Mirumoto Uso was especially careful with the
steps he took. This mountain was notorious for its treacherous
nature, and it would not do at all for the daimyo of the Mirumoto
family to stumble and fall to an ignominious death at such a
dangerous time for his clan. Surely his ancestors would see it
as a gross negligence of his duty.
Uso stopped for a moment to rest on a ledge.
He gazed about him, taking in the glorious splendor of the Dragon
lands. Even now, in the midst of such a terrible winter and having
faced near starvation, the lands of the Dragon were bold and
beautiful. The conflict with the Phoenix was as yet unresolved,
and Uso was still uncertain as to whether the Dragon lands could
recover from the devastation of the volcano sufficiently to feed
his people during the approaching season. The food supplied by
Bayushi Paneki's troops would help, but the problem was not solved.
And yet, as he looked over the vast expanses of the Dragon lands,
he could not help but feel at peace, if only for a moment.
The twists and turns of fate were not for
the mortal mind to know, not even his mysterious and enigmatic
clan. No, their role in the Empire was to adapt, overcome, and
accommodate whatever changes the Fortunes saw fit to give them.
It was their duty.
It was the way of the Dragon Clan.
The icy wind cut through Uso like a knife,
reminding him that despite the beauty of the lands and the importance
of his mission, the elements kept their own council and cared
nothing for the affairs of man. Reaching into his kimono to ensure
that the scroll that had summoned him halfway across the Dragon
lands was in place, the Mirumoto daimyo continued his climb toward
the High House of Light, high atop the mountain.
After several more hours, an exhausted and
battered Mirumoto Uso crept painfully over the ledge that marked
the summit of the Togashi's mountain. He rose stiffly to his
feet, his every joint aching from the tremendous physical exertion.
Despite the strange circumstances, he smiled and chuckled quietly
to himself. It had been a long time since he had tested himself
so completely.
"Welcome, Uso-sama," came a mellow,
cheerful voice. Uso looked up to find a young ise zumi smiling
down at him warmly from his perch on a nearby boulder. A tattoo
of a white serpentine dragon coiled around his arms and chest.
"I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"
"It was certainly interesting, I will
say that. Pleasant, too, I suppose, but only if one has a very
unconventional notion of pleasant."
The monk laughed crisply, his breath billowing
out in to the cold winter air. "My sensei told me you had
an uncharacteristic sense of humor. You and I will get along
famously, I suspect."
"Ah," said Uso uncertainly. "Well,
that is most cheerful news, I suppose. Might I inquire as to
your sensei's name? Or yours, for that matter?"
The monk leapt easily down from the stone
to bow slightly. "I am Togashi Matsuo, student of Togashi
Mitsu, and I am to serve as your guide."
Uso returned the bow. "Mitsu," he
laughed. "That explains much. I am honored to meet you,
Matsuo-san. His brow furrowed slightly. "Did I not hear
recent accounts of some strange business in the south involving
you and your sensei?"
"Yes," nodded Matsuo. "We fought
a giant troll. We turned it into a mountain."
Uso remained silent for a moment. The Togashi
had such strange metaphors. "Congratulations," he finally
said. "Shall we go inside? I do not share your capacity
to tolerate this wind for very long, I fear."
"Certainly, Uso-sama. Please follow me.
The others are already here."
Uso looked after the monk questioningly. "What
others?"
The grand hall of the monastery was strangely
dark and empty as Matsuo led Uso in. Their footfalls seemed to
echo into the distance, going on without end. Uso felt strangely
awed by this place, and not for the first time marveled at the
men and women who served his clan as the order of ise zumi. ,
Matsuo stopped short and pointed across the
vastness of the chamber. "There is the group you seek, Uso-sama."
He indicated a small group sitting in a half-circle, deep in
meditation. Uso could not make them out at this distance.
"Thank you, Matsuo-san." Uso bowed
and strode across the chamber purposefully as the monk withdrew
without a sound. In the absolute stillness of the great hall,
Uso winced at the thunderous sound of his own footfall. He crossed
the distance between himself and the group quickly, eager to
see this business concluded, then stopped short and gazed at
the remainder of the group in surprise.
"You?" he said, taken aback. "All
of you?"
"Of course, Uso-sama," said Tamori
Shaitung demurely. "Did you expect you alone had received
the summons?" Even in this holy place, Shaitung continued
to display a scandalous amount of skin, as was the way of her
strange family.
"Too eager to see the one that summoned
us to think matters through to their logical conclusion, I presume,"
came the even, measured tones of Kitsuki Mizuochi, daimyo of
the Kitsuki family. "Given the nature of the summons, I
would hardly call it an uncommon response."
"Cease your incessant prattling,"
growled Hitomi Kagetora. "We are to meditate if we wish
to see the purpose of our summons revealed. Or have you forgotten
the message the scroll contained already? It is good to see you
again, Uso-san." The burly monk resumed his meditative pose,
as did the others. The look of aggravation on his severe features
melted away quickly as serenity enveloped him.
Uso took his place in the circle and joined
them, dropping easily into a meditative trance. He wondered at
the empty seat to his left, but gave it no thought. If there
was to be another participant in this strange meeting, they would
arrive in due time.
Minutes stretched into hours, but Uso hardly
noticed. The clear, unbridled emptiness of deep meditation washed
away his stress and worries, leaving him reinvigorated and prepared
for whatever trials might face the Dragon Clan. Was this the
sole purpose of the meeting? Had the one who sent for them meant
only for them to come together and feel the blissful embrace
of the Void?
"Awaken, loyal servants, beloved kinsmen,
leaders of the Dragon Clan. Awaken and attend me, for my time
in this realm grows ever shorter." The booming voice seemed
to come from within Uso's mind rather than the expansive chamber
in which he sat. Nevertheless, his eyes snapped open to regard
the massive figure that loomed before the group - a figure that
was at the same time familiar and sorely missed.
"My lord Hoshi-sama," breathed Uso
gratefully, bowing and touching his forehead to the ground in
supplication. The rest of the group quickly followed suit, and
Uso sensed rather than saw that during his long meditation, someone
had indeed taken the empty seat beside him.
Hoshi's serene features softened in to a warm
smile. "Rise, brothers and sisters. I have much to tell
you, and precious little time in which to do so." Uso did
as Hoshi commanded, and saw with great surprise that the figure
on his left was none other than Togashi Satsu, Hoshi's son, who
had been absent from the Dragon lands for several months on a
quest of some sort.
"I have returned to the mortal realm
one last time to speak with each of you, the chosen leaders of
my father's people, to prepare you for the darkness that threatens
to destroy the Empire." Hoshi's face had lost its warmth
and cheer. Concern was evident on his face now, and Uso was chilled
to the bone by the thought that a threat so potent it confirmed
the child of a Kami with such might.
"The Dragon stand at the precipice. Our
people stand exhausted by catastrophe and betrayal. If they are
not united and focused, their spirits will be broken, and all
will be lost."
"Hoshi-sama," interrupted Uso, "once
they hear of your return, they will shout the name of their fathers
throughout the mountains."
"No," said the great half-dragon.
"I will soon leave again, perhaps permanently this time.
One of you must take my place as Champion of the Dragon."
The group sat in shocked silence for a long
moment, each looking from one to another and back to Hoshi. Finally,
Kagetora said "Which of us is it to be, Hoshi-sama?"
Hoshi shook his head once again. "That
choice can be made by you alone, my loyal followers. Only you
can choose who will lead the clan, and only you can vow to serve
that individual with loyalty and honor. Only you can lead your
families to follow a new Champion to victory and turn away from
the darkness that threatens us all."
"You speak of my father," said Shaitung
quietly.
"Your father is the greatest threat we
currently face," Hoshi replied. "But he is far from
alone. There are many things that could destroy us if we are
weak. But if you show strength, if you show wisdom... then the
Dragon Clan will survive and prosper. Only you can make that
choice."
"Shaitung," Uso said softly. "Can
we defeat your father?"
The shugenja was quiet for several moments.
"I do not know," she answered. "From what I have
learned of the Oracles, their power is extraordinary."
"Then we must seek allies," responded
Kitsuki Mizuochi. "We must unite with the other clans to
destroy a threat greater than our petty differences."
"Perhaps we could turn the war with the
Phoenix into an alliance against the Dark Oracle," said
Satsu suddenly. Each member of the group turned to face the muscular
young man, even his father. All regarded him with surprise and
disbelief at the sentiment he expressed.
"Are you mad?" Uso asked. "The
Last Wish has made Shiba Aikune or like a god. He is likely another
of the threats Lord Hoshi refers to."
Satsu nodded quietly. "I have seen the
power Shiba Aikune wields," the young man answered. "Perhaps
we could help him. Without allies to temper his rage, his passion,
he could consume the Empire in flames. Is our pride worth more
than that? I mean, already we have turned our former enemies
in the Lion into allies. Could we do any less for the Phoenix?"
Tamori Shaitung said nothing.
Hoshi nodded, recognizing the wisdom in his
son's words. "Such a thing would be a difficult undertaking,"
he acknowledged. "Perhaps even impossible. But it is a just
and noble cause."
"Perhaps the Last Wish could destroy
the traitor Tamori," Satsu added, not noticing the pained
look in Shaitung's eyes.
"Or Tamori will destroy Aikune and add
the Wish's might to his already considerable power," Kitsuki
Mizuochi added.
"I know that you will choose wisely,"
Hoshi said, addressing the group once more. "But all your
efforts may be for naught if the Empire is embroiled in war once
more. The Four Winds move increasingly further and further apart
in their goals, and a divided Empire may not be able to stand
against the Shadowlands again."
"Have you foreseen the end, Hoshi-sama?"
asked Mizuochi.
Hoshi shook his head. "The end is always
near; should we push this catastrophe aside, many dark tomorrows
will follow. That is always the way of things; the Dragon's fight
will never end."
"That is no reason to stop fighting,"
Satsu said.
"Exactly," Hoshi said, favoring
his son with a small smile. "It is the hand of man that
will shape our future. That is why I must leave the Dragon in
your hands and take my rightful place among the Heavens, lest
in an effort to save the Dragon, I damn them with my wisdom.
I will not make the mistake Kaede made."
Uso had never heard Hoshi speak this way.
It was as if his human side was struggling to aid his brethren
while his divine blood wished to fly free on the winds of Tengoku.
"What would you have us do, Hoshi-sama?" Uso asked.
Hoshi looked at each member of the council,
fixing them with his powerful, inhuman eyes. "The Dragon
must choose the Wind most suited to be Emperor and support them,
regardless. Unity is the only thing that can save the Empire.
Conflict will lead to the destruction of all that mankind has
worked so hard to achieve, and the darkness that my father once
feared will come to pass. Before you leave, you must choose which
one of you will replace me, who will lead the Dragon Clan."
The ominous statement left the room silent,
each lost in thought. As the daimyo looked at the others, each
one had the same thought racing through their mind as they considered
the words of their lord Hoshi.
None knew the answer with any certainty.
Throughout the history of the Empire, the
Dragon have been the most patient of all the clans. They stand
beyond the petty disputes of the Empire, watching from afar,
gathering wisdom on their path to enlightenment. For many months
now, their quest for wisdom has been disrupted.
Driven from their own lands by volcanic eruptions,
forced to go to war with their former allies among the Phoenix
Clan driven by a need to find food, the Dragon have refused to
surrender. Even with the loss of many of their greatest leaders,
the Dragon have continued, surviving adversity through determination
and courage.
Now Tamori Shaitung has returned with chilling
news. Her father, Agasha Tamori, once the mightiest shugenja
of the clan, has become the Dark Oracle of Fire. It was by Tamori's
design that the Dragon lands were rendered infertile and uninhabitable.
It was his thirst for violence and vengeance that has brought
about this war.
In the midst of this, Lord Hoshi has returned
briefly from his visit to the Celestial Heavens. With him, he
has brought great wisdom that may lead to the Dragon's salvation.
In addition the Lion, who were once their enemies, now stand
beside the Dragon as allies.
The Dragon have seen the darkness within themselves,
and they have not turned away. The time for waiting is past.
The greatest heroes of the clan now prepare to venture into the
caverns beneath the Dragon provinces and destroy Tamori once
and for all.
Now is the season of the Dragon. This will
be a tale of justice.
The events that will unfold due to the results
of the Season of the Dragon depend upon the clan or faction you
choose to represent, and their performance relative to the other
factions. Though the Dragon Clan is spotlighted in many of these
events, all clans will be affected by the outcome of the Season
of the Dragon. The events resulting from this tournament affect
not only the winning clan, but every clan...
Tamori Shaitung prepares for the final confrontation
with her father, the Dark Oracle of Fire. If the Shadowlands
wins this conflict, then Agasha Tamori will survive, spelling
dire consequences for the Dragon Clan.
Lord Hoshi's return is a good omen for the
Dragon Clan, but he also bears a message for one other. The daimyo
of the faction with the greatest number of wins in this tournament
will be visited by Lord Hoshi before he returns to the heavens.
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