Stepping Up

[Anila]

[Closed]

Less than six months before, Sakurazuka Anila had left her native country with a vow to not return until she approached the brink of twenty one. She had determined that she would wander and discover what the outside world was like for those two years, then return to Akashima to marry Harumura Daisuke.

Instead, she was returning for a short time to try to claim workers for the House of Sora. Although her voyage to try to gain the support of her father and future father-in-law had been delayed for some time, Seti Dylan had seen her mission as important enough to the House to give her the recently vacated seat of Matriarch of Lodge Divoyani, the House's diplomatic arm.

It struck her as more than slightly ironic, since she had been serving for several months as a Warrior in the Dajas Pagoda. Her two roles before she returned home would be those of Shield Maiden and Negotiator. The calm coldness she portrayed would serve her well enough in both, she supposed, but it struck her as very rare that someone simultaneously played two roles so diametrically opposed without having a third role somewhere in the middle.

She didn't particularly want to go home. She had heard that the House had found their workers amongst the artisans of Corone, and she would have been perfectly content to allow them to make do with those artisans save for one minor issue: imperfection really bothered Sakurazuka Anila.

It might be difficult or impossible for her to get the ducal mandates needed to give the House the laborers it needed, but she would try to. She had given her word that she would, and her word bound her. She determined that she would get what she needed. She was, after all, her father's daughter in every respect of the word. And there was nothing that the Duke of Northern Akashima strove for that he did not get.

She knew she could argue her father into it. Both he and her mother had been completely opposed to her decision to leave Akashima until her marriage, but she had stood her ground until she gained everything she wanted. The stipulation had been that she had to support herself and bring no dishonor to the family.

She could prove that she had honored the Sakurazuka to anyone. Subconsciously, she twisted the arm that had been injured in her bout against Murakama Asuka, a woman who had resembled her childhood friend, Yamihara Asuka, all too eerily. She had grown stronger in her time away, and had not succumbed to the ways of the outsiders. She was an Akashiman lady. She was incorruptible; the immovable object which would not bow even to the unstoppable force.

However...the House no longer needed the artisans she had said she would provide...and it had failed to send her an aide when it had promised her that she would not be alone. Both Banda Utako and Io Beauregarde had failed to meet her at the appointed time. It had failed her in every way it had promised not to...and that bothered her more than the imperfection that non-Akashiman laborers would bring to the House. If it failed so easily, why should she strive so hard to make it succeed?

[Anila]

That set her on another train of thought. Why had she joined the House of Sora to begin with? She believed in tradition, and in the aristocracy which was its vanguard. She also believed in the perfection that came with discipline instilled by tradition. Akashima was isolated, but advanced. Its methods of creating technology were second only to Alerar, and only because it was a much smaller nation.

Why should she have joined the House of Sora to begin with? Its notion was to shatter tradition, aristocracy, and establish a world order. Who then would be at the top? None other than Seti Dylan, an emperor rather than a king. She'd probably have her place at the top somewhere, as Matriarch of Lodge Divoyani.

That means I'd go in and negotiate when people don't want to be mollified and we don't want to send in the troops. Except, we'll never get that far at all.

The House of Sora was too vast and disorganized for it to ever even begin to be effective, and while it had done a laudable job of gathering resources, it would never be enough. If the House grew at too alarming a rate, if the wars that engulfed the world hadn't weakened it too much, the House would and could be beaten down by any army.

Then there was the tendency of their intrepid leader, "Astrophel," to spend months at a time silent and hidden away, not communicating with even the highest members of his House. The whole charade was beginning to seem very ineffective to Anila, and that offended her Akashiman sensibilities more than breaking her word to a House that seemed content to act without so much as trying to include her.

Aside from all that, Sakurazuka Anila was a noble, and despite Dylan's aspirations to become Emperor, he had spoken out against them time and time again. He had no respect for tradition, and without that respect, his entire organization would fall. Already it was too fragile. If one Lodge leader was to have a dispute with another, or several had a dispute with Dylan, then it would be over. If something happened to the founder, who would lead? The mysterious Lillian? The arrogant fool, "Corona Dyne?" She shuddered to think.

She would much rather have her own place in Akashima, even if it would merely be the wife of the Duke of the Capital's eldest son, than break with that honorable tradition for some fleeting fancy.

That's the only reason I joined the House, she concluded, staring out at the hardy greenery that passed by her window. For a diversion.

She was now looking forward to reaching her ancestral home. She had a letter to write. Enough of this charade.

[Tainted Bushido]

He had been in town for all of a day, and already he was bored with it. While there were all the normal amenities, he found that unlike normal Samurai, he could not enjoy the finer things in life. The sake house would loosen his tongue, and by bemoaning his disgrace, he would surely get run out of another town. The Geisha house was equally absurd, being the only inn the place offered. He talked in his sleep, and a geisha having the ability to cause him more headaches was not his idea of a good time, even if he enjoyed her company fully.

The town was towards the western end of Akashima, heading towards the mountain pass that marked Corone's border. He was almost within the western world, with their rather foreign ways, and a good place for him to hide while he figured out what to do with Rengoku. He could not toss the blade aside, that much was assured, however he could not either ignore it. It made its presence rather well known, and to ignore it brought its own group of troubles, weighing down at an inopportune time. As much as he hated to think it, Rengoku was worse than a wife, for he could not ignore her when he got upset.

The tavern was well illuminated, with the tables low to the ground, and pillows set about for people to sit on. Candles sat prominently on the tables offering a rather romantic setting, should one have wished such a thing. Taka had to hold back a snort of derision as he looked at it, knowing exactly what this place was. Kicking off his sandals at the entrance as was customary, he sighed, placing them in one of the holes in the nearby walls designed to keep them safe. He then whispered softly to his blade, "Come little one, it is time for rest."

The sword seemed to increase its burden in response, almost mad at the fact it could not cut another person. He pondered the sword's lust for battle and eventually shook his head, ignoring it. That was something for him to figure out later, when he could forget his status and try to do some good. Here, he was the filthy ronin, a man who was condemned to a punishment worse than death. He was expected to maintain his Honor, for no other reason than himself. To forage for money and food, so he might survive to the end of the year.

Upon sitting a woman appeared face painted a bone white and her clothes modest yet revealing. She was of slim stature, Taka could tell that much. Though she seemed to swell in places that most men would have considered appropriate, it was not overly so. Giving her a modest beauty, Taka found refreshing from the oversized temptresses who had assaulted him in the past. As he looked up at her blandly he said carefully, "Yes?"

"Do you wish company tonight Samurai-sama?" The woman asked politely. It was refreshing to see this house did not push their geishas upon the patrons, but Taka only shook his head in response. The woman nodded and bowed lowly before she turned and left, leaving the ronin to his thoughts.

Pulling out the worn book from his pack, he decided to read some more before heading upstairs to bed, he hardly had money for food, and after the incident in the last village he was loathe to wander the night currently. Settling in for the night Taka began to read the book in earnest, oblivious to the world around him, even as a teapot and cup was set beside him.

[Anila]

It was almost dark by the time Anila reached her interim destination - an inn in a small town that doubled as a geisha house. Ostensibly, the reason was for her comfort and safety. Honorable warriors typically frequented these establishments, and the geisha were gentler, quieter, and more refined than the bustling innkeepers she'd seen elsewhere.

Her father preferred these places, and it was a stop she had been directed to take when she'd written home announcing her visit. It was well enough to stop, she supposed. A chance to walk around would be welcome, and the horses needed rest before they continued their work.

Whenever we stopped here on the way to the East, Father said that it was because the geisha kept better facilities than other inns could offer. Of course, Mother being the way she was said nothing. And when Daisuke travels with me, I will say nothing, as well. Men will be men.

She slipped out of her geta, allowing Hissomi to take them and put them away. The owner approached her silently, clad in a soothing green kimono with floral patterns. The woman recognized her immediately, although her face registered surprise in the instant before she made a very deep bow.

"Sakurazuka Masumi-sama, we were expecting your daughter tonight, not you yourself!"

Anila raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch, waiting for her hostess to rise, and then painted a smile on her face to gently correct the other woman.

"I am her daughter, Sakurazuka Anila. It has been some years since my brother and I accompanied our parents here, so I am not surprised you mistook me."

"Apologies, Sakurazuka-sama. You are the image of your mother. We are still preparing your room for the evening. In the meanwhile, there is a letter for you from your father, and a hot pot of tea is waiting for you. Tomoko will lead you."

A younger woman, too young for the duties of a full geisha, stepped up and bowed before turning and leading the future duchess to her table and pouring tea for her before handing her the letter and leaving her be. There were a few other women in the room, seeing to the needs of the men, but they didn't concern Anila. If she needed something, she would voice it, softly and politely, but she would have it instantly. Other than that, she would be left at peace. That was the way it worked in places like this.

What does he want? wondered Anila, opening the letter.

[Tainted Bushido]

As the door opened a cold wind blew through the area. Taka, annoyed by the disturbance looked up from his book to see a young woman, of moderate beauty and a painted face enter the tavern. Sighing he poured himself a cup of tea before he muttered, "Why in Jigoku would a geisha be outside at this time of night?"

He pondered the question for a bit before he just shook his head going back to the warm cup of fast cooling tea. A sip revealed it to be as good as he expected as a ronin, piss poor, tasting like barely flavored water. Still it warmed him a bit, so the effort was not lost. Perhaps it was the fact he had turned down a Geisha that he had been given the bad tea. Either way, he did not complain, for he was more than certain that this was karma for failing to protect his charge. How long such a thing would last, was for the Kami to decide. It had after all been a scant four months since the incident.

Taka then returned to his book, having finally reached one of the more exciting parts, a duel between two samurai that did not involved love or honor. An insult taken too far had caused it, and he was curious as to who would win. It was a tale of a young upcoming samurai, fighting the rather old and traitorous experienced Samurai. While the thought of such a disdainful man marred the name of Samurai everywhere, he was more pragmatic to know such men existed. To pretend they didn't was foolhardy at best, lethal at worst. Still, it made for a good change of pace, from the normal romances that Samurai got themselves into.

Finishing the story he set it down, intrigued by the author’s presentation of the story. What moral was meant to be drawn from this? Was it the fact that a samurai should be ever vigilant, lest they begin the downward spiral into darkness? The samurai in question followed Bushido, but he also seemed to follow another principle. It was fascinating to say the least, and got his mind working as he absently sipped his tea flavored water.

Finally he carefully shouldered his pack as he went to the hostess and dropped a few coins into her hands, paying for the night. She smiled and once again offered him company, only to have him shake his head softly, "No, I must decline. I thank you for your generous offer and hospitality."

She seemed put off by his straightforward demeanor, but never the less pushed forward as she led him upstairs to his quarters. She wished him a good night as he set his pack in the corner, before he looked about the area. There was a small table, low to the ground with a single pillow next it. Also upon the floor was a tatami mat, with a small pillow for his head. A candle lit and upon the table stood in silent sentinel to the room, giving a warm yet dim ambiance. Once again he was certain this was to help in setting the mood of the place, and therefore ignored it as he began to take off his armor. With that out of the way he opened his pack and pulled out his daisho stand, setting it next to him. He then carefully pulled Rengoku and his wakizashi from their places at his side and placed them upon the stand.

With all this done he was left in his dingy kimono, and so, fell asleep upon the mat laid out for him.

[Anila]

The letter had been sent merely to inform her that Duke Harumura Kano and his most noble son Harumura Daisuke had arrived at the Sakurazuka estate and would be there during her visit. Naturally, this saved her some time, but she was irritated at having to meet their inspection immediately.

It was inevitable. A young lady does not leave her family home alone and expect no suspicion upon her return.

Folding up that letter, she looked up to see a dingy samurai crossing the room. At once, she thought ronin, and it brought distaste. Her sensei was an old samurai bound to her father. He'd taught Sakurazuka Yukio how to fight, had sparred with her grandfather, Sakurazuka Shouta in their youth, and had taught her and her brother how to fight in his old age. He'd always spoken ill of samurai who had no master. He said there was no true honor to such men.

As the ronin left, her maidservant returned, and Anila handed her the letter.

"Write back, letting my father know that I will be happy to meet my fiance and his father when we arrive."

Hissomi took the letter with a bow and began the response while Anila sat and watched the geisha and their half drunk patrons. What a sordid life...and yet, had she not been born to a noble family, she could have easily been trained in the art. Her maternal grandmother had been a geisha lucky enough to catch the eye of a lord. Had she not...

"When you have the letter finished, Hissomi, take me to my room."


~*~*~*~

It was a relief to get out of the heavy kimono and into her lighter garb. It was a relief to feel air on her face instead of the thick makeup that was required in order to be beautiful. But most of all, it was a relief to get all of her hair off of the top of her head and into a braid.

The months at the Pagoda had spoiled her - she could do what she wanted, even work hard and get her hands dirty and calloused, and she never had to put on the kimono and makeup unless she wanted to. In Akashima, every time she showed her face outside of the Sakurazuka estate, she had to dress up. It became aggravating.

As Hissomi bowed and left her, Anila sat on the thick, luxurious pad that she was to sleep on, unwrapping her fans from their silk bindings in order to make sure they were still sharp. Setting them on the low table nearby, she turned the lamp down and settled in to sleep.

The morning would be early.

[Tainted Bushido]

As Taka tried to get comfortable and sleep he had visions and dreams. It disturbed him greatly as he saw the horrid scene, the twisted smith forging Rengoku. His charges pitiful pleas for mercy, how powerless he had been through it all, it was all replayed before him. He could have blamed it on the fact he was just off his gempukku, but there was no one he could blame other than himself. The result would be another night without rest, without true rest at the least. However as he continued to dream, suddenly the dreams left him. While he was relieved to see the scene leave him, he was reluctant to see them go so quickly. It was discomforting to him after the months of enduring them, to be so suddenly freed. It was his punishment after all, wasn't it?

He awoke with a start as he hear shuffling in his room. Feigning sleep he heard the last words he ever wanted to hear, "This should fetch a good price on the market, and after he's dead, how will he care?"

Taka’s eyes opened with a blinding fury within them. As he got up he moved swiftly towards the man who was touching Rengoku. He could almost hear her cries of outrage as well, when he threw a punch that threw the peasant off his guard. And a peasant was all he was, clad in a dirty work shirt, with loose fitting pants, designed to keep him cool on a hot day in the fields. When he had dislodged the peasant's filthy hands from his sword he moved swiftly to pick it up, and drew it, the sound of steel upon steel resounding as Rengoku cut through the air, and hit the peasant upon his back.

The peasant let out a shriek of pain, bringing a rush of hurried footsteps. Taka didn't even flinch as he brought the blade down upon the would-be thief's neck, severing the head before he flicked the blood off his blade, expecting to see a Giesha rush forward to inquire about the disturbance. Instead he saw several peasants, armed with kamas standing at the entrance. They had a mob mentality to them as they moved and he could see the burning hate in their eyes, it was only matched by his own burning hatred.

When Taka spoke he spoke loudly, hoping to get the help of a few other Samurai who might have enjoyed the geisha's company. His voice carried through the air in a snarl, "Guardians guide you peasants, when I'm through with you a cremation will be the only mourning you'll get..."

Sword in hand he rushed forward, it was all he could do.

[Anila]

Anila's eyes opened slowly as the noise of the ruckus spread through the inn. The door to her room slid open and the light footsteps of her handmaiden intruded upon what had been her solitude. Fear was rampant upon Hissomi's face, and that just irritated the slender noblewoman all the more. Didn't anyone have manners anymore? Couldn't they have at least held off their attack - at least, Anila presumed it was an attack - until she was gone.

"Help me into my chainmail," she ordered softly, already slipping the mythril shirt over her head. Within a moment, it was straightened out and she was dressed in her black and blue combat outfit. She hadn't expected to wear it for that purpose again, but if no one else was going to be useful, what choice did she have?

Stupid drunken samurai.

Outside of her room, she could hear her carriage driver boldly fending off an attacker. He'd probably taken up his stance as a guard and thus alerted the peons who had come to ransack the inn that someone important was within. Fool.

Slowly, deliberately, Anila stretched out while Hissomi unwrapped her fans. If they couldn't get to her, it wasn't worth pulling a muscle to get to them. As she took Hagane and Uindo into her hands, a gasp of shock and pain burst from the other side of the door, just before the silk and bamboo frame burst in. Beyond the burly peasant, Anila could see the prone form of her driver.

"You killed my servant. How bothersome." Now how was she to get back? Hissomi didn't have the strength to direct the horses, and she was certain her father would not approve at all if she were at the reins when the carriage entered the Sakurazuka Estate.

As the peasant opened his mouth to laugh, Anila spoke again, tone as cold as the mountain caps in the dead of winter.

"Lay down your weapon and return to your home or you will never move anywhere under your own power again."

He snorted. "Bold words for such a little girl."

As his rusty sword lowered to menace her, Anila shot forward. A left-handed slash with Uindo knocked the man's blade away from her as the lithe dancer pivoted and brought Hagane's sharp edge through the thin cotton of his shirt, the thick blubber covering his organs, and finally into his intestines. Before the finality of the fact that he was going to spend an agonizing few minutes dying fully sank into his face, another whirl and a whipping of her left arm bit into the man's throat, sending the source of his life spurting out into the room.

"Very bothersome," she muttered, wiping a few drops of blood from her face with her sleeve. "Hissomi, see if you can't save Denji," she ordered, stepping out toward the source of the most noise. She knew the horseman couldn't be saved, but it would keep her handmaiden out of the battle.

The most ruckus was happening in the ronin's room. Six ruffians armed with old swords bequeathed from their great grandfathers or simple farm tools had decided that this ronin, of all people, was the person they wanted to kill first.

"YAMAE!"

Her voice rang out powerfully into the small room, catching the attention she wanted. "I am Sakurazuka Anila, daughter of Sakurazuka Yukio. You will cease and surrender at once, or I will personally give the order for your execution and the salting of your fields or the burning of your stores."

There was a murmuring among the peasants. She'd be worth a lot of money for ransom, but the blood that dripped from her tessen and stained her face could not be ignored. But she was just one girl...

Three of the peasants resumed their attack on Taka while the other three swarmed toward her, intent on subduing her. What they weren't anticipating was just how agile she was. When one slashed at her, she twisted her feet, socks sending her skidding over the heavily polished floor, leaving the first attacker between her and the other two. She wasted no time, skating around him while slicing through the backs of his legs, effectively hamstringing him.

Leave one alive to tell...

He fell with a thud behind her, but she was propelling toward the other two already, fans nestled over her shoulders. A pitchfork and an ancient sword both slashed at her, but she thrust her arms out, folded fans blocking them, and then she spun, catching a blow to the ribs from the blunt end of the pitchfork.

That just annoyed her all the more, and she whirled in, opening Uindo ever so slightly and shoving it under the man's ribcage while she twisted back and forth, drilling a hole.

"You will die slowly." Her sharp brown eyes turned to the last of the three. "What do you choose?" It was the last facet of mercy that Sakurazuka Anila had to offer, and after that, there would only be death, and punishment for their entire families.

[Tainted Bushido]

The peasants that rushed him made one mistake; they assumed he had been surprised by the entrance of perhaps one of the most influential people in Akashima. Using the momentary distraction he quickly sheathed his Katana, preparing for an iaijutsu strike to destroy one of them. The saya was hastily tucked at his waist as he prepared, studying one of the three before they had even deigned fit to kill him. Their arrogance and bravery would see them dead today, the heavens will that such filth be sent to Meido where the Guardian of Death could oversee their reincarnation, possibly as a cat for use in a stew down the road.

When they came at him, he moved swiftly unsheathing the katana in a powerful outward slash. One of the peasants was caught off guard as he stepped fully into it, and saw his intestines spill to the floor. One managed to see it, and jumped back avoiding a misstep that would have seen a similar outcome. The second, had been in the middle of an attack of his own, and saw that the handle of his Kama was neatly sliced in twain, rendering one of them useless. Taka then assumed a defensive stance as he sneered at them, daring them to test mettle with him.

They came together, which was a problem, but one Taka was not unaccustomed to. He slashed out attacking the more armed of the twin peasants. His slash forcing the man back before he saw a Kama hit him in the shoulder. He grunted in pain before he reversed the grip on his sword and brought it through the stomach of the peasant. Kama still in shoulder he narrowed his eyes on the last of his would be attackers.

In a slash that seemed perhaps too brutal, the Katana was brought out of the peasant it had been lodged in seeking the fastest way, straight through his side. The peasant collapsed on the ground crying in pain next to his dying brethren. He locked eyes with the other peasant before they seemed to reach the same decision and moved forward in an attack. Taka moved swiftly and brought the katana up in a cleave that saw his shoulder screaming in pain, and the peasant gutted sternum to crotch.

With the battle at an end, Taka reached up to his shoulder and grabbed the errant Kama. Plucking it from his shoulder he let out a hiss of pain as he let the rusty and used weapon hit the ground before him. He would need his wound cleaned, and he wasn't sure he had the money for such an ordeal. Still he couldn't risk it, not with the weapons of his foes so badly dirtied. He idly flicked the blood of the enemies from his Katana before he sheathed it again and turned to Anila.

"Many apologies Sakurazuka-sama, I never meant to disturb your sleep. I was actually hoping one of the other Samurai would have come to my aide. Still, many thanks for your opportune intervention," He said bowing so low his forehead almost touched the ground, even as he clutched his shoulder in an attempt to keep the pain from overwhelming him. What was a noble’s daughter doing in such a place? It was a thought that plagued him, but was more than certain it was more a matter of convenience, surely the daughter was not here for the company.

He was more than certain he was either about to be rewarded, or even perhaps punished for his stupidity, even though it was no fault of his own. A ronin's lot was far from a perfect lot, and praise came as easily as punishment. Had she wanted, she could of course have even blamed him for the peasant uprising and had him killed. In Akashima who would question the sincerity of the daughter of a Lord?

It sent chills down his spine, but he was in the hands of a very powerful person, who had the power to destroy him at a whim.

[Anila]

As the ronin's last opponent fell, he himself hit the floor behind her, mumbling some sort of nonsense that she didn't have the patience to listen to. Her eyes remained trained on the quivering peasant before her, who hardly dared look into the fierce eyes that shone from an otherwise cold face. It was well known that a Sakurazuka did not make threats they did not intend to keep. Shaking, he dropped his weapon, then turned and fled.

"How bothersome," Anila muttered again, flicking blood from her tessen before turning to glower at the still prostrate ronin. Her annoyance flooded out with a sharp blow to the back of his head with a folded Hagane. "Stupid ronin! If you're going to grovel, grovel after all your enemies have been taken care of. Did your sensei teach you nothing as a boy?"

With a roar, a samurai in good standing burst into Taka's room, katana drawn. Perhaps he mistook Anila for an attacker, standing over a guest with her weapons as she was, or perhaps he was just drunk and belligerent - or perhaps both. Whatever the reason, his sword slashed down on the young noblewoman, cutting her outfit and dragging on the links of her armor for an instant before her left hand and fan locked the blade away from her.

Almost angry, she flashed open Hagane, showing its underside to the samurai who had dared attack her. Inscribed into the metal was the emblem of her house, and he instantly paled.

"Sa...Sakurazuka-sama!" He stood, gaping at the insignia, too stunned at his own actions to even attempt an apology. "I...please...forgi-"

"Return to your master," she said coldly. "Tell him who you turned your sword upon while drunk."

Still, the worst of it would be a bruise on her back; Hissomi would have dealt with it by morning. As though she followed her mistress's thoughts, the mute maidservant poked her head into the now quiet room, and Anila walked out, past her.

"If there are any injured, Hissomi, see to them. I am unharmed," she responded to her servant's raised hands. "Return to me when you are done. I need to wash my face and clean my weapons."

Without so much as looking back into the room with a ronin, disgraced samurai, a dying man, and a new cripple, Anila made her way back into her own room. Her coachman was dead, so she'd either have to find a new one or wait until her father could send a new one.

She washed her face and hands methodically, cleaning at least her skin of blood, before sitting down and starting to carefully maintain her faithful weapons. If anyone disturbed her again that night, someone would have their fields salted or their place of business burned to the ground.

"How very bothersome indeed."

Hissomi, meanwhile, filled a basin with clean water and returned to Taka's room. The way he was gripping his shoulder told her he was probably injured, and if it wasn't serious, she could probably take care of it.

[Tainted Bushido]

The Samurai looked at the Ronin as he seemed to stutter. His mind could not grasp that he had so stupidly attacked a noble of much higher station. He seemed to look to the Ronin Taka for an explanation as he sat on the ground, and carefully peeled his kimono from the wound, hissing as he did so. Looking up at the man he gently rubbed the back of his head, "I'm sorry my friend, at least it will not be a fatal mistake neh?"

"For you perhaps Ronin, no one can order your death. But for me, this could mean dishonor, three cuts my friend, the last three cuts I will ever make as a warrior," The samurai stuttered in his drunken stupor. It was at this time that Taka watched as the woman came in, bowl of water in her hands. She looked at the Ronin and the wound on his shoulder before she set the bowl down next to him and began the work of cleaning the wound. Taka hissed slightly in pain as the rough towel went to work at cleaning the dirt and rust from his wound.

"That is a blessing my friend. You do not wish to become a wave man," Taka insisted as the man sat down after sheathing his blade.

"Has she hired you?" He asked curiously as the peasant cleaned the wound, and began to wrap it. Taka himself was amazed at the handiwork, having been attended to before when he was a full fledged Samurai. This was far better than the cuts, scrapes, and even the wounds he had endured at the hands of the Oni and the sword smith, had ever received.

"I do not know, it would seem as much, but she has not told me so. Once again, it is the curse of my status. I will probably know tomorrow when she tells me what I do," Taka replied bluntly.

"Perhaps you are right, I would prefer three cuts to your uncertainty," The samurai said. He got up and nodded his head as he said softly, "Guardians guide you."

"Kami bless you," Taka responded as he looked at the peasant. She was a rather plain woman, who dressed in the garments of most peasants. As she finished up she tied it tight before Taka winced slightly. He then said softly, "Thank you." The woman seemed taken aback by the behavior and bowed deeply to him as she made to leave. Taka meanwhile shrugged his Kimono back over his shoulder while he calmed the rapid beating of his heart. Watching her leave he once again placed Rengoku in the daisho stand.

He sighed as he went back to sleep, grateful at least that he did not dream, and could actually rest.

[Anila]

Anila had just finished cleaning her fans when Hissomi returned, and she regarded her shirt with a slight scowl. "It's so hard to get the blood out of this. I don't suppose there's any way we can just avoid letting my father know? No, I thought not. Worse that there's no way of keeping it from my mother. Sensei, at least, will be proud that his training did not go to waste."

While her mistress had been musing, Hissomi had been preparing a poltice, which she placed over the worst of her mistress's bruises. It wouldn't help much; such things had to heal on their own, but at least it would feel as though she was of some use. Anila had been her charge since she was a teenager and the lady a toddler, and yet it had been Anila who set boundaries. There was nothing she truly wanted that she had not gotten - she was most definitely her father's daughter.

It was a pity, the handmaid had thought many times, that she was not a son and older than her brother. Keiji was a good tempered young man with a will that bowed before his sister's. In peace time, he would be a good and compassionate leader. But with wars all about and ever encroaching, the more ruthless the leaders of Akashima, the bettter.

"We should sleep. It will be an early day tomorrow if we hope to arrive at the estate by sundown. If we cannot find a driver, we will press the ronin into service."

With a bow, the mute maidservant left her mistress. She didn't like the idea of traveling with a ronin, but Duke and Duchess Sakurazuka would never condone their daughter traveling by herself - or driving a carriage herself. Besides, if her mistress could so easily incapacitate a large group of peasants, surely a single ronin with an injured shoulder was not beyond her capabilities to handle?

The rest of the night passed in a tense silence. Geisha and samurai alike paced the halls of the inn, cleaning up and guarding against another attack, but none dared tread past Anila's chambers without a light step.

In the morning, Anila knelt on the pillows in front of the low tables, sipping her tea. It was to her frustration that Hissomi brought back word that there were no drivers available. "I suppose, then, we have no choice but to hire the ronin."

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka managed to get through the night without further incident, his mind strangely calm for the first time. As he awoke the next morning he tiredly rubbed the sleep from his eyes, coming to the realization that for the first time since becoming a Ronin, his sleep had been restful. The shadows under his eyes had lightened slightly, and he wasn't sure what the cause for this fortunate happenstance was. Still he carefully prepared for the day, remembering his wound and sighing as he pondered what today would bring.

Dressing in his armor and hiding the shoulder wound quite well, he moved downstairs gently flexing the arm and covering the wince from the pain where the Kama had stabbed him deeply. It would take time to recover from such a wound, time he could only hope he would get. A wounded Ronin was bad for work, and easily killed by more honorable samurai. Such was the cost of being a wolf; unless he was in a pack of such men he had no protection.

Smiling at the hostess, he ordered a meager bowl of rice and a small pot of tea for his breakfast as he sat down at the table. The food and drink supplied readily, he paid her the gold, wincing slightly as he did so, for the money would be hard to come by again. He couldn't afford to stay in such posh places in the future, and he would have to find another way around such accommodations next time. As he ate in peace he could almost hear Rengoku silent this morning, as if trusting him to choose his own destiny for the moment, so for the first time in a long time he could eat in peace.

Perhaps last night had been a good night after all, not that he would dare tempt the Guardians by saying such things aloud. Such a fickle mistress luck was, he would not relinquish her company so easily. A statement such as that would surely challenge them to bring him more hardships to overcome. He felt eyes upon him as he sipped his tea; surely the tales of what had happened the night before had already wound through the other patrons. Well enough, he would be loathe to tell them himself. He wasn't a braggart, and a Ronin who boasted was one found easily dead.

He saw the Lady Sakurazuka begin her descent down the stairs as he finished his meal, and grimaced inwardly. His head still had a rather tender spot from where she had hit him, ong after the peasants were rendered no threat. She was a rather harsh mistress to be sure, and he was loathe to find out if that would extend to him tenfold. He merely wished to move on in his journey out of Akashima. Still he remained calm as he saw her servant rush off, presumably to take care of some arrangement. Keeping his head down so he avoided eye contact with the woman, he continued to sip his tea. He didn't need another lecture on the celestial order.

[Anila]

When Anila was ready, Hissomi bowed to her mistress, writing a brief note in her impeccable script before picking it up and stepping lightly across the highly polished floor until she reached the ronin who had been injured the previous night. The expression on his face told the mute maidservant that he wanted nothing further to do with her mistress, and she could hardly blame him for that. A ronin in the company of a noblewoman was very vulnerable, and should he displease Anila...the previous night she had shown as much concern over the lives of those peasants as she would a few flies. If he displeased her, he would probably die.

Still, the fate of the ronin was not her concern, the will of her mistress was. She knelt down across from Taka, bowing slightly and holding out the note with both hands for him to take.

I hope that your shoulder is not bothering you too greatly this morning. The Lady Sakurazuka Anila wishes to speak with you.

She could see him holding in the sigh as he stood up and made his way over to her. It was an odd sight from the handmaiden's mind. There they sat, facing each other, the immaculate and cold woman destined to be a duchess and the dingy and worn former samurai who relied on luck to survive from day to day. She made her way back to her mistress's side. Anila would handle it from here.


~*~*~*~

It must reek of desperation to hire a ronin, Sakurazuka Anila thought disdainfully. My sensei would never approve, and yet there is no other choice.

She let him settle before placing her tea cup on the table and tucking her hands into her wide sleeves, regarding every motion he made as though he were a colt she might recommend be added to the stables or sent off to the fields. This one would definitely be a field colt, if he'd even made it so far as the selection...however, there are times when a person needs a horse, and any horse will do.

"My driver was slain in last night's altercation," she began after a few moments of silence. "It is a great inconvenience for me, as my family, my fiance and his father are expecting me to return to the Sakurazuka Estate by late this evening." The ronin wasn't entirely stupid, she hoped, and knew what the request would be.

"I have had the town searched for suitable drivers, but none have been found. The other samurai have masters, and having them get permission from their masters would delay my departure by too long. Therefore, I wish to hire you. In return, I can promise you my protection for the amount of time you are my driver. Do well, and I will speak to my father about getting you a waiver of safe passage in our province."

She didn't have to tell him what the 'reward' would be for a job poorly done. He was a ronin. He knew.

[Tainted Bushido]

"I have had the town searched for suitable drivers, but none have been found. The other samurai have masters, and having them get permission from their masters would delay my departure by too long. Therefore, I wish to hire you. In return, I can promise you my protection for the amount of time you are my driver. Do well, and I will speak to my father about getting you a waiver of safe passage in our province."

On any other day this would have made Taka's heart leap into his throat. Any other noble, any other place he would have been happy to hear the word "hire" in relation to him. A Ronin who was employed, was a Ronin who was fed, and further, untouchable, at least until such time as he was discharged from his duty. However, he doubted very much that the daughter of the cruel Lord Sakurazuka would do anything less than show their family's lack of care. Many Ronin had died under a Sakurazuka, for the slightest of perceived flaws.

Two men in a cold winter across a river from each other, one with flint, the other with steel, both unwilling to cross. So are we all...

His Sensei was a proponent of a rather practical series of proverbs, each dealing with the harsh reality of humanity. Every now and then he'd remember one, especially when he was caught in such awkward instances. In this he knew that he could try to refuse, only to have her insist he had insulted her, and was an honor less dog. While he would not suffer anything for it from her, but the words would get around, and samurai who still clutched to Bushido as religiously as they all should, would seek him out to hunt him down. He would not last long if he refused.

Looking into the bottom of his tea cup he spoke clearly, not wishing his words to be misinterpreted at all, "I am not experienced in the art of leading a carriage Sakurazuka-sama. I am merely a warrior almost fresh off his gempukku."

Her response was swift and colder than the winter, "Don't pull hard on their mouths. If you want them to change direction, tug the reins gently on one side while laying them along the other's neck. Other than that, keep the carriage on the road."

He nodded as he sighed visibly. She was tough, resourceful, and powerful. He was more than certain that she would not take no for an answer, especially now. He then gave her a brave smile as he thought to himself, She will be the death of me, of this I'm certain.

His mouth on the other hand spoke, “Then I shall go attend to the carriage and prepare it for your departure Sakurazuka-sama.” He finished his tea quickly before he set the cup gracefully down upon the table and rose giving her a deep bow before turning to leave. The less time spent in her presence the better, and if it truly was as easy as she said, he would not have to work hard for his payment.

[Anila]

It had almost been cute, the way he had tried to persuade her that he was not the best man for the job. Unfortunately for him, he was the only man for the job, and the matched bays her father had sent to get her were a calm, polite pair; lady's horses. So long as the ronin wasn't rough with them, they would obey his hands on the reins. Even better, they knew their way home, and could almost drive themselves. She doubted he would be given a chance to do a good enough job to necessitate her asking her father for a waiver of safe passage for the ronin.

A note slid in front of her, written in her servant's delicate script. He fears what you will do to him.

"He understands the conditions I have set before him - lenient as they may have been."

Unusually generous of you, for a ronin...

"I have no need to get caught up in more trouble than is necessary. Last night will be more trouble than it was worth, I don't need trouble from the ronin...or from his death."

So you will not be going to your father?

"I will not need to. If I am feeling generous, I will ask my brother to write him a temporary waiver...although doubtless it is something Keiji would do, anyway."

Anila stood, followed closely by her servant as she left the inn's main building. She was reminded once more why walking in geta annoyed her; they necessitated short, delicate steps, meaning that the powerful stride she had become accustomed to while serving in the Dajas Pagoda was greatly hindered.

"Doubtless that fool has already figured out where to sit. Let us merely hope he is not completely incompetent." The horses had already been hitched up to the carriage, as she had ordered earlier that morning. Naturally she couldn't do it herself, and she had not expected that the ronin would be intelligent enough to hitch them up himself.

Preparation had long been the creed of the Sakurazuka. Preparation had made them powerful and efficient. And now, preparation was the only hope she had of punctuality.

When they reached the carriage, Hissomi opened the door for her and helped her in before joining her mistress on the inside.

"Drive," came the firm command from within.

[Tainted Bushido]

"Yes, Sakurazuka-sama," Take replied dully as he gently snapped the reigns. Wincing as his shoulder flared in pain, the horses took them out the road and towards the northern province of Akashima. While he had vowed to stay far away from such a place, he had no choice in the matter. One did not merely walk into Northern Akashima; they were often forced to perform such a task.

Moving through the area leading away from the western pass Taka took the time to examine the road he had come from only the day previous. The open plains that marked the edges of the western province, he was no fool however, knowing that the fields for rice and other foods were there. It was after all Lord Yamihara's duty to provide for the country. With his death, and the mysterious absence of his heir the province had been unstable. Bandits were in higher numbers, some even being the foreigners of Corone, seeking to plague Akashima in order to prevent anyone from where they lived caring. Taka almost wished he could fight these bandits rather than deal with the horses.

Still as they continued down the path, he took a left at the fork between plantations, heading north. He was fairly certain that this would be the last turn he took, and he certainly hoped so. He was uncomfortable leading these damn horses, and they seemed all too interested in trying his patience, occasionally slowing as if to get a bite to eat. They knew damn well there was no confident man holding their reigns, and were taking advantage of the opportunity. He could see a few peasants working the fields and tending to the rice, their shoulders shaking from hidden laughter.

Laugh all you want... He thought darkly. He wasn't the kind to go about slaughtering peasants, but with the frustration and stress of the past day, he was inclined to start that path. Each day seemed to only embitter the disillusioned Ronin, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing anymore. Still as he pushed the murderous thoughts aside he continued to steer the horses, the constant thrum of pain in his shoulder ignored as much as possible. Soon however, the fields and rows of rice plants gave way to more rocky terrain. The road began to veer upwards, and the more hilly terrain finally became crags and cliffs. The northern mountains of Akashima had arrived, announcing his presence in Lord Sakurazuka's province.

He could only hope he had not angered his daughter, lest he be killed.

[Anila]

The lady and her handmaid spent the ride in silence. Hissomi feared that perhaps Anila was actively looking for faults in the ronin's driving, but on closer inspection of her mistress, she found her eyes far away, as though the drive and driver were furthest from her mind. A good thing for that poor boy.

Hissomi would be glad to be home. Her family was among the other servants of the Sakurazuka; she'd even had to leave behind her own husband and young daughter to accompany her lady. She had taken care of Anila more than anyone else in the world, from the girl's own mother to her wet nurse, and her mistress was comfortable in her company. She'd have taken no one else, and she couldn't possibly have gone alone, although Hissomi knew that had she been told she had to, she would have. It wasn't her place to question, but she was glad that Anila had decided to cut their time away so short.

Anila, meanwhile, stared blankly out at the fields that passed by her window, chin resting on her slightly calloused hand. Earlier, she'd thought that callouses did not belong on a lady's hands and that she'd have to have them treated, but she had been serving honorably as a warrior in the Dajas Pagoda; had she not had them, it would have been a mark of shame.

Now, she reflected on the area that they passed by. All of this was Asuka's territory, if ever she could claim it back. It was hard thinking of Yamihara Asuka as a Duchess in her own right. She'd spent so much time with Asuka since before she could remember, Asuka was the one person in the world other than her mother who could call her "Miyu-chan" and live. Asuka, the bubbly red-head that seemed so oblivious to so much...actually belonged as ruler of this province.

If she could ever claim it back. If she was still alive, and other than an eerie encounter with a lookalike in the Citadel, Anila hadn't heard from her old friend in a couple of years. Where are you, Asuka-chan?

She barely noted the transition from wide fields to rolling hills, but when the cherry groves started passing by in the harsh afternoon light, her eyes focused and she took notice. In springtime, each tree was bright and heavy with blossoms, but now it was summer, and instead of flowers, fruit hung from the branches, almost ready for harvest. That was the one thing Anila had truly missed; she'd always loved seeing the sakura blossoms in the springtime. Orchids around her pond, beautiful as they had been, didn't provide an adequate substitute.

"We got our name from the cherry trees, you know," she murmured absently. "Azukaru no Sakura - custodians of the cherry trees. Eventually the title became a name - Sakurazukaru...Sakurazuka."

The rolling hills started to become mountains as the sun started winding down, and as the slowly sinking sun painted the mountains in brilliant purples and pinks, they passed through a large gate that opened up into a sprawling estate. There were fields and pasture, and as they passed those, there were the stables. Finally they came to the servants' residences and within sight of the main house.

It was vast, broad walls spreading out over a wide area and contained by a roof that swept gracefully over the building. Within there were fountains and courtyards, everything elegant and tasteful, as was proper. Anila was finally home.

Her strange driver had not gone without attention, however, and when the horses stopped in the wide courtyard that marked the entry to the main house, there were a few samurai gathered - warriors that belonged to the House, whose fathers had belonged to it and whose sons would belong to it. Such was the way of things. Anila cringed inwardly when she saw the face of her old Sensei glaring up at her driver, but let nothing show on her face, even if only to her servant.

Worse, her elder brother was standing there, arms folded into his sleeves and his face impassive, as though he were struggling to decide the proper course of action. He was recognizable anywhere; his clean, gentle face and soft eyes were unique among the Sakurazuka, although the firm set of the mouth could not be mistaken for any other house. The haori he wore was a little more formal than usual, telling her that the Harumura patriarch and his eldest son had not been at the estate for more than three days yet.

The old samurai moved from his place next to her brother, eyes trained on the driver. "Keep your place, ronin."

He opened the door to the carriage, and relief flooded into his eyes when he saw the passenger unharmed. He helped her down, looking at her carefully. "Welcome home, my lady."

She smiled, one of those beautiful, carefully trained smiles. "Thank you, sensei."

"About the ronin...?"

"It could not be helped. I will tell you later. I promised that he would not be touched as long as he was my driver, and I currently have no need for him dead."

She turned to make her way to the house, only to find herself face-to-collarbone with her brother. "Tadaima*, Keiji-niisan."

He smiled at her, a real smile that lit up his eyes even in the dying light. "Okaerinasai**, Anila-neechan. Everyone is waiting for you inside. Hayaku."

"I'm not hurrying anywhere in geta," she told him, walking into the house with Hissomi right behind her.

Keiji chuckled, shaking his head and gesturing the samurai to leave. His sensei frowned at him. "Keiji-sama..."

"Please. He will not dare cause a disturbance here and now." Keiji motioned for Taka to come down and the grooms to take the horses and carriage. "I hope she was not too much trouble...although that seemed to have been her mantra from the day she was born."

Taka bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground as he managed, "No trouble at all, Sakurazuka-sama."

Keiji looked at the ronin, raising an eyebrow momentarily before remembering just who he was speaking to. "Ah..." she was probably a great inconvenience...but he is only a ronin... "Gomen," he finally managed, an apology he wasn't entirely sure was correct to give...but when uncertain, courtesy was always the best policy. "Please stand up. I don't know what terms my sister gave you when she pressed you into service, but I can at least give you a temporary waiver of safe passage. Iza***."

He lead Taka to a side door; his office, where he pulled out a document and started filling it out. "Will you tell me the circumstance under which you came into my sister's service?"

* I'm home, brother.
** Welcome home, sister.
***Come

[Tainted Bushido]

As soon as he heard the hostile words he froze, neither making any movement, nor doing anything that could potentially be seen as threatening. His eyes focused on the building in front of him as he took to counting the tiles, knowing better than to even look at the Samurai. Now that he was once again under a true samurai's heel, he would be crushed, humiliated, and let go when the fun was over. As he waited he could only hope that he would not be killed for the audacity of showing up without papers, in the Lord Sakurazuka's province.

When he had been invited down he could feel his hands trembling in the mere fear that resided in him. He was a Samurai, who was trained not to fear death, but these people were capable of handing out a punishment even a Ronin could fear. As he carefully looked at the man referred to as a Sensei he could see the disdain evident on his face. Taka had after all been punished to forgo the three cuts, and be cast to the waves. That they should carry him before this wizened old samurai was of insult to the noble warrior.

Still, he managed to keep a calm demeanor about himself, as he hid his fear deep within him. The son of Lord Sakurazuka addressed him, after dismissing the other Samurai, much to Taka's relief, asking about his sister and the trouble she must have caused him. Mentally he was tallying off the lost time he had spent in going from the eastern province where he grew up and was born, to the western, only to end up in the northern. The time along spent was annoying. It would be at least two days to the town he had stayed in, and a second visit could not possibly end well for him.

Still as he gave the most respectful bow he was capable of he spoke an entirely different tune, "No trouble at all, Sakurazuka-sama."

The man however, seemed to know his sister as well as Taka had come to know her, if not better, as he apologized for what he knew had to be a harrowing experience. He gestured for the Ronin to follow him as he pulled out the travel papers, much like Taka had hoped he could get. Perhaps he couldn't leave Akashima just yet, but where would he go? The western province was in chaos; being seen in the Eastern Province could very well end in him being killed on sight. The southern seemed the only one now, and he was going to have to avoid the Capital city at all costs, which meant either going west, and potentially running into trouble again, or braving the East.

While he pondered his next move Keiji broke through the fog of thoughts and memories in order to ask how he had been pressed into service to the noble family. Taka managed to keep most of the smile off his face upon hearing the question, though he knew that the small smirk must have been telling enough as he spoke, "There was a bit of banditry at the local Geisha house, and some peasants got into the mix. Apparently they killed the driver of the carriage, and so the next morning after it had become clear there would be no replacement, I was given the honor of service."

The words completed he figured it was true enough to not threaten his grip on Bushido, yet vague enough to play modest. He need not know his sister had practically terrified him from the get go, and he needn't know he wished never to see Lord Sakurazuka's daughter ever again, lest he throw himself upon his blade in the hopes of escaping and standing a chance at blessed Yomi. While he pretty much thought he would never reach the place of ancestors, he could certainly pretend he could if the need should arise.

However as he looked upon the lord he could tell a few things, he was far too soft. He held none of the fire that the daughter had, and was overly polite, to someone who was barely above the peasantry. Taka was not sure if the man could survive being Duke of the North, but if he did survive to take that title, he knew it would not last for long. He was simply too weak, if not blatantly so. A soft heart was fine for a woman who might not ever know battle, but for someone of Keiji's stature, he would be forced to make tough decisions. His innocence would die, and that soft heart would grow hard and cold. Such was the way of things, and it was this fact that made Taka glad their positions weren't switched.

Waiting patiently to receive the papers, so he could journey to the east, and use some of the by roads, perhaps cutting through the forest, in the hopes of not passing by any Samurai who would know him, and his former heritage. He could not help but feel impatient, as he wished he could merely get on the road again, and far from Manor Sakurazuka.

[Anila]

Keiji chuckled, shaking his head. "Violent peasants have more to fear from my sister than she does from them."

He signed the papers and pulled a handful of coins from a purse in his sleeve - kept there since he often dealt with business transactions that his father couldn't be bothered with and were outside his mother's jurisdiction. "Thank you for your service," he told the ronin, giving him his payment. "If I were you, I'd go over the mountains and into Corone. It isn't as easy travel as the roads, but it is safer, and while a ronin will not last long in Akashima, perhaps the rest of Althanas will be less judgmental. Saraba*."


~*~*~*~

Anila made her way to the audience hall, enduring the greetings of servants she'd known from infancy. Homecomings were never any different, whether she was gone by herself for half a year or whether it was the family returning after a short outing.

Hissomi had already left her side, presumably to go be with her family. Amarante must be almost five by now... She remembered enduring the baby's presence when Hissomi had come back to work after childbirth, and she also remembered not having liked the flip of a girl who had served in her place for the three months surrounding the birth. I suppose she will be having another one soon...I must make sure to get her family transferred when I marry.

The doors finally slid open before her, revealing her parents and the patriarch and eldest son of the Harumura family. She made a slight bow before joining them. There it was; the customary polite greetings, the highly cultivated manners that she was returning to. She was back...back to her beautiful and highly restrictive cage.

Her father was the first to speak to her after the greetings. "Have you returned, or are you merely visiting?"

"I have returned, father. I have brought honor to this family in my time away, but have found the world as you said - not a fitting place for a lady such as myself."

It was not long before everyone parted ways - her mother retired to bed, and Harumura Kano had business to deal with, so Anila retired as well, letting her father speak with his future son-in-law.

She called a servant to help her out of the heavy kimono and cloying makeup before taking a small writing desk out to the inner courtyard where her sensei had trained her. The light was low, but it would be enough.

It wasn't long before the old samurai joined her. "Your hands are calloused, Anila-dono."

"I kept my own dojo at the Pagoda."

"You are not happy to have returned, are you?"

"My return was inevitable, and I am more suited to life here."

"That, I suppose, is true, even if you would have made the better son and Keiji the better daughter. How did you come to hire a ronin, anyway?"

She told him the story, all the while writing her letter in the neat, efficient script with which she kept all records.

"Tessen was a good choice of weapon for you. In the future, though, send for another driver."

"If it happens again and I am presented the same option, again I will press the ronin. Had I been given the choice, though, I would have driven the carriage myself."

Anila signed her letter, giving it time to dry before placing her House of Sora heirloom on it, folding it, and sealing it. She would send it out the next morning with the business correspondence.

"Your teachings guided me well while I was a Warrior in the Pagoda, Sensei."

"You would have made a good warrior on the field." He stood up, recognizing the beginnings of a dismissal in her tone. "You must be tired from your travels, though. Sleep well."

"And you," she replied.


~*~*~*~

A week or so later, a letter reached the House of Sora Headquarters.


I have returned to my old life, and must therefore resign my place in the House. I wish you well in your endeavors.

Sakurazuka "Keikoku" Anila
*Farewell.
Spoils: Anila is retired and thus an NPC, usable by player request as Sakurazuka Anila, daughter of Sakurazuka Yukio, or perhaps as Harumura Anila, wife of Harumura Daisuke. I would also request that whatever EXP gain I get from this be transferred to EXP, at the judge's discretion of course.

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka bowed deeply before accepting the papers and the gold from the young Sakurazuka. He thanked the noble before he walked away, hoping to escape the estate without any further incident, and get on his way to Corone. In the end however, the fates had conspired against him, and after he had seen the Lord Sakurazuka enter the estate, an older man stepped out, his eyes narrowing upon the Ronin. Taka pretended to not see him as he continued walking, shouldering his pack and carefully placing the jingasa upon the top of his head.

"Ronin, stop!" The voice commanded. It held such a stern disposition to it; Taka almost was taken back to his time training to become a Samurai. He stopped his posture straightening immediately as he did so, in response to the harsh but familiar tone. He heard hurried footsteps before the samurai stepped in his path as looked him up and down. Taka merely waited what he knew to be a report of his condition. He was holding a walking cane that Taka could have sworn was not needed, and yet he held all the same.

"May I help you Samurai-sama?" Taka replied carefully. The cane lashed out and hit him square on the wounded shoulder, and he hissed and clutched it in pain.

"As I thought, injured," the man said before he continued, "And by mere peasants no less. I'm sure your sensei would have been ashamed at one of his pupils being nearly defeated by such a pitiful foe."

"My Sensei is already ashamed to mark me as one of his students. I only hope by now he has stricken my name from his records," Taka replied truthfully.

The venerable Samurai stepped close and looked deeply within Taka's eyes, searching for something before he spoke, "Your kind disgusts me Ronin, and do you know why that is?"

"Because we forwent three cuts to cleanse our shame?" Taka replied cautiously.

"Because you are cowards who refuse to take the honorable way out Ronin. You may cling to your honor, as long as you wish. It happens inevitably, you will cast it aside the moment it suits you, so you can get a few pieces of metal. Today your honor got you enough to feed you a few months. How much would you take to kill the Lord Sakurazuka? Or perhaps his younger sister?" The Samurai hissed. Taka knew better than to hope the man would yell at him. Yelling could be tolerated, but this utter disdain was disconcerting. It was almost as if he had failed the man before him.

Taka didn't reply as he looked down. He felt the cane rap on his shoulder as the Samurai barked, "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Ronin!"

"I would say no, and possibly get myself killed for stooping so low in all honesty," Taka replied as he raised his eyes once more to the Samurai.

The cane rapped again, but Taka caught it this time. The samurai jerked it from his hand, looking deep into the Ronin's eyes. Finally he spoke, “I see many lies inside you Ronin. Do not step into these lands again, or I will kill you myself."

"Yes, Samurai-sama," He then moved past the samurai, and headed out of the small town that held the manor. He was through with the Northern provinces, and hoped never to deal with them or the family that protected them, ever again.

Spoils: Any amount of gold that appears reasonable for services rendered.

[Ataraxis]

Quest Judging
Stepping Up

If you guys knew French/watched the original Taxi (well, the third I think), I’d have greeted you with ‘Kon-nichon-wa’. Sadly, that’s not the case, so that probably just went right over your heads, which leaves me heartbroken and unexplainably vindictive. As such, you receive a 5 point malus in each category. On the other hand, you get my Season’s Greetings! So, all’s okay with the world.

I gosh-darned don’t care if it’s almost summer. On with the judging!

P.S.: Most in-depth corrections and comments on Japanese were researched. Call me… moderately-versed. Or heck, just don’t call me anything.

STORY

Continuity ~ 6/10. Anila used the first two posts for pretty much the sole purpose of continuity. It wasn’t the best way to do it, but most of what’s needed was there. There were the occasional names that I didn’t know, but their identity turned up not too long after they were introduced. It’d be better not to do that again, though, or at least intersperse the whole recap with, maybe, some walking or conversing with people that could make Anila’s brain tilt and dredge up this information.

Taka was a bit of a mystery. Though I knew it (or she) was a sword, Rengoku was somewhat thrown at me, as though you assumed I would know the entire back story. Later on, I learned it had something to do with a demon and a blacksmith, who apparently wounded him some time in the past. I would’ve liked something more than forgoing the punishment of three cuts as an explanation for his becoming a Ronin. What exactly did he do? And who was his master? Or did he discard his past as an honorable samurai the moment he was cast away? I think of him and I don’t see much more than a stasis, because I barely know his past and he doesn’t seem to care much about a future, and doesn’t seem to have any strong feelings for the present.

Even that, you could have turned into a character trait that told me more about the guy, but it felt more… lacking than a tool to show his mindset when he starts out, before his impending growth. I do know you put instances of his past in your narrative, but they were somewhat rare, sometimes redundant, and often vague, making my grasp of Taka’s character very tenuous. I’ve a suggestion that I’ll include in Pacing that should also help deal with this Continuity problem.

Setting ~ 5/10. For the first two posts, my mind was in a limbo. I had absolutely no idea what things looked like or where Anila physically was because there was simply no description. You could’ve tried vague hints at what I could maybe perhaps try imagining as a somewhat less than accurate reference to what could possibly be the thing that I’m supposed to imagine. Yes, that sentence was meant to sound like that. Otherwise, there was little in the way of description… though the curve escalated during the battle, then went down until the last two or three posts, where it peaked.

There was much more on TB’s part. He was mostly consistent in the amount of lines he devoted to descriptions, though unlike to Anila, it was next to void near the end. Still, you gave a much more oriental feel through your descriptions with details like the peasants in the rice fields, which did help me feel the atmosphere of Akashima a bit better.

All in all, it was adequate, though there were clear slumps. At times I thought I could just replace the Japanese names of people and places with their English equivalents, and have the same feeling as if I were reading something that happened in Corone. Or Alberta. For future stories, a bit of research on the simpler aspects of oriental culture would help in this category.

You dealt with the politics and the honor codes, but that helps more in being accurate than with the general ambiance. Talking about bamboo doors and tatami mats isn’t quite nearly enough for this. Hints to the architecture, nothing in depth, would have helped at the scene of the Sakurazuka Manor. I know there was a Manor, and that’s it. I think there’s a pond somewhere. The only mention of trees was in the 18th post, and in the same paragraph. I like trees. They’re nice to look at, and when I can’t think of things to draw in the background, I start with trees. Then mountains. Then little clouds in the sky that spell out my name in needlessly complicate ambigrams.

Basically, just sprinkle dashes of culture when you write. ‘Oh, there’s a tombstone with a bowl of rice, stabbed by chopsticks or burning incense! Look, an ugly red mask with a huge nose that reminds me of the character from that creepy 80’s kid’s show that was Nightmare Fuel for my childhood! You know, Noseybonks and his phallic Nosegays!’ You know, that, but less exaggerated and in narrative form.

Pacing ~ 4.5/10. To be frank, I thought this quest was too protracted for its content. Basically, they stayed at a Geisha House, killed a few peasants, talked, slept, and drove into the sunset. Now I’ve read books that could be summed up with this, yes, but there was a nice quantity of in-between, such as interaction, character growth, twists and brilliant ‘I am not making this up’ moments. There wasn’t much of that, here.

Anila acted as she would act, not forming a link with Taka or developing a deep hate for him, or anything on that continuum. She talked to him (barely) hired him to lead the carriage back to her house. If this was the prequel to some huge storyline about the ‘Whirlwind Adventures of Taka and Miyu’, then alright, but it’s not since this is Anila’s retirement thread. Basically, I’m sitting here wondering ‘what was that about’? Was there any deeper point to them meeting than him driving her back home?

Nothing really jumped at me, there wasn’t any tension to speak of, and I wasn’t taken by some great twist of a ‘here, the life of one as a PC ends, the life of another as a PC begins’ twist, which would have been interesting. The introduction and the conclusion were basic and missing that masochistic gut-punch gusto that I so crave, so I wasn’t that drawn into Anila’s last steps before returning to her previous life, or Taka’s first steps out of Akashima as what I’d say a beaten up, stray dog. Also, TB had a problem with backtracking, and there are a few instances of that in the notes annexed to this judging.

To remedy these problems, you could try by not trying too much. Let me explain: when I read your posts with Taka, it seems like you’re trying to put too much information in them to make him more three dimensional with introspection about everything. It’s as if you feel the need to write something about all the somewhat important events that occur in your partner’s previous post, which leads to backtracking. So basically, you should choose one or two key events that you’ll refer to in your post, without breaking the linearity of the story. Taka can think back on past events, he doesn’t have to have a paragraph of introspection the moment something pokes his brain. Things like ‘in retrospect’, ‘thinking back on it’, ‘now that he thought about it’ can be used to this effect. By choosing these key events to portray something you feel is specifically needed for the reader to better understand Taka, you’ll take care of redundancy, vagueness and backtracking altogether, and you’ll pretty much set a good flow to the story.

CHARACTER

Dialogue ~ 5/10. There wasn’t much here to begin with. Anila was high and mighty with the peasants, which is frankly to be expected. There was the slightly cliché ‘so bothersome’ line that came up often, which didn’t help give a lot of freshness. Hissomi was interesting, in the way she clearly acted as some sort of mediator between Anila and Taka, and was the only person to really interact with the PCs before the brother and the sensei. Why you suddenly decided to use Japanese words in the dialogue at the end, I don’t know. Since they were all taking the Akashiman language, I don’t see why that was necessary and why a ‘Greetings’, ‘Farewell’ couldn’t have worked just as well. It’s not a pet peeve or anything, but except for the Japanese words in the narrative and the ‘Yamae’ (which is erroneous), you didn’t really use them, so it surprised me at the end.

Taka had interesting moments, though maybe it was more due to that line by his sensei, which frankly intrigued me, because one, it puzzled me as much as most Zen Buddhist koans do, which is awesome because it fits his background, it fits Akashima. Then, he mostly speaks like that a reclusive, look-at-his-feet-while-he-walks-in-shame kind of guy, who still holds the reins on his psychopathic tendencies. I wouldn’t go as far as say that it was bland, but his other lines didn’t strike me as particularly memorable. I have the feeling that maybe his thought pattern isn’t clear to you yet, so something that could help is to make up some list of moral codes he’d adhere to no matter what, of those he’d do up until the time it works against him, and those he’d never ever do. Then think of ways how this book of codes could change over time (without writing anything down until you’re sure).

If it is clear to you, though, then try and make them translate better into his speech, which feels like too solid a façade. Put some cracks in that dam, and have it leak at times, and burst at others.

Action ~ 4.5/10.I don’t think there’s much I can say here that I haven’t already said. There wasn’t much action to this quest beside the fight. There were key details to the actions of your characters, though, like having Anila ask Hissomi to help her put on her chain mail instead of doing it herself all the way, clear sign of her noble (and feudal-oriental) upbringing. How Hissomi used letters was an interesting touch. I can’t say I picked up a lot of quirks from Taka, though I’m guessing his double denial of a Geisha counts for something. I also like how TB (somewhat) underplayed his skills to show how much Anila had become good during her time away.

Still, those are mostly details and they weren’t enough to bring this score up. If I had to use a word to describe this category, it’d be… not ‘hollow’, but ‘shallow’. What was included was nearing the edge of superfluous, and it all felt a bit contrived. Not because it was unrealistic, but because things weren’t tied together very well. Written on-the-go, if you will. I can’t exactly help with this in any other way than suggesting that you plan this out. Or, if you did do that, plan it out better to deal with all the angles, plug the holes and cover up those seams. Then throw buckets of rainbow on it and call it a whimsical masterpiece. Though I say that in jest, it kinda works of you’re pressed for time and don’t have the juice or drive.

Persona ~ 5.5/10.I wouldn’t call them stereotypes. I know, my abuse of litotes is getting annoying, and I’m not gonna stop. In any case, they aren’t stereotypes, but they haven’t displayed the array of characteristic emotions that would make me obsessed with following their adventures. I’m not saying that they’re uninteresting, but right now I ca say that I couldn’t relate to either of them as a human being. I’m not saying that they’re inhuman, but they didn’t grip me at any one time. I felt more pathos toward Hissomi and the brother, but they were secondary/tertiary characters.

I wanted to see Anila let her guard down a bit, and I wanted Taka to stop brooding for a single second. If I had to make a graph of their changes in personality throughout the thread, its equation would be x=2 over the time interval [0,x’[ u ]x’,xf], x’ having a value of 3. I really don’t know why I went with this type of comparison, but it’s basically a straight line with one aberrant value, which means very little variation. You guys stayed too true to their base emotions, and didn’t go shop anywhere else. Inflexibility is not good for character development, be they upstarts or retiring.

WRITING STYLE

Technique ~ 5.5/10. It’s the average score. There was effort in this category, but it didn’t really come to fruition. Anila’s style here wasn’t as good as her usual writing (though the last posts went up in quality and were pretty much on par with what is expected). At times, it was so thin it looked like a template, and the rhetorical devices were few and far between. I remember something about mountain caps in the dead of winter, but nothing really evocative comes to mind. You don’t need a suggestion here, because I know that this doesn’t reflect your best work or our usual work and that you might not have been all too motivated to write using a alternate character with whom (I think) you’ve lost interest.

TB, your writing sometimes reminds me too much of some passages with Seth (albeit old ones, before he became Gerard Way). The psychopathic need to kill the people who laughed at him didn’t feel right for Taka. If you want to follow a dark route with Taka, a variation would help dissociate their paths (though it somehow feels like Taka’s walking it in reverse). In any case, you did put some effort into maintaining a richer style, though its often roundabout and can get a bit scattered. I’ll stick to my suggestion of focusing on the key things you want to write about.

Mechanics ~ 7.5/10.I might have been a bit generous here, but not by a lot. In any case there were comma problems, fragments and meaningless sentences caused by strange syntax, mostly on TB’s part. Japanese mechanics weren’t flawless either, but that’s neither here nor there, and I don’t think anyone would do any better without being Japan-obsessed. In any case, all of it’s in the joint notes.

Clarity ~ 7/10. You’d think that, considering how much Japanese words you’ve used here, you guys would have put in a few descriptions. Not everyone would know what a kama, getas, Kami, Jigoku – and I don’t know how many other things – are. Heck, I had no idea what a gempukku was without researching it, and I think I had to do that with a few others too. I would’ve given lower if the reader couldn’t more or less guess from the context what those could possibly be used for or generally look like. Otherwise, due to some syntax problems I couldn’t always catch what TB wrote (though those instances weren’t frequent) and some of the cultural ronin stuff I couldn’t get before stopping (never a good thing) to think and consider what a ‘wave man’ could be and what the tree cuts were precisely about. Yes, I know it comes from being ‘cast to the waves’, but I frankly couldn’t remember that part when I came across ‘wave man’.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wild Card ~ 4.5/10. I wasn’t blown away by this quest, but it was still a decent effort, and a different premise would have easily boosted this score.

TOTAL ~ 55/100.

EXP Rewards

Since you meant GP into XP, then here!

Sakurazuka Anila Miyu gains: 1400 GP + 378 XP (converted from the gold by an undisclosed yet obvious modifier) = 1778 XP!

Taka gains: 600 XP!

GP Rewards

Sakurazuka Anila Miyu gains: Nothing, Nada, Rien, Zilch!

Taka gains: 150 GP + 150 GP (for the drive) = 300 GP!

Other Rewards

Anila has been exalted to the rank of NPC! As such, by not being a main character anymore, certain tropes no longer apply to her. If she ever dies, she won’t be able to pull off a Back Next Season.

Taka gets his temporary waiver of safe passage! You’re lucky I remembered, or they would’ve shot. Even if you survived, they would’ve shot you again.

Taka also gets the geisha’s lipstick! The Geisha apparently didn’t take his disinterest very well, and snuck in while he was asleep. Rainbows and unicorns ensued.

FINAL NOTES

It’s technically still Tuesday in another country, so I’m not really late.

Go-kuro sama! And yes, obviously, I researched that. And yes, I feel… so pleasantly dirty.





Even numbered posts are Anila, Odd numbered posts are TB

not involved love (5) involve
single pillow next it. (5) next to it
Couldn't they have at least held off their attack - at least, Anila presumed it was an attack - until she was gone. (8) gone?
"YAMAE!"(8) If you meant ‘shut up’, I believe it’s ‘Damare’
His slash forcing the man back before he saw a Kama hit him in the shoulder. (9) forced
she could of course have even blamed him for the peasant uprising and had him killed. (9) have him killed
In Akashima who would question the sincerity of the daughter of a Lord? (9) comma between ‘Akashima’ and ‘who’
the bettter. (12) better
she had hit him, ong after the peasants (13) long

"I have had the town searched for suitable drivers, but none have been found. The other samurai have masters, and having them get permission from their masters would delay my departure by too long. Therefore, I wish to hire you. In return, I can promise you my protection for the amount of time you are my driver. Do well, and I will speak to my father about getting you a waiver of safe passage in our province." (15) Recopying dialogue from a previous post is something that shouldn’t be done, since it screws with pacing and isn’t really useful to start with. A few words referencing to that snippet in your narrative would have been enough for the reader to know which line you were talking about.

was an honor less dog. (15) honorless
gently snapped the reigns. (17) reins
One did not merely walk into Northern Akashima (17) I had to stop reading for a minute because I kept laughing. You’ve most definitely seen this before, but I’ll still share the link (http://www.danamongden.net/archives/images/mordor-vi_large.gif) because I’m cool like that.
seeking to plague Akashima in order to prevent anyone from where they lived caring. (17) I’m not sure what this line was about.

As a note, ‘cherry trees’ is actually ‘sakuraki’. I doubt the name of nobility would be bastardized from ‘azukaru’ to ‘zuka’, thus from ‘custodian’ to ‘small hill/burial mound’. Plus, azukaru is actually a verb that means ‘to keep in custody’. Of course, I’m not deducting any points for this, because let’s face it, it’s not an important detail and since Akashima isn’t Japan, you’ve got a lot of freedom with the language.

Another note, I would think it more suitable for Anila and her brother to refer to each other as niisaama/neesama instead of chan, or at least san. Close as they may be, the honorific ‘chan’ simply doesn’t fit their age or position, at least not when there are other people present

Post 19th needed three paragraphs before your narrative caught up with the pre-penultimate paragraph of Anila’s previous post. That’s a very big trouble of pacing. If she included your dialogue in her post, then there’s no reason to write it again in yours. You could have just picked up from the question the brother asked Taka.
The words completed he figured it was true enough (19) comma between ‘completed’ and ‘he’

He need not…he needn't (19) First, needed not. Second, you should try to stick with writing the words either in full or with contractions, but not both at the same time (though do whichever you want in the dialogue as long as it’s consistent from character to character).

Waiting patiently to receive the papers, so he could journey to the east, and use some of the by roads, perhaps cutting through the forest, in the hopes of not passing by any Samurai who would know him, and his former heritage. (19) Since I singled it out, I think you can see how this sentence started with one idea and ended with a whole other one, neither being quite complete. I’d also take out the comma between ‘east’ and ‘and’.

[Zook Murnig]

EXP/GP ADDED!