The Court of the Shogun (OPEN)

[Akodo Tsanuri]

While Akodo-daimyo was speaking, all eyes were focused on him but if anyone looked at Tsanuri that time, he would be shocked how much the girl changed. Exactly - girl, not woman. She nearly didn’t move but impression she was making was totally different. Her aura changed. All anger faded, though it was tough to say what was it replaced with, uncertainty, shame,… fear?

When she answered, the impression was gone. She hid her emotions well.
"No objections, Akodo-dono."
She seemed calm and confident but avoided Keisuke’s gaze.

Tsanuri turned to battle maiden.
"The place and weapon are for you to chose, Utaku-san."

She knelt before the Emperor and bow low.
"Please forgive my outburst, my Lord."

[Hitsuzu]

Ah, Hida Joji-san, it's been an awful thing, that siege...

The now wave monk accept the bowl, with no frown of digust, because ha doesn't feel any.

Thank you for this much welcome meal, my friend, and know that I do not fear corruption of any kind. I just hope you'll use this abilities of yours to help the people, and that you won't lose control of your mind, whom can only be your own. I have some medicine left from my time amongst the Kuni jade-alchemist, if you need any to slow the taint's progress. Just ask.
He say that with a smile, and ate a spoon or two. Then, hearing the complains, declaration, bickering and else, and the duel announcement he says:

Are those samurai really thinking we can be at peace, now? I think the only way to make all this people fall in line is to take a breath in our struggle. Make the Lion force the Crane to make the Dragon retreat on their mountain so they can bury their dead. Meanwhile, a major force will go south through Unicorn territory and divide in two while arriving on Crab lands : one to help Shiro Hiruma and the forefront of the war against the Shadowlands, and one to help the Crab at Clear Water Village and the Kitsune in Kitsune Mori.
The rest of Kaneka-sama's might should rest and assure law and order, punish tsukai and banditry so that the rest of the Empire may look at Toturi the Third governance as a just and firm one.

After this long declaration, Hitsuzu fell silent...

And when the time comes, we will crush this stupid reincarnation of the weak Hantei line...

[Utaku Mai]

"Very well, Tsanuri-san." Mai gestures toward a nearby hill, hiding the shaking in her hand as she feels the eyes of the court piercing through her. "It shall take place on the northern vista, where we can look upon both the Unicorn and Lion homelands and gain inspiration from our ancestors, and will be a duel of kenjutsu."

"I have said all I can concerning our next course of action. If it pleases Toturi-dono, I shall take my leave to prepare myself for the morrow."

She turned to Ozora and Saiko nearby to her, and spoke to them in a hushed tone that would not be audible to the entire court.

"I'd be honored to take tea with you both and hear news from the last months. I've been...out of touch for quite a while, it seems."

[OOC: if anyone else wants to talk to Mai, please feel free, I'm mostly just moving her to the sidelines of the court rather than right in the thick of things.]

[Hida Joji]

"You missed the point. I am tainted so I can better be of use to Kaneka, Clan and the Empire." - Joji's laughter throws him into a fit of coughing, between spiting out black blood and bits of Jade - "Besides I already use Jade to control the side-effects."

"Your plan is too soft, we need to press on. They won't do this again, they don't have the will to do it." - Joji looks to Kaneka's Tent and scans the crowd outside it - "We'll see what decision Kaneka reaches. It's time to see who is loyal and who isn't."

[Saiko]

"Of course, Utaku-sama, though if I can aid you any other way before your duel, please, let me know."

He bowed to Keisuke and respectfully nodded his head to Tsanuri as he, Mai, and Ozora walked to a more secluded area of the command tent, not missing some of the more venomous stares that were shot his way, though a measure of curiosity was there as well. A slight smile crossed his face at the thought, but he let none of his thoughts show as he took a seat with the two Unicorn and poured tea for the three of them.

Saiko first looked to the Iuchi shugenja that sat with them now, and gave him a slight nod, his good eye twinkling with a mischievous light. "Iuchi-sama, I do not believe we have met. I am Mirumoto Saiko, a wandering swordsman of the Dragon." He sipped his tea, his gaze distant for a moment. "I was a guest of Takezo-dono, I came to his camp seeking council, and I found myself still there when the battle concluded."

He smiled a little, gazing around him at the war camp of the Shogun that he swore to fight against, and laughed a little at the ridiculousness of it all. "Needless to say, when the camp moved, it was requested that I not leave, quite yet." He looked back to Mai, and his brow furrowed slightly, as though a memory was coming to him. "Now, I must say, I did not expect to see you here, Utaku-sama, for the last I saw you, I was storming a fortified manor while you were being scurried away by the Scorpion to escape a mad tsukai..."

He suddenly seemed far more serious, his friendly demeanor melting away a little, though it appeared to be an unconscious mood swing, and he calmed a little more once he sipped his tea. His gaze seemed more inquisitive than agrey, much of the rage she remembered from their last encounter either gone, or buried...

[Utaku Mai]

Mai situated herself in a cross-legged position on the grass just outside of an open tent flap. Her recent experiences had only intensified her anxiety in enclosed spaces, and she sought the comfort of the open air whenever she could. She looked downward into the proferred tea as the introductions were made, lost in her own thoughts until...

"You were there in Ryoko Owari?" She asked in surprise, her tea nearly spilling over in her sudden movement to face him. Saiko had her full attention now. "What were you doing there? What happened? Those cursed scorpion wouldn't tell me anythi-..." Her face seemed to visibly sink, and an edge of hurried panic began to overtake her voice. "oh gods...Sojiro! Were you there with him? Where is he? Is he hurt, or...?"

The last question trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to vocalize the worst-case scenario. Saiko definitely seemed worse for the wear since the last time she'd seen him. She'd never forgive herself if Sojiro faced a fate even worse.

[Akodo Tsanuri]

Tsanuri nodded hearing the conditions. She bowed once more to Toturi, stood up and went back to her clansmen. She tried concentrating on what other people were saying, but couldn’t. Too much thoughts, and other distractions. She used the moment when attention of all was focused on Crab general speech to leave the tent.

When Tsanuri went out she felt goose bumps all over her body. There were so many people wanting to participate in war council, that Emperor’s tent were overloaded with people. She breathed deep enjoying fresh air. Spring was coming. Air smelled of it. Tsanuri squinted her eyes when the light dazzled her. Definitely spring.

She moved from the tent. Too much people stood there trying to hear any word that was said inside. Place where samurai-ko stood was taken just when she moved. She intended to head towards her tent when she spotted two weird looking men sitting on the ground with sake and few rice cakes. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. Not before finding what was wrong.
Tsanuri was just about to pass by them when Crabed looked up. Their eyes met. She gasped. Now she knew what was wrong.

[Saiko]

"He is alive, Utaku-sama. Last I saw, he was in about as bad a shape as I, but Sojiro is alive."

The young swordsman drank slowly from his tea, lost deep in his own thoughts as he often was since the fight. His gaze, distant and forlorn, slowly scanned the horizon, resting for a moment upon the snow-capped mountains he once called home, though he shook himself from his reverie as he found Mai's steely stare awaiting more than just this regarding her love. Saiko took a deep breath and finished his cup of tea, clearly steeling himself to speak of things he would rather not speak of again. "I came to Ryoko Owari hunting the tsukai, Shoju, I'd been tracking him for months, though it was the first opportunity I'd had to confront him."

From somewhere within the folds of his kimono he pulled a bottle of sake, taking a deep pull from the bottle before offering it to his companions. Sighing with contentment as the sweet alcohol began to spread warmth throughout his body, which had only just began to feel the effects of the chilly evening air, he seems to relax a little more, though his hesitance to reiterate the details was still palpable. "I tracked him to an inn, where I learned he was holed up with someone, an apprentice I assumed," he looked pointedly at Mai, "Though I learned later that it was, in fact, a hostage. When I was preparing to make my move, however, I was faced with the new, unexpected enemy, one that I would have though to call an ally; The Scorpion."

Saiko's face fell at this, almost becoming sorrowful in its expression, a pain boiling behind his eye that seemingly sprung from nowhere, and he took another long drink before continuing. "I cut them down. In my blind vendetta, I cut my way through dozens of Scorpion guards whose only crimes I knew were stopping an unknown bushi from walking into the estate of their Lord." He grew darker, more withdrawn for a moment, the anger and sadness radiating from him seeming to chill the air around them even further, but the sensation quickly passes and Saiko offers a small smile.

"Apologies, I have a tendency to ramble, especially recently. Anyway, from there, Sojiro also arrived while I was storming the manor, a fact that puzzled me to no end, though once we fought our way to Shoju it was made clear to me. It seemed we had just missed you being carried off by Shosuro soldiers, though we quickly found ourselves otherwise occupied with the oni that Shoju decided to summon."

Another sip from his bottle and the appearance of one of the strange tobacco rolls Mai had seen Sojiro with all the time allowed Saiko a moment to breath, his whole presence seeming less on edge and aggressive than it had when the conversation had begun. "Sojiro and the surviving Scorpion shugenja were able to hold the oni at bay, for the most part, but Shoju's maho was too strong, even for my blades. For my arrogance in combat I lost my sword, but for my shortsightedness, I payed a far more appropriate price."

Thick blue smoke and the pungeant aroma of cloves and other foreign spices filled the air around them, twisting into strange shapes as they drifted casually skywards towards the few stars that had managed to appear so early in the night. Saiko's good eye followed a few of the twisting forms as they flittered away as he spoke, not so much that he was distracted by them, but more that he was... listening to them. He sat in silence for many moments as his last remark hung in the air, and that creeping sorrow seemed about to engulf him again, when he smiled that small smile once more, and his eye glowed with a friendliness, rather than a rage as it had become more accustomed to.

"Shoju escaped, at the end of the day, destroying a chunk of Ryoko Owari as he did so, and the next thing I remember is waking up to Sojiro and myself being healed by shugenja. From there, I came looking for Takezo-dono, and Sojiro..." He looked to Mai, curiosity crossing his face for the first time. "Before he was even partially healthy, he set out for Shiro no Shosuro, looking for you."

[Hida Joji]

Joji looks up and sees a ko looking at him, her eyes and face express all the usual horror, outrage and disbelief he’s used to seeing everywhere. Slowly and carefully Joji gets up and never taking his yellowed eyes from the ko says
“My name is Hida Joji, being a graceless Crab I’ll mistake your look for hunger. Have you eaten today? These rice cakes came directly from Unicorn stores and are as spicy as a Tamori perfume.”

“This is Hitsuzu a Loyal Ise Zumi. Hitsuzu says Kaneka should make you Lions use the Crane-Lion peace to kick the Dragons uphill and come save the Crab from the terrible Spider and Scorpions. Right, Monk? I say we need some direct action, Hantei being on the sidelines is enough of a proof he is not meant to lead and Empire of Warriors.” – Seeing no reaction from the Ko Joji slides his feet into a balanced position. – “What is your name? What does an Akodo Lioness think?”

[Akodo Tsanuri]

Tsanuri noticed Crab changed slightly his position, but didn’t react to either of his provocations. If he wants to fight, so be it, but it won’t be her who started. She made enough fuss today. And it would be better to be in good condition tomorrow.

"I think Kaneka-dono knows best what is good for the Empire."
She withstood Joji’s gaze and took her eyes off him with a gentle smile.

"I am Akodo Tsanuri. Nice to meet you." she bowed to both men.
"If I may" she said sitting. "I am not that hungry to eat a whole Crab, Hida-san" smile at her face became wider. "Thank you for your kind gesture" she nodded and looked at cakes "but I believe you need more food then me to keep your body strong and able to fight."

Tsanuri seemed to be at ease, but she was carefully observing both samurai moves and expressions ready to react if it was needed.

[Hida Joji]

“Ha! A Crab eating Lion! That will be the day!” – Joji sits down nodding in response to Tsanuri’s bow.

“A warrior must always be ready but I don’t think Hitsuzu here will attack you with monk trickery! Ha!” – Joji’s eyes show that he knows Tsanuri’s wariness is caused by himself.

“You challenged an Utaku to a duel because she is defending peace. Well done.” –

Joji stands again, tightens his clothing, puts his Dragon Daisho in proper standing position –
“Akodo Tsanuri…” –
Joji bows to a respected equal, has a coughing fit and spits a gob of green-black matter –
“May I be permitted to witness the duel?”

[Utaku Mai]

"This is all my fault," Mai said as she heard Saiko's version of events. As relieved as she was to hear that Sojiro had survived the encounter with Shoju, her countenance was still anxious and even fearful. "That's why I left Kyuden Doji. Shoju -- I had no idea it was him at the time -- was attempting to raise an army in a village near my family's holdings. I managed to put down the insurgence, but he isolated me, and he used his magic to pull me with him into the earth as he escaped. Apparently I reminded him of someone who was lost to him, another battle maiden..." her tone went suddenly cold at the thought. "...he took me south, leaving behind almost everything -- my horse, my men, even my katana."

She frowned somewhat at the empty space at her hip. She had carried that emptiness, that reminder of her failure for weeks now.

"If I had been strong enough to defeat him then, when I had the advantage, none of this would have happened. You would have remained whole, and Sojiro..." the tough facade started to crack just a bit at the edges, and her eyes became unfocused, as if she was trying to avoid shedding tears. "I begged him not to come, Saiko. Please know that. The price Shoju wanted for my return was...far too high. I would have rather died than have him pay it, and even tried at one point. But Shoju was just too powerful."

Upon hearing of Sojiro's next destination, Mai shot up to her feet and began pacing in the open area, cursing under her breath. Her reception in the Shosuro holding had apparently not been a happy one. "Shiro Shosuro?! Fortunes, no! I've got to go back there, I've got to..."

Mai stopped mid-track as suddenly as she had started. The color began to leave her face with a dawning realization.

"I can't leave. Tomorrow's duel. I leave, and I look a dishonorable fool in front of the whole of Toturi's court...and so will anyone else who tries to convince Kaneka-dono to reconcile with his brother and pursue peace."

"It's all politics. It's not just about a quarrel between me and Tsanuri. The pro-war faction will make sure of that, if I don't show up. It's also why I can't have you fighting on my behalf -- forgive my bluntness, Saiko-san, but the symbolism of a Dragon trouncing a Lion in a martial contest would not be lost on the court...it will only encourage more spite and retribution. I have to face her tomorrow, if only to give the cause half a chance of succeeding. Otherwise, Shoju will just take advantage of the conflict to fulfill his own ends."

She let out a wordless exclamation of irritation. "If I wanted politics, I would have stayed with my father in the Crane! As it stands I can't seem to avoid stepping in it every time I open my mouth."

[Shoju2]

It had been a bloody, awful battle. The Castle liquefied under the continued barrage from the Hantei army's alchemists. The last few months had seemed like a blur. Dragonfly provinces, Nezumi, a battle, and then everything went fuzzy for a while. He had reclaimed a name, but it had cost him greatly. He was unsure what memories were true, and what had been a product of the curse of the Maho Tsukai. He only held the memories of his parents, Toturi-Dono, and the woman. Those memories he knew, at least begged, to be true.

After his time with the Nezumi, he had followed the news of the war, and arrived in Castle of the Swift Sword in time for the closing weeks of the battle. The castle had felt like a pressure cooker at times, with the perpetual fires pummeling the castle. He had joined in the ranks, and no one had missed him. He fought for the men at his sides, he fought for the man he hoped their leader could become.

As the battle raged, and the Hantei's army began to win, it became woefully apparent that the sons of Toturi would never live up to the legacy of the man in his memory. Whether real or imagined, neither of them measured up to the memory.

As the castle fell, and the retreat was sounded, the man helped who he could, and ignored those he couldn't. As they headed for the Drowned Merchant River, the site of the Lion Stronghold melting was both a beautiful, and tragic sight. In the fire and slag, he saw both the beauty of creation, and the essence of destruction play out. In the faces of the victors, he saw Determination. In the faces of the defeated, he saw Heartbreak. In the Lion, the heartbreak of their beloved ancestral home reduced to molten slag and ash. In the hearts of the Toturi Clans, he saw the heartbreak of defeat. This battle, had placed them at a crossroads, and it was increasingly obvious. The wall hardened Crab in a room full of Crane Courtiers so to speak.

As the man reflected on the battle, the losses both personal and not, he found comfort in the only thing he had left in the world, and walked the camp alone. He took the final draw from the bottle of sake, and heaved it into the blackness. The stupor of the sake was catching up to him.

He found himself outside of Toturi Kaneka's tent. He wanted to burst in and scream at him for failing his father, and then march into the heart of the Hantei's chambers and scream the same at him. Two petulant children sullying the name and legacy of a great man. Over what? a chair? Was this really all about who held the power? Could there be more to it? Sadly, the Ronin wasn't sure there would be more to it anymore.

As he stood, staring at the tent, he heard a Samurai ko's words

If I wanted politics, I would have stayed with my father in the Crane! As it stands I can't seem to avoid stepping in it every time I open my mouth.

He laughed lightly to himself, and spoke aloud, his voice amplified by the sake. "Samurai-sa, politics are the blood of the Empire." His comment, wasn't meant to be so loud, and as he finished the sentence, he realized it was louder than he had anticipated.

[Iuchi Ozora]

(OOC: Wasnt able to get time, sorry Saiko.)

Ozora bows to and greets the Dragon upon introduction before Saiko and Mai-san begin their discussion. He silently listens as they discuss the events of the last few weeks, his face brooding against the firelight.

At Mai's last exclamation, Ozora opens his mouth only to have a random ronin's words break the air. With a quick glance back towards the sound, Ozora continues anyways. "Utaku-san, that is an easy fix indeed. I will ensure that the horses and supplies are prepared and upon your victory tomorrow, we can be prepared to depart. I fear that while we have said our piece, there will be little more for us here as Kaneka-dono takes some time to make his decision. We are not sadly part of the inner circle and I believe that we may have indeed had at least some impact."

Ozora purses his lips for a moment. "As much as I am sure you want to rush off right away, you are correct in your statement. Though I would beg to differ that the Crane are the only ones to find themselves in such predicaments. It, as was blurted out, is the way of the Empire and that is what we are here to save, neh? A slight delay will not slow us down as we can make up the time on the road, with the help of the kami of course." A smirk expanding into a larger grin crosses Ozora's face.

[Akodo Tsanuri]

Tsanuri didn’t react to Crab’s remark about Hitsuzu’s attack, wondering if it was another try to make her challenge him. He might be dangerous not only on the battlefield, but also in court. Some of his remarks might be easily found offensive. But she liked his directness. It was something she understood.

Her smile disappeared when he mentioned the duel. For a moment she looked him in the eyes, then averted hers. She didn’t answer him at once.
"You heard that? I didn’t know we were that loud" she looked troubled but snapped out of her thoughts quickly. "I'm sorry we disrupted your talk."
"It was necessary. Peace would mean surrendering. Toturi-dono mustn’t think about it."
She looked at Joji.
"I have no objections about spectators. Just don’t interfere in any way, please."