Page 30 of The Last Tiger

Eunji

The islands grow smaller in the distance as we ride away into the sea. I stare out the ferry window, watching the waves ripple beneath the wind as the rain slows. I can still see the storm in the distant Dragon islands, a sheet of precipitation falling beneath ominous clouds.

The boat rocks mercilessly as it cuts through the water. Few travelers have decided to take the trip on such a turbulent day; we’re the only two down here in coach.

Kenzo sighs for the thousandth time in the past hour.

“What is your problem?” I hiss.

“I can’t believe people actually travel this way,” he whines, wiggling in his seat and patting down the flimsy faded red cushion.

“Get over yourself,” I mutter.

Like Kenzo, this is also the first time I’ve ever ridden in economy, and, I’ll be honest, it’s not as cozy as I’m used to.

But we didn’t have any other choice. Down here, we’re less likely to be recognized than up in first class, where the likelihood that we’ll be seated next to one of our fathers’ associates would increase tenfold.

I suddenly see myself through new eyes. I suppose I might have behaved this way, too, had I not spent a year sneaking out to the marketplace with Seung. It makes me wonder how Seung was initially able to withstand my ignorance for a single second without bursting into flames.

“How long until we’re there?”

“A couple of hours,” I reply tersely. “Get some sleep. We’ll need it.”

“Fine.”

Kenzo pulls his hood down and leans over, resting his head on my shoulder.

I frown and yank myself away toward the window.

He uses the opportunity to take up even more space, leaning the full weight of his lengthy torso on my side.

Beneath his hood, the far edge of his mouth curves upward, satisfied.

“Have you never heard of the concept of ‘personal space’?” I hiss.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have,” Kenzo drawls.

“Maybe someone should teach it to whoever built this boat.” He pulls away, sitting up.

“Actually, Eunji-ji, come to think of it, you know where there’s a lot of personal space?

In the new estate that’s waiting for us back in the Dragon Empire.

Which I do think you’d love, by the way. ”

Of course he thinks the prospect of a giant house could entice me. He doesn’t have a clue who I am—has no idea that I’ve spent my whole life longing to leave the entrapment of my home walls.

I’m beginning to seriously regret the fact that Kenzo is joining me on this journey. I put my face in my hands, trying not to think too hard about the person I used to sneak out with.

“Who is it?” Kenzo says, jolting me out of my reverie.

“What?”

“Who are you pining for?”

I stiffen. “Who—why—nobody. That’s ridiculous.”

He holds my gaze, unflinching. “Uh-huh. Don’t you know why the Dragon Army recruited me for intel? Because I’m good at reading people.”

Turning to the window, I cross my arms. “What makes you think that—why would I—”

“Is it an Adachi student, hm?” Kenzo presses on. “There must be someone . That would explain why you’re trying so hard not to fall for me.”

I bark out a laugh that’s a little too loud, then force my voice back down to a whisper. “Believe me. I don’t have to try .”

He pauses, his attention wandering toward the interior of the ferry.

“Kenzo,” I add, “if you’re only here because you think you can somehow convince me—”

Suddenly he claps a hand over my mouth and raises a finger to his lips. Shh. Fuming, I reach up to knock his arm away when I see where he’s looking:

A squadron of Dragon soldiers has just entered the lower deck of the ferry. They file in slowly and methodically through the aisles, scanning the seats, looking for something. I pull my hood down and turn away, feigning sleep.

I hear the soldiers stop and stand to attention as someone arrives, unevenly walking between them. As the leader moves, I hear a familiar clink with each step.

I glance at them out of the side of my eye as the captain removes her headgear, letting her long, reddish-brown hair loose. An all too familiar metal foot pokes out from beneath the cutoff of her uniform, a sturdy, silver cane resting lightly against the floor beside it.

Spirits. It’s Captain Nari.

I trade a glance with Kenzo, and we lower ourselves down into our seats even farther.

“Update?”

“Looks like no one but a few rogue travelers, Captain,” a soldier replies.

“That means we’re the first team to set out,” Nari says, satisfied. “Good.”

Nari’s Tiger Slayers murmur in agreement, and I balk as I recognize the owner of one of the voices as my classmate Bomi. A pang of jealousy hits me in the chest. In another life, that could’ve been me.

“All right, Slayers. Those of you on your first hunt, listen up.” Nari’s voice is filled with the same gusto that she brought to us each day at Adachi.

“There’s only one tiger left. This is the biggest catch we’ve ever had.

Within the next few hours, every retired Tiger Slayer in the empire will be slobbering over themselves to get to this village called Kidoh.

If we want to make sure our team is the one that wins the prize, we’ll have to move fast.” She pauses, letting that sink in.

“And if anyone gets in our way…they’d better be ready for a fight. Understood?”

“Understood!”

I lock eyes with Kenzo. It’s clear he’s thinking the same thing I am.

It appears that we have some competition.

And not just any competition—we’re facing some of the most distinguished, disciplined soldiers the empire has seen.

Am I in over my head here? I spent the last nine months racing to join Nari’s Tiger Slayers—now I’m racing against them.

These guys have more experience, more manpower, more training than we do.

But unlike them, I need this for far more than glory and a monetary prize.

My very life depends on it.

Kenzo nods subtly. As if to say, Understood.

Moonhee’s face flickers in my mind. A murkiness fills my stomach with nausea.

All I have to do is return to the cave. Capture the tiger. Bring it to Isao—thus earning the empire’s favor—and use that favor to save my family’s lives and finally buy myself freedom.

Shouldn’t be too complicated.

Right?

The ferry touches down on the shores of the Tiger Colonies just as the sun begins to peek through the clouds. We catch the next train out to Kidoh, and this time, we hop onto a crowded car—one that a certain group of Tiger Slayers would be less inclined to park themselves in.

Kenzo wolfs down the first roll of kimbap, then falls asleep, dozing off for the next two hours. Meanwhile, I sit, cringing as I think about the fact that I’m heading back to my hometown for the first time in nearly a year.

Seung is there, doing who knows what. I’d consider looking for him, but I doubt he’d want to see me.

Plus, there’s no time to waste. Nari and her team could get to the tiger at any minute.

The train slows. We’re almost at the stop for Kidoh.

“N… no …”

Kenzo shifts in his sleep, his face contorted in a grotesque expression of fear. It looks like he’s having a nightmare.

“I’m n…not sorry …I’m NOT SORRY —”

I shove Kenzo just as his voice begins to rise into a panic. The boy jerks awake, his eyes darting around like a wild, confused creature. For a moment, he seems completely lost. Whatever dream he’s just awakened from, it was an ugly one.

I stare back at him, eyebrows raised.

“What was that?”

“Huh?” Kenzo’s eyes are cloudy, lost.

“You were…talking in your sleep. It looked like you were having a nightmare.”

“Ah.” He blinks as the light gradually returns to his eyes. Then he looks away and sits up straight, aloof again. “Was I?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh. Weird,” he replies evenly, pulling a piece of lint from his cloak and letting it fall to his feet.

I’m about to respond when the train pulls into the station and screeches to a stop. We stand up quickly and make our way to the edge of the cabin. As the doors slide open, I step down and sigh, waiting for the familiar flower-scented smell of my hometown in spring.

But something’s wrong. There’s no trace now of the characteristic, sweet mugunghwa petals, nor even a whiff of barley.

Instead, the air is sharp—and foul. An acrid smell of smoke permeates.

The train rolls away with a loud honk. I glance up at Kenzo. He squints, a puzzled expression on his face.

And then I see it—off the end of the road, just beyond the trees—

Rising columns of smoke.

Our hometown is on fire.

Which can only mean one thing: Isao’s orders have already managed to reach Kidoh. The empire has arrived before us.

We don’t waste a second. I hold my hood in place as Kenzo and I cautiously approach the town, skirting the edge of the outer stone wall lining the rows of hanoks, then weaving into the main streets.

Several shops and houses have been burned completely to the ground.

Where merchants once hawked wares from the street stalls, I see only fire and ashes now.

I grab Kenzo by the sleeve and yank him into an alleyway just in time as the roof of the hanok next to us caves in, sending blocks of wood crumbling into the streets with a fiery spray of sparks. Ahead of us, far down the streets, columns of Dragon soldiers march heavily both ways.

There’s not a soul outside who isn’t dressed in a Dragon military uniform.

Enormous dirt tracks have marred the pale grass leading up to the town square. The roads here aren’t paved yet; no one in Kidoh owns a car, not even my family. But today, a dozen armored military vehicles sit parked in the mud outside the marketplace, swarming with Dragon soldiers.

Kenzo and I observe the scene from behind an abandoned fruit cart near the edge of the marketplace.

I mentally chart out a route from here to the forest. Directly across from us, at the other end of the square, the trees begin.

We just need to weave through the market, using the fire-scarred stands as cover, and we’ll be in the clear.