Read Online L5r - scroll 04 - The Phoenix by Stephen D. Sullivan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen D. Sullivan
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Kaede raised her fist and bowl as the other Elemental Masters had. "I speak for the void," she said. "My words echo the emptiness that is one." She unclenched her fist, and darkness poured out. The darkness seemed liquid, but it caught no light. Its surface showed neither shimmer nor ripple. When her bowl was filled, she set it down on the grass before her.
All the Elemental Masters leaned back and assumed the lotus position—their legs crossed, the backs of their hands resting upon their knees, their open palms turned upward. As one, they took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. The air in the sacred garden tingled with arcane power. From high overhead, Amat-erasu shone her warm light on her children.
Tadaka spoke. "Our fears are confirmed," he said. "The Black Scrolls are being opened by Yogo Junzo."
The other members of the council nodded grimly. For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Tsuke said, "We've all suspected this, feared it in our dreams, felt it in our bones. But how do you know? Can you be sure?"
"The Nameless One brought word to Ujimitsu, as the champion and I battled evil in Mori Isawa," Tadaka said.
"You saw our father?" Kaede asked.
Tadaka shook his head. "Not I. He appeared only to Ujimitsu."
"Do you trust our father's words?" Tomo asked.
"I do," Tadaka said. "Though he's lost his name, and though he's become mysterious of late, I see no reason he would lie about such a grave matter."
Tsuke frowned and looked around the walled garden. "The question, then," he said, "is this: Will we raise our eyes to heaven as this scourge runs like wildfire across our lands, or will we fight?"
"A samurai cannot fight an enemy he does not know," Uona replied. "Not effectively."
"Tadaka knows the enemy," Tomo said.
Tadaka shook his head and frowned behind his hood. "Though I've fought the Shadowlands long and hard, I've only touched the surface," he said. "And Junzo I hardly know at all."
"We need more knowledge," Tsuke said. "Three Black Scrolls are in our possession, taken from the Scorpion long ago and hidden away. We should retrieve them and bring them here for study."
"That path is dark indeed," Kaede said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Darker than falling to the minions of Fu Leng?" Tsuke asked, his eyes blazing. "We must abandon our pacifism. Now is the time to fight."
Kaede shook her head and lowered her eyes.
Tomo turned toward her and said, "Sister, I fear the Master of Fire is right. Perhaps we could sit here in our fortress, safe from the Evil One and his minions. What good would our peace be, though, if all else is swept away by an evil tide?"
"To study the scrolls might be enough," Uona said, her hair still dancing around her face. "Our divinations could give us the insights needed to turn back Fu Leng. The wards surrounding our Great Library would protect the scrolls. We need not open them; we need only examine them."
"Think of the price if we don't," Tsuke said. "Already the Crane have gone mad. Hoturi is killing his own people. Tsukune and our forces have done little to slow the Doji's shadow army. The knowledge we have now is not enough."
Kaede looked at Tadaka. "What say you, Brother?"
Tadaka took a deep breath before speaking. "The shadow is on our doorstep," he said. "I've fought the Evil One's minions in our sacred forest. Clearly our current strategy is not working. We must do more if the Phoenix Clan—if Rokugan—is to survive."
"But the Black Scrolls," Kaede said. "I feel them in my soul even now—and I fear their power."
"All of us do," said Tsuke. "That is only right. But it is also because we do not know them. And because of our ignorance, we do not know how to defeat them. We need knowledge to conquer the might of Junzo's Black Scrolls. The scrolls brought Fu I eng's downfall once. Surely with knowledge we can turn their power to that end once more."
"We are the masters of the elements," Uona said, "but also I heir voices—the voices of the land itself. Those
All the Elemental Masters leaned back and assumed the lotus position—their legs crossed, the backs of their hands resting upon their knees, their open palms turned upward. As one, they took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. The air in the sacred garden tingled with arcane power. From high overhead, Amat-erasu shone her warm light on her children.
Tadaka spoke. "Our fears are confirmed," he said. "The Black Scrolls are being opened by Yogo Junzo."
The other members of the council nodded grimly. For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Tsuke said, "We've all suspected this, feared it in our dreams, felt it in our bones. But how do you know? Can you be sure?"
"The Nameless One brought word to Ujimitsu, as the champion and I battled evil in Mori Isawa," Tadaka said.
"You saw our father?" Kaede asked.
Tadaka shook his head. "Not I. He appeared only to Ujimitsu."
"Do you trust our father's words?" Tomo asked.
"I do," Tadaka said. "Though he's lost his name, and though he's become mysterious of late, I see no reason he would lie about such a grave matter."
Tsuke frowned and looked around the walled garden. "The question, then," he said, "is this: Will we raise our eyes to heaven as this scourge runs like wildfire across our lands, or will we fight?"
"A samurai cannot fight an enemy he does not know," Uona replied. "Not effectively."
"Tadaka knows the enemy," Tomo said.
Tadaka shook his head and frowned behind his hood. "Though I've fought the Shadowlands long and hard, I've only touched the surface," he said. "And Junzo I hardly know at all."
"We need more knowledge," Tsuke said. "Three Black Scrolls are in our possession, taken from the Scorpion long ago and hidden away. We should retrieve them and bring them here for study."
"That path is dark indeed," Kaede said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Darker than falling to the minions of Fu Leng?" Tsuke asked, his eyes blazing. "We must abandon our pacifism. Now is the time to fight."
Kaede shook her head and lowered her eyes.
Tomo turned toward her and said, "Sister, I fear the Master of Fire is right. Perhaps we could sit here in our fortress, safe from the Evil One and his minions. What good would our peace be, though, if all else is swept away by an evil tide?"
"To study the scrolls might be enough," Uona said, her hair still dancing around her face. "Our divinations could give us the insights needed to turn back Fu Leng. The wards surrounding our Great Library would protect the scrolls. We need not open them; we need only examine them."
"Think of the price if we don't," Tsuke said. "Already the Crane have gone mad. Hoturi is killing his own people. Tsukune and our forces have done little to slow the Doji's shadow army. The knowledge we have now is not enough."
Kaede looked at Tadaka. "What say you, Brother?"
Tadaka took a deep breath before speaking. "The shadow is on our doorstep," he said. "I've fought the Evil One's minions in our sacred forest. Clearly our current strategy is not working. We must do more if the Phoenix Clan—if Rokugan—is to survive."
"But the Black Scrolls," Kaede said. "I feel them in my soul even now—and I fear their power."
"All of us do," said Tsuke. "That is only right. But it is also because we do not know them. And because of our ignorance, we do not know how to defeat them. We need knowledge to conquer the might of Junzo's Black Scrolls. The scrolls brought Fu I eng's downfall once. Surely with knowledge we can turn their power to that end once more."
"We are the masters of the elements," Uona said, "but also I heir voices—the voices of the land itself. Those
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