A Legend Falls Page 11

  He’s right. I’m not going to kill him. Not yet.

  “Tell me, then,” Takeo said, looking around and seeing nothing changed. “If you want to live, then you'll answer my every question. What has he done?”

  “If you’ll permit me, my lord,” Aiguo said, “I’ll show you.”

  Chapter 12

  Nicholas and Kuniko followed one pace behind Takeo, to his left and right, respectively. They walked rather than rode out from the camp because that would draw attention from the Nguyen fortress. Night approached as the sun retreated, so they could rely on shadows to mask their leave. Sure, the camp would know Takeo’s whereabouts, but Qadir would be unaware, at least for some time.

  The other reason they walked was because Aiguo led them, and Takeo didn’t want that man mounted. While on foot, Takeo was the fastest creature present, and that meant Aiguo couldn’t escape.

  One could never be too careful.

  “You know, I’d really like to know what’s going on,” Nicholas piped up, scratching his neck where his hand came close to his maul. “We’re leaving the safety of the camp, heavily armed, in a small group, without the ever-so-irreplaceable Gavin Shaw, and following some complete stranger whom I swear upon my love of mead smells horribly familiar.”

  “My smell, hm?” Aiguo said with a smirk. “Seems you're part beast, Nicholas. And here I thought the rakshasas were the only ones who could do that. Damn jinni. I should have made a better wish.”

  Nicholas squinted one eye and cocked his head.

  “Yes, he knows your name. He’s not a stranger,” Takeo said. “Actually, I’d wager you know him decently well. Think upon that smell, Nicholas, upon when it happened. It’s the same for me, in a sense. You see, I remember this man by the hatred he summons, mixed with grief and regret. It’s the only way: not to remember him, but how he makes you feel. That’s how you can bypass the jinni’s magic. It’s like trying to track an invisible man by the footprints he leaves in the snow.”

  Nicholas thought for a while, then squinted more.

  “Wait,” he said. “No, it can’t be. Or can it? That one guy, in the desert, with, oh, what’s his name. The samurai. Is he? Damn, I can’t think of the name. Jinni, you mentioned a jinni. Oh, that’s right! He’s Qadir’s protégé! And Jabbar’s former, eh? Oh, that bastard! Oh, I remember now. Wait, no, now I’m more confused. Why are we following him? How in the world is he still alive? Takeo, how haven’t you killed him, yet? What is going on? Please tell me we’re heading into that treeline to strangle this man. Damn it all, we’re not, are we? What in the world have you got us into? How much shit are we in, Takeo? You stupid ronin! You could have warned me.”

  Impatience filled the viking, and he drew his weapon to calm his nerves. Cold, heavy steel always made him feel better.

  “By Valhalla, what happened while you were away?” Nicholas demanded.

  Nearby, Kuniko tensed but made no other motion. It always bothered her when people drew weapons near her lord, even though few were a threat to him. It was disrespectful to show such outward hostility without permission. Some effort was required to push down her desire to demand Nicholas’ death to restore Takeo’s honor. She knew her lord would never agree to it, though. For some reason, Takeo treated these outsiders as if they were above the law. She couldn’t wait to be rid of them one day, and then no one would be above the law, no one but Takeo.

  “You sense it, don’t you, Nicholas?” the ronin went on. “Us following this man, you know what it means. Something has changed, and this road that we travel is about to become twisted and dark. I brought you instead of Gavin not because he is more precious, but because where we’re headed, I can’t be tied down to rules and laws enforced by dead angels. You know why I put you in charge of watching that boy, right? You and I have had this conversation before, that there is no wrong or right, only victory and defeat. I need that mentality now, Nicholas. That’s why you’re here.”

  They reached the small outcropping of trees. It wasn’t much, just enough to hide a handful of men at the most, but with the coming darkness, they’d soon be enveloped in total seclusion. Takeo often hid scouts here, just to be sure no one else did, not knowing if a handful of trees would ever be useful to him this close by. They took up places in a circle facing each other, for the conversation had only just begun.

  “You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, Takeo,” Nicholas said. “That boy, Pranav, he’s stronger than he looks. He seems chubby and soft at first, but the kid’s got heart. He’s sharp, too, and brave. I’ve been teaching him stuff, and there ain’t much that gets past him. I know you think he’s the son of the enemy, but I’m telling you, with some guidance, I think he could be a fine warrior one day. You should take him under your wing.”

  “Nicholas, I have plenty of fine warriors. What I don’t have are lots of first-born sons of powerful daimyo that can be leveraged as hostages. Pranav’s die was cast when his father opposed me.”

  “Oh, come on,” Nicholas said and waved. “What good would the death of a boy do you, honestly? Look, the Yilmaz family is nothing to you. Killing children is a sign of weakness, not strength. You and I know that.”

  “Nicholas, it’s not something I want to do, but need I remind you of what we face? Do you think Qadir will hesitate to kill children? My entire purpose rides on my ability to do what others cannot. To think that I’m incapable of anything only plays to the enemy’s favor. If they fear him more than me, everything we’ve worked for will be for naught.”

  “I gotta say, Takeo, you’re scaring me right now, and I’ve heard you say some pretty scary stuff before.”

  “I’d advise you to listen to our lord, viking,” Aiguo pipped up. “You’re against a rakshasa backed into a corner. What is to come will not be for the faint of heart.”

  “Now I must be hearing things, because I swear, I just heard a coward refer to me, the Immortal Slayer, as faint of heart,” Nicholas snarled. “Wait, hold up. Did you just call Takeo lord? And Takeo didn’t correct you? Damn it, what is going on? Takeo, what are we doing out here?”

  “Aiguo, you promised to show me something?”

  On command, Aiguo stepped forward. He bowed low to Takeo and then to Kuniko for good measure.

  “All in due time, my lord,” Aiguo said. “To begin, let me say that Qadir’s plan has three parts.”

  “Typical,” Takeo cut in.

  “It is their way, my lord. As with any of their attacks, one alone is enough to kill a normal man, but they attack in threes, for they love overwhelming power. There are precious few that can survive such an onslaught.

  “The first part you have already seen, and that is to blunt your invasion. By dividing his forces and spreading them out into three impenetrable fortresses, so are you divided and disoriented. Like any rakshasa plan, its design leaves you few choices, and so plays you right into his trap: indecision.

  “However, my former master would not stop there. It’s not enough to blunt your attack. You must be repelled and your alliances pulled apart, or you will only return in strength and numbers. He could hope that you’d die in one of the attacks, but only a fool would bet on that. Qadir needed to dash your image of invulnerability against the rocks of terror, and for this part, Qadir looked to your enemies, to the ninjas. He has made contracts with them, deals, the details of which are so secret that even I don't know them. Qadir had another task for me—his third plan—and hence we are here.”

  Quiet vibrations rumbled through the dirt beneath Takeo’s feet, sending tiny shivers up his legs to the base of his spine. The trees began to quiver, and a chorus of dull thuds rose up around them. Large figures materialized in the darkness and closed in on them, approaching from all sides at a meandering pace. Takeo saw the outlines of horns and giant clubs before his eyes picked up the color of red skin rising like a tide. Within moments, their little forest oasis become an oni conclave as some dozens of the massive creatures filled the area. It was as if they’d mate
rialized out of the ground. Nothing could be seen beyond them, and right in front of Takeo stood the two he knew best.

  Tokhta and Borota only stared back as the ronin made eye contact with him. Takeo gripped his sword.

  “By Valhalla,” Nicholas stammered.

  He gripped his maul until his knuckles turned white. Kuniko drew her sword slowly and stepped close to Takeo.

  “My lord?” she whispered.

  “We’re not dead yet,” Takeo replied. “As we’ve already said, Aiguo values nothing more than his own life. He’s still standing within sword strike distance, and these two—”

  He paused and nodded to Tokhta and Borota.

  “These two would be in the back,” he said. “Standing where they are, I could cut out both their eyes in a flash. No, no, we’re not dead, are we, Aiguo?”

  The man bowed to Takeo with neck exposed.

  “Wise as always, my lord, yet this was Qadir’s plan,” Aiguo continued. “My task was to find the oni and convince them to eliminate you, by any means necessary. Even with your sword, you could not survive the might of all the oni. In fact, if stories ring true, even one oni can be a stretch for your strength, if given the element of surprise.”

  Borota grunted a laugh.

  “But there was a problem?” Takeo said. “Something Qadir did not expect.”

  “Two things, actually. Although he considered that the oni might not agree to hunting you, he did not expect they would actively seek to join your cause. He also did not expect that due to this, I would defect. I say these things as if they’re past tense, but in truth, they’re still ongoing. Qadir still does not know any of this, but after tonight, he will.”

  Takeo glanced around. Oni filled the forest, rows thick, a good two dozen or more of them and their collective bulk weighed the world down. Their weapons were at the ready, awaiting command, yet none seemed ready for blood. They all stared at Takeo, waiting, nervous if he could judge by their vapid, ugly, demented faces. They were all watching him, and Takeo suddenly remembered the short conversation he’d had with Borota not so long ago.

  Then Takeo smirked. Then he laughed. Then he stopped for a half second, looked up at Tokhta and laughed louder.

  The oni looked sullen.

  “What’s so funny?” Borota grumbled.

  “You idiots won’t take no for answer,” Takeo said, and laughed again. “I see what happened now. You did try to follow Qadir’s orders and have the oni kill me, didn’t you, Aiguo? Yet they turned you down. When that happened, you realized the final, critical point in Qadir’s plan would crumble, and I’d still be on the loose, looking to hunt you down. That’s why you’re here. That’s why you know I’ll win.

  “But as to the question, what’s so funny is seeing all these oni so powerless before me. Is there really no one else for you? I’ve already flung your offer to the ground once and spit on it, yet you can’t kill me. Pathetic. Am I your only option?”

  Dozens of hideous, red faces twisted into even more gruesome displays of ire at Takeo’s words. As for Kuniko, she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath to steady herself. Nicholas twisted his hammer in his hands.

  “Eh, maybe you don’t need to antagonize them,” the viking whispered. “I was hoping for a more dramatic, public death, you know? And not so pointless.”

  Tokhta let one eyelid flinch his displeasure before he replied.

  “It’s complicated. There are more battles than the ones on this plane of existence, and we need a champion to face off against theirs. We also need a horde of recruits, reaped from this world. You are not our only option, Takeo Karaoshi, but you are our best. From what Borota tells me, you ended that first conversation with him prematurely. You never heard our offer.”

  “I didn’t need to. The answer was—and still is—no.”

  “We’ll give you the Nguyen keep in an hour’s time without a single human casualty, on your end.”

  Takeo froze. The sarcastic grin staining his face drained away. He met Tokhta’s gaze, but neither shied away. A long moment drew out before Takeo could summon the words to reply.

  “You’re serious. In an assault? You must be bluffing or joking because, immortal or not, those defenses are some of the best ever devised by man. Between boulders, ballistae, and a hail of arrows, you’ll be lucky if only half of you are eviscerated. Plus, the gates. They’re stronger than your clubs.”

  Tokhta grinned.

  “I am not bluffing,” he said. “It’s high time the world of humans saw what the oni are capable of. You most of all, for then you’ll know we were worth the trade.”

  Before the consequences could play out in Takeo’s mind, the benefits rolled in first. Taking the Nguyen throne in an hour? Absurd! Yet what sort of message would that send? To have Qadir and Xianliang Nguyen’s heads on a platter would eliminate countless issues. It wouldn’t matter what Qadir has accomplished thus far, or what else he and the ninjas had planned, if he was dead. And with the Nguyen throne taken so swiftly, so suddenly, Takeo could easily pressure the remaining brothers to give up, or at least get a few soldiers on the inside to turn traitor and support the true Nguyen heir, Oiu. After that, the war for Juatwa would be over, in the blink of an eye. Finally, all power could be concentrated, violence monopolized, and this huge engine of destruction set to a higher purpose. The war for the world could begin.

  It was enough to make Takeo’s mouth water.

  “A tempting offer, am I right, my lord?” Aiguo said, grinning.

  Nicholas grunted.

  “The coward is talking again,” the viking said. “His voice has magical power that makes my fist want to connect with his mouth.”

  “That doesn’t make him wrong,” Takeo replied.

  “What?” Nicholas balked. “Wait, wait, wait. I thought you said we were done with these fiends. We don’t need them. They’re a plague on mankind. You said that!”

  “Swords are a plague on mankind, and fire, and floods. But if harnessed and controlled, they become tools instead, powerful tools.”

  “You’re seriously considering buying something you’ll eventually have anyway? You haven’t even heard the cost.”

  “You should watch your tongue when speaking to our lord, foreigner,” Kuniko snapped at him.

  “Ah, ah,” Takeo replied, cutting in before tempers heated further. “The foreigner has a point. There’s always a catch. What is it, Tokhta? What would this cost me? I’m guessing you’d need more than a handshake.”

  Tokhta reared up to twist his neck until his bones made a sickening pop. He relaxed quite a bit afterwards, enjoying the turn in the conversation.

  “Nothing powerful can be achieved without sacrifice,” the oni said. “And unfortunately for you, your soul is already committed.”

  Tokhta’s eyes dropped to the handle of Takeo’s sword, the black handle sticking out of the sheath, hardly visible in the darkness. Takeo’s hand had drifted away from it, but he gripped it again at the oni’s gaze.

  The move was equal parts instinctive, protective, and determined.

  “That’s out of the question,” he said in a low voice. “Name another price.”

  “There is none,” Tokhta answered. “When one dies, they leave everything behind but their soul, so therefore you carry nothing else of value to us. And unfortunately, you cannot give to us what you’ve already traded to another. The deal with the jinni must be broken.”

  Tokhta’s hand moved a hair towards Takeo, towards his sword, and Takeo stepped back and ripped the blade free. The sword seethed with heat, setting the air about it trembling.

  Takeo’s dark eyes went wild, and Tokhta’s hand drifted back into place.

  “That would be a mistake,” Takeo said through clenched teeth.

  A tense moment passed as the rows of oni bristled at the threat. For a mere mortal, a human, to threaten an oni was difficult to witness. Yet one by one they remembered whom—or perhaps what—they were dealing with, and none moved a muscle.

  Nich
olas grinned.

  “Yeah, that’s more like it,” the viking shouted. “Piss off, you red orcs. Remember whom you’re up against, and why your kind skulks in the shadows.”

  “My lord,” Aiguo piped up, raising a finger. “Please, may I remind you that Qadir’s other plans are still in motion. You need this alliance.”

  Takeo kept his gaze on Tokhta, neither creature so much as blinking. When it was clear that Tokhta wasn’t going to move again, Takeo sheathed his sword, slowly, so that the metal scraped against the treantwood and clicked into place.

  “We’ll see about that,” Takeo said.

  He strode forward, and the oni parted for him. Their towering bulk flanked his procession like the red walls of a palace. Nicholas and Kuniko, in his wake, looked more than a tad relieved to be leaving alive.

  “Aiguo,” Takeo called over his shoulder.

  “My lord?” he answered, then realized his mistake and sprinted to catch up. “My apologies, my lord. I meant no offense. That will never happen again, I promise.”

  “See that it doesn’t,” Takeo said. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but you could be still be useful to me. You spent a lot of time with Qadir, so you'll know him best. I need him dead, and without the help of a bunch of demons. You and I have an agreement now. You make yourself more useful alive than dead, and I’ll withhold my strong impulse to disembowel you. My position is subject to change by the hour, so try not to disappoint me.”

  “A most fruitful bargain, my lord,” Aiguo replied, bowing as he walked.

  “Takeo! I’ll be here when you change your mind,” Tokhta called out, though Takeo didn't stop. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

  Chapter 13

  Darkness ruled by the time Takeo returned to his tent, along with a slight chill on the wind. In this far northern end of Juatwa, where the Khaz Mal Mountains began, the heat did not stay in the air after the sun went down. An involuntary shiver went up Kuniko’s spine, but neither Takeo nor Nicholas seemed to notice.