13th Day of Mid Summer 1303
The Daimyo Returns
It was mid-morning and the Samurai found themselves at the gates of Sendai with Chief Magistrate Hie Yama-Uno and an assemblage of Sendai’s Nobles (Including Second Magistrate Saito, General Meji, all the high Ranking Officers of Sendai’s Army, Exalted Patriarch Onishi, and Lady Shirahata). The Daimyo and Imperial Emissary would be arriving shortly and Sendai was largely a complete wreck still, in spite of all the efforts to clean it up over the past three days.
And while it was not humanly possible to have done more, Chief Magistrate Yama-Uno still considered it an embarrassing failure on the part of the city.
Looking beyond their own elect group, the Samurai could see that every last surviving citizen of Sendai had turned out to welcome the Daimyo. The plaza at the City Gates was packed, while the peasants and farmers of the outlying regions had gathered outside the city for the occasion. The General’s army had come down from Yunikawa’s mountain trail too; and were marshaled along the walls to maintain order, while everything inside the city itself fell upon the shoulders of Chief Magistrate Yama-Uno and his Yoriki – the Samurai of Sendai – to take care of.
Also among the crowd were the Priests of Sendai, there under the Exalted Patriarch’s direction to help maintain order – and employ their newfound insight, while everyone was conveniently gathered together.
Then a huge magical Gate suddenly appeared in front of the fortress city and the sound of heavy drums could be heard from the other side. Soldiers moved to swing the great doors of Sendai open as the Daimyo and his personal contingent of sixteen Samurai Honor Guards, all dressed in highly lacquered ornate black lamellar armor with matching katana and wakasashi, rode out.
Behind the Daimyo followed the Grand Premier, Kenji Nogachi: Wu-Jen of Sendai and Advisor to the Daimyo.
After they had come forth, they turned to face the Gate – through which, now proceeded two dozen Chinese Dragon’s Breath Cannoneers – marching along with their massive Dragon’s Breath Cannons. Nearly all of these men was the size of Udo, large and well-muscled, which was a necessary trait of those who would use such a weapon – the weapon that had conquered the Nipponese and taken many of the Samurai’s real fathers…
And the lead Cannoneer – Miya recognized immediately – It was him! Win Pan, escort to Imperial Magistrate Jiang Li Feng. The man who had kill her father for the Daimyo. The man that had sliced her open and left her to die. The man that had given her the terrible scars that still haunted her physically and emotionally to this day.
Miya was barely able to contain her seething rage; her mind and heart screaming for vengeance; It was all she could do not to shoot the man dead then and there on the spot.
Then, came through – on a stunningly beautiful albino horse – Imperial Magistrate Jiang Li Feng: The Emperor’s Imperial Magistrate over Daimyo Shinsen Hasekura. She was (of course) Chinese, haughty-looking, proud, and dressed in finery that the region had rare occasion to see.
Her Dragon’s Breath Cannoneers then parted – as did the Daimyo and his men – as the Imperial Magistrate rode through them and into the city first, in a poignant display of her power and authority as the Emissary of the Chinese Shogun.
As she passed, all (including the Daimyo) knelt down and bowed low, as was the custom. Then the Daimyo, his men, and the Grand Premier rose to follow the Imperial Magistrate through the Gates of Sendai – and finally the Dragon’s Breath Cannoneers.
Once they had passed, The Chief Magistrate, his Yoriki, and ensemble, were bidden to rise and follow behind the procession to the Daimyo’s Palace, while everyone else remained prostrate – they would remain there on the ground, until the Daimyo and his guests were well out of sight, at which point then they would rise and return to their labors and the efforts of rebuilding the city.
Still coming through the gate meanwhile, was a drum company, thumping on four massive drums as the contingent moved along, each resonating a deep heavy thump – and every note seemed an echo of the battle fought long ago in Sendai, and of the Nipponese defeat.
Behind the drum company were the servants and attendees of the Imperial Emissary.
Once these has passed through, the magical Gate closed and was gone.
At length the procession reached the remains of Sendai’s Ancestral Palace, where the Grand Premier used Make Whole to cause the entire palace to spring back up like a new sprout bursting forth from the ground!
It was an impressive display of magic and the building looked (indeed it was) as new and fresh as when first made centuries ago!
The Imperial Procession then went inside – leaving the Samurai of Sendai, Lady Shirahata, and the Army Officers waiting outside with the Dragon’s Breath Cannoneers – who eyeballed the Samurai with unhidden distain and took up defensive positions around the building.
For a few minutes at least, while the Daimyo and his guests were getting settled, the Samurai of Sendai had a moment together alone.
Inside with the Daimyo and his company meanwhile, Exalted Patriarch Onishi found himself weighed down under a most heavy burden – by the Ritual of Seeing his fears had been confirmed. Both the Daimyo and Imperial Magistrate Jiang Li Feng were Rokurokubi!
Outside, Priest Kan hurried to the Samurai of Sendai and with a loud whisper proclaimed – “By the Ancestors, it’s true! The Daimyo and that Imperial Witch are filthy bloodsucking monsters!”
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Topic: Mythic Nippon Adventure VI (Read 147315 times)