Following the trail of salts lead him across the rooftops, through darkened allies, and then finally out of Urukawa and into the foothills to the north. Ardamius had been careful not to venture too close to the center of Urukawa where the Imperial castle was, or its little sister castle, Momori Jinja.

The air was brisk, but Ardamius had set a good pace that he kept in pursuit of the creature. The horizon to the north was beginning to lighten. Soon the morning would be upon him. If that creature wasn’t one of the Taisho Six, and simply some cursed woman, then it might go to ground when the suns came up.

Turning, he surveyed Urukawa bellow. Had it taken him that long to cross the city from the other side? All the lights had been put out as the celebrations died down or were put to a stop, probably due to Yoshinaka’s army combing the city.

Farther up the foothills, The King came upon a hot spring. The water was glassy, reflecting the blue morning horizon as steam trailed off into the frigid air. Had he not had a pressing purpose, he thought he might have spent some time here.

Peering about, he saw no signs of people. No houses, no temples. But the pink trail of salts had lead him along a path. Perhaps some of the local people used these hot springs on occasion, but the area seemed completely deserted now.

The ground was hard with frost under his boots. The creature had come this way. There were footprints that had left scratch marks in the dirt. Ardamius followed them up over the bluff overlooking the first hot spring and farther down, Urukawa, where he found more springs. These were smaller, and there were rocks and stones that had been placed strategically to create deeper pools.

But that’s not what interested the leader of The Reconnoiters. There was a dirty kimono on the ground, blue and silken, like what many of the women had been wearing last night.

What that creature had been wearing when it attacked me.

He looked about, the salts trailing directly into the hot spring and ending there. The King narrowed his eyes. Normally water—even hot water—would not wash away salts. These springs must have contained some natural mineral substance that allowed the creature to rid itself of the magical crystal dust.

This thing was no creature. Clearly it was intelligent. A cursed human, or perhaps an intentional magical transformation like the others had suggested. But whoever she was—she had seemed rabid to Ardamius during the attack. Did this woman kill Sakura? Was she one of the more powerful Taisho Six who took her prisoner?

He bent and took the kimono into his hands. It was cold, but not stiff, meaning it had been discarded recently. He brought the soiled garment to his face and inhaled. Sweat, blood and dirt. Exactly what he thought. But there was something else there. This kimono smelled of Sakura—he was certain of it.

Having never been very close to her physically to know her smell very well, he was certain that this was her. It would have been far easier had she worn perfume, but as an assassin—she never did. This woman, or creature—whatever she was, had been in contact with The Dancer.

“I’m going to find you,” he muttered, looking up the steepening foothills and grassy bluffs rising into the mountains.

Dreading what he might find, his heart was beginning to quicken. Part of him resented this fact, but he wouldn’t suppress it. Never.

*

Despite not having salts to lead him, tracking the woman was not difficult. There were many hot springs in these mountains and it was clear by her faint magical aura that she was still in the area.

Ardamius smiled. She might have washed the salts away, but a person of his caliber could sense the life force of another unless purposefully masked by magic—which she had either been too careless not to do, or was simply ignorant of this fact.

The area leveled out into a thick forest. The sky was becoming golden, though the first of the suns hadn’t come up yet, and wouldn’t for another half hour or so.

He was close.

Using the trees for cover, he neared the edge of a meadow, and what he thought to be a large hot spring the size of a small lake. He couldn’t see it, but the amount of mist obscuring his view, and the change in temperature in this area made these facts clear.

He skirted from tree to tree. The trunks were thick and the evergreen canopy overhead provided enough blockage of the dim morning light to darken his approach considerably.

There were a lot of springs in this area. Normally it would be easy to lose a pursuer here, but not The King.

The glassy surface of the hot spring ahead was revealed as the mist cleared somewhat. Deeper, the water was disturbed. Not in a frantic way that might reveal that she was quickly extricating herself, but in a way that revealed she was unaware of his presence.

As he silently approached, he made out her form deeper in the hot spring, standing with her back to him, her long hair gathered to the side.

She was naked and completely unknowing of his presence. Good. Catching her in such a state would shock her into submission quickly.

Slowly, quietly, Ardamius unsheathed his stiletto at his back. He might not even need it now, as her transformation into that creature had been reversed. She was probably exhausted and her wounds were not simple.

“I know you’re there,” she said.

The King blinked.

“You don’t think I can sense your aura as well as you can mine?”

She sounds like…

She turned and Ardamius jerked in surprise when Sakura revealed herself to him. She sank into the water to obscure her breasts, but he had still had enough of her to make out the seven or eight pinholes in her right shoulder.

“Are you surprised?” she asked.

How is this possible? She’s been with us for a year now.

He lowered his weapon. “I am.”

She peered straight at him from across the water. She said nothing.

“Explain yourself, Sakura.”

“What is there to explain?”

“I know you’re from Urukawa,” he said. His chest felt tight and a knot was forming in his throat. “But why?”

“Can you think of any reasons?”

Had she been one of the others, he’d have attacked her already—ended this here and now. There would be no need to talk at all.

Regarding her question, there was something about her… Finally, he said, “I knew you were nobility since the first I met you. Those things don’t matter in The Reconnoiters.”

“They don’t,” she said, echoing the sentiment each member was aware of. “Until we came here.”

“Why didn’t you say something? You could have spoken to me about it.”

“Stop The Reconnoiters?” she asked with a smirk. “You’d have told me to stay behind and not involve myself with whatever happens.”

Am I that greedy?

To be fair, he wasn’t certain what he would have said. He had no answer to that. But he had another question. “Why come with us this far? Why aid us?”

“I was swept up,” she said, not proffering more of an answer than that. Perhaps she wasn’t certain herself. “But when I realized what was happening—what I was doing—I had to stop it, to save Yoshinaka.”

“Are you a Yoshinaka?”

She shook her head.

That means she’s even higher than the shogun himself. A royal.

“Are you all right?”

She moved a hand over her shoulder and gently felt her wounds there. “It hurts.”

Something came over him then. He grit his teeth to cover the emotion, turned away from her and looked off into the trees as he clenches his fists.

“We have a job to do!”

“There is no we—not in Urukawa.”

Upper lip involuntarily twitching, he replied to her statement. “We don’t need you.”

“I thought you would say that, Ardamius. But part of me wished you would change your mind.”

There was something about that which struck him deeply. Had she been one of the others—though angering—he would have understood this betrayal as just business. This felt to Ardamius more like a personal betrayal. “Then why did you attack me? Why did you try to kill me?”

“The Kami Wraith form is difficult to control. We’re assassins. It’s what we do. I don’t believe you would order The Reconnoiters to leave Urukawa for me.”

His eyes found the rocks at the base of the hot spring. He searched their rough surfaces, thinking. Part of him—a large part wanted her to ask him to do that. But he knew the truth… “The others would never go along with that.”

“Aren’t you our leader? As I said, Ardamius—we’re assassins.”

“I’m going to go through with our mission.”

“If you do that,” Sakura said. “We won’t stand a chance.”

Did she mean him and her, or Urukawa?

“Then stop me.”

“I tried.”

Then try again! he almost barked, but instead, without another word, he turned and strode for the forest.

“Can I ask you a something, Ardamius?”

He needed to get away from her. Stopping, he turned only slightly to address her. “What is it?”

She looked at him for a few moments, bobbing in the water, watching him.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“It’s the same question I asked you before...”

She didn’t need to remind him. Ardamius knew what question that was. “I don’t know.”

He left her there.

*

He receded into the mists and she could no longer see him.

Vision blurring, Sakura washed her eyes with the clean spring water so she could see, though that didn’t stop her chin from quivering. Sakura jerked her head to the side at a sudden smarting of her wounds. They wouldn’t stop, despite having soothed the area with White Feather.

Despite the golden morning sun, the quietness and tranquility of the morning, The Dancer was in a state of agitation.

I’m afraid. Afraid for Urukawa.

My heart hurts.

Ardamius was The King, but he wasn’t the first King of The Reconnoiters. Every group member had a name, but the leader was always addressed as The King.

He stepped down an outcropping and made his way along the trail toward Urukawa. The others would meet him back at camp and give him an assessment on Yoshinka.

His hot breath frosted in front of him. Ardamius felt cold.

The Reconnoiters was an old company that existed since before Ardamius was born. It was a group that did many things—least of all assassination. But it was a combat group and a force that took up special contracts in conflict regions during wars.

They were mercenaries.

Our loyalties lie with our reputation.

It was true. At times even payment had been sacrificed in light of maintaining The Reconnoiters pristine reputation. They had a job to do, and Yoshinaka had to be removed. But why was Ardamius looking for excuses not to go through with it? To call off the quest completely?

Perhaps we should have other loyalties as well…

*

Nama, Horris and Valdek were sitting around the fire when Ardamius returned. They looked ready to move out at a moment’s notice.

The Muscle, The Fop and The Jester stood as he—the King—approached.

“Did you find her?” Nama asked. He seemed genuinely concerned, as did Horris, who waited for Ardamius’ response.

For some reason, Ardamius felt tired. He nodded slightly.

“Is she all right, Boss?” Horris asked. He always called Ardamius that. He never understood why. Perhaps that’s simply how he saw The King of the group.

“She’s fine.”

“Then why did she not come back with you?” Nama asked with a furrowed brow.

The Jester smirked. “Something tells me her goals don’t exactly align with our own,” he said. “At least not now—here, in Urukawa.”

Horris scratched his temple. “What do you mean?”

“Yes,” Nama said. “Valdek, what are you getting at?”

“It’s true,” Ardamius said. “She’s from, Urukawa. We all know that. But she’s part of the Imperial royalty.”

Nama’s eyes widened. “Really? I didn’t see that coming.”

“Is she going to cause a problem?” Horris asked.

“She already has,” Valdek said, his eyes narrowing. “She tried to kill him once already. Didn’t she, Ardamius?” He smiled.

“Wipe that look off your face, Valdek.”

“But,” he said, feigning shock and confusion, “I’m The Jester!”

“She was confused.”

Nama spread his arms. “Confused? Confused is when one isn’t certain of what to eat for lunch.”

Horris gave him a weathering look.

“It’s more complicated than that,” Ardamius said. “She has loyalties here, as well as with us. Remember that time we met your brother in the Isle of Pi? Or do I need to remind you, sir?”

Nama put up his hands. “All right—all right! Point taken.”

“What?” Horris asked, a look of confusion on his face.

“Uh,” Nama stammered. “You weren’t in the company yet, old boy. It’s no matter.”

The Muscle nodded. He had never been one to pry into the affairs of others. He was easy to get along with.

Valdek chuckled. “Mmm… choices.” He delivered the words flippantly. But there was something else there as well.

Ardamius was acutely aware of the danger in The Jester’s tone. He was prepared to kill her.

That’s not going to happen.

“I’ve forgiven her.” He hadn’t really meant to say the words, they just came out, regardless of the consequences.

“You did what?” Nama asked. “What if she—“

“You’re one to talk, Nama! Now be quiet.”

Ardamius sat down on one of the logs and put his hands forward to warm them. The fire crackled excitedly before him. “The only question now is whether we wish to preserve The Reconnoiters by keeping The Dancer—or going through with this quest.”

The others sat down, looking confused or thoughtful—except for Valdek, who simply sat there with that smug smile across his face. They said nothing. At least, not yet. Before they could say anything else, The King asked for a report.

Nama stroked his mustache, leading his fingers under his lower lip where he had a another small tuft of facial hair in the Midlorum fashion. “Well,” he said, “it won’t be easy. Yoshinaka has placed his entire army between us and him.”

“And,” Horris interjected, “there’s those two Taisho Six members.”

“There could be more of the Six in the imperial palace,” Valdek said.

Nama nodded. “Should we be pinned for any reason while we’re in Yoshinka’s camp, they could call reinforcements. If they pit more members of the Six against us, we could find ourselves in a very tight spot.”

“In other words,” Ardamius said. “We failed the first time, and now to get this done we have to take an inordinate amount of risk.”

“Precisely so,” Nama said with a smile.

“Sakura,” Valdek sneered. He left other words unsaid. He wasn’t the type to spell out his thoughts entirely. The Jester had a way of making his various faces do that for him.

It was Sakura’s fault. That was true.

“I say we keep Sakura and leave,” Horris said.

Nama nearly choked on the tea he had just sipped. “Gods, man! Are you serious? Abandon the quest? But we have a contract.”

“Unthinkable,” The Jester said, pulling out a thin stiletto from his sleeve.

As I thought.

He licked the blade. It was suggestive of more than killing. He stared directly at Ardamius. Was there a threat there?

But Valdek wasn’t looking at him, he realized. He was peering behind Ardamius, off toward the tree line.

Nama and Horris stood, looking in the same direction as Valdek.

“Sakura!” Nama said.

Ardamius got up, turned and took a few steps in her direction as she came forward. She was dressed now, wearing a new kimono, white and clean, wakizashi blade sheathed at her hip. She didn’t fight with a full-sized katana. The wakizashi was for close encounters, otherwise she used her shuriken.

No one said another word as she approached the camp. She looked at them in turn, then said, “Do you still intend to kill Yoshinaka?”

There was a long pause, but finally Valdek spoke up. “Of course,” he said sweetly. “Once undertaken, a contract accepted by The Reconnoiters is never abandoned. The Quest must be completed.”

Ardamius made no moves to betray how he felt about the issue. It was true. Once a quest was undertaken, The Reconnoiters always came through.

“I know that,” Sakura said. “But as a member, I’m asking that you do not.”

“A heavy request,” Nama said from the side.

“Indeed,” Valdek said. “You ask too much, Dancer.”

She didn’t look at Valdek as he answered her. She looked directly into Ardamius’ eyes. Her skin was pale, and her nose had gone pink from the cold. Her breath frosted in the air as she breathed.

What am I supposed to say?

It was unlike The King to feel so indecisive.

“You have your answer,” Valdek said.

Ardamius turned his head slightly at those words. He didn’t care for Valdek’s assertion that he had made the decision through silence.

“You should leave,” she said. “All of you. I won’t allow you to move against Urukawa any further.”

The Muscle, slightly behind Ardamius, made a noise. Was he there to back him up if this got out of hand? It sounded as though he had choked back his own surprise. Nama had remained silent, and Valdek chuckled.

“Step aside,” Valdek said.

Sakura shook her head. “No.”

“Then I’m going to kill you.”

“Stop,” Ardamius said. “No one kills anybody.”

I have to make sure things don’t go where they’re heading—otherwise somebody will die here in the next few minutes.

But it seemed Sakura wasn’t going to listen to his command, as one of her hidden shuriken dropped between her fingers.

Valdek chuckled.

Ardamius spread his hands slightly. “We can talk about this.”

“No we can’t,” The Jester said, strolling over to his left. “You know this.”

The Jester narrowed his eyes. “It can only end one way.”

Damn him.

“I’m for more talking,” Horris said. He stepped beside Ardamius, regarded The Dancer, then Valdek ten paces away.

Sakura shook her head. “No more talking.”

“Just stop for one moment,” Ardamius commanded. But it was weak. Too much desperation. They were on the cusp of—

They both moved.

“No!”

Sakura strafed to the side as Valdek blinked across the ground, his daggers jutting out of his closed fists.

Her shuriken chinked off of his dagger blade and shot away as she slid across the grass. The morning frost had almost finished melting, which made them both slide about somewhat.

The Dancer shot forward, coming in for a direct attack with her wakizashi.

“Too slow,” Valdek said.

Ardamius jumped toward The Jester, stiletto coming out of its sheath. But he wouldn’t make it to Valdek in time—not before Sakura.

Their blades met, but The Jester parried her strike.

Blink.

The ostentatiously-dressed Jester materialized beside her, his fist already coming in for a blow against her face.

Sakura flew away from him. Had she been any normal fighter, she’d have twirled in the air and landed unconscious in the grass. The Dancer did twirl from the force of the blow, but like a cat—kimono flapping—she landed on her sandaled feet.

Ardamius came up short as Sakura jumped away, three more shuriken making their way toward Valdek to ward him from retaliating further. He deflected all three of them. One of them stuck into the dirt at his feet.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and raised her wakizashi in a defensive stance, ready for his counter.

Valdek smiled.

Most would have hardly caught what had just transpired between them, other than their positions changing on the field. Only now did a drop of blood make its way out of Sakura’s nose. The Dancer wiped her face with her snow-white kimono.

“Nama!” Ardamius pointed a finger at the man. “Try anything and I’ll run my stiletto through your neck.”

The Fop raised an eyebrow. He was going to side with Valdek, but he knew Ardamius could beat him in short order, so he did nothing.

To Valdek, he said, “That’s enough.”

“Oh? And do you mean to attack me, King? Isn’t that against the rules?”

“Don’t you see,” Horris said. “This conflict is going to ruin The Reconnoiters. First you attack Sakura, and now you’re going to make the boss stop you. Nama wants to finish the quest, so where does that leave the group?”

“I do want to finish the quest,” Nama said. “Though not at the expense of the group.”

“Do you hear that, Valdek?” Ardamius asked forcefully.

“Hear what?”

“This is over.”

He smiled, completely sure of himself. “No it’s not. It seems to me four Reconnoiters have left the group. That leeaves only one member left. Me. The mission must still be completed. Walk away.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Sakura spat. She was usually so calm and reserved, but now she was fired up. Ardamius could see it in her eyes. She was ready to die here for Urukawa.

With her wakizashi in one hand, her other shimmered with magic in her tiger-claw grip.

“I can’t believe this,” Nama said, throwing up his arms.

“Join me, Nama,” Valdek said. “We can rebuild The Reconnoiters.”

“Well,” Nama said. “Perhaps I would under other circumstances, but I don’t want a stiletto sticking out of my neck.”

That’s right, Nama. Do as you’re told.

He was always one of the more fickle members. Valdek had always been cold and calculating, and yet gleefully ready to spill blood at a moment’s notice. Perhaps it was better this way. To be rid of him.

The Reconnoiters was not supposed to be a band of bloodthirsty killers.

The Jester relaxed himself. A mild sense of relief washed over Ardamius. Did he realize he couldn’t have his way?

He spread his arms in what looked like a peace offering. “I’m going to kill Yoshinaka, whether any of you like it or not.”

“Tch!” Sakura’s feet slid as she readied herself for another attack.

“You can try to stop me,” Valdek said. “But you know you’ll never catch me. I’ll make my play against Yoshinaka and finish the mission.”

Ardamius narrowed his eyes.

“Or...” The Jester mused thoughtfully. He even put his forefinger to his lip.

“Or what? Ardamius asked.

“Or you fight me, King, for leadership of The Reconnoiters. Here. Now. If I kill you, The Reconnoiters is mine.”

“This is insane!” Nama exclaimed. “We should all go back to the fire and drink some tea. That might calm us.”

“Your sarcasm isn’t helping,” Horris said. He stirred some more, his feet taking a defensive stance. “How did this come about?”

“If you happen to kill me,” Valdek went on, “You can abandon the quest and leave Urukawa—though The Reconnoiters will be much weaker for it, you can go on being its leader, Ardamius.”

It might not get any better than this.

Ardamius didn’t want to see Sakura fight with Valdek again. In fact, he was surprised she hadn’t been killed in their scuffle just now.

“Look,” Nama said through a chuckle, “we’re all a bit tense, I suppose, but there’s no need to—“

“I accept,” Ardamius said. “You and me, Jester. Now.”

Already sly and cheerful, Valdek brightened considerably.

“No,” Sakura said.

Ardamius blinked, spread his arms. “Why not?”

“I don’t want you dying for my cause, Ardamius.”

“I’m not going to die. And even if I did, it wouldn’t be for you—it’s for The Reconnoiters. This group has been passed down from King to King for almost a hundred years. I won’t let this company dissolve while I’m leading it!”

Horris rubbed his forehead. “Val,” he said, addressing The Jester. “See reason. Please.”

“Sorry, big man,” Valdek said through a smirk. “Once Ardamius and Sakura are gone, I’ll strengthen the group again. We won’t have these problems.”

“I don’t know,” Nama said.

“But I like Ardamius. And I like Sakura.”

“Thanks,” Ardamius said with a smile. It was good to know at least two of The Reconnoiters were loyal. Well, loyal to a degree. It seemed Sakura’s loyalties were to her country above the company.

Understandable.

“Shall we begin?” Valdek asked.

Ardamius nodded. He looked to the others.

“I support you, boss,” Horris said.

Nama stared at him for a moment, but finally shrugged. “Fine. Of course I support you.”

Sakura nodded.

Ardamius walked away from them out into the meadow. Valdek followed, smiling, his eyes never leaving Ardamius.

Can I beat him?

Physically, The King was stronger than The Jester. Magically—it was hard to say. Their styles were so different. The Jester used stealth, feints and misdirection, while Ardamius was more direct.

“Are you ready? Valdek asked. “I don’t want to kill you now and have the others claim I surprised you.”

Ardamius almost laughed. But this wasn’t a time to laugh. Valdek was not funny. “I’m ready.”

“Good.”

Valdek’s smile deepened. He snapped his finger and a cloud of purple smoke popped, obscuring most of his body from view.

Then he blinked.