Chapter VI

  “There are roads which must not be followed,

  armies which must not be attacked”

  “The Art of War”

  ~by Sun Tzu~

  Shiro no Nokizaru is the family castle of the Nokizaru family Daimyo, Nokizaru Daiki. Also, my uncle, Shotoku Kagi, lived here and I looked forward to meeting with him. The castle is difficult to find, tucked into the Honshu mountains like it is. Winter was just setting in so the path up was covered in two feet of snow. Our progress was slow. The escort had been administering light doses of some sleeping agent to our prisoner to keep him sedated for the journey, so there had been no trouble from him.

  When we arrived at the gates, the eight of us stood patiently in the snow outside the town. One of the mononofu had commented that the Daimyo, Nokizaru Daiki, was rumored to have killed his own father after the man retired just so he wouldn’t have to hear his voice. Just then, the gates opened and four Nokizaru samurai came out to greet us. A Taisa, that is a Captain, approached us once they had positioned themselves to defend the gate against us if the need should arise.

  “My name is Nokizaru Nanto. I am here to escort you to my Daimyo. Follow me.”

  He turned and walked into the town. My sensei gave me a quick glance and urged the pony on through the gates. The four Nokizaru fell in behind us while the twelve gate guards closed the gates behind us.

  The Nokizaru family does one thing and they do it well, they make Onmyoji. What their Onmyoji specialized in I didn’t know, but I felt that I would find out soon enough though. The officer walked us straight up to the main hall inside the castle. Sensei and I got down from the cart, and just before entering the hall he said to our mononofu, “Gunso.” Stated Grandfather.

  The Sergeant replied, “Yes, Sensei sama?”

  “You and the men stay with the cart. I do not wish to antagonize Daiki by bringing too many men into his court at once.”

  The Gunso bowed sharply to him.

  We entered the court behind the officer. There were two men at the shoji screens who opened them for us in a sprightly fashion.

  I could see Daiki at the end of the hall. He was an older, bald man with two large tattoos on his face. Along the right side of his left eye was a large kanji of “Truth” while his right eye looked through the middle of the kanji “Secret.” He had a long mustache that hung several inches from the corners of his mouth and he wore a black kimono with the Nokizaru crest over his heart, and a red wakazashi short sword was tucked under his red and blue obi. Overall, he was a very frightening man.

  We followed our escort to the Daimyo’s dais. He stepped to the right while we knelt and bowed, almost touching our foreheads to the floor.

  “My Daimyo, this is Sensei Nokizaru and his pupil, Shotoku Hiro.” The man bowed when done with the introduction, took a step back, and knelt. Daiki eventually returned our bows after watching us for a long time. When we sat up he spoke.

  “Saibankan, it is very gracious of you to finally return to your home. To what do we attribute this wondrous gift?” The man was not happy.

  “I have not been away by choice, my Daimyo. But as for my return, Daimyo Yoshio,

  would like the interrogation of a prisoner conducted by one of your specialists, my Daimyo.”

  “And why should I help that weakling? He should have his own people! Am I to run every errand for him?”

  “I am sure Daimyo Yoshio does have his own, my Daimyo, but everyone knows yours are the best.” Daiki showed obvious pleasure at Sensei’s flattery.

  “Who is this you have with you?” Sensei looked at me. Daiki knew who I was, he heard my introduction when we came in.

  “This is my pupil, Shotoku Hiro, my lord.” I bowed to Daiki. He watched me for several

  moments again, before returning it.

  “Hiro... What do you think I should do, boy?” I remember thinking how I really needed to

  stay away from nobles but then I remembered something.

  “My father once told me that if you find a Koga in need, you must help them. And if you are in need, a Koga will help you.”

  "And why would I ever need a coward, like Yoshio's, help?"

  "I would think it could never hurt to have a man in your debt. Even if you never need his aid, my lord."

  He thought on that for a moment. “…You do not act like a coward, Hiro. I wonder...” He waved the officer closer, and whispered something to him. The man got up and started to walk back out. “Follow the Taisa. He will take you where you need to go, Saibankan.”

  Daiki waved us away with his hand like an old man to bothersome pests. I rose and followed my sensei out of the hall. Daiki’s spitefulness was so overpowering I honestly couldn’t remember what the main hall looked like, but I couldn’t get his face out of my mind.

  We picked up the men and cart along the way, the Taisa never slowed down. He walked us to a section of wall behind the castle and had us open the cart. The Gunso’s men pulled the prisoner out while the officer triggered a hidden door. We walked down the stairs that appeared and the Taisa closed the door again behind us. He led us through several twists and turns until we came to a section where two halls crossed.

  A samurai on duty there stood and retrieved some keys from the wall. Then he and the Taisa exchanged a few whispers after which they took us to a barred door with a lock on it. Yoshio's men chained the ronin to the floor inside the small, dark room, and then we left. The samurai closed the door while the officer led us back out.

  Once we got back on the cart we followed him to a lovely little house in the samurai district of Castle Nokizaru. It was intended for a family of three. The problem was that the six Mononofu from Shiro no Shotoku would be staying with us. We did have a servant though, Goemon Santo. An old man in his sixties I think. Sensei gave the man the cart to deal with and once he was gone addressed all of us.

  “Well, at least we will not have a shortage of guards.” The men laughed.

  Grandfather housed three of the samurai in one room while he and I shared the other with

  the Gunso. The two remaining samurai he placed in the main room with Santo at night. The men would stay with us until the interrogation had been completed. Then the six of them would walk back to Shiro no Shotoku. I fell asleep thinking about one happy thought. Grandfather's name was Saibankan.

  A servant arrived in the morning while I was practicing my katana. The woman had brought a letter from Daimyo Daiki. Sensei looked ill as he read it. When he looked up from the note I could tell it wasn't good.

  "Daiki wishes you to study with Nokizaru Xai while you are here, Hiro san."

  "I do not understand, Sensei sama."

  "Nokizaru Xai is Lord Daiki's best interrogator. He will be the one working on our ronin friend. Xai awaits your presence in the dungeons of Shiro Nokizaru."

  It took me a while to realize how badly I did not want to do this. I had heard stories about

  interrogations and none of them were happy stories. I went inside and cleaned up. Once I had eaten I headed to the castle. I found a samurai waiting for me at the entrance to the main hall. We took a back way down to the dungeons.

  Nokizaru Xai waited for me at the crossing of the halls where the guards are posted. He was a short stocky Onmyoji with a tattooed face like his Daimyo. He had no hair, large muscles, and looked to be in his early twenties. I noticed that he carried a large cylindrical bag in his left hand. It was about the length of a man's arm and as wide around, well, as me. He nodded to me and motioned for me to follow him. He led me back to the room where we had locked the ronin.

  He unlocked the door and hung the keys on a hook outside. When I walked in he motioned for me to sit opposite him with the ronin between us. The ronin had a great look of fear on his face. He had a better idea of what was going to happen than I did. Xai unrolled the bag.

  I saw more gruesome instruments in there than I would see anywhere else for the rest of my life. Everything was hooked, with barbs and sharp edges, and it all shined like it had been polished. Xai removed three candles and lit them. One he placed just above the man's head, the other at his feet, and the third he placed between myself and the ronin. Once that was done, he took out a long white cloth, and laid it on the floor next to him. He then would reach into the bag, and pull out his instruments to lay on the cloth. When he had laid out all of the ghastly devices into neat rows, he spoke. He had a light soft voice that sounded almost compassionate.

  "I do not suppose you wish to choose now as a time to tell me what I want to know, Wajima san?" He was looking at the ronin. "You do realize I am going to find out anyway.”

  The ronin wouldn't speak. Xai nodded to him. He reached back into the bag and pulled out a small bottle with a calfskin cover on it. He then retrieved a needle and removed some of what was inside the bottle with it. Xai calmly stuck the ronin in the neck; the man grimaced a little. Xai removed it and put the bottle and needle away.

  "That was 'Fathers Blood', Hiro san. It will help to prevent our friend from lying for a while." I nodded hesitantly. "Oh, it will not make him talk, but if he chooses to, he will have to fight to be deceitful." He smiled at that point.

  I found this quiet man very unnerving. Xai kept checking the man's eyes, he seemed to be

  waiting for the drug to work. After what felt like an eternity he said,

  "There we are."

  He sat back and pulled a scroll from the bag. The ronin looked nervously at him while he read over the scroll for several moments before setting it aside. When he spoke next it was an odd sort of guttural noise. It was Giapanese, but it flowed with an odd accent. He began to move his arms about in what looked like some sort of pattern but I couldn't tell what. He would glance at the paper from time to time but he never stopped moving or talking. I understood the word Kitsune, meaning fox, just before he stopped chanting. All of this took only a moment, then he put the paper back inside the bag.

  When he pulled his hand back he said something short and curt. This time it didn't take long. A small Yosei fairy appeared over the ronin. She and Xai had a quiet conversation and she disappeared into the ronin's chest. Then Xai spoke to the flame of the candle at the ronin's head. It was a different high pitched accent this time and suddenly the ronin's clothes caught fire. The ronin screamed as they burned off of him. It took only a few moments before he lay there nude and burned on the floor.

  Xai then picked up a large blade from his cloth on the floor. He cut the man from his chest to his navel, just enough to open the skin. Ronin screamed. I almost threw-up. And Xai calmly reached for another tool.

  He turned back around with some kind of clamp. I was feeling a little faint, when I saw

  him place the device into the incision. It was not a clamp. It was a spreader. He spread the skin wide open for a clear view of the man's internal organs. The ronin fainted. I started to get up, to run out, but Xai stuck his hand up at me.

  "Sit."

  I stopped in my half risen position and somehow got myself to sit back down. Xai removed another drug. He put it in front of the man’s face before removing the cork stopper, then waived it under his nose. The man came to, groggily at first, and then screaming. Xai put the drug away, and came back with a long jagged needle.

  "What is your name?" He got no response.

  He then prodded one of the man's organs, and the man screamed.

  "What is your name?" Still nothing.

  He prodded again, the man screamed again.

  "What is your name?"

  He never changed his tone or inflection, the question was exactly the same every time. By the fifth time asking the man was screaming his own name.

  "Yuke!!!"

  "Now that was easy, was it not?" Xai gave him a big smile. "Who sent you?”

  New question, same ugly needle. There was more screaming, and Xai changed tools several times. It took him half an hour to break the man down to tears. Once he almost died, but Xai brought him back with what I think was a healing spell.

  Once Yuke was broken, Xai removed a bowl from his bag and filled it with water. He did another chant for several moments and peered into the bowl. I sat there and looked at poor Yuke on the floor. Xai said something that brought me out of my reverie.

  "His Daimyo made him a ronin recently. Hm." I just looked at him.

  Xai spoke to the air again and began to move his arms about. After a moment a figure began to materialize. It took shape slowly, until finally I saw a person sitting next to Xai wearing the Wajima House crest over his heart. Xai roused Yuke by slapping him, Yuke came to and saw the image next to Xai.

  "Daimyo." He whispered. The image smiled faintly at him. Xai spoke,

  "Why did your Daimyo make you ronin, Yuke san?" Yuke looked to his Daimyo, who smiled a little wider and nodded kindly to him.

  "...be, because he wanted me to kill Yoshio's lover." Xai nodded.

  "Why did you not commit seppuku when you had completed the task?" The man closed his eyes. I saw tears fall down the sides of his face.

  "I..., I lacked the courage to do it right away... I planned it for dawn." Xai nodded.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  There was a look of compassion on his face which seemed at odds with our surroundings. Xai removed all of his tools from the man's now ravaged body and put them away. When he cast another healing spell to ease his pain, his body didn’t even show a scar. Yuke was unconscious when we left the room.

  Xai walked with me to the outside of the castle so the sun and air could help me catch my

  breath. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees. I looked at him once I had recovered.

  "I did not want to know how to do that."

  He looked at me calmly. "That makes two of us, Hiro san."

  "...I assumed you liked your work."

  He shook his head. "I fill the role Daiki needs me to fill. What I like, is to fly." He threw his bag down and picked me up. We rose swiftly into the air, stopping at some one hundred feet above the castle. He was genuinely happy, and I was in shock.

  "This is fantastic!" I yelled.

  "I know!" He laughed.

  He swooped down over the guards on the wall of the castle. They waved as if they were used to it. He kept us up there for several moments, chasing peasant children in the streets and floating above the Nokizaru guards. Eventually we had to land though. He saw Daiki waiting for us on a balcony of the castle, so he swooped us down to him.

  "I said show him your work. Not take him for a piggy back ride, Xai san."

  "Yes, my Daimyo. A moment of exuberance after a successful interrogation." Daiki nodded. He didn't seem as harsh today, not with Xai anyway. Xai told him what was discovered and explained that the prisoner was in perfect health awaiting Daiki's will.

  "I will wait on that. Get the information to Yoshio and see what he would like to do with the man."

  "Yes, my Daimyo."

  "Hiro san, come with me." I followed Daiki into the castle, while Xai floated down to the

  ground to do as his lord had ordered. Daiki closed the wooden doors behind us. We were standing in a study. There were scrolls and scroll cases everywhere. Books lined every wall. Many small items I couldn't name dotted the boxes and shelves throughout the room.

  "What did you think of the interrogation?"

  I looked at him and spoke as confidently as I could. "I did not like it, my lord."

  He nodded. "Most do not. Did you faint? Do not lie for I will find out!"

  "No, my lord. I did not... Though my legs tried to make me rise to leave once."

  He nodded again. "Xai seemed to like you well enough."

  "Yes, my lord. Though I did not think so until we were done with the ronin."

  He nodded one last time thinking to himself. Then he looked up suddenly.

  "Go home, Hiro san." He waved me away. I bowed and left through the door leading to the hall. I guessed my way out of the castle and headed home.

  "It was bad, I am thinking." I had not seen Grandfather standing at the gate, I had been

  watching the ground. I nodded to him.

  "Unbelievable. Xai took me flying when he was done though! That helped some."

  "Good. Did you get the information we came for?" I nodded. "At least there is that then, Hiro san."

  I was eleven.

  Later that day we had a visitor. The servant came and retrieved us from the back where I

  had been studying the history of the Kyushu House.

  "My lord, Shotoku Kagi, is requesting an audience." I had forgotten about him.

  Sensei answered. "Of course. We will receive him here."

  I put the books inside with the others and returned just before Kagi turned the corner. He was older than Mother or Tozasu. He looked a little overweight and quite dour. He spoke in a strong flat voice without emotion.

  "Sensei Nokizaru, I am Shotoku Kagi. I am here to speak with my nephew." As if we couldn't have guessed that.

  Grandfather nodded. "Please be seated." Kagi sat while Sensei spoke to Santo. "Santo san, would you get them some tea?" Santo bowed and left. "I will leave you two to talk." and then Grandfather rose and left, leaving me with this man. There was an odd silence until I spoke.

  "How have you been, uncle Kagi sama?" I smiled slightly.

  "Well, and you?"

  "I have been busy."

  "I doubt that a boy knows what busy is." That was impolite. I just nodded to him and sat there. "How is your mother?"

  "She is enjoying her frequent visits from uncle Tozasu and aunt Pe." It was his turn to nod.

  "I still do not understand what possessed the man to marry a geisha." Santo brought the tea and left quickly. I poured the tea while saying,

  "That would be me."

  "What would be you?"

  "I told him to marry her." I handed him his cup.

  "Why?!"

  "Because she is a good match for him."

  "I disagree."

  I nodded again. "Yes, but you were not there." I smiled.

  He decided to change the subject. "Your aunt will want to meet you."

  "I was not told you were married."

  "Yes, a year ago. Her father is a merchant here I have known for many years." Sounded like they had a great marriage.

  "I would be honored to meet her. When would be a good time?"

  He thought a moment. "Would tomorrow night be appropriate?"

  "Yes. I am sure Sensei will allow it if I work late tonight."

  "It is almost dark. You are not through for the day?"

  I gave a small laugh. "No. I am not a tailor uncle. I have many more hours of training before I can sleep." He looked stunned.

  We finished our tea and Grandfather returned.

  "Hiro? We must continue now."

  Kagi looked as if he hadn't been expecting it to end this quickly. He returned my bow of

  goodbye with a small look of surprise on his face. I escorted him to the gates. He said nothing else as he left.

  The next day word came by carrier pigeon to bring Wajima Yuke home. It's funny that I should call it that but after my first few days in Shiro no Nokizaru, I suppose any other place would seem that way.

  Sensei gave the six samurai the cart and pony to use. They left the same day the bird arrived. I would miss them. They liked to gamble at night with dice and I thought it funny that they believed it a great secret to keep from the lord, Sensei. They had taught me how to play several games though I would never use it.

  That evening I met my aunt. I remember it had been a quiet day of study and practice. I

  was feeling quite refreshed when I got to my uncle's house. A young girl answered the door, she looked to be the maid.

  "Please come in, Hiro sama."

  We bowed to each other before I removed my sandals at the doorway. I followed her a few feet to the center of the room where I waited for my aunt and uncle. They entered a few moments after the maid had left to get the tea. My uncle introduced his wife as they approached.

  "Hiro san, this is my wife, Shotoku Atsu."

  We bowed to each other. I had brought one of the rings I pulled off the Yoriki I killed. It

  was a beautiful pearl in a gold band. We of course went through the usual gift giving ceremony but it seemed to help smooth things over between us. It was a pleasant visit, though a little quiet. I think I made my uncle nervous. I know I made my aunt nervous.

  She was a quiet girl with wide uncertain eyes. She was barely half as old as my uncle. This marriage was definitely arranged. I ate my meal and made pleasant conversation. The evening ended and I walked home hoping I would never have to visit them again. Luckily, they didn't seem any more taken with me.

  A few weeks after they left I heard that the body of a Wajima samurai was found

  nailed to the inside of the gates of Toshi no Wajima, the capitol of the Wajima House. On that same night, Wajima Daimyo’s wife caught the flu. She died a day later. I think Yoshio was sending another message.

  Daiki went to Goemon Toshi soon after the interrogation. He had become a bit of a regular since the new Daimyo took over. With Daiki away his wife Akiko, Yoshio's eldest sister, ran the castle. I still had to sit in on court, Sensei insisted, but we quickly returned to my normal training regimen.

  I spent a few hours a week with Xai, not all of which was studying interrogation. Most was in the study of the spirits and magic. How to summon them, how to manipulate them, what an Onmyoji has to do to prepare. He also went over the different spells that an Onmyoji could use. I couldn’t use any of this information, and I did try, but the gift didn’t appear to have any use for me. Still, Xai said it would be useful to know, if I ever found myself facing an Onmyoji. That sounded familiar.

  My time in court was useful. Akiko had heard of me from her husband and she would invite me to tea with her court. Akiko's court had the same faces with a few extra. Akiko was a very capable woman. Friendly and polite but she always had an air about her that told you clearly not to play with her. It was a drastically different court when she was in charge. More relaxed but at the same time very results oriented.

  Soon after the Daimyo left for his first visit to Goemon Toshi, Sensei informed me we should be staying here for a year, so I had plenty of time to study with Xai and get used to the two courts. When the weather was nice Akiko would hold court in the garden. She seemed to enjoy the more relaxed feeling an outside court gave us.

  One time in the garden I saw a girl about my age come up to her. She was beautiful. Large eyes with a round face and rich black hair. She was dressed in a very fine kimono with lotus flowers on it. Akiko called me over to them.

  “Hiro san? Come meet my daughter.” I rose and approached quickly. Hiro san, this is my

  daughter Ketsumempo, she studies with our onmyoji in the dungeons.” I involuntarily made a face and bowed to her. “Ketsumempo, this is Shotoku Hiro, he works with Sensei Saibankan.” Then she involuntarily made a face and bowed.

  Once the introductions were made we walked over to a bench a few feet away so the adults could continue court.

  Ketsumempo said, “I had heard that Saibankan sama only trained people to kill. What is he teaching you?”

  “To kill people.” I smiled and she nodded. After a small silence I asked, “What are you

  studying in the dungeons?”

  “To torture people.” She smiled and I nodded. Then we both laughed.

  We spoke about the current politics and religion. We were both well-read so the conversation was fun. She had commented how she did not care for the game of Go and everyone seemed to think that is what you did in court or after. You discussed Go in court and retired to the garden with tea for a game of Go. Once I found out she thought that was uninteresting I made sure to bring a pair of dice with me to court and teach her some of the games the mononofu had taught me on the way here.

  “So they gamble for things when they play these games?” She asked.

  “Yes. Money mostly.” I nodded.

  “Then we should gamble as well, right?” She smiled.

  I shook my head. “No. That would be a bad idea.”

  “Because you are so good at it?”

  “Um no. Because you will cheat.” I smiled.

  She nodded her acceptance of that statement and we continued to play.

  My time at the Nokizaru family home was very pleasant. Between Xai and Ketsumempo my time was always fun, though my time with Xai could be a little depressing. He was a good man, he just had a rough job. The reason I could like him was simple. He knew his duty was despicable but it was needed.

  "Why do you not try something else?"

  "This is where Daiki wants me."

  I nodded. "Should he not have someone who enjoys the work?"

  "No. He said they all take too long. I hate it so badly that I am done in under an hour most times. It is funny. My sensei never thought I would be any good at it."

  "Was he?"

  "Yes. Too good. He enjoyed it so much that he killed a samurai-ko who Daiki really wanted some information out of."

  "He could not heal her?"

  "He tried."

  "What happened to him?"

  Xai just looked at me. "Does Daimyo Daiki look like the kind of man that takes failure well?"

  I shook my head. "So you will have to do this until you retire then."

  "Maybe not. Daiki is not a bad man. It is possible that he will reward me for loyal service. That is what keeps me going."

  I commented, “I have noticed that he gives you ample time to fly. He acts like he is

  reprimanding you when he finally stops you but it is always after you have had a long flight.” Xai smiled and nodded.

  Daiki returned one evening completely by surprise. I knew he was home because I had been stalking one of the wall guards near the gate when he showed up. His return was quiet and without fanfare as was his way. I think he liked to catch people by surprise.

  I'm not sure why I did it, but I decided to start stalking him. I slid down the side of the castle and crept across the courtyard while his staff was putting away their horses and goods. I was able to follow him through the interior of the castle into his personal suites without having been noticed. Daiki was talking to his wife about the state of affairs while he had been away. As they crossed the main reception area of their quarters Daiki stopped in mid-sentence suddenly and sniffed the air. After a moment he threw his arms out to each side and green mist immediately filled the area and disappeared. I don't know what that did but it didn't matter.

  “Hiro! Show yourself!” He was very angry.

  I slipped down from the rafters and removed my hood as I walked to him and knelt before him with my head down. “Yes, my lord?”

  “How long have you been following me?”

  “Since you came in through the gate, my lord. I had been stalking Taisa Ichiro

  when you arrived and I decided to follow you instead, Daiki sama.”

  “Hoping to overhear something important I assume.”

  “No, my lord. I just wanted better practice.”

  I could see Ketsumempo peeking out from around a doorway across the room. She looked as if she was trying not to laugh at me.

  Daiki continued, “Better practice” means you made Li look foolish, Hiro san.”

  I was not sure who he was talking about until a Ninja appeared to my right. He had removed his hood and was looking at Daiki with a very serious look on his face. He was an old man. Maybe one or two years younger than Grandfather.

  “Li san, speak plainly. How did he do?”

  He stared at me for several moments before answering. “The boy is very gifted, my lord. We were in the rafters with him and still none of us knew he was there until you caught him.”

  Daiki stared at me a while longer, nodding to what Li had said. “Fine. You two wash up and join us for dinner.”

  And then he turned and continued on with his wife who seemed to be smirking. I stood and followed Li to the wash bowl to clean our hands. We bowed to the family and sat down with them in the private room they had overlooking the gardens that Akiko loved so much. Daiki looked to me while the servants brought dinner.

  “My daughter tells me you have taught her to gamble, Hiro san.”

  She was trying hard not to laugh.

  “I would never teach her to gamble, my lord... I am certain she would cheat.”

  He nodded. “If you are going to gamble and NOT cheat, …I just do not see the point.”

  Even Li smiled at that.

  I asked, “How was your trip to Goemon Toshi, my lord?”

  “I was not there but a day. It seemed pleasant as always. I checked in on your mother while I was there. She is doing well by the way and asked about you, Hiro san.”

  “Domo arigato, Daiki sama. I am pleased to hear she is doing well, but may I ask

  where you were for the last three weeks?”

  He finished eating his rice and said, “Yes. I was in Shiro no Shotoku.” He took another bite of rice. I noticed everyone else was not moving just like me. We all waited for him to continue. “You see... Yoshio is going to war.”