“But... I don't....” Enri's voice trailed off. He felt his knees give out, unsteady with the recent chaotic events. Until very recently, he’d been a normal Maravino trainee, consistently facing ridicule, but still content with his lot in life. But the past few days of his life had been more chaotic than he could hope to deal with, and he wasn’t sure he could keep up.

It was the dream of every warrior to have the honor of fighting Shigeru or even to just meet him. Even Enri had entertained such fantasies. Now, as he kneeled before Shigeru, he realized that he’d just had such a rare experience, but his head was spinning too fast to be able to stop and appreciate the fact.

The smile was obvious in Shigeru’s voice as he spoke again. “Well fought. You and your companion are quite good. There is no shame to be found in defeat if you learn something.”

“But I haven’t learned anything!” Enri protested before he could stop himself. What in this exchange that he should have learned?

Without thinking, Enri glanced over to where Markus lay, sprawled. Markus wasn’t moving, apparently knocked out by the last hit. He and Markus had been thoroughly beaten, unable to land even a single blow. Then he reminded himself that this was the God of War, so it wasn’t likely to begin with.  He felt no shame in being defeated by Shigeru, skilled as he was. It was only to be expected, with the vast difference in skill and experience.

“But of course you have. You held your own for quite a while against such a dangerous opponent, without even the slightest magic to aid you. You survived purely by your blade, and your own considerable skill.” Shigeru paused for a second, as if weighing his words, then added. “I don’t think I’ve faced a warrior of your skill in quite a while.”

Enri’s glanced up at him quickly. Shigeru’s last words had given him the impression that the elder warrior knew of his situation with magic, and was even going so far as to console him. No matter how legendary the opponent, Enri did not appreciate patronization or pity after a duel. He clambered to his feet and stood straight.

“It still wasn’t enough. Even you used magic, to get behind me. Not to mention whatever you used to switch weapons.”

Shigeru frowned thoughtfully, apparently oblivious to Enri’s brief surge of indignation. It was obvious that he was thinking over his reply, to ensure that there would be no misunderstanding. “Yes, it is true that I used magic. However, it is of a different kind. There is much more to magic than you think, and more than the world knows.”

Enri’s curiosity was piqued instantly, and he opened his mouth to ask a question, but Shigeru cut him off with a swift hand gesture. “However, I am not the one to explain it, as I know very little about it myself. I know very few magicks, and even those were not taught to me. I developed them myself over many lifetimes.”

Enri frowned in frustration, the thought crossing his mind that Shigeru had a habit of contradicting himself. “But if you cannot teach me, then who can?”

The idea that there was someone more knowledgeable in combat than Shigeru was incomprehensible. He stood at the pinnacle of all martial combat, after all. Shigeru seemed to sense his reaction and smiled slightly. Then, after another short pause, while he considered his words, he replied.

 

“There is a monk that lives on a nearby mountain, who is very well versed in the ways of magicks. If you seek to learn the true nature of magic, that should be your destination.”

Enri filed the information away for future reference. Quite apart from wanting to know more about anything that could aid him in combat, Enri was burning with a desire to find out why he wasn’t able to use magic of any kind.

“That sounds like I have other options. I thought I was supposed to be heading for the Sanctuary?”

Shigeru shook his head. “The Sanctuary is but the end of your path. That path can take many different forms, depending on how you tread it. If you wish to continue on without magic, then you would be better off seeking further information elsewhere. I was merely instructed to share this with you after I tested you.”

Enri’s jaw dropped. “You were sent to test me?”

Shigeru grinned easily, not the least bit contrite. “Indeed I was. Strictly speaking, the test was not supposed to be combat, but I wanted to test your mettle myself, in my own way. It has helped me to get a clearer understanding of you, which is what I need if I am to help you.”

Enri snapped his mouth shut, wondering for a second if he’d heard Shigeru properly. “Why would you help the likes of me? You’re a god, I’m but a mere unproven mortal.”

Shigeru fixed him with a steady, calculating gaze, then slowly allowed a smile to break out across his features. “Well, I suppose it has something to do with the promise that I made Bora Bora.”

Enri’s face grew instantly cold. “Bora Bora does not care for me. That has been made clear to me many times, and I have learned that lesson already.”

Shigeru shook his head in disagreement, his face deadly serious, and Enri held his peace for the moment. “On the contrary Enri, he cares for you a great deal. Not only are you his descendant, but you are also an oddity among your peers much like he was, which only increases his interest in you.”

Shigeru paused for a moment, seeing Enri slowly absorb what was said, then added, “However, his own experience in such matters is limited, and thus he has turned to me for help.”

After what seemed like an hour, Enri sheathed his sword and moved to pick up his pack from where it had fallen from the ground. Bending down to seize the straps in this manner, he finally had an excuse to look away from the God of War. 

 

His voice was dry and devoid of emotion when he next spoke. “Very well. I am to seek out this monk, and learn what he knows of magic?”

Shigeru inclined his head briefly. “If that is the path you choose.” Once again, he spoke as if Enri had all the choice in the world, but it was clear now that there was only one path for him to take.

Finally remembering his manners, Enri bowed low, in the manner of the Nihon-jan people. He lowered his head until he lost eye contact with Shigeru. “Thank you, Lord Shigeru, for your time and knowledge. I will take precautions to reflect upon what you have told me today.”

As he stood straight, Shigeru bowed in return, with a slight smile breaking out across his features. “There is no need for the ‘Lord’ if you don’t mind. I dislike any formal titles. You may call me Shigeru, plain and simple.”

Enri gave no response as Shigeru straightened himself. He looked over at Markus again, to see what his reaction to the event was, then remembered that he was out cold. Shigeru grimaced slightly.

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. After I hit him the first time without knocking him out, I had to use a little more force. He was more resilient than I had expected. I fear he may not wake up for a while.”

Enri shrugged. “That’s all for the better, I think. Gives me time to make camp and start dinner.”

Shigeru grinned. “I see you have a good grasp of priorities. Well then, before I leave, a present.” He reached a hand out to the side, much as he did when switching weapons, and did something strange. He closed his hand on thin air, and two items appeared in his clenched fist. First, a pair of metal gauntlets, tinted red, with white runic markings upon the shiny metal surface. There was also a small sack that jingled merrily. Shigeru tossed both to Enri, who caught it with a look of confusion on his face.

“The gauntlets are for your Guide friend. The money is for you.” Shigeru said, “That was the bounty set by the city for my capture. Seems only fair you get it since I’m taking off.”

Enri bowed his head in thanks, knowing it would be a waste of his time to try and refuse the gifts. “Thank you.”

Shigeru nodded his acceptance of the words, then turned to leave. Before he had gone more than 50 feet, he turned back and called. “Take care when traveling up the mountain, young Ciayol. It is an ancient place, home to many magical beasts. You’ll find that the laws of nature do not always apply.”

Before Enri could ask what he meant by that, Shigeru disappeared in a flash of white light that burned onto Enri’s eyes, forcing him to blink hurriedly to clear the image. He stared at the spot that the god had vanished from for several minutes, then stood with a sigh and began setting up a small camp.

The sun was directly overhead when Markus finally came to. Enri had built a small fire in the center of the clearing and had set a tin pot full of water over the fire to boil. He was dumping a few scoops of the Adarbian coffee into the pot, releasing a delicious aroma throughout the area when Markus’ eyes fluttered open. Enri wasn’t surprised to find that the scent of coffee had woken him. He knew that the bigger boy enjoyed coffee as well. Despite their differences, they had shared many pots before setting out on patrol. It was the one thing they had in common, Enri through with a wry smile.

“What happened?” Markus’ first words were groggy and slurred. He sat up with a groan, feeling his ribs where Shigeru’s kick had slammed into him. Judging by his lack of alarm, they likely weren’t broken, just badly bruised. With his draconic blood, he should recover after a day of rest, Enri thought.

“He left,” Enri said simply. He used a forked stick to lift the coffee pot out of the embers by its handle and set it beside the fire.

“What do you mean, he left? Did he defeat you and run?” Markus’ voice was full of scorn. Enri raised an eyebrow at him but gave no other response. After a few seconds, Markus seemed to realize that he was in no position to make accusations or judge him. He didn’t apologize, but he did clear his throat awkwardly and push himself up to sit on a nearby log.

“I mean, I suppose he defeated you too. Why didn’t he kill us thought?”

Enri was silent for several moments, not sure how to explain what had happened. Finally, he decided to keep it as simple as possible. “Well, as it turns out, he wasn’t actually a murderer.”

Markus frowned as he registered that. “Not a murderer? But you yourself said he had the aura of a killer. Now you’re saying that he isn’t a killer?”

Enri shrugged. He was still put off by the deception Shigeru had used, but knew he should count himself lucky to be alive. “Well, he was a killer, but not a murderer. Glancing at Markus, he saw that the confusion there was growing, and hastened to clarify his words.

“He’s killed before, I’m sure of that. But not in cold blood. In battle. What we saw was merely a disguise.” Markus’ face cleared as he understood.

“So he was a soldier?” Markus asked. It was an ancient soldier’s dictum. If you drew blood for your lord, or for defense, it was not murder. This saying helped experienced soldiers keep a grasp on their morals. It was when one abandoned those morals that they became a murderer.

“Yes.” Enri said quietly, “He’s the best soldier that’s ever lived.” He paused once again, almost as if the words refused to come out.

Markus knew Enri well enough from their training sessions to read his mood somewhat accurately. He knew that Enri was not gulling him, and was deadly serious.

“Who is he?”

Enri squared his shoulders and forced the words out. “Shigeru Tokugawa, the God of War.”

Markus’ jaw dropped, much like Enri’s had done. For several long seconds, there was no sound as his brain caught up to his ears. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face and he thumped the log beside him several times.

“Infernal Blazes! You mean to tell me that we actually fought The God of War?” Markus was obviously exultant, and Enri could hardly blame him. Then Markus’ jubilation gave way to annoyance.

“Why didn’t you wake me up so I could talk to him?” Enri frowned at Markus and shook his head slightly.

“And how was I supposed to manage that?” He turned back to the pot. After confirming that the handle was cool enough to touch, he picked it up and filled two mugs. “How am I supposed to stop a god from doing what he wants?”

Markus rolled his eyes. “Surely he would have waited. Typical for you to hog the moment all to yourself.”

That was going a bit far, Enri thought. Of anyone, Markus should know that Enri never sought recognition or award, only to increase his skill and prove himself. He gave no response to Markus’ comment, merely holding the bigger boy’s gaze until finally, it was Markus who looked away.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean that.” Markus’ tone was lowered now, the annoyance gone.

Enri made a brief hand gesture, dismissing the need for an apology. “It’s fine. He didn’t say much in any event. He just gave us our next hint and left.”

That caught Markus’ attention. “He gave you a hint? What was it?”

“We have to find a monk who knows the true way of magic,” Enri said. “Shigeru didn’t give me his name, but told me that I could find answers about the true nature of magic from him.”

Markus shrugged, accepting it faster than Enri had. “Fine. Where is this monk?”

“Shigeru said that the monk lived on the peak of a nearby mountain. He didn’t say which one though. I guess we have to find it on our own.”

Markus snorted derisively. “That figures.”

In spite of himself, Enri smiled. “Seems that’s going to become a pattern.” He leaned forward and picked up the pair of gauntlets that Shigeru left, and tossed them to Markus. “Before he left, Shigeru said that these were for you.”

Markus caught the gauntlets with a look of wonder on his face. He stared longingly at them for almost a minute, then hurriedly yanked his own leather gauntlets off and pulled them on. His face was transported as he studied the runes on the surface.

“They’re enchanted. I wonder what they do.”

Enri leaned forward, interested in spite of himself. Shigeru hadn’t shared what kind of enchantment the gauntlets held, and he was as curious as Markus to know. “I suppose there’s really only one way to know for sure.”

Markus jumped to his feet “Want to test them out?”

Enri tilted his head, not understanding for a moment, then the meaning became clear. “You want to spar? With an unknown piece of equipment? I’m not sure that’s wise. Just hit something if you’re that curious.”

Markus stood in deep thought for a few seconds. Sipping coffee from his cup, Enri watched him. Finally, Markus half shrugged and walked over to a nearby tree. Enri thought he knew what he was about, but didn’t interrupt.

Markus drew back his fist, took a deep breath, and struck the tree. No sooner than he had hit it, one of the branches of the tree moved. There was no wind to assist the wood, but it whipped up and around and smacked Markus. He had no chance to see the attack coming, nor block it, and was knocked flat. Enri laughed out loud as the branch wriggled back into position.

“Surely you didn’t think the tree would just let you hit it?” He choked out between gasps of breath.

Markus leaped back to his feet, fuming. He glared at the tree. There was already a dent in the trunk from where he had struck it, and it looked like Markus meant to attack again. Enri hurriedly got to his feet and put a hand on Markus' shoulder, but the boy shrugged it off.

“Don’t you dare laugh! This damned tree must be taught a lesson!” Markus raged. Enri held up his hands in a sign of peace.

“I’m sorry for laughing. You’re right, it’s not funny. But let’s not cause any more trouble. We don’t want to anger the forest here, or we won’t make it back to town.”

Markus kept breathing heavily for a few moments, but then made an obvious effort to calm himself. “Stupid tree.” He muttered under his breath. He stomped back over to his log and sat down, picking his abandoned mug back up. After making sure that they wouldn’t snap again, Enri moved back to his own seat, refilling his mug.

They sat in silence for almost an hour, before Markus spoke again. “So we’re setting out to find this monk?”

Enri finished the coffee in his cup, then tossed the dregs into the fire. They made a hissing sound as they landed within the embers. He stared into the flames for a few more seconds before answering.

“Well, Shigeru said that the choice was up to me. As I said, he told me that the mountain was nearby, and there’s really only one mountain that comes to mind.”

He could see by the rekindled light of interest in Markus’ eyes that he understood instantly. “Draco Mountain.” It was no surprise that he knew of it, since the city of Draco, home to thousands of dragons and dragon-kin, was laid at the base of the legendary mountain.

Enri tucked his mug back into his pack. “Exactly. Have you ever been to Draco?”

Markus shook his head, which didn’t surprise Enri. Training as soldiers took up a lot of their life, and they had very little free time. Traveling far from the city was out of the question unless they were sent on a mission. He also knew that the mountain, especially the city at its feet, was a popular destination for those with draconic blood. The city was populated only by dragons and dragon-kin like Markus. There were others who visited, but non-dragons were not allowed to take up permanent residence.

Enri stood, and started to stomp the fire out. “Well then. We’d better be on our way. We can get those gauntlets appraised in Milagre, then head out for Draco before night falls.”

Markus stood eagerly. “You’ll get no complaint from me. I’ve always wanted to visit the dragon’s city.”

They gathered up their light packs and started to move down the road. It only took an hour or so for the city of Milagre to come back into view, despite the fading light. As they drew closer, they began to pass more farmers, coming back into the protection of the city’s walls after a long day of work. Such simple things would never change, Enri thought. People would work and toil the land to make their living. The land in turn would be protected by those same people, to ensure the cycle continued.