🔥 The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) 🔥

NSP 3: Shadows of Our Fathers

The warrior smashed his mailed fist into his opponent's face. As the man stumbled back, he sliced his katana across the man's chest, leaving a line of red through his armor.

He ducked and a swipe from another cleared his head. His fellow soldier a cut the man's leg and he dropped to one knee. The warrior brought his blade across the man's throat and finished the job.

The warrior nodded his thanks and took stock of the battle raging.

His men were holding as ordered, feigning a rout and drawing the main force into the open. This allowed his hidden archers to take out a sizeable chunk their forces. His main host crashed into their archers, leaving the opposing army in shambles.

A strike force of his fastest warriors was leading the final charge against the defender's fort, arrows whizzing past their heads. One took an arrow to the chest and slumped to the ground.

The battle was almost over. If they could lower the gate, the remaining defenders of the garrison would be overwhelmed within minutes. He kept the remainder of his men back, out of arrow shot. 

I will not lose any more soldiers than necessary.

Within minutes, the gate fell and victory was assured. He let his main force swarm the fort, to get in on the action, as the final defenders dropped their bows and loosed their swords. It was not long until his flag flapped in the wind: a green background with the hawk of Acadia.

"And match!" a deep voice bellowed. The men lying on the ground got up. Handshakes and bows were exchanged. The warrior knelt to the opposing leader, a sign of respect from the winner to the loser.

His instructor's gloved hand slapped his shoulder as he rose. "That was a nice gambit there. Had the opposing squad leader sniffed out your true motives and committed his armies to your strike force, you would have been at an extreme disadvantage."

"I know Major Hima." He removed his helm and sucked in the cool, fresh air. "It was an acceptable risk."

Hima howled. "You are definitely Kuyan Trueblade's son."

The warrior gritted his teeth.

I hate being compared to my father.

"Lieutenant Takuya!" one of his men shouted. "We won! We should celebrate."

Hima's eyes narrowed. "A word."

Takuya took off his gauntlets and handed them to the waiting squire. "Sergeant Taichi, please start the celebration without me." He then shouted to the rest of his men, his voice resonating throughout the battlefield. "Have the quartermaster take the cost out of my salary. Drinks are on me."

That brought up a roar from his men.

They've earned it today.

Hima nodded his approval.

Takuya followed him to his tent. They were stationed outside of Covica proper, in the training grounds of the Knights of Acadia. Empty forts and dummies abound, built with the sole purpose of keeping Acadia's army ready for action.

I tire of these games.

Takuya followed Hima, a man who'd made a name for himself during the Rianna conquest. The army was at a standstill, as if waiting for something to tip the scale back into war.

When he opened the tent flap, he was blinded by the tengoku smoke that filled the room. He coughed, waving his hands in an attempt to clear the fog.

Hima fumed. "Didn't I tell you to put that garbage out?"

The bald, bearded man laughed and took another puff.

The man with an eyepatch cackled. "It's not in the contract."

Hima's hand twitched and he glared at the two of them. The tension in the air was thick. He was not sure what help he would be with his practice sword.

However, I am ready to give it.

A woman in a black catsuit and cat ears gritted her teeth. "Hebi put it out like the man asked."

The bald man grunted, but did as she asked.

Hima forced his sneer into a smile. "Takuya, you have provisionally been promoted to Captain."

"Captain?" Takuya eyes widened. "Captain! Schewa's balls, I've been promoted to Captain from Lieutenant!"

"Provisionally." Hima tapped Takuya on the shoulder. "It is a necessity of this mission, so that you're only accountable to me. It will be made permanent upon our success."

Of course there's a catch.

"What mission?"

"I've been ordered to lead a strike force to track down several fugitives. They've freed a rebel leader from prison, murdered the KoHeika and fled to Yua. Their goal is to ferment unrest in Acadia."

The KoHeika is dead? There's been no mention of it.

Takuya pulled himself from that line of thought; the lives of royalty were above him. "I'd be honored, sir, but why me?"

"I've seen you train. You're a natural leader and you think well on your feet. The three before you are Tsuchinans we've contracted for this mission. There are three others that will be joining us. Major Meita, and Captains Asako and Hide."

All legends.

"No offense sir that still doesn't answer the question. Why me?"

Hebi rubbed his beard. "This one's no dummy, eh?"

Hima handed Takuya a stack of color sketches. The first was a Feral witch with brown and white hair.

"You have intimate knowledge of one of the criminals. I believe that knowledge will make you invaluable."

Takuya flipped through the drawings. Next was a Hruh-yite woman with a smirk and then Sakima.

How is the Hidenka a fugitive?

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Hima-sama, but I have exaggerated my relationship with Sakima. I've met him a few times during various functions, but we are not close."

"Everyone exaggerates their relationship with royalty." Hima poured a glass of water. "Keep looking."

There was another Feral witch, a scar-faced warrior and brown skin peeked behind the last photo. He prayed it was him.

Schewa couldn't be so kind.

It was. The drawing managed to capture his dung-eating grin and self-assuredness. The sneer that adorned Takuya's face made him realize he hadn't done the best job burying his hatred of the man.

"So you do know him," Hima said. "This is good. The Heika ordered us to return those people to him, dead or alive."

Even better.

"We will meet up with a Yuan contingent headed by the Reincarnation of Yua. They will escort us into their country and aid us on our search. I expect you to be on your best behavior, hatred of Yuans aside."

So he knows how my mother died.

"It won't be a problem, sir. I'll make an exception this once."

He pinched his arm to confirm it wasn't a dream.

My only regret is that the people of Toro won't be around to see me end this hypocrite. The golden boy Sabin is a fugitive.

And I get to kill him.