The sound of the gong echoed through the halls of Otosan Uchi, its knell bitter in the chill twilight air. Sitting in the stone window, a silken figure reclined, her body outlined in the nimbus of the setting sun as it cast long shadows in rich tapestries on the wooden floor. From the doorway, a faint noise announced the kneeling servitor's presence. "Your will Lady." His voice was soft restrained, but she could hear that the veneer of control was stretched to its limit, and rage tore at Aramoro's dispassionate face.
A ray of light caught her face as Kachiko murmured from the window, "Aramoro." Unbound, her long hair hung in waves of obsidian, trailing down her back and clinging to the soft curve of her hip. The gong rang a second time, tolling the end of the daylight, the beginning of darkness. "Time is short, and ther are only a few hours left to serve our needs."
"I have found the man we seek, my Lady. His name is Hiroru." Aramoro raised his eyes from the floor as he spoke, feeling her gaze rest for a moment on his face. "He is a ninja ... but not one of min. Nevertheless, I believe we can trust him."
Kachiko moved away from the window and Aramoro felt a chill seep into his skin as her shadow briefly passed his kneeling figure. Her hands wove patterns in her jet-black hair, twisting it into wreaths at the nape of her neck. After a moment, she nodded, and Aramoro stood with a sharp bow, vanishing into the shadows by the door. By the time he returned, the last peal of the evening gong faded in the wind. the dying rays of the sunset drifted below the window, and her hair was softly fastened by ivory pins.
Beside Aramoro, a man strode into the chamber, his steps long and confident. He wore no armor, nor was his simple haori marked with house colors, but he moved with the practiced grace of a warrior. He pused before Kachiko with a short, brisk bow, and his dark eyes hung at her throat.
"You know my mind in this matter, Matsu," she said to him. "Take care where you place your trust."
"My heart does not judge for my eyes, Lady Scorpion."
Kachiko's eyes narrowed. "I am not so certain of that ... at least as far as one pretty face in concerned."
The ninja scowled, ignoring her words. "I know a man who can help me fulfill your request, lady. A man who knows much of the way of shadow."
She nodded. "You speak of the ronin with the Iuchiban blade?"
"Ginawa, hai. He is the one."
Aramoro saw Kachiko's glance, even though he was hidden deep in the shadows. "You spoke so highly of this one, my brother, and yet this is the second time he has recommended to me someone I would not trust with even a Crab's life."
Aramoro shuddered under her gaze. "Your will, my lady."
Hiroru shrugged. "You do not have to trust them. You only have to trust me."
Kachiko's smile was veiled beneath lowered lashes, and she brushed her fingertips against the sandalwood fan tucked into her obi. "A Scorpion? Trust a Lion?" The laughter behind her words was as soft as the silk of her kimono.
"I am a Lion no more, Lady." His voice was hard, and the words fell like shards of steel. Aramoro's hand reflexively sought the hilt of his blade, but Kachiko raised a graceful hand.
"Keep your steel at your side." She turned her attention back to Hiroru. "Very well. Trust who you will. The lives of our children are in jeopardy. The future of our Clan is in your hands ninja." All warmth left her eyes. "Now go. Find your lord and master. You will find my clan at your disposal."
Hiroru bowed curtly, turned on his heel and left the room, leaving only Kachiko, Aramoro and the shadows.
"I do not trust him, my lady," the ninja said.
"Your opinion of him has changed so quickly, my brother. Could that be because I show him the same trust I show you?" Aramoro bowed his head and Kachiko sighed. "Even at this hour, when we are banished to the lands beyond the Sun, I cannot give you reprieve." She smiles sadly and shook her head. "You must stay behind, Aramoro, and be my eyes." Aramoro stepped closer, kneeling before her. Her hand reached out and her fingers touched his hair. "I will always be with you, my brother. And I will return."
Far above them, deep in the darkest shadows, Hiroru watched the scene and whispered, "I am certain that you will." Then he turned and leapt silently across the rooftops toward the blazing fires of the ronin army encamped outside the palace walls.
Two years have passed since the Day of Thunder. Two years of rebuilding, of healing past wounds and reforging broken alliances. Two years of peace. Beneath the reign of Emperor Toturi, the lands of Rokugan have been reborn. The Clans have thrived, and alothough tension is still great between old enemies, there has been order. But on the morning of the second anniversary of Toturi's coronation, that order descended once more into chaos.
The new Tao, Shinsei's legacy to the Age of Man, holds no answers to the questions posed by Toturi's bloody chambers. The Empire holds to a fragile hope of rescue, but the Jade Throne stands empty in a silent audience hall. Soon, the Great Clans will again contest their claims to rule, and with no power to stay their hand, war's dark shadow will fall upon Rokugan once more.
Now all that remains is the illusion of peace. Great armies rise in the east, preparing to make their mark upon a weakened Empire, and old feuds begin to surface. Even the efforts of the Unicorn magistrates, the last bastion of law outside Otosan Uchi, may not be enough to quell the rising tide of revolution. In the dawn of a new Age, there are still lingering shadows of the past ...
A bright moon shone down on the palace walls glistening on ornaments of silver and gold. On the balcony, a silent figure stepped from behind a softly sliding door and leaned against the wooden railing, her pale Crane eyes cathing the light of the stars. Above her, in a slight breeze, the wolf mon of the Emperor swayed in the faint breeze. Toturi she thought, where are you, this night? You said you would lead us, guide us; you said the dark times were over. You lied.
The wind rose and caught at the banner, tugging at the maiden's long white hair. A storm was coming. She drew her silken kimono more closely about her shoulders and shivered. A faint noise behind her turn, and from the shadow of teh doorway stepped a man dressed in white.
"Hiroru...." she breathed, and stepped toward him.
"We leave tonight, the ronin and I," Hiroru began. "You are certain you will be safe here, alone?"
"Someone must stay. The Naga have attacked one of the Great Clans. There will be retribution." She sighed. "I must make sure there is still an Empire when Toturi returns." She stepped closer to him, her silks moving softly with each swaying step.
"He will return."
She smiled, her lips curving in the pale moonlight. "If he is alive, yes."
The ninja scowled. "You have heard nothing, then?"
She shook her head. "The court is alive with rumor. The Crane blame the Lion, the Unicorn believe it was the Scorpion, and no word at all comes from the high mountains of the Dragon... even Yokuni was not this silent in times of war." Her eyes were weary and troubled.
"And the Crab?"
"Yakamo has retaken Hiruma Castle with his Naga allies, but now, without their help... he is lost." A pause. "As we may all be."
The pale shadow of a smile crossed his face. "We have allies in dark places, my Lady, and friends we do not yet know." His movements, as graceful as those of a stalking cat, brought him to the balcony's edge.
"Friends such as Ginawa?" She kept her face turned away from his searching glance. The wind lifted her fine hair from her shoulders and her eyes seemed lost in thought. After a few moments of silence, she murmured, "Forgive me."
"You would be wise to reconsider your feelings about him," Hiroru said coldly. "He is a butcher."
"He is a samurai, and loyal to the Emperor." The darkness echoed the whistling of the rising breeze and the crash of the ocean's waves far below.
"I - I am afraid of you, Hiroru. So much has already been lost. The Emperor, his Champion, even the Scorpion, vanished like floating dust." She turned and stepped back toward the glowing candles of the inner chamber. "Will we never be rid of the shadows of our hateful past.?"
A brush of his hand against her cheek, the sigh of silks in the wind and the lingering darkness beneath a setting moon was the only answer he gave.
Thirteen days have passed since the Emperor vanished, thirteen days of horror and turmoil. As the Imperial Court struggles to keep the peace between the Clans, the rising tides of ambition and loyalty threaten to crush the Empire in an iron grasp. The silent mountains of the Dragon, once known for their peaceful solitude, have become host to an armed legion of Naga warriors, bound for blood at any cost-and giving no reason for their treachery.
As if the loss of the Emperor were not tidings dark enough, news of the death of the Emerald Champion has spread like wildfire throughout the Jade Empire. The Crab armies, once allied with the traitorous Naga but now left to defend themselves, have become trapped within the ancient Hiruma Palace. Around them, the hordes of the Shadowlands gather, eager to begin their revenge upon one of the Thunders that destroyed their leader.
Meanwhile, the borders of the minor clans have become filled with strife and warfare, as the clans beneath Yoritomo's control seek a common goal in warring against each other. Despite the powerful threat of the Mantis armies, the Alliance has erupted into petty mercenary behavior. The Brotherhood, once powerful behind their ancient leader, have now retired to the solitude of their temples.
The Empire that Toturi struggled to reforge is on the edge of open warfare. The Great Clans of Rokugan watch the empty throne with covetous eyes, and even now, armies mass on the borders. While the Naga war in the Dragon lands, the struggle for the Jade Throne begins... not with the rumbling thunder of war, but with the subtle movements of shadows once thought destroyed.
Now all that remains is the illusion of peace. Great armies rise in the east, preparing to make their mark upon a weakened Empire, and old feuds begin to surface. Even the efforts of the Unicorn magistrates, the last bastion of law outside Otosan Uchi, may not be enough to quell the rising tide of revolution. In the dawn of a new Age, there are still lingering shadows of the past...
A single shaft of light pierced the dark room, illuminating the pile of filthy clothes, dirty bedsheets and bloodstained silks. A rumbling snore erupted from the pile, broken by the hacking cough of a drunken man. Beside the bed a man crouched, his face turned in an attempt to avoid the foul smell. With a swift kick, he rocked the mass on the floor. He was rewarded by a muffled curse.
"Get up." His voice was rough, harsh with disgust. As he backed away, fists clenched and eyes narrowed, the thing under the sheets began to move. The darkness of the chamber seemed a fitting home for the beast, a dark cave in which to hide from the sun. A place to hide from life. From dishonor.
"Go 'way, Hiroru." The voice was caked with alcohol.
"Get up." A beam of moonlight illuminated his white hakama. "I need you."
"You need a kick in the face."
Hiroru squinted. "And you need a bath."
Ginawa pushed himself up, the covers falling to the side with a rancid thump. "No," he said. "They make you leave your sword at the door."
"Your sword will get you killed one day, and then you'll be a stinking dead man."
"I'm already a stinking dead man. What's one more day?"
Turning, Hiroru threw a fresh kimono in Ginawa's face. "Put this on and get out of bed. We leave immediately."
"What's the difference?" the ronin said, falling back into the sheets. "The Scorpion are gone. Banished." He closed his eyes. "There aren't any enemies any more."
"You let one Akodo daimyo die. Are you going to make it a habit?" The sneer was palable.
Ginawa rose up slowly from the sheets, his eyes fixed on the hooded figure before him. "You know I didn't kill him."
"I don't care if you killed him."
For a long moment, the two were still, each ready for the other to move. Neither of them did.
Finally, Ginawa said, "Everybody's looking for Toturi. What will two more matter?"
"Everyone says they are looking for him."
"You don't trust them?"
Hiroru shook his head. "I don't even trust myself."
"What makes you trust me?" Ginawa smiled.
"I know you still feel the pull of the sword. And I know what the sword will do."
Ginawa shook his head. "No. The man who killed my lord is far, far from here."
Hiroru's eyes flashed under his hood. "You are wrong. He is closer than you think." The ronin shot to his feet, his hand reaching for his saya, red as a sunset.
"Show me," he said.
"Find Toturi, and we find him." Hiroru stepped toward the door. "He was able to kill one Akodo lord. He can kill another." He paused as he slid the paper panel aside. "The horses are waiting. I'll be waiting with them. At least they smell better than you do."
As Ginawa jerked the kimono over his shoulders he said, "The stink keeps the girls away." He smiled. "You should try it."
Hiroru closed the door behind him, smiling faintly under his hood.
For two months, the Chancellor Takuan has ruled in Toturi's stead, fending off warfare and violence amid the restless Great Clans. Lawlessness and banditry are rampant, and the Rokugan struggles to maintain its lands against the rising tide of chaos. As the Imperial Court struggles to keep the peace between the Clans, the rising tides of ambition and loyalty threaten to crush the Empire in an iron grasp. The silent mountains of the Dragon, once known for their peaceful solitude, have become host to an armed legion of Naga warriors, bound for blood at any cost-and giving no reason for their treachery..
As if the loss of the Emperor were not tidings dark enough, news of the death of the Emerald Champion has spread like wildfire throughout the Jade Empire. The Crab armies, once allied with the traitorous Naga but now left to defend themselves, have become trapped within the ancient Hiruma Palace. Around them, the hordes of the Shadowlands gather, eager to begin their revenge upon one of the Thunders that destroyed their leader.
Meanwhile, the borders of the minor clans have become filled wiht strife and warfare, as the clans beneath Yoritomo's control seek a common goal in warring against each other. Despite the powerful threat of the Mantis armies, the Alliance has erupted into petty mercenary behavior. The Brotherhood, once powerful behind their ancient leader, have now retired to the solitude of their temples.
The Empire that Toturi struggled to reforge is on the edge of open warfare. The Great Clans of Rokugan watch the empty throne with covetous eyes, and even now, armies mass on the borders. While the Naga war in the Dragon lands, the struggle for the Jade Throne begins... not with the rumbling thunder of war, but with the subtle movements of shadows once thought destroyed.
Ginawa was not smiling as he swung himself up into the saddle. Rain pounded his head from the outside as the remains of last night's liquor pounded it from within.
"You look like you're going to die at any moment," Hiroru said, a chuckle in his voice.
"Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing," he replied, fingering the blade in his obi.
"That's why I need you with me, old friend."
"To threaten your life?" Ginawa growled.
"No. To make me laugh. We'll need it where we're going."
Ginawa turned his horse toward the castle gates. "And just where are we going?"
"You'll see. I can't say now." Hiroru turned his own horse to stand next to the ronin's. "Too many shadows about to say."
Ginawa shrugged. "The Scorpion have all gone."
Hiroru shook his head. "But not all the ninja."
The ronin spit into the rain. "All I need is one."
Hiroru pointed out toward the dark horizon. "He's out there."
"Then all we're waiting for is you to show me the way."
Hiroru nodded again. Then he tugged off his hood and threw it to the ground. He looked up and let the rain splash on his face. "Feels too good to taste the rain, to feel the night arir. I've missed it."
"You miss your pretty Crane poet, Lion."
Hiroru looked at the ronin through wet black locks. "Haven't you ever been in love?"
Ginawa looked directly into the ninja's eyes. "Only once."
They were locked there until they both turned away. "Besides," Ginawa grumbled. "Love only gets you martyrs and hostages. I learned that the hard way." The ronin looked up at the ninja again. "It is a lesson I hope you never have to learn."
Hiroru shook his head. "Duty and love cannot live under the same roof, Ginawa-san."
"Is that why we are out in the rain?"
The ninja nodded. "I think so."
"Then let us ride. You can ride and talk, can't you?"
The ninja laughed. "Yes. I can. We have a lot to talk about."
"Seven years worth of talking, I think."
"I think."
For a moment, there in the darkness, a brief light shone between the two old friends. Two different paths had led them to this moment. But from this moment on, they would travel the same path. One would reach the end sooner than the other.
Nearly four months have passed, with no sign of Emperor Toturi's return. Hope grows slim, and accusations run rampant in the Imperial Court. The treaties of peace between the Clans become a fragile boundary, easily broken by a harsh word. The rising tides of ambition and loyalty threaten to crush the Empire in an iron grasp. The silent mountains of the Dragon, once known for their peaceful solitude, have become host to an armed legion of Naga warriors, bound for blood at any cost- and giving no reason for their treachery.
As if the loss of the Emperor were not tidings dark enough, news of the death of the Emerald Champion has spread like wildfire throughout the Jade Empire. The Crab armies, once allied with the traitorous Naga, but now left to defend themselves, have become trapped within the ancient Hiruma Palace. Around them, the hordes of the Shadowlands gather, eager to begin their revenge upon one of the Thunders that destroyed their leader.
Meanwhile, the borders of the minor clans have become filled with strife and warfare, as the clans beneath Yoritomo's control seek a common goal in warring against each other. Despite the powerful threat of the Mantis armies, the alliance has erupted into petty mercenary behavior. The Brotherhood, once powerful behind their ancient leader, have no retired to the solitude of their temples.
But no longer. Gathered behind the collective banner of the son of Togashi and the New Tao, the monks have joined the battle in the Dark mountains. Their oath to restore peace conflicts with their need to combat the shadows of darkness, and in the end, a brother's blood must be met with the fire of revenge.
The Empire that Toturi struggled to reforge is on the edge of open warfare. The Great Clans of Rokugan watch the empty throne with covetous eyes, and even now, armies mass on the borders. While the Naga war in the Dragon lands, the struggle for the Jade Throne begins... not with the rumbling thunder of war, but with the subtle movements of shadows once thought destroyed.
Now all that remains is the illusion of peace. Great armies rise in the east, preparing to make their mark upon a weakened Empire, and old feuds begin to surface. Even the efforts of the Unicorn magistrates, the last bastion of law outside Otosan Uchi, may not be enough to quell the rising tide of revolution. In the dawn of a new Age, there are still lingering shadows of the past...
Across the plain, the distant moon shone its light brightly upon Shiro no Matsu. Beneath it, two figures wove their way through dark corridors and empty rooms. The castle was undecorated, cold grey stone and blackened torch holders. Inside the Matsu walls, two fingers crept in an open window, vanishing past the guards and into the heart of the castle.
"To the left," the first man whispered, moving as if he had come this way many times before. "We have to find the new Matsu daimyo - only she can recall the Lion troops before there is open war."
"I still say its a stupid idea. They're Matsu." The second man, a broad-shouldered, foul-smelling, bullish bushi muttered. "We never should have come here..." He cursed once, loudly, his hoarse voice scraping against taut nerves. At the sound, the second figure tensed, his hand reaching instinctively for his chained weapons.
And the sound of iron-shod boots paused in the corridor.
Turned.
And stepped toward them.
With a swift movement, the white ninja vanished into the stonework, drawing the weapon from his belt. The second man, taller and broader by a hand's width, shook his head warningly, and reached for the sword bound in its blood-red saya. When the torch rounded the corner, both weapons struck with deadly accuracy ...
But both met nothing, and the torch fell to the floor, sparking ashes across the stone. Behind the corner, a woman's voice mocked, "So it is you, you old bandit, Akodo Ginawa ... first a traitor, and now skulking through the corridors of his old home. Are you planning to add thief to your list of crimes, ronin?"
"Ginawa. Only Ginawa now." The ronin's face darkened on the other side of the stone, and his thick brows furrowed. "Ketsui?" he asked, recognizing the woman's voice, the sword humming in his tight grip as he fought to control its rage.
"You've returned, and the penalty is death." Her voice, cool and laughing, echoed strangely in the narrow corridor, and far away, he heard the sshhhh of a rice paper door. "Why should I spare your life?"
"You... spare me?"
"The Matsu follow me, now." Ginawa glanced at his companion.
"Never..." Hiroru hissed, and her laughter was his only reply.
"You brough a friend, I see." She mumured.
Ginawa snarled, "We need your help. For the Emperor."
"A dead Emperor." The whisper flicked like a stinging whip. "And a dead Empire."
"This is a Lion's voice I hear?" Ginawa's fists clenched. "Or is this te Scorpion Palace?"
More laughter. "Always the idealist, old friend. Who do you expect me to serve? That foold Chancellor? The Mantis psychopath?" The torch flickered on the hallway floor, casting strange dancing shadows. If this was a trap, Ginawa thought, this was a good place for it.
"Serve your conscience, Lady Ketseui." Hiroru whispered. "Recall the troops which march on the Crab borders. Stop this foolish war."
"Tsuko's brother!" Her voice hissed, barely able to mask its surprise. "Back from the dead, I see. Some company you keep, ronin."
"Recall the troops." Ginawa moved, trying to gauge the distance around the corner.
"No."
"You want a war?"
"I won't betray Tsanuri."
"She's an Ikoma." snarled the ronin, his sword quivering in his hand.
"She's my Champion. Now where's that loyalty you praised.?"
A pause, silence. Hiroru grasped Ginawa's tattered sleeve and pointed toward the passage, where movement echoed. "An Ikoma was never meant to lead the Lion!" Ginawa hissed, tearing his sleeve from Hiroru's hand.
"You don't think I know?" Her voice was harsh, filled with malice. "You don't think the ancestors remind me with each breath? I hear Tusko's voice!'
"Ketsui ..."
Go now, ronin, and take your ghost with you." The daimyo's words tore from a ragged throat. "No one can recall the troops. It's already too late." There was no reply from the darkness as she leaded back against the corridor wall, the torch sputtering on the ground.
Within moments, the House Guard came around the corner, hands on their katana. "My Lady Daimyo-sama," One said, surprised. "I ... I'm sorry to disturb you. One of my men heard voices ..."
"Yes, Aikeku-san," she turned to stare at him, her black eyes thoughtful. A lock of red hair, dyed in the tradition of the Matsu clan, fell over her face as she turned away. "Voices and ghosts. Nothing more.'
As she walked away, the torch guttered, and the light died.
A year has passed since Toturi was lost, a year of chaos and confusion. As the Unicorn ride to enforce the laws of the Empire, brigands plunder the fields, destroying all they cannot carry away.
The Unicorn have claimed the city of Ryoko Owari, destroying all who oppose them. Their Magistrates race across the land, slaughtering all who oppose them. They hold the Emperor's writ, and speak with the Emperor's voice. But it is a dead voice, and a dying people. Without an Emperor, the people of Rokugan dissolve into terror and defeat.
The Chancellor seeks to restore order, while the court watches, ready to capitalize on any weakness. Only the guidance of a Crane keeps the Imperial Court from destruction over some imagined prize. From the Dragon Mountains, ambassadors speak of peace, a message of goodwill and unity, and an offer of brotherhood to all who wish to join her in her quest for enlightenment.
To the south, the Lion march toward Crab lands, toward the lightly defended Kaiu Wall. The Crab struggle to defend against an invasion, while their brothers slowly die in lost Hiruma Castle. The Crane and Mantis engage in bitter war, and from the Phoenix, no word comes. It is a time of shadows, treachery and war - and it is a time of heroes.
The shadows deepened around the throne of Jade, the pale moon glimmering from the smooth, carved forms of dragons and lions which decorated the chair. In the alcoves surrounding the throne room, chrysanthemums wilted, their pots empty of water, neglected by the heimin.
Footsteps, smooth and silent, across the polished wooden floor. A hushed sliding, and then another as the door closed again, and the room was empty once more.
The darkness choked sound, stole light and ruined her attempts at following the silent figure. The walls of the throne room were empty and foreboding in the darkness. Moments later, her hands found the catch behind the chrysanthemum, lifting the delicate wood and sliding aside the panel. A thin crack appeared. With a deliberate motion, Shizue stole through the hidden doorway. A cold breeze blew through her hair, but her trembling hand was not from the chill.
The soft swish of silk, ahead in the passage, a faint light, voices.
Danger.
"The first steps have been taken..." a whisper spoke. "...implication is clear..."
She had been following the traitor for days, waiting for a single slip. A single chance to find the truth. As Shizue listened, the light of the distant lantern flickered, making shadows move and dance. As she approached, the light dimmed, and the shadows pulled closer.
Laughter.
"The Unicorn fight even now, for our purposes," the voice smiled to its companion. "Though they do not know it, they serve us best of all."
"My Lord..." the second man spoke, and his soft kimono rustled as he moved. "The Mantis march upon Otosan Uchi, and each step Yoritomo makes is another crack in our guard. We may not remain undiscoved for long."
"Foolish boy," the Master's voice was dark, filled withm silken promises. "The Mantis are a puppet, ready to be swayed by bright gold. Show them the lands of the Phoenix, and their greed will lead them away. They have nothing we desire." He moved, the lantern swinging against his brown robes.
The spy's back straightened, as if struck by a stinging whip, and his head bowed. With a gentle tone, the man with the lantern continued, musing thought aloud as if speaking to the shadows themselves. "The Mantis will come, my friend, and when they do they will seek to place a new Emperor on the throne. And we will let them try."
"But there is other news, my Lord." The spy raised his head and his hand shifted unconciously to his daisho. "The Lion march on Crab lands and without a leader, the descendants of Hida will be crushed. If they fall ..."
"Excellent."
"My Lord?"
"Times have changed, my devoted friend. Armies march, and the Emperor has been lost. Soon, the shadows will have to speak." He turned and the man rose to his feet, bowing.
"Go now." The lantern swung away, and Shizue turned, hurrying down the corridor before her soft footfalls could give her away. She closed the panel behind her and glanced about the still empty chamber. The crow of a courtyard bird pierced the still air of the throne room, and the jade of the throne seemed dull and lifeless as the gray of dawn began to break the shadow of night. She had escaped.
As he heard the faint click of the hidden panel, the Master turned once more to his rising servant. "One more thing Taro-san." The knife slid easily between the folds of the soft kimono, piercing the flesh of the man's unprotected back. The lantern shook, light spinning crazily along the empty corridor, and a gasp of shock echoed into the shadows.
The monk's eyes, slowly emptying of life, hung to his Lord's as he slid to the ground. His knees buckled. A trickle of blood ran from his open lips as he choked, "Kage ... why?"
"Because child, you were not the one I wished to tell." He smiled down at the dead body until all life had fled its cold, questioning eyes. Then, with a soft smile, he lifted the shining lantern, the sharp threads of light illuminating his aristocratic features. He would not need the lantern any more.
Dawn had come.
It has been three months since the Unicorn have claimed Ryoko Owari, enforcing their law with military might. Since Toturi was lost from his Jade Throne, a year of chaos and confusion, the Great Clans rise to claim the throne, each fearing to lose their place to another. As the armies of the Unicorn ride to enforce the laws of the Empire, restless brigands plunder the roads and fields, destroying all they cannot carry away. The end of the Empire seems near, and only the bravery of two men can unravel the mystery behind the Emperor's disappearance. From the mountains of the Dragon to the bitter wastes of the Shadowlands, wars rage and armies march.
The Mantis, leading the combined armies of the Alliance, have taken Beiden Pass. Surrounded by Crane adn Unicorn forces to the south, their only hope is to march northward, through Lion territory, in an attempt to meet with their reinforcements on the beaches of the Emperor's city. Their leader, Yoritomo, has claimed the right to challenge for the Jade Throne, and the Champion of the Crane has replied to these bold words with open war.
The Chancellor desperately tries to restore order, while his advisors watch with eager eyes, to capitalize on any weakness or error. Only the skillful guidance of a Crane keeps the Imperial Court from tearing itself to bits over some imagined prize. Yet, promises and oaths carry a heavy price for those who are unwary. From the Dragon Mountains, the first ambassadors come, telling tales of genocide by teh Naga, and speaking claims of peace. Hitomi, their new champion, sends a message of goodwill and unity, and an offer of brotherhood to all who wish to join her in her quest for enlightenment.
Yet, to the south, the Lion march toward Crab lands, turning their massive armies toward teh lightly defended Kaiu Wall. Leaderless, the Crab struggle to raise the force to defend against an invasion, while their brothers slowly die in lost Hiruma Castle. The Crane and Mantis engage in bitter, bloody war on the fields of the empty Scorpion lands, and from the Phoenix no word comes. The Empire crumbles under the burden of anarchy, and the storm of war destroys the sun and leaves only a black sky. It is a time of shadows, treachery and war - and it is a time of heroes.
A rain poured down, soaking Hiroru to the bone. The wind was cold, and the sun hid behind thick, gray clouds. He glanced at his companion, racing beside him on a sturdy brown pony. Ginawa's face was haggard, lined with care and drink.
Hiroru tugged on hi horse's reins. "We camp here! It'll be dark soon, and my horse is tired." He had visited these fields before, and it was by no mistake he had chosen this copse of trees. Beneath a wide oak, a small clearing remained relatively dry, and the horses shook themselves gratefully.
Ginawa spat upon the ground, a brown stain on the gray rock. Without answering, he turned his steed into the nearest copse of trees, seeking the shelter of their branches.
"What are we doing here, Lion?" The word was a sneer as Ginawa dismounted, keeping his hand on the blood-red saya at his side. "This is Dragon territory. We stay here, we're likely to be found by Hitomi's men."
"The Dragon Champion?" Hiroru cursed, crouching beneath the sheltering boughs of a sturdy oak. "She has more to concern her than us, old friend." A silent pause, then a whispered, "Much more..."
Ginawa roared, and the sound startled the horses, making them rear and pull away. "I'm tired of games, Hiroru!"
"Games?"
"You said we came here to find the ninja! Well?" Ginawa's hand reached for the hilt of his sword. "Where is the ninja?"
As he spoke, Hiroru drew himself to his feet, his pure white eyes seeking something in the darkness. "I brought us here, hoping to find an ally. A woman with great knowledge of the darkness, Akodo. If she cannot help us, then the Emperor is truly lost."
"A woman?" You've lost your mind. First the Crane and now..."
"Shh..." Hiroru gestured suddenly. "she comes."
"Who? bah!" Ginawa dropped to the ground, squatting and peering up through the rain. "Useless. This is all useless."
"She is coming." Hiroru said again, this time more loudly. "get up, you fool."
The wind storm rocked the trees, and leaves fell to the ground in brown, wet clumps. The bitter cold cut through their clothing, sharp tongues of ice.
"You wanted to see my ally, Ginawa-san." Hiroru's voice spoke of respect and a strange awe that Ginawa had never seen in his arrogant friend. Ginawa looked up, annoyed, and saw movement in the trees. The darkness was intense, unreal, and for a moment, the clouds parted and Ginawa caught a glimpse of starlight.
A woman stepped into the clearing. The samurai leapt to his feet, drawing his sword in an instant, the blade humming with eagerness.
"What is she?" Ginawa hissed, staring.
The woman was dressed in simple robes, her face clear and young. Despite the fierce storm and thick clouds of rain, she seemed unharmed by the elements, and her long black hair hung undisturbed be the reckless wind. She turned to face the ronin, calm and peaceful, and he stepped back, unsure.
Her eyes were filled with the light of a thousand stars.
"Kaede..." the ninja whispered.
"Be at peace, Lion." She raised one hand, "For I cannot stay long. The Oracle...still calls. I have not learned all I must." Her head turned to the side, listening to voices in the wind. "I know what you are looking for. There is a man, a Dragon-man, whom you must seek. One who knows much of the shadow-walkers. He alone has the answers you must find. He alone can tell you of those who hold the Emperor in their grasp..."
"Then Toturi isn't dead?" Ginawa interrupted.
"No, not dead." She whispered, but her voice was as loud as thunder. "Though he may soon wish to be."
"His name. Kaede...his name." Hiroru's stepped closer, as her voice began to fade. "How will we know this man?"
As she spoke, her body began turning to stars,drifting first one, then many, and then vanishing into the wind. "Know him by his face..."
"His face?"
"His face has not yet vanished..."
And with that, and a thundered warning from the storm, she was gone...
* * *
It has been six months since the Mantis claimed Beiden Pass, daring the Empire to shake them from their mountain fortress. They have built a palace upon the tall slopes of the canyon, and their armies prepare to invade the lands of the Matsu. Since Toturi was lost from his jade Throne, a year of chaos and confusion, the Great Clans rise to claim the throne, each fearing to lose their place to another. The end of the Empire seems near, and only the bravery of two men can unravel the mystery behind the Emperor's disappearance. From the mountains of the Dragon to the bitter wastes of the Shadowlands, wars rage and armies march.
But the battles do not go well. The Crane, allying themselves with the Unicorn, desperately wage war against Yoritomo, seeking to destroy his hold on Beiden pass. A group of battle-Maidens, leaderless without Kamoko, race to the north, hoping to meet with the Mantis to the north of the pass, and prevent them from allying with the Lion.
Daidoji Uji, leader of the Daidoji troops, has disobeyed his lord, and marched northward, to engage the Mantis reinforcements before they can march past Otosan Uchi. Only the need to protect the city of the Emperor gives him the strength to complete his mission - knowing that should he fail, his life will be forfeit.
In the court, the Chancellor desperately tries to restore order, while his advisors capitalize on any weakness or error. From the Dragon Mountains, the first ambassadors come, telling tales of genocide by the Naga, and speaking claims of peace. Hitomi sends a message of goodwill and an offer of brotherhood to all who wish to join her quest for enlightenment.
Yet, to the south, the lion march toward Crab lands, turning their massive armies toward the lightly defended Kaiu Wall. leaderless, the Crab struggle to raise the force to defend against an invasion, while their brothers slowly die in lost Hiruma Castle. The Empire crumbles under the burden of anarchy, and the storm of war destroys the sun and leaves only a black sky. It is a time of shadows, treachery and war - and it is a time of heroes.
Two figures rode beneath a setting moon, Jigoku on their heels.
"Chancellor-sama?" The guard's voice shook with fear. "You have a visitor"
"Yes, of course, Hasame-san." Takuan looked up from the papers he had been given to review: taxes, petitions, tedious minutia of the Emperor's duties. A visitor would be a welcome change. Any visitor save this one.
* * *
With their horses dying from the strain, sleep is a distant memory. All that matters is that they arrive in time to learn the truth. In their minds, they still hear Kaede's words:
"I know what you are looking for"
Three samurai stood in the Crane's chamber doorway, a flurry of courtiers surrounding them. Words flew and hands fluttered, and the confused samurai tried to answer the questions of the assembly.
"How did you "
"Where "
"Who "
"Kizoku, please." A hushed voice carried across the chatter easily. "These samurai are weary and wounded. Let us show them the hospitality of the Emperor's palace." Kakita Yoshi stood on the dais, dress in the fine robes of the Imperial Advisor. "They have travelled far with their burden, and certainly it is not too much to ask that they be given peace." The Crane bowed politely as they began to disperse to a reluctant distance, and Yoshi gestured to the three men to join him on the dais, where a servant was bringing food.
As they approached, a maiden whispered in her master's ear. "The court awaits you, Yoshi-sama."
"Let them wait, Shizue." Yoshi smiled behind his fan as the men approached.
"But, Master" Her protest died on her lips as the samurai stepped onto the dais. Beside her, Kakita Yoshi smiled encouragingly and gestured to the three men with his white gan.
"Rest. Eat," Yoshi smiled, "and when you are ready, speak to me of the Emperor."
* * *
A thunderclap and the bright glare of lightning tore the night apart. Dawn was coming soon, and the road was near its end. In the distance, the banners of the Emperor beckoned from above Otosan Uchi. Hiroru looked at his companion. Their horses were heroically attempting to keep up the rapid pace. Ginawa's face was set like a stone mask, one hand tight about his horse;s reins as if he could urge it on with pure strength of will.
The other clutched his sword with desperate fingers.
Takuan stood before the Jade Throne, his face pale and his eyes dim. Where his Crane advisor should have been, the place at his side was devoid of movement, empty even of shadow.
"My people," he began, and his voice was thin and weak. Nevertheless, in the hushed court it echoed like a thunderclap. "I have served as your Chancellor for a year, and it has been the greatest honor of my life. But now, I have another duty to perform."
* * *
The rumors could not be ture. Must not.
How could they be?
Seppun Toshiken stood overlooking the Emperor's garden, his face carved from stone. In his hand was the sword of the Emerald Champion, borne by a hundered other men for nearly a thousand years. Borne by Toshimoko-sama himself. "Do you have any final words?"
A man in white, kneeling on the ground before him, shook his head. "I serve my Emperor, and for that, I am not ashamed."
The wakizashi cut once. Twice. The man's mouth opened.
And the Emerald Champion's katana ended it all.
* * *
The golden palace shone in the sun's light like a piece of the heavens themselves. The palace of Otosan Uchi: resting place of a thousand Hantei souls. Toturi's palace. Each hoofbeat brought them closer, but the dead lingered in their hearts.
The mad seer screamed at them as they passed, his torn Phoenix robes gathered about him. "Return! Returned! Return! Returned! Lost, lost lost"
Standing before the Jade Throne, Yoritomo Hogosha and Otomo Banu argued, their raucous cries like those of crows descending on a field of the dead.
"Mine is the true claim!" Banu screamed, face turning purple.
"I challenge for it in the name of my lord! No other man in the Empire can hold the peace. Only the champion of the Mantis has the strength to unify our country before the Shadowlands come again. And this time, where will your 'Thunders' be, to drive them out?" Although his voice was calm, Hogosha's hands shook with anger.
"The blood of Hantei runs through my veins" Banu continued.
"Only in part. You are an Otomo."
"That does not matter. My line holds the blood of the Hantei." With a triumphant smile, Banu looked around the chamber at the courtiers. Like sheep, they watched, waiting for some sign, some clear direction of whom to follow. Banu stepped towards the Jade Throne, reaching to touch it with a covetous hand.
"The Mantis attack my people," whispered a young Phoenix maiden. "We will not folow you, Hogosha. Your cause is lost." Around her, other nodded. "My clan supports Banu's claim." A secret look passed between Osugi and the Otomo, then fell to dust.
Hogosha turned upon her with fury, but Banu laughed from the dais. "The Throne is mine!"
"No, Banu-san." A stern, commanding voice rumbled from the open doors at the rear of the chamber. "The Throne belongs to me."
Behind them, three men stood in the doorway. One was a Crane. One was the Emerald Champion.The third man was Toturi, his black eyes cold as ice.
* * *
One man will find his master
"Ginawa, no!" Hiroru clutched at his friend's arm, holding it against his side. It took all of his strength to keep the ronin's arm from moving, from pulling the sword free of its blood-red saya. "That's not Toturi. It's not." Ginawa's rage turned his eyes red. Beneath his rough hand, the sword hummed in glee. "It can't be."
"The Chancellor is dead." Kakita Yoshi's voice rang with uncustomary weariness through the courtroom. "All hail the return of Toturi the First!" Around them, the crowd began to fall to its knees in reverence and relief. From the top of the tall, golden stairs, the Emperor looked down, his hands resting lightly on the arms of the Jade Throne.
The other will kill him.
* * *
Winter has fallen upon the fields of the Jade Empire, and blood stains the soft white snow. Outside the palace of Otosan Uchi, armies march again but this time, out of the palace and towards the land of the seven great Clans.
The Mantis lead the Alliance openly now, guiding the fates of the smaller clans who have sought shelter beneath Yoritomo's powerful voice. Their attempt to marshal the lands of the Scorpion failed, and they were driven north by the Crane. Loath to attack even the lightly defended provinces of the Lion, the eighth Clan marches north, toward the empty Shiba palaces. However, another army also enters Phoenix lands the family of the Agasha, torn by its devotion to Hitomi and its fear of her Ônew beginning'. Although a few loyal shugenja refused to leave their champion, the family has broken its ties with the Dragon and sworn fealty to Tsukune and her Clan. The Crane are divided by betrayal and loyalty. Daidoji Uji has sworn to have the head of the Jade Champion and destroy his family's estates in retribution for the suffering the Lion once caused the Crane. Furious at his lieutenant's insubordination, Doji Kuwanan continues towards the Emperor's palace and the rear of the Mantis armies.
And the Empire has been rocked by greater news: the return of Toturi. Seated once more on his Jade Throne, the Emperor commands the Unicorn now standing at his right hand to make war upon the Lion for their betrayal. Tsunari, champion of the Lion stands outside Kyunden Hida with sword drawn, as the Unicorn carry messages between the two great generals. And from the Shadowlands, even darker news: the death of a Thunder.
Once, the Empire had hope for peace. Under the reign of Emperor Toturi, the lands of
Rokugan were reborn. The clans thrived, and the and was renewed. But no more.
Toturi's disappearance threw the Empire into chaos, destroying tentative bonds between
clans and flinging the Great Clans into full-scale war. When the Emperor returned to claim
his throne in the golden city of Otosan Uchi, it was thought that all would heal itself.
Instead, the Emperor's strange commands continue to encourage anarchy and destruction - he
turns one clan against the next and encourages vicious combat of those who would gain his
favor.
But there are those who believe that the man who was found in the ruined castles of the
Isawa is not the Emperor. They meet secretly at night, whispering tales of ninja and of
the Scorpion betrayers who hide in plain sight...and they may not be far from the truth.
Great armies rise, preparing to make their mark on a weakened Empire. And there are still
others with strong claims to the Emperor's throne, willing to claim their right to rule,
enforced through blood and war.
One man leads the Empire. So it has been from the beginning of history. And from the
shadows of a thousand years past, a silent enemy has found its time to strike...
* * *
The news came to Doji Shizue as she sat by her window, a comb pulling the strand of
her long, white hair into order. For a moment, she let the letter rest where the servant
had placed it, her pale eyes searching every wrinkle and touch of a foreign hand. As she
raised the mahogany pins that held her cloak of hair, she noticed a mark upon the seal - a
faint scratch, but a meaningful one.
"Hiroru...," she breathed. Swiftly, she reached for the letter and tore apart
the seal. Within moments, she had discerned the letter's true purpose - a request for a
meeting. Gathering her kimono and coverlet, she threw the letter into the fire. With a
swift motion, she turned toward the door, but then her eye fell on her father's tanto,
resting on its stand by the mirror. Shizue paused, trust warring with instinct, then
reached for the dagger. It's deer-horn handle felt smooth under the ornate wrappings, and
some recognition stirred in her mind.
The dagger had a purpose...
Shizue stared at it for only a second longer, closing her eyes and clearing her mind of
its sudden, strange malaise. With a careless hand, she set the tanto down. "I won't
be needing this," she whispered to herself, then turned with a smile toward the door.
As it closed behind her, the stand stood empty on the table, and a shadow stretched a
covetous hand toward the moon.
* * *
Two men stood in the darkened barn, surrounded by the sound of horses faintly rustling in
their stalls. Restless, Ginawa glared at Hiroru over a tall pile of hay.
"We're waiting for a woman," Ginawa snorted with contempt.
Hiroru's eyes narrowed. "She'll come."
"And then what?" Ginawa's voice was harsh, angry.
"It's better than returning to the court, isn't it?" Hiroru's voice was soft,
but the sharp tones of his words hung like knives in the air.
Ginawa's face reddened. "That's exactly what we should be doing. The creature on the
throne...that thing..."
"That 'thing' might still be Toturi. Do you want to take that risk?"
"It's not Toturi. You've seen it, looked into its eyes. How can you still believe it
is the Emperor? I saw..."
"Hss!" The white ninja faded into the wooden wall of the barn, his gi molding
itself to the wall's wooden tone.
A Cloaked figure stepped lightly into the moonlit barn, her white hair trailing beneath a
lowered shawl. With a glance through the portal, she closed the heavy oaken door and
placed the bar across the opening.
"Hiroru-san?" Whispered words in the dark, a loving glance, and a faint sign of
movement at the maiden's side showed that the ninja had heard her call.
Ginawa snorted his disapproval and fingered his saya impatiently.
"Someone followed me, Hiroru." Shizue began, her face filled with fear. "I
saw them as I entered the barn."
As she spoke, two dark figures stepped from the shadows of the barn's walls into the light
of the moon. "No, my dear," Kage whispered. "You were not followed. You
were led."
"Master!" Hiroru spun, pushing Shizue behind him and drawing out his
kusari-gama.
"Never." The whistling sound of chain and the roar of Ginawa's sword as he freed
it from its saya nearly obscured Hiroru's defiant words, but Ginawa's eyes spoke with
oceans of hatred.
"We are closer to you than you think, doshi. You believe you are free of our grasp?
Allow me to convince you." A gesture, a word in some strange gaijin tongue, and
Shizue's face shockingly contorted with rage. As Kage smiled, Shizue drew her dagger from
the folds of her obi, screamed, and plunged it into Hiroru's back. The blood was rich and
dark as it slid down the blade of her father's dagger. Once more she buried the knife into
Hiroru before Ginawa could reach her. With a curse and a kick, the furious ronin flung the
maiden away from the collapsing body.
"Shi...zue..." gasped Hiroru, the dagger in his back moving as he labored to
breathe. His eyes were wide, unfeeling. Betrayal warred with confusion as he reached to
grasp Ginawa's hand.
With a roar of anger, Ginawa turned toward Shizue as she raised a stark, white face from
the ground. Her eyes were haunted, confused, and she looked at her bloodstained hands with
shock, hardly able to tear her tortured gaze from Hiroru's fallen form. At Kage's side,
another Crane stood, shaking, his face nearly as pale as Shizue's.
"Oh, yes, Hiroru. She has been with us all along, although she does not know it. And
there are others like her... hundreds of them, in every clan in the Empire. You cannot
find us, you see," Kage smiled, "because we are not there."
With a roar, Ginawa reached for Shizue, his sword howling its need for revenge and death.
He slammed his fist into her face. The storyteller let out a single cry of sharp, blinding
pain, then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"What's this? Don't you know how to kill anymore, ronin?" Sarcasm, heavy and
cold, dripped from the Master's words.
"Kage." Ginawa's voice was choked with rage as he turned his attention from the
girl.
"Leave Hiroru to me, ronin. He will be well cared for." The frozen Crane stood
in Kage's shadow, staring with terror at the ronin's howling sword. "He is to be my
successor... and nothing either of you can do will ever change that."
"No," hissed Ginawa.
"There is no time, boy. The Emperor's guards are coming. Can't you hear their
shouts?" Indeed, a commotion neared the barn. With it came the stomping tread of
booted feet. "Leave him to me, and escape. What loyalty do you have to him? He's a
Matsu."
Ginawa's roar of rage silenced the Kolat Master's next words, and Ginawa's sword sliced
through the air with a gleeful scream. "You cannot have him!" The ronin's hands
filled with blood, but Kage stepped nimbly aside, turning the blade away with a careless
hand.
"Very well, boy," the sensei hissed. "Then I will take something far more
precious to him than his own life..." With a bitter laugh, Kage vanished into the
dark shadow of the barn. Ginawa howled with anger, leaping toward the young Asahina man
that stood nearby. His sword tore greedily through the Crane's clothing, opening a hole
from his navel to his chest. In a burst of scarlet blood, the man sank to his knees, then
fell to the ground. A strangely grateful look crossed his features, then vanished as his
eyes dimmed. His rage fulfilled, Ginawa stood over the fallen Asahina, his labored
breathing eclipsed by the sound of the barn doors being thrown open.
"Stand where you are, by the Emperor's command!" The guards swiftly surrounded
Ginawa, their faces a curious mixture of gratitude and disbelief.
"Toku lowered his steel as he realized who stood before him. "Ginawa-san?"
Standing alone in the darkened barn, two bodies bleeding on the ground around him, Ginawa
finally looked beyond his reddened sword. Kage was gone... and so was the body of the
unconscious storyteller. "You must come with us, Ginawa. This" - the captain of
the Guard gestured - "must be explained. Murder is forbidden in the Imperial
City." When he spoke again, his words were a death knell in Ginawa's ears. "We
will take you to Emperor Toturi immediately."
Above them, hidden in the rafters and the darkness, the shadows laughed with glee.
One man will save his master.
One man will kill him.
The Emperors court chambers were stark, barren, cold. As the Imperial Guard marched Ginawa
through the corridors of the palace, the ronin forced himself not to stare at the absence
all around him. Absences of light, of sound, and of movement - the palace of Otosan had
become as empty as the grave from which Iuchiban had torn the rotted corpse.
Ginawa's skin chilled at the comparison.
Hiroru was as good as dead. Stabbed from behind by his Crane lover, captured by the
Emperor's soldiers - or, at least, by those loyal to the false Emperor on the throne. All
hope of rescue fled Ginawa's mind as the golden doors of the throne room loomed before
him.
Dried blood covered the floor, and Ginawa recoiled in horror. On a dais far across the
smooth wooden planks stood the Emperor beside a tall, jade throne whose once-bright
surface was shadowed and dark. Toturi looked up as Ginawa entered, his eyes dull.
"You." Toturi stepped down onto the darkly stained floorboards.
"Hai, Toturi-sama." Ginawa fell to his knees, pressing his sword to the floor
before him. The guards, unwilling to venture this deeply into the darkness of the palace,
had not even taken it from him. The Bloodsword did not hum its characteristic rage.
Toturi stepped toward Ginawa, and a bitter cold crept across the floor, mimicking the
movement of the shadows.
"I know you." The Emperor's voice was robbed of emotion. He took another step
toward Ginawa, his feet silent on the mahogany floor.
"Hai, Toturi-sama. It is me."
"Who?" Bored, impassive, the Emperor began to turn away, fingering the sleeve of
his golden kimono.
"Ginawa."
A pause as the too-black pupils bored into the ronin's eyes, seeking something Ginawa did
not know how to give. "Ginawa...?" A shred of recognition whispered through the
Emperor's voice. "Ginawa..."
"We fought together. I was your friend. Do you not remember Beiden Pass? Toshi
Ranbo?" Ginawa caught an echo of Hiroru's voice in his mind: How do you know this is
not the Emperor?
"Ginawa, old friend." Toturi's eyes, now brown and pale, regarded Ginawa.
"I remember...something. You were... Akodo...?" Toturi sank to his knees on the
floor, Ginawa stared in horror and shame. "The Akodo - my brothers. Where are you
now? Hantei!" Toturi reached for the ceiling, arching in paroxysms of fear and pain.
Above him, the shadows whirled in strange patterns, faces without features, eyes without
emotion or identity. "Hantei! Where is the Emperor? The Emperor is dead!"
"No, Toturi-sama. You are the Emperor. You defeated Fu Leng, killed the armies of the
Tainted Lands..."
Toturi's face clenched. "Hoturi? Kachiko... Someone must find Kachiko. She will know
where the Emperor has gone."
"Master!" Ginawa recoiled. "They are gone - all gone."
"But Ginawa, you are here. Ginawa." Without thought of propriety, the Emperor
grabbed the ronin's shoulders. "Help me. Save me. Tell me" - his eyes cloud once
more - "who am I?"
Stunned, Ginawa did not even think to reach for his fallen sword as Toturi pushed him
away, staggering back to the huge Jade Throne. Leaning heavily upon its stone arm, the
Emperor spoke raggedly. "I cannot remember, sometimes. The shadows in my mind. I can
think of your face, Kage's face, the face of my mother. Arasou, my brother..."
Ginawa scrambled to his feet, clutching at the burning red saya before him.
"Toturi-sama!"
"Ginawa, what happened?" Hiroru's voice was weak, weary.
"Something has entered the Emperor's mind." Ginawa placed Hiroru on the ground
and untethered the horses.
"Fu Leng?"
"Iye." Ginawa shook his head. "Something else."
"Where is Shizue?" Hiroru's eyes sagged. "She will need me..." His
body slumped in Ginawa's arms.
Alone again in the woodland darkness surrounding the Imperial City, Ginawa looked up at
the palace's faint light. "Enough!" he snarled. "Tomorrow we begin again.
The Emperor has been found...but not yet saved."
Around the Imperial Capital's Golden Gates, an army gathered. Its spires glinted, reflected patterns onto purple and red banners. Its mon were fastened to intricate armor, laced in gleaming metal. Katanas were lifted, echoed by battle-kiai, as samurai prepared to charge.
Otosan Uchi, under seige.
The armies parted below the southern gate. Battle-trumpets blazed from the parapets. Toturi I, cold and stern, stepped past his chain of guards. Pampered in golden robes, he still moved with the catlike grace of a general, black eyes shining without pupils in the summer sun. His words, when he spoke, were smooth, ringing.
Empty.
He spoke of unity, of grace, and of the future, but the Unicorn were unmoved. Above them hovered the kami spirit of Shinjo, their maker, the Warrior of the Ki-Rin. Beside her, the Phoenix Champion and the brown-skinned Scorpion general stood ready. Their bushi held sword-hilts, poised for the command to charge.
"Do you see them, shukujo?" The term for a courtly lady fell upon the white-haired young Crane's ears as an insult. "They prepare for war." The speaker, a beautiful, soft-voiced geisha, plaited ribbons into her jet-black hair with delicate ease.
A man rolling in fat lifted chopsticks to greasy lips and chuckled. "What do the kami know of war? They only know how to send in their samurai to die for their cause." The man wrapped the bowl of rice in a hand as wide as two of Shizue's, and the Crane storyteller shuddered at his smell. His words were also foul: this beast dared to question a samurai's right to die for a lord's honor? If it were true - if the Unicorn followed a kami, a child of the Sun and Moon - then how could they do wrong?
"Look. They negotiate." A thinner man, his left eye filled with scar tissue and pus, pointed a slim finger at the huge crystal globe near the center of the room. It stood high as a bushi's helm, and eye of pure crystal. "The Emperor would placate them." He poked insultingly at the gleaming form of the airborne Kami in the globe's depths. "One arrow - one bold samurai could end this war."
"You're wrong." Politely, the geisha stood, bowing with grace and beauty. "You know that can never happen." She looked at the shining globe, her eyes reflecting the fantastic visions swirling within it. "And you're wrong about the Usurper, as well. He's stalling for time. I know that pose well."
"Very good Kaota." Kage's thunderous voice rolled from his dais. The candles that surrounded him flickered, chilling Shizue.
Shizue sat restrained to a cushion at the bottom of the dais. She tried desperately to catch a glimpse into the globe, lowering her lashes so they wouldn't see her looking, but the nine figures surrouned it, pondering its pictures and whispering.
For ten days, Shizue had been in darkness broken only by meager food and water. Then, here. This foul room. She surreptitiously studied the room's occupants. Nine people-ten, counting Kage. Each a master of deception; each planning some terrible thing. What were they?
A man wearing a turban and cloak stepped past Shizue and placed his hand on the orb. He spoke softly in a foreign tongue, and the vision wavered, changed once more.
Kage glanced at Shizue, who quickly looked away.
"You were a fine one, dear." The voice, an older woman's, contained a casual cruelty. The woman's face was mature but unlined, her clothing bearing no mon or distinctive color. Her hand brushed Shizue's shoulder. "Still a child when we tutored you. A shame you were used for such …" -the woman glanced at Kage, her face hardening- "… personal reasons. A waste."
On the other side of the room, an old man cackled, pushing past those who hovered over the crystal. "Kami! The Kami! She orders the attack! They war!" The others moved closer verifying his report. "The final Emperor," he croaked gleefully. "He is there!
"Enough, old man." The voice was stronger than the rest … and familiar. "Do not speak of such things. Here." Despite himself Shizue turned to look.
"Yokatsu …" she whispered.
"The final Emperor!" Again the laughter. "The Final One!" The troops around the palace shivered into view in the orb-seven men in a pike-row, which narrowed to four, then three, then …
A woman's hand clamped onto Shizue's neck, forcing her head forward again, paralyzing her. Everything around Shizue began to fade; her head grew light, and the voices began to recede.
"But will he live?" the old buzzard crooned.
"Of course he will." It was Kage, walking back toward Shizue and the dais. "If he does not, he is not the one." He sat once more above Shizue and turned to the Crane's captor. "Enough, Chinoko. You'll break her." He sounded amused, bored, but the pressure on Shizue's neck eased, and bright spots flooded her vision.
"Something has happened." It was the man with one eye. "The sky is going dark. The armies are scattering. Look The Sun …"
In the crystal, the palace dimmed and the sky over Otosan Uchi's fields turned blood-red. A howling wind rose, and even the hovering Kami reached for her sword. On the ground, Scorpion troops swarmed into the city, led by their powerful general. As the Sun fled the sky with a howl, the formations collapsed in fear and the armies fled in a sea of confusion.
"What is it?" The geisha whispered fearfully.
"By the Ancient Ones -- the Sun is gone. Amatersu has fled. And Onnotangu …"
Kage nodded, his fingers trailing through his thin, white beard. "Dead."
"How?" The geisha again, her eyes wide with horror, her hands clasped to the sides of the glowing orb.
A Scorpion, silent until now, spoke at last. "The Shadow?" His voice was younger than the rest.
"No. Another. Hitomi." The fat man put down his bowl of rice. "The hand, the bones, and the blood of the Moon for protection -- she has done it!" He clapped pudgy hands, his flesh flapping.
"Do not rejoice yet, brother." Yokatsu whispered, touching the orb with a callused finger. "The Shadow only grows strong from this. With no Moon to guard the night, the Shadow will grow."
"The Star has returned. How can we fight her and the Shadow as well?" Thickly accented, a new voice arose. Its owner wore a turban, which was proud and strange in the flickering light. "She is a goddess -- a creature greater than light." The Qolat's face twisted suddenly in hatred. "We must destroy her!"
"We won't have to!" the old man cackled. "She will destroy herself. She cannot fight the Shadow, but now she will try. Turn enemies toward enemies, and let them argue -- so says our Tao."
"That is why she was turned against the Emperor and the Shadow that puppets him." Yokatsu's words brimmed with bitterness and hatred. "That is why we led her to Otosan Uchi. They will destroy each other."
"And your apprentice Master Kage?" The Scorpion's voice contained its hate well.
"He will return."
"You are so certain? No man has returned from the Valley of Shadows. No agent we have sent has come back from Volturmum." Yokatsu this time.
"Hiroru is not 'any man.' He is a Lion -- a true samurai, despite our best training. If anyone can return from the Shadow, it is he."
"And the prophecy?" The geisha spoke softly, hiding her words behind a fan. Kage ignored them and turned from the crystal.
"Enough. Return to your duties. The war is finished. The Shadow has won the battle … but Hitomi has captured the board. It will be enough." Kage's tone brooked no interference, and one by one, the Masters bowed and turned to go, casting lingering glances at the crystal as they faded into the darkness.
* * *
Night has fallen upon the towns and villages of the Jade Empire, hiding shadows in the deeper shade of night. Once Rokugan's fields and valleys knew peace. Once-but long ago ...
In the Empire's last six months, upheavals have threatened stability and destroyed peace. Earthquakes, famine, and other devastation have shattered Rokugan, bringing fear. The Kitsu, once masters of the spirit world, have found their way barred by something that is destroying the soulds of the dead, one by one. Blood calls to nothing, and the Kitsu Tombs are silent and darkened by restless and angry spirits, cut off from the peace of the Land of the Dead.
In the Naga forests, a new army has risen, one led by a legend. Hida Yakamo, whose life was destroyed in a terrible battle against the Shadowlands, has risen once more. He is not undead, nor tainted by his journey beyond death. Instead, he holds the mind of the Naga race within his soul, and his eyes speak of worlds beyond our own.
The Crab serve him. The Naga revere him as the new Shashakar. In some lands of the Empire, the peasants worship him as a new-born kami. His name is told through the courts of the Jade Empire as if he were the Emperor himself, and children cry his name as a battle-kiai as they play at being bushi.
He leads the armies of the Lion and the Crab, striking out to the south of Hiruma castle, devastating the Shadowlands as they pass. But even the light of his jade hand cannot stop the invading Shadow. The Shadow slips past the armies into the courts of Otosan Uchi, and it tears at the Emperor's mind. In Otosan Uchi's fileds, Shinjo's armies-of Scorpion, Phoenix and Unicorn troops - gather. To the north, even the Mantis armies pause in their seige against Isawa lands, and the Crane sue for peace between the feuding Doji and Daidoji factions.
Outside of the Emperor's palace, Shinjo screams for revenge over her brother's death. Immortal and a kami, she has slept for seven hundred years, returning with little care for the interval that has passed ... or how the Empire she once knew has changed. She fights only to see Toturi destroyed, and the Shadow, his ally, fights to see her fall.
As the armies of the Kami destroy Toturi's forces, screaming for the Emperor's surrender, Toturi steps to his balcony. Unafraid, he raises his hand and speaks, ignoring the bloodshed beneath his feet, the terror and fire in the city of the Jade Throne. "The law proclaims it, my blood demands it, and those who deny me betray their oaths to the Empire." With that, he lifts his hands to the heavens and faces the Sun Mother herself. "I am your Emperor."
As he speaks, the sky turns black, then blood-red. The Sun, burning in the distant heavens, grows weak and pale, and then the darkness swallows her whole. In the farthest south, two men enter a deserted city, determined to find the source of the Shadow.
To the north, in the Shrine of the Three Sisters, an obsidian sword's blow decides the course of the future.
One Moon; one Sun.
One destiny ...
The Campsite was cold and the rocky ground felt like bones, but Hiroru didn't mind. Though the Shadowlands spread out around them like a sea of waste, there was nothing to fear. Another man huddled beneath the blanket did not shiver in the cold. The small fire, built more for warmth than for light, flickered uncertainly and did not warn them. The world was silent, and the land was dead. But this was the future, and now is the past ...
They were beyond the edge of the southern wastes, through the Shadowlands and past the great Kaiu Wall. Shadows clustered around them, and only their speed and the strength of Ginawa's good sword arm had led them this far. Now the ruins of a desiccated city opened above them like the petals of a dying lotus flower.
The city of Volturnum.
In its depths, shadows danced. The darkness of this place was thick, unbreachable ... unconquerable. Only the fact that they were two people, and not two hundred, enabled the ronin and his companion to enter Volturnum's hidden gates. Silence was their ally, and they stayed hidden beneath the Shadow's gaze.
They moved from crypt to crypt, and the Darkness ignored them. Faceless warriors leered from the ruined pillars of stone, and shifting creatures passed them by, first on two legs, then four, then none at all. The empty grins changed to drifting smoke.
"She was right, wasn't she? Kaede-sama sent us ..."
HIroru knelt before the cowled man.
Very slowly the man nodded. There was a pause, a long, open silence. Even the fire did not whisper. "He sent you to me."
Hiroru's kusari-gama danced to a pause, its steady whirring finished. The fight was won. Beside him, Ginawa drew his Bloodsword, strangely silent, from the still-stirring corpse of the Goju guardsman. A lightning flash descended across the heavens, and the deep chasm was lit by the fire of the sky. There would only be moments, barely time to discover what the Shadow held below: The rain was cold and slithered strangey against his skin, but the lightning guided his path as if by the hand of an unknown ally.
Below them, the vast chamber was silent and still.
The small flames guttered, and dawn approached. Soon, it would be time to leave.
"The Emperor. You could speak to him. He will know what to do, how to answer this riddle," Hiroru challenged. The fire hissed and smoked, but the stranger did not notice the sudden chill. Hiroru continued, "He was once ... a man of honor."
The man gave no response, but changed the subject. "We must leave your friend ...."
"Iye," Hiroru bowed his head in respect, regretting the word as he said it. The voice of the Matsu daimyo, Ketsui, echoed strangely in his thoughts, a snarling memory out of place : "Go, now, ronin, and take your ghost with you." Only now Hiroru realized Ketsui hadn't meant the white ninja by Ginawa's side.
The stranger paused for a moment, then said, "Ginawa has his own demons to destroy."
It was difficult to see and harder to move one bloodied foot before the other. The image of the cavernous well struck deep inside him, and he remembered it as if he had seen it in a dream. Beyond the deep cavern he glimpsed the form of a shapeless land, illuminated by hopes and darkened by fears. A single bridge crossed the wide span, enough for a thousand people to cross and become lost in the fog that embraced the other side.
It was Jigoku, land of the dead, city of the ancestors ... ravaged by Shadow. A great torii arch stood between this world and the next, but Hiroru remembered only the savage strikes of each guardian he passed. Ginawa's roar told him that the ronin had met his own share of difficulty, but at last nothing stood in their way.
"Where are you?" Ginawa howled madly, his sword silent and pale. A thousand ninja flowed through the gate, tearing at the walls and seeething through the arch, but no one answered his challenge. twisted Goju charged though the cavern, and Ginawa shouted again.
At last, through the death and shadow, the two could see their destination. One man, dimmed by the Darkness that moved about him as lithe as a serpent, clung to the archway to the land of the dead. He stood upon the threshold, half in this world and half in the next. The burdens of a thousand years bowed his back and dimmed his brow -- a thousand years in the city of the dead, guarding the spirits of Rokugan's past. Defending an empire he had never known.
As blood pooled about their feet, his too-white eyes flashed open.
"Only a thousand people," the powerful voice echoed through Hiroru's soul once more. "Fore each one that falls, the Shadow grows stronger. Tell the Clans: one thousand people, and no more."
"I should return. Ginawa ..."
"No." The voice was steady, but weariness ached through his words. "He knows where his destiny lies. You must end this journey apart, samurai, and he still has a duty to his lord."
Hiroru was very still for a long time, and then nodded slowly. "Ginawa never meant to leave the city of shadows," Thunder rolled in the distance, and he looked up toward the Darkness that gathered above the southern city, remembering the horrors he had seen there.
"Take me to the lands of the Phoenix. Toturi will be there," the stranger said. "But know this: if your Emperor is truly lost to the Shadow, he cannot be saved. Death alone will free him, and nothing less."
"I will not allow you to kill the Emperor. I am a Lion."
"You may play a greater part in this than you know, but the choice must be yours alone. I cannot tell you where your future lies. You must decide that for yourself."
"We cannot kill the Emperor."
"The enemy we fiight was born on the day the Sun and the Moon stepped inot the Celestial Heavens. He is Goju, first of that name . He cannot be defeated with indecision. If your honor holds back your sword, then let duty guide you."
Hiroru shuddered, turning away and putting out the small fire. He stood in the darkness of the Shadowlands, staring up at the silver moon in a starless sky. "I cannot ..., " he shispered.
Behind him, the Tenth Kami lowered his head.
Blood rains from the heavens as the elements despair. The very gates of Jigoku, the land of death, have been seized by the Shadow. In the Empire, the dead are returning unable to seek a final peace ...
To the south, deep in the heart of the Shadowlands, a strange, white fire rages across the heavens, shrouded within an army of ten thousand dead. The Dark Moto, feared throughout the Empire, are on the move. Their general speaks with the voice of thunder, but her heart is heavy with the burdens of oath and destiny. The Age of Man demands that the Moto be rejoined. The Burning Words have found their prophet.
The Mantis and the Minor Clans stand divided. Their alliance with the Unicorn and with Shinjo has fallen, and with it, their assault on the Phoenix lands. Yoritomo has been forced to retreat to his islands, refusing the promises of the Kami in exchange for command of his own destiny. The Phoenix, too, march south, but their armies are too weak to claim vengeance upon the Mantis ... for now.
The Crane civil war has ended, and Daidoji Uji stands before his Champion with new fire in his eyes. The Crane are reborn, but their unity may have come too late. A father returns to offer his hand in peace, but the sins of the past cannot be forgotten so easily. The Crane must learn to come to terms with the struggle in their souls. They have recaptured Shiro no Yojin, but the armies of the Lion have not forgotten the sting of defeat.
Kitsu Motso stands against the blood and fury that has swallowed his family, leading the last of the Kitsu back toward honor and glory. Yet in his struggle, he must question his Champion's right to lead, and risk his own honor in the quest to save his clan. The Lion armies stand divided, and Tsanuri marches into the Shadowlands with a small guard of loyal Matsu. There, the Lion will find death ... and begin their life anew.
The Scorpion lands, now held by a new Bayushi daimyo, gather their weapons of whispers and lies. If they succeed, they will change the course of destiny. Revenge is the killer of hope, and no clan knows more of revenge than the Scorpion.
The Brotherhood of Shinsei search throughout the Empire for their lost Tao, only to find it in the hands of a Crane commanded to defend it with her very life. Yet half of the wisdom is lost, stolen by shadows and lies, and the future of the Empire may be lost with it.
The Dragon have at last climbed down from their mountain, carrying the secrets Hitomi bled to discover. They may be the last hope of a dying Empire - an Empire with an empty throne.
Alone, the Emperor sits in the halls of ruined Isawa Palace, which are stained by his blood, and his eyes have turned as black as death. Kaede struggles to aid her dying lord, but the Shadow within him grows stronger with each falling breath. The Jade Throne is empty, and the armies march across the fading plains of a once-great Empire. Toturi's hand clenches the hilt of his sword, and he sees nothing of the world around him. He murmurs of battles past, and his eyes light with fire. But then the Shadow rises, and his eyes flicker to ash.
The Darkness has come. Goju has returned. It is the Time of Blood, the fall of the Empire, and the final days of Rokugan.
Far to the south, Hiroru stumbles from the Shadowlands, bearing a man whose face shines with the light of a thousand stars. But Hiroru's face is ashen, and his gi is stained with blood.
Ginawa is no longer by his side.
One man will kill his Master.
The other will save him.