Free Echoes of a Shattered Age by R. J. Terrell Page A

adjust his stance, which put him off balance. The strategy would have worked had Kenjiro reacted a split second slower. Instead, he leaped to the right, avoiding the low strike and flying past the other shadow’s diagonal stab. As he passed, he brought Kenzo around in a one-handed backward swing and decapitated the demon. Kenjiro understood little of the power that coursed through his sword, but he knew that it was somewhat different in nature than Sekimaru. While a killing strike from the latter would completely obliterate a demon, a similar strike from Kenzo would not destroy the demon, but simply send it back to the abyss.
    Caring not at all for its defeated comrade, the remaining Kalistyi came at the samurai with savage high and low one-two stabs. The fiend was sloppy and predictable, and the samurai easily avoided the attacks.
    The demon then delivered an unexpected kick to Kenjiro’s stomach. The samurai accepted the blow but stumbled backward, bent over. The shadow, believing the fight over, proceeded to remove the human’s head from his shoulders.
    As its stroke fell, Kenjiro brought his sword up to block with so much power that it severed the shadow’s left sword arm. It skittered backward with a hiss and looked in disbelief at its severed arm, then at the human who was stalking toward it. The fiend recovered and attacked with its remaining weapon.
    The angered samurai simply walked forward, all the while parrying every attack. The demon attempted to stab at him, but before it could draw its arm back, he stepped in and to the side. With a vertical chop, he severed the remaining sword-arm of the Kalistyi.
    Its agonized hiss was cut short, and the world started to spin. Finally the spinning stopped, but now everything was sideways and it was on the ground. It glanced to its right to see its dark body dematerializing back to the dark world. The now independent head narrowed its eyes as it too sank back into the abyss.
    Kenjiro heard a voice over his shoulder.
    “Not bad. You handled those two whole Kalistyi all by yourself.”
    Kenjiro ignored his sister’s japes and walked right by her. “We need to get to Sensei as soon as possible.”
    Akemi shrugged, used to her brother’s stern demeanor and trotted to catch up. She was elated at the idea of an adventure after all this time. The thought of a battle alongside her brother, whether they triumphed or died together, excited her.
    ***

Chapter Nine
    Three weeks into their trip at sea, Siren’s Song had made brief stops on small islands along her route to replenish food and supplies, as well as trade in fabrics and spices with the locals. The first days at sea were filled with fun and laughter, as the ship encountered no threats from weather or other vessels. Their second week brought a storm that had buffeted the mid-sized ship and set it off course for several days till the clouds gave way and they were finally able to look to the heavens to find their path once more. Finally, after a long and tiring month, Siren’s Song arrived off the shores of Korea.
    “I’ll make sea dogs outta you two yet,” Captain Barum declared heartily once they made port. “Over a week we got slapped by that storm and not a once did you lose your meals over the side of the ship!” Kenyatta felt no need to admit that indeed he had almost lost his dinner on that first night.
    “Our thanks, good captain,” Kita said. “Best wishes to you and the crew.”
    “Yeah man,” Kenyatta agreed. “We won’t forget your kindness.”
    The captain waved them away. “I always ferry lubbers like yourselves across the big pond. And you were more like part of my crew than the usual land lovin’ cargo. Next time you need to sail, you’ve got friends in the crew of Siren’s Song ! I’ll always have you aboard.”
    Captain Barum returned to his ship and the two friends looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. It was the first time they had ever been to Korea, and they wished they had