Where the Threads of Destiny Meets

[Agasha Shodai]

Agasha Shodai chuckled from within the young man's grip. "Ah! You are a rare one indeed, Hirotomo-kun; only the truly skilled ever manage even a lucky 'kill' against a combat shugenja. I shall respect this fact by allowing you to truly test your prowess...

But be warned that in a real duel, you MIGHT have had me, but only if my magic was sealed during the contest.

You see, the greatest challenge when facing a such an opponent is you never know where his strengths lie until he unleashes a spell. And if you're not on your guard, you may not live to react because some of the most gifted of us are so skilled..."

Toku Hirotomo's grip suddenly went slack as Shodai silently tapped into his innate connection to the Void and Air elements to instantly teleport two steps back.

"...That we need neither words nor gestures to incant a spell. But a glorious death only comes when you accomplish something truly spectacular. Now, when it comes to dealing with a combat-specialist shugenja, you have to be better than the best. "

Agasha Shodai lifted his right hand, the first two fingers extended as he began to channel his chi as he shifted to Kazekenjutsu. His Sword of Wind style was different from the other three - it was a pure style.

It was the Kenku Swordsman style: the ulitmate kenjutsu save for that of the 10 Kami themselves.

Hirotomo had used an element or two of the Kenku swordsmanship style, but it had clearly been a mimic from studying someone else rather than firsthand exposure to the bird men.

The Void Master assumed the ready stance on last time. "Your victory has left you with but one strike left, Hirotomo-kun; make it count because then I will attack you."

[Toku Hirotomo]

Hirotomo nodded and without ceremony threw his boken at the man. No one throws a katana. To do so was an act of sheer gall. It hit the center mass. A kill. A pity. If Hirotomo ever had to face this man in combat he would certainly kill the young samurai. "The kill is mine sensei, but victory is yours. If we ever faced each other, you know all my secrects. Hirotomo bowed low. The man was far more skilled then him. Only tricks would save him. He honored the Pheonix by using sensei. This fight showed him he had much to learn. He needed to spend more time training.

"I trained you to fight with the sword not use it as an arrow. A cantankerous voice said from behind Hirotomo. An old Kakita stood watching. His hair was gone, and his nose hooked out in front of him. The old man bowed slightly to the Pheonix. "Forgive my idiot. He has potential, but he wastes it with flashy moves." He hit the top of Hirotomo's head with a tessen. "I keep on telling you it is useless if you kill yourself in meaningless combat. Wait until you're old, like me. Then get yourself killed."

The old man bowed to Mitsouko. "Hello, Mitsouko. I am sorry about your father. A truely great man. Truely great."

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Mitsouko rushed to her feet and bowed deeply to the old sensei. The same way her father bowed to him many times. She was very young, of course, traveling with her father through her gempukku years, but that face was not a thing to forget.
Welcome sensei. His memory is honored by your presence here.

[Agasha Shodai]

Agasha Shodai rubbed his chest as he picked up the boken. He had learned a number of things from young Taku Hirotomo - he was brash, loved to win at all costs, and was willing to surrender honor for victory.

'Just like Gunso Ojiisan Agasha.' Shodai thought to himself with a grin as the others turned to the new arrival and greeted the man warmly. The Void Master thought he recognized the man, but he wasn't too sure.

Agasha returned the practice blades to the wall and turned to the male Crane samurai. "I must agree with your assessment of young Hirotomo-kun... But if he lives through his mistakes, we could be seeing a future Monkey Clan Champion right here." Shodai said in a genuine compliment of Toku.

He gave the man a bow of respect. "My name is Agasha Sho, venerable elder. I am Kakita Mitsouko's guest for a few days before we set out on a journey to the Miya family in the west."

[Toku Hirotomo]

"Hello then, Agasha Sho. Thank you for teaching my idiot." The old man said as he placed his hands behind his back walked to the back of the dojo. Hirotomo rubbed his head with a rueful look on his face. He did not know sensei would be here. He was told he had reached a block, and that only with experiance could he progress. He needed this journey, far more than he originaly though. He had to learn skill to not have to rely on his tricks.The old man sat in the corner and sipped tea calmly. His lessons almost killed Hirotomo, but he was already an adept swordsmen. Hirotomo glanced at the Phoniex. Just not good enough, apparently.

[Agasha Shodai]

Agasha Shodai smiled at the young man as he turned to Mitsouko. "So, my gracious hostess, you have seen some of what I am capable of. And given the surprises your cousin has given me, I am quite interested in seeing your skills, Kakita-san." He bowed to her. "Shall we dance?"

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Mitsouko went to the center, breathing and entering in the depths of focus, readiness and inner calm. Different of when she was helping with battle tactics or tangled in courtier maneuvers, everytime her hand reached for the tsuka, her mind was completely in peace.
She knew the strenght of the chi of her enemy. And it was a fortress. She would neither clash at him trying to unbalance Agasha's inner strenght or surprise him with sacrifical strikes. Mitsouko was aware of his technique flaws, his uncentered sword and the fondness for reversed strikes, though. The violence of Lion and the acrobatic style of Dragon.
There's a reason for the balance of a pure style.
Mitsouko's eyes became two mirrored ponds reflecting Agasha movements. Her face inexpressive.
The kendo stick on her obi, hand on the hilt. She looked at her opponent's face, reading him. When she drew, it was swift enough for the first movement be performed without block. Sho-san raised his stick to get her hit in the head, ready and quick enough, adjusting to get her off guard and break throught her own movement. But Mitsouko turn her wide horizontal 'do' to a fluid 'men', raising the blade and shortening the arc, then hitting Sho-san first in the head. She bent backwards to slide down to the right, from his almost simultaneous countercoup, that would have not lost speed and strenght by her hit, and for sure would cause the same damage than hers, if real.
His blade would scrape her face, though. It would left a bad scar, but Agasha Sho controlled the move and stopped the stick to go down further.
She retreated after the first hit, looking at him, stick again in the obi.

I comprehend you are tired after the hard exercise with Hirotomo-san, Agasha Sho-san. We can make a shorter series, if you prefer.

[Agasha Shodai]

Agasha Shodai blinked in surprise at Kakita Mitsouko, his ears ringing slightly from the blow to the head. It was clear that despite her youth - and the fact that she was still recovering from a near-fatal poisoning - the young Crane woman was a very skilled warrior that had trained herself to the point that her blade was an extension of her arm. Her beautiful features were inscruitable and she was very good at hiding her thoughts when she was focused on the fight.

"A shorter series is fine, Kakita-san. The longer series was meant for Hirotomo-kun's benefit to give him a chance to learn while fighting. It is very clear from our first exchange that your skills are either equal or superior to my own, so let us honor our mutual skill by making this a genuine mock duel..."

Agasha hopped back a step, raising his left hand with the first and second fingers extended as he focused on getting his chi to flow faster. He felt the aches and pains from his morning drills and the fight with Toku Hirotomo fade as he entered the lowest level of his battle meditation. The shugenja stopped before he entered the second stage, which would augment his senses and speed through the use of magic...

He wanted to see just what Kakita Mitsouko was truly capable of without being at a gross disadvantage.

Shodai matched her action of placing his bamboo blade in his obi and bowed to her as if this was a genuine duel. "May the Fortunes favor us both this day." The Phoenix said to the Crane as took a Kenku ready stance: something true duelists like Mitsouko and Kakita-sensei would be able to recognize instantly. The best way he could think of to honor her skill was by allowing her to test herself against the pinnacle of kenjutsu he'd learned from the Kenku master that regularly visited Reihado Shinsei.

[Toku Hirotomo]

"Curious." the old man said. He sat down his tea to pay attention. He nodded to Hirotomo. "Note his stance, wider than your stance needs to be. He cast one too many spells and has to have space to ready them. Keep your stance no more than half a sholder length apart and bent. Notice his hands, they are where your's should be at all times. Do not attack unless you will hit, a wild swing is a gift to the opponent. Feel the air. Taste the movement of the wind. A second before a strike, the air will taste sweet. Feel the air boy, tell me when he will strike. Don't count out your cousin though, remember just because I'm teaching you the same stance that man is using, does not mean that it can never be defeated."

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Birds are birds and fight like what they are. Mitsouko thought when Agasha Sho assumed the legendary initial Kenku stance. She bowed to Sho-san. She knew nothing much about the secrets of technique, but what she saw from her father and some few duelists. But she reminded some of the wide and swift movements from the 'crow style'. Too swift and too wide, indeed.
She then drew the sword, slowly, taking advantage of the great space between her opponent and herself, pointed the stick to her opponent, at the height of her belly, one hand only. Ready to take advantage of some points of Sho-san characteristics of kenjutsu: yin chi and uncentered sword.
Mitsouko then resumed to her almost trance state, waiting for Agasha next move.

[Agasha Shodai]

Noting that Mitsouko was electing to give him first strike, Agasha swept forward with the vicious grace of a bird of prey pouncing on its meal - fast but not hasty.

Gone were the the quirks that characterized his Water and Fire sword styles - they WERE still works in progress, after all. From the moment Karasu-sensei - the old bird probably had a true name but he seemed to relish being called 'Crow' - had accepted Shodai as a pupil, the Tensai found that it was perfection incarnate.

For one such as him to try and blend it with any other techniques in an effort to 'improve' on it would have been the epitome of arrogance. With the other schools - the ones Shodai was experimenting with - they acknowledged their own shortcomings, couching them behind words to make the weaknesses seem smaller than they were out of foolish pride.

Agasha's assault began with an upward stroke that knocked the tip of her blade upwards and was about to reverse with a strike that a real blade would leave his a opponent cleft from shoulder to waist on the opposite side. Kakita Mitsouko, however, countered the blow with the only strike that could stall the strike; leaving their two blades crossed in an X shape. Mitsouko's own movements, while graceful and effective, lacked the polish that came from Kenku instruction.

"You have faced another Kenku trained foe before..." Agasha Shodai commented as their two blades struggled for dominance. "Mind if I ask who?"

[Toku Hirotomo]

"It appears they are a dime a dozen." The sensei said laconicaly. He shook his head slightly. "Keep with them. I belive the three of you will be needed. Perhaps they are right. She may be ready." Hirotomo watched the battle noticing when the strikes took place. He felt, rather than saw where the strike would be. It was easier to judge when not in combat.

[Kakita Mitsouko]

The break of fluidness made Mitsouko slightly shift the weight to the right leg. Doing so, She slid the blade against Agasha's blade. They keep their guards, changing positions in the tatami. They studied the opponent, but there are no way of a wide and full attack. Guards completely up in both sides. Three full minutes passed, both impassible focused in win, testing the defenses of each other. The slightest wrong movement would give the victory to the opponent.
It was truly a dance, with advances and retreats, but both cautious and respecting each other skills.
She tried to get Agasha's blade down of hers, with a twist of wrist. Agasha skillfully prevented it. When Agasha managed to get her blade upon his own, Mitsouko reacted, with three swift short steps forward, by the right side, she passed his defenses and freed her blade from the center they both were defending, and with the stick hit again Agasha's head, but sliding through the side. Not a beautiful strike, but an effective one.
She retreat again, feeling suddenly ill, feeling a cold sweat covering her body, heart beating fast.
Sho-san, thank you. I did...once. Now, twice. Sometimes the prey manages to get the victory, Sho-san. You know, it's a matter to make the opponent play our game.
She put the a hand on Sho-san shoulder, to prevent fall from a sudden dizziness.
You were right, maybe too much exercise...

[Agasha Shodai]

A smile cracked Agasha Shodai's lips as Kakita Mitsouko finally broke the stalemate. It was only proper that a bushi should win such a contest, but it felt good to do battle with an opponent that equaled his skill.

As he looked at her, Mitsouko's green-gold eyes went briefly out of focus. She began to pitch forward, but she managed to put her hand on his shoulder to catch herself. "You were right, maybe too much exercise..."

The compassionate physician in the Phoenix shugenja put a hand to her forehead before thinking about the odd visions that happened; his only concern was Mitsouko's health. To his surprise, however, there was an oddly pleasant tingle when they touched, but no visions. Her pale skin was flushed from exertion and he could feel her heart beat far faster than it should for a woman her age.

Shodai dropped his bamboo blade from his right hand as he caught Mitsouko's waist. "Pardon my forwardness, Mitsouko-san..." Agasha said, a slight blush colored his cheeks over his mempo, as he adjusted his posture to slip her hand around the back of his neck to allow him to help carry her in a more dignified way than carrying her on his back. "Let me help you back to the house so we can make sure nothing new has developed and get you something to help you feel better."

The Void Master glanced to the Monkey samurai. "Hirotomo-kun; I need you to run to my room and grab the tan leather bag with all the ceramic and metal containers in it." He paused for a moment. "And be very careful not to break any of them... There are some medicines in the bag that are dangerous if a healthy person inhales them."

The shugenja turned his attention back to the woman in his arms, though he was struggling to focus on her needs rather than her beauty. "Ready, Mitsouko-san?"

[Kakita Mitsouko]

She stared at his eyes a bit too long, then recovering the sense of reality.
"I will not go elsewhere in this situation, Sho-san. What you need to check, please check here. I will not make more displays of weakness for my people. Anyway, it was a sudden disturbance..." She blushed when realized the close they were, slipping from Agasha Sho concerned arms.
"Please, cousin, do it with discretion..."