Cards and My Mouth

[Jared Devlin-Scherer]

The Trials of a Traitor: Part I

    Agasha Shukuen looked out upon the sweeping fields below Kyuden Isawa.
Off in the distance he could smell the forest burning.  Below the land lay
charred, the fields destroyed.  He walked through the castle, his footsteps
pounding angrily on the ground, out into the open plane.  Everything was
destroyed, the fields charred by the Mantis as they fled Phoenix lands.  The
nearby peasants toiled in the forever salted soil to no avail.  The land
cried.  A small scroll lay clutched in his grasp.  He paced quickly across
the plain to a small caravan readying to head to Dragon lands.  The journey
was hard, all about him the land was destroyed, desecrated by the armies
that had clashed.  A single tear passed down his cheek.  He was never to see
this land again.  He opened the scroll once more, afraid to yet again read
its contents. He slowly read it again taking in every word slowly...
    Shukuen-sama
        The war has ended, and we must rebuild.  However, not only must we
rebuild our homeland and our lives, but our relations. Our friendship with
the other clans must be restored. Although I know this assignment I will
give you will not be to your liking, it is necessary for our relationship
with the Dragon.  You are to return to Dragon lands, and you will help them
rebuild.  Their shugenja schools, like ours, lay burned to the ground and
very few of their shugenja remain alive. You will train the new generation
of Dragon shugenja under the direction of your daimyo, Agasha Tamori.  This
is were we need you, Shukuen-sama.  Train them well, as Dragons. Your clan
will remember you, and be prepared for your return.
                                                Tsukune
    Shukuen sighed.  He had wanted to see his homeland again, but was he
ready to face his old clan like this.  His honor had failed him once, he
didn't know if it would fail him again.  He loved the Dragon, but he was
afraid.  He didn't want his fear to hurt his old friends.  The caravan
pulled to a halt for the night, outside of Dragon lands.  He turned to the
sky, looking upon her (the moon).  He whispered with longing under his
breath, "I am sorry, Hitomi-sama.  I failed you.  I will not do it again."
For a second he thought the moon winked back at him. "I will restore the
clan my lady, my honor is yours forever."

Agasha Shukuen

Response to below message:
You claim to challenge others. Are you truly Dragon, what have you gone
through.  The Crab are our friends not our enemies.
"A man who needs to prove himself, is a man who has already proved he is
wrong.  Honor is in Tranquility" -The True Tao


----- Original Message -----
From: <KEVHC at aol.com>
To: <dragon at michonline.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2000 11:17 PM
Subject: Cards and My Mouth


> To All Brothers and Sisters and Crab listeners,
>
>         I was asked, so I will put my money where my mouth is, as well as
> issue a challenge to ALL of you negative people:
>
>                 I will be at Orion/ Redemption of the Shadow tourney.  I
will
> be playing honorable dragon, (ie No Kokuj) dueler.  I do not foretell of
an
> overall win, but I can say this (with confidence) " I will not loose to a
> Crab Dueler, or, for that matter, any Crab".
>
>             For you in Buffalo, it is a few hours away.  For the rest of
you,
> be there and show me the "way" or sit around at your CPU's and rant and
rave.
>  I am traveling 12 hours.  You can too.
>
>             I find no problem loosing in an honorable duel.  I have no
issues
> with those who seek to jump to the defense of the Crab except to point
out:
> you are Dragon.  Act like it.  Loyalty to your clan.  Something honorable
> about that.
>
>         There is your challenge.  Meet it, or loose your honor.
>
> KC
>