Oiku, Lion Lands

The barracks at Oiku were a far cry from the comfortable quarters that Ikoma Masote enjoyed at his home near Kyuden Ikoma. He was a historian and an omoidasu, not a soldier, and the stark barracks were not something to which he had become accustomed. Still, he was a Lion, and it was his duty to bolster the morale of the soldiers who served here. Ever since Toshi Ranbo had become the Imperial City and the threat of war with the Crane had been removed, the troops here had begun to suffer from low morale and poor performance. If it were a Matsu fortification, they would doubtless have been punished until their performance returned to its previous levels. Because they were Akodo, their commanders wished to remind them of their duty, their role, and their sacred purpose, to inspire them by example. And so Masote had been ordered here. Rather than remain apart from his fellow Lion, he had taken a bed among the soldier’s barracks.

The smell of smoke awakened Masote in the early morning. He sat up on his mat, the flimsy, folding screens that separated him from the others obscuring any detail. He reflexively reached out and clutched his shakuhachi, then rose and stepped past the screens.

There was a fire blocking both exists from the barracks. The smoke was so thick he could not see many of those who lay on their mats nearby. Why he had awakened and they had not, he was not certain. In the distance, he could hear faint shouts from outside the building. Something was amiss in the streets.

Trouble in the village, and fire blocking both exits. This was no accident.

“Akodo!” Masote shouted, running from mat to mat. “Your duty calls you!”

The soldiers began to stir, but they were sluggish from the smoke. Many were coughing, and seemed to struggle to rise. Masote glanced around, desperate for an answer. The flames were flickering around the sidewalls. They were likely weakened. Masote grabbed the screen that surrounded his mat and held it before him like a shield. He screamed a battle cry and ran full force at the wall.

The smoldering wood splintered and gave way under Masote’s weight, sending him sprawling into the courtyard. Smoke billowed out of the hole, and Lion soldiers began trickling out, gripping their weapons and coughing fiercely.

Other buildings in the village were aflame, just like the barracks. Masote could see doors to many buildings had been barricaded from the outside before they were set aflame. The watchtowers were in ruins, and looked as if they had been blasted with some sort of siege engine, although to Masote’s eye they looked as if they had been attacked with magic. The bodies of Lion sentries were scattered across the courtyard, cut down at their posts. The outpost was in chaos.

Masote turned back to the troops and shouted a rallying cry. The men were gathering, preparing their weapons, but he could tell from their stance that the smoke had affected them, and badly. They needed treatment, but there was no time. In their condition, would they even be able to stop this attack? He didn’t think they would.

From the horizon, in the direction of Toshi Ranbo, a distant wailing noise could be heard. Masote’s blood froze when he heard it. He had heard it months ago, on the plains of battle near Kaeru Toshi. It was a Unicorn hunting horn. “The Khan’s men are upon us!” he shouted. “We may die today, but we will make the Unicorn pay for their insult!”

Finally, he saw the light of battle kindling in the men’s eyes. The thought of punishing the Unicorn breathed new life into their ailing lungs, and they quickly took up positions. One stepped forward, his expression changing to a mix of disgust and anger. “Look!” he said, pointing toward the village’s edge. There was a cascade of black and green energy rising from multiple sources, reaching out toward the approaching cavalry. “Maho!”

Masote stood, dumbfounded, as he watched the spectacle unfold. The blood magic struck the front rank of advancing cavalry, and a dozen men fell, twisted and ruined by the foul energy. The cavalry did not falter even a step. A murderous battle cry rose up from the Unicorn’s ranks. Masote could make out three banners: the Imperial Legion, the Khan’s, and the Shogun’s.

“They are here to aid us,” Masote said in a quiet voice. He turned to the men. “They have come to help.” He looked from one man to the next. “Will we let them die for us while we stand here and do nothing?”

The sound of steel being drawn was all the answer Masote needed. The Lion shouted and charged across the village.