L5R Chronicle: Changes on the Wind
It's strange, the things you notice sometimes. The beads of sweat dripping down the Chamberlain's face drew my gaze. I watched one take what seemed like an eternity to reach his chin and another start working its way out of his hairline... anything to take my eyes off of the scroll of parchment that lay slackly in my hands.
The Chamberlain cleared his throat nervously. Without saying a word I crumpled up the scroll and threw it at his feet. Turning my back, I strode out of the house, ignoring him crying my name. Each step I took beat out a phrase.
Benkai is dead. Benkai is dead. Your honorable fellow magistrate is dead. Benkai is dead. Togashi-san was found by the roadside, expertly killed with a katana. Benkai is dead. A replacement is being arranged. Benkai is dead. The only person that I could trust in this frightening city was dead, and I was left with a fragile Phoenix woman to protect from his fate.
I found myself at Kitsuki-sensei's dojo before I really realized that it was where I'd been heading. The school was closed, and dark in the early morning light when I stopped. Staring at the entrance for a moment did not make the sensei appear, so I headed back into the Noble Quarter. Ah well, I figured; I'd needed the walk more than to actually talk to anyone. By the time I'd made it back to the Residence, I'd composed myself somewhat, and resumed my search for Atsuko that had been so horribly interrupted by finding the chamberlain instead.
I finally found her, asleep on a mat on the floor of the upstairs dining room. I stepped forward, meaning to ask her why she was sleeping there, of all places, but the tiny woman looked so exhausted even in sleep that I decided to let her be. It was early yet anyway. I searched the entire rest of the Residence, but no one else, not even the servants, was in evidence. Sighing, I headed towards the garden to think.
**
Bayushi Yoshikuro was sitting, all slack-faced and limp, in the garden.
I blinked, amazed. Out of all the people that I could find in my home, I found this Scorpion Thunder Guard?? I strode up to demand his business and to ask who had let him in, but before I could speak, he looked up at me and uttered a little hopeless giggle.
"Oh, it's you," he snickered. "We all thought you and the Dragon had run away." I stopped and rested my hand on the hilt of my katana.
"What... did you say?" I asked him mildly.
"I said," he enunciated carefully, "That. We. All. Thought. You. And. The. Dragon. Had. Run. Away." He stared up at me sardonically, a dead look in his eyes.
"And who might "we" be, Bayushi?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as he giggled again. It was almost a mad sound.
"I'm Bayushi no longer," Yoshikuro spat. A light gleamed in his dead eyes. "We is everyone in this city. The streets abound with the word that two of the Emerald Magistrates ran away from their duty. That you were too weak-spined for the job. You," his dead gaze locked on mine, "are a coward. And the late Togashi," he snickered, "is a dead coward."
That was too much. If he'd simply left to insulting me, I would have ignored his attack on my honor. But to insult my dead partner, a man who had had no better in this world, to my face, was not acceptable.
Time seemed to slow as I snarled and drew my katana. Yoshikuro flowed to his feet and threw his arms wide and his head back.
No. He wants me to do this.
At the last instant, I stayed my killing blow and ended with the blade edge at his throat. I didn't know what was up, but he too obviously wanted me to attack him. A better punishment, I decided, observing the despairing look in his eyes when he realized I wasn't going to complete the slice, would be to deny him what he sought. I sheathed my katana in one swift motion and turned my back on him.
"You're not worth it," I tossed lightly over my shoulder, and left.
As I rode towards the Palace, I kept my eyes locked on the road ahead. Even at this early hour, there were people abounding in the street, and whispers rose about my passage like the wake of a boat. Commoner and noble alike turned their heads to watch me pass.
I ignored them all.
Six guards nodded to me at the gates to the Palace. I only recognized two of them. They waved me through to see the Palace chamberlain, who was fluttering about the main hall as usual; when he saw me, he fluttered in my direction.
"Ah, Magistrate-san, what excellent timing! I was just about to draft a request for your presence to be sent over to you. The Governor would like to see you, as soon as possible," he chattered, as he shooed me towards the door leading to the Governor's apartments. I nodded curtly at him and passed into her domain.
When her maid showed me in, the Governor was seated in front of a mirror, two young girls arranging her hair. She flickered her eyes to me in greeting, and when I bowed, indicated a cushion on the floor. Crossing to it, I inclined my head.
"You wished to see me, Governor?"
"I wished to have an opportunity, Otaku-san, before the formal introductions this evening, to express my regret at the loss of your partner." When I nodded polite acknowledgment, my face carefully frozen, she continued. "As terrible as his loss is, I do wish to reassure you. A fourth Emerald Magistrate had been assigned to my city, and is already en route. He should be arriving within a matter of days, so there will soon be three Magistrates once more. Selection of a new fourth is underway."
I nodded again, but did not speak as she spoke a few words of praise about Benkai. The compliments sounded wrong coming from her - this awful woman could never have appreciated him. She finally ended the torture and nodded dismissively at me.
"I simply wanted to convey my condolences, Otaku-san. Unless you have any pressing business that can not wait until the introductions tonight...?" the Governor trailed off, arching an eyebrow at me.
"Only one matter, Governor. I had left notice that I was to be out of the city for a few days, and that Togashi-san was going to be escorting me to the Scorpion border. Yet I've been told that it is thought that we had," I swallowed an angry noise, "run away."
The Governor laughed and fluttered a hand in the air. "Common city rumors, Otaku-san. Anyone who matters knows the truth."
"I see," I nodded tightly. "With your permission, then, I'll bother you no longer?" She waved a hand and turned to examine her hair in the mirror.
**
Yoshikuro was still in my home, lying asleep on the stairs as I passed up them to the upper floor. I briefly contemplated waking him up and turning him out, but simultaneously noticed for the first time that he was wounded, and decided that, as I'd said before, he just wasn't worth it. I snorted quietly and went to wake Atsuko.
I shook her gently. "Isawa-san? Isawa-san, please wake up!" She mumbled sleepily and blinked her eyes open slowly. Suddenly, she bolted upright and stared at me.
"OTAKU-SAN! You're alright!"
I blinked. "Of course I'm alright."
"Where have you been, Otaku-san? You and Togashi-san disappeared, and then the rumors started flying in the city... and then when the news came back about Togashi-san..." she looked wide-eyed at me, face soft and sad, "There are some who say that you killed him, Otaku-san."
Sputtering, I fell back on my heels. "We "disappeared"?? I left word that I had to make a few days trip to Unicorn lands! Togashi-san escorted me to the border, and then headed back here. Did you not receive my note? Togashi-san and I left it with..." I trailed off, and finished dully, "the chamberlain."
Atsuko was shaking her head. "I didn't believe the rumors that you had run away. But I did fear that you and Togashi-san had come to some bad end. I'm glad to see that at least you're alive." She sighed. "Much has happened in the few days that you were away."
"I'd started noticing that. Isawa-san, what is the Bayushi doing here??? He's asleep. On the stairs." Atsuko frowned.
"Damn him," the delicate woman growled. As I watched incredulously, she stormed out towards the stairs, and shook the sleeping man. "You," she told him firmly, a dangerous glint in her eye, "are to be resting in on my bed, if you'll recall. Come along. Now." Silently unprotesting, Yoshikuro obeyed. I followed the unlikely pair, staying politely out of earshot, but well within distance to protect her, as she forced him to lie down in her room and they exchanged some words.
"Isawa-san, WHAT is going on?" I asked her in a low voice when she emerged.
"Bayushi-san," she started, then frowned. "Well, Bayushi-san, as you know, had been inquiring after me. When you disappeared, I was at a loss as to what to do. Hoping you'd return soon, I decided to pass the time exploring the city. At almost the same time, Bayushi-san came to call, and he offered himself as a guide. The day passed rather quickly, and late that evening we found ourselves exploring the Licensed Quarter."
Atsuko sighed. "We were leaving the island when a drunken Scorpion noble threatened me. He actually drew his blade and attacked, at which point Bayushi-san took steps to protect me." She looked up at me, her pretty eyes sorrowful. "They fought, and Bayushi-san killed the other man. He had initiated the attack - Bayushi-san was simply defending the both of us. Bayushi-san was wounded, and I brought him back here to nurse him. In the morning, despite the fact that Bayushi-san had committed no crime, we received word that he had been expelled from the Scorpion. Apparently the man that had attacked me had been a high-ranking noble, and his family had enough influence to exact punishment for his death."
I digested all this and opened my mouth to speak, but Atsuko squirmed uncomfortably. "There's a little more, Otaku-san." I arched my eyebrows inquiringly. "Bayushi-san's cousin protested in his behalf, and in anger, the Governor forced the Bayushi to expel him, as well. He had been a captain in the Thunder Guard - you'll most likely recognize him as one of the Palace gate guards. I've," she smiled slightly, "I've discovered in my studies the last several days that there used to be a specific order, the Emerald Guard, whose only duty was to protect the Emerald Magistrates they served. The practice of the unit has fallen into disuse, but I decided the night before last that it was time for the practice to be restarted, and created a small unit of guards."
"Would I be incorrect in guessing that the two ex-Bayushi are part of it?" I sighed when she shook her head.
"Since Bayushi-san's cousin had been a captain, I made him Captain of the Guard. Bayushi-san is serving as his second-in-command, and the Crane twins and Lion are answering to them."
"Isawa-san, speaking of our guards, where are they all? When I arrived back early this morning, you and the Bayushi were the only occupants of the house." I frowned. "And Isawa-san... I believe if you would not like our new unit of guards reduced by one in number, it would be good to speak with the Bayushi. He tried to goad me into killing him earlier. I wondered why, at the time, but if he feels that he is nothing as a ronin, then it might explain his death-wish. It would be good, perhaps, to either give him a reason to live, or to respect his wish to die."
Atsuko looked distressed. "I'm not sure where they are. And I will speak to Bayushi-san. After he's had a chance to rest." She passed her hand over her face. "Otaku-san, the last few days have been hard. If you would not mind, I'd really like to go sit quietly and read."
"Of course, Isawa-san." My face tightened with momentary pain. "I need to go speak to Kitsuki-sensei, anyway. I need to find out what to do with Togashi-san's belongings, and perhaps begin an investigation into who killed him." Atsuko nodded in sympathy.
"His clarity will be missed," she said softly. "I will assist you in your investigation once I've regained my strength." I smiled sadly in thanks, and headed out of the Residence.
**
As I passed through our gates, I saw a small group of samurai walking towards me. Totoro and the Kakita twins, Usenagi and Morisato, were following an unassuming, slender man. I paused in the gateway to meet them, noting as they came closer that they wore a strange, rather archaic-looking, green insignia. The man's eyes widened slightly when he saw me, and when they were close, all four bowed respectfully. I nodded to them, and Captain flicked his head in a motion for the other three to proceed into our courtyard.
I did recognize him - as the Palace guard who had always been the least sullen and surly. When the three guards had passed by, he bowed low again. "Magistrate-san. It is an immense relief to see that you have returned. Isawa-san feared the worst." He raised his eyes and studied my face carefully, but politely. "You don't trust me, I know, but I hope to show you that I am perhaps worthy of it."
"Honestly, Captain, it is not you that I do not trust, so much as your cousin. I worry about his proximity to Isawa-san, as well as his stability of mind."
Captain looked slightly pained. "My cousin is normally a man to be trusted completely. Or," a slight joking smile came into his eyes, "at least to be trusted as well as a member of another clan can trust a Scorpion." He sighed. "He is not, I admit, handling the burden of having been made a ronin as well as he might. But I do not doubt that within a short time, he shall return to normal. My cousin is a very strong-willed man. Right now, he is wounded, and I have directed one of the Kakita to watch over him... and Isawa-san," he nodded to me. "I'm confident that by the time he has recovered from his injuries, he will have gathered himself together. Then both of us shall prove that Isawa-san's judgment in naming us Emerald Guards was not incorrect."
He tapped the green insignia on his arm proudly. "As a Scorpion, my loyalty was to the Scorpion. But they have forsaken me, and left me ronin. Now I am an Emerald Guard. My loyalty is to you."
I examined his face carefully. Almost against my will, I recognized the ring of truth in his voice. I bowed my head to him. "Captain-san, I would like to see a rotating schedule of guards drawn up by this afternoon," I said simply, nodded to him again, and left down the street, praying that I was right in feeling that I was leaving Atsuko in capable hands.
**
I arrived at Kitsuki-sensei's dojo near the beginning of her late-morning class. My throat tight, I settled down to watch, and wait, where Benkai had often sat patiently. Three hours later, I still kneeled quietly, as she finished the session and dismissed her students. Kitsuki-sensei walked over to me and nodded when I bowed low.
"I admire your new-learned patience, Otaku-san," she told me, smiling slightly. "Usually you are fidgeting surreptitiously while Togashi-san sits still as a stone." She looked around curiously. "Where is Togashi-san? I do believe this is the first time that I've seen you and your partner apart."
I sucked in my breath softly. "Then you haven't been told," I said quietly. Kitsuki-sensei shook her head, concern in her eyes.
"What haven't I been told? Has Togashi-san been injured?"
"Togashi-san was found, murdered, a little north of the city, a day or so ago," I sighed. "He'd escorted me to the Scorpion-Unicorn border, and then returned alone. I just returned very early this morning and learned what had happened; I'll be beginning an investigation immediately. I hoped to ask you, however, what should be done with the belongings that he had left in his room. I'm not conversant with Dragon customs."
She bowed her head for a moment. "Togashi-san was a good and intelligent man. May his spirit rest quietly," she said, sounding strangely formal. I nodded my solemn agreement as she raised her face. "Dragon custom," she said, "is to burn the belongings along with the body. The cremation is to be done on Dragon soil, preferably. Oh, and Otaku-san," she said, as I rose to my feet and began to bow my leave, "the eta called Eyebrows is he who is in charge of dealing with the dead in Ryoko Owari. He is very skilled at determining cause and time of death - you would be well served to seek him out for assistance in your investigation."
"Thank you very much, Kitsuki-sensei," I said gratefully, "that information will be very useful."
Bowing low, I bade a respectful good-bye, and returned home. When I checked on her in the dining room, it turned out that Atsuko had fallen asleep on her books. Smiling gently, I picked the tiny woman up and laid her gently down on the mat that was still spread out, then went out to the garden to run some kata.
Yoshikuro was again sitting in the shade of a tree, albeit somewhat straighter than he'd been early that morning. Intending to ignore him, I started past him, but he spoke quietly to me.
"Otaku-san?"
Blinking at the lessening of disrespectful tone, I turned and looked at him.
"Otaku-san," he said, "I lied to you earlier. Isawa-san never believed the rumors about you, and I believed her." I looked at him hard. The despair was still about him, but a little of the madness was gone. And once again, as with his cousin, despite myself I recognized the air of truth in what he said.
"I see," I said quietly, and left him to run my kata.
**
After the afternoon had passed, I woke Atsuko and reminded her that we were expected in an hour or two at the Palace to be formally introduced to each other.
"It's really very dull," I confessed to her as we made ready to leave. "A lot of polite formulaic phrases and some tea. Oh! Isawa-san, do you have a cup??"
She smiled and fetched a cup from a shelf in her room. "One of my purchases when I went exploring," she said, raising it up. "Quite a curious custom."
I nodded. "Rather silly, if you ask me. But after what happened to Freakajin... I'm almost glad to have it." The pair of us headed out towards the gates, where Captain awaited to escort us. When we approached, however, his eyes were fixed beyond us. I turned to see Yoshikuro, running a fluid and very expert kata in the garden. He was very skilled.
"Your cousin is an excellent swordsman," I told Captain, as the three of us made our way to the Palace. Captain looked at me.
"He is more than excellent, Magistrate-san."
We left Captain at the gate, talking softly with his former comrades. The Palace chamberlain conducted us into an audience chamber. To our surprise, three cushions were laid out in front of the dais, one already filled. A slight, bald, and tattooed man kneeled on a soft cushion, dressed in a monk's simple clothes. An Ise zumi monk?? My eyes narrowed slightly. Benkai would never have used a cushion.
"Ah, Magistrates," the Governor's voice rang out sweetly as she entered the room. I gritted my teeth and smiled, bracing myself for the small talk. I spent time ignoring the chatter for the most part, and observing the Ise zumi. He was a small man, with shifty eyes. When he stretched out his arm once, both Atsuko and I noticed that the skin around one of his tattoos was an irritated red. Curious, I examined him more closely - the strange irritation occurred around all of his tattoos. "And this is Togashi Ikuru," the Governor's voice broke through to my ears dimly, "the new Dragon Emerald Magistrate for Ryoko Owari."
He's here already? I thought suspiciously, and immediately felt bad. Simply because the man had a skin rash, and was a fast traveler, and didn't act like Benkai, didn't mean that he was a fake. After all, why would there be a fake Magistrate assigned?
I didn't feel that bad, I decided, as I noted a fleeting disdainful expression cross Ikuru's face when he raised his humble wooden cup to take a sip of tea. Something about him struck me wrong.
After Atsuko had received an expensive and pretty little writing book and Ikuru had been given a fine cloak, we were dismissed. As our trio left the Palace, a dilemma faced us. There was simply no room in the Residence for Ikuru to stay. Between toxic chemicals and demolishing and wounded ronin, there were no spare rooms at all. Captain, however, spoke up as we headed into the streets.
"I spoke with Builder today, Magistrate-san," he addressed Ikuru, "and was told that the separate residence for Togashi Benkai-san had been completed. Since he will not be needing it in the spirit world, I'm sure that it could be made available for your use."
"That would be splendid," Ikuru said nasally. Captain offered to guide him there, and Atsuko and I continued home alone. It was then that I learned that she'd noticed many of the same oddities about our new partner. By the time we arrived, though, we had decided to let the next day's observations direct our opinions. It was too late at night to be suspicious.
I bid Atsuko good night after retrieving Benkai's belongings out of the room that had been his. I laid his staff and diary to one side of my room, respecting his privacy even in death, although I'm ashamed to admit that the idea did cross my mind to read it. I laid my hand on the book and looked over at my lamp.
"Good night, Togashi-san," I whispered softly as I blew out the flame.
**
Some hours later, the smell of smoke brought me awake. Leaping to my feet, I dashed out into the hall, afraid that the Residence was burning. Atsuko was already there, looking out into the garden. Yoshikuro knelt in front of a huge bonfire, clad only in his underclothes. He was slowly and calmly feeding all of his possessions into the blaze. We watched him for some time, and although we did not speak, he must have known that we were there. Once all of his belongings were burned, he sat back on his heels and stared at the fire. After a couple more minutes, Atsuko and I silently returned to bed.
When I returned to my room, however, something was missing. It took me but a moment to realize that it was the horrendously ugly gift katana I'd gotten from the Governor. My heart in my throat, I ran to the garden. The fire was out, but I heard Captain and Yoshikuro speaking softly over by the gates. I sped over, but by the time that I reached Captain, Yoshikuro was gone, disappeared down the street.
"Captain-san, did he have a katana with him?" I demanded. Captain nodded bemusedly. "But he put his into the fire," I moaned. Yoshikuro had my katana.
"He said," Captain started, then faltered. "He said that they declared him to no longer be Bayushi Yoshikuro. And now he declares himself to not be Yoshikuro. He renames himself Fukushuu Kaze, and goes to sever his family ties."
Fukushuu Kaze. Vengeful Wind. I glared fiercely into the darkness, as if my gaze would bring the ronin back.
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