Brotherhood of Shinsei Letter - #8
It is done.
The Moon, Lord Onnotangu, has been defeated, his body shattered, his spirit condemned to death. And we, the children of Shinsei, have fulfilled the final prophecy in his ancient text. Takao’s battle was fierce, and before the purity an strength of our Brotherhood, Onnotangu had no choice but to falter. Yet, unlike others, we did not fight among ourselves for the right to face him, nor did we draw arms against one another in order to prove our superiority. In the last moments of our challenge, we stood, side by side, and gave strength to our brethren. When the Moon shattered, the sky turned red and the Sun fled from the sky.
Yet, as one, we rise.
Now Takao stands as the true Master of the Five Elements, successor to Tetsuya’s grace. Our temples still stand with glory, and we have at last shown ourselves as strong as we are wise.
Yet still ther are troubles. The Grey Crane-do not speak his name, lest his enemies hear you-rests in our halls, wounded from his battle with the Kolat lord. He calls only one samurai to his side-a girl, a mere stripling-but when she heard his commands, she leaps upon her steed to fulfill them. In his delirium, the Crane whispers of the True Tao and of the Kolat who have hidden it. I fear for his life, but our brethren do all that they can to save him. Yet I fear that if we heal his wound, he will only go once more to finish the battle that started on the day the Emperor vanished. Watch for the Kolat, my brethren. They are not our friends-but I am not convinced they are our enemies. There is more to this puzzle, and we must turn our wisdom to discerning its purpose.
And in the far south a strange star shines, as black as pitch against the scarlet sky.
We do not yet know its meaning.
Yodin