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My lord Shoin sama,
Thus far, I have found my assignment to accompany the Lion Clan during this time of war to be one of tremendous interest and enlightenment. As you are well aware, we heralds are not trained for battle, and I find studying those who have had such training most intriguing. I have had to curb my enthusiasm somewhat after a rather unfortunate incident early in my assignment, wherein some Lion soldiers accused me of delighting in the toil of others. The less said about the incident the better, I think! Fortunately it has all been resolved and is no longer an issue.
Regardless, my present assignment is to accompany a scout force under the command of one Akodo Hiroshi. Hiroshi is a capable and charismatic leader, and his men seem to genuinely adore him. They refer to themselves as Hiroshi’s Legion, although this is both inaccurate (as they hardly number a legion) and informal. Regardless, however, I was present with Hiroshi’s Legion when they were dispatched to rendezvous with a force of Lion unexpectedly arriving from the north. Imagine my surprise when it was discovered that the force in question were Ikoma Wardens, nominally assigned to patrolling the Dragon mountains, and that they were led by none other than Ikoma Otemi himself! I think Hiroshi was even more surprised than I was.
As it turns out, the Wardens were dispatched to intercept a number of plague-infected, which I understand included both refugees and a number of undead following in their wake, who had fled the north while the Lion and Dragon were otherwise engaged. The infected apparently made their way through the Dragon lands and broke through to the Scorpion lands, fighting as frantically as only men condemned to death can. Otemi himself assumed command of the Wardens as they passed through the Lion lands in order to ensure swift passage in the absence of travel papers. There are few Lion officers who command the respect necessary for such a thing, but I am not in the least surprised to discover that even the Scorpion respect Otemi.
Unfortunately, the journey seemed to have taken its toll upon the Wardens. Constant fighting and hasty travel had left them virtually exhausted, which Hiroshi was quick to point out. He also very cautiously mentioned the limitations Otemi has experienced since his grave wounding at the hands of the traitorous Khan years ago, but Otemi dismissed them. The Lion would fulfill their duty or die in the process, he insisted. The situation was both tense and strangely awkward, but then a most momentous arrival changed the entire course of the encounter.
Running on foot through the plains at the head of a massive pride of lions, Matsu Benika arrived to hold parlay with the two officers. I must say, my lord, that while I have heard of her and the Jade Hand she bears, I had never before laid eyes upon Benika-sama, and doing so was an amazing experience. There is a presence she commands, a certain otherworldly aura, that cannot be accurately described. She spoke to both officers about the duty they shared, and that they must all stand together against this implacable threat. Her words were simple, and her demeanor sincere, but at her words, I could see new energy wash over the Wardens. They were somehow invigorated, inspired. Even their steeds had new energy, and stamped anxiously to be at the march. I have never seen the like, my lord, but I sincerely hope to see it again!
Yours in service,
Miya Nishio
****
Shigeo-san,
Hello, old friend. It has been far too long since last we spoke, and that says nothing of the years that have passed since we saw one another in the flesh. I believe it was at a court function in the Yasuki lands, was it not? It seems a lifetime ago, and in many ways I suppose it was. I remember well your idle wish for a different posting, for a life of glorious battle against an enemy in the name of your clan and Empire. Has your thirst for battle since been slaked? I cannot be certain. I confess that I lack your lust for war, but in my younger years I too longed for the chance to test my skills. I have had that in abundance these past few years. Would that I could return to the simple life I knew as a yojimbo in court.
My current duties are much the same as they have always been. I accompany a small group of shugenja as one of their yojimbo. We do not claim membership in any particular legion or unit, but rather assist in communication between different battle forces and deal with whatever small units attempt to slip past the larger detachments. It is a unique experience in that one of the men I am sworn to protect is in fact a ronin. His name is Imaishi, though I suspect it is an alias. He is a gifted shugenja, and for that reason he is being given the opportunity to prove his worth to the clan in order to earn an oath of fealty to the Isawa or Agasha families. Usually only the most exceptionally talented individuals are afforded such a chance, but I have to wonder if our losses in this war have convinced the Isawa to be more accepting of such opportunities when they arise.
But I avoid the true matter of my letter. My apologies for that.
It is with the greatest of regret I must inform you that the exquisite weapon you granted me as a gift those many years ago is no more. I must confess that the occasions when I have carried the tetsubo with me have been few and far between; for the most part it has remained at my home, prominently displayed in the chamber where my wife entertains guests. I have always looked upon it with great favor and fond memory. When I was informed that my current assignment would take me into the wilderness of our northern holdings for weeks, perhaps months, on end, I chose to take it with me. The enemy we face is strange and unusual, and the weight of a Crab-forged weapon brought me great comfort.
Three days ago, the shugenja under my charge detected a significant disturbance of the local fire kami, something that traditionally indicates the presence of our enemies. They were present indeed, and had among them a creature we had never seen before. It seemed made of stone, but radiated terrible heat and from its mouth spewed molten stone that dissolved flesh instantly. Two of my fellow yojimbo fell before it. Unsure of what else to do, I managed to get atop the creature, searing my armor badly, and crushed its skull repeatedly with your tetsubo. Just when the heat became unbearable, I was successful, and shattered the stone flesh of the cursed thing. Unfortunately, this brought its molten blood out in a spray, and while I was not injured, your tetsubo was hopelessly damaged in the process.
I write to you of this to ask for your forgiveness for my failure to keep your precious gift safe, and hope only that the knowledge of its worthy end will bring you some measure of peace.
Shiba Yukihito
****
Yukihito,
You have surely gone mad in the years since we saw one another last. If you believe that I will lament the loss of a weapon in the course of war, then you have perhaps lost all reasoned perspective of the world. The tetsubo was a gift from one warrior to another, and while I am flattered that you held it in such reverence as to display it in your home, I am even more pleased that it was put to appropriate use against the enemies of the Empire, and that in doing so perhaps it saved your life.
It is somewhat ironic that I received your message when I did. My unit was just rotated off of front line duty for a few days in order to rest, treat the wounded, and receive some additional reinforcements to replace our losses. The irony is that when you received the tetsubo those years ago, you returned the favor with a gift of an exquisite dagger. I am a simple and practical man, or at least I try to be. The beauty of the craftsmanship on your dagger was one of the few indulgences I have ever allowed myself, and while my comrades have taken many opportunities to mock me over carrying such a thing, I know that they too appreciated it.
Last week, my unit was temporarily cut off by an enemy flanking maneuver. I was certain that my death was imminent, and truly I lost many good friends that day. Each and every one of them died well, so you can imagine my pride. I already had visions of walking shoulder to shoulder with my brothers into the fields of Yomi, and I regretted only that I could not have waited a bit longer so that more of the gaijin demons could fall under my blade. The infernal metal creatures have proven very difficult to kill, unfortunately, and when I used my favored die tsuchi to crush one’s head, the metal warped around it in such a way that I could not free it. Another of the beasts was on me in moments, and I, rather foolishly, attempted to punch it. The shugenja say my hand will be fine in a matter of days, for which I am quite grateful.
The beast loomed over me. Despite its metallic features, I was somehow sure that it was leering at me, mocking me. I must confess that I lost control of myself a bit then, certain that death was upon me and unwilling to be belittled at the moment of my demise. I thrust my uninjured hand into its open maw, thinking to seize something flesh and tear it free. It was not the wisest choice I have ever made, I admit. I felt some stirring of energy, hot and cold at the same time, and withdrew my hand in shock. Seeing the same dull glow from the things eyes as well as its mouth, I withdrew your blade and shoved it to the hilt in the thing’s eye. I felt the crack as the steel struck the back of the thing’s iron skull and the energy surged up to my arm, numbing it to the shoulder. The thing’s head erupted, and metal fragments cut me all along the chest and face, but the spectacle of the thing split the enemy forces and allowed a detachment of Unicorn to breach the line and retrieve us.
The point of the story is that your dagger no longer exists, although it saved my life. Perhaps the Fortunes are trying to teach us some sort of lesson with this strange coincidence, but I am too simple a man for such things. All I know is that, should I survive this war, I will travel to the Phoenix lands and bring you another tetsubo. They are, as you have discovered, quite handy.
Hiruma Shigeo
