Advancing in Another Direction (Closed)

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

((OOC: lol so much for "tomorrow some time" ))

Attending a court function was the last thing Thrakhath expected he would have to do on his return to the City of the Lost, let alone one in his honor. What was worse in his mind; the function was his formal inauguration into the position of Obsidian Champion and Regent of the Spider Clan, and he needed to look as impressive as possible. He grumbled quietly to himself as he walked through the corridors of Daigotsu's palace, the servants giving him a wide berth. The armor he currently bore was finer than any he'd worn in his long existence. It was also completely non-functional as a protective garment, further adding to his annoyance.

He was on his way to collect the one piece of his armor that he didn't mind wearing, and would likely wear into battle given the option; the Mempo of Jigoku. He had seen the mempo only once, during his earlier meeting with Daigotsu, but he'd been impressed with it from the beginning. It's visage was suitably terrifying, and it could cause a profound effect of fear an anyone who locked gazes with the mask for too long; even despite his undeath and resistance to such things, Thrakhath had found that he could not stare directly at the helm for very long. And from what he'd heard, the helm could even turn aside blows, unlike the artsy ceremonial junk that made up the rest of his suit. It was just the sort of combination of practicality and art that he could admire.

It was also not where it was supposed to be.

Thrakhath stood in the doorway of the room where the Mempo had been kept, his jaw agape at the scene before him. The two guards who had been left to keep the helmet safe lay dead (and, incidentally, unmoving) on the floor, their heads severed and nowhere to be found, and the case where the Mempo once sat was broken open and empty. There had been no warning of an attempt to steal the Mempo, meaning the wards must have been bypassed or destroyed somehow, though Thrakhath himself had no way of knowing which was the case.

Thrakhath slammed the screen shut so hard that it shattered. "SEAL OFF THE GROUNDS," he roared, sending those servants capable of feeling fear scurrying in terror as the palace guards immediately left their posts to enforce the order. Thrakhath stormed toward the throne room to inform Daigotsu of the theft, his mind racing with possibilities. Someone is going to die for this.

((OOC: An image of the item that was stolen can be found here.))

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Were his office floor made of dirt, Thrakhath would be pacing in a trench. He was fuming, and with no real way to vent his frustration, he simply paced his office, waiting for any news of the stolen mempo and dreaming up all sorts of nasty tortures and horrific things he would do to the culprits when he found them. He'd been at it for hours, and was just starting to get really creative, when there was a tap at his door. He stopped pacing and faced the door. "Enter," he growled.

A samurai bearing the symbol of the Obsidian Magistrates slid the door open and stepped through, bowing low. "Thrakhath-sama," the samurai began. "I have a report."

"Very well Junichi-san," Thrakhath said. "Report."

"Based on the evidence collected this far, I believe a faction opposed to your appointment as Obsidian Champion was responsible for the theft, my lord," Junichi said.

Thrakhath smirked. "You sound like a Kitsuki," he said.

Junichi nodded, though his expression did not change. "I was trained by the Kitsuki before I saw the light and embraced the blessings of Fu Leng, my lord," he said. "May I continue?"

Thrakhath waved a hand dismissively. "By all means."

"It is clear that a Chuda, or someone else proficient in communication with the kami, was involved in the theft," Junichi said. "The wards around the item had been dispelled without raising the alarm. There were also no undead involved, or at least, no aura was left by one that my shugenja was able to detect."

"No undead," Thrakhath repeated, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "Do you have any theories?"

Junichi's face scrunched up into a frown that he quickly covered up. "I would rather not speculate without more investigation, my lord," Junichi said.

"Humor me," Thrakhath said coldly.

Junichi bowed. "Of course, my lord," he said. "The lack of undead used and the proficiency with kami-magic displayed in the theft, as well as the nature of the item stolen, leads me to believe that remnants of Shoju's Snake clan were responsible for the theft." He frowned again. "But that is just a theory, my lord. More investigation is required."

"I had similar suspicions," Thrakhath said. He held up a hand to stop the inevitable protest. "As you say, however, it is only a theory. Continue your investigation and keep me updated," he said. "You are dismissed."

Junichi bowed low once again and turned to leave. Thrakhath moved forward to slide the door shut, but then a thought occurred to him. He turned to his guard. "Bring me that man from the Snake that came to visit me recently, Unong, I believe his name was."

"At once, my lord," the guard said. He bowed and went off to carry out the order as Thrakhath slid the door shut, a feral, predatory sort of grin on his face.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

The guards at Thrakhath's door worked very hard not to glance at each other nervously. Unong had been brought to his chambers several moments earlier, and the voices of the two men had been barely audible since. The guards expected Thrakhath to be loud and in a rage; the fact that the conversation seemed calm and polite unnerved them somehow, and they weren't quite sure what to think.

Then Thrakhath's door shattered outward explosively, as a man-shaped object hurtled through it and into the hallway beyond. The guards breathed a sigh of relief.

The Obsidian Champion stepped through the shattered doorway, his eyes black as pitch, muscles straining against his armor. "You insignificant wretch," he snarled. "Did you really think you could hide the truth from me?"

Unong groaned in pain as he struggled to stand. Thrakhath was there in a flash, and soon Unong found himself raised in the air by his throat, his feet dangling. "I don't know anything!" he screeched, struggling to speak.

"DO NOT LIE TO ME," Thrakhath roared. "You were involved, or you knew something of this," he said. "Tell me!" He tightened his grip, only for a moment, and Unong gasped for air.

"They... they came to me in the night," he said. "They asked me to help them, but I told them no!" Unong's tone became more pleading as Thrakhath's hand tightened around his neck. "I swear, I told them I wanted nothing to do with their plan!"

"GIVE ME A NAME," Thrakhath yelled, loud enough to make the walls vibrate.

"Negishi!" Unong said, his voice full of fear. "Negishi was their leader, that's all I know!" His hands clawed feebly at Thrakhath's around his throat. "Please, my lord!"

Thrakhath held him there for a moment longer, then released him with a grunt of disgust. Unong collapsed to the floor in a heap, coughing and gasping for breath. Thrakhath turned to face his guards. "Take him to the healers, then release him into the City," he said.

The guards bowed. "As you will," they said, and moved to take Unong by the arms and drag him off. Thrakhath looked at his ruined doorway in dismay and sighed. "Servants!" he yelled. Three slaves scurried to him as quickly as their feet could move, collapsing to their knees with foreheads touching the floor. "Repair this door," he said, "I expect it to be fully restored by the time I return."

"It will be as you say, great lord," they said, practically in unison. Thrakhath hmphed and left them to their work. He would wait outside the palace for the guards to release Unong, and then he would follow the former Snake and see where that took him.

[Shoju]

As Yamuso

Yamuso moved through the city with ease, and unnoticed. In a place like this, his appearance was hardly even worth noticing to most people. He moved easily, his blades sheathed horizontally at the base of his back, his jingasa hung down against his back.

Since the unfortunate events at Toshi Ranbo, and his capture, Yamuso had been searching for the meaning. What was the meaning in the refuting of the Spider? What was the meaning in what had transpired by the Lion after his capture? What was the meaning of them letting him go? What was the meaning of the Truce between the Lion and the Crane?

He had spent long hours meditating in the Shadowed Dojo looking for the reasons, and he had come to one. Sometimes, Things defied meaning. Especially, in Rokugan.

The Masters of the Shadowd Dojo had taken him in, and taught him there ways, and he was stronger for it. His Will was unbreakable. His resolve, undeniable. With his formal indoctrination into the order complete, Yamuso now sought to make himself useful.

He passed through the streets of the City, taking in the sights and sounds, and soon, he had arrived at the palace itself. He had heard rumors that an Obsidian Champion had been appointed. Maybe it was time to introduce himself.

As he reached the palace, the guards demanded he state his business. I am Yamuso, and I come to offer myself as a tool in the hands of the Obsidian Champion. He stood looking at the guards. I have traveled the breadth of the Empire at the behest of Lord Daigotsu-dono, I stood with the Tsukai at Toshi Ranbo, and now I stand with the Order.

Yamuso stood patiently.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

"The Champion is out of the palace on an errand," one of the guards replied to Yamuso's request. "You are welcome to wait until he returns."

"Very well," Yamuso said. The guards opened the gate, and one of them escorted him to the court.

***

Unong moved swiftly through the city, like a man being chased by every demon ever spawned by Jigoku. He's going to kill them all, he thought. I have to warn them, try to convince them to give up this folly. Desperate and terrified as he was, he made no effort to evade pursuit or hide his destination. There was a building in one of the poorer districts of the city that the Snakes had taken as their own when they'd arrived. Unong had no way of knowing whether or not they would still be there, but he could think of no reason why they would be anywhere else.

He was disappointed, however, when he pushed the door open and found the building empty. "Is anyone here?" he called out, his voice cracking slightly. "Please, you must return what you have stolen," he said, moving to open the doors and checking each room. He found all of them devoid of people, though the Snakes' possessions still littered the tables and the floors, as if they had vacated in a hurry. "Please..." Unong started to say again, when he felt a sharp, excruciating pain in his gut.

He cried out and looked down, surprised to see the thick blade of a scimitar protruding from his stomach. He felt a presence over his shoulder and a voice he knew all too well whispered in his ear. "Don't worry, Unong-san," Thrakhath said quietly. "Your clanmates will be joining you soon, and you can explain their folly to them in great detail."

Unong felt the blade savagely torn from his body and he cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground, feebly trying to collect his torn guts and stuff them back into his body. "I tried," he sobbed quietly with his dying breath. "I tried..."

***

Some time later, Thrakhath entered the court of Daigotsu looking for a monk that had been described to him by the palace guards. Finding Yamuso doing whatever it is Yamuso does in court, Thrakhath approached him. "Greetings, Yamuso," he said. It was clear by his tone that he was annoyed about something. "It's been a long time since Toshi Ranbo," he said. "Why don't you step into my office and we can discuss what brings you to the City of the Lost."

[Shoju]

Yamuso had waited patiently, meditating in the court. When Thrakhath returned and addressed him, Yamuso bowed deeply from his position on the floor. As he stood, he smiled. "Indeed it has been a long time since Toshi Ranbo." Yamuso's smile was true, and fell in step with Thrakath on the way to his office.

After they were alone again, Yamuso began. "Since the Empire's rebuttal of our attempt at diplomacy, I have found myself in a unique position. I allowed myself capture to stay close to a Crab who was sympathetic to the Spider. Since my release, I have spent much time in the Shadowed Dojo, contemplating." Yamuso looked at Thrakhath and continued. "Everything has a meaning.... a..... Purpose. I see that, and I understand it. I remember a time when that meaning and purpose was in a great upheaval in the eyes of the Rokugani, and the strides that the Shadowlands took in that uncertainty. The Nothing was eventually destroyed, but it's purpose was seen. It had performed the task it had been given, and it performed it well. While the Heroes of the Empire think they won, they never stop to ask themselves at what cost?" Yamuso took a moment, collected his thoughts, and continued. "The Purpose of the Spider has yet to be defined, and you usher in a new age to it. You, Daigotsu Thrakhath-sama, usher in the purpose of the Spider." Yamuso looked at him plainly. "I believe, that my purpose is to be defined in this time as well. I believe, that I survived the Nothing, and the time before Daigotsu-dono found me, and the ambush of the Spider Camp at Toshi Ranbo, and the battle for the gate, and the captivity that resulted, because, Fate had not given me a purpose to fulfill. I believe that my purpose, lies with you."

Yamuso bowed as he finished.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

"If I am to usher in the purpose of the Spider," Thrakhath said, "it will be by Daigotsu-dono's design." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "He is the ultimate authority in the clan, I am merely his proxy." There may have been the tiniest hint of disappointment in his tone as he spoke those words. He smirked as a way of diverting attention. "Unfortunately, my current purpose is much more mundane than you might think," he said. "Someone has stolen an item of great value, and I must see it returned." He frowned slightly. "I can't seem to recall your prior affiliation before joining us; I don't suppose you have any tracking or investigative skills that could be put to use?"

[Shoju]

Yamuso smiled at him."A very long time ago, I was a Mirumoto samurai, charged with aiding a Kitsuki investigator." Yamuso continued looking over the office, curious at just how long Thrakhath had been here himself. "While that was what seems to be ancient history, I would assume that some lessons stick with you."

Yamuso sighed through his nose. "While you may think that you are merely his proxy, you are the man who will shape the purpose. It may be Daigotsu-dono's.... vision, but it will be your hand. It will be your blade. It will be your words." He held up his own hand, looking at the smoothness of his skin, the lack of wrinkles, the lack of identification of anything in it. "But, if your purpose now is to find something valuable, Then we find it, and then we move on.

Yamsuo stopped scanning the room and looked Thrakhath in the eye. "Our time in this realm of existence is but footsteps from task to task, day to day, year to year. But, when you step back, and look at it, from afar, each step on your journey, defined something. Each task defined your purpose. Your actions in retrieving the stolen item, will have a ripple effect in the definition of you, and as such, the purpose of the Spider. Be mindful of even the smallest details, and the purpose you define for the Spider, will be perfection."

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Yamuso would find that Thrakhath's office was somewhat untidy, with books sitting half on shelves and others open on his desk. Most of them seemed to be about blood magic or oni lore. Not necessarily the sort of thing one would expect to find in Thrakhath's office, if one knew anything about the man.

Thrakhath couldn't help but be moved by Yamuso's words, and he smiled. "Why am I not surprised that you were once a Dragon," he said. "This little sojourn to retrieve the symbol of my office may be part of my grand destiny, but I'd still like to get the business over with as quickly as possible." He stood. "There is a group of former Snake clan members here in the Shadowlands, it's likely they are the ones responsible for the theft," he said. "They had a hideout here in the City of the Lost that they recently abandoned in a hurry, and there may be something there we can use to find them." He smirked again. "Any more words of wisdom before we get to work?"

[Shoju]

Yamuso made note of the books. It was odd to see such a battle tested man study such things, but he found it better not to ask. At the mention of the Snake clan, Yamuso closed his eyes, thinking of his former friend, Shoju. He had of course heard of his losses against the Scorpion Clan, and he had heard about those who had come back to the shadowlands afterwards.

"A dragon cannot change its nature, even if it sheds its scales" Yamuso quipped as he stood. "I believe, my wisdom can be delivered while we work." He thought for a moment, and spoke again. "I'm curious what the snake looked to gain. Surely, his followers would have been smarter than to openly defy you." He placed his jingasa over his head, and prepared to follow Thrakhath. "It seems... forced. The last thing i would expect from someone trying to re-ingratiate themselves to you would be to steal from you."

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Thrakhath scribbled something onto a sheet of paper and left it on his desk. He shrugged in response to Yamuso's observation as the two men left the room. "It doesn't make much sense to me either," he said. "I'm still not certain it was them, but so far that's the direction all the evidence has pointed." Thrakhath seemed to be leading Yamuso to the stables, while dignitaries whispered and servants did their best to ignore the pair. "I haven't discounted the possibility that someone is setting them up, or that it's simply a renegade group within the Snake that are annoyed with me for one reason or another." The two passed outside, and Thrakhath began saddling his horse. "Maybe I killed someone's brother and this is his way of getting revenge." He mounted up. "I'm sure we'll know more once we get where we're going."

Two guards came rushing up to Thrakhath just before he could ride out of the stables. "My lord!" they yelled. "You are the Obsidian Champion, Daigotsu-dono would have our heads if we allowed you to leave without an escort!"

Thrakhath glared at the two men for a moment. "I might have your heads for thinking you can prevent me from doing so," he said.

"My lord, we are only doing as we were ordered," one of the men said defiantly.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" he said. The guards rushed to mount two more horses as Thrakhath's and Yamuso's mounts trotted out of the stable. "Try to keep up!" he yelled and kicked his horse into a gallop.

[Shoju]

As they rode, Yamuso thought about what had already been made known to him, and thought occurred to him. "Maybe the evidence is pointed in the wrong direction " Yamuso's face was cast in shadow from the jingasa, but his mouth was set in a way that would suggest he was thinking through the steps of something.

"If you wanted to steal something, wouldn't you lead the trail away from yourself?" Yamuso looked around the sprawling city. "The best bet is to follow the evidence, as long as the evidence makes sense. But if the evidence beings to not add up, then the question that is searching for the answer becomes; Who would profit from seeing you chase after the former followers of a mad man?"

Yamuso looked back at Thrakhath, and raised the jingasa. "The rift between you and Him was noticeable, even at the best of times. Your suspicions weren't unfounded, but they were an Asako in the halls of Shiro Kaiu." Yamuso settled his jingasa back over his eyes, and kept riding next to Thrakhath.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Thrakhath frowned at Yamuso's words. Something about the theft nagged at his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He kept his thoughts to himself, however, as the four men rode up to the Snake safe-house and dismounted. An undead stood guard, his abdomen torn open hideously, and opened the door for them as they approached. There was a large bloodstain on the floor, "Let's get to work," Thrakhath said to Yamuso, and the two of them began searching the house.

It was a few hours later that they finally finished their work, which had consisted mostly of Yamuso going over the rooms with a critical eye and Thrakhath supervising while he thought things over. His frown never went away, as though there were a specific thought he was seeking and simply couldn't find it. Yamuso approached him with paper in his hand, and he snapped out of his brooding and looked up. "You found something?" he said.

"I am not certain," Yamuso said, handing him the note.

Thrakhath looked it over, his frown only deepening."It's a spell scroll," he said, "though I couldn't tell which one." He rolled up the scroll and deposited it into the sleeve of his armor. "We should take it back to the palace and show it to someone trustworthy, if such a creature exists in these times." He motioned for Yamuso to follow him, and they and the two guards with them exited the house. The undead at the door closed it behind them and placed itself in front of the doorway, staring straight ahead as the others mounted up and rode back toward the palace.

[Shoju]

"Trust, is fleeting." Yamuso commented as they rode back. "What you need, is someone whose loyalty is unquestionable. Someone who is loyal to you because they need you, or fear you." Yamuso looked the Obsidian Champion in the eyes. "If someone was able to circumvent your security measures, they will be able to circumvent the trust you have in someone, because they feel that they do not fear you."

Yamuso looked back towards the palace, and smiled. "Be the Scorpion."

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

"So what you're saying is, I shouldn't trust you," Thrakhath said matter-of-factly. He hmphed in annoyance. "As much as I may loathe the Scorpion, I can't fault their methods."

"You're right, of course," he said irritably. "If people think I can be defied with impunity, the problem will only get worse." His fists clenched on the reins. "The perpetrators must be found and punished, swiftly and decisively." He glanced down at the sleeve containing the scroll they'd found. "The first step is to find a Chuda willing to identify this scroll," he said. "They are a jittery bunch; convincing one of them to help shouldn't be a problem."