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
The gates opened and the people left their mouths ajar.“How is he alive?” “What is he doing here?” “What are those with him?” Yonda rode into the place he once called home. It looked bigger and better. There were new structures scattered on widened grounds. He looked at the place he once lived; embers of fire heat underneath the huge smoke that went up to the sky from there. Huge men vacated there with black dust covering their bodies. Yonda continued deep into where their leader stayed. “Hi. Where is Master Ji?” Yonda asked the boy from the top of his vehicle. “I don’t know who that is.” The boy said and then ran away. Oh, okay. “Yonda?” The musical voice that called behind him sounded familiar. He turned around to see Maika beneath a hoodie. His eyes sparked, the memory of their last time time together filling him up with joy. “Maika.”“I thought you died.” Maika whispered. “Why would you think that?” Yonda asked. “Um, my brother said you were taken by raiders and there was no
“Hey Zoa,” Tanya rushed to catch up with Zoa’s fleeting feet. “Zoa!” Zoa spun around. “What is it, Tanya?” She shot Tanya a glare. “I don’t like what is happening between us. I am sorry for anything I have done. Please, do not go on like this. Let us come back to what we used to be. I miss you. I miss my sister,” Tanya’s voice cracked, her face dropped into a plea hard to say no to. Zoa stood, rooted to the spot. Her eyes lingered on her, tears forming around her eyes. She opened her arms, pulling Tanya into a warm embrace. Her shoulders warmed with Tanya’s tears as they held each other in that position for what seemed like forever. They basked in their embrace, unconcerned about the passing gazes that fixed on them, the urgent feet that marched or even the touch of the commander. “Zoa!” She snapped out of her stare at Tanya. Tanya stood, her eyes still droopy. She rotated to a halt as she came face to face with Kokohashi. “Did you hear what I said?” Her head tilted. Her face cont
Suke tumbled as Jiro dived straight through him. Suke picked himself up. He swept all the corners of his mouth with his tongue. He raised his head halfway, his eyes hid below his lashes, a veil of darkness covering his gaze. He spat out blood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Last chance dear friend. Bring. Him. To. Me.” Something sinister chorused in his words. His tone was like a sweet lullaby in the dark. Only this time, you are alone. Master Yonda dug his hand into the sheath hung by his hip. His sword glittered in the light. “You will have to go through me first,” he assumed a defensive stance. “What the hell is happening?” Daichi’s breath quickened. His voice cracked with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Zoa stared intensely at Kakashi. “Don’t worry Dai, I will not be like my father. This will be over soon.” Her eyes darkened. Daichi’s gaze spun towards Zoa. Words hid under his tongue, but his face communicated his feelings. A quizzical look like a detective thro