The Day of Thunder

Makime made her way to the headwoman's home a third time this week. Her steps were purposeful and her expression devoid of emotion. Stepping up to the manor door she knocks.

The time had come to clear the air between these them.

Chouri opens the door and bows deeply. "Makime-sama. Please, come in." Her expression is serious, if not somewhat resigned. She coughs a little on the way up the step into the hearth room proper.

Makime follows her in, stopping at the door she looks back at the Lion samurai following her. "Come if I call for you, it shouldn't be necessary."

The Lioness was unperturbed by the cough, "I don't like to waste time. You are a traitor and you will be made to account for that after Jigoku's defeat. I don't particularly care about your reasons. I came here to let you know that, and to let you know if you are still lying to us then it will not be pleasant."

"You will make time to speak with shugenja on your ritual, and I suggest if you truly are trying to make amends you think real hard on what is your own words and what might have been a manipulation."

Her eyes narrow but she makes no threatening moves, "You understand me so far?"

She nodded. "I already agreed to turn myself in to Imperial justice once we can leave."

"Of course you did." Makime looks at the woman, "A coward remains a coward. But understand this, throw yourself on their mercy but the only you will find is how your execution is carried out. How many people have died from your actions? Do you even know how many are at risk now because of them? You betrayed not merely the Empire you and your people fear but the very realm of mortals. Has that ever even entered your mind? Is that what nightmares haunt you when you close your eyes? Do you even know what shame is? Or is the weak coward in you able to drown out even that?"

Makime took a breath and crossed her arms, "And let me state again: you will do anything asked of you to save this realm."

"I know the depth of my crimes," she replied simply, expression still. "But I would like to hear your perception of exactly what they are."

"You are in no position to make such a demand," Makime replied in turn, "But you will get to hear them when you are tried."

"Now I have other more important questions for you. This Shrine of Inari-no-kami. Is it still such? And how does one gain access."

"So you still need to build a case," she responded dryly, then sighed. "It is not a shrine to Inari. Of the many gods enshrined there through many different groups living here, I'm not even sure if Inari was ever one of them. As far as how to access it... Be the Harbinger or her 'beloved'. Or be possessed by her with your consciousness suppressed."

"And were you lucid while inside?" Makime inquires further, "Or did your former master bloat out your senses?"

"The latter, until the last day of the festival, where it opens up for us to head up," she said. "That'll be your shot if you want to get up there."

"I see." Makime nodded, then a thought hit her...and for a brief moment she showed shock to the head woman. It vanished quickly.

"Anything else that will be necessary for this approach?"

"The Harbinger will certainly have defenses ready. The veil between Ningen-do and Yume-do will be incredibly thin on that day no matter what," she explained. "That is where she's planning to bring the Champion fully to Ningen-do, so she will pull out all the stops."

She paused, then added, "I would strongly recommend against killing any of the villagers."

"Because of the ceremony?" Makime replied, her expression cold.

"Because the Harbinger has spent five years perfecting them as sacrifices and this village as an altar," she responded bluntly. "Why do you think she was so keen on making sure you distrust them? If she wasn't able to perform the sacrifice, she would set you up to do it for her."

"Of course." Came Makime's response, calm as always.

"Can you tell me the orientation of the shrine entrance in relation to the cardinal directions."

"It sits along the hill north of here and faces south," she said. "Why?"

"Because it is useful information." Makime turned and made toward the exit.

"Oh and one more thing. I knew about the sacrifices already. I was more curious if you cared enough about your people to ask for their lives." She shook her head, "A coward and terrible leader."

And with that she made her

/Exit