《Akuma no Ran》 Chapter I: Death of the Last Hero It had long been customary for the village near the end of Autumn to parade the goddess¡¯ portable-shrine with the head-priest (Kannushi) riding ahead as her herald. This had been the custom for nigh on a century since the time of the legendary Takimoto no Yoshinobu, the valiant hero who had rescued the northern marches from collapse. This festival timed itself quite well with the end of the harvest season when snow became more of a problem than the suns¡¯ or the rainy season¡¯s never-ending deluge. The date being set on the twenty-second of the tenth month and lasting until the end of that month, it was a source of much appreciated stability for a locality tormented and rest asunder by endless wars. Others might look forward to the spring or summer festivals but there were southern lands far away from the northern frontier which was to them little more than an afterthought in Autumn (if that). Excited for the end of the year that was contrary to some a source of immense excitement. Such was their excitement that in every thatched house the sound of women and children singing could be heard long before and after the day¡¯s work. Thus it was both the first and last sound the men heard when they awoke and later went to sleep, so that even in their dreams the season¡¯s song echoed still. The song was an older one, older still than the oldest villager elder, so that it had developed into what seemed no less a member of the town than old Sugihiko or Shizuko the blacksmith¡¯s daughter. ¡°Autumn, autumn, In the forest, mountains and villages, As far as one can envision, Along hills and ridges, Cold in spite of the rising suns¡¯ Crimson leaves, crimson leaves, No longer in full bloom art the leaves, Autumn, autumn, Across orange skies, As far as one can envision, Along hills and ridges, Cold in spite of the rising suns¡¯ Come hither, go thither, Let us go and crush the leaves Underfoot!¡± Warm and inviting as this song was, it in no way was a proper means by which one should judge the people of Midorinoki, to the contrary. Where many of those who had colonized the north in recent decades were a kindly if fierce people, those of this particular locality were not. Hardened as much by nature¡¯s icy claws as by frontier life they had become a harsh people, prone to suspicion towards others as much as they were ungrateful towards their nominal liege-lord. Nominal only because of how often his other duties drew him southwards due to his need to guarantee he had the ongoing support of the Imperial Court. To most of these people this was intolerable and was a favourite topic of discussion, especially for those who all but lived in the nearby shushi (tavern) known as the ¡®Kome no Hana¡¯. The shushi in question was a large one consisting of a duo of square buildings, one where all may drink and a rear one for where guests sometimes stayed. The owner old Moriyoshi, was an old curmudgeon one who was half-Emishi and half-Yamatai, who had lived in Midorinoki for well over seventy years, and toiled at his rectangular, shushi for most of those decades. It was the night before the planned festival that one of the more boisterous regulars aired his feelings on the matter in the loudest manner imaginable. ¡°The wolves gather all about us and still we are told to wait! Still we are expected to wait meekly for rescue all the while he dances and sings needlessly for the court!¡± There were some cheers and some murmurs of agreement with him, as those around him glumly bowed their heads in morose dread. None knew quite what to say nor did they know how the rumours of the fall of all the northerly forts of Mittsu province had begun. Though none wished to believe them (such a thing being too terrible to believe), they had nonetheless begun to realize that which ought to have been apparent from the time they were born; there was no such thing as safety. There was however one dissident voice that rose up in disagreement with Shinsuke (the current drunk responsible for turning the conversation against their liege), the voice in question was that of Gon. One of the eldest of the locals, he was infamous for his love of drink along with his love of gambling a pair of flaws that had won him much criticism despite how well-liked he was in the locality. At this time he had not yet imbibed all that much, on account of his having only just arrived after a gruelling day in the fields, and so he spoke mildly. ¡°Certainly you speak true when tendering criticism against the Court; however our Lord is a man of integrity and honour. Therefore it is hardly becoming to continuously speak of the flaws and mistakes of others.¡± Seated at the front of the shushi not far from where Shinsuke stood now, the square interior was one in which there was plenty of space for the guests to wander and mingle. There were cushions of the poorest quality placed before the twelve tables, some were in the shadows and others near to the entrance. The shushi¡¯s cushions were not of the best sort though as they were rough things made of cloth wrapped around old thatch, Ishi the Master of this place could have replaced them. He was once a rather successful carpenter who had helped to rebuild the local monastery after it burnt down some thirty years ago. There was also a bar for guests to seat themselves also with only the favourites of the old man liking to do so, amongst them of course was Shinsuke. To one side there was a door that led to the kitchens through which Ishi often disappeared along with his wife, and just a short distance ¡°All know of your respect for our Lord a respect we all share however why in spite of this has he not appeared herein the north, to rescue us from the barbarians plaguing us?¡± The younger man demanded furiously, hirsute and muscular it was no great wonder that he had daunted so utterly and completely so many of his fellows. ¡°Mayhaps, he is on his way,¡± Proposed a new voice, this one far harsher and sharper than the raspy voice of old man Gon. ¡°I doubt that,¡± Old man Neru snorted, the uncle by marriage to Shinsuke, he was closer to the youth than the man¡¯s own father, and could always be founding agreeing with him no matter the issue or topic. ¡°I have lived here for well over sixty years, and have observed how over the course of the past thirty years since the Former Eight-Years War he has changed from young hero to elderly disgrace.¡± The man from the south who had spoken up from deep within the shadows, and who sat to the rear of the small shushi leant back. He was quiet, not that this bothered the men of Midorinoki, turning away from him they considered the matter settled. Only Gon sought to continue his heroic defence of their feudal-lord if feebly so, ¡°Certainly he has turned his attention south in recent years yet it could also be possible that he intends to gather his banners head and is currently en route hither to our defence.¡± Several of those around him guffawed at those limp words, as Gon sagged in defeat alongside those few men who wished to keep faith in Yoshinobu-dono[1]. Hardly of a nature to let a beaten dog lick his wounds in peace, Aoki, Shinsuke and their friends did not simply snigger but were to taunt them all the more. ¡°Oh come now Gon, even you must think that unlikely!¡± The shushi-master sneered. ¡°Agreed, and do you know why he will not ride to our rescue against those filthy Emishi? Because he is a coward!¡± Shinsuke shouted wherefore he took a long draft of his sake bottle foregoing as always the use of a cup. At present the stranger leant forward once more, his feet falling from where he had set them upon another table. His manner was colder than a snow-squall in the dead of winter. ¡°Shinsuke retract thy words at once.¡± ¡°What? Why would I do that?¡± Shinsuke demanded with a snort. Silence. The outsider though could be seen shifting among the shadows, doing so with nary a sound being made not that many of the patrons realized what it was that was afoot. ¡°Our Lord has abandoned us long ago,¡± Neru sneered disdainfully. ¡°Exactly, and do you know why that is strange? It is because Yoshinobu is a lout.¡± Shinsuke jeered mockingly, wherefore he drank deeper. ¡°Do not insult him, and do not utter his name in so vulgar a manner,¡± the outsider hissed at his most venomous, and so softly that most did not hear him. Snorting ins disbelief, the drunkard and his friends were to insult and worst of all they repeated their accusations of loutishness and cowardice. It was when their drunken leader went on to utter once more the name of Yoshinobu that a new hissing sound was heard, one akin to a serpent. Sudden as the eruption of a volcano or a wolf snapping the neck of a wayward deer, the shadow struck Shinsuke¡¯s head from his broad shoulders. Others might well have screamed or offered resistance in some manner had the steel katana of the stranger not slashed across Neru¡¯s chest, ending his life. Next was Ishi the master of the shushi was to fall also just before a single one of their mirth-filled friends so much as moved to attack the shadow. It took the outsider less time than it might have another man that which takes to take a single swallow of white rice to end the lives of those who had insulted Yoshinobu. When he had finished his violent work, the shadow who was not a shadow wiped his katana clean upon the upper part of the kimono of Shinsuke while all those who survived looked on from where they had taken refuge behind a dozen tables stared on in horror. The stranger sheathed his blade in a casual manner, smiled tightly at those around him, ¡°Takimoto-dono as I said is en route. I am but a scout, and think it might be best to clean this place and to prepare the village for the arrival of our Lord.¡± ***** To the local people, who had not seen the Lord of the lands of Mittsu to which they were officially attached to, they were filled with expectation. They could not help it, as they awaited the man who had ridden down the likes of King Pauchi, nigh on thirty years prior, in the fields of Midorinoki Fields. A man who had despite the most overwhelming of circumstances, numbers and lack of proper support from the Imperial Court, seized victory. So that to the local people on the frontier, he was more than simply a man; he was a half-god. What none of them had expected to see, as they raced to either side of the road, or to stand just outside the pub to await him, was the plump figure a-horse before them. Murmuring amongst themselves, they could not help but feel quite a bit disappointed by what it was that they saw. Fat, with his neck having over the years seemingly disappeared, Yoshinobu was dressed in his recognisable crimson armour from his youth, with his war-helm on his round head. He looked closer to a large ball than to the heroic figure from thirty years prior, with even his moustache once short having grown larger so that it stretched from jowl to jowl. His body was to jostle with every movement of his large war-horse, so that a great many had to resist the urge to snicker as they watched him. Doing so behind their hands, or as they bowed their heads as he moved past them, his thousands of retainers, house-hold guards, ashigaru (that is to say footmen), bushi-archers and standard bearers. If they dared to mock the man himself, none dared to mock the kanji that dominated his great scarlet war-helm. It was the character for Gi. Piercing some with his dark burning gaze, Yoshinobu if he noticed how some sniggered did not say anything. Whether out of comprehension that he was not the same man he was, or because of that very sense of duty and morality that decorated his helm none could say. Fanning himself with his small folding fan, Yoshinobu was to urge his men onwards with a backwards glance to them. It happened that a great many of his men, currently struggling through the mire on foot and a-horse alike, each of them looking to him with nary any of the doubt that plagued the villagers. Others might have looked to him and been filled with scorn, or some sense of dismay, but not they. They had fought with him, had fought for him and had only ever known complete and utter faith in him so that to each of them, he was more than some distant figure or hero. He was akin to a father to them. It was with a moue of displeasure, at the expressions on the peasants¡¯ faces that he was to call out to his deputy, ¡°Satomine, tell the men to pick up the pace, I have no desire to stay in this place.¡± ¡°Yes Tono[2],¡± His banner-bearer and deputy acquiesced, wherefore he turned on his horse to shout out their liege lord¡¯s instructions. The men for their part grumbled. Try as they might to keep from sinking into the muddy road, they could not quite succeed half as well as they might have otherwise liked. Fond as they were of their lord, this particular order served to annoy them a great deal more than even he knew. ******* The army was to settle itself on a hill six leagues outside the village, a distance that Yoshinobu felt to be appropriate. The place the army was to settle itself upon, was a hill overlooking the village, with only a local monastery (that which Midorinoki belonged to) which was located even further uphill from their own position. Familiar with the area, Yoshinobu had against all advice preferred to place them just to the south of the shrine. Thousands of tents had been established thereupon the hill, with more than twenty thousand men occupying the region, milling about and sharpening their arrows. Others were more interested in preparing food, in the cutting of trees, in order to turn them into palisades, arrows and spears. Not a single man lazed about, or otherwise did aught else than busy themselves with preparations for the battle all knew was to come. At the centre of the encampment, stood the tallest of all the tents, one which was crimson and prouder than any of the others that had been erected all around it. It was within this tent that Yoshinobu had taken up residence, having aided in the erecting of the tent himself, so that he sat now inside, removing slivers from his large hands. ¡°We really ought to have moved to occupy the temple,¡± Takimoto no Hidemasu grumbled, the good-brother of the general, as he paced the length and breadth of the tent. Hidemasu was a large man, with broad shoulders and a prominent forehead, he had narrow eyes, a more muscular build and an air of severity about him that rarely ever set anyone at ease. This along with his disapproving gaze, thick moustache and retreating hairline had won him the nickname ¡®the grasshopper lord¡¯. Older than him by almost a dozen years, Yoshinobu was to recline in his seat ever so slightly, enjoying the feeling of a full stomach after weeks of marching. An inveterate warrior by nature, there was naught that he enjoyed more than being out on campaign, especially if it was for the glory of His Eminence and to help his people. But the worst part about a campaign these days, he thought to himself was the part where he was on horseback for weeks without end, and forced to always eat or rest in a hurry. ¡°To have done so, would have only alienated the locals,¡± Yoshinobu replied in a more moderate tone, patting his belly and stretching like a large housecat. ¡°I have little doubt that temperance and compromise with the local shrine and people, will once again prevail as it did twenty years prior.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Hidemasu grunted disapprovingly, ¡°Our present position is hardly defensible though. We are out in the open; near to the mountains without being near enough to enjoy the high-ground. Almost below the shrine, which stands atop the hill and to the south lies the village of Midorinoki with farm-fields and open fields in that direction also and with forests lying to the east and west. What do we do if the enemy should strike from those directions? What then, Yoshinobu?¡± ¡°You wish to know what we will do, in the event they strike from the forest?¡± ¡°Yes indeed.¡± ¡°We shall crush them.¡± Yoshinobu answered simply to the disgust of the younger man, who looked on him with the frustration of a restrained stallion that wished only to break loose. ¡°Long have I looked on you as one would a brother,¡± Hidemasu replied quietly, never a man to mince his words and never one to speak falsely with the husband of his older sister. ¡°But if I may, I do think that you have perhaps become conceited if you truly do believe that the Emishi, will not pounce on such an opportunity.¡± Yoshinobu¡¯s lip twitched, in a show of displeasure one that any other man might have fled at the sight of. All knew the ferocity of Yoshinobu¡¯s temper, one that had set even courtiers in flight from his presence, despite his being little more than a bushi in their eyes. Quietly dabbing at his lips with a cloth, always a man eager to be seen as civilized when not in the midst of battle, he was to say to his friend. ¡°All know that the Emishi are dangerous foes. They are sly, ferocious and are kindred to those of us from the provinces. And none know this better than I, however if I may say so; I do not think they have reached so far south as Midorinoki.¡± ¡°You assume too much,¡± Hidemasu countered sharply. ¡°And you doubt too much, Hidemasu,¡± Yoshinobu snapped with equal severity so that the younger man fell silent, daunted by the fury that flashed to life in his friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°I do not mind if you contradict me, however at present this disagreement between us grows tiresome. Leave me, I wish to sleep now, as I am quite tired.¡± Hidemasu opened his mouth, closed it then glared at his good-brother and might well have stormed out at that exact moment, if it were not for the return of a guard, from elsewhere. Coughing out of embarrassment the guard was to speaking with many, ¡®excuse mes¡¯ and ¡®do excuse mes¡¯, before he entered the tent. The guard who entered was dressed in blue armour, with a large helm on his head, his face flushed redder than Hidemasu¡¯s own raiment. Apprehensive at the notion that he might have interrupted some urgent discussion between the two lords, the man who entered fell to one knee before his liege. Saying as he bent the knee, ¡°Tono, do forgive the sudden intrusion but I have news from Akayama-dono of Shiro Province.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, does he have some minor complaint to make?¡± Yoshinobu was to ask him sharply, a worried furrow to his brow. ¡°He wished to communicate his desire to station extra guards along the forest to the east, and also to have the forest patrolled in the event that the Emishi should lead an ambush through it.¡± The messenger informed him, which pulled a pointed look from Fujimori no Massanoki. Yoshinobu for his part, was to consider this knowledge and while he gave a hefty sigh, one that seemed to tumble out from the very depths of his being. It was while he rubbed at his bearded chin that he was to give the matter some thought. ¡°So Akayama-dono, wishes to patrol the forests and maintain a guard? I do not trust that old man.¡± ¡°His son seems stalwart,¡± the messenger piped up faithfully, only to flush red when he saw their eyes fall upon him once more. It was at this time that he despite how visibly daunted he was by their sharp gazes, was to add, ¡°Not that he is much more impressive in his virtuousness than thy son, Yoshitada, tono.¡± The latter statement was delivered with a bow of his head, one that brought forth a smile from the older man, who looked on him with a certain fondness. Amused by the timidity of his messenger, he was to glance to his good-brother to find the other man glowering at the youth. Shrugging a pair of massive shoulders, he was to remark with a raised brow, ¡°And what say you, Satomine?¡± ¡°What say I to what, tono?¡± Satomine asked of his liege, confused. ¡°To the message from Akayama-dono?¡± ¡°Do not ask him, brother he is but the son of a lowly footman!¡± Hidemasu objected disdainfully. Satomine for his part, flushed even redder as his cheeks burnt with the humiliation cast upon him by the middle-aged warlord¡¯s words. He might well have liked to take up the blade against him, might well have enjoyed punishing him, yet he did nothing of the sort. His was a lowly birth as mentioned, and he knew that because of that he had nary the right to so much as answer back, let alone bare steel against the other warrior. Thankfully, the plump hero of the prior war was of a considerably more sympathetic disposition towards him. Saying as he reclined a little, stretching out with his arms and yawning as he did so only to excuse himself and repeat himself. ¡°I meant my faithful Satomine; what do you think of Akayama-dono¡¯s proposed plan? Should I allow him leave, to do as he pleases? Or should I forbid him and hold fast to my faith in my own perception of the situation?¡± At this question Satomine froze. Aware that his decision might greatly impact that of his liege-lord, he was to chew and stew on this particular dilemma for some time. Whole ages could well have passed without aught more than a passing glance on his part. His contemplation of the ground that lay at the feet of his lord, his slow pondering of the situation won him the scorn of Hidemasu. It also won him a slightly approving stare from the older man, who waited with the patience of the very eldest of spirits that were once believed to rule all the land of Zipangu. It was only after he had thought things over for some time, after he had considered the situation in its fullness that Satomine gave a long, well thought out summation of his view on the matter. To say that it was well-considered, intelligent was to do it a great injustice, for it was more than that. It was both clever and also diplomatic to such an extent that generals throughout the ages (those not too proud to consider the ideas of those lesser in rank than themselves that is), would have celebrated. ¡°If I may say so, I should think it best to grant him the permission to search the local lands as he pleases, yet to take the matter into your own hands tono.¡± Satomine recommended cautiously, elaborating when he saw the inquisitive looks they threw in his direction. ¡°You see, you cannot be seen to offend Akayama-dono, yet neither can you fully trust another with patrols and the watch-duty. Therefore, you would in my view be advised to have your own men stationed at every entrance to the camp, and have your own men patrolling it and the forest.¡± A moment of silence followed, as Hidemasu and his supporters stared at him with a speculative looks in their eyes, while Yoshinobu broke out into a slow grin. Pleased with the young man¡¯s counsel, he was to motion to him saying to his good-brother, ¡°There you are, you see now Hidemasu? You see why it is that I favour Satomine so? He is wise and good as any man born on this earth could ever be!¡± ¡°I fail to see anything impressive about his counsel,¡± Hidemasu countered sharply, ¡°It is the height of good-sense to do as he suggests.¡± ¡°Which is why I favour him so,¡± Yoshinobu persisted stubbornly. ¡°But the good-sense of which I speak, is that possessed by all men,¡± Hidemasu snapped, moving to leave the tent with a sneer in the direction of the kneeling Satomine. ¡°I could name ten men with thrice the sense and strategic ability of this man.¡± Saying now to the messenger, ¡°It shall be as you have advised.¡± ¡°Yet none of them would be him,¡± Yoshinobu retorted evenly, only to turn back to the guard when his good-brother had departed. ¡°Do not give him any mind, Satomine. He is an envious, worthless creature one with nary any sense in him, who¡¯s only value lies in his status and that is all.¡± ¡°I do not think it wise to speak so dismissively of him, tono,¡± Satomine warned him, worried for his lord who smiled down at him. ¡°My dear Satomine, I daresay you have too much geniality, too much goodness in you,¡± Yoshinobu replied amusedly before he got up to his feet. ¡°This is the reason for which, you shall never rise high as a bushi; you are too soft Satomine.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It was a harsh and unfair judgement in the eyes of Satomine, one that if it had come from another he would have disputed. But the trouble was that since it came from Yoshinobu he could not and would not dispute it. Bowing his head, he swallowed down his frustration though this did not mean that he intended to ignore the criticism, ¡°If I may say so, I do not think myself too soft.¡± ¡°You may have a temper, but a temper and being soft are not mutually exclusive from one another my dear Satomine,¡± Yoshinobu told him quietly, brow furrowed as he added. ¡°Now if you will do me the pleasure, Hidemasu of informing Akayama of my desire to follow his counsel. Tell him also that I would have my men supervise the patrols within and near the forest, and within the encampment.¡± Hidemasu bowed his head, aware that the conversation was at an end. Departing at once to do as he had been bidden, he was to spend much of the remainder of the night conveying his liege¡¯s orders. Akayama-dono was to receive his orders with a grin and a hearty cheer before he organized the patrols exactly as Yoshinobu had requested. Hidemasu though was to bite his lower lip the whole time, infuriated with his good-brother so that most preferred to steer away from him. Those who did not, felt the sting of his feet and his horse-whip more than once as he vented his fury with cries of. ¡°A filthy guardsman¡¯s son! He has taken the counsel of a filthy ashigaru¡¯s son over my own tried and true stratagems! How dare he!?¡± None doubted of whom he spoke, nor did many express much curiosity. All knew the truth, and few cared. All knew how much Yoshinobu doted upon Satomine, and all knew how since the death of Hidemasu¡¯s sister¡¯s death how the two men had grown apart. The wisest of them all whispered that this current state of affairs could not continue, either Hidemasu would someday refuse to obey Yoshinobu or he would betray. ***** Once Hidemasu had left, doing in the same manner that a hurricane might have after it had concluded its destructive work, Yoshinobu heaved a gusty sigh of relief. Reclining slightly on his seat, he was to remove his kabuto-helm at long last after having worn it for days on end, running a hand through his hair only to tug at his topknot thoughtfully. ¡°I do believe Hidemasu has become rather more obtuse in his older days, neh Satomine-kun?¡± Yoshinobu remarked in a conversational tone, scratching his beard after he had removed his left gauntlet. ¡°I would not go so far as to ever contemplate such a thing,¡± Satomine demurred loudly at once. ¡°Apologies for discomfiting you, it was not my intention,¡± his liege comment whereupon he regained his feet in a flurry of movement that seemed more appropriate for a man half his age. ¡°You really must see about ridding yourself of that peculiar timidity of yours.¡± ¡°Yes, tono.¡± ¡°You truly are the finest bushi imaginable,¡± Yoshinobu complimented with a great bellowing laugh as he clapped the blushing youth¡¯s shoulder, urging him in the next breath to regain his feet. ¡°Now away with you, go enjoy some rice porridge and pickles.¡± Satomine meekly acquiesced, a small smile on his own bearded lips. This boyish grin was removed as swiftly as it appeared when his liege next spoke. ¡°Also Satomine-kun; stay away from the village, I have no wish for a repetition of thy previous killings or any further conflict with them, is that understood? Those people are under my protection for I am not only their Lord but their servant as are you.¡± Though he might have liked to disagree, Satomine soon found himself reluctantly nodding his head with a whispered ¡®yes¡¯. Satisfied that he had learnt his lesson, Yoshinobu clapped him heartily once more on the shoulder, and dismissed him with another of his dog-like laughs. Bowing as he went, Satomine left with his face hot with shame to have drawn the displeasure of his revered liege-lord, who still smiling went on to compose another letter. A letter intended to call upon the assistance of the remaining lords of the north. He was to write not only a short missive to them, but was to write one intended for the remaining monks in the area ordering them to provide men and supplies where necessary. His letters were given to one of his heralds who was to have it copied by one of the aides brought north to assist the Lord of Mittsu in just such a manner. Once they had done this, the missives were given over to riders who carried them away, few of them aware that there was one letter. This last messenger for his part was to venture forth thither into the nearby forest so discretely that none took notice of him. If they had, they might well have given chase, or they might have burnt the whole of the forest to the ground. ***** On guard for ten days, atop Midori-hill they were to come to not only the Shiromori woods but the plains to the south of Midorinoki but also those across the river to the east of their encampment atop the hill. Those scouts who journeyed north and west into the forests were to find naught but the crowing of ravens and yellow glowing eyes of coyotes same as those who searched the forests to the east and plains of to the south. Unnerved, most reported little more than these shadowed findings to their chieftains who for their part were to be left frustrated and no less confused by the said reports they heard. ¡°A fine mess this is; scouts frightened by rustling branches, howling coyotes, cawing crows and shadows,¡± Hidemasu growled throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. All of Yoshinobu¡¯s vassals and highest ranking retainers were gathered therein his pavilion, each seated upon their own seat that lined up to the left and right hand sides of him all the way to the entrance of the tent. The pavilion had an inner tent area which had a proper roof where he might rest under, and where there was a map on a table, a separate table with a sake-bottle, cups and also of all things a Sugoroku board. The lords sworn to the house of Takimoto were seated out in the open air, with the tent behind them that they might sit together and discuss the situation with a second map spread out before them, one that depicted the locality. And each of them wiped at their brows or fanned themselves with paper-fans that bore the emblems of their respective houses; the most noteworthy of which were the Kawamoto, the Sh¨­nin branch of the Takimoto family, the Akiyama, the Momoharu, the Ishikaga, the Azuma branch of the Nohara family. Each of them had for emblems the kanji of their individual houses. There were of course also the Fuyukami, the Aohara, the Morigashi, the Shiroka, Akamori, Yoneoka, the Genmu branch of the Nohara, and that of the Takimoto, there was also of course the Fujimura branch of the Northern Tahara clan, the Fujioka, the Hagihara, Ishida, Iwasaki, and Fujisaki clans. These were the twenty greatest vassals of the Takimoto and there were twelve others of nigh on equal greatness. They were as follows; Kamata, Sakurada, Miyata, Kanzaki, Ogawa, ¨­k¨©bayashi, Sasaki, the Sh¨­toku branch of the Takimoto and Momohana clans, the Shinhara, the Shirashi, and the Takahashi clans. Bothered by the sudden heat-wave that had surged unexpectedly Yoshinobu shook his head in disbelief at this sudden change in temperature, grumbling more to himself, ¡°Such heat! Yabai! How I wish that it was still the raining season or already winter.¡± ¡°Yes, have you ever felt such heat before so late in the year?¡± One of the younger lords, Higashi no Nobuyuki complained. From next to him to the left sat the Kawamoto no Michiie-dono, let loose despite his own visible discomfort a loud chortle. ¡°Oh this is quite nothing in comparison to the day of the last battle of the Former Eight-Years War! It was a little later in the year than it is now, and thrice as hot!¡± ¡°This heat is different though, it is far, far more oppressive,¡± Yoshinobu grunted discontentedly only to glance over to his other servants to take notice of how seven of them seemed utterly at ease in the blazing heat. ¡°At least for some¡­¡± Taking notice at last of his hardened stare, the seven Hidemasu included whipped open their own fans and made a grand show of fanning themselves, with one of their number, Haraguchi no Yorinaga-dono even feigning a fainting spell. This might have attracted the suspicion of the still loyal lords present if it was not for Satomine hurrying hither back to Yoshinobu¡¯s side to whisper into his ear. Distracted, and with Yorinaga¡¯s exaggerated act quite forgotten he was to draw the attention of his followers away by proclaiming, ¡°The enemy forces have at last come, with our most northerly scouts having just reported their findings.¡± ¡°Are they reliable? It might be wiser to utilize my own men since they are not quite as easily spooked,¡± Hidemasu proposed, with a hint of suspicion in his voice. ¡°Hardly necessary, Satomine has already had six men confirm the news,¡± Yoshinobu said with a warm glance to his young guard who as always when praised by him flushed up to his ears and bowed his head to hide his pleased mien. The look the kneeling warrior received from a number of those assembled was darker than twilight with none more displeased than Hidemasu himself, who feigned a large yawn to hide his true feelings. ¡°Tell us though, how far are they from our present position? Should we don our ¨­-yoroi and prepare for battle?¡± Satomine shook his head, ¡°The enemy is hours away, likely they will reach the fort of the northern hill in the morn¡¯.¡± This answer hardly seemed to appease the stiff Lord of Kawamoto-Keep, not that anyone present was remotely interested in him at present, not when they had an opposing army all but before them to prepare for. Mulling over the situation, Yoshinobu was to call for a map to be brought forth that he might better consider how best to counter the enemy¡¯s movements and make use of the local terrain. The desired map was fully introduced to the assembly on a large table borrowed from the local monastery. Satisfied by this Yoshinobu was to have pieces representing the enemy and his own forces also laid out; those with the characters for Emishi for the enemy, and Takimoto for his own. Pointing to the pieces on the map with his fan, he was to explain the enemy¡¯s stratagem to his followers. ¡°The enemy plan such as it is, is fairly self-evident; this alliance between the houses of those who form the Kiyomoto-alliance intends to strike from the north with that portion of their forces meant to threaten the monastery while Haraguchi¡¯s forces shall strike from the west once we give chase after the Kiyomoto¡¯s men so that in this way they shall encircle and destroy us. But I say to thee, we shall not fall into this trap, we shall render the enemy¡¯s greatest strength that is to say the forests moot.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do so tono?¡± Nobuyuki inquired already impressed by the acumen of the elderly warrior. ¡°I am glad you ask Nobuyuki-kun,¡± Yoshinobu said cheerfully as he circled around his map. ¡°We shall utilize their very own tactic against them by deploying a portion of our vanguard who will feign retreat while a number of our archers supply covering fire. My own detachment shall move to yon river to wait to advance and encircle the enemy to press them against the monastery¡¯s forces which shall pour out from behind their gates to finish what we have begun.¡± There were gasps of awe, murmured words of admiration to be sure since few if any could have lain the matter out quite so skilfully or half as well. Those who had fought the previous war in the north or any of his other campaigns then knew how profound his genius for the art of war was. Most though now looked to Hidemasu, all were expectant to find him prepared to find in him a whole host of complaints about this plan. To their surprise though he had no such words to offer, pensive he was to instead smile and offer up faint praise, ¡°Truly an impressive proposal that only one such as yourself could have dreamt into being.¡± Pleased by the praise of his deceased wife¡¯s brother¡¯s response the Lord of Mittsu was to say with visible relief. ¡°Thank you, aniue now if I may as a reward offer you command of the vanguard and those archers intended to provide them covering fire during their false retreat.¡± The honour poured upon Hidemasu was enough to make any man envious, any man from the court that is. Those present took it as a matter of course that their liege would favour him so, with most beaming pleased to see the two at last reconciled. All seemed to rejoice. All save one. That one was old Michiie. Plump with age, in the way that many elders become, he had a chest-length white beard, thinning hair which was gathered as best was possible for a tiny top-knot and a fine moustache. He was also noteworthy for his clever if squinty eyes that seemed always to be piercing through all men that stood before him, even as his long-nose was compared to the beak of a hawk. In all Michiie was a formidable man, who demanded respect with an air of authority and wisdom about his person. Keen-eyed and quiet by nature he was rarely ever heard, even during war-councils¡¯ he was known to remain silent. This was thus a highly unusual moment, and one that filled all with a sudden sense of premonition for how could it not when he so rarely spoke? ¡°My men shall take up thy rear-guard, Yoshinobu-dono.¡± ¡°Really? I could never have predicted that you might volunteer for such a role, I had thought that you still hungered for glory,¡± Yoshinobu remarked with another bark of laughter. Michiie looked from his liege to the man¡¯s good-brother, with an almost stern scowl, ¡°That is so, tono and it is why I have chosen to volunteer to serve in the rear-guard, where there will I think be a great deal of combat before the day of the battle is through.¡± The directness of his manner and blunt speech was to surprise a great many of those gathered. They had rarely if ever heard Michiie-dono speak at all, with most only recalling a dozen times at most in total. Such was the formalness, the shyness and silent nature of the Lord of Kawamoto that he could well have been at the best of times mistaken for a statue. If Michiie was disapproving and quiet, Hidemasu was to explode with volcanic rage bellowing as he did so, ¡°Do you mean to imply that I and my men will not prove worthy enough to win the battle that is to come?¡± ¡°Hidemasu that is not what Michiie meant to imply at all, was it?¡± Yoshinobu uttered first to one man then to the other, sounding at his most conciliatory. ¡°Now was it old friend?¡± Michiie was a man who had never surrendered before a challenge in spite of himself and refused to cower before Hidemasu¡¯s glare, preferring to meet it with his own icy stare, ¡°No, it was not.¡± Though his words were conceding ones, his tone and glare spoke otherwise to the Lord of Kawamoto, who took his meaning at once. Truly this was a dark thing to say, and was marked in the memories of all who survived those that followed as proof of the foresight of old Michiie, with a great many to give him much lauded credit for seeing through the storm-clouds so to speak that covered the perceptions of his liege and those around him. These storm-clouds manifested themselves first as it was, by the announcement that there were locals present who wished to see Yoshinobu. Startled, he looked at long last away from the map, and from his vassals to stare at the retainer who knelt before him sheepishly. Confused, the old man never one to turn one of his people away, let alone a small herd of them gave his assent, saying to his vassals, ¡°We shall continue this war-council after I have seen to the needs of our people and dispatched some of them to scout the local area. Whatever this is, it is unlikely to take very long.¡± If he could have only known, he might well have bitten his tongue before he spoke. If he knew what the fates had in store for him, he might well have done more than that. He likely would have slaughtered a portion of his vassals and allies, and would have marched upon the enemy. Yet such is the fate of man; elusive and always fading as good gives sway to evil, and evil back to good, as the leaves change colours in autumn, only to wither and become buried under winter snows. The truth is that this is the destiny of man; to fade and perish, so it has always been and so it shall always be until at last the final of all battles between gods and devils is seen. ***** It was after this clash between the two good-brothers, and then that which fate had reserved for Yoshinobu and the local family heads. This second clash was to be one that served to exacerbate the tension and ill-mood that loomed over the old man. This one took place after Satomine had left to spread the orders he had been given, with the herald of the Lord of Mittsu province to recall him into his presence after many hours had passed. Returning after dusting his hands, having been in the midst of assisting with the palisade in between the river and the second of the hills, the one upon which the monastery stood to find, only to find his liege in a foul mood. Seeing this filled him with worry, so that Satomine said nothing, preferring to simply fall to one knee before the older man and to bow his head. ¡°Satomine-kun, you have put me in an impossible situation with those murders you committed just before our arrival hither.¡± Yoshinobu complained quietly, as he sat in the same place he had occupied during the war-counsel, sipping at his wine-cup, only to eventually stop so that he could refill it. ¡°Apologies, tono forgive me for my foolish behaviour!¡± Satomine murmured bowing his head until it came near to touching the ground before his liege-lord. ¡°Would you say the same to the kinsmen of those whom you slew? Those who just visited me?¡± ¡°That I cannot do!¡± ¡°And why ever not?¡± the impatience that laced Yoshinobu¡¯s voice was unmistakeable. ¡°Because,¡± Satomine hesitated briefly before he plunged forward with speaking his mind as his liege always sought to encourage him to do, ¡°Because of how they spoke of you. I will not apologize for in my view they merited their punishment for how they spoke of you tono.¡± Yoshinobu drank thirstily, draining his cup twice before he next addressed the younger man, ¡°Satomine-kun know that I would be within my rights to beat you and kill you, and would do so were it not for how I have always regarded you as nigh on my own, after your father passed away all those years ago.¡± There was at those words a shadow that came over his herald, who bowed his head even more than before. His father Mineharu was a guardsman, a mere ashigaru who served on one of the watch-towers to Castle-Mononobe and had been called upon to fight in the Mont¨­ region. It was during the battle of Aohama, Mineharu had it was said vanished, having been given command of a single ship of some dozen men that were supposed to ambush the enemy when a storm hit and the ship was torn from the coast and cast adrift. But not before he had fought in the battle of Momohara, just before it proven himself when he rescued his liege after the man was unhorsed and helped him climb back atop his steed. It was this deed that had made his liege decide for his own part to make a point to take in the man¡¯s son. His grief for the passing of his father was interrupted by the old man¡¯s next words, ¡°And to hand you over would also bring much sorrow to my daughter, something I would prefer to avoid.¡± Surprised by those words, Satomine was to stutter and struggle for words, wherefore he fell quiet. Flushing scarlet at the thought of Akemi no Ue the third eldest of Yoshinobu¡¯s daughters, Satomine was filled with gratitude for his lord¡¯s not taking his head not only over this matter, but over that of his bond with the man¡¯s daughter. Smitten with her since long ago, he had never made his thoughts or wishes regarding her known in any public manner. Private by nature and wary of bringing any hint of shame to his revered benefactor he had preferred to simply watch over her from a distance as might a brother or cousin. ¡°Satomine-kun, if you truly do wish to honour me and safeguard my name, swear to me that you will never repeat such a crime and that you will keep thy distance from the village.¡± Yoshinobu told him sternly, his eyes boring holes into his very soul. Against his will, Satomine bowed his head. ***** The Lord of Mittsu finished with scolding his herald for breaking the balance of peace in the local area, turned away dismissing him at which time he turned his attention to the matter of penning a letter to his son and daughter. This took the better part of an hour as his was a clumsy hand with a brush. His kanji were even to his eye stilted and jagged and otherwise a blight upon the paper which they had been cast. His letters despatched he was to at last with a profound sigh of relief lay down upon the ground grateful for the chance to sleep before battle was joined. A part of him only wished that his Midori could have been present at his side at that moment to massage his back while he slumbered. ¡°Tono! The enemy has suddenly appeared upon the horizon and in greater numbers than expected!¡± Someone shouted from outside, startling him from his sleep after what felt to him to be but a few seconds yet he knew to in fact be several hours. It was still night, this he knew at once before he had so much as risked a glance outside. Staring for a second or two ere he groggily regained his feet, he was to come very near to being thrown from them when one of his men, a youth by the name of Arata appeared before him running straight into the old man who was even more surprised than he was. Embarrassed he stopped mid-step eyes wide as his voice came near to turning into a whimper, ¡°Tono! The enemy has- Oh apologies, forgive me! I shan¡¯t believe- do forgive me!¡± ¡°Never you mind your pleas for forgiveness, tell me of what has come to pass?¡± ¡°It is the enemy they have appeared before us and in greater force than before, doing so without any warning.¡± Yoshinobu told him worriedly, beside himself with panic at the thought that the enemy might soon be upon them. Hardly able to bring himself to do aught else than wonder to himself what Hidemasu¡¯s scouts were doing while everyone slept for them to have been caught unawares in such a manner. ¡°Help me to don my armour and have someone prepare our horses and sent for Michiie I would have him advance to support our flank should the worst happen.¡± ¡°Yes, tono,¡± Arata answered at once, still looking pale as he aided his liege to don his ¨­-yoroi once more. Once he had donned his armour he was to hurry out of his pavilion after Arata, though he knew what to expect he was still taken aback by what it was he saw. Thereupon the fields near the base of the hill upon which the local monastery sat were the forces of the Emishi people, with the banners of the Kiyomoto clan fluttering in the wind. Many were those gathered all about Yoshinobu and many more those who at his insistence were sent away to gather their arms and armour. ¡°Away with all of you! Away, away and return to thy horses and stations once you have all in place that you may hurry to the assistance of our friends!¡± Other generals might have struggled to enforce order and discipline under such circumstances, but not Yoshinobu he was to only do so but have his men he was to not only do so but have his men begin their advancement within the hour such was vigour of his character and the loyalty he instilled in those around him. Consumed by his need to rescue the brother of his long deceased wife, Yoshinobu hardly paid his surroundings much more than the scantest attention. Advancing barely more than a few meters his forces were to be beset by the most extraordinary of enemies; the nearby river. Quaking and trembling all while the defenders of Mittsu devoted themselves to arraying themselves in the order that their general had commanded. None took notice until it was too late for them to escape the trap that had been set for them. The firsts to take notice of the river¡¯s rise high overhead, were those men who had formed the rear-guard. Gaping at first they nonetheless within seconds a great shout of terror arose from among their ranks. Alerted to the danger to the east of them, the main body of Yoshinobu¡¯s forces broke rank with nary a thought to the enemy to the north-west. The waters of the Torakawa River were to crash down upon the greater part of the army, sweeping thousands of men away in a matter of seconds. His army lost almost in their entirety to the crashing waves that turned to its prior peacefulness once its bloody work was finished. The was not the only disaster that was to visit itself upon the defenders of Mittsu; minutes after the river had attacked them, the forces to the west and of the north turned as one to begin their own assault against them. Attacking as one they were to lay waste to the surviving vanguard of the Takimoto and those bushi on horseback still alive. Stunned to find the forces of Hidemasu riding against his own, their arrows striking dead the last of his personal guard, Yoshinobu could only stare. Having been thrown from his horse which had panicked when the seas rose up, he had only evaded being trampled to death by virtue of Nobuyuki riding to the rescue. Grasping him by the arm the youth had borne him ever so slightly to the west to his guards before he had let go his liege. ¡°Tono, what are we to do?¡± Nobuyuki asked stricken with fear. ¡°Hidemasu has betrayed me¡­¡± Yoshinobu gasped barely able to grasp aught else. ¡°Tono, you must escape from this place!¡± Nobuyuki shouted even as others did the same. ¡°Escape? Flee from battle? I the heir of Yoriie am to disgrace his name by fleeing from the enemy?¡± Yoshinobu growled his hitherto wide and confused eyes now ablaze with hatred and indignation. ¡°Never!¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I shall not live with the disgrace of defeat!¡± he added as he seized the whip from the youth¡¯s hands. ¡°But you must fly south to warn everyone of my failure.¡± Nobuyuki sought to protest yet his efforts met with failure as his patron struck his horse¡¯s rear. Screeching it was to tear its way south carrying the reluctant screaming away with it. Turning away, Yoshinobu was to accept the bow of one of his guards along with the quiver of one of his fallen bushi. The first of his arrows was to pierce the throat of a tall warrior who was responsible for the death of four of his guards. The warrior grasped at his throat as a hiss escaped his lips one that filled Yoshinobu with no small amount of satisfaction. This sense of relief to have hit his many marks was to serve to lull him into a false sense of security, one that was to prove his undoing. It was as he notched another arrow, took aim that he was utterly taken by surprise by the sudden charge of Hidemasu. Hardly bothering with either arrows or pole-arms he simply relied upon the raw force of his steed to throw his foe to the ground. Buried beneath his horse, Yoshinobu was to wholly lose consciousness seconds afterwards, when his head hit a nearby stone. ***** Searching among the dead, it took time to find and unbury Yoshinobu from beneath a small mountain of corpses. This hill of the slain, stinking of not simply death, horror and of defeat itself was surrounded by an army of fleas and crows alike. Pulled from the depths of the hill of corpses, Yoshinobu let slip a groan as he was pulled by his topknot. The visage that stared back at him was among the most hideous and scarred that he had ever seen in all his years so that Yoshinobu was all the more sickened than when he had first awakened. The figure was thickly bearded with heavily lidded eyes that stared down at him with thinly veiled disdain, even as his thick hair was kept in place in a series of braids. These braids might have served to remind one familiar with the history of the far earlier era of the land of Zhao, from when it was known as the Empire of Cai. The figure was dressed in raiment the colour of night and with a sash the same shade of scarlet as the reddest of leaves in autumn. ¡°This is the man whom burnt the rebuilt fortress of Oyasippuri?¡± the large figure who stood nearer to seven feet tall. ¡°Kill him, kill him I say!¡± Hidemasu shouted from where he stood a short distance behind the ancient seeming man. ¡°In due time, Hidemasu,¡± The first man sneered. ¡°Motonaga we revived you for a single purpose; to end the life of Yoshinobu!¡± Hidemasu snapped furiously. ¡°And to overthrow the Imperial Court in Miyako, do not forget that also!¡± Motonaga added hastily appearing on horseback a short distance from where Hidemasu stood now. ¡°Hidemasu you traitor!¡± Yoshinobu hissed. Sneering back at him, Hidemasu made to advance upon the warrior, his face twisted with rage at the insult to his honour. Not much different in the crime he was guilty of having committed, Hidemasu however paled as Shinken the Abbot, the two of them having just arrived hither also. The pair was followed by a number of their supporters each of them armed with bows and naginatas, pole-arms of pure iron topped by blades made for slashing that shimmered in the little light that slithered past the cloud covered day. Seeing them it was with the most profound sense of sorrow that he must have realized the depth of his failures, the tragedy that had engulfed not only his men and people. A lesser man might well have wept at such a loss, yet not Yoshinobu he was far too dignified for such a display even up his last moments. Armed though he was, the imposing Motonaga was to first humiliate his prisoner in the oldest and most popular of traditions amongst the foulest of Zipangu¡¯s villains; that is to say that he severed then and there the topknot of Yoshinobu from which he was held. Falling down thereupon the large hill of cadavers Yoshinobu was not to remain idle for long no matter how winded he truly was. Moved by the same fury that had seen him through countless battles all throughout the years of his adulthood he took up his katana, from where it was still sheathed and girt to his belt. The blade which had been forged in the age of Nohara no Masashige for that very warrior, by the smith Takatatsu, given just before the intrepid rebel¡¯s genpuku it was said to have wrought untold misery upon him after he used it to put an end to the life of his sworn brother Hideki, after which he dubbed it Kazokiri. It was after the rebellion was put down that the court awarded the traitor¡¯s sword to the then head of the Ch¨­wa Takimoto Clan Yoshiharu who in turn passed it down to his son, Yoriie. The katana forged from the bones of the black drake Kurotetsu the Ravenous which had never failed to lay low its victim stabbed its way through the side of the giant who loomed over him. Rather than fall to one side, or even do much more than hiss in pain and study his wound with a quizzical glance. Seeing this and how his wound did not bleed as any other man¡¯s might have, Yoshinobu felt his blood chill. ¡°What in the name of the Kami are you?¡± Motonaga did not deign to answer him. He preferred to resort to pulling the blade from his hands that he might turn it upon its master. After he had beheaded the Lord of Mittsu, he made certain to throw it and the blade to one side, no longer interested in either. Noticing how several of those around him moved to reclaim it, he grunted, ¡°Leave it, lest we make of him a martyr.¡± ¡°But, he must suffer the same fate he inflicted upon my father!¡± Kanehito shouted outraged. ¡°He is right, Yoshinobu¡¯s head must adorn the walls of Kitayama, tradition and honour demand it!¡± Hidemasu declared with no less passion. Conceding after a moment¡¯s thought, Motonaga was to say to them, ¡°On condition that his head be all that you take north, before we sweep back south.¡± Forced to go along with his whims as much out of courtesy as out of a desire not to be left as each one of them wished to savour some of the glory for themselves. The head of the proud head of the Takimoto was to be carried through the whole of the lands to the north of Mittsu to the walls of the wooden fortress of the Emishi people ruled over by the Kiyomoto. Each of the Lords wished to carry themselves forward with as much dignity as possible, yet at their head was Motonaga whom carried the head of Yoshinobu aloft upon the end of his spear so that all knew who it was that had won them this grand victory. All who gathered cheered and let loose loud acclamations of victory overcome by joy, their cries echoed across all the lands of the Emishi. ***** The celebrations went on for days, for it was the first to have been won on such a magnitude in centuries. What none noticed, caught up as they were in their revelry was the lone figure of Satomine weaving his through the city long after night had descended. Quite what it was that he had in mind even he did not know at first, yet the moment he drew near to where the head was mounted, he felt the axis of his being waver. It was only when he held the head of his hero that he succumbed at last to his grief. [1] Dono = lord [2] Tono = Lord Chapter II: Night of Daggers Weeping brokenly, it was some time before Satomine became aware of the world around him, his sorrow such that he could think only of returning the head to the family of Yoshinobu in Oyasippuri. The fortress of Oyasippuri was built four centuries prior during the age of Heijo-kyo, during the reign of Tensen-tennou with the first lord of the keep a member of the Tahara-clan, with Yoshinobu¡¯s ancestor at that time little more than an enforcer for him. That man¡¯s great-grandson was to prove himself both as a bushi and as a loyal servant, in the Second Wars of Darkness so that he was the castle and its surrounding lands. This warrior was to expand and improve the original estate a great deal, such that he was to triple the castle in size. Startled from his stupour by the sound of one of the guards, Satomine looked all about before he took the head and put it away into the salt container he had stolen from the monastery to the south. Nimble though he was, the bushi was to make his way in the opposite direction of where he had heard the sound, desperate to find his way once more to the ground before he was discovered. Satomine kept to the shadows cursing the fact that he was no longer dressed in his armour, prayers falling from his lips, not unlike rain from the skies in the middle of autumn. Waiting with bated breath, eyes on the wall-walkway he had crossed during his quick dash to and from where the skull had been placed. Expectation and apprehension mingled together into a poisoned ball deep within his chest so that he was to grip the hilt of his katana with fingers that soon became white as snow, such was the tension that gripped him in turn. To the surprise of the man pressed against the watchtower wall there was no warrior who passed him by. It was simply the wind. The sentry was to hurry along back to his previous post without ever taking notice of the missing head, having turned away and gone back the way he had come. Heaving a gusty sigh of relief, Satomine was grateful the other man had turned away. Passing back through the guard-tower, past the corpses of those guards he had slain upon first arriving in the tower, intent upon reaching the ladder that he had climbed but a few minutes prior. When he had climbed it, it was to find the pair of guards preoccupied by a game of dice, with neither of them having noticed him as he drew himself up to his feet whereupon he slew them as quickly and as silently as could be imagined. Climbing down the ladder in the same manner that he had despatched the guards with, at this time the youth sparing nary a glance in any direction so intent was he upon his duty came very near, to having his heart leap into his throat and choking upon it. Quite what it was he ought to do next he did not quite know, he only knew to return the salt filled bag to the Takimoto. Or perhaps he ought to seek vengeance? He knew what Yorinaka, Yoshinobu¡¯s heir would do: Eight years his senior the other bushi would surely have left already for Oyasippuri with nary any hint of hesitation, unlike Satomine. ¡°You! Guard!¡± Someone called startling the disguised bushi. It was Yorinaga the head of the Haraguchi family. Recognizing him at once, Satomine froze unsure of what to do. Full of indecision he turned about to face him, with the sight of the powerful Emishi chieftain and his dozen guards dressed in their raiment which though similar to the kimonos and haoris of the south, were different, made of fur there were few points of comparison between them, with this serving to knock the air from his lungs. No longer certain and full of fright, he was to stutter a broken reply that died as quickly as it had come to his lips. ¡°Why are you not thereupon the wall, keeping watch?¡± the feudal lord demanded of the youth who shook in what he thought fear at having been caught. It was when he drew near to him that the heir of Shirojo had a flash of realization. ¡°You? Who are you?¡± ¡°I-I come from-¡± Satomine whispered weakly. ¡°That accent¡­ You came north with Hidemasu did you not?¡± Yorinaga guessed at once. Stricken as he was caught betwixt fear and his allegiance to the code his father and Yoshinobu had instilled in him since his earliest childhood. A bushi as he had been taught was sworn to the truth and therefore could not lie outright. Thinking it hardly an untruth, he chose to nod his head if hesitantly, hopeful that none of his doubt showed on his face. Looking him up and down, the general¡¯s so dark at first soon became bright with amusement, so that he slapped the shoulder of the youth after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Checking up on those still on duty are we? How very dutiful of you!¡± Breathing a little more easily when he realized the other man did not recognize him, which meant that his taking up the raiment of the first Emishi he had come across near the fortress after days on the road, had succeeded in disguising him. When he had first donned the fur clothes of the northern-people he had not expected that it might fool one of the generals of the enemy army. Yoshinobu had always gone out of his way to memorize the faces and names of those in his army, and also to know from whence they came. Directed towards the palace by Yorinaga, he was after a short moment of hesitation to ask him, ¡°If you have finished with bothering the men thereupon the walls, do hurry back inside as the walls are not your concern,¡± Yorinaga pointed to the high citadel his mien serious and furious as that of a charging bull. Doing as bidden the bushi with a worried glance over his shoulder at the general, stepped away towards the house of the King of the Emishi, his teeth sinking into his lip until he very nearly drew blood grateful also that he still had the bag that held his lord¡¯s head. Once past the gates, and within the courtyard he was to glance all about in every direction. The exterior hallways were long and where the sides were concerned exposed to nature, with the courtyards long and in possession of magnificent gardens full of trees and small ponds. The Emishi did not believe in pruning their trees quite in the same fashion in the south, so that some were wild and thus grew all throughout the small enclosed area. As to the hallways they had the tiled roofs of the southern halls and covered the hallways as was custom, yet with some of the corridors snaking about into interior places the corridors adopted an oppressive air about them and a gloomy air that seemed haunted. Carving a path through the palace hallways he was to avoid as best he could those servants and guards who expressed the most curiosity about the sack he carried. He was to explain to a number of those he came across, ¡°This is a gift for the Lord, where is he?¡± Pointed in the correct direction by a number of them, he could not help but feel a sense of unease. He knew only that his path had been set for him from the moment Yorinaga had approached him. The further he made his way thither into the fortress, the more lost he soon felt as he moved from hallway to hallway, from courtyard to courtyard. It was only as he made the same turn for what was the fifth time that he was to realize he was trapped. Espying one of the nearby wooden beams that supported the wooden pagoda roof, Satomine looked all about to ensure no one was nearby that might see him ¡®misbehave¡¯. Once he had made certain that he was truly alone, he took up his katana and slashed at the column. ***** When Masaki had been told to report to Motonaga he had felt only irritation, yet now as he stood inside the estate of Oyasippuri he fumed at how he the head of the Sh¨­toku branch of the Takimoto was made to bow before the Emishi-King rather than continuing the prosecution of the war. Sulking he was to scowl at every man he came across, ¡°I shan¡¯t believe I must endure such a humiliation; to bow to the nobility is one thing yet to kneel before this Emishi-King is a different matter altogether!¡± Accompanied by more than a half dozen retainers, along with his renowned son Katsur¨­, the most venerated archer in the whole of Hokut¨­ and the favourite of his many sons. It was him alone he tended to consult with regarding every single matter that pertained to the clan. Lord of Sh¨­toku, since he had first turned sixteen years of age Masaki had ruled over the lands left to him by his father, who was executed as a traitor after he had refused to pay his tithes and those of his people to the third nephew of the then head of the Western Tahara clan, Tahara no Michinori. Only Yoshinobu had ever treated him with honour, for which he had liked him and had wished to wed his eldest son to the man¡¯s third daughter, Akemi. It was because of the man¡¯s preference to save her hand for a guard¡¯s son, that had stung his pride. What was worse was that the man had wed his own son to Tahara no Nobunori¡¯s daughter, Michi no Hime, passing on another of Masaki¡¯s children a second time. The knowledge that the other bushi had chosen to mingle his bloodline with that of Michinori was thus more than Masaki could possibly bear. Masaki grumbled under his breath, ¡°I shan¡¯t believe, I must endure this!¡± ¡°Yet endure it we must father,¡± said Katsur¨­ shortly as he advanced by his side. His choice in words did not go unnoticed by his sire who asked of him, ¡°We?¡± ¡°Our fates are bound together, father, your victory is mine and mine yours,¡± the heir of the Sh¨­toku branch of the Takimoto retorted bringing tears to the eyes of his father wherefore the youth added sharply with a glance at the older man. ¡°And your betrayal is my own, and thy sin is my sin also.¡± The rebuke behind his words were as a knife in his father¡¯s heart, so that the older man looked on his son with a wounded look. ¡°What I did, I did for all of us.¡± ¡°Why you did it is immaterial, all that matters is that we show the proper respect to this¡­ akuma!¡± Nodding glumly Masaki turned one corner only to give the wooden beam that supported the roof another glance just before he let loose a great cry, one that echoed throughout the whole estate. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What is it father?¡± Katsur¨­ asked of him bewildered. ¡°Someone has slashed at this beam here!¡± Masaki howled not unlike a wounded wolf such was the offense he took at the damage done to a single beam of the grand estate they currently found themselves in. It was but one heartbeat later that he brought even more attention to the vandalized bit of wood for his cry soon echoed still farther inside the estate. Such was the panic it caused among the residents of the estate that half a dozen men almost tripped over one another to reach him. Each of them had but words of consternation on their lips, and none of action. ¡°What has happened?!¡± Others shrieked, ¡°Someone has damaged the property of the Kiyomoto clan!¡± It was the first man on the scene; a youth with flashing eyes and a large wide-brimmed wooden hat atop his head, dressed in the travel garments of one of Hidemasu¡¯s men, he had come barrelling out from one of the rooms across from their present position in the exterior hallway of the estate. Sliding the door open he had arrived hither with a sharp cry and a greater howl of horror at the sight of the wooden beam than even the likes of Masaki. ¡°This is worse than any act of murder!¡± His cry was one that won for him the immediate approval of Masaki who was to proclaim loudly, ¡°Good man! Now let us find the man guilty for this act of wanton vandalism!¡± ¡°Well said tono!¡± The man declared before he turned away to address the servants in a severe voice. ¡°You three alert the local carpenters and have this block replaced,¡± turning to another group, ¡°You four I shall task with the honour of alerting all the men in the estate of this travesty. And you five ought to close the estate to any people not already present herewith us at present. Will this suffice tono?¡± Both Masaki and Katsur¨­ blinked in surprise. Whoever this man was, he was not simply some lesser Samurai but a man of some worth. He was a man gifted with a natural talent for authority and could thus be trusted not to abuse that which they might grant him. Whispering between themselves father and son turned as one to those servants and guards who had not done as bidden. Commanding them to do as they had been told, Masaki rounded upon the man he assumed to be one of the Emishi men in Hidemasu¡¯s service and said. ¡°Follow, you shall present what has happened here to Kiyomoto-dono.¡± ¡°Yes, tono,¡± murmured the stranger with a flash of relief in his dark eyes. Bowing the bushi fell into step after them, comporting himself with all the humility of one who knew himself to be a Samurai and not a Lord. This was a rare quality in any man, Masaki mused rather more impressed by him than he wished to admit. It was the way of the world in that age that men knew not when to be humble and when to take command. If the father was impressed by the youth, his son glanced from one man to the other with his gaze darkening with suspicion when he glanced over the shoulder of the Lord of Sh¨­toku, while he addressed the newcomer. ¡°Why were you in yon room?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The other bushi stopped walking wherefore he muttered, ¡°I was in the midst of a nap as it was not yet my shift on watch-duty, we men sworn to Hidemasu must do our part or wait to do so as is proper.¡± ***** Guiding him through the remaining six hallways to the principal hall, one which led to the courtyard and which had a cushion at one end of it, and the stairs that led to the courtyard at the other. It was a place with white sliding doors and an array of spears and arrows that lined the left-hand side of the large room. The cushion also had a small table, for the lord of the castle to lean upon and with the image of a tiger painted into the wall behind where he might have sat. It was an imposing and beautiful room. It was just as it was in the home of Yoshinobu where the most important of decisions were made and from where the Lord of the Kiyomoto ruled from. The clan may well have established itself in the Second Wars of Darkness when the Great League took place. It was the founder of the lineage who fought valiantly for the Tennou. This ancestor Naosuke had fought well, being of mixed-Emishi heritage he had felt a kinship with the south and had sought to gather the Emishi behind him in a grand cross-channel alliance with the mainland kingdoms of the Emishi people, and with that of the Emperor of Zipangu. This was the northern ¡®league¡¯ of the Great League that comprised the three great nations at the time, with Naosuke having fought in more than a hundred battles under the banner of the Tennou until his death in the battle of Mikotagahara. Later his son, who had escaped that battle took up the leadership of the fledgling Kiyomoto and the other Emishi clans that had joined with them, and led them to victory. This son had been granted inordinate honours, including a marriage to a princess of the line of mainland Kings it was said, so that Ryuzo was at times called the ¡®Great¡¯ by his people. Studying the room with a great deal of interest it was thus that Masaki was to begin to notice just how surprised the guardsman was. How odd, he mused pondering if the guard was truly who he said he was with the general wondering whether he might have him brought into his own service once this trip was at an end. Strange he told himself ere he was distracted by the sudden arrival of the steward of castle Oyasippuri, Senbei who had arrived with an air of importance said to him, whilst he was distracted. ¡°Tono it is with reluctance that I have come hither to inform you and all others herewith ye, that Motonaga-dono has retired to the shrine to Cikap-kamuy.¡± ¡°What? What in heaven¡¯s name is he doing there?¡± Katsur¨­ asked confused, exchanging a worried glance with his father who stepped forward. ¡°Return thither to the temple, tell him-¡± ¡°Go back? Have you gone daft? I will not step back one foot into that place!¡± The heavily bearded steward said as he shook his head from side to side visibly terrified. Scowling at him furiously the Lord of Sh¨­toku grumbled under his breath while his son went on to shout at him. ¡°If you do not go back at once we will kill you!¡± Though they would have been well within their rights to strike him dead in the view of Masaki, who having never much liked the Emishi-people could hardly bring himself to keep from shouting alongside his heir. Such was the great swell of exasperation that arose in him that he very nearly drew his katana to hew the steward, Senbei down. The other man¡¯s mortal fear of the former King of the Emishi left him fairly disconcerted. Hardly willing to retreat without having spoken to his co-conspirators he turned to go back the way he had come. ¡°Naught we can do save go speak to him.¡± Masaki still interested in what they might discover regarding Hidemasu from the guard they had met en route there, turned to consult with him only to glance about in confusion which in turn drew an irritated comment from his son. ¡°What is it father?¡± ¡°That guard, the one who guided us hither¡­ I shan¡¯t find him?¡± ***** Hurrying from the keep in the hopes that he might reach the temple ere Masaki and his son might, Satomine raced along the village, no longer paying any mind to whether someone (such as Hidemasu) might catch him there of all places. Wholly consumed by this time by that same passion and hatred for the enemy that had brought him this far, he had thoughts only for the killing of the enemy. He might well have plunged to his doom then if it were not for the sudden appearance of Hidemasu within the vicinity of the same city and the sound of his herald crying out his arrival before the gate. Shaken from the veil of madness that had gripped him hitherto that moment, Satomine blinked and glanced from the gates to the city to those that led to the temple which beckoned as strongly as ever before. The sole difference between then and now he realized was that there was another call that rang and echoed deep within his being. That of his outrage at the betrayal of Yoshinobu resonated with equal fervour to the other great call. Forced to choose between them he bit his lower lip struggling against his will to place one foot before the other. It happened that someone from the estate proper recognized him and was en route towards the temple, ¡°You! Are you not the man who was with Takimoto-dono?¡± He asked as he took the bushi wholly unawares. Leaping several dozen feet in the air, Satomine his heart in his throat, it took him some time before he could speak properly, ¡°I do not-¡± ¡°I must deliver this message, yet shan¡¯t bring myself to go thither to the temple to the Kamuy Cikap since that Emishi-King found his way yonder.¡± The other man said quietly with a shiver and a glance in the direction of the temple in question. Much as he might well have wished to refuse this peculiar request he knew at once to accept if he longed to truly kill Motonaga. Nodding his head hesitantly he was however pleased when the other man handed him a letter, ¡°It happens hat Senbei-dono wished to have this letter delivered to Motonaga-dono ere the arrival hither of Takimoto or Takimoto no Hidemasu.¡± Annoyed by the other man, when he went to follow after him, Satomine had to fight to keep from clicking in disapproval. Looking at the other man, he asked of him, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I must accompany thee to the gates to ensure you do indeed intend to deliver my liege¡¯s message to the King.¡± Replied the servant with an earnest smile that could have charmed a bird off of a branch. Satomine might well have liked to hew the other man down at that moment, yet he could not help but swallow the bile and curses that reached his lips. Nodding his head, hurriedly before he motioned for the servant to guide him, he swallowed alongside his frustration his anger and fear. ¡°Your accent sounds rough and southern, if you do not mind my saying so, yet you bear the look of one of us,¡± the servant remarked casually. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It is as though you are as mixed as the ancient Naosuke was,¡± the servant remarked cheerily, ¡°A shame your blood has the southern taint.¡± Reluctantly, Satomine admitted if reluctantly, ¡°My grandmother that is to say my father¡¯s mother was an Emishi woman. She was the daughter of a northern fisherman, and captured the eye of my grandfather.¡± ¡°A shame she wed a man from the south,¡± the servant remarked only to sigh, ¡°Though I must confess that at times I do ponder about how different we truly are. Northern and southern courts, both seem wholly self-conceited and self-absorbed, concerned only with themselves and with how they might get ahead, I suppose there is not much difference between us servants and peasant people in the north or south.¡± It was an interesting perspective. It was a perspective that though he might not always have listened to, had he not been incognito, Satomine had long felt to be true. In his view the nobility had always seemed lofty, and distant so that he could not truly understand, nor did he feel any kinship towards them having never visited Miyako he could not understand or properly imagine them. It might have seemed closed-minded, but having never been to the great city and having been raised in the country, he imagined it to be the same except larger, something that the older bushi had told him was patently false. There were no similarities or points of comparison between the great city of Miyako and the Takimoto castles and lands to the north. ***** Arriving before the gates but a few minutes later, he was to then once again be the recipient of a deep bow wherefore the older man turned about to return to the estate from whence he had come. ¡°Thank you.¡± Irritated, Satomine was to study the servant in question with hard eyes. It was all he could do to keep from chasing the man down to ask of him what he had meant when he had said that it felt as though something were at an end with the arrival of Motonaga. Confused by this statement he was to however fail to find the appropriate excuse to retain his companionship if only for a moment or three longer. Dismissing his own misgivings and uncertainty, he was to press onwards past the gates he ordinarily might have begun to look about for fear of guards yet as he could not find the barest hint of one of them, even from the corner of his eyes so that a small part of him felt an immediate surge of apprehension at the thought of venturing further, yet this he did. He had to stride forward no matter what horror he had felt at the time when Yoshinobu was cruelly slain. Having witnessed that very vision he could not help feeling a surge of contempt for his own momentary weakness. Forward he went, fiercer and more resolved than hitherto then. ***** The temple though large was not built in a complex manner so that it did not take the bushi very long to find his way to the main hall where he fully expected to find the ancient yet young Motonaga, so that it was his view that he ought to be prepared for any sudden attack from the enemy. What Satomine expected to find was the enemy within the main hall at the foot of the statue of the Kamuy. What he did not expect was the possibility that the statue might be removed. Startled when he slid the door open to discover not only this but also Motonaga seated in place of it, a sight that so grossly offended him that he was to come nearer than ever before to charge forward in order to slash the man¡¯s head from his shoulders. Kamuy or Kami, it made little difference to him, as blasphemy against them in their shrine was not something he could stomach. Resolved to punish this stranger for this sacrilege and the others he had committed, Satomine was to enter the hall quiet as death itself. Gliding across the long twenty-two meters hall, his eyes moving from side to side in search of anyone else that might be present. Pleased to find it empty of all others, he only when he had crossed halfway across the room noticed the black candles lit all around the seated figure. Hand on the pommel of his katana he slit it to the hilt proper, his heart beating so hard against his chest that he was almost convinced it might burst forth from his chest, such was the immensity of the apprehension that weighed down upon him. Such feelings were as naught compared to the excitement and lust for blood that thrummed beneath his skin, his breath coming out in long dog like pants. Eyes glittering darkly, he bared his teeth not unlike a wolf, as he drew up before the seated, kneeling man. Stepping around one of the tall dark candles he came very near to drawing the katana girt to his belt when he caught sight of the blade placed before the man. Kazokiri. Between this and the fact that the wicked Motonaga¡¯s breathing was even, he knew to mean that the other man was asleep, which he offered sincere thanks to Hachiman for. He knew that this could not be other than a gift sent to assist him in this quest to avenge the noble Yoshinobu. Pleased when he saw the sword, he was however against his will hesitate once more. Kazokiri, was more than some tool of war for the Takimoto. It was their most prized heirloom. Hardly able to repress the urge to once he had seized it to keep from drawing the blade to wield it against Motonaga. Only the knowledge that all save the Takimoto were forbidden from drawing and using the weapon, and that as a servant of the family he was bound still by their rulings. Deciding upon his own katana he was to make to strike the head of the beastly enemy warrior from his shoulders. I will do this, I must do this! Satomine told himself, resolved to put an end to the murderer of Yoshinobu, yet when he went to perform his duty he found himself frozen in place. It was only when he sought once more to swing his arm that he glanced about in search of the cause behind his inability to move so much as a muscle. All he could see was the thickest black fog he had ever seen in all his life. Confused, and angered by his own weakness, he gritted his teeth and fought with all that he had to move even one millimetre. He had an obligation, and he would carry it out no matter this strange black fog. It was hardly discernible or it might have been to anyone or it might have been to anyone who might have chanced to see him then yet in utter defiance of the black fog he moved his left foot ever so slightly to the left. Sword quivering ever so slightly, he tremblingly moved to the side so that when the candle nearest to him vacillated over with him the candle¡¯s flame caught at once on the wooden floor of the temple. Pushing himself up with some difficulty as the black fog continued to sap away at his strength. It was however when he sought to regain his feet that he found himself staring into the eyes of Motonaga. Smouldering and commanding the eyes of the larger man seemed to penetrate the very marrow of Satomine¡¯s being. Those eyes were destined to follow him into his nightmares, so terrible and so dark were they that he could not in his lowliest of moments have imagined such a horrid vision. Flashing with ancient fury that no man of any age after that of his own could possibly ever have imagined or ever understood. All that Satomine knew and grasped then was that he could no more have destroyed this man- no this thing he corrected himself than he could the seven isles of Zipangu. It was with considerable trepidation that Satomine threw himself backwards in the hopes that he might survive the seconds that followed and live long enough to determine how he might slay the inhuman beast. ¡°By what right did you come hither blade in hand?¡± Motonaga demanded impatiently, rising slowly to his feet head weaving from left to right in a manner that might well have mesmerized another yet not one as possessed by hate as Satomine. ¡°I-I,¡± Satomine stuttered unable to complete the sentence. Thankfully he was saved when the door he had closed earlier flew open that a servant might enter. The wind dead for so long was to for the first time in some time whip back to life. Amazed by the return of his prior strength, the young bushi seized a-hold of Kazokiri, ere he threw himself against another of the walls. The shoji wall collapsed, it was far more fragile than what some might imagine. It was with considerably greater ease still that Satomine regained his feet and threw himself forward, past the gates and in the direction of the grate. ***** ¡°Tono! What has happened?¡± One of the guards called from the entrance of the temple. ¡°There is an assassin in our midst,¡± Motonaga informed the other man, with a dark look to the man now sprawled in the garden. The flames though took up a life of their own, not unlike a gluttonous pig faced with a large buffet set before it by an eager farmer. Nervous of the flames, Motonaga was to when he saw the flames spread to the tatami mats all about him, thence to the walls took a step back distracted if momentarily so. What happened next was something that angered the Emishi-King as many had begun to call him; when next he looked to the youth that had come upon him, he found him missing. Other men might well have turned upon the servant and commanded him to see to hunting the man down, certainly this was one of the other guards commanded not that either of them truly knew what it was that they were looking for. They knew nothing of the assassin immediately, yet were soon to learn from a servant that the man had infiltrated pretending to be one of Hidemasu¡¯s men and slipping into the temple in order to assassinate Motonaga. What most angered Motonaga though was the loss of the head of Yoshinobu, hearing this just as he turned to one of the large crows nearby, one the size of a man¡¯s arm he commanded it. ¡°Find him! Kill him!¡± The bird squawked, and it was away. Everyone stared at this act, none of them having previously taken stock of the bird. Each of them was disconcerted, and it was with more than a little trepidation that they wondered, what they ought to have asked themselves before when Tekka had first suggested resurrecting the twisted Motonaga. What had they done, in their greed and folly? Chapter III: Death in the Mountains South he went, swift as the wind. Such was his speed that one could have been mistaken for thinking he flew. The steed he had stolen gasped and hissed hardly able to maintain its pace yet still Satomine pushed it forward. So preoccupied with what lay behind him and upon it so that he remained utterly distracted from the path before him. He felt more than a little dread when the raven appeared up over the tree tops. Seeing it also made his heart stop so that he once again turned to his mount that he might push it still faster. The fear he felt at the sight of it was first felt days prior when he first escaped from Oyasippuri, at first he had thought nothing of the bird darting towards him with a squawk. It was as his patience came to an end that pushed him to just as the day pulled itself to its end that the bushi seizing an arrow from the quiver tied to the horse he had stolen from an emishi warrior he had slain shortly after his escape from Oyasippuri. Notching his arrow he was to with no small amount of satisfaction that he heard the thud as the missile found its mark and the raven hit the ground. It was a bare three hours later that the same bird was to appear once more on the horizon. In the midst of laying down a fur cloak upon the forest ground that he might at last sleep after two sleepless days of endless travel when he heard its wings flapping. Startled by the raven¡¯s sudden appearance, it happened that at first Satomine knew not what to make of it. He at first did not suspect it might be the same winged beast as that which had given chase after him all those hours ago. Turning away thinking he might at last rest for the first time in what seemed days he was soon once more fully awake and on his feet. Chasing away the bird as best he could whilst ignoring the throbbing that stemmed from his bleeding shoulder where the beast had pierced him. Cursing and screaming Satomine ducked under the continuous barrage of stabbing pecks that the single-minded crow rained down upon. Desperate for it to cease its attacks the young warrior very nearly drew Kazokiri. It was only with the utmost effort he stopped himself. ¡°Kuso!¡± He shrieked ere he drew his tant¨­ from its scabbard. Striking at the raven even as he ignored the pang of frustration in his heart and the one which burnt his back from where he had been stabbed by the bird. Furious and eager for revenge he missed thrice more before he swift as a panther caught it by the talon and skewered it. To his alarm, just as he began to calm his racing heart, the dark feathered beast rope once more its wound forgotten. Backing away tant¨­ held still in his shaking hand, ¡°How- but why- how-¡± ¡°Blathering fool,¡± Crowed the bird. Mouth agape Satomine could not believe his ears, ¡°How could a crow speak in Motonaga¡¯s voice?¡± The bird did not answer. Squawking it took flight once more just before the young bushi sought to swat at it once more to no avail. It was with a great deal of horror that he realized his Tant¨­ like his arrow had had little effect upon the animal. ***** This was how he now found himself pushing his horse as hard as he could in the hopes that he might reach Midorinoki soon. Fuelled by desperation he was to throw himself forward ignoring the great Kamuysekitsui Mountains that were to be found to the east of him. Those mountains were large, green and covered by tall [trees] trees with long grasping branches that seemed to interlace together as though the long gnarled fingers of old men and wizened matriarchs. If their leaves were green and young their trunks were certainly emerald however youthful they were not. Thick and long they were with a regal majesty to match any of the line of Kamuyamato-Tenn¨­. These trees that ran from the base of the highland mountains were known to all those north of the Aogawa River as the Spine of the northern lands. It was to these mountains that the bushi looked to in the hopes of finding safety from the murderous crow. The mountains for their part were the home of a number of brigands with the mountains in question crossing from east to west in a southerly fashion that served to almost cut the Emishi lands in half. When he had first crossed through the Kamuysekitsui forests, Satomine had not paid any mind to his surroundings so that he now paid considerably more interest in his surroundings. It was the highlands he hoped might provide him with the perfect hiding place that he might see to binding his shoulder wound and resting even if only for a few hours. It seemed then to him, to be the perfect place to hide himself away from the monstrous bird. It was when he made for one of the forested pathways that he was to throw himself behind a nearby tree whose base was hidden by foliage. It was not long before the bird appeared once more, on the horizon searching for him and cawing in exasperation when it did not do so at once. Full of frustration it was to begin a closer inspection of the forest, refusing to relent much to the chagrin of Satomine who had hoped that it might carry on towards the next mountain and this gave him a few hours respite. The arrow as before found its mark with ease, with Satomine hurrying out from his temporary hiding place, to carry on with his journey further along the mountain road, in the hopes that he might once more put several hours distance between the murderous crow and himself. In this he was destined to fail, not due to any particular failing of his own, but more due to the suddenness of the attack that came seemingly from the ether. Such was his surprise when he felt the stone flung from up above him glance against the back of his skull, he could do little to nothing. His last act before he collapsed against the ground was to attempt to cling all the tighter to his liege-lord¡¯s katana. ***** When next Satomine opened his eyes it was to find himself facing a rocky wall, whilst behind him there was the sound of a scuffle. The cries of a pain and frustration from his captors that echoed throughout the cave, so that the youth was given over to wondering just who it was that had captured him. His next realization was that his hands and feet were bound much to his consternation thus he realized that he had been taken hostage. His head throbbing he attempted to roll onto his other side to no avail. Searching about all around he soon found a rock sharp enough to suit his purposes. It was this stone he was to rely upon to begin cutting at the ropes that bound him into place. Once more he heard the bellows and cruses of those who had captured him so that he was to realize who or better yet what they were: Emishi. Stricken with panic he was to feel a flash of relief when he felt the ropes begin to give way almost at once. Working swiftly with the rock he was to hold his breath even as he prayed to Hachiman the war-Kami for aid in this hour even as he reminded himself to go to the Kami¡¯s shrine at a later date on his return to Ashimoto to offer thanks should he live. It also happened that as he worked and toiled with the stone he heard a new voice speak up, one that made him jolt a little and become all the more anxious over his dire situation. ¡°I say to you both that while you have done well to capture the interloper at present we must determine who will have the first bite!¡± The new voice uttered with such eagerness that it froze Satomine¡¯s blood more than the sounds of the first two captors had with their strange squabbling and arguing had. It was with the greatest sense of dread that he continued to pay heed to the Emishi with it being the voice of the first beast that awoke him to the reality that they were aware he was awake. ¡°You there, the false one who would you prefer take the first bite from you? Harukor, Kakulo or myself?¡± Stunned to hear himself addressed, the bushi turned his head to glance at them for the first time. Each of them were monstrously dishevelled so that the only word the warrior could think that suited them properly was that of ¡®filthy¡¯. That however was not the thing that caught his eye about them. Their eyes were aglow with a sort of dark glimmer similar to that of Motonaga. Satomine froze at the sight of such a sinister display, it was with a jerking movement of his right arm that he drew another snigger from them, ¡°Try as you might, you shan¡¯t escape thy bonds!¡± Glaring at them with all the ferocity of a newly bound lion, the young bushi bared his teeth in the manner that a tiger might well have done. Disarmed as he was he was prepared to if need be perish in the midst of biting their hands if need be. The sneering chortle that escaped their lips might well have shamed him under other circumstances but not then, not when in the midst of battle him under other circumstances but not then, not when in the midst of battle. ¡°What could you do with those blunt fangs? Really now servant of the Takimoto I do think that a worthier weapon, for one such as yourself would have to be a katana.¡± The first of the three taunted him amused, as their leader waved Kazokiri about though it was still in its scabbard. Relieved the bushi nonetheless glared daggers through the three, angry to have been caught and angrier still that they should hold Kazokiri. ¡°You are fortunate I am bound, else I would already have hewed your heads from your shoulders!¡± Satomine bellowed furiously. His threats great as they were had little of the desired or otherwise hoped for responses from his captors. It happened that his mother¡¯s pendant that he had carried about his neck since he was a young boy fell out from where it lay hidden behind the folds of his clothing. It was the sight of the small artefact which bore the emblem of a sakura flower that drove the three of them back, hissing and spitting in fear. Amazed at their reactions, Satomine stared. The warrior followed their gazes to the necklace he was to with a start realize what it was that had paralyzed his erstwhile tormentors. A plan began to form itself with the same rapidity with which his Master had fallen so that Satomine was to hew apart the last of the ropes that bound him at their feet, and once he had freed his limbs he stood up to his full height. In a flash his mother¡¯s pendant was in his hand and thrust before him towards his enemies, who shrunk back from him. None of them keen to behold the pendant, or to be anywhere near what was a symbol of Konohanasakuya-hime, the Kami of cherry-blossoms. Her emblem had since as long as he could remember, been one that his mother of distant memory had always clung to. She had passed it onto him as she lay dying, saying to him that the good goddess had always guarded her, and she would do the same for him. Though he had never prayed to her, being a bushi and having no need for a goddess wholly unrelated to battle and glory, he had clung nevertheless to her symbol. It was a reminder of his mother, something that the good-natured and benevolent Yoshitada had always encouraged him to cling to. ¡®One¡¯s mother is something to hold dear, my boy hold tightly to this pendant,¡¯ he had said to him when Satomine was little more than a youth, first brought into the man¡¯s home. He had said it after one of his sons¡¯, Nobuyoshi had tried to take the pendant from the boy, which had resulted in one of the most savage beatings he ever saw a man inflict upon a youth. He had claimed this was done more for Nobuyoshi¡¯s benefit as it would teach him, to respect the possessions of others. Afterwards, Nobuyoshi had never dared to infringe upon what belonged to the younger boy, even as he had developed a liking for sarcastic remarks and otherwise throwing barbed words at the son of the watch-tower guard. Satomine though fond of most members of the Takimoto, had never felt particularly welcomed by the other youth, who was also a favourite of Yoshitada. The competition for his affections had never left the young warrior all that at ease, so that he had often been excluded in favour of others. And yet, still Yoshitada had persisted in his fondness for him and for privately seeking his counsel or to otherwise assure him of his friendship.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Now you see, you filthy monsters the might of Konohanasakuya-hime!¡± Satomine growled at them, thrusting the pendant even closer to them. The fire they had lit near the entrance of the cave offered some measure of light, for them to see with and it was this light that caught on the necklace. It scintillated all the more than before, with the three who had backed away, fallen and begun to crawl away from him in their great hurry to get away from him. ¡°Stay back!¡± The three shrieked and pleaded. Tears welled up in their glowing eyes, eyes that burnt with darkness and wickedness and were wide as the night-sky. It happened that though they were seized by fright and hardly capable of fighting back, all pity and sympathy was torn from the heart of Satomine. He hated them such that he felt only the desire to destroy them, in their entirety so that almost leant over them as he pressed forward with the necklace. ¡°Hold it,¡± He said to them menacingly, ¡°Hold the necklace my mother carried all the days of her girlhood and passed on to me. Touch it, and be purified of the unholy taint that has overcome you!¡± This last pronouncement came from the man¡¯s innermost depths as he thrust the pendant at his enemies, who shrieked as ones¡¯ burnt. It was with more than a little alarm that he was to bear witness to one of the most remarkable sights he was to ever behold as they writhed and swore and when the pendant neared their flesh it burnt them. It was with more than a little alarm that the youth was to observe this demonstration of impurity on their parts. Unfortunately for Satomine he drew too near to them, and forgetting himself as he picked up his Tant¨­ he did not foresee that the first of their number might kick out with his leg. Thrown across the small cavern he struck the ground far less hard than he had feared he might. The ground he landed upon was softer than the ground, with Satomine grateful he had not struck a stone with his head. There was however a great ¡®oof¡¯ sound, from beneath him to his alarm, with the youth scrambling to his feet only to stare with a little alarm at the man who stared back up at him. Recognizing the man as one of the monks from Midorinoki, he was surprised to see the bald man beneath him who he knew at once to belong to the monastery from which the monks who had poured out against Yoshinobu. ¡°Who are you?¡± the man asked him, stunned to see him standing above him. ¡°Never you mind that, we must now see to driving these beasts back!¡± Satomine snapped at him as he thrust forward the emblem as he had before. The other man studied him only to glance back towards the villains that sought their end, ere he cried out sharply. ¡°Wait! Wait! Do not harm them!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because we must now exorcise them, it is why I came hither from the monastery,¡± The monk replied sharply his long nose wrinkling with disgust at the bushi. ¡°Cut me free, and I shall complete the ritual, which you inadvertently began!¡± Hesitant, the youth glanced from the cowering trio before him, to the monk behind wherefore he unsheathed his Tant¨­ and leapt over to cut the man free. He did not much like the other fellow, suspicious as he was of him, having seen him in the region of Midorinoki or to be more apt the monastery near it before. The other man for his part was to regain his feet, throwing himself forward he seized the pendant and called out to the three demonic youths who cowered before him. ¡°Away with thee! Away! You were not brought into this world to be possessed, but rather to take hold of yourselves and to rule the world within and all about you and to make peace with those around you! Away with thee spirits of old!¡± He spoke more, in a tongue that the bushi did not understand as he sheathed his Tant¨­, amazed by the forceful way the other man held himself. More than twice the age of the youth, he stood tall if a little shorter than the bushi. The older man could not have reached higher than Satomine¡¯s chin. Fierce looking there was a hardened edge to his face, with its high cheekbones and short beard. There was a pride that reflected in his eyes, one that Satomine had observed in those of a great many of his elders, notably those of noble-birth. The man was humbly dressed though, in simple brown robes and with a single white sash that knotted together his robes, and with his head shaved so that he was bald as was customary. Dark eyed with a narrow gaze that seemed to cut through all those before him, better than any katana possibly could have, he was an impressive figure. One who determined to press forward against the trio, crying out and shouting his decrees to them in the name of the heavens that they might be liberated, ¡°Away with thou demons! Away with thou, creatures of old rejected by the most ancient of Kami and the most ancient of our ancestors!¡± It was at that moment that Satomine beheld, the most remarkable vision he had ever set eyes upon; the deliverance of those who had sought to devour him, from that which had taken hold of them. Alarmed at this sight, he was to stare with open amazement and awe, as what seemed to be a great blackened haze or fog was drawn from the three who shrieked and shouted. Their pain, their horror and their suffering at that moment was unlike anything that he had ever seen in all his years of life. It was a shock to observe the drawing out of the black haze that seemed to him, to continue to go on to shout and shriek even as they were drawn out from the youths they had possessed. Quite what they were was not quite evident to Satomine. Later he was to learn that they were no less than the Wights who had given to this particular mountain Kiraiyama, so that the three were not simply man-eaters but among the most vicious of supernatural creatures. It was after he had made certain that the three were resting, the wearied monk turned to his rescuer. ¡°They rest now, good! Now we must turn towards the last of our duties to banish the shadows from this mountain forevermore.¡± He declared to the bushi who confused, studied him with wide eyes. ¡°What? I do not understand, how could we do that? And who are you?¡± He demanded of the other man, aware of the rudeness of his query. ¡°Ah how rude of me to forget to introduce myself; I am Brother Shinkei, a monk of the monastery near the village of Midorinoki,¡± Shinkei replied almost sternly as he turned briskly to lead the way further into the darkness of the caves. ¡°And you are, young Emishi?¡± It was with a start that Satomine realized that the other man had not recognized him, disguised as he was and dressed as he was as an Emishi warrior. Reluctantly he introduced himself, doing so without thought, ¡°I am Satomine.¡± ¡°Wait, that accent and- were you not the servant and messenger of Yoshinobu the Hero?¡± Shinkei asked of the youth who bowed his head ever so slightly, his eyes downcast with grief for the loss of his mentor. The monk studied him for one long moment, before he nodded to himself sorrowfully, ¡°I am sorry for your loss boy, yet relieved that you yet live for you have done much by this time to prove your life a boon to us all. Doing so without have made use of your katana, an impressive feat for a bushi.¡± ¡°And who are they to you?¡± Satomine asked of him, preferring to speak of something other than his grief at the loss of his lord. Studying him for several seconds, the clergyman gave a slight nod, one that seemed more a concession than an acknowledgement, ¡°That is my sister¡¯s granddaughter and her two nearest friends.¡± Studying them, Satomine now found himself amazed to discover the three no longer shadowed and bestial in appearance. To the contrary, they now seemed harmless with one of the men sporting a short-cropped beard, short hair and the simple garments of a farmer; he was long-limbed and even seemed to have a friendly face. The second man was shorter, stouter and yet no less young, though he was without all that much facial hair, and had his hair tied together atop his head in a make-shift wild topknot and bore the marks of a difficult life. The woman was long-haired, with thick eyebrows like her two compatriots and full lips and the softer figure where the other two were more muscular. She was dressed in the manner of a lady in a blue tattered dress that went down to her heels. ¡°Do come along!¡± Shinkei urged him motioning him to follow him. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Down into the caverns, I must complete the rite I came hither to this cavern to complete.¡± Shinkei replied cheerfully if with a hint of apprehension, before he turned to go down into the caves. ¡°What of them?¡± ¡°They ought to be perfectly safe where they are, no beast will come here so long as the shadows rule. Or at least, no ordinary beast will.¡± The path that they descended down snaked its way through the mountain, curving first to the left then to the right, and then again to the left. It was dark and full of stony walls that Satomine suspected had not welcomed a man into their midst in several centuries. It was as he moved through the cave, his boots bearing down upon the rocks beneath him and as he followed the monk, he felt grateful for the two of them having their torches. The shadows cast by the torchlight made him shudder. ¡°The torch reveals their true faces, upon the stone-walls do not pay them any mind, lest they find you easy prey.¡± Shinkei informed him sharply, with an eye cast thereupon the walls which had so riveted and kept the attention of the frightened youth. The faces that he saw upon the walls were those of monsters, and ghosts with long-hair, sharp fangs and furious eyes. Their grasping fingers reached out for them, with Satomine turning his gaze away, terrified of them and eager to stay as close as possible to the monk in the hopes that he might protect him. It was with some measure of fury that he realized just how afraid he had been, and sought to stamp down what terror he did feel. Courage was needed; he reminded himself not childish fear of the dark. ¡°Are you afraid, young bushi?¡± ¡°I am not,¡± Satomine replied proud of how his voice did not so much as tremble. ¡°Impressive.¡± There was respect in the old man¡¯s voice, as he guided them along the cavern pathway. Up and down they went, torches in hand while the bushi¡¯s other hand held tight, to the Takimoto family katana, while the monk carried a piece of white linen, gathered together and tied together in a thick knot. Carrying along, with great care he was to travel with a great many glances all around them, the deeper they went into the mountain. The deeper inner sanctums of that place, were wide, and large enough to contain several castles with the path running straight through the hundred meter wide and large caverns that they crossed through at various times. It was with more than a little amazement that the bushi was to study these wide areas with keen interest. ¡°There is a pond somewhere down below,¡± Shinkei informed him as they crossed along one area, which was bathed in a great deal more darkness than the previous ones. It appeared as though the path they walked loomed over a cliff on either side, though Satomine was hardly certain, and could hardly see past the immediate area around the two of them. ¡°This darkness, is hardly natural.¡± He remarked to the other man, nervous and glancing about once more. ¡°In this you are quite correct, since the Kami was removed from her box shadows have come to occupy this place leaving this place a shadow of what it once was.¡± Shinkei remarked to him, only to add somewhat melancholically, ¡°I once played here as a boy, though that was when the beast-folk occupied many of these caverns.¡± ¡°Beast-folk?¡± ¡°Yes-oh yes I had forgotten how they are but myths or legends to those of you in the south, up in the north there was once a great many in caverns such as these. Most of them were more reptilian than those on Kemoshima,¡± Shinkei explained to him a little sorrowfully. ¡°It is not that they are myths, but rather that their habitation here is, many of us think them to be bound to their homeland that is to say the isle of Kemoshima,¡± Satomine explained nervously whereupon the monk cast once more, a sidelong glance in his direction. ¡°That is interesting, I did not know that,¡± Shinkei replied to him quietly, ¡°I have never been south and am Emishi, just as you are.¡± ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± Satomine replied hurriedly, discomfited by the direction their conversation had taken. ¡°I am no Emishi but one of the Yamatai people to the south, I am a bushi as you noted earlier sworn to the service of House Takimoto.¡± Shinkei studied him quietly, a hint of comprehension glittered in his eyes as he at last nodded his head. Content to leave the matter alone, he turned to leave with the youth eager to leave the cavern, he said to him, ¡°We must hurry if we wish to put all to rest, and ensure that these demonic spirits do not continue to haunt this place and my great-niece.¡± ¡°How is it that the kami came to be torn from this shrine?¡± Satomine asked curiously, motioning to the path ahead of them. ¡°I am not certain, I think one of the three came to search for gold or something, only for the other two to trail after him, I suspect it was Katsumi. My great-niece, Megumi has always been rather too fond of him in my view.¡± The disapproval in the monk¡¯s voice made the youth cease with his questions. He felt little in the way of comfort regarding the topic he had inadvertently stumbled upon. It was thus with a great deal of discomfort that he was with a great deal of relief notice the end of the road they were upon. ¡°There ahead of us, lies what you seek, if I am not mistaken monk,¡± Satomine said to him, with more than a little joy in his voice. ¡°Yes indeed, I do believe you are correct.¡± Shinkei agreed as they advanced nearer to what lay at the end of the road after an hour¡¯s walk. It was after he had unravelled the small bit of cloth wrapped together, stolen from it a small statuette carved in the likeness of a figure Satomine knew all too well, and placed it within the box. It was only after he had done so with a great deal of care that Shinkei was to light a stick of incense he drew from the same container he had kept the Kami within. Once he had done this, and placed the incense stick inside also, he was to close the box. ¡°Let us pray now,¡± Shinkei told him at which time Satomine did as bidden. The statue he had noticed looked remarkably like his mother¡¯s favourite Kami. It was thus with this in mind that he pressed his hands together, bowed his head and waited whilst Shinkei recited his strange chant. This chant was one that he had heard but a number of times and had not expected to hear, on the northern campaign. Yoshinobu could be kind and even valorous but religious piety was not always his greatest of virtues. When he had first reciting the ancient words that seemed to filter past Satomine¡¯s consciousness, and disappear into the night, he found the monk studying him. There was an air of curiosity and approval in his eyes, one that made the youth flush scarlet with pleasure and embarrassment. ¡°There now, the Kami has been returned to his resting place, the shades banished and peace restored to this mountain.¡± Shinkei declared with no small amount of satisfaction as he sighed happily, a smile gracing his bearded lips. It was then that they heard the cries, of the youths that they had rescued a short time ago. The screams echoed down through the caverns, so that the two men jumped some fifty feet in the air. Both of them had they leapt higher might well have split their skulls upon the low cavern ceiling, if this were not a proverbial leap. Both were filled with such horror and fear that they knew then that the monstrous spirits they had locked away within the box of the small statue of the Kami, Konohanasakuya-hime, was the least of their concerns. Chapter IV: Flight from the Northern Shadow ¡°What in the name of the Sun-Goddess?¡± Shinkei asked confused, his hands still upon the box of the Kami that the trio had opened unwisely some months ago. ¡°It sounds like the three you rescued,¡± Satomine shouted wherefore he turned and began to lead the way back up the darkened path that led thither to the entrance of the cave. It was a long road back, one that they had undertaken over the course of nigh on an hour and that they now sought to undertake in almost a tenth of that time. It was to be with a great deal of satisfaction that the youth noticed that the monk who raced along just behind him, was to cross the distance from where the Kami¡¯s box was to be found, to the mouth almost as quickly as he did. Both were however surprised to find a raven pecking and slashing and stabbing at the trio with its beak, which may as well have been made of iron, given the amount of pain and grief it was doling out. The trio sought to back away, their arms bleeding and their shrieks terrible to behold as they sought to repel it, to no avail. ¡°No! No! Please stop!¡± One of the children shouted, frightened by the raven that swept down upon them, from outside, pecking and tearing at them. Shinkei the monk was to throw himself at the bird, in an attempt to rescue them yet was fought off, by it with his arms torn and slashed at by the ferocious animal. Springing into action himself, tant¨­ held high fury consuming his heart without fear for himself the bushi was to stab and slash at the raven with all the rage of one who has lost all. Before he had feared the beast, and now he quite forgot himself at the sight of the wickedness it had wrought, wounding and tearing at the children ere it set eyes upon Satomine. Tearing at its wings, it was only with its cries of pain and anger that he felt some measure of satisfaction, with it being Akemi who cried out to him. ¡°The fire! The fire! Throw him into the fire!¡± It took a great deal of effort, yet with one of the wooden spears sharpened to a point that the youths had fashioned for the killing of their victims or in defence of themselves that he succeeded. Stabbing the bird with the aforementioned spear, Satomine was to cast the bird into the flames where it squawked and shrieked a terrible vengeance upon him. ¡°Burn me away if you like, however my vengeance shall follow you as a cloud of locusts will a hearty harvest, you filthy descendant of Pimiko!¡± the raven that was a mouth-piece of Motonaga shouted from deep within the flames, chilling the blood of Satomine¡¯s new friends. Each of them stared into the flames, as the bird struggled to burst free, to no avail. When it revived, it was once more burnt away, just as it was the third time after it was to pass away. At last Motonaga gave up on his servant and it at last with a great squawk passed on to Yomi. It was with no small amount of relief that the youths that surrounded him sighed, and sagged against the side of the cavern wall. Satomine for his part, remained as grim and stoic as ever, his eyes staying upon the flames that to him seemed darkened as though the light of the flames had been doused. ***** It was then that they set out, all five of them for the southern road. The three local youths, whom had by now had the pleasure of a proper bath, could not very well return to their home-village. Each of them having committed terrible crimes when under possession, so that many in the locality regarded them with thinly veiled suspicious at best, and hatred at worst. It happened though that Shinkei would not leave them alone, since one of them was his great-niece so that he would not return to the monastery himself. The fact that the Abbot had chosen to engage in violence, and had forsaken Yoshinobu was something of a shock to him. As he had been absent at the time of the battle, and was thus ignorant of what had transpired. ¡°Such folly, however I had heard something of this before, and therefore will not return to the monastery. Once one has chosen the path of evil, one cannot easily deviate from it, and I suspect that this monster, this akuma, Motonaga will be the end of the only home I have had since I was given into its care by my parents.¡± It was a statement that resonated a great deal with the young man, who pondered them. It was with a great deal of thought that he remarked to his companion, ¡°It might therefore be said that the finest cure for evil then, is the blade.¡± ¡°I would not go so far as that, as blood begets blood and tragedies are wrought on the shedding of the blood of a great many.¡± The old monk answered quietly, a hint of sorrow in his voice, ¡°After all, we need only look to the ancient past for proof of this fact.¡± ¡°Mayhap, though I would warn you that to do nothing whilst evil rules over the land there is only one recourse,¡± Satomine replied sharply of the opinion that on this point there could be no compromise. It looked as though Shinkei had a different view. He however preferred not to speak out then, sceptical as he was to the efficacy of violence to solve the world¡¯s ills, he could not bring himself to agree with the youth. Satomine while mindful of his perspective, knew Motonaga to be different from any other menace that had ever been spawned before. It was why he was to stop his horse and ask of him, ¡°If I had done nothing to rescue you and yours from the raven, would they still live? Certainly, the blade should be the last resort as my tonou once said, but it is at times the only resort if one wishes to protect one¡¯s child, one¡¯s family, one¡¯s dog, or one¡¯s people.¡± Shinkei gave his words some thought, it was evident that he still disagreed if his expression was anything to go by. It happened though that it was one of the trio, Akito (for by this time the bushi had been introduced to all three of them) who spoke up remarking to the monk, ¡°He is right, Brother Shinkei, we in the north know better than anyone else what it means to fight to survive. Life hereon the Marches has always been a battle to survive, so that we cannot say that life would be the same, peace possible if it were not for the bushi.¡± Shinkei was even more troubled, as he trailed along with the bushi wishing earnestly to conjure forth an argument against the young man¡¯s argument. He might well have done so were it not for the thought that perhaps it might be best to let the matter lie. This proved the better recourse as Satomine was not to press the matter. He quite liked Shinkei despite himself, and though not keen to lower his guard around the monk, he was not in any great hurry to make an enemy of him. ¡°I suppose everything has its place, I really will have to pray for wisdom regarding your views Satomine, as you do not strike me as an unwise or impious fellow.¡± Shinkei said heavily, so much so that Satomine at once felt guilty for having been so disagreeable. It was because of this incident that he put in a greater effort towards being more pleasant, and a good deal more solicitous towards the monk. He felt he owed him not only this sort of respect, but also compassion. ***** Their journey southwards was one that they made at a hurried pace, so that Harukor and Akito complained continuously. It was to be Shinkei though who was to seek to remind them of the dangers that lurked about everywhere, most especially behind them. Once he heard the name of Motonaga, after Satomine recounted his tale to him, he was to press the small group of travellers all the harder south. ¡°Motonaga is a monster spawned from Orochi! The youngest of his terrible sons¡¯, I daresay that there has never been a more urgent time in our lives than this,¡± Shinkei cried out worriedly as he pressed his horse forward. The old man had taken his horse along with three others from the monastery stables, having hoped to ride slightly south to the abbey of Midorinoki, yet now he refused to go there, though his rescuer had shown himself supportive of this notion. ¡°We shan¡¯t stay there, it will not be safe when the armies of evil advance south. Though I do not fear for myself, I have these three youngsters and my niece to think of.¡± Moved by his courage and goodness, the bushi was to bow his head as they travelled through the fields that stretched ever southwards past the mountains to the south of Midorinoki. The plains were sun-kissed and appeared to redden ever so slightly, and as the season was late there were a great many trees and branches here and there that had begun to yellow and become orange or red naturally. Autumn had seeped into the land, beginning its short-lived rule over the north of Zipangu. What was more was that the suns¡¯ had begun to rise, with each of the wanderers grateful to have put the northern highlands behind them along with the forested area near Midorinoki. There was truly a sense, as they studied the vast kilometres that stretched out ahead of them that they had put the worst behind them. This was a natural feeling for his companions to feel, with Satomine simply grateful to soon put the corpse, head and katana of his liege to rest. Each of them was filled with such admiration for those vast plains, bathed in the orange light of the morning suns¡¯. Such was their awe towards it that none spoke for several long minutes, with Brother Shinkei in particular was moved to tears. Akito and Harukor said nothing, and were to encourage their horses forward even as Akemi who rode with Satomine, if at her own insistence and his previously indifferent acquiescence. ¡°Is it like this where you were born?¡± Akemi asked of Satomine, her voice warm and full of curiosity. He hesitated with his answer. He had no great desire to answer as the question left him feeling awkward. How could he tell her that he was born on a military campaign north, just to the south of these very fields, in the midlands of Mittsu province? What was worse in his view, was how the query made him think of his father, made him miss him. It was a sentiment he had long ago attempted to suppress, on account of how the man had been disgraced having left the battle-field by ship. The man had saved Yoshinobu-dono the year before and in those battles, much to the gratitude of the warlord however, these valorous acts had been followed by one great and cowardly one. To have taken to the seas¡¯ whilst his liege fought for his life was disgraceful. He simply shrugged his shoulders with it being Shinkei who was to mutter, ¡°These fields are important in our history, for it was here where Motonaga¡¯s army was put to flight and defeated by Pimiko-dono¡¯s great army. Her forces were led by her brother the legendary Wakakiniirihiko who was said to be the finest warrior of the age.¡± Akito became excited at the mention of the battle in question, ¡°Ah yes, the great hero Wakakiniirihiko! We always pretended to be him when children, the finest of the heroes of that age, do you remember his song, Shinkei?¡± ¡°Never you mind music, now is hardly the time to be caught singing,¡± Satomine growled just as the other youth prepared himself to sing the song of the ancient hero. ¡°It is only a song, there can be no harm in singing a few verses,¡± Akemi retorted irritably. ¡°She is right, it is a popular song in these parts,¡± Harukor agreed at once. ¡°That may well be, however we do not know how close the enemy is, and the village of Midorinoki is not far to the north-west, therefore keep quiet!¡± Satomine hissed at his companions, to their irritation. ¡°Surely, if we are cautious all will be well,¡± Harukor insisted in an argumentative voice. ¡°It might be best to keep silent,¡± Akito advised having taken notice of the consternation in the bushi¡¯s voice. ¡°Bah, do not be so fretful,¡± the other youth sneered. ¡°Akito, you would do well to learn from Satomine, he has a great deal more wisdom in such matters than any of us,¡± Akemi advised a hint of disapproval. As it was the girl who had spoken, Akito could hardly argue. He looked on the bushi then with displeasure, even as the servant of the house of Takimoto along with Shinkei strained their ears. Hardly paying any of them any mind Satomine for his part, was to listen for quite some time. All that the trio they had rescued was the rustling of the wind, the cawing of some bird in the distance and the sound of the gulls in the distance. It was strange, however Satomine told himself, he had the sense that there was some sound buried all the others. Yet quite what it was, he was not certain. It was then that Akito began to sing, if ever so softly. The song, the cadence of his voice proved irresistible to the likes of Harukor and Akemi, so that they sang together and for a moment there was a moment of perfect stillness. Their voices melded perfectly with the local hills, wind and rolling green plains. Any other man might well have enjoyed that moment, might well have allowed himself a temporary respite from his duties. Yet it did not reassure Satomine. The song and their combined voices did not offer him reassurance but quite the opposite; it only worsened his apprehension regarding the local area. ¡°Blossoms flower and fall, Men ride and dally, Women dance, short and tall, They weep thrice daily For those who in north-plains beyond the pall, Didst behind Wakakiniirihiko rally, Six thousand times he struck in the green hall Men call the north-plains, and six thousand he fatally Struck dead, thereupon the bloodied fields, Just the moon arose in the east, Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Hope gave little in the way of yields, When the demon didst feast And gorge as his forebear Orochi didst, and as leeches Might, such was his wicked wroth, the whole east Of the world he plunges Into shadow, shadows only he who rallied beast And men could press back, and didst hunt, Such was the glory of Wakakiniirihiko, Prince of the East, Such his glory, his light that he didst blunt, The Dark King¡¯s spread, this though he was the least Of five sons, Wakakiniirihiko the prince of the blossom, Suns-kissed and glorious, who in after-days Beloved by the blossom-kami, didst feast under the blossom Tree, and raise his cup in distant halls, and host feasts There, for away whither to the sun-lady¡¯s bosom He went, blade glimmering armour rent by the fiends, Lo! How men and beasts still weep, as does she of the blossom, Lo! How blossoms flower and fall, Blossoms flower and fall, Just as they always shall!¡± The tale told, and the song fully sung in spite of Satomine¡¯s efforts to quash it, they carried on. It was to be after they woke in the middle of those fields the following day that they discovered the worried of Satomine to have been answered by the sudden appearance of a small patrol sent out by Hidemasu in search of whoever had loudly sung the song of Motonaga. The song having been overheard by them, so that they were forced to make for the nearby woods to the east, after which they would journey through the night, to evade capture. Though they all yearned a great deal for the song in all its beauty, in all its wonder and glory might last forever, it could not. Just as the sakura must after their brief moment of glory descend down from the tree-branches they rest upon, or the suns¡¯ must set so too did the beauty of the suns¡¯ kissed morning fields and the peace felt by the song of Wakakiniirihiko. The first arrow that sundered through the air planted itself into the ground near Harukor¡¯s horse, with the youth¡¯s steed rearing back in response even as a scream was torn from his lips. This first arrow was followed by a second one that was no less inaccurate. It was not until there was a third arrow that flew through the air that blood was drawn. The scream that was torn from the lips of Shinkei was terrible. It shook the spirits of all of his companions¡¯ to their very core so that there was not a one did not leap some thirty feet in the air. The shock of the moment and of the arrow in his side, drew a second even more wretched shriek from the monk, who reached down in disbelief. Staring at the blood that he found seeping along his robes and side, Shinkei looked up and met Satomine¡¯s gaze. It was brief, however for that one moment the old man looked no different from a child, so that the bushi felt a flash of pity. The flash dissipated as a fresh wave of arrows rained down from the heavens a short distance behind them, ere some of them could land the bushi urged his newfound friends onward. ¡°Forward! Forward! To yon woods, all of you!¡± ¡°There he is, seize him! Kill him if necessary! Motonaga commands it!¡± One of the Emishi warriors who rode some distance behind them shouted, waving his bow about after them. A glance over his shoulder while the other three horses dashed forward towards the distant woods that beckoned to them, revealed to Satomine the grim reality of the dangers that were to be found behind him. Thirteen horse-archers, each one dressed in the grey armour of the lowest ranking of the Emishi warriors, hardly a match for that of the Samurai of Mont¨­ or the Occidental Provinces, their armour was nonetheless more than resilient enough to endure a series of arrows. The pursuit lasted for some time as Satomine urged his companions forward, transferring mid-gallop Akemi if against her will to Akito¡¯s horse, with the aid of the farmer. Satomine was to toss the young woman with little difficulty without consulting with her, all while Akemi screamed and wept. Once he had done so, he took up the rear even as he urged those around him towards the forest. They galloped faster and swifter than they ever had before, with the farmers soon left breathless and Akemi with a throat hoarse from screaming. Shinkei for his part, was half unconscious as he continued to suffer from his terrible wound. There was soon much blood that trailed, down the side of his steed so that his companions were rather distracted by his distress. ¡°Shinkei! Shinkei!¡± Akito and Harukor screamed, both overtaken by panic for the monk¡¯s sake even as they raced along at Satomine¡¯s urgings. ¡°Quiet the both of you!¡± He shouted at them, too hardened by years on the battlefield to truly let such a thing distract him now from survival. This was his ultimate gift at that moment; that of the battle-hardened bushi who had been on campaigns of war and fought by Yoshinobu¡¯s side since he was twelve years of age. Of all the men present thereupon those fields or therein the darkened woods, none had the wealth of experience in blood and madness that Satomine possessed. ¡°But what are we to do?¡± Akemi shrieked utterly overtaken by fear also. Satomine stern and stoic as always in the face of tragedy and murder, now that they were in the forest glanced about. A plan came to him, one of incredible impulsivity of a sort that Yoshinobu and many men of his age might well have reacted with horror towards, and yet it came naturally to the youth. Old Shinkei was to react with no less horror than any other man, as did Akemi though she was young in years, with only the two other youthful men acquiescing to the plan desperate as they were. ¡°Now go, you all know what I shall have need of you to do, and do so quickly,¡± Satomine commanded ignoring the pleading cries of Akemi who had no wish to see him take on the greater part of the risks, he threw himself away from them. He prayed as he hurried away, this plan inspired as it was from a fox-hunt he had been on once with Yoshinobu would prove itself as effective for the fox, as it might for him; for if it failed he would soon be reunited with his liege. ***** It was once they entered the forest that the Emishi found that their prey had simply vanished. Confused, they attempted to search the tracks and while they led off the proper path, and there were a great many broken branches, only one set of hooves were to be found going to the left. Three of their numbers also took notice of the fact that there were hoof prints going in the opposite direction off the main path while there was another set of tracks going along, on the often used main-road of sorts that led south. The road was bare and muddy, so that the hooves of the horses that had continued along on that path led that way. The confusion that was felt by the Emishi led to them stalling for several minutes. Their captain could not quite decide which way they ought to go. ¡°They split up,¡± he concluded at last, stating the obvious and glancing about in each of the three directions, as he pondered the problem posited before him. ¡°They obviously split into three different directions however whither did the fourth man go?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± One of his men asked confused. ¡°There were four of them,¡± one of their numbers piped up. ¡°One of them an old man, another was a woman though she rode with the assassin, while the other two looked to be peasants.¡± ¡°How could you tell at such a great distance, we must have been nigh on a league away from where they stood.¡± The other man snapped in disbelief. ¡°Do not doubt Abuan¡¯s eyes, he has those of an eagle so that if he says that he could see them from nigh on such a distance it is because he could.¡± The captain retorted at once, with such faith in the other scout as to make several of his men look upon him with considerable jealousy and resentment. Not that the captain paid them any mind, focused as he was upon pondering the strange conundrum that had been presented before him. Hardly a foolish man he was to think for quite some time, before he at last arrived at a decision, ¡°Very well we will simply have to split up-¡± Quite what he intended for them to do after they broke into smaller groups, was difficult to say as it was then that an arrow flew through the air and through his left ear. He was not alone in meeting his end this way, as another arrow pierced the head of another of the scouts, tearing through his brain with equally deadly precision. This second arrow had followed the first after but a few seconds, the scouts noted with stunned horror, with this second one piercing the skull of the sharp-eyed Abuan. The astonishment that his men felt at the sight of his shocked face and as he fell from his horse was not to stall them for long. As one they turned in the direction from whence the arrow had come from, with a great shout they all began to charge forward into the forest, away from the beaten path, their captain had kept them upon. ¡°There he is! There he must be!¡± They shouted, as one resolved to slay the southerner who had already slain two of their numbers. As they raced mindlessly into the jungle, it was now that a new arrow sang through the air and through the neck of another man. Such was the precision with which it had been released from the bow with that even the likes of Hachiman might well have stopped to stare in wonder. There was however little in the way of wonder, as the man at the rear of the contingent of scouts fell from his horse, unable to warn his friends of what had just occurred. Moving away to as any true workman might, seize his corpse that had fallen and drag it into the foliage Satomine this accomplished, withdrew once more into the forest. He was aware that it would not be long before they took notice of their peer¡¯s absence. It was as he predicted, however what he did not foresee was how quickly they took notice. No sooner had he hidden the corpse it seemed, than the Emishi scouts turned about in bewilderment wherefore they took notice of the blood-soaked horse that ran past. Crazed by the death of its rider and free from him, it tore its way through the foliage. ¡°He seeks to pick us apart, one by one until there are none left,¡± One of their numbers guessed, able to at last think rationally. ¡°We must find him and kill him,¡± Growled another man, ¡°Come let us hurry back the way we came and slay him!¡± This they might well have done, blindly once more and they turned about to do just that when one of them caught sight of the foot of their missing comrade and pointed it out to the others. ¡°There you see? The foot of Harusho is there!¡± Cursing his own misfortune, Satomine acted quickly seizing one arrow from his quiver, he notched it let it fly then the next. His aim was as impeccable as ever, so that two more of those who sought to run him down were sent to Izanami, to plead their suits before her. There were still ten left. ¡°Follow me, you cowardly Emishi that is if you have the courage to face down a single man,¡± he shouted ere he turned away to head deeper into the forest away from the path. His hope was that they might be forced to dismount as he had, from their mounts. He prayed that he had taken their measure and that they might follow him as full as rage as before. The Emishi warriors had no need for stratagem they thought, swinging about with a number of them throwing themselves off their horses while three of them did not. ¡°Bah, we need not dismount and fight as he would have us fight!¡± One of them bellowed, whipping at the reins of his horse to encourage it forward at a full gallop. ¡°Wait-¡± His friends cried out, but it was too late. The trio of warriors were to charge their way foolishly through the forest, with Satomine who had been observing them closely with the eyes of a hawk bewildered at how foolish they could be. He was almost out of arrows. He had but six, he counted as he planted the sword he had stolen from the Emishi, it was of shoddy inferior quality he could see this, and would have to still make use of it. Desperate he cast himself aside, rolling out of the way of the chargers, planted his sword in the ground and notched another arrow. The three men soon tore their way blindly through the forest, this much must be said about them however they were to charge so quickly, so blindly that it was not long before they did more than tear through overhanging branches. Their three horses advancing as only they could, soon tripped over a number of high-roots whereupon they were thrown forward onto their faces while their riders were thrown from them. The sound of their crash as they screamed only to then fall silent was to inspire but only a little relief in Satomine. Their deaths brought no satisfaction, not when he still had seven Emishi to face. They charged yet did so far more intelligently, with Satomine able to see the respect and fear they had for his archery. This nearly unnerved him as he shot one arrow at one, only for the man to duck behind a nearby tree so that he missed his mark. Another shot was fired to the same effect. Cursing, the youth waited a little longer, adjusted his aim and fired. The man to the rear of the group moved just as he had foreseen, making for the tree and into the path of the dart so that he moved towards his own death. Pleased, the bushi knew as well as they that he only had three arrows left. But by now they were too close, and while he had the satisfaction of slaying another by arrow, he had no other choice but to cast aside his bow in favour of the blade he had stolen. The first swing was broad and wild, with Satomine easily moving aside wherefore he disembowelled the northerner. It was however the second strike that very nearly got him as the enemy Emishi stabbed through his companion in an attempt to slay Satomine. The blade came up short and stabbing around the defeated man¡¯s head, the bushi hacked off that of the next man. That left but three men left. The next man moved closer to slash at him with not one blade but two, with the first blade crashing against the trunk of a nearby tree. Startled at the rapidity with which Satomine had ducked behind it, he was left screaming nary a moment later as the bushi struck with all the fury of a demon, tearing his sword arm from him. The other man overcame his pain somehow, and took another swing with his other weapon. This one came very near to slitting Satomine¡¯s throat, as he had leant too far and had to leap back almost tripping over a root as he did so. How is this man still walking, let alone fighting? He asked himself bewildered. ¡°I will not let go! I will kill you! Kill you, you traitor! For Kiyomoto-dono!¡± He shrieked furiously, with the passion of a man possessed. It was then that the bushi understood. It was also then that he grew to respect his foe. Slashing the blades clashed and that of the stumbling bushi shattered. It was in that hour that Satomine knew despair, while his foe triumphed too early, ¡°Now you die!¡± It was with the swiftness of a panther, and the savagery of an Emishi that the hilt shard flashed and the other man stumbled back, his gut ruptured and run through. Another flash of movement and Satomine¡¯s tant¨­ was thrust through his throat. A heartbeat later and the bushi tore from the other man his blade. Panting, his heart almost in his throat he cast his gaze and his senses all about him, in search of those who sought him harm. To his horror though, they were nowhere to be seen. Their horses were also missing. Knowing that they had fled, and that they would return in greater numbers and with his legs aching, his arms feeling weighted down and his spirit shaken, he turned away. This was no victory, he knew and would require immediate action on his part. ***** Tracking the small group of fugitives took little in the way of time, for the bushi who though he found that they had not heeded his words in their entirety he was pleased to find just outside the forest. Where they had disobeyed him was in the lighting of a small fire, and in stopping not in the forest but rather just outside of the forest. Displeased by this revelation, and the sight of smoke in the distance along with the smell of smoked rabbits (a scent that made his stomach rumble), he was further displeased when they took to shouting at him. Pleased to see the bushi still alive, they let slip a great cry escape from them, where they sat near to the fire they had lit downhill from the forest. ¡°Satomine-san! Satomine-san! Are they well and truly dead?¡± Akito yelled by way of greeting as the other man approached from afar, weary and moribund. ¡°Quiet, imbecile,¡± Satomine growled as he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the forest from whence he had just come, saying as he did so, ¡°There might yet be more of them, with two of their numbers having escaped me.¡± ¡°What does this mean? Will there be more of them?¡± Akemi asked fearfully, as she drew back. Satomine did not answer her, instead he focused his attention once more upon Shinkei, who had by this time had the arrow withdrawn his side. The arrow had been one of those he had himself used, if only on account of his limited supply of them. Studying his wound hurriedly, he was pleased to note how parts of Akito¡¯s clothes were torn and how the wound had been bound, saying to him, ¡°You were wise to tear your clothes and bind this wound.¡± ¡°But of course,¡± the younger man boasted at once, pleased by his praise. ¡°However, we must clean it soon and then rebind it,¡± Satomine declared studying the bandage closely. ¡°We have so little water though,¡± Harukor complained bitterly. ¡°Then we will find more, there ought to be a river or pond to the south, now let us move!¡± Satomine grunted sharply, moving to help Shinkei get back upon the horse they had eased him down from. His newfound travelling companions reluctantly followed his example; helping the old man climb back onto the horse, before they re-mounted themselves. The only one to offer some measure of tension and outright disagreement among the men was Akemi. She insisted that if Shinkei was to ride with Satomine she should ride with them also, if only to help the old man. ¡°This will not do,¡± the bushi snapped impatiently, ¡°While my mount is fierce I will not exhaust him with such a burden when time is of the essence. You will ride with Akito, while Harukor will be our scout riding ahead of us.¡± At those words, though she was sulky about this decision and wished to continue protesting against this idea of his, only for Shinkei to interrupt them. ¡°I should very much like to live, now if you children could do as Satomine-san has commanded, we should all be the better for it.¡± Chagrined and embarrassed to have been reprimanded in this manner, they fell silent. Each of them wishing to project some sort of dignity in the eyes of the monk, with Harukor working to kill the fire as the others prepared to leave. It was as they set out that the suns¡¯ began their long awaited precipitous decline in the west. Observing this for several minutes, as they trotted south with all due haste, there was a sudden sense of weariness that overcame Satomine. It seemed as though he had not stopped fighting, not stopped riding for years. ¡°Are we headed to Midorinoki first, we could slip into the village in search of rations and water for the horses if only during the night.¡± Akemi suggested eagerly. ¡°No,¡± the bushi retorted firmly, uneasy about the idea of going anywhere near the place where Yoshinobu died. ¡°It would only attract undue attention. We must avoid the villages, the monasteries and find water, whereupon we shall after cleaning Shinkei¡¯s wounds continue south.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Akito asked resentfully. Eyes still fixed on the southern road that stretched on forevermore, Satomine answered him with but two words; ¡°The Takimoto.¡±