“Ah, Dadoji-So-jin-sama it is so good of you to join me” snickered an air spirit. So-jin looked around and could only see the air spirit. Everything around him was pitch black, darker then night, thicker then earth. “Where am I? Last I remember I was running from someone or something…” So-jin trailed off his memory failing him. “You have come to us as your soul has left Ningen-do” Smiled the spirit. “If I have left Ningen-do then I am dead or I…, No I died running away from ninja. They were after the sword which was made by my clan.” The spirit grinned at So-jin “So you died honorably then us?” So-jin looked at the spirit “Yes, I died honorably in the service of my clan” So-jin looked around him “I have died before and been reborn to another destiny, this is different then the last times, this must be the journey to Yomi then.” Stated So-jin. He smiled to himself. “At last I have been able to attain it, the lord moon was right. My choice was a good one.” He nodded to himself. The spirit snickered at So-jin “Please tell me some stories of your honorable deaths while I take you to Yomi” The spirit pleaded with So-jin.
“It all started when I was embodied as a Ronin, I sacrificed myself to release a tormented soul. I did this in the name of compassion, but I knew that I would better myself in the wheel. No matter though, the wheel turned and I was raised from a poorly ronin to that of a mantis. Hardly a step up from ronin I assure you, but none the less a step in the right direction.” So-jin spoke with confidence as he walked with the spirit. “Ah a most interesting story, you have more I take it?” The spirit giggled. “It is always good to know what morals think. I like to hear new stories, I have not heard many in over a thousand years.” So-jin grinned at the spirit “Of course I have many stories, as a mantis I past on in the defense of a magistrate. He was trying to uncover crimes by the scorpion.” So-jin sighed “It was honorable, but fool’s errand. Most of us died, but at least the crimes were uncovered, it is of little concern. The wheel turned again and rewarded me with a crane heritage.” So-jin stride with arrogance now “It was then that the lord moon approach me with the opportunity to be apart of the new future for Ningen-do, it was then I knew I was destined for great things” The spirit laughed at this notion “Such great things that you died again in his serve? Where is he now to come and give you another life to lead?”
So-jin stopped confused at the spirits malevolence. “How can you say such a thing, a celestial being gave me his attention and you laugh at such a thing. You know nothing spirit. Take me to Yomi where I can take my rightful place with the honored ancestors” The spirit turned and cackled. The spirits form changed from the likes of an air kami to that of a kansen. “Such arrogance, vanity and self confidence, it is amazing bushido even stands in memory with samurai, if this is what the samurai have become!” So-jin disgusted tried to call upon the kami to banish the kansen, but nothing happened. So-jin confused yelled “Where are you taking me foul spirit!” The spirit cackled and disappeared. So-jin heard the roar of nightmares all around him. In his mind he heard the kansen once more whispering, boaring its presence into his head. “I have taken you no where little samurai. You are with us now in the sword.”
So-jin clawed at his head with his hand and nails drawing blood trying to pull the voice from his mind. “I have a treat for you, when you found me I have been buried for years. Before that time I had killed and taken the souls of many lions. They do not take well to cranes; maybe they will play with you for awhile since you bore me. I have another champion to bring your pathetic empire to its knees”
So-jin cried out from the pain as blood drain from his ears, noise and mouth. He looked to see thousands of abominations wearing the colors of the lion standing around him. “No please I beg you don’t, I do not belong here!” The lion collapsed on So-jin. All that could be heard was the cries of a broken man, who realized his circle had ended.