Editing Memories of a Stone Wall (section)

===Act L: The Angry Season===
:>I stood up on top of the wall and looked out over the tide of demons
:>One thousand soldiers from Shiro Kuni were gathered at the base of the Wall, to act as reserves.
:>Naomi was down there, ready to heal the injured.
:>The armories were opened, and the heimin armed.
:>Some of them wept as they took up their polearms.
:>Other hiemin would be used to run Jade powder to where it was needed.
:>Kitsuki-san and Monkey were down in the tunnels.
:>Akiyama had shown Kitsuki-san around, pointing out traps to him.
:>His memory would allow him to make good use of them, and Monkey would help keep him alive.
:>Mantis-san's style was ill suited to the cramped tunnels, so he was up on top of the Wall.
:>Toshiro needed a clear field of vision to do his work.
:>Those two would work together.
:>As for me, I would be wherever the fighting was fiercest.
:>I shot a glance towards Masagoro.
:>He stood still and calm. His face composed.
:>At peace.
:>At his nod the beacons were lit.
:>A Kuni threw powder into the bonfires.
:>The fire changed color, and thick smoke rose up.
:>The color every Crab knew.
:>The color every Crab feared.
:>As the light and smoke was seen, fires burst into life all along the wall.
:>One by one, they carried the message the length and breadth of the Crab lands.
:>Make ready to meet your ancestors.
:>A Horde is upon us.
:>A ghastly cacophony arose, shrieks filling the air.
:>And then it surged forth, a tidal wave washing over the River of the Last Stand.

:>The unquiet dead came in the first ranks of the horde.
:>Arrows were loosed from the top of the wall, a thick cloud that felled hundreds.
:>Hundreds more came on, their lurching, shambling gait unabated.
:>Among their feet ran the little shapes of goblins, carrying long ladders.
:>The undead simply walked into the river, and soon emerged on the other side.
:>While the goblins laid ladders across it.
:>It looked like the ladders were made of bone, but many of the bones were too long to belong to a human.
:>Then thunder shook the Wall.
:>The Kaiu had begun their work.
:>Boulders smashed down into the river, tearing apart the makeshift bridges, flattening zombies and crushing goblins.
:>Flames belched forth from the Wall, covering the Zombies at the bottom in liquid fire.
:>They took a long time to burn away.
:>Overhead, balls of flame soared, striking into the packed ranks of the Horde.
:>I looked out at it.
:>It held it's ranks, waiting.
:>I was startled to see banners standing out in the enemies ranks.
:>This was even more disciplined than I would expect from an Akuma...
:>It must have an Oni no Uzaku to direct the horde on it's behalf.
:>At the signal, another volley of arrows was loosed, to follow up the devastation the Kaiu had unleashed.
:>The first push was driven back.
:>But I could already see another wall of dead forming up for the next push.
:>Heimin ran back and forth, bringing up fresh ammunition for the siege engines.
:>A scream arose from below.
:>THE TUNNELS, THEY'RE IN THE TUNNELS, GET THE JADE BELOW!
:>I shot Toshiro a glance and a nod and headed in the direction of the Screamer.
:>I could feel the whole Wall shake with each volley of fire up above, dust fell from the ceiling.
:>I kicked a goblin out of my way and made my way deeper.
:>Down one tunnel I saw two Hiruma spearing an Ogre.
:>I ran past, and found the Oni the Screamer was yelling about.
:>It was short, with a body twice as thick as a man.
:>It had no head.
:>Where it's neck would be was instead a great maw.

:>I yelled to the Heimin with the bucket of Jade powder.
:>As two Hida wedged themselves up against it, trying to buy time, I powdered my tetsubo.
:>I finished just in time for the Oni no Kamu to bring it's maw down and bite one of the samurai in half.
:>His legs fell to the floor, twitching and what was left of his intestines spilled everywhere.
:>I threw myself at the demon.
:>IF YOU'RE SO DAMN HUNGRY THEN HAVE A TASTE OF THIS!
:>I drove my tetsubo down into it's maw, shattering teeth.
:>It howled at me, phlegm and blood splattering from it's mouth all over me.
:>The other Hida fell back to powder his Dai Tsuchi.
:>The Oni's claws reached out for me, seeking to seize me up and devour me.
:>I strained against it, keeping my arm just out of reach of it's snapping jaws.
:>A WHUMPF echoed in the tunnels as my brother Hida slammed his Dai Tsuchi down on the arm that held me, breaking it's grip.
:>As the beast recoiled I struck again at it's other arm, hampering it.
:>The two of us struck again, finishing it off.
:>I picked up the heimin with the jade.
:>Keep moving, the Jade must flow!
:>Ri... right great samurai!
:>The fear such monsters caused was an issue.
:>Sometimes you had to prod the heimin to shake it off. Sometimes samurai had to carry the Jade themselves.
:>THE TOP! THEY'VE CRESTED THE TOP!
:>Shit.
:>As I ran back up, I caught a glimpse of Kitsuki-san out of the corner of my eye.
:>He was standing still, as pack of goblins rushed down a corridor at him.
:>I couldn't see Monkey.
:>Kitsuki-san smiled, then flipped a switch with his foot.
:>Flames erupted from the walls, floors and ceilings, killing the goblins before they ever got near him.
:>I headed back up.
:>Flyers were diving into the ranks of samurai atop the wall.
:>They were targeting the siege engines.
:>I saw a bushi, with a masakari in each hand, leap from the wall onto one of the flyers as it swooped past.
:>Both disappeared over the south side.
:>With the siege engines under assault, the ladders had made it to the wall.
:>The undead were coming up.

:>A scaled horror landed on top of a balistea and screeched at the engineers.
:>Then it was bathed in green flames.
:>Toshiro.
:>I could see Mantis-san desperately shoving ladders away from the walls, a half dozen Hida following his lead.
:>I decided to help Toshiro.
:>I ran to the engine slamming my tetsubo on the back of the winged reptile.
:>Its flesh didn't tear under my strike, but I did it force it down the ground.
:>I leapt on it, pinning it down.
:>The claws on the ends of it's wings scratched at me, I twisted my neck around to avoid it's snapping jaws.
:>Hold it there Ishigaki!
:>I can't do much else!
:>Toshiro began to chant.
:>I wedged my tetsubo sideways in it's mouth, keeping it from biting at me.
:>Though it raked at my body with it's legs, it found only armor.
:>Then it began to stiffen under me.
:>Toshiro was screaming, shouting loud enough the stones of the Wall would wake, as the Earth Kami rushed to turn the Oni into a Jade statue.
:>I held it for few more moments, until Toshiro slumped.
:>A Kaiu caught him.
:>It's done, Ishigaki.
:>I made to wrench my tetsubo from it's now petrified jaw.
:>Wait!
:>A Kaiu was leaning against the ballista..
:>His suit of Tetsu-Do was torn, and his organs were piled up in his lap.
:>He had a Haori that marked him a Taisa.
:>His whole body was shaking, he held onto his spirit with pure willpower.
:>Take this...
:>He reached up to me, offering me his own tetsubo.
:>It's studs were not made of Iron, but Jade.
:>I think you'll get more use out of it than I will.
:>My name is Kaiu Gentoku...
:>This is Kimimaru.
:>It... It's been in my family thr-thr-three generations...
:>I took the treasure and bowed.
:>He smiled as his spirit left to join his ancestors.
:>As a last show of respect, I took Gentaro's head.
:>Then I rushed over to aid Mantis-san.
:>Goblins had crested the Wall now, and then darted about, stabbing at exposed backs and ankles while the zombies pressed forward.
:>A dozen Hida followed me as I swung Kimimaru, driving back the wall of death.

:>Mantis-san kept the goblins off my back as we formed up a wall of our own.
:>Rather than kill the zombies one by one, we pushed and shoved.
:>Driving them back and shoving them off the Wall.
:>We cleared the top, and were rewarded with the sound of the siege engines firing.
:>I looked up, and the flyers fell back.
:>I could see the Horde fall back as well.
:>But it stopped just outside of the range of the engines.
:>I looked around at the rest of the Crabs around me.
:>Their expressions varied slightly, but most seemed to convey 'What the FUCK?' rather well.
:>Masagoro appeared, walking along the length of the Wall.
:>They have tested us today! Their commander pulls them back now to adjust his strategy!
:>There was no doubt then. Only an Uzaku could move a horde like that, and think in that way.
:>Their mistake is in giving us time to rest!
:>Treat the wounded! Shugenja should rest first!
:>He turned to one of his sub commanders.
:>Send out units of Hiruma to harass them.
:>HAI!
:>Masagoro looked down at the bodies of the dead.
:>Only a few so far.
:>Get the ETA up here.
:>I leaned on the edge of the Wall and looked out over the Horde. It didn't seem diminished in the slightest.
:>I went looking for Kitsuki-san and Monkey.
:>I found Monkey picking his way out of pile of Goblins.
:>What's going on? It's not over already is it?
:>No, they pulled back to regroup and try again later.
:>He blinked.
:>Oni can do that?
:>Not usually...
:>Kitsuki-san glanced down to Kimimaru.
:>What is that?
:>I held it up.
:>A Crab Clan treasure.
:>Some very skilled Kaiu can make Tetsubo with Jade that never rots. Usually needs a Kuni to help out.
:>There are precious few, so we never take them INTO the Shadowlands and risk losing them.
:>Kitsuki-san nodded. I see. It alleviates some of the logistics issues when Oni are attacking.
:>Yeah.
:>Monkey looked at it.
:>So that means you're going to have to face Oni first and foremost, huh?
:>I looked at him.
:>Don't tell Naomi.

:>The Horde came again in the night.
:>Few things in the Shadowlands had difficulty seeing in the dark.
:>It began with the fliers.
:>Sweeping and wheeling, they dove at the Wall.
:>This time we were ready.
:>Toshiro and a dozen other Kuni threw magic disrupting their assault.
:>As the winged monsters burned, they crashed into the wall, where the bushi set upon them.
:>Ladders thumped against the Wall, but too few.
:>They were easily pushed back.
:>Too easy. It was far too easy.
:>I ran down to the tunnels, certain the push was going to come up from below this time.
:>I was right.
:>I came upon Monkey who had just finished beheading an ogre.
:>Ishigaki-san? What are you doing down here?
:>The push is aimed here!
:>Oh.
:>He grinned.
:>Plenty to do then!
:>A gout of flame lit up the tunnel beside us.
:>But it wasn't from one of the Kaiu's traps.
:>A samurai, their body a black silhouette wreathed in flame staggered into our tunnel.
:>Monkey took their head and ended their pain without hesitation.
:>He looked down at the body.
:>That... was the right thing?
:>I nodded.
:>Yeah.
:>Get ready, whatever that was...
:>Yeah.
:>A shadow loomed on the walls around us.
:>And from out of the tunnel strode a midget.
:>It was only three feet tall, covered in blue fur.
:>Two eyes, black with orange irises and white pupils.
:>What the hell is that?
:>I have no idea Monkey.
:>It opened it's mouth and we were bathed in flame.
:>We threw ourselves to the ground, slapping at the fires before they could spread.
:>It leapt on my back as I did so, and sank fangs into me.
:>Monkey stabbed at it with his katana, but the little creature was unfazed.
:>DAMN, it's some kind of Oni!
:>It kept gnawing on me, and I couldn't really reach it.
:>I tried slamming it against the walls, but it clung to me, digging it's fangs deeper.
:>Ishigaki-san! OVER HERE!
:>I ran to where Monkey was pointing.
:>A part of the floor had opened up, revealing a pair of cylinders covered in Jade, crystal and obsidian spikes.
:>Monkey found the lever and got them spinning.

:>I flopped down onto my back, and winced as I inched up to the grinder.
:>I could not believe I was about to do this.
:>Monkey grabbed my arms as I felt the little monster get caught by the death trap.
:>It still gripped tightly to me, even as the cylinders pulled at it and tore it to bloody shreds.
:>Monkey leaned back, pulling on me with all his strength.
:>I realized that I had willingly placed my life into Monkey's hands. Literally.
:>Then the creature let go, or more likely was ground up too much to hold on.
:>Monkey was still pulling with everything he had, and I was yanked up into him.
:>He fell and I landed on top of him.
:>We stared at each other for a moment in surprise, our noses almost touching.
:>We never speak of this to anyone, agreed?
:>He nodded.
:>We got to our feet.
:>Kitsuki-san ran past us leaping over the grinder.
:>We looked at his back, then looked at the direction he came from.
:>All we could see was a lamprey like mouth, and pink flesh pressed up against the walls of the tunnel.
:>It was unmistakably coming this way.
:>We ran to catch up to Kitsuki-san.
:>He stopped a bit ahead, and waved us to go past.
:>As we did he flipped a lever, and a spiked portcullis slammed down on top of the worm thing.
:>It convulsed blood and digestive juices spewing up from it's mouth before going still.
:>We leaned against the wall, panting and grinned at each other.

:>We moved further into the tunnels, killing zombies and goblins as we went.
:>The tunnels widened a bit, allowing more room to fight.
:>So of course there were three Ogres in front of us.
:>At least these ones looked like the dumb versions.
:>Monkey and I advanced, attacking together.
:>As I struck high, Monkey drove his katana into it's stomach. He then twisted his blade inside the wound, and pulled up.
:>Organs I couldn't name slopped out over our feet, along with a bucketful of blood.
:>My tabi squished as I shifted my weight.
:>The first of the Ogres fell to his knees, not quite dead.
:>Then Kitsuki-san drove his own blade between myself and Monkey, into the eye of the Ogre.
:>That did it.
:>The other two were taken aback at how quickly we killed the first..
:>One swung a tetsubo at Monkey, who ducked.
:>Kitsuki-san's katana came in over Monkey's shoulder, just turning aside the war club.
:>The other ogre jabbed at Kitsuki-san with a long bit of sharp bone.
:>Kitsuki-san saw it coming and stepped behind me, I brought Kimimaru up, knocking the bone spear over my head.
:>Then, I brought Kimimaru down, destroying the Ogre's elbow joint.
:>Kitsuki-san made a satisfied little grunt over my shoulder.
:>I remember when these things were dangerous...
:>They still are! Don't get overconfident on me now!
:>I didn't look back, but I could imagine his smirk as he replied.
:>But Ishigaki, they have get past you to reach me.
:>His blade darted out, stabling into the wounded one.
:>Monkey meanwhile sliced the fresh one, two flashing cuts across it's chest.
:>Blood poured down it's body, dying it's muscled bulk red.
:>COME ON!
:>Monkey yelled at the Ogres.
:>IS BLEEDING ALL YOU CAN DO?
:>The one with the bone spear snarled, and drew back his only good arm.
:>Then he threw the spear.
:>Past me, into Kitsuki-san.
:>Oh dear...
:>I heard him cough.
:>It sounded wet.
:>I took the unarmed ogres head off with a swing of Kimimaru.
:>The last ogre took his tetsubo in both hands and swung down with all his might.
:>Too slow.

:>Monkey dove under his legs, and I saw blood spray from the back of one.
:>The Ogre teetered, arms windmilling as it tried to regain it's balance.
:>Monkey thrust his katana into it's back, impaling it's heart.
:>The Ogre gurgled as it died, and slid off Monkey's blade.
:>Shit! Kitsuki-san!
:>Monkey knelt down beside him.
:>I'm not about die, if that's what you're worried about...
:>Although, this does hurt a bit.
:>He grinned up at us, showing a mouthful of bloody teeth.
:>Monkey looked at the bone spear sticking out of Kitsuki-san's chest.
:>There were bubbles in the blood welling up around it.
:>Monkey, you're going to have to get him out of here and back to Naomi, as fast as you can.
:>He nodded.
:>His body's Air is fleeing, so leave that thing in for now, it's slowing it down a bit.
:>And you!
:>Don't move. And don't die. We've only gotten started.
:>Kitsuki-san nodded to me.
:>As Monkey picked him up I looked behind us.
:>More ogres were coming in.
:>Don't look back, just go!
:>I flipped the lever to trigger another falling gate.
:>Between myself and Monkey.
:>I turned to face the ogres trapped down here with me.

:>The floor in the tunnels had gotten quite slick.
:>As I left the dead ogres behind me I leaned on the walls to keep myself from falling.
:>It would be hard to fight down here like this.
:>I stepped over an arm, still clutching the haft of an ono.
:>I couldn't see the rest of them from here.
:>Slowly, I realized I was lost.
:>I could almost forget about it. Until an inhuman growl or a scream would echo through the tunnels around me.
:>Though I would chase after the sounds, I never managed to find their source.
:>One time I did, only to find a pile of bodies. Crabs and Goblins lying all about in a knee high pile.
:>There were nearly twenty Crabs here, and three times as many dead Goblins.
:>I shifted Kimimaru to my left hand, pulled my katana and got to work.
:>I was honoring twenty brave Crab.
:>I was keeping twenty zombies from attacking my kinsmen.
:>I had to lift dead bodies and toss them aside to get to the bottom of the pile.
:>The last one twitched, and looked up at me.
:>My blade froze as I looked into their eyes.
:>My vision was blurring, so I had to blink a couple of times.
:>As their hand wrapped around my ankle, my vision cleared enough.
:>Milky eyes.
:>My blade fell.
:>Kicking my leg free I went hunting for more prey.
:>Mortar dust fell as the wall shook from the rhythmic firing of the siege engines.
:>It stuck to the blood coating my armor.
:>I swiped a hand absently at it, but only smeared the gore across my Do.

:>I heard the sounds of battle and set off running.
:>A mistake.
:>I slipped in the gore, and skidded out of control into a wall.
:>I pushed myself away in time to see a Crab Samurai-ko pushing an Oni back down a hall.
:>Three blades made of obsidian scythed out from the walls, One from the left at waist height, and two from the right at ankle and neck level.
:>She leapt back as they came out, cutting the Oni into neat little pieces.
:>But there were two more coming up from behind.
:>She turned to face them, and saw me.
:>She wore a Hachi-gane, Do, Suneate, and fundoshi.
:>She twirled twin Masakari, so it was good bet she was one of the Hiruma Slayers.
:>I smiled and hefted up Kimimaru.
:>These things looked like Nosloc, though they were much shorter than normal.
:>We attacked together, though she was just acting as a distraction.
:>Her weapons had no powder on them.
:>I knew Oni no Nosloc coordinated well with one another so I focused my attacks, seeking to kill one as quickly as possible.
:>Nosloc were not much better than a veteran bushi, save their invulnerability.
:>With Kimimaru in hand, the first one fell before it knew I was there.
:>The other turned to me in surprise, roaring in anger.
:>The Hiruma tried to distract it with a pair of blows from her masakari.
:>It ignored her, and swung at me with it's club.
:>Six thick bands of stone wrapped around the end of long pole.
:>Armor cracked as it slammed it's club into me.
:>But that was all.
:>I lashed out, crushing both it's kneecaps.
:>It collapsed in a heap, making almost pathetic mewling noises.
:>The samurai-ko stepped back, as it thrashed about from the ground, trying to claw at us.
:>I raised Kimimaru once more, and crushed it's skull.
:>I am Hiruma Akane.
:>I nodded to her.
:>Hida Ishigaki.
:>I looked around.
:>...and I'm lost...
:>She chuckled.
:>Follow me, then.