Kyuden Shika

"The Moto have their own Lords of Death, perhaps they can help me. Either way at least I know she is in caring arms. So if I change my mind, if I decide to walk on my own do you or Aimi have any advice?"

"Well, she knows a lot more about it firsthand than I do."

He sighed.

"Smarter than I am. More cultured than I am. Tougher than I am. What she sees in me I'll never know. But anyway. Advice? Be prepared to eat a healthy ration of shit. What I am about to do? Yeah, nobody's supposed to do it. And 'proper' samurai will make sure their disgust is registered if they figure out who I am. With your skills? Expect to make a good living wherever you go until some local asshole decides to show off by pushing you around. Get used to not giving your masterpieces away to friends, but for coin. Learn the value of each zeni."

"Come south with me, both of you, I can offer you shelter for a time then you can escort me to the Unicorn, even in Scorpion lands my father is important enough for them to think twice about hurting me or my people. We can find friends from here on the River of Gold, the Otter or Hikimasu. It doesn't have to be terrible for you two. My father may hate me but I am still valuable to him and he has great wealth. I can hire you to for the duration, fill your pockets if that's what it takes." His words were desperate but true, if the wolves would take the offer.

"Ah, but remember... she's 'really' a Kasuga, my friend. And when I marry her, I'll be a Kasuga as well. We'll be fine. Besides."

He smiled.

"She can conjure food. I'm frankly baffled but what I can bring to the table, but I'll settle for turning anyone who even looks at her funny into a pile of chopped meat."

He looked at his friend very seriously despite his drunkenness. "You are already going this far, do the Tortoise really matter? They may have a good offer but I think mine is better so screw them. Come with me and you two will never have to run again, you can go see the Burning Sands for yourself if you want."

"They matter for me, because I want Aimi to not need to worry about her livelihood ever again. I want her to have a bed to sleep in, and a clan to stand behind her. If the clan had been the Phoenix, I would have just been another obnoxiously happy soul walking about the Kyuden today."

He was desperate now. "The Unicorn can be what you need, I don't know Mitsuki well but I know she has pull and is practical. In time you can earn new oaths of fealty. Will you at least bring up the idea to Aimi, see what she thinks about it?"

"But then what does Kasuga-san get for generously stepping aside to let us do this? Besides."

He threw an arm around Soyokaze's shoulder.

"Taking money to keep you safe on the road? Afraid I simply can't do that. Don't worry, I have no intention of vanishing forever. Ships go out, ships come back."

He sighed and the pain within it was for more than just himself. a soft clunk landed between them, a familiar jangle and he picked up another bottle. "Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"It's kept me alive. Anyway. You should see if Moto-san has an estate or if she might be better off posting you to, say, a Unicorn embassy somewhere. Like, say, a port city where ships with foreign trade come and go..."