The Shattering Waves (The Year of the Dragon, Book 7) (19 page)

“Now we wait,” said Koyata.

“How do you know so much about the Fanged?”

“I held a scholar from Kumamoto in my prison … Miyabe-
dono
.
He studied the Serpent all his life. And Tokojiro here—”

There was a quiet splash, as if a carp jumped in a garden pond. The three of them fell silent, each holding a sword in one hand, and clutching to any rope, piece of debris or protruding board they could find with the other.

Takasugi’s breath quickened. The cold was getting to him through the thickly-woven black uniform
.
It may have been the height of the summer, but he was in the middle of the sea, submerged to his chest. The tip of his sword danced a shivering jig in the air.

This is stupid. I can barely hold the sword in my hand. All that creature has to do is wait for us to lose our strength.

Tokojiro howled and waved his arms, whacking the sea with his sword. The water around him turned pink. In a split of a second he went under.

Koyata dived after him. Takasugi pulled himself higher out of the water, with his back to the ship’s side. The sea was a mess of red froth. He couldn’t see anything below the surface. After a few excruciating seconds, Koyata appeared again, spluttering and coughing. He thrust the unconscious interpreter at Takasugi.

“It’s just a girl!” was all he said before diving in again.

Blood poured in a steady stream from a wound in Tokojiro’s stomach. Takasugi could do nothing but watch, too weak to climb up to the ship’s deck. Soon, he knew, the blood would attract the
real
sharks. Not that any of them would live to see it.

Tokojiro opened his eyes and moaned. He raised his fingers to the sky.
He sees the Gods taking him into the Heavens,
Takasugi thought. He too looked up. He wanted to feel the sun on his face one last time. Instead, he saw a long, thin, serpentine shape, glinting gold in the sky: a great golden snake.

Is it one of the Gods? Or am I just seeing things …

A dark object launched from the flying serpent and, like a shooting star, fell towards them at great speed. It struck the water, launching a fountain of spray. The splash hit Takasugi. He hit his head on the side of the ship. His hand slid from the rope. He felt Tokojiro’s body slip from his grip as he sank into the cold, dark depths.

CHAPTER XII

She was still dizzy and stunned from the effects of the teleportation hex when Yodo threw her into a cell. Her stomach churned and twisted. As she retched onto the stone floor, she felt all the wounds inside her open up again.

They were in a system of caves and tunnels dug into bedrock: the natural habitat of the Fanged, it seemed. Satō longed to see the sun — apart from the brief glimpses in the castle windows, she had not seen the outside world in days. The skin on her hands turned thin and sickly pale.

She spent the night patching up her injuries, using up the precious reserves of blood. The next morning, Lady Yodo took her to see Yui.

Yodo’s silver robe was torn at the shoulders and clipped together with pins. She was silent but fuming as they walked through the intestine-like passages. Her neck and cheeks were marked with fading red scars.

Was she punished because of me?

Yodo pushed her into another cavern. A small waterfall trickled from the ceiling. “Wash yourself,” the Fanged ordered. “You’re filthy.”

The water was ice-cold. It helped Satō clear her mind and regain her senses. It felt good to be clean again and have some colour return to her skin.

Yui’s chamber was only marginally more welcoming than the rest of the underground compound. Old Western tapestries hung from the rock walls, and a thin straw mat lay on the stone floor. A red smokeless brazier burned in each corner.

“You disappoint me Takashima-
sama
,” he said, pouring himself some blood. “I thought we discussed the matter of the rebels, and agreed on it.”

“These weren’t just
any
rebels. These were my friends,” Satō replied, raising her chin forward. “I knew Bran would come for me.”

“Ah,
friends.
” Yui’s lips narrowed in a dissatisfied grimace. “You should forget about them. We’re fighting for the future of Yamato. It’s a lonely struggle.”

“I will not abandon Bran and Nagomi.”

“Even if they stand against us?”

“Let me talk to them! I’ll make them understand.”

“I wonder …” He sipped from the red-stained cup. “The priestess, maybe — though I remember we always had problems with the Suwa priests. But the barbarian?” He shook his head. “His
father
is leading the rebel armies in Chinzei as we speak. The
Gaikokujin
have no interest in keeping the country strong, why would he be an exception?”

“I can’t fight them,” she said with firm conviction, but avoiding his gaze. “You’d have to make me your slave.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Why do you care so much whether I’m with you of my own will? Why do you care for me at all? I can’t be that
important. There are many more powerful wizards in Yamato. Why didn’t you recruit Heishichi or … Shōin?”

You killed him. You forced him to destroy himself.

“Ah, the Yoshida boy.” He nodded sadly. “Yes, we wanted him too, what a rare gem he was! If only Sister Moon had arrived sooner … He wasted away so quickly. The Renegade’s lies ensured the Satsuma wizards were always out of our reach. We even tried your father, before Mars messed everything up.”

“My father …?”

“Of course! How else do you think he kept getting his hands on all that rare and expensive equipment? Where did he find the blueprints for your glove? He’s always dabbled in blood magic.”

“How long have you—”

Yui waved his hand impatiently.

“We’ve been observing your household for years. Combining
Rangaku
with the traditional swordsmanship would have been useful in building the new, modern Yamato.
Aah
, that was a work of a genius.”

“And yet you did nothing to stop Ganryū from destroying us,” she said in a low voice.

He shrugged apologetically. “I am truly sorry about Takashima’s death, but I cannot force the other Heads to do my bidding. I am not the Serpent’s leader.” He chuckled. “I’m glad you got rid of Mars for us. And
you
are with us, that’s what matters now.”

“If you’re not the leader, then who is?”

“
Ah.
” He smiled. “That is why we brought you to this place.”

He finished his cup. It was hard to watch him sipping warm blood like it was
cha.
The Fanged were adding some ingredient to it to stop it from coagulating. It made the blood smell of
natto,
fermented beans, and taste even more disgusting.

Not that she cared what the thing smelled or tasted like when the pain of addiction held her in its grip. She swallowed and licked her lips. Soon she would yearn for the taste of what was in Yui’s flask …

The Fanged stood up and pulled away a mouldy tapestry hanging behind him. The wall underneath it was black and shiny, made of some polished dark crystal. A red light glowed inside. Yui stepped away and welcomed Satō to approach the wall.

“You should feel privileged, Takashima Satō,” he said. “In normal circumstances, it would take years for an Initiate to reach this stage.”

“I don’t much care for your rituals,” she replied. “All I want to know—”

She didn’t finish. The glow inside the crystal illuminated a familiar piece of armour — the steel cuirass in Western style, with a ruffled white collar around its neck. Another shadow lurked in the background, a tall, muscular silhouette of the dark-skinned samurai.

“But that’s—” She touched the cold polished quartz. “The Fool’s armour.”

“The
Fool
?” The Fanged raised an eyebrow.

“
Yes, Saturn
,” a cold, imposing voice boomed from within the rock. Two flaming eyes lit up over the ruffled collar. The Fanged dropped to his knees with his forehead pressed against stone.

“
Have you forgotten, Saturn? The Fool of Owari — that’s what they used to call me.
”

Satō stepped back.

“
You?
You’re the Serpent’s leader?”

“
Where are you now, Saturn?
” The Fool’s flaming eyes narrowed as he tried to see beyond the wall. “
Is this Azuchi?”

“Yes, Master.” The Fanged raised his head. “We’re heading east soon.”

“Wait—” Satō raised her hands. “What’s going on here? Why do I know you — how did you get into my dreams?”

“
Dreams?
” The Fool thundered.

He sounded nothing like the mischievous trickster she’d met in the red dust world. His voice made the walls of the cave rumble. She felt a power emanating from the flaming eyes that she had not sensed before.

“
Is that what you thought they were? Look at my world, Queen of Shadows. Does this seem like a dream to you?”

The glowing grew brighter, revealing the entire scene. The quartz wall was a window into the red dust plain. The Fool and Yasu
were standing in front of the stone staircase — as always, crawling with the Shadows.

“You’re trapped in the Otherworld,” she realized.

“
I prefer to think of it as biding my time,
” the Fool replied. “
Yamato is not yet ready for my ascendance.”

Ascendance …

“But you can’t leave.”

“
I could force my way out,”
he said.
“Causing a good deal of destruction in my wake. Or I can wait until everything is prepared.”

She stepped closer. “Is that what you need me for?”

The twin flames darted towards Yui. “
You haven’t told her yet, Saturn?”

“She’s not ready, Master,” replied the Fanged. “She still clings to the memories of the past.”

“If you mean my friends, you can forget about it,” she interjected. “I will never forsake them.”

“
Friends?”

“There was a … disturbance in Naniwa,” explained Yui.

“
I see.
” The Fool nodded. “
You’ll be bringing her to the Hoei Hollow, then.”

“If necessary.”

“
That wasn’t a question, Saturn. Time is short. Don’t make me regret giving you this life.”

The Fanged’s face tensed. A flicker of fear danced in his eyes. “Of course, Master. I will make the arrangements.”

He retreated backwards out of the room, leaving Satō alone with the quartz wall.

“
There used to be a castle above this hill,”
said the Fool. “
The finest in all of Yamato. A lavish keep with vaulted ceilings, gilded with precious metals, painted in bright colours. More a palace than a fortress, like those of Qin or Roma.”

“What happened to it?” she asked, sceptical. She was certain she would have known of such a building if it really existed, but her mind was hazy and the memories a confused jumble after the days of torment and darkness. She barely even remembered her home, or even Kiyō itself.

“
Razed to the ground, like everything I created. Tokugawa would not let a trace of my memory remain.”

“Were you the
Taikun’s
enemy?”

He chuckled. “
An enemy? No. I was his
Master.
It was
I
who united the Yamato after the Civil War. He was but one of my vassals. Him, Taiko of Naniwa, Mori … They stole this country from me, and then fought each other over it.”

There was no anger in his voice, no regret. He was merely stating the facts, retelling an old story which didn’t seem to matter to him anymore.

Have I really never heard about this lord?

“You don’t hate the
Taikun
, then?”

“
I made one mistake too many. He was clever enough to take his chance. It’s a law of nature among powerful men.”

“But you
will
destroy him if you manage to return.”

“
That may not be necessary. Yamato has suffered enough. I might be content with running things from the shadows … or Shadows.”
Another chuckle. The glowing eyes danced from one side to another. “
It’s funny,”
he said.
“Not even all Heads know exactly what my plans are, and yet here I am, babbling away.”
He was beginning to sound more like his Otherworld self. His rumbling voice softened. “
Yui may not be trusting you, but something tells me we’ll convince you yet.”

He stepped away from the quartz wall. Yui returned to the chamber.

“We are ready to leave for Hoei Hollow, Master.”

“
Good. I will expect a full report.”

The glow receded into darkness; the twin flames fizzled out. The wall turned silent and black.

Yui grabbed her wrist. It felt as if her hand was trapped in a vice made of frozen mercury. There was no way for her to wriggle free from that grip.

“Come. We are leaving now.”