Heir to the Empire

Masako Minamoto made her preparations for a trip to visit the city, having finally worked up the nerve to ask. She had been moved into one of the bedchambers in the Royal family wing of the castle. She was told these would be private, though truthfully, she had no illusions. Everywhere she went, she could still feel the eyes on her; she knew she was still very much in a cage. A much nicer cage to be sure, but hardly free as a bird.

Masako had mixed feelings carrying around the sword. On the one hand, it just seemed like common sense that it was always better to be armed than unarmed in a dangerous situation, and she had training on how to use it. But this particular weapon... what did he call it... a soul sword... she could sense it just sitting on her hip, whispering voices that felt... soothing... reassuring, as if promising that all would be well now that they were reunited. The intellectual part of her wanted to reject this notion; the idea of bonding to a piece of her own spirit from a past life sounded ludicrous in the context of life in modern Japan. But the other part of her... the deep, emotional core at the center of her being was embracing the sword more with each passing day.

As she left the castle for the first time, her assigned escorts walked her to a prepared carriage. Masako had originally expressed her desire to explore on foot, but was told that to be impractical, not to mention dangerous. The capital city was huge, it would be like trying to explore an entire metropolis, not to mention all manner of strangers who would accost her, even with escorts. She wasn't sure if this was all part of the act of keeping her under control, but at the same time, it might have actually been true, so she relented.

The carriage was pulled by six large beasts that Masako didn't recognize that looked like a cross between a horse and an eagle, though she was sure she had seen pictures of them in various fiction books. Akiko probably would recognize them, being the bookworm that she was. She wondered what had become of them... did they managed to get away... find help... or were they... she shook her head. The idea that she was the only survivor seemed like more than she could bear.

No, she thought, something was going on with Akiko... changing her into something else... just like me... the thought slowly dawned on her as they travelled through the noble district of the city. Masako looked out of the windows and her heart stirred with an unexpected nostalgia... I know this place... but that didn't make sense... This was a whole new world; everything should be a completely unfamiliar, and yet... She beckoned the drivers to stop and disembarked. Walking to one of the decorative fountains in the middle of one of the squares stood several magnificent sculptures and plaques. Touching each name triggered the memories of faces, past battles and emotions.

Yoshino Ono... I remember him during a battle at Allkyn Barony to secure victory for the Empire during an uprising...

Hideo Mashimo... he was the officer who held the fort's defenses at White Haven Pass during the invasion by the Invictus Empire from the south.

Masako shook her head and held the sword closer as the whispers grew deeper into her mind and spirit... I was there, wasn't I? My past life... she could see every face, feel every step... Every time she swung the sword, the two of them became a single synchronized force in perfect harmony, their movements like an elegant dance that made all other combatants around her look like slow plodding clay statues by comparison.

For several more seconds, Masako knelt by the fountain in thought. This city... the center of power for the Calidor Empire was a place she had only just arrived a couple months ago. It was only this week she had been granted permission to travel outside the castle walls. Yet, everywhere she looked, the streets evoked a deep sense of nostalgia and memories of running with other noble children, childish games with strange mythical beasts that had been tamed to serve their noble families and raised with all the privileges of a then-noble's son. She shook her head; her mind was screaming one thing; her heart was shouting another. She needed to know for sure, just how close she and this sword were becoming, and deep down, she knew only one way.

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The military caravan pulled back into the capital through the courtyard under heavy guard. The raid was deemed a partial success; numerous rebellious fighters had been captured or killed, including several who were identified as leaders. These identified ringleaders would be separated and harshly interrogated to identify the rebellion's organization and eventually break the back of the resistance, once and for all.

However, the one remaining sticking point was the Fujiwara girl wasn't among the captured numbers. This matter was debated among the seers; some suggested dropping the matter. Why worry about some dusty prophecy; deprived of any meaningful support, a single individual would be nothing but a yapping voice in the wind, hardly a concern. Others warned; that's how prophecies work and that if Fate worked at all, it worked because people convinced themselves that, this time, it wasn't going to happen...

As the prisoners were being brought in, the captain of the guards paused the escort for a moment. "I thought I saw a familiar face... Sergeant Takeda, how unfortunate that a soldier as decorated as yourself would fall so far. This truly is a dark day for the pride of our military," the captain shook his head with a mixture of amusement and sarcasm.

"It's been dark for quite a long time, for those who choose to see," Kenji replied with a measured tone.

The captain sighed, "You know, it could go much easier for you and your comrades if you would cooperate," he offered. "Give us the girl, and we can consider commuting your charges." He stared at them as they all kept silent. "You're all following some prophecy that's nothing, but an empty promise based on blind faith."

Kenji looked hard at the captain. "When the Empire's crushed all hope, sometimes faith is all we have left," he said resolutely as he and the rest were led away into the dungeons.

The captain scoffed... what fools... well, we'll see how their resolve holds after a few weeks of starvation and sleepless nights. They would hold the ringleaders in separate cells; it was his experience that when people were held separately, they wouldn't be able to corroborate their lies, and the isolation also was another way to break their spirit.

"I told you, they would not break," the castle's head seer warned the captain. "Such is their belief in the legend, every one of them is prepared to give up their lives to defend it. So long as she's out there, she will remain a threat."