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By Shawn Carman
Miya Shoin moved through the corridors of the Imperial Palace with familiarity, his hand clasped tightly over the heavy satchel he carried at his hip. He had been within the Palace countless times during his lifetime, but he could not recall that he had ever given a private report to the Divine Empress. The previous Emperor, Toturi III, had received numerous such reports but this this was somehow different. Shoin felt ever so slightly anxious, and hoped that he would not shame his family by behaving foolishly.
“The Imperial Herald. Perfectly on time, as always.”
Shoin smiled and bowed. “You are too kind, Chancellor Hisoka-sama.”
“Not at all,” Bayushi Hisoka said with a smile. “It is always a pleasure to work with someone with the proper sensibilities and priorities.”
“Does the Empress wish to receive my report now?”
Hisoka smiled. “She does. I did not know how long you would be present in the Imperial City, so I have tentatively scheduled a meeting time for you each week at the same time. Will that be sufficient?”
“Of course,” Shoin said with a bow. “I do not know how long I will be present either. It depends upon the Empress, I suppose.”
Hisoka nodded. “Please let me know when it is decided, if you will. Until then, you may wish to hurry. Your friend Taneji-sama wishes to see the Empress after you have finished. Something about the Empress Guard, although I do not know why he would be concerned about such a thing.”
Shoin thought of the letter the Otomo daimyo had sent him, of what had happened in the City of Lies, but said nothing. “I may enter, then?”
“Please do,” Hisoka said. “It is good to see you again, Shoin-san.”
“Thank you, Chancellor.”
Shoin entered one of the secondary audience chambers that the Empress used for private audiences. This once was decorated in the manner of Shiba Utatsu, a rather well known painter from the fourth century whose style was still used today. Shoin saw as he entered that the Empress was attended by her Voice, as always, and that the Imperial Consort and the Imperial Advisor were present as well. Shoin ignored them for the moment, approaching the Empress and kneeling. “My Empress,” he breathed. “Great is the honor of standing in your presence.”
“Rise,” the Voice said. The Empress was not conducting the audience behind the screen she so commonly used for appearances, and Shoin found it almost difficult to look upon her. Something about her presence was so radiant that it caused his soul to quaver. “The Empress wishes her Herald to know how pleased she has been with the depth and regularity of her reports.”
“I am but a servant, my lady,” Shoin said.
“And one well chosen for the task,” the Voice reaffirmed. “What news does the Herald bring this week?”
“A number of things, my Empress, but by my biased perception the most important by far is the interception of an Imperial courier by unidentified assailants.” Shoin withdrew a scroll and sat it upon a low table. “I say unidentified despite that information seems to indicate the responsible party was of Rokugani origin.”
“You have mentioned such things before,” the Voice said darkly. “The Empress finds such information tremendously disturbing.”
“The thought that anyone born of the Empire could consort against the throne alongside gaijin is blasphemous in the extreme,” Iweko Setai added. “It is a disgrace that can never be erased. Such men damn their entire families for eternity with such actions.”
“The occurrence took place following a brief but hurried exchange via correspondence between myself and my esteemed colleague Otomo Taneji. I was anticipating another response from him shortly before my departure for the Imperial City, but it never arrived. Apparently the courier had been abducted by parties encountered en route. Fortunately the courier had a colleague traveling behind him at some respectable distance.” Shoin paused for a moment. “Too many occurrences already of such abductions so far in this conflict, you understand.”
“Prudent,” Setai agreed.
“The attendant was able to return to the City of Lies, at which point Taneji-sama dispatched more courtiers to any nearby military forces while he attempted to marshal what men he could from the city. This proved unnecessary, as the responsible party soon found itself trapped between two military forces: the Shinjo Scouts and the Dark Wind cavalry.”
“Again, the Dark Wind rear their heads,” Togashi Satsu said, rubbing his chin. “I find their apparent altruism questionable.”
“I fear this report will do little to dispel your concerns,” Shoin admitted. “The abductors threatened to kill the courier unless the Shinjo commander, Shinjo Dun, gave his word to allow them to leave once they turned the courier over. Dun felt honor-bound to rescue the Imperial and, reluctantly I am told, gave his word. The courier was returned safely, with little harm done.”
“The kidnappers escaped?” Setai inquired.
“No,” Shoin answered. “After the Imperial was returned, the Dark Wind eradicated the entire force. I am told Dun-sama was most angry, but the Dark Wind commander insisted that he had not given his word, and that Dun had no authority over him. The two groups parted ways on far less than hospitable terms, I am afraid.”
Setai turned to regard the Imperial Advisor with barely concealed loathing. “Would you know anything about this, Susumu-san?”
Susumu raised his eyebrows slightly. “Me, Consort? Why would I?”
“I am not amused by your quaint ignorance,” Setai said. “Is this an attempt by the Spider to subvert the Unicorn? I will not have honorable allies made fools of in such a manner.”
Shoin glanced at the two men in confusion. “Forgive, lord Setai, but I do not under” his voice trailed off and he fixed Susumu with a wide-eyed stare. “You you are a Spider?” he sputtered. “A Spider?!”
Susumu blinked a few times. “You did not know,” he said. It was not a question. “You honestly did not know.”
“I do not it but why?”
“You did not know,” Susumu repeated. “Tell me then, Herald. What do you think of the Advisor now?”
Shoin was quiet for a long moment. “It changes nothing,” he finally said heavily. “You are the Imperial Advisor. It is not my place to question the Empress’ appointment.”
“You are either hopelessly nave,” Susumu said, “or an idealist of a sort such as I have never seen. I am honestly not sure which one.”
“The Empress has no question as to the virtuous nature of her Herald,” the Voice said. “Please continue, Shoin-san. And do so with the understanding that the nature of the Imperial Advisor is not a matter for public consumption.”
“Of course, Divine One. As I said, nothing has changed.”
“You are an honor to the throne,” the Voice said. “Continue, please.”
“As you know, most of the Crab lands are presently lost, occupied by the Destroyers,” Shoin continued, placing another series of scrolls upon the table, these marked with wax seals that prominently displayed the Crab mon. “Some of the lands that survive are on the southeastern peninsula, where Amoro’s Legion is currently engaged in heavy fighting. They have been joined there, at least temporarily, by the Dragon Justicars. My heralds report that the Legion was split, with a portion engaged in heavy skirmishing and another defending a Crab holding called the Watchtower of the East.” Shoin opened one of the scrolls to indicate a point on the map. “A sudden surge by the Destroyers threatened the Watchtower, but a pair of young heroes named Hida Tatsuma and Mirumoto Ishino rallied the Crab and Dragon forces to hold the line until the remainder of the Legion could return. The defense was successful and the enemy force out of the region. It seems that the Crab will continue to hold this province for now.”
“This pleases the Empress greatly,” the Voice said. “Her loyal vassals among the Crab do not deserve to be deprived of their lands, and it is her wish that they be returned to them as soon as possible.”
“The Crab would doubtless agree,” the Advisor observed. “Displacement is difficult, even for the hardiest of warriors. Perhaps even more so for such men. Take away a man’s home and what does he fight for?”
“I find it unsurprising that you cannot answer such a question,” Setai observed quietly.
“Some time ago you may recall that there were reports of oni driven before the Destroyers, or perhaps dispatched on behalf of the Destroyers, that created difficulty for the Empire,” Shoin said, glancing sidelong at the Advisor. “A similar occurrence has taken place recently, with a wave of lesser oni, described in one report as `stretching to the horizon’, surged from the Crab lands to the provinces west of the Shinomen Mori. Fearing that the Unicorn lands might be compromised, the southern alliance sentthe Ikoma Wardens and the Legion of Flame to intercept the horde. We have not as yet received word of what may have happened. The possibility that the forces have been lost and the horde continues northward exists. Scouts have been dispatched to the area but reports have not yet arrived.”
The Voice inclined his head toward the Empress. “The Empress wishes to know the Advisor’s thoughts regarding the disposition of the oni.”
“I cannot say for certain, my Empress,” Susumu responded at once. “As you know, I have not left the Imperial City without heavy guard for several years, and have no contact with my prior associates. Would you wish me to offer conjecture?”
“Please do,” the Voice said dryly.
“I suspect the oni are complicit with the Destroyers,” Susumu said. “The gaijin have forged a path through the Shadowlands and eliminated all opposition. Oni are hideous, treacherous beasts that owe no true loyalty to anyone. I have no doubt that many of the demons will betray the Empire and even Fu Leng himself for survival.”
“Perhaps, if we are fortunate,” Setai said, “the Crab and Dragon detachment in the northern mountains will retrieve some of your `former’ colleagues to corroborate your tale.” He smiled humorlessly. “I understand that Hida Ikarukani is a particularly tenacious hunter.”
Susumu sighed lightly. “I do not wish to offer disrespect to the Consort,” he said slowly, “but even I do not know where the Spider are in the northern mountains, assuming they are there at all. And if they do not wish to be found, then this Ikarukani will not find them. It is as simple as that.”
“We shall see.”
“There are no further reports of significant combat,” Shoin said, hoping to head off further conflict. “There are other issues of concern, however.”
“Of course the Empress wishes to hear them,” the Voice replied.
Shoin bowed his head respectfully. “The southern Crane lands have been inundated with refugees from the plague ridden regions as well as the occupied Crab lands. In some cases the population of entire provinces has doubled, and food is understandably rationed carefully. Due to the threat of riots, the magistrates called Lady Doji’s Eyes have moved into the area to ensure both the keeping of the peace, as well as the fair and just treatment of all refugees.”
“The Crane are to be commended for their generosity and charity,” Setai said. “Perhaps they should be given some dispensation?”
“The Empress agrees,” the Voice said.
“I think perhaps the Treasurer is in a position to offer them that which they require,” the Advisor added.
“In this, the Empress also agrees,” the Voice said. “Word shall be sent following this meeting. Utemaro-san will be more than adequate to such a task.” He nodded to Shoin. “Are there further issues that warrant the Empress’ attention, Shoin-san?”
“Regrettably there are,” Shoin frowned. “I regret to inform you that there more allegations of corroboration with the Empire’s enemies, this time within the lands of the Scorpion and Phoenix clans.”
“Is there any significant testimony or evidence to suggest these rumors are true?” the Consort asked.
“As yet, no,” Shoin said with a relieved expression. “The Phoenix, in a show of solidarity with the Mantis, who they had previously investigated following similar allegations, called Mukami’s Legion into their home provinces to investigate the matter. Allegedly the Phoenix were corroborating with the Dark Oracle in hopes of destroying Kaigen’s Island, but the Mantis investigation found no evidence that this was the case and the Mantis were satisfied that there is no threat to their holdings stemming from the Phoenix.”
“A pleasantly surprising outcome,” Susumu said, smiling.
“Unfortunately, the situation in the Scorpion lands has yet to be resolved properly. The enigmatic Shadow Blades have been recalled to the home provinces to investigate the matter.” Shoin frowned slightly. “This may mean we will never know the outcome, but regardless, I suspect the matter will be concluded shortly.” He placed a final series of scrolls upon the table and bowed deeply. “I have nothing further of significant to report at this time, my Empress.”
“The Empress is grateful for her Herald and his diligence,” the Voice said. “She wishes to know when you will be returning to Kyuden Miya?”
“I have not yet finalized my plans, Empress,” Shoin said. “What is your will?”
“The Empress is satisfied that your duty will be performed well regardless, and your location is a matter of your choosing,” the Voice answered.
“Thank you, Empress,” Shoin said. “I will advise you as to my plans as soon as they are completed.”
