Wasuren's stomach growled as he swung his sword. He slept without a meal then night before. It was dawn and the sun had begun to rise above Aoshima, Wasuren had risen earlier than he would have preferred, but his hunger would not let him sleep. While he trained, one of the wolf wardens came to summon him, he was told that Lord Senzo had summoned Masaki Taisho and asked all of the wardens to gather in the city hall.
Wasuren stopped mid swing as his thoughts drifted to yesterday's incident. "I'll be there." He responded to the warden, the warden nodded and left.
Wasuren had arrived with the rest of the wardens at the town hall in their armor, ready to partake in the mission they came here for, but not long after they arrived, Senzo Aoshima entered the hall followed by several samurai, and a brutally injured man on a stretcher. When he entered, Senzo sat in front of the samurai and the man on the stretcher was placed beside him.
The man on the stretcher groaned in pain as he churned and turned on the stretcher. For a moment his eyes found Wasuren's and his face contorted in agony. "Senzo-sama, he's the one, the white haired samurai, he did this to me!"
"Kiwamu. Enough." Lord Senzo said calmly and immediately silence enveloped the hall.
"Masaki." Lord Senzo spoke while he adjusted his eye patch. "A samurai of mine was attacked in his own village by one of yours, now I bear no grudge against the wolf wardens, and as I said in our previous meeting, I am indebted to you wardens. But, an explanation must be given, so I peacefully ask that you bring forward the perpetrator."
Masaki Taisho was at a loss for words, he had expected some disagreement between his samurai and the samurai of Aoshima, but not this early, and not to this level of intensity.
"Senzo-sama" Masaki begun to speak but was cut short by the sight of Wasuren stepping forward.
"..Ren.. you didn't." Masaki Taisho spoke with pain in his voice.
Wasuren stepped forward and bowed. "I put that man in the position that he is in."
Lord Senzo sighed in frustration. "Hoshigami Wasuren, members of your family have always been hot headed. Daiki, your uncle is the exception. I need an explanation from you."
Wasuren thought for a moment before responding, "It was a duel between us samurai that we both agreed to. There were witnesses that would testify of this."
Lord Senzo frowned upon hearing Wasuren's testimony, then he turned to Kiwamu and asked, "Is this true?"
Kiwamu was quick to defend himself. " I surrendered Senzo-sama, I surrendered." Kiwamu cried, "but he showed no mercy, no honor! I pleaded for him to stop but he refused to."
Lord senzo's brows furrowed further. "Hoshigami Wasuren, do deny Kiwamu's claims?"
"No." Wasuren replied without hesitation.
"Why did you refuse to honor the samurai's code?" Lord Senzo asked patiently.
"Because that man" Wasuren answered while pointing towards Kiwamu, "he has no honor as a man."
"You need to be more explicit if you wish to defend yourself Hoshigami." Lord Senzo said, but Wasuren remained quiet.
Lord Senzo was about to speak when Kiyoshi stepped forward. "I ask for permission to defend my brethren Senzo-sama."
Lord Senzo sighed, "you may speak."
Kiyoshi nodded. "Senzo-sama, during the fight, Kiwamu as you called him, dishonored Wasuren by bringing up his past, specifically his birth."
Lord Senzo let out a light chuckle. "While I acknowledge that Kiwamu acted in a foul manner, Wasuren should have shown restraint. Still, I do not wish to sour the relationship I have built with the Hoshigami over a quarrel between samurai."
"What ever action I take, what ever word I speak are mine alone, my actions have nothing to do with the Hoshigami." Wasuren stated.
Lord Senzo smiled slightly, then he rose up from the floor and adjusted his eye patch. "You may think that young warden, but your name Hoshigami, is a powerful name. Despite that I must appease my samurai, for you have come into my home and dishonored the samurai code."
Wasuren moved closer to Lord Senzo, "let me ask you something Lord Aoshima. If you were in my shoes and the same was done to you, what would be your response to such a man?"
"Such a man would be dead!" Lord Senzo replied coldly. "But actions have consequences, rules must be adhered to, examples must be made, 100 strokes to the back."
The second those words left his mouth every member of the Okami no Banshi placed their hands on their katana, ready to draw.
"Masaki get your samurai under control." Lord Senzo said in a soft tone.
"Okami no Banshi, at ease!" Masaki Taisho called, and although they were hesitant, the wolf wardens released their grip.
Lord Senzo's eyes softened as he looked at the wardens. "I admire your commitment to one another, but there are some things which must be done for there to be peace."
Masaki Taisho turned to Wasuren, "It's your call Ren."
Wasuren thought for moment, then he turned around and looked at his brothers in arms. He felt warmth in his heart, it was something that he could not explain. "It's just one hundred strokes I can take it."
Masaki nodded. "Senzo-sama, all business between us will be postponed until Wasuren's punishment is seen done."
"Are you sure?" Lord Senzo asked.
"It was not a request senzo-sama." Masaki stated.
Lord Senzo smiled. "I understand." He called two samurai, "lead the wardens to the training yard where he shall receive his punishment."
The wolf wardens followed, even though it was not required of them, they walked with the Aoshima samurai to the training yard. It was a place for the samurai of Aoshima to train, there were other samurai around and with the wolf wardens there, the place was almost completely congested, there was little space was left.
Wasuren was made to strip off his armor except his trousers. He would take the flogging to his back. The canes were thick long wooden canes that were used for practice. Wasuren was made to place his hands on the wall as he received the beating.
The whole training yard was quiet as they watched Wasuren get flogged. At the 50th stroke, the two men flogging Wasuren noticed the temperature around them increase and as they hit him, they saw his dark skin turn visibly red. At the 60th strike the air around them became unbearable, they could hardly breathe and they were sweating buckets. Suddenly the canes that they'd been using became charred and broke off. There was smoke on them, even on Wasuren's trousers there were flames.
Wasuren felt the beating stop and turned around, his white hair stuck to his sweaty face, his golden eyes glowed bright with fury.
"Get another cane and finish your job." He growled at them.
The men hurriedly brought new canes and continued to flog him. The strikes were more intense than before, not because they were cruel, but because they were overwhelmed by the heat exuding from Wasuren's skin. At the 80th strike the new canes caught in fire and broke and the two men collapsed from the heat.
Lord Senzo watched from a corner with a pale face and a dumbfounded expression.
"Get more men and finish the job!" Wasuren barked. Two more men came with canes but as they got within striking range they dropped to their knees gasping for air.
Masaki Taisho stepped forward, picked up the cane from the floor and struck Wasuren until the hundredth.
"Ren, it is done." Masaki Taisho called.
The second Wasuren heard Masaki's voice he dropped to the ground exhausted.