L5r - scroll 05 - The Crab Page 5

  The Crab samurai rattled their katana and thumped their polearms on the ground. A chitter of excitement echoed through the mist surrounding the plateau.

  The Great Bear chuckled again.

  "A very pretty speech," he said. "But why would I want the throne? I spend all my time avoiding having to go to Otosan Uchi. If you had been watching me half as closely as you claim, you'd know that such an offer holds no appeal to me."

  "What I know is that you are out of favor with the emperor," said the oni. "You have no interest in playing the games of politics and intrigue encouraged in his court. The other clans play them, though, to gain power in the coming days."

  Kisada nodded mutely.

  "But if you led the empire, you could do away with the posturing and preening in the Imperial Court. You could turn the Forbidden City once again into a true seat of power."

  Chants of "Emperor Hida!" began to drift across the plateau and into the misty land beyond.

  Though he was as critical of the imperial family as anyone, Kisada did not like the wind of sedition that this creature of darkness was blowing through his troops.

  "You would do well," the Great Bear said, "to remember that these 'powerless' Hantei have held the Dark God and all his forces at bay since the dawn of time."

  "The reigning Hantei is old, and his heir is weak," the oni grunted, much to the delight of the crowd. "Their hold on power is tenuous. Fu Leng will have his revenge on the hated Hantei, and he is not particular about how he gets it. If someone else sat the throne—someone of true character, whom the Shadowlands knew as a brave and honored opponent—then I could turn his anger. With you on the throne, Hida Kisada, I could promise the continuance of your line, security for your empire, and peace for a thousand years."

  AXXXXXXX

  "Perhaps it would have been wiser not to laugh quite so uproariously at the oni's proposal," said Kuni Yori as they rode back toward the Crab lands.

  "Shut up, magician!" Kisada was not disposed to listen to any further advice Yori had on the matter. "What else would you have me do in the face of so ridiculous a suggestion?"

  "If the beast's waggling tongue offended you so, why did you not kill it?" Yori peered at Kisada from within the folds of his shugenja's robe.

  The Great Bear said nothing. He could think of several reasons to leave the oni imprisoned in Yori's magical cage rather than killing it outright. None of them had the ring of truth. The truth, as much as he hated to admit it, was that Kisada was tempted by the oni's suggestion.

  "The oni was right about one thing," Yakamo said hesitantly. "The empire would be better with a warrior like you on the throne."

  The Great Bear spun in his saddle and slammed the back of his hand across his son's face. The full battle helmet Yakamo wore softened the blow, but the impact still resonated. Kisada was a

  demanding leader and a stern father, but he almost never struck his samurai, much less his children.

  "The Crab are not politicians, and we are not kingmakers. We do not throw our support behind one emperor and withhold it from the next. Our job is to defend the empire no matter who sits on the Emerald Throne." Kisada regretted the act immediately. His son had merely voiced the same thoughts he himself was struggling with. But violent discipline was the only way to deal with such awful temptation. Kisada had to be absolutely resolute in his rejection of this idea. Otherwise it would never go away.

  Yakamo said quietly, "If karma ever put one of us on the throne—"

  The Great Bear flashed him a cold glare.

  Behind them, Kuni Yori smiled with undisguised delight.

  "If that ever happens, dark times will have fallen upon the empire, indeed," said Kisada. "The balance between the Hantei and the clans has held for a thousand years. It is the cornerstone of the empire. Anything that undoes that balance can only mean the end of everything that has kept us standing on the Wall for generations."

  As if to bolster Kisada's determination, the group crested a small rise, and the Wall came into view. There was a great deal of commotion on the towers, though no battle was underway.

  A mile closer, Kisada saw a rider heading toward them from the base of the Wall, pushing his horse as fast as it would go. Soon it became clear the rider was none other than Sukune. He came upon them at a gallop and reined his steed in abruptly.

  "What is it, boy?" asked Kisada.

  Sukune was nearly as breathless as his mount, but between wracking coughs he said, "A message from the capital. The Scorpion Clan has assassinated the emperor and taken the throne. They hold the Forbidden City and all of Otosan Uchi and demand that all other clans swear allegiance to Bayushi Shoju as the new emperor of Rokugan! The Hantei have been overthrown! The empire is in chaos!"

  MARCH OF THE CRAB

  he sun will come up in about three hours. That is how long you have to rest!"

  Hida Kisada heard his order passed back along the line. It would be several minutes before the last soldier got the news. He watched as four by four, the Crab army dropped their packs. Not bothering to remove their armor, they lay down on the grassy plains to catch what sleep they could. They looked like wheat being blown by a late summer storm. Eventually, the whole force as far as the eye could see were drifting off to sleep. Only sentry pickets remained on their weary feet.

  The Great Bear lay down his pack and sat against a thick maple tree. He pulled out a short strip of dried fish and tore off a bit to chew on.

  Three days.

  It had been three days since he led his troops away from the Wall. For the first time in his memory, the Crab army was going to take arms against other Rokugani soldiers. The question remained—which ones?

  As usual, his sons did not agree on the matter. Instead of sleeping, Kisada let his mind drift back three days.

  XXXXXXXX

  "Go up and down the Wall," the Great Bear ordered. "Tell every garrison they are to send two-thirds of their troops to meet us on the road to Otosan Uchi. We will leave in one hour on a forced march. We will not rest until we reach Beiden Pass."

  "Hai!" said the runners. Rather than rely on a single messenger to relay important communications, the Crab had a network of runners set up along the Great Wall of Kaiu. Each runner would sprint from one tower to the next, then pass his or her message along to the next runner who would do the same. The effect was that of having a single runner who could sprint at full speed the entire length of the Wall.

  "Two-thirds of our troops?" Sukune could not believe what his father had ordered. "You expect us to hold the Wall with two-thirds of our troops off on a fool's errand to the capital?"

  Yakamo whirled on his brother, eyes gleaming within the dull gray metal of his helmet.

  "Take care with your tone!" Yakamo stood so close to his brother that he looked straight down into Sukune's eyes. "No one questions the daimyo's orders so brazenly, not even his own son!"

  "I only meant," Sukune said, standing tall and returning his brother's stare, "that Father says the politics of Otosan Uchi have no bearing on the Crab Clan. It does not matter who sits on the Emerald Throne. Our job is to protect the empire!"

  "At any other time that might have been true," Kisada answered, stepping forward to separate his sons. "But the timing of this treachery and the offer I just received from the Shadowlands cannot be coincidence."

  "On a forced march it will take you more than a week to get to Otosan Uchi," said Sukune. "By the time you arrive, the Scorpion Coup will either be solidified or eradicated."

  "Perhaps," conceded Kisada. "But the chaos created by the loss of the last Hantei will be felt for weeks—perhaps even months. If not settled effectively, this could tear the empire apart more savagely than all the forces of Fu Leng combined."

  "We cannot stand idly by while an honorless Scorpion sits the throne!" Yakamo spit the word Scorpion as though it burned his tongue.

  "Why not?" asked Sukune. "It makes no difference to the Crab who runs the Imperial Court. We must still guard the borders.
If the emperor calls himself Hantei or Bayushi changes nothing for our clan!"

  "But what if the emperor called himself Hida?" asked Yakamo slyly.

  Sukune gasped.

  Kisada gave Yakamo a disapproving glance but did not strike him.

  "Father!" Sukune exclaimed. "This cannot be your plan!" The young samurai then broke into a fit of coughing.

  "Calm yourself, Sukune," said the Great Bear. "I have no desire to sit upon the Emerald Throne. We do not know what is happening in the capital, and that is why I am taking our troops to Otosan Uchi. The other clans can be trusted only so far. It is important that the Crab be there to insure the empire is protected. When all is said and done, we will need a new emperor. If such is my karma, I will humbly accept it."

  Kisada paused.

  "But I believe it is much more likely that this incident will bring the first Emperor Toturi to power."

  xxxxxxxx

  Kisada left Sukune in charge of the Crab forces that remained on the Wall. His son was among the most gifted tacticians he had ever worked with, and the Great Bear felt certain if anyone could devise a plan to defend the entire length of the Shadowlands border with only one-third the normal troops, it was Sukune.

  Now, as he rested in predawn darkness, the Great Bear wished he had brought Sukune along. Of course, Sukune's fragile health could never have sustained the six-day forced march.

  The more they marched, the more confounded Kisada became about the dilemma in Otosan Uchi. The Crab daimyo would not know until he actually saw the situation which side his samurai would support.

  Kisada had no love for the Hantei. The dead emperor had grown too weak, and his heir was too young. Still, they traced their ancestry back to the original Hantei—son of Lady Sun and Lord Moon. They were born to rule.

  If the heir was dead, though, who should assume the throne?

  Sukune's point, that it made no difference who was emperor, faded as the capital drew closer. This would be Kisada's one chance to have an impact on the day-to-day workings of the empire. With the right person on the throne, he would no longer have to worry about politicians and courtiers undermining his clan's actions. He might even garner greater imperial support for the defense against the Shadowlands.

  Bayushi Shoju could be that person. The Scorpion were an underhanded lot, but they were not out to destroy the empire. There was a certain wisdom in placing the most devious person possible on the throne. In the past, one always had to wonder what the Scorpion Clan was up to, but if they were in charge of the empire, then there would be no further need for subterfuge— they would have everything they desired.

  On the other hand, how could the clans reward someone for murdering the emperor and stealing his station? The only thing that could come of that was more advancement through assassination. Not that this would affect the Crab. Protecting the empire's border was not a glamorous job, not one that other clans were likely to want. In the end, a political bloodletting might just be what the Forbidden City most needed.

  "The sun is about to come up, Father, and you have not slept a wink." It was Yakamo. Kisada could make out his form sitting nearby, but could not see his son's expression—which likely meant the boy could not see his.

  "Clearly, then, neither have you," said the Great Bear. Truthfully, Kisada did not feel the need for rest. Even when they stopped, he would rather have pressed on. He knew the wisdom of not pushing his troops to their very limits before a battle— perhaps the most important battle of their lives.

  "I have been thinking about the situation in Otosan Uchi," said Yakamo with a faraway sound in his voice. "None of the factions there really deserve to rule Rokugan. They are all there for selfish reasons and would use their usurped power only to further those same selfish ends."

  "Which is exactly how the Forbidden City has worked since before I was born." Kisada stretched. The sky was beginning to lighten, and he wanted to be up and ready before the rest of his troops awoke.

  "I also keep considering the oni's proposal," Yakamo rose, walked to his father's side, and squatted there. "Clearly, they hope to gain some advantage by having you on the throne."

  "Clearly," agreed Kisada.

  "Knowing that, you could very easily take their plan and turn it into something wholly to our advantage," Yakamo said slowly, trying to gauge his father's reaction. "Shadowlands oni cannot be trusted, of course, but that does not mean their ideas are entirely without merit."

  This thought had occurred to Kisada on several occasions.

  "No," he finally said. "I will not seek such a resolution. It would throw the empire into even more confusion. We march to make certain the smoothest, fairest transition of power takes place. If the Scorpion is strong enough to hold the city until we arrive, we will support the sitting emperor. If Bayushi's weak will prevents him from solidifying his hold on power, we will help the other clans dethrone him."

  Kisada was making this decision as the words came from his mouth. Seconds earlier, he would not have known where he stood on the matter.

  "The most important thing for the Crab Clan is a strong emperor. Exactly who that is matters not at all."

  STRENGTH

  The empire is no more." From the stony hill where Hida Kisada stood, he could see that Otosan Uchi was burning. The capital was still the better part of a day's march away. At least four separate military camps surrounded it. Within its walls, battles raged, but not in the Forbidden City—the walled and magically protected citadel where the emperor and his retinue lived. "The other clans have managed to take back most of the city, but the Scorpion is still secure in his lair. The real battle has not even begun yet."

  "How can Bayushi hold out against such overwhelming odds?" asked Yakamo. He had expected to find the city devolved into chaos, with the Scorpion crushed and the other clans fighting among themselves for the Emerald Throne. He never imagined Bayushi's samurai could stand up to a head-to-head confrontation. They were trained for skulking and attacking weaker forces.

  Kisada raised his arm and motioned forward. His troops had marched harder than anyone had any right to ask. In only six days, they'd covered the two hundred fifty miles separating the Great Wall of Kaiu and Otosan Uchi. The Great Bear knew that to rest now and watch the turmoil below would only weaken the soldiers' morale. Seeing the capital in flames could push them to even greater physical extremes, but only if Kisada kept them moving.

  The Crab army swarmed over the hills, not in a long straight line but in waves that nearly spread from one horizon to the other. Surely Bayushi Shoju could see this from within the Forbidden City. The Great Bear was beginning to feel a grudging respect for the Scorpion. If he gauged the action in Otosan Uchi correcdy, the Scorpion forces had only just relinquished control of the main city. They started fires as they fell back to the inner gates of the imperial compound. From there, they could fight a defensive battle for weeks or months. The walls were tougher and harder to breach than even the Carpenter's Wall.

  If I were in there, Kisada thought, with my own men to guard the walls, no one would ever take the throne. Perhaps Bayushi is strong enough to run the empire. Perhaps he does deserve the support of the Crab.

  The Great Bear's thoughts were interrupted. A single rider approached his retinue. It was a Scorpion samurai with the imperial mon flying from a banner strapped to his back. The scuffs and tears in his armor and kimono told of the fight he had to get through the enemy lines. He rode straight up to Kisada, dismounted, and lay down on the ground in the deep bow reserved for only the most honored dignitaries.

  "My lord, Kisada-sama," said the Scorpion, panting, "I am Tetsuo, cousin to the emperor."

  "Get off the ground, you crawling insect!" Kisada growled.

  "Hai! Hai!" Tetsuo rose to his feet but did not look Kisada in the eyes. Instead the Scorpion remained bent over double in an extended bow.

  Kisada disliked this behavior in anyone. The only superiority that mattered was the strength of a samurai's sword arm, not th
e station one held. He especially distrusted groveling from a Scorpion. If he could not see a Scorpion's eyes, the sneaky bug must be lying to him!

  Clearly, this Tetsuo would not look the Great Bear in the eyes.

  "What is your message, 'Cousin'?"

  Tetsuo bowed a little deeper. "My lord, the first Emperor Bayushi sends his compliments to the Lord of the Crab. He expresses his admiration at your having made the journey from your homeland so quickly. No samurai other than the Crab have the heart to perform such a feat, and no man other the Hida Kisada could lead such a daring enterprise."

  Kisada grunted in a way that meant get to the point!

  "Emperor Bayushi is pleased to see you and extends an invitation for you and all your men to stay within the Forbidden City. The imperial forces there are having some difficulties with upstart members of several other clans. Your aid in quelling this rebellion would be most appreciated and looked upon with great favor."

  Before Tetsuo even finished, Kisada spat on the ground at his feet. He waved his arm forward and marched by the Scorpion as if he were not there.

  "W-what shall I tell my master?" stammered Tetsuo, standing and leading his horse after Kisada.

  The Great Bear whirled around, his glare stopping the Scorpion in his tracks.

  "Tell your sniveling cousin that I will never side with a weakling like him. I almost did. Looking over that ridge I thought that perhaps Bayushi had some courage in him after all. It certainly took some guts to kill Hantei. Slaying an emperor is a brave undertaking no matter how stealthily one plans it. I thought perhaps your cousin had strength enough to take the throne and hold it. That kind of strength I respect. But to kill an old man, loot his home, then call for help to keep what you've taken? That is the height of weakness. It may indeed be time for a new imperial line, but your 'Emperor Bayushi' stands alone—and he will be a line of one!"

  The Scorpion ceased to exist for Kisada. There was only Oto-san Uchi and the weak usurper who locked himself within the walls of the Forbidden City.