Takeo's Chronicles, page 154
Takeo paused. It occurred to him that Gavin had never shared that story. The fact that he was bringing it up now did not bode well, yet Takeo felt rooted in place. Did he not owe it to Gavin to listen?
“I always assumed you two met at the orphanage,” Takeo said.
“Yeah, that’s the story we told,” Gavin replied. “That’s even the story we told Krunk, too, that he was just dropped off there, because it was better than the truth. Innocent child that he was, he never bothered to question it, or what happened to his parents, or how I got this scar.”
Gavin traced a finger down the mark along his left cheek. Takeo bore a similar mark, which he’d earned at Jabbar's claws. Takeo didn’t know how Gavin had earned his, though.
“It’s going to sound cliché, but it was a dark and stormy night,” Gavin said. “Harbor rains can be cold and windy even at their calmest, and this storm was bad. Lucifan’s streets don’t provide as much shelter as one might think, and the water gets into your armor. I was using my shield as cover and patrolling on foot because visibility was too poor to ride a pegasus. On nights like that, crime usually plummets, so the Order sends out its young, inexperienced knights, both as a rite of passage and because it knows they’ll be just fine. Needless to say, my squad didn’t expect to find much beyond our sour moods and rusting armor. We certainly didn’t expect to find a group of ogres trying to rob a closed-up food shop.
“No one really knows this, or cares, but there are female ogres. Due to their perceived ugliness, we humans tend to think of all ogres as males, but even the ogres don’t care what we call them. He, she, it—it’s all the same to them, and for good reason. Unless they’re naked, it’s nigh impossible to tell the difference between the sexes. Also, due to their girth, it’s also exceptionally hard to tell if one of them is pregnant, especially in the rain, in the dark, and in a fight.
“I chased Krunk’s mother down an alleyway, not realizing I was alone until it was too late, and it just so happened she picked a dead end. I only wanted her to surrender, but ogres don’t think like that. She was a trapped animal, and she set upon me. Inexperienced as I was, she nearly killed me. I was lucky this scar was all she gave me, and in return, I took her life.
“I might not have noticed that she was pregnant if Krunk hadn’t moved. I’d seen enough death rattles at this point to know that the waving and pushing against her hard stomach wasn’t normal. I wanted to leave, to run, to know nothing more, but I couldn’t. I checked that she was indeed female and then touched her stomach to confirm my suspicion.
“And Krunk pushed back.
“I didn’t think about my next move. All I knew was that if I didn’t get him out, he would die. I used my sword for the first time in my life to save rather than kill, and I learned a lot of lessons about birth the hard way. As I sat there in that alley, rain pouring down on my blood-soaked armor, I held this little ogre infant, and I froze. I heard my squad calling for me, though, and I realized my job wasn’t done yet. I couldn’t let them find me, not like this, not with him. He’d get tossed back into the ogre clans, only to be beaten and likely die without any parent around to claim him. I couldn’t let that happen. I killed his mother. It was my fault, my responsibility to save him, so I decided to give him the same chance I’d had in life.
“I took him to Madam Sweeny, to my orphanage. It was the best I could do.
“And angels bless that old gnome and her heart of gold. We made up some story of her just finding him, and no one questioned it. She took Krunk in, gave him a name, friends, love—she gave him a chance. A second chance, really, because I had robbed him of the first.
“Poor Krunk. He never knew that his best friend in the whole world had killed his mother. It’s a sin I’ve carried in secret until now, and a sin I can no longer atone for. I tell you this, Takeo, not to punish you. I know you’ll see this story as a means to an end, that I did what I had to, but you’re missing the point. We were both raised to understand that the world is harsh and cruel, but you were taught to be harsh and cruel in return. If I’d had that mentality, there would have been no Krunk on this journey. I guess I’m trying to make one last plea to you, Takeo. Please, listen to me. You can’t fight the darkness of the world with shadows. You must bring forth light.”
Takeo dropped his head. He ran a finger along his hairline and sighed.
“That was always your problem, Gavin. You put your faith in philosophy over reality, and it’s that same mentality that put Krunk on his knees with a sword at his throat and your family’s life in danger. Krunk may be dead, but you’re safe now. Don’t you see? I don’t have to bring light to the world in order to save it. All I need to do is make a world where such light can exist.
“Even if it hates me for it.”
Chapter 24
The trip back to the Hanu city felt long. They took the same roads and traveled at the same pace, but now Takeo had two silent companions instead of just one. Not that he expected anything out of Emy without his express permission, but Nicholas’ deadpan silence was disconcerting on a number of levels. In a way, Nicholas was the only one of their original group that Takeo expected to support him. After all, hadn’t they already had this conversation, that morality was determined by the winner?
“Have I lost you, too?” Takeo said, cutting straight to the point halfway through their journey.
Nicholas sighed, long and drawn out.
“Lost me? Takeo, honestly, you’ve been lucky to keep me for this long. We free spirits aren’t known to settle down in any one place for this length of time.”
“That’s not what I’m asking,” Takeo said. “If you want to have at me for Krunk, I’d prefer you do it now.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you would. I only have one thing to say about that, Takeo, and it’s nothing to do with right versus wrong, or cost versus reward, not even victory versus defeat. I’m a simpler man than that, as you know, and if you’d stop thinking about yourself for a moment, you could divine my opinion. However, for the sake of time—and also to prevent hurting your poor little brain—I’ll tell you. It all boils down to how I measure myself and everyone else, and thus how you fell short.
“Legends don't kill their friends.”
A legend? No thank you. I don’t want to be remembered, his mind retorted, but he kept quiet. Takeo understood that this wasn’t an attack he could defend against. Nicholas' silence said more than words ever could.
“So, when are you leaving me?” Takeo asked.
Another drawn out sigh ensued, irking the ronin.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Nicholas replied, flicking his mangy hair off his shoulder as they rode. “I was going back and forth about leaving you long before Krunk. My first thought came after that ruined fortress disaster, thinking this would be a good place for my legend to turn. I mean, think about it. How more epic of a beginning could I have than holding off an entire army with fifty men? But I stuck around, and then I got to slay an emperor, and damn did that seem worth it. You know how many viking tales involve slaying a Juatwa shogun? Let’s just say the number is so low that even you could count it. So, hey, what’s one more battle, I thought? Might be worth it. Then something came up that none of us predicted.”
“Dhyana,” Takeo replied.
Nicholas nodded, then shook his head, then tisked, then chuckled.
“I still can’t believe it,” the viking went on. “I mean, I honestly thought the old flames that burned for my family had died with my sister, yet there are embers.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Takeo said. “You’ve been dropping some heavy hints.”
“It also helps that it would be fitting, you know? A hero always takes a break from his adventurous life to return home. Ah, damn it. I just called that place home, didn’t I? I never used to do that. The Great Plains hasn’t been my home for awhile, yet the word slipped out. Just another sign that fate is calling me. I saw my mother every time I looked at yours, Takeo, and saw in your relationship all the missed opportunities. What if she’s dead? I mean, seriously, what if? I can’t even recall our last goodbye. That’s just not right. Maybe I’m getting old or something, but it doesn’t sit well with me anymore. I might have adopted a second father, but I’ve only ever had one mother. I need to see her again. I owe it to her.”
“Honestly, Nicholas, that’s something I agree with. I’m not going to lie; I will miss you. Although we were never formally made brothers through marriage, I can’t help but feel we share that sort of bond. However, you didn’t answer my question. When are you leaving?”
“Oh, I still don’t know. I thought I’d stay one more battle, you know? I mean, with any luck, that’s all it will take to fulfill this dream of yours. I can’t leave you when you’re so close to seeing it through. I just hope I don't regret it.”
A thin smile etched its way across Takeo’s face, a hint of warmth through all the cold he felt when his sword wasn’t in his hands. The two didn’t share a gaze, as Nicholas aimlessly searched the tree branches overhead, but they didn’t need to.
“Thank you,” Takeo said.
“Eh, don’t do that,” Nicholas replied. “You’re not the only person I’m staying for.”
Takeo didn’t inquire further. It wasn’t difficult to guess that Nicholas was speaking of either Gavin, Emy, or some combination of them and one of the many cute soldiers he spent his nights with. It was enough to know that Takeo wasn’t alone, not yet. He’d lost too many already, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle much more.
A degree of optimism struck Takeo after that conversation. It wasn’t much, but after spending so much time in quiet misery, any small ray of hope was enough to illuminate his mood. Despite all of his talk about mercy and necessity, Takeo regretted what he had done. Krunk had been a friend in the true sense of the word, with love and trust handed over unconditionally. Childlike was the word, assuming that child grew up in a utopia of care and understanding. To Takeo, Krunk was an example of how all his efforts could be applied. If only the world could be given a chance to breathe, the violence pacified for just a short decade, so many creatures and people that would have turned into agents of horror could instead be given the chance at a wonderful life.
Like the wonderful life his brother had denied him.
I couldn’t save him. No one could. But I can save others. I can save all the others. For Her.
This concluding thought ran through Takeo’s mind somewhere on the outskirts of the Hanu city, with the walls rising up in the distance. At the same time, the breeze changed direction, and Takeo’s komainu sniffed the air once, twice, and then flicked its tail. There was nothing odd in the movement, as these creatures had a powerful sense of smell, yet Takeo didn’t hear a thing. The area was totally silent.
Takeo’s hand dropped to his sword.
Seconds later, a black, palm-sized whirl of metal darted out from a tree. Flung so fast and so close, Takeo’s brain couldn’t make the connection between sound, movement, and decision until the projectile was an arm’s length from his neck—far too close for any person to react without inhuman aid. He ripped his enchanted blade free and raised it for a deflection in one flash of speed, yet still he had to duck. The ninja star clanged against his sword and cut a strand of hair free from of his head as it soared by. Takeo might have taken the time to admire having escaped such a brush with death, but not a heartbeat later, Qing dove out of the same tree, sword poised to skewer him.
However, the fight was over by then. Takeo was alert, sword drawn, and riding a komainu. He parried the first attack, the second, and the half dozen attempts after that. He never made a move to end her, or even dismount, and Qing stopped her futile attacks shortly.
She was alone, standing with feet planted, teeth gritted, and shoulders tense. Qing’s gaze bore into Takeo with a fiery hatred he’d come to expect. Emy and Nicholas watched with mouths agape, but Takeo felt calm. Actually, Qing’s attack came as a relief to him, as he’d always anticipated she’d try to kill him one day. Now he knew which day that was. The only question was why she’d waited so long.
Takeo held his enchanted blade before him, demonstrating his power, and asked, “Qing, what are you doing?”
The ninja’s teeth were pressed together so tightly they threatened to turn to dust. Then tears formed in her eyes, and she fell to her knees. Her sword clattered to the ground.
“You were supposed to marry her,” she screeched. “Virote assured me you would! It made logical sense, the only logical sense. Surely, you’d do it. I knew you would. We all did! Then everything would be right in the world, and she’d be protected. Why did you say no?”
Takeo paused, his sense of relief slipping away.
“Qing, what has she done? What has Lady Zhenzhen done?”
The ninja sucked in a gasp of air and bit her lower lip. Tears began to drip down her cheeks.
“You’re going to kill her,” she whispered.
Dread welled in Takeo’s stomach. His sword grip intensified.
“Tell me,” he said, putting authority into his voice. “What did she do?”
Qing hesitated and then let her gaze fall, shaking her head.
Takeo put his heels into his mount and dashed towards the city.
* * *
Black soot from the stone ramparts tarnished the pale skin of Mako's bare feet, their former beauty only hinted at by the dainty ankles that lay exposed beneath her red kimono. Her wrists were free of restraints and untarnished, showing she’d come willingly. Her cheeks were stained with the dreary blend of makeup and tears, although the tears had long since dried up. Black hair fluttered in the wind, youthful and vibrant in a way she would never be again. Mako was nothing if not beautiful, even when hung by the throat, her neck snapped and eyes bulging out.
Takeo did not walk so much as stumble up the steps. Nothing and no one barred his way, as the place had been cleared of people and obstacles so that Mako would hang out over the keep’s ramparts alone and untouched. The city streets below had drawn a small crowd, but they had cleared out when Takeo was seen dashing inside the keep on his komainu. Now, the only onlookers were those guards posted within sight and those civilians who could gaze in hiding from either the shadows or behind glass. Nicholas, Qing, and Emy were a short way behind, reaching the keep by the time Takeo had already scaled the walls.
He grabbed Mako's kimono and pulled her lifeless body to him, her cold skin stealing warmth from his. He held her with one hand and cut the rope with other, and she collapsed onto him. Her tall, slender body was difficult to manage as he laid her down on the stone and held her head in his hands.
Mako’s mouth hung open, framed in a silent scream that would never escape. Her limbs stretched awkwardly along the ground, stiffening in her prolonged death. Her hair blew across her face in the wind, getting into her eyes, yet she did not blink to clear them. Takeo traced his thumb from her forehead down to tuck the strands away.
He tried to say something, whisper a silent no or beg a please, but his lungs refused to grant him the strength. It was all he could do to keep breathing, and his heart struggled against a chest that sunk inwards in pain. All the world ceased to exist, all but Mako and all the innocence that had been taken with her.
The dam holding back Takeo’s grief broke, and he pressed his forehead to hers while his vision blurred into tears. Slowly, he rocked her back and forth, holding her tight in a way he'd never had the courage to do when she was alive. Pain wracked him, deep and unyielding. His sobs rang out against the stone.
He was dimly aware that he was being watched, and a shuffle of armor denoted that a new crowd had arrived. He lost track of that, though, as a sob escaped his lips to be muffled by Mako’s cold skin. A moment later, soft steps approached up the ramparts, accompanied by the drag of rich silk along stone.
“Why?” Takeo whimpered without looking up, then louder. “Tell me why!”
“She brought this upon herself for standing between us,” Lady Zhenzhen replied, not an ounce of sympathy in her voice. “You said your heart was spoken for? Well, I’ve solved that issue. I told you once before that you belong to me. I hope you understand now.”
Bile rose up from Takeo’s stomach, and he choked on it while struggling against his inability to breathe.
“You,” he started, struggling to find words. “You killed her for that? You, you bitch. I wasn’t talking about her.”
“Doesn’t look that way to me. Now, kneel to your empress.”
A raging fire swept through Takeo’s veins, and he thought it was anger until he realized that his hand had unconsciously fallen to his sword. The steel there begged to be released, hungry for blood of any kind. Takeo was more than willing to satiate that desire until a moment’s reflection washed over him. As the enchanted blade’s warmth spread over him, he felt his grief burn away. Emptiness followed, and Mako’s cold skin receded from his touch.
Takeo looked from Zhenzhen to Mako, one hand on her corpse and another on his sword, and the dam against his grief reformed with formidable integrity. He had no questions about why this was happening, not a single doubt as to the cause.
He gripped his sword tighter and let Mako go.
A long, dark smile spread across Lady Zhenzhen’s face as Takeo turned to her and bowed on his knees until his head touched stone.
“Good,” the shogun said. “Now, tell me. Who owns you?”
He shut his eyes and swallowed. The words burned in his throat. He forced them out.
“You do, my lady.”
“And if your mistress commands you to marry her?”
“I will obey.”
Zhenzhen’s hand slipped around Takeo’s chin, making his flesh crawl, and lifted his head towards her. She bent down and pressed her lips to his, stealing a long and passionate kiss. When she pulled away, their lips tugged apart.
“That’s my good little ronin,” she said. “Now, win me my crown, and I might just forgive your insolence. I may even let you share in the glory.”
