by NAK Baldron
The boy beside her didn't speak. And while he didn't wear a stone face, he showed no outward signs of fear. Caution, yes. But fear, no.
This will be fun.
She slipped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close to speak in private as they walked.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sapphire Nation, Fencura
Ren didn't know where they were headed, but he felt comfortable around with Kaito-Tanken Shaya, unlike Dai who'd made him feel like a rabbit cornered by an ice wolf. Her long, black hair—kept tightly weaved into one long strand—made his heart race and reminded him of someone he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"You're here for the examination, right?" Shaya asked, keeping her voice low so they could speak in private. Akio stood between the two of them and Dai with his men.
"Um, yes. How could you tell?"
"Why else would a boy from the Pearl Nation be out wandering the markets of our fine city alone? What's your name?"
"Ren." He wrung his hands, avoiding eye contact with Shaya. Her sea-green silk tunic clung to her skin, and his face grew warm every time he looked at her.
"What do you think of our city so far?" Shaya asked. "Have you ever seen so many people? I've heard the Pearl Nation is a tiny city with hardly anyone left."
Ren felt his face flush fully, but not from lust. "We're the smallest nation, but at least we're progressing. As far as I can tell, Shinzo is a backward city. Stuck in the past, with customs and rules not fit for a civilized people. Back home I'd have never been—"
"But you're not home." Shaya crossed her arms across her stomach, drawing further attention to her feminine form.
Ren went to speak, but upon looking at her lost his nerve and looked away.
Shaya laughed at his modesty and placed an arm on his shoulder. "You'll learn to respect and even enjoy your time here. All members of the Amethyst Nation must cast aside their old allegiances and serve Fencura. You'll have to respect all customs."
"I've not joined yet," Ren muttered under his breath.
Dai led the group through a side door on the northeast side of the Bloody Square. The cool air instantly caused Ren's linen shirt to stick to him, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust to a darkened stone stairwell.
INTERLUDE III
Sapphire Nation, Fencura
THE STRAIGHT SWORD AKIO WAS ASSIGNED on day one of training now lay inside the wooden trunk. Instead, Akio wielded a sickle sword. It had been weeks since they began their training, and while Shaya showed more promise every day—announced proudly by Master Takumi—Akio found himself falling further behind, with little success.
"The sword chooses the master, not the other way around." Master Takumi had said when he offered Akio his new practice weapon.
The curve of his blade was far more dramatic than Shaya's. Instead of a steady curve like a ripple in water, his curve would have looped back around to form a circle if the steel didn't stop. The tip of the sword pointed toward the ground—Takumi explained the blade was intended to be swung in smooth arcs, but never thrust at the opponent.
"Guard yourself," Takumi called out from underneath the shade of the stone overhang. While Akio sparred Yuki—the youngest of Takumi's assistants.
Akio swung his sword in setting light to block the incoming thrust, but Yuki parried his blade away. Before Akio could counter—the blade was heavy in his hands—Yuki sliced Akio's right arm. The wooden blade didn't cut flesh, but it left a sharp sting and then a dull ache—making Akio's right arm hang limp at his side. The new blade—fashioned after the Emerald Nations style—lay abandoned in the sand, and Akio didn't care. What good was a blade he couldn't block such a simple strike with?
"Enough!"
Akio and Yuki bowed to each other before Yuki gathered their practice swords to return them to their proper storage spots. Takumi was frustrated with Akio's lack of talent, constantly berating him for not trying hard enough.
"Tomorrow you will try a new sword," Takumi said. "For now, go home. There is nothing to be done today."
Akio bowed to his master and looked at Shaya as she practiced her forms, keeping her feet grounded while moving. The key was to glide the foot over the sand without catching and tripping or lifting the foot and throwing off her balance. A stone pebble struck her arm, but she didn't stutter and continued her forms. Takumi's other assistant held a small reed basket with smooth pebbles inside. There was no pattern to the timing between stone throws, but each time a pebble struck, she continued flowing through her form as if nothing happened. A great practice for developing deep focus and hardening the mind against outside distractions.
Takumi drilled the mantra "If a warrior thinks, he is dead," into them.
A warrior was expected to react instantly or to remain as still as stone when required. The mind and body must be one. If the warrior is thinking, their mind and body become separate. Of course, this was only applicable during fighting. Takumi was a wise man, and spent many hours in the evening reading or playing go. He expected Shaya and Akio to develop their intellects as well as their bodies. However, it was better for a warrior to be stupid and mentally present than smart and mentally separate. Many warrior poets were killed by brutish men who never thought beyond the moment.
"Shaya," Takumi called. "That will do for today. Your form is good, but your mind is elsewhere. Else you would have blocked and dodged the stones."
Shaya bowed to their master.
"Go home and focus on quieting your mind." Takumi looked at Akio. "Both of you."
Akio hung his head in shame. He knew how disappointed Takumi was in him, which only compounded the disappointment in himself. Shaya was counting on him, and he was letting her down.
* * *
AKIO AND SHAYA WALKED HOME IN SILENCE. Even now as Honorable Mother served them cold soup with dark bread—their customary lunch for building strong muscles—they didn't speak to one another.
"What's bothering the two of you?" Honorable Mother took her seat to eat.
Neither of them answered.
"Well?" She persisted.
"Takumi scolded me for not keeping my mind focused on my training," Shaya said. "Tomorrow I'll do better."
"I still haven't found the right blade," Akio said. "Master Takumi is starting to lose patience with me. If I don't learn the right blade soon, I worry he'll reject me from his school, and then I'll never be the First Sworn Shaya needs."
Shaya broke her face of stone to show her sympathy for Akio. "You'll never be cast aside as my First Sworn. Even if Takumi were to reject you from the school, which I doubt."
Akio felt a knot in his shoulder loosen, and he found the next bite of soup to be full of flavor. Honorable Mother was a better cook than his own. Thinking of his mother soured Akio's newly invigorated mood.
"You two are young," Honorable Mother said. "I regret the burden that has been thrust upon you. Keep each other's confidences and guard one another. The other Thief Lords have tallied their new holdings from the Time of Daggers, and they will be looking to take advantage of the two of you. Shaya, as Kaito-Tanken it falls to you to lead our clan through these tumultuous times."
Shaya regained her face of stone and bowed her head toward her mother. Akio resigned himself to mastering the next weapon Takumi handed him. No matter what!
CHAPTER SIX
DAMN!
What hope Akio had for mastering the sword died as Yuki handed over the most cumbersome weapon he'd ever seen. Akio held a two-handed great sword, which took most of his upper body strength. A beast of a weapon only seen in the Pearl Nation—generally reserved for tall men with broad shoulders—Takumi had a special one made for Akio's size. The pommel was so large, Akio found it hard to wrap his hand around it. Not that he'd need to, aside from striking serpent. The cross-guard was two hand-spans across.
"The blade nearly twice as long as the first straight blade you used," Takumi said, the sand of the courtyard already hot underneath their feet. "With the extra length
you have an advantage over your opponent's striking range, and this should even the odds between you and full-grown men. Note your crossguard, the wide nature and upward spikes on either end. This allows you to catch your opponent's blade and drive your own into their flesh. With these advantages, your killing circle will become formidable."
Takumi clapped his hands twice and Yuki attacked with a curved blade—much like the one Shaya continued to master. The sudden thrust caught Akio off guard, and before he could get his blade up to defend himself, Yuki struck him twice in the chest and sent him tumbling into the hot sands.
"No, no, no," Takumi said. "This is not a small blade to swat away your opponent's. Plant your feet firmly. Use your core and legs to hold your blade. Don't slash about, but thrust with confidence!"
Two quick claps, and this time Akio dropped his right leg back into a proper fighting stance. Yuki came in with a high swing. Using rising light, Akio parried Yuki's blade, and following through managed to slide the blade down to the crossguard. Upon the guard catching Akio's blade, he pushed forward, causing the blade to tilt down toward Yuki's throat, and with a quick thrust the tip of his long blade struck true.
The young boy dropped to the ground coughing. Akio hadn't meant to actually hurt him. The blade was too heavy for him to control. Striking him happened by accident or pure reflex. Luckily, Takumi was there in a heartbeat, cradling the boy in his arms. Using his hands to rub the sides of Yuki's throat, Takumi suppressed his cough.
"These blades are dull, but dangerous," Takumi said. "I know you did not mean to hurt the boy, but you must control your blade."
Akio bowed his head. "Yes Master!"
It hurt in his gut to know how close he'd come to nearly causing permanent damage to Yuki, but he also felt the thrill of success. Using Yuki's own force from the attack against him seemed magical.
In that moment—bowed in reverence to Master Takumi—Akio knew tricking his enemies into attacking themselves was his best bet. Honorable fighting was fine for nobility, but he was First Sworn to Kaito-Tanken Shaya. His honor was defined by her success.
* * *
THE FIRST STORM OF THE SEASON was nearing its end. The sky actually cleared enough to see the source-light, though there was still a fine mist falling over Shinzo. The street outside Takumi's home was washed clean from all the rain. Each individual paved stone was visible underfoot, instead of the packed mud and grime he'd grown accustomed to. Yet another feature that separated the Bloody Square from the rest of the island, because the stones of the square were always kept clean, allowing children to run around barefoot.
"Did you see my new sword moves?" Akio asked as they walked home, ignoring the rain as it began to dampen their clothes.
"I saw Yuki rubbing his throat."
Akio hung his head. "I didn't mean to hurt him, but this new way of fighting is dangerous."
"I hope for your enemies and not yourself," Shaya said. "I can't afford to lose you."
"Yes, Kaito—"
"Shaya, just Shaya."
"Sorry, habit; yes, Shaya. I'm learning to use my enemies' strength against them, rather than relying on my own. I managed to best Master Takumi one out of three bouts today."
As they crossed through the north gate Shaya turned left into a double doorway, rather than continuing straight into the courtyard as they normally did.
"Where are you going?" Akio asked.
"Come. You'll see."
"But your mother is waiting for us."
"She can wait longer," Shaya said. "I'm Kaito-Tanken, and she is only Honorable Mother."
The stone walls opened up to reveal a long stairwell carved out of the stone foundation of Shinzo. This must be the thieves' market. His father had warned him of the dangerous men who made their living from the market below. Desperate people from across the island made their way to the market in hopes of advantageous trade. Their footsteps echoed off the stone stairs as they climbed down.
Tons of solid stone hung overhead, thirty feet up, supported by pillars of stone carved directly out of solid granite.
"My father warned me against coming here."
"That was before you were my First Sworn. This is our place. This is why Shinzo accepts us."
In the distance sat a large golden tent, and the lines of pillars drew the eye to it. In lines on either side of them were stone stalls, where merchants did their best to sell their wares.
"All these men and women pay their fees to us, rather than their taxes to the Emperor."
"Why?"
It was well known that all trade was expected to pay taxes to the Emperor and his men. Akio was too sheltered to understand the ways of an underground market. He knew the tales of glory surrounding the Bloody Square. But no one ever explained the economic implications of having a market separate from the rest of Shinzo.
"By running their stalls here, they get to keep more of their profits. This allows them to lower their prices, which then brings in many of the citizens of East Shinzo. My father told me this was the secret to the clans' power. This is why during the Time of Daggers everyone fights for control over stalls." Shaya pointed to three stalls on the right-hand side second row back. "Those are the last remnants of Clan Kaito's holdings on Shinzo. I still control several crucial islands, but the lack of resources here in Shinzo puts me at a major disadvantage."
Akio was overwhelmed by what she was saying. He'd never given consideration to how the clans managed to fund themselves. He knew of the trade islands because his father's crew would sell their fish to the highest bidder.
The silence between them lingered.
"This is why the next Time of Daggers is so important," Shaya said. "If we are unable to regain Clan Kaito's rightful holdings during the next Time of Daggers, I worry it'll be the end of our clan forever."
"I'll never let that happen. Whatever it takes. I'll make sure you and our clan are protected and returned to its rightful place."
Laughter erupted behind them. They turned to find two teenage boys wielding clubs.
"What do we have here?" The taller of the two boys asked. He was nearly twice as tall as Akio and razor-thin.
"Looks like lost children who need to run home to their mothers," the other boy said. He wasn't much taller than Akio, but twice as round.
"Step aside!" Shaya commanded. "I am Kaito-Tanken Shaya, and this is Akio my First Sworn."
Akio pulled his shoulders back and tried to look taller than he was. Between this and Shaya's voice the two boys buckled over in laughter. What was he supposed to do? Honor demanded he teach them a lesson, but Akio knew there was little chance of him defeating the two older boys in a fair fight.
The taller boy straightened himself the best he could, still fighting down laughter. "The little guppies got spikes."
Without thinking Akio leapt into action. Using his heel, he hit the boy square in the gut, stopping the laughter and forcing him to gasp for air. The club in the tall boy's right hand fell to the stone floor. Akio bent to pick it up, but as he began to wield the crude weapon, the chubby boy's club struck Akio hard on the shoulder, buckling his knees and driving him into the stone floor. He lay next to the tall boy who continued to gasp for air.
Before the chubby boy could bring his club down on Akio again, Shaya was there tripping the boy causing him to stumble on his feet. The pain in his shoulder burned but Akio ignored it and picked up the club.
He struck the tall boy hard in the gut while he lay on the ground gasping for air, to ensure he stayed out of the fight. When he turned back, he found the chubby boy stalking Shaya. He rested the head of his club on his shoulder prepared to swing. Akio charged forward to place himself between them.
"Back the fuck off."
"I'm gonna beat you two bloody for what you did to my friend."
"I'm Akio, First Sworn to Kaito-Tanken Shaya." Akio spat on the stone floor. "I'll die before I let you harm her."
"Akio." She grabbed hold of his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "We sh
ould find a peaceful way out of this."
Akio felt his face flush, as the shame of defeat settled in. If he'd been prepared like he should have been, and properly trained like a First Sworn should be, they wouldn't be in this mess. It was all his fault. It was his job as First Sworn to protect her, but it had been her that protected him.
"Why don't you gather your friend and leave, and we'll call this even?" Shaya asked.
"Fuck that," the chubby boy said. "If I beat you two bloody, Clan Goruden will take me in."
Every boy in the Bloody Square dreamed of taking their place amongst a clan. She had placed Akio as the highest-ranked member of Clan Kaito when she made him First Sworn. Now, he was an utter disgrace.
"I can beat him," Akio lied.
"No," Shaya said. "We're all going to walk away from this honorably, and there will be no retaliation."
The tall boy let out a loud groan from where he laid upon the ground.
"Fine," the chubby boy said. "First you have to apologize to us in front of all of these witnesses."
Akio realized for the first time that every merchant had stopped trade to watch what they were doing.
He turned to Shaya and whispered, "Let me do my job. Let me beat this fat ass."
"No," she hissed. "We can't afford to lose here. Walking away here will make us look cautious, but if you fight and lose will be marked as weak and everyone looking to make a name for themselves will attack us."
He hadn't thought of the larger ramifications of the encounter, but realized she was right.
Akio threw down his club. "I Akio, apologize for any harm or dishonor I've brought upon you and your friend."
"I Kaito-Tanken Shaya, formally apologize on behalf of my clan."
