Disclaimer: I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures.

Queen of Shadows

A Jackie Chan Adventures Fanfiction

Written by Eduard Kassel

Created by Nocturne no Kitsune

Betaed by Zim'smostloyalservant

Adopted to Finish what a Friend Began

Summary: It is a time of crisis. The Shadowkhan reel, from the lowest ranks to the Circle itself, from the fall of Hiruzen and the loss of the Shinobi tribe. And Jade Chan, still filling the role of the Queen of Shadows with ill intent towards the Shadowkhan, allows the crisis to drag on, hoping it will grant the humans of Japan their needed opportunity, and perhaps grant her freedom.

Meanwhile, the Shogunate in the Shadows takes a bold step, using the mask of the Gani tribe to allow the Demon Queller to summon and control mindless homunculi of the Shadowkhan! Yet such breakthroughs also create certain anxieties, as Nonki wonders if he and Himitsu may soon outlive their usefulness to the Lord of the Shirogeta Clan.

And across the sea, the dreaded Shendu, Demon Sorcerer tyrant and scourge of China, has taken interest in the unfolding blood feud.

Yet all plots and designs are now set into chaos as Koeri the kitsune slave boldly breaks her geass and kidnaps Jade herself!

A new crisis unfolds, now!:

Dominoes Falling

Jirobo stood in the Queen's bed chamber. The fire magic was still there; he could still smell the burning silk. The sumo had repaired the balcony doors, and everything out of place save the actual spot had been repaired around him. The sumo were, as ever, delicate in their work. Even the Reza had appeared, adding their own touches.

The General stared silently at the spot where the Queen had been taken. That should have been his moment. His flight all the difference, thwarting this plot. He would be restored to grace in her eyes, and then be able, as Yojimbo, to not only turn the tides of this war, but wage it in a manner that would bring the humans to their knees so much swifter. And then he would…

It did not matter. Because he had not been here in time to avert a catastrophe. He had, instead, come up short. The moment of truth, had seen his efforts ring false.

Sanshobo had cut up and carried off the actual burning material. With snapped explanations of tracking spells, the priestly General had departed with no patience for questions, delegating tasks and giving orders to a retinue of ranking priests surrounding him.

'I will not track the traitor. I will catch her!' the longwinded priest had been brief before making it clear that his fellow Generals best served to stay put of his way.

The others had left; perhaps they had plans. Jirobo was still here, because he had none left.

Did it matter? No. No more than it was improper for him to stand in this room. The Queen was gone — he had failed to keep them from taking her away. He alone was able to come quickly enough; this was his fault.

He pushed the restored balcony door open, hardly realizing he had moved. The sun was rising, the red tint distinct this day. He wondered if it was a good omen for humans, a red rising sun? For him, it had always given the impression of mourning.

Amaterasu, she had once comforted Kagehime when the girl was separated from Hiruzen the First. Susano had raised a flood between the two out of spite, and sent birds to chase her into the trees. Until, at last, Amaterasu had bid the winds to send his storms and the birds away, and descended to comfort the orphan of Yomi in her confusion and pain.

The kami did not walk as they once did. There would be no Sun Goddess coming to deliver the 98th from her peril and offer her divine softness amidst worldly harshness. The mortals drove such things away, they drained the world dry of wonder and brought ruin to what they ruled.

And now they had a wellspring of wonder in their hands. And it was them! The kitsune would never be so bold again, no. This reeked of human craftiness.

"Mother Sun, light my path," He could, in this moment, recall no true prayer, so instead he spoke his sought boon.

Was that…? Hmm, no. Maybe?

He turned his back on the sun, and made his way back into the tower. Rest first, he must be ready.

Whatever came next, he had to be ready. To fall short once was too much.

X X X

Ozeki grabbed his knees as he leaned forward. His breath had increased in speed, but not close to panting, though. He had expected as much, but he needed confirmation. Just like the pair of sweat beads coming down his brow, swiftly erased by the mountain winds whipping around him.

Nothing could be taken for granted anymore, he thought, looking to the towers of the Fortress in the distance.

His personal training grounds had been ready for use as demanded, now he walked back through them. A frown was on his face, and he scratched at his stubble. He had forgotten to shave earlier.

Rather than kick aside a piece of debris, his knee struck out, knocking it down. Admittedly, shattering it underfoot was unnecessary.

The wind carried through his hair and played over his mostly bare body. Stopping, he raised his eyes. A target. Taking his stance, he gathered himself and charged.

X X X

Kamisori walked through the dust cloud patiently, a sheet of linen thrown over what he carried in his arms.

The training ground was ruined. But it was not a mess. Save that last blow, all the destruction was as intended. The master builder inverting his role as the master destroyer. And as a master of the blade cuts only what he intends to cut, the master destroyer destroys exactly what he wants exactly as he wants it.

Coated in stone dust and squatting before the rockslide rubble gathered around his feet, Kamisori thought Ozeki would easily pass for a fine sculpture, or some offended kami of the stone. Stepping on no debris with ease, the immaculate Reza General walked up to the sulking, soiled sumo.

"My friend, it has been a long time since you threw your strength into a contest with a mountain."

"…"

"Clearly you did not give it your all, or we would be having this conversation elsewhere," the Reza General said. He uncovered the cloth and water-filled washing basin; the dust was settled enough. Ozeki stared at the mountain that was defiant before him, even as its stones spilled from the wound he had made.

Kamisori turned to go, his sight on the path that could safely leave this place.

"But of course you conserve your strength. It does not feel like they will return our Queen easily. Be ready, my friend, your time is at hand," Kamisori warned. With a whoosh, he vanished into the wind, and the mighty Ozeki closed his eyes and reached for the cloth.

X X X

Kuro looked over the reports from his captains and the navigational maps spread across his desk, without actually seeing them. Normally he'd be mentally dissecting everything before him, determining the best way of putting the information and resources at his disposal to use. Especially with the ever present threat of the Pirate King still on the horizon, ready to strike where the Shadow Navy was least expecting it.

But he could not focus on his work, not under the present circumstances. Like most of the other Generals, his duties seemed to slip through his many grasping tendrils now. His focus kept returning to a single subject.

The very idea that the Queen could be taken from the Fortress against her will, stolen right from beneath the gazes of her most favored warriors, by a servant gifted from a faithful vassal race no less… it shouldn't have even been conceivable, let alone probable. And yet it had happened, and coming so soon after the loss of both the Gani and the Shinobi, it almost seemed like the Shadowkhan's entire world was falling apart around them.

Were the events connected? Was the kitsune in league with the Shirogeta forces at Tobe? Or had she merely taken advantage of the situation? There was no way of knowing as of yet, which was almost as disconcerting, as far as Kuro was concerned.

The reflexive action, which he knew several tribes were taking, was to move forces to be ready to strike at the Shirogeta. After all, that had been the direction of their ire already. Magic could not move such forces alone, and ships were already bearing Shadowkhan forces from Kyushu.

But they might not be connected, he could not help but think.

The kitsune betrayal. It made no sense. They had been vassals and fairly favored ones; the fact they were trusted to provide a personal slave for the Queen was a sign of esteem with both trust and respect. True, the slave had also been a hostage, but a well cared for one, and holding a hostage showed the respect the Shadowkhan had for her clan to take such measures.

Was it all one action by Koeri? Even knowing her clan would suffer for her betrayal, even if she acted alone? Had her leaders planned this? Was it only one tribe? Were the Shirogeta pulling strings to make the kitsune act so recklessly?

Or was it some other party manipulating events, he wondered?

Shendu, could the Dragon Emperor have decided to divert attention for his mainland ambitions against all odds? Or… No, it couldn't be him. They had made certain, there was no trace. He would not even know there had been a theft, much less a need for vengeance. And why act now? No, that one was not a part of this matter, Kuro decided, his eyes drifting away from the map of the Chinese coast.

The world laid out before him like a game, with him here to move the pieces against players known and unknown. Kuro-Ri-Chi was, by his own reckoning, the grand strategist of the Empire. Yet looking out over it all, he could find no path through this fog of war. As many tentacles as he had, this was out of his grasp. He could only wait and react. And pray it would not be too late.

X X X

Hishu watched his warrior sons train. Their powers had yet to reveal themselves in this secluded glade. Nature brought nothing more forth than structure, it seemed.

It was beautiful, he thought, taking in the trees and undergrowth under the rising light. But he found beauty in most things in his short life. He had not seen a chance to inquire if that was only his youth, or his cursed naïveté.

There was no time for pity, even for himself, he thought, as the wind blew through the trees and ruffled the grass. He faced into it, baring his teeth as if the storm god was showing himself.

He had power, they had power. His sharp feet dug into the ground. Mother would not have made something useless, yet all his rage brought was hunger.

Hishu struggled to repress that gnawing sensation inside him. He needed focus, clarity. To reach the power inside of himself. His power could be a key to saving Mother, continued failures were unacceptable. He must unlock its secret now. He would consult Ikazuki. It was time to rise or fall.

Long Ago:

Ozeki surrendered his prize from the hunt to the priests, who carried the drugged human into the tower. When the door closed, he joined the other Generals where they sat on the plateau's cobblestones. The massive General could let his fatigue show under these circumstances. Few could put a proper courtly appearance on at a time like this.

The winter weather was moderate, and even if not, the cold would be an annoyance at best. The fire was solely to heat the sake bottles sitting enticingly in the steaming water of the pot.

Only two of his peers were absent — Sanshobo was, of course, overseeing the Queen's care, and performing a most polite and delicate damage control. As for the other…

"Hiruzen has not returned yet," Kamisori answered the unasked question. Ozeki caught the bottle of sake in his left hand without breaking stride. Kamisori chuckled at the display, as Ozeki took his own seat on the bare cobblestones of the garden.

There was no shelter, but that was typical, save for a storm. Ikazuki had wondered if he looked as ragged as his peers.

"Ozeki, was that one of the Yemishi(1)?" Kuro-Ri-Chi asked. Ozeki nodded. The warm rice wine flowing down his throat and hitting his stomach seemed to restore some of his vigor. Thankfully, the Queen seemed to still forget this luxury among her punishing demands.

"Yes, a chieftain, warrior, and something of a shaman. A great hero to hear them tell of it. I had to journey quite a ways north to find him," Ozeki said. He wanted to smile, but there had been no roar yet from the tower. He glanced to the rows of praying Kamikiri monks visible on the entryway to the plateau.

The Ika General made a thoughtful sound.

"You should have seen mine. I sailed far to the south. He was traveling with four companions in a very small boat for the open seas. A fine exotic foreign specimen. I think one of the others may have even survived. Good seamen, for mortals."

"No, the Queen hardly looked at him before roaring her displeasure," Ikazuki dismissed it.

"Not so quick as that overgrown brute you brought back. At least the rest of us have tried variety. Has it crossed your mind that a samurai may not be what the Queen wants?" Jirobo interjected.

"Well at least he did not come back with some kind of scarecrow having been glamoured," Kamisori cut in.

"I ran afoul of some kami disguised as a balladeer! It could happen to anyone," Jirobo insisted.

"It certainly happened to you. You announce yourself, returning so grandly, and when the Kamikiri point out the obvious, you couldn't sneak back to hunting before the Queen demanded to know what you had brought. She is a royal of few words, our shy 97th. She had only one word to spare for your so-called offering," Kamisori chuckled. Ozeki blinked at that news; it explained why the Komomori General's left eye was swollen shut and half his face was still puckered from chi burns.

The chi wave hit them before the sound. The tower vibrated, the force carrying safely into the ground but still disturbing the sake in its saucers. There was a scream trying to pierce through the deep-throated roar. They watched as the Yemishi hero struck the courtyard headfirst.

"We're gong to have a fifth round, aren't we?" Jirobo sighed. Ikazuki was not looking forward to it. This was the fourth time they had all returned, as tradition mandated, to present the prospective mates and await the Circle's results or acceptance. More often than not, one round was sufficient. Two had happened twice in his own life.

The 97th was discerning. And… vague.

And the chi storm prickling under their skins was moving down the tower.

They all assumed the position, kowtowing to the closed door, eyes locked firmly on the ground as the door was blasted apart, embedding shards of it in any who had no armor on. Geta stomped on the ground. One broke, and with a curse, it was thrown, hitting Ozeki on top of the head.

Much better this time. Maybe she was losing some energy in all of this?

Then she started smacking Ozeki's head with the other geta.

"Moron! Fool! Idiot! Shadow of an unnamed TOAD! Toad shadows, all of you! TOAD! SHADOWS! Have I asked you to steal the Kusanagi? Perhaps to bring me tea from Amaterasu's own pot? Or a white stone from the black side or the moon!? NO! All I want is a proper mate! And you keep me waiting! Can I be any clearer?! Bring me, the best!" She broke the geta on his head with the final word, and roared. The kicks usually hurt less than the sandal. It was mildly surprising, though, her stepping on top of him, pacing in a small circe for a moment as the other Generals exercised all their stealth to watch her at it while continuing to still look at the ground.

Queens did get erratic at this stage, but even so…

"Bring me more geta! And eels! And if Hiruzen fails, tie the eels to the geta so I can beat him with it! How can my Circle be so incompetent? The BEST! What is hard abut that? The world has too many human males, how hard can this possibly be?! Do I need to do this myself!?" she ranted on, pacing a small circle on the Sumo General's back.

"Where are those eels!?" she demanded, stomping off the sumo and straight back into the tower. The Generals got up as she disappeared from sight.

"Her mother was quite happy with that monk I found her," Kuro commented.

"Okay, if Hiruzen can't pull it off, I say we just steal the Mikado, forget the repercussions. She may actually be going insane from not mating," Kamisori said.

It clearly bothered Ozeki that no one objected to that. Kamisori offered him another sake bottle, patting the sumo's shoulder.

"And no more sake!" the Queen roared from out of sight, "Until I get what I want, no nice things for any of you!"

"…" Eyes practically overflowing with moisture, Kamisori poured his saucer and then the bottle out on the stones.

"…So, can we move stealthily with the Dharma Candle still alight? Or should we just attack Heian Kuo to get the Mikado and any princes they might have lying around?" the Reza General asked, his tone steady and low.

"Eager to escalate the war, Generals?" Hiruzen said. His prize was slung over his shoulder, the tattered uniform and sack drawn tight around the head indicting struggle.

"My, it must have sharp senses to avoid your ambush, Hiruzen-sama," Kuro said.

"This is a sacred warrior of China, one who has nearly completed his training," Hiruzen announced.

The Circle of Generals exchanged looks at that. And gave a deeper look to the Yojimbo's captive.

"…Safe?" Jirobo demanded.

"I will need to drug him again-" Hiruzen began, before his prisoner stirred.

"As the pound of the head like warning drums, so thus do I…" the bagged sacred warrior apprentice slurred. Hiruzen pulled off the bag and put a dripping rag to the uncovered face. A well-kept beard and wide, barely seeing eyes were all the Generals saw before Hiruzen rushed into the tower.

"HIRUZEN! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE BROUGHT ME ANOTHER POOR CATCH!" the Queen's roar had surely not actually shaken the tower.

Ikazuki could still recall the Queen's high-pitched shrieks of pleasure, accepting the offering. Despite the soreness and fatigue catching up to them when they realized their duty was done, they had made their way off. Not before the Queen blasted a hole in the roof of her tower of course in her… excitement.

The collateral damage to the entire tower had occupied the sumos for some time, and Sanshobo had declared each "incident" in some way an omen of a strong Queen to be born. The 97th had certainly been… passionate in the act, far more than any in Ikazuki's lifetime, perhaps history. Though it occurred to him the scribes may well have not detailed excessive passions on the part of the Divine Queens.

The Queen had even ordered the human be released back into the world unharmed, back in China no less. An unusual request, but well within her rights to demand. The Kamikiri assured them he would remember nothing, and Hiruzen decided to leave him a great many empty bottles of spirits and a box that was meant to seem to have clearly contained others. Let the human ponder that on his waking.

A memorable conception, a memorable pregnancy. And 97th's loss made her childhood odd as well.

And now her absence capped the strangeness, Ikazuki thought, standing at the foot of the Tower.

Honshu:

Himitsu had been summoned, so he came prepared for treachery. Extortion of others was a valid tactic, one that had served him well. Many youkai and humans were more useful controlled indirectly than dead for their parts or directly enthralled, but there were risks. Even the most pathetic and outmatched servant had proven capable at times of enacting treachery against him. And sometimes they were simply mistaken on matters and endangered him with their folly.

So he approached being summoned by one of his best sources as if he was going into battle, a bundle of tricks hung from his back and pouches on his belt and hidden under his robes.

Holding his kasa in place with one hand, he guided his feather down toward the tree line. He was a ways off and he knew he had not been spotted. But the kitsune were masters of illusions and stealth, and the roc feather was not something he could hope to conceal any closer.

The roc feather descended at his gesture, settling into a woodland hugging the southern coast of Honshu. The woods seemed serene to a fool's eye, but he was a hunter himself, and the signs of nature along with the signs of the supernatural were old friends. The forest told its tales of struggle. Triumph, death, birth, growth and decay, and over and under it all, magic.

Unseen by it all, Himitsu slipped toward the summoning.

It was relief to be away from Tobe, he would hardly admit. But it was a fact. Nonki, curse him, had indeed planted a worry in his ear. It made little sense that Rokutaro would betray him, but the daimyo had their own way of seeing the world, as did all stations. Success had brought the master of Tobe many new friends, friends who may be offended by Himitsu's presence if they learned of it. Or their favor for the Shogunate's cause solidified with Himitsu's head.

Politics, such a bothersome thing. Matching wits with the youkai and oni was far more straightforward.

Soon enough, he found his contact. A seven-tailed kitsune chieftain, a traditionalist wearing his fox form. A fox the size of a young horse, with its tails waving in the wind, blue beads worn as a necklace.

They stood in a hollow, and Himitsu glanced around at the many eyes watching them.

"Seems you brought the whole clan. Such blatant treachery is not something you would be so foolish to attempt, Deshi. So what trick has made you so confident?" Himitsu asked, offering a smile to the watching foxes. He noted there was no foxfire, and they were unusually quiet.

The chieftain frowned at him, taking a seat.

"No tricks, not on you at least, wizard."

"Master Himitsu," the wizard corrected, dropping the smile.

"No, tonight your tyranny over my clan ends. We will be free."

"Tyranny? Tsk, please, you are hardly innocent as a people. It was under contract to end your terror that we first met."

"We are not here to discuss the past. The death curse you placed on our kits — you pledged that each mark would be lifted for each worthy service done. And enough of a service or boon would yield more than one. Tonight we call you on your word to honor that pact and end the curse in total," Deshi declared.

Himitsu adjusted his hat and fiddled with his wand while easing his knapsack closer to hand.

"What could you possibly offer me that is worth more than extorting favors from your clan for the foreseeable future?" Himitsu asked. He was curious, after all.

Deshi turned his head and called into the darkness.

"Koeri!"

Himitsu's grip on his wand and belt both tightened in instinctive caution as another figure emerged from the shadows. It was another kitsune, this one female and young, judging by the number of tails trailing behind her human form. Eyes running over her analytically, his gaze fell on the bundle of black cloth she was carrying in her arms.

Then she pulled the cloth away, revealing the small blue child it had been concealing, and Himitsu nearly dropped his tools in shock. Revealed to his other senses too was the magic coming off the girl. It was the one and same as before. The only Queen of Shadows.

"How?" he sputtered in shock, wide eyes locked on the unconscious form of the Queen of the Shadowkhan.

"We offered up one of our own as a personal slave to the Queen, as a gift to celebrate their conquest of Kyushu," Deshi explained, canid face somehow managing to smile smugly at the wizard's shock, "We knew that they would place compulsions on her to enforce her servitude and fealty, thereby lulling them into a false sense of security, all while she carried the means to break it when their guard was at its lowest. And that gave her the chance to steal away their greatest prize, which I now offer to you in exchange for the lifting of your curse and our freedom."

Himitsu barely heard Deshi's gloating. All that mattered was that the key to what he coveted most was right before him, ready to be claimed. He didn't care that he'd be losing an entire clan worth of informants and spies to do so; what did that matter compared to being put on the road to immortality? In light of that, he didn't need long to make his decision. After all, hesitation had already cost him this prize once before.

"Done," he said, smirking.

Later:

Jade woke up strapped to a table. She realized it quickly, because the straps were so tight they cut against her clothing, and pressing her into the wood under her. Her mouth was also gagged; a ball, wood it tasted like, shoved past her teeth. She was staring at a ceiling as she blinked away the last of her sleep, wood beams and thatch it looked like. Looking around was not an option with the strap across her brow holding her head in place.

She was not alone, she realized a moment before someone spoke.

"You are awake," an old man said. Not even 'Good you are awake,' Jade noted; that was a bad sign, she decided.

There were no other words for the moment, but she could hear him moving around. It sounded like jars were being moved about, and was that a fire? Yes, she could smell it, but not regular wood, she decided. And the scents, magic laced.

Oh, a wizard. Great, Jade sighed.

Well then, how did this happen, she wondered, closing her eyes? Taking deep breaths, she focused on that question, keeping panic at bay. Not easy; the strap across her chest made it hard to breathe deep. Hmm, yeah, magic bindings she decided, taking in the sensation of them.

She listened to the floor creak as the wizard approached. He stepped into her sight, revealing a face she knew. A face that looked nearly mummified with age, yet the eyes and set of it were full of confident strength. A face clearly accustomed to scowls.

Bachi's master.

"You remember me. Good. I do not intend to keep you gagged, as I need to interrogate you. But try to hex me or escape, or delay with words, and I will gag you and make you wish you could scream. Understood?"

Jade nodded, or tried with her head strapped down as it was. Yeah, this was bad. Where was the ham?

But he seemed to recognize her assent to his terms, reaching out and with practiced ease pulling the gag from her mouth. He let it fall, still wet, against her neck. Jade grimaced at the sensation as it slid off her clunk to the table.

"Where is the tree?" he demanded calmly.

'What?'

"Which tree?" Jade asked. His scowl deepened, and she decided he was wondering if she was being difficult or legitimately confused at his question. The fact he didn't slap her or something, she decided, was a good sign.

"The peach tree near the entrance to Yomi sealed by Izanagi. The divine tree that anchored you to the mortal plane as an immortal, but at a cost."

"…Huh?"

X X X

Himitsu scowled down at the Queen of Shadows and pulled what others would see as a white pebble from his pocket. Held between thumb and forefinger, he pressed the polished surface into her shoulder.

She screamed as smoke rose, the silk burning as the curse reacted to her. After a few moments, he pulled it back and let her see him palm the pebble. Her eyes were watering, so he pulled out a small vial and pressed it into her cheeks, one after the other, to catch the tears.

He was pleased she did not try to resist that.

"The Tree of Life, one of the sacred trees that lore of many nations and creeds speaks of," he clarified.

"The peach tree?" she spat. He didn't try to collect the spit. There was time for that later.

"Yes, the Divine Peach Tree."

"…I'm pretty sure that was just a peach tree," she answered.

He rolled the pebble back to his fingertips. Her eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed. He could feel the glare even as he drew closer, holding the cursed stone.

"How could it have just been a mere tree? How else could even a lesser kami like you remain a child since before the days men first scribed words to rolls of bark?" Himitsu remarked confidently.

Her glare broke at that and she blinked at him as if he had spoken garbled.

He was looming over her helpless bound form, but he took a step back when she chuckled. A dry, mirthless sound from a throat near-parched, yet it still grew into a chortle, wth her body straining at the bonds as she laughed, eyes squeezed shut.

"Oh, you really don't know anything!" the blue child laughed, "And to think, everyone was dreading you being one step ahead. Was it just luck that let you fools humiliate the Shadowkhan like this!? Ha, the Heavens do have a dark sense of humor!"

Her laughter broke off as he slapped her with the hand holding the pebble. The blow and jolt of magic snapped her from her merriment, but she just glared back at him. She was breathing hard… no, he realized, looking at her, the heavy breathing was him.

"The Queen of Shadows is not immortal, it's a dynasty. That's the big secret. I'm called 98th for a reason. That tree you are making such a big deal about? It only freed Kagehime, the first Queen, from Yomi by making her part of the mortal realm. It's the mirror of how the food of Yomi binds you to Yomi. Whatever she was, a kami of death and shadows or whatever, we lost a lot of that to become alive from being born to the dead. There's nothing in the lore about magic trees like you're talking about."

He grabbed her face, but she just kept glaring at him, practically grinning as his fingernails dug into her face.

A chill started to settle over him. Grabbing her shoulder, he spoke a word to loosen the ropes for a moment and shoved her up onto her side. The bindings snapped back in place, locking her in that position. To his pleasure, her head thumped against the table, pressed down at an awkward angle.

Not wasting time, he went over to a shelf and retrieved a bowl and a short, sharp tube of treated bamboo. And a small sharp knife.

"What is this? Hey, what are you doing back there?" the Queen of Shadows called out, unable to see what he was doing. He noted she no longer sounded amused.

Good.

The knife cut, parting the silk over the back of a thigh, was smooth and silent. Stabbing the bamboo in… well, that did not require finesse, did it? Ignoring her scream, he slid the bowl into place and waited until the first dribbles of blood started before fetching the needed powders.

It wasn't like he could take her word on her state of being, after all.

Returning the gag, he ignored the tears this time.

The marks on the bamboo glowed faintly red, and sure enough the blood was flowing. Soon enough there was enough, and he swapped the bowl with a larger container.

Whatever the results, her blood was valuable.

Elsewhere:

The wizard had been surprisingly swift in his work. In the past, when they earned a curse lifted, it had been drawn out for nearly an hour. This had not even been half of that. Was it easier to unravel all the curses than one at a time? Deshi thought it more likely Himitsu had been misleading them the whole time, and this time had been honest in expedience so he could more quickly flee the wrath of the Shadowkhan.

Well, it mattered little, the kitsune chieftain decided, looking down from his perch in the tree, wearing his regal human form, watching the clan make its way northward.

It wouldn't be enough just to leave northern Honshu. They had plans in place that would see them in the Land of the Morning Calm before the sun rose. Regarding the Shadowkan's wrath, that was a good start.

Koeri had been trained to evade the tracking techniques of the Shadowkhan. It was not perfect, but they would be long gone by the time the Shadowkhan had found where the clan had been. And then preoccupied with Tobe, which he knew the Shadowkhan knew employed Himitsu. And he had taken the chance to disrupt Himitsu's own personal wards while the wizard worked. Just enough to give their until-recently allies the proper scent to follow alongside their abducted Queen.

The wizard well deserved his fate, but it would be convenient if he and his somehow prevailed.

"Tono," Koeri said, leaning on a branch at his side, giving a half bow to him.

"News?" he asked.

"…We should move quicker. Despite our precautions, we betrayed a sacred oath. Fate may favor a righteous avenger over us," she said.

"Our speed is as great as stealth for so many can afford. Besides, the Shadowkhan have forsaken righteousness. Mimicking humans with this Empire nonsense! Bah, they are no longer the people our ancestors pledged to. Little better than oni," Deshi dismissed with a wave of his hand.

The waved hand twitched and toppled down through the layers of branches, the other arm following it. Deshi's squinted eyes opened wide as he took a step back, leaning into the tree as Koeri screamed. Two of her tails had been sent flying.

Jerking his head back, running his scalp against the pine bark, Deshi looked up as the shadow pulled away to reveal a mantis in monk robes, blades bared and face hidden under a basket.

Screams erupted below as chanting filled the air and the forest began to move, as the magics of the kitsune rose, only to be smothered, and foxes pounced or ran into silent lethal blades.

Deshi leapt away, face beginning to elongate into a muzzle, his tails glowing and the blood gushing from his severed arms stopping its flow as the wounds closed. Sanshobo leapt after him, enshrouded in black shadow magic that snapped the kitsune back into human form as each of the mantid's legs stabbed into Deshi's back and drove him into the ground, driving their points right through him.

"You will reveal all," a Kamikiri monk said, stepping up to Deshi, who gasped for breath as Sanshobo stepped out of him. The monk rolled the kitsune onto his back, and with precision stabbed his eyelids to force them open. Not leaving so much as a blemish on the revealed eyeball, even. Sanshobo loomed over him, and lifted the basket mask off his face, chanting and working his beads all the while.

Even amidst the carnage of the ambush, Deshi's brief scream stood out.

Himitsu's Hut:

The blood did not lie, Himitsu admitted, staring at the liquid in the bottom of the bowl. With his wand, he carefully separated the layers until only a meager drop's worth of pure glowing power remained at the center of the design drawn into the bowl. There were others he put in different bowls and placed aside, such as the elemental power of shadow that permeated the girl.

No, the last drop was something special. And he had hoped for much more from such a sample!

A lesser man might have pounded his fists at the proof the girl really was only a descendant of the great kami. A lesser god, well removed from the divine hierarchy of creation. A worldly kami. Not an immortal. But Himitsu had lived long and disappointment was an old companion, one you could never learn to love, but that you could learn to endure. So rather than pointless rage, he picked up the humble bowl of enchanted clay that held a drop of divinity in its base.

It was beautiful. He had glimpsed such power before, but as made things or secluded by the nature of its bearers in mighty beings. Never had he had an opportunity to strip it down to the basic components before.

It wasn't just power, it was potential, he decided. Learned as he was, he could not guess what would happen if he catalyzed this power now that it had been separated from the Queen of Shadows. It could indeed be a road to immortality. Or it could be a death of utter horror as defies mortal imagination. And so much else.

Yes, setting the bowl down, he admitted even using it in an experiment at this point would be too dangerous. But it would happen, he just needed time.

Walking back over to the girl, he saw the vessel was nearly full again and pulled the bamboo out, the spell on it making the wound heal. The girl was unconscious but breathing.

This much blood was still not enough, he realized. For his purposes, much would be wasted answering questions before he could ever use it for something practical. And there was only one source.

He couldn't turn this little goddess over to Rokutaro — he would need to harvest her blood for years, likely decades, for research. And who knew what mysteries her body might hold; powers that could be harnessed to his quest for not only immortality, but the true and complete understanding of magic.

Himitsu had given his word. He had made a contract. But whatever exactly Rokutaro planned was less important than his own goals. Besides, he had rid the Shogunate in the Shadows of the Queen of Shadows, that was no small feat, he decided.

"There's no time to waste," Himitsu said, touching the bindings so they released the slab and curled tight around the girl instead. That woke her up. Himitsu made to say something to her, but a flash of intuition had him whirl toward the door. With a word, the door became transparent, revealing… nothing.

Himitsu let out a sigh and slid his wand back up his sleeve.

The wall opposite the bench holding the precious extract was knocked down in a single blow, letting the twilight pour in. But not as much as the gaping hole should have. The outside was still largely blocked by the massive armored figure standing in the new portal, the horns of his helm and outline announcing his identity.

"Wizard, you've been absent. We were starting to worry for you," Gurando remarked cheerily.

Himitsu took care to control himself. The man's sudden appearance despite his wards was quite troubling. But showing weakness would be worse.

"There was a door," Himitsu pointed out the entryway standing intact, and unused.

"Well, I worried you may not be alone. You isolate yourself so much; dangerous to be alone when dealing with Shadowkhan. Lord Rokutaro is such a responsible daimyo, he takes care to ensure the well being of his allies. One looked in on you and was concerned there might be a powerful Shadowkhan threatening you," Gurando said, stepping in.

It was only one step, but there was no doubt he could see the Queen. But perhaps not, Himitsu thought. She was facing away from him, and with her kimono and the undone hair, could he tell she was a Shadowkhan?

All the while Gurando was acting as if he had not literally forced his way in with his great mace. Was he truly ignorant and had only found his way here to trouble Himitsu for amusement, the wizard wondered?

Then the man was smiling at him, like he had before the battle at Awaji. Himitsu had decided, seeing it then, that despite the fine speech he had given, all the bad rumors of the giant were true. The man took to carnage as saner men took to revelry.

This will not end peacefully, Himitsu decided firmly. He put himself between the girl and the brute, and gave his empty thanks, sizing the man up. The armor was resistant to magic, and those beads he wore held some enchantment too. Still, even with magical items, Gurando was in the end just a very big, strong samurai. Magic — quick, fast, and hard — that would defeat him. Himitsu reminded himself of the mighty foes he had faced and conquered, and this time he had the element of surprise. The giant was too arrogant, confronting a wizard alone. Whatever he planned, he underestimated the danger a wizard could pose when backed into a corner.

The last anxiety faded, and the calm of battle flashed through Himitsu as his wand slid from his sleeve into his waiting hand with practiced ease. He had chosen the moment Gurando had tried to step past him for a better look at the girl they were both pretending wasn't there. Eyes off the wizard, a mistake Gurando would not live long enough to properly regret.

The words and motions came as easily as lifting chopsticks to eat. The battle had already begun…

And it was with puzzlement Himitsu felt the wind tear past him in a strange sharp gale, the sound of bursting wood reaching his ears on the heels of the sensation. Raising his hands against the unexpected gust, he came up one short.

Then the pain and shock struck from the bleeding stump of his elbow as Himitsu fell to his knees.

Through tears, yes, he saw Rosuto push open what was left of the door with his foot, long bow still in hand and notching another arrow.

Gurando was laughing and someone was screaming.

"Classic misdirection! I told you it would work. Prepared for wizards and youkai, even Shadowkhan armies I bet, but nothing against simple human spies and being distracted by the obvious threat. Not as smart as he thought," Gurando laughed. Himitsu clutched the stump; the others were chatting, ignoring him. Forcing his hand from a losing battle against the blood flow, he reached into his robe and pulled out a bamboo flask. Biting the cork off, he swigged down the potion, including the cork.

"Yes, he had her. How did he manage it?" Gurando said.

"That is likely why Lord Rokutaro wants him alive."

Numbness spread through him, the potion was working. The lightheaded feeling, it would normally knock him out, he would let it do so normally. But he couldn't afford a lapse now. And he couldn't afford to scream.

He might have nearly bit clean through his lower lip when a new hand burst from the gushing wound. It let him brace himself on the floor. He had lost his wand, but he had other options, other charms and tricks at hand.

Escape? Ideal, but could he escape them? Try and kill them, they were distracted and magic was might. This was still his lair.

Ringing in his ears deafened him, so he was only aware of someone stepping behind him as he pushed himself up by the movement in the floorboards. They grabbed the back of his kimono and hoisted him up slightly, and then ripped the garment into pieces and from his body, sending him back to the floor.

Gurando's laughter was over him again.

"Listen to that! He had a lot still in here. And it looks like your amputation didn't take either. This is what Lord Rokutaro doesn't understand — wizards are trouble, and troublesome prisoners especially. This is how you deal with a magic problem," Gurando said. A massive hand grasped Himitsu's shoulder and bicep of the agonized arm.

He didn't fight the scream as the limb was ripped from its socket.

X X X

Jade was wide-eyed as the monstrous samurai ripped the wizard apart. He was laughing, not even evil laughing, but a jolly chortling as he stood up, still holding the severed arm.

"Well, unless you're crushing his head, isn't that still halfway?" the archer remarked. His indifference was only a bit better than the smiling mirth on the giant's face as he turned back to face Jade and his companion.

"We were ordered to try and bring him back, we'll just say that he died of his wounds; apprehending the Knowledge Thief is no simple matter. And it won't be a lie. Don't lie if you don't have to, it's a lesson I have learned. But I understand you are better at it, so this may seem sloppy to you."

"A bit, but more crude than sloppy."

"I'm no merchant or great lord for intricacy. My fame was won through my overwhelming force and unbreakable defense. And soon it will make me a daimyo," Gurando replied. He tossed the wizard aside like a bit of trash, sending him crashing into the workbench he had been at earlier. The giant spared only a glance to see the old man not rise before turning his attention to the archer as the conversation resumed.

"Indeed. Now put that force to work and grab the youkai girl. For all we know, the Shadowkhan may be on their way," the archer said.

"This tiny thing? You could probably carry her," the giant muttered, looming over Jade.

Jade cried out through the gag as he grabbed both her ankles and swung her up to smack over his massive shoulders, right onto the armor.

"Careful!" the archer hissed. Oh, he actually sounded angry rather than annoyed now.

"If you wanted delicate, you should have brought the woman," the samurai shot back.

Blinking spots from her eyes, ugh, blood loss, she thought, she didn't see the blow coming. Nor did the giant, though, as he was knocked back and Jade jolted from his shoulder.

Landing on the floorboards with a smack, her poor chin rapping against them like a hammer, she was treated to a bright light that had nothing to do with physical trauma.

A figure bathed in golden light was standing up, by the workbench… and oh, that was the wizard, wasn't it?

An arrow seemed to appear our of nowhere in the wizard's one hand. Jade glanced to the archer, who was already grabbing another from his quiver, but jumped to the side when the arrow streaked back at him, trailing gold.

"Bastard!" the giant yelled, slamming his helmet back on and pulling a huge mace from its spot strapped to his back.

"You were right. Better to just kill the wizard," the old man remarked, the light fading and revealing him standing there, holding the glowing magic power in the palm of his hand. As she watched, lines of glowing power sprouted from his shoulder and snatched up the severed arm on the floor and snapped it back into place like a bungee cord.

The giant's battle cry seemed to rattle the building as he charged at the wizard. Jade watched as the wizard raised his hand and looked to speak a word. Gold light shot out of his hand and burst out into a dome around him just in time to catch the mace. The blow still cracked the magic, which buckled then folded outward, engulfing the giant in a vice thing.

"It seems my gamble earned a lucky roll of the dice," the wizard said as the giant strained against the golden mass trying to crush him.

The wizard glanced away and flexed his returned hand, then casually threw a bolt of magic blocking an arrow in flight, it looked like.

"You should have run, merchant," the wizard said to the archer, who ducked behind a table. Pointing two fingers at the table, the wizard tilted the hand upward, lifting the table and revealing the archer again.

"Raaaaahhh!" the giant roared, pushing the glowing magic construct back a few precious inches and lunging clear, the sides coming together with a clap and shattering. Panting, he grabbed up his mace from where it had broken the floorboards when it fell before.

"Well, you did earn your reputation brute. So just die," the wizard said to the giant, raising both hands. Then the wizard flinched as the golden light erupted in a patch around the size of a fist on his hairy, sagging belly. The light spread out a circle of radiance, leaving dark grey in its wake.

It wasn't skin.

"What!?"

"Oh!" the giant cackled. Jade couldn't see the giant's face, but she could picture his smile.

The wizard was turning to stone, Jade realized as the man panicked, reaching for pockets in a robe that had been cast aside somewhere. By the time he tried to lunge for the bench, perhaps there was some potion there, his legs had stiffened. When he called that magic back to his hands, it only made the stone spread faster.

"No. No! I'm not done yet! I need more time!" the wizard screamed, clawing at his stone chest.

"More TIMEEE!" he screamed as his arms turned. As the stone creeped up his neck, there was no final curse or defiance, only a scream of terror and despair that made Jade screw her eyes shut. Keeping them closed even after a horrid, cracking gurgle broke off the scream, and silence.

Silence broken by laughter.

She felt the giant pick her up by her robes. He smacked her back onto his shoulders with as little regard as before.

"Well, we can say Himitsu killed himself rather than be taken alive," the archer commented.

No one looked back to watch the flames rise and begin to consume the hut. None witnessed the statue of Himitsu the Knowledge Thief as burning roofing fell on it and pots of volatile substances began to explode like small fireworks. The two warriors of the Shogunate in the Shadows had their eyes forward, and Jade was unconscious and unknowing of her captor's fate.

They were long gone when the building collapsed, leaving the statue toppled but intact, staring sightlessly into the sky.

Later, Tobe Outskirts:

Sanshobo stood in a rice paddy, cloaked in magic. He expected he could be seen by some of the humans on Tobe's walls. The walls were more formidable than previously reported. The wards glowed to his mage eyes; hardly the most intricate, but strong. Breaking the wall would not shatter all the protections, not even close. Either it had been bolstered, or the fullness of its defenses were not activated until recently.

The Queen's trail led here. Two men from the burned hut with the petrified human had ridden here. One a giant on a dragon horse of unnatural size.

It had been close, he could taste, no more than an hour. He would decapitate himself for the tardiness or throw himself against those wards if he thought it would do any good.

Despair and panic, they ate at the edges of his perception. He worked his beads to focus. Passion must be directed, as ever, toward the Queen. Death as compensation would come later, for now he must live to atone.

The enemy were not fools, even if their actions were foolish. They had laid traps fit for Hiruzen, and would know the Shadowkhan would come for their Queen. Another tribe lost would imperil the Queen more.

She lived, and if they merely wanted her dead as that Tanuki incident had indicated, she would be.

Turing his back on the walls of Tobe, Sanshobo strode calmly back through the rice paddy towards his waiting monks. Too many mysteries enshrouded this place, he acknowledged. Would that he had had the foresight to support Ikazuki in burning it to the ground.

Well, it was not too late to see it burn.

X X X

The impact jarred Jade awake. She had dropped, she realized. It had happened enough in her life to recognize the feeling. And onto a hard floor too, lovely.

Then she wondered why no Khan were in a panic over her falling out of bed. And was this stone her face was intimate with?

Oh, right.

"I wanted him alive," a man was saying.

"Well, he was no mere wizard, tono. And in the end he killed himself rather than be taken alive. Turned to stone and tried to burn us down with his hut," another said. That was the giant, Jade recalled. And she was still bound, she realized, trying to move.

"Still, Lord Rokutaro," a woman said, "For her to be in our grasp now, surely the kami favor us."

"Hmm, yet we seem to have lost our clever Himitsu. And my understanding, Lord Rokutaro, was that you wished to seal more armies before Himitsu and I were to seek to abduct this child. Surely, now they will come with all their might to your gates," a man calmly said.

So then, she was with the heroes. Who still saw her as a villain. And still gagged; of course, why not, she thought while scowling into the floor.

"You know she is awake?" the woman said.

"A brave child, it seems," the calm man remarked.

"Don't call her that. And we should take precautions," the woman said.

"What else would you suggest?" the old man, Lord Rokutaro asked. Yeah, she recalled that name. The Lord of Tobe; so he was behind all the butt-kicking the Shadowkhan had received. Well, hopefully they would un-gag her for some cliche insult exchange or something, which would give her an actual chance-

Someone gabbed the back of her clothes and ripped.

She shouted in protest as her clothes were torn off around the bindings, which held onto scraps, digging into her skin.

"Well, well, perhaps this is why you are so rude to a man's attention?" the giant laughed.

Jade was finally flipped over, letting the woman — the warrior who had tried to kill her — tear away the last scraps of clothing, the bindings seeming to let her. Jade did not wear underclothes to bed, and now she could only look up at not only the woman but men who stood over her as she laid bare.

The closest thing to sympathy came from a scruffy-looking man with a shamisen on his back and a tattered kasa on his head. With the rest, it was curiosity laced with hostility, a lecherous grin from the giant, and the woman clearly still wanted to kill her. That glare — no bared teeth, no trembling in fury. Just a cold intent, which Jade was stilled from any outcry by.

"Himitsu was fond of stashing magic in clothes, we can't afford to take chances," the woman said.

"Enough," a samurai said, stepping forward. He was old, but not too old; enough to still be a badass, she would say, but also enough to have seen enough to put most in their place. He seemed to deliberately ignore her bare state as he picked her up.

"We have a cage, it should be used. We have to prepare," the old samurai stated.

"That is true. If the Shadowkhan wish to come in force, they will need their armada. It's time for the pirate to prove his worth, one way or the other. If we can defeat them on the waves, the only force that can travel here quickly in large numbers will be the Komomori. And that will require securing northern Awaji at the least, to ensure a crossing," Lord Rokutaro thought aloud.

Jade saw the cage before she was placed in it. It was made of stone, even the bars crafted of some dark grey rock. And much of it looked to be covered with writing. Lord Rokutaro pulled a band that was around his neck, hidden before by his hakama, and revealed a key.

A stone key, huh. But she didn't see a lock.

He tapped it three time against one of the bars, and a section of the cage swung out on unseen hinges. Magic, of course.

The samurai placed her inside gently, and she felt a cold feeling wash over her. And not just from being freaking naked! Of course, it was wards carved here. Horrible, nasty wards.

The General pulled out her gag.

"Say anything, and you can remain bound and gagged," he commanded. Looking at the samurai, Jade decided his actions should not be viewed so much benign as professional. Like her own Generals, perhaps?

No, the Shadowkhan Generals, not her Generals.

He would not be the one to approach. But a captive could get all kinds of Hannibal Lecter moments. Only, you know, being a heroic kid rather than a creepy serial killer whose movies Jackie didn't want her to watch. Just had to be patient, she said to herself as the last binding was cut free by the General. She stayed laying down until the door closed and seamlessly became a solid cage again.

Sitting up, she noted the cage was too small to do more than sit up straight in. And for floor space, maybe twice as wide as she was tall. Heck, what would they have done if they'd have to put a full-grown woman in here? Awkward.

She didn't see the blow. Jade reeled back, curling in herself as the pole retracted from her stomach, feeling bruises forming from where the butt of the weapon had struck her.

"Ugh," she coughed, tipping to the side.

"Just making sure," the warrior woman said to the frayed-looking man. She was giving a mischievous grin, while he was frowning and taking a drink from a gourd. He looked over at Jade and shook his head.

"I'm going to grab her a blanket or something. Knowing there's a naked demi-kami girl locked in the cellar would just be too weird," he said. The others were already leaving, ignoring Jade as they discussed matters of allies and armies. The question of her guards was broached as they reached the doorway from the cavernous room.

"Not to worry. An ally that has been working with me longer than any save the General will keep watch over her. She will not dare stir from her cage. Even if she could," Rokutaro assured them.

The door slid closed, and Jade found herself not in darkness, but a dim light. Not some glowing moss, it was like the walls were glowing weakly. And yes, she realized the lettering on the cage glowed brighter, giving her extra light.

"Well, crap. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but these guys don't really score big points as heroes so far. And leaving me, their so-called big bad, with just one guard in the heart of their probably stronghold? That's just cliche hour," Jade muttered as her teeth started to chatter a bit. She was starting to feel rather chilled, she admitted.

"Queen of Shadows, I welcome you to the Weaver's Cave," a voice echoed through the chamber.

Jade tried to shoot to her feet, and bonked her head on the ceiling. Crying out, she tumbled to the floor, trying to blink away the pain shooting through her head.

The voice was laughing, and the light was getting brighter.

"Careful now," the speaker said, as Jade looked up from the floor.

"AHHHHHH!" Jade screamed as her guard stared through the bars. A spider of white and transparent crystal, catching the light and sending it out. She noted the magic heavy about it, wafting through the bars. More importantly, it was about as big as her cage.

"Yes, you will make fine components in time. But for now, some merriment," the spider said. It wasn't cartoony in design, or humanoid in some way, it was arachnid. And with utter ease, it climbed on top of the cage, out of her sight.

Scooting to the center of the cage, Jade watched as two crystalline spider legs silently slid through the bars on opposite sides. They stopped short of her and wiggled a bit, then withdrew. Then they came from in front of her, and glancing back she grimaced to confirm that, yes, there was one there too.

"I'm not allowed to kill you yet, as interesting as that would be. But for this game, if you don't stay out of reach, my prize will be something of yours if I can get a grip on you. Your prize, for staying in the center, is for me to not get mine just yet."

The crystal spider giggled atop the cage as Jade pulled her legs close and tried to be as small as she could be.

'Maybe, just maybe, this is less heroes vs Shadowkhan, and more evil vs evil?' she thought morosely.

X X X

The elites crowded the hallways. They bowed to Sanshobo's passing, but their mere presence so close was an immense breach of propriety. Yet even as a sanctioned guardian of propriety, he found he cared little at the breach.

Is this what Daigoro felt along with the Circle after the battle against Po Kong, he wondered? Perhaps not, this situation was far worse.

He could feel the eyes of the eldest elites at his back as the doors to the throne room was opened. The Queen was not always on her throne, of course, but to see the throne unveiled and empty now, as the remaining Generals took their seats…

"You have all reviewed the facts? You are aware of the dire situation our Most Divine and Wondrous Majesty is in?" Sanshobo declared. They nodded, even Hishu, who looked ill at his spot. None of them looked well — they had all approved the kitsune for entry, save the young General. Jirobo had failed to prevent the abduction itself, and he himself had failed to retrieve the Queen.

Failure, utter and complete. This Circle would stand in disgrace for all subsequent generations, at best. The worst, was that there would be no subsequent generations.

"You did well to avenge her on the kitsune," Kuro commented.

"A trifle. We must act," Ikazuki stated sternly. The General of the Buke Tribe scowled deeply, and his aura was as thunderous as anyone's present. But his body language was well controlled, his focus narrowed on the tea he was pouring himself. Not sake, for once.

"A Yojimbo is needed," Sanshobo declared, "The situation is without precedent, so we must act on our own. We shall vote to elect an Acting Yojimbo, who shall hold the absolute authority of a Yojimbo protecting the Queen from mortal peril. We shall beforehand swear an oath on the Race and all Queens to live and to come; to respect the outcome of this vote and follow the Yojimbo chosen until the Queen is saved or the Race extinct."

"A mere vote for such power? And such binding oaths. It seems risky," Kamisori pointed out. He was holding a cup that had been empty since Sanshobo entered the room.

"It is. But there is nothing else. We must act, and we cannot afford rivalry and dissension. No more delays. Present your blood before the throne and swear the oath now," the high priest commanded.

Hishu spoke up, standing as tall as he could to address the Circle.

"I will swear the oath, but I respectfully ask to abstain from the vote. I lack the experience to make an informed choice, and my instincts have proven too poor to trust."

No one objected, and with a nod from the high priest, he stood down as they lined up to swear a sacred oath before the throne. There was no tradition of swearing on an empty throne, merely a reminder, driven in to the pommel, of the absolute necessity of cooperation, whatever happened next.

They returned to their seats, save for Hishu, who sat off to the side to bear witness.

"There is much to be done, let no tine be wasted with promises, boasts, or denunciations! Speak the name of the one you believe can lead us to save our most sacred, glorious, and direly imperiled Majesty!" Sanshobo declared.

As they faced great and cunning magic, his own vote was certain.

"Sanshobo," he declared.

"Jirobo," the Komomori General declared.

"Kuro-Ri-Chi," the master of the Armada stated.

"Ikazuki," the former Warlord declared.

"Ozeki," the Reza General stated plainly.

No one gasped, but the air was sucked from the room, it seemed. Sanshobo worked a single bead on his necklace. Only one vote remained. So it seemed the Sumos, of all Shadwkhan, would hold power for the first time in this crisis.

"Ikazuki," Ozeki said.

The others were stunned, while Ikazuki's cup of tea, just lifted, slipped his slack grasp to crack on the floor. The Sumo General stood and bowed deeply to the new Yojimbo.

"Your orders?" Ozeki asked.

The others took a moment to compose themselves, and then bowed in turn as befit a newly elevated Yojimbo. Kamisori, he noted, was the last to do so, glaring at the General he had cast his vote for. But they all bowed, save for Ikazuki, who stood.

"...Prepare the elites, and the Armada. We will cross the ocean, secure northern Awaji, and with it then land as large a force as can be carried against the opposition. General Jirobo, I want every flyer in the air. Any artifact that can be of use is to be unsealed. No more espionage, or lone assaults. We march as one," Ikazuki declared, drawing his katana. With a poetic stroke of the blade, he sliced the castle piece marked as Tobe in half. The meeting broke up without another word.

They marched.

1). An old term for the Ainu people of Japan.

Author's Note:

Well here it is. I am glad to have it done after realizing how long it had been. Another cliffhanger, but some questions answered and the confrontation is now in motion. I hope you found it enjoyable.

Back to work on the "Queen of All Oni" finale. My juices in general have been flowing after reading Strong in the Real Way Smashing Skunk53, so hopefully that story will start to flow like some other projects in the works.