Fight For Tomorrow, Part VI
Sezaru knew where his sister would be long before he ever saw her. As an ishiken - a master of Void magic - he had an uncanny sense of other people. His sister was easier to read than most. Tsudao stood out like a beacon wherever she was, her light igniting the souls of others and encouraging them to grow more brightly as well. But to say she was easy to read did not imply she was easy to understand. There was a sadness, a distance to his sister that few ever saw. It was a feeling that Sezaru could empathize with, as he knew his brothers could.
In all the Empire, there were none quite like the Four Winds. There were none so powerful, none so influential, and none so alone.
Sezaru quietly picked his way through the grove. The many soldiers who guarded the outer perimeter took no notice of the Wolf, for he did not wish to be noticed. He paused just behind his sister, where she knelt before a modest shrine. She wore a simple gold kimono, her hair tied back in a long braid over one shoulder. Her head was bowed, and she did not move at his approach.
“Hello, Sezaru,” Tsudao said softly. “I knew you would be the first to arrive. Mother wishes to see you.”
“I cannot see her yet,” Sezaru said, kneeling quietly beside his sister. “I always felt that father should have a finer resting place,” he said, looking down at the small shrine. It was nothing more than a pile of white stones, marked by a black enameled helmet.
“This was his wish,” Tsudao replied with a small smile.
“Typical of him,” Sezaru chuckled. “He was the greatest Emperor our land has ever known, and his grave is hardly any better than that of a wandering ronin.”
“Except for the honor guard of forty Seppun,” Tsudao replied.
“You know what I mean, sister,” Tsudao said. “Father was a great man… he should have a great monument to his memory.”
“He does,” Tsudao said, looking up at Sezaru. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Father’s monument is the Empire.”
Sezaru looked at his sister for a long time. A slow, rare smile spread across his weathered features. “And everyone tells me that I am supposed to be the wise one.”
“And you are,” Tsudao said, laying her hand on her brother’s. “You proved it by coming here to help.”
Sezaru nodded, expression thoughtful. “Let us pray that our brothers are also so wise.”