The sun slowly sank toward the horizon, painting the land in a brilliant hue of red as it grew ever closer to night. The light cascaded through the tiny shrine atop a hill overlooking the village, changing cold, lifeless stone into a living tapestry of color. It was the same every day at dawn and dusk. Once, it had been among the most revered shrines to Lady Sun in all the Scorpion provinces. Since Lord Yakamo had taken her place in the heavens, however, it had fallen into disuse. The peasants feared Lord Sun even as they revered him, and most concluded it would probably be better to build new shrines to Yakamo than court his wrath by converting the Lady’s temples.

Shosuro Aroru sat quietly in the shrine, waiting. He had loved this place as a child, and had often begged his mother to bring him here. After her death, he had not come as often, but still made the trip occasionally. Now… it had simply become a place for him to meet with others of his kind. The beautiful colors were ruined forever, for all he could see was blood. The blood of the dozens of men he had killed. Hundreds, perhaps. That was what he was. A murderer. It did not matter that he did it for his clan. It did not matter that he was ordered to do so by his lord. In the end, in his memory, it was still murder.

And he did not remember the last time that he cared.

No. No, that was not true. Living a lie was one thing, for ultimately it did not matter to Aroru’s lords if he was the ruthless enforcer he appeared to be or not, but he need not lie to himself. There had been an assassination only a short time ago, a few months before the Rain of Blood. That had been… unspeakable. Aroru shoved the thoughts away before they overwhelmed him.

Before that, though, it had been a very long time. He had been a different man, then, and the world had seemed a very different place.

It was late in the afternoon when Aroru finally returned home. His estate was not large, but it was comfortable and spacious enough for everything he required in life. The few servants that attended him bowed deeply at his return and departed to their duties. He entered the main chamber and slid the shoji screen closed behind him. He carefully placed his daisho on the rack in the main chamber, taking a moment to make certain the blade was not resting on the saya. He took a moment to regard the chamber warmly. Aroru smiled. This was home.

The shoji screen to the next chamber slid open, and a delicate young woman appeared with a platter containing his favorite tea. “Welcome home, husband.”

“Teiriko-chan.” His smile widened. “You shouldn’t be serving tea. We have servants to do that.”

“I am accustomed to doing things for myself,” she said primly, setting the tray down on the low table in the room’s center. “Or have I mistakenly married some wealthy, influential, pampered courtier who is used to being waited on hand and foot by legions of loyal servants?” She raised an eyebrow playfully. “I am not suggesting that I mind, of course. Only that I am surprised.”

Aroru held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I concede! I am just a soldier, returning home from war.” He bowed very deeply before kneeling at the table. “Thank you for reminding me of that. And I thank you for the tea, my lady.”

Her expression softened, and she sat beside him to pour the tea. “I am glad you are home,” she said softly. “How long will it be before you must leave again?”

Aroru carefully removed his simple cloth mask and set it aside before accepting the cup she offered him. “There is no way to know. They will send for me when I am needed.”

“I hope it is not soon,” she admitted. “I have missed you.”

He touched her hand where it rested on the table. “I have missed you as well.” He sipped the tea carefully, glancing around the room as he did so. The cushions around the table, the slightly altered position of certain items in the room… it spoke to him. “You entertained guests recently?” he asked mildly.

Teiriko raised her eyes in surprise, but only for a moment. “My family came to visit, yes,” she admitted. “How did you know? I thought the servants had cleared everything away.”

“I am a wealthy, influential, pampered courtier, or so the lords of the Scorpion tell Rokugan,” he said smartly. “I have my ways.” He paused. “Why would you have the servants clear everything away? Did you not wish me to know you had visitors?”

Teiriko glanced down, her cheeks coloring slightly. “I had a visit, from my cousin Iseko. We have been married less than a year. I did not wish you to think that I live in the past.” She met his gaze. “I am a Shosuro now. Only…”

“I understand,” Aroru added. “I have been away more often than not. It is only natural for you to feel alone. Your family is welcome here always, Teiriko-chan, but you know that I will be gone often. It is my duty.”

“I know,” she said. “And I will be here when you return. That is my duty.” She smiled warmly at him, her eyes moist. “Would you like more tea? Or sake?”

“Perhaps later,” he said, and pulled her into his arms.

Aroru had only been home for three days when the contact came.

He and Teiriko were enjoying a quiet meal together, basking in the joy all young people freshly married take in one another’s company. Teiriko had dismissed their few servants, as was her custom, and prepared the meal herself. Aroru knew that her family was not wealthy, and imagined that she had fixed a great number of meals for her parents and older siblings. Servants were yet new to her.

It was during dinner that Aroru first sensed something amiss. There was nothing in particular that caught his attention, just a general sense that he and his wife were not alone. It was something he had been taught from the first moment he entered into training with the Shosuro, and perhaps the one thing he had excelled at above all others as a student.

Teiriko stopped in mid-sentence, her face pale as she noticed her husband’s suddenly intense expression. Aroru gestured for her to continue, and she picked up the conversation instantly, discussing her plans for the garden they had talked about adding to the estate. Aroru rose without a sound and drew a knife from his obi. He moved to the front door and stood for a moment, listening intently and allowing Teiriko’s spirited conversation to fall into the background. Then, when he was ready, he stepped forward and ripped the door open in one lightning fast movement.

A man stood behind the door, his face inscrutable behind a jagged, blood-red mask depicting a scowling oni’s face. He did not flinch, though his eyes fixed on the point of Aroru’s knife. “Greetings, Aroru-san.”

Aroru exhaled and put his blade away. “Greetings, Toson.”

Shosuro Toson glanced over Aroru’s shoulder briefly. “We need to speak in private. Perhaps you should send your wife away.”

Anger flared briefly in Aroru’s eyes. “You will not speak to her that way.”

Toson’s tone was one of mild surprise. “I mean no offense, but my business takes priority.”

“You may be Yudoka-sama’s favored student,” Aroru said under his breath, “but you are not my superior. I will not tolerate your disrespect in my home.”

“Again, I apologize.” Toson inclined his head slightly. “I did not mean to offer insult, Aroru, but this matter is not one for any ears but yours. I do not question your wife’s loyalty, but there are some matters that must not be left to chance.” He glanced past Aroru again and bowed his head slightly to Teiriko. “My apologies for any disrespect, my lady.”

Teiriko returned the bow and rose from the table. She left the room wordlessly with only one brief glance over her shoulder at her husband. Concern was etched in her features as she slid the screen shut.

Aroru took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. “Where am I needed?”

Toson shook his head. “Not here.” He raised his hand to forestall any objection. “I am sorry, Aroru, but you do not understand the importance of this matter. Walk with me.” He turned and walked into the night, clearly expecting his host to follow. After a moment, Aroru did.

The two walked for several minutes without speaking, until the house was far enough away to ensure complete privacy. Toson turned to regard Aroru as they walked. “Your wife was once a Yogo, correct?”

“Yes,” Aroru nodded, frowning. “We were married six months ago.”

“Congratulations,” Toson offered. “You have no concerns regarding her family’s curse?”

“None,” Aroru said adamantly. “She bears no direct blood relation to the original Yogo. The curse should not follow her.”

Toson was quiet again for a time. He seemed unconvinced. “When did you return from your last assignment?”

“Three days ago. I was gone for nearly a month.”

“I see.” Toson folded his hands in his sleeves. “Then you have not heard of Akodo Kaneka.”

Aroru frowned. “That name is not known to me.”

“Six days ago, a man named Akodo Kaneka was presented in court at Ryoko Owari Toshi by the Lion Clan. He professes to be the son of Toturi through the geisha Hatsuko.”

Aroru’s eyes widened. “An Imperial bastard?”

“So he claims,” Toson confirmed. “If true, it would make him the oldest of the Emperor’s children.”

“How will this affect the line of succession?” Aroru asked.

“It will not,” Toson said flatly. “The Emperor has not yet responded to this claim. By all reports the man is far too young to be the Emperor’s son, so he is obviously an impostor. Kaneka will not live long enough to bring dishonor to the Emperor.”

“I see.”

“I do not think you do,” Toson stopped and turned to face the other man. “You will travel to Ryoko Owari and eliminate this threat to the Splendid Emperor’s reputation.”

Aroru cast his eyes downward and considered the words. “I have not killed a man in years. My duties of late have been mostly espionage, courier missions...”

“I know,” Toson said, taking a deep breath. “And I know the circumstances that led to Master Yudoka removing you of such duties in the past, but your skills are unmatched. You are the ideal agent.” Toson’s expression softened somewhat. “Aroru. You knew this day would come. You knew we would call upon you again.”

Aroru nodded. “I had hoped it would not be this soon.”

“Such duties go beyond loyalty,” Toson said. “We cannot force you to do this, we can only ask.”

The words did not come at first. Aroru felt that he had come to a crossroads, the choice between one life and another. The choice was clear. “I will do it,” he said.

“Yudoka himself selected you for this mission,” Toson said.

“If I may ask,” Aroru offered, “why not someone within the city already? Surely there must be experienced agents in place already.”

Toson hesitated. “There has been an attempt. Our agent did not survive, but drew no suspicion to the Scorpion. The Lion have closed their ranks around Kaneka in reply. All our assets within the city are being watched.” He withdrew a package from his kimono. “That is why you will use this.”

Aroru opened the thin package and felt silk within. It was a kimono of brilliant green, emblazoned with a different clan’s mon. “Mantis?”

“Yes.” Toson offered a thin vial from his obi. “This is a venom found only in the Islands of Silk & Spice. The Mantis despise us and would welcome the chance to disgrace us. Even if you fail, our courtiers will have grounds to accuse them of treachery. Such is the victory of the Scorpion.”

Aroru accepted the vial without protest. “When?” he asked.

“You must leave in the morning,” Toson said. “There are travel papers with the kimono.” He hesitated for a moment. “Give my regards to your wife, Aroru.”

Aroru said nothing as Toson left. After several minutes, he returned to his home.

Aroru had been to Ryoko Owari only twice before, but the city was the perfect environment for someone with his unique training. He moved through the city unseen even while in plain sight, cloaked in disinterest. People in this city paid no attention to you if you seemed to pay no attention to them, and Aroru used this to his advantage.

This Kaneka was well protected, just as Toson had warned. The Lion estate within the city was a virtual fortress, and there were guards covering nearly the entire exterior. Aroru spent two days observing the estate from multiple angles, looking for any possible holes in their defenses. The Lion were vigilant but they were not perfect. They had to succeed in every aspect of defense – Aroru had to succeed but once. In time, he found what he sought. Fortunate that he did, for according to the information he had gathered in the city, Kaneka was due to leave for Otosan Uchi the following morning.

The notion of disguising himself as an eta was unpleasant, but Aroru had long ago accepted that sometimes honor had to be set aside, as one might set aside their sense of taste to choke down a necessary medicine. This would not be the first time he had done such a thing. Entry would be simple. Getting out alive after completing his mission would be more difficult, but that was what his Mantis disguise was for.

Getting out alive had never truly been an expectation.

It was late evening when the eta approached from the Leatherworker’s Quarter to remove the estate’s nightsoil. It was a simple matter for Aroru to isolate and incapacitate one of them, leaving his body in the reeds beside the river. He quickly wrapped himself in the eta’s cloak and took his place among the group. The Lion guards took great pains to brandish their weapons and vocalize their intent to painfully dismember anyone who dared violate their trust. Ultimately, they allowed the eta to pass.

Once inside the estate, Aroru easily slid away from the others. The cloak was hidden away in a tiny alcove, and his black clothing beneath helped him fade into the shadows without difficulty. During his observations, the eta remained within the estate roughly an hour. He probably had not even a quarter of that time before the Lion noticed he was missing. He hoped that would prove long enough to locate his quarry.

Drawing upon what he had seen in his earlier observations, Aroru quickly made his way to Kaneka’s quarters in the upper levels of the estate. There was a single guard. A true Lion warrior needed no one to guard his door, but this Kaneka was no fool, and after one assassination attempt he had taken no chances. Aroru circled around to a nearby window and drew a set of metal claws from the pouch at his belt, slipping them over his palms and toes.

Peering outside, he saw a pair of guards in the courtyard below. Moving as quickly as he dared without alerting them, he slipped out the window and climbed like a spider, using the claws to find purchase on the wooden support beams. He arrived to find Kaneka’s window closed, locked from the inside. Carefully, he drew the razor sharp tanto from his belt and sliced into the paper window, cutting as close to the sill as he could. Slicing out two sides near the bottom corner, he peeled up the window, reached through, and opened the lock. Climbing inside, he closed the window and rolled the cut portion back down as it was.

The chambers were remarkably sparse in their decoration. There was almost nothing beyond a simple writing desk, a rack for armor and another for a daisho, and a tatami mat. Few places to hide, and by Kaneka’s reputation Aroru would be no match for him in a fair fight. He could hide a dozen poison needles throughout the room, but to leave a dozen would leave a dozen chances they might be found. Better to leave one, in a place where Kaneka would be sure to be struck.

He looked at the black armor that rested on its stand and smiled. Surely Kaneka would wear his armor on the road to Otosan Uchi. Aroru drew a poison needle, careful not to touch the tip, and carefully inserted it into the armor’s right glove.

With a final look around the room to ensure he had left no trace of his passing, Aroru turned and left the chamber. He did not look back.

It was evening when Aroru arrived home again. He loved the setting sun as it cast its rays across the home he and Teiriko had made together. He would have been happy to have such a lot as his life, free from the demands Master Yudoka, but that was not to be his fate. He had made his peace with that. He was Scorpion. He would fulfill his duty.

“Aroru.” The voice surprised him, and he dropped into a defensive posture instantly, his knife in his hand before he even realized he had reached for it. His tension diminished only slightly when he say that it was Toson, standing in the shadows off the path, waiting. There was something about the man’s eyes, narrow behind his black mask, that put Aroru on edge. “What happened?” Toson demanded.

“The trap has been laid,” Aroru said, putting the knife away. “Kaneka should be dead.”

“Kaneka is not dead,” Toson said. “There was no assassination attempt.”

“I left a trap for him,” Aroru said. “He could not have avoided it.”

“You should have remained to make certain it worked,” Toson hissed. “Or, failing that, died in the attempt. Did you fail to comprehend the plan?”

Aroru felt a chill run through his veins. He had thought his plan was infallible, and thus had not risked himself. He had failed. And yet, something felt wrong.

“Kaneka has said nothing of the trap?” Aroru asked. “There was no reaction to the poison needle I left in his glove?”

“There was no poison at all,” Toson said. “I should have known better than to recommend you. You have been seduced by the tastes of a normal life. You have let these things cloud your judgment.” Toson looked toward Aroru’s estates. “I think you know what happened. I think you know what you must do.”

Aroru knew the truth, though he did not wish to accept it. There was only one way he could have failed – if the poison had been replaced before his task had even begun. There was only one person who could have done such a thing.

“No,” Aroru whispered. “No, please. She only wished for a better life for me.”

“Yudoka suspects her motives are deeper than that, but that is not your concern for now,” Toson said.

“Then punish me as well,” Aroru said. “Allow me to take my own life in seppuku.”

Toson laughed out loud. “You wear the trappings of a samurai but remember what you are, Aroru,” he said. “We have spent too much effort to train you, too much effort to make you into the weapon you are. It is your duty to accept dishonor for the glory of the Scorpion and this is no exception. Your punishment will not involve the easy death that seppuku brings, and once it is done you will live in your private shame until your duty to the Scorpion is complete. Is that clear?”

Aroru bowed his head. “What must I do?”
“To begin,” Toson said, “remove the one who has betrayed us.”

Aroru opened his eyes. He had been lost in thought for several minutes, and the red light was finally disappearing. Now more than ever, the shrine looked as if it was drenched in ichor. He wondered idly if it had appeared thus following the Rain of Blood.

In the years since Teiriko’s death, he had often contemplated the circumstances surrounding it. Who had the visitors he had so narrowly missed on his last trip home truly been? Why had Teiriko saved Kaneka when there was no reason to do so? Who stood to benefit?

He had never permitted himself to dwell upon it, but he believed he knew the answer. Kaneka’s continued survival weakened the Emperor’s power, and he knew of only one reason such a thing would be desired. He glanced over his shoulder, startled at a sudden presence behind him.

“Distraction is weakness,” came a gruff voice from the shrine’s entrance.

Aroru nodded. “Yes, Yudoka-sama.”

The Shosuro daimyo grunted. “We have business in the City of Remembrance, Aroru. We will be gone some time.”

Aroru stood and turned to face his lord. “I am ready.”

“What do you pray for, Aroru?” Yudoka asked. “Forgiveness?”

Aroru shook his head. “Clarity,” he said. “There is no forgiveness.”