The Dragon's Eye

8. Hidekazu

2

Hidekazu

Hidekazu leaned forward, clutching Kiyo’s reins as he urged the stallion through the winding market streets. He guided Kiyo around shoppers and merchants bellowing for a sale from their canvassed stalls. Feathered talismans, amber jewelry, and intricate granite carvings from Tajida were displayed on every corner. Exotic spices lingered in the air, mingling with fried fish and fresh citrus.

“I’m going to beat you, Hide!” Masanori shouted above the clamour of commerce. His lead grew when a group of shoppers plodded along in front of Hidekazu.

He wove around them, practiced in the art of not hitting pedestrians. “Not a chance,” Hidekazu murmured.

He’d won under worse circumstances before. He had his twin right where he needed him.

Nagasou was the Seiryan capital, built on the cliffs that made Seiryuu’s southwestern border. Plateaus divided the city into four multilayered districts, each shaped higher than the next, with the Palace District’s forests of hundred-metre-high cedars at the top. As Hidekazu approached the city’s Upper District—which housed noble estates and well-to-do businesses—he spotted Masanori on Einu’s back around the bend. They still had a significant lead for Hidekazu and Kiyo to make up for.

Garnet maples and cypress archways lined the widening road ahead, and the market bustle thinned into groups of noble ladies and bushi who scattered to the side of the path as the young men raced toward them on horseback.

“You disgraceful man, you—ugh!” a familiar, incredulous voice called from behind.

Hidekazu squinted over his shoulder in time to see Hayakawa Leiko’s parasol crumple beneath her, the woman drowning in layers of pink silk.

Grinning, he basked in the feeling of wind in his hair. It was still shorter than he liked because of his unsuccessful negotiation with fire during Lacotl’s attack on Tsukiko. After the last few stressful jun, it was great to be carefree again, if for a little while, racing through the city streets and causing a little chaos.

The signature array of the Genshu estate’s black pine appeared ahead, branches and wind chimes clattering in the breeze. A few more blocks and they would be on the edge of the Palace District. Hidekazu curled his fingers with the rush of the kaze kigou’s cool, windy energy. He cradled the ki in his palm in anticipation of the right moment to strike. Right as Masanori went adjacent to the Genshu property, Hidekazu opened his hand.

A gust picked up through the streets and caught the many wind chimes. They tinkled and clanged in a soft, harmonious melody, but up ahead, Masanori’s horse, Einu, whinnied and veered to the side. She slowed, ears flattened back.

The momentary distraction gave Hidekazu and Kiyo enough time to gallop ahead and onto the next street. The cast iron dragon gate to the Palace District rose above them. Bamboo forests covered the outermost section of the district, but the Cedar Palace peeked from beyond. Stone towers, interconnected buildings, and pavilions made up the gargantuan structure, surrounded by the cedars that gave the palace its name.

Einu caught pace with Kiyo as the district stables came into view. Hidekazu patted Kiyo’s dusty coat, letting his energy breathe into his horse. Kiyo galloped faster, straining to stay ahead. Einu nudged his flank as they arrived in the stalls. Hidekazu flung himself off his saddle, his feet hitting the ground a fraction of a second sooner than Masanori’s.

Hidekazu gave an exaggerated bow. “It seems I claim victory again.”

“You cheated. There’s no way that wind was natural,” Masanori said as he landed.

“Wind is the most natural element in the world, Masa.”

“Try explaining that to Einu. Every time we go home, it’s like she didn’t grow up next to a million chimes every day. Next time, no ki allowed!”

“Take all the handicaps you want. I’ll beat you again, and again...”

The twins passed Einu’s and Kiyo’s reins to the palace’s stablehands. Hidekazu and Masanori preferred to care for their horses instead of leaving the responsibility with someone else, but they didn’t want to keep Aihi waiting. Her summons seemed urgent, and besides, Hidekazu was just as eager to learn more about the Dragon Eye now in her possession.

As a boy, he’d dreamed of finding a Dragon Eye and using its power to turn himself into a legend like the warlocks who once wielded them. As he grew up and understood how unlikely that scenario was, the dream faded in favour of more plausible accomplishments.

In terms of meeting Aihi, though, Hidekazu wasn’t sure what to expect. He’d betrayed her trust, on purpose, for reasons that were, ultimately, selfish. He should have warned her about their parents’ plans to have them married, and he shouldn’t have agreed to become Meki Barame’s apprentice without giving her a chance to explain why she believed him to be dangerous and untrustworthy.

Hidekazu clung to the hope that, since she seemed to be making an effort to make amends with Barame, perhaps she wouldn’t be set on torturing Hidekazu with her displeasure the entire time he was studying under his new mentor.

Two bushi guarded the Palace District gates, the jaws of their distinct blue dragon helms hiding their faces. Gold and silver horns jutted from their brows, and metallic fins cascaded down the back, supported by a mesh of reflective scales. These helms only had two sets of horns, which meant the bushi were low rank. Still, a sense of longing blossomed inside Hidekazu. Less than three years to go before he would join them. The guards bowed to the twins as they crossed into the gardens.

The Palace District was designed to display the ultimate beauty of Seiryuu’s seasonality. Flowers and trees blossomed all year long; for the summer, white magnolia trees and patches of winding wisteria added colour to the lush landscape of towering cedars. Their subtle spiciness mingled with the earthy bamboo—the smell of home. The branches absorbed some of Hidekazu’s worries as he walked beneath them.

Shrines to the Dragon Goddess, Shirashi, flanked the roads branching from the central path. Visitors left floating blue candles, kouka, jewels, and other tributes at the foot of the statues erected in her honour.

Up ahead, the forest parted to reveal a pagoda rivalling the height of the palace. Eight levels built up Tatsu-Ji, the Dragon’s Temple, each adorned with strands of golden, dragon-shaped lanterns and sculptures. Around the temple were eight azure torii gates with eaves curved upward like wings set to take flight.

This shrine was where the shishajya, the Goddess’ sacred messenger serpent, would arrive in five days to enlighten the people of Nagasou. The serpent visited once per season, and those were Hidekazu’s favourite parts of the year. It was a time filled with stories about dragons and warlocks, and the streets were decorated for several jun like an ongoing festival as the Goddess statue glowed brighter and the shishajya came closer to the city.

Hidekazu placed a hand on his minimized staff. A twinge of energy brushed against his fingers to confirm that the spirit residing inside was still there—the shishajya who came to him when he turned the weapon into an artifact. She was getting stronger but hadn’t made an appearance since they captured Lacotl together.

A crowd of commoners, nobles, and bushi congregated around Tatsu-Ji. Some were on their knees in group prayer, but more stood in observance. Although the temple was usually busy, it was currently as congested as the market during rush hour. Hidekazu and Masanori nudged through the throng in search of the source of everyone’s curiosity.

Aihi knelt at the base of the temple’s largest Shirashi statue. Ten bushi flanked her to keep the crowd from coming too close, and several of them had the eight hulking horns of the highest bushido rank. A cerulean aura radiated from Aihi as she prayed. She came to the temple all the time for prayers and ceremonies, but only on special occasions did she in such a public matter.

Her being here didn’t make a lot of sense. To Hidekazu’s knowledge, there were no events requiring her presence.

After a few more minutes, the frosty light around Aihi faded into invisibility. She stood, and the two-dozen blue brocaded layers of her jūnihitoe shimmered as she turned. Her eyes were smudged with kohl, lips swashed in indigo, face painted white with crushed sapphires dusting her cheeks. Needles pierced a knot at the back of her head, the rest of her hair looped into intricate braids with rings and silver bells.

Her gaze settled on Hidekazu and Masanori, and with a slight smile, she beckoned to them. Aihi was the embodiment of the ocean as she moved toward the wisteria path, gold flecks dancing between waves of fabric.

Columns of mauve and pink flowers hung over the pathway leading to the palace, each petal shimmering with the protective ki. The enchantments were maintained by various shugo; had Hidekazu never been permitted to pursue bushido, the spells along this path would have been his responsibility, too.

Beyond the wisteria, a massive pond disrupted the road. Water lilies floated on the surface, reeds punctuating around mossy boulders. Koi the size of bears swam in the shallows. Palace legend said the enormous carp were the reincarnation of fallen bushi who swore to protect the royal family in life and death. Some stories went so far as to claim that the fish would defend the palace if under siege. No threats had challenged or proven those myths yet.

Aihi stopped at the water’s edge. “I am glad you arrived so soon; we have a lot of work to do.”

“The circumstances are unique enough to warrant our rush, I believe,” Hidekazu said. He thought better of mentioning the Dragon Eye out loud, although he was eager to dig into the details and discuss theories. “When do we start?”

“Careful. You are not supposed to enjoy your punishment.”

Masanori snickered. “Told you, Hide.”

“In fact, I am surprised to find you at my door; I expected your unreliable Headmaster to keep you longer.” Aihi’s eyes were cold when they landed on Hidekazu. “But I am sure you will be helpful. Enthusiasm in research is more valuable than scholars might suggest.”

Earning Aihi’s ire had been a calculated risk, not something Hidekazu took lightly. Apprenticing himself to Meki Barame—the Headmaster of the Tsukiko Academy—had been the only way to receive the education required to contribute to Lacotl’s capture. And, of course, erase any possibility of his marriage to Aihi. Hidekazu made many mistakes, but when he tied himself to Barame, his primary motivation had been to find Lacotl and his victims.

In time, Hidekazu would earn Aihi’s trust again. Finding whatever information she searched for about the Dragon Eye would be the first step toward that.

“What exactly will you have us do?” Masanori said.

A white crane waded across a shallow section of the pond. Aihi turned and raised her arms. “We will discuss that later. For now, the shōgun requests your presence.”

“The shōgun?”

“Yes. She insists on rewarding your accomplishments, despite your flaws.”

“Look, Aihi, about what happened—” Hidekazu tried to take the opportunity to explain himself, but Aihi’s crimson irezumi glowed, and her jūnihitoe flew around her as if captured in a harsh wind.

The invisible barriers protecting the front of the palace turned translucent, and the surface quivered, rippling from the centre of the pond to the outer edges. Enormous stone slabs emerged and groaned into an arched bridge, forming a deluge until the structure settled.

“I always thought you hated wearing jūnihitoe,” Masanori said, eager to change the subject.

Aihi grimaced. “Indeed. A cruel joke of my dear father’s. After I refused to be his pawn, he decided I should better act the part of subservient daughter. For now, it is in my better interest to appease him.”

“Your father attempts to contain you?” Hidekazu laughed. “He will require the blessings of eight kami alongside the Goddess herself to achieve such miracles. You’re the Dragon Princess, not a delicate bird. Who in their right mind would cage a dragon?”

“Please, my family is no more of dragons than yours is of ravens. Such nonsense has nothing to do with why I despise being locked inside the palace walls.”

The palace doors towered overhead. Segments of cedar and cypress were fortified with beams of steel and ki. A curled dragon symbolizing the royal family was embossed in the centre; the scales were carved whorls in the wood decorated with millions of gold and silver gemstones. Its sapphire eyes glinted.

For Aihi, the palace was, at times, a prison. A beautiful, luxurious prison, but a prison. She’d confessed as much to Hidekazu in the past. Though she thrived in her position as princess heir, he sensed that she believed she had far less freedom because of her titles and wealth.

Aihi was a young woman of action. Bound by her parents, she was kept from pursuing avenues outside of Nagasou; their investigation against Lacotl and Captain Todoroki Akihiro proved as much.

Immediately after the arrest of the Tsukiko Guard Captain and the funeral for those captured and lost to Lacotl, she had been once again limited to the palace. There she had stayed since. Neither had she been permitted to attend the new festival, Maiden’s Day, to celebrate Lacotl’s defeat and honour the women lost to his torment.

“Clan Leader Benri planted a memory tree for Torra and the others,” Masanori said. “Why didn’t you come to the ceremony?”

“I have been too busy handling the mess left behind by her murderer.” The edge in Aihi’s voice cut deeper than a blade. “The intricacy of his corruption in our country is unparalleled for the short months he hid here. The aki, the Tsukiko Guard…”

Torra’s death was a fresh ache for them all. She had been one of Hidekazu’s few friends, and he never saw Aihi so close to anyone else. Mezan Taniya was the only woman captured by Lacotl who survived, and helping her reorient to the world and resume her studies had been a welcome distraction from grief over his lost friends. Not just Torra, but other women he’d been acquainted with, too.

All of them, gone, because of a corrupt guard captain and families who chose to remain silent instead of speaking up about their missing daughters.

“I only wish Lady Taniya was able to remember more of her time with Lacotl,” Hidekazu said. “Perhaps she has some clue locked in her head as to what he intended to do, had his schemes been successful.”

Bushi Uriku stood at attention by the entrance to the palace. His beard was neatly trimmed and speckled with grey and white like his scalp. He acknowledged them by bowing from the waist, and then he pressed a stone in the wall next to the doors. The structure sighed open, and the trio stepped inside.

High ceilings cradled bundles of blue fire, which illuminated panels of rice paper and wood below. Watercolour dragons and warriors decorated the walls, but one dragon came to life, eyeing the trio from the paper prison. The creature flew around the corner, turquoise scales rippling like water.

“Speaking of Lacotl, have you learned anything from him?” Masanori said once they were out of the entranceway and walking toward the royal hall.

“Nothing I can discuss with other ears in the vicinity.” Aihi flicked her hand, and the golden fusuma doors to the royal lounge slid open.

Depictions of the Warlock Empresses hung on the walls, elegant recreations of the portraits destroyed during the Reunification Wars. Jade fixtures of birds and mountain cats sat on pedestals, and circular beds draped with cashmere blankets decorated the room. On the largest lounge, a woman sat with a scroll in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

Shōgun Mika raised an irritated eyebrow at their arrival, but her expression softened when she recognized the trio. “I suspect these unexpected guests are the reason you are late for tea.”

While Aihi stood straight, Hidekazu and Masanori dipped into low, respectful bows. Although they expected to meet Mika upon their return, they hadn’t anticipated finding her behind these doors. And especially not immediately after two days of travel from Tsukiko. They were unprepared to stand in her presence.

“We apologize for the intrusion, Honourable Shōgun,” Masanori said while maintaining his bow. “We did not intend to interrupt your time with the princess.”

“Nonsense. It brings me great joy to learn of your return. After the incidents in Tsukiko, we all feared for your health. That you come home victorious against such a beast, in your youth, marks the beginning of two promising bushi. We admire your determination.”

“You honour us, and we would be further honoured if you would allow us to share the tale of our battle.”

“If only we had the time to sit and chat. Unfortunately, incidents at the palace require mine and the princess’ immediate attention. However... your valour must be rewarded.” Mika gestured toward the shelves behind Aihi. “Dragon blossom, bring them their gifts.”

“Of course, Mother.” Aihi faced the shelves filled with tomes with gilded spines alongside various trinkets. One shelf was bare save for a decorative knife. She grabbed the hilt, cradling the weapon in her palms. The blade flared with ki and extended into a full-length naginata. The pole-like weapon’s blade alone was at least three feet long. “I present to you, Genshu Masanori, one of the finest naginata in Seiryuu—Seishinito. Crafted by the smiths in the Senki warlock clan, this famed relic now belongs to you.”

Masanori’s lips parted in silent surprise. The shaft was of polished cherry wood, carved with images of slender feathers, the single-edged blade gleaming silver. The naginata had once belonged to the Benri clan; specifically, it had been Torra’s.

The legendary weapon, Seishinito, or Spirit Thread, was one of many blades believed to imprint with their wielder through a spiritual connection. Why would Aihi and Mika give that up?

He bowed before accepting the naginata. “You honour me, princess.” He bowed again to Mika. “Thank you, shōgun.”

Next, Aihi retrieved a book from the shelf—one of those with a shiny, golden spine. “For you, Genshu Hidekazu, I present a revered copy of Osoreru: Warlock Mythologies. This tome is the only side-by-side translation of ancient myths and stories written in the Goddess’ language to a semi-modern form of Seiryan.”

She placed the faded navy volume in Hidekazu’s hands. An image of four elemental spheres decorated the cover. He dreamed of creating a comprehensive collection of Seiryan mythology, the tales that built the foundation of the Warlock Empire. This book, containing many of the original texts in Ryuugo, was an indescribable treasure.

“I... I don’t deserve a relic like this,” Hidekazu blurted and bowed his head.

“That is something we agree on.” Aihi avoided eye contact. “But too few majyu show an aptitude for the Old Language, of which you are one. This is less a gift and more of an expectation for your future.”

He would never waste an opportunity to learn more about Ryuugo and Seiryuu’s lost history or improve his abilities as a majyu and future bushi. “Thank you, Exalted Dragon Princess. Thank you, Honourable Shōgun. I will not let you down.”

“After your performance in Tsukiko, I am confident you will not,” Mika said. “Once our affairs with Sānlóngguó are settled, we will meet again for tea, and you will share the stories of your triumph.”

They took the statement as a dismissal, but Hidekazu’s eyes lingered on Aihi. Weren’t they supposed to begin their research on the Dragon Eye? Without her sharing more about what she knew, he wouldn’t be sure where to start in his own pursuits. When their eyes met, she nodded to him, and for now he took that as reassurance that they would talk as soon as possible.

Whether helping her was supposed to be punishment or not, Hidekazu was prepared to do everything in his power to settle the situation with Lacotl. Though the kan’thir was captured and contained within the Warlock Cells, all evidence so far indicated that his reach might extend further than they all expected, and not just to the former Tsukiko Guard Captain.

Masanori shrunk his new naginata to the size of a dagger before he tucked it into his obi next to his katana. Likewise, Hidekazu tapped the cover of Warlock Mythologies and reduced it to a size capable of sitting alongside his staff in his robes, and the twins left the presence of Aihi and Mika.

In the hall, Masanori traced the carvings along the naginata’s sheath. “How about a trip to the training yard so I can test this new blade?” His smile faded somewhat. “Or should we find Mother and Father first?”

“A duel sounds like fun,” Hidekazu said, although if it were his decision, he would be settling in a corner right about now to read Warlock Mythologies from cover to cover.

He and Masanori hadn’t duelled since enrolling at Tsukiko Academy, so it was about time they measured their progress against each other. Training sounded more appealing than visiting their parents, at least. With Barame as Hidekazu’s mentor, they couldn’t keep him from becoming a bushi anymore. Still, they weren’t beyond locking him in his rooms and forcing him to practice calligraphy from dawn to dusk until he returned to the academy. He shivered at the thought.