[RP] Down the Imperial road to Nowhere.

[Saiko]

Evening fell over Ryoko Owari Toshi, and the streets of the bazaar near the seedier side of town bustled with activity. Every way one looked, a stall could be seen, selling practically anything one would need. Samurai and merchants bearing colors and mons of families and clans from across the Empire, not to mention a fair few gaijin, could be seen buying and selling, conversing here and there, all manner of business being conducted. Nothing was being traded as much as the torrents of information that seemed to flow through all such places in the City of Lies.

One man walked through the crowded setting with a different purpose. He wore a black cotton kimono and matching hakama, both bordered in dark green silk, and his daisho was tucked neatly under his black and gold obi, and his hands were wrapped in thick black cloth, and armored in black and gold plates. Over top of this he wore a thick black winter cloak outlined in gold, with the Dragon mon in gold in the center. His face was also wrapped in black cloth, to shield it from the chilling winter wind, so under his wide-brimmed hat all that could be seen were his pale green eyes.

These eyes burned with cold purpose as the man worked his way through the throngs of people lining the bazaar. He handled the crowds as though he had spent time in such a place before, perhaps even the city itself, taking great care never to knock into anybody or attract too much attention even as he moved with impressive haste.He broke free from a group of people outside of an inn that he had taken great care to know the precise location of. He had to know...

A few minutes later, Saiko sat in a corner in the main hall of the inn, a table and a bottle of sake all to himself. His cloak had been removed and placed beside him, though he retained the hat and face wrappings, imperceptibly managing to drink despite this. Many in the city disguised their face in such a manner; many in the city valued discretion, so such actions were not amiss. His eyes gazed out every so often, sweeping over the faces of the various patrons, searching for one that felt familiar. Seeing nothing yet, he sighed, sat back, and lit up one of his tobacco rolls, leaning back into his cushioned seat, and looked out a window at the brilliant sunset, slightly lost in thought....

*****

He had arrived that morning, making contact with an old friend of his who lived here, and stabling his horse before grabbing breakfast and some rest, hungry and weary as he was. Saiko had been traveling throughout the night on his last leg of travel through the mountains. The flight through Lion lands had been more uneventful than he had originally thought, most of the troops deployed to Swift Sword or Crossroads, so the patrols were far enough apart that they had been easily avoided.

The pass itself, however, had been heavily fortified, so the only option was to take a series of mountain roads, narrow and hidden unless you knew exactly where they were. Saiko was no stranger to this kind of travel; in fact, he reveled in it, and began his climb into the mountains. The roads had been hard, often disappearing under huge snow drifts, and he found himself walking his horse through them more often then not. After three days of this, however, his mountaineering expertise had led him to the crest of the mountains, and he began his rapid descent.

This had of course led him to the energy-deprived state that he was, and was quite the sight at the gates of the city. His papers checked out, however, and one of the guards knew the man by sight, so he had no trouble getting through. He was very gracious for the food his friend had given him as well, and graciously postponed more conversation until after he had rested. Saiko wanted to sleep, of course, but he had to do something else first.

Every few days since that night in Kyuden Otomo, Saiko had been checking on the location of the presence he was almost certain was Shoju. Now that he knew it by its general aura, it was easy enough for him to find, as he could only travel so far in a day, it seemed. He had not checked since before his mountain journey, however, so he was desperate to see where the next leg of his hunt would take him.

When he found the presence in the very same city as himself, almost as soon as he entered his meditative state, he almost began laughing uncontrollably, though he gathered himself rather quickly. As he prepared himself to enter an actual sleep state, he smiled again, his feral, hunter's smile, and allowed rest to overtake him. Tonight, I will begin to meet the true Shoju...

*****

He brought himself back to the presence as a particularly loud group of drunken ronin stumbled as they tried to get up from their tables, falling back into their chairs laughing and ordering another round of drinks. He took another drag on his tobacco roll, and sipped at his sake. He must remain vigilant. He must know. Everything depended on it...

[Shosuro Honzo]

The Master of Shadows, Shosuro Honzo, had returned at last to the City of Lies. He had survived the trials of the Shadowlands a second time and, though scarred and bent, he had not broken. His wounds healed thanks to the gifts of the Kuni, his safe passage bought through the Hiruma, he was finally back in his seat of power.

Now, he sat across from another. In a hidden room amongst the throng of seedy, back-alley buildings in the City of Lies, the two men sat playing go. For each move made, the other countered perfectly. The game ended in a stalemate, the same as always.

The two men argued, the same as they had always done since childhood. Always the same, the game never ended in a win. "What is the point of this eternal struggle?" the other man said. A shugenja most likely by way of the scroll satchel to his left, he waved his hand over the go board that the two had been thoroughly engaged. "Before we even start, we know the outcome."

"Precisely because there may come a day in which it does not. For instance, we know that Lord Sun will rise with each day. So what is the point in one watching it rise? For one day, it will not. Another example would be the Empire..."

"The Empire? What do you mean Honzo-san?" The shugenja said, confused.

"The Empire and the Shadowlands continually struggle with each other. Neither side gains total control over the other, it is a stalemate that lies at the Kaiu Wall. But what happens when one day one side does win the game?"

The shugenja thought about this for some time. "I see your wisdom in this. We can always assume that the end will be the same, but one day it may not be so. Therefore we must be ready."

"Precisely. So, how about another game?" The Master of Shadows began to set up the board again when the shugenja snatched at his wrist. Go pieces scattered and Honzo hissed his displeasure. "What in the name of Jigoku are you doing?"

"Silence!", the shugenja hissed. He cocked his head to the side as if listening to something. Slowly, he released Honzo's wrist. The Master of Shadows knew better than to interrupt his counterpart. When the shugenja acted like this, he was always with the kami. It was a gift that Honzo dearly envied. Ever since their childhood, Honzo did not have the same gifts as his companion, but instead developed other skills that the other lacked. They were perfectly balanced against one another. After a long time the shugenja finally nodded and broke the silence. "Someone dark and powerful is here", was all he said.

"Surely you do not mean who I think you mean. He couldn't be that bold. Or stupid." The Master of the Shadows said, concern deepening with each second.

"It is possible...we need to be certain. This is too good of an opportunity to waste. Whoever it is, if it is Taizin or someone else, they are not alone. There is a woman with him. She is full of hate...and fear."

Reports that the man known as Shoju, formerly Bayushi Taizin was at large after Senshi had failed to kill him. The news had reached Honzo quickly through his agents. The possibility of finding him upon his doorstep was disturbing indeed. If that were true, then the woman might be Utaku Mai. Reports had said that she was kidnapped by a powerful tsukai wielding immense power after nearly taking his head in single combat. The needed to be certain though. A mistaken identity would be devastating if it were to leak. What would Senshi do if he learnt that Honzo had summoned him to find the wrong man in custody? No, to be certain he would have to be thoroughly interrogated.

It had been Honzo on the orders of the Scorpion Champion, Bayushi Senshi, that he had tracked down the woman known as Tenshi, formerly the sister to Bayushi Haruka. His investigation had led the Champion and the Master of Void to the location of Tenshi, who was in the company of Shoju at the time. In the ensuing battle, Tenshi was killed, but Shoju escaped, vowing vengeance for his lost love. It was quite in the nature of the man to track down the one man who destroyed everything he cared for. Senshi was in danger. If Honzo found the mysterious dark entity to be Shoju, he needed to act quickly to capture him.

"I think it's time we greeted our guests, don't you think brother?" Honzo asked his twin, Shosuro Honsou.

"Indeed. But which of us gets to play daimyo today?" Honsou replied, a devilish grin hidden by his mask splitting his lips.

"I think it would be wise if you went this time. I am not fully myself, and your gifts will come in handy."

"Very well. And the girl?" Honsou inquired of his brother. "What is to be done with her?" Honsou stood and retrieved his scroll satchel before bowing to his twin.

Honzo stood with his twin and returned the bow. "If it is Mai, we should at least attempt to rescue her. Perhaps the Unicorn would find us in their debt for saving her from a fate worse than death. If it is not her, then she will be interrogated alongside the other. If she is corrupted, we will finish her as well."

The twin 'Honzos' left by separate ways to play their roles as they always had. No one in the Empire knew of this secret, and no one would.

[Shosuro Kyo]

Kyo had been locked in his room since the incident where Haruka was kidnapped. He refused to see anyone except Yogo Miyuki, and that was not from lack of trying. He stayed locked in his room meditating, if someone were to walk in they migt have mistaked him for a Dragon, instead of Scorpion; he even began to speak in riddles.

After three days of this, he got up without a word and left. Miyuki went to talk to but he just brushed past her and she understood the meaning. "I need to be alone, and I need to do something to get my mind of this."

He was dressed in his simple clothes, a light shirt and trousers, no fancy kimono, with his jitte strapped to his side. His weapons had been purified and returned to him by Yogo Miyuki.

He went about his job and going about checking the security reports. he came across an odd sheet about a complaint of two odd crabs in the area, he decided to put it aside for later viewing.

He walked down the street and his eyes saw something in a window, it was brief, and when he looked back the shadow was gone. But he thought he saw Haruka looking at him in the window. He blinked for a second then sighed. He whispered quietly. Kami give me strength, for I don't know what to do...

[Utaku Mai]

The room seemed similar to the last, but for the lights that illuminated even in the middle of the night. Meals were brought in by who Mai presumed to be the keeper's daughter, a girl no older than eight or nine. Her clothing carried the thin layer of dirt that seemed to attract to all active children, and even in her confinement Mai couldn't help smiling whenever she came in.

In an effort to keep herself busy in the maddening circumstances, Mai decided to clean her armor. Pulling out the miles of silk cording, polishing each plate, and re-threading was a chore Mai only occasionally performed herself, but it was necessary after its recent use, and wasn't as if time weren't in abundance.

Mai took a cushion by a sunny window while she worked, singing songs to herself to keep the silence at bay. Not trying to cause any particular bother, she began running through her mental stores in an attempt to stave off complete boredom. After a while, it simply became part of the scenery of the room: nonsense tongue twisters borrowed from the burning sands, the words just a smatter of meaningless syllables; songs from her childhood in Bikami about the rice harvest and wind in the mountains. One song in particular seemed to be her favorite, a tune Mai had learned in the Utaku dojo.

Ride with us, ride with us
Ride the night away
Ride with us, ride with us
Hear what our hoofbeats say

May the story in our hearts prevail
Ride the night away
The cause is just, we will not fail
Hear what our hoofbeats say


The tune was a bit odd to ears accustomed to traditional Rokugan music, and there were a multitude of verses that Mai would stumble upon in her self-absorbed actions.

One morning as she was repairing her broken arm guard, she noticed the serving girl lingering in the room slightly, having just delivered the afternoon rice and vegetables. Mai smiled again and continued singing in her labor. In a sudden inspriation, Mai added a new verse:

Shed the light on fallen ones
Ride the night away
The weak will never come undone
Hear what our hoofbeats say

Ride with us, ride with us
Ride the night away
Ride with us, ride with us
That's what our hoofbeats say

She added a few more verses and renditions of the chorus until she heard the padding of small feet disappearing down the hallway. From Shoju's perspective, she hoped, nothing would seem out of the ordinary.

Within a few minutes, Mai could see the girl running outside to join several others, street urchins and other youth, off to have their own daring adventures in the streets of the city. She could almost hear the girl humming the song to herself, almost see her moving to the song's unusual rhythm.

Mai smiled again, stretching from her stooped position in the sunlight like a content cat. It wasn't much, she knew, but something had gotten out. A defense, however small and insignificant, had been breached.

[Shoju]

[ooc]since Mai's post contains interlude type details of passing the time, I figured I would post shoju's 'interlude'[/ooc]

Waiting, it would seem, was one of Shoju's strongest points. Shoju sat and watched the windows at the corner of the building with ease for hours on end, all the while pouring through the notes, annotations, and documents he acquired at the bloodspeaker's cave. He murmed from time to time. He was still looking for some library

Occasionally, he would pull the katana he had taken out, and go through a kata unlike any Mai had likely seen. The movements were graceful, and it seemed unlike anything that would be used in combat.

When Mai slept, Shoju meditated. When Mai ate, Shoju watched impassively, picking and eating at the food, but still never much of a meal. When Mai interacted with the girl, Shoju watched the pair, and did his best to hide the tears. As soon as the girl would leave, he buried himself in the papers from the Bloodspeaker's camp. In those times, it was just a ruse. His fury, and sorrow kept him from studying the works truly. But the appearance at least gave him a moment to try and remember her face.

He was meticulously following a lead through the paperwork. He had begun to make an orderly sense out of the documents, and had even taken to making notes on some of the paperwork himself. There was information contained, and he was going to have it.

[Shosuro Kyo]

Kyo had taken to a daily schedule since recent events: mornings involved a light meal with meditation till the next meal, afternoons involved taking to the streets and doing his duty as magistrate, while secretly trying to the trail for where the Goju took Haruka, and evenings were spent in the company of Yogo Miyuki, the only person he would talk to other than in a buisness/courtier sense.

During one of his afternoon rounds he came across a young girl, and inn keepers daughter by the look. However, it was not the looks that caused him to pause but the song that she was humming. It seemed fimiliar, and his mind brought forward sights and smells of his visit to the Unicorn lands.

Odd, how would a girl that young know a song like that. Kyo thought to himself. He decided he follow this girl

He watched the girl from a distance, he mentally kept her location in his head and would adjust his position and excuse with were she was playing. one excuse was picking up the report from the local guard. Talk with a ronin in the nearby inn. Kyo stayed in a place where constantly had his eye on the girl.

When he saw the girl head back to the inn Kyo was struck by someone he saw in the nearby window. He nearly passed out as he saw Haruka cleaning some armor in the window.

[Utaku Mai]

She didn't always catch him, but with nothing else to do but people-watch, Mai managed to notice a regular solicitor, disappearing for a few hours but always coming back, his eyes following the server girl. A masked samurai of the scorpion clan.

This could be a very dangerous game, Mai thought, but what other choice is there?

Mai looked over to Shoju, ensuring that he was engrossed in his study. In her hands was her half-eaten bowl of rice from lunch that she was picking at half-heartedly. With a silent prayer of guidance and luck, she waited for him, hoping his eye would fall in her direction.

Kyo would feel eyes on him, but could not place them until he had looked back into the cursed window. She had been watching him. Her eyes pierced him as she slowly slipped something into a bowl in her lap. Not too long later, the girl Kyo had been following appeared in the room, and the woman smiled, giving her the bowl to take away. The girl seemed completely ignorant of anything unusual, and simply took it away with the other dishes and trash.

[Shosuro Kyo]

Kyo understood that the rice bowl was thde key, however, entering the front would be risky if she tried to hide the thing with the street possibly watching. He just gave a very slight itlt of the head and walked away.

He walked passed a nearby guard and scribbled a quick note to him, and placed it plus 3 koku into his hand. The guard read the note, looked at him, nodded and walked away. Kyo then sighed, this was about to become another long day for him.

He headed back to the inn he stayed at much earlier then he expected. Miyuki was caught of guard as well. What's wrong Kyo-san....

I think I just got myself into more trouble. Was all he said in return. She turned to look at him and handed him a small jade ring from before.

I sense a very powerful presence here, Kyo-san. Please, tread carefully. He merely nodded to her and entered his room. Moments later a guard returned with a small cloth bag full of trash. Kyo just grinned at the guard and said quietly.

Sometimes this job make you literally dig through trash. The guard just shot him a grin back. "Hopefully, it is more often then not a figurative statement."

[Utaku Mai]

In the refuse Kyo found several items that could make any magistrate outside of Ryoko Owari take pause, but they warranted very little attention in the City of Lies. He focused on his real target, which he found in a nearly intact glob of sticky rice.

It was a metal armor plate, not much longer than his thumb and slightly wider. It was from the kote portion that would protect the lower arm, and Kyo surmised it would have been longer but for a rough edge that indicated a break. It appeared to have seen battle, and recently at that. He could not recall Haruka-sama carrying anything like this.

He flipped the piece over in his hands. On one side, the bare metal gave an odd gleam, the metals oxidizing in a pattern almost like a woodgrain. It was not a make typically seen in scorpion lands, but it seemed just the sort of gaijin-influenced work performed by the Unicorn. The other side was carefully blackened and covered in purple lacquer, worn away in parts but still somewhat visible in the right light.

[Shosuro Honzo]

It didn't take long for the Shosuro agents to find the strange "Crab" duo. The man known as Shoju gave such a palpable aura of corruption that the shugenja leading them could have found him blindfolded. The inn was one of the many owned by the Shosuro daimyo. In the City of Lies, the Master of Shadows had many eyes and ears.

The black robed shugenja/daimyo, Shosuro Honzo turned to the guards outside the doors of the inn."Remember, we want him alive. The woman is to be treated gently. We don't want this to go badly. And above all else, use caution. This man is very dangerous. Let me do the talking."

Entering the inn casually, they scanned the crowd. The woman was sitting at a table, her meal just finished. A serving girl that Honzo recognized as one of his little "nightingales" was carrying her bowl away. Also present was a magistrate also in the employ of the daimyo. Honzo recognized the man immediately as Shosuro Kyo. Kyo moved from his place and followed the serving girl. Perhaps to question her, Honzo surmised.

The innkeeper scrambled from behind the kitchen doors. He humbly prostrated himself to the floor and entreated the daimyo and the guards to sit at his finest table. He began to call for tea and sticky rice, but the daimyo called him off. "Where is the Crab samurai that is staying here?" Honzo asked the man. His deep, silken voice carried an air of authority and malice.

The innkeeper stammered, "U-up-p...s-s-stairs my l-lord!" He pressed his face back to the polished, lacquered oak floor again.

Honzo retreated within himself. Almost immediately, the aura slammed into him. He is powerful. More than I had imagined. Time it seems has allowed him to grow dangerous. But even dangerous men have weaknesses.Still, best to be cautious. He returned to himself, and opened his eyes. Turning to two guards, he said, "Summon him to me. Remind him of his manners. He has been gone too long it seems, to remember his courtesies. Second door on the right. No weapons are to be drawn, unless he makes a move."

The two guards nodded. Honzo handed them a scroll, sealed with the Shosuro daimyo's personal mon in black wax and one of them tucked it into his obi. Honzo then turned to the woman. He pointed at her and said, "Bring her too." The daimyo then left without another word. Within moments he disappeared through the crowd. He would stay close, and monitor the situation. If things turned ugly, he would intervene. But for now, he hoped that the man would be smart for once.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two guards knocked on the door that the daimyo indicated. There was silence at first, then the guards heard movement. One turned to the other, his hand on his sword. The other shook his head and the hand retreated. The door opened up and the Crab samurai stood at the door. The guard took the scroll from his belt and thrust it towards the Crab bushi. Taking the scroll and breaking the seal, the man read the contents of the letter:

[shadow=red,left,300]"You are hereby summoned to meet with the Shosuro daimyo, Shosuro Honzo. Upon entering the City of Lies, Ryoko Owari Toshi, you failed to show the proper etiquette by presenting yourself to the ruling body present. Normally, this would be the governor of the city, but since the illustrious daimyo is present, all due consideration is to be presented to him instead. Your samurai-ko companion is also to come. There is no negotiating these terms. Come at once. The guards will escort you."

Shosuro Komoru, hatamoto to the daimyo[/shadow]

[Shoju]

[ooc]
Just so everyone is aware, while Shoju is tainted, he bears no Physical[/b] Signs of the Taint, as is customary of Maho Tsukai.[/i]
[/ooc]

Shoju read the paperwork, and smiled at the Scorpion Standing on the other side of the door. I was unaware that a lowly Samurai like myself needed to make an appointment with such an important man. My Apologies Shosuro-sans. Shoju slid the door open, and invited the men into the room, walking over to the pile of paperwork, tidying it up, rolling it, then tying it. I'm sure this will help explain why we are here. Shoju moved over to the table, and placed his back between the Scorpion and the table. He secured his chanting blade, and tucked a small assortment of blood vials into his obi.

Pleased that he had secured all that he would need, He walked back to the windows closed the shutters, grabbed his roll of parchment, and turned to face the Shosuro.

Noki-sa, we must meet with the Daimyo of the Shosuro. Are you ready? Shoju shot a look at her. His eyes burned with murder.

[Utaku Mai]

"Just a moment," Mai said, inwardly seething at his show of affection. She had been in the middle of adjusting the fit of her recently cleaned armor pieces, and did not bother taking them off, thinking that as a crab, the faux pas could be waved off as mere anti-scorpion paranoia. The kote for her previously injured arm was little more than a leather sleeve at this point, but it was better than nothing. She tied on her mismatched daisho and covered the whole thing with the billowing blue Hitatare, crab mons emblazoned distinctly on her lapels.

"I'm ready, Mendo-san."

[Shoju]

Shoju smiled at her. He could see the fire in her eyes. Throughout their time in the city, it was the first time that they had exchanged more than cursory glances. Mai, checking on Shoju to see if he was paying attention, Shoju trying to stay as busy as he could be. He was fairly confident that Mai was up to something, He just wasn't sure what.

Then I believe that we are ready. Shoju walked towards the Shosuro who had knocked on his door. After you Shosuro-san Shoju held out his hand, towards the door. To the scorpion, the look would seem simply artificial, a facade of sincerity in light of an accusation of misdeed. To Mai, the look held a more sinister quality. It was the same smile that graced his face when he shoved the innkeepers boy out of the way of her blade.

[Shosuro Honzo]

The guard 'huffed' a curt snort of displeasure and indicated that the two Crab were to walk in front. After a tense staredown, the Crab relented, though the glare that he gave the guards clearly showed his displeasure. The subtle indication that the guards would walk behind showed a clear lack of trust. The guards did not care. Their orders were simple: do not let him out of your sight.

The streets of Ryoko Owari Toshi were packed with the throng of merchants, samurai and peasants going about their daily business. The city was a living thing; breathing and feeding and living and dying all along its own ways. Eta carrying away bodies and refuse gave a dour and odorifous atmosphere in parts of the city best left avoided. The guards' masks protected their faces somewhat from the stench, but the two Crab samurai had no such protection.

The woman at times covered her nose and mouth with her hand as they moved through the crowds, the chill winter winds doing nothing to cover the smell of death and waste in this area of the City of Lies. The man showed no such effect on his constitution. He seemed at home here, reveling in the sights, sounds and smells of Ryoko Owari Toshi.

Almost an hour had passed as they traversed the narrow, winding, twisting streets of the city. From the seedier portions to the rich, extravagant opulence of the aristocracy, the City of Lies played host to all. Dominating over all, the governor's manse rested atop a hill overlooking the rest of the city. The quartet passed under a huge torii arch before crossing through the gates to the mansion.

Guards posted on either side of the massive bronze gates depicting a three meter symbol of the Scorpion clan nodded the quartet through. Servants hauled on large wooden wheels and ropes to swing the gates open on well oiled hinges. Despite their care, the gates groaned with displeasure when they first cracked open to admit them.

When they had made their way through the entrance, the vast courtyard and gardens greeted the Crab samurai with a plethora of new vistas and scents. Lush, verdant greens, vibrant reds, blazing oranges, deep purples, pale whites and all other manner of color burst open on a myriad of flora. Secretly known to the male Crab, many of the plants depicted here could produce a multitude of the most deadly poisons known to the Rokuganii. As beatiful as they were deadly, the gardens of the Scorpion Clan were one of the many boasts of their Clan. Only the Crane with their ikebana masters could boast to best the Scorpion, though only just.

As they made their way through the fabulous displays of beauty in the gardens, the Crab male detected he was being watched. From all around, the gardeners worked diligently, never stopping in their work or speaking a word to them. But every once in awhile, he would spot them looking at him with attentive eyes. The sense that these 'gardeners' were more than meets the eye was something he was all too familiar with.

They were permitted into the manse itself and met up with the majordomo. He spoke quickly and quietly to the two bushi guards and then went sprinting away up the grandiose staircase that was covered with the most luxurious scarlet rugs emblazoned with the symbol of the Shosuro Clan. The daimyo it seemed, had wasted no time in making himself at home.

The two Crab were escorted through the opulent castle. Gilded statues to the Fortunes, large watercolor masterpieces, expertly cultivated bonsai trees and dark, polished wood floors showed the majesty of the governor. The City of Lies produced much in the way of the economy for the Scorpion. A jewel strung on the neck of the Empire, few cities in the Empire could match it.

When at last they had ascended the last stair, walked through the last corridor and passed the last masterpiece of decadence and frippery, they were seated in the waiting parlor of the governor. The governor had been moved from his living quarters in the castle to one reserved for important dignitaries and guests. Though exquisite, the rooms the governor now occupied paled in comparison to his rightful suite of rooms. The daimyo of the Shosuro occupied these rooms now, much to the chagrin of the governor though he never dared to voice his frustrations.

The hatamoto to the daimyo emerged from behind the shoji to greet the two samurai and their escort. "Greetings to you Hida-san. I trust that your stay in our fair city has been a hospitable one and that you find Shosuro Honzo-sama's summons to be a high honor. Please enjoy some tea and rice candy while you wait." He clapped his hands and two serving women brought out the food and drink.

The woman ate but a little, having just eaten, but she accepted the tea with a nod of thanks. The male ate but a single bite and swallowed his tea in one gulp before sending the girl away from him. The Hida, it seemed, was living up to the reputation of his Clan.

The hatamoto Shosuro Komorou spoke after they had finished their fare. "If you please, Hida-sans, may I have your personal chops to present to the daimyo, to let him know that you have arrived?"

[Saiko]

The room was dim, all the windows covered, the only source of light coming from several scattered candles. The air hung heavy with the pungent aroma of a thick, strong incense, the likes of which are only found in the High House of Light, designed to overwhelm the physical senses. In the center of all of this, a master-crafted suit of black armor trimmed with gold and green paint sat upon a stand. It was beaten and worn, obviously having seen many battles, but it was obviously very well cared for. In front of this sat a daisho stand, currently occupied by the blades it was hand-carved for, while off to the side sat a second katana.

The scene centered around a man, naked to the waist, meditating in front of this battle raiment. His torso was a canvas of tattoos, crisscrossed with an array of scars from many different wounds over the years. Years of rigid training had sculpted his frame into almost pure muscle, quite literally looking as though he were chiseled from a slab of marble, though he was not by any means a muscle-bound brute. Statuesque, he could be described as, his controlled breathing in his current state not even causing him to shift, though deep in the recesses of his consciousness, Saiko was very busy indeed...

*****

The days had passed in a blur. Every day he would meditate and look for Shoju's presence, and every day he was in the inn. But never did he see the man he had memorized the face of that fateful night. Was the man a facechanger as well? It was possible; Saiko did not kid himself into thinking he knew everything the tsukai was capable of. One thing remained unsolved, however. Day after day, one room always had food and drink for two taken to it, but never did anyone but the serving girl come out. It had to be him, but was there someone with him?

Today, he had decided to be bold. Saiko had not dared to get too close to Shoju again, mentally, in case he was recognized, or even attacked, only ever feeling the presence from outside the inn, but he needed to know for sure this time. His spirit form walked into the inn, seeing familiar faces from his time spent there in the flesh. His eyes wandered to the top of the stairs, hoping against hope, and widened when he saw what was happening. Scorpion men, standing outside the door, and it was open. They were talking to someone, though he could not hear the words, but he felt it. Whoever they were talking to is who he thought was Shoju. He slowly moved up the stairs, his gaze reaching past the men, into the room, and then...

*****

Moments later, back in his private room, Saiko's eyes snapped open, burning with a cold, pale fury that only burned brighter as he jumped to his feet. He began his stretches, going through his basic katas and techniques before beginning to dress again. His face never changed as he went about this, a dark determination about him as he envisioned the face he had seen. All the waiting, the hunting, the preparation, it had all paid off. It was him...

Saiko started to dress, quickly shrugging on his thick, black kimono over his battle hakama, tying them together with his black and gold Master's obi. He slowly began to wrap his forearms and hands in a heavy black cloth, using a style designed to secure the thumb that he had learned from his cousin and sensei. Next, he began to slowly, almost reverantly, equip his armor, piece by piece, slowly assembling himself into a killing machine. The specially crafted shin plates that covered his father's signature leather boots, the bracers and attached handguards bearing the Dragon mon, finally the masterpiece that was his breastplate and shoulderplates, it all came together to form what could be considered a work of art to a warrior or smith.

The same black cloth was then used to wrap the lower half of his face, leaving only his hair and his eyes uncovered as he continued to work. He began to pack away most of the rest of his few belongings that he had with him, finally with only a few things remaining loose. His black steel helmet was crafted similar to a jagged, reverse-sloped mountain range, with a dragon's face etched right above his eyes, and his slid it down slowly on top of his short, unruly dark hair. The final pieces of his war ensemble were added as he tucked his daisho into his obi, in his preferred placement on the left side of his waist, and though it was unseen, he grinned a little as he picked up the second katana and tucked it into the opposite side.

His black winter cloak was thrown over top all of this, shielding his weapons and most of his armor from view, and he exited into the hallway where an aide of his Bayushi friend awaited him. "Ahh, Mirumoto-sama, are you heading out? Yodai-sama will be returning for dinner soon, shall I tell him you will return in time to join him?" Saiko's cold eyes burned into the courtier's, and the man instinctively retracted from him. Again, the smile was imperceptible under the armor and fabric, but he was pleased. It was good to know the visual effect he had on people.

"Alas, Bayushi-san, I have one last errand to attend to, and then I must take my leave. Tell your master when he returns that his company has been most appreciated as always, and I shall return the favor as soon as I can. In the meantime, if you could have my belongings and my horse prepared for a journey, that would be most kind." He looked out the window as the sun began to slowly crawl behind the horizon, preparing to cover the land in a blaze of color before plunging it into darkness. "I feel I may have to leave in a hurry..."