Nightblade (Kirk)

A quiet child, Moriko is forced into a monastic system she despises. Torn from her family and the forest she grew up in, she must fight to learn the skills she'll need to survive her tutelage under the realm's most dangerous assassin. Young, beautiful, and broke, Takako is sold to pay for her father's debts. Thrust into a world she doesn't understand and battles she didn't ask for, she must decide where her loyalties lie. When their lives crash together in a kingdom on the brink of war, the decisions they make will change both their lives and their kingdom forever.

Two cycles have passed since Ryuu lost his adopted father, and he dares to hope that he's found peace at last. But nightblades live by the sword, and when a new breed of warrior threatens the Southern Kingdom, Ryuu and Moriko are pulled to opposite edges of the known world to uncover mysteries that have lain dormant for hundreds of cycles.

In the midst of the chaos, the actions and choices of a select few will shape the future of the land. Akira prepares to give up his Lordship. Ryuu wanders the Southern Kingdom, searching for a reason to fight. Moriko sits quietly, biding her time before she leaves the Three Kingdoms for good. Finally, across the Three Sisters, Nameless fight to keep his fragile alliance of clans together.

A new threat has risen. For years, peace has reigned within the boundaries of the empire. Monks, gifted with extraordinary powers, wander the land, keeping order by any means necessary. Their gifts make them invincible, or so most believe. A lone warrior disagrees. Guided by a shadowy organization, Fang seeks to break the monasteries. Once left for dead by powerful monks, revenge has driven him to unimaginable strength. Only one obstacle stands in his way.