The Glory and Honor Ceremony
After a meeting with Kitsu Tsuguri
sama, the Kitsu family daimyo and Lion Clan’s Emerald Ambassador in the Emperor’s Gift caravan. Akodo Asahi sama sought out his cousin, Kitsuki Donoha sama. He found the Dragon finishing talking about the stage performances he wished the caravan performers to do. Using ropes and bokken they had mocked out the two fight scenes, gather the yeti pelts and were about to make their way back. He asked them to check in with Shosuro Hanzo san in case their newest member needed any assistance with their performance.
Once his cousin was free the Lion presented the scroll he’d been given by Kitsu Tsuguri sama. Adding that his cousin was to read it someplace private. Since Tamaki san was meditating on top of the wagon the men shared. Donoha sama walked inside and shut the door. The scroll had been written by Togashi Yokuni sama, the Dragon Clan champion himself!
Donoha sama made it clear to me that he cannot reveal the contents, of the scroll. In fact all of my notes regarding Book-7: To the High House and Back Again have been purchased by the Dragon Clan Champion and I was told they would be returned when the time was right. Even the quill I used was taken in the exchange for koku and items I had been wanting to read. I never saw the messenger but the reach of the Dragon Clan champion is great and vast!
The Lion and Dragon had a private meeting about the message and that was that. They went on to trying to find some act that Asahi sama could perform and Donoha sama mentioned he would play the accompanying drums for the song. The Lion asked if the Scorpion could play an instrument, and the Dragon mentioned Hanzo san seemed deep on preparation with members of his clan on their act. Nodding in understanding they set about to practicing a couple songs so Donoha sama could aid his cousin’s display.
To say things were winding down as the miniature that is the Emperor’s Gift caravan approached the impending ceremony would be a fallacy. As night approached the impromptu town was as loud as a bee hive with activity right up to the ceremony. It was also not lost on anyone about how little time there was for those being honored to prepare their displays. It would seem they were trying to show that the samurai were suppose to be more than just brute warriors. That they practiced and honed skills of art and the soul as well as those of war.
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I, Matsu Shànzi, was the person assigned to introduce everyone once again. The first one I brought was a mercy so Otaku Gunba sama could set the bar tonight. It can be hard to follow up someone like Donoha sama. Still I believe his performance might woo the crowd and make him a fan of several of the ladies out there. Let me tell you he did not disappoint!
First, he walks onto the stage is the most humble manner you can expect from a male member of the Unicorn. In their arms they bore those adorable lion cubs! More that one samurai did not catch themselves before a veritable wave of “AWW, so cute!” made its way through the audience. His darker skin tone against purple his white kimono and robes, very fetching. He explained, as he set the cubs down giving them each a small treat, that he would tell a story. Now he would the audience to listen, as he pulled out a small bunch of feathers tied to a string on a stick. After hearing this story they would have to decide was it all real, parts of it, or none of it.
He then began to play with the lion cubs while weaving his tale! The cubs took turns performing tricks and those tricks coincided with the parts of the story he was telling! It was Kitty Kabuki theatre and they were the stars performing each role! IT WAS SO CUTE! He moved across the stage with such grace. We even got to learn their name when he was done. The female cub was Kotta Hana or Frozen Blossom in low Rokugani. The male cub was Hinoko or Child of Fire in low Rokugani.
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As the Unicorn Shugenja gathered the lion cubs and proverbial hearts of those watching to leave the stage. One little addendum, Gunba sama cast a spell at the end of their part .. the result was the arena rotating to have lord Onnatongu shine down his best light onto the stage for the rest of everyone. Almost no one noticed the lay people that assisted the caravan moving in dark clothing spreading rocks and chunks of colored glass around the stage. As I introduced Isawa Tamaki san most eyes turned to see where they expected him to walk in from. It was then they noticed the rocks in the center of the stage float, fuse together like kintsugi art.
As the circular block landed with a gentle sound of gentle gravel shifting as it was being held together with the pawer of the earth kami. Out of the center of this round disc of conjoined rock a ripple as though it was almost water, and Isawa Tamaki san rose from the circular disc! His bow to the crowd was as gentle as the breeze. When he spoke you felt as though he was sitting next to you!
Tossing a large kakemono scroll over his right shoulder it unfurled and hung in the air! In beautiful calligraphy of High Rokugani it said:
Ash chokes the still gate—
the Queen of Hunger whispers,
we burn her silence.
It told the story of the group’s trip to Gaki-dō, the realm of the hungry dead! As he wove his hands through the air and began to tell the tale. Making sure to work in each line of the haiku. The colored glass and rocks laid out lifted and formed the characters of the tale! People watched in stunned awe at the display and oration before them. The next large kakemono scroll was tossed directly over his head and where it hung beautiful calligraphy of High Rokugani upon it stated:
Hooves drum dusk away.
A city glides on silk winds,
The star ends no soul.
Here the glass and rocks showed a giant boulder falling from the sky! It showed how Gunba sama moved an entire town OUT OF THE WAY! Only to be put back once the danger had past. A veritable gasp moved through the crowd but honor was maintained by the sea of tessen fans covering the mouths of so many in the crowd. Finally a third and final large kakemono scroll was tossed over the left shoulder and hung in the air. In a continuation of the beautiful High Rokugani calligraphy this one bore:
She purrs by moonlight—
a touch breaks fur into breath.
We bloom, claw to heart.
The swirls of colored rocks and glass helped illustrate the curse of being turned into a cat being removed by some kind of ofuda that was used by a member of the Dragon clan. People were quick to make all kinds of guesses but seeing the woman freed from the curse clad in the colored of the Crab clan made that section cheer. Isawa Tamaki san disappeared the way he entered and as the did so everything returned to the ground.
I returned to stage to introduce Kitsuki Donoha sama, and the moment those words left my lips there were thundering sounds from taiko drums. Then workers with shovels and huge woks appeared in beat with the drums! They began to clean in step with the drums and as the colored rock and glass was cleaned up and made a distinct metal cymbal sound as it was shook in harmony with the drums! Then the Dragon walked out calmly, wearing a simple light yellow kimono and dark green hakama. A wide obi of raw silks dyed differing shades greens and yellow held his hammer in the front and famous katana to left side.
The taiko drumming and makeshift cymbals quieted as he began his telling of the tail, how the kami had requested their help in restoring the kharmic cycle. Disrupted from a spirit within Gaki-dō known as the Queen of Hunger! Descriptions about entering Meidō and meeting the Fortune of Death before being granted access to the realm of the hungry dead. His story showcased how everyone else had retrieved the Karmic Key, but Donoha had to use it due to having more balance elemental energies at the time.
He pulled a plate colored in green lacquer from behind a drum. On an unspoken cue his Lion cousin joined him on stage as the Phoenix shugenja suffused Asahi sama in fire as he did in the actual battle. The dragon dancers that normally would come down the streets with their multi-person costume had covered it on black sheets and black dyed ropes made the arms attacking the two samurai. Eventually Asahi sama became the target while Donoha sama, whom had continued to orate the tale. Shoved the green plate representing the Karmic Key into the Queen of Hunger, defeating her and allowing the souls she devoured to return to the Karmic cycle!
Then Donoha sama held aloft his katana, Mittsu Tamashi 三つ魂 or Three Souls, as the dragon dancers faded off the stage. Asahi called out that the way home was this way, and ran off the stage as well. Three performers appeared dressed as ghosts to represent the souls of Hida Nagahide sama, Shiba Tsukasa sama, and Akodo Chun sama. The Dragon was distinct in his use of the higher station honorifics after their names. Then came the tale of how the Fortune of Death honored their requests to stay with the sword for all time. The black bladed katana flashed aa bright green as each perform pledge and dropped to the ground! He had announced he had an awakened nemurani!
After bowing to the three Emerald Ambassadors for the Phoenix, Crab, and then Lion. He began his last tale, about the yeti his group defeated. Kuni Shirai san was acknowledged for her defeat of one. Kenjiro san was acknowledge for holding his own against two until help could arrive to slay them. Donoha sama showed he battle with the performers against six, yes six yeti! Kami spirits were used by Tamaki to re-create the visual effects of Gunba sama’s spell he dropped on as Donoha sama mentioned it was okay to center it on him and get the six yeti than risk innocents getting hurt! It was mentioned Hanzo san had used his archery to help throw off attacks of the yeti as they surrounded Donoha sama. With every performer draped in a yeti’s actual pelt it was hard to call this tale boastful.
With his performance concluded, he faded into the background as Akodo Asahi sama took the stage. Donoha sama had joined the performers using drums, behind his cousin as a way to help him for standing in a part of his. The Lion’s voice roared in harmony with the night air! It was the sound of purest balance, the sound of the universe. You could have heard a lucky cricket with how quiet everyone had been during the song. It was as though hearing it would make your soul sing its song, and you would find there is nothing you cannot accomplish.
When it came time for Shosuro Hanzo san to take the stage the taiko drums picked up once again. His performance used no spoken words! Fireworks, smoke, magic, and vignettes of stage play with what looked like either puppets or illusions of some kind. It was beautiful and mesmerizing. There were heroes, a dragon which I think was Lord Mirumoto, but could not be certain. It was very was a unique unlike any I was likely to see outside of Scorpion lands.
Cheers from all the assembled crowds, as there was a break in the festivities. Gunba sama was crowded by those wishing more time with the cute lion cubs. Tamaki san and Shirai san share had a wuite exchange as she was being sent home to learn about the last 80 years. Hanzo san appears to have been accept by accepted by Bayushi Negi sama. Asahi sama was hanging and the Bushi since few of them noticed him quoting the Tao of Shinsei at the end of his performance. They thought it was just wisdome. Donoha sama went to hang out with the musicians & geisha performers.
