L5r - scroll 06 - The Dragon

by Ree Soesbee

  Tsuru's face turned gray and hard. The Crab stared coldly at Hitomi. "We will be keep Beiden Pass, and there is nothing you can do to dissuade us. You do not have the strength to carry on a large-scale war for long. Our troops are unending. You only feed them with your deaths. Can you afford the cost of such a war?"

  "The cost?" she shouted. "It will cost us our souls if we do not fight you and your filthy hordes. Be warned, Hida. We will drag you screaming back to your wall and feed you to the beasts on the other side. If the Crab have forgotten their duty so easily, perhaps someone else can serve in your place."

  "Hitomi-sama," Mitsu began warningly, but she ignored him.

  "The Crab have butchered too many samurai to be forgiven, Tsuru," she said. "Too many have fallen to your pride. We will no longer sit quietly for your crude insults and your threats of war. Those threats are not currency any more. Take it back, and we'll pay your men instead with red blood and Dragon steel."

  Toturi's amended, "The Dragon are correct in one thing, Tsuru. You will not continue to hold the pass with this army. We will not allow it."

  "Allow? You?" Hida Tsuru barked sharp laughter, and his men grinned broken smiles. "As if we care what you allow. This is pathetic. A broken man, and a girl barely old enough to have curves on her chest think to bar my way? You'll die when the sun rises, mark my words." Tsuru spit upon the ground at Toturi's feet. "Take your pathetic legions away, Dragon. You are not suited for command. You should be home bearing children and bowing to your husband's desires. Your failure I can understand. But this?" he pointed rudely at Toturi. "A ronin who still thinks he is a general?" Loud laughter accompanied Tsuru's speech. "I will not bow to your idiocy. Death first."

  "Then death you will have, Crab." Hitomi's blade was swift and sure. Before Tsuru could raise his own weapon, she was upon him.

  Ronin guards jumped forward from the edges of the tent to stop her strike but were too late.

  Tsuru recoiled in shock and reached for the tetsubo at his belt, but he could not stop her sudden motion.

  At the last second, one of the Hida guards at Tsuru's side moved between the arc of the strike and his master's neck. Hitomi's katana fell short, cutting into the guard's throat instead of harming the Hida lord.

  The guard's head fell to the ground. A scarlet pattern sprayed across the wall of the tent. The treaty papers were covered in blood.

  Tsuru drew his weapon. His other guard stepped forward to defend him from another Dragon assault.

  Hitomi fell into a battle stance, her katana ready to strike.

  Behind her, Daini drew his own weapon, following his daimyo's lead. Beads of sweat stood out on his pale forehead.

  Yukihera did not move, but stood as silent as the stone beneath their feet.

  Toturi's bass voice rumbled through the tent. "Stop this carnage!" Ronin guards poured in through the tent opening, surrounding them all.

  The Crab and Dragon samurai froze as the guards formed a barrier of human bodies between them.

  "So, this is your 'hospitality' Toturi," Tsuru spat. "How quickly a man without honor becomes no more than an animal."

  "Go, Tsuru. Return to your encampment. There will be no treaty," Toturi said coldly.

  "No, Toturi. No treaty, and no peace." The Hida stared menacingly at Hitomi. "And there will be war. So much that Beiden Pass will run a river of blood for years to come."

  Without putting away their weapons, the Crab left the tent, feet stomping on the hard-packed ground.

  Once they had left, Toturi whirled on the Mirumoto daimyo. Losing his facade, Toturi's true anger showed past his solemn face of command. Now there was nothing but contempt and bitterness in his eyes. "Are you mad?"

  "No more than you," she retorted angrily. "To think that Crab would ever honor a treaty, no matter how well planned. Now there will be honest war."

  "Honest... ?" Toturi's hands shook in rage, and he clenched them into fists. "Damn you, you've condemned my men—and your own—to death."

  "My men know their duty. Bushido ..."

  "To die foolishly?" He barked, "No, Daimyo, that's no one's duty."

  Hitomi stepped forward until she stood only inches from the mighty general. Her black eyes were barely at shoulder-height, but she showed no fear. With fire in her voice, Hitomi said, "Bushido demands that they serve me, and I say they war upon the Crab. Toturi, I am sworn to lend you my troops, but I am not sworn to respect you." Her scorn colored each word. "You are a ronin, Toturi. You lost your right to tell me what to do when your honor was stripped away. My troops fight beside you because they know it is their duty to obey me, and I must obey Yokuni-sama. They fight for no other reason.

  "Remember that."

  Toturi's eyes narrowed. "Hai, Daimyo-sama," he said slowly, biting back angry words.

  xxxxxxxx

  Outside the command tent, Daini and Yukihera waited during Hitomi's argument with Toturi. They listened to each word, hoping the fiery accusations would die down. They watched the retreating backs of the Crab ambassadors. Blood stained the silk of their gi. The ronin guards whispered of Hitomi's rash actions.

  Hitomi emerged, her face red and clenched. She strode past them as if they weren't there.

  "She is mad," murmured Daini.

  When Hitomi was out of earshot, Yukihera responded. "She may be, Daini. I do not know her reasons, but I know they are not ours. For ten years, Hitomi has done nothing for the Dragon except seek to further her own goals. Since Satsu died, she has been consumed by this . . . revenge that she seeks against the Crab Clan. She stood before the Shrine of Shinsei and swore that, before she died, the life of Hida Yakamo would end on her blade. These are not the commands of a daimyo; they are the bitter words of a child.

  "Daini." Yukihera's words were calm. "Something is wrong with Hitomi. Her soul is broken, and it always has been. Ten years ago, my father invited you and your sister into our home after your father's death. I have spent ten years watching Hitomi squander your heritage, Daini. Where was she, when you won the contest of niten? Where was she when you proved your worth and honored your family name? She has refused the lessons of Shinsei and the prophets, and turned her every thought to battle. She does the same today. Soon, Dragon samurai will die for her obsession." The Dragon general stood beside the youth, hand balanced on the hilt of his sword. "She is too eager, Daini. Yokuni was wrong to send her. He was wrong to send us all here. The Dragon have no place in this war."

  "He is our champion...." Daini began hesitatingly.

  "Hai, he is, and I will serve him to my death. But even Yokuni is a mortal man. He could not have known this would happen." Yukihera stared after the retreating figure of the Mirumoto daimyo. He placed his hand on Daini's shoulder in a gesture of brotherhood. Daini flinched from the touch, but Yukihera did not seem to notice. "Thank the Fortunes, Yokuni also sent you."

  "Me?"

  "Yes, Brother." Yukihera shook his head. "I only hope you have the courage to take command when Hitomi falls."

  "Falls? Hitomi will not fall."

  "You have heard the tale of how she took Yakamo's hand? She will charge the Crab lines, seeking Yakamo, and when she does, they will kill her. The Mirumoto family will turn to you for courage, for strength. It is your duty. Your sister may be consumed, but you are a beacon of honor that will drive away her madness. You must be strong, Daini." The samurai's voice was impassioned. "Only you, son of Shosan, can save the clan. You will be a hero—the savior of the Dragon Clan."

  "Rightful path ... Yukihera, you speak treason."

  He smiled. "No, Daini. To save the clan from destruction is not treason. It is bushido—to serve the clan more than yourself. You know as well as I do that these lands are not the place for us. When you lead us home, Yokuni will certainly know that you are the wise and noble samurai your father once was. All you must do is claim the title of daimyo after Hitomi has destroyed herself through her madness. Then you and Tamori can vote to bring us home again. The clan will know that you are righ
t."

  "Like my father," said Daini only half-listening. "Yes, Shosan was a good man who knew the price of duty. I would do well to be like him."

  "And you are like him. It is your destiny, Daini. Only you, the true son of Shosan, can save us."

  Daini's voice was filled with wonder and arrogance. He asked hopefully, "My destiny?"

  "Yes, Daini-sama." Yukihera afforded the youth the title typically restricted to the daimyo, and Daini's face lit with pride. "And if you do not fulfill it, we are all doomed."

  "Hitomi's path could destroy the clan," Daini nodded, nearly convinced. "But I will save it."

  "You will be daimyo, and you will command the loyalty of thousands of men. Your time is soon, if you choose to step forward and grasp it. Your time will begin, when Hitomi falls."

  "If she falls, Yukihera," Daini said, already lost in visions of banners and parades.

  "Of course, my daimyo." Yukihera bowed politely. "Of course."

  THE TIES OF BLOOD

  The dawn brought with it winds of battle, blowing through Beiden Pass and howling across stone precipices. Thick fog rolled down from the high mountains, covering the valleys in clouds and mist. The morning sun was too weak to pierce it, and it clung to the ground like a snake, twisting slowly through the pass.

  Within that fog advanced a huge army of Crab and Shadowlands monsters. They were shrouded from sight, but their feet made a low thunder against the stones. They marched out of the pass, as if they sought battle elsewhere.

  Ronin and Dragon alike were ready for them. They rushed down the foothills like an avalanche to catch the Crab near a hollow gorge. Thin columns of stone loomed across the misty hills and cut the battlefield with their dark shadows.

  It is not the pretty battlefield of Crane

  stories, thought Hitomi as she ran full out toward battle, but more the nightmare terrain of Jigoku itself.

  Hida Yakamo, commander of the Crab, had arrayed his forces with the undead in front, sacrificing mobility to provide a fearless line against the ferocious Dragons. Shadow-lands mujina, winged scouts no longer than a man's arm, swirled in the mist that eddied before the Dragon lines, shouting out the Dragons' position and movements. Archers shot arrows at the small creatures, but they dexterously avoided them, screaming wildly and looping in the air above the legion lines.

  "I have the small ones," Togashi Mitsu smiled, tightening his hands into fists even as he ran. He stared at the mujina scouts, his tattoos beginning to glow and his eyes brightening in anticipation. For a moment, he closed his eyes as if in prayer. When he opened them, the tattoos on his body writhed like dragons come to life. Smoke bellowed from the thick man's mouth. With a kiop scream, he roared fire from his lungs toward the darting creatures.

  A long, arching gout of flame burned away the fog and struck squarely. Mujina twisted within its heat. Togashi Mitsu continued the incendiary stream, burning the spies down from the sky.

  Other tattooed ise zumi ran to his aid, leaping among the scattered boulders with the surefootedness of mountain goats. As they reached each mujina, the ise zumi stepped on the creatures' necks to silence their screams. Sharp snaps echoed from beneath ise zumi feet, and the small creatures flapped limply on the ground. Soon, no more came near the Dragon armies— none dared.

  Mitsu headed off through the fog, wanting to guard the Kitsuki lines from similar spies.

  Another ise zumi sprang into the air near the Mirumoto lines. He reached the first rank of undead well before his fellows. With a chant to Shinsei, he gripped the arms of two of the undead and stomped upon the ground. From beneath his feet came a dangerous rumble.

  Trying to pull away from the ise zumi, the two undead swordsmen turned empty eyes on the tattooed monk. Before they could swing, the ground where they stood shattered, sending stone splinters up through the two undead. They exploded into pieces, torn apart by the massive stalagmites.

  At the ise zumi's silent call, more shards of stone, as high as a tall man, burst up from beneath the ground. The monk continued his dance, and the summoned stalagmites cracked, rolling down the steep hillside toward the rest of the undead. Boulders and shafts of stone formed a rockslide that swept the legion's brittle legs out from under them and crushed their armored skeletons. Soon, half the undead legion had been crushed, buried by tons of stone.

  Weary from his magic, the Dragon ise zumi bounded away. His mountain tattoo gleamed brightly on his muscular back.

  Arrows launched from the Hida lines, parting the Kitsuki and Mirumoto into two units. The Crab archers poured shafts into the center of the charging Dragon, trying to force them to retreat and regroup. It did not work; the Mirumoto continued their charge, driving through the ranks of zombies. With a thundering clash, the two armies met at last.

  Hitomi's men leapt into the fray, following their commander with a speed born of duty. They met the Hida guards, piercing the left flank of their army and driving the Crab farther down the incline. More Crab flooded the flat ground at the bottom of the hill. They lowered their pikes to deflect the rush of Dragon steel. Three men died, screaming, on the tips of those iron spears before Hitomi's unit could stop their rush. Four more fell to Crab swords as they tried to avoid the fence of iron before them.

  While her troops fought to break up the pikemen, Hitomi scanned the battlefield for Yakamo's guard. She found them easily, fighting beneath bright red banners. Yakamo led the human vanguard, and his troops slaughtered the Kitsuki that had pierced the zombie guard. Yakamo's men cut down the Dragon with glee, their shouts clear over the sounds of closer combat.

  "Damn you, Yakamo. Fight me!" Hitomi said, driving her katana through a Crab samurai's chest.

  "My lady, we should retreat," one of her men told her. "The fighting on the east has grown worse. The Kitsuki are out-manned and overwhelmed by archers. They won't last long without us."

  "Damn them!" Hitomi cursed. "You see that tall guard to the south?" Hitomi pointed through the thick mist, outlining the huge forms of ogres. "Those beasts guard the rearward flank of the army, between the lines and the archer reserves. If we can destroy that unit, we can assault their reserves," Hitomi said. "Their archers won't stand for long after that strike."

  "My lady, wouldn't it be better to head for the Kitsuki troops and guard them? The assault would be slower but preferable to the losses we will take from charging the Crab lines—"

  "Do not question me!" Hitomi screamed in rage. "Charge that line! NOW!" Sword raised, she led her men. A company of sixty formed up around her and charged.

  The ogres hunched in a clearing at the bottom of a ridge, beneath the line of pikemen. Hitomi's men ran full out toward them. The ogres were slow to rouse, but then delightedly lifted their tremendous tree trunk clubs.

  Hitomi sliced into an ogre's leg with all her might, stunned that her blade did not reach all the way through the creature's massive calf. Dark blood gushed forth, but Hitomi leapt away. A club smashed to ground just behind her, and then the ogre that wielded it.

  Another ogre dropped his tree trunk, grasped a Mirumoto samurai by his torso, and hurled him toward the Crab lines.

  The man screamed, his body landing on the sharpened iron spikes. Pierced by their blades, he twitched in agony for a few seconds, and then lay still.

  The ogre laughed at the sport, reaching to hurl more of Hitomi's men after the first. By the fistful, the Mirumoto were borne high into the air. They arched wildly as they landed on the dark and bloody pikes. The Crab cheered the ogre's game.

  Hitomi's eyes narrowed. Hatred filled her soul, and she charged two of the ogres. She leapt to plant her sword in a great, gelatinous eye.

  The wounded ogre shrieked, swinging his club to strike the samurai, but she was already gone.

  Hitomi dropped to the ground and flung herself away from the ogres, keeping the Mirumoto sword close to her chest as she rolled. She had dodged the club, but the ogre had also misjudged its strike. Hitomi saw the wounded ogre's massive club fly past her and crush h
is companion's head. Screams broke out among the ogre guards, and fighting soon followed.

  "Now!" she shouted. "Bring them down!"

  The last of her men charged once more, assaulting the tendons of the ogres' ankles and cutting the backs of their giant knees. When the last of the ogres fell, clutching at now-useless legs, the Mirumoto backed away.

  Hitomi rose, her family's sword clasped in a steel fist. Thirty more of her men were dead, and at least fifteen lay on the ground, clutching their bleeding wounds. Hitomi nodded to the survivors, noting that the ogres had fallen well inside Crab battle lines. They had penetrated deeply through the line of defense and were close to the Crab reserve.

  Fourteen men and the Mirumoto daimyo against as many as a hundred Hida samurai—their chances were not good. Looking back through heavy arrow fire, Hitomi saw the Shad-owlands troops close behind them. Only the confusing mists kept Hitomi and her band from being swarmed. It would be impossible to take the men back through the lines to safety.

  The only way to go, then, Hitomi reasoned with a feral smile, was toward the Crab generals, and attempt to remove the head of the serpent before the body had died.

  Yakamo's unit was near the archers. It was a common tactic to allow archer fire to weaken an enemy, and then send a small but elite force to mop up any resistance. Yakamo and the Crab had used it two years ago, against the Scorpion at Otosan

  Uchi; they would be using it now. The mist would hide the Dragon from Crab eyes ... until it was too late for the Hida to stop them.

  "Form a wedge behind me, and we will carve our way there," Hitomi pointed across a unit of undead toward the main Crab command group. "The Hida have lost our position, and that will be our advantage. They will not know where we are going to strike. We will crush their archer line, and keep them from murdering our reserves."

  "But, Hitomi-sama," said a shocked Mirumoto, "that will take us directly into their elite squads. We'll be destroyed. Please, is it not better to circle the lines and travel east, through the brush and slopes, and form back at the ronin camp? Toturi will be waiting for us there, and he would not approve—"