[hider=A Call Home] Kanna stood absolutely still, her dark brown eyes focused on the opponent in front of her. It was a relatively young man, about the same age as her, holding a bokken at waist level and wearing a practice hakama that matched her own. The kimono was white and tucked into black trousers. White tabi covered their feet. Kanna's own wooden practice sword was also held at her waist, her feet slightly staggered and shoulder width apart on the dark stained wooden floors. The shogun's daughter was patiently waiting for her sparing opponent to strike first. [b]"Remember Touma, if she lands a strike on you, you're dead."[/b] a deep male voice instructed. It came from a tall man, seemingly in his mid thirties with black hair as long as Kanna's, pulled back in a loose ponytail. His name was Toshizo Hijikata and he was the man who lead the Okuri-Okami, an elite samurai unit. He stood on the platform watching their sparring match with experienced eyes. The rest of the Okuri were sitting quietly behind him watching the match. It was their regular mandatory morning practice. The dojo they were occupying was of typical design: white paper walls, double sliding doors that connected the hallway to the room itself, and the practice floors were a step below the staging platform where the group was sitting. [b]"Begin."[/b] There were a few long moments before Touma finally surged forward, raising his sword above his head to strike her. Kanna did not move until the moment she saw his elbow from the dominant arm indicate the style of attack, his intention to strike the center of her head. It was a basic move and easy to read. Kanna shifted her feet to propel herself forward, her own sword serving as a surface for his to slide against, the end of the handle of her bokken pointed to the ceiling. She then pivoted to her left to swiftly land a tap across his neck. [b]"Dead."[/b] She stepped back at their instructor's conclusion of the match, giving Touma space and lowering her bokken. He was a new addition to the squad, by recommendation from another unit, and this was his first day of practice. To start with such an introductory sword swing meant he must have been toying with her, assuming she was a weaker opponent with little experience. [b]"Again and this time Touma, take her seriously."[/b] Both swordsmen resumed their fighting stances and waited for the queue to begin. [b]"Begin."[/b] This time the young man charged at her with vigor. His swings were moderately heavy handed, but controlled. Even though Kanna was able to deflect his strikes, he gave her no opportunity to return an attack. They both knew that her arms would tired before his, so Kanna had two choices, either to bait out an opening or go on the offensive. She chose to test the first option, feigning fatigue against his blows assuming he still thought her as a lesser fighter. A smirk spread across his face and he moved to knock her sword away, thinking she wouldn't have the strength to recover, maybe even in the hopes that the bokken would fly from her hands and raised his arms once more for an overhead strike. Seizing her chance, she surged forward once more into his space, thrusting the tip of her wooden sword into the hollow of his jaw, stopping him now for a second time. This time, the word came from her own lips,[b] "Dead."[/b] They both stood in silence for a few moments before Touma finally took in a deep breath and stepped back, lowering his bokken. He bowed to her before he spoke. [b]"Thank you for sparring with me and teaching me an important lesson not to underestimate my opponent, Sadatake-sama. I hope that one day you would allow me to face you again."[/b] [b]"Of course Inoue-san. It would be my pleasure to face you again."[/b] She returned his gesture and bowed. Before their instructor could get a word in, the white paper doors of the dojo slid open, revealing her father's messenger. He was shorter than most men, but built for running long distances at a moderate pace making him an ideal messenger. Hijikata met him at the thresh-hold and the two men exchanged whispers before the smaller man departed, his job completed. [b]"Sadatake, your father wishes for you to travel to the palace. Everyone else, we're running drills!"[/b] They were about a two days ride from her father's estate, as they were currently residing at the castle lead by Takeda Eikichi, the shugo of the Kai province, so Kanna moved quickly to pack her travel bag and saddle her horse. With her belongings in tow, Kanna walked briskly to the stables. She had changed out of her practice hakama, into ones that were for more public settings and designed for women. The kimono itself was a deep red color, with pink sakura blossoms scattered about it's long sleeves. The pants were a silky black with a matching line of cherry blossoms on the hem, placed as if they were being blown by the wind. Her katana and wakizashi were strapped to her left side. A stable hand helped to saddle her horse, a beautiful young mare with a palomino coat color. A white diamond rested between the mounts eyes, which earned her the name Hoshi, meaning "star". Placing her left foot in the stirrup, she hoisted herself into the plain leather saddle and directed herself south to her father's estate. [hr] The journey was easy going from the northern road, as it was regularly patrolled and local farmers kept the peace. She arrived around noon at the North Gate and was greeted by her handmaiden, Hitomi. She was an older woman, having served Kanna since childhood, with greying hair and aging skin. Her once proud frame is shorter than it was. Hitomi greeted her warmly as if she were her own daughter, gathering Hoshi's reigns in her weathered hands. [b]"Welcome home Kanna-chan!" [/b] [b]"Now Hitomi-san,"[/b] the young noblewoman started, feigning disappointment, [b]"I am beyond the age for you to be calling me 'Kanna-chan' ".[/b] [b]"Indeed you are and while you have grown into such a beautiful young woman, I still can't help that these old eyes still see the little girl who would cry in frustration when she couldn't tie her own obi!" [/b] A small smile spread across Kanna's face as she bowed to the other woman before dismounting her horse. A stable boy had come during their exchange to retrieve Hoshi, his small hands taking the reins gently from the older woman's. [b]"Take good care of her"[/b] she told the boy, before turning back to Hitomi as Hoshi followed the boy obediently. He would make sure her belongings would be sent to her rooms once they removed the tack from Hoshi. [b]"I have prepared a bath for you and when you are finished I will send word to Daichi-san that you wish to see him."[/b] [b]"How has he been since I've been gone?"[/b] she asked. She thought of her twin daily with the foolish hope that maybe his aches would be less, but she knew better. She was there when he was brought back home and had evaluated his body herself. She knew the extent of the damage done to him. A flare of rage ignited in her at the thought of it all, how she wanted nothing more than to inflict the same pain on the people who did it and would slaughter every man, woman, and child of the Imperium if it meant her brother would become whole again. [b]"He is the same as he was before you left."[/b] replied Hitomi, her face neutral. [b]"Come, lets get you cleaned up and into a kimono so you can be fit to see your brother and later, your father."[/b] [hr] Daichi was seated in the Garden of the Sleeping Stone. It was so named for the pure white stone that sat alone in the middle of a neatly groomed patch of gravel as white as the stone itself. Around the edges, neatly formed and perfectly placed, was a series of little neatly edged gardens filled with small ferns and white flowers. The only mark upon the perfection of the place was the drag mark left by his club foot. How fitting. He was seated on a bench of white wood that was warm to the touch but, like everything else, it made his hip hurt. He gritted his teeth as he stretched out a leg until it clicked and he gave a small moan of pleasure as he sank back onto the bench. His tongue played along the broken stubs of his teeth as he stared at the stone. He often came here to think and no one bothered him when he did. Meditation was important to him, it allowed him to manage some of his pain, while a hot bath and a massage did much to lessen the remainder of his aliments. Behind him the white walls of Sadatake Castle towered toward the sky, the tip of a black tiled roof peaking out. In front of him, beyond the stone, stretched the never ending beauty of Akaiba. Green rice patties, thick forests, and bursts of colour where cherry trees blossomed, all of it a stunning tapestry that someone, not him of course, should capture with a brush. The wind that blew today brought with it the smell of the distant snow capped peaks and the fragrant forests that carpeted the lower slopes. The sound of water trickling through a water clock came from somewhere nearby and he closed his eyes, allowing the sound to flow through him. For a long moment he felt no pain at all. It was as if he had left his own body behind and was now floating weightless above the Sleeping Stone. He could feel no ache, no searing pain, no disgust at his own disfigurement. He was whole once again. Secretly he hoped that one day he might be able to leave his body behind forever as he did now. But not yet. He had revenge to met out first. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The pain and discomfort rushed back immediately and he gave a heavy sigh. He gripped the head of a black ashwood stave that served as his cane and struggled painfully to his feet. He wore a robe of such deep red that appeared almost black that was cute perfectly to hide his feet while not drag along the ground. [b]"Daichi-sama?"[/b] The quiet voice came from a woman clad in a kimono of the same colour. She wore a black mask around the lower half of her face, a pair of swords was thrust into her belt. Only the small red embroidered cherry blossom on her left chest marked her out as one of the Kempeitai. [b]"Yes, Mamiko-san?" [/b] [b]"Kanna-sama has arrived and is asking for you."[/b] The Samurai bowed low as Daichi walked toward her, leaning heavily on his staff. A new drag mark followed behind him; to be erased the moment he left by an attentive servant. [b]"Is she now!"[/b] Daichi brightened up at once before halting abruptly. He hated stairs more than anything else. They had clearly been designed by a sadist who knew that a club footed cripple would one day need to traverse them. At least here, in the Kempeitai wing of the fortress, his father had put in as many ramps or lifts as possible to make Daichi's life somewhat less miserable. [b]"Send her word that I will be in the Tea Room."[/b] Mamiko bowed again and then snapped her fingers. A servant appeared at once, received her orders, and then vanished into the main keep. Daichi began to make his way toward the tea room. It was one of the few rooms in the castle that had small cushioned benches were he could sit with relative ease. He could feel Mamiko at his back but she never once offered to assist him and he felt no pity from her. That was good. He despised those who pitied him. By the time he reached the tea room a small table was already set with a pot of steaming tea and a kneeling maid. A low bench with its blessed cushion sat on one side, a red pillow fringed with gold sat upon the other. The room itself was simple enough, white paper walls, black wooden frame, and a deep red tatami beneath the pillows and table. A single floor to ceiling window, only possible because of the rooms location above a cliff, looked out over the glittering ocean. The maid did not look up as he shuffled in, nor did she even twitch as he grunted, lowering himself onto the bench. He stretched out his legs with a groan of pleasure just as the sound of his sisters footsteps sounded on the neatly polished teak floorboards. Mamiko, stationed just outside the door, flashed a hand to her sword but then smiled at someone Daichi could not see. The Samurai bowed and then Kanna stood in the doorway. She wore a traditional black kimono, covered with white cranes and sleeves that fell just short of her knees. The obi was a deep red with golden colored wave patterns and lotus flowers. It was tied in a neat taiko knot at her back. The hiyoku that peaked under the black kimono was a golden color with a white floral pattern and the nagajuban collar that showed underneath the hiyoku robe was a matching deep red to the obi. Daichi flashed her a toothy smile of jagged teeth and gestured to the cushion across from him. The maid was already pouring the tea. [b]"Welcome sister, please sit. Forgive me for not getting up."[/b] Kanna rushed over to the unoccupied and took a seat, carefully folding the kimono under her knees so it wouldn't wrinkle. [b]"Please, it is not an issue Daichi. You do not have to apologize to me."[/b] She reached her slender hands across the table for him to take in his own. [b]"Tell me dear brother, how have you been?"[/b] [b]"As well as can be expected."[/b] Daichi replied, reaching out a clawed hand to squeeze her perfect fingers. The swordsman callouses on her palm were rough against the soft skin of his own hand. Even now he was reminded of what he had lost. [b]"How goes the campaign? I know Taketora is returning with the Army, and our new Okin allies in tow."[/b] She ran her thumbs over the back of his hand, feeling the wrongness of his bones. Kanna remembered how strong and capable they used to be. How skilled they once were holding his katana. [b]"It goes well. Under our father's direction, as well as the generals on the field, our enemies were folding easily. Though now that we are at a standstill, it feels... unfinished? We went to war for father to unite all under his banner. What has changed?" [/b] Leaning forward caused his lower back to ache but the touch of another human was so foreign that he remained where he was. As she sipped her tea, and he waited for his to cool enough that it did not hurt his broken teeth, he told her of the news that the Imperium was planning to sail against Seikatsu. Anger filled his voice as he spoke and he at last sat upright, unable to sustain the pain any longer. He had no true news, only the existing whispers and rumours but it was impossible for the Elves to hide preparations of such magnitude. Then he told her of the Ninja attack on Nagai Kenji and the Shoguns subsequent death. Daichi did not directly state that he had orchestrated the attack, but Kanna was clever enough to understand what he had done and what it meant for their family. [b]"Father leaves tomorrow for Koiba where he intends to press his claim for the throne. I believe he wishes you to go with him."[/b] Daichi finished at last. He wanted to go but the travel by horse would to hard on him and so he would remain behind as regent until his fathers return. Her eyes widened when she realized her selfishness and she quickly pulled back her hands to fold them neatly on her lap, allowing her brother to sit more comfortably. His report left her with mixed feelings of anger towards the impending invasion and excitement towards the goal they have all worked for. Daichi had taken on a different role for their family and she wondered if he enjoyed it. Not because she thought anything bad of it, but because it gave him purpose. [b]"Well, we'll only know of our father's plans once we meet with him, or if anything, Ill give you all the details."[/b] She took another sip of her tea, savoring its flavors. [b]"I would appreciate that."[/b] He drained his own cold tea cup and it was instantly refilled by the maid who had cleverly had a second cold pot brought so that he need not wait to drink again. [b]"I have much work to be done in Noiba at this time. There is also the business of ensuring we have agents among our new allies of connivance."[/b] That could not be overstated. The Okin and Naga forces who now marched with the Army of the North were only there because the choice was death for everyone. The Okinese had ceased to exist in all but name, the quality of the forces they could lend to the fight were slightly more than boys with swords, but they would do to soak up arrows. [b]"Well, in that regard, let me know if I can be of any assistance to you."[/b] Kanna expressed as she finished the contents of her cup and stared at the remaining tea leaves. There were fortune tellers who would read the patterns left behind to read someone's future or their destiny. She wondered what it would say about her future and the future of her country, but that thought left her mind as she gently placed the cup down for the maid to refill. She was carving her own destiny, she didn't need leaves to tell her anything otherwise. [/hider] By: [@Saix] and [@The Wyrm]