Moon and Star: Book One

by Mike Bergonzi

  He got up and walked towards her, giving her his kimono. She shivered and blushed, saying thank you. Jin smiled. It was the least he could do for such a dangerous mission. What happened to her? She was always so calm.

  “I assume you’re back for good?” he asked.

  Mayumi nodded. “Until I’m called for, again.”

  “What did my father speak about?” Jin asked, settling down in front of her.

  “He wants to kill Kaito.”

  Chapter Three

  Kaito waited near the city gate for what felt like hours, but it was probably more like a few minutes. It was early out and the guards were changing shifts, meaning no one was at the watch station.

  He clenched the scroll in his hand. The one he was supposed to get his father to sign. Of course, he signed it himself. He wasn’t about to let this chance slip away.

  Two men—one shorter than the other walked towards him at a nice, even pace. In their hands was something made out metal. It glistened, causing him to sweat. Whoever they were, their outfits blended in with the surrounding night sky and various grey-stoned buildings. They moved around as if they were shadows. Every time he blinked, they vanished only to reappear closer after he closed his eyes again.

  He tried to get them to focus better, but soon felt the cold feel of steel against his chest and throat. Kaito tried looking down, but all he could see was his nose. The blades were dangerously close to slicing his head from his body.

  Assassins.

  A flash of light blinded him. All he could hear was sword against sword and metal against flesh. The sharp edge pressed against his throat and chest vanished.

  The light subsided and the two assassin’s lay on the ground, unresponsive. Presumed dead.

  How is that possible, Kaito wondered. He stared in awe at a sword of reflecting light. The blade glistened in the sun's early gaze and, in the blink of an eye, disappeared.

  The wielder of the tachi stood over the assassins bodies. The blade he'd seen moments before was gone, replaced with an ordinary sword.

  “Who are you?” Kaito asked. “And who are those people? Why did they want me dead?”

  The person wore all black with grey around the eyes, arms, and kneecaps. He looked at Kaito and took of his mask. It was a woman.

  “Your father sent me to protect you.”

  Kaito felt his face grow warm. He couldn’t believe he was saved by a female. He wasn’t so much ashamed as he was shocked. Every twenty years, women were chosen to become bushi-ama warriors based on their family’s class status. Out of the twenty years, only one female was given the rank of bushi-ama warrior. They were able to live independent from their husbands. Some would say they were in a whole other league compared to male bushi-ama warriors. On top of that, this woman was as old as his father. Kaito had never heard of a female bushi-ama warrior lasting this long in the line of duty. The missions they went on were dangerous and few survived past adolescence.

  “My father sent you,” she said.

  “My father?” Kaito asked. “How do you know my father?”

  She nodded. “I’m Mayumi. We don’t have much time. We need to leave Kyotomo, tonight. I’m sure the Hatake clan won’t be the only one’s after your head.”

  Kaito shook his head and stood his ground. “Not until you tell me what’s going on?”

  “There’s no time. We need to move.”

  Without thinking, he blurted out, “Show me the tachi.”

  Mayumi raised an eyebrow. “What tachi? This?”

  She unsheathed the sword. Kaito blinked, confused. When did she sheathe the blade? She's fast, he thought. Super fast. I didn't even see her move.

  She grinned. "You looked impressed. Come with me and I'll teach you my techniques."

  "Show me that sword again and I'll be even more impressed."

  "I'm afraid that's not possible," she said.

  "Why?"

  "Come with me and I'll answer any questions you may have."

  Kaito paused, deep in thought. On the one hand, learning how to fight with a sword was a dream and this woman was an expert. She took down Go-zhuk and his father without breaking a sweat.

  "Well," Mayumi asked. “Are you coming or not?"

  Kaito nodded. "All right, I'll come."

  He looked down at his feet, realizing if he left he'd be labelled a ronin. The desire to leave became less pleasing as time passed.

  Mayumi placed a hand on his shoulder. Kaito looked up into her eyes. They were a deep blue. The same color as his own. She smiled, eyes closed. For some reason he trusted her. He felt safe with her, as if nothing bad would happen as long as she was with him.

  "Should I get my things?" he asked, pointing towards the castle.

  Mayumi shook her head. "Too dangerous. We'll get some supplies on the way to Yoshino."

  "Yoshino? Why are we going there?"

  "It's the one place you'll be safe," she said. "I assume you already know the reason."

  Kaito shook his head. Yoshino was home of the Yoritomo clan and the enemy of his own. Why did she think he'd be safe there? There was something he wasn't telling her and it worried him.

  "Here, put this on," Mayumi said.

  She threw him a sand-colored cloak. Kaito put it on. It was a bit large on him, but he could still move around. She grabbed a fistful of dirt from the ground and smothered his face and clothing with it. Kaito coughed and sputtered.

  “What are you doing?”

  “A commoner shouldn’t have such a pretty face,” Mayumi said with a smile.

  “Who said I wanted to be commoner?” Kaito asked.

  “You don’t have a choice, assuming you want to survive. The land between here and Yoshino is dangerous. Ronins travel those parts, looking for a reason to fight. If you so much as look at them wrong, they’ll attack. I shouldn't have to explain what happens if they find out you're the Shogun's heir.”

  “No, and I still don't understand why we have to leave.”

  “Because you’re a fugitive,” Mayumi said, “and everyone will want your head on a spear. Including your grandfather.”

  Kaito stepped back, shocked. "Why am I ..."

  "I'll explain once we're safe. Now let's go."

  She pushed him forward. Kaito turned around and took one last look at his home, wondering if and when he'd ever return.

  ***

  Kaito dragged his toes in the soft earth, letting them touch the cold dirt and soft rocks which compiled it. Their smooth texture and temperature relaxed his aching feet and provided a cure for his boredom. The sun had set twice and was on its third ascension into the sky.

  His legs wobbled underneath his small body weight. He could barely stand without feeling the tension in his legs disappear like a gentle breeze. He collapsed on the ground, the feeling in his legs gone. His bones replaced with something malleable and unstructured. He tried getting up, but his legs and feet were exhausted from all the non-stop walking.

  Mayumi turned to look at him, then looked up at the sky. "We'll camp here for the night, but we leave the moment the sun sets, all right?"

  Kaito nodded and let his body fall on a patch of grass. Dirt flew in his eyes and nose. He coughed, wiping it from his face. It was bad enough he had to wear such disgusting clothing, but now he was covered in dirt and pollen. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, letting the air cause his lips to rumble. He could see Mayumi smirk through the corner of his left eye.

  "What's so funny?"

  "You just remind me of Jin when he was little. He hated wearing clothing that made him look anything but important.”

  ”What else do you know about my dad?"

  "A lot," Mayumi said. "We were friends as children. We did everything together.”

  “What happened?” Kaito asked. “Did you have a falling out?”

  “No, nothing like that. My … work just got in the way is all.”

  She clenched her toes and sighed, but said nothing more. The silence between them elongated. The air
grew cold and Mayumi started a fire. Kaito found it fascinating to watch a warrior make something out of practically nothing.

  “You’re a bushi-ama warrior, aren’t you?”

  “What makes you say that?” she asked.

  Kaito pointed to the two swords laying next to her. “Because normal warriors don’t carry two swords.”

  “I see. Well, I should take that as a compliment. It means I’m doing my job well.”

  “So you aren’t a bushi-ama warrior?”

  “Well, for right now, yes. In my line of work I’m whoever the Minamoto clan needs me to be.”

  “What exactly do you do?” Kaito asked, leaning in closer to the fire.

  The heat didn’t bother him. He was used to sleeping with layers upon layers of silk back at the castle. The fire felt good on this cold night and was the closest thing he had to experiencing the warmth of his bed.

  Despite all the walking, he didn’t feel tired anymore. His legs were sore and his mind was a flutter, but he felt at peace now. More than he ever had at home. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. What was going on in his absence? Father must be worried sick. I hope he’s okay.

  “Mayumi?” he asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “Why am I a fugitive?”

  Mayumi sighed and repositioned herself so she sat cross-legged in front of the fire. She patted the ground next to her, motioning Kaito to sit down.

  “How old are you?”

  “Seventeen,” he said, sitting down.

  She smiled and stared up at the sky. “Your father was the same age when he said he’d tell you the truth.”

  “What truth?” he asked.

  “That you aren’t a member of the Minamoto clan.”

  His heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

  “You are a prisoner of these accursed times,” Mayumi said. “At least, that was your original purpose in life. You’re the reason things between the Minamoto and Yoritomo aren’t as bad as they could be. But, as I'm sure you can tell, that has changed.”

  He nodded. Everyone in town was talking about the war between the two clans, which loomed over the horizon. Where would the first drop of blood be spilled? Who would end it? What would the winning side receive? All those questions and more were on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Kaito didn’t think much of it, thinking it didn’t affect his ability to become shogun.

  But what Mayumi said … it can’t be true.

  “I should’ve known your father wouldn’t tell you,” she said. “He wanted to shield you from the truth for as long as possible, hoping things would work themselves out and you would never need to know.”

  Kaito looked down, staring at the fire. His mind filled with memories of his father. Only the negative ones flooded his head. All the times he refused to train him or even let him practice kendo by himself. It all became clear.

  “He didn’t trust me,” he said. “He never did.”

  “That’s not true,” Mayumi said. “He loved you very —”

  “He feared me,” Kaito said, ignoring Mayumi’s words. “He kept me in the dark because he didn’t want me to overthrow him. He was right not to tell me, because right now,” he clenched his fists. “I’m seriously considering it.”

  “If you must know your father wasn’t the one who placed the bounty on your head. If you want to blame anyone blame your grandfather. Your father would’ve tried to stop him. That much I can guarantee you.”

  Her words started to take effect on his thought processes. He didn’t know what to feel anymore, but he cried nevertheless. Mayumi held him in her arms and hummed him a song. It was familiar, comforting.

  “You know your father used to sing this to you whenever you couldn’t fall asleep. He said it was your favorite song when you were little.”

  “I’ve never heard this song before,” Kaito said.

  “You were probably too young to remember.”

  “He was always busy with politics and his ink paintings. You’re telling me he had time sing to me when I was little?”

  Mayumi nodded. “He would drop whatever he was doing and go put you to sleep. If I remember correctly he was the only one who could.”

  Kaito’s heart sank. Now he knew how much his life meant, compared to the state of Jakai as a whole.

  “But I’m sure he’ll be proud of the man you are becoming. When we get back, you can tell him all about your adventure.”

  “What adventure?” Kaito asked, looking down. “It’s not like I have anything to worry about with you around, right?”

  He looked up and she was gone.

  Chapter Four

  Yuri walked down the main road, towards the guard station. The lack of people on this road was ominous. This place was packed with merchants and buyers long before this hour. She glanced over her shoulder. Nobody was following her, but she couldn't help the feeling that she was being watched from afar. A cold wind blew threw the street, brushing up fallen karanasu leaves swirling them through the air. Yuri looked up. There weren’t any karanasu trees in Kyotomo. Where did they come from? Something wasn’t right. She picked up the pace, all the while worried about what her mind was telling her. When she reached the station, two bodies lie on the ground in a pool of blood. Two guards were hunched over the corpses. She knew one of them. It was Go-zhuk. Somebody killed Go-zhuk? Why?

  “What’s going on here?” Yuri shouted.

  The two guards stopped whatever it was they were doing and bowed. She raised an eyebrow. She could tell they were getting nervous. One of the guards was taller than the other. The shorter one had a gaunt face, despite his somewhat portly waist size, while the tall one’s hair was a mess. He looked like a foreigner with his hair down.

  “We found them like this,” the tall one said.

  “Why did no one report it?” she asked. “Who was stationed here before you?”

  The short one blushed and looked down at his feet. “We were on duty last night, but...”

  “So no one was here?”

  The short one nodded. “Yes, Lady Kanrei.”

  “Well, what were you doing?"

  They both turned to each other and blushed as they looked back at her, avoiding any direct eye contact with her.

  “We were at the inn,” the taller one said. Looking for …

  “A prostitute,” the shorter one said.

  Yuri blinked. “I see. Well, did it ever occur to you that anyone could’ve walked into the city. Someone who would wish us harm. Tell me, was the pleasure worth it?”

  Their faces sunk and their eyes showed signs of guilt as they stared at the ground. What people did with their money was their business and she didn’t care to know about it. This time, however, was different. Anyone could’ve walked in and out of the city. The question was who did and why?

  She was getting ahead of herself. There wasn’t any proof that somebody from the outside came inside the city. The dead bodies could’ve been a product of someone on the inside. If that were the case, they were a rogue now, and the wilderness would deal with them at some point.

  The wind picked up again, blowing karanasu leaves past her face.

  Karanasu trees weren’t native to this area, so what were they doing here? Yuri froze, realizing that someone had entered the town. She picked up one of the leaves to examine it, but found her finger bled upon contact. She knew of only one person who could’ve done this. Mayumi Shingen. How was that possible? She was supposed to be dead. Something was very wrong.

  She looked down to examine the blood from Go-zhuk and his father. It was somewhat dry, but still wet enough to be called fresh. Whoever did this certainly had help. Go-zhuk may not have been great with a sword, but his father was a well-respected bushi-ama warrior in Kyotomo and the head of a noble house. He couldn’t have been defeated that easily. There was no blood splatter anywhere besides the general vicinity of the bodies. Their attacker never spilled a drop of blood, it seemed.

  Yuri’s neck tensed. Perhaps Mayumi wasn�
�t dead. She had the skills needed to take down someone like Takato and Go-zhuk. No, she’s dead. But who could’ve done this?

  Yuri swallowed the fear rising in her throat. If Mayumi was here in Kyotomo, she'd need to be careful. There was no telling what kind of assassination she'd try. She was an expert in ninjutsu and her abilities didn't end there. She also wielded tsuki no ha-ken—the lunar blade. That was probably how she defeated Takato and his son. Only one blade could match blows with tsuki no ha-ken and that was nitsu seiba—the sun saber. The shape of the blade was unusual. Tsuki no ha-ken resembled a traditional tachi, but Nitsu seiba was mostly curved and bulbous near the sword's tip. It certainly wasn't used for assassination like its brother. She supposed it was true, considering all the evidence; Mayumi was alive and there were only a few people who must've known about it. Yuri walked back towards the castle. She turned around and ordered the guards to dispose of the bodies and tell no one what happened last night. Having mass panic on the streets was the last thing she needed right now.

  She reached the castle walls and took off her sandals before entering. The bottoms were covered in dried flakes of blood. Jin didn't care about wearing footwear inside. In fact he did things that were unusual to her and everyone else in Jakai. Still, it was only proper. Yuri stormed into the meeting room and surveyed the area. Nobody was here. Good. She needed the privacy to let everything sink in.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Yuri jumped and hit her head against the wooden support beam. “Captain Kura. What brings you here?”

  “I found some of my men trying to dispose of some corpses. Looks like somebody did a number on them. Wonder who could’ve done it? Did you know about this?”

  “No, this is my first time hearing about it. Such a tragedy. Whoever did this will be properly punished. You have my word, Shinobu.”

  The captain raised an eyebrow. “This is the first time you’ve called me by my first name. Are you sure you’re okay?”