Riake wasn`t Master of Water at the Battle of Oblivion`s gate. At that time the Council was still incomplete, and in order to make it whole once more (so they could launch a very powerful spell) Isawa Tomo came back from the dead. Riake was made Master six months before the Phoenix-Dragon war begun.
- Although I admit I read the original link incorrectly, I find it hard to believe that the Phoenix went 30 years without a Master of Water. What exactly is your source? Because that link says only she was made Master six months before being sent to deal with some Yobanjin refugees, which presumably would have happened before their invasion in 1154. --WestonWyse 18:52, 11 Jul 2005 (UTC)
Now it's my time to make amends. As you say, Riake was was named Master six months before the yobanjin invasion, not the Dragon-Phoenix war. I read poorly.
Now, during all that time the Phoenix was indeed without a Master of water. Probably the space should have been occupied by Asako Hosigeru, but the machinations of the Lying Darkness were his doom. During all that time, the Phoenix only counted with Isawa Tomo as a de facto master of Water (none would have denied him, of course) during the battle at Volurnum, when he retuned as a spirit tio complete a powerful spell that could mobilize entire legions directly to Volturnum. This can be found in "The Race to Volturnum" (Fire & Shadow) by Ree Soesbee. However, due to the lack of Spirit Wars-related fictions, i don't know haw long Tomo acted as a Master, ut i don't think that he would have stayed after the Volturnum thing was over.