True Devotion can be a powerful thing...

[Kakita Mitsouko]

It would be a bargain if both parts were gaining something. As you can see, it’s not the case. And well, having you lurking in my forests doesn’t make me feel comfortable, to be sincere, Thrakh-san. She served sake in their cups first, and served herself a cup as well. A Kakita bushi habit, of course.

Not waiting to her unexpected guests to raise their cups, she did it and cheered ; her tone grave and ironic:

Kampai! For a quick ending! Then you can return to the leading position of your kin and hopefully, I'll have news of your helmeted head spiked in the Wall soon… She grinned. Of course she wouldn’t be telling them the whole Kakita 1rst legion was riding along the Yasuki’s aiming to reach Crab lands and reinforce their defenses... A strange coincidence that the Spider Champion would delay a bit to come back 'home'.

After drinking the warm sake shot in a gulp, she rose, speaking loud enough to be sure every samurai in the main hall were able to hear her orders:

Since both of us are in a hurry of having this business finished, I will leave you. Please understand that, to make sure other Kakita children will not have nightmares for lifetime, I ask you to remain in the company of my family, in this inn… unfortunately the papers I gave you once were to unaligned monks , and not to “Spider clanners”, as you in fact are. You know, you are forbidden to travel in our lands... They will keep you safe until my return. Enjoy my clan's courtesy with wisdom, Thrakh-san, Yamuso-san... We dont wish to spill Spider blood here but we'll do it, if necessary. I'll bring back what is yours soon...

[Shoju]

Yamuso bristled at the Kakita's comments, and set his bowl down. " You realize, of course, this is[/i] a bargain. We gain possession of what is rightfully the property of my sama's. Something that was stolen by those... fools you slaughtered south of the wall. And you gain the satisfaction of knowing that I haven't bled your brethren one by one to retrieve it. [/color]" His voice was calm, but the malice was clear. His face, betrayed a look of pure murder.

"If this weren't a bargain, I assure you, your wedding day would have ended much differently[/i][/color]" The disfigured man's eyes held a tinge of enjoyment with the last statement, as if enjoying some daydream for a moment, as he picked up the bowl and resumed eating, confident that he had made his position clear.

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Her hand itched to draw the blade and just shut up Yamuso, and maybe save him from that unfortunate existence, but it was not the outcome she needed.

For a moment, Yamuso-san, you convinced me you were a reasonable mind. I asked nothing, so let’s consider our mutual behavior back there as something clever people would expect from each other. Thrakh-san showed not to be just a crazy sort of irrational animal… and that’s why I listened to him and WILL honor my word.
Also, your threats mean nothing to me. Since I owe you nothing, I should change my mind and just… destroy the item… But, since it was you and not your Lord to speak such words, I’ll reconsider it as mere mumblings and will expect Thrakh-san here to teach you the value of keep a mouth shut.
Without taking her eyes from them, she asked the samurai besides her: Is my ride ready, Takehiro-san?

Hai milady. Her yojimbo nodded, without taking his eyes from both Spider as well. As everyone else in the inn, by the way.

So I must leave. Even though she tried not to betray her feelings, showing a stern face, her heart hasn’t so sure of the success. Neither the sake nor the innocent assuring smile the two boys gave to her, plenty confident she was a sort of living hero. She wasn’t. Her forces in fact were faltering , she was tired .Betrayed and abandoned a few times for the ones she trusted the most. When should she finally learn?

With a final glance to both Spider she left, trailed by a small group of samurai, and the children. A dozen samurai remained in the main hall, not amiable at all; hands casually over the hilts while guarding the 'guests', even though keeping a respectful distance from them.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

"You're losing control, Yamuso-san," Thrakhath said, after Mitsouko had left. For a man like Yamuso, for whom Shourido was a way of life, that comment surely stung more than any physical blow Thrakhath could have struck.

That didn't stop the Spider lord from striking his subordinate anyway.

The force of the blow was enough to split Yamuso's lip wide open, blood flowing freely. The samurai in the room looked to one another questioningly, but no one drew a weapon; many of them had witnessed this same sort of discipline themselves. It wasn't until the nearest guard collapsed, gasping for air, that anyone suspected something was wrong.

Thrakhath was already in motion after whispering his prayer to the kansen, hurling the table with tremendous force at another of the guards. The table snapped in half on impact, throwing the guard backward. He dove toward the gasping guard and rolled past him, coming up with the guard's katana in hand and ready.

[Shoju]

Yamuso recoiled more from the words than from the blow, feeling the blood from his wound becoming something more substantial to his Lord. As the table flew backwards, Yamuso grinned. " Forgive me my Lord. I just hate when people play us for weak minded fools." His words still as bitingly sarcastic as his blood flowed freely from his lip, and down his chin.

Yamuso rolled towards the guard who lay unconscious, and freed his Katana and Wakizashi from his hip. "My will to see the dishonor done to you righted, has me on edge." Yamuso lept from the dead body, blades in hand, ready to strike.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

On opposite sides of the room, Thrakhath and Yamuso were islands in a sea of hostile samurai, unable to support each other. One of the guards barked an order, and the eight remaining Cranes split their forces in half, attacking each man separately. The boys and their father backed against a wall, the father's arms around the children protectively, watching the unfolding battle with a strange mixture of fear and anticipation.

Thrakhath's opponents charged him silently, weapons poised to strike. Thrakhath awaited them unmoving, blade held at the ready, as if he intended to parry every blow. The room seemed to darken as he summoned the power of Jigoku, his eyes glowing a sickly green. Four swords came at Thrakhath from four different angles and in perfect unison. They all struck air as Thrakhath leaped over and to the side of them, landing to the left of their formation. Quicker than they could react, Thrakhath bulled through the nearest samurai and cut viciously at the next in line. His face froze in a look of shock as he collapsed, his torso falling one way and his legs going another.

Thrakhath stabbed downward as the other two guards turned to face him. The man he'd charged over gurgled something unintelligible through the blade stuck in his throat, and died when Thrakhath ripped the katana free. The two remaining guards took up a more defensive posture, much more careful than they'd been previously, their expressions calm and resolute. Thrakhath wore a malicious smile, blood dripping freely from his weapon and pooling rapidly around the bodies at his feet.

[Shoju]

Yamuso fell into a traditional Mirumoto defensive position, betraying his heritage. The four Crane closed in on him. As the room darkened from Thrakhath's Maho, Yamuso's figure looked as if it were dissolving into the shadow. The Crane looked hesitantly side to side at one another as they heard his chuckle.

And then he lept, Bringing his blades down in a stabbing motion on one of the samurai. As they pierced his armor, and his last breath escaped him, Yamuso turned and looked at the guard on his right. "Your fear has given me the insight to best you!

He kicked the body from the blades, and lept up and over the samurai, to his right, landing behind him, the wakizashi scraping at his neck. " My insight have given me control over the situation" Yamuso tore through the Crane guard's neck, his head falling to the floor.

Covered in blood he faced down the pair of guards. "My will, pushes me forward. One of the guards charged him, and Yamuso parried his blows, then buried the wakizashi in the back of his legs. As the man fell to the ground, the agony of the severed tendons caused him to cry out. Yamuso spun down to the ground and plunged the Wakizashi through his throat, burying the blade into the floorboard. "My determination to restore my Lord's honor is without limits."

Yamuso looked back over his shoulder at the final remaining guard, the murder in his eyes apparent. "Think of the stories they will have to tell."

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

While Yamuso attempted to embody every aspect of Shourido, it was obvious which one Thrakhath had perfected. When the two Cranes facing him finally attacked, Thrakhath simply reached down, grabbed the corpse at his feet, and hurled it with one arm at the two men. One of them managed to dodge, but the other caught the blow full on and fell back, dropping his weapon. The guard that had ducked the throw closed in for a perfect strike, but the slippery floor threw off his aim. Thrakhath struck with a great two-handed swing, impacting the guard's weapon hard enough to snap Thrakhath's blade in two and tear the guard's weapon from his grip. As the Crane slid past him, Thrakhath reach out and caught him by the throat. With one quick, brutal motion, he snapped the man's neck cleanly. The guard went limp, and Thrakhath dropped him, discarding his now-useless weapon.

He spared a glance for Yamuso. Seeing that the monk had the situation well in hand, Thrakhath faced his last opponent, who had just pushed the corpse of his friend off of him and was going for his weapon. Thrakhath's prayer to the kansen was much more audible this time, and the guard stopped in his tracks, clutching his chest as his lungs began to collapse. Thrakhath approached within a step of the gasping man, concentrating on making sure the spell only caused extreme pain without killing the man. He shoved the guard against the wall and got in his face. "Where is she going," he growled.

"I die... for her..." the samurai managed through the pain.

"Die?" Thrakhath said. He laughed in the man's face. "Death is your reward for talking," he said. "Defy me, and death will be denied you for as long as I can keep you alive." As if to emphasis the point, Thrakhath dug a tiny piece of his flesh out of his arm and held it before the samurai's mouth.

The Crane's eyes widened, finally betraying the fear Thrakhath knew he felt. "I will simply end my life..." he began to say, but Thrakhath's head was shaking slowly, that malicious smile still on his face.

"I will make sure you live long enough for the madness to take you, Crane," he said, "and then I will unleash you on everyone you ever loved." He pressed his arm against the man's throat, cutting off his supply of air even more. "And then, when you die, I will resurrect you and do it all over again."

The two locked stares for a moment longer as the Crane continued to struggle for air, until finally, his fear got the best of him. "The... Forge..." he gasped.

Thrakhath's smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed. "The Kakita forges?" he growled. The Crane simply nodded. Thrakhath backed off, and when the Crane collapsed to the ground, Thrakhath stomped on his chest viciously, driving him through the floor and crushing his ribcage. The Crane gasped once, and fell silent.

He looked about, briefly considering raising the dead Cranes as undead, but dismissed the notion. The necessary ritual would take too much time, something they clearly had little of already. He turned to Yamuso, who had apparently dealt with all of his enemies. "We need to move, now," he said. he faced the last living Cranes in the room, the father glaring at them fearfully, the smaller boy crying hysterically in his arms, and Manabu staring at the scene in disbelief. Thrakhath grinned and gave them a salute. "Remember this day, little one," he said, looking directly at Manabu. Then he and Yamuso retrieved their weapons, and were gone.

[Shoju]

Yamuso let go of the katana buried in his final foe as Thrakhath proclaimed they needed to leave. The final guard had fought with an intensity the others had not shown. Was it fear? Was it hatred? No one would ever know. Yamuso squared and gave the slain guard a final bow and then smiled at the children still huddled and fearful against the wall.

As he strapped his own familiar blades to the small of his back, he looked at his lord. "Her husband is an artisan of the famed Kakita Blades. We must make haste.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Thrakhath cursed loudly. "I will tear that man's throat out with my bare hands, and force his wretched wife to watch," he growled. There was a wild look in his eye as the two broke into a run, making for the spot in the woods where they'd left their horses. Moments later they were mounted and galloping hard for the forges.

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Two outposts had passed and the dawn was finally falling over the beautiful valleys of the Crane provinces, tinging everything with its peachy color. In other ocasion Mitsouko, as any Kakita, would let it imbibe her soul with its beauty and significance, but right now, only the remaining distance between her and the forges was filling her thoughts.
Well, this and the extreme physical pain she was feeling. The hard ride to the Seawatch Castle and then, to the Forges, was demanding too much from her pregnant body. She wasn't exactly a Battle maiden and, she never believed even one of them would be so tough to endure such exercises, being pregnant. In fact, Mitsouko soon learnt that the famed prowesses Lady Haruka did in the outskirts of Toshi Ranbo were due her accord with Shoju and Tenshi. She knew it was thing for legends and not to mortal people and now she had a final proof she was very mortal.

Also, a shadow of a premonition was starting to haunt her mind. She started to look back over her shoulder more often.

What would make him believe she was saying the truth?
Of course nothing.

Also, they were rather inclined to believe she was afraid of them. And it wasn't true as well. She said Thrakh she would do something for him, and she meant it.
Now, Battou thought, of course, she was a fool and stole the helm to destroy it, preventing her to give it back to Thrakhwhateveristherestofhisname.
But... what was left of her if even her word meant nothing? Would one just honor their words to honorable man, or should it be lived without exception?
She thought knowing what the artifact was would make Crane more wise, but it just attracted more evil to Rokugan.And then... was her decisions biased by the taint? Or, even worse, was Battou's decision's biased by the fact she was tainted?

Fighting back her urge to dismount and cry for help, she bit her lips and filled the lungs with air and resolve. Just to notice the distant shadow of two riders, not far behind.

She cursed aloud, and the swearing made her yojimbo to look astonished to her. He recognized the two silhouettes against the rising sun as well.

We shall make a detour, milady. There's a village in the bottom of the mountain. It's the best thing to do.

Noo, Takehiro. They aren't stupid and will just run to the Forges anyway. I must get there before them; that's all. She said, gritting her teeth. But Takehiro maneuvered his horse to return, drawing his katana ready.

No Takehiro. He was a Moto before his fall… she was referring to Thrakh. Takehiro’s death was the most probable outcome if her yojimbo insisted in fighting the Spider men in their track.

Neither I was born a Kakita, milady… But I’m proud to live and die as one. Please use the time I’ll build for you.

Takehiro turned back, without fear or remorse, and charged. For a moment everything turned white as Mitsouko faced the eastern horizon to watch their clash. But it was obliterated by the sunrise, she blinked and reality came back in a second. No time to waste when it's paid with a brave samurai's blood, and she forced the horse a bit more up the mountain; her body covered of cold sweat.
She felt; she knew: she was coming to an intersection in her life, and everything would be changed after this day.


edited: just the most evident typos

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

The two Spiders made good time, and after many miles Thrakhath could make out figures riding hard in the distance. After some time, they seemed to notice him as well, for one of the riders wheeled around and began riding toward them. It was exactly the sort of thing Thrakhath should have expected Mitsouko to try, sending one of her guards back to try to delay them. He drew his scimitar and spurred on his undead steed, charging across the landscape toward his enemy, blade held at the ready.

He hadn't done this in a long time, riding to meet an enemy on horseback in battle, and images flashed through his mind unbidden as the two horsemen closed with each other. Images of times long past: his first ride, his first charge with a unit of heavy Moto cavalry, battles from on horseback on the border of the Shadowlands. He found himself once again lamenting that he could no longer feel the wind, and never would again.

It nearly cost him his unlife. He managed to snap back to reality just before the two men met. The Crane attacked with his katana, but the man was not used to fighting from horse, and his attack went wide. Thrakhath's one-handed strike, however, was brutal and true. After the pass, Thrakhath brought his mount to a stop and turned to face his enemy. The Crane man lay slumped on his mount, the horse galloping off into the distance uncontrolled.

Yamuso rode to meet Thrakhath and gave him a questioning look. His horse, like Thrakhath's, was quite dead, and stood motionless as the grave once it had come to a stop. "A Crane foolish enough to face a Moto from horseback," Thrakhath said, watching the retreating horse. "Wonders never cease." He turned toward Yamuso. "Come on," he said, "she still has a head start, and this delay will cost us." The two men spurred their mounts on, and soon they were riding hard for the forges once again.

[Zeure]

"I need the flames to be hotter. They have to be so hot that if I threw a piece of folded steel in there it would fall apart instantly. Additionally, there is evil in this piece, and I need it contained and driven away... Can you do it?"

Asahina Kaede wrinkled her nose as she thought, trying to put everything together in her mind that would be needed for the process. "It... can be done, but it will be difficult. I will need to set up a ritual binding to hold the energies... if they are truly evil in nature. And they will simply be held until I can banish them. The flame is no trouble, the fire kami are always excited to do such work." She wrinkled her nose again, in disgust. "They are so excited to destroy things..."

Battou let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Kaede-san..."

She cut him off. "Asahina-san, we are not so close, Kakita-san. I'm here because it is the right thing to do, not because there is anything between us."

Battou's gaze became one of exasperation. "Asahina-san" He mimicked the way she had said it. "Someday I hope you find a man that can loosen you up a bit. You've always treated me like garbage and I've never done anything to you but pay you compliments."

She set to work, beginning to put things where they needed to be for the ritual that she was planning. "You have always been overly familiar, Kakita-san. A noble lady, such as myself, is appropriately appalled by such lack of regard for either of our stations."

Battou simply rolled his eyes. She unfurled some scrolls and laid them out on a work table, while Battou moved back over to the forge, and to the helm. He looked down at it again, and whispered a silent prayer to the kami. Then he looked at the helm and whispered to it that it's time was almost up.

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Mitsouko finally saw the gates of the Forges, not even knowing what exactly to do next, entirely doubting her own sanity in doing such a ride to keep her word to a man that would probably laugh out at her sacrifice in doing so.
She knew what was goin within her womb, her loss coming so fast and cruel; and more than hatred and regret for not to have slaughtered them in the three opportunities she had, she felt pain at her own stupidity. Why was she so reluctant in raising her sword at them? Maybe because her father could be among The Lost? Only it was a good enough explanation to forge his own death and leave. She wondered if he would be a better Kakita daimyo than herself. Just flashing question and no answers, as the horse kind of bursted a bit more and the gates were open to the Kakita daimyo without a question.
She wished to yell: Enemies are coming! But her voice faltered. She looked around, the world spinning crazily in its axis, but she finally focused the main building, a tortuous steep hill ahead, from where the intense heat was emanating even in the distance.
A final sprint up the hill, neither her or the animal would hold on more of it.
But a final question flashed into her mind?
If the piece is destroyed already, what about her... traitorous husband?
She couldn't even judge while in her mind popped weird images of twins, a fan, and her death at the birth of her son...*
Mitsouko felt her forces leaving her....

• Details of this subplot can be found in the NEW thread An Old And Long Forgotten Tale. But aren’t necessary for the main plot.

[Daigotsu Thrakhath]

Thrakhath slowed his ride to a trot, and lifted a fist to indicate Yamuso should do the same. The Kakita forges were before them, one of the most well guarded places in all of Rokugan. Usually, anyway. There were much fewer guards here than Thrakhath would have anticipated. He watched the tiny figure of Mitsouko charge through the gate, and wondered at her apparent desperation. She had been riding like that ever since she left, before she realized she was being chased. What was it she feared?

He turned to face Yamuso, who seemed to be studying the gate to the forges with interest. "This has gone on long enough, don't you think, Yamuso-san?" he said, looking toward the gate intently. The barely-contained rage in his voice was unmistakeable.