Lesson Learned

A small oni scampered quickly up the hill. It had wandered out a bit too far, and attracted some Crab bushi looking for a quick kill. The four bushi chased the oni up this hill. The oni ran faster still, with ungodly speed. The four bushi looked at the oni’s speed, realizing that it could not move so fast without the taint.
“If only we could go so quickly, we would please our masters!” said one bushi.

“That would require black arts, friend,” replied another.

“Yes, but we would catch an oni. Is it not fair to fight fire with fire” asked the third bushi.

“When playing with fire, you might be burned. And what use would be then” said the fourth bushi.

Saddened by the loss of an easy foe, the four bushi walked back home all the while thinking of the lesson learned. That night, they gathered once again, and discussed the ideas brought forth earlier.

“The oni ran like wind. Perhaps using their tricks against them, we could use the speed to catch and slay them!” exclaimed the first bushi.

“And if we use these tricks against our enemies, both oni and human, we could truly be invincible!” said the second bushi.

“We could use this black art, and corrupt it, make the magic a source for good and righteousness!” concluded the third bushi.

The fourth bushi sat quietly as his friends spoke. He knew the truth of the matter, for he had seen the effects black arts had on those greater than him.

“How do you corrupt darkness Jade, you see, protects us from the taint by absorbing it. Eventually, the jade becomes obsidian, and is no longer useful. Perhaps, yes, you could use black arts to strengthen yourselves. But, eventually the good in you would be gone, sacrificed for power. And then Fu Leng would have won,” spoke the fourth bushi.

The three bushi sat there, listening to their friend. It was obvious he had a point, but they would not allow it to be the final word.

“But if we use the strength against the Horde, would we not defeat the taint within us as well” asked the first bushi.

“And if we defeat the taint, then perhaps black arts would no longer be corrupting” asked the second bushi.

“Then, we would truly have a peaceful and free land from all evils. Is that not a just cause” asked the third bushi.

The fourth bushi smiled and thought for a second.

“Answer me this then. Is the Horde the source of taint” asked the fourth bushi.

“No, they are from the Taint,” replied the first bushi.

“Then, is it the black arts who corrupt, or the Taint itself” asked the fourth bushi.

“No, the Taint corrupts,” answered the second bushi.

“Then, defeating the Horde is not so just a cause, since we still have Taint to fight, correct” asked the fourth bushi.

The third bushi sat and pondered this question.

“Peace would only come at the defeat of the Taint,” said the third bushi.

The fourth bushi then asked a final question.

“Then, if we fight using the Taint, and the Horde fights using the Taint, who truly wins” proposed the fourth bushi.

The three bushi nodded and laughed, accepting of the lesson they learned that night. They left soon after, leaving the fourth bushi alone in his room. The bushi walked to his bed and removed his kimono. Beneath was a sparkling brooch pinned to his shirt.

He removed the brooch and placed it on a table in a place all by itself, for it was obvious this was a special ornament he carried with him. He gazed at this brooch, decorated with the emblem of the Jade Hand, and went to bed with the thoughts that three more souls had been saved from the Taint.

But there’s still a lot of work to do.