1185 Hōjō Tokimasa helped Minamoto no Yoritomo, a son-in-law, defeat the forces of the Taira to become Japan's first shōgun.
18 years after, the Hōjō usurped power with Yoritomo's death. The Shikken had reduced both the emperor and the shogun to puppets. They had no threats. Or so they thought…
...
1274, Edo village Japan
In a mountainous village, the young boy looked to the skies, towards Kyoto. In his mind, he could still see his home going up in flames bright red and orange against the dark summer sky. Still hear the shrill cries of servants who could not flee. He could still see the look of the desperation of siblings that father couldn't save, because the Hojo would be expecting to see them. He could still hear the haunting song of birds. He could still hear the sorrowful howl in the dead of night. He could still feel the uncomfortable joggling of the rickety wagon that carried them to this village. He could still see the shapes of the few enemy soldiers smart enough to recognize their guards and try to kill them. Grabbing the sword next to him, the boy swore on his father's honor, on lost his lost brother's honor, that he will never forget… He will never forgive.
"Sen! Your sister is gone again! Will you go find her for dinner?"
"Yes, Baa-Baa-sama !" Sen jumped down from the fruit tree he was on with a sigh. His sister was not like any girl in the village, she refused to be a priestess like their old grandmother, and she refused to be a seamstress. Rin loved herbs…she was always running in the woods looking for rare herbs, and using them to make some concoction or another documenting their effects on animals. Sen can only thank kami that she has never used one of her potions on a human…not unless Baa-Baa-sama or her mentor Jinenji approved. He didn't even KNOW where to begin looking for his sister…
...
Deep in the forest little girl of about 14 ran through huffing and puffing. Her legs protested, screaming out from overexertion. She didn't care all she cared about was putting some distance between herself and the wild beasts that chased after her. Twigs snapped underneath her feet, sharp rocks stubbed at her toes. She kept a hand protectively on her bag and another clutched around the only piece of jewelry she wore, an elaborate jade pendant hanging from a chain of silvery-white gold, against her old patched up kimono it certainly looked out of place. The girl normally kept it hidden under her layered kimono, but sometime during her mad run it had bounced out and she can't afford to take a second to arrange her clothes and hide her pendant. Not unless she wanted her pursuers to capture her. She didn't know what they wanted her for. But she didn't care too. All she understood was that they wanted some princess, and thought she was her. Why her?
Rin knew exactly where she was running back home, but in the dark, it was getting harder and harder to know which way was home. Heart pounding in her chest she came across the familiar old river, normally she would have carefully hopped across on the rocks but that would take time and she can tell the thugs that mistook her for some lost princess were still chasing her…If only she can swim!
"There she is!" Yelled one shape before he tripped over a root.
"Hime-sama, do not run, we only want your pendant" One leered at her his smile salacious and the girl did NOT like the glint in his eye "and to have a little fun with you!"
The girl gasped and jumped onto the furthest rock, slipping a little before jumping to the next. How did they know about her pendant? Did they know who she was? If they know who she is, does that mean they know who her onii-sama really is too? Kami-sama she had to get home fast and warn her brother of the danger! He had to leave, they both had to leave! Last they heard the word of Ruriko and Senjumaru's death a decade prior, news of Wada's burning and the possibility of the mountain spirit's wrath had spread through Japan. But here in the village, they were safe. So how does anyone know the pendant is with her? How does anyone know the pendant did not get destroyed in the fire? Was it the villagers who told these bandits about how she and her brother arrived in the village just days before news of Wada's burning reached the village? Did their guards decide to sell them out for extra cash? 'If they knew who onii-sama is, he's surely dead! Minamoto or not, they won't take mercy on him! I have to tell him!' She thought
'Kami-sama please let me make it across before they can get me!' She thought as she continued to leap from stone to stone slipping a little each time. The girl had long since ditched her shoes which made what she was doing a little easier but it's NOT so easy when her arms were clutching her treasures not out to the side maintaining her balance. If the men knew how to swim they'd catch her easily. It was only her luck that the thugs weren't familiar with forest terrain nor used to chasing after a girl who's light on her feet.
"Hime-sama if you persist in running, we're going to have to hurt you. And we really don't want to isn't that right men?" Called what appeared to be the leader as he hopped after her. Heart pounding in her chest the girl picked up her pace not even caring about the precious herbs in her bag any as she tossed it blindly at the man behind her hoping she knocked him over before leaping for the bank.
Miscalculating the distance the girl landed in the cold water with a scream, legs kicked uselessly and arms moved without doing much but splashing the water into her eyes. Another strangled cry came out of her as she felt something take hold of her pulling her downwards the last thing she could think of was how her brother must feel finding her body downstream come morning.
...
Not far away from the little river, Sen meanwhile was having a blast. With his bow and arrows on his back his sword at his side he felt like a real hero going out to save a damsel in distress, despite knowing his sister was anything but. She knew the forest better than anyone in the entire village, he wasn't worried about her ability to make it home safely…but he was worried about what might come out in the dark to scare her. Ever since that fateful night, wolves terrified her to the point of paralyzing her, the same with large fires and plumes of smoke. She can't swim their older brother dropped her in their koi pond once and since then she's been scared of water. But other than those three crippling facts, she can be more "manly" than himself. A fact Sen took pride in surprisingly. It meant that should anything happen to him as he sought revenge for their family, she can look after herself.
The boy smiled as happy memories flooded his mind, the tranquility of the forest around him subduing his vengeful desires for once. He remembered old General Wada taking Ruriko and himself by hand leading them to his study.
"Come, my children let us work on some calligraphy, your teachers have said you're becoming quite the poet, surpassing all his other students." Ruriko, at that moment looked so happy that she would have glowed if she could. As a girl, she was often ridiculed for reading as much as she did. She had no interest in dolls, she preferred scrolls and brushes. She didn't care for fancy kimonos preferring the lighter yukata. Sen didn't know how he must have looked, but he felt like a fire had been lit within, that day spent in the general's study practicing calligraphy was a moment he treasured forever. The stocky old general looked so fatherly that Sen wished he can truthfully call him father, he wanted to so badly, but never felt it was his place.
How the old general himself must have felt is a mystery, but as they showed him their words and phrases, the look of pride beaming on his face was more than Sen could ever ask for in a parent. A wistful sigh escaped the young man's mouth thinking of bygone days. In his mind, he was back in that study, the smell of the grass replaced by the scent of freshly pressed rice paper, the scent of wood replaced by the smell of bamboo scrolls. The soil became ink, old and new, and the rays of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy, only added to his mental image of golden afternoons spent in the study.
As he continued to meander through the forest, the shout of men and the well-known scream of his sister made him jerk left and take off running in the direction of the river. His sister NEVER screamed like that, not unless something really bad happened.
Racing as fast as he could, he cursed himself for not taking his training seriously since arriving at the village. Wincing as a branch smacked him in the arm he remembered that the village has a dojo, started by their former guards actually...But despite being vengeful he never thought to actually go train with them.
'Stupid, stupid boy, now look you can't even save your own sister, how can you avenge your family, and bring honor to the Minamoto/Wada family now?' He berated himself as he all but face planted in mud after tripping over a root. 'Next time Ruriko calls you pathetic, don't be stubborn, a true warrior admits to his mistakes with honor.' Somehow he managed to wade himself out of the mud pit continue onwards.
Breaking through the trees by the river he immediately retreated back at the sound of male voices speaking in an accent he couldn't place but definitely not from Edo. He knew that should he be captured, recognized and brought to Kyoto he's dead, but he did not care. His brain working fast, trying to come up with a strategy to save his sister, as he climbed up a nearby tree, to have a better shooting position. 'IDIOT, what will you do if they're YOUKAI? Not HUMANS? Do you even know what it is you're dealing with?' The boy really wanted to smack himself at the moment for completely forgetting that there are demons who live in this forest, but generally, they stay in the forest and don't bother the villagers 'So it's easy to forget...IDIOT, you're here to try and rescue a GIRL, even if she's your sister, do you WANT her to think you're only good with a brushes scrolls, and chess pieces?' Taking a few calming breaths, Sen counted 5 shapes around a fire by the river murmuring about a princess and a pendant. His heart immediately stuttered, and his blood ran cold. How did they know about that? Surely she can't be so careless as to show them...they had to have done something or tried to do something, it's the only way they could have seen the pendant. He didn't even want to think about what the group of bulky dirty-looking men tried. Where was his sister? From the safety of the tree, he can tell there were no females nor any captive of any sort. Where? Frantic his eyes looked all around breath catching in his throat as he still can't make out the shape of his sister. What happened the scream was definitely her...
"I'd have had a great time with her...ah you see her? I bet she looks great naked and..." An arrow pierced his throat. Sen didn't really mean to shoot, at least not until he knew for certain where his sister was...but that person needed to die, and he instinctually let an arrow fly.
'STUPID, IDIOTIC BOY, YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN YOURSELF AWAY! NOW, WHAT YOU DO DO?!' He thought. This time, Sen really did smack himself.
...
1274, Kyoto.
Officials have scoured the Wada estate, everyone had been killed and the money confiscated. Any jewels have also been taken by thieves and other opportunists. But they didn't really care about that, all the officials wanted was a pendant. A large piece of jade beautifully carved into the shape of a curled up dog encased in white gold that sparkled like the moonlight. The pendant was more than just an heirloom, it was the symbol of the spirit that resides in the area. Said to be a relative of the Tian-Gou (Heavenly dog) of China, the spirit has immense power and protects The Kingdom of Rising Sun from danger. According to legends the spirit built a family with a local Inu-youkai and a former princess. Together the family lived deep within the mountains just beyond Kyoto. The spirited sired two sons and had a pendant crafted for each, to be given to whomever they deemed worthy. Wada Ruriko, at barely four, was blessed with one. By the brilliant tone of the jade and the luxurious gleam of the gold, the officials guessed that the one to bless the girl had to be the eldest son. If legends were to be believed it is said that his trust is not easily earnt, one's worth is judge by himself according to specific unknown criteria. However if one is able to get his protection anyone who harms them will be dealt with, painfully. Thus far nobody has been able to pass his tests. This makes 4yr old Ruriko special, her death could very well invoke his wrath upon the country.
Thus when Imperial edict pronounced no survivors of the Wada family, local news the fire that swallowed their mansion was an accident originating the kitchen. Shoji doors and wooden beams were extra flammable and given the season it seemed plausible. The public accepted that explanation. However, since then the imperial family has been searching for the missing pendant. Hoping to return it to the Spirit to avoid its wrath. With the Mongols controlling China, rulers knew their lovely Japan, the Kingdom of Rising Sun was next. But first, the spirit's wrath must be soothed.
The Shikken knew should the spirit mount an attack they would lose all credibility in the eyes of Japan's citizens. However, if they can secure the pendant and convince the spirit that their daughters were infinitely better than Wada Ruriko, they will have control over ALL of Japan.
They needed the pendant back.
No matter the cost.