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Kaito was not surprised the Emperor was more focused on his own problems, but when he was spoken to he quickly looked around to gauge the area. Recognizing it, he pointed in the direction of the nearest settlement he knew of, "That way, my lord. I believe there is a small village that way."
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Taltoro was impressed with Kondoru's eyes for horse breeds, despite not being familiar with them up to this point. He'd certainly have to report that, since perhaps Kondoru could become a rather expert horseman. Regardless, he responded to answer the question, "Bestial Stallions. They are not beasts, they are still horses. But they've been bred as such over many years to resemble beasts, to gain their signature strength. They are loyal, but not exceptionally so, they will not throw away their lives for the rider's sake for instance. It takes a lot of training and discipline to control them." Then he gestured to the white horse Kondoru had come in front of, "What's special about these nomad breeds is that they are extremely loyal. Once they properly bond with their rider, it's quite easy to control them. They're smart and receptive to commands, and will go quite far to ensure the wellbeing of their bond rider. Very fast too. The problem is they can't carry too much weight. Not a problem for the nomads, who value the speed more, but less useful for a knight. So most knights in Eversteen prefer regular steeds or Bestial Stallions. Not all, though. Nomad breeds are a favorite up in the city of Calatrot, where so called Bond Knights use Nomadic Breeds to great effect. That's where these horses are from, in fact. We brought them in recently for our scouts to use."
Benjiro nodded. “Lead the army then. Direct them. I want to stop by at least two villages before we go to a city. But we must be snappy!” He snapped his fingers. “This dust is killing me. And we would not want me to die. Now move!” He said directly to Kaito.
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He had only approached the horse. Not done anything else. “I see. Well I do not know the knights of your lands. So I would not offer up solutions to these problems. However, my armour is not heavy. Teikoku Iron is very precious, and it is not readily available. The iron to craft this suit of armour was gifted to my family. And as you can see, my father spent many weeks forging it to be as useful as possible. Hence the ‘fluting’ as he called it. It did not help that... my anatomy isn’t normal for our two species.”
Kaito was rather surprised to be given this order, but bowed his head to the Emperor in acknowledgement of it. He then rushed out to the front of the army, to direct it towards one of the nearby villages he knew of.
-
Taltoro nodded, understanding, "Your armor does seem rather custom fitted to your unique form, it's true. Which I would be grateful for, it seems effective. Eversteen however relies on iron and steel of the normal variety, minus some enchanted suits here and there for the most wealthy. So weight remains an issue that most of us have to deal with. You seem to be able to afford some deviation from our main doctrines however. So, how would you like to try out riding a horse?"
Kaito knew of a village close by, in fact, they were basically entering the village. Benjiro probably knew this, as a village elder, a peasant fisherman, approached Kaito, bowing to Kaito. “Oh lord, whatever you want. There is no war here.”
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He nodded and bowed. “Thank you, very much. I also like my armour. It... fits. In perhaps a not so literal sense.” He perked up. “Well, I suppose I can try!”
As the villagers came up, Kaito rode out to greet them. He stopped and spoke to them from atop his mount, "War or no war, the Emperor wished to pass through this village. It his will that we inspect what we can before moving on. Tell me about this village."
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Taltoro smiled, nodding, "Oh I know what you mean by that, lad. Spiritual connection to one's armor is standard in Eversteen. It's part of our identities. Which is why we rarely compromise our armor, and make ways to work with the armor rather than change the armor itself." And then he nodded again, waving to one of the stablehands. The younger servant, a Human from the nomadic tribes and thus an expert with this breed of horse, came over and brought the horse out of the stall, and equipping the steed's saddle. A little stepping stone was also brought over, to allow Kondoru to more easily get on the saddle.
“We are but a small fishing village, my lord. We have nothing to offer but the fish we caught this morning. We barely even have rice anymore what with the war.” From the looks of it, this village was pretty poor.
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Kondoru ignored this stepping stone and hoisted himself into the saddle with ease. He sat on top of the horse and stroked its neck. “It is a fine mount, uncle.”
Kaito looked around, surveying the village, and then nodded to the villagers, "That is fine. We aren't here to stay, we intend to move on to more villages. The Emperor simply desires whatever you can grant, and then we shall move on to the next village."
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The stablehand was a bit surprised he just got up on his own, but he shrugged and stepped back. The horse seemed pleased with being stroked, leaning into the strokes. Taltoro meanwhile smiled and nodded, "Good that you enjoy it. Now, remember, the horse is not a fool. It's well trained. You only need to slightly move the reigns to tell it where you want to go, tugs aren't needed. Be kind to it, and it'll return the favor."
As Kaito was saying this, Toru rode up from behind Kaito. “Lord Kaito, our Emperor wishes to know of the way to any rebels or warring factions.” The villager bowed to Toru. “My lords, the only warring factions I know of are Lord Fuminji’s Bushi and a rebel village to the south.” Toru nodded and threw down a few coins to the village elder. “Lord Kaito, we must depart immediately.” He turned around. “Captain Kobayashi, requisition what the village will provide and trail behind us.” An armoured Bushi stepped forward and bowed, shouting “Hai” before running off. Toru’s mount began galloping, Kaito was expected to follow it seemed. The army trailed behind them, moving quickly, while the calvary moved with them. Toru yelled over to Kaito “The Emperor did not wish for me to impart this onto you, but I feel you should know. You’re forgoing the ceremony and luxury of a moot. Once we restore order to this land you shall receive the rank of Daimyo of the Province of Kaimon. Second, I am being promoted to the rank of Tairō, head of His Majesty’s government. You have been given the rank of Rōjū. As I could gather from the... explanation his majesty gave me, I am only superior to you in terms of seniority.”
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Kondoru nodded, but before he could spur the horse, Taltoro realized something quite horrible. Kondoru’s spurs! They weren’t like any spur he had ever seen. Instead of being small pricks or rowels, Kondoru’s spurs were large hooks facing inward. From what Taltoro remembered, Kondoru rode large bird like creatures. Clearly these hooks were designed to dig through several coats of feathers to prick an animal into moving. These spurs would just injure the horse!
Kaito took the que and got back to riding forward, following Toru and galloping off. He was surprised however by Toru calling him over, and he went over to listen. The statement was an additional surprise, as he was not expecting such a quick promotion, "A Daimyo and Rōjū? That's quite a boost in rank! I am honored by his trust if this is true, and congratulations to you on your own promotion. As for superiority, the Emperor said we are his two waterfalls, so I assume he means that the two of his are his left and right hands. This is perhaps why seniority is the only thing that puts you above me, as I am supposing our Emperor expects us to cooperate."
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Taltoro did realize this, and called out, "Woah lad! Hold on a moment. Stablehand, swap out those spurs." The human went over to get rid of them, while Kondoru's uncle spoke up, "Those spurs might be good for a Bestial Stallion, but these nomadic breeds aren't built for such punishment. They don't require as much in the way of spurring to get moving, so you can take those off. In fact, this one is so well trained you might not need spurs at all!"
“Yes. We are to cooperate. And I remember his holiness’ ballad of our kinship and divine connection. You do not need remind me. I was only stating that we are equals in every factor besides our... length of employment to his holiness.” He said as he looked back to the field. “And if I were allowed candor as we are equals, I do not doubt his holiness’ abilities, he is our god emperor, but you, I have had no reason to trust, no reason to befriend, no reason to collaborate, no reason to... Need I go on? But my emperor, your emperor, our god, has told me to stand with you at his side. I can see no greater honour than my continued employe in his service. I give this candor and wisdom to you for the sake that you also appreciate the circumstances.” Toru sighed. “My life has been designed meticulously around service. Service to him. And then the emperor begins singing tales of scales and playing melodies of the lizard. It drove me mad. Next thing I know, you show up in our palace in the company of a Ronin. Then you scurry off to an important province where you manage to piss off one of our most well respected members of the Daimyo, kill him, and now assume control over the Daimyoship yourself. You can understand my frustration with your existence. A lizard from far away who washes up and nearly destroys my life. I do not hold grudges, my emperor forbade me long ago.”
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Kondoru looked down. “Oh, I suppose it makes sense that this creature would not need the same spurs for the mounts back in my home land. No spurs at all? But how would I control it?”
Kaito listened and understood, nodding his head, "I can understand why my sudden rise to prominence can be irritating to somebody like yourself, who got to your spot by hard work and lots of time. As far as I know, the Heavens sent me here from across the seas to serve the Emperor, and I have followed that as best I can. It has worked out well. Know that I hold no grudges as well. I understand your position, I can only ask that you attempt to give me some trust in these matters. My duty is what matters to me, and all I have done is simply in pursuit of that."
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Taltoro chuckled, "Indeed, the spurs should be swapped out. And simple, these nomadic steeds are smart ones. You can use your feet by themselves to control these ones. Bestial Stallions need spurs, heavy ones, but Nomadics are special. Still, it takes work to get into the grove of not using spurs. So we'll get you some simple ones to start with. Once you understand the horse better, you'll see what I mean about not needing them."
“You speak of heavens, I do not know why the heavens would intervene. They are simply the birthplaces of higher beings, not their plane of existence. Our great emperor is our god. He lives among us.”
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Kondoru nodded and awaited the spurs to begin his training with.
Kaito was a bit worried for this moment, since he knew his beliefs weren't exactly common among these people, but he believed in them greatly all the same. So he decided to speak lightly, "There are higher beings, very true. But there is more to the heavens than just a place. There is purpose. But you are very right that the Emperor is he who lives among us, and speaks that purpose. So loyalty to him is not something to take lightly. It is a divine calling."
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The human stable hand brought over spurs better suited to the breed Kondoru was atop. In the meanwhile, Taltoro got on his own horse. It was one of the Bestial Stallions, and was equipped in its shining silver plate armor. This wasn't to brag, it seemed the horse was just unwilling to move without being equipped in the armor. Still, Kondoru's uncle handled the beast rather well, bringing it over and speaking, "This is my steed. He's a big lad, but he's also shy. Just doing this so I won't fall behind too much."
“Do your people not worship our great emperor? Tch. What do they worship? The sky?” He shook his head. “We know the emperor is god because he came from the mountains. And the spirits of this land all fear him. All of them, even the mightiest Oni will fall before our emperor. He controls the wind and sea. He rules the rock and the sky.”
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Kondoru nodded. “And uh... just a light squeeze to get it moving, yes?” He seemed a little nervous about making the horse he was on loyal.
Kaito shook his head in turn, with a much different view on things, "My people at home worship the divines, the ones who do not live among us. The Emperor comes from there, the Divine who came down to guide mortals. Not all are worthy, and not all need it if they can follow the divines through other means. But here, the Emperor guides, and controls as you say. It's a natural order."
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Taltoro chuckled, and nodded, "Yes, light tap. The stablehand will ensure everything is okay to go." The Human, off to the side, simply gave a thumbs up before going back to work feeding one of the more hungry, and therefore more angered, Bestial Stallions.
Toru listened and let out a sigh. “The divines do not need worship then. If they cannot come to rule their people, they are not worthy of praise. The mountains are strong spirits. And thus, our emperor comes from the mountains. He came to us. Most mountain spirits live on their mountain, and rarely come down. But he was powerful, the most powerful. He came to us. That is strength. To leave the mountain. That is why he is worthy of our praise.”
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Kondoru nodded and gave the beast just a light squeeze. To encourage it to trot or walk. No galloping or cantering for him right now.
Kaito shook his head in disagreement once more, "It's not quite so simple, when dealing with the divine. They do not need to be among us to influence us. Rule and worship are separate matters. For instance, the two of us may rule over people as mortals, but worship is improper. The divines do not rule over us directly, but worship is needed to keep their influence positive. Our Emperor however is special because he rules and requires worship. So is the case when a Divine comes to rule themselves, mortals serve and worship. But that does mean the rest must be simply forgotten."
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The horse took the hint, and it started to walk towards the exit of the stable at a moderate pace. Even the creature itself was being gentle with the new rider. Taltoro followed behind on his steed, which seemed a bit less willing to leave the stable but went along regardless.
Toru shook his head. “Heaven is a tricky concept. It is the dwelling place of the three Koto'amatsukami, or uh... divine beings. And we worship them, yes. But we also worship the spirits. As I’m sure you are aware, there are many spirits that walk these lands. But Benjiro, well, we believe he is the central master of the Koto’amatsukami. I believe this is where we differ. Heaven is only an idea, it is a place we mortals cannot attend. It only serves to house the three. The three Koto’amatsukami. The other fourteen gods are among us as spirits. The three high gods give us creation, wisdom, and the sun. The fourteen gods and god dragons give us everything else. From art, to war, to the earth and sea. They are all to be worshipped, but they are not of heaven. Benjiro is not of heaven. Some believe he is, but the Koto'amatsukami... are not like our emperor. They are silent, watchful creators who show no emotion. Our emperor is strong, whimsical, and... very emotional. I believe he is one of the fourteen Kamis, or uh... gods. He took the form of a tengu, a mountain spirit. And that is why he is worthy of all our worship and prayer. Our gods do not hide in heaven. They walk down here, among us. Only our creators stay in heaven. Giving us wisdom and the sun. They deserve praise for their service in creating us, but... the Kami are more important than heaven.”
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Kondoru had his hands firmly on the lead. Just trying to calmly walk the horse out of the stable and out into the field. Just to get a feel for it.
Kaito shook his head again, "It does seem we differ quite heavily here. For instance, there are 48 Gods, not 14. But I suspect neither of us will make much progress in convincing the other of these matters. What is important is that we both agree on serving our Emperor, and do the roles assigned to us."
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The Horse was quite responsive and easy to control, making this easier for Kondoru than usual. This breed was good at handling inexperienced riders. Regardless, it didn't take long to exit into the fields outside the Skylax Citadel, walking out into clear plains meant for grazing cattle and training the riders of the family.
“I however find it more important that we both hold our emperor in the same regard. I do not care for your religion and you do not care for mine. But the emperor is a living and walking god amongst us.” As the two rode, as arrow flew between their heads. Up ahead, rebel Bushi and ashigaru. Neither Kaito of Toru would recognize the banner they fought under. Toru leaps from his mount and removed both the scabbard and katana from his belt. Kaito would actually learn something from watching Toru engage these two rogue Bushi. Firstly, Toru was not afraid to fight himself. And secondly, Toru was a master swordsman of his own right. His fighting style was unlike anything Kaito had seen. Toru used his scabbard as a weapon! Effectively duel wielding. He disemboweled the first Bushi one with one clean swipe of his sword. The second one charged with a spear and he brought his scabbard up to block it, raising his sword, he performed one powerful downward slash that effectively separated the man from his shoulder. Toru sheathed his sword and tucked it into his belt.
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Kondoru was a little nervous that he might sully his relationship with the horse. But he get his grip tight on the reins. His shoulders square, and his torso upright.
Kaito was about to actually agree with Toru on that point, but he quickly swapped into a combat mentality as the arrow flew at them. He quickly drew his longbow, jumping from his steed to join the battle. Given that Toru was rather clearly capable in his own right, Kaito did not feel he needed to protect him. Instead, he moved to rally his soldiers forward to pursue the rebel ashigaru that were with the Bushi, before turning and unleashing arrows upon the enemy.
-
The Horse was currently unsullied, and simply kept going forward. Taltoro, riding alongside Kondoru, smiled and nodded, "Good! Get some confidence, and get a feel for the steed. You're taking well to this! Try and speed the stallion up some."
Toru turned around and headed for his mount as Kaito rushed ahead. The ashigaru would have been easily gunned down by arrows. Stretched across the field in front of them was a large army of rebels. Toru was shouting something at the rear lines. And from behind Kaito, the combined imperial army came rushing down the hill. Toru rode over to Kaito. “Our emperor requests we return to his side.”
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Kondoru nodded and spurred the horse a little. Trying to get it to a canter. Not a full gallop, but just increasing the gait a little. “So uncle, will I have to change my name sometime soon?”
Kaito launched a final arrow before turning back to Toru and nodding, "Very well. I'll let the soldiers handle this. Lead me to the Emperor, and I'll follow you to his side."
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The horse started to move somewhat faster, getting into a canter. Though the horse was also evaluating Kondoru, and would slow down if he seemed to be getting nervous. Taltoro meanwhile kept up with no issues at this slow speed, and shrugged, "In due time, likely you will. Or at least a nickname will be needed. A title perhaps to go by, so your name won't be a problem."
Toru lead his mount and Kaito back to the emperor. He was sitting in a palanquin. All the windows were open, and he was just staring out at the battle. Toru bowed as he approached Benjiro. “Oh good, Lord Kaito returns to me. Maybe now this wont be so boring to watch.”
-
Kondoru wasn’t nervous at all, but he kept himself in proper riding form the entire time. He did not relax or ease into it. He was always proper and rigid.
Kaito bowed to the Emperor alongside Toru, and then approached. He nodded his head, “Yes my lord, I have returned. Is there anything you need of me in particular?”
—
The horse seemed to take the proper form as Kondoru lacking confidence. So it remained careful. Taltoro noticed this, and chuckled, “You can relax, lad. Nomadic breeds don’t need you to get so proper and prim. In fact they prefer relaxed riders. It’s to do with the bonding. If you don’t relax, the horse won’t think you’re confident in riding him.”
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