A Mantis' Anger

The Day of Thunder, 1128
Thunder boomed above warring armies in Otosan Uchi. Lightning cracked and split the sky, some of it arcing into living beings and obliterating all that they were. It was the end of the world.

Marihito fought with abandon. His sword struck a Tainted ronin, slicing off the woman’s third arm before taking her head. The Mantis behind him shouted, rage overpowering their fear as a fifteen foot tall Oni broke through the walls of the Forbidden City. The Mantis samurai charged it, some flinging kama. Marihito charged at it, only to feel a presence pass by him faster than he could see.

A flash of lightning illuminated the lord of the Mantis as his twin kama struck into the oni. Yoritomo, the self-styled Son of Storms, used his kama for weight and ripped them down the oni’s superhumanly tough flesh. It roared in pain, but its bellow could not drown out the laughter of Yoritomo.

Marihito charged in after his lord, kicking a screaming goblin out of his way. He shouted incoherently as he brought his katana down into the oni’s ruined flesh. With a curse, he turned the blade inward and pushed with all of his strength taking a red ruin out of the monster’s hide. It collapsed, crushing some smaller Shadowlands beasts as it fell. Marihito glanced around, searching for enemies. His eyes were wild, and he spun as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned, readying his sword, and stopped as the Mantis Champion stared him down. “Marihito, control yourself.” The younger Mantis bowed to his Lord. Around them all the sounds of battle could be heard. Yoritomo squeezed his shoulder. “You should be happy, Marihito. All we need do is survive this battle and the Mantis shall be great. Your children and theirs will speak of today, when the Mantis Clan proved themselves to an Empire.” Beneath his helm, Marihito could tell his lord was smiling. Their gambit succeeded, and soon Yoritomo’s alliance would become a great clan. That was, if the oni didn’t eat them first. “Check your anger, and you’ll be a lord some day.”

The tides of war drew Marihito and his lord apart, but Yoritomo’s calm in the face of incredible danger would stay with Marihito for the rest of his life…

The Present Day

The governor's estate of the city of Koutetsukan was impressive, even for someone as well-traveled as Yoritomo Mifune. Mifune's vest billowed in the warm winter breeze of the Islands of Silk and Spice and he smiled. The Mantis winters were so much more enjoyable than those on the mainland.

As he approached the massive wooden gates to the estate, he thought back to his journey here. The Fortune's Fortunes, his own kobune, had made good time from a northerly wind provided by students of the Storm Masters shugenja dojo. His crew, men and women, were in good spirits.. As far as they knew, this was a simple trade journey to Koutetsukan, and the cargo of Irie province lumber provided all the reasoning they needed. Mifune, though, knew the truth. His actions in Otosan Uchi had all but assured this trip; forcing the Mantis there to back down even against the urging of a lord of the Clan. Yes, there would always be repercussions for standing out in Rokugan. Mifune allowed himself a small smile. A Mantis who could not stand out would be truly poor indeed.

A servant shook him from his reverie. “Marihito-dono is expecting you,” the older man said as he bowed low. Mifune acknowledged the man and was led inside the estate. The walls were adorned with fine tapestries, obviously obtained at great expense from the Unicorn. Paintings, some even from the Imperial Winter Court at Otosan Uchi, hung prominently in the greeting hall Mifune was led to. It was a display meant to intimidate as much as impress. The entire estate seemed to shout, look at the wealth and influence I possess. Tread dangerously. Mifune could not help but smile at the unspoken challenge.

In the greeting hall, on a dais, sat an older man in the colors of the Mantis. Despite the gray hair in his topknot, the man’s build was lean and athletic, tuned more for the battlefield than sitting in a court. The servant bowed low, and Mifune did likewise. He waited patiently as the servant introduced him. The older man picked up a report laying on a table near his seat and studied it.

“Where is the wood for my ships, Mifune?” the stern Mantis asked.
“I would have little idea, Marihito-sama. The shipments have gone out as scheduled. I have one with me, in fact.”
Yoritomo Marihito put the report down and started hard at the younger man. “Interesting then, that if the shipments are not delayed then they arrive half full or even empty. Interesting indeed that much of the lumber concern is yours, I am told.” Marihito paused expectantly.
“Such has been my appointment, yes, Marihito-sama.” Mifune answered the unspoken question.
“Then where has my lumber gone?
“You know how dangerous the waters are, Marihito-sama…”
The Mantis lord cursed. “You are like all of Hogosha’s students, too busy sounding clever to say anything at all!”
“I would be careful how you speak of the Mantis regent, Marihito-sama. He is more clever and more dangerous than any of us suspect.” Mifune let a note of experience sneak into his voice. A subtle hint that Marihito trod on dangerous ground.
The Mantis lord scowled. “The arrangement has stood for decades. Irie provides the materials, Koutetsukan constructs the ships of the fleet. Only recently has this changed, since the court at Otosan Uchi.” Marihito’s eyes narrowed. “This is a dangerous game you play. You do not know or understand the stakes. You are barely a child, Mifune, and you should understand your place.”
“If we understood that, Marihito-sama, we would not even be a Minor Clan.” Mifune replied with an edge to his voice. He kept his eyes low, but continued.
“How could you know what you fight for? A Hantei again sits on the throne. He is immovable from that seat of power. You do not know what it means to oppose a Hantei, Mifune-san. You cannot be blind and deaf to the world.”
“The stakes are plain to any with eyes to see and ears to hear. Okucheo wants the restoration of the Hantei dynasty and will trod on the Toturi to do so.” Mifune’s eyes stayed low, but he could feel the gaze of Marhito boring into him.
“Simply put, there is no Toturi Dynasty. The Emerald Champion props up a child pretender to the Emerald Throne. Okucheo seized an opportunity to correct a wrong. You were there. You saw it. How could you follow a child?”
“Simply put, Marihito-sama,” Mifune replied, “The Hantei made us small. The Toturi made us great. We are faced with a decision, now, to whom we will fight for.”
“There is no decision, child. The Hantei rule Rokugan, as they have for a thousand years and will for another thousand.”
“We have a history of always striving to be better than we are, Marihito-sama. From the first Mantis to the last, that is our duty. There was no such thing as a Minor Clan when Kaimetsu-uo claimed the islands of silk and spice. No otokodate had become a clan until Gusai made it so. And in all the thousand years of peace, none had become a Great Clan before Yoritomo made it so.”
“Why are you telling me what I already know?”
“The Mantis are a clan of change. We have altered our destiny many times, and we will do so again. It is the way of the Mantis, Marihito-sama.”
“You know nothing of the Mantis’ ways. You have only served Date for a handful of years, and your service is checkered with failures. Censured by your own sensei. Married to a vagabond ronin criminal. Worse, if the rumors are true. You would yoke the entire clan to an Emerald Champion with no base of power. You would have us tie our fates to a child who isn’t even yet a samurai. For what? What could we gain?” Marihito’s voice was hot, his words tinged with frustration. “When Yoritomo went to fight the Lying Darkness with only his son at his side, every single Mantis warrior felt shame. We failed the Son of Storms that day, and he died for it. Yet, Yoritomo knew that his death would profit us all. He knew we were strong enough to stand without him, and with the ascension of Aramasu-dono the Mantis have proven their resilience. In the face of it all, we are strong, and we stand proud. Imagine the power we would have with a Hantei at our backs. Imagine an empire loyal to the Mantis, with none to question our place. It was Yoritomo’s dream, Mifune-san. That we stand with the true rulers of Rokugan will only make it real.”
Yoritomo Mifune sighed, and stood up. Servants quickly left the room, some shocked at the Mantis’ brash display. He locked his eyes with Yoritomo Marihito.
“The Mantis need no one’s help to stand. We don’t need an Emperor at our backs to take our rightful place in Rokugan. Toturi gave us all that we needed, and more than any Hantei ever did. The Hantei did not stop the Thunderer’s assassin. The Hantei did not stop the death of Yoritomo-kami’s family. The Hantei did not stop the Scorpion and Lion from stealing Tsuruchi’s birthright. The Hantei let these things happen. It was Kaimetsu-uo, and Gusai, and Yoritomo-kami that changed the face of the empire.”

Marithito’s face turned to a sneer. “Careful now. You speak treason and blasphemy.”
Mifune laughed, harsh and dry. “Treason? Blasphemy? These words have no weight to the Mantis. It was treason for Rioshida to take an Imperial prince from the capital, and he did it anyway. It was blasphemy for Yoritomo-kami to threaten the Seven Thunders.” Mifune turned, and began to walk from the room. He could hear Marihito standing behind him, and he stopped. He turned his head, regarding the Mantis lord. “The only thing the Mantis Clan can do is define what we are, Marihito-sama. For too long, we have let others define us. We were small, unimportant, weak, and ineffective. We were dishonorable, we were pirates, we were scum not worth the title of samurai. That was the Mantis Clan, but it is not what we are any more. The future is ours to write. We do not need to be enemies, but if you will it then it will be so.”
“The stakes for failure are high. If this child Toturi falls, we will have wagered and lost. We cannot afford such failure.” Marihito’s voice was stern, yet oddly calm. “You would risk everything your ancestors worked for, all that they died for, on a child.”
Mifune turned away. “If the Mantis won’t dare, then who will?” He strode out of Marihito’s audience chamber. The Mantis lord sat, heavily, and held his head in his hands.