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Post by Jenny on Jul 22, 2012 2:27:20 GMT -5
Lei chuckled and put an arm around his wife to gather her to him for a brief kiss. He smiled down at her. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. If that means a little insanity in my life, I will take it gladly.”
He pulled away after a few moments. “I will be on my way, farewell, my love.” Then looked to Shade and nodded to her. “You will see me again very soon.”
A servant was on his way with Lei’s horse, saddled and ready to go. Lei pulled himself up onto the saddle and gathered up the reigns. He waved farewell, turned the horse about and kicked it into a canter to exit their estate.
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Post by KD on Jul 22, 2012 3:08:26 GMT -5
Thrade, flushed and happy, turned from the window right in time to catch the look on Shade's face. Sadness touched her face. "He's a fool, Shade." They were not talking about Lei. Shade just smiled sadly. Thrade shook her head, guigind her into the house to get something to eat
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Post by Jenny on Jul 22, 2012 3:48:23 GMT -5
Lei rode along the wooden path that led from their estate to Kyoto city. From there, one could see the forest rise up across the mountain tops, for which Lei took pleasure in for the ancient monastery temple which he visited lay tucked within.
Kyoto itself was built in accordance to the influence of the four gods and oriented so that the layout of the city itself would bring good fortune and prosperity. This was a time where man, god, and demon coexisted and the onmyou priests, like Lei Shen himself, protected the Imperial family and nobility from coming from harm from demons, natural disasters, and vengeful spirits. By divination, astrological observations, and ritual, the onmyou remained supreme guardians of Nihon and her people.
It was not uncommon for onmyou like Lei to hold positions within the Imperial council, though Lei by far was the youngest and held the most promise, backed up by his experience, which made the council view him as one of its primary advisors. His personal relationship with Emperor Haru and the royal family won him much merit as well.
Lei rode down the expansive streets towards the palace and the citizens bowed down to him with great respect as he passed by, lingering in his shadow for his presence was said to bring good luck. Arriving at the palace, he dismounted to cross the palace grounds to the council wing. Already the council was seated, Lei being the last to arrive.
They went through formalities and then got down to the business at hand. When Emperor Haru asked him to begin his report, Lei gave a thorough, concise report, providing details that would allow fair judgment of the governor, even though much of the council was already weighted in favor of disciplining the governor severely for his actions. He also gave a thorough recount of the elder governor, including his items of magic that would have to be considered. He held back news of the tower of mirrors, however, for that was a dangerous subject that he would impart only to the emperor at a later time.
After he had relayed everything that should be known, the council took a recess to think upon Lei’s account and reconvened an hour later to discuss their thoughts among one another. Then came the weighty decision of what was to be done with the governor. When the time came for the trial, they would take the governor’s own statements into account before the final judgment would be made, in which Emperor Haru had the final word.
It was not until very late in the night that Lei returned to their home, quite exhausted from the weighted discussions that had transpired.
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Post by KD on Jul 22, 2012 3:56:36 GMT -5
"So you want to return to the village?" Thrade frowned as they ate, looking across the table at her friend.
Shade nodded. "I wanted to make sure both were out of the way. No one is going to live in Shiguen's manor for a while, especially not with the doors sealed like that. They're too afraid after the battle and the volcano stirring. The volcano is what scares me, if it destroys the manor and everything in it, who knows what it will unleash. Lei has things to do here and I think it might be best for both of you if you stayed at your home for a while. I can assess what he has and give a report back to him."
"But you just got back, Shade. You don't have to go back out so soon."
Shade shrugged. "Too long a time in one place and I get restless. You know what trouble that is. And I...I need something to occupy my mind for a while...."
Thrade sighed and nodded. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"I don't like you going back to that tower alone, Shade...."
"If I feel I can't handle it, I'll wait until I have help. The spirits that Datar freed besides the fire elementals are gone, which is frightening, but we can't figure out what they were without studying it."
Thrade felt an odd pulse in the back of her head and rubbed it, wincing. "Yes..."
Shade cocked her head. "Are you all right?"
"Just tired, I guess."
"Thrade..."
"I'll lay down a bit while I wait for Lei."
Shade studied her for a long time, then finally nodded. "All right...."
The shadowdancer was gone by the time Lei got home, but Thrade was still awake, waiting for him. She moved to the door to meet him, concerned when she saw how weary he was.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 22, 2012 4:05:44 GMT -5
Lei smiled at her, some of the fatigue fading from his face as he regarded her. “I’m sure you and Shade would like to know what the council discussed tonight. But it will have to wait until morning. Has Shade decided to stay with us?” He smiled brightly at the thought.
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Post by KD on Jul 22, 2012 4:08:47 GMT -5
"She is for tonight, at least." She slid an arm around him. Like the council discussion, which Shade would definitely stay to hear, her leaving could wait until tomorrow. "Lei....you're so tired." She kissed his forehead.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 22, 2012 4:14:10 GMT -5
“Only tonight?” Lei’s smile faded some. “I should have known she wouldn’t be pinned down in one place for too long. I worry for Shade. She should not be alone in her unhappiness.”
“Yes, I am very tired. What happened in Kyushu weighs heavily in my mind. I cannot shake the image of that village we encountered. I must find joy in the knowledge that their spirits are now at peace, but it was a terrible thing, indeed. Shinji has many sins to account for, and though his sentence will be just, I don’t think that he will ever come to regret the decisions he made, and that vexes me greatly.”
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Post by KD on Jul 22, 2012 4:16:39 GMT -5
Even if she was around people, it was unlikely Shade would share her unhappiness, it wasn't in her nature. "He isn't capable of it, which is another reason it's good he's not smart enough to actually take the throne from our emperor." She brushed his hair away from his face. "We simply have to take comfort in the fact that he's balanced out by someone like you to avenge them and put them to rest."
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Post by Jenny on Jul 22, 2012 4:19:32 GMT -5
Lei nodded a little, taking her wisdom into consideration. He took her hand and led her inside so that they may go to bed. After his morning meditation, he would feel balanced and bolstered enough to relate the council meeting discussions in a subjective manner rather than an emotional one, of which he hoped to suppress.
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Post by KD on Jul 22, 2012 4:23:23 GMT -5
Thrade wrapped herself around him, like she could protect him that way from the memories as he slept. Perhaps it worked, because they both slept well with no nightmares. Both women listened intently as he spoke about the council meeting, absorbing everything he said. Shade told him of her intentions to go back and assess fully what Shiguen had and would return and tell him about it once it was done, but decided to wait and see Shinji convicted before she left.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 24, 2012 22:53:32 GMT -5
Lei nodded to Shade. “I have revealed to the council about the magical items, so they are well aware that they exist. I did not, however, reveal the existence of the mirror tower. That is an artifact that should be in the hands of no man. Since you are personally familiar with the construct and means of why the device was created, I can think of no one else but you, Shade, to secret it away so that no man may find it. If Thrade and I do not know of it’s placement, then others may not be able to use that knowledge against us. I am not sure of the extent of your mystical powers, Shade. But if the artifact’s physical nature can be masked in any way, I highly suggest that it should be done. For the sake of Nihon, and the world.”
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Post by KD on Jul 24, 2012 22:56:51 GMT -5
"I'll find a way, Lei," Shade said firmly. "If I can't do it myself, I can find someone who can. At the very least, I can shift it into the Shadow plane so if any of them get out again, they'll simply be trapped there."
"There are doorways out of tat plane too," Thrade said thoughtfully.
Shade gave her a crooked smile. "But they're hard to find if you don't know how to look. That's what makes it the Shadow plane."
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Post by Jenny on Jul 24, 2012 23:16:08 GMT -5
Lei chuckled. “I have every faith that you will be successful.”
Shinji’s trial would be held in three days time. Today would be a day of personal rumination by each council member, tomorrow they would reconvene and discuss those thoughts and also have an opportunity on discussing any new subjects that had come to mind, and to come to as close to a unanimous decision that was possible between separate minds. If they were stand on these grounds too firmly, however, and not take Shinji’s plea or explanation for his actions into account, it would not be a fair, judicial decision. Furthermore, ever single councilman would stand behind the emperor’s final decision of Shinji’s future fate, whatever the outcome.
Lei traveled to the palace the following day and returned well before nightfall. The discussions had not taken a long time, as would have been assumed, for the council were of one mind: To deny Shinji any further status or power which would bring Nihon harm. Whether or not he actually lived would be Emperor Haru’s decision, unless by some miracle the gods descended from the heavens with a divine judgment. And with the Four Gods making themselves known when Lei called to them for divine assistance, this was very much a possibility.
On the third day, Lei put on the robes befitting his station as an Imperial advisor. It was up to Shade and Thrade whether or not they would be accompanying Lei on this important day, but Lei was required to participate in the proceedings, especially since he had witnessed first hand the abominations and sins that the two brothers had afflicted on Nihon. It was very unlikely that both Thrade and Shade would be called to witness, especially from the viewpoint of a patriarchal society. The could blend in the crowd as best they could, but with Lei’s influence, they would stand among the courtiers, not the general public that swelled in the sidelines of the Imperial court.
Shinji was bound as was the rest of the prisoners at war, those who had so impudently attempt a rescue in what proved to be a futile effort, due to Shade’s keen senses. They were surrounded by bristling palace guards, who had a spear point trained in every direction in a semi-circle around them. Shinji was made to kneel in the gravel along with his men and was given no special treatment above that of every other criminal.
Lei took his place at the Emperor’s right side, the council fanning about the Imperial Throne on which Haru sat within the court. He sought the women out among the crowd and gave them a small smile. In moments, the trial begun.
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Post by KD on Jul 24, 2012 23:25:50 GMT -5
Thrade was wearing robes as fine as Lei's and she wore them quite well when she wanted to. The ideas of station and rank were ones that Thrade paid no particular heed to in her own philosophy but for formal occasions and times like this when Lei's focus was on standing as an Imperial adviser, she did her best to uphold that dignity. Her only deviance from the look was her hair remained loose, for she hated having it bound, and the strips of beads and shells she wove into it remained.
Not so for Shade. She wasn't interested in trying to fit in and never had been, although to be fair she was dressed far more appropriately than was her usual wont in loose black trousers and a black shirt that covered her arms and shoulders. Her jet black hair, catching sparks of blue in the right light, was drawn away from her face, leaving the tattoos and piercings standing out starkly against her sharp features. Those fathomless black eyes rested on the prisoners unerringly, her face expressionless.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 24, 2012 23:51:34 GMT -5
“Shinji, emperor of Kyushu. You stand trial for serious crimes against Nihon and her people.” Haru’s voice rang out with authority and was heard clearly by every man and women, a skill that had been groomed since the day he was born.
“You are charged with murder, having destroyed the lives of so many innocents who did not deserve to die by your horrendous actions. You are also charged of high treason with intent to overthrow this Imperial government and depose myself from my rightful place as Nihon’s ruler and protector. You have committed a great many sins against humanity and your actions will not go unpunished. What say you against these charges?”
Shinji was scowling deeply as the Emperor stated the charges, and he was shaking though it could have been from rage, one would not yet know. When the Emperor directed the final question at him, he raised his chin.
“Current Emperor of Nihon,” he spat. “These crimes that I have been charged with are of little consequence when compared to what Nihon should hold in her best interests. You call me a murderer. I say it was merely self-defense. Those innocents, you speak of were raising a hand against me and so I had to destroy them in order to protect myself. And as far as “high treason,” it would not be so if I had proved the victor here.”
Emperor Haru bristled, his hands tightening on the armrests of the throne and leaned forward, anger flashing in his eyes. “You murdered my people, in cold blood. I have been told of an incident in central Kyushu, of a village whose occupants were locked in their houses and burned to death. How do you dare call that self-defense?!”
Shinji opened and shut his mouth, his eyes burning with hatred. “Casualties of war and only that. I allowed my loyal militia their own discretion to punish those that would stand against me. So a few people died by a measure of carelessness... How could I be held responsible for actions I did not personally commit?”
“You are responsible, governor, because these loyal to you followed your will. Your poisonous influence spread across all of Kyushu like a plague. Your brother was not any better, and it is fortunate for him that judgment is not being passed upon him by this court, for his sins were so grievous that the divines struck him down on the spot. You, however were given a different fate. The gods always have a design in the fate of mortal men, and surely they wished you not a quick death but a greater punishment – to be held accountable by your actions by Nihon herself. You have brought great shame on yourself, I hope that you are well aware of this.”
Shinji snorted. “The reason I am alive is because that man,” he pointed to Lei Shen, “decided to stay an assassins hand. The divines had no part in this. And my brother died because he was weak and undeserving to have Nihon for himself.”
“And you believe that you are deserving?” Haru asked incredulously.
“I am. I am a better man than you. You cower within palace walls and behind your advisors… you are unafraid to use a firm hand against your people and they worship you for it. But that will change.”
Lei Shen lifted a hand to Emperor Haru so that he may speak. “The Emperor has the loyalty to the people because he has the qualities of a true leader. One that is compassionate, just and has the intelligence to know what is best for this country. You highly underestimate him, governor. He uses a firm hand when he needs to as is in the case here. He does not allow evil to reign in Nihon, and you are truly selfish and evil man who has no love for anyone but himself. You seek to take Nihon for your own gain and use her at your pleasure. But the Emperor holds Nihon in his heart, and that love brings us great joy. For his presence, Kyoto is a shining example of peace and prosperity. You can only bring misery and destruction, for your heart is black as midnight.”
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