Kichi noticed Masahide sneaking away from the arena. She looked him to Whitebeard, who was intent on the match between the two lower-level knights. The round lacked the spectacular magic show of Masahide versus Ujisue, so the crowd complained or talked amongst themselves. “I’m going to see if he’s alright.”
“Okay, but be back before the midday break ends. They’ll announce the new numbers.”
Kichi nodded, stood, and bumped into the fur of a bear. It wasn’t the kind of a bear to maul you, just a gentle giant with long claws. It carried a tray of fried bread. “No, thank you.”
It made a noise of understanding and shuffled to the next row, where two people lifted skewers of golden balls.
Kichi tried not to run, so she did a bounding walk that she hoped didn’t draw attention. She found Masahide right where she thought she would—at the mountain shrine. He was deep in prayer.
She knelt at his level. “Are you alright?”
Masahide opened an eye and glanced at her. “I’ve never killed anyone. And I don’t think Ujisue deserved it.”
“You didn’t have a choice. You had to fight back.”
He closed his eyes and went back to concentrating. “I know. But I saw him look at me when the lance hit him. He didn’t want to die.”
Kichi didn’t want to disturb him, but there wasn’t time for this. She didn’t think there was anything he could’ve done anyway. Ujisue had thrown an incredible assault at him. She hadn’t seen anything like it. There’s been so much magic.
She laid a hand on his shoulder. “We have two hours we can look for Ema.”
After a moment, he answered. “Can you take this one? I just want to sit here for a while.”
“Masahide, she needs you. All she has is for us to find her. Remember the code.”
He looked sidelong at her again. “We must defend the weak.”
“Yes.”
As if he weighed twice as much, he stood slowly. “You’re right, Kichi. We don’t live for ourselves, but for those we care about.”
“Come on then.”
They searched all the rooms on the floor directly below them. Each room was empty, dusty, and cobwebbed but held no one. They were beginning to believe that Ema must be in one of the towers or somewhere below the central part of the cattle.
A bell donged, and they glanced out of a window to see many leaving their seats. It must be the noonday lunch.
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When Kichi turned around, her heart skipped a beat. There was Hisa flipping her walking stick.
Hisa bounced the stick on the floor end first so that it reversed and landed in her hand. “What are you guys doing in my room?”
Kichi didn’t know what to say, so she figured she’d start at the beginning. “I was trying to distract Masahide from being sad and look for…”
Hisa made a gesture like a wave. “It doesn’t matter. You can always come to my room if you need me. Are you okay, Masahide? Ujisue was my friend and one of my best men. But it won’t be the last loss of life in this tournament.”
Masahide nodded, then snapped attention to Kichi, “Kichi, withdraw. I don’t want to see you mismatched like I was. It’s a lose-lose if you win or not.”
Hisa closed the door behind herself. “If Whitebeard asked you to participate, he has good reason. I would discourage you from disregarding his plans.”
Kichi plopped down in a dusty but plush cushioned seat. “What was he like when the Dragon Order still existed?”
“Not much different than he is now. He always stayed aloof.”
“He has no friends?”
Hisa twirled the stick. “He has many friends but never the time to keep in touch—always off to the next adventure. Some say he was bound to serve the realm long before he took the oath. And that he’d done evil, and now his soul belongs to the primordial spirits who force him to do good things. I don’t think any of that’s true. I think he sees too much of the future and has never considered living for himself.”
Masahide nodded as if that just affirmed what he knew about Whitebeard. “That’s how a knight should live. It’s honorable.”
Hisa made an indifferent noise. “That may be, but it’s also exceedingly rare.”
Kichi shot up. “We need to go. We’re looking for a friend, and there’s not much time before it starts again.”
Hisa nodded. “Yes, Ema. I have no idea where she is, but strange things are afoot in the lower levels. I’ve always had great hearing, and the noise of digging keeps me up at night.”
Kichi bowed, “Thank you.” She took Masahide’s hand and pulled him. “Remember where the iron maiden came up? We should start there.”
Hisa stopped them before they’d left the room when she called out, “Masahide, I will speak to you this evening.”
“Yes, Grandmaster Hisa.”
They sped to the chamber where the floor had opened up. There was a bronze handle and hinges on a blue-painted trapdoor. Each took hold and pulled. It creaked open and created a dark rectangle with a stairway disappearing below.
Kich saw torchlight below. She took a few steps and glanced back. “We should close it in case someone sees it.”
Masahide followed her, and they reached a hallway. He snatched the torch from the sconce and held it overhead. All they could see was a few fathoms ahead.
The sound of breathing turned their attention behind them. It was the sound of a beast’s nostrils sucking air. Two red eyes stared at them from the gloom.
Kichi
Level: 6
Focus: Prescience
Secondary focus: Lava+1
Weapons: pure sword - 3% pure
Items: Near Field Amulet (Prescience+2, focus)