Seven: The Dark Blade

[Tainted Bushido]

This is Taka's formal recruitment into the Seven.

People moved about the town quickly, the springs first blossoms gracing the Sakura trees. Soon they would give way to the cherries that marked the summer, and eventually the leaves would fall as the year's march went on undaunted. A brilliant display of color could be seen as the people bustled about the town, each wearing the colors of their families noble house. It was a daunting sight to anyone who had never seen it before, a mixture of culture and flavor that sought to overwhelm the senses.

In the sea of color sat a man, in the drabbest of browns. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail that sought to merely clear the hair from his eyes. His hair was a shocking white, in stark contrast with the dark color of his clothing. Blackened armor was slung over a shoulder, held in place by two fingers idly. His gaze was piercing as he looked about the town, studying all passerby with a bored interest. His arms were covered in bandages, leading up to the gauntlets that matched the color of his armor. This faux paux was allowed by the guards, as he was wearing no other pieces of armor, but it was certain that a guard was watching him, if only from the edges of the streets.

On his hip was a daisho set, one wakizashi and a katana, hefted as a comfortable weight. His step was such that the daisho didn't even move, let alone clink together. The gate was rather easy, and displayed a confidence that belied the turmoil his eyes seemed to hide. Slung over his shoulder was a small silk sack that carried his extra kimono and gear, ready for another day in the world of Akashima.

The town wasn't much to speak of. Set int he west is was closer to the border of Corone than the Imperial capital. It was probably for this reason the guard was so alert, with the Duchess Yamihara only recently regaining control of her father's holdings. The guard had finally been given purpose again, and while thin from the droves of deserters, the remaining core was loyal unto death. Part of that was the reason Taka was here, hoping that one with his condition could be hired onto the western guard, where he could prove himself.

Taka was cursed, his blood carrying along with it the taint of the Oni of Jigoku. The blood was spilled into his wounds when he had fought to protect his charge, and had given him the strength he needed to survive the encounter at a terrible price. In return for saving him, he was cursed to one day submit to the Oni's control and become a vile thing of chaos. There was no known cure for his condition, only a guarantee that down the road, his soul would be consumed wholly by the Oni and his life forfeit.

Really it was odd, but he felt no different than before, only that at times he could not sleep due to the nightmares of his corruption at the hands of the Oni Summoner Xen. Xen had long since perished on the ronin's blade, but even that didn't dispel the fear that the wayward warrior faced everyday. He tried to ignore it, but it lurked in the back of his mind, ever present, watching, waiting. It was as persistent as the Oni, seeming to mark every failure, and taint every success.

However, now he felt the need for tea, and upon spying a house for such frivolities, he felt the weight of his coin pouch before whispering to himself, "Perhaps, I can afford the luxury. What say you little one?"

The sword on his hip seemed to lighten its burden, almost seeming to invite the chance for rest. It was odd, but the more honorable and favorable towards his sword that Taka acted, the lighter his sword became, and the easier to wield. It wasn’t that the sword actually changed weight, more that someone’s strength added to his own. However, conversely when he acted out of sync with the Code of Bushido, when he truly gave into a selfish whim, the sword would increase its burden, more like someone acting as dead weight upon his shoulders.

It helped in giving him a moral compass, a second opinion on his own acts, and one that he trusted more than his own judgment at times. Nodding softly he whispered to the blade, “Thank you little one, let’s rest.

[Silence Sei]

The whole of Akashima was so beautiful this year. It was that time of the year where the tea shops began to be filling with tourists and lovers. It was the time that a lot of Radasanthian's took a week-long trip to get away from their families watchful eyes. It was the time where a lot of criminal activity could be easily thwarted by the 'Hero of Radasanth'.

It was also that one time of the year that Anita Orlouge had absolutely -no- interest in helping her father do his work.

"Spring Break," Anita said as she held on tight to the straps of her backpack. Once every year Sei would release his daughter from his shadow in order to go do whatever she wanted. No matter what happened during that week, Anita agreed with her Father that she would never reveal any real details of the journey. It was the best for both of them. Anita would probably do a few embarrassing things that may hurt her father, and Sei did not want to learn of the things an eighteen year old girl does when given freedom. This had been their ritual for six years today.

"It's about time too, it has been one hell of a year," the girl said as she stepped into the town, the name of which eluded her memory. This year was a bit special, however, as it was the first year Kyla Orlouge could join the girl if she so wanted. Kyla was Anita's cousin who was training under Sei as well. Anita and Sei both explained to Kyla what Spring Break meant to the two of them, and what typically happened once Anita returned. Kyla had more freedom than her 'sister' in the sense that she could chose to come and go wherever she liked. She just preferred Sei's home and Sei's tutelage to her own father's.

Anita enjoyed the time she spent with Sei. Who couldn't love all the adventures, trials, and misadventures they went on with someone as epic as a true hero? Sometimes however Anita needed to be free from her father's wing to just.... live.

The familiar scent of tea began to creep its way into Anita's nostrils as she glided her way past the townspeople. Normally tea would not be the drink of choice for the girl but this was different. The tea brewed in Akashima always held a tinge of fresh fruit to it. It was as if one were literally drinking the juice straight out of a strawberry. It was deliciousness incarnate.

Anita's eyes glanced over when she heard someone's voice in the crowd. There was a man in a ponytail talking to his weapon. This was totally commonplace for the girl, who had witnessed Sei confiding in his Gemini Blades if he sought to find his own inner strength. There was something strange about this man that clearly separated him from the girl's papa. There was something dark inside of him, something wanting to get out, and the presence of it made Anita shudder.

The girl had been so busy eyeing the stranger she had not noticed the brutish fellow who had snuck up behind her. As she turned she looked in horror as the tall and bulk brute spoke. "There you are," he said, "we've been given a pretty penny in order to make sure you weren't here. Let's go."

Anita tried to start off on a chase but it was too late. The man's dirty hairy arm grabbed her wrists with one fell swoop. It was all Anita could do to keep from crying as her wrists felt like they were going to crush one another. The man began to drag the girl, several towns folk stopping to look, but never saying a word. So was the sin of not speaking out.

"Help!" Anita shouted as she looked to the people gawking. They probably chalked this up to a domestic thing in which the man was always right. Sometimes going to a simple town was not the best thing for an eighteen year old girl to do. "Somebody please help me! I don't know this man! Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger!"

Anita was shouting everything she could possibly think of to get someone's attention. How she wished Kyla or Sei could just come in right now and save her from whatever fates awaited her. Hell, at this point, she'd take a random act of God.

[Tainted Bushido]

It was a rough time. People were afraid of stepping over boundaries that were slowly disappearing. Peasants were considered the equal of the dwindling Samurai caste in many cases, as the newfound police began to take over the duties the former warrior caste had. The man was obviously of Samurai decent, this was told by the wakizashi that hung on his hip. While his Katana was conspicuously absent, Taka knew that many men kept their blade in their room, to avoid unnecessary duels of honor.

This was done more as a means of reminding themselves that they were no longer in charge with impunity. Samurai lost more and more ground to the peasantry everyday. Taka had seen firsthand the effects, as many ronin began to wander the empire of Akashima, unable to comprehend their services were no longer needed. These trained warriors were more and more confused each day, and so they sought any means of survival.

Still, the obvious choice had to be made. People were staring and no one was doing anything. Perhaps a few thought the girl was merely trying to get out of something, but she seemed panicked, and loud. He didn’t understand the words coming out of her mouth, they were in Tradespeak, which he had never had to deal with. Still Taka could get the gist of what was being said from the acts of the girl, who was kicking and pulling against her assailant.

Taka could have walked away; technically this was none of his business. He could have turned around and left, and in doing so been within the tenants of Bushido. However, the man had attacked the clearly unarmed girl, further he seemed to be trying to drag her off somewhere. It didn’t take the ronin long to figure some dishonorable act the fellow wave man could commit against the girl. Rengoku seemed to lighten its burden even before he had adjusted the position of his katana at his side.

She obviously agreed with what was about to happen.

The armor dropped to the ground along with his silk sack, sending a small cloud of dust in the air, and causing a few people to turn to the Ronin. A hand raised gently, and the crowd parted as he stepped forward, moving through the crowd peacefully. His heart raced with excitement, perhaps a chance to actually act as a Samurai once more. He stepped forward, breaking form the edge of the crowd, his hands displayed openly before he spoke curtly in Akashiman, “Yuujin wa Onannoko ga tada deshō.”

The man frowned seeing Taka standing there, in just his kimono. He growled out a rough reply, “Iie, O-namae wa nan desu ka?”

“Watashi no namae wa sasai desu,” Taka replied stepped forward once again. He shifted his stance, setting one foot infront of the other in a subtle shift. The fact that it put the daisho on Taka’s rear hip was not lost on the ronin, who was used to seeing such a dueling stance.

“Ronin wa tachisaru desu.”

“Warawa karenai. Gomen'nasai.” Taka replied shaking his head. The man frowned before looking around, looking for an escape route. Another low growl left the would-be kidnapper’s lips. A few of the bystanders began to move back, sensing what was coming, and wishing to be as far from it as possible. Surely the guard would be here soon to break up this fight?

1) I apologize if this isn’t in proper syntax, I’m trying, really I am…

“Yuujin wa Onannoko ga tada deshō.”
Free the girl, friend. Please.

“Iie, O-namae wa nan desu ka?”
No, who are you?

“Watashi no namae wa sasai desu”
My name is unimportant.

“Ronin wa tachisaru desu.”
Leave Ronin.

“Warawa karenai. Gomen'nasai.”
I cannot. Sorry

[Silence Sei]

Anita had hollered and screamed with all of her might, but nobody around came to the girl's aid. It took a perfect stranger to approach the man before anything remotely changed about her situation. Her captor had stopped to talk with the man. Turning her head, Anita had noticed that this particular Samaritan was the same man who was conversing with his blade back around the tea shop. The girl blinked for a moment as she listened to the two discuss whatever it was they were discussing.

It then dawned on the girl that the language they were speaking was quite familiar to her. Her father had befriended a man known as ‘samurai’ years ago. These people lived by the sword, and were honor bound to help those who could not help themselves. These people reminded Anita a lot of her father, who could not stand to sit idly by and watch innocent people suffer. The man's name had been Shiryko Benimaru, and he was a man of virtue, if not somewhat of a lecher.

Anita wished she could remember the correct kind of tongue Shiryko had used when he discussed things with his 'partner'. The girl quickly gave up on trying to decipher the language when she realized that her wrists were a little less painful now. Her kidnapper had loosened his grip in talking with the stranger. Anita did not hesitate to take action. She quickly slipped her wrists out from the hold of her assailant and ran to her would-be rescuer.

The girl looked around trying to spot any kind of guardsmen that would come at any moment and break up the tension. When her gaze had met the form of several passing police, their heads turned the other way. Anita's face grew wrinkled with anger. Somebody had told the only defenders this town really had to look the other way in this situation. Somebody had known Anita was coming and prepared for it. Somebody knew about Spring Break.

Turning her attention to her valiant hero, Anita's face became stern with determination. "Konichiwa," the girl said without missing a beat. Anita paused for a moment when she had realized she spoke in the foreign tongue that the two men were using. This caused her attacker's eyes to move over to her suddenly. Realizing that his prey had escaped him, the man reached to his side.

Throwing a flap to his black trench coat open, the warrior revealed his own katana. Reaching towards the hilt, the man eyed the other samurai. The attacker was clearly the larger of the two, but his fingers position upon his sword indicated that he was a novice. He could pull his blade out, but probably not much more after that. Anita looked to her hero and awaited his next move.

[Tainted Bushido]

The stance was taken with an ease that saw Taka give only a disdainful sneer to his opponent. His stance was too closed; he couldn’t cut anyone with a blade so inaccurately wielded. Hoturi and his former Sensei would have beaten the vagabond for even attempting to call his stature any formal dueling stance. The fact that the man’s stance only vaguely resembled that of the Eastern Guard gave Taka even more reason to hate the man.

“Donna?” Taka asked, knowing fully well what was to happen. His hand hovered over the hilt of his blade silently, waiting for the moment to strike, as his muscles subtly shifted to a drawing strike. He already knew the answer, but he had to hear it to be sure. To simply strike one man down was to bring about problems, if only because the other had not given permission, yet.

“Shiai wa sendo,” The stranger replied, his coat flapping softly in the breeze. Taka immediately recognized the intent behind wearing such a foolish coat. It had nothing to do with fashion, nor concealing the Katana. It was a weaker man’s way of distracting his opponent. With each crack of leather, it would break the focus of his foe, making it hard to draw and strike before his opponent could.

Still, the man had called for a death match. Both were ronin, and therefore free to gamble their lives away. Taka as the challenged had the right to set the terms, but in passing that right across, his opponent had made his final mistake. Straightening his posture, Taka let a soft smile cross his face before he spoke softly, “Sō desu ne.”

“Nani?” His opponent demanded, having not heard the Ronin.

“Yuujin wa, sō desu ne.” Taka returned once more. He then lowered his head and closed his eyes, hearing the fluttering of the coat in the winds. Silence reigned as both men took gauge of the other. Taka with his eyes closed, his opponent sizing up the white haired ronin like a slab of meat. They stayed there in silence for what seemed an eternity. Some people held their breath, trying desperately to not miss the first duel some may have ever seen. Taka’s unorthodox strategy, against the contemporary form of Iaijutsu, was a sight to behold as they continued to stay still, even breathes coming from both men.

Soon Taka heard it, the beginnings of his opponent’s sandals scraping across the ground, the held breath of the man attempting to strike the “blind” samurai. He was moving, and the scraping of metal upon metal could be heard upon the air, a brief note that sang the song of a coward and traitor. Of a man too weak willed to find his own way through life, and latched upon anyone stronger than himself to survive. This man was the poorest of souls, and Taka knew immediately where the strike would attempt to land, straight for his neck.

A new note sang out upon the air. This note sang a song of hard work, of slaving away only to have the fruits of the labor denied. This was the song of a man denied his birth right. This was the song of a man who had forged his own path, despite having been sent to his death so long ago. The song finished with a cry of anguish, the final cry of a predator caught by his prey. In the span of half a breath, Taka had crossed the distance between them, and sliced the man’s forearm from wrist to elbow. The katana clattered to the ground, far from any position to hurt anyone, even as the man gripped his forearm tightly, attempting to keep it fastened to the bone of his arm.

“Teme!” The man shouted accusingly at Taka. The ronin replied only by flicking his wrist and flinging the blood from his blade. Soon he sheathed his Katana before looking over his shoulder at the ronin.

“Anata wa iaijutsu hetakuso,” Taka replied bluntly. The man held onto his composure only barely as he groaned in pain. Taka then spoke plainly, “Otsukaresama deshita. Sō desu ne.”

“Watashi wa ryuu!” The man cried looking at the Samurai with a look that spoke volumes of his discomfort. Rengoku seemed to become heavier on his hip, seeming to keep Taka in place, despite his desire to move on. By all accounts he had already killed the man by removing his ability to fight, but the man was demanding his right to face his ancestors. Pulling his Katana from its sheath he felt it lighten, approving of the action he was about to take.

“Taka desu…” He said softly to the man. He looked up with confused eyes at Taka before he nodded softly.

“Taka-sama domo arigato!”

“Enma-o wa anata ga sendatsu…” Taka prayed softly before the blade was brought down in a clean strike that beheaded his opponent. He looked down upon the body for a mere moment, before he flicked the blood once more from his blade. The sword was sheathed before he looked upon the girl and spoke up, “O namae wa?”

"Donna?"
"What type of?"

"Shiai wa sendo"
"Death match"

"Sō desu ne."
"That's how it is, isn't it?"

"Nani?"
"What?"

"Yuujin wa, sō desu ne."
"My friend, that's how it is, isn't it?"

“Teme!”
(Very roughly) "You bastard!"

"Anata wa iaijutsu hetakuso,"
"You are very bad at Iaijutsu."

“Otsukaresama deshita. Sō desu ne.”
"You gave it your best. That's how it is, isn't it?"

“Watashi wa ryuu!”
"Kill me!"

“Taka desu…”
"I'm Taka."

“Taka-sama domo arigato!”
"Thank you Taka!"

“Enma-o wa anata ga sendatsu…”
"Enma-o guide you..."

“O namae wa?”
"Who are you?"

[Silence Sei]

The stranger's display of speed and strength left Anita in sheer awe. She had seen her father move with uncanny agility, and powerful blows, but never witnessed another's skills so closely. Her would-be captor had fallen to the ground dead after a brief interaction with the samurai. There was no doubt in Anita's mind once she had seen the swordsmanship in action that this man studied the same art as Shiryko Benimaru.

"D-D-Domo Arigato," Anita spoke to the man without realizing that she had once again spoken his language. The girl had been under the impression since the two 'met' that the man did not know trade speak. This would make communication (aside from what Anita subliminally knew) rather difficult for the girl. Anita's eyes glanced down at the head of the fiend who tried to hurt her once more.

The crowd began to disperse as the girl looked back to Taka. It was understandable that nobody would want to mess with this warrior after the feat he had just accomplished. Anita however was the daughter of 'Silence' Sei Orlouge, and as such was not one to back down easily. Taking a step towards Taka, the girl cleared her throat. Anita raised a hand upwards and began to introduce herself.

"A-NEAT-A OR-LOO-GE!"

The girl pounded her chest as if she were talking to a caveman. She could not speak any more of this man's language unless it just came to her. As a result of the language barrier, the girl did what any normal person does when the lines of communication were severed. She spoke loudly to the point of stupidity.

"WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!" Anita shouted at Taka while trying not to frighten him. Sighing once she realized how much of a fool she must look like, the girl recalled the first time she had seen him. He was standing in front of the very same tea shop she had planned to frequent. Surely Taka could understand simple hand gestures from his grateful 'princess'. Brining her hand to her mouth, the girl imitated the drinking of tea before pointing back towards the tea shop. Anita also showed that she would pay by reaching into her backpack and withdrawing a coin purse.

She was not sure if Taka would understand that the teenager was offering to buy him a drink, but it was all she had. This adventure would have been so much easier had Kyla just outright journeyed with her...

[Tainted Bushido]

Perhaps I should have done this to begin with, but any vocals enclosed in <> is in Akashiman. Just makes it easier for the both of us rather than me murdering a beautiful language.

<”Little one, how do we end up in these messes?”> Taka sighed looking down on the girl he had rescued. She was named Anita Orlouge, her antics had taught him that much. Then she pointed at him and shouted in Tradespeak, presumably asking Taka his name. The ronin raised an eyebrow at the comment, wondering just how to go about introducing himself in such a way as to not insult his would-be charge. Still she gestured to the tea shop and held up a small pouch, much like the money bag in his pack, and it wasn’t hard to get the gist of what was said.

Moving slowly he picked up the armor and silk bag he had been using to carry his equipment. Finding their place over a shoulder he moved back to the girl before he bowed lowly, to the point his ponytail had moved over the back of his head to hang over the front, and said firmly, “Taka.”

He hoped she at least could understand the implications. Regardless he followed the young woman into the tea house, and waited politely. Soon the lady of the house showed up to usher them to a table. While not terribly aged, she held a grace that took years of perfection, as well as the telltale wrinkles and sags of one who was generously blessed by time. She spoke calmly to the young woman in tradespeak for sometime before turning to Taka and speaking plainly, <”Are you her yojimbo?”>

<“It seems the kami have conspired to make it so, at least for now. Many thanks on taking us in after such a brash display of barbarism,”> Taka said firmly without pause. He knew that they were roughly in the same boat, the woman and him. As a merchant she was often seen as gutter trash in the eyes of the people, a necessary evil. The ronin was seen as an honorless dog, no better than a merchant, if only for the fact he now fought for money, rather than duty. Still a modicum of respect could offer many benefits, if only for a translator in the interim.

<”Do you require anything Samurai-sama? Perhaps you would like a pot of tea or some rice to fill your belly?”> The woman asked him.

<”A translator for now would be helpful. I do not speak the Gaijin toungues, and she doesn’t seem to speak much of the local language beyond a few scarce phrases,”> Taka replied. The women nodded before she gestured for a woman to come over. Dressed in a deep blue kimono, her hair was tied up in a bun, leaving the nape of her neck open. While most foreigners could not appreciate such an act, Taka knew this was to entice many a person, and hopefully get them to share a drink with the woman. He nodded firmly to the woman before she spoke softly, <”I would be honored if you could translate for us, at least in the meantime.”>

The girl smiled, perhaps happy to have a job that didn’t force her to feign interest in someone. She then nodded and spoke, <“I am Konishiko. It is an honor to meet you Samurai-sama.”>

Taka gestured the geisha towards Anita and spoke, <“This is Anita-sama. She seemed to have gotten into a bit of trouble recently and I have been protecting her since the incident. Perhaps you could help me find out why she was being accosted by a ronin, and further how long she intends to stay in the area now?”>

The girl nodded before bowing deeply to Anita and speaking in accented Tradespeak, “Taka-sama would like to inquire as to the nature of the conflict he has entered on your behalf, and if you will be requiring him for an extended period of time.”

[Silence Sei]

Once the two had entered the tea house, they were greeted at the sight of a lady who seemed to stand the test of time. After introducing herself, Anita arranged for the two to have a room together, so that they may enjoy the liquid warmth within the establishment. The woman then turned to Taka with a smile and began to address the samurai. Anita listened intently in order to try and pick up what they were saying.

Soon a translator had been brought to the two of them. She quickly held another conversation with the man before addressing Anita. Trying to pick up the dialect of the two as they spoke, Anita turned to Taka. "<If you will give me a lootle mo time, I think I can imatoot you exarctly.>"

It was sloppy, Anita figured, but she hoped she would get the gist across to her savior. Looking back to the woman, Anita smiled warmly. "Tell him that I'd like to pay for some tea. I would also like to know if he knows a weapons master known as Shiryko Benimaru."

At the name, the girl grew bright red in the cheeks. "Shiryko Benimaru?!" Konishiko shouted, "The Hopeless Samurai?! That swine is not welcome in this tea house after the things he said and tried to do!"

Anita closed her eyes and smiled with a nod. "That's him. What happened?"

"Well, after some discussions with the head mistress, we had allowed him in here with a rat. He said he just wanted some tea and company. I was the one to serve him, thinking that my services would be required to just talk." Anita could easily see where her translator was about to go with this. She had spent too much time with the handsome samurai to not know.

"Then he said, 'I admire your beauty. You're a step up from the horse I used to date. Not as pretty as the cat. Definitely the horse though." The Akashimian's eyes began to fill with frustration and anger as she recalled the event.

"And that's around the time you slapped him," Anita commented.

"Yes," Konishiko replied, Anita opening her eyes and calculating the time it had took for things to get physical.

"Fifteen seconds," Anita deduced, "A new record." Anita looked to her translator with a brief smile. "Shiryko is an acquaintance of my father. I recognized the craftsmanship of his blade as that of his... sword smith. Could you tell me the last time he was around here?" The translator had to count on her fingers for a second and then looked back towards the teen.

"It was about a week ago. I think he would probably still be in the area."

"As long as there are women who haven't rejected him yet," Anita muttered to herself. Smiling once again to her translator, and then back to Taka, she addressed Konishiko once more. "I was planning on staying here for about a week. Under the recent events however, I would like to hire this samurai's services. I need him until I can locate Shiryko Benimaru. Until then, could you tell him to stay with me?"

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka heard the exchange between Konishiko and the woman, and just tuned it out. He wasn’t interested in a Gaijin tongue, and she seemed slowly yet surely to move from the complete massacre of his native tongue, mysteriously to being adept at it. He chalked it up to the Kami seeking new ways to show him how annoying they could be at his expense and waited patiently. Soon the geisha turned back to him and spoke, <"Taka-sama, your charge wishes to order a pot of tea, and further wishes to hire your services for the foreseeable future.”>

He nodded once before he spoke, <”I cannot speak for the lady’s tastes, but I would probably recommend the house blend. As for her other problem, I see that it is one you similarly shared?”>

<”A rather rude Samurai with a tongue to make even an eta blush, he calls himself a Kensai,”> the woman explained. Taka raised an eyebrow before gesturing her to continue, <”His name is Shiryko Benimaru. Are you at all familiar with him Taka-sama?”>

<”I cannot say I have that luxury,”> Taka explained.

<”I should say that you are the one with the luxury in that case. The man is a brutish oaf if ever was to be seen, and it seems like your charge wants to hire you while searching for him,”> Konishiko said before shaking her head. Taka stiffened ever so slightly upon hearing those words. She wanted him to protect her against a Kensai? That was certainly a tall order, and even more he wasn’t sure in good conscience he could tell her it was possible.

<”Thank you for your hard work Konishiko,”> Taka replied softly before looking at his charge, studying the girl. He then looked back to the geisha and let out a soft sigh, <”It seems my work is cut out for me, is it not?”>

<“For a ronin to have work at all nowadays? I would be thanking the Kami,”> Konishiko wisely replied.

He smirked before he shook his head, setting the bag near the table. They had rudely been standing while introductions were occurring, and now that they had passed, it was time to begin planning, and further to elaborate on just what he was doing. Making sure his stuff was well placed he gestured for Konishiko to sit, before he spoke, <”Blessings or not, there is work to be done. If my charge hasn’t a good enough grasp of our tongue yet, would you be so kind as to inform her that we can begin talking terms. I need to know what I’m getting myself into if I’m to fight against a Kensai…”>

Konishiko raised and eyebrow before she smiled and spoke, <“You are honestly going to do it?”>

<“We warriors have so few battles left in us anymore. My soul has been impatient for a fight, and while my body recovers, I cannot allow this to continue at the expense of my soul. If it should come to blows for the young one, I would rather be certain that she has an experienced blade, rather than risk her getting someone else,”> Taka replied a mischevious smile crossing his lips.

<“You mean to say you are bored,”> Konishiko accused.

<“If that is what you wish to call it you may. I prefer the term available for work myself,”> Taka replied.

He was beginning to like the geisha…

[Silence Sei]

Konishiko looked to Anita to see if the girl had managed to grasp her conversation with Taka. In response, the girl dropped her blue backpack to the ground and sat cross legged in front of it. Unbuttoning the flap that held the contents within, Anita withdrew a small dirk. "Meet Max," Anita grinned as she relished her own pun for naming the weaponry. Placing the dirk on the ground, she rifled through the bag once more.

She withdrew a few pictures from within the sack and sat them neatly on the ground. She then took out a notebook labeled 'Friends' and flipped through the pages searchingly. Pressing her index finger on an entry in the book, Anita looked towards Taka. Nodding for Konishiko to leave with whatever brew Taka requested of her, Anita tried to speak in the foreign tongue once more.

"<Shiryko Benimaru is known as 'The Hopeless Samurai'>," Anita recited her texts, "<It's because, while he is fully capable of dealing with any threat cleanly and effectively, he has a weakness for women. He fancies himself a ladies man despite the fact that only a few ladies in his life have ever taken to him. Still, he will hit on any female he possibly can in order for sheer affection.>"

Anita blinked for a moment upon realizing that she could speak almost fluently the language she rarely heard already. It was strange that she should be so quick to pick up the language. Then again, she had a knack for deciphering such things. Like that prophecy tablet in the Tomb...

The prophecy!

Looking back to Taka, Anita recited part of the prophecy. "<"The Second is a man of the blade. His heart is tainted, but shall be cleansed by the virtues he performs. He shall be the most ruthless of the nine. He is a masterless wanderer whose eyes bear the mark of a thousand restless nights.">" She stammered as she met Taka's eyes with her own.

A thousand restless nights...it's got to be him!

Anita bit her lower lip and giggled with excitement as she smiled. Recomposing herself, Anita grabbed a picture of a long, black haired bushido. Giving the picture to Taka, she explained the man in the photo. "<That is Shiryko Benimaru. You can tell from his feminine looks that he -would- be quite the male caller if not for his mouth.>"

Reaching for another picture, Anita quickly showed Taka a photo of Shiryko's sword style. The photo had the samurai holding a dehlyn katana in one hand, one made of pure red energy in the other and a prevalida katana placed, of all places, his mouth. The scene in question showed Shiryko effectively slashing some two-bit hack samurai in the throat with the blade in his mouth, losing his arm with the dehlyn katana, and being impaled with the energy sword.

"<He is deadly efficient with the three-blade technique. It is a style he created himself. The man in the picture was rumored to have the strength of Letho Ravenheart himself!>" Anita found the phrase to be quite intimidating, but knew not if the name had any impression on Taka. The girl thought back for a moment and realized that this was all a lot to take in at once. She had to make sure that Taka would still help her, still willingly fulfill the prophecy.

"<Knowing this information, are you still interested in being my bodyguard for the duration of our search?>"

[Tainted Bushido]

A change came over the girl; soon she was speaking of things, and cryptically. She seemed to know this “Hopeless Samuarai” very well, something that bode well for Taka. Perhaps she merely was going to see the man, and from there this man could take over the job of guarding the girl. Of course, this assumed that was what Anita-sama wanted. If she desired a fight, well Taka would of course do his best. He would have to of course tell the girl he was not that good at his job, merely that he had survived until now because of the Kami’s guidance.

Then of course there was the fact that she was talking of tainted hearts and thousands of restless nights. He shifted, ever so subtly, at the mention of taint. He knew he was tainted, and that wasn’t exactly something he could telegraph to others, in fact it was perhaps a condition that would get him killed one of these days, when someone decided that they didn’t want a ticking time bomb in their village. That she would speak of it so candidly and in relation to him worried the ronin.

He paused, unsure of where to begin, before he picked up a picture. It showed a fighting style unlike any he had ever seen. The man was wielding a katana in his teeth, and using it with enough force to slash through his unfortunate victim’s neck. This seemed to show strength, but in truth it was not the dangerous part. A strong attack to that sword could possibly see it flying out of the man’s mouth, but only at the danger of exposing one’s self to the other two blades. There in lied the problem, Taka had only the theory of Ni Iten Ichi Ryu, the two swords style, taught to him by the monk and former kensai Hoturi. The man’s real name was lost to time, but Taka was certain his second sensei had been the man that had invented the style.

Eyes narrowed looking at the picture before he set it on the table, and formally pushed it back across towards the young woman, <“You seek this man for vengeance, or for safety?”> He let the words sink in before he continued, not bothering with a reply, <“I can keep you safe until you reach that man. If that is your wish, Kami guide us swiftly. If you wish to defeat this man however, I cannot guarantee victory, but I can give you a chance at it. I will not lie; this man is hiding more tricks in this fighting style than he lets on with this single killing blow. It is designed specifically to mock the opponent and get them unfocused, much like the ronin’s leather jacket outside this place.”>

He paused, before he picked up the other picture, looking at the candid photo of the bushi. Finally he too set it down and continued, <“I fear he doesn’t need that distraction. Still, I will protect you until such time as you dismiss me from your service.”>

It was at that time Konishiko returned, carrying the pot of tea. Setting it gracefully on the table she turned to Taka and asked plainly, <”Have you further need of me samurai-sama?”>

Taka knew that she was asking in relation to translating, however his response gave it no thought as he gestured for her to sit, <“Please, share your drink with us and if you have pressing issues you may go. I would not wish to keep you any longer than you require.”>

[Silence Sei]

Konishiko nodded her reply to Taka and sat at the middle of the small square table. Anita turned her form around and motioned for Taka to sit across from her. "<There is another reason that I would like to hire your services,>" Anita indulged her newly hired ronin.

"<There is something terrible to befall the country of Corone. More specifically, the city of Radasanth is in more danger now than it has ever been in before. My father is trying to prevent this crisis with the help of eight other warriors. These Nine will all be needed in order for his plans to come to fruition. The Nine in particular have been prophesized eons before any conventional means of doing so came along.>"

The girl sighed as Konishiko turned the tea pot in an attempt to fill the teen's cup. Anita nodded her gratitude and took a sip. Konishiko followed suit.

"<I believe you are one of the warriors who will help Sei Orlouge unite the country.>"

At the mention of the name Konishiko's eyes widened. Being a lady, it would be improper to simply spit out the tea, show she forcefully swallowed what had almost come out all over the ronin and the girl. "Sei Orlouge is your father?!" Konishiko questioned Anita, who nodded her response.

"Sei Orlouge once saved this establishment from bandits. He's not only revered as a hero in Radasanth, but here in Akashima as well. You would be hard pressed to find anybody in Corone who does not know his name." Anita nodded in response once again and pointed at Taka. Konishiko had gotten so excited to be sitting with the Daughter of the Dragon; she completely forgot to include the man in the conversation.

Anita drank some of her tea as Konishiko explained Sei Orlouge to the ronin Taka. Once the server finished her explanation, Anita looked to her new associate.

"<So, I am asking you to not only help me locate Shiryko, but to help my father save Radasanth. Do you think you may be able to do both?>"

[Tainted Bushido]

<"Taka-sama, Sei Orlouge is a hero of both Corone and Akashima. While not a student of Bushido, he still maintains a level of honor and duty that even a Samurai would be hard pressed to find fault with. If this young girl is indeed his daughter, then you should consider yourself blessed to be able to guard one so precious to the Hero of Radasanth," Konihsiko said quickly. While trying desperately not to touch she did reach out to him, almost forgetting the traditional formalities that existed in such a world.

Taka merely lifted his tea cup to his lips and sipped deeply, his face unreadable. Millions of thoughts rang through his head as the girl spoke of prophecy and further of the dangers it would entail. There was no need to hear the words; they held an underlying thread of desperation to them. This wasn’t some trivial fight; this would be a war of attrition. Perhaps Taka would die, and dying so far from home held a hint of distaste in his mouth, almost completely sullying the taste of the fine tea he had been given.

But could he really turn his back on the girl?

<”Taka-sama?”> The geisha intruded on his thoughts once more. He gave her a quizzical look, even as both women at the table seemed to be holding their breath for his next words. It was obvious they were waiting on an answer, and if that was the case they might have to wait a bit more, he just didn’t have an answer for them.

Then Rengoku acted up.

The sound of a solid thud of something hitting the floor resounded through the tea house, as Taka looked down upon his sword. The weight of it had to be unbearable, for his obi had been untied and it had fallen to the floor, such was its weight. Reaching down to pick up his fallen soul, he realized immediately what she had to say on the matter. He couldn’t leave the place without his soul, and it wasn’t going to budge until he said the right words. A fierce tug told him this much.

A soft sigh of defeat left his lips before he spoke, <“It seems my soul has decided to answer in my stead. I shall join your fight, and help you find Benimaru-sama. Further, I ask for no payment, beyond simple room and board.”> The sword seemed to almost jump into his hand at the words spoken, and his obi was quickly retied.

Konishiko almost spat out her tea in surprise at the statement, seeming to speak for Anita as she inquired, <“No charge Taka-sama? Are you certain?”>

<“How can one put a price on the safety of a city? I know I cannot, nor would it be very honorable to try. If I am taken care of until that battle, and should die, I’ll have no regrets. Further, I have a feeling that there is no suitable payment for such an act. I couldn’t put a price to such a dire task if I tried,”> the ronin replied. He then looked at Anita and Konishiko before he said, <“If there are no further questions on my part, perhaps we can enjoy our tea and decide upon a course of action.”>

[Silence Sei]

Anita watched as Taka's katana had answered for him, the man reconfirming what she had seen. He had accepted her offer to come and save Radasanth with her father. IT had come as no surprise to her that he would. Taka seemed as though he was like the only other samurai she had ever met, loyal and willing to do what it takes to help others. At least, such compassion used to be a quality in Shiryko Benimaru, despite his lecherous nature.

"<Perhaps we should rest up at the local inn tonight. We probably won't be able to find Shiryko during the night time hours, and it will give me time to think of how best to locate him.>" Anita looked to Konishiko as she took another sip of tea. The warm liquid made her almost feel as if she were at home having her father's own special brew. This may just turn out to be the best Spring Break ever..

~~~~~~~~~

Later, at the inn, Anita was sitting at a desk that stood adjacent to her bed. She was busily scribbling down thoughts of Shiryko here and there. The fresh candle she had started the writing with was burning down to nothing but a wick at this point. The girl's eyes began to sink, and her head began to nod forward, and before she knew it, she was asleep at her makeshift study...

Opening her eyes, Anita saw nothing but pure black. It was natural, ever since she had come back to Radasanth with her father, the girl rarely dreamed. The darkness had to just be due to the candle burning out the last bit of light while the teen nodded off. It was the only logical explanation.

Without warning a bright light appeared, nearly blinding the girl. Anita's eyes began to refocus on the shift in lighting as the whiteness dimmed around a form. Standing in his flowing white samurai robes was Shiryko Benimaru. The bishounen's smile was as warm as the girl had remembered it. His three swords laid at his side (His primary sword Shiraki on his left side and the other two blades on the right). Anita's eyes looked up to meet with the young mans, wondering what he was doing here.

"Anita," Shiryko said in that gentle soft voice the girl was accustomed to, "you have to continue your search. The man you are with, he is tainted. I believe I can help him, but you have to bring him to me." Anita shook her head. So many questions she wanted to ask the samurai at the moment, but couldn't seem to find the words.

"Why was I attacked? Do you know who sent that man?"

Shiryko nodded. "I did. I was told by my employer that I was to try and take care of you before you found any more warriors. Some job I did huh? Guess that guy was more brawn than brains." Anita smiled at the samurai's joke. She had missed his dry, almost bland style of humor.

"I would tell you more about who hired me, but I can't. He's not aware I still possess the 'Crest of Dreams', which is the only reason I can talk to you now. I can not help your father on this journey, and chances are that I will be battling him at some point. This is because my employer has something of mine that I hold much closer to my heart than my friendship with Sei. I don't expect you to understand, but I will make it up to you."

Anita could not do anything but nod. All this information registering in her mind at once was a lot to process. Before she had known it, Shiryko was gone. "Wait, Shiryko!" she called out, "I need to know where you're at if you want me to bring Taka to you!"

"In the tongue of the cat..."

Anita opened her eyes with the last words dwindling in her head. The tongue of the cat? What the hell was that supposed to mean? The girl looked around at her desk, finding that some of her papers had received the gift of candle wax upon them. The girl shook her head and crawled over to her bed. Lying down, Anita closed her eyes. She would tell Taka about her dream in the morning and then maybe together they could find the tongue of the cat.

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka nodded sipping at his tea. The young woman soon left to venture for a room at the house, and was soon whisked away upstairs. Taka himself was left with Konishiko, who seemed to be studying Taka before she spoke up, voicing her opinion, <“That was beyond honorable you know. Some would call it acting stupidly good.”>

Taka sipped his tea before he spoke, <“I was never one for the gossip of others. Leave that for the courtiers and the bureaucrats. I’m just a simple warrior, and can you blame me for finding a fight worth fighting?”>

She gave him a soft smile before she spoke, <“You were a member of the Eastern Guard; there is no way you could be so virtuous otherwise. So, how does an Eastern Guard become a ronin?”>

<“How indeed.”>

<“You certainly are tight lipped. Is there nothing you’ll talk of?”>

<“The tea is delicious, thank you for the pot.”>

<“You’re impossible,”> The geisha said a wry smirk on her face. She shook her head before she stood up bowing deeply, she then said a formal goodbye and left Taka at the table alone, giving him a chance to clear his head, and process what had just occurred. In the span of a scant few hours he had gone from interloper to key player in a young girl’s life. Further, he would be fighting away from his homeland, all to protect a town he had never seen before. He shook his head finishing his cup, before he turned it upside down and set the nearby spoon upon it, signaling he was through. A gesture to the table made it clear he was about to leave, before Konishiko returned, <“You need a room as well I presume?”>

<“If you would be so kind,”> Taka assented. Konishiko nodded before leading the ronin up the stairs to a room.

She then gestured inside, <“Thank you for your patronage, Kami bless you as you sleep.”>

Taka smirked softly before he said, <“I feel blessed enough for one day, let us not tempt them further.”>


~*~

Taka had deposited his stuff in the corner, his daisho sitting on the stand next to him before he collapsed on the tatami mat. He was exhausted from the days activities, and further from holding back the taint another day. Certainly someone else would have been consumed wholly but Taka had held on this long. His sensei’s teachings told him that these days were not all that uncommon in the time of the Samurai, back when they were the police and as untouchable as the nobility.

Sleep took him, but instead of the normal nightmares it was a pitch black. Thankful for a chance to fully rest a night, Taka merely drifted through the darkness. Soon, the peace was disturbed when before him stood another samurai, dressed in a white Kimono and Hakama, two swords rested on his right hip, while one prominent one rested on his left. He stood before Taka from some time, almost studying the samurai, and Taka responded in kind, a sort of duel coming up, not unlike what had happened that day.

<“You finished him quick, I suppose that was a small mercy,”> The man said firmly.

Taka knew immediately what he was talking about and responded in kind, <“I tore his arm to shreds; he would never wield a sword again. When he begged for death I gave it to him.”>

The other man nodded simply before he spoke, <“You know who I am already, so I suppose I can’t exactly introduce myself. But I don’t have the pleasure of knowing who you are…”>

<“My name is Taka, a simple ronin.”>

He snorted as he gestured about the two of them, showing the forest clearing where Taka had awoken to be burdened with Rengoku. He then pointed accusingly at Taka, <“Simple my ass. You beat up an oni through pure determination, only to have what you assumed was your charge forged into a sword. You my friend are not normal by any stretch. If I had been pulling stunts like that when my career began, I wouldn’t need to hit on the ladies, they’d be all over me…”>

<“You’d also have to forgo your family name because you failed a simple escort mission,”> Taka replied in kind. There was no need to hide his shame from this man, who seemed to have torn Taka’s memories to shreds in pursuit of the truth.

<“Let me give you a hint Taka, you aren’t having these nightmares because of the taint in your blood. You’re having them because you can’t forgive yourself for failing. You keep obsessing over your failure, like very other samurai in this country, and you refuse to say you’ve atoned. You’re the only Samurai I know who got to prove his innocence, only to keep beating himself up over a sham.”>

<“If I had been strong-“>

<“If you had been stronger none of this would matter, and you wouldn’t be with Anita right now. You’d be under Hantei Jubei, waiting for your next promotion. If you had succeeded you would be enjoying the life of a samurai, perhaps writing some haiku under a tree and thinking yourself clever. Let me tell you, that’s the life of a retired samurai, not for you and me. We’re warriors we fight and we live and we die, that’s all we are.”> The samurai said pointing at Taka. Taka remained silent at the treatment, partially because it was true, partially because he was angry it was true. The samurai with a gesture destroyed the field before he spoke breaking the silence, <“I want you to know, this isn’t some stupid dream, this is really me and you having a conversation. You’re about everything I thought you’d be, and the Dream Crest came in handy for that.”>

Taka drew steel as soon as the words left Shiryko’s mouth. His blade pointed at the other samurai, who tilted his head ever so slightly and smiled, as one would to a friend who had just done something stupid. They stood there like that for awhile before he turned and proceeded to leave Taka in the dark void and spoke, <“I’ll give you a gift Taka, and you don’t even have to refuse it twice. All I ask in return is you learn to forgive yourself and one other person.”>

<“Who is that? And what is that?”>

<“Forgive yourself and me, and I’ll make it so you don’t have nightmares tonight. If you’re going to fight me soon, I don’t want you tired. I want you as fresh as possible…”>

[Silence Sei]

Anita awoke fresh as a daisy. The teen was already dressed and ready to go on her quest to find her former friend. Thoughts of what Shiryko had said still lingered in her mind like recalling an old memory. The samurai had saved Corone with the help of Neosaim Hyakureiki on a number of occasions. He sacrificed himself several times for Tshael Nito, a beast that hated him. He would always put the well being of others before himself. So then why was he acting so...so mysterious? It wasn't like him.

As Anita traveled down the stairs, she was greeted by Konishiko. "Going out, are we?" the geisha asked the younger girl. Anita, lost in her thoughts, simply nodded. What did Shiryko mean by the tongue of the cat? The girl snapped out of her trance quickly and gazed over at her interim translator.

"Konishiko," Anita's eyes went back and forth between the orbs of the older lady, "do you know where the tongue of the cat is?"

The geisha stood with a blank stare at Anita for a moment before laughing. "Tongue of the cat? You must mean The Lion's Mouth. It's a cave about three miles outside of the city. It got it's namesake due to the fact that when someone goes in, they rarely come out. The stalagmites and stalactites in there are razor sharp, and could cut a person to shreds if they did something as careless as trip. If you're going there, I beg you to be careful."

Anita nodded to reassure her knew friend as she began to hear Taka stir upstairs. The girl was almost positive that Shiryko had visited the fellow samurai as well. After all, if they were destined to find each other, Shiryko would have already been two steps ahead of the competition. His idiotic demeanor and carefree attitude typically went away when he saw a real challenge. Anita shivered at the prospect of her new 'employee' falling in battle just a day after the girl had hired him.

"Taka," Anita shouted upstairs, "when you're ready, I'll be outside. It's time."

Anita looked to Konishiko and asked the girl to write down exactly where The Lion's Mouth was. She was accustomed to Akashima, but only during her Spring Break. Going outside of the city was a bit of a taboo area for her. After hurriedly scribbling down the directions on how to get to the cave, the tea server gave the note to Anita, who walked out looking at the directions in an attempt to memorize them.

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka awoke the next morning feeling far fresher than he ever had in recent memories. Shiryko was a man of his word, and had kept the nightmares at bay, if only for a night. Stirring finally his body held an energy he didn’t know was possible; such had been his time without sleep. The incident in the forests of Akashima had only been six month’s ago, but that seemed forever to go without a good nights rest. He had tormented himself, agonizing over how much he had failed, only to recover and still be an outcast. Perhaps that was what tore him apart the most, he was still an outcast, despite being proven free. So, he punished himself by forgoing a good night’s rest…

…all because he couldn’t forgive himself.

It was time to make a change, but first he had a job to do. They needed to find Shiryko, and from there determine how much of the situation could be salvaged. Gathering his gear he contemplated dressing in his armor, and decided it would be best to wait till they were on the road. Doing so in a city could only lead to trouble, and while being on the imperial highway in armor could be seen as an act of war, being a ronin gave him a bit more leeway, as really he couldn’t declare war on the country anymore than anyone else.

With all that said he finally made his way downstairs, where Konishiko waited patiently. She bowed deeply before speaking, <“I hope your sleep was restful.”>

<“It was thank you very much,”> Taka responded nodding his head to the woman. His irritability was gone as well; it was a new lease on life, just one night of good sleep. Smiling he ventured, <“I don’t suppose my charge gave you a destination did she?”>

<“The Lion’s Mouth, it’s a bit of a folktale here. I would be careful, the place was a deathtrap if I ever saw one…”> She responded in kind.

<“I’ll take it under advisement.”>

<“Be careful Taka-sama, This country needs more people like you if its going to survive,”> Konishiko said firmly. Taka looked at her blandly for a moment, before he grabbed his straw hat and placed it upon his head.

<“An interesting notion, we’ll see how it holds up in time.”>


~*~

The three hours went by quickly. Anita had pressed a few times, asking him about his rest the night previous, things about himself. Every time he answered succinctly, but giving no detail. If it could be answered with a yes or no, that was all she got. If he could answer in a detailed story, or in a single sentence, he would go with the sentence. He was more than sure; she was going crazy with how protective of his life he was being.

Still they arrive at the mouth of the cave, the sun now bearing down overhead, making things hotter for the samurai. It was times like these he loathed the bandages, but he wore them for fear of discovery. His charge however, had no clue as to what the blotches of dark skin meant, and that gave him the courage to begin unwrapping his arms. Slowly, the pale skin of his arms came into view. Wet and wrinkly from the fact they had absorbed so much sweat; imprints of the cloth upon his skin ran rampant. For the briefest of moments, Taka could almost see steam rising from them; such was the heat of the day. With their influence gone, he looked upon the blotches, trying to gauge how far they had spread.

<“Good, it hasn’t grown much recently. That is one less worry for now,”> Taka mused cryptically. He then looked at the armor and sighed, realizing it would only serve to hamper him. Instead he carefully opened his kimono to let off some more heat, and placed his bag down. Relaxing for a bit he could feel his charges impatience before he quoted his master, <“When men are forced to make decisions at a moment’s notice, they make mistakes. When they have time to think, they have time to sort out the details and calm any foul temper they may be carrying. If our foe is in there, I would rather enter with a clear mind, than rush in and be forced to a hasty decision.”>

Rengoku lightened only slightly at the words, understanding Taka’s sentiment. He was thankful the sword wasn’t thinking him cowardly, but then again he had been with Rengoku the better part of six months. That was a long time to form a relationship with his blade, and for the blade to come to terms with what Taka preferred. There were always mistakes, even Taka mistook the sword’s suggestions when he was choosing a course of action, but the sword too often misjudged the ronin’s acts.

Or perhaps it judged them wisely.

He finally stood, adjusting his kimono and closing it again before he looked down at the armor. With a sigh he left it there before he spoke, <“It’ll only slow me down, I fear I’ll need all the speed I can muster for this fight. I am ready Anita-sama, please stay close to me, and do as I instruct.”>

[Silence Sei]

Anita stood before the large cave. The smell of burnt firewood and fresh ramen noodles filled the nostrils of the teen. Somebody had recently been in the cave, and it seemed as though the only way out of the Lion's Mouth was the same as its entrance. The girl looked towards Taka as he began to warn Anita to stay behind him. She nodded and stepped back behind her bodyguard. A hand instinctively went to his blade arm, gripping it tightly.

Anita had only gripped her father like this before. To do it to somebody else was new, but not unpleasant. Taka took several steps forward with Anita nestled closely behind her ronin protector. As the light from the day transformed into the darkness of the Lion's Mouth, Anita let out a small yelp.

She moved her eyes to her right arm, which had a small cut upon it. The source of the cut had been a large stalagmite drooping down to just three feet off of the ground. The sharpness of the rock made a clean slit on her forearm. Konishiko was not exaggerating about the dangers of the cave. Anita had been so fixed on her fresh wound that she had not realized that Taka's own arm muscles had tensed up.

Then Anita heard what Taka had been hearing. It sounded as though something glass was hitting a piece of wood. It resonated throughout the cave, ringing in the girl's ears. Taka advanced slower than before, slightly shrugging Anita's hands off of him as he blazed the trail. The sound grew louder and louder as the two advanced, careful to avoid the rest of the lion's 'teeth'.

Soon, they were upon the source that illuminated most of their senses. The torch that dimly lit the area showed several things. The first was a small waterfall trickling water into a small stream further into the cave. The next was the pile of firewood still smoldering from when it had been put out. Lastly, Anita noticed three bowls of ramen beside a small table. The table had a board with several flat marbles upon it. A hand came down from one end of the table and slamming a marble down upon one of the squares. The same hand then proceeded to pick up a few of the marbles upon the table.

"<I chose the venue for its irony,>" Shiryko Benimaru said with a smile. "<Once upon a time, the ruler of Akashima decided he would invite several animals to a grand party. The party was to choose those that would become symbols for the zodiac. The clever rat went about to tell all the animals in the kingdom. When he had gotten to his best friend, the cat, he was fearful that the ruler would choose the feline over him. As such, the animal told the cat that the dinner would be held exactly a day later than it actually was. The cat slept through the entire banquet, and the rat was chosen to represent Sagittarius. From that point on the cat proclaimed he was the mortal enemy of the rat.>"

Shiryko's back had been facing the two during his entire story. After he finished, he turned around and smiled politely. It was as if he were talking to an old friend. Anita was astonished by the pleasantries the samurai had for his enemy. Shiryko offered the two adventurers the two open seats before him, motioning his arm over the ramen as an invitation.

"<I don't know if you're familiar with Go, Mister Taka. If you are, I'd ask that we play a game together before we settle our business. If you are unsure of the rules, I will teach you as we go along. One day your enemy may become your friend. I need to know if you will be just as good of a friend to me as you will be an enemy. So please, sit.>"

Anita's eyes moved over to Taka. "<Should we? It could be a trap.>“ Anita was sure she already knew Taka's answer, but she was unsure if she could even trust Shiryko now, at this calm before the sword. This samurai's weapon for justice had become a dark blade for something sinister. Something that wanted to stop Anita and Sei's plans. Anita decided she would do whatever Taka wanted to do, because for some reason, she felt compelled to be around the samurai, to help him through the darkness she could feel inside him.

[Tainted Bushido]

<“He’s given us no reason to mistrust him yet. I also haven’t had an opportunity to play Go in some time. I will warn you Benimaru-sama, I only know Yanbo Port rules, so if I do something wrong, please feel free to inform me,”> Taka replied plainly. There was still much that was off about the situation, but none of it had anything to do with Benimaru.

It had appeared that Taka had impressed his employer much. However, he was uncertain of what would happen in the future with that employer. In Akashima, touch was a fairly taboo thing, and yet when he had asked her to stay close, she had gripped him tightly. He had been tempted to ask her politely to let go, but in the end chose to keep silent on the matter. Whatever put her at ease would only make his job easier. Though he wondered if perhaps she was becoming infatuated with him, not that he was disgusted by such a thing. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to develop strong feelings towards a person perceived as a savior.

Still there was the Go game to play, and as Taka sat down he saw the board was clean, fresh and ready for a new game. It was said that the opening moves told much of a player, and that strategies done in those all important moves, could have repercussions that could reverse the entire outcome of the game. Still Taka took his seat before he noticed that he had the black stones set upon his side. Looking up at Benimaru he noticed the Hopeless samurai gave him a small grin before saying, <“If you would do the honors?”>

Taka never was all that good at Go.

Still he knew how to move about the board at a decent clip, and so in the span of only a few seconds the corner of the board saw an explosion of activity, as the two began their small war. Taka noticed that Benimaru used poking jabs here and there, setting stones in an effort to bait out an amateur move. There were plenty of cases where Benimaru had set up a situation where Taka could have taken a stone, at the cost of losing one of his larger clusters on the board. The fact that Taka had let so many be made, showed that he had a long ways to go.

The game was still progressing, and from out of the corner they moved to the sides, in an attempt to continue the game along. Pressure was on Taka, who met it with measured resolve. Soon however he noticed something, Benimaru was specifically baiting him. He never made a move that Taka couldn’t punish, but every time it could be there seemed to be lurking in the background a vicious counterstrike. It was a rather odd strategy for Taka to go against, who was not at all used to such things. However, it did give him one insight; he could start seeing where Benimaru would set up his counters to anything Taka would do.

And so, when Benimaru wasn’t trying to goad Taka, he began to act.

It was subtle at first, requiring a bit more aggressive a stance than normal, but Taka slowly yet surely began to move. When the first cluster fell, Benimaru seemed only to smile wider before he spoke, <“Noticed that did you?”>

<“You were hiding it for quite some time. It only took some getting used to before I could act upon it,”> Taka replied in kind.

It was at that time Taka realized the folly of his mistake. He had been reading Benimaru and thinking that Benimaru was waiting for Taka to go on the offensive in a smaller scale. That for the most part was true, had Taka been a true beginner what seemed like a good idea would have had the Ronin slaughtered wholesale, destroyed without a single stone on the board. The resulting wipe would have indeed been very humiliating for the Ronin. However, Benimaru had instead made a much larger sacrifice than Taka had guessed at, and upon seeing the board knew what would happen.

In several moves, Taka had been pushed back into the corner of the map, several well placed stones resulting in areas Taka should have continued to shore up falling completely. It was at that time Benimaru spoke, <“I’ll admit that this was partly inspired by your fight in the village. I of course never meant to sacrifice poor Aki-san’s life, but it did net me something I had not expected.”>

<“You saw how I fight, in two strokes,”> Taka replied firmly.

<“You aren’t dumb Taka-san, not by a long shot. I have to admit the fact that you saw the feints I was putting up was impressive. I think our fight will be better than expected. Are we done here?”> With that he gestured to the board. Taka looked upon it for awhile before he carefully nodded seeing the futility of playing out the last hundred or so turns. It would be a bloody and brutal encounter, but Taka had fallen to the Hopeless Samurai’s sacrifice twice so far, and it ruffled his feathers.

Taka stood up hiding the turmoil inside him behind a façade of cool indifference. He was surely outmatched, both the conversation last night and the Go game showed that. He merely had to fight on, and hope that something could be done to change the fate he could see coming from a mile away. So he took his stance traditionally as he looked upon the samurai, decked out in white, the color of Death in Akashima. He stood there for awhile studying the man before he spoke, <“I hope you understand when I say I will not back down.”>

Benimaru let out a soft sigh of disappointment before he nodded softly, <“I was afraid you’d say that Taka-san. You do your former family much Honor I’ll say. Not everyday that a member of the Benjiro family is forced to fight in a war he has no part in.”>

[Silence Sei]

Anita had sat between the two men patiently as she ate the ramen. Taka stated that there was no reason to mistrust Shiryko at this point, so Anita didn't. Anita's eyes darted back and forth as she watched the Akashima take on checkers. The glass stones would hit here and there, and the eyes of the two men seemed as if they were already locked in combat. Taka had a stern but determined look upon his face while Shiryko remained calm and collected. Anita could tell that the expressions pasted on the two warriors now would be the same looks they would wear when the real fight began.

Finally, Taka had conceded to his opponent. Standing up and taking a step back, Anita's 'champion' placed his hand upon the hilt of his katana. Shiryko mimicked the initial action, standing up and placing a thumb on two of his three blades. Anita felt a wind rush over the two samurai. The smell of the firewood left her smell, the taste of the ramen left her tongue. All she could concentrate on now were the two titans standing before her.

"<I have a request,>" Taka said with his hand still at his weapon, "<No matter the outcome of this fight, you let my employer go. You should know that she has a father that would come looking for her if you strike her down.>"

The 'threat' caused a surprised look in Shiryko. "<Taka-san, I am not dumb enough to trifle with the Hero of Radasanth. I was merely going to delay Anita by a day with my kidnapping. Much like the rat had done to the cat. She would have never met you, and you would not have to die in a cave by my sword. I was trying to do you a favor.>"

Anita's eyes shifted to Taka, who had a small smirk upon his face. It was almost as if her ronin had already welcomed death with open arms. The restless look began to return to her samurai's orbs already. Anita stood and stepped backwards until she was about ten feet away from the two, her back against the stream. She did not want to get between the lightning fast blades that were about to come out of this fight.

It started when Taka withdrew his katana. He arced it in a quick fashion towards Shiryko's torso. His opponent had already blocked the assault, as with a flick of his thumb, his sword was shot into the air. His head dived sideways and caught his prevalida katana with his teeth, instantly catching Taka's iaido slash. Shiryko's second thumb threw out the hilt of his next sword. It wasn't until he grabbed it with his left hand that the blade grew out of the hilt in a blood red hue.

Taka was taking a step back as Shiryko attempted to stab his opponent in the throat with his prevalida blade. The ronin had moved his neck slightly to the left, allowing the metal to leave a small scrape on the side of his throat. Taka responded by bringing his blade downwards to meet the second sword, Shiryko easily catching it. It was all a trap; however, as Taka placed a foot into Shiryko's stomach before the samurai could use another throat jab.

Shiryko stumbled backwards, gasping a bit once he had heard the rip of his clothing. A small piece of his material was torn off onto one of the large rising stalactites. Anita looked closer to see that the missing clothing was not why Shiryko was gasping. It was the deep cut the rock had made from his left armpit to his elbow. Shiryko drew first blood, but Taka drew more blood.

The samurai's right hand rushed down to his third blade, his primary weapon. Shiryko withdrew Shiraki and planted both of his feet onto the ground in a sumo wrestler fashion. It was a strange stance for a samurai, but obviously one Shiryko was using to recover from the sting coming out of his left arm.

"<I guess it's time I got serious...>" Shiryko said with his teeth still clenched on his weapon.

[Tainted Bushido]

No worries…

This fight was pure, it was clean, and while the wistful smile never left his face, he fought against the upward tide of Shiryko Benimaru’s relentless assault. Steel clashed with steel, in a symphony that spoke volumes of those fighting. Each note rang out with determination, each refrain a mere return to the pure clean feeling this fight brought in the samurai. There was no hostility on either side; there was no anger or hatred, only a muted feeling of sadness and resolve. Neither hated the other, and even when it became apparent Taka was out of his league, he fought harder. Shiryko sent a kick that sent the man sprawling back on the ground, and a hiss of pain echoed through the area.

While they had remained close to the middle of their so called arena, he had slid to the edges, where the fangs of the Lion’s Mouth waited to catch anyone off guard. Taka slowly stood up and looked at his shoulder, sliced deeply but not in such a way that he couldn’t fight. However, as the first deep wound the Samurai had suffered it also showed the ugly truth to all who witnessed it, his blood while red on the edges, held within it a foul black ichor. Any who saw it could tell something was wrong with the Ronin, who until now had only the odd dark patch of skin to hide. Oni blood was dripping out of the wound with his blood, and now his secret was laid bare to all who could see.

Reversing the grip on his Katana it stabbed deeply into the ground, before he used it as a crutch to reach a standing position. Shiryko was unfazed by the display of Taka returning to his feet. Even then the Ronin carefully peeled back his Kimono, revealing his chest, and the dark patches of skin that streaked down his back on either side of his spine. He then carefully gripped Rengoku bringing it about in a stance that was far too wide to be used double handed. Taka then spoke his voice unwavering, <“I suppose I’ll have to go all out on this one, I only hope I don’t embarrass my Sensei too much in attempting this…”>

Reaching down to his hip, he gripped the handle of his Wakizashi, the sword that represented his honor. While most would never use this blade in battle, every samurai understood what it meant. This was the blade they would fall upon if they failed; this was their last line of defense against the stains of Dishonor. Carefully he pulled it from its sheath, a crystal clear ring echoing through the room as he did so. The wakizashi with a casual flick of Taka’s wrist soon mirrored the pose of the Katana, and Taka finished his stance, set in the ritual kata Hoturi had spent many days beating into the Ronin’s head.

Shiryko came at the ronin again, only to find Taka’s entire fighting style had changed. While he was attacking with a relentless fury he found himself buffeted as if undergoing the attacks of a steel hurricane. Every attack was met either in kind with an attack from the Katana, or deflected by a blow from his Wakizashi, and while he could tie up two of the three blades, he was moving with a fluid grace that saw the third blade only shave more from the samurai. Taka was in an almost faultless defense, but unable to press any advantage. Even as the blood ran down his shoulder, he continued to push himself further and further.

<“I will not lie Benimaru-sama, I am the inferior today. I could have avoided confronting you, and I could have suggested to my charge we never come after last night. However, you have given me the one gift I could thank no one else for…”> Taka manged, before with a shove he sent Benimaru back to the center of the room. The two sized each other up, as Taka returned to stance one of the kata.

<”What is that?”> The Hopeless Saumrai returned his words partially garbled by the hilt of the Katana in his mouth, but no less clear to the Ronin he faced.

<“You reminded me who I was; when I became so embittered by my failures I was lost to the waves of fate. I may no longer bear the Benjiro name, but I was once, and I know what I must do now…”> Taka replied before he rushed the Samurai, his assault beginning. Shiryko fought back his own blades clashing as the fight began to reach a crescendo of violence that threatened to deafen all who stood nearby. Taka continued the assault, before a sandaled foot hit his opponent in the stomach, hunching over the Hopeless Samurai. He took the opportunity to bring the Katana down hoping to decapitate his opponent in one blow, before his body lurched.

Shiryko had buried Shiraki to the hilt in the Ronin’s stomach before he spoke softly, only for Taka, <“You did well, and I know you would not have lasted much longer under the strain you had put yourself under. Go to your ancestors Benjiro Taka, and tell them the name of your killer.”>

A savage kick saw Taka to the ground, before Shiryko wiped the blood from his Katana. He had begun the processing of cleaning his other blades, waiting for Taka to finish dying, even as he let go a wistful sigh. He was about to talk with Anita, before letting the girl go when he felt it, almost a wave of purity that flooded the area, before he heard it, impossibly. A slight groan filtered through the air, the scratch of metal upon stone, all coming from the dead body of Taka. He turned around Shiraki still in hand before he saw it; the Ronin was on his knees, Rengoku stabbed into the ground much as when he had been kicked away before.

There was a dazed look in Taka’s eyes, even as he unsteadily got to his feet, his body hunched, and Rengoku grasped clumsily in his hands. It seemed as if the body had acted purely on instinct alone, though what instinct had been ingrained that the body risked itself again was to be determined. He was beyond the point of saving himself. Had he have stayed down he could have played dead, and possibly escaped this encounter with his life. A survivor of the dreaded three blade style, yet the Ronin stood, and with a shake of his head, the life returned to his eyes. A sad smile lifted to his lips before he spoke his voice strained, <“Though my blood be stained upon these very stones…”>

Taka would die, a prayer on his lips, and on his feet.

[Silence Sei]

Anita watched in horror as the blows were exchanged with one another. There was something different about Shiryko's fighting style than the last time Anita had watched him duel. It wasn't that his strokes did not have the heart they usually had, but something was missing. There was some vital piece of Shiryko that didn't hold the same light-heartedness that made the boy who he was.

Then, When Shiryko had booted Taka away from himself, she noticed it. The shoulder. Shiryko kept looking over to the left of his shoulder after every attack. It was as if he were trying to converse with someone that wasn't there. Anita's eyes widened in horror as she had the epiphany, how could she have not realized it sooner? It could have been the one detail that would have given Taka the victory!

"Taka!" Anita shouted to him, "It's his shoulder! He keeps seeking advice from--" Anita was cut short by the sound of metal penetrating flesh. The girl winced in disgust as Shiryko's blades dripped the crimson rubies from the middle of Taka's chest, and both of his lungs. The girl turned her head to look at the backside of her savior. Indeed, the blades had penetrated from the front and straight out of the back. The girl looked to Shiryko, who removed all three blades from its human pin cushion.

Slinging the blood off of the hand-held blades, Shiryko sheathed the katanas. He then took the prevalida blade from his mouth and slung the blood off of it. Shiryko took several steps towards Anita as he sheathed his final sword. Anita's eyes were more focused on Taka falling to his knees and finally falling on his face. The red and black blood seeping into the stone floor.

"You noticed, huh? He's not here. Surely you must see why I'm doing what I'm doing," Anita's eyes went back to the speaking Shiryko. She nodded slowly as she focused back on the survivor's shoulder. "I am truly sorry that I had to do that, Anita, but it was what I was ordered to do."

Walking back to the Go board, Shiryko lifted the board from the table. The game board had been hiding a hole, which Shiryko then reached into. The samurai pulled out a sheathed no-dachi, both blade and holster covered completely in bandages. "Give this to you father as an apology for taking one of his Nine from him. I believe he was once collecting these."

Shiryko walked back to Anita and pulled the girl's arms towards him, placing the weapon in her hands. "He was a worthy opponent. I ask that you give him a proper funeral at the Tomb. His own family will not take him back due to the taint in his blood." Anita stood there for a moment before registering what Shiryko had said.

"Taint?" What taint?"

"That is a story for another day, young one," Shiryko said as he walked back to his hidden compartment. He now pulled out a large cloth and proceeded to place it over Taka's body. "I will take you back to Radasanth, and there you can find someone else to carry the body to your father."

Anita nodded as she watched Shiryko heave the man's body onto his shoulder. She was filled with so many emotions right now. There was hate for Shiryko, who had taken Taka from her. Sympathy for the man who went into battle knowing he was in over his head. Regret for knowing she had the blood of the samurai on her hands. Why couldn't she have just taken Taka back to Sei immediately? Why did she have to prove she could do things her father could?!

As Shiryko began to step out of the cave, Anita let out a giant wail. The girl had to release all the feelings boiling inside of her in a loud scream before she could even fathom going with Taka's murderer. After she had physically released her frustration, Anita followed Shiryko, but she did not say another word to the samurai with the Dark Blade....

~~~~~~~~~~

"And that brings us here," Anita stood before her father in his living room. Sei Orlouge looked over the covered body of his fallen warrior. How was he to save Radasanth if one of the prophecy warriors had already fallen? The mute looked to his daughter, whose eyes had been puffed red from crying. She really liked the ronin.

"Anita, I'm sorry sweetie. Is there anything I can do?"

"You can bring back Taka!" Anita shouted as she eyes her father with all her pent up frustration. Realizing what she was doing, the girl regained her composure. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I know, you're no monk. It's too late to revive him now anyways. I just wish...I just wish I wasn't so stupid! I wish I had the power to heal him. I wish....I wish...I wish..."

Anita stopped as her father looked to the cloth that covered the ronin's body. The girl turned around, and her mouth opened wide as she began to realize why her father was watching the corpse. It began to move.

[Tainted Bushido]

Oh, little ronin. How easily you fall…

The words drifted to him, as he hovered in a dreamlike state. He had been here before, every time seemed an eternity. He often called these dreams, though this time was far more vivid, far more real than any other. He had never heard a voice when he slept the other times like this. He did not feel chilled such as this. This was a new experience all together. Moving slowly he drew steel, looking to face the source of the mysterious voice.

A chuckle drifted through the haze to him, Oh no little ronin. Not yet, the time will come, but I need to wait.

<”Who are you! What do you want with me? Why am I here?”> The questions stretched out in the darkness, before they echoed back to him, twisted into a caricature of their former sternness.

I have only one name, given to me by my master before you. Though I must say little ronin, you have proven far more entertaining than anything my “master” had given me. Perhaps you’ll understand when I tell you my name… The cruel chuckle filtered through the darkness before Taka let out a growl of frustration;

<”Enough games, answer my questions!”>

The echoes returned each a vicious mockery of the warrior’s voice. Some twisted the words further reducing the severity of those words. It reached a screaming cacophony that saw the ronin on his knees, gripping his head in agony. The steel of Rengoku clattered on the ground before everything went silent.

Six months ago, you bargained for the power to defeat the summoner Xen, three months ago, Xen fell to your blade. Now, Xen no Oni finally finishes the job, his master was too pitiful to accomplish. In doing so I get two souls to bargain with in Jigoku, a most lucrative deal I must say.

Taka stiffened as he finally realized the truth and gripped the blade tightly. He would go down fighting rather than let the oni take his body over. He looked wildly through the darkness, nothing changing as the oppressive blackness called to his heart. Finally Taka growled, <“I would rather die than let you free in the world.”>

Oh no young samurai, you need live yet. You have a prophecy to fulfill. Even I know better than to mess with the forces of Fate. However, know this little ronin your body is mine, bought and paid for in full. You live on borrowed time, for once the battle is complete, I will take my property.

Before Taka could even say anything he felt himself ejected from the dream.


~*~

Taka slowly began to stir. The first thing to move was the hands as they sought the comforting grip of his sword. He felt himself resting on stone, and yet he was covered in something. His eyes opened, slowly as he could hear the crackle of a fire. Fearing that he was to be cremated he began to thrash wildly about in the cloth. The sudden exertion saw his lungs; half filled with caked and dried blood, begin the process of cleaning themselves out. A wracking cough left the ronin’s mouth before he finally got free.

Left in much the same state he had gone through the fight in, Taka spat and coughed, emptying his lungs of the blood that had threatened to drown him once already. Remaining on the ground he barely registered his surroundings, as his body began to work out what was where and what needed to shift. However, for all that occurred a drastic change had occurred on the ronin’s skin.

Where once there had been thin stripes of blackened skin, now there was broad swaths. His forearms seemed almost completely black, and the thin wisps of blacks ran down his fingers. Now, dark skin showed not only along his spine, but also across his chest in slashes, almost mirroring the brutal beating he had sworn Xen no Oni had given him. The small tendrils that had crawled up his neck now moved past his chin, and encompassed one eye. This eye was turned immediately a milky white, yet Taka could see just fine out of that eye.

Recovered in body, but troubled in soul Taka rested on the ground. Such was the process that he barely registered the fact he felt the gentle hands of his employer on his back, tentatively helping him through the recovery of death. When he finally had the where withal to speak, his voice was hoarse, <”Many apologies Anita-sama, I seem to have lost the fight…”>

[Silence Sei]

Once Taka began to speak, it was enough to warrant Anita's showing of affection towards the ronin. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and shouted joyously.

"Taka! You're alive!"

The girl tried to fight back her tears of happiness as she squeezed the man that fought for her until death. Once she heard the samurai begin to moan in pain, however, she quickly released her grip. Standing back up and dusting her blue dress off, Anita walked in front of Taka. She moved her arms in a gesture of introducing her father to the man. "Taka, this is my father. The Protector of Radasanth, Sei Orlouge."

Sei bowed in a show of respect for the man that had saved his daughter. The girl's eyes widened as she began to realize that she was not speaking in Akashima tongue. Taka would not understand her. Anita began to try for the introduction again, but Sei placed a hand on her chest to stop her. "There's no need Anita. I'll take care of it."

Sei approached the down warrior and kneeled. He lifted a hand up towards Taka and gave him questioning eyes. Taka nodded slightly in bewilderment to give the mute permission for whatever it was he was attempting. Sei placed two fingers upon the head of the samurai and closed his eyes. It only took a few seconds before Sei opened his blue orbs and stood up straight. "I have broken down the communication barrier that previously hindered you and Anita from talking when you first met. It may be a little disorienting at first, but you will soon realize that you can not only understand me, but anyone who speaks trade speak as well. Furthermore, you can now speak trade speak fluently in my presence. If you'd like, I can make it permanent later, but this will do for now."

Anita blinked for a moment as she listened to her father's explanation of the events. She then looked back to Taka before an epiphany hit her. "Oh! Taka! There's something else!"

The girl ran off from the living room and returned a couple of minutes later with the no dachi Shiryko had bestowed upon her. Laying it down before her ronin savior, Anita began to explain. "Shiryko gave this to me as an apology for your murder. He wanted Papa to have it, but since you are not dead, I think you could make better use of it. You might even be able to pick up Shiryko's three sword style!"

The last comment sent Anita off on another realization. "Oh yeah! I also learned how you can beat Shiryko next time! His technique is near perfect but it has a flaw in it. It was a flaw I caught watching your fight, and it may be the game changer if you cross blades again." Anita quickly leaned into the man's ear and whispered something to him. The stunned Taka nodded a bit after realizing what the girl had said. Standing upright again, Anita placed her hands on her hips.

"Now, I don't believe you've helped me save Radasanth yet. It seems the Gods won’t let you die until you do. I hired you for a job I expect you to finish. So get up, do whatever you need to do to recover, and get in talks with my father." Sei smiled as the girl tried to act so serious towards the man. The samurai seemed to bring something out of Anita that wasn't usually there. It not only lightened the mute's heart but made him genuinely concerned as well.

For Sei Orlouge was starting to think Anita had her first real crush...

((Spoils:

I request that the Tea House in Akashima be considered a base for The Nine PG. Not an HQ, just a forward base. An outpost. Other than that, just exp and gold me.))

[Tainted Bushido]

Everything was happening so fast, information flowing out of Anita’s mouth as quickly everything fell into place. Slowly he covered his face with his hand and groaned softly from the headache he was getting. The girl was definitely excited at the prospect of Taka being back, and further her father was within arms reach. Adding in the fact that touch was taboo in Akashiman society and he was having a bad case of cultural overload. He did however notice that the smaller scrapes and cuts from Skiryko’s swords had disappeared and even now the wound on his shoulder was closing up, as the process of healing the ronin reached its final stages.

He looked upon the two of them before he nodded and spoke, in tradespeak for the first time, “I did indeed promise you Anita-sama. Do not worry; I will not back down from my promises.” He then looked upon the sword in his lap before he spoke, “However, I do not think Shiryko’s route is mine, while his technique was good, it is not the flawless offensive I had been lead to believe." With a grunt he pushed himself back to his feet, before he slowly pulled back on his kimono, sighing as he noticed the hole from where the cave had sliced open his shoulder. Looking across at the Hero of Radasanth, Taka bowed deeply before he introduced himself, “I am the Ronin Taka, former member of the Benjiro family of Akashima, and former guardian of Yanbo Port.”

Sei bowed deeply returning the greeting before he spoke back in Taka’s mind, I am Sei Orlouge, Hero of Radsanth and father of Anita Orlouge, who I believe I owe you thanks for rescuing…

A small gesture was made dismissing the act as Taka spoke up, “No thanks are necessary, I think they have been more than amply given. However, I believe we have a war to fight, and I would be loathe not to be amply prepared…” He paused, thinking there was so much to tell, of the deal with the Oni within him, of how that Oni got there, of everything. Yet when he looked upon Anita and seeing her beaming smile he worried. She had taken him in, not understanding what it meant. He wasn’t sure how to explain he had become possessed by an Oni, and furthermore why he was now an outcast of Akashima for it.

A deep breath steadied him, even as his heart raced before he spoke further, “I think perhaps, we have much to talk about. For the first, I am Tainted, and while your culture has no equivalent for it, I shall do my best to explain it in due time. Just know that because of this…” He gestured to his chest and arms, where the blackened skin was showing, “…I am far more a danger to you than you would believe.”

It was hard admitting that in front of Anita, part of him didn’t want to admit such things to the girl. However, now that he was in over his head, it was time for him to be truthful. Before, Taka had explained nothing about himself and his past to Anita, and now, now he needed to explain perhaps too much. He wasn’t sure how the girl would take it, and further what it would mean for his position on the team. He knew however, that he couldn’t afford to keep anyone in the dark anymore.

He then sighed looking around before he spoke, “I suppose this is the best place to talk of this. My story begins six months ago, on the road to Capital City. I had been assigned to guard…”

End.

Spoils:

1) Storm's Eye – Kata – The Storm’s Eye Kata mimics the fury of a hurricane, allowing its user to fight in an ever flowing hail of blows. Designed as an introduction to the Ni Iten Ichi Ryu style, it allows its wielder the ability to wield both Katana and Wakizashi for a short while in harmony. For a period of two posts, Taka can wield both Katana and Wakizashi without any penalty to his fighting prowess, however because of the constant movement needed for the Storm’s Eye, it is extremely tiring, and at the end of this Kata Taka will be fatigued.

2) The Rat’s Tail – This ordinary looking Nodachi is infact one of the Zodiac Weapons. Associated with Sagittarius, the No-Dachi’s true powers have yet to be ascertained, but it is only a matter of time, as the weapon seems to be uniquely attuned to the Ronin. It is made of Steel.

[Atzar]

Quest Judging
Seven: The Dark Blade

You guys averaged more than a post a day with this thread. Unfortunately, it showed. It seemed like you rushed it to me, making mistakes that could have easily been avoided by taking even five minutes to proofread. The thread dragged for awhile but picked up near the end – you both did well with the battle and the conclusion at the end. Anyway, points:

STORY

Continuity ~ 6/10. On a basic level, you two did what you needed to do here. I knew why your characters were there and what they were doing. And while your score will reflect that, I’m going to be greedy and ask for more. I’ll be honest with you – there wasn’t a single thing in this thread that I couldn’t see coming, and things seemed to fall into place too easily. Anita happened to get saved from Shiryko’s minion by Taka, who just happened to be the one she was looking for. Shiryko tells you about the “Cat’s Tongue”, and Konishiko just happens to know what it means.

There were no real twists. While twists certainly aren’t essential for a good thread, they would have really helped break up the sense of ‘dragging’ that I mention in Pacing below. I knew Taka was going to destroy the other ronin early in the thread. Similarly, I knew he’d put up a good fight but get defeated by Shyriko (more on that in Technique), but I also knew he’d find some way to survive (or get revived) so that he could join the group. I would have liked to see a quest that was a little less straightforward; a few more difficulties and a little less predictability would have made this category stronger.

Setting ~ 7/10. By and large, you guys did well with this. The first post by TB was described very well, and I liked the fact that you each interacted with the environment in the Lion’s Tongue battle. By the way… stalactites hang from the ceiling, stalagmites rise from the floor ;) I didn’t penalize you for that, just thought you should know.

Pacing ~ 4/10. This thing dragged way too much in the early going. Even with the battle early in the thread (which was ultimately over in a snap and therefore felt meaningless, even though you tried to make it have relevance on the thread), it took nearly twenty posts for anything meaningful to happen. Most of it was just dialogue. As a result, it took me a long time to get into your quest.

CHARACTER

Dialogue ~ 5/10. You’re right, TB… you should have just began the thread by putting your dialogue in <>’s. For the couple of posts you did try to just write it out in Japanese, it was annoying to have to scroll down to find out what you were saying. I admire your knowledge of a language I know almost nothing of, but it’s a lot less distracting to just see what you’re saying.

Other than that, I thought too much of the thread was spent on dialogue. It made me feel as if nothing was really happening throughout most of the quest – you were all just sitting and talking, and it felt like I was just getting bombarded by walls of information. See if you can break it up in the future, mix the info with things that are happening.

Also, the dialogue near the end was clich&#233; in parts, especially during the fight: “I guess it’s time I got serious,” for example.

Action ~ 6/10. Your actions fit your characters well, I thought. Taka was the honorable samurai, and Anita hung back out of danger where possible. I really only had one qualm and that was this: I felt like you two were building some attachment between Taka and Anita as the thread went on, and TB in particular reinforced that impression when he mentioned Taka’s discomfort with Anita’s touch when entering the cave: “Though he wondered if perhaps she was becoming infatuated with him, not that he was disgusted by such a thing. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to develop strong feelings towards a person perceived as a savior.” Then, when Taka was killed, Anita’s reaction didn’t seem to fit what I’d thought her feelings were. She reacted not with dismay or sorrow when he was run through, but rather with ‘disgust’ (your word). It would have been better to try to emphasize her grief, or even her guilt – instead I felt that her reaction was fairly flat, and the ‘wail’ that she eventually let out wasn’t enough.

Persona ~ 6/10. Oddly, I thought the most interesting character in the thread was an NPC – Shiryko had a great personality and was done particularly well by each of you. Taka was alright – getting moral advice from his sword was a novel touch – but I never really got a read on Anita aside from the fact that she’s too trusting.

WRITING STYLE

Technique ~ 5/10. There were good aspects and bad aspects in this category. For the good, I enjoyed the dream sequences. They conveyed necessary information to me in a way that was more interesting than the rest of the dialogue. For the bad, there was some attempt to foreshadow the ultimate battle between Taka and Shiryko, but I felt that it hurt you more than it helped: it came across as heavy-handed and ruined any suspense you built by revealing the outcome to me before it even happened. That marred what otherwise would have been a very good conclusion.

Mechanics ~ 4/10 This category was frustrating for me. The thread was littered with spelling and grammatical mistakes (TB was especially guilty of this), and most of them were of the variety that can be avoided by using a Spell Checker or rereading. The thing that was frustrating is that you obviously know better – you’d make an error in one sentence and then do it correctly in the next. Aside from that, there were two things from Sei that I noticed. First, you overuse the word “was.” It’s typically best to avoid that word whenever possible – it’s acceptable every so often, but there were times where you’d use it several times in a very short time. Also, try not to reuse proper nouns in any given paragraph. There was a point near the end where you used “Taka” and “Shiryko” three times each in the same paragraph.

I’m not going to go into detail about the typos and spelling mistakes here, but if you’d like me to run through them with you then feel free to ask me.

Clarity ~ 7/10. No major issues here. You were both clear and easy to follow. Remember to use the <>’s for your dialogue instead of the translations, TB; I think it’s much more effective that way.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wild Card ~ 5/10. Admittedly, I was somewhat disappointed by what I thought was a relative lack of effort in this thread. I know you don’t always feel like trying to make everything into a masterpiece, but proofreading is an easy, quick way to make entire thread seem much more polished. Aside from that, it’s obvious to me that you two are both talented writers, and I’d love to read more from each of you.

TOTAL ~ 55/100. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss any part of my judgment, the quest, or your writing in general. I’m available via PM and IM, where my handle is Ark Ether.

EXP Rewards

Tainted Bushido gains 915 EXP!
Silence Sei gains 1850 EXP!

GP Rewards

Tainted Bushido gains 150 GP!
Silence Sei gains 300 GP!

Other Rewards

Tainted Bushido gains the following requested spoils:
 
1) Storm's Eye – Kata – The Storm’s Eye Kata mimics the fury of a hurricane, allowing its user to fight in an ever-flowing hail of blows. Designed as an introduction to the Ni Iten Ichi Ryu style, it allows its wielder the ability to wield both Katana and Wakizashi for a short while in harmony. For a period of two posts, Taka can wield both Katana and Wakizashi without any penalty to his fighting prowess, however because of the constant movement needed for the Storm’s Eye, it is extremely tiring, and at the end of this Kata Taka will be fatigued.

2) The Rat’s Tail – This ordinary looking Nodachi is in fact one of the Zodiac Weapons. Associated with Sagittarius, the No-Dachi’s true powers have yet to be ascertained, but it is only a matter of time, as the weapon seems to be uniquely attuned to the Ronin. It is made of Steel.

Silence Sei gains the followed requested spoil:

The Tea House in Akashima is now a recognized base (though not an HQ) for The Nine.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.

Sei is level 7 now!