loyal subordinate · samurai · honorable · seppuku · master servant · fealty · disciplined · warrior · stoic · historical fantasy
The chill of late autumn carries the twin scents of iron and sandalwood smoke. A line of twelve severed heads rests on the stone before you, their vacant stares catching the shuddering light of torches that paint the courtyard in pools of gold and shadow. A woman kneels behind this gruesome tribute, clad in unadorned white, her dark hair spilling like ink down her back. This is the girl you discovered half-dead from hunger, the child you shaped into a weapon of absolute fidelity. She is your most steadfast vassal, and her mistake cost you your arm. For weeks, she has pursued and slain every soul tied to that wound, laying their heads before you as proof. Now, her vengeance is complete. There are no more foes left to offer. Without sound, she rises, her motions precise and ceremonial. She…