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 Post subject: Sacrifice, Part 1
PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:50 am 
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Sacrifice, Part 1

"It’s all here, Shioden-dono. His every crime. I cannot fathom why he recorded all this, but he did." The bemused junior lieutenant of the Emerald Champion was holding the diary in an uncertain grip.

"And you’ve read the whole of it?" The grizzly man asked with trained indifference, unbinding the emerald mempo, his voice changing from raspy and echoing to more clear and elegant as the mask fell off. After receiving a deep affirmative bow, he ushered the younger man with a gesture, extending his hand for the scroll bundle. "Tell me about it then. And help me with the armour."

"He… admits to being an opium eater, who had become addicted way before the Foxpox Incident. During the skirmishes in Kitsune Mori he was consuming it often, and he had visions of things that were not." The lieutenant gulped as he was unfastening the emerald sode. "That there were no fire-spewing demons. He claims in here that all those stories, they came from him or other sparrow-chasers that hooked up on it because of his bad example. He came up with the chutzpah to justify his defeat. He wrote that he had crafted those stories to hide from you, Shioden-dono, that he had been embezzling funds of the Office to pay for his inordinate addiction, and that he had contacts with suppliers on the Sparrow Trail."

Shioden was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. "And anything more recent?"

"…Yes." The lieutenant added after a pause. “After his posting in Dragon’s Guard City he became deeply indebted to a gaijin kokulender and fugitive criminal, formerly in Tortoise service, the man known as Hosei. There is a blatant claim of his that he sheltered that man from his crimes, to the point of endangering relations of the Office with the city governor, Seppun Hassei, who was the chief magistrate at that time."

"I know who Hassei is and was, idiot." The old man grunted. "He is betrothed to my cousin if you disremember. He seized the Tortoise district in the city in the wake of the arson. Likely also their documents, records. Have we secured access to those?"

The younger man shook his head from below where he was untying shin covers. "The governor told me that all of that had been burned by this Hosei before he fled. But Shioden-dono, this is an indisputable testimony! And some parts of this are repeated, even trice! Why would he admit things trice if he didn’t mean it?"

Shioden’s bushy silver brow arched ever so slightly as his gaze moved to the bundle. “You can’t trust in words of a man without honour. As the moral corruption spreads from Sparrow opium dens and Tortoise pleasure houses, there will be more and more of them. But we’ll make do, this is all damning enough. Where was he spotted last?"

"On Traveller's Path… Near Boar lands, Shioden-dono."

The Emerald Champion chuckled darkly, stretching right after his emerald haramaki was set loose and its overlapping layers slipped into his assistant’s hands. He then tossed off a grain of dirt from his sleeve that really wasn't there, but the sleeve got properly straightened in the process. "Fox, Sparrow, Tortoise, Boar… And I am disbelieved when I claim that the Minor Clans conspire together against my Empire. That they try to infiltrate my Office to render it incapable of bringing the severity of Imperial Law onto them." He rattled the bundle. "I would have this thrown before the Imperial Court and commanded the Legions to invade all their petty domains, taking their vicious power to disrupt the Empire in one fell swoop from them, if the situation in the capital was more normal... and this wretched scum was more credible." He looked at Daidoji Tsukuro's seal on the diary. "Alas, after what he had done his word has no weight, and the blemish on his family’s name is bad enough. The lenience is over nonetheless. For a good start, we’ll squeeze the Boar a little. If they shelter him, they will give him up. There is only so far he can run."

"Is this an order, Shioden-dono?" The lieutenant asked hesitantly. He politely refrained from mentioning where else the fugitive could run. He had already been called an idiot once.

"Yes, see to it immediately that Doji Yoshi is dispatched there to assess their due koku quota. They have expanded their mining operations lately but the taxes have strangely stayed the same. Make him aware that if they are not cooperative, I am ready to invoke Section Two." Shioden rolled his eyes condescendingly after he saw how long it took for the young Phoenix to process the memorised Charter and find the line on tax fraud. Why was he even keeping this Phoenix as an assistant? Ah, a favour for Asako Ryohime. An indebted Matron was worth the ordeal. "I want this settled before Hashira Horitsu. And when he is extracted from the Boar, execute him on spot. He had his chance to do the right thing. Many chances."

"Of course, Shioden-dono."

"And ride back to the Dragon's Guard once this is set in motion. I want regular reports of what's going on there."

"Your will, Shioden-dono." The bland Phoenix whose name was always escaping Shioden's memory stepped away, having completed reassebmling the Armour of the Emerald Champion on the rack in the centre of the hall where they had been standing.

"Dismissed."

Only after his lieutenant had been gone did Shioden unfurl the diary. After a breath, with a deep frown, he started to parse the lengthy confessions. He finally marked all the places where the testimony had been written down trice. Slowly, he started deciphering the message.

Meanwhile, his junior lieutenant was rushing to send a missive to Asako Itsuo.

***

Hida Tenburo was still angry. Beating his treacherous wife hadn’t helped, even though he had not held back this time. Seeing her humiliated, groveling, pleading him to stop was bringing him less and less joy with each passing day. Beating his effeminate son hadn’t helped either, it was of no use, the poison of weakness and deviant urges the Scorpion whore had infused into his bloodline could not be removed that way, he bitterly admitted before himself. He had tried too many times already. His all-too-pretty daughter had spoiled it all anyway this time, standing in the way and taking the blows meant for her brother. Women should not be this insolent, Tenburo thought, begrudging the fact that of his two children only his daughter had some spine. Women are naturally unfit to rule, he knew it for certain, and he wouldn't be the one to impose a calamity of a cockless Champion onto the Crab. Even a bastard would be better. That had been Hida Osano-Wo's call, after all. Tenburo would have to check on his bastards once things calm down, whether any was showing promise. Or make a new one? The thought pleased him enough to stop bashing with his tetsubo a practice dummy of a random piece of furniture into splinters and step back into the main hall of Shiro Kuni. The bloodied Kakeguchi Ogai was still there.

"Again, what was that shit like?"

"Probably an akutsukai, sire." Ogai swallowed. "The ease with which he dispatched Kanko and Munoto was that of an akutsukai."

"But he was wearing a Crane armour, is that right?"

Ogai nodded. He was just a kid when Tenburo had defenestrated his uncle but he remembered it like it was yesterday. He felt the same anger from his Champion as back then, and he quietly was preparing to pay for his lord's displeasure.

"And Daidoji mons."

"No fucking difference! A lost Crane felled two of my finest scouts, you say? Maybe they were not all that fine after all! Maybe you are as worthless as they proved to be. Or worse, because they at least fought, and you fled."

Ogai shrugged. "My life is yours, sire. I chose to warn you than to die in vain."

"And warned I am. Though of what exactly?" Tenburo crossed the distance and pressed a finger against Ogai's head.

"That may be for the Kuni to determine, sire." The stoic scout didn't move. Even if his stoicism was more related to being resigned to whatever fate rather than a lifestyle disposition.

"Ah, and where are those Kuni? Perhaps in Shiro Kuni?" Tenburo paced off, kicking a stool on his way, sending it sliding across the floor until the wall stopped it.

That was as much a rhetorical question as the answer to it was ironic. There were hardly any Kuni in Shiro Kuni at this particular time, as Tokaji had taken all of them to the annual conference... to Kyuden Hida. Those conferences always bored Tenburo as they were much about esoteric things the Champion didn't have the patience to digest, preferring to be briefed once the Kuni sort those things out. But this year he decided to leave the fortress altogether to Tokaji's ego and his congregating shugenja and go on inspection of Clan defences ahead of relocating some troops to the Crane border. The retaliation for the bombing of Sunda Mizu Mura had long been overdue. And when it looked like circumstances were aligning for a meaningful punitive action, this happened. A Crane akutsukai stirring trouble south of Yugure Yama? Tenburo sensed a ploy. It was way too convenient for the Crane, to keep the Crab locked in their positions defending the Empire from the Enemy rather than marching to teach the perfumed schemers a lesson when they were battered and licking wounds. If he was in a normal alliance, he would call for help. But both the Mantis and the Scorpion were focused on vying for influence in the capital and making nice to the Crane, maybe even conspired against him. Who needs enemies with allies like this? Tenburo thought he had every right to be angry. He had every right to take it out on his treacherous wife, and her deficient spawn. Maybe they weren't even his.

"There are two, father." Hida Tezuko's sharp voice tore him from his brooding. Tenburo looked up at her thinned, defiant lips and a glare of challenge directed straight at him. He was finding her pale eyes unnerving. Scorpion eyes of her mother, just reflecting an unbroken soul. Now blackened by his fists, doing disservice to her beauty, but making it easier for him to look at her. She had entered quietly when he was staring at the stool, and had laid her hand on Ogai's arm. "Kuni Rogen and his pregnant wife remained behind. They have been briefed."

Tenburo rubbed his face and forehead with his large, calloused hands. He hadn't slept much lately, or well. "Bring them in." He spat, then went to collect the stool and sit on it in the middle of the chamber before eying the pair coming in.

He immediately disliked the woman. Too refined and glamorous, and where was her face paint? Red lipstick and pale shades over her eyes looked more like a mockery than anything else. And yet she stood tall and proud, despite her advanced pregnancy she was supporting with her hand. The man looked more to Tenburo's tastes, simple, pragmatic and grim, just like a Kuni should be. He ignored the woman for now, women were feeling more important than they should be if they were given too much attention.

"It's Rogen, right? You'll go with the next patrol, and get back. Kakeguchi Ogai here has just volunteered to go and redeem himself for his cowardice, so you'll join him. Either of you will tell me what the hell is that thing that is taking out my men."

The man called Rogen looked at his champion with a glint of schadenfreude in his mismatched eye.

"I will do so gladly, Hida-dono. But I want my wife Sumire go with me. That increases the chances of success. I am but a researcher, but she is a Jade Magistrate."

Tenburo pursed his lips in surprise, forced to look at the woman again, whose face was a mask of politeness. She was not robed in way reflecting her station, but did in fact had the jitte behind her obi, just moved to the side because of the swollen belly.

"She is bloated and slow. And you would risk your kid." Risking like almost certainly losing it. Even Tenburo with all his misogyny was disturbed by Rogen's request. He frowned, studying the statuesque figure of the silent woman. A pinch of compassion and awe for her dignity found its way to Tenburo's heart, and his frown deeper. Did the man hate his wife so much?

"She is now a Crab and must live like a Crab. If she loses the foetus, we'll make another one. She's a one to conceive easily." The man's ugly face pattern was made even uglier by a broad smile. "Right, Sumire? It is so easy for you. Don't worry, dear, if the unfortunate happens, I have the medical skills. You know I do."

It made Sumire shudder, and a tinge of fear marred her On. She cradled her belly with both hands.

"Father, I bid you not to allow this! This man is mad and cruel beyond reason!" Tezuko moved between Tenburo and the Kuni couple. Tenburo looked in the Scorpion eyes of his daughter, daring him, and his jaw locked.

"Very well, Rogen-san. Take her out, on a cart, in distance from the scouts. In dire times like this we all have to be ready for sacrifices."

The horror on Tezuko's face made Tenburo's day. He smiled with his incomplete set of teeth, as he was angry no longer.



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