The Topaz Championship

 

by Rusty Priske

Edited by Fred Wan

 

 

 

The young man who would be Mirumoto Kalen scanned the field, waiting for his name to be called. It did not matter than his name was still Ichi, because in his mind he was already Kalen. That was his maternal great-grandfather’s name and Ichi would be proud to bear it, once he had finished his gempukku and was named Topaz Champion.

There was no doubt in his mind that he would win the honor. It was not because he was clearly superior to the other candidates, but simply that he had no room for doubt. He knew that he would prevail because there was no reason to picture anything other than victory.

“Do you know who you will be dueling?” Nichio had been Ichi’s friend for as long as he could remember.

“Does it matter?’

Nichio smiled. “I suppose not. There are just some styles that I think I am better suited for.”

Ichi shook his head in mock disgust. “And that is why you will lose. The enemy doesn’t matter. They will all fall to my Niten style.”

“It isn’t like whatever style we will face here will be the same as those we face once we complete our gempukku. I don’t think the Destroyers or the Army of Fire will handle a katana like a Kakita or a Hida.”

The two friends looked at each other and then laughed as they said at the same time, “Well, maybe a Hida.”

They laughed for a few moments before Nichio said, “Have you noticed how serious they all are?”

“Who?”

“Everyone who isn’t competing here – the judges, the Imperials, the courtiers who observe. It seems that the only people who are actually enjoying the competition are those of us who are in it. Doesn’t that seem a little backwards to you? We are the ones who have something at stake, yet we seem more at ease than those who are just watching. Why is that?”

Ichi smirked and appeared to be about to make a comment but before he could, a voice called out across the field announcing the next match. “That’s me! Let them be dour and morose! I will give them something to celebrate!”

 

•

 

Ichi almost laughed as the Seppun gave instructions to both combatants. It wasn’t that the Imperial said anything humorous, but after Nichio’s last comments, the official’s grim face seemed overwrought to the happy young Dragon.

When the Seppun moved away, but before the combatants had taken up their positions, Ichi muttered to the Lion he was to face, “Some fun, yes?”

The Akodo’s eyebrow shot up. “Fun? I suppose. One last series of tests before the real work starts. With no disrespect to you, Dragon, I would rather my sword taste Destroyer flesh than make token passes at a fellow soldier.”

“Token passes?”

“This is hardly true combat. We both have more important duties ahead than injuring each other for show.”

Ichi adopted a serious expression. “Your wisdom can barely be contained by this tournament field, my friend. One would almost think you were practicing for the oratory part of the competition tomorrow.”

The Akodo adopted a stern look, but there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth that spoke worlds to Ichi. “Shall we continue?”

Ichi nodded. “May I also wish you good fortune in the rest of the competition? I am sure you will be able to recover from this defeat without losing too much face.”

 

•

 

Mirumoto Ichi, soon to be Mirumoto Kalen, examined his wakizashi for any nicks or other marks. He would not need his swords for the remaining portion of the competition, but a samurai needed to always be ready to draw his steel in defense of the Empire.

He was certain that this attitude would be enough to get him through the final segment of the competition, through his gempukku and the Topaz Championship. Then it was just a matter of choosing a posting.

“How many times have you checked your blades since you last used them?”

Ichi’s head snapped up at the unexpected voice and when he saw who it was, the rest of him snapped to attention as well. “Tamori-sama. I did not hear you enter.”

Tamori Wotan waved away Ichi’s formality. “You didn’t answer my question.”

The prospective samurai looked down at his blade and back to the grizzled shugenja. “Uh, six, I think.”

One end of Wotan’s mouth turned up in a half-smile. He rubbed his grizzled chin. “Then you are done with it. Put it away.”

Ichi nodded and quickly returned the blade to its saya.

“You did well today.”

Ichi bowed. “Thank you, Wotan-sama. It was my honor to share the training of the Dragon with the rest of the Empire.”

Wotan snorted. “If you say so. I don’t know if your opponents considered it sharing or not. Such things usually seem a lot more egalitarian from the point of view of the winner.”

Ichi nodded again. “As you say, Wotan-sama. I suppose I would understand the point better if I had lost, but I am afraid that is a particular lesson that I will have to put off.”

The older man laughed. “You are cocky, aren’t you? You have the world on a string, right? Everything opens for you like a lotus flower and after that it is just a matter of time. What is your plan? Topaz Championship tomorrow, Emerald Championship the next day?”

Ichi shrugged confidently. “Maybe not the next day. I have a war to fight first.”

“You have more to do than that. You have some skill at iaijutsu, pup, but that one skill alone does not make you the Topaz Champion. I saw the results of your other competitions and you should not be so certain. You did well enough in the martial events, but your other skills are seriously lacking. I heard the poem you recited and it was terrible! ‘The snow falls lightly…’ Could you come up with a bigger cliché?”

Ichi frowned. “Poetry is not my strongest suit, but…”

Wotan interrupted him. “That is an understatement. What about etiquette? You stumbled through like a Crab! Do you think they give the Topaz Championship to anybody who can swing a blade?”

The young man stayed silent.

“That is the smartest thing you have said all night. Have you ever heard of Horiuchi Wakiza? The title does not always go to the best duelist. Now, if you want to win this, you have one chance left. You are in a small group who could likely win at this point. There is a Lion who will be chosen if someone doesn’t step up and seize the opportunity tomorrow. Are you ready to do that?”

Ichi looked at Wotan and then nodded curtly.

“I thought not. You have serious work to do tonight, pup. Enough of that for now.” Wotan pulled a small sake bottle from within the folds of his cloak and took a long drink. “Let us assume that you have what it takes tomorrow and they actually award you the Topaz armor. That comes with certain benefits. What posting are you going to request?”

The confidence returned to Ichi’s face as he got a question he was more than ready to answer. “The front lines. I want to fight with my fellow Dragon against the Army of Dark Fire. I want to defend Rokugan and claim the glory that comes with it.”

Wotan’s face turned grimmer. “Then you are a fool.”

“Fool? To wish to defend the Empire?”

“No. We all want to defend Rokugan. You are a fool if you desire to charge into battle in order to gain glory. You should leave that to the Lion. Maybe he wants to become a Deathseeker and you could help him out. Failure never even crosses your mind, does it?”

Ichi’s brow furrowed quizzically. “Failure? Dwelling on failure becomes self-fulfilling. Besides, no matter how they have been ensorcelled, they are still just Yobanjin. They are no match for Dragon steel.”

Wotan rubbed his cheek absent-mindedly. “You are doubly a fool, then. Treat your enemy like nothing more than a nuisance and he will be your death. Or worse. Then to ignore the threat of the Dark Oracle of Fire on top of that? Maybe I was too hasty in calling you a fool. Even a fool does not charge to his own death.”

Ichi’s brows knit in anger. “With all respect, Tamori-sama, I am no fool. I am just not afraid to face war. To answer any other way is to be a coward. Should I hide away and ask for an imperial posting far from enemy lines? Should I be worried about what could happen if I…” He trailed off.

Wotan’s eyes flashed. “If what?” His voice raised enough that it startled Ichi. “IF WHAT? Were you going to ask what would happen if you were captured? Do you know what the Yobanjin do to prisoners, you young idiot? Well I do! If I were to tell you, it would give you nightmares and send you running back to your mother.” Wotan paused for a moment and his voice lowered. “Did you notice how nobody seems happy about the ceremony this year? Hmmm?”

Ichi nodded.

“That is because anyone who isn’t young and stupid realizes that what they are watching isn’t a competition at all. It is a staging area. Each of you is going to go straight out to face horrors beyond your imagining, and each and every one of you is likely to die in horrible ways. The best you can hope for is to slow down the enemy while more competent, experienced samurai and shugenja figure out some way to actually stop them. Congratulations on your gempukku! Now it is time to die!”

The young man stared at the veteran shugenja. “Then it seems that I do not fear the same things you fear. Do not try to imprint your fear on me.”

Wotan stared back, without comment for a moment, before he tipped his head slightly to the right. “You think I am afraid?” A slight flick of the wrist from Wotan and large hand made of earth and stone erupted from the ground and crashed into Ichi. It enveloped the young man’s body and slammed him to the ground, where it kept him pinned as the shugenja stood over him. “I am not afraid. I was pulled away from the front in order to accompany all the Dragon who pass their gempukku directly back to the fire. Do you understand? I am to deliver you to the enemy. Every one of you will be coming with me, unless one of you wins the Topaz Championship and requests a different posting.”

Ichi struggled against his earthly bonds as he gasped out, “So you think I should try to avoid my duties?”

Wotan sighed and released his hold on the earth spirits. The hand crumbled back to earth, freeing Ichi. “That is not what I am saying. Duty is duty. What I am saying is that there is no need to run headlong into death like it is the only way for you to serve your Empress.”

“Yet you fight. Could you not ask for a different posting?”

Wotan thought for a moment. “It is different for me. I do not think there is another way for me to serve. Every time I watch a stone crash into the head of a Yobanjin, I… well. You are not me. You still have choices. That is, if you do well tomorrow.

 

•

 

Mirumoto Kalen stood in front of Otomo Taneji. He had dreamed of the moment when he would officially take that name for so long, but now he only thought back to Mirumoto Ichi, and how things had been so much simpler in his world.

“I have to say that I was very impressed by your responses during today’s challenge,” Taneji said.

Kalen bowed. “Thank you Otomo-sama.”

“We see much bravado here, but you were able to temper it with true understanding. The empire is better served by warriors who understand what their lives are truly worth and what their value is to the empire.” Kalen bowed again and Taneji as continued, his voice rose to ensure that all around could hear him. “It is with great pleasure that I announce this year’s Topaz Champion, Mirumoto Kalen.”

Taneji waited for the applause to die down before continuing. “The Topaz Champion has been traditionally offered the option of choosing his first posting. Where would you like to serve?”

Kalen bowed for a third time. “With all respect, Otomo-sama, I decline the offer.”

A murmur of surprise and confusion ran through the crowd and there was some measure of shock on Taneji’s face as he said, “You are declining the Topaz Championship?”

Kalen shook his head. “No, Otomo-sama. I accept the mantle and serve with pride. I am just declining the opportunity to choose my own posting. I have come to believe that war is something that should neither be embraced nor avoided. I will do whatever duty Mirumoto Kei deems important. I do not assume to know better than my champion or daimyo where my swords are needed.”

 

•

 

“So, Topaz Champion?” Nichio, now known as Mirumoto Sansu, fell in beside Kalen as they marched.

“Did you ever doubt?” Kalen flashed a grin.

“I didn’t even need to win to get the same posting as you. It looks like we will be fighting in the same unit.”

Kalen looked ahead to where Tamori Wotan walked along side the column. “Yes, I suppose it does.”