Helm of Thunder

by Shawn Carman & Rich Wulf

The monks of Osano Wo stood in a firm line, watching the doors of the temple. Outside, the metal clank of armored troops drew nearer. The scarred sohei clutched their ono firmly, waiting for what was to come.

With a heavy, thunderous sound the doors of the temple crashed open. Two dozen samurai in brilliant green armor stood in the hallway outside. Several held bows, aiming them at the sohei. The leader stepped forward, his sashimono flapping in the wind that forever surrounded the temple. His lean face was fixed in a thin smile.

The leader of the sohei stepped forward. “If you would bring violence, you will find we are obliged to return your gift, Mantis.”

“My men bare their weapons only so that you will know that we are strong, priest,” the Mantis replied. “You honor the Thunderer, and since his blood flows through my veins that means you honor me as well.”

“What do you want here?” the sohei demanded.

“You keep a helmet here,” the Mantis said. “That helmet carries a piece of the essence of the mother of Osano Wo, the Thunder Dragon. That helmet rightfully belongs to my clan, and I have come to claim it.”

The sohei’s eyes narrowed. “I recognize you,” he said. “You are Yoritomo Naizen. The pirate.”

The Mantis bowed slightly. “I am pirate no longer,” he said. “I have found a new life in bushido and now fight in the service of Yoritomo Kitao, Champion of the Mantis. Were I still the cutthroat you believe me to be, we would not be having this conversation.”

“Ha,” the sohei laughed. “We are masters of the martial arts. Your bushi would not stand a chance.”

“I could have used my siege engines to set your temple ablaze from the foothills,” Naizen replied. “The helmet is quite indestructible. I could have picked it from the ashes at my leisure.”

The sohei’s eyes narrowed. “You are arrogant, Naizen.”

“I follow my great ancestor’s example,” he replied. “Osano Wo was not meek. To you, the helm is nothing but a curiosity. For me, however, it is a powerful legacy. I will not rest until I claim it, priest. I will make you kill me if I must.”

The sohei nodded sharply, then turned to one of the others. “Fetch the helm,” he said.

“But master,” the other sohei replied.

“You heard me,” the sohei whispered. “If Naizen-san wants the helm so badly, then we shall give it to him. If he is unworth of its power, it will not be we who judge him…”