Page 11
CHAPTER TEN
“What are you doing here?”
Ryuichi ceased struggling against his captor as he recognized that deep, sake-laden voice. Koichi-sensei.
More relieved than he cared to admit, he relaxed.
Until a tengu landed right in front of them.
The black-feathered tengu reminded Ryuichi of a crow—if a crow was taller than Koichi and had bloodred eyes. It stared at them with malicious intent. “Well, well, what do I see? My master’s boy and the fallen Koichi.”
Koichi pulled Ryuichi behind him. “Out of my way, Shoji. I’ve no time to deal with you.”
The tengu tsked. “You’ve no time at all. Now release the boy or fall.”
Koichi put his hand on his sword. “Don’t make me kill you.”
Laughing, Shoji shook his head. “How nice of you to play your part. But all of us know you’ve lost your heart.”
“Yet I haven’t lost my skill.”
Faster than Ryuichi could blink, Koichi had drawn his sword and engaged the tengu. Ryuichi’s jaw went slack.
Koichi’s speed and agility were startling. Ryuichi wondered how he had ever thought the man a drunken fool. He met the tengu’s strikes without flinching or faltering, and he got in as many of his own.
Scampering into a small notch in the wall, Ryuichi watched his sensei parry the tengu’s thrusts as two more tengu dropped down to join the battle.
Koichi ran up one wall and twisted to escape Shoji’s attack, then came down to stab one of the others. The tengu evaporated.
Just as the third was going for Koichi’s back, Takara appeared and caught the blow with her own sword. She pushed the tengu back as Koichi moved to fight Shoji.
Suddenly, a loud scream filled the air.
Shoji hissed. “Our time for this is at an end. But when next we meet, I’ll kill you, my friend.”
With that, the tengu took flight.
Never had Ryuichi seen anything like the way they moved through the sky. Not in unison, but frenetically.
Takara scowled after them. “Why did they leave?”
Koichi shook his head. “Your father’s wards weakened them but aren’t powerful enough to keep them out. The tengu weren’t strong enough to fight us and take what they came for.”
“Which was?”
He turned to where Ryuichi was hiding. “Our little buddy.”
Wishing he’d chosen a better—and more to the point, deeper—place to hide, Ryuichi cringed. Sadly, he had no choice but to come out and face them.
“I don’t understand,” Takara said in a baffled tone.
Ryuichi’s stomach shriveled. “When we met, you asked me who I was. Remember?”
“Of course.”
“Well... it seems that my name is Yorukaze Ryuichi.”
Her jaw went slack. “Son of the Shadow?” After a moment, she recovered from her shock. “Koichi, does my father know?”
Koichi shook his head. “If he did, he’d have set fire to the boy already.”
Ryuichi gaped at him. “Thanks a lot!”
“Don’t thank me,” Koichi said, deliberately ignoring his sarcasm. “I might do it myself before all is said and done. It’d be the smartest thing. Lucky for you, I haven’t been smart in a very long time.” He sheathed his sword, then rubbed his forehead as if he had a massive headache. “I can’t believe this.”
Takara looked from one to the other. “What do we do?”
“Feed him to your pet dragons and run for the hills as fast as we can. Pray they don’t follow us after they devour him.”
She gave Koichi a bland stare. “We’re already in the hills.”
“Oh yeah. You know what that makes us, right?”
She shook her head.
“Stupid.” Koichi began patting his kimono. “Ugh... I picked a bad day to give up my sake.”
“Why is this a bad day?” Ryuichi frowned at him. “If I’m alive, I can close the gate my mother left open, right?”
Koichi patted him on the head. “Sure. Have fun with that. I dare you.”
Ryuichi bridled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you don’t even know what powers you have, little boy. Never mind actually possessing the skills to use them. You’ve never faced the kind of things that ate every one of the men and women I used to fight with.” Koichi released a long, tired breath. “We’re all just demon fodder.”
“They haven’t killed us yet.” Takara sheathed her sword. “We’re more skilled than you think.”
“ You are more skilled. Him ...” He let out another rude snort. “I really need that sake. Or better yet—” He reached for Takara’s kaiken.
She slapped his hand away from the dagger she kept in her obi. “Excuse me?”
“If you’re not going to use it to kill yourself, then I need it to put me out of my misery before the tengu come back and do it for me. Trust me—jigai’s a lot better than being torn apart by one of them. Lot less painful too. I always thought seppuku was a stupid idea, invented by idealistic idiots like your father. Now it’s starting to have some perks. I’d much rather disembowel myself than let a demon do it.”
Ryuichi shook his head. “Personally, I don’t want anyone to disembowel me. Including me.”
“That’s the spirit, Ryota!”
“Ryuichi!”
“Whatever your name is. Doesn’t matter. We should just call you what you are. Demon bait. Bane of my existence.”
“And our job,” Takara said firmly, “is to protect him.”
Throwing his head back at her words, Koichi groaned. “How did I get myself into this? Again.”
Ryuichi clapped him on the back. “The gods are smiling on you.”
“Cursing me. Like always. And don’t get cheeky, boy. I still might throw you down the mountain. Especially if you don’t start staying where I put you. How did you get out, anyway?”
“Masaru.”
“Of course. I knew I hated him for a reason.” Koichi sheathed his sword. “And where, pray tell, is your little friend?”
Ryuichi shrugged. “I don’t know. He abandoned me. As usual.”
“Of course he did.” A tic started up in Koichi’s jaw. “Masaru! Come out—or so help me, I’m going to summon something that nibbles on parts of your body you consider sacred.”
No response.
Oh, so he ignores everybody! Ryuichi felt better. Then he saw the expression on Koichi’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Masaru?” Koichi called again.
A loud scream pierced the air, followed by Masaru’s disembodied voice. “Get the boy out of here! Run!”
Well, that didn’t sound promising.
Or good...
Lightning struck the ground less than a foot from Koichi. Then the plants near them began rustling, reaching for him too.
Ryuichi barely dodged a vine that tried to wrap itself around his neck. “What’s happening?”
“Your nasty friends have returned.” Koichi shoved him forward.
The world around them exploded. Vines shot up from the ground, trying to trip or capture them. Others reached for their throats.
Koichi and Takara drew their swords and began to slash at their tormentors. What should have been inanimate objects were now determined to kill or end them.
Yōkai . How he was beginning to hate them. Ryuichi gritted his teeth. It was a sad testament to his life that even the shrubs were trying to kill him.
As he was trying to extract himself from the vines, a shadow fell over him.
Not sure what to expect, he looked up...
Then froze. A vine curled around his neck, but he didn’t move.
It was Toshi.
Certain he’d come to kill him, too, Ryuichi moved to shield his face.
The leader of the Black Tortoises lifted his sword to strike.
Great. If the vine didn’t get him, Toshi would. Terrified, Ryuichi held his breath and waited for the final blow.
Toshi’s sword grazed his cheek right before it severed the vine at his throat.
“C’mon!” He grabbed Ryuichi’s arm and pulled him free.
Stunned by that gesture, it was all Ryuichi could do to move forward.
Why had Toshi helped him? It didn’t make sense. But he didn’t have time to ask about it as the other members of the Black Tortoise and the Kai-dan arrived to assist with the exploding madness around them.
“Where are our instructors?” Takara was the first one to realize that only the students were fighting alongside Koichi.
Koichi shrugged as he continued fighting against their enemies who were intent on ending them.
Literally. Everything was attacking them.
Ryuichi ducked a flying pail that whizzed past his face before it circled back in another attempt to knock him upside his head.
All of a sudden Koichi grabbed Ryuichi under the armpits and held him high, feet dangling above the ground. “You can stop this.”
Yeah, right . “How?”
Koichi’s voice was low and urgent. “Feel your power, Ryuichi. Don’t be afraid. Remember, the yōkai and all these things answer ultimately to you. Use your mind to tell them to go away.”
The problem was, he didn’t feel powerful. He still felt like the forgotten foundling no one wanted.
Powerless.
Mocked.
Hated.
Until he glanced at Takara and the kind, expectant expression on her face. She believed in him.
No door leads to happiness or unhappiness. Either one will gladly enter your home and take up residence with you, if you welcome it...
Yoshi’s words echoed in his mind as Ryuichi finally understood what his old trainer had been trying to stress.
I make my destiny.
Not simply with actions but also through words and thoughts. A single whisper had as much power—or more—than a sword stroke. One venomous thought or whispered word could do more damage than an entire army.
Mind where your thoughts graze. For an untended flock can quickly find itself in pastures where it cannot escape.
For too long he’d allowed his thoughts to cripple him.
The negativity and feeling of being lesser...
Now...
He had a name.
Closing his eyes, Yorukaze Ryuichi let go of all the negativity that had hindered him since the moment he’d drawn breath. And by some miracle, he actually felt lighter. Freer.
“Ryuichi?”
He opened his eyes at Takara’s voice.
His heart pounded as he realized he was suspended over their heads. A peculiar yellow glow encircled his body. Everyone stared at him.
And still he hovered.
As Koichi had predicted, the yōkai had ceased fighting them. They beckoned Ryuichi and whispered in his ears promises only he could hear.
Let me take you to your father.
I will protect you.
Come to me, Kage-taro.
He knew better than to trust any of them. They didn’t know him. They were after prizes for themselves. He could feel it.
Meanwhile, the Kai-dan and Black Tortoises were gawking at him as if he were an oni.
Maybe he was.
I am my own demon.
But then, wasn’t everyone? In the end, everyone created their own nightmares. Manifested their worst fears.
Who we trust, and who we push away ... Those seemingly inconsequential decisions were what led to major catastrophes. His own mother’s downfall had been loving his father.
A tiny, natural thing that had cost his mother her life and ruined his.
Now...
He could save his classmates, Koichi, and Takara... or follow the yōkai to his father.
For the first time in his life, he had a decision that he recognized as being truly major and uniquely his own.
Both options terrified him. He knew nothing of his father or what would be waiting for him there. All you’ve ever wanted was family.
To know about his parents.
But family wasn’t just those who shared blood with him. They were the ones willing to bleed to protect him.
Love wasn’t selfish. It didn’t revel in evil or keep a record of wrongs that were done. Love didn’t dishonor others. Rather, it gave freely for preservation and protection.
Most of all, love was hope eternal. And it asked nothing in return.
The yōkai were self-serving.
The Black Tortoise and Kai-dan had rallied to protect him. For no other reason than it was the right thing to do. They didn’t even request his loyalty.
Even Toshi was there.
That was family. Those who risked all, even when they didn’t like you or were mad at you. The ones who came without delay, and who didn’t make excuses. That was honor.
A samurai protected his family.
And now that he had a family, he wanted to protect them. Ryuichi glared at the yōkai and let the electricity he felt flow freely through him. “Return to my father. I don’t belong to him or to you. I am my own person. Leave this place and leave me.”
Leave my family.
The yōkai laughed at him.
That made his confidence slip.
“You can do it, Ryuichi!” Takara’s voice soothed his embarrassment.
C’mon, you did it in the stable.
Think, and believe in yourself.
You can do this!
Pushing aside his fear and doubt, he drew a deep breath and reached down deep inside. He imagined exactly what he wanted. Saw the yōkai vanishing. The weeds withdrawing.
But they continued to advance.
No! My weakness will not rule me . I am better than that. Closing his eyes, he tried again.
Then...
Slowly, it began to work. He heard his friends yelping in excitement.
Ryuichi took a chance and opened his eyes... and couldn’t believe it. Finally, something had gone right for him. It was a miracle!
Now, he had one new problem...
“Um, Koichi-san? How do I get down?”
Laughing, Koichi looked at Takara. “Is there a ladder nearby?”
“I have a rope.” Ichiro stepped forward to hand it over to Koichi.
Great. Oh, the indignity of having to be roped in by his foot and dragged down to the ground like some runaway livestock.
But that was okay. He’d done it. Nothing could take away his relief and happiness at finally having done something right.
For the first time, no one laughed at him.
Takara arched a playful brow at Koichi as his sensei placed his feet back on the ground. “I thought you were planning to keep his powers a secret.”
“I was. Guess I forgot to tell that to your little friend here. Thanks, Ryuichi.”
Ryuichi ignored the sarcasm as he tested his ability to remain on the ground. “How did I do that?” More importantly, would he ever be able to do it again?
“Don’t know.” Koichi coiled the rope.
Ryuichi gave him a droll stare as he prayed he wouldn’t float away by accident again for no reason. “Then how can you teach me?”
Koichi shrugged. “Never said I was any good at teaching.”
That was certainly true enough.
And now everyone was staring at him even more intently. Ryuichi hated the attention.
The nail that stands out gets hammered down.
“What is he?” Leave it to Toshi to be the first to ask the question Ryuichi dreaded most.
Fear knotted his stomach as he tried to think of an answer.
“He’s one of us,” Takara said firmly. “His mother was Harukamon. And he’s our best hope of closing the Kimon and stopping what’s been plaguing us.”
That sounded so much better than telling them his father was a demon lord out to kill them all, and that he himself was some kind of shadow something with dubious intentions, who might or might not be trustworthy. No wonder he liked her so much.
Toshi eyed him suspiciously. “Is that why Masaru chose you as his host?”
Ryuichi swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”
Sheathing his sword, Toshi growled, “That’s all we need. A renegade yōkai with free access to Jigoku or even Yomi through the body of his host. Imagine the harm Masaru could do if he opened the gates and released the dead on us.”
Koichi laughed. “You’ve no idea. But before you jump to more idiotic conclusions, you should be aware that Masaru has always had the ability to travel back and forth between the worlds.”
Toshi’s eyes widened. “What?”
Koichi winked and clicked his tongue. “It was a punishment given to him by the gods. He’s been going back and forth to Jigoku to barter with the dark kami. So this is nothing new. And while you’re having your thoughts of slaughtering Ryuichi”—those words made Ryuichi pay sudden attention—“let me give you something else to think about. Should anything happen to our buddy, the gate will only open more. Aside from Ryuichi, no one will be able to close it. Any idea what that means?”
Toshi shook his head.
“Your worst nightmares will have the ability to flood this world. They will destroy everyone you hold dear. So I wouldn’t worry about Masaru. He’s the least of our concerns.”
Because their number-one problem was the shadows around them.
Ryuichi turned to face the one to his left. How harmless it appeared.
No wonder people feared the darkness so.
The place where everyone was told to banish their bad thoughts. Their awful impulses.
We create our own nightmares. Our own destruction.
And everyone had a shadow. A waking, stalking monster just waiting for a chance to steal away a person’s consciousness and take them over. That thought terrified him.
“Koichi!”
They all turned at the sound of Hanzō’s fury.
With a deep sigh, Koichi handed the rope to Ryuichi. “I’ll be back. Try not to get eaten while I’m gone.”
Takara bowed. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch him.”
Koichi scoffed. “Great. He gets eaten, the world ends. You get eaten, and your father will make me wish the only problem I have is the world ending.” He shook his head. “I hate my life.”
Ryuichi could relate, especially given the way the others continued to stare and whisper about him.
Once his sensei left, he turned toward Takara. “Where did everyone go?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” Taking his hand, she pulled him back toward the infirmary. “I think the best thing we can do is get you hidden again. Soon as possible.”
Ryuichi couldn’t agree more. Especially since the sky was starting to darken, and the dragons that guarded the castle were now staring at him with an interest that made his blood run cold. “Why are they watching me?”
Takara took a quick look. “That’s not the real question.”
“What is?”
“Why didn’t they attack the tengu and yōkai? That’s what they’re supposed to do.”
She had a really good point. “Why didn’t they?”
“Exactly! And that’s not even the most disconcerting part about any of this. They should have been helping us. Along with our instructors.”
Oh yeah. He hadn’t even thought about that until she mentioned it. Where had all the instructors gone? Why hadn’t the dragons helped?
Crap. It had to be a bad, bad sign. Like hide-your-tail-and-pray kind of bad.
“What do you think it means?” he asked.
She bit her lip. “Not sure. But if I had to guess... there’s a traitor in our midst. Someone who kept them all at bay and shielded the others from knowing we were being attacked.”