Chapter 16

  Ki Hi

  “I am entering,” Kivaan said firmly, as much to alert the princess as to bolster his own resolve. She was a female captive of unhinged cultists. He had no idea what to expect, and steeled himself for the worst, his own guilt at allowing this to happen at all practically crushing him into the ground.

  All enemies had been accounted for, and he noted Hajuyu and Kageyu taking up positions on either side of the tent’s opening. Apparently they had no intention of entering with him, which did nothing to allay his trepidation. Both sank to their knees as one, their faces empty of expression, as if even now they considered themselves to have failed their mistress.

  Kivaan stepped into the tent with an urgency born of the need to know what state the princess was in. Mats of furred hide covered the ground, and some foul-smelling lanterns gave off a very poor light and an oily smoke that seeped into every surface. Nevertheless, the tent was as bright as day, and Kivaan stared with awe at the vision of tortured majesty before him.

  The princess was on her knees, hunched over with her wrists bound to a stake that had been driven deep into the ground. A cold fury flickered alive in Kivaan’s soul as he saw that her undergarments hung in little more than strips about her lithe form, but even that fury was dulled by the awe that overtook him when he saw the explosion of blinding colour that had bloomed from the princess’ shoulders. Two incorporeal wings sprouted from Tsuzumiyu’s back, with all the colours of the rainbow radiating an actual luminescence. Even hunched over in shame and misery, the princess’ radiance flooded the tent with an array of coloured light that made the lanterns obsolete.

  What is she? wondered Kivaan in amazement. He shook himself into action before he could think too much on the matter. Crossing the floor quickly, Kivaan went down on his knees before her and pressed his forehead to the ground to show clearly he was choosing not to look and was completely at her service.

  “How may I serve you, Princess Tsuzumiyu?” he asked firmly.

  “There is little you can do for me now, Knight Ascendant,” the girl said brokenly. “I am ruined, and the secret of my House known.”

  “Not so, Princess,” Kivaan replied with strength, the all-consuming disgust he felt for the enemy thick in his voice. “I left none alive.”

  “It will be suspected,” she said softly. “My abductors were powerful enough to subdue my handmaidens. They will be missed. And it will be known to be unlikely that they would be bested by mere circumstance. Their masters will know they must have found something, and were then discovered and vanquished. They will try again. And again. And again.” She let out a half-sob. “I have lived in fear of this day coming. They stole me out of my secret chambers, Kivaan,” she wept, dropping all propriety in her distress. “They knew when and where to take me! Who can tell how many spies are stationed in Shikyo?”

  Kivaan’s heart fell at this revelation. If what she said was true, then there was only terror awaiting her in her own home. It occurred to him that she was in such misery that she had made no mention of her nakedness or any shame resulting from it. He rose smoothly to his feet and shed his outer robe – the symbol of his rank – and draped it about her shoulders. Initially he had thought perhaps her wings might cast it off, but the opposite was instead true. Like a blanket dropped over a fire, the glorious lights were extinguished and the robe settled easily about the princess’ narrow frame.

  “I thank you, Knight Ascendant,” Tsuzumiyu murmured, remembering formality. “You have a kind heart.” She sighed a deep tremble out of her soul. “It makes no difference now,” the princess continued with a hollow voice. “I cannot be so na?ve as to believe the truth died with them.” For the first time, Tsuzumiyu looked sadly up at Kivaan from under her mussed fringe. “Will you keep this secret?”

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  “What secret?” he asked seriously, intending for her to take the hint and accept his promise of confidence.

  “That I am the get of the First Guardian and one of the Twilight Realm. I am everything the Cult of Raashim detests and is sworn to violently eradicate. I am a terrible problem to my nation. They must either betray their own leader and turn me in, or fall into open war with White Towers and the Cult.”

  Kivaan sighed and wished she had not articulated the problem quite so clearly.

  “I do not believe it will come to that, Princess,” he said, but the empty assurance tasted like ashes in his mouth.

  “How can it not?” Tsuzumiyu wondered mournfully. “Two separate bands have abducted me over the space of a single cycle of the moon. Why should we dare to hope that they were the only ones who knew about me?”

  This time, Kivaan did not have the heart to comfort her. What she said was true, and he realised he had been placing a higher priority on putting her at ease than accepting the facts for what they were.

  That is not the way of a Red Sky Knight, he realised grimly, and certainly not Eres Zoru. I know the way of Eres Zoru … but that is delusional. The offer would never be accepted. Even so … a knight of Eres Zoru must offer.

  “Then would you put yourself behind the sword of a knight of Eres Zoru?” Kivaan asked bluntly.

  Tsuzumiyu blinked tears out of her eyes, as bewildered now as she was fearful.

  “You would drag your own Eres into disrepute?” she asked, almost angrily.

  “I would bring my Eres into disrepute if I did not make this offer,” Kivaan returned firmly. “My way is lit before my feet, brighter than ever before. I know what I must offer, even if my offer is rejected. Would you put yourself behind the sword of a knight of Eres Zoru?”

  “All of Eres Niwa knows what it means for a knight of Eres Zoru to come to the aid of a noblewoman,” Tsuzumiyu said softly, understanding dawning. “Why would you do this? You saw me. You know what I am. You have nothing to gain from this, and everything to lose. And not only you! Your people! Your family! If the Cult brings war to our nation … If I were not so selfish and afraid, I would be asking you to strike me down and save our nation the suffering that must surely follow.”

  “You are in need,” Kivaan said matter-of-factly. “A knight of Eres Zoru can do no other than stand between those in need and those who would do them harm. It is our Way.”

  “You cannot be so good a man as that,” Tsuzumiyu mumbled.

  “I cannot promise romance or warmth of the soul or heart,” Kivaan admitted, “but I can promise that I will protect and shield you from the hatred of the Cult of Raashim, and anyone else with animosity towards you.”

  “Did Jiaduni truly send you to me after all?” wondered Tsuzumiyu, a flicker of hope awakening in her eyes.

  Kivaan’s mouth pulled to the side in the approximation of a smile. “Perhaps he did, at that,” he acknowledged.

  “My selfish desire to live would have me leap at your offer,” Tsuzumiyu confessed. She sighed, and pulled Kivaan’s robe tighter about her shoulders. “I do not wish to put you in this position, Knight Ascendant. All I should ask is that you either return me to my father or turn me in to the Cult yourself. I will not resist. And then … then wash your hands of me.”

  Kivaan shook his head before she had finished speaking. “How could I call myself a knight of Eres Zoru if I did either of those things, knowing what I know? I am sorry, Princess. But my Way is to offer to take your hand in my right, and my sword in my left, and walk by your side through and over every enemy. That is the only offer you will receive from me. Should you reject it, I will see you safely home and make the same offer to your father. If he rejects it, I will be absolved and will return to my father in peace.”

  “I am too afraid to reject it,” Tsuzumiyu whispered. “My father will certainly not reject the aid of the knight that I will be honour-bound to hold in the highest esteem. Does your Eres truly take itself this seriously?”

  “My father does,” Kivaan stated, “and I have come to. I cannot speak for anyone else.”

  “I dare not believe I have found such favour in Jiaduni’s eyes,” Tsuzumiyu laughed bitterly.

  “I am not a warm soul,” Kivaan reminded her gently. “I am wounded in the heart and mind by the Trials of Raashim, and deeply cynical. You will have safety. Perhaps that is as much as I will ever be able to offer you. I hope affection and even love will follow, but it may not. Understand this.”

  Tsuzumiyu nodded her understanding. “I understand. Your wound only makes me think better of your offer, however. I will always be in your debt.”

  Kivaan shook his head. “There is no debt between a man and his wife.” He caught her glittering stare with his own dark one. “Then you accept my sword?”

  “I do, Knight Ascendant Kivaan,” Tsuzumiyu smiled bravely. “With boundless gratitude and hope.”

  Ki Hi: translate literally to ‘white spark/flame’. Bears connotations of a blessed beginning.

  White Flame (by Babymetal) falls mostly into the category of inspiration via title vibe, since the words in the title translate into very positive and optimistic symbols in the words of the Dark Storm. However, it also somewhat falls into the category of simple tune vibes, as the tempo, melody, and guitar effects evoke (in my humble opinion!) the essence of the title as well. It is positive, optimistic, but also sounds like it is blisteringly fierce and alive. And I kind of dig that.