The Price of Failure

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Somewhere in Otosan Uchi - Summer 1139

“WHERE IS SHE?!?!”

Another slap struck Kitsuki Ketsumei’s already swollen cheek. The courtier had lost track of how many blows he had endured, or even how long he had been in this place. Still, by asking the question the torturer had answered the only one in the Dragon’s mind: Empress Tsudao had indeed escaped the capital.

“I do not know -sama,” Ketsumei sputtered, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as he spoke. “Like I told the Seppun guardsman, the Empress was in danger. Seems I was…”

The rest of his comment was lost as the air in his lungs was punched out of him. Ketsumei coughed up a good amount of blood: that blow probably broke one of his ribs. All he could do was look up at the man behind his abuser, the one asking the questions.

“Still defiant Dragon?” he sneered. “That will change. You are nothing, just like your clan. Neither of you matter”

Ketsumei’s cheeks flushed with heat. The words were a simple insult, but hours (or was it days) earlier those words were his undoing….

“All the Clans stand with the Regent,” the Seppun had stated.

“Not all the Clans,” Ketsumei said in correction. “None of the Dragon supported the Regent in this action.”

The Imperial sneered. “All the Clans that matter.”

It was a simple jibe. But it was expertly placed. For the last few years Ketsumei had tirelessly worked to integrate his clan into the courts throughout the Empire. Despite all his efforts, all his hard work, many still did not take the Dragon Clan seriously.

To have that thrown in his face… to have all the lingering doubts in his work given a voice… Ketsumei’s On cracked at that crucial moment.

Instead of relying on his years of training, he forgot his place and what he was supposed to be doing. Instead of trying to convince this guardsman of the wrongness of the events earlier in the day Ketsumei began to defend his clan, to try to validate their existence. Instead of trying to gain his assistance in getting the young Empress out of the Palace, he began to argue.

The courtier had failed his sensei, he had failed his dojo. And until a few moments ago he thought he had failed his Empress. But no, others had succeeded where he had failed.

This was the reward for his failure, being at the mercy of an eta torturer. Thankfully he didn’t have to compound his mistake by lying: he and the others had been tasked with getting the Empress out of the building. He didn’t know what the plan was after that… not that that would make a difference to the man asking the questions.

That man looked at the eta, and gave a sharp nod. That led to a sharp, new pain in Ketsumei’s midsection. His breath came in a ragged gasp: another broken rib, probably two. Another blow: ok, definitely two more…

The punishment was only stopped by a knock on the wooden door. The interrogator looked rather annoyed as he opened it. “What?” he barked before noticing he was speaking into the chest of a very large man.

Now the other man looked annoyed as he gazed downward. “Have you not broken him yet?” he growled. “He is just a courtier.”

The first man paled slightly. “Not yet Crab-sama….”

“Get out,” the Crab barked. “Since you cannot get results, I will. And take your worthless eta with you.” The smaller man paled then hastily bowed. He left without a backwards glance at the prisoner, and his eta soon followed.

Ketsumei looked up at his new roomate, hoping the fear he felt in his chest didn’t leak through his broken ribs. “Good day,” he croaked out. “Have you had *coughs* your rice today?”

“Never will I underestimate the fortitude of a Dragon again,” the much larger man said in wonder. “Come Kitsuki-san, we have to get you out of here.”

The Dragon blinked. Although he had taken several shots to the head he didn’t think his hearing had been impacted that much… “Could you *coughs* say that again Crab-sama?”

Instead of repeating himself, the Crab hefted Ketsumei up from the floor and hauled him out into a darkened hallway. Soon the two men were outside beneath a star-filled sky. Gingerly, he set the courtier down into a waiting wagon and looked deeply into Ketsumei’s eyes. “Take this message with you Kitsuki-san: not all the Crab support the Regent in this. But we as a clan have no choice in the matter. None. For without us, the Empire will fall when the enemy to the south returns. For they always will return.”

Still absorbing those words, Ketsumei nodded in response. “Hai, and thank you.”

“We didn’t think you would still be alive, you had been in there over a week…” Ketsumei gulped at hearing those last words, sending fresh spasms through his nearly broken body. “Unfortunately, the Regent knows of your role in recent events. He will not forget them, or you.”

As the cart started to move, Ketsumei looked up into the night sky. Lady Moon had just appeared from behind a thin veil of clouds. He stared at her as he rode out of the city, his failure still fresh in his mind…

Tomorrow your struggle will continue, and you must persist. Both for the Dragon and for Rokugan a soothing voice whispered to him. Rest now, son of Kitsuki Mieako.

Ketsumei sat up abruptly, the sudden movement causing his whole body to ache. Ignoring the pain, he looked around. There was no one there other than the servant guiding the cart. Confused, he laid back down, wondering who or what would have invoked the name of his dead mother…