by Kate Grove
“Right. See you at dawn.”
Katsuo nodded and hurried off to meet with Taiki. As if by magic, the ninja appeared when Katsuo was crossing the inner courtyard in the castle.
“Ah, just who I wanted to see! Walk with me, Taiki.”
“My lord.”
They were on their way to Katsuo’s office when they came across a soldier.
“Excuse me, Milord, Taiki-dono,” he said, stopping them. “I was wondering if there’s any news of Yura… and Ciara-sama, of course.”
“Riku, this is not the time nor the place to ask,” Taiki admonished.
The soldier bowed in apology.
“I’m sorry to have bothered you, my lords.”
“Do you want to help Yura?” Katsuo unexpectedly asked.
“Pardon?” Riku looked up at him in wonder.
“You want to help?”
“Yes, Milord! If I can be of service to you, I’d do anything to assist you!”
“Good. Come with us,” Katsuo decided and continued to his destination. Taiki and Riku followed him closely. The ninja sent an annoyed glance at his subordinate, but he didn’t question Katsuo’s decision out loud.
The three of them arrived at Katsuo’s office in minutes.
“Close the door,” he instructed as he took a seat at the low table. He gestured for the others. “Sit.”
When they did so, Katsuo shared his thoughts with them:
“We’re going to rescue Ciara and Yura.”
“Rescue?” Taiki asked, looking at Riku then back at Katsuo. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Just hours ago, you said they were spies and we needed to come up with a defense plan in case she talks to Kawayuki.”
“New information has been brought to my attention,” Katsuo replied. “I now firmly believe—no, I know they weren’t spies. If they were heading toward Kawayuki’s castle, it’s safe to assume it wasn’t on their own free will. And he probably already has them. We have to move quickly.”
“What do you intend to do, Milord?” Riku asked.
“Half of our forces will depart in the morning. The rest stay here under Takeru’s command to defend the castle. Taiki, I’m counting on you to create a distraction when we arrive at Kawayuki’s.”
“Consider it done, Milord.”
“While the main forces fight Kawayuki’s, two smaller teams will sneak in and rescue the ladies,” Katsuo said. “Riku, you’ll be leading one of them.”
The soldier bowed low.
“Thank you, Milord. You honor me.”
“Be as discreet as possible. Remember, we’ll be there to rescue them, not to kill Kawayuki, though I might as well do if I come across him.”
Katsuo’s eyes flashed gold, and this time, it didn’t escape Taiki’s attention. Riku noticed the change, too.
“We leave at dawn. Prepare your men.”
“Hai1!” Taiki and Riku shouted as they rose and bowed to Katsuo. They hurried off to relay his orders to the troops.
Katsuo got up and exited his office but didn’t return to his quarters. He went straight to his personal armory. He unlocked the door, and the faint light from the corridor fell on the gift he had received from his grandmother.
He walked inside and picked the pistol up, looking at it with a critical eye.
“You might just be of use sooner than I’d imagined,” he said, once again admiring the handiwork of the craftsman who had made detailed carvings on the weapon’s surface.
He needed all the help he could get. But first… Katsuo opened the drawer and took out a small, wooden box. There were bullets inside. First, he needed to familiarize himself with the pistol. Yuki had left him instructions, and this was as good as any time to catch up and deepen his knowledge on Western firearms.
There were still a few hours until dawn, and sleep would probably evade him tonight, no matter what he tried. Might as well use the time for something useful. He gathered all the things he needed and left the armory, locking the door.
Dawn came earlier than expected. Katsuo had yet to fire the pistol even though he had learned everything that was in the papers Yuki had left him. He finished his task just as the Eastern horizon started to lighten.
He cursed, not noticing how quickly time had gone. He hastily freshened up and headed for his office. He grabbed a servant on his way to help put on his armor. With all the straps, it would take too much time without assistance.
Just as dawn broke, he marched to the gates. He weaved his way through his retainers and soldiers. Everyone was alert and ready for a fight. Takeru waited for him with his horse.
“I took the liberty of preparing him. Thought you’d be busy,” he greeted him.
“I appreciate it,” Katsuo said, patting the horse’s side. “Are you ready?”
“Are you asking me or the horse?”
“Both.” Amusement danced in Katsuo’s eyes at his brother’s reaction.
“I don’t know about him, but I’m as ready as I’ll every be,” Takeru replied.
“Any questions?”
“How much longer do I have to wait to kick her out?”
“As soon as we’re gone.” Katsuo lifted himself up on the horse, a smile playing in the corner of his mouth.
“Splendid,” Takeru’s eyes had a golden hue to it as he reached out to grab his brother’s arm. “Have a good hunt, brother.”
“This is a rescue mission, Takeru.”
“Of course it is.”
Katsuo smirked. “But you know me too well.”
He turned his horse around, and Takeru retreated to the side, out of the riders’ way.
“Men! We will face Kawayuki again. I want it to be the last time. Be as swift as the wind when you fight. Show them no mercy.”
“No mercy!” his soldiers yelled after him. The orange color of early sunrise painted their crimson uniforms, making it seem as if a sea of flame had come to life in the castle courtyard.
“Let’s go!”
A loud battle cry resounded, waking everyone who had still been sleeping. As they set off, hundreds of hooves beat the dusty road. The city folk thought it was an earthquake. Scared, they fled their homes, but when they saw their lord leading their troops through the main road in the middle of the city, they cheered loudly.
1 yes
61
The sun had just left its zenith in the sky when they arrived at Kawayuki’s castle. The forest had grown smaller since the last time they were there. Kawayuki had cut down trees around his castle to see approaching enemies ahead of time.
“We’ll need that distraction sooner than I thought,” Katsuo told Taiki when they heard the report from their recon team. “In fact, we can start with that.”
“I will make the preparations.” The ninja inclined his head. “Please wait for my signal, Milord.”
“All right. Let’s not draw this out more than necessary.”
Katsuo and Riku parted from the main group with their small teams and circled around the perimeter of the remaining forest. They tied their horses near the edge.
Riku followed his lord to the border of the forest and plains. From there, they could see the main gate where Taiki would attack with the bulk of Katsuo’s forces. However, there was a small side entrance in the wall for servants, which was located right in front of Katsuo and his team.
“What are your orders, Milord?” Riku asked while the others tended to the horses.
“Your team will check the holding cells beneath the castle. If they’re not there, search the side buildings for any sign of Ciara and Yura. Remain undetected.”
“Understood.” Riku nodded. “What if we’re detected?”
“Already giving up?”
“No, sir. I like to be prepared for the worse, just in case,” Riku replied.
“This is the first time you lead men, is that right?”
“Yes, sir. It is an honor.”
“Use your own judgement on what to do. The answer may vary depending on immediate circumstances.�
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“Right. Thank you, Milord,” Riku said, but he looked nervous. Katsuo clasped the young man’s shoulder. “You’ll do fine. I’ve seen you fight.”
Katsuo turned to the others and waved them over.
“As soon as we receive the sign from Taiki, we will make our move. We reach the castle grounds together, then we’ll split up. My team will head to the main castle building while those with Riku will check the holding cellars and outer buildings. Any questions?”
No one spoke up.
Katsuo nodded. “Good.”
He turned back to watch the guards strolling on top of the wall. He also noticed a small group of Kawayuki’s soldiers patrolling the area near the gates. Soon, they would be distracted by Taiki’s attack. Everything depended on the timing.
Very soon, they heard the battle cry and watched as the main force stormed the castle. Looking up at the walls, they could see immediately that most of the guards ran over to the main gates, only a couple of them remaining at their posts, but even their attention was on the plains.
Since the group of Kawayuki’s soldiers outside the gate was taken by surprise and the numbers overwhelmed them, they were sent reinforcements. That was when Taiki made the distraction to command the attention of Kawayuki’s men.
A big explosion resounded in their ears, and a thick smokescreen enveloped the area. It even reached Katsuo’s position, although it had thinned out by that time. Wordlessly, he ordered his men to advance forward. He gestured for the lone archer in their group to keep an eye on the guards on top of the walls.
Unfortunately, the smoke had almost cleared away when they were only halfway through the plains. One of the guards had spotted them, but before he could alert the others, he was shot by Katsuo’s archer. And arrow protruded from his neck as he silently fell. The archer neutralized another guard while they continued forward.
Finally, they reached the side door.
“How do we get in? They have it barred from the inside!” one of the soldiers said.
“Patience,” Katsuo replied.
They waited for a full minute until they heard a scuffle from the other side of the door. Wood scraped against wood as the bar was lifted, and finally, the door opened.
A young man stood there in servant’s clothes, pale and shaking like a leaf as he faced the intruders.
“Good job. Now, scram!” Katsuo threw him a pouch full of coins. The servant bowed low and waited until everyone filed in before running toward the forest.
Katsuo led them to the castle itself, and they used another servants’ entry the man from before had left open for them.
“Join us upstairs in you don’t find them,” Katsuo told Riku before they parted.
The soldier nodded and gestured for his men to follow, heading toward the cellars while Katsuo started to methodically check every room until they reached the conference room on the other side of the floor.
What they found there made the blood boil in Katsuo’s veins. The conference room was void of life. No one was there, except the body of young woman.
At first, Katsuo was afraid it was Ciara’s, but when he got closer, he was relieved to discover that it wasn’t her. His relief didn’t last long, though, because he did recognize the young woman who was killed there.
“Yura,” he said in disbelief. Despite lying in a pool of her own blood, Yura had a small smile gracing her face as she stared lifelessly at the ceiling. They hadn’t even bothered to cover her.
Katsuo kneeled and closed her eyes with measured movements. Rage was building inside him, and it took a tremendous effort to force himself to stay calm. Yura was a capable servant and a nice person. His household would be a sadder place without her.
“Milord?” he heard Riku’s voice from behind as he arrived with his team. “We didn’t find them in the—Oh, gods!”
Riku collapsed on his knees next to the girl.
“Y-Yura…” he breathed, tentatively reaching out to touch her face. He was almost as pale as her. His hands trembled. “No.”
Katsuo stood, determined to hunt down Kawayuki. Who knew what he would do to Ciara if he killed a bystander? He didn’t deserve forgiveness.
A sob escaped Riku.
“I was going to court her. I was working for a promotion, then I was going to ask her to–” he choked on his words. Only Katsuo heard his whispers. “She had such a beautiful soul.”
Katsuo put a hand on Riku’s shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.
“We will give her the proper burial she deserves,” Katsuo promised, “but first, let’s hunt these monsters down.”
Riku nodded and wiped his tears. He stood up and turned to his lord. His eyes were red, but his gaze was sharp and determined. His hands weren’t shaking anymore.
“I would be my pleasure accompany you, Milord.”
62
Yura died, Yura died, Yura died. This one thought repeated itself in a loop in Ciara’s head. She thought someone shouted at her but couldn’t hear it because of the endless chant inside her mind.
It’s my fault. But I don’t want to end up like her. I didn’t want any of this to happen! A sob escaped Ciara, which she tried to hide as she put a fist to her mouth. Her hand trembled as she realized she may not have much time left in the world of living. She closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself. Yura died, Yura died—STOP IT!
Her feet automatically walked on as she was dragged away to an unknown location. She focused on her breathing. It took some effort, but her thoughts gradually cleared up and her mind silenced. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes.
She had to concentrate on escaping. Guilt could come later. Otherwise, she knew she wouldn’t see another day.
Ciara snuck a glance to the side. Juro was keeping a firm grip on her arm. He was looking ahead, not paying any attention to Ciara, which was excellent for her in the case of a surprise attack.
Precisely at that moment, Juro glanced at her. He smirked at her dumbfounded expression.
There went that chance.
Using all her strength, Ciara retracted her hand, but Juro kept a firm hold on her wrist. As she struggled to break free, they stopped in the middle of the corridor.
“Finally, she wakes up,” he mocked, dragging her closer. As he leaned in, their noses almost touched. He flashed a grin, and Ciara was reminded of a vampire for a moment as she noticed his long canine teeth. Looking up, she could see red seeping into his irises.
“Let me go,” she said with more confidence than she felt.
“How about no?” Juro pretended to think for a heartbeat. “How about you comply so no one else has to die because of you?”
Ciara was careful to make her expression impassive. She didn’t want him to know just how much that statement hurt and how much she agreed with that. Her dark thoughts would only hold her back and give him an opening. In order to survive, she had to ignore those feelings.
“Oh, how very impressive,” she said instead, “putting blame on others when it’s your fault.”
Juro narrowed his eyes, shaking Ciara’s hand and lifting it between them. He tightened his grip. Ciara gritted her teeth against the pain.
“You don’t want to go down that road, little birdie.”
“I know exactly what kind of road I’ll take,” Ciara shot back as her instinct took over and she bit down on his hand, hard.
The attack took him by surprise and momentarily, his grip lessened. Ciara used it to rotate her arm to the side in his fist, and just when his grip tightened again, she was in a position to twist his arm to the side. As he concentrated on their hands, Ciara quickly kicked out, aiming for his solar plexus with her knee.
It landed a few inches below, which was probably more painful than she had originally aimed for. Good riddance. Juro bent double, but he still didn’t release her. Just when Ciara thought all her fighting back was pointless, a tremendous sound shook the castle. At that moment Juro’s grip lessened so much that Ciara used that moment of distrac
tion to free herself.
The samurai had no idea what had just happened, but Ciara could recognize a huge explosion. She used this chance to run.
She had only taken a few steps when she reached an intersection and found herself face-to-face with dozen soldiers. They looked ready to attack.
It’s now or never! Ciara decided to test her powers. Magic stirred her blood as she yelled out:
“Protect me!”
The soldiers immediately stepped around her and made a protective wall between her and Juro.
“As you wish, my Queen.”
What the f—Ciara shook her head. Not the point. Run! she told herself as she sprinted through the corridors.
She had no idea where she was going, but all the while, she felt a silent threat following her. Ciara wasn’t even sure whether she was going in circles. She assumed she was down at the cellars and looked for a staircase.
After several long minutes, she found one and hurried upstairs. More soldiers awaited her. Slightly out of breath, she gestured behind her.
“Protect me!”
“As you wish, my Queen.”
Seriously, what’s up with that? she silently wondered as she ran on. However, a small smile appeared on her face. At least she could use her ability and for once didn’t have to worry about the consequences. She had hoped the soldiers would be an obstacle for Juro, and he probably wouldn’t kill them. They were his men, after all.
Ciara circled around but couldn’t find the exit. However, she had come upon another staircase, this one leading up. She contemplated, standing in front of it, until she heard the sounds of struggle getting closer behind her.
“Shit.” She ran upstairs to evade the battle. She ran for as long as she could, along shortening corridors. As she turned a corner, she saw something big and dark at the end of the passageway. It growled and looked as if an animal had stepped out from a nightmare. It was as big as a person, and it had fangs as long as Ciara’s arms. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the creature. It reminded her of one a prehistorical feline she had learned about in school.
