His Tempest, His Queen

The old man stepped into the portal. He could still remember Itami's young flesh cupped in his gnarled hands, the smooth thighs, the shiny black hair. Would Yosuki mind if she knew? Probably not - a woman whose life transcended the human lifetime and the planes of existence shouldn't really feel threatened by mere youth, but you never knew. If forced to make a choice, he would not hesitate to let Itami go, and not only because Yosuki was vital to the plan. Yosuki - the soulmate, the empress, the tempest. Itami, however bright and deliciously ruthless, was a mere girl. You didn't make love to young girls because they were soulmates. Such a thing was indeed not possible as a soul got old as well as a body. No, they lent their magnificent youth, beauty and exuberant confidence to you. It revitalized, almost as if you were a leech tapping into their life force, adding it to your own.

Yosuki waited for him at the other side, smiling enigmatically. Her commanding presence softened by the smile made him feel the kind of exhilaration rare things in this life held anymore.

- "Giro-san. Welcome to my humble abode." The irony was palpable, as the abode was the farthest thing from humble any dwelling of Kozakura short of the imperial palace probably was.

- "Yosuki, beautiful as the death of an old samurai in a morning fragrant with cherry blossoms," Giro replied.

Yosuki arched her eyebrow at that and gestured for Giro to accompany her next to an ornamental table. They sat next to a window, and the house was atop a steep cliff. A permanent illusion made it one with the cliff observed from the distance. The weather was clear today, and seagulls screamed below. No sign of any vessel could be seen at the sea, but the shores of Shinkoku were barely visible in the distance.

- "You have managed to weaken the seals guarding the Kusatte Iru," Yosuki said. "I was amused to hear that a tsunami wiped out two villages and a shipyard. Not bad, and no doubt the little frightened ants are panicked as their precious water magic school could not forecast it."

Giro was amused. It amazed him that there still was such a rancor in Yosuki, such disdain for ordinary people who didn't share her powers and visions. He himself had got past such feelings a long while ago. The 'ants' were simply insignificant.

- "Yes, and the emperor, as well as all the heads of the clans seem to think this is the Heavenly Ones punishing Kozakura."

- "To their credit, they are not aware of anyone who could make this happen," Yosuki acknowledged.

- "The Emperor listens to me... at the moment he has ordered the imperial wu jens to try to counteract the weakening of the seals - a lot of good that it will do."

- "Yes... it is going as planned. Though I do like this island and the fishermen bring me quality food, it irks me that I would be imprisoned here because of the shogun and his lackeys," Yosuki said, the anger surfacing again.

- "Would you call a woman prisoner, if she can step to another sphere of existence at will?" Giro said.

- "I will go wherever I please, and only then am I content." Her mouth was a thin line. What a woman she was, full of willpower, and would not let anyone stand in her way. Giro knew that she was a greater wu jen than he was, the greatest in Kozakura. Once she had overestimated the power of her magic, however, wanting to end the regime of the shogun to her own benefit. Now she would not make the same mistake again.

- "What about the gaijin?" Giro asked. "I lost the track once I sent him the vision of the shadow samurai army. My shukenjas have been consulting the kami, but the prophecies are muddled."

- "Ah, from Jigoku I have been able to scry him," Yosuki replied. "He has arrived to Kara-Tur, and has been set in a small Shou city Ankiang for some time. It is a struggling garrison city up north, right next to the Dragon Wall. I do not know why he is not on the move."

- "It seems he did not heed the warning. Well, it is not the way of those who carry the celestial blood in their veins. What I wish to know is why he stays. He is... traveling with his family, isn't he?"

- "Yes. All of them are very powerful, bound by more than life and death. What does the prophecy say?"

- "All the death and destruction caused by the Kusatte Iru will strengthen the First Oni. And once he has been released, he will destroy all the Kozakura..."

- "I know that, Giro! Just get to the essential part!"

- "The only way to stop him is to fight him - one to one, a fight no bushi can win. And should the bushi lose, his soul will forever scream in anguish, not feeling the release of oblivion, not passing on in the great cycle."

- "And you think the gaijin would be insane enough to fight the First Oni? Why, he doesn't even have honor as he is gaijin, and what does he care about Kara-Tur?"

- "I have no idea. But we have to destroy him, just in case."

The wu jens felt displeasure, the idea of the golden-eyed gaijin ruining the perfection of their plan.

Yosuki narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.

- "Mmmm... was she pleasant enough so that you wouldn't want to enjoy my magic tonight..." she hissed, lightly running her finger on Giro's neck.

- "She was young. I fed on her. Let me know the truest passion, now," Giro replied without missing a beat and turned to face his queen.