Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,97
demonslayer dies, a boy is chosen from the ranks of our kami-touched to become the next bearer of the Cursed Blade. He goes through intense training to purge all weaknesses from his mind and body, and to prepare his soul for the intrusion of Hakaimono. The demands on his body are harsh—some say too harsh—but it is nothing compared to what his mind must endure every single day. Some boys do not survive. Some go mad, trying to resist the constant presence of Hakaimono. Some die from the rigors of training, torn apart by yokai, or succumbing to wounds inflicted by their own sensei. In fact, I believe that only one in four boys lives through the initial few months. The rest die in agony, or are killed because they could not resist Hakaimono. Talented, kami-touched boys who could have become honorable samurai instead waste their lives to feed that cursed sword and the demon that inhabits it. And those who do make it through the process have been irrevocably changed. They are no longer human. They are simply vessels for Hakaimono’s power, a hand that wields Kamigoroshi in the name of the Kage.”
Lord Iesada paused a moment to pluck a colorful rice ball from the plate with his chopsticks, admire the color and fragrance, and pop it into his mouth. “So,” he said, dabbing his lips with a silk napkin. “Now you understand. The demon Hakaimono is a monster that must be stopped, and it is the duty of the Kage to bring him down. That the oni has been freed and is rampaging through the country has already brought shame and dishonor upon the Shadow Clan. Hanshou-sama knows this—to suggest that she would seek aid from those outside the Kage is an absurd notion. Why, if any were to meddle in our affairs, we would have to respond to such an insult in force.” He smiled coldly across the tatami mats. “But my apologies, I speak of clouds that have not yet formed, and rain that has not yet fallen. I am certain Lady Hanshou has the matter of Hakaimono in hand. Let us return to more pleasant subjects, yes?”
I was still getting used to the flowery idioms and roundabout phrases of the nobles of court, but I was fairly sure Lord Iesada had just threatened us. Or at least, warned us not to go after Tatsumi. Anger flickered. They could say what they liked; I was going to save Tatsumi, even if I had to dodge Shadow Clan shinobi the entire way to the Steel Feather temple.
“Taiyo-san,” Lord Iesada continued, reaching for a rice cake with his chopsticks. “Have you tasted Noriko-san’s mochi balls yet? I simply insist that you try them—they have the most delicate fragrance…”
He plucked a pink rice ball from the plate, and a furry brown head poked up, whiskers twitching as the sweet was removed. Lord Iesada let out a yelp, jerking his hand back, as the tiny rodent darted from the plate, zipped up to the lord and vanished into the folds of his hakama.
“Nezumi!” The Kage lord leaped to his feet, flapping his arms so that his sleeves whipped about like sails in the wind. Wide-eyed, we watched the noble flail wildly, shaking his legs and slapping at his hakama with his fan. The mouse didn’t reappear, though a tattered rice ball leaf came loose and fluttered to the ground near Lord Iesada’s feet. No one seemed to notice it.
Finally, when the mouse didn’t appear to be hiding in his hakama, Lord Iesada straightened and with great dignity turned to bow at us. “Please forgive my outburst,” he said in a calm, unruffled voice. “I fear, for obvious reasons, we must end the ceremony early.” His jaw tightened, nostrils flaring as he continued. “Rest assured, we will find whomever is responsible for this atrocity, but for now, I must bid you farewell.”
I snuck a glance at my companions. Daisuke looked stunned and slightly amused but, like Lord Iesada, he was doing a remarkable job of hiding his reaction. However, Okame’s face was red from holding in his laughter, and Reika’s hard black gaze was fixed on me, her mouth drawn into a tight line. Not fooled in the slightest.
“Of course, Iesada-sama,” Daisuke said with a small bow of his own. “We will show ourselves out. Thank you for inviting us. Your hospitality is truly inspiring.”
Okame and I managed to keep a straight face until we had left the tea room and