The Day of Thunder

[Makime]

(Daimyo Meeting - Heck let's add some mood music since I have a reputation to keep up...)

Makime squats next to a fire warming her hands, she had posted what Lion remained to keep anyone but a select few away from her position. They stood far enough away to not hear anything those at the fire would say. So then she waited patiently for the other three senior clan leaders to arrive.

There would be much to discuss, and for her part the Lioness hoped it went smoothly.

[Matsu]

The Amazon arrived, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Her hands were tucked into the sleeves of her Kimono, but the unusual thing was her hair was fully down, rather than tied back as per usual. The length of it reaching down to her rear. It seemed in her desire to arrive to the meeting early, she opted to not take even that time.

Matsu approached the fire, but did not squat or sit. Instead keeping her towering presence. After all, she was likely the least experienced of all the daimyo.

"Good morning, Makime-sama."

[Makime]

Despite the size difference, the older woman did not seem intimidated by Matsu. Makime did rise however, not in some pointless display of asserted dominance but to greet a fellow warrior and war leader as an equal.

"We are past the point you need to refer to me as -sama, Lady Matsu." She inclined her head in greeting, "My apologies for disturbing you this morning. I would prefer to wait to begin until we have all gathered."

[Matsu]

"I was a child when I first knew of you. That'll be a hard habit to shake, Lady Makime." She inclined her head, a bit deeper than the other woman did to her. "There's nothing to be sorry for. There's some shit going down, and wasting breath discussing it repeatedly as everyone else shows up is a waste. Words can be precious, so I'm fine waiting till the others are here."

[Otaku]

Next to Matsu, Otaku looks tiny, perhaps even dwarfish. She has already been up for a while; with no other Ki-rin here besides Xiaochen, she’d wanted to see to Tsubame herself. Despite the cold night, his leg hadn’t so much as stiffened, a powerful testament to Tai’s strength in magic.

Otaku, on the other hand, is herself chilled and a little stiff after fetching and carrying in the sharp dawn cold. She arrives at Makime’s fire wearing a blanket over her shoulders as a rough cloak, and her quiet murmured “Good morning” to the other two women comes out in a puff of white mist that drifts into oneness with the heavy fog around them.

[Makime]

"Lady Otaku," Makime nodded in greeting, "I trust your...Tsubame was it? Is doing well. Not that I expected the old Crab's magic to just unwind itself mind."

"You'll forgive my avoiding the primary topic until Lady Anjing arrives I hope."

[Anjing]

"Makime, Matsu, Otaku."
Anjing arrived armed and armoured for war a tetsubo resting across her shoulder. The usually battered gear was polished to a sheen.
"It is good to see you all"

Craning her neck.
"And Fortunes, don't grow any taller Matsu. For Otaku's sake at least."
All three warriors receive a polite nod from the Anjing Daimyo.

[Otaku]

“No matter. I’m used to it,” Otaku says mildly, lips quirking. “Well met, Anjing-san.”

“Tsubame is in fine spirits, thanks, Makime-san.” She bows her head courteously. “Though you didn’t call us here to ask about his health, I think.”

[Makime]

"Lady Anjing." Makime inclined her head a third time. "Well time to start then."

She frowns, "I assume everyone noticed a certain note this morning? If not it seems the resident meddling Imperial has decided to go around handing out appointments."

The Lioness uncrosses her arms and rubs her knuckles, "Sora may be the favored dog of the Emperor but he does not speak for him. And his little stunt annoys me. Greatly. All the more so because the sentiment is correct. After the attack yesterday it seems we are no longer left with the luxury of the monk getting off his rock and getting on with...what ever is to happen."

"So we must look to defense of the town and our camp. A task that is much easier with central coordination."

She paused and looked directly at each, "But who takes that role should be decided by us. Unanimously."

[Matsu]

"I'm more interested in getting stronger than taller, Lady Anjing," she smiled sheepishly as the final Daimyo arrived, instinctively flexing her arms before regaining the seriousness of the moment. Her deep, dark eyes focused on Makime, listening intently.

"We don't have an army here. The Spider have brought a few of our soldiers, but we will have to muster our fellow samurai. And keep the villagers from the defense. We don't have the time to train them with spears and to not run at the first sight of a monster." She replied, a stark contrast in seriousness from her comment a moment ago.

"Like you said, Sora is right. You are the best choice."

[Anjing]

Anjing frowned.

"There are men and women in this empire who can command me. Sora is not one of them. Still, I see no problem with an organised effort."
Nodding at Matsu.

"I agree, Makime is the logical choice here. This position needs someone with a stick up their ass and a sell-flagellating drive to get things done right."
A slight smile at the Lion daimyo.
"In the best possible way of course."

Turning to look back at the Crab camp.
"I am happy to follow her lead her and will ask me people to treat any reasonable order from her as coming from myself. I only ask that you treat the lives of my people with respect, many of us are willing to sacrifice everything if asked."

[Otaku]

Otaku glances (up) between the faces of her three fellow daimyo. “I would plan a hunt, a progress, a herd drive, a cavalry raid. I’ll trust fortifying a camp to the true experts,” she says in her soft, musical voice.

Her gaze focuses on Makime and Anjing in turn. Both of them have many more years of learning and more experience in defensive warfare than Otaku or Matsu. If Anjing is prepared to defer to Makime on this, Otaku considers her own decision made as well.

After a few moments, she adds, “Whatever comes at us, it may not fight like men fight. That wolf yesterday would have come up to Matsu-san’s shoulder. On all fours.”

[Matsu]

"I'm sorry I missed it. I'd have enjoyed taking it down." She punched one fist into the palm of her hand, firm determination in her words.

"Lady Makime, as the leader of the Spider Armies, I would ask that I be allowed to serve as your second. Leadership has been a wonder to read, though it doesn't detail dealing with demons nearly enough." She grinned at that, then returned to seriousness.

"Monsters require an understanding that you have to give everything you have to stop them. Because if you don't, you're dead."

[Makime]

Makime let out a sigh, "...well I can not say I am surprised. I suppose I have a reputation to uphold. Well...let's begin with a brief plan and see if you still believe in your choice." She bends down and picks up a stick, somewhere in the camp an Imperial sits up.

"I have...been giving this thought since I visited the village head's home." She shook her head, "...a manor in all but name." While she talks, Makime draws a crude map of the village. "I think we are all in agreement that giving some farmers sharpened sticks and a few hours training does not an army make. But it is what we have."

The Lioness points to a hill on her map. "The manor is here, the shrine here, and the graveyard here. I believe this hill is our best position." She draws another line just down from the square she called 'the manor'. "We build an earth and stake wall here, something for our impromptu spearman to stand behind. Fighting from behind a wall should serve to stiffen their resolve...and of course we will have some of our gathered warrior among them. Though some will have to be held in reserve."

She moves her stick back up to the shrine at the hill's top, "Our problem is here. The manor is not the highest point. So we must build a smaller fortification here. It's purpose is to keep watch of the reverse side and warn of attack from that way...and stall any such assault from that direction."

Her eyes met Anjing's, "I would entrust you to pick those who hold this position. It's isolated and if an attack does come that way...your warriors will have to fight on their own until help arrives. You see now why I would give you this duty?"

She nodded to Matsu, "I would appreciate any information we can gather on these creatures."

[Anjing]

Her eyes met Anjing's, "I would entrust you to pick those who hold this position. It's isolated and if an attack does come that way...your warriors will have to fight on their own until help arrives. You see now why I would give you this duty?"

"There's a risk we could be overwhelmed if the enemy brings sufficient force."
The risk clearly makes Anjing uncomfortable as she considers the proposal.

"And there I was talking about how worried I am about sacrifice."
She sighs, feeling old.
"But I suppose if anyone is to be cut off, it had best be us. I don't think anyone else has a contingent of warriors as large or as suited to it. If needs be we'll hole."

Her expression becomes grimmer still though.

"There is one thing we have not considered, at least not aloud. Although I fear it might prove more devastating than any direct assault."

[Makime]

Makime lets out a sigh, "That one or more of these villagers is in league with the enemy?"

She taps the stick on the manor square, "...another reason I want them all in one place."

[Anjing]

Makime lets out a sigh, "That one or more of these villagers is in league with the enemy?"

She taps the stick on the manor square, "...another reason I want them all in one place."

"One or more? Makime you have become an optimist."

Her tone firm. "I don't trust them, I don't like them and I don't want them standing behind you with weapons. There's no better time to slip a dagger into someone's back than when they're fighting for their lives. I know from experience."

She points at the square with her weapon.
"Even contained they could cause enough trouble to get everyone here killed. Drugging supplies, relaying information, leaving our walls unguarded. I need to know that we're prepared to do what is necessary if it comes to that."
Smacking the tetsubo into the ground for emphasis.
"Where do we draw the line?"

[Matsu]

"Enemies of the Empire will be dealt with in brutal efficiency. Pa told me stories of when he was a bandit lord. Before the Kami... how when someone betrayed the Noriaki, you didn't just deal with them, but everyone they associated with. If they could tolerate a traitor, they were traitors themselves," she replied to Anjing, cool.

"This place has reeked of devilry since we got here. I'm with Lady Anjing on this. If they are the Enemy, they will be put down like demonfucker dogs."

[Makime]

"It is not hard to believe some of them are innocent." Makime tapped the ground, "But it doesn't take many who aren't to spell disaster. Unfortunately our best course is to keep an eye on them for now. And make sure that the reserve knows that they may be called on to play executioner."

She smiles slightly, "Of course...I have noted our fellows have already started fortifying this place as well. I see no reason to stop them, helps expend energy and keep these young idle hands out of trouble. And if it turns out we need to fallback from a hostile town...well we have a place to go."

"As for the line..." The Lioness let out another sigh, "as far as I am concerned they have expended the first bit of my patience the night of the festival. Any hint of suspicious behavior needs to be recorded. For what it is worth I trust everyone here's judgement. If you feel the they have crossed the line...I will support your decision on the matter."

[Canary]

A cold breeze rattled the leaves of the trees near the camp. It didn't sound like a voice. It was just trees.

And yet the air seemed to carry the thought itself.

It's obvious there's already a traitor. Why wait and let them do more damage?