Arc 5, Session 25, L5R

June 5th, 1119, Continued

 

The sea of battle threatened to drown the senses of the samurai. An ancient, unrecognizable stone made up the walls of the unfamiliar citadel, interlaid with ivory. Ikoma Choshi lay in a twitching heap on the floor, while one of Ych'tor'kin's arms hung like dead weight. Behind the group, Byako Ino stood next to an unfamiliar young bushi. The man had his hands pressed against what appeared to be a giant pearl, nearly as large as he was.

 

Thankfully, years of training saw each of our heroes muscles respond quickly to the situation. Though it tore his heart, Takeshi forced himself to focus on ending the threat before seeing to his protege. She surprised him then: using the last bit of her strength, she made a final swing of her no-dachi at the Naga facing her teacher. She slumped unconscious after.

 

Yudai & Megumi worked their trade upon the forces surrounding them. The Unicorn's scimitar clashed with one of Naga make as the Crab swung his tetsubo in wide arcs. Kiyuki & Hayata stood back to back, doing what they could to wear down their own attackers. Byako Nio defended himself at one end of the room, clearly struggling against a single foe. The Nezumi warrior had his sword knocked aside, but continued to fight with a paltry dagger.

 

By the pearl, the young samurai, a Falcon, cried out that he was nearly done. One of the Naga broke to swing at him in response. Seeing the young man & fox in danger, Kiyuki summoned forth a massive blast of wind. It smashed into the snake like a cannonball, smashing it against the wall at some height. Whether by this or the fall afterwards, its spine was broken.

 

Takeshi rapidly switched weapons as he stood over his fallen student. His bo staff shattered one Naga's fangs into nothing more than dust. Ych'tor'kin, quivering with ancestral fear & rage, leapt upon the last Naga in his reach, sinking his sharp incisors into its throat. A neck snapped under the force of Yudai's swing as an arrow skewered the final foe, from chin to the top of its skull.

 

At the same time, the Falcon sagged with exhaustion. Whatever magic he had been working on the giant pearl had run its course. A closer look showed that a large inky stain marred one side of its surface. The bushi rushed over to relay his findings as the samurai saw to their wounded. Most of her face mauled away, Ikoma Choshi still clung to life. Takeshi did what he could to staunch her blood-flow. It seemed likely she would live, though she would be horrifically scarred.

 

 In an eager tone, the unfamiliar bushi explained that the pearl seemed to be a form of "living spell", a container for a powerful magic. He was certain that it was the source of the time spiral the group found themselves trapped within. It was difficult to learn more, as the "stain" appeared to be sentient, occluding the situation. It seemed strangely familiar...

 

Kiyuki & Yudai asked the samurai to introduce himself. A look of confusion crossed his face before he did so: he was Toritaka Buro, & had been fighting alongside them for a few days now. Realizing that none of them recalled meeting him- yet- the party deduced this must be a glimpse of an event further along their timeline. Regardless, they pressed the Falcon for more information. He began to speak, when a chill washed over the group.

 

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Sunlight pierced their eyes an instant later. They were returned to the forest, on the edge of the rubble-laden clearing. Takeshi felt a weight lift off of his shoulders as he saw Ikoma Choshi was unharmed. In fact, she did not have any memory of the time flash. Kitsu Nari sagged with an exhausted sigh, caught by her apprentice. Apparently, she had worked a spell to safely return the group's minds to the present. As Matsu Domotai helped her sit, the old woman demanded a report. Moto Shozo could be seen puttering around the area on his own, occasionally poking at rubble with his naginata.

 

Though already tired of her abrasive demeanor, Yudai relayed what they had encountered within the time flash. While he did so, some of the others took tentative steps around what few ruins remained. It was hard to make out what the buildings may have been, but one thing was clear: they were made of the same stone & ivory from their recent jaunt.

Another section of the clearing was home to several massive, round stones. Each one was roughly half the size of the giant pearl they had seen, but bore the same unnaturally smooth shape. Megumi managed to find what appeared to be human footprints that led towards the orbs. She moved within their space before freezing in place. Even to someone unattuned to the spirits, she could sense there was a strange field of energy surrounding the stones. It felt similar to when they had moved through time, but slightly different.

 

The group investigated this together; every samurai present felt a low level of static across their forms. Kiyuki & Byako Nio posited that there may be a sort of "doorway" to a different plane, if one knew how to look for it. Kitsu Nari, though curious, suggested returning the next day. For someone who the fortunes instructed to save Kitsune Ryosei, she certainly seemed...aloof to the scenario. Still, she was but one vote. When she realized she could not make her way back to the village on her own, she begrudgingly agreed to help.

 

Yudai sat heavily in the midst of several of the orbs. While the others watched, Kitsu Nari guided him through a meditative chant. Each minute stretched on as her whisper-thin voice became white noise. Which made it quite the shock when Yudai suddenly opened his eyes & pointed at Matsu Domotai.

 

"You. You will assist me with this." No explanation followed.

 

There was a beat where it looked like Takeshi & Kiyuki wanted to slap the back of the Crab's head. His people cared little for Courtesy, but the reaction to his brusque statement was obvious to the more well-heeled samurai. 

 

Predictably, Kitsu Nari drew herself up as if someone had mistaken her for a peasant. Matsu Domotai quietly began to speak, attempting to refuse Yudai's proclamation- only for her teacher to backhand in the mouth. The student held a hand to her reddened cheek, staring dutifully at the ground. A proper, respectful samurai. 

 

Biting back bile, Takeshi cut in with some soothing words for the elder Lion. Surely, the Crab was simply letting the importance of the situation override his ill-practiced skills at propriety. After a few more tense moments of such speech, Kitsu Nari allowed Takeshi to guide her away to rest from her earlier spell. 

 

The pair of elder Lions discussed the...treatment of Matsu Domotai. Was it not a teacher's job to care for their legacy like a bonsai tree? Pruning when needed yes, but ensuring they flourish as well? Kitsu Nari scoffed at the suggestion, seeming offended at the idea that her attendant would show any merit as a student. No. Kitsu Nari had been guided to these woods by her ancestors, just as she had been guided to Matsu Domotai. Not as a student- as chattel. Before she could further explain, the next attempt at the meditation begun.

 

Timidly, Matsu Domotai took up her teacher's vacant spot across from the Crab. She recited the words at a slower pace with a touch of doubt. Yet the surprising strength of this pairing could not be denied; a scant few verses had been meditated upon when a resounding crack rang out. A fissure of white light had split one of the nearby orbs.

 

No one seemed more surprised at this then the Lion student. Both Byako Ino & Kitsu Nari were able to probe the fissure with their minds; it was confirmed by the spiritualists that this led to a "pocket dimension". Our heroes wasted no time. One after another, they reached their hand into the glow of the light- disappearing.

 

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The light faded. Where they now stood reminded them of their most recent vision, only...less substantial. This looked to be the interior of a small Naga building. Or, at least, the memory of one. Before they could begin to take stock of their surroundings, they were met by the sound of a katana drawn from its sheath.

 

A young samurai of the Falcon clan had moved away from the shadows on the wall. His blade was leveled at the intruders, both hands steady on the hilt. Around his neck, Kiyuki spotted a fox charm made of jade. Behind him were the forms of a Dragonfly merchant & Kitsune Ryosei- both asleep. The Fox Daimyo had a bandage of fabric bound across her right eye, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

 

Yudai quickly diffused the situation by addressing the samurai by name. Toritaka Buro appeared just as confused as he had in their earlier time flash. Seeing him lower his sword point some, Kiyuki joined in to explain that the group had been sent to rescue Kitsune Ryosei.

 

Though still a bit discomfited, the Falcon sheathed his katana & moved to wake his charges. Both of his companions appeared relieved to see friendly faces. The Dragonfly merchant stood & bowed, introducing himself as Teruteru. Aside from his clothing, he bore little else. 

 

For her part, the Fox's mouth gaped in confusion as she recognized her saviors. When she was able to stammer out her questions, Kiyuki gave her the barest of explanations: they could talk more once they had returned to the Nezumi village. The Daimyo nodded with a chagrined expression & moved to follow.

 

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Once more, the samurai stumbled back into Ningen-do. Yudai thanked the Lion student for her assistance. In turn, she bowed low & claimed that any thanks were due to her teacher's skills in training her. To the side, Kitsu Nari imperiously sniffed.

 

By this time, Lord Moon was readying to marshal forth. Ych'tor'kin led the way through the jungle growth as our heroes caught their charges up on recent events. In turn, the Falcon & Fox shared their own tales.

 

Toritaka Buro was a Falcon Yojimbo. Unlike some Falcon, he possessed the spiritual sight his people were known for. His skills were primarily in identifying & speaking with spirits, rather than dispelling them. He was one of a handful of guards hired by Teruteru & the other members of his merchant caravan. When their troupe had been ambushed by giant spiders- which he named "Inugumo"- only the two of them had managed to escape to safety.   

 

Kiyuki inquired as to how & why the pair had ended up in the pocket dimension; the Yojimbo explained that the spiders ceased to chase them quickly after their escape, leaving them free to head where they may. In a thoughtful voice, he said that he felt drawn to something in the Naga clearing. Something that gave him a slight sense of safety & familiarity.

 

The Daimyo had easily found her way to the caravan, as it had traveled by the main road. Some Inugumo had apparently been lying in wait for her arrival. When the spiders attacked her, they almost seemed to be forcing her to flee in a set direction. Conversely to her fellows, the Inugumo pursued her all the way to the field of stone orbs. Even as she fled, she could acknowledge that it felt planned, intentional. Aside from the general feud between spiders & kitsune, she knew of no reason why she was targeted so.

 

Food had been left for the group at Ie. Ych'tor'kin bid the samurai good night as he went to tell the Rememberer of the day's events. As the group spread & settled, several private discussions were had. 

 

Takeshi spent a few minutes making plans for the next day with Teruteru. Kiyuki spoke with both the Fox & the Falcon briefly. Kitsune Ryosei seemed deeply upset after her discussion with Yudai, pulling rank to end send him away. Coincidentally, both Megumi & Takeshi felt similarly after their own talks with Moto Shozo & Kitsu Nari, respectively.

 

Hayata spent time before sleep placing a threshold barrier on the entrance to the Nezumi warren. True, the rats could not be afflicted by the Taint themselves, but that did nothing to stop a corrupted beast from dealing out death. 

 

As he worked on this, G'luc'luc'ts appeared to sleepwalk out of the entrance. The Tortoise debated guiding her back to rest, but her half-open eyes fixed on his efforts. She asked if she could help him in a quiet voice. 

 

Momentarily taken aback, the cartographer gently began to teach her his ritual. The young Nezumi picked it up with a fair amount of competency, & soon the entrance was sufficiently warded. They stared at their handiwork in silence for a brief moment. 

 

"I see you helped. You helped copper men," she whispered. She turned to look at Hayata's face. "You are good samurai." When she hugged the Tortoise, he seemed genuinely, surprisingly, touched. G'luc'luc'ts returned to her home- just as Yudai exited it. Was it Hayata's imagination, or was the Crab's face a bit more tense than usual?

 

There wasn't much time to think on this, as Kiyuki bumped into the Tortoise before he could engage Yudai in conversation. Shortly afterwords, Megumi sought out the pair. She ensured no one was nearby to overhear the conversation, before she asked for their aid.

 

Playing to his ego, Megumi had gotten Moto Shozo to explain more of his planned ritual to her. He did so in a condescending fashion, as expected. While a portion of the process involved a ritualistic bag of herbs he was preparing, the most important component would be Megumi's duty to obtain when the time came. A duty that her growing friendliness with the Nezumi would make all the easier.

 

As the final ingredient, he explained, was the souls of 10 or so Nezumi children.

 

If he were able to bind the rats spirits to the main pathway, their inborn protection against the Taint would work to repel evils from harming those on the road. Why children specifically? The younger the sacrifices were, the less corrupted their beings were from the earthly realm. It all made perfect sense, really.

 

Needless to say, this did not sit well with Megumi, leading her to now. Her lord had directly ordered her to aid Moto Shozo in completing his ritual. She could not. Would not. And so, she asked the pair to distract her charge the next morning, that she might do away with his supplies.

 

Scarcely had she left when Takeshi approached from his tent. Unaware of the discussion with Megumi, he, too, had come to ask for assistance.

 

Leaning on their earlier "commiserating", Takeshi asked Kitsu Nari more about her relationship with Matsu Domotai. Flippantly, she informed him that Kitsune Ryosei was Tainted. The drill instructor pressed further once he processed his shock. 

 

The Kitsu ancestors had told the scholar of this when they instructed her to visit Shinomen Mori. The nature of the spell trapping them afforded them certain opportunities, you see. With time itself permeable, a near-forgotten Phoenix spell could be attempted. The Fox Daimyo need not have been tainted- if someone else had been instead.

 

Hence, Matsu Domotai. The "student" had not been informed of the true reason for her presence. Kitsu Nari had been chosen her for three reasons only: her young age meant her sacrifice wouldn't cause any turmoil amongst the clan, while her age & shape were a close match for Kitsune Ryosei. Takeshi asked if the "body doubling" was necessary, or simply beneficial to the spell's possible success. 

 

While he did not have the magic knowledge to debunk the scholar's insistent confirmation, Takeshi had spent enough time in courts to know how to spot a liar. He chose not to let on how he truly felt, & instead left to seek out less reputable company. It would be ideal, he explained, if he could have a private conversation with Matsu Domotai the next morning, to let her know her teacher's plans. 

 

Would, perhaps, the pair be able to perhaps distract Kitsu Nari for a short while the following morning?

 

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June 6th, 1119

 

Overnight, the samurai shared another time flash. Brief, disjointed, but easy enough to interpret. From above, they saw the merchant's road through Shinomen Mori. Dozens- no, hundreds of caravans were moving across the well-trod trail. Safe. Healthy. Protected. By the lingering spirits of 10 Nezumi children...

 

If it were at all possible, Megumi woke with even more fire in her breast than the day before. So far, the "forward" time flashes had all been likely-to-certain futures. Knowing that Moto Shozo's ritual would greatly benefit the Empire if it were performed did nothing to quell her visceral disgust. A proper, respectful samurai would have no trouble making such a sacrifice. So, then, the question: was Megumi a proper, respectable samurai?

 

Hayata & Kiyuki gathered both Kitsu Nari & Moto Shozo for a breakfast discussion about the spell ensnaring the group. Both shugenja were quite haughty & dismissive throughout the conversation. The spirit-queller seemed on the verge of leaving... until Hayata mentioned teaching the Nezumi Rokugani magic. Something about this idea irked him to the point that he began to expound upon the many, many reasons such a thing was a terrible idea.

 

Megumi used this time to enter Moto Shozo's tent. His condescending lesson the night prior had given her enough information to find what all he was working with. She wrapped the ingredients in fabric & carried them off into the brush. Alone, in the unruly forest, she watched them burn in silence.

 

Meanwhile, Takeshi was able to spend a few moments explaining Kitsu Nari's proposed spell to her "chattel". Matsu Domotai was clearly deeply affected, but insisted that this must be the duty she was meant to fulfill for her clan. Takeshi shot down her rationale without hesitation. For now, he instructed her not to let Kitsu Nari know she had discovered the truth. And when the time came, they could ensure that the correct person covered the spell's debt.

 

A'gon'flii found Yudai shortly after breakfast. It came as no surprise when the Rememberer remarked that he was happy that "the Hida Crab spoke" last night. No one else overheard this discussion to divine its providence.

 

It was still relatively early in the morning when Takeshi left the village with Teruteru. Both Ikoma Choshi & Toritaka Buro accompanied them. It didn't take long for the quartet to make their way back to the site of the caravan's disaster. Leaving the student & guard to collect what goods could be salvaged, the bushi & merchant walked a bit off-trail.

 

Teruteru took his time studying the surroundings. There was a specific tree, one he had marked...in time, the marker was found. From a shallow pit before it, the Dragonfly pulled forth a small rectangle, wrapped heavily in layers of oilskin. 

 

This, he explained, was the package Takeshi had asked after yesterday, the package belonging to lord Ikoma Yuto. Nervously, the merchant asked if the Lion knew the contents of the package. Takeshi replied offhandedly that he was sure whatever illegal or illicit book his master had ordered was of no interest to him. Strange. This just seemed to make Teruteru more anxious.

 

"Just, please, ah," he sputtered out. "Uh, make sure to keep it away from any open flame." Having already turned to trek back to the caravan, Takeshi stopped dead. The sounds of the forest seemed to grow louder in the pair's silence.

 

"Merchant," he said over his shoulder. "What. Is. It." Thoughts on how to respond warred across the Dragonfly's face. To tell could be considered quite a breach of contract...but when weighed against the risk of accidental death if the package were mishandled...

 

Gathering his courage, Teruteru audibly swallowed in worry.

 

"Why...it's gaijin pepper."