A Shadow Amongst the Lost (closed-ish rp)

[Shosuro Honzo]

OOC- This thread is a continuation of the story titled "A Shadow on the Utaku Plains". It is closed to all but a few, unless you have some pertinent information to add. PM Bayushi Haruka or myself if you wish to be a part of this story. That is all. Enjoy.

Shosuro Honzo reined in his horse as the jade numeranai came to a stop and dropped to the ground. The magic imbued in the small nightingale figurine had spent itself for the day and would have to rest before being used again. Honzo had followed the green, sparkling trail of the nightingale from the Utaku Plains, the lands of the Crab and finally into the lands of Jigoku, where only the bold dared entered.

Honzo had made it a point to stock up on jade water and blessed food in Kyuden Hida before venturing into this cursed land. Now, with a fresh mount and ample supplies, he was hot on the track of a killer.

The trail had been difficult to find at times. Even with the numeranai's assistance, its power was finite and could not be relied on to take him directly to his quarry. He had had to use more mundane, skilled means of finding his way this far. A broken branch on an otherwise unspoiled tree, scuff marks made by hooves on the side of a hill, the riverbank scoured from horseshoes on a fording. These had led the Master of Shadows on track.

The killer, now confirmed to be the sister of Bayushi Haruka, had not been too keen to hide her trail. Her confidence in her vengeance had probably instilled arrogance into believing she did not need to hide. For what fool would dare to cross the great Kaiu Wall in pursuit of one woman who killed her family and burned the buildings on the grounds of the estate? In the big scheme of things, she probably figured no one would care so much to risk it. Honzo was no fool, however, nor was he so apathetic to the crime. He was chosen for this task personally by his Champion, and he would obey.

Honzo kept his sword loosened in its saya. He would need to be on double guard from now on. Sleep would be a rare commodity now, as he could not risk the chance of becoming caught unawares. He steeled his mind against any fatigue, or hunger, or thirst. He would have to conserve his supplies in case this took longer than a few days. The threat of becoming lost or Tainted was always a danger here.

He also knew that taking this animal into the wastes would be a death sentence for the beast. That could not be helped. He would need transportation and the means of carrying his rations. He only hoped that the animal would last longer than he expected.

He traveled for some time, taking in the desolate scenery. He heard unseen predators make their kills and avoided them. He moved swift and silent as the shadows he was master of. He even encountered a Nezumi tribe whom he traded with for information and a place to rest. He was quick to leave, after discovering that they were becoming too keen on all the 'shinies' he had, and were making comments to each other in their own tongue that Honzo could guess was them talking about killing and robbing the lone samurai.

The days turned into weeks, and Honzo was pleased to see that his preparations and limiting of his food and water had done him good. When his mount died two days later, he began to get disheartened. When the third finger of jade turned to a black, crumbling chunk of obsidian, he began to worry. Fear was not the emotion he felt yet, but a cautious bit of trepidation was more like it.

Eventually, Honzo came upon the City of the Lost, the famed city that the Lord of the Shadowlands, Daigotsu, ruled. It was here that the infamous Spider Clan made their home. Honzo's trail had taken him here, and his spirits sank as he realized just how monumental his task had just become. "Senshi, you bastard, you owe me big time..."

[Shosuro Honzo]

Honzo slipped into the City of the Lost without too much trouble. He'd had to skirt a few patrols, slit a few throats to obtain a suitable disguise, but in the end in a place like this death was around every corner and no one raised an alarm.

The Master of Shadows reclined in an abandoned hut just within the city limits. He was reviewing his facts over what he had found upon the estate grounds. There was a duplicitous nature to this in fact. There was what Honzo had let the Unicorn see him find, and that which he had returned under cover of darkness and found.

After the initial investigation that Honzo had done, his Unicorn "escorts" had left him back at a local inn. They had been far too keen on everything he had done to investigate the case. They were merely keeping tabs on him, to report back to Kasumi-sama.

Honzo pulled the log book out from his satchel. The foreign design of the manuscript intrigued Honzo. The lockbox found in the rubble had been all too easy to pick, revealing two tomes within. Prized over all other treasures, they had been stowed away for good reason.

One was the breeding practices and secrets of the Utaku steeds. This volume alone was worth a small fortune. This Honzo would keep, so he could study it long enough to memorize the contents. After he had plumbed the depths of the volume, he would blackmail the Unicorn into many favors in exchange for the return of the book, or ensure its destruction. Of course, he would merely replicate the book at his leisure for future reference.

The other was a logbook containing the lineage of Bayushi Haruka's family. Formerly of the Utaku family, Haruka-dono married the Scorpion Champion. Looking through this manuscript had proved dull at first. But then there was an entry that had sparked Honzo's interest. He looked at it again as he had each night when he stopped to rest. Written as a comapnion to Haruka was a sibling. A sister in fact by the name of Hasana. It was scratched out crudely, but the name was still visible. It seemed that there had been a family dispute that led the the disavowing of Hasuka.

Honzo pieced the story together from eyewitness testimony as well as through diary entries half burnt, scrolls from the Utaku libraries and other more disreputable means. Hasana had left to join the Snake Clan, ensuring her legacy was forever tainted. It was rumored that she was now an undead thing, one of the Lost and had taken a new name: Tenshi. The family had destroyed all ties with Hasana, but small remnants remained, waiting for just the right person to find. Hasana/Tenshi must have known this too, and killed the family out of spite, hatred and revenge. Perhaps it was merely to cover up her existence from anyone looking for her. If that were so, she had failed.

Now that he had tracked her here, the task had become more difficult. Would he be able to track down a killer and bring her to justice? Only time would tell...

[Bayushi Haruka]

The dark and twisted city never turned a blind eye to a newcomer or his actions though it seemed. However fortune smiled upon the bold and the well prepared soul.
A single bit of movement seemed to stir outside of the hut Honzo had acquired, but it seemed to be in no rush and did not draw Honzo's attention by tapping away at the door or extending a greeting of any sort. But one movement became another as the apparent new arrival dismounted.

The beast it rode sounded rather horrendous indeed, snorting and pawing incessantly with no patience at all. A man clad in dark mishapen armor had somehow found his deceased steed in the wastes. Honzo would recognize it when he saw it, not by any distinguishing marks since he didn't leave any on the corpse he had abandoned in the shadowlands in order to avoid being connected to it and tracked.

Having been resurrected by the shadowlands, the onikage was ferocious indeed, but the rider had already managed to break the beast to his will, which was no easy feat by those in the know. His armor fractured he simply seemed to lazily inspect the hut, not masking his movements in any respect as though he had no fear.

Massive slashes garroted his flesh but by the pale tone of his skin it was clear he wasn't of this life at all, though his physical strength was evident, most likely taken from the power of taint itself.
He looked to be something of a Moto in nature though, gaijin enough to have descended from the roaming men of the Burning Sands, but familiar enough to be recognizable. He seemed to have been able to track Honzo down, though how wasn't quite as obvious.

[Shosuro Honzo]

Honzo heard the horrendous scream of a tainted beast just outside. Weapon flashing out in a heartbeat, Honzo vaulted up into the poorly thatched roof and burst out through the top. Poisoned shuriken at the ready and the sword of the Shosuro family held high in a guard position, the Master of Shadows looked down from his high vantage point at his visitor.

"Who are you and how in the name of Jigoku did you track me here?", Honzo seethed. He didn't like to be surprised. Not ever. And especially not in this place, by this undead thing. He saw the figure's pale skin, tattered armor and foreign features in the sickly glow of the moonlight. The onikage nearby he recognized as the creature who had given away the presence of its master.

Honzo didn't like this turn of events. Not one bit.

[Bayushi Haruka]

The weary gaze of the rider slowly lifted, as it seemed he was in no rush to assess the threat as he heard the movement overhead. His thick facial hair having grayed into a lifeless color and patchy in a few places, his vacant eyes found the Shosuro daimyo.

"Who am I? Oh, where are my manners oh great samurai..."
His sarcasm couldn't be missed. The man's voice cracked a bit, naturally he reached for a skin of water at his side to help coax his voice back to life. With a slight gasp he breathed a little more clearly. Though there was an awkward sound moments later as a slight drip from his side could be heard, a tear in his torso allowing the tainted water he ingested to seep back out.

Though the Shosuro could see that the man never bothered to reach for his blade.
"What am I. Well stranger, I'm dead if that wasn't clear enough.."

He held his arms out as if he would display some other unseen feature that proved it, all he managed to show was his patch like armor that looked as old as him. A small bit of his skin from his arm fell off and he cursed a bit and put his arms back down.

"How I tracked you down?" He turned with a grunt and pointed at the onikage, which practically screamed back at him.

"This wretched piece of filth dared to challenge me in the open lands. But he was fresh, he'd only died recently and he was angry. And I figured... well why not let him lead me to whatever poor soul was wandering into this little piece of Jigoku."

He snorted and laughed a bit. It didn't seem he was all there mentally, but the taint had clearly taken his body over. The one blessing that could be counted on was that at least he wasn't aggressive.

With another hoarse cough that startled even the onikage into silence he wiped his mustache and looked up at him again.
"So what brings your weary soul to this dark place? Curiosity... bad luck?"

[Shosuro Honzo]

The Master of Shadows leapt down from his perch, landing lightly. He stowed the shuriken in a secret pocket of his gi, but kept his sword out in a relaxed but guarded grip. He would be ready if this walking corpse tried anything funny. Honzo also kept his senses on high alert in case this Tainted One had friends nearby.

"Taking my horse and corrupting it to the will of Jigoku is an offense to the kami. As for my business here, that is none of your concern. Especially when you still haven't answered my question. Who...are...you?" Honzo emphasized each word of his query, his voice dripping with acid.

Something inside Honzo twitched painfully. Not now. Please, not now! he reached into his obi and pulled a small hip flask of gaijin design. He unstoppered it with his thumb and slipped the mouth of the flask under his mask, drinking the contents in a few swallows. The pain inside burned brighter and the spasms nearly doubled him over. Finally, the spell passed and he mastered himself once more. That was too close. I don't have much more left. It's this place. It brings it out more. I cannot let it get a hold of me. I survived the last time, but only just. I will not succumb now.

"I can see that you are one of the Walking Dead. I am not blind. But you are also mad if you think that I would just simply walk into this place unprepared for the Shadowlands, and its inhabitants. Now, I have been gracious in not immediately taking your head, so I will ask you once more, Who are you? What do you want of me?"

[Bayushi Haruka]

The dark Moto laughed heavily, his hands rested on the curve of his armor that covered his chest. Most of his teeth seemed to be missing or were broken in his maw.

"Oh you are certainly lost good sir, if you think I would dare steal a horse. I Moto Kairo, was a most noble sort of warrior before I died. These terrible lands have that effect, giving life back to those that wish they could die."

He held his arms out a little, exposing his front. The name would have little relevance to anyone outside the Unicorn clan.

"Please, oh great and honorable samurai, let me die... But I guarantee you, I much as any other being slain here, will only rise again. The only gamble we suffer is if our mind is still our own..."

The Moto just gave a crooked smirk.
"What you should have asked, was who I swore fealty to good samurai, for that is all that matters. And I will answer such a mystery for you, I of course have only served myself since I fell in this wretched land. Rather than the lord of misery this place calls its lord."

He spat at the ground, the sound of a chunk of tooth hitting the packed ground and bouncing along and out of sight along with it.
"That damned clan acts like they can tame these dark lands for their own, even now they would have likely found you and either killed or captured you to torture you, but the majority of these wayward beasts that once might've been men are off trying to make war against the empire.. slamming themselves against the Wall like rats."
His gaze gently returned to Honzo, though he didn't seem to care much about this strange Scorpion's name.

[Shosuro Honzo]

"So, you aren't aligned with Daigotsu. You won't tell me your name or who you were before you died. And on top of all that you endlessly prattle on, delaying my purpose here. You obviously know who I am, which must also mean you know what I am doing here", Honzo mused. He didn't care to bandy words with this corpse, but he needed answers and the dead samurai had sought him out for a purpose.

"I am neither lost nor afraid, so you can cease with the mysterious drivel." He sheathed his katana now, though his hand stayed at the ready, just in case. Honzo's eyes still scanned the darkness for any threats unseen. "If you are here to stop me finding her, then say so. Then I can destoy you and be on my way. Otherwise, aid me in my search and be off."

The Master of Shadows waited to see just what hand fate had dealt him.

[Bayushi Haruka]

He grumbled a fair bit at his response. Little did Honzo know that any sense of irritation the man felt built up tenfold.
"You need to know the key difference between someone that's dead... and someone that's Lost... little one...
Perhaps you should have stopped by the Kuni before making your way into the darkness... A very foolish choice on your part."

His nature shifted a bit, and there was an odd aura floating about the man. Enough so that he cursed at himself and seemed to grab onto his left arm with his right, restraining it as it seemed to rebel and pulse with a dark purple energy coursing through his muscle.

With a snarl he ended up walking over to a crumbling wall adjacent to Honzo's little hiding place and allowing himself to punch into it. The man's power shattering the rubble into dust. Again he cursed.

"You're assuming I've got time to sit around and chat with you, I'm not here to delay whatever wayward quest you're on..." His voice an almost inhuman growl. "I am a Moto, once by name, always in nature... I don't know who you are, nor why you've come, but I've tracked you this far. State your need and I will do my best to usher you on your way.. before the darkness convinces me otherwise."

His gaze not even bothering to fall to his still pulsating arm. The flesh now having turned from a pale lifelessness to a dark muscular fetid limb.

[Shosuro Honzo]

A Dark Moto, that explains a fair few things, Honzo thought. It all made perfect sense now. This upped the ante a bit more than he had bargained for. But the man still hadn't attacked him, so that was good. Honzo had no doubt that he could destroy the Lost, but it would be close. He didn't want to spoil things and show his hand to the Dark Moto. Not yet anyways. Not unless he absolutely had to.

The Dark Moto had assumed much about Honzo. He had assumed he hadn't visited the Kuni. He had. He had assumed that he just blundered into the Shadowlands unprepared. He hadn't. He also assumed that whatever dark power that he possessed, that Honzo would be no match for him. He was.

But be that as it may, Honzo heard something in his tone. As much as the Master of Shadows irritated him, he intrigued him. He didn't want Honzo here in the City of the Lost. That was most curious. Why was this? Was Honzo close to discovering something that the Dark Moto didn't wish him to see?

"Very well, I'll play along for now. I'm seeking a woman formerly known as Utaku Hasana. She is sister to Bayushi Haruka, the Mistress of Secrets. She goes by the name Tenshi now. She is one of the Lost, like you. Hasana-chan murdered her family and servants and burned the estate. I seek her out to deliver the Emperor's justice upon her."

Honzo crossed his arms and leaned up against the remains of the now ruined hut. He lazily uncrossed his arms after a bit and traced the hole that the Dark Moto had punched in the side of the hut. "Pity, I could have built a summer home here."

Honzo circled the Dark Moto now, keeping his hands non-threatening. "And since we're being so honest with each other, I suggest that you do the same. Why is it that you tracked me down? It cannot be out of sheer morbid curiosity. You must want something. If you are not aligned with Daigotsu and you do not wish to kill me, why track me down? The only conclusion is that you need something. So, Lost-One, Honzo said, emphasizing the Dark Moto's preferred term, "What can I do for you?"

[Shosuro Honzo]

OOC-went back and checked my facts. Modified posts to reflect corrections. Should be ok now. Just waiting on you Haruka.

[Bayushi Haruka]

He drew in a heavy breath. "You're right, there was a reason, Scorpion. When I saw a man wandering through these lands I had to wonder, had coming here been a choice, had coming here been a trap for this man? You didn't move like the lost, and it's clear you bear no love for the taint. Your movements were not unnoticed by the unblinking eyes of these kami forsaken wilds. That being said, don't think you made it this far alone little Scorpion." His eyes hardened as if more or less telling him how it was.

"You've already revealed what I wanted to know, that which brings a man so far from his home. For that simple bit of information, I will tell you what I know.

Tenshi, beast that she is, has been training members of the Lost to help guard Shiro Saisei's maho tsukai. There has been much movement there as of late, though why exactly I'm not sure. I've never ventured too close to that fortress, let alone any of these forsaken territories. Nothing good comes from them, that much I am sure of."

He actually bowed gently. Moto Kairo seemed satisfied with his answer, though he wondered if his new acquaintance would also be.

[Shosuro Honzo]

Ooc- my long, detailed post has disappeared! Has any of the mods seen it?

[Shosuro Honzo]

The Master of Shadows nodded to the Dark Moto. "I must report this to my Clan Champion. Since you have aided me and you have not attacked me, allow me to do you the courtesy of doing the same for you. I do not know why you have helped me, nor do I care but pray that we do not see each other outside of this accursed place."

Honzo finished his exchange with the Lost one. He gathered up his supplies from the ruined hut. When he emerged, the Dark Moto was gone. There was no trace that he had ever been there. Even the onikage's hoof prints were erased. That was strange indeed. But Honzo would not tally any longer here. He knew where Tenshi had gone and what she was up to. Now, he had to make it back home. His supplies were dangerously low, and no amount of searching would find him anything of use without succumbing to disease or Taint.

It took longer than the Master of Shadows expected to reach the great Kaiu Wall. Without a mount, the trek lasted for several weeks. Twice he got lost, going in circles for hours at a time before finally finding the correct path. He had all but lost hope once, when the path had disappeared entirely, though he knew that he had to go this way.

When he came within sight of the Wall, a single tear came to his left eye. He rubbed at it irritatingly, but that only served to blind him as he accidentally ground dirt, sand and grit into the eye. Painfully, the used the last few drops of his precious water to wash what he could from the area.

When the tower guards saw him, he looked nothing like a proud samurai and daimyo of the Shosuro. Haggard, tired and all but starved and dying of thirst, the Master of Shadows was a pitiful thing to behold. His armor was all but gone, corroded and falling off him. His clothes were just shreds and the sandals on his feet were so full of holes he was practically barefoot. The sores on his feet were infected and he burned with fever.

The alarm rose up and archers took aim, thinking him some undead thing approaching as a scout ahead of an invasion. However, a grizzled veteran saw the shambling, stumbling man holding up his sword, though it looked like it took an epic effort on his part.

Glinting in the slim rays of Lord Sun that peeked through the clouds, the ancient sword of the Shosuro family pointed towards the heavens, proud and defiant. Recognizing the blade, the archers were told to stand down. It took the better part of an hour for a team to be assembled that carried the stricken daimyo back to the house of healing for emergency treatment.

The Kuni shugenja that the Master of Shadows had met on his way out of the Empire treated him now. He had been the only one that the stubborn daimyo would allow to see him. Even so, when treating the Master of Shadows, he had insisted on using as little light as possible so that when his bare body and face were lain open for examination, the man's identity was concealed as best as possible.

The Kuni swore and complained bitterly, but had relented and agreed when Honzo had promised the Kuni access to his personal library of procured scrolls that held limitless secrets. Honzo had promised him a full three days of study, but had refused to allow the Kuni to take anything from the hidden sanctum. The shugenja practically drooled his delight, and so had consented to treating the Shosuro daimyo in the near pitch blackness.

He was examined and treated for ten days before the shugenja would allow him to leave the room on his own. Honzo had kept the thing that resided deep inside him hidden, and was grateful that he Kuni had not seen his true face in any sort of light, for that would have revealed his deepest secret.

After he had his infections cured and his wounds had begun to heal, Honzo dismissed the Kuni, giving him a writ of admittance to the Shosuro vault. The hidden watermark that Honzo placed on the scroll would tell his majordomo to keep a keen eye on the Kuni and to never leave him unattended, even for a moment.

With that seen to, Honzo requested several items to be brought to his room. Fresh silks in his clan colors were brought, as well as a bowl that was silvered and polished in the gaijin fashion. Other items he requested from the Kuni before his departure were granted as well. He lay them out on a small folding desk along with the bowl.

Filling the bowl with water, he opened a small pouch and sprinkled a foul-smelling green powder into the water. Next he poured a small amount of lamp oil into the bowl. He then struck a long match and threw it in. A blaze of green light flared and thick, soupy clouds of verdant smoke poured forth from the bowl. Whispering his Champion's name, he threw in another batch of black powder, followed by his own personal chop.

An inky face with glowing green eyes emerged from the green smoke. Recognizing the features of Bayushi Senshi, he began his report. "Greetings Senshi-dono. I have succeeded in locating my quarry. She is not yet dead, but I will remedy that. There is much to tell and very little time..."