Letter 5
(Clan Dragon)
You know
me.
I have
stood with the armies of Rokugan and I have stood against the armies that reek
of the stench of the grave. You have stood with me. You have stood against me.
The
Brotherhood has hidden me well, but now the time has come for all of us to stand
in the sun.
Matsu Tsuko
knew this when she spilled her own blood with the blade of her ancestors. She
could not serve the creature that sits on the Emerald Throne, so she chose the
only option her honor would allow her. It was an act of courage, not fear. We
must learn what she hoped her act would teach us.
Those of us
who will not serve the darkness must stand against it.
We do not
have to stand alone.
To the
Crab, I offer this:
Your choice
is not as easy as it seems. You could choose the path of darkness. If you do,
victory for our enemy will be all but complete. Look at your fallen Champion.
There is your reward for fighting against this evil. Choose wisely.
To the
Crane, I offer this:
You began
this war seeking peace. Now your army is one of the mightiest in Rokugan. Will
you look past your besmirched honor and see what is required of you? Revenge is
a powerful weapon, but it is dull and impotent compared to duty and honor.
To the
Lion, I offer this:
If you
listen, you can still hear Tsuko's words on the wind. Listen to them carefully.
They were spoken a thousand years ago by another Lion.
To the
Phoenix, I offer this:
Nothing is
certain, not even the rise of the fallen fire bird. Everything in this world
must be earned. Sometimes, the price is blood.
To the
Scorpion, I offer this:
Your
mistress knows her destiny. She knows what she must do. Do you?
To the
Unicorn, I offer this:
You have
returned to a land that was never really your own and now you are the sole
defenders of those who have sworn to serve you. Even so, if we are all standing
in the light of a new dawn, a greater task lies ahead of you.
To the
Dragon, I offer this:
When the
night departs and the sun rises, the seeds of darkness remain. If they are left
to grow, the roots will find your heart and drink it dry. Becomes gardeners, my
friends.
To the
Alliance, I offer this:
You are a
new ally. They will not trust you. They do not trust each other. You have an
opportunity. Your show of fraternity may prove to be the lesson the Great Clans
must learn. Do not stray from your path. Your importance is yet to be realized.
And for
Toturi, I offer this:
Victory can
be the greatest trap of all.
I have
traveled deep into the Shadowlands. I have learned much from my journeys. It is
time for me to pull back my hood and let you see my scars.
May the
Seven Fortunes guide you,
Shinsei