Prologue: The Occult

I stood there - frozen in fear.

"Now Jim, let's work this out - whatever it is." I said, as Atara came out, from backstage.

Atara stopped in his tracks. Jim starred at him, maliciously.

"You two know exactly, what this is!" Jim snapped back.

"No I don't - I killed your intruder, a month ago." I pleaded.

"LIE!" Jim hollered.

"What's going on!" Atara interrupted

Jim's stare grew colder. "You see, Deputy. The sheriff here, made a deal to exterminate of this thug who's been bothering my family."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Atara glanced at me.

"They were going to kill you!" I replied, pointing at the angry farmers, who now growing impatient.

"Well..." Jim cut in. "...it looks like you were unsuccessfully. Now, he's kidnapped my children, and demands that I give him what little money and chance I have, of get outta' this evil town! My wife is a mess. I told to her keep the shotgun with her, and if he come back for the money - blow his brain!"

"Kill 'em both, Jim!" One farmer interrupter. "They don't care about you - but we do!"

The mob let out a blood curdling wail.

"Get back, everyone!" Jim called to the spectators. "You had your chance, sheriff, you had your chance!"

Jim charged towards me. The mob followed, with their forks and spades. I hopped to the side, as Jim flew past me. The angry farmers encircled Atara. They poked at him with their sharp tools. Atara picked up a chair, and swung it at the crowd.

The mob jumped back. The chair thrashed against their tools, knocking them out of their hands. Watching all of this, I grabbed one of the chairs, and slung it at Jim. He slammed it to the floor with his pitchfork. The weapon-less mod, regained their ground on Atara. One man lung forward, and Atara kicked him back.

I picked up a chair and threw it at the mob. This gave Atara the opportunity, to throw his own chairs. One by one, we disabled the mob. Jim was seething. He came up behind me with his fork. Atara pulled the chain from his pocket. He wrapped it around the fork's long ash handle. Jim yanked the fork back, ripping it from Atara's hand. Atara flew towards the ground. Jim took the the fork. and began to beat him with it. The tines dug into Atara's back, with every blow. The spectators watched in horror. I looked around the hall.

"Your gonna finally, die - deputy!" Jim screamed with joy, as he tortured Atara.

I picked up a shovel, from one of the unconscious farmers. My furry grew, as Atara groaned in agony. I came down on Jim's hands, with the sharp edge of the shovel. Blood flew into my face, as the spade severed his fingers.

"Ah!!!!!!!" Jim wailed, as the pitchfork dropped beside the mauled Atarta.

I swung the shovel into Jim's legs, knocking him onto the blood covered floor. I looked down at the mess in front of me. All I could think about was the Lethovox. What had just happened? The spectators continued to stare.

"Kage's not the only one." I thought to myself. I dropped the spade. "I will get your children back" I exclaimed - starring at the maimed Jim.

I ran over to Atara, kneeling beside his lacerated body. His shirt was torn to shreds, and his back had long, deep cuts. A tear formed in the corner of my eye.

"Someone get a doctor! These people need medical attention - stat!" I cried.

A woman spoke up, from the deathly silence. "The nearest doctor lives in Bella Meadows!"

"Well - go get him!" I yelled at the woman, as I darted for the stage. My boots glided across the squeaky boards. I grasped one of the red curtain, and pulled. The curtain flew down on me. I took it, and wrapped it around Atara. I slung his limp body over my shoulder, and ran out of the school. Some people gathered around the doors, to watch as the outline of my black shozoku, disappeared into the night.

I carried Atara through the daunting darkness. Why? Why did this happened to Atara? Why didn't they take me when they had their chance? He was loosing a lot of blood, and I knew he wouldn't make it through the night. Atara didn't deserve this - he didn't even know about Jim's dilemma. I could finally see the cabin, through my tear drenched eyes. My body was getting weak from caring Atara. I staggered into the cabin, and laid Atara on the floor.

I unwrapped his lifeless corpse. A puddle of blood form beside him. I sat down at the little, wooden table. I starred down at the table top, looking into the grain of the wood. It was a dense maple. I couldn't but think of that first time Atara made me breakfast. I love mornings with Atara - but, now... I collapsed, with my head resting on the table.

I awoke to a knock at the door. I sat up, and moped over to the door. The door seemed to open by itself.

"Hello." I moaned into the dark night.

No one answered. I walked outside, a ways. The cabin door closed behind me. I frighteningly turned around. There before me, was the ninja. His glowing eyes, burned my own gaze. He motioned to me with a nod of his masked head. I followed him, as he dashed into the moonlit forest, like a bloodhound chasing after a raccoon.

"I need to talk to you!" I screamed, as I ran after him.

I was still half sleeping, and I couldn't keep up with the fast pace of his little, but powerful body. I chased him until, we reached a place where the moonlight, penetrated through the treetops. The sound of a baby's cry, echoed throughout the woods. The ninja led me into a small grove. There was a man wearing a dark hood, and sunglasses.

He was holding a crying baby. A young boy stood beside the man. I recognized the boy. He was Jim's son, who I met the first day I came to Hayatoge. The ninja crept around the man, and tried to grabbed the boy. The man turned around and kicked the ninja in the stomach. The ninja flew to the ground. The man stood over the ninja. He handed the baby to his brother.

The frighten boy, ran over to a tree, and comforted the baby. I stood there in silence - I had to do something! I charged the man, with vigor. He turned to me, and stretched out his arm. I drove my fist into his outstretched hand. His hand was like a spring. It sent me flying backwards. The man left the ninja, and slowly walked towards me.

The ninja jumped up and ran over to the children. The came up to me, and pressed against my chest, with the palm of his hand. I flew to the leaf covered ground, with inhuman force. The man grabbed my arms, and pinned them down. His sunglasses, slid down his nose, which revealed his eyes. I was petrified. His eyes were black - completely black! The man raised his one hand above my face.

In fear, and surrender - I shouted out loud. "Just take me now, like you should have before! Just Take me!"

His hand grew closer to my face - then it stopped. The man began to tremble. I turned my head. There was a man standing behind me. He was wearing samurai helmet, and a native american breast plate. They looked like the ones that were hanging in the cabin. I couldn't make out his face in the darkness. He walked over to the hooded man, and seized him by his arms. How could he just, pickup this strongman, like nothing. I was amazed.

He took the still, trembling man, and shook him. A black smoke, rose from the hooded man's skin. It rose up to the sky, and blackened out the moon. The ninja took the children, and quickly fled. The smoke dissipated, and he dropped the man to the ground.

A hand reached out to me - it was the armored man. "Nishoma!" He said, pulling me up.

My face went pale, as if I had saw a ghost. I did!

The war clad man, was Atara...

Woo...wee! I hope everyone enjoyed this traumatic chapter. Next time, I will reveal a character that I have been perfecting for a long time.

Mina san, dewa mata! :)

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems