Post by Harkovast on Jun 1, 2015 20:53:32 GMT
The town elders didn't approve of the bands of ronin that stopped in the town, but for the local samurai, they were a source of fascination.
Tales of the greatest sword fighters, mixed in with rumours and exaggerations were the source of intense discussion and debate. None of the towns young samurai had ever even left the town, so any ronin carried an air of the exotic to them.
Most the them have gathered in the square of the old temple at the centre of town, sitting at tables, drinking and talking.
At the largest table, Yan-Yan had taken charge of the conversation, as was her way.
"You see," she explained, with accompanying exaggerated hand gestures "we've lost sight of what made the Tsung-Dao so strong is the past. We're always too accommodating, but we need to clean our own house before being so bold as to get into other nations business."
"Are we really involved in anyone else's business?" said Sing-Chan, cautiously, "We don't seem..."
"All this talk of foreign trade," Yan-Yan continued, ignoring Sing-Chan completely "What is it for? Is there some sort of shortage we don't know about? We've got everything we need here already, so why get caught up in trying to purchase things we don't have any real use for?"
"Can you give it a rest?" Said Rin-Xien suddenly. "You do nothing but talk and it's the same stuff we've all heard before."
"What do...?" Yan-Yan was thrown off by this unexpected reaction.
"Every time anyone sits down you start with a theory on how to set the world right that you've heard from some other know it all. Then you repeat it back to us as if you thought of any of it yourself."
"I'm just saying...." Said Yan-Yan, annoyed.
"What you're saying is the usual Tang-Dao rubbish, dressed up with some fancy words. Just a load of meaningless blather. There isn't one idea there that would actually work in the real world."
"And who made you such an expert?" Said Tsai-Chong suddenly.
The haste-caste ronin was sat at the far end of the table. Though he looked like an Ano-Chee, his mother was Tsung-dao and his swordsmanship was widely renown.
He wore a bandana diagonally over one side of his face that covered what everyone assumed to be a missing eye and ear.
"I know more than her," Snorted Rin-Xien, he was getting annoyed, probably because he'd had a little more of the rice wine than was wise. But he wasn't about to sit down and be quiet now, not with everyone looking at him. "At least I know how to be quiet."
"Perhaps you should put that skill into practice." Said Tsai-Chong, sternly, "You're making a scene."
"I don't need you to tell me how to behave." Rin-Xien reponded "Why should we have to sit listening to her inane prattle all day?"
"She was making some interesting points till you butted in." said Tsai-Chong, defensively.
"Really? You're really going to say that's why you're stepping in to defend her?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I?" Tsai-Chong was becoming increasingly aggravated.
"So it's not just you trying to impress Yan-Yan? That wouldn't be anything to do with your sudden interest in politics?"
"What do you...?" Tsai-Chong with practically trembling with rage now.
"Leave him," said one of the other ronin "it's not worth it. He's just..."
"No," Tsai-Chong snapped "I'm sick of this fool and his incessant talk."
Rin-Xien paused for a moment, hesitating as a part of him became uneasy at where this was headed, but now he was so committed to the argument that he couldn't think of a way to get out of it. To back down, especially to famous swordsman like Tsai-Chong, would make him look like a fool and a coward
Another part of him was delighting in this opportunity. If he could stare down a feared warrior like Tsai-Chong, his reputation would be much improved. Unfortunately he could rapidly sense things were moving beyond the point where staring him down was going to be an option.
"Well if you don't like talk," He said, firmly "Why don't you do something about it?"
He regretted this as soon as he'd said it, but there was no getting around it now.
"Fine!" Said Tsai-Chong, and strode out into the courtyard.
"Wait!" said Yan-Yan, sounding panicked "We shouldn't be fighting here, not at a temple."
Tsai-Chong put a hand on the handles of each of the two swords he kept on the left side.
Rin-Xien gripped his katana with both hands and walked over to face him.
"Don't kill each other!" said Sing-Chan
"I'm more than capable of dealing with this idiot without killing him." Said Tsai-Chong, before looking at Rin-Xien "First one to draw blood wins."
"Fine by me." Said Rin-Xien.
He was worried at the way the situation had escalated, but the opportunity to prove himself was tantilizing.
The other ronin and samurai gathered around to watch this battle.
Both Tsai-Chong and Rin-Xien were respected sword fighters and a hot topic of discussion had been which of them would win if they were to face each other, so the atmosphere became increasingly excited at this prospect.
"Don't you want to put some armour on?" Sneered Tsai-Chong. "This swords are pretty sharp."
"I don't fight in armour" said Rin-Xien, glancing around to make sure everyone heard this bold claim. "I don't let anything slow me down in battle."
"Me neither," snarled Tsai-Chong, drawing both his swords. "So let's see how fast you are."
Rin-Xien barely had time to draw his blade before Tsai-Chong came at him with a flurry of attacks. Tsai-Chong's speed was blinding and it was all Rin-Xien could do to keep pace.
When he attempted to strike back, Tsai-Chong didn't parry, but evaded while using his swords to keep attacking at the same time, leaving almost no gaps in his offence.
The crowd around them watched in wrapped silence, trying to follow the blur of steel before them.
Suddenly Rin-Xien felt a strange confidence come over him. He was holding his own, matching Tsai-Chong's pace. He could do this.
Suddenly he saw an opening and lashed out with a kick that hit Tsai-Chong in the side, causing his opponent to stagger back in pain.
He tried to follow up but Tsai-Chongs weapons lashed out keeping him at bay.
"Looks like the Crazy Gwes style is as over rated as I'd heard." He taunted, mocking the fighting system for which Tsai-Chong was known.
Tsai-Chong roared in anger and leapt back at him.
Any earlier hint of restraint was gone, and Rin-Xien realised that if he failed to avoid these blows his opponent was not likely to pull them.
His enemy was angered, this might be his chance to...
His train of thought was cut off as a kick from Tsai-Chong struck him in the chin.
He was hurled back off his feet, landing heavily on his back. His vision melted into a blur and the figures around him seemed like shadowy drifting past his vision.
Tsai-Chong raised his weapon to finish his opponent.
He then stopped and looked around at the audience, who had horrified expressions at the prospect of what was about to happen.
"Tsai-Chong, you cant..." said one of them nervously.
"Fine!" barked Tsai-Chong, clearly burning with frustration "I'll spare his miserable life."
He wiped his sword blades on his opponents sword blades and put them away in a swift motion.
The crowd began to disperse while some moved to help the semi conscious Rin-Xien.
Tsai-Chong didn't move, still glaring at Rin-Xien.
"No!" he said suddenly to the ones trying to help his opponent "We're not done yet!"
"But he can't even stand. You can't..."
"We said it was to first blood, so we're not done."
He snatched a short sword from another samurai's belt and knelt beside Rin-Xien.
There were gasps of horror as the pulled open Rin-Xien's kimono over his chest and sliced a circular pattern into his flesh.
Rin-Xien groaned in pain could offer no resistance.
This done, Tsai-Chong stood up and addressed the shocked samurai.
"There, now he will always remember who defeated him!" He said bitterly.
There was a stunned silence.
Tsai-Chong stood uncertainly for a few moments, his gaze darting between Rin-Xien and the others.
Finally he threw down the short sword and stormed away out of the courtyard.
Tales of the greatest sword fighters, mixed in with rumours and exaggerations were the source of intense discussion and debate. None of the towns young samurai had ever even left the town, so any ronin carried an air of the exotic to them.
Most the them have gathered in the square of the old temple at the centre of town, sitting at tables, drinking and talking.
At the largest table, Yan-Yan had taken charge of the conversation, as was her way.
"You see," she explained, with accompanying exaggerated hand gestures "we've lost sight of what made the Tsung-Dao so strong is the past. We're always too accommodating, but we need to clean our own house before being so bold as to get into other nations business."
"Are we really involved in anyone else's business?" said Sing-Chan, cautiously, "We don't seem..."
"All this talk of foreign trade," Yan-Yan continued, ignoring Sing-Chan completely "What is it for? Is there some sort of shortage we don't know about? We've got everything we need here already, so why get caught up in trying to purchase things we don't have any real use for?"
"Can you give it a rest?" Said Rin-Xien suddenly. "You do nothing but talk and it's the same stuff we've all heard before."
"What do...?" Yan-Yan was thrown off by this unexpected reaction.
"Every time anyone sits down you start with a theory on how to set the world right that you've heard from some other know it all. Then you repeat it back to us as if you thought of any of it yourself."
"I'm just saying...." Said Yan-Yan, annoyed.
"What you're saying is the usual Tang-Dao rubbish, dressed up with some fancy words. Just a load of meaningless blather. There isn't one idea there that would actually work in the real world."
"And who made you such an expert?" Said Tsai-Chong suddenly.
The haste-caste ronin was sat at the far end of the table. Though he looked like an Ano-Chee, his mother was Tsung-dao and his swordsmanship was widely renown.
He wore a bandana diagonally over one side of his face that covered what everyone assumed to be a missing eye and ear.
"I know more than her," Snorted Rin-Xien, he was getting annoyed, probably because he'd had a little more of the rice wine than was wise. But he wasn't about to sit down and be quiet now, not with everyone looking at him. "At least I know how to be quiet."
"Perhaps you should put that skill into practice." Said Tsai-Chong, sternly, "You're making a scene."
"I don't need you to tell me how to behave." Rin-Xien reponded "Why should we have to sit listening to her inane prattle all day?"
"She was making some interesting points till you butted in." said Tsai-Chong, defensively.
"Really? You're really going to say that's why you're stepping in to defend her?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I?" Tsai-Chong was becoming increasingly aggravated.
"So it's not just you trying to impress Yan-Yan? That wouldn't be anything to do with your sudden interest in politics?"
"What do you...?" Tsai-Chong with practically trembling with rage now.
"Leave him," said one of the other ronin "it's not worth it. He's just..."
"No," Tsai-Chong snapped "I'm sick of this fool and his incessant talk."
Rin-Xien paused for a moment, hesitating as a part of him became uneasy at where this was headed, but now he was so committed to the argument that he couldn't think of a way to get out of it. To back down, especially to famous swordsman like Tsai-Chong, would make him look like a fool and a coward
Another part of him was delighting in this opportunity. If he could stare down a feared warrior like Tsai-Chong, his reputation would be much improved. Unfortunately he could rapidly sense things were moving beyond the point where staring him down was going to be an option.
"Well if you don't like talk," He said, firmly "Why don't you do something about it?"
He regretted this as soon as he'd said it, but there was no getting around it now.
"Fine!" Said Tsai-Chong, and strode out into the courtyard.
"Wait!" said Yan-Yan, sounding panicked "We shouldn't be fighting here, not at a temple."
Tsai-Chong put a hand on the handles of each of the two swords he kept on the left side.
Rin-Xien gripped his katana with both hands and walked over to face him.
"Don't kill each other!" said Sing-Chan
"I'm more than capable of dealing with this idiot without killing him." Said Tsai-Chong, before looking at Rin-Xien "First one to draw blood wins."
"Fine by me." Said Rin-Xien.
He was worried at the way the situation had escalated, but the opportunity to prove himself was tantilizing.
The other ronin and samurai gathered around to watch this battle.
Both Tsai-Chong and Rin-Xien were respected sword fighters and a hot topic of discussion had been which of them would win if they were to face each other, so the atmosphere became increasingly excited at this prospect.
"Don't you want to put some armour on?" Sneered Tsai-Chong. "This swords are pretty sharp."
"I don't fight in armour" said Rin-Xien, glancing around to make sure everyone heard this bold claim. "I don't let anything slow me down in battle."
"Me neither," snarled Tsai-Chong, drawing both his swords. "So let's see how fast you are."
Rin-Xien barely had time to draw his blade before Tsai-Chong came at him with a flurry of attacks. Tsai-Chong's speed was blinding and it was all Rin-Xien could do to keep pace.
When he attempted to strike back, Tsai-Chong didn't parry, but evaded while using his swords to keep attacking at the same time, leaving almost no gaps in his offence.
The crowd around them watched in wrapped silence, trying to follow the blur of steel before them.
Suddenly Rin-Xien felt a strange confidence come over him. He was holding his own, matching Tsai-Chong's pace. He could do this.
Suddenly he saw an opening and lashed out with a kick that hit Tsai-Chong in the side, causing his opponent to stagger back in pain.
He tried to follow up but Tsai-Chongs weapons lashed out keeping him at bay.
"Looks like the Crazy Gwes style is as over rated as I'd heard." He taunted, mocking the fighting system for which Tsai-Chong was known.
Tsai-Chong roared in anger and leapt back at him.
Any earlier hint of restraint was gone, and Rin-Xien realised that if he failed to avoid these blows his opponent was not likely to pull them.
His enemy was angered, this might be his chance to...
His train of thought was cut off as a kick from Tsai-Chong struck him in the chin.
He was hurled back off his feet, landing heavily on his back. His vision melted into a blur and the figures around him seemed like shadowy drifting past his vision.
Tsai-Chong raised his weapon to finish his opponent.
He then stopped and looked around at the audience, who had horrified expressions at the prospect of what was about to happen.
"Tsai-Chong, you cant..." said one of them nervously.
"Fine!" barked Tsai-Chong, clearly burning with frustration "I'll spare his miserable life."
He wiped his sword blades on his opponents sword blades and put them away in a swift motion.
The crowd began to disperse while some moved to help the semi conscious Rin-Xien.
Tsai-Chong didn't move, still glaring at Rin-Xien.
"No!" he said suddenly to the ones trying to help his opponent "We're not done yet!"
"But he can't even stand. You can't..."
"We said it was to first blood, so we're not done."
He snatched a short sword from another samurai's belt and knelt beside Rin-Xien.
There were gasps of horror as the pulled open Rin-Xien's kimono over his chest and sliced a circular pattern into his flesh.
Rin-Xien groaned in pain could offer no resistance.
This done, Tsai-Chong stood up and addressed the shocked samurai.
"There, now he will always remember who defeated him!" He said bitterly.
There was a stunned silence.
Tsai-Chong stood uncertainly for a few moments, his gaze darting between Rin-Xien and the others.
Finally he threw down the short sword and stormed away out of the courtyard.