The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

Koshou cursing. He'd missed. With the shield walls in place, their exterior view was obstructed as well.
    "We're out of bolts!"
    The cry came from the men grouped around the catapult. The weapon didn't shoot ordinary arrows, but projectiles as long and as heavy as spears, that could slam straight through a building. They'd exhausted their supply.
    "We've still got crossbows. Use them and your longbows. You've got pikes, don't you?"
    Someone shouted behind them, "Koshou!"
    As they turned, the shield wall at the back of the guard tower blew inwards. Splinters of wood rained down around them. Outside the gaping hole was a pegasus, its coat the color of red copper.
    "Don't let them board us!"
    With the attack concentrated on their forward positions, they'd neglected the rear. If pressure were brought to bear here, it'd all be over. Once they could no longer lay down covering fire, the air cavalry would swoop down upon them. Sekki was closest. He spun around and readied his bow. Youshi drew her sword and started running.
    Two figures were astride the pegasus. One bore a spear. He jumped off the back of the pegasus, vaulted over the parapets, and somersaulted to the floor. Suzu focused her attention on the pegasus. It was a kitsuryou. She recognized the rider.
    Suzu leapt forward. "Sekki! Youshi! Stop!"
    At the reins of the kitsuryou was a young woman.
    "It's Shoukei!"
    As if recognizing the sound of Suzu's voice, the head of the kitsuryou turned back. The flowing mane glimmered red in the first rays of light from the east. Suzu ran toward the crenels.
    Shoukei called out, "Hey! Suzu!"
    Suzu glanced over her shoulder at Koshou. "They're not our enemies! I met her at Rou's place!"
    Suzu sidled up to hole in the shield wall and peaked out. The beautiful striped horse sailed right up next to her. The rider leaned forward. "Suzu! Are you all right?"
    "Shoukei! How did you get here?"
    Shoukei held out her right hand and pointed straight ahead.
    "What?"
    Suzu leaned over the wall. Shoukei pointed east down the main boulevard, toward the Blue Dragon Gate where the provincial guard was bivouacked. Throngs of people were pouring off the street.
    "That's--"
    Shoukei waved to her and then dropped down, weaving the kitsuryou in and out of the shadows between the buildings, flying north. Watching her leave, Suzu sensed someone standing at her side. She looked up. It was the man who had jumped off the back of the kitsuryou.
    "You're Suzu?"
    "Yes. And you are?"
    The man gave her a charming smile. "I'm Kantai. I guess you could call me a colleague of Shoukei's."
    Suzu looked eastward. "And they are--?"
    Koshou leaned out over the wall to see what she had seen. "Your comrades in arms?"
    "They arrived before the main body of the provincial guard. Jolly well done, I say." Kantai laughed. "Five thousand strong."

Part XVIII
    n the streets of Meikaku, the capital city of Wa Province, rumors abounded of strange goings-on in Takuhou in Shisui Prefecture. Having heard the same from her friends, after completing the shopping she'd been sent to do, Shoukei rushed home.
    "Did you hear, Kantai?"
    Standing in the center of an assembled group, Kantai nodded. "Yes, Takuhou. It appears that someone has been so audacious to set fire to Shoukou's residence." He grinned. " Shu On was a brilliant stroke. Our colleagues in Takuhou have their game together."
    "I wonder if they'll be okay."
    Kantai thought it over, saying neither yea nor nay. "The word is the assailants have already fled. They attacked the residence, and then escaped Takuhou before the gates were opened. Half their number made it across the border into Ei Province. However, the man himself wasn't at the castle compound."
    "Wasn't he their objective, then?"
    "That's what makes it such a strange story. We have allies in Takuhou who have Shoukou in their sights. They've gone so far as to amass winter weapons, so I have to believe this is part of a greater plan of insurrection. Maybe those fled after missing their target."
    "Perhaps," Shoukei nodded. She couldn't believe the people who had collected those thirty winter weapons would have only gone so far and no further. "Maybe it's a completely different group. Not our friends in Takuhou."
    "Hard to say," Kantai agreed. "But if this is their work, Shoukou's not going to just let it blow over."
    "Eh?"
    "If nothing else, they're not idiots."

    The next day, Shoukei was preparing breakfast when Kantai suddenly called out for everybody to gather in the