"What an unpleasant place," thought Akodo Tennozan, a young Lion Warden, as he marched through the Shadowlands.

Scuttling rocks, thorny bushes that grab you, blood leeches, extreme heat then cold, and I cannot even have my trusted steed here. I am a military man, accustomed to the deprivations of the road, but this is a bit much. I truly appreciate the duty the Crab have patrolling these lands and defending the Empire from the evil forces that propagate here. However their planning is horrible, at least for this endeavor.

The Akodo glanced at his traveling companions. A Moto bushi and a member of the Daidoji Trading Council were brave samurai familiar to him from earlier adventures. He only knew the Isawa shugenja and Otomo courtier from an earlier patrol of the Shadowlands, which netted them some goblins and an oni. The Mirumoto was unknown to him, but appeared competent. They were following a nervous Kaiu to retrieve some tetsubo that was sacred to the Crab clan. Supposedly, it was in a temple in the vicinity of the ruined City of the Lost.

It is bewildering that we are being sent to retrieve this sacred club. Where are the other Crab bushi? What about a Hiruma scout? No, instead we have an Otomo courtier. Nothing against the Imperials or courtiers, but we cannot really talk an oni to death and I doubt goblins are overly concerned about etiquette. Oh well, this winter should be over soon enough and I can return to my other duties in Lion lands. Retrieving this item should gain me further recognition in the cavalry legion.

The Lion's internal monologue was interrupted by the tense intake of breath by the Kaiu. The entire group looked to see the cause of the Kaiu's sudden tension. A gigantic oni was ahead of them.

"What is it?" asked the Akodo.

"The Oni of Hunger, everyone should hide," replied the Kaiu as he hid behind a nasty scrub bush.

"What does that mean?" the Lion asked, being thoroughly unfamiliar with the denizens of the Shadowlands.

The Moto replied, "It is an oni that is nigh indestructible."

"Nigh?" the Akodo said softly. "It is by itself…"

"We should all hide," one of the other samurai said as everyone started to find rocks and bushes to conceal themselves. All hid but the Lion, who stood there in quiet contemplation.

"Please take cover Akodo-san, we cannot slay that beast," the Daidoji said softly.

"The path of honor is not the easy one Akodo-san," said a soft, feminine voice in the Akodo's head. It was the spirit of Bayushi Nishari whom he had drawn the attention of earlier in the year.

"Yes, Akodo-san, it is best not to draw the oni's attention," whispered the Moto. "No one will speak ill of you for hiding, it is the wise thing to do."

The other samurai quietly communicated similar concerns, but the Akodo stood very still and remained silent. His eyes were fixed on the oni in the distance. The Lion looked at the oni and then to his yari and back to the oni. The Akodo then dropped the yari and grabbed the hilt of his katana and looked toward the Daidoji. The Daidoji looked sad, but nodded. Several of the samurai muttered sentiments ranging from encouragement to condemnation. At that moment though, the Akodo's world narrowed to him, the oni, and the surrounding terrain on which this battle would be fought.

I could hide and live, but what is life without honor. To have seen this great oni and not to have tried to defeat it will haunt me forever. How can I face my ancestors if I cannot face this abomination? "Oh, you were mostly brave," they would say, "but you were not brave that day." It is not an army, it is but one oni. It is on the sizable side, but one nonetheless.

By this time, the gigantic oni had noticed the lone Lion bushi standing near on the rise. It started making its way towards the Akodo. Someone implored the Lion not to throw his life away foolishly, to run and hide. Akodo Tennozan made no move to run or hide, however. Instead he carefully withdrew his katana and began applying jade powder to the blessed blade. The Lion's eyes carefully scanned the terrain in front of him, searching for an advantageous point to launch his attack against the foul beast.

This will likely be my demise, but I will give it my best effort. I am not mad at the other samurai that are hiding, they simply are not Lion.

"I am an Akodo," Tennozan said calmly as he moved towards his attack position. His blade held at the ready. His eyes did not display fear or regret, simply grim determination.

The Oni of Hunger advanced towards the Lion with dreadful deliberation. And then, in a flash of blinding action, the Akodo launched himself into a fierce assault on the giant oni. Two brilliant and brutal strokes were delivered on the oni, but they did not even phase the beast.

Hmmm, nigh indestructible did not mean what I thought.

The great oni grabbed the Lion bushi and promptly ate him. Its terrible maw crushed the life out of Akodo Tennozan, who did not utter a sound as he died.
Perhaps those other samurai now understand what it means to be a Lion. An honorable death is a good death…