Prologue: The Traitor

I walked back down to where my hammock was tied. Atara didn't know about the lynch mob. I knew that it was my job to take out this thug, before anything else happened. My duffle bag was lying in the hammock. I took out my shozoku, and put it on. I slipped my badge into a hidden pocket. It had to be getting near noon. I walked down to the creek. There was a wooden bridge that connected the trail that I came in on. As I looked southward, I could see where it led. It led down into Bella Meadows. I can remember throwing old bread to the ducks, as a child. A flock of about, eight, or ten would follow me up onto the shore - just to see if I had more bread.

I walked up, alongside the stream. I had never gone any further up the creek, before. The midday sun beat upon my hooded head, as I passed a small spring. It came out of the hill and flow into the stream. I followed the creek for nearly an hour - I finally saw a path. As I approached the trail, I noticed some markings in the mud. It appeared as if some one, had drug something up from the creek. They must have went though the woods. I couldn't make out any footprints, but I could tell that someone had just went up the path.

I crept slowly down the path, trying not to make the leaves crunch. I leaned against a tall hickory, and peered around a low branch. The trail went on for quite a ways, but there was no one there. They must of had a head start on me. The trail passed by one of the few active farms left, in Hayatoge. A split rail fence separated the trail, from the green pasture. I came to a opening in the forest. Above me, sat a tall, steep knoll. It looked over a wooded ravine. I moved closer to the ravine, I thought I could smell smoke. Just as I peered into the ravine, I was hit by a cloud of smoke. I began to cough. Smoke billowed out of the canyon.

I noticed a foot path was made in some bramble - leading down into the ravine. It look as if they were flogged down with something. I slowly crept through the brush - down to the source of the smoke. There was a small camp. Chicken feathers littered the ground, as I stepped closer. A big man wearing a hooded shirt, was leaning over a small fire - feeding it with fresh cut hickory shoots. The green leaves smoldered and smoked, as they burned off the tiny limbs. Beside the man, was a makeshift net - filled with fish. I pulled out my badge, and took off my hood.

"Freeze - you're under arrest! Put your hands on your head, and turn around slowly!" I shouted at the man.

He put down the twigs, and turned around. It was hard to see his face - he was wearing sunglasses.

"Why, if it isn't Regis Marsic III!" The man snickered.

I was fuming. "How dare you call me that slander, you thug! Where did you here that name, anyways?"

The man continued to laugh as he pulled down glasses.

"Sensei Joe!" I expelled, with a hit of surprise.

"I'm stranded in the middle of the woods, thousands of miles from my home, and I find a walking dead man." Joe chuckled.

"What do you mean - what are you doing here?" My mind was overwhelmed with questions. "Sensei, I'm so glad too see you!"

"You should have been dead, Nishoma - dead for two years!" Sensei Joe snarled.

I turned white in horror. He continued his rant.

"That night, I took you away from that wretched father of yours - I knew that you were special. Somehow I saw it in you - the makings of a great fighter. But - you became too, good!"

Although, I was still puzzled, he carried on.

"Those men, that I told you were friends - they were scouts, looking to sign heavy-weight fighters. I had invited them to the dojo - assuming that they would choose me. I was a retired bounty hunter, who was training elite fighter - I was sure they would take that into consideration. But no! They said that they wanted some, 'young blood'. About a week later I got the call. They told me, that they were going to write you a contract, and that I should be 'proud for training you."

"Wow!" I said. "They chose me?"

"But I wasn't!" Joe snapped. "I wasn't proud. I wanted to be the one, signing that contract. So, I slipped some, untraceable poison in your tea. You had no clue, until you began to spar. Your metabolism couldn't keep up. That's when you collapsed, and the ambulance took you away. I assumed that you had died, in the hospital. No one has ever survived that poison before.

"Well, I guess I am special then!" I interrupted - now irate. "But that doesn't explain what your doing here - stealing from honest working farmers!"

Joe cracked a smiled. "You see - I got what I wanted. They signed me, and I have been travailing the world - fighting the best. I was a dream come true, until something went wrong with my jet - mid flight. I parachuted down to this canyon. I have been stranded here for two weeks - just trying to stay alive. I thought it couldn't get any worse - until you showed up!"

"Yeah - so what are you going to do about!" I snapped back.

Sensei Joe, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a heavy chain.

"A kusari, Joe?" I asked surprisingly. "But, you always hated to use weapons."

"I've changed, Nishoma. I'm not that same, sweet, man who gave you that name. Now, I must do what should have been done, two years ago!"

Joe got into a stance, and began to swing the chain. I locked eyes with him - then, the fight began.

Joe swung the chain at my face. I blocked it with the back of my hand. I countered with a roundhouse kick to his side - but he got me in the shoulder. I staggered back. His grin widened. I moved closer. He swung the chain at me again. This time I ducked, and hit him in the torso.

"I see, that I have taught you well." He snickered - hitting the side of my face with his chain.

I knew that I could beat him - hand to hand. I lunged at him, and swung my hand out as if to hook him in the side. He swung the chain at me. It wrapped around my arm.

"Ha!" I said, while swiftly moving around him - giving me the leverage to rip the chain from his hand. The chain went flying through the air - landing near the fire.

I plowed into him while he wasn't looking. My punches hit him hard. I tore into him like a heavy bag. He grew tired - fast. His body couldn't take a "young blood" like me. I knew this was my chance. I trusted an uppercut, into his jaw. Joe's huge body, tumbled to the ground. His head fell against a sharp rock that protruded from the ground. He was out cold.

"Joe!" I screamed - shaking him. His head was bleeding. "You're going to be fine Joe - just fine!" I said encouragingly.

Joe opened his eyes, and looked up. His eyes grew wide, and he began to shake and moan.

"What is it, Joe?" I asked, worriedly.

Joe raised his arm. "U...p, the...re...!" He groaned, while pointing to the top of the knoll.

"Is there something up there?" I said turning around. I did not see anything.

Joe looked up at me - put his hand on my leg, and drew one last breath...

Woo! Intense ending, there. "Sensei Joe" is one of the few character, whose first name I didn't change.

I would like to thank you for reading. I means more than you can imagine.  Thank You! :)

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems