The First Kaiaru (43 page)

T
ime froze.

Turesobei tottered on wobbling knees…fumbled for words…struggled to breathe…and in that silent, eternal moment…wanted above all else to understand why.

Why would Awasa do this to his beloved?

Kurine’s emerald eyes and golden hair began to glow. Her snowy fur, outside of the crimson stains, shined brighter than it ever had before.

Awasa twisted Fangthorn and ripped the blade free.

Kurine staggered, but her gaze remained fixed on Turesobei.

He shook his head. A nightmare…the Blood King’s spell had knocked him unconscious, and now he dreamed of terrible, senseless things. Kurine…Awasa…it couldn’t be real.

Please, please let it be a dream.

Massive currents of kenja, visible as a haze even to the naked eye and humming a mournful tune, swirled through the courtyard. Kenja poured from the flowers and trees, and it gushed from the streams and ponds. It danced free from the wings of butterflies and birds. It leaked down from the false sun, and it sprang up from the earth upon which Kurine’s blood dripped. And the ghosts of a thousand departing souls, newly freed from the heart stones, hesitated on their way to the Shadowland, hovering expectantly in the air.

The Blood King stood, silent and still, as surprised as anyone else.

The spiral-marked pebbles rose into the air, glowing like bright, vengeful suns.

Then Kurine sagged into Awasa’s arms.

Blood pooling in her mouth, Kurine uttered one final word, a word that blossomed into a pulse of energy that sent all the pebbles quavering, a word that inexplicably brought the Blood King to his knees.

“Love,” Kurine choked.

And the last spark of life faded from her eyes.

Awasa let go and Kurine sank, lifeless, to the ground.

Turesobei cried out and stumbled toward Kurine, repeating her name.

But Awasa grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the gate platform.

“Run!” she yelled at him.

Turesobei fought her. He had to reach Kurine. There had to be something he could do. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it looked. Maybe he could preserve her again and find another way to bring her back.

The Blood King looked up from Kurine and locked flaming eyes onto Turesobei. He stood and brandished the bronze spell strip. Then a large serpent made of jade crashed into Gyoroe’s back and knocked him down. The spell strip fell from his hands.

“Sobei, we have to go now!” Awasa shouted. “Please, we can’t do anything for—”

As the serpent wrapped around the Blood King, the pebbles exploded.

The shockwave threw him and Awasa tumbling back toward the platform. When he rolled to a stop, he immediately sat up and looked for Kurine. But billowing clouds of smoke obscured everything, even the Blood King. Turesobei jumped to his feet, but before he could even start to go back for Kurine, Lu Bei zipped down and grabbed him by the collar.

“Master, you
have
to open the gate,” the fetch urged, his voice halting and clipped. “Quickly now. We don’t have much time.”

As the smoke clouds thinned, portals like the realm gates shimmered into being. And out of them stormed rock warriors, chanting knobs, crab-kagi, storm drakes, the giant ape kagi-ga, a wizard’s simulacrum, and more. Every guardian they’d fought—big and small—poured out from those portals. His face a blank slate, the Blood King stared in shock. His arms were still pinned by the jade serpent.

None of it made sense to Turesobei’s grief-stricken mind. He felt lost. Nothing in the world made sense anymore. None of this could be happening. “How—?”

“I’ll explain later,” Awasa said. “We need to go!”

“But—Kurine. I’ve got to get to Kurine. She needs my help. She’s—”

“She’s dead, master,” Lu Bei said, tears streaming down his amber cheeks. “You must let her go. You
must
take care of the others.”

“If you don’t get us out of here and quickly,” Awasa said, pulling him along, “then the rest of us will soon be dead, too.”

He stared at them blankly. “But Kurine…”

Awasa slapped him. “Damn it! Open a gate and get us out of here!
Now
!”

Turesobei allowed her to shove him up the steps to the platform.

Iniru met them halfway down, grabbed his hands, and tugged him along. “Hurry! There’s something wrong with the gates! They’re vibrating!”

“Worse!” Zaiporo called down, his voice trembling. “Cracks are forming in the stonework!”

As Turesobei stumbled onto the platform, Motekeru said, “The gates are unstable. We have little time left.”

But all Turesobei could do was stare numbly at them and think of Kurine, until Enashoma took him into her arms and gripped him tight. “Sobei, I’m so sorry, but…but you have to carry on. We need you.”

He gazed into his sister’s soft, tear-filled eyes and nodded. “Yes…of course…I’ll…I’ll get you out of here, Little Blossom.”

“Sobei, we need to take the Spring Gate,” Zaiporo said, with an odd expression on his face, and Awasa agreed with him.

Not questioning why they wanted him to take the gate for Spring instead of Autumn, Turesobei nodded as he gathered his composure—enough to do what he must.

The gate to the Winter Realm shattered. Then cracks snaked through the gates to the Autumn, Forest, and Cloud realms. With the passive stones rendered inert and the active stones shattered, the magic that linked the gates of the Nexus to the realms was fading fast. Of the gates that could take them to Okoro, that left only Spring and Summer, and the latter, thanks to an angry Lord of Monsters, wasn’t a good option.

It didn’t matter why now. Spring was their only choice.

Down in the courtyard, a furious battle raged. Guardians howled, chanted, and roared while a sequence of attack spells thundered and flashed. Then a stone object shattered with a sharp pop.

“The jade serpent’s gone,” Enashoma said.

Fully waking up to the moment at last, Turesobei realized how desperate things were. He stepped up to the Spring Gate and droned the spell out while Lu Bei chorused along with him. The gate shuddered as a small crack formed at the top and crept downward. It missed the all-important runes by a few inches. The structure—for now at least—remained stable.

The shimmering portal opened with a flash. The stonework trembled, and an array of micro-fractures spread across the surface.

“Go, go, go!” Iniru shouted.

Enashoma, Zaiporo, and the hounds raced through. Iniru looked at Turesobei and hesitated, but Awasa shoved her into the portal. Before Awasa could step in herself, a sudden
whoosh
distracted them.

Behind them, bloodied and bruised, the Blood King teleported onto the platform, snarling like a savage wolf enraged. With a bronze spell strip in hand, he started to speak. But then Motekeru, his eyes lit up with a fury rarely seen, opened his mouth and unleashed the full might of his hellfire.

The blast knocked Gyoroe to the platform’s edge, burning away his clothes and blistering his skin. No normal Kaiaru could have survived such an attack, but the Blood King did. He remained more than capable.

Awed by the fiery display, Turesobei and Awasa hesitated instead of diving into the portal to escape. Their failure to do so had doomed them. Turesobei cringed as the Blood King again started to speak, needing only one word to unleash his might. There was nothing he could do to counter the spell, and they’d never make it into the portal in time.

But with only a few syllables off his lips, a massive octopus arm whipped up, grabbed the Blood King by the waist, and yanked him back into the onslaught of guardians that still poured out into the courtyard from the portals Kurine had summoned.

A shadowy dragon landed on the platform and coalesced into Hannya, battered and barely alive. One arm was snapped at the elbow and bent awkwardly back. Blood poured from a deep wound in her chest. Skin peeled off half her face. Nearly all her clothing was burned away and much of her skin had melted. Dragging one leg, she tottered as she approached Awasa.

They touched foreheads and Hannya said, “Be true to yourself.” She turned to Turesobei and winked. “Well played.”

Hannya shuddered and shifted into her dragon form. The deep shadows of her wings evaporated into nothing. Then her tail…her body…and her head evaporated into a shadowy mist the sunlight destroyed.

Her ruby kavaru clattered onto the platform.

Awasa scooped it up then sprinted through the portal.

“Master?” Motekeru asked.

“Go. I’m right behind you.”

Turesobei glanced down into the battle, scanning for Kurine’s body. With his companions safely on the other side, he no longer cared about the fissures spreading across the Spring Gate, nor did it concern him that the shimmering field had begun to flicker. He couldn’t bring himself to step through. He couldn’t leave Kurine behind.

But then Motekeru lifted him into the air, tossed him over a shoulder, and carried him into the portal.

T
he portal collapsed as soon as they reached the other side. The gate itself, however, remained whole, with no visible signs of damage or stress. Motekeru set Turesobei down, patted him on the shoulder, then stalked around, making sure the area was safe.

Bewildered…disbelieving…Turesobei stared out into space, seeing neither trees nor earth nor sky. He should feel something…he knew he should…but he couldn’t feel anything. The pain was too much.

Lu Bei landed beside him. “Master, everyone made it through safely.”

A spark ignited within Turesobei. He leapt to his feet and narrowed his eyes at the fetch.

“
Everyone
?” he snarled.

Lu Bei stepped back and held his hands up. “Everyone save Mistress Kurine…of course. Master, I—I didn’t mean to…to suggest…”

Lu Bei frowned as he fumbled for words, but Turesobei wasn’t paying him attention anymore. A feeling had awoken within him at last: pure anger. And it had brought the
Mark of the Storm Dragon
blazing to life.

Turesobei whipped around, locked his eyes onto Awasa, and thundered toward her. “You will pay for what you did!”

“Sobei, let me explain,” Awasa said.

He thought he’d known her. He had
trusted
her with his life. But clearly, she had deceived him. Storm energy surged within him, and for the first time in months, his mind teetered toward the dragon dream.

Awasa brandished Fangthorn and stumbled backward. Blood—Kurine’s blood—still stained the blade. “Sobei, I had no choice!”

Lu Bei swept in and hovered between them. “Master, hear her out. There is much you do not understand.”

“What do
you
know, fetch?!” Turesobei demanded.

“Enough to know Awasa is not in the wrong,” Lu Bei said. “I beg you, master. Listen to her.”

Fuming, Turesobei eyed the fetch—the fetch who too often lied to him. Lu Bei’s words meant nothing. Turesobei stumbled a moment, his mind fading into the clouds where he soared on dragon wings. He was almost lost within the dream, but then strong hands thumped against his chest. His vision returned to the earth, and it was Motekeru he faced.

“Master Turesobei,” Motekeru said, “we are here only because of Kurine’s sacrifice. You know this, whether you acknowledge it or not. So do not dishonor her memory this way. She deserves better.”

Turesobei stared transfixed into Motekeru’s eyes, where he saw the same pain he felt. He breathed in deep, and the dragon dream faded away. He exhaled, and the anger and adrenaline poured out of him. In its place came a relentless despair. The world closed in, suffocating him so that he could hardly breathe. He fell to his knees, gasping for air. Death…he wanted nothing more than death…living was unbearable.

Iniru and Enashoma stepped forward, but Awasa waved them back and knelt before him. She reached out Fangthorn. “Take the sword, Sobei. Trust me.”

Still struggling to breathe, he stared at the dark blade in confusion. Why would she give him this blade stained with Kurine’s blood?

He backed away from her. “I can’t take the sword. I can’t even stand the sight of it. I don’t ever want to see it or you again. Get away from me.”

“You
must
take the sword, Sobei.” Awasa held out an ebony band adorned with subtle runes. “And this, the
Ring of the Fallen
, a gift from Hannya. She risked much in giving it to me. Put it on, and you will understand everything. Hurry, there’s little time left.”

The only thing Turesobei wanted, save for Kurine to be here safely with him, was an explanation. Taking a deep breath, he slipped on the ring and grasped the handle of the sword. Some of Kurine’s still-warm blood flowed as swift as water down the blade…onto his hand…then onto the ring.

The runes on the blade and on the ring glowed crimson.

All the world went dark. A chill wind played upon his skin and whispered secrets he’d never remember as it danced across his ears.

Then suddenly, he found himself standing deep within the barren, demon-haunted wastes of the Shadowland.

And Kurine, smiling, stood right in front of him, as beautiful as ever and seemingly alive.

“There you are.” She bounced forward, took his hands in hers, and squeezed them tight. “Obviously, you and Awasa made it out, but what about the others?”

“Everyone reached the Spring Realm unharmed,” he said.

Kurine clapped and laughed. “You don’t know how happy that makes me. And I’m glad you went to the Spring Realm. That was my favorite.”

Turesobei didn’t understand how she could speak so casually, as if they were merely having a simple chat in the courtyard garden. He stared at her dumbly, not having a clue what to say or where to begin.

Kurine frowned. “You aren’t mad at me, are you?”

“No,” he muttered.

“You big liar,” she said, taking him into her arms. “You know, you’re not the only one who can risk death for those they love.
You
may have foiled the Blood King’s plans, but you never had a chance of escaping without
my
help.”

“There might have been another way.”

“There wasn’t. And you know it. I died so you and the others could live on, free from the Blood King.”

“I…I know that. I’m not mad. I’m just…” Not understanding how he actually felt, he shrugged and lamely mumbled, “I guess I’m just confused.”

She patted him on the cheek. “I was really worried you would try to avenge me and miss your chance to escape.”

“Awasa kept me from doing anything rash…afterward,” he replied with more edge to his voice than he had intended.

“You are angry at her, aren’t you? I was afraid of that.”

“Of course, I’m angry at her.” Sheepishly, he added, “Though not as angry as I was a few minutes ago when…when I almost attacked her.”

She gave him a scolding look. “Sobei!”

“I didn’t, though.”

“It’s not her fault,” Kurine said. “Awasa only did what I begged her to do. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the courage or the strength to do it myself, and I knew if she used Fangthorn there was a chance we could see each other—here—one last time using the
Ring of the Fallen
. What Awasa did for me was incredibly brave and loving. Though I suspect it will always haunt her.”

“Did she know what you were planning all along?”

“Once she bonded with Fangthorn, yes. Though initially only by accident, from a memory lingering within the blade. That’s why she always helped me find the pebbles. She knew how important they were. Later we also talked telepathically during a couple of training sessions. That’s how I got her to agree to kill me, and she told me about the magic ring, something she’d learned directly from Hannya.”

“If she accidentally learned about the pebbles from Fangthorn, then how did
you
find out about them?”

“When Hannya stabbed me with Fangthorn in the Throne Room to draw out the orugukagi venom, she visited me briefly in the Shadowland. She told me how the pebbles could be used to defeat the Blood King—or to slow him down at least. That’s why I was so keen to get all of them, especially since there was a chance it wouldn’t work with even one missing. Apparently, a Kaiaru named Nalsyrra was the one who made them, just in case something like this happened.”

“She’s the one who taught me the spell to free Enashoma,” Turesobei said. “She secretly contacted me when I ghosted into the past. This must be the failsafe she mentioned.”

“It was really clever,” Kurine said. “The stones were totally inert. That’s why they seemed so normal, even under your kenja-sight. But over time they had absorbed pattern echoes from the nearby guardian magic—the same way their spirals had absorbed energy colors. And thanks to Nalsyrra’s magic, those patterns could be awakened with a powerful sacrifice, bringing a whole new set of guardians into being. Hannya said the Blood King would never figure out the pebbles because he can’t understand magic that is powered by true sacrifice.”

Turesobei couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ironic, since he was always telling me that I didn’t understand the true nature of sacrifice.” He stroked a hand through her golden hair. “I’m sorry I doubted you and thought your rock collection was irritating and childish.”

“It’s okay,” Kurine said. “I mean, why wouldn’t you?”

“You know, if you had told me about the stones, maybe I could have found another way to use them without you having to die. Then we would still be together.”

“There was no other way,” Kurine said. “Because if you had known about the stones, you would have risked everything to save me.”

“Of course, I would have! And you should have let me try. You know I always find another way.”

“Sobei, there isn’t always another way. Besides….” She sighed and crinkled her nose in a way that told him he wasn’t going to like whatever she was about to say. “The magic the Blood King used to heal me…it wasn’t going to last. In less than a year, I was going to start losing my memories, even the ability to do the most basic tasks. The Blood King did everything he could for me, then apologized. I asked him not to tell you. I didn’t want to worry you or distract you. And he agreed. The fact that I’d lose my memories seemed to upset him greatly for some reason. I think that’s why he was always nice to me.”

Turesobei had no idea what to say. His overtaxed mind struggled to process all this new information. Finally, he gave up and just hugged her tight. “None of this is fair.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me, my love. You gave me a second life, and it was the most amazing life a goronku has ever lived, however brief. I got to see wonders and travel to places no goronku has ever before witnessed nor will again. You gave me sunflowers and maple trees, lavender and honeysuckle, splashing waterfalls and forests as far as the eye could see—not to mention all the many lovely nights we spent together—nights I know you will never forget.”

“How can I live on without you?” he asked.

She kissed him. “You will live the same as you did before you met me, except with a lot more great memories.” She smiled. “Look, Sobei, make sure everything is right with Iniru. She loves you as much as I do.” She winked. “Well, almost as much.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to love again.”

“Don’t be daft. I died so that you could live, and I expect you to do just that. And to do it well. Save your people. Marry Iniru someday. Be good to her. Be happy.” She tapped him on the nose. “You know, I'm really fond of the names Kuro and Kurine for children….”

“I really can’t imagine ever being happy again,” he choked out.

“You will be.” She laughed. “Though you should probably mourn me for a while.”

“A long while,” he replied. And by that he meant the rest of his life.

“You know, you will see me again in Paradise…a long time from now. And when you get there, remember this: I married you
first
.”

He couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Poke the fetch in the belly for me. He needs that from time to time. It keeps him honest, and I know he deserves it. Tell Iniru I love her. Tell her I’m glad we made it work out as well as we did. Give my love to all the others. And tell Awasa it didn’t hurt as much as you might think. She was so brave, and she was a true friend.”

They embraced, and he clung tightly to her. He couldn't let her go. He
wouldn't
let her go. “I love you.”

Kurine smiled brightly. “And I…” She turned her head and stared off into the distance. “Do you hear that?”

“No,” he answered. “What is it?”

“Chanting,” she said brightly. “Oh, Sobei, those are the songs of my ancestors. That's Grandma Tsura's voice…and Grandpa Korun.”

“No,” Turesobei whispered.

“I smell roasting sonoke meat. And I hear children laughing. And I feel a pure, icy wind rippling across my fur.”

“No, please no,” he pleaded.

“It's all so beautiful beyond the veil.”

“Please…no.”

Kurine gave him the warmest of smiles, then winked.

And then she was gone.

Turesobei fell to his knees in the lifeless dust of the Shadowland.

“No,” he said again and again.

He cried, and he raged, and he pleaded to the Great Deities. Minutes passed…maybe hours. In this place he could never tell. Howls erupted in the distance. With Kurine gone, the demons were no longer afraid, and the mists were closing in.

Awasa appeared beside him.

“That wasn't easy,” she gasped, looking as if she might vomit. “If not for the link between us, I never would’ve made it.” She knelt and put an arm around him. “Sobei, we have to go.”

He didn't budge.

“Sobei, you can't stay here.”

“I don't want to go back.”

She glanced meaningfully at the demons that had begun to creep through the mists toward them. “You've been here too long already.”

He shrugged.

“Sobei, we need you. Without you, we will never make it back home.”

“Kurine's gone…to Paradise.”

“Of course, she has. She was amazing. Truly amazing. She stood up to the most powerful force we will ever face, and she did so with pure love. I only wish I could love someone so strongly. And to be as brave as she was.”

“You don’t understand what I’ve lost.” Turesobei touched the brand on his wrist. “In Aikora…Kurine and I got married.”

“You—you two got
married
?!”

“We didn't say anything because we didn't want to cause a stir,” he said. “I truly loved her, you know.”

“Married….” Awasa laughed. “You're such a colossal fool.”

He smiled through his tears. “I know.”

“It’s time to go back to the world of the living…to all the other people who love you.”

He met her violet eyes. “I know, but…but it’s not enough.”

“Perhaps, but it’s love all the same. And do not forget that Motekeru and Zaiporo both care for you. And the hounds and Lu Bei.”

“Lu Bei….”

“Enashoma loves you and needs you.”

“Shoma….”

“And Iniru loves you.”

“Niru….” A warmth spread through him, driving out the cold of the Shadowland. “Niru needs me.”

Suddenly, he was out of the Shadowland and back in his body. Worried faces hovered over him. As he stood, wiping away tears, Awasa whispered in his ear, “I won’t tell anyone your secret.”