Wisdom and Power

Wisdom and Power
By Brian Yoon

The burden of being a member of the Elemental Council of the Phoenix Clan was tiring, Ochiai mused, yet, it did not even begin to compare against the weight of leading an Empire.
Ochiai leaned against the window and looked out longingly at the city below her.
She and the rest of the Elemental Masters had spent countless hours in the audience room in the Imperial Palace. When they took control of the city, they had found a room large enough to support the constant meetings of the elemental council. Ochiai had seen too much of the inside of this room for comfort. It seemed if she was not arguing matters with the Elemental Council, she spent her time in countless audiences with courtiers over some small yet completely crucial matter. The room itself was not the familiar chambers she had grown accustomed to in the Phoenix lands, and left her slightly uncomfortable.
That Is the role you chose, Ochiai reminded herself. She straightened and turned back to the table.
“I am glad we have come to an agreement on the matter, brothers,” she said. “It is not a step we will take lightly. I have faith that all will go well.”
“I will abide to the decision of the council,” Isawa Emori, Master of Earth, said. “However, I will once more raise my concerns on our agreement. I think it is too sudden.”
“The balance of the heavens cannot shatter simply for our benefit,” Shiba Ningen, Master of Void, replied.
“Masters, we have covered this over and over again. Let us not revisit-those hours now that we have come to a decision,” Ochiai interjected. Emori did not look happy, but he nodded.
A knock at the door sounded throughout the room. A moment later, Shiba Yoma, Voice of the Council, stepped into the room. “You called for me, Ochiai-sama7″ he asked.
Ochiai nodded, leaned forward over the table, and picked up the scroll that had recently been created. She turned and placed the scroll in Yoma’s hands. “This message must go to Shiba
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Naoya,” she said. “Make sure it reaches him in due haste.”
Yoma bowed. “Shiba Rae is already here on another matter, Ochiai-sama. I will order him to do your bidding.” With that, the man left the room.
“When will we address the matter of the Imperial proclamation?” Isawa Emori asked.
“The Jade Championship,” Asako Bairei said. His fingers nervously tapped at the surface of the table. “Many believe that the position was created specifically to monitor the power of the Elemental Council of the time. However, like many such positions, the Championship became sought after for its prestige rather than out of duty. Before long, the Empire learned the wisdom of allowing those trained in fighting the darkness to do so unhindered.”
“You mean monitor our power, my friend?” Tamori Nakamuro, Master of Air, asked with a smile.
Bairei blinked as if the thought had just come to him. “Why yes, of course,” he replied.
“What is the motive behind the Imperial Families’ decision? Why did they choose to convene the Jade Championship now, of all times?” Nakamuro asked.
“They must be uncomfortable with the new Emerald Champion,” Shiba Ningen said. He smiled grimly. “And they cannot be pleased about the way we have taken control over the Imperial City. We succeeded in filling the vacuum when the Emperor died, when no one else would, and the Imperial Families must be uncomfortable with it.”
“But the Empire needed us,” Emori said, frowning. “Without the intervention from the Elemental Council, Rokugan would have rent itself into a thousand pieces. If we did not stop the fighting in the Imperial City, not only would thousands more have perished, but countless legacies of the Empire’s ancestors would have been destroyed. The Imperial families cannot be jealous over the fact that we acted to save the Empire.”
“The fact that it was required does not make our position any more palatable to the Imperial Families,” Ochiai said. “One does not relish taking bitter medicine, even if it would save one’s life. Once the Fire Dragon disappears, we must be prepared to defend our position as the protectors of the Imperial City with our lives. if necessary.” She looked over at Emori and raised a hand. “Please, Emori-san, let us leave that subject at rest for now and focus on the topic at hand.”
“Ochial-san brings up a good point,” Ningen said. “In the end, the topic at hand is simple. What shall we do about this Championship?”
“What can we do?” Nakamuro asked. “We cannot stop the Championship from occurring. All we can do is make sure that a worthy individual assumes the position.”
“What makes someone worthy of the duty?” Ochial asked. “Is It the Phoenix who will acquiesce to all of our demands, or is it the man who will forge on regardless of our words?”
Emori raised an eyebrow at Ochlai. “Do you suggest that the Council does not know what is best for the Empire?”
“The Jade Champion’s duty is to protect the soul of the Empire from corruption,” Baird said thoughtfully. “By necessity, such a shugenja would need a deep understanding of the kami.” He looked around the room. “One of us, I suppose.”
“Can any of us be an effective Jade Champion at the same time as a Master on the Elemental Council?” Nakamuro asked. “The Jade Champion is the leader of the Jade Magistrates and must travel across the empire to protect the land from maho-tsuical. The Empire would be best served by a Jade Champion who recognizes the power of the Elemental Council, but acts separately to protect Rokugan.”
“Well put, Nakamura-san,” Ningen said. “The right man for the job, as he says, is one who will put the empire above all, but will not usurp our power for himself.”
“Most of the shugenja of the Empire recognize the wisdom of the Elemental Council,” Emori said. “I can see no reason why any shugenja would refute such an obvious fact. Logically the Jade Champion should defer to our counsel, unless the man is power hungry and intends to wield as much influence as he can.”
“We do not live in an ideal society,” Ochiai said. As with everything else, politics and human desire will interfere with what should be done and pervert it into something unpleasant.”
“Then the Jade Champion must be from an allied clan, or al least one sympathetic to our duties,” Nakamura said. “Our rela. lions with most of the clans are favorable.”
“I think you give others too much credit,” Emori scoffed. “The shugenja from our schools have a rapport with the kami few others can match. Even should we not prevail, the other Clans will understand why the Phoenix call the kami friends.”
“Unlike the Emerald Championship, there is no limit to the number of contestants from each Clan,” Bairei said. “Even so, I suggest we approach some of the shugenja we know to be strong and capable and ask them to represent us in the Jade Championship.”
The Elemental Masters nodded in agreement. Emori smiled and spoke first, his voice booming in the small room.
“I have personally overseen the growth of one of my students, lsawa Eitoku. He is a skilled shugenja whose ability to call the kami is unparalleled among his peers. 1 accepted his application to the Avalanche Guard a year ago and I have never been disappointed in his performance.”
None of the Elemental Masters had any objection to isawa Eitoku. Ochiai wondered if all of the shugenja sponsored by her colleagues would be members of the Elemental Legion, as Eitoku was. The Avalanche Guard was a unit of highly skilled Earth shugenja who did not mind delving into combat to perform their duties. Such a mindset would aid the Jade Champion. Ocilla! mused.
As if Ningen had anticipated Ochlai’s thoughts, he turned his head and looked at her while he spoke. “My candidate should come as no surprise to you all. I suggest Isawa Kimi be sent to the tournament to champion our cause. I have faith that she will not fail us.”
“Your protege?” Emori asked.
Ningen nodded. “She is skilled and powerful. One day she may be the Master of the Void, but until she is ready to take such a role, the title of Jade Champion would be fitting.”
“Perhaps we should have a representative who knows the Jade Magistrates and the Empire’s military inside out,” Ocilla’ said. “I propose we approach Agasha Tomioko to take the Jade Championship. She is a capable shugenja who has served as a commander,of the Imperial Legions for many years.”
Tamori Nakamuro smiled and spoke. “So be it. The Jade Champion must be one who accepts the roles of the Clans. We will be ready to assist the Jade Champion in properly executing his duty.”