The Fox and the Kit

Life, Education

The Matsumoto Black Galleon loomed silently in the skies over Wakigami. From its deck, Fubuki cast a gust of wind to hurl her off the side on a direct course toward Wakigami Castle below. A bit of magic to alter trajectory, and the Black Blade touched down just beyond the castle gates, now closed for the night. The guards on duty gave a start at her* sudden appearance, but apparently had orders to let Fubuki through, as they made no move to stop the new arrival.   Venturing into the familiar halls, Fubuki took a moment to inform Tōdaisen Nobuhara of her* intentions. The Daimyō had decreed that Matsumoto Hiegaeri, now Hiei, was to be given a test to measure the powers of his new body. As the Umbre Fox’s older brother*, Fubuki had undertaken that task. Hiei, of course, would not be pleased. Nobuhara offered no objection, instead recommending the use of the yard and asking them not to wake the sleeping generals if possible.

Before long, Fubuki had arrived at her* destination. Hiei’s door was solidly closed, and no sound came from within. A quick scan of ki energy in the room revealed the young Matsumoto’s familiar aura lying prone a few feet from the door. Fubuki rapped on the wooden frame, eliciting a grumbled complaint that Hiei was sleeping from within. The sun had set, but it was not yet even near midnight, and it would certianly be queer for such an energetic young man to retire so early. So, Fubuki took the next logical step. A finely-woven plush monkey doll had found its way into her* possession during a previous adventure, and the same was now teleported on top of the prone Hiegaeri’s head.   A moment of silence, and then the door opened. Hiei stood there grumpily, monkey askew on his dome, displaying a characteristically sulky expression. Fubuki’s claim that she* was there to administer a test of his new powers did not gain much traction. Hiei proved obstinate, and attempted to sabotage the gathering whenever he could, even going so far as to suggest that they travel to Owari to have the Daimyō witness it herself.   Eventually, and only by promising the princess’ presence, Fubuki managed to wrangle the youth out into the castle’s yard. Hashinara Yoshitakatomo did not attend herself*, of course. Other matters had indeed captured her* attention at Owari Castle. She sent Hashinara Yoshiwara in her* place, able to speak and sense through the sheele as thought an extension of her* own body. This was enough for Hiei, who seemed much more eager to please the Daimyō than his brother.   The sand pit in the yard, normally used for martial training and studded with training dummies, served their purpose nicely. When creating Hiei’s new body, Yoshitakatomo had bestowed upon him magical powers in addition to the skill with blades he had possessed already. It was in this that she* wished to instruct him and, with the pupil hesitantly willing, they began.   Hiei’s new body, while magical in nature, did not possess the capacity to channel magical energy as efficiently as a true wizard. To this problem, Yoshitakatomo suggested a solution in the form of Onmyōdo. By crafting talismans beforehand and infusing them with a bit of magic, Hiei would only have to accumulate a fraction of the necessary energy in the moment. The student, too, was not entirely unfamiliar with this process. He had become friendly with Tōdaisen Nobuyoshi, who used the things for his own onmyōji spells.   Adroit as always, Yoshitakatomo had prepared a few talismans beforehand. These were no major spells, but enough to cast a layer of dark armor upon the caster, and a few that would unleash a minor blast of dark magic. Hiei took them, and squared off against his brother, the Black Blade, in the training ground. Following the Daimyō’s instructions, he cast Dark Armor first, successfully invoking enough magic to produce a flimsy barrier around his body. Then, he moved on to Dark Beam. With an invitation from Fubuki herself, Hiei fired the bolt not at a training dummy, but at the other standing across from him. It was a surprisingly skillful attack. Hiei cast the spell by swinging his dagger as he was most accustomed, and it seemed a large portion of his martial experience translated into the more esoteric attack. Fubuki batted it away with a wooden training sword, but the defense was far from effortless.   Egged on by his brother, Hiei tried another, and that too was deflected. Then, without waiting for an order, he launched the third attack of his own volition. In his haste, he fumbled the motion, and Fubuki was able to deflect the oncoming spell with such force that the momentum carried her* forward. She ended up, in the blink of an eye, behind Hiei. The training dummy nearest her exploded into straw and fragments of wood, obliterated by a single swing of the wooden sword.   This did not have an encouraging effect on their pupil. Hiei threw down the remaining charms in disgust, openly wondering why he should even try when his brother was so far beyond him in terms of power. Yoshitakatomo explained that only diligent study and experience, like the Black Blade had engaged in since the rise of the Hashinara, would allow him to close the gap. This was not what Hiei wished to hear, however. He wanted a shortcut.   Yoshitakatomo had already granted him one in the form of Hiei’s new, mystical body. She* was glad, then that she* had not gone further in the modifications. The young Matsumoto’s thirst for power, brought about no doubt by envy toward his brother’s success, was a dangerous thing. She* ended the training there, allowing Hiei to return to his rooms.   Fubuki had other objectives. A massive shipment of “cursed” swords had arrived by way of a Karakuri Merchant earlier in the day. Kiyowara had been there to accept them and move them into storage, where she now directed Fubuki, offering the Black Blade to take as many as they wished. Fubuki claimed four, then moved on to Kō-Midare Workshop in the same manner she* had arrived at the castle.   Masamune was the only one there, but expressed this usual subdued friendliness at the return of his assistant. He granted Fubuki permission to use the forges to melt down those swords. They were the work of his rival, and he wished for nothing more than their destruction, but if Fubuki could make use of the slag, he would not object. He had a project finished for her, as well: an immensely heavy metal door forged to exacting specifications.   Before she* got to work, Fubuki asked Masamune to take a look at the odd, black dagger she* had recovered from the body of Raym. He took it with interest, and explained that, while the interior was fine steel, the shell of the weapon was some kind of black mineral he couldn’t identify. It was not, at least, Absodium, that hellish metal forged from mortal souls. Upon being told of the item’s Gehennan origins, Masamune suggested that different demonic cultures might well have different crafting techniques, much as the same variance existed in human cultures.   Thanking her* mentor, Fubuki began the sweltering work of melting down Muramasa’s “practice” blades.