L5r - scroll 04 - The Phoenix Page 8

  "Wait!" a voice called out.

  The cry startled Tadaka; he had thought himself alone. Drawing his sword, he turned toward the sound.

  A robed figure moved through the rocks above him. The figure wore a hood, and the setting sun cast long shadows upon his face. He used a tall wooden staff to steady himself as he walked among the boulders.

  "Father?" Tadaka asked.

  The man shook his head. "No," he said. "Merely a friend." He continued to walk downhill toward the Master of Earth.

  Beneath his hat, Tadaka's eyes narrowed. "In this place? I doubt it. Stand your ground and state your purpose, or I'll kill you before you take another step."

  The figure paused, and then sat down on a tall rock. He laid his staff across his lap and laughed. "You have a strange way of treating your friends, Isawa Tadaka." The stranger wore a green cloak and a hood that shadowed his eyes. His face, what could be seen of it, was strong and masculine. A small mustache decorated his upper lip.

  Below the cloak he wore light armor over a red kimono and hakima. He carried the daisho swords of a samurai, though he wore no mon to indicate a Clan affiliation. The top end of his staff was carved into the shape of a flute. The man's eyes sparkled beneath his hood, and he said, "You're a hard man to catch up with, O Master of Earth."

  Tadaka frowned. "I've heard of you," he said. "You're called the Hooded Ronin. They say you fight the Evil One, though no one knows much about you. You've been seen in Dragon lands. Why are you here?"

  "I told you," the ronin said. "I came to see you. To warn you, actually." He picked up his staff and blew across the end of it. Strange music drifted out of the carved flute and echoed off the rocks.

  "Warn me?" Tadaka said, his eyebrows rising behind his hood. "Warn me of what?"

  "To warn you against this errand, Tadaka," the ronin said, pausing his tune for a moment. "It will be your doom."

  Tadaka crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you see the future, then?" he asked. "I hadn't heard you were a prophet."

  The Hooded Ronin shifted on his rock and laid down his staff once more. "From time to time I see shadows of things to come," he said. "Sometimes the portents are cloudy; other times, they are as clear as a summer day. I do not know what will happen to you in the Shadowlands, but I do know this: your doom awaits yonder, Isawa Tadaka. Turn back, before it is too late."

  "It is my duty to my clan and the world to go," Tadaka said.

  "Even if that duty would destroy your clan?" the ronin asked. "Even if, perhaps, it would doom the world?"

  "Are you Shinsei to talk this way of the world's end?"

  "Fu Leng is coming," the ronin said. "You know that as well as

  I."

  "That's why I must do this."

  "No, it is why you must not. There are other ways to fight the Evil One. Better ways. In your heart, you know it."

  Tadaka waved his hand dismissively and began to walk downhill. "If that's all you have to offer, I'll be going. You fight Fu Leng in your way. Leave me to fight him in mine."

  The Hooded Ronin rose and called after him. "I can't stop you," he said. "To do so would bring an even worse catastrophe. But I must try to get you to understand."

  "Go away," Tadaka replied. "I have serious work to do."

  "Very well," the ronin said. "May Amaterasu watch over you, Isawa Tadaka."

  Tadaka turned back. "And you, Ronin. We'll meet again, I'm sure."

  The ronin shook his head. "Only when the end of the world is nigh." He stepped to his right, between two rocks. Tadaka tried to follow him with his eyes, but the late afternoon sun blinded him momentarily. When the Master of Earth's vision cleared, the ronin was gone, though the eerie music from his flute still haunted the hills.

  OB

  Tadaka shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued his descent. The rocks grew smooth and black as he walked down slope— as if they'd been blasted by vast energies. The plants on the mountainside had withered and died as well. Those that survived had a twisted, unwholesome appearance.

  Soon he stood on the edge of the shadowed wasteland. He rested a moment, letting the remaining good earth lend him strength. His mind went down into the rock, into the soil beneath him. His consciousness stretched out into the land beyond.

  The darkness didn't appear all at once. Rather, it seeped along the surface, pushing the purity of Rokugan deeper and deeper until it swallowed it entirely. Tadaka knew from experience that he would still be able to call on the earth's power for a time-—though it would become more difficult the further he traveled into the Shadowlands.

  Taking a final breath, he set his left foot upon the blackened soil and walked into the heart of darkness. Gray fog quickly swallowed him.

  Time and direction held little meaning in the Shadowlands. Tadaka knew this from previous journeys. Experience alone would guide him through the cursed place while he sought his target—Yogo Junzo.

  He needed to find Junzo and uncover the secrets of the Black Scrolls. He wondered, briefly, how his fellow council members were faring on their quests. Had they returned to Kyuden Isawa yet? Or were they still struggling to retrieve the scrolls hidden by the Phoenix long ago?

  The ground beneath Tadaka's feet was alternately hard and spongy. The gray fog took on a dim glow, as if the light of day and the blackness of night flowed together here. The Master of Earth knew it would be a long time before he saw either Amat-erasu or Onnotangu—Lady Sun or Lord Moon—again. This never-ending murk sapped the will and caused travelers to make mistakes in judgment. Tadaka vowed to stay alert.

  Furtive things scuttled all round him. The noise came from plants as well as animals; some of the vegetation in this cursed place could walk. Many times he spun, his sword in hand, to confront a threatening sound. He found nothing save the cloying fog.

  Mires and crevasses waited to devour the unwary. Rivulets of poisoned water ran across Tadaka's path. Any food or water in this area undoubtedly carried the taint. Tadaka had brought provisions enough for a long quest—perhaps the longest he had ever been on.

  He remembered his last journey into the darkness. He had come seeking the Oni no Akuma, as he had many times before. The oni was a terrible demon. Long ago it had been summoned by Tadaka's ancestor, Akuma, who gave the monster his own name to bind it to his service. The demon had served only until it could slay Akuma and those he loved. After completing its revenge, the monster fled to the Shadowlands, where it lived to this day.

  As a youth, Tadaka had vowed to seek out the demon and redeem his ancestor's name. Many times he had ventured into 1 lie Shadowlands to find the monster. He saw the demon rarely, and then only fleetingly. Once he nearly defeated it, but it escaped. Another time, he was lucky to escape with his life. Mostly, his quests ended in bitter disappointment.

  Perhaps I shall find it this time, he thought. He pushed the idea aside. Oni no Akuma was not his mission, not this time.

  Already the oppressive atmosphere of the Shadowlands closed in around him. The gray mist clung to his kimono, pressing the red and black silk against his skin. The stale air invaded his nose and mouth, trying to creep into his lungs. Tadaka pulled his hood up tighter around his face, so that only his eyes showed, and said a silent prayer.

  He kept walking, listening to the earth as best he could, trying to find the path to Junzo's lair. He felt the powerful darkness of Fu Leng, far to the south and west. The earth screamed in fear at the violation of the Evil One's presence. That sound, echoing in Tadaka's mind, nearly drowned out all else. The Pit of Fu Leng, birthplace of plague and demons, festered beyond the tomb, adding to the obscene cacophony. Tadaka heard oni scrabbling across the soil like black spiders running through his skull.

  The Master of Earth found it nearly impossible to ignore the cries of the violated earth. He chanted a sutra to the Seven Fortunes and calmed his mind. These monsters, no matter how vile, were not the evils he sought today.

  Yogo lunzo's traces weren't as apparent as those of the sorcerer'
s undead master. Tadaka made his mind very quiet and listened intently. Finally, he heard it—like a twisted accompa-niement to a funeral song. He followed Junzo's whispers in the tainted earth, and walked northwest, ever deeper into the Shadowlands.

  Tadaka soon grew tired. He wondered if it were dark now in Kyuden Isawa. The sun had been setting when he met the Hooded Ronin at the edge of the blasted plain. The Master of Earth cursed himself for not waiting the night in the foothills. Another good sleep before challenging Fu Leng's realm would have served him—and his clan—better. The weariness of this land was unnatural, and the earth did not renew his strength quickly or easily. He had been rash to enter the Shadowlands as he did. This blighted country would not forgive many such mistakes.

  Out of the waste, a huge bolder jutted like a broken tooth. Tadaka found shelter on the rocky mound beneath it and gathered some stunted grasses and twigs to make a small fire. Fire would drive the mist away, at least momentarily. His spell kindled the sticks, and soon a bright yellow blaze burned.

  Tadaka drew forth a jade vial of water from inside his kimono. He put it to his lips and drank, savoring the sweet purity. Some dried seaweed completed his meal. With his eyes still open, he drifted into meditation.

  Refreshed, he stood up. The top of his wide hat brushed against the overhanging rock. He concentrated, seeking his path once more. When he felt certain of the direction, he walked to the edge of the surrounding stone. He poised his foot above the tainted soil, steeling himself to brave the dark country again.

  "Don't step in that!" a voice cried out. The sound was high and thin and had a musical quality.

  Tadaka spun but saw no one. Turning back, he lowered his foot toward the blasted soil.

  "Stop! Don't you know that's dangerous? That's the edge of a hidden mire!"

  Tadaka still saw no one. With his toe he kicked a small stone from the rocky mound onto the dirt. It landed softly and sank quickly without a sound.

  Behind his hood, Tadaka smiled. "Many thanks, my friend, whoever you are."

  "You have to be more careful, or you'll get yourself killed out here," the voice said. "This is no place for novices to be wander-ing."

  Tadaka laughed. "I'm no novice." Growing tired of talking to someone he couldn't see, he stretched out his fingers and twirled in a circle, casting about him with magical energy.

  "Hey! Watch it!" the voice cried. "Ouch! That stings!"

  Tadaka heard a soft thump and turned in time to see a small, red-skinned creature fall to the ground. It was less than half his height, the size of a small child. The creature was built like a child, too—an ill-fed one with a round belly and emaciated limbs. Its head was too large for its body, and its golden eyes were loo large for its head. It had a wide mouth filled with mismatched teeth. Small batlike wings jutted from its back.

  "Mujina," Tadaka said, sighing.

  "My name is Ob, if you must know," said the mujina. It got up off the ground and dusted itself off.

  "Begone, creature," Tadaka said, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I have no time for your games."

  "Ah, but you had time for me to save your life," Ob said. He lluttered his small wings and rose into the air. "Where I come from, that means you owe me a debt."

  Tadaka frowned. "While your warning was appreciated, it hardly saved my life. The mire is no more than an annoyance to me.

  "So you say," Ob replied. "From where I'm hovering, I'd say it was lucky you weren't killed before you ran into me."

  Tadaka decided that his best strategy was to ignore this creature. Now that he wasn't concentrating quite so hard on finding Junzo, he saw the quagmire easily enough. He discerned a path across the obstacle and started walking.

  "It seems to me," Ob said, fluttering behind the Master of Earth, "that you need a guide. I know the quickest ways back to human lands. You're going in the wrong direction, you know."

  "I'm not going to human lands," Tadaka said, walking away from the creature. "I have business in this foul place."

  "The only business most people get into here is dying," Ob said. He sped up and flew in front of Tadaka. There, he continued to float backward as the Master of Earth walked. "Only the Kuni know their way around here. If you'll pardon my saying, you're no Kuni."

  Despite himself, Tadaka smiled. "I need no companions," he said gravely. "The mission I'm on is very dangerous." Tadaka pulled his hat down to screen his face from the mujina. He kept walking.

  "More dangerous if you don't watch where you're going," Ob said. "No wonder you almost stepped into a hidden mire. Tell you what, I'll tag along with you for a while."

  "Please, don't bother."

  "It's no bother," Ob said. "You owe me a debt, and keeping me company is how you can pay it off. A guy gets lonely in a place like this, you know." He flitted forward and lifted Tadaka's hat.

  Tadaka swatted at him with one hand. "I owe you nothing," he said.

  "Well," said the mujina, "either you owe me a debt, or I'm responsible for you. Those are the two things that can happen when you save someone's life. Either way, I'm going to travel with you. You might as well get used to it."

  Annoyed, Tadaka picked up a stone. He rested it in his palm and brought his hand up to his mouth. He whispered something. The stone shot off his palm and streaked toward the mujina's body. The rock hit the creature in its wide belly, but passed harmlessly through.

  "Now that was rude!" Ob humphed. He scowled, crossed his arms over his chest, and vanished.

  Tadaka looked around, but he saw no sign of the creature. He adjusted his hat and kept walking. The smells of decay grew stronger as he went. He wasn't sure, now, how long he had been walking. Had night turned into day once more? There was no way to tell in this cursed place. The landscape surrounding him had become a uniform gray—all fog and swirling mist.

  The Shadowlands whispered around him, a disquieting sound that reminded Tadaka of a million crawling insects. The call of some fell beast echoed through the mist. Oozing, bubbling noises came as a hidden mire claimed a victim.

  "Miss me yet?" asked a voice.

  "No," Tadaka said flatly.

  Ob darted in front of the shugenja once more. "Have I been rude to you? I don't remember being rude to you. But you're certainly being rude to me."

  "I told you, mujina, I'm busy." He quickened his pace and walked past the creature.

  "I told you, rude human, my name is Ob. You haven't told me your name yet. Pretty rude, considering I saved your life."

  Tadaka paused and looked back. The mujina sat in the crook of a blasted tree. It had its hands propped on its knees and

  looked very annoyed. Tadaka peered at it, trying to discern any magical deception. He saw none. The mujina was simply what it

  was.

  "Well?" the mujina said. "Are you going to tell me your name, or must I call you 'rude human' during our travels together?"

  "For one thing," Tadaka said, "we are not traveling together. For another, I have no intention of giving my name to any creature I encounter in this forsaken place."

  "If that's the way you want to be ... " Ob flitted into the air and hovered above Tadaka's head. "Should I call you 'lord high rude human-sama,' or just 'rude-sama?'"

  Tadaka turned and strode away. He hoped that if he ignored it, the mujina would get bored and go away.

  "So, Rude-sama, tell me about yourself," Ob said.

  Tadaka didn't answer.

  "Where do you come from? Do you have family?"

  Tadaka kept walking.

  "I'm only asking so that I can notify your next of kin once you get yourself killed."

  A small rise loomed in front of the Master of Earth, and he mounted it in three quick steps. Spells to rid himself of the bothersome imp flashed through his mind, but he discarded them. No need to waste magic on this annoying creature. He crested the rise and descended toward a flat plain.

  The fog blew away, a curtain parted by invisible hands.

  Bones littered the cracked and brittle
ground before him. To his left rose the skeleton of a tree. A shadow moved in the fog on the other side of the clearing.

  "Uh-oh!" Ob said. He vanished.

  Tadaka put his hand to the hilt of his katana.

  Out of the mist stepped a tall, lean woman dressed in a white kimono. She carried a long, double-pointed spear, and wore a green, demon-faced mask. Her black hair hung down past her hips and fluttered about her as she walked. She moved like a phantom, gliding quickly over the ground.

  She spotted Tadaka and lowered her weapon for combat.

  THE WAY OF WATER

  Isawa Tomo knew he could put it off no longer. All morning he had avoided his duty, but now, the hour was growing late. Probably his brethren had completed their tasks already.

  It was not like Tomo to shirk his duties— but this errand gave him no pleasure.

  At daybreak he had sat by a river and told stories to a group of children he had never met before. He spoke of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and her husband, Onnotangu, the Lord Moon. He told tales of Shinsei and the Serene Prophet Uikku. What the children liked best, though, was to hear the exploits of Shiba Ujimitsu, the Phoenix Champion.

  Tomo didn't know Ujimitsu as well as his brother Tadaka did, but he still knew many thrilling tales of the champion. For his part, Tomo was glad to keep his young charges entertained. When the children had been called off to help their parents in the fields, Tomo busied himself elsewhere.

  He found an old woman carrying clothes to the riverbank and helped her do her wash. Like the children, she never suspected Tomo's true identity. She was happy just for the help and companionship.

  After that, he sat by the shore of Umi Amaterasu, the Sea of the Sun Goddess, and built sandcastles. The children who flocked to see his work were delighted. First he built Kyuden Isawa, then Shiro Shiba, and finally great Otosan Uchi itself. The children gathered fiddler crabs and sand hoppers to populate the castles and minnows and hermit crabs to guard the moats.