L5r - scroll 01 - The Scorpion Read online

  "So great as a general," she said. "So foolish as a man."

  "And you can use this to destroy him?"

  "You wound me, my lord," Kachiko said with a sly smile. "Of course I can—if you will it."

  Shoju nodded, "I do. See to it personally."

  "I would trust no other."

  "My plans will meet their culmination at the Festival of Fire. It will take us that long to make the preparations." Their eyes reflected the deep darkness of each other. "Your timing must mirror mine," he said.

  "Does it ever not, my love?"

  "You will leave in the morning?"

  "Hai, my lord. But..."

  "But what?"

  She smiled and embraced him. "But first," she said, "I wish to come back to bed."

  xxxxxxxx

  Bayushi Shoju awoke the next morning to find his wife already gone. She had somehow left the chamber silently, without causing the boards to sing. Shoju smiled. Kachiko was the only person he knew who could do this. If she were not, he would never use the room. Someday, he would have to ask her how she did it. For now, he merely felt content that all his wife's considerable skills would soon be brought to bear against Akodo Toturi.

  The Scorpion daimyo retired to his usual chambers to bathe and change clothes. His withered arm was amazingly alive this morning; he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so little pain. He almost decided not to take his potions but recalled the incident with the ogre less than a day's ride from the castle gates.

  I must ever be on my guard, he reminded himself, even here.

  Shoju lifted the small, blue bottle from the table near his bed and drank. The liquid felt like fire in his mouth, and the tattoo on his right arm burned. He dressed quickly, in somber colors and a grim mask. Anyone seeing him in such a face would know better than to disturb the daimyo's thoughts. Shoju had much to do today.

  He went to the gardens for breakfast, but discovered that Kachiko had already eaten. She had left a note for him. It said that shortly before dawn she had departed the castle on her errand. With her went three of her handmaidens and two guards—all of whom Shoju knew to be masters of disguise. In all likelihood, no one would ever guess the Mother of Scorpions was abroad in Rokugan.

  If someone did discover her, Kachiko would be well protected. In the small retinue, the guards were the least formidable—mere samurai. The handmaidens, though . . . One was a powerful shugenja. The other two were assassins, ninja-ko. The Scorpion lady had defenses of her own, too.

  The Scorpion lord smiled. He knew Kachiko would accomplish the task he had set for her. As he ate, Shoju drew up a list of people he would need to see immediately, among them his shugenja, Shosuro Bantaro and Yogo Junzo, and his half-brother, Bayushi Aramoro.

  Bantaro had stayed behind at his own castle when the rest of the host returned to Kyuden Bayushi, but Shoju told him to follow as soon as he was able. On horseback and without a retinue to slow him down, Bantaro would arrive at the Scorpion fortress within the week—possibly in the next day or so if he used magic to quicken his journey.

  Junzo was already within the castle walls, of course, though his studies into the artifacts uncovered beneath the castle two years ago kept him sequestered, for the most part, from the day-to-day goings on.

  Aramoro could be found in the keep as well. He had been recalled from his usual nefarious missions to watch over Dairu while his parents journeyed to the lands of the Dragon. Shoju had seen Aramoro only briefly at the feast last night, and he wanted to ask where his brother had been when Dairu festooned the castle with banners.

  Behind his somber mask, Shoju smiled at the thought. How Aramoro would squirm.

  The pleasure of needling his half-brother quickly vanished as grim plans overtook the morning. Tetsuo arrived as Shoju worked on his list; the Scorpion lord had sent for him soon after dressing.

  "The essence of conspiracy," Shoju said as Tetsuo bowed and sat next to him, "is to keep as many people in the dark for as long as possible."

  "Does this include our own people, lord?" Tetsuo asked.

  "To some extent," the Scorpion replied. "Even our people need to know only enough to do their assigned tasks. To tell them more would be an unnecessary burden—it would distract them from their mission."

  He dipped his brush into the ink and wrote a few more names on the scroll. "The Phoenix and the Dragon invite debate, encourage free thought. That is why they are ineffective, impotent," he said. "Our people, on the other hand, know the justice of our cause. They know that ours is a lonely battle, and that we, as Scorpions, must fight it alone—though all the clans of Rokugan are set against us. They know I would never lead them astray. That is why we will be able to save the empire."

  "The weakness and excess of the other clans will be our best weapon," said Tetsuo.

  Shoju nodded, dipped his brush, and jotted down another name. "Just so," he said, "as it has been for a thousand years. Our key is control: control of the truth, control of our people, control of ourselves."

  As Shoju laid the brush down, Bayushi Yojiro arrived in the garden and bowed.

  "You sent for me, Master?" he asked.

  Shoju rolled up the scroll and handed it to him. "I need to meet with these people. Speak to those within the castle personally. We'll hold council with them tonight. Send messages to those too far away to come. Tell them they will receive instructions from me shortly. These instructions are to be followed to the last detail."

  "Of course, great lord," Yojiro said, bowing again. "Where shall the meeting tonight take place?"

  "In the eastern tower, the topmost council room, just after sunset."

  "It shall be done," Yojiro said. He bowed once more and left.

  "He's a good man," Tetsuo said when Yojiro was out of earshot.

  Shoju snorted. "Almost too good to be true. I suppose we have his association with my wife to thank for that."

  The comment startled Tetsuo a bit. His face flushed slightly, and his slight mask couldn't hide the redness.

  Seeing it, Shoju laughed. "Will you blush like a maiden every time I mention the good work Kachiko does for me?"

  "N-no, lord," Tetsuo said, feeling his embarrassment rise.

  "I promise you, my young cousin—there is nothing my wife does that I do not know about and approve of. You should know that by now."

  "I do, my lord."

  "And yet, you still hear rumors...." Shoju said it as more a question than a statement.

  "I try not to listen, great lord."

  Shoju pointed at his lieutenant. "You should listen," he said. "Listening is the Scorpions' stock in trade." He leaned back on his low stool. "However, you should not believe even half of everything you hear. I know I don't." This last remark, said in almost a jolly tone, broke the tension.

  Tetsuo smiled despite himself. "I'll keep that in mind, great lord."

  "See that you do. Funny, Yojiro believed he was to watch Kachiko to protect me. In fact, I assigned him the duty so he could learn from her"

  "Lord?"

  Shoju leaned forward and said in a low voice. "Life does not always teach us the lessons we expect, Tetsuo. Nor are the most effective lessons learned in the way we expect them."

  Tetsuo nodded.

  The Scorpion daimyo suddenly cocked his head. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

  Tetsuo listened as well, but heard nothing. "Hear what?"

  "Distant music," Shoju said, "as if..." He realized what he was hearing. Behind his mask, the Scorpion lord's face grew grim once more. He stood.

  "Come," he said, motioning to Tetsuo. "We have work to do."

  xxxxxxxx

  Again, Shoju led his young cousin through the hidden passageways honeycombing Kyuden Bayushi. "Over your nerves, yet?" he asked.

  "Yes, great lord."

  "Ready to face skeletons and ghosts and spiders once more?"

  Tetsuo nodded grimly. "Whole fortresses of them, if need be."

  Shoju stopped at an intersection and paused, as i
f choosing the correct path. "The fortresses will come later. Nor do I expect any opposition in our current task."

  "No ghouls?" Tetsuo asked, letting his hand slip from the hilt of his katana. He had noticed that the Scorpion lord had set aside his weapons before their journey, but he had not asked why; it was not his place to do so. "No spiders?"

  The Scorpion lord shook his head and started down one of the corridors. "No, the only dangers we face now are the traps our ancestors set against intruders. These traps I know how to defeat."

  Tetsuo nodded again and asked, "Then why have I come with you, my lord?"

  "Tetsuo, I know more secrets than any man alive. More than any man could tell in one lifetime. It is these secrets that give me my power, not the strength of my sword arm."

  "I know this, great lord."

  "Some secrets have been passed down to me through the ages from my father, and his father before him. In time, if I am able, I will pass those secrets to my son."

  "After his gempuku?"

  "Yes," Shoju said. He stopped and manipulated a flagstone before continuing. "I will move the date up," he said. "Dairu will have his initiation into manhood before we go to Otosan Uchi, before the Fire Festival."

  "Then you'll pass your knowledge to your son."

  "Some of it, yes, but I will not have time to teach him all, I fear."

  Again, the Scorpion daimyo managed to startle his cousin. "Your life will be long, great lord. You shall have plenty of time."

  Shoju glanced over his shoulder at his cousin. "Perhaps," he said. "If fortune or circumstance prevent me from doing so, teach my son the things I have taught you."

  "But, great lord, your brother, Aramoro, is Dairu's guardian."

  "Aramoro protects my son's body; I want you to protect his mind. My brother and I are not as ... close as we might be. We do not always see eye-to-eye. However, you and I do. There are things about this castle that even my brother doesn't know. Things such as the catacombs where we found the scroll, and the hidden room where I will take you presently."

  Shoju stopped and cocked his head. "Listen!" he said. "Do you hear it now?"

  Tetsuo listened. A strange faint humming drifted to his ears. It sounded as though it came from very far away. The tune was lilting yet powerful, plain yet seductive. "I ... I can hear it," Tetsuo said.

  He looked down the long, stone hallway. They had descended deep below the castle once more. This time, however, with fear pushed out of his mind, Tetsuo had managed to keep his bearings. He thought he could find this hidden corridor again if necessary. He had watched carefully as his master deactivated the traps along the way. Tetsuo felt certain he could pass these secrets along to the young lord, if need be.

  "What is that music?" Tetsuo asked. "It tugs at my very soul."

  "I've heard it for months," said Shoju, "for years. In quiet moments, as sleep steals over me, it sings softly in my ears. Only two things dull its voice."

  "What things, my lord?"

  "The love of my wife, and the nearness of my ancestral sword, Itsuwarir

  "Is that why you are not wearing the sword?" Tetsuo asked.

  Shoju nodded. "Hai. For the first time in my life, I've needed to hear the call. Come."

  They walked down the corridor only a few dozen steps farther and stopped. Shoju turned to the right-hand wall and counted the stones. When he found the correct one, he placed his hand against it. The stone glowed red around his fingers, but if it burned him, the Scorpion lord did not cry out.

  As Tetsuo marveled at this magic, a portion of the wall to Shoju's left slid away. When the wall had completely retracted, the Scorpion daimyo removed his hand. "To place your hand on the wrong stone in this wall would mean your doom," he said to Tetsuo. "Pray you never have to do what I have just done."

  Tetsuo nodded, though he was having trouble concentrating. When the wall opened, the music in his mind grew stronger. It compelled him forward, into the room beyond the portal.

  "Stop!" commanded Shoju, barring his lieutenant's way by stretching out his left arm. "There is one final trap."

  He drew two silver coins out of his kimono. "Payment for passage," he said, flipping the bu onto the stone floor of the room, just beyond the threshold. "One for each of us. Without the coins, that floor is no more substantial than a dream, and the pit it covers is bottomless."

  Tetsuo swallowed and nodded. The alluring song was still strong in his mind, but good sense had taken over once more. He looked into the room.

  Beyond the entrance lay a plain, square room about ten strides across. It was flagged with the same regularly-shaped gray stones as the corridor had been. The chamber was lit, though Tetsuo could not tell how. The light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It was a soft, cool light.

  At the far end of the room lay a stone platform, about waist high. The air over the dais shimmered as if with the summer heat. Otherwise, the room stood empty.

  "What is it?" Tetsuo asked, his eyes trained on the vague disturbance in the air. It was spectral and fleeting, dancing like colorless fire. The song in Tetsuo's head seemed to come from it.

  "It is a Kenchi, a bloodsword. It is Yashin," Shoju said reverently.

  "A bloodsword?" said Tetsuo. The room had grown cold. The young lieutenant's hands and face went white. "But, my lord, why?"

  "I will not stain the sword of my family with the blood of the emperor and his heir. But this," he said gesturing into the room, "this was forged for just such a purpose."

  Tetsuo looked at his lord. As always, the Scorpion lord's mask hid his true feelings and intentions.

  "Its name means 'ambition,'" Shoju continued, stepping carefully into the room. "It is for the good of the empire that I claim it now."

  He walked forward, and Tetsuo followed after.

  "For years," Shoju said, "the sword has rested here, calling to our forefathers—calling to me. Our ancestors were wise; they hid this weapon deep within the world for a reason. Its song is seductive ... and deadly."

  "I can't see it," Tetsuo said. "It's less substantial than a shadow."

  "Ambition is ever thus. It can never be seen when viewed directly, but always hides itself." Shoju had walked to within a few steps of the dais. He turned and glanced over his right shoulder at his young cousin, and then turned halfway back, toward the sword. Behind the daimyo's mask, Tetsuo could see the Scorpion lord looking at the "sword" out of the corner of his eye.

  "But a man who is bold," Shoju said, "may grasp Ambition and wield it to his own ends."

  He reached out sideways with his left arm and seized the empty air. Lightning flashed. Bolts of power danced about the room. In their center, clutched in Bayushi Shoju's hand, Tetsuo could see Yashin, the bloodsword.

  It was a magnificent, fascinating katana—nearly four feet of highly polished steel with an ebony hilt. It looked as though it had been newly forged. A sinuous wave ran down the length of the blade, and as the sword moved, the wave seemed to change, like swells on the ocean. Arcane symbols decorated the hilt and hand guard, though the lightning and Shoju's hand kept Tetsuo from making out what the characters might be. The blade of the weapon had a vaguely crimson tint—like sunset over the deep sea.

  For a moment, the only sound to be heard in the room was the crackling of Ambition's magical energy.

  Finally Shoju spoke through gritted teeth. "However," he said, almost grunting the words, "a man who is wise will wield power not for his own gain, but to greater purpose." The bloodsword loomed before him and quivered, as if fighting the Scorpion for control.

  Slowly, inexorably, the Scorpion daimyo raised the blade over his head. As he did, he felt the righteousness of his cause. His heart swelled with renewed purpose. He knew that all he hoped for would come to pass. One day soon, Bayushi Shoju would sit on the Emerald Throne. Fu Leng would be defeated.

  "I take this sword to save the empire," he said. "I will pay whatever price must be paid. Let no one stand in my way!"

  WORDS BETWEEN W
OMAN AND GIRL

  Bayushi Kachiko rubbed her feet and looked at the road ahead. As a lady of high standing, she had grown unaccustomed to walking or riding. This past week she had done a considerable amount of each.

  Her small band had moved quickly through Scorpion lands, taking full advantage of their training and magics. The mountains proved little more difficult. The isolation of the area provided a distinct advantage. They traveled openly and saw few people, except as they neared the border at Beiden Pass.

  After that, they became stealthier. The roads to Otosan Uchi were well traveled, which slowed them down considerably. The short stretch through Lion lands caused no troubles, aside from the usual border checks. Secure in their strength, the Lions did not feel threatened by their neighbors.

  This brought a smile to Kachiko's face. Though traveling unmasked for the first time in ages, she had been forced to disguise her beauty. If the Lions only knew who it was they passed so quickly through their borders ... if they only knew what she and her lord had in store for them ... but the Lion slept. The greatest threat to their clan in generations passed unnoticed beneath their noses.

  The Crane were more watchful. Bands of samurai patrolled the highways, always on guard against "suspicious types." Most outsiders and all Scorpions were included in that broad category. Fortunately, Kachiko's disguise proved more than a match for haughty Crane eyes.

  It galled her to have to bow and scrape before people who were so far beneath her. She made a note of the name of each person who treated her badly; later, when she resumed her station, she would make them pay.

  On their third day under the "protection" of the Crane, the Scorpion lady's band was accosted by bandits. The thieves came upon them in the dark as they were making camp but did not catch the Scorpions unaware.

  Before the leader of the bandits realized what was happening, Yogo Miyuki, Kachiko's shugenja, had turned the man's bones to dust. The samurai and ninja-ko made quick work of the other thirteen—though they left one alive for interrogation.

  None of Kachiko's party received any wounds.

  After determining that the bandits knew nothing of the party's true identity or mission, Kachiko sent the prisoner to his ancestors. Miyuki used one of her awful secrets to dispose of the bodies.