Ryuu grinned, but Tenchi turned serious. “Ryuu, I know you’re still torn about what you’ve done. I understand. I am, too. I can’t help you to find peace, but you must. Find it and move on, otherwise it will hurt you forever.”
Ryuu nodded through the tears and Tenchi spoke again. “Call Rei in.”
Moriko went to go get Rei. The two women helped him to his feet, and together they walked slowly. At his direction, they stepped out of the hut and sat outside. The sun was rising in the east.
“I just want to see one last sunrise. Then I’ll let it go.”
The sun rose slowly, burning the ocean and night away as it rose.
Tenchi looked at each of them in turn. “I have been fortunate. I’m dying in the company of the three I love most, watching a beautiful sunrise. Thank you.”
They watched until the sun completely rose above the horizon. Around them, the island was slowly coming to life. Tenchi smiled. He looked around and took a deep breath. Ryuu saw that his face was dry and he was calm.
Tenchi closed his eyes and was gone.
It had been over a cycle since Tenchi passed away. Ryuu still thought about him often, but the grief was getting more bearable every day. Moriko was his constant companion, for which he was extremely grateful. There were good days and there were bad days, but he wasn’t sure he would have made it through the bad days without her.
They had asked Ryuu, after Tenchi’s death, if he was interested in coming onto the council or becoming head of the island. They had asked Moriko as well, but both of them had refused. Moriko wasn’t interested in guiding the nightblades, and while Ryuu did have some interest, he didn’t believe he was worthy to lead. Not yet.
Elections had been held, and it was no surprise when Shika won them. Support for returning to the Kingdom was at an all-time high; and in a reversal of fortune Shika spent her time trying to convince them they needed to take it one step at a time. It was quite the change for a woman who had been willing to go to almost any length to return to the Kingdom.
Both Ryuu and Moriko gave Shika a lot of advice in that cycle. The two of them had grown up in the Kingdom, and combined with Moriko’s firsthand knowledge of the Azarians, there were many questions that could be answered. Even if they weren’t in charge of the island, their knowledge and advice guided many of the council’s decisions.
Beyond that, life settled into a predictable routine. Ryuu and Moriko both continued training every day. Ryuu sought out teachers among the elders and books in the library. Never before had he read so much. Moriko told him he was getting soft. He didn’t agree, but there was no arguing that life was much easier than it ever had been.
Tenchi had been right, of course. With the knowledge Ryuu had been given he learned much more quickly than others. His base of knowledge was growing faster than anyone expected, and already he was developing techniques previously thought impossible. When he wasn’t training or learning, Ryuu was often trying to pass the knowledge on to others. He was also trying to develop a new sword style based on everything he learned.
Relations with the Kingdom continued to evolve. Rei had become the blades’ ambassador to the Kingdom, and more and more of them were working their way over to the land they had once been exiled from. Progress was slow, and it was only Rei’s influence and Sen’s wisdom that prevented the entire idea from collapsing all around them. The situation was delicate, and it would be for a long time. Turning away from over a thousand cycles of tradition would take several lifetimes.
The Azarians were becoming integrated with the citizens of the Kingdom, one agonizing step at a time. Most of the clans had found places to settle, and while conflict was still common, there hadn’t been any outbreaks of violence strong enough to cause the treaty to be questioned. Dorjee had become the unofficial ambassador from the clans, and he and Sen were in frequent contact.
The monasteries were disappearing from the land. When the war ended, Sen had cut them off from his treasury. Their purpose had been to protect the land from nightblades, but now that nightblades were allowed back in the land, there was no reason for them any longer. Some monasteries managed to scratch out a living on public donations, and some of them had become hotbeds of discontent, but Sen and the nightblades kept a close eye on them.
Rei had given birth to a strong baby boy. She named him Akira, and the child was truly a child of the new world. He knew his heritage as a nightblade, and Ryuu had already promised to train him personally. Sen would train him in the ways of the Kingdom, and Dorjee was willing to teach him the ways of the Azarians. He was the future, and they all knew it.
Most importantly, Moriko was finally happy. She was glad to be on the island and safe from harm and persecution. The Kingdom was safer than it had ever been for a nightblade, but it was still far more dangerous than the island. Her belly was also starting to grow, and Ryuu was both excited and terrified of the future.
Even though everything was improving, Ryuu still felt a lingering discontent. Over and over he tried to figure out what was bothering him, but the feeling was too vague to be pinned down easily. When at last he understood, it happened in an instant.
Most days he didn’t think about the war or the role he’d played. Over a cycle had passed, and life continued. But he couldn’t hide from the guilt he felt. Despite taking action he was still convinced was necessary, he wasn’t convinced it was right. He needed to find atonement.
Unsure of what to do, he decided to write, to try to make sense of what had happened. He wrote about his life, how he had come to be the sort of person who could make the decision to kill so many. He didn’t have any answers. No matter how long he thought about it, he could never come up with another path he could have chosen that night. Perhaps someday someone would read his words, learn from his mistakes and find a better way. It didn’t seem like much, but perhaps it would be enough.
He wasn’t a writer. Some days the words came easily, other days it felt as though he were pulling his stomach out through his mouth. But he persisted, working through his life and his decision every day.
One day Moriko came up to him as he was writing. He hadn’t allowed her to read anything he had written yet, but the time was coming when he would. He looked up, smiled, and rubbed his hand against her swelling body. The dayblades said the girl would come in about two moons.
“How’s the writing coming?”
“Slow, but I’m almost done. I don’t know if it will prevent another tragedy from occurring, but more understanding is always better.”
Moriko nodded her agreement. They had had this discussion a hundred times, and she was always supportive. It meant more to him than she realized.
She pulled gently on his hand and together they walked to the edge of the plateau. The sun was setting, blood red against an incoming storm. They held hands and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, throwing a blanket of darkness across the land and sea. Ryuu looked at Moriko, and in the light of the stars he saw her smile. He returned the smile and looked back over the sea, enjoying the peace he had found.
Author's Note
I’ve learned that finishing a story (or in this case, a trilogy) is much harder than starting one. When you start, a whole world of possibility awaits, and you can take whatever direction you like. Every blank page is an opportunity. But finishing a story is just the opposite. With few exceptions, a good ending doesn’t leave the reader hanging. It answers the questions and closes the loops.
With
The Wind and the Void
, I’ve finished telling the story I originally set out to tell. I’ve never had more fun than I’ve had writing these stories, and sharing them with all of you has been a privilege. I always thought it was a good story, but I never thought it would excite and engage so many. I’ve treasured every email, Facebook post, website comment, and tweet. I love stories, and its awesome to interact with so many of you who do too.
Ryuu’s and Moriko’s stories, for me, are done. I suspect that in the future I will return to the world of the Kingdom, but it will be with a new story and new characters and a new place in the time line.
More than anything, I wanted to thank all of you who have read the books and joined me on this adventure. Endings are challenging, but I hope the journey was a worthwhile one.
Until we meet again,
Ryan Kirk
March 2016
Acknowledgments
With the final book in the trilogy complete, I felt like it was time to give credit where credit is due. Few deeds in life take place without the help of many, and these books are no exception.
First, I need to thank you, the reader. Without your support, there’s no way I could continue to write. I’m grateful for each of you, and your emails, comments, reviews, and tweets have meant the world to me as I’ve started writing. Thank you for taking a chance on a new, unknown writer.
Second, no single person deserves as many thanks as my gorgeous wife, Katie. I could write an entire book on the ways she’s made this possible. She’s my first reader, my developmental editor, and my greatest supporter. She allowed me to quit my job and write full-time, even though the future was very uncertain. There’s no way I can thank her enough.
I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Andrew Tell, the producer of the audio version of these stories. Andrew took a huge risk when we first started producing these books, and I’m grateful for the countless hours he’s spent bringing these books to life.
Thanks to Sonnet Fitzgerald, the editor for this final book. Her work and dedication have been awesome, and any mistakes that remain are solely my own.
Thanks to Justin and Christine for being beta readers. And finally, thanks to all my family and friends for all the support they’ve provided along the way. There’s far too many to thank here, but I’m grateful for you all.
If you’ve read this far - congratulations! If you’ve enjoyed the books, there are a number of ways to get even more involved. Reviews are always appreciated, but if you’re interested in learning more about me, the worlds I’ve created, or any of my other work, head on over to
www.waterstonemedia.net
. There’s a whole lot of information on there, with more being added all the time. Also, take a moment to subscribe to my email list by clicking on this link:
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As always, thanks for reading!