Bayushi Tajiri - Water
With a flourish of his cape, Tajiri moves to the Five Rings, set upon the wall. With the tip of one finger, he traces the surface of each of the rings, eyes closed and a euphoric look about him. With each contact of a ring, the scorpion tattoo upon his face seems to shift and move, or perhaps it is just the firelight making shadows. Finaly, Tajiri's finger stops upon one ring in particular, that of Water.
Taking it reverently in his hands, The Painted Scorpion turns and bows deeply to the room. Gracefuly moving his hand over the Ring of Water, mirroring it's form, he slowly let's go of it and it hangs in mid-air, hovering. It's form shimmers, and seems to take on the form of water, flowing in a circle upon itself, light babbles upon the air that cannot entirely be defined in location. He begins:
Once, an ashigaru farmer travelled away from his village, to carry his goods to another village for trade. In his travels he came to a bridge over a winding river, one he had travelled many times before. This time, however, there was a difference. the bridge lay in ruins, the waters having washed away the debris. Near the shore, a small tree rose and under it rested another traveller, his simple bamboo jingasa pulled down over his face, his hands thrust into the sleeves of his plain brown kimono, that of a Monk.
The farmer, being a somewhat arrogant man walked over to the monk and spoke thus to him, 'Brother. I have goods in my pack that must reach the market. Since your clan claims mastery over the sacred elements, make the river give up it's bed to me, and the earth underneath dry so that my sandals do not bog with mud.'
Without raising his head, the monk began, 'A Scorpion came to a river once, and wished to cross. Spying a Frog upon a lily, he asked the Frog, "Frog. I wish to cross the river, but I cannot swim. Would you come and give me passage across the river upon your back?". The Frog replied, "Why would I do that? You would merely sting me halfway across, and kill me." Wearing his best smile, the Scorpion told the Frog, "That is silly. Were I to do that, we would both drown." Thinking for a moment, the Frog could find no fault in this logic. "Yes, I see what you say is true. I will agree to this." With a splash, the Frog leapt into the river ans swam to the edge, where Scorpion awaited. Scorpion climbed on, and together they rode into the waters. Halfway across, Frog felt a sharp pain in his back, and his arms and legs grew cold and stiff. In cold shock, the Frog asked, "Why!? Now we will both drown!". With calm and poise and a voice filled with no regret, Scorpion replied, "It's just my nature." and they sank beneath the waters.'
The Ashigaru considered this a moment, his mocking smile somewhat sobered by this. A long moment passed in which he looked to the other side of the river, then to the monk. At last he spoke, "And which are you, Brother? Scorpion or Frog?", to which the follower of Shensei replied, "Neither. I am the river."
With the completion of his tale, the Ring of Water returned to it's usual state, and dropped out of the air to land in Tajiri's waiting hand. Cradling it, he returns it to the wall. Bowing to the room again, most deeply, Tajiri rose and adresses his new-found companions, "The task now is to continue the journey of our Farmer, broadening his enlightenment as he goes, each time encountering one of the sacred elements, till he reaches the end of his journey in perhaps Void. Yes, I beleive that would be appropriate. Who now will I yeild the stage to?"
Bayushi Riwatan - Fire
Bayushi Riwatan applauds. "Well told, Tajiri-san. I will continue the story of our errant farmer."
Riwatan stands up. "As a samurai of action, the element to which I most relates is fire. Perhaps I amy have it?" A servant fetches the steel ring. Riwatan traces its curves, stares at it, and removes his mask to speak more clearly. Staring into the fireplace, he speaks.
The ashigaru took his leave of the monk, and walked up the path, intending to cross at a bridge farther north. As he came to the larger bridge, he saw three men and a woman standing on the bridge. Two pairs, facing each other. As he came closer, he saw an old woman watching the group. The peasant did not speak, but watched as the largest of the three men gave a sword to his companion. The second took up a fighting stance and faced the woman opposite.
Sitting down next to the older woman, he watched in silence. The man and woman faced each other, and the ashigaru saw that he was about to witness a duel. It was early in the morning, and the sun rose above the edge of the world as he watched. Riwatan throws a handful of white powder into the flames, and the heart of the fire shines a brilliant yellow.
All was bathed in a brilliant light, and the ashigaru saw beauty in the world about him. The cherry blossom trees were of a bright vermillion hue, petals drifting to the ground. The wheat to either side of the path was a field of shining gold, more valuable than any treasure. Against the light's radiance, the woman was a spirit of beauty - proud, pure, and truly beautiful. Opposite her, the man lifted his katana, and seemed a true warrior of the land. His strength, honor, and bravery were evident. And these two creatures stood upon a bridge of purest jade; their seconds noble beings who supported their friends.
All this lasted but a moment - two katanas swept down. The woman staggered back, clutching her side. The unclean cut fed at her lifeblood, and the man paused in horror as he saw the dishonor he had done. Quickly, he turned to the woman's second and swung - nobody must know of the shame of an unclean cut! But this man was ready; his sword blocked. Steel rang out against steel, clear and harsh; and this noise seemed to the man like the tolling of a death-bell! The second swung high, and the victor's head was gone from his shoulders. But the larger man struck with his naginata, and a third corpse joined the two that lay on the bridge.
The survivor took the body of his friend in his arms, and walked awway with head bowed. The ashigaru was stunned at what he had seen - three lives ended, in a matter of seconds, in the face of all this beauty. He turned to the old woman. 'How can they kill so easily within all this beauty?' For his was a kind soul, despite his pride.
The old woman turned and replied. 'It is true, that the fire of the sun is full of beauty. But fire can do other things - and here, it has fed their need for vengeance. Hatred, love, anger, revenge - these are all emotion of flame.'
The ashigaru shook his head. 'But who would fall victim to such anger when peace surrounds them?' he asked.
The old woman sighed. 'When two fires burn and grow, they will meet. And only one will remain, greater and more powerful than before. For such is the nature of fire - one or the other; there can be no middle road. Here, the fires of anger won out. Pray that you are never in such a situation - if your inner fires win out, the cost can be high.
The ashigaru bowed to the old woman. 'I thank you,' he said. He strode across the blood-slicked bridge, trying to ignore the bodies of the dead and sort through what he had learned.
Riwatan looks directly at his audience. "The way of fire is the most dangerous of all - the risks are great. But so are the rewards. It is my path, and I will follow. For good or for ill, wherever it may lead." He hands the metal ring carefully to the servant and bows to his audience, then sits back down.
Bayushi Hituro - Earth
"In the meantime, perhaps you wll not mind if I continue the tale of our farmer. I think that for me the Ring of earth will suffice." Hituro takes the ring of earth, a simple circle of flint that has been shaped into the form of a ring in his hands and considered a moment.
Our Ashigaru continued up the river beyond the Jade Bridge, for he was not an eta and had no desire to cross where the dead boides lay, staining the bridge with their blood. Like any pesant he was very suspicious, and dreaded that their spirits might haunt him should he disturb them, so he went in search of a third bridge that might cross the river and still get him to the market before his food spolied.
After a little while he came to a part of the countryside that he didn't know at all, for he never came this way. Passing a line of low hills he found himself in a sheltered valley with what looked like a little village in the distance. All around him were fields and rice paddies, and they contained more bounty than he had ever seen!
On every side the rice sprang from the water beds in such profusion that it it would have fed his own village five times over. The wheat nearby had heads so heavy it could hardly stand and the bean plants were so thick they were like walls of leaves. Even though it had been a dry summer the fruit trees were heavy with fruit of all sorts, plums and cherrys and pomegranites alike.
As the Ashigaru looked on at this a fat old man, spying his wonder, came over to the path on which he stood and said "Don't be amazed, its just the way things are here. The earth is so bountiful we don't know what to do with it all, why we strain and strain to eat it all but we can hardly manage. Why don't you stay awhile and enjoy the valley."
"I'd love to said the Ashigaru, but I have these goods to bring to market and I have to hurry or they will spoil and I'll make no koku to bring to my family!"
"Oh don't worry about that" said the old man "Why we never go to market, for there is so much here. And we don't even have to work to produce it, no we just sit back and watch it grow. Come and live here with us, its a wonderful life." The old man patted his belly, which really was as round as an Otomo's "Believe me ... I know."
But the Ashigaru felt a misgiving, the place was beautiful, but he knew that beauty could be just as wrong as ugliness since the bridge, so he tried again. "I would like to .. but then what would happen to my land? My ancestors laboured to make it grow and I would abbandon it to die, then they would surely come and haunt me!"
The Old man only laughed again. "Ancestors! Why our ancestors never bother us here, why should they, for they never had to work to make this place grow so they know that we will be fine. Come here and your ancestors will never bother you again, I tell you its the perfect place!"
At this the Ashigaru had heard enough. His valley was nothing like this but it was his, and his father's and his grandfather's and all his ancestors put together. "No" he said "An ashigaru's place is to tend the soil and make it grow, I can't abbandon that any more that a Samurai could put down his sword or a shugenja walk away from the his temple. And my ancestors laboured to make the land grow, I could never do any less. You keep your lush fields and your lifestyle, when you pass on your spirit will have nothing to show for this life when you come to be reincarnated again." This said the Ashigaru hurried on, not looking at the lush fields at all, for he had to get to market before his goods spolied.
Bayushi Alucard- Air
"I realize I am a foreigner here and I cannot fully complete the Ashigaru's tale - but if I may do so - I try my hand at the Ring of Air, as it seems most appropriate for me."
Alucard sips at his hot tea for a pass and then looks around the table into the eyes of those around him. He absent-mindedly twiddles with a lock of his black hair, his white top-knot casually flipped aside.
"We all know of how the air carries more than we can imagine. It is always around us, no matter where we stand we can feel it. Thus I will attempt to fulfill the ashigaru's travels.
After having spoken with the lazy fat-man at the bridge the Ashigaru had crossed over and walked into an open field. As the stars began to shine and the moon made it's way into it's nightly resting place, he saw before him a small campfire glowing in the distance. Having a since of caution, for he was unfamiliar with these parts, he attempted to make his away around the light without his being noticed.
As soon as he thought he might just make it past an older man with an old wicker hat called for him.""Come weary traveller I have some rice cakes and sake for you to replenish yur famished body."
The ashigaru was taken by suprise, the old man must have heard his stomach growling from a mile away. The man blushed.
"Forgive me for intruding, I was mearly attempting to make my way home before it was too late."The old man smiled, his teeth yellowish in the fire's glow.
"No need to apologize Sato-san. Now please relax and have some wine.""How is it that you know my name? Have we met before? Your face does not look familiar to me."
The old man smiled again, "No. No I do not know you, but that doesn't mean I don't know about you. I hear things you know."
The Ashigaru was becoming as baffled by this man's speech as he was his appearance.
"Please sir," He said accepting the wine, "Tell me more.""If you wish...." The old man drank a cup of wine and then took a few bites from his noodles.
"Now where were we? Ahh...yes. You wanted to know more. More about what? The water that drowned the frog? The Fire that consumes with it's rage? The earth that swallows those who will not move? The Void that takes all that it can with it? How could all these elements exist if not for Air?"
The Ashigaru Sato, sat silent, only after a moment did he answer, " I am not sure I know what you mean."
"Listen my friend, I knew who you were, because I listened to the wind. It told me your name, it let me know you were coming here and that you would be hungry when you did. How you ask? Tell me one thing....How could we exist without air? Let alone the elements, they would have their own way of surviving, but we could not. All of the elements work in harmony with one another, the earth provides life to the animal kingdom as does the Water provide life for another type of animal kingdom, fire keeps the earth in line and water keeps fire in line. Earth is the staging ground for these phenomenon and the void brings it all together and keeps it held tight like a strong grip on the universe. But it is Air that visits them all. Air converses with every element, to the earth when it bends the willows, to the water where it massages it with waves and let us not forget that air fuels the fire with it's endless voracity. Air loves to visit with the Void, that is where it learns all the secrets, for the void loves to see everything happen, even if it only wishes to take it all away. Among all these things, it is the air that is constant, when the sea dries up, the earth with wither away and with nothing to feed off of, Fire will diminish and with it the void when it has nothing left to take away. The air on the other hand will still be there, to listen to the next group of elements to present themselves, the air is eternal, it knows all and can make or break all. Without it we cannot breathe, without it we could not sail across the water, without it we could not make fire and without it all the plant life would die in the earth. Air is power and true power is as invisible as the air itself, you can't see it but you know it's there. And there it will always be, listening to every thought, speech, lie, truth and sorrow.
You see young Sato, the wind knows all. And forever shall it be, so when next you wish for something to happen, perhaps you should instead of dream. Listen to the wind, it might just hold the answer you seek.The Ashigaru pondered this for a moment, not truly sure if he understood it all, but he knew he had just heard something important. As he raised his head to ask the old man a question he found the old man had vanished and where he had once sat was now a jet black feather laying in his spot. He heard a whisper behind him and turned quickly -
"Remember young one - the wind will take you wherever you want, as long as you know how to listen to it!!"
He saw the form of a infinitely black raven fly past his head and wisk off into a nearby stand of trees.
He suddenly felt very tired and decided he best get some sleep and ponder everything he had learned today.
Yes so it seemed there was much more to life then what one thinks of when he first begins to ponder tomorrow.
Bayushi Tajiri - Void
Tajiri rises from his chair, draining the last of his sake before approaching the last Ring untouched in the evening's tale. Walking slowly, Tajiri casts a brief look upon Alucard's face as he moves towards the Ring of Void. If he reads anything in it, he keeps it to himself.
Tajiri takes the story ring of the void in his hand, and holds it low towards the ground. Slowly, Tajiri brings the ring up towards the ceiling. With a quick flourish near his head, the ring vanishes and he begins:
"Sato woke the next day, all trace of his experience from the evening before gone. Picking up his pack of goods, he traveled onward down the road. Soon he came upon a post in the road, the one that marked the village where he was to trade his goods. There was no village. Only tall grass waving in the morning wind from the East. The ashigaru did not move for a long time, and merely stood by the post. At long last, a man came up the road towards Sato. Upon reaching Sato at his vigil by the post, he called out, "Greetings! I am travelling to a village beyond the river to sell some goods. Could you perhaps tell me how the road behind you fares?"
Sato loked up slowly, and asked, "What happened to the village that was here? I have travelled far, and under strange auspices to reach this place to sell my own wares. Now, I cannot and they will spoil before I reach my own home again."
The traveller replied, "A plauge took this village in the fall of last year. So fearful were the survivors that they burned everything to the ground. I am sorry to hear of your misfortune. You have travelled far to only end up with nothing." "Nothing?", Sato repelied. "Nothing?" A look like one who has wakened from a deep sleep came across the ashigaru's face.
"I have learned that one cannot move away from his true nature, no matter his travels. I have seen death and dishonor flourish in the midst of beauty, and realized that together they were whole. I have met with those who had nothing, while they rested each night in plenty and I now know just what I myself have. I have heard things that all my life where singing, yet never a note did I take heed of till last night."
"Nothing? Yes, that is exactly what I have now. But in nothing, I have found...everything."
The traveller stared in bewilderment at Sato, not knowing what to say. Finally, Sato offered, "Come. let me accompany you on your journey. We have much to discuss you and I."
And with that, the ashigaru named Sato walked down the road, towards the home and the devoted wife that awaited his journey's end.
Tajiri allows for a moment of silence, taking in the reaction of those present. Slowly, he raises a hand and the ring of void is simply...there, in his palm. Turning, he places it reverently in it's place upon the wall.
"Thank you, Brothers and Sisters, for allowing me to hopefully entertain you with my tales. Hituro-san, you have been most gracious with allowing us to keep such a late hour in the telling of our tales. Perhaps one more cup of sake, and the opportunity to speak with those who would do so before it is time to retire?" *Turns and bows to all before taking his chair again*
For the convenience of the reader I have marked in red ink those things said by the story tellers that were not part of the story.
- Bayushi Hituro