Before the Battle

Family Name 12/17

The man who considered himself  the commander of these various groups of former Imperial soldiers looked worried.

He could have been in his fifties, the man's black hair had turned grey at the sides and he wore a tired expression. His right hand was missing a thumb and forefinger, probably a war injury.

We appeared in an open area just outside the village, which was now crowded with people. I saw two transport vehicles, but most of the soldiers seemed to have arrived on foot, judging by their miserable condition. Some were trying to warm themselves using electric heaters, others were looking for food.

Our arrival caused a bit of a stir, but it was the sight of Shira and his katana that attracted the attention more than me. Without my Resistance uniform, I easily blended in with Kioshi and his comrades, though some of the soldiers eventually recognised me as well.

They all gave us curious looks, but so far none of them seemed threatening or even aggressive.

Shira walked beside me, keeping a sharp eye on the surroundings.

Suddenly I had a strange feeling.

Having him by my side, knowing that he would not hesitate to sacrifice his own life for mine, gave me not only a sense of absolute security, but also an immense strength and power.

Did the Emperor feel the same way when he had this fearsome warrior standing beside him?

"General Imara himself has honoured us with his visit," the elderly man in front of us greeted me. There was no hint of irony in that sentence, only surprise at the unusual situation. "I am Commander Sabuya."

I swept my eyes over his shabby uniform, looking for any officer's insignia, but found none.

"I'm sure Kioshi has already explained to you what's going on," I got straight to the point. "You have nothing to worry about, the Third Division is on its way to Kashima."

"I'd like to take your word for it, General, but my scouts have just returned," he said, pulling a map from his breast pocket and unfolding it. "And according to their reports, the Third Division is here," he pointed to a place a few dozen miles north of our location. "And if they stay on the same course, where will they end up?"

I stared at the map in confusion. It couldn't be otherwise. The Division had long since left its original course for the capital. They were definitely heading this way.

"That doesn't make sense," I shook my head, trying to think of an explanation.

"By the way, what are you doing here, General? On holiday? Enjoying the beautiful scenery?" The Commander seemed to believe in coincidence, just as Shira did.

"That has nothing to do with the Division. I'm here to visit my family."

"Family?" He wondered.

"Lady Maiko is Taira's mother," Kioshi hastened to answer.

A surprised look crossed the older man's face and he said, "Maiko Morvai? But she is..."

"I know," I interrupted him quickly. I didn't want to discuss my mother's activities here, especially with more and more curious people listening to our conversation.

"I don't understand anything anymore."

"Then you're not the only one, Commander," I tried to ease the tense atmosphere, but I was getting nervous myself. "There must be some kind of mistake, I need to contact the capital and find out what's going on there."

I swept my eyes over the soldiers and added louder, "But I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. The Division is not here because of you."

"No, it's here because of you," the so far silent Shira said, and I looked up at his cold expression.