User:Majushi/Failure

Failure, by Majushi (July 2007)

Somewhere near Toshi Ranbo, 1169, the present

He had found himself a small hill to survey the city, and to try and clear his mind of unwanted thoughts. The winter wind tugged on him, although it was not as harsh as it had been in the time before the assault just barely a week ago.

Almost as if the land was trying to soothe a wound.

His hand stroked his chin, where stubble had grown from lack of shaving over the past week. His single remaining eye looked down upon the Imperial City where he could see the large crater in the merchant’s quarter, and where the Unicorn had breached the wall in the north-east of the city.

Thoughts ran to the events that had transpired here. What if's were plaguing his mind. He looked up into the sky where reports had said Sezaru had appeared, and where she had ended the threat Sezaru had become. Her face appeared in his mind's eye, and he closed his eye, trying to forget it, but memories of the last time he saw her filtered through.

--

Kyuden Isawa, a week ago.

Sitting just past the entrance chamber, he was quite enjoying a bit of chicken tempura and rice that had been brought up by a servant.

Angai was in her room, reading over reports her husband had received from some of his agents throughout the Empire. She had come to do so since marrying Sezaru, and he could hear the occasional scribble of pen on parchment as she made notes for her husband to read when he returned.

Her husband was meeting with the Elemental Masters regarding some matters too important for a lowly yojimbo to be privvy to. He just assumed it was regarding the Khan's suspected intentions. Or possibly the matter of the next Phoenix Clan Champion come to think of it.

Just as he bit into a particularly tender piece of chicken he heard a gasp from Angai's room. Dropping the food he grabbed his katana from the floor next to him and leapt over the table, pulling the blade out an inch of it's scabbard. Racing towards her room he was at the door in only seconds, and he slid the door open just in time to see his charge disappear using magic.

Muttering a curse he ran over to the table where she had been sitting to see if anything in the scrolls had caused this reaction. Seeing nothing obvious he cursed again.

Moments later a commotion was stirring out in the street, and he went out to see what was happening. Messengers were speeding off in every direction, and everywhere he looked he saw soldiers heading towards the main assembly area nearby.

--

Kyuden Isawa, a couple of hours later.

The Khan. In his mind he cursed the Unicorn Champion as foully as he knew how. And having been stationed on the Kaiu Kabe, where the Crab were more than willing to teach foul language, that was saying something.

The Phoenix army was as ready as it was going to be. Shugenja had traveled to other cities and castles to ready as many as could be spared. As soon as news reached him that the Phoenix were mobilizing he had approached his father requesting to lead an advance party. His father, busy organizing one of the legions going, had told him they were not ready to go.

The Phoenix could not afford to loose the element of surprise. It was fortunate there had not been anybody there to hear the words he had uttered to his father. The backhand he had received would most definitely have been a sword to the throat had there been witnesses to his curses. Damn those Crab.

Luckily his father had agreed to bring him along, and as the armies were beginning to leave for the capital all he could think about was that he hoped he could still save her.

-

Toshi Ranbo, hours later.

The Phoenix army washed over the Lion, Crane, Mantis and Unicorn fighting in the streets and outside the city walls. Fighting was stopped within the hour of their arrival, and only a few more lives had been lost.

Luckily few of those were Phoenix.

He began his inquiries as soon as he was able, and learned quickly of the appearance of a madman in the sky hurling fire and thunder down upon the city. His hope waned with every person he spoke to, every re-telling of a beautiful women floating up to the madman, and every time he heard of the explosion he could almost feel the wave of heat. After speaking to the tenth person describing the same event, a chubby merchant picking up the remains of what used to be his sake house, he could not bear it any longer.

The next few days were a hazy blur thankfully, spent mostly in a small sake house that no-one came to. Having not officially been a part of the Phoenix army he was not sought out by any commanding officers demanding he sober up and get back to his post. What little coin he had paid for more sake, and when that ran out he was forced to sober up.

-

Somewhere near Toshi Ranbo, the present

Shiba Majushi looked again to the place where the reports had said Sezaru and Angai had died. The wind was getting colder, but it did not bother him anymore. Little did.

A single tear had streaked it's way down his cheek, and dried in the wind. He fought the urge to wipe his cheek. He closed his eye and bowed his head. He prayed for her forgiveness, as he had done so many times previously that week.

As he stood there a feeling came over him. He had not felt this since he first met Angai, and that girl he had fallen in love with when he was twelve. He could sense her spirit somewhere to the east. His new charge. Majushi looked up towards the place where Angai had died once more, then turned and walked towards his horse nearby.

His heart was as cold as stone, but he had a purpose now. He would not fail his next charge like he had failed Angai.