Takeo's Chronicles, page 61
Takeo took a deep breath and glanced to his companions. They seemed equally as lost as him, their eyes darting about, taking in the wonders of stability and wealth. Then the sound of practice swords clacking away came echoing to their ears, just around the pillar that blocked their sight of the courtyard's center, and they all stepped around it.
The courtyard was open to the sky with tall towers and walls on every side, perfect for viewing. It was large enough to train a small army, Takeo figured, or to host a royal wedding, if one were so inclined. The ground was actual grass, and the corners had beautiful maple trees growing up and out towards the center, and it was there that Takeo heard the clacking.
Two men in laminar stood opposite, one young, even younger than Kuniko, and the other old, with gray hair and a wrinkled face. About them stood a plethora of soldiers, all faced outwards and ever watchful. The two in the center fought in a slow manner to Takeo's eyes, going through a standard set of moves and counter-moves, pausing, and then attempting another.
“Good, good,” the old man would say occasionally, followed by, “Well done, yes.”
Takeo didn't agree. Then the old man said, “Excellent, my prince,” and Takeo took in a sharp breath. He focused on the young man and began to see a series of familiar features. Hazel eyes, smooth skin, short legs, hair trimmed and tied into a top knot, even the facial hair despite being so young, all came together in a distant memory. Takeo knew this boy.
“What did he say?” Gavin said.
“That's the prince,” Takeo whispered. “Lord Jiro Hanu's son.”
“The dead Lord Jiro?” Gavin replied, lowering his voice to match Takeo's.
“Yes. Unbelievable, isn’t it? What was his name? It was short, like knob or something,” Takeo shook his head. “Nobu, yes. That’s it. He was maybe eight? Nine? Last I saw Jiro. I know because we had a decoy version of this boy we were supposed to protect, but one of Katsu's underlings killed him.”
Gavin recoiled. “They killed a child?”
“With ease,” Takeo said. “Now look at him. He'll be in charge of a kingdom soon. Maybe more, with my help.”
Gavin folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the pillar beside Takeo. “Damn,” the knight said. “We'll be old men by then.”
“Hopefully,” Takeo replied.
Nobu glanced from his trainer to Takeo's position and froze. The boy’s jaw dropped open a hair, and Takeo bowed low. However, upon standing back up, he stared right back, unblinking, until the boy’s trainer looked, too, and quickly taped the prince on the shoulder.
“My lord,” the old man said. “You must focus.”
Nobu shook awake and re-positioned himself, raising his practice sword. “Yes, sorry. Let's continue.”
Another bout of sword clacks echoed through the courtyard as the two went through a set of movements that seemed all too often practiced.
Preset movements, Takeo pondered. I'll bet they even have names. That old man is teaching him fighting techniques to win tournaments over battles. Stupid. Probably a commander, descended from a wealthy family. Never had to fight on the front lines or face a komainu on foot. First to retreat. He's going to get that boy killed making him so predictable.
The clang of an iron door made Takeo and the others pivot. Down the other end of the courtyard, an old woman in a deep red kimono came waltzing out into the sun, two samurai guards at her heels. Even from this distance, Takeo noted the heavy powder on her face, and he blinked as he recognized this woman, as well.
“And that one?” Gavin asked.
“The Lady Ki Hanu,” Takeo replied. “Formerly a part of the Zhao family, she would be Nobu’s grandmother on the paternal side.”
Nicholas leaned in between them and nudged Takeo. “And what does she think of you?” he said.
“Last we met, she was neutral,” he answered.
Lady Ki and her guard turned to walk to Nobu, but out of the corner of her eye, the old woman spotted Takeo and stopped. She blinked, her upper lip curling, and then changed course, marching directly towards the samurai and his group.
“She doesn’t look happy,” Nicholas said.
“This time I can confirm that’s just her face,” Takeo whispered back. “Everyone, when I bow, you bow. Got it? You, too, Emy.”
He glanced at them to let them know he meant it.
Lady Ki marched with determination, and Takeo didn’t wait for her to stop before beginning his bow, bending at the waist as far down as seemed respectable. He remained there until he heard her feet come to a stop, and then lifted slowly. Behind him, the others mimicked admirably.
“Lady Ki,” Takeo said.
“Takeo Karaoshi,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
He blinked and cocked his head to the side.
“Staring at my grandson,” she clarified. “Does it amuse you?”
“Why would it amuse me, my lady?” Takeo replied, flat.
“Perhaps you think it comical, seeing an old man train a young boy. Perhaps to you, this is a joke, seeing Nobu trained by someone other than his father. Are you having a good laugh?”
Takeo was unmoved. “If there’s something funny here, I don’t see it,” he replied. “I wouldn’t get the joke anyway. I wasn’t trained by my father either.”
“And look how you turned out,” Lady Ki snapped.
Her voice echoed against the stone walls, and Takeo’s shoulders dropped. In the courtyard, Nobu and the old man paused at the commotion. Takeo met the gaze.
“Don’t look at him,” Lady Ki said, and Takeo’s eyes swung back to her. She stepped closer to him and raised a finger, pointing at his chest. “You’re not to meet him, ever, do you understand?”
“If this is about your son,” Takeo replied, slowly, “do know I had nothing to do with his death. I did all I could to help him win that battle.”
Lady Ki made a sound of disgust and looked away. “Clearly not, as here you stand, alive and well. A true samurai defends his lord to the death, but you always seem to walk away unscathed. How many lords and ladies have you served now?”
“Four,” Takeo answered.
“And how many are dead?”
“Three,” he said.
“And how many did you plot against?”
“Two,” he said.
“And how many did you kill personally?”
“One,” he replied.
His tone neither rose nor fell. He was only stating the obvious, as far as he was concerned. Lady Ki, however, sneered as if she’d just uncovered Takeo’s most treasured secret. She took her pointed finger and tapped his chest with it. The air between them was colder than the grave.
“I know you now, Takeo Karaoshi,” she said. “You fight for you and you alone, which is fine with me, honestly. Were it my call, you’d be put on the frontlines to die with the rest. However, I’m not the shogun, so my power is limited. You are Zhenzhen’s pet. Remember that. She’s the one foolish enough to invest in you twice. I can only hope you’ll bring her as much fortune as you brought my son.
“But I did want to tell you one thing. I do have some power in this land, so I understand this is no idle threat. It’s a promise. From now on, I expect you to be a model samurai to this family. You had better give every fight everything you have, the blood in your veins included, because if you lose even one battle, I will have you executed. Is that clear?”
Takeo didn’t flinch. “I understand, my lady,” he said.
“Say it back to me,” she pressed.
“I’m to go nowhere near Lord Nobu,” Takeo replied. “I’m to serve Lady Zhenzhen only, and if I lose a single battle, you’ll have me killed.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m glad we understand each other.”
Lady Ki nodded and departed, skirting across the grass towards her son. Takeo watched her go, sighing heavily and then looking up to the sky.
“You know, just once I’d like to meet an old lady who didn’t hate me,” he said.
“Hey, I’m in the same boat,” Nicholas piped up. “At this point, I think it’s a damn good thing Chara never got to meet you. She never would have let Emily get near you.”
Nicholas grunted, and Takeo could only assume it was because Gavin elbowed the viking in the ribs.
Lady Ki reached her grandson and began speaking with him sharply. Nobu seemed defensive and ashamed within moments, and Takeo watched their encounter with some interest until a new noise drew his attention. He heard a rhythmic clack of wood on stone, and around the corner Kuniko had disappeared, a new face revealed itself; a portly, middle aged man with a walking cane.
“Ah, Takeo!” the man called from down the way, waving a free hand.
He hobbled towards them, leaning at a wide angle over his cane then swinging over a wobbly leg. His generous belly bounced with the movement, yet he had a cheerful smile on his face and a warm glow to his cheeks. His head was shaved, which Takeo found distracting. After watching him hobble halfway down the hall, Takeo took pity and came forward, meeting partway. The man was breathing hard by the time they stopped, and he took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead.
Takeo bowed. The man nodded.
“Lord Rithisak, I presume?” Takeo asked.
“Yes, yes, that’s me,” he said through heavy breathes and a wide grin. “Pleasure to meet you for the second time, Takeo Karaoshi. I must say, this is certainly under better circumstances.”
“Second time?”
“Well, I only saw you from afar,” Rithisak said. “Your brother, however.” He paused and patted his maimed leg. “I met him personally.”
Takeo looked down to the leg and then back up to Rithisak. “My brother did that? Okamoto Karaoshi, are you certain?”
“I am,” Rithisak replied and winked.
Takeo reeled in his disbelief. “I'm sorry. I don’t mean to call you a liar, Lord Rithisak, but I find that hard to believe. If you had faced my brother, you would be dead.”
Rithisak smile didn’t dissipate, and Takeo began to think the man was deranged. He seemed awfully happy to meet the brother of the man who’d crippled him. Takeo took a closer look, suspecting a joke was being had at his expense, but all he could see was a jolly fat daimyo who probably drank as much as he ate. Rithisak held up a single finger, asking for patience, and then began to unfasten his kimono. He pulled the fabric apart just enough to give them all a view of a long, deep scar stretching from the bottom of his waist, up his chest, and ending at the opposite shoulder. Yeira gasped, Nicholas whistled, and Takeo took in a breath.
“You’re one lucky man, Lord Rithisak,” Takeo said. “You faced death personified and lived to tell about it. How did that happen?”
“You and your brother lead a small band to assault my lands,” he replied. “Attacked in the night and slaughtered half my men while they were still rousing. The other half were no match for you. Killed half my servants, too, if I recall, and yet you were younger than Lord Nobu at the time.”
“Most likely,” Takeo said. “But I’m sorry. I don’t remember any of this. Those years were mostly a blur for me.”
Rithisak waved as if Takeo hadn’t done anything ruder than refuse a second cup of tea. “My wife and daughter made it out, even my father if you can believe it. His brain is rotting from age and driving him insane, yet he still knows how to run when blood starts to fly. Imagine that? Ha! Anyway, I stayed behind, as befits a true lord, to at least put up some resistance and rally my samurai. Most foolish thing I’ve ever done, yet also surprisingly, the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Do tell,” Takeo said, genuinely interested.
“I took up a fortified position with three of my best men, in the foyer of my mansion. Okamoto came in alone and didn’t pause. I thought he’d die in moments yet, in the blink of eye, it was two of them that lay dead before I’d even finished hurling insults. Admittedly, I panicked and hesitated, and before I knew it, the third was dead and Okamoto’s blade was coming for me. I made a single parry attempt, and he sliced my leg open for it, and then cut me down across the chest.”
Rithisak fumbled as he tried to pull his kimono closed and tie it one handed. He managed alright, and Takeo waited patiently for the story to continue. However, he just blinked, and Takeo gestured with a hand.
“What happened then?” Takeo pressed.
“Well, I fainted,” the lord replied, and then burst into laughter as Takeo's jaw dropped. “That was my reaction too when I woke up! Apparently you and your brother weren’t planning to stick around. He must have thought I was dead and left right after the slaughter to evade my reinforcements. I would have died, too, had my brave wife and daughter not risked their lives to return so soon. Lucky my surgeon survived, and they saved me from the brink of death. I spent months in bed, so weak from blood-loss that I couldn’t get up to take a piss. As for my leg, well,” he tapped it again. “I haven’t served anywhere near a battlefield since.”
“I . . . I’m,” Takeo stuttered and opened his palms. “I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be,” Rithisak replied, waving again. He hobbled forward and slapped a heavy, fat hand down on Takeo’s shoulder. The breach of Juatwa mannerisms stunned Takeo more than the strike. “Honestly, I’d have never lived this long without this wound, nor would promotion be so easily obtained. One rises fast through the bureaucratic ranks when your competition keeps getting run-through by people like you, am I right? Ha! I should have sent your brother a king’s bounty as a thank you, not that I was sad to hear about his death. However, I won’t hold you accountable for his unintended good will.”
“Good will?” Takeo mumbled. “My brother?”
Rithisak laughed loudly again and threw a heavy arm around Takeo’s shoulders, pulling him close and shaking him.
“You’re a strange man, Lord Rithisak,” Takeo said.
“Obviously,” he countered. “It’s impossible to be happy otherwise. Now come, help me walk. We’ll reach Lady Zhenzhen quicker that way, and knowing her, she's feverishly impatient already. Oh, wait.” His eyes dropped to Takeo’s waist and then back to Takeo’s companions. “No offense, my good boy, but you’ll have to leave that sword and the thugs behind. You understand, I imagine.”
Takeo hesitated before nodding. He unstrapped his sword and handed it to Gavin. As the knight took it, Takeo didn’t let go. The two locked eyes.
“Find somewhere to lay low,” Takeo said. “Don’t speak to anyone. Don't go exploring. Don’t let this sword leave your grasp.”
“Got it.” Gavin nodded. “Oh and as for you, congratulations.”
Takeo tilted his head, and the knight nodded to Rithisak and smiled. “You finally made a friend.”
The samurai scoffed and then grabbed Rithisak’s arm to steady the older man. They trudged off down the hall, and Takeo couldn’t help but feel he was carrying more of Rithisak’s weight than Rithisak himself.
They disappeared down a dark corridor, and a moment passed as Takeo’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light. In the darkness, all he could hear was Rithisak’s huffing and wheezing, and the steady click of his cane against the stone. Down the short hallway, they found a spiral staircase, and Rithisak nodded up the way. Takeo steadied himself, tightening his grip on the lord, and then began to climb.
“So,” Lord Rithisak said, now less winded than Takeo. “What’d you think of her?”
“Her?” Takeo muttered through his grunts. “Who?”
“Kuniko,” Rithisak clarified. “My daughter.”
“What?” he sputtered out. “That girl was your daughter? I didn't know that. She didn't say anything about it.”
As they rounded the first spiral, Takeo had to stop to catch his breath. He stared up, thought to ask how much longer they had to go, but then realized he didn't want to know. He pulled the heavy man up another step. Meanwhile, Rithisak was shaking his head.
“Can't say I'm surprised,” he said. “She seems embarrassed to admit we're in the same family.”
“The Zhao family, am I right?” Takeo asked. “Part of Lady Ki’s lineage?”
“The very same. She's my aunt, actually.”
Which means Kuniko and Nobu are cousins. No wonder she was promoted so young. I should have seen that coming.
“So,” Rithisak said, whispering, “what'd you think of her?”
Takeo paused again, having rounded two fights this time. He was sweating and huffing now, yet the chubby lord seemed to have more energy than when they'd started the climb. Takeo loosened his grip a little.
“I think she's got a rough road ahead of her,” Takeo replied.
“Why's that?”
“Taking on command so young usually breeds resentment,” Takeo answered. “Makes respect difficult to earn, which will inevitably lead to insubordination however minor, which will reflect poorly on her, as she'll be expected to perform like men and women ten years her senior. It's possible she'll be the exception and perform admirably, but I'm not a man to take bets like that.”
Takeo paused again, both to catch his breath and offer a look of apology to the daimyo, but Rithisak only nodded.
“I fear the same, too,” he said, sounding grim.
Takeo narrowed an eye. “Were you not the one who promoted her?”
“I was, I did,” Rithisak replied, nodding as if confessing to a crime. “To her credit, she's a more skilled leader than most. She's always been the leader of the pack, so to speak, gathering followers and friends with ease. I thought that with a few years under an older officer's guidance she'd be ready to lead a group of her own. That would have been the best outcome.”
“So,” Takeo said, shaking his head. “Why didn't you do that?”
“I didn't have a choice.” Rithisak shrugged and looked over to Takeo, catching the confused look on the samurai's face. “Did you notice anything odd about our forces when you entered the gate, Takeo Karaoshi?”
Takeo paused and thought.
“Did you notice their age?” Rithisak whispered.
“They were all young, yes,” Takeo said. “I didn't see anyone my age, or even close to. Where are they?”
