“There is a lot we can do to stop this. You know how I get with family. I could have taken a step, made a decision, and taken him out. This is not my kingdom. This is not my place. I cannot make these decisions without you. I need you to understand what is happening. He took my wife with him. He ran away with her after leaving me to die on the battlefield by myself. He took her and caged her. He dragged her around like a… like a slave.” The emperor’s face scrunched up, waves of disgust crossing his face. “I cannot let that go unpunished. He has to pay the price, he has to,” The emperor closed in on Master Yonda. “This is a battle against us. We are a family, we are together. It doesn’t matter what happens, we have to fight this together.” “I understand how you feel, dear friend. I do. But this is not a raider or any man. He is the governor of Shibuya. The ruler of this province! There is no way we are taking him out like it is nothing. There is too much at stake. Please, understand m
Tree canopies spread their arms forming a bowl. Light bounced off the shield of tree barks. Pitch darkness weighed heavy on them, rendering their sight as good as the sunlight. Jiro pulled Kakashi through the path, hands held tightly together. “What was that?” Kakashi halted. “I didn’t hear anything.” Jiro voiced. “Break my bone.” Jiro paused causing silence to thicken the darkness. Kakashi’s request numbed his tongue. Kakashi flinched as footsteps crunching dry leaves approached. “It’s me, calm down,” Jiro stretched out his arm, his footsteps quickening. “Where is your hand?” “Uh,” Kakashi extended his hand to reach out to Jiro. “Jiro?” “Is that you?” “Yes. Jiro?” Kakashi’s hand traced what hung before him. “Jiro, Jiro.” Their hands crossed paths. “Break my bone, now, please.” Kakashi’s request was firm and controlled. Jiro closed in on Kakashi. “Why?”“I need my sight. I have to see.” “How is breaking your bone going to help you to see?” “I see farther, clearer. Like I hea
“I need you to tell me exactly what happened.” “We were on the road here, it was dark and we could not see anything. We lost track of anything and now, we are here.” The aged man glances at the other man behind him. He nods to him and the man nods back. “We have been expecting you.” Kakashi and Jiro exchanged glances. “What do you mean?” Jiro asked the man. “Your name is Kakashi,” he looks down to Jiro, “And you are Jiro Shoei. You lost your brother when you went to a mountain, and you also lost your friend some months after. Life hasn’t been the best for your loved ones. Neither has it,” the man turns in Kakashi’s direction. “…been for you.”“It is not a coincidence that you were both on the mountain the day Lord Zodiac escaped the trapped jar. Every day has worked with the prophecy. Your father, your mother.” He turned to face Kakashi. “Your parents. It’s all going with the prophecy.” “How many prophecies are there? Because I don’t understand the prophecy you speak of.” Kakashi
DECADES AGOClanging blades danced in the air. Their feet danced violently, shielding their lives from each other’s attack. “You seem to have gotten better. That is good. John! Careful with your wrist, careful! Left. Left. Stay there. Left. Do not run away, stay there. Yonda! Yonda!” A fresh breeze blew over his face. He followed her steps behind his head, sword in hand. The sunlight shone brighter, the spotlight illuminating her brightness more. She swayed her hips like she floated, without a burden. She turned, her hair spreading ecstasy. She smiled, and like a child in a strange place, he followed with a wide smile. His lips curved from one end of his jaw to the other. His spine shivered, cold ran through the blade pressing against his back. He swallowed, and his sword landed on the ground. He caught her from the corner of his eyes, the doors obstructing his determination. He turned. Slowly. “Put your hands up!” An order barked at him. He raised his hands. Footsteps closed in on
The gates banged. No sound forthcoming sent him into a fit. Sweat covered his face. He glanced over his shoulders, scanning behind him to be sure he was alone. His breath quickened. The gate crashed with his fist banging again and again. It gave way, and Master Ji's face peered through the opening."Where have you been? Everyone is worried about you and… where is John?" Master Ji stretched over Yonda to check behind him. "Where is John?" Yonda whimpered. "I said where is John?!""He is—he is," Yonda stuttered, pointing in the direction of the woods."He is where? In the woods?" Yonda nodded in affirmation. "I've told you many times never to go there alone!" Master Ji's voice trailed. Restless, he goes back and forth. "What happened to him?" He appeared with his belt.Yonda stared intensely at the belt around the master's waist. "Wha—what is that for?""It is an emergency. Now tell me where John is, and with whom!""He is in the woods. There are raiders there. They caught him." His voi
"Before you do that, I have something to tell you too.""What is it, Master?" John asked. Master Ji reached out to them to be guided up. John and Yonda hurried to his rescue as they took his hands, helping him up with ease."I can tell you, but I will rather show you boys what it is. Come with me." Master Ji walked ahead of them. Quizzical looks covered both of their faces as they marched behind their master."Where is this place, Master?" John called from behind."Be patient, my son.""Are you sure this is the way, Master?""Continue to follow me Yonda. Believe." Master Ji faced the wall, charging towards it."No!" Yonda and John rushed to pull Master Ji back. “What are you boys doing?” Master Ji dodged them, they dropped face-first into the ground. “Ow!” John winced. “What do you think you are doing?” “We wanted to save you,” John got up first, scrunching up his face as he held his waist. Yonda’s face peered from behind John. “You were going to hurt yourself. We had to save you.”
“There is nothing more I can say, John. You two are going to be great men.” Master Ji drew them into himself in an embrace. “Great men that will be part of the stories of the new world. You do not have to worry about the unseen. You have each other. You have a week, prepare your minds.” Master Ji dropped his hands, taking his time to climb the stairs back up. “What do you think this is?” John marched towards Yonda. “Is he trying to send us away?” “This is not something any of us possess an understanding of. It is certainly a mystery. But he has been training us for a long time—” Yonda’s words were interrupted. “Never have been trained to go on a mission. Never.” John jumped in. “Never, I agree with you. That makes this mission even more important now. There is something hidden within that we might not understand now. But I do disagree with you. The master loves us too much to ever want us out of his sight. He came for you without blinking. Alone. The master wants to see something i
The annoying laughter from below him echoed in the back of his ears. He groaned awake, rolling on the bed. His eyes were wary of their new surroundings, parting slowly. He helped himself to sit back, leaning on the bed frame. His eyes widened as she walked in from the other room, her body drenched in water. Her eyes were suppressed under the heavy weight of beauty that crowned them. She wasn’t naked but there wasn’t much left to be imagined. She caught his stare from the mirror. Damn. What is that smile? That is beautiful. His eyes darted to the door flung open. “Oh, I see you’ve met her,” John said to Yonda, passing his glance from him to her. “She is quite incredible, is she not?” He strolled in without a care in the world. Yonda took his eyes off his brother, and back to the girl in front of the mirror. Her fingers clutched her shoulder, backing the mirror with her head dropped. She scampered off, back into where she appeared like an afterthought. “Why did you just walk in? You