The Four Wheel Saga Book 1: THE LEGACY TRIALS

The sun was low on the horizon, and birds were returning to their nests. Sparrows, blackbirds, all the nesting birds fly home when the light begins to fade. An exception seemed to be a woodpecker that perched on a nearby cedar tree, tapping away . A group of mallards floated home on the still waters. Yet, it would be a couple of hours before the sunset. The clouds that had gathered in the afternoon had dissipated, and it was still bright.

Kento sat on the edge of the pier, with his feet dipped in the creek. Tiny fish gathered under his soles underwater and nibbled at dry skin. He giggled, being ticklish.

A boat approached from the mainstream, but it was being rowed with the help of oars rather than kitsu. It turned out to be Uzziah's fishing boat. He docked it at the pier. Kento remembered that the Wajin tribe used kitsu only when it became vital Even the operations on the floating houses were decades old.

The young Yamazaki hauled a net full of fish onto the berth. The mixed catch was live- minnows, carps, trouts, and shiners. He secured the boat and heaved the bulging net onto his shoulders. Since nobody else was around, Kento felt it proper to break the ice.

Kento: "Do you do the fishing all by yourself?"

Uzziah answered without looking at Kento.

Uzziah: "Some of us have to work to fill our bellies."

Kento: "Hey, that was uncalled for."

have time to deal with your fragile mind, little overlord."

walking away on the gangway that led to the floating building.

got to his feet and challenged him from

"Uzziah! Have you really forgotten

but did not

supposed to know about you. Besides, there is nothing special

he left, leaving

Yuuki-sensei had informed everyone that Kento was to duel Uzziah the following morning. What if he loses the bout? The Mikashita honor would be shattered. Citadel training would be demeaned. The Wajin tribe would make sure the news reached the Hyougi. The

offered to train him throughout the evening. What more could the preceptor bring out of a kitsu-blind child? Weighing the disgrace by Uzziah's rejection of him on the one hand and the fear of losing on the other, Kento decided to train with Keiji. Perhaps he could get some more pointers on taekkyon. Perhaps that would help him tide over his self-doubt. But of course, he'd have to

deep in the forest, behind the floating house. A narrow trail took the aspirants to a small clearing. At the center stood a temple-like monument that was in ruins. It was about fifty feet high and about the same in diameter, in the shape of a pagoda, with three sloping sides. Steps had been cut into the slopes on all three sides to climb the monument. The apex was a small sundeck with a balustrade. Hakaku stood on the deck, leaning on the balustrade, explaining

from the party. The preceptors had excused themselves from Hakaku's contest to help Kento focus on the next day's duel with Uzziah, and Shigeo, inseparable from the young Mikashita and overtly curious about the training, had insisted on

you win the contest and its prizes can be distributed amongst yourselves. Yuuki-sensei has communicated to me that whale tokens for this year's Shibai Matsuri are highly sought- after, and I happen to have some that I can give away. Therefore you have an incentive in addition to the fun we are going to have today. When you are ready, let my attendant know and

the plinth of the ruins, were