Ring of Air - Stronger than Steel

[ManWithDoor]

Zenko looks back with a grimace on his face, his thoughts ones of both dread and disgust. Dread for the chance of getting mobbed by dozens of the Lost, and disgust at the Crane of all people tripping and giving away their position. So much for grace under fire. However, he says nothing and quickly schools his expression. There are more important things to do than waste breath on recriminations.

[Hayabusa]

Ryuichi slugs down an apology and quickly returns to the side of his companions. Perhaps the creatures didn't react on purpose and hide for the time being, he thinks. Crouching follows the Yotsu.

[Nate]

Kijuro wears a look of disgust as he makes it over to the rest of the Samurai. "I'm glad I wasn't seen... but I just got this kimono a few weeks ago." He mutters angrily as he looks down at the torn leg.

After Chen arrives Doji pauses as he pulls a tanto out of his back. "Just a few moments... I'd rather not have this get caught on something else again." He says motioning to the torn portion of the kimono below his knee.

Taking the tanto he carefully cuts from one side of the kimono to the other removing all of the cloth from above his knees. He pauses to look down at the job as he finishes. It's not perfect, but certainly looks better than the tear that was running down the side of his kimono, and should hopefully keep him from becoming caught on something again.

[Hayabusa]

"Do not worry, Kijuro-san," Ryuichi whispers to the Doji to put him at ease. "When we return to the land's of the Crane I'll take care that you will receive a new, finer kimono, which will be treated by a talented as well as gracious Asahina. One I'm very fond of."

[Vardaen]

Chen has the Yotsu scouts pause while Kijuro cuts off the flapping leg of his kimono. The job certain won't set any fashion trends at next years Winter Court, but it should keep Kijuro from snagging on anything else.

With the job done, and the Dragon's promise of a new kimono offered, the Yotsu start up again. You hurry off silent as you can be through the rubble that is Otosan Uchi. You twist and turn, go under and through ruined buildings, by pass open areas and wide streets, and soon you hear the lapping of the waves of Golden Sun Bay against the dock.

Chen puts his finger to his lip and silently points to a broken ridge of rubble up ahead. He creeps forward and then drops to his knees, then he lowers himself to hid belly and he crawls up to the lip of the rubble. Following suit, one by one you find youselves streched out along the ridge looking down sixty feet to the harbor below. You are shocked at what you see.

From your safe and hidden perch you gaze down on a very much alive and working harbor and piers. Except instead of clan samurai and hemin working the wharf, its Lost and Bakemono doing the job. A dozen ships sit at anchor along the wharf, and a great busy mass of bodies is working to load the ships. Bakemono haul crate after crate of "rice" from the docks up the gangplanks of the kobune and onto the ships. Samurai is black armor baring the mon of the Spider stand watch over them, some with whips, some with katana in hand poking and proding the goblins along. Your eyes are instantly drawn to the center of the area where a group of leaders stand talking and planning. You can't hear them from here, but can see them clear enough in the pre dawn hours.

One of them appears to be a samurai of massive bulk, his stance says he is well trained in the use of the daisho at his side, and his sickly green-black armor looks to have seen many fights. He is pointing at a stack of 'rice' crates to the side jesturing at a woman at his side.

Samurai

The woman wears no armor, and at first you think perhaps she is a Maho-Tsuki, but she bares no scroll satchel. Then she turns to look at the rice, and you get a good look at her face. It is none other than Asami! The monk woman that escaped your search at the Shrine of Duty!!! She nods to the samurai man and then turns and speaks to another standing at their side.

The other man is strange in appearance, even for The Lost. He wears brown robes of a style you've never seen, and leans on a staff capped in ivory. The man is old, and his eyes are wild. He gives a loud laugh that echoes over the distance, and then points his staff at the crates out of which races a small monkey wearing a tiny little red felt cap. The Fez wearing monkey races up the back of the Monkey Man and clamours on his shoulders pulling on the man's hair and cowel in both anger and in obediance.

The Monkey Man

A wave of bakemono rushes the area, and swarms over the crates suddenly as if pushed forward by an unseen wave. When the goblins scamper out and grab up box and crate, you can see behind them a strange twisted looking 'man'. Chen risks a whisper, "Its Omoni." The leader here comes out to the center with the samurai, Asami and the Monkey Man. He barks orders to the bakemono that race and hurry to do as they are told filled with fear at the very presense of this man. Omoni puts a hand to his brow and looks out at the port. The others turn and do the same -- and so do you. There sailing into the harbor is a ship like none other you have ever seen. It can only be a gaijin vessel! It rows into the pier and all attention turns to it, the leaders, the bakemono with the boxes, the screaming monkey on the Monkey Man.

Omoni

The flag on the ship reveals a strange mon, the mon of a foriegn power!

[mackaber]

Umeko gasps in disgust and amazement at what she sees transpiring below her. Slowly she grasp what is transpiring and what they have uncovered. "They are smuggling weapons to Gaijin!" she whispers an earnest look on her face.

[Nate]

Kijuro stares on in shock, caused not by the act of what the tainted creatures below are doing. But by the sheer number of the that appear to be this far into Rokugan.

For now those below appear to only be stealing weapons, a horrendous crime in itself, but the thought of what kind of damage this many could inflict across the countryside makes the Crane shudder.

Kijuro finds his hand slowly moving towards his katana as he watches the ship coming in. The young Crane feeling the urge to rush in, and do something, anything he could to stop the group. Though his brain tells him otherwise... Charging into this group would not only get himself killed, but everyone else here as well. And if he and the others aren't able to pass on their findings to the appropriate magistrates he has no clue as to what plague these creatures could inflict upon Rokugan.

Studying the group Kijuro does his best to count their numbers, hoping he can later relay the information onto a magistrate who can hopefully do something to fix this situation.

[ManWithDoor]

Kuni Zenko looks on without expression, although the clear slump in his shoulders shows clear as day how the situation has affected him. A Shadowlands stronghold in the heart of the Empire, one not only strong enough to hold off assault forces, but also one dealing with the foreign Gaijin. That is one thing that bodes no good. He would have given his life for a couple dozen Jade Magistrates right then. While they might not be able to kill everyone there, they could easily decapitate the leadership of the group in one swift assault of Jade, and then retreat. But alas, the best he could do would be to kill one before they were swarmed and killed. Not good enough. He remains silent, taking in the view before them.

[Hayabusa]

"How treacherous", Ryuichi mutters. "Not only do they kill for the weapons, but the also give them to the despicable gaijin." The Kitsuki forces himself to stay hidden and grits his teeth in anger. When the group wants to report these to a magistrate they will have to let them leave with the stolen weapons, but this is something the Dragon won't allow, even if it costs him his life. He puts a thumb to his katana's hilt and slowly apply pressure to it, so it slides and inch from its sheath. But then he is reminded of his disadvantage in case of a fight, which would make him easier to bawl him out.

"What will we do now, Kuni-sama?" Ryuichi whispers.

[Vardaen]

Chen is gazing down at the scene. Shaking his head he whispers to the others, "Its worse than its ever been. The Yotsu can not stem this tide, and who are those gaijin, and what are they doing loading all that rice?" Then it hit him, the raid they placed against the Lost, the weapons in the crates. "By the Fortunes they are shipping or selling daisho to the gaijin? This can't be good."