13

  Sana Aatsuei

  A thick bank of clouds had swept inland from the Bay of Separation, clustering themselves against The Crooked Spine. The night would have been dark enough in the wilds without the clouds blotting out what little light could be had from the moon. Kivaan sat in solitary watch, not that he truly believed any enemies would be backtracking to attack them. This was an adversary with a priority mission, and that was evidently to take the princess away somewhere.

  He sighed heavily, doing his best to strengthen his resolve even as he was plagued by the guilt of his own shortcomings. The spiteful, gloating, words of the agent he had fought with in the forest lived eternally in his mind’s eye, and he knew them to be true. He had wasted an unforgivable amount of time in pushing the boundaries of his martial prowess, and neglected matters of the spirit until it was too late. It should have been too late. For reasons known only to his aunt and Jiaduni himself, he had been brought back from the brink of death for further service.

  Kivaan clenched his fists and set them on his knees. He did not close his eyes, but still petitioned Jiaduni in the silence of the late watch.

  Strengthen my hands and mind for this battle, Jiaduni, he prayed fervently. Do not permit me to falter. Do not permit me to look away.

  Footsteps came lightly upon the loose aggregates that made up much of the mountainside. There was not nearly enough grass to properly soften the tread, but Kivaan knew it to be one of the Chuho. Most likely Hajuyu, who seemed the most diplomatic of the two.

  He was proven correct when the young woman in question came to a stop at his side. She did not look down at him, but turned her glowing golden eyes onwards up the spur. Kivaan wondered if she were able to discern exactly where her mistress was. Hajuyu still wore the outer robes that Kivaan had draped over her, although even these had a few cuts and bloodstains from Kivaan’s previous exertions. They were almost comically large on her small frame, but the seriousness of the situation thoroughly stifled any levity.

  “What is on your heart?” she asked, still staring at the path forward.

  “Firstly that I will be of firm courage and not look back from the road that I have chosen.” Kivaan smiled thinly and looked up at Hajuyu. “Secondly, I still wish to know what part the Cult has with the princess.”

  Hajuyu laughed softly, if merrily, and Kivaan was struck by the image of petals blowing in the wind. She turned her golden eyes down on him at last and smiled. He found himself feeling as if he had been bathed in a ray of sun that penetrated his mind and laid every last desire and fear bare. It was all he could do in that moment not to recoil in horror under the weight of those golden eyes.

  “Are you not already of firm courage?” she asked. “I do suppose only time will tell if you remain true to your Way. But I think you will. You are, after all, the long-suffering sort. I believe you would carry my lady from wherever we find her all the way back to her home if need be. Am I wrong?”

  Kivaan made an irritated sound in his throat. “Who am I to call a Chuho wrong?”

  The girl laughed again. “You wield the Blade of Jiaduni. If you told me I was wrong, I would at least entertain the notion.”

  “Well, you are not wrong,” Kivaan allowed reluctantly. “And what of my second point?”

  “Will that information aid you in your battle?” asked Hajuyu softly, her eyes drifting back to the darkness that separated her from her mistress.

  Kivaan clenched his teeth so he would not grind them together in his frustration. Ah, the age-old question of “must you really know this to do your duty?”

  Hajuyu looked sad, he realised suddenly. Torn.

  “It does not matter,” he forced himself to say, ensuring there was a touch of gentleness in his voice for good measure. It was true, to a degree. He would go after her whether he had the information or not. The time when this information would have helped with preparations had long since passed.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “You heap coals on my head,” Hajuyu smiled sadly. “What am I to do, I wonder. I wish to both keep the confidence of my lady and honour your commitment to her safety.”

  Kivaan sighed. “I said what was in my heart. It would have been helpful to know when we first came upon you all. You are correct also in understanding that this information is likely no longer useful. Please do not torment yourself on my account. If it means humiliating the princess, I would rather not know.”

  “What a thoughtful and kind boy you are,” Hajuyu teased with a gentle kindness. She was teasing … but also sincere.

  “Is there a cause for your sleeplessness?” Kivaan asked wearily.

  “I have slept long enough,” Hajuyu replied, almost too quickly. Her breath quickened and the light in her eyes seemed to intensify. Kivaan got the impression she referred to more than only her enchanted sleep. “I long to crush those who torment her highness.”

  Kivaan inclined his chin in agreement to that sentiment at least. He felt a deep revulsion for those who took pleasure in tormenting the weak and innocent. And whatever the princess’ grasp of charms and enchantments, she was, after all, a princess.

  And I am a knight. I curse myself for this, but I felt in my heart that the handmaidens had done their duty in dying for their mistress. It saddened me to see their passing, but I felt content that they had sold their lives dearly and done what they were put there to do. If the princess had been hung up like that …

  “Gently, knight ascendant,” Hajuyu chided softly. “You only have the two knees.”

  It was then that Kivaan realised he had been digging his fingers ragefully into his own knee at the thought of harm coming to the princess.

  “Think of more pleasant things,” Hajuyu continued blithely. “Such as the look on Jiriou’s face when Kageyu swallowed the zosa whole while making eye contact with him.” She laughed merrily at that recent memory.

  Kivaan could not suppress the snort of instant and explosive mirth at Jiriou’s obvious disgust, warring with Kageyu’s obvious drive to make him very uncomfortable. Hajuyu had the decency to hide her face behind the sleeve of Kivaan’s robe while eating her share, as would be expected of anyone of breeding in the presence of a superior. The twins seemed to be as the sun was to the moon in terms of personality.

  “I will not say that seeing Jiriou in such agony over how to respond was not … thoroughly pleasant,” Kivaan chuckled quietly. “However I have decided to motivate myself with higher things. I must make some decisions in the morning that weigh heavily on my shoulders. So I must set my gaze firmly on the back of Jiaduni and continue to follow him onward. If he wills it, I will then see the look on the princess’ face when she is delivered from her enemies.” He smiled gently. “That will be reward enough for me.”

  “Are you truly of the living, and not perhaps some spirit of justice that has emerged from a long-forgotten shrine?” asked Hajuyu with an innocent lilt to her voice.

  “If I were a spirit, it would be one of repentance,” Kivaan chuckled.

  The pair made talked of less important things then, and the watch slipped by as they talked of the different festivals of their homelands, how the seasons changed the landscapes, and the everyday routines and traditions of the people. Hajuyu seemed surprised that these things interested Kivaan, but she was happy to speak of them. Nevertheless, she confessed to most of it being second-hand knowledge, given her by other servants and the odd bodyguard. She, Kageyu, and the princess had seldom been able to attend such things, and certainly not under their true identities. Her first-hand knowledge was restricted to the architecture and layout of Shikyo and the outlook from their heavily guarded wing out onto the Black Sea. The castle was built directly into the living rock where a spur of The Reaper reached out to meet the sea and was vast in its sprawl. Walls were only built where necessary, and sheer cliffs did the job more often than dressed stone did. The greatest stretch of artificial defence was a mighty wall that swooped out from the mountain in a languid semicircle towards the sea. At its greatest distance from the mountain, there was a brief return that ensure approach to the main gate was thoroughly surrounded on all sides. Towers lined the wall excessively, speaking not only to the obsession and wealth of the builder, but also the readiness of materials. Kivaan marvelled at Hajuyu’s insistence that no tower was further from another than a bow could quickly and accurately shoot. He did think, with a certain degree of smugness, that she had not witnessed Oniwa shoot yet.

  Kivaan looked up to where the clouds had parted just enough to at least allow the moon’s vague form to show itself as a ghostly glow. There was only one watch remaining until he intended to be rousing his companions and finally delivering the results of his ruminations.

  “I shall take this watch,” Hajuyu smiled. “Rest. I will wake you before the sun rises.”

  “You will not try something foolish and pursue the princess without me?” Kivaan asked drily, getting slowly to his feet.

  “That is the sort of ill-advised nonsense that Kageyu would concoct, not I,” smiled Hajuyu serenely. “Fear not. The blood of the Chuho may run in my veins, but I am not so arrogant as to believe that Kageyu and I can do this alone.”

  “Very well,” Kivaan allowed. “I leave this watch in your hands.”

  “Rest well, knight ascendant,” Hajuyu murmured. “And do make an effort to call the princess by her name from time to time. She will appreciate it.”

  Kivaan paused, surprised by the request, but having no answer for it. He dipped his head respectfully to acknowledge what had been asked of him, and then continued on his way to get what rest he could among his companions. His last thoughts were of the Chuho, and he somehow conjured them up in his mind as weaving back and forth in front of the princess, guarding her from any who would hurt her.

  Yes, he thought wryly, they are certainly alien.

  Sana Aatsuei: translates to ‘dead man walking’.