The Staff of Kyade (3 page)

'This staff is my village's sacred treasure.' Kenji said with a smile.

'Is it really?' spoke Tokufumi with a wide eyed expression.

'Yes, my emperor.'

'What village are you from?'

'I am from Kyade, but it is no longer there.' Kenji did not believe for a second that Tokufumi was as clueless as he was making himself out to be, but he decided to play along.

'What do you mean … what happened?' questioned Tokufumi.

'When I was a little boy my village was attacked; I am the sole survivor.'

'How did you get away with that staff Kenji? You must have been really brave!' Tokufumi's voice was filled with sympathy and admiration.

'It wasn't that. I knew what they were after and I was just lucky I got away.' Kenji said, looking down at his plate of food.

'Well, I am glad you are alright.'

'Thank you, but you know what is interesting?' Kenji said, adding a little bit of malice in his voice. 'That the people who attacked and destroyed my home looked almost like the person who attacked me here,' said Kenji and he stared straight into Tokufumi's eyes.

'What are you trying to say, my young friend?' Tokufumi replied. Shin had noticed the atmosphere in the room was completely changed. He watched as Kenji and Tokufumi tried to intimidate each other with just their stares. Shin also saw that everyone at the table was looking at him. Shin nudged Kenji with his foot, alerting him to the situation. Kenji tried to break the tension before things got out of hand.

'Nothing, your Imperial Majesty,' Kenji said with a smile. 'I was just speaking on an interesting observation. Even though Kenji tried to calm things down, the glares from the others did not stop. He realized the only way to relieve the tension was to temporarily separate himself from the group.

'If you do not mind, your Imperial Majesty, may I be excused to use the restroom?'

'You may,' replied Tokufumi, still studying him.

As Kenji got up and slowly walked away, he realized he was playing a dangerous game with Tokufumi. He needed time to compose himself. There was a dark feeling looming over him that he could not shake. Kenji walked outside and to the garden at the other side of the palace. He looked at the birds in the air and the fish in the pond on the side of Tokufumi's palace and for a moment, Kenji was calm.

Kenji stared, confused, when the staff once again started to glow. So far, the staff had only glowed when he was in trouble or approaching trouble. He was safe at the moment so he did not understand.

He suddenly remembered that he had left Shin alone back in the palace. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Kenji realized that the glowing staff had something to do with Shin. Kenji ran through the palace as fast as he could back to the dining room. When he got there everyone was gone. There wasn't a person in sight.

'Shin! Shin where are you?' Kenji screamed, but there was no answer. Unfortunately, Kenji could not walk around the palace, frantic or otherwise—he would be captured as well. Kenji slowly crept around the palace, sneaking and hiding around furniture, statues, and other objects to avoid being seen by the servants and guards.

He managed to check a few rooms undetected and all were empty until he opened a door and saw Jun. Jun was sitting quietly on the floor with tears streaming down his face. Kenji looked down at him, concerned. 'What's wrong Jun?' Kenji asked while approaching cautiously.

'I hate it … I just hate it!' Jun wailed.

'What do you hate?' Kenji asked.

'I hate how Daddy makes them all go away?' Jun said, trying to wipe his tears away.

'What do you mean?' Even as he asked, Kenji had a sinking feeling that he already knew the answer.

'Whenever Dad thinks someone is bad, he makes them and everyone they know go away. He sent those people and their dragons to destroy your village because he has been hearing a voice in his sleep that told him to. He also knows about some horse creature … Ujumoomoo or something. He sent those scary girl monsters to take over your friend's home. Dad heard his village was going to rebel against him so he destroyed them.'

'Jun, you can't be more than eight years old, how do you know all this?' Kenji asked nervously.

 'I know because Dad told me. He is trying to make me be like him so I can rule the way he does when I become emperor. Now he has your friend and I just know he is going to make him go away. I just know it.' Jun said, beginning to cry again.

'Well, we can stop that before it happens.' said Kenji.

'We can …?' Jun's voice was still quivery, but he sounded hopeful.

'Yes Jun, we can,' Kenji said firmly,' but I need your help.'

'I can't. Dad will be mad at me for betraying him,' replied a conflicted Jun.

'He won't find out you helped me; I won't tell I promise,' Kenji pleaded with Jun.

'Ok, I will do what I can.'

'Great! Now, Jun can you tell me where he took Shin?' asked Kenji.

'Yes, he's in the dungeon on the lower level of the palace.'

'Can you take me there?' requested Kenji.

Jun looked frightened 'I … I am not supposed to go down there.' He said nervously.

'Jun, please … 'Kenji pleaded. 'I need you to take me; I don't know how to get there.'

'Daddy will be really mad at me.'

'Please Jun. I have lost many people because of your father, but Shin cannot be one of them.' Kenji begged and pleaded and begged some more, but the fear of Tokufumi's wrath was still in Jun's eyes. Kenji turned his back on Jun and walked off tearfully. He was going to search for Shin anyway, even though he had no idea where he was.

'Ok, Mister Kenji, I will help you.' Jun suddenly said. Kenji realized that he could still be captured, so he used Jun as a distraction. Kenji snuck around while Jun stayed in plain sight. Kenji followed him throughout the castle, but it was taking such a long time Kenji started to wonder if Jun was leading him to his doom. The boy seemed genuine in heart, and Kenji had no choice but to trust him.

They finally arrived at a dark door. When Kenji opened it, he saw a huge cage suspended above a pit of spikes. When Kenji got a good look at the cage, he realized that Shin was inside it.

'Shin!' Kenji said, relieved that Shin was still alive.

'Kenji!' replied Shin.

'Don't worry, Shin, I'm here to save you!' Kenji yelled. He began to look for a way to get to the cage.

'No, Kenji, don't be a fool. There is nothing you can do to get me out of here. These bars are indestructible, and even if you managed to break them, we would still have to worry about the guards and Tokufumi. You were right Kenji:  I should have listened to you.' Shin said as tears rolled down his face.

'Don't even worry about all that now; let's just find a way to get you out of here.'

'Kenji, please don't worry about me. Get out while you still can. I couldn't handle it if I was the reason you were hurt.' Shin said his voice full of pain.

'Shin … 'Kenji asked,' what are you saying?'

'I am saying that you are the most important person to me and you are all I have. If I die, I want to at least know you are still alive so please go … for me. I can't bear the thought of you being captured or killed just to save me.'

'I am sorry you feel that way, but we are in this together Shin. You can't imagine us dying together, but I can't imagine my life without you. Either way the outcome is unbearable. I can't leave you Shin. I won't.

'How precious,' Tokufumi suddenly interrupted, 'but you will wish you had listened to him. I wonder how you got down here anyway.'

'I … I brought him here father,' spoke a nervous Jun.

'You disappoint me, Jun, but I will deal with you later,' said Tokufumi in disgust.

'Lord Tokufumi, what do you want?' Kenji said with anger.

'That is a foolish question—you know what I want. So hand it over.'

'You will never get the staff of Kyade. I won't ever let you have it,' Kenji said bravely.

'Well, then, I guess I have no choice but to destroy you.'

'No, you can't. I don't know all the secrets and powers of the staff, but I know that as long as I hold it in my hand I cannot be killed,' Kenji said with confidence.

'Hmm … is that so?' said a confused Tokufumi. He looked at Kenji for a while, as if he was studying him.  Kenji looked at the emperor arrogantly, but after a few minutes, the smug look returned to Tokufumi's face.

'Why are you smiling emperor? You can't beat me,' said Kenji.

'I must admit, Kenji, you have a lot of courage and you had me nervous for a second, but now I know exactly how to bring you down.' Tokufumi said, sure of himself.

'You are lying, 'Kenji replied with unease.'You have nothing.'

'Oh, but I do. It's true I cannot harm you, but,' Tokufumi pointed to Shin, 'he, on the other hand, is not as fortunate.'

'You bastard!' Kenji raged.

Tokufumi smiled triumphantly. 'You have a choice to make. You either give me the staff and you both can go free. Or keep it and I will kill your friend. I realize this may take some time for you two to talk it over.' Tokufumi said while laughed. 'So I will give you an hour to decide. When I come back, I expect a decision.' Tokufumi walked away still laughing, Jun slowly walking behind him. The door shut behind them.

Kenji was in a horrible position. He did not know exactly all the staff could do, but he knew that if Tokufumi  was going through all the trouble then the staff must be something powerful indeed.

'Leave me here,' said Shin.

'I can't.'

'You have to. There is no other choice.' Shin said.

'I will give him the staff,' said a defeated Kenji.

'No! Who knows what he will do with that staff. If you give it to him I will never forgive you!' Shin cried.

'I can't watch you die Shin … I can't.' Feeling helpless, Kenji fell to his knees and started to cry. He felt lost and helpless. In his mind he knew that something bad would happen if the emperor got his hands on the staff, but by keeping it he would go back to a world of loneliness and sorrow. Losing Shin would be the end of his world.

'I know what I have to do,' Kenji said as he dried his tears.

'I know, and I know it's hard, but it is the right thing to do.' Shin said in an effort to comfort Kenji.

'Shin.'

'Yes, Kenji.'

'All of this happened because we were focused on the past and revenge.'

'You are right, and if the past had not happened, we would have not met each other and I … '

'Yes, Shin?' Kenji said.

'I cannot imagine my life without you.'

Kenji stared into his eyes. There was a bond between them. They needed each other. Kenji started to make his way toward shin. There was a pit of spikes separating them, but he did not slow down.

'What are you doing?' asked Shin

'I am coming to see you.' said Kenji with resolve.

'You can't walk on those things. You'll be killed.'

'No, I won't.' Kenji jumped into the pit of spikes and something amazing happened. Just as he thought, the staff started to glow, and it created a bridge of light. Kenji made his way toward the cage in the middle of the pit.

'Why did you come out here?' asked Shin.

'So I could do this.' Kenji reached through the bars to catch Shin's hand. He pulled Shin close and kissed him gently. The staff glowed once again, but the light was red instead of the usual white. Neither Kenji nor Shin saw the light. When Kenji and Shin opened their eyes, the staff had already dimmed again.

'I just had to do that, Shin.' said Kenji.

'You don't have to explain anything to me, Kenji.'

'I see you two are saying your final farewell. So does this mean that you have made a decision?' Tokufumi had come back.

'Yes,' Kenji said hesitantly, 'I have made a decision.'

'What shall it be?' Tokufumi jokingly asked.

'You know, all my life I have wondered what my purpose, my destiny, was. I always thought it was to avenge my people and restore my homeland, but now I don't think so. I have found something beautiful in all the tragedy. I won't let you have the staff. I don't know what you had planned, but a plan is all it will ever be.'

'You do realize, you insolent fool, that your friend here will die if you don't yield to me.' Tokufumi said angrily.

'I realize that, but I am wise enough to know once I hand the staff over you will destroy us both anyway.'

'What are you saying?' questioned Tokufumi.

'I am saying that I have carried a burden on me for years. I have lived for one purpose and one purpose alone, but that ends now. This staff will belong to no one and never again will anyone have to suffer and die because of it!' Filled with a blind rage, Kenji took the staff and smashed it with all his strength against the cage. The staff gave off an incredible explosion that knocked Kenji back to the ground, broke the cage, and propelled Shin to the other side of the dungeon.

'Kenji! Are you okay?' yelled Shin.

'Yeah, I am fine.'

'The explosion broke the cage and pushed me to the other side.' said Shin.

'Are you ok?' asked Kenji.

'Yeah, I think so.'

'You idiot,' Tokufumi yelled. He looked livid, but his voice was filled with fear. 'What have you done?'

'I will sacrifice myself and be killed along with Shin, but I will not let you wield the staff. If I have to give my life, so be it!'

'Kenji, what's happening!' yelled Shin from across the room.

'I don't know. I think the staff is doing it.' The walls started collapsing and the ceiling was caving in. Lanterns, shelves, bricks all came crashing down.

'Kenji,' Shin said, running over to him, 'What are we going to do?'

'Let's try to make a run for it.' They ran towards the door, as did Tokufumi, but before any of them could get to the door, that part of the dungeon caved in completely.

'What do we do now, Kenji?' asked Shin.

'There is nothing we can do now. I am so sorry about this,' said Kenji.

'It's okay, Kenji, I don't regret anything.' The walls were completely caving in on all sides. There was nowhere to run or hide.

'Shin.'

'Yes, Kenji?'

'I love you.'