S2E6: Dust & Steel

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi had just departed Bright Spring Fort when Akari came galloping up the road behind them. “Hurry”, she said, “we have to go!” A couple miles down the road, the party spotted six figures on horses charging toward them.

They turned to run from their pursuers, but soon realized that escape was futile while carrying the additional weight of all their equipment. The party decided to face their opponents head on—no tricks, no gimmicks.

Kuni Chiyagi raced forward to meet them, along with five other samurai from his fort. The two parties dismounted and confronted each other. Chiyagi explained that he had no qualms with Buro, Tomo, or Kenshi—he said they were free to leave his fort and he meant it—but he would not go home without Akari.

Akari defied her father, telling him that she wants to be a free woman, capable of choosing her own life, and deciding her own fate. Chiyagi would not back down though, telling his daughter that everything he does, he does to protect her and their family. He could not allow her to run off with a man who would betray her.

Standing up for the honor of Akari, and realizing that there was no other way to settle this dispute, Buro challenged Chiyagi to an iaijutsu duel— katanas to first blood. Chiyagi accepted his challenge. The two would let the kami—and their blades—decide Akari’s fate.

The duel began with the two competitors staring each other down, focusing their minds, and anticipating when and where their foe would strike. Buro suddenly broke the silence, rushing like the wind toward his enemy, drawing his sword and feinting left, while landing a strike to Chiyagi’s right side. The aging shugneja was caught off guard by Buro’s swift movements, but parried the attack. Moving like the katana was an extension of his very soul, Chiyagi countered with an overhead strike to Buro’s shoulder. Buro parried the attack, and in that instant was overcome with a wave of emotion. His temper rising, the young Scorpion suddenly remembered his own father: the way he constantly undermines Buro’s wishes, the way he refuses to acknowledge Buro’s achievements, the way he tries to control Buro’s life. His face hot and his head filled with rage, Buro counter-attacked. He struck low, outpacing the Crab, and cutting deep into his ankle. A hot streak of bright red blood fell across the grey wasteland. Buro had won.

Chiyagi was hurriedly taken back to Bright Spring Fort by the samurai of his retinue. The battle had ended, but the war was just beginning…

Bright Spring Fort was now behind them, and the road to Otosan Uchi now lay ahead, however, a crucial decision was to be made: which route should they take? With winter coming, a war on the horizon, and enemies slowly growing around them, no path was safe. The party decided to travel north toward Beiden Pass and The Spine of the World, hoping the lands of the Scorpion and Lion would protect them on their journey.

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Battle Storm" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Interloper" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"Kuni Waste Jam" by Podcast of the Five Rings