In late winter of the hundredth year of Sekishi, being the Era of Red Happiness, a scourge of demons attacked the kingdom of Kei from its ailing neighbor, Kou. The Glory-King known as Sekishi rallied her great army to beat back the incursions, and in her compassion called for aid for Kou and a search for its new monarch. So strong was the love of the people of Kei for their Glory-King that succor poured into Kou like rain. Though Kourin, minister of Kou, still resided on Mount Houzan, outriders and messengers flew from Goldenwave Palace to bring news of the search for Kou's King to the far reaches of the Glory-King's realm. Thus, in the spring of the hundredth year of Yoko Sun-Child's rule, did the quest to find Kou's monarch begin. –The Red Book of Kei
Spring in Kei was warm and sticky, not hot enough for true summer but too humid for fall. Clothes stuck to their wearers' bodies with damp determination, and it was such a disturbing experience to peel them off the skin that most people gave up and walked around in as little as possible. The elders complained mightily at this breach of propriety, but in this case the younger set smiled, nodded, and went on doing exactly what they'd done in the first place.
The Red King of Kei and her minister were certainly no exception to this generational conflict, Keiki reflected sourly. No matter that his King had proven herself more than capable over the hundred golden years of her rule; sometimes, he still felt like a harping grandfather put in charge of a willful toddler. Only this morning had Yoko appeared at breakfast wearing only soldier's breeches and a tunic with the sleeves cut away from the shoulder, leaving her arms naked for the world to see. "It's called a tank top, Keiki," she'd said, and rolled her eyes at his glare. "The other soldiers are going shirtless—including the women. Would you have liked me to have done that, instead?"
General Kantai and Enho had hidden their smiles in their breakfast platters as Keiki had admitted defeat. Yoko had smirked and sauntered down to the practice yards to trade blows with common soldiers. The governor of Mai had been kind enough to open up her private training courtyard for Yoko and her kingsmen to spar, but that just meant the provincial soldiers had an excuse to laze about and….ogle…his King's bare arms.
Keiki's brows drew down in a dangerous scowl as he scanned the milling crowd in the center of the walled courtyard. Yoko's fiery hair flashed in the center of the circle of onlookers as she fought with General Kantai, both warriors a blur of motion. The minister's lips thinned and his grip on the balcony railing tightened until his knuckles went white, his gaze locked on his King.
Yoko gave a mocking grin and spun her practice sword in one hand, catching it by the grip and raising it in good-natured challenge. "You're getting soft, old man," she taunted. "What have you been doing for the last hundred years?"
The General of Kei's armies raised an eyebrow, dropping back into a guard and hefting his spear. Even though he and Yoko were sparring with mere wooden simulations of their usual weapons, it still took three army regulars to lift the carved pole-arm he was handling. "I've been taking dance lessons," he deadpanned, eyeing her stance for an opening. "They tell me I twirl very gracefully."
"Always knew you'd look good in those silk dancing dresses," Yoko chirped, and then she lunged.
Kantai parried her opening salvo with ease, not even shifting his feet as he knocked aside her blows with the wooden spear blade. Yoko changed her approach in an eye blink, spinning with the next parry and sliding underneath his guard. The broad side of her practice blade slammed against his bare ribs before he leapt back, out of range.
"Slippery little thing, aren't you," he panted, and brought the spear shaft whistling in for a blow to her temple. She tucked her chin into her chest as she fell back and rolled away, springing to her feet.
The crowd watching their bout gave a loud cheer. Both combatants ignored the outside noise, circling each other like wary wolves.
Yoko kept her eyes on Kantai's torso, watching the interplay of muscles in his chest as he shifted. She reached out with one mental finger, nudging the watchful presence in the back of her mind.
Joyu?
My King.
How am I doing?
Your accuracy has improved since last month, as have your speed and stamina.
And you haven't helped me this whole time?
Not even once.
Joyu answered her silent whoop of triumph with a wave of affectionate amusement, then fell back into silence.
"Stay sharp!" Kantai warned. "You're not quite good enough to daydream during a fight." The shift of his arm muscles was followed a scant second after by his lunge. The tip of the wooden blade twisted in the air as he stabbed at her stomach. It was fast. Too fast for her to parry or dodge. Too low for her to duck under. So that left…
"Hup!" She leapt straight up, tucking her knees into her chest as his strike passed below her. Kantai overbalanced as the blade cut through the air where she'd been just seconds before, and Yoko landed on the part of the shaft just below the spear hilt and ran up it; Kantai was forced to use his own strength to hold her weight or risk having the pole-arm dragged out of his hands.
His eyes widened as she got in range and leapt at him, feet thudding into his chest with enough force to knock him onto his back. They went down in a tangle of limbs—or rather, Kantai toppled like a tree and grabbed her ankle to drag her down with him. Swiftly, to avoid getting pulled to the ground in a grappling match she was sure to lose, she swung her free foot around and kicked his wrist.
Kantai grunted as his grip broke and rolled, knocking her off balance. He planted one foot in her gut and pushed, sending her flying into the air. Ignoring her suddenly very aerial view of the courtyard, Yoko gritted her teeth and arched her arms over her head. As she fell groundward she slapped her palms in the dirt and sprang into a controlled flip
"That's two out of four matches I've won," she said once she'd gotten her feet back under her. She buffed her nails on her shirt and inspected them in ostentatious boredom. "Ready for a another round?"
"Unfortunately, we have received documents that require the King's personal attention," a very familiar voice broke in. "Which will not be a problem for her to attend to now, seeing as how she spent the entire morning practicing with General Kantai--who I am certain has more important business to attend to."
Yoko's shoulders were slumping before she even turned around to face the speaker. "But, Keiki…more court orders?"
With his long blond hair, fierce scowl, and overall state of clothedness, her kirin stood out among the grinning soldiers like a white rose in a wildflower field. "Yes, Your Highness. More court orders. The governor of Mai has kindly lent us her office for the day. Would you want to waste this productive opportunity?"
"Productive," she muttered darkly, turning to offer a bow to a smirking Kantai to conclude the match. "The clerks we brought along could finish those orders in a fraction of the time I take, Keiki. You just don't like seeing me surrounded by sweaty, half-naked soldiers."
"It is rather inappropriate," Keiki admitted, not batting an eyelash. "But these particular documents require your personal seal. My apologies, Kei-Ou."
"Feh." Yoko threw her hands up in disgust and handed her practice sword to a passing servant, nodding in thanks. She turned and started to make her way through the courtyard, her minister following a step behind. "We came to Mai to help with the demon attacks, not to take over Governor Tsuru's office. We could have easily done this "paperwork" back at Goldenwave Palace."
Now that their leaders had stopped being interesting, the soldiers started separating into different parts of the training yard. Their movements were organized and swift, but they still paused whatever they were doing to offer deep bows to Keiki and his King as they passed.
The kirin eyed her sidelong as she nodded in acknowledgment to a passing cavalrywoman. "A valid point, Kei-Ou, but it was possible to dispatch only the Kingsmen to Mai to assist the Governor. There was no requirement that you come in person with Kantai."
She winced. "True, but—"
"Your Highness!" a slim girl wearing just soldier's breeches and a breast band waved and jogged over to them. Behind her, Yoko could hear Keiki clear his throat at this close-up example of improper nudity.
"Commander Sen!" Yoko smiled warmly at the girl as she clasped her callused hand in greeting. "You made it to Mai safely, I see. When did you arrive?"
Sen gave a theatrical groan. "We got in this morning, Highness. It was horrible—roads all clogged, inns full up…trials and tribulations the whole way! I had to take my squad camping into the mosquito infested night. Horrendous, really. I didn't get my beauty sleep and was forced to brush my shiny locks using just a horse comb."
Yoko fought to keep a straight face. "Your sacrifices for Kei will not go unnoticed, Commander. General Kantai will be especially unsympathetic to your plight."
"He just does not understand the pain I go through," Sen replied with equal solemnity. "I bet the mosquitoes don't even affect him. They bounce off his iron hide."
"Sen!" General Kantai called from across the courtyard, where he was surrounded by a group of officers. He was frowning. "When did your squad get in? Why didn't you report to me?"
Sen turned and threw a crisp salute at the scowling man, an insolent grin on her face. "But I did, dearest General," she crowed. "Went straight up to see you in the main hall, I did, but then what did Lord Enho and the illustrious Governor tell me? That your honorable self was being beaten into the ground by our Sekishi, our Red King, our glorious Sun-Child--who is also half your size and weight."
Yoko shook her head and left them to it, a smirk tugging at her lips. Behind her, Keiki gave an almost imperceptible huff. "I do not understand why that girl is second-in-command of Kei's armies," he muttered. "Should she ever have to stand in for General Kantai during a time of crisis, I have the feeling she would accidentally set the kingdom on fire."
"Who, Sen?" Yoko glanced over her shoulder at the young woman, who had made her way over to Kantai's group and was now punching the tall general companionably in the ribs. "She'll surprise you, I'm sure--she hasn't been second-in-command for fifty years for nothing. Kantai trusts her with his life, as do all the soldiers."
"One does not join the military because one is intelligent," Keiki shot back, and tucked his hands into his trailing sleeves with a grimace.
"Spoken like a true pacifist."
When they entered the main hall and the clamor and hubbub of the training yards faded away, Keiki drew even with her. "How goes the search?" Yoko murmured.
"We rounded up one thousand hopefuls and took them to Houzan. Kourin passed over them all."
She sighed, unsurprised. "How long will Kou's torment continue, Keiki? It is like Tentei delights in grinding its people into the dust."
"The new King of Kou will be chosen when it is the correct time for him or her to be chosen. Besides taking potential candidates and parading them in front of Kourin like horses at a prize show, there is nothing we can do." The corners of Keiki's eyes tightened.
Yoko brushed her fingers along her minister's sleeve, silent apology and reassurance that he acknowledged with a nod and a tired smile.
When she saw the horde of courtiers waiting for them at the end of the long corridor, Yoko groaned and squared her shoulders. "Another day," she muttered, and strode forward.
"Your Majesty!" a man in armor pushed through the perfumed, silk-clad crowd and fell to his knees in front of her, panting. Blood stained his undertunic where something had clawed through the chainmail on his right shoulder. "A demon pack has fallen upon the town of Kino! The guardsmen are overwhelmed!"
A shocked silence descended on the murmuring crowd. Yoko caught a guardsman's eye and he nodded, signaling his colleagues to start moving the bureaucrats out of the way. Someone ran for a doctor.
"How many?" she asked the kneeling soldier.
"Three score," the man gasped out. "The Kino garrison houses only half that number."
Yoko glanced at Keiki. He glared back. King and kirin locked in a silent battle of wills.
Finally, Keiki sighed. "Take Hankyo with you, at least."
She nodded and turned away, hurrying for the stables. "Someone send for General Kantai!"
"Kei-Ou?" the General caught up with her as she burst through the doors, buckling on his sword.
"Organize your best battalion. We fly to Kino within the hour."