10

The battle was lost, the defence volunteers had put up a brave fight. However their efforts were in vain against the ranks of scorpion cavalry, and rifle-rats had all but wiped out the archers with their black-powder weapons. Sho was up on a patch of high ground when he saw Sandokhan disappear from view under a trio of wearet cavalry. He was sure he had died, but the ferret had a suspicion in the pit of his stomach that the fox wouldn't die so easily. Sho had asked Gash to spare him four Stormvermin and a rifle team, comprising of an additional two rats. Just in case, Sho thought to himself, just in case. It was long past midday before Sho returned from the battle to his master's dojo. He had come to settle business with his old master.

As soon as he opened the front door, his former fellow pupil Masaru ran up to him. "Oh Sho! Glad you're here! I've heard that the battle hasn't gone w-" Masaru stopped mid sentance when he saw Sho draw his katana. "So, you think your skill outmatches my own do you?"

Krinz was sat in his dormitory meditating at his shrine. His ears had picked up no sign of battle but he did hear running pawsteps along the corridor. There was one, no! More than one and there was a stench of saturated fur and poisonous flowers. The door slid open and Sho stepped inside, still garbed in full armour hardly a speck of dry blood on him. "Krinz, the Shoguns' Head-taker is dead! Claw's troops slew him with ease. When you chose Sandokhan as your successor I knew you had made a mistake and I was right!" He then unsheathed his katana and placed the flat of the blade of the hare's shoulder. "Get up! I challenge you to a contest of skill."

Krinz didn't move a muscle instead he spoke in a calm tone, "Skill is nothing without perception. For perception is the key that unlocks the door to the mind. Sandokhan perceived much, you perceive nothing."

The ferret spat contemptuously at his old teacher. "Ah, don't hide behind your metaphors and philosophies old hare. Sandokhan is dead!"

"Your point?" Krinz replied. Sho raised his blade from Kinz's shoulder and paced around him. "Now I'm the holder of the Starfire katana." With that Sho spun around, katana unsheathed and cleaved through the prayer shrine in one swift motion where it fell apart with the two halves collapsing inward. Krinz then rose from the floor and glared at him. "Why did you do that?"

"At this moment, my skill has reached its' apex. There is nobeast more deadly than I am."

"Maybe, but skill without perception is useless to a warrior and has no true value,"

"Useless? Hahahaha! Krinz you are a stupid old rabbit. Any skill is useful if you know how to use it. Admit it, I was the only one worthy to wield that sword. I should've been chosen as Shoguns' Head-taker." Krinz stood and looked at Sho with a hardened glare. "I don't agree… and I never shall. Go and do what you must Sho, but never set foot in my dojo again!"

Sho suddenly felt shock at his master's words. Then anger, an anger that turned into a seething cauldron of rage the ferret could feel boiling inside of him. The ferret raised his katana and made a sideways slash through Krinz's neck. Sho sheathed his weapon and stood over the head of his master, smiling evilly. The evidence was in place, all that Sho needed now was the scapegoat to take the blame. He knew just the beast in mind if he still lived.

The sky was turning from pitch to a deep blue that soon turned to pink so the only the brightest of stars could still be seen. Soon the white sunbeams could be seen in the east as dawn broke over the scene of the Niji gate. The defenders had pulled back to make the gate itself their final stronghold. Gash's Stormvermin were still eager to fight, but fatigue had gotten the best of them all.

General Gash had ordered that his officer's tent be erected on the sight of his vantage point of Niji Gate. Inside Gash's tent, the general rat had ordered Murun to report, so the general could hear his explanation for the improvised charge. "Why did you disobey my orders?" Gash said in an authoritive tone. Murun just smirked in reply and stretched out his arms. "Look aroun' you, Gash! Because of the effort of moi people the day is ours!"

"That wasn't the point of this engagement!" Gash said slamming his fist onto his strategy map table. "The original plan was to see what these samurai were made of, not to topple the gate!"

"Moi wearets will hand over the gate to da 'Ohnoured Claw as a demonstration of our might," Murun replied, paws lowered to his hips.

"Don't you mean in apology?" Major Queek interjected. Murun turned to glare at Gash's standard bearer. "Excuse me High Cheiftain, even though the Stormvermin are grateful, the order to hold did come down from the Honoured Claw - Himself." Murun's features softed into a false smile. "I 'adn't thought of that," he said in a tone of voice that seemed to mask a sense of shock.

"Of course you hadn't," Gash replied coldly. "Dismissed," he added. Murun growled softly before he turned and exited Gash's tent. Major Queek turned to Gash, "What do we do now Sir?" The Stormvermin general paused to collect himself. "Tell what remains of our forces to fall back half a league west from the gate," Gash said. Queek looked at his superior officer slightly shocked, "A retreat?"

"We are not retreating, we are regrouping," Gash explained.

Sandokhan had returned from the valley just as the first glimmering rays of dawn had yet to kiss the blades of grass and the trees. He carried three severed heads, the heads of the wearets who had tried to slay him. He had killed all three of them and their scorpion mounts, hid amongst the carcasses until nightfall and made his way back under the cover of darkness. He thanked the gods that Stormvermin seldom stop to check their dead. His mind was a muddle of what to do. His first duty was to Lon but he was thinking he should go to the temple and see if Tin-Jin and the refugees were all right. It was then he turned his glance towards the dojo's stone steps and saw a plume of smoke coming from the top. The fox cast aside the heads and bounded up the steps.

The place where he grew up was ruined. Some of the windows were smashed and a small fire was blazing away on the front porch. Inside there was a chill along with the stench of vermin. What the fox found next was a massacre. The otter Maseru lay with his own katana thrust into stomach, next to him were a pile of dead novices still clenching their wooden bokkens in an iron grip of death. Sandokhan only thought of his former master. He raced to Krinz's dormitory as fast as his footpaws could carry him. The shrine was destroyed, the forge had been looted and the body of his teacher lay splayed out and headless on the floor. The fox fell to his knees in shock in front of Krinz's head. Sandokhan stared into the pale dead eyes before he felt his stomach wretch with nausea. He rose quickly and staggered to the door frame where he vomited onto the floor.

Just as he regained his composure, Sandokhan knew he was not alone. Sure enough Sho stood before him, his face a picture of accusation and mock shock. "What have you done?"

"I, it... I just found him like this," Sandokhan stammered.

"You will be no more after this!"
"I did nothing. Sho please believe me!"

Sho had to bite his lip to stop his face twisting into a smile. "So, he was dead when you found him? That's not going to go down well with the others, and the novices, did you have to kill them as well fox? What did they ever do to you? Or was it you were going to come after the rest of us? Was that your plan, so you could be the only disciple of Akito Krinz still alive after your new master reigns over us?"

"No," Sandokhan protested, raising his voice. "This is monstrous Sho! What proof have you got that supports these claims?"

"You're here aren't you? I found you standing over the body of our teacher and there's the massacre downstairs. I have plenty of proof," Sho sneered. Sandokhan felt hot tears roll from his eyes. "Wh, what should I do?" The ferret's reply came back cold and unsympathetic. "Run away Sandokhan. Run and never return here. Or... if your shame is too much to bear, commit seppuku here on this spot!" Sandokhan drew the Starfire and gazed through his tear-blurred vision at the blade. "What are you waiting for? Do the right thing and apologize. You failed the Shogun," Sho sneered.

The fox trembled before he leapt off the floor, "NO!" He bellowed before pushing Sho out of his way, nearly bowling the ferret off his foot-paws. Sandokhan then ran to the his old student dormitory. He took a knapsack and filled it with some personal effects he had left behind, thin wooden sticks encrusted with incense and his great grand sire's journals. His mind was racing, where could he go? It was not safe for him to stay in Jima any more. He thought of following the River Oda south until it reached the ocean, but what then? Maybe his status could help him out in some small way.

Sho watched from the shattered window of his late master's dormitory as the fox ran awkwardly in his armour with a knapsack over his right shoulder. The ferret then turned to the Stormvermin who had materialised from the shadows behind him, "Kill him! Bring me his sword." The rats then took Sho's leave and scurried off to give full chase.