Harvest of Ancient Sorrows

Preview Chapters 1-3

Author Notes: These chapters are offered with no guarantee of grammatical accuracy. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Outside Kerma City, Taru, An 5660, Day 66

Out of tears, Masako cowered into the canvas wall of the tent, hugging a pillow. Since being dragged away from the fortress wall, she had cried for Abu, Miss Louisa, and Dr. Ben. Around the time she’d cried herself out, the creaking, swooshing, thumping sounds of the catapults throwing stones stopped as if they had also run dry.

Are they dead? Am I cursed? She didn’t dare to hope. Everyone who had ever cared for her had died or had been lost in some way. She thought of leaving her grand uncle, whom she had only met but who had shown her more love in those three weeks than she’d ever known.

Emperor Octavius had been so confident of victory as they watched waves of legionaries storming through the breach in the giant wall protecting Kerma City. Masako had been shocked by the man’s vicious words, telling her that her friends were going to die because they dared to stand up to him. She felt numb. Resigned to misery, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep. Maybe she wouldn’t wake up.

A slight breeze told her that someone had come into the tent. She winced at the sound of the emperor’s Latin words and squeezed her eyelids tighter shut, too afraid to see the joy on his face. The wind in the large tent stirred again.

This time, the emperor’s babiakhom translated the Aaruan words from General Kinya. “Why the hell did you call off the attack? Damn the Ripvor. We were moments away from overrunning the Earthlings, and the city would have been mine.”

His words didn’t make sense for a long moment, and she repeated them in her mind.

The Remulans lost. Are they still alive? She thought as she opened one eye.

The emperor took a long pull from his wine glass. He seemed to regard the rage-contorted face of the Kerman general the same way he regarded Masako when she tried to stab him. She and the general were too unimportant to stir the man’s emotions, much less his actions.

With each passing second, the general looked close to losing control. His dark hand gripped the pommel of his sword so hard it lost several shades of color.

The emperor passed his glass to a beautiful slave woman who knelt beside his chair. “I do not share your optimism. The Earthlings dispatched the Star Knight along with most of the men equipped with Seba shields.”

“But,” Kinya started.

A raised hand stopped him short.

The emperor said, “Besides, we will use the Earthlings’ guns to defeat the Ripvor.”

They’re alive. Masako’s second eye popped open as rekindled hope evaporated her weariness like water splashed on hot coals.

“We don’t need them to defeat the reapers.” Spittle sprayed out with the general’s words.

“But it will be easier. And when the lamentations are over, Kerma will be but the start of the nations who will fall to the empire.” The emperor smiled. “All I ask is for you to have a little patience.”

The bubbling tension in the general’s stance eased to a simmer. “I will turn my attention to this new threat, but I expect you to apprise me of the preparations to take the city as soon as I am victorious.”

An eyebrow shot up from the emperor. “I’ll tell you what you need to know when you need to know it.” The Remulan stood and glowered at the Kerman. “Remember, the army I allow you to lead. That army will die for me.”

Taking a step back, General Kinya snapped to attention and slammed his fist over his heart. “Imperator, I understand. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. It won’t happen again.” He brought his arm down to his side but stayed at attention. “Is there anything else?”

At the slight shake of the emperor’s head, the general said, “Hail Octavius.” He turned on his heel and marched out of the tent.

The emperor watched him leave. Faustulus, the emperor’s head servant, came forward to stand at Octavius’s side. The fingers on one hand rubbed up and down on the sides of his toga. “Your Majesty, the wind singer you asked for is outside.”

“Send him in.” The emperor sat on his chair, his face a mask of concentration.

A babiakhom made his way to the center of the tent. He bowed and, upon coming up, said, “Your Majesty, you asked for me?”

Octavius’s eyes turned from where they stared at nothing and lighted on the wind singer. “Djoser. The Kermans will surely demand to see the reapers with their own eyes. You will escort them and, at the same time, get an accounting of the enemy.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?”

“Steal one of those hand-thrown bombs the Kermans used to destroy my siege engines. That’s all for now.” The emperor flicked his fingers in dismissal.

“I understand your Majesty.” The wind singer bowed again and walked out.

When the tent flap fell back into place, the emperor’s gaze flashed on Masako. She held her breath, not wanting to be seen. He looked away from her, taking the wine glass from the kneeling woman.

After a large gulp, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Princess. Your friends still live, but it is only a short reprieve.” Masako wanted to jump up and cheer, but he turned to face her, and his words made her shiver. “I made a vow and will keep it or die.”

She buried her face into the pillow she hugged. It had been almost three weeks since she gave the ambassador the pin with the pearl. Would Miss Louisa ever receive her message?

Her best hope of escape had always been Miss Louisa, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to free herself. Reticent about her one good plan, she chose to push forward despite its disgusting nature. If her timing were right, they’d throw her out of the fort with the rest of the trash.

Chapter 2

Kerma City, Taru, An 5660, Day 66

Ben’s scar twitched with nervousness, and Louisa touched her lips without thinking. Even with the world coming to an end, she remembered the kiss. She wanted another. And a bath. She needed a bath in the worst way. The dirt and acrid smell of burnt black powder that had seeped into her clothes didn’t bother her, but the horrors she’d seen during the battle made her want to scrub her skin with a wire brush.

Can those memories ever be washed away?

That would need to wait, and she consoled herself by taking a drink from a proffered canteen. With her eyes still locked on Ben, she swished the warm water around and swallowed. Her thoughts flowed back to the end of the battle, How was that an hour ago?

Ben and the Lancers had conducted a desperate defense to save the city of Kerma from being destroyed by the Remulans’ legions. With the momentum turning against them, Louisa joined the fight. She’d made a mad dash across the battlefield to save Ben and killed the bullet-proof Star Knight using the Ancient’s tool.

Ben proclaimed his love, and then they kissed.

All thoughts screeched to a halt, and she pondered the words she had spoken only to herself. Do I love him?

She retraced those last desperate moments when she thought Ben was going to die. Reliving that memory caused her stomach to sink, and she had to stop a sob before it escaped.

Incongruous and as incredulous as it might be to Louisa, she was in love. She’d long resigned herself to life without romantic love, one without demands and expectations. This unnatural feeling urged her to run away. She ignored that first instinct and asked herself a question she could not answer. Now what?

Would he still love her once she told him her secret? A sudden doubt wormed into her mind, and the canteen’s lukewarm water churned in her stomach.

Ben’s lips moved, bringing Louisa to the present. “Queen Nabra. Prince Tambal.”

Followed by an honor guard of heavy infantry, the queen and heir to the throne joined them in the shade of the Lancer’s defensive wall.

“Is it true?” the queen asked.

“If we can trust General Kinya’s words.” Ben pointed toward the breached wall. “He said the emperor would like to meet with us to discuss the Lamentations.”

The queen’s perpetual frown deepened. “I’ll send a messenger to the Remulans. We will need independent confirmation.”

Louisa asked, “How will you achieve that?”

“Once we work out the details with them, I will dispatch a wing of wind singers to see for themselves.” The queen rubbed her chin between two fingers. “Did he say where the reapers were?”

Ben shook his head. “No. He didn’t give any details. Just said that the Lamentations have begun.”

Queen Nabra turned to the prince. “Make sure the messenger knows to gather as much information about the ripvor as the Remulans are willing to share.”

With a nod, Prince Tambal said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Louisa considered the perils of such a meeting before saying, “If it’s true, where will we hold the parlay? I don’t trust them.”

“I agree with you. We will gather in the field between the city wall and the Remulan forts.” The queen pointed to the babiakhom behind her. “In situations like this, each side sends a wind singer to the other’s camp. The wind singers stay in constant contact with their side as the two parties come together. That way, they can’t send a dummy and then bombard the meeting point.”

“We must keep our guard up until we receive confirmation.” Ben waved Jeevan over from where he spoke to Lance Duffadar Ram.

While she watched him, Louisa wondered how long she could delay telling Ben that she had figured out how to power the Seba. That there had been a way home before the battle began.

The one-time squadron leading duffadar, now a general in charge of a battalion of the 1^st Kerman Rifles, jogged over to Ben. The duffadar’s always smiling face was ashen. “What do you need, Captain Ben?”

“Rotate the men for rest, four hours on and four off.” Ben put his hand on Jeevan’s shoulder. “There’s something wrong. What is it?”

The duffadar took a deep breath, and his voice cracked. “We lost Sowar Singh.”

__________________________

As the Kerman contingent left the Lancer’s wall, Ben gathered Louisa, Jeevan, and Abu for a private meeting. In Louisa’s eyes, he found uncertainty instead of her usual confident intensity. He hadn’t yet been able to follow up on his concussed admission of love to have an actual conversation with her.

Given the circumstances, such a discussion would need to wait until tonight. Ben’s responsibilities to the troops preceded his feelings for Louisa.

But damn, how can she be so beautiful?

Cheeks covered in layers of black powder. Forehead smudged with dirt, and her hair’s tight bun a half-untangled mess. During Ben’s inspection, their eyes locked, and an emotion he swore he’d never feel again threatened to make him forget all the rest. Ben forced himself to turn his gaze away.

Jeevan’s expectant face brought back the reality of the situation. As he started to speak, an agitated Abu jogged up.

On the verge of tears, Abu asked, “Dr. Ben, is Gian dead?”

“I’m sorry, Abu.”

Ben didn’t get to finish as his son bent over, putting his hands on his knees. Jeevan stooped beside Abu and put his arm over Abu’s drooped shoulders, which jerked up and down with each shattered heave. “Singh was a good soldier. We will miss him, but he wouldn’t want us to grieve while there is more to do.”

Abu went to a squat, trying to compose himself. He spoke between big gulps of air. “How did it happen?”

“He was up top, helping clear the wall of Remulans when the enemy artillery struck,” Jeevan reported with tight lips.

Ben’s heart ached, wishing to relieve Abu’s pain, but he hesitated. If they were to survive–– if Abu were to survive, he would need to become hardened against trials like today.

Abu bit his lip. “I’m all right.” With sluggish movements, he came to his feet and wiped his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

Ben patted his son’s arm and nodded, then turned to the group. “Let’s discuss what comes next.” His voice grew grim. “Our situation seemed bleak this morning, but we had hope. If the Remulans are telling the truth, we’ve gone from having a puncher’s chance to facing impossible odds.”

His eyes drifted down, watching the toe of his boot scratch at the ground while he tried to find the resolve to make the only natural choice open to them. Finish the fight. He lifted his head and looked at each of them in turn. “There are only two choices. We fight or run for it and let the Kermans face the ripvor alone.”

From the corner of his eye, Ben saw a red-faced Abu give Louisa an accusing glare. She shook her head. The boy’s face grew more stern, resolute even.

Louisa gulped and raised a reluctant hand. “We have another option.” She hesitated.

Abu growled. “Tell them.”

“When I was in the facility under the waterfall, I powered the Seba.”

“What?” Ben and Jeevan exclaimed.

Jeevan’s face twisted in rage. “Why the hell did you not tell us?”

With pleading eyes that appeared full of remorse, Louisa said, “I wasn’t positive that it worked until right before the battle began.”

“This is outrageous.” Jeevan, his eyes on fire, fell silent, jaws clenching as he tried to gain control of his emotions.

Stunned, Ben couldn’t make sense of what he heard. We could have gone home. Why would she hide that from us?

Memories of Louisa’s conversation about staying on Aaru if they found a way home rushed back like a slap across the face. His thoughts stumbled over this one fact. She never plans on leaving.

“She’s telling the truth. At least, about finding out that the Seba was charged.”

Ben and Jeevan looked at the teenager.

Abu sounded like all the fight had left him when he said, “Doesn’t excuse Miss Louisa for not telling us she suspected she had done it. At least we would have had a choice to fight or not. Gian might still be alive.”

Louisa looked betrayed, and instead of asking for forgiveness, she stiffened her shoulders and glared at Ben and Jeevan. “Would you have run away? Could you live with yourselves knowing the Remulans were going to kill or enslave everyone in this city?” She punctuated that question with an icy stare, challenging the men’s courage.

Jeevan jabbed a finger at Louisa and snarled, “Your excuses mean nothing. What you did is unforgivable.” With an angry growl, he turned and stomped away.

Louisa recoiled from the rebuke and looked to Ben with scared eyes.

Ben expected to be enraged at Louisa but found only the foul taste of utter disappointment.

This is who she is. I can’t love a woman I can’t trust. Flashes of the man he became after Nannie’s betrayal made him question his sanity, but he couldn’t help but think, God help me, but I already do. I love this woman. But can I accept and love these broken parts of her?

Not if he could not trust her. He could not let her lie go unaddressed. He would need to have a private discussion about that, but right now, he needed to focus on their survival.

“We’ll deal with your,” Ben paused to regain control from the anger rising while he looked at her remorseful face. “Lies. We’ll deal with your lies at home.” He pointed toward the direction of the campus. “In fact, you should go and wait there.”

Shock, then anger, replaced the contrition on her face.

Ben put his back to Louisa and asked Abu, “What did you do to confirm that it’s powered?”

Louisa sputtered out, “I am not a child. You cannot dismiss me.”

The young man swung a finger toward Louisa and then back to himself. “We figured out you needed to ask the Seba for help.”

Ben’s lips tightened. “I asked you how you figured it out?”

Abu glanced to Ben’s side and swallowed before he said, “Yes. We laid the Seba out in the correct pattern, and then I said, ‘Squawk, Squawk,’ and the Ancients’ symbols floated in the air above the Seba. Each word showed different settings.”

“Like what?” Ben asked.

Louisa rushed to answer. “One lets you decide where you would go on Earth.”

Ben held his hand up and did not look back at her. “I didn’t ask you. Continue, Abu.”

Abu’s eyes went wide.

Louisa scoffed, “Like you’ve never done anything wrong.” She snorted. “Dr. Perfect, you are a kólos.”

She brushed past Ben, elbowing his arm as she stormed off.

Ben watched her stiff back for several seconds before he returned his attention to Abu.

A miniature grin turned up the corner of his son’s mouth. “First fight?”

Ben’s eyebrows scrunched as he recalled his and Louisa’s first argument. Then he remembered how that contentious meal in Cairo had ended with Abu kissing the young hostess in the alley behind the restaurant. Ben chuckled. “Nope. It’s not even the first time she’s called me an asshole. Tell me about the Seba.”

Abu laughed as he shook his head, and then the scholar part of Abu took over. “You can choose any place where the Seba was activated. Places like Denmark, Japan, and others in the Ottoman Empire. We think it will work the opposite way as well. We can pick where to come back to on Aaru. That means if we go to Earth from here, we can return to Kerma instead of the Fields of Eisodos.”

“Alright, anything else?”

“You can also set the size of the area that is scooped up.” Abu held up his hands about six inches apart, and the gap changed with his words. “There is a large, medium, and small option. The size of the travel dome also changes how many times you can travel back and forth.”

“Show me when we return to campus. No, do it tomorrow.” Ben frowned. “I need to find out if the Lancers will help fight the reapers or want to go home.”

__________________________

Who the hell does that kópanos think he is? Louisa continued pacing with her hands behind her back. She understood Jeevan’s anger. He had just lost one of his own. But Ben confessed his undying love for her just hours before, and now, he treated her like a child. She made another turn. Should I have told the truth? Probably, but if he loves me, shouldn’t he forgive me?

Why was this man so damn aggravating? Why did his disappointment affect her like this? Louisa’s mind raced. Her irritation grew with each turn. At a breaking point, she said out loud. “I don’t need him. I don’t need any man and will tell him as much.”

The front door opened. She spun, ready to raise hell, and stopped short. An exhausted Abu came in first. He gave her a weary smile and headed for the stairs.

The target of her anger came behind the young man, looking just as tired.

“Hold up, Abu. We need to have a quick meeting,” Ben said.

Not able to hide the anger in her voice, Louisa said, “Yes. Yes, we do.”

Abu shook his head. “You don’t need me for this.”

Ben’s eyes flared. “This won’t take long.” He carried his stern gaze to Louisa and began tapping his boot against the wooden floor.

Is he going to make me say it twice? Louisa seethed inside. She pulled back her shoulders and clenched her fists. “I’ve already apologized.”

“No. You didn’t.” Ben threw at her.

Louisa’s head snapped back, and her eyes rose to the side. Didn’t I? She replayed the moments after the battle when Abu made her tell them the secret. At no time did she say sorry. As much as it irked her, she dampened the flames of her irritation. I’ll apologize, then let him know how much he messed up.

She returned her gaze to Ben, locked eyes with him, and gave a clipped reply. “I guess I didn’t.” She pursed her lips, and her face softened, trying to find an approximation of conciliation. “I’m very sorry for not telling you.” Louisa’s eyes searched Ben’s face, and when she didn’t find what she sought, she added, “I messed up. I know it.”

“And?” Ben’s face hadn’t changed a bit.

Her brows furrowed, the anger returning to her voice. “And what?”

Even drained, Abu chuckled. “You’re terrible at this.”

Confused, Louisa tilted her head toward the young man.

“Apologies. You stink at them.” Abu shook his head. “You are supposed to say that it won’t happen again.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?” She shrugged. How do I say it won’t happen again while keeping my options open? She turned back to Ben, trying to put as much sincerity as possible into her words. “Nothing like this will happen again.”

With an exasperated sigh, Ben said, “Let’s get this straight so we don’t have to revisit this conversation.” Ben’s eyes flashed to Abu, including him in his following words. “If you can’t tell your fam.” He cut off, a panicked look coming over his face.

Abu’s startled expressions matched her own uneasiness at the half-word.

Family, Louisa thought. That’s a stretch. I don’t even like you right now. But did she love him? And did he really see her that way? Did he want to create a family with her? Is he thinking about marriage?

Louisa shuddered and held up a hand. “You might need an ox for that cart.”

Ben set his shoulders and said, “What I meant to say is that if you can’t tell your friends the truth, who can you tell?”

Louisa narrowed her eyes at Ben. “Friends. Is that what we are now?”

The air went out of Ben, but then his eyes turned icy blue. “What we are is up to you.”

Very confused, Louisa thought, What does that mean?

Ben meant it. If they were to become a family, continue courting, or go their separate ways, the decision belonged to Louisa. It didn’t surprise him that his thoughts did not include friendship, even if it was the word he used out loud. They would go forward, or they would go nowhere.

This last betrayal of his trust hit his most vulnerable place. Every instinct told Ben to close himself off. To protect his heart. He never wanted to become that man again. Only his faith kept him from pushing her away. In asking for the Lord’s help in winning Louisa’s heart, Ben committed himself to the possibility of immeasurable pain. As hurt as he was now, he was still willing. He needed her to understand the stakes.

Full of anger and hurt, Ben’s body stiffened. “I will not be made a fool of. Moving forward, you will tell me the truth no matter the situation. Or whatever this is.” He waved his hand between them. “Is over.”

Louisa bit her lower lip. She’d never seen so much anguish in Ben’s eyes. It made her heart ache. That kind of pain could only come from a profound loss. He wasn’t telling her something. Something in his past. Some other woman?

The thought of Ben loving another woman raised the hairs on her neck in annoyance. Part of her needed to know that part of his life. Another part of her wanted to never know. She pushed all that aside, needing to lessen his agony.

Louisa stepped toward him, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Ben. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Ben’s eyes darted from one of her eyes to the next, trying to divine the truth in the depths of chocolate brown. “But you knew you were going to. Didn’t you? You decided that what you wanted was more important than hurting me. Hurting everyone.”

Louisa’s face fell. “I wasn’t ready to go home, and I was almost certain that none of you would have abandoned this city to the Remulans. But you’re right. I didn’t trust you enough. What I did was selfish.”

Ben hesitated, afraid of her answer, then asked, “Have you ever trusted anyone enough, loved anyone enough to put them first?”

Louisa smiled. “I don’t have many friends, but for the.” She paused and stepped right up to Ben, touching a hand to his heart. “For the friends I love, no one is more loyal than me.”

Abu shuffled his feet.

Ben said, “Am I one of those friends?”

Louisa’s chin dipped in almost imperceptible affirmation.

Ben added granite to his voice. “Prove it.”

“I will,” came her breathy reply.

Abu cleared his throat.

Her cheeks flushed, and Louisa stepped back, removing her hand from Ben. “I deserved that. But I also need you to understand something.”

Ben shook out the tension in his shoulders and leaned toward her.

Louisa’s soprano voice came out low and menacing. “Friends respect one another. If you have a problem with me, be man enough to confront me, yell at me if you must, but never dismiss me like that again.”

Ben took a sharp breath. “If that’s how you prefer it.” His eyes shifted to light upon Abu. “And you?”

Abu pointed to his chest.

Ben nodded. “You didn’t hide it long, but you had the opportunity to tell me before the battle.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Ben. I should have said something, but I thought Mrs. Louisa was correct. Telling you and Duffadar Nahal about having a way home right before the battle would have been a distraction.”

“Don’t care. I need the truth to make the best decisions. No matter how inconvenient the timing. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Abu said.

Louisa interjected, “I need a bath in the worst way. I’ll see you, gentlemen, in the morning.” She moved up the stairs.

When she turned the corner on the landing, Abu asked, “Did you mean it? Do you think we can become a family? The three of us?”

Ben shrugged his shoulders. “I would have said yes before I found out about this lie. Now, I don’t know. I can’t go through that again.” His voice trailed off for a second. “I hope we can overcome this. We’ve gone through a lot together and need each other to overcome the challenges ahead.”

Abu let the words sink in, then asked, “Do you think Miss Louisa will ever be ready to be part of a family?”

Ben’s scar tugged half his grin off-kilter. “While she decides, I guarantee we won’t suffer from boredom.”

Abu raised a hesitant hand. “I’m not sure I can take too much more excitement.”

Ben nudged Abu with an elbow. “When I think she can’t astound me more, good or bad, she proves me wrong.”

“And when she disappoints you again?” Abu tilted his head at Ben.

Ben gave him a rueful smile. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Abu’s lips pulled tight. “And in this case, a third and fourth one too.” He chuckled.

Ben laughed along with him.

Growing sincere, Abu said, “Good luck, Dr. Ben. I’ll pray for both of you.”

__________________________

“Hem-netjer Rashida, you asked to see me?” Ali gave a half bow to the humongous hysakas priest behind the double-sized desk.

“Keeper Mousa.” The wolf rumbled. “I am impressed. Your plan to manipulate the thieves into building weapons. Ingenious. It might overcome your failure to keep the Seba safe.”

Ali wasn’t sure how to respond to the high priest’s backhanded compliment. He chose to ignore it and dive into the plan’s flaws. “If they refuse to make bullets or if Dr. McGehee dies, the weapons will soon become useless.”

The wolf scratched behind his head with a clawed finger as he digested Ali’s words. “Then you must make sure that doesn’t happen.” The hysakas pushed away from the desk, stood, and walked around the table to tower over Ali. “Can you not make the bullets?”

With his head craned back to look the priest in the eye, Ali replied, “If we had enough time, maybe. I will continue trying to learn the processes, but the thieves do not trust me.”

As any human might do, the hysakas leaned against the desk. Then more dog-like, his head jerked down as he bit-chewed at some itch on his hairy arm before saying, “Ignoring the gun issue, what other advancement can you provide to help against the ripvor?”

Caught off guard by the question, Ali did not respond for several moments. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Still formulating his response, Ali said, “It never occurred to me. I was so busy trying to get Dr. Ben to build guns that I didn’t stop to think about what I could have contributed.”

“Take some time to do so. With what is coming, even a small advantage might make the difference between survival and extinction.” The wolf’s snout bobbed up and down. “Tell me what you need.”

Energized by having a purpose, Ali’s words were enthusiastic, “I will. Thank you, Hem-netjer Rashida. I won’t let you down.”

As he walked away, hundreds of mental tumblers fell into place in Ali’s mind. A new future for Aaru opened before him as he thought of all the technological possibilities. He would focus first on military advancements to save them. Then, he would turn his attention to transforming his new world.

Chapter 3

Yuhi, Taru, An 5660, Day 67

Hundreds of flaccid, square sails fluttered to life, then puffed full as each ship’s compliment of wind singers added their magic to dwarven-powered oars. Like an armada of floating centipedes, the Sygnafylki fleet churned up the blue-green waters off the gentle slopes of Maan Alu’s coastline. Hojo Sadayuki, the 17^th Shogun of Yuhi, stored away that image of his homeland, unsure if it would be his last.

No looking back, he thought as he turned away from the spectacle to stare over the bow of the lead ship toward the way forward—a vast, empty ocean.

As soon as he read the message from Yuhi’s ambassador to Kerma, Sadayuki began to prepare. The grandchild he’d thought lost along with his precious daughter had been found and then lost again. And to that welp of a Remulan emperor, no less.

The shogun vowed to retrieve the princess or make the Remulans pay for their greed with blood. The might of Yuhi and her dwarven allies rallied to his call. So many came that he had to send all but the best away. Had there been enough ships, he could have burned Remus itself. Instead, he brought enough to bludgeon the emperor but insufficient numbers to defeat him. He hoped it would not come to that, but Sadayuki had prepared his entire life to pay any sacrifice for his family's honor.

His ability to picture his third daughter’s face had become murkier with each passing year, and he wondered at the eight-year-old Masako’s appearance. Does she look like Yoshitoki?

King Hrafn Ytra, the leader of the Sygnafylki, stepped beside him. “Sadayuki. What do you give the odds of this coming to blows?”

The Shogun didn’t rush to answer and contemplated the question in earnest. A decade ago, he had met Octavius’s father and found the man reasonable. Somehow, the old emperor kept those fanatics from succumbing to their militaristic urges. Then again, he considered Aquila.

Ambitious and unscrupulous. That’s how Sadayuki had described the former emperor’s right-hand man at the time. Keeping such a schemer as his primary advisor showed poor judgment on Octavius’s part.

With a sigh, the shogun gave the logical conclusion to his ruminations. “We face an inexperienced ruler who takes advice from vipers, so the odds are good.”

The old dwarf’s protruding belly shook, his rumbling glee bringing a smile to the shogun’s lips. When the laughter subsided, the two-hundred-An old boulder of a man said, “Only an idiot would take the Shogun’s granddaughter hostage. Then again, I also heard Emperor Octavius is a shrewd strategist.”

“I will not underestimate the man or his legions, but even monkeys fall from trees.” Sadayuki put his hands on the railing and leaned into the wind, the cold spray wetting his face.

“Old friend, as much as I want you to get the girl back, I want to fight more.” The dwarf’s low-bass voice cut through the lapping waves and the drum beat that kept cadence for the rowers.

The Shogun faced the dwarf. “Seeking Valhalla?”

King Ytra nodded. “If Oden blesses me so. Soon, I will be too old to hold a sword.”

The Shogun chuckled. “Then, may Susanoo no Mikoto allow our journey to be swift. I wouldn’t want to keep you from a glorious death.”

“Hah! Keep your god of storms away from my fleet.”

“That’s what I just said.” The Shogun shook his head. As much as the Sygnafylki had adopted many Nipponese traditions, they stayed true to their original religion.

“Ah. The next three weeks can’t pass fast enough. At least one of us will be happy when we reach Kemet.” the dwarven king said.

Sadayuki closed his eyes, savoring the bracing sting of water lashing his cheeks, and said, “Tomorrow’s winds will blow tomorrow.”