Kinslayer (69 page)

He thought of the girl, felt the lead-lined wings of butterflies in his stomach, heart thumping in his chest. He pictured her standing on a rope footbridge in the Iishi village, a silhouette etched against ancient trees as the moon took his throne, wind running its fingers through her hair.

To be the wind …

He remembered the kiss in the dark, shrouded in wisteria perfume. He could still feel her body against him, the soft, insistent press of her lips against his. He remembered how she’d looked, crying in the gloom, moonlight glittering in her tears. He remembered the taste of them. The heartbroken sigh.

“We don’t belong here.”

Guilt tied his stomach in knots, and choked his butterflies one by one.

Kin felt him before he heard him, more an absence than a presence; a dead-blossom scent or the empty in an echo’s wake. He opened his eyes and saw the figure lurking at the halogen’s cusp, serene as a sleepwalker. Small and slender, sun-starved skin, shaved head, loose dark cloth. Sleek black filters of a mechanical breather, bottomless eyes so scrawled with capillaries there was nothing but red around his irises. Hands clasped, long, clever fingers intertwined like a penitent before a shrine. If it were not for the soft rise and fall of his chest, the chi smoke spilling from his mask with every exhalation, Kin would have thought him a statue.

His voice was soft as lullabies, a metallic whisper behind the breather.

“Do you know who I am?”

“No,” Kin said.

“Do you know
what
I am?”

“Of course, Inquisitor.”

And so they began to speak.

EPILOGUE

Now witness the beginning of the end.

A ghost-pale boy, seventeen years old, tendrils of blue-black vapor and drying scarlet scrawled across his face. A motionless figure, swathed in black, the boy’s fate held in the palm of his hand. The pair speaking in the chapterhouse bowels as countless hours swirl and dance in the gulf between them. And the Inquisitor finally nods, and opens his mouth, and speaks the words the boy has longed to hear.

“Welcome home, young brother.”

So here I sit. Back again. The Lotus Guildsman who betrayed all he knew, and all he was. Who gifted his brethren with the leader of the Kagé cabal. Who helped a lone girl undo the rebellion, and drag this nation back from the tempest. Traitor is the name I will wear in the histories. Kioshi was the name I inherited after my father died.

But in truth, my name is Kin.

I remember what it was to be encased in metal skin. To see the world through blood-red glass. To stand apart and above and beyond and know there was so much more. And even now, here in the depths of the chapterhouse that birthed me, the only home I have ever truly known, I can hear the whispers of the mechabacus in my head, feel the phantom weight of that skin on my back and on my bones, and part of me misses it so badly it makes my chest hurt.

I remember the night I learned the truth of myself—my future laid bare in the Chamber of Smoke. I remember the Inquisitors coming for me, swathed in black and soundless as cats, telling me it was time to see my What Will Be. I try to recall the certainty I felt as I walked from that chamber, try to recall what it was like to be proud of who I was. To feel the flesh tingle beneath my skin as I accepted my Truth. Stepping into a new life. A bright and gleaming future.

The What Will Be.

My
What Will Be.

Thirteen years old and they call you a man.

I had never watched the sun kiss the horizon, setting the sky on fire as it sank below the lip of the world. Never felt the whisper-gentle press of a night wind on my face. Never known the feel of her skin against mine, the touch of her lips lighting fires on my own. Never known what it was to belong or betray. To refuse or resist. To love or to lose.

But I knew who I was. I knew who I was supposed to be.

Skin was strong.

Flesh was weak.

I wonder now, how that boy could have been so blind.

GLOSSARY

GENERAL TERMS

Arashitora
—literally “stormtiger.” A mythical creature with the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle, and the hindquarters of a tiger. Thought to be long extinct, these beasts were traditionally used as flying mounts by the caste of legendary Shima heroes known as “Stormdancers.” These beasts are also referred to as “thunder tigers.”

Arashi-no-odoriko
—literally “Stormdancer.” Legendary heroes of Shima’s past, who rode arashitora into battle. The most well-known are Kitsune no Akira (who slew the great sea dragon Boukyaku) and Tora Takehiko (who sacrificed his life to close Devil Gate and stop the Yomi hordes escaping into Shima).

Blood Lotus
—a toxic flowering plant cultivated by the people of Shima. Blood lotus poisons the soil in which it grows, rendering it incapable of sustaining life. The blood lotus plant is utilized in the production of teas, medicines, narcotics and fabrics. The seeds of the bloom are processed by the Lotus Guild to produce “chi”; the fuel that drives the machines of the Shima Shōgunate.

Burakumin
—a lowborn citizen who does not belong to any of the four zaibatsu clans.

Bushido
—literally “the Way of the Warrior.” A code of conduct adhered to by the samurai caste. The tenets of Bushido are: rectitude, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor and loyalty. The life of a Bushido follower is spent in constant preparation for death; to die with honor intact in the service of their Lord is their ultimate goal.

Bushiman
—a common-born soldier who has sworn to follow the Way of Bushido.

Chan
—a diminutive suffix applied to a person’s name. It expresses that the speaker finds the person endearing. Usually reserved for children and young women.

Chi
—literally “blood.” The combustible fuel which drives the machines of the Shima Shōgunate. The fuel is derived from the seeds of the blood lotus plant.

Daimyo
—a powerful territorial Lord that rules one of the Shima zaibatsu. The title is usually passed on through heredity.

Fushicho
—literally “Phoenix.” One of the four zaibatsu clans of Shima. The Phoenix clan live on the island of Yotaku (Blessings) and venerate Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun. Traditionally, the greatest artists and artisans in Shima come from the Phoenix clan. Also: the kami guardian of the same zaibatsu, an elemental force closely tied to the concepts of enlightenment, inspiration and creativity.

Gaijin
—literally “foreigner.” A person not of Shimanese decent. The Shima Shōgunate has been embroiled in a war of conquest in the gaijin country of Morcheba for over twenty years.

Inochi
—literally “life.” A fertilizer which, when applied to crops of blood lotus, delays the onset of soil degradation caused by the plant’s toxicity.

Irezumi
—a tattoo, created by inserting ink beneath the skin with steel or bamboo needles. Members of all Shima clans wear the totem of their clan on their right shoulder. City dwellers will often mark their left shoulder with a symbol to denote their profession. The complexity of the design communicates the wealth of the bearer—larger, more elaborate designs can take months or even years to complete and cost many hundreds of kouka.

Kami
—spirits, natural forces or universal essences. This word can refer to personified deities, such as Izanagi or Raijin, or broader elemental forces, such as fire or water. Each clan in Shima also has a guardian kami, from which the clan draws its name.

Kazumitsu Dynasty
—the hereditary line of Shōgun that rule the Shima Imperium. Named for the first of the line to claim the title—Kazumitsu I—who led a successful revolt against the corrupt Tenma Emperors.

Kitsune
—literally “Fox.” One of the four zaibatsu clans of Shima, known for stealth and good fortune. The Kitsune clan live close to the haunted Iishi Mountains, and venerate Tsukiyomi, the God of the Moon. Also: the kami guardian of the same zaibatsu, said to bring good fortune to those who bear his mark. The saying “Kitsune looks after his own” is often used to account for inexplicable good luck.

Kouka
—the currency of Shima. Coins are flat and rectangular, made of two strips of plaited metal; more valuable iron, and less valuable copper. Coins are often cut into smaller pieces to conduct minor transactions. These small pieces are known as “bits.” Ten copper kouka buys one iron kouka.

Lotus Guild
—a cabal of zealots who oversee the production of chi and the distribution of inochi fertilizer in Shima. Referred to collectively as “Guildsmen,” the Lotus Guild is comprised of three parts; rank-and-file “Lotusmen,” the engineers of the “Artificer” sect, and the religious arm known as “Purifiers.” “False-Lifers” are a subsect of the Artificer caste.

Oni
—a demon of the Yomi underworld, reputedly born to the Goddess Izanami after she was corrupted by the Land of the Dead. Old legends report that their legion is one thousand and one strong. They are a living embodiment of evil, delighting in slaughter and the misfortune of man.

Ryu
—literally “Dragon.” One of the four zaibatsu clans of Shima, renowned as great explorers and traders. In the early days before Empire, the Ryu were a seafaring clan of raiders who pillaged among the northern clans. They venerate Susano-ō, God of Storms. Also: the kami guardian of the same zaibatsu, a powerful spirit beast and elemental force associated with random destruction, bravery and mastery of the seas.

Sama
—a suffix applied to a person’s name. This is a far more respectful version of “san.” Used to refer to one of much higher rank than the speaker.

Samurai
—a member of the military nobility who adheres to the Bushido Code. Each samurai must be sworn to the service of a Lord—either a clan Daimyo, or the Shōgun himself. To die honorably in service to one’s Lord is the greatest aspiration of any samurai’s life. The most accomplished and wealthy amongst these warriors wear chi-powered suits of heavy armor called “ō-yoroi,” earning them the name “Iron Samurai.”

San
—a suffix applied to a person’s name. This is a common honorific, used to indicate respect to a peer, similar to “Mr” or “Mrs.” Usually used when referring to males.

Sensei
—a teacher.

Seppuku
—a form of ritualized suicide in which the practitioner disembowels himself and is then beheaded by a kaishakunin (a “second,” usually a close and trusted comrade). Death by seppuku is thought to alleviate loss of face, and can spare the family of the practitioner shame by association. An alternative version of seppuku, called “jumonji giri” is also practiced to atone for particularly shameful acts. The practitioner is not beheaded—instead he performs a second vertical cut in his belly and is left to bear his suffering quietly until dying from blood loss.

Shōgun
—literally “commander of a force.” The title of the hereditary military dictator of the Shima Imperium. The current line of rulers is descended from Tora Kazumitsu, an army commander who led a bloody uprising against Shima’s former hereditary rulers, the Tenma Emperors.

Seii Taishōgun
—literally “great general who subdues eastern barbarians.”

Tora
—literally “Tiger.” The greatest of the four zaibatsu of Shima, and the clan from which the Kazumitsu Dynasty originates. The Tora are a warrior clan, who venerate Hachiman, the God of War. Also: the kami guardian of the same zaibatsu, closely associated with the concept of ferocity, hunger and physical desire.

Yōkai
—a blanket term for preternatural creatures thought to originate in the spirit realms. These include arashitora, sea dragons and the dreaded oni.

Zaibatsu
—literally “plutocrats.” The four conglomerate clans of the Shima Imperium. After the rebellion against the Tenma Emperors, Shōgun Kazumitsu rewarded his lieutenants with stewardship over vast territories. The clans to which the new Daimyo belonged (Tiger, Phoenix, Dragon and Fox) slowly consumed the clans of the surrounding territories through economic and military warfare, and became known as “zaibatsu.”

CLOTHING

Hakama
—a divided skirt that resembles a wide-legged pair of trousers, tied tight into a narrow waist. Hakama have seven deep pleats–five in front, two at the back–to represent the seven virtues of Bushido. An undivided variant of hakama exists (i.e. a single leg, more like a skirt) intended for wear over a kimono.

Jin-haori
—a kimono-style tabard worn by samurai.

Jûnihitoe
—an extraordinarily complex and elegant style of kimono, worn by courtly ladies.

Kimono
—an ankle-length, T-shaped robe with long, wide sleeves, worn by both men and women. A younger woman’s kimono will have longer sleeves, signifying that she is unmarried. The styles range from casual to extremely formal. Elaborate kimono designs can consist of more than twelve separate pieces and incorporate up to sixty square feet of cloth.

Mempō
—a face mask, one component of the armor worn by samurai. Mempō are often crafted to resemble fantastical creatures, or made in twisted designs intended to strike fear into the enemy.

Obi
—a sash, usually worn with kimono. Men’s obi are usually narrow; no more than four inches wide. A formal woman’s obi can measure a foot in width and up to twelve feet in length. Obi are worn in various elaborate styles and tied in decorative bows and knots.

Uwagi
—a kimono-like jacket that extends no lower than mid-thigh. Uwagi can have long, wide sleeves, or be cut in sleeveless fashion to display the wearer’s irezumi.