Page 129 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
Harmonious grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet. Not an answer, but certainly confirmation.
For the first time in her life, Kimiko was grateful that her grandmother was so strict about year-end cleaning. Thanks to the annual banishment of dust and dishevelment fromeverycorner of their shrine, the treasury still smelled faintly of soaps, oils, and waxes. Although the shelves were crowded, everything was in its proper place.
Stacks of lanterns. A festival float. Mask and drums. Cloth-wrapped bundles secured by knotted cords. Trunks with faded labels, some with sigils faintly gleaming. And scores of lacquered and inlaid boxes, each a work of art. These last were the building blocks of Kimiko’s childhood, for she’d treated the Treasury as a playhouse since her earliest days.
Hisoka scanned the room. Kimiko had to wonder if he’d been here before. The cat seemed to know everything about everything, yet he gazed around with nothing more than polite interest. Was this a matter of feigned ignorance, or was he keeping the intensity of his curiosity under careful wraps?
She leaned toward the latter. Sinder had been so urgent to inform Hisoka about the presence of golden seeds at Kikusawa.
“Do you know what’s in all of these?” asked Sinder.
“Oh, yes. I wassucha snoop when I was little.” Her grandmother and her father had passed down the stories of the most prominent treasures in their care. But she and Noriko had nosed through every box, memorizing the pretty patterns on each lid and handling the items inside. Later, when Sakiko showed the knack, it was decided that she would walk Grandma’s path. Sakiko could recite the history of every item, rattling off names, dates, and facts with impressive poise.
Kimiko supposed that made Sakiko the realist. Given Noriko’s temperament, she was easily cast as the romantic. But where did that leave Kimiko?
“There,” said Anna Starmark, pointing to the cabinet that dominated the far wall. “The blade is there.”
“Yes.” Aware of their close scrutiny, Kimiko took extra care, shielding their view with her body. The deep cabinet was as intricate as a puzzle box, with clever catches and hidden panels hiding its contents. A casual perusal would uncover a wealth in painted scrolls, jade carvings, and precious artifacts. But treasures of the In-between were more closely kept.
“That cupboard is embedded with sigils, then overlaid again,” remarked Sinder.
“Amaranthine workmanship?” asked Boon.
“Silverprong craftsmanship,” said Kimiko, adding gentle pressure to a carved chrysanthemum as she lifted the catch. Members of the deer clan were responsible for several of their most beautiful cupboards and screens. And the carved wooden panels over their doorways, which weresucha hassle to dust and oil.
When she opened the double doors, Boon grunted.
Hisoka sidled closer. “How unusual.”
Understatement. Red crystals created a lavish floral pattern on the naked blade resting in its holder. While beautiful, the gleaming stones made the blade quite heavy for its size. The edge was certainly keen, but a sword so heavy wouldn’t be practical in battle. An Amaranthine could have lifted it, but the weapon was reinforced with a dazzling array of sigils to fend them off. Their mysterious sword was intended for reavers’ use.
“Are you kidding me?” Sinder was backing away. “That thing actually exists?”
“It’s been hidden here for quite some time.” Harmonious moved to the dragon’s side. “Kept in reserve for emergencies.”
“The Chrysanthemum Blaze is our most valuable and most enigmatic treasure. Our records offer little more than the name and an order to keep its presence here a secret.” Kimiko gestured for Anna to reclaim the blade. “We’re only supposed to yield it to someone who already knows it’s here.”
Anna hefted the sword. “Until today, Harmonious and I may have been the only ones to know.”
Kimiko really wanted more information. “My grandfather speculated that the craftsmanship is Amaranthine, but the blade somehow fell into reavers’ hands.”
“You could say that.” Sinder was actually hiding behind Harmonious now. “That thing’s one of the Junzi.”
While Kimiko’s mind leapt immediately to her favorite brand of chocolate, she guessed he was making reference to classical art. “Are you saying this sword is part of Amaranthine lore?”
“It’s certainly part ofdragonlore,” said Sinder. “Every hatchling knows about the danger represented by the Junzi. They’re the stuff of nightmares.”
“The Four Gentlemen—chrysanthemum, plum, orchid, and bamboo,” said Hisoka. “They have long represented the seasons.”
“How well-mannered and tame.” Sinder remained on edge. “Wecall them the Four Storms.”
Kimiko had assumed the sword must be ornamental, a work of art in the form of a weapon. She liked to think it might have been used as an anchor for a vast barrier or illusion. But thanks to Michael’s recent lessons in crystals as amplifiers of sigilcraft, she knew that wasn’t possible. Crystals of this color were a lure, useful in the construction of traps. She was almost afraid to ask. “I don’t know much dragon lore. What’s this sword meant to do?”
The dragon closed his mouth and shook his head.
Anna answered for him. “In a reaver’s hands, the Chrysanthemum Blaze has two uses. The first is to trap dragons.”
Tension rippled around the room, and Kimiko tried to break it. “That’s oddly specific.”
