The falcon screeched overhead as the lone samurai stood in the valley. The person had been waiting there for days on end it seemed. The figure would stand in the middle of this secluded valley, standing and waiting for something to happen. A large jade tetsubo lay on the ground by the figure's feet. A glowing jade hand would come forth from his kimono at times and scratch his chin or push his wild long hair back. A gruff sigh would escape from his mouth at times and we would smile. We waited till the grace of Lord Onnotangu granted us shelter from Lady Amaterasu Omikami. We descended upon the lone figure with swift prescision and soon he was ours. A day and night of travel brought us to the hidden court.
Once within the shadow's veil we removed his binders and blindfold. The samurai was furious and began swinging his glowing fist about all over the place. He tried to hit us as we dodged his blows and fled inside the shadows once more. He was left all alone to his own thoughts and then we heard him scream, "SHOJU!", his scream filled the hidden court's main entrance, "Where in Jigoku are you, you damnable Scorpion!" We soon overwhelmed his scream with our own hissing laughter and then a voice from the shadows spoke.
"I am here Yakamo," the lord of shadows spoke. He was not truly our master but he controlled us for now. "I have heard of the dishonor Toturi showed your clan, Yakamo-san. Quite a honor for a clan that was once so strong, to have a small ronin claim your much needed gift."
"Are you ready to accept the fact that Toturi is not the rightful ruler of Rokugan and that his reign has led our once beautiful empire to ruin?"
The large crab then growled at our lord, and our hissing laughter once again was there to drown out the sound of the samurai. Our lord raised one hand toward the shadows and we immediately stopped, for we were told to obey the Scorpion. But then just as his hand went up was when the other showed his face, and we sank deeper into the shadows, we were silent.
Yakamo looked toward the new comer who had appeared from out of the shadows, "Yokatsu-sama?" the crab asked.
"Hai. It is I, Yakamo-kun. Have you come to show support for the true Emperor, Lord Shoju?" With this Yokatsu bowed low before Shoju, showing that Shoju was of higher station and that he was truly the Emperor.
"I..., " Yakamo's voice trailed off. Shoju stood with Yokatsu to his side, and smiled underneath his mask at Yakamo. The gruff Crab looked at the two famous and powerful daimyo, as he could feel his own heart finally giving, finally being broken between his duty and the empire and his duty to the Emperor Toturi. In the end, the decision was not hard for him to make.
"Yes, my Emperor," the words were whispered as the large crab knelt on one knee before Shoju, placing his jade tetsubo at the feet of the Emperor.
It seemed like just only a moment ago Toturi had made one of the greatest breaches of etiquette within the Emperor's court, and it was made by the Emperor himself. He still could not begin to understand how his words had become replaced by different words. Nor could he forget the look of pure betrayal and anger that filled Yakamo's eyes that day. He had heard rumors that Yakamo was searching for Baysuhi Shoju, the last Emperor who had gone into hiding as Toturi himself was seeking to take his head. Toturi looked at his hands and then looked at the three samurai kneeling before him upon cushioned mats on the floor before the Emperor's dais.
Lord Hoturi sat in a kneeling position his head down cast as he waited for his Emperor's words of reflection on what happened within the courts, the words of his childhood friend, whom he would call a brother.
Lord Yoritomo sat in a contemplative position as his eyes studied Toturi from beneath his mandible mempo. His fists clenching and unclenching as if he waited to be put to use by the Emperor, put to the task of war.
Lastly sat Lady Tsuko, the wife of the Emperor's late brother, her head was lowered to the ground and she showed the proper ways of bushido. She sat completely in silence and her mind was clear, awaiting the command of her Emperor.
Then he spoke, "Yoritomo-san . . . ," the Emperor whispered almost, still lost in thought about the day before within the court. "Hai.", Yoritomo spat the word out quickly. "Yoritomo-san, you will bring your armies from your islands and begin a purge of the Shadowlands taint that is corrupting our Empire. You will send a legion of your men along with a legion of imperial troops and begin to seal the wall once more. I do not think we can count on the support of the Crab anymore, not after the scene I caused in court."
The three samurai that sat in front of the Emperor felt their hearts sink at those words, for they knew foul play had been a part of the breach within the court the other day.
The Emperor then turned toward's Tsuko, "Tsuko-chan, I wish for you to take a legion of your finest and begin to look for Shoju, these rumors are beginning to spread more and more each day. I have a feeling he is out there and he is planning a coup once more. Find him, Tsuko-chan."
"Hai.", The samurai-ko stated.
"Hoturi-kun, my friend, have a courier sent to Lord Yokatsu, to see if his people are ready to return to the Empire and help us in our time of need. I have also heard rumor that the dragon daimyo, Yokuni is holding Bayushi Kachiko."
With those words' Hoturi's eyes grew large for a moment and then his composure was regained, but not before Toturi had seen it. For Toturi knew something of a possible affair between the two. "Hoturi-kun, please see to it personally that she is escorted back to Otosan Uchi to be held as a prisoner of war. This might hold Shoju back."
Hoturi's heart dropped at the sound of the Lady Scorpion's fate, to be held as a prisoner. He felt his head nod slowly, and a feint, "Hai.", Came from his lips. He would make sure the journey back to Otosan Uchi would be a long one, anything to delay her fate.
