yanked hard on his sword, ripping the monster's head from its neck. Its body slumped heavily to the ground.
Tsukune thrust her wakizashi under the ribs of the final undead samurai—but the blade missed the thing's black heart.
The creature turned on her, swinging its tetsubo. Tsukune caught its arm with her left hand, preventing the blow from smashing her skull. The two foes struggled, locked in a deadly embrace.
The undead horse jumped forward and reared, intent on crushing both combatants under its hooves. Before its hooves could descend, Shiba Ujimitsu leapt on the monster's back. Swinging his katana in a wide arc, he lopped the horse's head from its neck. The steed's body tottered, balanced precariously on its hind legs. Then it fell to one side. Ujimitsu leapt lightly to the ground as the horse toppled into the burning ruins of the chief's house.
The Phoenix Champion turned to Tsukune. She was still wrestling her undead foe. "Stop fooling around, and let's go," Ujimitsu called to her jovially.
Tsukune didn't see the joke. "The alley's blocked by a pike-man!" she shouted back. "Reinforcements are coming, and we've nowhere to run!"
"Oh, is that all," he said, a smile playing on his handsome face. He threw his arms wide, and his red and gold kimono billowed like the wings of a bird taking flight. His strong legs propelled him into the sky. He arced over the burning houses, past the alley, and landed behind the pikeman.
Tsukune snapped her face forward, smashing her forehead into the skull of her foe. The move splashed pieces of slimy skin on her cheeks, and one of the undead samurai's eyes popped out. The creature staggered. She yanked her wakizashi out of its ribs and lopped off the creature's head. Disgusted, she pushed the quivering body off her. It fell backward, flopping into a large mud puddle.
The drumming in Tsukune's ears receded into a dull roar. Only then did she hear the child screaming. The body that Ujimitsu had cut in half had crawled to where the boy stood. It clawed at the child with talonlike hands.
Tsukune rushed forward and thrust her wakizashi through the monster's chest, pinning it to the ground. She fetched her katana from where it lay in the mud and chopped off the creature's head.
Retrieving her wakizashi, Tsukune sheathed both swords, picked up the boy, and ran for the narrow alley. The buildings crumbled as they ran through, raining cinders and ash down on them. The boy's hair caught fire, but Tsukune patted it out with her hands.
When they exited the alley, they found Ujimitsu standing over the undead pikeman's body. "What took you so long?" he asked, smiling.
"Ujimitsu," Tsukune said, "I've never been so glad to see anyone in all my life."
"And you may never be so glad again, if we don't get out of here," he replied.
"I've lost my bearings," Tsukune said. "Which way?"
"Follow me," Ujimitsu replied, indicating a path through the inferno. "You'd better give me the child. You look exhausted."
Tsukune nodded. "Not too tired to run for my life, though," she said. She handed her precious burden over to the Phoenix Champion, and the two of them ran.
As they darted through the smoke, she said. "I heard you were in Shiba province three days ago. How is it possible that you're here now?"
Ujimitsu smiled and said, "Reports can be deceiving. I go where I'm needed."
"I fear," she said, "that you will soon be needed throughout all of Rokugan."
THE COUNCIL
Kyuden Isawa, the ancestral home of the Phoenix lords, thrust up out of the white sand like a castle from a child's dream. The fortress' towers overlooked the forests of Mori Isawa to the west, and the great ocean, Umi Amaterasu, to the east. From the topmost windows, on a clear day, one could see even the distant Yama no Kuyami to the south—the mountains that separated the lands of the Phoenix from those of the emperor. Even the lowest windows gave spectacular views. Kyuden Isawa sat on a broad plain of sand, only a bow shot from the
Tsukune thrust her wakizashi under the ribs of the final undead samurai—but the blade missed the thing's black heart.
The creature turned on her, swinging its tetsubo. Tsukune caught its arm with her left hand, preventing the blow from smashing her skull. The two foes struggled, locked in a deadly embrace.
The undead horse jumped forward and reared, intent on crushing both combatants under its hooves. Before its hooves could descend, Shiba Ujimitsu leapt on the monster's back. Swinging his katana in a wide arc, he lopped the horse's head from its neck. The steed's body tottered, balanced precariously on its hind legs. Then it fell to one side. Ujimitsu leapt lightly to the ground as the horse toppled into the burning ruins of the chief's house.
The Phoenix Champion turned to Tsukune. She was still wrestling her undead foe. "Stop fooling around, and let's go," Ujimitsu called to her jovially.
Tsukune didn't see the joke. "The alley's blocked by a pike-man!" she shouted back. "Reinforcements are coming, and we've nowhere to run!"
"Oh, is that all," he said, a smile playing on his handsome face. He threw his arms wide, and his red and gold kimono billowed like the wings of a bird taking flight. His strong legs propelled him into the sky. He arced over the burning houses, past the alley, and landed behind the pikeman.
Tsukune snapped her face forward, smashing her forehead into the skull of her foe. The move splashed pieces of slimy skin on her cheeks, and one of the undead samurai's eyes popped out. The creature staggered. She yanked her wakizashi out of its ribs and lopped off the creature's head. Disgusted, she pushed the quivering body off her. It fell backward, flopping into a large mud puddle.
The drumming in Tsukune's ears receded into a dull roar. Only then did she hear the child screaming. The body that Ujimitsu had cut in half had crawled to where the boy stood. It clawed at the child with talonlike hands.
Tsukune rushed forward and thrust her wakizashi through the monster's chest, pinning it to the ground. She fetched her katana from where it lay in the mud and chopped off the creature's head.
Retrieving her wakizashi, Tsukune sheathed both swords, picked up the boy, and ran for the narrow alley. The buildings crumbled as they ran through, raining cinders and ash down on them. The boy's hair caught fire, but Tsukune patted it out with her hands.
When they exited the alley, they found Ujimitsu standing over the undead pikeman's body. "What took you so long?" he asked, smiling.
"Ujimitsu," Tsukune said, "I've never been so glad to see anyone in all my life."
"And you may never be so glad again, if we don't get out of here," he replied.
"I've lost my bearings," Tsukune said. "Which way?"
"Follow me," Ujimitsu replied, indicating a path through the inferno. "You'd better give me the child. You look exhausted."
Tsukune nodded. "Not too tired to run for my life, though," she said. She handed her precious burden over to the Phoenix Champion, and the two of them ran.
As they darted through the smoke, she said. "I heard you were in Shiba province three days ago. How is it possible that you're here now?"
Ujimitsu smiled and said, "Reports can be deceiving. I go where I'm needed."
"I fear," she said, "that you will soon be needed throughout all of Rokugan."
THE COUNCIL
Kyuden Isawa, the ancestral home of the Phoenix lords, thrust up out of the white sand like a castle from a child's dream. The fortress' towers overlooked the forests of Mori Isawa to the west, and the great ocean, Umi Amaterasu, to the east. From the topmost windows, on a clear day, one could see even the distant Yama no Kuyami to the south—the mountains that separated the lands of the Phoenix from those of the emperor. Even the lowest windows gave spectacular views. Kyuden Isawa sat on a broad plain of sand, only a bow shot from the
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