01 A Hot Summer At War

Conflicts between Lion and Crane have been common for centuries. This is necessarily so for the two most influential clans in the Emerald Empire, the two clans which are, respectively, recognized to be the Right Hand and the Left Hand of the Emperor, at the court of the palace of Otosan Uchi.

However, these altercations have been as ephemeral as distributed across the border between the two clans.

In this, the current hostilities are quite unusual. It's been a few weeks since the battles taking place between Shiro Matsu (Last Breath Castle) and Shiro Daidoji (Son of The Crane) have followed one another, the seasons change, from late spring to early summer.

Rokugan Map Conflict Area

Summer that welcomes everyone with a heat mixed with humidity, and if the season is sustainable in normal times, the fights that follow each other day after day are nothing less than exhausting.

It is in this context, at the exit of the mountains which separate the country in two, and in the heart of the fields of culture, that end at the same time a long day, and yet another skirmish between the two forces in presence.

Due to the current war between the two military powers, the road to the imperial palace is completely blocked for the clans of the Scorpion, Crab, and the Unicorn.

At the heart of the Shiro Daidoji, the military command of the Crane meets to put in place a new strategy. A crucial moment for KAKITA Itsumi who will have to prove himself as commander of the DAIDOJI troops which will be mobilized the next day.

Meanwhile, TOGASHI Suzume remembers the words the Dragon addressed to him, as he has just crossed the mountains and sees in the distance what remains of the battle of the day, the walls of the Shiro Daidoji revealing itself on the East.

Finally, ASAKO Inara and SHIBA Yoshi docked a few hours ago on the shores of the Crane clan, both sent by the Council of Elemental Masters, to discover the origins of the troubles felt and revealed by the Kamis. It is by the light of the setting sun that they perceive the doors of Shiro Daidoji, as well as the promise of hospitality that they hope for.

---

The master-student duo crested a hill overlooking yesterday's battlefield.

"Why must we come here Suzume-sensei? This place is a mess! This Lion Clan is always looking for others to bully. I do not understand why the Emperor tolerates them."

Suzume turns to the younger Ise-Zumi, a fatherly smile on his face.

"We come here because where there is strife, people are suffering, and we are here to alleviate this suffering. As for the Lion Clan, though we may not understand it, they have a place in the Empire. Their warring ways may seem strange to us, but the day will come when their military might will be sorely needed by the Empire."

Sakura had a pouting expression on her face.

"I still don't like them sensei. If they want to be useful to the Empire, I say we throw the whole lot on the other side of the Kaiu Kabe and have them fight to their heart content over there. Let them be useful to the Empire by clearing out the Shadowlands!"

Suzume scanned the horizon, noticing the gleaming walls of the palace of the Crane in the distance, but this is not what interested him, he spotted a small village in the shadow of the fortress. It was a perk of being a monk that peasant were more willing to open up to you, and peasant saw and heard a lot. A valuable source of information, and a different point of view on the events which transpired.

"Now, now Sakura-san. Fighting the horrors of He-who-Must-Not-Be-Named is the ancestral duty of the Crab Clan. How do you suppose the Hida would feel if we suddenly dropped the whole of the Lion Clan in the Shadowlands? They would probably take it as an insult that we do not trust them to protect us from the foul creatures of this dark realm. Not to mention that they would be the one who would have to deal with whole armies of Lost Lions later on..."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but realized her master was right...

"I'm sorry sensei."

"It's fine. We will head to this small village over there... Fortunes rise, Empires fall, but the peasants are always asked to shoulder the burden. We will go talk to them. Come Sakura-san, we must hurry, lest we fall on a patrol of your Lion friends."

Suzume said in jest. Sakura merely rolled her eyes and followed her teacher towards the village. Meanwhile The prophetic words of Togashi Nobusuke-dono echoed in Suzume's mind, haunting his every thoughts...

"When both hands of the Hantei fight.
Darkness will fester in the heart.
Amid the home of honor's might.
Will seek to tear Rokugan apart.
Blades will be drawn at night.
Souls from this land will depart.
When both hands of the Hantei fight.
In this the tenth one will take part."

The skies had been clear, the waves calm and the winds fair, yet with every hour spent at sea the heart of Asako Inara had grown a little more uneasy. The wheeling gulls with their laughing cries had not lifted her spirits; even the sight of a distant pod of porpoises, sleek as quicksilver dancing in the sunlight, had not been enough to break through her melancholy. That, she knew, is not a good sign.

She walked in silence, reflecting on the journey as she and her companion Shiba Yoshi followed the curve of the river north toward the Shiro Daidoji. She had been dispatched by the Council of Elemental Masters into the heart of the Crane lands to seek the counsel of their allies in securing a lasting peace for the region. The Council had confirmed what she had previously only privately sensed: the kami, ever the friends and allies of the Phoenix clan, were reflecting the unease and uncertainty the humans were feeling as palpable fluctuations in the magical fields of the world. Inara had noticed it first as a subtle feeling of distance from her kami friends, and later in their behavior as they came less and less often when she invited them to dance.

Doubtless the Council had felt it too, and they feared it was a warning of worse to come. The potential loss of the kami if the war forced them to withdraw further was a risk the Phoenix shugenja could not ignore, so when the Council called, she had immediately begun making preparations for the journey south. But the Council's words, and the dark warning they carried, weighed on her heart. The threat of war and the destruction it brought in its wake was not lost on her, but it seemed too large and too heavy for her to move. So she focused instead on what she knew and what she loved, and pressed on for the sake of helping her friends return to peace, and comfort, and joy.

She had lost track of the time as they walked, taking a bit of comfort in Yoshi's reassuring presence beside her. But finally, just as night was beginning to fall in earnest, the lights of the castle came winking into view. Inara suddenly found herself looking forward to food, rest, good company, answers, and the chance to wander the halls of the esteemed Crane libraries. Not necessarily in that order, she thought to herself, looking to her traveling companion with a smile that surprised her in its intensity. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

"Gather the lieutenants," Itsumi Kakita orders his page. He pushes through the flap of his command tent, unrolls a map of the area, keeping the corners down with smooth black stones, and studies it for fourth time tonight. The candle light flickers as he sets a small fire beneath his tea kettle.

The Black Scrolls are real? he wonders, reflecting on what his Damiyo has told him. Why would the Lion Clan be interested in collecting those? darkest of magic scrolls?

He steeps the tea when his lieutenants step through the tent pouring each a cup.

"Gentlemen, the enemy has declined our offer of a duel to settle this conflict with honor and so our Damiyo wishes us to position ourselves north of their formations. Tomorrow at first light our main force will engage the Lion from the south. We will then strike from behind from the north, breaking their formation and routing them back to Last Breath Castle where we will place them under siege."

He looked into their eyes to gauge any hint of apprehension or cowardice but these were Daidoji officers they were reliably fearless Soldiers, "If you have no questions, then gather your Soldiers, we leave in one hour. We have a lot of land to cover in a short period of time."

His officers left him and he sat to meditate and enjoy his tea. He stared at his opulent, golden, lacquered armor on its stand but thought better than to wear it for a mission that relied so much on speed. He donned his more common Ashigaru armor, his katana and his Soldier pack and left his tent to meet his company. The Daidoji would bring bows, arrows, spears and swords. A commander must command.

If the Lion is collecting the Black Scrolls, they can't be allowed to collect them all, lest they summon demons or open a portal to the Shadowlands..." he shuddered at the thought of such superstitions being true, but none the less, the aggressive actions of the Lion Clan could not be tolerated in this time of turmoil.

The fields of agriculture between the two fortresses are devastated, unfortunate witnesses of the battles which took place there.

The sun is about to set, the two armies have returned to their respective headquarters, Shiro Matsu for the Lion army, Shiro Daidoji for the Crane troops.

Even if the night is near, the tension and the agitation are at their height, between the setting up of security for the night and the preparation for the conflict planned for the next day.

Conflict area detailedThe same is true in the hamlets of villagers around the two palaces. The people present are in a hurry to finish their jobs, their faces drawn and exhausted, so that they can return home. As the two Dragons move silently and slowly through this poor and rural setting, it is clear that the faces that welcome them are suspicious when observing them, and it is easy to understand that the population present fears for themselves and for their harvests. Strangely enough, the two newcomers only notice the presence of peasants over 30 years old, with a few young children here and there, but no young adults in the area. Among them, a villager, obviously the oldest of the hometown, is content to observe the surroundings, and keep an eye on the teacher and the student.
Old woman Iwae

At the same time, the two emissaries of the Phoenix clan arrive in front of the East gate of Shiro Daidoji, and do not fail to be stopped by the guards on patrol, access to the palace being closed for the night. In front of them, three guards, not to mention the archers who surely do not fail to attend the scene from the ramparts.
The Three Guards (forget the back)
"Stop! Who are you and what are you doing in this place?"
The order is final, the Bushis putting their hands on their weapons. But feeling the relics of the current war, feeling the ill-being of her intangible friends, and feeling the suffering of the earth, all of this made Inara exhausted much faster than usual.

In response to the young Kakita's order, his men and women are urgently active to put in place the preparations of their leader. It is therefore planned that Daidoji troops will leave by the eastern gate of the fortress, then bypass the Lion army from the north.
Undoubtedly, very few soldiers will be able to sleep this night. The Iron Cranes are far too aware of their role in the Crane clan not to know that they will have to locate the places as scouts long before the bulk of the troops will join them.
While Kakita Itsumi thought he could take advantage of a few minutes of respite to gather his thoughts and his determination, a young Daidoji, barely an adult, and barely 15 years old for a few weeks, rushes to him.
"Kakita-Sama! The guards announce the arrival of two Samurais, it seems from the coast. They wear flamboyant red attires, but we do not know who they are."
The young messenger obviously ran to bring the news as quickly as possible. She spoke quickly, her words tumbling out as she wheezed and struggled to breathe.

---

One last time, Suzume makes sure his katana, the symbol of his noble birth, is well camouflaged among his baggages so as to not intimidate the peasants. He enters the village and makes his way towards the old woman. If she is not the village's headwoman (chenin) she definitely will know who the headman is and be able to give direction to Suzume. As he nears the elderly woman with a warm smile, making sure not to show teeth, he politely bows his head and offers the traditional Rokugani greeting "Have you eaten rice today Obaa-san?" adding the polite honorific for an elderly woman, which translates to "grandmother". "I have travelled far from the Dragon mountains, hearing rumors of war. I must admit that what I see here worries me. How are the inhabitants of this village faring?"

Asako Inara sighed, trying to ignore how starkly her companion’s smile contrasted with his watchful, almost worried posture. She knew he was trying to reassure her, but his wariness and continued silence only reminded her of the urgency of their mission. Pulling her attention from the inner world of her thoughts to her more immediate surroundings, she caught the faint scent of fire and death on the wind, and she shivered. Except for her own footsteps, the forest was far too quiet; most of the kami had fled, and those that remained were anguished, and mourning. She closed her eyes, trying not to think of it, and focused as she walked on the sounds of life rising from the castle ahead.

Finally, the trees cleared, but the gates of Shiro Daidoji stood closed ahead of them.

"Stop! Who are you and what are you doing in this place?"

She gasped and pulled back a bit. The three guards had materialized seemingly out of the deep blue of night itself, and stood looming like lapis shadows in the dark. She steadied herself, taking a deep, calming breath and clasped her hands in front of her as she bowed low.

"My name is Asako Inara, Daidoji-sama," she said. "My companion and I are here to seek the counsel of your lord, and we humbly ask your hospitality for the night." Normally, she would have been more careful with her words, more guarded, but she was exhausted. It may have simply been muscle fatigue, but it felt as if the pain and weariness of the land leached from the soil into her very bones. "We have critical news from the Council of Elemental Masters, regarding the kami and the tide of the war."

Itsumi looks up from his tea, the steam comforting on his face, and sips, "Send them in." he answers in a measured tone. He pours two more cups of tea for his unexpected guests, ready to offer it to them.

"Taniguchi, do not let on to our visitors that I am in any rush. Understand?" he dismisses her with a wave of his hand before returning to his tea.

If they are spies I mustn't make them suspicious of my plan. he smirked ever-so-slightly at the glory he would earn should his plan go well. He cleared his throat and took another sip of tea, composing himself for his visitors.

The old woman sets tired eyes, although hardened by age and experience, on the two travelers of the Dragon. Resting on her cane, a discreet smile appears on her face to the efforts of the elder of the two to be polite.
"It is rare that people show much interest in us peasants, young man. Even more rare that they show politeness.
A little bit this morning, a little bit tonight. We, the people of the village, ration ourselves as best we can in these difficult times."

With a slow and nevertheless assured step, and the families meeting and gathering inside the houses, Iwae made a sign to the two young people to accompany her, thus offering them her hospitality.
"Come, you seem to come from far away, you will appreciate having a place to sleep. However, I apologize in advance, we can not do better than to offer you a simple bowl of rice for each of you."

It is in silence that the two Dragons follow the old lady in the heart of the small village, and it is in silence that they realize how palpable the answer to the last question of TOGASHI Suzume is: the effort of war between the Lion and the Crane depletes the available resources, the peasants have never been rich people, but the signs of poverty and dilapidation of the places are obvious and alarming, and it is a safe bet that the rationing reports starvation.

The shock of this reality is clearly visible on the face of TOGASHI Sakura, she who is however of a smiling and cheerful nature, coming from a nomadic people and therefore more used to that people take care of each other.

The dean finally invites them to enter a small straw house, a room or two barely larger than the other neighbors.
"Please, TOGASHI-Samas, take a seat" she invites them to sit down before serving them a bowl of rice.
"War rumors yes ... War proven in fact.
Fighting every day, ruined crops, difficult times ahead, and without mentioning ...
But come on, you must be tired and hungry, eat, eat."
Since she returned with her two guests, her behavior has changed imperceptibly. She obviously has understood that she was not dealing with peasants, and shows the necessary respect, but something in her way of being gives the impression ... of a mother discreetly watching over children?

---

Meanwhile, ASAKO Inara and SHIBA Yoshi introduce themselves to the guards, Inara even showing a zeal of politeness completely unconscious. Thus, to hear themselves called DAIDOJI-Sama by the young shugenja, they cannot hold back a somewhat abrupt laugh. After which, the one who seems to be the head of the three decides to refuse entry to the two new arrivals.
"War precisely. You will understand that it is impossible for us to ..."


He doesn't have time to finish his sentence as a kid slips between the two other guards, a little breathless, and comes to put a hand on the chief's arm to attract his attention.
He stares at the young messenger, keeping the two Phoenix in his field of vision, and continues in a dry tone
"What do you want Hina-Chan? You can see we're busy."
The very young adult responds to this invective at a frantic pace, a veritable logorrhea which escapes from her mouth without her retaining a single letter.
"KAKITA-Sama wishes to meet these people, I have been asked to accompany them to him."
As she turns to the two visitors and bows to them, her rant continues at full speed.
"Please, Gesutos-Dono, please follow me, I will lead you to meet Lord KAKITA Itsumi."Two of the guards, including the chief, then give way to the two Phoenix ambassadors, hiding in contrite silence, while the third prepares to escort TANIGUSHI Hina with the lady ASAKO and the yojimbo SHIBA.

Then remembering the instructions she received, she therefore took a roundabout route, passing through more residential areas and avoiding military districts.
Nevertheless, the agitation within the palace is clearly audible, and there is no doubt, in the ears of the two mediators, that the Crane army is not sleeping. Refraining from comments on the subject, they therefore accompany the adolescent in the corridors of the palace, until finally arriving in a room subtly decorated with wood engravings, and in which is a small ebony table, a servant behind this same table preparing tea and having some catering foods.
The young TANIGUSHI briefly disappears, returning less than 5 minutes later in the company of KAKITA Itsumi.

Suzume smiled as his instincts had been right once again. It seemed that the old woman was indeed the village's headwoman. Suzume politely nodded "Thank you very much obaa-san, but we do not wish to be a burden to you and your people. Please, keep your rice, we still have some travel rations left. Though, I would not refuse a bowl of millet, or simple gruel if you have any to spare. And a cup of water, to wash away the weariness of the road."

The two tattooed monks follow the elder to her home, then kneeling on the simple straw tatami mats laid on the cold packed earth floor, sozume continued his conversation with the old woman. "Indeed, this is grave news which I'll have to bring back to my clan. What about other nearby villages? Have you had news of how they fare as well?".

Inara tried, and failed, to relax as they followed closely behind their young escort. The air was tense as a drawn bowstring, and the sound of heavy boots and the faint clang of steel on steel punctuated the night, rearranging what she knew as familiar into an unsettling syntax of sensation and emotion. The kami were silent, refusing to respond to even the most gentle of calls; she allowed herself to fall into Yoshi’s pace in a small attempt to remind herself that harmony might, someday, return to that place… and to reassure herself that she was not alone.

She walked in silence, carefully schooling her face into what she hoped was a mask of detached serenity. Breathe in, breathe out… Not easy, with the twin specters of war and desperate need circling like predators in the night, just outside the palace walls.

They arrived at their destination before too long, a sparsely furnished but comfortable room near the end of a long corridor. It was surprisingly cool inside, a welcome respite from the oppressive heat. She thought of the armies of the Lion and Crane, and wondered what prize could possibly be worth it to them that they would brave the brutal Rokugani summer to achieve their goals. The possibilities were... not comforting.

They were ushered inside, and with a bow, the young Crane girl turned and hurried off. The guard remained discretely outside the door – whether for their protection or to keep them under watch, Inara couldn’t tell. She gave a tight smile to the single servant standing behind the ebony table, and glanced around, clasping her hands behind her back to keep from fidgeting with the hem of her robes.

"Shiba-sani? I need to talk to--" she began, then froze, noting the yojimbo’s sudden change in stance.

Beside her, Yoshi had tensed almost imperceptibly. She had come to recognize the signs that he had heard something – the way he shifted his weight and adjusted his breathing to be nearly silent, the slight bend in his knees, and other instinctual adjustments she could barely see. His instincts had saved them both in the past, more than once, and she was grateful for that. Inara followed his gaze to the doorway, and moments later she also heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It wasn’t long before their young escort returned, this time accompanied by a tall figure dressed in a striking blue and silver uniform, a stunning marriage of functionality and elegance which embodied the careful control the Crane were renown for. Inara let out a quiet sigh of relief, and nodded reassuringly to her bodyguard. "Peace, Shiba-san," she said, then turned to face the Crane, bowing a little, managing this time to maintain some measure of apparent serenity. "Thank you for your hospitality, Kakita-sama, especially at this hour. My name is Asako Inara. My companion, Shiba Yoshi, and I have been dispatched by the Council of Elemental Masters. We come bringing news, and to seek your counsel."

Itsumi bows respectfully to greet his guest, "We have been expecting you, Inara-sama. Tell me what news you bring. And please, I invite you to sit." he gestures to a short table, pillows laid on the floor to sit.

If this takes too long we might not be in position by first light he thinks considering his timeline thoughtuflly, but we will make do. We always have.

The old woman was busy preparing the semblance of a meal for the evening, while chatting with her two guests. At the elder's polite refusal while she was serving the two bowls of rice to the monks, she smiled in thanks, but did not allow herself to be dismayed. So she divided the two portions into three, and offered two to the Dragons.

"Let me insist TOGASHI-Samas. Hospitality is the honor of the little people."

Sitting in front of the monks to share the meager meal with them, she took a few seconds to answer Suzume's last question.
"I could not answer you. In normal times, we exchange with the villages, in the direction of the mountains, the foodstuffs which we could need, but the fights of the Lion and Crane Lords cut us the access to the paths which we borrowed."

The glimmer of sadness in her eyes gave way to a spark of lively interest when she brought the subject of the villages further north.

"You who have crossed the lands of the Lion Lords, perhaps can you reassure an old woman about what happened to her son? He left north a few weeks before the conflicts started. I do not believe not that the war has spread as far, but you surely know more than I do? Please tell me that one of our young people is safe."

The faint glow of the only candle inside the small minka (traditional house) was enough to reveal to the discerning gaze that night had fully fallen outside. And with the night came a heavy, unusual silence, in which nature itself was silent.

Meanwhile, at Shiro Daidoji, a meeting between two Phoenix ambassadors and the officer in charge of the castle for the night had just started, ASAKO Inara and KAKITA Itsumi were taking a look at each other, while SHIBA Yoshi was finishing its examination of the premises .

Nothing very unusual in what he had been able to spot, the presence of two guards at the door, as well as two rather thin walls, enough for it to be possible to listen to what they would say from adjacent rooms. As the door closed behind the Crane representative, the young Shugenja and her Yojimbo had a brief glimpse of the moon revealing itself between two clouds. A magnificent vision of the Lord Moon in its form of celestial, beautiful, whole, and silvery star.

A vision that seemed harmless to Yoshi, but that made the impression of a fatal omen to Inara when she remembered the legends concerning the father of the Kami Lords, while a black cloud again covered the lunar radiance.

The night was just beginning, but already promised to be long ...

---

Suzume accepted and thanked the old woman "Well, in that case, far from me to rob you of that honor. Thank you very much obaa-san." Suzume grabbed his bowl, offering a small silent prayers to the kami before eating. "We did noticed some villages further north. They looked relatively untouched by the conflict, so we did not stopped there. I'm sorry to tell you that I have no news of your son, but given how peaceful things looked further north, there may still be hope for him. I must still stop by Shiro Daidoji tomorrow, but once my business there is concluded, I will start looking for your son. What is his name?"

"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...

Itsumi purses his lips in response to the Scorpion holding back a response. He sneered at Bayushi Akami as (s)he(?) sized him up, returning the cold gaze with a measured one. He looks again to Inara with a feigned smile, "Damsel, is it? I did not realize. Again, I apologize for any rudeness. What can I, Kakita Itsumi, do for you, Inara of the Phoenix clan?"

Inara bowed a little as the Lady Bayushi addressed her. "There is a time and a place for etiquette, my lady. Though, I fear, it is neither here nor now. I will seek you soon, I’m sure."

She turned to Itsumi, the return of her magical senses both giving her comfort and confidence, and driving her with the desperation of their situation. "Come with me, Kakita-sama," she said, with a careful edge of command in her voice which she hoped the military man would respond to. "There is something I must show you."

She led the way down a corridor until she found what she was looking for – a small, sheltered courtyard, open to the sky but still contained within the castle walls. She had passed by it earlier that evening, and noted its location; she had wanted to return later to meditate. Tonight, though, it would serve a different purpose.

The center of the courtyard housed a small spring-fed pond filled with ornamental fish. Inara walked to the water’s edge, and beckoned for Itsumi to follow her. She knelt, touching the water’s surface gently. "Don’t be alarmed, Kakita-sama," she said to the Crane general. "But this is critical, and words do not suffice. So allow me to show you directly."

She closed her eyes, speaking a quiet prayer to the kami inhabiting the waters flowing through the lands surrounding the castle, asking for their help in learning what troubled and threatened them. She hoped it would spur the general to action, and give her insight into what could be done to help the kami weather this storm. She felt them tremble at her touch, fearful and hurting, until finally they had gathered the courage to share what they were experiencing.

Water kami could be extremely intense spirits. Yet, despite their deeply emotional nature, the visions they used to communicate were always emotionally sterile. Inara sought them out deliberately so as not to overwhelm her host with the depths of their sorrow and fear. They showed the fighting in the village nearby, flashes of armed peasants with hollow eyes. Inara shifted her weight uneasily, confusion tainting her thoughts with worry, and asked what the spirits knew of the shadow which had so suddenly appeared in the north. Inara regretted the question immediately, but the response was instantaneous. The surface of the water shook violently, and with a single wave of fear, the kami fell silent and the vision ceased.

"There is more," she said to Itsumi, standing before the general could ask why Inara had brought him out to show him what he doubtless already knew. "There is something moving to the north, something that does not belong here, something dark and terrible. After you retired for the night, it seemed to appear out of nowhere, at the same time the screaming began. I asked the kami to show us the source of that… but even the mention of it was enough to cause them to flee and break the spell. I apologize for the rudeness of my insistence, but I believe you and your men, and the people of the village, are in terrible danger." She bowed low. "Please, I need to speak to any shugenja who may be in the castle."

Itsumi gave Inara a measured look. He had his doubts but the water did not spontaneously act in such a violent fashion on its own, "There might be some truth in what you say." Itsumi was not all together ignorant of the Kami having some small connection to that preternatural essence himself, "Let's be swift. I will send word to my men to stand by until after we speak with the shugenja."

Itsumi turns to step off to speak to the Shugenja. His strides long and wide, moving swiftly but just shut of a jog.

Two down, still one to kill, and that could be resolved right now. Or so tried Reiko at least, targeting the heart of that third opponent, but that didn't go exactly as planned. Instead of his heart, Reiko pierced through his left arm, despite everything a little concerned by the arrival of her secretary.

In a cry of pain mixed with rage, that one attacked the Magistrate, throwing his pitchfork forward to aim for the Samurai-ko's flank, in a gesture devoid of grace and style, if not pure brutality.

One moment later, 4 more opponents joined the melee, and attacked Reiko from all sides, some aiming her head, others targeting her legs.Concerned for his student, Suzume rushed to help her, choosing the most direct path to get to her: through one of his enemies. Or, to be more precise, over one of enemies.

Leaning on his opponent's knee to jump in the desired direction, he took advantage of this temporary flight to kick him violently on the back of the head.

But the way was not as clear as he hoped, 3 new enemies immediately intervened the instant he put his foot on the ground, while the one of the previous two still standing charged him in his back, weapon forward.In a cry of pain, while undergoing the attacks of 4 of the peasants, Sakura tried to escape with a roll. Maneuver which she succeeded, at the cost of her tonfas which remained on the ground.But out of breath, and her blood starting to flow from minor wounds, she couldn't calm down enough to relaunch the attack.In less time than it took for an exhalation, a series of flash images had passed through Itsumi's mind, and he easily recognized a village not far from the castle, a village which seemed to suffer at the same moment an attack from strange enemies, while 3 warriors were trying to defend it.

Inara had finally succeeded in making Itsumi understand that she sensed a harmful danger, and the latter, inclined to listen, had invited her to follow him, to meet one of the Shugenjas of the Crane clan.
Not unknown to Itsumi, ASAHINA Yukiyo worked late in her studio, half filled with parchments arranged on shelves, and half with objects of all kinds, obviously worked with finesse.
If Itsumi could sense the presence of spirits in the surroundings, Inara, she, discovered a powerful Shugenja, accompanied by kamis which seemed to be connected, on their own will, to the surrounding objects.



Concentrated on her task, she did not notice the arrival of the young Shugenja and the Bushi.

One pair of hands can only do so much work... Thought Suzume as even more as the strangely berserk peasants show up. What was going on in this village? Those peasants did not look like Lion ashigaru levies. He doubted that the flying leap would work again, his opponents probably expecting it now. He needed another way to reach his pupil. Perhaps... This might be crazy enough to work and he was starting to get desperate... Suzume turned around, toward his lone pursuer and at the last moment, dropped into a defensive stance, preparing to throw him with Way of the Willow on one or more (hopefully all three) of his new opponents, creating an opening for him to reach his pupil...

Inara looked around curiously as they reached the entrance to the Crane shugenja’s studio, and she gave an exhausted, but genuine, smile. Finally, something familiar, and someone who might understand. The presence of the many kami linked to the shelved objects surprised as much as charmed her. A quick check told her without doubt that they were quite free, and had chosen the links for themselves.

She forced herself to stand quietly behind Itsumi’s shoulder, politely waiting to be introduced. No amount of comfort, familiarity, or homesickness could forgive barging into another mage’s workroom uninvited.

Itsumi began to enter through the door to the Shugenja but was halted by a sudden vision. The vision was for only a moment but as his world returned to him he inhaled sharply. Remembering where he was he bowed deeply before the Shugenja, "Yukiyo-san, pardon our interruption. I have just seen a grave and foreboding image of a village on fire! Three warriors fending off strange creatures..." his voice trails off as he remembers Inara's prescence, "but, the reason for my intrusion is to introduce you to Inara-san of the Phoenix clan. She has grave news regarding the Kami."

He steps aside to allow her to enter the room.

Inara stepped to the threshold and bowed low. "Indeed so," she said solemnly. "The kami of this land flee in terror before a dark and terrible energy which has emerged to the north of Shiro Daidoji." She hesitated, then pressed on, hoping against hope that her trust was not misplaced. "The Phoenix have sensed their withdrawal for some time. I was sent here by the Council of Five to investigate, and to help bring an end to the conflict that brings them so much suffering. But we have not seen anything like this before, to the best of my knowledge. Please," she said, still bowing, desperation and fatigue finally getting the best of her, "I need your help."

Brutally brought back to reality facing her, Reiko owed it only to her long years of training to dodge the deep wound she could receive from the attack coming, but one of the pitchfork's branches sank in spite painfully in the flank of the Magistrate.
The burning of the wound, though not really serious, was violently present in the mind of the fighter, a perfect reminder of the risks incurred once the blade was drawn, and she focused again fully on the fight in front of her, while an arrow whistled in her ear, and crashed into the forehead of one of the attackers.

"My apologies, MATSU-Sama, but I had to carry your luggages, as I supposed you wouldn't want those to be stolen."
Overzealous and sarcastic at will, Reiko knew well that her second only displayed this mask for her, a way of keeping face and trying not to disappoint his superior.
That arrow, and the opponent less, created an opportunity for Reiko to dodge the incoming attack, succeeding in extremis, by jumping backwards, and only collecting scratches. For the moment, as she was, again, facing 4 opponents.

KAWANABI being the newcomer in the battle, the darkened peasants didn't hesitate to charge him too, and with his bow already reloaded, he was facing 2 opponents, one of them charging from Reiko's side, while the last one of the attackers came from a street near the archer.It was a desperate method that Suzume was trying in order to rescue his student, clever for sure, but risky enough to involve significant risks, and he was perfectly aware of those, but drastic times needed dangerous measures. Switching his stance from attack to defense in an instant offered him the possibility to throw his nearier opponent onto the three others. And thanks to his quick thinking, two of them fell to the ground, entangled with the one who flew, though the last one only took a few step backs. If not for long, the opening he was hoping for was here and now, and the monk didn't think twice before rushing to come to Sakura.

As for the youngest monk, she needed one second to catch her breathe, but seeing her teaching fighting had helped her remember what she had learned under his tutorship, and instead of charging again as an Otaku, she turned around and leaned against the wall to jump over her opponents. She was now at the side of her master, and instinctively positioned herself back to back with him. And both of them found themselves surrounded again, ready to display the whole efficiency of Master and Student fighting alongside.

Right in the middle of these simultaneous actions, Suzume saw something out of the corner of his eye, due to the low light of the night, only a shadow of human appearance under a tree, watching over the battle in the village at some distance. If the fight with the peasants was pressuring him, this one brief glance was enough to make him feel a deep fear, as the monk he was recognized the danger of that appearance.ASAHINA Yukiyo blinked, as she was disturbed from her work, and the porcelain that she held in her hands broke, freeing the Kami within in a shower of sparkles and as a scent of sulfur wafted through the air.
Frowning, she turned around to face the intruders in her lab, and then opened her eyes wide.
"Wh ...? KAKITA-Dono ?" she asked rhetorically, while Inara introduced herself and the reason she was here.
After listening to the ASAKO lady, she looked into Inara's gaze, and the latter had the impression of being immersed in the heart of the ocean.
"So, then, the Phoenix clan not only learned about the ongoing conflict against the Lion, but also deduced that the origin of the conflict was spiritual? However ... what leads you to believe that your clan is concerned, ASAKO-San ?"

Frowning again, she continued her tirade and gestured to the remains of the porcelain.
"But ... It is true to say that these past few weeks, it has been especially hard to work with Kamis, as you can see it right now.
And you're saying that is because they are suffering because of something dark ?"

Her eyes looked then into Itsumi's gaze, asking silently if she had to talk more freely about such matter with a stranger of the Crane Clan, and while awaiting the authorization of her commander, she contented herself with a question for the young Phoenix ambassador.
"What exactly do you need my help for ?"

"Well at least you're here now..." Reiko said while gauging her wound.
It wasn't too deep, but might pose a problem if she kept being attacked on that side. She decided to shift her stance with a feint and keep defending, looking for an opening. Her first attacker tried a lunge when she feinted to change her stance and she easily deflected the blow, throwing he opponent off-balance. She had to turn the deflection into a full turn with a twist of her body as the second attacker tried to take advantage of it on her weakened side. She avoided the blow but her attacker stayed with her and she parried a second blow. Taking step after step backwards in an effort to keep her attackers in front of her, and to make them impede each other, Reiko parried a late coming blow from her third attacker. It was clumsy because her attacker tried not to hit his compatriots, and she was able to use her parry to open the enemy's guard fractionally by deflecting the blade low. She wasted no time using that opening and aimed a blow towards the shoulder...
Kawanabi fired at one of his attackers, impaling his throat. He kept running for a couple of paces before he gurgled to the ground, clutching the missile stuck through his throat. As his second attacker reached him, he had dropped his bow and was drawing his Katana, parrying the blow that was coming straight for his own throat.

Suzume stared at the distant figure under a tree for a moment. Not wanting to get distracted or worry his pupil for nothing, he focuses back on the combat at hand. He had managed to reach his pupil and they were fighting back to back now, but they were still out in the open where they could easily get surrounded and swarmed. the samurai-ko which had came to their help seemed to be facing the same problem, plus Suzume noticed she had just been injured...

Quickly evaluating their situation, Suzume spotted an alleyway nearby. If both groups could make their way there, it would make for an excellent choke point where only a handful of attackers could trickle in at a time. But right now, he had 5 opponents in the way, soon to become 8... Things were quickly getting out of hand and it required another daring, some would say desperate, maneuver. Suzume slid his arms behind Sakura's locking their elbows together. This would hopefully help in providing the necessary momentum. "Sakura, follow my movements, when I say "Now", push back on my with all your strength, and when I say "Kick", kick the opponent in front of you so he falls back on those three on the ground, then follow me..."

Once again, he waited for his his opponents to make the first move, then moving to the side at the last second, forcing his opponent to sort of line up, he yelled "NOW!" and using the momentum from Sakura's push, attempted to kick the first one in the face...With a loud crack, Suzume's feet connected with his assailant's chin, sending him flying backward towards the other assailants. Using the momentum from pushing with his foot on another body, Suzume did not waste any time, shouting "Kick!" as his foot was about to break contact with the possessed man's skin, adding this momentum to Sakura's own kick to her own opponent, who flew into the three who were already on the ground in a heap...

"NOW! FOLLOW ME!". Both monks ran towards the narrow alleyway, but not before Suzume stopped to shout at the samurais fighting for their lives. "SAMURAI-SAMA! OVER HERE!".

Inara straightened herself and faced Yukiyo fully once the Crane had finished speaking. "As I said, the Phoenix shugenja have felt the withdrawal of the kami within our lands for some time, but it is not universal. The worst of the disturbance seems to be radiating from the Lion-Crane border, and so it is here that I began my search for answers, and a solution."

She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked directly to the other mage, hoping she would understand. "The kami are more than a source of power for me, they are my friends." She raised her hand slowly, smiling as the warm sparks danced on the skin of her palm for a moment before darting off to explore something else. "I will do whatever I can to protect them. I’m sure you can appreciate the importance of that partnership, Asahina-san."

The young shugenja glanced at Itzumi, then back to Yukiyo. "I knew precious little more when I came to your gates tonight. The closer I came to the castle, the more distant the kami seemed to become. It was… disturbing. I want to thank you for your hospitality, Kakita-sama, and I apologize for how rude it has been of me to disturb you all at this hour. But not long after I had settled in for the evening, suddenly, all of those lost feelings came back – but they were filled with pain, and terror. And they came with the arrival of some dark presence north of the castle… near the village, perhaps, or in the Lion lands north of the river, I cannot tell."

She looked behind her, to be sure they were alone, and lowered her voice. "Rumors of darkness it is best not to speak of have reached the ears of the Council of Five. I did not want to believe them, and I am merely an ambassador of the Council, so I can say no more." She shook her head sadly. "When I arrived, I had hoped to spend time researching in the esteemed libraries of Shiro Daidoji; I have heard your histories rival our own. But I fear there is no time. So… please, for the kami, and for the safety of both our peoples, help me find a way to end this before it is too late."

Itsumi returns Asahaina Yukiyo's glance but doesn't understand what she is trying to convey, "Before my vision I had no interest in Inara-san's problems, Yukiyo-san. But now, I feel that her mission is tied to to our strife with the Lion. Honor dictates that I must go to the battle field, and soon, but if you can help her with the kami, I will return after the battle to assist."

Itsumi was beginning to grow anxious that he would be found insubordinate if he did not make it to lead his men, and soon. Punctuality was something he valued and this Phoenix was too much of a disruption now.

One step back, defend yourself, then another step back, and defend yourself again. A strange ballet, for the untrained eye, that Reiko unleashed to defend herself, awaiting the opening which was sure to arrive. She used that opportunity to invalidate one of her opponents and cut his arm off at the shoulder. The blood spurting would be lethal in a few minutes, and the peasant used his last breathes to jump forward on the Magistrate, trying to bite her brutally on the neck. Luckily, her maneuver disrupted the movements of the other two enough that she could deal with the dying peasant, if necessary.

In the meantime, Suzume grabbed Sakura by the arm, and managed to throw another opponent,a woman, on the three already on the ground, before they had the time to get up, and used the inertia of that spin to kick another opponent. It was time for the two Dragons to turn the table around, and they ran to an alleyway, and thus, now having to manage 2 opponents instead of 8.

Each trained fighter had only one opponent facing them, but they knew at once that this situation wouldn't last more than a few seconds. It was time to act, and to put everything into order.Yukiyo bowed before Itsumi.
"At your service, KAKITA-Sama. I will handle the negociation with the Phoenix clan."

With a quick gesture, she brushed Inara's arm, inviting her to follow her to her laboratory.
"I guess that, with your earlier words, you are a Shugenja from the Phoenix Clan ? Your families are quite known to be well versed in the mystical arts. Maybe another point of view on those matters could help to settle what's going wrong."

As the mystic spoke, Inara could feel the presence of different Kamis around them, surprisingly discreet. It was like they wanted to know who she was, but, at the same time, did not want to introduce themselves. And from the corner of her eye, Yukiyo didn't miss a thing of the scene that was occuring before her eyes.

Walking through the lab, Inara was discovering the place, strange mix of powder scents, vials, books, equipment of all kinds, and talismans placed on the shelves. She heard of it, of course, the talent of the ASAHINA family for both healing and enchanted items. Her natural curiosity for everything that had to do with the spiritual regained the upper hand, despite the hunger that was beginning to twist his stomach, and the fatigue that was accumulating.

Seeing that Inara's matter was being handled well, and that she was in a good hands, that was a problem less to manage for Itsumi. The young commander knew this responsibility, especially in times of war, was hard to bear, but actually living it showed him how heavy this post was.
The scouts he had sent to the village, after hearing rumors of battle echoes, would come back in less than 1 hour and a half, and so, before they were back to report, given the castle was calm and silent, Itsumi finally had time for himself, maybe to rest a little.
A question was still bothering his thoughts: why BAYUSHI Akami was interested in the newcomer?
But was it worth digging into now, just hours away from the next battle with the Lion.

Finally, a bit of a breather... Still, it was no time to let one's guard down. there was no telling if opponents would circle around and trap them in that alley, or perhaps burst through the wall, like they did at obaa-san's place... Both Suzume and Sakura greeted their respective opponent with a flurry of feet and fists...

The fatigue from his daring moves was starting to show as Suzume's movements were a bit slower than usual, but still enough to dispatch yet another opponent.

Reiko, seeing the dying peasant try to tear out her throat with his teeth, frowned.
She then tutted loudly and added Can't have that...
She took a step to the side, prepared for the move her opponent would have to make to come at her, and started the strike that would behead him cleanly.
Behind her, she heard a couple of grunts, and the sound of steel cleaving flesh. As the headless one-armed torso crumpled to the floor, she risked a look towards the sounds and saw Kawanabi turning from a second slain enemy.
The magistrate and her secretary then turned to the last 2 men standing in their way, and prepared to fight shoulder to shoulder (Kawanabi, rather tactfully, taking his place on his master's wounded side without commenting on it)

"I guess that, with your earlier words, you are a Shugenja from the Phoenix Clan? Your families are quite known to be well versed in the mystical arts. Maybe another point of view on those matters could help to settle what's going wrong."

Inara smiled, a genuine liking for Yukiyo shining through her fatigue. "I am, indeed. The work of the Asahina healers is likewise extraordinary; I hope we do not see an increased need for that service in the near future. And I'm glad to know you agree, that we have a better chance of discovering what is wrong if we work together."

The young Phoenix was accustomed to travel within her home lands, but between the great geographical distance and the seemingly unending weirdness that had plagued the evening, she was feeling more and more like a stranger in a strange land by the minute. So no matter how grateful she might be to Itsumi for his hospitality, she knew he could not understand the depths of what troubled her - the presence of another shugenja and the familiar sights and sounds of Yukiyo's workroom put her racing mind at ease. "Like I said before, I had hoped to visit the library to see if your people had records of a... darkness... like this touching Rokugan in the past. Your historians are well-known to the Phoenix, and I admire the work of your scribes. But we don't have time for that search." She paused. "I know I have no right to ask, but what do you know of this darkness that you are able to tell me? I have heard terrible rumors, and the Council of Elemental Masters suspects worse still. I don't know what is happening, and I want a peaceful solution, if possible. You of the Crane know better than most that knowledge is power."

She looked around as she spoke, noting the behavior of the various kami around the room. Some studied her warily, while others shifted and moved like shy children. But they all watched her, curious yet reserved; Inara could almost feel their gaze, and with them, Yukiyo too kept a close eye on what was happening.

Inara bowed deeply, trying to include them all in the gesture. "Hello," she said softly, and sang to them a warm, gentle prayer song of reverence and greeting, blending her desire to help and protect them into the music, and through the song giving them a way to see and Know her in a way that her name, job, and clan affiliation simply could not convey. The music was full of hope... but contained the sorrow of knowing she could not do this alone, and her prayers turned to the reality of her duty - that far from what it appeared to an untrained observer, she served at the kami's pleasure, and her magic had its uttermost source in them. "Please," she sang in their own strange, ceremonial language, "I am here to serve. Grant me the strength and the wisdom to see us through this crisis."

Finally she fell silent, the last notes of the prayer song hanging like mist in the air after a summer rain, and she waited for their response.

Itusmi Katika makes a quiet exit and moves to await the reports from his scouts.

That late in the night, and while a thick mist covered both the ground and the corpses, everything was starting to get blurry in the eyes of all the warriors, as adrenaline mingled with fatigue.

The number of opponents had seriously decreased, Reiko had just beheaded her most immediate assailant right before her assistant came to her side, after defeating his own opponent.

Shoulder to shoulder, the two charged, blades horizontal, aligned with the line of the shoulders, and each aimed at the hearts of the peasants in front of them. Charge against charge. Charge against charge. Billhooks against katanas.The situation was much more complex for the two monks. Knocking out the peasants was more difficult than killing them, required more finesse, and therefore restricted their possibilities of action.

It was upon realizing that their enemies would more than double a few moments later that the two Dragon chose to use more lethal skills.
Sakura punched her opponent under the chin while jumping at the same time. Suzume, on the other hand, jumped in the direction of his assailant, knee forward, hitting him in the stomach.

Both of these techniques could have been lethal, but the two Ise Zumi altered slightly their moves to try not to kill the peasants. Sakura by targetting the chin instead of the nose, Suzume by hitting his opponent in the stomach, instead of the lungs.

At the moment they both landed after their attack, they were assaulted by the remaining dark peasants, the very ones who had been repelled by the combined acrobatics of the teacher and the student moments before.Yukiyo was taken aback when she heard and watched Inara singing for the Kamis. Even among the Phoenix, Inara was quite unique in that she truly viewed the Kamis as her friends and acted with them as such. And they tended to answer the same way, and so, Kamis of all elements started dancing around her, timidly.
Rubbing her left arm with her right hand, watching this, the Crane's shugenja took the time to think about the words of the young Phoenix.
The darkness she was talking about, could it be related to the Dark Scrolls ? Rumors, among the elders of the clan, referred more and more to these old legends of the past.
But they should be just that. Nothing but legends, nothing but stories.
And wasn't it the duty of the Crab clan to protect the kingdom from the Shadowlands ?
The Crane had already a lot to handle with the current war against the Lion, without having to worry about old nightmares.
Even so, it would be prudent to pay attention to this child's concerns, if only to check if they had any substance.
"Come to me, friend of the kamis, and if you agree, share your visions with me."
Inviting Inara to follow her, she moved with catlike stealth and caught a ribbon with a blue topaz in its center and some incense in the process, then walked over to the brazier in the center of the room, in which she dropped the incense.
"Wrap your hands with this ribbon, forming the infinity sign, and place your forehead on the stone. Then pray the Kamis so that they throw your memories within the smoke. Think of those feelings, let those memories be clear in your head. Remember."

The tactical retreat to the alleyway seemed like a good idea at first, but with those possessed peasants charging in like madmen, those behind pushing those up front, it looks like the two monks will have to slowly back up while confronting the wave of mad peasants... Then, in the distance, the sound of hope. Seem like some troops are approaching the village. Suzume draws from a well of energy he did not knew he possessed, redoubling his efforts to knock out as many peasants as he can before the soldiers sweep into the village and starts killing before asking questions... The more peasants he knocked out, the more lives he saved...

As Reiko prepared to fight the last two opponents, she noticed that the two monks were not in a comfortable situation in their fight, still being severely outnumbered.
"I am needed elsewhere, so if you yield now, I will be merciful." She frowned. "I am not often merciful. You would do well to avail yourself to it."
Something that looked suspiciously like a smile played on Kawanabi's lips for a moment. He was about to suggest he could take care of both of their opponents, when they started charging.
Reiko tensed. She shifted the point of her sword slightly, seemingly aiming for her opponent's heart, but actually readying her hands for a swift climb. when the time came, her hands went up, the point of her sword barely moving. Her sword was perfectly placed, intercepted the blow and deflected it. The force of the block sent her blade in a swift arc that she accelerated with the barest of efforts. It bit into the top of the attacker's skull bisecting it neatly.
Kawanabi traded a couple of blows with his own attacker, and impaled him through his gut.
As soon as she was sure both men were out for the count, Reiko turned towards the alley entrance to go to the aid of the monks, hoping she would be in time to help.

Inara followed Yukiyo as she moved around the room, watching as she prepared for the ritual, uncertainty slowly overshadowing curiosity as she began to understand what was going on.

"Wrap your hands with this ribbon, forming the infinity sign, and place your forehead on the stone. Then pray the Kamis so that they throw your memories within the smoke. Think of those feelings, let those memories be clear in your head. Remember."

Mind magic. Inara froze for a moment, taken aback. She knew precious little about this particular spell, but from what she did remember from her training, it was... invasive, at best, and not without risk. Even her ability to trust had limits, and the thought of going through with this with a working partner she had met only moments before frightened the young mage. Breathe, she reminded herself gently. You still have a choice.

There was no doubt that Yukiyo was experienced enough to see her through the spell safely. And the demeanor of the kami surrounding them was that of willing partners, so there was a good chance that she was in competent hands.

And... had she not, only moments before, sang to the kami her acknowledgement of the fact that she was there to help, in whatever way they may require? That was her duty as a shugenja, and the least she could do to protect her friends.

Inara wound the ribbon around her hands and did as she was asked, pressing the stone to the center of her forehead, closing her eyes, and reciting the prayer that would give the kami access to her memories. She could feel their heightened attention ripple through the room, and she spoke to each of them, asking earnestly for their help. As the spell progressed, she could feel them each in turn... the inquisitive air kami curiously sifting through the mystery... the earth kami granting patience and stability to the shifting vision... the fire kami dancing through ordeal... the water kami soothing the sharp edges of fear with practiced stoicism.

The younger shugenja had just begun to settle into the rhythm of the spell, believing that perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all, when with the dropping of her defenses and the end of her active role in the ritual, the work began in earnest. Inara began to feel a growing negative pressure behind her eyes, a pulling sensation which turned gradually to tearing and increased in severity as time went on. She remembered everything all at once. The words of the Council before her departure, the growing sense of separation from her friends, her vision of the moon, the violent fear and pain she had felt at the appearance of the northern shadow, the vision the kami had granted to Itsumi in the courtyard earlier that same evening. It all rushed together, far outside her ability to control or contain, and she hoped the kami and Yukiyo could see the patterns that were escaping her. She tried to focus on what she saw, the images and emotions and thoughts and sounds, trying to make it as clear as she could as the magic surged around and through her. She slowly became aware of the passing of time, but was uncertain how much of it had passed. Heat and pain seared her hands, and she opened her eyes in time to see the last remnants of the ribbon burning away, leaving angry red marks on her skin. Without the ribbon to hold it in place, the blue topaz stone clattered to the floor... Inara looked down at it, realizing she was on her knees on the workroom floor, fighting to stay conscious.

"I am here to serve," she whispered.

The last moments of the two peasants unfolded in a confused flash of exchanges and decisive movements, despite the spark of mercy which the magistrate had wanted to show. In the time of only two breaths, Reiko and her second had managed their opponents in their own direct way, without any frill, and without even waiting for the corpses to fall to the ground, Reiko started running in the direction of the struggling monks, followed by Kawanabi in the second.

But tens of meters separated them, enough that the two Ise Zumis would have to defend themselves for a while.

In the outburst of violence of the two Dragons, they no longer bothered themselves with futile movements. One shot had to hit the mark, before moving on to the next.

Sakura, all in agility, used her own attacks as a rebound to chain her opponents, while Suzume took advantage of the opposing movements to attack in expeditious counters. It was in one of these movements, a rotation around the weapon of one of the peasants, which he ended with a direct strike from the elbow to the temple, that another of his assailants pierced his thigh with one of the branches of his fork.

It was the precise moment during which troops of the Crane clan took over the streets of the village, at the opposite of Reiko's position.

"Who's there ? What is going on here and what were those battle noises?"

Strangely enough, the few corrupted peasants who were still conscious fell to the ground, their eyes rolled back, and clearly unconscious.
Of the dark silhouette that Suzume had seen under the edge of the woods, there was no trace left ...

Inside a lab at Shiro Daidoji, a young shugenja of the Phoenix was experiencing a new way to deal with the Kamis. A painful way, and not one she would want to try again anytime soon. The first thing she realized was that she no longer had any notion of the elapsed time. And how could she even try to put into words what she had just experienced. The sensation of a mist seeping into her mind, only to feel brutally pulled from her own body, and finally almost lost in a blazing fire.

Throughout the duration of this ritual, Yukiyo watched. Watched how her guest tried to resist, even involuntarily, this intrusion. Watched how her mind plunged into the smoke from the brazier. Watched how this smoke took on different shapes, fleeting and hazy.

Visions echoing the conclusions the elders of the clan had reached. An ancient evil had found a way to wake up, and symbols of both the Crane and the Lion seemed to point in the direction of the ongoing war. But in these visions, an indefinable shadow seemed to manipulate these allegories of the two clans.

It was too little to absolve the Lion of responsibility in this war. It was, however, more than enough to instill pernicious doubt in Yukiyo's thoughts. If ever the two clans had allowed themselves to be maneuvered by a Maho-Tsukai, a renegade mage, then it was the entire Empire that was in danger.

Inara, her hands burnt where the ribbon was wound, slowly regained contact with the physical reality of the world. It took her a few minutes to rediscover the laboratory setting, and when, finally, she could clearly discern her counterpart, it was confused, pensive, and visibly withdrawn that Yukiyo showed herself to the young Phoenix.

A few seconds passed, in a heavy silence, and as Inara began to wonder what was going to happen to her from now on, Yukiyo blinked several times, finally remembering that she was not alone. With a slight pleasant smile, she put her arm around the shoulders of the young woman.
"I don't know how to thank you, friend of the Kamis. You have had a most painful experience, at my request, and only time will tell if your visions will help my clan. I will have to inform my peers and we will have to make a decision. But I bet you're more than exhausted now, and you wouldn't refuse to be able to rest. Which, moreover, is the right thing to do after such an exchange with the Kamis."

Well this is strange Suzume knelt next to one of his opponents who had merely dropped to the ground, looking for vital signs, taking time to stare back at the tree first, only to notice the silhouette was gone...

"Thank you for coming to our aid samurai-sama. We stopped for the night in this village on our way to Shiro Daidoji on official Dragon Clan business when we were suddenly attacked in the middle of the night by other peasants who looked like they could've been peasant levies. The way they were acting, fighting as men possessed... and how they simply fell to the ground when you arrived, I suspect maho to be at work!"

Suzume then stood up from examining the fallen peasant, turned and pointed towards the tree in the distance. "Right there, below that tree, while we were fighting for our lives, someone was observing the whole scene. Though the person was far away, I could steel feel malign intentions emanating from the individual in question..."

"Who's there ? What is going on here and what were those battle noises?"
"Thank you for coming to our aid samurai-sama. We stopped for the night in this village on our way to Shiro Daidoji on official Dragon Clan business when we were suddenly attacked in the middle of the night by other peasants who looked like they could've been peasant levies. The way they were acting, fighting as men possessed... and how they simply fell to the ground when you arrived, I suspect maho to be at work! Right there, below that tree, while we were fighting for our lives, someone was observing the whole scene. Though the person was far away, I could steel feel malign intentions emanating from the individual in question..."
Reiko frowned.
Kawanabi!
Her secretary instantly took a scroll from his robes.
Cease all you are doing this instant! The honorable Matsu Reiko, Emerald Magistrate commands it! This place is under inquest, and you are ordered to touch nothing, and prevent any tampering with evidence!
He shoved her official orders under the officer's nose.
Leaving her secretary to deal with the soldiers, she went straight to the monks.
I understand you are on official Clan business, but I was sent here by the Emerald Champion himself. I will have to delay you for a time. First, tell me everything you know again, in detail, then I will examine the corpses, and then, you will help me interrogate any survivors. I want what happened here explained, and I want that explanation now!

"Thank you, Asahina-san," Inara said, closing her eyes against a wave of dizziness and allowing herself to be supported by the other mage as she rose to her feet. "Somewhere safe to rest for the night will be thanks enough, I'm afraid I may have met my stamina's end."

Her normally active mind had grown very quiet, as half-formed thoughts circled each other, forming a sort of mental white noise. What happens now? she wondered silently as Yukiyo escorted her back to her room. There was nothing useful she could do before she had rested, but the nagging fear that she had not done enough clawed its way into the rest of her thoughts, coloring them with vague worry. Yukiyo spoke quietly and kindly to a young servant, who bowed, smiling, before running off ahead of them; the elder shugenja then turned her attention to Inara, informing her guest that she had arranged for food and tea to be brought to her room. Inara nodded in gratitude.

They passed a familiar door, the one behind which she had found Itsumi earlier in the evening. Inara hoped he was well, and wondered what the morning would bring for him, as well.

Finally, they arrived. Inara mustered the energy to wish Yukiyo a restful night, and ate in silence once she was alone. She didn't really want food... but she knew she needed it. Same for the tea, she knew the headache that would meet her in the morning if she didn't at least try to stay hydrated. At least that seemed to settle her stomach, and she felt a little better once it was finished. The young mage smiled... Yukiyo had also been kind enough to have bandages and a tin of herbal salve sent over. She massaged the mix into her hands where they had been burned, and sighed as it took the edge off the lingering pain. At least the burns wouldn't get infected. She wrapped them in strips of clean cloth, murmured an exhausted but sincere prayer to the kami thanking them for their assistance, and settled under the blanket. She was asleep almost before she had closed her eyes.

Suzume was succinct, and straight to the point. After ordering the peasant elders found and escorted to shiro daidoji along with the prisoners, and before going there herself, Reiko insisted in a last duty.
"Show me exactly where you saw this shadowy figure, I have to examine it in detail."
Suzume led the way and, stopping ten meters short, said:
"It was right here, next to the trees."
Reiko let her experienced eyes roam the scene, looking for any sign, any clue.

"Hmm, a Lion using the Kitsuki method? How odd..." thought Suzume...