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Authors: M. H. Bonham
Tags: Fantasy
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man’s wrist. Again, the ronin dropped the sword.
This time Akira attacked. The man could be deadly with the wakizashi, but Akira couldn’t allow him to pick up the katana. The ronin drew the short sword, but Akira pressed him backward with a flurry of strikes. The ronin tried to circle back to grab the katana, but Akira was fast and whirled the staff with such ferocity that he smacked the man sideways with a blow to the side of the head. The ronin tottered for a moment before collapsing.
Akira waited a few seconds before walking over and prodding the man, finding him unconscious. Akira frowned. He could leave the man there, but once he was conscious, the man might attack someone else. But if he brought anyone here, Rokuro would know of his hiding place, and he might not learn anything from the Tengu after that.
Akira looked at the unconscious ronin. He could kill the man—his right as a samurai—but somehow it didn’t seem right. This man was desperate; by his looks, he probably had been without a lord for some time. It didn’t seem right that a man should die for being lordless. He looked around for the Tengu but saw no sign of the crow.
He could tie the man up if he could find something to tie him up with. Akira didn’t have any rope, and the only thing the ronin had was his obi. Akira stepped forward and loosened the man’s belt. He was a heavy man, and Akira struggled to pull the belt off. He stared at the swords. They weren’t good quality but could kill nonetheless. He tied the man’s hands behind his back and tried to drag the man to a tree. That proved unsuccessful, so he let it be and took the man’s swords.
He started down the mountain, and the crow appeared at his side.
You should’ve killed him, the crow told him.
Akira wasn’t in the mood to talk and started walking down the mountain, despite the bird’s protestations. He walked down the path with his bo in one hand and the ronin’s swords stuck in his belt. He would go to Rokuro and hand him the swords. He knew that Rokuro would send his father’s men, the ashigaru, to take the ronin prisoner. Akira was sure he would be hailed as a hero.
As he walked down the path that led to his father’s estate, he let his mind wander to what a great samurai hero he was. Without a sword, he had defeated a ronin. Certainly Rokuro would consider him a hero. Maybe he might lighten up on Akira’s training.
As Akira entered the courtyard beyond the gates, he knew something was wrong. Ashigaru were standing guard, and many were assembled before Rokuro. Rokuro paced before them, agitated; his dark eyes glinted as he shouted orders to the guard. Akira had never seen the old samurai so angry. He followed the ashigaru’s gazes to Akira, and the young samurai shivered involuntarily as Rokuro limped toward him.
“Akira! Where have you been?” Rokuro’s brow furrowed on his red face.
Chapter Fifteen
Kasumi awoke in her room aboard the ship. She had all the signs of demon-sickness. She had seen other Neko who faced the demons come down with the illness. Most who were afflicted were usually young and had never met their first demon until then. Kasumi had thought with her first encounter of a demon in Nanashi’s quarters that she had been spared the sickness.
That had obviously not been the case. She tried to sit up and began retching. Luckily she had either thrown up earlier or had nothing in her stomach because nothing came up, not even bile. She frowned, chagrined. Most of those who had caught the demon-sickness recovered, but they had the benefits of the Neko clan and their medicine. Her mother, Keiko, would make a special potion from a root that grew on Neko-shima, which combated the sickness, but Kasumi had no such medicine. Some Neko did not survive the sickness.
Kasumi closed her eyes. Without the demon draught, she
This time Akira attacked. The man could be deadly with the wakizashi, but Akira couldn’t allow him to pick up the katana. The ronin drew the short sword, but Akira pressed him backward with a flurry of strikes. The ronin tried to circle back to grab the katana, but Akira was fast and whirled the staff with such ferocity that he smacked the man sideways with a blow to the side of the head. The ronin tottered for a moment before collapsing.
Akira waited a few seconds before walking over and prodding the man, finding him unconscious. Akira frowned. He could leave the man there, but once he was conscious, the man might attack someone else. But if he brought anyone here, Rokuro would know of his hiding place, and he might not learn anything from the Tengu after that.
Akira looked at the unconscious ronin. He could kill the man—his right as a samurai—but somehow it didn’t seem right. This man was desperate; by his looks, he probably had been without a lord for some time. It didn’t seem right that a man should die for being lordless. He looked around for the Tengu but saw no sign of the crow.
He could tie the man up if he could find something to tie him up with. Akira didn’t have any rope, and the only thing the ronin had was his obi. Akira stepped forward and loosened the man’s belt. He was a heavy man, and Akira struggled to pull the belt off. He stared at the swords. They weren’t good quality but could kill nonetheless. He tied the man’s hands behind his back and tried to drag the man to a tree. That proved unsuccessful, so he let it be and took the man’s swords.
He started down the mountain, and the crow appeared at his side.
You should’ve killed him, the crow told him.
Akira wasn’t in the mood to talk and started walking down the mountain, despite the bird’s protestations. He walked down the path with his bo in one hand and the ronin’s swords stuck in his belt. He would go to Rokuro and hand him the swords. He knew that Rokuro would send his father’s men, the ashigaru, to take the ronin prisoner. Akira was sure he would be hailed as a hero.
As he walked down the path that led to his father’s estate, he let his mind wander to what a great samurai hero he was. Without a sword, he had defeated a ronin. Certainly Rokuro would consider him a hero. Maybe he might lighten up on Akira’s training.
As Akira entered the courtyard beyond the gates, he knew something was wrong. Ashigaru were standing guard, and many were assembled before Rokuro. Rokuro paced before them, agitated; his dark eyes glinted as he shouted orders to the guard. Akira had never seen the old samurai so angry. He followed the ashigaru’s gazes to Akira, and the young samurai shivered involuntarily as Rokuro limped toward him.
“Akira! Where have you been?” Rokuro’s brow furrowed on his red face.
Chapter Fifteen
Kasumi awoke in her room aboard the ship. She had all the signs of demon-sickness. She had seen other Neko who faced the demons come down with the illness. Most who were afflicted were usually young and had never met their first demon until then. Kasumi had thought with her first encounter of a demon in Nanashi’s quarters that she had been spared the sickness.
That had obviously not been the case. She tried to sit up and began retching. Luckily she had either thrown up earlier or had nothing in her stomach because nothing came up, not even bile. She frowned, chagrined. Most of those who had caught the demon-sickness recovered, but they had the benefits of the Neko clan and their medicine. Her mother, Keiko, would make a special potion from a root that grew on Neko-shima, which combated the sickness, but Kasumi had no such medicine. Some Neko did not survive the sickness.
Kasumi closed her eyes. Without the demon draught, she
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