Page 16 of Night of the Dragon

8

Entering the Game

Suki

Suki had never known that the ocean could stretch on forever.

Her mother had spoken of it sometimes, in the years before she died. Originally, she had been from Kaigara Mura, a tiny coastal village in Water Clan territory. When she’d told stories of her childhood, they would be of a white beach full of seashells and the glittering expanse of water that stretched to the horizon. Having lived her whole life within the high walls and crowded streets of the Imperial City, Suki couldn’t have imagined what that would be like.

Now, seeing nothing but water in every direction she looked, she concluded that it was terrifying.

“I love the ocean,” Taka sighed. He sat in the open door of the flying carriage, his short legs dangling in open air, as they soared over the endless expanse of water. The interior of the gissha, the ox carriage, was boxy and windowless, with enough room to stand without hitting your head on the ceiling. The bamboo doors at the back were usually closed, but now hung open, revealing blue sky and floating clouds. Normally, these types of lacquered, two-wheeled carriages were pulled by a single ox and were reserved for the highest of nobility. Certainly, the ghost of a simple maid and a small talkative yokai did not qualify, but the owner of the carriage, Lord Seigetsu, did not seem to mind their presence, so she did not question it.

Taka took a deep breath, the corners of his mouth curling up. “I love the way it smells, too,” he sighed. “Like fish and salt and rain.” Glancing up at her, the little yokai with the clawed hands and single enormous eye grinned toothily, his fangs glimmering in the dim light of the carriage. “Aren’t you glad you came back, Suki-chan? You would have missed all of this.”

Suki managed a weak smile, and Taka returned to watching the waves. Turning from the open doors, she glanced back at the figure in the corner, seated cross-legged with his back to the wall and his eyes closed. Lord Seigetsu, the man she had followed from the Imperial City, across the Sun lands, to the tallest peaks of the Dragon Spine Mountains. Why she, a wandering spirit with no tie to the world, had chosen to travel across the empire with a beautiful, mysterious stranger and a one-eyed yokai, she still wasn’t certain. Perhaps it was because she was still curious about Lord Seigetsu. With his long silver hair and strange powers, he remained just as enigmatic as the night she had met him. Perhaps it was because he could, with Taka’s aid, see parts of the future. And even more disturbing, he had told Suki that she herself had a very important role to play in upcoming events.

This frightened Suki greatly. She was the ghost of a simple maid, insignificant and unimportant. At least, she thought she was; the memories of her previous life were becoming hazier with every passing day. She couldn’t recall much of her old life now. If she thought hard about it, she remembered her father, the house they’d shared and her final days as a maid in the Imperial Palace. But those memories were painful, and Suki did not care to dwell on them. Perhaps that was why they were fading.

Though, there was one memory that continued to shine, no matter how much she tried to bury her past. One chance meeting with a noble, during her first day in the Imperial Palace. She had literally run into him with a tea tray while lost in the palace halls, and rather than punishing her for daring to touch him, he had smiled and responded with kindness, then pointed her in the right direction. She had never forgotten the way he’d spoken to her like she was a real person. Even with her death, his face remained as bright and clear in her memory as the day they had met.

Taiyo Daisuke of the Sun Clan. An Imperial noble, as far above her station as a prince to a farmer. He was the real reason she could not leave, why she couldn’t seem to move on. Taiyo Daisuke was also part of Taka’s prophecy, another key player in the game Lord Seigetsu kept referencing. A game with life-or-death consequences.

She had saved the noble from impending death once before, warning him and his companions of a demon attack that might’ve killed them all. Though she wouldn’t have been able to do it—to find the courage to act—without Lord Seigetsu. He had shown her the way, encouraged her to save them. Now the game continued, and the lives of the Sun noble and his friends continued to hang in the balance.

In life, she had loved Daisuke-sama. She wasn’t certain she could anymore, as a ghost; everything, even emotions, had become hazy. But she was invested now. For better or worse, she would see the game through to the end.

They came out of the clouds, and suddenly, an island as bright and green as a precious jewel appeared below them in the middle of the sea. Taka’s eye lit up, a huge smile crossing his face as he scrambled to his feet.

“There’s the island! Master, we’re here. We’ve arrived.”

“Silence.”

Lord Seigetsu’s tone was harsh. Chilled, Suki turned as the silver-haired man rose, moving slowly as if in a dream. His face caused a shiver to creep up her spine; she had never seen him look as shaken as he did now. He swayed on his feet, putting a hand against the carriage wall to steady himself, making Taka gasp.

“Are you all right, Master?”

Seigetsu didn’t seem to hear him. “No,” he murmured, but it was clear he was speaking to himself. “If she is gone now, the game is lost. I will not allow it.”

His golden eyes shifted to Suki, and she shrank back at the emptiness behind them. In that stare, she saw a hunger that could swallow stars and drain the ocean. But then he blinked and returned to his normal, elegant self.

“Suki-chan.” His voice was a caress, quiet and soothing. “I fear I must ask for your help. No, I... I must beg for your help.” He stepped forward, holding out a long-fingered hand to her. “Please. The game is balanced on a razor’s edge, and a single mistake could undo everything. If one piece disappears, the rest will follow. Including the Taiyo noble you still love.”

Daisuke-sama. Suki trembled, remembering Taka’s ominous words when he was in the throes of prophecy.The white-haired prince seeks a battle he cannot win. He will break upon the demon’s sword, and his dog will follow him unto death.

“You can still save him,” Seigetsu murmured. “His destiny is not yet decided. But we must act quickly, or they could all be lost. Will you help them?”

I have to be brave, Suki told herself, though she was still trembling.If it means changing Daisuke-sama’s fate, I will play Lord Seigetsu’s game.

Seigetsu-sama was still standing quietly, his golden eyes never leaving her. Suki hesitated a moment longer, gathering her courage, then raised her chin.

“What...what do you need me to do, Seigetsu-sama?” she whispered.

He smiled, and it was like the sun emerging from behind the clouds. “I need your eyes, Suki-chan,” he told her. “I need to see what is happening on the island, and I don’t dare set foot on it myself. Not yet. Though it has been a long time, it still recognizes me.” That made her frown in confusion, but Seigetsu-sama didn’t explain.

“I wish to see through your eyes, Suki-chan,” Seigetsu went on. “You can go places I cannot, into the heart of the Tsuki itself. Genno’s forces lurk just outside, like a shark circling a wounded seal, but they have not set foot on the island yet, either. The kami would sense them, but they will not notice another spirit wandering the land. Would you allow me this? To see through your eyes, and find those souls most important in the coming days?”

Suki considered. What Seigetsu-sama was asking didn’t seem so bad, but it still made her very uncomfortable. Magic, in any form, frightened her. After all, it was Lady Satomi’s blood magic that had summoned the oni that had killed her. “How would that work, Seigetsu-sama?” she asked. “Do I...need to do anything?”

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