scars with pride,” Motekeru grunted, “and I wish only to rejuvenate by eating the hearts of Master’s enemies.”
“If that is your wish,” Gyoroe said. “Now, for the Illustrious Lu Bei, a bag of the last tea leaves picked from Tsubaia Mountain before it exploded.”
Lu Bei, his eyes as wide as Turesobei had ever seen them, snatched the tiny bag from the servant’s hands. He sniffed the tea with a deep breath and sighed contentedly. “It is pure heaven and a most kingly gift. Thank you, Lord Gyoroe! I shall treasure the bowls I brew from these leaves and think pleasant thoughts upon you.”
Lu Bei swept his arm out as he bowed. The bag disappeared.
Gyoroe’s eyes had been milky white with kenja-sight as Lu Bei bowed. As his eyes returned to emerald, he sighed. “Chonda Lu at his most clever indulged in pure whimsy. I confess, I partly gave you the tea so I could figure out the trick. But I still cannot tell where you put the bag. Nor do I yet understand how it is that you can drink tea at all.”
Lu Bei grinned. “It is all a trick so simple that none can understand.”
A servant handed a shortsword to Turesobei.
“To you, my apprentice, I gift a white-steel sword named Dairo. It contains ten percent white iron. It should be a good stand-in for you while Iniru wields Sumada.”
“Thank you, master.”
Sumada was nearly thirty-five percent white iron, making it one of the finer white-steel swords in existence.
“For you, Enashoma, I have two gifts.” Gyoroe stood. “First, a set of bracers like those given to Awasa.”
A servant placed the silver bracers on the table in front of her and hurried away. Gyoroe reached into his robe and drew out an iron circlet decorated with silver filigree in a blossom pattern. Housed in the front center of the circlet was the amethyst kavaru of Nāa.
“The circlet was my idea,” Hannya said. “I thought it much more befitting of you than a simple chain.”
“Where did it come from?” Enashoma asked. “It’s exquisite.”
“It belonged to one of my favorite students, many centuries ago,” Hannya said with a mournful tone. “You have always reminded me of her.”
“Who was she?”
“The beloved queen of a zaboko nation long forgotten.”
“Are you sure it’s not too fancy for me?”
“I am certain this circlet is the perfect choice,” Hannya said.
As Gyoroe approached, Enashoma’s eyes brightened, and she eagerly held out her hands.
He shook his head. “Stay where you are.”
Gyoroe lowered the circlet onto her head, as if he were anointing a queen. Enashoma’s red lips spread into a broad smile, and she practically bounced in place. Gyoroe waited expectantly for a moment, then sighed.
“I am placing Nāa’s kavaru in your keeping, until I find a way to restore him, and all my other Kaiaru brethren, to life.”
“Thank you, Lord Gyoroe,” Enashoma said.
“Soon, we will begin your training.”
Enashoma, no longer demure in the least, turned to Zaiporo. “What do you think?”
“It looks very—”
She waved him off. “Never mind, you’re a boy.” She glanced at Awasa, then turned to Kurine and Iniru. “Well?”
“It’s…uh…very pretty,” Iniru said awkwardly.
Kurine clasped her hands together. “Absolutely gorgeous. It matches your face and your eyes perfectly, and it makes you look radiant.”
“It’s not too showy?” Enashoma asked.
“Not at all,” Kurine said.
Iniru shrugged and whispered, “A little.”
“I like it,” Zaiporo muttered.
“It suits you well, Lady Shoma,” Lu Bei said. “And if it is showy, there’s nothing wrong with that. You should look like a queen!”
Awasa tapped the purple, eight-pointed star on her forehead. “We kind of match now.”
“We do!” Enashoma said.
“How does it feel?” Lord Gyoroe asked.
She traced her fingers along the silver filigree and laughed. “It fits perfectly.”
His eyes flashed violet. “The stone—not the crown.”
Unfazed by his
“If that is your wish,” Gyoroe said. “Now, for the Illustrious Lu Bei, a bag of the last tea leaves picked from Tsubaia Mountain before it exploded.”
Lu Bei, his eyes as wide as Turesobei had ever seen them, snatched the tiny bag from the servant’s hands. He sniffed the tea with a deep breath and sighed contentedly. “It is pure heaven and a most kingly gift. Thank you, Lord Gyoroe! I shall treasure the bowls I brew from these leaves and think pleasant thoughts upon you.”
Lu Bei swept his arm out as he bowed. The bag disappeared.
Gyoroe’s eyes had been milky white with kenja-sight as Lu Bei bowed. As his eyes returned to emerald, he sighed. “Chonda Lu at his most clever indulged in pure whimsy. I confess, I partly gave you the tea so I could figure out the trick. But I still cannot tell where you put the bag. Nor do I yet understand how it is that you can drink tea at all.”
Lu Bei grinned. “It is all a trick so simple that none can understand.”
A servant handed a shortsword to Turesobei.
“To you, my apprentice, I gift a white-steel sword named Dairo. It contains ten percent white iron. It should be a good stand-in for you while Iniru wields Sumada.”
“Thank you, master.”
Sumada was nearly thirty-five percent white iron, making it one of the finer white-steel swords in existence.
“For you, Enashoma, I have two gifts.” Gyoroe stood. “First, a set of bracers like those given to Awasa.”
A servant placed the silver bracers on the table in front of her and hurried away. Gyoroe reached into his robe and drew out an iron circlet decorated with silver filigree in a blossom pattern. Housed in the front center of the circlet was the amethyst kavaru of Nāa.
“The circlet was my idea,” Hannya said. “I thought it much more befitting of you than a simple chain.”
“Where did it come from?” Enashoma asked. “It’s exquisite.”
“It belonged to one of my favorite students, many centuries ago,” Hannya said with a mournful tone. “You have always reminded me of her.”
“Who was she?”
“The beloved queen of a zaboko nation long forgotten.”
“Are you sure it’s not too fancy for me?”
“I am certain this circlet is the perfect choice,” Hannya said.
As Gyoroe approached, Enashoma’s eyes brightened, and she eagerly held out her hands.
He shook his head. “Stay where you are.”
Gyoroe lowered the circlet onto her head, as if he were anointing a queen. Enashoma’s red lips spread into a broad smile, and she practically bounced in place. Gyoroe waited expectantly for a moment, then sighed.
“I am placing Nāa’s kavaru in your keeping, until I find a way to restore him, and all my other Kaiaru brethren, to life.”
“Thank you, Lord Gyoroe,” Enashoma said.
“Soon, we will begin your training.”
Enashoma, no longer demure in the least, turned to Zaiporo. “What do you think?”
“It looks very—”
She waved him off. “Never mind, you’re a boy.” She glanced at Awasa, then turned to Kurine and Iniru. “Well?”
“It’s…uh…very pretty,” Iniru said awkwardly.
Kurine clasped her hands together. “Absolutely gorgeous. It matches your face and your eyes perfectly, and it makes you look radiant.”
“It’s not too showy?” Enashoma asked.
“Not at all,” Kurine said.
Iniru shrugged and whispered, “A little.”
“I like it,” Zaiporo muttered.
“It suits you well, Lady Shoma,” Lu Bei said. “And if it is showy, there’s nothing wrong with that. You should look like a queen!”
Awasa tapped the purple, eight-pointed star on her forehead. “We kind of match now.”
“We do!” Enashoma said.
“How does it feel?” Lord Gyoroe asked.
She traced her fingers along the silver filigree and laughed. “It fits perfectly.”
His eyes flashed violet. “The stone—not the crown.”
Unfazed by his
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