No Rest

By Brian Yoon

Edited by Fred Wan

It had been already been weeks since the retreat, but Horiuchi Nobane could remember every moment as if he were still on that hellish march. The Rokugani forces fled the ruins of Shiro Kuni, leaving its burning remains behind them. The retreat proved painfully slow. Those warriors who trailed behind as the rear guard struggled to catch up to the rest of the rest of the procession while the demons hungrily chased them down. For thirty terse minutes, it seemed like the rear guard would perish under the weight of the following Destroyer forces. Crab warriors died by the dozens as they fought to keep the enemy off of them. Nobane and his Unicorn forces met the dire situation and saved them by striking the demons from behind.

The intervention did not curtail the battle, however. It had been a very close matter, as the faster demons following the Unicorn forces caught up to the slower retreat. The ensuing battle nearly started the whole process again, as the main body of the Destroyer army pursued the skirmishing forces. It had been the worst fight of his life, and Nobane had the sinking suspicion that the situation would repeat itself over and over during the course of the war.

He stared at the remnants of the Unicorn, Crab, and Phoenix coalition that had been stationed at the Kuni fortress. The siege and the following withdrawal had taken their toll on their numbers, and the remaining warriors were wounded and hardly in shape to fight any longer. Their current home in the Crane provinces was a nice respite from their experiences of the last several months, but Nobane wondered if the momentary peace would be enough for the rank and file. They had fought courageously without complaint, and he knew they would continue to do so as long as he asked them to charge into battle. Still, he knew that even warriors had their limits, and they had been at the edge of danger for far too long.

A gentle snort brought him back to the situation, and he looked at the warhorse in his hands. He patted Lobai’s neck and guided him back toward the stables. The Utaku stable master bowed slightly to the commander, but his concerned eyes remained fixed on the warhorse.

“How does he look, Danno-san?” Nobane asked.

Even while answering, the stable master’s eyes never left the beast’s form. “You’ve ridden him hard, past his limits,” he answered. Nobane could hear the note of disapproval in his voice. “He will recover if he is given time to rest, but pushing him further would injure him permanently.”

Nobane frowned. “I knew that I was asking a lot of Lobai, but the circumstances–”

Danno interrupted Nobane with a curt shake of his head. “Perhaps I was not being clear. You rode him to within an inch of his life. He will not be able to carry a rider in battle without at least two weeks of rest. Your actions were irresponsible and dangerous, Nobane-sama.”

Nobane bowed. “I see. I leave him in your capable hands. Please take good care of him.”

“I take good care of all the steeds, regardless of the rider’s rank,” Danno said absent-mindedly. He walked away from Nobane without further word and the commander could hear the man murmuring into Lobai’s ear. Nobane smiled and turned around. Hida Demopen was standing behind him and he did not know how long he had been waiting there.

“Nobane-sama,” the Crab said, “we are gathering at the palace, now. We must decide our next move, and your thoughts on the matter would be most welcome.” Demopen grimaced as he gestured to the Crane estates behind him. Nobane looked up at the building; the sunlight gleamed off its beautiful walls on the top of the hill. The effect was picturesque.

“Of course,” Nobane said. The pair walked up the hill together, passing many Crane sentries and Phoenix spearmen guarding the path. Demopen was silent all along the way. Nobane barely knew the man, and he could not tell if Demopen was simply a quiet man or if the silence was personal.

“Did you know him well?” Nobane asked.

Demopen nodded. “I was barely past my gempukku when he joined our Clan,” he said. “I was good friends with many of his students. I never trained with the man officially, but I attended his sessions and helped out whenever I could. He was a good man.”

“He was a good man,” Nobane echoed, “and his actions might have saved centuries of knowledge from being lost forever. He will be missed.”

“Otoya-sama served the Clan unto his death,” Demopen replied, “and he will be remembered as a hero. No Crab could ever ask for more than that.”

* * * * *
The conversation flowed around the room unbidden as she turned and received the messenger’s reports. She unfurled the scroll and quickly glanced through its contents. As she realized what the scroll said, her eyes widened and she read the note thoroughly. Her face paled as she realized its import.

“There is a problem,” Matsu Fumiyo said loudly, over the third legion commander’s ramblings about his troops’ morale.

The commanders continued their conversation without a second regard for her interruption. Ikoma Hagio raised his hand palm out, and immediately all talk ceased.

“What do you mean, Fumiyo-chan?” the daimyo asked. All eyes turned to the young Matsu.

“I placed Matsu Youko at the rear guard to watch our supply train,” Fumiyo said. “We are a slow moving army, yet our supply wagons move slower still. I did not expect much resistance, considering the Army of Fire is far north of our current position, but”

Hagio frowned. “The supply wagons are besieged by the enemy,” he stated.

“How?” the Akodo commander demanded. “The Dragon and Phoenix allies have the northern situation contained. We would have heard if they had broken through the lines in enough forces to pressure Lion warriors.”

“It appears to be the plague,” Fumiyo said grimly. Silence filled the room as the words sunk in. The chaos of the Rain of Blood was well remembered, and the commanders would not relish its return.

“The plague has raged unchecked for months,” Hagio said. “I read the reports before I left Kyuden Ikoma. We’ve burned what remains we found, but thousands of victims are missing. If the plague is reanimating all of them, we will have a serious military problem on our hands.”

“The situation is worse,” Fumiyo continued. “My southern scouts have told me that a large force of plague zombies await us near the Scorpion lands. If we continue forward, battle is inevitable.”

“The Scorpion Clan cannot handle its own problems, of course,” Hagio said loudly. A wave of wry chuckles traveled across the tent.

“Our course of action is obvious,” the Akodo proclaimed. “We must slow our current pace and return to guard our supplies. No army can march on an empty stomach, and we cannot ask our troops to continue south without their supplies.”

“You think we must halt our advance completely?” Hagio asked.

“What other choice do we have?” he answered. “We must destroy the zombies or risk considerable damage to our war effort. Was Matsu Youko clear about the numbers facing her?”

“She did not say, other than to note that it was a serious situation,” Fumiyo said.

“Then in absence of concrete numbers, we must assume that overwhelming force must come to bear on the enemy to crush their efforts. Their morale would be crushed by elite Lion soldiers–”

Hagio snorted. “Morale? These are zombies, not bandits. We cannot use conventional methods against them and expect to succeed.”

“Hagio-sama,” Fumiyo said, “the Unicorn forces in the south are waiting our arrival. We were to relieve them from their position, and we must not make them wait.”

Hagio grinned. “`Must,’ Fumiyo-chan? She is right, of course,” Hagio said. “The Shogun ordered us down to the southern front and we must make haste. We would not want to keep the Unicorn waiting.”

“Then the supply lines–” the Akodo started to say.

“I will take some of our men and destroy them,” Hagio stated. “Fumiyo will be in command until my return. I have absolute faith she will lead you through the Scorpion lands unscathed.”

Fumiyo wished she shared his enthusiasm.

* * * * *

“We must return to Crab lands as soon as possible,” Hida Demopen said with no preamble.

Nobane glanced around him. It was clear many others shared his reservations.

“You only just arrived here, Demopen-san,” Doji Shikana said. “The master of these estates extends her invitation to you all. I understand you all have served on the front lines against those monsters. You are welcome to rest as long as you need to recover from your trials.”

Demopen glanced around at the trappings of the room. He grimaced at the tapestries depicting the meeting of Doji and Kakita, and his eyes lingered over the vases made in the seventh century. “You may relax in the lap of luxury if you’d like, but there are Crab warriors dying as we speak. I cannot idly sit by.”

“The new Crab commander does not seem to believe in discretion,” Nobane murmured to Yu Pan. She smiled and shook her head.

“You can ask a steed to ride on beyond its limits, until the noble creature collapses at your feet,” Yu Pan said loudly.

“Yu Pan-sama is right,” Shiba Rae said. “No man can continue to fight forever without breaking down. Your troops may be willing to move back into the fight, but it is much too soon. Give them time to recuperate, or you will march your men into their graves.”

Demopen shook his head. “You want me to rest in Crane lands while demons push onward in the Crab lands? My childhood home has been overrun by the enemy. My lords and ladies, you ask me to do the impossible.” He spat out the word `rest’ as if it were a curse.

Daidoji Yaichiro stepped forward and placed his helm on the table. “I promise you that we will do everything we can, once you are ready to move once more. The Crane will stand beside you, brothers once more in the heat of battle.”

Demopen looked unconvinced, but before he could press his issues once more the doors flew open with a large bang. A man dressed in ripped fineries staggered into the room, bolstered by a Daidoji warrior at each side. His head bled from a cut on his forehead yet his eyes seemed focused and clear. “I apologize for interrupting your discussion but we are under attack!”
Nobane leapt to his feet, as didevery bushi in the room. Only Yaichiro seemed calm and unperturbed. “I do not hear any of the alarms, gunso,” he said quietly. “What do you mean?”

The Crane bowed his head. “The roads leading north are overflowing with zombies,” he said. “We estimate several hundred.”

“Are they approaching the estates?” Yu Pan asked.

“No, Yu Pan-sama,” the gunso answered. “They seem to be preoccupied with something in the north.”

Yaichiro looked at one of the warriors supporting the gunso and nodded. “Assemble the troops. We must meet the enemy on the field and eradicate them.” He turned to Hida Demopen. “It seems you will have your battle, Demopen-san.”

Demopen nodded curtly and left the room quickly before anyone else could speak.

Shiba Rae looked at Demopen’s retreating back and frowned. “Why must we leave the safety of these walls?” he asked. “They may not be as fortified as a Crab building, but they are good enough to repel a mindless force.”

“We are expecting supplies from Mura Sabishii Toshi,” Yaichiro answered. “We need to destroy those creatures or they will stop all supplies from reaching our home.”

“I see,” Rae said. “I wonder if that is coincidence, or if some dangerous force is controlling these mindless creatures.”

“In my experience,” Yaichiro said, placing one hand under his helm, “it is best to always expect the worst.”

With those parting words, the warriors nodded began to trickle out of the room and run to their posts. Nobane began to follow them out when his superior Yu Pan raised her hand.

“I will lead our cavalry, Nobane,” she said. She kept her voice low, but the authority rang clear in her tone. “You served well at Shiro Kuni. Now it is my turn to ride by the side of our warriors.”

Nobane nodded. “I understand. My steed requires rest before I ride him out once more. With your leave, I would join the Crab or Crane infantry forces.”

“No,” Yu Pan replied.

“Yu Pan-sama–” Nobane started to say.

“What I said to the young Crab is doubly true for you, Nobane,” Yu Pan interrupted. “You need a break from constant battle or you’ll be of no use to anyone. I cannot command that brash man, but I do command you. And you will stay here.”
“I know my limits, Yu Pan-sama,” Nobane protested. “I can still fight.”

“Perhaps you could fight a few more battles without falling from exhaustion,” Yu Pan replied. “But it is my duty as your superior to know your limits better than you know yourself. And you have met yours, Nobane.” She paused ever so slightly. “I would not have one of the last living Horiuchi perish for nothing when rest could have preserved his life,” she added quietly, almost privately.

Yu Pan waited for his rebuttal, yet in his heart Nobane knew she was right. She nodded and left when he had no response. Nobane turned around and noticed he stood alone in the decorated war room. His warrior soul felt distinctly out of place amidst the fineries – and most importantly, barred from the battlefield. He looked out the window and stared at the distant stables. For one brief moment, he wondered if Lobai felt as eager to rejoin the fight as his rider.