[M] Battle of Kasai Palace

[Tolvo]

The Shogun yet again cackled. Her laughter grew rather warped as she turned to snarls and growls. She placed her hands on the ground and began to move towards Arael on all fours like a wild animal. Even the Deathborne started to back away from her, With each step she took she left a trail of fire behind her. Her own forces backed away. There was a divide between the two forces with Arael and the Shogun at the head of each. The Wight King rode beside Arael with his sword pointed directly at her. Hidega and Kanono came forward and readied to fight her, Hidega with a gun and Kanon with her sword.

More and more she became like the dragon she had imagined herself as. "So you undead wish to spread death and destruction. You want us to surrender and become like you. What a waste, what a simple mind you have. Do you not realize how much greater we could all become?" Hidega spat at her which prompted her to snap her head in his direction. The Wight King circled around her form. "The beginning in death will be found, we walk on consecrated ground. The Shogun's soul in things betwixt, your life is forfeit the battle was fixed." Again the Shogun laughed. "Let me bring you all up to speed. You have lost this battle. My body is a true weapon. I am the rage of the dragon, I am the unleashed volcano. If I die my final act will be an explosion so volatile it will kill both our forces. Can you all be risen again when you are but ash, not even bones left? Can you undead withstand lava? Tell me then why we should surrender."

[Evening Rain]

Arael's eyes fell to meet hers as she crawled toward him spitting fire from her mouth like a wyrm. Her spirit was strong. She would not be broken as easily as her prince.

Even in the face of such fury, Arael stood firm, his face calm as he watched the shogun crawl toward him, defiant even in defeat.

"Destroying our army would be a setback, it is true. Yet even still we have a fleet off the shore who would come to seize this land. You would doom your people in a last act of defiance, but you could be so much more than that. All of you could." Arael's eyes narrowed slightly. "Your brave lover is in our custody beyond the reach of this island. If you destroy my army here, when I return I will torture and twist him into an unrecognisable abomination. You are callous, a demon with little compassion... but perhaps you still feel something within that flaming heart of yours."

"You need not be my enemy. As a demon already, you would only be empowered by embracing undeath as well - it makes no difference to me. So long as you fight under my banner. As for the Burning Isles? You need not forfeit your control over them, so long as you retain your loyalty to the Deathborne cause. Remain the Shogun Hokarimitsuji. Our crusade is the ultimate venture for you. You need not fight out of true belief in our goal, but we will be fighting the greatest warriors in all of the world in the pursuit of our destiny. The most powerful, skilled heroes and champions among the living will provide you limitless entertainment... and we will be encountering dozens of them. Each faction that we crush is sport and honourable combat beyond measure. And then we shall move on to another enemy, and you will be able to sate your lust for battle upon them."

Arael gave a slight nod of his head as the shogun pulled herself so near to him that she could almost touch him. He did not step back. If she were to listen to him, she would need to respect him. "We fight an eternal war. A never-ending conquest that you could be a part of. Fight with us, and prove yourself the greatest warrior to ever have lived."

[Tolvo]

She reared up in his face. Arael could feel her hot steamy breath on his face. "Torture him! Maybe it'll give him the backbone he so badly needs!" Her head tilted and her neck loudly cracked. "Serve under your banner. We could be great allies, but do not think I would serve under any banner but my own." Some of the ashigaru looked to be getting confused on top of their already blooming fear. "My Shogun these are undead!" "And I am a demon! What difference does it make?" Her head snapped back into place in front of him. The arm made of fire burned out and faded leaving yet again only her stump. She held it towards Arael. "Have you never wondered creature, what happens when one is both living and undead?"

Jar Eel climbed down from his horse and walked up behind the Shogun. He planted his hand on the spear and prepared to drive it in fully on Arael's command. She paid him no mind and simply held the amputated limb towards the lich. "You wish for me to become fully undead, I can be an ally while alive. You underestimate the use of the living it seems." She looked to Hidega. "His arm, I want his arm. I am a demon, I am a dragon, I am a monster. Now make me an abomination."

[Evening Rain]

Arael stared into the shogun's eyes long and hard. For tense moments, he said nothing - simply staring at her, not even glancing at her ruined arm.

"Take his arm." He said suddenly, and simply.

"Let us see if there is heat to the shogun's fire."

[Tolvo]

Hidega's warriors raised their guns and aimed them now at Arael. The undead daimyo of the Burning Islands stepped forward with his guards. "And I refuse! I am to be the new Shogun! It is my birthright as grandson of the previous Shogun who she killed in cold blood." The Shogun gave a cheeky grin and again wiggled her short arm. Kanon walked slowly over to Hidega. No one challenged her, they all parted and let her through. Before he could protest Hidega's arm was cut off and sent to the ground. He cowered before the kensei.

Necromancers came from the rear at a brisk pace. Their gaunt faces, pale skin, and rotting flesh made them easy to spot in their hooded robes. Together they formed an arcane circle and began to weave the dead arm to the Shogun's shoulder. She tested the new arm and watched as it flexed and moved at her will. With the hand she held her sword and swung it a few times in the air. Next she unleashed a blue flame from it, unlike her previous fire. "Now raise my fallen." Across the ground was a great deal of blood from the battle. She lowered herself to the crimson pools and began to drink from them, even in the muck she drank deeply. Hidega's arm appeared to grow in strength as it gained claws and muscle. "Yes, this will do nicely."

The undead daimyo with one arm pushed his way past Kanon to the Shogun. Jar Eel warned him. "Back you fool. It is we who rule." With his one arm he grabbed Arael by the shoulder. "Now listen here I was promised the title of Shogun! Like my grandfather before me it is my birthright, she is a foul creature, a demon she's not even worthy of undeath!" Then there was a quick movement the eye could barely catch as the Shogun swiped her blade. Hidega's face was split eight ways, his flesh and muscle pulled back like the petals on a flower blooming in the sunlight. Baigujing came forward and began to look the Shogun up and down. "I've wanted to get a closer look and study her. She is indeed a real demon." The Shogun thrust her blade into Hidega's guts and forced him to his knees. With a casual air about her she asked a simple question. "So where is Wei. I want to see the look on his face when he knows we've allied."

[Evening Rain]

Arael surveyed the situation blandly, and gave a nod of his head.

Turning to Hidega's warriors and their guns, he pursed his lips and spoke coldly. "You put aside your old loyalties when you accepted the Deathborne cause. Put aside your weapons. You serve the undead, not this pathetic fool. We are your masters now."

He dropped his eyes to the prostrate undead form of Hidega. "I do not like lose ends. Somebody disintegrate this one, he has outlived his usefulness. He betrayed his own people for power - no doubt he'd do the same to us."

Arael had to admit that the shogun's new arm was impressive. Fusing with her demonic form - it had made her even more fearsome than before. "Wei is dead. Naturally, I returned him to life - but he seems to be having trouble coming to terms with his new... 'situation'. If you wish to see him, he is being held aboard his former flagship." Arael raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "I hope that you won't miss the heat. We intend to spread ice across the Burning Isles. Fight for yourself, but you and yours must accept these changes, I am afraid. The Archlich would not be happy if she learned we were not extending the gift of death to your people."

[Tolvo]

"Oh thank the gods I thought I'd have to suffer his presence further." The Shogun remarked. Hidega began to cry at Arael's words. "But, I did everything you asked. You're all my loyal subjects! I was a loyal servant to you Curator!" Both Baigujing and the Shogun raised their hands. From both shot out torrents of fire with the Shogun's reaching Hidega first. He burnt to mere cinder and ash, Baigujing clicked his teeth. "Damn, quicker on the draw than me." "I'm the ruler of the Burning Islands what did you expect?"

Hidega's forces seemed to be shocked. They however did not open fire. Instead they watched in horror but stood in place and bowed their heads. Arael could see Hidega's spirit leaving in the form of smoke rising towards the heavens. His form was cloudy and full of anguish, a taste of bitterness hung in the air. The Wight King removed the spear from her back now. He gave her a nod and then handed the spear over to Arael. "What now Curator, we've killed our conspirator. Demons abound, what do we do with the allies we've found?" The Shogun stretched her neck. "We conquer the world, of course."

She spun around with her arms raised. "Who wants to become immortal! Come forward my warriors! Living and dead shall fight side by side! We will claim this world as our own together! If you seek to rise again when you fall join us down here and we shall turn you into-" She paused and turned to Arael. "We never actually did learn what you call yourselves."

[Evening Rain]

Arael watched the daimyo burn and die without the slightest hint of emotion. A soft inclination of his head to the rising smoke was all the goodbye he gave him. His eyes turned once more to Hidega's men. "Let this be a lesson. Those who question our authority will not be tolerated. You must remember that we answer a higher calling now. Whatever you were in life, you are Deathborne, now. I am not a monster, but I would sacrifice everything to see this world remade, and its suffering extinguished."

Sometimes I make myself sick with this nonsense, but it is necessary, I suppose.

Baigujing and Hokarimitsuji... two ancient and powerful demons swayed to his side. Koryza would no doubt be pleased, but it was not her pleasure that interested him. It was something more. Something that the others could not understand

Arael took the spear and scrutinised the blade, giving a soft nod before tapping it gently against the ground.

So the wight king is asking me for direction now? How amusing, I do believe I am beginning to earn a reputation as more than just a political schemer.

"Our newfound ally is very enthusiastic." He said sidelong to Jar El. "But of course, one must admit that she has the right idea."

He turned his eyes to the shogun and allowed a smile. "We are the Deathborne." He replied calmly. "Welcome to the fold. Might I ask why you seemed so opposed to us before? Our goals seem to align better than yours did with the prince. Rather than trying to split my skull in half, we might have reached an accord much sooner."

[Tolvo]

The Deathborne began a chant. "Death to life, life in death!" They leaned their heads back and joined in a loud howling. This appeared to unnerve the living, though the oni joined in as well. The battle had come to a close. Jar Eel once again climbed into his saddle and began to work with the necromancers in raising all who had died.

Hokarimitsuji smiled at Arael and waved her hand outward. "Why did I not merely join? Because I had no idea what you were, or how powerful you were. Why would I ally with someone weaker than I? I am a ruler, I am a warlord, I am a conqueror. I don't sue for peace or attend summits about alliances. I fight tooth and nail to see who is the top dog, who is a fellow dragon. You may not be a warrior but I recognize cunning. And even I know it's use in war. I also realized I forgot to answer your earlier question. You may make these islands covered in ice. We will still burn on and persist in the cold. What is fire without ice anyway?"

[Evening Rain]

Arael's flickered wryly in an ephemeral smile, amused at the shogun's answer. "For one so brutish and straightforward, you are more clever than you appear. So in a sense, you never lost this battle. Through it, you were able to see a worthy ally - and now we have forged an alliance that will sow terror and discord throughout the realm." His eyes turned to the kensei, Kanon. "You would not mind being seperated on the field from your shogun? You have proven yourself mighty both in body and will. I would have you serve as my personal guard. By my side at all times to enforce my will."

He placed a surprisingly delicate and gentle hand on the wight king's shoulder. "Your majesty, this victory is yours as much as mine. Congratulations are in order. To mark our triumph here, I propose that we rechristen the Burning Isles to the Frigid Isles. The name is in line with its future, in any case."