Watching the Heavens
by Kakita Kaori August, 1999.
These events took just prior to GenCon '99 and after the release of Honor Bound. It was written to encourage all the Crane in their battles during Gencon.
"Your tea, Suraki-sensei. Please, you should eat." The young novitiate knelt, laying the tray with tea and sembi on the floor next to the ancient astrologer. Once, perhaps, it would have been sushi, or noodles, but there was drought this year, and even in the halls of the Asahina, they could not forget.
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "I will eat when I am hungry. I am an old man, and need little. Besides, I cannot take the time. The stars are telling secrets tonight, and I must discern them. There is no time! No time!" His blue robe fell around his shoulders, enfolding the bare bones of his frame like a sail on the mast of a ship. He bent his eye again over the strange, double-lensed contraption that helped his old eyes see even the faintest objects in the night sky. What he saw displeased him greatly.
"See? My student? See how the fiery red planet ascends to in the constellation of the Phoenix. It is a blazing omen of war, there, and it lies very near the heart of the Phoenix. And yet, somehow, not at his heart.... A man can take that wound and live. Though it is a grave wound indeed."
The novitiate nodded, but failed to understand as the Astrologer pointed to another area in the star-strewn sky. "The Great Comet burns above us. It draws closer and closer, moving towards Father Moon. Do you see how its tail divides the constellation of the Dragon? But it has also almost passed from that portion of the sky on its path to the Moon. I must meditate upon this."
The old man bent again over his glass, peering at the heavens above. "I fear for the mists of heavens that obscure our own brightest stars, the stars of the Bird of Heaven. It wanes, becoming less than it is as it is dispersed and divided by the light of the River of Stars."
"Perhaps the war of the Doji and Daidoji, Suraki-sensei?" the Novitiate timidly offered.
The ancient astrologer nodded slowly. "Perhaps. Even likely. This must pass before the red planet moves on into our constellation. That would indeed be an ill omen." The astrologer turned the glass to a new area of the sky. "I see the tail of the Scorpion continues to grow brighter as the days pass... Ah! That is new! See how fiercely the light of that bright star blazes in the constellation of Ki Rin. It is indeed something greater than these other stars, yet it does not move with the planets in their spheres. This can mean only one thing!"
"What, Master?" The novitiate leaned forward in fascination.
The old man shook his head. "I will not tell you now, child, for this news is great enough to be shared with only the wisest of the Daimyo. But if you think, your mind will fall upon the answer. No spirit of mere mortal would be foretold with a light so bright, so unusual in its origin, so mysterious in its creation. Does it not burn like a daughter of the Sun herself? Meditate upon this, and you will understand."
The young Asahina tried to keep confusion from his features and nodded, bowing deeply. "I shall meditate."
The Astrologer didn't bother to return the bow, instead turning his head to the Eastern sky. His eyes narrowed. "They are not there. Why are they not there?"
"What, Master?"
"Many stars. Small stars, not the defining light of the constellations, but stars that are as dust between stars, not visible to your eyes without the power of the glass. They are not there. The constellations of the Crab and Lion face towards that part of the sky, as if they never burned brighter, but within, there is only shadow. And, the light of the Standard, the Eastern Star that burns over Otosan Uchi, it is gone." The old man slowly got to his feet, his shoulders trembling as if before a vast cold. "I must tell our Daimyo this. It must be told."
The Novitiate hurriedly got to his feet to help his Sensei down into the halls again, but he cast a frightened look back towards the empty patch of sky.
Far away, across the battlefields of the Crane, fields that held little use for the growing of grain and rice, weary samurai stirred in the night at the sounds of the horns, and the nudges of their sergeants. "Arise. Awaken. We march tonight. Awaken. We march now."
The tired men got to their feet, sliding their daisho into their obi without a word, pulling their kabato over their white hair. No mutter of complaint, no harsh words, but the weariness of war. Samurai mounted in darkness at their leaders command, slowly making their way through the night at their lord's command.
Suddenly, splitting across the gloom, the sound of bright, fiery laughter broke the silence. The sound rang across the field of the Crane as one, Kakita Kurai, blood descendant of the great Doji Hotei, spurred his pony forward, his laughter bubbling from his lips as he rode down the line.
"Such long faces, Samurai! You look like Lord Toku composing poetry for the Court. Be careful, your lip may be remaining here, and your body is fighting on the field for our lord without it. Your face would be less pretty without its lip. And your women, how will you kiss them then? They wait for you eagerly, behind little fluttering fans. Not your woman, though." He stopped by one. "She waits behind two very big fans. I hear she dances well...Perhaps she has no kimono, no?" He laughed again, and spurred his steed forward. "They pray for you. All except your wife. She prays for me!"
Soon, the men were laughing, despite their haggard faces. Their song awakened the crickets as the line wound its way through the darkness, under the light of the Moon.
These events took just prior to GenCon '99 and after the release of Honor Bound. It was written to encourage all the Crane in their battles during Gencon.
"Your tea, Suraki-sensei. Please, you should eat." The young novitiate knelt, laying the tray with tea and sembi on the floor next to the ancient astrologer. Once, perhaps, it would have been sushi, or noodles, but there was drought this year, and even in the halls of the Asahina, they could not forget.
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "I will eat when I am hungry. I am an old man, and need little. Besides, I cannot take the time. The stars are telling secrets tonight, and I must discern them. There is no time! No time!" His blue robe fell around his shoulders, enfolding the bare bones of his frame like a sail on the mast of a ship. He bent his eye again over the strange, double-lensed contraption that helped his old eyes see even the faintest objects in the night sky. What he saw displeased him greatly.
"See? My student? See how the fiery red planet ascends to in the constellation of the Phoenix. It is a blazing omen of war, there, and it lies very near the heart of the Phoenix. And yet, somehow, not at his heart.... A man can take that wound and live. Though it is a grave wound indeed."
The novitiate nodded, but failed to understand as the Astrologer pointed to another area in the star-strewn sky. "The Great Comet burns above us. It draws closer and closer, moving towards Father Moon. Do you see how its tail divides the constellation of the Dragon? But it has also almost passed from that portion of the sky on its path to the Moon. I must meditate upon this."
The old man bent again over his glass, peering at the heavens above. "I fear for the mists of heavens that obscure our own brightest stars, the stars of the Bird of Heaven. It wanes, becoming less than it is as it is dispersed and divided by the light of the River of Stars."
"Perhaps the war of the Doji and Daidoji, Suraki-sensei?" the Novitiate timidly offered.
The ancient astrologer nodded slowly. "Perhaps. Even likely. This must pass before the red planet moves on into our constellation. That would indeed be an ill omen." The astrologer turned the glass to a new area of the sky. "I see the tail of the Scorpion continues to grow brighter as the days pass... Ah! That is new! See how fiercely the light of that bright star blazes in the constellation of Ki Rin. It is indeed something greater than these other stars, yet it does not move with the planets in their spheres. This can mean only one thing!"
"What, Master?" The novitiate leaned forward in fascination.
The old man shook his head. "I will not tell you now, child, for this news is great enough to be shared with only the wisest of the Daimyo. But if you think, your mind will fall upon the answer. No spirit of mere mortal would be foretold with a light so bright, so unusual in its origin, so mysterious in its creation. Does it not burn like a daughter of the Sun herself? Meditate upon this, and you will understand."
The young Asahina tried to keep confusion from his features and nodded, bowing deeply. "I shall meditate."
The Astrologer didn't bother to return the bow, instead turning his head to the Eastern sky. His eyes narrowed. "They are not there. Why are they not there?"
"What, Master?"
"Many stars. Small stars, not the defining light of the constellations, but stars that are as dust between stars, not visible to your eyes without the power of the glass. They are not there. The constellations of the Crab and Lion face towards that part of the sky, as if they never burned brighter, but within, there is only shadow. And, the light of the Standard, the Eastern Star that burns over Otosan Uchi, it is gone." The old man slowly got to his feet, his shoulders trembling as if before a vast cold. "I must tell our Daimyo this. It must be told."
The Novitiate hurriedly got to his feet to help his Sensei down into the halls again, but he cast a frightened look back towards the empty patch of sky.
Far away, across the battlefields of the Crane, fields that held little use for the growing of grain and rice, weary samurai stirred in the night at the sounds of the horns, and the nudges of their sergeants. "Arise. Awaken. We march tonight. Awaken. We march now."
The tired men got to their feet, sliding their daisho into their obi without a word, pulling their kabato over their white hair. No mutter of complaint, no harsh words, but the weariness of war. Samurai mounted in darkness at their leaders command, slowly making their way through the night at their lord's command.
Suddenly, splitting across the gloom, the sound of bright, fiery laughter broke the silence. The sound rang across the field of the Crane as one, Kakita Kurai, blood descendant of the great Doji Hotei, spurred his pony forward, his laughter bubbling from his lips as he rode down the line.
"Such long faces, Samurai! You look like Lord Toku composing poetry for the Court. Be careful, your lip may be remaining here, and your body is fighting on the field for our lord without it. Your face would be less pretty without its lip. And your women, how will you kiss them then? They wait for you eagerly, behind little fluttering fans. Not your woman, though." He stopped by one. "She waits behind two very big fans. I hear she dances well...Perhaps she has no kimono, no?" He laughed again, and spurred his steed forward. "They pray for you. All except your wife. She prays for me!"
Soon, the men were laughing, despite their haggard faces. Their song awakened the crickets as the line wound its way through the darkness, under the light of the Moon.
