Session One; Foreign Noise

A dull grey existence enveloped Katsumi when she opened her eyes. She was standing in what appeared to be the common way, but it wasn’t exactly that. Like an echo, or dusty painting, the colors were washed out, muted, just a ruminant of what would have been the common way in front of her tent. The buildings were there in the same fashion, solid but faded. It was familiar, not because she had spent the last few days in a mirror of this place, it wasn’t the location that really brought on the sense that Katsumi had been here before, it was simply the feeling. It was a feeling that weighed on her shoulders, that kept her heart from pounding, that muffled the world and felt like it all should make sense. Like she had been here time and time again, even if the scenery was different, this feeling was one she knew she had experienced. There was something that didn’t belong in this dusky familiar place, instead of the common sounds Katsumi had heard the previous mornings near her tent, there was nothing. No crickets, no fires, no murmur from people. No wind blowing through the manicured trees, or ruffling the tent. It was deadly silent except for a faint and strange tone, a tone that now that Katsumi was listening for, brought a slow chill to the nape of her neck. It rang like war horn being blown miles and miles away, except it shook in and out with impossible pitches, stuttering and screaming as if dragging metal across a bronze statue lay at the heart of this horn. It was a sound Katsumi had never heard before in nature or otherwise.

Yesterday’s bones sprang into her head, dawning on Katsumi a new comprehension for the odd mystery the realm had given her. When noise turns to dreams, death will be upon you. That was it, now it made sense why this place felt so familiar, it was Yume-do, the Realm of Dreams. It was a world ever changing, a place all people go when sleep takes them at night. And that noise… That noise was here, and out of place, and strange as could be to Katsumi, it was here in her dreams, which meant death was close at hand. Katsumi dropped to the ground, tossing off her traveling pack to fetch her bowl and that old worn pouch of hers, the one that clicked when the contents knocked each other. She quickly untied the pouch, tossing the bones into the bowl. There was no need to shake it this time, the sign had already come. Death is upon you.

“Kuso…” Katsumi muttered, drawing lines in her mind, piecing it together. She once saw a man, a villager, stabbed through the chest who didn’t die. His lungs continued to breath, and his heart continued to beat, but he slept. The healer had called it the unresting sleep. A place where you weren’t quite dead, but you weren’t really alive either. Your soul hadn’t gone to Meido, the Realm of Waiting, but instead had gotten lost on the way. Your body continued until you either awoke suddenly, your spirit finding its vessel again, or the more likely, you passed away with no more than a small exhale of breath. A body couldn’t last forever without a soul. If Katsumi was in Yume-do, and death was upon her, she must be in the unresting sleep.

“Kuso.” She grumbled again.

She gathered up the bones and her bowl, putting them back in her traveling pack and leaving it sagging on the ground. She had little use for the necessities of life now, there was no reason to pretend they would do her any good. She did, however, grab her bisento, unsure of what use it would be to her, she just had a feeling she would need it, and Katsumi had learned long ago to trust her feelings. Katsumi glanced around with little idea on what to do next and saw, not far from her, people. Solid, vibrant people. There were two standing next to each other, and a third with-was that a lion? Yes, an actual lion, walking with the third towards the other two. Katsumi followed suit and headed towards the small group.

“I met you yesterday,” The tallest of them said, a voice clearly male. He was also clearly Crane. Besides the vibrant blue and white colors of his yoroi, his long hair was also dyed white, a custom belonging largely to the Crane. He was taller than Katsumi, she could tell even with the distance as he stood two heads over his counterpart. His obi held a wakizashi and katana, that marked him as a samurai, and one that fought for himself, if the armor didn‘t give it away. He had regal features, thin nosed and sharp, like most Crane.

“Shiba Morasahi, right?” He was speaking to a Phoenix, her yellow and orange yoroi displayed the symbol of their clan, a flaming bird painted red. The Phoenix was short in stature, though her height was hard to judge standing next to the Crane. She figured it must be a woman from her size and general build. The Phoenix also had an obi that contained a daisho set, another samurai trained in combat. In her right hand she held a spear to accompany it. Her hair was black and tied back, and her eyes were dark, but Katsumi was still too far to tell what color.

“Yes, but where are we?” The Phoenix’s voice was soft and feminine, barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know. Some place strange.” The Crane said, looking around, his eyes lighting up when he noticed the Lion approaching. Besides her obvious colors, there was only one clan that walked with the lions, treating them as oversized housecats, the Lion clan. No one else would dare try to convince a wild animal that domestication was more enjoyable a life. It probably had to do with their stubborn nature, unable to take no for an answer. This one was also a woman, and also shorter than Katsumi. She had a mane of light brown hair and honey eyes. She held a great amount of beauty, even for looking like a brute.

By this time Katsumi had crossed the short distance between her and the small group, she sat, waiting to see what would happen next. If this was all a dream, perhaps she could learn of how she entered the unresting sleep, and where she might find her body, or at least a way to Meido. Obviously these characters that had appeared to her were there for a reason, why else would they be in her Yume-do? She tried not to read too much into the symbolism of two birds being stalked by two lions. These visions were speaking, which meant their words probably carried more weight than who they were.

The Crane bowed to the Lion, “You’re here too. Any idea what’s going on, Matsu-san?”

Matsu quickly glanced behind the Crane to where Katsumi was sitting, curiosity on her face. “No. I just woke up here.”

“I did too. I was just standing here, in the street. The last thing I remember were the fireworks from last night. What about you, Shiba-san? Do you know how we got here?” With that the Crane turned towards Shiba, who had intently been staring at Katsumi since she sat down. Matsu was now staring at Katsumi too. The Crane followed Shiba’s gaze and faced Katsumi. Now all of them were watching her, even the lion!

“Please, go on. Continue.” Katsumi urged as pleasantly as she could manage. None of them looked away.

“I don’t believe I know you.” The Crane was the first to speak. “I am Asahina Kyuzo.”

“I am Shiba Morasahe.” Shiba chimed in.

“Very well.” Katsumi nodded. “Now, keep going. I’m curious to see where this is headed.”

“What do you mean?” Matsu demanded, “Do you know where we are?”

“Of course! Take a look around,” Katsumi waived her hand at the surroundings, “we’re in Yume-do.” A peculiar thing happened at that moment, one that only Asahina seemed to notice besides Katsumi, people sprang up. They weren’t really people as the rest of the group were people, but faint shadows the size and shape of people. Much lighter than the buildings, and misty. Curious, Katsumi thought. She refocused on the conversation at hand, the confusion on Matsu’s face made it obvious the name of Yume-do had little meaning to her. “The Realm of Dreams. You see, you’re in my head, I’m dreaming all of this.”

“So, we’re all dreaming this?” Shiba questioned.

“No, I’m dreaming this. You three are in my dream.”

“Why does it have to be your dream?” Shiba pressed on, “Couldn’t it as easily be mine?”

Katsumi chuckled. “No. You see, I’m close to death, so I’m dreaming. This is my world in Yume-do. You are here because I wanted you to be, though I don’t yet know why. You‘re not real.”

“So if we kill you, we’ll get out of this place.” Matsu postulated to the best of her abilities. It was almost a question, but it was clearly also a threat.

Just like a Lion, Katsumi thought, ready to jump into a fight whether they understand it or not. Katsumi grinned, a useless display since her shozuko only allowed her eyes to be seen. She flexed her hands on the shaft of her bisento that was sitting across her lap. “Go ahead and try.” She taunted, staring down Matsu. She was certain she could take one or two of them down, if they all came at her at once. Since it only seemed to be Matsu, Katsumi figured the odds were in her favor, even with a lion. Katsumi was quick and the brutal training of the Spider Monks had long since grown her accustomed to pain. A bite from a lion wouldn’t break her.

Shiba interjected, “I’m very much real. I can assure you of that.”

“Then tell me the names of your parents.”

“Why should I do that? I don’t even have your name yet.”

Katsumi was starting to get annoyed. These people weren’t helping her find Meido. They weren’t doing much of anything except being controversial. The only one who hadn’t questioned everything she had said was the Crane, Asahina, who was walking around prodding at the misty shadow people. She grit her teeth, “Just tell me their names.”

“My father is Shiba Mosohai, and my mother is Shiba Soreyu.”

It was Katsumi’s turn to be confused. If these people were simply designed in her head, they shouldn’t have families. Even if they were just echoes in Yume-do, they would have holes in their life, whole pieces missing because the information was never given to the Realm of Dreams. “My apologies,” Katsumi stammered as she climbed to her feet, offering a respectable bow, “I am Daigotsu Katsumi. I offer my greatest apology for any insult I may have caused, Shiba-sama.”

Shiba simply nodded back, “Thank yo-” Her words were cut off by a terrible screech. That noise, the unnatural and impossible noise that didn’t belong, grew to a crescendo. Reaching piercing levels as it squealed, squelched and stuttered. Katsumi covered her ears and frantically looked about trying to locate the horrendous source. As suddenly as it had become a cacophony of sound, it dimmed and returned to the background, leaving the group with nothing but the barely audible hum and a low growl from something that leapt from the shadows at Asahina.

Asahina slid his foot backwards, spinning to his side, allowing the creature to fly past but not without connecting with his shoulder, visibly knocking him off balance. The monster landed between the group and Asahina, giving all the opportunity to lay eyes upon its abominable form. You could call it a dog, as that is what it most closely resembled, but general form was the only thing the two shared. Its skin was black as Jigoku, and slick as oil. Its body was ragged, like it was torn from the fabric of reality and placed in this realm. A large horn protruded from the beast’s back that dripped a smoky blackness which dissipated before it hit the ground. Long talons of the abyss dug into the dull dirt, and needles of the moonless night lined its mouth.

Asahina drew his katana quicker than Katsumi could follow and dashed towards the thing. He was quick, but the clip to his shoulder must have thrown him off his step, his blade swung wide and missed. Katsumi lunged at the creature, her bisento cutting into its ribs. From behind her she heard Matsu bark a command, “Hikaru, capture it.” Katsumi choked back her laughter at the thought. Mere minutes ago, Matsu was considering killing her, and now she wanted to capture a demon dog? The lion sprung next to Katsumi swiping at its adversary, knocking the shadow dog back while rending its slick flesh. The creature seemed undeterred, finding its ground and hopping upon Asahina a second time. Asahina side stepped again, but this time he brought his blade up to meet the obsidian animal, scoring its side.

“It’s easier to deal with dead.” Katsumi scoffed, she spun her bisento over her head and brought it down on the animal again. Shiba finally appeared in the fray ending the thing’s life with a devastating downward blow from her katana. Katsumi snorted looking down on the mangled corpse, “Capture it.”

A foreign voice filled the air, “That was interesting, if short lived.”

Katsumi twisted around in search of their visitor. She wasn’t fond of situations she couldn’t control, and she was even less fond of strangers observing her unseen. She swept her eyes over the washed out buildings, down the common way where she had come, and even tilted her head to peer around the corners of a tent nearby, nothing. Turning back towards Matsu, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of a queer man standing not ten feet in front of her. He wasn’t Rokugani. His complexion was light, with blue eyes and hair the color of wheat. His manner of dress was even more odd, he looked to be wearing a haori, except it was fitted tightly to his body with several coins sewn into it and strange decorations on the shoulders. His hakama was thin in the legs, and on his feet weren’t sandals, it was some sort of hard tabi, except lacked the seam separating the toes.

“Who are you?” Katsumi demanded to the man that appeared out of no where.

“I am Joshua.” The fair man said with a smile.

“Jashuwa?” She rolled the name around in her head. It was an odd name, suiting for this odd man with his odd clothes and odd way of speaking.

“Yes. Is everyone ready?” He clapped his hands together looking over each one of them. Silence and stares were all that he received in return.

“Ready for what?” Katsumi asked cautiously.

“To play a game, of course.” Jashuwa’s hands gave a small wave, then he tapped his right pointer to his temple before swinging his hands behind his back. “Oh yes, you have all forgotten, you’re dead.”

“What do you mean dead?” Shiba squeaked.

Joshua took a few steps forward, “This one here,” he nodded and shoved his thumb towards Katsumi, “convinced the rest of you to hunt down some bandits. Needless to say, things didn’t go as you expected. They shot you in the chest.” He pointed a finger at Shiba, then indicated towards Asahina, “You got your skull caved in.” Katsumi eyed Asahina’s head, imagining what they would have used to shatter the bone, probably a tetsubo. “Your cat dragged your body away.” He was wiggling his fingers at Matsu who in turn looked down at Hikaru, whether she was happy with the lion‘s actions or not wasn‘t clear to Katsumi. “And they drowned you.” He was again looking at Katsumi, a smug smile touching his lips. She narrowed her eyes in response, this foreigner wasn’t to be trusted in her mind.

“You mean to tell us we’re in Meido?” Katsumi balked.

“Mayeedoh? It’s been such a long time since I fell, I don’t recognize your cultural words.”

“The Realm of Waiting, where we‘re judged before our next life.”

“Oh, yes. Well, not quite. I only get to judge humanity every ten thousand years, and you were chosen to play this time.”

“If we’re dead, what are we playing for?” It was Asahina that spoke this time. The question seemed to put an ever more wicked smile on Jashuwa’s face.

“For your life, of course. It’s simple, you win, you get your life back; you lose, and you’ll be wiped from this world. You will never see this Mayeedoh, or your ancestors. You will cease to exist. Forever.”

The grim faces of the group left no imagination to the severity of his words. He was talking about removing a samurai from their karmic cycle. To completely end their life. A concept kept far from the lives of samurai who are taught to never fear death for it only affects the body, not the spirit. Katsumi watched Shiba swallow. She noticed Asahina turning his hands ever so slightly, as if refraining from throwing them in the air in resignation. She felt the same way, there was really very little choice in the matter.

“One more thing you won’t remember, in order to participate I had a conversation with each of you. You wagered that which was most dear to you as an entry fee, if you fail, it too shall be wiped from existence along with you. Now, if you would all look at your hand, the game will begin. You have seven days to complete the game, and each day will end once the task has been accomplished.”

Katsumi held up her hands, on her right palm was the finest calligraphy she had ever seen, and a peculiar set of numbers. They were decreasing in value, and the previous number just vanished with the lower number taking its place. Below the perplexing count down were directions. Katsumi frowned while trying to read the mixture of kanji and archaic characters. Something about duel grounds. When she looked up, Asahina had already started sprinting off. Shiba wasn’t far behind him. She glanced at Matsu and shrugged, casually strolling over to the Lion.

“You might want to tell your friends to stay in pairs.” Joshua piped up. “You can’t fight the Noise unless there’s two of you.”

“The Noise, is that what the creature was called?” Katsumi prodded, but he was gone. As quickly as he had shown up, the strange gaijin had disappeared. Katsumi glanced around, hoping to see Jashuwa slipping behind a corner, or some indication that he wasn’t as powerful as he was making himself out to be, to no avail. He simply had vanished out of existence. “I never did get your name.”

“Matsu Mikoto, and this is Hikaru.” Matsu gave her lion a gentle scratch on his head.

“It is very nice to meet you, Matsu-san, and you as well, Hikaru. Shall we?”

Matsu didn’t say anything, she just simply smiled and began walking the direction the others had sprinted off in. There wasn’t a need to hurry, the countdown indicated they had several hours in order to finish today’s task and running was probably what that Joshua wanted them to do anyways. Tire the group out. No, it was best to conserve strength and only exert oneself when life or limb was on the line. It seemed Matsu shared this belief, Katsumi could work with this.

“He said we should keep in twos, I believe this coupling is ideal. After all, Matsu-san, out of birds, spiders and lions, only two can overcome great enemies, while the others forage for food.”

“Indeed.” Was all Matsu said, but a smile brightened that pretty face of hers.