Free L5r - scroll 04 - The Phoenix by Stephen D. Sullivan

voices cry out to me. The land suffers. We must act."
    Kaede sighed. "Yes. We must act—soon." In her mind, she saw I he infirm emperor, heard the rasp of his cough, saw the bleak lire in his eyes.
    "Controlling the scrolls may not be enough," Tomo said. He looked around the circle, studying his brethren, wishing he could wash away their cares. "We need firsthand knowledge of the enemy, too— current knowledge of Junzo and his forces."
    "Perhaps we could convince the Nameless One to be our eyes in the Shadowlands," Uona said. "He seems able to withstand lethal dangers."
    "That might work," Tsuke said, "if we could find him."
    "I fear he serves his own agenda more than ours," Kaede said. "I... I do not know that I trust him any longer."
    Tomo and Tadaka nodded their agreement.
    "One of our own number, then," Uona said. "One of us should journey to the Shadowlands and try to learn more about Junzo and the Evil One's plans. We could ferret out the knowledge we need, and perhaps strike a blow against the enemy as well."
    "I'll go," said Tadaka.
    Kaede looked at him. "Brother," she said, "you've already given so much, seen so much darkness and death, fought so many of the Evil One's minions ..."
    "Surely those battles must blast your soul," Tomo said. "Let one of us go, Brother. You have done enough."
    "No," Tadaka said. "It is because of those struggles that I am best suited to go. No one can truly know the Shadowlands, but I know them better than any of you. I've journeyed beyond the Carpenter's Wall many times. I've seen the darkness that the Kaiu Kabe protects Rokugan from. I understand Fu Leng's minions better than anyone, save perhaps the Crab who man the wall. I must be the one to go."
    "Tadaka is right," Tsuke said. "He has fought the Shadowlands and its taint long and well. He should scout out Junzo if he can, discover the Evil One's weaknesses. It only makes sense."
    The others sighed and looked uncomfortably around the circle. Finally, Tsuke spoke again. "While Tadaka is gone, three of us will gather the Black Scrolls in our possession—to see if we can plumb their secrets. We will bring them here for study, to a hidden chamber in the Great Library. We will ward the room so that anyone entering without our permission will die."
    "Which three?" Tadaka asked. He looked from his siblings to Uona and Tsuke. Recovering the hidden scrolls might hold hidden dangers. Tadaka found himself wishing he could take on part of that burden as well.
    "Where the scrolls are hidden will determine who is best suited to fetch them," Tsuke said.
    The others nodded in understanding.
    Kaede looked around the circle, realizing she had been subtly excluded from the quests. "I should return to the capital," she said. "Perhaps I can learn more there. Kachiko still has the eyes of the Scorpion. Maybe I can persuade her to tell us what she knows—to share her knowledge of the Evil One and his movements."
    Uona snorted. "You'd easier pry secrets from a dead man."
    "I daresay our tasks will be simple compared to that of our sister," Tomo added.
    "It will be difficult, but worth trying," Tadaka said. He lifted his hands from his knees and spread his arms wide. "We ask the Sun Goddess to sanctify our decisions. May the Seven Fortunes bless our actions and preserve our people. This council is at an end."
    As one, the council rose. They picked up the bowls before them—bowls that now contained only ashes. Each master turned and scattered the ashes on the River of Awakening. Then they gathered before the torii in the same order in which they had entered the sacred space.
    Silently, they walked across the bridge and back along the Road of Life's Passage. When Tadaka reached the pillar near the veranda's rail, he set his empty bowl down where it had lain before. He took the ladle from the dragon's basin and washed away all trace of ash. The soiled water fell into the stone-lined pool on the garden floor. The others did the same.
    Tadaka opened the trap