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 Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 2:44 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 5:42 pm
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12 years before the duel that decided the fate of an Empire...
Month of the Monkey, 1239
Shiro Matsu
With the summer sun dipping down closer to the western horizon, the hall would be dimly lit through the paper walls. The haze of smoke would help add to the dusky atmosphere. A large gathering of Matsu, Ikoma, and Kitsu were slowly quieting from their raucous chatter and cheers. Some instruments began to play...
The voices quieting completely, a handsome man would stand, and begin to sing, his voice carrying...
"Moshimo kirai de nakattara~ Nani ka ippai nonde kure~"
If there’s anything here you don’t hate~ Then have a drink, it’s on me~
At that point, the attentions of those would turn to the table next to where the man stood. A young girl, with disheveled blonde hair, would clamber up to stand upon it. Clasping her hands together before her, she would immediately pick up the next verse.
"Sou ne daburu no shochu wo~ Enryo shinai de itadaku wa~"
Well okay then, I’ll go ahead~ And help myself to a double shochu~
There would be a few momentary cheers but they would immediately silence. in time for the man to continue with his own verse.
"Namae kiku hodo yabo janai~ Mashite minoue hanashi nado~"
I’m not so unrefined as to ask for your name~ Even more so for something like your personal life~
The young girl would continue on.
"Sou yo tamatama izakaya de~ Yoko ni suwatta dakedo mono~"
That’s right, it’s only chance~ That we ended up sitting next to each other at this pub~
Then the two would join their voices to sing together.
"E mo nai hana mo nai uta mo nai kazaru kotoba mo~ Share mo nai sonna izakaya de~"
"E mo nai hana mo nai uta mo nai kazaru kotoba mo~ Share mo nai sonna izakaya de~"
At this kind of pub, the kind with no paintings~ No flowers, no music, no one dresses up their words and there’s no sophistication~
"Soto e deta nara ame darou~ Sakki kosame ga bara tsuita~"
I think you’ll find it’s raining if you were to go outside now~ A little while ago I heard the sprinkling of light rain~
"Ii wa yamu made koko ni ite~ Hitori guigui nonderu wa~"
That’s fine, until it’s over I’ll just stay here~ Gulping down drinks on my own~
"Sore ja asa made tsuki au ka~ Warui onna to shiri atta~"
Well then, how about I stay with you until morning?~ I’ve met with some bad women~
"Betsu ni ki ni suru koto wa nai~ Anata sassato kaette yo~"
There’s not really anything for you to worry about~ Get yourself home real quick now~
"E mo nai hana mo nai uta mo nai kazaru kotoba mo~ Share mo nai sonna izakaya de~"
"E mo nai hana mo nai uta mo nai kazaru kotoba mo~ Share mo nai sonna izakaya de~"
At this kind of pub, the kind with no paintings~ No flowers, no music, no one dresses up their words and there’s no sophistication~
The instruments would play their final notes, and the song would end. The cheers would immediately fill the hall as the adults would lift their drinks in celebration of the song. The little girl would brighten in elation at the recognition of the song and would rush to the edge of the table, looking proudly upon her duet partner.
"We did it, papa!" she squealed happily, shaking with excitement.
"Excellent job, Kei-chan. Just like we practiced! It was perfect," the man would say to her, smiling proudly. "I've done this plenty of times, but this was your first song in front of such a large crowd. Bow to them, Kei-chan!"
Excitedly, the small girl would begin fervently bowing. However, when the door slammed open, the girl would stand up and freeze in fear as the room immediately fell silent.
"Taroemon! What do you think you're doing?!?!" an angry, hulking Matsu woman would say, her booming voice causing those nearest to the door to shrink away.
"K-Kimie-sama! I thought you weren't due to return until tomorrow!" the man would say innocently, though he would stand his ground, even as the Matsu woman would storm towards him.
Turning her gaze towards the small child, she would growl, "Keikiyoku, get off that table! You aren't some heimin child, you are the daughter of the Matsu daimyo! Now act like it!"
"Y-yes mother," the girl would say, quickly scrambling to the floor.
"As for the rest of you," Matsu Kimie would start, quickly scanning the room. "OUT."
And like that, the gathering of Lion would quickly vacate the room, the last person to leave pulling the sliding door closed behind them. All told, it took less than half a minute.
"WHAT IN JIGOKU IS THIS?!" Matsu Kimie would scream angrily at her family. Keikiyoku would shrink back in fear, quivering, while her father remained where he stood.
"It's just a little bit of fun, Kimie-sama. It's not like we gave her anything alcoholic to drink..."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Kimie bellowed, eyes wide with anger. "Are you even remotely aware of how much shame you've brought me?!?!"
"..."
"No, you aren't! Being daimyo of the Matsu means I have to be the strongest and fiercest example of discipline, to set an example for our soldiers, and for the entire empire! I cannot show weakness or vulnerability to anyone, or everyone will ridicule us! And that goes for my family as well! You aren't an Ikoma anymore, so you shouldn't be acting like one! I come home, and what do I find?! My only daughter, singing! Singing DRINKING SONGS!!!"
"No one was hurt, and no one's ridiculing us. She's actually really good, you really should-
"YOU WILL NOT TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO, TAROEMON!" Kimie would ball her fists like she were about to punch him, though she did not. Blood would trickle from where her nails cut into her palms. "You have one responsibility, and that's to give me children, Taroemon. And you've barely been able to do that right! If there weren't such expectations for me to be wed, I'd..." She would stop herself before finishing that sentence, though her brow would narrow. "I don't want you to be around my daughter anymore. She will be a great warrior and a great military leader, and I don't need you taking her away from her training and wasting her time on such trivialities."
"What? Mother, no!" Keikiyoku would exclaim, the small child running towards the Matsu woman.
-WHACK!-
A fierce backhand would send the Matsu's daughter sprawling to the ground. Taroemon would wince, but he would not otherwise move a muscle. Despite the severity of the blow, the girl only glared back at her mother in defiance.
"... yes, Kimie-sama," he would respond with obedience in his voice. And it wasn't until this affirmation to the order he had been given that tears would begin to enter the small girl's eyes.
"Papa!" Keikiyoku would cry out in both shock and betrayal, and she would begin to sob.
"Then we have an understanding. I don't want to see you around here again unless I specifically call for you. Now get out of my sight." Kimie would then turn to her daughter. "Get off the ground. We're going. You are not allowed to see your father again, understood? I will see to it that the damage he has done to you will be repaired, my daughter. You will be the great warrior you were always meant to be, and a great warrior has no room for singing in her life. Now let's go." Turning, the daimyo would turn and begin to march towards the exit of the hall.
Turning to look at her father, hoping he would do anything but relent, Keikiyoku's heart would break when she would see him bow deeply in compliance. Tears flowing freely from her cheeks, she would run after her mother, never knowing that he lowered his head to hide his own sorrow from view. |
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:16 am
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99 years before the duel that decided the fate of an Empire...
Month of the Rat, 1152
Turo-Kojiri Village
A piercing cry of a newborn babe would resound within the hut, drowning out the panting of its mother.
"It's a girl!" the midwife would say, cradling the child in cloth. "She's... she's beautiful, Sayoko-no-Tengoku..."
"Please... for the last time... do not... call me... by that name..." the woman would say, gritting her teeth and leaning her head back, her brow covered in sweat.
As the midwife and her aides would tend to her and to her newborn child, Horiuchi Sayoko would slowly, slowly feel the pain subside. Though the women here would speak to her, ask her questions, tell her about the child, she would not hear the words. Instead, staring at the thatched ceiling, she reflected upon the events that brought her to this time.
Her imprisonment after cutting down that worthless Crane, who's breaths were not worthy of the status his name carried.
Her ensuing escape amidst a timely jailbreak by some dubious ronin.
That one night with him, though he was killed to allow her escape not even a day later.
Months in hiding.
That crazy woman who claimed to be a prophet, and her claims of Sayoko's immaculate conception as the will of Tengoku itself, and the crazed cult that arose around those words. Not once did Sayoko try to claim that as the truth, and had gone to great measures to deny the claims, but they always seemed to fall upon deaf ears.
And now, the present. She had been tracked down, and likely would be taken back into custody. The fate of her child, of her daughter, undoubtedly doomed to be a short one. Damned samurai, acting on behalf of some absurd sense of greater good, blind to the harm they do. It was always the same. They took her parents, they took her eye, and they'd take her daughter as well. They always took, and never gave.
The exhaustion caused the minutes to blur. Washed and cleaned up, Sayoko would find herself guided to a sitting position, and the infant placed in her arms. And she was beautiful. The one and only truly beautiful think that Sayoko had ever seen.
"Is this a bad time?" the man in black would say as he stepped through the doorway of the hut. The women tending to Sayoko would turn and bow deep in reverence to him, the same way they bowed to her when they thought she was some sort of holy mother.
"It's always a bad time," Sayoko muttered, glancing at his masked face before turning her attention back to her daughter, who stared back up at her quietly now.
"Fair enough," the man would respond, before turning to the servants. "Leave us." Scattering like roaches, they'd leave him alone with her. "How are you feeling?"
"In all honesty? My eye hurts. I don't know why, but it just does."
"I see," the man would say, and there would be an awkward silence for a good amount of time. "Look, you have my apology for my timing. I know you have a lot to deal with right now. But I was wondering if you've had a chance to reconsider my offer? It still stands."
"If I were, what guarantee do I have that your word means anything? You aren't exactly renowned to be a man of honor."
"In all honesty? I cannot guarantee anything, if my word means nothing to you. But what other choice do you have right now?"
"... what other choice do I have..." Sayoko would repeat, frowning.
More silence.
"Look, the Jade Wardens have likely dispatched Fujiko by now, and they're on their way. While I could handle them myself, it would suit my ends better if they survived and didn't find out I was here. I do need an answer..."
"My daughter."
"Excuse me?"
"My daughter instead. Make her and her bloodline immune to your Shadowlands taint. Make sure she's the one that's safe, that she's protected. If you swear it, then you can do whatever you want with me. Take my name, turn me into a monster, whatever you want. I'm too tired to run anymore. But if she can be spared the life I had... then maybe, then maybe... it would have been worth it..."
"... are you sure? The offer was for you."
"Can you do it, or can't you? If not, then get out of my face," Sayoko said, turning her attention to the man in black, glaring at him.
"... we have a deal," he'd respond. From behind his imposing figure, a sniveling servant of pale pallor would appear around him, bowing respectfully. Holding up a dagger in both hands, his master would take it in his left hand, and slice his right thumb with it, before casually dropping it into the dirt. The servant would then offer up a small pouch, which the man in black took as he approached Sayoko. Reaching inside, he wpuld pull out his bloodied thumb, which was now covered in powdered jade and causing his flesh to sizzle. Making a motion with it across the child's forehead, he would chant a few words, barely audible as she began to wail. The blood/jade mix would seemingly fade away from the child's skin until no sign remained.
Tensed during the entire action, Sayoko looked up at the man. "That's it?"
"It is done. Your daughter, and her children, and her children's children will forever be spared the touch of the Shadowlands."
"Then I suppose there's nothing left for me here, is there?" Sayoko responded, her voice cracking slightly. The midwife and her aides from earlier would return then, and one would take the crying child from Sayoko, while the others would help her to her feet. For the first time in her life, there was no fight in her, and Sayoko allowed herself to be guided from the hut.
"Master Daigotsu-sama, will you keep your word? About the child, I mean. There are a lot of possibilities for what she could be used for. Once she's older, if we could coax her to accept the Taint herself..."
"No. I will see the agreement followed to the letter. That child, and all that come after her, will be under the protection of my word. No harm will ever befall that bloodline, from those who are loyal to my cause. See to it that the Lost are made aware of my proclamation."
"That's... unusually charitable of you, Daigotsu-sama. It almost seems like a wasted opportunity."
"That's where you're wrong. Sayoko was born with an uncanny skill with a blade, and as soon as I saw that child, I saw that same raw potential. In the future, I have a great need for warriors who will only know and obey my law, free of the mental handicap the Taint inflicts upon its victims. Swordsmen who, with proper training, will be deadlier than any mere monster. Believe you me, I am the one who profited the most from this arrangement. Both she and I know this." Turning towards the door, he would add, "Let's be off. The Jade Wardens will be here momentarily. Let's see what I can create with my new plaything." |
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 1:40 pm
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7 months before the duel that decided the fate of an Empire...
Month of the Rat, 1250
Aiso ni Ryokosha Mura
"Kunitaro-san!" a female voice would call through the paper door, before rapping on the frame aggressively. "Kunitaro-san" she repeated in a raised tone, as the rapping continued. "It's supposed to be the yojimbo who sees their charge awoken, not the other way around!"
A panicked scrambling would be heard, and after a minute (and a few eye twitches from the woman's behalf), the door would quickly slide open. The man who did so would be haphazardly dressed in a loosely drawn kimono, his hair extremely messy and the room behind him in disarray. Several days of facial hair grown marred his face.
"S-sorry, Akane-sama! Sorry! Gomen nasai!" he would say apologetically, repeatedly bowing his head. "I did not know the hour was so late!"
Akane's eyes would momentarily be drawn to the man's exposed chest, which was hairless and well-defined. Though her eyes glanced a bit lower instinctively, causing her to flush a bright red and turn her back to the man in the doorway. Running her fingers through her short black hair just behind her ear, she would clear her throat. "While I appreciate the boldness, that's hardly something you should be showing the daughter of the Yasuki daimyo so readily, Kunitaro-san."
"Showing...?" he would ask, before loosing a panicked squawk and turning his back to the girl as well, drawing his kimono shut tight. "Oh Fortunes, I'm so sorry, Akane-sama! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! Gomen nasai! Sumimasen!" He would bow several more times apologetically, before the realization dawned on him that bowing to someone when they were back to back was more or less a wasted effort, and he stopped.
"It's... fine, Kunitaro-san. Please, you're making a racket now, and it's embarassing," Yasuki Akane would say, closing her eyes. Her complexion would soon return to normal, her lips contorting to a frown. "The last ship setting off for Shiro Akodo is leaving within the hour. If we are to meet my father there, per his instructions, we have to get moving right away. There is also the matter of finding a gift for the Lion champion before we depart, as well as supplies for the journey. We don't have any time to waste."
"Sor... er... I understand, Akane-sama. I'll prepare myself to head out right away. I'll be ready to leave in five minutes."
"You have three," Akane would respond sternly. Rather than wasting time on responding, he'd just nod and shut the door, before setting about getting his things together, all the while muttering to himself. "I swear, he better not get me killed..." Akane would say distastefully as she headed towards the stairs. Kunitaro had been assigned to her due to the fact that he was a rather renowned swordsman - something less common with the Hida compared to other samurai families - and his loyalty was beyond question. He wasn't bad on the eyes either, and she had been smitten with him upon their first meeting (despite her betrothal). However, between his bad sleeping habits and rampant misfortune, she quickly found her attraction waned. Despite the few days they had known one another, he seemed more of a liability than anything.
After paying their bill at the desk, Akane would turn her head at the sound of footsteps bounding down the stairs recklessly. However, a couple fellow Crab, engrossed in conversation, must not have heard it as their paths crossed Kunitaro's as he emerged from the stairwell, crashing into one and causing him to spill his tea all over himself and ruining an otherwise high quality kimono.
"Hey! You stupid a*****e, look what you did!" the larger, bulkier man would say, arms out to his sides as he gestured towards his own soaked clothes with his eyes. "This was brand new! What are you going to do about it?"
"Sorry! I'm in a big hurry, though. Please, forgive me," Kunitaro would say, bowing his head, offering a quick, apologetic glance towards Akane from across the room.
"That ain't gonna cut it. Do you know who I am?! I am Nobuto Shimei, famed warrior! I demand compensation right now. That is, if you value your life." Snarling, the man would reach around toward his left side, resting a hand menacingly upon the hilt of his sheathed katana.
The room would fall silent as everyone's attentions would focus on the two. Kunitaro's posture would straighten, his expression turning serious. Dropping the bag in his right hand, he would slowly move it towards his own daisho, though his hand would not touch his own weapon's hilt, instead hovering an inch above it. The two would lock eyes.
Studying one another, Shimei's eyes would widen ever so slightly, his hand slowly moving off of the hilt. Suddenly, the appearance of Akane would break the tension as she would grab Kunitaro's earlobe tightly between two fingers, causing him to wince and yelp in pain.
"Kunitaro-san, come on! We don't have time for your buffoonery right now! We have to go!" Akane scolded, scooping up the dropped bag and dragging the bushi behind her and towards the door.
"Hey! You can't-" the samurai with Shimei would say, but the man would be stopped by a hand raising up in front of him. "Shimei?"
The dueling bushi would be visibly shaking, the blood drawn from his face. He would simply shake his head as he watched the two leave through the inn's front door.
"... Shimei?"
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"Do we have everything? Are you sure?" Akane would ask, looking up at the ship that was now boarding. "Food for the trip?"
"Hai, Akane-sama," Kunitaro would respond, nodding his head.
"Nothing was left at the hotel?"
"No, Akane-sama."
"And you're sure this is the correct ship?"
"Hai, Akane-sama. Those crates say Moui no Yaiba, right there. That's the name of the ship going to Shiro Akodo," Kunitaro explained.
"Well, good," Akane would say, smiling. "It looks like we are set to boa- Suddenly, Akane would panic and shriek. "The gift! The gift I had commissioned! We forgot it!"
"I can go get it," Kunitaro quickly responded.
"We don't have time, the ship is setting sail any minute," Akane would say, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"I can make it. I can move pretty fast on my own. You get aboard and see if you can stall them for as long as you can," Kunitaro said, dropping anything excessive that was currently weighing him down.
"Here, you'll need my chop to pick it up," Akane would say, quickly pulling the item from her pack and tossing it to her yojimbo, who deftly caught in one hand.
"See you in a few minutes," he would say before bolting off, offering her an optimistic smile before his departure. Quickly gathering their traveling possessions, Akane would turn and board the vessel.
An older samurai of the Kaiu family would come by a minute later, unfurling a scroll and looking at the crates. "No, no, no! What are these crates doing here?!" he would say, waving over some dockhands. "This ship needs to depart immediately if it needs to make it to the colonies. These items from the Moui no Yaiba are supposed to be loaded onto the ship on pier four, not pier three! Get them loaded onto the correct vessel, right now!"
The workers would bow apologetically for their error, and begin moving the crates. With a wave, the Kaiu would signal that the ship at the current pier did not have any more cargo and they could set sail. Already behind schedule, they would quickly set about raising anchor and casting off.
--------------------
A few minutes later, Hida Kunitaro returned to the docks, panting heavily while holding a small box in both hands. He would look up at the empty pier with confusion, before he spotted the crates marked Moui no Yaiba being loaded onto the ship the next pier over. "Oops, I thought it was this pier. Scared myself for a second. Akane, you are amazing. Thank you for stalling them long enough!"
Excusing himself apologetically as he bobbed and weaved past the dockworkers, he boarded the ship, and began looking about for his charge. "Now where would she be? Oops, I'm in the way, let me find some place to wait for her until we set sail..."
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Several days later...
"Welcome to Kyuden Doji! We hope you enjoy your stay!" the pair of dolled-up geisha would say in unison as the last of the passengers disembarked amidst a light snowfall, the first of the season. Kunitaro, now an emaciated and sleep-deprived mess, would wave with lackluster acceptance at the greeting before he stumbled forward towards the castle.
"What am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" he muttered over and over, as he had done the past couple days.
The geisha would watch him walk off, one of them biting her lip. "You know, if he just cleaned himself up a bit, he'd be quite the catch," one would say.
"Mei, behave yourself!" the other chided, as they both giggled. |
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 5:02 pm
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5 years before the duel that decided the fate of an Empire...
Month of the Dragon, 1246
Unicorn Outlier Village, several miles southeast of Akami
"Round 'em up," the ronin bandit leader would say, gesturing in a direction with his sword before sheathing it. His subordinates would march the kidnapped children to a clearing in the center of the village, despite their inconsolable crying. "Remember; anything but full cooperation from the rest of the village, and we put these kids to the sword," he'd remind them. While the rest of the bandits were visibly uncomfortable with the idea, he knew better. They feared his wrath more than the karma of such an act. They wouldn't hesitate if he gave the order.
The Unicorn were gone until at least a few more days, and this was the perfect opportunity to take every last bit of supplies this village had to offer. Equipment, clothing, food... anything and everything of value that they could fit onto the two wagons they had rode in on. It was going to be the haul of a lifetime.
"STOP!" a lone girl's voice called out suddenly.
Turning towards the disruption, the bandits would go for their weapons. However, further down the road, stood a lone teenaged girl with very long brown hair, a purple kimono, and ill-fitting ashigaru armor. In one hand, she held a yari spear with the haft resting on the ground, the other hand positioned heroically on her hip, just above her daisho.
"I DEMAND YOU LEAVE THIS VILLAGE AT ONCE!" she barked. "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, THAT IS!"
The bandit party would scan the area, swords drawn, before realizing that this young girl was alone. Then would visibly relax, and begin to laugh.
"Okura, Shichirobei, take care of it. The rest of you, get those wagons loaded," the leader would say, as most of the bandits would continue their work. Only two of their warriors would approach, which caused the young girl to puff her cheeks in frustration.
"You picked the wrong time to try and play hero, little girl," the older of the two bandits would say to her as they stopped a few feet away from her.
"You have five seconds to drop your weapons and run away," the younger one would say, a man in his mid twenties. "Otherwise, we might have to take you prisoner. You look old enough where that might actually be fun..."
"Disgusting," the girl chided. Then, without hesitation, she began to turn to her left as if to run, but she continued the spin until she had completed a full 360, lunging with her spear as she did so. The bladed end of the weapon would slice through the side of the younger man's neck, causing him to drop his weapon and clutch his wound with both hands as blood immediately began to spurt out.
"Holy s**t! Shichirobei!" the older one exclaimed, turning from his ally to the girl, lifting his katana. "You b***h!" He would swing with his blade to cut into her, but she attempted to parry with the haft of her weapon. It would dull the swing, but it was still enough to cause the yari to snap in two; the swing would clip her armor and slice through a buckle, but draw no blood. Using the broken bottom, she would swing low with it, catching the man behind his ankles and causing him to fall backwards onto the ground, dropping his weapon.
After the momentary daze of hitting his head on the ground, he would look to the side and see his dropped weapon. He reached over for it and turned to swing upwards towards the young girl. However, she was already plunging the yari's broken top down with both hands at him, burying the spear's point through his eye socket. With a sharp twist of the broken weapon, the man's body would momentarily become ridged, before falling limp. The younger man would fall to his knees, seemingly unable to stop the bleeding from his severed artery. Drawing her own katana, she would dispatch him with a sword thrust, before kicking him off her blade and swinging it to the side to clear it of fluids.
Discarding her damaged armor and now covered in blood spatter from her kill, the girl would speak up once more. "MY NAME IS UTAKU BAYARMA! YOUR ACTIONS HAVE DEFIED THE WILL OF THE UNICORN CLAN AND ENDANGERED OUR PEASANTRY! I SHALL NOW CONSIDER YOUR LIVES FORFEIT DUE TO YOUR CRIMES!" the young girl would proclaim loudly. The bandits would realize that two of their own were just killed, and immediately stop what they were doing. The entirety of their band would approach her, swords out, visibly upset. Bayarma now smiled triumphantly.
"Okay, girlie. You have my attention. Do you have any last words before I fulfill your death wish?" the bandit leader would say, staring down at the girl with his menacing left eye, his deathstare enhanced by his intimidating eyepatch that made him seem more menacing.
"I surrender." And just like that, she would drop her katana.
"Wh-what?" the bandit leader would sputter. "You, some sixteen-year-old samurai-wannabe, cuts down two of my men and then surrenders? Why should I accept your surrender?!"
"Okay, first off, I'm only fifteen," Bayarma responded. "Second, I'm officially a samurai, I completed my gempukku the day before yesterday. And as for why you should accept... check these out." Without hesitation, she would pull open the front of her kimono, revealing her lack of sarashi.
There would be a few approving murmurs from the lackeys, and the bandit leader would turn his head. "Don't let her distract- But his order would be cut short with a swift punt to his groin. Gasping in muted agony, the bandit leader would fall forward.
"You men are all the same. Predictable garbage," she spat, looking down at the prone figure, pulling her kimono closed.
"Y-you're dead!" one of the bandits yelled, and they all began to charge her.
"Uh-oh, that's my cue!" She would roll to the side when the first attacked, grabbing her blade as she went by, and used it to parry a second blow from another. Bringing her left index and middle finger to her mouth as she struggled to keep the opposing blade away, she would let out a shrill whistle. With a timely turn of her upper body, she narrowly avoided a deadly blow and instead received the smallest scratch upon her shoulder, as she turned and booked it.
The men would start to give chase, having difficulty keeping up with the young lady, though they would start to slow their pace almost right away as they were made aware of a growing thunder.
"Oh s**t, it's the Unicorn! She has back-up!" one yelled in a panic as they immediately recognized the sound of charging cavalry coming their way. There was immediate confusion of which direction they should run, before the horses appeared from their right, charging up a hill.
No riders, just horses. There was another uncertain moment when they realized that they were tricked somehow, thinking the herd of horses were mounted by samurai. They stopped and turned to once more continue chase of the girl who had suddenly gotten a lead on them. However, not knowing of the intelligence of an Utaku mount, they failed to realize that the large leading horse was purposely leading the rest of the herd directly into the clustered bandits, resulting in a good number of them getting trampled before they realized what was happening.
"Good going, Tansei!" Bayarma squealed with joy as the last of the herd cleared the road she had led the bandits into. She stopped by a building at the edge of the village, where she had hid her yumi and several arrows. The bandits were in various states of disarray and injury, but as they would begin to get to their feet, she would fire upon them. Not every arrow was a hit, but those that did would bring down their targets one by one.
Panicking now, the handful that survived would break and flee, quickly putting themselves out of arrow range in their flight for survival. Finding herself out of arrows, she would drop her bow and take off after the bandits. Until they were truly out of the village, they still posed a risk to the peasants, especially those children. She had to make sure they either left or were put down like rabid dogs.
However, Bayarma would be blindsided by the leader as she rushed around one corner, a solid punch from him to her face sending her reeling. Spinning around, she would reach for her sheathed weapon, but a swing of the bandit's own sword caught her arm, causing her to shriek out in pain. Using her left hand, she would hold her now-limp right arm, finding the injury she sustained made it difficult for her to use that limb each time she tried to lift it.
"You may have ruined this haul," the bandit leader would growl, his chin covered with spittle from the severity of the blow he received earlier. "But, I won't leave here until I take that pretty head of yours. Your tricks won't save you this time." he said. He used the flat of his katana's blade to lift Bayarma's chin, making sure he could make eye contact with her.
Suddenly, he would flinch. Turning to the side, he would flinch and turn away, rocks and large stones pelting him. Out of the corner of her eye, Bayarma saw the hostaged children, now free due to the bandits leaving them to chase her, would throwing the projectiles at him. Lifting his left arm to protect his face from the stones, Bayarma took advantage of the momentarily lapse of visual contact to turn to her right. The underside of her chin would slice upon his blade, but her body moved away from the lunging position and reached forward, going for the ronin bandit's sheathed wakizashi with her left hand. As he realized what was happening, he stepped back to put some distance between the two of them as Bayarma unseathed his weapon. He lunged while she swung the weapon upward.
A sickening squelch would sound.
Steel would drop.
And so would Bayarma, weaponless.
The stones stopped as the Bandit leader stood there motionless, wakizashi stuck through his meaty neck. His empty hands grasped for the katana he no longer was holding, his eye widened in shock, before gravity took over and the man would fall, landing solidly adjacent to the Unicorn.
The children would all rush forward to check on the prone Bayarma, seeing her state of being. Her eyes closed, they would begin to get upset.
"Hey now..." Bayarma said weakly, reaching up to touch the cheek of one sobbing child. "Are they all gone?" The children would swarm her, hugging her affectionately and a couple crying into her kimono. "I'll take that as a yes. Things were looking pretty dicey there. I couldn't have done it without you, though. Sorry I couldn't get here sooner; I rode out here as soon as I saw that report about what was happening. There was a jurisdiction dispute about... well... it doesn't matter." Wincing as she sat up, she would look to her arm. "Do you think one of you could bandage this for me?"
--------------------
"Thank you very much, Utaku-sama," the headman would say, and the villagers would bow deeply in respect. "The bandits that fled are long gone, and I don't think we'll be seeing them again. We are in your debt." The young, fair-haired daughter of the headman was finishing up bandaging Bayarma's arm after cleaning it, someone Bayarma's age who was not taken hostage with the younger children.
"Oh, it's no problem at all. That's what great heroes do, after all!" Bayarma would laugh heartily before cutting it short and wincing as she clutched her wounded arm.
"Is there anything we can do for you, Utaku-sama?" the headman asked, concerned.
"Well... yes. If I could stay the night before I return back home tomorrow, I'd appreciate it. I'm probably going to get chewed out when I get back for acting with permission. I'd rather be in higher spirits when I get back."
"Certainly, Utaku-sama. We'll prepare a room for you immediately," the headman would respond.
"Nah, that won't be necessary," Utaku Bayarma responded.
"Utaku-sama?"
Wrapping her left arm around the headman's daughter and pulling her close, Bayarma would flash a big cheesy grin. "Her room will do. I have it on good authority that the hero's supposed to get the girl in the end." The daughter would blush. |
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 10:08 pm
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12 years before the duel that decided the fate of an Empire...
Month of the Serpent, 1239
Kyuden Doji
"Catch, Ichiro!" the young girl would call out cheerfully.
"Wha- ack!" the other six-year-old would respond, before getting beaned in the face with a kemari ball, sending him sprawling to the ground. After the momentary stun faded, he blinked at the Crane blue sky above him and reached up to touch his tender nose, which stung. His eyes would begin to water and his emotions started to overwhelm him.
"Hey! No crying! It's not the samurai way!" the girl would say, stooping down and looking down over her fallen playmate, puffing her cheeks out with disapproval.
"H... H... Hai, hime," Ichiro would say, swallowing pain and pride alike and did his best to compose himself.
"There, see? You'll make a decent bushi for me yet!" The girl's sour expression would turn to a bright smile. She would lean back as the boy sat up.
"You're... not supposed to throw a kemari ball..." Ichiro said meekly, frowning. "You're only supposed to kick the ball in Kemari. And... I don't think I want to be a bushi..."
"I thought you could use your head too..." the girl would say. The boy would go to respond but quickly fall silent, mouth agape. The girl would giggle and stick her tongue out. "Come on, Ichiro, let's play some more!" She would stand, and aid the boy to his feet.
"Actually, Sakura-hime, I think I need to go home. Mother wanted me home for dinner on time this time, and it's getting late."
"No!" the girl would say forcefully, stomping her foot on the ground. "I'm the princess, and you're supposed to do what I say!"
The boy would startle at the stomp, and shrink back from the angering child. "But... I got in trouble last time... I have to..."
"Let him go, Sakura-chan," a woman would call out, walking out to the garden area from beyond some bushes. The woman was in her early thirties, with long white hair that sparkled with the setting sun's light. She had an air of compassion about her, despite the stern look she gave the young girl. She was currently sporting an airy summer maternity kimono, her abdomen showing she was very far along in her pregnancy. "Ichiro, run along home. I don't want to make Ai upset. Sakura and I have to have a little talk about proper princess behavior."
"But moooother!" the girl would whine, her eyes watering up and her face reddening.
"H-hai, Sayuri-no-kimi," Ichiro would say, bowing deeply... and perhaps a little gratefully... before tossing Sakura glance. Sakura gave him a disapproving glare, which caused him to run along with his proverbial tail between his legs.
--------------------
Upon returning home, Ichiro would slide the door behind him and remove his shoes, before calling out, "Mother, I'm home," he'd say.
"Ichiro, you're just in time for dinner," his mother would say from another room, footsteps approaching before he could turn in the opposite direction. "I was starting to think I'd have to eat alone again for- by the kami, what happened to your face?!" A look of shock would befall the woman's face, before she hurried to the wincing child and knelt before him, clutching his shoulders to keep him steady and take a closer look. "Did Sakura do this? Rina, come here and tend to Ichiro."
"Hai, Ai-sama," the teenage servant would say from the other room, appearing with a damp cloth after a few moments.
"No, kaasan. There... were these boys. Sakura protected me," Ichiro would start to say, as the servant knelt and started to wipe the dirt from his face, causing him to shut his eyes tight.
"You're not lying to me, are you Ichiro? I'll know if you're lying, and it's better to tell the truth." The boy, eyes still shut, would do his best to shake his head no while the servant was trying to clean his face. His mother would let out a disapproving groan. "Well, you should do well to avoid these 'boys' you keep running into. If I find out that Sakura is abusing you, I won't let you play with her anymore."
"Please, don't. She's... she's my best friend, kaasan!" Ichiro would try to say as the servant finishes cleaning his face, before standing and bowing before returning to the kitchen.
"We won't discuss the matter further, but I will be talking to your father about it when he gets home from his duties. Now go, go get ready for dinner. It's so rare these days I get to take meal with my son, I want to enjoy the opportunity for a change."
Bowing, Ichiro would disappear into his room.
--------------------
A few days later...
Ichiro would be walking through the castle main garden, looking around. Soon, he would spot the one he would be looking for - Sakura, who was sitting upon a large rock at the edge of a koi pond, swinging her feet to and fro in boredom. Calling and waving to her, he would hurry over.
Half smiling, Sakura would climb to her feet, hopping down from the rock to meet her companion. "Ichiro, I'm glad you came today."
"O-of course, hime. You told me to come, so I did," Ichiro would say as he came to a stop a few feet away. "You know I'll always listen to you, Sakura-hime."
"But..." The girl would soften her tone, her gaze lowering. "You don't always. I keep asking you to stay and play, but you keep leaving..."
There would be an awkward silence, as neither spoke for half a minute, Ichiro feeling guilt rise up within him.
"I'm... I'm sorry... that I threw a ball at your head..." Sakura would say, nervously shifting one of her feet back and forth as she continued to avoid eye contact.
"Hime?" Ichiro would ask, puzzled. He had never heard Sakura apologize before, so he was a little taken aback.
"JUST ACCEPT MY APOLOGY, ICHIRO!" Sakura would say aloud, her little hands balled before her as she looked up at him with great concern in her dark eyes.
Blinking a few times, he would wave dismissively. "There's nothing to apologize for, hime. If anything, it's my fault for not paying attention. I should be the one apologizing to you." Ichiro would laugh in his squeaky nervous voice, and Sakura would light up.
"Oh, thank you, Ichiro-kun! I accept your apology!" Sakura would say, suddenly elated, her mouth in a big smile as joy filled her. Clasping her hands together, she would add, "You don't know what this means to me!"
"Nani? What do you mean, Sakura-hime?" Ichiro would suddenly ask, puzzled.
"Mother said that if I apologized to you and was on my bestest behavior these last few days and treated the servants with respect that she would get me a present!" Sakura would giggle and twirl once in place, barely able to contain herself. "Mother said that she would give it to me today by lunchtime if I did what she said. It was really difficult to be nice to the servants, Ichiro, but I did it!"
"Well, I'm happy for you, Sakura-hime. I think your mother saw me when I got here, so she-" Ichiro would start, but would be cut off.
"Sakura! Sakura, where are you?" Doji Sayuri would call out from elsewhere in the garden.
"I'm here, mother! By the koi pond!" Sakura would call out gleefully. After a few moments, the pregnant Sayuri would waddle up the path, flanked by one of her servants, a young man holding a perforated wooden box in his hands.
"There you are, children. If Ichiro is here... Sakura, did you apologize to him like I said?" Sayuri would ask, smiling kindly.
"Yes, mother! He accepted my apology and everything!" Sakura would announce proudly, eyes darting back and forth between parent and package.
"Very well. I've seen how hard you've been trying to be good these past few days, and I hope you see that such behavior is generally looked more favorably upon." Turning her head to the side, she would nod. The servant would step forward, gently placing the box to the ground before the princess. Ichiro wondered what was inside it, but the princess wasted no time rushing to it to lift up the lid of the box. He had to wince at the shrill shriek of joy that sounded, as Sakura would stomp excitedly before reaching in and lifting out a silver-furred shikoku inu puppy, curved tail wagging excitedly as it began to bark happily. Sakura would lovingly hug the dog to her, while Ichiro looked on with joy for his friend.
"I know you've wanted a dog for years, but these past few days have shown me that you are willing to be responsible. It will be a lot of work, Sakura, but I'm sure you-
"Thank you, mother, thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Sakura would interrupt, before turning and grabbing the sleeve of Ichiro's kimono. "Come on let's go play!" she commanded with excitement, not waiting for anyone's response before dragging her friend off with one hand, clutching her puppy with the other. Sayuri would sigh, forcing herself not to smile.
--------------------
"Ichiro, watch this! Akizuki, sit!" Sakura commanded as she pointed downward. The puppy would pant happily as it continued to look around at its surroundings, paying no heed to the little girl.
"Akizuki, heel!"
"Akizuki, come!"
"Akizuki, lay down!"
"Akizuki, fetch!" With the final ignored order, Sakura would kneel down, picking up a stick and throwing it. The puppy would give her a look of confusion, before assuming a pouncing position, and then chasing after a nearby ladybug instead.
"Aarrggghhh! Why won't she listen to me?" Sakura would huff, arms down at her sides and stomping her foot. "I've been trying all day but she won't listen! It's infuriating!"
"I think it's supposed to take months of practice, hime," Ichiro would say as he crouched on the grass, watching.
"I don't want it to take months," Sakura would whine. "I'm the princess, and her master! She should obey me right away!" The puppy would lose sight of its quarry, looking around. It would run past Sakura and up to Ichiro happily, who would pet her on her head in exchange, laughing gently.
Face darkening, Sakura would march over and forcefully shove Ichiro over, before turning and promptly kicking the dog, who let out a shrill yelp in pain. "Sakura! Why... why would you do that?!" Ichiro would exclaim in shock.
"I'm the princess! I didn't tell her to do that!" Sakura would respond. "Akizuki belongs to me! You belong to me! Everyone is supposed to do as I say!" Huffing angrily, Ichiro would feel a fear he never felt before well up inside him - a similar feeling the dog apparently felt, as it began quivering fearfully.
"Sakura... I... I..." Before he knew it, Ichiro clambered to his feet and ran. He didn't know why, nor did he register what she called out as he did so. He did not stop running until he reached his house, slamming the door loudly closed as he entered the house.
"Ichiro! Please, have more respect than that when you enter the house." His mother would enter the front hall, seeing her son out of breath. "Ichiro, what happened? Weren't you supposed to be playing with Sakura? Did... you two have a fight?"
Not answering his mother, he would kick off his shoes and run to his room to cry.
--------------------
A few hours would pass, and the sun would begin to set. He did not eat dinner, refusing to come out of his room. Instead, he began to feel guilty for running off like that. Unbeknownst to his family, he would sneak out while they were getting ready to eat and return to the castle to apologize. On the way there, he would see Doji Sayuri and several of her attendants looking around.
"Ichiro? I thought you were playing with Sakura. I didn't realize you had left," the daimyo would say to him upon spotting him.
"I'm sorry, Sayuri-no-kimi. I had to run home for a bit earlier. I'm sorry I did not say goodbye when I had left," he would respond to her humbly.
Frowning, Sayuri would then ask, "Have you seen Sakura? I haven't seen her since this afternoon and she's not responding to our calls. I'm sure she's just engrossed with her new friend, but do you think you could help us find her?"
"Hai, Sayuri-no-kimi. I'll check the place I last saw her," Ichiro would tell her, before heading out into the main courtyard.
After returning to the spot where he had last seen the princess, he saw no trace of her, or of Akizuki. Rather than calling out to her, he simply began to wander and search, hoping to find her that way. After a minute or so of searching, he did hear rustling from a nearby bush. Approaching it, he would call out, "Sakura-hime? Is that you? I'm... I'm sorry for running off earlier. I don't know what came over me. It was wrong of me." A few seconds would sound, and he would follow up with, "Sakura-hime?"
Getting no response, he would approach the bushes closer, parting them to look inside. Though her back was to him, Sakura was there, kneeling on the ground in the shrubs. Her hair was a mess with tangles and twigs stuck in it, and she was slowly rocking back and forth.
"Hime? What's wrong?"
Turning her head to the side, she would quietly respond, "Oh, Ichiro, it's you." As she turned to face him, Ichiro would stumble back out of the bushes in shock, falling backwards, his face whitening.
Stepping away from the prone form before her and out of the bushes, Sakura looked down upon him, her eyes distant. The entire front of her kimono was soaked in blood, and she still clutched the large crimson-stained rock in her right hand, her fingers refusing to release it. "Akizuki just wouldn't obey me. She just wouldn't listen. She was a bad dog. But you'll obey me, right, Ichiro? You'll obey your princess? You belong to me always... right?"
Sakura would smile.
Ichiro would scream. |
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