Night of Shadows

By Daniel Beals

Ninja are hired to depose tyrants and protect kings, but they arent just assassins. The ninja have a sacred covenant, by which they guard the world from shadows.

Isamu Raidens family have been the keepers of this Covenant for thousands of years and the time approaches where this task will fall to him. He has one last mission as an apprentice. He sets out, with his partner Amaya, but when he returns home, things have gone terribly wrong. His clan and family are dead. The ninja responsible plans to break the Covenant and free the Shadow Warrior, plunging the world into darkness.

With Amaya at his side, Isamu pursues the ninja in hopes of catching him before he can reach the Shadow Warriors prison. All the while knowing, if he fails, there is no hope for the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449789503

Daniel Beals

Daniel Beals is a music minister and pastor’s son from Western Oklahoma. He has had a passion for books from a young age, and began writing at the age of 15. His desire is to reach others by using the gifts God has given him.

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Copyright © 2013 Daniel Beals.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8949-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8948-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8950-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013905585

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/27/2013

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Glossary

About the Author

To all my friends.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

F irst, I’d like to thank my mom, without whom this book would have never happened, because while I wrote, ate, and slept, she was very kind and did my chores for me. So thanks, Mom; you’re the best.

Thanks to Amber, who got me to do NaNoWriMo, and into ninja, the combination of which resulted in the first draft of this novel.

Thank you to all my wonderful friends who have read the manuscript and encouraged me along my writing journey.

My family, I thank you for putting up with the crazy writer in your midst.

Thank you to my best friends: whether it is writing or anything else, you are always there for me. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do without you.

And I would like to thank my God, Lord, and Savior, who has given me a passion for writing and has been working through my life to begin writing fiction that point people to Him. Thank You, Jesus, for giving me a love of writing and now for making that part of my love for You.

And finally, thank you, reader, for sharing this story with me.

CHAPTER ONE

T he shadows hid the cloaked messenger as he stepped up onto the wall. Isamu waited without so much as a blink of movement.

Go, a voice rasped. Do the bidding of your masters.

Isamu stepped back, crouched, and then performed a perfect backflip.

But there was nothing to land on, and he plummeted downward, face first.

The sheer rock face of the cliff sped by, and his eyes watered.

The ground rose to greet him. He spun in the air and landed with no more noise than the rustling of a leaf. His legs wide and a hand out to steady him, he lifted his head.

Behind him, he heard his partner hit the ground. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at her, her black clothing blending into the dark rock of the cliff, with only starlight reflecting off her eyes.

His eyes wandered up the cliff and rested on the Dark Keep. Amaya? he said softly, his voice almost too low to be heard.

We will not fail, Isamu. I am ready.

By her silhouette, he saw her adjust her katana strapped securely across her back.

Without another word, he stood and started walking, but quickly and silently. He picked up speed until he was in a steady run, his strides stretching far. He heard Amaya as she ran slightly behind him. More sensed than heard, he silently corrected. He reached up and adjusted the tenugui draped around his neck. This would be a long run.

They ran across meadows, through forests, over hills and lone mountains, and forged rivers before arriving at their destination.

Isamu looked down on Varyon. The city looked cold and forbidding. No wonder people called it the scum house of the world, he thought, after scanning the walls. Up against the large stone fortifications were many hovels, most barely standing from what he could tell. Looks … cozy, he said.

Amaya laughed softly. Very, she agreed sarcastically.

He is here?

Yes.

For sure?

The source, Amaya assured him, "was not about to lie to one of us."

He glanced at her, and her eyes sparkled. Her face was completely covered by her tenugui, and her hair was hidden in her hood. But her eyes fully showed her amusement as she thought of the source. Good, he finally said.

He jumped forward and grabbed the branch of an overhanging tree. He swung out and released, catapulting into the air. He pulled his legs up into his chest and spun in the air. He landed on the balls of his feet and rolled forward. He came up and looked at the thirty-foot drop.

Amaya came off the small precipice, not bothering with the branch, and landed on the balls of her feet, rocking forward. He ignored the twinkle in her eyes and headed toward Varyon.

He didn’t know what Lord Aker Gavronis had done to get someone to hire assassins, but he didn’t care. After tonight, he and Amaya would return to the Dark Keep and be accepted as fully fledged shadow knights. Shinobi. Ninja.

Or they would be executed for failure.

The sun was still below the horizon, but faint rays were beginning to light up the land. Isamu and Amaya moved quickly across the narrow plain surrounding Varyon and then through the city of hovels to Varyon’s walls.

Isamu looked left and right up the wall. His gloved hand brushed over the stone blocks. His fingers found the hold he sought. He reached up with his other hand and carefully but quickly began to scale the twenty-foot wall of rock. His hands grabbed the top, and in one swift motion, he somersaulted over the parapet. He looked for guards and watchmen but saw none.

Amaya jumped up beside him.

Where is the palace? he whispered.

North end.

He nodded. He had studied the land they would have to travel and Gavronis’s bodyguards. Amaya had learned everything there was to know about Varyon. Amaya pointed at one of the houses closest to the wall. Isamu ran forward and sprang into the air. He landed with a light thud. He was instantly on the move again and leaping to the next housetop, headed north across the roofs of the city. Amaya came behind him.

Death had entered this city.

Lord Aker Gavronis simply didn’t know it yet.

The palace, Isamu thought, was more of a citadel to intimidate the citizens of Varyon than an actual place from which to rule. But it didn’t really matter. Castles and fortresses had so many hiding places that a palace wouldn’t. Isamu smiled. A rare occurrence, to be sure, he thought with good humor.

Amaya crouched beside him as they surveyed the walls and the patterns of the soldiers guarding them. He is on the east side.

Does he rise early?

Yes, Amaya almost growled. He has most likely already risen for the day.

Isamu frowned underneath his tenugui. Tonight, he said, frustrated.

Amaya laid her hand on his shoulder, and he glanced at her. Stop worrying, she said.

He looked at her and then glanced back at the rising sun. Where can we stay?

The slums. Disgust was in Amaya’s voice.

Better the slums and safe than captured by some foolish soldier who doesn’t realize what he has done.

Amaya half-giggled at the thought of a simple soldier capturing a ninja. But not just any ninja. A shadow knight. Like them.

He pulled his tenugui down around his neck and pushed back his tight hood. Come on.

They crawled away from where they had been studying the palace and dropped into an alley.

Please, lead the way. Isamu waved his hand. He could barely see Amaya’s eyebrow twitch.

She turned and jogged down the narrow side street. Isamu followed, memorizing the places they passed. Every nook and deep doorway. Every window ledge. Anything that could help them should something go wrong tonight.

The houses got progressively worse, and soon they had reached the slums of Varyon. Unlike some cities Isamu had seen, the slums of Varyon were aptly named. He nodded as he surveyed the area from the window of the collapsing mansion he and Amaya were hidden in. Aptly named indeed. Beyond any doubt whatsoever. He dropped onto a creaky bed.

Amaya reached up and brought her hood down with both hands. Her night-black hair cascaded down her shoulders as she shook it free. She pulled down her tenugui and smiled at him. So far, so good, she said.

So far, he agreed.

She unbuckled her katana and laid it on the table, one of the three pieces of furniture that adorned the room along with two uncomfortable beds.

These beds are rather old, Isamu observed.

Amaya nodded.

And loud.

She raised her eyebrow and nodded again.

Did I mention they were ancient?

She dropped onto the other bed, which protested with a loud popping sound. It’s the best thing I could think of.

I’m not complaining, Isamu protested. I’m just … complaining.

Yeah, Amaya said as she rolled her eyes. Exactly.

He closed his eyes. Who’s playing watchdog, alarm, and wakeup call?

I’ll do it.

Sure?

Yes. Go to sleep.

Isamu opened one eye and looked at her. Yes, master. He half-smiled.

Just as long as you remember that, Amaya said without missing a beat.

He snorted and rolled onto his side.

Don’t you want to take off your sword? Amaya asked quietly.

Isamu kept his eyes closed. Not really.

He was asleep in moments, years of training kicking in. When you needed rest and had the chance to get some, you took advantage of it.

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Amaya stared at his back for a moment. He was such a shell. Always on guard. For what? No one knew, but he was always ready.

She sighed and brushed back a stray strand of hair from her eyes. He was a good partner though. Of course, since going to the Dark Keep as a lonely eight-year-old, she’d only had one partner: Isamu. He had been ten. Now he was nineteen, and he stilled watched out for her.

She felt her eyes droop. Time to sleep.

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She buckled on her katana before she woke him. But when she reached out to touch him, he was already awake, his eyes following her movements.

Good morning, sunshine, she said.

I was hoping it would be ‘good night.’ Isamu sat up, dropping his legs over the side of the bed.

Okay. Amaya smirked. Good night.

Nothing? he asked.

Nothing. Not so much as a cat or sparrow.

He stood up. Then nothing is stopping us.

Other than a few hundred soldiers and bodyguards who have trained night and day for who knows how many years to catch assassins, Amaya said.

But not assassins like us.

They headed down the stairs and crawled through a half-boarded-up window. A half-stifled gasp made Isamu and Amaya spin toward a quivering patch of shrubs. Amaya disappeared into the overgrown bushes that were close to seven feet tall. She came out hauling a small, struggling girl. She placed the street urchin, for she was obviously of that class, on her feet.

The girl sniffed and straightened herself. I knew someone was hiding out in there! she exclaimed. I’m gonna win so many bets!

Or you are going to win a knife, Amaya said. They had already replaced their tenuguis and hoods.

The girl opened her mouth and snapped it shut. She apparently knew what that had meant. But … She looked from Amaya and Isamu.

Let her go, Isamu said flatly.

Amaya’s head came up in surprise. He was usually the last to suggest mercy. She released her grip on the girl.

Oh, thank you, thank you. The girl dropped to her knees. My name is Kia and I am forever in your debt for sparing my life.

Isamu blinked at her. Just go, girl.

I can’t. I’m a Wanderer, and we must pay our debts.

You don’t have any debt with me. Isamu spun on his heel and walked into the darkening alleyways.

The street girl looked at Amaya, who still stood behind her.

Go, as he says, Amaya said softly, and then followed Isamu into the shadows.

They quickly moved through the alleyways and bystreets, and by the time true night had fallen, they once again were looking at the palace walls.

There, Isamu said, pointing at a small group of vines that had been allowed to grow up the side of the stone.

Won’t they expect that? Amaya asked thoughtfully.

"No, because a thief or assassin wouldn’t use that because it would be expected."

Right.

They slipped into the narrow moat and pushed off the side. Silently they floated to the other side and then carefully pulled themselves up onto the narrow cleft of ground between the band of water and palace walls.

Isamu crawled on his belly to the base of the vines and then slowly, carefully, started climbing. He avoided breaking or even bending a vine out of place, so it was very slow going.

Amaya followed him. She placed her hands where he had placed his and scraped her feet over the same places he had. If they ever found where they had crossed, they would assume it had been only one assassin. Unless, of course, they were caught. Then they would be dead.

Amaya pushed that thought out of her mind and focused. Isamu vanished over the wall, and she increased her speed. She flipped up and over and came to land right behind him. The guards obliviously paced back and forth, again above them, as they crouched at the edge of some courtyard.

Isamu looked expectantly at her. She adjusted her hood and tenugui and pulled her katana out just a fraction to make sure it wasn’t stuck. She headed across the outer edge of the courtyard and into a servants’ door.

Isamu followed, and the two of them, to unwatchful eyes, appeared as two drifting shadows. No one would guess that their lord’s doom had come.

Two guards stood motionless on either side of Aker Gavronis’s door. One sai stroke from each of them dropped the guards without a sound. Isamu took the lead and eased open the door. At the far side of the room was a massive bed. On that bed slept their target, snoring soundly.

Disgusting, Amaya said.

Isamu followed her gaze and saw the mutilated body hung on the far wall. His eyes narrowed. It wasn’t hard to understand why someone,