. "A light breeze blew across the dying field, wafting the smell of corpses and fire across the village. Takayasu frowned and placed a hand over his nose. The stench was overpowering. The stink had not been unexpected or altogether new. They had warned him once what the duty would entail. Still, the odor was nearly enough to knock him off his feet. Takayasu gritted his teeth and readied his resolve. He knew he would have to enter the town square, where the Scorpion samurai were gathering, but knowing it was one thing. Steeling his senses and weathering the reek was another. He screamed."@en . "A light breeze blew across the dying field, wafting the smell of corpses and fire across the village. Takayasu frowned and placed a hand over his nose. The stench was overpowering. The stink had not been unexpected or altogether new. They had warned him once what the duty would entail. Still, the odor was nearly enough to knock him off his feet. Takayasu gritted his teeth and readied his resolve. He knew he would have to enter the town square, where the Scorpion samurai were gathering, but knowing it was one thing. Steeling his senses and weathering the reek was another. One person seemed to notice Takayasu\u2019s slowed pace. She stepped out of the group and headed back to meet him. He knew it was Shosuro Tomoko even before he could make out her features. Her mask, a fearsome demon\u2019s red visage permanently slung away from her face, did not seem to represent her personality well. The young, vivacious woman had barely left him alone for the entire journey. She had taken a liking to the young samurai, constantly barraging him with innuendos and half stated advances. The attention made him uncomfortable for many reasons, none he could state out loud. \u201CAbira used to be beautiful, you know,\u201D Tomoko said when she drew near, a tinge of sadness coloring her voice. She stopped next to Takayasu and looked out at the devastation in front of the pair. For once, she did not have a knowing look in her eyes or a flirtatious grin across her face. \u201CMy family was responsible for Abira\u2019s tax collection. When I was a little girl, I would come to this place every fall and climb the large trees and play among the branches. The peasants doted on me and fed me delicious mochi. I suppose I will never recapture the beauty of childhood \u2013 or this village, it seems.\u201D Takayasu made a noncommittal noise. Tomoko turned to him, a mischievous grin growing on her face. \u201CIf mochi fits your fancy,\u201D she said, \u201CI know a place in Ryoko Owari where they provide absolute privacy and delicious rice cakes. We can indulge in some dessert, if you are willing.\u201D Takayasu paled. \u201CPer\u2026 perhaps I will accept your invitation another time, Tomoko-san. Excuse me. I have dallied too long. I should help earn my keep, or I would feel unworthy of the rewards your Clan has already bestowed on me.\u201D Takayasu hurried forward with a respectful bow. He could hear Tomoko\u2019s throaty giggle behind him, and the sound filled his ears all the way to the town square. The sight was rather serious, enough to immediately put focus back into his mind. The group of Scorpion samurai and shugenja were busy as they arranged for the proper disposal of the bodies that lay across the village. Dozens of eta were flitting around the village as the samurai talked. The eta worked at a steady pace, opening doors to houses and checking for corpses. Soon there was a large pile of dead Scorpion villagers lining the town square. As Takayasu drew closer, Bayushi Sakai waved him closer without looking. Unlike the spirited Tomoko, Sakai had barely traded one sentence with Takayasu before their arrival. In fact, Takayasu hadn\u2019t seen the Bitter Lies Swordsman speak to anyone on the trip. \u201CYou. Ronin.\u201D Sakai said. \u201CHai,\u201D Takayasu answered promptly. \u201CCheck the outskirts of the town for signs of any active plague victims. They might need to be stopped before they can approach this position.\u201D Takayasu bowed. \u201CWhere are the plague areas, Sakai-san?\u201D \u201CIt seems something in the fields surrounding Abira was the source of the infection,\u201D Soshi Ganryu interjected. Takayasu blinked. \u201CYou want me to check the plague fields, Sakai-san?\u201D he asked. Sakai nodded. \u201CWe hired you to protect this patrol, ronin,\u201D he answered, without a trace of emotion in his voice. \u201CWe paid you handsomely for the privilege. Now earn your keep.\u201D Ganryu frowned and looked at his partner. \u201CPerhaps it is not necessary, Sakai,\u201D he said hesitantly. \u201CIf everyone is accounted for by the servants, we do not need to risk this man\u2019s health.\u201D Sakai glared at Ganryu with the same venomous intensity he had used on Takayasu. The Soshi shugenja took a step back involuntarily. \u201CYou were not there for the last patrol, Ganryu,\u201D he growled. \u201CYour inexperience with the undead makes you foolish. These creatures are clever and relentless. They seem to retain some of their abilities and strength, unlike normal zombies. You cannot ignore the threat they pose.\u201D Ganryu gestured to his servant, who placed a scroll in his hand. The shugenja unfurled the document and quickly scanned its contents. \u201CThere seems to be six men missing from the count,\u201D he said. \u201CIt is possible they were not here when the rest of the village took sick, but the eta have spotted at least one to the northern fields. They did not dare approach any closer. The rest of the corpses have yet to reanimate. It appears we arrived just in time.\u201D \u201CI see. That is exactly what I needed to hear,\u201D Takayasu said. He screamed. The inhuman shriek echoed through the village and all who heard it immediately clasped their hands to their ears. Soshi Ganryu stumbled away, blood dripping from his ears. His hands immediately went to the scroll case by his side, yet he was too slow. Takayasu drew his katana and in one swift stroke cut the shugenja\u2019s head from his shoulders. The next three samurai went without a struggle. Sakai was another matter altogether. Blood trickled out of the corners of his eyes yet they looked focused and calm. He held his katana in a firm and comfortable grip with his left hand and he approached Takayasu with the wariness of a predator facing its prey. Takayasu leapt forward and roared once more. Sakai flinched yet his sword remained steady. Sakai thrust forward in a quick jab, yet his reflexes were slowed by the aural assault. Takayasu glided past the clumsy strike and backhanded the Scorpion in the face. As Sakai fell back, the young warrior gutted him with his katana. Without warning, a sharp pain flared in Takayasu\u2019s arm. His hands spasmed and his blade fell to the ground. A long needle pierced his wrist bone, its sharp and bloodied edge gleaming in the sunlight. He could see a hint of a green, viscous fluid flowing from the center of the needle. His vision swam and the world twirled into a spiral. He stumbled and fell to his knee. A red clothed knee filled his entire world and his nose exploded. A fist slammed into his forehead a second later and knocked him directly to the ground. \u201CI knew you were trouble,\u201D Shosuro Tomoko snarled. Her mask fully covered her face. Under the effects of the poison, it looked as if she had become a demon. She moved with feline grace as she stalked closer to the young man. Takayasu could not seem to concentrate. He tried to watch her hands and feet but they seemed to swirl and move faster than his eyes could see. At least she did not seem to have any weapons in her hands. The thought floated across his consciousness, flitting across his mental focus like a kite in the wind. She attacked with the fury of a hurricane. She struck five times with her fists and feet before he could respond. The poison was coursing through his veins, making each blow explode all his senses at once. He staggered back and raised his hands in a defensive posture. The colors of the world blended together until all he could see was a red blur where his opponent could be. He slowly stepped back as she continued to rain punches and kicks down upon him. His hands did nothing as she struck again and again wherever he could not cover. Takayasu bit his lips hard until it bled. How do you fight someone you cannot see? He closed his eyes \u2013 his eyes couldn\u2019t see. He held his breath \u2013 his lungs couldn\u2019t breathe. He took his anger, his discomfort, his shame, his uncertainty, his fear and spread it into the void. The world fell away. Only the sound of his heartbeat remained within the void, punctuated by brief moments of intense pain. Each of Tomoko\u2019s attacks cracked the stillness, the pain rippling through his consciousness like a raindrop on a tranquil pond. A smile slowly crept up on his face. The Scorpion ninja was a great fighter, but he was not as weak as she thought. Takayasu\u2019s hand jerked out and grabbed Tomoko\u2019s fist as it flew toward his face. He twisted his arm until the exposed point of the needle, wet with poison and blood, pointed toward the ninja\u2019s wrist. Slowly, inexorably, the needle penetrated her skin. She gasped. The reaction was immediate. She struck with her hands and feet, each blow slower than the last. She shuddered violently then finally went limp. He let her fist go and she crumpled into a heap. He fell down onto his back and tried to remember all the training he had received. He needed to remember, or he would die here, now. He felt a blade caress his neck. \u201CDie,\u201D Tomoko said. There was a meaty crunch. \u201CAdequate,\u201D Michio stated and pulled the naginata from the Scorpion\u2019s back. Chuda Shuzo laughed. \u201CI\u2019m impressed, Takayasu-san. When we did not hear your signal for hours, I thought you\u2019d been killed by your warriors. Fumiaki-sama\u2019s recommendation seems well deserved.\u201D Michio pointed at the bodies piled in the town square. \u201CWill these suffice?\u201DChuda Shuzo licked his lips. \u201CI will need a little time to look at them. By Fu Leng, I believe these may be the best batch. Mere hours have passed since the plague killed the subjects and we\u2019ll have plenty of time to analyze the effects of this plague. These are fabulous.\u201D \u201CAfter I tend to these bodies, Takayasu, I\u2019ll see about the poison that seems to be paralyzing you. If you last that long,\u201D Shuzo added as an afterthought. \u201CThen do your duty,\u201D Michio said. Shuzo bowed, his glowing eyes fixed on the dead peasants. Michio turned back to Takayasu without a further glance at the Chuda. The young man lay prone on the ground, unable to move. \u201CAre there any more of these\u2026 abominations nearby?\u201D Takayasu drew in a ragged breath. He struggled to fight off the effects of the poison before he could respond. \u201CY-yes, Michio-sama,\u201D he gasped. \u201CThe Scorpion shugenja spoke of six in the fields before he died.\u201D Michio stood still as a statue and stared into the distance for four heartbeats. He moved deliberately, unhurriedly, toward the northern fields. Shuzo paused in his work and shivered as he watched the monk walk into the diseased area. An involuntary groan escaped Takayasu\u2019s lips. \u201CNo one is safe from these plague fields,\u201D Shuzo whispered. \u201CThe plague affects everyone who approaches the epicenter. Does he realize what he\u2019s doing? Only the truly mad can be so utterly without fear.\u201D\u201CMad,\u201D Takayasu echoed, his eyes fixed on Michio\u2019s disappearing back, \u201Cor invincible!\u201D \u201CNo progress,\u201D Daigotsu Hotako said quietly. \u201CThe Chuda cannot convert the zombies created by the plague nor can they cure the areas of plague. In this, they are as useless as the Rokugani.\u201D \u201CI see,\u201D Daigotsu said simply. Hotako and Shahai continued to look at him expectantly, yet he said nothing further. Shahai turned to the Obsidian Champion. To fill the silence she said, \u201CIt goes without saying that the Chuda will continue their research until the answer is revealed. What of the preparations of the Fingers of Bone?\u201D Shahai asked. Hotako frowned. \u201CI believe the fortress is nearly ready. The Yobanjin armies are on the move again. It\u2019s slowing down progress but nothing worrisome. Rest assured, we will be done before schedule. I will make certain of it myself.\u201D Again, Hotako and Shahai paused and tried to gauge Daigotsu\u2019s reaction. Finally, he stood from his throne and met Hotako\u2019s gaze. \u201CThank you, Hotako,\u201D he said. \u201CYou have proven a worthy servant time and time again. But\u2014\u201D \u201COf course,\u201D Hotako replied. \u201CNow is not the time. If I may have your leave, I must attend to another challenge for my position. Perhaps you may find the fight a worthy diversion.\u201D Daigotsu waved his hand. Hotako bowed and retreated from the room. As soon as they were alone, Shahai closed the distance between the pair and placed a hand on Daigotsu\u2019s shoulder. \u201CYou are worried,\u201D Shahai said. It was not a question. Daigotsu did not reply, but she could see the confusion in his eyes. The look was foreign on him, enough to give her pause. As the leader of the Spider Clan, Daigotsu never had the luxury of self doubt or hesitation. It was a measure of his complete trust in her that his perfect composure slipped for even the briefest of moments. \u201CYou know of the revelations I have recently uncovered,\u201D Daigotsu said. \u201CI have learned much in my conversations with\u2026 our guest.\u201D \u201CTroubling revelations of many different sources,\u201D she mused. \u201CThe Rokugani gather within the Mantis lands for their Winter Court. Have you heard anything about the matters at discussion?\u201D \u201CNothing,\u201D Daigotsu said. His expression darkened. \u201CSusumu has sent no word. My other sources at court tell me that he has remained quiet and unobtrusive. I wonder if he is truly doing everything he can to further our cause.\u201D \u201CIn these turbulent times, can you trust anyone?\u201D Shahai asked. \u201CMany things threaten our hold on the Rokugani. The Yobanjin. The Shogun. And perhaps the rumors from the south are true. Kali-Ma\u2014\u201D \u201CI know the true leader of the Shadowlands,\u201D Daigotsu interrupted. Shahai took the rebuke without complaint. After a moment, Daigotsu turned and faced his wife. \u201CI apologize, Shahai-chan,\u201D Daigotsu said quietly. Shahai smiled. \u201CPerhaps Hotako is right,\u201D she said. \u201CA diversion may be exactly what you need.\u201D Daigotsu Takayasu walked through the fortress with a light step. It had been a difficult month but it was finally over. Shosuro Tomoko had injected him with enough poison to cripple or maim any normal person. The powers he used during the fight had ripped his vocal cords to shreds and left him nearly unable to move. It was just as well that Takayasu was extraordinary. The recovery had been slow and painful as he learned how function and fight once more. It felt refreshing to walk among the people, head held high. Now, all who saw Takayasu would know that he was strong enough to weather the worst the Scorpion could throw at him. Takayasu arrived at the room informally called the arena by the rest of the Spider warriors. The Obsidian Champion was one of the strongest fighters in the Spider Clan, and there were many samurai who attempt to wrestle the title from the current Champion\u2019s shoulders. Since Takayasu\u2019s return to the fortress, Daigotsu Hotako fought five young bushi who were foolhardy enough to challenge her. None survived the experience. Takayasu hoped to one day challenge Hotako himself. His firm grip on his abilities kept him from being hasty. After all, his adventure was just beginning. He would have plenty of time to receive the greatest honor of the Spider Clan when he was older and wiser. The fight was already underway. Takayasu hurried forward to get a better view, but the crowd was impenetrable. He could see glimpses of Daigotsu Hotako as she slowly circled her foe. Takayasu realized with a start that it was Daigotsu Toshiko facing the Obsidian Champion. Toshiko was one of his closest, oldest friends. She had stood next to him as they passed the gempukku ceremony. And now, she wanted to prove her strength in front of all. Toshiko fought with eagerness and spirit, yet it was clear that she was completely outmatched. The fight was over in moments. Takayasu watched with a heavy heart as Hotako ended the fight with a decisive cleave of her katana. Toshiko fell headless to the ground, and the crowd roared in approval. The clamor surrounding the Obsidian Champion\u2019s bout began to finally wound down. Takayasu turned to leave when another stepped forward from the crowd. \u201CThe Obsidian Champion has proved her strength once more. It is past time for Fosuta to do the same!\u201DThe crowd gave a shout and moved to circle the new challenger. Takayasu pushed forward to reach the forefront of the fight. He looked over the challenger from head to toe. He had never seen the shugenja before. The Chuda was an old man, covered in scars, the most prominent of which split his mouth and trailed down his neck. His milky left eye seemed to stare out at nothing. He did not appear to be a patient man, and he tapped his feet as he waited for the arrival of Isawa Fosuta. Finally, the Onyx Champion appeared from the crowd. He laughed as he moved into the circle. The distinctive cackle reached Takayasu\u2019s bones, sending a shiver down his spine. Ever since birth, undead, ogres, oni, and other creatures of every type surrounded Takayasu. Still, something about Isawa Fosuta made him seem more fearsome than anything in the Shadowlands. \u201CWho are you, boy?\u201D Fosuta sneered. The old man tapped the mon of the Snake Clan on his chest. \u201CI am Chuda Serimon, Fosuta. I am a blood member of the Snake Clan and I will crush you under my heel.\u201D Fosuta rose to his full height and his eyes hardened. His voice chilled with anger. \u201CCall me Isawa Fosuta or I will shred the soul from your bones.\u201D Serimon did not reply, yet his fingers fidgeted nervously over his scroll case. \u201CAnd what makes you believe you are ready to face me?\u201D Fosuta asked. \u201CYou have accomplished nothing, Isawa Fosuta!\u201D Serimon shouted. \u201CYou are not worthy of the title.\u201D \u201CA strong accusation from a powerful gossip,\u201D Fosuta said. \u201COf late you\u2019ve been whispering into every ear who\u2019ll hear it about your great prowess and how you will strip the title from my person. Whispers travel fast, even reaching recluses like myself.\u201D Serimon nodded and opened his scroll case. \u201CWhat of it?\u201D \u201CThat is the crux of the matter,\u201D Fosuta said. He grinned, showing yellowed old teeth. \u201CAre you sure you are ready to face me?\u201D\u201COf course!\u201D Serimon shouted. He took a martial stance. \u201CI am ready for everything!\u201D As the words left Serimon\u2019s mouth, the look on his face changed to one of surprise and horror. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and the man collapsed in place. \u201CIt becomes apparent you were not,\u201D Fosuta cackled. \u201CIt looks like my presence may not be needed here. A pity. I was looking forward to defending my championship.\u201D The smile on Fosuta\u2019s face, Takayasu pondered, proved otherwise. The disappointment of the crowd was palpable to Shahai, even though she was far from the rest of the group. Fosuta laughed one more time as he disappeared into the gathering, his screech cutting through the indistinct murmurs. She frowned. \u201CHow distasteful,\u201D Shahai said loudly. \u201CHe does not have the decency to face his enemy on an even footing,\u201D Daigotsu said. His lips curled with distaste. \u201CBut victory forgives much and Fosuta does not lose.\u201D \u201CHe is a coward,\u201D Shahai responded. \u201CYes, my heart,\u201D Daigotsu agreed, \u201Cbut a triumphant coward. In the light of victory, I can forgive all but disloyalty.\u201D \u201CDisloyalty? Are we speaking of the Onyx Champion?\u201D Hotako said as she made her way to the pair. Daigotsu chuckled and began to walk away from the dais. \u201CYou may have your misgivings but he has done nothing to betray my trust,\u201D Daigotsu mused. He began to walk away, with Shahai and Hotako in step behind him. \u201CYet,\u201D Shahai said. \u201CYet,\u201D Daigotsu echoed. \u201CFosuta must stay in line. He may require additional eyes to guarantee it.\u201D Hotako bowed. \u201CI shall see to it, my lord.\u201D Without further discussion, Daigotsu nodded to Shahai and turned away. He walked, alone, toward the very heart of the fortress. Hotako frowned. The last time she had seen the audience chamber, the large doors were marked simply with the mon of the Spider. Now, complex protective runes marked every inch of the door and steel reinforced its frame. Daigotsu disappeared into the chamber and closed the door behind him. \u201CSomething is within that troubles our lord. What is in there, Shahai-sama?\u201D Hotako asked. \u201CWhat is within guides our future,\u201D Shahai replied, her eyes fixed on the closed door. \u201CWe must place our faith within him to find our salvation.\u201D"@en . . . . . "Crashes in the Night"@en .