We traveled toward my homelands to get Kuno a horse. I don not understand why he is given all the glory. It was my cousin who won the championship. He merely beat a silly Crane who felt dishonored by losing. On the way up the mountainous pass, we saw a small group of two sedan chairs, one samurai, and several foot soldiers flying a plain black mon. Kakita Asami is traveling with us at the request of her brother, the Emerald Champion. She assures us that the black Mon is not a true Mon. I got a very cold sensation as it passed. Something magical was inside the last sedan chair. Fuji was restless, and thought we should question, if not kill the entourage. Kuno insisted that we leave them alone.
We continued up the mountain, and arrived at a temple to see it ravaged by a brutal attack. A sacred item has been stolen, and unfortunately, the party under the black Mon is responsible. The item stolen is an archway that could be used to open a gateway to the shadowlands. It is imperative we get it back! That must be what was in the second sedan chair! A woman who claims to be a unicorn has joined the party. She claims her father was killed in the attack against the temple. There is something strange about her. Her horse is not as well taken care of, as a Unicorn's would be. She says she schooled with the Scorpions. I find this very interesting. I do not trust her. She dresses like a peasant, and acts strangely. I told Jekusu I don't trust her, and she promises to keep an eye on her. She said something strange to me though. She said that the Emperor controls the so-called ninja. Shinobi. Whatever. Could this be true?We are closing in on the treacherous thieves quickly. We should catch them by tomorrow. We stopped at the checkpoint and commandeered several unicorn horses so that we would move faster. It's a good thing to, for Fuji and Kuno's horses were looking quite haggard. We had to sleep on horseback in order to move faster than those we chase. Jekusu and I are fine with doing this. We were raised in the saddle, but I wonder how the others are doing. I wonder especially how Asami is doing. She is a courtier, and not used to traveling, let alone traveling this vigorously. We had to practically rip Kuno's arm off to allow her to come with us though. She has knowledge of the artifact we are to retrieve unlike the rest of us. She is imperative to our operation, much to Kuno's dismay. It is obvious she cares for him, but he treats her like dirt. She deserves far better. I wonder why Kuno acts like that. I believe he is afraid of something. Afraid of being hurt again, perhaps? I have heard that he lost the woman he loved out of deception at the fault of the Matsus. He still wears her jade necklace in remembrance.
We should never have allowed that strange woman to join our party. I was awakened this evening by odd noises. From what I gather, the Unicorn/Scorpion whatever she really is tried to kill Kuno. She shot Asami, and in her attempt to escape, I tried to shoot her. Fuji and Jekusu chased her down, but didn't find her body. Only her horse. We believe she is dead, but we can not be certain. Kuno was badly injured, as well as Asami. I inspected her wound, and it was not a mortal wound, but she was unconscious… until we came upon a monk who healed them. There was something strange about this monk. She wore all white, and she had some sort of aura about her. I am uneasy. I think we may run into her again. For now, we travel onward to our goal. We should catch up with the camp by morning. I pray the fortunes are with us. If we fail, these Scorpions (I am certain that's who they are) will take the artifact and use it to bring down the entire Empire. I also pray that if that traitor is alive, that she doesn't reach them before us. Warning them of our arrival would end in our own slaughter.
We caught up with the traitors in early dawn. They had not yet broken camp. Jekusu snuck up from the side of the road and took down several guards with arrows. Kuno, Fuji and I rode down on them like a waterfall. They had no idea where we came from, and had little time to do anything but take our blows. I summoned Osano-Wo's fury and blasted the enemies with lightening. The dark samurai emerged from his tent and Jekusu shot him with an arrow right through the mouth in his mempo. It was the most amazing shot I have ever seen or heard of! Kuno killed the other shugenja. Unfortunately, we were unable to find out whom they worked for, but we did acquire four yarimen that Kuno insists on keeping as an honor guard. Insane. Why would we keep minions of this evil man as an honor guard? We took the artifact back to the temple, and stayed several days for everyone to heal completely and to rest. I used the time to pray and study with the monks there. I suppose we have learned not to trust everyone in this little detour. We still have to ride on to the Iuchi Daimyo's castle and pick up Kuno's real horse and his soldiers. He will probably have an assignment for us there, I imagine. So we ride on, Fuji at my side, always protecting me.
The travels to the castle were uneventful - in comparison anyhow. We stopped at an inn, and while Kuno and Fuji went drinking, Asami set to work buying Jekusu and I new kimonos. She bought one for me that is emerald green with apple blossoms trailing down to the hems. It is quite exquisite. She also bought me a robe. Jekusu and I are going to pool our resources to buy her a kimono of excellent quality. Before Kuno led Fuji away to the sake bar, I gave Fuji a word of advice. I told him to drink slowly. To savor the taste and enjoy it. I wonder if he will ever realize what I meant. If he took my advice, he wouldn't have been drunk when he returned. That is what I'm working on. I don't mind that he drinks. I don't even mind that he gets drunk. I do mind, however, that he comes to my room expectantly in that condition. I sent him away and told him to come back when he's sober. I had the last room in the in, after all, and he and Kuno would have had to sleep outside in the courtyard. He did come back, but I made him sleep in the corner. I don't think he realizes why, but perhaps one day he'll learn.
Our small group finally arrived at the Iuchi castle. Kuno was greeted by the Daimyo, and taken in as if he were a prince, while Jekusu, Fuji and I were left behind to follow like foot soldiers. He has gained much glory and prestige in our travels, but that is no excuse for letting us hang back like that. We are his comrades, not his underlings. I guess everyone knows about Fuji and me now. Common knowledge, but none of their business. It's not as if we have time to spend together. We are constantly traveling. Kuno invited him to go to the sake bar with him but I gave him a look. A look that said quite clearly that he would have a better time if he stayed with me. He stayed, of course. It's almost as if he can read my mind at times. We took a walk through the gardens, and stumbled upon the Daimyo having tea with his wife. I was so embarrassed! I interrupted them most loudly. He invited us to join him. His wife is very beautiful. She is Gaijin though. I wonder how they met. The Daimyo turned out to be quite nice. A very just man. He is concerned that the Imperial Magistrate we are to take out tax collecting on the morrow intends to do harm to his people. I assured him I would do all that I can to make sure he doesn't. He anticipates some sort of trouble. He also insisted Fuji and I take rooms that join, and overlook the garden. So he knows about the two of us too. How does everyone know? Is it that obvious? I suppose that doesn't matter. We travel in the morning to do tax collecting with Kuno's new men.
The magistrate we are traveling with is a pompous ass! Everything went smoothly until we came upon a small family of farmers who's crop was washed away in a flood. They did not have the money for the taxes. He was going to slaughter the man and his entire family right there! It's a good thing I told Kuno of the Iuchi Daimyo's feelings about hurting his people. Kuno decked the bastard magistrate, and he went flying. It could have killed him had I not been there. I wonder what the punishment for murdering an Imperial Magistrate is? Kuno enlisted a few of the farmer's sons into his army in lieu of the payment of the taxes. On our way back to the castle, we spotted an army on the other side of the river. They rode Unicorn horses, but wore Gaijin armor, and carried cannon. Illegal cannon. It was up to us to stop them. I cast an earth spell to slow them down while Kuno took his men to the bridge to set up an attack. We practically surrounded them. Many were killed, many injured. Somehow, I came through it all unscathed. I called lightening down on their Shugenja and Fuji finished him off by bashing in the shugenja's head with his tetsubo. After the battle was over, I went through the other shugenja's scrolls. They were mostly maho magic, which I burned. There were two spells - The fires that purify, and Reversals of Fortune that were not. Strangely enough, I could read them. Could they have really been Unicorn warriors? And if so why dress like Gaijin? And why carry cannon? I don't think so. I suspect the Scorpions of this treachery.
Jekusu saved a man who fell into the river. It was one of them. One of the enemy soldiers. He refused to say who he worked for, and was forced to become a "pet" of sorts to Jekusu. She is to be held responsible for anything he does. When we returned to the castle, Iuchi's shugenja taught me the spell The Path to Inner Peace, in return for my fealty to Iuchi. Easy enough since he is an uncle of mine. Kuno and Fuji took off drinking, and I took a walk in the gardens. After all, it is healthy for Fuji to spend time with Kuno - so long as he doesn't adopt Kuno's attitude.Adventure seems to follow my comrades around. While I was out walking, I saw someone run across the roof, and into the window near the Daimyo's sleeping quarters. Luckily, Kuno was back and saw them as well. I brought the guards and we rushed to make sure the Daimyo was all right. Assassins broke into the castle and murdered Iuchi's magistrate, a Unicorn woman. Also killed was Jekusu's pet samurai. Obviously they came to finish him off so he wouldn't say anything to hurt their operation, and the magistrate was involved. The Daimyo is safe and unharmed. Jekusu chased another assassin out the window and across the courtyard on a rope to the outer gate, using her obi to slide down the line. She caught up with the assassin, but allowed the treacherous criminal to commit seppuku. I don't know why. The one she chased was the woman who spied on us, and betrayed us a few days ago. I can't believe she was still alive! I do know however, that she shouldn't have been allowed to take her life. It was the Daimyo's to take, not hers. She was a criminal and should have died as such. After a fitful night's sleep after the evening's events, we headed toward the Emerald Champion's castle. There Kuno will get new troops, and we are to drop off Asami. The Iuchi Daimyo gave me a gift, from his wife. It is a bottle of amber colored fluid. He tells me it's a kind of Gaijin sake. I will save it for a special occasion.