02 Bloody Dawn Before The War

Itsumi found himself in a precarious position and out numbered. His arrogance distanced himself too far ahead of his formation and he found himself surrounded. But this was an opportunity to rally his Soldiers. To show them that there was nothing to fear in a Lion, a creature constantly on the brink of starvation, a creature whose women hunt for him, "What a pathetic creature." he says, taunting his foes.

He quickly takes a measure of them as they close in on him before quickly unleashing with violent alacrity. His blade striking swift and true, cutting down his opponents, the spray of blood and bits of viscera clouding the air for a moment. As the last falls his Soldiers had caught up to him and continued on against the enemy ranks.

Inara blinked, and so she almost missed it. Surprise, and what seemed almost like respect, flashed through Akami's eyes for a moment, only to be subsumed into her normal mask of steely tranquility as quickly as they had appeared. Inara smiled a little, fairly certain of what she had seen, and both relieved and pleased that she had found it.

She looked up as a young Scorpion came running to meet them. She watched closely as he approached, and studied Akami for a sign of what was happening with such urgency. She didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"We are afraid, Damsel of the Phoenix, that you will have to wait to tell us the end of your story. By order of the Emperor, through the intermediary of an Emerald Magistrate, you are expected in the courtyard to join the battlefield, and will, for this, be accompanied by one of our followers. When it comes to imperial authority, this takes precedence over everything, including our little friendly conversation. We pray that we can resume this exchange soon."

An Emerald Magistrate...? Inara wondered for a moment if it could possibly be the same Lady Lion she had glimpsed in the courtyard earlier in the morning, and why she would be so urgently ordering to see her. She had not even given a report to the Daimyo... perhaps Itsumi, for all his seeming disinterest in the news she bore, had passed that information on himself.

Too many unanswered questions. With luck, today will bring a bit more clarity to this crisis... and we can end this with a minimum of bloodshed.

Inara bowed in understanding, and gratitude. "I look forward to that, Bayushi-san. I will find you when this is resolved, I would welcome your company."

The young Phoenix looked up in time to see a bit of shadow separate itself from the dim light behind Akami, taking the shape of a man not much older than herself. Another Scorpion -another Bayushi, Inara guessed, glancing at the newcomer's family crest - appeared at her shoulder. Akami addressed him directly; Inara was left to wonder how long he had been standing there, and how much he had heard.

"Toshi-San, accompany our young friend, will you? And see what this Magistrate wants, since your presence, it seems, is also required."

Inara gave a bow to Toshi, and smiled. "Well met," she said, turning to offer him a place to walk beside her. "It is probably best if we do not keep this Magistrate waiting. Shall we go?"

Very well, let us go to the courtyard, and end this battle before it takes too much of a tithe of blood.
Reiko got up, bowed respectfully to the daimyo -who didn't fail to notice the increase in respect- and to both the shugenja and the monk. She then hurried to the courtyard, where she found her secretary waiting beside a couple of horses a few meters away from a token force of escorting iron cranes.
We are going to need the official banner this time Kawanabi. Unpack it and shake some of the dust off.
She frowned. She didn't often take the emerald banner out, but when she did, it usually meant high stakes.

As a monk, a magistrate's duty wasn't his business, so he politely bowed out and was about to excuse himself. He wanted to see if Sakura had the time to speak to the palace's servants, and was also curious about meeting this Phoenix Clan deleguate. He turned to the Asahina shugenja who had tended to his and Reiko's wounds.

"Sorry to bother you again Asahina-san..."

Suzume now had dropped the -sama prefix as his noble birth had now been established.

"...but I heard there was a Phoenic Clan envoy in this castle. If the problem is indeed of a supernatural nature, I highly suspect she was sent here by the Council of Five to investigate it. As a witness of the events which just happened at the village, she might be interested in my testimony. Do you have any idea as to where I could find this Pheonix Clan envoy?"

Tohi steps forwards and gives a bow to the ambassador "Of course Akami-sama" he says before turning to the Phoenix. He regards her for a long moment, made almost uncomfortable given the mask that sits accross the top half of his face obscuring his eyes before he bows to her also, albeit a more shallow one than to Akami. "A pleasure Asako-san. Yes, let us head to this meeting now" whether he is pleased, angry, or feeling anything at all about his current assignment his tone does not betray any indication as to his true feelings and he turns on his heel and begins to lead the way out of the Taishikan.

A quick glance at the parchment told Tohi that the letter in his hands was a report on the events of that early morning. He thus discovered the arrival of two new foreigners within the Shiro Daidoji, a monk and a magistrate. And both, when they arrived together, accompanied by a plethora of prisoners, peasants it seemed. There was also mention of an interview between these strange guests and the Daimyo of the fortress, but this one having taken place behind closed doors, impossible to know what had been said.
Finally, the scroll specified that servants had orders to seek the envoy of the Phoenix, the presence of the latter being required by the magistrate.

Young BAYUSHI immediately understood what his superior was asking him. Make the link with recent events, the clashes of course, but above all this Scorpion convoy which had been attacked a few weeks ago now, and whose precious cargo had mysteriously disappeared. It was up to him to dig into this investigation, and a new opportunity had just been presented to the Scorpion clan. The gravity of the situation demanded the greatest haste, while preserving the dark secrets of the Clan.

And if this brief information could disturb him, Tohi did not let it show. And while in his turn, he observed the young Phoenix, it was thus that she made the acquaintance of a new member of the Scorpion clan: masked, unfazed, most certainly dangerous.

Deep inside, she felt very small, having to face military and political events which obviously exceeded her a little. She felt a little short of breath as she thought back to the speed at which things had rushed since she had arrived at Shiro Daidoji, she who was used to the studious calm of the Phoenix Clan libraries. But another part of her knew that she had been swept away by a spiritual cause like no other. A small voice in her heart whispered to her that she would have to unite the clans for this quest to succeed, for that was the key. And it was while hoping that she was not alone in this adventure that she had decided to trust the Kamis, and what they had planned for her, and for all others.

Getting to the court took only a few minutes for the two young people, and when they arrived, new and urgent preparations were underway.

It didn't take long for them to recognize the Emissary of the Empire, the banner of the Magistrates just raised, while in the distance one could hear the echo of the fighting.

Horses of medium size, Ban'Ei, were prepared nearby, and were a sign of an imminent departure. It seemed there were more horses than people present though.


As Inara was about to introduce herself to Reiko, a young woman, wearing the Mon of the DAIDOJI family, preceded her and presented herself before the magistrate, her finely crafted spear stowed behind her back, indicating without the slightest possible error that she was devoting her life to martial arts.


"Magistrate-Dono, my name is DAIDOJI Akeha, I am the daughter of the DAIDOJI's Daimyo, who you have just met. My father sends me to accompany you, to introduce you to the High Command of our army. Did you have time to talk to Lady ASAKO who arrived last night?"

A few steps away, Suzume was talking with his pupil, after the latter had made a little tour of the place, and had discussed with some of the servants of the palace.

Less inclined to military discourse, the servants had revealed to Sakura the climate of fear in which they had all been living for a few weeks. The youngster had also discovered that this fear was not so much due to the ongoing war, but more in connection with the attacks suffered by the clan patrols in the surroundings, just like the less well-born people who had to make their own work outside the palace. It was moreover all these attacks that had provoked the current war, with so few diplomatic openings, the two clans accusing each other of the respective attacks.

---

"Attacks?" Thought Suzume. "Now this is interesting..."

"Sakuran-chan, did you managed to get more details about those attacks? Were they perpetrated by brigands, or wild beasts perhaps? Were there survivors?"

Then he caught himself as he realize he was basically bombarding his pupils with questions.

"Sumimasen Sakura-chan. You did great work. Those attacks definitely hold the answers to what is going on here, but I need more information. I have a feeling my presence will be required somewhere soon, so I doubt I'll be able to talk the the servants myself. And I'd also like to have a word with the Phoenix Clan envoy... I would greatly appreciate if you could try to learn more about those attacks."

Tohi follows and stands slightly behind Inara, silently observing everything happening within the area. The tension he feels within is not shown on his features. He pays particular note as Daidoji Akeha introduces herself to the magistrate The Daymio's daughter? Interesting he thinks to himself. His eyes also catch sight of the monk in conversation with another figure A dragon too. Unusual to see one come down from their perch....

The walk to the courtyard passed mostly in silence, which, if she was honest with herself, Inara had expected. The young masked Scorpion led the way out of the Taishikan, and Inara followed closely until they reached the courtyard. She paused as they entered, scanning the scene, easily identifying the Emerald Magistrate by the Imperial Banner she bore, and catching a glimpse of the Crane Shugenja, Asahina Yukiyo. Several others - two monks of the Dragon clan among them - stood nearby, accompanied by a squad of Iron Cranes and more than a few sturdy warhorses.

Inara took a deep, steadying breath and stepped forward, taking the lead as Tohi fell in behind her shoulder. She walked toward the Magistrate, wishing for the most fleeting of moments for the gift of the Crane's silvered tongues, or even the Scorpion's mask. She felt exposed, emotionally naked, and struggled to find the words she wanted to say. So it came as a relief when a young Crane woman found her way to the Magistrate's side first, breaking the tension and immediacy of Inara's approach. She stopped, and bowed politely, listening carefully to the woman's introduction of herself.

"Magistrate-Dono, my name is DAIDOJI Akeha, I am the daughter of the DAIDOJI's Daimyo, who you have just met. My father sends me to accompany you, to introduce you to the High Command of our army. Did you have time to talk to Lady ASAKO who arrived last night?"

The sound of her name brought Inara's gaze up in surprise. Suddenly the warsteeds made perfect sense; they were being escorted to the battleground.

So they have chosen to investigate that darkness after all. Finally, a chance to begin solving this riddle. And how better, with representatives of so many of the clans working together, for the good of all?

Inara smiled, deeply, and genuinely. And even the stern gaze of the Magistrate only muted that expression of quiet joy enough to be socially acceptable. When the Magistrate had answered the young Daidoji, Inara bowed and presented herself. "Magistrate-Dono, my name is Asako Inara. I arrived in Shiro Daidoji last night, on behalf of the Council of Five. A great deal has happened in the hours since, my Lady. There is indeed much to discuss."

As Kawanabi unfurled the banner, Reiko glanced around the courtyard and was struck by the unusual fact of the presence of representatives of so many clans at once in a rather minor Castle. The iron cranes were to be expected, and herself and Kawanabi, although technically Lions were there as representatives of the emperor. The Dragon monks were more unusual, and as she was thinking about a phoenix shugenja being in the mix too, she saw her approach, accompanied by a masked scorpion, no less. She didn't have time to formulate a hypothesis as to the circumstances that had caused this pairing though, as a voice interrupted her reverie.
"Magistrate-Dono, my name is DAIDOJI Akeha, I am the daughter of the DAIDOJI's Daimyo, who you have just met. My father sends me to accompany you, to introduce you to the High Command of our army. Did you have time to talk to Lady ASAKO who arrived last night?"
A tall warrior with a beautiful spear had appeared at her side, and was bowing politely. She returned her bow and answered.
I am Matsu Reiko, Emerald Magistrate, it is an honour to make your acquaintance. I'm sure the escort would have been perfectly sufficient, she said waving vaguely in the direction of the soldiers, but your presence will certainly make things easier. I believe lady Asako is arriving presently, and I will talk with her on the way.
The shugenja took the few last steps separating them and introduced herself.
"Magistrate-Dono, my name is Asako Inara. I arrived in Shiro Daidoji last night, on behalf of the Council of Five. A great deal has happened in the hours since, my Lady. There is indeed much to discuss."
I agree, lady Asako, and I am as perplexed and disquieted by the events as you seem to be. My name is Matsu Reiko, I arrived here last night after an encounter with what I and Togashi Suzume, an envoy of the Dragon clan, at that, she waved at the monk and his charge to join their conversation believe to be Blood magic. I would like to discuss this in depth with you, and the reason you were sent here, but I have a battle to stop. Would you agree to accompany me to the front lines as we discuss it, so I can accomplish both? Of course your, ah... companion is welcome to come too, as are you Suzume-San.

Blood magic. Inara stared in shock and dismay, feeling her own blood chill at the thought. No wonder the kami were terrified and crying out in pain. Cold anger flared in her heart at the thought of what they were enduring, and why. Inara shook her head; she believed firmly that the exploration of magic and the sharing of hidden knowledge were among the world's highest pursuits, but... some secrets are best left hidden. She knew precious little about the practice, and the words of her teacher echoed in her mind, reminding her that she could not defend the ones she loved against what she did not understand. Steeling herself, she resolved to do what she could, and learn the rest, however deeply it was required of her. Idealism was no excuse for complacency.

"I will go with you, of course, Matsu-sama" she said, finally looking up to meet Reiko's eyes directly. "And you will have my full cooperation. My companion..." she stepped aside to allow the Scorpion envoy to face the Magistrate fully, "received the same summons as I did; a messenger with orders for us to rendezvous with you here met us in the Scorpion clan Taishikan." She paused, giving Tohi time to introduce himself; how much of his identity he chose to reveal was his business, and she knew enough of Scorpion culture to not reveal more about him than he himself offered freely, if she had any hope of securing his friendship. And, indeed, she did.

While the Scorpion and Lion talked, Inara turned to the Dragons, lowering her voice a little. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Togashi-sama, and you, young Lady Dragon." She bowed politely. "I am Asako Inara. Thank you for coming. Please, tell me, what do you know of this... darkness, which has come upon these lands?"

As he talks to his pupil, Suzume notices the Phoenix shugenja talking to Reiko. "Ah, this must be the Phoenix Clan envoy." He is then surprised to see her turn around and address him and his pupil.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Inara-san." Says Suzume as he politely bows to the newcomer. "I am Togashi Suzume, and my pupil here is Togashi Sakura. As for what I know of the darkness at work here, part or it is personal experience, and part of it is heresay. My pupil and I were staying in a village near by which came under attack by what I can only describe as possessed peasants. Those peasants fought more like animals, or madmen than actual peasant levies. During the fight, I noticed a dark figure in the distance observing us as we fought for our lives. Despite being only able to catch a glimpse, I could say that this mysterious stranger had ill intentions... Then, when the Crane troops arrived, those peasants all fell to the ground, like puppets whose strings were cut... Reiko-sama was here too, and though she did not saw the strange figure, a quick inspection of the place where it stood showed its mere presence had affected the ground and nearby tree... It would also seem that before this whole conflict started, people from the Lion and Crane Clans were attacked, and blame those attacks on each other. Seems someone wanted this conflict..."

Tohi bows to Reiko the perfect amount that her station demands, or was it a shade too shallow, hard to say. "Magistrate-Dono, I have been instructed by my mistress Bayushi Akami that my presence was required here. Hopefully I can provide some assistance during your investigations." as before his voice betrays no emotion.

Inara's memory flashed back to the vision given by the water kami the night before... glimpses of peasant fighters with hollow eyes. She shivered, listening closely, quiet anger deepening and taking the place of that flash of joy she had felt only moments earlier. She held that emotion tightly in check; it was not for the monk to feel.

"It seems,Togashi-san, that you share my thoughts on this matter. It does seem that something moves to drive the clans apart... and worse, I fear, given the degree to which the situation has already escalated." She turned to Reiko, meeting the Magistrate's eyes once more. "It is not my place to judge, but I agree with you, Matsu-sama. If your move is to end this battle, then we should not linger here longer than necessary. We can discuss this more... freely..." she glanced around at the people who had stopped and were milling nearby, trying to be discrete but still clearly intrigued by the sight of the delegation, "...from the trail. When you are ready, my Lady, we should be off."

Reiko stops to look at the young Scorpion. She frowns as she notices that he does not introduce himself, nor betray any hint of interest for what her mission might actually be, but most of all, she wonders where the scorpion clan's interests might lie in this situation. She resolves to keep an eye on him.
Well, mister no-face-and-no-name-san, I would very much like to know what you know about this case. Do you, or Akeha-San have any information on the attacks that have prompted this war?
As she talks, she climbs in the saddle of one of the horses
And Inara-san, I would like to know how you came to be here, and what you know about blood magic.
Reiko spurs on her horse, and leads the small party onwards.

Taking her cues from Reiko, Inara too chose one of the waiting horses and climbed into the saddle. She waited long enough to be sure the others had also mounted safely, then urged her mount to catch up with the Magistrate.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts; it was difficult enough to speak of such things, much less to admit she knew so little about it. "The truth, Matsu-sama, is that knowledge of the practice of blood magic is very carefully controlled. I know nothing of how it is practiced, all of what I know is completely based on what I know of the risks, not from proper study." She took a deep breath, clearly distressed and just as clearly trying to hide it. "I know that it frightens the kami, and causes them terrible pain. They flee in its presence, though whether it is only that or because the magic affects their bond to the land, I cannot say. Over the past few weeks, I have felt the kami grow distant, even within the borders of Phoenix lands. There were whispers of some darkness like this, but I could not believe them. I see now, that perhaps I was mistaken. The Council of Five sent me here to investigate, and to find some way to restore the kami to safety. We cannot afford to lose our connections with them, and... she hesitated, but settled on the full truth, and searched Reiko's eyes for some promise that there was more than idle hope here, ..."the kami are my friends, Matsu-sama. I have to help them, for their own sake as much as our own."

As Reiko turns to move to her mount a slight smile of satisfaction flickers on the scorpions face for a moment before his face returns to his neutral expression and he follows the short distance to where the mounts are located. "Forgive me magistrate-dono, I am Bayushi Tohi. I'm afraid I do not have much information to share, attacks on our trade caravans have been higher than normal of late but asides from that I am not aware of any information of significance to these matters. I am sure I can be of some small service regardless"

Suzume turns to Sakura before following the others. "Sakura-chan, see if you can find more information while we're gone. With the Phoenix and Scorpion Clans also interested in what's going on here, it confirms our own suspicions that something horrible is happening here. I have a feeling representatives of other Clans might also drop by Shiro Daidoji, so it might be best if you are here to discuss with them while I'm away."

Suzumen then hopped on one of the provided Rokugani ponies. "It's been a while since I rode one of those... Let's see if my training still holds up..." He spurs the pony forward, struggling a bit to maintain his balance on the back of the beast as he's a bit rusted, but after a few moments, his training kicks in and he manages to ride his pony well enough to catch up with the rest of the group.

Sakura bowed to her teacher, and quickly answered his last questions, she didn't want to disturb as he was about to leave for his own mission.
"Sumimasen Sensei, I don't really have more information about these attacks. Only ... People here seem to be saying that the attacks on the peasants were rather isolated incidents, which, according to rumors, is not the case regarding the patrols."

Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but observe the horses ... rather the ponies, by her own standards.
For Suzume, who knew her well, it was obvious that the mounts reminded the young girl of her origins ... and what she had left behind. As for himself, He was sure she did not regret having answered the Dragon's call. But sometimes memories of the past could turn out to be nostalgic. Especially since he himself would be very curious to discover the thoroughbreds with which his young pupil had grown up.

Serious and diligent, she bowed again to greet the assembling company.
"I will continue to investigate the servants, as you wish."

Kawanabi bustled about to float the Magistrates' banner, and in silence prepared to lead the small troop, since that same banner was to be the first sight of their convoy.
Reiko easily took command, and dispatched orders and questions to continue the ongoing investigation of the two magistrates, whether with the daughter of the Daimyo, or with the Shugenja of the Phoenix.

ASAKO Inara who had just arrived, accompanied by a bushi from the Scorpion clan. If the presence of the latter was not necessarily a surprise, the Scorpion having Taishikans everywhere, the tension, palpable within the group, nevertheless rose a notch, and the assistant Magistrate decided to keep a close eye on this new arrival.

DAIDOJI Akeha quickly climbed on her mount, and it was only once in the saddle that she informed the magistrate of what she even knew about these attacks at the origin of the war against the Lion clan.
"We found the corpses of our soldiers for each usual patrol that we sent to the edge of the border with the Lion clan, and each time in areas sufficiently far from any human presence so that there were no witnesses to these murders."

Once the small troop assembled and ready to leave, the departure was not long in view of the urgency of the situation. There was still a good 10 minutes of journey to reach the battlefield by galloping, and Reiko took the opportunity to exchange with the different clans present.

So, it was the 2 Magistrate Lions, the Dragon Ise Zumi, the Shugenja of the Phoenix, and the enigmatic Scorpion who took the road, accompanied by the daughter of Daimyo DAIDOJI, and 3 of his soldiers as an escort.

9 people on the march to stop a bloody war, which had already lasted too long, 9 people on the march, following the silent murmur the fate of the Rings had set in motion, like an echo of legends from other worlds.

10 minutes of journey during which the clamor of the clashes only increased, until becoming deafening, and for some, slightly distressing.

What was happening below was not a duel, was not codified, and the howls of the warriors, with the groans of pain, and the screeching of arms against arms, was further proof of the absence of harmony which extended in this period within the Empire.

In a few moments, DAIDOJI Akeha guided them to the heart of the Crane army camp, where the high command of the troops met.
"Please wait Magistrate-Dono, I'll let our generals know you're coming."
She wasted no time and slipped away.

The surrounding camp was occupied by reserve troops, particularly in charge of site security. A few hundred people who were responsible for taking care of the makeshift barracks, busy transmitting information to the generals, and preparing the infirmaries that would receive the wounded, when it would be possible to recover them.

While below, everyone could observe the ambient chaos that depicted the battlefield.

It was true that the tension within the group had grown a bit deeper, and Inara didn't fail to notice, nor did she miss the meaning behind the delicate interplay of words exchanged between the young Scorpion bushi and the Lion magistrate. As if the whole scenario wasn't tense enough on its own; Inara's nerves felt like drawn bowstrings, poised but filled with quivering potential energy. She focused instead on the movement of her mount beneath her; it had been years since the last time she found herself in the saddle, and it took most of her concentration to maintain a secure seat once Reiko set the pace at a gallop across the plain.

The wind rushing in her ears effectively masked most of the sounds of war until the little company came to a halt. The transition between the rhythm and flow she had felt during the ride, and the chaotic din now that they had stopped, was jarring, and the young Phoenix decided then and there that she hated it, and she longed for the serenity of her mountains and forests and libraries.

...a home, she reminded herself, that was at risk if the darkness at the center of this conflict was not resolved. There was no Magistrate of Jade to be found... and no other shugenja had joined them. Protecting what she loved most settled on her shoulders like a mantle as the gravity of the situation became clear.

Reiko and Suzume would soon be busy, she guessed, so Inara moved a bit closer to Tohi. Partly, to secure any last pieces of this puzzle they had available to them... and admittedly, because doing nothing was intolerable at the moment. "Bayushi-san, in your travels and your time in Crane lands, have you heard reports of any other... events... like what happened here last night? Any way to determine where this maho tsukai may have originated?"