on their backs and refused to calm down when he was present. I couldn’t see Tatsumi, but I knew, like the shinobi, he was close, following in the shadows, and would appear when we needed him. I could also feel something in the air, a growing dread and darkness, getting stronger and more terrible the closer we came, like walking toward a violent storm.
Ahead of us, the land sloped upward in a gentle rise, the top empty of trees and showing a clear view of the sullen gray sky. Thunder growled overhead, and my heartbeat picked up in response. Something was out there, waiting for us. We started toward the rise, but at the bottom of the hill my horse suddenly gave a violent squeal and half reared, nearly throwing me from the saddle. I yelped and grabbed for the reins, clutching them tightly, as the animal snorted and danced in place, throwing back its head. From the corner of my eye, I saw Okame and Daisuke struggling with their mounts, though they were faring far better than me, and heard the snorts and squeals of the horses behind us.
A hand grabbed my horse’s bridle, bringing the animal to a snorting halt, though its eyes were still white with fear, its ears pinned flat against its skull. I blinked and looked up into Kiyomi-sama’s grim face.
“The horses will take us no farther,” she told me. “The amount of corruption and fear in the air is too much for them. The rest of the way must be traveled on foot.”
That sounded good to me. I nodded and quickly slid from the saddle, grateful when my feet touched solid ground again. Kiyomi-sama released the horse, which immediately cantered back the way we’d come, tossing its head. She turned to the army behind her.
“Dismount!” she called to the closest ranks of samurai. “From here, we go on foot!”
It took a few minutes for the army to release the rest of the horses, who were all too eager to be gone. In the organized chaos of dismounting and setting horses free, I realized Tatsumi had appeared again, standing beside me as we watched the army of horses gallop away over the plains. I also noticed that a pair of black-clad shinobi had appeared before Hanshou-sama, their heads bowed as they knelt before her. It was impossible to see their faces, but both were trembling violently through their dark haori.
“Over that rise is Tani Kaminari, the Valley of Lightning,” Tsuki-sama told us, gesturing up the slope to the clouds crawling above it. “Beyond the valley is the ascent to the sacred cliffs of Ryugake, where the Dragon will be summoned. Whatever is waiting for us, whatever lies between the valley and the cliffs, we must reach the Summoning site if we want any hope of stopping the Master of Demons.”
“Then let us stop talking about it,” Lady Hanshou said quietly. “There is no time left. My scouts have reported demons in the valley, apparently pouring from a hole in the very earth. They could not tell me where this hole came from or why it appeared, but both were nearly out of their minds with terror. There is no doubt that Genno is close.” She lifted her chin, giving the Moon Clan daimyo an almost challenging look. “The Shadow Clan stands ready to die defying the Master of Demons, Lady Moon. Is your clan prepared to do the same?”
Kiyomi-sama’s jaw tightened. But instead of answering the Kage ruler, she deliberately turned away from her, her gaze seeking me. “Yumeko-san,” she said in a soft voice, making my stomach tighten at the hidden emotion in her words. “Fate, it appears, has been cruel to us both. Were these any other circumstances, I would thank the Kami for guiding you here, for giving me another chance to rediscover something I lost so long ago. But I realize destiny has another path for you, and that you were brought here for a specific purpose, one that my selfish desires cannot stand in the way of.” Kiyomi-sama briefly closed her eyes, a flash of pain crossing her face, before she opened them again, hard and determined. “And so, I will release you with these words. Do not worry about me, do not think of my clan—this night, we are but tools to