Occupation

 

by Shawn Carman

Edited by Fred Wan

 

Toshi Ranbo, year 1169, Month of the Serpent

 

The Void was an endless ocean, a vast expanse that could never be described in words that would truly express its majesty to those who could not experience it. It was fire and water, earth and air, and yet it was none of those things. It was everything and nothing. It was unique, and yet it was as common as the wind, the stones, the rain, and the sunlight. The Void was glorious. When swimming within it, the world was made clear, and one realized things that slipped away as soon as the real world returned. It was frustrating, but it was the nature of Void.

Another form swam through the Void toward him. It burned brightly, but it was not the light that he had been seeking. That one eluded him even now. The difficulty confused him. He had never had such difficulty seeking out something that should have been so clear. Understanding eluded him, but it would come in time. The other form hovered nearby, separated by some barrier in the physical world.

“You may enter, Shiba Naoya.”

The screen slid open as Shiba Ningen opened his eyes. When he had been younger, it had taken more effort to cast his spirit into the Void. Now, it was as simple as taking a breath. “Forgive my intrusion, Ningen-sama,” the samurai said softly. “I apologize if I have interrupted your meditations.”

“You are kind, but do not concern yourself with such things,” Ningen said with a smile. “My responsibilities must be fulfilled, after all. How may I help you?”

Naoya smiled and bowed again. “We have received a petition from Seppun Kiharu to speak with Lady Ochiai. Unfortunately she is scheduled in a series of meetings with the representatives of various Great Clans over the next three days. She does not wish to offend Kiharu-sama, and has instructed me to ask if you would meet with him in her stead.”

“Of course,” Ningen said, rising at once. “May I offer my congratulations on your appointment as captain of the watch. A most prestigious duty for one tasked with guarding the Imperial Palace.”

Naoya’s smile was almost a grimace. “There are many within the city who disagree, Ningen-sama, but I thank you all the same.”

“Disagree?” Ningen frowned. “Surely not among the Phoenix?”

“No, not that I am aware of, my lord,” Naoya added quickly. “There are many who object to our presence in the city, however. And others who think that our presence in the Imperial Palace is… unseemly.”

“The palace’s defenders were slain almost to a man,” Ningen said. “The Seppun graciously accepted our offer to aid in its defense. I would have thought that would be sufficient for the time being.”

“Apparently not,” Naoya said, gesturing to the corridor. “Shall we, Master?”

 

           

Isawa Ochiai smiled politely and offered a quiet thanks to the servants who brought the tea. “Would you care for a cup?” she asked her guest.

“No thank you,” Yasuki Miliko responded, inclining her head respectfully. “I fear I have never developed a taste for the blend they serve in the capitol.”

Ochiai laughed. “I remember Tatsune-sama this winter. At some point he said that tea was what they let children drink until they were old enough for sake.”

“I have no particular taste for sake,” the Crab warrior said. “The tea here is simply too bitter. I have only drank it in the past out of a sense of politeness.”

Ochiai’s smile softened. “I hope that does not mean that you have no intention of remaining courteous,” she said. “I had hoped that the Crab, of all clans, would understand what we are trying to accomplish here.”

“That remains to be seen,” Miliko said, her tone remaining completely conversational. “I will not deceive you. There are many who see the mistakes of our past in your actions. They have not responded favorably to the idea of another clan marching down the path we once walked.”

“The Phoenix have nothing but respect for the Crab, and for the impossible duty that you have fulfilled every day for a thousand years,” Ochiai said, sipping lightly at her tea. “I give you my word that there are no ulterior motives for our occupation of the Imperial City. Our presence here is intended to accomplish exactly what we claim: the ongoing protection of the city. Nothing more.”

“You can understand that it seems questionable,” Miliko said. “You arrived with an army, one with more shugenja than many clans have at their disposal even under ideal circumstances, and you quickly put a stop to two other armies with seemingly little effort.”

“I do not wish to offer insult, Miliko-san, but you are dramatically oversimplifying.” The tiny Master of Fire sat her tea cup down delicately and folded her hands into her sleeves. “When we arrived, the fighting had been going on for hours. The Lion and Unicorn were exhausted, and many wounded. We made no attempt to engage them directly, instead only separating them. If it had been our intent to defeat them, it would have been far more difficult. We were fortunate in that peace was simpler that day. Too often it is not.”

“You have no wish to harm others, or allow them to be harmed? That is your contention?”

“It is,” Ochiai nodded. “Lives would be lost no matter what course of action we took, but they would have been lost for nothing. Not to mention the irreplaceable legacies that would have been lost had this city been destroyed.”

“Then explain to me the fate of Isawa Sezaru,” Miliko said flatly.

Ochiai bowed her head and remained silent for a moment. “If I have a greater regret than what became of that tormented soul,” she said softly, “it is that in his madness he claimed so many lives, and we were unable to stop it.”

“How?” Miliko demanded. “How could you not see what was happening to him?”

“Sezaru had a history of… instability, that was established long before his oath of fealty to the Phoenix,” Ochiai said. “It simply was not discussed, both out of deference to his station, and because after his sister’s death he seemed to recover from it. He was well, and a great asset to the clan, up until the time of the Blood Hunt.”

“The Blood Hunt,” Miliko repeated. “I remember. He scoured the Empire in search of Bloodspeakers, and left nothing but scorched earth in his wake.”

“He was fearsome,” Ochiai agreed. “There was a private meeting with the Emperor, and after that, he was… changed. He became the man he had been shortly after his father’s death. Vengeful. Wrathful. The Elemental Council became concerned, and began keeping close watch on him, even going so far as to solicit the aid of his advisor, Soshi Angai.”

“His wife? His wife spied on him, for you?”

“They were not married at the time,” Ochiai said, somewhat defensively. “Still, Angai cooperated, even more so after their marriage. Some suspected she was withholding information, but there was no way to be certain. She was somewhat inscrutable, even to Ningen.”

“A Scorpion in Phoenix colors,” Miliko sneered. “They are never to be trusted.”

“Be that as it may, our concerns were relatively minor until the death of Shiba Mirabu. After that, we began to monitor Sezaru very closely indeed. It was evident that he was becoming more and more unstable. Even Angai could see it, although she was clearly reluctant to admit it to us.”

“Why did you do nothing?”

Ochiai frowned. “We did act. Ningen-sama was confronting him. We hoped that their mutual connection to the Void might allow Ningen to reach him when no one else was able to do so. Unfortunately, it was during their conversation that the wards Sezaru had placed around the Imperial Palace were first broken. He became aware of what was happening here instantly, and the horror of it shattered what little remained of his mind. Ningen was gravely wounded in the confrontation between the two, but fortunately he has already recovered almost completely.”

“So you did try to stop Sezaru,” Miliko admitted. “What of your army, then? It crossed the distance from your lands to the capital in less than a day. One might suspect that it was standing ready for such a thing.”

“The Shiba had heavily fortified the southern border once news of the Khan’s march reached our lands,” Ochiai admitted. “That made organization much swifter, but it was the kami that permitted us to travel the distance so quickly, make no mistake about that. Simply because the Khan’s forces are the first to abuse the kami in such a manner, do not make the mistake in believing that they alone are capable of such feats when the need is dire.”

Miliko placed her hands on her thighs and frowned in thought. “Very well then,” she finally said. “You have answered all my questions, and I believe you. I have one final question, however.” She leaned in closer, eyes narrowed. “How can we be certain that you are not simply biding your time before you march against the next target that needs your ‘protection?’”

Ochiai raised one eyebrow. “If conquest was our goal, why would we wait? You have seen the Fire Dragon, where it rests atop the palace. If there was any target we desired in this empire, we could take it without any difficulty. That is not our goal.”

Miliko nodded slowly. “I believe you,” she repeated. “Strange, however, that the fact offers me no comfort.”

 

           

Naoya frowned as he and the Master of the Void approached the chamber where the venerable Seppun Kiharu awaited an audience. There were voices from the chamber, and Naoya could only pray to the Fortunes that Masakazu had not stumbled across the tiny old man and decided to keep him company. Kiharu was the master of the Order of Ten Thousand Temples, one of the oldest and most influential sects of the Brotherhood of Shinsei. The idea of the brutish, uncouth yojimbo Masakazu spending any amount of time unsupervised with the priest made Naoya hope that he would at least be granted the right of seppuku rather than be executed outright for letting something so horrendous take place. As the captain of the watch swept the screen open and bowed before Ningen as he entered, he saw that it was in fact a much smaller man sitting with Kiharu. He began to relax, then realized who it was, and wondered if he were any better off than he had been when he believed it was Masakazu.

“Kiharu-sama,” Ningen said with a stiff bow. “I apologize for the delay, but Lady Ochiai is unavailable this afternoon. It is her desire that you not be kept waiting. I hope that I may be of some assistance.” He looked at the younger man sitting nearby. “I see that Master Emori has been keeping you company.”

The little priest smiled at the young Master of Earth, then turned back to Ningen and returned his bow. “Emori-sama was kind enough to wait with me, yes,” he said. “No apology is necessary, of course. I understand the enormity of what you are attempting here all too well. My family has protected the Imperial City for over a thousand years, after all.”

“We can but hope that our residency here, however brief, will experience a fraction of the success the Seppun have enjoyed,” Ningen said diplomatically. He sat opposite the priest, wincing slightly as he did so.

“Are you well, Ningen-sama?”

“I am, thank you,” Ningen told the older man. “A lingering memory of a recent conflict, I am afraid. It will pass in time, as all things do.”

“Truly,” Kiharu agreed.

“I should excuse myself,” Isawa Emori said with a smile. “I have no wish to intrude on whatever business it is that brings you, Kiharu-sama. It was a pleasure.”

“No, no,” the old man said. “By all means, stay. Perhaps you can be of assistance.”

Emori glanced quickly at Ningen, then sat back down with a gracious nod. The Master of Void smiled. “What can we assist you with today, Kiharu-sama? Whatever it is, if it is within our power we will of course do what we can.”

“Thank you,” Kiharu said. “In the weeks since the battle, I have been attempting to take stock of what damage was inflicted to the temples within the city. Several were lost, unfortunately, and many who worked among them.”

“That is truly unfortunate,” Emori said, surprising Naoya with his sincerity. “The men and women who serve the temples of this city have always struck me as noble and selfless individuals. I am sorry for the loss of your brothers, Kiharu-sama.”

“We all are,” Ningen agreed. “The Phoenix still grieve for the loss of the temples and shrines of Otosan Uchi. It was in part our desire to protect such treasures here that brought us forth to intercede in the conflict. I only regret that we were not able to arrive sooner and prevent such tragic losses. The loss of life, while reprehensible, at least offers the chance of another cycle through the Celestial Order. The loss of knowledge when a battle ravages a city is eternal.”

“Thank you,” the priest said, his voice slightly thicker. “We are rebuilding, of course, and many of our fellows from the Brotherhood have arrived to assist us, but there are those losses that cannot be easily replaced. I had hoped perhaps that you could be of assistance in that regard.”

“Of course. What did you have in mind?”

“The high temple,” Kiharu said. “It is the center of Brotherhood activity within the city, and one of the most heavily traveled throughout the Empire. Thousands make a pilgrimage to the temple each year. We are fortunate that it suffered very little damage, but one of the casualties was the high priest, and we are lacking in candidates to replace him.”

“Is it not within your right to assume those responsibilities, Kiharu-sama?” Emori asked.

The old man chuckled lightly. “Perhaps if I were a bit younger,” he said. “As it is, I do not believe I am capable of adopting that responsibility in addition to those I already possess. I believe, however, that a Phoenix might serve well in the role, and may improve the perception of your clan by others.”

Ningen smiled warmly. “We would be greatly honored.”

“Perhaps young Emori here?” Kiharu offered.

Emori laughed. “Oh no, Kiharu-sama. I do not think that would be a good match at all. I mean no disrespect, but I offer you my absolute, unquestionable assurance that I am ill-suited to such a monastic responsibility.”

“It might be difficult for any of the Masters to fulfill the duty, for the same reasons that you are unable to take them on,” Ningen said.

“Ah,” the priest said, his face falling. “Perhaps, Ningen-sama, you might know of a suitable candidate?”

The Master of the Void tapped his chin for a moment. “I do have a thought. There is a student I have seen in the temple often, an incredibly talented and insightful young woman. She is within the city, and it might suit her to have such a responsibility. There was a… an unfounded accusation levied against her in the not too distant past, and she has had difficulty overcoming the unpleasantness of it all.”

“Excellent,” Kiharu said. “May I ask her name?”

“Isawa Nomi.”

“Nomi?” Emori said.

Ningen frowned. “Yes. Your student, if I recall?”

“I have offered her a position as a student,” Emori said. “As Ningen-sama says, she is quite a talented adept of earth. She also has magnificent… attention to detail.” He smiled, but Naoya had little doubt that Emori’s reasons for offering the young woman the chance to study with an Elemental Master had anything to do with her talents as a priestess.

“That sounds most agreeable,” Kiharu said. “If you can arrange a meeting with the young woman, I am certain that she will meet or exceed any expectations I might have.”

“Thank you for this honor, Kiharu-sama,” Ningen said.

“Of course.” The old man hesitated for a moment. “May I ask you a question, before I go?”

“Certainly.”

“I respect the work that the Masters are attempting to achieve here,” Kiharu said carefully. “However, it is customary for a clan’s Champion to take the lead in such a major undertaking. Why has yours not stepped forward?”

Naoya lowered his head, and Ningen cleared his throat softly. “It is a matter of some delicacy, I fear, Kiharu-sama. We have a rather… unusual custom for the selection of our Clan Champion. You might say that it is dependant upon the spirits of our ancestors. After our last Champion’s death, they have been rather quiet on the matter.”

“I have always found the Phoenix means of succession rather questionable, if I may be honest,” Kiharu said. “Did Mirabu-sama have no family?”

“He did,” Ningen said, not looking in Naoya’s direction. “His brother has declined the opportunity to assume the Championship until such time as we can be certain that the ancestors are not going to choose a new candidate.”

“Untraditional, but I suppose one must do as he is led,” Kiharu said. “It seems as though enough time has passed, however. How long will you wait?”

“Until we know for certain,” Ningen said. “Some believe that the spirits have already spoken to a new Champion, but that he is waiting to reveal himself for some reason.”

“Whatever reason could one have for such a thing?” Kiharu asked.

“That,” Ningen replied, “is a very good question.”