"So," Kazuo began as he glared down at the trembling form at his feet, "You honestly believed you could escape my wrath in death?"
"My Chief! I sought to keep your secrets!" Kage quaked.
"Not what I heard," a maliciously silvery voice said as a woman dressed in black and silver robes entered the faint circle of light that attempted to lite the room, "You were a coward before a enemy."
Kazuo sighed as though he was thoroughly disgusted, which Kage's fearful mind thought, was the truth. Then in a flash the already narrow eyes narrowed to slits as he clapped his hands once before calling, "Guards!"
Kage paled. He thought he could escape this, but how had he been brought back? He had been dead and at peace in the underworld! He had been quite willing to endure a thousand years in purgetory for his actions in life and escape Kazuo's punishments. The Black Tower, he knew, held unholy horrors that were worse than anything the underworld could offer to its occupants. Who had called him back, his mind raced as two of Kazuo's burly men busted into the room.
"My loyal guards, take this coward to the Black Tower and show him how you feel about spineless cowards. Now then, I have important business to discuss with Tamafune." Kazuo explained as he pointed to Kage on the floor.
They grinned like children expecting a treat as they hauled a unwilling Kage from the floor and draged him out, still frantically trying to avoid his fate even as they disappeared out the door and then the spectacle was gone.
Kazuo turned to black robbed figure who had not moved and he saw a look of pure hate on her face.
"He was spineless," Kazuo began as he stepped closer to his visitor, "How do you manage to hide your true form, black dragon Tamafune? By the way, you have my gratitude for bringing that worthless heap of flesh back to recieve his dues. No one escapes my justice."
"My abilities allow me to take on any form I choose. Appearing as a human in Bandithaven is easier than trying to move about as my true self. Also I know the name of the one who opposes you and Bandithaven's future." Tamafune replied as she allowed the human ruse to drop and a tiny black dragon coiled around the room in her place.
"Tell me." Kazuo demanded.
"The man and woman who have risen against you are Keiji and Risako of the Kinlan Clan. They reached Saken before I had a chance to stop them. My medlesome brother interferred and delayed me before I could act." the black dragon answered.
"Risako still lives? And this man, Keiji. . .his name sounds familiar," Kazuo mused aloud as he began to pace, "And why do you, Tamafune, the dragon who was gifted with the power of healing and resurrection, support me? Why does the dragon who should hate me, fight by my side?"
The dragon gave a low huffing sound that resounded from the middle of her chest that Kazuo took as laughter before she replied as she uncoiled and stood to face him, "I'll see into who this Keiji is and why Korekiyo does in fact support him. As for your question, I have plans of my own and you happen to be following the same heading I am am. Before the end, maybe I'll explain myself, but not now."
Kazuo frowned before he continued, "Is this Keiji a true threat to my plans?"
"It all depends now on how your man in Saken acts. For now, you must wait and prepare for the conquest. . .if your plans in Saken do in fact succedd, you must be ready to ride out, and if the plan fails, you will need to be able to hold back Baiko's army." Tamafune replied as she returned to her human form and made to leave him.
"I had realized that, Tamafune, do not make me sound mindless, I know what should be done. I just hopewhoever this Keiji is heburns and withers long before he and that foul ninja can dare speak of my plans. I have stole, slain, and forced to many lives to fail my dream now." Kazuo snaped to the disappearing back of the black dragon before he walked over to the window and looked out upon all of Bandithaven stretched before him. To fail all of this, he thought as he gripped the window pane a little harder, becuase of one enemy who he should have gutted without a second thought chilled and infuriated him, and whoever this man she had found to try to stop him deserved nothing better than the tallest level of the Black Tower as punishment, and he added as he pressed onwards, he would see them taken there, once he had control of Saken.
The sun rose late in the day and was creeping with the foreshadows that signaled days end and the end of a long journey as two riders cleared the thin mountain forest trail overlooking the village of Bailki and the castle of Saken, perched on a rise below the riders as it seemed to stand protectivly over the village of Bailki and the stretch of fields beyond.
It was the fields that drew Keiji's attention a forced a gasp from Risako as they watched the long and lazy pillars of smoke rise towards the heavens, casting dark shadows against Saken and Bailki.
"You do know what this means, Keiji," Risako sighed as turned her mount away, "If I hadn't been caught, none of this would have happened. Daimyo Baiko would not be riding to war if I had not failed."
"I also wouldn't know that Kazuo had a plan laid to undermine Baiko and I would still be sitting back at the temple, getting ready to face a foe I could never face in this world. We have been through this before. Lets go, sitting here gawking at the Baiko's army is not going to stop Kazuo." he replied as he urged his mount forward and began to negotiate his way down the mountainside.
As he went, he got a good glimpse of Saken as they decended and it ascended to its place in the mountains, its red tiled roofs gleaming crimson in the shadowed skies and the white stone walls gleaming reassurance to Bailki below.
"I still cannot believe that Toscana dog managed to elude our questions and keep his secrets. Shimmata, we could have made good use of what he knew!" she swore as they continued on.
"What troubles me the most was that there was no body after Kage killed himself. We found the small capsule near the ninja who killed himself and that he used it to poision himself, we at least know he is dead. I do not care to meet the ghost of Kage for not giving the body a proper burial." he replied as they turned their mounts onto the main street of Bailki and Keiji was surprised to be confronted by groups of weary and frightened villagers who, while they never blocked their progress, Keiji was well aware of their eyes following them down the street, "Why are they eyeing us so?" he asked as they passed a small group of women and children who looked ready to bolt if he had leaned near and whispered 'boo' in their ears. Only a young boy and girl in the entire group met his gaze squarely before one of the women snatched them away.
"Not every samurai that has passed through this place has followed the old ways that once guided their ancestors and you. I told you that the samurai had corrupted and lost their honor. The evidence is before you." Risako answered as she turned towards the well worn roadway to Saken.
"Things will change." Keiji swore as he followed.
"May your words be heard by every deity that has wandered the world and be made real." she echoed as they climbed up to Saken.
Upon reaching the main gate the two young samurai posted as guards eyed them warningly as they dismounted and approached them on foot.
"What business do you have with the Daimyo?" the first demanded, the taller of the two, as his hand clenched the hilt of his katana.
"We come bearing urgent news for the Daimyo, let us pass." Keiji answered as stepped towards the speaker his hands where the man could see them and well away from his katana.
"The Daimyo and the Kenin of the army are meeting to discuss the coming battle, what pressing news could a stranger have for him? We don't even know your name and yet you ask us to allow you to enter Saken?" the speaker replied as he gripped the katanas' hilt a little tighter and his armor rippled as he hunched forward.
"I am Keiji," Keiji replied as he removed his helm letting the guards see his face fully and the resemblence between him and his father, as he had been told over and over again during the past ten years, "I am Masake's son, a loyal samurai of Saken till the end, like my father before me."
"Lier!" the second growled as he stepped forward, drawing his katana in a display of anger, "The son of Maya and Masake died ten years ago, Kenin Masanori found the bodies himself and reported the mother and son dead!"
"Then someone has lied somewhere down this road. My mother lives and she and I have spent the last ten years at the Temple of the Thousand Falls and with the old monk, Juzo." Was Keiji's turn to start from surprise as the first guard seemed to freeze for a moment and then he turned to confront his partner.
"What he speaks is the truth. No imposter could know about the Temple of the Thousand Falls and its keeper, Juzo. Kuma, this is the real Keiji!" he said as he tried to calm his still bristling partner down.
"I doubt it, brother, but let him come on in if you feel its right, but if he or that ninja wench with him tries to cut Baiko's throat, it will be on your head, not mine." Kuma snapped back as he stepped away and indicated they should enter.
