Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

Year 7, Month of the Rat, Third Day (Winter)

Your first real thought about the High House of Light, once Kyuden Togashi, was not for its esoteric paths, or its cunning construction on the top of the world. No, your first thought was that it was bloody cold up here. Even now there's snow up to your waist, and you're no Hida but you ain't small either.

However, you are the emperor, so unlike everyone else, you can't break decorum to rub your hands together to try and regain some warmth. Instead suffering in splendid silence. Although, to be fair, so were the Crane and Crab. The Mantis in fact seemed to have lost all of their trademark manic energy. So it is not like you are alone. On the other hand...

In front of you, a bare chested Togashi swings his legs around in a butterfly kick, such a maneuver is in general...foolish. It destroys your footing, and if you guess your opponent wrong even a little, you're wide open to a counter attack.

So of course the shirtless tattooed man doubles down on it, slamming his hands on the ground and twisting himself around like a top, a barrage of kicks raining down on the hapless Unicorn who has drawn him as an opponent.

A kick breaks through the Unicorn's guard and sends him flying out of the ring. The Togashi stands up, seeming unphased by the...1440 degree spin he just put himself through.

The referee calls. "Togashi Li, advances to the semi finals."

Like everyone you dutifully wave your fan and give a polite nod in congratulations. Even as your eye spots that Li has a weakness on his left side...you can't participate in a jiujutsu tournament, but you had your own skill at the art...and so far you hadn't seen anyone you thought you'd be helpless against.

Beside you a woman grunts. Hida Ginchiyo like most of her kin is a giant of a samurai, easily an inch taller than you, and with substantial muscles. Your new shogun is looking over the scene with an intense focus.

"The Utaku hesitated too much, he could have had the match" She says out of the corner of her mouth. Her voice far too rough for a proper woman, but it suits her.

"I don't disagree Hida-san." You admit.

"Still an interesting tournament. I wish I could have participated in it." She admits.

"Hai, but a Shogun cannot brawl so freely" You say.

"No, she cannot, even if she is already itching to get to work." Ginchiyo says.

"It is good to get used to and prepared for the task at hand rather than diving into things" You say.

"My Emperor, I have been preparing for this task since I competed in Otomo Kaneka-dono's tournament. I did not think I would be chosen, but I believed I would be a right hand woman as it were..."

"You think Bayushi-san or Isawa-san would have picked you?" You ask.

That was...an impressive level of confidence.

"I think that the Crab make the best defenders in the Empire, and that our greatest threat outside of..." she stops herself. "That foe, is the offensive from the Yodotai. Just because we competed, is no cause to ignore my skills."

"Hmm. So you see your position as preparing for the Yodotai?" You ask.

"...Hai, and all other threats to the Holy Tenno." She says.

"Not the Empire?"

"That way lays the madness of Shoju, I will not tread it" She answers simply.

"I see..ah looks like the new fighters are coming." You say.

In the duelling circle a Crane and a Scorpion match up against each other. The Crane was a lithe woman who won most of her matches through mastery of Mizu-do. The Scorpion was a woman of similar build but preferred the far more aggressive tsuchi-do.

"The Crane will win." Ginchiyo says.

You say nothing, but watch the match wondering if the Hida will prove right.
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Month of the Rat Twenty Ninth Day

You wonder why that memory came back to you now, as you took tea with Togashi Satsu. Was it because that Ginchiyo had been right? Or was it just because the woman who had escorted you in matched Ginchiyo for size? Whatever the reason for it, you pushed it out of your head. You had to focus, even if was still bloody cold.

Satsu's steady calm as he pours tea, in front of you feels too practiced, to be normal, yet somehow, you feel like he was born pouring tea that way. The Dragon have done nothing but confuse you for this last month. Constantly holding small competitions and putting riddles everywhere, they've done nothing but confuse everyone else as well. Still, you can't say it's been a bad winter court except for the cold, and you're mostly sure they didn't decide to summon the fiercest winter in thirty years just for your visit...mostly.

Your eyes glide over to the third cup he pours. Another riddle or something else? Satsu follows your gaze before looking back with those eyes of his. Eyes that say he knows everything and nothing at the same time. In other words, they're quintessentially Dragon. You won't give him the satisfaction of asking him who the third cup is for.

Instead you enjoy the fragrant tea, and let him broach things in this own time. It is really good tea after all...might need to, 'take' his brewer, Kaname would love it, even if she decided not to leave your ishiken child alone just yet. An Ishiken, and already her hair was going white...you had to be careful with Yuina...what happened to your uncle could not be permitted.

There's a clap at the door, and Satsu rises up and opens it. You look at the sliding door, an old man, impossibly wrinkled with age, approaches. Despite his age, all of his visible skin is entirely covered i tattoos that somehow work with the wrinkles to look perfect. Last of all were his eyes, almost eerie in the way they seemed to shine with an inner light, the empty white retinas showed no pupils.

"My Mikado...allow me to introduce my grandfather. Togashi-no-kami" Satsu says.

"Toturi-san." Togashi says. "It's good to meet you at last...we have a lot to discuss."

[] Write in.

(AN: You can react pretty much however you want. Keep in mind that as far as most people knew, Togashi died on the Second day of Thunder....also you know demigod)