Eat your heart out, Kitty Hawk, because Kargbeck's church tower instantly enters faux-history as the launching point of the Tipsy Tanuki, an improvised gliding machine made up of experimental gliding machines (and flying turtles all the way down) that carries Adler, Aiko and Toshiba through the air. Well, actually, to be fair? At first it mostly plunges. Then it plunges some more and you start to wonder if the extra height of the tower was necessary to achieve speed or just an overly long setup to a brutal punchline.

Two near heart attacks later (Adler being unconscious, the lucky bastard), you manage to pull the Tipsy Tanuki out of its dive and get it going upward. It's a finicky little beast and if you knew what the Hells "stall speed" or "critical angle of attack" were, you probably would never have tried this, but the contraption makes it over the city wall (buzzing an alarmed-looking watchman in the process) and soars over the rocky shore, waves crashing against the cliffs beneath.

"Mein Schädel brummt wie'n Bienenstock..." you hear Adler mutter. Then he opens his eyes.

It's mostly just screaming from there on. You'd think he'd be a little less panicked over the escape route he himself set up. Then again, he probably didn't envision himself tightly tied to a frankenglider.

"The cave! The cave!" he shouts to Aiko and Toshiba, desperately trying to wriggle free of his bonds. "Glide to the cave!"

(Rolling Toshiba's Acrobatics as you both need to get it right and he's got the lower bonus: 1d20+8 = 24 VERSUS DC 20 SUCCESS!)

Well, Adler's desperate shouts convince you to peel your eyes for a cave, which you promptly see up ahead; it looks barely big enough to land the Tipsy Tanuki, but then again, it was intended for the smaller single-person gliders. With a bit of precision work from both of you, you thread the needle and bring it home without wrecking the glider.

---

LOOT REPORT (Adler's Cave Hideout)

+5 Expensive-Ass Statuettes (obviously stolen from the Count)
+1 Log of pay-offs to Van Synt
+Many pieces of filthy (yet well-polished) lucre of indeterminate origin
+1 Underground route that leads back East, apparently used to move all this from the city here

"Hey, are you going to let me go now?" Adler asks.
Toshiba and Aiko exchange a glance.

+1 Concussion

---

(Kagemaru's Sneak: 1d20+13 = 21)
(Guard's Notice: 1d20+7 = 27)

Kagemaru's bout of exploration is rudely interrupted when the city guard finally storms the place. The inconvenient part is that they pour in from both the secret entrance through the fireplace and the side tunnel Toshiba used. Kagemaru barely manages to flee into the ceiling beams above the room where he knocked out the thieves, but that still leaves the matter of actually escaping.

---

Let us now join the running debate (hah!) between Kasumi, Yukio and Markus the Informant.

"Do you think your friend would make use of the escape route Herr Adler set up?" the informant asks between breaths.
"Possibly," Kasumi replies. "We'll see once we're at the square."
"No, we almost certainly won't," the informant says. "Adler's escape route is a set of fabric wings on top of the church's belltower. He said it would let him simple fly through the air and out of the city. If Adler is leading the escape, then their next station will be the refuge in the caves, outside the city walls." The informant thinks of a moment. "That is, if your friend is letting Adler lead. You were all tricking us to capture him, after all."
"Well, if he went with any of my associates, we'll find out soon enough," Kasumi says. "Don't worry, Adler will get what is coming to him."
"If they are not at the square, I can show you the other passage to the caves. It is how we move things in and out - and how we were to flee before Adler decided he would rather fly than crawl through a tunnel."
"And, conveniently enough, prevent any of you from following him out, trapping you all here to die," Kasumi says, her eyes narrowing. "I think Adler might fall down a few flights of stairs before we hand him over to Holger," she says to Yukio. "What do you think?"
"Why go to such a pretense?" Yukio shoots back. "Hand him a blade and let him face me. I will gladly cut him down in combat."
Kasumi smiles and takes Yukio's hand. "Maybe later, we need him alive to question him, after all."
"Then we should not let him fall down any stairs either, no?" Yukio says.
"I meant that we should punch him in the head a few times, Yukio," Kasumi says. She looks back at the informant. "You got that, right?"
"I'm keeping out of that discussion," the informant says. "Obviously nobody could stop you doing whatever you wish to Adler at this point; I just want this nightmare over with."
Kasumi nods. "Do you have family in town?"
"My uncle works for the city guard, actually," the informant says. "I am too old to apprentice in a trade, but perhaps the guard could make use of me."

Well! Finally arriving back at the square, you see that the city guard is certainly making good use of itself. There are rows of thieves sitting in the square and a pile of gonnes a fair distance away.

"Da sind se!" one guardsman calls out when he sees the three of you and walks over to you, gonne shouldered. "Den nehmen wir gleich mit."
"He wants me to come with them," the informant translates.

Kasumi nods and stays at his side as she motions for Yukio to keep her eyes on the surrounding buildings. "I'll walk you over, make sure things are fine over there, okay?"
The informant nods. "Sie möchte mitkommen." The guard nods to that and you're on your way. Along the way, you witness a watchman argue with one of the guard, obviously agitated about...being attacked by a giant bat? That can't be right. "Sounds like your friends went over the wall," the informant says.
"Perfect," Kasumi mutters to Yukio.
"Where is that escape tunnel of yours?" Yukio asks.
"It's, ah, in kind of a difficult spot," the informant says.
"Well?"
"We dug a tunnel into the Count's treasure vault," the informant confesses. Yukio raises an eyebrow. "So if you needed to escape, you would have had to break into the Count's vault first?" The informant pauses. "Dieser Bastard!" he barks. "Promise me you won't let Adler get away!"
Kasumi nods towards the guard. "Ask him if they found anyone in the basement of Adler's inn."
"Habt ihr da unten wen gefunden?" the informant asks the guard. "Nur deine Freunde," the guard replies. "Aber deinen Boss kriegen wir auch noch dran." The informant turns to Kasumi. "Just my fellow thieves."
Kasumi looks to Yukio. "Was there anything distinctive we could ask to make sure they found the right room?"
"It came right after the secret passage in the fireplace," Yukio says. "Habt ihr den Geheimgang gefunden?" the informant asks. The guard snorts a single laugh. "Der war ja schwer zu übersehen. Wir werden die Gänge durchforsten, bis wir deinen Boss haben." The informant nods to Kasumi. "They must have found the room."
"Then my friends have Adler, dead or alive." Kasumi looks back to the informant. "Do you think you'll be safe here?"
"Safer than on the run or at the whims of Adler," the informant says. "I can take care of myself. Please, if you find a way to get into the Count's vault, the tunnel is hidden behind the painting of the stormy sea. Use it to follow your friends and get Adler back here."
Kasumi nods. "Will do. I wouldn't want Adler to miss his justice."

She slides up next to Yukio. "Given that Toshiba and Aiko are likely out of the city limits, I think it is wise if we check on Toshi and Sadatsugu, yes?"
"With any luck, they'll have escaped Van Synt," Yukio says, "but if not I hope Holger stopped him, at least. Maybe we can still catch them at the warehouse and sort this out."
Kasumi reties her kimono to be tighter and hold her sword better. "We should probably run, then."

"So, do we wait here for the others to find us, or chance our luck and see where that tunnel goes?" Aiko asks as she flicks through the ledger and taking mental note of all the details. Just in case.

Toshiba nods. "Let's split the difference. If you hold here and wait for the others - assuming Kagemaru was close enough to gauge where we went - I will scout out the tunnel."

"Fine by me."

Toshiba follows the tunnel's darkness. Fortunately, there's only one way forward and the occasion feel of smoothed stone and brazier mounts tells him he's still on the intended path and not going down into a Gods know how deep labyrinth of twisty underground passages without even being able to see anything. Who knows what lives down there...

No, you really don't want to think about that. After all, it is pitch black. You're likely be eaten by...something.

---

(Kagemaru's Sneak: 1d20+13 = 25 VERSUS Guard's Notice [+2 discretionary bonus for positional advantage]: 1d20+7+2 = 25) TIE, resolved in Kagemaru's favor due to higher skill bonus.)

In what would be a riotously funny scene were it pantomime theater, Kagemaru makes the call to walk in the footsteps of a guard headed out. He gingerly lowers himself onto the floor behind the man, then stays a literal step behind, hiding behind the armored bulk to escape casual detection. Step step step step (duck into shadows as guard turns around) step step WHOA stop don't run into this guy, oh Gods he's scratching his butt, step step step step step CEILING JUMP!

Kagemaru holds on to the stone ceiling for his dear life while the guard he's shadowing has an extended conversation with another on the merits of some book about a dude with an iron hand who tells people to lick his butt. (What is with these Hanse guys and their rears?)

(Fall like a feather!) Step step step step step oh dear he stopped again, he's turning to the left DART to the right ah crap more guards run run run "Halt! Wer ist da?" hiding place hiding place hiding place HAYSTACK.

In conclusion: safety! But to judge from Kagemaru's heart trying to jump out of his throat, waaaaay too close for comfort.

Kasumi's and Yukio's journey to the warehouse is speedy and terse. No matter what went down, you hope that Holger's intervention was enough to keep the situation from escalating. Still, the idea that Van Synt could have gotten close enough to Sadatsugu to render your efforts to save him useless does not sit well with you.

And so it is that you arrive at the warehouse fearing the worst - the silence that hangs over the scene is eerie, to say the least. However, what you actually find is slightly more heartening. Van Synt's sitting on a wooden bench, elbows propped up on his knees, while Holger paces around him and lectures him in quiet but intense Hanse. There's no obvious sign of either your friends or the guardsmen Van Synt surely had with him. Holger notes your arrival with a nod. "Yo, chica!" he shouts. "Step up, we got some serious shit to discuss."
Kasumi carefully approaches the bench, hand on her sword. She can feel Yukio's paranoia, and she's pretty sure Yukio can do the same. "Where'd Van Synt's men go, Holger? Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, we cool. I sent 'em back to touch base and help with the cleanup so we can do this between the four of us."
Kasumi slowly nods and moves closer to the bench, but doesn't relax her grip or watch. "So, what's the deal, then?"
"The deal is we got jack shit," Holger says. "The assassin played us, chica. Shit, he came around for a pass on my man for fucking kicks. Fucker was too slick to get jacked. But, hell, at least ain't nobody dead on this one yet. What do you got?"
"My friends have Adler in custody, and his army of child thieves? They were drugged into obedience by Adler." She spits on the ground in disgust. "He was apparently quite the toxin maker. The children were probably kidnapped from all over town; one of them says he's the child of one of the city guard."
"Well fuck me," Holger says. "A'ight, we gon' take care a' dat. You see that your friends haul Adler's ass to the homebase and we'll show you some love, you know I'm sayin'?"
"As long as that love includes some time alone to ask some questions, that's cool," Kasumi says. She nods to Van Synt. "What about him?"
"Got his grill adjusted by the killer," Holger replies. "So, ain't too chatty right now." He looks at Yukio. "That's shit we can sort out later, feel me?"
"That is indeed 'shit' we can discuss later," Yukio says. "But the assassin slipped away?" "Clean fade like you ain't seen never," Holger says, "that guy woulda wrecked Adler in a sneak-off. Motherfucker smacked my man and was ghost before the shout got done echoing."

Kasumi nods, hiding her smirk from Van Synt and Holger. "Yeah, they're pretty cunning, especially when you least expect it. So, what are we going to do now? With Van Synt and all of this?"
"Check it," Holger says, casting a sideways glance at Van Synt, "I'm playing this no harm no foul. Vee Sizzle had a lead, the assassin was prepared and got away, ain't nobody dead, ain't nobody's fault. We all regulators and that's how we headin' home tonight. We bounced Adler and that's the thing. That killer will get his, but it ain't today. Tight?"
Kasumi narrows her eyes. "Not if Van Synt let all of this happen to seal his control over this city. All of the thieves seem to think that is the case, and if we find more proof...you will have to decide if you are going to defend a man who has let this city descend into chaos, allowed a man like Adler to roam free, and tried to frame innocent Imperial citizens for murder."
Van Synt throws a pleading glance at Holger, but the young guardsman just nods. "If you find that proof," Holger says, "then I promise we'll check it. Ain't nobody above the law, I hear that. But until you got proof, ain't nobody going down for no theory, either. We got 99 problems up in this bitch and we ain't need rumors that don't got no facts."
Kasumi's expression softens, and she gives Holger a respectful nod. "Fair. So, do you want an escort back?"
"Nah, we got this, chica. You wanna do me a favor, hit up Count C's crib, I calculate we gon' need one of his crew to ID some loot from Adler's place before it...gets lost."
Kasumi nods. "I will do so immediately." She bows to Holger. "Good night, Holger. Stay safe."
"You knock 'em out, chica," Holger says. "And thanks again for standing with us. Ain't too easy doing the right thing in this town."
She winks at Holger. "Yes, it is. You just have to choose to do it."
"Sure thing," Holger says. "Peace out."

Once Holger and Van Synt leave, Kasumi scans the alleyways for a particular white mark, about six feet off the ground - Toshi's mark. "Figures that Toshi would jump in like that," she whispers to Yukio.
Yukio sighs. "I told him not to do that anymore." She immediately follows that with a smile. "But then, he asked me not to fight anymore, so it balances out."
Kasumi smirks. "Believe me, I tried to get him to keep his cons under control, but did he ever listen to me?"

The symbol's a bit difficult to spot, but it is there, just above a wooden beam jutting out of the side of the warehouse. "I don't think my Toshi listens to anyone," Yukio says. "Well, he listens...but he rarely does as he's told."
"Toshi follows his heart, Yukio," Kasumi says, motioning for her to scan the rooftops while she does the same before moving to check the mark. "He did so when he fell for you, and when he allowed us to follow our love. If that is his greatest weakness, then may there be many others like him."
"I will still have to slap him," Yukio replies. Kasumi's inspection of the sign reveals that Toshi was headed North - the Count's territory. What business did he have there?
Kasumi nods. "And I as well." She nods towards the Count's territory and offers Yukio her hand. "Shall we?"
"Let's."

(Toshiba's Survival (+4 due to Pathfinder Mastery):1d20+12+4 = 34 SUCCESS!)

Calling on his spelunking days, Toshiba feels the cave walls for growths, and with a smile recognizes the rough texture of lightmoss. A few splashes of water from his canteen onto the moss activate its natural bioluminescent properties, bathing the cave tunnel in an eerie blueish glow.

NINJA FACT: Lightmoss produces thick black smoke when thrown into a fire and serves as a mild emetic when ground into a hot tea. The more you know!

By the light of blue, Toshiba picks his way to the end of the tunnel. Rock gives way to soil gives way to a sturdy brick wall with a barely man-sized hole in it, stabilized with wooden beams. It's the same kind of construction as you saw intruding into the church basement. Somebody really ought to teach those thieves some structural engineering. Toshiba carefully maneuvers into the hole, echoing a few grunts as the passage proves a tight fit indeed for him. As for his exit, there's a wooden board with grips at the end. Some wrangling later, Toshiba manages to lift it off its resting place and maneuver it aside. The room ahead is dark; Toshiba tosses some lightmoss in to at least see enough to maneuver around.

The room he drops into his clearly underground, spacious enough to house a family but instead stuffed to the gills with ill-gotten gains. Is this Adler's secret stash? No, it seems too grand, a true treasure vault and not a hiding place for loot; if the thief owned all these things, he would run the city. But why then is there a tunnel? And why is it hidden behind - Toshiba turns around - a painting? Of a portly gentleman sitting astride a warhorse?

Ah, crap.

---

All things considered, Yukio and Kasumi weren't expecting the Count's manservant to be waiting for them outside the theater; he bids you to come inside, invites you to leave your muddy shoes (yes) and your weapons (no, thank you) in the cloakroom, and even manages to ask if you need medical attention. Whatever the situation may be, the Count seems to be on top of it already; the manservant sees you to the main ballroom, where you find Takao and Nagani seated at a lavish table, looking a little lost even with full plates of steaming food in front of them. On a nearby table, a man in fine medical garb is working his surgical magic on Sadatsugu, shouting the occasional Hanse order at a cluster of the Count's staff who are assisting him. The Count sits at the end of the banquet table, wearing a fine evening gown.

"Ah, Mesdemoiselles!" he exclaims with cheer in his voice. "So good of you to join us. I've had my staff set the table for you, though your friends were a bit reluctant to name a number for how many guests I would receive tonight. Go on, make yourselves at home; you must be starving."
"Still riding a bit high on the excitement tonight, I must admit," Kasumi says. "And there is much that we need to discuss. Holger has forced Van Synt out of power."
"I will wait for the official announcement from the town crier before I celebrate," the Count says, "but that is good news indeed. The young monsieur should prove less...ambitious." The Count nods to the table where Sadatsugu is being treated. "If you've concerns about the assassin, rest assured that Mademoiselle Ayami and I have already come to an equitable agreement. Your involvement in the affair is, I understand, rather circumstantial in any event. What is of importance is that no rash actions are taken by anyone this night; we must evaluate the situation in the clear light of day if we are to make the right choices. Do you not agree?"
Kasumi nods. "Of course. In addition to the change in power at the guard, unless something has gone horribly wrong, my associates have captured Adler, as well. I'm not sure where they have gone off to, they must have taken Adler's emergency escape route. Would you happen to have heard anything about what that might be?"
"Rumors and supposition," the Count says. "I would think it prudent if you stay the night in any event; I can send my servants to search for them in the morning."
Kasumi nods. "I suppose our Ayami friend will be up while her clan mate is being patched back together, so that's my paranoia taken care of." She smirks at the Count. "Apologies, but I find it best to hold off on trust when it comes to emergency bedfellows."
"Oh ho," the Count chuckles, "you are a group of hardened renegades, then. A blade in reach at every moment waking and sleeping, never knowing the feeling of true safety...how romantic!" The Count wipes the corners of his mouth with a napkin. "While I lay no claim to banditry, I was a cavalry officer in days past. Would you believe that it was my regiment's charge, screaming across the plains behind me and my saber, that turned the tide of battle at Waterloo?"
Kasumi nods. "Not that I know what or where this 'Waterroo' is, but I'm sure it was very impressive." She puts a hand around Yukio's waist. "And I wouldn't say that I don't know the meaning of true safety," she says with a smile.
"That I am also quite familiar with," the Count replies, glancing at Yukio. "So, eat! Drink! I can arrange for entertainment, if you're in the mood - just a little string quartet on a mission of cultural exchange to your grand empire, I'm afraid, though the boys really do tease the most dulcet sounds from their violas."
"Perhaps for my friends, the Ayami could certainly use a bit of culture," Kasumi says. "We have some business to attend to."
"Oh, the dreadful b-word," the Count says. "Very well then, my staff is at your disposal if you've need of anything." The Count rises from the table, obviously declaring his meal to be finished as a servant immediately grabs the half-full plate and carries it away while another places a sparkling clean one in its place.
Kasumi leans against Yukio. "What a strange man. Shall we?"
"Just (NOM NOM!) one moment," Yukio says, clearing the last of what seems to be a buquet of breaded shrimp from her plate. "There."
Kasumi smiles. "Come on, love." She whispers something to Yukio, and they both laugh on their way out of the room.

---

(Aiko's Search: 1d20+12 = 31)

While Toshiba is gone, Aiko amuses herself by picking through Adler's trove of money, which she really hoped would be a little more orderly - but then, Adler's full of disappointsments. Most of it is Hanse money, and being picked out of purses, in denominations too small to carry a significant sum out by herself. Still, a purseful should pay for her accomodations. Fortunately, Aiko also finds some Imperial money, six chits of jade and ten coins for a total equivalent of 310 silver.

So absorbed was Aiko in picking through the riches that she almost misses Adler moaning. It looks like he'll be back to consciousness with the mother of all headaches in a minute or so.

---

Nagani soon excuses herself from the table; her mind is heavy with thoughts and the air around the banquet is a little...stuffy. She wanders off a little toward the main staircase; a glance upward at the balcony reminds her of simpler plans of a mere day past, when you were still trying to break into the Count's chambers. It's rather fortunate that he has turned out to be a decent fellow who seems enamored with your quest, though Nagani knows she would be a fool to trust him on appearances alone.

Silently, Kagemaru appears from behind a pillar to join Nagani in her walk. Had he appeared to anyone else, they might have asked how he knew they were there and how he got it, but Nagani doesn't need to ask those types of questions. They are both ninja, after all.

"I am sorry," she says. "I have overstepped my authority and placed your friends in danger for a selfish quest. When my brother is safe, I will remand myself to Master Sinan's custody; I would ask that you bear honest witness against me when you find your way back to our home, so that I will not be tempted to lie about my mistakes."

Toshiba pondered the reasons for this tunnel to exist. Clearly base greed could be at the forefront of Adler's motives here. If he was going to have a safehouse outside the city, it would be even better if he could secretly clean out one of the wealthiest men in Kargsbeck on his way out. Adler didn't dig the tunnel himself, though... were his brainwashing drugs just that good, that they could overcome his minions' (who were naturally thieves already) curiosity and personal greed? Or perhaps - and this made Toshiba's face darken - Adler simply had his children killed once they finished their work, in order to keep the tunnel into the vault a secret.

More worrying was the chance that Adler could be allied with the Count. Maybe it was the Count's escape tunnel...

No matter. Toshiba turned to regard the treasure itself. He felt its pull, just as anyone who was or had ever been truly poor would have. The vault was overflowing with riches. None of it looked terribly organized. It was doubtful the Count ever counted (heh) his riches. The amount of decadence displayed in his home was enough to beggar an entire village.

No. Toshiba was not desperate and starving anymore. And the Count might still be counted among their few allies. Should that change, however, well, that tunnel wasn't going anywhere. Adler might be awake now - why not ask him about it? Toshiba gathered up enough lightmoss for a return trip through the caverns and headed back to Aiko and Adler.

Toshiba carefully picks his way back through the tunnel. After what seems like an inconveniently long time, he finds himself back in the cave. Aiko has taken to sorting through Adler's stash for coins; Adler himself is strung up between two statues, delirious from his injuries and moaning quietly.

"Adler," Toshiba announces, getting Aiko's attention as well. "Why does this safe house connect to the Count's treasure vault?"

Aiko does indeed perk up as the question is asked, but for the moment is content to let her companion lead the questioning as she digests the content of his first inquiry.

"Uuuuuugh," Adler says. Then he repeats it a few times for clarity. The repeated knockouts and injuries haven't done the thief any favors.

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" he asks weakly.

"Where could you possibly go if we did?" Aiko asks, looking around for any source of fresh water or other forms of conversational lubricant.

"Screw you," Adler says. "So you can come there and mess with me again? I'm going away. That's all you need to know."

"Herr Adler, it's not us you have to have any long term concern about. It's your own authorities and competetors, two competing clans of ninja, and the Blue Oni, against all of whom you would seem to lack any sort of leverage. 'Away' isn't exactly the issue, and my friend and I are of all parties involved currently least interested in protracting that journey."

Classic good cop.

With Aiko and Toshiba interrogating Adler, Kagemaru talking to Nagani, and Yukio and Kasumi - well, wait, what are Yukio and Kasumi doing?

Oh.

Right.

For modesty's sake, let us turn our eyes to Takao, who has kept to himself so far. In fact, throughout the conversation, the samurai has stayed deathly quiet, and he's hardly touched the honey-glazed ribs, either. Being the biggest enigma in the room, then, it comes as little surprise that the Count de Champagne takes a seat next to the taciturn swordsman just before it would be socially acceptable to retire from the table.

"And you, mon ami? Your sword was unsheathed before this night; I've not heard of assaults or even murders done with Imperial steel past my friend Tingarson's death, yet surely the guard would have eventually stopped and questioned you with a broken sword-seal, so your use must have been recent. Perhaps you had a quarrel with people whom nobody would miss..."

He drinks a swig of fruity red wine from a glass chalice decorated with silver patterning.

"Your friends being the more shadowy persuasion, you seem quite the...obvious fellow, parading your swords in the open where most would conspire to hide the extent of their arms. Yet I've least ascertained your motives in all this. This gin, this compassion of which you spoke earlier, is that how you comport yourself in your daily life? A principle to be admired, speaking from one chivalrous nobleman to another."

Takao has indeed only sampled from the food here and there, but as most of it was too rich or too sweet for him, he hasn't eaten much. The servants will eat well tonight - at least Takao hopes that's where the excess food goes, for a lot of it is yet uneaten, enough to feed one of the smaller villages he has passed through.

When his friends rise to leave the table, he is a step too slow, and the obese Count ties him into a conversation that would be rude to turn down, so he lingers.

"My swords very rarely leave their sheaths, but it is rarer yet that they strike down anyone who is missed", he responds to the Count's first question.

"Gin is one of the seven virtues of the Bushido, the code that guides the warriors of this country. The others are courage, honor, loyalty, honesty, justice, and politeness. While a balance of all is the ideal, most warriors favor one or two over the others. Surely, the chivalrous warriors of your culture also have a code, for what is a warrior without a code but a thug with sword and armor?"

"It's not like I could lie to him anyways." Kagemaru says with a weak smile as he thinks back to the many times Master Sinan reminded him of that.

"But know, that I understand why you did it. It's not easy having family in active duty."

"A romantic vision of a warrior's life indeed," the Count says. "Let me be more forward, then. Were you or were you not the man who cut down the Killer Bee ninja in my employ?"

---

"We are all one family," Nagani says weakly. "I...I should feel no more for Sadatsugu than any other brother or sister of the clan. It is not proper. It has corrupted my judgement. It is a dreadful burden, to serve a great family and yet know that there is a bond beyond even that. I should have been stronger." She looks at Kagemaru. "You were spared the curse of knowing your parents, yes? Your only allegiance is the clan."

Takao looks evenly at the Count, then shrugs. "My hand was forced. I would have walked away without shedding a drop of blood. As I said, my sword rarely strikes down anybody who would be missed."

"Romantic as my visions may be, I understand that reality requires compromises. The art of maintaining honor is to choose the compromises carefully, and not get caught up in a flood of self-justification."