Dragon Sword and Wind Child (19 page)

But Chihaya did not seem to hear. His appearance was of little interest to him. Instead, he began talking excitedly on a totally different subject.

“The children ran off, saying that there's a sea monster.”

Saya blinked in surprise. “A sea monster? What's that?”

“I don't know. They said it was washed ashore by the storm.” Chihaya's innocent excitement was catching, and Saya turned to the old woman. “Can we go and see, too?”

“It's just a shark,” Lady Iwa said. “You can go, but the sea's still rough. Be careful not to get swept away by the waves.” Saya practically flew out the door.

The narrow spit of sand below the shallow terrace curved gently out to the headland, and waves pounded against it defiantly. The waves were a somber brownish green where they swelled and broke in a rush of noise, scattering white foam, but out to sea they were a sparkling blue. Their sharp-peaked crests rose steeply and raced toward land. For the first time in her life, Saya stood at the edge of the sea. Unlike the endless expanse of blue that she had seen from a distance, the ocean at close range seemed like a live and cunning creature on whom it would be unwise to turn one's back. The smell of the wind was unfamiliar and it, too, seemed shrewd and intelligent. And yet she felt that she had known this scent even before she was born. Birds wheeled in the sky above, and she heard their plaintive cries carried on the wind.

The smell of the sea was even sharper as they walked along the beach strewn with debris from the previous night's storm: brilliantly colored seaweed, driftwood, various species of small fish, jellyfish, and starfish. Saya did not recognize half of them. Women and children, baskets in hand, gathered them busily. Saya wanted to stop and pick things up to look at them, but she had no chance because Chihaya kept walking without a second glance.

“Isn't the sea new to you?”

“This is the first time that I've ever seen it with my own eyes, but . . .” he replied.

As she knew only too well what he meant by this, she did not bother to question him further.

Soon they saw a group of boys chattering excitedly. Knee-deep in the surf, they were gathered around a large black object that had run aground on the beach. Coming closer, Saya saw that it was a huge shark twice the length of an average man. It lay on its side with its pectoral fin piercing the sky, looking like a small hill with a flag perched upon it. Its belly was the hideous color of a corpse, and the long teeth protruding from its V-shaped jaws sent shivers up Saya's spine. Bereft of emotion, its eye, which seemed small for its body, stared blankly at the sky. She grimaced at the sight. It was obviously a monster from another world, not something that should be exposed thus to the light of day. She felt nauseated but was not sure if it was from disgust or pity.

Beside her Chihaya whispered in awe, “What a beautiful creature.”

Saya looked at him in astonishment. “Beautiful?”

“Beautiful, and strong. Look at the line of his body. Think how fast this fish could swim underneath the waves . . .”

Chihaya pointed at its pectoral fin, and at that very moment it moved. Then the shark's flank undulated and its thick tail thrashed weakly against the sand. The children shrieked and leaped away.

“It's still alive!”

“Let's get the others.”

Although she did not scream, Saya clutched Chihaya's arm so hard her nails dug in. “Look out! It's alive! Move back.”

Chihaya, however, stood rooted to the spot. He stared wide-eyed, his gaze riveted on the shark. Saya, realizing that something was wrong, tried to shake him, but his body was so rigid it did not budge.

“Chihaya!” she screamed, putting her mouth to his ear. But her voice did not reach him. He was listening to a different voice.

“
GREETINGS
, O young and solitary god. I am the God of the Sea who abides in the ocean's depths beneath the eternal waves. This creature is the bearer of my message.”

“Are you one of the many gods of the earth?” Chihaya asked.

“In some ways, yes; in others, no. For neither the powers of the Darkness nor of the Light can reach me. In that sense, I am most like you.”

After pondering this for a moment, Chihaya said, “I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm—”

But the God of the Sea ignored him.

“I send this message of encouragement, for I saw you upon my shore. I can do no more. As a mere onlooker, I am powerless to lend a hand concerning your bitter fate. There are but two paths to choose from, and both are cruel. To slay your father, or to be slain by him—a hard choice indeed.”

Taken aback, Chihaya wondered what on earth the god meant.

“Although it's no concern of mine, this shore borders on my territory. I'll be watching the road you take. O solitary god, unique in Toyoashihara, I send this message, for I also am alone. Tread carefully, so that you are left with no regrets.”

“
WAIT
!” Chihaya cried. “Please!”

But the ancient voice faded away, and instead he heard Saya's voice calling his name so loudly that it hurt his ear. He blinked and saw her standing right in front of him, her eyes filled with alarm and her face pale with anxiety.

“What?”

“I said move back!” Saya snapped at him.

Chihaya moved back a few paces but said, “If it's because of the shark, it just died.”

Saya glanced over her shoulder at the shark's motionless form and then stared suspiciously at Chihaya. “How did you know that? Surely you didn't try to possess that monster? Because if you did, I'll have nothing more to do with you.”

Chihaya shook his head. “I couldn't have possessed it. That fish was a messenger from the God of the Sea.”

Saya's mouth dropped open in innocent astonishment. “What did you just say?”

Chihaya looked at the fish that had breathed its last, and frowned slightly. “I heard the voice of the Sea God,” he said doubtfully. “But I think he must have talked to me by mistake. Surely he was mistaken.” Puzzled, he looked at Saya and said in a low voice, “He seemed to think that I was the Dragon.”

A chill ran up her spine, but while she stood there speechless, the children came back from the other side of the beach, leading two fishermen. They, too, stared at the huge shark, but when they saw that it was dead, they touched it and said, “This is a servant of the Sea God. We must prepare an altar and suitable offerings.”

Saya looked from one weathered face to the other in surprise. “You mean you worship the gods of the earth?”

“Of course. Fishing is our trade. How could we survive if we were cursed by the lord of the sea?”

“But I saw you worshipping the sun this morning,” Saya said, and the fishermen laughed, their faces untroubled.

“We wouldn't be forgetting the blessing of the Light, young lady. The key is to live a life full of thanks and praise. Our work is so dangerous that even if we worshipped all the gods in the world, many of us would still die untimely deaths.”

“THEY'RE LUCKY,”
Saya sighed after leaving the fishermen. “Why can't the people of Darkness live like that, without fighting? To tell you the truth, I'm afraid of what's going to happen.”

Brushing her windswept hair from her face, she turned to Chihaya with a pensive look.

“I don't want to be swept up in this war against the God of Light. But there's nothing I can do about it . . . Oh, I'm not even sure about whether or not there's nothing I can do. What about you? Have you thought about what you're going to do when we get to the people of Darkness?”

“No,” Chihaya replied promptly.

“And you have me worried, too.”

Saya sighed again. She was getting used to the fact that Chihaya was hard to understand. But it bothered her not to have the faintest idea what he, a Prince of Light, intended to do among the people of Darkness. She did not know how the latter would receive him either, or even how they would welcome her. Although she was of the same race, she had learned almost nothing about the enemies of the Light.

“I worry you?” Chihaya said in complete surprise. “What about me could worry you?”

“That's what worries me!” Saya said in exasperation.

The sun had risen high in the sky and the tide had reached its lowest ebb when Torihiko came gliding on the wind in search of them. Saya and Chihaya were helping to dig up shellfish on the beach, and the children opened their mouths in astonishment when the huge crow landed purposefully on Saya's shoulder. She quickly walked away and turned her back to them so that they could not be heard talking.

“We leave by boat this afternoon,” Torihiko said. “Lady Iwa said not to wander too far from the Sword.”

“I know,” Saya replied with some annoyance.

“I'll be leaving ahead of you. Flying's faster, so they told me to let Lord Akitsu know when we're arriving.”

Saya suddenly felt alone and helpless. She looked at the black crow. “You mean you're not coming with us?”

“Wouldn't you know it! Now that I've got wings they think up even more ways to keep me busy.”

“Where on earth are we going anyway? Across the sea?”

“No, it's not that far. We're only going by boat because it's easier to go around the point and enter from the shore. From here on, the mountains are very rugged, so it's impossible to approach by land. Lord Akitsu resides in a hidden valley called Eagle's Manor.” Torihiko broke off, and hunching his shoulders, he preened his feathers with his beak. Then he continued smugly. “Of course, it's not much of a fortress if you've got wings. Old Akitsu will sure be surprised to see me.”

Saya bit back the words that sprang to her tongue. Torihiko seemed almost to be enjoying his new form. At least he never complained. And if he did, she knew he would never be caught griping about his fate in front of her.

“Take care,” was all that she said.

“See you later.” Watching him fly exuberantly into the sky, Saya wished that she had even half his talent for making the best of necessity.

2

THEY BOARDED TWO BOATS AT NOON
that summer's day and set off into the dazzling sea. The two attendants steered, sculling with practiced hands. Saya, who rode with Lady Iwa, shaded her eyes with her hand and watched the other boat some distance away. She thought idly that the grim figure of Lord Shinado contrasted with the slender, fragile form of Chihaya made him look like a slave dealer taking home a newly purchased prize. Although the little boats rocked back and forth, there was no fear of capsizing, and they forged ahead, trailing a wake behind them. Skirting the sheer cliffs on the cape at a distance, they rounded the promontory. On the other side, the cliffs gradually sank in height and the dense black forest covering the top came into view. Passing several reefs where white waves broke, they approached the shore cautiously until suddenly a hollow appeared within the bluff, revealing a hidden cove. As they passed between the cliffs, gazing up at the rock ledges lined with seabird nests, the water turned smooth and tranquil. Under the blazing sun, shore and forest were wrapped in silence, augmenting the air of secrecy.

Or perhaps this was only Saya's imagination, sparked by her anxiety concerning those who awaited them. It seemed to her that the entire cove held its breath, watching them intently. But there was no sign of anyone waiting in ambush when they landed on the empty beach near the mouth of a river flowing into the cove. They set out on foot, following the river in the sweltering heat. No one spoke, and the only sound to be heard was the chirring of the cicadas. Soon the river entered a steep valley and the path became increasingly rugged and lined with boulders.

Chihaya glanced up suddenly, and Saya, following suit, glimpsed tiny forms at the top of the cliff ahead, where the canopy of leaves was thinner. She thought she saw them wave, and then they disappeared. The idea that she would have to climb so far was almost too much for her. It was a windless afternoon, hot and humid even in the shade—certainly not the season for sweating one's way up a rock cliff. However, she need not have worried. They had gone only a few paces farther when they were met by a group of brawny men.

The bearded leader bowed his head respectfully. “Please forgive our delay. We apologize for not coming sooner, but we had to make sure that you weren't followed.” There were at least twenty men with him. They all wore black headbands and protective vests of hard leather over their bare, tanned chests. Although they appeared respectful at that moment, Saya felt that underneath they were rough and dangerous. Lord Shinado accepted their greeting solemnly.

“Thank you for your trouble. Bring the litters here.”

Two litters without canopies, each supported on long poles and carried by four men, were immediately brought forward. Saya was gazing at them curiously when Lord Shinado said, “You should get on.”

“Me?” she said in surprise. It had never occurred to her that she would ride while Lord Shinado walked. Confused, she looked from left to right and stammered, “I–I can walk. I'm not that tired.”

“It's all right,” Lady Iwa reassured her, already seated on the other litter. “Go ahead. Remember, you're the princess of our people.”

Having no choice, Saya sat down, but in the end she found it much more tiring than walking, for she held herself rigid the whole way lest she should burden the bearers.

Finally they came to a hollow behind which rose a rock wall shaped like a folding screen. Before them lay cool green meadows and cultivated fields. As they came closer, Saya saw houses built in rows along the bottom of the cliff and a crowd of people gathered in front of them, cheering loudly. She recalled the day she had reached the Palace of Light and how the people had waited in the fine rain, lined up in an orderly fashion. This was a much more boisterous crowd, with children and dogs racing about.