[Here are the collected stories of the Crab clan hero, Hida Ishigaki.

They are taken from his journal.]

My First L5R deck was a Crab deck, obsidian edition. So when I got into L5R rpg of course my first char was a
Crab. I consumed source material on my clan at a voracious pace. With the exception of the very first book of
the shadowlands I have read every sourcebook cover to cover that has anything to do with the Crab clan or
the Shadowlands. Hida Ishigaki is my Crab. I shall now recount some of his tales.

I got picked out as an Emerald Magistrate. Guess the Crab's affinity for Water does mean I'm good at spotting
clues… Oh wait, testimony is the only real evidence.
Huh.
Oh well, must be so I can spot tainted fuckers or something. I show up for my first day on the job in my
battered ass O-Yori. Tetsubo slung over my shoulder. Can't beat the classic look, screw all that crustacean shit.
They looked at me like I just crawled out of a midden. Hey, I cut my beard and everything too! (Well, okay
lopped it off with my tanto but still...!)

There's an Isawa Water tensai, her pet Shiba, a Kitsuki of fucking course, and one of those Mantis twats.
Yeah, yeah, the Mantis are our ‘cousins.’ I don't buy it. Osano-Wo was a fucking Crab, you minor clan, money-
grubbing, peasant-weapon-swinging pissants do not get to call him your Ancestor. His blood flows in my veins.
Literally. I can trace a direct paternal line all the way back to Hida himself, not just one of the Samurai that took
his name.

The Shugenja proceeds to cough up some blood during the meet and greet. Dafuk? She gives a weak smile,
explains she's been sick since birth. I have to admit, I’m impressed by her ability to endure and keeping a
proper face on even when she's clearly suffering. Tough girl. The fact that Benten was kind to her doesn't hurt
either...

First job is pretty straightforward, Bandits need to be handled. Gotcha, now I know why they picked me, of all
people, for such a prestigious post. I'll spare you all the boring details. It went as you'd expect. I drew lots of
attention and shrugged off their pathetic ‘attacks’ with my armor and the strong Earth that all Crabs are blessed
with, while the rest of the party took them down. The Mantis helped a little bit, I guess.

The Shugenja though, didn't hurt anyone. Not one offensive spell. She tried to hide it, but I saw her wiping
away her tears after the fight was over.

Huh. Quite the softie.

We head back into town, and I decide to reward myself with some good sake...

Wake up, my head is fuzzy.

Wait…. What?

I've never gotten so drunk I don't remember the night before. My liver is made of high grade Kaiu Steel for
fuck’s sake. I roll over, head pounding. I get to stare at the disheveled Tensai... Damn she's cute. And she has
a nice rack peeking out of her torn kimonOHNO.

Screaming ensues. Yoriki with Yari swarm into the room, and I'm under arrest.

The Kitsuki scrambles to look for evidence. Mantits starts asking around town, seeing if anyone saw anything.

Shiba sharpens his sword.

I keep my damn trap shut. Mantits comes back. Everyone he spoke to saw me and the Shugenja leave
together. No one saw or heard anything after that, not even where we went.

"People didn't see shit, people didn't hear shit. I say it was Ninjas!" proudly states the Mantis.
Flawless logic from that wannabe Samurai there. Kistuki examines the Sake bottle I was drinking from last
night. He says he found proof that it was spiked. Probably by a Ninja. Kitsuki’s are pretty smart, so he's
probably not wrong.

“You were framed as rapist by a Ninja.”

Shiba continues to sharpen his sword.

“I was framed as a rapist by a Ninja!” I stated, again.

Shiba puts his damn sword away. Well, now that that's settled...

"Ahem. We're going to need some testimony on this, maybe someone confessing to drugging you. Otherwise
as things stand..."

Fuck my life. We begin the Ninja hunt. Decide to start with the waitresses. Grill those half people. Grill 'em
good.

First round of questions reveal that one of them has the hots for the proprietor's son. I stare blankly. Kitsuki
thinks he knows what happened. Bring her back for round two. Kitsuki lets her have it. Spins this batshit insane
story about how she spiked my Sake for a guy, who promised he would smooth things over with the proprietor
so she could marry the boy she liked.

That is the most far fetched-

She breaks down in tears, admitting it. I decide I want to go back to the wall where things make sense. Go find
Water tit- tensai. Well this is awkward. But that's why I'm here. Apologize profusely for this whole mess. She
gives me a smile that doesn't seem very sincere to me. Says it's not my fault so she doesn't blame me. I
believe her. Tell her it's still okay to be pissed about this whole thing. We only cleared my name. Still no idea
who was behind it, or why. There's that smile again.

Our intrepid band engages in some more investigations, trials, and questions. I help by keeping my yap shut
and punching things that try to run away when they get cornered. Heading to bath house one evening, I notice
there’s a dead body on the bridge...

Well that's not supposed to be there.

“Hey, peasant, go to the inn and get the Kitsuki would ya?”

I take a look without moving the dude. Big slice from shoulder to hip, almost cut him clean in two. Learned a
thing or two about anatomy and all that from a Kuni friend back home. I realize this guy was cut from behind.
When the rest of the party gets there I shoo off all the lookie-loos. Mention that it looks like the guy was cut
from behind. Kitsuki confirms this.

Not at all hard to find his killer. The dead guy was courting the city Governor's daughter.

So was the Kakita that was in town.

We confront said Kakita. He admits to the whole thing. But insists it was a fair duel.

Bullshi-

Shiba cuts me off. Oh right. Testimony. This Kakita is fairly high ranked himself. Our word versus his leaves the
matter unresolved.
The Shiba then says it.

“That is bullshit, and you are a murderer!”

Welp, it's on now. Shiba vs Kakita Iaijutsu duel at high noon.

“Why the hell did you stop me? I could have taken him.”

I get some incredulous stares for that one.

“Well, if the duel proves that the Kakita was a murderer then he would be executed right? Or at least forced to
commit sudoku?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So then the duel is to the death, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well I've just learned The Mountain Does not Move! I could have taken him.”

More incredulous stares.

I pout as I watch the Shiba and the Kakita stare at each other for way too long. Shugenja girl is doing her
damndest not to fidget. Should I put an arm around her? Better not.

Steel gets drawn, flashes in the noon sun.

Turns out the Shiba's connection to the Void was stronger.

A wild Monkey appears.

We've made our way north, now in the lands of the Phoenix. Shugenja informs us that her father is the lord a
coastal castle, suggest we stay there for a bit before continuing on. Warm castle? Futons? Baths? Sake? Yes
please.

Meet and greet with her family. Her father the nastiest case of resting bitch face I've ever seen. And I'm friends
with a Kuni that never washes off his face paint. Mom is normal enough. Seems a model Rokugani wife. I can
see where our shugenja learned her manners. Younger brother, not yet enrolled at a School. Older brother,
Earth Tensai, like their father. The pleasantries drag on for fucking ever. Damn near everyone in our party is
fidgeting a bit by now. Me and the Shiba are the only ones keeping still, but my legs have gone to sleep.
Shugenja starts to shake a bit during the meet n' greet. Dad switches bitchface from passive to active. My
Sensei would kill to able to give look of disapproval like that. She swallows. Hard. Several Times.

Finally he waves his hand in dismissal. As we're following the servants to the rooms he's giving us, I notice her
lips are bright red. She doesn't use makeup. I stop, grab her shoulder and wipe her lip.

Blood.

She was having another coughing fit, but instead of letting it come up like normal she choked it back as best
she could, then swallowed the blood.

I look her dead in the eyes.

"Why?"
By now, all of us know how to brew up her medicinal tea when she has her fits. I'm the only one who gives no
fucks about propriety and holds her up when we're in public though. There's that damn smile again.

"Oh, it wouldn't be good manners is all"

Except she's coughed at plenty of times when it wouldn't be good manners. I want to press for more, but the
Shiba is glaring hard enough to light my beard on fire so I let it drop.

That night shit gets real.

I hear something that snaps me awake. Even after all this time away from the Wall, I still sleep in my armor
with a powdered Wakizashi in my hands. But this time it's not Oni. It's flaming arrows. Coming from the sea.
Or, more specifically, the boats floating in the sea. The Green and Gold boats.

Looks like the Mantis have decided to have yet another go at the Phoenix. Well that shit's gonna be awkward
later. Grab my Tetsubo, run down to the gate. Mantis Pirates are already swarming all over. We've got a real
war on our hands. I do what Crabs do and rush to the thickest part of the fighting. The Crab are always in the
vanguard of a multi-clan force, after all.

Draw a line in the dirt with my Tetsubo. Mantis come to a screeching halt, trying to figure out why there's a
damn Crab in this Phoenix castle.

They rush forward.

I was born to do this. I've trained for this. I've fought on the wall against swarming hordes of chittering things
and rotting corpses. Nothing can stand before my fury. The line holds.

The Monkey comes to join me.

BAM.

I'm on the ground spitting up my own blood and teeth. The Monkey drags me clear as the Mantis swarm about.
Water Tensai uses her magic to knit my wounds closed. Not a scratch on me when I return to battle. Again,
dominate the shit out of this battle. Where I walk, Mantis bodies litter my path.

Monkey comes to help again.

WHAM.

aaaaaaaaaand I'm down again.

“Go away monkey you're bad luck.”

“Don't you want me to get you clear?”

“Get the fuck away from me you goddamn jinx!”

I drag myself into a corner, prop myself up into a cool sitting pose resting on my tetsubo. At least I look good.
Somehow the others hold out and night ends with the Mantis being driven off.

Come the morning.

Daddy dearest is in fine form, accusing us all of being spies sent ahead of the Mantis force. Because, you
know, there's a Mantis in our group. And Emerald Magistrates do that kind of thing. And apparently his own
Daughter. And the Crab who almost died, twice. (You stay outside a ten foot radius of me at all times Monkey.
You hear me?)
The Kitsuki and the Shiba try, as gently as possible to point these things out to our irate host. ‘Spare me your
trivial facts, plebs. I rule this castle and I've already decided what happened!’ (I might be paraphrasing him a bit
there.)

Our little Shugenja starts coughing again. She can't hold it back this time, it's a pretty bad attack. After
everything that happened last night I'm not surprised. I'm moving to catch her already.

Her father is faster.

SLAP.

“How dare you shame me like that, child!”

Mom stares on impassively. Younger brother on the verge of tears. Older brother hides behind his fan.

We're all pissed. That's our little flower, our hana-chan. The gentlest, most kindhearted person we know. She's
saved all our lives countless times with her magic, she has never once inflicted a single wound on anyone or
anything, she endures a life of constant pain without a word of complaint.

Now I know why she thinks so little of herself. Now I know why her smile never really reaches her eyes. I'm a
hair's breadth from becoming a murderer. I think the rest of our group will cover for me.

She lays her hand on my arm. She knows what I'm thinking. She shakes her head.

I restrain myself.

Apparently his bout of child abuse has settled him down, like a drunkard getting his first swig of Shochu in a
week. He let’s the matter drop.

Our Shugenja does a tea ceremony for all of us that night. I really didn't want to, since I'm pretty sure I always
spin the bowl too much...or not enough, and because I really didn't like the idea of having her sit there and
serve me tea after everything she's been through. But then I realized that being an Honorable person was just
how she coped. So I went along with it. By the Fortunes that shit is bitter. Why the hell is it so bitter? It's
supposed to be calming, right?

I do feel calmer though. Huh.

Never been much for propriety, so I just tell her I want to speak to her alone that night. She's taken aback. A
maiden shouldn't be unaccompanied with a man after all. But she said yes anyway.

Deep breath.

"So, you know how Crabs revere Strength, right? Because Hida was the Strongest of the Kami?
But he still lost in the first round of the tournament the Kami held. That's because there's all kinds of Strength,
and he just didn't realize it at that time. Strength isn't just hitting things hard, or talking a crushing blow and
cushioning it with you Earth and your armor. A reed is strong, because it yields to the hurricane and never gets
uprooted."

She gives me the weirdest look.

"Uh, yeah. So anyway I'm trying to say that I think you're Strong. Really Strong. To be honest, I'm in awe. And
maybe a little jealous."

She tilts her head and blinks.

"And I want to say, you're beautiful. Benten surely blessed you when you were born. And you strong..."

Fucking smooth there you dipshit. Just spit it out.

“I... I love you. I know I don't really have any property or anything...but I can trace a direct line back to Hida
himself! I mean, my family split off from the main family back in the 8th century so like, half the clan would have
to die before I would ever get even close to being the Hida family daimyo…”

Dare to look up.

She's crying. Ya blew it, you fucktard. She throws her arms around me.

...what?

She hugs me tightly. I dare to hope…

"You have been so kind to me, I always thought it was just pity. Where have you been hiding this philosopher
until now?"

"Don't give me so much credit, I'm still the same idiot I've always been. I just see that having been born and
raised a warrior it's not all that amazing that I'm good at it. You, on the other hand…”

"Have been born and raised to be a Shugenja, in the Clan that is best known for their Shugenja."

"Yeah but..."

"Please, no more compliments tonight. My heart cannot take it. Because I must turn you down. My father
would never approve."

Contemplate murder for the second time that day.

She's right about him though. And considering how she is an Honorable and dutiful Child she will do as her
Father bids. Well, she's got other family members. Let's go see her mom.

Find her mother engaging in some Ikebana. I realize I only know that word because of the time I've spent
traveling with our Shugenja. Sit down politely and wait to be acknowledged. Think about what I'm here to talk
about, decide to go full dogeza. Mother pauses when I do that. Then goes back to her arrangements.

arranging.intensifies
arranging.intensifies
arranging.intensifies
arranging.intensifies
arranging.intensifies

I see, she's testing me. This family is fucking big on discipline. Fine. I'm going to show here that Crab's
reputation for being louts is due to how we cut loose when we're off duty. When we're on duty however, not
even the Lion can match our discipline.

She gets up, leaves the room.

Comes back.

Sets down more flowers where I can see them out of the corner of my eye. Damn did she uproot her whole
garden? Settle in muscles, we're going to be here a while. She decides to open the door to the garden. I can
here some water trickling, followed by a TOK.
The water trickles.
TOK
The water trickles.
TOK
Surprise, the water trickles.
TOK
The water continues to trickle...
TOK

As my bladder starts to protest, I can see exactly how much flower arranging she intends to do. Damn, this
bitch is merciless. The Shiba shared some techniques with me to help quiet my mind. I use them to bolster my
formidable stamina.

Finally a "May I help you?" from mom.

My spine cracks as I straighten up. Holy fuck I never would have guessed just holding still could hurt so much.
Now to use subtle innuendo and wordplay to dance around this sensitive topic while still conveying my point.
I've seen the Kitsuki do that plenty of times in court.

“I wanna marry your daughter.”

Nailed it.

"Whatever for?"

I had plenty of time to guess how she would respond, and had readied several responses of my own.
‘Whatever for?’ was not one I was prepared for.

"What do you mean, whatever for? Isn't it obvious?"

Her mother hid her face with the sleeve of her kimono. It was a nice kimono, fine red silk with gold threads
weaving in intricate pattern I couldn't even begin to trace out in my head. I wonder when it was that I started to
notice other people's kimono's and feel embarrassed by my simple grey cotton one.

"There is no need to be coy, Ishigaki-san. My daughter is ill. She is frail. Why would a Crab, of all people, want
to marry someone like that?”

Oh this shit again. Fine. Explain what Strength really means to mom. Her eyes, poking up over that sleeve go
wider with each word. They threaten to engulf her whole head. By the time I'm finished I am talking to one giant
eyeball. Given how disciplined this family is, it dawns on me just how shocking the depth of Crab philosophy is
to the rest of Rokugan. I'm kind of pissed off that this is so surprising. Pretty sure I didn't let that show.,,

"So, anyway, I was thinking you might help me to convince your husband about this…”

She snaps back to normal in an instant, and her gaze frosts over. I've never felt the cold really, a gift from my
Ancestor Osano-Wo, but I had to suppress a shiver at that chilly stare.

"That will not be possible."

Mother sighs. A surprisingly heavy one.

"My husband has many duties as the lord of this castle. He is also a candidate for the next Master of Earth. As
such alliances must be made, and favors exchanged.”

Favors. He thinks of his daughter as a favor to be traded. I know that's how it works in Rokugan, but it's
actually a bit rarer in Crab lands than you'd think. Most families let their kids find a spouse on their own, though
if you're not married by the time you're 25 the family will step in and find you a spouse. It's because we've got a
high attrition rate. We need lots of babies and couples who love each other a lot have lots of babies, it's as
simple as that. We Crabs are a practical bunch, after all.

Dejected I take my leave. Well now what? Her younger brother isn't even in school yet, and her older brother
looked like a daddy's boy.

"I believe I can help you."

HOLYSHITFUCKWHAT

Old instincts kick in as I whirl to beat the shit out of whatever the hell managed to sneak that close to me. I
check myself just in time to avoid killing her older brother. He stares calmly at my fist that's almost touching his
nose.

He smiles.

"It's true what they say: 'When you wake a Crab, use a stick.’"

I cough, straighten up, and regain my composure.

"As I was saying, I believe I can help you. You need only point out how little my father truly stands to gain from
arranging a marriage for my sister."

“Huh?”

He smiles at my look of confusion.

"She has likely kept it hidden from you, the depths of her illness. The truth is my sister is unlikely to reach
retirement age. Or even thirty. For that matter, her illness means that the rigors of childbirth... no, even carrying
a child in her womb would most likely prove fatal."

The way he said all that with the smile still on his face creeped me the fuck out.

"So, as she is no good for continuing a line, she would at best be relegated to marrying an old man with grown
children. A plaything, if you will.”

Contemplate murder again.

"Oh, I do hope you're not put off by all this! I realize that she's not worth much, but you would still be marrying
up! You only need sequester her for a year or so while having a concubine bear your children, no one would
ever know."

Kissada-sama grant me the strength to persevere through this visit, that I do not commit double homicide and
shame my Ancestors. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the dad, older brother or both were maho-tsukai.
Actually, kinda hopping at least one of them is. I manage to choke out a thank you to her brother for his ‘helpful
advice.’

I head for the Kitsuki's room. Mantis is there. Great. So is the Jinx.

I spill my guts. Tell them everything I just went through. I need to know what the proper thing to do in this
situation is, and I'm so far outside of what I consider normal I have no clue anymore.

Do I win the approval of my prospective father in law by reducing the woman I want to be my wife to useless
goods?
Do I grab her and elope?
Do I set this madhouse on fire and purge the Empire of the insanity that dwells within?!

The Mantis, with a roaring passion that filled the room, told me to give up on her and try for someone else.
The Monkey told me to elope, promised he'd cover for us.
The Kitsuki asked me what she thought we should do.

...

"...I've... got to go do something real quick."

Find Naomi, she’s practicing her Calligraphy. I sit down and relay the stories of how I spoke with her family.
She looks up at me with those sad eyes…

"I didn't want you to find out. But what my Brother says is true. I know how important a large family is to a Crab,
but I will likely not be able to give you even a single child."

"Wait, is that why you turned me down?"

"Not just that, no. I must still respect my fath..."

"Bullshit you do."

I'd had it.

"That man treats you worse than an eta! He shames himself, his house, your sensei and you by failing to
recognize your talents. You're a fucking Tensai! And I don't believe for one second that you couldn't have
children. Water is the element of Healing, and Crabs all have a strong Earth! Our kids would be strong enough
to live even if your illness makes it difficult! And I've got a friend who's a Kuni, he's always bitching to me about
how every year they have to provide some new bit of lore or magical research in a big family meeting. I'm sure
he'd love to work on some fortifying Earth magic to help!

I. Love. You.”

Her father's face went from pink, to crimson, to purple by the time she was done telling him her decision. It was
the most satisfying thing I'd ever seen. No way I could keep the grin off my face as I watched a man I had
come to detest more than any Oni have an aneurysm.

I thought I couldn't get any happier. Then her father exploded in rage. He didn't say anything. He was too
furious to speak. He just ran over to the little shrine at the far end of the room.

And grabbed the katana that was there.

And ripped it free of its sheath.

And pointed it at me.

I almost had an orgasm.

I picked up my blade and strolled out into the garden, accepting his foolhardy challenge. I had just enough
Iaijutsu training that I could get my sword out in an instant if I needed it. My Kenjutsu technique was barely
adequate for my Sensei to teach me the secret of Two Pincers, One Mind.

But he was a Shugenja. An overly proud shugenja, but a Shugenja nonetheless. The look Naomi gave me as
we took our stances is the only thing that saved his life.

But I got my wife.

It's tradition that the Husband goes on a year long pilgrimage after getting married, to contemplate his new life.
The husband's mother takes the new wife and teaches her everything there is to know about running a
household. I don't have a mother anymore. Once there seven of us: Mom, Dad, my four siblings and me. But
our clan's never ending war took it's due from my family. I was the only one left.

Naomi was in tears when I finished telling her this. Naomi's mother maintained her face though, and nodded in
understanding.

“I shall fill in for your departed mother then, and teach my daughter what she needs to know. Do you manage
any land?”

“Sort of...?”

Mother-in-law gave me a smile that I had learned meant 'the fuck does that mean?'

“We did have a Jade mine, but it played out years ago.”

“Ah, I see…”

I didn't elaborate on what that meant. The jade in the earth keeps it pure, safe from the taint. Many times, when
the creatures of the shadowlands slip past the wall, they do so by burrowing through the tainted earth of an
exhausted Jade mine.

Such a thing was the main reason I was the last living member of my family. I was fortunate enough to be left
for dead, by the swarm. Though I still bear a scar across my face in the shape of an X. The lines intersect just
above my nose and between my eyes. Most people flinch instinctively when they first see my face.

So off I went, pilgriming away. Really had no clue what the hell I was supposed to be doing, so I just went to a
few random temples. Did hit up the main temples of Osano-Wo, Kissada, and Yakamo though.

Always makes me feel good about how many divinities once walked Ningen-do as Crabs.

The colors of the Crab clan are blue, grey and black. After a year of temples and monks and praying my balls
had gone through all three. Upon my return to my only slightly dilapidated home my new wife attempted to give
me the standard Rokugani greeting. No, just the first two. Naomi is a good girl after all.

“Welcome Ho- EEEEEEEK”

I scooped her up, tossed her over my shoulder and headed inside. The Kitsuki looked up from the tea he was
sipping.

“Ah, Ishigaki. We've got a…”

“Nope. Busy.”

Time passes.

Not as much time as could have passed, given my endurance, nor as much time as my balls wanted to have
passed. But I wasn't about to kill my wife on our first time together. Though there was extra time spent
cuddling. I was a full foot taller than her, and wide enough she could use me as a futon. Once I came back out
blinding my party with afterglow they let me know what our next assignment would be.

Serial Killer.

Off we go, in the ass end of fall trying to reach the city before the winter snows catch us. We get inside on the
day of the first snowfall. Of course by the time we're there the last victim found had already been cremated and
the scene cleaned up, so there was no way for the Kitsuki to get any leads using the usual methods.

Interview time.

I sat in and glowered whenever the Kitsuki tapped his fan on his right knee. I made a decent bad magistrate
with my messed up face. No one ever seemed to see or hear anything out of the ordinary, just find a body one
day. Often in various states of decomposition, such that it was hard to know what had even killed them. Only
the sheer volume of mysterious deaths led the local magistrate to conclude a serial killer was at work.
Deducing that this was above his paygrade, he sent for the Emerald Magistrates.

The local magistrate would have fallen over himself fawning over us, were it possible for something that round
to fall over anything. So I guess he rolled over himself fawning over us. While I contemplated the fact that there
existed a human being shorter than me but twice as wide as me, with all the grace and speed of a drunken
silkworm, the Kitsuki tried to figure out what, if anything, Blob-san could do to assist us.

Being the genius that he was Kitsuki deduced that was provide extra bodies in the form of Yoriki should we
need them. The Monkey and the Mantis, meanwhile, were down in the seedier parts of town. Apparently the
Mantis, like all his kind, was a merchant pretending to be a Samurai and knew how to deal with such people.
The Monkey went along to bring the wrath of the Fortunes down on the Mantis, where it belonged. Our Water
Tensai attempted to provide clarity at several of the crime scenes, only to find the local Kami had been chased
off by something or other. So she tried some more specific spells. But something interfered with her magic.

So know we know that someone, either skilled at magic or with a Nemuranai of some sort, was killing people,
and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Winter had just begun, so no one was going anywhere for
several months.

Thus, The hunt is on.

Unfortunately, nothing was forthcoming from the underbelly of the city. The Mantis was convinced that
someone from that side of the world knew something, he just wasn't sure who. I proposed a game of who talks
first, but the Kitsuki was of the mind that a massive disruption to the underworld would create too much chaos,
making it harder to find the one we came for. So we all sat around scratching our collective heads until the
next body showed up.

On an impulse, I did something I hadn't in awhile. I prodded the corpse with a finger of jade. The body
smoldered, smoke tinged with the old scent of burning taint wafted through the room. Everyone's face had
gone just little bit paler as they stared at me…

Looks like I get to take center stage again. Hooray...

Step one, get all the Jade. All of it. No way to get Kuni Crystal. Fortunately we're able to scrounge enough
Jade such that I don't think we need to go hunting obsidian. Proposing that would have gone over like a fart in
front of the Emperor.

“Alright, you two. Send the Mantis and the Monkey on patrol. Your mission is to discreetly touch this small bits
of jade to people's skin. Our killer is either using a tainted weapon, or is a maho. Or both. Or is an Oni.
Whichever it is, if they've gotten spoiled because no one know anything about unclean subjects like the taint,
we might just get lucky and catch them this way.”

Pfft, yeah right. This is a stupidly long shot, but I've got nothing better right now.

“Naomi you know how to check for spiritual imbalance and kansen, right?”

“I'm not very good with Earth kami, but I do know the theory. I'll try.”
“Kitsuki, Shiba, you're going to get the Yoriki ready. Grind up this jade for powder, show the Yoriki how to
powder their yari, we might need them after all.”

“Uh, neither of us have ever done this before.”

“Fuck. Okay Shiba you go with Naomi, I'll stay here with Kitsuki and show you all how it's done. If you find
something come back and get us. One last thing. No one goes anywhere alone. Not even to take a shit. Keep
an eye on your buddy at all times. Yes, all times. And when the groups come back into contact everyone
holds up a piece of jade to bare skin. No exceptions. Shapeshifters and skin stealers are a bitch and a half to
deal with.”

I got them moving before they could ask me to clarify what I meant by skin stealers.

Ah yes, the other reason to make a Crab an Emerald Magistrate. Knowledge of maho and the shadowlands is
taboo, so most Rokugani are woefully misinformed. Misinformed though they were, the Yoriki still knew that
Jade powder could only mean one thing. I did my best impersonation of my old Gunso and told them that if
anyone of them spoke of what was going on they would all answer to me. The Yoriki decided to be more afraid
of the Crab in front of them then the hypothetical Oni they may have to face and obeyed.

Good.

I was still holding out hope our quarry didn't know we we had found out it was tainted. Everyone gathered at
the magistrates as the sun began to set. The Mantis and Monkey had no luck, as I expected. Naomi, on the
other hand, found several places that were out of whack. (She had used some elaborate and formal language I
can't really remember, but out of whack got the point across). We dug up a map of the city and had her mark
them down. The Kitsuki realized something. Many of those places were at or very near where bodies had been
found.

Mind like a steel trap. Never forgets anything.

He deduced that the places where Naomi found the disturbances must be where the actual murders had been
committed. He studied the map for a time. I think I can guess where our killer will strike next. There's a pattern
here. Good, good. Stake out time!

In the middle of the night. All of us hidden in alleyways and rooftops. Monkey playing the drunken samurai
bumbling about and singing off key. Left the Yoriki behind. Too many people. Still hoping our quarry doesn't
know.

Then we see her.

My mother.

Surprised hiss from Naomi next to me.

“What's my mother doing here?”

Look at her.

“You see your mother?”

“Yes, right there don't you see her?”

“No. I see my mother.”

“But your mother is dead…”

“Yes.”

“What does that mean?”

“We should have brought the Yoriki...”

I knew what that was. It was an Oni that preyed on lone travelers, eating their hearts. No matter who looks at it,
it looks like their mother. Worse than that, that damned thing had the power of Invulnerability; it could only be
harmed by magic or the three sacred substances. Jade powder was only good for two or three strikes before it
was all worn off. We had enough powder for each of us, save Naomi, to coat a single weapon.

I don't think we could kill it with only that much.

It's already upon the monkey, who has no idea what's going on. Too late now. I tell Naomi to tell everyone else
to powder their weapons and follow my lead.

And then I charged at the beast.

If the Monkey was taken aback by a screaming Crab beating his mother with a tetsubo covered in Jade powder
he recovered quickly enough. The fact that I had thrown aside any thought of my own safety, something I
almost never did, was apparent to everyone there. They all quickly powdered their weapons. The Oni,
enraged, tore into me.

It was not braggadocio when I say that I could take twice the beating an average samurai could. Add to that my
armor, the teachings of the HIda Bushi School, and my own resistance to pain and I am a very difficult person
to injure.

I was barely standing after the Oni's assault.

Naomi. Small, frail Naomi ran up to my side in arms reach of the Oni, to heal me. The Oni saw that and knew
right away who it had to kill first. Thank the fortunes the Shiba was faster. The Mantis sank both kama into it;
the Monkey's grandfather scolded the Oni.

The damn thing was barely slowed.

I placed myself between it and Naomi. Continuing on my with my foolishness I attacked with reckless fury
again. Two solid blows echoed through the snow filled alley. And my jade was spent. The Oni seeing me in it's
way chose to remove me first. As I hoped it would do. I steeled myself and made ready to meet my Ancestors.

I looked up from where I lay, surprised I was still alive, even awake. My body, however, would not move.
The Mantis and Monkey attacked again, but their fear held them back from committing fully. The Kitsuki knew
what was at stake, but his skill with a katana was worse even than mine. And so his blade failed to land.

Our Jade was almost gone.

The Shiba took a breath, and fell into a stance as though he were preparing to attack a straw target in a dojo.
Again, life poured into my limbs as Naomi begged the Kami to save me. My mind was blank, my body moved
on instinct. With the speed of no thought I did the only thing I could. I wrapped my arms around the Oni.

The beast was taken off guard. I knew it could break my grip with ease, but still I held on. The Shiba took full
advantage. Swimming deep in the void, he struck with a blade that was still fully powdered. The Oni sagged in
my arms and almost took me to the ground with it.

They all sagged with relief as the Oni fell. I had kept its attention on me, for the most part, so I alone was
wounded. But they had all strained themselves to their limits in that battle.
But it wasn't over.

“Naomi! we need pure water to cleanse this oni blood off, now!
Get to the temples, wake up everyone. We need salt, Shugenja, monks.”

I may have been going a bit overboard, but better safe than sorry. Evil is a physical thing. It seeps into our
world from deep within the shadowlands, where the 9th Kami fell. It corrupts everything it touches. Twisting
once good people into mockeries of their former selves. It can linger on long after the original source is gone.
Seeping into wood, even stone. The Wall is constantly under construction, because sometimes the bricks
themselves become tainted and must be replaced. A tainted building could taint it's inhabitants. Such a thing
would be very slow, especially with only a single Oni as the source of the taint this far from the Shadowlands,
but it could happen. The Crab have methods to reduce the risk of such things occurring, and contingency plans
should the worst come to pass. The rest of Rokugan does not trouble itself with such unclean things.

Excessive countermeasures it is then.

I supervised the Eta as they boxed up the Oni's corpse. We took it outside the city walls and burned it
downwind from the city. As I watched the smoke drift away I remembered the story of Oni no Satsujinki with a
shudder. I then had Naomi check myself and all the Eta for taint. I was glad none were infected, if only because
I didn't want to have to behead one in front of her. Head back to meet up with everyone.

Something is nagging at me…

Run through everything I know about Yamauba again. Invulnerable. Looks like your mother; good at infiltrating
the Empire. Prays on lone travelers and children.

Eats hearts...

Shit.

“Kitsuki-san, was there any mention of the victims missing their hearts?”

“No, the reports were sparse on gory details. All they said was that the bodies were decomposed. Our last
victim, however still had theirs.”

“And no children have been killed?”

“By the Fortunes no!”

“We're not done yet.”

Sea of blank faces.

“Yamauba, that's what that Oni we fought are called. They're cowards. It's true they're invulnerable, but they
attack from ambush, they prey on children. And they eat hearts. They don't drain chi and leave a withered
husk like we've been finding, and they aren't as dangerous in combat as the one we faced.”

The Monkey was the one to ask what all that meant.

“When an Oni summoned, it must be given a Name. It must be a Name owned by the summoner, or
surrendered voluntarily by someone else. The Oni then subsists on the chi of the person whose Name it bears.
It grows stronger, gains new powers. We have to find the Maho-Tsukai that summoned it.”

Now the Mantis spoke up.

“How in the hell are we even supposed to do that? Wait for them to do something else? They're just going to
lay low and slip out once winter is over!”

“No, there is a way. As I said, the Oni drains the chi of the person whose name it holds. It sickens them, taints
them even. At the very least, their spirit would be so disrupted that they would have extreme mood swings. And
that Oni had grown very strong. We need only find someone who has taken ill.”

The Mantis went back to his seedy fellows, asking after anyone with a sudden turn of ill health. The Kistuki,
now with the job of babysitting our Jinx, did the same with the higher placed members of society Some monks
take mercy too far. They are willing to hide the tainted, give them tea of Jade Petals. They think it is possible to
restore the spiritual balance of a tainted person the way they would fix any other imbalance. I told Naomi this,
and asked her to check all the temples. The Shiba went with her. She was kind, he could be firm.

I wandered the streets. I checked out teahouses, restaurants, inns, bathhouses and brothels. Every place I
could think of to find a Witch Hunter. I was taking another long shot, hoping against hope that someone more
suited to this task may be in the City. While I was well versed in the creatures and dangers of the
Shadowlands, I knew only enough about Maho to recognize it when I see it. I had already exhausted my
knowledge on the subject, and it was only due to my familiarity with Oni that I knew even that much.

Of course, I was also deliberately moving alone, and being visible. The Tsukai would know their Oni was dead.
Being the Crab, it would naturally make me the biggest threat. A Crab must be strong, so that all of Rokugan
can take shelter behind them. I knew my Duty.

I failed to find anyone who could help, and the Tsukai, wherever they were, did not take my bait. The Kitsuki
learned nothing. Naomi found no temples hiding our quarry.

The Mantis though came through. Though he adamantly refuse to disclose how he came by this information,
the boss of the city’s only gang had indeed taken ill. The Kitsuki tapped his fan to his lips at that. Of course, we
had no idea where the boss was.

But Blob-san did indeed know of a restaurant the gang used as a front. So we gathered the Yoriki, stormed into
the place, and played who talks first. The Shiba took the head of the winner with a quick, smooth cut. The
losers were taken back to Magistrates to await a less pleasant end.

Naomi ran outside to throw up. We had always done our best to shield her from the harsher truths about
keeping the Emperor's laws, but we were just too pressed for time to do so now. There was no telling what a
cornered Tsukai might do, we had to catch him as quickly as possible.

Racing through the streets we made it to the Inn run by the gang where the boss was hiding. I stormed through
the rice paper door on the outside, tetsubo in hand, not even bothering to open it

The silence was deafening

There was dust on the floor. Only a few tracks in and out. Hear a rattling wheeze from in the back.

“I am here.”

Okay, he's inviting us in? What's he planning? With the Yoriki surrounding the place we moved in. A wasted
husk that might have once been human layed on a futon. I'd seen zombies that looked healthier.

“Please, please kill me.”

A bony hand attached to an arm so emaciated it was practically skeletal raised up, beseeching us to end it.

“Summoning an Oni is never a good idea. I guess you see that now.”

“I did not.”
“Why lie at this point.”

“I did not.”

The Kitsuki stepped in.

“Ishigaki-san. You said an Oni must be given a name, but you suggested it does not have to the name of it's
summoner, correct?”

“Yeah, if someone can be tricked into giving up their name willingly, or if you own the Name your giving.”

“Own...?”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, a Lord owns the lives of their Samurai, so they could give an Oni the name of one of their
vassals, or if a Tsukai saved the life of another person…”

“Like, say, a corrupt magistrate not executing a criminal he caught in exchange for a cut? Would that work?”

...

Motherfucker.

We raced back to the Magistrates.

And walked into hell.

While we were gone Blob-san had taken it upon himself to do his job and execute all the gang members we
captured. Now the courtyard was full of porcelain masks. We venerate our Ancestors with every thought and
deed. Our souls are born into this world, we live, learn and die. Emma-O then sends our souls to another realm
to shed any negative Karma before we are reborn. If we do it right, we're reborn into a higher social caste, and
if we get that right, we get to dwell in Yomi, becoming one of the blessed Ancestors ourselves.

Undeath flies in the face of both those things. Cheating Karma, and turning your own Ancestors into
abominations. There is nothing more abhorrent. Should you touch dead flesh, and then perish unclean, you will
reborn as an Eta. To fight the undead, you must risk your very place in the Celestial Order.

And so it was little surprise that I, and I alone, was unmoved by this ghastly scene. Fortunately, zombies are
slow, shambling and weak. They are difficult to put down for good; you must destroy their head or remove their
mask. They feel no pain, hunger, thirst, or fatigue. A severed hand will drag itself with its fingertips and try to
grasp and claw. And as I said, they are terrifying to all right thinking Rokugani. As an obstacle, they are a fine
choice.

The Yoriki were useless, half of them couldn't even keep a grip on their Yari. Some ran, others were too
frightened even to do that. More than a few soiled themselves. My companions were little better off.

I could see the white knuckle grip of the Shiba, trying and failing to draw courage from his Grandfather's soul.
The Monkey and the Kitsuki stared with mouths open. Blades forgotten in their sayas. Naomi's legs gave out.
A sheen of sweat glistened on the Mantis' brow as he readied his Kama. For once I couldn't bring myself to
mock him.

I felt no fear; fear is a sin after all. The magistrate's office had a wall running all around it, with an opening in
the front for a gate. Just past the gate was the courtyard. One of the zombies had fallen into the koi pond. I
took my place in the center of the open gate, and I readied a Kata taught by the Hida bushi school. I would not
be moved, no enemy would pass me. I would become a wall myself.
The grim tide surged at me.

I was surrounded instantly, the rotting things clawing and scrabbling, trying to find purchase on my armor. They
could not. I paused just long enough to wonder at my serene calm, before I methodically began to raise my
Tetsubo and strike. The masks which gave them life acting as targets. Through sheer weight of numbers, the
undead were able to get past my armor, but the wounds were little more than shallow scrapes. I knew I would
win eventually, even if I had to this all alone. It was only a matter of time.

But then my allies rallied themselves and joined me.

Then something amazing happened.

A torrent of water rushed past me, bowling over a half dozen zombies and tearing great chunks off of them. My
Hana-chan, who had never so much as spoken a cross word in all the time I'd known her, was standing there
with a scroll in her hand and a snarl on her face. It would seem spitting in the face of the Celestial Order was
where she drew the line.

That served to prod even the Yoriki that renamed into motion. Eyes wide with fear, tears and snot running
down their faces, they nonetheless took up their Yari and charged. Impaling the zombies on the points of their
lances two or three Yoriki would push a zombie to the ground while another or one of my companions stepped
in to finish it.

We cleared out the courtyard.

Inside we found Blobtsukai-san. And we saw what he had been buying time to do. Many Tsukai, upon
summoning an Oni, get a fairly random result. Often a thing that has yet to ever walk in Ningen-do. The oni
then takes it's name and grows in power until the one whose name it bears is consumed. But a Tsukai with
knowledge or skill can call forth an Oni that already exists, getting exactly what they want. Blobtsukai-san had
called forth a replacement for the Yamauba we killed.

It was an Oni no Tsubaru spawn. How fitting.

“Now take my name demon, and slay these people that want to harm me!”

Oni no Blobtsukai-san teleported over to us. We took too long getting here. Now we were staring down another
invulnerable Oni, this one a true monster that would swallow us whole, damning our very souls to an eternity of
torment in it's sizeable gut. I waved the others to step back, and struck it with my Tetsubo. No effect, of course.
It reached out with it's massive claws to seize me.

I let it.

I then took the finger of jade I always wore around my neck, held it between my fingers, and punched the Oni.
Driving the jade right into it's eye. I did it again. Oni no Tsubaru spawn are too fat to move around on their own.
They teleport themselves. They must be able to see where they are going.

As all eyes stared at this turn, the Monkey ran up behind the slightly less fat fuck and put an end to him once
and for all. As we were in the magistrate's office, all the jade powder we had prepared was readily available. It
took some time, with us darting in and out of the things reach, but being blinded it could not catch us, nor run
away.

Two Oni in one day. Not a bad day's work.

Of course there were still questions that needed to be answered. How long had Blobtsukai-san been a Maho-
Tsukai? Where did he get such knowledge in the first place? Why the hell would he call for people to come
investigate his own crimes? And why were all the bodies dessicated? Even if the Yamauba had gained the
power to drain chi, that would have taken time. It would have eaten hearts until then, or perhaps even
continued to do so.

As we sat around a tea pot, mulling over these questions, a memory stirred. There was another time when we
’solved’ a case without getting all the answers. We never did find the Ninja that tricked the teahouse girl into
drugging me, nor find out why the hell they would even do that to begin with.

The Mantis snorted, insisting that there were bound to be times where things like that happened. The Monkey,
more politely, agreed that I was overthinking things. Naomi just blushed at the memory.

Meanwhile the Kitsuki was practically chewing on the end of his fan, and staring at nothing. I knew his
mannerisms enough that I could spot when he was thinking, and he was thinking as hard as I'd ever seen right
now.

In the end, we did find two scrolls bearing maho on them. One for the ritual to summon an Oni, and the other
for calling forth the undead. Nothing to explain the unnatural desiccation.

We reluctantly concluded that Blobtsukai-san called for Emerald Magistrates as an alibi, a way to preemptively
clear himself of any suspicion in this matter. Long ago, when he was still a Yoriki himself, he had caught the
man who would become boss of the gang. Blobtsukai-san made the boss an offer. I let you go, you give me
intel on the gangs. And so the corrupt Yoriki rose to prominence with the help of his inside man. He became
the magistrate, and used the powers of his office to remove the former leaders of the gang, placing his pawn in
charge. He then cracked down on all the rival gangs, until only one gang ruled all the vice in the city. And that
one gang paid him tribute.

The Kitsuki retired to go over all the old reports and paperwork, double and triple checking everything. He
enlisted the Mantis, Monkey, and Shiba to assist conducting interviews with everyone even tangentially related
to any of Blobtsukai-san's cases, hunting for the discrepancy that may point to the truth.

I, meanwhile, took my wife on a picnic. Bundling her up in extra layers to keep her warm, we rode out of town a
ways to sit and be alone together. She fed me slices of cucumber, served me tea, and snuggled up in my lap
while playing a konto. It was just too perfect, too adorable, too soothing after everything we had just been
through. I couldn't resist, and neither could she. The blood of the Fortune of Fire and Thunder in my veins kept
me warm, and my body kept her warm as we made love in the snow. She felt the chill just enough that her
nipples could cut steel. We snuggled up under a mountain of blankets and and our kimono's and slept.

I awoke to something being out of place.

I was surprised that my first instinct was no longer 'grab weapon and smash' but rather 'Is Naomi okay?' She
was, sleeping soundly. She would stay that way for a while. She had confessed to me that she loved the fact I
was able to push her to the limits of her endurance, but also attentive enough that I never pushed her past
those limits. As the fog of sleep lifted off of me, I realized what had woken me.

Voices.

There were people nearby. I slid myself slowly on top of Naomi, just in case someone had the bright idea to
stab into our little makeshift tent, and listened.

“Damn looks like they ate all the food already.”

“Shit. Slim pickings this winter.”

“We could take the horse, at least. Eat it, if we have to.”

“Where the hell did they go, anyway?”

Bandits.
Great. I guess it's just too much to ask for a nice quite fuck with the wife while everyone else is off doing work.
Of course, just because life away from the wall had softened my rougher edges, I was still a Crab. I was never
far from a weapon. As I expected, the sight of a 6ft+ man, covered in scars, with long wild hair erupting from
the snow and brandishing a tetsubo took them by surprise.

Oh, and I was still stark naked.

I could tell by the looks on their faces that I had won. I began to teach them what happens when you come
even a little bit close to threatening my wife. At first, they were overconfident. Emasculated, but overconfident.
Then they struck my bare flesh, and saw that a true descendant of Hida can take a blow just fine even without
their armor.

“Holy shit that guy never said anything about this!”

Ok, grabbing you now. As the rest run off I pull the mouthy one in real close. (I'm still naked, by the way)

“What did you just say?”

He spilled his guts. Wasn't much, but a dude (no name given, of course) had told this little band of thieves
roughly where we would be, and that we would be easy prey. I made him describe the man as best he could.
Three times, just to check for discrepancies, as the Kitsuki would. Satisfied, I spilled his guts. Hey, he's a
bandit after all. We were just going to execute him anyway.

Glancing back over my shoulder to make sure Naomi was still sleeping (she was), I nudged the bodies away
with my tetsubo and kicked fresh snow over the bloodstains. Didn't want her to wake up to that mess. I got
dressed, made a nice pot of warm tea, and woke Naomi. Thank the Fortunes she was still groggy and not
paying attention. I gave her some tea to warm her up, helped her get dressed so her obi wouldn't be tied in the
front (Only whores do that) and got her away from that place as fast as possible without raising her suspicions.

The Kitsuki was excited upon our return.

He had something. A small thing but he was sure it was important. A stranger no one seemed to know had
been seen having tea with Blobtsukai-san a few times before the murders began. I pulled him into another
room and, after swearing him to secrecy, told him what happened on our little picnic, and what I learned.

I could hear the click from his head as pieces snapped into place. He called a meeting, gathering us all up.
He summed up everything we knew about our hidden manipulator, managing to gloss over how exactly he got
the info I gave him, and then laid it out in plain Rokugani.

“We have someone, likely a Ninja and probably a Maho-Tsukai who has hated us since we first came together
and is trying to manipulate events to kill us! Not only that, but he's probably connected in some way to our
superiors!”

“How do you figure that last bit?”

“Because otherwise there would be no point to what happened here in this city. Any group of magistrates
might have been sent. He made sure, it was us.”

The Mantis is less than thrilled at this idea.

“Which one of you pissed of the Ninja Blood Sorcerer then? If he had it for us from the day we met, he must
have a hate on for one of you from before we met!”

“Sure it's not you he was after?”

“Or course not!”

Try though we might, none of us can think of any enemies that old who could do this. But the Kitsuki is right
about him being connected to our superiors in some way.

Time to start mapping out relationships. Stuck in the city we as we were, we were forced to rely on letters and
the daring fools that would take letters long distance to begin laying the groundwork for our investigation.
Otherwise the time was quite peaceful. I discovered my sweet Hana-Chan had quite a voracious appetite,
much to my delight. Perhaps those long years of being starved for true love by her family contributed to this.

In the middle of winter, the Kitsuki's sensei showed up. I walked into our new headquarters, the former
magistrates offices, one day to see him doing a full dogeza before a white haired old man and getting a fairly
nasty tongue lashing. The words ‘your ancestors are weeping’ were used.

Nope. Not touching that.

I went to the kitchen to get some rice balls. When Kitsuki stumbled in, I proffered one and asked what the hell
that was all about. Did he get pissed we were snooping on our superiors?

“No, he dosen't know about that so could you keep it down?”

“Then what…”

“He's upset with my Kenjutsu.”

“Hah?”

“He left from the Dragon lands about the same time you got back from your pilgrimage. He knows nothing
about what happened in this city yet. But it would seem everyone thinks my Kenjutsu is horrible, and that as a
magistrate I should be able to defend myself better. But am I really that bad?”

“Ummm. You're worse than me.”

“Well, it looks like you all will have to take over the investigation. I'm going to be getting some ‘special training’
from Sensei.”

“...that sounds…”

“Don’t. Even. Say. It.”

I chuckled as I left.

Time passed.

Sensei was pretty damn rough. I happened upon Kisuki-san in the bath once, and he was covered in welts and
bruises. If I didn't know any better I'd swear he was learning Mountain Does not Move. Apparently Sensei's
‘Special Training’ boiled down to ‘Beat my student until he learns to get out of the way.’

“You sure this guy isn't a Crab? Because these training methods seem familiar.”

The monkey snickered at this.

“Maybe an Oni stole Kitsuki-san's sensei's skin!”

Kitsuki bolts upright.

“Ishigaki-san, You did say something about skin stealers, yes?”

“Um... yeah. Bog hags are the most common type but some shadowlands creatures can flay a person and
wear their skin as a disguise…”

“Would they still be vulnerable to jade?”

“Yeah, the skin gets tainted after being worn for long enough, so the Jade will still burn.”

Later that night…

“You tainted bastard!”

Screaming.

WHAM

“The fuck are you doing.”

I exchange a glance with Naomi. What the actual fuck is going on. We rush to see what's happening. Kitsuki,
Mantis and Sensei are there. Sensei is on the ground, clutching his abdomen. Sensei's face is green. Kitsuki
and Mantis are looking confused.

“Explain this shit.”

Kitsuki-san, considering how strange it is that someone would set out on a journey so far and so close to
Winter, and factoring in our faceless nemesis with ties to our superiors, came to suspect his own sensei. So a
test of Jade was in order.

“Alright, so far I can see where you're coming from. But why is his face green?”

Knowing that Sensei was also a Kitsuki, Kitsuki-san felt there was no hope of being able to do this discreetly.
Sensei's eyes see all.

“So... why is his face green.”

Kitsuki-san and Mantis asked Sensei to come to the room being used as a dojo. They waited just behind the
door. When sensei opened the door, Mantis used the element of surprise to throw jade powder at sensei. Then
sensei screamed, so Kitsuki hit him with a bokken.

“Of course I screamed you colossal dunce! You threw a powdered mineral into my eyes!”

It's true that Kitsuki-san did make logical leaps and conclusion jumps from time to time. But he was usually
right, or very close to it.

This time though…

This time…

Naomi tended to Sensei's injury as I helped him to his feet. As we were already touching, I went ahead and
pulled him in close. Conspiratorial whispering intensifies.

“Look at it this way, you know and I know a real battle isn't like a Kenjutsu match in a dojo, right? Why don't
you just write this off as him trying some real life trick to make up for his lack of skill?”

Sensei, clearly displeased by my arm around his shoulder, considered.

“Fine. take your hand off me.”

Whew. The rest of that winter passed without incident. Kitsuki-san's swordsmanship noticeably improved.

As the first weeks of spring roll in, Monkey gets a letter from back home. Good news everyone! You're
getting married!

“Congratulations, Monkey! I'm sure you'll make a fine little housewife!”

Monkey sits there with a thousand yard stare.

“I'm sure you'll make a fine little housewife.”

Monkey sits there with a thousand yard stare. I poke him.

“Monkey.”

Poke.

“Monkey.”

Another poke.

“You're a woman, monkey.”

Monkey sits there with thousand yard stare.

“Okay, so I'm just...going...to take...this letter... out of your hands here…”

“Where are we going now?”

We pack up our things, acquire a palanquin for Naomi so the journey is easier on her and head back to the
Monkey's home. Eventually, with enough needling from everyone else, the Monkey admits he hates his fiance.
Considering how my married life has been going, I find that a bit silly. I set to work telling him how great it is.

“No, you don't understand! She hated me first! She doesn't want to get married to me, and is making my life
hell so I'll call it off!”

“Uh. So why don't you?”

“How else am I going to find a wife? My family owns one, one rice paddy!”

“Hey at least you're holding is producing, all I've got is a hole in the ground. Look, you're worrying about
nothing. Just relax and let the love master teach you everything you need to know to melt a woman's heart!”

“And after she kicks you in the junk for following a Crab's advice, you could turn to me.”

Kitsuki-san seems to have recovered from sensei's ‘lessons’ if he's joining in the banter again.

“I am far more eloquent, after all.”

That night. Eating dinner. Naomi asks to speak with me.

“Yeah?”
“So... um. I'm late.”

“Late? for what?”

“No, Ishigaki-kun. I'm. LATE. By about two months…”

“Are… are you...”

Being at a loss for words is not a new experience for me. Being so happy I can't speak properly however, is. I
once bragged about how great a samurai I would become at the School, and so my Sensei gave me a nice
heavy log to carry on my back as I ran around said school. After all, this is nothing to a great Samurai. I ran
until my head went light and my knees turned to jelly.

This was the same feeling, only it was very pleasant. I looked up at Naomi with the biggest, dopiest grin I've
ever worn. Not sure when I sat down, but I must have because my ass was firmly planted on the ground.

“C'mere you.”

Snag.

“Kyah!”

Cuddle.

“Ishigaki-kun everyone is staring!”

“Let them. They're just jealous I have the best wife in Rokugan, and now I'm going to be a father!”

Surprise from the rest of the party, since I said it loud enough for them to hear. Congratulations intensify.
Naomi is worried about what her brother said.

“Hey! Hey. You're going to be okay. Kuni-san is working on some things right now, and we're bound by the red
string of fate now. In this life and the next, I will love you. My strength is your strength; your strength is my
strength.”

She smiles, allowing herself to be reassured.

We reach the Monkey house. The Monkey family is a about what you would expect from some Toku bushi.
His dad looks, dresses, and even speaks like a farmer. Only the wakizashi tucked into his obi gives away any
sign of his status. His mother, at first glance, seemed a serene housewife. But the callouses on her hand and
the faint scar on her chin spoke of a time when she was a Samurai-ko, before her marriage. From the way she
moved I could tell she continued to practice her Kata daily.

Now to meet the fiance. Let's see what all this fuss is about. And she gives a polite greeting. Very formal,
perfect etiquette. Already wearing a kimono in the Monkey clan's colors, so I've no clue which clan she came
from. Give the monkey a quizzical look. He's gone pale and is sweating bullets. Introductions get passed
around.

“...and this is Hida Naomi…”

I suddenly feel on edge

“...Ishigaki-san's wife.”

...and the feeling is gone.

Dinner time. Plain ass rice. One tiny fish, mostly bones. Three slices of cucumber.

I contemplate how rude it would be to add some of my travel rations to my plate. As is often the case when
contemplating matters of etiquette, if I want to do it I probably shouldn't.

Dinner conversation. I can engage in polite small talk without embarrassing everyone around me now. Play
dumb and keep with the small talk whenever anyone tries to get me to speak of weightier things. Fiance has
some questions for me though. And Naomi. She want's to know all about married life, how we met, who
arranged our marriage. Very much interested in the business side of things. You know, the part we skipped
over because we were genuinely in love.

Monkey's parents smiled at that confession and shared a glance. Fiance covered her mouth with her hand and
didn't speak to either me or Naomi the rest of the night. In the morning we learn we're going to the castle of the
Monkey's lord. This is, it turns out, a big to do. Lots of strings were pulled, many favors exchanged to get this
Monkey engaged.

To a Shinjo woman.

Despite her family being known for producing bushi, there were no callouses on her hands. Her skin was quite
creamy, so she clearly spent little time outdoors. I was surprised to learn a pampered Hime-san could come
out of the Unicorn clan.

After entering the castle, we bathed to wash the dust from the road off. Then met back up for tea. Naomi was
blushing all the way to the tips of her ears when she came back from the baths. She saw me look, gave a little
not now head shake.

Hime-san is sitting next to the Monkey. He's staring at his food. Whenever a serving girl comes over to add a
new dish, I get that weird sense of danger. It always leaves as quickly as it came, but I can tell I'm not the only
one who feels it. The serving girls are almost rude in their haste to leave the table.

Okay… I think I see what's going on here.

That night. Me and Naomi.

“So what was it that had you blushing so bad?”

“She's just... well…”

Naomi was not one to speak ill of others. I gave her shoulder a squeeze to encourage her to let her feelings
out.

“She's so...rude.”

How scathing.

“She kept questioning about what it was ‘really’ like being married to you! She called you a brute! She
insinuated that I must be miserable having to... to... you know. Stuff. Bed.”

Naomi mumbles some more, and blushes..

Yeah, stuff. Bed. We're a pair of kinky degenerates after all. But if she keeps being that adorable I may have to
do some more bed stuff with her.

“I had to leave before I slapped her!”

Whoa.
Naomi was serious. She saw my surprise

“Well, she was speaking badly of you. I did not like that.”

That's it, switch flipped. Bed. Stuff. Now. Naomi yelps.

“What about…”

“They're just going to have to learn to deal with it. This is happening.”

Naomi giggles.

“You are so bad!”

A new day dawns.

Sitting down with everyone I lay out what I think is happening.

“Hime-san has it in her head that marriages are never happy affairs. And she's making it clear that if she isn't
happy, you don't get to be happy. She seems to think that sex is the only thing that makes you happy, which is
why she gives that discreet aura of menace off whenever a woman gets near you.”

“And how in the hell do you even know that?”

Shiba is the one to cover for me.

“It makes sense given what she's done so far.”

The shock value of him speaking up alone is enough to quell any further questions.

“So what do we do?”

“What do you mean we? This is your problem Monkey.”

“Wait no guys, c’mon help me out here! You gotta do something! Anything!”

“Look, just convince her she's wrong.”

“How?!”

“Holy shit do I have to draw you a map? She thinks sex is only fun for men, that's why she's so pissed. She
sees herself being treated like a brood mare. So woo her. Or give some great sex! Either way, convince her
you see her as more than an more than a incubator for your children!”

Naomi blushes.

That night four adult men and one adult woman were crouched in the bushes of the palace garden.

“I cannot believe we are doing this.”

“Shh, Naomi. You want them to hear us?”

We watched from our hiding spot as Monkey tried to court Hime-san.

“Why won't you believe me? I'm telling you I don't think of you that way!”
He had just spoken plainly. It was going as well as you would imagine.

“Hah! Your lord arranged this marriage, then spent years giving you prestigious posts you don't even deserve
to keep my family from realizing how bad an idea this is!”

Ouch.

“Or are you really trying to suggest that you love me? This is only the third time we've met!”

Oof.

“Of course I do not love you! I don't even know you! But we can respect one another, can't we?”

“You speak of respect? You expect me to stay in that hovel and watch over your rice paddy while you go out
drinking in the arms of Geisha every night! You expect me to sit at home and get fat with child while you claim
credit for your friends hard work to glorify your own name!”

Yamate! Yamate Hime-san! He's already dead!

“For that matter, everyone just expects it of me to bear children! No one ever bothered to ask if I even WANT
children, let alone what it takes to make one! And you have the brazen GALL to speak to me of Respect!”

“It..it's okay if you don't want kids. I won't force you or anything…”

“Oh how gracious of you! And you will announce this to everyone at the ceremony then? So that others know
not to press the issue with gossip and barbed questions?”

Hime-san would know all about barbed questions, clearly. I actually felt sorry for the bad luck Monkey. Caught
between his duty to his lord and this vindictive woman. Angry at the world and lashing out at the nearest target.
Naomi tugged on my sleeve. With a nod of her head she suggested we leave. And so we did.

As we sat around the teapot the Mantis voiced the question in all our heads

“Why are we trying to help the Monkey with his relationship woes, again? Aren't there bandits or something we
could be killing?”

Now that he says that, it has been a while since we've been in a fight. Perhaps I should check my riceball for
Ninjas. Naomi looked around.

“Have we not shared triumph and tragedy together? Are we not joined by a common bond or duty and of
friendship? Of course we should help him with his woes; he is our friend.”

“And? How do you propose we do that, exactly?”

I didn't find any Ninjas in my riceball. I found the lack of riceball Ninjas deeply suspicious. I examined another
riceball, just to be sure. That's when I realized Naomi had been staring at me.

“What?”

I swiped a hand at my beard, in case some rice had fallen into it.

“Ishigaki-kun, do you really not see?”

“See what.. Ninjas?”

“Nin.. No. I am not going to ask. The root of the problem is that Hime-san is under the impression that because
certain things are expected of her, they could not make her happy. It is simply the apparent lack of choice she
takes issue with.”

The Monkey threw himself down before Naomi.

“Oh great Naomi-sama! Please! This one begs you to speak to Hime-san! Convince her of your wisdom, I beg
of you!”

Well that was the most absurd thing I'll see all day. Naomi looked at me. I looked at her. Everyone looked at
her.

Naomi sighed.

Three days later, the Monkey was married.

They aren't head over heels in love like me and my Hana-Chan. But the Monkey is not suicidal. They have a
more... traditional marriage then we do. I don't pry about children To this day, Naomi has never shared with me
what exactly she said to change Hime-san's mind so drastically.

Wake up. Naomi snuggled in against my chest. My stomach feels a bit wet…

Oh no did she cough up blood in her sleep again?

Lift her gently. It's white…

...wait.

Look at Naomi's breasts. Huh. Making milk already. Naomi's eyes open up, half lidded and groggy.

“Isegakiku? Wha..?”

“Oh, it's nothing. “

Wipe wipe.

“You may want to wipe your chest before you get dressed.”

She looks down. Gives an embarrassed squeak. I go and get us breakfast, bring it back to the room. As I'm
walking back I realize we've got a situation on our hands. Soon enough she's going to start to show. We're
going to have to take some time off soon. And get her back to my home.

Bring all this up as we eat.

“Where is your home Ishigaki-kun?”

“It's just a small house, tucked away in the foothills north of the wall. There was a village once, Ishigaki Mura,
when the mine was still operational. It's abandoned know though.”

Naomi arches an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I took my adult name from the village. So?”

She giggled at my defensiveness.

“It's a good name, Ishigaki-kun. Suits you perfectly.”

We speak with our superior, and explain the situation. He nods. Of course we must return to my home and
prepare for the birth of our first child. Send a letter off ahead of us, I've no idea what shape the house is even
in after being unused all this time. Wrangle my construction cr... brave friends to come along. Get another
palanquin. Off we go, to my perfectly safe and secure and sunshiny home. Nothing could go wrong a week's
ride from the Wall, right?

We are met at the border to the Crab lands by a dour looking patrol. Their officer dismounts. Chu-i by her
sashimono. Looks me up and down. Her nose wrinkles up like she smelled something bad. My beard is
trimmed. My hair washed. My armor is clean, polished, and dent-free. Realize what her problem is.

I’ve become a geisha.

She looks over the others. They squirm a bit. They really didn't like the idea of donning their armor while on the
road. An armored Samurai going anywhere is almost a declaration of war. But not here. Wearing your armor is
a matter of course. She sniffs dismissively. Looks in the Palanquin. Hushed questions. Answers even I can't
hear. She come back, handing me back the papers. There's a genuine smile on her face now.
Yells to her men.

“This man came home with a pregnant wife!”

Cheers. I can only imagine how red Naomi must be in there. But a birth is a joyous occasion. Whole villages
will take a day off to celebrate a single child being born. She's going to get lot's of attention, whether she wants
it or not. We get as much of an escort as the Patrols can spare, which isn't much. But it's enough. If there was
anyone or anything contemplating attacking us, our honor guard dissuaded them from doing so.

At last we see it. My home. The village is gone, just a few skeletal frames fallen down and rotting. The hill
where the mine entrance was is off in the distance. I can see the large boulder in front of it. The ropes and the
sutra are still in place. Nothing will come up from that hole again, at least.

My house is so plain it's almost comical. A simple walkway around a rectangle of building. All very classic and
easy to imagine. A ‘garden’ out back with some hardy grass, an empty pond, and one big rock. I used to punch
that rock to toughen up my hands for Jujitsu. My friends managed to keep neutral faces. Naomi, however, was
peering about from within her palanquin with great interest.

I rattled up to the entrance. To my great relief I see that the house, despite me not living in it for so long, is not
a ramshackle dump. Spot a pair of sandals already in the foyer. The right one is showing wear all along the left
side.

I know whose sandal that is.

“Toshiro get out here you bastard!”

The party jumps.

Step.
Thumpdrag.
Step.
Thumpdrag.
Step.
Thumpdrag.

Kuni Toshiro, my friend from long ago, comes to stand in the doorway of my house. He is a true Crab. We
understand one another so deeply we do not even need to speak out loud to communicate with one another.
His right leg is twisted at an odd angle, giving him a club foot. An old wound earned on the Wall. I was there
when it happened, and I'm amazed he still has any leg at all. He is wearing his face paint, or course. He never
takes it off. He says it is polite. Considering his face is more scared than mine, he's probably right.

We stare at one another just long enough for my comrades to wonder if there is going to be fight before we
break out laughing. I knew why he didn't come out to greet us, and he knew I knew. We planned a joke to play
on my friends without even seeing each others faces.

“Everyone, this is Kuni Toshiro-san. My best friend. Come on in.”

I help Naomi out of the palanquin. Toshiro thumpdrags himself over.

“So this is the woman who stole your heart eh?”

He peers up at me.

“You do look much more...alive than last I saw you.”

We retire for the evening, with warm food, fine Crab sake (warm milk for Naomi) and Toshiro entertains us all
with stories from the Wall. Lighthearted things about daily life and social mishaps, not stories of the darkness
that waits just beyond the firelight.

I wake up.

No. It's nothing. There is nothing there to disturb my sleep. Yet I am disturbed. I slip out of Naomi's arms, tuck
her in gently, and don my armor. I take my tetsubo in hand and walk around my home. I crack open doors and
peek in on my friends. None of them are in armor. None of them stir.

I know why I cannot sleep.

I step outside onto the walkway. Toshiro is there. He looks at me, giving a half smirk half laugh. Just a hint of
mockery. I know what he means. The wall is not far from here. The shadowlands lies just beyond. I have
brought people born and raised in Rokugan to the very gates of Hell, where nothing is as they think it should
be. That lack of understanding could kill them. It could kill my beloved wife, and our unborn child. Of course I
am restless.

As we walk our patrol, Toshiro opens a few doors. He looks at the sutra he has placed there. I know this spell.
It is a ward. Should a thing with the taint try to cross those barriers they will burst into flames. I have seen him
use it many, many times. I nod my thanks.

We finish our patrol and he produces a small bottle of sake. Yes, it time for me to get off duty and back to
sleep.
We drink. I return to my wife.

Naomi asked to be taken around the area, she wished to see all of her new home.

“There's just some fallen buildings and an old mine.”

“That large rock, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“That was a seal, Ishigaki.”

“Crap.”

I can hear the others ears prick up. Okay, grand tour for everyone. I take them to the "village" I point out where
the inn was, for Samurai on their way to or from the wall. The small the hill on which I stood, daring the other
children to come knock me off. None of them could.

I took them to the mine. I told Naomi to stay well back, just in case. And I told them of the night my family died.
The night I got the scar on my face. The night I couldn't protect the people who entrusted their lives to me. The
night Ishigaki Mura ceased to exist. It was hardly an uncommon story among the Crab. Many have suffered
loss in my Clan. It's one reason I never brought it up.

Naomi, of course, was in tears. The others seemed to be taken aback as well. And there is the other reason I
never brought it up. Such is part of life for a Crab, such is nigh unthinkable for one outside our Clan. I told them
the Kuni who placed that seal assured me that nothing would able to use the mine again. That so long as that
boulder stood the mine was safe, and the taint would spread no farther. Toshiro echoed that. My friends took a
few steps back anyway.

Good.

They're learning.

Naomi was well along when I spotted a goblin. The summer’s heat was just starting to give way to fall when a
furtive shadow ducked down into the rotting remains of a house. I moved quickly, then softened my tread.
Keeping my breathing even I moved up. The thing heard me, it lept from it's hiding spot and tried to run.

I chased it down and killed it. One tiny little goblin. Naked save for the mud and shit caked on to it's body.

But the tanto it carried was sharp.

I thought of Naomi, belly heavy with child. Her illness was making this last part difficult. She had little strength,
and didn't move around much on her own. I went back to get the others. I wanted to do a thorough search of
the area. Toshiro stayed behind to watch over her. His Earth magic had been a great help to ease her burdens.
And he had managed to improve upon her medicine. Naomi insisted it was my love that made her illness seem
less severe.

As we hunted I wondered what good my love had done. Despite my earlier words, she was now clearly unwell.
The things her brother said to me came back to haunt me.

“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIII!”

The Mantis had found something. Goblin tracks. The Kitsuki was already studying them.

“A half dozen, trying to avoid notice. They're moving away, and there aren't many.”

“So, why not just let them go.”

The Mantis, of course. Showing just how far from their parent Clan they have fallen.

I held up the tanto.

“One little Goblin can do a lot of damage if it sneaks into the right place.”

Mantis shrugs.

“This is your home, we'll do what you think is best.”

“We pursue.”

The goblins are quick, but we manage to overtake them. The fight is short, and brutal. Goblins do not fare well
in open combat. We return to my home, we bath and Toshiro tosses some salt and purifies us. I hold my wife. A
bone deep fear like I've never felt before weighing down on my limbs.

I'm sitting on the walkway, overlooking the garden. Naomi is in the room behind me, bundled up under a pile of
blankets. The door is open because the crisp autumn air helps her to breath easier. Toshiro is there. He has
asked the fire Kami to keep her warm. Despite earth being his element, he has an understanding with the fire
Kami as well. I know that the Kami of fire are excitable and can get easily carried away, but Toshiro handles
them well. Had it been anyone other than him, I would have insisted on more mundane means of warming her,
lest her blankets burst into flame.

The thought darkens my mood. I hear a grunt over my shoulder. Toshiro is scowling at me. Naomi stirs fitfully.
It is both a blessing and a curse to have people so close to you they can read your mind. I breath deeply, trying
out the meditation techniques Shiba-san taught me before he was recalled by his Clan. Something about
Yojimbo being Yojimbo, not magistrates.

Yes, Naomi was no longer a Phoenix. She was a Crab. Therefore she was no longer Shiba-san's concern. I
smelled her father's hand at work. I said a silent prayer to whatever fortune might be listening that Shiba-san
be spared any further malice from that man. No, not you dirty kansen fucks. Shoo. I didn't really know if there
were any Kansen around. I doubted it, as I'm sure Toshiro had done his best to make my inhospitable to them.
But still, better safe than sorry.

A low rumble reached my ears. I looked up. No clouds. The Kitsuki came outside.

“You hear that, Ishigaki-san”

“Hai.”

Toshiro looked up.

“Horses?”

“Must be.”

We walked around the outside of the house until we spotted the dust cloud.
“Ten... no... Twelve.”

I had always thought myself observant, but the Kistuki was on a whole different level. When we first met we
were equals. Now I was in awe of the clarity of his vision, so refined by his School. The came up to us, horses
whipped into a lather.

One fell from his saddle and bled on my lawn.

The rest of the group were little better off. All bore heavy wounds. Some looked fatal. Toshiro looked at them in
dismay. I knew his ability with the water kami was very basic. Toshiro was a simple shugenja. He destroyed the
enemies of our Clan with fire and Jade. He could not help all these wounded Crab. The leader slid, almost fell
of her horse.

“Please. My men…”

I caught her before she could hit the ground. It was the Chu-i from before. I closed my eyes.

Chikusho.
Chikusho.
Chikusho.
Chikusho.
Chikusho.
Chikusho.
I knew what I had to do. She would never forgive me for turning these people away, or for offering only
bandages and water.

“Follow me, carry anyone who can't walk.”

I took them to my wife. Naomi looked up from where she sat as we came around the corner. Her face was
flush. I sat next to her and placed my forehead to hers.

Fever.

Chikusho.

The Kistuki had gathered everyone. Wounds that still bleed were dressed, water was given. Toshiro knelt
beside Naomi. He could not save all those Crabs, but he could help ease the burden she was placing on
herself. The wounded were brought before Naomi. The man who fell first.

But he was already gone.

Naomi choked back her tears as she shook her head. Of the twelve riders that came, two perished. The rest
were saved.

And my wife lost consciousness from the strain.

Chikusho.

I'm beating my fist into my old punching rock.

I'm doing this because I am furious, and I need an outlet for this rage. Ten of my kinsmen, all of them on
death's door saved.But it may have cost the life of my wife and soon to be born child.

I am angry at these Crabs that came here.

I am angry at Toshiro, for not being able to save them himself, or for not being able to help Naomi more.
I am angry at myself for allowing this.
I am angry at Naomi because her kind heart would allow no other outcome.

But some part of me retains enough sense to know that is not fair. Not to any of those people. And so I punish
myself for my inappropriate anger. My friends seem nervous. I have never lost my composure so severely in
front of them. In fact, most of the times I did ‘lose my face’ it was an act to scare someone into being more
cooperative.

This time I am genuinely out of control, and they know it.

I see Toshiro speak to them. The look a little relieved and go back inside. I cannot hear his words. All I can
hear is the blood roaring in my ears as my heart pounds. I lose my balance as my fist slips off the rock. I fall
face first in the dirt. Toshiro sits down next to me. I can see his clubbed foot.

“You done now?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Sit up. Baka.”

I do. He takes my bleeding hands and begins to pray. The water kami feel different from when Naomi does it.
She gives a slow, gentle, inexorable feeling of life itself filling you. Toshiro's Kami are more like being bent over
and having life rammed into you whether you are ready or not. It hurts, even as you are being healed. I think it
hurts more than I remember, actually.

POP

My knuckles begin to shift back into place. I really hurt myself.

“Baka-yaro.”

Now I'm sure it hurts more than normal. He's right. Toshiro is always right.

“She's going to be okay you know. It's just fatigue.”

I open my mouth. Instead of a protest I hiss as a fresh wave of pain stings my hands.

“How many prayers to Jurojin do you know again?”

“Stop reading my mind, godammit.”

Toshiro just makes his half snort half laugh noise. The Chu-i approaches us as Toshiro finishes. She throws
herself down into a dogeza

“Stop.”

“Gomen-”

“Stop.”

She looks up.

“I should be the one apologizing for that shameful display. I am sorry I showed you such an ugly thing.”

I bow.

“It's... it's okay. You're worried about your wife.”

“And you were worried about your men.”

“Now. Tell me what did that to them.”

“What?”

My eyes narrow.

“I am a Crab. And there is something strong enough to severely wound a Crab patrol very close to my pregnant
wife. I cannot allow this. What did you fight?”

“Ogres.”

“How many?”

“Six”

...two to one against ogres? Though I did not voice my thought she knows what I am thinking.

“They had weapons, wore armor. All of them.”

Shit. That made sense. Ogres are stupid brutes. Mountains of muscle who think only of food, sex and violence.
Barely able to speak. Not different from most people's view of Crab.

But that is not the Ogres natural state. It is a curse from the dark kami. Away from the shadowlands, their
minds can return. They can remember a time when they ruled the world, before man sprang up from the blood
of Onnotangu and the tears of Amaterasu. An Ogre that is as intelligent as a human, while being stronger,
faster and tougher, with real weapons, armor and even a School…

“We killed two, injured most of the rest. But their leader… He has a Nodachi. And he knows well how to use it.”

“Please, stay here and guard my wife.”

“With my life.”

I enter into my house to don my armor. The others are already dressed and ready. I don't even have to ask. I
bow to thank them.

“Forget everything you think you know about Ogres. The ones we face now are intelligent. They can set
ambushes. They wear armor over their already thick hides and will wield weapons. We will have to work
together, create openings for one another, and defend each other if we are going to win, let alone survive.

And we don't have Naomi with us.”

I let all that sink in. Save Toshiro, there was not single one of us who would already be dead if not for her skill
at healing magic.

We headed out. The Mantis and the Monkey ranged ahead, scouting. The Kitsuki looked uncomfortable. He
kept fiddling with the bindings on the armor we had acquired for him. I gave his do a tug. It stayed in place.

“It's fine, leave it alone.”

“Okay.”

I envisioned the battle that was to come. The Kistuki was many things. Warrior was not one them. Yes, his
skills had been polished at the rough hands of his master; yes, he could anticipate enemies attacks. But it
would difficult indeed for his blade to reach the Ogres flesh, and even then…

The Monkey was insane. Like all Toku he took excessive risks, Fortune favors the foolish and the bold, and he
was both. The Mantis, merchant that he was, was still dependable in a fight. His peasant weapons may not
seem like much, But I had seen him cut men in half with well placed swings. Even an Ogre would know it when
the Mantis struck them. Toshiro continued to thumpdrag along beside me. He was the one I most counted on.

A plan took shape in my mind.

An intelligent ogre is still a tainted beast that thinks it should be at the top of the food chain. The enemy of my
enemy, is my enemy's enemy. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The Mantis and Monkey came back, having found sign of the brutes. I laid out our rough strategy for this battle.

“Kitsuki will guard Toshiro, who will do as he is wont to do. Monkey, you will set the Ogres up. Sting them,
annoy them, get them to drop their guard. Then the Mantis will exploit those openings for all they are worth.”

“What are you going to do?”

“What I always do. Persevere.”

We tracked them back to a campsite. They had piled up earthen walls around their lair. No intention of letting
Ogres just move in wherever they please, we made our best effort to creep up on them.

Sadly we were not Ninjas.

We separated, the mantis and monkey going left, me going right. It was as the Chu-i said. There were four
Ogres and two of them bore wounds. The monkey dove between the legs of one of the ogres, slashing at the
back of his calves. Incensed and off balance the Ogre turned to him, but the Monkey was not where the ogre's
dai tsuchi fell. The Mantis struck, both Kama plunging deep into the Ogre's shoulders. It bellowed as it fell.

Another Ogre charged at Toshiro and Kistuki-san. Kitsuki-san stood in the things path and was knocked aside
by a the things tetsubo. But that was all the time Toshiro needed to finish his spell. Two red orbs of pure flame
struck the Ogre, engulfing it.

I faced off with the last ogre. He had an ono. I decided it would be best if I could end this quickly, and so I
swung my tetsubo. I was rewarded with two solid cracks, my weapon was ideal for dealing with thick hides and
heavy armor alike. The ogre was too sturdy however, and I failed to take him off his feet. His Ono fell upon me,
tearing aside my sode and biting deeply into me. I staggered under the sheer force of the impact, but kept my
feet.

Even as the ogre menacing Toshiro burned, he called forth a blast of pure jade to sear it. The Ogre, horribly
wounded but still standing, lashed out with his tetsubo. He struck Toshiro with full force.

But Toshiro was a Crab. He staggered back, coughing blood, but straightened.

The Monkey helped the Kitsuki to his feet as the Mantis fell upon the burning Ogre like a thunderbolt. It's
attention was fixated on Toshiro. At the last second it saw the Mantis and turned. Too late. The Mantis lept into
the air and scythed his kama through the creature's neck.

It's headless body fell, still burning.

Sure, finish off all the wounded ones to make yourself look good, you selfish priwwHHUUFFFF.

The sky tumbled and turned about me as I flew.

I landed a good five feet from where I had been standing, blood seeping from my side where the Ogre's ono
had torn another great rent in my armor. I stood back up facing the thing bearing down on me. I could feel it's
bloodlust. It came at me again, but this time I warded it away with a defensive swipe of my tetsubo. I likely
could not take another blow like that, so I put all my effort into keeping myself alive.

Meanwhile the last ogre, the one with the Nodachi, had stepped up. The Kitsuki, Mantis and Monkey all began
to close on him, coming from three sides. Toshiro chanted his prayer. I had no idea what he was doing, but
given how long it was taking it was bound to be spectacular.

I realized too late that the leader was intentionally drawing them in closer. I tried to shout a warning. With one
massive swing of it's blade, the ogre struck them all.

The Mantis hissed in pain.

The Monkey fell to one knee.
The Kitsuki hit the ground hard and did not move.

I warded off another attack. I had my hands full and could not go to help them. Toshiro finished his spell. The
skin of the ogre leader began to harden, then turn to Jade. Toshiro shouted his prayer, beseeching the Kami of
Earth to entomb this malignant beast for all time.

He was now locked in a struggle with it, attempting to crush the Ogre's lifeforce with pure jade.
The Ogre I had been fighting with thought to move past me, and put an end to the Shugenja. Having none of
that, I struck. My first blow smashed the creatures kneecap, as it's leg twisted and it fell, I crushed its skull.
Then I struck it once more, just to make sure the damn thing was good and dead.

I limped over to where the others were. The Monkey was quickly tying bandages off on the Kitsuki. So Kitsuki-
san survived.

Meanwhile the battle between Toshiro and the Ogre raged. I could hear the thing bellowing in fury from with it's
jade prison, though it's cries sounded further and further away with every passing second. Toshiro was
sweating heavily. I knew this spell took a heavy toll on its caster, and left them very vulnerable while they
fought to subdue the beast. But all the other Ogres had fallen. Toshiro was free to focus solely in his magic.

The Ogre's bellows became chirrups, then whimpers.

Then... nothing.

Toshiro leaned forward heavily, both hands on his knees.

“It's done.”

We finished patching up Kitsuki-san and even got him awake. The blow must have scrambled his brains a bit,
because he kept blinking as though he couldn't bring anything into focus. Battered, beaten but triumphant we
set off back for the house.

We returned to screams.

Heart in my throat I raced through the front door and into my house. I forgot to open the door. I was greeted by
nine terrified but hopeful faces. They looked to my wifes bedroom. I ran in. I forgot to open the door again. The
Chu-i looked up at me.

“Thank the Fortunes you're back in time! Quick, get the futon... no wait did the Shugenja make it back with
you?! We need him!”

“Ishigaki!”

I dropped to my knees and took her outstretched hand in mine.

“It hurts, Ishigaki!”

“What the hell is going on?!?!”

The chu-i smacked me. I stare at her.

“Calm down, it's not what you think. Her water broke, that's all.”

”That's all?!?! Toshiro get the fuck in here now!”

He thumpdragged in just as fast as he could thumpdrag

“Oh. Ah. I see.”

Toshiro began giving orders. People were stripped out of blood stained armor and clothing. No time for a
proper bath. Buckets of cold water dumped over our heads. Salt. Streamers on the end of a bamboo stick.
More salt. We were rushed into clean clothing, our bloody armor set outside lest the blood being bad karma.

And I found myself wandering around my house, a futon balled up and jammed under my kimono, bellowing in
time with my wife. A woman giving birth is extremely vulnerable to spiritual attack, and a newborn child even
more so. So it was the duty of the husband to wander about, faking being a pregnant woman, to confuse the
evil spirits and safeguard his wife and child.

Every cry from Naomi sent my heart into my throat. Every muffled snigger sent a twitch through my right
eyebrow. Clutching my futonbaby to keep it from falling out, I moaned with great sincerity. The Mantis assured
me that when I blush with embarrassment I'm even cuter than Naomi.

I didn't kill him.

I remain proud of the restraint I showed, to this very day.

At last there was silence. Then a cry. Not my wife.

My child.

“Uuuaaahhhh?”

“Yes Ishigaki you can stop doing that and come in.”

Naomi had deep bags under her eyes. Her hair was matted to her head with sweat. And she was radiant. And
there, in Toshiro's arms. was an ugly bawling pink blob.

It was the most beautiful ugly bawling pink blob I'd ever seen.

“Want to hold your daughter?”

daughter...
hah.
haha.
hahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAA

I flopped down on the floor next to Naomi, and held her as Toshiro handed me my daughter. Laughter I couldn't
stop kept pouring out of me. They were safe. They were both safe, and whole. I felt so much tension I hadn't
even realised I was holding on to drain out of me, and I'm glad I was already sitting down.

Naomi began to squirm under her blanket.

“Ishigaki-kun, help me sit up?”

I scooped her up with one hand. Then cradled my family in my massive arms. Our daughter quieted down as
she looked at up at us with giant eyes. Just like her mother's.

“Let's hope she gets your looks, Naomi.”

“Hmmm. That may be for the best.”

“She needs a name.”

“She does.”

“Well, how about we nudge her along to taking after you with it?”
“Oh? You have something in mind.”

“Daiko.”

Naomi blinked. Then blushed.

“Hai. Daiko.”

“Welcome to your home, Hida Daiko.”

I have made mention in passing before, but I am not a smart person. If my mind appears to be moving quickly
it is an illusion created by a familiar situation. Being a parent was most definitely not familiar. I was so focused
on my wife's health during her pregnancy that I never once gave any thought go what would happen
afterwards.

My wife and I were both Emerald Magistrates.

My home was a week's ride from the wall.
And I had no holdings to bolster my income.

How then, was I going to wander the length and breadth of the Empire while making sure my family was safe?
And what of our daughter? It's true that traditionally a married woman takes over running the household and
raising the children, but enough women went back to court, or regained their figure and donned their armor
again that it was just fine to retain some nursemaids.

But Naomi, so bereft of parental love, would never want that. For that matter, a large, belligerent, and loving
family suited me just fine. I looked over at Naomi. She still looked tired from her ordeal, but the color had
returned to her cheeks. My daughter gurgled happily in her arms. She was already on her third meal, and it
was only midday. I tried not to be jealous of my own newborn daughter for monopolizing my wife's perfect
breasts.

I sat down with wife and spoke with her about the future. As I suspected she fully intended to raise Daiko
herself.

“Besides, Ishigaki-kun, I am still sick. I do not wish to slow the rest of you down anymore.”

“Bullshit.”

Naomi uses confused blink attack. It's super adorable!

“Neither your illness nor your compassion have ever been a burden on us. You're a water tensai! You heal our
wounds, you give us speed and strength in battle, you provide clarity when even Kitsuki-san can't find a clue!
We need you.”

“So does she.”

...fuck.

She was right.

“So make some Sake.”

The Mantis, as usual, thinks to solve this problem like a merchant.

“Look, all you need is a freshwater source to open a brewery, and everyone knows the Crab make great sake.
You'll have an income, something for her to manage, and you can use that to get a few ji-samurai vassals of
your own to keep her safe while you're away.”
The monkey piped up.

“If you need Koku, Hime-san and I can help.”

We all stare at him.

“What, with your one rice paddy?”

“No, Hime-san has been quite well, actually. I don't how much she's making, exactly, but I get a 5 koku
allowance.”

“A year?”

“No, a month.”

Staring intensifies.

“...Is that a lot?”

Samurai, as rule, do not bother with matters of money. Their lord provides them weapons, armor, food and a
place to stay. They have no need of anything else. To suggest otherwise it to insult one's Lord, implying that
the Lord cannot provide for his retainers.

That's how everyone says it works.

That's not how it works at all.

It is true that many samurai have no idea the true value of a koku, or how business actually works. When you
are in the lands of your Lord, and you need a place to sleep and food, you enter the inn and are given these
things as a matter of course. You may leave money behind if you wish to especially polite, but there is no
shame in not doing so.

But when you are away from your Lord's lands it is expected that you compensate others, even if they are just
peasants, for the things they provide you. You are taking from their Lord, he is being a polite host, and you
should compensate him with a gift to be polite as well. That traditional gift takes the form of a small piece of
metal with a hole in the middle of it. The greater the request you make of the Lord's servants, the more pieces
of metal you should give in return.

“Yes monkey, 5 koku a month is a fairly decent amount.”

Well, anyway. How do I juggle my duty, my desire to be near my family, and my wife's desire to give our child a
warm and loving home? A solution, quite literally, fell into our laps.

Winter was soon to be upon us again, and our superior wished for us to attend the winter court at Kyuden
Hida. Our superior was going to be there, and they wished for us to join them as their attendants. This was not
exactly what I had in mind when I wanted to stay close to my family. I had felt some trepidation bringing my
friends into the Crab lands already, now we were being told to go spend a winter in a castle that was a part of
the Wall itself.

Kitsuki-san saw my look of consternation. He reread the letter. Twice.

“Ishigaki-san. This letter. It is implying that Naomi must come as well.”

…
“But she just gave birth last week!”

“I am aware. I think it is Them.”

We all felt a chill run down our spines. Save Toshiro, who did not yet know.

“A maho-tsukai, who is also a Ninja, had been influencing our superiors since the day we all met, maybe
before, and trying to kill us.”

Toshiro grunted sourly.

“And we're still not sure why.”

Toshiro stood up. Leaning on the tetsubo he used for a crutch.

“I will protect them.”

I went and hugged my wife and daughter. Greedy pig was suckling again.

“That's right Daiko, you grow up big and strong.”

grhghbbwl
puke
...
...
… “I'll get a fresh Kimono for you.”
“Please.”

We bundled up Naomi and Daiko under as many blankets as we could. Daiko burbled and kicked at the cold
autumn wind, but she was smiling, enjoying the sensation. The monkey watched her. Nodded his head.

“I want one.”

We'd been avoiding bringing that subject up with him. His wife was a bit prickly on that matter. She could be a
bit prickly on any matter, really.

“No, she's not so bad anymore.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, her letters aren't an endless stream of insults or anything.”

“But you haven't been home since we left?”

“Well, you know. I'm just calling this my pilgrimage. Supposed to take a year, right?”

Monkey's. Just no sense of right and wrong.

We passed the journey with mild banter and idle speculation on the future. Recent events had naturally
brought family into everyone's mind and it was obvious all were contemplating marriage and children. Naomi
tried to protest that we were the ones bearing the palanquin, since we hadn't kept the porters around and had
no place to stop and get more. But she was beloved by all of us, and we insisted she rest as much as possible.

Gurgles and coos seemed to brighten the dreary landscape. Naomi, hidden behind the screen of the
palanquin, allowed herself to be just a silly right back to our daughter. Tickles, tummy blowing, and goofy faces.
She did have a younger brother after all, so she had practice entertaining infants. Toshiro never bore the
palanquin. He had enough work thumpdragging along with us, after all. But he kept pace with the palanquin,
stubbornly refusing every offer Naomi made to make room for him. To the relief of both the Kitsuki, and the
Monkey.

It annoyed me that the Mantis could have handled the extra weight without difficulty, and knew it. On occasion,
I wonder why I dislike the Mantis so much. Then I realize that my list of grievances must be so long there is no
point in remembering each and every insult.

Kyuden Hida loomed large in the distance.

There are two schools of thought on the construction of a castle.

In one style the castle is surrounded by walls. Not just one wall, but layers of walls forcing an enemy to breach
one gate after another while dealing with sorties and archers. This is the style the Crab use most.

In the other style, the interior is made to be deliberately confusing, with blind turns, right angles, dead ends,
and only a single correct path. The more pacifistic clans use this style. It is easier to make the castle pretty in
this fashion, then one made clearly and solely for war.

Of course, the Kaiu are the greatest engineers in the empire. Few realize that the Great Kaiu Wall is, in fact,
built in that style. Within and beneath the Wall there is a twisting labyrinth of tunnels, corridors and traps. And
not the kind of traps most Rokugani think of. There are portcullises that will slam shut, Cutting a portion of a
force off from the rest, but there are many more deadfalls, spike pits, scything blades, grinders, flamethrowers
and the Kami only know what else. Cruelly and efficiently destroying any enemy force that gets inside. And,
since Kyuden Hida forms a part of the Wall itself, on could say that Kyuden Hida is built in both styles. It is an
impressive and dour edifice, a clearly imposing monument to the might and endurance of the Crab clan.

Oh, and there's a gigantic Oni Skull hanging over the front gate.

That's pretty cool too.

I allowed myself a small grin of satisfaction as the others stopped short, staring at the Crab's Seat of Power.
Naomi parted her screen, and held out Daiko so our daughter could look. There was a tightness in Naomi's
eyes. Yes, this would be the fate of our daughter. She was born a Crab, and so she would one day shoulder
the burden of waging a war that had lasted since the dawn of the Empire itself.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

We passed under the skull and I felt the tingle of trepidation again. The skull is as much a warning to those
who would seek shelter in Kyuden Hida as those who would seek to assault it.

Behold, this is the enemy we face.

That sense of trepidation was swept aside as we entered the courtyard. Everywhere you would care to look,
large burly hunks of metal drilled and spared. Kyuden Hida held Three thousand of the Crab clan's finest
warriors. Foremost among them were the Champion and the Hida House Guard.

And it's not like there were no children or civilians in Kyuden Hida. All those Samurai need cooks, porters,
labor crews to help repairs and cleaning, eta, etc. And this was the home of the Champion. His family lived
here as well.

Should the Shadowlands attack there are procedures for protecting those who are not warriors.

Perhaps my time away from the wall, where I saw myself as yojimbo to all those unable to fight, had made me
oversensitive to danger. That thought worried me. That was one of the nine types of false madness. I would
speak with Toshiro later, to see if my fire had indeed been disturbed.
We were ushered into a waiting room where our superior, Ikoma Tsabutai awaited us. We bowed and made our
greetings.

hgrehlbbrebbrb

Tsabutai-sama arched an eyebrow at my daughter's solemn greeting.

“Naomi gave birth but two weeks ago, Tsabutai-sama. Your letter implied you wished for her specifically.”

“Hrm yes. I had thought her magic would be able to answer many of the questions that are bound to arise in
the coming months. I did not realize he had given birth such a short time ago, though. I see you didn't even
have time to find a proper nursemaid. I must apologize for this inconvenience.”

Apologize with your life, fool. I thought.

Instead my wife and I both assured Tsabutai-sama that it was no trouble at all, and that we were happy to fulfill
our duties.

“Good, good. I am delighted to have such splendid subordinates. I shall hold you both up as examples to
shirkers in the future.”

Kitsuki-san used the opening to ask.

“Forgive me Ikoma Tsabutai-sama, but what questions do you foresee arising? We do not even know what it is
you wish of us yet.”

“Ah, you need not concern yourselves with trivial details. Just do as you have been so far and I will call upon
you when I have need. otherwise, feel free to enjoy the Winter Court here.”

He said that like he owned the place. We accepted his dismissal. And were shown to our rooms. As Kyuden
Hida is qualified to host the imperial court, it has many guest rooms for visiting dignitaries. Any courtier would
be appalled at the spartan quarters provided, while remaining oblivious to the fact that these rooms are some
of the safest in the castle. As Emerald magistrates we warranted middling tier rooms. So, bare with a futon and
only three people to a room.

But the others insisted that they cram the four of themselves in so Naomi, Daiko and I could have some
privacy.
I snagged a servant and asked for some more blankets, explaining Naomi's poor health. As he scurried off, I
heard a familiar sound from our room.

Naomi was coughing again. Another bad one.

I took Daiko up in one arm and held the other in front of Naomi. She doubled over it, going limp and allowing
the fit to pass. Daiko stared intently at Naomi, and didn't make a sound. I laid Daiko down as the fit passed,
then cradled Naomi with her back to my chest. She was sweating hard. The others came in; Kitsuki-san heard.
They produced small cloths I used to wipe her sweat away as Toshiro brewed her medicinal tea. Mantis picked
Daiko up when she began to fuss. She calmed down quickly.

No Daiko. That's a Mantis. You don't know where it's been. Icky icky. I thought.

Naomi's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me.

“I'm sorry everyone, I don't mean to be such a burden on you all.”

“Hush, Naomi.”
Toshiro handed me a cup of warm tea for her. He politely looked aside as I finished wiping the sweat from her
chest and underarms. I pulled her Kimono closed and took the tea cup, holding up to her lips. As she sipped
her tea the Monkey spoke.

“You're not a burden Naomi!”

“Not even a bit.”

Mantis.

“Indeed this much is nothing, really.”

Kitsuki-san .

“I think of Ishigaki as a brother. That makes you my sister. Think nothing of it.”

Toshiro.

She smiled and leaned back into me. The others politely ignored our public display of affection. Kitsuki san
started the discussion.

“Tsabutai-sama has always given the impression he has things planned out well ahead of time, even making
fortunate accidents seem intentional. But there was something a bit odd about how he acted tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

“It's simple math, even you could do it Ishigaki. I cannot believe that Tsabutai-sama ‘forgot’ when Naomi-san
would give birth, even if was only a general guess.”

“Wait, do you think Tsabutai himself is tied to them?”

“I cannot say. they have been careful to use agents to do their bidding, hiding behind cutouts before. It may be
their influence, someone who has Tsabutai-sama's ear. But I do know that by investigating his relationships we
will certainly grow closer to finding them.”

The Monkey cracked his knuckles.

“Can't wait for that.”

With Daiko tucked away in the nursery during the day, the rest of us set to work investigating.

Step one was straightforward and simple, we just needed to see who was connected to who. Even the real
nature of the relationship didn't matter, just that the ties existed. As always, there is a right way to meet people
in Rokugan. Properly, one is introduced to a stranger by a mutual acquaintance. The person making the
introduction takes you to the person you're meeting, and greets them. That person the returns the greeting.

‘Why hello [introducer]! And this must be…’

At this point the introducer tells them your name. It is rude to make someone confess their own ignorance; you
may be implying they're just stupid. Or someone who does not know that you've net yet met may get that
impression. So to save face, the person you are being introduced to acts like they already know you, then trail
off. So that the introducer can act like they are being rude by cutting the other person off when they answer.
I've never really understood why so many grown ass adults insist on playing pretend so often, but I'm not about
to make waves buy saying that out loud.
Naomi and Kistuki-san both navigate the court with ease. They're quite good at getting introductions, as well as
having people who want to meet them. The rest of us... well we don't cause any incidents. I hover about, rudely
joining inconsequential conversations about polite, inoffensive topics such as weather and bonsai gardens.
Then I watch other people make introductions and note who's speaking with who on behalf of who.

I have to dip out periodically to check on my daughter. I use this an excuse to write things down, because there
is no way I could track of the tangled web I'm investigating. Once I entered the Nursery to find Naomi already
there.

“You holding up alright?”

“Hai, Ishigaki-kun.”

“She been eating again?”

“No, I just wanted to see her. You as well, I see.”

I fished my notes out and snagged up the brush and ink pot. My calligraphy was...legible. It was very legible.
Naomi glanced over my shoulder.

“I see.”

“Don't judge me, there's a lot of people here.”

“I know.”

Smile.

She's teasing me… I glance around. There’s no one in sight, so I give her rump a soft smack. She yelps and
rubs at her behind. But she's smiling, eager for more playtime.

We push aside our desires and head back out to court.

The Mantis is still speaking with the same three people he had been with when we left. He moves slowly in
court. The Monkey has been flitting about, introducing himself to everyone who will lock eyes with him. He
seems oblivious to how much aggravation he's causing. The opening rounds of winter court are in full swing.

That evening.
We present our findings to Kitsuki-san. He's glad I took notes. Naomi's memory proves to quite sharp as well,
and she recounts the day with sufficient clarity that even Kitsuki-san is impressed.

“I'll need time to go over all these notes, and figure out which direction we should move in. The rest of you
should just act normally, for the time being.”

“Normally, eh? Good, get out of our room. My wife and I have a conversation from earlier to finish.”

The next day we headed down to the same room we had been in the previous day.
I looked around in dismay. I realized I didn't recognize a single person there. I wasn't that I hadn't been paying
attention, far from it. But this was the court of Crab Clan Champion. There were a lot of courtiers here, many
high ranking, and almost all of them wondering what they did to deserve this punishment. I saw one Asako
courtier, so young his cheeks looked like they had never felt the touch of a razor, trying to start up a
conversation with one of the House Guard standing around the room.

I didn't catch what the Guard said but from the look of horror on the boys face I suspect it was something along
the lines of PISSCUNTSHITCOCKNBALLSDOUBLEASSFUCK.
No one in the Empire can use foul language quite like a Crab. I had just resigned myself to another long day of
note taking when Naomi tugged my kimono. There, that man is the current Master of Earth. I looked to where
she indicated and saw a mummified corpse conversing with none other than the Kuni family Daimyo. I
remembered Naomi's mother saying her husband was a candidate for the next Master of Earth. Looking at the
current one I could believe it.

Dark brown skin that was almost entirely wrinkle was stretched taut on his bony frame. A few wisps of
translucent white hair spilled from the back of his skull, and a goate of the same color stretched down to the
floor. Both eyes completely clouded over with cataracts, and thin, bloodless lips pulled in over pale pink gums.
Not a single tooth left in his head.

I took a moment to be impressed that that thing had managed to cross the entirety of the empire to be here. As
I watched, the Mummy of Earth rapped it's tapin stick twice. An attendant rushed to it's side, knelt, and placed
a teacup in the outstretched claw. I looked closer at the attendant.

It was Naomi's father.

Well shit.
The way Naomi grips my arm tells me she saw him too. I take her and leave. Go looking for the others. Spot
Kitsuki-san. ‘Get-the-fuck-over-here’ head jerks from outside the room.

Kitsuki-san excuses himself, comes to join us. Takes one look at my face and asks:

“How bad is it?”

“Her father is here.”

“Ah… Do we know why?”

Naomi shakes her head.

“I have sent letters, of course. But I have not heard from them since we left the castle.”

A familiar thumpdragging heralded the arrival of Toshiro.

“I have something important you must hear... and you seem to have made an unpleasant discovery
yourselves.”

Kitsuki-san nods.

“I'll get the others, emergency meeting time.”

We head back to our rooms. I snag Daiko on the way, to help calm Naomi. She's hiding it well, but now that
she's a mother herself she can see clearly just how abnormal her father's behavior has been. Her own sense
of Honor, and proper conduct, is at war with real feelings for him. So smother in cyoot to numb those emotions
until she can sort through them.

We bring Toshiro up to speed on the nature of Naomi's family. She makes half hearted excuses for her father,
as her Honor demands, and more vehement excuses for her mother and older brother doing nothing to stop it.
I'm willing to accept he was probably an ass to Oni-san as well, and that's why Oni-san seems such a daddy's
boy. But at the end of the day I don't love Naomi's mother, or her brothers. I love her. And their inaction allowed
her to be hurt.

Toshiro grunted.
“Naomi... Your grandfather. Was he a Shugenja as well?”

“Hai.”

“His element?”

“Earth.”

“Let me guess, every shugenja in your family?”

“All Earth.”

I hadn't know that. Naomi was ill from birth. Jurojin had turned his face from her. Of course she would struggle
with the Earth Kami. And that had broken a very old family tradition. I understood just a little better why her
father despised her so. And I hated that.

Toshiro then told us what he had learned. The Master of Earth was here, and he was dying. Yeah we knew
about that. Naomi's father is one of his attendants. And the later part is obvious once you see him. I think you
misunderstand. The Master of Earth himself does not think he will ever leave Kyuden Hida.

Naomi's head jerked up sharpley.

“Are the other masters here?”

“No, just him.”

Naomi bit her thumb.

“While the recommendation of the former Master carries great weight, it is ultimately the council that decides
who will join their ranks. The council of Masters is technically a circle of equals, but seniority does count, and
the Master of Earth has been on the council for longer than all the others combined. He may intend to simply
appoint his successor and not care at all what the rest of the council has to say.”

“Safe to say that's a pretty big insult?”

“Very.”

“Then all his attendants…”

“Candidates for the position, most likely.”

Mantis grumbles.

“So he ran all the way to the other side of the empire just to avoid politicking over who gets to be the next
Master of Earth when he finally croaks?”

Toshiro speaks again.

“No, nostalgia I think. The Kuni Daimyo spent several years studying under the Master of Earth when his father
was still the Daimyo. As I understand it, in his youth the Master of Earth spent a year on the Wall.”

Everyone was surprised at that.

“You shouldn't be so taken aback, the Kuni family are the foremost practitioners of Earth magic in the Empire.
We have always been close to the Master of Earth.”
“Yes but to come here…”

“Well Earth magic does cover spells that call upon Jade, and strikes at the impurity of the taint. One could
hardly call oneself the master of Earth without have some experience in the matter.”

“Oh. I see.”

“What is it Ishigaki-kun?”

“You know Kyuden means that a castle is deemed important enough to host the Emperor's Winter Court,
right?”

“Hai.”

“Well, Kyuden Hida has hosted the court only a very few times, and most of those were times when the clans
summer wars were threatening to get out of control. It's always used as way for the Emperor to remind
everyone not to weaken the Empire too much with their infighting. So you think the Master of Earth is doing the
same thing? Testing to see which of his candidates is trying to master their element, and which is just trying to
advance their career?”

“Yeah, if he's the kind of guy who would spend time here of his own free will.”

The Monkey was the one to say it.

“Wow Naomi, yer dad's fucked.”

Daiko put an emphatic exclamation point on the monkeys statement by filling her diaper.

And like that Naomi and I were left alone with our daughter. Even my best friend, tears cutting streaks through
his face paint, thumpdragged himself outside faster than I thought a man with a club foot could move. Out of
love for my wife, I ordered her outside. She had enough issue with breathing.

I would face this challenge alone.

We spent the next few days gathering as much information about the court as we could. Kitsuki-san made
some contacts with the several of Tsabutai-sama's connections, and began to study them. We were all certain
of it. Someone, somewhere in this court, was the link that could lead us to our Ninja Blood Sorcerer.

Toshiro kept watch over the Mummy of Earth, under various pretenses. Since it seemed to wish spend most of
it's time in discussion with the Kuni Daimyo, being near his family's head was often excuse enough. The rest of
us tried to avoid being seen by Naomi's father as much as possible. We didn't know how much, if any, a
grudge he held, but we felt it best not to risk it. Hopefully a castle that can house thousands would be large
enough to avoid a chance encounter.

One day, in the third week of the court, a haggard looking nursemaid shuffled nervously at the edge of the
room we were in. She was staring intently at me. Curious I walked over. Ignoring the fluttering fans as I initiated
conversation with a heimin.

“Um, great samurai, would you happen to be Hida Ishigaki-sama?”

She kept her eyes downcast and head bowed.

“I am.”

“And your daughter is Hida Daiko-sama?”

“Is something wrong with my daughter?”

She looked up in surprise, yelped when our eyes met, then quickly dropped her gaze again.

“No, No nothing is wrong! I'm a sorry to have bothered you”

“Hey take it easy. I'm not mad or anything.”

I realized that she had committed a serious breech of etiquette by looking into the eyes of Samurai.

In this world there are four types of people. Or perhaps it would be better to say there are people, and three
other types grouped by how close they are to being people.
A Samurai is a person.
A farmer is half a person
An Eta is not a person at all
And below even Eta are the Gaijin and things outside the Celestial order. Dirty though it may be, even Eta have
souls. Gaijin do not.

It is well within the rights of any samurai to demand whatever they wish from anyone of lesser station, even if
what they want is the life of the lesser. Of course, it doesn't really work that way. Those half people still
produce, be it rice, buildings or even, in the case of merchants, coin. Slaughtering your lord's servants, even
though it is your right, is still squandering your lord’s resources. And if those peasants belong to someone other
than YOUR lord, then it becomes a very big deal.

So this peasant girl had risked coming to the attention of a Samurai, something most peasants hope never to
do, and had then looked him the eyes as though she were his equal. I understood why she was scared. But
I've never been the type to care about accidental slip ups like that. And besides that, Samurai have a purpose
as well. Those beneath us produce. We protect and administrate.

I wasn't a very good administrator, but I was one hell of a protector. So I spoke softly and reassured her she
was in no trouble, and asked her tell me what was so important.

“Well, Hida Daiko-sama won't stop crying. I think she's hungry.”

Oh, alright then.

Naomi has four courtiers surrounding her. She seems the center of attention. All are young pretty boys in
expensive Kimonos. I butt in, and they hide sneers behind fans. I speak just loud enough for them to hear.

“Naomi, Daiko seems to giving the nurses a hard time. Our daughter seems hungry. Let's go.”

I can see it in their eyes. They're quite taken aback by this. Sweet naive Hana-chan. She didn't even realize
she was being courted.As we approach the nursery, I see a red and yellow kimono standing outside.

chikusho.

Naomi's brother turned around and smiled at us both.

“Hello! It's been some time! Have you eaten rice today?”

“Hohiro! it has been so long!”

Naomi is genuinely delighted to see her older brother, so while I want to step between the two and glare at him
until he leaves, I settle for an elbow nudge and head jerk in the direction of the bawling infant. Hohiro feigns
surprise. Badly.
“What is this? You have a child?!”

I think he's doing it on purpose

“Hai, She's hungry. Please come in, meet your niece!”

Oh shit Naomi what are you doing?

“I would be honored.”

Naomi opened the door to the nursery with a grin that went ear to ear.

Naomi.
No.
Stop.

We entered the room and Naomi scooped up Daiko.

“Ishigaki, help me please?”

I loosened up her Obi just enough for her to get free even as my mind was screaming. For fuck’s sake he's
right there watching you! My cheeks were beginning to hurt. I realized my face had been frozen in a fake smile
for some time. Politely trying to hide my deep seated disgust. Every polite smile I had ever seen in my life
seemed much more sinister to me now.

Hohiro walked around me to sit beside Naomi, looking at her intently.

“So you really did it? You're a real mother now?”

“Yes, is it not wonderful?”

“Ishigaki-kun was so kind and gentle, he took care of me through the worst parts of my pregnancy. And
Toshiro-san as well! He is a Kuni, and knows many prayers to Jurojin.”

“I see… That is wonderful news Naomi. And I'm amazed at how quickly you regained your figure!”

Given what he'd said the last time, I was sure that he suspected Naomi did not, in fact, give birth to Daiko. It
was true that Naomi lost weight quickly after she gave birth, at the time I was worried she was losing it too
quickly. She didn't put on that much to begin with. In the last few months she was very weak and had to force
herself to eat at all. But everyone who knew anything about babies assured me that while it was unusual,
Naomi was an unusual case, and that she would be fine with rest. Looking at her now, it did seem she was fully
recovered.

Once Daiko finished her meal, I helped Naomi straighten up while Hohiro held his niece. I kept the smile
plastered in place and prayed that Naomi would be so focused on her brother she would not notice.

“Hello, little Daiko! I'm your uncle Hohiro! Ah, your parent's gave you a fine name didn't they! Yes you do take
after your mother, I can you have her eyes…”

So he finally realized the truth. His smile flickered. Seems he was genuinely surprised. I felt Naomi's hand on
my knee. She was squeezing it tightly. She was looking at the floor.

“Oni-san. Why are you so surprised by all of this?”

“Whatever do you mean, Naomi?”

“I sent letters. I wrote every week. To each of you…”

“You did?”

“Did... you not get them?”

“No... I thought you may have hated us…”

Dipshit. If you knew your sister at all you'd know she's not capable of hate. I kept the smile in place. I thought
my face was going to break.

“No Oni-san, I could never hate you. They must have just gotten lost. It is a long way from here to the lands of
the Phoenix after all.”

“Hmm, yes they likely did just get lost.”

“Ah, I am sorry, I must return to father.”

Hohiro gave us back our daughter. My wife cradled Daiko in her arms and wept silently.

Naomi took Daiko back to our room. She said she did not feel well and wished to rest. I stayed with them until
they were both sound asleep. Then I practically ran through the halls until I made it outside. I needed to turn
my mind off, lose myself in something simple.

I approached one of the dueling circles where bushi tested themselves against one another. The Crabs
standing about, watching matches and waiting for their own turns, gave me some awfully hairy eyeballs. My
hair was combed and washed, beard trimmed neatly, and I wore a silken Kimono in Crab colors. My only
weapons were the Wakizashi and jite tucked into my obi. I wasn't wearing armor.

And yet I also had the build of a warrior, and the scars to speak of my history of battle.

To their eyes, I was a contradiction. I pointed to largest ball of corded muscle I could see and jerked my head
towards an empty circle. He blinked once, then chuckled as he stepped in.

“What did you have in mind, geisha-san?”

“Juijuitsu.”

I knew my tsubo justus was just fine. But away from my homeland I had little chance to practice Kobo-ichi-kai
under the eye of a sensei. I was worried some bad habits may have crept in unnoticed.

“Would you like to go get some armor first?”

“I have my armor here with me, and no I'm fine as is.”

He gave a suit yourself shrug, removed his katana from his obi so the saya would not hinder his movement
and took his stance. I took mine.

Stars exploded in my eyes and I almost fell

Damn he was fast!

I stomped on his knee, but he twisted with the blow and remained standing. I threw an elbow at his neck that
he pushed aside with his palm He stabbed his fingers towards my eyes, and I flinched back.

I.

Flinched.
He followed my backpedal, got his ankle behind my own, and punched me in the sternum. Twisting his hips to
add force to the blow. I fell on my ass. He scowled down at me.

“You haven't practiced nearly enough. Your reflexes are dull.”

“I see.”

When I left the Crab lands to become an Emerald Magistrate I had been a warrior through and through. But as
time passed I had spent more and more time learning the ways of courtly life, and being a good magistrate. I
had let my martial training fall by the wayside. Crabs my age, those who had survived this long, were now quite
far ahead of me. It would be difficult for me to catch up.

I stood up.

“Again please.”

I spent the day training. All of it. Kenjutsu, kyujutsu, tsubo jitsu, jiu jitsu, tantojutsu. I striped to the waist and
went through the old exercises katas we learned at Sunda Mizu to master the Mountain does not Move. By
exercise kata I mean we take a horse stance while others strike us repeatedly. First fists, then bokken. Finally
tetsubo.

By the end of it my body was battered, bruised and bleeding. My nice Kimono was torn and dirty. And my
renewed commitment to my training had allowed me to regain at least some of the respect of my fellow Crab.
As I went to head for the baths I caught sight of the Monkey. He was staring wide eyed.

“Is that how you Crabs train?”

A samurai-ko snorted.

“Hah! Don't let that softie fool you. Real Crab training is much harsher. We were just going soft on him, ease
him back into the routine!”

She was just bragging to the Monkey. I was just a little rusty. I wasn't that bad.

I hoped.

“I'm going to get a bath, did you want something Monkey?”

“Oh yeah, Kitsuki-san want's to get everyone together again.”

“Did we find something?”

Monkey shrugged I-duh-know

“Fine. Tell him I'll be along after I get cleaned up.”

“‘Kay.”

I soaked my aching muscles in scalding hot water, and washed the blood from my cuts and scrapes. My body
stung all over, like when you peel off some dead skin and a strong wind hits your fresh pink skin. I focused on
that pain. Then, as I learned to do long ago, I wadded it up into a ball, placed in a sack, tied the sack off, and
tossed it aside.

When I got back to others Kitsuki-san was sitting on the floor with his arms folded up. He looked like nothing so
much as a pouting child.
“Took you long enough”

That was very odd. Something must have frustrated Kitsuki-san greatly for him to be in such a foul temper.

“Let's hear it then.”

Kitsuki-san sighed.

“Tsabutai-sama has ordered me to accompany him for ‘the foreseeable future.’”

“Wait, isn't that a good thing? Now you can-”

“No. It is not. I am his attendant. I must sit quiet and observe, speaking only when I am addressed directly.”

“Still don't see how it's bad.”

“Every single person he meets with we already know about. And they're all on guard around me. The most
heated topic I heard all day was a discussion on the merits of various styles of paintings! As things stand, he
has effectively cut off my attempts to investigate! What's worse is he's not even trying to hide the fact that that
is what he is doing. He never asked me for anything!”

“So what you're saying is he knows we're snooping around and has cockblocked us by tying your hands?”

“Yes. And he wants us all to know he knows. He is warning us to stop.”

“Makes you wonder what he doesn't want us to find,” the Mantis growled.

“Aside from which one of his friends is a Ninja Tsukai?” said the Monkey, laying on his stomach with his chin
propped up in his hands.

“We don't know that our enemy is one of Tsabutai's circle for certain, not yet anyway. It's only a possibility.”

“Dosen't him hiding things from us prove that though?”

“No. Not really. It is said that everyone has a secret they would rather no one find out about, and it IS rather
unusual for a samurai to investigate their superiors.”

That was true. The authority of one above your station was absolute. The Lion Clan Champion could not order
a Crane Clan Samurai only because the Crane Samurai belonged to the Crane Champion, who was the Lion's
equal in rank. We fumed for a bit. Our best investigator was pinned down. Of the rest of us, only Naomi had
any real chance of being able to continue on discreetly. If we continued to peruse our goal, we invited reprisals
from Tsabutai-sama. He would be well within his rights to punish us quite severely. It seemed, for the time
being at least, we had no choice but to stop.

None of us were happy with this turn of events.

That night. After Naomi fell asleep I slipped quietly out of our futon and donned my armor. I stepped outside
our room. Toshiro was there.

“Finally. I'd been sitting out here for the last four days. You never used to be one to hold back what you were
thinking.”

“Picked up some bad habits away from the Wall.”

He eyed me up and down.

“Yosh.”

We left. The Crab standing guard looked us over. Seeing that we were both sensibly dressed they made no
attempt to stop us. We stepped out onto the southern battlements.

Onto the Wall.

A howling wind assaulted us the moment we we set foot outside, and even I had to lean into it lest I be
knocked flat. 100 yards below us, the River of the Last Stand rushed by. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the
stench that wafted up from the Shadowlands. I had feared returning to this place. I feared for my friends, for my
family, who were knew nothing of the dangers here.

Because it was the duty of the Crab to keep them warm and safe. It was my duty to protect my friends, my
family, from the horror that lurked beyond. And, now that I faced it once more, I felt serene. The Hida family
motto is a simple one. I will not fail.

I
WILL
NOT
FAIL

Toshiro nodded in approval.

“Your Fire is just fine. It was agitated, but that's just the nature of fire.”

Figures he would know what was on my mind. And then we heard the scream.

On the Wall there is a special duty. The Screamer. A Samurai is expected to keep face at all times. Even when
pierced by an arrow or cut by a blade, they should not cry out in pain, or fear. Shouts of challenge, Kiai, and
roars of battle rage are just fine.

But on the Wall some have the duty to Scream. They are placed in most vulnerable positions, so that should
the enemy launch a surprise attack, they will be the first targets. It is an important duty, to be the Screamer. It is
also a simple one. Live long enough to Scream, and alert the others to danger. Follow the Screamer. There
you will find the enemy. This Scream came not from the Wall, but up from the bowels of Kyuden Hida.

I bent slightly. Toshiro leapt upon my back, legs clutching my waist and brandishing his Crutchtsubo

I ran towards the Screamer.

As we neared I realized where the Screamer was. It was unthinkable. Somehow an enemy had managed to
get to bypass the Wall, every single guard, and enter into the most secure rooms of Kyuden Hida. I could hear
the Screamer quite clearly, I knew exactly where he was. Three floors up from where Naomi and the others
were.
We rounded the last corner and I set Toshiro down, readying my own Tetsubo.

Several Crab were lined up outside the room awaiting their turn to step in to fight. A bushi came flying out of
the room, crashing into the wall. The bushi in the front charged into the room with a fierce Kiai. Two others
pulled the fallen bushi out of the way. Blood leaked from his armor like soup from a cracked bowl.

Toshiro and I stepped up. The gunsou directing the flow looked at us. Nodded.

“It's not an Ugulu, but something is going on with magic.”

“Understood.”

“Naoshige! Yasimasu! Out!”

Two bushi came out, one holding the other up. They both moved under their own power, but with clear
difficulty.

Toshiro and I stepped in.

A half dozen red and gold figures lay sprawled about the room. The last one standing hurled a blast of Jade
energy at the Creature in the middle of the room. The energy seemed to wash off it to no effect...

Fuck.

“Saiganki!”

One of the Crabs spread out around the Oni yelled out a code word. Oh great, we've got a Rock Crusher. The
Crab have several words that are used to quickly convey information about various situations. The Crab who
spoke up just informed us this Oni was not harmed by Jade or Crystal. Some other phrases let us know that
we've got a large horde with multiple types of Shadowlands Creatures on the way, the various abilities of an
Oni, and if the teahouse you and your friends are in is staffed by monsters in disguise who are unaware that
you are on to them, and that your friends should gather up their weapons and meet you outside.

Yes. I'm serious.

Toshiro grunted an acknowledgment, and fished out a scroll. I stepped up, taking a warding stance, and stood
between the Oni and the Shugenja.

It was an ugly thing. Squat, all ropey tendons, with four arms ending in black claws. Ichor dripped from them
and hissed where it fell, scorching the futons. The top of it's head was smooth as an eggshell, with two long
vertical slits where a nose should have been. I couldn't see a mouth.

Yep, never seen one like that before.

It snapped it's arms like a whip at us, and I saw it's arms had two extra elbow joints. I took it's blow on my
tetsubo, it was strong. One bushi hissed as it's claw dug into him. I could see his armor had been melted away
by whatever foul substance was coating the beast's talons. A shout from Toshiro. A tetsubo, made of magical
Earth appeared before me.

I took hold of it.

The other Crab struck as one, making an opening for me.

I brought my Tetsubo down hard. And again. And again. My limbs were invigorated. I moved with a speed I did
not posses.

I spared a glance over my shoulder. Naomi was in the doorway, pointing at me

The creature was tough, and it fought with wild ferocity. My fellow Crabs protected me, as I was the one best
able to hurt it. It howled in frustration, then pain as I struck again, putting all my weight into my strikes.
Empowered by both Toshiro and Naomi, I felled the beast.

The other Crabs stabbed it repeatedly making sure it was dead. Naomi rushed over to the fallen Phoenix,
scrolls of healing already in hand. But only one of them was still alive. Hohiro, her brother. The one that I had
seen casting the ineffective spell was none other than my dear Father-in-law. And there, on the floor, a long
mess of intestines the only thing connecting the top and bottom half of his body, was the Master of Earth.

Fuck.

The Crab who had been tossed from the room managed to survive, thanks to Naomi's timely arrival. The
guards were loathe to allow her and my friends to leave their rooms. Even though she now wore my Clan's
colors it was obvious to everyone she was not a Crab by birth. But when she insisted that she be allowed to
serve her new Clan and informed them she was a Tensai they allowed her to come out.

His name was Kazuma. It was while Naomi was desperately trying to get him to stop showering her with
thanks, or at the very least stop trying to break a hole in the floor with his forehead that the Champion of the
Crab arrived on scene. I am a large man. Most Rokugani must tilt their necks to look me in the eyes. I tower
over my wife. I even have an inch or two on most of my fellow Crabs.

My Champion loomed over even me. With biceps as big around as most mens thighs. His shoulders were the
span of the haft of an Ono. Ketsuen, the Ancestral armor of the Crab, had gone on a long and strange journey.
It had been lost to the Shadow lands, tainted, rediscovered, purified and eventually returned to the Crab Clan.
The Helmet of that armor, despite its simple design, nonetheless serves to assist its wearer in being the
scariest motherfucker in any room he cares to enter. And this mountain, this battle scarred veteran who I could
never hope to match up to, this man who can intimidate others with his mere presence, was very very angry.
And he was looking at my wife, and me beside her.

Now it was my turn to slam my forehead into the floor. I was of high standing, as an Emerald Magistrate, but I
was still firmly within the ranks of the Buke. My Champion, however was Kuge. He was head of both the Hida
Family, and the Crab Clan, and so my Lord twice over. Crabs do not, as a rule, stand on ceremony. But neither
do we tolerate open disrespect.

“And you are?”

“I am Hida Ishigaki, my lord. This is my wife Hida Naomi.”

“Neither of you are stationed here.”

It was not a question.

“No my Lord, We are Emerald Magistrates in the retinue of Ikoma Tsabutai-sama.”

“I see. Why did you come then?”

“I had gone for a walk in the night to clear my mind, my Lord. When I heard the Screamer I moved without
thinking.”

“And you?”

He was addressing Naomi.

“I could tell where the sound of the...Screamer was coming from. I am a a Water Tensai; and I wished to be of
service to my Clan.”

Hida-sama glanced at Kazuma.

“You have. Continue to serve your Clan well.”

“Hai, my Lord!”
The Champion then entered the charnel house that was the quarters for the Master of Earth.

“Well? How will the Crab answer for this?!”

Isawa Shoji, my father in law, was already raging. He was a proud man, and his pride had been wounded
severely today. So of course he was looking to blame someone else for the death of the Master of Earth.

“I have no words to express my sorrow at the loss of the Master of Earth. Rest assured we will conduct a full
investigation as to how this occurred and those responsible will be punished.”

I had little doubt whoever that was, the Champion would scrape their wakizashi dull on a rock first. No matter
how you looked at it, this was a big incident. It would have been one thing had the Master of Earth just passed
on in his sleep. But an Oni, a creature our Clan existed to fight, had waltzed into what should have been one of
the most secure places in the Empire and ripped the Master of Earth in half. In the worst case scenario the
Phoenix could raise a stink to the Emperor himself, and the Crab Champion could be held accountable.

This was, without a doubt, a crisis for the Crab.

And then Hohiro spoke out of turn.

“Father, please calm yourself.”

“What di-”

“This is a great tragedy for our Clan, the Master of Earth and nearly all his possible successors are now dead.
But this Oni was clearly a creature of singular and great power, for it to shrug off the power of so many Earth
Tensai.”

Hohiro had given his father a way out. Hohiro and Shoju had both failed to protect their Master and their fellow
tensai. Shoju, especially was unwounded. That was, embarrassing, to say the least. So by acknowledging the
power of the Oni, Shoji allowed the Crab to save some face while covering his own ass.

Shoji was temperamental, and vengeful, but he didn't get to where he was by being stupid about it. He knew
how to pick his battles. He took the out.

“Yes, you have a point my son.”

“Still, it is odd such a creature got so deep into the castle, is it not? How was this possible?”

“That is something I would like to know as well.”

Hida-sama's growl promised dire retribution for whosoever had shamed the Crab this day. Hida-sama left the
room, before Shoji could find a socially acceptable way to bitch some more. He approached me again
.
“You said you and your group were Emerald Magistrates yes? And your superior was here as well?”

“Hai, my Lord.”

“Take me to him.”

We led Hida-sama to where Tsabutai-sama was staying. We waited outside as they exchanged words.

Hida-sama left.

“Enter please.”
We did so and knelt before Tsabutai-sama.

“I have heard what has happened. Hida-sama has asked me to oversee this investigation. As an Emerald
Magistrate, I will have no bias in this matter. I have agreed to render impartial judgment. I shall be relying on
you all to bring this matter to a swift conclusion.”

Of course, Tsabutai-sama only sought out testimony. Since no one saw or heard anything unusual until the Oni
was already upon the Phoenix, he quickly hit a dead end. And so, with a little persuasion from Kitsuki-san, he
gave us leave to investigate on our own.

We played a game. We had all the guards go to where they were just before the attack happened, and each of
us tried to sneak past them. We were all caught. We enlisted the aid of Shugenja that knew magic to help
conceal our movements.

We were still caught.

No matter where we entered from, it was only by turning completely invisible that we could get to the Master of
Earth's room undetected. It was Toshiro who said it.

“If that Oni could become invisible, then it would have been able to escape. It did not. We have to consider that
the Oni was summoned inside Kyuden Hida.”

Hida's balls, that's horrifying.

Mantis looked at Kitsuki-san.

“Think it might have been them?”

Kitsuki-san pursed his lips, tapped his fan to them.

“I have no idea. If we just had some idea of what their goal was then maybe I could say one way or another.”

“Alright then. Let's report to Tsabutai-sama. Since we're looking for a Maho-Tsukai we should let the witch
hunters take over right?”

“I don't think we should,” I said.

“Why the hell not?!”

“Simply because of how stupid it would be to summon an Oni here of all places.”

“What-”

“Look, no one is more paranoid about taint than the Crab clan. you probably don't even know how many times
you've all been tested for the taint.”

“6 for me.”

“You don't count Kitsuki-san. Anyway, there's no way a Tsukai was in here for any length of time without being
amazing at hiding themselves. I'm talking beyond even a finger of corrupted jade or Jade Petal tea, because
we look for those things. We even look out for the mood swings and odd behaviors brought on by the early
stages of the taint!”

The others nodded slowly. We weren't looking for a needle in a haystack, we were looking for a needle with a
rusty center in a stack of needles. The first thing to do then, was clear away as many needles as possible.
“So, who stands to gain the most from this?”

“Well anyone with a grudge against the Crab, or the Phoenix.”

“The Master of Earth was largely pissing on the council.”

I spoke up.

“Naomi... how many of the candidates survived the attack.”

“Just one, not counting my father.”

“Do you know him?”

“I know of him. Some years back he was caught frequenting opium dens.”

I could not look at Naomi.

I spoke.

“Isawa Shoji did it.”

The master of Earth was going to appoint his successor and damn what the council wanted. This was Shoji's
only chance, he wouldn't live long enough to replace the Master of Earth chosen now. The attack killed the
Master, preventing him from even voicing support for any one of his potential successors. It killed almost all of
the Shoji's rivals for the position. The only ones to survive were a contender with a scandal staining his past,
Shoji's own son, and Shoji himself.

Shoji didn't have a scratch on him. And he obstinately lobbed useless magic at the Oni.

There is no way that Oni could have snuck past all the guards to enter the Master of Earth's room unnoticed.
But if it had been summoned from inside the room, or next door, that's a different matter. And Shoji would have
unfettered access to those rooms. I knelt on the floor in the center of the room, surrounded by greatness.

The Crab Clan Champion, the Kuni Family Daimyo, My superior Emerald Magistrate Ikoma Tsabutai, were all
present to hear my testimony.

As was the man I was accusing, my father in law.

You would think I would be pleased things turning out this way. I hated that man with a passion. He had hurt
my wife so badly I wanted nothing more than to squeeze his neck until his eyes popped from their sockets. But
this... this was too heavy a crime. The crime of being a Maho-Tsukai can and often does blow back on the
Tsukai's family. Often they are exiled. Sometimes they are even killed along with the Tsukai. Being a Tsukai
means you are a traitor to the Empire, and traitors are dealt with in the harshest of ways.

My wife was a Crab now. She assisted in the investigation that revealed Shoji's plot. She would be spared. But
her mother? Her brothers? The weight of this had sent Naomi into another fit. So bad she lost consciousness.

I hated Shoji for doing this. I hated myself more that I could not look the other way for her sake.

The assembled powers conferred in hushed tones. Shoji went purple and sputtered in apoplectic fury.

Tsabutai-sama spoke.

“Indeed Hida Ishigaki-san, we can find no fault with your words. That you must speak out against your own
father in law makes them even more damning.”
“Wait! This-this-this thug! He turned my daughter against me! Soiled her Honor! I've never approved of their
marriage! He only makes these accusations out of jealousy and spite!”

“Be that as it may, Shoji-san, there is enough evidence to call the Witch Hunters. If you are innocent of these
ghastly crimes, then they will surely exonerate you.”

The door to the room opened.

“That must be them now.”

The Witch Hunter entered. Along with Hohiro. Shoji looked at his son with a confused, yet hopeful expression.

“Hohiro?!”

“Be at ease father.”

The Kuni daimyo addressed his kinsman.

“And? What did your investigation reveal.”

“We did indeed find the scroll used to summon the oni.”

Shoji went a deeper shade of purple.

“As well as a pouch of Jade Petal tea.”

“It's not mine!”

“Correct.”

What the fuck did he just say?

“Hohiro-san found us, and told us that he saw someone speaking with Isawa Tensai, the other survivor, shortly
before the attack. He begged us to search that man's room, and while it is expected of family members to lie
on behalf of their kin, my instincts told me to trust him.”

Everyone was hanging on every word now.

“Isawa Hohiro-san's instincts were not wrong, as it turned out. Ikoma Tsabutai is a Maho-Tsukai!”

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! HOGHGGGHGHGHGHG”

Before Tsabutai could finish his outburst Hohiro had drawn his Wakizashi and cut Tsabutai open from gullet to
groin. Maggots writhed inside of his guts, black ichor seeped to the floor instead of blood.

No clearer proof of the taint was needed.

I had been wrong. I had accused an innocent man of practicing Maho. When it was my superior who had been
the one doing it.

“There you see! They're all in it! They framed me to cover for their superior! Harboring someone with taint is a
capital offense Hida-sama, your duty is clear! Execute them! ALL of them!”

Like I said, Shoji knew how to pick his battles, and he now had a major advantage in this one. Cold eyes
turned to me. Everything Shoji had said was terrifyingly probable. My fate, and the fate of my friends, my wife,
and maybe even my daughter was hanging by a thread.
“NO! The truth is we suspected that there was something amiss about Tsabutai for some time now!”

That was met with arched eyebrows.

“Really?”

“Yes, We did not know what, exactly. So we were attempting to investigate, discreetly. One must not accuse
one's superior lightly, after all, so we wanted to be absolutely sure before we said anything!”

It wasn't quite true, but it was close enough. They went to fetch my fellows, None of them knew what had
transpired yet there had been no time to get our stories straight, if we were indeed conspiring. The fact that
everyone realized the seriousness of the situation, even without understanding why, and admitted we were
investigating Tsabutai went a long way to convincing everyone I was telling the truth. My notes helped.

We were confined to a single room, under strict guard, while they backtracked our investigation. Speaking with
those we had spoken too. Eventually, they were convinced that we knew nothing of what had transpired.

Officially, we were duped by Tsabutai. Shameful in the extreme. We were dismissed from our posts as Emerald
magistrates. Though none of us was made Ronin, or ordered to commit seppuku. Tsabutai's wife and two
young children were executed. We all took very great pains to ensure Naomi never learned of that fact. With
his past scandal, and being the one that allowed Tsabutai into the Phoenix area, Isawa Tessai could not be the
Master of Earth.

The council learned that Shoji had adamantly refused to believe he could not crush the Oni with his own magic.
Such obstinance is a hallmark of earth, but the overweening pride behind it was unseemly. The Master of Earth
should be the master of his own earth, and so Shoji could not be the new Master.

In the end, the one who had fought bravely to defend his kin, who had persevered in the face of great hardship,
and who had brought forth the evidence that exonerated the Phoenix and condemned the real criminal, Isawa
Hohiro, became the Master of Earth.

Naomi was genuinely happy for her brother.

The rest of us knew just how terribly we were played.

The days and weeks following our disgrace were horrible. Hohiro became the darling of the court, surrounded
by courtiers everywhere he went. Fans fluttered and tongues wagged as everyone pondered who the Council
would appoint as the next Master of Earth.

Shoji was in a foul mood for the first few days. His ambitions, while not destroyed, had suffered quite a
setback. But when he saw Hohiro's popularity on the rise, the wily bastard fell in behind his boy. I wouldn't be
surprised if Shoji himself started the rumors that Hohiro would receive the appointment. Some scoffed, Hohiro
had suddenly been catapulted into the limelight, true but his career up until now had been good, but not
exceptional. Others began tendering offers of marriage. Each one offering up a better bride than the last. Shoji
himself talked Hohiro up as well.

“Yes, my son lives up to my high expectations.”

“Due to my stern, yet fair, instruction he has become quite a fine Shugenja.”

“Truly, it's only in comparison to me that he falls short. Had he been born another time he would be the best
there is!”

I watched this all happen from the corner where I lurked, my stomach churning in disgust. If there was a bright
side to all this, at least I didn't have to bother with polite small talk. The ‘what-the-fuck-are-you-even-doing-
here’ stares were getting on my nerves, however.

“How awful it must have been for you, Hohiro-san, to hear your own sister accuse your father so!”

“Indeed, she had stained her honor. Any proper samurai would take their blade up and cleanse their shame.”

“No, no it was not so far fetched a thing! I believe in my sister still! I am certain she had good reason!”

“But she was still wrong, was she not?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Your loyalty to your sister does you credit, Hohiro-san, but it is misplaced. She is just a Crab now, no longer
your family.”

I left before I killed someone.

I had grown deeply suspicious of Hohiro. Of course, I had not one shred of evidence, not one link at all to
support this. Aside from the fact that it was all to convenient. Someone had a grudge against either myself, the
Mantis, Kitsuki-san or Naomi. The Shiba had left us, and both the Monkey and Toshiro were later additions.
That someone had ties to Tsabutai. That someone was very likely a Maho-Tsukai. They were sneaky enough
we called them a Ninja. Tsabutai was dead, before we could finish our investigation, to try to find that someone.

We had been disgraced. Everyone knew that once someone with the power to revoke our status as Emerald
Magistrates had a chance to review what happened we would be stripped of our rank. Without that
commonality, we would likely be split up. Reassigned by our clans somewhere out of the way. And there he
was. The Golden Boy. Hero of the hour. And now there was talk he would be the next Master of Earth.

That, and I hated his guts. At the very least, he never once stood up to defend his little sister from their
domineering father. More likely, he followed Shoji's lead and treated Naomi like trash their whole lives. The
others were unwilling to try anything based on mere conjecture. I couldn't blame them.

And I couldn't even suggest this to Naomi.

Her feelings for her father were complex, but she loved the rest of her family unconditionally. She was
generally happy for her brother. She was relived her father was not a criminal. There was no way I was going
to deliver another emotional blow to her so soon after the last one. She was still recovering.

I made my way outside, down to the courtyard. I was hoping to spar some more and clear out all the clutter
inside my head.

But none of the Crabs would so much as look at me.

That got my attention.

Of course. We had been the subordinates of a Maho-Tsukai. A Crab must remain on alert for possession,
shape shifters, skin stealers, and the Taint. Any of these things could cause a Crab to become an agent of the
enemy, betraying the Clan to its enemies. It is expected you will watch your immediate superior for signs of
these things, because the more responsibility a Crab has, the more damage they could do if they fell.

At the very least, to their eyes, I failed to remain vigilant. And when dealing with matters of the taint, my Clan's
paranoia runs deep. More than a few must think me a knowing accomplice. As yet untainted, but clearly a
servant of Evil all the same. I knew what Crabs did when there was someone they all agreed was a liability,
even when they could not officially prove it.

I would find myself surrounded in a stairwell by bushi wearing mempos one day. Or I might lose my footing and
fall of the south side of the wall. They might even target my friends. Among them, my frail and sickly wife. I
wracked my brains, searching for any possible way to clear this suspicion off of us. I realized, quite quickly, that
I would need to do something drastic.

There is a very simple truth to the mater of failure, shame and dishonor. Success needs no explanation, failure
allows none. To make up for our previous failure, we needed to produce a success of equal or greater value.
We weren't going to be given any assignments, nor trusted with critical duties, in our current state. We were
going to have to make a success happen.ourselves. But, if we screwed it up again, and compounded failure
with more failure, then we would have nothing left but three simple cuts.

I couldn't risk that for Naomi.

But maybe…

Maybe.
I made up mind.

For all of our sakes, I would Go Looking for Hida.

Many people know of the Twenty Goblin Winter. In times where the Clan is desperate for manpower, the Crab
Clan will allow anyone to enter into the Shadowlands. Those that return with the heads of twenty goblins will be
allowed to join the Clan, joining a vassal family of the Hida, no questions asked. There is another tradition that
involves entering the Shadowlands and collecting heads. Someone who has been terribly dishonored may Go
Looking for Hida.

Hida, you see, never died. He simply picked up his Tetsubo one day, and announced that he was going to find
Atarsi Hida's son, and the first Crab Clan Thunder. That's where the name comes from anyway. You aren't
actually supposed to go find the Crab Clan Kami.

That would be silly.

Instead you just have to get the heads of eight measly zombies. Sometimes more, if you've really really
screwed up. This custom arose as a means to salvage warriors who might still be of use to the Clan, so it's
usually only invoked when seppuku is the only other outcome. But I'm pretty sure just invoking the custom
should be enough to convince the rest of the Crab we really aren't traitors.

“I'll go on our behalf.”

The others were nodding along with my plan. Except for Naomi. She was worried about me going alone into
danger. And Toshiro. His mouth was hanging open.

“Aren't you leaving something out? Some tiny detail they should probably all know before you seek their
approval for this insanity?”

All eyes turned to Toshiro.

“No, I can't really think of anything else. Just a few minor details.”

“So you call going into the Shadowlands, stipped of your daisho, with no jade, food or water, armed with a
single masakari and wearing only a white robe minor!?”

The others were, of course, less than thrilled that I had left that bit out. Toshiro decided to elaborate.

“You're going into the Shadowlands to get those zombies! Collecting the heads is the easy part; it's surviving
everything else with no jade or supplies that's hard.”

At this point even the Mantis was against my plan. They were all protesting, talking over each other even.
Naomi the most vocal of all.

“Shut up, all of you.”

I had never bellowed at any of them before.

“I understand your concerns. But I have thought this through. Thoroughly. The Crab detest sincerity. Do you
know why? It is because when someone is trying to hard to prove their sincerity it seems, to us, that they are
simply lying. An Akodo, when summoned by his lord, will throw himself violently to the floor, and shout his
Lord's name so loudly it hurts his own throat. To show his sincere loyalty. Crabs have no patience for that kind
of crap. Actions speak louder than words to us. That's what all this is about. Right now we are in a castle full of
Samurai who think we were willing agents of a Maho Tsukai! They'll kill us if they have the chance! But just
invoking the custom proves we were not! That is Crab sincerity. And when I come back, I'll have cleansed our
shame as well.”

Toshiro scowled.

“Getting a bit full of yourself, aren't you? Even a Hiruma would find it difficult to survive in the Shadowlands
without supplies.”

“Difficult, Toshiro. Not impossible. It's a race against time, I know. But it's not the first time I've been alone in the
shadowlands.”

“It's been a long time since your gempukku, Ishigaki. And you had your armor, and jade.”

“But I'm a better tracker now. I can do this.”

Naomi butted in.

“I am sorry, what did you say Toshiro-san? About Ishigaki-kun's gempukku?”

“Did you not know? For their gempukku a Crab goes alone into the shadowlands and brings back the head of a
tainted creature.”

“No. I did not know that. So Daiko will have to do that one day as well?”

“Yes.”

“...I see.”

Naomi wasn't taking that very well. I left before my heart broke, and before any more protests could arise. I had
to speak to my Champion. My friends all followed me, reluctantly. I stormed into the room my Champion was
in.

“I will go looking for Hida.”

Every voice died. Every eye turned to me My Champions gaze bore down on me, almost crushing me with it's
weight.

“What did you say.”

“I am sick of the accusing stares following my companions and me. We are not traitors, we are not servants of
evil, and I will prove that to you all! I will Go Looking for Hida.”
Well, the die is cast.

Silence.

Then…

“So be it. If you return alive than none may question you or your companions again. Make yourself ready. You
leave now.”

Not quite what I hoped for. But it was alright. I really did plan on succeeding. I had just hoped that even if the
worst happened my friends would be absolved. I was taken into a private chamber. Stipped naked. A Kuni
threw water on me, said a prayer to purify my body and soul. A pure white robe, the color of death, was placed
on me. Belted with a white obi at my waist. I looked for all the world like I was I dressed for my own funeral.

As I was taken out to the Wall, an impromptu parade formed up around me. This was all very exciting for the
assembled courtiers. A secret custom of the Crab Clan, rarely seen by outsiders. The solemn air the rest of the
Crab carried served to further impress the court.

My friends came with, to see me off. An audible gasp arose from the throng as we stepped out onto the wall.
Eyes filled with tears as the fierce wind stung them. Frost formed up on eyelashes almost instantly. They hid
their excitement behind their sleeves, as a fan would simply be ripped from their hands up here.

They could see the Shadowlands. All the Crabs about, especially the Champion, dispelled all sense of
personal danger. It was like coming very close to a dangerous animal in a cage. Scary enough to excite, but in
reality quite safe. I stepped up to the lift that would lower me into the Shadowlands.

Hida-sama held out a masakari.

I took it.

I got on the lift. A cry arose from behind me. I looked back to see Naomi reaching out to me, eyes pleading.

I lose sight of her as they lower me.

Forgive me, my love. I must do this. For all our sakes, for our future. For Daiko. I must cleanse this stink of
shame off all of us. It takes a very long time to get to the bottom. I'm still wet from the purification ritual. And
there is nothing to shield me from the harsh winter wind on this lift. I do not care. I don't even feel the cold. I am
a descendant of the Fortune of Fire and Thunder. This much is nothing.

I reach the bottom. The river of the last stand rushes on before me. There is a boat already here for me.
Brought out from the tunnels, no doubt. I hop into the boat and get to the other side.

“Hida!”

I need to call Hida's name until I am well away from the wall. I am looking for him, at least ostensibly.

“Hida!”

That's going to draw some attention. My first real ordeal then. Move quickly enough so I can stop letting
everything know where I am, then deal with whatever does come to see what all this noise is about.

I break into a run.

“Hida!”
I can just make out the dark shape of all the people up on top of the wall, watching me walk into what they
think is certain death. I will enjoy the looks on their faces when I come back.

“Hida!”

I attempt to orient myself. I have a plan to find enough zombies quickly. Before the taint gets into me. Or I die
of thirst. Or worse.

“Hida!”

Finding your way in the Shadowlands is terribly difficult. For a horrifying reason. The Shadowlands is a realm
of pure taint. There are almost no Kami here. It is known that the most heavily tainted Earth becomes a
swampy, soupy mass. And the Taint is constantly pouring into Ningen-do from the wound left by the fall of the
Ninth Kami. It was Hiruma Furoshoshi who first realized what this means.

The land moves.

The earth upon which you walk is but a thin layer, like tea leaves floating in wide bowl. And as more taint seeps
into the world, the tea is stirred.

Fortunately, the drift is slow. So long as you know of it, and your knowledge of where things are is fairly recent,
you can plan your navigation so that you end up where you intend. Most of the time, anyway. Oh yeah, one
more thing.

“Hida!”

I can still see the wall, better give out one more shout.

And a shadow falls over me.

Fuck.

I look up. I'm on a fairly flat, rocky plain right now. I look further up. I dive to the side in just in time as a great
winged thing slams into the ground where I had been,

A thick body, covered in matted fur. Legs bent backwards like a chicken. A tail. With boney spines at the end.
Of course. And a head like a human infant. Far to large, of course, but the proportions were right, and there
was a layer of what could be called nothing else than baby fat on it's face. It's too large eyes were pure white.

It shrieked at me.

I ran.

And dove under a tiny bit of rock that made a small shelf. It was apparently used to it's food standing and
fighting. Still, it came after me. There was just enough space for me to wedge my thick frame under the shelf.
The creature had no hands, only wings. The shelf made it difficult to claw me, or strike me with it's tail.

I jabbed at it with my masakari. I could see whatever this was I was going to need jade to truly hurt it. So I
hunkered down, annoying it occasionally, until it got fed up and went in search of an easier meal.

I was scraped up more than I would have liked by it's clawing, but I was a damn sight better off than had I tried
to kill it. I thanked the shelf that save my life and headed deeper into the shadowlands. Seeking out the Fields
of Hair.

I moved as fast as I dared. Mostly I kept my ears pricked up for any danger. I was no Hiruma Scout, but I knew
the basics of moving without detection, and of navigating. I wouldn't have made it back from my gempukku if I
couldn't so at least that much.

Outside of my armor, it was much easier to move silently, and while I was no Kakita or Mirumoto, I was more
agile than average. So my first day in the realm of evil was spent moving from cover to cover, hiding as mobs
of goblins marched past, avoiding the cave where an Ogre clearly lived. and being very, very careful about
what I step on.

I thanked Shiba-san for his teachings. The meditations I learned from him proved invaluable. I did not wish to
eat or drink anything native to this place, lest I invite the taint into myself. Nor did I wish to sleep. Sleeping
would only get me eaten in the night, and any place that looked reasonably safe would assuredly already have
a tenant strong enough to avoid being evicted.

So I meditated, quieting my rumbling belly. Setting aside the dryness in the back of my throat. emptying my
mind to rest my body. And was not surprised when the goblin warmonger came at me with a rusty katana. My
eyes snapped open as he came into my reach. I took up my masakari off of my lap and struck. His blade bit
into my shoulder. Mine struck his head from his shoulders.

I bellowed a challenge at his followers and they scattered, not wishing to fight something so strong. I would
need to be careful for a while. Goblins were dangerous precisely because they were weak and cowardly. They
would set up an ambush for me later.

I was managing to make it deeper without being wounded severely, but I was also being slowed down by my
own caution. Without jade, I risked being tainted in a matter of days.

I continued on. Sure enough those little shits tried again. Up ahead the land rose sharply, into a mesa. Split on
two by a narrow path down the middle.

[This is where it gets weird. The GM wanted to cherry pick which bits of which time were active. So the Shiro
Hiruma and the Hiruma Lands were still lost to the shadowlands, Even though we were well past the second
day of thunder. So think of it like a grab bag of classic and new.
I was told that the Dark Moto had been broken, and Moto Tsume killed, but that I COULD find some survivors if
I was unlucky.
As an aside, this little one on one session we were playing was quite fun. My GM seemed surprised that I
COULD play Ishigaki in this manner, and make use of all those level 1 and 2 skills I took because for RP
reasons. It was pretty obvious he thought I was going to just stand and swing on the first flying Oni, get eaten,
reroll and he could get back on with the adventure he HAD planned.
The CCG story had already killed of naseru, but the race to the throne was still going on, so the GM made up
his own Dynasty. Neither of us can remember the name though.

Were there Spiders?

Forgot to answer this one. The spiders were a thing in the CCG but at the time there was no rpg material on
them, so we just agreed they didn't exist. While I played variations if Ishigaki in first and second ed, much of
this comes from a third ed game that upgraded to fourth ed mid way through. One of the reasons I decided to
skip describing the mechanics in the greentext beyond some In Char elaborations and references.]

Might as well just hang out a sign that says ‘Come on in and get eaten!’

Nope, not having that.

So I tore off the top of my robe, fashioned a quick tie around my masakari so i could hang it from my neck, and
set to work climbing up the mesa. It was tough. I lost my grip twice, and got some nice cuts on my hands. But I
made it. And there they were. Staring down at the route through the mesa, rocks in hand.

I fell upon them from behind. Panicked they tried to flee. I hacked and hewed, shoved one over the side. I let
them escape only once I was certain I had culled enough they wouldn't try a third time. Then moved on. My
time was running out.
Every step I took in, was one more I would need to take out. While still going without food, water, or most
importantly, Jade. What I wouldn't give to run into a friendly nezumi right about now. But I didn't speak their
language, nor did I have any baubles with me. So I didn't pin my hopes on that.

At last I found it. The Fields of Hair.

The Fields of hair look like a grassy windswept plain. In the Shadowlands, looks deceive. What, at first glance
seems grass, is actually hair. Thousands of corpses, buried up to their scalps. And of course, in the
shadowlands no corpse in just a corpse for very long.

They wait, patiently for you to draw near. When you disturb their hair, they rise up. This disturbs others. You
can get overwhelmed very quickly. So I stopped well back. I picked up a small pebble. And I tossed at the very
first tuft at the very edge.

I got a bit more than I bargained for.

A full dozen of the damn things came up. So I ran.

They gave chase

I turned and struck the one in the lead, knocked it on it's ass.

And ran through them.

As they followed I turned and struck. Stringing them out in a line. Forcing them to fight me in small groups. By
the grace of the fortunes and my own prodigious resilience, I got my zombie heads. Now to get out of here.

I turned to go back along my previous path.

And I saw a very large dark shape moving in the Mesa. The size of a house, in fact. I decided I wanted nothing
to do with that and took off in a third direction. If my navigation was correct, I was now running parallel to the
wall, going no further in, but also not getting out.

The zombie skulls left slimy rot all over my back. I had knotted their hair into the sling I made for my Masakari.
I was never so glad to have gone so long without eating. If I had anything in my stomach, I'm sure the
sensation would have brought it all up. Being a Crab you have to deal with some seriously gross shit from time
to time.

WHOMPF

I hope I didn't really hear that.

WHOMPF

I hope that isn't what I think it is.

WHOMPF

I looked over my shoulder. Yep, it's coming this way. Fuck stealth, time to run.

I run at full speed. Jagged rocks tear at my feet. I'm covered in shallow cuts, scrapes and bruises. As well as a
few decent wounds. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for nearly two days now. I've not slept. I hurt. My
whole body hurts. It's telling me to just lie down. To let go.

I
 WILL
NOT
FAIL

When something is chasing you there three ways you can get away. One is to be faster than something else
that it is also chasing. I was alone.

Another way is to be faster than the thing chasing you to begin with. I looked back. It was gaining. So that's a
no on the second one then.

The only other option is to go somewhere it cannot or will not follow. My eyes scanned the horizon desperate
for salvation. I saw it. A forest.

The Shadowlands takes great delight in being wrong. In this case the leaves of the trees comprising this forest
were all on the ground. Roots, not branches, spread out in a tangle above. Praying that the forest was what I
thought it was I ran straight for it.

WHOMPFWHOMPFWHOMPF

It was almost upon me.

The trees at the outer edge were growing very close together. No time to find a better way in. I dove for an
opening I judged I could fit through. My shoulders scraped the edges of the trees. The roots twitched. Then
they spat a sticky sap that burned like fire where it landed on me.

I fell flat on the dirt, desperately used my masakari to scrape off the burning jelly. Took a small bit of skin with it.
My weapon was smoking now, so I slammed it into the dirt, forcing the sap off it's edged and smothering the
fire.

I could see the legs of the monster that had chased me in here beyond the trunks. They were like an
elephants, but there were eight. It didn't try to come in. So I had escaped being trampled to death by getting
trapped in a forest where the trees grew upside down and spit burning sap on you if you so much as touched
them. And in the process had damaged my weapon.

Did I mention I am not a smart man?

Sensei once said 'Scars are proof a man can survive his own stupidity.' I had a lot of scars. I was very good at
surviving my own stupidity, I would survive this as well. I began to pick my way through woods. Very, very
slowly, in what I hoped was a northerly direction. Eventually, I allowed myself to sleep.

Few of the larger dangers of the shadowlands would come into these woods. I thought I could just take a little
rest, enough to take some of the pain in my body away. I was right.

I made sure to draw an arrow in the dirt pointing to what I hopped was still north before I slept. There wasn't
much I could use within this forest to guess my direction, and I didn't want to shift in my sleep and lose my way.
I took up my masakari, the edge a bit corroded, my grim belt of zombie heads, and set out north. When I
emerged from the forest, I could see it.

The Wall.

Just a dim grey line on the horizon, but it was there. If everything went well, I would be out of the shadowlands
by the end of day three, or was it four? I only had to cross quite a few miles of blasted, barren landscape with
no cover whatsoever. After everything I'd been through, that shouldn't be a problem

I began picking my way across the rocks. A part of me hoped that, this close to the wall, I would get picked up
by a Crab patrol. Mostly that part was my stomach. And my throat. I wasn't sure I could manage a yell loud
enough to reach the top of the Wall in my current state.

Hold on Naomi, Daiko. Daddy is almost home. I'm sorry I didn't bring you a present. Next time I pro...

My eyes snapped open.

The relief I had felt, so close to my goal, had almost killed me. I was walking and falling asleep at the same
time. I slapped myself to get my adrenaline going again.

Not yet.

Not safe yet.

I will not fail.

A shadow fell over me.

Oh you've got to be kidding me… I spun and struck with my Maskari before it had finished it's dive. I managed
to change it's diving assault into a crash. Unfortunately, it crashed into me.

My old friend Oni no Baby Face was back for round two.

We tumbled, rolling end over end in the dirt from the force of it's momentum. It rolled past me, I regained my
feet first. I had managed to hold onto my weapon.

An invulnerable Oni could be killed without magic or the three sacred substances. But this was only
accomplished by lots and lots and lots of arrows. Some of the more ingenuous and cruel weapons and traps
devised by the Kaiu could do it as well. Set a massive Oni on fire and it will burn to death. Eventually.

I had one corroded masakari.

Could I get close enough to the Wall the Crabs there could kill it, or drive it off? It was picking itself up, shaking
it's head like a dog.

I looked at the Wall. Too far.

I looked around. No shelves, no miracles. Nothing I could use.

It charged at me, I dove to the side, and managed to fend of a swipe of it's tail. It turned to face me. It's foul
breath steaming in the winter air as it's sides worked like a bellows.

No way.
What are you doing.
This is insane

As it charged again, I leapt up over it. And wrapped my arms around it's neck.

It made a gurgling sound and trashed around. Somehow I held on.

It rolled on the ground, scraping up my back. I held tighter.

It couldn't reach me with it's legs, so it tried with it's tail.

The spines dug deep into me. My grip loosened, and it took a breath.

But I held onto it's back anyway. I had one last desperate thought.
It swung it's tail again.

I let go in time.

The creatures spines stabbed into it's own flesh. It howled.

And took off. Looking for something to eat that wouldn't put up quite such a fight. It was only fact that the thing
had the mind of a wild beast that saved me. Had it been smarter, I'd be dead.

I limped off, heading towards the Wall.

I reached the edge of the last stand river. I waved my arms, made a sign to alert the Crab that could see me I
was a returning Crab, not a monster to be killed. I tried to yell but my throat was too dry. So I made the sign
again. Several Hiruma poured out from the hidden entrances of the tunnels. One got in a boat to come over
and get me, the others drew back their bows aimed at me. I was brought to the other side. The lift had been
lowered.

Right. If I was in any way compromised it wouldn't do for them to show me a safe path through the tunnels.
I tried to ask for water. All I did was croak. One Hiruma shook her head.

“Up. First you get tested.”

I nodded wearily. I wasn't going to keel over in the next few minutes. Up I went.

A Kuni was there. They took my trophies, and weapon.

The Kuni prodded me with Jade.

He brought a sliver of crystal near to my flesh.
He spoke with kami.

“This man is clean.”

He made sure everyone around heard. A ladle with fresh water was pressed into my hand. I drank like a pig.
Greedier than even my daughter. The cool water pained my parched throat. I drank more.

“Enough, Ishigaki-san. Too much water after so long without can hurt you.”

I was surprised he knew my name.

“A lone man in white, with a masakari and carrying zombie heads? Who else could that be? By now the whole
of the Wall has heard of your tale.”

He glanced down at my heads.

“You only needed eight, you know?”

“I'm an overachiever,” I croaked out.

I had to head several floors down the wall to get back to Kyuden Hida. I fully intended to set out immediately,
but the Kuni insisted I sit and have my wounds tended.

“This is one hell of a story! I cannot even think of one person who went looking for Hida that came back!”

There was a Kaiu there, bringing up some rice balls and water to help me regain my strength; she spoke up:
“That's because going to look for Hida cleanses dishonor. It would be rude to bring it up again after they return,
ne?”

“Hrm, I suppose you're right.”

I woke up.

shitwhatwhere

Oh.

Safe to say I had abused my body quite thoroughly. I didn't even know when, exactly, I had fallen asleep. I
looked around. I was sitting where I had been when the Kuni was tending me, a blanket thrown over me.
Resting with her head in my lap was Naomi.

“We tried to stop her.”

Kitsuki-san.

“We told her you would come back, once you had a chance to sleep. But we would have had to tie her up to
stop her. And then, I think, you would have killed us.”

He might have been right.

“I... what you did for us... Ishigaki”

“Stop. I only did my duty.”

“What?”

“What I've been doing, all this time Kitsuki-san. Being strong so that those weaker than me can take shelter in
my strength. That's what it means to be a Crab. I've explained this all already, haven't I?”

Our official dismissals arrived in the last week of the Winter Court.

Just a curt letter informing each of us our services were no longer required. Hohiro set out to return to the
lands of the Phoenix a bit early. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the raising of a new
Elemental Master, and he wanted to make a good impression on the sitting Council members. Shoji went with
him.

In all that time, Shoji never once spoke to his daughter, or tried to see his grandchild. That suited me just fine.
There was a part of Naomi however, a part that I suspected would never really go away, that still yearned for
her father's approval.This winter had been an emotional one for her. Honor demands loyalty to her parents,
even when they don't deserve it. And as unnatural as Shoji's disdain for his daughter was, it was just as
unnatural for a child to not seek their parent's love.

Even though such emotions are not discussed and never admitted too, even the most rigidly honorable of
samurai have them. But we only acknowledge them in plays, in books and stories. Because Desire is a sin.
One of the three great sins that gave birth to the world.

The ideal samurai has no emotion.

They do not desire things for themselves; a samurai is one who serves.
They do not regret; they simply follow the orders of their superiors.
They do not fear; death is not failure, and they know they will be reborn again.
There has never, not once in all the history of Rokugan, existed this ideal samurai. Not even the most blessed
of Ancestors dwelling in Yomi have even come close. Perfection is not for mortals. Only the Divine may be
perfect. It is through our trials, as we seek this unattainable goal, that we advance along the path towards
entering Yomi ourselves. Given how badly this life was testing my wife, I was certain she would enter the realm
of blessed ancestors.

I wasn't too sure about myself.

I had been comforting my wife through this emotional time. Quite frequently. So the sting of our dismissal was
lessened, for the both of us at least, by Naomi making an announcement.

“I did not wish to tell you before you left. I did not wish to add to your worries. But now that you have returned I
have something to tell you, Ishigaki-kun.”

She snuggled in against me, eyes closed and smiling.

“We're going to have another one.”

My mind whirled. It was so soon. Daiko wasn't even weaned yet. And Naomi's health... she had several close
calls while carrying Daiko. And yet, I couldn't not be happy at this news. I truly desired a veritable brood of
children.

Crabs. We love big families.

We were all making ready to return to our own homes, our own Clans, and receive our new assignments. At
least, after what I had done, we could all count on avoiding being tossed off to some corner and being
forgotten. Still, our partings were sorrowful. We had no idea when, or even if, our duties would ever bring us
together again.

We needn't have worried.

Destiny had a plan.

It was, admittedly, a bit long in coming to fruition. Toshiro moved in with us for the time being, to see to Naomi's
health. In the middle of spring, I was surprised by a visit from my Sensei. I wanted Naomi to stay in bed and
rest, knowing how things had progressed the last time, but she insisted on being a proper host and housewife.
She even chided me.

“Ishigaki-kun I am not made of porcelain! Let me out of this bed, I am going mad with boredom! Besides, it is
the proper thing to do, ne?”

Form over her shoulder Toshiro smirked at me.

“Fine, fine, I get it. But if you start coughing you're going right back in that bed!”

“Hai hai, Ishigaki-kun, whatever you say.”

I met with Sensei, and the person he brought with him, as Naomi served us all tea.

“Ishigaki-san, this is Hida Kojiro-sama”

Sama? This guy outranks Sensei? I took another look at this Kojiro. He wasn't much to look at. Large, like most
crabs. In fact you'd have a hard time picking him out in group of Crab. In some of that fancy armor made to
look like shells. I'm not sure why, but I never really liked that look.

Then it hit me. If this guy, so easily overlooked, outranked Sensei then he must be possessed of undeniable
skill.

Sensei continued.

“Kojiro-sama asked me to introduce you to him, and he has questions for you.”

Kojiro-sama looked me in the eyes.

“Why did you go looking for Hida?”

“No one was saying it, but everyone was thinking that I was knowing servant of a Maho-Tsukai. I wanted to
dispel those illusions before I got cornered in a stairway somewhere.”

“You could have resolved the matter with a duel or two. Only Crabs would have done that, so it's not as though
you'd be facing a Kakita in an iaijutsu duel. I'll ask you again. Why did you go looking for Hida.”

“It wasn't just me, though. All my companions were shamed as well!”

“Are they not Samurai themselves? Are you saying your friends are so weak they need you to protect them?”

“Of course they aren't weak! But they all have different strengths!”

I waved at Toshiro.

“He's the last person I would call weak, but he can't move fast with his injured leg! I am a bushi! When we are
in battle, I stand between him and those who would hurt him! It's my duty!”

“It was the duty of an Emerald Magistrate to protect other samurai from the consequences of their own failure?”

“It is the duty of a husband and father to protect his family!”

“Then show me.”

I scowled.

“Naomi, come with me please.”

I got into my armor with Naomi's help. She looked up at me questioningly. I just shook my head. I had no idea
what this was all about. I was being tested, that much was obvious. But for what I couldn't guess.

I went out into the garden, Toshiro handed me my tetsubo.

Kojiro was there waiting for me.

We fought. Not a spar, a fight. Each of us trying to kill the other.

Naomi and Toshiro had been in battle with me many times. The could tell right away I was being serious. But
Naomi is an Honorable woman. She kept her composure.

Blow after thunderous blow was struck. Armor buckled and warped. Bones splinted.

At last Kojiro said “Enough.”

I straightened. It was a bit hard to breath. My ribs were cracked.

“I've seen you skill first hand. I know you have something personal to fight for. And to return alive after going
looking for Hida I know you know well our enemy. I will take you as my student..”

That took me aback.

My previous Sensei explained from where he had been sitting.

“There was a School that existed only for students who prove themselves part of an elite group. It teaches
techniques far above the basic ones of Sunda Mizu...”

Hida Kojiro was a Sensei of that School.

And I was now a student of it.
I was a going to be a Defender of the Wall.

I spent some time away from my home training in my new School. I thought I would have an advantage, as the
techniques of the Defender built upon those of the Hida bushi. However there was a surprisingly great amount
of spiritual training as well, something my straightforward training at Sunda Mizu had not prepared for very
well. My first lesson expanded upon the Mountain Does Not Move. But rather than simply passing the shock of
a blow through my muscles and down into the earth, I was learning to fight back. Upsetting the taint in an
opponent with the purity of my own earth at the moment of impact.

This was a very difficult thing to get right.

To teach me this, Kojiro-sensei enlisted the aid of one of the Damned. The man would not give me his name. A
witch hunter watched us practice. Everyone knew he was there to keep a close eye on the Damned Crab that
was my sparing partner.

It took several weeks of nonstop beatings, but eventually Kojiro-sensei and my nameless sparring partner beat
the technique into me. As he saw me off so that I could return home to my expectant wife he gave me a rare
smile.

“Now put that to good use, Ishigaki-san.”

“Hai, sensei.”

Time passed, and while Naomi did lose strength, she fared much better than she had when she carried Daiko.
I was feeding her dinner while she rested in bed. She was perfectly capable of feeding herself, of course, but
everyone likes to be spoiled from time to time.

“Toshiro-san must have made some improvements to my medicine; I am feeling much better.”

“No, I don't think that's it. When I was fighting to get back to the Wall, it was you I thought of. You and Daiko.
I'm a bushi. A warrior. For my friends, for my duty, I would fight and die without hesitation. But for you Naomi,
for you I would live. And I know you're the same way. You've just found a strength you didn't know you had,
that's all.”

Naomi threw her arms around my neck.

“Ishigaki-kun you say the sweetest things.”

“I say the truth.”

The night Naomi gave birth, Osono-Wo rode the clouds over my house. Rain lashed against the roof, the wind
shook the whole house and lightning struck the ground almost in time with my own faked moans. I appreciated
my ancestor's help in driving the evil spirits away, though I couldn't help think he was laughing as I wandered
about the house with a futonbaby stuffed up under my kimono.
The cries that arose from my second child seemed to be trying to outdo Osano-Wo for sheer volume. I came in
to find a tired looking Naomi holding an ugly red blob. This one was red because it was screaming with all it's
might. I picked it up, took a peek. And now I had a son.

“Hey, hey you. Knock it off eh? Your poor mother's been through enough already.”

I stuck out my little finger for him, and he seized it immediately.

“Quite the grip you've got there, little Tetsute.”

Naomi smiled in approval of the name I gave our son.

It was a year after the birth of my son that Destiny's plan came to fruition.

In the meantime, I had served my clan by taking a post on the Wall. My new training came in very handy. I
came home after getting some time off to find Kitsuki-san in my home, bouncing Tetsute in his lap.

“Not even a letter to let me know you're coming? How rude.”

I grinned, pleased to see my old friend.

“I wanted to surprise you with how far I've come, but it looks like you've been quite busy yourself!”

Tetsute gurgled with delight at the play. Daiko came into the room, toddle-running at full speed. She slammed
into the table Naomi caught the teacups before they could spill Daiko plopped heavily down onto her rump.
Giggled, then stood up and took off running in another direction. I managed to get the door open before she
went through it.

Tetsute squirmed and fussed until Kistuki san set him down. Tetsute pulled himself up with the edged of the
table, took a few wobbly steps, fell, and started crawling after his sister. Kitsuki-san's eyebrows climbed up into
his hairline. No mean feat considering he wore his hair in the traditional style, with a shaven pate and a
topknot.

“Your children are very...energetic.”

Naomi smiled with open pride.

“They are both quite strong. They take after their father in that regard.”

“They got some of his bad habits too, it seems.”

Toshiro thumpdraged himself into the room and sat down.

“You'd best teach them some proper manners Naomi-san, or they'll get themselves into no end of trouble when
they grow up.”

“Hey now!”

“Oh I will be certain to do so.”

Kitsuki-san sipped his tea.

“I've missed this.”

“So, you said you had come a long way? What was that implying.”
Kitsuki-san grinned, and produced three folded letters.

“These are requests to your superiors. The Jade Magistrates have need of our assistance. Now, it's not as
prestigious as our old posts, I know. And it only Toshiro and Naomi who would be the Magistrates, we would
simply be their Yoriki. However, the Jade Magistrates concern themselves very deeply with rooting out Maho
Tsukai.”

He needn't say anything else. Our nameless, faceless foe was a Maho-Tsukai. We were sure of it. We could
finally take up the hunt again.

Daiko and Tetsute were both grown enough that we could leave them with a caretaker while we set off. Neither
of us wanted to be away from them for long, but Naomi and I both knew we needed to find out old enemy, or
they might one day target our children.

We took up the letters.

After an exhaustive hunt for just the right nanny, Naomi, Toshiro, Kitsuki-san and I headed north, into the lands
of the Crane. We met up with Monkey and Mantis in a port city named Suitengu's Blessing.

The Mantis sported a brand new suit of full O-Yori, with such ornate lacquer work I wondered if it was meant to
even be worn in battle. Clearly, he had been making lots of money in the time we had been apart. Oddly, his
kama were the same worn ass peasant weapons he'd carried since the day we met.

The Monkey had put on some muscle since I saw him last.

“Hey, hey Ishigaki-san! I did it! I'm a father!”

Jaws dropped, then congratulations followed. The Mantis snorted.

“How the hell did you pull that off, anyway?”

“Do...do you not know how it's done?”

“Don't be stupid! Of course I know. I'm asking how you managed to get your Hime-san to go along with it, you
twit!”

“I didn't. She just said she wanted a baby one day. She's been nicer to me as well. Especially when mom is
around…”

So that was it. Monkey's mother had been a Samurai-ko before she settled down and got married. I had only
met her once, but she seemed to me to be quite strong. Maybe not a great warrior, but one possessed of a
deep calm. The kind you feel from someone who is exactly aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. Like
the quiet you feel deep a bamboo forest.

I could see her calmly wearing down Hime-san's protestations with pointed logic over the year Monkey was on
‘pilgrimage.’ Probably taking calm sips of tea, not even bothering to open her eyes.

I hopped my daughter would turn out like that, instead of an O-Ushi. But considering how she was already
acting, the latter seemed more likely.

Naomi pressed the Monkey.

“And? Boy or girl? What did you name them?”

“It's a boy! I named him Tokichiro!”

We stayed at an inn that night, staying up late into the night catching up with one another.

In the morning as we gathered up our things we were greeted by a very strange sight. A woman lurched
through the streets, lugging a heavy bucket. Her hair was done up in a bun, but tangled strands fell out all over
the place.
Kimono tied in the front, with a shoulder bared. Face painted like a geisha but all smeared, as though she had
slept with her makeup on. She lurched and staggered, and I could tell it was not just the weight of the bucket
causing that. Liquid slopped over the side. Yellow and brown liquid. There were chunks.

“GoeeeeeeeeMON! yah bashtard! Get out ere! Gots a nice gifth for ya!”

It wasn't really our place to stop what appeared to be drunken geisha lugging a pail full of piss and shit from
doing...whatever it was she was going to do, but our curiosity got the better of us. Kitsuki-san asked a nearby
fishmonger who Goemon might be.

“That would be Doji Goeman-sama, great samurai! He is the magistrate of this city.”

The fishmonger pointed at two large wooden doors forming a gate to a nice house.

“He lives right there.”

We arched eyebrows at each other. Now we definitely wanted to see where this was going.

“Um. Should we not do something? She might get herself in trouble!”

I shook my head.

“That woman is already in trouble, and she doesn't care. Get in her way and we'll just become targets of her
anger.”

The woman stormed up the gate.

And threw her bucket all over it.

“There! You think we're less’n shit, well now you have to deal with shit!”

She lost her balance and fell. Naomi broke from us at that point and rushed to her side helping her up Just as
the gates opened and Yoriki swarmed out with yari.

Well shit.

I moved to interpose myself between the Yoriki and my wife. Unfortunately it looked like I was also defending
the mad geisha.

“Mate!”

The Yoriki lifted the yari at that, and a man with white hair came out of the home. That must be Doji Goemon.
He looked at me first. I had taken to wearing my armor and damn the social niceties again.

“Did I miss something? Are the Crab and Crane at war again?”

“No, but I wouldn't be a very good Yojimbo if I wasn't ready at all times for danger.”

“You suggest that my city is not perfectly safe?”

“I suggest it's much harder to be surprised if you are always ready.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Besides which, it's just polite to wear my armor.”

And I took off my mempo. He flinched.

“I see.”

I tied my mempo back on and smirked. While I had been distracting him, Naomi had spoken quietly to the
geisha. Then he looked over at Naomi and the geisha.

“And you? What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Naomi produced the chop that was her badge of office.

“I am a Jade Magistrate. Is it true you have been not been investigating the disappearances of several geisha
in this city?”

“What business is it of yours how I conduct my affairs? How do a few geisha going missing have anything to do
with the spiritual purity of the Empire?! I would not sear you delicate ears with knowledge of unclean things.
Suffice to say the servants of Evil have their ways.”

“If you will not investigate this matter, than I will.”

I grinned behind my mask. Naomi may seem soft, but she had a core of fine Kaiu steel. Her compassion could
bring forth some righteous anger on behalf of those who are wronged. And it seemed like we had, quite
unexpectedly, gotten our first case as Jade Magistrates.

I leaned in close to Naomi and whispered in her ear.

“You do realize that the cause of these disappearances actually falls under our mandate, right?”

“I do not care. If it is not within our mandate, then we will turn over what evidence we collect to the magistrate.
He will have to act then, if we do his job for him.”

Fair enough. We did have a right to go poking around, but we were definitely stepping on toes doing so. I didn't
mind stepping on toes. Especially blue and white toes that smelled like expensive perfume.

The Doji simmered for a moment as he reached the same conclusion.

“Do as you wish then.”

The geisha looked up at us both, eyes wide. She bowed.

“Thank you. Please, put an end to this!”

Naomi knelt down beside her.

“We will, I promise”

“Enough.”

The magistrate gestured and his Yoriki butted in, grabbing the geisha. I grabbed Naomi. I knew what was
coming. No honorable samurai could allow an insult from one beneath their station to pass.

“Leggo! I can walk on my own dammit!”

She straightened up her Kimono as best she could and walked over in front of the Magistrate.

“My name was Satsume” she said, without looking back.

“Say a prayer for me, please?”

Doji Goemon didn't say anything. He looked at the mess on his door, with a wrinkled up nose, Then back at
her.

She knelt.

And he drew his blade in an iai and cut her head off.

A Yoriki handed him a handful of rice paper squares to wipe his blade.

“Someone clean all this filth up. All of it.”

Naomi gave me a quick nod once she had steadied herself. Mantis gave us an ‘over-here’ head jerk. We
followed him.

“What is it?”

“While you busy antagonizing the magistrate and finding us work, I asked around the street. I know where
...Satsume, was it? I know where she worked.”

“Lead on then.”

The madame bowed deeply as we entered, at first assuming we were all customers. But then I walked in.
With Toshiro right behind me.

“Ah, what is the matter great Samurai?”

Kitsuki-san spoke up, his tone gentle to put the madame at ease.

“You had a girl by the name of Satsume, did you not?”

She stiffened at the word 'had.'

“What did she do?”

Kitsuki-san related the story of this morning to the madame.

“Oh that fool! Goemon-sama does not care about the plight of a few geisha! What was she thinking?!”

Toshiro spoke up.

“She was hoping someone would notice, and investigate. She was right.”

He set his magistrates chop down in front of her.

“We're going to look into this matter. We will need to speak with you and your girls, in order to get to the bottom
of this.”

“Hai.”
The madame clapped her hands.

“Girls, girls come out here. Please, great Samurai, sit. Relax.”

We did and a girl paired off with each of us. They had sake, but only the Mantis drank. The rest of us asked for
tea instead. I was on duty, no sake for a Crab on duty. The madame spoke first, informing the girls what had
transpired.

“Tch. Stupid little bitch. Getting herself killed and bringing attention down on us like that!”

“Tatsuki! Satsume gave her life to protect us!”

“Tch.”

“Forgive her outburst, please. She is still in training. I will speak with her later.”

Tatsuki wilted a bit at that. Naomi, Kitsuki-san and Toshiro took turns asking questions, getting all the details of
the events in question.

Two month ago, the first girl went missing.

“I do not believe I am overly harsh with my girls, but some simply cannot adapt to this life. So I thought her just
a runaway.”

But a week later another one vanished. Like clockwork. One a week. For two months. We asked after
suspicious customers, but there were none. Or, at least none of the women were inclined to speak of to the
Samurai that came to visit them. With eight girls gone there wasn't a single customer that they had all been
entertaining either.

Monkey suggested a local peasant. Someone who could not afford to come. They DID have a few of those.
Three brothers, Isaku, Nisaku, and Sansaku.

Our first lead.

The three little -saku's were all fishermen, so we went down to the docks to wait for them to come in with their
day's catch. Following the adage of a net cast wide catches more fish, the Mantis spoke to yet more peasants,
seeing if anyone had anything else to say about the disappearances of the Geisha. They did not.

However, one old man, his back bent with age, mending a net mentioned that other people had vanished
without a trace before the geisha. For nearly a year. Before the geisha, it was fishermen. And it was 'only' one
a month.

A younger fellow salting fish and setting the out to dry piped up.

“Don't listen to old Kisuke there, people fall from their boats and drown all the time. It's no great mystery what
happened.”

Hrm. I wondered about that.

The three little Saku's came ashore nets full to bursting. They looked horrifying similar. Bulbous noses and
thick fat bodies. I realized I would have a hard time telling them apart. Kistuki-san addressed them.

“Isaku, Nisaku, Sansaku?”

They looked surprised, then bowed.

“Hai, great samurai!”

We split them up and began to question them. Kitsuki-san gave us all a script to work with, basic things about
their lives and daily activities. I played bad magistrate to Naomi's good magistrate, the Mantis and Toshiro took
another one, and Kitsuki san questioned the third with the Monkey. None of the questions would yield anything
of note to the investigation. The point of the first round was to see who might be lying…

After we had read off our scripts we met back up to compare notes. So far, all three answered the questions in
the same way. Kitsuki-san scowled.

“Are these the exact things they said?”

Toshiro had taken notes, he nodded. So had I.

He scowled.

“Their responses are identical.”

“Hah?”

When asked a question, each responded in the exact same way. Three brothers. Unmarried. Living together.
And they took great pains to make it as difficult to tell one apart from the other as possible...

Kitsuki-san, the Mantis, and I searched their house. Naomi checked with magic. Toshiro and the Monkey kept
an eye on them as they bowed, waiting for us to finish.

Nothing.

We tested them with jade. Nope.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. So we spoke to their neighbors, and those around town. We had asked
about their daily activities over the last few months, if we could catch them in a lie…

But no. All we learned was that they had an unsavory reputation. When pressed as to the nature of this, it was
nothing in specific. They were just...odd. Aside from the fact that no one was sure which one they were dealing
with, they largely kept to themselves. Speaking only to sell their fish, or when spoken to.

We set the Monkey on our three little Saku's, tailing them and observing. The rest of us ate, I decided to grab a
bath. While the Monkey tailed the Saku brothers, I decided to stay up all night and keep watch over the Geisha
house. Discreetly.

Kitsuki-san had wondered if they were all in on it, or just one, since they were so hard to tell apart. He assured
us he could though. There are small mannerisms unique to each. They are very subtle, though. So there was
no easy way. You'd have to look closely when the right situation presented itself, to see their individual tics.
This was proving to be quite difficult.

I treated myself to a couple sticks of dango after my bath. In keeping with my tradition of attempting long shots
on the off chance they pay off, I asked the owner of the bath house about the Saku brothers.

“Hrm. Them. I only allow them to come here because the smell would drive us all mad otherwise.”

Oh ho. Seems this shot in the dark had hit something. So I asked him how they had managed to get under his
skin.

“I've caught them peeping on the women's bath several times.”

“All three?”

“No, one at a time. That way they can cover for each other by all denying it! Twins are born sharing a soul, but
triplets? Eh, I think maybe there is not enough soul to go around for three.”

Pleased with myself for finding something new, I got one more stick of dango and headed back to the inn to let
everyone know what I had learned.

And got stabbed in the back.

As I turned down an alleyway to head for the inn, a peasant pulled a tanto from their robe and rushed me. I
heard the draw, but spun to late. Fortunately I'm a thick Crab, and the tanto didn't penetrate very deep.

I spun and jabbed the peasant in the neck with my dango skewer.

He was wearing a mask around his face. I could tell by his build he wasn't one of the Saku's.

What in the fuck is going on here?

He tried to lunge again, but this time I pushed aside his wrist, grabbed it and wrenched his arm. I snatched off
his mask with my free hand. I recognized him. One of the Yoriki.

No seriously, what in the fuck!?

He elbowed me in the stomach, hard, and I lost my grip. Didn't expect him to be that strong.

He took off, my dango skewer still in his neck.

I gave chase.

But outside the alleyway there were still crowds moving about, even though the sun had set. Too many people
got in my way, and I lost sight of my would be assassin.

Chikusho.

I made my way back to the inn. Naomi was a bit distressed at my injury. Kitsuki-san was more surprised I got
hurt at all.

“I was just careless, that's all. Didn't notice him till I heard the sound of the blade being drawn.”

As Naomi eased life into me and healed my wound I let them know it was one of Goemon's Yoriki that stabbed
me.

“Great. Now that Doji is trying to kill us?”

Kitsuki-san shook his head.

“We do not know if the Yoriki was acting on Goemon-sama's orders, Mantis-san.”

“Bullshit. Even if he never gave explicit orders, that Yoriki was acting on Goemon's behalf. And the neck wound
will prove that's the one that tried to kill Ishigaki-san. I say we confront the bastard with that.”

Toshiro objected.

“We've only got the word of the Yojimbo to a Jade Magistrate. And we'd be accusing a Crane. How's your
Iaijutsu technique, Mantis-san?”

The Mantis grunted at that.

“Fine then. I'll go keep an eye on them.”

“Mantis-san…”

“I know. Be discrete. I can take care of myself.”

After the Mantis left, I mentioned my thought to keep watch on the Geisha.

“But with the Mantis and the Monkey both spying on people, maybe I should stay here with all of you.”

But the others assured me they would be fine.

Toshiro spoke up, “Naomi and I can set up symbols. We'll just stay in one room. We'll be safe.”

“Be careful, Ishigaki-kun.”

“I will.”

Since I was intending to be sneaky, that meant leaving my armor behind. My intent wasn't to scare off the
cause of the disappearances, should it show itself. But to catch it in the act and dispense with all this running
around chasing smoke. I found a wagon stacked with crates to hide behind, and settled in to watch the geisha
house.

Samurai entered, Samurai left, and soft music wafted out into the night. Of course the Samurai all wore masks.
Love is a thing for poems and plays. A Fantasy. Whether engaging in an affair during the winter court, or
visiting a geisha whose contract you want to buy, you're supposed to be discreet about it.

The night wore on. The people in the street thinned, then vanished. The last Samurai left the geisha house,
weaving drunkenly. And then, two shadowed figures emerged from a side door in the geisha house and
headed away.

I followed.

I caught a whiff of opium, so I was able to keep after them without exposing myself much. They stopped in a
deserted allway. The coal from a pipe lit up one of the figures faces.

Tatsuki.

“What did you want, anyway?”

“Tatsuki-san, you were so cruel to Satsume today.”

“So? Samurai are nothing but trouble! Get em drunk, do a dance, take their money, that's it. Anyone hoping
some rich pretty boy will buy their contract is a fool, and anyone who goes out of their way to get their attention
even more so. They'll kill you for looking at them sideways!”

“I can't say you're wrong, Tatsuki. But, you shouldn't have spoken up when you did. Those jade magistrates
might just wonder if you had some connection to the murders.”

“What d'ya mean, murders? They just went missing, it's not like we know they're dead or anything.”

I was already moving at that point.

“Oh but I do know.”

I got between the two just as the knife flashed. It scraped me, and I returned the favor with my tetsubo.
Catching the Geisha in the side, I pulled my blow so I wouldn't kill her. I just wanted to take her off her feet. I
had questions, after all.

To my surprise, she not only seemed untroubled by my attack, she kept her feet.

Okay, that's just not right.

“Tatsuki. Run to the inn. Get my companions and bring them here.”

Tatsuki just stared, slack jawed. Her pipe fallen to ground.

“Move peasant!”

She ran. The not really a geisha moved to give chase, but I blocked her path.

“Your fight is with me.”

In the dim light of the red paper lanterns, I could just make out the dark stain spreading across her side. So I
did hurt her.

As I advanced, preparing to strike again, she swung her knife. Not at me, but at the string of lanterns.

Most fell harmlessly into the road, but enough did drift into the outer walls of the nearby buildings that I had to
rush over and put them out, lest they start a fire. She used those precious few seconds to break from me and
run.

I finished stomping out the lanterns and stood there cursing until Tatsuki came back with my friends. Mantis
and Monkey weren't with of course, still investigating.

“Damn bitch is tough. More than simple geisha! I wounded her though, think you can follow a blood trail this
late at night, Kitsuki-san?”

“Ishigaki.”

Toshiro had knelt to examine the blood.

“This blood, it's far too dark.”

Kitsuki-san leaned in, brought his lantern in closer.

“You're right.”

“Humans breathe in Air, it mixes with our Water, making our blood bright red. As our water passes it's strength
on to our Earth, our bodies, it becomes darker. This blood is black.”

Toshiro looked up at me.

“Just like a corpse that has not taken in any Air for a long time.”

“Bog Hag?!”

“I think so, yes.”

Kitsuki-san blinked.

“I thought you said your technique disrupted the taint of your enemies?”

“It does, but it's a reflex. I use it when I am struck; it's not as if I would know it's working. Only my opponent
would know... ah.”

“No wonder it was not eager to fight you.”

Toshiro and I locked eyes, the same thought running through our heads.

“You three go find the Mantis! I'll get the Monkey!”

“Protocol!”

“I'll be fine, Toshiro! You're slow, Naomi is sick, and Kitsuki-san isn't much of a Yojimbo! You three need to stay
in a larger group!”

I was already running, before any more protests could come up. As I neared the docks I heard the sound of
retching. Turning towards it, I found the Monkey. He was leaning against a building, clutching the side of his
neck. I could see him panting. As I came closer he leaned over and puked.

He saw me.

“Ishigaki-san? I... I don't feel so good.”

I picked him up. His skin was on fire with fever.

“Some crazy bitch... She was clutching her side, I asked her what was wrong and as I got close she clawed the
shit out of my neck!”

Bog Hag talons carried disease in them. She had used the tanto on me because she did not wish to extend her
claws through her fake skin. I had no idea how severe the disease was, or how long it normally took to work,
but obviously this one was working very, very fast.

I slung the Monkey over my shoulders and ran. He didn't complain.

I got back to the Inn and stomped heavily as I ran up to our room; I threw open the door.

Toshiro said hello by blasting both myself and the monkey with a Jade Strike.

As the energy washed harmlessly over the two of us I set down the Monkey.

“Hag got him. With her claws.”

“Shit.”

Toshiro fished out a prayer to Jurojin. As I explained what that meant to the others. Naomi added her own
magic, and between the two the Monkey was saved.

Everyone was quickly brought up to speed. The Mantis confirmed for us that the Yoriki I had encountered early
that day was also the Bog Hag, as his failure to report in had caused a bit of shouting at the magistrates.

“Okay, now that we know what we're looking for, we only need to find one creature in a city of thousands that
could change it's appearance at almost at will.”
There was a reason Bog Hags were able to live in Rokugan for a long time should they just make it past the
wall.

“Hey, uh Toshiro-san? I'm grateful and all for the magic healing... but why did you blast us both?”

“Wont hurt you if you aren't tainted. If it did hurt you I'd have blasted you again till you stopped twitching.”

“Oh.”

I chuckled.

“Hitting one another in the face with that spell is a perfectly fine way to say hello among the Kuni. It has
advantages, since a normal Jade test requires you to get close enough to poke someone first.”

“Couldn't you just hold up your own Jade?”

Toshiro took that one.

“Greenstone. There's a mineral that is similar in appearance to Jade, but it's not. Hard to tell the difference at a
distance. Some fools have, from time to time, tried to pass it off as Jade to our Clan when our own stores were
low.”

“Okay.”

“Now, how do we go about finding this monster?”

“Check the geisha. The madame, in particular.”

It was the Mantis.

“That Yoriki not reporting in for duty was a big deal. If the Hag was stepping into their daily lives, then there's
an issue. Geisha live in their house. They really aren't supposed to leave unless called out by a client, or to run
errands. Keeping up a double life like that would be hard…

It was the Mantis’ turn to get some weird looks.

“What? don't judge me! You're the weird ones, being all lovey dovey.”

Before we left we ground up jade and prepared powder. Bog hags were invulnerable. The blood was not the
hags, but from the skin she had been wearing. It was unusual, but not unheard of for older, stronger and more
cunning hags to be able to take more than just the surface skin.

This made the disguise even more difficult to spot. Some even learned maho spells to preserve their skins. We
returned to the geisha house as dawn was nearing. Toshiro placed a ward of flame upon the frame of the door.

We entered.

Tatsuki greeted us.

“Oka-san is resting right now, should I go get her?”

“Please.”

As the madame shuffled out, she greeted us warmly.

“Hello great Samurai! I cannot thank you enough for what you did for our Tatsuki last night! How may I help
you?”

I walked up to her, and held out the finger of Jade I wore.

“Hold this a moment.”

“Oh great Samurai, this one is unworthy of such of a gift.”

She was misunderstanding, going through the three refusals. I heard the Monkey snicker.

“No, I'm not giving this to you, I just want you to touch it.”

“Whatever for great samurai?”

Some of the other girls had come out of their rooms to see us.

“We just want to be sure.”

The door to the front slid open.

“Oka-san, I'm home! I have the-”

As soon as the Geisha stepped across the threshold, she burst into flames. Oh shit, which one was that?

“Damnit, THEY KNOW!”

“Uh…”

“Oh dear, this is going to cause quite the ruckus. We will have to leave this city now, no matter what happens.
Girls, listen up. The one who kills the big one gets the little girl's pretty skin.”

All around us, geisha ripped their flesh off and revealed themselves to be Bog Hags.

Tatsuki fell to her knees, unable to comprehend her entire world shattering in an instant.

Including the madame, and the burned one, I counted six.

I once mentioned we Crabs had a code word for when the teahouse we're in is staffed by demons in disguise,
they didn't know they'd been found out, and everyone should grab their weapons and meet out front.

We also had one that meant the same thing, expect that the demons know they've been found out, and you
should fight way out.

Yasha.

[A note can be found in the margin of this scroll

Some may be a bit confused at the actions of Kuni Toshiro-san, and the "flame ward" which seemed to burn
what was, at first glance, an innocent geisha, until fortunate circumstance revealed that it was a disguised Bog
Hag.
This is due entirely to the author not being a shugenja, and failing to adequately describe the magic used.
I do not believe that Toshiro-san used the more modern Symbol of Flame, but rather an older version of that
spell created by the Kuni. In following with the naming practices of the Crab Clan, they called it Evil Ward
It is very similar to Symbol of Flame, save that it will only trigger when a being with the shadowlands taint
attempts to pass the barrier so erected. And so I do not believe any accusations of carelessness on the part of
would be critics.]
Toshiro threw Jade fire as we powdered our weapons. Energy rushed through my limbs as Naomi blessed me.

I was worried, there were a lot of Hags here, Toshiro and Naomi had both used magic earlier, and we were
relying primarily on powder to injure them.

The burned one leapt onto Toshiro's back, clawing him.

One went for the Mantis, one the Monkey. Two came at me.

The Mantis and monkey both defended themselves, and I knocked aside the first to reach me, the second one
got a claw in under my arm as I raised by tetsubo to block. She cried out as she struck me, confused.

“What was that human what did you do to me?!”

“Calm down, that's why I told you to work together on him. I know what he is doing; it won't harm you.”

As the Geishags eyed me hatefully, Oka-san reached inside her kimono, and pulled out a scroll.

Oh shit.

She then clawed herself, quite deeply. Oh that's a lot of blood…

And my chest burned. I fell to my knees hacking and coughing. Blood poured up from nose and mouth. My
lungs ached. So this is what it's like, to be Naomi…

I had to end that bitch, and I had to do it, now. before she cast that spell again.

With the strength Naomi gave me, I slammed the haft of my tetsubo into the geishag that had clawed into me,
knocking it down, while preserving my powder.

Then I rushed over it and attacked the head of this hag coven. I saw surprise and fear in the creature's eyes, it
had hoped that spell would slow me down much more than it had.

I spun my tetsubo, two overhead strikes, sliding my hand down the haft to let the full momentum strike her. She
was still standing, but swaying about drunkenly. I suspected she had overtaxed herself with that maho.

Behind me the Mantis, Monkey and Kitsuki all worked together. As the Kistuki shoved his blade into one's
stomach, the monkey struck at the back of her neck.

Then the Mantis buried his kama into the top of her head. The hag made an almost comical gurgle as it fell
over, dead.

Toshiro was praying, hard. Another big one, then. Naomi whispered another prayer and touched the Mantis.
Who then spun and struck the burning hag.

The other hags howled in fury and lunged at the Mantis, taken by surprise at the three on one, he went down
under their claws. Kitsuki-san grabbed the Mantis and dragged him back to Naomi.

She didn't waste any time, not even bothering with a scroll. As the Mantis groggily got to his feet, Naomi
teetered, sweating and panting hard.

For that matter, so was I.

I was still sucking in air, a terrible panic rising in me at the feeling of not being able to breathe.
I crushed it ruthlessly. I knew I could breathe, even though my body was screaming I needed more. Still, my
vision was going dark at the edges.

What the hell did that monster do to me?

It lashed out with a claw, unable or unwilling to spill more of it's own blood to work any more magic. It's talons
punched through my chest piece but only the very tips found my flesh.

And before she could draw back, I brought my tetsubo down on her head for a third time. This time the thing’s
skull cracked open. Brains and fluid spattered to the floor. It stood there, head still bent from the impact of my
strike, almost as if it was bowing before me.

Then it crumpled.

I turned. I needed to repowder my weapon. Naomi was spent, or close to it. Toshiro was was praying, scroll in
one hand, with his tetsubo held out in a warding stance. With that one hand grip he could not defend himself
well.

Mantis was badly hurt, near death. Not even Naomi could heal someone so wounded that quickly.

And there were still four of the damn things standing. One hadn't even been hurt yet.

Well let's fix that.

Panting like a horse in heat (even killing the fucking thing hadn't fixed my lungs... was I going to be like this
forever?) I charged at the unwounded Hag. And into her.

She bit at my helmet and clawed at my back as I continued to run, taking her with me. And out the front door.

Through the ward.

When a bleeding Crab in full armor comes crashing through the door of a Geisha house, bearing with him a
Bog Hag that is also on fire, people have a tendency to take notice.

One may then assume that, once their brains can fully register what their eyes have told them, they will scream
and run about like chickens with their heads cut off.

The people in the streets lived up to my expectations. Spectacularly.

Good, that should bring some more bodies. If we have to we'll just pin them down with sheer numbers until we
can bring up enough powder to bring them all down.

The Monkey lashed out at one of the hags, keeping the thing from attacking the Mantis.
The Kitsuki took a stance from the Dojo. I had seen the Shiba do that once, long ago.
The Mantis spun around slipping to one knee he scythed his blades through the legs of two of the hags,
causing them both to fall.
Naomi drew another scroll from her satchel

And then Toshiro finished his spell.

The spell was an old one, in use for centuries. It turned wrathful Earth Kami upon those it targeted, disrupting
their own earth, weakening them considerably. The Earth Kami were particularly incensed should they detect
the presence of taint. The spell had been made famous by one of the sons of the Emperor Toturi the First.

It was, in these days, known as the Wolf's Mercy.

Toshiro managed to get all four of the hags. The wounded three died on the spot, their weakened bodies
succumbing to the severe wounds they already bore.

Only the burning one was still alive. Kitsuki-san struck it hard. It thrashed in my grip, but I managed to hold on,
barely. The Mantis and then the Monkey were finally able to still the beast.

I felt life rush into me, and the pain in my chest eased up at last. Just as Naomi began to cough once more. I
caught her before she fell, and set her down gently.

“Tatsuki. Tatsuki! My wife needs her medicine, we need a teapot, water, and a fire. Quickly!”

My shouts galvanized her, and Tatsuki moved to comply. Kitsuki-san saw to preparing her medicine. Toshiro,
panting hard, looked at me and the Mantis.

“Neither of you better get sick from those wounds. I've got nothing left.”

And, far too late to be useful, the Crane showed up, Yoriki in tow. Doji Goemon looked about with disgust, and
more than a little fear.

“What has happened here?”

Naomi was panting hard, still giving little coughs. She looked at me. Though her eyes were tight with pain, she
gave me a nod to reassure me she would be alright soon enough. So Toshiro, as the only other full fledged
Jade Magistrate in our group, had to explain the scene to the Magistrate's satisfaction.

“You had a Bog Hag problem. We took care of it for you. You're welcome. Bye.”

Atta boy, Toshiro. That won't cause any problems, I'm sure.

He then turned and began throwing salt all over.

“Wait, just a minute!”

“No”

“What?”

Toshiro spun and glared at the Doji.

I had watched Toshiro apply his face paint several times. He started out pure white. Black, all around his eyes,
making them tiny pools of light in deep sea. Then, almost haphazardly dipped his four fingers into red, and
pulled them across his face. The visage he created looked like a man with deep black eyes that were far too
large, and had been clawed from temple to chin by some great beast.

In other words, pretty damn scary.

And he used it to full effect as he glared at the Doji.

“Bog Hags are tainted. They've been hiding in this geisha house for months. People have probably already
been tainted. They might be infections even now. And I have to deal with that. It's what Jade Magistrates do.
The first step is to purify this place, So shut up and let me do my job! Or do you want to explain to your lord
why half this city had to be burned down when the taint gets too deep?”

He was bluffing. It was true there were probably people with the taint unknowingly spreading it around, but one
geisha house? No way had it become such a crisis. Toshiro just didn't want to deal with the Crane, and was
using the fact that such knowledge was considered shameful in the rest of Rokugan to deceive him.
It worked.

The Doji salvaged his wounded pride by berating his Yoriki.

“Don't just stand there! Get some monks, shugenja! And eta!”

The Mantis, meanwhile, discreetly moved Tatsuki out the back, we all knew from the attempt on her life she
was innocent of any wrongdoing. But we doubted Goemon would see it that way.

Several Monks, a small swarm of Eta, and even an Asahina showed up to help with the cleansing. And all
protests from Goemon stopped as the Eta began to bring up human skins from a secret basement Kitsuki-san
found.

There were thirty two.

As well as a very large pile of bones. There was no telling how many people were there. There were only three
skulls. Not nearly enough for all the bones.

I explained to Goemon.

“Bog Hags don't kill just for skins. They eat people. Especially pretty women and children.”

He excused himself, and hurried off. I could hear him vomit.

I doubted it was compassion for the victims. Rather I suspected it was fear that such a thing had gone on for so
long right under his nose. I had no doubt he would have much explaining to do when his lord heard of this
incident. I didn't embarrass him further by looking.

“Hey, Naomi?”

“Ha...hai Ishigaki-san?”

Still a little sore.

“Is he doing that right?”

I jerked my head to Toshiro. He had just thrown a second handful of salt at a wall that particularly offended him.
It always seemed... messy to me, when Toshiro purified things. Naomi nodded, and sipped some water.

“He lacks grace, I admit, but It is fine the way he does it.”

“Huh.”

Naomi advised Goemon on the Jade test, and the Monk in charge of the local Shrine assured us that, should
anyone be found with the taint, he could guide them to a temple that specialized in treating those so afflicted.
Toshiro pressed him on the details, but was satisfied the temple in question wasn't one that took mercy too far.

We left, to chase after possible clients with the taint.

We were joined, of all people, by Tatsuki.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked no one in particular, pointing at her.

“Mine. Hands off.”

I stared at the Mantis. He pulled a produced a piece of paper.

“I bought her contract.”

“From a dead bog hag?!”

“Yeah. Got a great price.”

“You just took that!”

“Look, I know you don't know shit about Geisha, loving your wife as much as you do but the contract is the only
thing separating a Geisha from a whore..”

Naomi blushed at the comment. I had no idea if that was true or not. Naomi, of course, wanted to know what
the half-person thought of all this. Naomi's Compassion could really get in the way of her sense of propriety at
times.

“I don't have any traveling papers, I can't stay there and I sure as hell didn't want to show my face to the
magistrate to try and get some papers.... So this works. I mean, I could be a lot worse off right now, and you
did save my life...several times over in fact.”

Huh. That's very upfront. I wondered what is was that she sensed in us to put her so at ease. And that's how
the Mantis got a Geisha.

“So, you gonna marry her?”

Monkey, of course. Naomi hid her smile behind her sleeve and tittered. The Mantis just glowered at the
Monkey, but Tatsuki actually fidgeted a bit. I shared a glance with Kistuki-san and Naomi as we noted that.

And we headed out for the nearest town.

For a few weeks we spread word of possible taint outbreak. Discreetly, to local lords. We told them how to
check, got them in touch with temples to handle anyone found with the taint. Naomi went through paper and
ink quite quickly, writing letters back home.

“I don't think either of them can read yet, Naomi.”

“The nanny will read the letters to them Ishigaki-kun. Until we got home to see them again.”

I understood. Not a day passed while I was standing my post on the Wall that I didn't think of home. When we
arrived at the third city, the guard who checked our papers became very excited.

He ran off, and came back with a Crane wearing heavy armor. Very elaborate ornamentation, high quality
lacquer work. Ceremonial Armor, made for show. But I recognized Kaiu made armor when I saw it. So despite
it's ostentatious frippery, it would serve well in real battle.

The Crane introduced himself as Daidoji Hideo, the magistrate. He asked us to come and see his lord. He said
all would be made clear once we spoke with his lord.

Oookay. Can't really turn down this invite without being rude, and we were pretty sure we had used up our
rudeness allotment for the month already. We entered into the Lord's chamber and knelt, awaiting his arrival.

And were quite stunned when a boy who looked too young to have taken his Gempukku came out to greet us.

“I am Kakita Ren. Welcome, honorable Jade Magistrates, to my city.”

Two others were with him. An older woman who sat out of the way, and a man clearly nearing retirement age.

“This is my mother, Kakita Himeko, and Karo Doji Tenkai. I have asked you here because I wish for you to
explain why my father rose up at his own funeral and killed my elder brother.”

And this shit right here, is why Crabs behead their dead.

“Of course we will do all that we can to see to this matter, Kakita Ren-sama.”

Naomi was much better at speaking formally then Toshiro.

“I take your honorable Lord Father has already been put to rest?”

“Hai.”

Toshiro took over at this point.

“Then we will need to speak with everyone who was in the palace at the time of his passing. Before his
funeral.”

Toshiro was putting forth his best effort, but was still a bit rough around the edges. So I decided to elaborate a
bit.

“It is possible a Maho-Tsukai used forbidden magic to defile your father's body, your lordship. We will need to
investigate to determine who may have been able to do so.”

“Of course, you would know best in such matters. I leave it in your hands. Tenkai-san, prepare rooms for them,
and see to it they have all they require to conduct their investigation.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

Tenkai bowed deeply.

Once we were shown to our rooms we began to discuss what we were going to do.

“So, look for the zombie making maho-tsukai, then?” Monkey, of course.

“I doubt it.” I stated, matter of factly.

“Huh? But you said…”

“Ishigaki-san only told the lord a comforting lie.” Toshiro informed him.

“Hey, I wasn't lying Toshiro!”

“Fine. Ishigaki-san told the Lord the least likely reason because it was kinder than the most likely.”

“Alright, so then what's most likely?”

“That the Lord was tainted and the taint reanimated his corpse after his death.”

“...oh.”

Even Monkey knew we couldn't very well raise such a possibility lightly. So, we would need to poke around
quietly, looking for answers.
“I can do it.”

Mantis spoke.

“If I get caught, I can bluff my way out. If the Monkey gets caught,he'll just make it worse for all of us.”

“Hey!”

Naomi nodded and produced a scroll.

“Come here, Mantis-san. This spell will allow you to read quite quickly, and you will be able to remember
everything you've read.”

“That'll come in handy.”

He took off.

The rest of us began to interview people, building a rough idea of what happened following the Lord's death.

As we began our interviews, the Karo spoke to us.

“Of course, you see the need for discretion in this matter, yes? If word got out that the previous Lord became a
Zombie...!”

Toshiro grunted. The karo smiled.

“I am pleased you understand.”

Toshiro arched an eyebrow at me.

“He just doesn't understand you like I do.”

I clapped him on the back.

“C'mon. Let's' go listen to Kitsuki-san and Naomi talk. You can have the first glower.”

Kitsuki-san and Naomi spoke to the interviewees. Toshiro glared. I loomed. The Monkey looked bored.

We managed to get a rough history of what had transpired.

Four days ago, the previous Lord, Kakita Hosokawa, died choking on a sushi roll. Or, more precisely, the bone
still in the fish that cook had accidentally left in. Hosokawa's eldest son became the Lord.

His first order was to have the cook executed.

Improperly filleting a fish so badly you leave a bone in big enough to choke on, and failing to notice as you
make the roll, was quite the crime. I didn't know if warranted being tied to a post and stabbed with a half dozen
yari simultaneously though.

At the Hosokawa's funeral the next day, as they were preparing to light the pyre, his corpse stood up,
shambled over to his eldest son, and quite literally bit his face off.

The guards were able to stab the Hosokawa zombie, and held it in the pyre with their yari as it burned to ash.

Now here we were, trying to figure out why that happened.

“Maybe it really was a Maho-tsukai, maybe someone related to the cook? Getting revenge?”

The Monkey had a point. The Monkey had a point.

The Mantis came back. He looked troubled.

“We need to speak. In private.”

“Okay, what?”

He pulled a scroll from his kimono.

“I can't read this.”

We unrolled it. Toshiro and Naomi both frowned.

“It's in a cipher, of some sort. I can't read it though.”

Naomi pulled a scroll from her own satchel and cast a spell.

“Oh no.”

“What is it.”

“It's a maho spell.”

Kitsuki-san looked at the Mantis

“You suspected as much?”

“Yeah. His journals spoke of secret meetings. A group he'd meet with once a month. He'd bitch in his journals
about this or that edict his group would want him to make, talking about how ‘too much of that might expose
me.’ He avoided specifics, no names, no numbers.”

Oh. So the Lord was a Maho-Tsukai,whose taint had raised him as a zombie before he could be cremated. And
was part of a group of Maho-Tsukai.

This all seemed like a bad comedy. But there it was.

“So um. How exactly are we going to broach this subject to Kakita Ren-sama? I get the feeling more tact will
be required than just 'Bad news, buddy. Yer dad was a blood sorcerer.'”

Toshiro disagreed with me.

“We have proof, as Jade Magistrates it's our duty to pursue this. Kitsuki-san, any ideas?”

“I think we should pursue this group of Maho-tsukai first. We may have stumbled onto a bloodspeaker cell.”

“You really think they're still around?”

“They're always around, they just lay low most of the time. This one was too, until the Lord died.”

Toshiro clapped his hands twice in prayer.

“What are you doing?”

“Saying a prayer for the poor fish that gave it's life so we could find this hidden evil.”

Naomi looked shocked.

“What about the cook?”

Toshiro opened one eye.

“He was a terrible cook.”

The journal gave us a time for the next meeting, but not a place. Three days from now, Hour of Hida.

I was deeply offended that a group of blood sorcerers would meet in the hour named after my ancestor. I
vowed to Hida that I would be the instrument through which he could make his displeasure known to them.

Now to find the place, to go with this time.

Mantis proposed we simply bring the time up in normal conversation. Maybe stage a talk between two of us
and speak loudly. Kitsuki-san can read people so easily it's scary. When one flinches, we'll have our link.
Kitsuki-san considered.

“If we must. I don't like it though. We will know, but they will know we know. And if the one who flinches is
highly ranked enough we won't be able to question them further on the matter.”

“Well anyone else got any ideas?”

Tatsuki refilled the Mantis' sake. The Monkey passed Toshiro some shrimp. I was taking great pains to get just
the right amount of wasabi on my sushi roll.

“How!”

Everyone jumped. I held up my sushi.

“How in the hell does this kill someone?!”

I popped in my mouth and chewed to make my point. We all stared at the sushi rolls.

“That is an excellent point, Ishigaki-kun.”

Great. Now we all felt bad about making fun of the cook.

“Mantis-san, do you think you could reproduce a page from the journal, recreate the handwriting?”

“Uh…”

“I think I have a spell that can help with that.”

“Okay. I'll give it a shot.”

So the Mantis, after a few tries, made a page he said was 'pretty damn close to how it is in my memory.'
Kitsuki-san and went to meet with Kakita Ren-sama. Kitsuki-san then explained that he wished to see an edict
penned by the former Lord Hosokawa-sama.

“I should like to ask what for, Kitsuki-san?”

Ren-sama's mother sat behind him, fluttering her fan. Her eyes were hard. Ordinarily, someone glaring at me
like that would have seemed suspicious. But given that she had lost husband and son so soon, I wasn't about
to jump to conclusions.

Kitsuki-san was ready, of course.

“It may be there was someone attempting to usurp your father's authority, and pass around false edicts in his
name. I wish to compare the handwriting to be sure.”

“Such a thing can be done?”

“Oh yes, Kaktia Ren-sama. My family has developed many techniques for gather evidence outside of
testimony.”

fluttering.intensifies

“Ah, forgive me. I misspoke. Such things are not truly 'evidence' but they often lead us to the ones whose
testimony will prove most useful in solving a case. My slip of the tongue was due to my family calling it
evidence as a means of shorthand. Forgive my crude language, please.”

The fluttering calms down…

“Oh, it is alright. I would like to hear more of these techniques one day, if you have the time.”

“If I do not, I am certain there are many who would gladly fulfill your wishes, Kakita Ren-sama. It is a wise lord
that seeks to learn much about the world. I am certain your rule will be a prosperous one. Your parents have
raised you well.”

I have no idea what forbidden magics she employed to do this, but Kakita Himeko somehow made her fan
fluttering convey pleasure at the indirect compliment.

“Thank you for your kind words, of course you may have an old edict to study. Please, just find out what
happened to my father. Cleanse him of this shame.”

At those last few words, the illusion shattered, and the surprisingly lordly boy was just a boy again. Grieving the
loss of his father and brother and trying to understand 'why?'

I thought of Daiko and Tetsute in that moment. I promised them that while daddy might leave for a time, he
would always come home. A servant came in then, and began to whisper to the Lord.

Before the young Lord could reply, a Lion stormed into the room.

Oh now what?

He glanced at Kitsuki-san and myself, surprised, then spoke to the Lord without waiting to be addressed.

“Kakita Ren! I am Matsu Roku! I am here on behalf of my Lord Matsu Banjaku! You have already been
informed, the Lion is retaking this city that once belonged to them! Because our Clan is Compassionate, and
my Lord is fair, you have two days to leave this city. After which my army will enter. Any Samurai that is not
Lion within the city at that time will die. I will have your answer, now! Do you choose to leave, and have peace?
Or do you wish for war?”

Wait...did he say two days? The meeting is in three!

Kistuki-san and I exchanged horrified glances.

Of all the times… Fuck it. Someone needed to break protocol here, and the Mantis wasn't around.
“Oi, Oi, Matsu-san.”

“And who are you, to address me so?”

“I'm Hida Ishigaki I'm a Yojimbo to a Jade Magistrate, and that's Kitsuki-san, one of the Magistrates Yoriki.”

He didn't say anything. Just gave me slow 'go on' nod.

“Look, we're investigating a matter right now so you're going to half to hold off until we're done.
I cannot. My Lord's orders are absolute. In two days time, every Samurai in this city not a Lion will die.”

Oh.

Shit.

He wasn't being poetic. Those were his exact orders. And he fully intended to follow them to the letter. I found
myself wondering if, had their lord forgotten the 'not a Lion' bit, an entire army of Lion would enter a city and
then fall on their own swords as soon as they did so.

Ren spoke up.

“Matsu-san! My father's corpse was defiled by dark magic! You must give the Jade magistrates time to finish
their investigation!”

The Matsu's eyebrows twitched. Then he chuckled.

“Maho-tsukai would never have plagued this land were it still under Lion rule. I promise I will root out the
corruption in my Lord's name once we have this city. Tell your father for me, when you see him.”

The lion spun on his heel. He paused at the door.

“Two days. Every Samurai.”

He left.

Kitsuki-san and I raced back to our rooms, edict in hand. All around us the palace was in an uproar as they
prepared for battle. I caught sight of the Daidoji directing things. His fancy armor made him easy to spot. So.
Magistrate was just his day job. His true calling was warrior. Like me.

Our eyes met. We exchanged nods.

Good luck in your battle, Iron Crane. Centuries ago, the Daidoji family Daimyo gave his life stopping the forces
of Oni no Kinjiro at the Battle of the Tidal Landbridge. The Daidoji family, unique among the Crane, had earned
the undying respect of the Hida that day.

“What is it? What's going on out there?”

We let everyone know we were going to have to find the Tsukai sooner than just ambushing them at their
meeting, abandon our investigation, or be ready to fight in a summer war between the Crane and the Lion.

The Mantis said it best.

“Fuck!”

Toshiro growled.
“Those idiots aren't getting between me and those Tsukai.”

“You are not seriously proposing we join in this war, are you Toshiro-san?”

The Mantis answered for him.

“Every Samurai. He made us a part of this war whether we want to be or not.”

“But only if we do not leave in time!”

Toshiro grunted.

The Monkey piped up. “Well Kitsuki-san? Can you find them?”

“Hold on, hold on. Let me see that journal page...”

Kitsuki-san placed the edict next to the journal page and compared the two.

“Ah. I see why you had such a hard time copying this page, Mantis-san.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. the person who wrote this journal was left handed. I'm sure of it now. And the lord was not.”

Well well well. So, someone who had access to the Lord's body, and room, and was left handed. We'd had less
to go on, at times. However, the chaos in the castle impeded our investigation. We found several suspects, but
eliminated them just as quickly as we could identify them. Time slipped away from us.

In the morning, there would be a battle.

The castle was naturally built in the maze style. Since the Crane maintained the smallest standing army of any
of the great Clans, they used tactics that took great advantage of the maze style, breaking up large armies,
engaging and withdrawing. Should the Crane find themselves in a war, they attempted to bleed out the enemy
army with One Thousand Cuts.

The Lion, on the other hand, maintained the largest standing army. It was never a question of would the Lion
outnumber their foe, but only how badly they did so. In war, the Lion would wear their enemy down as the
waves wore down the mountains. The youngest and weakest troops would go first, and any place the enemy
faltered would be hit with more seasoned forces. Finally, once a breach in the enemy line had been opened,
the elite of the Lion army would deliver the final devastating blow.

I could not predict the outcome of this battle. Too much relied on the personality of the Matsu General, of
reinforcements arriving in time to lift the siege. Of the Cranes allies in court.

No, perhaps not. The young Lord had unwittingly given the Lion the perfect weapon to wield against him in that
arena. With news of his father's defilement, of Maho-Tsukai in his city, his allies would distance themselves.

So, perhaps the Lion held the advantage after all.

Or perhaps I only came to that conclusion because my wife wished for us to leave.

The Karo, Doji Tenkai, came to see us that evening.

“I am here to convey the Lord's gratitude for all your hard work. Ren-sama has no desire for you to be caught
up in the matter however. I have brought you new traveling papers, bearing the Lord's seal, so that you may
leave this place in peace.”
He set down the papers.

“Please, look them over to make sure they are all in order.”

We did so. Kitsuki-san complimented him on his fine calligraphy.

“Why thank you, Kitsuki-san.”

The Karo left. Kitsuki-san was shaking. With rage.

“He is left handed.”

We all stared at him.

“The karo is left handed,” he said again.

I had, on a few occasions, been close to committing murder in my life. So I knew exactly what that looked like.
I grabbed hold of Kitsuki-san's obi before he could do something stupid. There are times in every person's life
when you must do things you never thought you would have to.

“You don't understand! He has to die! 'Not a Lion!' This has been the plan all along!”

Kitsuki-san had avoided jumping to conclusions since the incident with his Sensei, but it seemed he was in full
swing once more.

“Slow down, spell it out for us. Some of us are just dumb.”

“Tenkai leads the tsukai! They probably are a Bloodspeaker cell! He arranged to betray the Lord of the Castle
in secret, in exchange he would swear fealty to the Lion and be allowed to govern the City! He could then
protect his cell with his authority, allowing them to move much more freely! He had the cook poison Hosokawa,
then he or one of his cell raised Hosokawa as a zombie! That cut off the new Lord's political allies, so that the
Lion are not forced to give the city back during Court this winter! A plan this deep, this far reaching... it has to
be them!”

“Whoa, you had me right up until that part.”

“Don't you see? We were never the goal, just an obstacle! Not the King, but a piece that had to be removed!”

“Uh, why?”

“One of us must already know them. Without realizing it, we have the ability to expose them. Or perhaps they
simply feared we might be able to do so. So they tried to get us out of the way first, before they began their
plan to gain political power throughout the Empire!”

“So let me see if I'm understanding you. The Bloodspeaker cult has begun to move again, and they're trying to
insert members of cells into positions of political power throughout the Empire. And one of us knows a high
ranked member of the Bloodspeaker cult, without realizing it?”

“Yes, yes!”

I was glad I was sitting down. Because that was some heavy shit.

“You think that Lion Clan Lord, what was his name?”

“Matsu Banjaku”
“You think Banjaku is part of the cult as well.”

“Possibly, yes.”

“I dunno.”

We all looked at the Monkey.

“We had Banjaku over for dinner once, and he seemed a bit thickheaded to me. I don't think he could hide
being a bloodspeaker very well.”

“What, why did you have him over?”

“Hime-san has some business deal or other with him, I don't know the details.”

“Why didn't you mention you knew him before!?”

“First time I heard his name mentioned.”

My temples began to throb painfully. I stood up

“I'm going to get the Daidoji.”

“Huh?”

“Don't get me wrong, I think you're right Kitsuki-san. But we don't have enough evidence to bring down the
Karo, and not enough time to find any.”

“You have an idea?”

“Yeah. We tell the Daidoji our suspicions. He's going to be the one leading the Battle, I'm sure of it. So he
watches out for signs of the Karo's betrayal. When he spots that, we'll have that piece of shit by the balls then.
And we'll make him tell us everything.”

Everyone nodded. Even Naomi.

“I do not like war. I do not wish to see any of you in battle like this. But there is a very young boy who will die if
we do not act. Promise me you will all be careful tomorrow.”

“We will.”

I went and spoke to Daidoji Hideo.

When I was finished, he sat still and looked at nothing for a very long time.

Finally he spoke.

“I will look for Tenkai-sama's betrayal. If I do not see it, and we both live until the end until the end of the first
day, I will have satisfaction for your accusation.”

“Fine.”

“You are so certain?”

“I am.”
“Of your skill with a blade, or the Karo's guilt?”

I took a page out Toshiro's book and shrugged.

“Both.”

The Daidoji chuckled at that.

That night, I slept in my armor.

As dawn broke, light glittered off the armor of the Lion army. They raised a mighty cry that seemed to shake
the very walls. And charged.

I was right where I should be, front and center of the Vanguard. The Mantis and the Monkey were in the
second ranks. Toshiro was there as well, Tetsubo in hand.

Naomi was at the gates of the palace, ready to heal the injured. Kitsuki-san was with her.

The Lion didn't pause to wonder why there was a Crab in the very first gate they assaulted. Some tried to rush
past me, but I shifted my armored bulk from side to side, knocking them off balance, impeding their advance.

Three decided to get me out of the way.

Matsu, all of them. They rushed me with their Katana, screaming fiercely, attacking with wild abandon. I
expected as much, so I had prepared myself.

I spun my tetsubo, knocking aside one blade, into another. I shifted my arms and caught the third one on my
Sode. It slid off harmlessly

Having left themselves wide open, thinking they would overwhelm and kill me, I struck back. My tetsubo tore
through their light armor as though it were rice paper, and I left two of them wounded and bleeding.

Slowed by their wounds they failed to get past my armor. The third one, however, managed to bury the point of
his katana in my thigh.I grabbed his wrist before he could withdraw his blade and backhanded my tetsubo
across his face. As he reeled I swung from the side with full force. I struck him in the chest, and he staggered
back a half dozen feet falling onto his back. He did not rise.

The other two came in again, one swinging low at my legs, the other aiming an overhead strike at my head.
I deflected the overhead, but couldn't get out of the way in time of the second. She cut me across the back of
my calf. These Matsu fought fiercely, but they seemed to have no sense of self preservation. I endured their
assault and retaliated, leaving both of them on the ground, dead or unconscious.

I held the line where I was, but there were several gates into the city. Behind me I heard the cries of battle. The
fighting had not yet reached the palace, that I could see.

“Ho! Ho! Haaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”

I think that cheer came up from where the Mantis was. I wonder what he did.

A red orb blazed past me and exploded among the Lion trying to get past my gate.

Toshiro limped up to join me, batting aside an Ashigaru with his own tetsubo as he did so.

“Looks like you're having fun here. I want some.”

I grinned as we readied ourselves for the next wave. I waved Toshiro back as I was quickly surrounded. I
hacked and swung, the bodies so tightly packed I couldn't miss if I tried. I felt several wounds open on me,
though in the press I had no idea who or what had injured me.

And then I saw a Lion bushi challenge Toshiro to a duel.

Ah, Toshiro was swinging around his tetsubo, maybe the Lion didn't realize…

Toshiro looked at him.

“Hmmmm. No.”

And tossed a pair of burning orbs at the Lion. The Lion fell in a charred heap.

I heard a horn sound out. From within the palace. The signal from the Daidoji. It had happened.

Toshiro and I were in the thick of it, unable to draw back without exposing ourselves. The others would have to
handle it.

I trusted them.

Toshiro and I fought on, side by side. We were both covered in wounds, but we were Crab. We were the
Mountain, the Lion were the Waves. The Waves would win, in the end. But many many waves would break
upon us before that happened.

And then the second horn.

The banner of the Crane flew high on the walls of the palace still. And I could just make out the Daidoji, holding
up a golden and tufted helm.

Ah. The Karo must have opened the rear gate to the Lion. And the Daidoji had been waiting for it.

The Lion around us hesitated, seeing that.

“Make way, make way!”

It was Matsu Roku. He looked up at the palace where the Daidoji waved the Helm. He nodded.

“Susume was a fine officer. I see I sent her into a trap.”

He looked at me.

“Your doing?”

“Our investigation revealed the Karo's plot.”

“I see.”

He looked me in the eyes, sheathed his blade, and took a stance. I guess he would rather be killed in battle
than admit his defeat. I could humor him.

His technique was better than mine. But only just.

I survived his first strike.

I made certain he did not get a second.

As the Lion withdrew Toshiro and I went and found the others. We found them staging an impromptu Shibari
session, with the Karo as the star of the show. Kitsuki-san was just requesting the use of a few very specific
Eta.

Ren was there. There was something almost comical about the boy wearing a full suit of armor. Ceremonial, of
course. No way the Crane Lord would actually fight. But I could see that it would indeed keep him fairly safe
from stray arrows. My respect for Kakita Ren shot up several notches. It's not often a pampered lord, born into
the Kuge, knows how much his mere presence on the field can bolster the morale of his troops.

“Why Tenkai? Why did you betray father like that? Betray me?”

Tenkai just sat there, tied up in the manner befitting the worst sort of criminal, rather than a Karo. Ren stared
for a moment. Then composed himself, donning once again the mantel of Lordship

“You mean that you will need the torturers, Kitsuki-san, yes? You will have them. Just remember, I must have
his confession on what he did to Father.”

“You will, my Lord. I promise.”

“Take him away.”

In Rokugan once enough testimony has been gathered to ascertain a person's guilt, they must then confess to
their crime before they can be punished. Any means may be taken to elicit the confession. We already know
they are guilty, after all. Samurai, however, do not conduct the torture themselves. It is an unclean business.
So the Eta handle the actual application of pain until the guilty party admits their crime.

I knelt down next to Tenkai, and looked him in the eyes.

“You see that elegant looking gentleman over there?”

I nodded to Toshiro.

“You know he's a Shugenja? He's got some magic that I've seen him use to bring back from the brink of death.
You're gonna have a good time.”

Toshiro grinned.

“I'll get the rats.”

I grinned as well.

“So I have to get the wasabi this time?”

“Yeah.”

We were bluffing. Naomi was a much, much better healer than Toshiro. And didn't I just say Samurai do not
commit torture themselves? But Crab do a lot of things Samurai aren't supposed to. We were betting on the
false perceptions of Crabs being brutes no better than the Ogres they fought to lend credence our little game.
Neither Toshiro, nor myself, had any idea how you might torture someone with rats and wasabi. But neither did
the Crane.

His imagination did the work for us.

He broke down then and there, blubbering like a little girl. I found it much more satisfying to break him with a
few well placed words, then to allow him to stoically endure the torture of a few Eta for a bit.
And besides, we needed information of the rest of his cell; every second we wasted with him was another they
had to attempt to escape us.

He coughed it all up.

Tenkai was the only Samurai in the cell in this city. He had several peasant servants as his subordinates, they
doubled as a spy network. Nothing occurred in the palace, or city for that matter, that he did not know about.
The former Lord Kakita Hosokawa had grown suspicious of his Karo of late. Hosokawa had realized the
implications of some of the edicts that Tenkai had proposed. Tenkai decided to kill him before Hosokawa
learned the truth.

Tenkai was a bloodspeaker. And he did have monthly meetings with other bloodspeakers from the surrounding
areas. They were Samurai, he knew that much. But not who they were, where they lived. Everyone wore
masks and used fake names. These meetings were run by one man everyone knew not to cross. It was he that
set up the meeting between Tenkai and Matsu Banjaku. As far as Tenkai knew, Matsu Banjaku was just a tool
they had made use of. Banjaku had no idea the nest of vipers he had fallen in with.

We were able to round up the servants easily enough. Including the Eta Tenkai had used to reanimate
Hosokawa's body. Oh, and the cook himself added the poison to the Lord's sushi. Though the cook was just a
patsy. Bribed with large sum of money. Which the Karo simply took back once the cook was executed (on his
suggestion, of course).

We ransacked Tenkai's room, finding his maho scrolls. We burned them all. Tenkai and all his followers were
all executed. Crimes as heinous as his did not allow for the option of Seppuku.

Tenkai screamed and pleaded as they lashed him to the cross. It was quite pathetic.

Naomi could not bear this part of her duty as a Jade Magistrate, so Toshiro oversaw it all in her stead. The rest
of us made polite excuses about her health. No one questioned it.

As we made ready to leave, the Daidoji came to see us off.

“The young Lord is quite busy, and so unable to see you off himself But he wishes to convey his gratitude to
you for all that you have done for us. I do as well. You did not have to stay when the Lion attacked. If not for
your actions, Tenkai's plot would have succeeded. Know that should you ever require anything, the Lord will do
all in his power to see that you get it.”

We all exchanged surprised glances. The favor of one so highly placed could go a very long way indeed. We
would need to be careful not to squander it.

We set off, still in pursuit of any customers who had possibly been tainted by the bog hags, but now knowing
we had to be on the lookout for bloodspeaker cells all over the area.

The Mantis spoke up about that.

“Anyone else find it odd that we went years without dealing with tainted things and maho, and now suddenly
they're crawling out of the woodwork.”

The Monkey rolled over a stone on the side of the path. Grubs swarmed underneath it.

“You'd be amazed what you can find if you just look under a few rocks.”

I closed my eyes and refused to believe the Monkey had just been wise on purpose.

We next arrived at a town called Sweet Sake Village. And were treated to quite a scene as soon as we
entered. An eta was pulling a cart with a half dozen bodies wrapped in straw mats. Ashigaru escorted him. Not
yoriki, but full blown peasant soldiers in armor.

The Monkey asked a nearby ricecake monger what was going on.

“More people killed in the pillow district.”

The Monkey had a knack for putting peasants at ease. They often spoke to him quite plainly.

“Pillow district?”

“Yeah, you know. Pillow district.”

The ricecake monger made a lewd gesture.

“Ah.”

“Three days now, a few die every night. The magistrate is tearing her hair out in frustration! You can see she's
called in Ahsigaru from the Lord to help patrol the streets.”

“I see. Thanks. Two please.”

“Hai! Right away great samurai!”

Naomi shook her head sadly, then clapped her hands in prayer. When she had finished she explained.

“I was praying that our first clues that something is amiss stop being bodies.”

I said a little prayer of my own, that my Hana-chan's heart never grow accustomed to death. We headed to the
local Magistrates office. Another Doji, she looked at us in surprise. Naomi spoke up

“I am Hida Naomi, this is Kuni Toshiro, and our Yojimbo and Yoriki.”

She and Toshiro showed their chops.

“We are Jade Magistrates.”

“I am Doji Megumi, What business do Jade Magistrates have with me?”

“This is a... delicate subject. May we speak privately?”

“Of course.”

Tatsuki poured tea while Naomi explained why we were there.

“We uncovered a coven of Bog Hags not far from here.”

“Bog Hags?! They are real?”

“Hai, very. These Bog Hags had taken the skins of several geisha.”

The Doji's eyes said she did not like where this was going.

“They were, in fact, running a Geisha house. It may be possible, then, that they spread the taint to some of
their unknowing customers. So we traveling to warn nearby towns and cities to be on the lookout for possibly
tainted individuals coming in.”
“Naomi-san, you said these people would not know they had been tainted yet?”

“Hai. So you may speak with the monks of the area. They have already been made aware of the situation and
are prepared to revive those who may have been tainted.”

Toshiro spoke up.

“There is a simple test to discover taint. Simply touch a piece of jade to the bare skin of a person. Jade will
burn those who have been corrupted by Jigoku.”

The Doji nodded.

“I see. I will make arrangements at once. An outbreak of taint is the last thing I need.”

Toshiro spoke again.

“About that. The deaths are occurring in the 'pillow district'?”

The Doji looked up sharply, then nodded again.

“We think your problem there may be related to ours.”

“What do you mean, Kuni Toshiro-san?”

Toshiro coughed.

“To be blunt: A samurai contracts the taint visiting geisha in one city, enters another city and succumbs to it
while visiting other geisha... or engaging in lower pursuits.”

The Doji pursed her lips and considered Toshiro's words.

“Then you intend to investigate these killings?”

“We do.”

“You have been blunt. Allow me to do the same. Thank you. I will take all the help I can at this point. I have
been unable to find any witnesses. It seems everyone who sees the killer dies. I sent Yoriki to patrol the district
the second night. Five of them died. I was forced to ask for Ashigaru. I do not like having armed soldiers
patrolling the streets of my city.”

Naomi nodded.

“I understand Doji Megumi-san. Rest assured, my Yoriki here is quite talented.”

Naomi indicated Kitsuki-san.

“Even if this matter turns out to be unrelated to our mandate as Jade Magistrates, I have no doubt we will find
something of use to you. Now, can you recommend an inn?”

We got settled into our rooms then sat down to discuss our course of action. I started it.

“The simplest plan would be to join in the patrols at night, don't you think?”

The Mantis objected.

“Would rather not take on that killer without knowing anything about it...”

The Monkey spoke up.

“What's one tainted letch gonna be able to do to us anyway?”

Toshiro answered him.

“It may be more than one.”

“I thought the taint spread slowly?”

“On it's own yes. But the weak willed or foolish may choose to use the power of Jigoku, speeding the process
up quite rapidly.”

I knew what Toshiro was thinking. The Shadowlands Madmen.

When most people think of those consumed by the taint, if they think of them at all, they imagine monstrous
warriors and impossibly beautiful courtiers. But for every person who gains great power from the taint, many
more are reduced to little more than slavering beasts. They wander in packs, attacking anything that moves,
heading towards the shadowlands until they are destroyed. Those that make it to the shadowlands often
become food for the larger and more powerful denizens of that place.

We hadn't reached that point, just yet though. A pack of mad men would have been found and destroyed
already. But it was well within the realm of possibility. The Monkey spoke again.

“But Megumi-sama already investigated. No witnesses, no clues.”

Toshiro and I exchanged glances. He nodded. We stood.

“We're going to go look into something. Wait here until we get back.”

“Ishigaki-kun?”

“Don't ask. Please.”

We went to the magistrates. I approached Doji Megumi.

“We just thought of something we need to check. Do you have someplace where you keep the bodies until
their families come to claim them?”

Megumi betrayed no distaste at the subject.

“Yes.”

She was also unwilling to speak about it more than absolutely necessary. Good.

“It is possible for the taint to enter a body through wounds. We would like to make sure this has not happened.”

Doji Megumi nodded and pointed to where the bodies were kept. Toshiro and I entered the small building.
The bodies were there, wrapped up in tatami. I closed the door and turned my back. Watching for anyone
coming, and giving Toshiro his privacy. He got out his tools.

Dead flesh is taboo in Rokugan. Touching it, even accidentally, taints one's soul. You must then undergo ritual
purification as quickly as possible. If you die unclean, you will be reborn as an Eta. A warrior covered head to
toe in the blood of their enemies is not tainted, per se. Though you must cleanse yourself after the battle, you
have covered yourself in glory, and Samurai are warriors, after all.

In their effort to understand the nature of our Clan's eternal foe, the Kuni have developed some unsavory
techniques. They have learned how to investigate dead bodies, to see how they work, and to learn what killed
them. In this way they help the Kaiu prepare more effective weapons, and the rest of us to develop techniques
to kill quickly and efficiently.

They call it 'Autopsy.'

There are no secrets among the Crab. Secrets are for Scorpion and Oni. But there are some things even we
will not speak openly about. Ever.

Toshiro performed his autopsy.

He returned the body to it's resting place. I accompanied him to a temple where he purified himself, then a
bathhouse without saying a word. Once we had finished bathing he spoke.

“They were torn with claws, not weapons. But none of those wounds were tainted. In fact, the claw wounds
were not fatal. I'm not certain what killed them.”

As we made our way back to the inn, the streets cleared for us. Since he had bathed, Toshiro's face was on full
display. I had a nasty scar on my face, in the shape of an X. The lines met above my nose, between my eyes.
Toshiro's face was a twisted mess, almost a lump of raw meat. The Oni that did that to him spit acid.

I scowled at the disrespect shown to my friend as people hurried away from him. We returned to the inn so he
could reapply his face paint. Because Toshiro was nothing if not polite.

We returned to the others. Toshiro told them what he knew.

“The victims were killed with claws, not blades. However none of their injuries should have been fatal so the
killer, or killers claws must have some dark power. Be mindful of this when we confront them.”

The Mantis cocked his head.

“How did you figure that out?”

Toshiro ignored him.

“Hey, I asked you how you know that!”

I looked at the Mantis and shook my head.

He glanced back and forth between me and Toshiro, then looked at Naomi. But when he saw she was just as
confused he let it drop. No, I could not tell even Naomi. In the first place, it was not my place to speak of it. It
was Toshiro's. In the second, Naomi had not been born a Crab. She could never understand just how far we
would go to succeed. To a proper Samurai, failure is unacceptable. Most Samurai who fail in some important
task will commit seppuku in shame. To a proper samurai, death and failure are not the same thing, however.

While Matsu Roku had failed to take the Crane palace, all the Lion samurai who died did so with honor. They
went before their ancestors in glory, not shame. Crabs cannot afford to think like that. We have no choice but
to succeed. The consequences should we fail are too dire.

All else must be sacrificed in the name of victory, so that the empire may know peace for just one more day.
This is why I was actually quite pleased we had become Jade Magistrates. We would have many opportunities
to address the things that might have managed slip past my Clan.
Kitsuki-san coughed to clear the tension from the air.

“Very well then. You said you do not for certain what killed them Toshiro-sama, but do you have some
suspicion as to the nature of the power? Perhaps some measures we can take to safeguard ourselves?”

Toshiro considered this.

“They did seem low on blood, but that could just be from the wounds leaking as the bodies were handled. I
can't say for certain if that's what happened.”

The Monkey ticked off the list on his fingers.

“Sneaky fucks. Claws. Maybe drains blood. Anything else?”

Toshiro shook his head. Tatsuki surprised us by speaking up.

“You guys do this sort of thing all the time? Fighting monsters like this? Uh, great samurai.”

Fortunately for her, Kitsuki-san was the only one who might have objected to her addressing samurai out of
turn. Toshiro and I were not ones to stand on proprietary to begin with, Naomi was too kind, the Monkey was
just oblivious to the difference in station, and the Mantis seemed to truly enjoy her company.

So Kitsuki-san ignored the breach of etiquette as the Mantis answered.

“Yeah. We're samurai, after all. We're supposed to make sure our farmers can grow our food in peace.”

Tatsuki stared. I think it was safe to say she saw samurai in a new light.

We all made ready to go out on patrol that evening. Kitsuki-san suggested we look around the pillow district
first, to get familiar with the streets, so we could respond quickly no matter where the killer struck. I worried
about taking Naomi to such a place, but she insisted she would be fine. So off to look around then.

The pillow district was, as far as red lantern areas go, very low class. Opium addicts and drunkards lay
sprawled about openly and without shame. Women and men, some terribly unatractive, hawked their bodies to
everyone who passed by. These were common whores, not geisha.

And everywhere you cared to look street thugs stood about in groups or sauntered down the street, getting a
wide berth from the others. As expected from the lands of the Crane, Sweet Sake Village had a real problem
with vice and people of low character. It seemed the best Doji Megumi could manage was to keep it contained
to a single district. The toughs who had previously owned the street made way for us however. Though I could
feel hostile stares from the side streets and alleyways.

So they would not pick a fight openly with samurai. Wise. If they did that, there would no doubt be swift and
harsh retribution. However, the prickling between my shoulders warned me that if they thought they could kill
us without being being seen, they would.

“We shouldn't move alone in this place. I can feel their killing intent.”

Kitsuki-san agreed.

“I had noticed that myself. The people here seem quite resentful of Samurai.”

The Monkey looked around.

“I wonder why? I'll try and find out.”

He approached a random whore.

Who gave a scared yelp and retreated inside her whorehouse before he could so much as open his mouth. So
even the Monkey's relaxed attitude that I had seen put many peasants at ease did not work here. Toshiro's
eyes narrowed.

“This animosity is not natural.”

He was right. While we, as samurai, understood that one did not go about wasting one's Lords resources
without good reason most peasants knew only that Samurai were to be obeyed without question. If a Samurai
were to forget the possible consequences of his actions, or if he should find some reason he deemed suitable,
he could go so far as to kill them and there was nothing they could do to stop him.

Hence the excessive bowing and scraping most samurai got whenever they had need to address a peasant.
This situation could, form time to time lead to animosity and even open rebellion from the lower classes. Since
this was the case, attitudes like we were seeing here should have been punished harshly until proper conduct
was restored.

What had happened here?

Naomi stopped abruptly.

“Toshiro-san, do you feel that?”

Toshiro stopped, cocked his head. He grunted.

The two of them produced scrolls and began to pray. We looked on, puzzled. They finished their prayers,
looked at one another and nodded.

“There is a spiritual imbalance here.”

I blinked.

“So what does that mean?”

“Another realm is exerting influence on Ningen-do. One that normally should not.”

Toshiro spoke up.

“It is not Jigoku, I am certain of that. But beyond that…”

Naomi spoke quietly.

“I would not be surprised if it is Toshigoku, given the bloodlust in the air.”

I looked at her in surprise. Naomi was no bushi, the killing intent that permeated battlefields would be utterly
alien to her.

“Hai, even I can sense it. Water is the element of clarity, after all.”

The Mantis spoke up.

“What about Gaki-do?”

Toshiro answered.
“Gaki-do is the realm of the Hungry dead. Desire, not bloodlust, rules that place.”

“Okay.”

We finished our scouting and returned to the inn to eat before our nighttime patrol.

“I believe we should split up on our patrol”

Kitsuki-san sipped his tea as everyone considered his suggestion. I didn't like the idea, and I said as much.
“I don't know if that's a good idea. We all saw it, how those peasants wanted to kill us. If we split up they might
even try it.”

“I am aware Ishigaki-san. However, moving in one large group decreases the odds of finding the killer, or
killers.”

Toshiro voiced agreement with Kitsuki-san. He simply patted his twisted leg.

“Pillow district is a bit big.”

I looked to, of all people, the Mantis for some support. He was never fond of great risks.

“Kitsuki-san has a point. And it's just peasants. Even if they tried something, how big a threat could they be.”

Naomi?

“Everyone please bear in mind the spiritual imbalance. I believe that those peasants are not like that normally.”

I had thought she would be against splitting up because the peasants may try something. Naomi hated killing.
But in the end she chose to trust everyone would show restraint. Well that's it then. I was the lone dissenter.

Monkey and Mantis formed one group. They were the stealthiest in our party. I was worried about the Mantis
being able to stay quiet in that heavy armor, but he assured us he could manage it.

Toshiro said he would pair off with Kitsuki-san.

Naomi and I made our way along the eastern part of the Pillow district, Toshiro and Kitsuki-san took the center,
with the Mantis and Monkey in the west. The Ahsigaru were also sent in. Everyone had Yumi with them, and
humming bulb arrows.

At night, the pillow district was even worse. The light from the red lanterns made everyone's face seem
distorted, evil. I saw more than few faces leering at Naomi hungrily. She put a hand on my arm.

“It is the imbalance. It has grown stronger now, even you can see the effects.”

I glanced at her. While I had gotten a bit jumpy, wondering which threat to address first, Naomi was absolutely
calm.

“Hey, can this imbalance affect us?”

“If we are exposed for too long, yes. But I do not believe we will need to worry about that. It is different for
these people; they live and work here.”

Another thought struck me.

“Hey, the taint of Jigoku is permanent…”

“Some may bear this mark forever, yes. But I am certain it's effects will weaken if we address it.”

“Address it? We aren't even sure which realm it is we're dealing with yet.”

“It is related to the unnatural attitudes in this place though. I suspect it is the true cause of the killings.”

“Couldn't it be the other way around? The killing bringing the imbalance into being?”
“We have seen many killings, dealt with many murderers in the past Ishigaki-kun. How many imbalances have
we seen like this?”

I nodded. Okay. We were Jade Magistrates. Our mandate was to see to the spiritual well being of Rokugan.
Most times that meant hunting maho-tsukai and tainted creatures. But this was another aspect of our duty.

Lustful moans and carnal noises wafted out from the building we were walking past. Lewd shadows danced on
the rice paper. Naomi gripped my arm a little tighter. I knew her well enough to know she was blushing at that,
though the red light made it harder to see.

FWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!

A humming bulb shot into the sky. From the west.

Naomi got out a scroll, said a quick prayer. The two of us moved, sped along by the Water Kami.

We overtook Toshiro and Kitsuki-san. Naomi passed the blessing of the Water Kami on to them as well. Even
with their help, Toshiro was unable to thumpdrag at a pace with us. He waved us on.

Kitsuki-san shouted.

“Do not wait up for us; go, go!”

I nodded, and took off at full speed. Only to be surprised as my wife overtook me. Oh, that's right. She's a
tensai. Despite her small frame and sickly nature she was much beloved by the water kami. It dawned on me
then that my Hana-chan, with her mastery of her own water, may be able to lift me over head while I was
wearing my armor.

Naomi rounded a corner, stopped short. Stared. I caught up with her.

The Mantis and Monkey were backed up against a low fence brandishing their weapons. Surrounded by a
semicircle of a half dozen whores in various states of undress. The mocking laughter at the sight died in my
throat as the women all threw back their heads and shrieked.

No human could make a sound like that.

Misty vapours poured out their mouths, noses and eyes.

And took the shape of women, clad in white, features twisted unnaturally. The women collapsed into crumpled
heaps.

Ghosts then. Vengeful spirits possessed the bodies of people, used them to kill. That was how our killers
surprised their victims, why there never any witnesses.

I dove at one, striking at it with my tetsubo. The mist swirled around my weapon, but I felt an impact.

The ghost shrieked as I wounded it. That was all I needed to know.

“Ishigaki!”
Naomi yelled at me.

“Those are not Yorei! They are Gaki!”

“What?”

From behind me I heard the Mantis.

“Oh. Oh shit.”

The Gaki ignored me, even the one I had struck only hissed before turning away. They floated over to the
Mantis and Monkey.

They ignored the Monkey.

All six tore into the Mantis. He covered himself as best he could, fending off most.

But one got through to strike him in the back. It's fingers went through his armor as though it did not exist.

I saw thick red bands just beneath the semi transparent skin of the Gaki. The red slid up the Gaki's fingers,
arm, to the place where it's heart should be. Toshiro said that the victims had been low on blood.

The Monkey turned and began to hack wildly at the Gaki, trying to drive them off of the Mantis. Naomi could
not reach him, surrounded as he was.

So I rushed in, swinging my tetsubo in wide arcs, trying to knock one or two aside. I managed to do so, and the
Mantis broke out from the pack moving to Naomi. Quickly she worked her magic, healing him.

The Gaki pursued him, save the one I knocked down. It vanished.

The hell?

Dodging about, the Mantis managed to avoid getting surrounded.

“Get these damn things off of me!”

The Monkey answered.

“We're trying! Hold still so we can reach them!”

“Are you insane?! I'm not going to just stand around while they suck up all my blood!”

Naomi had drawn another scroll. Toshiro and Kitsuki-san arrived then.

“Naomi says they're gaki!”

Toshiro nodded.

He pointed at me, and a tetsubo made of earth, with spikes of jade rose up from the ground before me.

I tossed aside my mundane one, grasping the magic one, and slammed it down into one of the Gaki. It did not
part the misty form of the Gaki as my other weapon had, but rather tore a chunk of the mist away.

The Gaki howled in rage. Much better.

As the Mantis weaved about defending himself, the Monkey and Kitsuki-san combined their efforts to injure
another one.

Once more, they all attacked the Mantis. And then another passed through the wall of a house, and stabbed its
hands into his back again. Once more, I saw the Mantis' blood flow up the creature's arms and into it's heart.

I battered one aside with all my might. And then Naomi yelled to us.

“Move!”

We dove aside as she unleashed a torrent of water, bowling over the rest of the Gaki. Toshiro pointed again,
and the Monkey's katana burst into fire.

We fell upon the gaki, I think we killed two, or three.

I couldn't be certain how many we dispatched because they all disappeared at once, even ones I knew we did
not strike. We all pulled into a circle, back to back looking around for where they would come from next.

“Damn. Where did they go?”

“What the hell Mantis? Why are they after you?”

“How the hell should I know?”

“You knew! As soon as Naomi said they were Gaki you freaked out!”

“Now is really not the time! Shit... how many more are there?!”

And then… Nothing happened.

Silence. Just Silence.

Slowly, the normal background hum of the pillow district reasserted itself.

As the flames on the Monkey's blade died down, we allowed ourselves to relax.

“Well, we got two at least. Maybe three.”

“No, we didn't Ishigaki-san.”

I looked at Kitsuki-san in surprise.

“Gaki are immortal. They are spirits of the dead, already judged and cleansing themselves before their rebirth.
You cannot destroy a soul. Why the surprised look? I never forget anything, and I have read many texts on
diverse subjects. It simply does not come up often, as we have experts on many subjects of import to our
work.”

“So we can't kill them? Then what do we do, ask them to go somewhere else?”

Naomi spoke up.

“If their spirit forms are disrupted they will return to Gaki-do. They would not be able to return and cause more
trouble then. Normally, anyway.”

I arched an eyebrow.
“The imbalance, Ishigaki-kun. Somewhere in this district is a place where Gaki-do and Ningen-do overlap. A
place that should not exist.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“Those were Shozai-Gaki, were they not, Naomi?”

“Hai.”

“Then we are looking for a place where great desire lead to a crime, and much blood was spilled?”

“That would be a reasonable guess, yes.”

“Then let's get some rest for now. We can investigate where they are coming from in the morning. I for one,
have no desire to face those things again without being at full strength. That would just be foolish.”

When we got back to the inn I pressed the Mantis.

“Alright, why did those things only chase you?”

“I don't know!”

I stared at him.

“I mean, I don't know why. My parents just told me that the Shugenja that attended my birth said that Gaki-do
hated me or something.”

The Monkey chimed in from where he sat. He was dual wielding a pair of steamed meat buns, and didn't even
have the decency to swallow before speaking.

“So what you're saying is you're the juiciest bit of Gaki bait we've got right now?”

“Ugh, I know you were raised on a farm but seriously Monkey! Manners!”

He swallowed hard and glared sullenly at me.

“What? I get hungry after a fight…”

He want back to stuffing his face.

“Can you three be serious? You're taking this too lightly.”

In response to his chastisement I stared Kitsuki-san in the eyes until he dropped his gaze.

“I am not, Kitsuki-san. There is a place where Gaki-do has entered Ningen-do. That is a concern for Shugenja.
The gaki will try to stop the shugenja from closing the hole. That is a concern for me. I can hurt the gaki with
my tetsubo. I do not need to know anything else.”

“That is all true, Ishigaki-san, but the Gaki have spiritual bodies. Your armor is no defense against them.”

“And I suppose you think a Shikome cannot fight without her horse as well?”

I was being rude, and I knew it. But I did not like my commitment being questioned.

“Ishigaki-kun, how are does our supply of Jade powder fare?”

The question caught me off guard.

“Uh...enough for a single mid sized oni, or several spawn, why?”

“The spiritual bodies of the Gaki are more easily disrupted by the three sacred substances. Obviously they are
not as resilient as Oni; however jade powder could help to disperse them more quickly.”

“I see, then we're going to need to get some more jade, Naomi.”

I was in a strange position socially. Once married, a wife's rank is set to just below her husband's. However,
only shugenja could be full fledged Jade Magistrates. So, while I never bothered with honorifics for my wife, or
my best friend, save for the most formal of occasions, the fact remained that they both outranked me now.
Naomi however, seemed to appreciate I did not refer to her as -sama unless absolutely necessary.

The Mantis downed his cup of sake in one gulp. That was his fourth.

“One question. How exactly are we going to find this hole? You aren't planning on having me walk around and
wait to get attacked by Gaki, are you?”

“Of course not, Mantis-san. We will ask.”

“Huh?”

“Something great enough to create a bridge between Gaki-do and Nigen-do would be a very noticeable event.
A distasteful one few would wish to speak of openly, but one that would still be remembered.”

“Oh.”

I was awakened in the middle of the night by Naomi. She was sitting up in bed, coughing violently. Blood was
oozing out from between the fingers covering her mouth. I held her up waiting for the fit to pass.

It did not.

She was coughing so hard tears were forming in her eyes. I wrapped her up in a blanket to preserve her
modesty and threw open the door. I carried her outside to the fresh air. It seemed to help; her coughing slowed,
then subsided. I got her clean water to rinse the blood from her mouth with, and set to work brewing her
medicine.

As I waited for the water to boil, I got a cloth, soaked it in water as cold as I could find, and washed her burning
flesh. She was limp in my arms, eyes fluttering. It was all she could do to remain conscious.

When her medicine was done, I blew on the tea to cool it, the held it gently to her lips. She sucked weakly on it,
then swallowed painfully.

“I know it's hard Naomi, but please, you must drink it all.”

She nodded and did her best. She finished her medicine.

I sat beside her, awake, the rest of the night.

I did not leave the room in the morning. Naomi's breathing had been steady, but shallow all night.

I heard the door slide open a crack. Then it shut. After a moment it opened again and Toshiro came in.
He looked at me, then Naomi. He grunted.

“It wasn't until I took her outside that she stopped coughing. She's been like that all night.”
He nodded. Took hold of the blanket. He paused and looked at me.

“You've attended the birth of both my children Toshiro. Go ahead.”

I really did have no idea why he was being so considerate. He pulled the blanket down and examined Naomi.
Placed his head on her chest to hear her heart and breathing. Pulled down her lips and peered into her mouth,
checked her eyes.

Through it all she barely moved, and made no sound. It had been a long time since Naomi had been so sick.
Not since she was still carrying Daiko. I could tell that her life was not in immediate danger, but I had no idea
how bad off she really was.

Toshiro pulled out some scrolls. Said several prayers. I did not see any change, but I thought her breathing
sounded just a bit smoother.

“Ishigaki-san, she will be fine. Tatsuki can look after her. We must go. I am counting on you to keep the Gaki off
me while I close the tear.”

I looked up at him, confused.

“You never call me -san.”

“You never look at me the way you are now.”

“What are you talking about?”

Toshiro bared some of his wakizashi, showed me my reflection in the steel. My face was twisted with a rage I
didn't realize I felt. It was only then I realized how furious I was. My Hana-chan was in pain, her life in danger. I
wanted to hurt those responsible. Even if that meant storming into heaven and throttling Jurojin himself. It was
a cold rage, unlike any I had felt before.

I did not like it.

Shaking my head to clear away my blasphemous thoughts, I stood up.

Toshiro looked closely at me.

“You love her.”

“Of course I do.

“You wish to live a long life with her. Have many children, many more grandchildren?”

“Is that so wrong?”

“Desire is a sin, Ishigaki. Gaki-do is the realm of desire.”

“What do you… oh.”

He nodded.

Shit.

I should have woken him right away, but Gaki-do had influenced my desire, made me possessive to the point
of obsession. The one who had put Naomi in danger…
Was me.

Toshiro saw the realization cross my face.

“Good. Be more careful about that, baka. Focus on your duty. Clear your mind of all else. That will protect you.”

“Right.”

And so we asked around. It was Monkey who got the answer we were looking for.

An old man, back bent, legs twisted with age. He looked like he could die at any moment. And he knew it.

“It was a couple months ago. Some Crane samurai came into town, went down to the pillow district. They had
large chest with them. Word quickly got out they were spending coin like it was nothing. Opium, sake, shochu,
women, men.”

The old man laughed.

“The samurai ordered everything on the menu, then had them add new things to the menu so they could order
those as well. Magistrate didn't like it one bit. She's pretty straight laced, doesn't like the pillow district. But the
Lord said leave it be, and so she does.”

He chuckled again.

“You know, great samurai, it is a great thing to know you are dying. I've never felt so free in my life. I suppose,
you who live your lives for war, know this feeling well. I'm impressed at your restraint. There are so many things
I would say, would do, if my body were not so decrepit. I guess that is why I am still a peasant, and you are
samurai.”

He had no way of knowing, but his words shamed me. He leaned in and placed his hand beside his mouth, as
though he were going to whisper something that should not be said too loudly.

Then he said it too loudly.

“But then orders came in for our Magistrate. The gold those samurai had? They stole it”

The old man snickered some at that.

“Now, it was just a coincidence they came here. As I heard from one of the Yoriki, Megumi-sama only got word
that a shipment of money had been stolen by bandits, and to keep an eye out for suspicious ronin. Ronin! Hah!
When all along some of the lord's own retainers robbed him!”

Kitsuki-san's hand twitched a bit. He was quite displeased at the old man's blatant disrespect. I thought it was
as funny as the old man did. Crane weren't quite as greedy as Mantis, but that was only because they had no
rivals as the richest clan before the Mantis rose to power. They were still getting used to the idea of having to
compete seriously for wealth.

“But our pretty magistrate figured it out right away. So she went to arrest those traitors! Do you know what
happened?”

We shook our heads.

“She found nothing! Oh the samurai were there all right. In an empty house. With no money. She looked all
over, had the Yoriki tear the place apart! But to no avail. She's ashamed of that to this very day. And the
Samurai just disappeared.”
The monkey thanked the old man, as the rest of us got Kitsuki-san away from him.

“He'll be stone dead in a moment, just leave it for Emma-O.”

We then spoke to the Magistrate. Kitsuki-san handled it, delicately. He explained what we had learned, and
asked Doji Megumi where she had found the Samurai.

With her directions we headed into the pillow district. Hopefully for final time.

There, tucked away in a back alleyway, was a rotting house. The sakura tree in the front garden was dead, the
rope holding the bucket in the well snapped.

“Yes, it's here. This close there is no mistaking it.”

The Monkey scratched his head.

“How did we miss this the first time through, anyway?”

“I shrugged. It doesn't matter now does it?”

“Powder your weapon. We need to be ready for when they come.”

“Toshiro, how long will the ritual take?”

“As long it takes.”

“Great. Got it. Thanks.”

Kitsuki-san, Mantis, Monkey and I took up positions around Toshiro.

“Hey, Toshiro-san. Toshiro-san! The sun is starting to set, what the hell is taking so long?”

“The tear is resisting, Stop distracting me.”

“Is there anything we can do to speed things up?!”

“I don't know, I'm not an expert on the spirit realms! I only know about Jigoku, and then it's just the things that
come out of it!”

“Whoa!”

“What is it Monkey?”

“There's a freakishly large number of cockroaches coming out of that run down house over there!”

Kitsuki-san yelled, “It's the Gaki!”

The roaches became smoke, smoke became humanoid forms. Gaki rushed at us.

With our weapons powdered, we were able to dispatch them with relative ease. The Mantis covered himself
up, while the rest of us struck them down. Kitsuki-san showed his skill quite well. It was official now, I was the
worst in our group with a sword.

Unless you counted Naomi and Toshiro, but since they did not wear a full daisho, I didn't. But then the gaki
came out of the house, again.
“More?” asked the Monkey.

“No, the same ones!” answered the Kitsuki.

“They are immortal! They'll keep coming until the ritual is complete!”

“Toshiro?”

“Working on it!”

Fuck.

“I've got an idea!”

I smashed one aside and ran inside. I could hear the others fighting outside.

“Got one!” yelled the Monkey.

Okay, now where…

A blood red flash came from a room on my left. I ran in, smashed my tetsubo into the Gaki, It vanished after the
second blow. The red glow again. Up from the tatami mat.

What...

The gaki rose up from the ground. I pulled back the mat. Mantis was going to have to be ready for this one. But
as I uncovered the staircase that Megumi's Yoriki had missed, the gaki surprised me.

It turned and struck at me. It's claws passed right through my armor, and I felt my body grow cold as my blood
passed up it's arm.

“I don't know what you did in there but keep it up! They didn't like that.”

Oh great. They're all coming here now.

“There's a secret basement!”

I spun my tetsubo in a defensive arc, warding off as many attacks as I could. I couldn't stop them all, however.
The Mantis and Kitsuki-san came in, I pointed to the stairs.

“I've got this, go!”

As they headed down the Gaki turned again. Don't know why we didn't see that coming.

We fought a running battle, down the stairs and into the basement. Where the bodies were. Almost twenty
skeletons were hidden here. Six of them wore mouldering blue robes, and had daisho.

Kitsuki-san looked at them, made another logic leap. He yelled to the Gaki.

“I understand! You were murdered to protect the secret of where the gold was hidden, weren't you?”

The Gaki paused.

“Huh?”
“Gaki aren't Yorei.”

“No, they are not. But sometimes Gaki still remember a bit of who they are. Sometimes it's only a faint echo the
Gaki themselves aren't even aware of. These Gaki, their desire for vengeance tore this hole, I think. That's why
the Crane were the first to die.”

We backed out, warily. The gaki followed us. Silent.

Almost expectant.

“Now what?”

“I think we should find the gold.”

“It wasn't down there.”

“I know.”

“What are the odds of there being two secret rooms the Yoriki missed?”

“Slim, I'd say.”

“Then where...?”

The Mantis grunted.

“I know!”

He ran off. We followed.

He was quickly wrapping a cloth around a humming bulb arrow. Then he soaked it in lamp oil. Lit it. And
dropped it down the well.

We looked. I saw a faint yellow glimmer before the light went out. When we looked up, the Gaki were gone.

“Toshiro?”

“Finished it about the time you yelled. So, you could have just killed them one last time, I guess. But I suppose
this works too.“

Gaki are not Yorei. They have no attachments to their old lives. But sometimes, just sometimes, a soul carries
a bond or desire so strong it will persist even after death. I often told Naomi I would love in this life and the
next.

I wondered if I would become a gaki when I died.

We stayed another week in town. Naomi was still too weak to leave the inn, much less resume travel.

“Ishigaki-kun, could you bring me a bowl of water, please?”

“Of course.”

“The wider, the better.”

When I brought back the bowl Naomi asked me to help her sit up, then began to whisper softly. Shapes began
to form in the water, and I could see our home. The image shifted, and there were Daiko and Tetsute. The little
troublemakers were playing with their nanny. The same way they would play with me. That is, they were trying
to climb up her and then topple her over.

Whenever they did something clever I would fall over. I wanted to let them know they were on the right track,
even if they didn't really have the strength to topple me yet. Their nanny was currently on the floor, Tetsute had
wrapped himself around her head, and Daiko was bouncing triumphantly on her stomach.

I smiled, pleased at my children's ferocity. Crab children play games with names Strong Wall, and Find the Oni.
They don't realize it, but they are already training for the day they will take up their duty I glanced over at
Naomi. She was smiling as well.

“They are very strong, for being so young. Neh, Ishigaki-kun?”

“A Hida bushi and a Water Tensai were bound to make strong children. It's not surprising.”

She leaned into me.

“You are right I suppose. Perhaps we should go home soon.”

“Homesick?”

She peered up at me.

“I am thinking we will need to hire a new nanny.”

We shared a chuckle together and watched our children terrorize their nanny until the spell ended. Later on,
the Monkey accosted me.

“Hey, Ishigaki! I wanna get a gift for my boy.”

“Okay.”

“So come on!”

“Uh, what?”

“Come on! You've got a kids already you should be good at this right?”

I had no idea if I was or not, but he clearly wasn't going to let this go. I shrugged and joined him.

“So what do you bring your kids when you get time to head home?”

“Jade. Sutras to ward off evil spirits. Charms to help them go big and strong.”

The Monkey stared at me.

“C'mon Ishigaki! Even I know you don't make things like that into gifts! Gifts are supposed to be rare, and
useless! If you give someone something they actually need you're saying their Lord can't provide for them,
right?”

“I don't know.”

“You don't?”

“I never have any money to spare on gifts, so I never paid any attention to the etiquette. I just get my children
things I think they need when the Yasuki comes by the barracks.”
“Huh. Okay. Then how about for Naomi? What kinds of things to you get her?”

“Intimacy.”

No way I was going to elaborate further for the Monkey. He looked at me, then blew out a sigh.

“Are you trying to be unhelpful?”

“No. But Naomi is not your Hime-san, and Tetsute is not Tokichiro, and you don't live where I do.”

“Oh, what about this silk? You think the pattern will look good on Hime-san?”

I closed my eyes, tried to remember what she looked like.

“Yeah, it will.”

“Great! I'll take this, please.”

The Monkey casually dumped a pile of Koku on the floor and began counting to pay the shopkeeper.

“Monkey, has your stipend increased?”

“I don't know, but Hime-san is letting me have a bigger allowance. I'm up to seven koku a month!”

I picked my jaw back up off the floor. That was a shitton of money. I had grown more aware of the value of
money since marrying. I had been made aware that this happened to all Samurai after marriage. Where once
you had food and a place to sleep in the barracks, once you were married it was expected that you would
maintain a house, and staff it with many servants. Though it was Naomi who handled the fine details, I at least
understood the broad strokes. Enough to know that my plain house and single nanny would make me
something of a laughing stock, were it to be known.

The Monkey then stopped off at a bookstore. Which surprised me greatly. I had never seen the Monkey with a
text before. He looked around, as confused as I would expect him to be, before seemingly grabbing one at
random.

“This one, please.”

He paid and we returned to the inn. I went to check on Naomi. She was awake, sitting up and even sipping a
cup of broth.

“My appetite is returning, as you can see Ishigaki-kun.”

I sat down behind her, and she leaned back.

“I am sorry, my love. For worrying you so.”

“It's not your fault, Naomi. It's Jurojin's.”

“Ishigaki!”

She turned to bop me on the nose.

“It is not as though Jurojin wishes to be cruel! There must be balance in all things! For every person on whom a
Fortune bestows their favor, another must bear their curse, surely you know this?”
“So you're saying the reason I'm ugly is because you're pretty?”

“You are not ugly, Ishigaki-kun.”

“I am a little bit, though. Most people flinch when they see my face for the first time.”

“Most people are fools. They cannot see you as I do. They do not know you as I do.”

“Keep swelling my head up like that and I'll have a hard time fitting out the door.”

“It is the duty of a wife to swell her husband's head from time to time.”

“Ohhh naughty girl…”

“What? No... I didn't mean...ah!”

I grinned as Naomi's cheeks flushed. She could be bold at times but there was no changing her innocent
nature. There was a loud coughing from outside the door.

Naomi sat up straighter, away from me.

Public displays like what we had been doing were impolite, and though none of our friends were truly bothered
by it, Naomi preferred to comport herself properly.

The door opened, and the Monkey came in.

“Um, how're ya feeling Naomi-sama?”

“Much better now, Monkey-san. I must apologize for holding everyone up like this.”

“Huh? No you don't have to apologize for anything Naomi-sama! In fact that's why I'm here. Um, anyway.
Here.”

“He knelt down and slid the book he had bought earlier toward Naomi.”

“What is this? I cannot possibly accept take a gift from so dear a friend.”

“Oh, you really wanna do that thing, Naomi-sama?”

“Okay, um. I got this for you because we all love you. You know that right? I mean, not romantically or anything
(nervous glance my way) but you know. None of us would be if it weren't for you.”

“I am just a Water Tenasi. It is expected that I heal the injured. Besides which, many of you have been hurt
protecting me. You owe me nothing.”

“I don't care if I owe you or not. I wouldn't have Hime-san or my son today if it weren't for you.”

“Very well, thank you Monkey-san.”

She glanced down at the gift.

“This... is a pillow book.”

“Ummmm.... Yeah?”

Monkey's. Just no sense of right and wrong.

Pillow books were stories of romance and love, most popular among the housewives of Rokugan. For obvious
reasons no one really spoke about. Since I had watched him buy it, I knew there was no deeper meaning in
giving my wife a pillow book. I may have punched anyone else doing so. I wondered if that was the real reason
he wanted me to come along on his little shopping trip today.

I heard the telltale thumpdrag of Toshiro coming up to the door. I opened it before he could. He held up an
empty sake cup. I cocked my head at him. I didn't really want to leave Naomi's side.

“What is it, Ishigaki-kun?”

“Just Toshiro. Dosen't want to drink alone.”

“So go with him.”

“But…”

“You are a being a worry wort. I am fine Ishigaki-kun, truly.”

Tatsuki peeked out from behind Toshiro.

“I can stay with her, if you're worried, Ishigaki-sama.”

“Alright, you win. Let's go get drunk then.”

“Yosh.”

Toshiro and I headed out. When we got there, I was surprised to see the Mantis waiting for us. I glanced at
Toshiro, saw the smirk on his face. He planned this. It was too late to back out now, though. Fine, I could be
civil when I had to be. We shared the most elegant of greetings.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Toshiro handled the first pour. We drank our Sake. I took the next pour.

“How's Naomi?”

“Fine.”

“How's Tatsuki?”

“Fine.”

“How's your foot?”

“It hurts.”

We drank. Nice, civil, riveting conversation. Mantis took the next pour. I inspected my Sake closely.

“Pffft. If I wanted to kill you I'd just hack you up with my kama.”

We drank. Toshiro poured.

“That's assuming you were trying to kill me. Pillow district isn't far from here. Maybe you're just trying to drug
me.”

We drank.

“The hell you on about? I've got Tatsuki for that. I don't need your hideous ass.”

I poured.

“So you're saying you'd consider it, if you didn't buy yourself a woman?”

We drank.

“Nah. Never.”

Mantis poured. Toshiro spoke up, breaking the little jabs the Mantis and I were taking at each other.

“So, what are you going to do with her anyway?”

The Mantis glared at Toshiro. Knocked back his sake in one gulp.

“Make her my concubine. If she'll go for it.”

I finished my own cup to hide my surprise.

“You really like her, don't you?”

Toshiro poured.

“No, you dolt. I love her. I'd marry her if I could.”

I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I just drank. The others followed my lead.

As I poured, Toshiro spoke again.

“So, why can't you? Is it just the class difference?”

“I'm already married.”

I sputtered a bit as my sake went down the wrong pipe.

“You okay over there, big guy? Too much to handle?”

“I'm fine. Fine. Can drink you under the table any day of the week.”

“Bullshit.”

Mantis poured.

“When did you even get married?”

“Before we all met.”

“I never knew that.”

“You never asked.”

We drank.

“Whose pour is it?”

“Toshiro's I think.”

He poured.

“Well, you never offer up anything about yourself. I figured you wanted to keep to yourself.”

We drank.

“I never spoke up because you don't like me. Pour the drinks you bastard.”

I did. I spilled some. We drank.

“Where the hell did you get that idea?”

“It's written all over your stupid face.”

The Mantis poured. He spilled too.

“When you fuckin walked in here, the second you saw me you wanted to leave!”

We drank.

“Well, if you were a proper samurai you wouldn't want to be seen with a koku fucker either!”

Toshiro poured.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

We drank. I slammed my cup down and poured.

“You're a merchant, pretending to be a Samurai. Your whole fuckin clan is obsesed with money. You're worse'n
fuckin Cranes!”

We drank.

“You ever seen a Crane fight like me?”

“I've seen drunken panda's fight like you, but never anything you could mistake for a samurai.”

Mantis poured.

“Where the hell did you see a drunk panda?!”

“Shinomen Mori.”

We drank.

“All kinds of freaky shit in there.”

“Whose pour?”

Toshiro spoke.
“I'll get it. I can't remember either.”

He poured.

We drank.

“You're full of shit. You never seen a drunk panda!”

I poured.

“You're right. But I have seen a drunk bug.”

“Where?”

We drank.

“In front of me”

“Oh fuck you.”

He poured.

“Buy me dinner first.”

We drank.

“That is enough.”

Another Samurai. A Crane, by his hair, came over to our table. You are being very rude and disturbing the
other guests. I must insist you take you leave.

“Fuck off!” The Mantis and I responded in unison.

We looked at each other in surprise. Grins spread across our faces. He looked so stupid, swaying all drunkenly
while just sitting there.

Toshiro poured himself a cup and drank it in one gulp. As the Mantis and I both stood up and punched the
Crane in his too pretty face.

And the fight was on.

The Mantis was one hell of a brawler. Everything he could get his hands on became a weapon. And he
seemed quite comfortable weaving around and barely keeping his balance. I swear he avoided more blows to
dumb luck and his own lurching than to any real skill.

I, on the other hand, planted my feet firmly on the ground and hit anything that came within arms reach. I'm
sure some of them hit me a few times, but I hardly felt it. Might have had something to do with them having the
muscle development of a four year old girl. I said as much, and they took exception to that.

Two of them went for my legs, and managed to take me down. The Mantis picked up a table and knocked them
off me.

“Good thinking!”

“I know right!”
Toshiro poured himself another drink. Then broke the empty sake bottle over the head of one of the samurai
trying to get up. Several minutes later, the brawl was over.

The Crab/Mantis alliance had conquered this drinking establishment.

Then the magistrate showed up.

Toshiro apologized to the Doji and paid the fine, then promised to get us both back to inn. It took a while, either
I or the Mantis kept trying to wander off in search of more alcohol. And we both had to stop to puke at least
once. The Mantis looked up at me after he finished one such bout.

“How in the hell is that Kuni friend of yours not drunk like us?”

Toshiro overheard him, and answered.

“My leg is hollow. I keep it all in there.”

He said this with a perfectly straight face.

I woke up, the light in the room stinging my eyes. Why is it so bright. Oh, Naomi had every window in the room
open. The dull thudding in my head became a fierce pounding as I tried to sit up.

“Good morning, Ishigaki-kun. Would you like some breakfast?”

Naomi cracked a raw egg and mixed it up into a bowl of rice, then shoved it right under my nose.

“Yo-ulp. You're doing this on purpose.”

“Whatever do you mean, Ishigaki-kun?”

She daintily ate some rice.

“Oh, this is very good. Are you sure you do not want some?”

She offered me the bowl again. Right under my nose.

I lurched to my feet and got outside in time. Mantis-san was already there.

He wiped his mouth and grinned at me.

“Taught those little girls how to fight, didn't we?”

I grinned back.

“Yeah. Though I think Naomi is upset with me.”

Kitsuki-san appeared in the mouth of the alleyway.

“Of course she's upset with you. Both of you idiots made a real mess last night. You're retainers of Jade
Magistrates! You should have some consideration for your position. Now she's going to have to reprimand you
publicly for your shameful behavior last night!”

Mantis-san and I exchanged glances. Then burst out laughing.

“And what do you find so funny?”

Kitsuki-san's confusion only made us laugh harder.

thumpdrag
thumpdrag
thumpdrag

“The situation has already been handled Kitsuki-san. I paid the fine.”

“But, their actions...!”

“I was there with them, did you not know that? Ishigaki and Mantis-san are as much my subordinates as
Naomi's, and I will not reprimand them.”

“For the love of the Fortunes, why!?”

“They won.”

We left Kitsuki-san there, his mouth working like a fish out of water. We sat in the common room, nursing cups
of tea along with our hangovers. Naomi came and joined us.

She looked between me and Mantis-san a few times. Then at Toshiro.

“You planned this.”

Toshiro sipped his tea.

“I didn't plan on this hangover being so bad, no.”

Naomi sat down with just a slight huff.

“That is not what I meant and you know it.”

I spoke up.

“Sometimes, Naomi too much sake is actually a good thing.”

Too much sake is the go to excuse for when you slip up and breach etiquette. From an emotional outburst to
bad table manners, if you do something wrong you apologize and blame it on too much sake. It doesn't
mitigate your shame, and it only works on minor things, but most people will accept your apology and not bring
it up again. After all, everyone has had too much sake at least once or twice.
A runner came up with a letter for Mantis-san. He read it. Then went pale.

I looked at him.

“What is it?”

“My wife. Says there's trouble and I need to come home right away.”

Naomi asked if his wife had elaborated on it.

“Just a name. Kenzan.”

He practically spat the name.

“Who is this Kenzan?”

“My problem. I'll deal with it.”

I put a hand on Mantis-san's shoulder.

“He may be your problem, but you’re our our problem.”

Naomi and Toshiro nodded.

“I'll go wake up the Monkey.”

And that was how we found ourselves on a ship headed to the Islands of Spice and Silk. Along the way we
pressed for information on Kenzan. Mantis-san opened up more quickly than usual.

Mantis-san had, in the past, captained a small kobune. It was how he got his start, and ended up with a
favorable marriage. Kenzan had been his navigator, for a time. Kenzan, however was far from reliable. He was
not a drunkard, or addict or anything of that sort. On the water, he was a fine navigator, one of the best Mantis-
san had ever worked with.

However, Kenzan did have a problem with gambling. A very big problem. When a full two dozen Mantis
samurai stormed onto his boat, beating any who tried to stop them unconscious and taking his cargo to pay
back Kenzan's gambling debts, Mantis-san threw Kenzan off the boat.

Literally.

Mantis-san complained to his lord, who complained to the lord Kenzan owed. Who responded that the Captain
is responsible for the conduct of his crew and refused to give back the cargo. Mantis-san's Lord did not want to
force the issue, since it was his retainers weakness that led to this mess. So Mantis-san's lord settled for
casting Kenzan out of the clan for making him look bad.

Kenzan blamed Mantis-san for being a made a Ronin, and swore vengeance.

“That's the last I heard of the bastard, until today. I expected his gambling to catch up to him, leaving him
floating face down in a river somewhere, before he could cause any trouble.”

“I thought you said you didn't know anyone who could have been them?”

“Kenzan's a bastard, but he's no Maho-tsukai.”

I leaned over the side of boat, checking Kitsuki-san's face to see if he was still conscious. He was. He was a
green as his Haori, but he was still awake. It wouldn't do to let him pass out and fall overboard, after all.

“How long till we get there, do you think?”

“If the weather holds, another two days.”

Kitsuki-san managed to make his vomiting sound especially distressed at that.

And then the fog bank that seemed to come up from nowhere enveloped us.

Somehow, I knew this was the Monkey's fault.

The ship lurched as we collided with something. From where I was I managed to grab Kitsuki-san and keep
him from falling over. I pulled him aboard, dumping him unceremoniously to the deck, as I went to check on
Naomi.

“I am fine Ishigaki-kun, just a small bump.”

Then I heard a cry. Which turned very quickly into a gurgle. I turned to see a man pulling a tanto out of one of
the sailors. How a man at sea got that dirty I will never know. I missed my chance to ask, since I cracked his
eggs with my tetsubo and shoved him over the side. All around us, Pirates swarmed onto the deck.

I backed Naomi up into a corner and swatted anything that came near, as she gave me strength and speed
with her magic. I could barely make out Toshiro and the Monkey fighting side by side, defending Kitsuki-san
who was still feeling the effects of his seasickness.

Mantis-san was in his element, he stode the deck with confidence, his kama were a blur as they scythed
through necks, bodies and legs. Then a blast of water slammed into Toshiro, the Monkey and Kitsuki-san.

The mist parted, revealing the whole deck again. The captain was lying on the deck, bleeding. Over him stood
a shugenja, with a blood tipped trident.

Toshiro and the Monkey kept their feet, but Kitsuki-san was knocked clean off the boat. Monkey dove in after
him without hesitation.

Crazy Monkey.

Toshiro was in a tough spot. He could fight quite well with his tetsubo, but most of his Earth magic was for
dealing with the taint. He had Fire for more mundane foes.

Only, we were on boat. A big, wooden, boat.

I batted aside another pirate, unwilling to leave Naomi's side.

“Kenzan!”

Mantis-san rushed out of nowhere, swinging on the shugenja. That then, must be Kenzan. From navigator to
ronin to pirate. Quite the fall.

Kenzan's eyes widened in surprise to see Mantis-san. He spun his trident as he backed away.

“It has been too long you bastard! I'll have your head now!”

As Kenzan and Mantis-san squared off, preparing to clash with one another, a pirate on their ship blew a horn.
Kenzan looked up.
“Already?! Shit.”

He leveled his trident at Mantis-san

“We'll settle this another time! Jaa ne!”

As Mantis-san swung at him, Kenzan leaped over the side of the boat. And landed on the water. And ran to his
ship.

On top of the water.

A hand appeared on the rail of the boat beside me. I looked over, Monkey was hauling himself up a rope with
Kitsuki-san slung over his shoulder.

“Little help here? He's heavier than he looks!”

I grabbed Monkey's hand and hauled them both in. And then the water between our boats burst up. The water
rained down.

Off of the head of a giant snake.

It opened it's mouth as it's head swept from side to side, looking at both ships. Inside I could see fangs as long
as a man. It hissed.

“Um. I don't think it likes us.”

“got a real knack for stating the obvious Monkey, you know that?”

“Ishigaki-kun, that's an Orochi!”

“Aren't Orochi smart?”

“Very.”

“So we can talk to it?”

The Orochi slammed its bulk against both ships, still hissing, still looking around.

“He does not seem to be in the mood.”

Mantis-san took charge, shouting orders to get the ship clear. The sailors leapt to obey.

“We're taking on water!”

Mantis-san grabbed the nearest man.

“Where's the carpenter?”

The sailor pointed to a body lying on the deck, throat cut ear to ear.

“Okay, you're the new carpenter. Get down there”

He gave the man a shove. Mantis-san then looked at me and Monkey.

“Plugging a hole water is pouring in from takes a lot of strength, and I've got my hands full up here!”
“Got it. Let's go Monkey.”

“Naomi-sama, this ship needs to move faster, and it needs to stop taking on water. The latter is a bit more
important though.”

“I do not think I can hold back the entire sea but I will do what I can.”

Mantis-san was right about plugging the hole. It took everything I had, with Monkey and another sailor on either
side, to get the boards in place so the new carpenter could nail them in place. That Orochi tore a pretty big
hole, by the time we got it plugged I was standing in knee deep water.

Naomi pulled out a scroll and started to pray. Then, the water moved.

All of it.

It flowed up the stairs, swirling around Naomi's legs, onto the deck, and back over the side into the sea.

The last little tendril of water, wrapped around Naomi, stretched out quite thin. Almost as if it didn't want to let
go of her. She smiled at it.

“Thank you, my friends.”

Then it let go, and the water was gone. Water still leaked in from around the edges of the patch, but it was
slow.

“Hey, Naomi can you do something about that, too?”

She shook her head.

“I could certainly ask the water Kami to stop coming in, but there are so many out there, and we're moving past
so many... I am but a drop in the endless ocean. I am sorry.”

“Don't worry about it, Naomi-sama!”

The newly minted carpenter gestured to the patch.

“This will keep the worst of it out until we can make better repairs.”

The carpenter left a few men to keep an eye on the patch and to occasionally toss out buckets of water, then
went up on deck to let Mantis-san know the state of things. We all went with. Mantis-san nodded. Pointed over
the side.

In the distance I could see a dark shape. An island.

“We'll need to beach the boat to make a watertight seal on the patch.”

As we got close, we could see the jagged rocks that ringed the island. It was tense sailing, the Mantis on the
tiller with crewmen looking over the sides of the boat, yelling to him how much clearance he had. But somehow
we got through the ring of rocks Naomi spoke to the water kami once more, and the water beneath us surged
up, and eased us onto the beach. She smiled at us.

“Asking the kami for a quick favor, however, is well within my ability.”
Once ashore, we got off the boat, and Mantis-san inspected the damage from the outside with his carpenter.
There were several places where the boards had been rubbed thin by the Orochi, aside from the hole it had
punched. Mantis-san rubbed his chin.

“A day, day and half at least. Need to slap some sealant on the patch, keep it from leaking. And that needs time
to dry. We're not far from the Mantis Islands though, so we should be able to make it.”

Kitsuki-san, no longer green, spoke up.

“There is a mist beginning to rise. Depending on how long it lasts we may be here longer.”

We looked around. Sure enough the mist was rising. Fast. Too fast.

“Shit!”

It was Mantis-san. He got back aboard the boat, yelled for the navigator. He came back out with some maps
and charts.

“...and we were here, last time you checked our position?”

“Yes, I'm sure of it.”

“Fuck.”

I folded my arms.

“Bad news then?”

“Yeah. We're on the Isle of Mists.”

The other sailors around came to dead stop and stared at Mantis-san. Monkey glanced around.

“What's the 'Isle of Mists'?”

“A legend. Or at least, it's supposed to be. There's a part of the sea between the Crane coast and the Isles of
Spice and Silk that have a thick mist all the time. Been that way since forever. Easy to get lost in mist that thick;
ships get lost in that area all the time. Some old sailors would say there's an island in the center of the mists. A
cursed island, where the mist comes from.”

Mantis-san looked down. Stamped his foot.

“Guess it's real though.”

He looked up.

“Hey! Get back to work you louts! Anyone not working on repairs, get a camp set up! And calm down! We know
why ships get lost now! They don't know about the rocks, don't see them in the mist, and sink! But we've got a
navigator AND a water tensai with us! We'll be able to come back alive! Think about how many drinks this story
will be worth once we get home!”

That put some life back into the sailors, and they sprang to work.

We all sat around a small fire, discussing our current situation.

“Now, we are currently stuck on an island that is perpetually surrounded by thick mist, which makes navigating
the area around it difficult.”

Kitsuki-san waited for Mantis-san's nod before continuing his recap.

“We were attacked by Kenzan, who is a Shugenja, with formal schooling in the Yoritomo school before being
made Ronin. And he hates Mantis-san with a passion.”

Another nod from Mantis-san.

“A conservative estimate puts us at two days until we can effect repairs. After which we will need all the
assistance we can get from your navigator and Naomi-sama to clear the rocks surrounding this island due to
the thick mist. Lastly, Kenzan is still out there somewhere. And also, it would seem, a rather hostile Orochi.
Have I left anything out?”

“The part where this is all the bad luck Monkey's fault.”

“C'mon Ishigaki-san, that was one time! One time! I'm not a jinx!”

“Sounds like something a Jinx would say.”

“Ishigaki-san, please. This is hardly the time for our usual banter.”

I shrugged, and decided to let the Jinx off the hook. For now. Naomi spoke up.

“There were a great many water kami swirling around the trident that Kenzan was carrying. Others as well, but
I am not as skilled at sensing them, so I cannot be sure.”

“A Nemuranai, then?”

“I believe so.”

Everything has a spirit. From the proudest and most ancient mountain to the lowliest mushroom growing on a
rotting log. For most, those spirits are dormant, passive. Items that are very old, that have passed from hand to
hand across many generations, that were wielded by great heros or ignoble villains, or that were part of a
turning point in history, they could all cause their spirits to awaken.

These things are called Nemuranai. They are all sacred treasures, most belonging to a great family, or even
the Clan itself. It is a great honor to be given stewardship of a Nemuranai. A simple ronin pirate getting his
hands on one was nigh unthinkable.

“Naomi, even after we get fixed and going, it's still two more days to the Mantis isles. Will you have enough
medicine?”

She checked her pouch.

“Hai, I believe I will Ishigaki-kun.”

Some part of me really wanted to look in that pouch myself and make sure. But since her medicine
consumption varied depending on good days and bad days, I realized I wouldn't be able to judge it on my own.

The mist bothered me. It made the air thick and damp. Cloying. Even I felt a little short of breath.

Mantis-san spoke up. “Our provisions will hold up as well.”

He glanced over at the sailors working on the repairs. Then lowered his voice.
“It might have been an issue, but we've got fewer mouths to feed now.”

Naomi looked away. I gave her back a few soft rubs and she, in turn, gave me brave face smile. Not for the first
time, nor the last, I was torn between my desire to protect my wife from emotional pain, and my desire that her
gentle nature never harden.

Toshiro spoke up. “Mantis-san, I assume that patch would not fare well in a storm?”

Mantis-san frowned.

“It wouldn't, but I can't see a storm like that coming up on us so fast, given where we are and the time of year.”

“And another ship battle?”

“No. We would not fare well in one of those at all.”

Kitsuki-san tapped his fan to his lips.

“You think that Kenzan may attack again.”

“I think he is here, on this island.”

We all looked up sharply.

“You said it yourself, Mantis-san. He was one of the best navigators you ever worked with. Now Naomi says
the trident he wields is a Nemuranai. A disgraced ronin, a pirate, with an awakened item? Consider the fact that
we were engulfed in mist just before he attacked he attacked us. I think the trident controls the mist. Somehow,
someway, Kenzan made his way here. He found the trident. Now he uses it's power, and the island's
reputation, to prey on shipping while eluding even the Mantis navy. And even if they do chase him this far, he
must know every safe passage through the rocks. No one would be able to root him out of the natural fortress.”

Shit. That all made sense.

I spoke up. “We should find out where he's hiding here. Take him out now. We can use the trident to clear out
the mist, won't have to worry about the patch holding up in a fight if we do it now.”

Several of the others nodded in agreement. Naomi did not, but she did not object either. She simply gave me
look that said 'please be careful.'

The Monkey surprised me by being the lone voice of dissent. “I don't know, this mist is creepy as Jigoku. How
will we even find our way around this island, or get back?”

“It's not like we have a better option. You heard Mantis-san, we'll be at a huge disadvantage in a another ship
battle. And that's not even counting what might happen if that Orochi shows back up.”

“Yeah, that orochi. What do you think his deal is, anyway? Why was he attacking us?”

“You're asking me how an ancient giant snake thinks? How would I know?”

Monkey stood up in a huff. Shoving his katana back into his obi. “I still don't like this, but if you're all gonna go,
I'll go too.”

“Not all of us,” I said.

“Ishigaki-kun, you don't mean to leave me behind?”

“I do. Look, I know you're not going to complain, but I also know you're having a hard time breathing in this shit.
Because I’m having a hard time breathing in this shit. Kitsuki-san, Mantis-san, you should stay too.”

Mantis-san began to protest but I cut him off. “I know you have old business with Kenzan, but he wants your
head too. Who would captain the ship if something happened to you?”

“There are others in the crew who could, and if we have the trident then I'm certain with Naomi and the
navigator they could get through the rocks.”

I looked at him.

“You're certain? You're not just saying that because you want a piece of Kenzan?”

“Yes.”

I searched his eyes for any hint of falsehood. He didn't look away.

“...Okay then. But watch your ass, you hear me?”

“Yeah, I got it. I'll be fine.”

It was then Kitsuki-san's turn to object. “Ishigaki-san, while I appreciate the vote of confidence in trusting me to
look after your wife, I think my abilities will be of better use looking for kenzan that sitting here.”

Son of a bitch. He saw right through me. I really did want to have at least one person stay behind and keep an
eye on her.

“Ishigaki-kun, you should not worry so. I will be quite fine. Just sitting here is not tasking in the least.”

The way she said that made me feel guilty about leaving her behind, even though there wasn't the slightest
accusation in her tone.

Toshiro spoke before I could even look at him. “If all else fails, I can speak with the earth kami and get a feel for
where we are and where we are going. So I'm going with, to make sure we really can all make it back.”

“You can really do that? I've never seen you use magic to navigate before.”

“Never had to before. But I can.”

Well, that settled it. No way I was leaving the jinx behind with Naomi. And I was the front line. the first line of
defense for my friends when battle was joined. I would have to go. I hated my idea more than Monkey did

We set forth boldly heading to our fated showdown with Kenzan.

5 minutes later…

“So uh, which way should we be going, anyway?”

“That depends, how big is this island, anyway?”

“I don't know, I can't see shit.”

“We're coming up on a bamboo forest guys.”

“How can you tell Monkey?”

“I ran into some bamboo. I think this mist is getting thicker the further in we go.”

“Well shit.”

We all looked at each other. Kitsuki-san suggested we start by returning to the beach and walking along it until
we got back to our boat. We'll figure out how big this island is, and we stand a chance of spotting Kenzan's
boat at least.

“And we're very unlikely to get lost.”

“Yeah, let's do that.”

“You holding up, Toshiro?”

“Oh I'm fine. After all, I'm not the one rushing through a mist so thick you can hardly see.”

“We all slowed down a bit.”

Hours later…

I was sweating hard. I kept sinking deep into the loose sand on the beach, there was sand all in the joints and
seams of my armor, and the mist was still cloying and oppressive. Mantis-san was only wearing the Do from
his own suit of armor, and Kistuki-san wasn't wearing any armor at all.

“Fucking shit”

Wow that was some impressive cursing from Kitsuki-san. He found a rock, half buried in the sand.

With his foot.

I knelt down by where he had fallen in the sand, one I got close enough I could see there was blood soaking
through his tabi. In only a few hours we were exhausted, panting and now injured. This island was kicking our
asses in ways that bandit lords, Maho-tsukai and even Oni had not.

Fuck it.

“Good Idea Kitsuki-san. Lets all take a break.”

“Should probably wash that out.”

Kitsuki-san looked at the water rolling in from the beach. Then at Toshiro. He chose the salt water. The Monkey
took long thirsty gulps of water from his gourd, passed it to me.

“Hey, Toshiro-sama. How come your face paint never runs no matter how humid it gets or how much you
sweat?

“It's kabuki makeup.”

“Uh, Okay?”
Kitsuki-san filled in the blanks for Monkey while washing his foot.

“Kabuki makeup is for actors. Ah, tshtshtshtsh. That salt stings. They move around in heavy costume,
sometimes on a stage with many lights. It is natural they would sweat quite a bit. So, ow. So they add
compounds to the paint, to keep it from running.”

“Oh, okay. Why didn't you just say that to begin with Toshiro-sama?”

“I thought you, of all people would know about Kabuki face paint.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“You are a strange person.”

“I can't remember ever seeing you without that makeup on, and you're calling ME strange?”

“He wears the paint to be polite, Monkey.”

Monkey looked over at me.

“Yeah, you've said that before. But I wanna know. We've known each other for years now. C'mon, lemme see
your face.”

“No.”

“C'moooon”

I spoke up again.

“Let it go, Monkey. Did you sit on a sand bur or something? The hell's gotten into you?”

“You guys all think I'm weird.”

Mantis-san clapped Monkey on the shoulder.

“It's not a bad thing. We're all weird, in some way. You've just got a simple honesty about you.”

Monkey glared at us.

“You make fun of me all the time and think I don't notice. You know what? I'm just fine. You all sit here on your
asses, I'm going to go find Kenzan.”

He bounded off, into the mists before we could stop him.

...

...what the fuck just happened.

We stared at one another, none of us could conceal our shock. I stood up.

“We'd better go after him.”

“Why bother?”

I stop. And turn. Stare at Kitsuki-san.

“Let the fool go. He's just going to be a liability like that.”

“What if he gets hurt, or lost?”

“He can take care of himself, Ishigaki-san. This may surprise you, but you do not have to keep putting yourself
in harms way deliberately to protect us.”

I was about to retort when Toshiro caught my eye. He gave the barest nod of his head in the direction Monkey
ran off. I headed off after him. Mantis-san started to follow me but I waved him off.

“Keep an eye on those two for me. We'll meet back at the ship.”

“Alright.”

I took off. Toshiro was right, again. Something was wrong. Monkey was not that temperamental. Neither was
Kitsuki-san. He tried to hide it with some logic, but I could see he was angry with Monkey. We all were of
course, but we were going to go after him anyway. I was beginning to think Mantis-san was a prophet. Every
time he said something would not be a problem, it turned out to a very big problem.

I suspected this island really was cursed. I pulled out the finger of jade I always wore. It wasn't blackening. So
there was no taint around for it to absorb. Good news there then.

But it meant something else was going on. When the taint begins to warp a person's mind, they themselves
never seem to notice. If Toshiro and I were right, if this island was cursed and affecting our minds, if Kitsuki-san
was already suffering the effects, then he may not even realize what is going on. Which meant that figuring out
what, exactly, was going on was going to be up to Toshiro, or Naomi.

Naomi.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

She was alone. With a bunch of sailors. On a cursed island which warped the minds of those on it. I took a
deep breath. Double checked to make sure I was going in more or less the right direction, and ran for the boat
as fast as I could.

Kitsuki-san was right, after all. Monkey had more than his fair share of luck. Luck can be a skill too. Monkey
would be fine.

Naomi, on the other hand, would not harm a fly. I had only ever seen her attack the walking dead and immortal
spirits. She would not risk killing those Mantis, no matter what. It's possible she wouldn't even risk hurting
them. She needed me far more than Monkey. And besides, with her water magic she could track him down
easily.

I was in no way worried about the curse affecting her. Though her body was sickly, I knew she could strong
willed at times. There was just no way my Hana-chan would be anything other than an honorable,
compassionate woman.

No way.

Though we had moved slowly because of Toshiro's limp and the difficulty of seeing in the mist, we had still
been gone for a long time. Hours, I knew. Though I had lost track of time beyond that. I ran at the pace I had
been trained to, one I knew I could maintain for some time and still be fresh and ready when I got where I was
going. Still, I worried about how long it would take me to get back.
I focused on my breathing, quieted my mind, and ran. I have no idea how long I ran, but I finally reached the
boat. And I saw a large circle of water, standing upright. A wall keeping out a large clump of sailors who were
hacking ineffectually at it.

I didn't break my stride.

Instead I bent low, taking one in the side with my shoulder. I straightened as I impacted him, tossing him up
over my back.

Brandishing my tetsubo I roared.

“Get the hell back! All of you! Get back!”

Taken off guard by my sudden appearance, they did. I took stock of the situation.

There were a dozen sailors, counting the one I had already hit, menacing Naomi, who I was sure was inside
the wall of water behind me. I could see the bodies of several more lying on the beach. I could see several
more poking their heads up from on the boat. Looked like the boat had become a makeshift fortress.

The sailors recovered their courage quickly enough, and came at me. I backed up until my back was almost
pressed against the water, keeping them from getting around behind me.

Their numbers worked against them, with my back covered only five could reach me at once. Sure, only five.
Encouraged by their advantage, the first wave came at me, telegraphing their charge with Kiai.

I caught two blows on the haft of my tetsubo. A third was stopped by my armor. Two got through.

The first thing to bear in mind when outnumbered is to limit the number of attackers you must face at any one
time.
The second thing to bear in mind is it's better to injure two than to kill one.
The last is the most difficult. You must never let them see your nervousness. Be confident. Act as though it is
you who has the upper hand. Convince them that to attack you means their own destruction, and you weaken
their spirit. Weaken their spirit, and you have already won.

Their reckless audacity allowed them to wound me, now they paid for it.

I swung my Tetsubo in a wide arc, catching two of them. I took full advantage of my weapons weight to bowl
them both over. Even though they both picked themselves back up, that moment when their friends wondered
if they were dead was a small wound to their spirit.

It was now a simple question. Which would give out first? Their bodies, their spirit, or me? Again they came,
and my world was once more a storm of kama, tonfa, and jo.

A blow to my leg pushed me down to one knee, I felt something pop. These sailors were all burly, and could hit
hard. But I was a Crab, I was the mountain, and I would not be moved.

I focused myself, remembering a kata I had performed for years at the dojo. I forced myself to wait, and
respond at the last moment. The movements taught by my sensei would ensure that my own attacks created
no gaps in my armor, and my enemies would find it even more difficult to wound me.

As I rose up from my knee I used the momentum to bring my tetsubo up into the chin of the man who brought
me down. With a crunch the spikes on my iron club pierced into his bone, and as I followed through his jaw
tore free from his face.

He gurgled piteously, bare chest awash with blood, before falling to the ground dead.
The two I had injured fell back, clutching their wounds, unwilling to risk a similar fate. Three more stepped in,
eager for vengeance. But my sensei's teachings proved true, as their attacks found nothing by Kaiu steel.

I swung overhead and slow at one of the fresh ones, as he raised his kama to deflect my blow I changed my
weapons course and broke his arm. Then pulled my weapon straight back, slamming the pommel into the nose
of another, and sending him to the ground in a daze.

“Enough! Get away from him you fools! We can't afford any more losses!”

They picked up their comrade, and began to fall back away from me. Glancing between me and the boat. Then
they ran off into the mist. With a sploosh the water fell at last.

Naomi was in there. Clutching the navigator. I knelt down next to them.

Naomi's hair was a mess, her kimono torn off of one shoulder. And very fresh, vivid bruise was on her cheek.
The navigator was dead, a single wound pierced into their forehead. I nodded to myself as I made up my mind.
Curse or no curse, I was going to kill them all.

Naomi forestalled the commencement of my rampage by throwing her arms around me in a desperate hug. I
cradled my wife, her touch cooling my rage from a rolling boil to a gentle simmer. The intrusive sound of
footsteps approaching threatened to reignite its flame though.

“Um, Ishigaki-sama?”

It was the carpenter.

“Do, do you have any idea what's going on? Some of the others started getting more and more foul tempered,
then a fight broke out over I don't even know what. When the navigator tried to get the men back under
control…”

He looked at the body. I was just about to ask the carpenter why he allowed whatever had happened to my
wife to happen to her. I thought I should at least give him a chance to convince me not to kill him.

But Naomi spoke first.

“Mantis-san, can you not see that my husband and I are having a moment together? Please, go away.”

She smiled sweetly. Exactly the way I remember her mother doing when she was furious.

I tried to push away, to get a better look at her, but Naomi tightened her grip. Water is the element of clarity.
It is also the element of strength. Naomi, though she stood all of five feet tall, was a still a water tensai. And I
found I could not break her grip.

Well.

This is embarrassing.

I didn't know whether the carpenter had seen Naomi do something earlier, or had just known people who
smiled like that. Either way, he knew to leave well enough alone. He returned to the ship.

“Thank you!”

Still with that smile, still sweet.

“Now then, where were we? Oh, yes…”

She began undoing the laces of my armor.

“Naomi? What-”

“It has been too long, my husband. I need your warmth, your strength now. Everyone has gone mad, it seems.
I fear we will never leave this place.”

“Here? Now?!”

“Why not? We once made love in the snow. Let us do so on the beach as the waves lap at our flesh!”

Naomi could be bold, at times, when we were alone together. This was something completely different.
The curse was affecting her as well. So it didn't just make you belligerent and prone to violence. It also made
you pretty damn horny. Or at the very least, beholden to your most immediate impulses and desires.

The result of this was that my wife, seeking comfort after an ordeal, was now trying to rape me.
My wife. Was Trying. To rape me.

And with the bond she shared with the water kami making her unimaginably strong, I was not certain I could
stop her without hurting her. I was glad none of my friends were here to see this as I desperately thought of a
way to kill the mood

“Naomi, they can all see us.”

“Hmm?”

She pulled my head to her chest, looking over my shoulder.

“I suppose you have a point, Ishigaki-kun. My body is for you and you alone, and yours is only for me.”

Pooh. Well, there was one small ray of hope. She may have become possessive, jealous and impulsive, but
there were parts of Naomi that were unchanged. Her insistence of formal language, being unfailingly polite,
and-

“Ishigaki-kun! You're hurt! Why did you not say something?”

She quickly set to work on my injuries. She was still compassionate as ever. Even under attack, she hadn't hurt
anyone. Just used a spell to keep them at bay.

“You're hurt too Naomi. Your cheek.”

She raised a hand up to her face.

“Oh.”

While she healed her own injury I straightened up her kimono.

“Naomi, this island. I think it really is cursed.”

“Yes, I had begun to suspect this as well.”

“Monkey is missing.”

“What?”

“He got very angry, and ran off.”

“That is very unlike him.”

Good, good. She could see the strangeness in others then, if not herself. Which means I could still count on
Kitsuki-san figuring out what was going on. Now I just had to hope he could still work with Toshiro to figure all
this out. I hoped Toshiro was still resisting the effect of the curse. Anger a temperamental bushi and you might
get your head cut off. Anger a temperamental shugenja and you might get your whole village burned down.

“I can't track very well in this mist. Can you use your magic to find him? We have to get off this island, as
quickly as possible. Daiko and Tetsute need us.”

That got her to focus.

“Yes, I can.”

She did so. I scooped her up onto my back.

“Just tell me which way to go.”

“Ishigaki-kun!”

I cut her off before she could protest further.

“Let me spoil my beautiful wife, please?”

“Very well. head that way.”

She pointed. I ran carrying her. A soft whisper from her sped my legs, lengthened my stride. I prayed that my
friends weren't getting any worse.

Guided by Naomi, I raced along the interior of the island, hunting for Monkey. She was so small and light, I
barely felt her weight on my back. I wondered what sort of state monkey would be in when we found him. The
curse brought out your baser desires and impulses, it seemed.

And Naomi, the frail flower clinging to me, was beloved by all of us. It wouldn't be much of a stretch, to my
mind, for them to try and force themselves on her. Well, good thing Naomi was a water tensai. I could beat any
one of them near to death and she could fix it.

Besides, Monkey deserved a good thrashing for being so weak as to fall victim to the curse. We wouldn't even
be in this mess if not for him being a jinx anyway. I tripped on some loose rocks, went down to my knees, hard.

“Are you okay, Naomi?”

That'll teach me to not pay attention to what I'm doing. Worry about beating the Monkey after I've found him.
“I am unharmed, let me see your knees Ishigaki-kun.”

“It's alright Naomi, I'm-”

I shook my head to clear it as my vision tunneled.

“-fine, really.”

“Then what was that just now?”

“I don't know. I guess I may have been awake for a while now? It's easy to lose track of time here.”
“It is.”

She produced a scroll, and called forth some mists of her own. As I breathed in the vapors I felt refreshed, like
I'd had a full night's sleep. She sagged against me, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow.

“Naomi?”

“I have just used quite a bit of magic today. It is no great concern, I assure you Ishigaki.”

I was seriously going to spank the shit out of that Monkey when I got my hands on him, for doing this to us. I
chuckled at the thought that he would think I was the one cursed, since you don't notice the changes in
yourself, just others. I scooped Naomi up and we set off again.

We found Monkey. He was sprawled out, asleep. So I woke him up.

With a good kick to the ribs.

“Ishigaki!”

Naomi looked shocked.

“Uwaggha!”

Monkey scrambled to his feet, pulled his wakizashi from his obi.

“Ishigaki! What the hell 'r ya doin?”

Monkey looked pissed.

“Waking you up.”

“Oh that does it. I am sick of you thinking your so much stronger than all of us! I'm taking you down a peg, here
and now!”

He put away his wakizashi, and pulled a tanto. Monkey surprised me. He knew how to fight dirty. He got in
close, inside my range. Stamped on my foot to keep me from backing up. He grabbed at my Do, trying to pull
me off balance and onto his blade.

Kobo ichi kai, the unarmed martial art of the Crab Clan, prepares it's students to deal with grapples. It teaches
the best way to keep one from garbing you is to strike them. I did as sensei instructed, and slammed my
kabuto into Monkey's face.

He staggered back and fell. But it was a trick. One I fell for. At the last moment he went down to only one knee,
and slashed at the back of my leg with his tanto. I felt warm blood flow.

Then I felt ice cold water splash down on top of me. And Monkey.

“What do you two think you are doing?”

I looked at Naomi who was staring aghast at the both of us.

My blood was still up, the fighting instincts instilled in my roared for retribution. I forced the thought down. It
was just the curse that made them both do unreasonable things. Monkey was my friend. And I would fall on my
own sword before I hurt Naomi.
I glanced at Monkey. He was shaking with fury, glaring at me and my wife in turn. I prepared to end him if he
went after her. But he just whined at her instead.

“Naomi, he started it!”

“Monkey-san, this Island does have a curse on it!”

“What?”

She told him what happened with the Mantis. I told him about Kitsuki-san falling prey to it.

“Even Ishigaki-kun is feeling it now! We must find everyone and get off this island, before it's too late!”

Well, I wasn't really under the effects of the curse, but Monkey would think he was the only sane one among
us. So that little white lie didn't hurt anyone, and it served to dispel the Monkey's anger. So I decided not to
correct Naomi. There would be plenty of time to discipline her later, when we finished what she had started on
the beach.

Monkey eyed me warily.

“Okay, you're gonna use your magic to find the others then? But how do we leave quickly? Won't we need a
crew, and a boat that doesn't leak?”

“Kenzan has both.”

“Oh, I see what your getting at. Wait, you still think he's on this island? What about the curse?”

“We're still able to work together. So it's not making us completely lose our sense, just bringing out bad
personality traits.”

At this point, given how the curse worked and how everyone had a short temper, it was just easier to speak of
it as though we were all affected. I hoped that Toshiro, at least still had his wits about him.

“Hah! I guess that's why Naomi-sama doesn't seem affected. She doesn't have any of those! You really are a
lucky bastard to get such a fine wife, you know that Ishigaki-san?”

“Yeah. And I'd kill anyone that made a move on her. Even without a curse making me more irritable.”

The mantis sailors still had their sense of self preservation. Let's hope Monkey did too.

“We're going to settle this one day, Ishigaki. But getting off the island comes first.”

“Agreed.”

I scooped Naomi up and she guided us to the others.

“They are all together right now. Thank the fortunes. Some are hurt, though.”

Oh great. I braced myself for whatever the hell happened with them. When we found them, they were inside a
cave. Clear on the other side of the Island. I locked eyes with Toshiro first. Searching for signs of madness.

I saw none.

I cast my eyes quickly at Naomi, letting him know she was feeling it as well. He sighed.
And looked back at the others. Kitsuki-san was wrapped in bloody bandages around his side. Mantis-san was
unconscious.

“We found Kenzan's boat. He was going to rush in blind and alone.”

Monkey whispered quietly.

“I'm sorry Naomi. I didn't really believe you at first, but I played along cuz I didn't wanna die on this island and I
can't sail a ship alone. But this is just too much. There really is a curse.”

Kitsuki-san coughed.

“Yes, and I think Toshiro and I know what it is.”

He explained as Naomi tended to his wound.

“Look, up there.”

We did. Characters I did not recognize were carved into the wall. They were very faded with age, almost
impossible to make out. As I looked further down the wall, the characters became sloppier and sloppier, until
they were just crude drawings. The last picture showed a trident. Lines emanated from it, and people with
snake like tails, fins and webbed fingers were all around it. A great snake coiled protectively around the last
picture.

Wat.

“Have you ever heard of the Ningyo?”

“Nope.”

Naomi was the one who answered.

“They were one of the ancient races that ruled the world before the time of man, before the Kami fell. A great
cataclysm befell their race, and they were driven mad, nearly feral. The kami here... they are so sad. The water
still remembers, even after all this time.”

Naomi was running her fingers along the carvings, tears streaming down her face openly.

“Water is ever changing, it is adaptable. It has no shape of it's own, but takes the shape of it's container. For
the water kami here to still bear this pain…”

Naomi threw herself against me and sobbed openly. Her strong bond with the kami of water meant she could
sense them quite keenly, sometimes even when she wasn't trying to. Sometimes they even clamored for her
attention. Just as the Kami of water gave her strength so too did they give her clarity, she would say. Now the
kami of water were sharing a very sad story with her.

Kitsuki-san picked up where Naomi left off.

“I'm just guessing here but I suspect some of the Ningyo came here.”

Toshiro spoke up.

“My guess is that the Ningyo tried to seal their curse in the trident. I don't think it turned out like they'd hoped.”

“So if we stay here long enough we're all going to go feral, like the Ningyo?”
Toshiro nodded gravely.

“Alright, so what about that big damn snake? Is that the Orochi?”

Naomi sniffled and nodded.

“Yes, that makes sense.”

“The Ningyo made a pact with the Orochi. The king of the Orochi placed a second curse on the Ningyo, to
protect them.”

“Huh?”

“Ningyo are immortal. They will live forever with their madness. However, they will not die of old age. They can
still be killed. And if one consumes the flesh of a Ningyo, one gains their immortality. The curse laid by the king
of the Orochi gave dire retribution upon any who would do so.”

“How do you know so much about Ningyo, Naomi?”

“They are beings of Water, Ishigaki-kun. As a water tensai it is my business to know such things.”

“So this Orochi is still protecting this tribe of ningyo?”

“Yes, Orochi take their pacts very seriously.”

“Alright hang on. You're telling me that Kenzan is able to use this trident to call up and dismiss the mist, and
the mist is what carries the curse. He uses the mist to attack other boats. Manages to keep group of near feral
pirates under control. And does all this while evading the wrath of a giant pissed off snake?! And this is the guy
the Mantis pissed off?”

I cupped my face in both hands. Mantis-san was truly gifted when it came to finding challenges for us all.

Naomi knelt down by Mantis-san I put my hands on his shoulders, just in case he thrashed about when he
came to. Toshiro and Kitsuki-san went around the corner, out of sight. Naomi worked her magic, healing
Mantis-san's wounds.

He did indeed begin to thrash. I put my down right in front of his so I was the only thing he could see.

“Oi, Oi! Relax!”

“Ishigaki-san?”

I pulled back a bit. He glanced down.

“Naomi-sama?”

“I am almost done.”

Monkey poked his head into Mantis-san's field of view.

“I'm here too!”

“Wonderful.”

Naomi finished healing Mantis-san's wounds, and sagged wearily against me.
“How much more do you even have, Naomi?”

She replied softly.

“One. To get us past the rocks.”

Mantis-san's looked back and forth between the three of us.

“What's been going on?”

“You know this place really is cursed?”

“Yeah, Toshi”

“It's the curse of the Ningyo”

“What?”

I cut him off before he could give us his version of events.

Toshiro and Kitsuki-san were just around the corner waiting for us to reason Mantis-san into a state where they
could rejoin us without it starting a massive brawl. But if Mantis-san told us his version, which would
undoubtedly lay all the blame on them, they would probably come out and start arguing. It was going to be
quite the challenge for me to keep all these lunatics in check.

Monkey showed Mantis-san the carvings as Naomi recounted the story.

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah, so we're all on edge things can get ugly pretty quickly.”

Monkey piped up.

“Ishigaki and I fought too, like you guys.”

Mantis-san picked his jaw up off the floor.

“Really?”

“Yeah. We're gonna finish it, but first we need to get off this damned island.”

“Yeah, yeah you're right. I don't want to end up a feral madman wandering this place till I die.”

“So we are in agreement then? All grievances are tabled until we're away from this damn mist?”

Mantis-san took deep breath, composed himself and nodded.

Toshiro and Kitsuki-san took their cue to rejoin us. Mantis-san looked at me sharply.

“After.” I said.

“After.” He agreed.

Kitsuki-san rubbed at his side.

“We do have much to discuss. But, yes. After.”

So our plan was to get off this cursed Island, make it to the Isles of Spice and SIlk, and then kill each other.
Which was still better than killing each other now and going mad alone on this damned rock.

Kitsuki-san spoke up again.

“I would like to know just how Kenzan manages to protect himself and his crew from this curse”

Mantis-san shook his head.

“Pirates don't live very long. Just like bandits, the get killed in fights all the time. Combine that with the dangers
of being a sailor and I doubt any of them live long enough to feel it's full effects.”

Toshiro nodded.

“We're proof enough that a common goal can give focus. If we can work together I imagine a pack of water
bandits can as well.”

“What about Kenzan himself?”

I said it before, but I'll graciously repeat myself for the sake of Mantis-san, since he was resting.

“It's just a guess, but I think the Ningyo that came to this island tried to seal up their curse into the trident. It
didn't quite work the way they intended, which is why the mist comes from the trident and carries the curse.
Perhaps then, it did work somewhat. And the one who bears the trident is protected from it.”

Monkey spoke up.

“Wait, hold on. I thought the trident summoned the mist? So couldn't Kenzan just dispel it to keep himself and
his crew safe?”

Kitsuki-san took over at this point.

“This island has been shrouded in mist for as long as any human can remember. last time I checked, Orochi do
not have hands, so it could not wield the trident. So I suspect the mist leaks out from the trident constantly.”

I nodded along. We were making assumptions, but so far it was plausible.

“The trident's wielder was protected from the curse, and could suppress the mist, at least temporarily.”

Monkey scratched his head.

“So what does he do when he's asleep? I mean, a bunch of bloodthirsty temperamental pirates? Wouldn't one
just shank him and take the trident for themselves?”

I looked around, just to make sure I wasn't the only one taken aback every time Monkey says something
insightful.

I was not. Kitsuki-san in particular, was taking it hard that Monkey noticed something he had overlooked. I
wasn't very good at reading people, but I was fairly certain Kitsuki-san was considering which one of us he
should ask to be his second. It was Naomi who answered Monkey.

“He must hide it someplace after they reach the island. So long as he goes on raids frequently, he would be
able to stave of the curse without clinging to the trident all the time.”

It was quite the tightrope to be walking. But Nemuranai that bear curses are like that.
“So, if he doesn't have the trident now, we could use the mist to ambush him?”

“Yeah.”

“Um. Mantis-san. Naomi is almost spent.”

“I heard.”

“And the curse got into the other Mantis.”

“I had not heard that.”

“There's been a lot to talk about…”

“There has. Go on then. How bad is it?”

“The crew turned on each other, and the Navigator is dead.”

“God damn it!”

He grabbed the front of my armor.

“Why the hell didn't you say so sooner!”

I brought my hands up between his, broke his grip.

“This is why!”

We stood there glaring at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Naomi took my hand.

Kitsuki-san spoke.

“So, will we need to find the trident in order to suppress the mist, so that you can navigate clear of the rocks,
Mantis-san?”

He broke eye contact first. My win then.

“Yeah, Yeah we will. Kenzan would know all the safe ways through, but he'd keep that in his head. He's like
you Kitsuki-san. Never forgets a damn thing.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“So then, beat him up and get him to tell us where it is?”

I felt a dampness on my foot. I looked down. There was water under me. There hadn't been, before.

And I had not moved.

I looked out of the mouth of the cave we were in. The beach outside was rapidly vanishing, being swallowed up
by the sea.

“Hey! I think we need to get out of here.”

The others looked outside when I pointed.

“Oh shit, this cave must be underwater at high tide!”

We all looked at each other. The carvings. Well, now we know where the damn trident is. We'd been sitting on
top of it this whole time

We scrambled to get out above the tide. Naomi refused to allow me to carry her.

“Get Toshiro-san, Ishigaki-kun. His leg. We need him to help deliver our babies.”

I was elated that Naomi wanted more children. I was disturbed she needed such a cold reason to want me to
help Toshiro.

C'mon gimpy, up you go. He climbed on my back. Then smacked me in the back with his tetsubo, as though I
were a horse So even Toshiro had succumbed. I really was the only sane one left.

I made a note to beat him later for that. But not too severely. Naomi was right, we needed him.
not just for our future children, but for her medicine as well.

We ran trying to race the tide. It is not an easy thing to do. The water was well up to my knees at one point. I
worried for Naomi, but I did not need to. She was ahead of me, proving yet again that water was her element.
Kitsuki-san floundered, however. Mantis-san snagged him, pulling him along.

I heard Mantis-san tell Kitsuki-san: “You owe me one now.”

Of course Mantis-san would think to pursue his grudge by placing Kitsuki-san in his debt. We managed to
avoid being overtaken completely by the tide. Wet and tired we flopped down.

“Hey... Where the hell is Monkey?”

We looked all around. No Monkeys of any shape or size were to be found. I looked back out over the sea.
Between the newly risen tide and the mist I couldn't even guess at where the cave was now.

Monkey was insane. Even before we got to this island.

Toku bushi had a reputation for taking on more than common sense dictates, in the spirit of their Clan's
founder. But Monkey took it even further than most.

“You don't think…”

Toshiro finished my thought.

“...That damn Monkey dove back into a cave filling with water, without knowing how far he would have to swim,
in order to get the trident?”

“Of course that's what he did.”

“So.”

“So?”

“What now?”

“We take Kenzan's ship.”

“What about Monkey-san?” Naomi asked.

“What about Monkey-san?” Mantis-san replied.

“Either he retrieves the trident or he's drowned. Little we can do at this point, either way.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“We'll just have to come back at low tide to get it ourselves.”

He pointed.

“Kenzan's ship is straight that way. The water is shallow there, so the Orochi cannot attack them while they're
anchored there.”

“What's up with that snake anyway? Why doesn't it just wait around for them to leave the shallows?”

Naomi answered Mantis-san's question.

“The Ningyo tribe that brought the trident still lives here. And he still protects them. His only wish is for
everyone to simply stay away from this place, so he leaves Kenzan an opening to do so. It's only because
Kenzan takes the trident that the Orochi peruses.”

“The water kami told you that, back in the cave?”

“Not...exactly like that. The kami still remember the grief of the Orochi and the Ningyo, I saw their past. Toshiro-
san is right, the Ningyo did try to transfer the curse into the trident. Ultimately, it failed. They still went mad. The
Orochi was genuinely friends with the tribe's leader. It's no pact that keeps him here. He is looking after the
beloved tribe of a dear friend who can no longer remember him.”

“So that means when we go to leave, and use the trident to clear out the mist so we can get past the rocks,
we'll have to deal with him too?”

“Yes, but I'm sure if we just give him the trident he'll let us go.”

“Okay then. Let's go get our new boat.”

Mantis-san looked over at me.

“We'll have to swim there.”

Hida Bushi train wearing full armor. In fact, our first lessons are constant drilling with the equipment we will use
for the rest of our lives. As such, know how to use heavier weapons in ways other samurai never will, and we
become so used to the weight and bulk of our armor it no longer hampers us. It is still difficult to be silent when
you're wearing 50 lbs of lacquered metal.

Which would be even heavier when waterlogged.

I sighed.

“Naomi, give me a hand here?”

Naomi helped me out of my armor. Looks like I was going to have to fight in my fundoshi. We were going to be
down a bushi, and Naomi had used up nearly all her magic.

“Toshiro, can you swim with that leg?”

“Pretty sure. Yeah. Gonna try anyway.”

I kissed Naomi on the forehead.

“Wait for me, I'll be back for you. I promise.”

She looked me up and down. Slowly.

“I will be waiting.”

She smiled at me. There was a promise in that smile.

We went to edge of the water and began to swim. Toshiro struggled a bit, but he kept up with us. We neared
the boat, the mist and the the current making waves lap at it's sides conspiring to aid us in our approach.

The sea had washed Toshiro's face paint off. So he motioned that he wished to go first. I held on the rope of
the ship's anchor as he climbed up. I went next, then Mantis-san followed. Kitsuki-san brought up the rear.
Toshiro slopped wetly onto the deck.

A pirate turned to see what that was, and saw a waterlogged monster with a ruined face wielding a tetsubo
come out of the mist, hellbent on consuming his very soul. Toshiro gave him enough time to scream before
smashing him in the face, cutting it off with a loud crunch.

The noise brought more pirates to investigate. They saw their comrades body, twitching and bleeding on the
deck, sans face. They saw the creature that had killed him. And then, while their minds were still reeling with
shock, only just turning to fear, a hulking wall of muscle wearing only a loincloth slammed into their ranks.
we may have been badly outnumbered, but we had struck a decisive blow against their spirit before the even
knew they were in a fight.

They fell back away from me in terror, shocked into inaction. Mantis-san and Kitsuki-san charged in, harrying
them, giving them no time to breath much less think The decks ran red with blood, and I thrilled at the heat of
battle being upon me.

Mantis-san let out a cry of triumph. Even Kitsuki-san was laughing. Toshiro had left his scroll satchel behind,
unwilling to even risk it's precious contents being damaged or destroyed during our swim. But he waded in
right alongside us, swinging his tetsubo with abandon.

And then the mist parted. Kenzan appeared on the deck. He did not have the trident.

“What are you idiots doing?! It's just four of them! Get up, get in there!”

He restored order to them, gave them back their spirit. Ordinarily, this is when I would seek to cover myself, to
fight with caution. Allowing my enemies to exhaust themselves and strike when they were weak.

Instead I chose to double down and try to maintain our momentum. I lashed out, killing one and sending
another over the side. My friends followed suit, cutting and smashing any they could reach. At first, it seemed
we may keep our momentum after all.

But then the pirates finally countered. Stars exploded in my eyes as a tonfa smashed into my temple. A kama
sliced open my side. My vision cleared just enough to see the others all receive wounds of their own.

I smashed in the kneecap of one pirate menacing Mantis-san, clearing him a path to Kenzan.

“Go! Finish him!”

Mantis-san ran at Kenzan, threw himself into a dive and rolled through Kenzan's legs. As Kenzan tried to rise,
Mantis-san struck him with his kama, biting deep into Kenzan's shoulder.

Kitsuki-san, despite his wounds, threw himself at another pirate. He landed on the pirates tanto. But took the
pirates head.

Three others surrounded Toshiro and attacked, wounding him heavily. He sagged to his knees, tetsubo
clattering to the deck. I lunged in, felling one.

I missed the other. Only to be stabbed in the back.

Several more pirates were advancing to help their leader, ready to kill Mantis-san. I realized that some of them
still wore green. The ones who had tried to attack Naomi, and had run off.

So they had joined Kenzan's crew? I struck one in the back. And then a jo slammed across the backs of my
knees, and I went down, kneeling. A blade followed up, the point driven into my chest, and I toppled over,
unable to stand.

The pirates loomed over me, raised weapons to finish me off.

And then a cry arose. I could just crane my neck enough to see.

Kenzan's body hit the deck.

And then his head did. It rolled off somewhere

Ah shit. We're gonna need go find that fuckers head. Can't have that damn thing just rolling around wherever it
pleases. What if naomi sees it?

Something was odd with my thoughts but I couldn't tell what. My head was cloudy, I couldn't focus at all. I
rolled onto my back, arms outstretched, and looked up at the blue sky. There was still a pirate standing over
me
sunlight glinted off his upraised kama.

A trident stabbed him in the chest.

he clutched at the haft as the wielder ran past, carrying him over the side of boat. I thought the man with trident
looked familiar, but it was hard to see.

I was tired.

So I closed my eyes.

Many times in stories when Samurai are near death, they speak of seeing their ancestors. Often the receive
some bit of wisdom before being told to go back. Other times the Samurai realizes what is happening, and
states they have some task they must complete first.

Neither of these things happened to me.

Or, if they did, I do not remember them. I do not know if I am disappointed that nothing happened, or relieved
that I avoided such a cliche. It matters very little.

I awoke to Naomi's tear streaked face.

“Thank the fortunes! Ishigaki-kun!”

She hugged me fiercely, but without the spine shattering strength from before.

The next thing I noticed was there was no mist. I then realized that, while you would not question your actions
while under the curse, you would see them for what they were once you were no longer being influenced.

We were going to end spending the next month and a half apologizing to one another. Naomi, ever sensitive to
my thoughts and emotions, flushed red as she realized I was remembering what we did on that island. I had
never seen her blush so deeply before.

She looked like nothing so much as... well... a boiled crab.

The rocking sensation, and the sound of lapping water, told me we were on a ship. Toshiro's face, freshly
painted came into view. He had a tightness in the set of his jaw that let me know we were not out of the woods
just yet.

“You done patching him up yet, Naomi?”

“Good.”

The Monkey's voice sounded very strange.

“We really should have known better than to fuck around with a cursed Nemuranai.” Toshiro whispered to me.

“C'mon Ishigaki. Get up.”

I did so. Monkey was sitting there on the deck. The trident was slung over his shoulder.

Around me sailors, some the pirates, others the survivors of the Mantis crew, went about the work of the ship,
and tried very hard not to look at any of this.

“We're clear of the rocks, Ishigaki.”

He stared into my eyes.

“It's after”

He kicked my tetsubo across the deck to me.

I glanced down at Toshiro. He was bandaged heavily. Naomi had just used up her last spell healing me, unless
I had been out for a very long time.

“Mantis-san? Kitsuki-san?”

“Don't worry about them Ishigaki. they're not dead or anything. Just too messed up to move. Looks like you
guys really needed me to save your sorry asses.”

Toshiro spoke up.

“The curse, Ishigaki-san. We were a little mad with bloodlust, fought recklessly.”

I nodded.
“Yeah, you keep talking about the damn curse, but you guys were treating me like shit long before we ever got
here.”

“It's the trident, Ishigaki-san. Get it away from him.”

“Got it.”

“Whisper all you want, it's not going to save you Ishigaki.”

Monkey hopped up, twirling the trident.

“You know, your lucky I'm such an honorable guy. I could have killed you while you were out.”

I stared at Monkey.

“It's not honor. You just need to know the truth.”

He chuckled.

“Yeah. your right. I do.”

He lunged.

“I twisted to the side, pushing his thrusts past me with my tetsubo.”

“You really are an annoying little shit, you know that Monkey? And you’re bad luck. So, quite frankly, I think you
should be grateful we keep you around at all.”

I didn't mean any of that, of course. I was free of the curse now. But I wanted to goad Monkey, make him angry.
Angry, reckless and stupid. I was only going to get one chance. Of course, in the grip of the curse as he was,
Monkey walked right into my bait.

He hadn't taken complete leave of his senses though. He tried to rile me up right back.

“Once I kill you I'm taking Naomi for my own!”

Well. Maybe he had taken complete leave of his senses. I bit down on my anger. Monkey was not himself.

I prepared myself.

He thrust the trident straight for my heart with all his might. I pushed it down just enough that it missed my
lungs
Grabbed his lead wrist. And slammed the pommel of my tetsubo into the bridge of his nose, breaking it.

He lost his balance, falling to the deck. And released his grip on the trident. Toshiro and several sailors jumped
on him, pinning him to the deck.

I moved to kick the accursed trident over the side, but Naomi shouted to forestall me.

“Ishigaki-kun, stop! We must give it back to the Orochi when he comes for it!”

I nodded.

“Fine. Nobody touch that damn thing till the snake gets here.”

I placed a full barrel of fresh water on top of the trident to keep it from sliding off the deck.
“Shouldn't the mist be seeping from this thing now that no one is holding it?”

Toshiro came over. I glanced back. Two sailors were still holding Monkey's arms, but he was not struggling at
all.

“Give me a moment” Toshiro said.

He knelt next to the trident, and began to pray.

“What's he doing Naomi?”

“Asking the Kami for their favor.”

“I can see that.”

“No, you do not understand.”

“All magic is the work of the Kami. We use scrolls to help us focus our minds properly, and because the prayer
so transcribed is pleasing to the Kami whose favor we seek. It is possible to recite the prayer from memory, to
get the motions, and even your emotional state just right, so that you do not need a scroll. It is also possible to
simply entreat the Kami directly for intervention you do not know how to properly ask for. I am exhausted, but
there is a very simple water spell that will reveal the properties of a Nemuranai. Toshiro knows it possible for
the kami to do this, but he does not know the proper way to ask. So he is entreating them in a less formal way.
It takes much longer, this way. That's why we rely on our scrolls.”

“Uh. Okay.”

I understood maybe one word in three of that. Magic was something I would never truly grasp, as I could not
hear the kami as Naomi and Toshiro could. I think she just said it's possible for a shugenja to cast a spell they
didn't know, by asking really nicely for a long time. I think.

Naomi dressed my wound as she wasted her breath trying to explain the finer points of shugenja-ing to me. I
didn't stop her, because I was so glad to hear her speaking normally again. When she finished, I laid back,
putting my head to rest in her lap.

The full weight of ordeal that was the isle of mists came down upon me. Seeing my friends turned into
something they were not. My wife. My own thoughts and actions disgusted me. And worst of all was the way I
did not even think to question them at the time.

How far did the curse change a person?

Did it make you into something you simply were not?
Or did it only bring to the surface what was truly inside you?

I didn't want to know, not about myself, or the others. But I couldn't stop turning it over in my mind. I suspected
the others were the same. Or would be, when they woke up.

A sob broke the silence. It wasn't Naomi.

I looked over.

Monkey jerked his arms free of the sailors holding him. He looked at us, tears in his eyes.

“I'm sorry! Ishigaki-san! I tried to kill you! Twice! Naomi-sama, Toshiro-sama!”

He yanked off his do. Oh shit Monkey what are you doing.
I got up.

He pulled out his wakizashi.

“Monkey STOP.”

Naomi yelled it before I could finish thinking it. And with such force everyone on deck came to an abrupt halt.

I recovered first, ran over and slapped the blade from Monkey's hands. Then I hugged him

“Just forget it Monkey.”

“But, but I…”

“We all did Monkey.”

“Ishigaki-kun is right. We all did terrible things on that island. No one is to blame for any of it. You will NOT take
your own life over it, do you understand me?”

Monkey nodded, wide eyed at the vehemence in Naomi's voice.

“Besides Monkey, if you did that then we would all have to. You'd be killing us all, you really want that?”

“N-no. I don't.”

“Okay then.”

“Okay.”

“Um… Ishigaki-san? You can stop hugging me now.”

I let go of Monkey, more than a little embarrassed. Naomi tittered behind her sleeve.

After some time Toshiro finished his chat with the Kami. He stood up, and came over to us.

“The trident was a Nemuranai before they tried to seal the curse inside it. Originally, when placed upon it's
altar, it would cause mist to seep out over a wide area, concealing it. When held, it's wielder could summon a
much smaller area of mist around themselves.”

“Ah. And then the curse became rooted in the mist?”

“Yes, Naomi-san. It's just as you say.”

It was then that the Orochi finally made it's presence known.

It came up, hissing furiously.

“OI! Hold on a minute!”

I waved my arms at it, Monkey did likewise. To my relief, it stopped hissing. Closed it's mouth. And stared at us.

“Kenzan, the guy who took the trident, is dead! We just want to get away from the curse! So here, have it
back!”
It leaned in, opened its maw.

With a quick kick monkey sent the trident into the things mouth. It closed it's mouth on the trident, holding it.

And then vanished beneath the waves without a word.

Monkey looked over at me.

“Not very talkative, was he?”

“What, you were hoping to have some polite teatime conversation with a giant snake?”

“Yeah, actually. I mean, he's lived for ever! Before men walked in Ningen-do! He must know a lot, must have
seen a lot!”

“Monkey.”

“Huh?”

“He's been protecting a tribe of crazed Ningyo all this time. All he knows about is fish, more fish, and what
crazy fish people do with their free time.”

“Oh. Yeah, I suppose you're right.”

While I wanted to rest, I could not. There were not enough surviving Mantis to crew the boat, so we had no
choice but to use pirates as well. Several of us were on guard at all times, to keep them from getting any funny
ideas. Toshiro promised them that since he was a Jade, and not Emerald magistrate, he would blame their
crimes entirely on the mist and let them go once we reached port.

Toshiro is filthy liar.

These men and been in and out of the mist several times. They needed no curse to make them bloodthirsty
criminals.

We reached the Isles of Spice and Silk in two days, as predicted.

Everyone was fully recovered from their psychical injuries and fatigue, thanks to Naomi. The mental injuries
would take longer to heal.

In the end, we did a tea ceremony together and agreed that we would simply never speak of the things that
happened on that island again.

Unlike Toshiro, I am not a filthy liar. I never said I wouldn't write about them. Not like I expect anyone would
ever read these journals anyway. I'm getting sidetracked.

While we were handling all the matters of docking, Monkey slipped quietly away and got the magistrate. And
several dozen well armed Yoriki. So while the pirates cried and protested and insulted Toshiro, there was little
they could do but be carted off.

A drowning man will grab anything to try and save himself, even if he knows his weight will pull it down with
him. These pirates were no different. Given the choice between immediate death at the hands of the Yoriki, or
death via execution that was at some point in the future, they chose to live just a little bit longer.

We got a chance to meet Mantis-san's wife. She greeted her husband traditionally, dogeza and asking whether
he wished for dinner or a bath first. We chose bath.
The time at sea, and the island, had given us little time to clean properly, and we all stank to Tengoku. Mantis-
san's house was quite large, and had two baths, so Naomi and Tatsuki got cleaned up at the same time we
did.

Tatsuki was clever girl. She hid in an empty barrel inside the ship as soon as she saw people getting weird.

“So. Mantis-san.”

He poured a bucket of water over his head, washing all the soap off.

“Yeah?”

“How do you think your wife is going to take to Tatsuki?”

“The same way she takes to our baby making sessions. Cold indifference. I told you before, we have a normal
marriage. She runs the house, managing my stipend and business. When I come home sometimes we fuck,
sometimes we don't. But it's only for children. We don't love each other. But we do both love our kids.”

Monkey was soaking, a cloth over his eyes. Without moving he asked Mantis-san how many children he had.

“Two so far. Boys. Ichiro and Nichi.”

He got in to soak beside us.

“I know, not very original. But they're going to choose their own names when they complete their Gempukku
anyway.”

Mantis-san was right. Children's names were often bland. Adding in numbers relating to their birth order was a
common thing. For precisely the reason he said so. A person chooses their adult name upon completing their
Gempukku. And takes a new name upon retiring. Some even receive a fourth name upon their death.
Needless to say, keeping track of who is who in official records can be a challenge.

I shook my head. Mantis-san was telling the truth when he said his marriage was normal. But I couldn't fathom
it. Not making love to someone you had no feelings for, nor arranging a marriage that would put your own
children is such a position.

Then again, I was a Crab. It was the custom of our Clan to allow Samurai to choose their own spouses. You
had until 25, then a spouse would be found for you. We did it this way because we were in a never ending war.
Our clan suffered losses almost daily. And a couple in love would make love more often then a couple that
could not stand one another. Which meant more babies. Which meant more Crabs to replace the ones who
fall.

I wondered if I was no better than those who condemned their children to a loveless marriage. After all, I was
condemning mine to life on the Wall.

Damn that island. I got out and dried myself off. I was far to introspective for my own good at the moment.
Judging by the silence in the bath behind me, we all were. An evening of drinking was in order.

Gloomy thoughts would intrude on even the most stalwart veteran after a long time standing a post on the
Wall. It's why Crabs were so rowdy once off duty. Chasing those dark thoughts away to keep hold of your
sanity. Toshiro joined me as I finished dressing. He looked at me.

Nodded in agreement.
We came out and a servant lead us to a room. Mantis-san's wife was there talking with Naomi. Tatsuki was
pouring tea for them and fidgeting.

“Ishigaki-kun! Kaori-san was just asking about you.”

“Oh?”

She sipped her tea.

“My husband's letters are terse, I fear. He has told me precious little about you all.”

“In his defense, there isn't much to tell about me at all. I'm just a simple Crab, killing Oni where I find them.”

She smiled.

“Such work is hardly simple though.”

“True. But it's also not a topic for polite discussion.”

“Also true.”

She nodded, and turned to Toshiro. He had already reapplied his face paint.

“You must be Kuni Toshiro-sama. May I ask why you paint your face? I know it is a custom of your family, but I
thought it war paint?”

“For many it is. Others will wear it when going about official duties or in public for one reason or another. It is a
personal choice, just as the pattern of the paint is.”

“I see. That is very interesting. What is your reason then?”

“My leg is not the only thing wounded in battle with the shadowlands.”

“Oh. I see. Forgive me for prying.”

Toshiro waved the apology away.

“It is fine. Everyone is curious about it when we first meet.”

Well. This sure is an exciting conversation. I was relieved when the others came in.

“You received my letter, Husband?”

“I did.”

“Kenzan has taken to targeting our ships, personally. I know because he sent one sailor back alive to tell me.”

Mantis-san nodded.

“Kenzan has already been dealt with.”

She looked shocked, then quickly hid it behind a sip of tea.

Mantis-san continued. “It was pure chance, but he attacked the very ship we were coming here on.”

“How unfortunate for him.”

She smiled again.

“Is the damage to our business severe?”

“We lost three ships, crew and cargo all. But I believe we can recover. Though we will have to be tight with the
purse strings for a time. No frivolous expenses.”

Kaori-san didn't look at Tatsuki, but Tatsuki squirmed all the same. Mantis-san sighed.

“You've already guessed then?”

Kaori-san sipped her tea. He produced Tatsuki's contract. His wife's eyes widened again as she looked at it.

“How did you get this? I haven't given you nearly enough money to buy a Geisha's contract!”

“I got a great price from the Bog Hag that owned it previously to have it.”

The one-two combination of shocks was enough to finally shake Kaori-san's face. She stared at Mantis-san.
Opened her mouth. Then closed it, unable to find words. This repeated several times.

“There was a bog hag wearing the skin of the madame of a Geisha house. It had a coven, and several of the
Geisha were also Hags. No, Kaori, Tatsuki here knew nothing about it. She was a victim of the hags as well.
And no, she is not tainted.”

Mantis-san gestured towards Toshiro and me.

“I promised I would keep no secrets from you. But Tatsuki is perfectly safe. And I will keep her.”

Kaori-san managed to regain her composure. Looked at Tatsuki.

“Very well then. Stop squirming so. Did you not learn proper manners during your training? I... I was still in
training when Mantis-sama acquired my contract.”

Kaori narrowed her eyes. Sighed.

“Very well. I suppose I can teach you what you need to know if you're going to be part of this household now.”

With that last bit of business out of the way I elbowed Mantis-san.

“You must know where there is a good place to get some drinks around here.”

“I do.”

“Well let's go then.”

Mantis-san, Kitsuki-san, Monkey, Toshiro and I all went out for the evening. We got blind stinking drunk. And
we lurched back to Mantis-san's house singing at the top of our lungs. We were all singing a different song.

I sounded like a dying frog.

I awoke with a taiko drummer in my head. There was a rack with a kimono hanging over it shading me, so at
least there wasn't sunlight searing my eyes. I guessed that Naomi was feeling more merciful since I didn't get
into another brawl.
I lurched to my feet and, after bracing myself, staggered outside to get the poison out. I found Naomi waiting
with a cup of water when I finished that bit of business. As I gulped it down, she looked up at me.

“Why do you do this to yourself?”

“Too much sake is sometimes a good thing.”

“You have said that before. I still do not understand.”

“Sometimes a person gets into a foul mood, and cannot shake off dark thoughts. You know this?”

“Yes, It happens. You are saying sake helps with that?”

“Yeah, it does. Too much sake and you can lose your sense, do things you should not, say things you should
not. Sometimes doing or saying what you shouldn't is a good way to release those dark thoughts. And since
everyone accepts too much sake as an apology there's little real harm in just cutting loose, and tossing aside
your face and all the pressure that comes with it.”

Naomi cocked her head.

“But what about the brawls that accompany such diversion?”

“They don't always end in fights Naomi.”

“No. They do not. They should not.”

She handed me another cup.

It has been said that Crabs are masters of intimidation. That we can scare someone with little more than an
arched eyebrow. Naomi was not a born a Crab, but she was certainly living up to the reputation now.

“Alright, I understand. I promise I will never start another brawl.”

We spent a few days resting at Mantis-sans home.

We had begun to discuss returning to the mainland Monkey mentioned that he wished to see his wife and child
again, and Kitsuki-san said he felt it time to return to his sensei for more instruction.

“You as well, Ishigaki-san. I can see your progress. I'm sure your sensei will find you ready as well.”

So we agreed to go our separate ways for the time being.

Naomi, Toshiro and I returned to my home in the Crab lands. Toshiro only stayed for a day, saying he needed
to see his Sensei as well.

“Plus the goblin is probably dead. I'll need to get a new one.”

Naomi could not cover her surprise.

“Goblin? What goblin?”

“I keep a goblin in a cage at my home. I poke it with a stick at times. For research.”

He waved and began thumpdragging his way home.

“He... he was joking wasn't he Ishigaki?”

“Probably.”

“Oh goo- Probably?!”

I grinned at her.

“Oh! You!”

She gave my shoulder a light punch.

“Papa! Play!”

Daiko wasn't quite up to full sentences yet, but she did understand verbs as well as nouns now. Tetsute was
close behind her. His babbling was sounding more and more like real words every day. So I decided I would
take a few days to enjoy my family, see if I could catch Tetsute's first words before heading off to see sensei.

So I roughhoused with my children. Somewhere along the way, Tetsute had added biting into his arsenal. I was
still lenient, allowing them victories over me when they did well. There would be time enough for stern
instruction later on. For now I wanted to hear their triumphant laughter, see their smiles as they toppled me.

I did have to scold them a bit when they tried to play with Naomi the same way, though. But they both
understood. Naomi played word games with them instead. Naming body parts and then tickling them was one
of their favorites. Daiko returned the favor to her mother

“Foot!”

Naomi toppled over in peals of laughter, which became mock cries for help from me when Tetsute clumsily
joined in on her other foot. Then he bit her toe.

“OH! You little rascal!”

Naomi scooped Tetsute up and hugged him into submission. Then it was more roughhousing with dad until
they finally wore themselves out. I just laid there on the floor. They had fallen asleep on top of me, and I didn't
have the heart to risk waking them.

I overheard our nanny asking Naomi if it would be possible to hire a few more servants. Given the terror twins
almost boundless energy, I could see why she wanted that. Naomi, to my surprise, assented. I didn't think our
stipends were sufficient to do so.

Some of the herbs in her medicine were a bit expensive. And stipends were paid out yearly. Once gone, it was
gone. I asked her about it that evening, when we were all bathing together.

“Oh, you overheard?”

“Yeah.”

Tetsute squirmed in my hands as Naomi washed his hair. Daiko was splashing away in the tub, waiting for the
rest of us.

“About that, I was not going to say anything until I was certain about things, but… I have been exchanging
correspondence with both Mantis-san and Monkey's wives for a while now. They have both been doing well in
their business, and since we need more servants to keep up the house, keep up with the children… And a few
Ji-samurai, or at least Ashigaru couldn't hurt, all things considered. Yes Ishigaki-kun, you are right about that as
well. So. They have been advising me on ways I might afford all this on our stipend.”
“Oh really?”

“Hai. I am going to attempt to rebuild Ishigaki Mura.”

My eyebrows jumped up. So far up they almost punched a hole in the ceiling.

“I thought at first, a sake works would be in order. Crab sake is renowned thought the empire, and Kaori-san
assures me she knows several places it will sell quite well.”

“But where are you planning on getting the workers, the master?”

“The Yasuki who procures the herbs for my medicine said he could arrange that.”

I blinked. While I wasn't looking, my wife had been studying the fine points of becoming a merchant patron.
We rinsed Tetsute off and got in the bath.

“Is there anything I can do to help out?”

“Yes. Continue to refine your technique. Be the wall that guards this family, and always come home, my love.”

My heart melted. Daiko splashed us both and giggled. I splashed back. Then Naomi cheated and dumped the
whole bath on the lot of us.

Never get into a splash fight with a water tensai.

In the morning I set off, making my way to the Dojo. I entered and saw Kojiro-sensei immediately. He was
practicing basic overhead strikes. But he was doing so with a truly massive kanabo.

Rather than a single piece of Iron, a Kanabo is mostly wood with metal studs. I guessed the one he was
swinging must weigh something like 20 lbs. It was too large to be used as a real weapon. But the strain
showing in his muscles left no doubt as to it's effectiveness as a training tool.

I knelt before my sensei and waited for him to finish his training. Half an hour later, he returned to a neutral
stance, put up his kanabo and spoke.

“I was wondering how long you were planning on keeping me waiting.”

He stretched and shook out his joints. Then tossed me a tetsubo.

We fought again.

Sensei fought differently this time. He was never where I thought he would be, he defied my every expectation.
Of course. Sensei knew exactly how I had been trained to fight. He was a graduate of Sunda Mizu, just as I
was. He was a teacher to those who would become the elite of our clan.

He knew exactly what I would do in battle. Now he was turning my own training against me.

I tried to adapt, but reflexes so deeply ingrained for so long were not so easily altered.

In the end, all I could do was endure as best as possible. Given sensei's strength, that wasn't very long at all.

“Yosh. You did well, Ishigaki-san.”

“Did I?”

I dragged myself back to my feet.

“You saw the point of my lesson right away. Not many catch on that quickly.”

He gave me an appraising stare for a time. Nodded.

“You are ready. You will sometimes face enemies that know your style well, or who you are ill suited to defeat.
And as you have just learned, it is difficult to change one's style in the middle of battle. At these times, you
must endure.”

I nodded along with sensei. He was not telling me anything I did not know before today, but one must respect
the words of sensei. He would come to a point eventually.

“You have already learned when to conserve your strength, and when to unleash your fury. Now you have seen
the limits of your endurance. I will teach you to break through those limits.”

Sensei's instruction built upon the earlier lessons.

First, the Hida bushi learns to take a crushing blow and pass its force through them and into the earth.
Then, the Defender of the Wall learns to attack the taint in a foe with the purity of their own earth when they are
struck.
My next lesson would be to disrupt any attacker, by lashing out with my earth even as I passed the attack
through me. By combining active and passive defense, sensei said, I would make my body harder than any
suit of armor.

Once again, this was a far more spiritual technique And once again, the only way to master it would be getting
beaten night and day until I got it right. I took a breath and resolved myself to accept this pain. Enduring these
harsh lessons now would help me to keep my promise to my wife and children.

We began.

Sensei used his training kanabo. He did not stop until I could no longer stand. A Kuni made sure I was fresh
and ready each morning, and evening. I now understood fully this dojo's motto. The Shadowlands is not Hell.
After a month, Sensei declared I was doing it right. We fought one more time. I did not win, but I was able to
push through one of his attacks to land a hit of my own.

He nodded in satisfaction.

“Continue training, Ishigaki-san. I have high hopes for you.”

“Hai, sensei!”

I returned home, with a few new scars.

And found my mother in law had come for a visit.

My first clue that there was something horribly wrong in my house was the child I didn't recognize, wearing a
red kimono, playing with my children out front. He recognized me though.

“Onii-san!”

I didn't have a little brother who would wear red. Ah. This must be Ashitaka, Naomi's little brother. I wondered
how many people I didn't want in my house were in my house right now.

Just one, it turned out.

I opened the front door perhaps a bit too forcefully and announced my return. Nanny came to greet me, and
told me where Naomi was having tea with her mother.

“Just her and the boy?”

“Hai, my lord.”

I grunted and went in.

Naomi's mother had aged visibly since I saw her last. Streaks of grey were shooting through once raven black
hair, and there were deep lines around her eyes. She looked tired. It didn't surprise me. Now that Naomi was
out of reach and Hohiro the Master of Earth, it would be her or Ashitaka that served as Shoji's scapegoat now.
The boy was far too happy to have seen that side of his father in earnest.

“Oka-san.”

“Ishigaki-san.”

Naomi did not like the coolness in our greetings. She pretended not to notice though.

“Ishigaki-kun! How was your training?”

“It went well. A few new scars, but I have advanced again.”

“That is wonderful, Ishigaki-kun!”

Naomi turned to her mother.

“Ishigaki-kun is a Defender of the Wall now.”

Mother-in-law blinked.

“I thought that's what all Crab were?”

“Ah, no. You misheard. Defender.”

Naomi stressed the capitalization.

“It is a special school for the elite of the Crab Clan.”

“The elite?”

Mommy dearest looked around my sparse home.

“The Crab Clan is far more concerned with merit than social status for things like that Mother.”

“I see.”

I sat down next to Naomi, took off my kabuto and sat it down next to me. Nanny poured me some tea. I rested
my chin on my closed fist and looked Naomi's mother in the eyes.

“Why are you here?”

“Ishigaki!”

“Mother held up her hand to forestall any further protest from Naomi.”
“Your husband is right to be upset with me, Naomi-san.”

Mother looked at me evenly. Then bowed. Full dogeza.

“I knew full well what Shoji was doing to Naomi was not right, yet I allowed it to continue. For this I apologize.”

“Why are you apologizing to me, then? The one you wronged is over there.”

“Yes. You are right.”

Mother bowed to her daughter

“Naomi-”

“Mother! Please stop! You did nothing wrong! You could not go against father, I understand!”

Of course Naomi would leap at the chance to have a normal relationship with any of her family. I was certain
that she would even forgive Shoji, should he ask for it. He never would, of course. And she would still seek to
obey him, were he not shunning her outright. Because Naomi was an honorable woman, and honorable
children obey their parents, even when their parents are complete assholes.

Personally, I would just as soon have tossed the old bitch out in the mud and gone on pretending Naomi and I
both had no family save each other. But as I had just pointed out, I was not the one who was wronged. So
even though I thought Naomi forgave far too easily, I couldn't gainsay it.

I looked aside politely while mother and daughter hugged one another and wept. Oka-san's tears seemed
genuine to me. I gave them some time, then asked again, more gently than before.

“Why are you here, Oka-san?”

The two disentangled themselves, sniffled and wiped at watery eyes.

“I need your help.”

Naomi looked taken aback that her mother other reasons for her visit, aside from just seeing her daughter and
grandchild.

“Are you asking for help from your family, from a Crab, or from a Jade Magistrate and her Yojimbo, Oka-san?”

“All of them.”

I blew out a sigh. I would have said no to the first. I might have said no to the second. But the third was
Naomi's choice.

“Yes, of course Mother. We are family, you need only ask!”

“Bandits. It's bandits.”

“Huh? Oka-san we are jade-”

“The bandits have Ogres with them.”

“Oh.”
“When your father heard there were Ogres among the bandits, he left to command the soldiers himself. Shoji
was an ambitious man. As an Earth Tensai, he would be well suited to dealing with Ogres. A good chance to
put his name back in people's mouths.”

Oka-san continued.

“But, something is wrong. It is taking far too long to deal with simple bandits, ogres or not. I fear for your
father's safety.”

So, there we have it then. Oka-san was being so polite because she knew damn well how I would take a
request to help Shoji. The man had once called for my execution. And for that of his own daughter.

“Of course Mother! Ogres bear the taint of Jigoku. As a Jade Magistrate it is my duty to see such taint purged
from the Empire, and it also my duty as a Crab! I will help you.”

“Thank you, my daughter. I do not know what I did to be so blessed with such a dutiful child.”

Neither did I. Naomi asked Nanny to fetch her some ink, paper and a brush.

She wrote out quick letters to everyone else, explaining the situation and asking everyone to meet up at her
father's castle. Then she went to go pack, leaving me alone with her mother.

“Were you really serious? About wanting Naomi's forgiveness?”

She looked at me, startled by my abruptness.

“Do you really think so little of me?”

“Yes.”

She scowled at me.

“I am. I know Shoji can be a cruel man.”

“So? Why did you do nothing then?”

“I married him because his station would provide well for my children. They would have the finest things, the
best education. Even Naomi was still taken as a Tensai. And I hopped he would soften to her one day.”

“Naomi still hopes for that day, even now, you know.”

“I do.”

“And you do not tell her that day will never come.”

It was my turn to scowl.

“She would never believe that.”

“No. She would not.”

I sighed and wondered if I would be able to give my all to save the life of the man I most despised in all the
Empire.

“Ishigaki-kun, I want to take Daiko and Tetsute with us.”

“Um. I know their strong and all but I don't think they're quite ready for ogres yet. Gonna need a few more
months at least...”

“Ishigaki! I am serious. I... I want to show them my home. Where I came from. At least once in their lives.”

I hugged Naomi.

“I understand Naomi, but there is something you must understand as well. I have been outraged on your behalf
at the way your father treats you. But, since my rage is on your behalf you have the right to hold me back. If he
treats either of our children that way, nothing will hold me back.

“If he treats our children that way, I would not want you to hold back. I do not think he will though, Ishigaki. He
is kind to Ashitaka.”

That surprised me, at first. Then I realized. Ashitaka was still young. He would be enrolled in a school soon
enough, but he was still very much a blank scroll. A scroll Shoji no doubt intended to fill himself.

I did not voice my suspicions to Naomi. But I resolved then and there that he would not have any such
influence on my children.

Evil is an easy thing to define.

Evil is the person who spills their blood as they whisper prayers to the Dark Brother.
Evil is the dead, defiled and walking, seeking the flesh of the living.
Evil is the mass of tentacles, and fangs, dripping with ichor, that was never meant to walk in Ningen-do.

Good is much more difficult to define. Honorable was a bit more clear, but was it good? Was it right? Shoji, for
all his faults, was an honorable man. One who acts without honor will quickly find themselves shunned by all
right thinking people. This is true, even in my own Clan. While we Crabs do hold some tenants of Bushido
higher than others, and will throw away everything to defeat the Shadowlands, we do not do so when we war
with other clans. And so Shoji must behave honorably, if for nothing else then his own ambitions.

If it seems a man clinging to honor for the sake of his own gain seems contradictory, that's because it is.
Courtesy and Compassion are tenants of Bushido, the code of conduct held by Samurai, whose entire
existence is war. I said it before, did I not? There has never existed a Perfect Samurai. And so it is that Shoji,
the bastard that he is, was still an honorable man.

In the eyes of some Rokugani, he would be a proper father. In the eyes of many, he would be stern, but not
unreasonable. Only a few, like me, would see him as a bastard. Despite everything he had done, Shoji was not
evil. Many would say he was right, or at least, not wrong. So while I spoke of defying him, of defying the proper
order of things, of defying Honorable behavior itself, I would need to keep a very tight leash on my anger.
Satisfying though it may be to simply punch him until his face is an unrecognizable mess, there would be
consequences for such action.

I had learned the last time I interacted with him not to be hasty. As Sensei had hardened my body, so to must I
harden my spirit. So that I would be ready to endure what I must. Until the time was right to make him pay.

Naomi made arrangements, securing a boat that would take us around the mountains that divided the Empire.
Fall was closing in, the mountain passes would be treacherous soon enough. Toshiro arrived while she
handled those details. He was just returning from his visit with his sensei, and was surprised to learn what was
going on. Oka-san asked Toshiro to speak with Ashitaka a bit about Earth magic. The boys future had already
been decided by Shoji. He would become an Earth Tensai, as the family custom dictated.

After his conversation, Toshiro came to me first.

“Boy has a keen mind, in some ways.”

“Some?”

“Yeah. He makes connections that others would not see. It's a simple wisdom, but it runs deep. His soul is old
indeed.”

“I'm sensing a but.”

“No talent for hearing the earth kami.”

“So he can't be an earth tensai?”

“No, he could. But even with the heavy focus of Tensai training, he'd only be average at best with earth. He
would be better off not being a tensai at all, I think.”

I grunted.

All children are born with ability to hear the Kami. Despite that, few would ever be trained as Shugenja. Simply
because most would not ever be good at it. It was not enough to simply hear the Kami. You must be able to
understand them, and make yourself understood by them, as well. This required certain traits, a particular
mindset, that simply could not be trained. Once a child's schooling begins, their path is set for life.

No Shugenja will ever be able to learn the techniques of a bushi school No bushi will ever cast magic. Indeed,
for those who are not trained as shugenja, the ability to hear the kami fades quickly as one ages.

Shoji was going to doom his youngest son to a life of mediocrity, when he could be so much more. I could just
picture the joy on Oka-san's face when she heard the news. As fortune would have it, Naomi was resting with
her mother on the porch overlooking the garden. And it was, at least now, a proper garden. Stones had been
set up in small shapes, turning it into sections. Most were bare sand, raked into patterns Naomi assured me
meant something. But there was a small patch of flowers. Blue with five petals. Naomi called them
Wasurenagusa.

We even had Koi in our Koi pond. My punching rock was still there, but it was now the centerpiece of a shrine
of some sort. Shugenja are priests, after all. Some people forget that. I wondered if whatever deity or spirit
Naomi was placating with that shrine would be upset if I made use of my punching rock. I'd ask later.

Toshiro and I sat down, and he broke the news to Oka-san as gently as he could.

“Your kid shouldn't be a tensai.”

Toshiro was not very good at being gentle.

“Oh?”

He elaborated, babbling on about spiritual things that I could not follow. I folded my arms, nodding along in time
with his words. I don't think I fooled anyone there, but at least I tired.

Oka-san, despite not being a shugenja herself, seemed to understand him just fine. Given that her whole
family were Shugenja, I didn't surprise me she would understand such mystical and esoteric things. Naomi
joined in the conversation.

I gave up trying to fool anyone and stared longingly at my punching rock. The conversation came back down to
my level when talk turned from what he should not do to what he could do, but it went back up just as quickly.
Daiko must have sensed my distress, because she picked that moment to join us. By crashing through the rice
paper outer wall.

“PAPAPAPAPAPA! Play now!”

I scooped her up, spun her around a few times, and took her inside, swooping her around as though she was
flying. I managed to overhear Oka-san over my daughter's delighted giggles.

“Naomi! You should discipline your children better! Such behavior, it's unseemly.”

“Maybe for a Phoenix, but my children are Crab, mother. As a fish grows to meet the size of it's pond, so will I
give my children plenty of room to grow large and strong. They will inherit a solemn duty one day; and I will
prepare them for it in accordance with their own nature. I will not stifle them to suit my own personal feelings.”

Goddamnit I love it when Naomi talks dirty like that.

“What do you think Daiko, would you like another brother, or maybe a sister?”

“YES!”

“Okay then.”

That night, Naomi and I bowed to our daughters superior wisdom.

We left in the morning to go save the life of the biggest bastard in the Empire.

We set sail on a Yasuki vessel. The captain was a jovial fellow, his frame padded out with the comfortable fat of
one who eats well, and often. Dainty hands, that had never held a weapon or pulled a rope. After a few days it
was quite clear that he knew less about sailing than I did.

I wondered if he inherited this boat, or stumbled into it. It didn't matter either way, he was a vital member of my
Clan. Most Samurai, even Mantis, who took up some form of business became merchant patrons. They hired
peasants to handle the dirty business of haggling and exchanging money directly.

Learning only enough about commerce to tell if the one they hired was doing a good job or not. Yasuki were
very often in the stalls themselves, making the deals personally. Such a hands on approach is one of the
reasons the Crane censured the Yasuki family. The other reason was that Yasuki had a tendency not to play
fair. The Crane were far more concerned about the WAY things were accomplished, than on actually getting
anything done.

The Yasuki, rather than accept the admonitions of their Clan, told the Crane if they didn't have use for them,
the Yasuki would simply find someone who would. This was in the middle of the very first inter-clan war. It was
between the Crab and Crane. And so the Yasuki helped turn the tide of that war by joining the Crab.

For most courtiers of Rokugan, should they deal with Crabs at all, it is Yasuki they will meet. But not the Crane.
The hatred runs too deep.

So diplomacy between the Crab and Crane is handled by the Hida and the Daidoji, who earned my Clan's
respect at the Battle of the Tidal Landbridge. You would think that some Crabs would mock the Yasuki family,
for it was rare indeed for one to don armor or take up a scroll satchel and face the Shadowlands directly. They
were openly merchants, some among their family were even as ignorant of the Shadowlands as the rest of
Rokugan.

And you would be right. But not for those reasons. Young bushi would often mock the Yasuki. But that was
because they wished for the entire empire to simply provide the Crab with whatever food and jade our Clan
could not produce on our own. They lived in barracks along the wall, and wondered why the rest of the Clans
were such fools that they did not willingly aid their eternal protectors.
To their minds, the Yasuki simply should not be necessary. But that was simply not the way things worked. For
every bushel of rice, for every finger of jade, the other clans would demand something in return. Because they
all had things they needed but could not produce for themselves.

The Dragon Clan lived high up in the mountains and had as little arable land as we did.
The master artisans of the Kakita family only used Kaiu steel in the forging of their famous blades.

Such was the reality of the world. It hadn't changed in over a thousand years, and it was not going to any time
soon. So I greeted the Captain with genuine warmth, for I knew he was doing his part to aid the Clan just as
any other. Naomi wondered aloud why there were no Mantis vessels sailing to the Phoenix lands.

Port towns had ships from all over the Empire in them. Usually one could find a ship from any Clan you would
care to going wherever you were headed. The Captain laughed.

“Oh, the Mantis are at it again. They seem to take perverse delight in picking on the Phoenix. Likely just
making empty threats so they can get some concessions from the Phoenix this winter.”

He shrugged.

“The Phoenix will make some unfavorable deals with the Mantis, and try to make up for it elsewhere.”

The glint in his eyes told me he had an idea how to capitalize on that.

“And if not then there will be one their 'wars'.”

He scoffed.

“Where the Mantis make a few raids but never commit enough troops for the Phoenix to be justified in
unleashing the full power of their magic.”

The Captain was so caught up in showing off his knowledge of the world he completely failed to notice Naomi's
discomfort. The Phoenix and the Crane were the two Clans that most sought to avoid war. They would even
interfere in other Clans war to try and bring peace. There were plenty of Phoenix who were idealistic, pacifistic
or held life in high regard. Naomi was proof enough of that.

But I was a bit more cynical about the Phoenix clan as a whole. When the Crab clan must attack, there is an
ideal battle plan we strive to enact. First, the Hiruma will attack the enemy at a time and place they are not
expecting, often at night when most of the enemy is asleep. Once the enemy responds and forms up battle
lines, the Hiruma run. Just slowly enough the enemy gives chase.

Into a field prepared ahead of time by the Kaiu. The Hiruma avoid the traps, while the enemy fall into them.
Confused, tired, and wounded, the enemy is then engulfed by the Hida heavy infantry, and ground to dust.
However, there is one thing about this plan that changes depending on who we face.

Against the forces of Jigoku, the traps are cruel and deadly. Against another Clan, they are annoying.

Whereas an Oni will fall into a 10 foot deep pit and onto bamboo spears covered in jade powder we would use
poison as well, if it were not for the fact that most poisons have little to no effect on Oni, a Samurai will fall into
an ankle deep depression and twist their ankle.

Simply put, we hold back when we fight honorable foes. If we fought with all our might, with every tool and trick
on full display, our Clan would be disgraced in the Courts, and severely censured by the Emperor. Just as what
happened with the Crane clan when the existence of the Daidoji harrier school was revealed. So while some
could say it was the Phoenix clan that had the most military might at its disposal, it could not always bring its
full power to a battle. Dropping a mountain onto a few hundred samurai would raise some eyebrows at court, to
say the least.
So the Phoenix were the Mantis' ideal punching rock. Quick, limited raids utilizing the Mantis' naval power did
not really allow for the Phoenix justification to bring the full might of the magic to the war. I shook my head.
Mantis-san was no coward, but his clan sure did love to bully people who could not fight back.

Daiko and Tetsute enjoyed the spray from the sea foam as the ship cut into the waves. We reached the Lands
of the Phoenix with no trouble. We entered into the castle of Naomi's father, and were greeted by his Karo.
Well, Naomi's mother was greeted by the Karo.

“Welcome back, Isawa-sama. The other members of the Jade Magistrates entourage have already arrived.”

“My husband?”

“He has not returned yet, but we received word a few days ago. He says the campaign goes well and it is only
the cowardice of the bandits that drags it on.”

I managed not to cough out the word bullshit. The Karo took us to the others, and we exchanged warm
greetings. We could not dally long bragging about the results of our training, however. Time was precious.

I turned to the Karo. “You know where Shoji...-sama is now?”

“Yes, the Forest of Stone.”

Naomi looked startled. “The bandits are there?”

“Hai, Crab-san.”

I managed not to punch the Karo. He knew damn well who Naomi was. Calling her by her clan and clan alone
was telling her she was a stranger to him now. Naomi fell silent, stung by his rejection. The Karo made a hasty
excuse and left us then. Given the fact he was getting icy stares from a painted Kuni, a Kitsuki, and three
bushi, I wasn't surprised.

“Naomi-sama, you know this place?”

She looked up, “Hai, it is an old Forrest my family has tended to for centuries. The Earth Kami are drawn to the
place.”

“Then lead on, let us go and deal with these traitors and their pet monsters.”

Toshiro came to a dead stop as soon as we passed under the first few trees.

“What is it, Toshiro?”

“The earth kami. They're singing.” He looked at me sadly.

“I wish you could hear it, Ishigaki.” He was not sad for me.

Toshiro did not pity me for not being able to hear the Kami any more than I pitied him for not being able to run.
He was sad because there was a world he lived in I did not. We could speak about many things, understood
one another so well we often did not have to. But this was one subject I could not share with him.

For that matter, Shugenja are often shaped by, or perhaps already suited to, their respective elements. A
shugenja of fire will see magic and the Kami differently than a shugenja of air. I realized then, just how lonely it
must be to be a shugenja at times. Not even Naomi would see this forest the same way Toshiro did.
I clapped him on the shoulder. I knew he would not want to be pitied. He nodded, and we set off deeper into
the woods. Naomi called upon the water kami to lead us to her father. Combined with her knowledge of the
land, we made good time.

We found Shoji and what was left of his soldiers in a large clearing. A stone pillar jutted up from out of the
middle of it, and the clearing sand down to it. As though it had been tossed down from the heavens, and made
a large crater with the force of it's impact. Which, when I considered how the earth kami loved this forest, was
probably not far from the truth.

“What is this? Who are you, identify yourselves!”

The boy wearing the Shiba clan mon on his armor pointed his Naginata at us. Naomi stepped out ahead of me.

“I am Hida Naomi, Jade magistrate. This is Kuni Toshiro also a Jade magistrate. And these are our Yoriki. We
have come to give aid.”

Relief flooded the young bushi's face. He brought us into the makeshift camp set up. They were in bad shape.
Maybe a few dozen samurai left standing, some wounded. There was a lone ashigaru, standing watch.

I could see what Shoji's plan had been, just from the state of his troops. His plan had been simple. Samurai
form a wall of flesh to protect him. Ashigaru form a second wall to protect the Samurai. He destroys the Ogres.
He probably assumed that once the Ogres were devastated by his magic the bandits would lose their will to
fight, and be quickly death with by his remaining forces.

Naive. Assuming bandits could never be the match of Samurai because of class.

He was hardly the first idiot to make that assumption. He would certainly not be the last. I just wished it wasn't
my job to save him from his own stupidity. Naomi began reaching into her satchel as she moved to a wounded
bushi.

“Naomi. Stop.”

“What?”

“Do not waste your magic. Get those up who can still fight, no more.”

“Ishigaki-kun, why?”

“He's right Naomi-san.”

Toshiro and I were both scanning the treeline intently. The others caught on to our tension.

“What is it, Ishigaki-san?”

The others, not even Mantis-san and Monkey, were used to open battles as Toshiro and I were. They did not
see what we did.

We were in the middle of a death trap.

The trees around the edge of the clearing grew thick, and their leaves cast everything within into deep shadow.
We were all out in the open, for everyone to see. Many bore obvious injuries. All were fatigued. And we were
downhill from the edge of the forest. I glanced at Toshiro, then the rock.

He nodded, confirming my suspicions. This then, was the center of the woods, the place where the earth kami
were most drawn to.
Shoji, despite his plan failing before, was going to keep doing what he had been. That is to say, thinking like a
shugenja, and not a commander. Speaking of, he finally noticed us and came over.

“What is the meaning of this... YOU! GO! Leave this place at once, you cretins! You disrupt my plan to take the
enemy!”

“You mean your plan to throw away the lives of you men while you continue to fail to strike a killing blow?”

He slapped me for that. I didn't even feel it. He, on the other hand, gashed his hand on my mempo.

“Father, PLEASE!”

Naomi put herself between me and her father.

“Mother asked me to come, and as a Jade Magistrate it is my duty to do so!”

The Shiba were watching intently now. If any of them did not know who Naomi was, they did now.

“You have become a jade magistrates now? Hah! How did you manage that feat you little trollop?”

I returned his slap to him. To his credit, he stayed on his feet.

Toshiro spoke to diffuse the situation before it could get any more out of hand. He presented his own chop.

“You may be a Daimyo, but this is now a matter for the Jade Magistrates. You will be silent as we correct you
failure.”

“You do not have the authority to command me! Jade Magistrate or not!”

Mantis-san decided to take a crack at Shoji.

“We don't need to command you. Nor do we need your consent. We just need these Samurai you have been
thoughtlessly squandering.”

Shoji laughed.

“Shiba swore fealty to Isawa, you fool! So it was, and so it shall be! These Shiba will not break their oaths to
assist fools like you!”

“They will if they want to have any hope of getting you back to castle alive.”

A Shiba stood up, opening his mouth to weigh in on our polite debate over who was in charge.

And swallowed an arrow before he could say anything.

Monkey caught the Shiba as he fell, and Naomi was already there, healing him. Shoji ordered his men to form
a circle around the stone and placed his back to it. I called out for them to form a wedge.

They formed a wedge.

More arrows came. I tucked my head behind my sode, and caught several on it. Another struck my Kabuto and
slid off. Mantis-san's armor protected him as well. Kitsuki-san looked on almost calmly, and twisted like a reed
before a gale. Nothing touched him.

Monkey threw himself over the wounded Shiba. An arrow bit into his bicep.
“I'm fine Naomi-sama, keep going!”

She did.

Due to the way Toshiro's lame leg twisted, another arrow was able to strike him in the calf. He scowled at it,
then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Be ready!” I yelled to the Shiba.

“When the Ogres come, we charge into them! Do not stop to fight! Keep moving! We have to get out of this
circle!”

Shoji tried to counter my orders.

“Do not listen to this fool! Our power is greatest here, we cannot lose!”

Mantis-san backhanded Shoji. Hard. This time Shoji did hit the dirt.

“You were told to shut up. Now shut up and let us save you.”

As I suspected, the Ogres came. Spread out along the entire edge of the clearing. Then they charged, the
downward slope adding to their speed and power. They meant to finish us off.

I was glad they were so eager. If they had held their ground and simply allowed the bandits to expend their
arrows we would have died. As it was, with their size, weight and speed, there were not enough bodies left to
halt them. The Ogres would have crushed the Shiba beneath them and then they would have torn Shoji limb
from limb.

I was at the very tip of the wedge. The first thing they would hit. I ordered the charge

The first Ogre slammed into me, not even bothering with his weapon. It intended to knock me down with it's
momentum, trample over me.

I sank my stance low, held my tetsubo parallel to its waist. And twisted.

The ogre was unbalanced by it's downhill charge. It fell to my side.

“Go! Keep going! To the woods!”

My plan was simple. In the tightly packed trees, the ogres would be unable to fight together. Even the bandits
would be broken up into smaller groups. This would neutralize the numerical advantage Shoji had continually
given them so he could have clear lines of sight.

After that, it would be a matter of endurance. Defeat one small group of enemies, then face the next. And the
next. And the next. Until we died or won. We pushed on, the Shiba along the edges of the wedge following my
lead and using the Ogres own momentum to topple them, while the Shiba in the center braced their fellows,
keeping them from being bowled over by the Ogres charge.

We broke through their line. Once in the woods, Mantis-san realized what I planned. He moved quickly, despite
his heavy armor. A green shadow scything his way through bandits, never staying still. Monkey cut one down,
took the bandit's bow and arrows and climbed into a tree. Kitsuki-san stayed near Naomi, his blade flashed out
of it's saya and cut down the first bandit that approached.

Toshiro and I turned. We could leave the bandits to the Shiba and the others. The Ogres were realizing what
we had done, and were forming up again. This time, they would be the ones charging uphill.
On my left Toshiro readied a scroll. And Shoji readied one of his own on my right.

So there were limits to how stupid he would allow his pride to make him. Good.

The Ogres came, and were met with a wall of Jade power from the two shugenja. One dove through, and I
struck it, shattering it's collarbone and sending it rolling down the circle. Two more engaged us, raining blows
down on me.

I fully understood the value of my new training in that moment. The Ogres blows seemed feeble. Even with
such heavy weapons I disrupted their taint with my purity, I broke their water with my earth. My armor did the
rest.

I continued to bring my tetsubo down upon the Ogres, Blow after blow, I sent them tumbling down while Shoji
and Tohiro burned them. Before I knew it, there were no more ogres. We turned, breathing hard, to see how
the fight with the bandits fared.

There were no more bandits.

We had won.

I glanced sidelong at Shoji. And wondered just how costly he planned on making this victory.

I don't know how large a force Shoji lead to deal with the bandits. I know only that we went back with 19 Shiba
and one ashigaru. I carried Naomi She had exhausted her magic, and herself, making sure we would bring that
many back.

“Ishigaki-kun, I can still walk, you know?”

“What people can do, and what they should do are rarely the same thing Naomi. Rest now.”

She rested her head against my chest and allowed me to spoil her. Shoji stayed silent the whole way. His
soldiers had chosen to disobey him, and the only person in my group that didn't hate him, was the one he
hated the most. He probably suspected that if he pitched a fit now a bandit's arrow would find it's way into his
heart. I could not say for certain he was wrong about that.

So he fumed silently. Only the throbbing of the vein in his temple betraying his fury. Like the subtle warnings
before an avalanche. Kitsuki-san came up beside me and whispered

“We will have to allow him to take credit for the defeat of the Ogres.”

“Huh?”

“We were a bit rough in the way we took over, and he is still a high ranking Lord. I know, there were
extenuating circumstances. We were not quite wrong. But neither were we wholly right. He could make a
scene. So we will allow him to save face. Giving him the credit means that if he complains about how we took
over he reveals his own failure, and our success.”

I nodded slowly.

I didn't like the idea, but we had all seen Hohiro do something similar once to diffuse his father's anger. Shoji
was not upset about getting struck, or that we usurped his authority nearly as much as he was upset over the
damage to his reputation. At my nod Kitsuki-san fell back to tell the others the plan.

We returned to the castle.

“Welcome back my lord! I trust the campaign went well?”

Kitsuki-san swooped in to answer

“Splendidly!”

Kitsuki-san went on in spectacular fashion, speaking at length about how the Bandits had set up traps and
used other cowardly tactics to slowly whittle down Shoji's forces. Until Shoji devised a plan to trick them into
committing to an all out engagement. Then, taking position at the head of his forces, Shoji lead the charge into
the heart of the enemy. Where he personally slew the Ogre champion. That was twice as large as me,
apparently.

Mantis-san came over while Kitsuki-san continued.

He muttered under his breath to me, “Don't you think he's laying it on a BIT thick?”

I looked over at Shoji. Gave my head a jerk Mantis-san looked.

Shoji was puffing himself up further at every word. At this point the concern was not how believable Kitsuki-
san's story was, but rather if Shoji's mortal frame would be unable to contain that much smug and simply
explode before Kitsuki-san finished.

Sadly, Shoji had trained his body well. Used to containing his nearly divine arrogance, it contained the smug
with no ill effects.

“Is this true, my Lord.”

Shoji nodded emphatically.

“I am not, by nature, a braggart so I will say that Dragon-san exaggerated a bit. But yes, it is true that the
bandits would not have been bested without me.”

Monkey whispered to Mantis-san and me, “Is it though?”

“He is the Lord, and we won by making use of his samurai. So yeah. It kinda is.” Mantis-san whispered back

Toshiro added to that. “Did you notice? He even told the truth of the matter, that Kitsuki-san was exaggerating
the role he played. Technically, Shoji did not lie. He just knew what everyone would assume, and that no one
would ask for further details.”

Monkey blinked at that.

“Wow what a slimy bastard.”

We nodded along in agreement.

“Very good my Lord! Shall I send word to the delegation that all is ready for their arrival then?”

Shoji gave the Curt Nod of Assent™. Shoji then turned to the Shiba and praised their steadfast courage and
selfless devotion to their duty.

It was then that the full genius of Kitsuki-san's plan was made apparent to me. A surprised grunt told me
Mantis-san had come to the same conclusion I had. Shoji's interpretation of history was wrong.

Shiba did NOT swear fealty to Isawa. Shiba did however, kneel before Isawa as Isawa swore fealty to Shiba.
Isawa also insisted that Shiba swear that his descendants would protect Isawa's descendants for all time. So
when a Shiba must protect an Isawa hell bent on doing something suicidally stupid, and that Isawa is the
Shiba's lord, the Shiba is placed in a difficult position.

Do they betray Shiba's oath by allowing their lord to get killed?

Do they fight, futilely, and die knowing that their Lord would follow right behind them?
Or did they disobey, save their lord's life, and commit seppuku for disobeying orders?

They had disobeyed Shoji not out of any sort of malice towards him. They did so because it was the only way
they could uphold their duty. Shoji was such an ass that I had overlooked this possibility. My estimation of
those Shiba rose sharply. Most Rokugani would have chosen the second option. They would have died
honorably, and gone to their ancestors in glory. These ones chose to sacrifice their honor, knowing they would
die to cleanse their shame. Knowing their deaths would save the life of their Lord.

Knowing Shoji, he was likely prepared to order them all to write their death poems the second we returned. But
he could not now; it would raise uncomfortable questions.

Kitsuki-san had just saved nineteen lives with an overacted speech. Not a bad day's work, Kitsuki-san.

We slipped away to get purified and bathe.

“What do you suppose the Karo meant by, the delegation?”

Kistuki-san asked the servant leading us to the bath if he knew who the delegates were.

“Oh yes great samurai! Isawa-dono has been given the honor of hosting the Mantis delegation for the peace
talks!”

The Karo showed up in our room later on in the evening. No announcement, just opened the door and strode
in already babbling

“And here are your traveling papers. it may be difficult to find a ship since the Harbor has been emptied for the
Mantis delegation but I'm sure you can manage... some... thing?”

He stared, boogle eyed at Oka-san. I was unsure what school Oka-san attended, but the hidden technique,
Frosty Eyed Stare of Death, that she was employing was truly formidable. Even the Karo shrank before it. I
was glad I was not on the receiving end.

Oka-san had taught her daughter a lesser version, Smile of Heavenly Disappointment. That was horrible
enough I had sworn off drunken brawls to avoid seeing it again.

“Thank you Karo-san. But you know full well my daughter's health issues. They will be staying here this winter.”

“Buh, but my Lady! Your Lord Husband…”

“And I wish to spend at least some time with my grandchildren. You know that the Crab clan has a strong
connection to the Earth, yes? Perhaps one of Naomi's children will be suitable to become an Earth tensai.
Karo blinked at that. Considered. Then nodded.”

“As you wish my lady.”

I know Oka-san only said that to shut him up and get to leave, but the thought of Shoji actually taking an
interest in one of my children sent a chill down my spine.

“Hey, Toshiro…”
“Those two? No, I don't think so. It's too early to say for certain but I suspect they're far to energetic, a bit too
much air in their nature.”

Oka-san sipped her tea.

“True, but you are not going to stop there are you, Naomi-chan?”

I blinked at the -chan. First she stood up, albeit indirectly, to Shoji on behalf of her daughter. Then she used an
honorific to show endearment? Was she really trying to make amends for everything? I would need to ask
Kitsuki-san later. It was said that it was impossible for even a scorpion to lie to a true master of Kitsuki's
method.

“No mother, I do not believe we will be stopping at just two.”

Oka-san and Naomi shared a glance and smiled at one another.

I looked up, certain something important had just gone over my head.

We spent some time in conversation, Oka-san asking Naomi and myself about the Crab clan in earnest, and
how our lives were. There was much to discuss, Oka-san had missed several years of her daughter's life. I
decided not to spoil the mood by bringing up the letters Naomi sent that had never been read.

Kitsuki-san snuck himself into the conversation.

“I hear that you are well versed in Hanakotoba, Isawa-sama, is this true?”

A daimyo's wife did outrank a Yoriki to a Jade Magistrate. I wondered if I was getting it wrong and I was
supposed to address her as Oka-sama. Well, that didn't matter. Even if I was I wasn't quite ready to show her
that much respect, yet.

“I am, is there something you would wish to discuss, Kitsuki-san?”

Oka-san, Naomi and Kistuki-san talked for a while about flowers. Monkey listened with rapt attention,
fascinated by the depth of meaning in such simple things Mantis-san, Toshiro and I suffered in quiet dignity.
After a time Kitsuki-san woke us up by snapping his fan closed.

“You may tell her Naomi-sama.”

“What, huh?”

“Thank you Kitsuki-san.”

Oka-san blinked in confusion.

“Mother, there is something important I must tell you. It concerns the Bloodspeaker cult.”

I looked at Kitsuki-san, to double check. He simply nodded in assurance. How in the hell had a conversation
about plants revealed her trustworthiness to Kitsuki-san? Toshiro sipped his tea.

“Kitsuki's method is quite formidable.”

I nodded.

When Naomi was done filling her mother in on them, there was silence for a long time.

Then.
“Why did you tell me this, Naomi?”

“Father should not have such difficulty with those bandits. And now we have learned that they appeared before
Father was to host the peace talks with the Mantis this winter? We cannot be certain who they count among
their number, but they may try again.”

“To what end, Naomi?”

Oka-san was so stunned by this revelation she was forgetting she was technically in public right now.

“Chaos aids them Mother. It allows them to make movements while remaining concealed. And they have
attempted to place their own into positions of power by killing high ranking individuals in the past.”

“You think they aim for your Father's life?”

Naomi shook her head.

“I cannot say for certain. If the talks fail then many lives could be lost in the chaos of a war.”

Oka-say nodded at that.

“Perhaps they are even intending to move on multiple fronts, then.”

“Yes Mother, that is possible. Likely even.”

“If your father dies, then Hohiro would inherit this castle. But he is far too busy with his duties as master of
Earth to rule it in reality. Karo-san would likely take over the full responsibility in Hohiro's name. I can think of
nothing that would incriminate him now, but I will keep a close eye on Karo-san.”

So, the idea that the Master of Earth, her own son, might be a Maho-Tsukai was so abhorrent to her she failed
to even consider it. Truth be told, I might be the only one in the room who thought it a possibility. I had brought
the subject up only once, in the aftermath of our disgrace at Kyuden Hida, and the others had simply said there
was no proof and left it at that. Well. In any event now was certainly not the time to raise the possibility again.

Naomi's mother, having regained her composure as we talked, bid us good night. The others went to their own
rooms. Naomi and I settled in to sleep.

That night, I woke up. I checked Naomi, and seeing she was fine, quieted my breathing to listen for what had
awoken me. A soft sob. Choked in fact. As though someone were trying not to make noise as they cried.

I eased myself out from Naomi's arms and went to the door. The crying was definitely coming from the other
side. I opened it swiftly.

And scared little Ashitaka half to death.

“Oi. What the hell are you doing out here chibi-san?”

He simply stared up at me, mouth hanging open. I sighed. I supposed the sight of a half naked giant covered in
scars will do that to someone.

So I picked him up by the back of his kimono and brought him inside our room. I plopped him down, and pulled
on the rest of my kimono so I wouldn't look so scary. Then I sat down in front of him.

“Alright, what's going on?”

His face twisted, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.

“Father hates me now!”

I took a deep breath. And wondered if I was enough of a ninja to make it into Shoji's bedroom unseen. I
doubted it.

So instead I asked “Got any idea why?”

“Because I won't make a good earth tensai. He hates me because I'll never be as good as Toshiro!”

I wondered if I could silence anyone who did see me before they could make a noise and hide the bodies long
enough to make it into Shoji's room… Probably not.

“But even for those who aren't Tensai, Isawa trained shugenja are amazing, chibi. Every other shugenja school
in the Empire has an element they are strong with, and an element they are weak with. Isawa Shugenja,
unique in all the Empire, don't have that weakness. Shouldn't that be something to be proud of?”

“Father says that doesn't matter, only Tensai will advance in a high rank in our clan.”

I had no idea if that was true or his own prejudice. But it was true that the leaders of the Phoenix clan were the
Elemental Council, and only a Tensai could be appointed there. I frowned, thinking this through.

“Alright then. What do you want to do with your life?”

Ashitaka sniffled and rubbed his eyes. “Make Father proud…”

“But you already know you can't do that.”

His eyes teared up again. I cupped my hand over his mouth before he could start full on bawling.

“Quiet!” I hissed. “You wanna wake your sister up?”

His eyes darted over to Naomi, still sleeping soundly. He shook his head. I took my hand away from his mouth

“Alright chibi, it's a little early to tell you this, and it's harsh too. But your father is the biggest asshole I've had
the misfortune to meet.”

Ashitaka covered his mouth in shock.

“Your family has a tradition of becoming Earth Tensai. If you don't do that, and do it well, he'll never respect
you.
Think about how he treats Naomi. She sent letters to you guys. All of you. Damn near every week.”

His eyes got wider with every word. Young though he was, Ashitaka realized his father must have disposed of
Naomi's letters without telling anyone, or at least ordered the karo to do so.

I pulled him in for a hug. Poor kids world had just turned inside out and screamed at him.

“So,” I said softly, “What is it you want to do with your life?”

He sniffled in my arms.

“No one has ever asked me that before.”

“It's fine if you don't have an answer right now, Ashitaka. Take your time and think it through.”
“I will... Ishigaki.”

“Good boy.”

I got him a drink and took him back to his room. Judging by the number of guards stationed about, it was a
good thing I didn't try to Ninja my way to Shoji's room after all. Oh well.

I returned to our room and got back into bed.

“Thank you, Ishigaki-kun.”

“Wha-? How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough.”

She rolled over and kissed me.

“You did well.”

She snuggled in against me and we both fell asleep.

As the days passed, the courtiers from various clans arrived. Aside from the expected delegation from the
Mantis, there were Crane, Dragon and Scorpion courtiers present. As well as token groups from the Crab, Lion
and Unicorn. Mostly here to keep an eye on things and report the outcome Kitsuki-san said.
The Dragon were neighbors to the Phoenix, and often needed more rice than they could grow in a year.
The Crane and Scorpion just liked to meddle in everyone's affairs.
The Crane also lied about their motivations, saying the were only interested in maintaining peace in the
Empire.

I was always amused that the clan that all wore masks were so open and honest about their intentions. Some
people would not trust a Scorpion farther than they could throw them. I could probably set a new record at
Scorpion tossing though, so I didn't even trust them that far. But at least they had the decency to tell you not to
trust them.

I was contemplating what set of circumstances would need to come to pass that I could try to set that new
record without the usual scorpion reprisal when Kitsuki-san came up to me.

“Ishigaki-san! I have would like for you to meet my friend! He has been a great help in many of our
investigations, though I have only sought his assistance via letter until now! I was greatly surprised to see him
here, but I am glad I can finally introduce you. Hida Ishigaki, this is Bayushi Amano”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hida Ishigaki-sama. I have heard much of you from my friend.”

Well.
Great.

“Yeah, likewise I'm sure.”

I stared at Kistuki-san. And wondered what it was that had caused him to switch brains with Monkey.

Bayushi Amano was tall. Absurdly so. We could look one another in the eyes without adjusting our heads.
Judging by the hands that poked out from his sleeves and his slender face, he was very thin. But I could not be
certain, because he wore a very loose kimono. It hung off him almost comically when he stood still, but it
billowed quite impressively when he walked. His mask was a piece of sheer silk, wrapped around his eyes like
the bandage a blind man would wear. So even though I could look him in the eyes, I could not make them out.
He smiled pleasantly at my less than formal returned greeting. I suddenly felt a need to check every riceball in
the castle for ninjas.

“Oh, there is Toshiro-san! Excuse us, please, Ishigaki-san.”

I nodded, and they went off to pester Toshiro.

Seriously, what the hell was Kitsuki-san thinking? Great help? Our investigations?! How much did that bastard
Amano know? How much did the Scorpion Clan know?! Did they know about the island?

I considered how many times it had felt like murder was the only solution in this damned castle, and wondered
if it was cursed. My frantically racing thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the Mantis delegation. It was
lead by a woman in perhaps the most opulent Kimono I had ever seen. The ornamentation in her hair, the
lightly painted face. She must have spent hours getting ready. And I was fairly certain she was wearing more
than my yearly stipend on just one arm.

And yet she failed to draw every eye in the room. Rather it was one of her attendants that did so. The woman
everyone was actually staring at was a shugenja, judging by the scroll satchel. Her kimono was far more plain.
But it would not do to call it 'modest' It slipped off her shoulders, held aloft by some trick I could not fathom.
This of course, exposed a generous expanse of cleavage. Cleavage that belonged to breasts that stopped just
shy of being obscenely large.

A necklace of black pearls with a few jade magatama encircled her neck. A massive pearl hung on the center
of the necklace rested comfortably in her cleavage. As if you needed any more of a reason to look… The
bottom half of her kimono had the hips cut away showing bare flesh. Not uncommon, but you were supposed
to have a top that would be long enough to cover that up. Her obi cinched tight around her slender waist,
causing her barely there Kimono to cling tightly to her body, revealing a dramatic hourglass figure. I wondered
if she was really shaped like that, or if she was just able to not breath for extended periods of time. Light brown
hair swept behind her ears and fell down to her shoulders. And blue eyes, like those of some Doji completed
the look.

I had heard rumors of mantis who dressed in such scandalous fashions, all the empire had of course. I had
even seen a few when we were on the Isles of Spice and Silk. But this one took it to extremes I had not
thought possible. I doubted she was even in mourning, and suspected she just liked having short hair. Only
after I began to recover from my shock did I realize she was no taller than Naomi.

Oh, right. Naomi.

I realized I had been staring far too hard. Me and every man in the room. And every woman was hiding behind
their fans.

Naomi came over to me. Held up her fan and whispered to me. “Be on guard around her, Ishigaki-kun. She is
doing that on purpose.”

“Huh?”

Naomi looked at me as one might look at a child reaching into a fire because they do not know it will burn
them.

“She is using her appearance as a weapon to distract and confuse. She is dangerous. Very dangerous.”

“I- I see. I must go warn the others.”

“Okay then.”
I thought about what Naomi had said. She was probably right. I couldn't remember the last time I taken such
thorough notice of a woman.

Everyone broke up as the mingling and introductions commenced. As usual I just tried to stay out of everyone's
way. However some found reason to try and speak to me anyway.

Like the old Crab. He didn't bother with finding someone to introduce us.

“I am Hida Katsuie, and you?”

He only had one arm. At the age of forty a Samurai is expected to retire. They shave their heads and enter into
a monastery to spend the rest of their live seeking enlightenment by contemplating their navels. This idea is
abhorrent to many Crab. It's not that Monks don't serve a purpose; they do. It has more to do with the fact that
a samurai has a job to do, and we really hate shirkers. So when a Crab becomes too old and infirm to serve
actively we find other ways for them to serve the clan.

Sensei is one such position. There is nothing quite like being instructed by a one eyed, one armed, one legged
man to impress upon young bushi just how dangerous their duty can be, and how important it is to take their
training seriously.
Military advisor was another. No matter how thick witted a person may be, a lifetime of battle will make them
skilled strategists, if only because they are encountering situations similar to ones they faced in the past. I was
living proof of the truth of that.
Last but not least was courtier. A blind Hiruma that wears a mask because some Oni made off with his face
may not be as charismatic or as eloquent as one trained from the outset to be a courtier. But that hardly
matters. His gruesome and highly visible injuries will serve as a constant reminder of how much the Crab Clan
is owed.

“I'm Hida Ishigaki.”

“You are not part of my entourage, and I was not told to expect other Crabs to be here.”

“Ah.”

I pointed out where Naomi was taking with Mantis-san.

“Hida Naomi. Jade Magistrate, and my wife. She's a water tensai. And Isawa Shoji's daughter.”

He stroked his chin.

“Come on.”

I took him over to where Toshiro was

“Kuni Toshiro, Hida Katsuie.”

They nodded to one another.

Toshiro had not taken up any of the standard Crab Clan Retirement Packages of course, despite having a
clubbed foot. This was because he was a Shugenja. No one was about to suggest someone who could make
enemies spontaneously combust, hurl jade boulders, and provide emergency first aid with the help of the Kami
might be unable to do their duty because they couldn't walk very fast.

“He's also a Jade Magistrate.”

“I see. What brings you all the way out here, may I ask?”
“Heard about the Ogres and bandits?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Well, there you go.”

“Hey, Katsuie-sama...”

I decided I'd better be up front, lest he form some plan that ended up being implausible. I looked around, to
make sure no one was looking. Katsuie-sama sighed and handed me his fan. I covered my mouth with it as I
whispered to him.

“Shoji is an ass. He does not like his daughter, so we don't actually have an in in that regard, got it.”

He nodded. To my relief he didn't push for any more information. He took back his fan.

“Still, you are much more familiar with our host and his family than I am. May I count on you for advice?”

I nodded. “I can do that much, at least.”

“Very good. Thank you both for your time.”

I shared a glance with Toshiro. This was the first time I'd been considered an asset in Court. Up until now I
settled for not being a detriment.

“Think I need to get a fan?”

Toshiro pursed his lips, looking at me appraisingly. Then he clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from
bursting out in laughter.

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

I looked around trying to see what the others were up to.

Monkey was speaking too loudly with the Crane, trying to show off his newly acquired knowledge on the
meaning of flowers. She smiled politely at him as he regurgitated words he had only heard once at her, and
occasionally flicked ‘help-me’' glances at her Yojimbo
Who returned discreet 'what-do-you-want-me-to-do-about-it?' shrugs whenever she did so.

Kitsuki-san had broken off from Amano to speak with the Dragon courtiers. I was a bit surprised to see a bald
man covered in vibrant tattoos in the group. If I was right that was a tattooed monk. He wore a sleeveless
Kimono, and normal pants instead of hakama. Every inch of skin I could see from the neck down was covered
in ink, so I could not be certain what was mystical and what was mundane.

Mantis-san was also with his clan…

Oh, shit.

Toshiro and I didn't have to think very hard about helping our clan. And I suspected neither did Kitsuki-san. The
Dragon likely wanted peace, since a war and Mantis raids would force the Phoenix to stockpile more food than
usual. Rice paddies and mountains are generally incompatible, and the Dragon got a decent amount of rice
from the Phoenix, being neighbors and all.

But Mantis-san was in an awkward position. His Clan would fully expect him to assist in extorting the Phoenix
for as much as possible. I waited until Kitsuki-san finished his conversation, then approached him.
I nodded toward the Mantis delegation, “You think we might end up working at cross purposes here?”

“It's possible, Ishigaki-san.” He shrugged. “If it happens it happens. I won't hold it against him.”

“You sure? Doesn't your clan need that rice?”

“The Phoenix are not the only only Clan to produce a surplus of rice.”

“Okay, if you're sure.”

There was no opportunity to speak with Mantis-san the rest of the day. He was always with someone in his
Clan. So I brought it up that evening as we gathered together. He folded his arms and made a face like he had
just bitten into a lemon.

“Yeah, they're pressing me hard for everything I know about Shoji. And I mean everything. I'm sorry, Naomi-
sama”

“It is alright, Mantis-san. I cannot bear you any ill will for working to serve your clan, nor can I blame you for the
actions taken by your Clan's leaders.”

Of course Naomi would be that way. But I was sure there were many Phoenix who would not be so
understanding. I couldn't discount the possibility of guilt by association blowing back on the rest of us.

In the morning Kitsuki-san pulled me aside, along with Toshiro.

“I have a suggestion for you both. One that should help to dispel some of your worries from the other night,
Ishigaki-san”

Oh great, He really had mastered Kitsuki's Method. Now I had another mind reader to deal with.

“I would ask that you attempt to persuade Hida Katsuie-sama to push the Mantis clan to settle for less then
they hope to gain.”

I failed to see how any of this was really Crab business.

Toshiro spoke up. “He's got a point, Ishigaki.”

“Hah?”

“If the Phoenix can't afford to give as much rice to the Dragon as normal, the Dragon will have to turn to other
Clans.”

“If the other Clans find their surplus in high demand, they'll be able to ask for more in return.”

Ah, And that's bad for the Crab. Shit. It made sense to me now, why Courtiers insisted that Court was more
dangerous than any battlefield. I had never considered that a war on the other side of the Empire could impact
my Clan negatively.

For one, the Empire was just too big a thing. For another, I was a Crab and a warrior. I didn't bother myself with
matters of court anymore than the average Rokugani bothered themselves with matters of Oni. Certainly, some
things had rubbed off due to long exposure to them. And I did seek to know my own clans strengths and
weaknesses But still, I was a far cry from a courtier.

Toshiro nodded to Kitsuki-san. “Good idea. We'll give it a shot.”

So we went out to find Katsuie-sama.

He was entertaining some Lion and Unicorn courtiers. Not by telling war stories, but by playing a konto. And
well, at that. The frantic speed with which his single hand danced across the strings at odds with the soothing
tones he produced. I couldn't help but take a seat myself and be impressed.

When he finished he spoke up.

“Thank you for listening to my humble performance. Now I must excuse myself, it would seem some of my kin
wish to speak with me.”

I started first. “So, we were thinking it might benefit the Clan if we tried to get the Mantis to settle for as little as
possible.”

“Yes, I had considered that as well. Do you have some idea how I might go about that though?”

I did not. Toshiro though, had given it some thought. He spoke to Katsuie-sama at length about Shoji's many
faults and flaws. Also his strengths. He even told Katsuie-sama the truth of the battle with the Ogres and
bandits. Throughout it all Katsuie-sama remained silent, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“So, if I am understanding you correctly Toshiro-san, the Phoenix could not have picked a worse host for these
peace talks if they tried?”

“That's about it, yeah.”

I finally caught on to Toshiro's game. A little late but still…

“So yeah, any of the Clans who want peace could be persuaded to join in more forcefully once they know Shoji
is likely to screw it up somehow.”

“Yes. It will take time to set things in motion however. I must be certain peace is their objective before speaking
of such things to others. In the meantime, I can reach out to my counterpart in the Dragon clan, to see if we
can combine our efforts. Thank you both for bringing this to my attention.”

He excused himself.

I wondered at the odd turns my life had taken. Here I was, a Crab bushi. A simple Yojimbo in service to a Jade
Magistrate. Brush in hand, the best I could hope for was that my poem would not offend everyone that read it.
And yet I was talking part in political events that could affect the entire Empire.

Toshiro nudged me. Shoji was planning some to have competitions all throughout the winter court as
entertainment for the guests. And first up, was a sumai tournament.

Toshiro arched an eyebrow at me.

“Uh-”

Then Naomi came up. “You are going to enter, are you not Ishigaki-kun?”

Wat.

A wild Monkey appears. “Yeah! You should do it!”

“Do I look like a sumai to you Monkey?!”

“No, but you're real good at knocking people over, and you've got good balance!”
Mantis-san smirked at me. “I'm going too.”

I gave in.

Of all people, it was Naomi who seemed most pleased. I got registered, changed into a mawashi and took my
place in the lineup of challengers. This competition was mostly a chance for the Yojimbo of the various
courtiers to strut their stuff. Not a single professional Sumai to be seen.

A delicate and willowy Crane.

The tattooed Dragon.
Mantis-san. Stocky and thick.
An Akodo, with a husky frame.
The Shosuro had not an ounce of fat on him anywhere.
A Shinjo, surprisingly short.
And the Shiba, average in every way you could think of.
Then I came out.

Fans fluttered as a V shaped slab of muscle and scar tissue took his place in the lineup.

I had been right about the Dragon, he was a giant wall of color from the neck down. It was so chaotic I saw a
new shape every time I looked.

The first match would be the Dragon, up against the Lion. The Dragon bowed and introduced himself as
Togashi Asuma.

“Do not worry, I swear I will not draw upon my tattoos in this competition. There are plenty shugenja who can
stand as witness. I wish for this to be a true match of athletic ability.”

The Akodo bowed in return.

“I shall accept you honest desire, and crush you with all I have. To do any less would be an insult to you and
our host.”

Asuma nodded. “Well said.”

First came the stare downs.

Then the collision. The two slammed into each other, palms striking chests. Neither gave ground at first. Then
the Dragon stepped in, moving his rear leg just after taking a blow from the Akodo. Asuma uncoiled his hips to
add follow through to his next shove

The Lion could not resist it and tumbled back out of the ring.

Next we would have a bug battle. Mantis on Scorpion action.

Well, this should be-

WHAM

Have I ever mentioned that Mantis-san is terribly strong?

The Shiba and the Crane were the next to square off. They stared each other down steadily…

Then rose up and grappled with one another. I could see them shifting their weight to in response to each
others movements. Their movements and shifts were small, subtle. Each trying to unbalance the other. The
Shiba sunk his stance, then let go of the Crane's mawashi and pushed up under his armpits, trying to upset the
Crane's balance.The Crane, however, flowed with the Shiba's force, and pulled, tossing the Shiba over his hip
and to the mat. That looked a bit like something out of Mizu-do.

There are three main martial arts in Rokugan. Kaze-do, Mizu-do and Kobo Ichi Kai.

Kaze-do was the first style to be created, created by a monk named Togashi Kaze and first taught to peasants.
It had since found it's way into the dojo's of the samurai. It was a style that strove to emulate the wind, so the
practitioner moved about a lot. It made use of acrobatic kicks and rapid strikes to wear down, exhaust and
knock over one's foes

Mizu-do is the style the Crane practice extensively. In Mizu-do the practitioner seeks to be like water, fluid and
formless. When attacked with force, the Mizu-do practitioner will seek to redirect and control that force, often
by pulling his opponent off balance and into the ground.

Kobo Ichi Kai is the last style. Developed by the Crab, and rarely seen outside of our Clan. It is not a way, but a
school. It was not born from an enlightened man meditating on nature. But from samurai brawling in teahouses
and docks and back alleyways. From a Kuni learning just how one human body can damage another by
treating the injured and performing autopsies on the dead The other martial arts teach you how to defend
yourself when you have no weapon. Kobo Ichi Kai teaches you how to kill

Which left me facing off with the Chibicorn. A Hida and a Shinjo squaring off in a tournament. It wasn't the first
round, but the parallels were obvious. When the Kami dueled to see which among them would become the
Emperor, Hida had faced Shinjo in the first match.

Hida lost.

Now I stood before my opponent, and to look at us I outclassed him in every way that mattered in a sumai
match. We bowed and took our stances

The stare down.

We attacked one another spirit. I narrowed my eyes, flared my nostrils, and stared at the point just between his
eyes. He countered with a self assured smirk that I could see in my peripheral vision. It was a fine move, both
defense and counter in one. Showing he was not intimated in the least, he reminded both of us the weight of
history favored him in this contest.

We sprang.

He came up just a hair's breadth slower. Crossing his arms in front of his chest he slammed up into me
The momentum forced me fully upright. I took a half step back. And windmilled my arms.

He struck me again driving his palm into me with all his might. But it was not so easy to topple a Crab. My half
step had been a brace. The windmilling a lie.

Before he could realize what had happened I grabbed his Mawashi, spun my hips and threw him bodily into the
air and out of the ring.

Every one of the seven founding Great Clans has a story of their Kami meeting Shinsei. Six of those kami
gained wisdom from the little teacher. When Hida lost his match to Shinjo he stormed off to sulk alone. While
he was brooding a little man with a crow perched on his shoulder came up to him.

“Why are you so upset, First Crab?”

“I am upset because I am weak, and my strength could not save me from my weakness.”
The little man smiled.

“But now you know your own weakness. And by knowing it, you transform it into strength.”

A true son of Hida is not some mindless brute who charges headlong and recklessly into battle. Nor is he a fool
who thinks his own biceps are all he needs to win. He knows exactly what he is capable of, and also what he is
not capable of He knows how to save his strength for just the right moment, and secure victory before his
enemy knows he has been defeated. If a Hida deliberately places himself at a disadvantage, it is only because
someone must in that position, and he is best suited to survive it.

Unless of course, he is just a fool. We do have plenty of those in our clan as well, I'm sad to say.

There was a break between the rounds as Shugenja came in to treat the competitors and ensure they would
be fresh and ready for their next bout. Naomi saw to me personally.

“That was masterful Ishigaki-kun!”

Monkey piped up. “I thought he had when he took you off guard at the start there”

Kitsuki-san bopped Monkey lightly on the head.

“It was a ploy, Monkey. Ishigaki-san Tricked the Shinjo into committing when he should not.”

“Whoa, really?”

I nodded.

Mantis-san spoke up from where he was being treated. “What about me?”

I smiled over at him. “You'd better win. I wanted to set the Scorpion tossing record.”

“I will win.”

We grinned at one another, eager at the chance to test our strength against the other.

After the break Mantis-san and Togashi Asuma entered the ring. They bowed to one another.

“You truly are a raging storm and pounding wave, Mantis-san. I look forward to testing myself against a force of
nature wearing the flesh of a mortal.”

Mantis-san stretched and flexed popping joints loudly.

“Let's have a good match, Dragon-san.”

They took their stances.

I saw Mantis-san's eyelid twitch. Then the Dragon was upon him, slap after slap driving Mantis-san back to the
edge of the ring.

Mantis-san brought his arms up under Asuma's and broke the Dragons rhythm. Continuing the motion, Mantsi-
san slammed both palms into Asuma's chest driving him back towards the center.

They both resettled their stances and came at each other again, meeting slightly inside Mantis-sans side of the
ring. Again the air filled with sharp sound of flesh being struck and Mantis-sans chest was soon bright red.
Whatever damage was being done to Asuma was concealed under all of his tattoos.
Then I heard a sharper crack and the referee steeped in between the two.

He spoke to Asuma briefly, who nodded. Then declared Mantis-san the winner.

“Contestant Asuma has sustained an injury and is no longer able to continue the match!”

So Mantis-san had struck with enough force to crack a rib, maybe even break it outright.

A shugenja hurried in to tend to Asuma. The Dragon waved off the shugenja to bow to Mantis-san first though.

“I thank you for this lesson, Mantis-san. I will remember not to try to overpower the waves in the future.”

Mantis-san returned the bow.

“With a little more training you probably could Dragon-san.”

“You flatter me.”

“You almost had me”

Togashi Asuma bowed again and allowed the shugenja to take him from the ring and treat his wounds.

I entered the ring and faced off with the Crane. Instead of going for the Imma Killya Stare™, I decided to try
out the confident smirk the Chibicorn had shown me. The Crane blinked. It worked.

We came up and I shoved a palm at him. He slipped beneath my arm and grabbed my Mawashi, trying to pull
me over his hip. Just like he did with the Shiba.

I was ready for him to do something like that. I shifted my weight leaning back. Then I spun around. It wasn't a
proper sumai move, I don't think, but this was hardly a professional tournament. He still had a firm grip on my
Mawashi, so when I spun it yanked him off balance

He stumbled past me, leaning over heavily. I let him stand up straight and turn around. But before he could
fully reset his stance I slammed my chest against him.

And sent him tumbling to the mat.

Another break before the finals.

Naomi and Toshiro came to tend to me. The others went over to Mantis-san. Naomi rubbed a salve on her
hands and began rubbing it into my arms and shoulders. It was cool. I wondered why she was doing that
though, when she could do the same with a quick spell. Is it just me or is she touching me more than
necessary?

I looked at Toshiro, who flicked his gaze out towards the spectators All of the men were leaning over in
conversation with one another. I saw some Koku change hands in a few places.

The ladies of the court were a sea of fluttering fans, no doubt bored by the barbarity… The youngest ones,
those likely still unmarried were all flushed and fidgeting. It wasn't really that hot in the room…

Oh.

Toshiro shook his head and chuckled that I hadn't noticed until now.

The break ended and Mantis-san and I entered the ring.

We bowed without words. There was no need to speak.

We took our stances

Neither of us bothered to try to assault the others spirit. We wanted this contest to be of one thing, and one
thing only.

We came up and our chests slammed together.

We gripped each other's' mawashi. And we strained with all our might.

One of us was going to lift and throw the other. That was the only way this would end.

We strained, pushing our bodies against one another and shifting our weight, each subtly robbing the other of
the leverage they needed to win. I suppose, to someone who could not see the subtle battle taking place, it
would look very boring. But I was dimly aware that there were many courtiers leaning forward with great
intensity.

“Oi, don't get distracted now!”

“I'm not.”

I sank a little lower, then rose up onto the balls of my feet. Mantis-san countered by leaning forward, forcing my
heels to slam back to the ground. I pivoted my hips, letting my left side continue backward. He leaned back.

I slammed my chest into his. He tried to counter by matching my force, but his reaction was just slightly
delayed. I felt his body give under my assault. I knew his toes had come up off the mat.

Now or never.

I lifted, straining every muscle in my back and shoulders. He sank his weight low, Pushed against my mawashi
to counter my lift.

But it was too late.

With every tendon taut and every muscle on clear display I gave one mighty heave and threw Mantis-san to
the ground. My vision swam and I had to place my hands on my knees to avoid falling myself. I sucked in huge
lungfuls of air.

Mantis-san was looking up at me, surprised. So was I, truth be told.

“I'll take the fact that you're breathing that hard as a compliment”

He grinned as he stood. I nodded emphatically

“Good... match” I panted at him.

There was polite applause as I was named the Champion.

We all headed for the baths to get cleaned up after our exercise.

Asuma congratulated us both on our bout. “That was amazing. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to
witness such a contest”

I looked over at the Togashi. “Mind if I ask you which ones are magical and which ones are art?”
“Not at all”

He showed me.
Mountain
Ocean
Tiger
Bamboo
Crab

“So, safe to say we would have had no chance had you used those?”

“If I had used my tattoos, it would only have been fair to allow you to use your tetsubo and armor. The Power in
my tattoos is a gift, it is not my own. I strive to master them, and use them to their full potential, but they are no
more a part of my own self than you armor is your own flesh.”

“Huh. Like how shugenja don't really work magic themselves, but ask the Kami for their favor?”

He smiled at that. “In a way, yes.”

“Ishigaki-san.”

I looked over to Mantis-san.

“I just want to make sure, you weren't faking that panting were you?”

“By Hida no! It really was that hard for me to win”

He nodded. “Okay then. We'll have to have a rematch sometime. If it was really that close.”

“Yeah, we will. But first, I need something to eat. I'm starving after all that exertion.”

We went went to get some dinner, and I found myself the center of attention

Time to initiate polite small talk. Much of the talk revolved around my scars and training methods.

“Oh that one? Ogre with a tetsubo.”

“We train in full armor night and day at Sunda Mizu.”
“Goblin. Had a few of them climbing on my back and stabling me that time.”
“Running mostly. With a log. Up and down the steps up to the top of the wall.”
“Oni. It's arms folded like a praying mantis, and it had sharp bones that were as good as blades coming out.
Almost killed me, in fact.”
“That last one was the Oni that gave me the scar on my face.”

It brought back some painful memories.

So I went on the attack. I decided to go for a two pronged assault, one that would drive back the sadness of my
lost family and shift the topic from me.

“So, do you have any children yet? I've got two myself.”

“Oh my.” It was the Mantis woman with the cleavage

“I would love to have children one day, but I'm not married yet sadly.”

Ears pricked up all around the table.

“My mother was a Doji, so I'm certain she knows someone who will be able to arrange and excellent marriage
for me one day though.”

That explained the blue eyes then.

“How about you Hida-san? How did you meet your wife?”

“We were assigned to work together, and our feelings blossomed over time.” I smiled over at Naomi.

“Eh? Is she your wife?”

“Yeah. That's Hida Naomi.”

The Mantis looked back and forth between me and Naomi. She wasn't the only one. I was large, scarred and
ugly. She was small, frail and lovely. We were, physically at least, opposites in every way.

The Mantis remembered her manners then and introduced herself to Naomi.

“I am Moshi Aoi, it's a pleasure to meet you.”

After dinner Naomi went to take a bath. When she came back she was quite red.

“What happened, Hana-chan?”

“Th-that Mantis... Moshit Aoi?”

“Yes?”

“She's a... she's a…”

“...yes?”

“She's a PERVERT!”

...wat

“She wanted details Ishigaki-kun! Copious details! She used those exact words!”

What is it with my wife getting asked about her love life in the baths? What the hell do women do in there
anyway? I hugged Naomi close and stroked her hair I suppose Naomi falling in love and marrying her lover
was an unusual thing in Rokugan, but still…

“At first it was innocent enough, simple things like when I realized I loved you, how you confessed to me… but
then she asked about the bedroom!”

I could see why Naomi was so red. We had been married for years, and had two children. Yet she still blushed
every time we made love Even when she was initiating it. It was adorable. I loved that sweet innocence of hers.

A loud thumpdragging let us know to break our hug before our comrades came in, save Mantis-san. Toshiro
produced a small bottle of sake and set it to warming

Kistuki-san started up. “Kitsuki Takumi-sama was pleased with Hida Katsuie's proposal of cooperation.”

“Good, that's good news then.”

He nodded.

Monkey spoke up. “Hey, where's Mantis-san? Shouldn't we wait for him.”

“No, Monkey we should not. Anything he hears would go straight into the ears of the Mantis delegate. He
knows that, which is why he is not joining us.”

“Oh…”

Monkey looked down.

“I don't like this.”

I clapped Monkey on the shoulder. “None of us do, but we're not about to ask him to work against his own
clan.”

Monkey nodded. “Okay.”

Kistuki-san resumed. “Amano-san assures me that we can count on the aid of the Scorpion as well.”

I had to ask.

“What's the price?”

“I'm sorry?”

“The price, Kitsuki-san? We're talking about a Scorpion here, they don't do anything that isn't beneficial in
some way to their own schemes”

“I fail to see how that's any different from any other Clan.”

“It's different because you're friends with him. You may not be as cautious as you should.”

“I don't think I like that implication, Ishigaki-san.”

I met Toshiro's gaze, shook my head. I would shoulder the burden of being the asshole alone on this one.

“Isn't that precisely why Mantis-san is not here in this room with us? Because even though he's our friend we
know we would be working at cross purposes?”

Kitsuki-san sat up rigidly straight. He slowly put down his cup of sake. He looked me right in the eyes.

“I have known Amano-san since we were children, Ishigaki-san. If he could not help me, he would say so.
I know all his mannerisms; he cannot lie to me and knows it. And he would not tarnish our friendship by trying
to lie via omission to me”

I stared back.

“You are absolutely certain of this?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then.”

I refiled Kitsuki-san's cup myself.

“Thank you, Ishigaki-san”

“You're welcome.”

“Are you two done fighting now?”

“Yes Monkey we are done fighting.”

“Good.”

Kitsuki-san sighed then. “Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I had occasion to speak with the Crane during
the tournament, and I am certain they intend to sabotage the peace talks.”

“Really, the Crane?”

“Yes. I don't know quite how they intend to do so. I am certain they will pretend they working towards peace.
But they wish to inflate the value of their own surplus rice.”

So far Dragon, Crab and Scorpion were working together for peace between the Mantis and Phoenix. The
Crane stood opposed, in secret. The Crab and Unicorn often had good relations. But the Unicorn and Crane
had better ones. It was the Crane Clan Champion that first recognized the Unicorn as the returning Clan of the
Ki-Rin. The Lion hated the Crane as much as the Crab did. But the Lion also hated the Scorpion. There was
also some bad blood between the Lion and Phoenix. I could not judge if the Lion or Unicorn would choose to
enter this battle or merely observe. Nor could I be certain of the outcome.

If the Crane and Scorpion stood opposed to one another in the court, all hell could break loose. Tomorrow was
the painting contest. What would happen then, I wondered? In a manner of speaking, any way.

When I woke up in the morning I noticed my beard was getting shaggy again. Time for a trim then. I shook my
head at the thought. On the Wall a 'trim' was me pulling my beard taut and slicing it off with a tanto as close to
my chin as I could.

Away from the wall there was an assortment of tools to use. And my fingers were ill suited to fine detail work.
Mirrors were expensive as well, hard to make.

Naomi saw me rubbing at my scruff. Smiled.

“I'll get it Ishigaki-kun.”

Fortunately, I had Naomi. We sat in silence while she made me presentable, enjoying the intimacy of the
moment together. Then off for breakfast and polite meal time conversation with the court.

I was fortunate enough that the talk had already shifted away from the sumai tournament and onto the painting
contest. It was, like the sumai tournament, an amateur affair. Open to any who cared to pick up a brush
A large room had been set aside to display the finished works. Who painted what would be kept secret, so bias
against this or that clan would have no weight on the judging.

Naomi had experience with a few paintings, so I was looking forward to her entry. I had no doubt even my eyes
would be able to pick hers out from the group. Kitsuki-san was a consummate courtier so I'm sure he would
enter as well. To my surprise those two encouraged the rest of us to enter as well.

The Akodo from the tournament overheard and agreed.

“The way of warrior is the twofold way of pen and sword. One must train their mind as diligently as they train
their body, and so be scholar, poet and warrior all at once.”
He nodded to emphasize his point.

“Indeed it is one of Akodo's orders that one always carry a text with them. If one has nothing else to do, they
should read.”

Toshiro, Mantis-san and I all exchanged glances. It was Naomi who finally convinced us.

“All the works will be anonymous you three. It is only the winner whose work will be known.”

So we agreed to try our hand at painting.

I stared for a long time at the blank paper in front of me. It was taunting me. I didn't have the first clue what
made a good painting so I had no idea where to even start. And, my hands were rough. My fingers thick and a
little clumsy. Ill suited to delicate work like painting. In fact the only time I could ever be gentle…

...was with Naomi…

I knew what I would paint. It was crude, and ugly. The lines far too thick I used no color I was afraid trying I
might slop over the lines I had already laid out. A simple jagged line near the bottom represented a layer of
snow. And in the center a single flower bloomed with all it's might.

I struggled for a bit after I painted the stem. In the end I went with five petals, like the ones Naomi had planted
in our garden. I'm sure they had some meaning, but like with the patterns she had raked in the sand, I never
bothered to ask what. That garden was her garden.

I did not understand the art she brought into and made for our house. But it brought her happiness to do so.
That was reason enough for it to exist. I didn't give the painting a name. I signed my own name to the small
paper beside me and called in a servant. They confirmed that this was my painting and my name, then folded
up the paper with my name on it and tucked it behind the painting.

The painting declared the winner would have the paper bearing it's creator's name unfolded and read aloud.
Everyone else's painting would be returned to their rooms discretely by servants after the judging was finished.
I took a few deep breaths and then went out into the grand hall where the artwork was on display.

There were a LOT of paintings. And servants kept bringing in more. At the door a servant asked my name.
I told them, and they wrote it down. Then folded up the paper firmly. He handed the paper to me.

“Beneath each painting you will find a bowl, great samurai. Please place your vote into the bowl of the painting
you judge to be the best. Once all the paintings have been brought in, of course, great samurai. Please do not
vote for your own painting, great samurai.”

I looked at the paper in my hand.

I had to ask. “What's to stop someone from just swapping out their vote with the name of a painting they they
think is better than their own?”

The servant took two pieces of paper.

“The vote ballot is folded thusly.”

He folded.

“While the artists name is folded in this way.”

He folded again.
When he unfolded them they had clearly different creases showing in the paper

“Oh. Okay then.”

I circulated among the paintings already here. A few stood out to my eyes.

One was a single vertical line, with almost the entire rest of the painting covered in black ink. Only a small
circle of blank paper surrounded the line. It almost looked like a darkness closing in on, and threatening to
engulf, whatever that one line was supposed to be.

There was another that was simply the kanji for 'empty' upon an otherwise blank page. Except, it wasn't empty,
because there was a kanji on it. Was that supposed to be clever? There were quite a few courtiers discussing
that one, so I guess it was

Dots. Lots and lots and lots of dots. There were several courtiers around that one, arguing over what it could
mean. I looked again.

Wait…

This looks like a battle formation. No. Two armies engaging each other. If you were looking at a battle from
above, anyway. I wasn't certain, because the artist had only used black ink, but I thought I could pick out the
sides. I was no great strategist, but I had seen plenty of battles. If I was right about which dots were on which
side, this battle was going to end without a clear winner. Just piles and piles of corpses

Huh.

“Oooh? Do you have some idea as to the meaning of this painting, Hida-san?”

It was a Scorpion woman, Soshi by the mon on her kimono, that spoke to me. I looked back. The courtiers
were all looking at me expectantly. There were several Crane and Scorpion in this group, as well as a few
Phoenix.
And the head of the Mantis delegation.

I pointed.

“Looks like two armies to me. See, here and here? These are battle formations.”

The Soshi hid behind her fan and sniffed. “How uncouth, to make a painting glorifying war when there are
peace talks going on.”

“I wonder about that.”

An Asako spoke up. “What do you mean, Hida-san?”

“Well, they're all going to die.” I gestured, explaining how the battle would progress from this point. When each
unit would likely be ordered to join in, and how the shape would change.

“Looks to me like these armies are going to just wipe each other out. No one wins.”

I laughed at myself.

“But what do I know about art anyway? I'm probably wrong anyway. Don't mind me.”

Fans fluttered as I got away before I could embarrass myself further.

There was another painting, of a mother bird feeding her young in a nest. Behind them was a large wall.
Behind the wall, dark, ill defined shapes could be seen trying to climb over it. The wall was cracked in a few
places, but the shapes didn't seem to be having any luck. At first I thought I had found Toshiro's but the style
was to practiced. His would be uglier, like mine.

The person who painted this one had painted before, many times. Of course, with such an obvious meaning,
this had to belong to one of my fellow Crabs. I wondered which one painted in their off time.

Katsuie-sama, perhaps? I'd already seen him playing a Konto, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had other artistic
pursuits as well

I overheard some courtiers talking, another painting had drawn a small crowd. I went over to see what the fuss
was about.

“I wonder about the deliberate crudeness of the lines.”

“It obviously speaks to the harshness of the world, and how one must struggle to bloom so beautifully.”
“Indeed, this perfectly captures mono no aware, even without the petals falling.”

There's no way…

“I agree. It was wise to leave it to the viewer to remember the truth.”

I came up. Sure enough, it was my painting.

“I'm sorry, I'm a bit crude. But could someone please explain to me what's going on this painting?”

Patronizing smiles only half hidden by fans.

“Of course Hida-san. Look here, this thick line is snow. It's crudeness shows a harsh winter, just as the world
can be a harsh and cruel place. A lone flower, struggling to bloom beautifully with all it's might. Though it is far
from perfect, no other flower has the strength to do this And even as your heart exults in the flowers victory,
you are taken over by the bittersweet realization that it will wilt and perish soon, perhaps even alone, before
the other flowers bloom themselves. Mono no aware; the impermanence of things.”

Moshi Aoi took a moment to peer at the painting.

“I think that this painting is extolling the virtues of the artist's lover.”

“What?”

“Isn't this a Wasurenagusa flower? It is hard to tell because the artist used no color.”

The others crowded around again. Gasps arose.

“You are right, Moshi-san!”

“A secret declaration of love!”
“A winter romance already!”

fluttering intensifies

The fuck did I just do?

I beat a hasty retreat. I understood that great art was supposed to be subtle, full of hidden meaning. I hadn't
realized this meant art critics would talk out of their asses and see things the artist never intended. It was just
Naomi, just my Hana-chan. Not some epic treatise on short beautiful lives. And certainly not the declaration of
a winter romance.

I didn't even know what those wasa.. wa.. wasabi flowers, or whatever the hell they were called, meant when I
painted that. True Love. Huh. Of course that was where Naomi would start. Well then, I supposed I would just
let the courtiers gossip about a non-existent romance. Don't misunderstand, of course I loved my wife dearly.
But a winter romance was a different thing to that.

Love is, at best, a secondary consideration in marriage, if it is considered at all. It is taboo for a samurai to
show emotion in public, and this extends to love as well. In plays and stories however Love is often an
element. Most of the time, the lovers meet a tragic end for their feelings. Most of the time, this is what would
happen in real life as well. I remember one play I saw, about two bushi who loved one another dearly. They
would often duel one another testing each other's skills and pushing the other to excel, and so they were both
quite skilled with their blades. Such was their skill that they dueled with real blades, and never hurt one
another. This kind of skill could be seen at some of the top tournaments in Rokugan, like the Test of the
Emerald Champion.

What began as a rivalry blossomed into romance, then into love. However, the parents of the Samurai-ko
arranged a marriage for her, even though they knew of her love. On the wedding day, the two lovers had one
last duel with each other. The parents and her husband to be thought it a minor indulgence, one last duel to
end their rivalry and love forever. The lovers killed each other, by stabbing each other through the heart at the
same time.

This play was written about two people who did such a thing in reality. A winter romance was the closest thing
a Samurai was supposed to get to love, in the real world. One person would, though subtle innuendo and often
hidden in works of art, extol the virtues of the person they were romancing. It was a game, dancing on the
edge of acceptable behavior. One must be subtle enough to not let on who they were courting for real, yet it
was no good if the one being courted could not themselves realize it.

If, by the time it was over, everyone knew but could not prove who was involved then it was successful. The
participants would both be talked about with admiration for some time, perhaps even years. The best ones
would be immortalized in art

Of course, should someone be able to prove who was involved things would not go so well. Many times, some
brash young fool would pursue a married woman. Sometimes, should samurai love someone who ends up
married to another, they pursue their love in this way. Having clandestine affairs during the winter courts.

Those that get caught will be spoken of for some time as well. As a warning to those would selfishly pursue
their own desires instead of their duty. Whatever the outcome, a winter romance would be a very exciting thing
to for everyone to try and keep track off. I suppose then, that I had unintentionally muddied the waters making
it easier for those who would try one this year.

It was while I was thinking of these things that I came upon the next portrait. It was a woman, facing away from
the viewer. She was slipping her Kimono off, exposing her back down almost to her rear, and looking over her
shoulder seductively. There was nothing to distinguish a clan or even caste. I wondered it this was the Moshi
pervert's submission…

I saw many that were quite simple, paintings of animals, landscapes, some fortunes.

One was of Ebisu, a pleased smile on his face, as he watched over peasants planting the next crop of rice.
Kitsuki-san was extolling the virtue of an honest peaceful life to a group of assembled courtiers in front of that
one. There were already a few ballots in that one's bowl.

I looked around. The servants were not bringing in any more paintings. I realized I could be here all day and
not see, or at least not understand, all the paintings here. I followed Kitsuki-san's lead and tossed my ballot in
that one. Though I still hadn't seen Naomi's painting.
Once everyone had cast their votes, the servants tallied them up and Shoji announced the winner. It was Ebisu
watching the peasants.

I was absolutely mortified. As I watched an embarrassed Monkey walk up and get his accolades for having the
best painting.

Several runner ups were on display, without naming the painters of course. I was more than a little shocked to
see mine up there. So had the dot battle. And 'Empty'.

Now it was Monkey's turn to be swarmed by courtiers. Kitsuki-san came to the rescue, helping poor Monkey by
covering for any gaffes. I silently wished them luck and thanked the Fortunes it wasn't me this time.

“I see your painting did well, Ishigaki-kun.” Naomi came up to me, smiling.

“But, why are you trying to court me? I thought we were already married.”

She was teasing me again. Too many people around for me to swat her rump this time.

“Looks like you chose this battlefield well, Naomi. But I'm going to launch a counterattack tonight..”

She hid her blush behind her fan. “Tonight then.”

“Um. My eyes are bad at judging art, and there's a lot here…”

“You couldn't find mine?”

She did not seem saddened by that, though a bit surprised. “It is here.”

The birds and the wall.

“Naomi? You did this? I thought you would go for something more... gentle.”

“Ishigaki-kun, you painted a picture of me. What do you suppose I panted?”

I stared, starting to get it.

“That is you. You are my wall, protecting me. And our children. Baka.”

She bopped my nose with her fan, for not seeing it sooner.

Toshiro had been the smartass who made 'Empty'.

Mantis-san had simply done a sailor, standing on the prow of a boat.
And Kitsuki-san a landscape. It was very detailed, almost jumping off the paper.

That night, I launched my counterattack and laid siege to my wife's castle. Her gates opened before my might,
and I stormed inside her fortress. But in the end, it was a draw. We were both victorious.

We took a private breakfast, just our little group. Once again, Mantis-san was not present. Kitsuki-san thanked
me for explaining Dot Battle.

“Uh, you're welcome?”

“It was Amano's work.”

“Yesterday we took the temperature of the court, so to speak. Seeing how popular images of peaceful life, or at
least the futility of war, were.”

“Is that why you were talking at length about Monkey's painting?”

“Wait, huh?” Monkey looked absolutely crestfallen. “You mean I didn't win because it was good?”

Kitsuki-san reacted quickly. “No Monkey, Ishigaki-san is wrong. I was speaking about your painting, but I was
speaking about it represented. It was a fine painting Monkey, and you won on your own merits.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

He stuffed a rice ball into his mouth. Whole. And grinned, pleased with himself.

“The good news is that by the votes we can tell sentiment is currently strongly against the Mantis.”

“They will have to be more sparing with their demands for peace then?” Naomi's tone was hopeful.

Kitsuki-san nodded to her. “Yes. If they overreach then there is a possibility of other clans promising aid to the
Phoenix.”

I nodded along.

“So we're ahead, and our objective should be to go defensive and maintain our advantage.”

“Exactly so, Ishigaki-san.”

Monkey raised his hand.

“Um, how are we gonna do that, Ishigaki-san?”

I stared at Monkey. Hard. Until he put his hand down in confusion. I wasn't about to admit I had no idea how to
do that either. Kitsuki-san stifled a chuckle by coughing into his hand.

“Just continue on as you would normally Monkey, and you too Ishigaki. You need not worry about pushing
things along. Besides, since there is no competition today, you will likely be a focal point for discussion again
Monkey.”

Monkey's eyes widened. I had seen that look on the faces of Goblins when I dangled them over the south side
of the wall, before dropping them.

Well then. I excused myself early, before Monkey could think to ask for help.

Katsuie-sama asked for my presence in his room later on that day. I was surprised to see the painting of the
woman on the wall there.

“Wait, you did that? uh, Katsuie-sama?”

“Yes. It is my niece.”

I stared.
“She is... difficult. A tomboy with a real temper. And quite ferocious. Fine traits for warrior upon the Wall, but I
hope to help her find a good husband and settle down a bit. You know well, how married life and the
responsibility of being a parent can calm the raging fires of youth, do you not?”

“A bit, yes Katsuie-sama.”

“But, enough about that. I asked you here because I wished to hear about how you and friends are doing.”

I explained Kitsuki-san's thoughts on the Crane, and his interpretation of the voting yesterday. I stumbled a bit
over the part where we were working with the Scorpion, unsure how that would go over. But Katsuie-sama just
sipped his tea.

“Necessity often makes for strange bedfellows, after all. Thank you for your candidness Ishigaki-san. You have
given me much to think about.”

I took that for the dismissal it was and headed back out. Now, how was I going to lay low the rest of the day? I
saw Kitsuki-san, engaged in a game of go with Moshi Aoi.

Monkey was drowning in courtiers. I left before he saw me.

I found Mantis-san sitting in a room with the doors to the outside open, allowing in a nice breeze. I sat down.

“Monkey is having a rough time.”

He nodded.

“Ran away before he could ask for help, did you?”

He nodded again. “You too, huh?”

“Yep.”

We chuckled

He pulled out a go set. Sure, why not. We played.

Mantis-san was reckless, with a style that slashed at my flanks over and over again. I played a much more
defensive game, trying to lure my opponent into reckless offense so I could nip out and take more territory. It
was close, but Mantis-san was just able to edge me out when the game ended.

“Good game.”

“Yeah, likewise.”

“Are things going well for you, Mantis-san?”

“We shouldn't really talk about that…”

“I don't mean your clan, I mean you specifically.”

“Oh.”

He scowled.

“I don't know if I can figure out a way to bitch without giving something away, though…”
“Sounds like you need a drink”

“I do. Yohko, that's the lead delegate, hates Aoi with a passion. She's always pissed Aoi gets all the attention,
even though she's only doing what she's told…”

He cut off.

“You didn't do that on purpose, did you Ishigaki-san?”

“You think I'm that smooth?”

“Yeah, you're right there. Hah. Well whatever. I don't really care at this point. The Mantis delegation is
sabotaging itself with infighting. And Yoritomo Yohko thinks I should try and play double agent to get us back on
track.
I refused, of course, and now she's pissed at me. Seriously, that damn bitch is as vindictive as your father in
law.”

“Huh. I can see why you're pissed then.”

“Yeah.”

“I won't tell anyone.”

“Huh?”

“You don't sit in our meetings, so I won't tell anyone about this little slip up.”

“Thanks, Ishigaki-san.”

“Another game?”

“Sure.”

I got him the second time around.

We were just about to go for two out of three when a shriek arose. We looked at one another. We both knew
that song. We ran towards the cries.

A crowd was beginning to gather as we made our way through. A servant, still shrieking her head off was
staring at the lifeless body of Yoritomo Yohko. A wakizashi with a charm dangling off the end of the hilt jutted up
from her chest.

Without thinking about it I extended my arms and began pushing back the crowd, ordering them back from the
scene. Mantis-san gave the servant a soft slap. She stared at him, in shock. But she stopped screaming.

“Move! Move damn it! Make way I said.”

Shoji burst through the crowd. Looked at the Mantis delegate. And sank to his knees.

Not the reaction I was expecting. I knew that the implications of this murder must be far worse for him than I
realized, if he reacted like that. Then he saw me.

“You! You were an Emerald Magistrate once! You must find who did this!”
For Shoji to ask me, of all people for help. And to do so without hesitation. I realized this was a very big deal.

Kitsuki-san and Naomi arrived on scene next, along with the Karo.

Thump
drag
thump
drag
thump
...
Thumpthumpthump

“Hey, hey guys! Magistrate coming through, make way please.”

And there's Monkey and Toshiro. I looked evenly at Shoji, now that everyone was here.

“You're sure you want US to handle this investigation?”

“Yes!”

He looked at Toshiro, avoiding Naomi. Bastard.

“You may be Jade Magistrates now, but you were Emerald Magistrates before, and there is a Mantis among
you! None can doubt you will be impartial in this matter!”

He stared hard at the assembled courtiers, almost daring anyone to contradict him.

“Find the culprit, quickly!”

He took off, the Karo right behind. I shooed the lookie loos some more, then glowered when that wasn't
working.
The glower did work.

Moshi Aoi was the last to leave.

She addressed Kitsuki-san. “You were an Emerald Magistrate?”

“Yes.”

“Then you will be able to find the one responsible, won't you?”

He looked up at her. “Of course I will. We will”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

She left then. Mantis-san waited for a bit, then sighed.

“Guess I should tell everyone now. Yohko here hated Aoi”

Kitsuki-san looked up. “Was it mutual?”

“I can't be certain. But Yohko was a vengeful bitch if you got on her bad side. A bit like Shoji, actually.”

“I see.”

“See anything useful, Kitsuki-san?”

“Hmmm. red silk for the tsuka ito, the tsuba a bronze oval without decoration. and this charm here...
It is for peaceful dreams.”

“Damn, that is twisted.”

You said it Monkey.

We withdrew the wakizashi and cleaned it, then asked for a servant to bring us a spare sword stand to keep it
on. Toshiro looked the body over, but there was no way to perform an autopsy without raising too many
questions.

“Her arms are cut up. Defensive wounds. And she was stabbed from the front. So she was not caught
completely off guard.”

“Hmmm.”

Toshiro waved over one of the eta waiting for us to be finished.

“Lift up that arm there... One stab to straight through the heart, but many more cuts on her body. Can't tell if it's
an amateur, or just rage though.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“Okay then, someone who she did not trust, drew their short blade and attacked wildly, overpowering her and
finishing her off.”

Toshiro nodded. “Looks like it.”

Mantis-san folded his arms. “My money's on rage then. Another courtier she pissed off most likely. That sweet
dreams bit seems pretty personal.”

Kitsuki-san stood up, and nodded to the eta. They began to clean up.

We went back to our rooms to talk and set the wakazashi down.

“At this point, I am inclined to agree Mantis-san. But we would be remiss if we did not first check to see if we
can find the owner of this blade.”

Monkey stared at the weapon.

“Hey, if the killer used their own blade wouldn't that make it stupidly easy to find them?”

“It would. Which is why we should check to see if they know someone who might want to frame them.”

“What if they're just running away, like right now?”

It couldn't be that easy, could it? Best not risk it. Our first line of questions, unexpectedly and to everyone we
passed, was whether or not anyone was missing. As it turned out, someone was.

A gunso informed us one of his hohei did not show for muster this morning.
He said her name was Shiba Ayame.

“Did she stay in the barracks here?”

“Hai, I shall show you.”

“Please do, Shiba-san.”

As we headed towards the barracks Kitsuki-san looked again at the wakizashi.

“Yes, this is indeed the blade of a private fresh from her gempukku.”

In Rokugan, peasants are not allowed to carry weapons of any kind. The exception being ashigaru, and crab
peasants. However, even peasant soldiers are never allowed to have a daisho. The paired long and short
blades are the symbol of a samurai's status. Some Samurai do not wear their katana. Wearing it means you
claim skill with it. And thus you must defend yourself with it.

That means that if, say, Kitsuki-san were to be challenged to a duel, he would have to fight it himself. Whereas
Naomi and Toshiro, who do not wear Katana, would have the right to name a champion to fight the duel in their
stead. All samurai wear their wakizashi however. Even if, like Naomi, they only ever draw it to clean it.

In fact, in many places where a samurai is expected to leave their weapons behind, it is still acceptable to wear
one's short blade. For those of high rank, and especially those who expect never to have to fight with it, the
short blade often becomes a work of art more than a weapon.

Kitsuki-san spoke again.

“We will need to search her belongings thoroughly for any clue as to where she may have gone.”

I came to an abrupt halt as we entered the barracks.

“Or, she could have just overslept.”

“I find that hard to be...oh you've got to be kidding me.”

Shiba Ayame lay on her futon, curled into a little ball and snored softly. A daisho stand was at the head of her
futon. The saya for the wakizashi was empty. I knelt down and prodded her gently. Behind me I heard her
gunso trying to decide if he should have a stroke, aneurysm, or apoplectic fit.

“hmmm? Whua?”

“Hey. Wake up. We need to talk.”

She sat up, bleary eyed and with a fairly advanced case of bed head. Ayame must be a fitful sleeper as her obi
had come undone. I coughed loudly to help wake her up faster, and when she looked at me pointed down a
few times.

“Gah!”

She snatched her Kimono closed and began retying her obi. Though embarrassed she did a good job feigning
aloof dignity.

“You don't sleep well?”

She glared at me.

“I don't see what business it is of yours. Who are all you people anyway? You didn't come here just on the off
chance of catching a peek…”

She finally noticed her gunso. And that she was the only soldier in the barracks…
“Uh... gunso? What time is it?”

He decided he would have all three.

“You... YOU IMBECILE! Do you have any idea-”

Mantis-san stepped in front of him, cutting him off.

“Like I said, we need to talk.”

We gave her a moment to make herself presentable.

Then we played a game. Good magistrate, better magistrate, bad magistrate, and keep that magistrate the hell
away from me. More specifically, Kitsuki-san asked her firm, yet polite questions.

Monkey would protest on her behalf at times, saying he could see she would not lie about this or that thing.
Mantis-san took over directly glowering at Kitsuki-san's signal. While I loomed just behind her, occasionally
stepping just inside the edge of her vision for a moment or two. The four way assault left Shiba Ayame terribly
confused, stammering and stumbling over her words.

Kitsuki-san had said before that it was desirable for a suspect to be in such a state, as they would have a hard
time remembering the little details of any lies they had to make up on the spot. She freely admitted that the
wakizashi was hers.

“What is going on? Are you saying you found this somewhere? That someone took it from the barracks while I
slept?”

Kistuki-san shook his head. “Are you still maintaining that?”

“Yes! I went to sleep around 10 last night, and I awoke here and now with you all leering at me! That is all!”

“This charm here. What is it for?”

“It's... nothing.”

Monkey blinked at her.

“
Ya sure? Cause I know that I can't see 'nothing' but I can see something on the end of your wakizashi here.”

I could almost see the smoke coming out of ears as she tried to figure out what the hell Monkey just said. I
sympathized; I wasn't entirely certain Monkey wasn't having some sort of fit myself. Kistuki-san gave a sigh
that sounded like a mildly disappointed parent.

“Shiba-san, please do not insult my intelligence. As my companion here has pointed out that charm is clearly
not 'nothing' I will ask again. What is it?”

“It's what you think it is. I have bad dreams…” She seemed sullen about it.

Kitsuki-san closed his eyes and considered her words, tapping his fan in his hand. Which was the signal for me
to get back in her line of sight. I did so, and loomed magnificently if I do say so myself. That shocked her out of
her sullen pout

“What is the nature of these dreams, Shiba-san?”

“Wh- why does that even matter?”

“Answer my question.”

Monkey leaned in. “Hey, I'd like to know too. They're just dreams, aren't they?”

Kitsuki-san turned to Monkey, but I could see him watching Ayame intently out of the corner of his eye as he
replied.

“Dreams are never just dreams. They can show us glimpses of the future, or make sense of things we could
not in our waking hours. Sometimes little things we perceive, but whose significance is lost on us, become
apparent in our dreams. For example, a Lord once returned from winter court and had a nightmare that he was
surrounded by a thousand enemies. He chose to heed the warning of his dream and strengthened his castle's
defenders. A week later, a military alliance that was formed during that winter court launched an attack on his
castle, only to be repulsed due to his preparations. Though he had never even found a hint of the alliance, he
nonetheless saw hints in the behavior of the conspirators, that his dream then revealed.”

Ayame bowed her head and shouted: “I do not remember them!”

Then, more calmly, “Th-they slip from my grasp every time I awaken… Only the feeling remains. And it is hard
to describe.”

thump
drag

While we had been interrogating her in another room, Toshiro and Naomi had searched her belongings for any
clues. They must have found something pertinent She looked up as Toshiro thumpdragged in.

He handed a piece of paper to Kitsuki-san. Kitsuki-san unfolded it, and spread it out A single line surrounded
by black ink, with only a small space of blank paper around it, was on that paper.

“My painting! What are you doing with this? You went through my things!?”

Kitsuki-san ignored her questions.

“Is this,” he tapped the painting with his fan, “What you feel when you wake up?”

She looked around. Monkey gave her an encouraging nod.

“...yes. It is.”

Toshiro nodded to me. I touched my jade to the back of her neck

She yelped and jumped almost high enough to hit the ceiling. But she did not burn.

“What was that! Who are you people? Why aren't you answering me!?”

She was on the verge of tears now.

“We are magistrates,” Kitsuki-san replied, “A crime has been committed, and you are a suspect in that crime.
That is all you need to know, for now. For now, I must ask you to please remain in this room while we continue
our investigation.”

She went paler with every word. Oversleeping and missing muster was now the least of her worries. We left,
with Monkey and Naomi both giving her encouraging smiles.

Once we were alone.

“Do you not think you perhaps a bit too harsh Kitsuki-san?”

“No Naomi-san, I do not. I needed to see the full range of her emotions with my own eyes, to better judge her.”

“And?”

“And she is telling the truth. She remembers only going to sleep and waking up.”

“So then she didn't do it?”

Kitsuki-san shook his head, “Not necessarily. It is possible for some criminals to truly not remember their
crimes. Many killers drink so much that they cannot remember the night before and kill someone in a drunken
rage, for example.”

Kitsuki-san narrowed his eyes. “And, she harbors a bone deep hatred of the Mantis”

“Huh?”

“Her eyes betrayed her, whenever she would look at you Mantis-san.”

Toshiro folded his arms. “Mantis and Phoenix have had some minor issues in the past.”

Toshiro was rather fond of understatement and one liners. In hindsight, I'm embarrassed I didn't realize 'Empty'
was his painting.

Monkey snorted. “'Minor' yeah. Like the last time we were here.”

Kitsuki-san stared at Monkey. “There are times, Monkey, when your genius astounds me”

“Want to let the rest of us in that?”

“Her hatred is deep, and much more personal than just clan rivalries. We need to split up, ask everyone you
find about her. She has some reason for her hatred; we must find out!”

Naomi cocked her head at Kitsuki-san.

“Are you honestly suggesting that Shiba Ayame is so full of repressed hatred she went into some sort of fugue
state and butchered Yohko?”

“I'm not suggesting anything at this point Naomi-sama. But I will say it's a strong possibility.”

Mantis-san frowned.

“I find that a little hard to believe myself, Naomi-sama, but Yohko DID have all those wounds…”

Kistuki-san nodded. “And that painting. Ishigaki-san confirmed it was not the taint taking hold of her, so it looks
to me like madness instead.”

Monkey shook his head. “I'm with Naomi-sama on this one. I just can't see it.”

Kitsuki-san looked at Monkey and Naomi expectantly.

“You have another explanation, then?”

We split up trying to find out the source of Shiba Ayame's hate. I was a bit distracted, wondering if I should
have taken Kitsuki-san to task for the tone he took with my wife. He could be single minded when pursuing an
investigation. And very self assured. He'd even forgotten Naomi outranked him, briefly.

Unfortunately, our first days inquires revealed only that Ayame was too new to have made many acquaintances
yet. We ate dinner in our rooms, attempting to avoid questions.

Oka-san, however, came to speak with us.

“Naomi-chan, how is your investigation going?”

Kitsuki-san interrupted. “We really should not discuss an ongoing investigation.”

Oka-san gave him a cold look. “Let me ask you this then. Do you realize what is at stake here?”

I answered. “The peace talks, yes.”

“No, Ishigaki-san, there is more on the line than you realize.”

She looked at Naomi again.

“It was made quite clear to your father that failure in these talks was not an option. If the death of the Mantis
delegate threatens the peace talks, then the Clan is quite willing to atone with the death of the responsible
party.”

The realization struck me like a tetsubo to the gut. That explains Shoji's reaction, and why he was so
desperate to find the killer. Naomi didn't take the news that unless we found someone more suitable her father
was going to be a sacrificial piece in this game of inter-clan politics very well.

No coughing fit, at least. But she was still visibly shaken

“Who else knows how serious this is, Oka-san?”

“The Karo, and the Council. It was their decision for Shoji to host the peace talks, since this was site of the last
battle between our clans, and the Mantis were defeated here. The letter the council sent also let your father
know exactly how much was expected of him.”

I scratched my beard. “Naomi, Toshiro, there's something I'd like to confirm.”

Kitsuki-san looked up. “You have a thought, Ishiaki?”

“Yeah, I do.”

I gathered up all of Ayame's belongings. There weren't that many, really. Daisho, stand, armor, naginata,
kimono and a spare, basic grooming tools, brushes and ink, a shogi board, a tea set and a few books.

“Alright” I started. “Is it possible to cast a spell on something, and have it take effect later, when condition is
met?”

Naomi nodded right away. “There is indeed a potent water spell that does something like that. I can prepare a
spell and set a condition under which the kami will grant it.”

Toshiro nodded as well. ”The Asahina family has a type of magic where they bind spells into objects. 'Fetishes'
they call them.”
“Hai. And the Iuchi have their gaijin crystal magic, though I do not know more than that some Iuchi use crystals
in place of Scrolls…”

I nodded. “Okay then, if there were a spell that subverted a person's mind…”

Toshiro and Naomi looked at one another, pulled scrolls and began to work their magic. Kitsuki-san watched
intently, gnawing on the tip of his fan. At this point, everyone knew what I was thinking.

Them.

Toshiro let up a cry. “The Charm! It's the damn charm!”

He pulled a pair of chopsticks and pulled the charm off with them. Naomi selected one of the scrolls she had
spread out

“Careful, don't touch it directly. There's some taint left on this thing. Very faint, but it's there.”

Naomi held her hands just around the charm. They started to glow with a soft blue light.

“Yes... yes there was magic in this charm. It's gone now though, I can't tell anymore than that. But it was
Maho!”

So. We all let the implications of that sink in for a moment and properly terrify us.

We then went to ask Shiba Ayame where she had gotten the charm.

“Huh? The charm? I bought it, from a traveling merchant.”

“Is he still here?”

“I don't know, I've been locked up in this room all day thanks to you!”

“Well what did he look like?”

“Just a merchant, pudgy guy, plainly dressed, big pack on his back full of trinkets to sell… What, what's going
on?”

“That merchant sold you a Tainted charm.”

“What, tainted how? Wait. Do you mean Tainted tainted? THAT Tainted?!”

I nodded.

“It had a maho spell placed upon it, that brought out your hatred of the Mantis”

“How do you know-” I jerked my head over to Kitsuki-san.

“So, what is it? Why do you hate them?”

“...p..”

“What?”

“..e…”

“Speak up!”
“Senpai!”

“uh…”

“Those bastards KILLED HIM! Here! Right here in this castle!”

Holy shit.

“Wait. Ayame-san, are you saying that your senpai graduated and was stationed here when the Mantis
attacked?”

“Yes. And now they have the gall to come waltzing back in making more demands, as though they didn't get
trounced the last time!”

We all stared at each other in shock.

Toshiro said it. “Destiny is a bitch.”

Bonds of fate. Connections to people we didn't even know, or notice. Events in our past impacting the present.

Ayame looked at us in confusion. “What is it?”

Naomi spoke to her, “How much do you know of what happened that night Ayame-san?”

“Only that the Mantis attacked in the dead of night, like cowards. Senpai died when an arrow struck him. It was
one of the first they fired. Samurai are supposed to have glorious, honorable deaths! He was just standing
there when an arrow came out of the night and hit him!”

She was glaring at Mantis-san. Had been, the whole time. Naomi knelt down beside her.

“Ayame-san, I am a Water Tensai”

“Huh? But you're a Hida.”

“By marriage.”

She glanced my way, and Ayame followed her gaze. “Oh.”

“Before that I was Isawa Naomi.”

“Oh”

“And I was here that night. So was everyone else, save Toshiro.”

“Everyone...?”

“And we all fought to protect this castle”

“But…”

Mantis chimed in, “I don't think they had any idea I was here. And no one bothered to tell me they were going
to start some shit.”

“I see.” She paused. “Wow”

…

“You said I was sold a tainted charm, and a maho spell influenced me somehow. But you touched me with
jade, right?”

“Yeah. You're clean.”

She looked relieved.

“So. You still haven't told me what I did.”

“You killed Yoritomo Yohko, the head of the Mantis delegation.”

Her eyes went wide. “What's going to happen to me now?”

“That was a very good question.”

Kitsuki-san frowned. “On the one hand, we know what really happened to you. On the other hand we have no
real testimony to support this.”

Monkey spoke up.

“Wait, wouldn't it be Toshiro and Naomi testifying what they learned with magic?”

“That last part is the problem. Little different then when we use physical evidence to lead us to the answers.”

“Oh. Shit.”

“Indeed.”

Mantis-san slipped out of the room.

“Still, in this case there is no testimony to directly tie you to the crime either. It depends greatly on the
magistrates in question then, but it's not uncommon for the person with the most... apparent guilt to be asked
to confess.”

“And that would be me…”

“Yes. The outcome can vary greatly depending on the crime in question the status of the individuals involved...
the list of considerations goes on for quite some time…”

“What do you think will happen then, Kitsuki-sama?”

He hesitated.

“Do not lie to me, please.”

“The death of the Mantis delegate is a serious issue. The Phoenix clan must make amends with either the life
of the murderer, or the life of the Lord who failed to protect the dignitary in his care. We all know you are not
the murderer, but the tool used to commit the crime. The Mantis delegation simply will not accept that.
Someone must pay for this. That is all there is to it. And right now that someone is either a Shiba hohei or the
Isawa who rules this castle.”

“Unless you can find the one merchant I bought a charm from a week ago.”
Kitsuki-san nodded. Naomi was looking at me. I could see the tears welling up. I had to look away. This was
leaving a foul taste in my mouth. Ayame looked up at the ceiling.

“And... even if you did catch him, he's just a merchant. I doubt the Mantis would accept he was the real culprit
unless you caught him red handed with maho.”

The pained grimace on Kitsuki-san's face told me she was probably right about that.

Her shoulders shook a bit, “Will they at least allow me to cleanse my shame?”

“That depends on the judge. For internal matters the highest ranked magistrate or the local lord would fill that
role. For crimes committed by a samurai from one clan to a samurai of another clan, it would require someone
who carries the authority of the Emperor.”

“Isn't that you?”

“Well, it should be Emerald Magistrates, not Jade, as we are. Our being appointed to investigate this matter
was originally unusual. It is also possible for the Lords of both Samurai, or the ones who speak with their voice
to agree on a judgment and resolve the matter themselves. That is the most likely I think. Shoji will bow to the
desires of the Mantis as it is they who are wronged.”

“So my fate, whether I can least die with honor or not, is in the hands of the Mantis?”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“I must have done something truly terrible to deserve this.”

Mantis-san came back in. He whispered into Kitsuki-san's ear

“Really?”

Nod.

Kitsuki-san looked at Ayame. “A week ago, you said?”

She nodded. He stood up. The rest of us straitened as well.

“Hey, what is it?”

“I... I do not want to get your hopes up. But Mantis-san says the guards report no one leaving the castle in
almost two weeks. He may still be here after all.”

We headed down to the courtyard. This castle was a pagoda. Layer upon layer reaching up, a tall thin tower. A
rectangular wall ran along the outside, creating a long courtyard which contained, among other things housing
for the servants and and lower class guests.

We went to the building where traveling merchants would stay. Rounded up every last one of them. And
brought them all before Shiba Ayame. She looked at each in turn, and shook her head.

So, the little bastard realized he was in deep shit and is hiding.

Naomi went to her mother requesting the gates be officially closed until we could find him. Her father was
apparently going to protest until it pointed out that if he had already gotten away that meant that he had done
so under the noses Shoji's guards.

I suggested Kitsuki-san go the Mantis delegation. He looked taken aback by that.

“Well, we are basically saying a merchant, the lowest class of peasant there is, is the one responsible.
They might need some... extra persuasion on this.”

“Y- you're right of course, but Naomi-sama-”

“-is busy dealing with her father. Also, the daughter of the Phoenix lord here. It has to be you. You want me to
go? Or Monkey?”

“No. No I see your point.” He sighed deeply as he took off.

Leaving Me, Mantis-san and Monkey to question the other merchants in the hopes of learning something about
their now absent colleague. Toshiro was busy checking around for tainted things. Some scrap that may help
prove Maho was at work and give us the authority to judge this case after all. While Toshiro found noting, some
of the merchants did remember a fellow who didn't speak to many others. We were even able to get a very
rough description.

Now we just had to figure out where in this castle he was hiding.

Easier said than done. Looking for one peasant in this tall castle… He could be hiding anywhere. Moving about
as a servant, who no samurai would spare a second glance for. Hiding in an nearly forgotten storeroom while a
servant or two he bribed smuggled food to him. Moving about in the space between the floor and ceiling…

Our first day of hunting ended in failure.

I returned to our rooms to find Kitsuki-san staring at the wall much in the same Monkey had stared when he got
the letter informing him of his upcoming marriage. I waved a hand in front of his face. He jumped.

“Oh, good.. What's with that look, anyway?”

“I was just thinking…”

“You looked like you were thinking about your own death poem.”

“Do you even understand the concept of tact?”

“Yes. I don't much care for it though. But I do understand it, Kitsuki-san. I'm not Monkey, after all.”

“True enough.”

The others began filing in at this point. All with disgusted head shakes.

Monkey spoke first “So, the only good thing we've got going for us right now is that the Naomi-sama got the
gates shut.”

“Right. Since our maho murder merchant expected to avoid suspicion with his indirect means he's trapped
here now.”

“Ohhh, nice alliteration Mantis-san!”

“Thank you, Monkey”

Toshiro grunted.

“He's figured out we're hunting him now, so I doubt he'll stay in one place and wait for us to find him.”

I nodded. “This is no Kyuden, but it's still a big castle”

“Kitsuki-san, how did things go with the Mantis?”

“Hm? Oh fine, fine.”

He brightened as thought struck him “In fact, I'd say we may have an in. The Moshi woman, Aoi? She was not
the one to take over the delegation but she is sympathetic. She may be able to persuade the chief delegate to
accept the guilt of the merchant once we find them. So, I was thinking Naomi-sama would be a fine choice to
continue the dialogue while I question the servants more closely. Someone must have seen something, after
all.”

Naomi smiled at Kitsuki-san's suggestion. “No, thank you”

“What?”

“I have had occasion to speak with Aoi-san several times already.”

“You, you have Naomi-sama?”

“Indeed.”

“Oh.”

The rest of exchanged glances. There was a conversation happening here that we were not privy to.

“Naomi, care to fill me in?”

“Of course, Ishigaki-kun. Moshi Aoi is… I suppose the polite way to put would be to say she is a 'hopeless
romantic'.”

“You called her a pervert after the first time you spoke to her.”

The others eyes widened. Naomi using such strong language to describe someone was the equivalent of
another samurai unleashing a string of drunken profanity Naomi was well aware of this, and blushed
accordingly She was so adorable when she blushed, better than a basket full of puppies. At least to me.

She fakoughed to reset the mood.

“Yes. Well. Anyway. If you are having success persuading her, then it is because she has taken a liking to you,
is it not, Kitsuki-san?”

We all turned to stare at Kitsuki-san now. Who was blushing himself. He was not adorable when he blushed.

Toshiro leaned over and whispered to me, “Does he even like girls? I don't think I've ever seen him oggle one
before…”

He whispered it loudly enough for everyone to hear anyway.

Kitsuki-san fired back, ”You're one to talk!”

“I'm ugly. What's your excuse?”

I couldn't hold it in. Neither could Mantis-san or Monkey. The three of us fell over laughing. Naomi settled for
making the trying not to laugh face.

Kitsuki-san's eyebrow twitched.

“Well done, Toshiro-sama. I can admit that I walked into that one.”

We needed that laugh. Shiba Ayame's life, her reputation, her honor, were all resting on our shoulders. It was a
heavy burden.

“So, Naomi-sama. You suggest that I continue to work on Aoi, because she will be amenable to my
suggestions?”

“Yes, that is exactly my suggestion.”

“Truthfully that took me off guard a bit.”

Naomi was openly suggesting Kitsuki-san lead that woman on. Unless of course, she was secretly playing
matchmaker. Yes, that last thought made sense

“While you are doing that, Kitsuki-san, I believe I can help speed up the process of finding our real killer.”

“Oh?”

“Water is the element of clarity, after all.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“Naomi, I thought you could only track things and people known to you?”

“This is true. But there is something I have not done before I am willing to try now. Divination.”

I had sometimes wondered about that. Prophecy and astrology were very important. All things had a destiny,
and the Heavens gave clues to those who knew how to read the signs. But for every story of a destined hero
there were many more about false prophets, tricksters who led the ignorant astray for their own gain, and
supposedly wise men who misread signs and became the well intentioned villain.

Naomi caught my look. “Yes, it can be quite easy to misread the signs the Kami reveal, that is why I have
avoided it. It is a testament to your skills as investigators I have not needed to resort to it in all this time. The
spell I have in mind will allow others to see the visions as well, so I hope that with all of you and Ayame present
we will be able to interpret the visions correctly.”

“Why don't we do it now then?”

“I will need to ask my father's permission. I need a body of water for this spell, the larger the better. And I wish
for Ayame to be present, if we see a vision of the merchant I wish for her to confirm it”

Kitsuki-san spoke up again. “What about Aoi? She is a shugenja, would not this magic help convince her?”

“Hmmmm. Perhaps. I do not think it could hurt.”

“I think I'm going to ask Katsuie-sama to speak with the rest of the Mantis then. All our diplomats are tied up
elsewhere”

Kitsuki-san nodded. “A good plan. I will ask Amano-san to speak with the Phoenix, and appraise them of the
situation.”

“And get Shoji to stay out of our way?”

“Yes. that too.”

Alright. We had a plan. I brought the children into our room that night. I wanted them close by in a castle a
maho-tsukai was prowling around in.

We gathered together around the large koi pond in the castle's garden.
Naomi, in a long Kimono with no hakama, entered into the water.

“Ishigaki-kun, please help me with the offering.”

When petitioning the kami for their assistance, it was always possible to make offerings to gain their favor by
making offerings to them. Naomi had already purified herself. Now she was offering the water kami a large urn
of sake. She needed my help getting the thing into the pond. It was tightly sealed, so it wouldn't leak. No matter
how much I wanted to see a bunch of drunken fish swimming upside down. I'd also been purified, of course.

She began to pray.

The water shimmered, rippled. A light came up from underneath the surface. The pond became still like a sheet
of smooth ice, or perhaps that 'glass' the Unicorn brought back from gaijin lands.

We saw images in the water.

A man, bleeding from his palm onto a charm, then another then another.
Ayame hissed at the sight of him
I studied his face intently. Burned it into my mind
A wakizashi. The blade was corroded, pitted with rust.
A boat, pulled up onto a beach somewhere... there were several figures around it. Shadows seemed to cling to
them, and they bore weapons.
The waters cleared, the spell ended.

Naomi's eyes widened. She swayed a bit I caught her.

Kitsuki-san spoke first “Ayame-san, let me just confirm. That man in the first vision, that was the merchant who
sold you the charm, yes?”

She nodded. It was

Aoi nodded. “Well, I'm convinced. But this won't be enough for Yoritomo-sama”

Aoi went over to Ayame. “For what it is worth, I am truly sorry for the loss of your beloved Senpai.”

She bowed. “But I know Yoritomo-sama will not this go so easily. He will insist that it was some weakness of
spirit on your part that made you vulnerable to the maho in the first place. I know that isn't true, but…”

I was reminded of why I hated politics.

“Alright then. We have confirmed the merchant placed some sort of spell on the charm he sold Ayame-san
Why did we see him doing that to a bunch of charms?”

Mantis-san answered, “Because he has done this before, Monkey. The whole reason he's in the spot he's in
now is because we're probably the first to look beyond the person he cursed.”

Monkey scratched at one of his sideburns.

“Whoa. You mean there's a bunch of Samurai who were executed as murderers because of him?”

Mantis-san nodded, mouth pursed in a grimace.

Toshiro spoke up, “The second image. What do you think that was about?”

“Wasn't that just showing the murder weapon?”

“No, I don't think so. Divinations are rarely literal.”

Naomi, still pressing into my chest mumbled something.

I spoke up for her, “She says that the Kami were quite pleased with her and her offerings, so they were much
clearer than usual.”

Kitsuki-san snapped his fan closed. “I see. He is no merchant at all then.”

Monkey blinked. “Hah?”

Mantis-san was just as confused, though more eloquent about it.

“Mind sharing how you arrived at that conclusion?”

“We saw his hands in the first image quite clearly. His nails were trimmed. Clean. Immaculate even.”

Kitsuki-san held out his hand and looked at his own nails. Unconsciously we all did the same. Oh. Okay.

“And the short blade holds the honor of a samurai. It is the one used should...ah.”

He trailed off, realizing he had hit a tender subject. Ayame finished for him.

“A samurai who must commit seppuku uses his wakizashi. It's why even shugenja and courtiers wear one, and
why the wakizashi is even more important to mark a samurai's status than their katana.”

She said all that without so much as a tremor in her voice. I wasn't sure if it was resolute bravery or hope that
gave her strength now.

Kistuki-san nodded. ”Just so. And the wakizashi we saw was tarnished, corroded. Just like the honor of it's
owner that it represented.”

And just like that, between Naomi's magic and Kitsuki-san's sharp eyes I wondered if there would ever come a
mystery we could not solve

The third one? Are the Mantis going to attack again over this?

“No!”

Aoi shook her head emphatically. Even I couldn't help but notice the sharp motions caused certain parts of her
to move in interesting ways. I held Naomi a little tighter. I may not be our highest ranking courtier, but I'm
important enough that I would know if that were the plan!

Toshiro nodded. “An escape plan then. He may work alone, but he must have allies nearby. The real question
is are they hired thugs, or…”

Mixed company. So he couldn't say it. But we knew he was referring to them. This definitely fit their modus
operandi. Already there was high ranking Yoritomo courtier dead, Shoji could very well be next, and if this
incident caused the talks to fail then the war would likely provide much chaos for them to move about in.

I wondered if Hohiro knew, if this was his plan… Shoji was his ally, wasn't he? Then again, even when Shoji
had been talking Hohiro up last year, Shoji had still insisted he was the better of the two. And he tried to take
all the credit for his son's talent. It wouldn't surprise me if Shoji had been trying to sit on the council by proxy,
giving Hohiro orders.

It wasn't all that uncommon for a parent to retire, shave their head, change their name, and then continue to
administer their lands by remaining on as an 'advisor' to their heirs. More than a few temples in the Empire
were run by a politically minded abbot who was a retired samurai. And, while Oka-san had confirmed Hohiro
himself wouldn't really stand to gain from inheriting this castle, as it's lord he could always appoint a new Karo.
Assuming the old Karo was not already in his pocket, of course.

“So, is the boat literal, or figurative do you think?”

I spoke up. “Does it matter, one way or the other? He has to get out of the castle first.”

And now we know the reason we couldn't find him is because we were looking in the wrong places. He wasn't
hiding among the servants and crawlspaces, he was mingling with the Samurai guests.

Slow nods.

Everyone began to head back inside.

As I moved to go, carrying Naomi if I had to, she stopped me. “Wait, Ishigaki-kun.”

“What, enjoying the koi nibbling at your toes?”

At least, I assumed the must be nibbling her toes. They were certainly nibbling on mine. I suspected it would
be bad manners to snatch one of your hosts fish out of their pond and eat it as a warning to the others that you
were higher on the food chain.

Naomi giggled. “No it is not the fish. I want to tell you something.”

D-did she notice me noticing Aoi?

“The water kami like many things. Motion, helping to create a new flow of water, sake of course, purity. You can
temporarily sacrifice one of your senses to them And they are also pleased by ensuring and promoting the
cycle of life.”

“Oooookay?”

“So… You cannot lie to the kami, of course. They knew I was not making an offering in that way. How could I,
when I did not even know myself?”

“Know what?”

“The cycle of life. Life, Ishigaki-kun.”

“Wait…”

“We have been rather, active, lately, have we not?”

It was good thing I had some practice hearing news this wonderful. I might have sat down and drowned in the
koi pond otherwise. My ancestors would have laughed me out of Yomi, had I done that.

“So, you didn't know yet? Then it's early?”

“Very. A few weeks at most.”

I tried to guess when, but like Naomi had said we had been a bit active lately. She smiled up at me, already
glowing.

“Carry me.”

“With pleasure.”

I scooped her up like the princess she was and took her up to our room so we could dry off.

Kistuki-san was already putting his detailed painting skills to good use, recreating the face of our quarry. The
plan was to have Mantis-san, Monkey and Toshiro, and Naomi show this to the guards while he and I engaged
in some politicking. I was never fond of the idea of Naomi being near a fight, now I was adamant she not be.
The others were confused by it, until Kitsuki-san noticed Naomi's expression.

“What, when?”

This only made the others more confused.

“When what? What what? Huh?”

Naomi explained what she had just learned. Four faces gave us incredulous stares

“Is there Hare Clan blood in your ancestry or something?!”

“Not that I know off? Naomi?”

“I-yei.”

“Okay then. Anyway, I've got work to do. Ja nee.”

Then I went to see Katsuie-sama.

I laid out what we had learned, though could not yet prove until we caught the Maho-tsukai. I also let him know
what the others were doing.

“Hmmm. To be clear, do you wish for me to persuade the Mantis that the killer has been found so that they do
not push for as many concessions from the Phoenix, or to divert all blame from Shiba Ayame-san?”

I blinked. “Both?”

“Hmmm. I do not know if that will be possible.”

He noticed my surprise. “Do not misunderstand me. I have no desire to see a young life discarded before it has
a chance to bloom fully either.”

He poured us both some tea. It tasted like home.

“These tea leaves were grown by our clan weren't they?”

“Yes. In fact they came from my own fields.”

“Huh.”

“Ishigaki-san. We both know that the young woman is not really at fault here. Yet the Code of Bushido is very
strict. It does not make allowance for circumstance, which is why no one can truly live up to it. Some people,
upon realizing this, choose a few tenants to hold up over others. Our clan does this. Others become jaded.
They allow themselves to compromise their honor at times. Only the rare few will continue to chase impossible
perfection.”

“I understand what you are saying, Katsuie-sama but I don't see how it relates…”

“We are sometimes quick to forgive lapses in judgment and matters of honor because we all know we will have
them ourselves one day. But while we understand, and can forgive, Bushido cannot. She was still an
accomplice to this crime, unknowing or not. I wonder then, how her Lord Shoji will react to this.”

Oh, I could guess. Cover his own ass by making her take all the blame.

“Hmmm. I see you already suspect you know. For that matter, have you even though to ask Ayame-san what
she will do?”

I looked up sharply. It simply hadn't occurred to me, to any of us, that she might feel such shame as to go that
far of her own volition.

“I think then, before I make any wasted effort, you had best be certain of her own intentions.”

I bowed, thanking Katsuie for his insight, and ran off to the room Ayame was being held in.

As I entered she looked up from the paper she was frowning over.

“Ishigaki-san? What are you doing here?”

Shit. I mean, I knew what I was doing here. But 'don't kill yourself you have so much to live for' wasn't really a
good conversation starter.

Ayame saw me struggling to find the right words.

“Oh. You're here about that. Ishigaki-san. Is it not dishonorable to be duped into committing a crime?”

“Well, yes but-”

“And is it not worse the more severe the crime one commits?”

“Yes but-”

“No, there are no buts in Bushido”

“Would you shut up and listen to me goddamnit!”

She blinked. I sat down in front of her, and told her I just found out I was going to have a child. For the third
time

She smiled, “That is wonderful news!”

“Yeah it is. It wasn't really all that long ago, but it seems like forever, that I was like you. I thought if I could just
help kill a few oni, then that was all I needed to make my life matter, and I could die proud of myself. I don't
think like that anymore. No, I'm not afraid to die, should my time come. And I didn't think I was eager to die at
the time, but I now know that's exactly what I was. Just a quick flash? A spark popping from a fire and fading
away in an instant? That's bullshit! Chasing your own demise is a terrible way to live! I have a family, and I
have a duty. If I die, who stands between them and the thing that killed me? Huh? You're a Shiba, you should
think about these things!”
“I would, if I were a Yojimbo. But I am a soldier. I am part of the rank and file of our armies. I do not protect one
Isawa, I protect all of them. Our entire Clan, in fact. And soldiers die. I would be nothing but a coward if I ran
from that fact. Ishigaki-san, I'm happy that you think my life has such value, really. And I'm happy that you have
such important things to protect you cannot simply give up your life so easily. But this is not just a matter of my
own dishonor.”

“What the politics? Who cares…”

“I care. My clan must make concessions to the Mantis to avoid a war. The death of their delegate means they
will ask for more. All the persuasion in the world will not change that fact. The courtiers will do what is best for
their clan, that is all. My life could be one of the things offered up. To sacrifice all in the name of one's clan, is
there anything more honorable than that? My Lord Shoji outranks me. He is more important to our clan than I
am. To sacrifice all to protect one's Lord, is that not also at the height of honor?”

Her arguments were sound. I couldn't contradict anything she had said. This was how a proper samurai should
think. That I didn't only meant I was actually a terrible samurai. But I knew that already. Duty and Courage were
the only tenants of Bushido I cared about. Duty above all, and the Courage to throw away even my own honor
to fulfill that duty. But I was a Crab. Ayame was not.

Still though…

“You're absolutely certain it's just your Honor that's making this decision?”

She looked me in the eyes, then looked down.

“No. You have someone you love and must protect. The one I love has already gone on ahead. She looked at
her painting, the darkness closing in. Would you not have embraced death if the one you love were gone?”

I was about to say no.

Instead, my hand rose of it's own accord to the scar on my face.

“I had lost a part of myself, when Ishigaki Mura died. Naomi helped me to find that part again. Without her love,
I may well have ended up a dead-eyes When it happened the first time, I did.”

She looked surprised. I told her how it came to be that I had no family outside Naomi and our children.

“I did then what you are doing now. And that is exactly why I can tell you this: What you are doing is wrong.
You claim you do this for the sake of your honor, and your clan. You're so full of shit your eyes are turning
brown.”

Her surprise turned to anger at that.

“You're only doing this because you regret what might have been, and you're hiding your sin behind pretty
words. You think your ancestors won't know the truth? You think honor can come from an action taken in the
name of one of the Three Great Sins?! You may be a good enough liar to fool yourself, but you can't fool me,
and you sure as hell won't fool them.”

Her anger had faded in the face of my tirade, slowly replaced with shame.

I stood up.

“One last thing you should know. My wife is very compassionate. If you kill yourself, she'll cry. I'm not trying to
guilt you or anything, so don't misunderstand. I'm just letting you know, if you do make my wife cry, I will find
you and beat the shit out of your for it. I don't care if I have to make a Kitsu take me into the spirit realms. I
don't care if I have to wait until you are reborn. I don't care if I have to wait until I am reborn. However long it
takes, you'll pay for making Naomi cry. Got it?”

She nodded.

I left.

They say that bonds can travel into the next life, even beyond. Considering how strong our bond, Naomi and I
may very well have been lovers in past lives. I was certain that at the very least, we would find one another
again in our next lives.

This wasn't limited to good bonds Bonds of malice could go with you as well. I was equally certain I would hate
Shoji on sight in my next life, and not know why. Maybe such a thing was the source of my distaste for the
Mantis, though my friendship with Mantis-san had done much to dispel those feelings.

Hah. Everything happens for a reason, they say. Still, would making Naomi cry really be enough to lead to my
future lives hunting down and beating the shit out of Ayame's future lives? I doubted it, myself.

But the Phoenix were big on rebirth after all. So I hopped that at least, Ayame did. I went back to speak with
Katsuie-sama. When I was done relating what had happened he sipped his tea with wide eyes.

“It is amazing, what wonders one will see if they just live long enough. To think such wisdom could be spoken
in such a crude way.”

He chuckled. “You may have gone a bit overboard at the end there, I think.”

“Yeah, you're probably right, Katsuie-sama. But I was rather pissed off.”

We both took a sip of tea.

“And yet, you have not really answered my question. Saving her takes priority. Amano is working to save her
from Shoji, I'll save her from her own regret. You save her from the Mantis. Um. Please, Katsuie-sama.”

He chuckled again.

“It is a good thing we are alone, Ishigaki-san. Please try to get a better grip on your emotions. There will no
doubt be a fight when you catch the Tsukai, and it wouldn't do for your spirit to be so disturbed when you enter
battle.”

“You're right, thank you Katsuie-sama.”

I left. Time to check in with the others.

They had gathered up several of the Shiba to aid them. Kitsuki-san's plan was simple. Check each floor, room
by room. Starting from the bottom and working our way up. Our last search was haphazard because we had no
idea what he looked like. We tried to be subtle, so he would not go to ground and evade us entirely.

Now we know his face. We will catch him, for certain. Since we were going to be loud about this, I went back to
my room to grab my Katana and tetsubo. Naomi was there with the little ones. And Oka-san and Ashitaka-san.

There were bowls of water placed all around the room. I nodded in approval.

“I'll leave them in your care then.”

Oka-san glanced at my armor on it's stand.

“Do you not have time...?”

“We are moving now.”

“Ishigaki-kun will be fine mother.”

Daiko and Tetsute were too young to grasp what was going on, but they could sense the tension in the adults.
Ashitaka knew all too well. Still, my children did their best to be brave. Looking up at me with wide, serious
eyes. I knelt to tousle their hair.

“I have to leave for a bit, but I promise: Daddy will always come back home.”

Naomi nodded. I gave her a smile, pretending to be fooled by her brave face. And left.

Kitsuki-san had memorized the floor plans of the entire castle. We searched in a pattern that would force the
Tsukai to go past us, if he tried to flee. When we moved on to the second floor we had to leave three Shiba at
the stairway, in case he came down from above while we were deeper in the second floor. We did the same
when we got to the third floor.

That's where we found him.

His eyes widened as he noticed us. We were all armed, with three armed and armored Shiba. Kitsuki-san
leveled his fan to make his accusation.

But the Tsukai was faster. With a speed born of desperation, he drew his wakizashi and cut his hand in one
motion. The world became a blood red haze.

What the hell?

Damn, I can't see anything!
Calm down!

I gripped my tetsubo in a defensive stance, ready to ward off attack from any angle. I tried to block out the
shouting, and the screams of confused courtiers. I heard the tsukai, chanting another prayer.

Shitshitshit.

I took a few faltering steps in his direction, but I still couldn't see anything.

“Does anyone know where he is?” Kitsuki-san cried out.

“Mantis-san?”
“Toshiro-sama?”
“Monkey?”

The tsukai had stopped chanting.

“Ishigaki-san?”
“Yeah, think I do, Kitsuki-san.”

“Good, where is he?” Kitsuki-san replied.

Then, “Oh, before you answer that there's one other thing I want to know. Did Naomi tell you I had my way with
her the other day? I think your new child might be mine.”

I had no idea why that slimy Dragon had to pick this particular moment to commit seppuku, but I would be
more than happy to help do it.
As I pulled back my tetsubo some small part of me realized that was wrong. The maho spell was still interfering
with my vision. Blind as I was I had no hope of hitting that damn Kitsuki. So I tossed my tetsubo aside.

If I could just get my hands on him, he wouldn't be able to get away. I lunged for where I had last heard his
voice.
Caught something. A Haori, it felt like...

Gotcha.

The Dragon let out a surprised cry as I seized him, confirming for me I had my hands on the right one. I have
no idea why he sounded so surprised. What did he think was going to happen, saying something like that to
me? His cry cut off as my hands found his throat and squeezed.

I heard some of the others ask him what was wrong, but that didn't matter. Hands pulled at me, but that didn't
matter. What mattered was killing this bastard. Messily.

My thumbs slid up his face, I was going to pop his eyes.

“...Maho...!”
“..gaki…”
“sp... damn…”

Oh right... there was a Maho-tsukai around, wasn't there...?

The others were all worried about me killing the dragon. Fools. Shit, if he got away he might hurt Naomi.

“Goddamnit you fools go after the Tsukai!”

I threw the dragon away so they'd listen. I could finish once they left.

Instead I heard Toshiro chanting. The hell is doing? He sounded rushed, that's for sure.

Damnit, the Dragon can't wait. It was still dark, but he was coughing and sucking in air pretty loudly. I knocked
someone over heading towards him

And then I felt calm.

It was strange. I really could not say why I had been so upset. Yes, Kitsuki-san had done something horrible. I
was going to have to make him pay somehow. But losing myself to rage and murdering him here and now was
not the best way to go about it.

Ah, the mist was finally clearing up.

I looked around. Kitsuki-san was on the floor, a few feet from me. His face was quite purple. All around were a
sea of shocked faces. And a heavy weight on my shoulders.

I glanced back. There was a Monkey on my back.

Odd.

“How long will he stay like that?” Mantis-san asked Toshiro.

“Hopefully long enough the Maho spell wears off.”

“Who are you talking about Toshiro?”

“You! You twit!”

“Oh. We really should go after that Tsukai, I think. Do you not agree?”

I helped Kitsuki-san up.

“You wear your katana. Good. I will write a formal letter of challenge to your lord when I get the chance.”

He stared at me in complete disbelief.

Monkey's voice came out from behind and above me.

“Okay, Toshiro-sama? Don't ever cast that spell on him again. Emotionless Ishigaki-san is way scarier than
frothing at the mouth murderous Ishigaki-san.”

I wiped at my mouth. I really had been frothing. How unsightly.

The others rushed outside, even Monkey, once he climbed off of me. I felt no need to do so, however. As I
arrived I saw the Shiba we had left guarding the stairs picking themselves up off the ground shakily.

“He cut himself, then I felt such pain! I am very sorry, Kuni-sama!”

Toshiro waved it away, and everyone began to rush downstairs. I kept pace with Toshiro. No need to rush, after
all. He looked at me. The expression on his face was very odd.

I nodded to the others. “They are just wearing themselves out needlessly. Such impatience.”

“...and this is why I don't like to use that spell.”

“Hmm? What is the matter, Toshiro?”

He looked up, with just his eyes. “Nothing, Ishigaki-san. Nothing at all.”

“Would you mind letting me on your back? My foot is making these stairs a pain in the ass.”

“Of course not, Toshiro. We have been friends for a long time.”

I got down few steps below him and he hopped on me. I could sense his impatience, so I decided I would
make haste, after all. I still thought it unnecessary. But I would do so for my friend.

The courtyard was in quite the uproar, many people being far too upset.

Mantis-san saw me and yelled. “Get over here! What the hell is wrong with you!”

“Nothing. We had many guards at the gates, did they fail to stop the Tsukai?”

“Yes!”

He pointed. Bushels of rice had been stacked up along the edge of the wall, making a staircase.

“How did he do that in such a short time?”

“He didn't!”

I saw a Shiba slamming his head into the dirt over and over again in front of Kitsuki-san. Oh. So someone else
stacked them up for him, and none of the guards who saw the rice bales found them suspicious.
Kitsuki-san joined us. “We will have to pursue. The Shiba will fan out and search, we will try to follow his tracks
We must make haste.”

He looked at me. “H. A. S. T. E. Do you understand, Ishigaki-san?”

“Yes, I do. I am not stupid. I just do not see the point. Was not the spell Naomi cast a divination? I know the
Kami explained to us who we were chasing, but did they not predict we would face them at the boat?”

The others exchanged wide eyed glances. Surely, they were not surprised?

Mantis-san pinched the bridge of his nose. “How long did you say he was going to be like this?”

“An hour.”

“An hour?!”

“I could cast it on you too, if you're that upset”

“...No thanks. Just blast that Tsukai before he can cast something like that again.”

“Let's go. Ishigaki-san, keep carrying Toshiro, we still have to catch them.”

“Alright.”

It was a lovely winters day. The fresh tracks in the snow made it quite easy to follow him. I rather enjoyed the
sound of it crunching under our feet.

“Damn. We didn't even think about how easy it would be to follow him. “

“We sent the Shiba to scout around ahead of us though. In the hopes that find his accomplices or even just cut
him off.”

“Yeah. Still a few more bodies would be welcome.”

Mantis-san was likely worried because he had not had time to don his full armor. Monkey did not have much
armor to begin with. I would have to rely on my teachings to protect me from harm. Well, I would be fine, I'm
sure.

“Toshiro.”

“Yes?”

“You said the Maho-Tsukai cast a spell on me, didn't you?”

“Yeah he did.”

“Do you have any idea what it did?”

“It made you mad with rage, don't you remember trying to kill Kitsuki-san?”

“I do. Mad, you say… So then, none of the rest of you heard him confess to assaulting Naomi and suggesting
our child was in fact his?”

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at me.

“No, Ishigaki. He did not say that.”

“Oh. Well then, I am very sorry Kitsuki-san. I will not be writing a letter of challenge to your lord. I would bow,
but that might be rough for Toshiro. Could you wait a bit for that?”

“Do- don't worry about it Ishigaki-san. You were the target of Maho, we were simply unprepared for it. As much
my fault as yours.”

“That is certainly true. Well, I am glad we could put that behind us.”

We neared the beach. It was still early in the winter and the sea had not yet frozen over. We saw them,
working to knock chunks of ice off of their boat.

“You see? I told you we did not have to rush.”

Those were what were known as Angry Glares™. I was certain of it.

“Set me down, Ishigaki.”

“Very well.”

Only then did I realize I had not bothered to retrieve my tetsubo after I threw it down. So I readied my katana,
instead.

Toshiro glanced at me. And pulled out a scroll. A tetsubo, formed from the earth and studded with jade, arose
before me.

“Oh, thank you. I am much better with this than I am a Katana.”

They had not yet noticed us.

Mantis-san asked, “How do we want to do this?”

Toshiro answered him. By throwing a great ball of flame at them. It burst among them, and set their boats on
fire.

“I vote we scare the shit out them by killing a few before they know we're here. Well, what are staring at me
for? Get down there and kill those bastards!”

“Hai, Toshiro-sama!”

Magical weapon in hand, I lead the charge. The thugs, expecting to flee by boat, were only lightly armored.
There was an astounding assortment of weapons though.

Masakari, Katana, Nodachi, Nagamaki, Yari. One even had a Kusari-gama.

I settled for striking down any that came to close. In time, they would all be dead anyway. My earthen tetsubo
shattered bones, pulped organs, and tore great chunks of flesh with it's jade studs.

I was struck from behind by a Nodachi, but thanks to my training it failed to bite deeply. Monkey was kind
enough to remove that thug's head for me.

I caught sight of the Tsukai. So did Mantis-san. Another blast of flame tossed aside a few thugs, clearing a path
for him

He moved in, and quickly sliced his kama through the legs of the Tsukai.
Oop, here comes some more for me. I caught the swing of the nagamaki on the length of my tetsubo, and
shoved forcefully. Then I struck while the thug was getting back into position. I felt and heard his hip shatter as
my blow took him the side. He crumpled, bawling like a child. It was distracting, so I crushed his skull with
another quick swing.

Kitsuki-san and Monkey were fighting back to back, cutting down their foes. Mantis-san brought his kama down
on the Tsukai before he could rise. The Tsukai twitched once, then was still

Meanwhile, a space had opened up around me. Everywhere I cared to turn, thugs that had been inching
toward me backpedaled. It was then the Kusari-gama came at my head.

I held my tetsubo out, and the chain wrapped around it's head and went taut.

The wielder tried to pull the weapon from my hands. I jerked back.

He lost.

He had the good sense to simply release the weapon before I pulled him off his feet. Then, as I was
unwrapping my tetsubo, several thugs rushed at me. I had been expecting that.

None of their attacks we able to reach me. Monkey and Kitsuki-san cut them down. One last blast of flame,
and it was over. I think Toshiro killed more than all the rest of us combined.

I walked over to where the Tsukai lay in pool of blood. He was quite dead.

Kitsuki-san came up beside me. “Mantis-san, in the future could you try to pull your blows when attacking
someone who may have valuable information?”

“I did damnit! He just used up too much blood working all his spells…”

Kitsuki-san sighed. “Well, this was far from the smooth operation I had anticipated, but we were successful
nonetheless. He used Maho in full view of many witnesses after all.”

Mantis-san produced a bag. The shape of it said told me it was for a very specific thing. He took out some
special lacquered chopsticks. Used them to grab the tsukai's topknot. Lifted his head. And cut if off. Then used
the chopsticks to place it in his bag.

“Should I get you a board so you can mount your trophy properly?”

“It's just to show that we got him.”

“Alright.”

We returned to the Castle

As we walked Kitsuki-san spoke up, “Well, at least he used blood magic in front of all those witnesses. It now
means this case falls under the mandate of the Jade Magistrates.”

Ah, that was good then. It meant that Toshiro or Naomi would be the final authority on the outcome of this
matter. Their word would carry the full weight of Imperial Law, and none present would be able to gainsay
them. In his current state, the Tsukai would not be able to give a proper confession, so the testimony of the
witnesses would be needed to confirm Maho, and thus our authority. While our testimony alone would have
carried great weight, the other witnesses assured not even Shoji would be able to object
Hmm. Shoji. Yes, I still did not like him. He was far to flawed and emotional. Easily provoked, if one knew
where to press.

We arrived.

Mantis-san handed off the Tsukai's head to an eta and a board was brought forth to display it on. We went and
got purified while the Shiba requested the presence of Shoji, the Mantis delegates, and those who were in the
room when the Tsukai cast his spell. I was going to go fetch my wife, but Monkey ran off yelling he would so
instead.

Always rushing about. People really did need to take the time to enjoy things more. Prayers were said, and
water poured upon me. It was very cold. Refreshing even. Then some salt was thrown. I took a moment to
appreciate the complexity of that part. There was a correct way to do it, just as there was a correct way to do
everything. Yet the correct way was to make it seem there was no correct way. It must be difficult, to be so
deliberately sloppy. It made me wonder about the way Toshiro threw salt. It looked even more sloppy when he
did it. Was his technique better, or worse, than these priests?

Mantis-san tugged on me. Oh yes, we had to go and announce our verdict.

As I entered the courtyard the Mantis delegates were just arriving. Shoji, the witnesses, and Ayame were
already there. Someone had created an impromptu courtroom. Really it was just a patch of white sand, and an
officer's chair in place of the dais upon which the judge would sit.

Ayame was kneeling on the white sand. She was wearing a white kimono. Shoji was sitting on the chair.

So, he thought he was going to be passing judgment on Ayame. The others exchanged glances. He was
moving too quickly, making assumptions as he went. How typical of him.

The Mantis Delegates took their place. The Karo stepped forward and unrolled a scroll

But Naomi cut him off. “Wait. This matter is no longer for Shoji to judge.”

“What?”

Kitsuki-san pointed to a courtier at random. “Come forth please.”

The Courtier did. A golden haired Kitsu, by the mon on his Kimono. At a gesture from Toshiro the eta brought
out the head board.

“This man here, did you see him work magic today?”

“I did.”

“Can you describe what you saw?”

“Hai. He took out his wakizashi, cut his palm and bleed. He spoke blasphemous prayers. Then the room was
plunged into a blood red mist”

“Thank you.”

“You, please.”

The Soshi woman who asked me about Dot Battle.

“I would ask the same questions of you.”

She nodded. “Yes, I saw the same thing as the honorable Lion. He worked blood magic.”

Kitsuki-san looked around.

“There are many courtiers here, shall I continue to go through them one by one, Shoji-sama?”

Shoji looked upset by this turn of events. “That will not be necessary.”

He stood up from the chair and joined the audience. Toshiro sat down. Naomi was Shoji's daughter, so Toshiro
was the better choice for the appearance of impartiality. Toshiro motioned for the Karo to proceed, but the Karo
waited until Shoji nodded to do so. He then read the scroll.

It was Ayame's confession.

Mantis-san whispered beside me “That bastard didn't waste any time did he? Trying to wrap this all up his own
the second we were out of his hair.”

I did not nod in agreement.

Though Mantis-san's assessment of the situation was accurate, it was just rude to speak out loud during formal
proceedings like this.

The confession was quite damning. Ayame admitted her love for her slain Senpai, her desire for revenge. She
made no mention of her dreams, or the charm. She was adamant however, that she acted alone, deceiving her
fellow Shiba to get close enough to kill Yoritomo Yohko.

The new head of the Mantis delegation nodded, though slowly.

“Very well then. I have no choice but to accept that this woman acted alone, however…”

Toshiro held up his hand, forestalling any further comment.

“I've got questions I must ask before I render judgment. So hold on.”

Shoji erupted. “What could you possibly need to know? She has confessed to everything!”

Toshiro ignored him.

“Shiba Ayame.”

“Hai.”

“You didn't mention this in your confession, but you said that you were having nightmares lately, is that right?”

“...hai.”

“And did you do something about that?”

“I... I bought a charm to help me sleep better.”

“From who?”

She looked down. Then at Shoji

“Don't look at him. I’m the one asking you questions here. Who did you buy the charm from?”
“That man there.” She pointed to the headboard

“Hida Naomi-san, you confirmed that the charm had maho cast upon it?”

“I did.”

Both Shoji and the Yoritomo seemed to be getting more and more agitated as this went on.

“So in reality, you are wrong Shiba Ayame.”

A chorus of shouts broke out. Shoji, the Yoritomo and Ayame all protested.

“No! I did it, I killed her!” from Ayame.

“Are you saying the Phoenix bear no blame for this incident at all? This is absurd! That one is the daughter of
the Lord, she is clearly lying on her father's behalf! Cease this charade, that woman has disgraced the Clan!”

“Shut. Up.” Toshiro stood abruptly, knocking the chair back.

“Maho was used by that man...” He pointed at the head for emphasis. “...to kill Yoritomo Yohko. The Maho in
question affected the mind of Shiba Ayame. This means her fate is mine to decide. I have the authority here,
not any of you.”

Toshiro glared as protests died.

The Yoritomo tried again, “She still despised our Clan, it was her own weakness that allowed the spell to affect
her in the first place!”

Toshiro laughed. “I hope you have a good champion then.”

“What?”

“I personally witnessed the Tsukai cast a spell on him.” Toshiro pointed to me this time. “And I know now what
that spell did. It altered his perception so drastically he tried to kill someone who has been his friend and
companion for several years.”

The Yoritomo looked quite surprised by that.

“H-how do you know that was the same spell as was used on her?”

“It is my business to know such things. I am a Jade Magistrate. Try to keep up; I hate having to state the
obvious.”

The Mantis looked at me. I smiled politely at him

“I want you to know, I do not feel very upset. All the same, I must ask you to withdraw your comment about my
weakness.”

He looked at me. I looked back. Sweat began to form on his brow.

“Are you feeling well, Yoritomo-sama? It is winter, yet you are sweating.”

He sputtered a bit.
“Oh dear, I think he believes I was insulting him. Oh no! Please do not misunderstand me! I am only concerned
for your health! I have no doubt your position places great strain on you, Yoritomo-sama! Perhaps you should
get some more rest?”

I noticed that several of Crane were staring at me as well. Not just the courtiers, but the Yojimbo as well. One
was frowning intently, with his eyes narrowed. His mon told me he was a Kakita. However, they dropped their
gazes when I looked at them.

Odd.

The Yoritomo took note of this as well. He looked back at his fellow Mantis. Then he bowed to me

“I must apologize. I had no idea that Maho could be so... potent”

I waved it away.

“It is no great surprise. Such knowledge is dirty, and should only be studied by those who must know these
things to fulfill their duty.”

He sat back down heavily.

Toshiro nodded “Good. If you're all done trying to second guess me, I'll pass my judgment now. Yoritomo Yohko
was slain by that guy, there on the board. Shiba Ayame was just a tool he used to do it. Shiba Ayame, you are
not responsible for what happened. Stand up, and get changed. White doesn't suit your complexion.”

She rose, unsteady. Naomi went to her side to help steady her.

The Yoritomo glared at Shoji. “Still, this happened under your roof! The Phoenix were deliberately lax with their
security!”

Kitsuki-san spoke up. “Excuse me a moment, Yoritomo-san…”

Kitsuki-san pointed with his fan to someone in the crowd. “You, yes you. Could you step forward for a
moment?”

A Mantis that had been staying near the back came forward.

“May I ask your name?”

“Tsuruchi Agito.”

“You know this man, don't you?” He gestured to the head board.

“What, No! I've never seen that samurai in my life!”

“Ooooh? You don't remember meeting him?”

“No! Of course I don't remember meeting him!”

“That is a shame, one should remember the first time they meet their friends.”

“What! He is not my friend!”

“Oh, an acquaintance from the dojo then?”

“How could I have gone to the same dojo as him?! That's impossible!”
“...And why, is it impossible?”

“Because I would remember…

“The great dojo's train hundreds, thousands of students each year. I do not know the names of every one of my
classmates, and I never forget anything. So why, Tsuruchi-san, are you so certain it is impossible for you two to
have gone to the same Dojo?”

“I... I…”

The Yoritomo looked at the Tsuruchi. “What is the meaning of this, Agito-san? Explain, quickly!”

Agito looked down.

“I do know him. I served with his brothers, for a time. His name is Yoritomo Hirano.”

Yoritomo-sama exploded.

“That is preposterous! Why would a Yoritomo turn to maho, and kill one of their own!”

Kitsuki-san spoke. “Perhaps his brothers can shed some light on that.”

Agito shook his head.

“I doubt it. They're dead. They died in the raid on this castle. Crushed by boulders hurled with earth magic.”

I felt like I was hungover.

It was some time later, and my temples were pounding. I was aware, dimly, that my mind had been fucked
with. Not once, but twice.

A ladle of water appeared in front of me.

“Get that shit out of my face, and get me some damn sake. It's an affront to the celestial order for me to be
hungover without having had the pleasure of being drunk first.”

Toshiro pulled out a small bottle of sake, and made to start warming it. I snatched it from his hand and began
gulping it down cold.

“Fuck, that's terrible.”

I emptied the bottle and threw it away.

“Seriously, why the hell do I get all the Maho?”

“Um. Sorry about that Ishigaki-san…”

“Not your fault Toshiro. I get it, I would have killed Kitsuki-san if you hadn't. But still... get me some more sake”

“You know there are some types of sake meant to be consumed cold, if you don't want to wait…”

“Nah, I'm feeling a little better now, I can wait for you to warm up the next one.”
Kitsuki-san looked over. “Perhaps Toshiro should cast that spell on you more often.”

“Yeah Ishigaki?” Monkey.

“Did that moron just say that out loud, or did some Maho-tsukai cast another spell to make me want to kill him
again?”

“No I heard him that time.”

“K.”

Kitsuki-san, however, was on the other side of the room.

“Dammit. Get over here so I can kick your ass”

He chuckled. “Ishigaki, do you not remember anything that happened?”

“It's all kind of fuzzy. I remember it, but my mind was all wrong, so I was paying attention to the wrong shit.
When Toshiro suggested Yoritomo-sama was insulting you, some of the Crane were trying to see if they could
take you.”

“But your unnatural calm fooled them. It was like the first duel between Kakita and Mirumoto Hojatsu!”

“... how do the Dragon tell it?”

Kitsuki-san smirked, “You know the two faced one another without striking, yes?”

“Yeah, everyone knows that part.”

“Hojatsu later admitted that Kakita had the better technique and would have won. But Kakita himself was not
certain of that fact, and so did not strike.”

Monkey looked surprised. “Are you saying Cranes only duel when they know they can't lose?”

Toshiro returned with sake. I decided to be a bit more civilized and drank from a cup this time. I was still going
to drink the whole bottle myself though.

“Oh yeah, Kitsuki-san. How in the hell did you know that Tsuruchi knew the Tsukai?”

“I happened to notice his face when he came in and saw the head. I could see he recognized Hirano. Luck,
really.”

“So, Hirano, whose brothers were killed by Shoji's magic, decided to use Maho to kill the Mantis delegate so
war would break out. And the person he used as a murder weapon was having bad dreams because the
person she loved died in that same battle. That we were a part off…”

“Yes, Ishigaki-san that is an excellent summary.”

“For fucks sake. Someone in Tengoku is laughing their ass off at this.”

That night, Ashitaka came to see me.

“I have my answer now, Onii-sama.”

“Oooh?”

“Yes. I want to protect people, like you do. I don't want to be the one protected. I am going to become a bushi.”

I stared. Then laughed out loud. How's that taste, Shoji?

“You are certain this is what you want, nii-san?”

“Hai, onee-sama. I can not bear the thought that there would be a person whose life existed solely to die in my
place.”

“When did you come to this realization?”

“When Ishigaki-sama left the room we were in. I realized then I wanted to be strong like him.”

Naomi, Oka-san, Ashitaka and I were sitting around a table, discussing his future. Oka-san was shooting me
glares over her fan. Naomi didn't seem to thrilled either, for that matter.

“Ashitaka, being a bushi is very dangerous and demanding…”

“Aren't Daiko and Tetsute going to be bush? Why is it fine for them to face that danger and not me?” He shot
back.

“Ah, well…”

I spoke up. “Because it's highly unlikely either of them will have the ability to become shugenja. You do.”

Ashitaka looked up at me in surprise.

“Don't misunderstand. I just want to make sure you've thought this out carefully. You're deciding the course of
your entire life. It's a big decision.”

He nodded. “I understand Onii-sama.”

More glares from Oka-san. I understood their concern. Most young bushi died in their first battle. Seeking glory,
they rushed headlong into battle with the strongest opponent they could find. Only to be cut down effortlessly
by one far more skilled. Because of my Crab upbringing, I saw that as a waste. But such things would happen
even among the armies of the Phoenix and Crane. When you're raised on stories of great heroes you want to
emulate them. Rokugan's greatest heroes often died in glorious ways. I did want to make sure Ashitaka wasn't
thinking like that. I'd had enough of that crap with Ayame.

“Alright, Ashitaka-san. Let me ask you something.”

He sat up straighter, recognizing that I was about to test him.

“Do you know what the most important thing for a protector is?”

He frowned in thought.

“Keen vision! They cannot protect people if they do not see a threat for what it is!”

“I nodded. That is very important, yes. But not the most important. In order to protect someone else, you must
be able to protect yourself first.”
He blinked at that.

“If you are what stands between the person you are protecting, and danger, what happens if you die?”

“Ah, I see Onii-san! A Yojimbo must be able to see threats truly, remove them with superior skill at arms, and
stay alive to deal with future threats!”

“Right, it's not enough to just jump in the way of one arrow, when there's an army out there intent on taking the
life of the one you're protecting.”

Oka-san's glare softened, a bit. Naomi smiled a thank you at me. She didn't need to thank me. Ashitaka had a
point when he mentioned Daiko and Tetsute. I was going to have to have this talk with them one day as well,
so this was good practice.

“Do you think I will be able to enter Sunda Mizu?”

Whoa.

All three of us were caught off guard by that. I made a show of considering the question. I didn't know if I had
enough pull to get him into Sunda Mizu. I was one of their honor students, having moved on to advanced
schooling as a Defender, but I wasn't really high ranked. But even putting that aside…

“Ashitaka, could you stand up for a moment?”

He did so.

“Hold out your arms for me.”

“Okay.”

“That's it, just hold them there.”

I felt his muscles. None at all. He wasn't overweight, but he was still a plump child. His earliest education in the
home had focused on intellectual pursuits, rather than physical ones. In contrast, my children were
roughhousing and running around until they were exhausted even before they could speak. Training and play
were one and the same for Crab children. I didn't think one of the Empire’s harshest dojo would suit Ashitaka at
all…

“You don't think I should, do you Onii-sama?”

Sharp kid, like Toshiro said. I sat down in front of him to look him in the eye.

“No, I don't. You have a keen mind, but your body is currently lacking. Nothing wrong with that. Training and
time will take care of it. But Sunda Mizu is unforgiving. Even Crabs who are naturally hardy have a rough time
of it. And, you have a keen insight.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do. Toshiro noticed it, and I agree with him. You see things others do not. I had the pleasure of
working alongside a Shiba trained bushi for some time, and I got to see some of their techniques first hand. I
really do think their teachings would be able to bring out your full potential, whereas Sunda Mizu would be
training you to be something you just aren't.”

He nodded gravely. “I understand, Onii-sama. If you say that I am better suited to the ways of the Shiba, then I
will go there. One day I will stand beside you as an equal!”
I arched an eyebrow. “Try and surpass me kid.”

He blinked.

“I've got years of training on you, and I'm not about to slack off in my own training. You'll need to work very
hard indeed to catch up.”

“So only by aiming to surpass you can I ever hope to catch you at all... I see!”

He really was quite sharp. Ashitaka left to go and bathe before going to bed.

Oka-san put down her fan and spoke. “I cannot say I like this. He is an Isawa!”

“That's not why you're upset and you damn well know it, Oka-san”

She stared. I was willing to give her a chance, but that meant I was going to be as open with her as anyone
else in my circle. Oka-san was having difficulty... adjusting to my blunt words. You just can't say it because it
flies in the face of Honor, glory, and what's expected of proper Samurai. But no parent wants to attend their
own child's funeral. Oka-san looked at Naomi.

“Yes Mother, he really did just say that. Have I not told you before Ishigaki-kun is much more aware than you
give him credit for?”

I shrugged, a little embarrassed by the compliment.

“I keep saying you overestimate me Naomi. It's just you have time to think about things when you're standing a
post on the wall is all…”

“Your father will be incensed by this.”

It was a struggle, but I managed to keep the smile off my face.

“Father will just have to accept that Ashitaka is his own person, and not some doll for father to dress as he
pleases.”

Oka-san and I were both taken aback by Naomi's firm resolve.

Outnumbered, Oka-san sighed and gave in. “I still do not approve, but I will allow him to decide his own future.
I will do what I can to mitigate Shoji's wrath, but…”

I understood. Mitigating Shoji's wrath was like mitigating the damage of a typhoon. One simply built their house
out of easily replaceable material and simply rebuilt once it had passed.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “There are no bushi in our family, save you Ishigaki-san. I expect you will give
him proper guidance.”

“Of course, Oka-san. I want him to have a long and glorious career.”

She nodded and left.

Once we were alone, Naomi came and sat in my lap.

“It is hard, to imagine him swinging a sword, taking lives, being in danger. I have tried not to think too much on
it, in regards to our children…”

She rubbed at her tummy. I placed my hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

“They really must enter the shadowlands alone? And come back with a kill?”

“Yes. All the bushi do, and most Shugenja as well. Even some of the Kaiu go out. It isn't as though we do not
prepare them to the best of our ability Naomi. But still, some never return.”

No. Some never do. I wasn't about to tempt fate by asserting our children would all come back, so I tried
changing the subject.

“What was that, back there?”

“Hmm?”

“When you so thoroughly put your foot down about your Father's say in the matter of Ashitaka.”

“Oh that? I am disgusted with him. How he treated poor Ayame… He was going to throw her life away because
it was the most expedient solution to the problem! Ishigaki-kun... has my father always been like that?
Have I been blind to his faults for so long?”

“Yes. You have Naomi. But that's okay. He's your father, it's expected you turn a blind eye to his faults and
obey him without question. It's just that Shoji is one of those who such loyalty is wasted on, that's all.”

Naomi nodded sadly.

“What do you suppose will happen with Ayame now?”

“Well, she will not continue to serve here in this castle, that is certain. Beyond that though, I cannot say
Ishigaki-kun.”

“You don't think he'll strip her of her name, do you?”

“No, Toshiro found her innocent of any wrongdoing. Her Honor is a little stained but nothing that severe.
Someone else in the Clan will take her in, I'm certain.”

“Good. Good.”

“Tomorrow there will be a kyujutsu tournament. Will you be participating Ishigaki-kun?”

“Your father loves competition, doesn't he?”

“Yes, it is because he expects to win all the time. So, will you?”

I was actually a moderately decent archer. Many Crabs were. On the Wall, lame ponies would be staked out
beyond the River of the Last Stand, to lure in live targets for practice. After all, the more you killed with arrow
volleys and siege engines, the fewer you had to fight up close.

“Yes, I think I will.”

“Good. So will I.”

“Huh?”

“Did you not know? I have practiced Kyujutsu from time to time, as a meditation exercise.”
I had seen her paint, arrange flowers, play music, tend her garden, perform the tea ceremony, and dance. I
had never seen her fire arrows into straw targets. I was going to enjoy the looks on the others faces tomorrow
as much as she was enjoying the look on mine now.

The kyujutsu tournament was going to be a simple affair that would last the whole day. Each contestant would
be given five arrows, and allowed to pick their targets. Each target had a 'kill' zone, and was worth a number of
points determined by the difficulty of making the 'kill.' The targets were quite innovative, however. They were
arranged like soldiers on a battlefield.

The closest ones at twenty yards were just bundles of wet straw, You only needed to get your arrow to stay in
the target to earn the points for a 'kill'. Behind those were an array of targets with more exacting kill zones, and
getting further away.

The most valuable target was not a straw dummy, but a set of O-yori, stuffed with straw. It was placed on a
stand, seated, with a tessen gripped in it's hand. It represents the commander, a full 100 yards away. Just
getting an arrow to it would be difficult with the Yumi we would be provided with. But you only got points if your
arrow managed to penetrate deep enough to to hit the heart, lungs or brain.

A literal kill shot.

Tsuruchi Agito was called upon to act as the judge in this completion. Simultaneously throwing a bone to the
Mantis, by giving the prestige of judging the completion, and removing the one most likely to win from the
competition itself. After all, a judge should never be allowed to participate in the same competition they are
judging. To allow such a thing would guarantee such judges would make biased calls favoring themselves, and
strip any such competition of all integrity.

I saw Chibicorn was going to be competing in this event. The Lion put forth several competitors. As did both
the Crane and Phoenix. A Mirumoto I had not yet seen was joining in. With the exception of Toshiro, our entire
party would enter. Naomi would be the first to compete. I enjoyed watching them all pick their jaws up off the
ground when they learned Naomi could shoot a bow. A servant brought her a bow and her arrows.

Agito had already examined the bows and arrows to be used, and removed several of each he said would be
'better off used as firewood'. So the playing field was as level as possible. It was up to each competitor to know
their own ability and use it to it's fullest potential. Go for too many easy shots, and you would not score well.
Go for too many shots you were likely to miss, and the higher point value would not make up for the wasted
arrows. This was as much a test of self awareness as it was ability.

Naomi assumed her stance. She drew. And released.

Her arrow buried itself to the feathers in a target 50 yards away.

That's right, Naomi was strong. Stronger than even myself or Mantis-san. Her slight frame belied her
impressive strength, due to her affinity for water. I suspected that while Daiko had her looks, Tetsute had some
of her impressive strength.

Naomi drew and fired again, and again. A smooth, steady pace. Each arrow found a target of moderate
difficulty, giving her a very solid score when she was done. She hadn't set the opening bar terrifically high, but I
was forced to admit I'd need a bit of luck to do much better. There were a lot of people watching, so I settled for
simply congratulating her on her showing rather than hugging her like I wanted.

An Akodo was up next. He drew his bow and then slowly moved it from left to right. As he did so he released.

Ah, I think I see what he's doing. Rokugani do not 'aim' their shots. Rather, the arrow knows the way. We
simply give it flight, and allow it to find what it seeks. If our technique is poor, we end up hindering the arrow,
obstructing it's spirit so that it cannot find the target it was meant for. This Lion was listening to his arrow
intently, releasing when he felt it's desire. He listened well, and his technique was solid. He just edged Naomi
out by a single point

Archery was an art of the air, not the water. For Naomi to do so well as a meditation excercise against a trained
soldier…

I said as much, to cheer her up.

“I am not so fragile, Ishigaki-kun. Besides, I would never want to shoot a living person.”

“I know, I'm just saying that if we ever end up staring down another horde of zombies I want you with a bow
and some flaming arrows.”

Naomi shuddered. “It it is all the same to you, I would rather avoid another zombie army…”

“Seconded.” Mantis-san said.

“Also seconded.” Said Monkey.

Up next was Kitsuki-san. This should be interesting. I was looking forward to seeing if his sharp eyes could
help his archery. I knew the Kitsuki school did not emphasize kyujutsu the way it did kenjutsu. How far had he
trained then?

It turned out, not very far at all. He placed three arrows into the front rank of targets, one into a target at 40
yards, with only the top of the target a 'kill' and tried to hit the Commander. His arrow fell short, however,
landing between the feet of the armor.

Kitsuki-san returned to us with a sigh. “I expected as much. Perhaps I will put some more effort into my
training. We cannot rely on Toshiro-sama to do all the work when our enemy is not within arms reach.”

“Glad someone finally noticed.” Toshiro grumbled.

“It would be a bigger issue if you weren't a wal...breathing siege engine.” I grinned over my shoulder at him.

‘Accidental' insult followed immediately by a sincere compliment. I was getting much better at the word games
played so often in court. Toshiro scowled, the let out his half snort half laugh.

It was Chibicorn's turn next. His stance was all wrong. Instead of lifting the bow up and pushing forward, he
brought the bow up to shoulder height and left it there. Then he drew back, not to his rear shoulder, but his
cheek. So, this then, is the Yomanri of the Unicorn Clan.

When the Unicorn returned to Rokugan after 700 years away, the brought many strange gaijin things with
them. The large horses that dwarfed Rokugani ponies were the most obvious, but saddles made of dead flesh,
stirrups, and glass were just some of the things introduced to the Empire. Yomanri was another. It was a gaijin
technique for firing a bow, that involved looking down the length of the arrow's shaft. To me, it sounded like
rather than properly releasing an arrow so it's spirit could fulfill it's purpose, the Unicorn completely subdued
the arrow's spirit, bending it to their own will. I was curious to see just how effective such an approach could
be.

He held the draw for too long, and when he released he did so by only relaxing his fingers, without pulling his
arm back as you should. His arrow went straight through the do on the commander.

Well…
Agito ran out to check the penetration. After a moment, he held up his arms, crossed in front of him. The arrow
didn't go deep enough to score. Chibicorn drew and fired again. Again striking the commander. Agito checked
and signaled a 'kill' this time.

Satisfied with that the Unicorn sent his last three arrows into the very back rank of targets. Even with one arrow
failing to score, the bar had been raised quite considerably in this competition.

Next, a Daidoji woman. Her white hair was cut very short, so someone close to her must have died very
recently. Unlike Naomi, she wore her kimono in the traditional fashion for archery. With her arm that would hold
the string out of it's sleeve, and her right side bared. She wore a sarashi to preserve her modesty. Her arm and
shoulder I could see were thickly muscled, and a scar ran over her shoulder. It's shape implied a blade had
come down on her shoulder at some point in the past, but failed to sever her arm. The Daidoji were known to
produce many skilled archers, and this woman was clearly a veteran of several battles.

Her arrows flew, all striking the same target. One in 50 yards back, with a thin line of paint for the 'kill' zone.
The shafts of each were practically touching each other. It was a good score, and with all five arrows getting
points she was able to beat the Chibicorn But I suspected the display of precision was her true goal. It didn't
count for her score, but it DID showcase the impressive archery of the Daidoji.

“Did you just now catch on, Ishigaki-kun?” Namoi asked.

“Hmm?”

“There is more going on here than just a test of one's skill.”

Kitsuki-san nodded. “Think about it. The Mantis are synonymous with their Navy, aren't they?”

“Oh yeah. And naval battles are like sieges. Arrow volleys are very important until the ships close with one
another, or their reach land to the infantry can come to grips with one another.”

My father is trying to impress upon the Mantis that the Shiba alone can do great damage in such battles,and
also looking for who might make the best allies to seek should it come to that.

“Huh.”

I thought I understood now, how some courtiers claimed court was a battle like any other.

Oh, looks like I'm up next.

As I scanned the field I saw several targets that had their kill zones painted very low. One was even touching
the ground itself. Not an accurate representation of a person, but a tricky shot to make. The inexorable pull of
the earth might seize the arrow, crushing it's spirit and pulling it down before it struck home.

Hah. Just like shooting at those little goblins.

ThwakThwakThwakThwakThwak

My trick shooting got me a respectable score, no more. I got nods of acknowledgment from the Daidoji woman
and the Lion.

Mantis-san gave me a look when I came back. “What was up with that.”

Toshiro answered him, holding his thumb and forefinger slightly apart. “Goblins.”

“Oh. Yeah they are pretty small aren't they?”

Never really thought about that before.

“Hey, Kitsuki-san! Your lover is coming up.”

“She is not my lover Monkey.”

“Really? Cus I think she just winked at you.”

Moshi Aoi was wearing her usual attire. Unlike the Daidoji woman, she had not bothered to secure herself. As
she released the string passed her chest and set events into motion.

Her arrow found a target in the front rank. Kistuki-san hid behind his fan. She lifted up her arms and bow a bit
slower than she should, then drew and fired.

“I believe she is doing that on purpose…”

“I thought you said the water kami were pleased by constant motion, Naomi.”

“Ishigaki!”

She struck a target a bit further back. Aoi drew again, and fired.

Mantis-san leaned in to Kitsuki-san. “Face it, you're being courted.”

Toshiro spoke up. “Nah, she want's me. Clearly.”

Kitsuki-san fluttered his fan at our teasing, his face going red. Which Aoi seemed to mistake for a sign of
success. So she stretched a bit, working out stiff joints to limber herself up. It was getting to be too much even
for me. I had to look away.

Naomi's hand found mine, down low and hidden from view. She said nothing, however.

I heard a thwack of an arrow hitting it's mark. And Kitsuki-san made a choking sound. Monkey and Mantis-san
were giggling. Then another thwack.

Up next was a Bayushi, his mask a demonic mempo split down the middle vertically, so the entire right side of
his face was covered. The Bayushi walked up, to his stance drew and fired, drew and fired, drew and fired,
drew and fired, drew and fired. His hands blurred, the last arrow struck before the first stopped quivering.

And he returned to his seat even before Agito had time to announce his score. His targets were on the smaller
end of the kill zones, spread out across the width of the field. A very good score, but several had better already.
Still, his message had been quite clear.

Then it was Monkeys turn. He shot all his arrows into the commander.
One planked off the crest of the helm.
Another struck the knee.
Two more struck the do.
The last one jutted out of the eye of the mempo.

Monkey was a proficient archer. He was not an expert. He had done exactly the thing you should not have,
gone for too many difficult shots and hoped his score would not suffer from too many misses.

Agito moved up and checked the penetration. Boht hits to the do had gone in far enough, one hit heart instead
of lungs, and was worth more points. The brain was worth the most points.
Even with only two non scoring arrows, no one would be able to match him without at least a Lung hit on the
commander.

Mantis-san whispered to me, “How the hell does he do that?!”

I shrugged. “Better to be lucky than good?”

Kitsuki-san offered his own opinion. “Rather, luck is a skill all it's own, and the Toku seem to have mastered
that skill…”

“He reminds me of the students of the Dark Sword of Bitter Lies” said a new voice.

Gyah! When the fuck did Amano-san join us!?

I scowled at him. “Don't ninja around me like that, dammit. I'm jumpy; you might get hurt.”

“Ah yes, the old saying: 'when you wake a Crab, use a stick.' I will remember that, Ishigaki-san.” He smiled to
assure me there was no malice in his returned banter.

“You know know that guy who went before Monkey?”

“Bayushi Kentaro. My cousin.”

“That was some impressive speed”

“It is the motto of the Bayushi dojo: Strike First' Strike Last”

I grunted. So who is next?

It was a Shiba. The Gunso who had taken us to see Ayame. He fired his arrows in smooth deliberate rhythm,
as Naomi had done.

thwak
thwak
thwak
thwak
thwak

Each shot scoring high. His last arrow found the do of the commander. Heart. He had passed Monkey's score.

“Awww. That fast?”

“That's the danger of a tournament like this. If you take the high score everyone after you will try to beat it,
even if only by a slim margin. And you've guaranteed that everyone will aim for the commander now.”

Agito waved a flag. There would be break while the commander was fitted with a new do and re stuffed. As
good a time as any for lunch then.

Amano joined us, as did his cousin. Naomi gave me a discrete elbow when she saw me check my riceball for
ninjas. Aoi decided to join us as well. She sat next to Kitsuki-san.
Every time someone asked her to pass something she used it as an excuse to lean against him. He kept a
stony face up the whole time, which only served to encourage me to ask Aoi to pass more food my way. He
glared at me the third time I asked for some more shrimp.

Monkey, oblivious to the danger he was in, spoke freely with the Scorpions in our midst. “That was some
impressive shooting, Kentaro-san!”

“Yours was better though.”

“Only my score. I think you'd do better on a real battlefield though…”

Kentaro smiled at the compliment. It was unnerving, given I could only see half his face.

“Oh my, I can see why you keep asking for more of this Shrimp, Ishigaki-san!”

“That's because it's done in proper Crab style.”

Crabs enjoyed food covered in batter and cooked by immersing it in hot oil. They even had a proper dipping
sauce. Aoi held out a piece, dripping with juice, to Kitsuki-san.

“You should try this! It's delicious!”

Naomi hid a titter behind her sleeve as the rest of us just grinned. Kitsuki-san tried to murder us all with his
glare as he ate the piece

“It is very good shrimp. Thank you Aoi-san.”

“My pleasure!”

After a pleasant lunch we returned to witness the end of the archery contest.

Mantis-san was up next. He first put three arrows into some moderate targets. Then fired his last two shots at
the commander. He arced his shots up high, the first was taken by the wind and overshot the commander. The
second came straight down and punched through the kabuto, burying itself halfway up the shaft.

It was close, but he ended up falling shy of the Shiba Gunso's score.

After several unsuccessful attempts to remove Mantis-san's arrow it was decided the kabuto would be
replaced. Mantis-san was allowed to keep the helm, arrow and all.

“I know right where I'll put it, too” he grinned.

After that it was another Lion, followed by an Utaku. Strong showings from both, but neither was able to take
the lead.

Then Crane stepped up. They were very young, and I couldn't tell if I was looking at a pretty boy or a young
girl.

Amano spoke up. “I know that one. Doji Rei”

Well. Thanks for clearing up the mystery. She fired off two shots almost as fast as Kentaro had.

And took out both eyes on the commander.

Her other three struck the back ranks of straw targets.

Well, that's damn near unbeatable. As the rest of the contestants took their shots, damn near became
completely. Doji Rei was declared the winner of the Archery contest.

“Hey, uh, Ishigaki-san? Is that a boy or a girl?”

“I'm married Monkey, I don't need to concern myself with such things.”

“Oh, yeah. Guess you've got a point. I was just curious, is all.”

Naomi and I ate dinner with our kids, private family time. Neither of them had gotten the hang of chopsticks yet,
so it was bit messy. Lots of grab and stuff and giggle.

“Yummy!”

Tetsute's first word had been hungry. And much of his vocabulary centered around food. Even as an infant his
I'm hungry cries were clearly different from any other crying. In that they could probably hear him all the way to
the Wall.

Naomi took the children for a bath, and I headed down to the men's baths. They were empty, save for one.

Shoji.

He looked up as I entered, then down. Then away, angrily. So, I win again.

I sat down and began to wash, not giving him any satisfaction by noticing him. Silence, for a time.

Then, “It is not enough for you take my daughter, now you want my son as well?”

“Don't give me that bullshit, you never wanted your daughter to begin with.”

“She still had value to this family!”

I dumped my bucket over my head and stood up. I looked him dead in the eyes.

“You really don't understand, do you? That is why your son doesn't respect you enough to follow in your
footsteps.”

I got in to soak, as Shoji choked back his rage.

“You all took a great risk with the incident the other day! You were lucky it worked out so well! You fools think
with your hearts to much, do you know nothing of Duty or Honor!”

I surged across the bath at him. And pinned him to the wall, my forearm across his neck. Not quite choking
him, but close.

“Do not dare speak to me of duty little man. You have spent your whole life hiding behind others, letting them
take the risks for you. I have stood at the forefront of every battle I have ever been in. You use others to further
your own goals. You throw away their lives when it is convenient. You have never risked your own life, not
once, on purpose. For an earth tensai, you're pathetic. A sniveling coward afraid to be hurt. And you would
lecture me about Honor? About Duty? Say something like that again and you'd better pray to every fortune,
kami and ancestor you can think off that one of those Crane steps up to defend you.”
I let him go. And left.

“I will make you pay for these insults! One day I will take something you hold dear!”

ichi.
ni.
san.
shi.
go.
roku.
shichi.
hachi.
kyuu.
juu.

Nope. Still mad.

So I returned to punch Shoji in the face.

I felt his cheekbone crack. Shoji was not much of a brawler, and naked while sitting in water up to his waist
wasn't helping him any. So I decided to give him some tips on swimming by shoving his head under the water.
Plus, he couldn't scream for guards to come help that way...

It occurred to me that I was having a naked fist fight with my father in law, and seriously trying to kill him. This...
this probably won't go over very well with Naomi. He might be a coward, but Shoji was still an earth tensai.

The human spirit is tethered to it's body. Damage the integrity of the body, and the spirit's grip loosens.
Damage it enough and the spirit is no longer bound. The most basic 'healing' spell did not actually close
wounds. Rather it simply reinforced the damaged bonds. At least, that's how Naomi explained it to me. The
strength of one's earth most determined the strength of those tethers. In other words, this could take a while.

It was then that I heard voices nearing the baths.

Well.

Shit.

So I pulled Shoji up.

As he gasped and sputtered I yelled loudly enough to be heard outside, “Shoji-sama! Are you alright! It is
slippery!”

The people outside rushed in.

He glared at me even as I slapped his back. To help him get all the water out, of course.

“I... I am fine now!”

“Good, good. Oh, it looks like you hit your face when you slipped!”

“Yes, it is nothing though. I truly did not feel it.”

“Of course, Shoji-sama, you are durable, if nothing else!”

I left, before I lost my temper again. I decided not to tell anyone about that little exchange. I joined my family
and went to sleep
 -

There were a few days of more basic courtly activities. Shoji was 'resting' due to a mild 'illness' and would
resume hosting soon. In the meantime, we enjoyed watching Aoi pursue Kitsuki-san. I wondered if he was
serious about his protestations.

After Shoji recovered from his 'illness' he announced the next competition.

A go tournament. I was beginning to see a pattern here. There many entrants for the go tournament. So many
that even though it was single elimination, it would likely take a day or two. There was no time limit imposed on
the individual games themselves. No one liked the weak fools who would play poorly but try to be ahead when
time ran out, after all.

My first opponent turned out to be the Shiba Gunso.

I drew white. He placed upon his left corner star. I mirrored his move. I played conservatively after all, building
up my territory and only then attacking enough to nudge my opponent off the board. We placed quickly at first,
both of us ignoring the other in favor of developing a strong base.

But while I was still moving up the sides, he took the Origin of Heaven. Bold.

Was he trying to fight for the center, while sneaking around the sides? Hoping that a battle on all fronts would
confuse me? If he was, he was in trouble. I was not a smart man, but I knew how to defend my territory. I
continued on with my development, pretending to ignore his audacity.

He grew bold and struck at my territory before fully consolidating his position. I then sallied forth, harrying his
flanks while he tried to push against me. He wheeled in response. Only for me to strike a hammer blow to the
center crushing his line.

He frowned over the board for a moment. Then bowed.

“A good game. You are better than I gave you credit for, and my recklessness cost me.”

I'd like to think I had something to do with my own victory, but he was right. I had won because he made a few
costly mistakes.

“A good game. Maybe we can play again sometime, and I'll see what you're truly capable of.”

“Indeed.”

There were several games still ongoing, so I meandered about and observed.

Aoi was still playing. She was leaning forward studying the board intently. Her opponent was also studying
intently… just... not the board.

I took a glance down at the board. With a frighteningly cute 'Yosh!' Aoi placed her piece. I could see she was
going to win. His pieces were scattered; she had waltzed into his territory practically unopposed.

Monkey was sitting across from Katsuie-sama. Monkey was telegraphing just how much trouble he was in;
sitting with his ankles crossed and arms folded. I came over to see just how bad it was.

Oof.

Katsuie-sama had successfully pushed into the center and was currently ahead in the battle for one of
Monkey's sides. Only a measly strip remained of Monkey's once proud empire. And given how decisive
Katsuie's victories had been on the rest of the board, he might even be able to take more of that. Monkey
made a frustrated noise and placed his piece, seemingly at random.

“Ohhh, good move!”

Though Katsuie-sama praised Monkey's placement, I couldn't see how it helped him win. Katsuie-sama
aborted his attack, placing to defend against Monkey's last move.

Monkey placed.
Then Katsuie-sama.
Then Monkey.
Then Katsuie-sama.
Then Monkey.
Then Katsuie-sama.
Then Monkey.

Then it was over. Monkey had managed to, in the last few turns take back just a bit of his territory, reclaiming
one of his sides.

Katsuie-sama thanked Monkey for the good game. “I am pleased to have seen such determination. Many will
simply concede when they think they have lost, but you kept fighting back, until the very end!”

I would have been more impressed were I not certain that Monkey had not planned any of that.

The first round was over. From our group, only Monkey failed to advance.

“Guess it takes more than just luck to win a game of go, neh?”

Toshiro spoke up. “Katsuie-sama is renowned throughout the Crab clan as a great go player.”

I looked over at him. “Really? I didn't know.”

“That's because you don't pay attention to things like that.”

I grunted.

Round 2 began.

Mantis-san and I got to have our showdown.

In our first games, we were lopsided in our styles. He focused too much on attack, I focused too much on
defense. We had improved one another considerably in our previous games. Now an invincible force would
collide with an immovable object. And all of Rokugan would tremble.

I drew white again. The two of us chose our ground for our basecamps, and began deploying our forces. He
sent scouts along his sides, testing to see how I would react. I began laying traps just outside my territory. I
also gave up a few pieces, sacrificing them to his sides, just so he didn't focus to much on what I was really up
to.

He secured the flanks, and began to bring up his forces, preparing to crush me in a pincer.

Too late; I had prepared the center. I struck deep into his territory, charging his base camp. He responded
swiftly, and I lost more force to his defense. I fell back, trying to salvage the assault. He pursued, thinking I had
overreached
Right into my traps. It wasn't long before he found himself cut off. I fell upon the center with all my might. But
Mantis-san wasn't about to give up so easily.

He marshaled his forces and drove a wedge through my encirclement. Breaking free, he wheeled. It was
nearing the end now. He kept up a constant motion, slashing away wherever he could do the most damage,
rather than chase after him and try to stem the bleeding. I began to set up ahead of him blunting his assault.

When the last pieces were played, it ended up being very close. He had two sides, I had one. We contested
the fourth. But I had the center.

I had won, though by a slimmer margin than I had expected.

“Well done Ishigaki-san.”

“You too, Mantis-san.”

We grinned at one another, both pleased with ferocity and skill of our rival.

I looked up to see Kitsuki-san staring down at our board.

He looked between the two of us. “How is possible the two of you are so bad at this game?”

“Huh?”

“I've heard of beginners luck, but how did you both manage to get past the first round?!”

“Well, the Shiba I played did fall for my ploy and become overconfident.”

“I played Lion, he fell for my taunting attacks and left himself open.”

“So really, how do you figure we're bad?”

Kitsuki-san just buried his face in his hands.

It turned out, though, that Kitsuki-san had lost his match. Aoi had bested him soundly. And so proved that
playing one's opponent was just as viable as playing the game itself. I really didn't know where he got off,
saying we were bad at go.

I was annihilated in the third round.

I sat across from an Akodo.

As we bowed he spoke, “Some say that Go is superior game, others claim shogi. I say both are good. In
Shogi, one must capture the opponent's king, removing enemy pieces and pinning down his forces. It teaches
one to think tactically, to see the strengths and weakness of each unit and use them to their best potential.
Shogi simulates a real battle well. Go, however, is about controlling territory. Each piece is the same as any
other. Their individual abilities do not exist, because at this level it is irrelevant. Only by working together can
they achieve victory. Go teaches one about strategy.”

I think this guy takes these games waaaay too seriously for his own good.
But, while his obsession may be unhealthy, it proved it's worth quite handily. He fell for none of my traps,
simply placing his pieces with precision almost as soon as I decided on my own placement. He didn't respond
to my feints, when I tried to begin setting up a trap he dismantled it before I was finished.

By the time I was done, a full 3/4 of the board was firmly in his control.

As we bowed after it was over he spoke again. “You have potential. But you forget this is game. Go can teach
one strategy, but only if one is broad minded and able to the analogies. You treat this as a literal battle and so
your placement is amateur at best.”

Well.

Maybe Kitsuki-san was right after all. But he still lost before I did.

“No, I did not lose.”

“But you were out of the tourney? So you must have lost?”

“I conceded, but not because I could not win.”

“Then why?”

“I found her play style offensive. Folding her hands in her lap to push herself up. Leaning forward all the time.
Nibbling at her thumb while she thinks. Shrugging before she placed a piece. I could not think straight.”

“So, what you're saying is, she didn't beat your army, she fired an arrow with a letter into your camp that got
you so worked up you beat yourself” I said.

“No!”

Monkey fell over cackling. “...buh....beat! Beat Himself!”

Kistuki-san and Naomi were confused as to why that was so funny.

Toshiro just responded to their confusion, “If we have to explain it, it's not really funny anymore.”

I hadn't intended to make that joke. But whatever. I'd let them think I was clever.

The final turned out to be Katsuie-sama vs Akodo Gocrazy.

“Hey, you played him didn't you Ishigaki-san? What's his name?”

“Akodo Gocrazy.”

“No it isn't. His name is Akodo Akira.”

“I like mine better.”

“What if he hears you?”

“Bah. I could take him.”

“In a first blood duel over a minor insult? You?”

I had no idea why everyone keeps thinking I'm a terrible duelist. That's it, I'm going to get my own headbag so
that the next time we get caught up in a war I could go looking for duels and put an end to that once and for all.
The real question is how to hide a head bag from Naomi.

Gocrazy made the same speech to Katsuie-sama that he made to me.

Katsuie-sama offered some of his own go related wisdom. “Go is indeed a fine game. You can learn much
about a person from the way they play. But it is best to dispel all notions of them from your mind before you
begin. If you have preconceptions, and they turn out to be wrong, you may outsmart yourself and play poorly.”

Katsuie-sama drew black. He placed his first piece. The Akodo followed with quick certainty. As they developed
their openings, Kitsuki-san hissed beside me.

“A fuseki!”

Kitsuki-san whispered so as not to be overheard by the players.

“Katsuie-sama is going for a far more open and relaxed game.”

I watched. Relaxed is right. Katsuie-sama was placing his pieces all around the board, isolated and alone. I
was sure he was setting up traps, except I couldn't see how they could form yet, or be closed in time. Was he
thinking of the endgame already? Could he really see that many moves ahead?

Gocrazy's hand paused for the first time.

Naomi whispered to me, “He had been going with a traditional opening, building up his more easily defended
sides and corners. Now he wonders if he should respond to Katsuie-sama or if he should continue.”

Akodo Gocrazy placed his piece. Next to one of Katsuie-samas.

“Oooooh. So, it is now then? Very well”

Katsuie-sama placed.
Then Gocrazy.
Katsuie placed with great speed.
So did Gocrazy.

tak
tak
tak
tak

Their hands were almost blurs. Neither was looking at the board much. They were looking at each other. The
Akodo was stone faced and stoic. Katsuie-sama wore a faint smile. Whether he was enjoying the game or just
knew something the Akodo did not was not clear. Maybe it was both.

The Akodo paused again. Hand hovering over the place he was about set his piece down. He looked at the
board. For some time.

Slowly, he moved his hand. Placing the piece somewhere else.

tak

Katsuie kept right with has certain, rapid placement. Akodo Gocrazy closed his eyes. And bowed to Katsuie-
sama
“It was an honor to face such a skilled opponent.”

Katsuie-sama returned the bow.

“Likewise. I have learned much from you this day. Your strategy is strong, sturdy and reliable. You are easily
the finest player I have ever had the fortune to face.”

At the end of the second day, Hida Katsuie was declared the winner of the Go tournament.

Later on, I caught Kitsuki-san staring at a go board.

“What's up?”

“This is the state of the board, just before Akodo Akira made his last play.”

“Oh? If the Akodo couldn't see a way out at that point, I doubt there was one.”

“I am not so certain, Ishigaki-san.”

I sat down and stared at the board with Kitsuki-san.

“Hey, what are you guys doing?”

“Kitsuki-san is trying to figure out if there was still a way for the Lion to win before he made his last play.”

“Oh.”

Monkey sat down next to us. Before I knew it, we were all sitting around the board, staring it hard enough to
set it on fire. Toshiro got up, and thumpdragged off. We continued to stare at the board.

“What about here?”

“No, that wouldn't work either Monkey. See, then Katsuie-sama places here.”

“Oh yeah.”

Mantis-san nodded. “Yeah, it really is just impossible”

“Are you so certain?”

We jumped.

Katsuie-sama came into the room, along with Toshiro. So that's where he went.

“Here, let me make you all some tea to clear your minds.”

He did so. It was a fine robust tea.

“May I?”

“Of course Katsuie-sama.”

He placed a piece for the lion. Where the Lion had been about to place. Then he placed for himself.
He played out the rest of the game, down the very last placement. We looked.
The Lion had won this game.

“You see? It is important to never give up, no matter how bleak things may look.”

He sipped his tea calmly.

“More people lose because they tell themselves they have lost, then have well and truly lost.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“Conversely, one could say it is just as important to convince your enemy he has been defeated as it is to
actually defeat them.”

“Indeed, Kitsuki-san. Such is the weight of reputation. The Akodo are feared as tacticians, the Kakita and
Mirumoto feared as Duelists. All fear to anger the Scorpion, or to deal with them more than necessary. They
forget that even Cranes can fall in duels, that sometimes the Scorpion cannot sting you, that even the Lion are
not invincible in war.”

Monkey spoke up. “I thought that no army led by an Akodo has ever known defeat? Or something like that,
anyway.”

Katsuie-sama chuckled. “If that were true, then why have the Lion not conquered all of Rokugan? Or at least,
destroyed the Crane and Scorpion they so openly despise? No, that is kind poetry. Just as there will always be
gaps in even the finest suit of armor, so will their be flaws in every man.”

It was at this point that Bayushi Amano, Kitsui-san's friend, entered the room. I lifted up one of the go pieces.
No ninjas under that one. Naomi elbowed me again.

“Ah, Katsuie-sama, you're here. This is fortunate, I have news and you must hear it as well.”

Katsuie-sama took in Amano's countenance. Sighed.

“I think I will need more tea before I hear this.”

“You might, yes. I have managed to learn of the next move the Crane and Mantis plan to make.”

“Oh?”

“The Crane secretly wish for the war because they see an opportunity to inflate the value of their rice, by
damaging the Phoenix surplus. The Crab, of course, stand opposed because they rely so heavily on Crane
rice.”

I didn't like that he was bringing up the Crab now.

“The Crane clan made a proposal to the Mantis, gift the rice taken from the Phoenix to the Crab, the Crane will
compensate the Mantis.”

Monkey spoke. “Wait, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of driving up the value of their rice?”

I shook my head. “The Mantis aren't going to capture enough stores of grain and rice to cover all our clans
needs.”

Mantis-san considered it. “Most likely with value of rice up, the Crane get the same amount of return on their
rice as they usual do in a given year, except they don't have to give up as much. So they'll have more surplus
to trade elsewhere. So they still come out ahead. Just a little more complicated way to do so.”
Katsuie-sama sipped at his tea.

“Well, hey. It's not like we've got anything to worry about there, right? It's not like Katsuie-sama would take their
deal.”

Monkey then noticed that Toshiro, Katsuie-sama and I were all looking down.

“...Right?”

“There is a Yasuki in my entourage. He would have to look over the proposal.”

Monkey didn't understand.

The Crab maintained the largest standing army in Rokugan. At times the Lion would keep more, other times
they would include the number of Ahsigaru and reserves they could muster to make their force seem even
larger. But logistical relies kept the Lions actual army smaller than most thought, and because they really didn't
need that many troops since large scale war between the Clans was forbidden by the Emperor.

The Crab, on the other hand were in a constant state of war. And our enemy was not a Clan. And we wouldn't
be able produce enough rice in year to feed even half of the force we maintained. If the Crab would come
ahead in the deal proposed by the Crane and Mantis, even by a slim margin…

Katsuie-sama wouldn't like it, but he would have to take their offer. Toshiro explained the reality of the situation
to Monkey and the others. Katsuie-sama left to return to his own rooms, no doubt to prepare for the official
offer.

Well, this left a bitter taste.

I shuddered to think what a Mantis Kobune carrying a Kaiu made siege engine could do. Heaven forbid some
siege masters be sent to assist the Mantis directly. The Kaiu knew how to build the best fortresses in Rokugan.
That meant they also knew the best ways to take one apart. This could get very ugly soon.

Naomi hugged me fiercely that night, worried for the future of her birth Clan. I didn't blame her. I hated Shoji
and Hohiro, true, but I didn't hate the whole Phoenix Clan. Given Shoji's pattern for events, the next one would
be physical challenge of some sort.

I was right.

A kenjutsu tournament was announced.

The Karo began to announce the rules. Single elimination. Using bokken.

Those trained in the way of Niten would be permitted a second, shorter bokken. This is a challenge of
Kenjustus, after all, not Iaijutsu, and the second blade is the core of the Niten style.

It was at this point that Shoji stepped up beside the Karo and whispered into his ear. The Karo's eyes widened,
but only for moment.

“A contestant will be eliminated if they are disarmed, fall prone, surrender, or are rendered unconscious. Those
of ill health or frail bodies are encouraged NOT to participate, for while the best shugenja from the assembled
clans will be on hand to treat the competitors, serious injury is still possible…”

And death, for that matter. Though it wasn't said out loud.
Killing someone with a bokken wasn't easy. Deep, heavy bruising and cracked bones were the most common
injuries. But it was possible to crush an eye, a larynx or to break a neck or crack a skull.

Of course, such a lack of control would be a shameful display, but not criminal. For that matter, most Kenjutsu
tournaments included a certain number of hits as a qualifier for victory. This was done specifically to reduce the
likelihood of injury, since you only needed to touch your opponent to win. It was as though Shoji wanted people
to get hurt.

I glanced up at him as the thought struck. Our eyes met. He was looking straight at me.

Oh.

He did.

So, this is the best you've got then Shoji? Fine. I can handle this much.

The first match was Chibicorn against Doji Rei, the winner of the archery tournament. They were both so small
I thought we were sitting further back than we actually were at first.

Chibi battle, round one.

FIGHT!

Fight? Any day now…

Yet the two combatants just shifted stances at one another, occasionally taking a step and counter-step.

“Hm, yes I see.” Kitsuki-san, of course.

“Please, do enlighten us.”

“Rei is using a Daidoji style I think. It fits with her skill at Kyujutsu.”

Monkey spoke up. “Yeah, you're probably right. They have two they teach, don't they?”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“One is for the battlefield, the other for Yojimbo. Both are very defensive in nature. The more battlefield
oriented one teaches techniques that take advantage of allies. One exposes themselves when attacking, so
the Daidoji teach a style that limits that exposure.”

Mantis-san snorted.

I decided I wasn't going to be shown up by Monkey of all people. So I looked over Chibicorn. Classic stance,
almost archaic. And he wasn't a woman.

“He's trained in the Shinjo style then.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. if you saw the Moto style you'd know right away. And the Utaku wouldn't teach men their kenjutsu.”

“Right. What do you know of the Shinjo style Ishigaki-san?”

“You know how Shinjo beat Hida? Run around dodge, tap him a few times and call that a win? Yeah, it's that
with a few Gaijin tricks added in.”

I was getting some cold stares from Monkey and Kitsuki-san.

“So these two are both trained to defend and counter. Which is why this fight is so boring. It will become very
interesting once one makes a move, though.”

Snort.

Chibicorn made the first move. He took the high stance, and Kiaied loudly. Then struck.

Rei deflected pushed back and followed through with a strike. But Chibicorn fell back holding his bokken in one
hand and twirling it in a circle. It connected with Rei's blade, pulled in into the circle and yanked the blade
around.

“What is that?”

“Gaijin tricks. Like I said”

Now Rei was the one exposed. Chibicorn took proper hold of his bokken and thrust the point forward driving it
into Rei's sternum. There was a loud whuff as the air was driven from Rei's lungs.

Rei tried to sidestep and swing, but Chibicorn was already moving in his own sidestep. He spun as he moved,
bringing his bokken into his opponent's hip. Rei went down to one knee. Chibicorn looked at the referee who
signaled him to keep going.

You had to be fully prone to be eliminated, not just on a knee.

He took a high stance and brought his bokken down. Rei didn't try to deflect. Instead they rolled backward onto
their feet.

As Chibicorns bokken struck the floor Rei lunged forward hitting him in the temple. Chibicorn's head snapped
sharply to the side, his whole body leaning over. Blood dripped from the gash opened in his head.

Then he fell.

Naomi was the first one to reach him.

Kitsuki-san frowned. “That was dangerous. Such a heavy blow to the head like that?”

I could see Naomi using a more advanced healing spell, one that did actually repair a damaged body.
Chibicorn was able to stand. The two contestants bowed to one another and returned to their seats.

Our next contestants were Bayushi Kentaro. And Kitsuki-san.

Oh, oh boy.

“I am not certain who to root for.”

“Gyah! Seriously, stop doing that!”

Bayushi Amano, that ninja fuck, had once again joined us without anyone noticing.

“Well, I know who will win!”

Okay, this is ridiculous. The Bayushi joining us without anyone noticing was one thing, but the Moshi?

“It is obvious that Kitsuki-san will be victorious. I mean no disrespect, Amano-san the Bayushi train fine
swordsmen. But the infamous Scorpion Feint will not work against Kitsuki-san's all seeing eyes.”

“No offense is taken, Aoi-san. In truth, I suspect you may be right.”

The two contestants bowed and took their stances. Kentaro did not bother with a basic stance, but held his
blade parallel to his shoulders, with his weight on his back leg.

Amano smiled. “Yes cousin, he will not fall for simply pretending you are a novice. Now then old friend, how will
you respond?”

Kistuki san took a low stance, his wooden blade held along the length of his waist, tip pointing behind him.

“Oh! Wonderfull!”

I wondered at first what Amano was fussing over, then I saw. Kitsuki-san was leading with his left foot. His
body was covering his hands. He was hiding his intentions from his opponent.

Kitsuki-san was trying to deceive the Scorpion.

“So, this was now a battle of deception vs perception, and the winner would be the one better at both. Is that
about right?”

“Yes, exactly that Ishigaki-san.”

“I don't see how that helps Kitsuki-san though, do you Amano-san?”

There was always a feeling like something was very wrong whenever Monkey managed to say exactly what I
was thinking myself.

“Well, we would not expect to see such things save when sparing against a fellow Bayushi…”

“You're saying the Scorpion are better at tricking people than spotting tricks?”

“It may give the wrong impression, but I suppose you could look at it like that, yes.”

Indeed, the staredown between those two was quite intense. I could almost feel their spirits colliding. People
have said things like that before.. Some of the great treatises on the art of swordplay were often spiritual as
well as practical. Maybe I was finally starting to see the spiritual side of Rokugan. Maybe I was just deluding
myself with sweet poetry.

Kentaro stepped in quickly. Strike First, Strike Last.

He held his blade parallel to his shoulders, tip pointing toward his right side. Pulling back on his rear hand and
moving forward with his front, he slashed at Kitsuki-san's eyes.

Then abruptly reversed his momentum. Returning his blade right where it was, he spun to his right. Driving the
tip of his blade straight at Kitsuki-san's side.

Kitsuki-san leaned back from the slash to his eyes, and closed his own.

He brought his blade up from the low stance. And struck precisely where Kentaro's wrists were.

Hands numbed from the impact, Kentaro dropped his blade before it could reach Kitsuki-san.
Both contestants bowed as a Shugenja came over. Kentaro waved him away, simply massaging his wrists.

Kitsuki-san returned to us.

“You damaged his ego more than his body, I think, my friend. To read him so perfectly, and convince him his
feint had worked”
Then it was my turn.

“I'm Matsu Keji! Glad to meet you!”

A bit informal. Not that I minded in the slightest.

“Likewise, I'm Hida Ishigaki.”

“I've been hoping for a chance to fight you since the Sumai Tournament!”

Matsu Keji was a big fellow. Only shorter than me by a few inches.

We both took high stances. Surprisingly, Hida and Matsu kenjutsu look very similar to one another. But that is
only what is on the surface The Hida style of swordplay leaves more openings than one would expect, intent
on delivering powerful full swings that can cut even a horse and rider both, or an ogre. Just like the Matsu.

But that why they do this comes from two very different places. The Matsu see no need to protect oneself
when your foe should be lying dead at your feet. The Hida style assumes it's students will be in heavy armor.
The openings we leave will be covered by our armor.

Also, while the more advanced techniques of the Matsu continue to hone an invincible offense, the Hida style
begins adding deflections, warding stances, and strikes meant to force your opponent back as one advances in
the school.

Of course, I had yet to advance to those levels of Kenjutsu. So Keji and I were likely going to just hit each other
with wild abandon and see which one falls over first.

The wild grin on his face told me he thought the same thing. And he liked the idea very much. Matsu. Crazy, all
of them.

At the referee's signal, Keji rushed at me. I allowed him to make the first move. I watched and waited as he
rushed at me, and turned my blade just a bit.

His one blade came down, hitting mine. My hands stung from the strength of the impact, but I tensed up my
shoulders and held firm, letting his blow slide down my bokken, and away from me.

I could see he was surprised. It was true I did not know any advanced kenjutsu techniques to defend myself.
Only the basic deflections. But, I knew how to use them very well. Some people do not put as much stock in
the basics as they should.

Keji laughed out loud. “Good! How about this then!”

He whirled while backstepping, snapping his blade at my exposed side with one hand. The circular motion
added momentum to his attack. A crushing tidal wave.

I pivoted my hips, bringing my bokken quickly to my side. As per the principles taught by Kobo Ichi Kai, straight
force must be turned aside, round force must be blocked. However he dipped his blade at the last moment,
striking the very end of my bokken.

I did not have the strength to hold back his assault. And his blade passed by mine and into my hip. He blinked
as my body tensed under his attack.

He was too far back for me to attack. And my feet would not move. This is not good.

He flexed his own hands, and shook his head.

“That was neat trick there! What did you do, when I hit you?”

“I borrowed some of Hida's Strength, that's all.”

“Hah! Well then, I'm coming again!”

His attacks were too good, he struck with the force and then moved away like a river that rushed inexorably
toward the ocean. Though I had no idea how he could do such a thing, his blows rooted my feet to the ground.

A chill ran along my spine. Fear? This man made me afraid? I could not hope to stop his relentless assault.
Then there was only one thing to do. I closed my eyes and focused upon the kata I knew. I would become as
the earth itself, and endure his assaults until I had an opening to strike.

He struck my blade, passed me and hit me across the back as he did so. It was all I could do to turn and face
him.

“Hmm. You know it's no fun if you can't even fight back a little. Or what? Is your plan to break my bokken on
your body or something?”

I managed to keep the tremble out of my voice as I returned his banter. “Oh, I'm sorry were we fighting for real
now? I was just waiting for you to finish running around like a decapitated chicken.”

His eyebrow twitched.

“Bwahaahaha! Man that's good! I like your attitude Hida Ishigaki-san! Fine then, I'll crush you with my next
attack!”

I could see him begin to empty his mind. Keji was still out of my reach so he could take his time. My defense,
though basic was very solid. He hadn't been able to land any decisive blows, only barely reaching me.

He intended to change that.

I had heard the Matsu could paralyze a foe with fear due to the ferocity of their assault. Until this day I did not
realize how powerful that technique truly was. I knew, though, that I could not let his next strike land. But I was
already doing everything I could to cover up, yet he was still breaching my defense.

Very well then. I would have a very narrow window in which to attack him. I had to make it count. I shifted my
stance, letting my own Fire burst forth.

He came at me, and I struck in between his steps. I heard bone crack as I struck his right shoulder. I followed
through and then pulled my blade back, hitting a second time in the ribs.

It was not enough to bring him down.

It was enough that his own attacks were thrown off. His blows landed, and I could tell he had broken several of
my own bones. He did...something... as he struck me. From my vantage point on the receiving end, I couldn't
tell what. My vision swam, but I remained standing.

We turned to face one another again.

He had not moved far enough that I could not reach him this time. I could see his cracked and bruised ribs
were making it hard for him to breath.

He panted at me, “Damn! You're a hard one, aren't you?”

“A bit, yes.”
“Heh.”

He both struck each other again. I could tell he was used to doing battle while injured, and that he had some
technique to further that ability. As did I.

We were both on our last legs it would seem. Our strikes fell upon one another.

I tasted blood. It was harder to breath then ever. I suspected, dimly, that a rib had pierced into one of my lungs.
I planted the tip of my bokken into the floor to hold myself up, coughing up the blood in my mouth. I looked
around. Where was he, where was Keiji-san?

I found him, face down.

I felt a gentle, cool rush. An unpleasant, but not painful, sensation accompanied my bones sliding back into
place. I hacked up some more blood, until I could breathe again. I glanced down and saw the bruises fading
from my body. My Hana-chan was seeing to my injuries.

I glanced over my shoulder and was relieved to see Keji-san sitting up, a Kitsu helping him to his feet. He let
out a whistle.

“You hit pretty hard yourself there, Hida Ishigaki-san! I gotta say though, I thought I shouldn't use that
technique, that I'd kill someone for sure with it! Not did I not kill you, you were still standing!”

“Matsu Keiji-san, you're a beast. I couldn't afford to hold back my blows either. Believe me when I say this: You
hit harder than an Ogre”

“That's some compliment! Thanks!”

We bowed to one another and returned to our seats. All the others, even Amano and Aoi-san, were staring
wide eyed at me.

I closed my eyes. “In a real fight he'd have killed me.”

“No way.”

“It's true. He was able to wound me that much with a bokken. With a real blade in his hands I'd be dead.”

“Why didn't you move and hit him?”

Amano, of all people was the one who answered that: “The Matsu teach a technique that causes their attacks
to bring forth fear in those they strike. It leaves them unable to move. Truthfully, I do not know of many Matsu
who would even think to use it the way Keji-san did though.”

Monkey san scoffed. “Oh come on, I've seen Ishigaki-san stare down Oni!”

“He's telling the truth Monkey. He scared me. I'm not immune to the emotion, after all.”

I said nothing more. I was certain my opponent was not determined by random draw. But I had overcome
Shoji's first, and likely best, challenge. If there was another warrior in the Empire more deadly than Matsu Keiji-
san I had no desire to cross blades with them at least.

The next bout was the Shiba Gunso.

Against Shiba Ayame.

We exchanged confused looks.

“I thought Ayame-san was going to keep a 'low profile', after the issue with my father?”

“We all did, Naomi-sama.”

Amano unfolded his fan and cooled himself while he thought.

Mantis-san growled, “I don't like this. The competition is rough, she shouldn't be in here.”

Monkey pointed out something else, “If she wins, she's going to have to fight Ishigaki.”

That was true. The first match of the next round would be Kitsuki-san against Doji Rei. I would have the winner
of this match.

Kitsuki-san frowned, putting his fan to his lips. “She faces her own Gunso, who is likely far more advanced in
the Shiba style then she is”

Monkey commented again. “It'll be a battle of footwork. Shiba's style teaches more steps than any other
school, to maximize positioning.”

I looked over at him, incredulously.

“Just watch, Ishigaki-san. I'm right.”

I wasn't doubting what had been said, I was doubting that it was Monkey who said it.

The fight began, and Gunso stepped forward. Ayame stepped back.

They did this again. They each stepped to the side, switching their stances up.

Gunso pulled back his blade and let loose a Kiai. Ayame fell back several steps. He simply returned his blade.

So that's his plan. Make her waste energy with excessive maneuvering. He took calm forward steps,sliding his
rear foot so he would always have stable footing.

“Kitsuki-san, do you see that?”

“Yes. The variance is subtle, but that is definitely a distinct step”

Ayame took a short, quick step of her own to close the distance and strike at her gunso. He anticipated it
though. No, the speed of his deflection... he baited her in. He then struck, a slow overhead that she caught on
her own blade. The wooden swords ground together as he pushed strongly.

He overbalanced her, and a scrape as his bokken slid along hers.

And into her eye.

The referee threw himself between the two instantly.

Ayame fell, holding her hand over her eye in shock. Blood leaked from between her fingers.

Naomi rushed in to help her. Another shugenja interposed himself.

“Hida Naomi, please leave her to her own clan”

“But I am a water tensai!”

“Nevertheless, the Phoenix Clan looks after it's own.”

The gunso threw himself down in front of Ayame, head to the ground in a dogeza.

“Forgive me!”

“That sounded like a real plea to me.”

I looked over to Kitsuki-san, arching my eyebrow.

“He means it.”

Monkey snarled.
Monkey snarled.

“That bastard! The gap in their skills was too obvious, he did that on purpose!”

Kitsuki-san grabbed Monkey's wrist.

“It looked just enough like an accident, though.”

“Ishigaki-san.”

“Yeah?”

“This is Shoji's doing, isn't it?”

“Yeah.”

“And now you will face the Gunso next… You will need to restrain yourself, Ishigaki-san”

Amano nodded. “I can assure you, by the time you face him the whole court will know that you were friends
with Ayame-san, and that you hold this against him”

I shot the Scorpion a glare, though our of respect for Kitsuki-san I said nothing. I could not see his eyes of
course.

Amano faced me directly and said, simply, “It has been done before.”

A break was called, so the arena could be cleansed of any negative karma that may have been brought about
by the 'unfortunate accident' and to allow the spectators time to collect themselves.

We went to visit Ayame-san. A bandage wrapped around her head diagonally. Blood stained it over her eye.
She gave us a brave smile.

“It doesn't hurt, the shugenja's magic saw to that. But, they said it was completely crushed, and I will not see
out of it again.”

Naomi threw herself down before Ayame with a cry.

“Forgive me! I could have saved your eye I know it!”

“No, Naomi-sama! No one blames you for this!”

“But, my father!”

“No. A Phoenix did this to me. My Clan, did this to me. You are a Crab, Naomi-sama. Not a Phoenix.”

I sat down heavily, and cupped my face in my hands. I had completely underestimated the depths of Shoji's
vindictiveness, the depths to which he would sink. And to think, I had been worried that it was irresponsible of
me to take my friends and family to Kyuden Hida. The full depth of my folly was made clear to me, when the
people close to me were in less danger within spitting distance of the shadowlands than my father-in-law's
castle.

“Hana-chan. It is not your fault. It is mine.”

I told them about the 'conversation' I had with Shoji. I couldn't quite bring myself to elaborate on the messier
parts. But I conveyed the important part. We had argued, and I had antagonized him.

Amano shook his head.

“I believe Isawa Shoji must have a copy of Tangen's Lies in his library. If you cannot kill an enemy directly,
infuriating them by attacking those close will cause them to make a fatal mistake.

“Ishigaki-san. I do not blame you, either.”

I looked up.

“I would not even be alive now if not for you and your friends. Shoji is a vindictive man. He would have
punished me for not following his plan even without your fight.”

I couldn't help but notice she used no honorific.

“If there is anyone I will hate for this, it is my gunso, who did as he was told even though it was wrong. And the
Shugenja, who made sure this wound would be permanent. I thank you all for your concern, please, let me rest
now.”

We filed out, I was the last to go.

“Leave him intact, for me, Ishigaki-san.”

“Okay.”

The next battle was Monkey, up against Mirumoto Kokoro. No question what style Monkey's opponent would
use.

The bowed. Monkey assumed his stance. Kokoro did not.

Kitsuki-san hissed "The Eight Directions!"

“What.”

“Oh? You know this stance, Kitsuki-san? You are well versed, aren't you?”
“What stance. What the the hell are you talking about you crazy woman? He's just standing there.”

At the referee's signal, the Mirumoto walked up to Monkey. He did not step. He walked.

And Monkey stepped back.

Kokoro snapped his blade at Monkey's neck in time with his own stride, stamping down with his foot as he
attacked. Monkey got his own sword in the way stopping Kokoro's attack. Only for Kokoro to get closer and
stab his short blade at Monkey.

Monkey leapt over the attack.

“Okay. What the hell. This didn't look like Kenjutsu, it looked like two untrained brawlers going at it.”

Kitsuki-san nodded. “Such is the simple grace of the Niten style It seeks to make the swords one with their
wielder, so that every movement and action is as normal as walking.”

Amano agreed. “And the Toku teach that one must always strive to do what must be done. It will be a
wonderful match, each a natural fluid expression of their art.”

I leaned in to Mantis-san. “Those two are out of their minds, aren't they?”

“Yeah.”

“Just checking.”

Monkey made several rapid thrusts, but Kokoro spun his blades in circles. Though Monkey was able to make
two thrusts in the time it took for one blade to make a full circle, Kokoro had two blades. Every blade was
pushed aside as Kokoro closed the gap between them again. Then, when his blades were both outstretched to
his sides, he brought them quickly together attacking Monkey in a pincer maneuver.

Monkey leapt back out of the way of the blades as they whistled past one another. Then launched himself
forward and struck at the Mirumoto as soon as he landed.

Thwak.

Monkey hit Kokoro across the chest. As Monkey passed him Kokoro whirled. His body twisted in the direction
of Monkey's strike, softening the blow. As he spun, Mirumoto Kokoro brought up his blades.

Then brought them down. He caught Monkey on both shoulders. The force of the strikes pushed Monkey down
onto his right knee. Unlike Doji Rei, Monkey's opponent did not pause to look at the referee. Kokoro knew full
well the match was not over. Kokoro was behind Monkey, who was on one knee and unable to move well. And
poised to strike again.

I could hear Kitsuki-san whisper,

“'If the enemy attacks first, kill them.'
'If you attack first, kill them.'
'If you and the enemy attack at the same time, kill them'.”

Though I had actually never read Niten, I assumed that must be what Kitsuki-san was quoting. I realized I had
misconceptions about the Mirumoto style. I had assumed it a defensive style, as it taught the practitioner to
shield oneself with their wakizashi, their honor. The opposite was true.

As the Hida style taught one to let their armor cover the openings left when one attacks, the Mirumoto style
used the short blade to do the same. Kokoro had kept up a constant attack, putting pressure on Monkey from
the moment the match began, let leaving Monkey no opening to safely attack. And now, this match was over.
As Kokoro began to bring his long blade down Monkey snapped his hips. Switched from being on his right
knee to his left knee. And brought his bokken into and through Kokoro's ankle. The Dragon's feet crossed over
one another, and he fell, spoiling his own swing.

Still, Kokoro lashed out with his short blade even as he neared the ground, and struck Monkey on top of his
head.

Kokoro hit the floor. Monkey's head snapped down. But he remained on his knee.

As the referee declared him the winner, he looked up with that stupid grin of his. Monkey's kenjutsu was
nothing special. Like most minor clans it covered the basics yet lacked much of it's own personality. But once
again Monkey showed the Toku bushi was at his best when had no chance of victory.

I heard Mantis-san's whisper plainly “Seriously. How does he do that?!”

Shugenja came up to the contestants, but Monkey whirled and glared at the Isawa nearing him. He exchanged
bows with Kokoro, who still wore a shocked expression of his own.

Then Monkey came over and bowed to Naomi.

“Hida Naomi-sama, please,” Monkey spoke loudly enough for many nearby to hear. “The Phoenix shugenja
are poor healers; they could not save the eye of one of their own. I would rather place myself in your care.”

Amano fluttered his fan. Kitsuki-san just closed his eyes.

“Of course, Toku-san. It is my honor.”

So… Monkey just snubbed the entire Phoenix clan, by suggesting the Hida family was able to produce
Shugenja better at healing magic. That went over about as well as you would expect.

The Isawa Monkey had turned down stormed over and began yelling.

“Just what is that you are saying, Toku-san!”

Monkey looked over even as Naomi healed him. Not bothering with a scroll. She was showing off, just a tiny
bit.

“Did I stutter, Isawa-san? Or am I wrong about Shiba Ayame-san losing the use of her eye forever?”

Monkey. With just a little help from my Hana-chan. Was making the Isawa look incompetent. And they were
doing it on purpose.

As if that wasn't strange enough, I found myself exchanging incredulous glances why Bayushi Amano. It wasn't
the fact that Monkey, and my wife, were upset. We all were quite furious. Nor did I find it all that odd that they
would choose to strike back in some way. Naomi would endure great abuse without a word of complaint. But
should she see someone else being abused she was often the first to act. Monkey, though not as
compassionate as my wife, found deliberate cruelty to be just as offensive. What boggled the mind here was
that after direct warnings from both Kitsuki-san and Amano that I must control my rage, it was these two that
were acting recklessly.

The Isawa, a man about my age with long, thin moustaches drooping past his chin, snarled at Monkey.

“You insult my family and my clan! The Isawa produce the finest shugenja in the Empire and I will prove that! I
demand satisfaction!”
Toshiro stood up.

Really, you too? I said nothing, however.

“As you wish, Isawa-san.”

The Isawa looked up at Toshiro, taken aback.

“I assume you meant to settle this with Taryu-Jiai, did you not?”

The Isawa looked to Naomi.

“Do not look at her. I will be the Champion for my subordinate. She must save her magic to heal the
contestants of this kenjutsu contest.”

The Isawa looked to where Shoji sat. Shoji nodded.

“Fine!”

Well, arguments, and the duels they lead to, were bound to happen once or twice during winter court. I just
didn't expect that Monkey and my wife would be provoking it. At least she wasn't the one fighting it.

So the entire court headed outside into the snow. The elemental forces called up in a shugenja duel could, and
often did, result in collateral damage. So they were often conducted in as open a space as possible.

“I am Isawa Momotaro!”

“I am Kuni Toshiro. Shall we duel with avatars, Momotaro-san?”

The Isawa blinked at that.

Naomi explained to us, “In a Taryu-Jiai it is, difficult to avoid injury. Both parties seek to call up as many Kami
as they can, and throw them at one another. The one who overwhelms the other is the victor.”

Moshi Aoi spoke up, “Hai. This method stems from the fact that it was trying to be faithful to the nature and
spirit of an Iaijutsu duel between bushi, after all.”

Naomi took over again, “It is possible for a Shugenja who can use the strongest magics to instead create an
avatar of their chosen element. This allows for safer duels, as the avatars battle one another, rather than the
shugenja battling directly.”

Mantis-san spoke up, “So Toshiro-sama just told that Isawa he is a really powerful shugenja?”

“Hai.”

We all looked on awaiting the Isawa's reply.

“No, a standard duel will do just fine.”

Toshiro nodded. “So you can't make one then.”

Aoi-san giggled behind her sleeve. “He's making his opponent angry already, pointing out Momotaro-san's
weakness.”

The two faced off, and stared at one another.

Naomi spoke, “First they extend their senses, opening their minds eye to the Kami. They will try to see what
kami their opponent intends to call, and how strong their connection is.”

It didn't look to me like Toshiro was doing that. While Momotaro was staring intently, Toshiro was leaning on his
tetsubo with a bored look on his face. I saw the Isawa's eyes widen with shock.

Naomi smiled. “He sees just how powerful Toshiro is now. He will surrender.”

Aoi-san shook her head. “I don't think he will Naomi-sama. He seems to proud to just give up like that.”

Aoi was correct, the Isawa began to pray. So did Toshiro.

Naomi shook her head. “Oh, that fool…”

The snow began to swirl about, forming up and changing into great chunks of ice around the Isawa. The earth
itself rose up and flowed around Toshiro. Toshiro's eyes were glowing with a green light, and his hair and
Kimono whipped about as though in a storm. Isawa Momotaro's eyes burned blue, his hair spreading out in a
fan like a person floating in a pond.

Then the ice and the earth rushed towards one another and collided. As both shugenja chanted, more and
more of their element poured into the swirling chaos that was the battle.

And the the roiling ball where their attacks collided burst. I had to shield my eyes the light was so bright.

When I could see, the Isawa was laying a good ten feet away from where he had been standing. I could tell
because his sandals were still where he had been. Toshiro had been forced back as well; there were clear
marks in the snow showing where he had been pushed.

Another Phoenix ran to check Momotaro.

“He's alive!”

With the assistance of a Shiba they got Isawa Momotaro up and moving.

Toshiro thumpdraged his way back to us. Toshiro waved Naomi away.

“This scrapes are not even worth your effort, I only need a nights rest.”

“What about the pain?”

“What pain?”

“Oh. If you are certain then.”

“I am. Save your magic for those who need it.”

A lunch break was called, most likely to allow tempers to cool after that display.

“You think any more trouble will come from that little display?”

Kitsuki-san nodded. “Officially the matter is resolved. The duel is over. Unofficially however we can expect
reprisals. However, I do not believe there will be significant increase over what negative attention we will
already receive. None of the Phoenix shugenja will aid us after this, that's about it.”

I had to make certain of something though.

“What about Naomi? She was part of it.”

“No, as I said the matter is resolved legally. Now, someone may try to pick a fight with her over some trivial
thing because they are upset over this…“

“But I would not rise to such things, Ishigaki-kun.”

Good.

Mantis-san ate lightly since he was going to be battling next. We wished him luck and returned to our seats.
We were indeed getting dirty glares from the Phoenix Shugenja in the room. I made it a point to glare at
anyone who gave Naomi the stink eye. The hostility became less open after I won a few staring contests.

Mantis-san would be facing Kakita Sakurada. It was true the Kakita were more known for their single strike
style, their emphasis in Iaijutsu. But they did not neglect more basic Kenjutsu training either. Naturally, their
Kenjutsu had evolved to build off the fundamental principles of their Iaijutsu training, for when a duel lasted
beyond the first strike, or on the battlefield. Namely they relied heavily on speed, the way Hida relied on armor.

While I was considering that, I realized I knew nothing at all about the Mantis styles of Kenjutsu.

“So... Mantis Kenjutsu…”

Kitsuki-san and Monkey turned slowly to look at me.

“It's pretty... good. Good at that thing, right?”

The light in their eyes died a little as they realized I was ignorant of his technique even after all this time.

Aoi-san was the one who answered me.

“I would say it is not good at that thing, or anything for that matter. The Yoritomo are sailors, it would not do for
ones katana to be knocked from your hand and washed overboard after all. Their use of easily replaceable
weapons like kama is a practical choice. Tsuruchi, the Wasp clan founder, broke his own Katana. It was not
until the after the Mantis as a whole gained great clan status that the Wasp began to practice any form of
swordplay. My own family has a simple style, for the Guardians of the Sun. So, we are now pooling our
knowledge, to make up for the primary bushi families of our clan having almost no kenjutsu technique at all.”

“I see. So, what you're saying is, is that Mantis-san is fucked.”

Amano shook his head. “I wouldn't say that Ishigaki-san. Both you and Toku-san showed the strength of your
school, despite lacking in advanced Kenjutsu training yourselves.”

I looked at Amano.

“Really? Fine then. I've got 5 koku on the Crane.”

“Ishigaki!”

My wife followed up her chastisement with a light elbow. She must have thought I was joking, or she would be
more upset with me, I think.

“I'll take that bet!” Monkey, of course.

“Naomi-sama is right Ishigaki-san! Betting against your friend is horrible!”

“Thanks for the money, Monkey.”

The two bowed and fell into their stances. The Crane stood still, looking calmly at Mantis-san. Who ran
forward, past the Crane and struck at his hip in passing.

The Crane pivoted, catching Mantis-san's blade. A second clack followed the first as Sakurada-san anticipated
Mantis-san's follow up. Then Sakurada-san moved.

I had seen Mantis-san make use of his constant motion in battle before, I knew he could use his momentum to
avoid attacks or to bowl over opponents. Given the rules of the tournament, he opted for the latter. I wasn't
sure if using the former would have helped him, though.

Sakurada-san was able to gauge Mantis-san's strength well. He moved his blade with speed, aiming for
Mantis-san's temple. Only to allow his blade to quickly slide off of Mantis-san's.

Amano whispered, “Oh, A feint!”

Having drawn Mantis-san's blade out of position, the Crane struck him in the side. Then brought his bokken
down on Mantis-san's wrists. Mantis-san's bokken clattered to the floor.

Kakita Sakurada bowed to Mantis-san and returned to his seat. I took Monkey's money.

“Ishigaki!”

I gave her the money before she could elbow me again.

“I'm just thinking of our future, Hana-chan.”

“Ishigaki-san, if you need money you can just ask…”

“But that would be a loan. I earned this koku.”

“Uh…”

Naomi looked at the money I had handed her.

“Forgive me, Toku-san.”

She put the money away, blushing as she did so.

Next up, a Dragon and a Unicorn. Another small woman, with red hair. Not the lightly reddish brown of some
Lion, but a vibrant gaijin red, clearly betraying some foreign ancestry. She was lean and well muscled, stripped
to the waist save a sarashi wrapping around her modest chest.

“I am Moto Li-Ta! Prepare yourself!”

The Mirumoto facing her was a thin fellow himself. Lean and lanky, with a shaven head. He was going topless
as well A tattoo of a dragon coiled from his shoulder down his right arm and ended at his wrist. This Mirumoto
was only carrying a single blade.

“My name is Mirumoto Sen. I am always prepared.”

“Hello, Mirumoto!”
“Hello, Moto.”

They took their stances.

“Oh, I see what you meant about the Moto style, Ishigaki-san.”

I looked at the two.

“So, that isn't Niten?”

Kitsuki-san pursed his lips.

“No. And I am surprised to see a Taoist swordsman here.”

“A what now?”

“Samurai who seek enlightenment through mastery of the sword, as did Mirumoto and Kakita. Though they
choose their own path, rather then follow either of those two. They train alongside the Togashi.”

“Is that tattoo...?”

“No. They train with the Togashi, but they are not monks.”

“Oh, okay.”

“What do you think Ishigaki-san?”

“About what?”

“The Unicorn!”

“Oh. I think she's in trouble. I'm also wondering why the Unicorn keep sending out chibis to fight.”

Monkey looked at me.

“You know Unicorn can fight without being on a horse, right?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Yes Monkey, I know. But the Moto style is meant to be used with their gaijin blades. maybe a no-dachi or
nagamaki… She won't be able to bring out her strength with that bokken.”

Kitsuki-san nodded.

“I agree. Furthermore, the Moto style is best suited to the battlefield. Not a formalized match like this.”

“Oh.”

Moto Li-Ta made the first move. With a ferocious kiai she hurled herself at her foe, swinging her blade one
handed and seemingly wildly. I knew it was not undisciplined recklessness, however.

The Moto school was strongly influenced by Fire. All Kenjutsu styles, indeed all forms of personal combat are
connected to fire in some way. But the Hida fight in the style of Earth. The Mantis in the style of Water. The
Shiba, fight in the style of Void. As do the Mirumoto and Kakita, for both those men sought to understand the
whole of the world through their mastery of the blade. The Moto, like the Matsu, were warriors of Fire. Their
burning rage consumed their enemies and scattered them to the winds.

The Taoist met her Fire with his own. Surprisingly, there were no tricks used in this battle, no techniques. Just
simple force colliding with simple force. The two struck each other repeatedly exchanging blows

Then.

“Mate!”

The Dragon signaled his surrender. The Moto woman sagged, panting heavily. She had several red welts on
her body that were already darkening up into deep bruises. It was then that I saw the Dragon was cradling his
arm. A lump that could only be a broken bone distorted his tattoo.

A pair of Phoenix came and tended to them. They bowed again and made way for the final match of the day.

The first to step up was a Shiba.

“My name is Shiba Asahi.”

He faced a Lion.

“I am Akodo Yohsi.”

Monkey's jaw dropped.

“I know that name! He's a Kensei!”

Ooooh. Now I was curious. The Kensei were quite famous. They were trained to fight like water, they sought to
master every possible use of the sword, so they could adapt to every situation and foe they might one day
face. I wasn't the only one watching intently as these two squared off.

The techniques samurai used in combat did not come into being of their own accord, nor were they all gifts
imparted to mankind by the Kami. It was a long process of study, testing in combat, and refinement over the
course of decades, even centuries. It begins with basic knowledge of how to use a weapon. Very basic.

The first techniques you learn are equally applicable with Katana, wakizashi, or no-dachi. They were then
refined to work only with a single type of weapon. Some of the things you could with a no-dachi you could not
do with a katana. In their quest to master the blade, great swordsmen went even further. They combined
several techniques into Kata. The elemental stances were the first Kata, and now form the basis for all forms of
combat, and are taught in every dojo in the Empire.

It was only by combining several Kata that the highest techniques used by the great clans were born. The
Kensai of the Lion clan studied Kata deeply, ingraining them so thoroughly that they could shift from stance to
stance and form to form without effort. It is said that only the Kenku were better with the sword, and indeed, it
was a Kenku who taught the first Kensai. Given that Kensai were taught to master the step between basic
ability and high technique, which were still being created at the dawn of the Empire when the older races had
more contact with humanity, I could believe that.

A Shiba bushi was hardly inflexible though. A Mirumoto or Kakita seeks to understand the world through
mastery of their blade. From one thing, know ten thousand things. A Shiba approaches the world with a broad
mind, seeking to understand the unity of all. From ten thousand things, know one thing.

No one said anything, all were too focused on this bout.

The two warriors faced one another. The Shiba shifted his stance first. The Lion followed suit.
Step and shift.
Counter step, shift.
Step and shift.
Counter step, shift.

Kiai!

Akodo Yoshi struck as Shiba Asahi was mid step, closing the distance between the two faster than should have
been possible. If Asahi was caught off guard he did not show it, his face calm and passive as he shifted mid
step and leapt back out of Yoshi's reach. Shiba's movement was natural, practiced.

So this then was the advanced stepping of the Shiba School. I began to realize I undervalued such a simple
thing. Yoshi calmly returned his sword to a neutral position, taking a new stance. This time he held his blade
high, above his shoulder, edge to the heavens and tip pointing at Asahi.

The Shiba fell into a stance as he landed, but upon seeing the Lion's stance he began to shift again.

Kiai!

Again Yoshi struck while the Shiba was in mid movement. Two blindingly fast thrusts came at Asahi, who
sidestepped and tried to deflect. Though out of position he reacted with astonishing speed, a smoothness I
recognized from all the times Naomi's Yojimbo had done so.

Yet, for all that speed the Lion's focused precision won out, his bokken finding Asahi's shoulder. Asahi was
pushed by the thrust, and pivoted his hips to turn with the blow, slowing it to glance off his shoulder instead of
dislocating it.

I could tell the Shiba was swimming deep in the void now. How long could he touch the space between all
things I wondered? Everyone could find those moments of perfect clarity, where thought and action became
one. Monks said this was the ideal state of living, that the Enlightened were as one with all things at all times,
and pursued it their whole lives. So did the finest warriors, whose skill transcended the physical and entered
into a spiritual realm. But a person who had achieved Enlightenment was a very rare thing. Someone so in
tune with the world would appear less than once in several centuries. Eventually, Asahi's concentration would
slip.

Even as he fell back from the Lion's thrust, Asahi finally made his own move, sweeping low to high and then
back down in a single motion. Yoshi stepped to the side of the first strike, deflected the second off of his blade.
And snapped a strike at the top of Asahi's head.

The Shiba interposed his blade, but Yoshi adjusted his strike and hit his wrists instead. Asahi managed to hold
onto his blade, and countered. Only for the Lion to not be where he was aiming.

Instead the Lion had fallen to knee, and spun striking the Shiba in the knee, taking his leg out from under him.

Asahi fell. The Kensai had won.

Shoji was not pleased with that. The Karo was sweating a bit as he confirmed the lineup for the next day's
events.

Doji Rei vs Kitsuki Takeshi

Hida Ishigaki vs Shiba Hotaru
Toku Satoshi vs Kakita Sakurada
Moto Li-Ta vs Akodo Yoshi

-
We ate dinner amongst the courtiers, because three of our group had advanced to the second round. Aoi was
unable to sit beside Kitsuki-san, so she settled for sitting across from him instead. Everyone was discussing
the day's displays loudly, many bringing up the differences between a spar like this and a battlefield. I was not
the only one who was certain that Matsu Keiji would have slain me in a real fight. I did notice most of those
who said so wore red, orange and yellow.

The other topic most discussed, but in hushed tones to those nearest the speaker, was the animosity between
the host and my own group. Of course it had not gone unnoticed.

“...is his daughter?”

“...accusations…”
“...emerald...jade…”
“...bushi…”
“...very upset…”

Well.

I did my best to ignore the gossip. Though I could feel many eyes on me. Word was getting around, though
neither Shoji nor I acknowledged the relationship, that he was my father-in-law.

I caught one Asahina giving Naomi a disapproving stare over her sleeve. I stared at her until she noticed me.
Her fan fluttered as she dropped her gaze. The Ikoma beside her hid his mouth behind his sleeve, but I saw his
eyes crinkle up. They way they would if one were smiling.

Fine, let them share a joke at my expense. But not at Naomi's.

Kitsuki-san leaned over, hiding his mouth with his hand as though he were chewing food.

“They are hoping to bait you into a rude display.”

“I can tell that.”

I didn't bother to hide my response. In fact, I spoke just loudly enough that some around us could hear.

“They should be careful what they wish for.”

The whispering nearest us died down a bit, as cold eyes appraised me. I calmly ate some more rice.

“Oops!” followed by an embarrassed giggle.

“How clumsy…”

I glanced over. Aoi had dropped a piece of shrimp.

Right into her cleavage.

This got a lot of attention, needless to say. She fished the shrimp out with her chopsticks set in on a plate, and
handed it off to a servant. Then wiped herself clean. She now had the undivided attention of the entire table.

I wasn't sure if she was trying to defuse the subtle tension in the air, or just trying to seduce Kitsuki-san. Likely
both.

I glanced towards Naomi out of the corner of my eye. She was looking at me. I smiled, with my eyes closed
and whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
“I was just reminded of my favorite sake cup.”

Naomi tilted her head, then her eyes widened as she realized what I had been talking about. She had to look
away, going very very red. But she squeezed my hand under the table.

Once dinner was over we took our baths and returned to our rooms. I had had Daiko and Tetsute brought to
our rooms from where the children usually slept. I would not underestimate Shoji again. Naomi gave me sad
look as she saw them here.

“You really think he would do such a thing, Ishigaki-kun?”

I could tell her sadness came from the fact that she was no longer certain that he would not.

“I think I will not take that chance.”

Naomi looked down.

“Hai. That is reasonable”

The children were looking at us both. They could sense their mothers mood.

“Help me, Naomi?”

“With what?”

I moved over to the stand where my armor rested.

“...oh.”

Naomi told the children to sit still. She had a tone she could use with them that conveyed seriousness, without
any hint of anger or disapproval, that got their immediate attention nonetheless. They both sat quietly. Not
formally, but quietly. I could see their eyes widen bit by bit as Naomi helped me into my armor. They had seen
me in my armor a few times when I would return home; they had never seen me put it on before.

I could do it myself, all Crabs could don their armor unaided. But it was a tricky thing to do. There were many
laces to be tied. Most samurai needed several servants to don a full suit of armor.

Bit by bit I readied my spirit as I donned my armor. The ritual to don one's armor brought forth their full warrior
spirit. Preparing you to kill, to be killed. That is part of the reason it is taboo to wear ones armor in another
clan's territory. Even traveling through bandit infested lands, the act of donning your armor was declaring your
intent to do battle. In extreme cases, even one armored samurai could be seen as a declaration of war.

Daiko and Tetsute were both staring open mouthed now. For a Hida bushi, their armor is like a second skin.
We train in it. We even sleep in it. And we know every shortcut to donning it, so that we can put it on without
aid faster than anyone else. As such we are better able to call up our marital spirit. We can go from relaxed to
unrestrained violence in an instant. Or vice versa.

As such, while my children had seen me in armor, this was the first time they had been exposed to my killing
intent, even though it was not directed at anything as of yet. They bore it well. Daiko scootched across the floor
when I was done dressing, and reached up to touch my suneate. She smiled. Tetsute then followed his sisters
lead.
Naomi got the children dressed for bed. She curled up with one on either arm and slept. I sat beside the door
to our room, ankles crossed, with my tetsubo resting across my knees. Nothing and no one would harm them
while they slept. I would see to that. I emptied my mind, meditating, and kept watch over my family.

I got out of my armor and returned it to it's stand once the children decided they were hungry and woke Naomi
up. Then we all went down to breakfast. Four matches today. Two in the morning, two in the afternoon.

We were joined by Amano-san, Aoi-san, and Ayame-san. Ayame know wore a simple strip of black silk to cover
her eye. While I pondered the spiritual significance of the arrival of the triple A-team the others engaged in the
far less important task of discussing the coming bouts.

Aoi was certain of Kitsuki-san's victory.

“After all, that Rei woman is an archer, not a swordswoman. She only won her first match because he
opponent let his guard down”

Mantis disagreed.

“She's still a bushi, And Kitsuki-san is still a courtier.”

“But Takeshi-san is well trained, she stands no chance!”

Did that woman just call Kitsuki-san by his first name? Everyone caught that. Kitsuki-san sighed.

“Please do not be so familiar with me, Moshi-san.”

“Oh, Kistuki-kun! Why are you being so cold!”

She leaned in and looked at him, fake hurt in her eyes.

I chuckled. “Yeah, Kistuki-kun, you should be nicer to our new friend.”

Kitsuki-san tried to light my beard on fire with his stare. I didn't work out for him.

“Besides,” I continued.”It doesn't really matter who wins this next match because neither of those two can beat
me.”

Mantis-san scoffed.

“Getting a little ahead of yourself there?”

“That Shiba was better than Ayame, but not up to calibre of the other contestants. I may as well have a bye.”

Monkey nodded.

“Ishigaki-san's right about that much at least. Only way the Shiba advances is if Ishigaki gets disqualified for
accidentally killing him. But then he wouldn't be able to put up much of fight in the next round, y'know?”

Eyes were closed. Nose bridges were pinched. Temples were rubbed.

Mantis-san growled. “One day Monkey, I'm going to hurt you the way you hurt me.”

“Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!”

Big Ass Monkey Grin.

The first match of the Second round began.

Kitsuki-san took his stance, one foot forward, front knee bent, sword gripped at waist height, point aimed at his
opponent. It doesn't get more basic than that. Rei mirrored his stance.

To my surprise neither of them shifted stances. I glanced over to Aoi-san.

She had gotten changed right before the match and came back in something...normal. The disappointment
was palpable. The fact that it was brought out a few scowls from some of the ladies of the court. Rei was one.

Finally, Rei stepped in to strike. Kitsuki-san did the same.

Rei checked her blow and leapt back..

Monkey whispered, “Did you guys see that?”

“Of course we did. But, just to be sure we all saw the same thing what did you see, Monkey?”

“It looked to me like Kitsuki-san moved the same way she did, at the same time.”

“Bullshit.”

Aoi shook her head. “It's not. His memory is flawless, after all. He's exploiting the limits of her Daidoji style”

“Hah?”

She stepped to his side, and he mirrored her again. I saw only a slight delay, certainly not long enough for me
to have recognized what she was doing and copy it

“I see.”

Amano joined in.

“Yes, in a one on one situation like this her technique is limited to mostly basics that are taught in all dojo's. In
other words, there is no move she can make that he cannot already replicate.”

Aoi nodded.

“And since he had time to study her before he can spot her tells easily.”

Rei began to shift her stance, and Kitsuki-san followed her. If I wasn't seeing him do it with my own eyes I
would have said this was impossible.

Rei had enough, with a snarl of rage she rushed in a attacked. Too reckless, by far. Kitsuki-san deflected both
her strikes then brought the pommel of his bokken at her face.

As she recoiled he stopped then quickly struck her wrist. A loud crack announced he had broken it. Doji Rei fell
to her knees, clutching her wrist and biting her lip.

Kitsuki-san waited until a shugenja had tended to her, then exchanged bows and returned to us.

“Did you seriously do what it looked like you were doing out there?!”
“Yes, I did.”

Toshiro looked at him.

“So why don't you do that more often?”

“I would need to know an opponent thoroughly, for starters to guess what they will do that fast. I would also
need an opponent who only knows techniques I do. I cannot learn new movements just by watching them, I
would have to practice to ingrain them into myself. And if those movements are not taught by my school, it
would be detrimental to learn them to that extent. Lastly, it only works if my opponent allows themselves to be
goaded by that.”

“How did you know Rei would?”

“I didn't. I took a gamble”

Huh. Well then.

I left to prepare myself for my match. Shiba Ayame intruded upon my meditation.

“Hida Ishigaki-sama?”

Very formal.

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to make sure you remembered your promise…”

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

“Is it because you want to take revenge yourself?”

She looked away.

“Is that wrong?”

“Not at all.”

She looked back at me, surprised.

“Naomi is the kind of person who would say revenge only begets more revenge, or something like that.
Personally, I think you have every right to look him in the eyes as you extinguish their light. So long as you
aren't planning anything stupid.”

“Uh, no. I mean, I don't really know what I'm planning…”

I folded my arms.

“I can't believe I'm about to say this, but… I think you should speak to Bayushi Amano-san.”

“Huh?!”
“Nobody does revenge like the Scorpion. Obviously you don't want him to handle it for you, but he can at least
advise you on the best ways to get your former Gunso into a duel. That is what you want right? To best him in
a fair fight? Otherwise there really isn't any point in me holding back.”

“Yes, that is what I want.”

“Alright then. Go to Amano. Tell him to give you the Ishigaki discount on his advice.”

“What's the Ishigaki discount?”

“The discount Scorpions give out when they don't want a Crab pissed off at them for taking advantage of
someone that Crab likes.”

She smiled at me.

“Thank you, Hida Ishigaki-sama.”

“You don't have to be so formal with me, you know?”

“As you wish, Ishigaki-sama.”

I still didn't feel right, hearing her address me as -sama, but I guess it was true that I outranked her. For that
matter, I always felt a little odd whenever anyone addressed me as -sama. Of all the things in court life I had
gotten used to, outranking people was the one thing I could never get a hold on. I had never desired
promotions before, nor holdings. I had never expected to live long enough to attain any rank worth mentioning.
How a simple warrior such as myself found himself rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the
empire, I will never understand. Let the philosophers and sages argue about it, if they want.

I had heads that needed a good cracking.

I entered the arena. Shiba Hotaru faced me calmly. I had promised I wouldn't do anything permanent. But I'll be
damned if I don't make him pay in some way. I pulled my arms inside my kimono, and thrust them up through
the opening in it's front, reminding the Shiba he was now facing a large, scarred wall of muscle.

An angry, large, scarred wall of muscle. I saw the corner of his eye twitch, just a little.

He bowed. I just took my stance. He stood for a moment, then rushed at me, trying to knock the boken from my
hand. I held my grip, locked up our blades and shoved him back.

Hotaru backpedaled, but kept to his feet.

Good. I didn't want this to end too quickly.

I began to stalk him, walking instead of stepping. My sword resting on my shoulder. Showing utter contempt for
his skill. He tried to make me pay for that by thrusting at my chest.

I didn't even bother trying to avoid it.

He looked at me in horror, as I swung my own bokken at his side, hard. He managed to deflect it. So I swung
again, at the same spot. Of course he deflected that one as well. But I knew his palms were stinging when he
re-tightened his grip. I knew I was getting to him.

So I spread my arms wide apart, offering him a free shot. He stared, incredulously.
And took it.

I didn't so much as flinch as his bokken slammed into my chest. Nor did I attack him. I just scratched at my
chest

“Is that all?”

I stared into his eyes. He dropped his gaze.

Then his bokken.

“Hai. I surrender.”

I slid my kimono back on and left.

There was a break for lunch in between the first two bouts and the last two. Katsuie-sama asked me, Toshiro
and Naomi to join him for a private lunch.

“First, I should congratulate you, Ishigaki-san. I do not know quite how I feel about the way you disrespected
your opponent in your last match, but I must admit making him admit defeat was impressive.”

I opened my mouth to explain myself, but he held up a hand.

“No. I know full well why you did what you did. Everyone does. Which is why I said I do not know quite how I
feel. If you had done that to any of the other contestants, I would be very upset with you.”

There was just a tiny hint of warning in Katsuie-sama's tone.

“I understand Hida Katsuie-sama.”

“Good, good.”

He poured me a fresh cup of tea, silently declaring he considered the matter dropped.

“I suppose it is all well and good that you so humiliated the only Phoenix to advance to the second round.”

Oh. Oh shit.

Toshiro spoke. “So, it's official then, Katsuie-sama?”

“Hai. I do not like it, but Yasuki-san assures me that the deal is very good for our clan.”

He spoke at some length about return on investment, market forces, other things I do not understand, nor
would I care to. Suffice to say that in the worst case, even with the value of the Crane rice increased we will
still see no loss on our own dealings. And we most likely will come out ahead this year. If we do well, we may
even have some grain left over for next year.

Toshiro and I were shocked at that. Most every Crab soldier had, at some point or another, been feed lesser
grains like millet. The Yasuki did there best, but sometimes there just wasn't enough rice to feed the Clan for
the year. An actual surplus? Just the possibility of one would get the Clan's undivided attention.

“Will you be able to endure this, Hida Naomi-san?”

Naomi looked Katsuie-sama in the eyes.

“Hai. I am Crab now. My children are Crab. I will do what is best for my Clan.”

“I understand this is a difficult time for you, and I want you to know the Clan appreciates your efforts.”

“Please, Katsuie-sama, this much is expected, is it not?”

“True, yet I would be remiss if I were to ignore the position you are in. I am not so heartless. Here, I want you
to have this.”

He pushed over a bag. Naomi bowed.

“Please Katsuie-sama, I am not doing anything praiseworthy! When I took my marriage vows I knew I was
leaving my old Clan behind!”

“Yet your family will always be your family, and now we do battle against them. Your heart carries a great
burden.”

“My family are also Crab, my children are Crab! They need this rice as well!”

“You are a fine person Naomi-san. Loyalty, compassionate, with strong magic and a gift for healing. Though
you detest war you set aside your feelings for the good of the Clan. For this I, at the very least, must thank
you.”

“Very well, Katsuie-sama.”

Naomi accepted the bag he had offered. She did not open it, it was rude to open a gift in front of the giver. We
did not speak of anything else heavy during lunch, instead Katsuie-sama gave a lengthy discourse on the
cultivation of tea leaves.

When lunch was over we returned to our rooms. The others were there already.

Amano greeted me first, “The 'Ishigaki discount'?”

He smirked a bit.

“I hope you aren't planning on handing that out willy nilly.”

“Nah. In the first place it's a small miracle I recommended you at all.”

“True. Still it is a marked improvement in our relationship, and I will treasure this moment my entire life.”

To my surprise, I couldn't detect even a trace of sarcasm. He couldn't really mean that, could he? No Ishigaki,
of course not, That's just how the Scorpion lure you in.

Naomi opened Katsuie-sama's gift then.

Seeds.

“What are these?”

“Oh! Kitsuki-san, are these...?”

“Seeds for tea leaves, yes.”

“So that's why he had gone on and on about growing tea leaves. I wonder if these are from his own crop?”

Toshiro looked at the seeds.

“Most likely, Ishigaki-san.”

“Wow, that's neat!”

Monkey looked at the seeds.

“So, what did you do to earn that reward?”

Everyone looked at him.

“Huh? What did I say?”

Kitsuki-san shook his head. “Even Mantis-san knows, Monkey. How can you be so oblivious”

“Hey! 'Even Mantis-san'?!”

Kitsuki-san ignored Mantis-san's protest. Monkey just looked around.

“Okay, fine I get it. I'm dense. Will someone just spell it out for me?”

Amano answered him.

“The Crab have accepted the deal, and now support war between the Mantis and Phoenix.”

Monkey's face fell like a Oni no Tsubaru shoved off the south side of the wall.

“Oh. I'm sorry, Naomi-sama.”

“I have been hearing that a lot. I am fine, really. There is no-”

She broke off into a coughing fit. I caught her, Toshiro called forth some fire kami to get the tea going, Kitsuki-
san produced her medicine, and Monkey got the tea set. Daiko handed him the cup herself.

So, she has begun to understand about her mother's illness. Tetsute just chewed on his knuckles looking
confused, but knowing something was wrong. Mantis-san knelt beside him, and patted his head to soothe him.
Once the fit had passed, and Naomi had rinsed out her mouth, she sipped at her tea. It had not been very bad,
comparatively, She was able to hold her own cup and drink without help.

After a few minutes she spoke. “Like I was saying, I am fine. The Crab clan needs that rice. My children need
that rice.”

Everyone nodded and let the matter drop. No sense bringing it up over and over again. That would only make
it harder on her.

Monkey changed the subject.

“So, any tips for me in my match?”

“No, I can't think of anything. You should, by all rights, lose handily. Which means you'll win.”

Monkey blinked.
“Hah?”

Mantis-san agreed with me.

“It's just what you do, Monkey.”

Kitsuki-san nodded firmly.

“We've all come to accept that fact now.”

“Um. Thanks for the vote of confidence guys. I think…”

As we headed towards the ad-hoc arena Ayame tugged at my sleeve.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“It was my pleasure.”

And that was true.

Kakita Sakurada was already waiting for Monkey. Monkey shot us one last 'Really? No tips?' look before
heading in. He scratched his sideburn while the Crane stood and faced him.

They bowed and took their stances.

The Crane adopted a stance I'd never seen before. His feet were shoulder width apart, and he raised up on the
balls of his feet. He faced Monkey squarely, with his bokken at held at waist height. Edge to Heaven, point
towards Sakurada's rear. His left hand open and resting on the end of the handle, right hand also open, with
the top of the handle near where the tsuba would be on a real sword resting in the nock of his thumb and
forefinger. All I could see was a man begging to be disarmed and knocked on his ass.

Kitsuki-san however…

“This stance! It's a Kenshinzen stance!”

“Whoah, what?”

“Among the Kakita there is an elite group. As the Defender of the Wall is the best of the best of the Crab Clan
when combating the Shadowlands, the Kenshinzen are the best of the best Iaijutsu duelists the Crane clan can
produce. And they only ever get better with each new entrant. Because in order to become a Kenshinzen, one
must first defeat a Kenshinzen in a fair duel. When the Crane must win a battle, it is these warriors who often
turn the tide. They enter in the fray, hunting down enemy officers, taking their heads and throwing the enemy
into chaos. So of course, their Kenjutsu in no joke either, since resheathing your blade after every strike is a bit
impractical in the midst of a raging battlefield.

Neither were the typical soft bishounen one typically associates with Crane duelists
It simply wasn't possible to avoid injury when in open warfare.
A squishy bishy would never live long enough to be able to penetrate deep into enemy territory

Now more than I was certain of it. Monkey was going to win.

Monkey took a step towards the Crane. Who then sprang off the balls of his feet, changing his grip in the air
and slashing at Monkey. Monkey had no hope of avoiding the blow.
The Crane struck him solidly on the shoulder, pulled his blade back up, and rapped monkey on the head for
good measure. Monkey stumbled and staggered back from the assault, rubbing at his head.

“Ow! That kinda hurt, y'know!”

Sakurada blinked. A long, slow, catlike blink. Then reset his stance.

I chuckled softly.

“That damn Monkey…”

Aoi looked at me.

“What is it, Ishigaki-san?”

“He's tougher than he looks. I'm like a big rock, but he's more like bamboo.”

“I...see.”

Monkey tried to take the Crane off guard, going from rubbing his head to slashing at Sakurada in an instant.
But the Kakita sprang again. I saw now the point of his feet placement. It was true that his balance was
precarious, with his heels up off the ground. But his hakama hid the fact that his knees were slightly bent, so
that he could spring in any direction he needed at a moment's notice. A solid blow would almost certainly take
him off his feet.

Good luck landing a solid blow. Fortunately for Monkey, Luck was his special skill. Monkey followed through
chasing after the Kakita. Monkey took a swipe at the Kakita's legs, but pulled his blade up as it traveled.

As Sakurada dodged again, Monkey managed to clip his ankle mid air. The Crane landed awkwardly, but did
not fall. He lashed out at Monkey, more to keep Monkey off of him than to actually hit.

Monkey however, was still in pursuit. And so he ran right into the Crane's thrust. Monkey twisted his body,
letting Sakurada's bokken glance off his body and slide past him. So that he could get inside the Crane's
range.

Monkey struck, then, three rapid thrusts of his own, all to the Crane's sternum. Kakita Sakurada's eyes bulged
as all the air was expelled from his body. He fell to one knee, gasping like a fish out of water, and tried to
recover his breath.

Monkey was moving awkwardly however. The Crane's strikes had taken their toll. However, Kakita Sakurada
had clearly gotten the worst of that exchange.

Kitsuki nodded. “It's over.”

And it was.

Monkey stomped heavily forward, batted aside the Kakita's bokken and struck him once more, squarely on the
top off his head. Sakurada's eyes rolled up into his skull and he fell over face first. Once the Crane hit the floor,
Monkey dropped down onto his ass.

“Naomi-sama!” He whinned.

She got up and ran to him. Aoi blinked in surprise. Even Amano was open mouthed.

“You were all correct, it seems…”

Mantis-san shrugged.

“That's Monkey for you. He's good at doing the impossible.”

Mantis-san glared at Amano then.

“But if you ever tell him I said that I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to you, understand?”

Amano smiled, unconcerned in the least with Mantis-san's threat.

“Perfectly.”

Monkey and Naomi then rejoined us. I congratulated him on his victory.

“Looking forward to kicking your ass in the final, Monkey.”

Aoi looked at me.

“Don't you mean you're looking forward to watching Takeshi-san defeat Monkey in the final?”

Kitsuki-san's eyebrow twitched. I did my best to respond innocently.

“No.”

Kitsuki-san's eyebrow twitched again. Aoi tittered behind her fan.

“But Ishigaki-san! Strong though you may be, Kitsuki-san has known you for years! There is nothing you can
do to catch him off guard!“

“Then I won't bother with tricks. I'll just him really hard. That seems to work out for me more often than not…”

Kitsuki-san finally opened his eyes and looked at me.

“I wish you luck in our upcoming match, Ishigaki-san.”

His tone was colder than I had expected. The grin on my face died immediately. Kitsuki-san could get annoyed
from time to time, but he wasn't one to let banter get the best of him.

“However, I cannot afford to lose to you. Especially since you so handily defeated the Shiba”

“Oh. I see.”

Kitsuki-san's eyes darted across the room. Shoji, Katsuie-sama, Togashi Akuma and the Yoritomo who had
taken over for Yohko were deep in conversation. It was easy to loose myself in the thrill of this simple
competition, but now every victory I earned was a proxy argument in favor of the Mantis Clan.

I inclined my head respectfully to Kitsuki-san.

“I cannot afford to hold back either, old friend.”

“I know, Ishigaki-san.”

Damn. I had avoided thinking about it, but now the Crab Clans gain would be the Dragon Clan's loss. They
lived in the mountains, terrain not well suited to growing rice. Every bushel of rice taken, every grain store
burned would be one more the Dragon would need to get from the Crane. And the Crane would make them
pay dearly for it

Of course the Mantis would not compete with the Crane this year, and the Crane could convince the Unicorn
not to offer rice to the Dragon. None of us knew how to shake off the heavy air that had settled in as the last
bout of the day began.

Moto Li-Ta, still as shameless as ever, faced off against Akodo Yoshi. Bows made, stances taken, the two
collided.

Li-Ta swung her bokken in wide arcs, driving the Akodo back as he sought an opening. She spun off to the side
as he attacked, aiming a slash at his side. He anticipated it, but as her blade struck his she spun the other way
striking at his opposite side. He was able to deflect again, and again she allowed her bokken to rebound off his
and propel her to his other side. Only to bring his blade down from above instead of the side.

This time he was out of position, and she struck his shoulder. He shrugged off the blow and shifted his stance.
Li-Ta spun he bokken in her hand twirling it twice before seizing it in a two handed grip and bringing it down on
him again. This time the Lion was ready. He raised his blade, stepping to the side and deflected her blow past
him. The he spun facing his back to her he thrust his bokken into her stomach.

Hard.

A loud whuff escaped her as she flew back through the air, her light frame allowing her to stay aloft for an
impressive length of time. She managed to land on her feet, but stumbled to a knee as her momentum
continued to pull at her.

Yoshi wasted no time, shifting his stance in an instant he rushed to her and struck the bokken from her hand
while she was still recovering her balance.

So then.

I would face Kitsuki-san tomorow morning, and Monkey would face the Lion Clan Kensai in the afternoon.
Then I would face Monkey the day after in the final. I had no doubt Kitsuki-san had some plan in store for me,
that was obvious. I was equally certain it would not matter in the end.

We ate dinner together, and made small talk. Avoiding the looming confrontation. I donned my armor that night
after we all bathed, though I allowed myself to sleep tonight. My old instincts were reawakening quickly. I had
no doubt anything out of place would awaken me. It turned out I was right about that.

I was awakened by a soft tread approaching the door. The presence of dim light, a single candle, told me the
person creeping up to our room was not trying to sneak up on us. So I waited calmly. The door opened crack,
and a soft whisper came in.

“Onii-sama? Onee-sama?”

“Come in Ashitaka, just keep your voice down. And don't panic.”

He did so, looking around for me. When he saw me sitting there in my armor lit only by a single flickering
candle, he jumped back but did not cry out.

“I told you not to panic. Well, you didn't scream, so that's something. Shut the door.”

He did.
“W-why are you...?”

I wondered if I should tell him the truth. 'Oh,no big deal really. I just think your dad might try to have his
daughter, grandkids and/or me assassinated in the middle of the night, that's all' Yeah... that won't do at all.

“Things have gotten...complicated.”

He sat down on his knees before me.

“Everyone says that, or something like it, when I try to get them to tell me what's going on.”

Ashitaka was a clever boy, there was no denying that. And dancing around a subject was a good way to insult
him. I decided not to be rude to my little brother. Though I also wasn't about to completely destroy his
innocence.

I sighed, dramatically.

“These are lessons you should not have to learn yet, Ashitaka-san.”

He liked it when I addressed him as a grown up. I would remember that for when my own children got a little
older

“But I suppose you will worry more if you do not know what is going on. You're clever enough to pick up that
something is happening, after all. The situation has changed. The Crane and Mantis clan have convinced the
Crab to join them now, working in support of open war with the Phoenix clan.”

“But...!”

“Shhhhh!”

He started again, softer this time. “I thought the mantis were just making threats to get our clan to offer them
gifts!”

“That is what the Mantis say they are doing, yes. And the Crane say they only want peace. But in private the
Crane have convinced the Mantis that war is the best choice for them. And now the two clans have combined
their efforts to sway my clan to their side.”

“...how did they do that?”

“The Mantis will strike at storehouses. They will attempt to take rice and grain from your clan in the war. What
they cannot steal they will burn. That will make the Crane's rice much more valuable.”

I waited for him to nod along. Though he only had a basic grasp of the value of rice, he understood cause and
effect quickly.

“You may not have known this, but my clan does not make enough rice to feed itself every year.”

His eyes widened.

“So, every year when winter court comes around we give gifts of the things we do have enough of to others so
they give us gifts of rice in return.”

He nodded again.

“By keeping us from being able to make gifts of rice the Crane make their gifts more valuable... and since your
clan needs rice that is why you opposed the war at first…”
I nodded.

“Yes, that's right.”

“So to get you to join them, they must have offered your clan enough rice that you won't need to rely on the
Crane's more valuable rice?”

I nodded again.

“You really catch on quickly.”

He looked down, as he realized what that must mean.

“How can things like this happen?”

I blew out another sigh.

“The urge to protect is strong.”

He looked up at me.

“What do you mean?”

I looked over to where Naomi and my children were sleeping.

“If my clan does not get enough rice, then they might go hungry. I will do whatever I must to ensure they get
that rice.”

“But if the Crane have enough rice why don't they just give it to you and be done with it?”

“Because there are some things the Crane do not have enough of. Sometimes what they need is not even a
thing, but an ally instead. Say the Lion want to make war on the Crane, because the Lion always want to make
war on the Crane. The Crane may offer my clan rice and in exchange ask us to send soldiers to aid them in
battle.”

I shrugged, making my armor rattle just bit.

“It is how things are. It is no one person's fault, not even a single clan can be blamed for how the Empire
functions.”

Ashitaka stared into the distance for a long time.

“I will not be able to protect everyone all the time, will I?”

“No one can. It is up to you to decide for yourself who or what it is that you hold most dear. And do your best to
keep it safe. Sometimes that means drawing a blade and taking lives. Sometimes it means being able to put
your blade away. A warrior that can tell the difference between those two times is rare indeed, but I believe you
will be able to, in time.”

“My father is very upset with me.”

“I figured as much, given that you had to sneak in here in the middle of the night to talk to me.”

“He says bushi are all bloodthirsty louts who will throw their lives away for nothing. He says this tournament
proves it.”
Ashitaka looked me in the eyes.

“Why do you do it, Onii-sama? Not just you, all the other bushi do as well.”

“The way of the warrior is death, Ashitaka-san. When others would choose life, the warrior chooses death. For
himself, or his enemies.”

“But you just said...!”

“That is for those who rise high enough in rank to make those choices. The vast majority of Bushi will not bear
the responsibility of even hundreds of lives, let alone thousands. For most bushi, they do not choose which
enemy to fight, nor do they choose the time and place of the battle. They must trust in their superiors who have
made those choices for them. The reason, that we go so far is that we must test ourselves constantly. When
our lord calls us to war, we must go. When our lord commands us to fight, we must fight. Only by defeating our
enemies do we earn the right to return to our homes and loved ones. And only by constantly training ourselves,
pushing ourselves to our very limits and beyond, do we have any hope of emerging victorious. Because our
enemies are training just as hard, in the hopes that they will be the ones to win.”

I looked at him evenly.

“Are you having second thoughts?”

He shook his head.

“No. There is much more to being a bushi than I realized, but my desire is unchanged. I am glad I can ask you
about these things, Onii-sama. Good luck in your match tomorrow.”

He slipped out of the room. I went back to sleep.

In the morning I once again got out of my armor. I ate breakfast with just my immediate family. And I went early
to the arena. I sat down, folded my legs lotus style, and waited with bokken across my knees.

I heard people come in in small groups. Whisperer I did not care to try to make out floated about the room.

Finally I heard the step of Kitsuki-san entering the arena.

I opened my eyes, took hold of my weapon and stood up slowly, allowing my joints to pop quite audibly. I rolled
my neck to get just a few more pops out. And turned to face him calmly.

Of course, he was disciplined enough that he didn't let show if I had managed to throw him off or not with that
little mind game. Well, it's not like I had any other tricks up my sleeve. I would just hit him over the head so
hard he'd have to open his kimono to eat.

He bowed, and I moved as soon as our heads came back up. Kitsuki-san backpedaled, deflecting my attacks.
I intended to give him no time to breathe, and pushed on. His training with his sensei showed, his defense was
solid. I knew better than to overextend myself though.

While I doubted he could knock me over, he may have been able to disarm me, if I gave him the chance. Still, I
had him on the defensive. It was all he could do to keep me away from him.

After several exchanges I had to give him credit. Most people hands would be numb by now, having blocked so
many of my heavy strikes. But he was parrying well, keeping himself from taking the full force. Had he tried to
just dodge, he'd have gotten tired eventually. He was good at conserving his strength for the right moment. I
just had to make sure that moment never came. Then Kitsuki-san surprised me.

He deflected my strike, then struck at my wrist. I hit his bokken aside, forcefully, trying to knock it away or at
least out of position. But he had expected just that kind of response.

He had not committed to his attack, he let his wrists loosen and my strike passed his bokken. Now I was the
one out of position. Calm determination was all I saw in his eyes as he moved, striking before I could prepare
myself. He hit me quite hard. No tricks, just raw force. I was surprised that I actually felt it.

Then I brought my own bokken down on his crown.

“Enough! I yield!”

...Well. I can't say I didn't expect to win, but he had gotten in the first strike. So he did, at least, have the
morale victory there. For a courtier to come as far as he did, and perform as well as he had was impressive.

I bowed as Naomi came up to tend his injury, then we both sat down together. Aoi smirked as we sat down.

“I knew Takeshi-san would win”

I looked at her.

“In what possible way is that a win?”

“He is not a bushi, yet he advanced to the semi-finals of a kenjutsu tournament, and was able to outmaneuver
the warrior who had so handily dominated his foe in his last match! You may have won the match, but Takeshi-
san's showing was far more impressive!”

I looked over at Kitsuki-san. He shrugged.

“It was the best I could realistically hope for.”

“I see, so not a morale victory, but a political one. Nicely done, then.”

Since there were only two bouts today, there was more time for classic politicking in between the end of my
match and lunch. Having entered into the final, I was once again under assault left and right form fluttering fans
and backhanded compliments. Or, if you want to be honest about that last one, insults you can't actually
respond to.

Yet another example in a long list of games of pretend played in Rokugan, so long as you disguise your insult
like a compliment, you can lie about your intentions. Then it is not you who is shamed, but anyone who does
not pretend to go along with your bad lies. This kind of crap gets under the skin of a Crab like nothing else, and
the Lion aren't too fond of it either. If I had to guess, the reason everyone tolerates this sort of thing is because
they see at as a game. You're supposed to trade insults back and forth, without being so crass to give your foe
grounds for a duel, and the first one to lose their face is disgraced. It's a test of wit, to come up with insult after
insult, and of willpower, to endure one after the other without losing your composure.

I was lacking in the former. But I had enough of the latter. So I simply threw them off by playing to their
expectations.

“Your victories are quite impressive, Hida-san! You show us all what is possible when one does not waste time
learning manners and focuses all effort on being a fine warrior!”

“Well thank you, Scorpion-san! Sadly, it is true I will never be as good as a proper bushi at arranging flowers!”
To my surprise, it was a Crane that came to my rescue.

“Flower arranging is for courtiers anyway, Hida-san. I, for one, am glad you sacrifice studies of art and culture. I
do not think a haiku, no matter how well written, has ever stopped a rampaging oni before.”

I dug around in my ear a little bit, just to see if there was something in there. Like a brain eating parasite.
There's no way a Crane just said that. A Lion gave voice to my own incredulity.

“Are you implying art has no value, Doji-san?”

“Not at all, Ikoma-san! Your last painting moved me very deeply in fact! But from time to time it does not hurt to
remember that the Crab sacrifice much more than just their lives to stand their eternal vigil on the Empire's
southern border. I think it uncouth to hold that against them. Oh, I almost forgot, Hida Katsuie-san wished to
speak with you, Hida Ishigaki-san.”

“Ah, well then, If you'll excuse me.”

I went over to join Katsuie-sama. It was just him, a Yasuki, and a Hiruma yojimbo.

“Doji Ai was able to get you out of there in one piece I see.”

“Hai, Katsuie-sama.”

“Good, good. Let's all just act like we are deep in conversation and keep those buzzing insects away.
Some of them have nasty bites.”

So we did, until it was time for lunch.

We ate together privately, so Monkey would not have to deal with the jabbering of the courtiers. Naomi had to
take Tetsute in her lap and feed him herself, to keep him from crawling across the table to reach whatever bit of
food had caught his eye. So while my wife fed our son, I fed her.

Aoi, back in usual attire, tried to feed Kitsuki-san. He looked to me for help, I just smirked.

“Having a fine woman feed you was a simple pleasure every man should enjoy from time to time. I know I
loved it when Naomi fed me.”

Toshiro snickered at that exchange.

“So, no tips again, I assume?”

Kitsuki-san used this as an excuse to evade the noodles Aoi was holding out for him.

“He is a kensai. And I believe Akodo trained before becoming one of those elite warriors. Akodo have great
precision, their first lesson allows them to find the vulnerabilities in any suit of armor. The real issue is the
adaptability of the Akodo. They are trained to be soldiers and to be able to face any number of situations. They
flow like water, seeking their opponent's weakness and attacking it with all their might. The Kensai becomes
even more versatile. So even after seeing him in two bouts I doubt we've seen all he has to offer. It's not that
we do not think you need advice, Monkey. It's that we cannot give you any. Just expect the unexpected”

“But Kitsuki-san... that's literally impossible. If I do expect it, then it's been expected so it's not unexpected
anymore.”

God.
Dammit.
Monkey.

From time to time my mind wanders into strange places, some of them better of unexplored. Now I was struck
with a sense of just how much I truly treasured these moments. Yes, even the ones where I felt like throttling
Monkey. Perhaps it was a side effect of getting older, but as I looked at my children, already so big, I couldn't
help but feel like time was slipping by faster and faster. How many more of these precious memories could I
make, I wondered, before time ran out?

I popped a mouthful of ramen into Naomi's mouth. My fingers lost their grip on the chopsticks just enough that
one noodle managed to get free and whiplash up her face as she tried to slurp them down. She blinked, the
noodle stuck up along the side of her nose. Then slurped it up and blushed. None of us could contain our
laughter.

Monkey and Yoshi stood facing one another. For a long time.

A soft, almost breathless whisper from Kitsuki-san, “Their battle unfolds now in their mind's eye.”

“Any last minute predictions?”

He shook his head.

“Only that whichever one has a deeper mastery of Mushin no Shin will win.”

Even I knew Mushin no Shin. It means, roughly, no mind. That instant of clarity, harmony with the moment.
There is a limit to the speed at which thought becomes action. Reflexes are faster, because there is no
thought. That is why the student trains night and day, to ingrain the techniques into his body until they become
reflex. But there is a level beyond even that.

Even if the technique is reflexive, you must still see what your opponent is doing, and then move appropriately.
In Mushin no Shin perception, understanding and response all become as one. The speed of no-thought.

Lion and Monkey moved as one.

It was like a dance. Strike, deflect, counter strike, step, strike.

I found it hard to believe, as smoothly as they moved, that they had not rehearsed this beforehand. The steady
clack clack clack of wood on wood echoed through the room, accompanied by the tump tump of their stepping.
A song, played to give timing to their dance. Then the sound of wood striking flesh, and the spell was broken.

Both had spun in the same way, and struck each other at the same time. A jolt of pain could shatter the state of
mushin quite easily. Who would recover first?

It was Monkey that did so. He attacked now, again and again, pressuring his foe. Yet Akodo Yoshi gave no
outward indication of being under pressure. His intense focus, his eerie calm, made it seem as though Yoshi
had the upper hand, despite being on the defensive.

Monkey managed to penetrate the Lion's guard, a sharp strike to Yoshi's left shoulder. And then everything
changed. Akodo Yoshi closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was looking at nothing.

I had seen thousand yard stares before, plenty of times, in the aftermath of battle. Or when a Crab has stood
too long on the Wall. This was different. I realized what it was.
The Lion was not staring at nothing. He was staring at Nothing, and Everything. His stance shifted even as he
attacked.

Gasps arose from the onlookers.

“...it cannot be!”

Akodo Yoshi's blade was everywhere.

“Kitsuki-san, what is it?”

Akodo Yoshi was everywhere.

“The Thousand Years of Steel!”

I had heard of it. During the brief reign of the Toturi dynasty the Daimyo of the Kakita family and the Mirumoto
family came together and spoke at length to one another about their ancestors approach to swordsmanship.
The rivalry between the two men, and their descendants was legendary. Exemplified by Kakita's saying 'One
man. One sword. One strike'. To which Mirumoto responded 'Two hands'.

But, when those two daimyo spoke they realized that their ancestors styles had much more in common than in
difference. One could liken it to two different generals, both employing the same strategy to seek victory, but
both using different tactics to realize that strategy. The daimyo of the Kakita and Mirumoto distilled their
ancestors shared strategy into a set of kata. 1,000 Years of Steel.

These kata are passed on, taught in a single dojo erected at the Daimyo's meeting place. Only a select few, by
invitation only, may enter the dojo and receive it's instruction. There is no favor, no gift, no appointment that
can gain one entry to the Dojo. Only being recognized as person who dedicates their entire being to the sword
can one hope to be allowed to join.

I watched, in disbelief, as Akodo Yoshi struck Monkey over and over again. I saw no technique on display. No
form, no stance. Monkey looked stiff and slow in comparison. Every time Monkey moved, to attack or defend,
the Lion was elsewhere. At last, Monkey fell.

I grabbed Naomi's sleeve before she ran up. I could see the Lion was still in his battle trance, anything entering
his territory would be attacked. Only once Akodo Yoshi's eyes snapped into focus did I let go of Naomi.

He waited, calmly, until Naomi had healed Monkey. Then bowed, deeply, from the waist.

“It was an honor to face you Toku-san. No man has ever forced me to use that Kata before.”

Monkey returned the bow.

“Thanks for the compliment, Akodo-san. I can't even remember the last time I got my ass kicked so
thoroughly… No, wait I can. It was that guy that did it”

He pointed at me.

Yoshi nodded, but did not look surprised. “I look forward to or match tomorrow Hida Ishigaki-san”

I nodded back to him.

“Likewise.”

I could see the Courtiers ready to swarm. But Yoshi would be their main target. Everyone knew that only
dedication could earn an invite to learn the Thousand Years of Steel. But many Courtiers refused to
acknowledge the limits of their power. There was a long standing debate over the power of the pen vs the
power of the blade. Courtiers argued that it was their words and their pens that sent armies to war, or
prevented them from beginning, or brought them to an end. Warriors contended that no pen could stop a blade
thrust at the heart of the one holding it. So these courtiers would try to butter up Akodo Yoshi, to convince him
to recommend this or that subordinate, hanger on, or relative for the Dojo.

He would not of course. And then they would seek out other prey.

I had no intention of being around these sharks, not with blood in the water already. I made for our rooms
before the courtiers lost interest in Yoshi. The others joined me

“You okay Monkey?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Naomi-sama fixed me up good as new. But uh, Ishigaki?”

“Yeah?”

“I don't think you can beat him.”

“I beat you, didn't I?”

“That Kata though, his Mushin is endless!”

I had to admit, having seen it firsthand I had no idea how I would defeat it.

“Well? Any advice you guys?”

Kitsuki-san folded his hands.

“No. I must say however, that it is because I do not know enough about the kata. The Thousand Years of Steel
is the essence of the strategy employed by the two greatest swordsmen the Empire has ever known. It is so
rare that I have never seen it until now, however. So if there is a vulnerability to it, I cannot even begin to guess
what that might be.”

I nodded.

“Alright then.”

I slipped out of the room. I went outside. I found a nice large pile of snow. And sat down in it.

I focused on my breathing, emptying my mind.

And I played the fight between Monkey and Lion over and over in my head. Years ago, Shiba-san had taught
me to meditate. I found it useful. It helped when I needed to stay awake, when I could not find time to eat,
when my mind was exhausted. I had never tried to do what I was doing now though. I had seen some of my
senpai at Sunda Mizu doing this though. And the Sensei. Even more often when I became a Defender of the
Wall.

I was meditating on a problem. Focusing on the battle at hand. It was a way of training, far more spiritual in
nature than my normal routine. Most of the time I exercised basic kata, I ran for long periods of time, I stood
with knees bent and arms outstretched holding buckets of water. In short, I trained my body to endure. Now I
trained my mind to focus. I doubted it would be enough, not with only one day to go.

But I had seen firsthand the heights to which true masters could attain... How had I managed to come so far,
when I was so limited? I could not hope to match the great masters yet, but I now had a goal to set for myself.
A challenge to overcome. I was good at overcoming challenges. It was only a question of how many beatings I
would have to absorb before I broke through my limits once more.
 -

Naomi and I performed the tea ceremony together in the morning, to steady my spirit. Then I entered into the
arena.

I still had no plan to defeat Akodo Yoshi.

Well then.

I'll just have to fall back to the standard plan. Cover up, wear my foe out, and crush him when he gets tired of
hitting me. Crabs. We can be a bit masochistic, at times.

I entered the arena and we bowed to one another.

“I have been eager for this day to come, Hida-san. I have often wondered how my technique would fare
against the servants of the nameless one. I do not mean to insult you, though. I only think that sparing with one
who can out-ogre ogres, and stand up to the blows of Oni must be a fine substitution.

Oh? Has the soul of your katana awakened?”

No, nor is it made of anything other than folded steel. I prefer to rely on my own skill, instead of great magic

I nodded.

“Perfectly reasonable, given the rarity of such things. But for Oni you'll need jade powder then. Just, the more
hits you land, the more the powder gets rubbed off, until you need to reapply a fresh coat. It's especially
obnoxious when you've got a big one, trying to keep it at bay while you reapply your powder over and over…”

Akodo Yoshi considered that for a moment.

“I see.”

We took up our stances. Yoshi did not use his kata right away. That made me suspect there was a drawback to
it, of some sort. I deflected his first blows, because I had been prepared for him to unleash it from the
beginning.

I shifted my stance, seeking Mushin. Yoshi stepped back, preparing to receive my attack. It would be rude to
keep him waiting.

His defense held, and he tried to twist his bokken after taking my second blow, seeking to disarm me. I was too
strong however, and kept my grip. I waited, patiently, for him to strike again.

Then I attacked at the same time. I hoped to simply trade blows with him, trusting that I would injure him more
than he injured me. Judging by the grunt and the way he staggered, I was right.

Yoshi nodded. Then closed his eyes.

Oh shit.

He opened them, and stared at Nothing and Everything. I instinctively assumed the stance of earth, and called
upon my own kata to make my body as unmoving and unfeeling as the mountains. All I could do was endure
this to the best of my ability. Yoshi rained blow after blow down on me, it was as though I was attacked by a
swarm of hornets. His blows hurt far more than simple hornet stings however.
Knowing I could not stop all his attacks I simply guarded my weakest points, and allowed him to strike my
strongest. Just as I was beginning to wonder if he could keep going forever, a saw a tremor run through his
jawline. The flurry of blows eased, as his eyes refocused.

I saw shock when he realized I was still standing.

I lashed out, striking him across the ribs. This spurred him to recover his calm, and then he shifted stances
again.

He struck at me. Then he stuck again, and again. Like a river, he poured over me and I could not keep up. This
was not the same thing as he had done before, I could tell that much. I realized that if all I did was defend
against this attack, he would wear me down eventually.

I had no choice then. I attacked. we struck each other at the same time. My blow fell on his shoulder, and
drove him to his knee. He struck me on my temple.

Stars burst in front of my eyes.

And then I was looking up at him. I realized I had fallen. I was prone. He was just barely able to stand.

Akodo Yoshi had defeated me.

I felt the familiar rush of Naomi's healing magic. Once I could move on my own I sat up.

“Damn.” All I could say.

He was an Akodo, so I couldn't even claim my armor would have made the difference in that fight.

“I had to use both The World is Empty, and Victory of the River. Two of the four kata that make up One
Thousand Years of Steel…”

“Which one was it you used to defeat Monkey?”

“Mon... ah a nickname. You are referring to Toku-san, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“That was the World is Empty”

“And the one you used to beat me was Victory of the River?”

“Yes.”

“Aptly named, it really did feel like I was being engulfed by an onrushing river.”

It was then that I realized there was no Phoenix healing Yoshi.

“Were you only pretending?”

“Oh no, I'm in quite a lot of pain right now.”

He sure didn't look like it.

“But, I would just as soon be tended by the best healer in this castle. I have no desire for any of these injuries
to heal poorly.”
The room practically exploded into whispers.

Everyone wondering if the Lion were declaring a stance on the war. I shook my head in annoyance.

Naomi turned from me to Yoshi.

“Ah. It is different, than when most Kitsu do it. So, this is the skill of a Tensai, is it?”

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

“You have a good eye, Ishigaki-san. I'm jealous.”

“So, sometimes I miss things that others find obvious. Bad with innuendo and all. But they're…”

I looked with just my eyes at a knot of whispering courtiers.

“Fools, yes. I meant exactly what I said.”

“I thought so.”

We both stood and bowed to one another.

As I left the arena I saw Shoji smirk at me. ...as if you had anything to do with that. But I guess he needed
something to cling to

“You did wonderfully, dear.”

“Thanks, Hana-chan. It's good to find your limits in matches like this, it shows you where your weakness is. As
Shinsei told Hida 'Now you know your weakness. And by knowing it, you transform it into strength.'”

Naomi giggled.

“Have I mentioned how wonderful I find you when you become wise and philosophical?”

“Didn't you say 'sexy' the last time?”

Naomi blushed.

“We are in public!”

I chuckled.

I decided to grab a bath before dinner, a little early. I went over the fight a few times as I soaked. There was a
muscle tremor right before his eyes came back into focus. So I think maybe the World is Empty could only be
maintained for a brief time. After which some price was paid.

On the other hand, Victory of the RIver seemed a simpler thing, at least to me. Strike, strike and strike again. It
was a sequence of smoothly flowing strikes each blow opening the way for the next. Near the end, I was
moving poorly, hampered by own injuries… Yet I still landed my blow. A pure offense, then.

I see.

I didn't know if I had the skill to defeat Yoshi should we cross blades again. But, if it came down to it, I could
see a path to victory now. 'There are a million lessons in defeat, none in victory.' Good saying there.
 -

I went to dinner. The conversation was split between the the tournament, with several younger members of the
court still in awe over getting to see the Thousand Years of Steel, and what might be coming next. It was the
older ones who spoke most of that. I only caught snippets here and there.

Courtiers were a private lot, if you could hear them there was good chance they wanted you to do so. Because
of this, some courtiers had learned to read lips, so that they could tell what their political rivals were talking
about. Kitsuki-san told me that was the reason for fans to be a constant accessory for any courtier. A way to
cover your mouth while you spoke, keeping your conversation private.

According to Kitsuki-san, the Doji had gone a step further, inventing an entire language based on gestures and
movements of one's fan. I had been surprised it was the Crane, and not the Scorpion. I turned to ask Kitsuki-
san what the courtiers were really talking about, since I knew they were using innuendo to discuss other things.
But the words died in my throat.

That's right, he wouldn't tell me anymore. We were on opposing sides now. By now, everyone knew I was a
simple bushi, and harmless. So I was engaged only when the wanted my genuine opinion on something.

Wondering if I could be of more use, I approached Katsuie-sama after dinner.

“Ahhh, Ishigaki-san! That was a fine showing today!”

“I am only sorry I could not secure victory for our clan.”

“It is fine, you were bested by a Kensai. There will always be an opponent better than you out there
somewhere. If you have good luck, you get to spar with them. If you have bad luck you fight them.”

He smiled as he said that, and glanced down to his missing arm.

“So long as you learn something from it, it is fine. You did learn something, did you not?”

“You mean aside from the fact that I must be more diligent in my training? Yes, I believe I did.”

“Good, good! So what brings you to me today?”

“I know I am not very good at courtly intrigue. If I had to give an honest evaluation of my own ability, it's that I
am only aware of just how much goes over my head. But still, I wondered about the state of things now, and if I
may be of some use.”

Katsuie-sama stroked his beard.

“Ishigaki-san, you surprise me. You had been content to wait until I called for you before. What has changed?”

I wasn't entirely sure myself, not that he asked me directly. Katsuie-sama nodded at my hesitation.

“I see. You're friend, Kitsuki Takeshi-san his name was? You have always followed his lead, and asked him to
clarify when you do not understand, haven't you?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And now you two stand opposed to one another. Without him to guide you, and with your recent defeat, you
must feel very lost right now.”

He clapped his hand to my shoulder.

“It is fine, Ishigaki-san. You should not try to do more than you can do.”

I nodded. Katsuie-sama's face darkened a bit, then.

“I suppose I should tell you how things have progressed up until now then.”

I couldn't guess whether it was going bad for our clan, or good; Katsuie-sama did not like being drawn in as a
pawn in the Crane's economic war with the Phoenix.

“Your father in law is a proud, and stubborn fool. The Crane play him like a biwa. He is only agreeing to token
concessions, more like insults than serious attempts to avoid the war. The Mantis, of course, will not accept
such things, and will make war when winter is done. It is as though he does not realize just how much his Clan
could lose.”

“I doubt that, Katsuie-sama.”

“Oh?”

“Shoji is not quite a fool, he simply has weaknesses easily exploited. Rather than not knowing the price of the
war, I think it is that he estimates the cost differently than most others would.”

I remembered my conversation with Ashitaka the night before. I had no doubt Shoji meant what he said about
bushi. I told Katsuie-sama as much.

“I see. Yes, if he truly places no value on the lives of his clan's warriors then that would explain some things.

He is quick to insist the Mantis would find themselves destroyed at the hands of the Isawa. Not the Phoenix
clan, and not the Mantis armies either. He means the whole Mantis clan, destroyed by Isawa magic. As if his
clan would not face severe censure for doing so.”

“I see. So he won't even consider it a war unless the Isawa are threatened. Enough that they can use their
magic freely, anyway.”

Katsuie-sama shook his head.

“The Scorpion and Dragon are doing the best they can, but at this point all they are fighting an uphill battle,
with Shoji undermining their own efforts.”

“Katsuie-sama, do you think…”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think the Scorpion may…”

“Ah. Hmmm. I do not think so. Shoji has been taking many precautions since Yoritomo Yohko was killed. I
cannot imagine that even the Scorpion would be able to arrange something like that right now.”

Good. If anyone was going to kill Isawa Shoji, it would be me.

“I have seen that look on young faces before, Ishigaki-san. Be more mindful of yourself, and do not act with
undue haste.”

Damn. I had forgotten why I had not pressed for details until now. I could conceal my feelings, but a master
courtier could still read me like a book. I took a deep breath and wiped the expression from my face.

“Yes, that is better. Ishigaki-san.”

“So, what could the Scorpion and Dragon do? Get other Clans to promise to support the Phoenix?”

“Well, they would ostensibly need the Phoenix to invite them as allies… assuming that does happen, then the
Imperial families will like to step in at that point. A war between two clans is something for them to observe, not
interfere in. One with three or four will be watched very closely, and the Legions will be ready to move and end
it should it be necessary. One that size though? The Imperial families would never allow it to begin.”

“So with enough people on the brink of war the Emperor would enforce peace? Seems like a good play for the
Peace faction.”

“It might not be, Ishigaki-san. The Imperial families often make those who fall under their gaze regret doing the
thing that brought their attention down upon them in the first place.”

Yes, I could understand that. Initially, the Emperor did not have an army of his own to command, as the Clans
did. The Otomo and Miya families did not produce warriors, only the Seppun did that. And there simply were
not enough samurai with Imperial blood to equal even one great clan. Indeed, more than a few Minor Clans
outnumbered the Imperial Families. So it was that Akodo swore his clan to act as the right hand of the
Emperor, being his army should he require it.

But as time marched on and the clans began to look out for their own interests ahead of the Empire as a
whole, the need for the Imperial Legions was seen. With numbers drawn from every Clan, great and small, the
diversity of the Legions ensured that they could be counted on to fight even when some among them may be
ordered to slay their own kinsmen. The Imperial families did their best to ensure that only those most loyal to
the Emperor were appointed to the legions, of course, but appointments were another form of political
currency, and so this was not always the case.

But, the Legions still were only match for a single great clan. In the worst case scenario they could still be
overwhelmed. So the Imperial Families did their best to manage the feuds, rivalries and even alliances of the
great clans. Everyone remembered the Scorpion Clan coup that had nearly ended the Hantei line, and the
Clan war that followed as the 39th Hantei began to sicken. The Emperor had a great burden, giving the Clans
enough slack to pursue their ambitions without allowing any one Clan to grow so strong they could threaten the
Empire itself.

For a moment, I could see the Empire laid bare, all the different powers at work, and how delicate the balance
of the Empire truly was. Then it was gone.

Such heavy considerations were clearly not for the likes of me. I had my duty, and never before had I so
cherished it's simplicity. Find things that were tainted, and smash them into a gooey pulp with my tetsubo.

I returned to wife and children, to spend the rest of the evening in play. The best things truly were quite simple.
Once they had played themselves out I donned my armor to take the watch over my family. Once again, I
allowed myself to sleep. The forces of Jigoku were quite fond of sneak attacks upon the wall, so few Crabs
were heavy sleepers. I knew I would awaken should something out of place occur. Though I doubted I would
need to wake up in the middle of the night two nights in a row. I could not have been more wrong if I tried.

A light scrape of tabi on wood jolted me awake. There was no light outside in the hallway. I held my breath.

Heard another faint scrape, just outside the rice paper door. I plunged my arm through the door, seizing hold of
what was on the other side, and yanked it through.

Somehow, I managed to check myself at the last moment. Before my tetsubo destroyed the face of Bayushi
Amano.
He had no smartass remarks. Even behind his mask I could see clearly he was surprised and terrified. A not
inappropriate response to an armored crab coming within a hair's breadth of ending your life.

“I've warned you before about sneaking around me, Scorpion,” I growled at him.

Naomi stirred, sitting up.

“Ishigaki, wha...?”

“It may be nothing Naomi. Amano was just about to explain to me why he was creeping around outside our
room.”

I pulled back my tetsubo, but did not loosen my grip on him.

“And it was going to be a very good explanation, wasn't it?”

“Ah, y-yes! Really, Ishigaki-san, I was just exchanging messages!”

“Messages?”

“Yes, clever courtiers can guess what you are up to if they know who you are meeting with, and everyone
knows the contents of letters are read and known to all!”

I glanced at Naomi.

“Yes, the Game of Letters is conducted with the full expectation that your letter will be read.”

God.
Dammit.
Scorpion.

I let go of him.

“Next time you do that, stay the hell away from my room.”

He stood shakily. Fussed with the front of his Kimono.

“I-I-I will remember, Hida Ishigaki-san…”

He looked at the hole in my door.

“Um…”

“Don't worry about it. Just get out of here already.”

“Right. Right…”

He opened the door and left quickly. He didn't even think to ask why I was in my armor.

“Ishigaki-kun, what are we going to do about the door?”

I sighed. I took off my armor. And I sat in front of the door, unsleeping, until a servant drew near.

“Hey, you out there.”

The servant poked his head in through the door. Easy to do, since there was a man sized hole in it.
“I tripped.”

My sour expression convinced the servant that was all he needed to know. About that time Daiko and Tetsute
began to stir.

“Brekfas! Brekfas!”

As usual food was never far from Tetsute's mind.

“Try to have it done by the time we're done eating.”

“Hai, Great Samurai!”

We went to get breakfast with everyone

Amano was there, now fully composed again
I shot him one last glare, just to make sure he understood
He looked down briefly, signaling he did
Isn't someone missing?
Kitsuki-san answered evenly
What do you mean, Monkey?
Monkey cupped his hands in front of his chest
Where's Moshi Mounds?
Toshiro looked around
That is odd, she's been stuck to you like sweet bean paste for the last few days
Kitsuki-san chewed a mouthful of rice and swallowed before answering
Perhaps there is some meeting she must attend with the other Mantis
Mantis-san looked at him
Nope, I haven't heard anything.
You wouldn't, Mantis-san. You're not a courtier, and you're friends with some of your Clan's enemies.
He grunted.
They don't keep me completely out of the loop you know.
Hmm.
if you say so.
We ate for awhile in silence.
Monkey, never one to enjoy a simple silence spoke up again
Hey, Amano-san. Did you get that thing you were doing last night taken care off?
Amano went just a tad paler
I looked over to Monkey
What thing?
Oh, he was just moving a barrel last night, I bumped into him cus I had to take a midnight piss.
I looked over at Amano, set my chopsticks across my bowl and smiled pleasantly at him.
Really?
Not THAT is very interesting.
Please, Amano-san, do tell us how your task went.
In detail.

it's not often one gets to see a Scorpion drenched in nervous sweat
so I allowed him to take his time, as I savored the moment
Um, well I needed to move a few things.
Yes, you told me last night.
messages.
Must have been a lot of messages if you had to keep them in a barrel
uh...
Now everyone was staring at him
Save Kitsuki-san
and Tetsute, who was filching handfuls of rice from my half eaten bowl.
Unfortunately for Amano, not even my adorable little glutton could soothe my anger
he had lied to me, to my face.
Kitsuki-san tried to diffuse my anger at his friend
Ishigaki-san, I'm sure Amano-san had good reason for what he did.
You know the peace faction is in a tight spot right now
Right now I couldn't care less about the war, the politics or the contests.
A Scorpion was sneaking around my room last night, and then that Scorpion lied to my face about what he had
been doing.
I stared Kitsuki-san right in the eyes
That Scorpion is NOW going to tell me the truth. and maybe I won't kill him.
He's going to do that because if he keeps lying I WILL kill him.
Kitsuki-san stared at me in shock
Amano's shoulders slumped
Then Amano looked at Kitsuki-san.
...wait.
...no.
I looked back and forth between the two
What the fuck did you two do!?
a round of huhs from the others
I cut it off with a raised hand
Now even Tetsute was paying attention to the adults
Spill it, Kitsuki.
he sighed.
I asked Amano to get Aoi away from me
exclamations from the table
so what, you killed her? hid her body in a barrel?!
NO! No she's alive!
I just... I knew some some people who would be at the port, setting sail soon...
...So I had them take her away.
Even this far north, the ocean didn't freeze over completely.
still, the ice chunks would make it very dangerous.
So by 'some people', Amano meant smugglers.

Toshiro spoke
let me get this straight...
YOU
Pointed to Kitsuki-san
didn't like being hit on by an unbelievably attractive woman with huge tits.
So you asked HIM
Pointed to Amano
To deal with it.
And the plan YOU came up
looking straight at Amano now
was to stuff her in a barrel, roll her out of the castle and down to the harbor, and put her on a smugglers ship?!
Is THAT what you two are saying happened last night!?
Monkey, not to put too fine a point on it, spoke up
Holy shit, even I'm not THAT crazy
I looked over at Toshiro.
It's not the first time Kitsuki-san has become a massive idiot when dealing with interpersonal relationships...
Oh?
He once convinced Mantis-san to throw jade powder into his sensei's eyes, because he thought his sensei
might be tainted
Toshiro blinked
And when sensei cried out, he hit him with a bokken
...
...You do know powdered minerals sting quite a bit if they get in your eyes, don't you Kitsuki-san?
Hey, I had a perfectly good reason to suspect that!
Yeah, you were tired of getting beaten up in training.
No! it was more than that!
So what's your excuse THIS time?
I've seen the kind of crap that you three,
He pointed to me, Mantis-san, and Monkey
have to go through!
I want no part of it!
I looked over at Toshiro.
Toshiro, I owe you an apology
I had thought that you were the most hopeless one among us when it comes to relationships.
Toshiro nodded.
I never would have thought, 'hey, at least I'd never have you stuffed in a barrel and turned over to smugglers'
would be a good pick up line, but there it is.
I rubbed at my temples.
Amano, did ANYONE ELSE see you last night, or was it just me and Monkey?
just you two...
good.
Monkey you never saw him, got it?
Uh, yeah...?
Ishigaki-kun!
Mantis-san protested as well

Hey, those tits were part of my clans strategy!

wait, what?
Oh come on. Like none of you knew.
She's one of the most attractive women in the Empire, so of course the Clan moved her from the Moshi
temples to the courts and put her in those outfits!
If it can work for the Scorpion why not for us?
The rest of us looked at each other.
That Aoi knew what she was doing was not odd
That she was acting on her Clans orders... that had never crossed our minds
Oh. Maybe I shouldn't have said that then...
THere's a lot of things that shouldn't have been said at this breakfast table, Mantis-san.
the fact that your Clan deliberately reduced one of it's shugenja to a sex object to get a leg up in court is
probably the least shocking
and now we all have to pretend like Kitsuki-san WASN'T part of a kidnapping plot.
Amano spoke up
This is all my fault, Takeshi-san. I should not have tried to do it myself.
My own pride got me caught when there were others I should have asked for help with your matter.
Just let me take all the blame, I'll leave the rest of you out of it.
I reached across the table and smacked him
No.
Amano stared at me, holding his cheek
You're only guilty of being a mediocre friend.
A proper friend would have said 'stop being an idiot' and left it at that
but this situation is all Kitsuki-san's fault
You didn't kill her, right?
No. Just shot her with a blowdart that would put her to sleep for a while.
I closed my eyes.
I reminded myself I was the one who demanded full disclosure on pain of death; that I had, in fact, asked for
this.
and all that's going to happen is that she'll wake up and find herself dumped off in a different city, right?
right. That is the plan anyway
I assume they know they face the usual Scorpion displeasure should they stray from that plan?
They do.

Well.
A Kitsuki, one of the peace faction, working with a Scorpion, another member of the peace faction hatched a
plan to kidnap one of the higher ranked Mantis delegates and remove her from the winter court.
Since she's going to be fine, more or less, I'd just as soon NOT let loose the shitstorm waiting to explode
should that sequence of events come to light.
Monkey, you didn't see anything. I tripped in the dark and fell through my door, and this conversation never
fucking happened.
And YOU
I pointed to Kitsuki-san
The next time you don't like someone, DO NOT do what you're thinking of doing.
GOT IT?
got it...
TITS!
FUCK!
Oh.
right.
there were children in this room the whole time.
TITS FUCK!
I buried my face in my hands
Naomi...
Me?
This is YOUR fault!
YOU deal with it!

I spent the rest of my morning sequestered with the children, trying in vain to explain the concept of coarse and
impolite language to them
shitfucktits!
No, I'm actually fairly certain they understood
They just found my reaction to their swearing intensely amusing.
I didn't have Naomi's knack for being firm without being scary.
Knowing me, if tired to put my foot down I'd overshoot the mark and end up scaring them for life.
So I concluded that this was just another test I would have to endure.
Letting them get all the giggles out of their systems.
They would grow bored sooner or later, and find something else to amuse themselves with.
It was while the two of them were both babbling a stream of profanity, apparently seeing which one would need
to take a breath first, that Shiba Ayame entered into my room
I must speak with you Hid...ah?
Daiko and Tetsute looked up at her from where they were sitting
Grineed
tits!
In perfect unison
Ayame held an arm across her chest
don't mind those two, they just heard some words they shouldn't have
What is it you need?
When I looked at her, I could see her one eye was red and puffy, with a dark circle under it.
Are you still having those bad dreams?
They're...worse now
Tetsute opened his mouth, but Daiko pinched his leg
He looked at her in confusion
They both sat properly then
huh.
She looked over at them
Um.
Take your time, Ayame-san.
I.. I think I may go mad if I do not stop them soon...
I have started to hear whispers in my dreams now.
Ishigaki-san, I know I am not ready but if I don't take my rev...
I must resolve this matter soon. I can't wait any longer.
She bowed to me, a dogeza.
Please, help me! I need to know how to win!
I scratched my head.
She was quite desperate, if I didn't help her she would go for it on her own. And get killed
On the other hand, I really couldn't help her.

Victory isn't a matter of a single move.

It is everything you have learned up to that point, coming together
The things I knew, my own path to victory over her gunso, was not one she could walk.
I knew that she would already know this
But she was so desperate to put an end to the dreams she was having she was grasping at straws
Wait here then. I need to get some of the others.
but..
Look, I can't tell you how to beat him. You KNOW that, and you also know why that is. But I can still help you.
Just wait here. Please.
Or do you really mean to insult us all by throwing away the life we worked so hard to save?
It was a cheap shot, but it hit dead on.
She would be here when I got back
I rounded up Toshiro, Monkey, Naomi and Mantis-san.
couldn't quite bring myself to look at Kitsuki-san yet.
I explained on the way back that Ayame's dreams were still plaguing her, and her desire for vengeance.
Naomi, unsurprisingly frowned at that.
Mantis-san nodded
Okay, you want those two to see if they can something for her dreams.
What about me and Monkey?
Well, I need someone to babysit the children in another room while we talk about revenge
And Monkey is surprisingly studious about kenjutsu technique.
Mantis-san nodded again.
Then stopped dead in his tracks.
Wait...
ME?
Yeah, you.
Tetsute likes you.
Now come on

Toshiro and Naomi sat down on either side of Ayame

Don't mind us, we're just going to check if any of your elements have fallen out of balance.
Naomi nodded.
Dreams are often prophetic, but they can also be a sign of a disrupted Chi flow...
Uh... Okay?
Ayame's confusion brought out a cuteness that reminded me of Naomi.
While Naomi had never truly let go of her innocence, destiny's rough handling had already hardened Ayame
quite a bit.
I felt anger on her behalf welling up in me, but I wrestled it down and tucked it away.
Monkey meanwhile spoke up.
So, what's your plan for getting your revenge?
Naomi made an irritated noise in her throat.
Naomi. I don't expect you to understand, but this IS something she has to do.
She looked at me.
I rarely had cause to be firm with my wife, so when I did she knew it was important.
Very well.
Thank you, Naomi-sama. I know you do not approve, and I think I know why. But Ishigaki-san is right. I must do
this.
Ayame turned to Monkey
My plan, such that it is, is to simply duel him and win.
I've no idea how to get him to accept, but...
Monkey nodded.
You should take a warrior pilgrimage.
I blinked
huh?
Any Samurai can go on a warrior pilgrimage for a time. They temporarily become ronin, but it lacks the
disgrace of normally being a masterless samurai.
You use this to study abroad, learn techniques and test yourself in ways you wouldn't be able to tied to your
Clan.
Ah, like Sun-Tao!
Precisely like Sun-Tao, Ayame-san.
Sun-Tao had been a great tactician, though accounts differed as to which clan he originally hailed from
he had undertaken a pilgrimage, and had studied with each of the great clans, gaining insight into how they
waged war
He then compiled his collected wisdom into a book, simply called the Book of Sun-Tao.
He never completed his pilgrimage though, and his book remains incomplete

When he lived, the Ki-Rin were still lost beyond the borders of the Empire; they had yet to return as the Clan of
the Unicorn.
so he had set out, following the path the Ki-Rin had taken outside the Empire, and was never seen again
Monkey continued
I don't think you'll ever catch up to him, let alone overtake him, if you keep on as you are now.
But, if you broaden your training you might.
I think you should seek out the Disciples of Sun-Tao, and learn their technique.
Ayame looked at Monkey in surprise
I did as well
Would they even agree to teach me?
yeah, they would.
Their technique harness the strength of your own honor.
Huh. I hadn't know that. There were many schools that taught techniques that would best serve an honorable
soul.
I had no idea how that was even possible
then again, they likely found it hard to imagine lashing out with your own earth to blunt an enemy's attack.
Monkey went on
Because of that they don't really care who learns it.
it's useless to the kind of people they wouldn't want to teach it to.
It's because of the fine line that Sun-Tao himself walked
He learned techniques and strategies from every Clan. And he told everyone what he had learned. Normally
dishonorable in the extreme.
But he did so in way that changed his book into far more than the sum of it's parts, so no one's trust was
actually betrayed.
Instead he was quite honorable
That's what the gaze of Sun-Tao is about, seeing broadly your foe, understanding him and what he will do, and
allowing your honor to guide your blade along with that knowledge.
I was staring at Monkey open mouthed
I have a cousin who studied with them.
Monkey shrugged
It's because of my cousin that I wanted to become a fine swordsman in the first place...
I hadn't know.
Toshiro hissed then
What, what is it?
There is something wrong here. I can feel it. It's like...
It's like there are kansen here…

Toshiro frowned.
Those little shits can be anywhere, and they're hard to spot.
For that matter, few spells that provide protection from magic work on Maho.
so you have to learn to recognize them by their absence. Something that seems to be magical but is not being
caused by the Kami...
you are saying there are kansen around me?!
I thinks so.
Ayame looked at Toshiro in horror.
What do we do? What CAN we do?
Naomi frowned
It is as Toshiro says, Ayame-san. Proper magic and Maho are two different things, so different at base that our
own spells do not interact with them favorably.
Just as a bushi cannot learn magic, nor a shugenja the bushi's techniques, maho and magic do not dwell in the
same world.
Toshiro took over.
There are some exceptions, of course. A few earth spells use the purity of jade to ward off Jigoku specifically.
Ayame began to brighten
But they do not last long, and can only block the spells as they are cast...
...and her hopes were dashed.
Toshiro, enough with the exposition. Just tell us what we can do.
Ah yes.
Sleep in a temple
What?
The very best thing to do, if Kansen are flocking to you, is to go to a place they will not want to follow.
A temple, a ring of pure salt, purifying yourself, the right kind of sutras and charms...
We will get started on them right away.
Ishigaki, take her to the shrine, would you?
uh, okay.
I wasn't sure why Naomi thought I should go with her. I didn't even know where the shrine was
Ayame saw me hesitate as soon I was outside the room
It's this way Ishigaki-san
I followed her
We got to the shrine. A single room, plenty of scrolls, and a large gold statue of Bishamon.
Why was I not surprised.
A monk came out, looked at Ayame and wrinkled his nose.
Ah. Now I see why Naomi had sent me. How had she known?
What do YOU want?
I stepped between him and Ayame

Monks occupied a strange place in the celestial order.

They were not samurai, even though many monks were retired samurai
Still, their words carried great weight, and only a fool failed to heed them.
Furthermore, as monks were ostensibly neutral on worldly matters they were supposed to be safe from any
form of violence.
this protection did not extend to sohei orders of course, and more than a few samurai, unwilling to give up on
their old lives, remained politically active despite shaving their heads.
Those ones were the worst sort. They made up lies about spiritual things, used the weight of their authority on
such matters as propaganda, and hid behind lies of neutrality to defend themselves from the proper ass kicking
they deserved.
At least a sohei had the decency to appear before you armed, honestly expressing his intent to involve himself
in the material world.
I got the distinct impression this monk was one of those political assholes without a shred of real spiritual
power.
At times in the past, temples and monasteries HAD been attacked by samurai forces.
Sometimes it was an abbot declaring this or that general to lack piety, or be spiritually imbalanced, or some
such thing
Other times it was the monks offering safe harbor to the wounded, only for the wounded to heal and return to
battle over and over again
And on a few occasions it was revealed that some destroyed holy sites solely to blame the act on their
enemies
It was always a big thing when this happened.
the one who slew the monks would rapidly find public sentiment swinging against them. Steadfast allies would
turn their backs, old enemies would have the excuse they needed to join in, and it would all come crashing
down.
Of course, this did little for the monks who were already dead, but few people were so ignorant of social mores
that would kill a monk without a second thought, even though Monks were not samurai

Of course, I was a Crab.

Crabs are, as far as most Rokugani are concerned, illiterate brutes barely able to construct a coherent
sentence who think only of food, sex, and violence.
So I donned a mask that conformed to the monks expectations, set my expression to violence, and growled at
him
Two shugenja have determined this woman is being targeted by kansen. They said she is to sleep in the shrine
tonight, so the kansen will flee before Heaven's Gaze.
I am here to see to it their orders are carried out.
He swallowed, hard.
letting me know he really did think I was dumb enough to hurt him if he upset me.
Sometimes having a reputation for having a short temper can be useful.
Sometimes.
Of course, Great Samurai, please bring the poor girl inside. I will fetch a futon for her, and some charms as
well!
Do that.
As the monk hurried off, Ayame giggled
It's fun, watching you work.
the monk returned with a futon and laid it out for Ayame
a short time later Naomi and Toshiro arrived,
They placed some sutras around the room, lit some incense, and said some prayers
There.
That should do it.
So... I will sleep well tonight?
Toshiro frowned.
If you do not, you must tell us immediately.
It would mean one of two things.
which are?
either it is not kansen causing your nightmares,
or there is something or someone commanding the kansen to target you, that can force them to come here
even when they would resist with all their might.
...
another Maho-Tsukai?
targeting me, again?
why!?
I hadn't even considered the possibility, but as soon as Toshiro said it, I knew how possible it was
Part of the reason Maho-Tsukai were such a problem was because they could be anyone.
The kansen would 'serve' any person who spilled blood and whispered prayers to the dark kami.
the other problem was that kansen often made maho-tsukai themselves

The kansen knew where ancient scrolls of dark knowledge were hidden, and were drawn to them.
Just as earth kami hovered around Toshiro's scroll satchell, and water kami near Naomi's
Kansen would find people who were unhappy with something. They would whisper to that person, they would
guide that person to the scrolls, hidden away and forgotten with the death of their original owner.
So, despite the seemingly absurd chance, there really was a good possibility that there was another Maho-
Tsukai about.
And he could very well be trying to tempt Ayame down a dark path, twisting her desire for righteous vengeance
towards an evil purpose.
In the worst case, it could very well be this how THEY recruit their disposable minions and puppets.
THEY certainly had a lot of those...
Even though I was certain Hohiro was tied to THEM, I still wasn't certain whether he was puppet, or puppet
master...
Toshiro caught my eye.
He had been thinking exactly the same thing I had.
So I explained to Ayame
Ayame-san, sometimes seek to draw others under their influence, to grow a small cult around themselves.
Iuchiban and the bloodspeaker cult are the most famous example of this.
It may be that there is another Maho-Tsukai here, the master of the one we slew. And now he wishes to replace
his lost pawn.
With me?
I nodded gravely.
But how does cursing me help him do that?
Naomi answered that
In time, you will remember more and more of the dreams.
eventually, you will hear whispers, even while awake.
The kansen, under his orders, will try to tempt you with the power of blood magic.
They will use you desire for revenge.
THIS is exactly why I do not like revenge; it so easily leads to horrible things!
Ayame looked down, ashamed

I knelt down beside Ayame

There are many stories of great heroes taking righteous vengeance on those who wronged them.
It is not an easy path. You must hold tight to your honor, and prepare yourself to be both patient and to endure
great hardship.
Can you do that?
Even with that constant reminder of your betrayal?
Ayame did not answer right away
...yes. Yes I can do that.
Then that is all that matters.
Do not give in.
Ayame nodded.
I won't.
Thank you all so much for your help.
I can never repay you.
I could not think of any way to dismiss her gratitude as unnecessary without insulting it, so I accepted her
thanks.
We left her in the shrine, and headed back to our room
So, if IS another one, does anyone have any idea how we root them out?
Toshiro nodded.
I might have one.
Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.
he refused to explain further.

Naomi was upset with me

She wasn't saying anything, but I could practically feel her displeasure
So I took her outside, onto a balcony, where we could be alone.
Alright then. Let's have it.
have what, Ishigaki-kun
I didn't bother to acknowledge her attempt to pretend nothing was wrong.
I simply folded my arms and stared at her
The silence stretched on for a bit
At last she spoke up
Why do you insist on encouraging her?
Even when the person she intends to fight is so much more skilled, even when the darkness her desire for
revenge allows into her heart is a weakness through which she could damn herself, even though her gunso is
assured to have family and friends who will seek vengeance in turn...
Nothing good comes of it Ishigaki-kun!
I couldn't hold back my sigh.
I didn't want to do what I was about to do.
You done?
Naomi blinked at my cold tone
Do you really think I'M why she does this?
Do you really I could change her mind?
It isn't logic that drives her, it's emotion.
And logic isn't going to resolve those emotions.
Bushi and Shugenja live in two different worlds, Naomi.
You know that.
But you seem to forget it's not just the ability to speak with the kami that separates us.
Bushi fight
Bushi die
Bushi kill
And you are right, being surrounded by death DOES mark a person.
It's up to each individual to decide how they deal with that.
and it is ONLY that individual who has the right to make that decision.
Whatever the outcome of her decision, it's HER decision.
Not yours.
Not mine.
Not her lord's
Not her clan's
HERS.
The only thing we can do, they only thing we have any right to do, is make sure she's thought it through
thoroughly and is ready for whatever the outcome might be.
You've said your piece already. Repeating yourself like you are only makes her LESS likely to listen to you in
the future.
You're going to need to accept this, or things will get difficult when our children come of age.

Naomi stared at me wide eyed for a long time

Only the Isle of Mists had made me hate myself more.
But Crabs do not shirk their duty, no matter how horrible it may be.
Naomi had to understand the difference between bushi and shugenja, and the fact that few could ever be as
forgiving as her.
...and you would have Ashitaka walk this blood soaked path as well?
Daiko, Tetsute?
She placed a hand on her stomach
I would have them walk their own paths, Naomi.
And if I saw them heading to a difficult part that I had already passed, I would share my knowledge with them.
But they must walk their own paths.
Naomi looked away from me
shit.
I had thought, after our time at Kyuden Hida, she had come to accept the fate Crabs bore, the fate warriors
bore
I was wrong.
She had hidden it, and quite well, but now I saw she was so upset over what had happened to Ayame, and
what Ayame was going to do about it, because she saw the future of her brother, and our children in Ayame.
I grabbed her, and pulled her in for a hug
To my shock, Naomi tried to pull away
Though her attempt was half hearted
I knew how strong she was, with the water kami guiding her
If she wanted to she could have lifted me over her head and tossed me from this balcony without any real
effort.
The fact that she didn't actually break away meant she DID want comfort and reassurance.
She had just hopped, perhaps expected, I would agree with her.
In the past, my friends and I had expended great effort to hide harsher truths from her
Precisely because none of us wanted to have this conversation with her.
But, we couldn't hide things from her forever.
She had the right to know the lives her children would face.
She started to weep.
I held her, and stroked her hair.
That always calmed her down
I didn't chide her, or try to get her to stop
I supported her while she let out her emotions freely

After a time she sniffled, and pulled away

Thank you, Ishigaki-kun
She smiled sadly.
Like that, then?
Support, but do not interfere?
I don't know if I will be able to do that Ishigaki-kun...
I chuckled.
You ignore your own pain until it's almost killed you; yet seeing another person in pain, even if it's as minor as
a paper cut, is something you cannot bear.
I can't understand how that works, but it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you.
It's not just failings of character that can lead us astray, you know?
hai. I... I will need some time to accept this. But I do understand.
You always did; you just needed someone to remind you.
I am not that wise, Ishigaki-kun
Sure you are.
She laughed softly
If you say so, my husband
we went back inside
The next day, we visited Ayame
She looked much better than the last time I saw her
You slept well then?
Yes, I did. Your plan worked!
Toshiro nodded.
Good, good.
Sleep here a few more days, just to make sure they stay gone.
Ayame nodded.
We all ate breakfast together, Kitstupid-san and Bayushi Amakidnapa were there as well.
Of course by now I had forgiven them their lapse in judgment.
Holding it against them in any way was beneath me at this point.
Kitsupid-san and Amakidnapa, I mean.
As I chewed my rice I wondered if they were lovers.
So I decided to ask them.
Kitsuki-san, Amano-san...
They looked over
yes?
Are you two in a relationship or something?
Choking noises erupted from all around our table
Some of it was mixed with laughter
Some was pure shock
Ahha! You ARE, aren't you!
NO!
CERTAINLY NOT!
Why would you even think that?
Well, it would certainly explain how you, Kitsuki-san were able to reject the advances of one of the most
beautiful women in the Empire,
And your actions, Amano-san, make a bit more sense if you had been driven mad with jealousy.

I thought I explained already Ishigaki-san

Physical gratification is easy to come by, but emotional attachment is a burden I do not wish to deal with
Amano-san was still in shock, but he managed to squeak out
im engaged you know...
No, I didn't.
I pointed at the both of them with my chopsticks
So you're both certain there's nothing going on between you two?
I won't judge, I promise!
A thumping can from down the table
Mantis-san was choking to death, a smile on his face and tears running down his cheeks
Toshiro was pounding his back, trying to get him breathing again
Monkey had vanished beneath the table, though I could see his feet kick into the air every now and again.
Even Naomi had gone quite red and had both hands clapped over her mouth
Kitsuki-san stared coldly at me.
There is nothing.
Fine, fine. If you aren't ready to admit your true feelings, I won't force you too.
Just know that I will always support you.
Thank you for your consideration, Ishigaki-san
Amano just tried to vanish inside his kimono
Toshiro managed to save Mantis-san's life
Though it was close
Once we finished breakfast we headed out to join the rest of the court
The karo announced the next competition
Performances were next on the agenda
Sing, dance, play an instrument, perform a scene from a play. Alone or in groups.
The audience would judge the finest performance
More art.
Well I suppose I could at least sit back and take in some culture for a while.
Oi! Ishigaki-san, Toshiro-san!
We looked over
It was one of the Hiruma who served as Yojimbo to Katsuie-sam.
We're doing a draw-lot play! We need you two! Come on!
Toshiro and I looked at each other
Sighed.
Fine, but we're both going to need a lot of sake
He grinned
Of course!

Plays always have roles few Crab warriors are keen on taking.
That's even assuming you can get them to overcome the embarrassment of being terrible actors in order to get
them on stage in the first place
A Crab gunso solved this problem, while also creating a way for his troops to relax, by inventing the concept of
Draw Lot plays
He took a popular play that most of the troops would know by heart, wrote the names of the roles down on
slips of paper, then added enough blank slips that everyone in the squad would be able to pick one
mixed them up in his kabuto
and forced the entire squad to draw
The lucky ones that got roles would play those roles, no exceptions, no trading roles.
Since everyone had an equal chance to share in the embarrassment it was easier to get the warriors to risk it.
That is the Draw Lot Play of the Crab Clan.
An (often drunken) mess of overacting, flubbed lines, and burly giants trying to play effeminate housewives that
will drive most playwrights to suicide upon learning their work had been defiled in such a manner
We all gathered together in Katsuie-sama's room
Aside from Katsuie, Toshio and myself there was Yasuki Tamoko, her brother Tomoki, Hiruma Saji and Kaiu
Makoto.
So, do you already have a play in mind?
Makoto looked up from where she was shuffling papers around
They gave us a few different scenes to choose from... most of these are crane written crap though...
We all crowded around her to look
young lovers struggle against fate
vengeance for murdered father
bumbling magistrates who solve cases by luck instead of skill
survivor of a loosing battle trying to avoid capture while surviving in the woods
and one of the tests of the Emerald Champion
...
Tomoki broke the silence
wow.
I know Tomo-chan.
Tomoki flushed at his sister calling him by his childhood nickname in public.
Saji solved our dilemma by producing a die from his fortunes and winds set
Toshiro clapped him on the shoulder.
you're a genius

we got the young lovers

There were five rolls to fill for the scene we had.
The two lovers, the fiance, and the fathers
So, two of the people in this room would be safe
Risky odds, but with two women drawing lots and only one female role every guy was connived they wouldn't
be the young woman.
With a prayer to Daikoku, we drew our lots
...
no trading, no exceptions.
The first performance was a pair of Lion. Akodo Yoshi danced a noh, while an Ikoma girl beat time on a
kotsuzumi
As the Lion danced he spun his fan through a series of candles, snuffing them out one by one.
He revived quite a bit of applause when it was over

I scratched at my beard.
That was a little hard to understand, but I got the feeling, since he was snuffing candles, that it had something
to do with how short people's lives are
Up next came a Kakita, I didn't remember ever seeing that one before.
I realized there were a half dozen Kakita that didn't look like swordsmen in the Crane... army.
There were just too many to justifiably call it an entourage.
The Kakita, in a fine display of humility, played a biwa and sang a song about how the Original Kakita invented
the biwa and sang a song to make lady Doji fall in love with him.
Delighted at this reminder of incestuous the Crane Clan families were, the crowd erupted in applause.
I had the thought to begin jotting my thoughts down.
I'd make a wonderful art critic.
Next, some servants brought a massive taiko drum.
I sat up a little straighter.
The thunder of those drums always stirred my soul.
Out came Moto Li-Ta, dressed in proper drummer attire.
She bowed to the audience, then proceeded to beat the ever loving shit out of that drum
As she did so, several other Unicorn leapt from the wings, whooping and hollering and dancing like mad.
There was a wild freedom in their performance, a sense of joy
I wasn't sure what it was about, but I knew I liked it
Naomi came out next, to offer a simple performance
She played her Konto, and sang softly.
A soft lullaby she sang to the children before they slept.
The song itself perfectly captured the simple joy of watching your children sleep, and the pain of knowing they
would one day grow up
More than a few courtiers were wiping their faces discretely before she was done.
Several Dragon performed a scene from a play about Matsu Hitomi. The scene they enacted was one
depicting the Mirumoto Daimyo requesting her aid against the forces of the Crab.
I had to wonder if the Dragon remembered that once the Crab had been forced to withdraw the Mirumoto
Daimyo betrayed her.

A presentation from the Phoenix came next

Another play, this scene was the Shiba family daimyo and Phoenix Clan Champion urging the Council of
Masters to keep the Isawa well back from the front lines of a war
The man spoke for a long time, about the oath Shiba swore to Isawa, and how the power of the Clan's
shugenja should only be unleashed in times of dire emergency.
Real subtle there Shoji, even I can see what you're driving at with that one.
I noticed considerable agitation among the Mantis delegates, before they waved off servant
I guess they weren't in the mood to participate
Given that one of their courtiers had been murdered and another was now missing, I could see why.
Two more crane performances back to back. One a Noh, the other a kabuki.
At a certain point, quantity began to drown out quality from the Crane, at least to my mind.
The other audience members seemed to enjoy both performances though.
Then another performance from the Lion. Another play about Matsu Hitomi, this one covering the time when
the Mirumoto Daimyo ordered her to attack the castle of a Lion lord, effectively betraying her
I leaned over to Katusie-sama.
So, that seemed very blunt. Or am I just overthinking things?
No, I think your suspicions are correct, Ishigaki-san.
Okay.
I can be a bit thick so I just wanted to make sure.
Then came the Scorpion.
Amano sang a simple song, without any accompaniment
About Akodo Godaigo betraying Matsu Hitomi, his lover, after she took her vengeance on the Mirumoto
Daimyo.
Katsuie-sama sat straight up and scowled when that was done.
Um, Katsuie-sama?
His eyes narrowed.
That was a warning to the Lion.
I felt a cup pressed into my hand
Ah. we were going to be up next.
Yes, it's not a proper draw lot play if the actors are sober
Kanpai

Once we were good and drunk we stumbled out onto the stage.
Toshiro, Me, Tomoko and Tomoki and Makoto were the lucky winners
As the father of the bride to be, I got to be the asshole in this play.
Toshiro was my old friend whose son, played by Makoto, was to marry my daughter, Tomoki
With Tomoko the brash young samurai who was going to interrupt the wedding and declare his true love for
Tomoki.
What was supposed to happen was just as Tomoki and Makoto were exchanging vows, Tomoko was to enter
the room, and declare her love. Toshiro and I would raise a fuss, Tomoki would admit his true feelings, Toshiro
and I would raise more fuss, Makoto and Tomoki would take their stance, and the scene would end because
the original playwright was a massive ass who loved to make audiences argue over what happened next
But this was a draw lot play.
Most of the time, we did try to do it right.
It's just that the actors are a bunch of bushi with no artistic talent whatsoever
But over time, a certain type of draw lot play gained popularity.
One that EMBRACED the butchery of the play.
And when you're dealing with Crabs performing play none of them were familiar with and didn't even like very
much...
There was no question in our minds how this would go
I sat nodding in approval as Tomoki and Makoto began swearing their marriage vows
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!
Tomoko came storming in.
Listen up, all ah yah!
Tomoko wove her way drunkenly over to us
and grabbed her brother's chest
These are my boobies! Hands off you bitch!
you could hear the silence as those who had never heard of a draw lot play were made painfully aware of what
they were in store for
bah!
Makoto fired back
Then yanked Tomoki from his sister's arms
Tomoki is MINE! as if she'd want some limp wristed geisha like you!
Tomoko wasn't backing down
I'll have you know I killed an ogre during my gempukku!
Well I killed an ONI!
Well I killed Oni no Akuma!

wiat.. wait... did you just say you had two gempukku?
YEAH!
Tomoko pulled back the sleeves on her kimono and flexed her thin arms
One for each of these manly arms of mine
Makoto reached out felt Tomoki's almost nonexistent biceps
Whoah! Those are impressively manly!
Toshiro looked over at me
Aren't we supposed to say something here?
he said it loudly enough the audience could hear
I just smiled, chin resting on my hand
I think so, but I'm having too much fun watching this...
Toshiro shrugged
Fine, whatever...
um...
Tomoki tried to speak up
Makoto and Tomoko both wheeled on him and spoke in unison
WHAT?!
um.... I uh. I think I like Tomoko better, to be honest...
Toshiro elbowed me
I think every saw
Okay, fine fine...
I got up, almost lost my balance, and lurched over to the arguing trio.
I put my hand on Tomoki's shoulder
Tomoki, my beautiful daughter, you cannot marry Tomoko!
But why not father?!
Because... because... he's your sister!
I couldn't help but break out laughing as I said that, and then I really did lose my balance
Toshiro stood up.
I'm not drunk enough for this
Saji decided to get in on the act, and ran in with a cup of sake fro Toshiro
THanks.
Toshiro downed it and threw the cup over his shoulder
okay, fuck it. We're all samurai here
You and you
he pointed to Makoto and Tomoko
just fight already. Winner gets the little girl
Right!
Got it!
The two punched each other in their faces at the same time and fell over
Toshiro looked around
Well, since I'm the last one standing, guess I win.
Come on wife, let me show you your new home
He grabbed Tomoki's hand and pulled him off the stage

I looked out from where I had fallen at the audience

The Unicorn were laughing so hard they had to hold their sides lest their guts come bursting out
Everyone else was staring with the vacant look of one who has witnessed the aftermath of a battle for the first
time
I hoped at least one Crane would have nightmares about this the rest of their lives.
We all managed to get to our feet and bow to the audience
The motion was too much for Tomoki, who vomited.
The perfect end to a perfect draw lot play
Katsuie-sama was chuckling when we rejoined him
I didn't think you would be quite so rough with the source material!
It was bland crap anyway Katsuie-sama!
He smiled.
I can't help but wonder how many courtiers are trying to figure out the hidden message right now.
Makoto looked at Katsuie-sama in surprise
There was a hidden message?
He snorted.
Of course not.
All they saw were a bunch of drunken crabs butchering a script.
But courtiers have minds like mazes, and they cannot accept things are as simple as they seem
He laughed out loud then.
No doubt we've muddied the waters quite a bit with that show!
Saji grinned
Your suggestion to do a draw lot play was wonderful, Katsuie-sama
I looked over at Toshiro
Did you hear that?
I did
You think maybe the point was that there was no point?
If you just said what I think you just said then I think you're right..
I have no idea what you just said, Toshiro.
We should go sleep this off.
Yeah, we should
So we did

I awoke with an impressive hangover

Not even close to the Double Mind Fuck hangover, but still one worth remembering
Naomi helped me to sit up, and gave me some water
I gulped it down
That was... an interesting performance
Did you win?
No, it was the Crane Kabuki actors who did so.
It should have been you.
I love that song
I know you do, that is why I chose it
Do you think you want to join everyone for breakfast?
Yeah, I have to ask about last night
Did you drink that much?
No, not that. Just want to make sure I didn't miss anything, is all.
I see.
You are certain you will be alright Ishigaki-kun?
I feel fine now
The instant I stepped into the room where everyone was getting breakfast I had to run out onto the balcony
and lean over
I almost hit a peasant
I pulled my head back while he was still staring in confusion, before he could think to look up
Toshiro grinned at me
Snuck up on you, didn't it?
A bit.
I drank some more water
So, let me see if I've got it right.
Last night the Dragon asked if the Lion want to join them
The Lion said no
And the Scorpion warned them to stay out of altogether then...
Is that about right?
Kitsuki-san nodded
Yes.
Amano shot Kitsuki a look
Most children could follow that much, were they training to be courtiers. there's no harm in confirming for him
what everyone already knows
I suppose you're right
Amano ate some rice, then mused
the Unicorn are guileless as always
Kitsuki-san nodded
I grunted. Probably why they had one of the better performances
You call that wild jumping a good dance?
No, I suppose I should not be surprised
I had thought you had at least some basic appreciation for art, after all.
I fired right back at Kitsuki-san
I like honest art that doesn't try to hide what it's saying.
People at court are pretentious enough as is.
making their art pretentious is just going overboard
Kitsuki-san snorted

Toshiro and I went to check up an Ayame

She was practicing her basics, swinging a bokken over and over before the statue of Bishamon
Such a thing would be pleasing to the fortune of strength.
So we held back, out of sight, until she finished
Once she had returned to her neutral stance and held it for the proper length of time, she collapsed
I've seen that before, plenty of times
Toshiro and I moved over to her
Ishigaki-sama, Toshiro-sama?
Looks like she couldn't bring herself to use an improper honorific under the direct gaze of Bishamon, even
though I had told her I preferred -san, if she had to honorific me at all.
Well, even Toshiro insisted in -saning me, even though he never corrected me when I addressed by name only.
I was the odd one here, preferring to be informal beyond even what most Crabs would find acceptable.
Oh well.
Ayame-san, can you hold out your arm for me?
Uh, yes
She did so. Her arm shook visibly
Toshiro looked into her eyes.
mm hmm
What, what is it, Toshiro-sama?
exhaustion.
You've pushed yourself far too hard
How long have you been at it?
...
All night...?
Ayame looked away, a bit embarrassed
I am sorry, I was worried about the possibility of the dreams returning so I could not sleep...
You need to sleep from time to time too, you know?
Yes, I am sorry.
I will try and get some sleep now, I am quite tired...
good.
Once we were away Toshiro looked at me.
I think she's wrong.
huh?
About why she couldn't sleep.
I nodded.
I see.
So, you had a plan to find the tsukai?
Before Toshiro could answer angry shouts exploded from one the rooms we were passing
We looked at one another, then went in to see what was going on

Inside we found an Ikoma and a Soshi yelling at one another.

It was that same Soshi who spoke to me during the painting contest
Both had long since abandoned any pretense, if there had ever been any to begin with, and now freely and
openly insulting one another
Well, a duel or two is not uncommon in a winter court. Samurai being samurai tempers were bound to flare up
sooner or later.
It was the Ikoma who drew his wakizashi first
drawing your blade when you're going to demand a duel to satisfy your honor is a fairly normal thing.
drawing your blade and stabbing someone who has upset you is not
I reached out and grabbed his arm, just in case.
He glared at me for a moment, trying to understand.
Then his rage cooled just enough that he did, so let go
I can bear your lies no longer Scorpion! I will have satisfaction!
It was at that exact moment the heads of the Scorpion and Lion delegations entered the room
Well, that was far to convenient, especially when there's scorpion involved.
The Soshi smiled.
Then, if Bayushi-sama will allow it, I accept your challenge
All eyes turned to Bayushi-sama
Hands folded inside of sleeves, a voluminous Kimono concealed everything else
And Bayushi-sama wore a wedding veil for a mask
I'll allow it
That voice could have belonged to a man, or a woman...
Toshiro leaned in and whispered to me
How much you want to bet that there is no 'Bayushi-sama' and that all the Scorpion take turns in that outfit?
Hah. Wouldn't surprise me at all if you're right.
The Soshi woman nodded.
Then Bayushi Kentaro will be my champion
As long as Ikoma-sama gives his permission for this duel, of course.
The younger Ikomo looked at his senior.
Ikoma-sama had a long thin beard down to his chest, that he stroked a few times, while he tried to work out
what the Scorpion were up to
He nodded at last.

The young Ikoma smilled

Then I will have Akodo Yo
Ikoma-sama cut him off
No, you will not.
Yoshi-san is far too busy with other duties to spend time on such a trivial matter
Toshiro whispered again
In other words 'I don't know what the Scorpion are up to so I'm not letting you put our best warrior in harm's
way'
The young Ikoma stared, open mouthed.
He looked around
Judging by his expression, most of the other Lion must be only fair duelists.
Since Shoshi had named Kentaro without hesitation, he was likely very good.
I saw Kakita Sakurada begin to stand up
Then I saw the Soshi smile, faintly, before turning her face back to a blank slate
Well shit, they'd walked right into it
before Sakurada could speak, I did
I'll be your champion
heads whipped in my direction I was surprised I didn't hear the sound of breaking necks
Toshiro was staring at me as I'd just peeled of my stolen Ishigaki skin and revealed myself to be a bog hag
The Ikoma looked me up and down.
You?
Yeah. Me.
And why would I choose you?
Because there isn't anyone in this room who thought I would offer.
Not.
One.
The young Ikoma realized what I was getting at.
He nodded.
Very well then!
I leaned in, putting my head next to the young Ikoma's ear, with my back turned to the Scorpion
Ask her to be very specific with the terms.
I know
Now then, your right as the challenged?
isn't it obvious? Iaijutsu to the first blood!
Those are your only terms then? Fine
Our champions shall meet outside in fifteen minutes!
I headed for my room
It took twenty five minutes to complete the ritual to don one's armor.
skipping steps was dangerous, as the ritual also made sure the pieces would overlap properly.
And of course, it invited bad luck
Unless, of course, you were a Crab.
Ten minutes later, I was fully dressed and on my way outside
This wasn't cheating, not really.
It was the Shoshi's fault for not specifying whether or not armor would be allowed

Of course I was stretching it.

That was just a technicality, and I was insulting the spirit of the Iaijutsu duel.
Worst case scenario the aggrieved Crane have to have a flower arranging contest to see who gets first crack
at me.
But then I arrived and realized I was safe
A figure in dark, blood red and black armor was already waiting for me
Bayushi Kentaro
hah, so the Scorpion didn't specify no armor because they had the same plan as I did
So now I look like a genius for figuring out their plan and countering it.
I didn't, but I had no problem letting everyone think I did
We took up our positions
Shit.
He wasn't just relying on his armor
It was still early morning, the rising sun was behind his shoulder
With his dark armor all I could see was a silhouette
Well, whatever.
I am Hida Ishigaki,student of the Hida Ryu and Defender of the Wall
I am Bayushi Kentaro, of the Bayushi Ryu, and one of Saigo's blades
I wonder what that meant
We took our stances.
As I suspected, I was heavily outclassed
But Kentaro was in a suit of O-Yori. It would slow him down just a bit.
and this was a duel to first blood, not the first hit.
I focused myself, seeking out that perfect harmony
And then Kentaro hit me
Strike first, strike last
He was a master, that was obvious
But as his blade passed, there was no blood on it
As I had hoped. He couldn't quite cut me.
I returned the strike
I dimly heard a few people already shouting foul
Kentaro hadn't let his guard down, and he twisted around as I attacked
I missed
nimble little shit, and fast
We stepped back from one another as spectators shouted
I shouted back
I'M NOT BLEEDING
The young Ikoma I was championing shouted then
Look at Kentaro-san's blade! No blood!
So we had to keep going.
My position was improved, but not by much.
Damn he's fast!
But I we were no longer trying to out draw one another.
I covered up, and deflected his swings

I backed away and circled, getting the sun out of my eyes, while allowing my training to guide me
Kentaro pressed on, shifting from two hands to one hand and back.
I gave ground before his assault
and found what I was looking for
my foot slid, just a bit, on a patch of ice hidden under the snow
Kentaro began to circle around me again, putting the sun behind him once more
Then, I didn't just deflect his attack
I caught it on my own blade
And I shoved. Hard
he stepped back from my push
Onto the ice
As his foot skidded out from under him, I attacked
His armor would shield him, so I attacked with all my might
I had to make him bleed, here and now
I wouldn't get another chance
As I struck my momentum pushed him on the ice, and he fell
I pulled my blade back, and felt flesh, not metal beneath it
red droplets fell to the snow from my katana
...
...
...
I just pissed of the Scorpion.
I had to go back to my room and change of course
It was a very great struggle not to constantly look behind me as I walked through the halls
Of course, the Scorpion would take their time
Part of their revenge was, invariably, the time their victim spent dreading its arrival.
I got out of my armor, and Naomi insisted on checking me for any injury
I'm fine Naomi, he didn't cut me
No. I must be certain!
The vehemence in her voice startled me
She looked me over, and there was a thin scratch.
Only the very top layer of skin was parted, not even deep enough to draw blood
TOSHIRO!
TOSHIRO COME HERE!
Wait, Naomi? Why are you yelling?
Toshiro thumpdragged his way in
I just got up here Naomi-san, what
The kami of earth are better at removing poison than the kami of water!
You have one, don't you?
Uh. I do...
Hurry, use it!
Naomi pulled out a scroll of her own
I will try something as well!
Toshiro and I looked at each other, he shrugged, fished out his scroll and said a prayer to Jurojin
a little bit later Naomi finished her spell as well, and I felt quite good
Okay, now will you tell us what the hell has you so worked up?
The blade was poisoned
...
what?
You did not see. No one saw.
But I did!
There was venom of some sort on the Scorpion's blade!
Why did you even offer to be his champion in the first place?!
Because I'm pretty sure the Scorpion wanted Kakita Sakurada to be the Lion's champion...
Toshiro piped up. Okay, wait. Both of you.
Let's start over from the beginning here.
The Peace faction made an overture to the Lion, and were rebuffed
Today a Scorpion picked a fight with the Lion.
They knew the head of the Lion delegation would not allow their best warrior to face the Scorpion over
personal insults just in case the Scorpion had something planned
Naomi picked up from there
Yes, yes.
Sakurada saw a chance to get in the Lion's good graces, and possibly swing them to the War faction

Then I took over

But the Scorpion anticipated that,
Naomi finished
And hatched a plan where they would likely injure Sakurada, only for him to die from the poison later!
Toshiro whistled.
There are plenty of poisons that look like natural deaths...
Everyone would KNOW, but no one would be able to prove anything!
Toshiro looked at me
And you just had to go and ruin that, didn't you?
Well. I was in deeper shit than I thought.
We should probably report all this to Katsuie-sama.
yeah.
On the way we bumped into Ikoma-san
Hida Ishigaki-san! I have not had the opportunity to thank.... you?
I stopped
He could see the looks on our faces.
Sorry, I don't have time for niceties. What's your name, anyway?
He blinked, surprised that I would champion someone I didn't even know
It's Gohei
Ikoma Gohei
Gohei-san, you should go to your superior, I think ours will want to speak with him soon.
okay?
As I hurried on I tossed over my shoulder
And watch your back!
We entered into Katsuie-sama's rooms
He was sitting there with a scowl on his face.
I suspect you have news for me, and it will not be good...
We explained to Katsuie-sama what had happened, from walking in on the insults to the end of the duel
Along with Naomi seeing the poison.
He looked at her
Of course it would be a water tensai who could see it...
Makoto piped up
Yeah, only the Kitsuki have sharper...eyes. oh.
Well, there was an uncomfortable thought.
Had Kitsuki-san spotted the poison? Had he been privy to the plot?
It was Kentaro WAS Amano's cousin...
Or was that just what the Scorpion wanted us to think? To drive a wedge between us, the wild cards in this
court?
Fuck this was making my head hurt...
Katsuie-sama wrote down a couple of quick letters.
Saji, take these to Ikoma Sen-san and Doji Akiko-san.
I arched an eyebrow
Not the Mantis, Katsuie-sama?

Their two best courtiers are no longer present, and their current head is just following Akiko's lead.
At this point, the Mantis are a piece for others to move, no longer players in their own right.
Ikoma Sen, Ikoma Gohei, Akodo Yoshi, Doji Akiko and Kakita Sakurada all joined us
Katusie-sama blinked
I will have to make some more tea
The three big shots all sat around a table together, while the rest of us waited in the wings, watching them.
Akiko took the lead
What is all this about, Hida-san?
I believe I have learned the extent of the Scorpion plot today.
Oh? I thought they were up to something
Sen stroked his beard
So then, Hida-san, what were they up too?
They were trying to kill Kakita Sakurada.
Sen blinked
I saw Sakurada shuffle from one foot to the other.
Akiko fluttered her fan
By picking a fight with Lion clan courtier?
How did you come to that conclusion?
Several things.
Ikoma Gohei-san, it was the scorpion that first insulted you, correct?
hai, Hida-sama.
I believe the Scorpion anticipated your prudence, Ikoma Sen-san.
But they also anticipated that Sakurada would use the opening to try to befriend the Lion
Sen nodded along
Yes, that much is plausible.
Sen glanced over at Akiko
Though, just to be clear, the Lion truly do not wish to involve themselves in this matter.
Yoshi-san's poor choice of words after his bout with Hida Ishigaki-san may have given people the wrong idea.
He was simply asking for the best healer in the castle, nothing more...
Akiko-san nodded.
I understand Ikoma Sen-san
And I appreciate your candor.
Still, if you had not been so cautious it would have Yoshi-san, and not Sakurada-san who would face the
Scorpion.
Sen nodded slowly.
That is, of course, assuming that the Scorpion would have still been willing to dishonor himself by killing in a
first blood duel.
Katsuie-sama spoke again
Forgive me for interrupting, but Bayushi Kentaro was never going to slay his opponent
Not in the duel, anyway

I could swear the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as the implication of what Katsuie-sama just
said settled in
How do you know this, Hida-san?
Katusie-sama turned to us
Hida Naomi-san?
Hai. I saw the venom glistening off the Scorpion's blade.
There was a lot of fidgeting
Akiko spoke
Naomi-san, no one else saw this.
With all due respect, Doji-sama, no one else is a water tensai.
Akiko's fan fluttered
She exchanged glances with Sen, who raised his eyebrows in a 'she's got a point' way
Katsuie-sama continued then
The schemes of the Scorpion are typically quite complex, and require certain people to react in just the right
way
However, victory over one of the Kenshinzen in an Iaijutsu duel is a bit much to ask for.
However, by donning armor for the duel Kentaro gave himself an opening to land a single blow.
He could even have claimed he did not realize he was injured and struck late.
then the venom would do it's job
Hours later, the Crane would lose their strongest duelist.
Sen finished for him
And the threat of a Kakita blade IS one of the Crane clan's best weapons in court
Akiko looked at him
You wound me, Ikoma Sen-san. Our duelists are not our only strength!
Sen chuckled. It's true that you use words more than steel in court, Doji-san.
It's also true that the threat of him keeps people from thinking to try steel when your words are superior.
Well... I must admit that is true.
Akiko bowed to Katsuie-sama
Hida-san, I must thank you. Your subordinates swift actions have saved the life of my own.
Sen stroked his beard.
You know what?
I do not think I will allow this to go unanswered.
Katsuie-sama and Akiko both looked at him
If what you say is true, and I am inclined to believe it is, then had I allowed Yoshi to act it would have been HIM
that was poisoned.
In any event, the Scorpion used us as pawns in their scheme.
He turned to Akiko and bowed.
You now have the full support of the Lion, Doji-san.

After the meeting Naomi, Toshiro and I discussed what we should do

Do we tell Mantis-san and Kitsuki-san?
Naomi nodded
We should at least let them know, even if they do already
Toshiro scowled
Maybe Amano can convince them to back off before they try to do something to you?
I really hadn't thought of that.
He DID owe me though...
We agreed to bring it up at lunch. That would get awkward, one way or another
We took our usual private lunch together
Toshiro started us off
So...Kitsuki-san.
Yeah?
Did you see the poison on Kentaro's blade?
Kitsuki-san coughed up some rice
Amano remained calm
Kitsuki-san looked over at Amano in shock
Did YOU know?
Amano shook his head
I was not made privy to any of the plans surrounding that duel.
Kitsuki-san looked hard at his friend.
Okay.
Mantis-san and Monkey looked around
Someone want to fill us in already?
Namoi, Toshiro and I took turns filling everyone in.
Amano got some harsh looks
Kitsuki-san spoke up.
They didn't tell him.
Because I would have found out if they had.
Monkey spoke up then.
Alright, I'll believe you. But aren't the Scorpion going to be pissed that Ishigaki-san screwed up their plan?
And now the Lion are in the War faction?
Mantis-san scowled.
The Scorpion never forget, and never forgive.
Yoritomo Aramasu proved that to our clan
Naomi looked to Amano
is there anything you can do about this?
Amano frowned.
I... I do not know.
I can at least try though.
I do owe you Ishigaki-san.
But I can make no promises.
I nodded.
Alright then. Good enough, I suppose
I decided I was going to sleep in my armor for a long time to come, just in case.
Toshiro coughed
Now then. We think we've got another Tsukai running around.
chopsticks hit the table
uh
When did this happen!?
Just before the excitement with the Scorpion.
Mantis-san growled
It never rains, but it pours…

Toshiro finally told us his plan to catch the tsukai.

It's simple really. We just get the fucker to make a move.
It's easier to pick out something that's moving than something that's standing still.
So we make noise. We let everyone know, and that naturally includes him, that we're looking for another
Tsukai.
That makes him scared, he starts trying to cover his tracks, and we catch him trying to dispose of the evidence.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
Yes... yes that could work.
He knows that while physical evidence isn't admissible I can use it to find him. He wouldn't want that.
Too much scrutiny and he'd be bound to slip up sooner or later...
Monkey raised his hand
Do we have any idea WHY they're going after her again?
Toshiro frowned.
Well, we're making assumptions but if THEY are Bloodspeakers like we suspect he could want nothing more
that to tempt her to joining the cult to achieve her vengeance.
It wouldn't be the first time someone desperate for revenge turned to blood magic, and Bloodspeakers often
pass the price of their magic off to their subordinates...
Monkey went wide eyed.
Damn.
You said it Monkey.
Okay then.
we had our plan, such that is was,
I decided to do my part with my usual subtlety and tact
OI! Keji-san!
CATCH!
Keji's reflexes kicked in and he grabbed the finger of jade I tossed at him out of the air
The hell?!
Ok, good.
Just looking around for a maho-tsukai.
NAILED IT
Everyone! If you would all just grab this jade here for a moment, we can clear you of any suspicion and move
right along.
I shouted over the protests
No, I'm not saying any of you are tsukai!
Just that the Jade Magistrates have determined they may be another one about
So this is the quickest way to find them!
More than a few glares, shouts, cries of insulted honor
But then Keji growled at them
Hey! I already took the damn test, and it's no big deal! Or do you have something to hide?
He whispered to me
I like the way you work Ishigaki-san!

As I had hopped, once the OTHER scary giant had gone through with it he wasn't about to let anyone weasel
out.
So the two of us were able to quickly clear the room
I bowed from the waist, and apologized for wasting everyone's time
After all, that's just good manners, and I was nothing if not well mannered.
Once I reported to Toshiro that I had done my bit we scattered through the castle, watching and waiting.
C'mon you bastard...show yourself.
Monkey, Mantis-san, and Amano were actively hunting, and being sneaky fucks about it.
There had been a bit of protest from Kitsuki-san when I demanded we jade test Amano before making him a
part of the investigation.
Amano himself surprised me by grabbing the jade without hesitation.
I found his eagerness to dispel and suspicion deeply suspicious.
But since I was counting on him to redirect the Scorpion Clan's wrath I kept my trap shut.
Toshiro and Naomi alternated staying with Ayame, so that she was never without spiritual protection
Katsuie-sama insisted on speaking with me, once word spread about what we were doing
Ishigaki-san, what exactly...
he cut off as I held out my finger of jade
Among Crabs, it wasn't an insult to demand a test of jade.
Even if it's someone testing their own superior.
Hell, among the Kuni, blasting each other with a Jade Strike is perfectly acceptable way to say hello.
He grabbed it and finished speaking
...are you all doing?
I jerked my head to the entourage.
Everyone sighed and rolled their eyes as they grabbed the jade
Save Saji, who pulled out his own finger.
He shrugged.
I like to always be prepared...
You remember Shiba Ayame, right Katsuie-sama?
He nodded
Toshiro thinks she's under another maho assault
What, why?
She's been having very bad dreams, but neither he nor Naomi have been able to find any cause, despite it
looking like a magical curse
Katusie-sama nodded. He was an old veteran who understood how shugenja had to spot the work of kansen

We're operating under the assumption that his plan was to weaken her mind with nightmares and sleep
deprivation, then tempt her with maho
I wasn't sure how many people here knew the truth of what happened, so I decided I would just say it
Secrets are for Scorpion and Oni after all, not Crab.
What happened to her at the Kenjutsu tournament was no accident
And Naomi COULD have saved Ayame's eye, if they had let her.
A few surprised looks, others only had suspicions confirmed.
Katusie-sama showed the sharp insight of a veteran of the courts though.
So, you think this is not just another tsukai, but a Bloodspeaker?
That got some attention.
He explained over his shoulder to his entourage.
Bloodspeakers know full well the price of using Maho, and to keep themselves from falling into Jigoku's control
they make their subordinates pay that price.
Wide eyes
Katsuie-sama scratched at his missing arm
I once battled a bloodspeaker cell, long ago...
He shook off the old memory.
A story for another time.
I know you don't need my permission to proceed Ishigaki-san, but know that you have my blessings.
A pained look crossed his face
Just... please try to be a bit more polite in the future?
I'll certainly try, Katsuie-sama.
he did not seem reassured.

Our hunt lasted several days

the bloodspeaker we pursued was no fool.
had he been, he would have been caught long ago after all.
We were gambling the constant pressure would cause him to make a mistake sooner or later
The steady glares of those who resented the implications of our investigation told us we had a time limit of our
own.
Sooner or later someone would raise a stink, someone whose complaints it would be unwise to ignore.
Even if we were well within our rights to do so.
In the meantime, events at court were reaching a fever pitch.
Large gatherings were becoming a rarity, as small groups of courtiers huddled together whispering, and letters
practically flew back back and forth.
Indeed, one could hardly walk through the halls without tripping over a servant bearing a letter.
Between our investigation and the rising tensions of the court tempers began to flare more and more often.
Several duels were fought, some part of the politicking, others just angry samurai going at it.
I'd had enough of that crap though, and kept well away from it.
There were also rumors of the next contest. Everything was very hush hush, and no one could tell where the
gossip started, but everyone knew it required much preparation.
After four days we found our target. And in a way we never saw coming.

I didn't have much to do, really, so I went to dinner a little early.

No one else had arrived yet.
There was a letter on the table addressed to Kitsuki-san
I looked around.
Well, everyone reads these things anyway, right?
I unfolded it.
And I read it.
And I dropped it
And I ran to the rooms where the Scorpion were staying
without preamble or announcement I threw open door after door, until I got the right one
Bayushi Amano looked up at me, sans mask
his eyes tight with pain
blood on the tatami
wakizashi in his hands
this...hurts a bit...
he coughed, trying to hold it in.
I was amazed he wasn't screaming.
I can't...quite...get the next...one...
C-c-could you...?
You fucking MORON!
I picked him up, and he did scream then
NAOMI!
I ran out, holding the bleeding Scorpion, wakizashi still in his guts
NAOMI!
needless to say, quite a crowd formed up behind me, more than a few wondering if they should try and stop
me.
NAOMI!
It's a good thing I can bellow as loud as I can.
It's a good thing Naomi, being a water tensai, could move as fast as she could
It's a good thing Amano was fading in and out of consciousness, so I didn't have to listen to him explain why I
shouldn't try to stop him
When we ran into one another, Naomi took one look and yanked out a scroll
I pulled the blade from Amano, who coughed up more blood.
Naomi shouted her prayer, and in a flash of blue-white Amano's wound closed.
he sat up, looking between the two of us.
It's rude to read other people's letters!
Everyone reads those things!
The ones being carried by a servant!
It doesn't matter anyway! We NEED your testimony!
Are you stupid, insane, or BOTH?
I CAN'T DO THAT!
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS!
Shoji. right on time.
Amano-san! What is going on?
Kitsuki-san ran up to his friend
What were you doing?
There were a lot of people staring, waiting to hear the explanation
fuck, where to start?

I ignored all the shouted questions

Instead I scanned the crowd.
And leapt upon the Soshi the second I saw her.
She went down under my weight with a surprised cry
That cut off after I slammed my fist into her face. Twice.
Then I was tackled, pulled off of her.
I could hear steel drawn, in the confusion someone stabbed me
HER ARMS YOU FOOLS! LOOK AT HER ARMS!
I couldn't see well, buried under bodies as I was, but I heard several gasps
Alright, ENOUGH!
Get off him! MOVE!
I recognized Mantis-san and Matsu Keiji's voices
Yeah, those two could certainly clear a path
SILENCE! I SAID SILENCE!
Ah Shoji again.
I felt hands haul me to my feet
I winced as I felt hot blood spurt from the wound in my side
I looked around.
Shoji had brought order at the point of a sword.
Well, a naginata.
Well, lots of naginata.
NOBODY MOVE, NOBODY SPEAK.
Shoji waited for anyone to defy him.
NOW.
What the hell is happening?
I pointed to the unconscious Soshi woman. The one from dot battle. the one who had egged on the Ikoma
Maho-Tsukai.
was all I said
Shoji glared at me.
You make those accusations a lot, where is your proof?
I looked over
Amano!
...I saw her drinking jade petal tea.
I can show you where she keeps it
Kitsuki-san looked up from where he knelt
He was holding up her arm, with the sleeve of her Kimono pulled back
Scars ran up and down the length of her arm.
Then Kitsuki-san looked at Amano
why? Why seppuku?
She is the head of our delegation...my superior.
Amano buried his face in his hands and wept
She's a maho tsukai!
I had no choice!
I had to report her...
But...
...I've betrayed the Clan.
That wasn't all.
With the head of the Scorpion delegation a Maho-Tsukai, the peace faction was broken.
there was no hope now. There would be war.
and Amano felt responsible for making it happen.
Damn…

Amano showed us where the Soshi kept her jade petal tea
That alone was should damning, but Shoji was adamant that we wait for the tea to run it's course and test her
before we got around to the business of getting a confession and passing judgment.
Since we had no proof that the tea was actually hers save the testimony of a single inferior, we had little choice
but to acquiesce.
Like the other one, she seemed to have no scrolls, instead memorizing her maho.
Unless she knew the best damn hiding place in this whole castle but had not put her jade petal tea there with
her scrolls...
We left Soshitsukai under the eye of several Shiba and a pair of Isawa,
I don't like it, what if she gets free somehow?
Toshiro shrugged.
Then you kill her, Mantis-san.
Or I set her on fire.
Or something.
Regardless, the consequences should that happen are on Shoji's head, not ours.
I almost hopped she did get loose once Toshiro said that.
Then his superiors might finally notice Shoji's failures.
Almost
I had a pregnant wife and two children in this castle, so I really didn't want a bloodspeaker running around
causing havoc while trying to escape.
Nor did I want to risk another double mindfuck hangover.
We let Ayame know the good news, and I got to growl at the monk again when he suggested she needn't sleep
in the shrine anymore
Toshiro clarified for me
She's had Kansen directed at her by maho for some time now. So one more night just to scatter them.
Otherwise they might stick around of their own volition.
After that, it was back to our rooms
Where Amano was trying to convince Kitsuki-san to be his second
Kitsuki-san looked up as we came in
Help me! I can't make him see reason!
She was a tsukai, a bloodspeaker! And I was her subordinate!

Amano, at least, was already referring to Soshitsukai in the past tense.

Even though it would be several hours before we could confirm it absolutely
And then, of course, get as much information out of her about THEM as possible
I got myself a cup of tea.
Katsuie-sama's habits were contagious
You DO realize you're superiors dishonor isn't necessarily yours as well, right Amano-san?
It's not JUST that, Ishigaki-san!
The Scorpion do not tolerate fools who dabble with maho, and that goes double for actual bloodspeakers!
But we're SUPPOSED to handle it quietly, internally!
I dragged it all out into the light of day!
And I destroyed any hope for peace!
Even Mantis-san thought he was being too hard on himself
That's not on you Amano-san. It's on my clan, and the Crane, and the Crab.
Monkey held out a cup of tea for the Scorpion
Amano-san... if you kill yourself now, who's going to try and get Ishigaki-san off the hook with your clan?
Amano looked like virgin that had just had his ass grabbed when they least expected it.
uh...
Kitsuki-san went for the finisher
Amano, my friend...please. I am not ready to part with you, and I certainly do not wish to carry such a burden
as you ask of me...
Amano looked down, and whispered
You do not know. You cannot know what happens to those who betray the clan...
Everyone had heard rumors of Traitor's Grove, of course.
But no one outside the Scorpion Clan knew where it was, or what really happened there.
Only that, as Amano was showing us right now, it was the single most terrifying thing in existence to any
Scorpion.
Naomi tried next
But you did not betray your Clan!
No, I don't know if I did or not.
I wasn't supposed to handle it that way, even though she would have been dealt with...
Don't you see? The simple fact that I don't know means someone might think I did!

Toshiro spoke next

So, killing yourself, on the off chance someone MIGHT decide what you did was wrong, is preferable to what
happens if they do?
Toshiro spoke with incredulity, but Amano looked him dead in the eyes and answered
Yes.
Kitsuki-san bowed his head
Who is the next highest ranking member of you group, Amano?
I insist this not come as a surprise to them
That would be very hard to do indeed, Takeshi-san.
Since that person is me.
Huh. We'd been eating with the second highest ranked Scorpion in this castle, and none of us knew it.
And that is also the last reason I must do this.
For the sake of all the others.
I shall take all responsibility for these events, and see to it they are safe.
Please, Takeshi. Grant me this.
One would seek a very close friend to be their second. There was no insult, no shame discarding honorifics
when asking for something so personal.
Kitsuki-san bowed his head.
Naomi could not attend.
Amano felt no insult over that.
Kitsuki-san's letters had explained Naomi's compassion very well to him.
The rest of the Scorpion attended
Though he was skipping a few steps, they all knew Amano was doing it for their sakes, at least in part.
Since it was my fault he was having to start over, I felt obligated to see him off.
As well as to support my friend, who had the greatest burden in all this.
I was surprised, when Amano asked me to be the one to cleanse the blade.
I didn't dare disrupt things any further by asking why
With Kitsuki Takeshi's help, Bayushi Amano shouldered all the blame for the events of this winter court,
cleansed his honor, and went before his ancestors.

The next day, Shoji announced the last event of the winter court
An Iaijutsu tournament, to be fought concurrently along with a Taryu-Jiai tournament
Most likely because you had to have an iaijutsu tournament, but he also wanted to drive home his point about
the power of Isawa Shugenja.
Toshiro grinned when he heard the news.
I looked over at Naomi
Do not worry, Ishigaki-kun.
I will not participate.
Taryu-jiai are too violent; everyone gets injured.
I had been worried about exactly that, though for a different reason
She was worried about hurting her opponents, I was worried about her, and the baby she was carrying
Winter was nearing it's end.
She'd be starting to show, sometime next month probably
Definitely had to keep her safe
Oh shit
I checked my riceball for ninjas, and realized I was only half-joking this time
As if there weren't enough things to be paranoid about while Naomi was with child...
Monkey was going to enter the Iaijutsu tournament, which surprised no one
Kitsuki-san was also going to enter, which did surprise me
He saw my surprise
I must do this, or I may end up wallowing in my grief forever.
I nodded
I understood. You had to force yourself to take those first steps in the aftermath of loss.
I wasn't sure if it was good to do so much so quickly, but I trusted Kitsuki-san to know himself better than I did.
Just don't try to do too much too soon, alright?
He nodded.
I won't.
I brooded on it for a while, then entered myself
Oh, I fully expected to lose in the first round.
But I wanted to apologize for my earlier insult to the spirit of the iaijutsu duel
I had made enough enemies at this court, I could at least apologize to the Crane this way
there are times in every person's life when they must do things they truly never thought they would
Mourning the death of a Scorpion, making nice with the Crane?
My father was likely shaking his head in embarrassment, if he could see me now.

When had said concurrently, Shoji had meant it

The Iaijutsu tournament would be held indoors, while all the secret fuss had been in regards to the Taryu-Jiai
tournament
A wide dueling circle had been constructed, a large pond had been dug and many many logs gathered for a
bonfire
this ensured there would be ample Kami about for whichever element a duelist would choose to use
And ensured there would be no widespread property damage from the release of raw energy
So the final competition was not just bushi competing with bush and shugenja competing with shugenja, it was
also bushi competing with shugenja for the attention of the audience
The biggest shock came when Shoji himself entered the Taryu-jiai tournament
Tongues wagged and fans fluttered as that news spread through the court
Amongst the competition in the Iaijutsu tournament I saw many familiar faces.
Matsu Keiji and Akodo Yoshi from the lion
The Dragon sent forth three.
Mirumoto Kokoro, Mirumoto Sen, and Kitsuki-san
Kakita Sakurada was alone from the Crane. One man, one sword, one strike indeed
Bayushi Kentaro from the Scorpion
Myself and Hiruma Saji from the Crab
I hopped Saji would put on a better showing than I could
From the Unicorn there was a Shinjo by the name of Kyosuke and the Chibicorn
Still hadn't caught his name
Monkey, of course
And two Shiba from the Phoenix. Asahi, and Hotaru.
The Mantis put forth no one. Not the Iaijutsu tournament, or the Taryu-jiai
The number of Shugenja on hand was far more limited though
Each Clan, save the Mantis, had only one contender
In order to make sure there were no byes the Phoenix sent two. Shoji, and one Agasha Hoichi
Mantis-san scratched his chin
Surprised Shoji didn't bring out a half dozen or more Phoenix for the shugenja duels.
Naomi shook her head
You should not be. It would smack of desperation, to simply outnumber everyone else.
No. Father would go for quality over quantity, every time.

I watched Kitsuki-san's duel.

Mostly out of concern for his mental state.
He faced Keji in his match.
Though I have no great skill at reading swordsmanship, I had an advantage
I had known Kitsuki-san for years, and I had already crossed blades with Keiji
I could see Keji was better than I expected, but I didn't think he could beat Kitsuki-san
Unless of course...
I looked from Keji to Katsuki-san
His stance was fine,
but I saw a shimmer in his eyes
They were watering
i snapped my gaze back to Keiji
he had noticed
Keji frowned, then pulled his blade as he lunged forward
Kitsuki-san closed his eyes as he drew his one blade
a tear spilled over
and Keji's blood hit the floor
Keji looked down at the light scratch on his chest, blade still half in its sheath
the hell...?
He spun around
Keji was the kind of person who enjoyed a good fight, win or lose
He had been offended when Kitsuki-san seemed to be handicapped by his own emotions
Now he was incredulous that he had lost
Not because he had lost, but because it meant he had completely misread the situation.
Tell me HOW, Dragon!
Kitsuki-san sheathed his blade and bowed
I watched your fight with Ishigaki-san closely.
I never forget anything.
Your nostrils flare just before you strike
Keji stared, mouth hanging open
he blinked, slowly
Then he broke out laughing
Man! A Crab I couldn't crack open and a courtier who really CAN use their mind as a weapon!
He shook his head,a rueful smile on his face
This was one hell of a winter court!
Keji bowed to Kitsuki-san
As Kitsuki-san walked past me, I whispered his name
Not now.
I must meditate, Ishigaki-san.
I watched Kitsuki-san leave, not knowing if I should press or let it be.
Then I had no time to worry about Kitsuki-san, because my match was up next
I pulled my arms out of my kimono as I entered the ring
Not because I was trying to scare my opponent, but because I was showing there would be no hiding an injury
for me.

of course, staring at my opponent, I began to want my armor very, very badly

Since, you know, Bayushi Kentro over there had quite a few reasons to dislike me.
I was reminded that Shoji wanted ME to die just as badly as I wanted him to.
We took our stances
I suppose I could have bowed at this point.
Conceded that his skill was superior and walked away without risking anything.
But I can be just as stubborn as Shoji
I looked at Kentaro
Yep, he hasn't gotten markedly worse since we last fought
Oh fuck it, I'm not standing here all day
The skin beneath my left eye split open, and blood flew
I glanced down at my hands
I had managed to draw my blade all the way
But I hadn't gotten my second hand on the grip
Then I looked over my shoulder
Kentaro stood behind me, back to me, sword held out to his side and point down
I looked very closely.
No venom
I see
I sheathed my blade and bowed
Then I wiped the blood from under my eye with a thumb and left
Monkey walked past me, heading into his match
Toshiro's up.
You should be there for him
I'll look after Kitsuki-san
You sure you can do that AND fight at the same time?
He grinned at me
Seems kinda hard, doesn't it?
...
god
dammit
monkey
I went to see Toshiro fight
He was up against an Asahina.
Be at ease Kuni-san, my element is the wind. I will not hurt you when I defeat you.
And I promise I'll try my hardest not to kill you...
Toshiro looked the Crane up and down
...Twig-san
That's Toshiro for you: always considerate of others.
Chunks of earth ripped themselves free from the ground, floating around Toshiro in a spiral as his eyes blazed
with green fire
The Crane folded his hands together, head bowed and eyes closed, and his Kimono and hair began to whip
about dramatically.
Aside from that, I could see no hint of the Crane's power
Who was it that first said 'Only a fool thinks the wind is empty.'?

Then the earth flew

Toshiro's kimono flapped and snapped
A few tears opened in the silk
and the tie holding back his hair broke
Toshiro has VERY long hair.
lose, it hangs down below the center of his back
Now it blew back, as though he stood facing a Hurricane
Toshiro himself leaned forward a bit, into the wind
Then the wind died
I looked over at the Crane
I could see one foot and an arm poking out from the mound of earth that covered the Asahina shugenja.
Toshiro bowed to his defeated opponent
growled as his hair spilled over his shoulders
reached into his obi and pulled a spare tie
And quickly rebound his hair
As he left he spoke
Only a fool thinks they blow down the mountain.
as Phoenix shugenja swarmed over the battlefield, both to use magic to return it to it's original state and to heal
the Crane, he noticed me
Worried about me, were you?
Nah, I know you can handle yourself.
I just wanted to see you show off.
I grinned at him.
He chuckled
Then sobered up
How's Kitsuki-san?
He won
Matsu Keiji
Toshiro grunted
Monkey's duel was up at the same time yours was
Shall we?
As we headed back Toshiro looked over at my eye
Kentaro.
I lost
No poison then.
Nope.
What was he trying to say?
Lots of things Toshiro. Warriors speak with their fists, or their steel.
Pretty sure 'I will fucking end you if I ever have a legitimate reason to do so' was in there though.
So... if you two ever find yourselves on opposite sides of a battlefield he'll try to hunt you down and kill you. But
aside from something like that you're safe?
From him, at least.
Toshiro nodded
We arrived in time to see Monkey and Shiba Asahi bowing to one another
I recognized the confused look of a victim of Monkeyjutsu right away, even before I saw the blood running out
of Asahi's sleeve.
The first round was over for us.
I was out already, everyone else went on to round two.

Saji did indeed give forth a better showing than I did.

He beat Shiba Hotaru to enter the second round
Aside from Kitsuki-san, Kentaro and Monkey, Kakita Sakurada, Mirumoto Sen, and Akodo Yoshi all advanced.
Mirumoto Kokoro was eliminated by Yoshi.
There was time in between rounds. So Naomi led us all in a tea ceremony. Soothing wild spirits, calming
turbulent emotions, seeking out balance and harmony
Naomi had definitely succeed in culturing me, if only a little bit.
I was starting to enjoy the taste of matcha
Kitsuki-san would face Akodo Yoshi.
Monkey got the bye
Mantis-san rolled his eyes.
Luck really is a skill for him.
And you, Toshiro-san? Who do you face?
That Agasha. Your father beat the Kitsu in the first round, and now he's facing a Tamori.
Kistuki-san scowled
Hmph
So he puts one Phoenix on either side of the brackets?
He still hedges his bets, even though he does not flood the competition with Phoenix.
Monkey leaned in and whispered to me
I've got the bye so I'll be there for Kitsuki-san.
I nodded
Mantis-san covered Monkey whisper with a question, so Kitsuki-san wouldn't notice
We were worried, but we didn't want to be intrusive
We might end up in a barrel if we annoyed him
So, Toshiro-sama
Think you can take Shoji?
Toshiro folded his arms in thought
Depends.
On what?
How much he let his studies fall by the wayside to spend time politicking.
Naomi frowned
Appointment to the Council is still based on merit.
Politics only serves as a tiebreaker.
Do not underestimate him
Toshiro nodded.
I watched the shugenja duels
Toshiro and Agasha Hoichi squared off
Neither said anything, they just drew upon the kami
As Hoichi's eyes blazed the bonfire beside the arena flared up, higher and higher, until it threatened to set
alight the very heavens
pillars of stone erupted all around Toshiro
Hoichi snapped his hand out, pointing at Toshiro, and the flames leapt from the bonfire, rushing towards him

The spires of rock surrounding Toshiro closed, on him

Hoichi's flames washed over them, burning so hot that my vision swam back and forth as I tried to look
The rocks began to glow, a bright red and soften
Then I heard a cry
Not from within the earthen fortress, but from Hoichi
Heads turned quickly
A spire of rock had erupted right beneath Agasha Hoichi's feet, launching him into the air
The flames died, and the stone fortress, now almost completely molten, flowed down and away from Toshiro
He was seating hard, his Kimono was blackened and his hair singed
Toshiro took a step, and wobbled a bit.
But kept himself upright, and left the ring under his own power
As Naomi tended to his burns and helped replace the water he had lost he grinned at me
Now I know what it's like to be a baked sweet potato.
Hmm. You are very sweet; perhaps you were a sweet potato in your past life?
I think so.
Naomi muttered under her breath
Crabs...
Then it was time for Shoji to battle
He faced a Tamori whose school focused on earth, like he did.
Furthermore, the Tamori had history with the Phoenix
The Agasha family used to be part of the Dragon Clan.
However, in protest over the actions of the Dragon Clan Champion Hitomi, they abandoned the clan they had
served since the dawn of the Empire and joined the Phoenix
The Agasha family daimyo, his spirit crushed by the betrayal of his own family, abandoned his duties and
wandered the Empire as a ronin for a time.
At the end of the War of Spirits, the remnants of the Agasha still within the Dragon Clan were renamed the
after him, becoming the Tamori family.
His daughter, Shaitung, had led the Tamori down a new path, different from the Agasha from whom they had
been born. Turning to Earth, over the Fire of the Agasha
Such was her power that she once fought all five Elemental Masters to a draw, during the Dragon-Phoenix war
The duel did not go as I had expected.

The Tamori woman quickly began to call to the Kami.

She was dressed in typical Tamori fashion, after the precedent set by Tamori Shaitung
That is to say, she could have challenged Moshi Aoi for title of 'most scandalously dressed woman' were Aoi
still around.
Her hair whipped about in the currents of power as the earth kami rushed to her side
It was a testament to her control that she did not also lose what little covering she had, even as her Kimono
was blown about
However, Shoji appeared to be doing nothing at all.
No glowing eyes, no winds of power
He just...stood there
And as the Dragon called more and more earth to her, he snapped two fingers up, and then down at her
His eyes flashed with power, just for a moment
And all the earth the Dragon shugenja had called up slammed into her at once
Naomi gave a cry and ran to the side of the injured Tamori
I could see blood staining the rocks that almost buried her
Toshiro lent his aid, quickly moving the earth aside so Naomi could reach her.
Shoji did not look. He did not bow. He just turned and walked away
Naomi began to cough as she chanted her prayers.
I ran up to help, steadying her
I also got a good look at the Dragon
her ribs were crushed, blood spilled from her mouth, showing that her lungs were badly torn.
It was a small miracle her heart wasn't destroyed
Even as Naomi coughed up her own blood, the Tamori's wounds set themselves
The Dragon rolled over, hacking up the last of the blood as her body was restored
Naomi smiled,
you're safe now...
Then she went limp in my arms

I carried Naomi back to our room and laid her down gently.
The Tamori woman came with us, as did Mirumoto Kokoro
She introduced herself Tamori Miyu, and had begged me to allow her to repay Naomi for saving her life
She used her earth magic to sooth Naomi's pain,
That helped Naomi to wake up, and I prepared her tea
She's been ill since birth
I explained
Thank you, ah...
Miyu. My name is Tamori Miyu, Hida Naomi-sama.
Naomi looked around, taking in our room and the pair of Dragons currently in it.
I. Did I...?
Yeah
I said
here
I handed her her tea
The kids were staring at their mother. They could understand, at least to some degree, what was going on
when she had her fits.
They both sat close enough to touch her, or be touched, but they did not do in front of the strangers.
It was a testament to her skill as a mother that those two ever behaved at all, even though it was only the most
serious of situations.
Naomi caught Miyu looking at the children
Ah. These are Daiko and Tetsute, our children.
Hewwo!
Hi! Hi Hi Hi!
Eh, close enough.
Mirumoto Kokoro spoke
Hida Ishigaki-san, If you would permit it, I would stay here to watch over your wife and chilren with Miyu-san
Your companions are still in their respective tournaments, are they not?
I shot a glance to Naomi
I am feeling much better already Ishigaki-kun.
Go! They need you there now.
I nodded.
I leave them in your care, then.
I returned to the place of the Iaijutsu battle
I had missed the last round completely
Monkey, Sakurada, Sen, and Yoshi were the final four.
Kentaro had lost to Sakurada, Sen beat Saji, and of course Yoshi was able to best Kitsuki-san
His technique is amazing, Ishigaki-san.
was all Kitsuki-san would say
Monkey gave me a little nod, saying it was just that, and not Kitsuki-san allowing himself to be distracted.
You can all stop that now, by the way.
I will not belittle Amano-san by pretending I am fine, but nor will I allow this to sway me.

I gave his shoulder exactly one pat

acknowledging both Kitsuki-san's pain and his resilience without straying into barrel territory.
The last matches would be fought consecutively,
Sen vs Yoshi
Monkey vs. Sakurada
Toshiro vs Shoji
and then the final of the iaijutsu tournament
And then this long court would at last be over.
Tomorrow was the first day of spring
of course there was an added complication to the semi-finalists matches now.
There would not be enough time for them to rest between the semi-final and the final.
They would need to mindful of this. Expend too much energy on their first opponent, and they may hinder
themselves in the next match.
Not enough, and they may lose a match they could have won
Well, the other three would.
Monkey would just Monkey around
Still, a Kensai, a Kenshinzen, and a Taoist swordsman...
While he would only face two of those three, it was a tall order, even for Monkey
Mantis-san leaned over to me
Do you think if we bet against him it'll give him a better chance of winning?
Worth a shot, I guess.
I put 2 koku on Sakurada, Mantis-san put 4 on Sen.
Toshiro shook his head at us
Then put 3 on Yoshi
First Sen and Yoshi faced one another
They bowed and took their stances
tension filled the room
I wouldn't have been surprised if their gazes has struck sparks, so intensely were they glaring at one another
Even I could feel their spirits clashing
The truest victory is the one with no strike.
The greatest warriors and generals alike won before the blades were even drawn, before the battle joined.
Both Mirumoto Sen and Akodo Yoshi were great warriors.
I didn't see what triggered it, but they both moved at the same time
Yoshi drew his blade, and came in with a simple but fast overhead
Sen drew his sword with his LEFT hand, in a truly odd grip.
Sen placed his palm behind his blade and pushed as he struck.
Catching Yoshi just below the ribs
And getting inside Yoshi's range
Yoshi's strike missed

Yoshi and sen bowed to one another

Kitsuki-san pursed his lips
What is it?
Nothing. At least, nothing I could put into words...
Everyone had their limits. Even a thing as ephemeral as mushin no shin.
We all nodded, understanding what Kitsuki-san was thinking even without the words to describe it
And now Monkey stood before a Kenshinzen
The Mirumoto and the Kakita families rivaled one another as the finest duelists in the Empire.
However, Mirumoto's technique was a practical one, broadly useful.
Whereas the descendants of Kakita had spent the last thousand years refining their ancestors single strike
technique.
All that knowledge, experience, training. It all came to rest in the blade of Kakita Sakurada
The only time I had seen Monkey happier was when he told me he was father.
Truly, the fool lived for moments like these
The two stood
Sakurada took the stance every warrior in the Empire could recognize on sight
Monkey popped his blade with his thumb, but let his right arm hang limp
Sakurada looked at Monkey with a broad gaze, seeing all of him, his technique laid bare before the eyes of the
master
Monkey just grinned, like he knew a wonderful secret
and then Sakurada's blade flashed
I couldn't see the draw, it was so fast
Monkey's blade was still in its sheath as the Crane struck
And Monkey fell backward
Monkey caught himself on his hand before he hit the ground
He spun his body around, drawing his blade
Sakurada's eyes widened as only a few strands of Monkey's hair floated through the air
And then Monkey slashed the Crane across the legs

The silence was astonishingly loud

Sakurada looked down at the thin cut that ran across both shins
Then at Monkey, who stood up straight with that grin of his
You really are good at doing the unexpected, aren't you?
You know it!
They bowed
And then the court went outside to see the battle between Crab and Phoenix
Earth vs Earth
The animosity between Shoji and my group, and the fact that Shoji had clearly been willing to kill his last
proponent, only heightened the anticipation.
Taryu-jiai were very dangerous, just as Naomi had said.
A 'accidental' death in one of those was much more common than one in an iaijutsu duel.
Shoji looked over at Toshiro
I seem to recall you asking one of my subordinates if they wished to duel with avatars.
If you are still confident in your power, then let us do so now
Toshiro looked on, the nodded
Son of a bitch.
Shoji must actually be scared of Toshiro, if he decided to pass up the normal duel for a safer avatar battle
After all, in this form it was the avatars that bore all the damage.
NOT the shugenja themselves
Shoji did not bother with his scroll
His eyes blazed as he prayed, fingers folding into a mudra
The light spilling from his eyes and mouth was not the earthen tone I expected.
It was green
It was jade.
His avatar formed, a towering giant eight feet tall.
Made of pure jade
That bastard.
Toshiro smirked
Then he began to pray.
Also without a scroll
energy crackled and lashed the ground, calling forth his own avatar
Blue-white energy
a great titan of earth arose, as tall as Shoji's
and then the raw earth fell away, revealing a being of pure crystal, glowing from within with a pure, holy light.
Shoji's eyes widened

The two Shugenja stared at one another

Toshiro's self confident smirk only enraging Shoji even more
Then the two titans began to move, literally shaking the very earth with every step
I heard a hiss
One of the Dragon Courtiers had bitten their tongue
A shugenja picked his way, carefully, over.
It was hard to walk when the earth beneath you was moving
the avatars picked up speed, until they were running
And they collided into one another
a thunderous boom accompanied their collision, as though Osono-Wo himself cheered for this spectacle.
The two then began to strike one another.
crystal and jade fists chipped at impossibly hard bodies, sending splinters flying into the crowd
Some courtiers had to duck, and all moved back
I didn't though.
A few flying shards of mineral meant nothing to me
Shoji's avatar struck an overhead blow with both arms, causing Toshiro's to double up
It then leapt into the air, coming down with it's fist into the head of Toshiro's as it tried to right itself
Toshiro's avatar was forced down to one knee
Then it surged back up, wrapping its arms around the Jade giant's waist
Toshiro's avatar slammed its head into Shoji's
over, and over and over again
Cracks ran through the jade avatar
it then dug its feet into the earth
and gripped the crystalline titan
They looked like two sumai, struggling with each others mawashi
slowly, yet inexorably, Toshiro's avatar was lifted into the air
The Jade avatar fell backwards, carrying the crystal one over itself as it did so
it drove the crystal avatar head first into the ground
there was silence for a time, then both giants rose
both had gouges and cracks, but the light from Toshiro's was as strong as ever

The two behemoths stood still for a moment

Then Toshiro's, unmistakably, took a stance
It was a stance I recognized too.
It was a Kobo Ichi Kai stance...
Shoji's avatar came in swinging it's jade fists
And Toshiro's avatar blocked
Shoji's avatar punched straight ahead
And Toshiro's avatar stepped to the side, slapping the jade fist aside
Shoji's avatar tried to grab hold of Toshiro's by the shoulders
And Toshiro's avatar drove a knee up into Shoji's, driving it back
Toshiro was calmly having his avatar defend itself against every attack Shoji made
And I could see quite clearly that was infuriating Shoji more and more
The Jade avatar continued to backpedal after Toshiro's avatar drove it back
Then it halted, and charged again
Toshiro's avatar crouched low, and thrust out both arms
The Jade avatar threw itself onto them, unable to halt its forward momentum in time
Toshiro's blow struck Shoji's avatar in the hips
it staggered back, and then fell
Toshiro's moved far faster than the earth had any right to move, and leapt upon Shoji's avatar, sitting on it's
chest
Then it began to punch
And punch
And punch
over and over crystal fists slammed into the jade titan, as Shoji's avatar tried in vain to escape, to right itself, to
throw Toshiro off, anything
Toshiro's avatar brought both it's fists together on either side of the jade avatar's head
And shattered it completely
Shoji's avatar crumbled away, as the Kami's vessel could no longer contain it.

Shoji stared, disbelieving, at the pile of rubble that was his avatar's remains
Toshiro's crystal giant walked over to Shoji, looming over him, bathing him in it's holy radiance
That shook Shoji from his shock
He looked from the avatar to Toshiro.
Twice
Then, as though the very act would shatter his spine, he bent his head to the victor
only then Did Toshiro release his own avatar
Toshiro stood there for long seconds, as Shoji waited for Toshiro to return the bow
Toshiro turned and thumpdragged away
Shoji's head snapped up
YOU DARE INSULT ME LIKE THIS?
Toshiro paused
Without turning around he said
Oh? Do you wish a duel over this matter of honor?
I looked at Shoji
I can now say I know what man who is so enraged he tries to swallow his own tongue looks like.
Toshiro left
I ran up beside him.
You magnificent bastard!
I could hug you right now!
he looked at me levely
I'd really rather you didn't.
Everyone went back inside to watch the very last match.
Mirumoto Sen vs Monkey
As the two bowed and took their stances Kitsuki-san mused
The Taoist swordsman are very spiritual, but they can also use their blades in unconventional ways
If there is anyone here who may be able to anticipate Monkey's technique, it would be Mirumoto Sen-san
If the utterly absurd should come to pass and both miss the first pass, this could become a truly strange battle.
Everyone exchanged glances
We didn't need to say anything
We all knew full well often 'Monkey' and 'Utterly Absurd' went together
Kitsuki-san glanced at me
Did you know, Ishigaki-san?
The Taoist swordsmen engage in body hardening exercises, as you Crabs do.
I doubt it's done quite the same way though.
Huh.
I looked closer at Sen.
Sure enough, I could see the signs
I doubted their technique was the equal of the Hida Ryu's though.
Both of them took seemingly lazy stances

Even I could see the mind games being played by these two
Each was trying to confuse their opponent and so disrupt their spirit.
Monkey made the first move, charging in with
Sen sidestepped, drawing and cutting at Monkey's back as Monkey passed him
Without a moment's hesitation, Monkey tucked and rolled forward holding his sword out to the side so he didn't
cut himself
He sprang up, His kimono cut down the center of his back to his waist
But Monkey himself was not injured
I glanced over to the Crane
Sakurada was watching impassively, no doubt committing everything he saw to memory so as not to be caught
off guard again
Several other Crane however, were pinching the bridges of their noses or rubbing their eyes
Yosi was frowning as well.
Lions
They were big on the weight of tradition.
Monkey and Sen faced one another again
Then Sen moved
He took his sword in one hand, sidestepping and pulling his blade back
As Monkey brought his own blade up to deflect Sen's strike, Sen lashed out
Not with his blade
His free hand seized Monkey by the Kimono

That was a knife fighting technique.

Seizing your opponent and pulling them onto the blade of your tanto
I couldn't believe there was anyone who could do such a thing with a katana.
Until Sen twirled his blade around
He held it with his hand just under the tsuba, the dull edge along his forearm and tip pointed behind him
However, I knew firsthand that Monkey understood the messy art of knife fighting
Monkey stomped on Sen's foot, and slammed his forehead into Sen
Sen's head snapped back
Monkey tore free from his grip, leaving half of his kimono in Sen's hand
Sen shook his head to clear his vision
And Monkey used the opportunity to strike
Sen tossed Monkey's Kimono into the air between them, and Monkey cut that instead
As Sen prepared to attack again however, Monkey thrust his blade forward
And just nicked Sen's knuckles
a single drop of blood fell from Sen's hand.

Once we were able to get through the crowd of courtiers swarming the Iaijutsu champion, we congratulated
Monkey.
And informed him he owed us 10 koku for our assistance
Wait, what?
We bet against you.
He looked hurt
Why would you do that?
because the worse the odds are against you the more likely it is you succeed!
He blinked.
Oh... that's true, I suppose.
Okay Okay,
Just you three right though?
Kitsuki-san nodded
I had no part in this foolishness
Okay, hang on
We reached our rooms and Monkey darted in, then came out with ten koku
For each of us
we had been teasing him, of course.
we didn't really expect him to repay us
But now we had to decide If we should do the honorable thing and correct him, or if we should keep the money
to make him pay for the nonchalant way he just threw away thirty Koku.
Mantis-san was the one who couldn't bear it
No, we were just teasing you Monkey, we can't take these
Yeah, but you still helped me out, didn't you?
Toshiro gave in next.
We... we were joking, Monkey. I don't think it really works like that.
Oh? Well, the fact that you cared enough to even try is good enough for me
Okay, guess it's my turn
But, it was ten koku in total. Not each.
Then Monkey grinned.
I know
I just wanted to see if you'd feel bad or not.
...
...
GOD!
DAMMIT!
MONKEY!
Naomi had recovered quite quickly
Katsuie-sama offered to take us via the Yasuki vessel that was coming to pick him and his entourage up
We'll be making for the lands of the Crab, but I'm sure we can drop your friends along the way, if they have
places to go
we were going to need time off for Naomi's pregnancy
we set sail the next day
One by one, my friends left at their own ports.
Each promising to try to attend the birth
Eventually Naomi, Toshiro, the children and I arrived back at our home
we set aside all thoughts of the war that we had failed to stop, focusing instead on the new life coming into the
world soon.

I couldn't help stare as my home came into view

Probably because there was a new building that looked suspiciously like an Inn right where the old inn of
Ishigaki Mura had stood.
Naomi giggled as I stared
Surprise, Ishigaki-kun
H-how did we afford all this?
Assistance from Satoshi-san's wife mostly. We will be paying her back for a while, so it may be some time
before I can give you any real spending money...
But for now at least, we have some income to hire enough servants to look after the children and a Gokenin to
run things while I'm away.
As we approached the door to my home opened and a man I didn't recognize stepped out
How bowed to us
Welcome Home, master, mistress.
Ishigaki-kun, this is our new Gokenin, Kakeguchi Shino-san
I am pleased to meet you at last, master.
I bowed to cover up for the fact that I had to search my memory for the name.
Oh, right! Kakeguchi was a Vassal family of the Hida, their founder had been one of the first to follow Hida,
right along with Kuni, Kaiu, and Hiruma.
You could always count on a Kakeguchi for steadfast loyalty.
I looked at Naomi again
OKay, when did you get all this done?
Well, the Yasuki I mentioned, who I knew could help get the sake works running, he handled most of the hands
on things.
Like recommending Shino-san here
Toshiro perked up a bit at the mention of a sake works
Shino spoke up
Sadly that will have to wait. It's a day to the nearest source of freshwater, save for the well here.
Naomi smiled, pleased that her plan to rebuild Ishigaki Mura had commenced
I set all this in motion secretly before we left, I wanted to surprise you when we got home!
Well, I'm very surprised.
This is wonderful, Naomi.
I meant it. I could care less about the income, but we needed it so we could provide for some ji-samurai to
protect the children while we were away.
But of course, with more income came more expense just managing it all.
Money could become a vicious cycle.

We all got our things unpacked as the children ran about trying meet all the new people
I was thankful I only heard TITS! once during all that.
Naomi frowned at me
I thought I told you to handle that, Ishigaki-kun.
I shrugged at threw up my hands
Best I could do!
She sighed
Fine. I will have a talk with them
I saw Naomi take the seeds Katsuie-sama had gifted her and go off
Hey now, didn't you hire that Shino guy so you wouldn't have to work as hard?
She blinked at me
Figuring out where to plant the tea leaves, and when, is not hard Ishigaki-kun...
Just, take it easy, okay?
Hai, Hai. I shall endeavor to obey, my husband.
She disappeared down the hall.
She was very good at ignoring me when it suited her.
Fortunately, it only rarely suited her
Unfortunately, when it did it was usually because she felt I was babying her.
I mean, I was...
But given her health, and her condition, she deserved to be babied.
I went and sat down in the garden, watching the handful of servants go about tending to menial chores.
I was feeling just bit like a stranger in my own home.
Toshiro thumpdraged up beside me, saving me from having to think any more on this
He had a bottle of sake with him
So, Toshiro
Yeah?
Since Naomi is really doing it, would you like to build a new home here?
He looked over at me
I have a duty though.
Oh, right.
The lands of the Kuni family had been swallowed by the forces of the Maw, just as the lands of the Hiruma had
But the Crab Clan had retaken the Kuni lands.
However, the mark of the time spent under the influence of the shadowlands had left the Kuni provinces deeply
tainted.
So the family did the only thing they could
They burned the taint from the land, killing it completely.
Now the Kuni family slowly, painstakingly nurtured the kami.
setting to the task of restoring the so called Kuni Wastes back to thriving, prosperous land.
After centuries, they had only just begun

Don't get me wrong Ishigaki-san, I'll come whenever you need me.
It's a slow process, so it's not as though I have to be constantly grooming the kami.
but still.
yeah, I gotcha.
I watched someone I didn't know run down the length of the outer walkway, polishing the wood.
I gulped down my sake.
Toshiro refilled my cup and waited.
...
It feels odd.
Naomi is the one who set all this up, who is managing all this.
But still that person there is my servant as well. And I don't even know their name
You'd just forget it anyway. You're terrible with names.
I am not!
Yeah? What's Monkey's name then?
Uhhh. Sa, shu... Shotokan?
Shugoki?
...Sadane!
Toshiro rolled his eyes.
I've been working on it, dammit!
My journals have everyone's name down!
Pfft. How often do you get the characters wrong?
Not... very often. I think.
I bet the fact that you get the names right at all is because you always go back to doublecheck, isn't it?
...
...
...yeah.
Alright then.
I scowled.
I was going to at least get introduced to all these new faces
I went and found Naomi and Shino
Hey, Shino-san
I'd like to meet all the servants
Of course, Ishigaki-sama
Oh, and the ones running the Inn as well!
Hai!
One he had rounded them all up he introduced me one by one
We had a half dozen servants for the household chores and babysitting, and another five ran the inn
An elderly woman, a bit plump and blind in one eye, ran the inn. Her daughter and son in law managed the
kitchen and the other two cleaned rooms and whatnot.
After they were all introduced I bid them to rise.
Really didn't need nana one-eye to pull something bowing to me
I've been informed that i'm terrible with names, so If I forget yours or end up making a nickname for you don't
think too much on it, okay?
A chorus of 'as you say great samurai' followed
Now then, does everyone have a weapon?
By imperial edict, peasants may not carry weapons.

The exceptions being Ashigaru, who were soldiers, and budoka.

Budoka were peasants who would take up weapons and follow the code of Bushido, and answered to the
Doshin, who were most often Samurai
These two formed the lowest rung of law enforcement, and were the primary leg breakers when someone
needed to be subdued.
But, as is often the case, things are a bit different in the lands of the Crab.
Every Crab peasant carries a weapon.
Kama, parangu, jo, sai, tonfa.
Simple one handed weapons, though of course never anything that is only for the hands of Samurai.
That's just what they carry on their person.
Every peasant also knows where the polearms and spears are kept
If the things of the shadowlands get their hands of flesh to eat, they can settle into an area for some time.
And the Samurai sometimes have their hands full dealing with the worst threats
If you see a Crab peasant, there is a good chance they have killed before.
It's a good thing to bear in mind, if you've a tendency to be cruel to peasants
every pulled out their weapons and showed me.
I nodded.
Even nana one-eye had a jo she used as a cane.
Old peasants always stoop over for some reason.
Okay then. All of you wait here a moment.
There was one last thing I wanted my peasants to have.
I went to the storeroom and opened the box where we kept our jade
I got out 11 fingers
then put holes through one end of each, and put them on silk cords
I came back and handed everyone their new finger of jade
All of you wear those around your necks at all times.
For starters, it'll make it hard for hags and the like to infiltrate if everyone is always touching jade
Understand?
Nods
Good.
That's it.
They went back to their jobs
Shino arched an eyebrow
When the village truly begins to grow I do not believe we will be able to give jade to every peasant
I know Shino-san.
But every servant in THIS house will, and I want it to be a custom at the in that every guest gets tested
Of course with all these new people about it was both easier, and harder to get private time with Naomi
On the one hand, Daiko and Tetsute had several new playmates
On the other hand, the servants always seemed to find something to do, even if it was to scrub an already
spotless floor
I guess that they preferred working in a Samurai's home to working in a field or quarry, so they worked harder
than they had to.
I told a few it was fine for them to rest if there was nothing for them to do in the moment
Then nodded, bowed, and went straight back to work
Alright, they were just going to pretend there was always something for them to do.
Well, that was fine I guess.
I made up for the lack of privacy during the day by viciously cuddling Naomi all night long.instead
Little by little she began to plump up.
Bit by bit her strength began to ebb
Nana One-Eye came around with various dishes and concoctions she said could help with that.
I have seen many women swell up with babies in my long life, great samurai!
These will help her gain strength, and pass in on to the child!
Toshiro looked at one dish.
hmmm. Looks awful.
He sniffed at it
Bleah!
Smells even worse!
I stared at the concoction in horror
Toshiro however, smiled.
Only good medicine could be that foul!
HAI! It is just as you say, great samurai!
I winced as the two took the contents of the Cauldron of Doom in to feed Naomi.
I couldn't bear to watch.

One by one, the others began to arrive

Mantis-san first, then Monkey
Kitsuki-san was last
I came out to meet him, as he stared at the inn
Then he shot me a grin, pleased on my behalf
I grinned back
Akiko makes these delicious fried rice balls.
The outside is a lightly crispy, and the rice inside becomes very gooey and sweet.
The kids love it, and the best part is I don't know of any ninja technique to stay hidden in a rice ball that's being
deep fried!
And? How's Naomi-sama doing?
...Better than when she had Daiko, but not by much.
He nodded somberly
We went inside
I explained as we walked
The good thing about all these peasants is that Naomi always has someone to talk to about different things.
He arched an eyebrow at me
I know there are some things she wouldn't want to discuss with me. Things I wouldn't understand, or things
that she thinks would burden me.
Ah, yes that does sound just like her.
I nodded
Nana One-Eye has some old peasant remedies that Naomi swears help
...Nana One-Eye?
The old peasant woman who runs the inn... you'll know her when you see her.
...I see.
And like I said, all the people to talk to keeps her from going stir crazy even though she can't move around very
well
How much longer, do you think?
two months, two and half?
Do you have a lead, Kitsuki-san?
I had opted not to be present for the interrogation of the Soshitsukai.
As Shoji insisted, we waited for the jade petal tea to run it's course, once it had she burned at the touch of
jade.
Kitsuki-san decided to take care of the interrogation and the acquisition of her confession at the same time
In Rokugan a Samurai could not be punished for a crime until they had confessed.
Once enough evidence had been gathered though, it was permissible to...'persuade' the samurai to admit their
guilt
I had no problem with the brutality of war, the savagery of siege engines.

But battles were hot, the blood pounding in your head as your warrior spirit swells
I had no taste for the cold, clinical application of pain.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
Yes, I think I do.
Everyone else is here already?
Yeah.
We entered into the room I shared with Naomi
A table had been brought in, so that when she was feeling well everyone could gather around her
She was certainly putting on quite the brave face for everyone
sitting up sipping her tea. Smiling and giggling at Mantis-san's stories and Monkey's antics
But I knew that she had been up all night with a fever, sweating heavily.
I knew she was several shades paler than she should be
I knew she was skinnier than a woman 7 months pregnant ought to be, no matter how many people assured
me some women just never seem to put on that much weight.
Of course, everyone in this room knew all those things as well.
They just pretended they didn't
Naomi didn't want to be fussed over too much, so they encouraged her by being normal.
What no one aside from Naomi, Toshiro and myself knew was that our new child was also not as energetic as
their older siblings
Naomi had joked that Daiko and Tetsute had been practicing jiu jitsu inside her, as often as they kicked and
squirmed.
This one seemed to be saving their strength though.
Kitsuki-san bowed to Naomi.
Naomi-sama, you're looking quite energetic today.
Oh, hardly Takeshi-san, hardly!
But having all my dear friends about gives me more strength.
Daiko came up and gave Kitsuki-san a bow.
she held it only a hair's breadth too long, too.
Kitsuki-san returned the bow.
Well, hello there Diako-chan! You've gotten even bigger now haven't you?
And how old are you now?
I'M THREE!
She stood up straight and proud, thrusting her tiny hand out with three fingers held up
I'm a VEWY big girl!

Naomi had begun to teach Daiko numbers and colors now, and was quite pleased with herself
Daiko insisted on showing everyone how much she could do, what she had learned, every chance she got.
Tetsute, a year younger, was nevertheless trying to compete with his sister.
He also claimed he was three.
and held up all his fingers
from both hands
I hopped he grew out of that soon.
Sunda Mizu had special ways of dealing with students who overestimated their own abilities.
I had learned that the hard way.
Every student of Sunda Mizu carves their name upon the walls of that dojo.
Classes group up together, a show of solidarity
it is considered auspicious if you can get your name near the name of a great hero of the clan.
When it came time for my class to carve their names, I made mine on an empty wall.
So that there would be plenty of space around my name when I became a great hero.
Sensei had smiled then.
And handed me a shovel
I spent the next three days digging holes and filling them in again.
Sensei said it was training, to build up strong muscles and endurance.
This much is nothing for a great hero like yourself, after all!
Kitsuki-san glanced at me, and I nodded
I had one of the servants take Daiko and Tetsute out to get some of those fried rice balls
It was time to discuss some adult things.

Well then, let's get started.

The first thing we learned from the Soshi is that THEY are, in fact, bloodspeakers.
Well, we had suspected that, but now we know it to be true
Of course, the different cells do try to limit their contact with one another.
For exactly this reason: if one should be caught they cannot tell what they do not know
Nods from around the room. We had been struggling against that very fact for some time now.
Mantis-san spoke up
So then, how much did that one know?
Not enough, not enough by far.
However, she did have some tidbits, mostly things she suspected.
And I've been working on piecing them together.
I think I may have identified another cell.
We all perked up
This one seems to be mobile
There are outbreaks of strife, discord... bandits and peasant rebellions in places they just shouldn't be.
Then quiet for a few months, then another outbreak nearby.
If I'm right, the cell should be making it's way into Kitsu lands soon, if they're not there already.
I frowned, and glanced at Naomi
We have time yet, Ishigaki-san.
Like I said, it becomes quiet for a time. This cell covers its tracks well, and lays low right after stirring things up.
Why do you think it took me this long to get just that little bit of information?
If we rushed in now, we'd only serve to scare them off.
Best to wait until their plans are in motion, so they are less likely to scatter at our arrival.
We want to strike as hard a blow as we can, after all.
Monkey shook his head
Just like pulling weeds. You've got to get the whole root, or it's just going to grow right back
Exactly, Satoshi-san.
Then Monkey brightened
Well, that's good then! I didn't want to miss Ishigaki-san pretending to be a pregnant woman!
Who knows how many chances we'll get to see that?
Around the table there were emphatic nods of agreement.
Even Naomi giggled behind her hand
I looked at Toshiro.
his lips and cheeks puffed up a bit, and he looked away from me.

The time for my act came sooner than it should have.

By nearly a month
I was playing with Daiko and Tetsute in the garden when I cry came up from the house
As I opened the door to enter, one of the servants was already there with a futon.
I shot a glance to our room
It's too soon!
All the more reason for you to hurry, great samurai!
A child that comes early is even more at risk!
I grabbed to futon and got to work, all thoughts of embarrassment gone.
I had to distract and confuse the evil spirits. Toshiro would do his part as well, but he had his hands full
attending the birth.
I felt glad for Nana One-Eye, as she had no doubt dealt with things like this many times in her long life.
The others set about helping to boil water, looking for anything to do so their nervous energy would have a
proper outlet.
This time, my own faked bellows were the loudest thing in the house.
Always before, this part had been rather noisy.
I walked my patrol, luring kansen and other evil spirits away from my wife and child, and tried very hard not to
think about what that might mean.
My moaning was interrupted by a servant.
It is over now, great samurai.
...
Try though I might, I could not hear the usual first cries of an infant.
I tossed aside the futon and ran into our room
Past servants carrying out bloody bedding.
Inside I saw Naomi laying, unmoving and eyes closed.
Nana One-Eye was wiping sweat from Naomi's forehead, so my wife was alive, at least
Then I saw Toshiro, holding a small ugly white blob.
He handed it to me without a word
It was not nearly as much a blob as it should have been, and it certainly wasn't making any of the noises I'd
come to expect small ugly blobs to make.
But it's eyes were open, and it looked at me.
I held out a finger.
It looked, then grabbed it
I felt almost no strength in that grip.
Yet the little blob did not let go.
It held on, clinging stubbornly, with everything it had.

I sat down next to Naomi, holding my little blob.

You've got another son, Ishigaki-san.
He was still hanging onto my finger.
He blrghbled at me, making little spit bubbles
then coughed.
one tiny little cough.
Nana One-Eye looked up at me
Until I met you, great samurai, the largest boy I had ever known was born early and small.
I looked up, a little surprised
How big he gets hardly matters to me.
I just want him to grow up.
I looked over at Naomi
Toshiro answered before I could ask
She's not in any danger right now.
But I think she should just rest for some time.
How much time?
Can't say. Months, at least.
I nodded.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more children.
But, three would be enough.
Yes, three will do just fine.
I glanced over to the door, and saw two little faces peering in
I glanced at Toshiro, who nodded
You two, come in and meet your little brother, Tsuyosa.
Toshiro and Nana One-Eye left us alone
I moved Naomi's head to lap, Daiko and Tetsute curled up on either side of their mother, and I cradled a
sleeping Tsuyosa
I was worried about Naomi and Tsuyosa, of course.
But I was also quite happy.
It could have been much worse
Yes, this was more than enough.
If i could just keep this much I wouldn't dare ask for anything more.

Naomi had been terribly weakened by the birth

It led to some awkward fumbling when it was time to feed Tsuyosa
I ended up sitting behind Naomi, supporting her with my chest and holding my arms under hers, to help
support him
Ishigaki-kun, we both know you are the one really holding him. Just let go of my hands
No.
He's your son too; you should hold him as well.
I'm your strength, as you are mine, Hana-chan.
She closed her eyes and smiled
I glanced down when my arms started to cramp up
Is he not full yet?
It would seem this one has just as large an appetite as his siblings.
Yeah, seems like it. That's good then.
hai.
Tsuyosa finally let go. I laid him down just long enough to wipe the dribble up and close up Naomi's kimono
Ow!
Sorry.
No, it's okay. It's just a little tender after meal time...
Tsuyosa had already began to squirm about by the time I scooped him up
I could recognize when a baby needed good burping by now
I held my son to my chest, his chin on my shoulder and gently patted at his back
Blurrrghp
...
Oh.
oh my
Naomi. Is that what it feels like?
Yes, it is.
Ah. yes. Naomi handled most of the burping herself, so I had completely forgotten how often that bit came
along with it.
I wipped his little mouth and laid him down in Naomi's lap as I stepped out to get changed
I almost knocked Toshiro over as I was leaving
I must be very distracted, to have missed his thumpdragging
He had a few sticks of incense in his hand
Toshiro followed my gaze
the smoke is medicinal. It will give strength to their lungs, help them get more Air.
That seems...counterintuitive, Toshiro.
I know. But it works. Some of the best medicine is stuff most people would never try.
Every hear of the Togashi monk that got poisoned by a Scorpion? Guy took MORE poison to cure himself.
I stared at Toshiro in horror
Oh, don't give me that look.

Look, the point I'm making is that because of him the rest of us now know the difference between poison and
medicine is often just a matter of how much you take
And I know you know that. You've learned enough about medicine because of Naomi-san's illness that you do.
I sighed, then shook my head
You're right, Toshiro. You're always right
Thank you for indulging my baseless fears.
Hey.
He looked me in the eyes.
I don't blame you.
So it's no big deal
I nodded
I turned to head down the hall, ignoring the 'whoa!' that came from over my shoulder
after I got changed and handed my soiled kimono off to a servant I joined the others for a lunch of my own.
Monkey asked first
how are they?
I sat down with a sigh as Mantis-san passed me a bowl of rice
Naomi is quite weak. Can barely sit up on her own.
Tsuyosa is eating a lot, at least. Good appetite, like Daiko and Tetsute.
Monkey gave me a encouraging grin
Yeah, you're the toughest guy I know!
No way your kid would let a little thing like being born early keep him down!
It was still far too soon to predict something like that, but I wasn't about to invite bad luck by pointing it out.
Instead I looked over at Kitsuki-san
How long until we need to leave?
...three weeks would be ideal, but I came here prepared to wait another five.
We'll leave in three then.
...You sure?
Yeah.
Naomi and I had already talked about this.
We both knew there was no way she would be ready to go chasing after a bloodspeaker cell on Kitsuki-san's
time frame, even if everything had gone perfectly.
And she would blame herself if he waited around on her account and that delay cost people their lives.
Kitsuki-san looked at me evenly.
Okay then.
I finished up my lunch, then found Daiko and Tetsute.
We played until the two were exhausted.
I went back to our room, a sleeping child under each arm
Naomi was asleep, Tsuyosa beside her
I put the two I had down in a little pile next to her and covered them up

I sat and sipped a cup of sake, letting the rice wine warm my body as I watched my family sleep
Tsuyosa woke up first, squirming a bit
cough
Just that one little cough
I scooped him up before he could wake any of the others
there were tears in Naomi's eyes
I took Tsuyosa outside.
He was pale, more fair skinned like his mother so I kept him out of the sunlight directly
Fortunately for him, a six foot plus slab of papa makes a real good piece of portable shade.
I sat down next to the koi pond with him, holding him so his feet were in the water
he giggled and kicked at the sensation
I always enjoyed the look on my children's faces when they found something new
Well then, Tsuyosa, we need to have a talk. Man to man.
gubwha?
yes, you're right. I see you're a bright boy aren't you?
Then you understand why I need to know if you have what your mother has.
If you do then bushi school is right out.
His head began to droop a bit, so I laid him down on the grass, stretching out beside him
My body cast a shadow over him, keeping him cool
He trashed his arms and legs in the grass, smiling and making spit bubbles
And then one little cough
You see? Right there.
THere's no question you're sick.
Yet you hardly seem bothered at all by it.
You are a direct descendant of the Fortune of Fire and Thunder, so whether shouldn't bother you at all.
You are a Hida, and we're predisposed to big frames and big muscles.
I tickled his side and he laughed
You're a bit tiny, but you also came earlier than you should have...
And of course, our clan has a deep connection to the Earth.
And then there's all the medicine from Toshiro and Nana One-Eye. They're both quite experienced, and Toshiro
has been helping to look after your mother for some time now.
I had one other thought, one I wouldn't say out loud.
Not even to a garden that was empty save an infant still incapable of understanding words.
And a few boringly sober fish.

That thought was, of course, about how much care Naomi would really have received for her illness during her
childhood.
Given what I knew about Shoji, I was almost certain the answer was: None at all
So, it could very well be Tsuyosa had inherited his mother's illness.
It seemed equally likely that he would not be as severely affected by it.
I spoke to my son again
So, I think we should keep you away from any bushi schools, but beyond that...
What do you think, Tsuyosa?
Courtier? Send you off to train with the Yasuki?
Kaiu? Hmmm. What do you think of being one of the Kaiu battlemasters? Fine strategists, every General in the
Crab armies has at least one battlemaster on their personal staff.
Or, would you like to train as a shugenja?
I imagine we'd have little choice but to give you over to Toshiro for that. Could you handle the earth kami, even
though you're a bit sick?
Little to soon to be thinking about things like that, I'd say.
Toshiro thumpdragged his way into the garden and sat down beside us both
Tsuyosa had worn himself out squirming about at all these new feelings, and had drifted back to sleep.
I scooped him up and cradled him in my lap
It's all part of my strategy Toshiro.
wat
If I can just get him to tell me what he wants to be when he grows up, then I can make him promise that he'll
grow up...
Toshiro looked at me.
Didn't you just get done listing off all the reasons why he'll be fine?
Yeah, I did.
Didn't help.
I know you're a good shugenja, I know you've got practice. I know between your earth magic and Naomi's
water magic there's very little the two of you can't treat.
But...
Toshiro nodded.
Emotions are a real pain in the ass at times. Never listening to reason.
You got that right, Toshiro.
...
and that only made me wonder what I was going to do for Naomi
I took Tsuyosa back to room and took a nap along with my family.
All this worrying was wearing me out.

I was awakened from my nap by three hungry children

I took the two older ones to the kitchen and got them some lunch/dinner/growing child snacktimething
I left them there, happily munching away, and returned to check up on Naomi and Tsuyosa
I crept up as quietly as i could.
Not very, all things considered.
But then the person I was sneaking up on, if I was right, had a lot on their mind and would be very distracted
I peered in through the door.
Sometimes I really hate being right
Naomi was feeding Tsuyosa, and weeping openly.
I could just make her sobbing 'I'm sorry' to him, over and over.
Well...
Great.
I could sit out here and think all day and never figure out the magic words to make her feel better, so I just went
on inside and hugged her, hugged them both, from behind
I really did catch her off guard; Naomi looked over her shoulder in complete surprise, tears running down her
cheeks.

Ishigaki?
what are... why...?
Obviously, Naomi had thought she could keep her feelings hidden from me
Now she was struck speechless in surprise that I had caught her red handed
I answered her by giving her very light squeeze with my arms
The squeeze forced more tears, and she broke out sobbing again
Let me go!
squeeze
I do not deserve your love!
squeeze
stop...!
squeeze
look what I did to our son!
glance.
Tsuyosa had finished eating already, and was nuzzled into her breast, fast asleep
oh no how horrible.
wha?
letting him nap using the best breasts in the Empire as a pillow
huh? what?
squeeze
there had been just a tiny note of hope in that last what
I understood what was going on now
all those years that Naomi had been used as a punching post by her father had with a seriously damaged
sense of self worth
it had taken not just me, but all of us, years to get her to stop saying she was a burden on us.
Now confronted with Tsuyosa's illness, she had slid back into those old habits.
Damn you Shoji.
Not even here and still fucking things up
This wound Naomi bore was an emotional one.
An ephemeral thing, difficult to treat.
But I had to try, lest she spiral down into one of the Nine Types
There was much I could endure. But the way my body reacted at just the thought of her receiving the treatment
for that told me that was NOT something I could endure.
I lifted the sleeping baby from her arms and laid him gently down, covering him with a light blanket
I wiped his slobber off her and closed up her kimono.
She didn't protest, or do much of anything really.
That bit of hope I heard, that desire to be reassured this wasn't her fault, had given me hope
But the reality was she was even worse off than I thought.
Tsuyosa squirmed a bit, gave one tiny cough and the settled back into his sleep
The second he did so, she clutched at her chest as though she had been shot with an arrow.
Ah. I see.

Naomi was the kind of person who would endure great pain without a word of complaint.
Indeed, she would push herself TOO hard if you let her, and put her own well being at risk
Yet she could not bear the sight of someone else suffering from so much as a stubbed toe.
Now she was reliving all the pain her own disease had caused her, and imagining Tsuyosa going through that.
No wonder she was so distraught
Well, it also gave me a place to start
I pulled her back into a hug, holding her head against my chest
Do I look like your father to you?
She looked up at me, confused by my rhetorical question
You heard me Naomi.
I want to know:
How much of the pain of your childhood was caused by your illness?
And how much was caused by your father's rejection?
ah...!
I gave her a squeeze to drive the point home
How many times must I explain this to you?
Some people, like me, have strong bodies and weak minds
squeeze
Some people, like Kitsuki-san, have the opposite, strong minds and weaker bodies.
squeeze
Many people are like you and Toshiro, with a great strength in one or two elements, while being weaker in the
others.
squeeze
Strength and weakness come in many many different types.
What truly matters is strength or weakness of CHARACTER.
squeeze
Are you planning on raising our son to be a shallow, selfish asshole?
NO!
I pulled her chin up to look me in the eyes
THEN YOU HAVE NOT WRONGED HIM

She was clutching at my kimono.

I could tell Naomi wanted to believe me.
Now that the skirmishers had lured the enemy to the field of my choosing, it was time to send in the heavy
infantry
Didn't you once tell me that there must be balance in all things?
um, yes?
I nodded
Right, you said that in order for a Fortune to give their blessing to someone, they MUST curse someone else.
Didn't you say that knowing another person would be able to live a long, healthy life made your illness bearable
to you?
That is because it does!
I nodded again
So, then. Jurojin MUST pass our blessings and curses equally because that's just how the universe works.
She nodded
Look at him, Naomi
She looked at Tsuyosa
Yes, he was born early and small.
Yes he coughs
But it's only ever one cough.
I've not yet seen him spit up blood, have you?
No.
So don't you think a Hida, a descendant of Osano-Wo, will be able to bear an illness far better than a Phoenix
girl?
Especially when he has a loving family that will see to it he gets the very best care and medicine from the very
beginning?
She looked up sharply.
She was reeling. Time to strike the final blow.
I braced myself.
I was going to have to be cruel to be kind.
What? It hasn't ever occurred to you?
Naomi, Toshiro is an Earth Shugenja, but your father is an Earth Tensai.
Toshiro may be a smart man, but the Phoenix clan prides itself on KNOWLEDGE, not just it's magical power.
Did it really never occur to you that if he was able to discover a better medicine for you in as short a time as he
spent looking into it, that your Clan would not have been able to do so as well?
Naomi.
You illness is as bad as it is now because you father did not get you treated properly.
Tsuyosa will not have to endure that.
She pulled herself back into my chest
no. No he will not.
The fact that she didn't protest told me she had thought of it before.
she just refused to admit it was possible, until now.

Toshiro was right, of course.

Emotions did not listen to reason
Nothing I could ever say would stop Naomi from harboring guilt over Tsuyosa's illness
Just like I would always jump a little every time one of them coughed, or would wonder the possible deeper
meanings behind every yawn, every drop of sweat that would come from my son and my wife
But reason could help you see those feelings for what they were, and that would give you the strength to push
them aside. To refuse to act upon them.
I suppose I should be grateful to Naomi
There was no faster way to get me to cast aside my own doubts and fears that to present me with someone
who needed me to be strong for them.
I chuckled a bit, as I realized Naomi and I were quite similar in that respect.
The days passed, and under the combined care of Toshiro, Naomi and Nana One-Eye Tsuyosa's coughs
became even less frequent.
They didn't stop altogether, but they were also never severe.
In fact, Tsuyosa was gaining strength faster than Naomi.
as days turned to weeks, I spent more and more time with my family.
The others did not intrude, and handled all the preparations for our journey themselves.
I was rocking a sleeping Tsuyosa while Naomi practiced her calligraphy
One of the sticks of medicinal incense was burning,
The smoke didn't smell like any incense I'd smelled before, and there was an odd sharp odor just at the back of
it.
it was an odd thing, like an afterthought, or seeing something out of the corner of your eye.
But with your nose.
Does that really help
Oh yes, proper calligraphy takes very fine muscle control. When you are weak or tired it will show in the
character
I meant the incense
Oh!
Yes, it really does help. It's like... like how I can seem to breath easier in cool open air, during autumn.
huh.
Toshiro has been preparing them for us.
It does not take many to last a day.
Really, only one for Tsuyosa, and two or three for me.

Naomi insisted on seeing us off, though she needed a cane to walk herself to the front door
I didn't bother asking if she would be alright without me.
She'd say yes
So I let her be brave and kept the worried look off my face until I had turned around to leave.
It was only then that I noticed Monkey had a black eye
How'd that happen?
The last time you were alone with Naomi, I tried roughhousing with your kids the way you do.
Yeah? Which one did it?
He looked at me levely
Your daughter
Caught me with her heel
I turned back and shouted
DAIKO! GOOD WORK!
Mantis-san chuckled
We headed off to the lands of the Lion.
We took a boat up the coast, then hopped to a smaller vessel to sail up the River of the Hour of the Wolf and
into the lands of the Kitsu
We disembarked, and asked around for news.
Monkey filled us in on what he had heard from the peasants while we were shopping.
Seems like a few temples have been sacked recently. Lot of dead monks.
Kitsuki-san grunted in mild surprise
They've never done that before...
He frowned then
or have they...?
What do you mean?
He held up a finger while nibbling his fan
Ooohhhh. Oh!
OF COURSE!
Kitsuki-san slapped his palm to his forehead
I tapped my foot impatiently
They HAVE taken out temples before, but the strife and rebellions were used to cover up the real cause of it!
So, what then? This cell is waging war against the Brotherhood?
Hrmm. Difficult to say. I would think they're just eliminating the most spiritual aware, in the area, making it less
likely someone will recognize them for what they are.
But it could also be the opening movements of some long term strategy I've yet to work out...
Well, whatever they're planning won't matter once we bring the Emperor's' wrath down upon them.
That is very true, Mantis-san.
Well then, shall we get going in the morning?
Uh, where too Kitsuki-san?
Shimoda village, obviously. Didn't you learn about the Kitsu?
Mantis-san shook his head
oh.

Well, there was a Kitsu that came through intent on investigating some violence at area temples.
Now that I know it's the cell, we'll just follow after him
And he And he was headed to a village called Shimoda.
We were able to get to Shimoda village with no issue.
We walked inside and looked around
Fairly standard farming village. Small river, rice paddies, a cluster of huts around a central square. A mill with a
waterwheel down the river a ways and a forest to the north.
And we received the fairly standard greeting from peasants to samurai they did not know
Everyone shut themselves up in their houses and waited for the elder to come out and see what we wanted.
I was told that it was polite to do so. Samurai should interact with their social inferiors as little as possible, and
sending out the person of the greatest status, even if that person is still just a peasant, showed proper respect.
I wondered if, like so many things that was what was just what was said
And that the reality was that in case what we wanted was blood, well...he was going to die soon anyway.
And if we wanted more blood than he had, he'd at least buy time for the rest to scatter.
A small figure appeared in the door of a house
he wobbled out, leaning heavily on a stick
His hands shook with palsy, and his back was bent over nearly double
I leaned over to Kitsuki-san and whispered
What would be more unseemly? us rushing to meet with a peasant, or us dying of old age before he manages
to walk all the way over here?
Kitsuki-san shot me a glare
The former, obviously.
We outrank him. He must come to us. That is the proper order of things.
Mantis-san joined in.
Yeah, but there are always exceptions. And the fact that Toshiro could beat this guy in a foot race seems like a
pretty big exception to me.
Monkey had a huge smile plastered on his face
You should relax Mantis-san. And try to smile a bit.
Huh?
Look at where we are
He looked around. So did I

I don't get it, what am I supposed to be seeing?

We're right smack in the middle of the village.
Where the most people can see and hear us
Oh, he was right. Windows and doors were cracked all over.
So we stay here. And speak loudly Kitsuki-san.
If you don't he'll just pretend he's going deaf as well until you're loud enough the others can hear.
Kitsuki-san looked over at Monkey.
Actually, all we're here for is the whereabouts of the Kitsu that was coming here. Why don't you do the talking,
Monkey?
Me?
You seem to be more at ease with peasants than the rest of us combined.
He shrugged. Yeah, okay.
oi
Mantis-san got our attention
I think he died...
No wait, he just took another step.
I looked at the old man.
he'd made it about halfway to us.
Toshiro rolled his eyes
When the old man finally got to us he tried to fall into a dogeza
Monkey stopped him
Oi, oi, we'll never get you back on your feet if you do that, gramps!
It's fine, really! You've been bowing to us this whole time! Look, you're still bowing!
The old man smiled, pulling thin lips back from bare gums
The doors opened up and the peasants came out now to give us all their greetings.
And just like that, Monkey had put the whole village at ease.
Gramps spoke up as everyone who wasn't infirm with age bowed to us
What can this one do for you, great samurai?
We'd heard about a Kitsu who was coming here, did he arrive?
Ah, yes yes! He is here still, great samurai!
Come, I will take you to him!
I prayed that the Kitsu was staying in one of the near buildings.
He was, as it turned out. The grandest hut in the village
Monkey whispered to us all
That's probably gramps' house. All the other villagers would take care of it for gramps, and when samurai show
up and stay gramps gives up his place and stays with another family.
Gramps entered the house.
Ryoji-sama! There are other samurai here to see you!
There are? Send them in then
We filed on in

Oh my.
So many clans?
Gramps introduced us
Great samurai, this is Kitsu Ryoji-sama.
A few peasant girls brought out tea and bowls of rice for us
Maybe gramps took so long to give the rice time to cook...
Greetings Kitsu Ryoji. I am Kitsuki Takeshi, and these are Tsuruchi Daigo, Toku Satoshit, Hida Ishigaki, and
Kuni Toshiro.
Toshiro held out his jade magistrate chop for the Kitsu to inspect
Ah! Then you're here about the temples?
Indeed we are Kitsu-san
Good, good. The mess between the Mantis and the Phoenix has ignited tempers across the Empire it seems.
The Lion are having their armies drill along the Scorpion borders right now as a show of force, and can't be
bothered to look into a 'matter for the brotherhood'
He sighed.
Of all the great clans, it was the Lion who had the most antagonistic view monks.
This was complicated in the extreme by their loyalty and adherence to tradition.
Hantei himself had acknowledged the wisdom of Shinsei.
And monks held a respected, even honored, place in society despite not being samurai themselves
And yet, alone of all the Kami, Akodo did not receive wisdom from Shinsei.
Instead, as Shiba recorded the conversation between Hantei and Shinsei, Akodo grew more and more
agitated.
Finally he spit upon the floor.
Hantei confronted his brother immediately, demanding to know why Akodo had insulted the little master so.
For his way is not my way, Akodo said
The founder of the Lion clan held up his blade
THIS is my way!
Shinsei responded
it is not my, but the way of the world
Akodo would not have it. He refused to have his followers learn the Tao of Shinsei
Hantei countermanded his brother, decreeing that every Lion dojo would hold a copy of the Tao.
Akodo agreed to his Emperor's demand.
And to this day, a copy of the Tao of Shinsei sits in a place of honor in every Lion dojo.
Unopened, and unread.
For the most part, that is as far as the Lion dislike of monks goes.
for the most part

And yet, in plays and stories, it was often the Lion clan that were the ones who attacked temples and
slaughtered monks.
Many times a general would take advantage of the neutrality of monks and temples, setting up a command
center for his armies inside a temple while 'praying for victory from the Fortunes/Kami/Ancestors.'
Only for the Lion to lose their patience and assault the place.
The Lion clan will happily endure long bloody sieges, but they really hate being held in check on a battlefield by
words and custom alone.
This situation though, allowed them to split the difference between proper behavior and their own distaste
'For what reason do the Sohei exist, if not to protect the temples?' the Lion say, as they turn their backs to the
situation.
They point to all the duties their Clan must fulfill, downplaying the severity of the situation
and in the midst of all this comes a lone Kitsu, a priest of the Kami, who receives his Lord's permission to go
and help defend the temples
The Lion get to say they DID send help, while the Kitsu commits not-quite-Kanshi to protest his Lord's lack of
piety.
Not-quite because he could still succeed and return alive, slim though that chance may be.
At least, it was slim until we arrived.
Kitsu-san spoke to Ryoji
So then, I take it you have some idea where the next target is?
The Lion nodded.
It is here.
Well, over that way, to be specific
The Lion pointed
Just beyond the rice paddies in that direction there is a temple.
I'm certain the bandits will strike there.
They will also likely attack this village for it's food stores.
Ryoji bowed to Toshiro
Please, Magistrate! Will you help me to defend this place?
Toshiro nodded.
That's what we came here to do.

Toshiro looked over at me.

Ishigaki-san.
Right, on it.
I stood up
Ryoji-san, I need to walk the village. Can you show me where, exactly, the temple is?
Of course
Kitsuki-san, little help here?
Yeah.
So, Ryoji. Any idea when we'll be facing the bandits?
Kitsuki-san had insisted earlier that we not bring up the fact that the 'bandits' were really just pawns of the
bloodspeaker cult, if not the bloodspeakers themselves
Against a Maho-Tsukai, surprise was valuable, even vital.
Best to avoid any chance of them finding out the extent of our knowledge
No, I don't
Damn. A proper Kaiu could have turned this village into a fortress in a day. I was not a proper Kaiu.
Still, even without knowing how long I had, some basic earthworks should be doable.
Give the enemy a choice
Go up and over mounds of loose earth, slipping and expending a lot of energy before the fight even begins, or
go through narrow gaps that reduce the number of men that can fight effectively.
I glanced at the woods. Clearly where the peasants got the wood for their homes.
Any bamboo?
Ryoji shook his head.
Damn again.
A smooth cut could leave a piece of bamboo sharp enough to pierce flesh.
In an emergency, an entire peasant village could be armed with bamboo spears.
But not if there wasn't' any bamboo around.
lining a pit in front of the earthworks with bamboo stakes, and putting peasants with long bamboo spears on
top of the earthen mounds would have made going over the earthworks go from a bad choice to a suicidal one.
Well, there goes that idea then.
There was a child, wooden toy clutched tightly to it's chest, staring at me.
I scratched at my beard. I'd gotten shaggy again in on the trip here.
We reached the temple
it was a simple thing. Tori arch leading up to a small building with a single room.
A place for offerings off to one side
inside a few sticks of incense burned before a statue.
I didn't recognize whichever ancestor of fortune it was supposed to be off.

I grunted.
It was a small village, but I guessed there were somewhere between one and two hundred people.
Should be enough.
Ryoji looked at me
You have a plan, Hida-san?
Yep.
C'mon.
We're gonna need to talk to gramps
Once we had rejoined everyone we gathered around to discuss the plan
Kitsuki-san, the map please.
Ryoji looked over in surprise
You weren't making a map.
Kitsuki-san grinned.
Yes I was
And with that he produced a piece of rice paper, ink and brush.
And mapped out the village.
To scale.
Kitsuki-san looked at Ryoji when he was done.
I never forget anything.
I...see...
The problem is we don't know when they'll strike, or where they'll come from. We don't know if they'll attack the
shrine or the village first. They might even just try to engulf it all at once. Do we even know how many there
are?
Ryoji shook his head
Right.
I took Kitsuki-san's brush
sorry I have to make a mess of your nice map here
I drew a line around the village and another around the shrine
square, with gaps in all directions for the village
a single gap before the Tori on the shrine
Gramps, you're going to need to get every shovel in the village.
We're going to dig a pit around it, pile up the earth and create a barrier.
The gaps will be much more inviting, but they'll be narrow, so only a few can push in at a time.
Come on, I'll show you what I mean
Gramps called out for a shovel, I took it and set to work
digging a quick hole I piled all the earth up on one side, so that anyone approaching the village from the
outside would first hit the ditch, then have to climb up the mound
And you want this dirt to stay loose! Don't pat it down or anything like that!
The harder it is to find purchase in the better!
Someone get me a stick
Someone did
I drove the stick into the ground, and gave it a few taps with the shovel.
Dig until the earth pile gets this high!
It was only waist high, but I knew how big a ditch it would take to get a mound that size

If you start to get tired, trade out!

I know there aren't going to be enough shovels for everyone, so keep the diggers fresh! Speed is essential,
because we don't know how long we have to finish this!
I handed off the shovel as the peasants got to work, encouraged by Monkey joining in.
While they did that I marked out where the gaps should be, and how wide
Toshiro, you'll need to take the shrine.
The village is large, and we may have to run between the gaps, He nodded.
Kitsuki-san spoke
I can stay with him
That will work
Ryoji looked to Toshiro then.
Can you not speed this up Toshiro-sama?
I'm more of a siege engine
Toshiro looked down at his club foot
And about as mobile too.
Ah.
That left Monkey, Mantis-san, Ryoji and myself to defend the village itself
Along with whatever peasants could scrounge up some tools to use as weapons.
We got into our armor and waited for the bandits to come to us.

The bandits took their time.

The peasants got the ditches dug, and only an idiot would fail to realize how difficult climbing over one would
be.
even peasants with farm tools could kill idiots
Ryoji, myself, Monkey and Mantis-san took turns on watch that night, along with several peasants
I was standing in the north facing gap, watching the edge of the forest when some grunting and huffing caught
my attention
It was coming from further down, and I was pretty sure it was in the ditch.
I walked around to the outside, so I could hop down in easier if it was something I needed to kill, and and
headed towards the noises.
It was a pair of kids.
Well, young adults would be a better term. 15-20 years I'd guess.
the loose soil of the bank had given way under their weight, sank and shifted every time they tried to find
purchase, so they just kept sliding back into the ditch.
The two were panting and gasping, clothes disheveled and slipping off.
I could see one of them had cleavage, exposed by the shoulder of her top sliding off.
The froze when they saw me come striding up.
A samurai's armor does far more than stop arrows and turn aside blades
It is a weapon, that strikes at the soul of his foes constantly.
Many forget that. Samurai are well trained, and such an attack has little outward sign.
Though of course, trying to get your strike past the armor and into the warrior beneath does give pause to all
but the most experienced warriors.
However, these two lovers were a clear reminder that Samurai armor is also absolutely terrifying if you're
unused to it.
A giant in blue and black metal, holding a metal stick studded with spikes, his face an emotionless mask
carved into a demonic snarl, and you can't even tell if it's a human under all that armor or not.
I tugged a few laces and slid down my mempo.
You two. Which side did you sneak out through.
They just kept staring.

So I shot the boy a grin.

Look, I know what you're doing, and have done.
y-y-you do, great samurai?
Yeah. This isn't the only panting and grunting you've done tonight, right?
the girl flushed, then realized the state of her clothing and straightened it.
The boy broke into the half proud half embarrassed grin that you see on young men who were older boys not
to long ago.
H-hai! great samurai!
So I want to know which dunce you snuck past, so I can find someone with better eyesight to take over for him.
The girl was the one who protested
But great samurai! It's not Kodai-san's fault! He was looking where he should have been, that's why we were
able to get past him!
I gave a snort.
Fine. You two can't think of anyone else your age dumb enough to try and sneak off when there are bandits
about, can you?
They looked at each other, then back at me and shook their heads in unison.
Alright.
I held out a hand to haul them up.
Let's get you out of there
No go on back home.
Explaining why look the way you look to your parents will be punishment enough for risking your lives.
They both looked down at themselves.
Then they bowed and took off
The rest of the night passed without incident.
I headed to the shrine to check on Toshiro and Kitsuki-san, to see if they saw or heard anything suspicious in
the night.
Toshiro shook his head.
Nothing here. How about you?
Just a couple of kids, snuck past a guard to lose their virginity in the woods.
I chuckled.
When they came back they realized getting in was a lot harder.
Toshiro gave his half-snort half laugh at that.
I returned to the main village, ate a bowl of rice, and sat down for a quick nap
When I woke up, I decided to walk the perimeter.
Sieges occur when an army takes up a strong defensive position, that an attacking army has no choice but to
deal with.
Even basic modifications like the simple ditch we had dug, give the defender a massive advantage in the battle
ahead.

Because an assault would be so costly, some generals took to other means of victory in a siege
Like simply waiting for the defenders to run out of food.
And so defenders inside fortified positions often had to deal with long periods of nothing happening, save that
an enemy army was camped out on the front lawn.
That could strain a warriors mind, make them crack under the slow, constant pressure.
One man breaking in dramatic enough a way could cause others to follow suit.
The attacking force had yet to show itself, but then again the defenders were not samurai
I was pleased, but honestly not that surprised, to find the peasants bearing up well.
It was only the second day, the defenses prepared, and there were samurai here.
Doubtless many told themselves the bandits would move on in search of easier prey.
Many more would be confident in an easy victory.
Well, nothing to worry about yet. At least nothing that can be addressed with just words.
They would need to face a real battle before they understood. Until they had that experience for themselves,
they just wouldn't understand.
They day wore on into evening, and after a simple meal I got a few more hours of sleep before my time to
watch came.
It was then that they came

I got my first clue that something was amiss when a giant flaming comet raced through the sky to explode
among silhouetted people over by where the shrine was
Subtle, sure, but I was still fairly certain it meant the bandits had arrived
Sure enough, as soon as that happened the bandits that had been crawling on the ground towards the village
stood up, making their presence obvious
It's good that I'm so observant. I'm make a piss poor sentry if an army of bandits could crawl up a hundred
yards on top of me without me noticing ANYTHING.
Well, it's on now.
I yelled for one of the peasants standing watch to go rouse the village, and he took off
We had worked out a specific rhythm to beat the alarm stick with so that everyone would know where the
bandits were.
I listened. Two sides, mine and Ryoji's.
And the shrine.
Peasants quickly flooded the mound, and none of the bandits tried to brave it.
Good.
I plugged up the gap with my armored bulk and waved the first bandits forward.
In the gap they could only fight me three at a time.
If I stepped back, it would only be one or two bandits fighting inside the gap, with myself and few others fighting
them
I didn't step back for two reasons. First, it would be easier for them to try and slip past me, second three on
one against bandits was no big deal.
For me, anyway
They came and I played whack-a-bandit, smashing any that dared to pop his head up
The corpses piled quickly at my feet.
they fell back from me quickly once it became apparent that wasn't going to work.
At first I thought they may try to go around to another side.
Instead several dozen stepped up and drew back on bows.
Oh those fuckers.
I turned to the side, tucking down my head behind my sode as they loosed
Arrows peppered me from head to toe
I straightened up, my left side a pincushion, and shattered the shafts sticking out of my armor with one
downward sweep of my tetsubo.

I rolled my left arm around in a wide circle, letting them know if that was their plan they were going to need a
LOT more arrows.
You okay?
Monkey
And Mantis-san was right behind him
Yeah, I'm fine. None of them really got through.
Why are you both here?
Ryoji's got his side covered.
Yeah, he's using his magic to strengthen the peasants. Hell, I think they're doing better than you are!
Okay then.
I stepped back.
I'll give those bandits credit, they were braver than I thought.
Stupider too.
They tried again
Bandits with polearms came out to the fore
two with yari rushed into the gap, their shoulders touching
They couldn't move very well, but their plan was to use their weapons length to push us back so their fellows
could get inside
Sadly for them, two bandits were no match for the three of us.
after the third try I yelled at them
OOI! It's getting a bit... corpsey around here. Hard to fight properly. Why don't a few of you get over here and
drag your buddies clear? Go on, we'll wait.
The bandits ran away instead.
Monkey looked over at me.
You've got to teach me that trick.
Wouldn't work for you Monkey.
I looked aside at him.
You couldn't be scary if your life depended on it.
I can too!
Really? Okay then, scare the next child you see.
What, NO! That's just mean, why would I do that?
See?
What?
The first step to being scary is convincing other people you'll do shit so horrible they can't even imagine it.
If you can't actually be cruel, you can't be scary.
Bullshit, I've seen you scare people by being calm all the time!
No, see that only works on cowards. And it's not really being scary, it's just convincing the coward they don't
have the upper hand.
oh.
Mantis-san chuckled.
Trust a Crab to be able to deliver a lecture on the finer points of intimidation...
I looked at him evenly.
Damn straight.

Monkey was looking down, thinking about something

Could you actually be cruel like that Ishigaki-san?
...I can convince myself I could do it, and project that conviction outward.
But I hope I never actually have to try and follow through with it.
uhhh.
Mantis-san rolled his eyes.
He's saying that when he puts on his 'scary face' he thinks about doing something horrible, that comes out in
his expression. Other people see that and get an idea of what he's thinking.
They get scared when they have to wonder if he really will do whatever he's thinking of doing.
Oh! So to scare people you have to convince them you don't care about the consequences of your actions, you
just want to hurt them!
Now you're getting it, Monkey.
And they're more likely to believe it coming from you since Crabs don't get things like 'manners'!
Right, again.
Okay, I see now. Yeah, I'll leave the scary face to you!
good.
Since, you know, your face is always scary.
...
That was a stupidly long way to go for a cheap 'you're ugly' joke
god dammit monkey.
The magical fires had stopped as well,
I'm going to go check on Toshiro and Kitsuki-san.
Right, we'll take care of things here then.
I headed off
Toshiro was applying some magic to Kitsuki-san's cuts and scrapes when I got there
A half dozen headless bandits spoke to the work Kitsuki-san had done, while the piles of charred and crushed
bodies were obviously Toshiro's.
Looked like very few even got close enough to meet Kitsuki-san's blade.
Looks like you two had things well in hand here.
Yep
Toshiro turned to face me
He had the stub of an arrow sticking out of the thigh of his club foot
...How does that keep happening?
He shook his head
Damned if I know. It's like it just draws arrows to it.
And you? That's a lot of arrows...
None got through.
I see.
They tried to push two sides. Ryoji handled one side with some water magic and peasants, we handled the
other.

Toshiro looked at me.

So, how many Maho-Tsukai were on your side?
...
what?
didn't you see any?
No.
We had three here.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
I guess you can't tell, but more of this blood is mine than should be.
They had spells that made injuries bleed more than they should.
...
Did they have scrolls?
Yes.
I took off running back to the village
Monkey! Where are the Eta?
Uh, over that way, why?
There were tsukai in the group that attacked Toshiro, they had scrolls!
Oh shit!
We ran over to where the Eta were tossing the bandits into a pyre
I yelled out to no one in particular
If anyone found a scroll on one of the corpses, they should be thrown into the pyre as well.
Do NOT open them, do not try to read them. Just burn them.
I stood there, trying real hard to simultaneously ignore the eta and also look to make sure no one keeps
something they should not.
Hey, Monkey. Go make sure none of those peasants found any maho scrolls.
And tell Ryoji and Mantis-san to keep a lookout.
I pondered while Monkey ran off.
What the hell?
Had the bloodspeakers been supplying the bandits with maho?
That was something they usually didn't risk
From time to time bandits DID decide they just hated everything and went after temples as well as the usual
rice stealing...
But even those ones didn't often employ maho...
Least it wasn't me this time
Ryoji came running up, panting and sweating.
He DID look to be nearing retirement age.
Guess his age was catching up to him.
You going to be okay?
Yeah... yeah.
I've had more difficult marches than this little fight.
I was a much younger man then, it's true, but I'll be fine.
I nodded.
Is it true then? Not just blasphemy, but outright MAHO?
I nodded again.
Didn't you see anything?
no... but maybe their suicidal recklessness was brought out by some foul magic?
I considered that.
No, I don't think so. Unthinking bloodlust is something Maho can curse a man with, that much is true.

But they weren't going berserk.

They were willing to fight past the point I'd expect, but they were never complete idiot's about.
Always had a plan, even if it was a bad one...
Ryoji nodded.
Well, now what? Do you think they'll try again?
I don't know.
We bloodied them hard this time.
If their full strength wasn't enough, then they would need a miracle to win now that they've suffered losses.
Ryoji looked at me.
A dark miracle?
Yeah.
And since bandits rely on their reputation as being unbeatable to get peasants to hand over rice instead of
trying to fight back, they really can't afford to lose here.
So I wouldn't be surprised if they try to rely on that dark miracle.
Though some will try and desert the band at this point.
I grinned.
Bandit leaders get their station by being the meanest, scariest bastard in the lot.
If they catch a man trying to desert, they'll kill that man as a warning to the rest.
They have no choice but to more terrifying to their men than we are, or they'll never hold the group together
through tough times like these.
You...seem to know a lot about bandits.
I know a lot about war, and knowing what drives your enemies forward into death is vital in war.
Ryoji nodded at that.
You almost sound like an Akodo
heh. Just hard won experience.
Once the cremations were done I got some more sleep
In war you sleep when you can. There's no telling when you'll be able to sleep next
The village was quite the next day.
I could see a few tear stained faces here and there.
None of the peasants had been killed, but I suppose the violence of a real battle had been quite shocking.
Especially for people who are farmers, not warriors.
Well, they were all quite safe, even if they didn't realize it.
As I walked the village I noticed it was quite windy
I glanced up
Clouds
I could see a darker patch on the horizon.
A storm was heading this way.

what's a Maho-Tsukai?
Even though I didn't recognize the voice, I was certain it was addressing me.
I glanced down.
It was the kid that was staring at me earlier.
They were looking up at me with wide eyes, still clutching their favorite toy.
looked to be a year or two older than Daiko
Where did you hear such a word, kid?
Mama and Papa. All the grown ups, really
They say that
The child screwed up their face and tried to imitate and adult voice
Now that the samurai know there are maho-tsukai, they won't stop until they've killed all of them!
then the kid went back to normal
but what's a Maho-Tsukai?
...
great.
Well, a Maho-Tsukai is a bad person who prays to evil spirits.
How do you know an evil spirit from a good one?
...
shit. I'm not a damn shugenja, and this was just a kid. How in the hell...
Well, the Evil spirits come from another world, called Jigoku. It's a realm of pure evil, and everything that lives
there wants to destroy our world.
Way to go Ishigaki, that won't give the kid nightmares or anything.
The child just cocked their head to the side, though.
So everyone who prays to those evil spirits wants to destroy our world?
No, most of the people who pray to those spirits are just dumb.
They lie to themselves: they think they're in control of the spirits, or they don't admit the truth of what those
spirits are.
But how can so many people be so wrong?
Eh, it's not like there are that many Maho-Tsukai in the world. Sometimes they cluster together in groups, so it
seems like there are more than there really are.
Oh..,
...are you really going to kill all the Maho-Tsukai
...
shit.
I had let this conversation, already about a dark topic, go on to long.
Now it was really dark.
Damn it Ishigaki, why did you indulge this kids curiosity?
And why the hell can't you just lie to the brat?!
Yes. Yes we are.
I heard a strangled cry
And a young woman came running up to snatch up the child

She threw herself down into a dogeza so hard I'm certain she tore up her knees
Please forgive him, great samurai! He does not know what he's doing!
I waved it away.
It's fine, it's fine. He's just a kid, right?
You don't need to do that, really...
Thank you Great Samurai! Thank YOU!
She inched back on her hands and knees, dragging her confused child with her.
I found it very disconcerting to be thanked for not killing a child because they spoke to me.
And yet the looks from all the other peasants told me quite plainly any attempt to convince her, or any of them
really, that I really didn't mind the child's questions would just go in one ear and out the other.
How did Monkey do it?
Well, whatever.
I took another look at the clouds on the horizon.
They had come closer all right.
I judged that the bandits would try to use the cover of the storm to take us off guard.
Which meant we had time until they struck.
I got out of my armor to give it a good cleaning.
It was only the second day in my armor, so the wear wasn't that bad yet,
I just had to get between the plates mostly.
The lacquer helped protect against rust, but blood, mud and other things could eat away at the lacquer and
eventually start on the metal, given enough time.
It's something few samurai thought about.
Servants would handle cleaning their armor after every battle, after all.
But for a Crab, whose armor was a second skin, cleaning and caring for it should be as natural as bathing.
I gave all the cords a few good tugs to make sure they were still sound, then washed the clothing worn under
the armor.
Then I got dressed, nice and slow and proper.
I had a bowl of rice and took a quick nap.

I woke to the sound of thunder

it would begin soon
A peasant girl entered the room, with a tray bearing a bowl of rice, a wooden cup, and a small jug of steaming
sake
As I shifted, stretching out my joints, she knelt before me and set the tray down
You don't need to bother with that.
I've got to go-
I had to break off as I caught her wrist, stopping the small knife from reaching my neck.
I wrenched her wrist and slammed my other hand down her elbow
Something in there broke, and the peasant girl screamed in pain
I had just enough time to get to my feet and grab up my tetsubo when the doors flew open and peasants
flooded into the room
All armed
One had a scroll
I rushed that one, bowling another peasant over on my way, and turned the scroll bearers face into a bloody
ruin with my tetsubo
No. No maho for you.
I was then surrounded with peasants, swinging farm tools and kitchen ware
They were about as effective as you would think.
Still, there were enough of them that some were able to get around into my blind spots and get past my armor
I hardly felt it.
But I DID feel it.
I cleared a path with a broad sweep of my tetsubo, and made my way outside.
I had to get to the others.
It had gotten very dark. A bolt of lightning lit up the village like noon as thunder boomed
I saw Mantis-san and Monkey
I broke into a run, heading for them
Ishigaki-san! What the hell is going on?!
Figure that out latter!
For now, just KILL!
I emphasized my point by caving in the chest of the first peasant to reach me.
He fell, gurgling and choking up blood
And then the heavens opened, and the downpour came
Heavy rain, coming down in sheets, obscured our vision.
Flashes of lightning gave me glimpses of Mantis-san and Monkey laying about with their weapons, desperately
trying to fight off the peasants.
I began to realize, it wasn't just a cell in this village.
The village WAS the cell.

Okay.
1 to 2 hundred peasants.
5 of us.
Maybe 6 if you count Ryoji.
...
Worst case, 40:1
Not even Monkey could beat odds like that.
Another bolt of lighting. This time screams accompanied the thunder.
Toshiro.
Monkey, Mantis-san!
I ran towards where the lightning had fallen
In the rain I could dimly make out two figures together, several others forming a ring around the two
I slammed into a peasant, knocking him down with my momentum, then crushed his chest with my tetsubo
before he could rise.
Monkey and Mantis-san were right on my heels, Mantis sending two sprawling, Monkey finishing them off.
I heard Kitsuki-san shout
Toshiro!
Kitsuki-san pointed to a knot of peasants coming
Toshiro yelled, and another blast of lightning slammed into the lead one
The others were disoriented by the thunder that followed
I waved towards the edge of the village
LET'S GO!
I took the lead, Toshiro and Kitsuki-san right behind me, with Monkey and Mantis-san on the rear flanks, cutting
down anyone brave enough to get to close
it was slow going, obviously. Toshiro thumpdragged as fast as he could, and the rest of us slowed our pace to
match his
In this storm, the earthworks would hamper us trying to get out almost as much as they hampered anyone else
trying to get in.
Toshiro most of all
So we made for one of the gaps
as expected, two peasants were side by side in the gap, trying to block our escape
But when a 6'4" man, weighing 260 lbs and wearing another 50 lbs of metal rushes at you in a dead sprint...
The path opened
Where are you leading us, Ishigaki-san?
The forest!
We can use the clumps of trees to break up their numbers!
Right!
Once outside, I yelled for Toshiro to get on my back.
We ran for the woods

Somehow we made it in ahead of the mob

Okay, someone...anyone...
What the hell is going on?!
The villagers are part of the cult, Monkey. Isn't that obvious?
Yes, it's obvious! What's not obvious is WHY?
What was the point of the bandits?
Why were they attacking the village at all?
None of this makes any sense!
Kitsuki-san spoke between pants
You...are not wrong...Toku-san...
I interjected
Save it for latter.
Now's not the time to waste your breath
Toshiro spoke up
Um. Ishigaki-san?
Turn around.
I did so
Lights danced back in the forest.
Torches. They were guttering in the wind and rain, but the peasants must have had good oil since they didn't
go out.
I set Toshiro down.
Ishigaki-san? What, you want someone else to carry him for a while.
It's not that Monkey.
We're not deep enough into the woods yet.
There's still too much room; they'll overwhelm us with numbers.
They have to be slowed down.
Toshiro looked at me.
Nodded, and fished out a scroll
I've not found the right time to cast this before, but now it's time.
Toshiro knew his limits, and his abilities.
He would find a good place, where the terrain would cluster the peasants together as they tried to approach
him
He just needed the time to find it
And even though Kitsuki-san was not a bushi, he was still quite deadly.
These four would be fine.
Toshiro finished his spell.
and my whole body began to glow with jade light
It won't last long, go quickly!
I nodded and ran towards the torches
as the others headed deeper in
I came upon a slight dip in the land, leading down into a clear area about 15 feet wide.
Three peasants were in the clearing, one with a torch.
As if glowing with jade fire wasn't enough, a bolt of lightning stuck somewhere behind me.
All three peasants looked at me in horror.
I leapt down into the clearing, and rushed the one with the torch.
My tetsubo took him on his shoulder, and I felt bones shatter

Blazing as I was, it was easy for more to find me

good.
I called up all my spirit with a fierce Kiai, and assumed a stance taught solely in the dojo of the Crab, one that
would almost guarantee my enemies weapons would find only armor.
My shout of battle fury was echoed in a roar of thunder from the storm, and the peasants cowered before my
fury
I did not give them time to recover
I threw myself at them, swinging my tetsubo about in wide swings.
It was not elegant, and I knew I did not kill any.
But I hurt several, and frightened many more
I saw another with a scroll, too late.
She cut her arm deeply and pointed at me
The Jade light around me flared.
That was all.
She stared in shock
I seized upon her hesitation, and struck her.
She raised an arm instinctively to ward off the blow.
So I only broke her arm, tearing a large gouge of flesh from it, instead of her head.
several peasants with parangu managed to strike at my back while I was busy
I whirled
One was stumbling back, shaking his head as though he was dizzy.
I had seen that reaction when I had been struck before
I smashed his hip and left him screaming in pain in the mud
Let his agony be another weapon in my hands
As I hoped, a wide circle opened around me
they had been caught up in the heat of the sudden violence
Now they saw what was in store for them, and they hesitated.
More were torches were approaching
They could afford to wait.
I turned and ran
By now the ground was so muddy from the storm, combined with roots and rocks concealed in the dark, even I
was having a hard time moving.
As they gave chase I turned.
I struck the first one to reach me, taking his legs out from under him
Then I ran back through them.
They took a few wild swings, but they didn't expect my maneuver and missed.
Most of them, anyway.
A heat running down my thing told me one had gotten lucky
No matter. I pushed aside the pain and kept going
Then I turned again.

The one just behind me tried to stop himself

He only slid in the mud
right into my tetsubo
my swing caught him right under the chin, and took his jaw off.
The peasants managed to stop, and tried to come slowly
They were determined to end my life.
They knew as well as I did everyone in that village would die if even one of us escaped to tell of what
happened here
Sickened by the violence, terrified by the armored samurai they could never hope to match, they still came on.
Death ahead, and death behind, they could only choose where and how.
They chose to die here and now, in the hope that their deaths would buy a future for their fellows.
I did not like that I found something to admire in a village of maho-tsukai
I braced myself to begin running, and the ones in front prepared to receive my charge
As expected
So I ran the other way
I heard a shout above the noise of the storm, and my jade flames flared up again.
Then they flickered and died
I shout rose from the peasants
They thought this would help them
It would, but their overconfidence would now cost them
I ran and slipped behind a tree
It was hard to see in the downpour
It was as if Osano-Wo had gone to great lengths to prepare a proper stage for my final act.
I thanked my ancestor for his thoughtfulness.
Sure enough several peasants ran past where I was, trying in vain to see where I had gone
Their shouts of horror as I struck them from behind were quite satisfying
I turned and saw several peasants with scrolls
This time!
One panted
This time for sure...!
They were probably right.
I had know there was no way could kill the entire village ourselves
I had known they could not allow us to live
The others had all known as well
It was just a matter of delaying them. Buying enough time for others to escape.
Maybe I could do it by myself, maybe some of the others would be following behind me soon.
But one... just one had to escape.

I readied my tetsubo and charged towards the ones with the scrolls
They might kill me, but damned if I was going make it easy for them
I got to the middle one before they finished
My blow landed square into his stomach, gouging a large chunk of flesh away
Then there was pain.
the muscles in right arm twisted and rolled under my flesh.
I would have called it disturbing, if it wasn't accompanied by blinding pain
I couldn't use my Tetsubo like this
So I dropped it.
I drew my wakizashi with my left hand.
Awkward, to say the least, but I managed to get it out quickly.
I then threw the blade at the one to my left
They were so taken aback all they could do was stare in horror
The blade buried itself in their neck.
I had my hand on my katana and was turning to the one on the right
When a figure darted past her, and she collapsed in two.
What're you doing, Ishigaki-san?
Get your wakizashi!
What the hell are YOU doing, Monkey?!
I retrieved my blade
The pain in my arm was beginning to subside
Monkey handed me my tetsubo with a grin
Stealing some of your glory, now come on!
I followed after him.
Monkey moved lightly.
On even ground, I was a little faster than him
But I kept sinking deep into the mud, whereas he always seemed to find stable footing.
We ran, until suddenly he stopped
Here! Go down!
I looked where he was pointing
a hole in the ground, with a rope ladder
I didn't hesitate
I went down as fast as I could, and Monkey came down behind me, pulling a trap door closed behind him
What the hell, how did you guys find this?
Kitsuki-san saw a few of the peasants come up out of the ground, so he figured there must be something
there.
And he was right!
I looked around.
There was light from a torch.
Everyone was wet, muddy, and bloody.
I imagine I didn't look much better.
How are you all doing?

Monkey responded first

I'm fine...
Mantis-san rolled his shoulder
Could be better
Kitsuki-san had a fresh bandage wrapped around his forehead
I'll live
Toshiro shrugged and said simply
Still crippled.
I could see in the light that we were in some kind of natural underground cave system.
The tunnel down into it was man made, but this part was natural
Mantis-san asked me
How many did you get?
I killed ten, at least, for certain... but beyond that I don't know...
Kitsuki-san spoke up
We should get moving
Right
We headed deeper into the tunnels
So, Kitsuki-san,,,
You were saying I was right earlier? About how none of this made any sense?
yes, I was. And it still doesn't.
But you've got an idea or two don't you?
I have seven...
But I need more information to narrow it down further.
Mantis-san glanced at Kitsuki-san.
Seven?
You're making that up.
Whoa!
Monkey's exclamation cut off the banter
we followed after him into a wide cavern
There were several places where fire pits were placed
I knelt down and looked at one.
Looks like this place was used frequently...
Kitsuki-san nodded
You're right, Ishigaki-san...
Kitsuki-san ran his hand through the ashes
Picked up a bit,
Sniffed at it.
Opium...
huh?
They burned opium in these fire pits, along with the wood...
Toshiro looked up.
Doesn't look like air can move easily around here.
So...they come down here for their debauched rituals?
Kitsuki-san nodded.
They must have cleared out a section deeper in the woods to grow the opium.
All hidden from the eyes of the Lion Clan patrols.
OI!
We turned to see what Mantis-san had found
It was a corpse
Toshiro looked at it
At least a week...
the body wore a brown and gold kimono
The mon on the kimono was lion's head, with a mane of fire.
A Kitsu...
Kitsuki-san spoke
Did any of you ever see Ryoji cast a spell?
I shook my head.
Mantis-san did likewise
Monkey pursed his lips
now that you mention it, no. I didn't…

Then, I'd say that we have just found Kitsu Ryoji.

Kitsuki-san nodded to himself
yes, the rest of the attempts were trial runs.
The bloodspeaker, the false Ryoji, needed everything to go just right.
He would bring in bandits, terrorize the local villages, then he would personally show up, pretending to be a
local samurai come to deal with the bandits
He would rally the peasants behind him, and lure them into his cult that way.
The bandits were only there to scare the peasants, they never actually fought with them before.
He would take a few with him when he left, while leaving the rest behind to trick the anchorites into believing
the problem solved.
he then began the process all over again.
Toshiro nodded
But this time, WE showed up
Exactly, Toshiro-sama.
So they had to go with the deception even to the point of harming their own, to keep us in the dark.
Until the chance to remove us came.
Monkey scratched his chin.
But...why?
Why do this at all?
Mantis-san grunted
He pulled out his special chopsticks, and opened the Kimono of the Kitsu just a bit
There was a scroll tucked inside
He fished it out with the chopsticks
Kitsuki-san took it, opened it, and read.
By the Kami!
Toshiro-sama, please look here!
Toshiro leaned in
Is what Ryoji feared possible?
Toshiro frowned.
yes.
Yes it is...
Mantis-san, Monkey and I looked back and forth between the two.
What? What is?
Toshiro looked up at me gravely.
The blood speaker has created a new ritual, a maho ritual that will transfer the taint from a large amount of
people, into the earth itself.
...
how much of the earth are we talking about?
Ryoji, the real one that is, feared it might be enough to taint the lands of the Kitsu. All of them

Soooo.
That could be bad, right?
Very bad, Monkey.
The Crane produce more RICE, but the lands of the Kitsu are the largest breadbasket in the Empire.
Didn't you notice?
On the map of the Empire, there is nothing in the lands of the Kistu
There are little rivers to that the there's water for the crops, and small forests like the one above us so the
peasants can get lumber for houses and tools...
But that's it.
The entire Empire would feel if if even a quarter of these lands could no longer produce crops.
Once Kitsuki-san finished explaining I looked over at Toshiro, who was still going through Ryoji's journal.
He got any ideas on disrupting the ritual.
No...in fact he's not even certain that's what's going on.
It's all just theory based on his knowledge of magic, and of Maho.
Why would the real Ryoji have that knowledge?
Guidance from the ancestors, he says.
They'd been telling him his whole life that a confrontation with a Maho-Tsukai would be his greatest challenge.
So he prepared himself as best he could
Toshiro bowed to the body of Ryoji
We'll take it from here
I pulled out my katana and took Ryoji's head off
Mantis-san looked at me
What was that about?
There's maho flying all over the place, it wouldn't surprise me if there are kansen everywhere.
So, just in case?
Just in case.
Kitsuki-san waved from the side of the room
Over here!
The shadows do a good job of concealing it but there is a passage.
Where do you think this leads?
Kitsuki-san closed his eyes for a moment at Monkey's question.
Back towards the village...no.
Towards the shrine!
Well then.
We hurried onward.
we ran through another smaller cave, this one stacked up with bushels of rice and wheat
Hiding some of their crop from the tax collector.

we reached the end of the tunnels, and found another ladder waiting for us
I grabbed hold, preparing to climb up first
Just in case there were peasants waiting on the other side of the trapdoor
We'd...better hurry.
I glanced over my shoulder, and Mantis-san's warning
Torchlight was dancing at the end of the tunnel
They had figured out where we went.
I scrambled up the ladder, knocking over the trapdoor with a bang when I got to the top
I emerged out into the shrine
The false Ryoji was there, chanting away
a kanji had been written in blood on the statue
dozens of peasants were crammed into the shrine, all of them glassy eyed and smiling like idiots.
The smoke filling the room was not from incense.
Fakoji broke of his chant to glare at me
Damn you all, you've killed enough that I don't know if I can get all of it now.
I glanced back at the trapdoor as Mantis-san hauled himself up out of it
So then, he was right?
....?
Oh, him?
How did?
Never mind.
Just die.
He pulled a knife and slit the throat of one of the peasants, and shouted a single word.
BURN!
The kansen need blood to be spilled in order to work their magic.
Most of the time, they only need a bit
But just as the kami can be pleased with offerings, so too can the kansen.
More blood is always a fine offering.
searing pain ripped through my body, and I sank to one knee.
I panted, and a reddish mist came out of my mouth
I could see the others all gritting their teeth against the pain, the red mist pouring from them as well
Kitsuki-san cried out and fell, clawing at his skin
My vision swam, as I lurched to my feet and moved toward Fakoji
Only to have my path blocked by a wall of glassy eyed peasants.
I struck one down, and another took their place
Shit.
Monkey came up beside me, and stabbed one through the heart
WHUMP
I glanced back.
Toshiro was leaning hard on his tetsubo, and standing directly on the trap door
another WHUMP and the door underneath him bucked up

The peasants in the tunnels

As I looked Toshiro pulled back his hand, which burst into jade fire, and threw a ball of green energy at the
tsukai.
I do not know how black can flash brightly, but it did so as the spell struck Fakoji.
And the dark energy swallowed the Jade energy.
Your jade magic won't work on ME, Kuni.
Toshiro's eyes narrowed
TWANG
An arrow lodged itself into Fakoji's wrist
Mantis-san had readied his bow.
HE grinned.
Well, that seems to work just fine
Fakeoji responded by ripping the arrow from his arm, and stabbing another peasant in the stomach.
The blood that burst forth ran INTO the wound, and it closed
Shit.
Kitsuki-san pulled himself up, and came to stand beside me, panting hard
Toshiro pulled back his hand again
Fakeoji laughed.
I told you Jade magic will not work!
I know...
Toshiro threw blue white magic this time
Fakoji screamed as the energies burned him
But THIS spell used the power of crystal.
My sensei had run into a Maho-Tsukai who used that same spell you're using now.
So he learned this one, for the next time.
He gave it to me, when I became a jade magistrate.
Monkey nudged me
Ishigaki-san, give me a boost!
I looked at him
Then I knelt down, dropping my tetsubo and interlaced my fingers, making a step
Monkey stepped into my palms, and I thrust up as he jumped
He caught one of the rafters and hauled himself up.
Fakeoji looked up at him, and drew back his knife to stab the peasant again
But Mantis-san shot another arrow into him, ruining his spell
Which bought Monkey the time he needed to hop from rafter to rafter and then leap down upon Fakeoji and
strike
A line of red appeared on Fakeoji's face
then he split in two, from crown to groin.
maggots writhed inside the organs that spilled everywhere
WHUMP
No time to celebrate
The peasants in here were too drugged to fight back, or do much of anything but get in the way.

I yelled for Mantis-san

Behind me! Do as I do
War between samurai is, generally, a simple affair
The two armies form up, in nice neat little rows
The commander decided when each group will engage
At the signal, the group goes forward, contacts the enemy and then each samurai looks around for a worthy
opponent.
Despite the large number of people, most times it is nothing more than many, many single combats.
Of course, Ashigaru do not fight that way, nor do the beasts of the shadowlands.
And Scorpion only fight that way until the time it is most advantageous for them to stop.
Further, while it was the Lion Clan, Akodo himself in fact, who pioneered the formations of the Empire, every
clan now teaches their soldiers specific formations that will give them advantages depending on the situation at
hand
There is one used by the Crab, when we must attack
It takes full advantage of the large size common among the Hida, and our heavy armor
Our warriors walk forward, swaying side to side
Violently
And we just keep going
This leaves the enemy being staggered one way by a burly slab of metal shoulder checking you, only to be
shoved the opposite way by another burly slab of metal
This goes on until they fall over
And then get trampled underfoot, or struck by, those coming up behind
Mantis-san also wore heavy armor
Though this "formation" was anything but with only two people, and one simply imply imitating what he saw,
our enemies weren't a disciplined army either.
It was good enough to clear a path for Kitsuki-san and Toshiro, who both knocked over oil lamps and candles
as the passed
Monkey just hopped along the rafters
we got outside as the temple began to burn
a bolt of lightning struck the temple, speeding up the process considerably.
As the temple burned, the remaining peasants began to head towards us from the village
Damn, just no end to them…

Toshiro was chanting, a scroll in hand

I heard the name of the Fortune of Fire and Thunder
He was calling directly upon Osono-Wo
Toshiro dropped his tetsubo so he could place his hand on my shoulder as he prayed
As the peasants came in range, the storm went wild
Lightning flashed again and again, and balls of flame rained from the clouds
Through Toshiro's prayer to the son of Hida, the fury of Heaven was made manifest
The spell engulfed not just the peasants coming for us, but the village behind them
Whoa.
You said it, Monkey.
Yeah, I wouldn't count on me ever getting such impressive results with that spell again
We looked at Toshiro.
The conditions were about as perfect as you could get.
Three members of the Clans that have his blood, one a direct descendant, fighting against Maho-Tsukai
planning to devastate the whole Empire?
Toshiro pointed up
Plus, he's right there watching the whole thing already.
Toshiro grinned.
I dare say Osono-Wo is pleased with our performance, and this is his way of saying so.
We stood in the rain and watched Shimoda village die.

Monkey was sullen on the trip back

I was pretty sure I knew why, too.
There were children in that village.
We only found three in the aftermath.
With nothing else to do with them, we gave the children over to the nearest monastery, once we had checked
them for taint.
He had protested at even going that far.
Seeing an innocent caught up in something so ugly, through no fault of their own, had shaken him.
Though I had thought the brutal reality of war with the Shadowlands had hardened me to such things, I found I
didn't much like it either.
Naomi's gentle influence, no doubt.
Sake wasn't a good choice here.
Drinking when you want to forget is sometimes a bad idea. You remember when you wake up. So you drink
more.
Until you disgrace yourself.
Or the Scorpion comes to your house
So I needed to get his mind off it first.
Monkey.
He ignored me and continued to brood.
So I kicked him
He spun around, nostrils flared, and shouted
WHAT!
How's your kid doing?
Hu- what?
Your kid? Tokichiro, wasn't it?
Yeah... he's fine.
Fine? That's it?
He can count to 6 now. Always forgets 7 and 8...
He's about the same age as Tetsute, yeah?
yeah...
Look, it's already fall. I'm sure Naomi will send everyone home for winter.
you'll have some time with him soon.
What about Toshiro, don't we work for both of them?
Toshiro spoke up.
Well, I have to look at my own ugly face every day to put on my face paint, so seeing YOUR ugly face the rest
of the day is kind of wearing on me...
So unless something just falls into our laps soon, I'd say you're going to have some time off.
I grinned, then nudged Monkey in the ribs.
Hey, maybe you should try for a daughter next?
He blushed
We made it back to my place without incident
Naomi had recovered more, and was moving around without the cane.
She still needed to grab an afternoon nap though.
Tsuyosa, as well, was doing better. He was getting just a touch of color to him and putting on weight.

Between her fatigue and his determination gorge himself in order to get to a healthy weight things got awkward
on occasion.
By that I mean I often had to sit behind Naomi and hold Tsuyosa for her.
Once she drifted off to sleep mid feeding.
Naomi was terribly embarrassed by that when she woke up, despite my assurances it was no big deal.
With Naomi still needing time to rest and nothing terribly pressing we did indeed split up early for the winter,
everyone heading to their homes.
Shino puttered about here and there, overseeing the servants.
He spoke to me a few times about how things were going
But after he saw how quickly my eyes glazed over once he got to actual numbers he simplified it down to a
"Things are going well"
Toshiro made sure there was enough medicine and medicinal incense before heading back to his own home in
the wastes.
Got to check on the flow of the Kami. The land isn't going to fix itself.
The Kuni wastes had lain fallow for centuries. I wondered if the land would truly be able to recover from the
drastic measures taken to purge that taint from it.
In mid-autumn I received a visit from Kojiro-Sensei
I was a bit surprised. I didn't think I would be ready so soon.
But Sensei took me out back and we fought, and he declared I was.
I was loathe to leave my family in their current state.
But Naomi shooed me away, insisting I do as Sensei wished
And so I learned the last technique taught to the Defenders of the Wall.
THe last technique began with the kata of the Indomitable Warrior.
It expanded quickly from there.
Kojiro-sensei told me what I was learning was related to the final technique of the Hida ryu, The Mountain does
not Fall.
Did you know, Ishigaki-san? Stories of your battles with the bloodspeaker cult are spreading throughout the
Clan,
Maho causes great pain, it debilitates with ease. With this technique you will be ready to cast off those effects.
I do not want you to die on me now, Ishigaki-san.

I continued to perform the kata, as sensei had shown me, while he spoke
I did not respond, knowing he was testing my concentration.
After all, I intend for you to teach at this dojo in a few decades.
I slipped up and he whacked me with his tetsubo
Despite the fact that I have to beat you a bit harder than most students to get my lessons in, you do apply them
very well indeed.
Of course you're still quite young. How old are you, anyway?
26, sensei.
Hrm yes. Got a bit of a late start on the family.
I knew my wife for four years before I realized I loved her, Sensei.
Ooooh?
I could tell he was genuinely curious.
I was called upon to serve as an Emerald Magistrate, and was placed in a group of young recruited alongside
her.
I was older than the rest.
Sensei nodded.
Younger Crabs are much more hot headed, after a few seasons they stop trying to flex at everything that
moves.
Just as you say, Sensei.
We had many tasks back then. They seemed difficult, but were really quite straightforward.
Find the murderer, collect the testimony
Hunt down the bandits
Attend court and avoid compromising your loyalty to the Emperor
There was an opium smuggling ring...once.
And then you made a mistake.
...yes.
I had began to wonder though.
Toshiro had said that the ritual to pass the taint into the earth the Fakoji had intended to use was based upon
another maho spell.
There were, in fact, several ways one could spread the taint to an unknowing victim with maho.
It made me wonder if Tsabutai-sama had indeed been a maho-tsukai, or just a victim of THEM.
Since I still suspected Hohiro, I could not shake that thought.
If I was right, then the deaths of Tsabutai's family was also upon his head.
I redoubled my efforts, going through one kata and transitioning into the next, building up to the full technique
bit by bit.
I did them slowly. So slowly my muscles burned with agony.
I pushed it aside, seeking Mushin no Shin

Under sensei's watchful eyes I mastered his final lesson

The Crab are the Wall.
In a multi-clan force, the Crab stood at the vanguard.
At the head of any Crab Vanguard, the Defenders would be there.
Now I would be at the head of the Defenders.
First into battle, Last to leave.
A small ceremony was held, to commemorate the completion of this stage of my training.
To my surprise, Naomi came to attend.
As did Toshiro, and all of my children.
I found keeping the stupid grin off my face the hardest thing I had to do, as Kojiro-sensei formally recognized
me.
When the ceremony was over, he came to meet my family.
Daiko and Tetsute both looked up at him with wide eyes
Here was a man their mighty father showed great deference too.
They had never met someone like that before
Well, will you two one day come to study under me, as you father did?
A pair of HAI!'s echoed in unison.
Naomi was so proud of me she didn't even flinch at that thought.
Toshiro slapped my back.
Heard you've got a retirement plan now.
I snorted.
Not for some time yet, I think. I've still got plenty of years of active service before I need to settle in as a sensei.
And much more to learn yet.
Kojiro-sensei nodded.
Indeed. Do not ever be satisfied with yourself.
With that we all returned to Ishigaki Mura.
So, how did things go for you, Toshiro?
He grinned at me.
And pulled a small shard of crystal out.
Is that...?
Yes, it's spirit is awake.
So you're a crystal master?
Oh no... I just have some awakened crystal.
But in recognition of everything Sensei called in several favors.
He patted his scroll satchel
Got a few new ones to go with this crystal.
Naomi looked at his satchel.
My word, Toshiro, you've got quite the library there, don't you?
So, while I had been reaching new heights, Toshiro had reached new breadth.
I wondered how if any of the others had learned something new.
We spent the winter together, Toshiro, myself and my family.

During the winter, Ishigaki Mura grew again, as the Sake works went up.
I met with the master brewer, a man named Rikuchi.
He was newly risen to the title, and thanked me profusely for the opportunity to open his own brewery.
I waved him off, and directed his thanks to Naomi.
I just couldn't bring myself to take credit for something I didn't do.
She then had to wave him off before he gave himself a concussion trying to go through all his thanks again.
Look, don't worry about all that Rikuchi. Just make me some damn fine Sake
HAI, Great Samurai! I will indeed!
One day I shall surpass my own master!
Good. Do that.
With the addition of the brewery, a few homes began to spring up.
After more than a decade, life had at last returned to Ishigaki Mura
As Naomi breathed life back into my childhood home, so to did she breathe life into Tsuyosa.
He still coughed, from time to time, and tired more quickly than his siblings did at that age.
But his coughs were almost afterthoughts, and he never once had a serious fit like Naomi had.
Daiko marked her fourth birthday.
Children have very little expectation placed upon them, save to obey their parents commands.
At some point between the age of eight and twelve a child enters into the dojo and begins their formal
education.
However, some instruction is carried out in the home, such as literacy, basic mathematics, and of course plenty
of theology.
For her birthday, Naomi got Daiko a calligraphy set.
Tetsute fussed that he wanted one as well
You know, it's not as fun as you might think. It's just so she can practice writing, like your mother does.
Yes! I can too! I can!
I rubbed his head and grinned.
So competitive, that one.
Children are always in a hurry to grow up, adults often wish to be children again.
Enjoy this time while you can, Tetsute. It will end eventually, and you'll find yourself missing it at times.
He blinked up at me
were you ever a child papa?
Hah! Of course I was!

And you miss it?

Sometimes I do. There are many burdens adults must bear, and they can grow quite heavy at times.
But you're the strongest person ever!
I hugged him then.
I am only strong because I want to protect you. You, your sister, your brother, and your mother.
He hugged me back
I know papa will always keep me safe!
Yes, I will.
Daiko jumped into the hug as well
One day I'll be big enough to protect you daddy!
I had to swallow a lump in my throat.
It took a few swallows but I got it down far enough I could answer her
I know you will sweety. I'll be waiting for that day.
As winter rolled into spring we had a Mochi pounding festival
The workers for the sake works had brought along their families, of course.
There were now five children in Ishigaki Mura, aside from my own little brood
I took part, pounding that rice into a nice gooey paste with all my might as the village cheered me on
color was added, making the mochi a light pink, to match the sakura blossoms and the mochi was filled with
sweet bean paste
As Naomi and Toshiro led the village in the proper observances, we welcomed the turning of the seasons with
a great celebration of life.
Several days later, a messenger came, with a reminder to us all that the way of the warrior is the way of death.

A rider, with an honor guard of Imperial Legionaries, AND a Crab patrol came up to the house
A young woman, unarmored, rode in the center of the formation.
She tipped back her jingasa and looked around.
Sniffed when she saw the armed peasants, but said nothing.
I am here to speak to Hida Naomi, or Hida Toshiro.
I peered at her Kimono, trying to spot the mon.
Seven crescent moons, surrounding a concentric circle
oh. Oh shit.
I bowed deeply
They are inside, Miya-sama
I turned and went inside while the Miya woman got down off her horse
Toshiro! Naomi! Important visitor!
I heard the thumpdragging of Toshiro heading to the room we used for meeting with guests
Shino ran up
How important
I whispered
a Miya
he blanched.
I'll see to the children
Please do.
The Miya came in behind me, looking around in surprise at the various bits of art on the walls
My wife has an eye for art
I see.
This is the home of Hida Naomi, correct?
Hai, Miya-sama
Then that would make you Hida Ishigaki.
Hai, Miya-sama
I was surprised that a Miya would know who I was.
It wasn't like I was very high ranked or anything.
I brought her to the room where Toshiro and Naomi were waiting, and a servant brought out some tea
Everyone bowed their greetings
Since I knew two of the people in the room introductions fell to me
Hida Naomi, Kuni Toshiro, this is Miya...
Sakurai.
I heard that neither of you attended any of the winter courts this year
Naomi answered
That is true Miya-sama. I had to rest for health reasons.
I see.
You are recovered now, though?
Hai.
Good.
She sipped her tea
As you are all Crabs I will get straight to the point.
The war last year between the Mantis and Phoenix has not died down.
It has, in fact, grown larger.
All the Clans that have been providing assistance to one side or the other are now joining in in full.
Naomi's eyes widened

Ordinarily inter-clan conflict of such scale would not be allowed.

However, the participants do not all join in the war directly.
Rather, the allies of the Phoenix make war on the allies of the Mantis, and vice versa
The Crane and Scorpion were at each other's throats all winter. It was quite...messy.
The Lion were going to war on the Scorpion, but the Dragon declared they would war on the Lion.
So the Crane have entreated the Crab to make war on the Scorpion instead.
I take it you have not heard any of this yet.
Toshiro spoke
No, we have been away from the affairs of the world.
Naomi-san was resting, while I was tending to the kami in the wastes.
Sakurai nodded
Well. Since we all understand the reasons behind this war the Imperial Observes will be out in force
She looked down, eyes closed.
This summer will be one of the bloodiest in centuries, and the Emperor's eyes and ears will ensure the conflict
grows no farther than it is now.
Otomo Jun will be overseeing the war between Crab and Scorpion
She paused.
Otomo Jun-sama's yojimbo was murders. He had protected her for over ten years.
We determined he was slain by Maho.
Ahh. Now it becomes clear.
The Jade Champion reports his servants have been encountering Maho-Tsukai at an alarming rate these last
few years.
Many Magistrates have died or gone missing as well.
This then is your task.
You will protect Otomo Jun from the maho-tsukai, and keep a close eye out for maho use in this war.
Toshiro nodded.
I take it the life of the Observer is the most important of the two.
Obviously.
You have both a Mantis and a Dragon in your service, do you not?
Yes, Miya-sama
And you can all place your duty to the Emperor above your loyalty to your own Clans?
Of course Miya-sama
Good.
Miya Sakurai produced a map
You will await Otomo Jun-sama here.
Tsuyosa began to cry about then
Ah! Please, excuse me!

Sakurai looked at Naomi.

You have a child?
I have three, Miya-sama. But I gave birth at end of summer
Ah. So you will need a wet nurse then.
Naomi bit her lip.
hai. It is as you say, Miya-sama. A war is no place for an infant...
I spoke out of turn.
Does it have to be both of them?
Do you really need two jade magistrates
Sakurai glared at me, then sniffed dismissively
Come now, is this really an issue?
Many children have wet nurses.
She turned away and sipped her tea, letting me know she considered the matter closed
bitch.
I left before I said something I shouldn't and joined Naomi
She was nursing Tsuyosa, smiling. But her eyes were narrowed just a bit, a tightness in the corners.
...Now I must abandon him while he is still nursing?
I sat down and put an arm around her shoulder
That's a bit much, don't you think?
it IS about time to start giving him solid food Naomi.
yes but...
There weren't really words for this situation.
These were moments you didn't get back. that you couldn't relive.
Naomi treasured each second she spent with the children, and the time she spent nursing was some of the
most precious
I didn't understand why that was, but I knew how serene and happy Naomi looked when she fed our children.
While it was true Tsuyosa should be getting his first taste of real food soon, he'd still be nursing on and off for
another six months, at least...
Nana One-eye opened the door to room just a crack
Forgive my intrusion, Great Samurai.
I just heard
I glanced to Naomi, who nodded
Come on in, Nana.
Thank you, Great Samurai.
You know you do not have to call us that, right?
Though I am truly blessed to have such kind masters, I would not wish to be spoiled so much I forget my place
before another Samurai.
Fair enough.
Great Samurai, I have just learned that I will be having my second grandchild come fall.
Oh? Well, congratulations are in order
Thank you Great Samurai.

Naomi closed her eyes.

So...Akiko then?
Nana One-Eye bowed her head and said nothing
Hmm. Yes, if Akiko is willing to this for me, for us.
She would be honored Great Samurai.
I know how difficult it can be to give your child up for another woman to feed, so I hopped that at least she not
be a stranger to you.
Thank you Nana, for your consideration.
Tsuyosa let go, nuzzled against Naomi's chest, and fell asleep.
Nana One-Eye bowed and left us
I gave Naomi a few soothing backrubs before heading back out.
I was, on paper at least, the master of this house.
I should see my guest off.
Miya Sakurai was already heading towards the door, having finished giving Toshiro the particulars.
You will not need to contact the rest of your Yoriki, that has been handled.
You will all meet at the designated place
Do your best in service to the Emperor.
She mounted up and rode off with her honor guard
How long until we have to leave, Toshiro?
he frowned.
A month. Jun-sama wants to oversee the mustering as well as the fighting.
Damn.
Ishigaki... There's going to be Scorpion everywhere.
Yeah. I know.
I HAD accidentally foiled a Scorpion plot.
So I would need to be very, very careful.

Furthermore,Amano's cousin had said, though not in so many words, that he would kill me if he had the
chance.
It was unlikely that I would run into that specific Bayushi in the midst of a war though...right?

After a tearful goodbye to the children, we set out.

There was no city or village where we were going.
Just a seemingly random spot on edge of the Crab lands, by the Shinomen mori
It would be the staging area where the army was setting up, preparing to head north, some by river, others
skirting the edges of the Crane lands
We were met by a patrol well in advance of the camp.
Toshiro and Naomi showed their magistrates chops and explained why we were here
The patrol led us in straight away
And we found ourselves meeting with Hida Touka, the current general of the Army of the East, and Otomo Jun,
who wielded the authority of the Emperor to decide the winner and the loser of the war.
Akodo himself once said, "Protracted war serves no one"
Armies require food, and wise generals feed their soldiers with their enemies rice
Sometimes the Lion can be goaded into rash, reckless destruction.
So can the Crab, for that matter. Rare indeed is the time when the Damned are set loose upon fellow
Rokugani, but such times are always horrifying to all.
Shugenja can reshape the very land for generations, or even eternity.
Scorpion are well known to be sore losers, and often take great pains to ensure that that any foe that routs
them from a battlefield will find naught but ashes for their victory feast
This then, is why the Imperial Observers exist.
While the Emperor would no doubt prefer his servants not spill each others blood, were he to forbid war
between the clans completely the most militant clans would protest loudly.
Quite possibly with their massive, well trained armies.
So the Emperor settles for ensuring that the Clans harm one another, but do little harm to his lands in the
process.
It is uncommon, but not unheard off, for an Imperial Observer to find that that one Clan or another has gone
too far, and judge them the loser of a war even if they had emerged victorious in every battle.

Many of the stories of such events often involved the Scorpion with the Lion or Crab the ones being judged
Would that be the strategy of the Scorpion this time though?
Strange though it was, the Crane Clan was on the side of the Crab in this war.
No doubt the Daidoji had supplied information to the Crab already, and of course, the Crane stood by with
supplies ready should the Crab need them.
It must be odd for Touka-sama, to plan a war where logistics can be a secondary concern for once.
Kitsuki-san, Mantis-san and Monkey joined us and introductions were made
Otomo Jun opened without preamble.
I am certain it has been made clear to you all before, but I will say this again.
You are all agents of the Emperor here, and he is impartial in the outcome of this war. You will not aid your
Clan, nor the allies of you Clan. Nor will you hinder the enemies of your Clan. Is that clear?
She was an older woman, and her face had many sharp angles to it.
It went along well with her tone.
Now then. Hida Touka-san, you were explaining the force being mustered here
Hai, Otomo Jun-san.
The Scorpion will face a single Claw of the Crab, so as to limit the scale of conflict.
A Claw was what we called our regiments. Other clans used the term legion.
Roughly five thousand troops
Jun nodded her understanding as a scribe wrote furiously to keep track of the conversation.
The scribe himself had two assistants, one to replace his current paper when needed and the other to take the
filled paper to dry and be stored for later entry into the imperial histories
His calligraphy was much more beautiful than mine, even writing at such speed.
As expected of an Imperial scribe
The core of our force is, of course, two Brigades worth of Hida heavy infantry. Among them the first and second
companies of the Second Regiment.
My eyebrows vanished into my hairline when I heard that. He was bringing in BOTH companies of Hida Elite
Guard?

The Elite Guard were some of the finest of the Crab Clan, trusted with serving as the honor guard of the Clan
Champion.
They were easily on par with the Defenders of the Wall such as myself.
While Defenders would be expected to face worse odds than most of the Elite Guard, we were trained as
specialists.
The Elite Guard were more adaptable, and thus deployed more frequently.
The Army of the East, as the Army whose primary duty was to stand watch over the Crab's borders with the
rest of the Empire, had very little in the way of our Clan's best troops.
The First and Second were the best of the Army of the East.
Furthermore, that only accounted for two thousand soldiers.
A full regiment had five.
We also have the fourth company from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth regiments.
Again, Touka surprised me. Those were the Falcon's Strike.
He had called up every single dedicated unit of elite archers in the Army of the East.
We will, of course, have six squads of Engineers, and a Brigade of the the Yasuki House Guard from the ninth
regiment
SIX? That's a full troop, maybe more!
Each regiment only had a two squads as part of the reserve company.
The Yasuki House Guard were however, not the best of soldiers, They guarded caravans mostly.
So he would be using them to watch our supply lines.
The rest of the force is drawn from the Hiruma.
You say that the core of your army is the Hida heavy infantry, but are they not only two fifths of your army?
Well, yes. They are not the most numerous, but I will say my soldiers will be worth more than the Scorpion we
face.
Oh.
oooooooh.
I had been beginning to see Touka's strategy, now I was certain of it.
As I mentioned, everyone knows the Scorpion Clan absolutely refuses to lose with grace.
Touka's plan then, was to minimize the damage to his own force, to keep them from forcing those almost loses
and empty victories.
After the meeting with Touka we got on a boat and sailed north, up the river of gold to meet the General of the
Scorpion forces.
So, how's Tsuyosa doing?
Getting stronger every day
Monkey smiled
Good to hear it!
And, how are things at home for you, Satoshi-san?
Monkey blushed at Naomi's question
We've got another on the way...
I grinned, and slapped him on the back.
Mantis-san spoke up
Tatsuki's pregnant as well.
Of course it would be Monkey who would say it
Man, hope your wife doesn't make a stink...
Mantis-san put a hand on his chin
Well, she seems happy with having two children, and they were born first so... I don't think she'll raise too
much fuss over inheritance or anything like that.
Do not fret Daigo-san. I have exchanged many letters with her. She is not cruel.
I know.
I couldn't blame Mantis-san for worrying though.
There were plenty of stories about the children of conubines being mistreated by the offical wife and/or her
children in a samurai's house
The Mantis Clan was founded when one of the son's of Osano-Wo threw a fit over not getting named the
Champion.
The Mantis like to pretend that he had some greater reason, but most Mantis are filthy liars.
At the very least, all the Yoritomo were.
Tsurichi Daigo proved that some of the other minor clans that became families in the Mantis could be alright.
Oh yeah, how about you Toshiro?
Huh?
Well, you're a year younger than me, right?
That makes you 25.
Times up.
Toshiro groaned
Don't remind me.
What?
Yeah, the Clan is just fine letting Crabs find their own spouses...
Right up until they turn 25.
Well, isn't that good news, Toshiro-sama?
No, it really really isn't.
Have you seen me?!
I'm a hideously scarred, crippled Kuni with one hut in the middle of a barren wasteland to my name.
Who the hell would consent to marry THAT?
Monkey looked off the side, mumbling
..beggars and choosers, y'know?
Toshiro groaned and buried his face in his hands

Naomi giggled behind her sleeve.

Our usual banter taking her mind off the children she had to leave behind
as the laughter died down we all glanced at Kitsuki-san
...
So Monkey! New kid on the way! Thought up any names yet?
Uh, not really...
Mantis-san?
Dosetsu if it's a boy, Ginchiyo if it's a girl.
Hoooo? Good names.
I know.
That's why I picked them out.
Toshiro glanced at Mantis-san.
Don't do dry wit. I do dry wit. You find something else.
Huh?
That's an order from your superior, Daigo-san.
W-what?! Can you even do that?!
I just did.
It's done.
But...
Ah pu pupupupu!
Toshio held up a finger
Already done.
I laughed so hard my sides hurt.

Along the way, Jun wished to speak with us.

Or rather, with me
You there, Hida-san... what do you make of the force your clan has composed?
...
I thought about it.
I think you should make certain the Scorpion forces are what they claim to be, Otomo-sama
What? Explain!
I am only taking a guess here, but I believe Touka's strategy is not so much to win, as it is to avoid
unnecessary loss.
Scorpion are good at making the enemy pay dearly for their victory, but the force Touka has called up seems to
oppose that strategy well, to my mind anyway.
Jun tilted her head, tapping her fan in her palm
Go on. How?
If I were leading an army like Touka's I would push just inside the enemy's territory, then have the engineers
create a fortified position.
Somewhere out in the open, to taunt my enemy.
Lure them to fight us the way we like to fight.
Touka called up every elite archer unit as his disposal, combined with the defenses the Kaiu will no doubt build
any enemy will find themselves in a losing battle should they try to sit back and eliminate the force with arrows.
Jun nodded.
The rest of the army is composed of light infantry, Hiruma.
They are adept at being unnoticed, and knowing how to seize opportunity to strike at the foe when they are off
guard.
The Hiruma are almost as mobile as cavalry, and less obvious as well.
I think Touka seeks to win your judgment, not through sacked castles or piles of dead Scorpion, but by showing
that the Scorpion could never defeat the Crab in a long term, serious conflict.
Hmmm
Yes, that is a sound plan. It may even work...
Well, we will see when we get to the Scorpion camp, and learn what their general is planning.
Oh. Yeah.
I was going to be surrounded by Scorpion.
No way that was going to go poorly, right?

red
black
red
black
everywhere I looked in the camp of the Scorpion I saw red and black armor.
The things inside that armor stared at me. A lot.
I had an unmistakable itch, right between my shoulderblades, as though a thousand eyes were staring hungrily
at that spot, waiting to sink a tanto into it.
This...was going to be a very uncomfortable visit.
Not only that, but the constant sense of danger would interfere with my ability to perceive an actual immediate
threat.
I would make a poor Yojimbo if a Maho Tsukai sucked all of Otomo Jun's blood out while I was glaring at
Scorpion.
I sighed inwardly and tried to sort out real threats from perceived ones, from one's that were only people
wishing they could kill me without any serious repercussions.
Introductions were made as we met with the Scorpion commander
His mask was quite simple. He just never bothered to take of his mempo.
So, he declared himself a warrior at all times then.
And, what forces will the Scorpion be bringing to this war, Bayushi Satsuma-san?
Hai. We know the Crab intend to field a single legion, what they call a regiment.
Of course the Scorpion already knew that...
We suspect the Crab have chosen to quite deliberately keep this war small.
Of course, the Crab clan have many strong warriors, tested in battle against the monsters of Jigoku.
It simply would not do to insult their prowess, or underestimate them.
Still, our Clan has a much smaller army than they do. So we will only bring half a legion of Samurai, Drawn
from across the First Crimson Legion
We have, however, mustered up two legions of Ashigaru.
Jun pursed her lips.
Ten thousand peasants?
Oh you need not worry Otomo-san, there are plenty more where that came from.
He placed his hand to the side of his mouth, and spoke in that not really a whisper tone of voice
Many of them are actually condemned criminals, you see.
There was a recent outbreak of banditry in one of our provinces.

Jun stared boogle eyed at the Scorpion, her mouth hanging open.
You... you intend to use BANDITS as soldiers?!
Satsuma shrugged.
It is easier than you might think.
We promised them that they would be pardoned if they survived this war.
Of course we were lying, but I doubt that it will be necessarily to reveal that fact to even a single one of them.
Jun blinked her eyes twice, recovering from her shock at the Scorpion's audacity.
And what do you mean by that Bayushi-san?
Well, the Crab have Kaiu engineers who can build terrible siege engines, Kuni whose earth magic can tear
great rents in the ground and reshape the land, and Toritaka archers.
If our small force is to engage the enemy at all, we must give those deadly units a target of some sort...
He said that with a calm, matter of fact tone even I found disturbing.
I could see Monkey biting his lip.
A trickle of blood ran down his chin.
The last time I had seen him this angry it was being caused by a cursed mist.
I shoved aside those horrible memories as quickly as they threatened to resurface.
Our plan is simple, Otomo-san, because simple plans are truly the best.
Right.
a SCORPION just said that.
With a straight face.
The Ashigaru will tie down the main power of the Crab army while our more maneuverable samurai disrupt
their formations and supply lines.
Only a fool engages the Crab on a battlefield they have had time to prepare in advance after all.
Jun looked at him levelly.
And you are certain there will be no long term ill effects from so many peasants being drafted?
Well, we may have to hold off on that extension planned for Kyuden Bayushi until next year... but other than
that no. We do not believe there will be any issue with the harvest.
As I said, most of these ashigaru were going to die anyway. We just found a way to execute them that would
also help our Clan win a war.
Lying piece of shit.
I'd bet my left testicle more than half those 'ashigaru' were really Scorpion pretending to be peasants.
I had no doubt the Scorpion had, by whatever foul means, learned the exact nature and composition of the
army Hida Touka would bring.
From that, they could have deduced his strategy, just as I had.
If that were the case, then the Crab army struggling against 'mere peasants' would shatter an image of the
Crab being unbeatable.
And while he was only bringing in half a legion, it would obviously be the most experienced and elite troops of
that legion, each soldier carefully chosen to counter the Crab as best they could.
Scorpion loved to exploit the weakness of their enemies.
Now the real question.
Would Otomo Jun even give credence to my words if I were to bring this up to her?
Somehow I doubted it.
It was then that Naomi began to cough.
I took hold of her as she began to double over
Jun glanced over in irritation.
Apologies Otomo-sama, Bayushi-sama
Naomi-sama suffers from ill-health, this happens at times.
Kitsuki-san, can you bring her medicine?
Hai.
Toshiro took over reassuring Jun as I led Naomi outside
Rest assured, Jun-sama, her health does not diminish her ability. Hida Naomi is a Crab by marriage, she was
originally of the Isawa trained as a tensai.
we had gotten too far away to hear Jun's response
As I steadied Naomi and gave her some water to rinse the blood from her mouth, Kitsuki-san brewed up her
tea.
How are you now?
This much is nothing, Ishigaki-kun
really, a minor one.
There was only a slight tightness around her eyes, and her body was steady.
I had gotten good at telling how much pain my wife was actually in at any given time, since she always insisted
she was never in any
I poured Naomi's tea and supported her hands while she sipped at it.
She didn't need me to; her hands were not shaking.
But it had become habit for me to do so, all the times it had happened.

Kitsuki-san.
hmm?
There is something I must ask of you.
I used formal language
He took notice immediately.
I told him my thoughts on the Scorpion deployment.
He said nothing while I explained.
Naomi's eyes went wider and wider as I spoke
When I was done, Kitsuki-san nodded once.
Yes, I thought as much.
You do know war well, so the fact that you thought the same thing reassures me we are, if not exactly correct,
close to the truth.
Naomi spoke up then
But, we cannot tell Touka-sama. We are neutral in this war; our task is to look for Maho and protect Jun-sama.
That is true, Naomi, but we CAN suggest Jun-sama make certain the Ashigaru are really all Ashigaru...
Kitsuki-san was already ahead of me
But you cannot be the one to broach the subject, as you are a Crab.
Right.
You are becoming devious in your old age, Ishigaki-senpai.
What, I'm not THAT much older than you!
You are still closer to retirement age than I am.
Pfft. Crabs don't retire.
True.
...
What is it, Kitsuki-san?
I do not think I will be bringing this up though.
What?
Naomi-sama is right, it is not our place to interfere in this matter at all.
Furthermore, it would be unseemly of one as lowly as I to speak out of place.
If Otomo Jun-sama asks my opinion, of course I will give it to her.
Beyond that though...
I stared at Kitsuki-san, trying to work out what the hell he was thinking.
Then it hit me.
Of course. He was a Dragon. His Clan was allied with the Scorpion in this mess.
All that blather about neutrality was just a convenient excuse to help his allies.
But it was a sound enough excuse I couldn't call him on it.
So I was forced to settle for an angry glare
Credit where it's due, few people can face my glare as calmly as he did.
Well, if that is all, I shall return to my duty.
Naomi finished the rest of her tea.
Why do you not ask me to say it then, Ishigaki-kun?
I looked down, startled

Because he's right about us staying neutral.

I can't ask you to compromise your honor like that.
Naomi tilted her head slightly.
We believe the Bayushi just lied to Otomo-sama, do we not?
To an Imperial Observer?
Does bringing up that possibility stain our honor? I do not think so.
But the Phoenix...
Are allied with Scorpion, yes.
But Ishigaki-kun... I am a Crab.
She stroked my cheek
I thank you for your consideration, I really do.
I will not lie and say this has been easy for me.
But really now, how many times must I say this?
I know where my loyalties lie
...
Not for the first time I wondered what I had done to deserve such fine wife.

We went back into the tent

-erve things on my behalf.
I glanced at Toshiro
he jerked his head towards the scribe.
it was a different scribe then was in the Crab tents
Oh? That was the problem with an Imperial Observer: They were only one person.
So, she was going to spread subordinates around to keep tabs on the whole war?
Otomo Jun-sama
Jun's eyebrow twitched at the interruption
She turned to Naomi, who was kneeling in a full dogeza
Please forgive my rudeness, but I feel I must speak with you. Privately. Please
Jun waited for a time, making Naomi hold her bow.
Alright, bitch. We understand you outrank us.
Stop torturing my wife.
I thought.
Very well. But this had better be important
Bayushi Satsuma nodded.
We will leave, to allow you your privacy Otomo-san
The Scorpion filed out.
Jun still had not given permission for Naomi to raise her head
Alright. Speak.
I believe you have been lied to, Otomo Jun-sama
Hoooo?
Hai. The Scorpion freely admit they knew the Crabs plans. If that is the case it is likely they have divined the
strategy of Hida Touka-sama as well.
We know it is in the nature of the Scorpion to deceive. They admit as much with their masks.
You would be hard pressed to assume the Crab could not be beaten in a more whole scale war if they struggle
with mere ashigaru.
Which they would, if those ashigaru were actually Scorpion samurai pretending to be untrained peasants.
For a long while the only sound was Jun-sama's breathing.
Ridiculous.
There are limits to what the Scorpion will do, HIDA-san.
You would have me believe that there is not just a few, but THOUSANDS of samurai in this world so willing to
cast aside their place in the Celestial order as to pretend to be peasants?
Jun stepped to just in front of Naomi, who held her dogeza.
I found myself fighting with my own body, every muscle taut, as it wanted to rush at the Observer before she
could harm my wife.

You are only here to look for signs of Maho, Jade Magistrate, and to protect me from Maho-Tsukai.
You will not overstep the bounds of your duty again, CRAB.
As Jun's mouth opened again, I felt my control slipping.
Then Mantis-san and Monkey stepped to either side of me
Their movement startled Jun, and she looked at the three of us.
Thankfully, I was wearing my armor. My mempo hid my face, and the snarl I'm sure I was wearing.
Still, it was enough a distraction. Jun forgot about Naomi.
She snapped her fan, signaling she would hear no more on the matter.
That night, in our tent Naomi apologized to me.
I am sorry Ishigaki-san. I did not think she would be so angry; I have made things worse...
No, you didn't do anything wrong.
Jun is just a stupid bitch, she's underestimating the Scorpion.
Naomi's mouth fell open and she held her hand over it.
I did use some pretty strong language there.
But still..
No, It's alright Naomi. She made it pretty clear the fact that you were a Phoenix before we married meant
nothing to her, and she was never going to let you get a word in to explain.
hah. At the winter court so many people accused me of still having loyalty to the Phoenix, that I never once
considered Jun would see me as a Crab.
Fools will always resort to calling the character of a person in question when they cannot address their
arguments directly. And fools go for low hanging fruit. So you will be whichever Clan they find most convenient.
Ishigaki...to which Clan DO I belong?
I hugged her.
You belong to me. That's all that matters.
She nuzzled into my chest.
Hai.

Jun decided we would return to the Crab army for now. She wanted see what defenses were being prepared.
She was quite surprised when we arrived and found the Crab had already moved into the Scorpion Lands and
had begun fortifying a base camp.
Truth be told, Touka-san, I had always assumed the Crab Clan...ponderous, on the offense.
We are not slow because we cannot be fast, Otomo-san. It is simply that acting with haste can get you killed
quickly.
There are things that can kill Crabs quickly?
Many things can do that.
Does not your Clan pride itself on it's connection to the Earth, and it's heavy armor?
Such precautions are a necessity for the war we fight in the south, Otomo-san.
A castle cannot guard itself.
Indeed. A proper fortification is built around the warriors who will stand inside it, not the other way around.
This was said by Kaiu Shinzo, the highest ranked, and therefore head of, the Engineers present for this war.
Oh, Kaiu-san?
Indeed Otomo-sama. Were I building fortifications for Daidoji, or for Akodo, I would use different layouts.
I see.
I would know more about these fortifications.
Of course.
We should have a castle up soon enough, a day or two at most...
Jun's fan fluttered.
She didn't believe him.
But for now we have these.
Waist high mounds of earth, like I had used in Shimoda.
The earth had been tightly packed inside with a layer of loose earth on top to keep the enemy from getting
good purchase
The moat on the other side of the mound is seven feet deep, with bamboo skewers hidden at the bottom.
Jun's eyes widened.
Things like this only kill fools who rush in blindly, and once the first few die of course the rest will learn.
Now, outside of the camp...
Outside? You say you're going to expand your fortifications?
Well, we are, but up.
No, Jun-sama. I am speaking of the traps that have already been laid.
Traps.
Jun's tone was flat.
Hai. Come, I'll show you.

We walked out into the wide open area around the base camp.
Oh, watch your step, Jun-sama
He knelt down in front of her, grabbed a handful of grass, and pulled it up
Showing a very deep pit.
Anyone steps on that bit of false grass, and they'll fall far enough to break a leg, or at least twist an ankle.
The sides are quite smooth, and it's deep. It will be hard to get out without help
He replaced the grass
There's also these
He showed her a small ankle deep hole.
Look inside.
Jun did so.
See the small skewers?
They point down, so when a foot goes inside they allow it. Try to draw it out and you'll get an ankle full. They'll
hold you fast, unless you don't mind tearing out a chunk of your foot
How...barbarous.
Barbarous, Jun-sama? Hardly.
If we were not fighting proper samurai, that pit would have bamboo spears at the bottom of it!
Jun stared at Shinzo.
But, not even Scorpion deserve to die to a simple trap. These things will only hinder them, as a castle that is
built with a confusing layout does.
And what about the moat?
Shinzo shrugged.
Like I said, only a fool would jump in to that in way that it would actually kill them.
I do not concern myself with fools. It is the same for you, is it not Otomo-sama?
Shinzo laughed heartily.
He stopped laughing when he realized there was an arrow in his throat.
Naomi gave a cry and moved to help him
HIDA-SAN!
Jun was glaring at her.
Around us, several lightly armored warriors in red and black sprang up from the ground, tossing off cloaks of
false grass.
The few Hida with us formed a ring around Touka, shielding their commander with their bodies.
As the fighting began, Jun just muttered to herself.
I see, there will be much deception involved in this war...
She was looking at the false grass cloaks, and the false grass that covered a pit.
Hah. Crab and Scorpion are more alike than either would care to admit!
I fought down the urge to punch her for that insult to my Clan.

It wasn't hard, since I had to knock aside a katana blade

What the hell?
Were the Scorpion after the observer?!
I spared a glance, but I saw Jun simply present her seal to a pair of Scorpion bushi, who then broke off their
charge.
No, that's not it.
Oh. right.
I was wearing my armor. My blue and grey armor, with black silk lacing.
Well, fine then. Can't accuse of me of not being neutral if they attacked me first!
I crushed the chest of the one who took his swing at me, then turned to look for more
Then I stopped, and ran to Naomi's side to protect her.
She was also in a blue and black kimono, the mon of the Hida clear upon it.
And wearing a scroll satchel
I glanced over and saw Toshiro had already covered himself in rock and earth.
His magical protections were doing a fine job repelling the blades of the Scorpion.
I glanced to the others
Monkey looked like he wanted very badly to come to our aid, but I caught his eye and pointed to Jun.
He nodded
Mantis-san was already doing likewise, while Kitsuki-san was looking around carefully.
yes, this would be good time for the bloodspeakers to strike at Jun, with half of us being mistaken for regular
Crab forces.
I smacked aside a Scorpion who got to close to Naomi.
She chanted softly, and I felt a familiar rush of energy.
My body speed up, allowing me defend and attack all at once.
I blocked, sidestepped and struck tossing aside the few Scorpions that came near me.
Then one managed to get his blade through, past my sode to cut at my bicep
My vision swam as his blade bit deep
Far too deep
I turned to face him, ready to unleash hell
And looked into the eyes of Bayushi Knezan
Knowing Two Pincers, One Mind, and with Naomi's spell, there were few things that could withstand my
unrestrained fury.
Except, the way he moved.
He was countering me perfectly.
It reminded me of the time when Kojiro-sensei had deliberately exploited the weaknesses of the Hida-ryu in
one of our sparring matches.

I could see Kentaro eyes focused on something in the distance.

I knew that look well.
He was in the void now
The depth of the cut on my arm bothered me.
My body had been trained to be harder even than my armor, yet he had cut me with almost no effort.
And his movements...
The basis of Two Pincers, One Mind is simple.
It is not just a single part of your weapon that is dangerous. The haft of an Ono, Dai Tsuchi, or Tetsubo can
strike a foe as well as your knees, elbows, feet and head.
It can seem, to the inexperienced or untrained, that I am moving and striking with great speed.
Really, I am just using the follow through of one attack to lead seamlessly into another.
Yet, Kentaro seemed to know exactly how I would do so. He stepped in exactly the wrong way, preventing me
from doing so.
The Scorpion were very good at learning your weaknesses, because they preyed upon them with abandon.
Kentaro was doing a fine job of preying on my weakness now, so much so that I could not bring my strength to
bear.
However, I still had one advantage he could do nothing about.
Naomi shouted, and even more vigor flooded into me.
Kentaro dodged aside as I brought my tetsubo down with my full might.
The water aided me, and my blow threw up great clods of earth
I saw the Scorpions concentration lapse as his eyes flicked to Naomi.
No.
I didn't bother trying to reset my position, I just threw my body to the side from where I was.
My Sode slammed into Kentaro, and he hit the ground as though a great wave had struck him
Thanks to Naomi's magic, that might as well be the truth.
I raised my tetsubo to finish him off when a humming bulb arrow flew up into the sky
It distracted me just long enough.
Kentaro rolled backwards from my blow and regained his feet.
HIDA ISHIGAKI! I will never forgive you!
I prepared to go after him, when I heard a sound behind me
Hyuk
I turned my head.
Naomi was staring in surprise at an arrow jutting out of her side.

no
no
nononononononono
I ran to her side
I could see one of the retreating Scorpion holding a yumi, the string still vibrating
I threw my tetsubo at him as I moved
It caught him in the face
Naomi's eyes looked into mine
Ishi...gaki...?
She started to fall
Damn you legs MOVE FASTER
I dove, catching her just before she hit the ground
TOSHIRO!
I looked
Thank the Kami, the arrow got bound in the silk
Silk is a resilient material, difficult to cut.
There is a reason that we wear silken clothes under our armor.
When an arrow strikes silk, the silk twists around it, catching the arrow and making the wound much smoother.
Normally, an arrow would do MORE damage if you pulled it straight out.
But if the silk stops it, that's actually the best thing to do.
I glanced at Naomi.
She was already unconscious, but breathing.
Barley.
TOSHIRO!
I pulled the arrow from her
Then he was there, his hands on her wound
prayers to the kami of water then the kami of earth flowed from his lips
His healing was limited in the extreme.
The best he could do was ensure her spirit would not flee her body, and ease her pain.
The wound itself would remain, it simply would not endanger her life any longer.
Well, that's how it would work for anyone else.
Kitsuki-san came running up with several rolls of bandages.
I wrapped her middle up tightly.
A small red stain appeared quickly on the bandages.
Toshiro...?
Put pressure here.
He chanted another spell
The pain on Naomi's face eased up, as did her breathing.
But her eyes did not open.
Toshiro heaved out a sigh.
I looked at him
She's out of danger, for now.
Then why is she still out cold?
You know why Ishigaki.
I looked down at her
Mantis-san brought me my tetsubo.
nice shot.
That Scorpion is dead.
I couldn't care less.
A shadow fell over me, as I knelt and cradled my wife
Is she dead?
No, Jun-sama. But she is very weak.

However, we cannot move her very far, and she must rest with supervision.
Toshiro stood up, to properly address the Otomo.
Her health, you see. This wound could still kill her, if we are not vigilant.
I see.
I will have to admonish Satsuma for not properly informing his subordinates about my bodyguards.
That's all?
Jun looked at me coldly.
Yes, Crab. That is all.
I do not recall you making any effort to correct the Scorpion's mistake before you fought back.
I stood up.
Jun should really thank Naomi
If not for Naomi's weight in my arms, I would have killed Jun with the arrow I pulled from Naomi's body.
Instead I walked carefully back towards the Crab encampment
A nikutai got in front of me.
I'll show you to the medical tent, Hida-sama.
Thank you.
I took Naomi in, and laid her gently down on the first futon
Several Kuni came over
Toshiro spoke with them in hushed tones, explaining the situation
I knelt by my wife, making no move to leave her side
Then I felt Toshiro's hand on my shoulder
Come
After several tries my legs finally obeyed me, and I stood
He took me to where Otomo Jun and Hida Touka were speaking.
Shinzo's death is a loss, but it will not hamper us overmuch.
It is just a shame he died to an ambush, and not a proper battle.
Jun nodded.
The Scorpion attack was still effective. If they had not mistaken my guard for your soldiers I think they would
have gotten you, as well.
Jun looked as us we approached
I do hope you will be able to handle things on your own, Toshiro-san?
I couldn't keep my trap shut any longer
You're taking this too lightly, Otomo-sama!
What if it wasn't a mistake?
What if the Scorpion were planning on killing the Jade Magistrates?
And what, exactly, do you base these accusations on, Crab?
I'm not making any accusations! I'm simply stating you should not be ignoring the possibility!
ENOUGH!

First I am told to believe that a samurai would lower themselves to pretend to be ashigaru, now you imply the
Scorpion are the Maho-Tsukai who threaten me?
Toshiro cut off Jun's rant
But not in a way I expected.
He slapped me
Jun is right, Ishigaki-san!
If you cannot keep your neutrality, then I have no need of your service!
He turned his back on me, dismissing me.
...
...
...and freeing me of any obligation to follow that Otomo bitch around...
I bowed, accepting my shame
And thanked Toshiro in my mind as I returned to Naomi's side
Some time later, Hida Touka came into the tent.
I must speak with you, Hida Ishigaki-san.
I sighed inwardly, and went outside with him
I didn't just lose Kaiu Shinzo today.
I lost a few of my honor guard as well.
I understand you have trained as a Defender of the Wall
Hai.
Good. Since you are no longer in the service of the Jade Magistrate, I will have you join my honor guard.
How does that sound to you?
I glanced back at the tent.
My wife was here, the General of the Crab Clan was here.
If the Maho-Tsukai attacked this place, it could be a disaster for the Clan, and a nightmare for me.
If I was in his honor guard, I would always be close.
If I said no, I would likely just get sent away to the Wall.
I nodded,
As you wish, Touka-sama
Very well then.
It is reassuring to know that I will have someone always keeping an eye out for the Maho-Tsukai who lurk in the
shadows of this war.

As part of Touka's Honor guard, I got to learn a bit about the general of the Army of the East.
He was an oddball, to say the least
He insisted that every meeting of his advisors begin with a tea ceremony.
Touka insisted he had his own special blend of tea
But after he whipped up each bowl for his advisors and guards it still looked and tasted like a bowl of frothy
green drain water to me.
I played along though, saying I could tell it was different but claiming my unrefined tongue couldn't state what it
was.
Touka threw back his head and laughed
Of course not! If it was too different it wouldn't be matcha any more, now would it?
The others chuckled.
The atmosphere in the tent was certainly relaxed.
Touka must get along well with his subordinates
Aside from me, he had one other guard with him at all times
Hida Jinzo, who had studied at the Unbreakable Blade dojo.
The Unreadable Blade dojo was the only dojo in the lands of the Crab that taught advanced Iaijutsu
techniques.
The Crab style was much maligned in the Empire, when people were aware it existed at all.
This is because of the philosophy on the Unbreakable Blade.
Striking first means nothing, if you opponent is still alive.
In the courts, and over petty insults and small matters of Honor our Clan's technique did little.
On the battlefield however, a Crab in heavy armor who had attended that School could kill a Kakita or
Mirumoto.
As Mirumoto himself had said: "Truth is in the Killing"
And Jinzo had clearly done something impressive already.
For he carried one of the famed Kaiu Blades at his side.
I always kept an eye on it, lest I bump the Saya accidentally.
For anyone other than it's owner to touch that blade would be a grave dishonor to both it and it's owner.
Jinzo did not speak much, but he gave me a nod to show that he respected me as much as I respected him.

Touka wasn't content just with tea ceremony though.

While his advisors all spoke and argued over what they should do in response to the Scorpion ambush, he sat
there and painted
Like a damn Crane
I looked around the room
This wasn't the first time I'd been sorely outranked by everyone present
Hiruma Goemon, the second in command of the army and overall commander of the Hiruma forces in this
army
Kaiu Raiko, newly risen to command the Kaiu engineers
Kuni Matemon
Kaiu Kazuya, the Kaiu battlemaster
Yasuki Kenshiro, the quarter master
Each of them had several attendants as well, to help keep track of all the small details that fell under their
individual purview
Goemon was speaking to Raiko
Those assassins were just waiting around for a chance to strike, it's a good bet the Scorpion have found most
of the traps.
We need to redo them, shift their position around
It's doable, Goemon-san, but it would divert manpower from the castle...
Kazuya shook his head.
No, we've already started on the castle. Best to finish the work as quickly as possible there before moving on.
Kenshiro nodded in agreement
Leaving the construction materials lying around is a bad idea when we've got Scorpion to deal with.
It was then that Matemon addressed me
Ishigaki-san, you were with the bodyguard of Otomo-jun for a time.
What can you tell us about the Scorpion's deployment?
uh.
Shit.
Everyone looked at me expectantly
I was supposed to be a neutral observer when the Scorpion spoke up in front of me.
Was it really okay for me to tell what I had seen and heard while I was NOT part of the Crab army?
Touka, glanced up from his painting and, seeing my strained expression, spoke
Jun let slip that you think there are Scorpion Samurai disguised as Ashigaru, so really, she's already told us
much.
I don't think it's a concern for you to speak up at this point, Ishigaki-san.
That...sounded a little too convenient to me

However.
Naomi was recovering in this very camp
Even if this wasn't exactly the honorable thing to do, I had to keep her safe
So I accepted Touka's reasoning
The Scorpion general claimed he only brought half as many Samurai as you did, but ten thousand ashigaru.
they admitted flat out that they knew what forces you'd be bringing before they decided on what they would
bring.
Several disgusted grunts accompanied that revelation.
Kazuya shook his head
So you think that they disguised real samurai as ashigaru to make us look weak?
I nodded.
Goemon asked me if I knew where their main camp was
No, I was only present at their staging area.
Matemon leaned over to Raiko to explain to her
Goemon's scouts have found no less than four large camps, but we aren't sure yet which one the Scorpion are
using for their headquarters
Goemon mumbled, chin in hand
Wouldn't surprise me if the sneaky bastards were moving between them all, or at least divided up among them,
to keep us from striking the head off all at once.
Kazuya looked at the map
So, we now know the Scorpion have guessed our strategy and fully intend to attack it directly.
The real question is: HOW they will do this.
Ishigaki-san's conjecture is one possibility.
But the truth is, I just don't see how it could work.
Matemon stroked his chin.
Yes, you're right there Kazuya-san.
Samurai or Ashigaru, with less than three to one they still wouldn't be able to dislodge us from this place with
the castle up.
Kenshiro spoke up
So, then the Scorpion must have a different trick in mind?
Kazuya responded
Scorpion tricks do not always work.
It's why the Scorpion army sometimes lose battles they should win.
On the other hand, when the Scorpion tricks DO work, it makes them seem unbeatable.
Touka added one more line to his painting
The only thing you can be sure of when dealing with a Scorpion is that you can never be sure of anything.

Raiko, get the castle built as fast as you can.

We know the Scorpion would not be so foolish as to chase after skirmishers into a battlefield of our choosing,
so we must force them to come to us by other means.
Goemon, for the time being I want you to divert more forces to guarding the caravans coming up from the
south.
That is now our greatest weak point.
A chorus of Hai's accompanied Touka's decision
I did not sleep in the tents with the other troops
Every second I was not guarding Touka I spent at Naomi's side
I slept in my armor, sitting by the head of futon and out of the way of the Kuni running the hospital.
I had little doubt they would throw me out after the first real battle though.
This place would get very full very quickly.
However, before the first real battle of the war, a bit of drama occurred
Jun came back with the others in tow
She stopped and stared, astonished that the Kaiu engineers had indeed finished a castle in such a short time
It was, admittedly, made of bamboo and not stone, and only three stories, but still.
Then she saw me, and exploded at Touka
WHAT is this man doing here?
Touka shrugged.
He is a Crab, and a skilled veteran.
As he was released from his duties to the Jade Magistrate, I took him to replace some of my lost soldiers.
Is there a problem with that, Otomo-san?
She glared back and forth between me and Touka
Ugh. No.
But there is a problem with using MAHO!
Touka blinked
I'm sorry, what?
The Zombies you sent at the Scorpion clan's headquarters!
I shot a look over to Toshiro, who gave a helpless shrug
They wore Crab armor!
Jun-san, while this is serious I had nothing to do with it.
In the first place, I don't even know where the Scorpion's main camp is.
But you're scouts have been sniffing around...
And they have found FOUR camps. Or were you unaware the Scorpion were doing their best to hide their main
camp from us?
Jun said nothing to that.

Then one of your subordinates must be the maho tsukai!

Kuni Matemon answered her
Otomo-sama, that is impossible.
And how do you know that?!
Because, if there were anything tainted nearby, or maho being cast than this...
Matemon produced a crystal amulet from around his neck
...would begin to glow
The amulet began to glow
...
From the edge of the camp a shout arose
I ran towards it.
Several dozen figures in red and black armor were shambling about, scrambling at the wood and earth walls
on the edge of camp.
For a zombie attack, this was very half assed
I turned back to the camp and made the "not all clear but no danger" signal with my hands
As the Hida behind me methodically destroyed the zombies
Once the last of the Zombies had stopped moving, the light in the crystal Matemon held died
Touka looked pointedly at it
There, Jun-sama.
There is no taint to be found here.
More likely this is some Scorpion plot to discredit us, since they cannot match our clan in the field.
Jun glared at him.
All I know for certain, Hida Touka-san, is that my life has been in constant jeopardy.
it seems I can trust no one at all.
Since you have built this fine palace for your army, you must have extra tents?
I will need several.
Toshiro's eyes shot open wide
Kitsuki-san tried to speak with her
Wait, Jun-sama!
Your life IS in danger!
That is why going of on your own is the worst thing you could do!
Is it, Kitsuki-san?
Neither the Crab nor Scorpion would dare lay hands on me directly, that is why they must resort to indirect
methods such as they have
And we have just seen that the maho-tsukai are not very skilled at controlling their assassins.
I will trust Toshiro-san and the rest of you to keep me safe from their feeble attempts while you figure out which
Clan is responsible.
Toshiro shot me a pained look.
Clearly, Jun had been making the other's lives miserable.

I nodded my understanding to him

They would have to figure out how to keep her safe from her own idiocy and investigate the Scorpion.
I would look into the Crab.
Only 5000 or so Crabs about, as well as peasant workers.
surrounded by the clan most paranoid about the taint
which means if there were any here they would be really damn good at hiding their taint...
...
fuck me...
Jun stormed off, dragging the others off with her
I silently wished Toshiro and the rest luck
Now, how in hell am I going to uncover a Maho-Tsukai, if there even is one, who can hide in the middle of the
Crab Clan?
After mulling it over for a bit I kept coming back to the same conclusion over and over.
I was going to have to be loud and rude about my search, and hope my quarry made a move in response to
my rustling.
So I headed to the hospital
I wanted to make damn sure the ones looking after my wife were all clean
I walked up the a Kuni woman who was moistening Naomi's lips
and without any preamble I poked her in the forehead with my finger of jade
Hello to you to, Hida-sama
Holy shit, I outranked her?
She plucked the jade from my surprised fingers and jabbed me right back
Are you just that concerned for your wife's well being, or does this have something to do with that commotion
that occurred just now?
Both...?
She folded her hands and waited
Though she didn't have on any face paint at the moment, her stare was still quite unsettling
I heaved a sigh, only slightly exaggerated, to show I did not like what I was about to say.
Despite Otomo-sama's...theatrics, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the tsukai raising these corpses is
wearing Crab colors.
'We'?
You still think of yourself as part of the Magistrate's entourage, don't you.
I nodded.
Furthermore, I am neither shugenja nor witch hunter...
So this jade is all I have to check for taint.

So...I was wondering if I could maybe get your help?

She cocked her head
What would you have me do?
There are a bit too many Crabs about for me to start randomly tossing Jade Strikes about and hope to hit a
random tsukai.
I know, but you've been here longer.
Could you keep an eye out?
For suspicious behavior.
She pondered for a moment
That much I can do.
Good, thank you.
I leaned over Naomi, stroking her hair.
I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before heading back out
Perhaps this was my best bet then.
to rally several other Crabs into being my eyes and ears.
So that's what I did.
I spent the whole night wandering the camp, picking crabs at random, jabbing them with jade, and explaining
the situation to them.
it...could have gone better, honestly.
Some had no good way to check save their own jade
Others laughed in my face, saying what I feared was impossible
One took exception on behalf of Touka, but I avoided any kind of brawl.
I only really got a few that could help.
Better than nothing, I supposed, but only just.
As the sky began to lighten into dawn, a horn sounded
The Scorpion were launching their first attack against the Castle

Taiko drums beat out a rhythm, telling the soldiers how to prepare.
Upon the third story the Kaiu took position
The Falcons strike took the second, and some of the Third
At the bottom floor of the castle, and all around the edges of the wall around the main camp, were the Hida.
From the wall the Hiruma poured, scattering themselves out inside the no man's land of traps prepared in
advance
Even if the Scorpion knew where every trap was, it would take time to remove them. Time the Hiruma would
not allow them to have
Or they could avoid them, and have their formations broken up
Then they would have to skirmish with the Hiruma instead
Attacking the Crab in a fortified position really comes down to how your commander decided you should die.
I was up the top floor, passing word to the Hiruma who would relay my information to Hida Touka, who was on
the first floor, safe from any arrows or spells
Much as I wanted to rush out and join the frontline, I was the honor guard of the General
My place was with him.
Sadly, his place was way in the back overseeing things.
Still, we faced Scorpion.
My rice balls were ninja-free, but I couldn't be certain about all the other rice balls in this castle
As I looked out over the lines of the Scorpion two things became crystal clear
The first was that the Scorpion 'formation' was anything but. It was just a long line that, if it COULD reach the
castle, would simply wrap around it.
The second was that there wasn't a single samurai in the Scorpion army.
Everywhere I looked, I saw a bristling forest of bamboo spears.
Most clans that used Ashigaru would at least give them a Yari and a Jingasa along with some basic armor.
I was wrong. There was no way the Scorpion were hiding real samurai in that mess.
All it could do was die, and die quickly at that.
I turned to the attendant and said as much.
With a shouted HAI he ran down to inform Touka

He quickly reappeared, and spoke to the drummers

who beat out a code, telling the Kaiu and Toritaka to stand down.
Which confused the hell out of me at first.
Those Ashigaru were not much of a threat, but there were a LOT of them
the Hiruma would still be outnumbered by more than three to one.
Not terrible odds, considering the skill of the warriors involved, but time and the fatigue that came with it would
play their part.
We would take more losses this way, no doubt about it.
So then...why?
Of course.
Just getting close enough to a castle to jab with a yari would be difficult.
But with that many bodies...
...you could hope the enemy runs out of arrows...
I felt my blood run cold as the full reality of the Scorpion's ruthlessness settled on me.
There was no way this war was going to be anything but a bloodbath
As the first wave of ashigaru began to enter the fields of traps, the full scope of the Scorpion strategy was laid
bare to me
The traps were working against us
The Ashigaru had to pick their way cautiously
Only a few could engage at a time.
Which meant the bulk of their numbers sat back and rested
It wasn't even the effort required to kill the peasants the Scorpion were planning on.
It was time. Just time.
Staying awake because of a sustained assault for hours, maybe even days would wear out even Crabs.
The Scorpion had about as many Samurai as we had Hida.
Time alone would exhaust the Hiruma, eventually they would have to withdraw
Then whatever was left of the Ashigaru would press against the walls of the castle for as long as they could,
keeping the Hida up and fighting.
Only then would the Scorpion Samurai, who were roughly equal in number to the Hida, show themselves
And fight a tired foe.
...bastards...
I ran downstairs, to tell Touka myself what I had surmised

The command of the Crab army was, of course, surprised I had left my position
I knew it was not my place to speak of the strategy and tactics Touka chose to employ
So I performed a dogeza
Hida Touka-sama!
I must speak with you!
Then do so, Ishigaki-san.
The Scorpion are using the traps against us! They will limit the number of Ashigaru we can engage at any one
time!
It is not the peasants that they plan to use against us, but time!
If you do not allow the Kaiu and the Archers to destroy as many of the enemy as possible, fatigue will defeat us
where the Scorpion could not!
Hmmm. You've got a good eye for battle.
But, we had already considered that.
No, it is best if the Scorpion samurai never reach the walls at all.
Like saving arrows for the larger Oni, and ignoring the Zombies
...
I had never heard of a time when that was good idea.
Zombies could shrug off arrows, true. But that just means you used flaming arrows instead.
Crabs trained to endure, but it always best to eliminate the enemy as quickly as possible, only relying that
endurance when everything else was spent.
I understand Touka-sama
Good. Go back to your post, Ishigaki-san
HAI!
...
I was not a smart man.
I had come to conclusions that were wrong many times before.
I could only imitate, not innovate. Doing as I had been told, as I had learned from what my ancestors had done.
In that way, at least, I was like a Lion.
Even if, by some miracle, I found myself in command of an army, I would be a poor general due to my inability
to adapt to unfamiliar situations and over reliance on conventional wisdom
Hida Touka was near the very top of the Crab Clan.
He had the best advisors, and had earned his position through merit.
I was simply to dumb to follow his reasoning.
It was not that he was trying to get people needlessly killed.
...
...
... oh fuck me.
I didn't believe that for one second.

I returned to my post
Somewhere out there, I knew not where, Toshiro and Otomo-Jun were in a small camp
They needed to know what was going on.
But...
If I was wrong this would be worse than the time I accused Shoji of being a Maho-Tsukai
To make matters worse, Naomi was in this camp. still unconscious.
Still helpless.
If I failed to reach them, if I failed to prove my fears correct, I would be traitor.
Death alone is not enough for a traitor.
Their entire line is ended.
With a blade.
Those who served them directly often choose seppuku rather than bear the shame of having served a traitor.
If I failed, if I was wrong, my children would be killed.
Ishigaki-mura would die a second time
And duty kept me bound to Touka's side
I couldn't just wander about as I pleased looking for proof of my suspicions.
For the time being, all I could do was grip the railing of the top of the castle, and pray
It's frustrating, isn't it?
I looked over at the Kaiu who spoke to me
He was watching the battle unfold
I too, wish Touka-sama would allow us to fire.
Those damn Scorpion!
They mock us, using maho right in front of the Observer, and then casting the blame on us!
ON US!
I could see his barely contained fury.
I looked around
The same rage shown in nearly every eye
The rumor mill that floated around in barracks everywhere was in full swing.
The Crab army was gripped with fury.
As I looked, I saw several Hiruma shove some ashigaru into one of the tiger pits.
Then picked up bamboo spears that were lying about the battlefield, and threw them in
point first.
I closed my eyes as behind me a cheer went up

The battle continued unabated.

Raged wouldn't really be appropriate here, even though the Crab were quite angry
rather, it was a cold fury. Clinical.
There was more glory, and risk, involved in butchering chickens.
As I watched group after group of ashigaru marched into the jaws of the Hiruma, I could not shake the feeling
of dread that had settled in on me
What was it...
what was the plan?
I looked closely, straining for some clue, some hint of the intent of the bloodspeakers.
Getting a bit crowded out there, isn't it?
the Kaiu who had spoken earlier.
He was right. The field was getting cluttered with corpses.
THe Hiruma were using them to their advantage, attacking the living peasants as they stumbled through their
own dead
Though they did mark out clear paths between the traps.
I looked to the runner
Tell Touka-sama that the bodies of the ashigaru are becoming an obstacle in their own right, while also clearly
showing where the traps are NOT.
Hai.
He ran down.
Most often, the eta came out in the aftermath of the battle, to retrieve the fallen and finish off the most seriously
wounded.
But sometimes, they had to go out while the fighting still went on.
The attendant came back up, and the taiko drums beat another code
Touka-sama had indeed ordered the eta to go out.
I watched a group of eta head toward the front, with a single Hiruma guiding them around the traps.
As they neared the piles of bodies, the Scorpion ashigaru attacked them.
The eta fell back, confused.
I saw the Hiruma go down under the bamboo spears of a half dozen peasants
I yelled to the attendant
Tell Touka-sama that the ahsigaru are attacking the eta!
What the hell...?
Was it just fear; the peasants trying to kill everything they could see?
It was possible
But what if there was a plan at work here...?
eta were ignored, even in the middle of a fight.
all they were doing was getting the bodies of the fallen back so they could revive proper funerary rites.

it took a rare circumstance for anyone to interfere with that work, as no one wanted to allow another honorable
samurai to just lay there and rot.
No, that's not quite right.
It did happen that sometimes one side in a battle would chase of the other sides eta in order to protect their
own dead
This was done if the side driving the eta off feared their fallen would be dishonored in some way by their
enemies.
but... those were ashigaru.
No one would care to defile their corpses, nor would anyone think to take the heads of mere peasants as
trophies...
...
...wait.
Where where the Scorpion eta?
I grabbed on of the Toritaka up here
Do you see any Scorpion eta?
He peered for a moment, then shook his head
No. It's odd.
They're driving off ours, they didn't send out theirs...
It's like the Scorpion want the dead to pile up...
... do they?
I frowned and did not answer.
I was too busy second guessing myself.
This was even more suspicious than Touka's decision to hold back the Kaiu and Toritaka
HIDA ISHIGAKI-SAMA!
I turned, another messenger
Touka-sama requires your presence!
I nodded and headed down
...
Was I growing too paranoid?
Seeing taint everywhere?
Or was there something I was missing?
I reached Touka and knelt
Ishigaki-san, you were right about the Scorpion trying to let time wear us out.
I still intend to save our ammunition for real samurai, but the others have convinced me that we cannot wholly
ignore the Scorpion plot.
I will be ordering a sortie soon.
I want you to join them.
I was unable to keep the surprise of my face, but thankfully he had yet to give me permission to raise my head.
so only the floor knew.
I remember what that one Bayushi said to you, during the ambush.
He said He would not forgive you.
The simplicity of that phrase belied it's true meaning.
When a person uses that specific phrase, they mean that only death, for themselves or the person they are
speaking to, can settle this matter.

I'm wondering what you did to draw such ire?

Um... I accidentally foiled a Scorpion plot at the winter court two years ago...
And he was part of it.
Hoooo?
I see.
Well then, you shall lead the charge!
I blinked.
This works out quite well!
You are, quite possibly the best warrior in this army right now
I can think of no one better to lead the relief forces for the Hiruma
And if the Scorpion hate you as much as it seems, they might even show themselves for a chance to kill you!
Then I will allow the Kaiu and Toritaka to attack as you wished!
...
On the wall, we call members of other clans who come to serve Koma. Ponies.
It comes from an ancient practice.
The Yasuki would gift the Hida with lame ponies
The Hida would then tie those lame ponies up beyond the wall to lure in live shadowlands monsters
So we could get archery practice in on live targets.
It's because war with the shadowlands was so different from war with Rokugani that all the other clan members
were good for was being bait.
Right now, Touka intended for ME to be the Koma.
I wondered if that meant he expected nothing else from me but to lure in Scorpion and die.
...or was he HOPING that would happen?
Had he realized my suspicions?
Was he trying to get rid of me?
Am I going mad with suspicion of everyone around me?
I pushed all off that aside.
I was in no position to refuse his order.
I would go to aid the Hiruma, taking their place in the battle so they could catch their breath
That was all I needed to concern myself with at the moment.
raise your head, Ishigaki-san
I did so
Touka jerked his arm, signaling with his tessen.
No GO!
Slay the Scorpion!
Give aid to your fellow Crab in their time of need!
Be our Wall!
HAI!
I strode out of the castle, as the taiko drums called up more Crab to fall in behind me.
The gates opened, and we charged forth.

I did not issue any orders to the company I had just been placed in charge off
I had no desire to disrupt the bonds between the chui and his men, not to insult them
Instead I acted, and the Chui ordered his men to follow my lead.
While I did not, could not remember where every trap was on the field I could spot the discrete telltale markers
left behind by the Kaiu, so that Crabs did not bumble into their own traps.
The Hiruma, upon hearing the taiko drums signaling our charge, parted to allow us in
As the Hiruma fell back behind us to rest we plowed into and over the Scorpion ashigaru
And the slaughter began
I had seen bushi ripped in half by oni
I had stood upon the wall and faced a legion of goblins
I had fought alone in the dark of the tunnels beneath the Wall against the corpses of men and women I had
called friends less than an hour ago.
But this... this turned my stomach in ways none of that ever could.
No matter how horrible, how disgusting the shadowlands could be, there was danger and heroism in
combating it.
This...
I killed a peasant who was weeping openly after his bamboo spear broke on my armor.
I had to do this. If I stood idle those peasants would bear me to the ground and kill me.
If I fought with anything less then my best, then my kin, my fellow Crab, would be in danger.
Naomi would be in danger
But that didn't change how weak these peasants were.
So I bellow challenges
I did not just kill my foes, I maimed them.
I made sure each one died screaming under my tetsubo
I lifted a peasant with one hand, and after holding aloft long enough for all to see I tossed him into a pit like a
sack of grain
I resolved that I would be more terrible than their Scorpion masters, hopefully breaking their will and causing
them to rout.
This was all I could do to try and limit the carnage.
It began to work.
I AM HIDA ISHIGAKI! COME, SO THAT I MAY KILL YOU ALL!
Instead of coming, a circle opened around me, and it kept getting wider

IF YOU WILL NOT COME TO ME, THEN I WILL COME TO YOU!

I shouldered my tetsubo, and began to stride forward
I made sure to strut a bit, showing disdain for my foes.
They backed away three steps for every one I took
It was working.
thwipthwip
two jagged bits of metal struck my armor
I looked in the direction they had come from, and saw several figures in red and black armor stepping out from
behind the ashigaru
One of them cut the head from a peasant soldier
COWARDS! You will fight the enemy and die, or you will simply die!
The ashigaru began to hesitate, reconsidering their retreat
NOT IF I KILL YOU, SCORPION!
I ran towards him, and he raised his katana to deflect my attack.
His defense was good, he guided my tetsubo up and over his head
And then his fellow attacked me, trying to cut across my back
I turned aside and what would have been a deep cut to my back skittered off my sode
He did slice my bicep as his blade passed, but it was little more than a light nick.
As I turned to face the one that struck me, he leapt back several feet
And the first one stabbed at the back of my legs, trying to hamper me further
But I had expected as much from Scorpion, and I shoved the end of my tetsubo back into the stomach of the
Scorpion behind me
I caught him as he was charging in, and he staggered back and fell on his ass
The one who had been backing away could only watch as I spun around, snapping my tetsubo across the face
of the sitting Scorpion
He screamed in pure fury as I slew his kinsman and rushed at me with wild swings
I batted one aside, a second slid past my thigh armor
another shallow sound
I returned his gift tenfold
My tetsubo shattered metal plates, and bones alike, and the Scorpion fell
That was more than the ashigaru could bear
the ones nearest me threw down their spears and began to run
slowly, the rout began to spread
Only for it to be halted by the arrival of more Scorpion samurai

And not a few.

Dozens
I looked around
No, not dozens.
Hundreds
Was the Scorpion general panicking?
There were still thousands of ahsigaru yet; it was too soon for the Scorpion samurai to take the field...
Whatever. There were enemies in front of me
I heard the taiko drums, and smiled
shouldering my tetsubo, I waved the Scorpion to come and get me
They obliged, and ran straight into burning spheres hurled by the Kaiu siege engines.
The Scorpion had underestimated the precision of the Kaiu.
When they built the traps, they had also carefully marked off ranges.
As the Scorpion line reeled from the siege engine fire, a cloud of arrows fell upon them, and their first lines fell
like wheat before a scythe
The Scorpion samurai broke and began to run.
Too easy.
The Chui raised his masakari, prepared to order an advance
I leaned in close to him, my back to the troops
It wouldn't do to question his orders openly in front of his men, after all
The Hiruma lead over eager pursuers into traps all the time...
I know Ishigaki-san, but we must run them all down. If we don't we'll never find the Scorpion Maho-Tsukai and
clear our name!
I sighed inwardly. Fellow Crab or not, I just couldn't seem to change anyone's mind lately...
Then I had no choice but to follow the flow of events and hope I could avert disaster at the last moment with a
well timed severe beating.
I prayed to my ancestors I would have the wisdom to see the moment to act when it came
We formed up into a checkered formation, so that each bushi had another on his left and right just behind him
The first ranks focused on knocking down enemies, while those who followed delivered the killing blows
Hiruma ran ahead of our steadily advancing formation on the flanks, nipping at the fleeing Scorpion and
keeping the ashigaru at bay
The Scorpion were lightly armored, and were able to keep ahead of us for a time.
Then a humming bulb went up, and the Scorpion wheeled.
I knew it.

Hidden Scorpion threw off grass cloaks and unleashed a volley of arrow fire
No time, no where to take cover...
It was close enough, and numerous enough, that the first line of Crabs fell
I glanced down at my armor
I looked like the block of tofu used during the women's rite for needles
In a very clumsy household.
I could feel wet warmth spreading under my armor, but I had no way to tell how serious my injuries were
And the Scorpion were not about to give me time to check
They rushed in, pressing their advantage
These Scorpion were all armed with Yari, and moved in seamless coordination.
I could see a these were an elite unit of the Scorpion army; they were clearly drilled extensively together.
Others ran past me, further into the ranks of the Hida
I found myself facing off against three at once
They jabbed their Yari at me, feinting to keep me back and out of range, and began to circle around me
I knew that as soon as one sensed an opening he would bury his yari in my flesh
So I looked down
Watching their feet.
The instant the one behind me moved forward and ran at the one just in front of me
He was not expecting that
I knocked him down and kept going
The others had to chase me to keep up.
Now it was my turn to wheel and strike
Their light armor was no match for my tetsubo
the two chasing me hit the ground, but the third was able to, after picking himself up, charge into me with his
yari
He was strong, stronger than I expected from a Scorpion.
His blade pierced through my do, and I spat up bright red blood
Not good, that.
I grabbed the haft of the yari before he could withdraw it
I supn my body and yanked him off balance
Ripping the Yari free I tossed it aside as I advanced
He was to slow in regaining his feet, and I smashed the back of his head with my tetsubo
It was a bit hard to breathe now.
I focused my mind, drawing upon my training, and assumed the stance of the Indomitable Warrior
I had been hurt worse than this, before

I looked around.
The battle had moved on.
I was alone, surrounded by the dead
At least these ones weren't still moving
...yet.
Well then, since I've got time
I reached behind me, into the small pack I wore on my obi and pulled out bandages and ointments
I bound up my injuries as best I could, loosening my armor just enough to get to my wounds before tightening
the cords.
A groan caught my attention
Someone else wasn't quite dead out here
At least, I hoped that groan came from someone who was only dying, and not already dead.
I looked around and my hopes were proven right
Bayushi Kentaro was laying on his back, an arrow jutting from his clavicle and his leg torn and twisted.
I could see bone poking out from his mangled limb.
He looked up at me as I approached him and chuckled without any mirth
I see, I see.
The fortunes do favor you, it seems...
He weakly fumbled for his tanto, and tried to raise it to his neck
I smacked the blade from his hand
It's not enough for you...?
You want to take me prisoner as well?!
Allowing oneself to be captured was a source of unimaginable shame for a bushi.
Most who suffer such fate, should they be released later, will ask for permission to commit seppuku.
It's why eta often take small knives with them when they go to retrieve the fallen.
Even having your throat slit by an eta is better than being captured.
It's also why most samurai, if they see an enemy that is surrounded and clearly preparing to kill himself, will let
him do so.
But I had something different in mind
The Scorpion never forgave.
The Scorpion never forget.
I wondered, if the Scorpion never forgetting also applied to the debts a Scorpion owed.
If I was wrong, nothing would change at all.
If I was right however...
I got out some more bandages
Kentaro looked at me in horror as he guessed what I was about to do

No, NO!
I pulled the arrow from his body, and he hissed in pain.
I need to set your leg, or you'll end up like Toshiro
Damn YOU! Just kill me already!
Instead I wrapped some bandages around the haft of the arrow and jammed it sideways in his mouth
Shut up.
On san.
Ichi
Ni
I yanked on his leg, straightening out the break
He screamed against the arrow and bit clean through it.
Then Kentaro's eyes rolled up and his head lolled off to the side
...san.
I coughed up a little more blood as I cut some bamboo spears up to make a splint.
Damn. this is annoying. The shortness of breath was making my head swim a bit, and my vision was getting
dark at the edges
I blinked my eyes a few times and shook my head.
That last part was a mistake.
When my vision cleared I was on my knees, propped up by my hand, and staring at the ground.
Damn. I was injured worse than I realized.
When you're trained so harshly, when you're greatest strength is to endure pain and fatigue, it can surprise you
when those things finally catch up to you.
hah. Naomi really had spoiled me rotten.
I finished binding Kentaro's wounds then took a brief moment to rest myself
While I rested, I oriented myself.
The battle was back there, which meant the Scorpion came from...that way.
I scooped up Kentaro's unconscious body and started walking.
Toshiro...I know you're out here somewhere in all this chaos...
But where?
I need to tell you so much.
I coughed again
And I need some healing magic...or that wound might just kill me.

I walked for what felt like hours

My mind went numb, and my vision swam
just one foot in front of the other now
one more step
one more step
one more
an arrow thudded into the ground in front of me
I looked up
Several Scorpion were beginning to encircle me
Did you get lost, Crab-san?
Nope.
I was just looking for you.
I knelt, slowly, and laid Kentaro down.
I think this belongs to you...
I took a step back as a Scorpion samurai-ko ran to check on Kentaro
She glanced back at the one who spoke, and nodded.
I turned around to leave
The Scorpion all leveled their yari
Why?
Why did you bring him back? Treat his wounds?
I spoke over my shoulder
Scorpion never forget, right?
Does that include their debts as well as their grudges?
My name is Hida Ishigaki.
Now, are you going to move, or do I have to move you?
Don't be so full of yourself Crab, you can barely stand.
Or were you thinking we would just let you walk away because we owed you
No. I was thinking you'd leave my family out of the vengeance you have planned for me.
Of course, if you can kill me here and now, then I won't have to worry about that either.
IF?
...if.
I did turn to look at him then
I've killed oni, while in worse shape than I'm now.
How many of you will I take with me, I wonder?
So...do you want to find out with me, Scorpion?
MATE!
THat voice...
I looked over to the shout
thump
drag
thump
drag
Toshiro came thumpdragging up to me
He looked a bit worse for the wear, his Kimono dirtied and torn
A bandage wrapped around his forehead, with blood soaking through.
What the hell...?
The others were right behind him, including Otomo-Jun
What happened to you?!
He looked me up and down
Then blasted me in the face with jade fire
Uh. Yeah. Hello to you too.
So...what the hell happened to you?
We've found the bloodspeaker.
It was Bayushi Satsuma!
You're sure?
Found his Jade Petal Tea.

The Scorpion exploded in protest

WHAT! This is some Crab Plot!
Otomo Jun looked at the Scorpion.
Crab... PLOT?
have you taken leave of your senses Scorpion?!
Crabs do not 'plot' anything!
Toshiro and I exchanged a glance as he pulled out a scroll and prayed
Jun had just dismissed an accusation against my clan out of hand...
...by insisting that Crabs were too stupid to do what we were just accused of doing.
I felt the usual sting of the water kami roughly binding my spirit back to my body.
Toshiro was also so rough with his healing magic
I missed Naomi even more
...Naomi!
Toshiro. am I an idiot?
He looked at me.
Do you want me to answer that honestly?
I told him of what I had seen in the Crab camp, and how Touka had roused my suspicions.
Monkey looked at me
...but Satsuma is the bloodspeaker...
I mean, BOTH generals?
What would even be the point?
Kistuki-san answered him
Five thousand Crabs Samurai
Two thousand five hundred Scorpion samurai
Ten thousand Ashigaru
Another thousand peasant laborers and eta, at least.
He looked gravely at each of us.
That is quite a lot of blood. And quite a lot of bodies.
Ishigaki-san just said it. It seemed like Touka was deliberately trying to make this as bloody as possible.
Well, it seemed that Satsuma was doing the same thing.
...
Uh, so did you manage to kill Satsuma?
Toshiro shook his head
too many Scorpion that didn't believe it.
He flicked his eyes towards Jun
I see. They had to run away to protect the Otomo.
Well, I'm not certain about Touka...
And even if he IS a bloodspeaker, there's just no way so many Crabs are in on it...
Toshiro nodded.
That's true, Jun-sama
We should make for the Crab castle, and determine once and for all if Touka is a bloodspeaker or not...
Jun paused to consider Toshiro's words
She was dirty and disheveled, just like the rest of them. Though unlike the others, she bore no wounds.
Hmmm. Very well then. We'll do as you suggest.

We picked our way carefully back to the castle

With the Scorpion
That was going to make problems.
Jun-sama, I would suggest you show your seal more openly
Will that not make it easier for the Maho-Tsukai to target me?
Kitsuki-san bowed his head
Forgive me for saying so, but you are as yet unharmed, are you not, Jun-sama?
Well, yes...
Then please, trust us to continue to see to your safety.
It will be easier to protect you from a few bloodspeakers than it will be to keep you from harm should the Crab
army see and attack this group of Scorpions.
Jun looked around.
Sighed
And looped her seal around her neck, showing it prominently on her chest
She stared up the the sky for a moment
I want to take a bath...
We all do Jun-sama. Please, bear with it just a bit longer.
Alright. Let's get going.
As we neared the castle I held up my hands in a sign that meant 'Don't kill us. There's a good explanation
though it's a bit long'
As several Hida came out to surround us Jun stepped out into view.
The Crab Taisa narrowed his eyes behind his mempo.
The Scorpion must stay outside
Was all he said
at that the Hida relaxed their stances
The Scorpion did likewise.
Though you could cut the tension in the air with a parangu
As we entered into the castle I noticed it was far, far too empty
Oi, where the hell is everyone?
The Taisa glanced at me.
Touka-sama led a counter charge of most of the Hida after the Scorpion Samurai showed themselves.
He shrugged
I'm not really sure how it happened, but this battle became very chaotic very quickly.
Everything's a mess out there
...not good.
I went to check on Naomi
As I suspected the medical tents had filled up quickly.
Exhausted looking Kuni moved from futon to futon, doing what they could with magic and medicine
As I neared Naomi's futon I heard one Hiruma arguing with the Kuni
He wanted to rejoin the battle, but the Kuni was adamant he was in condition to do so.

Ah, Ishigaki-sama!
The Kuni woman I had spoken to earlier greeted me
You look exhausted
And you look half dead!
Well, that is better than what we had heard, anyway.
Oh?
There was rumor going around the Scorpion had overrun your unit's position and killed you, Ishigaki-sama
Huh. Well, I'm not dead, as you can see.
Ishi...gaki-kun?
I took Naomi's hands in mine the second I realized she was awake
She struggled a bit, then sat up
Her eyes were red and swollen
She woke up a few hours ago...just in time to hear the gossip...
I see.
The Kuni woman bowed and left us
Naomi's eyes teared up again, with relief this time
She threw her arms around me
ISHIGAKI-KUN!
I hugged her right back, and basked in the jealous stares of the other wounded Crab
Ishigaki-kun, I've heard such awful rumors, what has been going on?!
Well, we're a bit worried that both commanders are bloodspeakers and were deliberately trying to make this
war as bloody as possible...
Naomi looked at me in horror.
You... you aren't joking about that, are you...?
I shook my head
BULLSHIT!
That Scorpion sure, but Touka-sama?!
It's just a susp...
Monkey came running in
ISHIGAKI-SAN!
ISHI... Oh, hey Naomi-sama
Ishigaki...we found it.
...IT?
He nodded.
Yeah. IT.
Had it mixed together with some macha.
I should have know a Crab doing the tea ceremony was proof he was a tainted monster.
Ah, help me up...
Naomi, you're...
...Not as badly injured as most here.
Help me, Ishigaki-kun.
I nodded and lifted her out of her futon.
Once we got outside I set her down,
She wobbled a bit, and I steadied her
My legs are just stiff from lying around too much, that is all.
She gave me her brave smile
The danger is far passed for me, so do not make that face at me, Ishigaki-kun.
I didn't even realize I was making a face, Naomi.
You never do, silly.
Monkey jerked his head
C'mon, Jun and Toshiro are talking to the rest of the Crab command right now.

Save Touka and Goemon, the rest of the Crab command was present
They were all staring at the macha
Matemon sifted through it some more
damn.damn.damn.
He flipped the table with the tea on it over
That BASTARD!
RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE!
Matemon looked to Kazuya.
Goemon isn't here, so you're next in the chain Kazuya.
What are your orders?
Send out the signal to recall all forces, and that Touka is to be relieved of command and captured if possible. If
not, kill him
The attendant ran up to the top of the castle, and the drums began to beat
Kazuya looked at Jun
You say the Scorpion are not convinced on the whole of their commanders betrayal
Jun nodded.
They are not, the Scorpion do value loyalty to their superiors more than anything else...
A shout came up from Kitsuki-san
he had a stack of papers in front of him
What is it, Kistuki-san?
A map! Quickly I need a map of the area!
Toshiro nodded to Kazuya, who yelled for a map
a peasant ran in and handed a map over to Kenshiro, who spread it out over the table once that had been
righted
Kitsuki-san looked over the map
Jun-sama, your scribe takes excellent notes. You should reward him
he then set about marking numbers down in various places on the map
What are we looking at here...?
Shh. You'll see it soon.
As Kitsuki-san withdrew his hand, Matemon and Toshiro both hissed.
Naomi gasped
Oh no...
I looked around, wondering if anyone one else was a clueless as I was
Mantis-san obviously was, and just as obviously didn't like it
Alright, you gonna fill the rest of us in on what you're seeing?
Naomi answered
This pattern, it is a very ominous shape.
Matemon nodded. These numbers carry ill fortune as well.
Kistuki-san spoke
That's how many troops were sent to each area of the battlefield.
Kazuya looked
Wait, are these numbers here the Scorpion forces?
Yes, I had a chance to review the notes of the Scribe Jun-sama left with the Scorpion as well
Kazuya stroked his chin.

Kazuya yelled for the highest ranked Scorpion in the force that came with us to be led in
When he arrived, Kazuya pointed to the map
Look here, and here.
This shows when, where, and how many troops were deployed by each commander during this war.
Do you see it?
The Scorpion looked, then swore
I looked over his shoulder, my curiosity piked
And I saw it too.
There was no way this battle occurred naturally.
Forces were being ordered to go the same area by two different commanders within minutes of each other.
Forces with just enough numbers and types of troops that they would be relatively equal.
Over and over again the pattern repeated itself.
Far too many times to be a coincidence
And you say there is a mystical significance as well?
Matemon nodded.
This shape here...
Matemon used his finger to trace a line from each point where the forces clashed.
it makes a kanji. A very terrible kanji, only used in blasphemous curses.
...
Any word on Touka, or Satsuma yet?
Not yet...
I wondered about that.
Touka had taken to the field himself.
Why?
It was then that everything went red.
deep, dark red.
oh, oh shit.
because he and Satsuma were ready to finish what they had started...that's why.

I ran up to the top of the castle along with everyone else right behind me
Only to then have to stop dead in my tracks,
Stop! All of you STOP!
I could hear screams coming from up top
And outside
The kind of shrieks that you're convinced must tear the throat of anyone who makes them
I moved forward, carefully.
And peeked up from the stairs
Blood.
It was raining blood
And where the blood touched flesh, it smoked and sizzled.
A Toritaka, body wreathed in noxious fumes, fell to his knees before me
His skin was gone.
Just wet, red muscle and tendon showing.
His hands came away from his face, and I saw that his eyes had melted away leaving deep, empty, black
holes.
I looked around, the open battlements
It was the same everywhere
the Kaiu and most of the Falcon's strike were dead.
The blood was still coming down, so I did not dare poke my head out to see what else had happened
Everyone. Get back inside. Slowly.
And for the love of all that is Holy DO NOT go outside!
What, what is it?
I turned around and told them.
Jun threw up.
With a cry the Scorpion officer ran downstairs
at the bottom floor we found many of his men, and the Hida who had been closest to the castle
Some had clear burns, but their armor seemed undamaged
Monkey looked out of the front door, staying well back from where the blood fell.
He wadded up a sheet of rice paper from the stack the Scribe had been using, and threw it threw the door.
It just sat there, getting soaked in the blood rain.
Huh. Looks like it only burns living flesh...
He looked back at us, and gave us that dumb Monkey grin.
Well, at least this can't get any worse, right?
A thump came from above us.
On the third floor.
God
Dammit
Monkey

At the top of the stairs leading up stood the Toritaka.

Still missing his skin and eyes
a ragged groan issued forth from his mouth as he started down the stairs
with the rest of the Crab who were on the top floor right behind him
Uh...guys...?
I didn't want to look, but I did.
Several figures, much much more red than when I last saw them, were coming in through the front door.
And several Hida were right behind them.
This spell did not create masks for the zombies it created.
I really, really, wish it had
Disgust, revulsion and horror swept over us all as the walking dead closed in
Jun continued to vomit
Kazuya was a strategist, but unused to giving out orders in the midst of combat.
The Crabs who would be able to do so were looking to him for orders
The Scorpion officer was just trying to get a hold of his katana.
His hand kept missing
...
I barked an order, rallying the Crab forces here into formation.
These Crab were all veterans, once they had direction, they moved without hesitation.
We anchored the line, and began to push back the zombies coming in from outside
Toshiro! The ones behind us!
RIght!
Toshiro and Matemon began to unleash waves of jade at the zombies coming up from above
Mantis-san and Monkey dove at them hacking desperately
Scorpion!
Turn your men on the ones behind, there are only so many up there!
We must clear this castle if we're going to survive this!
The Scorpion stared at me as if I'd gone mad
Kazuya slapped him
DO IT!
The Scorpion stared, nodded, and yelled
You heard the Crab! Form ranks!
As the Jade fury of the two Kuni began to die down, the Scorpion spearmen charged into the zombies above
and cut them down
The rest of us pushed the zombies back as far as we dared.
I saw Kitsuki-san covering Kaiu Raiko as she made her way to the front gate
Kazuya and Kenshiro covered the other side
The four of them slammed the gate closed, and barred it, cutting off further zombie reinforcements.

we hacked and cut and smashed, and managed to secure the castle
With no eta around, we had little choice but to skewer the zombies on the ends of yari and drag them like
disgusting bloody brooms to a side room
Matemon and Toshiro placed symbols upon the entrance to strengthen our defense, while Naomi healed the
most grievously injured
Hey.. do you hear that?
Mantis-san had his head cocked
I don't hear anything.
exactly...
I headed upstairs, and looked out through one of the second floor arrow slits
The rain had stopped
I came back down.
Well, the blood rain has stopped, at least.
Jun nodded.
Good. Now what?
Kitsuki-san, how many people did you guess were in this area?
Seventeen thousand, give or take a few thousand...
And Touka took most of the Hida out with him.
So, if the rain was able to raise zombies out of every corpse, and not just the ones it killed....
At least three legions of zombies are shambling around out there now.
Jun wasn't the only one to look sick as the reality of our situation settled in.
Alright, so the bad guys plan was to get a bunch of people together, get them to die, and use that blood to
power a massive ritual that would kill MORE people and make everyone that had died into zombies.
Mantis-san looked around.
Did I miss anything?
Toshiro shook his head.
No that about sums it up.
Mantis-san nodded.
Right then. Next time I think someone's tainted I'm just going to kill them, so shit like this doesn't happen ever
again.
Too much tiptoeing around high ranked people got us into this damn mess.
Now how the hell do we get out?
A sea of blank faces answered Mantis-san's question.
oh.
...
we're going to die here, aren't we?

No. No we are not!

Everyone looked at Kitsuki-san
All we need to do is get the word out for reinforcements!
A simple matter, with the right air magic
Toshiro gave Kitsuki-san a flat stare
And where the hell do you think you're going to find an air mage in a Crab camp?
Obviously not here, but in the Scorpion camp!
Scorpion-san, you have a shugenja ready to send messages back to report on the battle's progress, do you
not?
...yes, we always do so, but do you think?
Of course!
The blood did not destroy even rice paper! I'm certain that there must be some of your shugenja who survived!
All we need is for you to write up a letter, in a Cipher your Clan uses so that they will know it is authentic, and
deliver it to them!
Then we will simply wait in the Kaiu built fortress for reinforcements to arrive!
Raiko gave Kitsuki-san an incredulous stare
And how, exactly do you plan to get a message out to the surviving Scorpion when there are THREE
LEGIONS of zombies out there?!
Kitsuki-san smiled.
Never underestimate the strength of one man, Raiko-sama.
He looked over at Monkey
Uh...
Mantis-san clapped him on the shoulder.
It IS your fault we're in this mess, Monkey
How is this MY fault?!
You had to open your big mouth...
If you hadn't said anything, it would have just rained burning blood.
You're the reason we got zombies to go along with that...
...I don't think that's how it works...
Well, the rest of us think it is.
Hey, Scorpion! You done with that letter yet?
Wha- I haven't even started!
Hurry it up, the sooner this Monkey gets moving the sooner we can get out of this mess.

Kazuya-sama
What is it Ishigaki-san
The rain has stopped.
yes?
The earthworks, the hospital...
Ah...!
yes, of course! Take the Hida out, quickly!
HAI!
I led the remnants of the Hida outside the castle
There were puddles of blood everywhere
I knelt and touched one with my finger of jade
The jade sizzled and blackened almost immediately.
The ones who say passed to word back to the others, do not touch the blood
I'm sure Toshiro and Matemon would love to know if the spell itself raised the zombies, of if the blood tainted
what it burned and the taint is what made the zombies rise.
I couldn't care less which it was. All that mattered was that there were zombies. Lots and lots of zombies
OOOIII!
IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME, MAKE FOR THE CASTLE! DON'T TOUCH THE BLOOD!
Here and there, from tents and out of from under supplies, one or two crabs would poke their heads up and do
as I said.
Of course, shouting like that also got the attention of the less fortunate ones.
Which is what I wanted
I saw a brown armored shape dart from cover to cover, heading towards the Scorpion camps
The zombies came at us
From the direction of the medical tents
...
I prayed that they had at least enough time to end their lives cleanly, rather than lay helpless and waiting for
the zombies to kill them.
I knew I was praying in vain.
So I let my fury show as I charged into the walking corpses
I bellowed with battle rage, driving deep into the ranks of zombies
Deep enough that with every swing I hit several at once
Deep enough I needn't worry about hitting my fellow crab
claws teeth and blades scraped at my armor,
but the zombies simply could not do me any harm.
Several of them grabbed and pulled, trying to take me off my feet
I shoved and twisted, sending them sprawling instead
A hot pain shot up my leg
I glanced down.
A zombie had crawled up to me, and sank its talons into my calf
I stomped on it's skull, crushing it underfoot

The press of dead flesh against me was an annoyance mostly

Though every now and again, a fresh pain would signal one had gotten lucky.
there were enough zombies that even I would be brought down eventually.
But there might still be wounded crabs, alive and helpless, in that tent.
That was reason enough to keep going
I had to save them, if there were any left to be saved
it was my fault this had come to pass.
MY indecision had allowed Touka to act unhindered.
I had allowed him complete his ritual.
Now I had to atone for that failure
An ono came over my shoulder, and struck the head of a zombie in front of me
I looked back
Other Hida were right behind me, pushing in just as deep as I was.
Get back you fools, it's too far in!
If it's not to far for you, it's not to far for us!
I shattered the knees of a zombie, and another brought his masakari down on it's neck as it thrashed on the
ground
HO! HO! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
I glanced back, the Toritaka that had been on the second floor had moved up to the first, and were cheering us
on
Well then, FOLLOW ME!
I lashed out left and right, throwing my bulk against the tide of the undead, clearing a path
And then I was on the other side
The tents right before me
I turned and began to hack at the backs of the zombies.
I did not want to look inside that tent
I could not
Every dead Crab in those tents was my fault.
I knew I could not bear the weight of their accusing stares
Jade fire flew over me, passed through me, to burn the zombies I was striking
I glanced back
The Kuni woman.
Bleeding from a bite on her arm, panting heavily, but still very much alive
EVERY OTHER MAN:GET THE WOUNDED TO SAFETY! CARRY THEM IF YOU HAVE TO!
WE WILL HOLD HERE!
I slammed my tetsubo into the mud and drew a thick line
NOT ONE ZOMBIE CROSSES THIS LINE!
A deafening roar accompanied my order
We are the Crab!
We are the Hida!
We are the Wall!
WE WILL NOT FAIL!

We managed to destroy the zombies, secure the courtyard

We had retaken the entire castle
The death toll inside the medical tents was much lower than I had thought.
not one wounded Crab had perished
Though a dozen Kuni had died keeping their charges safe
There was no time to rest, however.
More zombies pressed against the walls, floundered in the now bloody moats, and tried to get inside
I took a position in the central gate of the courtyard, becoming a part of the wall around the castle
Fire and jade flew from the second floor of the castle to burn the zombies that kept coming
Save Raiko and Kazuya, all the Kaiu had died in the blood rain.
So the Kuni had taken up the slack
Toshiro called forth his avatar once more.
A crystalline behemoth charged forth to tear into the zombie hordes before they ever reached us.
Flaming arrows rained down from the top floor
I could see Naomi up there, bow in hand
Zombies were already dead, she felt no remorse over striking them down.
Mantis-san added his own fire to the mix, with that Tsuruchi bow of his
We had just enough Hida to cover all the walls of the courtyard at once.
Monkey needed to hurry.
Three days.
After three days without sleep the mind became greatly imbalanced
You would see things that were not there, hear voices no one else could
When all sense and reason had already left, as when dealing with an army of walking dead men, you cannot
even think that you may be delusional for a second.
After three days, we might end up killing each other.
Even after a day and half, our minds would drift away.
Our bodies would move on their own, because we had trained them to know what to do when our minds were
gone
But it was not like Mushin no Shin.
We would be clumsy, our judgments poor.
As though we were drunk.
And while I knew that Crabs trained to function as best they could without sleep for long periods of time, I did
not think the Scorpion did.
Hurry, Monkey.

Naomi did what she could to ease the strain on us.

But the mists she called forth the cleanse fatigue could not refresh an army.
And there were wounded as well
She helped the Kuni recover mostly, and the officers, so that their minds would be clear
I waved her aside every time she looked at me though.
I have trained for this sort of thing, Hana-chan.
Don't worry about me, a few nights without sleep is nothing.
It was true, in a sense
Kojiro's final lesson did allow to cast off debilitating injuries.
From fatigue to starvation to ringing ears from a heavy blow, the Defender of the Wall learns to ignore such
things and press on in pursuit of their duty.
There were limits of course. I was fighting a near constant battle to keep the fatigue at bay.
It wasn't like I could go days without sleep, or that I no longer had to eat.
It was just that I could ignore the protestations of my body when I had to put it under great strain, at least until I
died of hunger or I just passed out from exhaustion.
But it was important I not rely on Naomi's magic
My fellow Crab were depending on me. They knew I was a Defender of the Wall, and my seeming tirelessness
encouraged them.
SImply by enduring these hardships I bolstered our morale.
And that was very important when facing a sige by the undead
zombies did not eat, or drink, or sleep
Just a steady battle as the sun rose and fell and rose again.
Soon there were no more arrows
Raiko got the siege engines working
She was not as good at firing siege engines as she was building things, but she was still the best we had
Without trained crews she could not be as precise as one would usually expect, but that did not matter much at
this range
at dawn of the third day of the siege, the zombies finally made it up over the wall
By simply piling up body after body the undead had made a siege ramp of corpses
Because we were engaged on all sides, we could not turn to deal with the breach

Toshiro called up his avatar once more, and sent it in to stem the tide
Several Kuni stepped up, and directed as much magic as they could at the zombies, desperately trying to stem
the tide
Ishigaki-sama! Go! We can handle things here yet!
I did not hesitate, and rushed into the teeth of the Zombies
And then a massive figure made of water rushed past me, to strike at the undead
The crystalline avatar stomped and slammed, tearing the zombies to shreds
The water avatar swept the undead aside with broad sweeps of it's liquid body
I felt like a child in comparison to the two titans fighting beside me
And then a horn sounded
from outside the castle
I battered my way up to the top of the wall and looked
My life had taken many interesting turns, that I would one day be happy to see an army of Scorpion.
I could see, here and there, deep blue mixed in with the red and black.
Some of the Crabs from outside the castle had managed to survive as well.
And in the center of the line, a figure in brown armor, carrying the banner of the Scorpion.
Damn Monkey, that's one hell of an honor.
What the hell did you do?
Caught between the fresh army and the castle, the zombies were ground to dust.
By some miracle, we had stopped this catastrophe from engulfing even more of Rokugan.
I sat down when it was all over.
The battle haze lifting from my body
Though I tried, I could not move
I was too tired
Too tired to even

I remember dreaming, a bit

I saw myself, much younger. I didn't have the scar on my face yet, and my eyes burned with the wild fury of
youth.
I saw a young Crab, drawing his blade in an iaijutsu strike, cutting a painting.
Another Crab, bent over some papers. Drawings of siege engines, I think...
A pretty young woman, whipping around a Dai Tsuchi, crushing goblins. There was an insect or bug of some
sort on her shoulder
and a young Kuni. Very thin, his cheeks were so shallow it was almost painful to look at. He painted his face
white, with red lines running down his face from his eyes, like tears.
Then I saw Shoji, his face twisted up in the smug sneer I knew he wore in the inside.
His flesh putrefied and fell off, his eyes boiled away, leaving only a skull with a few wisps of white hair
What the hell...?
I sat up as though a fire had been held to my bare ass, sweating.
ouch.
I ached all over.
I held out my hand
It was shaking visibly, and I could not stop it.
I laid back down in the futon I was in
been a long time since I'd pushed myself so hard.
My age was starting to show, I think, if I'm still trembling after a good sleep.
My stomach growled angrily, demanding food
I glanced down, about to tell it to shut the hell up, and the words died in my throat
Naomi was curled up beside me, kneeling with her resting on my stomach
Sound asleep.
and drooling, just a bit.
I held my breath, so as not to disturb her, while I seared this image into my mind forever.
so damn cute I thought my heart would burst
Or maybe it was beating so hard because I wasn't breathing...
I finally let the air out in a whoosh and sucked in some fresh air
Which was enough to wake Naomi
uwah...?
..ga..-kun?
Ishigaki-kun?
Naomi snapped fully awake, and pulled herself in so close our noses were almost touching
she stared intently at me, eyes full of worry
Ah! Hang on!
She started to rummage about in her scroll satchel
I place my hand on hers
it's okay.

It's just fatigue.

All I need is rest.
No need to bother the kami for something so simple
I pulled her into a hug before she could protest
As I expected, the best way to win an argument with Naomi was to hug her
I...I was worried, Ishigaki-kun.
I'm sorry for worrying you. But I'm okay. A few hours of sleep and I'm already good as new!
She stared at me
...It has been a day and a half since you lost consciousness, Ishigaki-kun,
My eyebrows shot up
So long...?
Hai.
I must be getting old, if a little sleep deprivation can do that to me now...
Well then, I guess you better had work a little magic on me.
Naomi fished out a few scrolls and set to work easing my fatigue and closing my wounds
Her self control showed, that she had waited until I was awake to do so.
No doubt she had already exhausted much of her magic on those more seriously injured than I was.
I sat up,
Naomi went to stand up, but her legs tangled up with one another and she fell back on top of me
Awk!
She grabbed at one of her legs
Ahchchchchchch...!
Ah. Her legs had fallen asleep on her.
I rubbed them, and she winced at the sting of blood flowing back into almost dead limbs
After a time she nodded to me, and I stood up and helped her up as well
Come, I will take you to where the others are
We left the medical tent, which was full of both Scorpion and Crab, and headed outside into the courtyard
All around the smoke from pyres still drifted into the air, as eta dragged the dead over and threw them in
without preamble, armor and all.
There were simply far too many corpses to do anything more
Besides, the blood rain had scoured the flesh from most of the bodies that were now being burned, so it was
impossible to identify all the dead.
I stopped and stared
My fault...
I should have acted sooner
I should have tried to find the proof we needed as soon as I suspected something
How will I ever make up for this failure?

Naomi squeezed my hand

Ishigaki-kun, this is no ones fault but the men who made it happen.
I looked down at her
Am I really so easy to read?
She gave me a smile
You do tend to wear your emotions openly, yes.
I sighed.
I thought I had gotten better at that
You have!
You've gotten much better compared to when we first met!
But I'm still no good, huh?
Well... I would say very young courtiers and children would have a hard time guessing what you're thinking.
Oh, well at least I can still fool small children then.
How fortunate most courtiers are beardless
But how does that help against the women?
Oh, I'm sure they're beardless too.
ISHIGAKI!
I chuckled as Naomi went red to the tips of her ears
At least part of her embarrassment was due to the fact that Naomi only had thick hair on top of her head.
Just as well, her skin was delicate, and did not like razors.
We entered into the tent with the others
Jun was there as well
Oh hey, Look who's up and about!
good to see you too Monkey.
Now how about you explain how in the hell you got the Scorpion to let you carry their banner?
He rubbed at the back of his head and grinned
A Scorpion I didn't know answered
Toku Satoshi slew the Bloodspeaker that had betrayed our Clan, and the Emperor.
It was only right that he carry our honor into this battle, as it was only by his actions that we were given the
chance to reclaim it.
Damn. Wish I could have seen that.
Monkey blushed at all the praise
...And Touka?
Toshiro grinned, and walked to the back of the tent.
he grabbed a tarp that was covering something
it was jade statue of Touka.
Or rather, it WAS Touka, turned into a jade statue.
Jun nodded.
The Crab and Scorpion have both managed to cleanse their shame in this affair
It is my judgment that this war ended with neither victors or losers.
Kistuki-san came up to me
He held out a daisho
I looked down, and recognized the saya on the Katana
It was Jinzo's

I arched an eyebrow at Kitsuki-san

How did he die?
I knew that there was no way Kitsuki-san would be holding that blade if Hida Jinzo was still alive
I had to kill him
He did not believe that Touka was a bloodspeaker, right up until the end
What happened?
As near as we can tell, Touka was set up someplace safe for when the ritual was completed.
Neither of the commanders actually finished the ritual. They must have had subordinates do it.
And they likely didn't tell those subordinates they would be killed by the blood rain as well.
I shook my head in disgust
So when we finally caught up with Touka he insisted the number of Scorpion with us was proof it was the
Scorpion who were behind the plot, and Jun was their ally.
I faced Jinzo in a duel.
I won.
But, I think I should not be holding this blade any longer than I must
I looked at Kitsuki-san
Those eyes of yours are terrifying at times
He rubbed at his side
So is the technique of the Unbreakable Blade
You are the most senior Hida bushi I know.
I think it right that you return his Daisho to his sensei, who can pass it back to his family.
Ordinarily, the one who slew a samurai or that samurai's superior should be the one returning a daisho
But Jinzo had a Kaiu Blade. A weapon sacred to the Crab Clan
And Jinzo's superior had been a bloodspeaker.
I took the daisho
I hoped his ancestors did not judge Jinzo too harshly
Or his family, for that matter.
It was a confusing mess out there
I could not find it in my heart to hold it against him.
Mantis-san spoke up
Yeah, Touka had them all fooled. For that matter, he never used Maho.
Toshiro nodded.
He had inhuman endurance though.
Safe to say the taint was giving him power
I grunted.
He kept it suppressed most of the time, but let his powers come back out during the battle
So then, we need to take Jun-sama back to Toshi Ranbo?
No, a detachment of the 21st Imperial Legion will be coming to collect me in a few days.

The next few days were spent resting in the Crab camps while we waited to hand Jun off and officially finish
our task
Naomi and Toshiro, with a lot of help from Kitsuki-san, got to work writing up the reports that would be read by
their seniors
That person would take a bit of each report from each subordinate, and place the large points into a single
report, which they would pass on to their superiors.
The information Naomi and Toshiro had would be read, and edited, and then passed on several times before
finally reaching the Jade Champion.
I wondered how any he, or any of the highest ranked of the Kuge, managed to have even the slightest clue
what was going on in the world with so many subordinates deciding on their own what is and what is not worth
their time.
I began to suspect that the truth was they did not, and that is the simple explanation why the Jade Champion,
who should have had a much broader scope of knowledge on things than we did, was only just now realizing
that the bloodspeaker cult had resurfaced
I walked around the camp, reacquainting my body with a normal day's exertions.
My muscles wanted me to just lie about in bed all day, but I knew the danger of letting my body get stiff and
lazy from too much bed rest, so I forced myself to remain active
To my embarrassment, I found I had become something of a celebrity among the Crab.
Stories were being told, and getting more ridiculous with each telling, of the part I played in the siege
That was good; every samurai wanted to he a great hero with their name on everyone's lips.
But it felt wrong to be receiving such praise for my modest efforts
If anyone is to be praised for my role in the battle, it's my sensei for so expertly training my body that it could
hold out for as long as it did.
Monkey, Toshiro and Naomi were also the subject of much gossip
Far more deserved of it then me
Yes, even that idiot
I found Mantis-san
He brought out his go board, and we played

Finally, the Legion arrived.

Toshiro handed Otomo Jun off the the Taisa, and they headed off to Toshi Ranbo so she could make her report
to the Emperor
With that we were done, and made ready to head back to Ishigaki Mura.
Naomi and I were both eager to return to our children
As I was getting packed a I heard the tent flap open
I looked up
So...I was now alone in a tent with Bayushi Kentaro....
I didn't allow myself to relax, even after I noticed he had left his katana behind.
He stared at me for a time, taking my measure.
he nodded at my guarded stance
Many subtleties are lost on most Crab, so I thought I would simply be blunt.
...Your proposal is acceptable.
You call THAT blunt/
he sighed
And stepped closer
He whispered softly
Just you, Hida Ishigaki. Your wife and children will not be harmed.
So long as YOU don't antagonize us any further.
You Understand?
I nodded.
So, are you going to find a reason to duel me, or just have some Ninja's jump out of my rice ball when I'm not
expecting it?
a dumbstruck Scorpion is a very rare sight, and as deeply satisfying as you would expect
...jump out...?
he shook his head
Ninja do not exist, Ishigaki.
I scoffed
Kentaro continued
Besides, even if they did there really is no reason for me to tell you our plans for you.
He looked me up and down
Killing you is hard enough as is...
He turned to go
Scorpion!
I tossed him a finger of jade
He caught it, looked at it, then arched an eyebrow at me
There are bloodspeakers everywhere these days.
When you come for me, make sure it's not a Bloodspeaker giving you your orders.
He clenched his fist around the jade and left
We set out the next day
We arrived home with no difficulty, and I allowed Daiko and Tetsute to bowl me over as they charged out of the
house
Tetsute looked over at Naomi and held up his arms
Without reservation, Naomi joined in on the hug pile
Mantis-san shook his head
You spoil them far too much, Ishigaki-san
I ignored him. We were missing one, and I called out for him to be brought to us
Akiko came out, bringing Tsuyosa with her
There we go, now the family hug pile is complete
Everyone else filed in to my home, politely ignoring this public display
ohh, I think he's gotten heavier!
Naomi took Tsuyosa from me
You're right!
Daiko grinned up at us
I got to feed him!
He's such a piggy!
I gave her a little boop on the nose
You were no better, at that age
giggles from the kids, and a nostalgic smile from Naomi
After some time we headed back inside
Shino bowed to us
And held out a letter
Hooo? What's this now?
I took the letter and unfolded it
Artful calligraphy on fine quality rice paper, so thin you could almost see through it
I rolled my eyes and handed it off to Naomi as soon as I saw all that frippery
no doubt whatever was written there was in some courtly cipher I would never understand
She chuckled softly as she read the letter
Oh my.
It is a request and invitation to a Winter court.
She looked up at me.
From Kakita Ren.
I searched my memory for a bit.
Oh right. The little Crane Lord...
We went and sat with the others, getting tea and a meal, while Naomi told everyone about the letter
It seems the Emperor has put his foot down at last.
In light of the Bloodspeaker threat he has declared all conflict between the Clans halt
There will be peace next summer
So the Clans will be negotiating the particulars of the various peace treaties this winter.
Kakita Ren wants us to attend his court this year.
In part because he fears the Bloodspeakers may try something.

Naomi insisted everyone take some family time, what with both Mantis-san and Monkey expecting their third
and second child respectively.
Toshiro protested this though.
Naomi-san, if you leave me with no assistants I can't work...
I am aware Toshiro-san. That is another reason we must take time off: you have marriage interviews to attend.
Actually, that's a very good reason why I should work until I drop.
Naomi smiled at him
I am certain it will not be as bad as you think.
And I am certain you're just doing that whole propagate life thing the water kami love.
There, you see? You DO want to get married after all.
Already thinking ahead to children and you have yet to attend one interview!
Toshiro, much to my surprise and amusement, had no retort to that.
We spent the rest of the summer and fall tending to our homes and families
Well, Kitsuki-san probably didn't.
Honestly, I'm not sure WHAT he did when the rest of us took time for these things
Something to do with shipping, I'll bet.
I played with Tetsute and Daiko as much as I could.
I had less time with Daiko, as she was beginning her lessons in earnest under Naomi's guidance
Quickly enough she grew very pouty when it was time to practice her calligraphy
See, Tetsute? I told you you wouldn't really want one of those calligraphy sets
he nodded somberly while Daiko tried to tell Naomi her wrist hurt too much for practice
Naomi simply took hold of Daiko's wrist and chanted a quick prayer.
A blue light enveloped my daughter's wrist
There now, no more pain...right?
...hai mother...
Naomi smiled sweetly
Good. Now pick up your brush dear
...hai.
I taught Daiko too, in my own way
I played memory games with her
Describing various oni and having her try to remember their names, or their weaknesses
Especially their weaknesses
When she was right, I gave her sweets to reward her
Tetsute insisted on being allowed to join in on this game as well, so I allowed them to compete with one
another

Toshiro stopped by after a month back at his place

Three days later, the nakodo caught up with him
I rolled my eyes as she introduced herself to me and explained why she was here
He's back there, cowering
Ah, I see. Thank you very much Hida-san.
I heard a door open
Then
DAMN YOU ISHIGAKI!
I yelled back
Oh just get it over with!
I heard Tsuyosa start to fuss, so I picked him up
He settled down immediately.
Ah, he just wanted some company.
I took him out into the garden for some fresh air
Naomi was tending to the flowers, adding in another patch of those blue ones she liked so much.
I rocked Tsuyosa, but he squirmed so I stopped
He was staring at my punching rock
Thump
drag
thump
drag
Hey! How could you jus...
I glanced up.
Toshiro was staring at my punching rock
Naomi-san... you should probably make another offering soon...
Naomi looked up from the flowers
Oh?
She tilted her head, and looked over to the rock
Oh you are right!
Thank you Toshiro, I do not hear the earth kami as well as you do.
Not a problem, it's only a slight grumble right now anyway.
I looked down at Tsuyosa
He was still staring intently at the punching rock
I tried moving Tsuyosa
H just turned his head, keeping his gaze fixed
Umm...Toshiro...?
Oh yeah, what's the big idea letting her in you traitor?
Toshiro, look at this.
I moved Tsuyosa again
Toshiro blinked
Give him here a moment...
I did so
Toshiro muttered some prayers, and laid a hand on my son's chest
Then Toshiro walked around the garden holding Tsuyosa
Naomi clapped her hands twice, finishing up the offering for...whichever spirit the shrine she had made out of
my punching rock was for.
Then she came over to me
What is Toshiro doing?
I dunno. Shugenja stuff, I think.
Naomi looked at me, pursing her lips and pulling one side up in an almost smirk
Well, that is very helpful Ishigaki-kun. Thank you for clearing that up for me.
Tsuyosa was staring at the punching rock shrine thing
Eh?

Naomi...does that mean what I think it means?

She shook her head
That is just impossible, he is far too young to be...
Toshiro thumpdragged up to us
I know what you're about to say, but you're wrong, Naomi-san
eh? EH? EEHHH?
I was looking back and forth between the two, hoping someone would clarify for me
Toshiro did
You don't usually start seeing the signs that a child has an affinity with the Kami until they're about Tetsute's
age...
But Tsuyosa is clearly sensitive to the earth kami.
So, what? You're saying he's a genius at earth magic or something?
Nothing of the sort, though it's likely he could be...
Naomi spoke up
Of course. While I am a water tensai, our family has produced many shugenja with an affinity for earth...
I blinked.
So you're saying that he's at least getting started early because of his ancestry?
It seems that way...
Perhaps a divination is in order, Naomi-san?
She nodded and went over to the Koi pond
Divination is a part of everyday life for the Rokugani
All is according to heaven's decree, and Heaven will leave clues for those that can decipher them
I didn't personally place much stock in divination.
Not that I doubted Heaven made it's will known.
Rather I doubted most people who claimed to know what the signs meant.
Naomi herself, a water tensai, was wary of over reliance on reading portents.
Read the signs wrong, and you could be going against Heaven's will
And of course, there were plenty of stories about diviners trying to stop some calamity they foresaw only for
their actions to bring about that very calamity
But this was a simple matter; a yes or no question.
Will Tsuyosa have an affinity for the earth kami?
Naomi chanted her prayer, and asked her question
She looked up at us both
and nodded
I looked up at Toshiro
Well, how about that, Toshiro-sensei?
I amazed at..waitwhat...
sensei? ME?!
Naomi smiled
Yes, you. I can think of no one better.

As we packed up our things to head to Kakita Ren's winter court, Naomi surprised me by packing up clothing
for the kids
Hey, aren't we supposed to be keeping an eye out for Bloodspeakers?
Naomi just waved a hand and continued to pack
Oh that? It is just an excuse for Ren-sama to see us again, silly.
The Emperor has demanded peace, specifically because of the Bloodspeakers.
Really? Huh.
I shrugged and helped her pack
Six Crabs, three adults and three children set out from Ishigaki Mura.
We arrived and were warmly greeted first by Daidoji Hideo.
He'd added a few lines around his eyes since I had seen him last, but was otherwise as I remembered
Complete with that Kaiu armor of his
I could only imagine how much adding all that ornamentation had pained the smith who made it.
One day I was going to have to find out what the hell Hideo did to get a gift like that.
Hideo then passed us off to Kakita Tanaka, Ren-sama's cousin and the new Karo
Overdressed
That would be the first word I thought of to describe Tanaka
It looked like his outfit had no less than seven layers to it, complete with that silly court hat.
I almost expected him to be duel wielding fans, but out of respect for his ancestors technique he stuck to a
single weapon.
The second word I would use to describe Tanaka would be 'empty'
In that empty formalities and polite lines regurgitated thousands of times already were all the conversation he
was good for.
So, a model courtier in other words.
I managed not to fall asleep
Finally we were shown to the young lord
Who had sprouted up like weed in the years since.
But he was not quite an adult yet
Though he kept his manners, barely, it was clear from his speech he thought us all friends.
And he was just bursting with questions.
As we talked, the others trickled in one by one
We spent our first day in Ren's company almost exclusively, even dining together as everyone caught up

...so it's the best situation, really.

having Ginchiyo means that she won't even be in consideration for any inheritance, since she'll be marrying
into another family at some point.
Mantis-san sighed
Though THAT did start a fight. Kaori wanted to get in touch with a Nakodo right away, but Tatsuki didn't want
that for Ginchiyo.
Ren leaned in closely, deeply interested
So...what did you do Daigo-san?
I took a hint from the way Crabs do things.
Ginchiyo has until she's 25 to find her own husband.
After that, we find a Nakodo ourselves.
Ren nodded intently.
Well, he was a lord. So an arranged marriage, a concubine or three, and the issues that come with that were to
be expected for someone of his status.
Had to produce plenty of heirs, after all.
You never know when one will get their face eaten by a zombie after all.
Anyway, enough about me, how did things go for you, Monkey?
He grinned.
Another boy! I named him Masanori!
He kinda reminds me of some of Ishigaki's kids, the way he eats!
Naomi blushed a bit, and I grinned
That's good Monkey, You want them to eat a lot when they're young so they grow up to be a proper size.
Not like all you damn chibis running around.
Monkey chuckled
Nah, it's your fault for being such an overgrown monster Ishigaki! If you were a proper size you wouldn't keep
smashing your head on doorways!
Laughter ensued
Kitsuki-san just looked over at Toshiro
Toshiro sipped his sake
Crabs have terrible Nakodo, if they can be outrun so often by a man with only one good leg
Ren perked up
Oh, you are looking for a wife at last Toshiro-san?
no not re-
That is excellent news!
But...
You're right though, a Crab nakodo just won't do
uh, so lik-
Oh! I know! I shall put forth a request for several Nakodo to come and bring prospective brides for you!
No, see, you really don't ha-
Yes, yes. That's it! We Crane have the best connections when it comes to marriage arrangements, after all.

are you even listi-

yes, I will offer favors to the one that produces a worthy bride for my friend and savior!
Sav...?
I had been worried about how I would repay my debt to you all, but this is perfect!
I WILL find you a good wife Toshiro, just you wait!
...help me.
Mantis-san snorted with laughter
If it bugs you that much you should have just saved up your stipends and bought a geisha for yourself
Geisha are expensive!
I know. Why do you think I stole one from a bog hag instead of buying one?
...We've been over this, Daigo-san.
you don't do dry wit
I do when you're blushing so hard I can see it through your facepaint
Toshiro didn't have a comeback for that
Ren was looking back and forth between the two, out of the loop
He was almost bouncing with eagerness to hear more
So Kitsuki-san filled him in on what we had been doing just before our first meeting with Ren
He hung on every word
When it was over he sighed
Life can get so...tedious, in this castle at times
Sometimes I wish I had been born into the Buke, so I could have such wonderful stories to tell!
The stories are fun to listen too, Kakita Ren-sama, but they are not nearly as fun to be IN.
Lots of sleepless nights, being cold and dirty, long periods of uncertainty...
Hmm. I suppose that's true though
It really is.
I told him all about the unexpected difficulties of getting Jinzo's Kaiu blade back to his family, and the weeks of
torment I had to endure.
Wow! Such a simple thing became such a grand adventure?
Yeah, almost as bad as that time I went Looking for Hida.
Ah, but it's late, and that's a long story.
The candles around the room burned low, and would need to be replaced very soon.
For that matter, Naomi was nodding off and jerking her head back up and nodding off again
I'll share that one another time, Ren-sama
Please do!
Ren clapped his hands, and some servants showed us to our rooms

Unfortunately for Ren, the next day his schedule was packed full
Most of the delegations had arrived already and the opening rounds of this year's winter court were beginning
Everyone knew the final outcome, of course
The Emperor had decreed the wars would cease, and so they would
But which clans were able to profit from the wars and the peace which followed, and by how much they did so,
would be decided this season by the skill of their courtiers
Kitsuki-san approached the Dragon delegation and was deep in conversation with them already
He had revealed to us that he was now one of seven to know the secret of Kitsuki-s final teaching.
A secret SIXTH technique that may one day be the starting point for a new school for exceptional students,
similar to the Defender of the Wall
Though he had not offered any information on what his technique did, we knew that it marked him forever as a
paragon of his family, a true master of Kitsuki's Method.
As I watched him converse with the Dragon, offering up the great insights he no doubt already had gleaned, I
was struck with the realization of just how far each of us had come since that day so long ago when we first
met
We were all masters of our schools, the figures of legend that would inspire future generations.
I was the oldest of all of us, and not even thirty yet.
I guess it's true what they say: A minute of real battle is worth more than an hour of training.
Ah! Are you, perhaps, Hida Ishigaki-san?
I turned to look.
A big fellow in a blue and black silken Kimono was looking expectantly at me
The mon of the Kaiu was emblazoned on his Haori
I am, and you are...?
I am Kaiu Terumune, and I lead the Crab delegation to the court of Kakita Ren-sama
Do you have a moment to talk?
Of course
He led me outside, to stroll through one of the innumerable gardens
I looked about, eyeing each flower suspiciously
Since I always checked my rice balls for ninjas it's possible they had taken to hiding in flowers

Is something wrong, Ishigaki-san?

No, just keeping an eye out for ninjas
Terumune chuckled
Ninja do no exist, Ishigaki-san. You still believe in children stories?
I looked at him evenly
You'll be sorry you think that when a ninja jumps out of your riceball and kills you.
...
Ahhhahahaha! Good one, Ishigaki! You had me going there for a moment
I sighed inwardly.
If I told him I was serious he'd think me insane
Anyhow, to business, Ishigaki-san
I understand that you spent much of yesterday with the young lord?
I did
May I ask what the nature of your relationship is with him?
His former Karo turned out to be a bloodspeaker, we found out in the course of investigating why his father's
body rose up at it's own funeral
Terumune blinked at that
hah... and this is why we behead our dead.
That's exactly what I thought when I heard it the first time too.
So then, Kakita Ren-sama favors you, does he?
A bit yes.
I could see where this was going
good, good! Then you could speak to him on behalf of the Clan!
I sighed
It...may not be that easy, Kaiu-san
Oh?
He likes ALL of us. Not just me, but Toshiro and Naomi...as well as the Dragon and Mantis in our group.
But that should not really be an issue, should it?
It's not as though these talks are going to be divided up along the same lines as the alliance was.
I blinked
Terumune chuckled.
THAT is the reason court is so much more dangerous than a battlefield, Ishigaki-san!
Alliances can change with the wind, and with less warning as well!
I see. So it can be hard to watch for a knife in the back when everyone is concealing knives?
An apt way of putting it, yes!
Very well, I will speak to Ren-sama
He clapped me on the back
Yosh! Wonderfully! I look forward to a favorable reply!
I turned to leave
And saw my father-in-law

I froze
He hadn't noticed me yet
Instead he was in conversation with another Phoenix.
They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but it looked to me like the woman speaking to
Shoji was quite agitated
Well, speaking to Shoji will do that to just about anyone.
I slipped around behind Shoji before they finished and found Kitsuki-san
When I looked back the Phoenix woman had stormed away.
Oi, Kistuki-san
I kept my back to her and pointed, using my body to hide my gesture
You know who that is?
He let his gaze track over the room, not resting on any one person, before looking back to me
Asako Yuie, head of the Phoenix delegation.
I blinked
Head? Can't imagine Shoji likes that.
What? Shoji? You're father-in-law is here?!
Yeah. Looks like he's still got the Clan fooled as to whose fault everything is.
Ishigaki-san...Shoji is NOT a part of the Phoenix delegation.
If he is here, then he is here for his own reasons.
...
Kitsuki-san...
could it be possible for someone to know that Naomi and I would be here?
I can think of several ways I could have uncovered such information.
Would it be possible for a normal person to find that out though?
Kitsuki-san chuckled
Thank you for the compliment, but I can still think a few very simple methods, yes.
You think he's here for you?
It wouldn't surprise me. He's so used to getting his way that anytime he doesn't it's like a personal insult that he
simply MUST avenge.
Well then, I'll keep an eye on him. Find out who is connected to at this court.
Thanks. I'd like to get out ahead of whatever scheme he's cooking up
Kitsuki-san nodded in agreement
I went to find Naomi.
It was best if she heard it from me, instead of just seeing him unexpectedly
I found her by following the sound of coughing out into the hallway
She was leaning on a wall, doubled over
I took hold of her, and eased her down into a sitting position
Then I yelled to a passing servant to bring me a tea set
I rubbed Naomi's back to soothe her until the servant came back, then brewed up her tea
Naomi took a few sips, then several breaths
At last she relaxed
Thank you, Ishigaki-kun. Those backrubs always help.
sip
I watched her drink her tea, saying nothing.
If she hadn't seen him, I didn't want to shock her just now.
She waited patiently until I looked up, and caught my eyes with hers.
I saw him
She said it the way someone would say they saw a rock
Why is it that strain on your mind and soul always seems to bring out these fits, when that is only an illness of
your body?
The mind, body and soul are linked, Ishigaki-kun.
Just like how an injury to the body weakens the grip of the soul, a wound to the soul can harm the body.
THe taint works that way, as well, for it damages the soul, and in so doing warps and twists the body.
So you're father is like the taint...I can believe that.
She smiled,
A sad one; her eyes were still half lidded and looking down.
...i can too...
It was whisper; I was sitting right next to her and I could barely hear her
But she said it all the same
I hated watching my Hana-chan lose her innocence.
Every time, it was like watching a single petal fall from a beautiful flower.
Samurai were supposed to like things like that.
But I am not a very good samurai.
I got her up and took her back to the room Ren had arranged for us
Tsuyosa was there napping.
As soon as we entered he woke up and started to bawl
I scooped him up
He stopped crying, looked up at me, then started bawling again
Um.
I passed him to Naomi
Tsuyosa then began to nuzzle against her chest
Ah, so that's it!
Not for the first time, I had to chastise myself for feeling jealous of my own children for hogging my wife's
breasts.
I sat with them while Tsuyosa ate, enjoying the serene look on Naomi's face.
If I didn't know any better I'd swear the boy did that just to help calm his mother down.

I tore up a few tiny strips of chicken for Tsuyosa, to finish of his meal
he was being weaned after all
I wiggled the chicken under his nose, and he let go of Naomi so he could have his solids
There you go. Eat up.
Tsuyosa gobbled up the chicken greedily, burped all on his own, and then settled into Naomi's arms to resume
his nap with a nice full tummy
I straightened up her kimono for her, since her hands were full of tiny crab, then gave her hair a few strokes
You stay here and rest with him. I'll go check on the other two.
Hai.
As I left Naomi began to sing softly to Tsuyosa, easing him off to sleep
She really did love to dote on the children
I eventually found the other two, playing with all the other children their age
Daiko and Tetsute had taught the other children Strongwall.
The two of them stood, daring the other kids to knock them down
A roughhousing game that left the attendant servants in a small panic.
clearly worried about what would happen to them if one of the children got hurt, and equally worried about the
idea of trying to restrain the terror twins, as they were also samurai.
Relief flooded the face of one of the servants when they recognized me as the father of the two little demon
children
Great Samurai, please forgive this one for speaking out of turn!
But your children...
Someone could get hurt!
I nodded.
I'll handle it, don't worry.
Oh, thank you great samurai!
Oi! You two!
The roughhousing broke up as I came over, Daiko and Tetsute staring up at me.
For that matter, all the other kids did too.
I was probably the biggest person they'd ever seen
I leaned down to look my children in the eyes
You'd better win, okay?
they broke out into grins, and Daiko thrust her tiny fist into the air
HAI!
As for the rest of you...
I turned to look at the other children
...You're going to have to work together if you hope to have any chance against these two.
I walked past the dumbstruck servants
That should do it.

I turned my head as I left, and spoke over my shoulder

But if anyone does raise a stink, just tell them to come whine at me.
...though I suppose you shouldn't phrase it quite like that.
Well, you'll figure it out.
I headed back to the rooms where the courtiers were gathering
I wanted to learn what the hell Shoji was doing her
I found Kitsuki-san, talking with a Scorpion woman wearing a scroll satchel
Ah, Hida Ishigaki-san!
Hello, Kitsuki-san.
I turned to look at the Scorpion
And this must be...
...Soshi Mariko
I bowed a greeting to her
have you had rice today, Soshi-san?
Yes, I have thank you.
She read my mood quickly and excused herself
As she walked past me she whispered
not yet
I arched an eyebrow at her, but she walked on
Did you hear that?
He nodded
What was that about?
Well, most Scorpion really do hold to bushido, Ishigaki-san, despite what your Clan and the Lion think of them.
It's just that they are willing to dirty their hands in times of great need.
Not unlike the Crab, I think
Don't insult my clan like that, Kitsuki-san,
You're my friend so I can let that slide, but if another Crab heard you say that it would mean a duel.
You know perfectly well I can hold my own in a duel.
I know. I said that for the sake of my kinsmen
Anyway, I have need of those all seeing eyes of yours.
Oh?
yeah, I want to find out what Shoji is even doing here, so I figured I'd just ask that Asako.
And I want you to watch. You know, do your thing.
Of course, Ishigaki-san.
He shook his head.
Always so direct, aren't you?
I shrugged
It works for me
He nodded agreement
I went and found Asako Yuie, while Kitsuki-san hovered about nearby
hey, I need to speak with you.
She faced me, wrinkling her nose a bit at my brusque manner
I do not believe I have the pleasure...?
Hida Ishigaki.
She tilted her head, Eyes unfocusing while she thought for a moment
Ah! You are the Husband of Isawa Shoji's daughter!
I nodded.

I understand he's not part of the delegation the Phoenix sent though
Yuie got out her fan and hid behind it at that.
Naomi had confessed to me once that the Phoenix Clan is it's own worst enemy
Isawa's actions left a deep, permanent rift between the families of the Clan.
But this is NOT widely known, because the Clan closes ranks whenever an outsider approaches
Not unlike the Empire as a whole, constantly fighting one another...
...right up until some external threat rears it's ugly head
I wondered if he reaction was simple reflex, or if she was trying to hide something from me.
I didn't waste time thinking about it too much
That's why I asked for Kitsuki-san's help after all
Yes, Hida-san, it is true that Shoji is here on his own business.
However, if you wish to know what that might be, I am afraid I cannot help you.
I simply do not know
If you will excuse me
Huh.
I rejoined Kitsuki-san
She really doesn't know why he's here.
However, I get the feeling he has finally lost the trust of the Phoenix Clan.
At the very least, she is very upset by his presence.
I see.
Well, lets the Phoenix have come to the damn senses about him at least.
Kitsuki-san nodded firmly
We can hope. He's likely still to well connected for them to ask him to retire early, but if I'm right we can at least
expect they will not trust him with any more important duties.

The Mantis were late

People were beginning to whisper, wondering if the Mantis were doing that on purpose.
Some sort of protest?
Mantis-san became quite a popular fellow suddenly, despite his repeated protests that he had no clue what
was holding up his Clan's delegates.
It was in the middle of this drama Ren decided to hold a game of Kemari.
He insisted I join in
I seized my opportunity
Ren-sama, I've never worn the full court attire before. Would you be so kind as to help me with it?
Of course!
Alright, good work me.
Getting him alone to talk had been proving more difficult than I had anticipated.
Friend or not, there was a large gulf in our status
But now I had an excuse
Ren helped me out, wrapping me up in layer upon layer of clothing
This is the minimum level of dress acceptable for meeting with the Emperor, you know, Ishigaki-san
I chuckled
It's so hard to move in all these clothes I can only think that is for the Emperor's safety!
He laughed along with me.
You may be right
Then he looked at me seriously
You truly find it difficult to move in all these clothes, but not that massive armor you always wear?
I rolled a shoulder around
It's a different kind of constriction.
My armor only weighs about 50 pounds, and all the straps and bindings distribute the weight.
Plus, we train in our armor nonstop. Our armor really is a second skin to us Crabs.
He nodded.
Speaking off us Crabs, Ren-sama.
You know we're not all that good in court...
He looked at me, eyebrows shooting up.
He recovered quickly though, and pinched his chin between thumb and forefinger
Hmmm. Sensei is handling most of the business for the Clan at this court, I'm just the host...
I was curious when he said Sensei, but I said nothing, lest I sidetrack him
Still, I think I may be at least able to make things a bit easier on your delegation. Kaiu...Terumune, was it?
Hai.
He smiled at me.
I shall see what I can do for your Clan Ishigaki-san.

Thank you Ren-sama, I am indebted to you

Not at all Ishigaki-san!
I took the opportunity to change the subject
So, you said your Sensei is here?
yes. Tanaka-san handles much of the day to day, but there are still plenty of things I have to be present for...so
I Sensei came here to train me.
I see.
I have to pay attention to every little thing while Tanaka is handling affairs, because I should be able to do
those things as well.
Between trying to learn how to run this city and Sensei's lessons on court life I am at my wits end!
There is so much to learn!
I put a hand on his shoulder
You'll be fine.
Will I, though?
Of course!
Look,no one is surprised when a Crab fights with a heavy weapon, that's expected.
Just like it's expected for a Crane to know how to draw his blade quickly, or a Lion to be good at Shogi
Because these are the things they were born to do; the weight of history and tradition makes it so.
YOU were born to administer to the Emperor's lands on his behalf.
I know it seems like there's a lot to take in now, I felt the same way when I first arrived at Sunda Mizu!
But it will come in time. Just apply yourself diligently.
He smiled, allowing my words to reassure him.
Then he looked at me
Ishigaki-san...
You folded the wrong side of the Kimono over here.
HUH?
Get undressed; we have to start over.

My knowledge of the game of Kemari was that it existed.

beyond that, Ren had to explain everything to me
I found something deeply offensive in the concept of a game with no points, no way for someone to win
All you had to do was keep the ball in the air, and pass it to someone else
Without using your hands
Ren was very good, bouncing the ball up off his feet, before letting it slide down his back and then hitting it with
his hip to pass it to me
I reacted on pure instinct as it came at me
I smashed the ball with my forehead.
It went towards a Mirumoto, who stopped the ball with his chest, caught it on his foot, bounced it a few times,
and passed it to Toritaka Kageru with a smile
She caught the ball even while rolling her eyes
We played for some time, and I noticed Kageru was a popular choice to pass the ball to
After the game was over she grabbed my arm and hissed
get me out of here!
I looked up
there WERE several men coming this way, who came to a halt as we made eye contact
We walked quickly away
I muttered to her under my breath
What's all that about?
Suitors. I'm so sick of it.
I arched an eyebrow
Hooo?
She looked up at me
I'm a warrior, not some housewife.
Well, you may want to think about finding one for yourself while you've got the time..
You mean when the time comes that I'll have to get married
Bah. I'll be dead in battle before that happens!
I glanced down at her out of the corner of my eye
I thought that too, once
She smirked at me
For many of us it's true though, Ishigaki-senpai. You must see that you are a rare existence, a tallent seen only
once a generation!
...senpai?
Hai, I'm trained in the Hida Ryu, not my families bushi School.
Well still. I'm not all that special. Just tough enough that I can survive to learn from my many mistakes.
That is a quality more special than you are willing to admit, Senpai.
If you say so. To me it just seems like too many young bushi are eager to see their grandparents

We ate dinner with the rest of court that day

I felt eyes on me and looked around
I saw Shoji, but he was quite deliberately NOT looking in my direction
One of the Shiba sitting next to him, however, was.
I looked closer.
And recognized Shiba Hotaru. Shiba Ayame's gunso.
He was glaring quite openly at me
So I scratched at my chest and mouthed 'is that all?' to him
I timed it just right, and he coughed as his food went down the wrong pipe
I see Shoji prefers obedience over competence in his subordinates.
things proceed with relative quiet for a few days.
The guessing as to what was holding up the Mantis delegation continued unabated, each guess more
outlandish than the last
At one point it was suggested the entire delegation ran afoul of an Oni one of the number summoned but could
not control, though no one could find out who was the first to suggest that.
Kitsuki-san found out that Shoji was being shunned quite a bit in this court.
To everyone's surprise, and relief, aside from the few attendants he had brought, no one seemed to want to
have anything to do with him
The subject of Toshiro, Naomi and myself being friends with Ren became a topic of discussion as well
Terumune assured me that, though it wasn't much, the fact that everyone was aware the Crab COULD use that
relationship was helping
he laughed
It's like building up an army in plain view along the border, Ishigaki-san! They know we have a trump card, so
they don't press as hard, lest we feel compelled to use it!
I see.
Court really is all about maneuver and perception, isn't it?
He nodded.
Very much so.
On the third day, I came across a Kakita yelling at my wife
Daiko and Tetsute were hiding behind her, clinging to her kimono
I put on my grumpy face and approached quietly from the side
He was to engrossed in his lecturing on proper behavior in children, and didn't notice me
Until I stamped my foot down right next to his.

He jumped and whirled in mid air, turning to face me

I half expected him to jump clean out of his clothes, but alas, they went with him
He blanched as he looked up into my scarred, scowling face, going as white as his hair
You have something to say about how my children have been raised, Crane-san?
You...your children?
He looked back and forth between me and Naomi
a scarred burly giant, and a small, demure woman
It seems he didn't expect Naomi would be married to a typical Crab
The kind of person who is very likely to fly off the handle and hurt someone when they get upset,
consequences be damned
The kind of person who looked like he could beat the shit of an unarmed Crane with little effort
I had seen these exact same thoughts run through many, many minds, so I could tell simply by the way he held
his eyes when the last realization settled in on him
I smiled at him
It's time for you to fly away now, little bird. Do you need some help getting into the air?
Ah...no, That is quite alright
he took off, almost running
Without looking down at the kids I spoke
did you win?
Yes, father!
I knelt down and hugged them
Good work, you two!
They giggled, delighted at the praise
Is this really alright, Ishigaki-kun? Won't he just go complain to someone else?
Let them complain. It's the only thing losers can do
Naomi blinked
Then she looked down
You two have gotten quite dirty. It's bath time
Naomi took the kids off to get all cleaned up and I smiled to myself as I watched them go
I was pleased that my children were learning their lessons well
When a weak person is confronted with a strong one, they will gather other weak people so that numbers will
turn the odds in their favor.
The strong person must never forget how effective that is, and so the strong must watch each other's backs as
well
Daiko and Tetsute would never have won if they didn't work together
teamwork and cooperation would keep them alive once they took up their duties

The Mantis delegation finally arrived, causing quite a stir

A lean man who introduced himself as Yoritomo Haruzume apologized for their delay
We got caught up in a small fight with some bandits, but we're here now.
Kakita Ren's could not conceal his surprise at this news
Bandits?
Yes, Kakita-sama. We have a letter from the Clan magistrate who dealt with them
The Karo took the proffered letter from Haruzume and read it
Then he passed it to Ren, who read it in turn
I see, then on behalf of the Crane Clan allow to me extend my thanks for your timely assistance in this matter.
Haruzume struck his fist into his palm
Ah, yes! We were not alone in offering aid!
As he spoke to people came up from the back of the delegation
They wore simple brown kimono, straw coats and hats
Ronin, by the look of them
Allow me to introduce Osako and Ayame, from the Disciples of Sun Tao ronin band.
Osako was a tall man, with broad shoulders. He held a piece of straw in his teeth.
And his left arm was missing.
Ayame was...
It was Shiba Ayame.
She wore a strip of red silk to cover her missing eye, and had a new scar on her chin, but it was definitely her.
Our gazes met as she looked around the room, and she smiled briefly in recognition.
So, she really had sought out the Disciples of Sun Tao...
Had she known that Hotaru would be here?
Either way, they were both here now.
It was only a matter of time then, until one of them died.
I looked around, and saw Hotaru
he had recognized her as well
But he was just staring blankly, I couldn't see any hint of what he was thinking.
Shoji was standing near Hotaru
He didn't show the slightest recognition at all.
I wouldn't put it past the man to have forgotten her completely.
I caught Ayame's eye one last time, and flicked my gaze toward a door out to a garden
She nodded
After the Mantis finished talking with Ren my friends and I made our way out there to meet with her

Monkey was the first to congratulate her

You did it! Good work!
Have you learned the Gaze?
I have, yes.
She scratched at the scar on her chin
I was a bit overconfident when I first learned it, but I have mastered myself since then.
Kitsuki-san spoke up
So then, I take it your friend here is to act as your second?
A few steps ahead of the rest of us, as usual
Osako nodded.
Yeah. That's right.
I gave Osako an appraising look
His once fine clothes were in bad shape, he'd clearly been a wave man for a while.
Under the tears I could see several scars. He might be as scarred as me.
And of course, the wound that took his arm.
He looked to be a year or two older then me, though his hard living might be throwing my guess off
Even Ayame had aged more than she should have in the time since I had seen her last
For his part, he returned my look
After a moment he spoke
Damn, you're huge aren't you?
No, I'm normal. You're just too small
HAH!
He pulled a gourd off his belt, uncorked it with his teeth, and took a deep drink before offering it to me
I took a drink as well
It was shochu.
Hard liquor, stronger even than Sake.
I glanced down at his daisho
So, it looked to me like his priorities for spending what coin he earned were his weapons, food, alcohol, and
clothes, shelter and bathing with whatever was left after those first three.
How do you still fight like that?
Eh?
I gestured to his arm as I passed the gourd back
Oh, katanas can be used with one hand...
The Dragon do it all the time, you know?
yeah, but they have something in the other one...
He shrugged.
It's just a matter of getting inside your opponent's mind, really. Most people underestimate me when the see
this wound.
I nodded.
Yeah, that makes sense. Capitalizing on your opponents mistakes is just as good a way to win as any other
He grinned at me
Damn straight
He took another drink before he set the gourd down, so he could smack the cork back in

Osako looked at all of us

On behalf of the Disciples of Sun Tao, I would like to thank you all for telling her to come to us
Ayame-chan has been an invaluable addition to our little band
He bowed his head
Naomi spoke to Ayame then
Will you rejoin the Clan when... when your business is done?
I do not know, Naomi-sama
Honestly, I find myself content with the Disciples...
There are tough times, sure. I have gone several days without food before and likely will again.
But there is a freedom, away from any superiors in a Clan.
Monkey spoke up
Speaking of business, how did you know Hotaru is here?
Ayame looked at him sharply
He IS?
uh, did you not see him earlier? He was in the room...
No. No I did not.
I thought we were going to have to go to the Phoenix lands, back to Shoji's castle, to find him.
Yeah, no. He's here. With Shoji, too.
Ayame's face settled into stony neutrality
...Really? Both of them?
Oi. You're not going to able to get to Shoji, so stop thinking about it
She looked at me in surprise
I know. His rank shields him from my blade.
you do not need to worry about me, Ishigaki-sama. I am well aware of my own limitations.
I just wonder what it will take for the Phoenix to stop trusting that man, is all.
My guess is the crap he pulled at the last court.
Eh?
He's not part of the delegation; he came on his own.
EH?
Mantis-san grumbled
Tell me about it.

I didn't have much to do the next few days.

Everyone else was engaged in the goings on at court, working on behalf of their respective clans
Back and forth negotiations, tallying the value of the battlefield victories, giving back lands taken, offering rice,
dyes, stone, lumber, in exchange for lands lost.
Conspiring with other Clans to pressure one Clan from different sides, making things seem like they are worth
more or less then they are
Trying to uncover other Clans secret alliances, and disrupt them.
Things I never had a taste for.
Looming could only get me so far, and my face made polite conversation strained under even the best of
circumstances
Of course, there was no delegation from the Monkey Clan for Satoshi to work for, so he was also free to roam
about
So he did what he always did without a minder at court
Tried to be everyone's friend, completely oblivious to the atmosphere of this place, and equally oblivious to
how annoying the courtiers found him.
I enjoyed watching his antics. It was like a comedic play
And the experience of watching courtiers faces for signs of their inner thoughts might help
I would never be as good as Kitsuki-san at reading others, but I might still be of some use.
He couldn't be everywhere, after all.
One morning I opened our door to head out for breakfast, and almost tripped on the body of Lion
Laying out in the floor, half naked, and snoring loudly, was Ikoma Masahira.
Head of the Lion delegation.
I could smell the sake, even all the way up here
I scowled and nudged him with my foot
uhhrm. Ugh. Ngggh.
I nudged him a bit harder
he swatted at my foot and rolled over
I kicked him
gently
That woke him up, and elicited a string of epithets as well.
He blinked in confusion as he looked around the hallway
A bit too much sake, Ikoma-san?
Eh? Urmm. Yes... yes. Too much sake.
You might want to get dressed before someone else sees you like that,
He looked down at himself
Ah. yes. Yes thank you

Kitsuki-san was teaching me to play go

He had adapted his training methods to match my own.
That is to say, he set up a go board and told me to place a piece. If I placed it in the wrong spot, he smacked
me over the head with a bokken
I stared at the board, arms folded and grumbling
This is harder than it looks
Of course it is, Ishigaki-san
Go takes minutes to learn, and a lifetime to master
I hovered my hand over the board
When I heard his clothes rustle I place the piece in a different spot
He smacked me
twice
What the hell? why twice?!
Once was for placing it in the wrong spot, the second was for trying to trick me into revealing where the right
spot was
So where the hell was it?
The place you were going to put it.
...You're a real bastard, you know that?
Thank you
He swept up the pieces and started setting up another puzzle for me to get wrong
That's when Yoritomo Haruzume approached us
He bowed in greeting
Kitsuki Daigo? I have both a gift and a message for you, from Moshi Aoi
3 bu on the gift being rice balls stuffed with ninjas
The Mantis held out a shamisen
I handed Kitsuki-san 3 bu
What is this for?
I bet it was going to be rice balls with ninja filling
I was wrong. No place for a ninja to hide inside a shamisen
Behind it maybe, but not IN it
Well, you should have known that Mantis can't get ninja filling anyway
yeah
Haruzume blinked, staring at the both of us
Kitsuki-san went through the three refusals then took the shamisen
And the message?
Aoi wishes to apologize for making you uncomfortable with her attempt at courtship
She was also saddened to hear of Bayushi Amano's death, and extends her condolences
It is her hope that the two of you can still be friends, and that you will one day allow her to play a song for you
on that shamisen
I rolled my eyes behind Kitsuki-san's back
Aoi was being entirely too polite
I was expecting something more like 'if you prefer the company of men you could have just said so'

a KYAAaaaaah! got our attention

Kitsuki-san and I, used to that sort of thing, ran over to see what crime had been committed
We passed by Ayame, storming away in a huff
And then saw Ikoma Masahira, with a bright red palm print on his cheek
He grinned at us and waggled his eyebrows
Feisty!
I had a sudden urge to toss Naomi into a sack and hide her in the back of a closet
And maybe Daiko as well
Kitsuki-san and I exchanged a look, then went back to the go board
I had quite the headache by the time the lesson was over
At dinner that evening the conversation was a bit lighter than I expected
It would seem everyone was taking a break from the harsh business of stabbing each other in the back, and
just intent on enjoying a meal
It was during a lull in the conversation that some poor souls stomach decided to gurgle loudly enough to shock
even the souls in meido
Of course everyone looked around for the offender
If I had to guess, it would be Soshi Mariko, since her face had gone as red as her Kimono
E-excuse me please..
She stood up quickly, and ran as best she could from the room
The tiny steps allowed her by her kimono made that quite hilarious
Too everyone's credit, no one laughed out loud
But more than few were making the trying not to laugh face
I thought nothing more of it, until I was heading to the baths after dinner
And found Mariko sprawled out on the floor just outside the women's baths, sweating and feverish
I knelt down, and checked on her
She was very sick
I scooped her up and ran with her to Toshiro
What the...?
She's sick. Feverish.
Damn, hang on
Toshiro fished out his scroll and prayed to Jurojin
Then blinked
He got out another scroll
And stared, dumbfounded at her
What is it?
This illness, it's very strong.
It IS illness, not poison, but it's so potent that even with my magic it's still overwhelming her body's resistance...
My eyes widened.
could this be a new plague?
Well, she's the only one who's sick so far... so I can't say.
He got out another scroll
As he finished that prayer her panting became less labored
Well, THAT worked at least
Monkey hopped up
I'm going to go get the Scorpion
Naomi started to come over
I held out a hand
No, you should stay back
What?
You have enough problems with your health as is, Hana-chan.
You should stay well away from anyone who gets sick, and leave this to Toshiro
Naomi glared at me.
Then pulled a scroll out, and very deliberately walked over to add her own magic to aid the Scorpion.
Well.
I had wanted her to become more independent.
Just not THAT independent.
I scratched my head
Now I was going to be up all night worrying about her
I should have know telling Naomi NOT to offer aid to someone would only make her upset.
Mantis-san sniggered
Oh shut up.
I gave Naomi a hug as an apology
She squeezed my arm to accept it
Monkey came back with several Scorpion
guys, this is Bayushi Koretora, head of the Scorpion delegation
Koretora bowed to us
Several Scorpion bent over and scooped up Mariko
Thank you all for taking care of her. We shall see to her well being now.
He bowed again and left
Well, that was abrupt
Kitsuki-san just shook his head
I've spoken with him a few times. He does not speak much, but when he does his words often carry great
weight.
Ah.

That night, I laid awake beside Naomi, staring up at the ceiling

Like I thought, I couldn't sleep
too worried about Naomi's health
Tsuyosa decided to wake up and fuss, so I could have something else to worry about
I scooped him up
What's the matter, little one? Hungry?
I held a finger near his mouth, and he did indeed latch on to it
I see, but mommy is asleep right now.
hang on just a bit, okay?
I carried Tsuyosa out of our room in search of a kitchen
Even late at night, there were still servants bustling about tending to the castle
I stopped one and got what I needed.
a small bowl of sweet rice paste
I sat down beside a pond, feeding Tsuyosa and staring at the moon reflected in the water
When he at last turned his head away from the proffered food I set him down and let him splash in the water.
For some reason, my shoulders were aching, and I rolled them around to relive it
cough
I looked down, almost in panic when he gave off his little cough
he looked up at me, wide eyed
then he splashed me
I put my head in my hand
So now YOU'RE going to start being a troublemaker?
As if the other two weren't enough...
I took off my wet top, squeezing and twisting it to wring it out
Ohhh, there you are. I've been meaning to talk to you, Ishigaki-kun
My blood turned to ice
I see, a midnight snack for my grandson, is it?

-kun?
he called me Ishigaki-KUN?
That would be normal, if Shoji were a normal father in law
But it was terrifying coming from that snake
And he had acknowledged Tsuyosa?
He had all but disowned Naomi for her disobedience in marrying me, now this?
Why?
Why?
I looked at him, silhouetted in the moonlight
He eyes reflected the pond, two pools of light in his shadowed face
There was only one thing I could think that would capture his attention
One thing that would explain this behavior
But it was impossible
We only just found out about Tsuyosa before this trip...
He couldn't know
Shoji chuckled
You still are bad at concealing your thoughts Ishigaki-kun.
Hooo? He's getting a bit close to the edge there.
I looked back, and picked Tsuyosa up
Truly, it only takes a second of inattention when they are so small.
Sometimes even when they should know better...
I held Tsuyosa closer
...
Nothing to say to me, Ishigaki-kun?
Ah, you must be worried about giving something away.
Don't be
He was still standing with the moon behind him, face still hidden in shadow.
Shoji smiled then, white teeth breaking the shadow
I know everything about him already.
Well, I don't know his name yet.
What is it?
I replied without thinking
Tsuyosa
Ahh, that is a fine name. Yes, even I could not think of a better one.
What the hell do you want?
Ishigaki-kun, your suspicion hurts me.
I only wish to see my grandson
My talented grandson, who carries the Hida's affinity for earth and my family's own bloodline within him
How did he know?
No, Naomi has not written in some time.
But I am a Phoenix, and a Lord. I can have VERY accurate divinations performed whenever I wish.
You... You came here just because of Tsuyosa, didn't you?
That is true, in a sense.
I'll ask you again, Shoji.
What. Do. You. Want?
From you? Nothing.
From your Clan though...
I am prepared to offer many gifts if they will but allow me to train my Grandson as an Earth Tensai.

Tensai
The word carried with it the understanding that one who bore it was a master of their element
No Tamori, no Kuni could match an Earth Tensai
No Agasha could match a Fire Tensai
No Kitsu could match a Water Tensai
It was a preposterous as a Scorpion falling for someone else's tricks, a Kakita being defeated in an Iaijutsu
duel, or an Akodo leading an army into a crushing defeat.
The Phoenix guarded the Tensai school as closely as the Unicorn guarded the Utaku bred steeds.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Clans would kill to get one of their number trained as a Tensai
And if Shoji was willing to offer gifts, instead of demanding them...
I should have killed him long ago
I couldn't risk it now, with a handful of baby
...did that sneaky bastard trick me into picking up my son, just so I wouldn't try to kill him when I heard his
plan?
Had he always been this clever, or was I just really good at pissing him off?
yes, that is a good look Ishigaki-kun
You see? While I can admit that you have given me more trouble than anyone else in my life, the proper order
of things has finally won out.
He laughed then
I made you a promise, long ago.
Do you remember?
I do.
He turned at left me, shivering and clutching my son

Chikusho
Chikusho
Chikusho
I almost ran back to our room
Tsuyosa could sense my distress, and squirmed in my arms
No. No dammit no.
I won't let him have you, Tsuyosa
Not after what he did to Naomi, to Ashitaka
I might even believe that Hohiro could have been a decent person, if Shoji hadn't raised him in his own
image...
Shoji would have Tsuyosa over my dead body
...which, I had to admit, may be possible...
What he was suggesting was unprecedented.
I'd never heard of the Phoenix wanting so badly to train a member of another clan as a Tensai, I only knew how
coveted that training was...
I could very well be ordered to give my son up to him.
Damn. My mind kept spinning in circles, going over the same things again and again
I shook my head, yelling at myself
CALM DOWN YOU IDIOT
I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to relax, to chase away the thoughts clouding my judgment.
It wasn't working very well.
Shoji had lodged himself firmly in my head
It was like I was staring at one of Kitsuki-san's go puzzles
The wrong move result in pain
What was the right move?
Damnit, I'm too stupid to see it!
...Kistuki-san's go puzzles.
Of course
It doesn't matter if I'm too stupid to see the right move.
I have smart friends.
I rocked Tsuyosa to sleep, sitting beside Naomi, and waited for the dawn to come

Well, you could always try to escape, hide out or something...

Kitsuki-san, know where Ishigaki-san can get some barrels real quick?
Monkey
Who else?
Mantis-san offered up his own suggestion
Threaten kanshi.
You're one of the elite, right?
I looked at him flatly
An elite bushi. Tensai is still more valuable than even me.
And that's before you consider, I'm the present, but Tsuyosa is the future of the Clan.
hrm. Yeah...
Kitsuki-san stroked his chin.
Still, you Crabs are a bit more lenient with personal desires than most.
Toshiro scowled
To a degree. Duty is paramount after all. personal desires are allowed only so long as they don't interfere with
that.
Otherwise I wouldn't be trying to dodge marriage talks all the damn time
Still, Toshiro-sama, I think that it may be worth an attempt by Ishigaki-san and Naomi-sama to make their
feelings on the matter clear.
Even if they are overruled, I do not think they will be dismissed out of hand
That will, at the very least, give us more time
I looked over at Naomi
She was holding Tsuyosa,
Her face showed no emotion, and she gazed straight ahead
it wasn't a thousand yard stare though, her eyes were focused
It reminded me of the resolute stare of warriors on the first rank, gazing upon the enemy formations.
She blamed herself for Tusyosa's illness; she was as determined as I was to keep him from Shoji's hands
Monkey spoke up again
Hey, Shoji's a total bastard, right? A real peice of shit?
So why don't you just tell your superiors that?
Just list of all his faults, all the reasons he shouldn't be allowed to teach Tsuyosa.
Naomi shook her head
We would need many more people to testify to Shoji's cruelty than just us
While he has been relieved of many of his responsibilities, it is unofficial: he still holds his rank. And the bad
blood between Ishigaki-kun, myself, and my father is well known.

I had to add to that

Not to mention, given his rank he could easily be overseeing things behind the scenes.
He tried to do that with Hohiro, using his son as his mouthpiece after Hohiro was named Master of Earth.
Monkey looked down.
Shit.
Mantis-san spoke up
Well, aside from all of us, what about Ayame?
I mean, there may be no direct proof he ordered that to happen, but when you add up all the bad things that
happen around him, it makes him look worse and worse, you know?
I considered that
An all out attack, across the whole line.
It could work... but if it didn't we wouldn't have anything left in reserve.
At least, that's how my military mind saw it
I looked over at Kitsuki-san
he seemed to guess my thoughts
I really don't know if I can come up with anything else...
he chewed on the end of his fan, mind running through scenario after scenario
Perhaps ruining him, so that he loses the last vestiges of his authority...
If all he cannot offer gifts, but must settle for just waiving the usual cost of teaching one not a Pheonix... in
combination with everything else...
Toshiro piped up
Hey, Naomi-san
Yes?
I thought the Phoenix guarded the education of a tensai dearly?
they do, why?
Well, wouldn't HIS superiors be upset if he was just giving that away?
Kitsuki-san actually smacked his own forehead, eyes wide
why didn't I think of that?
Toshiro answered him
You think of complex things a bit too much, that's why.
Naomi frowned as she thought that through
Hmm. But Tsuyosa is his grandson... so they may be willing to overlook it.
Kitsuki-san tapped his chin
Even if they are, I expect he must have used up quite a few favors to get them to do so...
I think it's safe to say that this is an all or nothing gamble on Shoji's part

Like a samurai that's been loosing at fortunes and winds all night, and throws his last few coins in on one last
roll.
If that's truly the case, then a strike at every point could work.
He simply has nothing left to respond with
I nodded
We had a plan of action now.
The first step would be to speak with Kaiu Terumune, lay out our case against Shoji
Naomi, Toshiro and I got up to start that bit, leaving Tsuyosa with the others
As we passed into the rooms where the courtiers courtiered a commotion arose
Not caused by us, though
An Isawa was carrying Asako Yuie
Her face was red, eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she was drenched in sweat
I recognized that Isawa. I had seen him placing a katana in the care of the household
He wore his full daisho, claiming skill with his katana.
Naomi had said such a thing was not uncommon among those Isawa with an affinity for fire
Toshiro and Naomi both reached down into their satchels
Toshiro worked his magic, then scowled again
Damn, just like before
Move aside, fool
Shoji was there, a scroll in his hand
Let me handle this
You Kuni are better suited to dealing with oni, you lack the understanding of Earth's complexity.
What are...
You have only the most simple prayer to Jurojin, which allows the body to fight back against disease
I know more complex magic that will do that, as well as bolster her own resistance.
...As is befitting of an Earth Tensai.
...
...that motherfukcer
Shoji worked his magic
Yuie stopped panting quite so heavily
This disease IS potent...
I may need to administer this treatment again before she can cast if off entirely.
Still, she is out of danger for now
THUD
I whirled to look
Toritaka Kageru had collapsed
flushed and sweating
...
She was trained in the Hida Ryu
If even SHE was overcome
I looked around
There were a lot of fans fluttering
But some of those faces looked a bit more flushed than others
I wasn't the only one noticing that

Circles were opening around everyone who looked even the slightest bit feverish
the court wasn't quite panicking, but it was close
Kakita Ren clapped his hands
Please, everyone!
remain calm!
There are several shugenja present who can see to this illness!
Even as he spoke Toshiro was trying again with Kageru
This time it seemed to work
I would ask that everyone who is not feeling well, to head to the west wind room
If I may trouble the honored shugenja, to proceed there and administer treatment?
Shoji bowed,
Of course, young lord.
I will gladly do all in my considerable power to stop the spread of this illness
Naomi nodded
I gave her a pained look
I don't think you should go into a room full of sick people, Naomi
Ishigaki-kun, you know I must.
I sighed
I do.
She reached up to caress my cheek
This is how I feel, watching you march off to battle.
But you always come home. I will do the same, I promise
I held her hand, for just a moment, before letting her go
Toshiro nodded to me and left
I scooped up Kageru and carried her back to her room
Then I went back to ours to tell Kitsuki-san and the others what was going on
This didn't seem natural to me, not at all.

So it's spreading?
Yes and no, Monkey
hah?
I've actually taken the time to study various illnesses. And this just feels...off.
Kitsuki-san arched an eyebrow
Can you elaborate on that?
No, not really.
An illness that can pass from one person to another will take time to manifest fully. The earth in a human body
resists illness, and that must first be overcome before symptoms manifest
The timing isn't right...it's just not natural.
Kitsuki-san pursed his lips.
I know more about poisons then illness, but...
I think you may be right Ishigaki-san
Most contagious illnesses are not contagious until the symptoms appear, as far as I know.
Soshi-san was immediately sequestered upon her illness manifesting
How then, did so many people contract her illness?
You said you saw members from several clans showing signs, yes?
yeah.
Were any other Scorpion affected?
I searched my memory
I... don't think so. Unless one of their masks was hiding it.
You said Yuie and Kageru were both affected?
Any men?
Umm. Yeah I think I saw a sweaty Crane or two.
Of course, some of those people who looked flushed could just have been nervous...
Shit, that's true.
So, we're confident that the spread of the illness, at the very least, is unnatural.
We know it's potent
And we have Toshiro's word that it IS an illness, and not a poison.
...
Mantis-san broke the silence
Its maho. It's always fucking maho.

Monkey piped up
Guess I'll go ask the Scorpion if anyone else has gotten sick yet in their group.
He shivered
That guy, Bayushi Koretoyo? He's kind of creepy. Stares into your eyes to long...
Kitsuki-san sighed
He does that on purpose, Monkey. To destabilize you. Just ignore it.
...easy for you to say...
Hmmm?
Nothing, nothing!
Mantis-san, you should speak with you clan members, and I will speak with mine.
We need to know for certain who has been afflicted so far
He glanced at me
Right, I'll go talk to Terumune
We split up
I found Terumune in the first room of the Crab's area
This castle was built to hold delegations, so there were several sections where one room opened up to other
rooms
That way delegations could have private chambers to sleep and talk, and a room for public meetings
Ren was there, along with the Karo and a Crane I didn't recognize
His hair and beard were white, not with dye but age
Milky eyes stared at nothing
Ren brightened when he saw me
Ah, Hida Ishigaki-san!
Let me introduce you to Doji Nakamura, my sensei
Nakamura bowed to someone standing just behind my left shoulder
I bowed back
It is an honor to make you acquaintance, Nakamura-sensei
A Sensei always deserves respect, even if he's a Crane courtier.
Likewise, Ishigaki-san. Ren-kun speaks very highly of you and your friends
His voice had a phlegmy rattle to it
There was a lot of experience locked within that blind man.
I expected he was one of the most revered sensei of the Doji courtier school
Ren would be in good hands then.
I found that thought comforting
Guess I really did like this little Crane
I took a seat next to Terumune
Ren-sama was just thanking our Clan for our efforts in combating the illness, Ishigaki-san
Yes, between Naomi-san's water magic and Toshiro's earth magic I feel this illness will be well in hand!
I pursed my lips, trying to find the right way to bring up my fears and ask about the spread of the illness

Hrm. Something troubles you, Ishigaki-san?

I glanced over my teacup at Nakamura-sensei, unable to keep the surprise off my face
Kitsuki-san could almost read a person's mind from small shifts of the expression...but how the hell did a blind
man guess what was on my mind?
He chuckled as though aware of my shock.
I have a gift, Ishigaki-san.
I can sense peoples moods.
He pointed to his eyes
These is not due to age. I was born this way.
As such, my other senses are much sharper.
I see...
Well then. I suppose I'll just come out with it
Terumune-san, have any Crabs become ill aside from Kageru?
No, not yet.
Ren-sama, have any Crane become ill yet? I mean truly ill, and not just sweating because of nervousness?
Ren pursed his lips.
Not that I have been made aware off...
He glanced at his Karo, who shook his head
Well, there you have it.
He stared at me
Ishigaki-san, what do you suspect?
When an illness is contagious, it normally spreads only after symptoms appear. And from the sick person to
those in contact with them
That's why quarantines can stop the spread of illness most of the time.
So the way this illness is spreading, it seems...unnatural.
Ren masked his worry at that with a long sip of tea
He set his cup down
so... more maho?
I hesitated.
If I was being honest, we didn't have any reason to suspect Maho...save that it was the simplest explanation
for what was going on
But my instincts screamed at me this was not natural, and the others had agreed with me
It could very well be, yes.
Ren studied the leaves in the bottom of his teacup for a time
Then nodded firmly
Very well then.
Hida Naomi-san and Kuni Toshiro-san, the Jade Magistrates, have my full permission to conduct a thorough
investigation into the source of this illness.
I bowed to Ren
I will convey your words to them at once, Kakita Ren-sama
Thank you, Hida Ishigaki-san
I headed off to the sick room

As I approached I found a wall of bushi blocking my path

Bushi from several Clans.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I wanted my armor very badly
shit
The air was thick with killing intent, and the bushi were eyeing one another with open hostility
So they were already suspicious of one another.
MAKE WAY!
I've a message from Kakita Ren for the shugenjas!
I was met with sullen stares, Until one of the Crane present spoke
I know you, Hida Ishigaki-sama.
You have the young lord's favor.
I trust you would not abuse that, would you?
Of course not.
Then go in.
I shut the door behind me
Toshiro was waiting for me, arms folded
We're to investigate then?
I blinked
Come on, I'm a Kuni, and fire is my second element.
I smiled ruefully
How could I forget?
Naomi was wiping sweat from Yuie's forehead
She was awake
What..what is going on...?
Naomi answered her
There is something unnatural about this illness, and we are going to find out what is going on.
Naomi eased Yuie up into a sitting position and raised a cup of water to her lips
Drink, you are losing water quickly.
As Yuie drank Toshiro fished out his Jade Magistrate chop and showed it to Yuie
Her eyes widened
then got even wider when Naomi showed hers
From the corner, a derisive snort erupted
Shoji, tending to another Phoenix
A poor choice on the young lords part, I think
You have a history of blaming the innocent for things.
There were too many people spread about the room for me to start a fight here
I might step on one by accident
I think Shoji was making sure there were reasons I couldn't punch him before he opened his mouth around me.
I looked at Shoji
It's a good thing such a talented tensai is present, so that the Jade Magistrates may conduct their investigation
without worrying about those already ill.
You will, of course, be able to cover for their absence, won't you?
He sniffed
Of course.
Go, look for your scapegoats.

Naomi and Toshiro followed me out, once passed the bushi I explained what we knew so far
We met up with the rest, who shook their heads
So no one else seemed to have gotten sick yet
So, Phoenix, Scorpion, and Crab have been affected so far.
Thus far, women only.
And it seems to not spread to others, at least not from contact with those afflicted.
Monkey pulled out a jade finger
So...? Jade Tests all around?
Toshiro frowned
Too many too soon, I think.
I doubt the magic is being cast directly on them
But it could be?
Well, if there were several bloodspeakers sure...
I looked over
You think it might be another charm, like with Ayame?
Mantis-san shook his head
How could so many people all have gotten cursed items?
Naomi answered
Gifts, perhaps?
Kitsuki-san nodded slowly
We should backtrack their actions over the last few days, in any event. Some commonality is sure to present
itself...
Shouts caught our attention.
So uh, when I went to get Toshiro and Naomi there were a bunch of bushi glaring at each other outside
Kitsuki-san looked at me sharply
And you didn't think the revelation that jade magistrates would be investigating an unnatural cause to this
would exacerbate that?!
I hoped they wouldn't notice...
He sighed
Not everyone is as thick as you are, Ishigaki-san...
yeah, I see that.
Naomi looked at us all
We should not be standing around here, let us go and address that commotion.
My body warmed up as we jogged down the halls to where the fight was breaking out
Scorpions and Lions were in a fist fight, with Ikoma Masahira in the middle
Mantis-san and I exchanged a glance
Kitsuki-san quickly began to explain to the Daidoji who were just about to get involved that we had experience
breaking up brawls
He left out the part where we did so by laying everyone involved out cold
It wasn't much of a fight, since it was mostly courtiers involved

I have no idea where he got it from, but Masahiro smacked a go board over my head
I let Mantis-san subdue Koretoyo and the rest of the Scorpion
Masahiro was the last to go down, and only stopped after I tripped him and sat on his chest
The man fought like a cornered animal
His wild, undisciplined fury was surprisingly effective, and I was panting a bit after it was all over
Ren came in at last, with Daidoji Hideo
he blinked at the sight of me sitting on the Lion delegate
Then shook his head
Will someone please explain this scene before my eyes?
From underneath me a voice came forth
It's the damn Scorpion! They're poisoning everyone!
But, Ikoma-san...it was a Scorpion who first fell ill. Even now, Soshi Mariko struggles to overcome the sickness
A deception! Deception I say!
Oi. It's not poison though.
Toshiro over there can tell the difference between poison and illness, since the treatments are different and Oni
can cause both
Whoa, really?
Yeah, there are Oni that spread plague, and Oni with venom so potent it can scour armor.
Huh.
So...it's NOT poison?
It's not poison.
Oh. Well then get the hell off me!
Shouldn't you apologize first?
To a Scorpion?!
...
I'm very sorry for my rude actions Bayushi-san
Koretoyo, who was having his black eye treated by Naomi, waved his hand
yes, yes, I know. Too much sake.
Though his words seemed nonchalant, he put great stress on that last part.
Everyone knew he was calling Masahiro a drunkard, but if Masahiro complained Koretoyo would just wonder
why Masahiro did not want Koretoyo to accept his apology
I got up off of the Lion, while he sputtered a bit before storming off
I muttered to Ren
I don't think the Lion are taking these talks very seriously, if they send someone like him
Ren nodded to me.
then his head kept going down.
Along with the rest of his body
I caught him before he hit the floor
I could feel the heat from his fever even through his kimono

Naomi was there before I could even yell her name

Scroll in hand, she began chanting
Her eyes flashed with blue light, that slowly surrounded her whole body, and her hair lifted up off her shoulders
She was using quite a potent spell
When she finished the light moved from her to Ren, and seemed to slip inside his body
His eyes fluttered open
Naomi-san?
This is my most powerful healing magic, Ren-sama
I see, I do feel better already, thank you.
Naomi looked to Hideo
This SHOULD have cured him completely, but I cannot be certain, given the unusual nature of this illness.
Keep a close eye on him.
Hideo nodded
Naomi's eyes fluttered a bit, and she gave a cough
Damn.
I caught her, Toshiro coming over with his tea
Kitsuki-san explained that Naomi had always been in poor health, and this was not related to the illness
I will be fine everyone, do not fuss over me so.
I shook my head
You get like this whenever you work too much magic. You've been pushing yourself too hard again.
So have you, Ishigaki-kun
You're sweating
it's hot in here, that's all.
there's a fire right there after all.
I nodded to where Toshiro was brewing up her tea
And caught his eye
He was staring at me, in horror
Ishigaki...since when has the temperature bothered you?
...oh.
Oh shit...
My vision started to swim
then went dark

Dark
Hot
Blood
Fire
Stone
Steel
shadows and screams and the red moon and the stench and the pain and the rage and everyone died
I sat bolt upright, screaming
my head swam and my vision tunneled at the movement
I felt my stomach churn, and I braced myself to keep from vomiting
Slowly I became more aware of myself
My legs were tangled up in a blanket
I was in a kimono top, nothing else, and the obi had come loose so that my top hung open
I was drenched in sweat
My tongue felt like it was three sizes to large and a slimy film coated the inside of my mouth
the back of my throat burned with a dry feeling
I was so thoroughly miserable I concluded that I had not died just yet.
I felt hands steady my shoulders
A cup was pressed to my lips
Swallowing was painful, so I only took a few small sips at first
the slime in my mouth made the water taste horrid
I drank it all, and then looked to see who was with me
Red robes
Isawa...Kiyoyasu?
Hai. You're memory is intact I see
What are you doing here?
Helping.
My Fire magic may not be good for healing, but I am still a priest of the kami.
And I've been in plenty of sick tents before.
His hands had callouses on them, the kind you grow from long hours of sword training
You're in the Phoenix army?
Hai. I do not think I will ever come back to court after this either.
I looked around the room
I was in the sickroom, as I expected
There were fewer people here then when I saw last
Yuie died.
The rest recovered, though.
I looked at him
his mouth was a thin line, jaw clenched tightly
You have my condolences
Thank you.
I set about untangling my legs
You should not be trying to get up so soon!
The investigation... they need me...
He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down
I didn't have the strength to resist him
It's the middle of the night. It can wait.
Rest now.
my eyes flickered as soon as my head hit the pillow
my arms and legs still felt heavy
I slept

When I woke next, soft white hands were mopping my forehead with a wet cloth
I'd know those hands anywhere
I breathed in deeply, filling my nose with Naomi's sweet scent.
Ishigaki-kun?
I gave her a weak smile
She pulled me up into a sitting position effortlessly, and brought a cup to my lips
I winced as the water mixed with the slime
Gross
It is like when you find you have been breathing through your mouth while you slept, is it not?
I nodded
I hate that as well, Ishigaki-kun.
She leaned in, placing her forehead to mine
Good, you are not nearly as hot as you have been.
I looked at her
Fuckit
Just this once.
Just for a little bit.
I let my head fall against her chest.
I didn't even bother trying to hold myself up
She gave a small gasp as she held me
I was tired. All my old scars seemed to ache all over again
that dream...
The past? The future?
Weren't they the same for me?
Nothing but monsters and death, no matter where I turned
Was that just a fever-dream? A side effect of the Maho?
Or... was it a prophecy?
My shoulders ached. A deep ache, in the very joints
I nuzzled into my Hana-chan's chest
And...for just a few moments. I let myself be the weak one.
When I had enough of my indulgence I pulled back and looked up
She was smiling serenely
Thank you, Ishigaki-kun.
I could only blink.
Most samurai will only show that side to a geisha.
I know that is not proper for a husband to show weakness to his wife.
But... I am glad. Glad to know that I can support you as much as you have supported me.
She wiped at her tears, and hugged me tightly
and whispered
I am so glad you are alive, my love.
I whispered back
I'm not so dumb that I would tempt fate by saying nothing can kill me, Hana-can.
But at least, it will take more than a maho induced fever to do so.
Hai. My rock. My castle. Rest. We will have your cracks repaired in no time.
Uh, the investigation...?
The tea.
Huh?
More specifically, the Tea SET,

Then, Kaiu-san?
Over there
She nodded off to a corner
I looked over, and saw him tossing about in his sleep
An Asahina mopped his sweat, tending him
Naomi sighed
I think he will live as well
Asako Yuie was the only one to succumb to the illness so far, though not everyone has recovered yet
And Ren-sama?
She frowned
My magic did not remove the disease as it should have.
It became dormant for a time, then attacked him again.
Will he make it?
I believe so, yes.
He is under constant care.
But he has yet to wake
I see. Um, how long have I...?
You have slept for two days
damn...
The tea set was one of the gifts brought for Ren-sam by the courtiers, but we do not yet know who brought it.
We are trying to find that out, but so is everyone else, and they hamper our work with their accusations.
There has already been a duel, between Kiyoyasu and one of the Mantis.
She shook her head
I think that was the point. The fever is dangerous, but it can be treated.
Duels over accusations of Maho though, cannot.
I see. You do need me then, to break that shit up.
Hai. But we need you at your best, Ishigaki-kun.
So, rest.
...
Okay.
I did as I was told

Gluey eyelids parted slowly

I rubbed the gack out of my eyes, so I could get them open properly
It was quiet
I looked around
Everyone in the room was sleeping soundly, Just one Asahina softly walking from one bed to the other
As I tossed my blanket off, my joints popped.
Yep, been laying here way too long.
I straightened up my Kimono
The Asahina came over, looking down at me
You look much better, Crab-san
I feel filthy though.
He handed me a small bucket, cloth, soap and a fresh Kimono
I thought you might.
Thanks
I stood and legs that hadn't borne my weight in days felt like they were being pricked by thousands of tiny
needles
The Asahina steadied me as I stumbled
too quick?
A bit... but I'll be fine once my blood gets moving properly again.
He nodded
I took a nice long bath, scrubbing the days old sweat from my body and letting the warm water soothe my body
I felt reborn
I dried off, got changed and headed back to my room
As soon as I entered a pair of heavy weights attached themselves to my legs
DADDY! PAPA!
I looked down into the stear stained faces of my children
Tetsute had a snot bubble coming out of his nose
Hey now, you two.
Were you worried about me?
YES!
I bent over to rub their heads
Well I'm fine now, I promise
I made to head deeper into the room
But they didn't let go
I looked down.
They were still sobbing, though with relief
Children had not yet learned to bottle up their feelings until the right time to let them out
I found their honesty beautiful
So I just walked with my new training weights for a bit
sobs turned to giggles quickly, enjoying this new game
THe door to the room opened, and Monkey looked in
Saw me heading to the wardrobe
Saw the kids on my legs
Uhhhh.
Should you be training so soon after being sick?
Of course I should, Monkey. My body has been getting lazy.
I opened the wardrobe to get out a full kimono.
Then I lifted my left leg and shook it a few times
I need to get dressed!

Daiko held on tightly, giggling loudly

I tried the other leg, with similar results
Monkey, get my wife for me.
Uh, yeah
He left, laughing to himself
I paced back and forth, hoping they would get tired eventually.
But baby Crabs don't tire easily.
Everyone came in, and laughter ensued at my plight
Yeah, yeah. Hilarious.
I lifted my Daikoleg
Naomi? Help?
Holding her hand over her mouth to hide her smile, Naomi came over and knelt down
Okay you two. Let go of your father now. He'll play with you again, later.
I recognized her firm tone, the one that was somehow gentle yet absolute.
Daiko and Tetsute pouted, just a bit, but only after they let go
I hugged them both
They hugged back
Then I got dressed, putting on my armor
Kitsuki-san looked on
Do you know where things stand?
Tea Set. trying to find who brought it.
He nodded
We've investigated the Crab, Scorpion and Mantis so far. But no one has done or said anything even remotely
suspicious.
I heard about the duel between the Phoenix and the Mantis, any others?
Not yet, but it's only a matter of time
So, how are we proceeding?
Interviews for now. Trying to shake the brush and see what gets startled.
Like I said, it's not yielded anything...yet.
I nodded.
I ran a hand along my chin
Scraggly again.
I pulled the whiskers taut and sliced them off my tanto.
My usual look.
I hefted up my tetsubo
Well then... Shall we get started for the day?

Kitsuki-san, Mantis-san, and Monkey continued with their interrogations

Toshiro would head out to pick a person to be interviewed
Naomi and I patrolled the rest of the castle, carefully watching the arguments raging between the various
courtiers, assisting the overworked Daidoji in keeping the fragile peace
The fist fight I had to break up was between Kiyoyasu and Masahiro
It had nothing at all to do with accusations
Kiyoyasu was just screaming at Masahiro for being drunk...again.
While it was true that someone should have reprimanded Masahiro for his drunkenness, Kiyoyasu was NOT
that person.
Rules. There are always rules about who is allowed to way what and when.
So Kiyoyasu was only staining his own honor by ignoring those rules
I walked up to them both.
At this point, Kiyoyasu's hand was groping for the sword that was not there
I set my tetsubo on his foot
And leaned on it
Kiyoyasu...
You should know that my patience is about as long as the hairs on my chin.
He looked up at me, face twisted into a grimace.
I imagine his foot hurt quite a bit
Still, he managed to be indignant
What are you even doing?
Helping the Daidoji keep this court from becoming a bloodbath.
I looked pointedly at his hand
He glanced down as well
And grunted in surprise
His hand dropped to his side
I took my tetsubo off his foot
Then Masahiro had to go and open his damn fool mouth
Yeah! That Phoenix is as temperamental as you'd expect from a fire shugenja!
Go on, get out of here, before I'm forced to hurt you!
I grabbed Kiyoyasu's arm before he could pull his wakizashi
Then I turned to glare at Masahiro
He wasn't paying me any mind
Rather he was looking at Naomi
You see? This is how a shugenja should be! Quite, demure!
Then, right in front of my, he stroked my wife's ass.
I became aware of weight on my arm
I blinked.
Kiyoyasu was holding my arm, leaning back with all his weight
My knuckles hurt
Well...
Shit.

Masahiro was sitting on the floor, blood flowing freely from his broken nose
WHAT the hell was that for?
THAT'S MY WIFE YOU BASTARD!
Uhh..oops?
Masahiro looked back and forth between me and Naomi, who was glaring tantos at him.
I was impressed with her ability to express her fury while her face was bright red from embarrassment
Masahiro wiped at his blood
Guess I deserved that then... sorry.
He lurched drunkenly to his feet, then staggered out of the room, holding his head back.
I could only sputter as he bumped into the door frame, twice, before successfully exiting the room.
Naomi...?
Hai?
I don't think he's the culprit
He's just too...
Naomi nodded
I know what you mean, and I am forced to agree with you, Ishigaki-kun.
After that little outburst, Naomi and I switched jobs with Mantis-san and Toshiro
I took up my position at the edge of the room, preparing to loom on command once more
Only for all of us to be surprised when Naomi came in with Osako
He said he has something he wishes to tell us
Kitsuki-san shrugged and motioned
Well, go on then
Osako scratched at his chest
could I have a drink first?
Monkey glanced at Kitsuki-san, who nodded
As Monkey got up, Osako spoke again
Shochu, please. Sake is too light for me...
I was rapidly having my fill of drunkards.
Though Osako seemed better in control of his habits
Perhaps because being a ronin, a drunken outburst could be much more costly.
Monkey came back with Osako's shochu.
He drank deeply.
Then sighed
He looked at Kitsuki-san.
You're a Justicar, right? You've studied swordplay?
Yes... but what
Osako stood up, and took a stance
It looked awkward, with only one arm
Then Osako stepped.
But he didn't step.
He walked
wait...
Kistuki-san's eyes widened
You...you are a Mirumoto?
...was
I was...once...
Osako took another drink

Look, I don't like remembering that.

But I needed you to know, so that you'll listen to what I have to say.
That Dragon...Mirumoto Nagatsune?
I may not have gotten far at all in my schooling, but I know how my sensei and my senpai moved, how they
carried themselves.
He's... he's wrong.
I don't believe for one second that man attended the Mirumoto Ryu.
Kistuki-san leaned back, tapping his chin with his fan.
His eyes unfocused, and I knew he was remembering every interaction with the Nagatsune
Kitsuki-san's eyes snapped back into focus, and he stared at Osako
Why are you telling us this?
Because Ayame trusts you...
...and because it's only a matter of time before people start accusing the easy targets
The ones without Clans to support them.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
He nibbled on the end of his fan and muttered to himself
It's not enough...not yet...
Monkey leaned over.
I love watching him work.
Then Monkey glanced at Osako
Good thing you came clean with your motivations... he would have known if you were hiding something from
him
Osako nodded.
I know full well what the student's of Kitsuki's method can do.
Kitsuki-san made everyone jump a little when he slapped his fan into his palm
Ishigaki-san, how do you feel about picking a fight?
I blinked.
Huh?

Kitsuki-san explained the plan to me

he wanted me to start a fight with Mirumoto Nagatsune, one that would result in a duel
Kitsuki-san couldn't be the one dueling because he would watch not just Nagatsune, but also Kitsuki Hiromi
and Tamori Otani
He narrowed his eyes
Especially Hiromi. If he IS a fake I'd like to know how it escaped her notice
Mantis-san tilted his head
It escaped yours, didn't it?
I almost never spoke with the man. Yet I would expect the members of a delegation to have a much closer
relationship
Hey, Kitsuki-san?
Wouldn't monkey be a better choice for this? I'm not really much of a duelist
He eyed me in response
You are able to be mean and insulting in ways he cannot, Ishigaki-san.
...thanks...I think.
And while I have no doubt Mantis-san could also pick a fight, I am mildly surprised every time he manages to
sheath his katana without slicing off a finger or two.
HEY! I'm not THAT bad with it!
Kitsuki-san just gave a derisive snort
So that was why I walked up behind a Dragon (or maybe not) and poured my tea down the back of his kimono
He whirled around in surprise and confusion
After shaking the last few drops of tea from the cup I dropped it, open end down, on his head
oops.
Nagatsune seethed for a moment
WHAT...
He took a breath
...is your problem?!
Fans did not flutter. This was too blunt, to shocking.
Instead everyone in the room stared, mouths hanging open, completely uncertain of what would come next.
I felt a little bit inspired
I don't like you.
Excuse me?
I looked down
You've got hairy toes
Everyone looked down at the same time, embarrassing Nagatsune further
...and you've been staring at my daughter.
She's not even in a dojo yet, you pervert.
Nagatsune sputtered hard as his face went a deep, satisfying, shade of purple
I turned and headed out into a garden.
Nagatsune got his rage under control long enough to bellow
BRING ME MY SWORD!

A Daidoji came running up and handed him the blade

He stormed out into the garden where I awaited him.
Of course everyone came to watch
The Daidoji were looking nervous.
I had, perhaps, gone a little overboard.
So maybe he was planning to kill me.
Such a thing was not for spur of the moment duels like this. There were procedures.
If he did kill me, he'd be a murderer in the eyes of the law.
Then the Daidoji would have to arrest him, at least until an Emerald Magistrate could arrive to pass judgment,
or our lord's worked it out between themselves
Of course while their worries were understandable, they were also unnecessary.
I was still in my armor, and he was so angry he forgot to insist I remove it.
I was already dishonoring myself with my actions anyway, wearing my armor to the duel was just seasoning.
We took our stances
I crouched down, feet a bit wider then my shoulders, and turned my saya sideways in my obi, so that I could
draw and cut and his right hip
He went for the most basic of basic stances
Right leg forward, knee bent. left leg straight out behind him
He would draw up and a cut down
I could see what Osako meant. Hardly what I would expect from an experienced Mirumoto
As I studied his stance I received another shock.
My iaijutsu technique surpassed his
While it was true that Niten was more focused on pragmatic combat or ritual fights like this, there was no such
thing as a Mirumoto that did not devote time to training iaijutsu as well.
Their eternal rivalry with the Kaktia-ryu guaranteed it.
Not only was his technique inferior, his mind was unbalanced. I could see his muscles twitching, and his face
was twisted with naked rage
I didn't think my insults alone did that. He clearly had a problem with his temper.
The world fell away, until it was only him, and me.
He kiaied loudly, drawing his blade and charging
I waited
When he came close enough I drew and cut, twisting to the side to follow through with my strike

His blade whistled past my head as I turned

He moved passed me a few steps
I watched him go by calmly, as blood dripped from my blade to the ground below
I would have expected better from a student still living in the dojo.
I looked around
I wasn't the only one who saw that.
Bayushi Koretoya was tryin to bore a hole through Nagatsune with his gaze
I glanced to Kitsuki-san.
He was staring at Hiromi. And frowning, deeply.
Then he stood up and stormed over to me and Nagatsune
Who are you?
I know the techniques of the Mirumoto.
That pitiful display...
You are not trained in Nitten!
Nagatsune looked at Kitsuki-san wide eyed
WHO ARE YOU?
Nagatsune growled
You calling me a liar?
Kitsuki-san smiled
If this man could defeat you, you do not stand a chance against me.
Now, WHO are you?
Nagatsune roared back
I am Mirumoto Nagatsune!
What style do you use?!
NITEN!
LIAR!

I am NOT a liar you bastard!

Then you should have no problem listing off your ancestors, should you?
Fine! Mirumoto Sakon, Mirumoto Hojima, Mirumoto Kenichi, Mirumoto Hojiyasu...
ohhhh, Mirumoto Hojiyasu?
I know that name!
He was a great hero in the last war between the Lion and Phoenix! At the battle of the White Cliffs he led a
charge into the enemy's main camp and took the head of the Lion General Ikomo Ryumaru!
Nagatsune puffed himself up with pride as Kitsuki-san rattled off his ancestors accomplishments
Of course the blood of a great hero flows in me!
Now you believe me?
Indeed I do!
Is it not wonderful to have such great heroes in our Clan, Hiromi?
Hmm, yes it is.
Kitsuki-san's face darkened
Except, there is no such person as Mirumoto Hojiyasu.
Nor was there a battle called White Cliffs. Or a Lion General named Ikoma Ryumaru.
I just made it all up.
Isn't that right, Ikoma-sama?
Masahiro nodded grimly.
Nagatsune snarled
What? You rely on the memory of a drunken lecher?
Hiromi took a step back
And now you accuse me, as well? You have gone mad, Takeshi-san!
It was looking bad for the fake Dragons, but it wasn't quite enough. One more push was needed
Toshiro provided it
jade fire engulfed both Nagatsune and Hiroko
Hiroko cried out as it burned her.
Eyes darted back and forth between her, Nagatsune and Toshiro
Toshiro spoke
Well
That's that.
Nagatsune's blade flashed out, heading for Kitsuki-san
He cut deep, and Kitsuki-san fell with a startled cry
I drew my own katana and struck him, pushing him back away before he could finish Kitsuki-san off.
Nagatsune held his blade in both hands, dropping all pretense
Mantis ran up and tackled Hiromi, pushing her back as well, as Naomi came up to heal Kitsuki-san's injury
Nagatsune broke away from me, backing up
And a bolt of lightning struck me
Everyone around me clutched at their ears, as the thunder deafened them
I looked over at the woman who claimed to be Tamori Otani.

She was staring at me in confusion.

Most of the time, even prayers to the fortunes or even the sun were answered by the simplest kami.
Though there was always a chance for the named fortune to take notice, and answer it directly, such a thing
was very very rare.
And simply being tainted did not rob you of the ability to appease the Kami, though some who become tainted
become so beloved by the kansen the kami do indeed abandon them.
So I was not terribly surprised that she was able to invoke the fire kami to call lightning down on me
But I also knew that the blood in my veins had protected me from that spell.
Kami of fire could sense my blood tie to the Fortune of Fire and Thunder, and were reluctant to injure me.
It was not absolute, because Osono-Wo only helps those who help themselves.
But it was enough, and she was clearly shaken when I appeared unharmed by her spell.
Too bad for you. I am a descendant of Osano-Wo
I couldn't believe my luck.
I had always wanted to say this, just once
Your Knowledge cannot save you
I took a step forward
Your magic cannot save you
I took another step
Nothing can save you
I took another step and attacked her
I cut her leg, then slammed my shoulder into her to knock her down
Nagatsune screamed and rushed at me from behind, only for a wild monkey to shove a blade deep into his
stomach
Mantis-san had Hiromi pinned beneath him, and though she still struggled it was clear she would not get away
The Daidoji moved then, surrounding the fake Dragons with a ring of Yari
It was over.

Toshiro presented his Jade Magistrate Chop and called for some eta so they could begin the interrogation.
Kitsuki-san sat up with a few coughs, and shook his head to try and clear the ringing in his ears
Naomi turned to me at once
I'm fine, really.
But you were...
I'm fine, Naomi. She picked exactly the wrong magic to use on me.
She chewed on her lip as she looked me up and down, just to make sure I really was fine
Once she was satisfied she turned to check on the others
I gave Kitsuki-san a pat on the back
Good job with that little trap of yours.
He looked up at me
I regret it never crossed my mind that all three were imposters, though.
As the Daidoji tied up the fakes and relieved them of their weapons one came over and handed Kitsuki-san
three chops
He looked down at them, sadly
It seems these bloodspeakers must have slain the real delegates, and taken their place before they got here.
His fist clenched around the chops
I... must go. I have letters to write, and Toshiro-sama will need my help with the confessions.
I said nothing, because there was nothing to say.
Ren woke up the next day.
We told the young lord of our success in solving the case, and we all shared stories with him while he
recovered in bed
No one said a word to him about the executions that followed the day after, and it was handled well away from
the castle grounds.
No need to burden him with an ugly thing like that.
I cannot thank you all enough. This is twice now you have dealt with maho-tsukai that have been plaguing my
home.
Naomi demurred to his gratitude
It is our duty to do so, Ren-sama. We need no thanks.
She held up a hand before he could insist
But if you must thank us, then do so by getting well and ruling wisely
He smiled at that, and nodded
HAI!
As we left Ren to rest, my mind turned to my other problem
What to do about Shoji?

I sat with Naomi and Toshiro, mulling the issue over while she whipped us up some tea
Her idea
A tea ceremony to calm our turbulent emotions
Well, Shoji is going to go to my superiors with a very tempting offer
I looked up, as a thought struck me
But you two are my superiors
Naomi smiled
Not your superiors in the Clan though silly. Your superiors as Jade Magistrates.
Oh yeah. So then...Hida-sama?
Toshiro nodded.
Your family Daimyo would have to be it.
I frowned. The Hida family Daimyo and the Crab Clan Champion were inextricably linked.
Our clan wasn't quite as bound by tradition as the Lion, but certain things were the way they would always be.
I had met Hida-sama before. At the time of my greatest disgrace. I was not certain he had a favorable
impression of me.
Toshiro spun the cup Naomi placed before him
Hida-sama is a very busy man though. Not even Shoji would be able to demand an audience with him easily.
He sipped his tea
So he would first have to go through someone authorized to speak on Hida-sama's behalf
I blinked.
I picked up the bowl Naomi set down for me, put it back down, spun it to far, picked it back and gulped it down
I failed to keep the grimace off my face
Seriously, WHY is it so bitter?
Naomi covered her mouth with her sleeve as she giggled
I'm glad the torture of my tongue amuses you
It is just that in all these years, though you still put forth honest effort, you still cannot do it properly.
It amazes me how you have not let yearned.
Toshiro sipped his tea
You should know by now that Ishigaki must have things literally beaten into him; it's the only way he CAN learn
I set my bowl down and shot them both a moderate level of stink eye
I succeeded only in amusing them further
Naomi turned serious as she continued the conversation
So then, he must be planning to speak to Terumune-sama, if he hasn't already.
Toshiro nodded
Then we will just have to speak with him

I looked at them both

So, we're right back where we were before. We still agree we have to talk to Kaiu-sama, but we don't really
know what to say?
Toshiro shrugged
I think maybe your overthinking it.
He's a Crab, after all.
Let's just be honest.
It was certainly possible Toshiro was right
But my son's future was at stake
I wasn't very comfortable with probably
I sighed inwardly
As much as I didn't like it, I knew what doing nothing would result in.
Time to gamble, then.
We headed for the rooms of the Crab delegation
Kageru, rested and recovered from her illness was in the front room
Oh? You all look serious...
What is it?
Toshiro answered her
We need to talk to Terumune-sama, please
She looked back and forth between us for a moment, trying to guess why we were here
Alright, I'll go get him
After a moment he came out
He frowned as he looked at us
I think I can guess what this is about, though I must say I'm a bit surprised if I'm right...
He sat down at the table and motioned for us all to be seated as well
Is it the proposal of Isawa Shoji?
Damn. Bastard already moved.
Naomi answered this time
What, exactly, did my father have to say?
Only that he was prepared to offer gifts if he were allowed to train his grandson as an earth tensai, so far.
He claimed that you all held a personal grudge against him, and that this is the only way he can see his
grandchild.
My fist clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms
My hands became slick with blood
Naomi noticed it right away
Ishigaki-kun!
She grabbed my hand and began chanting, as Terumune blinked in confusion
Toshiro explained, since Naomi was busy and I could not trust myself to speak
Shoji is not telling you the whole truth, Terumune-sama.
Oh?
The boy in question, Tsuyosa. He has the same illness his mother has.
However, it will not burden him nearly as much as it burdens her
Because we began treating it properly early.
Shoji did not seek adequate aid for his daughter

Terumune frowned, glancing at Naomi

She nodded, confirming Toshiro's words
She finished her spell, and the cuts on my hand healed
My father is a very cruel, unyielding man.
If he would bend my son to his own will, and make him more Phoenix than Crab.
I spoke up then
And if Tsuyosa tried to remain loyal to his Clan and not Shoji, then Shoji would do everything he could to break
the boy.
I stared Terumune in the eyes, and let the emotions that image conjured up show clearly on my face
I will not let that happen.
Terumune stroked his chin. Our objections were firm, our stance on the matter clear.
He would have to report our objection when he reported Shoji's offer.
The only question was how much weight would he give our objection?
If he thought we were being petty, it would a simple statement of fact.
If he believed us he would argue on our behalf when he made his report.
Dammit. So much was up to other people.
So much was out of my own hands
I hated politics. What I wouldn't give for a simple issue I could come to grips with and smash with my tetsubo.
Sometimes the Fortunes give you what you ask for, as a reminder to never ask for too much.

of course, it doesn't always happen immediately.

The rest of the winter court passed without much fuss.
Save for the times Masahiro would get drunk and flirt
Shoji shot me smug smiles every few days, firmly convinced he had already won.
During one such incident, Kitsuki-san put a hand on my shoulder to remind me where I was
He whispered
I am putting a plan together to undermine him.
Political things. It will take time, but I have confidence it will work.
I looked back at Kitsuki-san.
I hope you're right.
I didn't say that was because I wasn't sure just how far I would be willing to go to keep my son safe.
I only knew it would be farther than I should
The closing days saw one last bit of excitement
Ayame got her duel
I asked Ayame how she had gotten Shoji to agree to a lethal duel while she was preparing herself
She smiled at me, then bent back over the paper she was writing her death poem on
Samurai often did that when going into duels or battles where there was chance they would not survive.
I reminded him of Hotaru's failures, and how Hotaru felt guilt over following Shoji's orders.
I grunted at that.
Well, whatever guilt Hotaru may have felt seems to have vanished now that his life is on the line.
She studied her last brushstroke for a moment, then made one more before setting her ink brush down.
Good. If he were to throw his life away on purpose I would feel cheated.
I arched an eyebrow.
The Ayame I had come to know was still there on the surface, but inside she had grown a core of high grade
steel.
She saw my look
Naomi-sama was right about the price I would pay walking this path.
However, I do not regret my choice.
As Ayame left to face her destiny I said one last thing
Hey, She'll cry if you die
..And you will find me to kick my ass if I make your wife cry, yes?
Then I must do my best not to die.

The two duelists took their stances

Ayame rested the palm of her left hand on the hilt of her blade, as though she were simply keeping her saya
from bouncing about as she walked
Monkey and Kitsuki-san both looked on intently
I wanted to ask them what she was doing, but the silence was too strong. I couldn't be the one to break it.
Hotaru took a simple stance, but I now knew just how precise the Shiba ryu footwork was.
His aim was clear to me, while he aimed for a simple draw up and cut down, he had no intention of standing
where Ayame was cutting when they passed
It all came down to how Ayame was planning to counter his superior footwork
She moved first, hunching over and running towards him
He watched her take three steps, then backed up and drew
At her speed, she would throw herself in his blade.
Hotaru had judged it perfectly, he was taller, his reach longer. He would cut with the tip of his blade; she could
not reach his body
As Ayame closed her hand slid all the way down to the hilt and she drew
Pulling the blade straight out, with a reverse hand draw
Her right hand came up, taking the end of her grip and guiding her blade up
Not into Hotaru's body. Into the wrists that held the sword coming down towards her.
Hotaru stared dumbly at the bleeding stumps where his hands used to be
Then looked up into Ayame's eyes
Before she spun around and took his head off
his sword, still gripped in his severed hands, hit the ground.

When it was over, I asked Ayame what she was going to do

Hah... I wonder?
Naomi tilted her head
you were only on a warrior pilgrimage, were you not?
Ayame looked down at her hands
That may be true, but...
I think now, I am one of the Disciples of Sun Tao. My heart tells me I am no longer Phoenix.
Naomi laid a hand on Ayame's knee in understanding
I scratched at my beard.
Your band, how organized is it?
Hrm? Well, we do often share what we have with one another, but we are not as tightly bound as say, the
Sword of Yotsu... why?
So you take work as you can find it as individuals then?
...yes...
I dug around in my coin purse and got out three koku.
Then I took Ayame's hand and placed them in it
What is this?
Your stipend. You work for me now. Don't worry about it, You'll get fed well and have a roof over your head for
when you sleep.
What, me? But...why?
You're a damn fine duelist. I'm not. If Naomi needs a champion I want it to be you.
And you're an experienced samurai now, a veteran. Three koku a year is pretty cheap for someone with your
skills.
I looked her in the eye.
your friend, Osako? Is he as good as you?
Better, in many ways.
Fine. go get him. I've got three koku left out of my allowance.
I glanced over at Naomi. Such decisions should really be made by her.
She smiled though.
A fine decision, Ishigaki-kun.
Ayame, still wondering at this turn her life had taken, wandered off to fetch Osako
When I handed him his stipend he stared at it for a moment
He looked at me.
Thanks for the offer, really...
But I can't accept
I tilted my head
Why not?
I hoped I didn't accidentally sound insulted.
...I'm still trying to find my way, you see.
He passed his hand in the empty space where his left arm would be
I still wish to devote myself fully to the way of the sword, but my old path is closed so...
I know what you new path is though.
Oh, what is it?
teaching.
He blinked
What, me?

Yes, you.
Look, when a Crab warrior gets an injury like yours or in the rare case the get too old to serve on the frontline,
they become diplomats or sensei
You've got a LOT of knowledge about swordplay in that head of yours, right?
But, I can't make use of it all
That's fine, you can still teach it to others. Not the secret teachings of your old Clan, or the Disciples obviously,
but the rest?
is there even a place I could teach just that?
Yeah, there is. The Unbreakable Blade Dojo.
There are quite a few sensei there who learned Iaijutsu from other clans, You'd fit right in.
But first, you need someone to vouch for you, and some time serving the Crab and earning some trust.
So take the damn stipend, and keep my home safe when I can't be there.
Osako closed his hand around the money
Alright. I'll serve you for now Ishigaki-sama
My eye twitched a bit at that.
Nonono. Just Ishigaki is fine.
He grinned lopsidedly at me
Alright then Ishigaki. Though I'm going to -sama the hell out of you if anyone is looking.
I sighed
I'll take what I can get, I guess.
With our two new companions in tow we headed back for Ishigaki Mura as the spring thaws arrived
Naomi rode in a palanquin, holding tightly to Tsuyosa the whole way home
I was worried about him as well, but we had done all we could for now.
Knowing you just had to patient and see how things turned out didn't make it any easier
Ayame and Naomi chatted a bit, the two former Phoenix finding common ground right away
Osako had two great passions in his life.
Swordplay and Shochu
Well, so long as he kept the latter from interfering with his work, I didn't mind.
And they both got to meet Daiko and Tetsute.
Their first real test
Whenever we would break for a meal or to get some sleep the kids would burst from the palanquin and run
around, shouting and roughhousing
Anyone who didn't get out of their way got caught up in their play.

Ayame was the first to fall, with a rather adorable BAAWK?! as Tetsute, running while looking behind him,
slammed into the backs of her legs
He crawled out from under her legs, grinned at her, then cried out in frustration as Daiko smacked him on the
back and took off
he got up and chased after her, determined to return her smack.
Ayame just blinked in confusion
Are they like that often?
I grinned with pride
Yeah, great aren't they?
haaaah?
I helped her too her feet, as Kitsuki-san deftly spun and avoided them. He didn't even spill his tea.
Ishigaki-san allows his children to run wild like this. You'll get used to it soon enough.
I chuckled.
they're training already, you see.
Is that so...?
I nodded.
They're both going to grow up to quite strong. I'm glad.
Means I won't have to worry about leaving the future to them.
Monkey had joined in their little game, and was trying to get a rather annoyed Mantis-san to join in as well.
Naomi sat down next to me, handing me a bowl of rice
I hope you are not planning to leave the future to them anytime soon, Ishigaki-kun.
I laughed.
Of course not, Hana-chan! They've still got a ways to go before they're ready to take over for me.
Good.
She leaned her head against my shoulder as I ate
I arched an eyebrow at her, though I didn't say anything
I have not been using up much energy, riding in that palanquin all day so I am not very hungry.
I didn't press; we just watched our children play together
When we finally arrived home I introduced Ayame and Osako to Shino
He nodded smartly. I'll see to rooms for them at once, Ishigaki-sama.

We spent a few weeks getting settled back in, with Kitsuki-san writing a flurry of letters.
Following up on his plans to hamper Shoji, and coordinating the hunt for bloodspeakers
Toshiro and Naomi wrote letters as well, to fellow Jade Magistrates, appraising them of the situation.
Letters came in, allowing the three of them to gain a clearer picture of what had nearly become an all out war
across the Empire
I didn't concern myself much with that aspect of things.
I liked to keep it simple. See oni, smash oni. See bloodspeaker, smash bloodspeaker.
So I helped Osako and Ayame settle into life in Ishigaki Mura, showing them around, introducing them to Nana
One-Eye, and appraising them of the various protocols for dealing with this or that tainted bugaboo.
I knew they already knew how to deal with bandits.
Osako whistled a bit when I showed them where we kept the Yari.
And it's like this everywhere in Crab lands?
Yeah. If the creatures get fresh meat, they can stay for some time.
Ayame blanched a bit at the implication
Osako made a grimace
Oh. And here
I presented them both with fingers of jade
Wear those at all times
I explained the protocol for dealing with shapeshifters and skin stealers.
Groups of three, if anyone leaves your line of sight for any time or any reason you check them when they get
back.
Better safe than sorry.
Then nodded understanding
Still, you shouldn't have to worry about that too much. Mostly a few goblins might sneak into the area. The
ones that are good at hiding tend to get as far away from Crab lands as quickly as they can, since we're
always on the lookout for them and know most of their tricks.
Well, that's comforting at least
Ayame nodded at Osako's words
Then she pointed
What's that boulder with all the ropes and sutras?
Hoo boy. That's a long story.
I explained the seal, and why it was there
Osako took a drink from his jug

I woke up in the night with my hand clenched around a small figure

I stopped myself from crushing it, my mind confused with sleep
then pain shot through my arm
I clamped down on my reflexes, still uncertain of what was occurring and looked closely at what I held
It was a goblin
that was stabbing at my arm with a wakizashi
I ceased restraining myself and broke it's neck
Awake and hyper alert, I heard the sounds
The terrifying familiar sounds
Naomi, Naomi wake up!
I hissed, and shook my wife awake
huwah...? Eh?
She woke up very quickly; I didn't have to explain to her
I quickly tugged on a kimono top and tossed one to her. No time to get fully dressed
Snatching up my tetsubo I ran outside
As I looked out at Ishigaki Mura, I was once more a boy paralyzed with fear and indecision
The seal was broken
Goblins were everywhere.
But they were just fodder
I saw several Oni moving about as well
I could hear my father shouting orders, but he was long dead, killed this very night.
No, that was me. I was yelling for jade
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nana One-Eye smashing a goblins brains out with her walking stick.
An Oni, like a cat with six legs that had been turned inside out was stealing up behind her
I dove at the thing, shoving my tetsubo into its slavering jaws and pinning it down with my weight
My sister ran up, a bucket of jade powder in her hands. Norkiko's manly face was twisted in pain, and she was
limping, but she was making sure the jade would get where it was needed
When I will find her body tommorow her jade covered hands will be clenched around an ogre's throat. A death
worthy of a Crab.
But that is tomorrow, and my sister is already dead, and I don't see any Ogres tonight.
I yelled for Akiko to pull my wakizashis out of my obi and powder it as the cat oni raked at my body with it's legs
My training kept me alive long enough to take the powdered blade and stab the beast again and again.

I saw Noritoshi passing out yari to the peasants. His arm was gone. He bled to death from that wound. He was
my oldest brother, and handsome.
Though he died before he could marry, I had wondered if I might have a nephew or a niece I didn't know about
from time to time.
No. No that's all wrong. This isn't right.
What the hell am I doing?
That's right. I'm applying jade powder to my tetsubo now. I have to face the Oni, the peasants can't stand up to
them. I'll leave the goblins to them
I focused my mind on my tetsubo, on the jade, on the sap used to keep the jade powder on.
I shut out everything else
When I was done, my mind was clear again.
Monkey, Naomi and Toshiro were on the front porch of the house, a defensive wall around the children of the
village.
Kitsuki-san was carrying wounded peasants clear of the fighting
I saw Mantis-san engaging an Oni. It looked like an emaciated, starving man, save that it had two large pincers
for hands and a barbed, segmented tail.
I rushed in to help him
He still had jade on his kama so I yelled at him to cover up
I slammed into the creature, swinging my tetsubo at it's knees.
It was agile and jumped over my attack.
I had, however, gotten it's attention
It tried to seize me in it's pincers, but Mantis-san struck lightly at it's arm, disrupting the attack. It's tail flashed
out angrily at him, and he was forced to leap far back
We circled the oni, trying to keep it pincered between us
Mantis-san continued to cover himself, ready to aid me if the thing attacked
Trusting in my friend, I used a Kata taught at the Hida-ryu. Adding my own earth to my strikes I sought to
topple my foes.
And with a tetsubo in hand what was already easy became even easier.
I threw myself headlong at the Oni, and saw it's eyes widen in surprise at my reckless assault
I struck it on the crown of it's almost skeletal head, and kept going throwing my shoulder into it's chest.
It toppled

Mantis-san, who was waiting for just this moment, pounced like a panther
His kama pierced the Oni's chest and black ichor spurted from the wound.
The Oni unleashed a shriek no human throat could make and went still
We moved on, while several peasants came up and stabbed it over and over to make sure it was truly dead
There were more Oni
Gouts of flame burst about the village as Toshiro strove to stem the tide of Goblins
Monkey was a blur, a soft blue light surrounding his body as he slashed and cut and stabbed, determined to
protect the children behind him
I could see Naomi, tending to the wounded Kitsuki-san brought to her. Ayame stood just beside her, shielding
her from threats so she could work
Several barrels came rolling into the groups of goblins
The brewmaster grinned, then dropped his torch
The alcohol caught fire and the goblins burned
I saw the large shape of an Oni thrashing around in the flames as well
Jade fire engulfed it, and it howled and fell
Mantis-san and I found another Oni to deal with
It was...a rock.
vaguely humanoid in shape, it stood 8 feet tall
A single red eye that looked crystalline burned in the center of it's chest
What is that?!
It's new. At least to me...
So, we have to figure out how to kill it?
yeah.
great.
He rushed it, trying to take it's legs out from under it.
I covered his advance
But not even Mantis-san's great strength, nor his training in toppling foes could overcome the thing's might
It stood, unfazed and brought down it's heavy fists
I managed to get between Mantis-san and it, and stopped its attack on my tetsubo
Spikes broke off from it where the creature's hands struck.
I glanced to where Mantis-san had struck it.
It was bleeding, something red and glowing, yet not hot.
But the cuts were shallow, scrapes really
I switched my stance up, adding power to my attacks. If we couldn't topple it, we'd just have to grind it down

Of course, you were supposed to be wearing armor when using this technique
You threw yourself onto your enemies attacks, letting your armor turn aside fatal blows so you could strike a
decisive blow when the enemy was most exposed
But I was Defender of the Wall, I was the Wall.
Even wearing nothing but a Kimono top I was still difficult to wound
As the Oni attacked me, I received his blow
I heard and felt ribs crack.
And I smashed my tetsubo into it in return sending chips of rock flying and opening a rent in it's body
I struck again, this time at it's eye, and it flinched back
Mantis-san saw that, and I could see him begin to focus
I stuck at the creature again, and used up the last of the jade on my tetsubo.
As it lashed back I dove to the side
It clipped my thigh, and my whole leg went numb
But as it turned to keep track of me, it's eye came into line with Mantis-san
Who lashed out, slaming both kama into its crystalline eye
I do not know how a thing without a mouth roared, but it did so as the crystal shattered
It's rock like skin began to flake off, and it flailed around wildly as it died
We backed away and looked for another target
But there were none
As the first rays of dawn broke over the Horizon, Ishigaki Mura was safe

as eta dragged the bodies of the dead to the pyres Naomi and Toshiro tended to the worst injured
Nana One-Eye had survived, as had Akiko, and they worked to bandage the lesser injuries
Shino came up to me, panting heavily and leaning on a dai tsuchi
What, how did such a force get here?
I pointed to where the seal had been
...how?
I don't know. All the shugenja said there was no way for a creature of the shadowlands to approach that rock,
let alone break it like that.
Toshiro thumpdragged over to me
I should go look at that
He glanced at me
Are you alright?
I looked back
I'd be lying if I said I don't feel it, but I can still fight.
not what I meant
I arched an eyebrow.
You were...strange, earlier.
...
I decided to tell him the truth
I kept seeing my family, at first.
Memories of that night were overlapping with reality, and I couldn't tell the difference between the two.
Truthfully, I was worried about that. Not being able to trust your own senses...we trained for times when we
were so exhausted our bodies would fight when our minds were not there, and we trained to deal with Jigoku's
trickery, but it was still an unsettling thing.
Toshiro looked closely at me
You are alright now though, right?
Yeah. I think anyway. You aren't a dream, are you?
No. I'm not.
What did you do?
I just shut everything else out and focused on powdering my tetsubo.
He nodded. Yes, that is the correct action when you see the past so vividly.
We came upon the boulder
Toshiro produced a scroll and spoke with the kami that had been part of the seal
He walked around, looking and poking at things.
He peered deeper into the cave
I looked around the outside
He came back to me
The rock was split by the Oni
I was told they couldn't even get near it
They could not.
But... someone else could come by and disrupt the magic making that so
He held up a torn sutra
It was drenched in blood
I looked at him
He nodded.
THEY were behind this

Toshiro did some shugenja things I didn't quite understand,frowned and turned away
I wish I could do more.
That'll stall anything coming up from the mines.
Stall?
He looked at me and grimaced
Stall.
I nodded
We need proper troops stationed here until the Kuni can repair the barrier.
He nodded
We went back to the village
There had been some minor damage to buildings, and the peasants were already swarming about making
things right
If the samurai of the Crab were the mountain, then the peasants were the bamboo forest. Able to spring to life
no matter how badly damaged, growing fast and strong.
As we moved through the village I offered words of encouragement here and there, even calling to a few by
name
My wounds were as yet untreated. I did not call attention to them. I simply pretended they did not exist
They had known me to be a friendly man, I had pounded the mochi and played with the few children in the
village.
Now they all saw that I had shed my own blood in their defense.
These peasants would trust me to the very gates of Jigoku now.
As I came up the house Naomi ran out to me
She looked me up and down
Baka! I cannot believe you have not yet treated these!
In truth, I was certain I looked worse off than I was, but seeing Naomi's concern I bit back the protest
I just smiled at her
There were many worse off than me though, Naomi. It's not as though these wounds are about to kill me.
Still, you should have sought treatment sooner!
Hai, I am sorry
I sat down as she grumbled about my recklessness
that gentle sensation of being wrapped in life itself flowed over me, and my wounds closed up.
I rolled my neck at the relief from the pain and placed my hand over hers
Thank you, Hana-chan.
We are not done yet, you need to be purified!
Hai, hai.
As she cleansed me with water and salt I asked
The children?
she pointed outside
see for yourself

I looked
Daiko and Tetsute were surrounded by the peasant children who were all bowing and thanking them
Awkwardly, as they were children but nonetheless
I arched an eyebrow
Naomi smiled
Of course all the children were terrified last night, but Daiko and Tetsute stood up straight and firm, in between
us and the peasant children.
It was as though those two were saying that if something got past us they would handle it
The other children realized this, and stayed put instead of running off in fear.
Is that so?
I walked out to where all the children were gathered
I folded my arms and looked down at Daiko and Tetsute
I heard what you did last night.
Weren't you two scared?
Daiko nodded
Then...why?
Tetsute answered
It's what you would do, right daddy?
I laughed
I knelt down to rub their heads
yes, I would have. Good work, both of you
They smiled at the praise
I yelled for Shino to get some sweet rice cakes for all the village children for being so brave last night, then
rounded everyone else up
Faces grew dark when Toshiro explained what he had found at the seal
Mantis-san filled in Osako and Ayame, telling them all about our dealings with THEM
Then Toshiro and I wrote out letters explaining the situation. I wrote for bushi to come keep watch on the mine,
and he wrote for Kuni to come and replace the seal
Shino came back in halfway through
We will need to replace our jade stores as well. Since we're not a fortress of garrison, we should probably just
buy it ourselves rather than ask for it from the Clan.
Naomi nodded to him
Do it. Even if you have to divert funds from construction.
Hai.
Osako looked at the letters we wrote.
Guess getting these into the right hands is a job for me.
I looked over to Shino, who went and got a map of the area
I showed Osako where the patrols moved around
You should be able to meet one quickly if you stick to these areas
Hold up your jade in a bare hand as the approach

He took the letters

The sooner these get into the right hands the better, yeah? I'll go now then.
Be carefull, some things may have scattered in the night
Right.
As he began to leave, Naomi began to cough again.
Everyone moved to get her medicine prepared
As she sipped it she smiled
Thank you all. I am truly blessed to have such friends
I rubbed at her back
I am just a bit worn out Ishigaki-kun. I will be fine once I rest some
I looked around. Naomi wasn't the only one feeling the fatigue
awakening in the middle of the night to a desperate battle will do that
Even Toshiro was drooping from using so much magic
You should all get some rest
Naomi looked up at me in surprise
What about you?
I'm going to keep an eye on the mine for now
But...
This sort of thing is normal on the Wall, Naomi. It doesn't bother me as much as my body is used to it.
o...okay.
I got into my armor. Naomi curled up with the children, and the others slept wherever
Making sure they were all comfortable I walked out to patrol
I made up my mind as I did so that I would find the one who broke that seal.
They would pay for this, a thousand fold

That night was peaceful, and I caught a few hours of rest after breakfast
When I woke up everyone else was waiting around, and slightly restless
Did you find something?
Naomi nodded.
I asked the water kami where the one who broke the seal was.
And...?
Toshiro growled
The visions in the water were clear. He's heading to Shiro Kuni.
So you got a look at him?
Naomi shook her head
I thought that spell showed multiple visions, though?
...
The silence from my friends made my hair stand on end
It did, Ishigaki-san.
But they were all Shiro Kuni.
Burning.
Toshiro's fists clenched
The Heavens have made it clear. The one that destroyed the seal is going to be instrumental in destroying
Shiro Kuni.
He looked at me
He must be stopped
I nodded
We got packed up and headed for Shiro Kuni right away
Shiro Kuni was, as you would expect, the seat of the Kuni family
It was the second one, built after the destruction of loss of Kyuden Kuni when the lands of the Kuni were
overrun by the Maw
As such, Shiro Kuni was built just a bit north of the Wall, close enough that it could serve not only as the main
home of the Kuni, but also a hub for command of the Crab armies
As a command center, and the home of the Kuni laboratories and Libraries, as well as being shielded by the
Wall to the south, it was built less like an Impregnable fortress, and more like a fortified barracks.
Which meant if some enemy were to find a way to get around the Wall, they would only need to deal with the
the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth legions of the Crab's Third Army, as well as the large number of Kuni on hand, while
fending off assaults into their rear from some the Crab Clan's most rabid berserkers sortieing from the Fortress
of the Forgotten.
I stuck my tongue out at the back of Kitsuki-san's head as I finished my lecture on Shiro Kuni.
He wasn't the only one who could spout off long winded speeches about this or that topic.

Mantis-san snorted
Gee, is that all? With defenses that weak it's a wonder Shiro Kuni is still standing at all
Toshiro glared.
Naomi is sparing with her divinations, but because of that we can be assured of their accuracy. Shiro Kuni IS in
danger.
Mantis-san waved his hands in protest
I know, I know.
Kistuki-san joined in
He is just being his pessimistic self, Toshio-sama, pay him no mind
Pessimistic?
Even you must have thought it, Monkey. We are attempting to stop something that could threaten all of THAT.
Uh... I hadn't actually. Until just now, anyway...
Mantis-san grumbled
Yeah, well it's not like YOU need to worry anyway.
And that was how I managed to reinforce the danger of our task and settle a nice pall over the group as we
made the trek from Ishigaki Mura to Shiro Kuni
As we neared the castle, a patrol picked us up.
Naomi and Toshiro presented their magistrates chops and explained to the leader of the patrol, a Tai-sa named
Hida Adachi, that we had business in Shiro Kuni
He narrowed his eyes, looking over at Monkey, Mantis-san and Kitsuki-san.
What kind of business?
Toshiro answered simply.
Jade Magistrate business.
Adachi grunted.
Fine, we'll escort you the rest of way.
Toshiro then made up for his earlier brusqueness by chatting up Adachi
Is Masagoro-sama still in charge of the garrison?
Adachi cast him a sideways glance before answering
Yes
Toshiro nodded. He's a good man, though getting on in his years. Have you heard any rumors of him being
made a courtier, or sensei?
Again, Adachi paused and considered his words before answering
He glanced back at his troops, then lowered his voice
Next year, or the year after they say he will be offered a post at the Hiruma Dojo
Ah.
The Hiruma had lost their original Dojo when the Maw overran Shiro Hiruma.
After that, the Hiruma scouts trained with the Shinjo.
However, in the twelfth century, Hida Yakamo retook Shiro Hiruma. For a time.
It is not clear, what happened in that fortress
But Yakamo came back changed...part of the Naga, it was said. a short time later, he ascended to become the
Sun
Although the forces of Jigoku retook Shiro Hiruma, Hida Yakamo did manage to bring something back to the
Hiruma. Their original bushi school, based on Hiruma's own fighting style.
The Hiruma family still bear no mon, no motto.
But at least some of the shame had been cleansed, and fewer of their number become berserkers than in
previous years
Though the Hiruma family is not yet resurgent, they are also no longer in decline
This is good for the Clan as well, as Hiruma was the chief lieutenant of Hida, and so the Hiruma still play a vital
part in Crab strategy.
So then, it seemed that this Masagoro that Toshiro spoke of was a Hiruma, and trained in the old style of the
Hiruma Bushi
Yes, there would be pressure for anyone with knowledge of those techniques to become a sensei. An
understandable concern, given the school was lost to the Hiruma for centuries
At last, we could see Shiro Kuni in the distance
A low, squat rectangle, a wide opening in the southern walls to allow large numbers of troops.
the main castle hugged up near the north wall and rose to a second floor, while towers rose up from the points
where the south wall met the east and west walls.
A massive gate stood open in the south wall, admitting and disgorging a steady stream of bushi
It was my first time seeing it
Adachi looked over at us
I suspect you'll want to meet with Hiruma Masagoro-sama then.
Toshiro nodded
This way
Kitsuki-san whispered to Toshiro
Not Kuni-sama?
Toshiro shook his head.
Kuni-sama may be the lord of this castle, but he is not a military man. He stays out of Masagoro's way and lets
him handle the military matters. It's been that way for centuries.
Kitsuki-san nodded

[as an aside, there's some homebrew leaking I should explain here, in case anyone missed earlier
explanations. We didn't set an exact time for when this campaign took place. When we started the CCG
storyline was just getting around to the Race for the Throne, so ForeverGM set us several centuries after that
with an Imperial Line whose name we have forgotten. Might as well think of them as Iweko dynasty for all it
matters. No colonies,no destroyer war, no Spider(in any official capacity) and as Ishigaki just mentioned, Shiro
Hiruma has been retaken by the shadowlands. The Wall is the southernmost border of the Empire.
Oh, the celestial heavens did have their little purge though, because all the once mortal fortunes were
upsetting the cosmic balance and making Jigoku stronger. Upshot of that is that the Jade Dragon is able to
make it rain jade every now and again, to replenish the land when needed. That was a plot point that got
hammered a bit to no real effect before. Jade was literally the tears of the Sun, and Yakamo wasn't really the
sort to cry, y'know?]

We entered into a room where a lone man knelt before a table

I ran an appraising eye over Hiruma Masagoro
He wore a simple kimono, the only sign of his rank a haori.
He had a bushy, but not wild, beard that hung down to his chest, and had a shaven pate and top not, in the
traditional manner.
He presented the image of a proper, refined samurai
Despite that, there was a flatness in his eyes, and a sense of wariness that was present in many veterans.
To me it seemed obvious he'd worked his way up, and earned his rank
He looked at us in turn, appraising us all right back
Now then, what business do Jade Magistrates have with me?
Toshiro handled the explanation
We're in pursuit of a Maho-Tsukai
Pursuit?
Toshiro nodded
We know that he has come here. Has anyone arrived recently?
Masagoro frowned
The Fourth received reinforcements a while ago. Several hundred people have arrived recently...
I exchanged a glance with Mantis-san
He didn't have to speak; I knew what he was thinking
Nothing is ever easy, is it?
Masagoro's lips pursed, like he had bitten into something very sour
...
There is something else I must mention, Toshiro-san.
Toshiro tilted his head
Masagoro looked at me, briefly before turning back to Toshiro
His eyes were tight when he glanced my way
The shadowlands have been quite for a while now.
The way he said that...
Toshiro and I both stiffened up as the realization hit us
The others sensed our shock and looked at us expectantly
I spoke out of turn
Masagoro-sama, you think the angry season is upon us?
Masgoro nodded
Toshiro elaborated for everyone else
The shadowlands...has periods where it is seemingly quite, almost tranquil. As though it were inviting the
foolish to enter it. And other times it has periods where it is quite active, and the wall is assaulted almost daily.
Like the turning of the seasons, or the movement of the tides.
The dormant periods always precede the angry seasons.

Monkey glanced back and forth between me and Toshiro.

...I don't get it
I tried to simplify it
Picture a tea cup Monkey.
Okay.
Now imagine it's filled with tea. That's the normal level of activities from the shadowlands.
Right now, the cup is almost empty.
At some point, when the cup has been empty like this for awhile, it gets filled to overflowing.
I glanced at Masagoro
Of course, no one really can predict how long the quiet periods are going to last, or when the angry season will
start...
But some experienced veterans can get a sense for these things.
Monkey scratched his chin
So, what you're saying is, things could get very dangerous around here any day now?
yeah.
And there's a bloodspeaker running around somewhere in this castle
yeah
Well, then I suppose we need to hurry, huh?
Yeah, we do
Once Toshiro and I had explained things, Masagoro spoke again
He bowed to Toshiro, showing far more respect than one of his station should, even to a Jade Magistrate
Toshiro-san, I must formally ask that, should I need your assistance you offer it. I know that among your
retainers is Hida Ishigaki, and you are a veteran and a Shugenja.
Toshiro leaned back, a bit flustered by Masagoro's display of humility
Of course, if your instinct is correct we will help all we can...
Masagoro rose and smiled
Thank you Toshiro-san.I will be relying on you all in the future. In the meantime, you have my full permission to
investigate for the tsukai as you see fit. If you have needs from me or the garrison here you have but to ask.
Well, that was nice at least. Investigations always went smoother with the full cooperation of the local authority.
Masagoro nodded to an attendant
The 17th barracks is empty right now, is it not?
papers rustled, then
Hai, Masagoro-sama
Good, for the time being the Magistrates will be given those rooms
Hai!
Toshiro stood, and the rest of us followed suit
Then, if you'll excuse us, we will begin our work
Masagoro nodded

Mantis-san grumbled as we were led to the 17th barracks.

Glaring at me he wondered aloud
What makes you so special a general knows your name?
I scratched at my beard,
I don't know
Kitsuki-san answered him
Look around. Many people here seem to know him
I looked around, and sure enough there were many eyes on me
Young eyes, for the most part.
Filled with admiration
Kitsuki-san chuckled.
Don't you get those same looks when you go home, Mantis-san?
You do?
Of course I do.
Huh.
Monkey slapped Mantis-san on the back
Ah, he probably just doesn't notice.
We got to our rooms, and sat down to discuss how we would go about rooting out the maho-tsukai
We're going to have to rely on you, Kitsuki-san.
He nodded.
I expected as much. This is Shiro Kuni, after all.
He was right, as a command hub of the Crab military security would be very high here. And there were many,
many shugenja at Shiro Kuni.
The usual methods would never turn up the Tsukai.
So, it was down to Kitsuki-san's eyes to find someone behaving suspiciously, to find the one detail out of place
that would reveal our quarry.
He smiled at the challenge
First he asked for a list of all the new arrivals for the last month
Then he set about scribbling notes on some paper.
For one who always bragged about his memory, if he was taking notes it was going to be a complicated
investigation
Since he wasn't going to need any of us for a while I decided to walk about the castle for a bit
Others went about as well. Toshiro and Naomi went to speak with the other Kuni about various spiritual
matters, Monkey was just curious about things.
As I walked about in the courtyard I could feel stares following me
Someone called out my name
I turned to see Crab, his armor bright and new, standing by an empty dueling circle
You there, you are Hida Ishigaki-sama?
I headed over and nodded
How the hell do so many of you know my name?
The Crab-Scorpion war!
huh.

Anyway, I was hoping you would spar with me!

Ah, that's it? Sure.
How do you want to do it?
Armor and tetsubo?
Alright
I stepped into the circle
Several others who were training nearby stopped what they were doing and watched with interest
What's your name?
Me? I'm Hida Giri.
Good name. Whenever you're ready
he came at me.
I couldn't really call it reckless as he knew how to trust his armor
But it was predictable. I got my tetsubo in the way of his strike, then shoved and pivoted my hips, pushing him
past me
He stumbled off balance, and I smacked him in the ass with the pommel of my tetsubo, sending him sprawling
outside the circle
Some of the older Crabs had a laugh at that.
Giri punched the ground in frustration
I walked over to help him up
That wasn't bad, really.
It's just...I figured you were going to attack like that.
Really? That's it?
Yeah. A minute in real battle is worth an hour of training. Be mindful of that if you plan to challenge veteran
warriors, alright?
He nodded
I...see.
Oi!
How about you try me now?
An older warrior stepped up into the circle
He looked about my age
Giri gasped
Gunso!
I see. Yeah, his gunso couldn't let my easy victory go. He needed to save face for his squad
Alright.
Without intending too, I ended up spending the rest of the day sparring with the other Crabs.
I was pleased that I didn't win all the matches. The soldiers stationed here were good.
I ate in the mess, then headed back to our rooms to see how things had gone for the first day
Kitsuki-san was massaging his wrists
I have a plan to whittle down the suspects now.
The rest of us had been making acquaintances all day.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
Good, good. Those will help immensely. There's just too many to go through on my own, but if we can rely on
others to keep an eye out...
He snapped his fan shut
We'll find him, soon.

The next day was spent moving about the castle, speaking with everyone we could
Fortunately, most Crabs understood the seriousness of hunting a Maho-Tsukai, and few took offense to our
questioning.
As I came in to deliver my latest report to Kitsuki-san, I saw Naomi fussing over Monkey's shoulder
Kitsuki-san, scribbling on a paper, didn't even wait for me to ask
He managed to give offense.
...How the hell did you pull that off Monkey?
I DON'T KNOW!
OW
Stay still, Satoshi-san, we're almost done.
hai, Naomi-sama
I just asked if they thought some guy named...uh..
Kitsuki-san refreshed him
Hida Tampako
Yeah! If that Tampako guy might be one
I slapped my face
No, Monkey. Even we have some standards...
Don't be THAT direct, just ask if they've seen anything or anyone suspicious.
You were probably asking one of Tampako's friends
okay.
I sat down and pulled out the notes I had made, listing off those who were impeccable, and those who seemed
alright, and those who might be a bit suspicious
Kitsuki-san crossed off and circled names as appropriate
...so yeah, several bushi I talked with had served with that guy they found themselves all here. Can't be him
Cross
good, good.
Kitsuki-san was muttering to himself as he rifled through the chaos
Oh, I'll find you you clever bastard... you think hiding out in a fortress of 1500 warriors will keep you safe?
I shook my head as I stood up
Like a dog with a bone
He handed me another stack of names to go through without looking up
Right then, I'm off.
Monkey?
Yeah?
Don't make any more work for my wife.
I headed out
I got about halfway through my next stack when I was approached by a messenger
Hida Ishigaki-san? Hiruma Masagoro-sama wishes to speak with you. He's on the west tower
What? What could Masagoro-sama want with me?
He didn't say.
the messenger took off
Well, you don't keep a general waiting when he wants you
I headed to the west tower

Masagoro was standing on the southern edge, looking out.

A wind was blowing up from the south, stinging my eyes
I went to stand beside him, as we both looked southward
From up here I could see the Wall, looming in the distance
You can smell the stench even here.
I sniffed at the air
Masagoro was right, it was there, stinging the back of my throat.
He glanced at me
I've seen three angry seasons, Ishigaki-san
Every time it's been the same.
It always, ALWAYS comes a surprise when it starts.
We know there will hell to pay for the quiet times we enjoy, yet can never seem to catch the end when it
comes.
You understand?
I nodded to buy time for me to organize my words
In a way, the quiet times are the worst. Looking for the enemy you know is out there but won't show... it wears
you down. And when your attentions slips, for even a moment...
Masagoro nodded
But not this time. No, not this time.
I can tell. I've seen it enough times now. Like an old man who can predict a storm because his joints ache...
I glanced at the grey streaked in Masagoro's hair and said nothing.
This man had as many years on me as I had on many of the bushi drilling in the courtyards below.
I could believe that he was right.
As you and the Magistrates scour this castle for a tsukai, I must scour the Shadowlands for the force that is
coming.
Uh oh. I could tell by his tone he was coming to his point.
I need accurate intelligence.
He looked me in the eyes
I NEED it, you see.
It's not enough just to know that a patrol didn't make it back...
Someone, anyone must return to tell me what they saw.
You want me to go out with a patrol then?
He nodded
Hai.
I waited a moment, then nodded
Alright
He smiled and clapped me on the shoulder
Yosh! I'm glad. I know I don't have the authority to order you.
I didn't explain that I was thinking about the prophecy, of Kuni Shiro burning.
Masagoro could very well be right.

WHAT?!
Quite down, would you?
I folded my arms and looked Kitsuki-san in the eyes
He could be right, you know.
Kitsuki-san rubbed his palms against his face
You're thinking about the prophecy?
You really think that a horde of monsters from the shadowlands could overwhelm the Wall and threaten Shiro
Kuni!?
Toshiro spoke up from where he was sitting
Masagoro is a long serving vetera; his instincts can be trusted. If he's worried then it's with good reason.
Naomi looked at me
But, the way Masagoro said it... it sounds like he is expecting his patrols to be attacked?
Yeah. That would be the first thing to do:blind your enemy.
I mean, you can guess where they'll strike by that, but if you don't know how much is gathered, or have any
clue when it's coming...
Naomi leaned in closely
But the implication was that you would make sure the patrol would come back.
That means if the patrol is attacked, and had to withdraw, YOU would be the rear guard?
I sighed inwardly. Of course she would catch on to that.
Naomi, the rear guard does not HAVE to die, just buy time for the main force to get away.
Naomi shook her head
It is to dangerous for you alone!
Monkey sat up then
Well then, why don't I go too?
I looked at Monkey
I closed my mouth
You...you're joking, right?
He blinked at me.
no...
Monkey rubbed at his shoulder
People don't seem to want to talk to me much anyway...
Toshiro looked over at me
I just glanced down at his club foot
He nodded, sadly.
Okay then. Ishigaki, Monkey and Mantis-san should all go and keep each other safe on that patrol while the
rest of us continue to hunt the Tsukai.
Wait, how did I get volunteered for this?!
Between Ishigaki being damn hard to kill, Monkey being lucky, and you being good at killing things, I'm sure
that you'll be able to handle whatever you may come across out there.
I nodded at Mantis-san
You would be a great help, especially if an Oni shows up...
He sighed
Fine, fine. I'll go too.

I oversaw Mantis-san and Monkey's packing myself

Here, keep your jade stored right next to your rations. Food doesn't resist the taint as well as living things.
Wouldn't want you die choking on a tainted riceball
Monkey looked at his riceball
man, these things really are dangerous.
No wonder you're always looking for ninjas in them
I nodded.
I glanced over at Mantis-san
Your armor.
Yeah?
There's always the possibility we'll run into something we just can't fight. The Hiruma prefer lighter armor or
none at all because of that. Easier to move, to hide.
You're going in the full getup
If it comes to that, I'm the rear guard.
Well, it's really a matter of preference. At the very least you should wear your suneate. Oh, and geta.
Monkey looked up
Why geta?
Rule number one of going into the shadowlands... unless you know different, assume it wants to kill you.
Yes, WANTS.
Even the plants are, more often than not, carnivorous. The ones that aren't are probably poisonous, and
scratch can be deadly.
They were both staring hard at me now
I sighed and rubbed my head
Look, what determines whether you come out of the shadowlands alive isn't the strength of your technique, or
superior skill or the favor of your ancestors or certainty in your victory.
It's knowledge.
You two, don't have that.
So I'm telling you, first and foremost, how to deal with shit that's unfamiliar to you.
The nodded somberly
I gave them both claps on the shoulders
Besides, while you don't have it, I DO. And so do the others in the patrol. It's no different for us then looking our
for our Kohai. You'll be fine.
Alright. Let's get going. It's a quick march to the Wall form here, then up and over.

I chatted with the Gunso of the squad on the way to the Wall
Hiruma Akiyama was not at all what I expected.
True to his name, he was massive, with the muscular build you usually see on Hida.
Such a huge fellow being so good at hiding his presence was...unfair.
There were twelve of us in all, four groups of three
Though Akiyama didn't say anything, he did glance towards Monkey and Mantis-san a few times
Don't worry, Akiyama-san. I won't let them eat any of the berries.
Chuckles, dispelling the nervousness that everyone feels when the come to bottom of the Wall
Akiyama was the gunso here, so I waited for him.
As his sandal slapped firmly onto the first step everyone else fell in line and started up
It was the duty of the commander of any force going into the shadowlands to take the first step, and so do with
unshakable resolve. This gave courage to his men who came after
I, meanwhile watched as the Hiruma passed by me.
tight grips in hilts. Mouths set. A prayer being mouthed, not even breathed.
Good. These were all fine bushi. Sense enough to fear the shadowlands, but brave enough to face that fear
without flinching.
Once they had gone I jerked my head to Monkey and Mantis-san and we fell in behind them
As we crested the Wall the wind screamed past, and I leaned into it.
Here, the faint whiff that you could smell from Shiro Kuni was a full assault on your nose
Rot.
Death
Corruption
Flith.
We were going down in the lifts, because we had outsiders with us
Akiyama mounted the lift first, as was proper. He turned and gave his men a wild grin
He shouted over the wind
READY TO SEE YOUR HOME AGAIN YOU BASTARDS?
I hefted up my tetsubo and shouted right along with them
Mind games. Calling up every ounce of our warrior's souls
Preparing ourselves for anything, for everything.
Akiyama threw back and his head and laughed like a madman as the lift started down

We reached the bottom of the Wall, piled into the boats, and rowed to the other side of the River of the Last
Stand
Not even Monkey was curious enough to look over the side of the boat
As we got out on the other side, Mantis-san looked around
This part of the shadowlands was blasted, barren hellscape, trampled flat time and time again by mighty
armies and endless Crab patrols.
So this is where you used to work, before we met, eh?
Monkey looked around, hand over his mouth.
It stinks pretty bad here
I stopped and sniffed.
He was right.
The shadowlands always stank, but...it smelled worse than I remember.
I caught Akiyama watching me
He didn't say anything. Just nodded
At Akiyama's silent confirmation I tensed and looked about
Mantis-san and Monkey were familiar enough with me to see that I was on edge and mirrored my wary posture
Akiyama then divided up the squads. Enough space between the squads that if one died the others would be
sure to receive warning, with enough space between the bushi that all three could not be killed at once
We set out into the shadowlands, seeking evidence of the army that was gathering.
The first thing we found was not a battle, but the remains of one
Several corpses, in Crab colors and armor lay amid some broken weapons.
There were several troll corpses as well
Akiyama stared for a long time
I knew why. The Crab that were here had had their heads removed, but their daishos were still present.
Looking at the dead Tolls, and the broken weapons, there were not enough Crab laying here.
As Akiyama knelt down and began to retrieve the blades I spoke to Monkey and Mantis-san
Don't be so quick to assume something in Crab colors is your friend.
Huh?
I lowered my voice
If the rest of the patrol had survived, they would have taken the Daisho back
And there aren't enough bodies here.
Oh...
Monkey nodded
Right. Assume it wants to kill you, huh.

midday Akiyama called for us to break and rest

We spread out into a circle, everyone looking over the shoulders of everyone else.
Mantis-san cracked open his rations, then looked down at them, going about as green as his armor
Monkey leaned over and looked at Mantis-sans food, chewing a mouthful of his own rice
You know you should eat when you can, right?
Yeah, but the damn stink of this place!
The other Crabs chuckled
I explained for him
You're not the only one who loses their appetite the first time they're in the shadowlands.
Another Crab piped up
Yeah, happened to me my first time in too., then my Gunso cured me
Oh? How?
The Crab cleared his throat 'if you don't eat it yourself we're all coming over there to feed you!'
Mantis-san ate a mouthful of rice
As we went deeper the land became soggy, spongy and muddy.
With every sucking, slurping step the earth itself seemed to cry out for us to stay still
Soon enough twisted trees appeared on the horizon, and we entered into a full blown bog
The limited vision forced us closer together. Lest we grow too far apart
But, being closer was still dangerous. An ambush now could do more damage then if we were still comfortably
spread out
Mantis-san and Monkey didn't need to me to tell them that; they became more vigilant on their own.
Then I saw them. Dark shapes, furtive movement, just at the edge of my vision
I called out a warning just before the first rocks began to fall among us

stones bounced off my armor as the others ducked down behind trees for cover
I stayed where I was. Armored as I was, sticks and stones couldn't hurt me at all
So I became Akiyama's eyes
He yelled out to me, back up against a gnarled tree
Goblins?
Yeah they're darting all over the damn place though; I can't tell how many.
OH you little SHITS!
Behind me, Mantis-san struggled to move through the muck of the bog, kama in hand
He had decided to wear his full armor, and so was hampered
On the other hand, the goblins, no bigger than a human child, bounced and hopped lightly across mud.
This was truly their territory
I moved beside Mantis-san, placing my bulk between him and the little savages
time for that bow, I think
Yeah. You're right
He unslung and readied his bow
Akiyama gave an order, and the Hiruma began readying their yumi
As I watched the goblins, I began to wonder why they were moving about at all
Then a blob of what I deeply, sincerely hoped was just mud slammed all over my mempo and covered my eyes
FUCK!
Ishigaki-san?
My fingers worked at the cords of my helm. I had to pull off my mempo before I could scrape the glop from my
eyes
I'm fine! Little shits just blinded me for a bit...
Hup!
Hoh!
Toh!
And then I heard goblins scream
Still blind, I asked Mantis-san flatly
Monkey's not slowed down by this muck in the least, is he?
My answer came back just as flat
Nope.
I got my eyes cleared just in time to hear the twang of bow strings and satisfying shrieks from wounded and
dying goblins
I swung my head around, taking stock of things
Monkey had bounded over to a clump of the filthy things, who were scattering in terror at his assault
Mantis-san fired an arrow off the the side, and grinned. He must have killed it instantly with that Tsuruchi bow
of his.
...to the side.
I whipped my head around
While I had been blinded the Goblins were moving around us.
getting around the cover being used by Akiyama and the rest

They've got a WARMONGER!

Akiyama looked up at me, as several of the Hiruma cursed
Monkey! Get back here dammit!
He hopped lightly between the exposed roots of the trees, at one point snagging an overhanging branch and
swinging himself
I scanned the treeline, looking for the bastard.
Goblins were cunning, but their cunning was that of a beast. They could see that samurai floundering in much
would be easier to kill with thrown rocks and the like, sure.
But to anticipate their targets taking cover, to then maneuver to outflank them? To blind the one out in the open
who is watching them?
THIS is what made Warmongers dangerous.
I spotted him, wearing a blue do and Kabuto
He had a Katana. A KATANA
I ground my teeth in rage at the thought of a Samurai's weapon being fouled in the hands of such a creature as
I yelled to Mantis
KILL HIM!
He nodded and loosed an arrow
It went straight into the goblin's neck, and the warmonger fell with a gurgle
But the goblin mob did not falter as I expected
Akiyama noticed it immediately as well.
Ishigaki-san?
I don't see anything else yet!
Monkey tugged at my arm
Do Goblins work magic?
...why?
He pointed
I could just make out the staff of a priest, one of those things with the rings that jingle as the priest walks
The wooden staff was broken off so it was the right size for the goblin holding it, and the bronze was quite
corroded from being in the shadowlands
The monster holding it jumped about, chanting blasphemies
Akiyama fired off an arrow
So, they've got a Shaman too?
Yeah!
I felt a chill run down my spine
What was it doing?
Dancing and hopping about...
..in front of some dirty naked goblins
...some muddy goblins
I turned and screamed
MAGIC MUD!

I waved my tetsubo, pointing to them

A flight of arrows from the Hiruma fell upon the lined up goblins
What the fuck is magic mud?
No time, move your ass Monkey!
I shoved Monkey away from me
Get clear, scatter!
Mantis-san, seeing my fear, didn't waste time
He leapt up, took off running
And sank up to his knee in the bog after three steps
Fire blossomed over my shoulder, lighting up the formerly dim treeline and the air filled with hellish shrieks
Mantis-san was looking at me
His eyes widened as he saw what was over my shoulder
a dozen goblins had survived the arrows of the Hiruma.
They were charging us
And they were on fire
The mud that they covered themselves with was very, very sticky.
It burned long, and hot; almost impossible to put out.
If it got on you you had to scrape it off.
I whirled around, standing between Mantis-san and the burning goblins
I swung my tetsubo full force, slamming it into the blazing chest of the first to reach me
blood and burning mud splattered from him, as he flew back
You had to kill them as fast as possible.
They were already maddened with the pain of being on fire, after all.
I crushed the skill of another one, just before it reached Mantis-san
the third one was leaping in the air, flying straight at me
When Monkey dropped from the tree and sliced it in half
The others got past us
Mantis-san shot one and it fell
then they were upon the Hiruma
Monkey, get the damn Shaman!
I began to help Mantis-san free himself from the bog's grip
His leg free, Mantis-san began to fire into the blazing goblins
I kept the rocks and sticks that were still coming off of him
A cry rose up from the Goblins then
I dared a glance
Monkey had slain the shaman before it could do any more harm
And with that the other goblins broke and scattered
The burning ones were all dead by that point
I ran over to check the damage

Akiyama was alright

But he was kneeling in front of Hiruma whose body was scorched nearly black
His flesh was cracked and peeled away in places, I could see his muscle beneath.
One eye had boiled in the flame
despite all that, he was still alive
He held out a hand to Akiyama, and croaked
Akiyama nodded and pulled him to a sitting position
The Hiruma looked at me, then leaned forward a bit, giving me cleaner strike
I didn't hesitate
Akiyama laid the man's body down
Rest, Kenshin. We will take care of the rest
he took Hiruma Kenshin's daisho, and his finger of jade. Akiyama passed the finger to one of the samurai in
Kenshin's group
Monkey and Mantis-san were staring, jaws dangling open
I knew what they were thinking
Goblins. They were just goblins. But one man was dead, and several others had minor injuries from rocks and
sticks.
Akiyama took stock of his troops
Most were uninjured.
A few had bruises forming.
But one woman had blood running from her split scalp
He frowned.
Heihachi-san!
Hai!
Gunso, it's just a scratch!
No it isn't, Sayako-san, and you know it.
Last thing we need is for you to get an infection in that cut.
She nodded and allowed Heihachi to bind her wound
Once it was done, we headed deeper into the bog, leaving Kenshin behind

The bog was growing more noxious the deeper we went in.
this was the kind of place most Crabs would rather skirt around then explore.
So it made it a likely place for an army to mass in secret
here and there pockets of rancid gas would bubble to the surface, popping and splattering mud about
The sickly, twisted trees began to grow thick, their branches tangling together overhead.
it cast the place into a perpetual twilight, and the gloom limited our vision even further
Mantis-san whispered to me
Hey, that thing up there...?
I glanced over.
A small reptile, nothing but bone and scale was perched in a tree. Bat like wings folded around it's body. it's
head was mostly mouth, though a pair of beady red eyes stared at us hungrily.
Kill it
He did so
I hissed over to the Hiruma nearest us, when he looked to see what the twang of Mantis-san's bowstring meant
Hanemuri. Just one though.
The Hiruma nodded and passed the word on
I whispered, explaining to Monkey and Mantis-san
cowardly things. But get enough together and they'll attack in a swarm.
Damn things can and will kill even ogres.
We got lucky, finding an area with several large rocks jutting up from the muck
Akiyama called a halt so we could get another break, and we ate some more to keep our strength up
As we ate Akiyama pulled out his finger of jade and scraped it on the rock, getting the blackened bits off
A single finger of jade would protect the one who carried for about a week.
Knowing this, experienced scouts could use their jade as a mark of time, guessing accurately how long they
had been in the shadowlands by how far the jade had rotted.
It was easy to lose track of time in the shadowlands, and that was something you did not want to do.
A day already, I'd say
Monkey and Mantis-san looked up, surprised
We've been here that long, already?
Akiyama nodded
Mantis-san looked around
Why is it still so bright then? When did night happen?

Hiruma Sayako answered their question

The shadowlands does it's best to confuse those who enter it. Someone who loses track of time, or their way,
may not have enough time to get back to the Wall before they run out of jade.
You speak of this place as though it were alive...
It is, Tsuruchi-san. It is.
Mantis-san ate another mouthful of rice.
Akiyama spoke up
Alright, this place is at least a bit dry, and clear. let's get some sleep.
Ishigaki-san, you can handle first watch?
I nodded.
The other crabs quickly pulled blankets from their packs, curled into little balls and slept
Monkey sat with his back against me, looking the opposite direction of me.
Mantis-san stood, leaning on his bow, and swung his gaze left and right.
Now that I'm here, I really can't believe you came in here alone...
I had to run and hide, Monkey. A lot.
Monkey laughed.
good to know there are things even you won't charge straight at!
I'm never reckless Monkey... I just draw attention to keep the rest of you safe. Safer, anyway.
Yeah. Thanks for that.
I felt him shift behind me.
Still, I feel pretty good all things considered.
I know what you and Daigo-san over there can do when the two of you set about killing something together...
Hooo?
Yeah, you two are fucking terrifying when you get going.
Mantis-san chuckled.
Thanks for the compliment Monkey, but you're not exactly a slouch yourself, you know?
I could see Monkey's hand resting on the rock.
It was clenched into a fist
It was settling in now, how dangerous this place could be. And he was placing his trust in us, to push aside his
own fear. Mantis-san was probably doing the same
Don't worry, I'll get you both home.
we know.
We passed the rest of our watch in silence

I went over and poked Sayako with the end of my tetsubo

She lashed out, drawing and striking at it with her wakizashi
Then she woke up
Blinked a few times
Our turn, then?
Yeah.
Alright
I prodded the other two in her group, with similar results
When you wake a Crab, use a stick.
I sat down, and folded my legs up as Phoenix-san had taught me long ago.
Oi, Monkey, Mantis-san?
If either of you learned to meditate, you should do so.
Huh?
It's hard to rest in this place. Meditation is better than sleep
Sayako snorted
Right, folding up your legs in an awkward position and pretending to be asleep? I'm surprised you buy into that
crap, Ishigaki-san. Planning on becoming a monk?
No I'm not. And you should really try it.
Heh, I'll pass.
I sighed inwardly. My clan's need to to focus on the practical left it a bit ignorant of the benefits of the spiritual.
Even our Kenjutsu was more like Kendo in its first lessons.
Sayako's attitude was far from uncommon; many dismissed such things outright without a second thought.
I couldn't blame her though.
I had been the same until I left to mingle with the other Clans.
I meditated deeply, restoring my spirit.
Then I slept
meditation could only get you so far. Real sleep was needed sooner or latter.
A sharp hiss woke me from my sleep
I had risen to one knee, tetsubo in hand, by the time my mind caught up
A sickening slurching drew my gaze
Shambling corpses in heavy armor were dragging themselves through the bog towards us
I gave Monkey and Mantis-san a couple of shakes to rouse them, then hissed
Undead!
Whu? Shit!
Akiyama gave his orders
Bows! The bog is slowing them down even more than they usually are.
The Hiruma loosed their volley
All of them aimed at one, and filled it head to toe. It fell
Mantis-san however, placed a single arrow in the eye socket of one, dropping it instantly.
Monkey, grinned, and matched his feat
I did not carry a bow, so I dropped down from the rocks.

I could tell by their armor these zombies were once Hida.

there were far too many for the Hiruma to kill before they reached us, especially with the heavy armor they
were wearing
Two more volleys, six more zombies fell
Then they were upon us
I swung my tetsubo, crushing skulls as quickly as I could.
I was joined by the others,
Mantis-san tripped and toppled zombies all around, so Monkey and the Hiruma could dispatch them quickly
Then a pain burned into my side
I glanced down at the rusted katana sticking out of my side
I followed the blade to the rotting hand holding it, and up into the eyes of the zombie.
The empty eye sockets that burned with green light.
"Hyakuhei!"
I struck back, hitting it as hard as I could
armor cracked under my blow, but it didn't fall
Akiyama yelled to Mantis-san
Help him!
Mantis-san didn't need to be told twice
He ran up and struck at the creature, attempting to topple it.
It held it's ground, and lashed out at him, cutting deep
What the...?!
Be careful! It's not mindless!
You can't kill it like a normal zombie, either!
Great...
Monkey stepped in,guarding Mantis-san,and watching the undead carefully
Sometimes, a corpse animated by the taint within the shadowlands would become one of these things.
They could think, and plan. They would often move about with normal packs of zombies, pretending to be one.
Fighting a Hyakuhei was like fighting a samurai. Just one that could feel neither pain nor fear.
Only destroying its body would have any effect
So I attacked it's knee, shattering the joint.
Mantis-san followed my lead, and as Monkey turned aside the creatures attack Mantis-san brought both kama
together on its wrist, severing it's hand
Monkey spun, stabbing his blade into it's side and pulling up, spilling bloated, rotting organs out
I struck its head, tearing off it's jaw, then smashing its skull
Still it clawed out at me, as I leaned back Mantis-san struck it from behind, finally ending it.

then the zombie twitched

oh no.
You've got to be kidding me
holes began to open in it's body
and grubs began to come out
A cry alerted me to the fact that this wasn't the only carrier.
Grabbing Monkey and Mantis-san with either arm I threw them back away as the grubs advanced upon us
DON'T LET THEM BITE YOU!
I fell back, squishing the thumb sized worms under the end of my tetsubo
Part of the problem of dealing with Heart Grubs is that they're so small most weapons don't really work well.
If you have a katana you're better off smashing them with the saya
They're easily crushed, of course. They're just bugs
But if they DO manage to bite you, they burrow into your skin.
And eat you from the inside out
eventually, they make their way to your heart, where they lay their eggs.
Hence the name: Heart Grubs
I smashed, squashed, stomped and stamped. Backpedaling the whole while
But in the ooze of the bog I couldn't get far enough away, and heart grubs were very very persistent.
I tore one off my leg and crushed it in my palm
milky pus and ichor squelched out between my fingers
I could hear the others dealing with similar issues around me, as well as the zombies still moving.
But I had no time to look
I'm sure there were many Scorpion and Crane who would find the sight of a massive Crab desperately
squashing bugs in a swamp hilarious
I looked around franticly, trying to see if there were anymore, trying to remember if I'd killed all of them.
Then I felt a stinging in my ankle, from under the mud
Shortly after the sting came pain, so sharp my vision tunneled
Being eaten alive is not very pleasant
Even if it's just a thumb sized worm burrowing through your insides
I dragged myself back up onto the rock, pulling my tanto
slicing away my hakama I looked around for the telltale bulge of the creature under my skin
as another lance of pain shot up my leg I saw it
Without hesitation I plunged my tanto into my own leg, slicing my body open.

Once I had the little fucker exposed I seized it in my hand and ripped it out.
There was still some of my muscle in it's mouth
I threw it down on the rock hard enough it splattered, my own blood bursting from its body
Screams told me I had no time to worry about my injuries; there was more work to be done
Monkey was stomping and hopping about wildly, dealing with a small swarm of grubs
Mantis-san was doing likewise
the screams were coming from a Hiruma who had been borne down into the muck by the last two zombies
I reached him, and kicked the head off one of the zombies
He managed to drive his own tanto into the eye socket of the other
But he kept screaming, and clutched at his left arm
I could see a bulge
Akiyama got to us, and quickly tied the man's arm off
Sayako came and grabbed his legs
Mantis-san could read what was going on, and seized the man's other arm
I plunged my tanto in, trying to get to the grub
But it seemed to sense my intent, and burrowed deeper
He thrashed and screamed, the pain of my cutting and the creature eating away driving him to near madness
Of course, the howls of a wounded person would attract all sorts of things in the shadowlands.
But if we didn't get that thing out he'd die, and spawn dozens more
Of course, I might end up killing him if I cut too much
Akiyama yelled
ENDURE IT, KUMORI! You HAVE to hold still!
Hiruma Heihachi shoved a stick into Kumori's mouth, and he bit down hard before nodding at me to continue
I dug in, pinching with my hands to try and find the movement
Kumori screamed into the stick, eyes bulging and face red
at last I found it, and stabbed it on the end of the tanto
pus burst forth, into Kumori's wound
I pulled the grub out, set it on the rock still pinned on my tanto, and crushed it underfoot
Kumori would have to fight taint and infection, but his life was out of danger for now
panting heavily he spat the stick out
Thank... you...
Then his eyes rolled up and he fainted

Akiyama stood, arms folded across his broad chest, and surveyed his troops
No one else had died in this fight, but everyone, even Monkey and Mantis-san, bore wounds now
Kumori was gravely wounded, unconscious.
Heihachi looked into his kit and shook his head. He was rapidly running out of medical supplies
And there was no doubt at all that things were already converging on this place, seeking the source of the
wounded cries, seeking easy prey.
He nodded.
Alright, that's enough. We're heading back
We fashioned up a quick litter for Kumori and began to head out
Akiyama spoke with me on the way
two in a row...
Hrm?
Those were good ambushes
yeah, they were.
The Warmonger had used his chuckers to distract us, had them outflank us so our attention was on them, and
then sent in the reserves, charging and 'blessed' with magic mud.
Then a cunning undead had hidden itself in a pack of zombies, and many of them carried a surprise infestation
of very deadly grubs
Akiyama shook his head
I'm convinced, now more than ever, that Masagoro is right.
Two of those, back to back like that? There must be something else leading them, placing them to intercept our
patrols.
If you say so. I know about how to kill them, and which ones to hit first. What they do outside of fights, and
what that means...that's the job of the Kuni and Hiruma. And softening them up. And harrying them when they
run...
Monkey piped up
So then, what do you Hida even do?
A few chuckles at that
We're the rocks that the things the Hiruma are too smart to fight break on, Monkey.
That got some honest laughter
I fell toward the back of the group, and kept my ears open for sign of anything stalking us
A few Hanemuri were flitting from tree to tree, keeping pace
I called out and a swift volley of arrows made sure they wouldn't gather enough numbers to try anything
We managed to get clear of the bog without incident

Mantis-san blew out a sigh

Never thought I'd be so glad to see a barren wasteland
I grinned at him
I know the feeling
Gunso!
I turned along with Akiyama
Heihachi was kneeling down beside Kuromi's liter.
He looked up
Kuromi is feverish, gunso.
Akiyama slammed his fist into his palm
Right, we make haste then
You two, take the litter up and move together
We need to get him back to the Wall as fast as we can!
We all took off running, fanning out in a semicircle around the litter bearers
Some small lizards and such scurried away as we ran, but we encountered no further resistance
as we closed in on the Wall, I made the sign of a returning patrol, and added in very sick treatment needed
urgently
In moments a swarm of Hiruma burst forth from the hidden entrances to the tunnels, a Kuni in tow
The Kuni was there by the time the litter bearers had set Kumori down
Akiyama spoke quickly
Heart Grub, got into his arm in a bog. We cut it out but it gooped in his arm...
Nodding the Kuni fished out a pair of scrolls and set to work
Kumori's breath eased a bit
The Kuni then looked over the rest of us
You all need to be tested.
We were boated back across and taken up on lifts, save Kumori.
The Hiruma that came out carried him back through the tunnels
On the long ride up I looked at Akiyama
His mouth was set grimly
He noticed me staring, and sighed
I've had patrols go worse...but still.
We didn't even learn anything!
I tilted my head
I wouldn't go that far. We learned that something doesn't want us snooping around in that area.
I looked back out over the shadowlands
Everyone I've spoken to thinks highly of Masagoro-sama. I'm sure that he and his advisors can learn
something even all he knows is the rough shape of the missing pieces
Akiyama smiled
You're right of course. He is that kind of man. I just wish I could have brought something more solid...
Ah, I see. He's worried about the NEXT patrol. Those who will go after us.

After some poking and prodding from the Kuni we were purified and allowed to rest
Then it was back to Shiro Kuni to give Masagoro the report
Kumori was still too sick to make the journey, so we left him in the care of the Kuni at the Wall
Hida Adachi greeted us on our return
Masagoro-sama is waiting in the planning room, hurry and give your report
I went with Akiyama, since Masagoro had asked me to go on the patrol
We got to the room and saw him hunched over a table, covered in maps of the shadowlands
He looked up as we arrived
Well?
Akiyama looked down for a moment
Masagoro scowled, sensing the bad news
I decided to speak up at that point
You're right about there being a force somewhere out there. No doubt about that now.
Oh? Explain.
We took turns relaying what happened
One man dead...
Masagoro hung his head a moment
But, you say Kumori will live?
He is in the care of the Kuni now. I'd say his chances are good
Masagoro nodded
I agree with your assessment. Two well planned ambushes in such a short time...
Here, yes?
Akiyama leaned over the table to look where Masagoro pointed on the map
yes, there's a bog there now.
A bog? Hmmm. a bog, a bog...
Masagoro shuffled through some maps
Ahaha!
He slapped one down over where the map he had pointed to was
Does this look right?
Akiyama studied the map, then closed his eyes to think
...YES! That's it!
hah! Sometimes old terrain comes back around!
Akiyama grinned
It's just as Ishigaki said. You really can grasp the picture by it's missing pieces! I'm amazed Masagoro-sama
Hiruma Masagoro waved away the compliment.
I've just seen things like this happen before, that's all. Familiarity makes it seem like I'm more capable than I
really am.
He bellowed for an aide to come, then gave us nods of dismissal
Akiyama turned to me as we left
I have to go speak with the Kuni, maybe the Kaiu.
I must find the families of those samurai whose daisho we collected.
And write a letter…
I nodded and clapped his shoulder
That part was always a bit hard. Not like there's a lot of glory to be had south of the Wall. No honorable foes
whose heads are worth taking.
The vile nature of our foes made even acts of great bravery seem lessened in the eyes of the Empire as a
whole.
Think about it. Had Kumori died, who would tell the story of the brave samurai that got eaten by a thumb sized
bug?
I returned to our rooms in the seventeenth barracks
Mantis-san and Monkey had gone ahead of me when we returned, so I was expected
Naomi's hands were on me before I'd even finished opening the door, and wounds I had received began to
mend right away
Nice to see you too, Hana-chan...
She looked up but said nothing
Just healed me and hugged me
I stroked her hair to sooth her. She always calmed down when I stroked her hair
I looked over to Kitsuki-san
he had dark circles under his eyes
You look worse off than I do
They must not have mirrors in the shadowlands then, if you think that's true.
I sat down as Naomi poured me some tea
Getting close then?
Kitsuki-san grinned.
Oh, very.
Just a few dozen more to go.
Toshiro grumbled form the corner
There was an attempt on our lives while you were gone.
I looked sharply at Naomi
I was not there when it happened, Ishigaki-kun
I looked back to them.
So accomplice, puppet or...?
Kistuki-san snorted.
No, just dark.
Do you remember, the winter court in the Phoenix lands, when the bloodspeaker used the spell to blind
everyone?
Ahh, that trick again.
Kitsuki-san nodded.
So, we kept him from killing us until he ran away.
I looked over at Toshiro
really?
He stared right back at me, then held up his club foot
Really.
And you couldn't just blat him?
With what?! I couldn't see! Or do you think I should have thrown a giant ball of flame and burned Shiro Kuni
down along with him?!
I glanced over to Kitsuki-san
He shrugged
I tripped.

Mantis-san looked back and forth between the two

alright, so you're telling me that the bloodspeaker, sensing you getting closer to him, tried to kill you both.
And while WE were slogging through a tainted bog and fighting worms that could eat our hearts and flaming
goblins,YOU were letting the guy that tried to kill you just waltz away?!
Monkey elbowed Mantis-san
I'm sure it wasn't like that at all Daigo-san!
Toshiro tilted his head back and forth a few times, and spoke out of the corner of his mouth
Actually it kind of wa... wait.
Nikumizu AND Magic Mud?
I nodded
The goblins had a warmonger as well as a shaman, and the Nikumize were the dessert to a zombie main
course.
Monkey spoke up.
yeah, and that tough zombie... what did you call it? Hyak... hyuk...
a Hyakuhei?!
yeah, that was it!
Kitsuki-san and Naomi were both staring
Um, would you mind...?
Toshiro looked over at Kitsuki-san.
That is too many dangerous things in too short a timeframe. Hiruma Masagoro-sama is right. There is an army
gathering out there somewhere.
He looked back over at us
All that and those wounds were all?
Well, we lost one to the magic mud, and another got bit by the heart grubs. I cut it out in time, but he's fighting
an infection now.
I see.
Monkey piped up
Yeah, Ishigaki didn't waste anytime getting that worm out. Not even when one got in his leg!
WHAT!?
Naomi and Toshiro both
I rubbed at my eyes
God dammit Monkey
Naomi turned to Toshiro. What is a 'heart grub'?
He explained to her
She grew paler with every word
I waved my hands back and forth forestalling her
Yes, but you saved my life back there Naomi!
She blinked
I...what? how?
I've made a study of medicine, you know. For your sake! But because of that I also knew how to cut out the
little bastards! So really, you saved my life and the life of Hiruma Kumori!
...oh.
She took a breath, calming herself
Well, it does not matter how dangerous it WAS anyway. Because you are here NOW.

Kitsuki-san looked over us

I'm going to be moving on to interviews soon, now that we've got a more manageable number.
But I don't expect anything to come of them. Not right away anyway.
So instead of helping with that, I'd like you three to watch the ones that are the most suspicious right now.
Discreetly.
I looked between Mantis-san and Monkey
Then pointed to myself
Um, you have met me, right Kitsuki-san?
Kitsuki-san rubbed the bridge of his nose
Have you ever heard of hiding in plain sight?
Sounds like something a ninja would do
Monkey agreed with me
If they don't have any rice balls to hide in, yeah
No, it's... look. Ishigaki-san, all you need to do is walk around and act normally. Just keep your target in your
peripheral vision most of the time.
You won't really raise their suspicions all that much because that kind of behavior is expected of you.
You're a Crab...in a Crab stronghold. You don't stick out here as much as you do elsewhere
Huh. Alright then, I'll give it a shot
So, while Kitsuki-san conducted interviews, Mantis-san and Monkey shadowed their targets.
I walked about the castle, speaking with Crabs, throwing dice, sparing, and telling stories of my time outside
the Clan
It was during a bout of sparring that the next patrol Masagoro was sending out began to assemble in the
courtyard
I noticed Adachi standing off the side, staring at the patrol and scowling.
That distracted me just long enough for the Nikutai I was sparing with to knock me off balance and out of the
circle
I congratulated him on his sharp reactions, then looked at the patrol myself
It took a moment for me to realize what I was seeing.
I walked up beside Adachi.
Is that it?
He nodded slowly
Are they going to get more from the Wall? Or split up?
He looked aside at me. THen shook his head
What.. what the hell?
There was a full troop assembled in the courtyard.
that was all wrong

I had told Monkey and Mantis-san that the amount of armor you wear is really a matter of preference.
Heavy armor makes some small dangers inconsequential, but it makes it more likely you will have to fight
instead of being able to run or hide should a large danger show itself.
The same principle applied to the size of a patrol sent into the shadowlands.
A large patrol WILL draw attention and thus more fights, but will be able to handle those fights. A small patrol
will be better able to avoid fights it cannot win.
Sending in a single troop, a wakizashi, was just consigning the bushi to death.
There were too many soldiers to be stealthy, and not enough to fight back against the worst that could find
them.
One of the Hiruma assembling for the patrol came over to us, and handed me a folded up letter, along with his
daisho
Please, Hida-sama. See that my family gets these.
I knew it. Adachi knew it. And it was plain that all the Hiruma in that patrol knew it as well
I took the daisho and letter. wondering what Masagoro knew that I did not, what reason he had for ordering this
My name is Hiruma Manzo.
He bowed to thank me, then rejoined his unit
Adachi, am I just stupid?
Adachi shook his head.
I don't know that Masagoro is thinking either.
Must be some insight he's gleaned from his years as a commander...
I nodded. The very best commanders knew that there were times to defy common sense, when doing the
unexpected would yield impressive results.
I looked down at the letter in my hand and said a quick prayer that Masagoro's gamble would pay off.
Two days latter, I was having a small lunch with Naomi when I saw Hiruma Kumori arrive
I held up a hand and waved him over
He came by, bowing to me
Hey, no need for all that.
you saved my life, Ishigaki-sama. Of course there is a need to show my gratitude
No there isn't. For one thing, I didn't do it alone, and for another, it's just expected that you save your brother
Crab if you can

He smiled
Thank you for that, truly.
Then he looked down
I must go and report to my new gunso. But, I am glad that I was able to see you again.
He turned away before I could ask what he meant by new gunso and began walking
Not towards the barracks
towards the tower that lurked just beyond the castle proper
oh.
Naomi followed my gaze
She pointed to the banner hanging off the side of the tower
I do not recognize that heraldry, Ishigaki-kun
It was a Crab, similar to the Hida mon.
Save this Crab was all black. And rather then clutching a tetsubo, it held a piece of rotting jade
I gently placed a hand on Naomi's arm and pulled it down
That's the standard of the Damned
Please, don't point.
She looked at me
The... the Damned?
I have heard that name a few times.
They are warriors who have become tainted
Naomi's eyes widened
As a Lion who is dishonored will sometimes become a deathseeker, so will a Crab who becomes tainted
become one of the Damned
They seek to redeem and purify their souls by dying in battle with the shadowlands.
So, I saved him from the heart grub, we got him back in time for the Kuni to save him from the infection, only
for the taint to take root.
I shook my head
Damn.
I had heard rumors, but I did not think...
The Damned would only be deployed against another Clan if the future of the Clan itself were at stake, Naomi.
They're one of those things we only use against the shadowlands. And we never speak of them to those
outside the Clan.
She looked at the gloomy building, at Kumori's back, at the way the other Crab turned aside as he walked
passed.
I lowered my head
See, they do not wish to shame him any further. We all know. Secrets are for Scorpion and Oni. But we will be
polite for this.
She bowed her head
Because it could be anyone of you that has to make that walk?
yes.
I see.
She shivered and clutched at my leg

The patrol returned the next day

One man limped back into the courtyard of Shiro Kuni
Masagoro ran out to meet him, catching him as he stumbled from fatigue
At Masagoro's command water was brought and then they helped the soldier back into the barracks to give his
report
I made preparations to return Manzo's daisho to his family
As I crumpled my letter and started over for a third time I glanced over at Kistuki-san
How are things on your end?
His eyes flicked up from his own notes
better than on yours, it seems.
Five left.
He arched his eyebrow
What is that about?
A boy from that last patrol asked me to get his daisho back to his family
He knew he would not return?
Too many to avoid battle, too few to win every battle. Just the wrong number of men for a patrol
Kitsuki-san cocked his head
Masagoro did not strike me as the kind to gamble like that
I nodded.
Well, we'll find out soon enough if his gamble paid off
Kitsuki-san nodded and went back to his notes
with a shwoop the door to the barracks opened up
Hida Ishigaki-san?
Hai
Masagoro-sama wishes to speak with you.
I stood up
Well, let's not keep him waiting
I felt Kitsuki-san staring at my back as I left
I entered Masagoro's room to find him donning his armor
We must move out, and move out quickly
I would ask you to accompany me
Taking a breath to wipe the surprise from my face, I spoke
What is it? what did you learn?
The patterns of their scouts movements, the places they launch their ambushes...I'm certain I know where they
are forming up.
But I need to see it with my own eyes to confirm
He stroked his beard, and muttered almost to himself
And if possible, find out what power guides this horde
I nodded as I handed him his sode
Sun-Tao, right? Know your enemy and know yourself?
Precisely.
What rank did you hold when you served in the army?
I never rose higher than a gunso, Masagoro-sama
For now, I would like you take the rank of Taisa

As I came out into the courtyard everyone was there

No surprise, they came out. A full company was assembling.
I looked out over One hundred twenty Crabs in formation before the gates of Shiro Kuni, and understood my
temporary promotion
Adachi was there as well. He nodded to me
Mantis-san and Monkey were in their armor
What?
Can't let you go in on your own,
Yeah. Naomi-sama would never let us hear the end of it!
Monkey grinned at me
Toshiro stepped up
I"m going as well, this time
A patrol this size, my leg won't matter. And you're bound to need me.
I looked at Kitsuki-san and Naomi
You two, stick together while we're away
Kitsuki-san nodded
Naomi came up to me, stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek
For luck
Thank's Hana-chan
The gates opened, and we set forth from Shiro Kuni at Masagoro's order
Hiruma Masagoro took the first step up onto the wall, flanked by myself and Adachi
It took time to get so many soldiers formed back up on the other side of the River of the Last Stand, even using
both the tunnels and the lifts
Once the troops were assembled, Masagoro addressed them
I know where our enemy gathers their strength!
Today we set out to confirm their numbers, their commander!
Make no mistake! We will fight for every step we take! The enemy will stop at nothing to keep us blind!
Do not fear! Do not let their determination slow you advance!
Know that they disgrace us, insult us, with every day! With every oni, every goblin that joins this horde!
But when we return with the knowledge we have gathered, we will be able to prepare fully for the assault to
come!
KNOWLEDGE
PREPARATION
ACTION
We follow the ancient way! The order handed down from Hiruma, Kaiu and Kuni when they faced Oni no Hatsu
Suru!
We cannot lose here, we cannot fail!
We must know our enemy to defeat them!
He turned and pointed south
NOW! We march...
TO SHIRO HIRUMA!

Shiro Hiruma
Lost in the advance of the Maw in 716, many campaigns had been launched in the centuries since to reclaim
the ancestral home of the Hiruma
All had ended in failure
Thousands of Crab had died trying in vain to reclaim it. Of those that did manage to enter the castle, none one
month was the longest it was ever held
The shadowlands seemed to take sick delight in mocking us, and would stop at nothing to hold Shiro Hiruma
If the horde was truly forming up there, of all places...
I didn't need to turn to see that the Hiruma in this patrol were even more furious than they were afraid
Truthfully, I doubted even Masagoro would be unaffected by the knowledge that the horde gathered in his
family's home.
Well. Nothing for it.
Masagoro was right, we needed to see what was coming to prepare properly for it
We only had to get close, it wasn't as though we were going to try to capture Shiro Hiruma
At his command we began to march across the barren plains and into the depths of the shadowlands
With a patrol this size, we had flank and rear guards, as well as a number of Hiruma spread out ahead of the
main body
It would have been nice to have some cavalry for that, but horses were absolutely terrified of the shadowlands.
Perhaps a Shiotome could keep her steed under control here...
Perhaps.
Everyone else would just have to walk
Shadows fell over us as we marched
I looked up, seeing dark shapes wheeling about in the sky
They did not attack though.
As expected, with a full company we drew attention right away, but there were few things that would dare
attack such a force
I spent much of the day worrying about the things that WOULD dare.
As we made our camp and set out the watches for the first day, Monkey and Mantis-san came up to me
...so.
You think he's right?
Toshiro rested his hand on his chin
Well, it IS something a trophy for the shadowlands
We reclaimed the Kuni lands, but we've been unable to retake the Hiruma lands yet.

Our patrol advanced deeper and deeper into the shadowlands

Our steps dogged the whole way by shadows the ran when confronted, and things flying overhead
Our flank guards had killed only a half dozen goblins, and those with arrow fire in the three days we since we
entered this place
Tension began to mount in the men
The enemy knew where we were, and knew our strength.
We should have been challenged by now.
On the the third night, I waited until I could have a moment alone and broached the subject with Masagoro.
One should not question their superior within earshot of others. Discipline is important, after all.
It is odd they have not confronted us yet. If they know where we are heading, they may have set an ambush
ahead of us. Don't you think so, Masagoro-sama?
I had to choose my words carefully. Even though he had effectively made me his second in command on this
patrol, it was a temporary thing on his whim and his whim alone. I didn't have quite the latitude a proper Taisa
would.
To my surprise, Masagoro nodded along with my assessment
yes, they know that I know. There is only one place we COULD be heading after all.
This just means whatever leads this horde is more cunning than usual. And strong enough to keep such rabble
in line.
Then, should we not alter our course, Masagoro-sama?
If they have prepared an ambush we should try to get around it, shouldn't we?
He looked at me.
You have sharp mind for military matters. I was right to give you that rank. But we cannot waste any more time.
That's why I brought so many.
We will have little enough time to prepare as is.
He placed a hand on my shoulder
I trust you understand. This situation is unusual. Therefore, we must respond in unusual fashion.
I didn't like it, but I also couldn't say he was wrong.
I nodded
He smiled at me
Yosh. It is good that you ask these things from time to time. I would not want to be so focused on the goal I
lose sight of why it is important.

I could not sleep

Every instinct in my body was screaming that we were in danger
Even Monkey could feel it
His usual jovial self was nowhere to be seen now
He ate stiffly, then pulled a blanket about his shoulders and slept
As the camp bedded down, and the sentries took up their posts he whispered to me
Well, what do you think?
About him?
Yes
He's...focused. Perhaps too much, but I can't be certain. All I can say for sure is that he knows how dangerous
it is to keep on as we are, and believes the reward worth the risk
Toshiro frowned and stroked his chin
What do you think?
I don't know. I'm not a smart man Toshiro. Like a Lion, I rely on the wisdom of those who came before me
They do it to honor their ancestors, I do it because I'm too stupid to think of answers on my own
He sighed
Try and get some sleep, Ishigaki-san. We'll need everyone's strength soon enough I think.
Toshiro was more right than he knew
Midday of the fourth day in, I saw it
The path right through a mountain. The same cliffs rising to either side
I knew it was the same place I saw when I went looking for Hida, though of course, it had moved since I was
last here
I grabbed Masagoro's shoulder
I know that place, I hissed to him
He looked at it
Here then?
yes here!
He nodded
EVERYONE! KEEP GOING, AND BE READY FOR BATTLE!
I stared at him, incredulous
Here or elsewhere, Ishigaki-san. We'll have to break through at some point. It may as well be now.
I looked over to Adachi
He frowned, but readied his tetsubo
No choice then. We went in
Silence
All the way to the very end, and then I saw it
At the very end of the chasm a lone rider
Seated upon a rotting steed
Purple armor
A bare skull with glowing orbs in empty sockets, burning with unholy light
It skeletal jaw fell open, and shrieked.
The sound froze the very marrow in my bones

As the cry echoed throughout the canyon I could see the very real effect it had
All around me warriors went pale, sweat stood out on bare flesh, and I heard several simply fall to their knees,
weapons clattering to the ground
I reached desperately for Mushin no Shin, as I felt fear claw at my own throat
The Dark Moto pointed one bony finger and then the killing began
While our troops were still reeling from the unnatural terror it caused, boulders and logs began to fall upon us
from above
Not rocks and sticks but large logs, and huge boulders
I could see goblins using levers to allow the deadfalls to come free.
I could take no satisfaction in the ones that got caught up in their own traps and crushed
There were other things on my mind
Like the undead bursting up from the ground all around us. They had been so skillfully buried no one saw
anything, until now
And, at the far end of the chasam came a dozen riders in black armor. Very, horribly human looking riders
Behind them, ogres
I looked to Masagoro, waiting for him to order the retreat
Be he stood there, blade in hand, and stared at the riders bearing down on us
I barely got my tetsubo up in time to deflect a Yari
Masagoro sliced the legs of one as it passed, so he fell from the saddle
Then he stabbed him cooly through the throat
The Lost twitched once and was still
Bursts of flame exploded around the Goblins up above, trying to scatter them
But, Toshiro was only one man, and it seemed the whole canyon had been lined with deadfalls
I made up my mind
RETREAT!
FALL BACK, FALL BACK!
Adachi followed my lead, shouting orders to create an organized withdrawal
The riders wheeled, a shocking maneuver in the cramped canyon, and came back
Monkey leapt up and took one's head off
Mantis-san managed to take the legs out of another one's horse, spilling the rider
The Crabs around fell upon the Lost, and it died screaming in fury
Masagoro screamed defiantly at the Dark Moto

Adachi grabbed Masagoro, pulling him back

NO! We must go on!
We cannot prevail here Masagoro-sama!
He scowled, but allowed himself to be lead away
My body burst forth into green light
I nodded thanks to Toshiro, and yelled for the rear guard to form up on me
We fought walking backwards, stones raining down all around us
I struck again and again at the ogres and zombies around me, and tried not to think about why the ground
beneath my feet shifted so much, why it was so uneven
Flashes of fire and jade energy over my shoulder told me Toshiro was doing his best to clear a path
Since I didn't find myself facing any more Lost, I guessed he must have been doing a fine job.
The rocks helped us as much as they killed us, crushing our some of our enemies as well
But it was just zombies around us.
I realized that the goblins stopped just ahead of the Ogres advance
It was odd that the safest place in the rearguard was to be surrounded by ogres, but it was the truth
I wedged myself in tightly, and fought desperately
Savage blows rained down on me, shattering my armor.
One by one, the others in the rearguard fell
ISHIGAKI! MOVE YOUR ASS!
Mantis-san.
I glanced back. The rest of the patrol was almost clear
I turned and ran, a massive club smashing into my back as I did so
But I could still go, and so I did
A volley of arrows arced over my head to sink into the Ogres behind me
I doubted if any Ogre fell, but it would distract them
We ran
Breaking clear of the death trap we ran on
Masagoro was silent, sullen. Looking back over his shoulder over and over
Adachi was the one giving the orders, moving the patrol as best he could
Scuttling things on many legs burst froth from the canyon and gave chase
Troops peeled away from the main body and engaged them.
More screams, more blood. Few returned to us
But the many legged horrors were stopped
Monkey looked at me
Are.. are you... okay?
Do...don't talk...you'll...bite your tongue!
Just RUN!

shadows flitted across us

The creatures that had followed above, now dove into our ranks
Screams marked their passing, as they tore through our ranks
One landed just in front, and hissed at us
With a face like a human child
Oni no Baby-Face.
Toshiro! It's invulnerable!
He nodded and as I tossed aside my tetsubo another one, made of earth and studded with jade appeared in
my hands
Toshiro was panting hard
He'd used a lot of magic.
And here, in the shadowlands there were very very few kami.
I saw Mantis-san begin to powder his Kama
Monkey covered me as I attacked
HEY! REMEMBER ME ASSHOLE?
Oni no Baby-Face snarled showing it's mouth full of razor teeth.
I think it does, Ishigaki-san!
Monkey leapt in, knocking aside the tail it swept at me
Yeah! Last time I didn't have any jade! NOW WHAT YOU FILTH!
I struck again, right in it's hideous face
It reared up and shrieked in pain, thrashing about with it's wings and tail
Uh, I think you pissed it off!
I glanced back to see if Mantis-san was coming, but he had his hands full with another winged beast. This one
was reptilian, with two heads that sported great curved beaks and a forked tail
I had to make this last one count then.
I jumped up snapped it's fangs at me, and brought my tetsubo and all my weight down on the back of it's long
neck.
There was a satisfying crunch, and it flopped over twitching
I turned in time to see three Crabs tackle the oni Mantis-san was fighting
They brought it down and he cut off both it's heads with one motion
Clear for the time being, our flight resumed
We did not stop, though not even I could run the whole time
We ate as we walked, drank, pissed and shit on the march, never stopping
Day and night we walked unable to rest even a moment
Goblins hounded us the whole way. Thankfully, we endured no more assaults by Lost cavalry or flying Oni
When we made it back to the Wall, less than forty of us were still alive.

Arrows flew from the top of the Wall, scattering the goblins that were hounding us
Hiruma poured out of the tunnels to harry finish them off, while a few others led us in and through
The tunnels are dark, close and cramped. It can be tricky to fight in them. On the other hand, one man can
easily hold back dozens of enemies. And that's without making use of the traps within
The usual paranoia of having outsiders was dismissed, as we were all wounded and exhausted
Once we made it out of the tunnels everyone collapsed
bandages and water were rushed to us
A Kuni checked us all for signs of taint.
Two men burned as he prodded them with jade
I elbowed Monkey
Don't stare, either of you. Just look away
Everyone did so.
When a Crab becomes tainted they have several choices. It is up to each individual which one they will
choose, and the individual alone.
We ignore them so that we do NOT shame them. We do not judge them for their decisions. We do not tell them
what they should do
It is the very danger of becoming tainted that makes our duty unclean.
The other Clans will never admit it
But they fear this.
Being wounded nigh unto death and still fighting honors your Clan and family.
Covering yourself in the blood of your enemies marks you with glory
Against the Shadowlands it just means you're more likely to become tainted
To have your soul poisoned with Jigoku's corruption.
Even if you die before you are lost, your soul will still bear the marks of Jigoku. And your corpse will rise up and
bear arms against all you once held dear.
Many choose to commit seppuku when they learn they have been tainted
Returning to the karmic cycle before the stain on their soul can spread
Others choose to retire to special monasteries. They spend the remainder of their lives drinking jade petal tea
and living a life of ascetic purity, hoping to cleanse themselves, at least somewhat, before they stand before
Emma-O.
And some choose to become Damned.

The Kuni folded his arms in the sleeves of his kimono and waited patiently for their decision
Both chose to carry out their duty one final time
They were taken away, to be prepared for their final post at the Barracks of the Damned.
I looked over the remnant that had survived
and saw Masagoro talking with another officer
...yes, then we were ambushed. It was one of the remnant of the Dark Moto leading the ambush
a grunt of surprise
it terrified the troops, and they stood paralyzed in the face of the ambush. But I was able to rally them and lead
them back out
I blinked
Did I hear him right?
The officer nodded
I doubt anyone else could have gotten even this many back then Masagoro-sama. Good work.
I did.
What
the
fuck
I looked over to Adachi
He just shook his head
It IS the commander who bears the responsibility for defeat, so it is also the commander who gets the credit for
success.
Technically, Masagoro was entitled to take the credit for the successful retreat
But this... rankled.
I could see him conversing still, giving orders
Adachi came up to me and spoke
I'm thinking the same thing, but we should not.
I just glared at him out of the corner of my eye
He is still in command, Ishigaki-san. We should not undermine the trust he has earned
I muttered back
Tell that to the man that led his troops into an ambush and then froze up when the time to retreat came
Adachi returned my glare
That is a minor failure when weighed against the accomplishments of his life, and you know it.
I looked back at the bleeding and tired soldiers
You call THAT minor?
His face darkened
Yes. I do. Don't forget what is coming.
I rubbed the back of my head
Shit
Even one who was right there still wasn't sure about Masagoro.
And the man was one of the highest ranked commanders in the whole of the Crab Clan
Only the family Daimyo were of higher standing
I looked at Masagoro again
A formal complaint wasn't going to get anywhere...not yet.

Informal complaint then?

I could find a few who would join me, I'm certain
But that was mostly for fresh recruits. To break discipline to the point of beating an officer...
And one as high ranked as Masagoro...
There would be no way to avoid punishment
So...without intervention from someone above Masagoro, we would just have to bear with it.
Again.
I am so sick of having to just bear with it.
We returned to Shiro Kuni
Masagoro again repeated the lie, claiming credit for the retreat, and drew up orders for more patrols
It looked like this time he was going to send in several small patrols at once, and see if one could find a route
to Shiro Hiruma
I watched him carefully, but to my surprise he seemed normal once more.
Even energetic.
He seemed to be everywhere, talking with the men, taking his meals with them, even training and sparring with
them
it had a profound effect on morale, as trust in him skyrocketed
In only a few days, he had the whole of Shiro Kuni believing that if he ordered them to die it was for a good
reason.
I almost believed it myself
I am not a smart man. I decided to speak with everyone else, to see if I had missed something
Monkey spoke first
Looked to me like he went mad there. That scream? Maybe it got to him too?
Mantis-san shook his head.
It's not just that though. Didn't you say that the last patrol was all wrong?
I nodded.
Toshiro folded his arms and bowed his head in thought
Well, whatever it is I don't think it's madness
Kitsuki-san spoke up
I know about the nine types, but I would like to hear about them straight from a Kuni. My knowledge is second
hand, after all.
Naomi nodded. You and Ishigaki-kun have mentioned that before
Toshiro nodded
There are two sources of madness. The true madness caused by the Sun, that's the kind of madness a person
is born with and will always have.
Then there is the false madness of the Moon. It is brought on by the lying of actions.
Monkey cocked his head
the what?

Toshiro picked up a tea cup

This teacup is full
He then turned it upside down
Not one drop spilled out from it
The lying of words is a simple thing, Monkey
But when I know the dead don't walk, and you know the dead don't walk and we see a walking dead man...
That's the lying of actions.
When the truth is no longer the truth it is an assault on one's mind
Some minds cannot bear it, and that wound becomes a spiritual imbalance. The false madness of the Moon.
The one weak in Air cannot lose himself of habits. They'll check and recheck to see if a door is barred, or if
their armor strings are tightened up properly.
Too strong in Air and they become grandiose, braggarts. We laugh in the face of death from time to time, but
the one whose Air is too strong can't stop. They become like actors, hiding their own fear.
Too weak in Water and they gain a great fear, something they see everywhere. He may collapse in the
presence of any high wall, as it reminds him of the Wall.
Too strong in Water and they see too much. they know everything is a threat and cannot judge properly.
A weakness of Fire is like being in mourning. The become distant, and cannot care about anything
Too much Fire and they outsmart themselves, sundering their being and becoming many people at once.
A weakness of Earth will make the person very energetic, but also hateful when ignored. They swing and back
and forth between two extremes
Too much Earth and...well. Those one's believe themselves destined to rule the world. They think nothing can
defeat them
A man whose Void is too strong hears things, sees things we cannot. They whisper to themselves and live in a
world we will never understand.
Monkey spoke up when Toshiro was done
What about weakness of Void?
They don't exist. Or, I should say the one too weak in Void just comes undone, like a brick wall having all it's
mortar taken out
oh.
Mantis-san spoke up then
I've seen lot's of people do things like that though…

Toshiro nodded
The issue is the imbalance
Many of these behaviors are normal, more or less.
It's when taken too far that they become madness.
A Matsu bragging before the enemy army of his past glories isn't mad, he's just attacking the morale of his
enemies and bolstering his allies
Someone playing with zombie the way a cat plays with a mouse on the other hand, and doing so to be praised
as opposed to lifting their comrades spirits...
Mantis-san nodded
So if Masagoro was out of balance like that, SOMEONE would have noticed?
Toshiro nodded.
I've been watching him closely since we got back, as well.
Kitsuki-san sipped his tea
So, it's not madness, and it's not that he's a fool. His past achievements attest to that.
Mantis-san spoke
So...Maho?
Kitsuki-san frowned
I would like to think we are putting too much pressure on him for that to be the case.
Monkey spoke up
what about that time with Ayame, the spell on the charm trick?
Toshiro shook his head
This is Shiro Kuni. Such a trick would be discovered
I folded my arms and thought. There was something about Masagoro, when we pulled him away...
What is it Ishigaki-kun?
I looked up
Masagoro...he kind of reminds me of me
Eh?
Toshiro narrowed his eyes
You mean...Before?
yeah.
Eehhh?
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling
I...had a close call with madness for a time
After my family was killed, my Fire died down greatly.
I didn't think of much, other than how many of the bastards I could kill.
I might have ended up a dead eyes, had I not met all of you. You especially, Hana-chan
Naomi blushed
Monkey looked around
What's a 'dead eyes'?
There are two kinds of Berserkers among the Crab clan.
One is a natural rage, frothing madness and fury. T
he other kind is known as a Dead Eye because on the inside they are already dead.
They give no thought to their own safety or tactics or strategy.
They just kill until they are killed

But Masagoro isn't a berserker, is he?

I shook my head
No, he's not. But for a moment there he looked like one.
Kitsuki-san nibbled on his fan
Berserkers exist within the Lion and the Crab clan, mostly
It's something a bit like Mushin no Shin, though instead of becoming one with everything you shut out
everything. The end result is similar though. A perfect warrior who feels neither fear nor pain and acts with the
speed of no-thought.
Among the Lion, there are of course the Matsu.
But you could say the Deathseekers are also berserkers. So shamed that they wish only for death on the
battlefield to cleanse that shame.
He looked up at me
The Dead Eyes, they are most often Hiruma, are they not?
I nodded
Toshiro added
Yeah, the shame of their lands being lost frequently drives them to it.
Kitsuki-san nodded
A man who has lived a long life, ordering soldiers to their deaths over and over again.
Whose ancestral castle is the staging ground for a massive assault the likes of which are rarely seen and often
very bloody.
...
I think Ishigaki is right
Masagoro himself may not even be aware of it, but I think he seeks his own death.
I stared
a soldier making a suicidal charge is one thing
A commander who does so...
Chikusho.

Then, we must see to it that Masagoro-sama is replaced.

I winced at Naomi's words
it wasn't that simple
Monkey spun to face her, ankles crossed and holding his feet
What kind of crappy samurai fears death?
Naomi tilted her head
I am aware of that Satoshi-san, however Masagoro may be squandering the lives of his men
Monkey nodded
May be.
But if he leads his soldiers to victory, who cares? The dead go to their ancestors with glory, after all.
Naomi blinked
I cannot believe you would say something so callous, Satoshi-san.
He looked down.
You're a shugenja, Naomi-sama. A water tensai that holds life as sacred. So of course this is hard for you to
understand...
But right now Masagoro there's no reason to assume Masagoro is wrong. About anything.
Proper samurai don't fear death, In fact, they embrace it, gladly.
They'll argue amongst one another for the chance to be in the rear guard, and get all the honor and glory that
comes from a heroic last stand
If the commander squanders his men's lives to the point where the army loses, only THEN does he take
responsibility for his failure.
And Masagoro has a history of victory that says he's not likely to squander his men.
We know different because we were there and we saw him freeze.
So, who among us could meet with Masagoro's lord, and convince them this celebrated hero of the Clan has
become a liability?
He cocked his head, waiting for Naomi's reply
She bit her lip, and looked over to me
I could only shake my head
Then I looked over at Monkey
Thanks
He held up his hand
No problem, I'm sure one day you'll get used to communicating with words
I rapped him lightly on the head for that
OW! Naomi-sama!
Ishigaki-kun...
hey, he doesn't get to be wise AND make fun of me at the same time.
We shared a chuckle
Then Kitsuki-san tapped his papers.
It would be easier if the tsukai WERE affecting his mind in some way.
That would give us an opening, as jade magistrates, at least.

Mantis-san shrugged
There is still one thing.
He looked over at me
Masagoro-sama seems to trust Ishigaki here
Kitsuki-san nodded
Yes, yes. You should stay close to him. Try to limit the damage he does
I frowned
He hasn't listened to a word of advice from me yet.
Then be more convincing.
Easy for you to say.
Still, it was all we could do for now.
For the next couple of days, I stayed by Masagoro as much as I could
For his part he seemed to welcome me, or not even notice I was there, depending on his mood.
Masagoro moved about with a youthful vigor, not only doing the little things that boosted morale but also
pouring over maps, hearing reports and issuing orders
I spoke up, out of turn, on a few of his orders
He just nodded at my objections
You're right of course, Ishigaki-san. I doubt they'll get through. But they WILL draw attention, and hopefully
weaken the enemy.
If we can chip away at their numbers it will give us more time, you see?
So much for being more convincing
Then, it happened
Kitsuki-san found the bloodspeaker
They were hiding out as Kaiu Gintama, an apprentice armor who made basic repairs.
When cornered, Gintama had chosen to fall on their own blade rather than be captured and interrogated
A thorough search turned up nothing. No corrupted jade, no jade petal tea, no scrolls.
The Kuni performed an "autopsy" and determined that he had the ability to suppress his own taint, as though
had consumed Jade Petal tea.
A rare and terrifying ability, but one that was documented in the Kuni libraries.
In the end, we were left with nothing. No clues as to what he had done, or may have been planning to do, or
even if he was acting alone
So many unanswered questions left a bad taste in everyone's mouths.
Kitsuki-san, especially, was frustrated
Still, a part of me began to hope that Masagoro's odd behavior was the result of some sort of maho, and that
he was no longer being influenced by it.

The day after, a single scout came back from one of the patrols
Masagoro insisted on hearing his report alone
The scout, torn and bleeding followed Masagoro into the planning room and shut the door
When Masagoro finally emerged, he yelled for an eta
I looked at him
What happened?
He stared at me
The man was more seriously wounded then either of us realized. He died.
I looked over Masagoro's shoulder into the room
The scout was still folded up in a dogeza
Adachi found me some time later
I must speak with you, Ishigaki-san
I think...Masagoro is not right.
He frowned, and hesitated, staring at me intently
I nodded.
You're right.
He closed his eyes and breathed out through his nose
My father is one of Hida-sama's personal guard. I think I may be able to get them to listen to me, or at least to
come and inspect things for themselves
My eyebrows shot up. I really should have been asking him to tell me more about himself all this time.
I wasn't going to go at first, because I didn't want to leave Masagoro-sama alone like that...but
I understand. You can count on me. You go get Hida-sama, I'll try to keep Shiro Kuni in one piece until you can
get back.
He nodded.
I returned to our rooms to let everyone know.
The words died in my throat however, when I entered
Masagoro was there
He looked up at me and smiled
Ah, good. You're here.
Then I won't need to repeat myself
He looked back at Toshiro
As I was saying, I have a favor to ask, not that your business is concluded.
The patrols have done a fine job stretching the enemy out, and drawing them away. There is now a clear path
to Shiro Hiruma.
I need only send one last patrol, small, with the very best veterans.
I would ask that YOU be the ones to confirm the enemy's numbers.
Though Masagoro was speaking to Toshiro, I answered without thinking.
Of course I'll go, Masagoro-sama.
He smiled at me.
I knew you would. Always the first to rush into danger to protect your kin.

Toshiro nodded
I will go as well
Yosh!
Toshiro looked over at the others
I won't order you too. This is Crab business, and outside our purview as Jade Magistrates
Monkey grinned
You're not just my superior, you're my friend Toshiro. And this sounds hard. Of course I'm going
Mantis-san merely grunted, but we knew what he meant
Kitsuki-san took a long sip of tea.
I will go as well. I may be a courtier, but I can fight too.
I looked at my friends. I was going to protect my fellow Crabs, because I could survive just about anything.
Toshiro was going because his magic would be invaluable in dealing with things I may not be able to kill.
They were going because they were our friends, and for no other reason
I bowed
Thank you all.
I will go.
We all started at that
I said: I will go as well.
Naomi, you can't! Your health!
She stared at me. Then walked over to the corner of the room and picked up her yumi
One day, my children will enter the shadowlands alone, and kill something that dwells within. I will see this
place with my own eyes, even if it is just once.
Everyone stared at her.
Then I walked over to her and leaned in close
I whispered into her ear
Do you want another child? Because right now it's all I can do to keep myself from giving you another child.
She gasped and blushed, then smiled up at me
Masagoro clapped his hand on his knee
Good! Such a fine group as this, you will surely prevail!
He set a map down on the table
Here is the route you need to take, this will be the least patrolled by the enemy right now.
Well then, I'll leave you to it.
With that, he left
We began to pack rations and gathered jade
In the morning, we would set out once more for Shiro Hiruma.

That night, I cleaned my armor thoroughly

In the morning, Naomi helped me to dress, and helped her
A sleeveless top, with soft pads on her forearms
simple pants, wrapped around her ankles
I combed out her hair, and tied it up with a simple headscarf
Loose clothing could get caught on all sorts of things, but exposed flesh was also at risk. Balance, in all things.
A second finger of jade for her. One to keep with her rations, and one on a silken cord around her neck
She fiddled with the second piece of jade I gave her
Fires, even small ones are not a good idea in the shadowlands.
For a lot of reasons...
She touched the pouch with her medicinal tea in it
I understand.
I fussed with her clothing a bit more, not wanting to admit she was ready
I had too much respect for strength.
Though her body was frail, she was still so determined.
That willpower was so beautiful, I couldn't say no.
She took my hands in hers, stilling them
Let us go, Ishigaki-kun.
We did
As we walked to the Wall Toshiro spoke to Naomi of shugenja matters
Monkey and Mantis-san enjoyed advising Kitsuki-san.
It's not often you know more about a thing than him, but their past experience meant they did.
Basic advice, like assume it wants to kill you, and things of that nature.
This time, we were allowed thought the tunnels
Outsiders or not, everyone knew why we were here, and they respected us all for it.
Kitsuki-san's eyes darted every which way as Hiruma Akiyama led us through the tunnels
I took Naomi's hand in mine as we stepped out into the shadowlands
I felt a shiver run through her
It is just as you said it would be, Toshiro-san.
He nodded.
So, be carefull Naomi-san
Shugenja things. I knew that it was dangerous and difficult to work magic in the shadowlands. There were
almost no kami around after all.
But only those two could truly understand what that meant.

Kitsuki-san looked about

This part seems normal enough. Bleak, perhaps.
Mantis-san spoke
Just wait. It gets fun the further in you go.
I pulled the map and checked our route one last time.
There was no doubt where Masagoro was sending us
Shiro Hiruma never seems to move, unlike the rest of the shadowlands
And there is a path that leads to it. A road one can follow, if they so desire
Few do.
It was this road we would take
You two
I pointed to Mantis-san and Monkey
Take the sides
Let's get moving
We headed off, myself Monkey and Mantis-san forming a triangle around the others
With Toshiro and Naomi we made our way slowly, carefully
This time all we encountered was silence
I found an overhanging ledge we could all fit under and we took a break to eat
You know
Monkey said around a mouthful of rice
don't
He looked around
don't you do it
It's kinda quiet around here, isn't it?
god
dammit
monkey
We all stared at him
What?
he leaned back
Gawk!
He yanked an arm up; a vine was tangling around it
two more lashed out wrapping around him
Stay back!
I yelled and then ignored my own advice
Two more vines lunged at me
I lashed out at one, knocking it aside
The other wrapped around my leg
Monkey struggled with the ones binding him
Grkk, Kinda....kinda hard to breathe here!
Toshiro yelled
It senses bodies that get to close!
He pulled a scroll
And turned two tentacles to ash with jade fire
I grabbed at the one on my leg, wrestling it up and sliced into it with my wakizashi, cutting away
A twang over my shoulder, and Mantis-san's arrow pinned another vine to the ground
Monkey tore the last vine from himself, and hacked it apart
I wasn't sure if the tangle vine had any more vines or not, but I wasn't about to find out
back, everyone back!
As we left the small enclosure Mantis-san smacked Monkey for me
And THAT is why you don't say things like that, you damn jinx!

Monkey went back and forth from rubbing at his head to rubbing at the bruises on his arms from where the
vines groped him
Hey! I'm the one it went after, so how am I the jinx? Isn't it Ishigaki-san's fault for thinking it was safe?
Mantis-san growled and threw up his hands
Kitsuki-san peered into the little overhang
You said it senses living bodies?
Toshiro nodded
Then it strangles them.
Kistuki-san nodded.
Armor wouldn't really help against that would it?
No.
I see."Wants"
We went deeper in, until we came upon the road
Everyone stopped and stared when they could see it
A black road, stretching off into the distance
Up close you could see all the little bits and pieces
I stepped on it, and the soft rocks crumbled under my weight
What the heck is this?
The path Masagoro want's us to take
Shiro Hiruma never seems to move, and neither does this path.
It's an insult, a taunt. Daring us to try and take it back
THIS is what he led the enemy away from with all those doomed patrols.
Monkey stepped on the road and shuddered
What is this stuff? Bones!?
Toshiro answered him
No
It's jade
WHAT?
it's all the jade that rotted from absorbing the taint, cast aside by the thousands that have gone down this path
to Shiro Hiruma
He stepped onto the road, hands folded up into his kimono, as though it were the most natural thing in the
world
Well? You coming?
It was Naomi who was the first to follow us
we made our way towards Shiro Hiruma, the sound of rotted jade crunching under our feet barely able to stir
the oppressive silence.
It was like the shadowlands was welcoming us in
Like it wanted us to see
I wondered if it would let us back out as easily.
Unlike Monkey, I had the good sense not to say anything out loud
Naomi stifled a small cough behind me, and I stopped
She shook her head, took a few tea leaves from her pouch and chewed on them
He eyes squinched tight and she put a hand over her mouth.
Ugh. so bitter...
She opened her eyes and wiped at the tears forming in the corner
It is alright, everyone. Chewing on them is not the best way to get the medicine out, but it works.
She gave us all her brave smile
I am fine. Let us continue
We went on for a few more hours before I called for another break
Naomi, Toshiro and Kitsuki-san were all sweating hard
Naomi for obvious reasons, Toshiro because of the effort of keeping up despite his foot, and Kitsuki-san...well
he WAS still a courtier.
As we all ate cold rice I checked my jade.
What do you think Toshiro?
Looks like three days worth to me.
Yeah.
Kitsuki-san looked up with surprise
Mantis-san arched an eyebrow
Even you lost track?
he nodded, saying nothing.
As we stood to resume our march, shadows began to fall around us
I looked up, ready for more flyers
Instead dark clouds were flying past.
Very, very quickly
No wind was blowing that I could feel
Monkey said what we were all thinking
Well that's horrifying.
Kitsuki-san pointed
It gets worse
in the distance, we could see the clouds become a thick wall, casting the shadowlands into a deep black night
beneath them
And they were coming this way
I narrowed my eyes
We should move
The darkness was on us far too quickly
I felt my body tense, getting ready
Many things shunned the light, even in this damned place
In the dark we were more at risk of being attacked
I waited
And waited
But nothing happened
It just got dark
I heard Mantis-san grind his teeth
Wish it would stop fucking with us and just get it over with already!

Nothing
Despite Mantis-san tempting fate, the calm remained unbroken
Mantis-san turned to me and Toshiro
Okay, what the FUCK is going on here?
Toshiro shrugged
It's just as you said, Daigo-san.
The shadowlands is trying to disrupt your spirit by defying your expectations.
I spoke up
Like I said before, knowledge is the best thing here. But this place...it knows that. So from time to time it
behaves in ways you just don't expect, and for no other reason than to make you doubt yourself.
Monkey shook his head
I don't understand.
I see it and I still don't understand
Is it HIM? Does the HE still have that much power?
Toshiro answered Monkey
Good question.
Monkey everyone looked to Toshiro expectantly.
He stared back
No clue.
Is the Dark Kami a slave to the will of Jigoku?
Or did his divine nature allow him to bend the realm to his own will?
Is it his will that guides this place? Or the will of the realm of Evil? Or is there no will at all, and we simply fool
ourselves seeing patterns that aren't there?
Toshiro shrugged again
My ancestors have studied the Shadowlands, the taint of Jigoku, and the things the bear it for over a thousand
years.
The only thing we know for certain is that just when you think you know something, you'll be proven wrong.
Come on, we really should stop wasting time
We resumed our march
Toshiro and I both knew, of course, that the easier it was to get in, the harder it would be to leave the
shadowlands.
But we said nothing.
That knowledge would only serve to place even more strain on them.
Like a siege, sometimes it is easier to break the men inside the castle then the castle walls themselves.
For now, we both did our best to exude a calm confidence, in order to bolster their spirit.
The clouds overhead kept our surroundings cloaked, and we took advantage of that as we neared Shiro
Hiruma
Soon enough, the castle appeared on the Horizon.

It was a simple fortress, with one main keep rising up three stories
I could see the damage to the walls from the Maw's assault
We threw ourselves onto our bellies, crawling in the in dark
daring to get just a bit closer
Soon the shapes on the outside became more and more distinct
Though the castle looked small on the outside, the truth is much of it's barracks were located underground.
Tunnels and ambush pits dotted the land around Shiro Hiruma, as the Hiruma had always favored offense,
sortieing to disrupt the enemy with surprise attacks rather than wait for high walls and siege engines to grind
their foes down as the Hida did.
Because of that I knew that Shiro Hiruma could hold many more troops than one would think
Yet still, it was not enough to contain the horde that stretched out before us
Zombies, goblins, Ogres. Lost. Oni.
I could make out a clump of Oni no Nosloc.
While many Oni were singularly powerful and too proud to serve another being, the Nosloc were something
like foot soldiers, who could work well in groups, and fought with weapons and tactics
And were invulnerable.
There were too many to count.
Fodder, skirmishers, shock troops, main force.
This wasn't just a horde. It was a proper army.
And then I saw it's commander
tall, lean, covered in chitin and bony plates
Three eyes
Three tongues that dripped fire licked out from its fanged maw
My blood turned to ice
Of course.
Only the spawn of Akuma no Oni could bring such a force to heel
It howled to its army and was answered
The cries that arose were so loud it hurt, even this far back I could feel it threatening to crush me
Gritting my teeth I inched backwards, tugging at Naomi beside me
we all crawled away, sweating hard.
I'm just glad no one screamed
Once we were far enough away we exchanged glances.
Kitsuki-san whispered
I could see more shapes moving towards the castle
But it was just a trickle compared to what was already there.
So, it will come soon.

We have to hurry back then

We set out, moving quickly under the darkness, back down the road of dark jade
But we found our path blocked
By a creature that towered head and shoulders above me
It wore a Hakama, and a Jingasa pulled down to hide it's face
Bulging muscles strained against its clothing
It wore a daisho at it's hip
Were it not so tall, and were it's skin not red, you might be forgiven for mistaking it for a wandering samurai
As we readied our weapons, it tilted its head back
It's mouth split it's head clean in half, and multiple rows of needle like teeth showed inside it
I thought it might be smiling
and then it spoke
I am very sorry, but I will have to take your lives now.
I simply cannot allow you to return and report what you have seen.
Not that it would matter anyway.
You will die here, the Crab on the Wall will die there, the Crab beyond the Wall will die, and only then will the
other samurai lift a finger
All while thinking the world is better off with fewer warlike Crab about.
It laughed then,
And you will go before Emma-O, who will say that you did something wrong because Jigoku tainted your soul
while you fought so hard to defy it!
The priests will nod, and say Heaven's Will be Done, and the Samurai will speak of honor and bushido while
their own blind foolishness allows this to happen again and again!
It drew it's blade, and it's voice took on a more sinister tone
When...when will you mortals ever learn?
Mantis-san screamed at it and charged
I heard Toshiro hiss it's name
Oni no Genso!
Genso caught Mantis-san's kama on it's daisho and laughed
You understand, don't you little bug? You know how important money is, yet you must pretend it's not! Still...
It shoved with it's arms, and Mantis-san was thrown backwards
All the fine weapons and armor you can buy do not make you a warrior.
I began to move up to shield Mantis-san but I was too slow
Kitsuki-san charged it next

Enough of your blasphemies!

Shit. This is what Oni no Genso do.
They are excellent warriors, but more than their skill with their blade, is their understanding of humans
They taunt
they mock
they belittle and insult
They drive their opponents to reckless fury, making them forget basic lessons in their rage
Monkey and I moved as one, stepping up and striking at it, while shielding Kitsuki-san and Mantis-san
Hooo?
You two...
It snarled and attacked us both,
I received it's blow, and it hissed in surprise
Monkey managed to twist aside at the last minute
Toshiro produced a scroll and began to chant
Naomi however, fired an arrow into the Oni
It hissed at her
Sickly one, what foolishness is this?
Is it not enough for you to live so long past your time? You want glory now as well? Greedy bitch.
It is NOT like that monster!
Mantis-san tried again, moving around the creature to slash at it's legs
Though he managed to cut it, it kept to it's feet
Annoying bug...but first
It spun its blade around aiming for Kitsuki-san
Monkey caught it's first strike
But it pushed him away with the power of its strike, and then stabbed it's blade into Kitsuki-san
He staggered back, his do pierced through by the monster
I knew that he would have enough sense to fall back, and I knew that Naomi would heal him
I knew when that happened it would stop at nothing to kill her
So I attacked it with everything I had
Throwing aside caution I struck as hard as I could
I gouged it's chest deeply, tearing away flesh and revealing blue-black muscle beneath
I spun, striking it's side.
I felt what might have been bones crunching under my strike, though no human would have bones there
Damn YOU! You think you can save her like that?
How do you think to protect when all you can do is KILL?
Monkey rammed his sword into the back of the things neck, and out the front of it's throat
shut up
He then pulled his blade back and sliced it's back open
Just shut up and die

Despite taking such ghastly wounds the Genso was barely slowed down
You first.
It spun and rammed a claw deep into Monkey's chest tearing his armor like it was rice paper
Even as I began to move in, it shoved it's katana backward, and into me.
Bastard wasn't even looking
Monkey spat blood as the Genso pulled his claw from his body
Mantis-san leapt high up with a cry slicing deep into its shoulder with his kama
Is that all?
You really are the worst in this lot
It spun and cut across Mantis-san with it's obsidian Katana
He hissed in pain
Then it turned it's back on him
You... your a tough one. But that just means you can taste true despair as you watch me kill all the rest!
I pulled back my tetsubo for another strike
And it's claw reached out for my face
SHIT!
I turned aside at the last moment
Only for it's blade to pierce my leg
a feint. The damn thing tricked me
Pain shot up my leg
This time it had gotten deep
Oh, look. The little Crab's shell isn't a good as he thought!
Now... die
ISHIGAKI!
Another arrow dug into the Oni's arm
It looked at the arrow that had gone through it's wrist
Then it turned to face Naomi
With a wild scream it ran straight at her
And impaled itself on Kitsuki-san's blade
Toshiro yelled out then and it cried out in surprise as he turned it's own earth upon itself
It was the spell he had used against the bog hags, long ago.
NGggghh! What are you doing to meeeee!
Mantis-san, Monkey and I charged together taking advantage of it's momentary weakness
It fell under our blows and did not move again
Ah, hold on all of you!
Naomi got out a scroll
Toshiro put a hand on her shoulder
Don't rush, remember where you are.
Right.
She chanted softly, and our wounds began to close
What the...?
Monkey was pointing at the Genso
It's daisho was dissolving, turning first to sludge, then smoke that faded away
Toshiro gave off his half laugh, half snort
Nice of it let us know when we've killed it.

Toshiro stared at the Genso's corpse

Then he pulled his wakizashi out and cut of it's head
One of you got a bag for this thing?
Under the Jingasa it had no hair. Just two little horns
Mantis-san proffered his bag, and Toshiro bound the head up and slung it over his shoulder
Monkey shuddered
Toshiro looked up and shook his head
Meanwhile, I checked my jade
Close to half gone.
Naomi had tended our wounds and the Jade would keep us safe from the taint that suffused this place, but if
we stayed too long...
Toshiro and I could handle a day or two without jade, I was sure.
And of course, Monkey could.
I wasn't so sure about Mantis-san
And I knew Kitsuki-san and Naomi would both be in trouble if the jade ran out.
We needed to get back quickly
Kitsuki-san noticed my stares
You're worried about getting back in time?
I nodded
Then I turned to Mantis-san and Monkey
Think you two can keep up a run, with a heavy load?
Mantis-san scowled.
Of course I can.
I jerked my head towards Toshiro
If you get tired, trade off with Monkey
I won't get tired!
I didn't argue with him
Instead I scooped up Naomi
Alright, let's get back
We took off running down the road of dark jade
Keep a lookout Naomi, I need to focus so I don't trip
Hai!
She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on as we ran.
The feeling of her pressed into my back made me think of things wholly inappropriate for someone in the
middle of the shadowlands
I settled for squeezing her rump
Brushes with death really teach you to enjoy life
Since the road stayed put, we were able to make good time
And the shadowlands remained blessedly empty
Of course, I knew now that the reason for that was that damn near everything in it was gathering at Shiro
Hiruma
Mantis-san and Monkey did end up trading off Toshiro several times
He grumbled about it
I feel like a sack of rice...
Mantis-san grunted as he put Toshiro down
Quit complaining, we're the ones carrying your heavy ass

Naomi used her magic to relieve our fatigue, and that combined with our faster pace allowed us to get out in
half the time it took to get in
We were met by Hiruma on the banks of the River of the Last Stand, and they took us up right away
To my surprise, Masagoro was already here, waiting for us on the Wall
His eyes were wide as he stared hard at us, not even waiting for the Kuni to finish their poking and prodding
Well? Did you make it?
I nodded
AND?
Oni no Akuma.
Everyone nearby froze
Akuma no Oni was one of the great Oni Lords.
His spawn were rare, but that was due to the care he took in rearing them
Where other Oni lords would let their spawn fend for themselves, Akuma no Oni took the time to train them.
As such, they always managed to cause great harm when he judged them worthy of being set loose
Masagoro smiled at the news
His horde?
Toshiro shook his head
It's not a horde, it's a proper army
We saw hundreds of Oni no Nosloc
It has everything. The shadowlands is damn near empty.
Masagoro's smile grew wider
Dairyo?
Toshiro nodded
Dairyo.
It meant 'big catch'
Oh!
Toshiro pulled out the sack
This bastard tried to stop us from getting back
He passed it to Masagoro
he opened the sack
Well well...
Masagoro held up the head for all to see
A moment passed as the Crabs all strained to see, then they realized what they were looking at
Cheers erupted all around.
Oni no Genzo was well known to the Crab. They were few, but were well known to wipe out entire patrols.
Slaying one was a huge accomplishment
We quickly found ourselves surrounded, praise and hearty backslaps being heaped upon us all
I grinned at the others
How does it feel to be honorary Crabs now?
Monkey almost buckled under a mighty slap
Like they think I'm choking!
Laughter erupted among the Crab gathered about
Masagoro bellowed
Alright, enough celebration!
Now, I need to know all about it. As detailed as possible

We went inside out of the wind, and Masagoro pulled out a map of Shiro Hiruma
Tell me everything. The walls, where are they damaged?
The keep?
He asked as much about Shiro Hiruma as he did the state of the Horde
Kitsuki-san was able to answer everything to his satisfaction
...and you say the shadowlands are virtually empty?
Nods
He looked up from the map, peering up at us from under his eyebrows. He wore wide smile, ear to ear, with too
many teeth showing.
So we have days, at most...
He whispered then, as though he were thinking out loud
Yes. yes this is it. This will do...
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and composed himself
Then he began yelling orders, calling for attendants, his mind already racing to plan for the battle that was
looming over us all
That night I took a chance
You should all leave
My suggestion was met with flat stares and silence
So I got down on my knees, placed my hands on the floor, and touched my head to it
On behalf of the Crab, I thank you all. You have aided my Clan deeply, in ways that can never be repaid. But
now it is time to fight. It is time for my Clan to fulfill it's duty. I cannot ask you to face what comes next.
Monkey rested his chin in his hand, and looked at me through half lidded eyes
You done?
I choked back my surprise
I thought for sure that would work
Mantis-san snorted
Yeah, we know you won't ask. You never ask.
We're not going anywhere
I half rose to my feet
Don't you fools get it? Any day now THOUSANDS of monsters are going to descend on the Wall!
A horde like that only attacks once in a generation... no, not even that often!
Kitsuki-san looked over to me. He was cleaning and polishing his katana
...and?
Toshiro put a hand on my shoulder
Give it up Ishigaki. If these idiots are so determined to die for us then the best we can do is take their heads
when they fall so their bodies do not rise again

Mantis-san grinned at Toshiro

I like how you said it without saying it, but it's not going to work.
We're going to see this through to the end.
Not for the first time, I wondered what I had done to deserve such friends
That night, Naomi clung to me fiercely in our bed
She was shivering badly
That happened more often than some think
While you are in the shadowlands, your senses are heightened, you're on alert, you are ready.
Only after the immediate threat is gone does the fear break through.
Even veteran bushi will shake like a reed before a hurricane in the aftermath of a battle
I stroked her hair, soothing her, until she spoke of it.
That place...it is so, so WRONG
And we are going to send our CHILDREN there?! ALONE?
I know, Naomi. I know.
Hey, look at me.
I did it.
Yes, you did...
My father did
So did his father.
And his father.
...I think HIS father was a shugenja though...
She giggled at that. A good sign
There was a part of me that didn't want to let you go, you know.
Yes, I know
But there's another part of me that's glad you did
When we speak of the sacrifice we make, when we tell stories of the things that lurk beyond the wall, of how
evil the shadowlands are...few understand it.
They think that Yojimbo taking an arrow in place of their Lord is the same kind of sacrifice. They think a suicide
charge against the enemy's main camp is the same kind of courage
But now YOU understand.
She nodded.
Yes. I do.
Just think, now you'll be able to laugh at the Matsu bragging about the enemy heads he took when you realize
your children will have faced a thousand times worse
She giggled again.
Then nuzzled deep against me and slept
We awoke to a dark line on the horizon.
They would be here by tomorrow.

I stood up on top of the wall and looked out over the tide of demons
One thousand soldiers from Shiro Kuni were gathered at the base of the Wall, to act as reserves
Naomi was down there, ready to heal the injured
The armories were opened, and the heimin armed
Some of them wept as they took up their polearms
Other heimin would be used to run jade powder to where it was needed
Kitsuki-san and Monkey were down in the tunnels
Akiyama had shown Kitsuki-san around, pointing out traps to him.
His memory would allow him to make good use of them, and Monkey would help keep him alive
Mantis-san's style was ill suited to the cramped tunnels, so he was up on top of the Wall.
Toshiro needed a clear field of vision to do his work
Those two would work together
As for me, I would be wherever the fighting was fiercest.
I shot a glance towards Masagoro
He stood still and calm. His face composed
At peace
At his nod the beacons were lit
A Kuni threw powder into the bonfires
The fire changed color, and thick smoke rose up
The color every Crab knew
The color every Crab feared
As the light and smoke was seen fires burst into life all along the wall
One by one, they carried the message the length and breadth of the Crab lands
Make ready to meet your ancestors
A Horde is upon us
A ghastly cacophony arose, shrieks filling the air
And then it surged forth, a tidal wave washing over the River of the Last Stand

The unquiet dead came in the first ranks of the horde

Arrows were loosed from the top of the wall, a thick cloud that felled hundreds
Hundreds more came on, their lurching shambling gait unabated
Among their feet ran the little shapes of goblins, carrying long ladders
The undead simply walked into the river, and soon emerged on the other side
While the goblins laid ladders across it
It looked like the ladders were made of bone, but many of the bones were too long to belong to a human
Then thunder shook the Wall
The Kaiu had begun their work
Boulders smashed down into the river, tearing apart the makeshift bridges, flattening zombies and crushing
goblins
Flames belched forth from the Wall, covering the Zombies at the bottom in liquid fire
They took a long time to burn away
overhead balls of flame soared, striking into the packed ranks of the Horde
I looked out at it.
It held it's ranks, waiting.
I was startled to see banners standing out in the enemy's ranks.
This was even more disciplined then I would expect from an Akuma...
It must have an Oni no Uzaku to direct the horde on its behalf
At the signal, another volley of arrows was loosed, to follow up the devastation the Kaiu had unleashed
The first push was driven back.
But I could already see another wall of dead forming up for the next push
heimin ran back and forth, bringing up fresh ammunition for the siege engines
A scream arose from below
THE TUNNELS THEY'RE IN THE TUNNELS GET THE JADE BELOW!
I shot Toshiro a glance and a nod and headed in the direction of the Screamer
I could feel the whole Wall shake with each volley of fire up above, dust fell from the ceiling
I kicked a goblin out of my way and made my way deeper
Down one tunnel I saw two Hiruma spearing an Ogre
I ran past, and found the Oni the Screamer was yelling about
It was short, with a body twice as thick as a man
It had no head
Where it's neck would be was instead a great maw
[Kamu no Oni]

I yelled to the Hiein with the bucket of jade powder

As two Hida wedged themselves up against it, trying to buy time, I powdered my tetsubo
I finished just in time for the Oni no Kamu to bring it's maw down and bite one of the samurai in half
his legs fell to the floor, twitching and what was left of his intestines spilled everywhere
I threw myself at the demon
IF YOU'RE SO DAMN HUNGRY THEN HAVE A TASTE OF THIS!
I drove my tetsubo down into it's maw, shattering teeth
It howled at me, phlegm and blood splattering from it's mouth all over me
The other Hida fell back to powder his Dai Tsuchi
The Oni's claws reached out for me, seeking to seize me up and devour me
I strained against it, keeping my arm just out of reach of its snapping jaws
A WHUMPF echoed in the tunnels as my brother Hida slammed his dia tsuchi down on the arm that held me,
breaking its grip
As the beast recoiled I struck again at its other arm, hampering it
The two of us struck again, finishing it off
I picked up the heimin with the jade
Keep moving, the jade must flow!
Ri...right great samurai!
The fear such monsters caused was an issue.
Sometimes you had to prod the heimin to shake it off. Sometime Samurai had to carry the jade themselves
THE TOP! THEY'VE CRESTED THE TOP!
Shit.
As I ran back up I caught a glimpse of Kitsuki-san out of the corner of my eye
He was standing still, as pack of goblins rushed down a corridor at him.
I couldn't see Monkey
Kitsuki-san smiled, then flipped a switch with his foot
Flames erupted from the walls, floors and ceilings, killing the goblins before they ever got near him.
I headed back up
Flyers were diving into the ranks of samurai atop the wall
They were targeting the siege engines
I saw a bushi, with an masakari in each hand, leap from the wall onto one of the flyers as it swooped past
Both diapered over the south side
With the siege engines under assault, the ladders had made it to the wall
the undead were coming up
A scaled horror landed on top of a balistea and screeched at the engineers
Then it was bathed in green flames
Toshiro
I could see Mantis-san desperately shoving ladders away from the walls, a half dozen Hida following his lead
I decided to help Toshiro
I ran to the engine slamming my tetsubo on the back of the winged reptile
It flesh didn't tear under my strike, but I did it force it down the ground
I leapt on it, pinning it down
the claws on the ends of it's wings scratched at me, I twisted my neck around to avoid its snapping jaws
Hold it there Ishigaki!
I Can't do much else!
Toshiro began to chant
I wedged my tetsubo sideways in it's mouth, keeping it from biting at me
Though it raked at my body with it's legs, it found only armor
Then it began to stiffen under me
Toshiro was screaming, shouting loud enough the stones of the Wall would wake, as the Earth Kami rushed to
turn the Oni into a jade statue
I held it for few more moments, until Toshiro slumped
A Kaiu caught him
It's done, Ishigaki
I made to wrench my tetsubo from it's now petrified jaw
Wait!
A Kaiu was leaning against the balista.
His suit of Tetsu-Do was torn, and his organs were piled up in his lap.
He had a Haori that marked him a Taisa
his whole body was shaking, he held onto his spirit with pure willpower
Take this...
He reached up to me, offering me his own tetsubo
It's studs were not made of Iron, but Jade
I think you'll get more use out of it then I will
My name is Kaiu Gentoku...
This is Kimimaru.
It.. It's been in my family thr-thr-three generations...
I took the treasure and bowed.
He smiled as his spirit left to join his ancestors.
As a last show of respect, I took Gentoku's head
Then I rushed over to aid Mantis-san
Goblins had creste the Wall now, and the darted about, stabbing at exposed backs and ankles while the
zombies pressed forward
A dozen Hida followed me as I swung Kimimaru, driving back the wall of death

Mantis-san kept the goblins off my back as we formed up a wall of our own
Rather than kill the zombies one by one, we pushed and shoved
Driving them back and shoving them off the Wall
We cleared the top, and were rewarded with the sound of the siege engines firing
I looked up, and the flyers fell back
I could see the Horde fall back as well
But it stopped just outside of the range of the engines
I looked around at the rest of the Crabs around me
There expressions varied slightly, but most seemed to convey 'What the FUCK?' rather well
Masagoro appeared, walking along the length of the Wall
They have tested us today! Their commander pulls them back now to adjust his strategy!
There was no doubt then. Only an Uzaku could move a horde like that, and think in that way
Their mistake is in giving us time to rest!
Treat the wounded! Shugenja should rest first!
He turned to one of his sub commanders
Send out units of Hiruma to harass them
HAI!
Masagoro looked down at the bodies of the dead
Only a few so far
Get the ETA up here
I leaned on the edge of the Wall and looked out over the Horde. It didn't seem diminished in the slightest.
I went looking for Kitsuki-san and Monkey
I found Monkey picking his way out of pile of Goblins
What's going on? It's not over already is it?
No, they pulled back to regroup and try again later.
He blinked
Oni can do that?
Not usually.
Kistuki-san glanced down to Kimimaru
What is that?
I held it up
A Crab Clan treasure
Some very skilled Kaiu can make Tetsubo with jade that never rots. Usually needs a Kuni to help out.
There are precious few, so we never take them INTO the shadowlands and risk losing them.
Kitsuki-san nodded. I see. It alleviates some of the logistics issues when Oni are attacking.
Yeah.
Monkey looked at it.
So that means you're going to have to face Oni first and foremost, huh?
I looked at him.
Don't tell Naomi.

The Horde came again in the night

Few things in the shadowlands had difficulty seeing in the dark
It began with the fliers
Sweeping and wheeling, the dove at the Wall
This time we ready
Toshiro and a dozen other Kuni threw magic disrupting their assault
As the winged monsters burned they crashed into the wall, where the bushi set upon them
Ladders thumped against the Wall, but too few
They were easily pushed back
Too easy. It was far too easy.
I ran down to the tunnels, certain the push was going to come up from below this time
I was right
I came upon Monkey who had just finished beheading an ogre
Ishigaki-san? What are you doing down here?
The push is aimed here!
oh.
He grinned.
Plenty to do then!
A gout of flame lit up the tunnel beside us
But it wasn't from one of the Kaiu's traps
A samurai, their body a black silhouette wreathed in flame staggered into our tunnel
Monkey took their head and ended their pain without hesitation
He looked down at the body
That...was the right thing?
I nodded.
Yeah.
Get ready, whatever that was...
Yeah
A shadow loomed on the walls around us
And from out of the tunnel strode a midget
It was only three feet tall, covered in blue fur
two eyes, black with orange irises and white pupils
What the hell is that?
I have no idea Monkey
I opened it's mouth and we were bathed in flame
We threw ourselves to the ground, slapping at the fires before they could spread
It leapt on my back as I did so, and sank fangs into me
Monkey stabbed at it with his katana, but the little creature was unfazed
DAMN, it's some kind of Oni!
It kept gnawing on me, and I couldn't really reach it.
I tried slamming it against the walls, but it clung to me, digging it's fangs deeper
Ishigaki-san! OVER HERE!
I ran to where Monkey was pointing
A part of the floor had opened up, revealing a pair of cylinders covered in Jade, crystal and obsidian spikes
Monkey found the lever and got them spinning

I flopped down onto my back, and winced as I inched up to the grinder

I could not believe I was about to do this
Monkey grabbed my arms as I felt the little monster get caught by the death trap
It still gripped tightly to me, even as the cylinders pulled at it and tore it to bloody shreds
Monkey leaned back, pulling on me with all his strength
I realized that I had willingly placed my life into Monkey's hands. Literally.
Then the creature let go, or more likely was ground up too much to hold on
Monkey was still pulling with everything he had, and I was yanked up into him
He fell and I landed on top of him
We stared at each other for a moment in surprise, our noses almost touching
We never speak of this to anyone, agreed?
He nodded
We got to our feet
Kitsuki-san ran past us leaping over the grinder
We looked at his back, then looked at the direction he came from
All we could see was a lamprey like mouth, and pink flesh pressed up against the walls of the tunnel
It was unmistakably coming this way
We ran to catch up to Kitsuki-san
He stopped a bit ahead, and waved us to go past
As we did he flipped a lever, and a spiked portcullis slammed down on top of the worm thing
it convulsed blood and digestive juices spewing up from it's mouth before going still.
We leaned against the wall, panting and grinned at each other.

We moved further into the tunnels, killing zombies and goblins as we went
The tunnels widened a bit, allowing more room to fight.
So of course there were three Ogres in front of us
At least these ones looked like the dumb versions
Monkey and I advanced, attacking together
As I struck high, Monkey drove his katana into it's stomach. He then twisted his blade inside the wound, and
pulled up
Organs I couldn't name slopped out over our feet, along with a bucketful of blood
My tabi squished as I shifted my weight
The first of the Ogres fell to his knees, not quite dead
Then Kitsuki-san drove his own blade between myself and Monkey, into the eye of the Ogre
That did it.
The other two were taken aback at how quickly we killed the first.
One swung a tetsubo at Monkey who ducked
Kitsuki-san's katana came in over Monkey's shoulder, just turning aside the war club
The Other ogre jabbed at Kitsuki-san with a long bit of sharp bone.
Kitsuki-san saw it coming and stepped behind me, I brought Kimimaru up, knocking the bone spear over my
head
Then I brought Kimimaru down, destroying the Ogres elbow joint
Kitsuki-san made a satisfied little grunt over my shoulder
I remember when these things were dangerous.
They still are! Don't get overconfident on me now!
I didn't look back, but I could imagine his smirk as he replied
But Ishigaki, they have get past you to reach me.
His blade darted out, stabling into the wounded one
Monkey meanwhile sliced the fresh one, two flashing cuts across it's chest
Blood poured down it's body, dying it's muscled bulk red
COME ON!
Monkey yelled at the Ogres
IS BLEEDING ALL YOU CAN DO?
The one with the bone spear snarled, and drew back his only good arm
Then he threw the spear
past me, into Kitsuki-san
Oh dear...
I heard him cough
It sounded wet
I took the unarmed ogres head off with a swing of Kimimaru
The last ogre took his tetsubo in both hands and swung down with all his might
Too slow

Monkey dove under his legs, and I saw blood spray from the back of one
Then Ogre teetered, arms windmilling as it tried to regain it's balance
Monkey thrust his katana into it's back, impaling it's heart.
The Ogre gurgled as it died, and slid off Monkey's blade
Shit! Kitsuki-san!
Monkey knelt down beside him
I'm not about die, if that's what you're worried about...
Although, this does hurt a bit.
He grinned up at us, showing a mouthful of bloody teeth.
Monkey looked at the bone spear sticking out of Kitsuki-san's chest
There were bubbles in the blood welling up around it
Monkey, you're going to have to get him out of here and back to Naomi, as fast as you can.
He nodded.
His body's Air is fleeing, so leave that thing in for now, it's slowing it down a bit
And you!
Don't move. And don't die. We've only gotten started.
Kitsuki-san nodded to me
As Monkey picked him up I looked behind us
More ogres were coming in
Don't look back, just go!
I flipped the lever to trigger another falling gate.
Between myself and Monkey.
I turned to face the ogres trapped down here with me.

The floor in the tunnels had gotten quite slick.

As I left the dead ogres behind me I leaned on the walls to keep myself from falling.
It would be hard to fight down here like this
I stepped over an arm, still clutching the haft of on ono
I couldn't see the rest of them from here
Slowly, I realized I was lost
I could almost forget about it. Until an inhuman growl or a scream would echo through the tunnels around me.
Though I would chase after the sounds, I never managed to find their source
One time I did, only to find a pile of bodies. Crabs and Goblins lying all about in a knee high pile.
THere were nearly twenty Crabs here, and three times as many dead Goblins
I shifted Kimimaru to my left hand, pulled my katana and got to work
I was honoring twenty brave Crab
I was keeping twenty zombies from attacking my kinsmen
I had to lift dead bodies and toss them aside to get to the bottom of the pile
The last one twitched, and looked up at me
My blade froze as I looked into their eyes
My vision was blurring, so I had to blink a couple of times
As heir hand wrapped around my ankle my vision cleared enough
Milky eyes
My blade fell
Kicking my leg free I went hunting more prey
Mortar dust fell as the wall shook from the rhythmic firing of the siege engines
It stuck to the blood coating my armor
I swiped a hand absently at it, but only smeared the gore across my do.

I heard the sounds of battle and set off running,

A mistake.
I slipped in the gore, and skidded out of control into a wall
I pushed myself away in time to see a Crab Samurai-ko pushing an an Oni back down a hall
Three blades made of obsidian scythed out from the walls, One from the left at waist height, and two from the
right at ankle and neck level.
She leapt back as they came out, cutting the Oni into neat little pieces
But there were two more coming up from behind
She turned to face them, and saw me.
She wore A hachi-gane, do, sune-ate, and fundoshi.
She twirled twin Masakari, so it was good bet she was one of the Hiruma Slayers
I smiled and hefted up Kimimaru.
These things looked like Nosloc, though they were much shorter than normal
We attacked together, though she was just acting as a distraction.
Her weapons had no powder on them
I knew Oni no Nosloc coordinated well with one another so I focused my attacks, seeking to kill one as quickly
as possible.
Nosloc were not much better then a veteran bushi, save their invulnerability.
With Kimimaru in hand, the first one fell before it knew I was there
The other turned to me in surprise, roaring in anger
The Hiruma tried to distract it with a pair of blows from her masakari.
It ignored her, and swung at me with it's club
Six thick bands of stone wrapped around the end of long pole
Armor cracked as it slammed it's club into me
But that was all.
I lashed out, crushing both it's kneecaps
It collapsed in a heap, making almost pathetic mewling noises
The samurai-ko stepped back, as it thrashed about from the ground, trying to claw at us
I raised Kimimaru once more, and crushed its skull.
I am Hiruma Akane.
I nodded to her
Hida Ishigaki
I looked around
...and I'm lost...
She chuckled
Follow me, then.

Akane led me back out of the tunnels

As I headed out, a pair of Hida went in, with a Kaiu
There were several Eta behind them
Going in to try and pull the corpses out, and reset some of the traps
The sky in the east was getting a little brighter
Dawn was not far off
I had been fighting down there for hours
I prepared to head up to the top, to see if there were more enemies
As I did, a horn blew, and the taiko drums spoke
They were pulling back again.
I stood a moment, and then began to head towards the medical tents at the base of the Wall
I needed some water, and I needed to be Cleansed after all that
And of course...I wanted to see Naomi
I did, and regretted it
She was outside, doubled over and coughing violently
covered in gore as I was I couldn't even hold her up
All I could do was run over, and yell for someone to come
Another Kuni did
I pointed to the herb pouch hanging from her Obi
Her medicine, it's a tea.
He nodded and took the pouch
He did pause to look at me
I'm fine, none of this is mine!
He brewed up her medicine and passed her the cup when her fit passed
I took the opportunity to get a drink
Only when I had the water in my mouth did I realize how dry the back of my throat was.
There was lump in it that made swallowing painful
Another Kuni poked her head out
She wrinkled her nose at me
There are purification rituals over there.
I nodded
So many needed purification it was a rather rushed affair
We lined up, and were alternately doused with buckets of water to wash the worst gore off, and then hit with a
cloud of salt
I coughed into the cloud
I wasn't the only one
then a pair of Kuni waved bamboo rods with streamers on the end around our heads
And it was on to the next batch
I went back to see Naomi
She was still panting, but it was more like the panting of someone who had just run a long way and was laying
down and resting.
I rubbed her back, now that I was clean enough to touch people

You've been so busy taking care of everyone else you forgot to take care of yourself, didn't you?
N-no, it is not like that Ishigaki-kun!
Light cough
Sip
Sigh
I cupped her chin and pulled her face towards me
Oi. How much good will you be able to do if you collapse from overworking yourself
She looked down
But...there are so many
I hugged her
I know. But you shouldn't push yourself like that.
Everyone else is
Everyone else CAN.
She winced at my words
They were harsh, and I hated having to say them
But they were also true.
She nodded
I sat down next to her
As soon as I did my body began to shake
The weakness that comes when the battle heat leaves washed over me
Namoi rested her hand on my leg, rubbing it as I waited for the tremors to stop
I wasn't sure when it happened exactly, but I fell asleep there

I awoke in the late afternoon

Not much time before it would grow dark
They would come again then
I ate quickly, and tried to find everyone to check on them
First I made my way around the medical tents. I spotted the flash of gold and green and walked over to Kitsuki-
san
he looked up as I approached, and raised a hand in greeting
Worried about me?
Well you DID get impaled on a bone spear...
I'm fine now. Satoshi-san got me to Naomi-sama in time, as you can see
I'm just resting here until my armor can be repaired. Truthfully, I was worried I would have to settle for a spare
suit of ashigaru.
I grinned.
The Kaiu work fast, and well. You'll have your armor.
Speaking off Monkey...
He's fine. He gorged himself on rice gruel and passed out somewhere.
Hah. Damn Monkey.
I nodded and left Kitsuki-san.
I went up the Wall and found Toshiro, his limping gait making him stick out like a sore thumb
He had a bandage wrapped around his head, and was wearing a do.
I looked closer at the chestpiece. One size fits all, meant for ashigaru
And, on rare occasions, shugenja
The Wall under siege for miles along it's length by a thousands strong horde led by an Oni no Akuma was
certainly one of those rare occasions.
He was overseeing a small batch of younger Kuni who were placing sutras about
Toshiro addressed me without taking his eyes from their work
I was wondering if you intended to sleep through the rest of the battle
I looked back out over the Wall
Nope. Still plenty of fun to be had.
He made his laugh-snort
I watched the Kuni dart about for a moment
What's all this?
Preparation
Getting the Kami in the right mood so we can do more when they come again tonight.
I nodded
Is Mantis-san still alive?
Toshiro nodded
He's got quite the kill count. So far we've only gotten scrapes and bruises to show for the fighting.
He did turn to look at me then
I heard Kitsuki-san was wounded badly down in the tunnels
I nodded.
Monkey got him out

Toshiro breathed out a sigh and nodded

I left him to finish overseeing the preparations
One last thing to check
I found him pacing the Wall like a caged tiger
Staring out at the Horde
Everyone got out of his way, because he didn't seem to even see them
I stood at the end of his path, set the top of Kimimaru down on the Wall and folded my hands over it's pommel
For a moment I wondered if he really would walk right into me
But he stopped short and jerked his head towards me
Blinking a few times
Ah, Ishigaki-san.
He turned away immediately, resting his hands on the top of battlements and leaning forward
What is it?
I want to be where the fighting is thickest Masagoro-sama
He looked down at Kimimaru
Nodded
Do you think they will push the tunnels again?
He pointed
I followed his finger
I could make out some large shapes moving among the horde
It took a moment for me to realize just how large though.
The figures running around the large ones feet, and hanging off their backs were not goblins, but Ogres
Living siege ramps.
Masagoro spoke
The last two attacks were merely probing us. This one is the real one.
They will attack everywhere. But up here will be the worst
His beard almost hid it, but I saw him smile
I looked past him, to the signal fires
Eta were throwing bodies into them nonstop
Headless samurai, still in their armor, all burned together

As the setting sun turned the sky crimson, the Horde came forth
This time it was Ogres and Trolls leading the charge across the river
The engines on the Wall sprang to life,
arrows, boulders, burning pitch and oil all rained down on the hordes of Ogres rushing across the River of the
Last Stand with their ladders
But Ogres were a bit sturdier than zombies and goblins, and several engines were silent, waiting for the Oni no
Siege Ramps to come into range
So far more ladders struck the Wall then in the previous nights
We didn't try to shove them off right away.
Instead we allowed the pitch and oil to burn away the Ogres trying to climb up
Flaming bodies rained down from middle of the wall, crashing into their fellows waiting below
They came on anyway, racing against the crews who had to refill the cauldrons
An Ogre head appeared over the top of the Wall
I struck it with Kimimaru, and then shoved the ladder
Though the Ogre held on, his was off balance enough that he could not fight back
The Ladder fell, the ogres on it screaming as it did
To my left and right similar scenes played out,
Further down the I saw Mantis-san cut the head off the first ogre as a pair of Hida pushed at the ladder
A volley of arrows rained down after the falling ogres, buying more time as the foolish ogres rushed to right the
ladders
The River of the Last Stand ran red as the sky
This pattern repeated several times, as we methodically destroyed the ogres.
The last rays of the sun were dwindling, a slim red sliver on the horizon
As I shoved another ladder over, two more took it's place immediately
Toshiro yelled then
Back! BACK! Let them come up!
We stepped back as the Ogres began to crest the Wall
The looked around, confused by the sudden lack of resistance
Then they smiled, convinced we feared them
Toshiro smirked
DO IT NOW!

A half dozen Kuni, who had been praying for some time, raised their heads and pointed
Green energy surrounded them all, lifting their hair, filling their eyes
It raced from sutra to sutra, traveling far down the Wall
Then it burst forth, bathing the top of the Wall in jade flames
The brilliant energy threw back the encroaching shadows, making it as bright as noon for just a moment
When it passed, the ogres were gone
burned away to ash so fast they couldn't even cry out.
The sun had gone down
Night had fallen
The Wall shook as a full volley erupted from the engines
The Oni no Siege Ramps were coming
We had no time to shout our defiance, as more and more Ogres poured up from the ladders
We fell upon the beasts, tetsubo and ono and dai tsuchi impacting against ogre flesh
A pair of ogre seized the arms of a Hida, and pulled
He screamed in unimaginable agony as his arms were torn from their sockets
I cried out for vengeance and fell upon them, three of my kin at my back
The Wall shook, and not the way it did when the engines fired
A great fanged maw was cresting the top of the Wall
a dozen bushi lay before it.
They were all missing large chunks of their bodies
It's teeth were bloody
And then I heard the shriek
The same shriek I head in the canyon
This Oni wasn't carrying Ogres.
It had the Lost cavalry
And the Dark Moto that led them
The Wall froze at that creatures wordless howl, for it somehow contained uncountable blasphemies and
promises of dark fates for all who heard it
In that moment of shocked stillness, the Lost charged
Onikage galloped past me, riders in black armor, their flesh distorted unnaturally with the taint of Jigoku struck
at either side as hey passed
I managed to fend of a half dozen blows before I was knocked down
My vision swimming I watched the Crab fall before in rows before the Lost
I staggered to my feet, shaking my head to clear it
Toshiro was leading the Kuni in another chant

The Kuni finished their prayers and a wave of calm flooded over me.
Not the emotionless calm I felt once before, but rather a calm determination. My failing courage had been
reinforced by the Earth Kami.
And not just me. Wounded Crabs were standing, living Crabs were striking back at the Lost
The Dark Moto's empty sockets turned towards the Kuni. The hellish light that burned in them flaring brightly
I stepped between him and the Kuni
It looked at me
It's jaw opened
And a hissing gurgling noise issued forth
I blinked
Then I realized what I was hearing
It was laughing at me
It calmly drew it's katana and walked it's Oni Kage towards me
For all my bulk, I am still surprisingly fast
Hard won experience lets me react quickly.
The Dark Moto was much faster
Exploiting its advantage it swung it's blade down at me faster than I could react
THe tip found a gap between my do and sode, and plunged into me
It's eyelights flared again, then it stood up in its saddle and lifted it's blade high
It cut down through my kabuto, I jerked my head back, my forehead gashed open
I knew my training as a Defender of the Wall had just saved my life
I also knew that while the Dark Moto was surprised to run into me, he was neither afraid nor unsure of how to
fight me
This thing had existed for centuries. Of course it had faced Defenders in the past
And it was here in front of me now. It had survived those fights. Probably won them.
I hopped Mantis-san would get here quickly

There is no grace in the way the Hida fight

We stand firm, and defend ourselves. When our enemy leaves even the smallest opening, we strike at it with
all our might.
Our heavy armor, our strong Earth, allow us to take those risks.
Against the timeless monster I now faced, I paused
I covered myself, lifting Kimimaru high to ward off his rapid strikes
The demon horse snapped and kicked at me as well
The fires of Jigoku burned in it's eyes as well, and I knew it hungered for my flesh
The Dark Moto struck at me again and again, probing my defense, seeking to pry me from my shell
It tried to cut at my hands, my wrists, my fingers, seeking to dislodge Kimimaru from my grasp
It spurred the Onikage to lurch to the side, slamming it's bulk against me to take me off my feet
it slashed at my exposed head, then tried to rake it's boney claws across my eyes
Though I could feel it's hatred behind every blow, it did not rush.
I was strong. But I would tire. It would not.
The whooping of leathery wings behind me told me the Kuni were too busy to aid me in this fight
Was it enough just to hold it's attention here?
No.
There were Oni attacking the Wall, and Kimimaru needed to be there.
First, I needed to get him off his horse.
Kill the Onikage?
Unseat the rider?
...
Both.
As the Onikage snapped its fangs at me I brought Kimimaru up under its jaw
Bone cracked, and leathery flesh tore from its skull
The Onikage reared back from the force of the blow
It was dead. It felt no pain
As the Dark Moto shifted to maintain his balance in his saddle I struck at his chest
I saw the helllight in it's eyes flare as I attacked
his armor cracked under the weight of Kimimaru and I pushed him from the saddle
Though he hit the ground he rolled with the fall and came up on his feet
The wound I dealt to him was closing, his bones reforming and realigning as I watched
Great.
It laughed again.
I wasn't good at hiding my emotions, after all.

It stood, staring at me
I heard something that might have been a whinny
Crap, the Onikage!
I whirled around just in time to see a cloven hoof slam into my face
I wasn't sure if the sound I heard was my skull cracking or the Onikage hitting the ground after it had reared up,
because my vision went white, then black
I could feel my body staggering back
Then pain in my back
My vision cleared
I spun again, as the Dark Moto sliced into me a second time
I fell back, against the edge of the Wall, so they couldn't do THAT again
Getting him off his steed only eliminated a small advantage the Dark Moto had
But I had failed to kill the Onikage, so I was still outnumbered
The Dark Moto hissed. Not a laugh this time.
Frustration? Surprise? Satisfaction? Anger?
It is surprisingly hard to read the emotions of a bare skull.
It began to advance on me
no stance. It held it's blade casually at it's side
I was getting sick of being taken so lightly
I switched up my stance, calling up the Power of the Mountain.
I used this kata rarely. I hit hard enough on my own most times
The I smashed that grin off the Dark Moto's face
It took a step back
Then it straightened it's head with crackling noise that made my own neck ache
Well, bare skull or not, I was fairly certain I had pissed it off.
I spoke to it
you see? Don't take me so lightly monster.
It nodded.
The Onikage came closer, getting ready to strike at me
And then it fell
Mantis-san rose up from behind it, black blood dripping from his Kama
I had seen a painting of Yoritomo once.
Tsuruchi Daigo reminded me of that painting right now.
Nice of you to join me.
He grinned back at me.
Trying to steal all the best ones for yourself?
The situation had reversed. Now it was the Dark Moto who was outnumbered.
Watch out, the bastard's wounds heal quickly.
Mantis-san grunted in acknowledgment and we began to circle around the monster

I shifted my stance again, ready to strike at the Dark Moto if it swung at Mantis-san
Now that Mantis-san we had a chance. If I could knock it down, Mantis-san could kill it.
He sank low, running around it and slashing at its flanks
It struck back, but Mantis-san rolled under it's blade
Then I knocked aside it's follow up with Kimimaru
I followed through, driving into it with all my weight
I pushed it back, but it kept its feet
It's skull leaned in close, Kimimaru locked with it's blade, and hissed at me
The stench of it's corrupted breath was worse than an Eta village, and my eyes watered up
Mantis-san let out a fierce Kiai and struck it from behind
He then darted back out of the things reach
I could see we were damaging it faster then it could heal.
If we could just keep this up...
The Dark Moto drew it's wakizashi and threw it at Mantis-san
The blade punched through his do, into his his abdomen
I screamed with rage as I lashed out at it, hitting it over the head
It's kabuto flew off, and it's head snapped down in a bow from my blow
Then I swept Kimimaru through it's legs
It fell this time
Mantis-san leapt through the air, and let his body drive his kama into the things forehead
I picked Mantis-san up
Can you stand?
yeah, it looks worse than it is!
He hissed as he yanked the Moto's wakizashi out of his guts
blood spurted from the wound
he clapped a hand over his wound
It'll take more than this to kill me
A rattle of armor jerked both our heads around
The Moto was standing up
The top of it's skull was gone, along with it's right eye socket
rotten brains spilled from it's open head
It screamed at us both and raised it's katana

I pushed Mantis-san back as it rushed at us, taking it's attack head on

More shallow wounds, weakening my body, loosening my souls grip bit by bit
I could see marrow sliding up from the cut in it's skull, and bone following up the marrow
it was still healing
Mantis-san and I were both in bad shape
The difference was in how many attacks I could receive.
It tried to circle around me, to reach Mantis-san
I moved with it, blocking it's path
It knew if it could kill one of us, the other would be easy pickings. And it could kill Mantis-san faster than it could
kill me.
I had to keep it's focus
So I gave it chance to kill me
I cast aside all thought of safety, and attacked
Kimimaru shattered armor, clavicle, and shoulder
The Dark Moto's neck, lacking support, bent to the side. It's skull rested sideways on it's opposite shoulder, the
opened top aimed at the sky like a cup.
A cup full of black, mushy brains
It could not pass up such an opening
With a one handed thrust it drove it's katan into my stomach, all the way to the tsuba
It had been a long time since I felt such pain
I grinned and wrapped my arms around it
Mantis-san was waiting for that moment
He lunged, kama a blur as he slashed
again
again
again
The Dark Moto screamed, a sound that scraped against my teeth
the light in it's eyes flared brighter than ever
then went out
it's bones turned to sludge in my arms, leaving me holding onto an empty suit of armor
my knees buckled
Mantis-san grabbed me before I could fall
IDIOT!
He pulled the blade from me
You're tough, not invincible!
I know, Daigo.
I'm not dead yet, am I?
A roar that threatened to burst my ears put a stop to our conversation
A samurai had stabbed a Yari right into the eye of the Oni no Siege Ramp, and it was shaking it's head
The samurai didn't' let go of their yari in time
Their body was tossed up into the air, over the south side of the Wall

A Kaiu snapped her tessen down, and the Wall shook again
The Oni's legs were engulfed in flames, and ballistae bolts pierced it's thick hide
It was already pierced by a half dozen, and covered with arrows.
This last volley seemed enough
The thing toppled and in it's death throes it shook the Wall worse than even the siege engines
I lost my balance and fell
ISHIGAKI!
An ogre was looming up over me, club raised
A brown shape ran into view, a katana sank into the ogres side
The momentum carried them both to the edge of the Wall.
And over it
I saw Mantis-san dive to edge as I staggered back to my feet
I ran over and looked down
At Monkey hanging onto Mantis-san's hand
He was dangling one hundred yards above a shadowlands horde
He looked down, then up at us
And grinned
For some reason, his right side was covered in jade powder
HI guys!
Could you maybe pull me up? I really don't wanna go down there.
God
Dammit
Monkey
I grabbed his other hand, Mantis-san and I pulled with everything we had
We got Monkey back on the Wall
We sat there, panting for just a moment
What the hell are you doing up here?
Looking for more jade!
It's uh... getting kind of bad down in the tunnels
Toshiro limped over, handing Kimimaru back to me
It's about to get worse
Huh?
He pointed
Three more of the siege ramp Oni were coming
At a full charge
BRACE YOURSELVES!
The Wall SHOOK as the behemoths slammed into it
And dozens of Oni no Nosloc leapt onto the Wall
I raised Kimimaru and charged, the Crabs and my friends right behind me
But even as we strove to drive back the Nosloc more and more creatures came up the ladders
We were being overwhelmed.
Slowly our lined bent back
A Kuni came up behind me, healing some of wounds
I turned to thank him
He was already laying on the ground, three goblins on top of him, hacking into his dead body
I killed them all, and quickly took his head off
Fire fell into the back of the Horde, trying to stem the flood

The Wall wasn't shaking anymore

The engines had been overrun, flying monsters tore at the abandoned weapons
I took a step back to gain room to swing Kimimaru
And my foot fell on the top step of the Wall
A chill ran up my spine
no.
No.
NO
I raised Kimimaru, determined not to take one more step back
And the taiko drums sounded
FALL BACK!
RETREAT!
BACK TO SHIRO KUNI!
FALL BACK!
The orders echoed down the line, across the Wall.
We could not hold them here
My mind flashed back to the divination.
Shiro Kuni would burn.
I yelled over my shoulder
TOSHIRO, DAIGO, SATOSHI!
GO HELP NAOMI!
I saw them nod and take off down the steps
She would not leave a single wounded man behind
As the ran, I formed up a line at the top of the steps
WE HOLD THEM HERE!
BELOW US ARE TENTS FULL OF OUR WOUNDED!
YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IS AT STAKE!
FOR YOUR KIN, FOR YOUR CLAN!
HOLD!
THIS!
LINE!
My brothers and sisters screamed their defiance with me, into the wave of teeth and spines that was about to
break over us

I was engulfed in Mushin no Shin

Over and over my arms raised Kimimaru and struck
I knocked aside claws and fangs and clubs that came after the bushi on my sides
They did the same for me
Over our shoulders yari stabbed into the horde
I sank my stance down, leaning forward into the press of bodies
My feet skidded backwards, over the step
The bushi behind me supported me, and I did not fall
Nor did I lift my feet
Not. One. Step.
Men and women fell around me, and others took their places
Even in death, my fellow Crabs tripped the horde, made the monsters footing unsure
Buying us precious seconds
I slid back again
And my foot did not go down another step
We had been pushed down the Wall.
Counting me, only five of us were left
The tents were just behind us
I looked
Crabs were carrying the ones who could not walk by any means they could find
Two peasants were dragging a fallen Hida, still in her armor, buy her shoulder straps
I saw Toshiro and Naomi standing side by side at the edge of the tents
They were aglow with power
Blue and Green energy swirling and mingling around them in a vortex
A wall of water rose up before me, halting the advance of the horde
And then the sky rained fire and lighting
Several more kuni stepped up, adding to the storm of power, Flames, Lightning, Jade, Stones and Thunder
savaged the first ranks, held back by Naomi's spell.
Monkey yelled over the cacophony of destruction
THAT'S IT!
EVERYONE IS OUT!
At that I ran and grabbed Naomi
Mantis-san grabbed up Toshiro
As the horde tried to recover from the devastation we ran
The sun rose in the east, and beheld the Crab Clan forced off of the Wall.

First we raced, trying to open as much distance as possible between us and the horde
The horde did not give us much time
They did not consolidate, nor did the fall back with the dawn as they had before
The other sections of the Wall would engage them, striking into the Horde from both sides to retake the part we
had lost
But for now, we had to deal with the pursuit
Naomi healed my wounds as I took the rearguard again
We fought on, walking backwards, keeping the bulk of the horde from running past us and reaching the
wounded ahead
Hiruma Akiyama and Hiruma Akane fought along with us
She was a whirlwind of death, her twin masakari never stopped moving as she spun through the enemy
He was a bit more straightforward, swinging his no dachi in wide sweeps.
But he stepped into every swing, never standing still
We fought on until our arms and legs were numb, until we could not even think
It was growing dark
My numbed brain tried to get my attention.
It was too soon for that
A cry caught my attention
Akiyama was looking up, at the sky
I followed his gaze
The moon was beginning to eclipse the sun
I looked down and back
Shiro Kuni stood, it's gates open. The first of the wounded were reaching in
A horn blew
REAR GUARD FALL BACK!
What?
Then I heard the echo of drums
Coming from the tall tower outside Shiro Kuni
It's gate opened
A banner stood in the open gate
A Crab. Black. Clutching a piece of rotted jade
Hundreds of bushi, few wearing any armor at all, stood behind it
A horn blew again
And the Damned charged forth
We fell back, clearing their path
We look away when they enter that fortress.
We look away when they take their tea
But for this, we look.
We will not shame them for their fall
We will remember their redemption for ever.
A wave of darkness slammed into the horde as the sun was fully eclipsed
I saw Kaumi rush past me.
Our eyes met,
His eyes were completely black
then he was gone

The Damned bought us the time we needed

The rest of us got into Shiro Kuni
I helped slam the gates shut
The Damned would not retreat
I found the others, up on one of the towers
Naomi was weeping openly as she watched the Damned purify themselves
There were more than a few wet faces, so there was no shame in that.
Groups of Kuni prayed, and the enchantments worked into their home sprang to life, Kanji bazing with Jade
energy appeared on the walls of Shiro Kuni, straining against the darkness
The Fires in the towers were lit
Shiro Kuni held three regiments of the Crab army. 1500 soldiers. Two of those had been brought to the Wall.
five hundred fresh troops. The Damned. And the survivors from the Wall
Would the light from the fires even reach?
Could any troops be spared?
As the Damned were finally overrun, the Horde began to encircle Shiro Kuni
then the blast of a Horn cut the air.
Another force was coming up, along the path that led to the Fortress of the Forgotten
At the head was the standard of the Clan.
Even here I could make out the shape of Ketsuen
The Crab Clan Champion was coming with fresh troops
Masagoro yelled for the gates to be reopened
They would need to be guarded, to keep the horde from getting in
I ran down to the courtyard

Goblins swarmed in as the gates began to open

Figures those things would be the first to get here
Compared to everything else we'd been through, keeping the gate secure was child's play
Hida-sama led the reinforcements in a charge cutting a swath through the pursuing demons with a katana
forged of pure crystal
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was a shard of crystal cut into the shape of a katana
It's soul was awakened, and it cast a circle of light around itself the demons shied away from
It didn't stop him
Behind him I could see berserkers form the Fortress of the Forgotten, the most unruly, uncontrollable lot in the
Clan.
I almost pitied the monsters that were in their way
I stepped aside as Hida-sama entered Shiro Kuni, lest he run me over
Under Ketsuen's massive helm, his eyes darted down to me for a moment before taking in the rest of Shiro
Kuni
The Kuni daimyo came out, along with Masagoro to greet the Clan Champion
Then they strode off to converse in private
With the Wall overrun he would want answers.
Ishigaki-san! You're still alive!
I turned and smiled as Adachi came up to me
So, it worked.
He nodded
And? How has Masagoro been?
On and off. He seems more focused now with the Horde in front of him...
Adachi nodded, a frown wrinkling his brow
We looked back at the gates
At the moment, the fighting was light. The bulk of the Horde had yet to catch up
Adachi looked at me
Come, there isn't much time before it gets serious again, and he will want to speak with you.
I followed him back inside the barracks of Shiro Kuni where Hida-sama was holding an impromptu audience.
I saw several other high ranking Crabs there, as well as my friends
Kitsuki-san, who had I not seen in some time, looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment
Aside from the dark circles under his eyes he seemed fine though. His earlier brush with death must have
reminded him to be more cautious
Masagoro, however, was absent from the room

For a moment the only sound was the breathing of Hida-sama

Then he looked to me
Tell me what you've seen Masagoro-san do
I took a deep breath to compose myself
I think...
I saw his eyes tighten up, and stopped
No, I misspoke there.
He led us into an ambush. It was a canyon, with high walls. I had seen it before, and been ambushed there as
well when I went looking for Hida.
He nodded
I remember you from that time
You told him of this?
hai, my lord
When it became obvious that we had to withdraw, he did not wish to leave, He fought to stay and fight
We pulled him back
He said nothing, gave no orders as we fell back
But Masagoro-san told everyone he lead the patrol out of the ambush.
I dared much
I looked my champion in his eyes
Masagoro-samIa lied
He stared back at me, until I dropped my head
And the battle? How has he conducted himself?
I have not been by his side much. My duty placed me where the fighting was thickest, and he had to lead.
Hida-sama nodded
However, I did have a chance to speak with him before the third and final push that threw us back
Tension filled the room.
The shame of having been driven back off the Wall was great, and weighed heavily on us all
He was pacing the Wall, and almost ran into me
I asked him where he thought the fighting would be worst. His prediction was true
He said the last two attacks were just probing us, and the real thing would come
He smiled when he did.
One by one Hida-sama spoke to everyone in the room
Much the same questions
Toshiro answered
I can only say he's neither mad nor tainted
Kitsuki-san began to go on in elaborate detail about what he had seen of Masagoro, until Hida-sama waved a
hand
Mantis-san surprised me
He had seen Masagoro execute a man after the second day
An archer who did not join a charge when Masagro called for it, because he still had arrows
Cowardice, Masagoro called it
Naomi had seen him down in the medical tents, weeping over the dead,

Hida-sama looked up at the ceiling when we were done

This is an exceptional time, as Masagoro-san predicted it would be.
He unfolded his arms
MASAGORO!
Masagoro ran into the room and threw himself to his knees before his lord
HAI!
This is your command. I will not take it from you. But I will be watching. Do you understand?
HAI!
Good. Now drive this filth back out of our lands
HAI! With pleasure!
As if on cue, the drums began to beat
The Horde had arrived
I snatched up Kimimaru and ran out to do battle once more
The fires in the towers, the jade kanji burning, and the eclipse cast everything in perpetual twilight.
Already there were monsters scaling the towers and the walls
Shiro Kuni was surrounded from all sides, the horde spilling over the walls and into it.
I ran to the nearest clump of Nosloc and joined those already battling
As I did so an Oni bounded over the wall and landed on a bushi not far from me
It defied description. a blob of tentacles, pseudopods, eyes and mouths.
warped in a cage of bone
The tentacles dragged the bushi inside the bone caged
And then the cage cracked and broke and collapsed down
Squeezing the life from him, even as the mouths tore at his flesh and consumed him
Then the flattened cage of bone sprang back into it's shape and launched the Oni skyward, seeking more prey
I saw a jade behemoth charge forth, bowling over ogres by the dozens.
I recognized Toshiro's avatar
Kitsuki-san was dragging the wounded clear of the fighting
I couldn't see Monkey or Mantis-san
Then the Nosloc parted and one of the Lost emerged from their ranks
His armor was done in a classic O-yori, like mine. Lacquered the deepest black
Cream colored skin, with bright red lips.
impossibly beautiful. Like a Crane pretty boy
You there. You've been giving us quite a bit of trouble. I'm going to take your head now
I growled at him
Come and take it, if you can.
He sighed then drew his blade in a flash and came at me

I stopped his first strike on Kimimaru.

But he spun to the side and drove his blade at me
It grazed my arm
Ohh? You are a tough one.
You're only the second to ever survive that attack!
He grinned at me
Do commend that achievement to your anceshrrGGHHKK
I slammed Kimimaru into his stomach
You talk too much. Shut up and fight
I brought Kimimaru up into his jaw, knocking him to the ground
He staggered to his feet, and slashed backwards, mostly to keep me off him while he regained his wits
I knocked his katana aside and closed in on him, giving him no time to breathe
Another blow from Kimimaru broke his arm
Then his leg
As he fell again I drew back and crushed his skull.
I agreed with Toshiro. No more holding back. No more caution.
Now it was time to fight and kill even if your arms and legs are torn from your body, even if the very flesh is
scoured from your bones
There was no place else to go, no stronghold to fall back to from here
We would win, or we would die
zombies began to fall over the sides of the walls
Fresh zombies, maggots still writhing in their flesh
blue armor still encasing their bodies
I saw Crabs falling back before them, the sight too horrible to bear
DO NOT THEIR DISHONOR GO UNAVENGED!
I ran into the horde of once Crab, crushing their skulls with Kimimaru
The faltering Crab were stopped by my charge, and followed in after me
We put them all down
A host of flying oni dove upon the battlements, carrying bushi off before dropping them
Archers fired in response
I saw Naomi among them, loosing jade powdered arrows.
Mantis-san joined in, and blinded one with a well placed shot
It fell and rolled through a swarm of goblins
Hiruma quickly fell upon the tangled mess, dispatching any that still moved
A purple hand appeared over the top of the north wall
And an oni pulled itself up over it
purple skin, one great horn.
And I only came up to it's waist
Oni no Ugulu

I leaned down, and slowly swung it's hand, slapping a bushi with the back of it
He flew into the wall with a hideous crunch, blood flying in a splatter out of his armor.
His broken body crumpled to the ground
A scream from above
No, not a scream. A kiai
Monkey and Mantis-san both
Leaping from the second floor of the barracks, they drove powdered weapons into the giant oni
It spun about trying to dislodge them
Then Toshiro's avatar slammed into it, knocking it down
It leapt into the air, and landed on the Ugulu's chest
Pinned beneath Toshiro's mighty avatar, the Ugulu could only scream in agony as Monkey and Mantis-san
slew it
I wasn't about to be outdone by those two
As I looked for another Oni to slay, I found something almost as terrifying
A pack of goblins. Scores
Slathered head to toe in mud
I didn't need to see the shaman dancing about them to know what was coming
I ran to the archers
MAGIC MUD!
I waved Kimimaru at the goblins
The archers wheeled in response and fired volley after volley,
The goblins burst into flame, but their numbers were already cut in half
Then they scattered in every direction
The archers tried to bring them all down
Some managed to get to a line of Hida holding the east wall
The goblins disrupted the formation enough that that the Ogres and zombies the Hida were holding back broke
through into the courtyard
The battle seemed to teeter, as the ogres could now strike every line from the rear
Until the light from a crystal katana fell upon them
Hida-sama and the Hida House Guard with him made short work of the ogres
A cry arose from the keep
FIRE! FIRE!
I looked over to see smoke billowing from a window in the ground floor
DAMN! One of those little shits must have gotten inside!
Shiro Kuni will burn
Toshiro and Naomi grabbed a half dozen Kuni and raced to deal with the fire
As Toshiro calmed the fire Kami, Naomi called forth streams of water from the wells
The fire was put out

[Mechanics interjection before I take a break here. This last bit was a non-stop mass battle. Forever GM was
still rolling to see if we winning, loosing or tied but instead of the normal duels and heroics there was a scripted
progression of heroic opportunities we HAD to clear. Basically, even though we weren't in command, this fight
would be won or lost by the parties actions.

Tossing that out there for any other GM's to try out.]

I wasn't sure how long we had been fighting.

It could have been only minutes, but it sure felt like days
The never ending eclipse made it impossible to tell.
Was this Heaven's will? Or was Jigoku waxing strong?
I didn't understand the interplay of balance between the spirit realms.
I was aware that while my mind was wandering about these strange places my body was still fighting for it's life
It was a far away thing, like that moment when you become awake, but cannot even open your eyes yet.
My mind snapped back into focus
The berserkers Hida-sama had brought were doing great damage to the enemy.
But they were dying
I saw one get impaled on the spear of one of the Lost, and pull himself down the length of the haft to reach his
foe.
He was laughing
We did not have as many siege engines here as at the Wall either
Though we did have something just as good, if not better in some ways
The Kuni daimyo was up on the tower, two dozen of his family with him.
Their battle prayers and rituals were wreaking havoc on the enemy outside the fortress, keeping the horde
from overrunning us all at once
We were holding.
but dead Crab were everywhere
I saw a lone Crab beginning to stand, surrounded by his fellows
Trolls were closing in on him
I ran to his side
It was Masagoro
Together we killed the trolls
he fought with keen focus, dancing on the edge of a razor as he darted in and out among them, slashing and
cutting with his katana
I realized it was one of the Kaiu blades
When the last troll fell he looked down at it
I was close enough to hear him mutter
...not enough.
They just weren't enough.
He looked up at me, and gave a start, as though surprised I was there.
Masagoro-sama...what are you doing down here?
...A push. They needed help.
Where is your guard, Masagoro-sama?
Oh...here and there, I think
He made a vague gesture, sweeping his hand at nothing at all.
Unless he was indicating the dead Crab around us

I could not spare the time to give the fallen their Last Rites, Masagoro was a bit...dazed.
Masagoro-sama, we must get you away from here
But there are more! Look, right there!
But you are in command, Masagoro-sama.
His shoulders slumped.
Yes, you are right. Take me back to the tower
He cleaned and sheathed his blade, then walked quietly behind me as I carved a path back into the barracks
I saw Kitsuki-san inside, standing along the last line of Hida to keep the enemy from rushing up to the top of
the towers where the Kuni daimyo was
I jerked my head toward him, as several other Crabs attached themselves to Masagoro and began leading him
up to the other tower
Kitsuki-san came over
Stick with him, try and keep him focuses
How bad has he gotten?
He's fine when he has something to keep his attention on, amazing even.
But...his mind seems to wander at times
That's happening to everyone, Ishigaki-san. We're all exhausted
But not everyone is in command
He looked at me and nodded.
I didn't say what I was thinking
Hida-sama always led from the front
He would face the thickest, heaviest fighting, the best of the enemy forces
He won battles by destroying the enemy elite personally, and lifting the spirits of the Crab with him.
Hida-sama was, without a doubt, the best warrior in the Empire today
However, he was not a skilled general
Complex strategies and clever tactics were beyond him
he was wise enough to know his own limits, and so relied on many able commanders to from battle plans and
issue orders in battle
For all the worry over his state of mind, Hiruma Masagoro WAS the best commander in Shiro Kuni right now
Kitsuki-san disappeared up the stairs to the tower
I turned and went back outside
Though I was nowhere near Hida-sama's equal, I was like him in that I was a warrior first and foremost
and there were still plenty of foes to kill

I almost wish I had stayed in the barracks

There was a demon I had never seen before inside the castle
I was not entirely certain what it was...
For it looked like a naked woman. Everything it all the right places
Save that it had no head.
And blood was pouring from the stump of its severed neck
It walked slowly, and no one dared to stand in it's path
It's whole body was positively soaked in blood
It stopped before the pile of bodies that I had just pulled Masagoro from
I felt a chill
It raised its arms
I cursed at my feet, that refused to obey me
The blood seeping from it's neck became a torrent and where it fell on the dead Crabs, they began to move
A burly shape moved past me
Hida-sama
He charged into the creature hacking at it with his crystal blade.
His mighty blows could fell ogres in one swing
The headless...thing... didn't so much as flinch
IT'S AN AKUTENSHI!
LEAVE THIS TO ME! DEAL WITH THE ZOMBIES!
Akutenshi. Evil Angels. The Dark One's most favored servants.
It raised an arm and pointed at Hida-sama, and the blood from it's neck became hardened spikes that flew at
him
Ketsuen was the Armor worn by Hida himself
It's soul was awakened, and infused with Hida's own Earth.
Magic slid off it, even Maho could not breach its defense.
If anyone could stand against an akutenshi with such mastery of Maho, it was Hida-sama
My feet moved at last, unrooted by my Champions example
I fell upon the horde of undead that had been raised
The first one dodged my swing
SHIT.
These were not ordinary zombies
It's tetsubo slammed against my armor, and I could feel the plates buckle
In death, it was even stronger than it had been in life
I stepped back with the blow, and managed to just get Kimimaru up in time to ward off more strikes from two
others
I could see Mantis-san and Monkey attack the undead from the left and right sides
Akane came at them across from me
The four of us had the undead surrounded.
I smiled

I couldn't help but notice the similarities in the way Akane and Mantis-san fought
They were blurs of constant motion, weapons never stopped moving and neither did their bodies
It was like they were dancing
It was beautiful
I stopped an ono from cleaving into my skull and struck back
I glanced at Monkey, and thought something was wrong
He was not leaping about not pulling some absurd tricks
He was calm, standing in stance as though he were in the dojo
His eyes were flat, unfocused, yet seeing
As the undead neared him he swung his blade in almost lazy circles
And three undead fell headless at his feet
He returned to his stance
If we were facing normal zombies, they would have just pressed in on him
Instead the undead hesitated, looking for an opening they could not seem to find
I see. His crazy antic was just to fight them as he would normal samurai
It was insane alright. And it was working
Well then.
I followed his lead
I bellowed a challenge, and attacked
Striking with raw power, crushing the dead beneath Kimimaru
Then I paused
Akiyama swung his no dachi at me as I hesitated, and cut deep into my thigh
I hadn't seen him among the dead, when I looked earlier
I hadn't looked all that closely
He had deep cuts on his body. One eye hung from it's socket
the flesh from his right cheek was torn away, revealing teeth and gums
Iiishigakiii
His voice was dry and raspy
He swung again
His blade bit into my shoulder, and my sode fell away as the bindings were severed
I smashed Kimimaru into his blade, and it snapped in half
Then I spun, and took him in the hip
It cracked, but he remained standing
Aside from a slight lurch in his step he showed no sign of being bothered by it
He reached out for me with his bare hands, and seized my throat
I brought my arms up between his and broke his grip
Then I hooked a leg around his and shoved into his chest with Kimimaru
He fell
I brought Kimimaru down on top of him
Then once more

I could not rise for a moment after putting Akiyama to rest

it is always bad, when you recognize them
Fortunately for me, there were none left to slay
I glanced up as shadows raced along the ground
Fliers coming in again
DOWN!
I threw myself down beside Akiyama, his blood pooling beneath my own body
I stared into his remaining eye until I could bear his gaze no longer
I looked up, seeing the fliers had passed over us, and were attacking the tower where the Kuni daimyo was
As I watched, one of them was encased in jade mid air.
It fell to the ground and smashed among some goblins like a boulder hurled from a catapult
I smiled at that as we stood
Then I saw something else
Another flyer, far larger than the others. I could make out feathers.
On its back rode a large oni. It was wearing a suit of red O-yori, with no helm
It's skin was a deep, inky black contrasted by vibrant red hair
In it's hand was katana, wreathed in flames
The flying beast dove down through the magic and arrows and the Oni leapt onto the tower
A commotion among the bushi up there guarding the daimyo
I squinted, and recognized Masagoro
A pair of Crabs were holding him back
gold and green strode forth
And then I felt pain.
Searing agony, my vision went white for a moment
When it cleared the headless thing was rushing toward me
It was missing an arm now
Still awash in blood, I could see several other large wounds on it
a blood red mist clung to the area behind it
I could only assume it intended to consume me, to restore it's lost life force in some vile way, before
reengaging Hida-sama
The spell it had cast on me was meant to make me easy prey
I was the Wall
I closed my eyes, focusing on my body, my own Earth.
I cast aside the pain
I opened my eyes and swung Kimimaru
The akutenshi, expecting easy food, was caught off guard
It fell back from my strike
Onto Hida-sama's blade
He twisted the crystal weapon and pulled up, cutting the thing in two

The akutenshi's body hit the ground, smoking and dissolving into sludge
Hida-sama nodded to me, and turned to find another foe
HO
HO
HAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
I looked around, trying to find the cause of the cheering
It was the tower
Kitsuki-san, his own katana wreathed in flames, his body blazing with jade energy, was holding up the head of
the Oni.
Even as the cheer spread, he wobbled and was caught by Toshiro
Hesitation ran through the Horde, palpable confusion
Empowered by the kami or not, Kitsuki-san had taken the head of an Oni no Uzaki.
It only just now struck me how the Horde's situation mirrored our own.
It was led by an Oni no Akuma, a decent commander but far more terrifying as a warrior
Command of the forces had been given over to a more able leader.
And we had just slain their leader
For the first time since I saw the horde in Shiro Hiruma, I dared to hope
I was a fool
Shiro Kuni would burn

And it would burn now

Flames began to lick out of the top floor of the barracks
Then the bottom floor
Hida-sama called for his honor guard to form on him
I WILL DEAL WITH THE LEAVINGS OF OUR FOE!
EXTINGUISH THOSE FLAMES!
I began run towards one of the wells in the courtyard
When I saw Masagoro leave the barracks.
Alone
With a torch in his hand
He threw it down as bushi ran past him with buckets of water and earth
He drew his sword as he passed just behind Hida-sama, who was already charging ahead
He strode to the gate of Shiro Kuni as I ran to catch up to him
He placed his shoulder under the bar across the gate as I screamed for him to stop
He looked at me
Don't you see?
We CAN'T win!
All their blood, all their lives spent for NOTHING!
One day the other Clans will demand to high a price for the jade, the food we need!
they will think it will be the same as always!
And our Clan will DIE!
His face drooped, jaw slack, eyes half lidded
I can't order them to meaningless deaths anymore.
He took a breath
I WON'T!
He heaved up with his shoulder, unbarring the gate
Almost immediately the gate began to tremble
It's time for us to die. Let Rokugan see what we've been holding in check all these years
He took his stance before me
I took mine
I didn't know if Heaven really did decide the outcome of duels, if it did declare who was right and who was
wrong this way or not
Right now I fervently wished that it did
I could see plainly his technique outclassed me in every way
And I was wounded, tired. Nearly spent
I almost could not find Mushin no Shin
The gate before my eyes trembled and began to creak open
Behind me flames raced throughout Shiro Kuni
Above, the Moon eclipsed the Sun
And my enemy was not an oni, not a tainted madman.
My enemy was a true hero of my Clan, a tired old man who could no longer forgive himself for living as long as
he had.
We drew our blades and charged one another, moving as one.

Masagoro bore no taint upon his soul

His blade bit deep into me
I staggered past him and almost fell to my knees
He turned, left arm hanging limp from my own cut
This hurts a bit, Ishigaki-san
I don't think I'll be able to take as many of those monsters with me now...
He shrugged with his good arm
I sank down to my knees, letting my blade fall from my hand
He walked over to me as the gate opened wider
Don't you have anything to say? Not going to tell me how I'm wrong?
He lifted up his blade over my head
I scooped up my own blade and drove it up into his throat
His eyes went wide
I answered him then
I really, really hate that you're so good I had to fight like a Scorpion to kill you.
Blood welled up out of his mouth as he bared his teeth.
I think it was a smile
The light in his eyes died, and he slid off of my katana
No time, I threw myself against the gate
I put my back against it, digging in my feet, and pushed with everything I had
It wasn't enough
I saw Hida-sama surrounded by the last few oni. he could not get away
The rest of the castle was fighting the fire that raged on, or racing to save armloads of scrolls from the Kuni
libraries
I began to wonder if anyone at all had seen what happened here
Then I saw Kitsuki-san, pointing at me and shouting
The others broke away from what they were doing and raced over to help
Satoshi, Daigo, Takeshi, Toshiro and Naomi all came up and pushed alongside me
The gate began to close
Then it stopped
A long green claw with too many joints curled around the edge of the gate over our heads
Then another
Then a third
The gate began to open again
And a great Oni emerged into the courtyard
Three eyes.
Three tongues of flame
Oni no Akuma stood before us.

It gave us no time to think or plan

As the terror washed over us it lashed out with it's claws, tearing into Mantis-san and Monkey
It's tongues whipped about
One pierced my shoulder, leaving it's burning saliva in my wound
Another caressed Toshiro, setting his Kimono ablaze
The last slashed Kitsuki-san's chest
Naomi fell back, scroll in hand and chanting
I dove and caught up kimimaru before striking at Akuma
It batted the jade tetsubo aside
Monkey rushed over to Kitsuki-san trying to put out the flames
Mantis-san ripped Toshiro's kimono top off taking the flames with it
Toshiro could not be bothered with it, as he was chanting a prayer
Courage filled us, driving off the fear that Oni no Akuma brought
With a final shout, Naomi finished her prayer
The spirits of Water rushed up around us all. Even as my flesh burned, it regrew
It's eyes whirled about, two of them coming to rest on Toshiro and Naomi
Then it plunged both claws into me, lifting me up and tossing me down
My vision went black as I faded in and out of consciousness
I could see the others, blurry shapes desperately avoiding it's tongues
I could smell my flesh burn, but I could not even see properly, let alone move
Naomi's spell was still working, but I was too far gone.
I'm sorry....papa can't come home this time...
Only for all my pain to vanish
My eyes snapped open
All of it. Even the aches and pains of old wounds I had long since forgotten
There really are no words to describe what it is like to feel no pain at all, to be made aware of pains only by
their sudden absence.
I stood, readying Kimimaru
Toshiro panted beside me
That.... that was my last one...
Make it count.
I attacked the Oni, seeking to overwhelm it with rapid strikes first
Even without the pain of my wounds slowing me down, it still defended itself well. Only a glancing blow took
some chitin off it's forearm
Mantis and Monkey powdered their weapons in a hurry, covering each other as they did so

Toshiro yelled at me, as he knelt to bandage Kitsuki-san's wounds

STOP HOLDING BACK YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD!
I glanced down
It was true
I could see my own organs in the gaping wound left by Akuma's claws
Toshiro's spell hadn't healed me
It had pushed aside, briefly, the pain and re anchored my spirit.
It would not last
As I moved in to attack the Oni no Akuma I saw the others look at Toshiro in shock
I could not look at Naomi
The sight of her would make me want to live
I could not afford that.
Not if I wanted to save everyone
I slammed Kimimaru against the Akuma
It caught Kimimaru. WIth it's hand
A jade stud punched through it and smoke rose from the wound
It roared in fury, and lashed back at me
I took the full brunt of it's assault, and remained upright
Though my body burned from where it struck me with it's tongues, though my flesh was torn from my limbs, I
still stood
I imagined I looked worse then Akiyama at this point
While the Oni and I struggled with one another, Mantis slashed into it's side, cutting furrows through it's chitin
the cuts smoldered as the jade powder coating his kama came of in them
Monkey stood still, staring at it, waiting for the right moment
Kitsuki-san stood, though his own chest burned Naomi's spell was keeping him alive
In pain, but alive
He powdered his blade
The Oni slammed it's shoulder and knee against me, breaking away
I wasn't about to let it turn away from me though
I attacked it's legs, hoping to do some serious damage
chitin and bone crunched and cracked as I struck, and it's left leg bent oddly at the thigh under my blow
It howled and lunged at me.
I wondered if I would still be awake if it tore me clean in half.
I was grateful that that question was not answered.
By now my wounds were so severe I doubted even Naomi could heal them all
I readied myself for another attack, wondering how long Toshiro's spell would last.
I doubted I had much time left.

Then Mantis-san grabbed me

He threw me back to Naomi
Stop trying to save everyone you IDIOT!
Before he could turn around, two tongues wrapped around his leg
He cried out as they burned him
THen the Akuma jerked its head, and sent Mantis-san flying into the gate
Monkey screamed and stabbed the Oni in one of its bulbous eyes
Kitsuki-san followed up, slicing off one of the burning tongues
As I fell backwards, Naomi caught me
I felt cold. I never felt cold.
Yet my teeth were chattering
Toshiro's spell must be wearing off.
I had heard tales of warriors who had been so severely wounded they could not feel it.
This must be that then.
I tried to apologize to Naomi, but my mouth would not obey me
She was crying
And praying
She had been praying this whole time
Blue white light enveloped me
My wounds were gone. The fires that burned on me extinguished
She smiled down at me
Coughed once.
And fell on top of me
I held my head to her chest and listened desperately
Faint, erratic. But her heart was still beating
I rose and turned to the Akuma
Monkey and Kitsuki were fighting side by side, trying to find an opening to reach Mantis-san
I would give them one
I raced in, driving myself and Kimimaru both into the Oni
I drove it back a handful of steps
Enough.
Kitsuki-san raced to Mantis-san's side
The Akuma turned it's claws on me again
But Monkey was there, striking at it, turning aside it's blows
We struck together, Kimimaru smashing its other leg, and Monkey's katana stabbing yet another eye
His blade came out the other side of the Oni's skull
It did not roar this time
It made no sound
It just went limp
And slumped to the ground
So did we
Smoke filled the courtyard, I could no longer see Shiro Kuni from where we were
I was spent. Monkey was too. I doubted either of us could stand
My heart skipped a beat as a massive shape loomed in the smoke
As the clouds parted, Hida-sama came into view

Hida-sama came over and looked at the Akuma

You're doing?
I wondered for a moment why he wasn't trying to shut the gate.
Then I realized I didn't hear any fighting anymore.
Monkey and I both pointed at one another
We stared at one another, then pointed to the others...
The others!
I scrambled on hands and knees over to Naomi
Then I stared...waiting. I couldn't get any closer, couldn't make myself touch her
And then she took a breath.
I almost fell over, as the relief flooded through me.
I glanced back over my shoulder
Monkey was helping Kitsuki-san get Mantis-san up on his feet
He leg was badly burned, the clothing gone and his flesh blackened and charred
Toshiro was leaning back against the wall beside the gate, sweat and blood ruining his face paint, and coating
his bare chest.
We locked eyes, and he smiled. It took him a few starts to work up enough energy to do so completely
Glad you're not dead after all!
You too...
I cradled Naomi's head in my lap, waiting for help to come
Hida-sama coughed, and I almost jumped out of my skin
I had just turned my back on my champion without being dismissed...
He waved his hand as I looked up, aghast
It's fine. I know the aftermath of battles well.
THen his eyes narrowed.
The IMMEDIATE aftermath, mind you.
H-HAI!
I managed to bow, Naomi's head still in my lap.
Adachi came up through the smoke that was beginning to clear, armor blackened and face covered in soot
He dropped to one knee before Hida-sama and yelled
Tono! The fires have been extinguished, the damage is widespread but not severe!
Hida-sama sighed
Good.
Adachi then saw Masagoro
and the Akuma
...what...?
Good question.
The Crab Champion looked at us all.
Well?
we relayed the events to that occurred to them both.
Hida-sama's frown deepened as I told him what Masagoro said to me before he opened the gate
By the time I was done his eyes were narrow slits, his frown deep, brow furrowed

Hida-sama pulled off his kabuto, and rubbed his hands against his face
He walked over to Masagoro's body
Knelt
I am sorry, old friend. I did not see how your heart was troubled. I should have made you retire to the dojo
sooner...
He stayed there for a moment more, then stood. He took Masagoro's daisho, and struck his head off with his
own katana
Find every eta that's still alive, Adachi-san.
There's a lot of work for them
The smoke cleared fully
Shiro Kuni stood, blackened, burned, the walls damaged in places.
But still upright.
The courtyard was a sea of death. Corpses everywhere
Dozens of Samurai, their movements sloppy from exhaustion, waded through it, taking heads lest any lingering
taint reanimate the fallen
And there were many, many fallen
I found myself glad that Naomi was not awake to see this
My friends joined me as I scooped her up, Monkey supporting Mantis, who could only hop on one leg
Mantis-san glanced over at me.
Your jade...
I glanced down. My finger of jade was completely black. When I wrapped my hand around it to take it off some
oozed between my fingers.
Everyone checked their own jade, and found theirs in the same state
We cast aside our spent jade
I found a room in the castle that had escaped the flames, and had an open window, and laid Naomi down there
Then I went and looked around the quartermaster
I found him, the new one anyway, recording damage on a ledger
He looked at me as I walked up
Ishigaki-sama!
I...don't think I outrank you...
the young man snorted
That hardly matters! You and your friends brought down the Oni no Akuma!
What is it you need?
Jade. We're all wounded, and my friends...
...are not Crab. I understand
Come.
He led me deeper into the storehouse
We still have enough I can spare some...five.
That was fine. I could wait for fresh jade for a bit
I thanked the quartermaster and took the jade back.
I placed one on Naomi, then passed the others out

I was startled to see Akane with them, bandaging Toshiro's wounds

you know, this isn't necessary...I can do that myself
Hush you. You're wounded.
So are you!
And my wounds have already been seen to.
Besides, pain doesn't bother me as much as it bothers you.
Oh, I doubt that...
She reached for his face with a cloth
He flinched back
What are you doing?
Your paint is all smeared, and your face bloody
She grabbed him behind his neck and pulled him in close to clean his face off
I could feel Toshiro's distress
If given the choice to be seen without his face paint, or without any clothes, Toshiro would choose the latter
every time
However, I didn't try to stop her
She wiped his paint off, barring his scars.
Then smiled
he blinked at her
What? Scars are sexy.
He blinked again.
So did I.
O..on that...we can agree, Akane-san.
I whipped around, to see Naomi struggling to sit up
I knelt and pulled her up
Are you okay? You mumbled something there but I didn't hear you right.
She gave me her brave smile, Hair matted to her forehead with sweat
Then she touched me, right on the bride of my nose
you did not mishear, Ishigaki-kun.
Akane and Naomi exchanged a glance, smiling at one another
Monkey sat, chin in hand and grinned
Looks like you're finally caught, eh Toshiro?
...-sama...
Toshiro blew out a sigh through his nose.
If anyone can drop the honorifics with me...it's one who killed an Oni no Akuma
Monkey blinked.
But we all killed it together...
I know.
hah?
...oh
It was then that Kitsuki-san sobbed
We all looked
He had his right hand balled into a fist, left clenched over it
He was shaking
He opened his hands
Showing us the jade in his palm
The jade that smoked and blackened in his bare palm

it was recorded in the Imperial histories as the Battle of the Hour of Obsidian
The eclipse was seen throughout Rokugan, and lasted three days.
So why the "Hour" of Obsidian was lost on me.
Of the one thousand five hundred bush stationed at Shiro Kuni, 437 survived the battle
Seven hundred ninety two more Crabs died in battle along the Wall.
The Damned fought to the last. Their ranks were quickly replenished.
Ten berserkers from the Fortress of the Forgotten survived. For their heroics they were given one last chance
to serve the Clan in a more public posting. None of them squandered their opportunity
For a time, the Fortress of the Forgotten was, itself Forgotten. But the Crab Clan had no shortage of
troublemakers, and after lying empty for seven months a new crop of the worst of the worst arrived at their
new, and likely final, home.
All told, the Crab Clan lost two thousand, three hundred eighty six lives to the Horde raised by the Akuma no
Oni.
There is no official count of the size of the Horde.
In the wake of the battle, the Angry Season continued unabated.
The Emperor praised the Jade Champion for driving out the Bloodspeaker cult, and ending its threat once and
for all
He then ordered the Other Clans to turn their eyes south, and aid the Crab in their time of greatest need
Bolstered by food, arms, armor, jade, and even troops from the Lion, Unicorn and Dragon Clans, the Crab held
fast against the near daily attacks.
Those who knew anything about the Bloodspeaker cult knew they were not destroyed completely, and went
about quietly investigating those who had sudden increase in fortunes over the last few years.
Toshiro, old enough that the Clan insisted he be married, did indeed give in to the pursuit of Hiruma Akane, and
the two were wed
With the Bloodspeaker cult suppressed for the time being, I took up duties along the Wall, as simple Gunso

Naomi of course, was worried about me deeply

I could hardly blame her, after what she had been through.
She would cling to me fiercely whenever I would come home
I hated to be apart from her as well. But Ishigaki Mura was a week's ride from the Wall. My children were a
weeks ride from the Wall.
Given the passion with which we clung to each other, it's not all that surprising what happened next
We were joined by our fourth child, Hida Isao.
Naomi bore his birth well
For his part, he was a calmer infant then the first two, and very curious. He loved to stare at the Koi watching
them swim about for hours
Toku Satoshi returned to his little home, and wrote many letters to us. His family did not grow any larger, but he
gave us steady updates on the growth of Masanori and Tokichiro.
Monkey found it funny that his younger son, Masanori, was growing faster than his older sibling.
The boys were alike in many ways, personality wise, friendly and welcoming to all, regardless of station.
Monkey proudly declared they were already helping their father in the fields.
I blinked and reread that last part.
Only Monkey would bend his back to work in a rice paddy alongside his peasants.
I wondered idly if it was his wife's suggestion.
Well, he wasn't complaining of marital difficulties, so it must not be that bad
With some help from Naomi, Tsuruchi Daigo's leg healed up fine.
We saw him often, as he regularly brought shipments of jade and rice during the angry season.
He was a bit tight lipped about personal issues, but Naomi pried them out of him eventually
he shrugged, and just said It's boring really.
The kids grow, Tatsuki and Karou are coldly polite to one another when I'm around, and a little bit catty when
I'm not.
...They got out of hand once. A teapot got thrown. So I gave them both a good spanking.
Naomi gasped at that
They settled down after that
and they're both pregnant. Tatsuki first, but then Karou insisted she wanted one more after all

Kitsuki Takeshi was far too valuable to his Clan for his Clan to throw away
He shaved his head, taking the name Kera.
From the monastery where he lived, he wrote numerous journals detailing his experiences as both an Emerald
and Jade magistrate
Though few dared seek the wisdom of the tainted monk, those who did swore that his advice was always of
great help
It was rumored he even found another to teach the final lesson of Kitsuki's Method too.
That rumor was the last I ever heard of him, for he stopped writing a short time before then.
He answered no letters either.
Naomi continued to write to him, not knowing if he read them or not, and told she would continue to do so until
she told he had died or he asked her to stop.
Privately, I wondered if he bore us a grudge.
It was my fault he was dismissed as an Emerald Magistrate. We were involved in the events that led to his
friends seppuku, and he became tainted fighting a battle that was not his to fight.
I took some small comfort in the fact that while he never replied to Naomi's letters, he also never asked her to
stop writing him
A year passed by, and the angry season finally abated.
Then, a letter arrived for Naomi.
It was terse.
Your father is dying. Come home. Bring Jade Magistrates.

Naomi began packing immediately

I sent letters to everyone.
I had no idea how many would come
Though her mother had asked Naomi to bring Jade Magistrates, this was still a personal matter
Naomi was barely able to keep her face while she prepared to go
My heart, on the other hand, was cold and still
Shoji was dying.
He had almost killed his daughter many times, through neglect, abuse. Once he had called for her execution.
He tried to take my son, and subject him to the same horror
Though we had forestalled any immediate decision, the last word form the Clan had been "We will see"
I knew there was a way to say 'we will see' that was really just a polite way of saying 'no fucking way'
When I asked Naomi if that's what they meant, her silence spoke volumes
So we were left raising our Tsuyosa, until he was old enough to begin his formal training. Then... uncertainty.
Shoji dying resolved that problem
But... it was still dredging up emotions in Naomi.
No matter how often your brain tells you things are one way, your heart can betray you at the worst times.
Her pain was my pain. I could not take pleasure in Shoji's end.
And then...what were the Jade Magistrates needed for?
What the hell was going on in the lands of the Phoenix?
We met Mantis-san at a port, along with Toshiro and Akane.
I arched an eyebrow
He shrugged
New Yojimbo.
I figured it was time Naomi wasn't the only one with a personal protector.
The corner of Akane's mouth twitched up her eyebrows drew down as she shot Toshiro a sideways glance
He pretended not to notice
If you keep ignoring me, I'm going to tie you down and have my way with you tonight until you're begging me to
stop.
Toshiro smiled at her
I'm counting on it.
Naomi and I exchanged a wide eyed look
I muttered to her
We're not THAT bad, are we?
...I do not think so, Ishigaki-kun...
Mantis-san coughed. Even he was blushing
Get on already, we have to pick up Monkey
Oh? he didn't send us a reply.

He sent one to me, just to tell me where to pick him up.

He figured he needn't bother to tell you yes.
hah. Of course.
Mantis-san leaned in
And for the record, you two WERE that bad when you first got married.
Naomi blushed
Mantis-san looked around.
Ayame, Osako?
We hired them to guard Ishigaki mura, not us. And Ayame didn't want to come. Too many bad memories, she
said.
He nodded.
We set sail, picking up Monkey on the way
We exchanged news of Kitsuki-san, and learned that no one had personal contact with him since he entered
the monastery
His absence was a keen pain, and the air grew heavy as we all thought of him
Monkey spoke first
I guess... since he's Kera now, he want's to cut off ties to his old life as Kitsuki Takeshi?
Mantis-san spoke next
How long do you think he can last?
Toshiro answered
It depends. Jade petal tea suppresses the taint, and keeps it from spreading on it's own
But it's always there, tempting you
And if a Kansen senses it, it might join in.
Hence monasteries. Less likely for kansen to meddle. And an ascetic life to separate yourself from your
desires, so the temptation to use the power the taint offers is not as strong...
Take... Kera has a strong will. I think he will die of old age.
We all took some small comfort in that.
We made our way into the lands of the Phoenix, and to Shoji's castle
There were many bushi on active patrol
The air was full of tension, as though they were expecting a siege or something.
Naomi's mother met us at the gate.
She fell into a dozega immediately
Please, please I beg of you!
Help my husband!
Naomi quickly fell to her knees and lifted her mother up
Oka-san had aged much
He hair was white as the snow now, and deep lines had formed around her mouth.
Mother, what is it?
What has happened to father?
...
Oka-san pointed back to the garden.
Confused and apprehensive I walked back to see what was there
I was not ready for it

A cage of iron, four tatami mats long and two tatami mats wide was set in the garden
Two Shiba in full armor with Naginatas stood beside it
Inside, huddled against the cold, clothes ragged and torn, hair matted, covered in mud and what smelled like
his own filth, was Isawa Shoji
He was rocking back and forth chewing on his thumb
His fingernail was gnawed down to flesh, and his finger bleeding as he bit at it
He saw me, and lunged against the cage
The Bushi jumped
YOU! YOU'RE HERE!
He waved his arm through the bars
Quickly quickly, here here come here!
My feet moved on their own; my mind was too numb to think
They stopped just outside of reach of his arm
The bushi looked nervous, but said nothing
Shoji gripped the bars of his cage and looked deeply into my eyes
His sclera were black
It's out there. he's out there and they're coming they're going to come and kill and eat and silence and kill and
you have to save my son he's the only left to carry on the line save him savehimaavehim...
you have to.
I heard a gasp behind me. I stood and whirled in time to catch Naomi before she got too close
NO! You have to stay back!
Toshiro thumpdragged over
He pulled out his sliver of crystal
It shone in Shoji's presence.
He squealed like an animal then scrambled on all fours away into the furthest corner of his cage when the light
touched him
It only confirmed what we already knew
Shoji was tainted. Severely, almost lost
Of all the ways I had imagined Shoji dying, this one never once crossed my mind.
In my darkest imaginings, I had wanted to kill Shoji myself, with my bare hands.
But this wretch? Death was a mercy that should have been granted long ago.
Toshiro asked Akane to take Naomi away from here, and she did
The rest of us faced Oka-san
I started
Why is he still alive?
He could slip into Jigoku's clutches at any moment!
No one, not even Shoji, deserved to be consumed by the Realm of Evil.

Oka-san looked away from my gaze

It's an oni...
What?
An Oni has taken his name.
Toshiro interjected at that point
How do you know?
It's... been attacking.
Killing a few servants at first, then bushi.
The Karo died last week
...that prick?
Killed by an oni bearing his master's name?
...how fitting.
Now it was Toshiro's turn to be angry
He yelled
Don't you know the longer an Oni drains their soul, the more powerful it becomes?
Oka-san's voice dropped to a whisper
I know. I also know that if the Oni is slain, and if the one whose name it bears was not tainted by other means,
then they will make a full recovery
They MIGHT! But only if the resist the taint! If they use it willingly, even once, then it will never recede!
LOOK AT HIM!
She did
He is far too gone!
Oka-san shook her head
Please... please...
...please...
Toshiro sighed and rubbed at his forehead
The oni is not the only problem, you know.
What?
The Tsukai.
People can't just give names willy nilly to oni
It MUST be a name they own.
Everyone owns their own name, which is why most fools that summon Oni give them their own.
Oka-san tilted her head
How does one...'own' a name?
A name is tied to the life of the one that bears it, so if you own someones life, you own their name
A lord could give their vassals names to an oni.
...and, if you have saved a life then that life belongs to you as well.
So.
He turned and looked Oka-san in the eye
Who could have given Shoji's name to an Oni?
She blinked.
I doubt Raigin-sama is a tsukai.
Raigin-sama?
Isawa Raigin, the provincial daimyo.
I can not think of anyone who has saved his life though...
Can you not just slay the oni?
Of course, assuming we can find it. But then what? If the tsukai still lives...
Oka-san's face fell
I took Toshiro's arm
Come on. She understands it's unlikely. But it's the only hope she has
He arched an eyebrow at me, but allowed me to lead him away
I didn't say it yet.

Once we were alone I spoke

She's hiding something
Everyone looked at me sharply
Akane tilted her head.
You think so too huh?
yeah.
But what?
Naomi tugged my sleeve
She was looking down, hair covering her eyes
does it matter?
The oni comes first. It is my f...it is Shoji's only hope.
I looked down at her for a long time
As you wish, Naomi-sama
She flinched as though I had slapped her when I used the honorific
Toshiro frowned, staying silent
Alright. How?
It's been sneaking in and killing, yeah?
Catch it in the act?
I nodded.
Fine.
We got a map of the castle
Toshiro looked down
Where do we want to fight it?
I looked over the map.
here.
This room is big enough for us to fight in, while leaving it few escape options
Toshiro nodded
I can set up some wards to drive it to us
Nami spoke. I will make sure the guard presence is thin in the right places then.
We discussed the particulars for a few hours, then set to work
it was a simple plan, but I preferred simple plans. Fewer things to go wrong.
We dressed in our armor, powdered our weapons and waited for night to fall
I was in the garden
Shoji began to get agitated. More than usual
He went from rocking and muttering to scratching at his arms
Scratching hard
Drawing blood
I looked at him
Shoji, what is it?
closercloserhungerbloodcloser....
he stopped, going rigid. an almost painful arch to his back
He turned his head to look at me only his neck moved
it's here.
A scream from inside
I ran towards it
I ran into Monkey
THAT WAY!
We turned and ran together
I heard Mantis-san bellow
We've got it!
Monkey and I burst into the room
Mantis-san and Akane were already there
And so was Oni no Shoji
It was short, maybe five feet tall.
It's legs were stumpy, bent back at the knee like a birds. It's feet were birdlike as well, with talons of obsidian.
A pot belly bulged out from its torso
It's arms though. Each arm was as long as the oni was tall.

It's hands were far too large for its spindly arms
It could seize my head in one, easily.
kabuto and all.
eight fingers, and two thumbs for ten digits per hand
It's head was almost normal, and that might have been the worst part of it.
Only it's mouth was just too wide, splitting its head literally ear to ear.
Bloody strips of flesh dangled from that mouth
A Shiba was leaning heavily against the wall in the room, clutching his bleeding shoulder
The Oni looked at us all and blinked, slowly
It's arms lashed out, seizing both me and Mantis-san
It yanked us up, and we both slammed into the ceiling. It then let us fall, armor clattering to the floor
The blow knocked the Air from my lungs, and I saw Mantis-san likewise gasping beside me
That thing was far stronger than it had any right to be, looking like that!
Akane and Monkey shouted and attacked at it
As Mantis-san and I pulled ourselves to our feet we saw them open up deep wounds on it
Then it swallowed the lump of flesh in it's mouth
It's wound began to close
Damn, I hate it when they do that.
Still, there were four of us, and Toshiro's thumpdragging was getting closer
Naomi would be here soon as well.
This would be over quickly
The Oni seemed to sense the danger it was in though, because it took off running
It just dragged it's limp arms behind it
I was astonished at how fast it could move on such short legs
Mantis-san tried to get in it's way, but Oni no Shoji whipped an arm around and slapped him aside, and through
a rice paper wall
I heard him cursing from the room as he clattered to his feet
OH that's IT! That little shit is MINE!
Toshiro, heads up! It's coming your
GWUGH!
...your way.
I ran out, and helped Toshiro back to his feet.
He looked at me
Damn that things strong!
I nodded.
And fast, get on!
We ran in pursuit of it
Naomi caught up with us, and began chanting a prayer
My feet lightened, and my pace quickened
We overtook it in the garden

Just as I sat Toshiro down, the Oni raised up both it's arm
They were longer than they were just a moment ago, now they were as long as long as I was tall
It slapped it's palms down onto the ground as hard as it could, and flew up and over the garden wall
FUCK!
We all looked at Monkey.
Toshiro nodded.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Mantis-san looked around
So... now what?
A high pitched giggle drew our gaze to Shoji's cage
One at a time, one at time oneatatimeatatimeeee
Too many, to dangerous, two much too handle
And of course, the damn oni would gain Shoji's knack for picking his battles.
I shook my head. For all it's comedic looks, that thing was very, very dangerous.
Monkey spoke up then
So, Toshiro. What are you gonna call that one?
Huh?
You know, Oni no such and such, demon of this or that?
Cause I'm thinking Oni no Shoji, Demon of Avarice.
We all stared hard at Monkey
It's those long grabby arms. And big hands. Looks like it just wants to grab everything it lays it eyes on, yeah?
We all exchanged a glance.
It...fit. Perfectly.
Monkey looked around
What? no good?
No, it's... it's fine Monkey. You're right
He grinned and puffed himself up
The others went back inside to discuss the next plan
I stayed outside with Shoji
You two, beat it.
The Shiba looked at each other
We cannot do that, Hida-sama
I glowered.
I have to do something that is not for your eyes. It's jade magistrate business. And don't forget that's my father
in law.
Scram.
One swallowed hard.
And then they left
I got close to Shoji's cage
Close enough he could grab me
He leaned in, pressing his face against the bars
You know who did this to you, don't you?
Shoji jerked back as though he had touched something hot, and looked away from me
no, no. NO NONONO. No clue, no idea. Could be anyone
Someone you owe your life too!
Lots of Yojimbo, many protectors. Any one. Any one.
And how many are still alive?
...anyone.

You understand, don't you?

If we don't stop that thing that's running around with YOUR name, it will kill everyone. All your servants, all your
allies, your wife, your son. Everyone!
Everyone? Anyone! Don't know. Doesn't matter. Just kill it.
A rustling behind me caught my attention
I looked over my shoulder to see Oka-san there
You don't understand Ishigaki-kun.
We cannot save our son by finding the tsukai.
I closed my eyes.
That monster is far to clever. When it's outmatched, it runs. Most tainted things don't do that. The damage it
can do...
...Will be minor compared to what will happen if the one who summoned it is found
Shoji slammed into his cage
SILENCE! MUSTN'T SAY!
I glanced off the side. The others noticed when the Shiba went inside, like i'd hoped
They were hidden and eavesdropping
If either one thought we were alone, they might think I would keep their secret, and admit it
Thank you for teaching me this trick, Kitsuki-san.
The Oni is a bound to it's summoner as it is to the whose name it holds. It WILL be there to protect the one
who brought it to this world. It's the only way to corner it truly.
Oka-san sank to her knees.
There is no other way?
I shook my head
...After the failure at the winter court, the council was considering demanding Shoji's seppuku.
Only the Master of Earth disagreed
Hohiro saved his father's life.
I had been right.
right under my nose
All this time.
All those lives lost
All that death
All that suffering
All that fear
If I had just kept digging.
if I had just killed him
There was a weight on my chest
I ignored it and kept walking,
I had to kill Hohiro now.
Then there was weight on my arms. And my legs
I stopped and looked around
Monkey, Mantis-san and Akane were all holding on to me
Monkey was yelling something
I blinked
UCKS SAKE STOP!!
OW, Quit screaming in my ear Monkey!
Everyone looked up at me
You calm now?
I'm always calm, you know that.
uh huh. Sure.

Anyway, we can't just sit here. We've got to go kill Hohiro. I know right were I'm going to display his head too.
Mantis-san growled at me
So, what? Just going to walk to Kyuden Isawa from here and try and take the head of the Master of Earth?
Toshiro cut it.
No, he's here
What?
Few things touched by Jigoku are clever like that. They're insane, filled with bloodlust.
I think Hohiro is grooming the Oni, keeping a tight leash on it.
So he's close.
Might even be with the oni.
Great, so we can track it down?
Yeah, that seems the best course of action.
We'll have to wait for dawn though...
NO!
Shoji's scream got our attention
It knows! If you wait, they will flee! My son. my son is in danger!
Let me out!
I can find It, find them!
I have to save my son!
Akane barked at the cage
Don't you get it old man? Your son is a maho tsukai! It's too late to save him!
No. No my son is not. Not a tsukai. But in danger!
I finally noticed Naomi
She was looking at her father
What must she be going through? Wondering, at what point did her brother become a monster?
How many times he tried to kill us. How many times he almost succeeded.
Had her father driven him to it? So demanding of Hohiro that Maho seemed the only way out?
She spoke up
One whose name is bound to an an Oni can sense that Oni, is that not correct Toshiro?
Um, yeah it is... it's vague but
Then why should we wait for dawn?
Because letting a tainted madman on the cusp of becoming Lost out of his cage to lead to an Oni's lair is a bad
idea? Like, crazier than anything I've seen Monkey do bad?
The alternative is that the monster with my father's name and the monster with my brothers face kill the rest of
my family.
I will not let that happen
Mother, bring me the keys to father's cage
Na..naomi?
Naomi looked at her mother
Do it
her voice was as cold and dark as the depths of the ocean
There was no arguing with her about this
We were all taken aback by that
Hana-chan had thorns

I put my hands on her shoulders

Ishigaki-kun.
This hurts so much.
I have never felt such pain as I do now...
her shoulders shook, and tears fell, but she did not allow herself to cry out
I...must thank Hohiro, when we see him
What do you mean?
I know why were attacked from the very beginning. He feared that I, an Emerald Magistrate, might find out his
secret. He sought to remove me, or at least break my will so that I would retire.
The implication hit me like tsunami
Without Hohiro's meddling, I may never have fallen in love with Naomi...
And it is thanks to you, Ishigaki-kun, that I now have the strength to do what must be done. For the Empire,
and for my family. And for myself.
She spun around and hugged me
Is THIS the burden you have carried all this time? It is so heavy!
I held her a moment, then cupped her chin
Naomi, look there
I pointed to Toshiro and Akane
I was never carrying that burden alone.
I swept my hand to encompass Mantis-san and Monkey
And you don't have to either.
Everyone nodded firmly
She wiped at her tears.
hai. You are correct,
Oka-san brought the key
Naomi opened the cage and released her father
Father, you know what you must do, yes?
Take us to the Oni. Take us to Hohiro
Shoji nodded.
Then he sniffed the air
He sank down and sniffed the ground
He scrambled about on all fours
Then he stood up straight.
Come. It is this way.
He strode out the gates of his castle, back straight, as though he was wearing something other than rags and
filth

We went after him, powdered weapons drawn

I had, of course, returned Kimimaru to Gentoku's family already.
They thanked me by repairing my armor.
Every other smith I had shown that armor to had said it would be easier to just replace it, but that armor had
saved my life more times than even Naomi.
I could not bear to throw it away like that
We walked into the ancient forest, the place where the Earth Kami sang
Toshiro scowled.
He'll be a nightmare to deal with, in here
You think the Earth Kami will heed him?
Toshiro shook his head
He's a Bloodspeaker. He's been controlling his taint well. I doubt he's so tainted they will be repelled.
Mantis-san froze
So. We're going to fight a powerful Maho Tsukai who is ALSO the Master of Earth?!
Toshiro nodded
Great...
You are right to be wary. Hohiro is clever, but he is also strong. Far stronger than I am. And he knows how to
use that strength to it's fullest effect.
I looked at Shoji's back. He was being terribly lucid all of a sudden
Father, why did you act like that? To make us take pity on you? Do as you wished without asking questions
...Yes. And no.
I feel it, writhing around inside me. Even now
I don't know when my mind will go again.
Naomi...
I...
No. It is far too late for that, Father.
His shoulders slumped
Yes. I suppose it is.
We walked on in silence for a time
Then he stopped, and hissed.
HERE!
A clearing.
Hohiro stood in the center of it
The moonlight seemed to shine on him and him alone
He smiled at us all
Hello there! So glad you came out here to meet me!
Would you like some tea? I have a fine blend that comes from a plantation in the Ikoma lands...
I stepped out in front, tetsubo in hand, scanning for the Oni
Oh?
Nothing to say?
Not even a 'brother, how could you?' Naomi?
Well, I think I'll tell you anyway
It was easy.
This dusty old relic here has always been covered in shit!
You think YOU had it rough? He ignored you most of the time!

I was ALWAYS under his eye!

Nothing but a doll for him to dress and play with as he saw fit!
And if I ever fell short...well it's a good thing the backs of my legs are rarely seen by others
Of course, once I started to surpass the fool, then that was no good either!
Well, how would you do it? I had to be better than EVERYONE, yet never better than HIM!
HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT, SISTER?
...
Are you done, Hohiro?
He blinked in shock
I surprise you, brother?
Why is that?
It is your doing after all.
You are the reason I am a Crab.
Now, if you are finished justifying your crimes with self pity, I show you my claws.
I grinned and charged Hohiro
What a wife I had!
Hohiro, however, just smiled at me
And then an arm burst up from the ground, seizing my ankle
It pulled me off my feet, and whipped me against a tree
As I fell, coughing and gasping for air I heard Hohiro's voice
A bit too hot headed as always, Brother!
Oni no Shoji pulled the rest of it's arm from the ground where it was buried and stepped out
Hohiro laughed.
Well then, let's see how this goes!
With no scroll, and almost no chanting at all several dozen rocks lifted up from the ground, flying into the others
I hauled myself to my feet and charged Hohiro again
Being tossed around like a rag doll was painful, but I could endure that much easily
So long as I was a threat to Hohiro, the Oni would focus on me
Mantis-san read my intention and drew out his bow
Monkey rushed the Oni, trying to bring it down with Akane
Again they wounded it
Toshiro threw bleu white energy at Hohiro
It seared into him and he fell back
OW!
The he grinned.
Yes, I suppose you would know that your jade magic won't work on me!
He grinned.
But I wonder?
How will you deal with this?
Hohiro cut his arm and bled
Then he hissed
A foul black mist spewed forth from his mouth
It washed over us
And the jade powder on our weapons blackened and sloughed off

Just a hair to late, Naomi finished her prayer

Our bodies were wrapped in soft blue light, our actions hastened
Without missing a beat she began to pray again
Ah, Sister, that's going to get very annoying!
The Oni's arms whipped towards her, but I threw myself in the way
It's claws dug into me, light scrapes
Toshiro blasted the Oni with Jade Energy.
Then grunted in surprise
he turned to look at Hohiro, who smirked back at him
I looked at the Oni. It was barely singed
It sucked the few bits of my skin off it's fingers, and the burns faded away
Toshiro should have caused much more damage than that
Akane, Mantis-san and Monkey all rushed at Hohiro
Who sliced into his arm again
The world went dark
Mantis-san shouted!
NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!
I heard Monkey cry out in pain
Then Akane
OI!
I'm fine!, damn thing just bit me!
Same here!
I backed up to Naomi, my back touching her arm, and listened
She finished her chant, and more energy suffused me
Then I felt a sting of claws digging into my arm, followed by a rush of energy to the wound
The same spell she had used when we fought the Akuma, the one the healed us as we were wounded.
The black mist began to clear
I could see the Oni, right in the middle of everyone
Hohiro was off to the side, scroll in hand and praying
The Oni lashed out, raking claws against Toshiro and Monkey
Toshiro yelled, but not in pain
STOP HIM! He's invoking the Armor of the Emperor!
Akane rushed him with her Masakari and struck him two mighty blows
Hohiro didn't so much as flinch
The axes bounced back off him, like they had struck solid rock
What the HELL?
I am the Master of Earth FOOLS!
If my sad little Sister can invoke the Water Dragon, do you not think I could invoke the Earth Dragon?
You have no jade!
I have already blocked your Earth magic!
I am protected by the mightiest Earth Kami!
You HAVE NO HOPE!
at that, Shoji screamed
He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach

then he rose
The skin on the ends of his fingers was split and bleeding
black claws of pure obsidian were coming from the ends of them
Shoji charged into the Oni attacking it wildly, an animal given over to pure rage
Oni no Shoji recoiled in confusion
It did not want Shoji to die soon, as it had not fully consumed his soul
It could grow stronger yet, and for Oni strength is everything.
Shoji used that to his advantage.
Naomi added her own magic to strengthen her father
Shoji tore the Oni bearing his name apart with his bare hands
And in so doing had consigned his soul to Jigoku. He had embraced his taint
Hohrio forwned
Well, I didn't anticipate that...
Then shrugged.
No matter
With a flick of his wrist he sent jade flames into his father
Shoji screamed and burned falling to the ground
You still cannot harm me!
He then reached into the ground and pulled forth a tetsubo of solid stone
Come on then!
We rushed at him striking at him from all sides
He remained rooted in place, neither I nor Mantis-san could topple him
Blow after blow after blow fell on him, yet there seemed no limit to his endurance
For the first time in my life, I realised what it must be like to fight me.
He laughed, and swung the tetsubo about into me
The Earth kami in his weapon tried to bowl me over, but it is not so easy to topple a Crab.
Then Hohiro's laughter cut short
He was staring at something behind us
I looked
A towering figure of Water had taken shape
And so had one of roots, moss and tree limbs
Toshiro and Naomi had both called up their avatars
Hohiro's eyes widened as the two behemoths surged towards him
The rest of us dove out of the way
The Titans crashed into him, bowling him over
Naomi's avatar coiled around Hohiro lifting him up and squeezing
As Toshiro's slammed it's palms together on him
A red ruin that may once have been a human fell from their hands
It was over. At last.
A cough, weak and wet drew our attention

Shoji crawled towards us

pustules and boils had erupted from his body, the taint roiling through him
He...help...me
I walked over to him
There's nothing we can do now. You chose this
I know...
But you can cleanse this taint from my body
Shoji looked at Toshiro
I know you can, Kuni.
...I can cleanse your body, yes. But you won't survive.
better...to die now...then fall...
I began to pull my sword
NO!
Not that!
Do not send me stand before Emma-O like this
Just, this one mercy...
Toshiro narrowed his eyes
I wouldn't call it mercy. It will hurt. A lot
...I am prepared
Naomi knelt beside her father
And pulled his head into her lap
Tears ran down her cheeks
Na...Naomi?
This is all I can do for you now. My last duty as your daughter.
Ishigaki-kun. please. Do not let him shame himself by thrashing about
I knelt, and placed my hands on Shoji's legs, holding him down
Shoji nodded to Toshiro
I am ready
Toshiro pulled out an old, weathered scroll
And began to pray
Red light began to pour out of Shoji's eyes
Red smokey mist seeped from his nose, mouth ears
He screamed and writhed in out grip, but we did not allow him to thrash about
Slowly, the red light enveloped Shoji's body
When the light receded, he was gone
I held my wife as she wept

A new hand takes over

The Master of Earth being revealed to be a Maho Tsukai shook the Empire, and the Phoenix Clan to it's core
His mother, wife of a disgraced daimyo, chose to follow her husband into death, and cleanse her family's
shame
The younger brother of the Master of Earth was judged innocent in this affair. His training as a Shiba Bushi
continued
Hida Ishigaki, my father, returned home to his duties on the Wall.
his fifth and final child, Goken came into the world the following year. Alone of us all, he took a new name upon
his gempukku, and is now called Hida Kenpachi.
Hida Ishigaki stands upon the Wall to this day, guarding you from things you may not even believe in

-Hida Tsuyosa