She and her army had stormed down from their mountain home on the capital city. She lead a force of some of the clans strongest samurai, shugenja, and ise zumi bent on their task of escorting the Man-beast on his task: to dethrone the Scorpion Daimyo. She could still feel the chill voice of her Lord. The voice that sounded as if it came from the Void itself.
"My son has been tasked. Make sure he is allowed to achieve it!" She had shuddered when he said it. Just like she shuddered now. The hint of what would happen if she should fail. But she knew that there was something else she would have to do. And she would do it.
"Stand fast, champion!", the inflection on the word champion had none of the respect it was supposed to hold and all the spite she intended. All the better she thought, "Matsu Agetoki! I challenge you!"
He said nothing. He stopped in the direction he was running to and steadied himself. Hitomi smirked. She felt the fates on her side. Though she knew the Lion was no one to scoff at, she could feel the outcome... she would have what was hers.
The strike came. Faster than she could have thought possible. Agetoki's blade cleared it's scabbard with a silent, deadly ring. The glint from the slashing blade was the only real sign that perhaps she had made a mistake. Her smirk disappeared... but only for an instant.
Her right hand seized his katana in mid-slash. Before he knew what happened, his blade shattered, the handle wrenched from his hand. She spun on him and pushed him off balance. She held him up with an unknown strength, Agetoki flailing to keep his balance. She glared into his eyes, and for an instant she was taken back.
When she had been younger, still training under her sensei, she had met Matsu Agetoki. He had come as an escort to a Lion shugenja who had come to the Dragon lands to study under the tutelage of their mysterious wizards. Agetoki had entered the dojo rather loudly, but was quick to bow in his hosts school. He had asked to sit and watch her sensei teach his lesson. She stared defiantly at his intrusion, and he stared back with is sharp, fiery gaze, not about to leave her to her training. His gaze had driven hers to contemplate the wooden boards of the floor. His eyes were fire. Determination. She never forgot their look.
They did not have that look now. His eyes seemed lost. As if the man was no longer residing behind them. She dismissed it to his sudden fear of death.
Her voice hissed, "You escaped my blade, at the tournament, Matsu! Now I will take what should have been mine!"
His limp body, heavy with the Obsidian armor, and death, fell to the ground at her feet. His hands came to the gaping hole in his throat working to re-close it. Blood gushed from his neck. His blood and his life escaped him. She finally remembered to release her breath. The flesh that had been Matsu Agetoki's throat still in her hand.
She reached down, ready to don the Obsidian Champion's helm and mempo. She would have to wait to have the armor re-sized for her. Suddenly from behind she heard a shout, "Stop!!"
Agasha Tamori had been with her. She nearly forgot he had been guarding her. He strode up to her appraising her with a glance. She couldn't tell if he approved of her action or not. Honestly, she didn't care. The shugenja carefully bent to the armor and regarded it closely. Finally he spoke, "Kage."
"What!", Hitomi spit.
"This armor is enchanted. Shadow magic.", Tamori seemed to be whispering though she knew he was not. "Leave it! It will be your undoing."
She roused to the world around her . In her war tent she contemplated the icy stone thing that was now her hand, still dripping with blood. It had... grown, since it was first attached to her arm. It slightly unnerved her, but it gave her strength. It moved like a normal hand. Precise and carefully. But the Obsidian Hand was far from the soft touch of a normal one.
Her hand felt so cold.
Just then a scout burst through her tents entrance, "Hitomi-sama...", he gasped for breath. "Toturi's Army has reached the outskirts of the city!"
"Good. Alert our troops to stand down. Send karo to tell the Akodo that the Dragon give him Otosan Uchi."
"We tried!", the fear in his voice finally apparent, "They refused our offers of truce, and have already begun skirmishes with our troops!"
Hitomi dropped her hand to her side, slightly confused. This made no sense. "Where is the Man-beast?"
"He has already left, Hitomi-sama. He returned North with a group of ise zumi about a half hour ago!"
"I understand. Rally the troops. Alert them to move off, and defend themselves.", she paused, "It's obvious that the ronin have bent themselves on seeing blood this day. They do not care who's they spill."
Just then the scout looked at Hitomi in shock, "Are you hurt, Hitomi-sama? You're caked in blood!"
She strode past him with a look on her face that would make an oni falter, "Don't worry, samurai... It's not mine."
