THE BATTLE OF THE EMERALD SHADES
The group assembled across from the shades in the form of samurai close to them. Otaku Kai went to get o their horse and provide ranged attacks to the ones on the other side of the green, smoking crack in the ground. The landscape seem to change into a hellscape of sorts. Hoto moved to engage the one closest on this side of the crack and Eiji joined and crushed what Hoto started with their giant tetsubo (studded war club)! Donoha moved past them to second shade samurai and nearly cut it in half with Mittsu no Tamashi (Three Souls)!
In his other hand was his smithing hammer as he was attempting his first fight with the two-weapon niten style the Dragon clan is known for. His take for using the hammer was a reminder of the mentor and the student. That hammer made Mittsu Tamashi. The father and son fight as one, rather than twin swords made from the same bloom steel. His gempukku had influenced so much of his philosophy that you can honor tradition even when you forge a new path.
Eiji proved again why the Crab deserve the respect often not paid to them, he assists Hoto in killing one and then kept him alive by killing two more! As they close on the group from across the green smoking billowing chasm. All down the length of of the caravan samurai were stepping up to battle the shades. Their group was facing six, of the Eiji’s iron and wood tetsubo crush two on his own. Hoto helped with one more and Otaku Kai help with another accounting for a total of four! The Crab clan bushi cared not about politics, or how the Crane often joke at the Crab’s choices in etiquette. Eiji litterally became Hoto’s personal Kaui Kabe (the wall protecting Rokugan from the Shadowlands)!
None of this should be a slight to Doji Hoto. The man stood his ground and when wounded by the shade blade that passed through armor and burned the flesh of living things they struck! Not once did he cry out in pain, his eyes told volumes about what he endured as a samurai should. Nor did he run because he knew the Crab was his shield, his brother in arms.
Now to the two remaining shades fighting the group. Donoha had engaged one and after his first swing he brought the smithing hammer down and in a second strike he finished the creature off on his own! Matsu Shànzi witnessed all of it guarding Miu with her wakizashi drawn. She had engaged a shade that had come close to the wagons but Gru’Vi Two-Tails, the Nezumi came to their aid. The legends about their battle prowess are true and they appear to be unaffected by taint as the Crab claim them to be.
Now to the final shade in this recounting but not in chronological order goes solely to “A SINGLE ARROW” from astride her magnificent horse, Otaku Kai! She struck across the chasm and made them realize they would have to engage or just wait to die by her hand! While she wouldn’t admit it aloud, Shànzi, was impressed.
As the group turned to see about helping other groups. A giant storm of black and green clouds rolled in! It stretched across the sky from one end of Otosan Uchi to the other! Then a large head appeared withing the clouds above and began to speak, claiming to be the avatar of Lu Feng! It promised doom and destruction for the Emperor’s Gift and called the Emperor false. Now this author may be biased but the Kami is powerful and does not know how to communicate with itself or others. It’s upset over something it believes it could have won a little over a 1,000 years ago. It should direct its anger at the Kami that ate him and not the one that cut him free. Talk about misplaced aggression. Then Lu Feng gathered up the mess it had made vanished back to the Shadowlands, or whatever hell it was actually in.
Donoha tried to check on Hoto but it would appear he had made some egregious miscarriage of etiquette and Hoto snapped at him to remember his station. Donoha employed his Ichi-Maru (First Look) and figured he was as a Crane Damiyo’s offspring. Donoha did not like to stand on ceremony so close to a life or death moment and dropped the issue. Learning to work with newly found comrades means learning quirks of behavior. He asked Shànzi to tend to his wounds. They had never really talked with her lord about her Lion clan’s shugenja training. Her healing skills were minimal but she vowed to help.
Donoha decided to wait a day or two for a private conversation. He hoped lending his retainer would be an olive branch he could ply when he was not in pain. He figured he would be in good with Eiji because Shànzi had helped to protect their daughter, Miu. Much like the kintsugi or dotsugi (gold or copper joinery) working with companions was not unlike finding how to fix something and make the whole better than it was. His grandmother had been very kind in getting him posted to such an endeavor.
During her mending of Hoto’s wounds Donoha saw an amazing sight. Lion samurai were going down the line of the caravan offering healing. Two of the guards escorting shugenja were Akodo Maki and Matsu Mayumi. Both samurai-ko Donoha had helped in just weeks prior. They bowed and he returned but made sure his eyes went to the ground in a sign of respect. They made their bows a little deeper when they noticed, but said nothing and moved on since the Crane samurai was being treated.
The wagons his grand mother provided were amazing! The sponsors of this caravan would cover the care and maintenance of anything brought to help aid the caravan. Some samurai were being assigned to carriages. While Donoha had two green lacquered and gold-leafed trimmed enclosed carriages that slept four people each, and room for supplies inside and on top! He noticed Eiji going into weapon and gear care practices and decided that would be wise as well. Hoto wandered off and within a quarter of the Hour of the Hida (Boar / 10PM-Midnight; so roughly 30 minutes) starting word was brought to Shànzi and the other of a party being organized by Doji Hoto at a wagon that was bringing geisha!
Donoha figured that by showing up hopefully no hard feelings would set in. Shànzi done her best and Donoha donned his gift from Tozawa sama. To say this caravan was massive was an understatement. Almost a thousand and twenty three carriages and wagons made up the great train of the Emperor’s gift. It was a moving city in many ways, and either brilliant or a huge disaster in the making if Lu Feng had anything to do about it. Donoha decided he would stop it if the kami tried, so in his finest kimono, Shànzi and he headed to the party.
