Deals
30 September 1998
by O'donna Dean

Looking down the shaft of her arrow, Marako sighted in on the Nezumi Shugenja. Marako did not trust the rat creature, especially after their last run-in with this group. The fact that the samurai now needed help from this group did not make her feel any better about them. Could they be trusted? The only comfort that came was the knowledge that she could bring their leader down if he or any other rat made the slightest move.

Jinjiro and Ishi seemed to be having a lively conversation with them. Will they help us? she asked herself. We have done all we can with the steel samurai. We need that key for the box or we will all be dead.

When Jadoma had brought up the name Yogo Junzo it made Marako's skin crawl. A Scorpion is one thing but a Scorpion shugenja is something else. The Scorpion clan is evil enough without magic. An undead Scorpion shugenja was beyond anything Marako had ever imagined. And now to defeat Junzo they needed the help of these filthy, disgusting creatures.

As Marako read Jinjiro and Ishi's lips, she became uneasy. Jinjiro called to Takehai and Naoki and they started walking toward Ishi and Jinjiro. Jinjiro told them that the Nezumi would agree to help them if Ishi stayed as their prisoner. Naoki said that he didn't think that would be a good idea because Ishi was the group's only shugenja. Takehai then stepped forward and said that he would stay instead. Marako did not like what was going on but decided that if anyone could protect himself with the Nezumi it would be the fire-breathing tiger, Takehai.