Opening Ceremony (Day 1, Early Afternoon)

[Ide Samai]

"Train, Ide-sama. Armies do not move in the Winter and it is the time of the Courts when words are stronger than steel. Train and wait for the warmth of spring to return."

He actually smiled, even if it was a very thin and whimsical one.

Samai smiled politely. "Hard work as befits of a samurai, Matsu-san? I am sure your sensei is proud. You don't attend court then?" Her voice tilted curiously.

[Shimizu Ryori]

"I passed mostly through Lion lands Doji-sama, from the capital in Shimizu lands east of the Dragon Mountains, the lion don't spend much time on hot springs and tea houses I am afraid, though shrines we have many. Were you aware there is one in this village marking the place Kakita and Matsu dueled?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Well, not *all* of them. I did see an orochi once though, long ago. They're intelligent, you know. Or so I've been told. Not intelligent like a dog or Kon here, I mean. Like, people-level intelligence. Maybe even smarter. But I don't know. I've never talked to one."

"Oh.." Young Unicorn sounded a little bit disappointed. "Maybe they are some kind of spirits then?" He suggested carefully.

[Yuzuki]

"I dunno," she said with a shrug. "Maybe? You ever see any spirits out west?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"I dunno," she said with a shrug. "Maybe? You ever see any spirits out west?"

"Yes, several. The people of the sands call upon spirits they call... the servants of the smokeless flame. They bind and enslave them." Dong-Ha's hands drew a shape of an average jinn in the air. "Some of them are used as body guards, while others are forced to perform mundane tasks such as digging or building. Some serve their summoners as... advisors, of sorts. Fascinating, really." The same strange gleam returned to man's eyes as he described the mystical creatures. "I saw one carrying carpets... and another carrying his.. or her master. They say that some of them are even invisible."

[Doji Fukawa]

"I passed mostly through Lion lands Doji-sama, from the capital in Shimizu lands east of the Dragon Mountains, the lion don't spend much time on hot springs and tea houses I am afraid, though shrines we have many. Were you aware there is one in this village marking the place Kakita and Matsu dueled?"

Yes, yes, you came from your capital built upon land that was given to you through an act of betrayal so shocking, the Heavens should have dropped Nikesake into a sinkhole. Fukawa thought bitterly to herself.

Yet, aided by her fan, her On remained as Iron.

"Indeed it does, Shimizu-san." she agrees. "For many years the Test of the Emerald Champion was held here. Though the shrine honors more than that. It honors all of the previous Emerald Champions. True, Kakita was the first, but the others are all worthy of remembrance as well. Kakita Shimizu the first iaijutsu master of the Kakita Dueling Academy who traveled the land with Hantei Genji. Doji Sasumagi, the first to win the championship when it was structured as a formal iaijutsu competition. Doji Hatsuo who co-wrote the Imperial system of law enforcement. And many, many more."

[Yuzuki]

"Yes, several. The people of the sands call upon spirits they call... the servants of the smokeless flame. They bind and enslave them." Dong-Ha's hands drew a shape of an average jinn in the air. "Some of them are used as body guards, while others are forced to perform mundane tasks such as digging or building. Some serve their summoners as... advisors, of sorts. Fascinating, really." The same strange gleam returned to man's eyes as he described the mystical creatures. "I saw one carrying carpets... and another carrying his.. or her master. They say that some of them are even invisible."

"Huh."

She brought a hand up to scratch her neck with.

"How'd you know they were invisible if you can't see them being invisible?"

[Shimizu Ryori]

"And of course Akodo Saito, who proved that any clan could hold the position and the contest was not rigged"

[Doji Fukawa]

"And of course Akodo Saito, who proved that any clan could hold the position and the contest was not rigged"

Fukawa almost laughed at the Lion's bold words. Almost.


"Indeed, as I said, many more Shimizu-san." she replied. "Although I would like to think that Akodo Saito's legacy was more than showing that such a sacred test was not, as you say, rigged. But I am not well versed in history of the Lion. Do you, perhaps, know more of his exploits and would you be willing to share them?"

[Matsu Yurio]

Samai smiled politely. "Hard work as befits of a samurai, Matsu-san? I am sure your sensei is proud. You don't attend court then?" Her voice tilted curiously.

"There is not much for an army scout to do at Court beside watch the koi ponds for invading frogs. It is an arena we cede to the Ikoma in my clan."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Huh."

She brought a hand up to scratch her neck with.

"How'd you know they were invisible if you can't see them being invisible?"

"That's what the carpet merchant told us. Maybe he was just telling a story, maybe not." Dong-Ha shrugged. "Some of us studied with their sahir, but not my family." The alien words flowed smoothly from the man's lips. "Sahir are their sorcerers." He added as ax explanation.

[Yuzuki]

"You mean shugenja? They speak to the kami?"

Nobody referred to them as sorcerers. Did they? Or was that a Phoenix thing?

[Matsu Kogo]

Suteichi listened to the back and forth of the Hare and Kogo. He really honed in on the Hare woman's words. His irritation with her did not show and yet the more he heard her talk the more irritable he became. He was also a bit irritated at how Kogo was just giving up of information to someone she just met. Again, he did not display this. It was clear that the Usagi wanted him to talk so he did.

"Downplay... what a most...interesting assessment of me Usagi-san. I notice that each of us gathered here have a pair of ears and one tongue. Two ears are for listening and understanding twice as much as you speak. I was not aware that listening and understanding were aspects of downplay as you so stated. I simply like to speak when it is necessary as opposed to speaking words devoid of understanding. I would not want to be mistaken for being both foolish and contentious."

Suteichi removed his fan from his obi. He spotted some of his fellow Scorpion in the room. "I shall leave you two to talk. Matsu-san, we will speak later." As he prepared to take a step away he popped open his fan. "Usagi...Tomoe-san was it?! Yes. I won't forget you." he gave a polite and proper bow then walked over to the other Scorpion.

"Bayushi-san, I will look forward to speaking to you more later." Kogo notes some of his coldness and mentally cringes, noting she has probably messed up somewhere again, but is unsure where.

I must watch my tongue more. But it is so hard with so many around. Still, Bayushi-san knows his way through court. I must take care not to let my excitement betray my conduct.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"You mean shugenja? They speak to the kami?"

Nobody referred to them as sorcerers. Did they? Or was that a Phoenix thing?

"Not really, no. See, there are no kami beyond the Empire." He hoped the fact would not upset the Mantis too much. "Only the lands of the Empire had been blessed with their presence, as Iuchi himself discovered." Time to let that cat, dinner or not, ouf of the bag. "What the jinn exactly are, I do not know. All I know that they hail beyond the Realms known to us." Another soft shrug followed.

"They are... magicians, mystics... wise and learned men, but by no means... holy. They treat the jinn as slaves to command, not something to revere." Ide had told them something about the topic of the kami but Dong-Ha could not quite recall what. Something about the sensibilities of the natives.

[Yuzuki]

"No kami?"

That did seem a bit odd to her. Weren't the kami supposed to be in all things? They were what made fire fire. Water water. And so on. Weren't they?

"I don't think that's possible."