Despair and Wisdom: Imperial March

Hametsu was a fastidious person, conscious of obligation, and religious obligations were no less important than professional ones, though fortunately less time needed to be allotted to them. Hametsu was not terribly well educated in religious ceremony, but he understood the basics of festival worship as well as the next man. It took a moment to perform his duties perfunctorily, he received the warm feelings of the shrine keeper, and he withdrew to a shady spot nearby take stock of his day.

D5 Shrine roll, Void spent for extra ring die. Theology 0/Void 2. | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1

It was extremely quiet around the shrine this late in the evening. Most of the revelers were finishing their drinking at the bars, but the shrine was kept open in honor of the fotune for the entire day. Still, there were very few people around.

Hametsu, however, could feel the eyes of someone watching him as he meditated. Fortunately, they were not bothering to hide their presence nor their interest in the Crane.

It was, a shabbily dressed peasant boy. Honestly, he was looking at Hametsu a bit harder than was polite, but manners were not always the best this far from Kyuden Doji.

Hametsu slowly turned his head to meet the peasant's eyes. He was silent for a moment, but finally spoke. "How can I help you?" Setting aside the fact that, at times, that served as the Doji battlecry, at other times it could be deployed sincerely.

The boy jumped back like Hametsu had backhanded him instead, then threw himself to the ground.

"S-sorry, C-crane-sama. I c-can g-go away." he whimpered.

Hametsu raised an eyebrow. "I am not upset with you. I was merely concerned that you had detected something amiss. Is something the matter?"

"I j-just wanted to ask a q-question...but it's s-stupid, and I'm bothering C-crane-sama." the boy replied remaining on the ground.

Hametsu frowned. "It is an unfortunate tendency in children to try to persuade others that they are stupid. Do not put yourself in that box. Straighten up. If you mean to speak, then do so."

Under the Crane's razor sharp gaze, the child arose.

"I-I just wanted...wanted to...mom and dad always said...that the C-crane.....that we s-served the C-crane...and..and in return...the C-crane protected us...from the bad men..b-but when the b-bad men came and they k-kill...k-kill...the C-crane d-didn't c-come and I...I.." the child sputtered, near tears.

"Why? D-did we do s-something wrong?" he asked as earnestly as he could.

Doji Hametsu was put out. Someone had shit the bed, here, and he was being made to lie in it. Somewhere in Tengoku, Lady Doji was pissed off.

"That's not a stupid question at all." Hametsu's modulated his voice to be much more gentle. It was the only way to get through this correctly. "But this is the first I have heard of this incident. What bad men are we talking about?"

"Ganbataar " the boy whispered. "T-that's what I h-heard his m-men call him. When I hid...in the f-fields while...they..mom..dad...."

"Hm... What does your magistrate have to say about this?"

The boy screwed up his face.

"He s-said, 'In the darkness formed when Lady Sun. averts her eyes, evil thrives.'"

Which was an explanation, though not one that really did anything to help anyone.

The boy shrugged.

"He's letting me s-stay...with his s-servants. While they find another family to t-take me in."

It turns out, some of Lady Doji's servants fail to follow her example in full.

"Do you know the story of Lady Doji and the snow?"

Doji Hametsu wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2024 2:21 am

It turns out, some of Lady Doji's servants fail to follow her example in full.

"Do you know the story of Lady Doji and the snow?"

The boy shakes his head.

"S-sorry, Crane-sama, I d-don't." he admitted.

"It is a long story, but at the end of it, Lady Doji promises that she will remember every snowflake that falls, each individual, no matter how insignificant or undeserving. Sometimes, her people stumble when we try to walk in her footsteps, but you have shown the courage to speak to me about it, and so I, Doji Hametsu of the House of Niihara, Adjutant to Daidoji Kumiko, Shireikan of the 4th Kaisha of the Imperial Legion and the son of Doji Honoka, Shireikan of the 1st Crane Army, will remember what has happened to you."

"The Legion will move in the morning. We are marching south, and we may not return. But I will leave behind me several letters which may light a fire that will burn the works of Ganbataar to the ground. And, if the Fortunes should be so kind as to permit me to return and Ganbataar still draws breath, I will bring the might of an army against him and his people."

The boy bowed before the Crane, crying.

"T-thank you, Doji-sama."

"Save your thanks; this is my duty."

He paused. "What is your name?"

"Pei, Doji-sama." the boy says, his nerves actually calmed a bit from the Crane's pledge.

"Very well. You have given me much to do, Pei-san. I ought to get started. Will you make it back to the magistrate's house safely?"

Pei nodded.

"I will, Doji-sama. I-thank you Doji-sama." Pei bowed as deeply as he could, ready to sprint off as soon as given leave to do so.