The faint ring of a gong from the Temple Quarter fought to be heard, giving the hour. Shosuro Misuro looked back at the gate, a frown creasing his features. As a captain in the Thunder Guard, he had expected to be asleep by now, not standing outside of the city walls, getting drenched. He had clawed his way up through the ranks, using any means he could get to be where he was.
Sitting outside the Gate of Oni's Teeth.
Any last vestiges of good humour he had were evaporating quickly, and he prodded the other guard with his yari, making sure he didn't have to suffer alone. The other guard grunted, and shot him a scathing glance.
"Stand up straight!" Misuro hissed. He would have said more, but the muted sound of metal rings jingling took his attention from the dampness of his armour, and provided him with a distraction. He peered down the road, towards the source of the sound. Anything that could take his mind off of the rain, he thought, was a good thing.
Tashiro lowered the rim of his hat, the rain running down it in rivulets. He peered hard through the rain, towards Ryoko Owari, but the City of Stories was barely visible through the darkness. He could see the wan light of the torches, which had been his only guide for the last few minutes, and the thought of a warm bath and sleep urged him on towards the gate.
Behind him, Oyuki huddled on her pony, close to exhaustion, a parasol keeping her dry in spite of the wind and rain. Tashiro cursed the rain for having prevented him from getting to the city before nightfall. He tugged the pony's reigns firmly, but the beast's panting informed him that it was as weary as he was.
As he approached the Gate of Oni's teeth -- named for the cruel, curved fangs that outlined the gate -- one of the guards stepped forward towards him.
"I'm sorry, but the gates are closed until morning." The guard did not even pretend to be apologetic; his tone suggesting he was used to getting his way.
"Cousin, it has been a long and tiring walk from Kyuden Bayushi. I have not rested in almost two days. Let us pass." Tashiro lifted his bamboo hat slightly, jade eyes peering at the man from under its rim. The guard wore the Shosuro mon over his heart, which was enough for Tashiro to show a moment's patience.
The guard drew himself up. "The gates are closed until morning. You will have to wait until then, or perhaps stay among the Leatherworkers if you really wish to get out of this rain." The guard paused for a moment, "However, there is a 'fine' for those who wish to enter the city after sunset."
Tashiro straightened himself with a weary sigh, giving the guard a dark look. "I am certain the 'fine' would be steep," he replied, "and unfortunately I am in no mood to pay it. However, I do believe I will be entering the city tonight, and tending to my sister."
The guard looked disappointed, which improved Tashiro's mood somewhat. He waited, shifting his position a bit and allowing his hand to slide silently down to the grip of his katana. The guard noticed the movement, and put his hand to his own katana, glancing over his shoulder at the other guard -- who was sound asleep.
Tashiro locked eyes with the man in front of him. "I am Bayushi Tashiro. I was born in Ryoko Owari and my actions are well known among our clan. If you do not let us pass, I will ensure that you be made to explain your actions to Hyobu-sama, even if you must do so from the Other Side. Give me your name, guard."
The guard hesitated a moment, taking his own stance. "I am Shosuro Misuro, captain of the Thunder Guard. If you ever want to enter this city, you had best mind your manners."
Tashiro heard Oyuki stir behind him, but kept his gaze on Misuro. His sister murmured, "Show him our papers, brother."
He straightened, reaching inside his robes, and presented Misuro with two scrolls, both bearing the seal of the Bayushi family. He allowed himself to look back at his sister as Misuro read the documents, and sighed wearily. "Gomen nasai, sister."
Oyuki smiled gently to her brother, and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "You tried your best, Tats-kun. We made it here, didn't we?"
Misuro coughed, and Tashiro turned to face him again. Handing back the papers, the guard replied, "These seem to be in order, but you will still have to wait until morning. I will call a magistrate to see you then."
Oyuki only half-listened to the guard, knowing that he would only accept a bribe before he would let them in before sunrise. Her brother was in no mood to play such games at this time of night, and she knew she would have to get involved before her brother just simply killed the man.
Calling on the spirits, she whispered her prayers, invoking the training the Soshi had given her and drawing on the secrets she had spent years in mastering. Feeling the spirits respond to her wishes, she looked up, seeing her brother's patience about to run out.
Oyuki placed her hand on her brother's shoulder again, to get his attention. She turned her gaze to Misuro, giving him a demure glance as she lowered her head in modesty. "I must apologise for my brother's short temper. It has been a hard journey for both of us, and he is in dire need of a chance to rest."
Her brother knew nothing of the spells she had trained hard to perfect, and as she talked, she watched the guard. She had petitioned his ancestors to turn their backs upon him, and now he was helpless against her most favoured spells. She bent his will to her words, siezing his mind.
"I ask you to open the gates for us, and let us into the city." She continued to speak, her true words hidden behind light apologies and humble explanations, "You will let us pass, and you will return to your post."
Misuro led them to the gate, and called out for the guards on the other side to open them. Tashiro watched him through narrowed eyes as the guard bowed and apologized for detaining them. Oyuki smiled to her brother, handing him the reigns to the pony.
As they entered the city, she turned back to Misuro, her spell still masking her words, "Thank you. Tomorrow, you will present yourself to Shosuro Jocho. You will challenge him to a duel, and you will use any method you can to see that he accepts. You will not draw your sword, however, and you will let him kill you."
As the gates closed, Tashiro nodded to the guards on the inside. He felt his temper subside as he began to lead his sister's pony through the familiar streets of the Temple Quarters, looking at the houses and the small shrines to several of the Fortunes. He glanced back at his sister as he walked, wondering exactly what she did , unsure if he ever really wanted to know. There were just some things best not shared with anyone, he thought, even your sibling.
She smiled as she caught his gaze, and reached down to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, brother." He relaxed under her touch, her words lifting the weight of conscience from his shoulders.
Tashiro first visited the temple of Bayushi, which remained open regardless of the hour. After paying respects to his ancestor, he brought his sister to her home in the Noble Quarter. Servants had been informed early of their arrival, and everything had been prepared ahead of time for them -- the bath warmed, food prepared, and care taken to ensure everything was perfect.
Oyuki slid out of her shoes at the front door, delicately stepping inside as Tashiro silently examined the outside of the building. He closed his eyes, recalling the last time he had visited this place. He had once asked his sister to sell the house for something smaller and closer to his place. Oyuki had laughed then, replying that the house was all she really had of her late husband's, and wanted to keep it in memory.
He rubbed his temples and opened his eyes again, before stepping out of his shoes and entering through the door. Servants bowed as he slipped out of his rain-soaked kimono, offering him a change of clothes before he joined his sister in the bath.
As he walked through the house, he could almost feel the eyes of Kitsuki Muramasa's spirit on him.
The moon was low in the sky, and the clouds had disappted as the night began to fade into the quiet of twilight. The sound of water dripping from leaves and from the eaves of the house was soothing, a faint rhythm that Oyuki used now to her benefit.
Oyuki knelt in the garden behind her home, clearing her mind and praying at the small shrine to Shosuro she had requested built. As her meditations and prayers drained the aches and pains of the long, weary trip from Kyuden Bayushi, she felt the shadows around her give her quiet comfort and a sense of peace. At the edge of her mind, she felt a movement among the shadows. She did not react however, having expected visitors.
Out of the shadows stepped a young man dressed in black. His kimono blended well with the darkness, but glittering among its silver threads were intricate representations of scorpions descending upon the various clans. His face was concealed by a well-carved oni mask, so that only his intense brown eyes could be seen.
"You are late," the figure whispered, his voice reminding Oyuki of a whet-stone sharpening a knife.
She finished her prayers to Shosuro, then turned her attention towards the figure and his silent, cloaked companion who still hid within the shadows.
"It is possible that those of my school might have been so kind as to not attempt to drown my brother and I on our journey here, if time had happened to be so critical." Oyuki measured each word before offering it to her guests, her voice soft. "However, I am here now, as you have asked." She examined her visitors, and allowed a playful, challenging smile to her lips. Her thin, gossamar veil rippled silently as a faint wind blew through the garden.
The second figure stepped now from the shadows and bowed. Oyuki recognized her friend from her training among the Soshi, but did not let her pleasure show yet, keeping her discipline.
Soshi Tomoko was a slim, athletic woman, her shugenja robes a woven tapestry of scarlet and black. She wore only a slight gauze over her eyes, keeping her attractive features visible. "Adveristy brings out the hidden strength in others, so that they may be judged." The faint amusement in her voice eased the last remnants of tension that Oyuki felt.
Oyuki allowed herself to smile now as she replied, "That is true, Tomoko-san. I am curious however, to know why we were asked to return so soon to Ryoko Owari after we were sent to Kyuden Bayushi? I had thought we were supposed to go to Otosan Uichi. This change in plans is a bit disconcerting."
Tomoko knelt beside Oyuki, whispering her own prayers to the shrine of Shosuro, while her dark companion remained still and silent. When she was finished, she turned her gaze to her friend.
"I had recieved signs that you and your brother have a long, hard road ahead of you. While the details are vague, I do know your destiny does lie in Otosan Uichi. Just not yet."
Oyuki puzzled over her friend's words. "You are beginning to sound like a Dragon," she replied, lightly.
Tomoko's smile faded somewhat, "Strange you should mention Dragons, Yukiko. That is exactly who you will be meeting." She examined the younger shugenja, her cold, brown eyes searching Oyuki's jade ones. "I fear your earlier game with Muramasa has taken a life of its own and threatens to swallow you."
"Earlier ga-?" Oyuki paused. "What do you mean? Does Tashiro know? Who suspects?"
Tomoko turned her gaze back to the small shrine. On it was a small figurine depicting the enigmatic and often contradictory ally of Bayushi. She admired that no matter how long you studied the carving, you could not tell if the figure depicted a man or a woman. You could not discern the age of the figure, or begin to guess how tall the figure would be if it was life-sized.
"Your brother suspects nothing," she replied, "and I believe he never will. However, Kitsuki Jungo has returned to Ryoko Owari from his sojourn to the Dragon lands, and has begun an attempt to learn the details of his brother's death." Her gaze turned to Oyuki once again, the shadows around the group fading as the sky began to lighten, the inky darkeness giving way to an incredible deep blue as dawn approached. "He is only, however, secondary to our plans."
Tashiro's room was spartan, only a simple futon to one side for him to rest in, and a table in the center of the room, on a mat, for people to kneel at and talk. On the table rested a go set, the game unfinished, and on the wall nearest the door was a stand for Tashiro's daisho.
Tashiro awoke the second he heard the screen to his room open. He remained almost perfectly still, one hand resting under the pillow on the handle of his tanto.
Faint steps walked across the floor to the middle f the room. Tashiro gripped the tanto, while his mind rapidly worked on remembering where he was. Once he recalled, he relaxed, recognizing the sound of his sister's steps.
"Ohayo Tats-kun!" Oyuki's voice cut through the air, causing him to flinch as she deliberatly hit a sharp note. "Good morning, Oyuki-chan." Relaxing his grip on the tanto, Tashiro sat up, rubbing his temples and wincing. He glanced outside, watching the sun begin its slow climb over the walls of Ryoko Owari. Turning back to his sister, he smiled, "I hope you slept well."
Oyuki knelt at the table as servants silently slipped into the room. Sake was prepared, and food laid out for the twins. The servants were quick and efficient, having lived under the harsh and demanding rule of Oyuki's late husband. Tashiro watched the proceedings for a few moments, then walked over to the table to join his sister, kneeling across from her.
His sister smiled as she sipped her sake, then glanced down at the go board, placing a stone down, continuing the game they had left off the previous night. Tashiro smiled in return, rubbing a sore muscle in his arm before picking up his own cup and sipping. It didn't take long for his sister to win.
After the game, a servant came to the door with Tashiro's change of clothing. He accepted these, and the servant indicated that the bath was now ready for use. Tashiro dismissed the servant, and waited for Oyuki to lead the way, falling into step behind her.
As they walked he looked around the house once more, again feeling Muramasa's eyes on him wherever he went. He hid his discomfort, and once they had slid into the warm, soothing waters of the bath, he turned his attention to his sister.
"Have you built a shrine to your late husband?" he asked. He had never asked about her husband before, nor had he ever approached the subject of Muramasa's death with Oyuki. Her surprise was evident.
Oyuki watched Tashiro for a few moments before replying. "No, I haven't. Do you think I should?" she asked, her attention now completely on him.
"I think it would be wise. It would most certainly put his spirit to rest, I believe." He hesitated, not finding a way to offer his sympathies, and still remain sincere. Instead, he finished, "I believe it was karma that he died that night."
He paused, sensing his sister's surprise at his words. "What's the matter?"
Oyuki seemed to gather herself, then waded through the water to sit beside him. He smiled fondly to her, and reached over to the side of the bath, taking the comb there so he could work her hair. As he began, he waited for her to reply.
"His brother's returned from Shiro Kitsuki. He has been assigned here as a magistrate before, I believe."
Tashiro continued to groom his sister's hair, giving no indication that this was any concern of his. He had never told his sister what he had done for her, and he was unsure if she knew his part in things. Was her words a warning to him, perhaps? After a moment, he set down the comb and began to braid her hair, a strange feeling of remorse washing over him.
Oyuki turned and looked up into her brother's eyes, as if sensing he was about to speak. She placed a finger on his lips, and gave him a quiet, proud smile. "Thank you for looking after me brother. Say no more."
Tashiro watched her step out of the bath and begin to dry herself. He turned back, looking out over the waters, then closed his eyes. Karma, indeed.
Kitsuki Jungo had spent two years in Shiro Kitsuki, studying the Scorpion Clan intently, learning how they performed in court, their psychology, and their beliefs. The guilt he felt in sending his brother, Muramasa, to Ryoko Owari was diverted into learning everything he could about the Scorpion Clan, in an attempt to find some meaning to his brother's demise. Two years of research and speaking with allies in the Emperial Assembly had given him precious grains of information, allowing him to believe that there had been more to Muramasa's demise than a simple chef's clumsy attempt at poisoning.
He believed that if he could gather the correct evidence, the Scorpion Clan would hand over the murderer in their midst, rather than risk a rift forming between the precious balance the Dragon Clan and the Scorpion Clan had developed recently. They would surrender his brother's killer, and Muramasa's death would be avenged.
Jungo had taken the time to prepare himself for the meeting he had arranged with Shosuro Hyobu, the letters from Doji Satsume, the Emerald Champion, in a scroll case at his belt signified him as an Emerald Magistrate. He waited as Yogo Osako, Hyobu's magistrate, spoke with the governess, informing the ruler of Ryoko Owari that he had arrived.
The doors opened and he walked in, giving Hyobu a firm, proper bow, before presenting his papers. Hyobu sat in a chair at one end of the room, Thunder Guards posted on either side of the door. Yogo Osako stood to one side of the long, narrow room, and to the other was the governess' son, Shosuro Jocho.
Jungo studied the people before them as his papers of introduction were given to Hyobu by her magistrate. The governess herself was cold, her expression guardedly neutral, as if set in stone behind the veil she wore over her face. Yogo Osako, on the other hand, kept her gaze on him, meeting him with an unfeeling stare of her own.
Finding nothing there but a growing sense of discomfort, he allowed himself instead to study Jocho. The young commander of the Thunder Guard had a relaxed, easy expression about him, and upon noticing Jungo's eyes on him, returned the look with a smile.
"Doji Satsume has sent you to Ryoko Owari as a magistrate under his orders?" Hyobu asked, handing the papers to Osako. Osako began to read the scrolls herself, expressionless.
Jungo bowed again. "Yes. I have been given leave to perform an investigation which requires me to be in this city. I believe -"
"I did not ask you what you believed, Kitsuki." Hyobu's eyes met Jungo's, and he could see the iron of her will as she continued, "I do not appreciate outsiders coming into this city, thinking they can conduct investigations or question my city's citizens without my leave."
"That is why I am here now," Jungo responded, taking the same hard, neutral tone that was being used by the governess. "I have been given permission to perform my duties, and I have the seal of the Emerald Champion to back me." Jocho shook his head and tsk'd at the Kitsuki, but otherwise kept his silence.
Hyobu sat straight in her chair, "Ryoko Owari is my city, not the Emerald Champion's. I keep order in my city, and anything or anyone who disrupts that order will be dealt with severly. If you wish to conduct an invetigation in my city, do not attempt to intimidate me with the seal of the Emerald Champion."
Jungo could tell that any further argument with the governess would be futile. "As you wish."
Tashiro opened the screen, stepping out of Oyuki's home. The sun was warm, and he took a deep breath, enjoying the morning. When he opened his eyes, he paused, watching in concern as a man walked up the steps towards him.
The man's head was shaven, and his kimono was a solid, uniform green and was bordered with gold trim. On his chest was the mon of the Kitsuki family, while on his shoulder was the mon of the Emerald Champion. It only took a moment for Tashiro to recognize Kitsuki Jungo.
Once Jungo reached the top step, Tashiro bowed low to him in respect. "Good morning." He heard Oyuki step outside behind him, and close the screen, but kept his eyes on the magistrate.
Jungo returned the bow, and Tashiro felt the magistrate's eyes search him. "Good day."
"I assume you are Kitsuki Jungo," Tashiro said, "I was informed of your presence in the city, but I did not think you would be visiting us so soon." Tashiro was glad that his mask hid the faint smile creeping over his lips. When he was in the city, he always wore a red cloth that covered his nose and mouth.
Jungo nodded once, then turned his attention to Oyuki. "You are Kitsuki Oyuki. Why do you wear the Scorpion colours and mon still?"
Tashiro stiffened a moment, but stepped aside so that he could observe. Oyuki was better prepared for the question, however, and a sorrowful expression danced in her eyes. She bowed to Jungo.
"It is unfortunate, Jungo-sama, but my husband was... unable to consummate our marriage before his death. I could not honestly say I would feel accepted among the Dragon Clan having been married less than three hours."
Tashiro hid his surprise better than Jungo did. Before the magistrate could ask anything else, however, he interrupted. "Pardon me, but we had just arrived last night, and there are things we need to do, Jungo-sama. If you might excuse us?"
Jungo examined Tashiro again, standing straighter. As he looked up into the Scorpion's eyes, he replied, "Of course. And you would be her brother, Tashiro?"
Tashiro bowed his head in response, feeling his muscles tense as under Jungo's scrutiny. "Yes, I am."
"I will speak with you later, then. I have unfinished business in this city." Jungo reached into the folds of his kimono, and drew out a scroll. "If you have any questions, I am certain this will answer them."
Tashiro looked at the scroll in Jungo's hand. "No, I do not think I have any questions yet. I will see you when I return." He turned, and walked down the steps towards the street, Oyuki following behind.
His first meeting with Jungo had taken much of Tashiro's good mood, but he tried his best to forget it as he walked through the gates out into the Temple Quarters. Oyuki walked beside him, lost in thought, and only after he began walking past the small shrines and temples, smelling incense and hearing prayers, did he begin to relax.
"Bayushi Tashiro!" came a call from behind him. He turned in surprise, a hand dropping to rest on the handle of his katana as he inspected the street. Oyuki turned as well, stepping behind her brother so that he may shield her.
Down the street two bushi approached. Both wore the Bayushi mon on their sword arms, they stopped once they reached him, bowing low. "Tashiro-sama?"
Tashiro bowed in return, "Hai."
One stepped forward, presenting a scroll. "We have been sent by Bayushi Korechika-sama to accompany you while you are in Ryoko Owari as a retinue."
Tashiro accepted the scroll, opening it to skim quickly. Satisfied, if a touch bewildered, he rolled the scroll up once more, and slipped it into his obi. "Very well. I will thank him myself later." He smiled as a thought crossed his mind, "I will need one of you to fetch my yumi and quiver from Oyuki-san's home. The other will accompany me to the Bayushi shrine."