, but he couldn’t bring himself to trust. Everything depended on surprise.
Sen spoke again. “Have you considered, really, what you are going to do here? Are you prepared to do whatever is necessary?”
What was Sen referring to? Akira wished the old man wasn’t so cryptic. Did he mean reunification, or did he have some idea what Akira was planning? There wasn’t any way it was possible. Sen would have to be a mind reader.
Akira decided to change his tactics. “I worry the Three Kingdoms will be under threat from the Azarians soon.”
Sen’s eyes took in Akira, trying to decide if Akira was attempting to fool him. Akira noticed. So Sen hadn’t been expecting that news.
Sen stroked his beard, long and white on his face. “The Southern Kingdom has been under the threat of Azarian attack for over sixty cycles. You have held the pass well.”
His inference was clear. Sen didn’t consider the Azarians a threat, not to his kingdom, at least. They were far removed from the Three Sisters here.
“They have hunters. They’ve been in my kingdom.”
Even Sen wasn’t able to hide his surprise. He was well educated and would know of the legends of the hunters. Their presence changed everything.
“You have evidence?”
Akira nodded. “Weapons and jewelry.”
“Hardly a convincing argument.”
“You know I wouldn’t lie about this.”
Sen shook his head. “Once, maybe. We haven’t seen each other in many cycles, and I don’t see your motives anymore.”
Akira was hurt. It was surprising to him to learn how much Sen’s approval meant to him. It was a childish emotion, left from his days spent on Sen’s lap. He wanted the old man to trust him.
“Tanak won’t just endanger my kingdom. If I’m right about the Azarians, we’re all at risk.”
Sen nodded. “You’ve given me much to think about.”
Akira took Sen’s hint. The meeting was over. “Thank you for hosting this Conclave. It is a kindness.” Akira wasn’t being polite. Sen would be the deciding factor in the meetings to come.
As Akira stood to bow out, Sen smiled at him, a weary smile. “It is good to see you again, Lord Akira.” Akira looked at Sen and knew it wasn’t just polite talk either. Sen meant it. Akira’s heart was light as he left the audience.
Akira hardly slept that night. Over and over, he thought about how he should proceed. Sen’s tone haunted him, made him wonder if he was abusing his power as a Lord.
Tanak wouldn’t know what Akira was planning, but he had come because of the solemnity of the Conclave. Any other attempt to meet would have been rebuffed, and Akira admitted he would do the same if he was in Tanak’s place. Akira knew the war wasn’t over, but he couldn’t deny Tanak’s forces had momentum, and if they weren’t stopped, his kingdom’s days would be numbered. Akira wondered what Sen would do if the Southern Kingdom fell. He knew the old man’s wish for reunification was strong. Would he give up his kingdom? Akira had to admit he could see it happening. Perhaps he wanted Akira to fall.
Akira’s strategy wasn’t complex. The power of the Conclave was that it was public. It was required by the treaty. He would reveal knowledge of Tanak’s nightblade. Akira knew Renzo was in the city with Tanak. He would be tested by the monks, and it would be public that Tanak had worked with a nightblade. Tanak’s rule would be broken, and Stonekeep would mark his grave.
Akira wasn’t sure what would happen after, but he hoped there could be talk of reunification. There would be chaos, but perhaps out of the chaos the Kingdom would emerge. Akira had to hope. It made the sacrifice of his people worth it.
When the morning came, Akira dressed in simple robes of the finest fabric he possessed. He wanted his appearance to be noble but not lavish. He walked with quiet, determined steps towards the dining hall, where the Conclave would be held.
When he opened the door, he surveyed the room before stepping in. As the one who had called the Conclave, tradition demanded he be the last to arrive. He saw Sen and Tanak seated around a small round table. His anger rose when he saw Tanak, the man who had broken the treaty and killed thousands of his men. He bowed, which was matched evenly by both Tanak and Sen. Around the room he could hear the pens of the nine scribes sitting around the Conclave, writing everything they observed.
The Conclave was public, but the founders had believed it should not be directly observed. Logic demanded an audience that would not be swayed by the arguments of the Lords. It would be a recipe for violence. Instead, three scribes from each kingdom transcribed the meeting, and the accounts would be bound together in a book to be spread throughout the Three Kingdoms. This method would ensure the complete proceedings were documented for all.
Akira took a deep breath and took a seat
at the table. Sen served the tea himself and tasted it first to prove it wasn’t poisoned. It was a kind gesture, but one that meant little to Akira. None of them would try anything of the sort at a Conclave. If any of them were to die mysteriously here, chaos wouldn’t begin to describe the consequences.
Sen began. “We are here today because Lord Akira has called a Conclave, a chance for the three Lords to discuss the events that have moved the Three Kingdoms, and perhaps finally bring peace to us all.”
Akira nodded. It was well spoken. It told the truth and hinted at reunification. The scribes wrote faster.
Sen continued. “Lord Akira, why have you called this Conclave?”
It was the moment Akira had been waiting for since the spy had come to his tent almost a moon ago. “I come to the Conclave today to announce the treaty has been broken.” He paused and glanced around the table.
Sen was watching him with rapt attention and Tanak looked like he thought he had wasted his time by coming. Tanak spoke up, disgust evident in his voice.
“Of course the treaty has been broken. It’s not like my invasion of your land is a secret here.”
Akira looked at Tanak with hatred in his eyes. He suppressed the desire to grin. “I don’t speak of your invasion, but of your cooperation with nightblades.”
Akira took in the reactions of both Tanak and Sen. Sen was surprised at the twist, but Tanak looked afraid. He tried to hide his reaction, but Akira could see the fear in his eyes. Akira had him. “I would like to call your adviser Renzo to the Conclave, along with three monks, one from each kingdom.”
Tanak’s eyes widened, and Akira tasted the victory on his lips.
Sen glanced at the soldiers stationed around the perimeter. “Make it so.”
The three rulers sat in awkward silence as Akira’s wish was granted. Akira risked a smile at Tanak. The Lord of the Western Kingdom was fidgeting back and forth, barely able to sit still. Akira savored the moment. Perhaps Tanak’s fall would bring some peace to all the men who had perished in this invasion.
