(L5R) Ch 3 – The Dragon, part 2

Exile’s Road

Synopsis: The Shrine of the Keeper of Fire is attacked. The samurai journey to the edge of Rokugan.

The next day, before the samurai can gather up supplies for their journey, they visit the Keeper at his shrine once again. This time, they present him with the Dragon Helm and hope that he can figure out how to use it. He does not know but says he will do what he can to research the Helm. The samurai leave the Keeper to do his job and return to his devotions. The rest of the day is spent gathering supplies in town. At night, they return to the monastery outside the Shrine of the Keeper of Fire. Ying-Lien believes it prudent that they watch over the Keeper, so she decides to stand guard for the night just outside the Shrine. The rest retire to the austere monastery.

As the evening wears on, Ying-Lien is visited by a group of ronin lead by two lion clan samurai. Ying-Lien recognizes the female as Matsu Hira, Daidoji Jin’s betrothed. She is accompanied by her right hand man, Matsu Gisei. They ask Ying-Lien where they can find Daidoji Jin and Ying-Lien tells them where to find them. Matsu Hira bows and thanks her and all but two ronin follow.

While the rest of the samurai are relaxing in the monestary, Matsu Hira appears and demands that Daidoji Jin return with her to Kyuden Ikoma to answer to the dishonor he has shown her family for leaving Kyuden Ikoma without warning and without the courtesy of notifying her family even after they were betrothed. She demands he return and conclude the joining of their two families. Daidoji Jin refuses.

Matsu Hira is enraged. She grabs a nearby monk and draws her sword. If Jin does not agree to return with her, she will kill the monk. Jin does not flinch and responds by saying no. Matsu Hira slits the monk’s throat. His body slumps to the snow-covered ground, his blood spraying the trees. Matsu Gisei and the remaining ronin draw their katanas and Hira grabs another monk. She threatens to kill every monk in the monestary and shrine if Jin does not come with her and, she says, their blood will be on his hands.

Noriyaki opens a scroll and begins chanting a spell. Suddenly, a kami of fire begins raining balls of flame down onto the ronin. They scatter and begin to advance toward the samurai. Jin and Kenjiro stay by the hearth and wait for the samurai to come to them. They clash briefly with the ronin, but the ronin are no match for Jin and his superior fighting skills. He easily dispatches several ronin before Matsu Hira orders the ronin to stop. They take hostages and again Hira demands that he come with her. This time, Jin tells her that while he may have returned with the Lion, Matsu Hira, he will never return with the dishonorable Hira who has disgraced her heritage by killing innocent monks. In response, Hira kills another monk, his blood spattering the statue of jizu.

Upon hearing the battle, Ying-Lien draws her katana and begins running toward the monastery. The two ronin who were with her stop her and draw their katana. She strikes first, drawing blood in one of the ronin, but the other strikes a mighty blow sending her reeling backward. Another blow and she is down on the ground.

Meanwhile, Ryu sneaks away from the carnage and disappears out the side door. He makes his way to the shrine and finds Ying-Lien about to be killed by the two ronin. He sneaks up behind one and kills him before the other is aware Ryu is there, Then Ryu dispatches the other ronin. Ying-Lien, who is barely able to move, thanks Ryu for his assistance. Ryu grabs a katana one of the ronin was wielding. It is old and not well kept. Ryu needs a katana, but decides against taking one of these.

Ryu leaves Ying-Lien and goes into the shrine. He finds the Keeper and informs him of what is going on. The Keeper asks Ryu what he should do and Ryu hands him the Dragon Helm.

At the compound, Hira and Jin are at a stalemate. Hira has murdered four monks in an effort to get Jin to return to Kyuden Ikoma. Jin has not moved away from the hearth and waits for the next ronin to challenge him. Suddenly, a dark shadow looms over the ground and a huge creature crashes into the compound, crushing several ronin. The Dragon of Fire has arrived.

Hira and the ronin scatter. The monks they were holding hostage run for cover. The Fire Dragon breathes gouts of flame at the ronin, engulfing them in an inferno. They all flee. Matsu Hira and her right hand man, along with a few ronin, make it out alive. The remaining ronin are dead. The Keeper of Fire looks down from atop the dragon and asks Jin if he would like further assistance in pursuing Matsu Hira. Jin politely refuses saying her dishonorable actions will not make her welcome anywhere in Rokugan. The Keeper dismounts the Dragon of Fire and the Dragon disappears into the night.

The samurai wait for an additional day to allow Noriyaki to pray to the kami to heal Ying-Lien. They use that day to obtain the travel papers necessary to get across the border into Unicorn territory. The next day, Ying-Lien is fit to travel and the samurai journey in to Unicorn territory without a hassle finally making it to Sorrows Path and Exile’s Road. Exile’s Road is the last bastion of civilization a person would see before leaving Rokugan. Only those exiled by decree or the rare traveler who wishes to leave Rokugan ever venture this far. This is the border of Rokugan.

The samurai find a small dusty shrine dedicated to the exiled. Inside, an old miko sweeps the old wooden floor. Many Scorpion masks, wakazashis and katana’s with colours from every clan adorn the walls. The samurai ask whether a Daidoji Kage and Isawa Mutsuye had made it this far. The miko says yes, but they had changed their names. She could not remember what their new names were. She also tells them that there were three of them. The samurai ask who the third one was. It was their unborn, the miko tells them. Mutsuye was with child.

Next: Book II: The Jewel of the Desert