The Wind and the Void Read Online Free
had the action seemed so insignificant to him.
“You are the commander of this fort?”
Toro nodded. If he was going to die, it would be a legendary battle. He was pleased. He was a strong sword, and he was curious to see just how good these hunters were.
“Your men fought well. We will bring stories of their courage to your land.”
Toro was surprised. He hadn’t expected such magnanimity. “Thank you.”
“Come, let us end this. I will give you the warrior’s death you deserve.”
Toro settled into his stance. He would show this Azarian the meaning of strength. If he could kill Nameless here, he could stop this invasion for good. Moriko had gotten a cut on him, so it couldn’t be that hard.
Toro moved in, leading with a perfect cut, the cut he had been searching for his entire life. Then Nameless moved, too fast for Toro to follow. For just a moment, everything was in motion, and then the world stilled again. Toro stood there, confused. Had he cut Nameless? His opponent had been right there in front of him. How had Nameless gotten behind him? Had he won?
He tried to turn his head, but found he couldn’t. The world started spinning as his head fell from his shoulders, a sensation his dying mind finally recognized. He wasn’t afraid. He had lived his entire life in the shadow of death and had come to terms with it. He was only saddened he hadn’t put up more of a fight. Nameless truly was a warrior of amazing strength. Closing his eyes, he smiled with pleasure at a life well-lived, grateful to Nameless for giving him a warrior’s death. His world went black, and at the last moment he felt the presence of all life, and then he rejoined the Great Cycle.
Chapter 1
Ryuu woke up from a dream where Akira was cutting at him with a sword. In the dream, Ryuu felt like he was trying to move through water instead of air, every motion agonizingly slow. Darkness clouded the edge of his vision, creeping steadily inward. When his world went dark he woke up, covered in sweat. He closed his eyes again and sighed. The sounds of the village came to his ears, and he took a moment to enjoy the reassuring sounds of daily routine.
The village was small, a collection of a few huts in the woods. Ryuu had stumbled upon it as he wandered west. He didn’t even remember its name. He had offered to help an older couple with chores in exchange for a place to sleep for the night, and they’d been delighted to oblige. They put him up in a room that had belonged to their son, off now fighting in the wars that ravaged the kingdom.
The hut was filled with sadness. The couple smiled often enough, and were very kind, but Ryuu could tell there was an emptiness in the house. It was the same emptiness he sometimes felt in his own hut, many leagues away. It was the void left when a loved one leaves and does not return. The couple missed their son and had no idea if he was alive or dead. He was a member of the First, stationed down in the Three Sisters. Ryuu didn’t have the heart to tell them about the advancing Azarian invasion. He suspected everyone would learn of it soon enough, and he couldn’t bear to bring more sadness to his hosts.
Ryuu didn’t dare practice his forms in the village, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t have the heart for it. It would only be a matter of time before riders came through the village with wanted posters bearing his face. He didn’t need to help them by drawing attention to himself. Instead, he split wood for the couple, happy to help out in exchange for shelter. As he swung the ax he fell into a meditative rhythm, and he shut out the world.
It was past midday when he took his leave of the couple and followed the road again. Perhaps he should have been in more of a hurry, but he needed the time to think, and there was no better time than while on the road. Walking cleared his mind and allowed him to focus on the events of the past few moons.
As he walked he
“You are the commander of this fort?”
Toro nodded. If he was going to die, it would be a legendary battle. He was pleased. He was a strong sword, and he was curious to see just how good these hunters were.
“Your men fought well. We will bring stories of their courage to your land.”
Toro was surprised. He hadn’t expected such magnanimity. “Thank you.”
“Come, let us end this. I will give you the warrior’s death you deserve.”
Toro settled into his stance. He would show this Azarian the meaning of strength. If he could kill Nameless here, he could stop this invasion for good. Moriko had gotten a cut on him, so it couldn’t be that hard.
Toro moved in, leading with a perfect cut, the cut he had been searching for his entire life. Then Nameless moved, too fast for Toro to follow. For just a moment, everything was in motion, and then the world stilled again. Toro stood there, confused. Had he cut Nameless? His opponent had been right there in front of him. How had Nameless gotten behind him? Had he won?
He tried to turn his head, but found he couldn’t. The world started spinning as his head fell from his shoulders, a sensation his dying mind finally recognized. He wasn’t afraid. He had lived his entire life in the shadow of death and had come to terms with it. He was only saddened he hadn’t put up more of a fight. Nameless truly was a warrior of amazing strength. Closing his eyes, he smiled with pleasure at a life well-lived, grateful to Nameless for giving him a warrior’s death. His world went black, and at the last moment he felt the presence of all life, and then he rejoined the Great Cycle.
Chapter 1
Ryuu woke up from a dream where Akira was cutting at him with a sword. In the dream, Ryuu felt like he was trying to move through water instead of air, every motion agonizingly slow. Darkness clouded the edge of his vision, creeping steadily inward. When his world went dark he woke up, covered in sweat. He closed his eyes again and sighed. The sounds of the village came to his ears, and he took a moment to enjoy the reassuring sounds of daily routine.
The village was small, a collection of a few huts in the woods. Ryuu had stumbled upon it as he wandered west. He didn’t even remember its name. He had offered to help an older couple with chores in exchange for a place to sleep for the night, and they’d been delighted to oblige. They put him up in a room that had belonged to their son, off now fighting in the wars that ravaged the kingdom.
The hut was filled with sadness. The couple smiled often enough, and were very kind, but Ryuu could tell there was an emptiness in the house. It was the same emptiness he sometimes felt in his own hut, many leagues away. It was the void left when a loved one leaves and does not return. The couple missed their son and had no idea if he was alive or dead. He was a member of the First, stationed down in the Three Sisters. Ryuu didn’t have the heart to tell them about the advancing Azarian invasion. He suspected everyone would learn of it soon enough, and he couldn’t bear to bring more sadness to his hosts.
Ryuu didn’t dare practice his forms in the village, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t have the heart for it. It would only be a matter of time before riders came through the village with wanted posters bearing his face. He didn’t need to help them by drawing attention to himself. Instead, he split wood for the couple, happy to help out in exchange for shelter. As he swung the ax he fell into a meditative rhythm, and he shut out the world.
It was past midday when he took his leave of the couple and followed the road again. Perhaps he should have been in more of a hurry, but he needed the time to think, and there was no better time than while on the road. Walking cleared his mind and allowed him to focus on the events of the past few moons.
As he walked he
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