Death's Kiss Read online

  Legend of the Five Rings

  The realm of Rokugan is a land of samurai, courtiers, and mystics, dragons, magic, and divine beings – a world where honor is stronger than steel.

  The Seven Great Clans have defended and served the Emperor of the Emerald Empire for a thousand years, in battle and at the imperial court. While conflict and political intrigue divide the clans, the true threat awaits in the darkness of the Shadowlands, behind the vast Kaiu Wall. There, in the twisted wastelands, an evil corruption endlessly seeks the downfall of the empire.

  The rules of Rokugani society are strict. Uphold your honor, lest you lose everything in pursuit of glory.

  First published by Aconyte Books in 2021

  ISBN 978 1 83908 080 7

  Ebook ISBN 978 1 83908 081 4

  Copyright © 2021 Fantasy Flight Games

  All rights reserved. Aconyte and the Aconyte icon are registered trademarks of Asmodee Group SA. Legend of the Five Rings and the FFG logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Cover art by Merilliza Chan

  Rokugan map by Francesca Baerald

  Distributed in North America by Simon & Schuster Inc, New York, USA

  ACONYTE BOOKS

  An imprint of Asmodee Entertainment Ltd

  Mercury House, Shipstones Business Centre

  North Gate, Nottingham NG7 7FN, UK

  aconytebooks.com // twitter.com/aconytebooks

  For Elodie. Without whom I would have gotten this book done much faster. And for Sylvie, without whom I might not have gotten it done at all.

  Chapter One

  Foxfire Theater

  Daidoji Shin raised a cup of tea to his lips. A sudden clatter of falling wood interrupted him mid-sip, and the hot liquid scalded his tongue. Sighing, he set the cup down carefully. Around him, the interior of the Foxfire Theater echoed with the sound of labor. Tradesmen moved back and forth across the stage, carrying tools and planks. Above them, laborers maneuvered new roofbeams into place. Down in the benches, artisans argued over the placement of various cosmetic additions.

  Shin sat in his private box, on a cushioned bench that still smelt slightly of smoke. The theater no longer resembled the burnt-out ruin it had been only a few short months ago. Nor did it look as it once had. Instead, the theater’s new owner had decided to make some – in Shin’s opinion – long-needed improvements, including an extension of the stage, an expansion to the changing areas and a complete refurbishment of the backstage area. It was all very expensive – but necessary for future success.

  Or so Shin assured anyone who cared to ask about such things. In its heyday, the theater had been infamous for its ribald performances and riotous patrons. More recently, it had fallen on difficult times, hosting a succession of largely uninspiring kabuki troupes for dwindling audiences. After it had been gutted by a sudden fire, Shin had purchased the smoldering ruin from its previous owner and set about renovating it.

  The idea of owning his own theater, which had seemed positively brilliant at the time, had lost some of its luster in the interim. But he was confident that his enthusiasm would be rekindled once the renovations were complete.

  His eyes flicked down to the stack of ledgers that sat before him, on the small writing table he’d had brought up. The ledgers contained the financial records for the theater, and he’d been working diligently to make sense of them for the better part of a month. So far, he’d made little headway. The theater was suspended in a web of debt that kept it unprofitable and yet somehow functional.

  Despite his best efforts, Shin yearned for a distraction – something, anything, to take him away from the mess he’d made for himself. Preferably somewhere far away, and for long enough that the matter would sort itself out. Sighing again, he opened the uppermost ledger and began to scan the page.

  “I simply must protest, my lord. It is not fitting that a man of your station be seen in such surroundings.” The statement was delivered with modest and subtle venom, as was appropriate for a courtier speaking to one who was nominally his superior. Shin looked up, gave a thin smile and fixed the speaker with a heavy-lidded gaze.

  Junichi Kenzō was a narrow needle of a man, dressed in blue, with a face like a hatchet and the pinched expression of one who expects only disappointment. He’d been sitting quietly, if impatiently, since he’d been ushered into Shin’s box moments earlier. Shin, somewhat unkindly, had decided to let him stew for a bit.

  Shin closed the ledger, and deftly squared it atop the others before him. Similar to his guest, he was clad in a kimono of the finest blue silk, though his was emblazoned with a pattern designed to draw the eye of even the most casual observer. His white hair was pulled back from his narrow, handsome features, but a few strands were left free so as to frame his face just so. He took great pains to ensure that he cut an attractive, if somewhat rakish, figure. “And what surroundings might those be, Master Kenzō?”

  He picked up his fan and snapped it open. The spokes were made from steel, and they made a pleasing hiss as he extended them. If Kenzō noticed, he gave no sign. Then, being a courtier himself, perhaps he was familiar with iron fans and their myriad uses.

  Kenzō frowned deeply. “Forgive me, but the air is full of dirt and noise, my lord. Why, I even overheard one of the laborers cursing a few moments ago.”

  “How dreadful for you,” Shin said, in his most sympathetic tones. He paused. “Though I do believe the individual in question had dropped something heavy on his foot only a moment prior.”

  “That is no excuse!”

  “Indeed not. Sadly, standards are not what they were.”

  “If that is the case, might I ask why you insisted on meeting here, my lord?” Kenzō indicated their surroundings with a twitch of his chin. Shin wondered if Kenzō had ever been inside a theater before. Though the Crane prided themselves on being patrons of the arts, not all of them appreciated such things.

  Shin sat back, fanning himself. “I confess, Master Kenzō, that I find being amidst all this clamor somewhat invigorating. There is something poetic about the sounds of tradesmen as they set their shoulders to the wheel of progress, don’t you agree?”

  Kenzō had no reply to this. Shin took the opportunity to study him more closely. He knew Kenzō’s type well – a petty man, looking for any opportunity to impress his betters and amaze his subordinates. Not a bully. Just officious and somewhat obnoxious.

  Unfortunately, he was also seneschal to Shin’s grandfather. As such, he spoke with the voice of the Daidoji Trading Council. Shin took a sip of his now-cool tea, grimaced, and signaled for the servant lurking at the door to refresh the cup.

  Kenzō placed his hand over his own cup as the servant made to do the same for him. “Be that as it may, surely you have others capable of dealing with such matters.” Disapproval punctuated every wor
d as he spoke.

  Ever since his arrival almost a week ago, Kenzō had made clear his feelings – as well as those of Shin’s grandfather – about this latest business venture. Since no directive to cease in his current preoccupation had accompanied Kenzō’s arrival, Shin had decided to endure the other man’s displeasure with all the good grace and humor he could muster – though it was waning fast.

  He fancied that Kenzō would eventually wander home, to report on what would be deemed Shin’s latest foolishness. It was simply a matter of weathering the storm. He laid his palm flat on the topmost ledger and said, “Is that an offer, Master Kenzō? I have heard that you have quite the head for financial matters. Indeed, I am told that my grandfather often seeks your advice on such things.”

  Kenzō, as Shin had hoped, swelled slightly at this. “It is true, my lord, I am quite familiar with the pecuniary side of things. That is why I am here, after all. To inspect your finances – with your permission, of course, my lord.” He ducked his head, as if suddenly recalling that Shin was his superior – an affectation, but one Shin appreciated.

  “But of course you have my permission, Master Kenzō.” Shin spoke as if it had never occurred to him to consider otherwise. In fact, it was something of a nuisance. Kenzō was ostensibly acting on behalf of the council. In reality, he’d been sent to spy on Shin and find out why he was no longer drawing on his allotted stipend.

  As spies went, Kenzō wasn’t the worst he’d ever encountered. Nor, however, was he the best. That particular title rested with the bald, round man sitting to Shin’s left. Master Ito met Shin’s gaze and gave a knowing, if surreptitious, smile. He had been quietly observing Kenzō since the other man’s arrival, and Shin wondered what he made of the courtier.

  Ito wore the plain robes of a merchant. Allegedly, he was merely one of the trio of such whom Shin oversaw on behalf of the Daidoji Trading Council. The three were the sum total of the Crane’s interest in the City of the Rich Frog.

  All three paid a portion of their profits in return for protection, and while they were not family, they were considered vassals. This gave them some advantages when it came to import fees, annual tithes and the like. Of the three, Ito was the only one whose name Shin could recall without being prompted.

  There was good reason for that. While Ito endeavored to look soft and unassuming, his guileless demeanor was but a mask hiding a mind sharp enough to draw blood. He’d been of some help to Shin in a previous affair – enough to earn his patron’s trust. He knew everything about the city’s trading networks, both legal and otherwise, and on his advice Shin had made several private investments in various local businesses – including the Foxfire Theater. He was also a spy for the Crane, though he had never admitted it in so many words.

  At Shin’s glance, Ito cleared his throat. “Perhaps, my lord, Master Kenzō is the man for the moment? After all, while I have given you what small help I am able, I am but a humble merchant. Surely a man of Master Kenzō’s reputation might be able to untangle this particular fiscal knot with ease.”

  Kenzō looked sharply at Ito and said, “What knot might that be?” Despite his lingering frown, there was an undercurrent of curiosity in his voice.

  Shin indicated the ledgers. “As I’m sure you might have guessed, the finances of this theater were in quite the state when I took on ownership. A tangle of debts, payments, contracts and such – all of which are now my responsibility. I find such matters tedious, but it must be done.”

  Kenzō’s gaze sharpened, and there was a light in his eyes that told Shin he’d read the man right. “Oh yes, certainly, my lord. But you must have more important matters to attend to, as I said.”

  “Yes, but needs must. I fear I shall be occupied with this matter until it is resolved.”

  Kenzō licked his lips. “Perhaps… I might be of service?”

  Shin’s eyes widened. “You, Master Kenzō? Why, I wouldn’t dream of inflicting such a conundrum upon you. Not when you have other duties…”

  “My lord, it would be my privilege. I have often conducted similar audits on behalf of your grandfather, though never, I must admit, for a business such as this.”

  Shin sat back, and Ito gently nudged the stack of ledgers towards Kenzō. The courtier practically rubbed his hands in barely restrained glee. “Never fear, Master Kenzō. I am assured that one business is much like another, when it comes to money.”

  Ito coughed politely, and Shin nodded. He rose smoothly, smoothing his own blue kimono with a practiced gesture. “Please, make yourself at home here. I must speak with a certain tradesman regarding a shipment of lanterns. I will return shortly.”

  Kenzō, his mind already on his task, barely remembered to bow as Shin and Ito left the box. Once safely out of earshot, Ito said, “Well played, my lord. Kenzō has something of a reputation as a keen problem solver. Overly keen, in fact.”

  “Easily distractable, you mean?” Shin asked. He snapped open his fan and gave it a twitch, to better disperse the smells of pitch and sawdust that permeated the theater.

  “Even so, my lord.” Ito bowed low, almost obsequiously so. “If you will permit me, I must return to my own labors. I have deliveries to arrange and shipments to contract.”

  Shin waved him on, and Ito departed. He turned to address the figure lurking unobtrusively nearby. “A clever man. I’m glad I realized it before it was too late.”

  The young woman leaning against the wall snorted. “And it only took you a year.” She straightened and fixed him with a disapproving eye. “Kenzō?”

  Shin gestured with his fan. “Happily plying his trade for the moment.”

  “You tricked him.”

  “Me? Don’t be absurd, Kasami. Such a thing is beneath me.” He started down the creaking stairs towards the stage. Kasami, trotting in his wake, snorted indelicately. Then, there was little delicacy and even less tact in Hiramori Kasami.

  A daughter of the Uebe marshes, she had been born into a vassal family but now served the Daidoji directly, her skills honed to murderous lethality. She was also his bodyguard, something she complained about often and at length. “That won’t keep him occupied for long,” she said, her mouth a thin line. It wasn’t quite a frown, but neither was it a smile. “Eventually, he’s going to remember why he was sent here in the first place.”

  “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it,” Shin said, watching the laborers haul a joist into place above the stage. “For now, perhaps we can get some use out of our guest.”

  “Cross,” Kasami corrected.

  “What?”

  “Cross the bridge. Not burn it.”

  Shin fanned himself. “Is there a difference?”

  “Ideally.”

  Her tone bordered on disrespectful, and Shin quirked an eyebrow. “Well, as I always say, a day without learning is a day wasted.” He paused, waiting for her reaction.

  She didn’t look at him. “To my knowledge, you have never said that.”

  “Maybe you weren’t listening,” he countered, teasingly.

  Kasami grunted, but didn’t take the bait. Shin sighed. “Still, you are correct, I suppose. I had hoped my grandfather might be content to leave me to my own devices, but I see that I have once more piqued his interest.”

  “It’s because you’re spending too much money.”

  “Technically, I’m not spending any money – well, any of his money at any rate.” Shin assumed an air of aggrieved innocence. Kasami gave him a level look.

  “He’s probably curious as to where you’re getting it.”

  “And I have informed him many times–” Another level look from Kasami compelled him to correct himself. “Fine, I have informed him at least once of my various investments. It is hardly my fault that he ignores my existence save for when I suffer some unforeseen and undeserved embarrassment…” He trailed off as he noticed her expression. “What?
”

  “Nothing.”

  Shin peered at her in suspicion. “Are you implying something?”

  “I would not dream of doing so, my lord,” she said, her tone bland and respectful. Shin made to reply when he caught sight of Wada Sanemon, master of the Three Flower Troupe, the troupe-in-residence for the Foxfire Theater, hurrying towards them across the stage.

  “My lord, my lord,” Sanemon called out. He was heavyset, with broad shoulders and a hesitant, nervous manner. He was sweating profusely, as was his custom, and his cheeks were flushed. “My lord,” he wheezed, as he reached them. Bending over, he braced his hands on his knees, panting.

  Shin waited politely for him to catch his breath. When Sanemon straightened, Shin said, “How might I be of service, Master Sanemon?”

  “You have a guest, my lord,” Sanemon said. “A… ah… a lady. She wishes to… ah… speak with you, in private. I… I took the liberty of showing her to one of the dressing rooms backstage. Just in case, you understand.”

  “A lady?” Shin perked up. “Did she give a name?”

  Sanemon lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Iuchi Konomi, my lord.”

  Shin’s eyes widened.

  “Well now. Isn’t that interesting?”

  Chapter Two

  Iuchi Konomi

  Shin strolled backstage, Sanemon hurrying in his wake, and Kasami trailing behind them both, at a respectful distance.

  “How goes the day, Master Sanemon? Is the Three Flower Troupe ready for the new season?” Shin asked, throwing the questions over his shoulder.

  “Fortunes willing, my lord,” Sanemon said. He hesitated, then added, “I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity, my lord. Without your patronage we would surely have had to disband. Especially after… well.” He gestured somewhat helplessly.

  Shin nodded in understanding. Sanemon and his troupe had been involved in a recent incident that had nearly upset the delicate balance of power in the city. Shin had extricated them from the situation and had become their patron in the process.