Winter Court, Kyuden Doji: Focus and strike.

[Squishy Cheeks]

The entire court was in attendance. The stands around the arena sands were a garish display of color. The contestants stood around the circle of sand. The empress' retinue arrived and filled the imperial box. The daimyo of the Miya, the imperial herald stepped to the front of the box.

"Welcome honored guests to the inagurial tournament of this Winter court. I am pleased to see many old friends, also pleased to see many new faces. The emperess offers a mighty gift to winner." A servant walked forward bearing a white silk bound bundle. The servant unwrapped the bundle and placed a set of swords and one tanto dagger on a teak sword stand. "These swords have been forged by the legendary skill of Kaui Utsu, the mastersmith of the crab clan. I have never seen their match before. A fine gift for the winner."

Raiden put his two boken into his obi. Raiden was the only dragon in the tournament. Across the arena Satsume sat next to what appeared to be a young Doji. The Doji looked enthralled at the empress.

[Squishy Cheeks]

(ihmn is letting me run this one I guell I'll make this a demo on how to rp this. Ihmn can have the other phoenix, he's really exactly the same guy.) Kitsu Hitaka stepped into the ring as did Shiba Takeishi. The two stood only two feet apart and dropped into their stances. Raiden noticed that Takeishi's stance was superior, but their Iaijutsu was equal, this duel would come down to talent.

The crowd cheared for the young phoenix bushi, for he was quite poular among the court right now. Hitaka and Takeishi stared each other down (Hitaka's reflexes are 3. Takeishi's are 2. Hitaka focuses. Takeishi focuses.) Silence filled the stands. (Hitaka focuses. Takeishi focuses. Hitaka strikes. Takeishi needs a 25 to hit. 8+6+7+2 (this two is added from his first school rank technique)=23 miss. Hitaka needs a 20 16+14+9+7= 46) Takeishi and Hitaka strike at the same time. Hitaka moves amazingly fast it almost looks as if he leaves trails of shadow as he moves. He brinks his boken down on Takeishi's fore arm. With a sickening crack the bones in the forearm snapped. (18 points of dammage) To his credit Takeishi did not cry out. He dropped his bokken and cradles his now broken arm. He left the ring.

Hitaka bowed to the imperial box and walked back to the Lion's side.

Miya Tsuge stood to anounce the next match. "Many a rumor has been started about these two young men, and their contest is one of the most anticipated. The next duel is Kakita Satsume and Mirumoto Raiden, both carry on the honored tradition of their noble ancestors of Mirumoto Hojatsu and Kakita."

Satsume and Raiden stepped into the ring gracefully. Both samurai bowed and faced each other.

"We shall pit our skill against each other Raiden-san" Satsume said so that everyone could hear "and I shall prove that you are weak." Satsume said so only Raiden could hear.

The two opponents Stared each other. Both opponents struck and bent back to avoid the blow. Both swords missed. Satsume and raiden putting more distance between each other. Raiden drew his other boken. The two struck each other in the torso. The anger grew in Satsume's eyes he had been a fraction of a second slower the Raiden. Raiden had beaten him again. The two samurai stepped away from each other and bowed. They turned toward the empress and bowed.

"Amazing skill of these young samurai." Miya Tsuge said to the empress.

[Krylo]

Miya Tsuge once again stood to anounce the coming contest. "The next duel is Kakita Rensai of the proud and noble Crane against," at the next word, Tsuge's voice carried a slight twinge of disdain which lasted until the end of the anouncement, that was just barely noticeable, "Nanashi Taken, a ronin."

A slight murmur of disdainful whispers of "ronin" and "honorless dog" moved throughout the crowd as Taken entered the ring silently and looked over his opponent--falling into an Iajitsu stance, prepared to draw the boken out and strike at a moment's notice. Taken could tell that the man before him, Kakita Rensai they had said, was slow--at least compared to Taken, and his stance was horrible. A flicker of disappointment moved across the Ronin's face. One that said 'this isn't worth my time', but which would hopefully go unnoticed by the other samurai. Taken didn't need any enemies acting on their wounded hubris, and so he also bit back the urge to suggest Rensai leave the match, instead of injuring himself.

Instead he merely stood, and waited for the battle to begin... and end.

[Squishy Cheeks]

Raiden watched the two duelists. He glanced to Satsume as he departed the ring. He then glanced back to the Crane in the ring. It appeared today would not be a good day for the Crane.

[Dante]

Kakita Rensei took his position opposite his opponent in the circle. He seemed the very epitome of a cool, collected Crane, not a feather out of place, always ready for anything.

Shosuro Hakuyo, however, felt the blood racing through his veins. He was relatively unknown, which would help reduce the loss of face from losing to the ronin, and to tell the truth, he didn't really care either way. There ahd certainyl been ample precedent in Scorpion history of scenarios like this, and the relative ignominy and partial ostracism the defeat would engender would enable him to do his work better.

He had no particular hatred for ronin, and his study of the blade had been more to keep from embarassing himself in public than for actual combat. He could already tell that this swordsman was more skilled than he was in the way of the sword, with an inner focus beyond the ken of the average man.

He would lose. Even if he had a chance of winning, he would have thrown the match. The question now was, how to lose with grace?

He turned the question over in his mind as he settled into the stance. And as he thought, and as he watched the ronin ready himself with a skill he knew he would never be able to match, the answer came to him.

Surrender.

He closed his eyes, and straightened. Then, in a motion that elicited murmurs and gasps from the crowd, he bowed to Taken.

"This one acknowledges your superiority with the blade. This one hereby withdraws from the contest, that you may not be unnecessarily hindered by a match whose outcome is a foregone conclusion."

And as the whispers rose around him, he turned and disappeared back into the crowd.

[Krylo]

Taken would have returned the bow, had Rensai not turned and walked away before the ronin could respond to the unexpected gesture. Instead, he merely straightened and left the circle himself, glad that he would neither be forced to waste his time nor injure another human being as that neither were things that Taken enjoyed doing.

(OOC: Before work post. I'd write something longer, but I'm short on time.)

[Squishy Cheeks]

"The next duel is between Doji Kazo, of the Daidoji school, and Hiruma Kage of the Hiruma school."

A samurai with a white topknot stepped into the arena. He was young. He bowed to the empress.

A black clad crab bushi also entered and bowed to the imperial box.

The two faced each other serenely. The hiruma reached for his boken.

The Doji's wooden sword had lightly tapped his neck before his hand reached the hilt.

The crowd was stunned by the flawless draw and the control of Kazo.

Hiruma Kage bowed "You are the best duelist I've seen." he said as he straightened.

"I'm not as skilled as my ancestors." Kazo said

The two duelists bowed again to the imperial box, Kazo however lingered with his eyes on the box a little longer than Kage.

"Next is a duel between the Empress' younger Brother Seppun Uso, and Shiba Gyukudo."

The two samurai stepped into the ring and bowed to the imperial box. It wasn't long before Seppun Uso was standing over a defeated Shiba.

The crowd cheared for Seppun Uso, others commented about the fight possibly being staged.

"Our last duel of the round. Akodo Rokuro. brother of Akodo Yakutsu versus Bayushi Eitarou."

Rokuro gave Raiden an evil look. It was an unspoken threat.

The two samurai focused their chi for a few moments. Akodo Rokuro struck, but Eitarou dodged to the side, Eitarou brought his boken against the back of the Lion's neck. This infuriated the Lion. He struck at Eitarou in his rage. Eitarou deftly moved out of the lions way. Again Eitarou asserted his dominance by bringing his sword against the Lion. Rokuro stormed out of the ring.

"Amazing talent shown by this younger generation. It is almost to much for this old man." some of the court laughed at the ancient courtier. "There will be a break while we draw for the next round."

[IHateMakingNames]

Yoshi had been watching the fights with much interest. He was impressed with the skill of these warriors, though the one fight with the Ronin was a bore.

While watching the fights, Yoshi remembered why he never participated in these fights. Magic was considered cheating. Yoshi relies on his magic, and feels naked when fighting with out it.

With the break having just come up, Yoshi decided to make small talk with the person nearest him. “So, what do you think of these warriors?” He asked pleasantly to the person nearest him.

OOC: Anyone can be that person.

[Dante]

"Out of my league. I trust you are not taking part?"

Hakuyo glanced over to the shugenja, then looked back at the arena.

[Krylo]

As Rensai/Hakuyo turned to look toward the arena, his gaze instead fell on Taken's legs. The ronin had made his way over to Rensai's sitting place from the other side of the arena in order to speak with him after their duel.

"At least your sight is not blinded by arrogance, Rensai-san." Taken sat beside Rensai, and lowered his voice a bit, so that few others could hear, "It is a rare trait, to see one's weaknesses, amongst those who still possess a family when faced with one who has been outcast," he spoke with perfect sincerity.