“One other thing I must know before we conclude our business, what has become of the Spellbound?”
Of course the Imperium spies would want to know about her. Faye had saved the world after all. “She’s not the Spellbound anymore.”
“There have been rumors.”
“They’re true. Faye’s not a Traveler anymore. That magic was connected to her curse, and she burned that up trapping the Enemy.”
“No longer a Traveler… I was not aware of this. Someday the Enemy may escape, but for now the entire world owes her a debt.”
“She’s fine,” Sullivan assured him, because even if she was no longer the most powerful wizard in the world, she was probably still the sharpest. The Imperium didn’t need to know that she was actually a Cog genius who was taking magic into all sorts of exciting new directions, especially now that she’d taught herself how to connect her magic to different parts of the Power, with all of that talk of folding. Last time he’d talked to Francis, the kid had sworn up and down that Faye was dead set on figuring out how to Travel again. He had no doubt that she would. Faye might have lost some of her abilities, but that girl was only getting started. She’d saved the world, and now she intended to change it into something better.
Surprisingly enough, Toru actually seemed a little moved by her sacrifice, but that was just because to some of them, magic was more precious than life. “How is Faye dealing with the loss?”
“Faye is tougher than any of us… But come on, Toru. You’re not here to reminisce about old friends, not that she ever particularly took a liking to you.”
“No, that she did not…” Toru kept on watching the waves crash against the rocks. “I am here to finish what we started. It must be decided who is the better warrior once and for all.”
Sullivan took his hands out of his pockets. His Power was ready. “It really doesn’t have to end like this.”
Toru lifted the still sheathed long sword. “Do you know how I knew you were still alive, Sullivan? No?” Toru had the blade in both hands, like he was balancing it carefully. “This is the no-dachi of Sasaki Kojiro, a sword which once belonged to my father. At the time, I took its discovery at Mason Island as a sign of my father’s approval. Finding this sword at that particular time was very important to me.”
“I didn’t recognize it.” The only thing Sullivan had noticed about it up until then was that Toru was probably going to try and kill him with it.
“When I was captured in Shanghai, this sword was still aboard the Traveler. As was this…” Toru placed one hand on the katana at his waist and slowly drew it. It was three feet of killing steel. “Only then it was in two pieces. I have since had it repaired after my office was restored. Both of these things should have been lost to me forever. So how was it that these items came into my possession?”
Southunder had gotten the Traveler down in one piece and hidden it until the chaos on the mainland blew over. Luckily the Imperium had plenty of other things to worry about just then, so Sullivan and the others had rendezvoused with them and then gotten the hell out. “By the time we got home, I’d heard you were back with the Iron Guard. I called in some favors, and got your kit sent back with some diplomats.”
“Why did you do this?”
“I was there when you broke that sword. You said you were going to put it back together when your honor was put back together…” Sullivan shrugged. “Why would I stand in the way of a man trying to put things right?”
“When I received them, I knew only you would have done this. That was how I knew you still lived.” Toru tossed the bigger, sheathed sword to Sullivan.
He caught it with one hand. It was a lot lighter than it looked. “No offense to all your traditional bullshit, but I’m not big on the whole dueling thing. Last time I tried to use one of these things, turned out I was bad at it. You want to fight, I intend to just Spike you half way to hell.”
“It is a gift.” Toru sheathed his katana. “Keep it to remember our battle against the Enemy.”
“I wasn’t in danger of forgetting.”
“I wished to know which of us is the better warrior… I believe the question has been answered sufficiently.” Toru bowed deeply.
Sullivan returned the bow.
“Eventually, there will be a war between our nations, or the Grimnoir and the Iron Guard may again become foes. When this happens, the two of us may meet in battle and reexamine this answer… but until that time, fare well, Sullivan.”
First Iron Guard Toru Tokugawa turned and walked away.
Jake Sullivan, elder of the Grimnoir Society, kept the sword and watched the sunrise.
Someday he would pass it to his son
Glossary of Magical Terms
Acknowlegements
Thanks to Reader Force Alpha for the comments, advice, and corrections; Mike Kupari for brainstorming Grimnoir into existence; Justin Otis and Aura Farwell for the glossary art; Zachary Hill for the interior artwork; and the awesome staff of Baen Books for all that they do.