Takeo's Chronicles, page 123
Mako blushed. Takeo smirked but said nothing, despite his disagreement that silent women made for better partners.
Takeo entered the room and took a seat opposite the lord, making sure to hunch low so as to appear lower than the old man, showing respect.
“I must admit, I’m a little worried about leaving her in your service,” Takeo said. “A man of your position surely deals with sensitive information. That could bring more harm to Mako than good.”
“Oh, I’m not that dangerous, I assure you,” Lord Virote replied, pausing to give Takeo nothing more than a glance. “People like to say you’re like a sword, Takeo, to aim at one’s foes and to watch the pointy end so that the wielder doesn’t cut themselves. If that’s the case, then I am like a pin. I just do as my lady commands, as I did for her husband and her mother-in-law before that and her father-in-law before that. That’s not to say my loyalty is questionable, but simply that Lady Zhenzhen is more interested in talent than anything else, as you may have noticed. No, Takeo, I must disagree with you. If any place in this castle is considered neutral, it’s this room, where an old man does nothing but read, write, and fight the encumbrance of old age.”
“Still, I can’t help but feel like she’d be better off at my side,” Takeo replied, speaking idly.
Virote huffed. “That seems a questionable assumption, coming from a man who’s had two attempts on his life in a short time.”
“Well, after tonight, that shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” Takeo said.
Lord Virote went still.
“You seem awfully calm for a man who’s about to discover which of his closest friends stabbed him in the back.”
“I don’t consider people like that my friends,” Takeo countered.
Virote frowned and shrugged. “Fair enough. If that’s all you came for, then you’re wasting your time. Qing is waiting in the courtyard with the komainu whenever you’re ready.”
Takeo gave a nod that turned into a bow, and then rose up. On his way out of the door, he stopped at Mako’s side and met her eyes. Takeo had much he wanted to say to her, and judging by the look in her eye, so did she have much to say to him, but it simply wasn’t the time.
“I will return for you,” he said.
“I know you will,” she replied.
As foretold, Qing was waiting outside the keep with two komainu, both saddled up for a journey. Takeo half expected her to ask if he was up for this ride—his wounds were still healing, and komainu weren’t exactly easy on the body—but then he remembered that she was smart. Speed was of the essence, and there was no faster mode of transportation than a komainu in Juatwa. Takeo had to endure.
As they fled out of the Hanu city and into the wilds, Qing broke the silence.
“So how did you know?” she asked.
“It was a combined effort,” Takeo replied. “Your small stature, swift speed, amazing stamina, and stealthy movements all seemed rather uncanny to me. Your accuracy with a ninja star is quite good, too, but all of these I’d be willing to overlook, except that Emy realized you weren’t human. And then I remembered the scarred tips of your ears, and it all made sense. You’re an elf.”
Qing gritted her teeth.
“I should have known it was the rakshasa,” she said. “So why haven’t you told anyone yet?”
“Firstly, I’m not sure what good it will do me,” Takeo answered, speaking candidly. “After all, knowledge is only powerful when it’s kept secret. Secondly, and this is perhaps the more interesting reason, I was relieved to find you out.” He paused, waited for Qing to react, and then continued when she gave him a shrewd glance. “The nagging sensation that you were hiding something was eating me apart, but when I discovered what it was, a wave of relief washed over me. I finally know what you’ve been hiding, and it’s not a threat to me. And so now, let me ask you, what in the world is an elf doing in Juatwa?”
Qing pursed her lips and looked away. For a moment, Takeo wasn’t sure if she’d answer the question. However, it seemed some magical spell had been cast on the both of them, and their numerous walls came tumbling down.
“I could ask the same thing of your ogre,” she said, “or that viking, or knight. Some people are simply meant to wander, and I am one of them—was one of them. I didn’t mean to stay in Juatwa, but then again, life is full of surprises.”
“Give me the short version.”
“It’s the same reason why I didn’t let those oni kill you. I wanted to let it happen, badly, considering what you knew about me, but I couldn’t risk what it would do to my lady. She cares for you, thirsts for you even, and she sent me to protect you. I couldn’t disobey her. I couldn’t imagine returning to her a failure. As you knelt down before those oni, all I could picture was the disappointment on Lady Zhenzhen’s face, and it killed me. I had to save you . . . for her.”
Takeo took in a sharp breath.
“No,” he whispered. “Are you saying . . . no.”
“Yes,” Qing said. “I love her.”
Takeo burst into laughter. It was so loud and unusual for him that Qing gaped and stared at him, but he didn’t stop, so she went red in the face and snarled.
“I wouldn’t expect someone like yourself to understand,” she said.
“Oh, on the contrary,” Takeo replied, his laughter subsiding into chuckles. “If there’s anyone who understands, it would be me. I, too, fell in love with a woman who seemed to come from a whole different world than mine, and I gave up everything for her. I’m just laughing because never in my days would I think the answer so simple.”
“I don’t think there’s anything simple about this, or funny.”
“Oh, I disagree. Impossibilities are always funny.”
The conversation died there, though Takeo was sure that Qing had plenty more to say, as he had plenty more to ask. Far from clarifying things, Qing’s situation brought about many more questions. Did Virote know? How about Zhenzhen? What made Qing so special that she could rise in the Hanu ranks so quickly? He wanted to ask her just how much it ate her up to know her love would never be returned. He couldn’t quite imagine it as he’d never had to face such pain.
Or perhaps not.
As he rocked from side to side on his komainu, dodging tree limbs and trying not to wince at the tugging on his fresh wounds, a thought hit him. In a way, didn’t he feel the same as Qing? How he longed for Emily but could never have her? How he was willing to take on the world for a woman who would never hold him again? He pondered the idea until Qing changed the subject.
“Before we get there, Takeo, there’s something you need to know,” she said. “I didn’t piece it together at the first instance, but I did at the second. I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you as I promised in the tent where you lay on your deathbed. I know who the traitor in your ranks is: It’s Yeira.
“She’s the reason I was never there when the assassins came for you, both times. It’s embarrassing to admit, but she lured me away. Although I love Zhenzhen, I’m not celibate, and the outward anatomy of elves is not so different from humans. Yeira is astoundingly beautiful, and she picked up on my attraction to her immediately. The first time those assassins came for you, she had pulled me away with some innocent flirting, and I thought the occasion a mere coincidence. However, on the second occasion, she pulled me away with a kiss and the promise of much more to come. Only the news of what happened to you interrupted us, and it was at that moment I linked the events together. I’m sorry. She is the traitor.”
“I know,” he replied.
Qing balked.
“I figured,” he clarified. “I didn’t have any solid evidence, but it made the most sense. I didn’t know about her drawing you away, but now that I do, I’m not surprised. Her hatred for me is not a secret.”
“Still, what do you mean you knew? How could you know and do nothing? Are you not Takeo Karaoshi? In what world does a man like you let a threat like that stand?”
Takeo pursed his lips and sighed.
“I know,” he whispered. “It’s almost pathetic, isn’t it? I’ve asked myself that question more than once. I didn’t think she could hurt me, honestly. And I needed proof, real proof; otherwise, I would lose him forever.”
“Him? You mean the knight?” Qing scowled. “Wait, please don’t tell me you think him innocent. Surely he’s helping that woman. They share a child.”
Takeo glared at her. “Gavin would never send an assassin against anyone, especially me. He is innocent, and he has no idea what his wife is up to.”
“Then why not tell him?”
“Oh, if only it were that simple,” Takeo replied, “and I’d expect better from the likes of you. Don’t you know what love does to people? It blinds them, obscures their senses, and changes them in ways that logic and reason cannot touch. It’s already happening. I’m losing him, to her, and for a while I was content to let it happen. I even hoped for it, that perhaps Yeira could pull Gavin away completely and he’d finally leave me and this war behind him. But no, it would seem that Yeira is not to be trusted. I don’t know how, but she found some way, or someone, to plot against me. I must know the truth of it, and Gavin must know, too. However, he can’t hear it from me. Such knowledge must come from an undeniable source.”
Qing shook her head, which would have been hard to notice from anyone else when swaying atop a komainu, but the elf had better balance than the average human. She stayed quite still and her center of mass didn’t sway so much.
“I hope he’s worth it,” she said.
Takeo didn’t reply. He flicked the reins to pick up the pace. He wanted to be done before morning.
They didn’t ride for long, perhaps a quarter of the night at most. Their target had chosen to set up camp within striking distance of the Hanu keep. As the two approached, Qing took the lead to show Takeo the path. They reached the bottom of a steep yet small mountain with two ropes thrown off the side of it. They left their mounts behind and climbed. At the top, two hands reached over the side to help them up. The one for Takeo was strong and familiar, and Takeo took it without hesitation.
Gavin pulled him up.
The knight looked like he’d aged ten years, and the sadness of a man who’d seen too much in his life hung over him. Gavin held Takeo’s hand for a moment longer, which was more than enough to make the ronin pause.
“Takeo,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s not personal,” Takeo replied. “I told no one but Qing and Emy.”
Gavin looked in Qing’s direction, but she only shrugged and paced off towards the others. Takeo watched her go and there found the reason they’d come.
Atop this place, hidden from view below, was a small ninja camp with its rows of tightly packed, hastily erected tents. In the darkness, the black cloth made it difficult to notice that half the tents were torn to shreds.
Yet most of the ninjas were still alive on their knees in a line far from any cliff edge or tent. They’d been stripped naked so they couldn’t hide any weapons, their hands bound for good measure, and behind each ninja stood a samurai with sword drawn and pressed to the side of the ninja’s neck. Takeo recognized most of the samurai. They were from his unit, after all.
Gavin sighed.
“First you don’t tell me about your death, and then you don’t tell me we’re being sent to hunt ninjas,” the knight said. “Yet you tell Emy, whom I could have sworn you hated not too long ago. Why couldn’t you trust me with this?”
“I told you before,” Takeo said. “It wasn’t my choice who got told about my near death. As for this, I couldn’t risk you talking to anyone else, even those closest to us. I didn’t tell Nicholas or Krunk either. I wouldn’t have told Emy or Qing if I’d had a choice.”
“Takeo,” Gavin started, then paused. He rubbed his face as if trying to massage away a painful headache. Perhaps he was. “Look, I know what you’re planning. Please, please don’t do this.”
“I’m here to find out who tried to kill me,” Takeo said. “What’s so wrong about that?”
Gavin gritted his teeth. “Don’t play with me. You know what I’m talking about. After you get what you’re after, I’m begging you, please, don’t kill them.”
“And why not? Gavin, do you know who these ninjas are? They didn’t just try to kill me—several times already—these are the ninjas who forced Emily to divulge her elven secrets.”
“So? It’s not their fault. Some of these ninjas are just kids, Takeo. Did you hear me? Kids. They look like orphans, just following orders. Like us, remember? Like how we grew up, just lowly lost children looking for a place in the world. Please, Takeo, I’m begging you. You can’t do this. You . . . you just can’t, right?”
His words lacked strength as if he were a man at death’s door, and his head bowed. With damp eyes, he raised an arm, but stopped just shy of touching the ronin’s shoulder.
“Trust me, Gavin, you’ll understand soon. Come with me.”
The knight followed, though with some hesitation. Along the way, they passed Kuniko and Ping, who were walking the line of ninjas, and Takeo favored them with a nod. Minus those holding blades to their captives’ necks, all the other samurai bowed low, too. Among them, Takeo picked out many familiar faces.
It’d been quite easy to reassemble his personal army. All he’d had to do was put out the word to Kuniko, and suddenly a throng of young soldiers stood at his doorstep. Oddly enough, their numbers had increased—no, swelled—since Takeo had supposedly disbanded them.
Takeo and Gavin also passed Nicholas and Krunk. The two were conversing in not so low tones, though Krunk kept casting glances back into the camp and squinting one eye. Yeira stood on the opposite side of camp, along the edge, and it occurred to Takeo that he hadn’t seen Yeira associating with anyone in their group but Gavin. He expected her to appear nervous, but she seemed as calm as the rest of them. An interesting observation, even if he didn’t know what to do with it.
The two walked on, past the ninjas, past Qing, who was going from tent to tent, rummaging about. They went to a spot out of earshot from everyone—except for the rakshasa and Qing as the plateau was too small for that—where Emy was standing with a single ninja bound and sitting on his knees before her.
The ninja was an old man, shirtless despite the night’s chill, with curly white hair on his chest and a bony figure. He sat unnaturally still, eyes cast down to the ground. Bruises covered his body, and his lip was split. As Takeo and Gavin approached, Emy gave them a smile.
“My lord,” Emy said and bowed.
Takeo rolled his eyes.
“Things went well, I imagine?” Takeo asked.
“As well as they could,” Emy replied. “Three almost managed to escape, but they chose to hide in the woods rather than flee from the samurai Kuniko sent after them. I found them all.”
“Of course you did. I expected no less.”
He jerked his head back to the camp, and Emy nodded and left. On her way by Gavin, she gave him a wink, though the knight could hardly manage to look in her direction. Takeo couldn’t blame her for being in high spirits. She had no idea what was about to happen, though Gavin thought he did. Neither of them understood. No one did.
Gavin rooted himself a pace from the ninja. Takeo broke off to kneel in front of the old man at his level, enough to look into his eyes.
“I know neither of us are ones for small talk, so I’m just going to get into it,” Takeo said. “Do you remember our last conversation? I warned you that if you didn’t let Mako go, I’d find you and slaughter your entire clan. Do you remember what you said to me? You said my threat was useless because no man could find you. I tried to think on why that was, and I realized something. Not everyone is who they appear to be. Maybe you said that because no human can find you. Maybe you said that because you’re not human yourself, are you? Maybe you said that because you’re a sennin.”
The old ninja finally looked up, and for the first time, there was fear in his eyes.
Chapter 20
Deep lines were etched in the old ninja’s face alongside his wavy, white hair. The look of fear he held was one Takeo savored, and yet in those eyes, he saw something else—acceptance.
Takeo rose back up and looked at Gavin. The knight’s jaw hung open.
“A sennin?” he said. “But that’s not the same one we saw at the top of that mountain.”
“No, it’s not,” Takeo agreed, pacing around the creature. “But when it occurred to me to think outside the norm, I noticed a few things. Did you know it’s been ten years since I last saw this ninja? And he was old then, but now? Still sprightly. Quite interesting, no? Also, there’s always something that bothered me about how well informed this one clan seems to be. Did you know that when Emily came to ask him where I was, he knew exactly where and told her so? Fascinating, isn’t it? This old ninja knew where Jabbar would sell me off, despite his ships being at sea, on the run, with not a single informant around. Uncanny doesn’t even begin to describe it. Supernatural, however, does.”
“But, how is that possible?” Gavin stuttered. “Aren’t these beings supposed to be all knowing, all seeing? How could you possibly capture them, even with Emy’s help?”
“I had the same thought until I remembered an old lord of mine. Ichiro Katsu was able to capture a sennin, so clearly it was possible. But how? I always wondered why that sennin died to Jabbar’s hands when it should have been able to escape. I mean, what’s the point of being able to see the future if you don’t do anything to change it? But then it occurred to me, perhaps they don’t do anything because they can’t.”
Takeo stopped behind the sennin, raised his leg, and set his foot along the creature’s spine. He pushed down, forcing the old man to the ground.
“Speak,” Takeo commanded.
“And what would you have me say?” the creature replied. “You seem to have everything figured out.”
The dose of sarcasm in that reply would have grated Takeo’s nerves once upon a time. However, power had a way of numbing one’s sensitivity.
