by Ryan Kirk
It was over in three moves. The hunter was balanced well, but Ryuu was too fast and too strong. Ryuu's first cut opened the hunter's belly, the second his neck. He dropped to the ground, not long for this world.
Events sped up to normal speed again. Ryuu sensed the commotion his battle had caused. With the energy he'd been putting out, he assumed he'd alerted the entire island. It was Shika who was first to him, blade drawn. Ryuu had never realized she was so fast.
"I saw the end of the battle. Where's Rei?"
"I sent her off to get a bite to eat."
Fury erupted on Shika's face. "How dare she leave you! I warned her something like this would happen."
Ryuu quieted her. "It was my idea. She'll feel bad enough as it is."
Shika turned to the assembled crowd. "Somebody clean up this mess, and somebody find Tenchi.” She turned to Ryuu. “This has gone too far. It's time we settle this once and for all."
Ryuu, Tenchi, Shika, and Rei were sitting around Ryuu's hut. The tension was so thick, Ryuu was afraid someone was going to choke on the air before they had a chance to make their point.
Tenchi glared at Shika. "Our island has stood safe for over a thousand cycles, and now this. Were you involved?"
Shika looked liked she'd been expecting the question. "No."
Ryuu understood. His death would have brought the political battle to its final stage. If the blades weren't safe here, there was no reason for them not to go back to the Three Kingdoms. Shika would win, but would she have killed him? She had been the first to show up. Ryuu didn't know. He didn't know anyone here well enough. All he knew is that he wanted to trust them all.
Ryuu tried to turn the questioning in a direction that didn’t bring Tenchi and Shika nose-to-nose. "They had to have come through the harbor. Is everyone fine down there?"
Tenchi shifted his glare from Shika to Ryuu. "Everyone's fine, and most everyone down there is loyal. They didn't come through the bay. I've had my men searching every ship."
"Why?"
"Because this island is splitting up, and I’ve been worried for some time that someone would try breaking the rules we’ve lived by for so many cycles." He glared at Shika.
Shika’s voice was soft. “That’s not fair, Tenchi. We may disagree, but I’d never break the rules which govern us. It’s not the right way.”
Ryuu was trying to keep up. "If they didn't use the bay, how did they get here? There's no way to climb those cliffs."
Rei spoke quietly. "There are other ways up, ways that have been hidden well. No one searching could have found them."
Tenchi elaborated. "We don't just have the two ships. There are many boats scattered around the island. Long ago it was decided we needed enough transportation to get off the island in case of emergency. There are boats down near the water, well disguised and covered and only checked occasionally. They would be next to impossible to find. The only way they could have used one of those passages was if we were betrayed."
There was a sound of footsteps at the doorway. Tenchi looked out and saw a messenger. "Yes?"
"Sir, we've found two things. First is this note. It was on the body of one of the hunters. Second, we found the boat they came in on. Smuggling vessel. They killed the entire crew. It looks like they came up through one of the emergency ship tunnels."
Tenchi nodded and dismissed the man. He unfolded the note. Three words were written on it. "War is coming."
"Cryptic enough," Tenchi remarked.
Ryuu caught a glance from Shika. He wanted to speak out, to let Tenchi know Shika had predicted the attack, but her glance told him to be silent. He swore to himself. Politics couldn’t ruin this island. It was too great a treasure. People needed to start trusting each other.
"Tenchi, Shika warned me I might be in danger. I don't think she's behind the attack."
Shika looked like she was willing to finish the job the hunters had failed at, but Tenchi fixed his stare on her.
"What do you know, Shika?"
She looked as though she was about to be torn in two. She deflated, all the pride knocked out of her. "I think it was Renzo, sir."
Tenchi stroked his beard. "You have proof?"
Shika shook her head. "He is actively plotting with Lord Tanak, sir. He's raised a militant faction among my own supporters."
Tenchi stood up. "I see."
Tenchi paced the small hut, back and forth, and Ryuu worried he'd wear a hole in the ground. They all sat in perfect stillness, afraid to incur the wrath of the old man.
When he stopped, he was grinning the same grin he always seemed to have on his face. "Well, this is a problem that will take me a little while to solve. Ryuu, I'm glad you survived. It was an impressive display you put on for the rest of us."
Ryuu wasn't sure how to respond. "Thank you."
Tenchi turned to Shika. “Shika, there’s much we must talk about, and much I need to think on. Let us meet again, soon, and let’s be honest with one another. The time for our disagreements has passed. We’re in more dangerous waters now, and I’ll need everyone’s help.”
Tenchi led the other nightblades out into the evening coolness. As he was leaving, he turned to Ryuu. “Be careful, Ryuu. I know you can take care of yourself, but a storm is coming, and I don’t know if any of us are prepared for it. Be safe.”
Ryuu nodded, and Tenchi left, leaving Ryuu alone with his thoughts.
Two days later, Tenchi, Shika, Rei, and Ryuu were in conference again. Ryuu had barely seen Tenchi since the attack.
Today he looked haggard and worn. For the first time since they had met, Ryuu thought Tenchi was showing his age. He had the look of a man who had a distaste for everything he did.
"Thank you all for coming. I've been doing a lot of thinking since Ryuu was attacked. It's obvious our island is divided, now more so than ever, but I never thought it would get this far. Shika and I may disagree, but we both want what we believe is best for the blades."
Tenchi paused for a moment. "Today we need to be honest with one another. Shika, I haven't dug any deeper into your theory, but you seem to know things I don't. Will you share them with me?"
Shika nodded. Ryuu could see she'd come to her decision before the meeting had started.
"About two cycles ago, Renzo sent me a letter, asking me to join forces with him. He outlined his plan and asked me to support him and be his other half here on the island."
Ryuu looked up. Two cycles ago he had killed Orochi in battle. Was it a coincidence? Or were the two somehow related? Had Orochi been preventing Renzo’s plans? His mind spun, but he kept his silence.
"What was his plan?"
Shika shook her head. "His letter wasn’t specific. He didn't trust me completely, but he said he knew the Three Kingdoms would soon be involved in civil war, and his dream was that the war would provide sufficient motivation to bring the blades back to the Three Kingdoms."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Shika met Tenchi's questioning look straight on. "I didn't like his plan. It relied on spreading chaos in the Three Kingdoms and would cost many lives. But at the same time, I wasn't sure he was wrong. I refused, but I've tried to keep an eye on his actions ever since."
"What do you mean?"
"I've worked hard to figure out who his people on the island are. I've been watching them to ensure they didn't try anything foolish."
"But you didn't prevent the attack on Ryuu's life."
Shika bowed her head. "I never thought Renzo would give anyone the location of the island. He's a believer, in his own way. I never thought he’d try to recruit outsiders. Truth is, I was blindsided as much as anyone here. I thought he'd try something with another nightblade. It was why I've had Rei sitting watch for these few moons."
Tenchi nodded. "And here I thought it was just because she liked him."
Ryuu's gaze darted over to Rei, who was blushing. Perhaps Tenchi's guess hadn't been that far off either.
Everyone sat around in a moment of silenc
e. Ryuu looked from face to face, and each of them seemed deep in thought. But he still felt he was missing part of the story. He raised his hand and spoke when Tenchi addressed him.
"Why is Renzo in the Three Kingdoms, anyway?"
Shika was the one who answered. "The practice can actually be traced back to your master, Shigeru. After he escaped from the island, it was only a matter of time before Orochi followed him. Orochi was young and obsessed with power when he landed in the Three Kingdoms. We're not sure how it happened, but he eventually worked his way into service with Lord Akira. While we didn't condone his actions, it presented an opportunity and a challenge for us."
Tenchi picked up where Shika left off. "Orochi gave us valuable information, information that helped shape our path here on the island. It was useful for him to be stationed so close to Akira, but it also created a shift in the balance of power in the Three Kingdoms. I feared if one kingdom had a nightblade, the power would shift in the kingdoms altogether. The council at the time, led by me, made the decision to send two other nightblades, one to Tanak and one to Sen."
Ryuu was shocked. It had been surprising enough when he had discovered Akira was in league with a nightblade, but to know each Lord was advised by a nightblade, it was almost too much to handle. It was information that would send the Three Kingdoms into uprising if it became public. All because of his master. He stopped to consider the man he’d thought a father in a new light.
Rei asked the most important question. "So what do we do?"
Tenchi frowned. "I've been thinking, considering what I would do if Shika's theory was true. I don't like it, but I believe we need to assassinate Renzo."
Ryuu heard the intake of breath from around the room. Rei spoke first. "You'd order the death of a nightblade?"
Tenchi looked as though he’d just lost a loved one. It was hard to meet his gaze. "If I need to in order to protect this island and the people, yes, I would."
Shika laughed. "Are you forgetting Renzo is the best sword this island has? You've always said you were stronger, but no one alive has seen you fight. Are you going to take him on yourself?"
Tenchi smiled. "There’s not been one worth drawing a blade against. But, you're right. He was the best sword, but my plan was to send Ryuu. I believe he's stronger than Renzo."
Shika took in Ryuu at a glance. "I won't deny he's good. But you think he's that good?"
"I hope so."
Ryuu was getting frustrated. It was annoying to be talked about as if he wasn't even present. He had opinions too, and he refused to be part of the politics on the island. He had come here to learn how to protect himself and Moriko, not become an assassin. When Akira had offered him the position, he had refused, and he didn't see any reason his answer should change just because it was Tenchi who was asking. "What if I don't want to kill him?"
Tenchi fixed him with a stare. "Then you give up your only hope of bringing peace to the Three Kingdoms."
Ryuu was angry, starting to see red in the corners of his vision. How dare Tenchi try to pin peace in the Three Kingdoms on an assassination! Takako had been right, just before she was killed. Violence only led to more violence.
Tenchi looked around the faces of the room and sighed. "This is what it means to lead this island. Think on that, if any of you want the job. If you can come up with another idea, bring it to me. Take a few days and think it over, but I don’t see any other path forward.”
Chapter 23
It had been over two moons since Moriko had left the comfort and relative security of the Three Kingdoms. She had probably seen more of Azaria than any living citizen of the Three Kingdoms. And now she was coming home, only now she was at the tail of an advancing army. Not quite the homecoming she’d been hoping for, but she was traveling north, and that was a small comfort. She’d have to take action soon, but was worried what the consequences would be.
They had been traveling for five days now. After the Gathering had broken, all the clans had started to head north together. It would be the largest invasion force the Three Kingdoms had ever seen. She had to get ahead of them and warn Toro as soon as she could, but she still didn’t know why she and Ryuu had been attacked by hunters, or even how they’d been found. Until she had more information, she didn’t want to leave. And their leader knew where she was now. She wasn’t sure she’d have a chance escaping.
After the hunters had met with Dorjee, Moriko had worried she’d be taken by them. But they had left, and Dorjee hadn’t been pleased. Their conversation afterwards, in Dorjee’s tent, had been tense.
“You did not tell me you were demon-kind.” His whole attitude towards her had become cold.
“What does it matter who I am?”
“I never would have let you come into the clan if I had known.”
“You let me in because you saw strength and a chance for peace, no matter how slim. None of that has changed.”
“He will never listen to your proposal!”
“Who is He? I’ve been with you for over a moon now, and still I know nothing about your people. You march to war against my land, but I don’t know why.” Moriko’s frustration was getting the better of her. “All I want is to meet with your leader and speak with him. Why can’t this happen?”
Dorjee was about to retort, but it was Lobsang who spoke up, his deep, calm voice easing some of the tension in the room.
“This clan wishes for peace. When you came, we hoped there would be a chance. But events have come too far, and if you are demon-kind, there is no chance for peace. Dorjee won’t admit it, because he’s a stubborn man, but he cares for you and doesn’t want to see you come to harm.”
Moriko glanced from one to the other. Lobsang was telling the truth of it. “I have nothing to fear from your leader.”
Lobsang shook his head, sadly. “I know you were holding back when we fought, and I would have fallen to you otherwise, but your best is far less than His. You’ve never seen a fighter like Him.”
“I’ve seen strong fighters.”
“If you’d seen one like Him, you’d fear Him.” He turned to Dorjee. “Sir?”
Dorjee nodded and spoke softly, the anger gone from his voice, replaced by sorrow. “There is some I can tell you, some which will help you understand.”
He gestured for Moriko to sit down.
“The People have never had a ruler, not like you in the Three Kingdoms. Each clan is led as they see fit, and at the Gathering each summer, councils of the leaders get together to make any decisions that must be made. It has been this way for as long as our stories go back. But last summer, it all changed when He came.”
“He has no name. None of his kind do. You call them hunters in your language, and you are more right than you know. They have always been a breed apart. They are important, called on in times of crisis. The demon-kind can gather food where none can be found. They can fight off enemies our own clans cannot. But they never lead. They are servants to the clans, set apart. But He has other plans.”
“You have heard times are tough. Times have always been tough, but game is disappearing. There is no longer enough food in this land to feed us. The demon-kind are called on more and more to feed clans. Many of us have worried for many cycles, but there is little we can do.”
“Last summer He came forward and told us He was taking charge, that He had a plan to save the clans. He said He was the ruler and we must do as He said. Those who disagreed with Him at that first campfire were killed by his own sword. Some clans rebelled, but they were wiped off the face of the planet, man, woman, and child. He leads the demon-kind, and the demon-kind are the strongest of us all. It is that strength that draws us to Him.”
“This spring the last of the rebelling clans was wiped out. Here, at the Gathering we just left, He told us His plan. We march north to take over a new land, a land where the people have gone soft, have forgotten how to fight. We have always sent our young men to the pass to build their strength, but He means to take over your land and
make it our own.”
Moriko understood, everything falling into place.
“He will kill you, as soon as He meets you. But it is out of our hands. His scouts have found you, and He will summon you when He is ready.”
For a while, Moriko thought the summons might never come. Dorjee said she should be grateful for every day of life. She contemplated escape, but somehow He knew she had been on her way south. Perhaps escape was out of the question. She worried she would bring retribution down on the Red Hawks, but she was more worried she wouldn’t be able to get away at all. So she spent her days with the clan on the move. Dorjee had no wish to be part of the hostilities, so they were near the end of the column.
Moriko was amazed by how much ground they covered every day. The clans moved fast. Every day they covered between seven and ten leagues. She didn’t know much of anything about marching large groups, but she had never imagined they’d be able to cover so much ground. They were making much better time than she’d made alone on foot. At this rate, they’d be at the Three Sisters before the pass closed up for the winter.
Five days passed, and no summons came. Dorjee had been kind enough to lend her a horse, and Lobsang took her under his wing. He taught her how to ride better, and after five days, riding had almost become pleasurable to her. Almost.
On the evening of the sixth day, the summons came. Moriko suppressed her fear. She had been rehearsing for this moment for a long time. They were to come to His campfire when the moon was high.
As the sun began to set, Moriko joined the Red Hawks for their evening meal. They all gathered around a campfire and ate as the men and women told stories. Moriko still didn’t understand a word they were saying, but she did understand the look of contentment on the faces of everyone around her. It seemed such a striking contrast to the reason she was here. This was home for these people, and they had shared it with her. She was grateful.
