Tatsuo stops and looks at the sun. “We should get going to pay our own respects.”
Momo huffs, “No ending then, lord Uesuki?”
Tatsuo smiles. “I’m afraid that’s where we have to stop.” He looks to the north.
Drasta backs him up, “It was traumatizing for us both. We were there. We watched the whole affair and grieved after. You are welcome to come with us but please respect our own thoughts at the shrine.”
Momo nods silently and helps her sister up. She says, “We will come with you. There is no more danger from Oni or that winged dragon. They are all gone now as if the wind swept them away.”
Tatsuo takes on a grim visage, “It was not the wind that swept them away. It was a fire that cleansed the land.”
The get up and go back to the inn. The two sisters peel off to a small home. They retrieve a pair of horses. Tatsuo and Drasta mount up and wait.
They start up the trail north of the village. Small saplings are starting to infringe what once was a road for wagons carrying refined ore from the quarry village. As they ride along there is nothing but the sounds of birds. The horses lazy trotting scatter small predators before they are seen. “Almost to the other village Momo asks could you at least tell us about the journey?” Seeming to feel that there was something between the pair that will never be said about what happened that fateful day when Tatsuo’s grandmother fought the dragon.
Drasta looks at Tatsuo. He simply nods. She slows her horse down even further so that he is in the lead and the three women can converse.
“As Tatsuo said we waited a few hours before leaving. Tatsuo purposely procrastinated getting his gear and mounting his tackle on his kisouma. I looked at him for an explanation. He told me that Miwa has two horses and a wagon full of equipment. She would be slower and if she saw our fires she would get suspicious. Remember she ordered us not to follow her. I shook my head saying, “I understand.”
I guess he felt the need to explain further. You know how lawyers are.”
Tatsuo shakes his head out in front, “You know I can hear you.”
Drasta smirks, “He said, “Drasta, you know grandmother as much as I do. She's building both her bloodlust and resolve. Do you truly want to meet someone like that at her level of expertise in that condition, especially when we are disobeying her orders?"
It went sort of back and forth from there. I told him, “The burden is not only hers and I made it clear the day I came here.”
He responded by saying, “She's sacrificing herself so no one else dies. We have a child. We are especially on her mind. And by what grandfather says she is the only one that can handle this threat. She's immune to fire completely. That dragon would melt you or me with a cough from what he said. It is as though she was meant for this moment."
I shook my head and told him, “Miwa will be with her long after she dies as a spirit attached....I am to always protect her and watch over as Kyo ordered. I have imperial order to protect your bloodline.”
In typical lawyer logic he told me, “Yes.........The bloodline, Drasta. It’s the bloodline that you are protecting not any one individual of that bloodline. I know you have been friends for scores of years, but she is just one member of that bloodline."
We continued on the road for some time without speaking. Neither of us wanted to give in to the other and there were other things on my mind. Such as Tatsuo not wanting to sign the papers.”
Tatsuo shrugs. Momo says, “You have come to our land to become an honored guard. You have a noble daughter. There are rules for noble women. You could have had a daughter with a peasant, but you choose not to. The rules and traditions must be upheld to maintain the empire and the wishes of the 8 million gods.”
Drasta says, “Even though he never did sign the papers he did give me his word on some things. We have a verbal agreement if Siora chooses another path.
We rode the long journey for several days until we came upon a familiar mountain valley where there was a town. Your town. We saw it was half burnt down and the rest of it abandoned. Again, we saw many of the stone foundations seemed to have melted like the village to the north. As I looked down at the carnage I mentioned, “Odd but it makes sense.” As we looked for the wagon marks. Along the road.
Tatsuo looking over the scene said, “You were right; dragon or not it seems to be stretching is territory, but it cannot stretch it too far or it may encounter a true dragon and that would be bad for it."
I nodded and affirmed, “Yes… It’s different that those of this place.”
We went down into the town. As we moved through it was eerily silent. The wind was dead. The air warm but we could still feel chills down our backs. As we got to the north gate, we could see what we thought might have been Daimyo Tohiki and his first wife side by side. They did not turn or run. They died on their feet together trying to battle something they did not comprehend.”
Drasta winces, Tatsuo then responded while studying the area, “Several weeks ago, I think. Hard to judge by the sever burning. Yet nothing came to consume them. A bad omen when even the wolves and vultures will not feed."
I nodded, “They were cooked alive. If you touch them, they will crumble to ash…”
He nodded and said, “Let us move on then. It’s getting late.”
It was a grand tragedy to see your father and mother like that. I am sorry for both of you losing them. They were good rulers.”
We started up the path to the Shinobi village. There were no animal sounds, no birds chirping like now. Nothing called out as evening came. Even the rush of wind seemed to have died. 30 minutes up the trail we saw the first heads. There were 8 oni heads mounted on straight branches cut from trees. They were makeshift poles pounded into the grown. There was blood everywhere around them. The bodies of the ogres had been rolled down the hill.
I looked at the scene and said, “It’s fresh we need to keep moving.” Tatsuo simply nodded to me silently. As we walked… We had left the horses back in the town, we occasionally saw new heads on those makeshift poles. There were 6 here, 12 there. It had been a bloodbath. At each scene the bodies were either rolled down a hill or piled up near the heads.
I shuddered and said to him, “Go… Go back. Take care of our daughter.” Tatsuo just shook his head and continued on.
Just before we got to the village there was a group of oni heads on poles. It looked like they had set up a defensive position. There were wooden barricades and a total of 27 of heads on poles. The blood was so thick on the ground it had formed puddles along the road. On the last pole, along with the head, there was hung, Miwa’s blood bow, her great Daikyu, along with two sheaths of arrows. I stared at it and said, “Tatsuo…”
He looked at it and asked, “Why would she leave her bow here?”
I responded, “The fight no longer requires it.” I took it and placed it in his hands. He tried to draw it. It has a hundred- and twenty-pound draw weight. He struggled somewhat but drew it back. He then took one of the sheaths and drew an arrow. The tip of it was made of ice. He sucked in his breath saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
I smirked knowing the workmanship, “You won’t ever again… Is it too much?”
He placed the arrow in the notch and slowly pulled it back and let it go. It sailed high and fast hitting a tree where it bit in the bark and exploded. I nodded and pulled my own bow concentrating and splitting his own arrow making a larger explosion. “She already knew.”
He looked at the bow then up the trail, “She knows we are here. Somehow, she knows. She wouldn't leave the bow here otherwise but why?"
I just looked up the hill sadly and commented to him, “Because she knows what is to come. Let’s go.”
We went into the wood up a hill so we could observe without being seen. When we found a good hidden position overlooking the village we saw fire light in the old burnt-out villa. Tatsuo looking there says, “She'll be meditating. we need to find a spot in the woods out of view, so she doesn't see us."
I looked at him confused, “Yes, but she already knows we are here…”
He thought a long time about it, and I guess all his experiences with his grandmother then said, “It's not the right time to show ourselves."
We found ourselves a place among the trees to watch from a safe vantage. We rested and traded watches halfway through the night. In the morning as we got up and looked down upon the village, we could pick out faintly the wagon and two horses slowly moving north towards the quarry on the side of the mountain. Tatsuo led the way cautiously and found another good vantage point to view the mine.
We slowly trailed her then Tatsuo switched to the high ground. As we came upon the quarry from the other side of the hill, we say that it was carved out of the mountainside and down like a great bowl. In the middle of the bowl slept a wester dragon that was a little over a hundred feet long tip to tail and with a wingspan about the same size: about 100 ft. It was an old wyrm red dragon.”
Story by MaxPD and Wintherhawk99
Following in the Footsteps of Another
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Winterhawk99
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Winterhawk99
- Posts: 2143
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:00 am
- ctp: Yes
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Re: Following in the Footsteps of Another
They travel past the old Shinobi village. Now the buildings are all collapsed, even the villa. There are places in the ground where sinkholes have formed as a few of the tunnels under them have also collapsed. They pick their way carefully through it and up the path to the quarry.
There along one of the side walls stands an altar. Ten feet before it is a Torii. The four dismount walking to it. They all bow and pass the Torii going from the realm of the mundane to the realm of spirit. Tatsuo and Drasta start to clean the shrine. They replace anything weathered and shine the offering bowls. Even replacing the incense holders. Momo and Hisoka ask politely to help. The pair nods to them.
When all is done, they light incense and put it in its place. Tatsuo offers fruit and rice. Drasta brings out some giant squid meat on ice and offers it. The two sisters stand and watch over them. Tatsuo and Drasta meditate, bringing them both back to that historic day 4 years ago.
They see Miwa coming up from the other side of the quarry. There are canyons cut out as miners found veins spreading out from the bow. Mesa like buttes rise from the alleys some 15 to 20 ft. There are piles of bone everywhere from dead samurai, Onna-bugeisha, horses and other livestock. They are arranged in pyramid like cairns displayed on the tops of the canyons like trophies. The dragon seems to be sleeping.
Miwa detaches the horses and puts the barding on the cart on both of them. Drasta whispers to Tatsuo, “She means to fight it alone… That’s suicide!”
Miwa takes out several large sacks. She moves to the south side of the quarry being careful not to be seen then pulls out fists of powder throwing it out and around like she’s seeding a field. She does this back to the horses and beyond all the way to the north end. She comes back to the cart. With the last bag she rubs the powder all over herself and the horses. The smell of cloves starts to permeate the air around them.
Tatsuo looks curiously at Drasta, “What is she doing?”
She states, “Protection so it cannot sense where she is. It’s an old tactic. Smell like what is around, and the enemy cannot smell you.”
Miwa goes to the back of the wagon and takes long rods out. As she screws each piece together and locks each into place with clamps They see she's putting two sectional heavy lances together. She's extremely careful putting the tips of the lance in place so as not to shake them overmuch. Tatsuo whispers, "What kind of weapon are those?" Each lance looks like it’s about 24 ft long.
“Shin made them...They’re meant to pierce scales.” Drasta responds.
Miwa goes down into the canyon carrying a lance on foot. She finds a shelf and carefully balances the heavy pole arm on it horizontally. She goes back and gets the other one. As she does the pair can see the dragon open one eye then close it again. Miwa has been out of its sight line because she was in the canyon. The horses and cart are also blocked by the hills. Tatsuo slides back deeper behind the tree. "You don’t think it saw us, did you?"
Drasta is watching… studying Miwa thinking she’s crazy. She slides her yes to Tatsuo. “I think we are fine here.
Miwa balances the other lance on another shelf not far away from the first but closer to the dragon. She then takes one horse and places it 50 yards from the first lance. She then places her helm on and mounts the other percheron. Tatsuo taps Drasta on her shoulder, “We need to work our way down using cover and get closer I think.”
Drasta tells him, “Stay quiet and hidden. Let’s go, yes.”
They work their way down behind the hillock to get closer. Miwa is still in front of them. She meditates for several minutes. That’s when the dragon lifts its head. Tatsuo and Drasta find cover. The dragon says in a booming voice, “Smart, I cannot smell you, but I know you are here. Another samurai come to be a meal? I will wait and you will die. Come then. Come to your doom."
Miwa finds a slop up to one of the buttes. She slowly trots out in full view of the dragon proudly. She comes within 75 feet, stops and just stares at it. Tatsuo's jaw drops. "What the hell is she doing?"
Drasta whispers, “Quiet.”
If a dragon could laugh it would, “A woman. Well at least you will have more tasty fat than the last one.” She takes off her helm and mask, then stares it straight in the face. Drasta grips Tatsuo’s arm not letting him move. The dragon laughs at her. "An old greying woman past her prime. You aren't even worth eating. So, what will it be a spear, one of those curved polearms? Or will it be one of those tiny, curved swords?" He chuckles again. Go home woman! You are not worth the effort.”
Tatsuo is amped up to the max. “Drasta? What is she doing and what is the dragon saying?”
Drasta is solely focused on Miwa, “Don’t… Don’t do it Miwa. Leave like he asks…”
Miwa turns the horse around and trots off the butte and down the slope. She stops at the mouth of the canyon for a deep breath Then sets her spurs in the horse's flanks. Woman and horse charge down the canyon. She passes the first lance and grabs up the second, placing the rim on the lance rest.
The dragon hears it and prepares himself. His great wings lift and he sucks in his breath. Miwa comes out in the open charging the dragon. He is so surprised by her charging with a western lance he becomes paralyzed for a moment. She doesn't aim the lance toward its body. Instead, she aims for the bone that comes off of his body on the wing. The outside joint that separates to the other bones of the wing structure.
The lance pierces the joint dead on. It goes half-way through and there is a great explosion. The entire joint is destroyed and there is a 15-foot hole where the that part of the wing disintegrated. The dragon rears up and roars throwing fire straight up into the air. Miwa charges under it and breaks for a canyon exit. What is left of the dragon’s wing folds back upon its side. The dragon cries out. "Commendable little human but I will use my magic now to destroy you."
Miwa goes back to her original position then up the slope to the butte again. She rides back to the place where he spoke to her. Then in a clear and loud voice she says in Draconic, "You have no magic dragon! All dragons that play the game of Xorvintaal give up their magic to play the game! You have no magic dragon and now you cannot fly!"
The dragon's eyes go wild and he sucks in his breath giving her a full blast of his breath weapon, luckily Drasta and Tatsuo are to the side. Her and the horse are enveloped in flames. When the smoke clears, she and the horse are both still there. The dragon is dumbfounded.
Miwa shouts out in Draconic, "Thank you! For making me stronger!" She turns the horse around and goes back down the slope. There she dismounts as the horse's knees buckle. It neighs and goes to the ground. She runs to the other horse.
Drasta whispers to Tatsuo, “We can’t intervene.”
He looks at her angerly, “Why not?”
“It is her mission it would not bring her honor. No matter what happens it is her honor.”
"Can we get closer, Drasta?" She can tell he’s trying to figure things out.
“Carefully yes…” they work their way even closer. As they cross the boundary to the canyons Tatsuo takes some dirt and spreads it over his armor. They get a better view, but they are now less than 100 yards from the dragon behind some boulders.
Miwa mounts the other horse and charges it she picks up the second lance the dragon gets ready. She goes to the open field. The dragon breaths another breath at her. She charges through it and strikes with the lance at his chest. There is an explosion but this time the lance doesn’t penetrate. The dragon has no damage at all. She rides through drawing the edge of destiny and strikes at the claws coming at her. The sword bounces off of one and the dragon hits the horse sending it and her flying 30 ft back. She tumbles to the ground and recovers the horse dies as it hits the wall of the canyon.
The dragon turns its muzzle to her, "Yes, the game takes away a dragon's magic, but it gives us something in return. In my case, impenetrable scales! Now comes your end!"
Miwa draws both her swords and comes straight at the dragon. Its maw comes down and envelopes her body. It lifts its head in victory and then the pair hear something. It sounds like a muffled sonic boom. Half the dragon's teeth are blown out of the left side of its mouth!
The dragon shakes its head. Then they see a little blue pin prick come out of its left eye. A shining blue light that sparkles. The dragon shakes its head again and blows fire out of its mouth and something else. It's Miwa's body. She hits the wall of the canyon and lays there. As they look, they see she is still alive. She's missing her right leg at mid-thigh and her left arm up to the elbow.
The dragon's left eye goes dim as the edge of divinity is embedded into it from the inside.
The dragon's head turns in her direction. "YOU MISSED MY BRAIN!"
Miwa laughs through the pain and calls out to him, "YOU ARE RIGHT, DRAGON! I MISSED YOUR BRAIN BUT HE WON'T" She then calls out in high shou, "TATSUO! NOW! THE EYE SOCKET!"
Tatsuo looks at Drasta questioningly as the dragon looks around for another foe. Drasta laughs dangerously, “Yes!” She jumps out from cover at the other side of the canyon shooting it in the side to distract it. Tatsuo quickly pulls two arrows while the dragon is trying to scan the area. He too comes out of cover. He draws back and shoots then draws back and shoots again dashing back behind the boulder.
The first arrow misses the eye socket and hits the lid. It bounces off and explodes. The second flies true and goes straight in. The dragon’s head falls. They all hear a thud. It dies before its head even touches the ground. Tatsuo and Drasta rush to Miwa.
Story by MaxPd and Winterhawk99
There along one of the side walls stands an altar. Ten feet before it is a Torii. The four dismount walking to it. They all bow and pass the Torii going from the realm of the mundane to the realm of spirit. Tatsuo and Drasta start to clean the shrine. They replace anything weathered and shine the offering bowls. Even replacing the incense holders. Momo and Hisoka ask politely to help. The pair nods to them.
When all is done, they light incense and put it in its place. Tatsuo offers fruit and rice. Drasta brings out some giant squid meat on ice and offers it. The two sisters stand and watch over them. Tatsuo and Drasta meditate, bringing them both back to that historic day 4 years ago.
They see Miwa coming up from the other side of the quarry. There are canyons cut out as miners found veins spreading out from the bow. Mesa like buttes rise from the alleys some 15 to 20 ft. There are piles of bone everywhere from dead samurai, Onna-bugeisha, horses and other livestock. They are arranged in pyramid like cairns displayed on the tops of the canyons like trophies. The dragon seems to be sleeping.
Miwa detaches the horses and puts the barding on the cart on both of them. Drasta whispers to Tatsuo, “She means to fight it alone… That’s suicide!”
Miwa takes out several large sacks. She moves to the south side of the quarry being careful not to be seen then pulls out fists of powder throwing it out and around like she’s seeding a field. She does this back to the horses and beyond all the way to the north end. She comes back to the cart. With the last bag she rubs the powder all over herself and the horses. The smell of cloves starts to permeate the air around them.
Tatsuo looks curiously at Drasta, “What is she doing?”
She states, “Protection so it cannot sense where she is. It’s an old tactic. Smell like what is around, and the enemy cannot smell you.”
Miwa goes to the back of the wagon and takes long rods out. As she screws each piece together and locks each into place with clamps They see she's putting two sectional heavy lances together. She's extremely careful putting the tips of the lance in place so as not to shake them overmuch. Tatsuo whispers, "What kind of weapon are those?" Each lance looks like it’s about 24 ft long.
“Shin made them...They’re meant to pierce scales.” Drasta responds.
Miwa goes down into the canyon carrying a lance on foot. She finds a shelf and carefully balances the heavy pole arm on it horizontally. She goes back and gets the other one. As she does the pair can see the dragon open one eye then close it again. Miwa has been out of its sight line because she was in the canyon. The horses and cart are also blocked by the hills. Tatsuo slides back deeper behind the tree. "You don’t think it saw us, did you?"
Drasta is watching… studying Miwa thinking she’s crazy. She slides her yes to Tatsuo. “I think we are fine here.
Miwa balances the other lance on another shelf not far away from the first but closer to the dragon. She then takes one horse and places it 50 yards from the first lance. She then places her helm on and mounts the other percheron. Tatsuo taps Drasta on her shoulder, “We need to work our way down using cover and get closer I think.”
Drasta tells him, “Stay quiet and hidden. Let’s go, yes.”
They work their way down behind the hillock to get closer. Miwa is still in front of them. She meditates for several minutes. That’s when the dragon lifts its head. Tatsuo and Drasta find cover. The dragon says in a booming voice, “Smart, I cannot smell you, but I know you are here. Another samurai come to be a meal? I will wait and you will die. Come then. Come to your doom."
Miwa finds a slop up to one of the buttes. She slowly trots out in full view of the dragon proudly. She comes within 75 feet, stops and just stares at it. Tatsuo's jaw drops. "What the hell is she doing?"
Drasta whispers, “Quiet.”
If a dragon could laugh it would, “A woman. Well at least you will have more tasty fat than the last one.” She takes off her helm and mask, then stares it straight in the face. Drasta grips Tatsuo’s arm not letting him move. The dragon laughs at her. "An old greying woman past her prime. You aren't even worth eating. So, what will it be a spear, one of those curved polearms? Or will it be one of those tiny, curved swords?" He chuckles again. Go home woman! You are not worth the effort.”
Tatsuo is amped up to the max. “Drasta? What is she doing and what is the dragon saying?”
Drasta is solely focused on Miwa, “Don’t… Don’t do it Miwa. Leave like he asks…”
Miwa turns the horse around and trots off the butte and down the slope. She stops at the mouth of the canyon for a deep breath Then sets her spurs in the horse's flanks. Woman and horse charge down the canyon. She passes the first lance and grabs up the second, placing the rim on the lance rest.
The dragon hears it and prepares himself. His great wings lift and he sucks in his breath. Miwa comes out in the open charging the dragon. He is so surprised by her charging with a western lance he becomes paralyzed for a moment. She doesn't aim the lance toward its body. Instead, she aims for the bone that comes off of his body on the wing. The outside joint that separates to the other bones of the wing structure.
The lance pierces the joint dead on. It goes half-way through and there is a great explosion. The entire joint is destroyed and there is a 15-foot hole where the that part of the wing disintegrated. The dragon rears up and roars throwing fire straight up into the air. Miwa charges under it and breaks for a canyon exit. What is left of the dragon’s wing folds back upon its side. The dragon cries out. "Commendable little human but I will use my magic now to destroy you."
Miwa goes back to her original position then up the slope to the butte again. She rides back to the place where he spoke to her. Then in a clear and loud voice she says in Draconic, "You have no magic dragon! All dragons that play the game of Xorvintaal give up their magic to play the game! You have no magic dragon and now you cannot fly!"
The dragon's eyes go wild and he sucks in his breath giving her a full blast of his breath weapon, luckily Drasta and Tatsuo are to the side. Her and the horse are enveloped in flames. When the smoke clears, she and the horse are both still there. The dragon is dumbfounded.
Miwa shouts out in Draconic, "Thank you! For making me stronger!" She turns the horse around and goes back down the slope. There she dismounts as the horse's knees buckle. It neighs and goes to the ground. She runs to the other horse.
Drasta whispers to Tatsuo, “We can’t intervene.”
He looks at her angerly, “Why not?”
“It is her mission it would not bring her honor. No matter what happens it is her honor.”
"Can we get closer, Drasta?" She can tell he’s trying to figure things out.
“Carefully yes…” they work their way even closer. As they cross the boundary to the canyons Tatsuo takes some dirt and spreads it over his armor. They get a better view, but they are now less than 100 yards from the dragon behind some boulders.
Miwa mounts the other horse and charges it she picks up the second lance the dragon gets ready. She goes to the open field. The dragon breaths another breath at her. She charges through it and strikes with the lance at his chest. There is an explosion but this time the lance doesn’t penetrate. The dragon has no damage at all. She rides through drawing the edge of destiny and strikes at the claws coming at her. The sword bounces off of one and the dragon hits the horse sending it and her flying 30 ft back. She tumbles to the ground and recovers the horse dies as it hits the wall of the canyon.
The dragon turns its muzzle to her, "Yes, the game takes away a dragon's magic, but it gives us something in return. In my case, impenetrable scales! Now comes your end!"
Miwa draws both her swords and comes straight at the dragon. Its maw comes down and envelopes her body. It lifts its head in victory and then the pair hear something. It sounds like a muffled sonic boom. Half the dragon's teeth are blown out of the left side of its mouth!
The dragon shakes its head. Then they see a little blue pin prick come out of its left eye. A shining blue light that sparkles. The dragon shakes its head again and blows fire out of its mouth and something else. It's Miwa's body. She hits the wall of the canyon and lays there. As they look, they see she is still alive. She's missing her right leg at mid-thigh and her left arm up to the elbow.
The dragon's left eye goes dim as the edge of divinity is embedded into it from the inside.
The dragon's head turns in her direction. "YOU MISSED MY BRAIN!"
Miwa laughs through the pain and calls out to him, "YOU ARE RIGHT, DRAGON! I MISSED YOUR BRAIN BUT HE WON'T" She then calls out in high shou, "TATSUO! NOW! THE EYE SOCKET!"
Tatsuo looks at Drasta questioningly as the dragon looks around for another foe. Drasta laughs dangerously, “Yes!” She jumps out from cover at the other side of the canyon shooting it in the side to distract it. Tatsuo quickly pulls two arrows while the dragon is trying to scan the area. He too comes out of cover. He draws back and shoots then draws back and shoots again dashing back behind the boulder.
The first arrow misses the eye socket and hits the lid. It bounces off and explodes. The second flies true and goes straight in. The dragon’s head falls. They all hear a thud. It dies before its head even touches the ground. Tatsuo and Drasta rush to Miwa.
Story by MaxPd and Winterhawk99
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Winterhawk99
- Posts: 2143
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:00 am
- ctp: Yes
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Re: Following in the Footsteps of Another
Drasta jumps over to her first. “Are you okay?”
Tatsuo is right behind her. Miwa is going into shock. She smiles and says, "My grandson the dragonslayer." She laughs and cries at the same time.
Drasta grabs her shoulders, “Miwa stay with me!”
Tatsuo says, "You slayed the dragon grandmother. I just helped and that's all that anyone will know." Drasta nods back to him while holding her.
Miwa coughs, “I'm dying. I know. I feel the pull. Take care of the family both of you." She winces and cries out in pain. "I love you both and am glad you came together. Watch out for each other and the family."
Tears come to Drasta’s eyes. “No!... Not yet…”
Miwa puts the palm of her hand to Drasta’s cheek “Drasta everyone has their time. I have lived a full and long life. I’m ready. Her face and hand start to glow a deep red. A fire from within seems to have been lit.
“No! fuck no!” Drasta expels all of her fey energy trying to keep Miwa alive. The fire still burns. Tatsuo tries to help but doesn't know what to do. The skin on Miwa’s fingers turns to ash and begin to be taken by the wind. Eventually her fingers are burned away.
Miwa starts to become consumed by her own inner fire. "Everyone dies Drasta. Everyone has their time of reckoning."
Drasta huffs crying holding Miwa close. “Let her still have you.”
The embers consume the palm of her hand while they are still on Drasta’s cheek. She slowly burns away and becomes ash there is nothing left of her. As the last of her body disintegrates Tatsuo and Drasta notice a large shadow pass them from above as if a cloud passed by but much too quickly.
Drasta frozen in despair is frozen in her spot holding nothing. She’s crying slightly. They hear a giant thud behind them. Tatsuo looks over and backs up quickly. Drasta’s sadness turns to rage hearing the thud. She turns around seeing that an old huge green dragon has landed near them. It pushes and drags the red wyrm’s body out of the bowl of the quarry and starts to dig. It turns its head their way for a moment then looks down and continues digging.
Drasta stares it down pulling a bow with a black arrow firing it without hesitation. The arrow bounces off its scales. It seems unconcerned. It finds something then comes out of the bowl. They see in its claws is an orb the size of boulder. The magic in the orb is immense, almost blinding. It is an orb Drasta only knows in legend from the times before the crown wars. A dragon orb created by elves to destroy dragon kind. It holds the orb up and looks at it saying in draconic, "And so the game has been played out, and I have the victory and the prize! It then turns its head at Drasta and Tatsuo. "Ah the pawns and where is your Queen of fire?! I owe her a debt of gratitude!"
Drasta fires more arrows at him exploding on its skin. “Orochi!”
"Why would you fire at an ally: You stupid pawn! Did you think your presence here was your choice? No Drasta the besshikime. Did you think your queen of fire was here by choice? No! From the time she was born I saw her potential. I pulled the strings of fate to mold and make her to become the woman she is now. She is my greatest creation. From the death of her mother to the insanity of her father it was I that twisted her destiny. She is a great woman because of me and my workings around her. Everything she did was directed by my hand. now put down that silly weapon. Where is your Queen of Fire!?"
Drasta screams out, “She was greater than anything you ever designed.” The dragon seems amused by that. Drasta collapses to the ground.
"Dead! Ah there is the rub." He breaths in considering the knowledge. “That I did not foresee. Still the game is won and now I am the grand champion. It is too bad.” He looks at the other dragon and sees the tip of her sword in its eye socket. "The edge of divinity"
She stands and shakes her fist at it, “It doesn’t belong to you!”
He then looks back at the orb then the two of them. Tatsuo is silent, eyes wide not knowing what to do. The dragon says, “I have my prize, the dragon orb. And that will be my gratitude to my queen's memory. I will let you keep it. Perhaps one day we will meet again pawns though perhaps next time...... you will no longer be pawns. I must go now that the game is played out the spirit dragons will be able to see me. Good-bye pawns. We may meet again."
She huffs angrily and hard. The dragon jumps spreading and flapping its wings. It starts to fly east and disappears in the distance. Drasta and Tatsuo move collecting Miwa’s dust into a bag. Tatsuo is in shock. Tears flowing down his eyes. “Fucking hells!” Drasta says as she cries. Tears flow freely from both their faces.
Tatsuo asks, “Was this all over a fucking game?"
“Their game it always was… I tried to warn you.” He just shakes his head.
She pushes her head onto Tatsuo’s shoulder crying. “She was my closest friend.”
He hugs her. “She was my grandmother. I hate dragons now.”
“We need to go...we need to report...” She wipes her own tears away. “She killed it.”
He nods. He goes to the task of retrieving the edge of divinity and the edge of thunder. she brings their sheaths to him nodding.
Its late before They get back to their horses. Both Miwa's Percherons are dead. One died against the canyon wall the other died of sustained burn injuries in the places the barding could not protect. Tatsuo and Drasta begin their way home silently, each rerunning memories in their heads. As they go down the weed choked trail to the town Tatsuo holds out his hand. Drasta takes it holding it firmly with love. They ride into the abandoned town hand in hand sharing the grief and memories of a true lady and warrior of Kozakura.
Tatsuo and Drasta come out of their meditation. Momo and Hisoka are staring at them. Momo says, “Lady Hojo didn’t kill that dragon, did she?”
Drasta looks at Tatsuo, and he at her. Tatsuo then looks at the two sisters. Lady Miwa, my grandmother The hummingbird killed that dragon. That’s what the history books will say and that’s all that anyone will know.
Story by MaxPd and Winterhawk99
Tatsuo is right behind her. Miwa is going into shock. She smiles and says, "My grandson the dragonslayer." She laughs and cries at the same time.
Drasta grabs her shoulders, “Miwa stay with me!”
Tatsuo says, "You slayed the dragon grandmother. I just helped and that's all that anyone will know." Drasta nods back to him while holding her.
Miwa coughs, “I'm dying. I know. I feel the pull. Take care of the family both of you." She winces and cries out in pain. "I love you both and am glad you came together. Watch out for each other and the family."
Tears come to Drasta’s eyes. “No!... Not yet…”
Miwa puts the palm of her hand to Drasta’s cheek “Drasta everyone has their time. I have lived a full and long life. I’m ready. Her face and hand start to glow a deep red. A fire from within seems to have been lit.
“No! fuck no!” Drasta expels all of her fey energy trying to keep Miwa alive. The fire still burns. Tatsuo tries to help but doesn't know what to do. The skin on Miwa’s fingers turns to ash and begin to be taken by the wind. Eventually her fingers are burned away.
Miwa starts to become consumed by her own inner fire. "Everyone dies Drasta. Everyone has their time of reckoning."
Drasta huffs crying holding Miwa close. “Let her still have you.”
The embers consume the palm of her hand while they are still on Drasta’s cheek. She slowly burns away and becomes ash there is nothing left of her. As the last of her body disintegrates Tatsuo and Drasta notice a large shadow pass them from above as if a cloud passed by but much too quickly.
Drasta frozen in despair is frozen in her spot holding nothing. She’s crying slightly. They hear a giant thud behind them. Tatsuo looks over and backs up quickly. Drasta’s sadness turns to rage hearing the thud. She turns around seeing that an old huge green dragon has landed near them. It pushes and drags the red wyrm’s body out of the bowl of the quarry and starts to dig. It turns its head their way for a moment then looks down and continues digging.
Drasta stares it down pulling a bow with a black arrow firing it without hesitation. The arrow bounces off its scales. It seems unconcerned. It finds something then comes out of the bowl. They see in its claws is an orb the size of boulder. The magic in the orb is immense, almost blinding. It is an orb Drasta only knows in legend from the times before the crown wars. A dragon orb created by elves to destroy dragon kind. It holds the orb up and looks at it saying in draconic, "And so the game has been played out, and I have the victory and the prize! It then turns its head at Drasta and Tatsuo. "Ah the pawns and where is your Queen of fire?! I owe her a debt of gratitude!"
Drasta fires more arrows at him exploding on its skin. “Orochi!”
"Why would you fire at an ally: You stupid pawn! Did you think your presence here was your choice? No Drasta the besshikime. Did you think your queen of fire was here by choice? No! From the time she was born I saw her potential. I pulled the strings of fate to mold and make her to become the woman she is now. She is my greatest creation. From the death of her mother to the insanity of her father it was I that twisted her destiny. She is a great woman because of me and my workings around her. Everything she did was directed by my hand. now put down that silly weapon. Where is your Queen of Fire!?"
Drasta screams out, “She was greater than anything you ever designed.” The dragon seems amused by that. Drasta collapses to the ground.
"Dead! Ah there is the rub." He breaths in considering the knowledge. “That I did not foresee. Still the game is won and now I am the grand champion. It is too bad.” He looks at the other dragon and sees the tip of her sword in its eye socket. "The edge of divinity"
She stands and shakes her fist at it, “It doesn’t belong to you!”
He then looks back at the orb then the two of them. Tatsuo is silent, eyes wide not knowing what to do. The dragon says, “I have my prize, the dragon orb. And that will be my gratitude to my queen's memory. I will let you keep it. Perhaps one day we will meet again pawns though perhaps next time...... you will no longer be pawns. I must go now that the game is played out the spirit dragons will be able to see me. Good-bye pawns. We may meet again."
She huffs angrily and hard. The dragon jumps spreading and flapping its wings. It starts to fly east and disappears in the distance. Drasta and Tatsuo move collecting Miwa’s dust into a bag. Tatsuo is in shock. Tears flowing down his eyes. “Fucking hells!” Drasta says as she cries. Tears flow freely from both their faces.
Tatsuo asks, “Was this all over a fucking game?"
“Their game it always was… I tried to warn you.” He just shakes his head.
She pushes her head onto Tatsuo’s shoulder crying. “She was my closest friend.”
He hugs her. “She was my grandmother. I hate dragons now.”
“We need to go...we need to report...” She wipes her own tears away. “She killed it.”
He nods. He goes to the task of retrieving the edge of divinity and the edge of thunder. she brings their sheaths to him nodding.
Its late before They get back to their horses. Both Miwa's Percherons are dead. One died against the canyon wall the other died of sustained burn injuries in the places the barding could not protect. Tatsuo and Drasta begin their way home silently, each rerunning memories in their heads. As they go down the weed choked trail to the town Tatsuo holds out his hand. Drasta takes it holding it firmly with love. They ride into the abandoned town hand in hand sharing the grief and memories of a true lady and warrior of Kozakura.
Tatsuo and Drasta come out of their meditation. Momo and Hisoka are staring at them. Momo says, “Lady Hojo didn’t kill that dragon, did she?”
Drasta looks at Tatsuo, and he at her. Tatsuo then looks at the two sisters. Lady Miwa, my grandmother The hummingbird killed that dragon. That’s what the history books will say and that’s all that anyone will know.
Story by MaxPd and Winterhawk99
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Following in the Footsteps of Another
A month later Tatsuo finds himself at the Imperial palace inside the ambassador’s wing. He goes to his immediate supervisor. After proper honorifics they sit together with a glass of shasta by the fire. They stay silent for some time until Tatsuo opens the meeting.
“As reported by letter I have an important decision to make. To go west again and carry on my duties as an ambassador to the west or to stay here within the empire and rule over the village of my fathers for my Daimyo.”
His advisor smiles. “Each has advantages and disadvantages lore Uesuki. As lord of a village for your clan, you will reap the rewards of being a lord of a village. You will of course have to pay your taxes to Daimyo and Shogun, and you will be available for special unit action within the empire. But of course, you will go no farther on a national scale. You will become a small lord and stay there.
Continuing as an ambassador you will reap the rewards of the imperials and your family will continue to gain honor and favor of the emperor himself. Many of your uncles, cousins and outer family have done similar: Imperial duty for the space of years. Though you will not reap the immediate rewards as village retinue.”
Tatsuo nods, “I have made my choice. I was only ambassador on Amia for the space of a month. I dislike their barbarian culture. Though they have some things that are admirable such as their horses their lifestyle leaves much to be desired. I have lost a good number of my family recently and wish to stabilize the environment around me. I wish to be the lord of my village and manage it with competence.
There are also my special abilities and duties in an imperial capacity. I need to be with my imperial unit to keep up with practice in case the Koryoans or any other nation tries to invade the empire. I find myself in that direction. Both need and want has set my choice to stay here in Kozakura.”
His advisor takes his words in. “So be it Tatsuo. Thank you for your service and thank you for your continuing service as the Dragonfly.”
Tatsuo leaves now relieved that nothing more will come of it. He is now the proper lord of the small village along the northwestern coast. He travels to his law office to check on things. Though he is lord he still has several other duties on an imperial scale. One is being a defense lawyer for both his people and clients in Dojyu that can afford him as a lawyer and have civil cases. The other is being the Dragonfly and fighting with the Hummingbirds.
Drasta is waiting for him when he gets there. He opens the door and goes inside. She follows him. “I need to talk to you, Tatsuo.”
Tatsuo sighs, “Well come into my office and we’ll have a glass of wine or shasta.”
She bows and he recognizes her. They sit, and he pours them a drink. She swirls it around and sips it and starts, “Tatsuo… Let our daughter be free or what happened to Miwa may be her fate.”
“I don’t know how? There is always the possibility, Drasta.”
“Sign the papers. Give her noble permission and the training to be a bird but let her choose.”
He stays silent a long time while enjoying the rum then says, “I will think on it.”
She nods and looks at her glass. “I’ll give you a son if you want. I don’t care. I just… I don’t want our daughter to be used by the empire like they did with your grandmother.”
“I don’t think it was the empire that used her. It was Orochi…” He pauses then says, “That Bastard.”
“Yes, him but… The empire bowed to it.”
“Drasta, you know how important our noblewomen are. You know they too have a duty to the empire. It’s even more compounded in Siora’s case. She is a descendant of Hojo Miwa. We are not like the pampered nobles of the west with golden spoons stuck up our asses. Many more of our noblemen die on the fields of battle of the clan wars or national crises or fighting monsters than reach the ripe old age of 40. Even some women that become Onna-musha or Onna-bugeisha. This is the reason for our rules surrounding noblewomen.
Drasta you could have had Siora with a peasant and we would not even be talking about this.”
“She’s not merchandise, Tatsuo… She’s… Our daughter!”
Tatsuo takes a drink and pours himself another. “I know, Drasta, I know.”
Drasta looks flustered. A very unusual feeling for her as she was forged in a fire like Miwa. It was a different fire but a fire all the same. Tatsuo takes another drink and looks at her. “If you are willing to give me a daughter and son then I still not sign the papers, however I will swear upon my sword I will not stop Siora from pursuing any love interest or way of life.
There may be consequences if she becomes a Hummingbird and rejects that life. Such as losing her commission and most likely becoming persona non grata to the imperial bureaucracy. But by the time she becomes a woman and has a commission in the unit she will already know that herself.
Is this agreeable to you Drasta?”
Drasta takes a deep breath and studies Tatsuo. Tatsuo was not Miwa but like her held a firm belief in the bushido code much like her. He always kept his word. He was in fact a better man than Miwa who often reveled in pure bloodshed. Unlike her he has a softer heart. One to which always looks for the best in both himself, and others. She finds herself slowly nodding to the proposition he proposed.
He nods, “Do be it, Drasta.” He draws his sword swearing that he would try to keep Siora on the bath but if she should stray, he would not hamper her in either love or duty.
They share another drink together looking into the fire. Each having their own thoughts about their daughter and the recent events that changed their views on the world.
Author’s Note: This conclude Miwa’s story and also Tatsuo’s Though Tatsuo is still alive he will be the lord of his village until he dies and leaves it to his descendants. He may make camos in other stories as a minor character, but I very much doubt he will be a main character of another story. Hope everyone enjoys it.
Winterhawk
“As reported by letter I have an important decision to make. To go west again and carry on my duties as an ambassador to the west or to stay here within the empire and rule over the village of my fathers for my Daimyo.”
His advisor smiles. “Each has advantages and disadvantages lore Uesuki. As lord of a village for your clan, you will reap the rewards of being a lord of a village. You will of course have to pay your taxes to Daimyo and Shogun, and you will be available for special unit action within the empire. But of course, you will go no farther on a national scale. You will become a small lord and stay there.
Continuing as an ambassador you will reap the rewards of the imperials and your family will continue to gain honor and favor of the emperor himself. Many of your uncles, cousins and outer family have done similar: Imperial duty for the space of years. Though you will not reap the immediate rewards as village retinue.”
Tatsuo nods, “I have made my choice. I was only ambassador on Amia for the space of a month. I dislike their barbarian culture. Though they have some things that are admirable such as their horses their lifestyle leaves much to be desired. I have lost a good number of my family recently and wish to stabilize the environment around me. I wish to be the lord of my village and manage it with competence.
There are also my special abilities and duties in an imperial capacity. I need to be with my imperial unit to keep up with practice in case the Koryoans or any other nation tries to invade the empire. I find myself in that direction. Both need and want has set my choice to stay here in Kozakura.”
His advisor takes his words in. “So be it Tatsuo. Thank you for your service and thank you for your continuing service as the Dragonfly.”
Tatsuo leaves now relieved that nothing more will come of it. He is now the proper lord of the small village along the northwestern coast. He travels to his law office to check on things. Though he is lord he still has several other duties on an imperial scale. One is being a defense lawyer for both his people and clients in Dojyu that can afford him as a lawyer and have civil cases. The other is being the Dragonfly and fighting with the Hummingbirds.
Drasta is waiting for him when he gets there. He opens the door and goes inside. She follows him. “I need to talk to you, Tatsuo.”
Tatsuo sighs, “Well come into my office and we’ll have a glass of wine or shasta.”
She bows and he recognizes her. They sit, and he pours them a drink. She swirls it around and sips it and starts, “Tatsuo… Let our daughter be free or what happened to Miwa may be her fate.”
“I don’t know how? There is always the possibility, Drasta.”
“Sign the papers. Give her noble permission and the training to be a bird but let her choose.”
He stays silent a long time while enjoying the rum then says, “I will think on it.”
She nods and looks at her glass. “I’ll give you a son if you want. I don’t care. I just… I don’t want our daughter to be used by the empire like they did with your grandmother.”
“I don’t think it was the empire that used her. It was Orochi…” He pauses then says, “That Bastard.”
“Yes, him but… The empire bowed to it.”
“Drasta, you know how important our noblewomen are. You know they too have a duty to the empire. It’s even more compounded in Siora’s case. She is a descendant of Hojo Miwa. We are not like the pampered nobles of the west with golden spoons stuck up our asses. Many more of our noblemen die on the fields of battle of the clan wars or national crises or fighting monsters than reach the ripe old age of 40. Even some women that become Onna-musha or Onna-bugeisha. This is the reason for our rules surrounding noblewomen.
Drasta you could have had Siora with a peasant and we would not even be talking about this.”
“She’s not merchandise, Tatsuo… She’s… Our daughter!”
Tatsuo takes a drink and pours himself another. “I know, Drasta, I know.”
Drasta looks flustered. A very unusual feeling for her as she was forged in a fire like Miwa. It was a different fire but a fire all the same. Tatsuo takes another drink and looks at her. “If you are willing to give me a daughter and son then I still not sign the papers, however I will swear upon my sword I will not stop Siora from pursuing any love interest or way of life.
There may be consequences if she becomes a Hummingbird and rejects that life. Such as losing her commission and most likely becoming persona non grata to the imperial bureaucracy. But by the time she becomes a woman and has a commission in the unit she will already know that herself.
Is this agreeable to you Drasta?”
Drasta takes a deep breath and studies Tatsuo. Tatsuo was not Miwa but like her held a firm belief in the bushido code much like her. He always kept his word. He was in fact a better man than Miwa who often reveled in pure bloodshed. Unlike her he has a softer heart. One to which always looks for the best in both himself, and others. She finds herself slowly nodding to the proposition he proposed.
He nods, “Do be it, Drasta.” He draws his sword swearing that he would try to keep Siora on the bath but if she should stray, he would not hamper her in either love or duty.
They share another drink together looking into the fire. Each having their own thoughts about their daughter and the recent events that changed their views on the world.
Author’s Note: This conclude Miwa’s story and also Tatsuo’s Though Tatsuo is still alive he will be the lord of his village until he dies and leaves it to his descendants. He may make camos in other stories as a minor character, but I very much doubt he will be a main character of another story. Hope everyone enjoys it.
Winterhawk