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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6808727" data-attributes="member: 9546">The Imperial Shrine16 Desnus, 4716 - 17 Desnus, 4716 It was near dusk by the time the Scions regrouped at the home of Asachi Isao."When I heard about the disruption of the execution, I was worried about you, Empress," he bowed low before Ameiko.She smiled at him and patted his hand."I am safe so long as I have my friends close by," she said. "Hatsue is now safely back with Jiro.""I am happy to hear it," Isao returned her smile. "What will you do now?""I've been thinking about that," Ameiko turned towards the others. "You mentioned something about the Typhoon Guard hoarding food from the people.""Yes," Isao nodded emphatically. "They keep all of the stolen rice in the city's main granary.""If we were to...liberate it...," Ameiko asked, "how would we get it back to those in need?"Isao thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Once the granary is safe," he said, "I can have people waiting with carts to load the rice and then see that it is distributed discreetly. I would, however, recommend that such an endeavor take place under cover of darkness.""I agree," Ameiko nodded, "which is why I think we should go tonight."_________________________________________________________Midnight found the companions gathered in the mouth of a darkened alley across the street from the massive, warehouse-like granary. No guards were visible anywhere, which itself was cause for concern. They made their way quickly to the shadows of the main doors and paused. Lucian stepped forward, and morphed into his tree-like form. He pressed one gnarled hand against the wooden doors and bowed his head, his affinity with the wood allowing him to peer through them as if they were glass."No one," he said at length. "Just lots of containers of rice, various art objects, and some large statues of tigers."Boris made quick work of the large padlock on the doors, and the group slipped stealthily inside the building. The crates, barrels and pallets were piled so high, that they turned the floor of the warehouse into a virtual maze. The companions began winding their way cautiously through, looking for any signs of security."What that?" Boris said after they'd reached the middle of the granary."What?" Haroldo asked. " I don't hear any...,"At that moment, a crate toppled from a tall stack behind them and crashed to the floor, spilling rice in all directions. There, crouched atop the stack was what appeared to be a large tiger carved entirely from marble, its body and face covered in decorative carvings and etchings. It moved like a feline, however, and leaped at the Scions, paws spread wide. Sandru dodged nimbly to one side as it landed, back-swinging with his blade as he whirled. He struck the creature across the face, shearing off half of its jaw. As it turned to snap at him with what was left of its teeth, he slashed twice more with blinding speed, cutting away more of its marble hide. Though she wasn't sure exactly how much good it would do, Miyaro snapped off a shot from her bow. The arrow, much to her surprise, sank into the thing's eye socket and it abruptly stopped moving altogether. "Watch out!" Boris cried as three more of the great marble cats came barreling through containers on all sides. The little goblin rolled deftly underneath one as it charged, raising one sword to scour a deep gash down its belly as it passed over him. Haroldo met another head on, his greatsword cleaving pieces off of it as it reared up on its back feet. Lucian put an arrow through the back of its neck, and it shattered into fragments. The third one bore down on Sandru, but the nimble caravan master danced to one side and scythed his blade in a flamboyant back swing, taking off one of the golem's feet. Haroldo and Ameiko joined their friend in fending off the thing, and the three of them brought it down in short order. Behind them, Boris rolled back to his feet and then leaped onto the back of the last of the tiger guardians. He held on like a bull rider, stabbing his twin swords into its stoney hide repeatedly until it finally stopped moving. The Scions paused for a moment to catch their breath, listening to see if the noise of their battle had attracted the attention of anyone else. The warehouse remained silent. After they had searched every corner and discovered no other guards, Ameiko stepped to the exterior doors and whistled a soft bird call. It was answered a moment later by a similar call, and then men started moving out of the alleys pulling carts behind them. They made quick work of loading all of the grain and rice before disappearing back into the shadows of the night. Ameiko smiled. Her people would not go hungry again.__________________________________________________________Isao was relieved and overjoyed at their success, and assured Ameiko that the people would know who exactly it was that had delivered them. "What's next?" she asked the old man"I think it is time for you to seek the blessings of the emperors of the past," he said gravely. "Everything else that you do will mean nothing if you do not do this. There is an island in the harbor known as the Imperial Shrine. Only those if imperial blood, or their sworn guardians, may set foot on the island where they can commune with their ancestors. Some even say that Emperor Shigure fled there. If so, you must convince him to return, or ask his blessing for your ascension. Only then can you claim the Jade Throne.""So, we could theoretically just fly over to this island?" Sandru asked.Isao shook his head."You must not," he said. "The Imperial Shrine is warded by ancient magics that make it impossible to find unless you observe the proper ceremonies and travel there by boat. You must first pass through five torii gates that surround the island before its true nature will be revealed. I know a man who will take you there."____________________________________________________________The boat was called the Weeping Willow, and it was captained by an ancient lobsterman named Kadei Ejigoro. He was expecting his passengers, and cast off as soon as they were all aboard. The island they were bound for was less than a mile off shore, and looked remarkably unremarkable. It was heavily wooded, and certainly showed no signs of housing a royal cemetery. Positioned around the island were five  torrii gates, their twin vermilion posts rising from the shallow water about twenty feet apart and fifteen high, joined together by an upper lintel painted black. One after the other, Kadei maneuvered his vessel through them. Each time he did so, Ameiko felt the Amatatsu Seal pulse where she kept it in her hip pouch. As they passed through the fifth gate, the island underwent a remarkable transformation before the eyes of the Scions. It was now covered by lush gardens, ornate mausoleums and shrines, as well as scores upon scores of headstones. A single stone dock jutted into the water from the nearby shore, and a rectangular wooden building stood just beyond it."I will await your return here," the old man said as he moored his boat to the pilings. "We thank you," Ameiko bowed low. "Your loyalty and service will not be forgotten."The Scions disembarked and made their way to a pair of double doors set into the front of the building. They were unlocked and gave onto a wide room. Two small shrines sat on either side of another set of double doors on the opposite side, and artistic tapestries of the celestial realm adorned the rest of the walls. "These are shrines to Pharasma, and to Tsukiyo, the Tian god of spirits and the moon," Akiro explained. They passed through the second set of doors and found themselves in a short hallway. On either side were four small sitting rooms, furnished with low wooden tables, seating cushions and sleeping pallets, all resting upon tatami mats covering the floors. A third set of double doors stood at the end of the hall, and beyond that was another, larger shrine. A huge statue of a golden-scaled dragon dominated the far wall, towering almost to the high ceiling above. Smaller shrines sat on opposite walls, and in the corners flanking the entrance, two large braziers scented the air with the tang of sandalwood incense. A robed and hooded figure knelt before the dragon. As they entered the room, Akiro bowed before the statue."My patron, Shizuru, goddess of ancestors, honor and the sun," he murmured. "She is also the patron of Minkai, and creator of the Imperial Seals."Ameiko bowed briefly as well before turning her attention to the kneeling figure. "Greetings," she called out. "We are sorry to intrude, but we are in need of assistance."The figure half-turned towards them, and a woman's face peered out of the deep recesses of the cowl. "You are welcome here," she said in a husky voice. "I am Kiyomi, caretaker of the Imperial Shrine. How can I be of service?"She rose to her feet and turned fully towards them. "We have come here to commune with the Imperial ancestors," Ameiko explained."Then it is the Imperial Mausoleum on the Shrine of Heavenly Sovereigns that you seek," Kiyomi smiled. "I would be most honored to show you the way."___________________________________________________________They followed Kiyomi back out of the temple and onto a paved path that led through the vast cemetery. Head stones spread out in all directions."While the former emperors of Minkai are laid to rest in the Shrine of the Heavenly Sovereigns," the monk explained, "the cremated remains of their trusted guardians and advisors, as well as the lesser scions of the imperial lines, are interred here.""Are any of the Amatatsu line nearby?" Ameiko asked. "Of course!" Kiyomi exclaimed. "Come. I will show you."Kiyomi turned down a small side path which ended abruptly before a cluster of obelisk-shaped tombstones. "Many years ago," she said, "two samurai named Akio and Yua fell in love while serving  Empress Amatatsu Maemi. Rumor has it that another among their order grew jealous of their relationship and, wanting Yua for himself, arranged Akio's death. When the murderer tried to woo Yua, she slew him him in turn. Taking pity on her, the empress had Akio buried in a place of honor here on the Imperial Shrine. One day soon after, when Yua came here to grieve, she committed ritual suicide with her own sword.""That stupid," Boris frowned. "Why she no take new mate? Or more? That how goblins do."Ameiko gave him a dirty look."I think it's very romantic," she said. Boris shrugged and muttered under his breath, "Boris still say female stupid. Why no...?"His voice trailed off as a sudden rush of sadness, loneliness and regret washed over him. Without a sound, his eyes blank, he abruptly drew one of his wakizashis from its sheath, and stabbed it through his own belly."Boris!!" Ameiko screamed as the goblin dropped to his knees, and then collapsed into a widening pool of his own blood."Something's...wrong...," Miyaro said, her voice quavering. "I feel...such grief...,""Yes...," Sandru echoed, one hand dropping to the hilt of his own blade. "So...lonely...,""It's a haunt!" Haroldo shouted. "Like the ones we encountered in the Forest of Spirits! We have to get away from here! Now!"Ameiko bent down to pick up the limp form of Boris and began running back down the path. Haroldo seized Sandru's arm and led him away, while Lucian ushered Miyaro. When they reached the main path again, they paused."I'm...so sorry!" Kiyomi explained. "I've never felt anything like that before near those graves! It must have been the proximity of your royal blood."Ameiko nodded. "Perhaps. I think it's best if we reach our destination as quickly as possible."So shaken was she but what had transpired, that it never even occurred to her that she had not told Kiyomi of her ancestry.____________________________________________________________A soft wind blew through the gathered leaves covering an intersection of paths where Kiyomi paused again."Something is not right," she said, looking around anxiously. "I have never felt this amount of...unrest in the shrine."Ameiko, still cradling Boris's lifeless form glanced in all directions."Which way?" she asked.Kiyomi raised on hand to point, but as she did so, the wind suddenly died, and silence fell like a shroud. A cloud fell across the sun, draping the intersection in shadow. "Beware!" Kiyomi cried out.All around them, dark shapes rose from several of the graves. They appeared as nobles clad in ancient garb, but their bodies were translucent, and their eyes glowed a hellish crimson.Miyaro was first to shake off the initial horror of seeing the dead crawling from their resting places. She reached for several arrows in her quiver that she had specially prepared for just such an eventuality. They had been dusted with ghost salt, an alchemical substance that would allow them to affect the dead as they would the living. As one of the shadows advanced, she loosed a volley of arrows into it, causing it to vanish, shrieking, back to the afterlife. Akiro hurled a fireball at a knot of four before they could close to his companions. Though the magical flames did not have their full effect on the incorporeal creatures, they still writhed in pain from the blast. Lucian had also brought along several ghost-salted arrows, and in short order, he took down two of the shades caught in Akiro's explosion. Then the shadows were among them, reaching with their clawed fingers, and whomever they touched felt the cold of the grave seep into their bones, sapping the very life force from them. The weapons of Harodlo and Sandru were limited against them, but far from ineffective. It was only a matter of time before two more of the shadows were destroyed. Akiro encased the last one in a resilient sphere of force that even its insubstantial form could not pass through."That won't last long," he said. "Let's keep moving."______________________________________________________A strange dust hung in the air among the gravestones in the part of the cemetery where the Scions next found themselves, swirling in small eddies amid the light. Suddenly, the headstones and ground beneath them began to shake violently as something rose from the midst of them. A massive figure, composed seemingly of gravestones, earth, and burial urns soon stood towering above the companions. "A gravebound guardian!" Kiyomi screamed. Lucian and Miyaro let fly with an impressive barrage of arrows, not knowing if they would have any effect on such a composite creature. To their immense relief, their efforts were not in vain. The golem reeled and stumbled to one knee beneath the bombardment. Sandru rushed forward, his blade blurring as he slashed into the behemoth. With a groan of despair, it collapsed back into its individual components. "We need to stop," Ameiko said decisively as she stooped and laid Boris on the ground. The others gathered around her, keeping watch in all directions for new threats. Ameiko withdrew the Amatatsu Seal from her pouch and set it upon Boris's chest, where it began to glow warmly. After a few moments, the horrible, gaping wound in his belly closed, and a moment later, he drew a deep, gasping breath as he opened his eyes."What?" he coughed, looking around wide-eyed in fear. "Where Boris? He have...bad dream.""You're safe," Ameiko soothed, "but we can't tarry. Can you walk?"Boris nodded, climbing shakily to his feet."Boris run if it mean leaving dead place."____________________________________________________________Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kiyomi led the Scions out of the cemetery. Ahead, past an archway inscribed with Minkaian characters, a bridge of luminescent light stretched across the silver waters of a moat. The bridge led from the graveyard to a long, tombstone-shaped island. A large torii gate stood at the opposite end of the bridge, opening into a courtyard surrounded by several stone structures that peeked above the trees. "Only those close to death my seek the spirits of the ancestors," Miyaro translated as she read the inscription."It is not a literal interpretation," Kiyomi explained. "It is more symbolic, meaning that to commune with the dead, one's soul must be at peace. Here, I must leave you. I am not of royal blood, so I am forbidden from crossing the bridge.""I understand," Ameiko bowed to the caretaker. "Thank you for your assistance.""I am sorry for our misfortunes along the way," Kiyomi returned the bow, "but perhaps now you will be able to set things to right."As the companions started towards the bridge, Kiyomi turned back in the direction of the cemetery. She paused some distance away, looking back as the others passed beneath the archway. No sooner had Haroldo, who'd been leading the way, set foot upon the bridge, than a concussive blast of dark energy exploded out from the arch, bowling all of the Scions off their feet. "Fools!" Kiyomi cackled from a safe distance. "Did you really think it would be so easy? My master would never allow you to leave this place alive!"She drew back her hood, and from her shoulders sprouted a grotesquely long neck that coiled about like a snake, and razor-sharp teeth filled her gaping maw. She thrust one hand out towards them, spitting arcane words like a curse. As the spell washed over the companions, Boris began babbling incoherently like a simpleton, while Miyaro stared about, blinking in uncomprehending confusion."Why you traitorous trull!" Sandru snarled, climbing to his feet and charging Kiyomi.She tried to get away, but he was too fast, and slashed her across the back as she retreated. She shrieked, and spun back towards him, preparing to strike with her vicious fangs, but suddenly, shimmering bars of pure force sprang up around her, encasing her in a glowing cage. "That should hold her," Akiro said, climbing unsteadily to his feet. "At least until the two of you can deal with her."He gestured towards Haroldo and Sandru, and both of them promptly vanished, only to reappear a moment later inside the cage with Kiyomi. She shrieked in panic and began casting another spell, but Haroldo drove the point of his sword into her belly, ripping the words from her lips. He struck again, nearly severing Kiyomi's sinuous neck, and as she gurgled on her own bilious blood, Sandru finished the job. Boris, still not entirely recovered from his recent suicide, moaned in agony on the ground. Lucian rushed to his side to lend what aid he could, but as he did so, a volley of arrows whizzed past his head, narrowly missing him. He turned and saw Miyaro, no recognition in her eyes, pulling her bow string back again for another salvo. The oracle brought up his own bow and returned fire, using blunt-tipped arrows from his quiver. Each shot was well-placed and true, and the kitsune reeled and fell, unconscious.</blockquote>

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