The Heaviest Heart

From Heroes Of Rokugan
Jump to: navigation, search

Daisuke rode hard from Otosan Uchi, heading towards Face of the East Castle, a thousand thoughts fighting for dominance in his mind. He had a message to deliver to Hida Yasamura - the husband of the Hida O’Ushi, the Crab Champion – given to him by O’Ushi herself. If it had not been for this order, Daisuke was unsure if he would have returned to the Crab at all.

He knew in his heart that the Empress Tsudao was the rightful ruler of Rokugan. Hantei Okucheo was a tyrant, a monster of ages past who had no place terrorizing the empire once again. But the Hantei was cunning beyond compare, and had set the stage for his rise to power.

Daisuke knew that his clan’s champion, Hida O’Ushi, had little choice but to kowtow to Okucheo’s wishes. She had to put Crab lives above her personal loyalty, and Okucheo was threatening the very lifeblood of the Crab with his minion, Hida Tsuneo. It was inconceivable to the Hiruma warrior as to how an effete autocrat held the mighty Stone Crab at bay using his words. How the mighty have fallen!?

Hida Tsuneo was one of the Crab’s greatest warriors and tacticians. Not 1 in 100 samurai could do what he did to the redoubtable Hiruma Yabu, but the Stone Crab crushed his body as if it were an origami swan. But he was beholden to Okucheo, which meant that he was a lost cause.

Daisuke should have been riding from the capital victorious. He had been the tactician in one of the most successful units that fought back the peasant uprising. He had singlehandedly dispatched a powerful maho witch and had put down ferocious sohei, budoka, and zombies. He was a dynamo of steel on the battlefield, contributing his mind, body, and spirit to the victory.

Yet somehow, the victory rang hollow. Soon after the battles were over, Daisuke was among the samurai who were called back to the Court to witness Okucheo attempting a coup against the current dynasty and its supporters. Okucheo had the backing of many Crab samurai. Whether this was willing support or grudging acquiescence, Daisuke’s clansmen participated in numbers that made him cringe.

To make matters worse, his own daimyo, the Lord of the Ienikaeru province, was slain by the hand of a Hida. No samurai should ever be slain by his own clansman in such a way.

But Daisuke had had little time to contemplate the demise of his lord. The Imperial Chancellor had tasked him and a small group of samurai with seeing the Empress Tsudao whisked to safety before she faced an assassin’s wrath. He and his comrades succeeded, but that still left Daisuke with a hole in his heart.

Now that he was on the road, Daisuke had time to contemplate his situation. Now his Daimyo is dead. For the hundredth time, this realization struck the young samurai in the head, but this time it knocked him right off his unicorn steed. He was shocked at the death of his Lord, but this was not what affected him the most. He was stricken by the notion that he was now ronin, though he hoped this would be a short-lived state of affairs.

Daisuke rode like a hound of Jigoku, channeling his fury into haste. It is fortune that no bandits, budoka, or bitter peasants approached the deadly samurai for they would have been destroyed without prejudice.

The grief-ridden samurai rode past the ancestral Hiruma lands, turning away from his family’s legacy. He no longer trusted his family, fearing that somehow, the petulant new emperor would place a daimyo in Shiro Hiruma that was more to his liking.

Daisuke continued his gallop, startling those he passed on the meager roads of crab lands. He was well known throughout the clan-lands, in fact, throughout the entire empire. Peasants gasped when they saw such speed and steel, racing to an unknown purpose. So fell was the rider that some hemin rent their clothes and tore out their hair.

Oblivious to the fact that he left terror in his wake, Daisuke strove on to Face of the East Castle. He was met by unicorn-trained sentries as he rode up to the gates. The archers would have shot him down, but his Kaiu armor and blade marked him as a prominent member of the clan. The riders felt waves of urgency coming off of him as he drove his unicorn steed beyond what most horses could ever dream.

The guardsman on gate duty met the horses at the entrance to the castle. Daisuke rapidly dismounted and approached the man.

“Sama, stop! What fell business has brought you to the doors of our humble castle in such haste?”

“I have a message for Hida Sama from our Champion,” barked Daisuke.

“You can tell me the message, Sama, and then rest. I will summon you when Yasamura Sama is ready to meet you.”

“It is a message for his ears only. I must inform him of dire events!”

At that point, Yasamura’s Hatamoto, a massive Hida samurai, came out to investigate.

“What is all this commotion? Ah, Hiruma San. We had not been expecting a report so soon after the battle. Have things gone well?”

Daisuke responded, “The battle went well, Hida Sama, but I must speak immediately with Yasamura Sama. I have a message for him from O’Ushi Dono.”

Daisuke made eye contact with the hatamoto and the Hida samurai shivered. He could tell that terrible events were afoot.

“Please, come this way. I will show you to our Lord.”

Daisuke walked with purpose, matching stride with the formidable hatamoto. The hatamoto took him up a flight of stairs to what looked like a war room. There was no door, so he rapt several times on the wall.

*   *   *

Yasamura looked up from maps he had been studying. He saw his hatamoto knocking. Standing next to him was a rather regal looking Hiruma samurai. He recognized the warrior, an up and coming young warrior who seemed to be making waves throughout the empire both on the battlefield and in the court.

His hatamoto introduced the warrior, “Yasamura Sama. This is Hiruma Daisuke, a hero of the recent battle. He has just come from Otosan Uchi with tidings for your ears alone.”

Yasamura looked to the Hida warrior. “Please, have some refreshments prepared. I would speak with Hiruma San.”

The hatamoto nodded and left.

Yasamura looked at Daisuke. “Please Hiruma San. Take a seat. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say. But say it, you must.”

“Thank you, Hida Sama. I regret to be the bearer of dire news, but there is much to tell,” responded Daisuke.

“The please just begin at the beginning,” replied Yasamura.

Daisuke took a deep breath, “I was part of a light infantry unit during the summer’s wars with the peasants. My unit was quite successful. We slew the peasant general, along with numerous budoka, sohei, and minions of darkness. By all accounts, the war was a great success. It is regrettable that Kaiu Sama was not selected to be the general of the battle, but he played a strategic role in war.”

Daisuke took another breath. Yasamura interjected, “I suspect that things went down from there.”

Daisuke responded, “Alas, you are correct. We were summoned back to Otosan Uchi, where a court was convened, presumably to discuss the aftermath of the battle.”

“Presumable?” asked Yasamura. “Did you not attend the court?”

Daisuke responded, “The court did not take place as we anticipated. Hantei Okucheo came into the chambers, barring all exits. With him was a large contingent of Hida samurai, led by Tsuneo Sama. Okucheo ordered O’Ushi Dono to slay the Imperial Regent, claiming that he had not fulfilled his duties. Our champion clearly did not wish to carry out this action and Yabu Sama spoke up against it as well. When it appeared that the Imperial Regent would still be slain, Yabu Sama rushed the dais, slaying several guards, but he was stopped by Tsuneo Sama.”

“Stopped?” queried Yasamura.

Daisuke choked for a moment. “Hida Tsuneo crushed the life out of him. Okucheo got his way. The Imperial Regent was slain as well.”

“Was there further fighting?” asked Yasamura.

“No.” replied Daisuke. “People were too stunned, or too cautious to do anything else.”

“That is for the best,” replied Yasamura. “Such times as those are ones that bear the need for caution.”

“There is more, Hida Sama,” said Daisuke.

“Go on.”

“As O’Ushi Dono exited the chambers, she left her hammer by the body of Yabu Sama. She then came to me and spoke a message to me that was intended for you.”

The unicorn prince turned Hida warrior leaned forward, anxious to hear the words of his beloved. Daisuke inched closer so that his beard nearly touched Yasamura’s chin. He whispered into the cavalry master’s ear, “You were right my love and I was wrong. Do what you must for the sake of both of us.”

Both men sat back down in their chairs. Yasamura spoke first, “And that is all?”

“No sama, it is not. As you may know, in addition to my duties as a crab warrior, I also serve the Emerald Champion as a yoriki.”

Yasamura responded, “I was not aware, but I understand.”

Daisuke continued, “I was asked to assist in a matter of great urgency to the empire and the Imperial family. I would tell you of it, but I have given my word to speak of it to no one.”

Yasamura looked intently at Daisuke, responded, “Nor would I ask you to do so. Nothing is greater than the word of a samurai when asked to keep the confidence of another, especially one of his superiors. You are right not to tell me more.”

Daisuke breathed a sigh of relief, “One thing I can tell you is that this assignment was fortunate. Had I stayed, I would have been forced to swear fealty to Hantei Okucheo in the morning. After I fulfilled my duty to the Imperial family, I rode here will all haste to inform you of all that has transpired.”

Yasamura answered, “Very well. I commend you for your duty. Please stay the night and have dinner with me and the men. In the morning, you may go back to Ienikaeru and report there.”

Daisuke turned white. He prostrated himself before Yasamura, speaking, “Pardon me, Hida Sama! I have no place to go. My lord was slain by Tsuneo and Okucheo. I am nothing!”

Daisuke felt, rather than saw, Yasamura rise. He could smell the leather of the samurai’s gaijin riding boots as Yasamura stood above him. He spoke in a whisper, “By your leave, Hida Sama, I would end my dishonor and join my lord.”

Almost immediately, Yasamura responded, “Denied! A fool would I be to have one of my clan’s brightest young warriors die over the deeds of those less worthy than he. Rise, Daisuke.”

Daisuke rose. His eyes met those of the cavalry master. Yasamura clapped a hand on the young crab warrior’s large shoulder. “Nay. You will not join Yabu at this time, though someday, no doubt, you will meet him under more glorious events than these. Now, however, I have another suggestion. While you must formally serve a Daimyo, there is much you can do to aid our cause. Yabu has sent you all over the empire to right wrongs and solve problems. Continue to do so, but with an eye to the future of our Clan as we now see it.

In doing this, you will be helping not only me; you will be assisting our champion. You see, she is bound to protect the lives of our clan samurai, and thus, she must, at least for now, abide by that miserable tyrannical worm. But I do not have to abide him. And abide him, I will not! Someone must know what he is doing and report back so that we will be ready. We cannot allow this division to continue, but only by maintaining knowledge and communicating it, can we prevent further schism. Will you be an emissary for me: eyes, ears, voice, and sword, watching out for the true interests of our clan?”

Daisuke could barely speak, “Of course, my lord.”

“Excellent,” replied Yasamura. “In the meantime, I feel it best that you return to Shiro Hiruma. I think Yoshi Sama would be most pleased to accept a warrior of your renown into his service, though I cannot speak for him. But I’m sure someone will put in a good word for you.”

*   *   *

Daisuke arrived at Shiro Hiruma without any fanfare. Somehow, he expected to receive looks of shame or doubt. How could one of the province’s greatest warriors allow his lord to be slain? How could he continue to live when his lord did not?

But no one batted an eyelash. No one acted as if they were even aware of his involvement. Was that possible?

Daisuke was aware that he had a reputation for honorable conduct that far outweighed that of his clan or family. The founder of his family, the great Hiruma himself, probably would have found Daisuke impractical. Yet in many ways, he was a walking Crab mascot. Tall and strong, wearing his Kaiu wrought armor and sword, he was what a Crab warrior from a Crane play (a friendly Crane play) should look like.

Daisuke had barely settled in when he decided to spend some time over in the training grounds near the ramparts of Shiro Hiruma. It was a blessedly Oni-free day and the Shadowlands looked surprisingly less gloomy than usual. He went through the kata he had mastered the previous year before walking over to pay homage to his brother.

Daisuke’s twin brother Nobunari was killed by a seductive maho-tsukai, who had cast a corrupting spell on him that would have both destroyed and damned him. Rather than allow such a promising young warrior to die so ignominiously, the Kuni entombed him in jade. They had not expected the jade statue to last long at all, but last it did. Jade-Nobunari stood in the training grounds of Daylight Castle as he had for the past five years, giving his silent assent to the martial training on his clansmen.

Nobunari was a source of great strength for Daisuke, but the Crab warrior was not over the grief of his twin’s passing, not by any stretch. So it was that that he was surprised by someone extremely unexpected.

“I had expected more,” said Hiruma Yoshi, but he was not serious.

Daisuke dropped to his knees immediately, giving due respect to the regent-daimyo of his family. He had seen Yoshi, but never met him, though he had met with many other family daimyo and clan champions, even Toturi himself.

“Rise, Daisuke san, please. Such formality makes me uncomfortable,” said Yoshi.

Daisuke rose stiffly. Yoshi walked around him, appraising him. The daimyo was quite a bit shorter and leaner than Daisuke, who was built more like a Hida than a Hiruma.

“You, are a mystery to me, Daisuke san.”

“I don’t think I understand, Yoshi sama.”

“Our family is one of scouts, almost wild men. I would rather be fighting and scrounging any day than engaging in business. Yet you. You seem to flourish in the court, on the battlefield, in the wilderness. Everywhere I go, it’s Daisuke this and Daisuke that. Honestly, I’m a little bit jealous.”

Daisuke stammered, “I apologize if I have caused you any insult, Yoshi Sama.”

Yoshi laughed. “I know you were raised with the other Hiruma boys. I saw you fight your brother for that sword. I saw you win. Yet I cannot account for how unusual you are.”

“May I ask a question, Yoshi Sama?”

“Please! I was wondering if you could speak at all.”

“Is different bad? I mean, is being different a bad thing?”

Yoshi seemed pleased, almost amused by the question “It can be, but not always. The Lion would have us think that being different is always bad. But then, most of the clans have always thought us different for turning a blind eye to…some of the more boisterous members of our clan. The Crane would have us think that we are bad because we are not, as a general rule, polite, courtly, artistic, or refined, which is different from how they think we should be. I could keep going on, but I think you get the message.”

“Yes sama.”

“I respect your devotion to your family, but also to Bushido. I guess what I mean to say, Daisuke, is that I need samurai who are different. Our family may not have the magical reputation of the Kuni, the leadership of the Hida, or the political skill of the Yasuki. But without us, the empire will fall. I know you believe that, but I need it to be your mantra, floating to your lips with every waking breath. Perhaps it already does, but I feel that you can rise higher under me than under…other men.

I need people who have unusual skills. I need people who fair well in different environments because they bring unique perspectives. Hiruma are scouts by nature, but I need someone who can scout more than the dangers of the Shadowlands, though you’ve proven yourself quite capable in that regard. I need to be the person with bird’s eye perspective, which is why I need men like you who will bring me news and advice from every corner of the empire. Our duty may be to fight against the endless horde, but we cannot do that without playing the games of court, the battles of administration, and the rigors of exploration.”

“But, Yoshi Sama, who am I to serve? Yabu Sama is gone and no one has been appointed to replace him.”

Yoshi laughed, “Has been appointed! How wonderful!”

“Sama?”

“I truly enjoy how you skirted around the issue of the fact that someone else will be appointing the new provincial daimyo of Ienikaeru province. If our family is to flourish, I need people who know both how and when to speak.”

“So then who am I to serve?”

“I do hope you’re being polite, and this is not an actual measure of your intelligence.” Yoshi winked as he said this.

Daisuke smiled, “Of course, sama. But I do not presume to serve the head of my family without being told directly to do so.”

“I would be a fool to let someone so useful serve under one of my own vassals. I would be an even greater fool to leave you Ronin. You will swear fealty to me and report directly to me. All I need is your word.”

“Hai! I swear to serve you until my death and beyond!”

Kanpai!