The Flood Dragon's Sacrifice Read online

  THE FLOOD DRAGON'S SACRIFICE

  Book 1

  of

  TIDE DRAGONS

  Sarah Ash

  An historical fantasy series set in Cipangu

  (an alternative mediaeval Japan.)

  © 2014 Sarah Ash

  Sarah Ash has asserted her rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  www.sarah-ash.com

  Published by eBookPartnership.com

  First published in eBook format in 2014

  ISBN: 978-1-78301-421-7

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

  All names, characters, places, organisations, businesses and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  eBook Conversion by www.ebookpartnership.com

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Epilogue

  Cast List

  Tide Dragons Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Sarah Ash

  TIDE DRAGONS

  Book 1

  Prologue

  I can smell burning. The boy woke suddenly, sitting up and staring around the unfamiliar room. Where am I? The darkness was illuminated by a dull red glare. The whine of a wild sea wind rattled the shingles. And the sharp scent of fire tainted the fresh night air.

  “Father?”

  There was no reply. His mind still fogged by sleep, he saw by the faint glow the abandoned futons where his father and his retainers had been sleeping beside him.

  Where has everyone gone?

  And then he heard a man shouting at the top of his lungs.

  “Is Lord Morimitsu here? I must speak with him!”

  The boy crawled to the window and slid it open. The great courtyard outside was filled with shaven-headed monks carrying torches, milling around three men on horseback. By the torchlight, the boy could see that the riders were warriors, armed with swords and bows. The sight of the monks reminded him where he was; his father had brought him to the Tide Dragon temple to be treated by the Master Healer.

  “Who wants to speak with me?” His father’s deep voice, rough with lack of sleep, rang out across the courtyard. The boy could see him now, standing at the far side with his men.

  The foremost of the three horsemen nudged his steed forward. “I am Toshiro, lord of Akatobi Castle.”

  Even as the boy gasped, Lord Morimitsu’s bodyguards drew their swords, the torch flames glinting on the naked steel as they placed themselves before their master. Lord Toshiro was the head of the Red Kites clan and the sworn enemy of his family.

  “Lord Morimitsu, I need your help,” said the stranger, and there was raw desperation in his voice. “A forest fire is ravaging my lands. This cursed wind is driving the flames directly toward the castle.”

  “My help?” Lord Morimitsu repeated slowly. “What can I do against the forces of nature? I can’t stop the wind from blowing. I could send my men to assist you in evacuating the castle.” He folded his arms across his chest. “But many of my retainers have lost fathers, brothers, and sons to your clansmen. You are asking a great deal of us, my lord.”

  Lord Toshiro dismounted, handing the reins of his horse to one of the monks. To the boy’s astonishment, the enemy lord knelt down before his father and bowed until his forehead almost touched the gravel, the kind of obeisance only the poorest peasant would make. Then, raising his head, Lord Toshiro said, “Please, I beg you. The emperor has given you the right to guard the Tide Jewels. Use the Flood Jewel and bring the tide in to quench the flames.”

  There had been a low murmur when Lord Toshiro knelt down before Lord Morimitsu but now it grew louder as the monks began to protest.

  “Before it’s too late. The castle is cut off by a ring of fire. My wife and children are trapped inside.”

  The boy saw the agony in Lord Toshiro’s face. What will my father do?

  At that moment the crowd of monks parted to let a white-robed man through.

  “Abbot Genko, did you hear what Lord Toshiro just said?” asked Lord Morimitsu.

  “Act now.” Lord Toshiro’s voice broke. “All this time the merciless wind has been blowing in from the sea. Soon the castle will be engulfed.”

  “Only the emperor can use the Tide Jewels, Lord Toshiro,” said the abbot. “If Lord Morimitsu were to abuse the sanctity of the bond, forged between the dragons of the sea and the imperial family. there would be very serious consequences.”

  Lord Toshiro let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, come now, Abbot. We all know that the imperial bloodline has been diluted down the centuries. Both Morimitsu and I have imperial blood in our veins.”

  “And even if I could summon the Flood Dragon,” said Lord Morimitsu, “how could I ensure that the tide he brought didn’t drown your family as well as quenching the flames?” The boy bit his lip; he had never heard his father sound so anguished before.

  “I’ll take that risk. I’ll even risk summoning the Ebb Dragon to make the waters recede. But, in the name of all the gods, let’s do it now!” Even as Lord Toshiro spoke, another fierce gust of wind swept through the courtyard, setting the monks’ torch flames wildly guttering. The scarlet glow in the sky grew more intense.

  “I can’t,” Lord Morimitsu said at length, his voice toneless. “I made a vow to the emperor to protect the jewels. I vowed to never let them be used except to defend Cipangu. I can’t risk the devastation that a flood tide would bring to all the villages along the coast.”

  “Then fight me.” Lord Toshiro drew his katana; in the torchlight it seemed to drip gouts of fire. “Fight me for the jewels.” A crazed glint lit his eyes as he advanced toward Lord Morimitsu.

  The boy wanted to call out to his father, yet when he opened his mouth no sound came from his dry throat.

  The abbot moved to place himself between the two men.

  “Have you f
orgotten where you are, my lord?” he said quietly. “Put down your blade. There will be no bloodshed on sacred ground.”

  Lord Toshiro stood silent a moment, staring at his rival. Then he sheathed his sword, and, seizing the reins of his horse, swung himself up into the saddle.

  “Why am I wasting my time here?” he cried, turning his horse’s head toward the gates. “Okitane, Yūdai; let’s go.” The other two Kite warriors urged their steeds to follow their master.

  “Wait – at least let us come with you to help,” cried the abbot.

  “You? You’d only slow us down, old man!” Lord Toshiro cried back over his shoulder. “Don’t think I’ll forget this, Morimitsu! If one – just one – of my family dies because of your cursed vow, the Black Cranes will pay. You’ll pay in blood.”

  The boy saw the three horsemen starkly silhouetted against the fiery sky as the monks pulled open the outer gates to let them through. The clatter of the horses’ fast-galloping hooves faded as the roar of another fierce gust of wind swept through the courtyard, sending up little eddies of dust.

  Abbot Genko went up to Lord Morimitsu who was standing motionless, still gazing after the horsemen.

  “What could I do? My sworn duty to his imperial majesty is to keep the jewels safe,” the boy heard his father say, and there was a catch in his usually steady voice. “If I summoned the Flood Dragon, there’s no telling how many innocent lives would be lost. And there’s no knowing if he would even come to my call.”

  “Lord Toshiro is a rash, arrogant man,” said the abbot. “But I’ll send the ox carts out to lend him what aid we can.”

  The boy could not bear to stay watching any longer. “Father!” he called. He wanted to run to him, but he couldn’t run anywhere because of his crippled leg.

  “Kaito?” Lord Morimitsu turned. “You’re awake?” He strode over and lifted the boy out of the window. “You heard what happened?” The boy nodded. In the open courtyard, the acrid smell of burning was so strong that he half-feared to see flames licking at the roof of the outer buildings of the monastery.

  Still carrying him, his father walked to the gates and gazed into the night. Behind them, the monks hurried to and fro, loading up the ox carts with supplies as the grumpily lowing oxen were coaxed into the harnesses.

  Kaito saw the flames lighting the horizon where the forest was burning. The sky was filled with clouds of thick smoke, obliterating the stars. Akatobi Castle must lie beyond that wall of fire. He shuddered.

  “Will Lord Toshiro’s children die?” he asked, unable to take his eyes away from the conflagration. He felt his father’s arms tighten around him.

  “I can only hope that his family was able to escape before the fire reached the castle.”

  “Ha! Why waste your sympathy on the Kites?” said a dry voice. Kakumyo, the clan lord’s chief retainer, had come to stand behind them. “Lord Toshiro drew his sword on you. That was unforgivable.” As the ox carts trundled out of the gates, Kakumyo went on, “And that’s the reason why our clan has guardianship of the Tide Jewels, not the Red Kites. How could the emperor trust such a hot-headed, insolent family with the sacred treasures?”

  “There was no way I could risk summoning the Tide Dragons,” said Lord Morimitsu, setting Kaito down, “yet I fear that my decision today will only stir up the old enmities between our clans.”

  Kakumyo shrugged. “The Kites will be too busy rebuilding to retaliate once the blaze dies down.” He shivered suddenly, turning his gaze toward the sea. “Yet when did this gale change course? And where did it come from so suddenly?”

  “You’re right, Lord Kakumyo.” Abbot Genko joined them, shading his eyes with his hand as he looked out toward the rim of flame brightening the horizon. “It looks as if the Kites were taken by surprise. The winds off the sea can be unpredictable. The local fishermen say that the Tide Dragons are angry when a gale like this comes tearing in across the bay without warning.”

  Kaito could not take his eyes from the angry glare of the crimson sky. He was thinking how terrifying it would be to have to flee from the raging flames into the castle tunnels, not knowing if, at the end, there would be any escape from the searing heat and choking smoke. “Did Lord Toshiro make the Tide Dragons angry?”

  Kakumyo let out a snort of laughter. “A good question, young lord! Who knows what the Kites have been up to? They’ve been quiet for too long.”

  ***

  “Naoki! Lord Naoki!” Every time Masao shouted out his young lord’s name, he drew in another choking breath of hot, acrid fumes. One arm raised to protect his streaming eyes, he struggled forward into the smoke-filled courtyard, coughing. The roar of the flames was punctuated by the explosive sound of falling timbers nearby.

  His heart thudded painfully with each crash. He was more terrified than he had ever been in his whole thirteen years. Yet he struggled on because Naoki was both his friend and his responsibility; as the young lord’s squire, it was his duty to protect him, even at the cost of his life.

  Where are you, Naoki? When the alarm was raised at dusk, the two boys had been playing truant from their afternoon lessons, trying to catch frogs by the stream in the woods.

  He remembered looking up and seeing a cloud of fireflies floating above the castle, each little pinprick of fiery light a fleck of gold against the purple sky. The sight was so beautiful that he had stopped to gaze in awe.

  “Look, Naoki!” he had said, pointing. “Have you ever seen so many fireflies before?”

  Naoki had caught hold of his arm, dragging him onward. “Come on, we’ll be late. And then we’ll get a beating.”

  But as they ran back through the trees, they heard the frantic ringing of the alarm bell. By the time they emerged in front of the compound, the sky was bright with flames shooting skywards from the castle towers. And from inside the walls they could hear terrified shouts and cries of confusion.

  For a moment they both stood still, unable to grasp what was happening. Then Naoki shot forward, running toward the main gate.

  “Mother!” he cried. “Mother’s in the main tower!”

  “Come back!” Masao set out after him; Naoki might be younger and shorter, but his neat, wiry frame meant he could beat Masao in any contest of speed.

  How has the fire gained control so fast?

  By the time Masao reached the gate, Naoki had already plunged inside into the swirling smoke. Masao had no choice but to follow him into the blazing courtyard. Inside, retainers and servants were hurrying to and fro with buckets of water in a vain attempt to extinguish the flames.

  A figure loomed up out of the billowing smoke; Masao saw Lord Kiyoshi, Naoki’s older brother, approaching. He was dragging someone by the scruff of the neck.

  “Masao!” he called out in a hoarse voice. “Get Naoki out of here. I’m going back for mother.”

  He hauled his burden toward Masao, who instinctively opened his arms and caught Naoki as he thudded into him, almost knocking him off his feet.

  “No!” cried Naoki, trying to fight free of Masao’s restraining grip. “Kiyoshi – let me help you – ”

  “You can’t,” Masao said, dragging Naoki back the way they had come.

  But Naoki struggled, fighting to get free. He had become a wild creature, maddened by the flames. “I’ve got to save her!” he yelled.

  In desperation, Masao hit him. Hard. Winded, Naoki slumped forward; Masao hoisted his arm over his shoulder and began to half pull, half carry him away. But the courtyard had filled with dark smoke and Masao no longer knew where to find the gate. Tears streamed from his eyes as he struggled on, tripping over buckets abandoned by the servants as they fled the blaze.

  His mother was Lady Fumiko’s chief attendant. If Lady Fumiko was trapped in the main tower, then his mother was trapped with her. And there was nothing he could do but obey Lord Kiyoshi’s orders and do his best to get Naoki out alive.

  He staggered stubbornly onward, weighed down by his burden. The hot smoke burned his nostrils and mo
uth every time he tried to draw in a breath, searing its way down his throat.

  And then he thought he heard distant voices calling to him.

  “Masao – this way!”

  The last thing he remembered seeing was the dazzling cloud of fiery sparks rising in the air above the flames, so bright against the inky night sky.

  “Just…like the fireflies…” he murmured. And then he toppled forward into a pit of black smoke.

  ***

  Kaito had almost been lulled into a doze by the steady onward trot of his father’s horse through the gathering dusk. He leaned back against Lord Morimitsu’s broad chest, grateful for the support, and felt his father’s arm tighten protectively around him.

  Yet even though he was tired after the disturbance in the night, he could not forget the healer’s parting words.

  “I’m afraid the damage to your son’s leg is past my skills; he’s made extraordinary progress in the last year, but he’ll never walk without a pronounced limp.”

  Or run. Or be swift enough to wield a sword in battle, at my brother Takeru’s side.

  Master Seishi’s verdict had been blunt. Kaito would have to learn to live with his disability. No amount of skilled manipulation or painful splinting would restore the withered muscles.

  “Even now the fires are still smoldering. And yet this western side of the forest is untouched,” Lord Morimitsu was saying to his retainers. “That fierce wind off the sea drove the flames straight toward the Akatobi domain.”

  “They say the goddess Inari protects these lands,” came back Kakumyo’s voice from further along the forest track. “Perhaps the Kites angered her in some way…”

  “But how did Lord Toshiro know to find us at the temple?”

  “Spies,” said the general brusquely. “Even now, they may be watching us. The Kites are still using Shadow skills, even though the emperor banned them.”

  Kaito felt a sudden unfamiliar sensation that set his skin crawling.

  “Father – ” he began sleepily.

  Suddenly the forest track was filled with the fierce, fast beating of wings. Glancing upward, Kaito had the impression that a host of predatory birds was swooping down on them from the topmost branches. He flung up his arms instinctively to protect his face.