On a jagged cliff above a moat of sulfur and grieving souls was a castle embedded in the stony face. A source of light - perhaps the only source of light - was rising up from behind the cliff. If one looked closely at the light, it would look like a paper mache cut-out. Yet, it wasn't. It was a light in transition - a signal to the castle's owner. There was an imbalance of power somewhere. Just before the moat was a field of tall burgundy grass with sharpened cat tails for flowers. The small bridge crossing over the moat had lanterns that were lit by the master's own flames. As he crossed it, he heard the laughter of children and chains rattling against the ground like snakes. A visitor was in his domain.
Walking through the darkness of the lower level of his castle, King Biancheng practically floated up the stairs and made his way left to the meeting room of his palace. He very rarely received visitors unless his servant, Meioshi, was causing a raucous again. The other hell kings told him about the hell travelers when an agreement was formed to create the holy warrior clan, but they never mentioned that the women of the clan would have such fighting prowess as Meioshi did. She was considered a favorite of the Underworld. The titans ached for the chance to battle her for their own reasons, but the scraps between them made the Martial World stir often. A chubby-cheeked boy with ashen gray skin and glassy eyes appeared before Biancheng. His highness ignored him, which angered the child, but he did stop walking when the child threatened to pounce on him. The boy's mouth pried open to show two rows of jagged teeth. Boldly, the boy's slit throat started bleeding profusely before the scar opened to form a second mouth. A wet roar escaped the boy's mouths to startle Biancheng, but the king merely plucked a gold bead from his royal scepter and tossed it over his shoulder. The small bead turned into a heated ball of molten metal and lodged itself into the child's skull. Hissing and pained screams echoed through the hall until the boy's body was fully burned alive, and his soul permanently left the mortal realm and the underworld within a moment. No memory of him was left. No second chance at life was (or would ever be) granted.
Satisfied with the punishment, Biancheng only turned to retrieve his gold bead and the small pile kurogane coins left behind by the boy. Only one titan had bold servants like that, or rather souls she deemed untamable, and she rarely left her domain. She was the servant of another king. The sounds of playing children reached his ears until he entered the meeting room. He immediately locked eyes with the old hag, Kishibojin, and her small troop of children. Oddly enough, the Soul Piper was with her as well. It's large red eyes were closing back, so the child Biancheng had completely destroyed must've been the one it dragged from the living world to hell initially. There must be another child about to endure the same fate close by.
"My lord," Kishibojin greeted with a low bow.
She wore a brown coat with blue flowers decorating the bodice over a dusky purple kimono. A large green scarf was wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and her hair was pulled back in a low bun. She had a glowing baby strapped to her back. The Soul Piper played music for the baby, so it was going to take the little one to heaven very soon. The other children were going to be judged, it seemed. Their skin wasn't ashen gray like the boy who greeted Biancheng. Kishibojin was taking Meioshi's advice, after all, and becoming a Soul Carrier. It was fitting. She would be around children more, and there was a need to protect or spare the innocent ones who misunderstood their circumstances. Having the Soul Piper take Kishibojin to the Soul Carriers' Road with it was an eye-opening experience for the old hag. Even her appearance changed from the grotesque monster that children spent an eternity running from to more of a friendly grandmother.
"Contain your ilk the next time you show face at my door," Biancheng commanded, earning a shudder and low bow.
"Y-y-yes, your highness!" Kishibojin replied, staying low until Biancheng sat.
"Rise. Disclose your reason for your presence," Biancheng said, acknowledging the apology.
The children all clung to Kishibojin in fear as she rose. Seeing that Biancheng was not angered, Kishibojin smiled and spoke with excitement, "Well, my lord, I've been informed about something most fascinating and wondered if I might have your permission to steal your lovely courtesan away for a while!"
"My courtesan?" Biancheng questioned. He had a few. Which one was she referring to?
"Of course! I believe Lady Meioshi was assigned to investigate Master Tetsuzan's murder, yes?" Kishibojin asked to clarify.
Biancheng was slow to laugh but he did. He then replied, "Indeed. Why do you wish to occupy her?"
"Unfortunately, I must involve myself with some frivolous activities in the mortal realm," Kishibojin sighed playfully, putting a wrinkled hand on her cheek. "You see, Lady Rakuyama has an item that I helped to create along with two others. I'll have to confront her about that soon, but one step at a time. Meioshi has come in contact with my Nintojo, I'm afraid. With its powers awakened, it is time for me to collect my payment for a little bargain I made many years ago."
"What bargain is this?" Biancheng asked with some interest. He knew nothing about the Nintojo, but he could easily look into the details of this bargain.
"I am to gather a rather handsome sum of kurogane for the Nintojo's wayfinder abilities. You see, I harvested the waters of the Sanzu River into a magic flask that a young man had given me. As you know, our most famous river is very dense with the Weight of Truth. In exchange for our water, the young man would open a door to the mortal realm for me to collect my earnings. Unlike the other titans, I want to control myself. No killing or feasting unless permitted. Meioshi is good about that."
"You did not state your bargain, only your want to collect a fine. I cannot permit you to enter the mortal realm with the hell traveler if you cannot do this. Refer your king to me," Biancheng said, tugging a cord to receive wine.
"My bargain was stated, your highness," Kishibojin insisted. "A young man entered our world to create a type of wayfinder. He was perhaps the last one from the living world to formally request our aid in this venture, even going so far as to gain Tetsuzan's favor. This treasure was supposed to be linked to the owner's true desire, but it could also punish the owner for greedy wishes. What better way and place to create such a thing than through an arrangement with my king and through the formal use of our great river waters! The Nintojo would be responsible for finding anything its holder wants and judge the holder's character simultaneously!"
"This man's intentions are unusual, but that does not explain your want to aid him. You expect me to believe that you created this Nintojo for a couple of coins?" Biancheng questioned. One of his beautiful courtesans did enter the room with his wine. It was only then when he removed his golden mask to reveal his face.
"Nay, my lord. I created this Nintojo to devour a pure child's soul worth its weight in fine kurogane..." Kishibojin sang. "This soul is equal in weight to a holy warrior's soul. Think of Lady Meioshi's and how delicious her soul will be when she meets her end! The young man exchanged that for the materials necessary to create this Nintojo. Your Meioshi was with an imp who is now the Nintojo's master. Is it not best for her to be the one to escort me to my treasure?"
"She will not let you harm a child. You know this," Biancheng said, sipping from his cup.
"Ah, but this is different. Bargains can only be overseen by the Green Pheasant now. She cannot interfere with this, regardless of whether or not a child is involved. This was a settlement made ages ago," Kishibojin purred. "The final one I should say before I, too, become a Soul Carrier like my piper friend. My master and I are discussing the transition now."
"... Very well," Biancheng replied, loosening his hair to adjust his crown of gold and bones. "We shall gather her when she returns from the lands beyond. She'll be rather busy."
"I heard she defeated one of us not long ago. Was that true? She may be able to enter the tournament," Kishibojin suggested with interest. "The rest of us have grown restless since Rakuyama left."
"When she returns with my currency to appease my brother for his loss, she will be tasked with a trial of power. More souls have been entering our lands unjustly. I have no doubt this is Rakuyama's doing. Without Tetsuzan, your kind will be able to roam without our permission. It is evident that you all are not quite ready for purge responsibilities when that time arrives because of Rakuyama's behavior. I don't know why my brother is allowing her to continue her rampage, but I've a feeling it might be linked to you more than you're letting on," Biancheng deduced. "This other item that Rakuyama had taken, what was it?"
"It was called the Meido Stone," Kishibojin replied. "Representative of our Judgement Hall, you see."
"Meido Stone?" Biancheng questioned with a chuckle. His smile showed complete amusement. "You made something that allowed the user to disperse judgement?"
"... Not quite, my lord," Kishibojin purred, eyes glowing ominously.
______________________________________________________________
"Good show, great uncle! You won!" Meioshi cheered, impressed by Kirameku Ha's final move.
"He did?" Homugi questioned.
The blue merle beauty looked down at the players' board but couldn't quite interpret how Meioshi lost. Her pieces practically swarmed Kirameku Ha's stronger pieces. Meioshi merely smiled at Homugi's cute bout of curiosity before taking a sip of her tea. She pointed at the corresponding pieces to show Kirameku Ha's astounding army while the cup was still in her hand. Being the second in command had its perks in strategic battles. She had to admit it.
"He has the board covered by imperials, and his king has been joined with a decorated general there. If he brought out his queen, I'd be right deep in horror," Meioshi explained in her flavorful accent. "Methinks I'm out of practice, eh, great uncle? The North is in shambles this match!"
"But, you have a good mix of imperials and lower ranks covering smaller entry points," Homugi pointed out. "Your general isn't as decorated as your king, but Lord Kirameku Ha is completely blocked on the sides. His center is exposed."
"Not quite, my knight," Meioshi corrected, pointing to the center. "You see how great uncle's king has a free diagonal line for about three squares? His imperials have blocked my vanguard from disrupting his path. His king can attack me from there. With a weakened vanguard, my imperials are outnumbered. My king will be left with maybe two square spaces to flee. I may have an admirable army by proxy, but 'tis not good enough against great uncle's strategy."
Homugi wasn't quite convinced, but she accepted Meioshi's explanation until she formally learned how to play the game from the benevolent mentor. The blue merle beauty noticed that Meioshi knew quite a few games enjoyed by people of various ages and classes, but she seemed to gravitate towards childhood favorites like this dagger game and the ball game from Heiwa. Perhaps that's why Homugi wanted Meioshi to win. The game represented more than strategy when it came to the doctor and her personality. It seemed to be a reflection of her acceptance of others versus Kirameku Ha, who was very loyal to Meioshi's grandfather and was surrounded by what Homugi perceived to be the best naval officers in his youth. While that showed strongly in his playing style and revealed memories of his days in combat, which was admirable, Homugi was just more attracted to the opportunity that Meioshi seemed to allow in combat. That lack of discrimination was unheard of in the House of Inu. As Meioshi was speaking to Anju about some frivolous event
Plunk!
Sesshomaru didn't make a sound when he chose his king. Of course, he chose the King of the West. Kirameku Ha huffed before chuckling, taking notice that the "dog" wanted to play again. No one even noticed that he already arranged the terrain pieces to his liking. He was just waiting for Meioshi to finish her conversation with Homugi. The good doctor was none the wiser.
"Oh, were you intending to challenge my Homugi, Inu prince?" Meioshi asked.
"If she wished. I am your final opponent, however," Sesshomaru responded lowly. "Knowing your enemies, even through a simple game, has always proved to be beneficial."
Meioshi was quiet at first, only locking eyes with Sesshomaru to analyze his body language and tone, but she eventually smiled and gathered her pieces. For an instant, she remembered their first real battle at the ravine and the promise they made. Human and demon vowing to end their journeys in a heated battle. Such heroism and fantasy for warriors! At least he wasn't throwing his legendary tantrum this time. Raising a brow with humor, Meioshi rearranged her pieces quietly then leaned back to accept his lordship's challenge.
She chose the King of the South this round. What an amusing rival! While Kirameku Ha and Anju were teaching Sesshomaru and Homugi how to play in finer detail, Meioshi sat patiently and moved her pieces with precise thought in response. Sesshomaru took note to her methodical nature - never moving too many pieces at once, building her troops slowly, using her ally's resources when needed. Her eyes... They held that concentrated smolder. She paid attention to very little aside from his movements and responded to him critically. Of the games he's played so far, this was more his speed. He got to see how Kirameku Ha and Meioshi used to be in battle.
The old man was in the Imperial Navy, so he used what he knew to form his strategy. It was easy for one to see it. He took his vanguard and built them up quickly to high ranks, but he arrested certain areas to lock Meioshi up for a frontal assault. The key thing Sesshomaru noticed was that the king was open to initiate an attack. Kirameku Ha was the decorated general; meaning, his king was likely representing Lord Arimasa. It was a reflection of who the veteran was and who he fought for. Meioshi was mission-oriented. It was hard to tell what rank she was, but she did fight hard to protect her king. She knew how she lost before Kirameku Ha made the final move - down to her king's remaining spaces for movement or attack. In her time of combat, whoever was available to fight was chosen to fight. Homugi admired that aspect of the good doctor. She used everybody at her disposal no matter the background. Her focus was closing off pinhole attacks. It didn't matter where these open areas were located. The old man just so happened to choose the sides. Had he gone for the middle, Meioshi would have cut him off. That's her strong suit. She hit Kirameku Ha the hardest when he tried to use sneak attacks. It matched with her time on the island.
Yuko was running over to them before she noticed the game being played. Her eyes sparkled as she marveled at Meioshi playing and sat next to her to observe. Nihipali and Jaken wandered over to Sesshomaru's side to watch him. Meioshi was relentless in her attacks on sneak ends. Sesshomaru moved his pieces for a powerful frontal assault. A decorated general and imperials in perfect L-shaped synchrony, but Meioshi closed him off quickly and used her lower ranks to hold him back. He didn't focus on her upping the ranks before sliding her pieces over to decimate the tail-end of his formation. In another life, she would have been an impossible kingdom to attack. Would she make a good Panther queen, though?
"You know, this is how I always pictured you, sensei!" Yuko said. "When I was that little girl writing letters to you."
"You pictured me playing a board game with a demon prince, my Yuko?" Meioshi asked, turning to her apprentice curiously.
"Nope! I thought you were a besshikime," Yuko replied, snuggling into Meioshi's arm. "I saw you on your white horse a few times. You wore your armor and flag. You practically never wear your armor these days."
"The witch is always in armor when she's fighting my kind. What're you talking about?" Jaken asked.
"Not the armor I saw her in. She looked like a proper male soldier. Her pretty eyes and face give her away," Yuko complimented, remembering when she first Meioshi in war attire. "Oh! That's right! They don't know about your steed! You've been with that dragon, huh?"
"A white horse is a boring detail only little girls would focus on," Sesshomaru rudely remarked. "Fits the image of a handsome prince in their fairy tales."
"Well, I'm not a prince like you, but I do have my beautiful companion. It's not time for him to appear, though. He prefers colder weather," Meioshi replied, moving pieces. "Easier for him to camouflage, I imagine."
"Why have a steed when you can fly by boat?" Sesshomaru asked.
"The boat is meant for quicker travels and regular sailing. My steed is a war and politics horse," Meioshi said, smiling proudly. "We'll be visiting his old home on this trip. Eh?"
No one knew why Meioshi stopped, but she noticed something about Sesshomaru's formation. There was an opening on the board leading toward the king, but it didn't look like a pinhole or a trap. What was this...? Sesshomaru merely looked at her before returning his gaze to the board. Her strategy was different than before. She wasn't playing like a soldier on that cursed island this round. She was changing. Perhaps, it was representative of how she was as a combatant now. Either way, she was relentless as an opponent.
_____________________________________________________________
"You all be careful now. I'll meet you at the trade ports when word has reached me. If you need my assistance, find my flags on my family's hall and home," Meioshi instructed, shaking hands with Yamashi and the other ambassadors.
"Visit us again, Lady Meioshi!" a small maid said cutely.
"We'll miss you!" a boy said.
"I'll be around more often, my darlings! I haven't gone on a trip like this in years," Meioshi reassured, embracing everyone.
She emptied out her lodging, gave Ohta and Kunimatsu a kiss on their foreheads, and left with her crew. Homugi and three of the ambassadors decided to go with her this time. Sesshomaru watched them from the beach even after their ships left the horizon. He realized that he didn't really get to spend much time with Meioshi like he had planned to, but that was probably for the best. Now, he could focus on...
BOOM!
"Prince Yamashi! We're under attack!"
That monster that's attacking the merchant market. Yeah, that'll do it. Well, more appropriately, the dogs attacking the merchant market. Sesshomaru was actually surprised to see creatures like him attacking this peaceful area. So, Goryeo had inuyoukai, too? When Yamashi came out, he had his battle axe in hand and a smirk on his face.
"What the hell do you want, pups?" Yamashi asked.