[Fic] k_x A Fool's Venture Part Two
“Is there a way to break the curse?” Kame questioned Ueda the next morning while Jin sat out in the sun with Junno and Maru.
Ueda closed his book carefully and pushed it aside. “There is a way, but Jin can’t go alone and Junno and I can’t leave here.”
“But there is a way,” Kame smiled. “Why can’t he go alone?”
“Someone who can set the wards has to go with him. They should suppress the curse enough that he can leave the pond for long periods of time but he can’t do the magic on himself,” Ueda explained simply. “It will only work for so long though and that’s only the beginning. His best bet would be locating the Sword of Oryu.”
“I’ve heard of it, it’s legendary, but I didn’t know it could break curses.” Kame frowned and tried to remember the story. “It was supposedly forged by the Tanaka Clan with one of Oryu’s scales.”
“That’s right. It can do a lot of things and with it I can safely split their spirits without harming either of them,” Ueda held out his hand and a book flew down to him. He flipped through for a moment and then pushed it across the table and tapped the diagram of the sword. “The only problem is it sometimes seems to disappear. Maybe you haven’t heard the story, but the last sign of it was in Zhuque, their inner circle of the greatest warriors used the sword to take down a… Gandaberunda, I think, that was terrorizing the capital. You don’t normally see them on the continent.”
“I see,” Kame sighed. “Well, I can’t use magic so I guess I can’t help.”
“Do you want to help?” Ueda smiled lightly.
“He’s miserable,” Kame mumbled, looking out the nearby window to avoid the mage’s piercing gaze. “Duke Takizawa asked me to find him but I can’t just go back and leave him here like this.”
“Well you’re in luck. You made it through the forest; you’ve enough magic abilities to set the wards. It’s a pretty simple process, Jin could probably talk you through it if need be.” Ueda popped over to one of the bookshelves himself and plucked a book. “Ready to learn this?”
--
Two hours later Ueda pat Kame’s shoulder after teaching him the basics.
“How about you give it a try on Jin? We’re going to have to tell him sometime,” Ueda suggested. “Besides, there’s only so much we can do without trying it on him.”
Kame looked down at the pages below his fingertips that sent sparks of electricity dancing through his fingertips whenever he concentrated enough. Fine brushstrokes spelled out complicated runes across each page that Ueda had assured him it would work.
Ueda leaned out the window with a grin, “Jin, stop splashing Junno and get in here. We have something to tell you.”
“’kay!” Jin called back. After a few minute he appeared in the window and pulled himself up onto the sill and crouched there with a smile. In the past two weeks, according to Junno’s memory, Kame had grown accustomed to the translucent and sometimes blue hint to the prince’s skin. “What’s up?”
Kame couldn’t suppress a grin as he imagined his reaction. “We’re going to break your curse, Jin.”
Jin jerked suddenly and flailed backwards for a second before Kame grabbed his arm and helped steady him. Wide, shocked eyes met his before Jin pulled himself into the room and gave Ueda a sharp look.
“What does he mean?” he asked. “You said it most likely wasn’t possible.”
“It wasn’t possible without outside help, of which we had none until now,” Ueda nodded towards Kame. “If we can get the sword of Oryu we can break your curse. He’s learned to activate the wards that will enable you to leave the forest.”
“We can’t ask him to do this,” Jin stated. “He has a life and a duty as a knight of the royal court to fulfill. This isn’t his dream.”
“I volunteered,” Kame interrupted and put a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “I asked Ueda what we could do to help you and I’m sure if we explain it to the King and Duke they’ll relieve me of my duties to do this. I mean, on Takizawa’s word they let me go off on this trip,”
“You are a rightful heir to the throne, Jin, no matter how you ran from it. I’m sure he can tell them that he’s assisting you and it’s basically like he’s fulfilling his duties to the crown and kingdom. This could mean your freedom.”Ueda tried.
They watched as Jin made a face before turning back to the window. “Only if you’re sure, Kame.”
“Of course I am, now stand still so I can try to do this magic. I’ve never done anything with magic consciously so bear with me.” Kame grinned nervously and placed his hand flat on the thick page of the written seals.
He concentrated on images of chains and on forcing the crackling in his fingertips through himself and back out through the hand he held in front of Jin. When the spark swept out and he was left feeling slightly light-headed he opened his eyes to find Jin holding him carefully, keeping him upright. He hadn’t even noticed his own stumbling or Jin’s tight grip. He blinked for a moment before something odd about the prince struck him, but that wasn’t important at the moment.
“Kame, are you ok?” Jin asked with wide, alarmed eyes.
“He didn’t grow up using his magic, not much at least,” Ueda murmured and pushed Kame gently into a chair. “This’ll probably happen a few times before you get used to it so just rest afterward.”
“Did it work?” Kame looked into Jin’s eyes, trying to see if the other felt any different. Slowly, he noticed how fully human Jin looked. His form had completely solidified even with their proximity to the pond, and the blue hues had completely left his skin. It reminded Kame of when Jin would wander to the furthest reaches of the clearing, how his air felt more familiar to Kame then but more so.
“It worked,” Ueda confirmed. “He’s not completely human during this, but close enough to travel freely. We’ll let it wear off until you’re prepared to leave but after that it has to be recast every twenty-four hours, you can’t forget or… well I’m sure you can guess.” He trailed off meaningfully and Kame bit his lip.
“What are you up to Tatchan? That magic felt weird…” Maru called from his seat on Junno’s head as the spirit walked into the room.
“They’ve made it so I can leave, to try and break my curse,” Jin answered quietly. He was staring at his hands and arms in wonder, twisting them this way and that way as if he couldn’t believe it had worked.
--
Just three days later, Jin was sheathing his sword back at his hip and looking around in case he’d forgotten anything until Ueda gathered them all outside.
“Now take these,” He pushed a satchel into Jin’s hands and smiled worriedly. “The purple one is a communication stone. You can talk to me whenever you need to; just think of me while holding it. The two yellow ones you need to keep with both of you at all times during this. They’ll enable you to understand and speak to anyone you come across, regardless of their language. The green will help ward off any stray creatures. I’m sure your King will be willing to write any introductions to aid your search when you stop back home first.”
Jin smiled softly and tied the bag around his wrist before tugging Ueda into a tight hug. He held the slight mage for a few minutes. “Tatchan, thank you for everything.”
“Don’t get too sentimental on me yet, we haven’t cured you. Wards will only hold a spirit that powerful for three or four weeks. Kame, as soon as the strokes on the seals start to unravel, come back or you might not have enough time to make it back.” Ueda reminded them, for the tenth time.
Jin grinned at Ueda before Junno caught him up in an even tighter hug. “Don’t do anything stupid and make sure to check in with us.”
“I promise we will, Guch,” Jin assured him and Junno beamed in response.
“Maru, come on say goodbye,” Ueda pushed him forward a bit towards the two knights.
“Actually,” Maru started nervously. “I was wondering if I could go with you? The trees will tell my clan where I’ve gone and I don’t need to stay in the forest.”
Kame looked at Jin who smiled hopefully. “Of course you can come with us, Maru,” he held out his hand for the fairy to land on.
“Yeah,” Jin agreed eagerly. “You’ve always wanted to know more about humans and this is a perfect chance.”
“Thank you!” Maru cried and hugged Kame’s arm tightly.
“Let’s get going then,” Jin took the reins of the horse and began to lead it into the forest.
“Kame,” Ueda called as they reached the tree line. “Come back once this is all over and I’ll grant you any wish in my power.”
Jin froze for a second and his shoulders stiffened when he remembered why Kame was agreeing to all this.
--
On their way through the forest, Jin would occasionally stop to consult one of the trees. He’d convinced Maru to take a break from playing guide and assured both of them that traversing the forest was easy. Kame, if asked, wouldn’t be able to give any hints as to where they were at any given time. Without the fairies to follow many of the trees and views looked exceedingly similar but when Maru awakened from his nap, he seemed pleased with their overall progress and could be prodded back to sleep.
The next day they broke free of the forest, not far from the village Kame had stayed that night weeks before, and he knew it could only be a day or so back to the capital.
“So why is your title the Blood Knight? Or were they just poking fun at the royal colour?” Kame asked, breaking the silence in the afternoon.
Jin blinked, “Huh?”
“The Blood Knight, why was that your title?” Kame repeated with a faint smile. He always wondered where Jin’s mind was when he spaced out like that. Was he in Baihu, lounging on their famed beaches or battling their mysterious and dangerous foxes, the Kumiho? Or possibly chasing storms and fighting Bashe snakes in Xuanwu?
“Sorry, it’s just been so long since I’ve been asked to tell the story.” Jin laughed and ran a hand through his tangled hair. “I defeated the last known Great Dragon, the Black Dragon of Shin.”
“So that old story is true then?” Kame asked. He’d heard it many times when he was a child and even when he was training to gain his title. “Everyone knows about it and it is linked with the Blood Knight but I always thought it was an old story about why there are no more Great Dragons and only those small one left around. But that doesn’t explain the title.”
“There were a few reasons…” Jin paused. “How well do you know the story of the Black Dragon of Shin?”
“Only that they apparently sent the best knights and few came back with their lives, let alone anything to show for it but then you went and triumphed over the dangerous dragon.” Kame recited briefly. When he had been a very small child, he hadn’t realized that the Great Dragons were real and had simply thought they were fantastic tales his mother used to keep him occupied.
“Well, I suppose it’s not too long of a story… so back when I was human, the Black Dragon had come out of its long sleep. Apparently some ancient royal mage had sealed the thing into a deep slumber for hundreds of years, but the magic finally wore too thin to hold. As the magic weakened the whole area it had slept near began to change. The land grew drier and dark clouds never left the Shin Plains but they never brought any rain. The rivers and streams started to dry up and more and more crops began to fail… and then The Black Dragon fully awoke and began to terrorize the villages and nearby cities. Plenty of people and knights tried and failed to kill the beast…” he trailed off for a few moments, lost in thought.
“I never understood why the Great Dragons were so dangerous.” Kame murmured. He backpedaled at Jin’s frown and continued. “Obviously, the Black Dragon was dangerous because it was destroying land and fields but are they all like that?”
“Right, legends say, that when a dragon dies it will be born again, into a new, similar life. But if a lesser dragon can collect enough stray sparks of magic and strength before it dies, it may be reborn into a greater dragon… and if it can continue as such for many new lives, and if it manages to capture even the smallest bit of Seiryū’s ’s magic from the air… it may just be reborn as a new Great Dragon. But it’s supposed to be nearly impossible to happen and as you know there hasn’t been one since I killed the Black Dragon and even before that it had been the last remaining alive for many, many years.” Jin explained quietly. He swept his hands around, animating his words with his hands.
“And why would Seiryū’s ’s magic turn them into bloodthirsty beasts?” Kame frowned. Seiryū’s was said to be brutal when necessary but it simply didn’t fit, at least not fully.
“The legend continues that if a Great Dragon can collect enough of an offering to Seiryū, it can leave the pains of this world and become a deity in its own right. Dragons, even the small ones, are attracted to nesting around shiny objects, and it would make sense that a similar offering could be made to Seiryū. So they collect the best jewels and gold that they can in order to please Seiryū. Of course, that often brought them into contact with humans, who also wanted such jewelry and goblets and whatever for other reasons. Of course humans would not just hand over these items, so to collect them in such huge amounts the Great Dragons would take them by force. But it would take many hundreds of years to amass the huge collections of jewels the Great Dragons had and during those years they lived much longer than any other dragon to complete such a task. As such, they absorbed more and more stray magic, often magic tainted from the fear and hate villagers felt towards the dragons as they ravaged towns in search of more and more gold and jewels to add to their collection. The Black Dragon eventually absorbed so much tainted magic that he carried it around with him everywhere, causing droughts, fires, and an overall gloom in his wake. Other Great Dragons utilized the magic to cause other kinds of damage.”
Kame watched the other knight as he relayed the tale. He wasn’t normally well-spoken or a particularly great speaker, but whenever he spoke of the legends of old or the past something about him changed. It was in these instances that he was able to see that look that had been captured so expertly in that portrait hanging in the Hall of Knights. Every time he saw that look, he knew Jin might slip further and further from his grasp. As if the past may somehow open up and swallow him whole.
“No one tells these stories anymore,” Kame mumbled, almost afraid to break the far-off silence Jin had lapsed into.
“People forget far too easily. They don’t have to worry about Great Dragons now, so to children and knights alike, they only exist is tales that really… are far too recent to be seen as fun, old tales as they are. It’s a shame too, that so many people don’t know the old legends. When I was just a child my favorite thing was to listen to my mom tell me all the legends and stories of past knights. Of quests beyond the seas and of times when mages and magic were far more common.” Jin scowled slightly and Kame suddenly remembered that Jin’s mother had been famous for her knowledge of the past and using it to support decisions for the kingdom.
“I’d like to hear some of them, one day… but that still doesn’t answer my original question.” Kame grinned and poked Jin’s side to distract him.
“Right right. I won’t go into particulars but I ended up getting splattered by a fair amount of the dragon’s blood, which was not pleasant, but…” He grabbed his sword and pulled it from its sheath.
Kame looked at the sword, the once obviously pristine and shining steel bled red in the direct sunlight.
“It resulted in this. Dragon’s blood is an odd thing, or at least powerful dragon’s blood is. Like the rest of the dragon, it holds that collected magic. No amount of cleaning or toils by blacksmiths could return it to its original form, not that I minded it horribly. I even asked Tat-chan once, out of curiosity, if he could fix it and he said that even he wouldn’t be able to change it back because killing creatures of such vast magic leaves permanent marks and it was one of my marks from killing such a creature. I was lucky it’s the only permanent mark I have left.” Jin replaced the sword quickly and rubbed at his left arm, something he seemed to do when nervous.
“That’s one obvious reason… the others?”
“Well, it disappeared once I was cursed but,” he gestured along his forearm, the one he’d just rubbed. “I used to have a couple blood red scars that rain straight up my arm along here. Spines from the tail of the damn thing caught my arm. Like I said though, once I was cursed they faded, probably a result of Seiryū’s magic. People used to always ask me to show the scars though and what is a knight without a few battle scars? They were seen as a sign of my bravery and triumph…” he sighed and shook his head. “I guess part of it also was, like you said, a play off my family’s name. There might have been some other reasons, I don’t really remember all of them. But finally there were the blood red jewels. Of course, all the riches the Black Dragon had collected were brought back to be sorted through, and used to fund the repairs of all the cities affected and support the towns until things were stable again… I bet…” Jin trailed off again, eyes far away and Kame once again caught sight of the man from the portrait and found, oddly, that he really hated it. “When I was a little boy, I once was able to go to the Shin Plains and see them myself. It was trees, green fields, and scattered flowers as far as you could see, other than the farmland and other things of course. Because of the affects of the dragon’s magic, much of those forests and plains withered and died. I bet they’ve already grown back to the way they once were.”
Kame smiled, “I went once too. It’s like that now.”
“I thought so,” Jin grinned. “Anyway, as more and more of this treasure was brought back to the kingdom we discovered the Black Dragon had been a bit odd. Most of its hoard was gold and red jewels. Garnets, rubies, fire crystals, and any other red gem you could imagine and more. There were fire amulets and all sorts of things like that. That’s why I was called, The Blood Knight. People liked to spread stories, though, like me returning drenched in the dragon’s blood or being a bloodthirsty knight. I think there was even a rumor at one point, that I was a vampire… or something of that sort and I was called that because of the blood of my victims, or something.” Jin laughed and Kame joined him for a bit. “Obviously that last one never quite stuck, considering I loved garlic on my food too much and spent plenty of time out in the sun or because I was perfectly capable of walking instead of hopping.”
“Of course,” Kame laughed. “Do you have any idea why that dragon seemed to prefer that colour?”
“Hm…” Jin murmured and thought for a few minutes. “No one could say for sure… but I remember my mom telling us that maybe the Black Dragon, instead of encountering Seiryū’s magic to become stronger, caught a wisp of Suzaku’s fire magic. After that, he was drawn, without realizing it, to Suzaku’s colour.”
They continued in silence for quite some time. Kame imagined what it would have been like to fight a Great Dragon, one that could scorch the earth just from its presence. And Jin looked back on the past, on the jokes from other knights and the teasing words of his brother following his title.
--
They received no odd looks until they approached the castle in the centre of the sprawling city. All the residents of the city were accustomed to the comings and goings of knights, so the sight of two knights, one on horseback and the other on foot, really wasn’t that uncommon.
Kame, however, was well known among the knights of the capital and after having disappeared for just over three weeks, he wasn’t surprised when one of the guards immediately went to alert Duke Takizawa, no doubt.
“Sir Kamenashi, Chinen just went to alert the Duke that you’re back, per your requests.” The remaining guard greeted him. “We were starting to get worried. Who is our guest? A knight from one of the estates I presume?”
“I’m perfectly fine, Yamada. I just lingered a bit. This is Knight Jin, my friend. May we go in now?” Kame dismounted and smiled. “We’re in a bit of a hurry.”
“So long as you can vouch for-” Yamada trailed off and Jin stepped back a bit. “That’s the Royal Court’s Seal… I thought I could recognize all of the Knights of the Royal Court.”
“I vouch for him, Yamada, and I believe Duke Takizawa and the Oracle, not to mention probably the King, will be quite pleased to do it as well. We’re a bit rushed.” Kame pressed again before more questions could arise.
“Of course, leave your horse I’ll call one of the stable-hands to come collect him and we’ll get your packs taken up,” Yamada stepped aside and took the horse’s reins.
“Thank you,” Kame dragged Jin inside. “I didn’t even think about how all your weapons have that seal.”
“Me too, thanks for back there, I don’t know if I want everyone finding out just yet,” Jin admitted and followed Kame further into the castle. He still remembered exactly where they were and from Kame’s turns he guessed they were going to the throne room.
“I figured. I’m surprised you’re not hugging the very ground we’re walking on after being gone so long,” Kame joked and paused in front of the doors to the throne room. “Damn, I wish we had time to clean up but we should probably move as quickly as we can.”
“You look fine, come on. I bet Takki is already in there,” Jin grinned and swept some dirt off of Kame’s sleeve. “And I’ll reacquaint myself with the castle if I get my freedom back.”
Before either of them could open the doors Takki threw them open with a grin. “One of the guards came to tell me you were back and you had company. I knew you’d come here first.” He bit his lip for a moment and the excited gleam in his eyes softened as he turned his gaze to Jin. He pulled Jin into a tight hug that was quickly returned. “I was beginning to think you would never make it home.”
“I missed you Takki,” Jin whispered and held on even tighter. “I thought I was never coming home too.”
“You’re still cursed though,” Takki finally stepped back from the hug and put a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “Why are you still cursed? I can feel something different. It’s faint but it’s there.”
“I’m still cursed. Kame is activating wards Ueda drew up that allow me to leave. It only lasts a few weeks though and that’s why we still need your help, and possibly the king’s help.” Jin answered.
“Takuya is ill and resting today, but I’ll give you any help I can. What do you need from me?” Takki ushered them into a side chamber and beckoned for them to take a seat. He tilted his head lightly and smiled. “Who is a new guest here?”
Maru fluttered, his wings tousling some of Jin’s curls and reminding both knights that the fairy had awoken shortly after they had made it to the city.
“This is Nakamaru Yuichi. He’s a tree fairy from Bō Forest.” Jin introduced. “He guided Kame through the forest so he wouldn’t have to strain himself or his horse and he’s helped keep me company since my curse. He’s accompanying us for the journey.”
“Welcome to Shōryō, Nakamaru. Any friend of Jin or Kamenashi’s is certainly welcome,” Takki smiled.
“We need some sort of introduction to gain access to Zhuque Royal Guard. We need to find the Sword of Ōryū so he can break the curse and they were the last known group to have it.” Kame explained. “But we have to do it quickly.”
“Or he’ll die before you can return. I know some of the advisors of their court as well as members of the elite circle. I’ll write up introductions and ask them to give you any help they can. Jin, you may have to reveal your identity though, while my word will help, if they don’t know the reason you want the sword they may assume you want it to gain more power.” Takki explained quickly. He was already moving around the room, collecting parchment and ink to begin drafting his letters. “This journey won’t take you too long, I can even send a convoy with you if you wish? Four days, if you move quickly, perhaps five.”
“We’ll be able to move faster if it’s just the three of us. We don’t need an escort or anything,” Jin smiled faintly. “You’re being too protective Takki, I did take down quite a few dragons in my time, not to mention the Black Dragon.”
Takki rose from his seat and put a hand on Jin’s head affectionately. “I know, just let me at least offer. If I find out you perished because of a dragon or a damned griffin I will be so angry with you. I promised your parents and brother that I would make sure you came home alive and would do everything I can to make sure you’re happy. So take care of each other, both of you,” he shot a smile to Kame before clapping him lightly on the shoulder. “Give me a day or two to procure fresh horses for both of you as well as supplies. We can map out the best route together as well.”
“Do you think the sword is there?” Jin asked quietly, hope visible in his eyes.
“I certainly hope so. The problem with artifacts like the sword is that they can’t always be traced, not even by a mage like Ueda. All I can say is it hasn’t been destroyed, because the Oracle has been able to feel its presence, just not where. It’s a notorious sword though, it’s a good bet that anywhere it went rumors would follow.” Takki assured them both before leveling a look at Jin. “I’m not giving up, no matter what and you had better not either.”
--
As night began to fall, Kame quickly made his way to the castle gardens with the book of wards tucked securely under his arm. He needed to replenish the magic of the wards and he knew exactly where to find Jin. He nodded to a guard patrolling the area before ducking under a low branch just beginning to gain new, green leaves.
Sure enough, when he made his way through the maze of bushes, trees, and many newly blooming flowers, he caught sight of Jin sitting high in the boughs of the tree. The stars and moon were bright but illuminating the tree were a few stationary orbs of lights. From the distance Kame couldn’t tell exactly what they were, they didn’t move like the fairies he’d seen, but he was distracted by Maru’s green glow on Jin’s shoulder.
As he came closer he could vaguely hear Jin murmuring and it took him another moment to realize it was not to Maru but to the tree that he spoke.
“You aren’t lonely, are you?” Jin whispered and seemed to get an appropriate answer because he nodded. “What? Someone-” he turned quickly, Maru holding tightly to keep a hold of his shirt, and grinned at Kame. “We do have another guest. I was thinking about leaving to come find you so we can do the wards now. We have another hour though, don’t we?”
“You can’t see it but your skin is barely starting to turn a bit blue,” Kame tossed the tome up to Jin before grabbing a branch to start climbing up there himself. “The days are starting to get a bit brighter later in the day. We need to remember that later but I should do it now.” He pulled himself up onto Jin’s branch and settled himself.
“Right, of course,” Jin grinned. “I would be lost without you, I bet.”
“Maybe,” Kame smiled fondly but then bit his lip. It had only been a few weeks and he was already treating Jin like a close friend and he wondered if he should be worried. To distract himself he grabbed the book and began flipping through the pages to find the one he needed. “Maru could probably keep you on track.”
“I told him we needed to look for you,” Maru huffed. “But he wouldn’t listen to me. You get distracted so quickly Jin. Akemi will be here, even if you leave to take care of this.”
“Sorry Maru,” Jin mumbled. “I’ll listen next time, promise.”
“He probably won’t,” Kame quipped and then waved his hand to silence any response. He put his hand on the page and began the process that was quickly becoming second-nature. After he felt the rush fade he opened his eyes and reached out to tilt Jin’s chin further up to ensure the blue had left his skin. He squinted slightly in the light and nearly jumped when suddenly the light from behind him grew brighter and he could easy see the other knight and fairy. He turned carefully, wary of their height from the ground, and found one of the floating orbs had shifted closer. “What are these?”
“I made them,” Jin flushed slightly when Kame gave him a surprised look. He averted his eyes to where Maru was not examining some flowers he’d never seen before “I wanted some light so I could read.” He lifted an old book Kame had somehow missed.
“Why don’t you use the lights that are in place?” Kame asked. He knew if you asked one of the guards on duty, or knew how to do it yourself, you could get similar, but weaker, magic lights to take around.
“It’s easier to do it myself. Besides, we agreed I should try to stay quiet while here. News has already spread that an honor Blood Knight has arrived. The guards haven’t even seemed surprised by my presence. The guard I passed on my way into the garden knew my rank. None of them seem to know my name yet, at least, because you only told them my given name.” Jin sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. He waved a hand to dispel two of the magic lights, leaving just one left.
“Makes sense,” Kame answered and looked at the book in Jin’s lap. “What were you planning on reading?”
“It’s a book of old legends. I used to love reading the stories when I was a kid,” he began thumbing carefully through the pages.
“I’ve never seen this one before and I’ve spent some time in the library,” Kame suddenly remembered something. “Who is Akemi?”
“Hm? Oh the tree,” Jin smiled and raised his arm to plant his hand on the tree’s trunk. “Her name is Akemi or at least that’s the only name she’s given.”
“Well, it’s nice to know her name then,” Kame slowly stood up so he could switch to another branch and rest his back against the trunk of the tree as well. “So what sort of legends are in this book?”
“This one… is all about water related legends.” Jin flipped another few pages before pausing. Kame turned slightly and found him running a slow hand down the page, any emotion in his eyes shut too tightly for Kame to see.
“Are there any… like your curse?” Kame asked quietly. He thought Jin hadn’t heard him for a moment and was about to retract it when Jin opened his mouth.
“There’s one,” he chuckled hollowly. “It was actually one of my favorite stories as a kid. They weren’t bound to the water but it was similar. It’s a legend from the north about one of the origins of magic amongst humans… do you want to hear it?”
“I would.”
The sound of Jin flipping through the book and the flutter of Maru’s wings as he settled on Kame’s shoulder were the only things he heard for a moment.
“Many years ago, when the gods still traversed this land, humans were just beginning to settle into communities to work together. The world was still quite young but the spirits of its inhabitants were enduring.”
Jin’s voice remained steady and sure throughout the entirety of the story. Kame fought sleep, though far later in the night Jin’s voice continuously lulled him closer and closer to dreams, so he could hear the complete story of the courageous woman who took on a treacherous sea serpent, when few others would, to protect her hometown and the blessing she received from the gods for her strength of spirit.
“So, Genbu offered her immortality as reward for her bravery but she refused?” Kame asked sleepily, his eyes fluttering shut every few moments.
“The legend implies that she didn’t wish to watch as her family and friends died while she stayed young forever,” Jin answered. He smiled when Kame’s eyes once again closed. “She wished to live her life beside them so instead Genbu bestowed her with a bit of his spirit so she could use magic. She had similar traits to how I am when I touch the water under the curse.”
“Would immortality be so bad?” Kame breathed. “You could have so much time to accomplish your goals.”
Jin leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. “Leaving those you love behind while you continue to live long after them is too painful to properly imagine if you haven’t experienced it. I don’t think I could handle immortality, sometimes I think I can’t even handle this long life. Ueda lives in seclusion for a reason as well.”
Kame woke himself up ever so slightly. “I thought he didn’t like people or something… Jin, if we don’t break your curse will you live forever?”
“Is it living if I’m bound to that pond for eternity?” Jin whispered back and Kame couldn’t answer.
He thought of the days he spent doing little but spending time with his new friends, of unhurried chess games with Ueda and of lying amongst the lavender stalks just talking for hours on end. But he also thought of the many nights Jin would lie as far from his pond as he could just to feel solid again and the night he spent pretending, alongside Jin, that the cursed man wasn’t crying for what he had left behind and of how he hadn’t been able to offer any comfort that could ease such a pain.
--
“You must be our long lost Prince Jin.”
Takki smirked when Jin jolted in his seat across the breakfast table. “Jin, this is Kimura Takuya, King of Shōryō.”
Jin quickly stood and bowed slightly to Kimura. “It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve seen scraps of scenes while I’ve been gone and you were in some of them.”
“Please don’t be so formal, you are after all my elder,” Kimura smiled and joined them at the table.
“That may be but you are higher ranked than I am, you are the king,” Jin mumbled and bit his lip.
“I somehow think we’ll argue about this later on, but at the moment I am too tired to attempt it,” Kimura shook his head lightly at Takki’s worried eyes. “The main concern, either way, is breaking your curse so you may return to your rightful place. Takki assures me that the planning is already nearly complete and you will be departing with Sir Kamenashi and your fairy companion early tomorrow morning.”
“That is true,” Takki answered and gestured to the map on the wall. “We’ve already chosen the quickest route to the capital, Xīng. It should take them four days to arrive and I’ve drafted introductions for them, though I will need your official seal on their travel papers.”
“Of course, we can’t have them being turned away at the city gates. I assume you’ve left the papers on my desk? I’ll go take care of it and the other paperwork now. Sorry to leave so quickly. Jin, it was a pleasure to finally meet the man I’ve heard so much about. If I do not see you again before you depart, please travel safely and may your journey be successful.” He gave one last bright smile before rising.
“Perhaps you should eat something first?” Takki suggested with narrowed eyes.
“I’ll have something delivered when I feel up to it,” Kimura answered simply before leaving the chamber.
Jin watched the thin man go and frowned. “Is he ill?”
“Takuya has been ill for very long, even his magic is no longer saving him from the worst. We have kept the people from finding out so far but he may only live a few more years yet, maybe less,” Takki sighed and pushed his food away. “His dear wife also preceded him some years ago and he is without an heir.”
“I can’t imagine the advisors are pleased with that,” Jin ran a hand roughly through his hair. “Who would be next in line?”
“An awful man, we all hope he doesn’t somehow gain the crown and I hope that you never have to meet him,” Takki answered and wrinkled his nose. “Takuya is going to have to name an heir soon or I’m not sure what will be done.”
--
Takki rose early with them on the morning of their departure. He fussed over both knights until they had mounted their horses. He sighed and untied two satchels from his belt and tossed one up to each.
“More than enough gold to get you through this trip, but it’s always good to think ahead.” Takki explained quickly and once again began double checking their supplies.
“Takki, you’ve already checked everything. We have everything and I have the map right here,” Jin tapped a pocket.
“Alright, stay safe and make sure to stay together. Is Maru ok for long distance traveling?” Takki double-checked.
“So long as he sleeps enough to make up for being away from the forest,” Kame reached out and barely tapped a luminescent wing. Maru stirred a bit from his nap on Jin’s shoulder.
“Travel quickly then, I shouldn’t keep you any longer.” Takki moved to step forward but Jin held out a hand and pointed down.
Both other men follow his gaze to the swirls of silver that were beginning to glow from beneath Takki’s feet. Takki sighed and took a step back and they faded.
“A story for another time, Jin,” Takki grimaced at Jin’s narrowed eyes. “I agreed to your mother’s final wish and was bound here, so that someone you know would surely remain for when you came home. Now get going. And Kamenashi, thank you.”
“Of course,” Kame nodded before leading the way through the city. “I’ve never seen or heard of the Duke leaving the castle. Did that magic mean he can’t?”
“Apparently Takki agreed to be tethered to the castle. I assume once I return as a human he’ll be freed.” Jin sighed and tilted his head to look at Kame. “We have even more of a reason to try and break my curse.
“Well the Duke does seem very fond of you,” Kame answered. He’d watched the Duke fret over Jin whenever he could in the past two days.
“Yeah, I grew up with him around. He was always like a cool older brother,” Jin chuckled. “My mom was in charge of making sure he could control his magic. He helped watch me and my brother since he spent most of his time here when I was little.”
--
That evening they set up camp in the middle of a forest they planned on cutting through to shave off travel time. Jin built a small fire to ward off the chill of the early Spring night while Kame double checked the area. He came back and retrieved the book and quickly replenished the wards.
It had been a few days since it had taken much out of him but he was surprised when he realized Jin was holding him against him chest.
“Kame, are you alright?” Jin questioned as he helped him sit back up.
“Are you always that cold?” Kame croaked.
“I’ll get you your water,” Jin scrambled over to their packs and then pushed the canteen into Kame’s shaking hands. “And uh yeah, I guess? I guess it’s something that carries over from the curse. Takki commented on it yesterday after breakfast. Are you feeling any better? It must be because of all the traveling we did today.”
“Better,” Kame smiled and took the map from where he had stashed it.
“I feel like…” Jin started but went quiet and blushed faintly.
“Yes?” Kame raised his eyebrows. He smiled at Jin’s red cheeks. “You can’t just stop there, Jin.”
“I just feel like I’ve always done so much talking but I don’t know that much about you, really. What’s your life like?” Jin traced patterns and pictures in the dirt.
“Well… what do you want to know?” Kame looked up from the map.
“Well, I mean you’re fairly high ranked and you’re… you’re only twenty-three so you must have some stories.” Jin mumbled. “You’ve gotten to hear some of mine.”
“Well you were only, what? Twenty-two when you were inducted into the Order of Kō, much more impressive,” Kame sighed.
“Did you want to become a knight?” Jin prompted.
“Always did,” Kame grinned down at his hands. “My dad’s a pretty famous knight, even when I was little I wanted to be just like him. I don’t know Jin. My life wasn’t horribly interesting. I live to be a knight and help protect the country whether it be from dragons or one day invaders.”
“But it’s still pretty impressive, most people never get titled or anything like that,” Jin grinned. “So what did you do that got you such recognition?”
Kame shook his head. “It was nothing major. I was sent out on a routine assignment in a group to deal with some dragons attacking a village and some things went wrong, due to our leader, and I took over the operation and got everyone injured out of the way and took care of the dragons on time.”
“That isn’t nothing,” Jin answered and scooted closer. “A lot of people wouldn’t have been able to manage that. Well what about tournaments? I always loved taking part in the horsemanship and archery tournaments they would hold for knights to compete.”
“Well, just before I went to Ueda’s we had the annual Spring Tournament to bring in the new season. I actually took first place in the archery portion.” Kame admitted with a slight grin.
“Was it a tough competition?” Jin asked eagerly. He leaned back against one of the packs and Kame fidgeted a bit under Jin’s attention.
“Well there was this knight who came in from territory to the north. He had the craziest helmet,” Kame began to explain and soon he was moving his hands to help explain.
And later that night, after a couple hours of Kame describing the tournaments he’d been in and the assignments he’d gone on, Jin pushed Kame towards sleep and volunteered to keep watch first. He walked around a decent perimeter, placing a hand on the trees as he went. He spoke in low tones, requesting the trees and spirits warn him if anything worrisome came near their small camp.
He returned to Kame’s side and looked at his peaceful face for a few moments and wondered if he was just latching on because it had been so long since he had had any other humans to talk to.
Hours later, when the whispers of the trees alerted him, he unsheathed his sword silently and walked out of the light from their fire. Kame needn’t know that he disposed of two smaller dragons that night. So he let the young man sleep throughout the night because the one time he thought about waking Kame to trade places he’d remembered the way he had slumped forward, the old tome slipping from his fingers, when he had performed the magic necessary to bite back the curse.
He was scolded in the morning for not waking his companion but he reminded them that not necessarily being human had its perks and the topic was dropped.
--
They arrived in Xīng just as the sun was beginning to set. Vibrant colours spread out across the horizon and the ocean light up under the sun’s dying rays. Xīng was a thriving city at the very southern tip of the continent. With travel papers signed by the king of Shōryō himself they gained access easily and were helpfully pointed in the direction of a nice inn where they could stay and have their horses tended to.
True to his word, Ueda’s yellow stones stopped any anxieties they had held about communicating. While Jin was proficient in the language he hadn’t had practice in over one hundred years and Kame only spoke enough to find a few necessary things.
“How long will you be staying?” the charming woman at the inn questioned as her son took their horses around to the stables. So far no one in the city, bar one old woman they had received directions from, seemed to be able to see Maru as he fluttered about everywhere.
“Two, maybe three days,” Jin answered and untied the bag of gold coins.
“That’s fine. So breakfast is included but lunch and dinner aren’t so that will be extra should you partake.” The woman explained as Jin passed across the gold for their first night. She handed him back a key. “Now you boys are in room fifteen, that’s up the stairs there and to your left. There’s a door that leads to the toilet and wash-up across from each room and the bath is down here. Do you need any help with your bags?”
“No we traveled fairly lightly because it’s a short trip. Thank you so much,” Kame smiled and nudged Jin towards the stairs.
“If you need anything just come down and ask,” she called after them.
“Thank you,” Jin called back before leading the way up the stairs. “I never asked Kame, but have you been to Xīng before?”
“No I’ve- you’re about to pass the room,” he laughed and tugged Jin back by the collar.
“Spirits! Kame, next time you do that try to be a bit less rough,” Jin choked out but stepped back and opened up the room to reveal a neat and clean room. Two beds sat to the right with a desk and a dressing table to the left. “So which bed do you want?”
“I’ll take the one further from the window,” Kame offered and stepped inside after Jin. “That way you and Maru can converse with any passing spirits or creatures without having to go over me.”
“You can’t blame Maru, he’s never been out of Shōryō,” Jin laughed. “He’s bound to be curious. And you never quite answered my question Kame.”
“What question?” Kame tilted his head but then remembered what he’d been saying before he tugged on Jin’s shirt. “Ah. I’ve never been to Zhuque before. I’ve only been out of the country once before and that was to Huánglóng. Just after I gained Order of Kaku I was one of the selected knights to accompany a diplomatic envoy to Luò. What about you?”
“I’ve been here and to Luò before and a few places north in Hyeonmu,” Jin answered and strode over to the window.
“This journey is my first time leaving the forest,” Maru went to inspect a door which turned out to lead to a small closet.
“I wish we had the time to give you proper tours of the city,” Jin held out his hand for Maru to land. “How about this? If my curse is broken, when I travel you can come with me and we’ll do it properly.”
“I guess it’s too late to go to the Guards?” Maru looked over to Kame. “You have to do the spell soon, right?”
“Yes, but we have time for a proper bath first.” Kame shook out his coat and cringed when some dirt flew off. “I love traveling to new places but not the actual getting there part. A hot bath sounds amazing.”
--
“Good morning,” the proprietress greeted them in the morning. “I forgot to ask you both last night, do you need any extra services like laundry taken care of?”
“Laundry would be great. We’ll bring it down when we get back. We need to head out early so no breakfast today.” Kame answered.
“Alright then. Do you need directions or anything? Most foreign knights we get through here have escorts buts…” She trailed off.
“Actually, could you direct us to military headquarters? We need to speak with someone there?” Jin asked. He pulled a map from his pocket. “We have a map but we nearly got turned around finding our way here.”
“Oh! That’s simple enough. Just go to the castle, the large tower you can see from pretty much the whole city, so just head towards the ocean and then take a left a good ways down. ”
“Perfect, thank you,” as soon as Kame opened the door Maru shot out, closely followed by Jin into the already busy street.
--
Jin wasn’t exactly sure if they had thought through how they were going to do this well enough. It wasn’t a normal occurrence for foreign knights to just walk straight into a castle and ask to speak with their highest ranked officers.
“What is your business?” the guard asked them as they approached one of the entry gates.
“We need to speak with the Zhuque Royal Guard. Business of the Shōryō Royal Family.” Kame announced, making sure the markings of the Shōryō Royal Knight were clear to the guard.
“I can pass on word but I can’t just grant you access. The Guard will have to decide that.”
Jin pulled the letter Takki had written and held it out. “Then please ensure that the knight Sakurai reads this letter. It’s a time sensitive matter.”
“I will,” the guard took it and flagged another guard to bring it inside.
--
It wasn’t long before another knight came to the gate to retrieve them.
“Sakurai and some other members of the Royal Guard are willing to speak with you, but we have a short timeframe before they’re needed elsewhere so come with me, quickly.” He opened the gate and led them into the grand castle.
Jin and Kame vaguely remembered a few things from their past trips to Xīng but they were moving too quickly to really take any of the paintings or screens in.
“I’m sorry for the pace but they’re to go to leave for a meeting with our King in an hour,” the knight apologized. “Sir Sakurai says he wishes they could be more hospitable, especially to such honor Blood Knights, but as it is very last minute…”
“Please do not worry about such things. We were the ones who came on such short notice. There wasn’t time to send word ahead,” Kame mollified the slightly worried knight.
“Thank you. Here is the room, if you need anything just tell the Guard and they will have someone retrieve it.” He opened the door. “Sir Kamenashi and Sir Akanishi of Shōryō.” He bowed once and then left.
“Come in,” a sweet man ushered them inside. He smiled brightly and gestured for them to set at the long table at which the other men sat.
“Thank you for seeing us like this,” Jin bowed. “Akanishi Jin, the Blood Knight of the Royal Court, Order of Kō.”
“Kamenashi Kazuya, Knight of the Royal Court, Order of Kaku.” Kame followed Jin’s example before taking a seat.
“And who is our fairy guest?” the smiling man asked brightly. The rest of the men didn’t seem surprised at this declaration.
Kame blinked before turning his head to look at Maru, who hovered between them.
“Nakamaru Yuichi,” Jin answered. “I’m not sure which of you can see or hear him though…”
“Just Sir Matsumoto, who is not here with us at the moment, Sir Sakurai, and myself,” the man smiled. “Ah. I’m Aiba Masaki, here is Sakurai Sho, Ninomiya Kazunari, and Ohno Satoshi.” Aiba introduced. “We’re all Royal Guards.”
“We don’t normally receive visits of this sort what brings you here?” Sakurai asked politely. Before him he still had the letter Takki had sent along. “I always thought the Blood Knight was dead but Takki assures me you really are him.”
Jin put a hand on the hilt of his sword. “May I draw my sword?”
“By all means,” Sakurai murmured and watched carefully as Jin withdraw the blood-stained sword and set it on the table in front of the Guards before them.
“Takki said he explained that I was cursed so I’m afraid I can’t show you the other marks I bore from that battle.” Jin explained as Aiba examined the sword with an almost worrying gleam in his eyes.
Aiba ran his fingers along the steel and smiled faintly. “This is the sword that killed the Black Dragon of the East and he is definitely cursed. I believe it’s safe to say we have a very honoured guest today.”
“Now, what Takki didn’t explain was what you needed from us,” Ninomiya finally spoke as the sword was handed to him to look at.
Kame faintly saw the twitch of Jin’s hand whenever one of the men in front of them handled the sword and discreetly put a hand on Jin’s left arm to give him support. “We need the Sword of Ōryū in order to break his curse and its last known location was with your Royal Guard.”
The Guards all exchanged hurried looks before Sakurai sighed. “I’m afraid we can’t help you then. I would very much like to but the sword is no longer in our possession.”
“He’s not lying,” Maru whispered into Jin’s ear. After the past century Jin had learned to trust Maru’s instincts and felt his stomach drop.
“We believe you,” Jin murmured and rubbed at his eyes for a moment. “Do you know where it went next? We have limited time for me to be on this journey and I don’t want to keep Kame from his duties longer than necessary.”
“It was returned to its origin, so to Luò. I can’t say who has it because we don’t know but you can try asking the Tanaka Clan. They usually manage to keep track of their creations, even centuries later, and might be able to help you.” Ohno explained as he stared off into the distance.
“Is there anything else we can help you with?” Sho bit his lip. “I’m sorry we can’t be of more help with the sword.”
“It’s not your fault please don’t apologize. That was all we needed to discuss actually.” Kame glanced worriedly at Jin who had shrunk into himself a bit. “We’ll depart the city in the morning in that case. It will give us time to restock and plan our route to Luò.”
“I’ll write an introduction for you to a high-ranked night there. Higashiyama will help you if you need it.” Aiba offered and began pulling out supplies from a cabinet on the back wall.
“Thank you,” Jin bowed his head.
“Of course,” Aiba quipped.
“Not only are you a dear friend of Takki but you’re an esteemed knight, Sir Kamenashi as well.” Nino explained with a bright smile.
“How do you know Takki, if you don’t mind?” Jin asked quietly. “I can’t imagine it was from when I was still… normal.”
“Exhibition tournament after our countries reached our current Treaty. Fifty years ago actually,” Sakurai answered. “Some of us here weren’t alive back then, so thankfully they haven’t been able to tease me about it much. I was surprised when he volunteered to fight in one of the matches because as far as I knew he wasn’t a knight but there were no objections from your King… your brother actually. He managed to knock me flat on my back faster than anyone else has ever managed.” He grimaced at the no doubt embarrassing memory.
“Takki actually helped teach me to wield a sword,” Jin grinned. “It’s a well-kept secret that he’s one of the best swordsmen in all of Shōryō so I’ve no doubt he managed such a feat. Perhaps we should get going and not keep you from your duties any longer. We also have more shopping to do now.”
“Here is the letter,” Aiba quickly sealed it with wax and waved his hand over it to instantly dry the seal in place. “Just ask for Higashiyama should you go to the palace. You might not even need to go if the Tanaka family can help you, so don’t worry about making a polite social call.” Aiba grinned. “Also, please update us on your situation, if you can. I want to know if you break your curse and end up with what you want most.”
Jin frowned but nodded. “I will.” Aiba beamed.
“Thank you,” Kame took the letter and Sakurai walked them to the entrance.
“I really am sorry we couldn’t help more. We will include a prayer for your success with our prayers to Suzaku today.” He told them with a serious glance. “And please give my greetings to Takki when you return to Keishi.”
“We will, thank you so much,” Jin bowed one last time before ducking out of the castle.
Once outside, Jin curled a hand around Maru to keep him from being batted around by the ocean winds.
“It could have been worse, they might not have known anything,” Kame murmured and placed his arm around Jin’s shoulder and ignored the cold that began to seep from Jin to his own body.
“Thanks Kame,” Jin whispered.
“Let’s go buy supplies, then we can get you guys some food and plan the route,” Maru suggested. “We passed some streets filled with stores on our way here that we can try.”
Part Three