Takeo's Chronicles, page 46
“Why do I have to watch him?” Takeo replied. “Are they not two full-grown adults, capable of doing what they please?”
“Not when my life is riding on the line,” Zulima barked back.
“Are you suggesting those two won’t fight as well with their heads in the clouds?” Takeo replied. “That they won’t instead fight better, having more to lose?”
“I didn’t suggest anything, and I ain’t arguing with you neither. Fix your boy, or I’ll fix you.”
“Why just him? Shouldn’t you be talking to her, too?”
“It’s always the man.” Zulima straightened and grinned as if she’d just pulled the winning card. “A soft woman like her is just looking for a hero to whisk her away from a tragic life. All women make that mistake when they’re young. Man like him, though? He knows. He’s seen more than one damsel in distress, and yet he still wants them. I know his type. Nothing good can come of it.”
“We’ll see,” Takeo said, and for the first time, he realized he was arguing in favor of Gavin’s insanity. Anything that annoyed this she-demon was music to his ears. “And I’ve already talked to him. You’re not the only one worried about this battle. He’ll have his feet on the ground when the battle starts.”
Zulima snarled but walked away.
Meanwhile, over the next few weeks, Gavin did everything within his power to prove Takeo wrong.
Yeira and her knight in chafing armor continued to interact in such a way that bestowed the power of invisibility on the rest of the eleven members of the coalition. The two walked apart from the group, often behind, but sometimes far off to the side, with no concern for the direction in which the wind carried their words. Takeo could sometimes pick up bits and pieces of their constant blathering when they got particularly loud, hearing conversations that branched into every topic from favorite foods, colors, and clothing, to how they preferred to walk, talk, and run, to their influential mentors, enemies, and friends, to their dreams, goals, and aspirations, and apparently to their decision that sleep was not a necessity to those suffering from love, because they would stay up for long hours after the sun set yet still beat each and every person awake the next morning. Takeo wasn’t sure how they managed it; he felt weary just watching them.
Try as he might, Takeo couldn’t help but think of Emily as he watched Gavin sink deeper and deeper into a web of lust. Takeo reminisced about how he had fallen in love with Emily, his opinion of her developing and changing with each new bit of information he acquired.
Takeo had hated her at first, not because they were enemies on opposite sides, but because Takeo had been told she was the one who’d killed his brother—a blatant lie he would discover later. Takeo had been all fury and rage back then, trying to use anger to hold together his shattered sense of identity and purpose. Losing Okamoto and then meeting the angels had thrown Takeo from a path he never thought he would stray from: that of a loyal samurai. He’d been lost in the forest, stumbling along, when he met Emily, and he mistakenly saw her as the first opponent in regaining his old path. Fortunately for him, she’d not felt the same.
He’d known there was something different about her the moment she dodged his first swing. He could hardly believe it, seeing her react and leap back as fast as he swung, yet her skin remained untouched. Then, rather than attack in return, she begged him to understand that it was not her who had killed his brother. She didn’t even seem to care that they were enemies on opposite sides of a war. Her entire demeanor seemed to emphasize that she had no quarrel with him, and Takeo was as confused as he was in awe. Here was a woman unlike any he could remember. Unlike his brother, unlike nearly every samurai he’d ever met, unlike any shogun, here was a woman who stayed her hand not because she thought killing was wrong in itself, but because she thought killing was wrong only when it didn’t serve a purpose.
Her strength, that’s what Takeo saw. Unlike so many he’d met before, including himself, Emily refused to let anyone make a decision for her. Even when Quartus gave his life to her, she chased Heliena because she wanted to. Repaying Quartus was just an added benefit. Even with Takeo trying to kill her when they first met, she refused to fight back. Even when they fought again in the angels’ tower and Takeo went to strike her down, she still did not relent that this was happening by anyone’s choice but hers.
“I’m sorry,” she’d said, as if Takeo were acting on her command.
Such poise, such mastery, he could tell in that instant that she knew whom she was in a way he had never known himself. She was not influenced or controlled by any others. She carried the full weight of her decisions and never sighed at the load. She always was, and always would be, purely Emily. There would never be another like her.
Yet here Gavin was, falling for some dark-haired beauty hard and fast, as if a mere fancy smile and being a warlord’s plaything could ever hold weight against Emily. How dare Gavin suggest he’d never known love like this? How dare he insinuate that this woman—this, Yeira—could hold a candle to Emily’s light? She was nothing. Their love was nothing. Gavin was just fooling himself.
“And you’re just jealous,” Takeo whispered to himself. “Pathetic.”
Needless to say, Gavin and Yeira were inseparable over those few weeks of travel. Their igniting relationship became the focal point of nearly all conversation and attention. The fact that the two chose to spend all this time apart from the group only added fuel to the flames, increasing the mystery and awkwardness their mere presence instilled. Their relationship seemed to crystalize the group, preventing others from interacting and breaking down any more barriers. If anything, more barriers were placed up as if to restore some semblance of sanity and normalcy.
This was Savara, after all. People didn’t just trust each other like these two had. What were they thinking? Such jolliness should not be tolerated, and indeed it mostly wasn’t, as Zulima constantly darted annoyed glances at the two and cleared her throat loudly whenever the group made a turn that Gavin and Yeira didn’t immediately follow.
Only the lone man seemed unaffected. He didn’t leer or smile, cringe or balk. He kept his attention focused on the road ahead. Takeo thought this an enviable quality. They would all do better to follow such an example.
“So, on a scale of ‘yes’ to ‘lost cause,’ how worried about Gavin are we?” Nicholas asked just a few days shy of reaching their destination. “Let’s have this conversation now while Aiguo is off relieving himself. I don’t want him hearing a word of this.”
“Krunk agrees,” the ogre said. “Krunk—I, I agree. This man, Aiguo, listens too much. I be happy when he’s gone.”
Nicholas smiled and clapped Krunk’s shoulder, giving him a nod of approval for his speech.
“Honestly, I’m only slightly worried,” Takeo said. “I’m worried that when this façade of emotion falls between the two of them and this relationship crumbles, one or all of us will have to pick Gavin up, and the timing might be inconvenient. It might be best if this woman falls while we’re fighting the hydra.”
Nicholas froze and went wide-eyed. He shared a glance with Krunk, and the two seemed so struck that Takeo furrowed his brows.
“What?” he said. “What did I say?”
“Takeo,” Nicholas started, stuttering. “You can’t be serious. Are you suggesting we,” he paused, darted sideways glances, then leaned in, “we kill her during the fight?”
“Huh?” Takeo blinked in response. “What? No. No! When did I suggest that?”
“You just said it would be best if she died.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I think we ought to kill her.” Takeo groaned and buried his head in his hands. “This is absurd. What makes you think I’d suggest that? Am I really so cruel?”
Nicholas went silent and looked down. Takeo glanced at Krunk, and the ogre looked away quickly.
“Now I’m the one who’s surprised,” Takeo said. “I’m not that cruel, am I?”
He waited for a response, letting both huge souls cringe and wriggle beneath his gaze. Finally, Nicholas sighed and relented.
“You’ve done worse, Takeo,” he said. “You told us about the wars you’ve fought in Juatwa and all the people you’ve killed. Maybe you’re not that same man today, but you still have it in you. I know it; we all know it. Hell, I even admire you for it. Be honest, if killing Yeira was a necessity, would you hesitate?”
No echoed through Takeo’s mind instantly, resoundingly, and confidently, but his lips remained sealed and his eyes glossed over. He held his gaze with Nicholas for a few heartbeats and then let his head fall. He knew it was wrong of him, yet he couldn’t stop himself. Thanks to the angels and Emily, Takeo had learned the true sense of morality—that kindness should be returned—and Takeo should love Yeira, just as much as Gavin did, because she made the knight happy and had done Takeo no wrong. Yet here he was, trudging across the sands, already wishing for the demise of this woman who’d done nothing other than talk to his friend.
“I suppose I am heartless, aren’t I?” Takeo asked.
“Just a little,” Nicholas replied, “but look on the bright side. At least you’re aware of it. The first step in fixing any problem is acknowledging its existence in the first place.”
The viking winked, and a smile slipped its way across Takeo’s face.
“That’s quite an insightful thing to say for a brute.”
“Yeah well,” Nicholas replied, shrugging. “That one I learned from Paul. There wasn’t much I respected about him, but I have to admit few others faced their inner demons like he did. While most I’ve met prefer to ignore or drink away their issues, Paul always met them head on, without fear. He was never afraid of his weaknesses. He conquered them.”
“Sounds like you’re doing the same.”
“Nah, I’m just getting old. You know I’ve been alive for almost twenty-two seasons now? Practically have one foot in the grave.”
Takeo chuckled.
Meanwhile, Gavin and Yeira continued their ill-timed courtship in full view of those around them. By the third week, they shared tender kisses before departing to their separate groups. They were coming up with pet names like sugar, sweetie, beautiful, and handsome. Gavin couldn’t seem to talk about anything but her, and Takeo was learning things he never thought he would. For example, Yeira liked spicy food, was left-handed, and wanted to see the world.
“I told her when we’re finished here, we’ll take her to Juatwa,” Gavin explained. “I told her how beautiful it was, nearly as beautiful as her, and she said she couldn’t wait. She wants her sisters to see it, too. She wants to meet you, Takeo, and you, too, Nicholas, Krunk. Oh, sorry Aiguo. I totally forgot to mention you. That’s strange. You’d think I’d remember after spending damn near two months with you. Anyway, you can all relax as it won’t be happening. We talked it out, and we realize that our love is making you all uneasy. It’s understandable, as you haven’t met each of us, but we also know that introductions should wait until this battle is fought. We both have too much to lose, more so than before, and we all need to be focused on the task at hand. She hasn’t forgotten her duty to her sisters, and I haven’t forgotten my brotherhood either. Actually, it seems her sisters are just as hesitant to meet me as you all are hesitant to meet her. Can you believe that? I suppose it’s not that crazy in hindsight. I’d be uneasy around men, too, if I’d spent my childhood being used as a dispensable object by them. You must all promise me you’ll be true gentlemen when you meet them. Yeira tells me they are quite impressionable despite their skepticism. Any slight—even a perceived one—will be magnified in their eyes. I won’t have it. It’s important to me that our groups merge cohesively. Think of them as sisters, Nicholas.”
Nicholas went still and slowly focused his gaze on Gavin. The knight sensed something had gone wrong, and it took him far too long to figure out his misstep. When he did, his eyes went wide.
“Little sisters, Nicholas,” Gavin said quickly. “I meant younger sisters. Not replacements.”
Nicholas replied by rolling his eyes and looking off in the distance. Gavin changed his attention to Krunk.
“I am eager,” the ogre said, grinning in such a way that looked terrifying in the low light of dusk.
“You’ll do great, Krunk.” Gavin smiled and gave the purple beast a hearty shove. “Takeo?”
“Of course, Gavin,” Takeo said. “When am I not mannerly? And I promise to keep my cold thoughts to myself.”
“Thank you, my friend.” The knight sighed with relief. “I think it will take them longest to understand you, but they will. Once they understand what we’re trying to do, to unite the world and end these dark times, they’ll know your true heart like I do.”
Takeo let those words pass over him, ignoring their potential to stir up deeper thoughts. He kept his focus upon the target just up ahead: a cave just a few days away, where the ocean met the sands and his mettle would meet reality.
I will have power.
Chapter 20
They huddled on the eastern side of one particularly large sand dune, ignoring how the ocean breeze knocked handfuls of sand down on top of them. The cave was just on the other side, and Zulima crested their shelter to survey the scene. They waited patiently until she scaled back down and gathered them around to lay out her plan.
“This is it,” she started. “Do this right and the survivors will get a nice, big, rakshasa-head bounty. Do this wrong, and before I die, I swear I’ll rip ever last one of your hearts out through your asses! Am I understood? Good, now listen up. Here’s how we do this.
“The cave entrance is perhaps twenty to thirty paces due west of here, and it butts up right against the shore. I suspect the cave partially floods at night when the tides rise, which explains why it’s so appealing to this supposed hydra you told me about. I say supposed because there’s not a damn thing in sight. Just rocky cliffs, sand, and a flat beach where the waves have leveled the place. No hydra, whatsoever, or signs that a rakshasa is living nearby. I don’t see scattered bones or disturbed sand or footprints, which means that this rakshasa of yours either has a second exit out of this cave, or it’s smart and knows how to stay hidden.
“As for the cave itself, the entrance is large enough to hide a hydra, so we won’t be able to just dart inside and escape the thing. We’ll have to kill it, assuming it rears its ugly heads. This hydra might actually be lying in wait inside the cave for all I know, or it might be lurking off the coast, hunting for food. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, we can get in, slay this rakshasa, and be out before the hydra ever arrives. That would be best.”
Takeo looked sidelong at Gavin, who returned the gaze. Neither had considered that the hydra wouldn’t be there, waiting for them. Their entire plan was focused around fighting this creature, and now they were faced with the prospect of entering this jinni’s lair unprepared. Takeo did a quick mental count—worst-case scenario seemed to be his four plus Yeira’s three, facing off against the other five. Plus Aiguo, he almost forgot. That made it eight vs. five, with Takeo on the larger side. Good odds, he figured.
“I want to be prepared, though,” Zulima continued. “If that hydra appears or we face it on the way out, I want to either down it or retreat quickly, with as few casualties as possible. We still have a rakshasa to kill, at least one anyway, maybe more, and I want at least eight able-bodied souls at the ready, five at the least. That means we can only lose half our forces. I didn’t earn these scars for nothing, and I don’t want to earn anymore. It’s getting hard to blink; my face is so stiff. So here’s how we do this. Dress-boy, you three princesses, and you, blondie, with your crossbows and bows, are going to assault the thing from range. You can use them, right?”
Takeo glanced at the bow he’d been lugging around since Lucifan, and Gavin glanced at the crossbow he’d acquired from the same place. They nodded. The three Kshatriya nodded as well.
“Expend all your ammunition into its body,” she said. “Don’t bother aiming for its swinging heads or its chest, heart, or whatever fancy thing you think you’re capable of. I just want the hydra to start bleeding like a stuck carcass, and then you come join the melee. Cut, dodge, and weave. Bleed it out. Hydras are slow on the ground—if we were on a ship, it’d tear us all to pieces, so we’re in luck. Make sure you have a scarf soaked in urine at hand, and tie it tight around your nose. When it breathes green poison, use the clouds to hide and don’t breathe through your mouth. That includes screaming. Any of you dies from something as stupid as that, and I’ll personally defecate on your corpse, as you deserve. Any questions?”
The way she said it seemed more a threat than a question as she glared from person to person, settling her gaze on the satyr last.
“You got something to say, fuzzy?” she asked, snarling like Krunk. “You look damned smug for someone who’s about to be eaten.”
“I brought a secret weapon that might help all this,” the satyr replied, unfazed by her taunts. “A pirate’s favorite weapon.” The satyr withdrew a single-shot pistol from his pack and grinned wide. “It doesn’t have the best accuracy; I’ll have to be within striking distance of its heads, but my able fingers can reload faster than any human’s, and I swear to wreak havoc on the creature. My eyesight is quite good.”
His two companions were grinning along with him, but Zulima seemed unimpressed. She waved at him as if to both dismiss his attitude and grant him permission at the same time.
“Let’s get this over with,” Zulima said. “You there, big guy, and you there, purple thing—you two flank me. You skinny children follow like wings. Old man, you’ll be in the back between the youths, and I hope you’re carrying three swords for a reason because, otherwise, that weight will end up being just as dead as you. As for you, brown-eyed quiet man—you’re a mute, aren’t you? Haven’t heard a peep out of you this entire trip. I hope you can at least hear; otherwise, I’m wasting my breath. You’ll follow just behind the old man. Behind that group, you six follow ready to let loose devastation. We’ll enter the cave this way if we’re not stopped. That gives us seven targets to entertain this hydra’s or rakshasa’s attention while six more lay into it. We’ll only fail if all of you are as incompetent as you look. Damn do I wish I was drunk. Now, ready yourselves and then follow me.”
