Year 19: The Princess's Tale II (Boring Meeting Anyways)
---Take after your father
20th Day of the Dragon (Early Spring)
In the end, you had opted against fighting on the front lines. While you did apparently have at least three siblings now that could take your place as heir if needed, that wouldn't be fair to anyone. Besides, you weren't going to let someone you had never even met take over the throne from your father.
No the plans to make the Empire more harmonious, peaceful, to bring back the thousand years of peace, weren't plans you could entrust to children. This wasn't one of those weird children's plays that the Dragon liked to put on.
However, you think you might have been better off gambling your life in the field. You manage to avoid rolling your eyes by dint of looking around the room instead. The stately meeting hall was in a foreign set of architecture that sort of reminds you of Shiro Moto, arches crisscross the ceiling as stained glass windows showing some forgotten hero let in the natural light. Alabaster white stone and a single heavy wooden door are your surety against attack. The only other way in really was a window up near the top, open to let air move about. You wondered if the heat was part of the problem.
You stood behind Hida Ginchiyo and her yojimbo, a Matsu woman name Kimiko. Standing beside you was your own Seppun yojimbo and an aide, a fastidious looking Crane bureaucrat name Doji Aramoro, bold name considering everything, apparently he worked as a quartermaster.
They weren't what were boring you though. This was a war council meeting between Ginchiyo, the ruler of the city (nominally) Ilyas Al-Ghurab, the Senpet general Sabola of Kuzu, the Pelmyiran generals Nicholai and Olav, and the Ivindi General, Amandra Divakar. In theory you were to co-ordinate the defense as the Yodotai made their way ever closer. In theory you were all allies, in theory this should have been done three hours ago.
The two Pelmyrians for reasons of their own both wished to command a wing of the fighting, but manifestly refused to listen to each other's suggestions each shouting the other down. You weren't sure if you disliked the broad faced and stout Olav more than the slim and whiplike Nicholai but they each made a compelling case. Sabola for his part was a nasty little man with nasty ideas, he wanted to turn the Jeweled City into a death trap for the Yodotai, let them take it and kill their army with a thousand cuts, it could always be rebuilt.
Ilyas had pointedly said no to that plan, the olive skinned older man looked somewhat effete by your standards, but he carried himself a ruler even if his power as practically little. Ginchiyo had also lambasted the plan, but had avoided calling Sabola a coward.
Then there was Amandra, who had tried to keep the meeting on track, there were a number of places before the city that the Yodotai army could be met at, the question was where. On this no one agreed at all. You were effectively being used as a subtle reminder that it was the Emerald Empire that contributed the most troops, the Emerald Empire that had organized this, and that your Father would have words if this all went as the Mantis saying went 'Tits up'
No one was willing to let anyone else be in sole command, and while Ilyas had tried to put himself as a compromise candidate, it hadn't worked. Sabola had pointed out that Ilyas had never commanded more than a guntai of troops, and that had ruined it all before it started.
So around in circles things went with no one willing to compromise, and no one to just make the call. In theory by rank as the heir of the Emerald Empire could take it, but that would engender bad feelings all around you think, in addition to not having any more experience than Ilyas. Besides, the Shogun would never go for it, so that daydream was again crushed.
You look towards the window mostly to see if there was any clouds and how long until the evening meal, but instead of that you see a face. Well, two eyes wrapped in a dark turban, you stare at him(her?) for a long moment, as if you both were memorizing each other's eyes. You had never seen grey eyes before...
The moment passes, and the figure quickly disappears? You are about to call out the strange behavior when the door to the meeting hall slams open literally kicked off it's hinges.
It's Sabolas who reacts quickest "VULPES! VULPES ARE ATTACKING!"
Ginchiyo with a show of strength slips the large wooden table up creating a wall between the door and the people. More black robed people stream in as the rest of the delegations take shelter behind it.
While for the sake of peace you don't have your katana, like all Rokugani you still carry your wakizashi, you see the other people of the council drawing out their own weapons, knives for the most part, although Amandra pulls out a strange metal whip like thing.
"How did they get through the security?" Amandra asks before using her whip sword thing to attack over the table.
Ilyas is shaking a little as he readies a wicked looking curved knife.
"Shift changes every six hours, must have ambushed the new guard before they came in...guard patrols move every half hour we just have to hold on until then"
The Vulpes launch a brace of arrows, no they weren't arrows, but like them, crossbow bolts, you think you saw some of the Pelmyrians using them. They impact on the table and it holds for now.
Olav twirls around a wicked looking straight knife in his fingers.
"Half hour, that's just enough time to get warmed up"
Nicholai is about to retort something as he readies his own knife, but before he can the Vulpes surge forward.
"Behind me Princess" the Seppun says, Nagamasa, that was his name.
His katana flashes in the dim light defending you as you grip your wakizashi tightly. You had fought countless times with your sensei, with Aoshi...and nothing prepared you for this.
The black robes flicker too and fro as Ginchiyo lifts up one of them and breaks his spine over her knee, taking his weapon as her own. The Pelmyrians might hate each other, but they seem at home in the chaos.
There's too many people to keep track of, wait Ilyas, the old man.
You look to see him being attacked by two Vulpes, he's terrified unable to move, they about to strike no you can't...
There's a scream, you distantly recognize it as your own. You aren't quite sure how you were behind Nagamas and now you have your wakizashi buried into the back of one of the Vulpes. Blood trickles down on to your hand, oh Kami you had never... FOCUS
Sensei's word echoes in your head.
The Vulpes yells something in his language as you wrench out your wakizashi from his comrade's corpse, his thrusting weapon comes at you faster than you can blink, but instinct pushes it away as you bring up your weapon again to parry.
Then he kicks you in the stomach hard, sending you tumbling to the floor, you roll out of the way of his follow up strike, kicking out at his knee. Rather than the crack of his knee snapping he rolls with it, collapsing on you and wrestling for control.
Its nothing pleasant, a desperate angry struggle, as you both bite, gouge, and twist trying to get the upper hand. One moment you manage to pin, and then the next you're desperately breaking a pin, he's better than you at this. You can see the triumph in his eyes as he finally gets a mount on you with his sword at the ready.
You can't die here....
And then all of sudden he goes slack, falling to the side, Ilyas standing behind him.
"You alright Princess?" he asks, sounding a thousand years old.
"...Hai" You say standing up and looking around.
The melee is dying out slowly. Corpses littering the floor, of your people, Ginchiyo is nursing a wounded side, and broken arm, but with one hand is still using the Vulpes sword to cut people. Aramoro the Doji stands above the too still body of Nagamasa, as Kimiko is collapsed against the wall still breathing, but clearly out of the fight with her hands held close to her stomach. Guilt already begins to gnaw at you, did Nagamasa get killed because he lost focus to protect you?
The two Pelymrians both look worse for wear with them fighting back to back against one last throng of Vulpes.
Amandra looks like a graceful, dancer, until you can see how slow her weapon moves compared to the start, how exhausted she is, too her credit there at least a half dozen Vulped clutching their eyes and genitals laid out about her, and the singular one left, warily eyeing her.
As for Sabolas...he's no where to be seen, that little bastard....
You push the thought out of your mind, as for the second time you attack an opponent from behind, you might hate the two Pelymrians, but you won't let them die. Your blade moves in familiar motions, even as the crimson warmth sprays across your kimono.
Ilyas in lieu of stabbing another man throws his weapon and Amandra's opponent, fatally distracting him.
Olav grabs one of the Vulpes and pushes his knife into the man's neck as he falls over dead.
You blink, it couldn't have been more than five minutes, but you felt exhausted... you look up at the window to see...those eyes again, this time holding a crossbow aiming at... you weren't sure, you had to stop the shot.
"CROSSBOW WINDOW" You shout even as you move.
You would protect...
[] Ilyas
[] Ginchiyo
[] The Pelmyirans
[] Amandra
20th Day of the Dragon (Early Spring)
In the end, you had opted against fighting on the front lines. While you did apparently have at least three siblings now that could take your place as heir if needed, that wouldn't be fair to anyone. Besides, you weren't going to let someone you had never even met take over the throne from your father.
No the plans to make the Empire more harmonious, peaceful, to bring back the thousand years of peace, weren't plans you could entrust to children. This wasn't one of those weird children's plays that the Dragon liked to put on.
However, you think you might have been better off gambling your life in the field. You manage to avoid rolling your eyes by dint of looking around the room instead. The stately meeting hall was in a foreign set of architecture that sort of reminds you of Shiro Moto, arches crisscross the ceiling as stained glass windows showing some forgotten hero let in the natural light. Alabaster white stone and a single heavy wooden door are your surety against attack. The only other way in really was a window up near the top, open to let air move about. You wondered if the heat was part of the problem.
You stood behind Hida Ginchiyo and her yojimbo, a Matsu woman name Kimiko. Standing beside you was your own Seppun yojimbo and an aide, a fastidious looking Crane bureaucrat name Doji Aramoro, bold name considering everything, apparently he worked as a quartermaster.
They weren't what were boring you though. This was a war council meeting between Ginchiyo, the ruler of the city (nominally) Ilyas Al-Ghurab, the Senpet general Sabola of Kuzu, the Pelmyiran generals Nicholai and Olav, and the Ivindi General, Amandra Divakar. In theory you were to co-ordinate the defense as the Yodotai made their way ever closer. In theory you were all allies, in theory this should have been done three hours ago.
The two Pelmyrians for reasons of their own both wished to command a wing of the fighting, but manifestly refused to listen to each other's suggestions each shouting the other down. You weren't sure if you disliked the broad faced and stout Olav more than the slim and whiplike Nicholai but they each made a compelling case. Sabola for his part was a nasty little man with nasty ideas, he wanted to turn the Jeweled City into a death trap for the Yodotai, let them take it and kill their army with a thousand cuts, it could always be rebuilt.
Ilyas had pointedly said no to that plan, the olive skinned older man looked somewhat effete by your standards, but he carried himself a ruler even if his power as practically little. Ginchiyo had also lambasted the plan, but had avoided calling Sabola a coward.
Then there was Amandra, who had tried to keep the meeting on track, there were a number of places before the city that the Yodotai army could be met at, the question was where. On this no one agreed at all. You were effectively being used as a subtle reminder that it was the Emerald Empire that contributed the most troops, the Emerald Empire that had organized this, and that your Father would have words if this all went as the Mantis saying went 'Tits up'
No one was willing to let anyone else be in sole command, and while Ilyas had tried to put himself as a compromise candidate, it hadn't worked. Sabola had pointed out that Ilyas had never commanded more than a guntai of troops, and that had ruined it all before it started.
So around in circles things went with no one willing to compromise, and no one to just make the call. In theory by rank as the heir of the Emerald Empire could take it, but that would engender bad feelings all around you think, in addition to not having any more experience than Ilyas. Besides, the Shogun would never go for it, so that daydream was again crushed.
You look towards the window mostly to see if there was any clouds and how long until the evening meal, but instead of that you see a face. Well, two eyes wrapped in a dark turban, you stare at him(her?) for a long moment, as if you both were memorizing each other's eyes. You had never seen grey eyes before...
The moment passes, and the figure quickly disappears? You are about to call out the strange behavior when the door to the meeting hall slams open literally kicked off it's hinges.
It's Sabolas who reacts quickest "VULPES! VULPES ARE ATTACKING!"
Ginchiyo with a show of strength slips the large wooden table up creating a wall between the door and the people. More black robed people stream in as the rest of the delegations take shelter behind it.
While for the sake of peace you don't have your katana, like all Rokugani you still carry your wakizashi, you see the other people of the council drawing out their own weapons, knives for the most part, although Amandra pulls out a strange metal whip like thing.
"How did they get through the security?" Amandra asks before using her whip sword thing to attack over the table.
Ilyas is shaking a little as he readies a wicked looking curved knife.
"Shift changes every six hours, must have ambushed the new guard before they came in...guard patrols move every half hour we just have to hold on until then"
The Vulpes launch a brace of arrows, no they weren't arrows, but like them, crossbow bolts, you think you saw some of the Pelmyrians using them. They impact on the table and it holds for now.
Olav twirls around a wicked looking straight knife in his fingers.
"Half hour, that's just enough time to get warmed up"
Nicholai is about to retort something as he readies his own knife, but before he can the Vulpes surge forward.
"Behind me Princess" the Seppun says, Nagamasa, that was his name.
His katana flashes in the dim light defending you as you grip your wakizashi tightly. You had fought countless times with your sensei, with Aoshi...and nothing prepared you for this.
The black robes flicker too and fro as Ginchiyo lifts up one of them and breaks his spine over her knee, taking his weapon as her own. The Pelmyrians might hate each other, but they seem at home in the chaos.
There's too many people to keep track of, wait Ilyas, the old man.
You look to see him being attacked by two Vulpes, he's terrified unable to move, they about to strike no you can't...
There's a scream, you distantly recognize it as your own. You aren't quite sure how you were behind Nagamas and now you have your wakizashi buried into the back of one of the Vulpes. Blood trickles down on to your hand, oh Kami you had never... FOCUS
Sensei's word echoes in your head.
The Vulpes yells something in his language as you wrench out your wakizashi from his comrade's corpse, his thrusting weapon comes at you faster than you can blink, but instinct pushes it away as you bring up your weapon again to parry.
Then he kicks you in the stomach hard, sending you tumbling to the floor, you roll out of the way of his follow up strike, kicking out at his knee. Rather than the crack of his knee snapping he rolls with it, collapsing on you and wrestling for control.
Its nothing pleasant, a desperate angry struggle, as you both bite, gouge, and twist trying to get the upper hand. One moment you manage to pin, and then the next you're desperately breaking a pin, he's better than you at this. You can see the triumph in his eyes as he finally gets a mount on you with his sword at the ready.
You can't die here....
And then all of sudden he goes slack, falling to the side, Ilyas standing behind him.
"You alright Princess?" he asks, sounding a thousand years old.
"...Hai" You say standing up and looking around.
The melee is dying out slowly. Corpses littering the floor, of your people, Ginchiyo is nursing a wounded side, and broken arm, but with one hand is still using the Vulpes sword to cut people. Aramoro the Doji stands above the too still body of Nagamasa, as Kimiko is collapsed against the wall still breathing, but clearly out of the fight with her hands held close to her stomach. Guilt already begins to gnaw at you, did Nagamasa get killed because he lost focus to protect you?
The two Pelymrians both look worse for wear with them fighting back to back against one last throng of Vulpes.
Amandra looks like a graceful, dancer, until you can see how slow her weapon moves compared to the start, how exhausted she is, too her credit there at least a half dozen Vulped clutching their eyes and genitals laid out about her, and the singular one left, warily eyeing her.
As for Sabolas...he's no where to be seen, that little bastard....
You push the thought out of your mind, as for the second time you attack an opponent from behind, you might hate the two Pelymrians, but you won't let them die. Your blade moves in familiar motions, even as the crimson warmth sprays across your kimono.
Ilyas in lieu of stabbing another man throws his weapon and Amandra's opponent, fatally distracting him.
Olav grabs one of the Vulpes and pushes his knife into the man's neck as he falls over dead.
You blink, it couldn't have been more than five minutes, but you felt exhausted... you look up at the window to see...those eyes again, this time holding a crossbow aiming at... you weren't sure, you had to stop the shot.
"CROSSBOW WINDOW" You shout even as you move.
You would protect...
[] Ilyas
[] Ginchiyo
[] The Pelmyirans
[] Amandra
Last edited:
