01 A Hot Summer At War

"Many thanks," Inara replied, settling onto one of the cushions as she watched Yoshi continue to prowl the room, searching for an unseen assailant. She smiled a bit at his tenacity, and although she wished he would be calm so as not to insult their host, she knew better than to interrupt his work. Her safety was his primary concern, after all, and he had been there to stand in the gap between an assassin’s blade and her trusting heart in the past. She would not fault his vigilance.

She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep centering breath, and chanced a glance out of the window as she collected her thoughts. The Moon had risen in all his splendor, full and bright and casting the world outside in silver and shadows. She felt her heart turn to ice, the beauty of the moment drowned out by the story of the days before the rise of humanity… of the Kami Lords and Ladies, the sons and daughters of the Lord Moon Onnotangu… and how, consumed by rage and fear, he had attempted to end the lives of his own children. She felt a sudden, overwhelming moment of kinship with the Lady Sun in her grief and the growing silence as her own connection with the kami waned.

Inara shook her head, blinking back tears and fighting to maintain her composure. "Forgive me, Kakita-sama. It has been a long road, and a difficult journey."

"It’s the kami," she said at last, when she could finally meet Itsumi’s piercing gaze. "Over the past few weeks, they have become… disturbed. Agitated. It began at around the same time as we began to hear rumors of this dreadful war – dark whispers of things best left unnamed, though I cannot bring myself to believe them. But I can’t deny that it seems the kami are withdrawing, and with every step closer to the war front, that feeling of separation has grown stronger in me. Neither I nor the Council cast blame upon anyone, but it is critical that we find the cause, and we hope, a way to secure that alliance – for all Rokugani."

Please, my friends, she prayed. I do not want to lose you.

Itsumi takes a pensive sip of his tea, gazing into the steam, he had felt the Kami before and knew of their importance. He did not wish to lose them and a way to end this conversation early...

"Dire news, indeed, Inara-sama. If it is an Alliance with the Crane you seek, then one you shall have. I speak only from my limited authority, of course, but I see no reason that this alliance can not be realized. I shall bring it to the attention of my Damiyo immedietely." He stands, expecting his guests to understand his intent of dismissing them, "Inara-sama, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Hina-san will take you to quarters to rest this evening. You will be summoned when the Damiyo is ready to speak to you on the terms of this alliance." He bows deeply and awaits his guests departure before leaving himself to meet with his Soldiers.

The meal continued in the twists and turns of the conversations between the two Dragons and the peasant dean. The latter still offered its hospitality to its guests by offering to spend the night in her home.

At nightfall, a heavy silence outside weighed heavily on everyone, to the point of causing the feeling that they themselves should not make any noise.

It was in this almost forced silence that Suzume and Sakura were preparing to spend the night in this strange village.

But while Suzume settled so as to keep the entrance to the room in his gaze, the young Sakura perceived a presence outside the house, just behind her Sensei. She only had time to utter a cry of alert to the attention of her teacher, while an inhuman cry resounded around, and the straw of the building tore at the place where a pitchfork appeared, an attack directly aimed at Suzume.

The latter owed only to the confidence he had in his pupil to be able to react.It was in a dark night, when the moon was covered with dark clouds, that the Crane force guards, present on the ramparts of Shiro Daidoji, perceived this same cry in the distance, blood-chilling.

A cry that promised blood, a cry that promised death.

After a shiver of horror, and without being able to explain it, these soldiers regained their spirits, and some rushed to go and warn the officer in charge of the command for the night: KAKITA Itsumi.The latter had taken time off from the two Phoenix ambassadors for a while, and had instructed his young page to lead them to a room where they could rest. It was in this room that Inara froze, missing a heartbeat, while a cold embrace seized her, and her bodyguard, Yoshi, had only time to intervene to stop her from falling.
One thing was certain in Inara's thoughts: whatever happened, the urgency was now required.It was also the moment that a shadow chose to slip into this same room. A strong presence, of which Yoshi immediately felt a certain danger, but nevertheless contained, like a sharp blade in his sheath. And as dangerous as it was, this presence did not seem threatening. For the moment.

Thanks to Sakura's warning, Suzume attempts to dodge the attack of the unseen opponent and... succeeds.

Inara blinked for a moment in surprise at how quickly the talk had ended, then sighed in relief. There was more information to report, but in the end, she believed Itsumi was right. Best to pass on what they knew to the highest authority she could reasonably reach… but first, to rest while they had the chance seemed like the wisest – and most welcoming – choice.

She followed the young Crane Hina back into the hallway, stepping closer to Yoshi as she walked and speaking in hushed tones. "The skies are darkened, Shiba-san," she whispered, watching Hina closely for any sign that she either heard or cared. Finding none, she continued, "The moon is hidden, and the kami are silent. I think you are right to be worried; something is terribly wrong. Can you feel it?"

"Hmm? No… why?"

"Just a feeling, never mind."

"No." Yoshi’s curt tone caught her off guard. "Sometimes, I think you worry too much, about the wrong things. But this is not one of those times." He paused, walking a few paces before continuing. "What did you see, Inara-chan?"

Inara blushed a little, but smiled at the reassurance of their friendship. She told him about the brief vision she had before speaking to Itsumi – the legend, and what she feared the signs could mean for the future. Their negotiations, the war, the fate of the kami… she couldn’t see which outcome it was tied to, if any. When she fell silent once more, Yoshi nodded solemnly. "I see," he said, in a tone that made it clear that he could neither help nor comfort her, but that he did understand.

At least she wasn’t alone. For now, that was enough.

---

The room was quiet, sparse but comfortable. Hina asked if they needed anything, and Inara politely refused, bidding her goodnight with a sad, but fond, smile. She is far too young for this war, she thought to herself, absentmindedly attempting to coax a candle’s flame to life, forgetting for a moment that it was impossible. She reached for the steel striker instead, lit the thin cotton wick, and explored the rest of the room.

She was surprised, but gratified, to find that someone had been kind enough to set out a simple meal for the two travelers. Inara didn’t mind life on the road, but she had resigned herself to another night of trail rations, and after everything that had happened that day, the thought of a warm meal and a secure place to rest made her smile. Her mental list of priorities had narrowed significantly: food, and sleep. Answers could wait until morning.

"Eat, Shiba-san," she said, gently, "and get some rest. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"You really should eat yourself, you know, and stop worrying about me all the time." He smiled, taking the edge off of the rebuke, and walked over to meet her. "But you're right. And I suppose the least I can do is check it, to make sure you don't end up poisoned. Again."

"That was over a decade ago...! Are you really--"

The next few moments were a blur of cascading sensations all fighting to be noticed.
Darkness.
Light.
Darkness.
Sounds, shapes, colors.
Pain.

"Asako-san!"

The world seemed two-dimensional and strange. Inara recognized the sound of screaming… realized with a shock that it was her, but the sound carried on from some distant source even as she forced herself into silence.

In an instant, she had gone from not being able to sense the kami at all to being overwhelmed by their cries of terror and anguish, and she felt the ground heave beneath her feet.

Yoshi stepped in to steady her, and kept her from falling. She searched his eyes for some hint of what was happening, but the effort only added to the pain. The only thing constant was the pain, and she welcomed it. She clung to that single stable feeling, bracing herself against it and letting it drive every other thought from her mind until it was clear. It felt cold and ragged as chipped ice, but... that was better than the storm. She took a deep, steadying breath, shivering as the ambient energy danced over her skin like tiny dark rivers, and steadied herself beside the yojimbo as Yoshi turned to face the door.

"I'm here," she said, to the kami as much as to her human companion. "Just tell me what you need."

Letting his instinct speak, TOGASHI Suzume reacted to the alert of his student by rolling sideways. The attack through the wall revealed a horde of adversaries through the village streets, and in the very dim light of the night, it seemed to the two dragons that the hammer was invaded by about twenty attackers.

Appearance, it seemed, human, the cry of these strangers froze the blood of each person present, a grunt dark, heavy, and threatening, and so loud that it could be heard for miles.

Taking advantage of his dodging movement to capture the entire scene, Suzume then let his combat training and his instinct take the initiative in the action in which he immersed himself, heart and soul.

A few hundred meters away, advancing through the forests of the Lion's land, and taking advantage of the discretion offered by a minimal escort, MATSU Reiko also heard these cries coming from the village. Sent from the Emerald Castle, the magistrate was on her way to investigate and find a solution to the ongoing war between Lion and Crane, Shogun's orders.

And it seemed obvious that before carrying out her investigation, Reiko would have to prove her skill in combat.


At the same time, KAKITA Itsumi listened to the reports of her sentries signaling her abnormal cries heard north of Shiro Daidoji. Too much preparation, not enough time, and there was news that added to the workload.
According to the watchers, the cries heard seemed to come from the area through which the young commander's troops were to pass the next day, and the risk that this would turn into a trap was now to be taken into account seriously.

While ASAKO Inara fully felt a tear in the lands around the Castle, and as a result, collapsed in what seemed to her the arms of SHIBA Yoshi, she very distinctly perceived a new darkness in the world of the Kamis. Darkness whose origin seemed to her like no other: something had just been released almost immediately.

After a few seconds, the time for her to assimilate what she had just understood and to regain her senses, she was finally able to distinguish the features of the person who had prevented her from falling.
And the features of SHIBA Yoshi's face gave way, disappearing in smoke, while Inara's vision gained clarity, to those of a woman, a brunette and distinguished beauty, with an icy look, and dressed in a dark scarlet.

"Oh please, damsel of the Phoenix, stand on your feet by yourself." she began dryly.
"And be kind enough to tell us what motivates your coming to the lands of the Crane." she ordered, following.

As he deftly rolled back up to a standing position, Suzume looked as his assailant, trying to figure out who it could be. What clan or organization might have sent those people here. But it was difficult to spot any clues as to those people's allegiences in the dark. Still, he could hardly keep his blood from boiling at the sight of such a cowardly attack on those poor peasants. During his old life as a Kakita, Suzume had learnt excellence, but also compassion for those of the lower caste. As a Togashi, he had learnt to appreciate the simple folk's company and to help them however and whenever he could. He even felt a strange kinship with them...

This attack on the village...

This.
Will.
Not.
Do.

Suzume took a fighting stance, facing his mysterious attacker. "You are destroying those honest folk's homes and livelihoods. I demand that you cease immediately and leave this place at once."

Sakura for her part quickly grabbed her tonfa and took her fighting stance beside her sensei. "Are you alright sensei?"

"I am fine. What about obaa-san?"

Suzume thought If I'm to face 20 opponents, I'm going to need a weapon. I was hoping to not have to take it out in front of the peasants, but I'll need my blade...

Matsu Reiko looked at her secretary with a frown. It was, of course, how she usually looked at her secretary. She looked at everything with a frown.
Would you make a note for me Kawanabi-san?
Of course Matsu-dono.
He took out his writing kit from his pack. They were stopped at the side of the road in a forest clearing, infuriatingly close to Shiro Daidoji. When he was ready, she started to dictate:
My lord, I am incredibly sorry I was not able to fulfill my duty on time, but Kawanabi Hidekatsu-san insisted we be derelict of duty…
Wha… I never!
You never? My orders were clear Kawanabi, wasn’t I clear when I relayed them to you? The Emerald Champion, under orders from the Emperor Himself ordered me to travel to the Lion/Crane Border and investigate why this war is still raging as quickly as possible! Does that sound to you like we have time to stop at inns? Does it sound to you like we can stop on the way because your feet hurt?
Kawanabi was saved from having to answer by a sudden, piercing scream.
It’s coming from behind that copse of trees over there! She started to run towards the scream. When you catch up, try not to get in my way!
While Kawanabi was left to scramble to get his pack and run after his master, Reiko covered the 200 paces that separated her for the barrier of the trees, and started to glimpse the village behind.
It’s definitely coming from here, she thought. Then she emerged from the trees at the edge of the village. Who are they? They’re not villagers. But they do seem to be ready to attack those monks.
The elder of the monks was saying something to the figure nearest to him. It didn’t look like it was deterring them.
I am Matsu Reiko, Emerald Magistrate! In the name of the Emperor, cease this attack or I will stop you!

Damsel? Inara blinked a few times, still trying to clear her head and make sure her eyes were not deceiving her, and honestly a bit taken aback. She made an honest effort to overlook the disdain in the woman’s voice, steadying herself and reassessing her surroundings. The sudden return of her sense of the presence of the kami was both reassuring and deeply troubling; like so many things, this was anything but simple.

She closed her eyes and focused. To the north, a rift had been torn through the world, and Inara felt SOMETHING emerge. It could easily be the source of all the pain and terror she had sensed before, and Inara felt herself recoil from it instinctively. She had to find Itsumi, and quickly.

Looking around once more, she found the woman staring impatiently at her, waiting for a reply. Inara recognized the marks of a member of the Scorpion clan, though the family crest was unfamiliar.

Inara weighed her options carefully. She didn’t want to insult the newcomer, but she decided that discretion here would be the greater part of valor; although she held no enmity toward the Scorpion in principle, given the circumstances, she was wary, and she needed to end this encounter quickly. Finding the Crane commander was her top priority. "For myself, I am here by order of the Council, and I am sure you can understand that in such dark times as these, I will refrain from discussing the details with a woman I have barely met." She bowed respectfully. "My name is Asako Inara, and I am a guest of Kakita Itsumi. Can you tell me where he is?"

Itsumi Katika considers the reports for a moment but dismisses them of being of any importance, "Send a reactionary force to investigate." He waves away the sentries then straps his sword to his hip and makes way to rendezvous with his company.

We can still make it into position before dawn. We can't be distracted by every little thing along the way.

While deciding whether to use his blade or not, Suzume's first priority was to worry, with Sakura, about whether their host had been injured in this first attack.

But the reflexes of the young TOGASHI, acquired by years of education and training in her old family, took over, before her even having had the time to respond, and made her rush to attack the intruders without more thoughs.

If the previous OTAKU turned out to be a studious and promising apprentice, Suzume had all the same already noticed that, to the detriment of all rational decisions, the origins of her young pupil tended to make her blood run hot.

The young monk therefore charged the opponent of Suzume to push him out of the place, tonfas forward to attack, even succeeding in making him drop his weapon.

A ray of moonlight spent a brief moment through the clouds, illuminating the scene for a second, but sufficient nevertheless for the two Dragons to realize who their adversaries were.

Thus, in the ephemeral and weak gleam of the star, appeared about twenty men and women, all and all dressed like peasants, all and all of the same age approximately as Sakura.
But more than their young age, it was above all the insane, bestial, and hateful look of these peasants that struck Suzume, their eyes were so human no longer, he who was used to the meditative calm of the mountains of the Ize-Sumi.

These twenty rustics were distributed along the streets of the village, and the latter, because of the oppressive silence which had been made inside the surrounding houses, seemed empty and soulless. With the exception of an envoy from the Emerald Champion charging in at the edge of the village, blade clear and ready to go into battle.

In the second it took for all this, the time for the moon to disappear again behind the clouds, the attackers dashed to face the three Samurai, the young Sakura being, for her part, already plunged in the heart of the melee, and almost already submerged from the attacks.

At Shiro Daidoji, Lady BAYUSHI gauged Inara with a glance, her face cold, a spark of menace dancing in the heart of her eyes. But then she appeared with a subtle smile, barely a rough wrinkle around the corner of her lips, and it was in a more honeyed tone that she replied to the young Phoenix.
"We had the opportunity to see you arrive at these places, you seemed to be in a manifest emergency. But if your manifest emergency turns out to be the need to speak to our young friend Itsumi, why not have spoken to him while you were in his company?"
With a wave of her hand, she brushed aside her question, more rhetorical than anything else, then told Inara to follow her.
"Come, maybe our commanding friend will take a little longer to speak to you if we introduce you ourselves. ASAKO Inara, from the Phoenix, you said?"

Without showing more interest than that for this last question, she left the room as she had entered it, like a quick and lively shadow, and walked away in the corridor.

A night before battle was never quiet, and Itsumi discovered the heaviness of the load, so there were still preparations to complete for the next day, and it was several times that he sent his young page to run around the castle to carry out his orders. It was near the end of Shinjo hour when BAYUSHI Akami knocked on the door of the officer KAKITA, accompanied by Inara, and waiting for the latter to invite them to enter.

Suzume was surprised at the nature of his assailant. Those were peasants. Perhaps even the very inhabitant of this town. The unnatural look in their eyes, it was as if something was affecting them.

Suzume then shouted. "Those peasants seem to have been affected by something. They might not have any control in what they are doing. Fight to subdue, but do not kill any of them." This was for as much Sakura than it was for the mysterious samurai who had came to his rescue. Well, the blade was out of the question then.

He then addressed his attacker once again. "I am sorry for what I'm about to do to you, but it is for your own good..."Suzume's action will be as follows. He'll activate his wasp tattoo to have 2 actions this round. He'll then assume a defensive stance to use his way of the willow kiho as the peasant attacks him. Once the peasant will (hopefully) be on the ground, I will strike him to make him fall unconscious.

So that's a total of 20 on my Way of the Willow, and 27 on my unarmed strike.

Inara felt a chill tickle her spine and settle in the pit of her stomach as the Lady Bayushi’s eyes pierced her own. But the sweetness of her words was even more of a warning, if that was even possible. The young shugenja hated politics – hated the doublespeak, the games of affect and the duplicity it required. She would prefer a Crab over a Crane or Scorpion any day; the keepers of the Wall could be called many unflattering things, but at least they were honest. She bristled at the implication that she had not done enough, said enough… her eyes blazed to meet the ice in the Scorpion courtier’s, wanting to say that if Itsumi had taken his mind from his maps long enough to listen instead of dismissing her before her report had been completed, perhaps they could have been better prepared. If the Lion and the Crane would just do what they both knew they would eventually need to, and sit down and talk to each other, maybe they could be done with all this senseless bloodshed. But she held her tongue, letting her eyes speak for her.

"Come, maybe our commanding friend will take a little longer to speak to you if we introduce you ourselves. ASAKO Inara, from the Phoenix, you said?"

She had just made the decision that this was a neutral enough direct question that she could at least be polite enough to answer it when the Scorpion turned and disappeared into the corridor. And that only fed the flames of frustration at not being even remotely listened to, much less heard, or understood.

"That is, in fact, what I said, my lady," Inara said quietly, invoking the memory of the most disgustingly sweet dessert she had ever had the misfortune of accepting, and hoping it flavored her words.

It was in the middle of this impotent fuming, as she followed Lady Bayushi down the hallway, that Inara recognized something far more dangerous than the woman’s dismissive attitude (which, if she was honest, probably seemed worse than it was because circumstance had yet again snatched her away from the prospect of a meal and a few hours of sleep). The Scorpion consistently referred to herself with plural pronouns… and that led Inara to wonder if she was accompanied by some unseen human… where is Yoshi when I need him?... or if that mysterious other could be a kami sharing space in her mind. Inara had read about such things happening on rare occasion but had never seen or experienced it herself….

Everything from the Lady Bayushi’s demeanor, to her own anger, to the moon and the screams and the war and the heavy ambient pain of the kami set Inara’s instincts on edge. She tried for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening to quiet her mind as she waited for Itsumi to answer the door (when did we arrive?), but everything around and within her felt so wrong.

Reiko could see that the stooped and disturbing figures were still advancing on the two monks. They were clearly going to have to defend themselves, and the girl did just that.
The man then shouted. "Those peasants seem to have been affected by something. They might not have any control in what they are doing. Fight to subdue, but do not kill any of them."
You have been duly notified and have failed to comply. The hammer of justice will now fall on you!
The Monk was by then attempting to throw one of his attackers to the ground. Reiko did not try to spare her attackers. She just used her katana the only way a Lion know how to: She fought to win. Her powerful attack struck home.

Itsumi fastened his belt and took a last sip of tea before moving to step out the door, singularly focused on the morning assault, unconcerned with reports of women screaming, The night watch can handle it, whatever it is.

As he stepped out the door he nearly collided with Inara, "What? What are you doing back here? Did I not tell you that the Daimyo would meet with you in the morning?"

The door shuts behind him. He considers leaving his visitor but remembered he was a dignitary from another clan. Taking a deep breath to collect himself he smiles at Inara, "I do not mean to be rude. But as you can see I am in a rush. What can I do for you?"

The first moments of the fight went by in a flash, and the two elder Samurai acted at almost the same time. Reiko's blade showed no hesitation, and it was with a clean gesture that the magistrate eliminated her first two attackers. A gesture without embellishment which opened, in a shower of blood, the way to 3 assailants who charged the magistrate, one full face while the two others rushed on the flanks of the warrior.Suzume, for his part, preferred a defensive posture, in his desire to preserve the lives of the peasants. His first opponent, closest to him, charged him with all his rage. But calm and prepared, the reaction of the monk was not long in coming, and the latter barely shifted to the side, grabbed the peasant by the arm to lead him in a new direction and towards the ground, and took advantage of this rotation to strike violently the neck of his adversary, and thus knock him out.

The twenty or so aggressors' lack of combat experience was evident, but this lack of experience was clearly outweighed by their numbers. Sakura was paying the price in particular by facing two adversaries that she could not overcome. Without being too worried about it immediately, himself facing two new assailants, it seemed to Suzume that his student was nervous and confused, and, surely, that she was not fighting with her real skills.
It was all the more alarming as she now found herself surrounded by 4 adversaries, and now struggling to defend her own life.The situation at the castle was not much better for Inara, the only Phoenix sent to understand the current situation of the Kamis, and a little lost between an icy ambassador of the Scorpion and KAKITA Itsumi, who was obviously in a hurry.
In his haste to rejoin his troops and concentrate on what awaited him the next day, the latter, leaving his office, had confused the two ambassadors dressed in red. A confusion that was not to please BAYUSHI Akami.

Akami looked at Officer KAKITA from head to toe, with a slow gaze, and still freezing cold. Then, haughty as usual, she took a step back, and letting an abstract threat hover in the hollow of her eyes, was content to disdain the two young people facing each other.
"As you wished, damzel of the Phoenix, this is KAKITA Itsumi, currently officer in command at Shiro Daidoji. We hope that the disappointment does not drown too much in your thoughts about this savior you are asking for. If you would excuse us, it is time for us to retire for the night."

Stepping away with a few quick steps, she still took the time to turn around one last time, gazing into Inara's eyes. "But we still want to know what leads you through these lands, lady. If you're willing to answer us, please come and find us. It looks like you could benefit from some etiquette tips."

Reiko eyed the 3 new opponents. They were trying to attack her from 3 directions at once.
No you don't!
She counter-charged the opponent to her right, not staying in place. She struck, severing her attacker from left shoulder to right hip, and using her momentum to whirl around and face the other two just as they were coming to attack her back.
She frowned. The one in the lead was hindering the approach of the third. She swung high, parrying a downward blow, using it's force to swing her own blade to the side and strike back, cutting the attackers hand at the wrists. She then cut the defenseless man down.
Only one remained.
Then she heard ragged breathing from behind her.
Matsu-dono! are you all right?
Reiko did not let him distract her. Instead she feinted a cut towards the last attacker's shoulders, and as he tried to defend, changed the attack to a stab towards his heart.
Try not to get killed, Kawanabi, would you?

Suzume sighed at the hot-headedness of his pupil. It was not the first time Sakura had put herself into trouble in combat. "Sakura-chan, try to fall back!" Suzume shouted as he decided to try and make his way to her. His best course of action, he decided, would be a flying kick to the opponent who was closes to the direction of where Sakura was. Hopefully, the momentum would not only knock his opponent prone (and hopefully unconscious), but also past him so he could then give a hand to Sakura later.Suzume flew through the air, easily knocking out his intended target, the other one not expecting to see the monk flying through the air like that fell back in surprise. Suzume's path was clear to go help his pupil now...