Tatsuchi Kuroainaru

The city reeked of smoke and blood.

Tatsuchi Kuroainaru was six years old. Too young to understand what was happening. Too old to know that none of it was supposed to be happening. 

Red light spilled across the streets of Anzicalis, turning the stone roads beneath her bare feet into something unfamiliar. The sky itself had become a burning sheet of crimson, broken apart by flashes of white and orange that illuminated buildings for only a fraction of a second before plunging them back into darkness.

People were running. That was what Tatsuchi noticed first. They weren't walking. They were running. Adults pushed through the streets without looking down. Guards shouted orders that Tatsuchi couldn't understand. Someone was crying. Someone else was screaming for their family. A group of soldiers rushed past her with weapons drawn, their armor already blackened by smoke. Then the ground shook. Tatsuchi stumbled.
A deafening explosion erupted somewhere ahead, followed by a wave of heat that rolled through the street.

She froze.

Her small hands curled into the sleeves of her nightclothes.
Another building collapsed in the distance. The sound was enormous.
For a moment, Tatsuchi couldn't hear anything except the ringing inside her ears. Then someone grabbed her.

"Tatsuchi!"

She looked up.

Her mother.

Kiyoko Kuroainaru's face was different from the one Tatsuchi knew. Not because she looked unfamiliar, but because she looked afraid. Kiyoko was always composed. Even when Tatsuchi misbehaved. Even when servants brought bad news. Even when her father raised his voice during meetings. Her mother always looked like she knew what to do. Now she looked like she was calculating a hundred different possibilities at once.

Her hand tightened around Tatsuchi's wrist. "Don't stop." Tatsuchi stared at her. "Mom..."

"Hold on to me."

Kiyoko pulled her closer, and Tatsuchi obeyed. Her mother lifted her into her arms, holding her against her side as she began moving through the streets. Kiyoko was fast. Faster than Tatsuchi had ever seen her move outside training.

They passed burning houses.

Broken carts.

Fallen banners.

People Tatsuchi recognized.

People she didn't.

Some were being carried away by soldiers. Others were helping strangers escape from damaged buildings. Tatsuchi buried her face against her mother's chest. The smoke burned her purple eyes. She coughed. Kiyoko kept moving.

"Mom..."

"I'm here."

"What's happening?"

Kiyoko didn't answer immediately.
The silence frightened Tatsuchi more than the explosions. "I don't know," Kiyoko finally said. It was the first time Tatsuchi had ever heard her mother admit that. Another explosion thundered behind them.
Kiyoko's grip tightened. They turned down another street. Tatsuchi lifted her head.

And that's when she saw him.

High above the city, a figure hung motionless in front of a massive building of blinding proportions.
The light around it was so bright that Tatsuchi had to squint. Behind the figure, the enormous building seemed to climb into the heavens.

A tower?

No.

Tatsuchi couldn't tell what it was.

It disappeared beyond the clouds, stretching so high that she couldn't see where it ended.
Hundreds of people stood beneath it. Maybe thousands. Nobody seemed to know what to do.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Tatsuchi stared. Something inside her chest tightened. She didn't understand why. She had never seen the figure before.

At least...

She didn't think she had.

But there was something about it. Kiyoko continued running. Tatsuchi turned her head. Back toward the Kuroainaru estate. Back toward the place they'd just escaped.

Her bedroom.

Her toys.

Her books.

Something felt wrong. Something she couldn't explain it. Her chest began hurting. "Mom." Kiyoko kept moving. "What?" Tatsuchi looked over her shoulder. "There..."

"What?"

"I..."

The word disappeared. She knew what she wanted to say. She just couldn't find the words. Her mind felt like it was covered in fog. Then she remembered.

A room.

A small figure.

Someone else.

Someone who hadn't left.

Like she was still sitting in that room.

But she was clearly not. 

Like being in two places at once while somebody kept her mind cloaked in shadow.

Tatsuchi's eyes widened. "There's someone." Kiyoko slowed. Only for a second. "Where?"

 "Back there."

Kiyoko looked toward the burning estate. Smoke swallowed the buildings. Fire climbed over the rooftops. "Tatsu-"

"Go back."

Her voice trembled.

"Get him."

Kiyoko stared at her with shock and fear. Tatsuchi grabbed her mother's clothing tighter.

"Please."

Kiyoko's expression changed into something much heavier. She looked toward the estate. Then toward the road ahead. For one terrible second, Tatsuchi thought her mother might turn around.

She almost did.

Almost.

Then Kiyoko closed her eyes. Tears beginning to blind her vision.

"I'm sorry."

Tatsuchi didn't understand. "Mom?"Kiyoko started running again.
Tatsuchi looked back. The estate disappeared behind smoke. Something inside her seemed to disappear with it.

Someone.

She didn't know who.

She didn't know it's name.

She didn't know why she cared.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, one thought remained.

I left him there.

And she couldn't understand why that hurt.

                           ...

Tatsuchi woke up gasping. Her hands shot against the sheets. For a few seconds, she didn't know where she was.

Dark ceiling.

Still walls.

Quiet room.

She breathed slowly.

Once.

Twice.

Her heartbeat refused to calm down. Tatsuchi looked at her hands.

Clean.

No ash.

No blood.

No burns.

She rubbed her eyes. "...Again." The word barely escaped her mouth. The nightmare had returned. Or, a memory? She didn't know anymore and she hated that. 

A quiet knock came from the doorway. "You should be awake." Tatsuchi looked over. Kiyoko stood there. Nothing about her expression suggested that she had just watched her daughter wake from another nightmare. "The first moon has already disappeared," Kiyoko said. "The second won't remain much longer."

Tatsuchi glanced toward the window. The three suns would rise soon. That was how mornings worked in Avethryn.

The first sun would climb.

Then the second.

Then the third.

"The suns won't wait for you." Tatsuchi sighed. "I know."
Kiyoko stepped inside. She looked at her daughter for another second. "You had the dream again." Tatsuchi frowned. "How do you always know?" Kiyoko looked at the floor. "Because you've had the same expression every time." Tatsuchi sat up. The sheets fell around her waist. "It felt different." Kiyoko didn't respond. "It felt real."

Still nothing.

Tatsuchi looked down at her hands.
"I remember the fire." Her fingers tightened. "I remember you carrying me." Kiyoko remained silent.
"And I remember someone being there." That got her mother's attention. Only slightly. Tatsuchi noticed anyway.

"Who was he?"

"I don't know."

"What did he look like?"

"I don't know."

"His name?"

"I don't know."

Kiyoko's eyes narrowed. Tatsuchi became frustrated. Her mother's voice remained calm. "Dreams aren't always complete." Tatsuchi frowned. "Then why does it keep coming back?" Kiyoko paused. "Perhaps because you haven't finished remembering it." Tatsuchi stared at her. She wanted to ask more. She wanted to know what her mother wasn't saying. Her father would tell her nothing. He would send her away and sign her up from missions to keep her away. He was the strongest after all. But Kiyoko had already turned toward the door.

"Get dressed." Tatsuchi blinked. "That's it?" Kiyoko smiled. "That's enough for this morning." "But Mom..." Kiyoko stopped..Tatsuchi hesitated. "When Dad comes back..."

"He won't be back soon."

"Still in Cleyleora?"

"Yes."

Tatsuchi frowned once more.

The Land of the Angels was far away in the skies, and her father had been there for some time.

"He'll miss my birthday again." Kiyoko didn't offer an excuse. "Your father has responsibilities."
Tatsuchi looked away.
"I know. It's the burden of being the strongest man alive."

Kiyoko's eyes saddened before she opened the door.

Then stopped.

"We both love you, but please, don't go chasing ghost."

Tatsuchi looked at her.

"..."

The door closed. Tatsuchi sat in silence. For a few moments, she stared at it. Then she looked back toward the window. Something bothered her. Not the dream itself, but the fact that her mother hadn't once told her that it wasn't real. Tatsuchi eventually pushed the thought aside. Whatever happened all those years ago, she would find the answer eventually.

She always did.

And if she didn't?

She'd make the answer come to her.

That was how Tatsuchi Kuroainaru approached most things. She wasn't afraid of the unknown. She was offended by it. She climbed out of bed.m and her morning routine began.

White button up shirt.

Baggy pants nts.

Red sash.

Yellow kimono draped over her shoulders.

Sword at her side. Red and blue ribbons hanging from its handle.

Every piece went exactly where it belonged. By the time she stepped into the hallway, the girl who had been shaking beneath her blankets was gone. Her expression was calm, almost unreadable. 

The Kuroainaru estate had already begun waking.

Servants moved between rooms.

Guards changed shifts.

Training bells sounded somewhere outside the compound.

As Tatsuchi walked through the main corridor, people noticed her.  Heads lowered.

"Lady Tatsuchi."

"Captain."

"Good morning."

Tatsuchi barely acknowledged them. Respect was expected, not requested, and there was a difference. She wasn't just the heir to one of the most powerful clans in Avethryn. 

She was the daughter of Yuta Kuroainaru.

The strongest man alive.

Supreme Commander of the Ten Fate Vanguard.

To most people in Avethryn, Tatsuchi had been born beneath an enormous shadow. She had never considered it a shadow, her pride had considered it a challenge. People had watched her grow since childhood, waiting to see whether she would inherit even a fraction of her father's potential. Then she began exceeding expectations.
At ten, her understanding of Zyn flow was already beyond what most instructors expected from students several years older. At fourteen, she graduated as valedictorian of Saints Private Junior Academy for Gifted Children. At eighteen, she entered the Academy of Wings and rose to the top of her class with embarrassing speed. Most students didn't finish their formal education until their mid-to-late twenties. Tatsuchi had never cared about the normal timeline. Tatsuchi is currently nineteen years old. Normal was never the goal, strength was.

Four years ago at the age of sixteen, she had accomplished something nobody in the history of the Gate Guards had ever done.

She became a Captain.

The youngest person ever to hold the title.

And that accomplishment had changed how people looked at her.
Some believed she had been given the position because she was Yuta's daughter.bOthers believed the position had simply confirmed what everyone would eventually learn.
Tatsuchi Kuroainaru was going to become the strongest person alive.

Maybe not today.

Maybe not tomorrow.

But one day.

She had the talent.

The discipline.

The bloodline.

And, most importantly, the arrogance to believe it was possible. Tatsuchi didn't mind the expectations. She welcomed them. If everyone expected her to become the strongest, then she had something worth proving.

She stepped through the estate gates. The morning air of Anzicalis met her face. The capital of Phoenixis was already alive. The three suns climbed above the horizon, washing the white stone buildings in layered light. The great walls surrounding Anzicalis stretched far beyond what Tatsuchi could see, while the towers of August Castle rose above the central districts.

The Kuroainaru estate sat near the outskirts of the capital, close enough to the city's main routes that Gate Guard patrols regularly passed through. A squad of soldiers from the 13th Gate Guard waited outside the estate. The ordinary soldiers who made up the bulk of the division. A few were checking equipment while talking quietly among themselves.bTatsuchi walked toward them.nOne of the soldiers immediately straightened.

"Captain."

Tatsuchi nodded. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Good."

She looked toward the road. "We're moving toward the outer districts. Sit there and wait without making your presence known" The soldier nodded. "Understood." Behind her, someone groaned.

"What's that about?"

Tatsuchi turned.

Asumi Yamikumei stood with her hands buried inside her sleeves, pink hair slightly messy from sleep.
She looked at the waiting soldiers.
Then at Tatsuchi. Then back at the soldiers. "You've been making these poor people stand here for twenty minutes?" "They're soldiers."

"They still have legs." "Exactly." 

Asumi smiled. "See? She has compassion.

Asumi Yamikumei. The second seat of the 13th Gate Guard.

Tatsuchi gave her a flat look. "Don't make me regret allowing you to speak." "I've been speaking since I was born. You're going to have to do better than that, Tatsu."

Zhenyu Mori approached from behind them.

The Vice Captain of the 13th Gate Guard.

He adjusted the collar of his black trench coat and looked over the assembled soldiers. "Enough." Asumi blinked. "Excuse me?" Zhenyu sighed. "We have thirty-two people here, and we're already behind schedule." Tatsuchi glanced at him.

"You're counting?"

"I'm Vice Captain."

"That's not an answer."

"It's exactly an answer."

He turned toward the soldiers and boaster his voice. "Check your weapons again! Nobody separates from the group unless ordered." One of the younger soldiers nodded.n"Yes, Vice Captain Mori." Asumi leaned toward Tatsuchi. "He's becoming more responsible every day." Tatsuchi glanced at her. "He was always responsible. You should learn from him Asumi."

"That's unfortunate."

Zhenyu heard her. "I heard that." Tatsuchi almost smiled. "I wanted you to." The three of them began walking toward the main road.The 13th Gate Guard soldiers stayed behind them in formation. The city opened around them. Stores were beginning to fill. Children hurried toward schools. The farmers market began to shout over each other. Church bells rang from the main tower near the center of the city. The 10 Fate Church influence was everywhere in Phoenixis. Priests walked through the streets. Soldiers wore the religious insignias on their armor next to their medals.

Anzicalis had a way of making religion feel less like something people believed and more like something they lived inside. Asumi looked toward one of the enormous shrines. "Do you ever think about how strange this city is?" Tatsuchi kept walking. "Constantly." Asumi looked surprised. "Really?" "No." 

"That was mean." Zhenyu shook his head. "She got you."

"I know."

They continued down the road.
For a while, nobody spoke. Then Zhenyu's expression changed.
His eyes moved toward the rooftops. Tatsuchi noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're looking around like you're afraid of something." Zhenyu sighed, "I'm checking." Tatsuchi frowned. "Checking what?" Tatsuchi's eyes narrowed upward. Only rooftops and morning light. "Do you really think someone would attack inside Anzicalis?"

"No."

Zhenyu looked back toward the soldiers. "I just think someone might be watching us." Tatsuchi's expression sharpened. "Let them." Asumi grinned. "There she is."

"What?"

"The famous captain, Tatsuchi Kuroainaru." Tatsuchi raised an eyebrow. "What about her?"

"The one everyone says is going to become the strongest person alive."

Tatsuchi's mouth curved into a faint smile. "Everyone has good judgment." Zhenyu sighed. "Your ego is going to kill you before anything else."

"I'll survive."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

They reached the outer roads leading toward August Castle. The massive gates stood ahead, reinforced with white-gold steel and engraved with the symbols of the Ten Fates. Imperial Gate Guards watched them approach.

The guards recognized Tatsuchi immediately. One stepped forward.
"Captain Kuroainaru." Tatsuchi stopped. "Open the gate." The guard hesitated for barely a second. Then stepped aside. The gates opened.
Beyond them stood August Castle.
The royal seat of Avethryn. The home of King Adam Kusuri.

The thirty-sixth ruler of the Land of the Birds.

Tatsuchi walked through first.

Her group followed.

Inside, the castle was quiet. The polished marble floors reflected the morning light. Golden banners hung from the ceiling. Servants and maids moved along the edges of the halls.
Nobody spoke louder than necessary. Tatsuchi had been inside August Castle countless times, but today felt different.nShe couldn't explain why. Zhenyu noticed too. "You feel it?" Tatsuchi looked at him. "You noticed?" "Of course I did." Asumi looked between them. "Feel what?" "Something's wrong." Asumi's smile disappeared into a pouting expression. "That's less fun." 

They reached the throne room. And the doors opened. King Adam Kusuri stood waiting.

The King looked across the group.
Thirty-two soldiers.
Zhenyu.
Asumi.
Then Tatsuchi.
"You've arrived."
Tatsuchi stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
Adam nodded.
"I won't waste your time."
He walked away from the throne.
"We've received information concerning Revolutionary Army activity near the outskirts of Anzicalis."
Tatsuchi's expression sharpened.
"Confirmed?"
"Enough to concern me."
Adam motioned toward a table.
Several papers were laid across it.
Tatsuchi approached.
"These are bounty notices."
"Yes."
"On nobles."
"Provincial nobles. Some are minor figures. Others have considerable influence."
Zhenyu picked up one of the papers.
"Are these official Revolutionary Army documents?"
"No."
Adam's answer was immediate.
"We know the Revolutionary Army is responsible for the bounties. What we don't know is who within their organization issued them."
Tatsuchi looked up.
That was the important part.
Not whether the Revolutionaries were responsible.
They were.
The question was who.
And why.
Adam continued.
"The notices have appeared in several areas around Phoenixis. Whoever is organizing them is deliberately targeting people with influence."
Asumi leaned over the table.
"So we're looking for the person behind the orders?"
"Correct."
"Capture if possible?"
Adam nodded.
"Yes. Bring them back alive if you can. Information is more valuable than a body."
Tatsuchi looked at the bounty notices.
For once, she didn't smile.
"Understood."
Zhenyu nodded.
"We'll investigate first."
Asumi raised a hand.
"Can I interrogate?"
Tatsuchi looked at her.
"You're asking permission?"
"I thought it would be polite."
"Then no."
Asumi lowered her hand.
"Worth trying."
Adam's expression softened slightly.
"Your mission is simple. Identify the Revolutionary responsible. Determine what they know. Find out what they're preparing."
Tatsuchi placed the paper back down.
"And if they resist?"
Zhenyu answered before the King could.
"We restrain them."
Tatsuchi glanced at him.
He met her eyes.
"We don't know how much information they have. Killing them wastes the opportunity."
Tatsuchi considered it.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
Adam watched her.
"I expected you to argue."
"I'm not stupid."
Asumi muttered, "Debatable."
Tatsuchi slowly turned her head.
Asumi immediately looked at the ceiling.
"I said nothing."
Tatsuchi ignored her.
Adam smiled faintly.

"Then I will leave the mission in your hands, Captain."

Tatsuchi bowed.

"You won't regret it."

"I know."

The group turned to leave.

As Tatsuchi stepped into the corridor, she felt it again. That strange pressure beneath her ribs. The same sensation that had followed her since the dream. Something pulling.

She stopped.

Zhenyu noticed.

"What is it?"

Tatsuchi looked toward the castle doors.

Nothing.

Just morning light.

Just Anzicalis.

Just another day.

"...Nothing."

She continued walking.

Ahead of her, the capital stretched toward the horizon.

And somewhere beyond the city, someone had begun moving pieces across a board Tatsuchi didn't yet understand. She tightened her grip around Shinkoku's hilt. Not because she wanted a fight, because she wanted an answer. The mystery of the bounties was one thing. The dream was another.

And somewhere deep inside Tatsuchi's mind, the two felt connected.

She didn't know why.

She didn't know how.

But she knew one thing.

Whatever had been left behind in the burning city all those years ago...

It wasn't finished with her.

And Tatsuchi Kuroainaru had never been very good at leaving things unfinished.