Chiyoko, Akane, and Kasumi helped their newest sister climb from the beached fishing boat. Once the girl was out of the boat Chiyoko could tell that she was a genetic girl, like Kasumi. The soaked white linen shorts and top left very little to the imagination. When the girl’s eyes finally fluttered open the three samurai all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hi!” Chiyoko sang out with a smile.

“I’ve surely died and gone before the Eternal Judges.” The girl groaned as she took in the sight of the three Drago Samurai.

“Sorry but you’re not that lucky, kid.” Chiyoko snarked. Reaching down and grasping the young girl by the hand Chiyoko helped her to sit up.

“Then if I haven’t died. What happened and who are you?” She asked in an unsteady voice.

“That is a little hard to explain.” Chiyoko began. Only to be cutoff by Akane and Kasumi’s giggling.

“Hard to explain she says.” Akane snarfed between fits.

“I can’t wait to hear this one.” Kasumi coughed out right behind her.

“No comments from the peanut gallery.” Chiyoko grumbled. “It’s not like I got a manual for this job. You two want to give it a try?”

“Nope, this all on you, sister. This is the job you signed up for, after all.” Akane said with a half-smile as she shook her head.

“I’m with Akane on this one, sister.” Kasumi graced Chiyoko with a small bow of her head and a wave of her hand. “Besides, only you can summon all of the Dragon Gods. We can only call upon our patron God or Goddess.”

“Then quit giving me a hard time about how I do things. Sorry to tell you guys this, but there is no school or training for the position of Kyamo no Sa. I’m kind of winging shit here.” Chiyoko grumbled honestly.

Akane and Kasumi both hugged her as they heard the destress in her voice. But it was Kasumi who put their feelings into words. “We know sister. Yet you still strive to be more than what you are. While making us want to be more than just simple samurai in service to the Temple.”

“Did you say that you were the Kyamo no Sa?” Chiyoko smiled and nodded her at Yoshi’s question. Raising a shaking hand, Yoshi pointed to the other two. “That would make them the Wind Blade and Flaming Blade.”

“Yup. Got it in one. How would you like to be the next Ice Blade?” Chiyoko answered with a shit eating grin. To which the poor girl once again fainted. “Well, damn. I wasn’t expecting her to do that. What are we going to do now?”

“I swear, Chiyoko.” Akane groaned as she face palmed. “You have got to find a better way to break that kind of news to someone.”

“Hey! Like I said earlier I’m winging this shit here! But once I get it all figured out. I’ll be sure to write it all down for the next Kyamo no Sa in a nice big manual. One with a Table of Contents, Reference Index, Footnotes, and all the trimmings.” Chiyoko bitched much to the amusement of her sisters.

“We understand Chiyoko.” Kasumi chuckled.

“Now, that we have that figured out. Let’s wake our new sister.” Setting actions to words, Akane gently slapped the sides of Yoshi’s face. “Hey, come on. Wake up. We ain’t got all day.”

Once again Yoshi’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh god! It’s not a dream is it?”

“Nope. Now you done fainting on us?” Akane asked bluntly while smiling.

“I’m not sure, but I’ll try to stay awake.” Yoshi groaned out as she sat up straight. “I still can’t figure out why you would want me?”

“We were guided here by the Fates.” Chiyoko told her straight faced. “Yoshi Higashi are you ready to meet your patron Goddess?”

“What do you mean patron Goddess? I’m no one special.” Yoshi whispered. “Besides I can’t accept. I’m an indentured servant to the Headwoman.”

“Wrong! You’re the Ice Blade of the Goddess Choe-ze. Most beloved of her servants. Wielder of the Goddess’s Sourusureiyāzu twin katanas Morning Frost and Waterfall.” Kasumi answered as a faraway look came to her eyes and she seemed to be someplace else. “This is the long and short of it. As decried by the Fates themselves, little sister.”

Kasumi stumbled back a little as her eyes refocused on the here and now. “Um… what just happened?”

“Your gift of Truth is what happened, Kasumi. I got to tell you sis.” Akane shivered a little. “That was some spooky shit you just pulled.”

“Yah, where did all that come from?” Chiyoko asked with her head cocked.

“It just sort of came to me. It was like I could see everything that Yoshi would become. As if it was written in the threads of the Tapestry of Time.” Kasumi got a faraway look in eyes but this time the others could tell that she was still here. “I could see the weave of the whole, none of it at the same time. It was moving reaching far into the future.”

“Damn. Talk about seeing the Truth for what it is and isn’t.” Chiyoko chuckled. “That’s some gift the Goddess Jun blessed you with, Kasumi.”

“That maybe true. But it can be a real bitch at the same time.” Kasumi grumbled. “It helps to know when people are lying but not being able to talk my way out of trouble is a real handicap.”

“Relax Kasumi. Just because you can lie outright doesn’t mean you can’t use guile to get out of trouble. You just have to know how to twist the true.” Chiyoko said with a nasty grin. “I’ll teach you the basics once we get the chance. It’s a required skill for any inner city kid where I grew up.”

“That home world of yours must be a very deadly place, Chiyoko.” Akane said wide eyed as she looked over at the girl from another world.

“You have no idea, Akane. This world may hold it’s own dangers, but here I don’t have to fear the stray bullet. Fired by either a gangbanger or cop. I don’t have worry about being sent to prison by some overzealous beat cop or detective out to make his quota.” Chiyoko told the gathered teenagers. “My world has very few endearing qualities to offset the violence of the times.”

“We won’t have to go to this world, do we?” Yoshi asked with a shiver in her voice. Chiyoko looked down at the frightened girl.

“I can assure you that we won’t be going to my home world, Yoshie. That door is closed for all time.” Chiyoko say with more confidence than she felt. “At least those of us in this world.”

“Thank the Goddess for small favors then. I don’t like the sounds of that other world. If these cops can just gun down an innocent person and suffer no consequences it must be a truly lawless world.” Yoshie shivered.

“Um… guys. I think we need to move this conversation elsewhere.” Akane said as she pointed towards the town. “We got company coming. At least half the standing Watch and what looks like half the fishing fleet’s crews.”

“Shit not good. I don’t want to fight a bunch of civilians without a reason.” Chiyoko said as she looked towards the gathered crowd. “Yoshie is there some place where we can hide so we can summon your patron?”

“There’s a seaside cave about half a mile from here. Just past the southern jetty and on the other side of the cover there.” Yoshie told them as she turned to lead the way. “We need to move quickly though. The cave floods at high tide to the point of inaccessibility. If you’re inside at high tide, you’re stuck until it goes back out.”

All four girls took off at a dead run. Yoshie knew that the tide was just minutes from flooding the entrance to the cave. For the others it was just common sense to get away from an angry mob of civilians. One that was whipped up by the village’s Headwoman. Chiyoko had already made her point about fighting simple villagers. People they had no quarrel with. Fighting the Headwoman and her henchmen in the Watch were one thing, but untrained civilians was other matter.

As the four girls crossed over the southern jetty and entered the south cove all three of the dragon Samurai were brought up short. There just on the other side of the cove was the entrance to the cave. It wasn’t the cave itself that gave them pause. It was the water level. It was already ankle deep and was raising. Yoshie though wasn’t slowing as she ran for the cave.

“Come on! We got to get inside before it’s too late. Don’t worry. Just follow me.” Yoshie called back over her shoulder. All three samurai threw caution to the wind and hurried to catch up with their soon to be sister. Even with their rush they were wading through hip deep water by the time they entered the cave. “There’s a rise towards the back of the cave.”

True to Yoshie’s words halfway into the cave the ground slopped upward. Soon the four young women were standing on dry ground. The only problem the light was fast disappearing as the water level rose cutting it off. Chiyoko wasn’t going to just stand there in the dark. Holding her hands as if she held a radio microphone she began to sing.

When she finished singing a bright blue moon hung in the center of the room. Yoshie’s eyes bugged out of her head at see this display of magic. For two reason. First, she knew that it was illegal to a Free woman and have Power of this kind. Second, only men were allowed to know the secrets of the mages. “Can you all do this?”

“Only Chiyoko can work magic. She’s a real Witch.” Akane sadly answered then brightened. “We’re Alchemist. And what we do follows the Laws of Science.”

“And in a few minutes, you’ll be able to work alchemy just as easily.” Kasumi said with a grin. Then she turned cross and gave Chiyoko an angry look. “By the way. Why didn’t you just teleport us back to the aerodrome?”

“Two reasons. First do you understand the amount of power I’ve used in the last few hours or so? This light spell sapped the last of my strength, at least for a while. Between the teleportation from the aerodrome to here, plus the divination spells I was near my end when I called up that wave. Sorry guys but before I go wiping out a temporal relocation spell the size; we’d need to get back to the Temple I need rest. And lots of it.” Chiyoko said as she sat down on the ground hard.

“Damn. Well we know that you have a limit now.” Kasumi sighed. “You said there was two reasons. What’s the second one?”

“We need to be near a major body of water to summon Yoshie’s patron.” Chiyoko told them honestly. Holding up her hand to stop the obvious rebuttal Chiyoko asked. “Where were we when I summoned your patrons?”

“The Temple.” Akane answered quickly.

“The Shogun’s castle.” Kasumi answered just as quickly.

“One an area of neutrality for all the Dragon Gods, the other the highest point in the area.” Her sisters gave Chiyoko questioning looks. “Our Temple is neutral ground for all the Dragons. None of them hold sway over our home. They are all equal in power within the walls of the Dragons’ Temple. Of the fifteen Temples dedicated to the Dragon Gods it is the only one that is a truly neutral temple. That was the only reason why I was able to summon the Dragon Jiro for Akane.”

“What about the Shogun’s castle? What was so special about my grandfather’s stronghold? Why would it being the highest point matter?” Kasumi asked with her head cocked to the side not understand the reasoning behind Chiyoko’s need for certain places to summon the Dragon Gods.

“Your grandfather’s stronghold sits near the very top of the mountain Takao. One of the windiest places in all of the country. It is the perfect place for wind spirits to gather naturally.” Chiyoko sighed then chuckled. “It took almost no power at all to summon the Mistress of the Winds.”

“I get it. The closer you are to the Dragon God’s element the easier it is for you to summon them. That’s why you weren’t in any hurry to leave after you found me.” Yoshie cried out with true understanding.

“Yoshie, have you always been able to understand the concepts of alchemy and magic?” Kasumi wondered as she watched her newest sister play in the water.

“I don’t know really. I’ve just always been able to see how the tides and currents run. Even as a little girl.” Yoshie answered as she reached into the water and grabbed a small bait fish. “The ways of water and sea creatures have never held any mystery for me.”

With a flip of her hand the bait fish was once more swimming in the incoming tidal waters. “In a few more minutes the cave mouth will be underwater. We’re safe for the next four or five hours. Will that be enough of a rest?”

“Are you sure that the mob and Watch can’t reach us?” Kasumi asked.

“The tunnel is more than two hundred meters long. When the tide comes it floods the cove to a depth of two fathoms. It has something to do with the way waves and currents force a greater amount of seawater over the breakwater into the deeper end of the cove.” Yoshie explained. “Which is where this cave lies. This whole end of the island is riddled with coves, caverns, and caves like this one, here. Nobody knows why either.”

“That’s because I placed them there child.” The voice echoed through the cavern. It was filled with mirth and had a ting of insanity to it. It was if the voice belonged to a river. At times it flowed calmly, at others it raged with the fury of a thousand storms. “Even I like a nice dry place to lay my head every now and then.”

“Um… Chiyoko didn’t you say that you were worn out.” Kasumi said as she looked around the cavern with wide eyes.

“She did. Not good. Reduce them to ash Hell’s Fire! Bring your Frozen embrace Ice Wind!” Akane called out as she pulled her twin katanas.

Chiyoko followed her example drawing her own blades. “Guard Shielding Moon! Shine Bright Severing Moon!”

“Reap in angry glory Summer Squall! Rage against the shores Heavenly Typhoon!” Kasumi’s blades seemed to leap from their scabbards to her hands in response to their sister blades appearance.

The laughter of the disembody voice was now more like the rumble of a great waterfall. “Ah the brashness of the Dragon Samurai these days. My brothers and sisters have chosen well.”

All four girls spun towards where the entrance of the cave. Slowly the head of a Dragon rose from the depths. Chiyoko just smiled and sheathed her swords. “Put them away sisters. Our swords are worthless against a Goddess.”

“Not only are your possessed of an inordinate amount of modest intelligence but you’re wiser than your years mortal. I must say that I’m a little surprised.” The dragon’s voice sounded like the rumble of waves crashing against the rocky shores outside the cave.

As Kasumi and Akane returned their swords to their scabbards Chiyoko walked to the water’s edge. “Yoshie, I would like to introduce the Dragon Goddess Princess Choe-ze, Mistress of the Seven Seas, and the Mighty Riverways. She who has been your guide all these years.”

“Very good, Kyamo no Sa. You have seen the way of things.” The Dragon chuckled. “Yes, I have looked over this child from the first time she placed her feet in my domain.”

“You’ve been looking over me, ma’am?” Yoshie’s voice cracked in fear and awe as she asked her question of the Dragon Goddess.

Instead of answering right away the Dragon Goddess flowed up out of the water taking on her human form. Once she was standing on the water’s edge, Choe-ze graced the girls with a brilliant smile. “I would know the faces of my chosen’s newest sisters. Would you remove your masks?”

Chiyoko thought about what the Goddess was asking. Nodding her head at Kasumi and Akane, Chiyoko willed her mask to disappear. Once the three were standing with bare faces before the Dragon Goddess, she nodded her head.

“Such beauty and innocence in ones so young.” Reaching out she ran her hand down Chiyoko’s cheek. “Such worthy matches for my chosen.”

The Dragon Goddess looked over at Yoshie. “Do you wish to join these warriors my beloved Champion?”

“I would, Mistress. With all of my heart, I would join them.” Yoshie swore.

“Then so be it!” With that the Dragon Goddess of Chaos reached over and ran her hand down Yoshie’s left cheek. “Unlike my brothers and sisters, I am not one to stand in the way of change. Change is eternal. Change is Chaos. It flows, sometimes calmly, at other times it rages, like the waters of the world. Like water it brings life, death, cleanses and destroys in its passing. Everything it touches is affected. Both the living and the dead.”

Chiyoko, Akane, and Kasumi stood back watching as Yoshie’s armor flowed outward from where the Goddess caressed her cheek. Unlike with Chiyoko and Akane there was no painfilled expression on Yoshie’s face. Nor was there a look of pleasure as with Kasumi. Just a look of contentment and peace. It was as if she was becoming the physical embodiment of a massive glacier. Still, peaceful, beautiful on the surface but raging with unimagined power deep below that surface at the very heart.

“Chaos is like the Great Rivers of Ice in the frozen lands of the far north. Each is a world onto themselves. As they move across the land, they force change in their passing. All through the sheer force of their undeniable wills. This is how you must face the world my champion. Slowly, over time, but always changing the surface of the world.” Choe-ze’s words held the weight of a thousand generations.

By this time Yoshie’s armor covered the girl from the neck down to midthigh and had reached her elbows on her arms. Unlike with Chiyoko, Kasumi, and Akane whose armor was two toned, Yoshie’s armor was tricolored. Icy White, Sea-green, and Misty Gray. It was as if her armor reflexed the three forms accepted forms of water. Solid, liquid, and gas.

Yoshie’s left arm and leg were covered in Icy White, her right arm and leg are rich Sea-green, while the Misty Gray covered her torso. In the center three teardrops of whirled together to form a tricolored Yin-yang. Then her sash formed around her waist and her Sourusureiyāzu appeared, everyone could tell that they were a pair of twin Katanas. Even here the tricolor theme continued with the scabbards being the darkest gray, the handles a rich green, and the sash was of the purest white.

Those weren’t the only changes to Yoshie. The girl’s once shoulder length hair grew in length until it reached her hips. Her hair now shown with a health that it hadn’t before. The grime, that had bring driven into skin, disappeared and the chapped lips turn soft and moist. The gaunt look to her face and body from years of hunger vanished as her body was infused with the power of the Goddess. Gone was the half-starved lanky kid that had led the four into the cave of the Dragon. In her place a full grown woman now stood.

“Now to fix that nasty little problem of your lack of education.” With a simple touch of her finger to Yoshie’s forehead years of education flooded her mind. “There that’s better. I couldn’t do nothing until now. I could not stop your parents from selling you to that woman. Nor could I stop the other villagers harsh treatment of you. I had to wait. Wait until it was time for you sisters to return. For that I’m truly sorry, my champion. Finally change has come and Chaos can reign down its vengeance on those who have hurt you.”

The Dragon Princess just turned to water and flowed back into the sea. Leaving the four samurai to wonder what she meant. Chiyoko looked over to Yoshie. “Welcome to the family sister. Got any idea of where your patron had gone or what she was talking about doing?”

“If I had to guess. I would say that she has gone to wipe the village off the face of the earth. Giving the area a clean slate to start over.” Yoshie answered with a smile. “Like she said. Water cleanses as it destroys.”

“Ah shit! She’s going to drop a tidal wave on top of the village.” Akane groaned as she pointed towards the water line. “Look! The water is receding even as we speak. Just how massive of a tsunami can a Dragon Princess work up here people?”

“If I had to guess by the way the water’s rushing out of the cave. One big enough to level the village and everything around it for five miles.” Yoshie answered Akane with more than a little hostility. “If not a little more. I hope that she leaves nothing of that village. Nothing but a memory to stand as a warning to those who would profit from slavery.”

“What would happen if we were still in the cave when that tsunami arrived?” Chiyoko asked as she had a terrible thought crossed her mind.

“Oh shit! We need to get out of here now!” Yoshie yelled as she ran towards the entrance of the cave. Chiyoko, Akane, and Kasumi didn’t need to be told twice. They hauled ass right behind their newest sister. Even as they cleared the entrance that once led to safety the water was barely touching their ankles. The four girls were brought up short at the sight before them. Off in the distance was a slowly growing wall of the deepest blue gray.

“CLIMB!” Yoshie screamed at the top of her lungs even as she set actions to words. “CLIMB FOR ALL YOU’RE WORTH! THAT’S A KILLER TSUNAMI!”

“Oh shit! Screw that climbing crap! Move!” Akane ordered as she and Kasumi worked a bit of alchemic science. The flash of blue white light rippled up the cliff face. Leaving in its wake a flight of stairs reaching from the cove floor to the cliff’s upper edge. “Now! We can get the hell out of here!”

The four girls scrambled up the alchemic forged stairs as the very hounds of hell were nipping at their heels. They had just cleared the top steps as a roaring of unimaginable force reached their ears. All four turned in time to see a wall of seawater reaching seventy-five feet into the air.

The sheer mass of moving water was already ripping the larger fishing boats from their moorings. As the massive wave reached the outer breakwater wall the four girls could tell that when it finally came crashing there would be nothing left of the fishing village. The roar of water was so great that it drowned out the tolling of the villages warning bell.

“Oh Gods!” Yoshie whispered. “Not even the far reach farms will be sparred.”

“How far out are those farms?” Akane asked with real worry in her eyes.

“More than five miles from the shoreline. As it is, we need to move further inland. We’re not safe here. That wave will be breaking over this cliff like a typhoon wind.” Yoshie grabbed at the hands of Akane and Kasumi then started pulling. Only to have them smile and pull their hands away.

“Use your alchemy to protect us, Yoshie.” Chiyoko ordered the frightened girl. “You’re more than powerful enough.”

Yoshie blinked her eyes then turned to face the oncoming tsunami. Thinking of what she needed to do Yoshie slammed her fist together as the tsunami finally reached the cliff face. Throwing out her hands Yoshie unleashed her power into the massive wave. Where her power touched the wave, it turned to steam. The cloud that formed reached the skies. The rest of the wave though went untouched. The massive wall of water that finally crashed down on the seaside village had risen to over a hundred feet, was more than three-hundred feet thick, and two miles wide.

As the wave rushed over the village it smashed houses. Crushed cars. Overturned the trollies. Leveled whole buildings. Toppled the watchtowers. Flattened the town’s clocktower. Thousands of tons of water and force smashed its way through the village as if it was made from rice paper. Even the telegraph poles were snapped in half. Leaving behind only stumps in a neat row reaching into the distance.

Yoshie stood next to the cliff’s edge huffing from the sheer exertion of transmuting such a massive amount of water. When she finally turned to look out over where the village once stood, she was shocked. She wasn’t the only one who was shocked by the sight that lay before them. The sheer massive amount of destruction by the tsunami was beyond their comprehension.

“That is the power of Chaos unleashed.” Chiyoko whispered as her face turned white over what she saw.

“No sister. That is Chaos controlled.” Yoshie told her as she stood up straight. “If Choe-ze had truly acted without restraint. Not even this cliff would have been left standing.”

A cloud of mist floated down to lay on the cliff edge. The cloud swirled before revealing the human form of Choe-ze. “No, my champion. Even if I wanted to unleash that great a force for my vengeance, I would still have to obey the confines of my brother.”

“Your brother, Mistress?” Yoshie asked with her head cocked to the side not understanding. “I thought that Chaos has no confines?”

“Even with all my power I must adhere to the natural order of things. Even in nature there are laws. And all laws fall under the domain of my brother, Choe-long. The God of Law and Order.” The Dragon Princess explained with a whimsical smile and mischievous glint in her eye.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t sidestep his laws every now and then.” The giggle that escaped the Dragon Goddess was unnerving. There was more than a little insanity in that giggle. Choe-ze walked up to Chiyoko wearing that insane smile of hers. “You should know that Kyamo no Sa. Balance must be Kept.”

Chiyoko just bowed at the very obvious explanation from the Goddess of Chaos. It made sense to her in a straight forward kind of way. Chaos without boundaries was a meaningless total nothingness. With boundaries Chaos was a force for change and growth. Unrestrained Law and Order was stagnation and eventually a slow death. It took a balance of the two diametrically opposed forces for progress and growth to occur.

“Hm… Ah! I see the problem now. You my dear Kyamo no Sa are being effected by the other three facets of the Dragon Samurai.” Choe-ze grinned. “You are a very unique Void. One that we have never seen before.”

“Oh yeah. I’m the most unique person you’ll meet.” Chiyoko wisecracked. As Akane and Kasumi both face palmed. Yoshie just stood there with her mouth hanging open with real shock. The poor girl couldn’t figure how Chiyoko could be so disrespectful of such a power being. Chiyoko struck a pose. “I can guarantee that I’m one-hundred percent original in every way.”

The Dragon Goddess laughed at the insolent manner of the newest Kyamo no Sa. “I think I shall follow my uncle’s advice when dealing with you.”

“Um… your uncle? That won’t be the Dragon God King Watatsumi?” Chiyoko asked with a slight quiver in her voice. Of all the Dragons, he was the one that she truly feared for some reason. It have been for the fact that Watatsumi governed her greatest asset, magic.

“I see that you have already had your visit with him.” Choe-ze giggled like a maniac at the look on Chiyoko’s face. “Yes, he is my uncle. I just love how he drives my brothers and sisters crazy by defying the natural order of things. It’s always such fun to watch.”

“Well right now, I could use a little more order in my life. These flitting feelings bouncing between just the three is driving me crazy.” Chiyoko snarked. “Care to help a girl out here. Like say giving me an idea of where we can find your brother Choe-long’s champion?”

“Oh, I know where you can find Choe-long’s champion.” Choe-ze said grinning from ear to ear. “But why would I do that? Why should I spoil my fun? I enjoy watching you float between those mercurial feelings.”

The Dragon Princess just giggled at the puppy dog eyes that Chiyoko gave her. “Though I will grant you one small favor.”

Reaching out Choe-ze brushing Chiyoko’s cheek. The power that filled the young woman was unlike any she had felt before. It was as if she was touched by the very Heart of the nothingness that is Chaos. Even as her head swam from the rush of power the Dragon Princess faded away. It was if she had never been there. Only the destruction of the village and her final words in parting marked her passing. “Look to the south, through the Vale of Timeless Beauty, into the very heart of the Void that holds the Truth. There you shall find the Law that governs all.”

“Damn. WHAT A RUSH!” Chiyoko cried out as her head cleared enough to think straight. “Talk about a power boost!”

“Um… Chiyoko, why are you talking about?” Akane asked. “And what did she mean by look to the south and all that jazz.”

Chiyoko pulled out the crystal amulet. She turned to face towards the south. Holding the amulet at arm’s length and began to chant while waving her left arm in a wide circle growing smaller with each rotation. She let the words come to her. Let them express her feelings at being pull into this world. Her anger over everything she had lost in her home world.

The pain at the loss of her family. The injustice at never completing the education that she had worked so hard for. The hopes for a future she had dreamed of from the time she was ten. Lost over all the accomplishments she had earned just to escape her old neighborhood. The fear of having to fight an enemy she had no idea of how to find. Chiyoko poured all of those feelings into the Transportation spell. One that was so powerful that Akane, Kasumi, and Yoshie staggered back from the sheer overload of power.

Instead of the crystal glowing like normal a bolt of purple light leaped outward. To smash a hole through time and space. Ripping open a portal to a small town far to the south on a volcanic island. They all looked through the portal at the small village. They could tell that it was no ordinary village. This was an ama village. Better known as a pearl diver village.

What marked this village as such was the small number of women dressed in the traditional white diving attire of the ama. Chiyoko knew they are also known as uminchu in Okinawan or kaito on the Izu Peninsula. That narrowed down their choices to the three regions. The one that stood out the most in Chiyoko’s mind was Okinawan. It was Yoshie who gave the village a name.

“That’s Daiamondoobuzashī. It’s the last place in all the world that still use the free diving ama.” Yoshie said with a smile. “I always dreamt of diving with those beautiful Redībōizu. Sadly. They never let real women dive or train with Redībōizu.”

“Wait. Those are all Redībōizu? None of them are real girls?” Kasumi asked in shock. “You have to be joking.”

“She’s not, Kasumi. Before I became the Flaming Blade, and before I was engaged, I too dreamed of becoming an ama. Just so I could escape my family.” Akane admitted sadly. “They’re some of the most beautiful Redībōizu in the world. They’re also the only Redībōizu that are protected by law from arranged marriages. More than one runaway Redībōizu has tried to reach that village. Just so they didn’t have to go through an unwanted marriage.”

“What most don’t know is what they have to give up to become an ama.” Yoshie told her three new sisters. “Trust me Akane you don’t want that.”

“I don’t know. What could be so bad that freedom from an unwanted marriage would change your mind?” Akane countered.

“Spending the rest of your life locked in a chastity belt. Sealed away forever from another’s humans touch. Those dive suits never come off. Once you put one on. You’re in it for life.” Yoshie pointed to a small area off to one side of the village. “You see that mist covered area?”

All three nodded their heads. As Chiyoko chuckled. “Sure. You would have to be blind to not see it. Why?”

“That mist never goes away. It is there from sunup to sunup. It is thicker than the heaviest of curtains in any theater. Only the ama can enter that mist without going mad. Or those that wish to truly join their numbers. There are some extremely strict laws that govern who may go near or interact with the ama. The penalty for breaking any of those laws is death by beheading in the town square.” Yoshie explained with a knowing glint. “The regular laws for the village are just as harsh in some cases.”

That was all Chiyoko needed to hear. “We’re going.”

“WHAT?!” The other three screamed.

“Think about it. This town has laws that are so harsh and unforgiving that only the Dragon God of Law could be the cause. Then there’s the ruthless laws that govern the ama. Can you think of any place else that has such restrictive and controlling laws. I’ll bet that there are even laws that govern how men and women who live there dress.” Chiyoko explained.

“How did you know? Have you been there?” Yoshie asked in astonishment.

“Just putting the pieces together. That and your patron’s parting words. The Vale of Timeless Beauty obviously means that mist covered area that is only used for the ama. The Void that holds the Truth. Is simple. I know the truth about the God that holds sway in that area. As for the last line. There you shall find the Law that governs all. That’s just as easy. Only the God of Law could enforce such a ridged structure of civil codes.” Chiyoko explained for her sisters.

“Then we have no choice. We have to go. If only to find our next sister.” Akane told the others. Then looking at Chiyoko. “Is that portal strong enough to take us all, Chiyoko?”

“If we all go at once it is.” Chiyoko answered bluntly. Then grinned. “I never expected this day to go the way it has. Two whole prefectures in eight hours. It must be a record of some kind.”

“Oh, shut up! Let’s do this already.” Kasumi said as she grabbed Yoshie’s left hand. “Say goodbye to this place sister.”

“I did that the moment Choe-ze unleashed her wrath on that village. I don’t have many happy memories of that place.” Yoshie answered honestly. “Only two really. The first time the Mistress allowed me to go out on my own. My first solo blue fin tuna catch. That one catch paid enough to cut my debt in half.”

“What happened? If you’re that good at catching blue fin tuna you should have paid off your debt in no time.” Chiyoko asked her in confusion.

“I had a Great White attack and destroy the boat I was in after I landed a trophy blue fin. The bitch took the price of the boat and the loss of the tuna an added them to my debt. She blamed me for the shark attack. Never mind that it damned near killed me to get that fish.” Yoshie grumbled. “She wasn’t the only one who blamed me for when times got bad. The whole village did. Especially when the catch was off, or the fish just weren’t running.”

“Um… I have to ask. Are Great White sharks that common in this part of the world?” Chiyoko asked as she thought of her greatest fear. Shark attack.

“More so than the Dire Wolf sharks.” Yoshie told Chiyoko then sighed at the looks of confusion on her three sisters’ faces. “Dire Wolf sharks are the big brothers of the Great Whites. They are three times the size, and twice as fast as the Giant Mako sharks.”

“What about where we are going?” Kasumi asked her.

“The greatest threat to the fishermen and divers of Daiamondoobuzashī is the Giant Black Hammerhead. Those sharks are at least twice the size of a normal hammerhead and their all black bodies makes it almost impossible to see them until it’s too late. We loss two to three fishing crews to shark attacks yearly.” Yoshie almost cried as she thought about those dead fishermen. “But we don’t have to go near the water or the mist. There’s a market that the ama use to sell their catch. They’re the only ones allowed to use the area. From what I understand you can get some really good deals in their market. But you have to have one of the Town Watchmen as an escort.”

“Why?” Chiyoko asked Yoshie.

“It’s one of the laws that governs the ama. The ama have their own language. It is the only language they’re allowed to use. So, they need one of the Town Watchmen to act as a translator. It keeps the visitors in line as well. Without the Town Watchman they can’t break the laws for the ama by accident. I can tell you now. If our next sister is among the ama we’ll be in for a major fight on our hands.” Yoshie told them honestly.

“We’ll worry about that later. Right now, we have to be going.” Akane said as she pointed towards the far horizon. “That zeppelin belongs to the Coastal Watch. They had to have seen that tsunami.”

“Then let’s go. On the count of three we jump.” With that Chiyoko began to count. “One, two, THREE!”

All four girls jumped at the same time through the portal. As they traveled through the portal, they were greeted by swirling lights and the sounds of rushing winds. Only Chiyoko could hear the sounds of voices that were carried on the winds. The others only heard a meaningless roar of wind. When they finally exited the portal only Chiyoko was able to keep to her feet. Kasumi, Akane and Yoshie all dropped to their knees holding their heads.

Kasumi was the first to say anything. “Oh Goddess. I think I’m going to be sick. Is it always like that?”

“No. The other times we traveled by magic were nothing like this.” Akane burped out between gasping breaths. “What happened Chiyoko?”

“No joke.” Yoshie groaned as she fought down her rising bile. “That was like riding in the belly of a shrimping boat in bad weather. On an empty stomach.”

The sounds of the Watch tower’s warning bell cutoff Chiyoko before she could answer her sisters’ questions. “Forget that for now. We got company coming.”

The other three staggered to their feet. Looking at the twenty armed and armored men who were rushing towards them. Chiyoko asked the one question on all of their minds. “Shit! Where are we Yoshie?”

The newest of the Dragon Samurai quickly took in where they were standing. “Oh boy. Not good, not good at all. We’re smack dab in the middle of the ama market place sisters. What the hell did you do Chiyoko?”

“I opened a portal directly to where we’ll find are next sister. Why?” Chiyoko asked as she placed her hands on her sword hilts.

“Ah shit! We just broke seven if not more of the laws concern the ama.” Yoshie groaned as she looked over at the gathering Town Watchmen. Unlike the ones in her old town. These Watchmen were wearing proper uniforms. She could tell that these men were all proper professionals.

“In the name of Lord Choe-long! I command you to lay down your arms!” One of the men called out.

Chiyoko took one look at the man’s armor and breathed out easily. Slowly moving her hands away from her swords. She held up her right hand showing the man her signet ring. “We’re part of the Dragon Temple, Captain.”

“By what right do armed Ronin enter here? This market place has no connection to the Temples. Dragons or otherwise.” The captain questioned as the guards drew closer to the four young women. “And how did you even get past the Watch points? Are you Douglassists?”

“Akane, what the hell is he talking about? What are Douglassists?” Chiyoko demanded of her sister.

“Douglassists are an anti-Redībōizu movement. They’ve been trying to outlaw the practice of forced feminization of young men for years. They’ve been wanting to shut down the ama for decades.” Akane answered quickly.

Chiyoko frowned and looked at the guards with her Sight. What she found brought her up short. Only one of the guards was an actual man, the Captain. The rest of them all had a pinkish aura with a blue outer edge. They were the reverse of the ama. “Guys the guards are Toransuman.”

“How did you know this outsider?” the Captain demanded of Chiyoko. “Who told you our secret? Talk or die where you stand.”

A heavy rumbling chuckle echoed and cutoff all conversation as a heavy cloud floated in from the sea. As the cloud neared the market place the cloud peeled back to revel the massive from of an all-white Dragon.

“The Kyamo no Sa sees the hearts of all men, Captain. You cannot hide from her Sight.” The Dragon’s voice rumbled deep in its chest and vibrated the very air with its power. “The Dragon Samurai have come last to my village. Where Law is all that matters.”

“Ah crap! There goes my plan for using stealth.” Chiyoko groaned.

“Does she always piss off the Gods, sisters?” Yoshie wondered out loud.

Akane and Kasumi looked at each other before answering her with one simple word. “YES!”

-----tbc-----