Free The Wind and the Void by Ryan Kirk Page B

or the government. Though the sun was bright, the feeling on the road was one of dread. People were almost tripping over each other in their haste to escape. All were traveling to New Haven, expecting it would be a refuge from the horrors to the south. People seemed suspicious of everyone they met, and the kind greetings Ryuu had experienced the day became few and far between. More often than not, groups and families would walk past Ryuu without a word. More than once he received suspicious looks, as he was the only one traveling south.
    Ryuu feared what would happen when all these people came to New Haven. It was a large city, but it was already full, and it couldn't handle the number of people seeking refuge inside. His thoughts traveled to Akira and Tanak, and he hoped they had a solution for their frightened subjects.
    Ryuu considered leaving the road. If he still had his sense, it would've been the obvious decision. As it was, he was being seen by everyone; although he wasn't attracting undue attention, he was sure that once people saw his wanted posters in New Haven, word would get out about what direction he had traveled. He suspected there would be those who would connect whatever was happening in the outskirts of the kingdom to him.
    But without his sense, Ryuu was blind. Off the road, away from people, he would be a sitting target for any who would take his life. He did not see or notice anyone following him, but he couldn't shake the feeling he wasn't safe yet. He picked up his pace. More than anything else, he wanted to get to Moriko. He hoped that once he did they could make some sense of the world as it fell into chaos.
     
    There were two of them, because there were always two. One to track, another to kill.
    It was the tracker who noticed the man. They had been hiding along the road for a day, debating whether to attack the villagers or to let them crush the nearby city with their overwhelming numbers. They had feasted on plentiful game while they argued. The warrior wanted to attack. If even the roads were unsafe, who knew how the people would react? He argued they would scatter throughout the land, easy to pick off in ones or twos.
    The tracker disagreed. He liked the idea of everyone going into one city. That way, they would be easy to find. Also, they would carry the fear with them, causing riots and panic. Then they could walk into the city and cut it off from its miserable existence.
    The two of them argued back and forth, neither particularly concerned about the outcome. The work was easy, almost demeaning. Their leader had spoken truly, there were few, if any, who possessed any strength in this land.
    The tracker sensed the man moving against the tide of humanity. They knew they were in the approximate area where this prey had been found previously, but they hadn't really expected to find him. The prey’s hiding place had been discovered, and the man and woman should have moved on. But perhaps they were braver, or more stupid, than the demon-kind thought. Regardless, the man was moving against the tide, and he carried a blade, his eyes wandering back and forth restlessly. The tracker could not sense his power, but the way he walked gave him away. The man was a warrior, and even if he wasn't the nightblade their leader sought, perhaps he'd be strong enough to be a challenge.
    The debate between the two was short-lived. Both of them detested slaughtering cattle. They would follow this man, and perhaps he would lead them to even more worthy prey.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    Akira sat at his desk, surrounded by stacks of papers he was convinced had no end. Ever since Tanak had ridden out to treat with the Azarians, his life had been nothing but an endless stretch of paperwork. Merging the two kingdoms was a simple idea, but the practicalities of combining two lands were enough to drive him to insanity. There were questions on how to merge the armies, who to appoint to new roles in the kingdom,