Post by Takezo on Jan 30, 2011 20:40:42 GMT -5
Mirumoto Takezo, Champion of the Dragon, clad in full battle armor, his legendary blades strapped to his side, canters along the front ranks of his personal guard, inspecting his troops.
Accompanied by his personal yojimbo and advisors - four Taoist archers, wearing fierce mempo and grimly silent - he grunts with satisfaction at the end result of months of intense and at-times lethal training: 120 archers, 30 elite archers, 150 heavy infantry, 250 light infantry and 60 medium, 120 light cavalry, and scores of specialist units of warrior monks, scouts and the like. He sees that these men at once love and hate him, as good soldiers should, that mix which produces unswerving loyalty and a desire to prove themselves, like errant sons seeking to win the attention of their father.
"Today, we march on Toshi Ranbo as saviors of the Empire! We are the sensei of war, the Guiding Light of Togashi who will show all the world what honor and ferocity mean! Tomorrow, we will fall upon the Yobanjin as harbingers of nightmare and bringers of death! The rest of their short lives they will cower in terror as the barbarians they are! The Dragon descend!"
A wordless roar arises from the assembled hundreds.
Mirumoto-sama raises the tessen of the Dragon Champion, and in a Dragon's bellow... "Osu!"
The assembled warriors reply: "Banzai!"
"Osu!"
"Banzai!"
"Osu!"
"Banzai!"...
The valley of Shiro Mirumoto trembles as the Dragon march to war.
Accompanied by his personal yojimbo and advisors - four Taoist archers, wearing fierce mempo and grimly silent - he grunts with satisfaction at the end result of months of intense and at-times lethal training: 120 archers, 30 elite archers, 150 heavy infantry, 250 light infantry and 60 medium, 120 light cavalry, and scores of specialist units of warrior monks, scouts and the like. He sees that these men at once love and hate him, as good soldiers should, that mix which produces unswerving loyalty and a desire to prove themselves, like errant sons seeking to win the attention of their father.
"Today, we march on Toshi Ranbo as saviors of the Empire! We are the sensei of war, the Guiding Light of Togashi who will show all the world what honor and ferocity mean! Tomorrow, we will fall upon the Yobanjin as harbingers of nightmare and bringers of death! The rest of their short lives they will cower in terror as the barbarians they are! The Dragon descend!"
A wordless roar arises from the assembled hundreds.
Mirumoto-sama raises the tessen of the Dragon Champion, and in a Dragon's bellow... "Osu!"
The assembled warriors reply: "Banzai!"
"Osu!"
"Banzai!"
"Osu!"
"Banzai!"...
The valley of Shiro Mirumoto trembles as the Dragon march to war.