A Thousand Leagues of Wind, the Sky at Dawn

19-1

In the dead of the night, Youko was awakened from a light sleep by the violent beating of a drum.

"W-what's going on?"

Next to her, Suzu and Shoukei awoke with a start.

"An attack?"

"The provincial guard can't have gotten here already!"

They jumped to their feet and rushed out of the guard tower onto the wall walk. The sound came from one of the drum turrets positioned at the four corners of the castle walls.

"What happened, Kantai?"

Standing on the wall walk, Kantai turned his severe countenance and gestured toward the south.

Youko gasped. She and Suzu and Shoukei stood rooted to the spot. The darkness spread out over the city of Takuhou. To the south, a light could be seen along the outer loop road. A red light. Flames.

"A fire?" queried Suzu.

Youko narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" somebody asked.

Sekki and Koshou came running.

"Koshou, there's a fire--"

Sekki's voice interrupted hers. "It's the provincial guard."

"What?" The people there all turned and looked at Sekki.

"This is no doubt some strategy of Gahou's. The guard intends to burn us out, along with Shoukou and the city."

"Nonsense!" came a cry from the gathering crowd.

"Koshou, what do we do?" a familiar voice asked. "Consider the time of night! We must wake the citizenry and muster them to put out the fires!"

"No!" Both Kantai and Sekki answered together.

"Why not, Sekki?"

"The guard are waiting for us. The calvalry has likely pushed on ahead of the infantry. They're waiting for us to leave the castle. Send anybody out there, and the elite of the cavalry will set on them like a wolf pack."

Kantai agreed. "Sekki's right. Rush out of here and you'll be running headlong into a trap. It will takes hours for the fire to reach the castle. For the time being, it'd be best to watch and see how things develop."

Koshou glanced back and forth between the two. "You mean to stand by and do nothing?"

"There's probably nothing that we can do," Sekki said. The sound of a pounding drum burst forth from another turret on the castle walls. Sekki hung his head. "Another fire's been lit."

"Sekki!" Koshou raised his arms. "We turn our back on them and we're no better than common murderers!" He said to Youko. "Let's go."

"Youshi! Koshou!"

Suzu put her hand on Sekki shoulder. "It's wrong to get even with somebody out of a personal grudge, right? If we look the other way now, it will look like we did it all out of spite. We'll lose the high moral ground."

"Suzu--"

"There's no saying how things would have turned out if Kantai and Shoukei hadn't shown up. Since we were prepared for that eventuality all along, what if only we go?"

Sekki nodded. "Find a place where you can break through and secure an escape route for the people of the city."

"All right, then." Koshou gave Sekki a slap on the back that practically sent him sprawling. "Move out!"

A man noticed the smoke and jumped out of bed. He took note of the sound of popping wood and the strange hot wind and shook his wife awake. After the many days filled with dread, she slept soundly on this unexpectedly quiet night.

"Wake up!" he shouted. He ran through the living room to the bedroom opposite and scooped his small daughter up in his arms. Still half-asleep, she opened her eyes. Soothing her and hurrying his wife along, they headed outside.

"What in the world--!"

The avenue was a sea of flames. The man at once understood that the fire had become a firestorm.

"We've got to get out of the city! Now!"

This was what came from defying Shoukou. The people in Shisui were born under an unlucky star. This what happened when they questioned that fate. But until today, at least the destroying angel had passed by his house.

They mingled together with other scrambling, befuddled people running toward the Monkey Gate. The man stopped in his tracks and stared. The Monkey Gate was closed, and the mounted knights arrayed in front of the gate were up to no good. The ground beneath the horses' hooves was strewn with bodies.

He grasped his wife's arm, turned on his heels, and dragged her back the way they'd come. His wife screamed as an old man next to him took an arrow in the chest.

What did he do? What had he ever done to the likes of them? He had nothing to do with those rebels. Why kill him and all his kin on account of what they did?

For the time being, the rest of them could only run frantically down the street toward the inner loop road, away from the conflagration. The flames licked the sky all around them, filling him with horror. Here, there, and everywhere. From every point of the compass. The tongues of fire licking upwards next to a gate an instant later had crept along the ridgepoles and joined with a neighboring fire, growing much stronger.

What is going on?

Any escape had been closed off. His daughter opened her eyes and began to wail. "At the very least--" he said, turning around. A red light glowed atop the ink dark walls of the castle, lending it a foreboding and magisterial appearance. "You go to the castle."

"But--" his wife objected.

He handed the child to her. "They're the ones who overthrew Shoukou and caused all this. They won't abandon you. Go!" he said, giving her a push.

At the same time, the west White Dragon Gate opened and people spilled out. He froze in place.

"Get back!"

He stared at the horse and rider galloping toward him.

"Watch out for ambushes! The fire won't spread easily beyond the main boulevard! There are bound to be arsonists still in the city!"

"Understood!" they shouted, as they sprinted past him.

In all the confusion, the man hadn't budged an inch. Left behind in front of the gate, a boy perched on a horse waved at him. "They'll show you the way! Follow them!"

Amidst the jumble of human activity in front of the White Dragon Gate, Kantai sprang onto the back of his kitsuryou. He turned to his two subordinates. "As much as possible, keep the people away from the castle walls. An attack may come in the midst of all this turmoil. Take the wounded inside the castle if necessary, but keep on your toes. There may be provincial guardsmen lying in wait among them."

"So you'll be going as well, then?"

Kantai grinned at the men before him. "To put it another way, I can't afford not to. No man's praise can make up for Koshou's scorn." He shouldered his lance. "I'll leave the rest to your good offices."

The men bowed. Kantai saluted and spurred on the kitsuryou.

19-2

"Koshou!"

Alerted by Youko's cry, Koshou scanned his surroundings. His eyes were drawn to several men charging out of a nearby alleyway. Seeing weapons in their hands, he swung his broadsword, eviscerating the first and impaling the second and third on the back swing.

Youko charged into the melee and cut down the remaining two.

"These bushwhackers are everywhere."

"Very much so."

The main boulevard ran straight from the White Tiger Gate to the Rooster Gate. Urging the panicking civilians to move toward the castle, Koshou wiped off his sword. As expected, even a winter weapon eventually lost its edge. They regrouped with their colleagues and crossed the main boulevard. The fire pressed south along the streets. Where the street dipped down, Koshou came to a halt.

They saw the silhouettes of mounted riders coming toward them, dragging down the small shops that lined the streets as they went along. Without all the debris, the street would be close to eighty paces wide, and it'd be rare for a fire to breach the gap. For the time being, the fires raging to the left and right of the street had not approached close enough to singe them.

"Those bastards are fast," Koshou growled. "Aim for the horse's legs."

"Roger!" came the acknowledgments from around him.

They stared each other down. The horsemen made the first move. As soon as the order was given, the earth trembled and the horses launched forward. Koshou and his companions sized up the situation and readied themselves.

Youko stepped off to the side, leaned over and addressed the ground at her feet. "If you would, please," she said.

"Yes," the voice answered in return, and faded away.

The horses bore down on them. The horse in the lead suddenly crashed to the ground. "What?" puzzled Koshou. The fallen horse tripped up the one behind it. The third horse just managed to skirt the pileup, but then for some reason tumbled to the ground as well--as if its hooves had been yanked out from under.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Strike while the iron's hot," Youko's cool voice said next to him.

Koshou glanced at Youko, but she had already taken off after the fallen knights.

When Kantai arrived on the scene, the street was a confusion of friend and foe: fallen steeds and the onrushing civilians, panicked soldiers returning fire.

"You seem to be handling things." Kantai dismounted from the kitsuryou and jumped down next to Koshou. The kitsuryou turned and set off back to the castle.

"Not our doing. We seem to have some friendly spirits on our side. The horses took it upon themselves to bite the dust without us lifting a finger."

"Huh." Kantai readied his lance. Made of forged steel down to the hilt, the lance was Kantai's personal winter weapon.

"And with so little light, haven't taken an arrow in some time now."

"A good thing too, having good luck and a fair wind at your back. Let's take the fight to the Rooster Gate!"

"I'm with you!" said Koshou, and started off at a run. Kantai followed after him, skewering the unseated knights milling about in disarray.

A soldier bounded to his feet. Youko batted away the spear tip thrust at her. Having lost his weapon, the soldier ran away, and Youko didn't bother chasing him. She looked up. The Rooster Gate was not far off. She could see a catapult there, but no projectiles had recently flown in their direction. She smiled to herself. At her heels a voice said, "Soldiers have begun a headlong retreat from the outer gate."

"Thanks. And how are you holding out?" Shirei they might be, but they were not invulnerable. Winter weapons could mortally wound them. An alert soldier could sense them coming, even hiding in the shadows.

"A few scratches. Nothing serious."

"Sorry for the trouble. Could you do another job for me?"

"The provincial guard stationed at the Rooster Gate?"

"Yes." Youko indicated the nearby enemy with her sword.

"By your command."

The voice disappeared. At the same time, a soldier drew his sword and closed on her. Their blades clashed, throwing off sparks. Steel ground against steel. She turned his sword aside, he stumbled off balance, and she swatted him in the back with the flat of the blade. He didn't retreat though, but slashed at her again. This time, she parried the attack, aiming for the hilt. He dropped the sword and ran off yelping.

"You don't seem to enjoy killing people," Kantai called out to her.

"Better a conflict resolved without a death than with."

"If we're not culling the enemy's forces, then what's the point?"

"I'm hoping to chip away at their morale instead."

"Aren't you a strange one. Handling a sword the way you do, and yet spouting such sentimental nonsense." There was laughter in his voice. "Who were you speaking with just now?"

"Nobody. I have a habit of talking to myself."

"Oh?" Kantai said, stepping away from her. Three soldiers ran at them waving their swords. He mowed them down with his lance, like wheat before a sickle. The heavy armor groaned. Struck above the knees, the three crumpled into a heap on top of each other.

Youko was amazed. That Koshou possessed the strength to wield a hundred-pound broadsword was impressive enough, but the way Kantai twirled around that solid steel lance was beyond incredible. Even Koshou had to gasp. The lance must weigh at least three hundred pounds, and as burly a man as Kantai was, he didn't weigh three hundred pounds. Not only carrying a steel lance as massive as himself, but whirling it about the way he did, defied common sense. And yet he showed no signs of running out of energy.

"He's some kind of monster," Koshou said in an amazed tone of voice. He was breathing hard by now. He held a scimitar in his hand.

"What happened to your broadsword?"

"Broke it."

"Ah," Youko nodded.

She ran down the street. Three thousand had stormed out of the castle. They established a fire line in the middle of the main boulevard and moved forward to extinguish the flames. The Rooster Gate was before them. Youko's platoon had been significantly reduced in number. Nevertheless, they somehow had to hold the gate and the city streets between them and the main gate of the castle.

For the time being, the firestorms in the city behind her seemed to be abating.

19-3

Suzu and Shoukei and their squad galloped through the city, directing civilians dazed and confused by the fire to the south. "Extinguish the fires! If you intend to run for it, then head for the Rooster Gate!"

Here and there, guardsmen were still lying in wait. They evaded them as best they could, but pretty soon their strength began to flag. They were ambushed over and over. A mercenary next to Shoukei was struck and felled. They just managed to escape as more soldiers rushed them, firing arrows and thrusting pikes. Another horse was struck in the legs and collapsed.

Not far off, Suzu screamed. "Sekki!"

The rider of the fallen horse was Sekki. He hit the ground and was sent sprawling. Light infantrymen charged him. Shoukei swung her mount around, but there was no way she would reach him in time. She spotted a soldier swinging a scimitar and screamed as well. Sekki wore no armor that could protect him from such a weapon.

"Sekki!"

The heavy clang rang out from a violent impact. The soldier waving the scimitar dropped his weapon, threw his arms over his head, and squatted down on the ground. Suzu stared in amazement.

"Enough already!" The white-haired old man swung the hunk of wood a second time at the soldier. "Who do you think you are?"

A rider approached on Shoukei's blind side and delivered the coup de grace to the soldier.

Sekki sat up and looked at the old man holding the wooden door bolt. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it."

A sinewy hand reached down to him. Sekki grasped the hand and was pulled to his feet. Sekki wasn't injured so badly that he couldn't walk. He went to let go, but the old man held on. Sekki turned to him.

The old man asked, "Is Shoukou dead?"

"We've captured him. He's being held in the prefectural offices."

"Ah," he said, at last letting go of Sekki's hand. "Is there anything more I can do?"

Sekki smiled. "You can help put out the fires."

The man nodded and turned around. Suzu smiled down at Sekki. "See? There are people here who get it."

Sekki grasped her hand and she pulled him onto the back of the horse.

"Let's go. We still haven't made it all the way around the city."

They fought their way to the Rooster Gate and dispatched the platoon of soldiers there who had held their ground. The area around the gate was quiet. No incoming arrows. The guard towers atop the gate were silent.

Youko permitted herself a small smile. Koshou gazed at the scene disbelievingly and turned to her. "What have you been up to?"

Youko returned the look and casually shrugged. "What could I have possibly been up to? Say, do you think we should open the gate?"

Koshou scowled and approached the gate. The gate had a portcullis, but it hadn't been lowered. He pushed aside the assault wagon barricading the three doors of the gate and released the bolts.

It was likely that the arrows would come flying as soon as he opened the large center door. Knowing that, he hesitated. Youko's hand did not as she opened the smaller auxiliary gate. She often pressed forward in this reckless manner. When she did, Koshou had learned, it usually meant the danger was gone.

Kantai opened the second auxiliary gate to Koshou's left. "Will you look at that," he said, in a deeply curious voice. He turned to Youko, who was securing the ring in the door to a hook on the wall. "Youshi, did you know there were no enemy outside?"

In fact, there was no sign of the enemy outside the gates. Aside from some wounded, and the scattered corpses and weapons, the countryside was almost bucolic.

"Ah--" said Youko, and shook her head.

"You didn't seem very uncertain about opening that door?"

"I, uh, forgot that there might be enemy out there."

"You--" Kantai started to say.

Youko interrupted him. "Enemy are approaching from the other direction. Don't you think we'd better hurry up and get ready for them?"

Koshou and Kantai exchanged glances. A man ran up to the door that Koshou was holding, pushed it open and latched it.

Koshou thought he was from Meikaku. Kantai thought he was from Takuhou. Having secured the door, the man pointed at the assault wagon. "Wouldn't it be best to move that and set up a defensive position?"

"Sure," said Koshou and Kantai, and then noticed that the man was shaking so bad his teeth were chattering. At this late stage, neither Koshou nor Kantai had seen anybody in their squads trembling this badly.

Koshou grinned and gave the man a whack on the shoulders. "Right you are. Thanks for the advice!"

As soon as they'd set up a defensive line outside the gate, they heard the sound of approaching horses.

"They're coming."

Koshou readied himself. In a peevish voice he exclaimed, "Dammit! We didn't have time to let the civilians escape!"

The red light from the city shone on his face. Youko peered up at the guard towers. Is this light a blessing? Or does the smoke cause more harm than good? It'd be hard to shoot at the enemy without any light to see by. But with the thick smoke filling the streets, it was getting hard to see anything even with the light.

"What do you say, Koshou? Should we shut the gates and return to the city center?"

"No other choice but to."

"There's an assault wagon," she heard Kantai say.

The hand gripping the hilt of her sword shook slightly, as did the ground beneath her feet. On unbroken ground, an assault wagon was the equal of ten mounted knights. The heavy rolling sound of the armored wagon echoed through the smoke.

The few civilians who had girded up their loins to join them retreated back down and sought the refuge at the castle. Only the battle-tested massed at the Rooster Gate. Even so, Youko and her fellow defenders were at an overwhelming disadvantage. The provincial guard would not only strike at the Rooster Gate. They'd have no choice but to divide their strength among the other gates at well.

They had about five hundred fighters gathered at the Rooster Gate. The provincial guard typically maintained reserves of 7500 cavalry in three regiments of 2500 soldiers each. Two regiments had been dispatched from Meikaku to Takuhou. With one regiment pushing on ahead, that meant another 2500 would be bringing up the rear. They could deploy at least four hundred to each of the twelve gates.

The rebels had broken the siege at the Rooster Gate, but simple math said that a good 4500 cavalry still surrounded Takuhou.

"Shut the gate!" ordered Koshou, and turned on his heels.

The sound of the assault wagon pressed nearer. Faint shapes and shadows could be seen through the smoke. Youko's eyes widened. It wasn't an assault wagon. It was more like a wedge out of the Great Wall itself moving slowly toward them.

"A siege tower," Kantai said in a low voice. "They came with siege towers."

"Siege towers?" queried Koshou.

"The forward portions are lined with armor, and behind them sandbags, giving cover to the soldiers. The big ones are called cloud bridges. That one's a thunder bridge. It's drawn by a bunch of siege wagons, each pulled by teams of horses. Ordinary mounts won't do, though. They'd tire too quickly."

"You're not so normal yourself."

"No less normal than Youshi. That thing there's for attacking the castle. If we don't stop it now, even if we shut the gates, it'll just break through the walls."

"What's the best way to attack it, then?" Youko asked.

Kantai raised his head in response to her question. "Koshou--" he said.

"What?" Koshou asked, looking back at him.

Kantai gestured with his lance. "Prepare fire arrows. As best you can, man the wall walks and fire down on the teams pushing the siege tower forward. You can use this. You hold it at the base and brandish it about. If it's too much for one person, make it a two-man operation. At any rate, if you can stop the siege tower coming in from the north and check the progress of the cavalry, head back to the city."

Koshou took the lance and grimaced. "We'll see what we can do. What are we going to do about the one coming from the south?"

"Leave it to me."

Youko peered up at Kantai. "With your bare hands?"

Kantai laughed. "My bare hands will do. You can cover me."

Youko furrowed her brow. The siege tower moved ever closer. They didn't have time to debate the subject.

"You going or not? Hey, you up there!" Koshou barked out. "Cover them!" The fighters before the gate suddenly stormed northward. Kantai launched himself southward.

He's fast. Youko followed after him, matching his unusually rapid gait. She drew her sword. Only because she had ordered the shirei to eliminate the archers could she proceed without fear of arrows.

At the same time her eyes grew wider with amazement. Kantai's body sank lower and lower to the ground. For a moment she feared he had been struck by an arrow, but he sank even lower. More than sinking, she got the impression that his body was somehow contracting. This wasn't because of an arrow. His forward progress made that clear.

What in the world--!

The shape and form of his body seemed to be dissolving. A moment later, he began to grow larger. His mutating form was both growing and taking on completely new dimensions. Or so it seemed to her.

From the wall walks as well, from every direction, a great stir went up. Kantai was some different kind of human. His hands emerged--no doubt about it--as forepaws. He shot across the ground up to the siege tower as fast as an arrow. He coiled up his body--now resembling a small mountain--and raked the side of the siege tower with a huge forepaw.

That single blow shook the thunder bridge. The siege wagons connected to it rocked back and forth and crashed to the earth, halting its forward progress.

He's a hanjuu.

Lances jabbed at the enormous bear, as it reared up on his hind legs. Youko ran forward to sever the spear tips from the shafts.

"Hey, my apologies," came a deep voice suffused with laughter. With a swipe of its paw, the huge bear took off the whole front of the assault wagon and sent it tumbling through the air.

As she swung her sword, Youko had to smile as well. "Just as I thought, the strength of no ordinary man."

The sun rose over the hills to the east of Takuhou. The city still smoldered, the smoke blurring the morning rays. But at least no tongues of fire could be seen.

Between the White Dragon Gate at the castle and the Rooster Gate, a collection of wagons blocked off the side streets, securing direct access to the Rooster Gate. Many silhouettes could be seen occupying the guard towers over the twelve city gates. The countless figures of men and women alike were perched atop the walls stretching out from the main gate.

Meeting fierce resistance, the Wa Provincial cavalry ringing the city had retreated for the time being. After a great deal of effort, they'd managed to join up with infantry advancing along the highway south of Takuhou and were setting up battle lines on the plains outside the Horse Gate.

The provincial guard rushed here had no grasp of the number of enemy forces they were facing. To what extent the citizens of Takuhou had joined up with the rebels, or whether they were only holed up in the citadel and protecting that.

This civilian rebellion was nothing to make light of, the foot messengers said. Already the civilians had taken over the ramparts and were keeping a valuable prize within the prefectural offices themselves. They were going to have to attack the formidable fortress at the heart of the city. Amidst this gloomy realization, even more startling news arrived:

This morning before dawn, Meikaku fell into chaos.