Guardian of Heaven and Earth
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New Yogo
Part 4 - The Flood
Chapter 1 - Chagum, Assassin
Refugees poured over Bird Shadow Bridge like a line of ants with their belongings strapped to their backs. Shuga watched them trail into the steep hills to the west called the Moon Plateau. Ox carts clogged the way, slowing the speed of the procession. It had rained since the previous evening, so the ground was muddy and the air smelled like trampled grass.
This rain won’t help the water level in the river any , Shuga thought. There wasn’t much time left to evacuate everyone. Once the river overflowed, the bridge wouldn’t be usable.
Shuga had prepared the Star Palace for evacuation immediately after receiving Chagum’s order. It had been two days since the proclamation of the coming disaster was announced in the city. The most important records and tools had already been packed and taken to the Mountain Palace to the north.
The court nobles had also commenced evacuation plans. Most of them had headed to the Mountain Palace as well, but there wasn’t room for all of them there. The few nobles who still remained in the capital bickered over where they should evacuate to.
The armies of Rota and Kanbal were camped on the Moon Plateau just outside Kosenkyo. Chagum was staying in an army tent in their camp. A spear wielder hailed Shuga’s ox cart as he passed by. He recognized him at the same King’s Spear that had protected Crown Prince Karnan in Sangal many years ago. Apparently, he was Chagum’s bodyguard now.
Shuga got off his cart, looked up at the Kanbalese bodyguard and asked, “Are His Majesty’s injuries severe?”
The bodyguard frowned. “Most of them aren’t, but he got a deep sword wound at Yazuno Fortress. He saw that our forces were about to be surrounded by the enemy and charged. He was attacked by a Talsh cavalryman before we could catch up to him. I’d never seen curved blades like the ones the Talsh use before that battle.”
The bodyguard started walking. Shuga followed him.
The bodyguard shrugged as he walked. “His Majesty dodged the worst of it, but the wound in his left shoulder still severe. He refused to have it treated until after the battle. His life is no longer in danger from it.”
Shuga clutched his own left shoulder in sudden sympathy. “Did His Majesty kill the Talsh soldier?” Shuga asked.
“Yes,” the bodyguard said. He sounded sad. “When the man lifted his sword, His Majesty used the gap in his defenses and stabbed. I believe the pain of causing that death was worse than that of his wound. I never believed he would do something like that himself; I wasn’t sure he was capable of it. I don’t think he was sure, either.”
Shuga nodded. That sounded like Chagum.
“He’s been resistant to further medical treatment,” the bodyguard said. “He keeps insisting that he’s fine.”
The bodyguard stopped outside an army tent that looked identical to all the others. “Prince Chagum, Lord Shuga is here to see you.”
Chagum gave them permission to enter. The bodyguard lifted a tent flap and invited Shuga to go inside.
Chagum sat in an improvised chair inside the tent. He wasn’t wearing his helmet, but he was wearing the rest of his armor, which looked a bit weather-beaten.
“Thanks, Kahm,” Chagum said. “I want to talk with Shuga alone for a little while. Please wait outside the tent, and don’t let anyone else in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kahm said. He bowed, then left the tent.
Chagum faced Shuga. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Your Majesty,” Shuga said, bowing slightly. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
Chagum covered his face with his right hand and looked down. He was crying. “I never thought I’d see you again, either,” he said quietly.
He and Shuga sat in chairs near a low fire in the center of the tent. Shuga frowned a little and said, “I heard you haven’t been getting your wound regularly treated,” he said. “Is that true?”
“Yeah,” he said, glancing down at his injured shoulder. “I’m fine. There’s no point in treating it more.” He started unwinding the bandage around his shoulder with practiced ease. “At first I couldn’t stand how tight the dressings were, but now I feel defenseless whenever they’re off.”
Chagum lifted his head and smiled. “Honestly, I’m just happy to be alive. That’s all thanks to you and Jin.”
Shuga shook his head. “We didn’t do anything, Your Majesty. You saved yourself.”
Chagum’s smile grew wider. “Didn’t you order Jin not to assassinate me?”A Star Reader’s alsam medal hung around Chagum’s neck. It had been covered by the bandages. Shuga had given it to Jin to pass to Chagum while they were in Sangal. “I’ve worn this during my whole long journey,” Chagum said. “And you and Jin sent Balsa messages to search for me, right? If Balsa hadn’t found me in time, I’d be dead, and then Kanbal and Rota would never have agreed to send their armies to help us.”
Chagum closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head a little to clear it. “I’ve been traveling for such a long time… It’s been hard. There were a lot of times when I thought I might die. But I also saw a lot of wonderful things and met new friends.”
The light in Chagum’s eyes was as bright as ever. “I crossed the ocean on a ship captained by a pirate,” he said. “I didn’t like it at first, but it was a lot of fun, in the end. She and the Sangalese pirates taught me how to swim and dive. The thing that made me happiest was going with Balsa to Kanbal, though.”
Shuga leaned forward. “Where did you meet Balsa?” he asked.
Chagum grinned. “In northern Rota, in the middle of a storm,” he said. “Are you sure you want to hear all this? It’s a long story.”
“Of course I do,” Shuga said. “Tell me everything.”
Chagum told Shuga about Balsa saving him from an assassin in the nick of time, and about his journey to Kanbal with Balsa. As he spoke, Shuga felt like he had gone on the journey with Chagum himself.
“Balsa and I separated in Kanbal,” Chagum said. “She wanted to warn Torogai and Tanda about the flood that’s coming. I hope she came back safely, but I still don’t know.”
Shuga smiled. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’m sure Balsa arrived back safely and warned Torogai with plenty of time to spare.” He told Chagum about the dream he’d had of Torogai.
“Really?” Chagum asked. “I’m so relieved.” Chagum’s clenched fists relaxed in his lap. Then he frowned like his wound pained him.
“You should really have your shoulder looked at again, Your Majesty,” Shuga said.
Chagum glared at Shuga for a moment, but then he nodded. He removed the rest of his bandages, revealing a red and angry-looking cut. The edges of the wound weren’t red, but greenish-brown and oozing pus.
“I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Shuga said. “You must have it washed and re-dressed right away, or the infection will only worsen.”
Chagum ordered hot water to be brought in. Shuga cleaned the puss from his shoulder carefully. Chagum stared at his shoulder, fascinated, as if he didn’t recognize what it was. His expression was strangely blank. Shuga finished cleaning the wound and started putting on new bandages.
“You should consider your own health and safety more, Your Majesty,” Shuga said. “If this wound had gone on untreated for a little longer, it might have killed you.”
Chagum shifted a little in his seat. “I’ve seen so many dead and injured people—people who’ve died in fire, or battle, with wounds like mine. And I can’t stop thinking about why. Why do we have to do this? What is it all for?”
“The Talsh forced your hand,” Shuga said. “New Yogo has never been at war, and we’re bad at it. Perhaps Talsh knows the reasons for war better than we do.” Shuga faced the fire, where he was making medicine. He checked on the stewing herbs, then turned back to Chagum.
“I wanted to send a message to the King of Rota proposing an alliance when it became clear that you’d been kidnapped,” Shuga said, “but I could not move the Mikado to act, and he would have rejected such an alliance even if the King of Rota had agreed to it. I couldn’t do anything when the Mikado and Army General Radou closed the borders. Everything just progressed until was completely out of control.”
Shuga stared into space with darkness in his eyes. “I have erred, but I do not know how to atone. You should never have had to see all those corpses, all those lives lost because of my failure to stop the war from happening here. I tried, though I’m not proud of the methods I used.”
Chagum frowned at Shuga in incomprehension.
“Army Lieutenant Karyou and I are informants for the Talsh,” Shuga said.
Chagum’s eyebrows shot up.
“It was the only way I could think of to save the country,” Shuga said. “I was the one who made sure our fortresses would be sparsely defended, to minimize casualties as the Talsh marched north. I’ve known about the Talsh army advancing from the east for weeks. The western Talsh army will combine with that one and surround the capital. It was my plan to assassinate the Mikado in exchange for the Talsh sparing the city. The Talsh agreed to this arrangement, but…”
Chagum looked at Shuga without saying a word. The fire crackled in front of them. Wind flapped against the sides of the tent. Chagum felt the desperation that the Star Readers and nobles in the Imperial Palace must have felt during the last two terrible years of his absence in Shuga’s hooded gaze.
“If I were still in the capital, I might have chosen to do the same thing,” Chagum said. “The previous Holy Sage would have, too, if he wasn’t able to move my father to act in another way. He would have to, in order to keep the country and its founding myth going. Going along with my father’s plan would mean no country, but defying him would mean that the child of Ten No Kami was fallible and human. To prevent that knowledge from spreading, the Holy Sage would have no choice but to remove the Mikado from the picture.” He sighed. This expression didn’t shift, but he looked sad, somehow.
“Army General Radou has requested an audience with you, Your Majesty,” Shuga said quietly. “Have you granted it?”
“No,” Chagum said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to see that man, but I suppose I should. Help me get my shirt on.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Chagum left his sword helmet behind in the war tent and went out into the army camp with Shuga following him. Both Army General Radou and his lieutenant and brother Karyou were at the edge of the camp, waiting to be admitted. The sun broke though the sparse cloud cover overhead, making Radou squint.
Chagum stopped in front of Radou and said, “You wanted to see me?”
Radou nodded. Chagum’s guards materialized at his sides. Kahm rubbed his chin and frowned at Chagum’s visitors.
“You brought soldiers here from foreign nations,” Radou said. “Don’t you believe we have a great deal to discuss?” He did not use Chagum’s imperial title.
Anger flashed in Chagum’s eyes. Kahm bristled and ran forward, but Chagum raised a hand to stop him. “It’s fine, Kahm,” he said. “I’ll hear him out. Pull everyone back for a moment and let us talk.”
Kahm scowled, but he did as commanded. He and the other guards took ten steps away from Chagum.
“We’ve been ordered by His Imperial Majesty to hand over control of our army and the evacuation efforts to you,” Radou said. He knelt down, drawing a sword with a golden blade. “This sword is my treasured possession. I ask you to take it, Your Majesty.”
Chagum was about to accept the sword when he saw something glinting out of the corner of his eye. It was a dagger, poorly concealed in Radou’s sleeve.
“Die, and rid us of your foul corruption!” Radou shouted in fury. He slashed the blade of the dagger at Chagum’s neck before Chagum could react. Chagum stepped backward on instinct so that the dagger caught on his shirt. It grazed his neck, but the wound was not deep. Chagum seized the golden sword in Radou’s hand and jumped back.
Radou threw his dagger down and drew the sword at his hip.
Kahm and Chagum’s bodyguards mobilized swiftly in his defense. Karyou saw his brother preparing to attack Chagum again and drew his own sword.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Kahm, Shuga and the other guards called out in one voice as they ran toward Chagum.
Chagum touched the shallow cut on his neck and gaped at Radou in shock.
“Are you hurt?” Shuga asked from behind Chagum.
“It’s just a scratch,” Chagum said. “I’m fine.” There wasn’t a lot of blood, but Chagum’s face looked very pale. He looked back at Radou, who had his sword raised. Radou trembled with rage as blood rushed to his head. Chagum somehow felt that he was at the fortress near Shirogai again, talking in all the destruction and corpses. He touched the cut on his neck with his left hand, then sprinted off in the direction of his tent.
Someone seized Chagum’s elbow, preventing him from running off. It suddenly hurt to breathe. He felt cold and clammy all over and his knees felt weak. Bright points of light danced along his sight line.
Chagum managed to break the grip on his elbow and walk determinedly to his tent. He collapsed there, unconscious, seeing and feeling nothing else.
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