Strange Are the Ways of the Fortunes
Sarevok felt a chilling talon rip his soul and body. It was nothing worse than what he had experienced in the Abyss, but he was taken aback to encounter such powerful magics on the material plane. He could hear Winski counter the wu jen's spell with a familiar incantation, but it only dampened the effect somewhat. The sword suddenly felt heavy in his hands. Jelena appeared to hover over him and started to cast.
- "It was a very powerful death magic spell," the pale Winski said. "Like Power word Kill, which I countered it with, but more powerful. A tremendous jolt of negative energy, quite enough to kill any mortal man."
The emperor's shukenja was nodding.
- "It is evil magic. It is not approved of to practice that kind here in Kozakura," he said.
- "Kozakurans frown upon necromancy and any spell dealing with negative energy," Winski nodded.
The emperor seemed taken aback and cleared his throat. As if on cue, Mei and Yukemori hurried to kneel in front of him, Yukemori giving Umikaze to Peri.
The rest of them didn't know what to do and felt a out of place. They did their best to look respectful, and Jelena approached the emperor.
- "Does this mean... that my most trusted arcane advisor is a traitor? That I have been listening to an honorless man all these months?" the old emperor asked listlessly.
- "I am afraid so, your excellency," Jelena said quietly.
The old man seemed to consider this, the tension in the room palpable.
- "What are you doing here then, young ones?" he asked Yukemori and Mei.
Mei for once was unsure as to what to say, as she really preferred not to let anyone on her secret. That may have been overlooked in light of the circumstances, but anyway it would mean trouble if they were to survive the threat to the empire. So it was Yukemori who spoke.
- "These lowly servants of the empire have found out about Giro's plans by circumstances better left obscured by the great wheel of time," he said. "Afraid that we would not be believed, we found out about the prophecies in a different way, and went to greet the gaijin and his family in order to help them to save the empire."
- "Strange are the ways of the Fortunes," the emperor mused. "A woman of court and a yakuza being the keys to the survival of the Empire. Gaijin," he addressed Sarevok now, "what takes you into the heart of Kozakura?"
- "I am a man with much to atone for," Sarevok stated. "There is a debt of honor to be paid. There is a woman I will always love, and I have come to bury her remains in the soil of her ancestors, and to return her ancestral blades to her family."
A woman? Mei shot him an inquisitive look. A fresh pain surfaced in those eyes as he made the remark. But the woman was dead... how sad was that, to love forever a ghost?
- "And you are willing to fight the most frightening oni save the First Oni himself?" the emperor asked, respect and wonder in his tone.
- "Aye. I am Sarevok, a warrior risen from the depths of the Abyss, and I fear no man or beast. This land needs to be saved for me to fulfill my vow, and I also have dedicated my life to atoning for the sins of my first one. I will do what I do best. I will fight."
- "There are those who say the gaijin have no notion of honor... that the concept is as alien to them as are our ways," the emperor said. "I see that they are wrong. Now, there is a portal that leads from here to Shou Lung. I do believe that the destination now belongs to Yun-Men Khan's troops. Only the most powerful magical weapons can wound the beast, and it is immune to most magical effects. It also heals itself rapidly, and can only be killed if a blow with this special jade sword is delivered while it is unconscious. The one thing that might be to your advantage is that it practically has no mind, or just an animal-like one. You might be able to magically confuse or steer it. With Giro, most of our knowledge about how exactly to do this is gone."
The group listened gravely.
- "My family is a powerful one, and I know they will help me. We will stop the beast, hopefully in time so that the First Oni is never awoken. Where do we get this jade sword?"
- "I have one here in the court..."
- "Your excellence, may this servant suggest that perhaps Giro has somehow tainted it?" Mei said timidly.
- "Well thought, young one," the emperor said. "You live in court, do you not? Please show the gaijin a place to rest in before they leave. I will take care of the sword."
The family nodded. The spellcasters already negotiated as to what spells they would need to study to fight the beast.
