The Betrayer (Bayushi and Yogo)
The shadows of the room were thick and long from the setting of the sun. The Phoenix shugenja knelt down before the wakizashi before him and sighed. His head was hung low and his breath was deep. His eyes were red from the day’s tears, but his sorrow did not dampen his resolve.
Quietly, the Phoenix placed a sheet of paper in his hands, the last words he would ever write. Then, he took up the wakizashi, freed it from its saya and placed the tip against his…
“Wait,” said a voice behind him.
The shugenja turned, fire brewing in his soul. “Who dares…?”
A figure stepped forward from the shadows, a figure the shugenja knew well. “It is I,” it said. “He who dares anything.”
“Bayushi.” He spoke the name through spite-clenched teeth.
The Scorpion nodded. “Aye. I heard of your…dilemma. I have a far less painful solution.”
Suddenly, the shugenja’s hate was cast away, and hope was put in its place. “You know how to remove the curse?”
Bayushi shook his head. “No. That knowledge is not within my grasp.”
The shugenja suddenly realized he was standing. His chin fell to his chest again, and the strength in his legs failed him. He fell to the floor weeping.
“Cursed!” he shouted, as if the moon could hear him. “Cursed forever!”
“To betray the one you love the most,” Bayushi finished.
The shugenja nodded. He sobbed for a while, then his fist clenched about the blade before him. “If only…”
“If only?”
“If only I could make them…”
“Make them pay?”
The shugenja looked up. Bayushi could see the hate in the man’s eyes, even through the darkness. “Yes. Make them pay. All of them.”
The Scorpion stepped forward. “We can. Together, we can make them pay.”
The shugenja shook his head. “No. There is no way. Even with all my knowledge, the curse cannot be broken. I am condemned to betray those I love.”
Bayushi knelt next to im and put his hand on his shoulder. There was a smile on his face and glee in his eyes.
“But Yogo, you do not love me.”
Many moons later....
As construction on the castle began, Bayushi gave Yogo a large box. "Within it," he said, "you will find your revenge."
Yogo opened the box and found the twelve black scrolls Shosuro had brougth back from the Shadowlands.
"That is correct," Bayushi said. "I have given you the doom of Fu Leng."
Yogo accepted the scrolls with trembling hands. He realized that he held the most potent and powerful magic the world had ever seen. "But, why me?"
"Because you are destined to betray Shiba, not me. That is why I trust you."
Quietly, the Phoenix placed a sheet of paper in his hands, the last words he would ever write. Then, he took up the wakizashi, freed it from its saya and placed the tip against his…
“Wait,” said a voice behind him.
The shugenja turned, fire brewing in his soul. “Who dares…?”
A figure stepped forward from the shadows, a figure the shugenja knew well. “It is I,” it said. “He who dares anything.”
“Bayushi.” He spoke the name through spite-clenched teeth.
The Scorpion nodded. “Aye. I heard of your…dilemma. I have a far less painful solution.”
Suddenly, the shugenja’s hate was cast away, and hope was put in its place. “You know how to remove the curse?”
Bayushi shook his head. “No. That knowledge is not within my grasp.”
The shugenja suddenly realized he was standing. His chin fell to his chest again, and the strength in his legs failed him. He fell to the floor weeping.
“Cursed!” he shouted, as if the moon could hear him. “Cursed forever!”
“To betray the one you love the most,” Bayushi finished.
The shugenja nodded. He sobbed for a while, then his fist clenched about the blade before him. “If only…”
“If only?”
“If only I could make them…”
“Make them pay?”
The shugenja looked up. Bayushi could see the hate in the man’s eyes, even through the darkness. “Yes. Make them pay. All of them.”
The Scorpion stepped forward. “We can. Together, we can make them pay.”
The shugenja shook his head. “No. There is no way. Even with all my knowledge, the curse cannot be broken. I am condemned to betray those I love.”
Bayushi knelt next to im and put his hand on his shoulder. There was a smile on his face and glee in his eyes.
“But Yogo, you do not love me.”
- From Yogo Anaido’s “The Traitor”
Many moons later....
As construction on the castle began, Bayushi gave Yogo a large box. "Within it," he said, "you will find your revenge."
Yogo opened the box and found the twelve black scrolls Shosuro had brougth back from the Shadowlands.
"That is correct," Bayushi said. "I have given you the doom of Fu Leng."
Yogo accepted the scrolls with trembling hands. He realized that he held the most potent and powerful magic the world had ever seen. "But, why me?"
"Because you are destined to betray Shiba, not me. That is why I trust you."
- From Yogo Anaido’s “The Traitor”
