By Rusty Priske
Editing and Development by Fred Wan
“There are rumors, Hideki-sama, that the war goes badly for us.”
Asahina Hideki looked at the young woman who walked beside him. “Rumors are rumors, Yosi-san. Ah, let us stop here and wonder at this.” A huge tapestry mounted on the wall of the passageway caught Hideki’s attention. It portrayed a grove of trees overlooking a rushing river. Above the grove showed the night sky, with the stars laid out in a precise pattern.
“This was woven a relatively short time ago, in 1153. It was a gift to Asahina Tamako from the great artisan Asahina Hana. Notice the stars – they are woven precisely as they would have appeared on the night that Tamako became daimyo of the Asahina.”
Yosi looked closely at the tapestry. “The weaving is extraordinary. Hana seems to have used a technique that I am not familiar with.”
“Few are. Come.” Hideki continued down the passageway.
Yosi followed but said, “Are you not concerned about the rumors, Hideki-sama? What if the Crab were to come here?”
The older man laughed a little. “First, young Yosi, never underestimate the strength of the Crane. The Crab may win battles here and there, but they will not defeat the armies of the Crane. There is more to military might than brute force, or so I am told. Shinden Asahina has no strategic value, and our kinsmen shall see to it that the armies of the Crab have other concerns. We pose no threat and the service we provide is too great. Where would Rokugan be without the artistry and craftsmanship of the Asahina?”
Hideki lapsed into silence as he stepped through a doorway and beheld a beautiful statuette. Yosi followed and gasped. “Even after seeing so many marvels, this piece is exquisite.”
Her guide nodded as he looked at the piece. It was four feet high and carved from a single piece of green stone. It depicted three men, each standing slightly in front of the other in a diagonal line. The first one held a small flower. The second held one hand in front of its eyes. The third was less detailed, more a shape than a depiction of a man. “It is known as The Council.”
“Was it unfinished or is there a message in the carving that I do not see?” Yosi asked.
“It was finished and many scholars have questioned the meaning of the carving. You see, this was carved by Asahina Kamatari. Do you recognize the name?”
“Of course.” Yosi responded quickly. “He was the daimyo of our family in the fifth century. This carving is then hundreds of years old.”
Hideki nodded. “It is. Kamatari carved this as gift for Empress Hantei Retsuhime. It stayed in the possession of the Imperial line for some time after that until Hantei XVII gave it back to our family. It has been displayed here in the Temple of the Morning Sun ever since. What else can you tell me about Kamatari?”
“He was seen as a prophet. He predicted many important events in the history of Rokugan.”
Hideki nodded again. “So you should be able to see why many scholars have wondered about the meaning of this piece. A great artisan does not do things by accident. Regardless, it is not prophecy that makes this piece valuable. It is an elegantly carved piece that elevates us merely by existing. Our art defines us. It tells us who we are in a way that even the great histories of the empire cannot.”
Kaiu Hisayuki put his hands against the rampart and leaned out, trying to peer into the darkness. “Nothing.”
Hida Hiyao smirked. “You should be happy, Hisayuki. Would you rather we faced an onslaught of oni?”
“It would be better than this.”
“A brave samurai does not shy away from battle, but that doesn’t mean he hopes it comes to him. The Shadowlands are quiet. We should be grateful.”
“Unless it is just a precursor to a greater attack.”
Hiyao shook his head. “The Jade Champion is a Crab again. The darkness is scared.” He laughed. “Would you want to face Kuni Daigo?”
Hisayuki shrugged. “It is not the quiet of the Shadowlands that makes me anxious. It is sitting here doing nothing while our armies march on the Crane. I want to be in the Yasuki lands, fighting for the honor of the Crab.”
“Protecting the Wall is our duty.”
“Protecting it from what? I am not saying that the Wall should remain unprotected. We could leave it with the Moshibaru while we go and face the Crane. It would not take long. If the full force of the Crab turned towards the Crane, we would take the Yasuki lands back within a week and the entire Crane lands within a month. Then we could come back to the Wall to resume watching nothing.”
Hiyao chuckled. “Your confidence in our might is admirable, Hisayuki, if not so practical. While I have no doubt that we will be victorious, I think you underestimate our enemy. That is never a good idea.”
Hisayuki scoffed. “If it were the Lion or the Unicorn, maybe they could hold out longer, before succumbing, but none of the other clans could come close to standing against the Crab. If it weren’t for our duty here…” he trailed off.
“If it weren’t for our duty here, we wouldn’t be the Crab.”
Hisayuki looked at Hiyao for a moment before sighing. “Of course, you are right. Forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive. You want to fight beside your brothers. Who could criticize that? But that order will not be given, and we both know that. Lord Kuon will not trade the Wall for the Yasuki.”
“It is time to move.”
Kuon stared levelly at the painted man making demands of him. “You choose a poor time, Daigo-san.”
The Jade Champion looked back at the Crab Champion, never wavering. “I swore that I would take the fight into the Shadowlands. We have remained defensive for far too long. Until we destroy our enemy utterly, and eliminate their ability to rebuild, we will face an unending threat.”
“I understand what you are saying, but I will not sacrifice the Crab for your quest. I will not leave the Wall undefended and I will not leave the Yasuki to the Crane. I cannot face a third front.”
“I am not asking you for the Crab to march, Lord Kuon. I understand your needs. I have my own legions. The Jade Legion will march against the Shadowlands at my back.”
Kuon’s brow furrowed. “You would be risking much. You have but a single legion. Rokugan needs stability and losing another Jade Champion would not help that.”
“We will not lose, if we are properly equipped.”
Kuon grimaced. “You mean if you have enough jade.”
Daigo said nothing.
“I will not empty my jade stores for a lost cause. The needs of my samurai on the Wall outweigh your desires.”
“They do not. I am the Jade Champion.”
Kuon straightened his back and towered over Daigo. “You are also a Crab, Kuni. You forget yourself.”
Daigo bowed. “Of course, Lord Kuon. It would be very unfortunate if my duties as Jade Champion conflicted with my duties as a Crab. This is not a decision I would care to make, but I am afraid I know what I would have to do. My oath to the throne would-”
Kuon cut him off. “Your oath to the empty throne.”
“That does not make it any less binding. I am very sorry, Lord Kuon. I do not want to be in this position. I believe that a well-equipped and organized attack could finish the Oni Lords and end their threat against Rokugan. I do not wish to be forced to expropriate jade stores, but I have a duty to the empire.”
Anger flashed behind Kuon’s eyes. “A path, once walked upon, cannot be erased. The goals of the Jade Champion and the Crab cannot be at odds. We both serve the same purpose. You must see that what you ask is a mistake. You cannot turn away from being a Crab. You…” His voice faded away as an idea passed across his face.
“Lord Kuon?”
“As Jade Champion you have the right to expropriate what you need to defend the Empire.”
“That is what I have been saying, Lord Kuon.”
“Then let me show you where to get what you need.”
Hida Sozen marched through the corridor, with three Jade Legionnaires at his back. Two Asahina scrambled behind him. “This will not do! You have no right to come in here!”
“I have every right! Now stay out of my way!”
Sozen burst into a larger chamber where Asahina Hideki was finishing a lesson with his charge, Yosi. “What is this?” Hideki demanded.
The large Crab brandished a scroll, complete with official seal. “I am here with permission of Kuni Daigo, the Jade Champion. I have volunteered my services to ensure that the Empire is properly protected.” There was neither mirth nor anger in Sozen’s voice.
Hideki turned to one of the Asahina trailing Sozen’s contingent. “Find Keitaro-sama, right away.” As his orders were being followed, Hideki turned his attention back to Sozen. “What is your purpose here? You are no legionnaire and our clans are at war. You have no business in the Temple of the Morning Sun.”
“I may be Crab, but it is Kuni Daigo that gave me my charge. It is war that brings me here, but not war between the Crab and Crane. Rather it is war between light and dark. It is war between Rokugan and the Shadowlands. The Jade Legionnaires will march and do their duty and all the true sons and daughters of Rokugan will do their part to support them. They will do so willingly or not.”
“Your words do not reflect your purpose. The Asahina are not involved in any war, and will not be marching anywhere. Why do you come here?”
“It is because you do not contribute that I am here. Any expedition into the Shadowlands requires large amounts of jade to protect our samurai from becoming what they fight. Most jade stores in Rokugan are needed for the protection of the Empire. I have been ordered to claim whatever jade is expendable and bring it to the Jade Champion.”
Hideki looked confused. “Then I am afraid you under a misapprehension. We do not keep jade stores here. We are far from the Shadowlands. We do not need to protect ourselves with jade.”
“Exactly.”
“I do not understand. What, then do you want from us? We have no jade stores.”
Sozen stared at Hideki. “You have no jade? I have seen no less than ten pieces of jade since I arrived at Shinden Asahina.”
Shock crossed Hideki’s face. “You cannot mean the artworks that are kept here? These are not weapons or keepsakes! They must be preserved!”
“I have to question your priorities, Asahina. Do you think art is more important than the Empire?”
“This IS the Empire! This is all we are! You cannot take this from us!”
Sozen’s face hardened, if that was at all possible. “The safety of Rokugan is paramount. The Jade Champion is responsible for that safety. He will do whatever it takes to maintain it. How can you compare that charge with the protection of some trinkets? It is time for Rokugan to show its strength and take the fight to Daigotsu and his minions. We will win and we will grow even stronger. Rokugan is steel and muscle and concerns over art are trivial.”
Hideki’s face grew red. “You talk of protecting Rokugan, yet you do not even know what Rokugan is! If you go forth and kill every goblin and oni there is across the face of the world, and then return to a land that has been stripped of its beauty and joy, have you won? If there is no art, not beauty, no culture, no grace, is it still Rokugan? The Crab have sacrificed much for the empire, but they do not even begin to appreciate what they have lost. You stay on your Wall, serving and protecting, with no idea what it is that you protect. Your obsession has left you without eyes to see. Rokugan is not steel and muscle. Rokugan’s art and culture is the substance of the empire. It is what makes us different than those outside out borders. Without art, why would we continue? What is left of Rokugan that is worth protecting?”
“Pretty words, Crane, but they are just words. A poem will not slay an oni, but one of your trinkets might help a samurai do just that. Your vision of Rokugan is weak. My vision is one of strength. Let us see which can hold the throne.” Sozen scanned the room and his eyes fell on The Council, the statuette that Hideki had recently been discussing with Yosi. “This could protect six men.”
“It could also unlock our history for generations to come.” Hideki scowled. “But even if without that, it still has value beyond measure. That you cannot understand that makes my head spin.”
Sozen scowled back at Hideki. “It is in its artistry that you see value in this? Then let me take care of that.” Sozen slipped his tetsubo from its place on his belt and without pausing swung it at the piece.
“NO!” Hideki threw himself at The Council while Yosi tried to grab Sozen. One of Sozen’s legionnaires easily knocked the younger Asahina to the ground while Hideki was not quick enough to retrieve the artwork. The tetsubo smashed through the statue like it was glass. The jade shattered into many pieces, which rained down on the floor of the chamber. There was a moment of silence as the weight of what had just occurred settled on all present.
Hideki looked at the pieces of the statue, lying scattered around his feet. His face was twisted in shock and his mouth hung open in a silent scream. Finally he turned on Sozen and with a guttural yell, launched himself at him. The large Crab grabbed the smaller man and threw him to the ground.
“You WILL follow the mandate of the Jade Champion!” Sozen turned to the legionnaires and told them to gather the broken jade. “And then take any other jade pieces that you can carry. Kuni Daigo has need of it.”
Hideki sat on the floor of the chamber, tears running freely down his cheeks. “You are an animal!” he yelled at Sozen. “An animal! You and any who would order this! You disregard history and tradition with the elegance of an ogre! You claim to fight for Rokugan, but you do not even know what Rokugan is! You may as well tear down the Wall as you make us no better than those on the other side.” Hideki’s pain as he watched the pieces of the statue swept up like so much refuse was hidden by his anger.
Yosi wore no such mask and wept quietly.