The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

behind or somebody ahead of her pulled her up. Glancing back over her shoulder and quelling the dizziness brought on by the towering heights, she finally struggled to the top.
    "I'd hate to have to actually live here," Suzu said, plopping herself down on the ground. The men laughed and clapped her on the back and shoulders. She didn't understand anything they said, but she thought maybe they were praising her for a good job done.
    "I'd much rather work in the fields."
    There had been nets spread out and drying on the decking, so she could imagine that they had returned from fishing. Every time they brought in a catch, having to haul themselves up and down these cliffs, it must be a horrible amount of hard work. Working in the fields wasn't easy, but at least it was a quick jaunt out to the paddies across the causeways.
    Along the top of the cliffs ran a stone wall much higher than she was tall. She was motioned toward a door off to the side, so she dragged her weary body along behind the other men and kept on going.
    Inside the wall was a tiny village made up of a line of small shanties that looked like row houses. She was brought to one of the shanties where she was handed over to the care of an old woman. The old woman stripped off Suzu's waterlogged clothing and pointed her towards a futon spread out on a raised platform on the dirt floor. Suzu obediently crawled under the futon. With Suzu's clothing in hand, the old woman left the hut. Suzu watched her leave and then closed her eyes. She was exhausted.
    I wonder if I'm going to make it to Tokyo? she thought as she fell asleep. I'd better get to Aoyagi-sama's house as soon as possible. After all, I was sold to him.
    There was no other place for her to go to, and no home for her to return to.
    Of course, Suzu had no way of knowing that there was no such place as "Tokyo" in this world. The ocean she had nearly drowned in was the Kyokai, or the "Sea of Nothingness."
    The place where she had finally arrived was the Eastern Kingdom of Kei.

    Many years passed.

Chapter 2
    A mong the lands of the Twelve Kingdoms, that found in the far northwest is known as Hou, or more specifically, the Outland Kingdom of Hou.

    The ruler of the kingdom was the Royal Hou Chuutatsu. His registered family name was Son, his original uji, the surname he had chosen at adulthood, was Ken. As a minister of the Rikkan, Ken Chuutatsu had been commanding general of the Imperial Army. After the passing of the previous king, he was chosen by Hourin and acceded to the throne as the Royal Hou.
    In the Sixth year of Eiwa, the reign of Chuutatsu had reached only thirty years. That year, Youshun Palace, the Imperial Seat, was stormed by a force of 100,000 soldiers. Unable to bear his tyrannic rule any longer, the armies of the eight province lords had risen up against him.
    The like-minded citizens of the city opened the gates of Hoso, the capital city of Hou, and let them in. Almost immediately, they breached the palace perimeter to the inner sanctum where the soldiers of the Eight Provinces battled undauntedly with some three hundred of the king's bodyguards.
    In the end, the Royal Hou Chuutatsu was dead.

    "What is all that commotion?"
    Her mother's arms wrapped around her, Shoukei heard the bloodcurdling war cries. Shoukei was the daughter of Queen Kaka, Chuutatsu's wife. The plaintive query came from the prone and ailing Hourin, the kirin of Hou. The three of them were hidden within the depths of the palace.
    "It came from outside. Mom, whose voice was that?"
    Shoukei was all of thirteen. She was doted upon by her parents, the very apple of their eye. This young girl, bright and clever, beautiful and graceful, and praised as the veritable jewel of the crown, she twisted her face with dread.
    "No . . . it can't be."
    The people of Hou, provoked to revolt by the province lords, surrounded Hoso on all sides. The clanging of the instruments of war echoed inside the palace walls, as did the curses they sang out against the king.
    A surging tide of ashen blue armor. And those ferocious screams.
    "It can't be! Father . . . . "
    "No!" Kaka held Shoukei tightly in her arms. "This is not happening!"
    Kaka railed against the inconceivable. Overcome by the stench of blood, Hourin cried out disconsolately.
    "Hourin!"
    Hourin's pale face went white. "The king . . . the king is no longer with us."
    In that same moment, in the heart of the palace, came the sound of the door to queen's chambers opening.
    The