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  At the castle door, he paused and looked once more into her eyes. He gave her a curt bow and then turned back the way he had come. To Cassandra, he was there one moment and the next it was as if he had simply dissolved into the darkness.

  Two

  In the glow of the torches, Tozawa unsheathed the two hundred year old Daisuke katana blade and allowed the light to gleam off its edge. He smiled and then returned the blade to its saya. He turned to Ran. “You have done well.”

  Ran bowed. “Thank you. The mission was not without its challenges.”

  “Oh?”

  Ran looked at him. “What do we know of the sorcerer they call Seiryu?”

  Tozawa placed the Daisuke blade off to his side and then reached for his cup of tea. “Seiryu is said to be a master of black magic. It is no surprise that he holds most of that valley under his sway. He is intolerably cruel.”

  “Why then have we allowed him to remain in power?”

  Tozawa looked at Ran a moment. “What happened there?”

  “The sword was not to be found in the room you indicated. Had there not been a prisoner in the same room, I doubt I would have been able to locate it. Seiryu had hidden it well.”

  “A prisoner?”

  “A kidnapped princess from the court of Varlus to the west. She was to be sacrificed to whatever master claims Seiryu as his servant.”

  “Indeed.” Tozawa sipped his tea. “And what became of this prisoner?”

  “I do not know. She revealed the sword’s hiding place. And in return I gave her freedom.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  Tozawa sighed. “And did you first think about the repercussions of such an action?”

  “I did indeed. I would have been forced to kill the girl to keep her from screaming and revealing my presence. But then her death would have also alerted the castle to my presence. The best way to continue the mission was to make a bargain and then part ways as soon as possible. That is exactly what I did.”

  Tozawa was silent for a time. Finally, he reached into his kimono and brought out a small scroll. Ran recognized it as a coded dispatch from one of the clan’s informants. They had eyes and ears everywhere, such was the vastness of their network of spies.

  “Would you like to know what has happened since your mission? Since you freed the girl?”

  Ran frowned. “What?”

  Tozawa opened the scroll and laid it before Ran. “Seiryu was furious about both the theft of the blade but especially about the escape of the slave girl. He has exacted a heavy toll on the villages closest to his fortress, Instead of killing that one girl that you freed, he had his troops march into the villages and kidnap twenty women, all of whom were put to the blade early this morning.”

  Ran took a breath, but Tozawa cut him off. “Your action in saving one life resulted in the death of twenty.”

  “My action was not motivated by anything but the success of the mission. I did what I deemed necessary to preserve the parameters set forth by you.”

  Tozawa took another sip of tea. “Do not blame this on me, Ran. You were successful in acquiring the sword of Daisuke. But in so much as the mission itself, it was a failure.”

  “I disagree,” said Ran. “The mission was as successful as it could have been under the circumstances. Further, I achieved each of the goals set by you in order to earn my graduation scroll. I have earned my place in the clan; I have earned my menkyo kaiden.”

  Tozawa regarded him for a moment. “And what have you to say about the twenty villagers put to death because of your actions?”

  “Regrettable,” said Ran. “And their deaths may well be on my conscience forever. But Seiryu should not be allowed to live another day.”

  “That is not for you to decide, Ran. Such decisions are above your level.”

  Ran bristled. “I would have my menkyo kaiden.”

  Tozawa frowned. “You are correct, of course. You did fulfill your mission objectives. You have earned the right to graduation.” From the small table beside him, Tozawa brought forth a tightly bound scroll and unfurled it. “This will serve as your documentation of what you have achieved with us. The clan will be in touch regarding your first mission.”

  Ran slid the graduation scrolls into his kimono and stood. “I already have one.”

  Three

  Seiryu had clearly learned from his mistakes.

  Often times, an enemy would not change their defenses, such was their arrogance. But Seiryu obviously did not suffer from such vanity. Where once he might have been exploited, now he was immune to attack. The entire castle was lit up with blazing torches that hung off the ramparts casting light into every nook and crevice that Ran had used before to infiltrate the castle.

  The number of guards had also dramatically increased. Ran counted three times the number on the ramparts and towers. They were mercenaries, most likely, bought with promises of gold and sway over the terrified local villagers.

  No, Ran would not be entering the castle the way he had the first time. He smiled and walked back into the depths of the forest. Fortunately, his teachers had been thorough. And there were many ways to infiltrate a fortress.

  And while Seiryu might have thought himself invulnerable from attack now, he had also inadvertently given Ran the opportunity he needed.

  The next morning, Ran showed himself in front of the castle gates. He was dressed like a wandering traditional warrior, with his curved katana and wakizashi thrust through his belt.

  The guards at the gate regarded him with a mixture of amusement and disdain. One of them approached Ran with a swaggering step. “And what do you want?”

  “Tell your master that his new chief of guards is here.”

  Ran’s voice, carefully cultivated through years of ninjutsu training, made it immediately apparent that the gate guard was not to delay his entrance any longer. The guard backed up, glanced once at his partner, and then vanished into the castle grounds.

  When he reappeared ten minutes later, Ran was standing in the exact same spot. He had not moved a muscle during the entire time the guard was gone, knowing that he’d been under observation for at least five minutes.

  The guard waved him up the steep ascent and into the castle. Beyond the gate, the actual captain of the guards, a hulking behemoth of a man whose hands looked like they could crush stones without any effort at all, met him. He looked Ran up and down and then burst out laughing.

  “You must be joking.”

  “Are you the lord of this castle?”

  The captain of the guards looked surprised. “No, I am not.”

  “Then I have nothing further to say to you. Tell your master that I am here and would like an audience with him immediately.”

  The captain chewed his lip thoughtfully. “And why would I tell him that and risk offending him?”

  “Because if you do not, he will be even more upset with you.”

  The captain turned as if to go, but in the next instant, he had unleashed a thundering punch aimed directly at Ran’s face. Ran, used to this type of aggressive attack, waited until he was certain the captain had fully committed himself, and then stepped inside delivering an elbow to the man’s solar plexus. The captain buckled to his feet. Ran looked down at him, disdain clear on his face. He heard a gasp from somewhere close by and saw another squad of guards staring in amazement at what they had just seen. He could read their expressions easily: how, they no doubt wondered, was it possible for a man of such stature to take the captain down without any effort whatsoever?

  Ran let the wonder hang there a moment before waving at one of them. “You there, go and find the lord of this castle. Tell him he now has an opening and I am here to fill it.”

  The guard needed no further encouragement and vanished into the castle. Ran folded his arms and waited while the Captain gasped at his feet. Certainly, he was battle-hardened once before, but years in the service of Seiryu had softened him to the point that he maintained control throu
gh reputation alone.

  “What is your name?”

  Ran looked up. On one of the balconies, he saw Seiryu for the first time. He was a shrunken wrinkled weasel of a man with beady eyes that betrayed an enormous intellect.

  Ran frowned and pointed at the captain who was now trying to get to his feet. “Your captain is no longer employable. I’m here to take his place.”

  Seiryu looked at the man who was now standing, albeit shakily. “He has been with me for years. Why would I replace him?”

  “Because he’s incompetent.”

  “Is he now?”

  Ran sighed. “You recently lost something. It is this man’s fault that happened.”

  Seiryu narrowed his gaze. “And how would you know that we lost something recently?”

  Ran shrugged. “Men gossip worse than any garrulous woman. News of your loss is widely known. It is why I am here.”

  Seiryu was silent a moment. Then he pointed at the captain. “And what of him? I cannot have two captains. That would confuse the rest of my men.”

  Ran shrugged. “It is easily solved.”

  In a blink, Ran’s katana flashed through soft tissue, hard muscle, and bone of the captain’s neck. Ran had flicked the sword over, hit the back of the pommel to further clear the blood, and then resheathed the blade in the briefest time it took the captain’s head to fall to the ground and loll to one side.

  Seiryu’s eyes widened. “Impressive.”

  Ran tossed a small bag of gold to one of the other guards. “Take him into town and see that he is buried properly. If I find that you’ve spent any of that money on anything but this man’s burial, your head will join his.”

  Seiryu waved at Ran. “Come inside and we will speak of your employment with me.”

  Ran strode forward, aware that the eyes of every sentry in the compound were on him. He acted as though they mattered less than the dirt on the soles of his boots and went to meet Seiryu.

  Four

  “Where did you learn swordsmanship like that?”

  Ran let his gaze wander the breadth of the reception room. Elegant tapestries unlike the horrid ones he’d seen during his infiltration hung on the wall. Pedestals held golden vases and elaborate sculptures. And before them, a low table dressed with a silken cloth held platters of fresh fruit. Seiryu himself had already plucked several of the dark grapes from a bunch and plopped them into his mouth.

  “My father,” said Ran simply. “He served under a master to the far north.”

  “Perhaps I would know his name?” asked Seiryu.

  “Doubtful,” said Ran. “Nor is it a name I wish to share. My father was a horrible man who beat his family mercilessly.”

  “Well, it couldn’t have all been bad if he taught you such skills.”

  Ran smiled. “When I was old enough to fully appreciate the teachings, I used the skills he had shown me to kill him with my own blade.”

  Seiryu paused in mid-gulp and then smiled wickedly. “An interesting summation of your life thus far. Still, to see such skill in one as young as you are. You cannot be more than twenty-eight summers old.”

  “That’s a fair approximation. However, I’ve found that age and skill do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.”

  Seiryu nodded. “Granted. And yet you have experience. You must have gotten it from somewhere. Who else have you served under?”

  “Matsumune was my first lord. He fell during the battle of Sekigomo. I took my leave and went to serve with Junkoniwa. He died from dysentery after a winter campaign to the north islands. After that, I decided my wallet would be better served if I wandered for a time and found employment to the south. A few days back I was in Nyoha drinking by myself when I chanced to overhear about your recent misfortune. Your name was whispered as if you possessed the might of a thousand suns and I thought that perhaps I would see for myself if I might improve both our fortunes.”

  Seiryu smiled at the subtle compliment, but waved his hand around. “I would think that my fortune has been doing well enough as late.”

  Ran smiled as well. “One would hardly argue that you have not been most prosperous. But you are not without thieves. I would suggest that with my appointment, theft would never occur within these walls.”

  Seiryu clapped his hands and a pair of eunuchs brought tea forth. Ran waited for Seiryu to sip first before he sampled the sweet jasmine tea. After several moments of silence, Seiryu’s eyes narrowed on Ran again. “The might of a thousand suns? Is that truly what you heard?”

  “Am I your new captain?”

  “It would seem that I have a vacancy in need of filling.”

  Ran smiled and bowed. “I may have perhaps embellished the thousand suns part of my tale.”

  Seiryu hoisted his cup and Ran did the same. Seiryu smiled. “It was a good embellishment.”

  They drank and then Seiryu leaned back on the lounge. “For someone who has traveled far, you don’t have much in the way of possessions.”

  Ran drank the tea and shrugged. “I left my bag hidden in the woods. I wasn’t sure what sort of reception I would receive. And while I am confident in my skill, there’s no point appearing haughty.”

  “I suppose that would depend,” said Seiryu. “Tell me where your bag is located and I’ll have someone fetch it for you.”

  “Under a towering pine, not far from the main road leading into the valley. Have your man go a quarter way round the trunk and he’ll find a large stone. Dig down there.”

  Seiryu called one of his guards and relayed the information to the man who promptly left. Seiryu looked at Ran. “You must be tired after your journey.”

  “Some rest might be welcome,” said Ran. “And this tea is especially soothing.”

  “It should be,” said Seiryu. “It’s been treated with a special botanical distillate to induce paralysis in whomever drinks it.”

  Ran froze. He had felt a subtle calming effect coming over him. But Seiryu showed no signs of adverse effects. In fact, even as he watched Ran, Seiryu continued to drink the tea.

  “The plant has no effect on those who regularly consume it. And as you might have gathered, I drink this every day. It gives me the ability to neutralize those who might not otherwise trust my hospitality.”

  Ran felt his muscles stiffening. Seiryu leaned over, plucked the tea cup away from him and placed it down on the table. “Tell me, did you think it would be so easy to fool me?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Ran’s tongue felt thicker now. He slowed his breathing to combat the effects of the drug.

  Seiryu shrugged. “It matters not, we will soon have all of your secrets. Whether you wish to divulge them or not.”

  Ran sensed movement around him and then his swords were slid out of his belt. Powerless to stop them, Ran felt himself lifted and carried down from the lounge.

  Seiryu’s face swam in front of his. “And after we find out who you truly are, your blood will feed my master.”

  Five

  The candles had been replaced by thick black, waxy ones that oozed as they burned and smelled like pitch mixed with human feces. Ran’s eyes watered from the pungent stench, but he could do little to stem the flow of tears since his arms and legs were stretched out akimbo on the stone altar in the room he’d been in when he stole the sword of Daisuke.

  He had passed out shortly after being removed from the reception room, but had recovered a while later. Most of the paralysis had passed, but by then, he’d already been secured to the altar.

  He’d been stripped down to just his leggings; his bare chest rose and fell toward the ceiling and he saw at the top there was a circular window where he saw a sliver of moon. Once its shape filled the window, Ran had little doubt he would be sacrificed.

  He tested the ropes that held his wrists stretched taut, but the cordage seemed pliable and without compromise. He tried to relax his breathing, but his heart thundered in his chest. He’d been a fool to believe that Seiryu would fall for his ruse so easily. What would
Tozawa have to say about his most recent graduate now?

  A hand appeared above him and then Seiryu placed it atop Ran’s heart. After a moment, a wicked smile slithered across his face. “Your heart trembles in fear of the future.”

  “It pulses with my desire to cut your head from your shoulders,” said Ran. “Do not mistake it for anything else.”

  Seiryu laughed. “Predictably, my men were unable to locate your belongings in the location you suggested.”

  “Perhaps they chose the wrong tree,” said Ran. More of the moon filled the window overhead now.

  “Doubtful,” said Seiryu. “They know these woods quite well. Which leads me to believe that you are not what you say you are. Not that I believed that story in the first place.”

  “No?”

  “There are few of your young age who are as skilled as you. And any that are do not come from the traditional bushi warrior schools.”

  “Then that makes me rather unique.”

  Seiryu shrugged. “Not necessarily. For there are those who are like you. I have heard rumors and whispers of your kind. Legends, they say. Supernatural warriors able to do most anything. Even scale the walls of a castle as high as this.”

  Ran said nothing.

  Seiryu leaned closer and spat the word. “Ninja.”

  Ran tested the ropes again, but they held fast. Seiryu smiled. “But you are not supernatural, are you? You and others like you take advantage of those superstitious fools who are scared of their own shadows. You use their fears against them to accomplish whatever ends motivate your clans.”

  The moon grew larger in the window and now Ran heard a low chanting he hadn’t noticed before.

  “Unfortunately for you, ninja, I am able to bend the darkness to my will. But it levies a heavy toll, which must be paid. Tonight, you will be my payment.”

  Seiryu gestured above. “When the moon fills the portal above, your end will come. I shall spill your blood and cut your beating heart and offer it as tribute to my master. And he will consume it whole.”