Go-Uda's Defense: Adventures of a Torn Land

The Mongols have long but wanted the territory in which the Japanese occupy, this is but one of the many attempts to try and take the land. Yet there are things watching over the Japanese people that most fear.

Go-Uda’s Defense: Adventures of a Torn Land

Payton Smith

 

“In view of history, I sincerely wish that the ravages of war will never be repeated. With all the Japanese public, I mourn for those who perished in battles and lost their lives in the horrors of war.” -Emperor Akihito

 

Nodachi- Large two handed Japanese sword

Katana- Long Japanese sword

Tachi- Longer than Katana used for horseback fighting

Naginata- Pole weapon with a blade on the end

Wakizashi- Small Japanese sword known as a “side arm”

 

1274 A.D.

 

            The water washed upon the sandy beach of a small Kyushu beach. In the distance, sails were raised high as the invading Mongol army approached northern Japan. The defending army stood ready for the battle to come. A small horse regiment made their way down to the water, behind them a large group of laborers set up small wall barricades made of wooden logs. On horseback, Hojo Tokimune looked out over the sea. At his waist were a Tachi and Wakizashi; tied to his back was a sheathed Nodachi. The 24 year old general wore red armor and had a symbol of Hojo on his chest to represent his family and to show where his honor lied.

          Tokimune signaled to the horseback riders to move back to where the rest of the army waited, the noise of the clattering horse hoofs drowned out Tokimune’s coughs. He turned his horse and looked at all the laborers working. They weren’t going fast enough, at this rate they wouldn’t be finished by the time the Mongols breached the shore. The Hojo ran his horse up to the army and began to shout out instructions, sending different regiments to the best position of location depending on their specialties.

            After all the battalions were in position and the laborers had finished as many barricades as possible, it was time. The first Mongol ship had pushed its way on to the shore. The Japanese waited for movement but there was nothing. The Mongols were waiting, waiting for other ships to appear that way they could attack as a large force, not just small groups of warriors. The second then third ship made their way a top the sandy beach, and finally they all made their way upon it. With a shout the Mongols all jumped from their ships and began their attack.

            The Japanese launched fields of arrows at the Mongols, making many of them drop like rag dolls to the sand. A second wave of arrows began to spray before the Mongols reached the first fight. Swords clattered and warriors met their end with great honor in serving their homeland. In the back Hojo watched and then saw the first one-an explosion. He had never seen something like this, it was a loud crack and sand burst around the explosion site. The small explosions were being thrown from the Mongol’s hands, what kind of magic could this be?

            The Mongols had past the first line of defense and Tokimune signaled to a man behind him. A bird the size of a bald eagle with red feathers flew past the Hojo and towards the Mongols. It swooped down to the front of the Mongol army and the bird out of nowhere burst into a purple flame. It touched a line of oil and the entire line caught flame almost instantly. The flames grabbed a few warriors and sent them to a painful, burning death.

            Tokimune drew his Tachi and ran his horse towards the Mongols which had gotten past the flames with only few deaths. The Hojo’s sword cut through flesh as if he were cutting through a leaf not a human being. He brought his sword through several more victims before an explosion went off near him and his horse bucked him to the ground. A Mongol swung a Naginata down for Tokimune’s face, but his Tachi cut through the wooden handle and then he cut at the Mongol’s ankle casting the man to the ground. Hojo stood, sheathed his Tachi, and then pulled his Nodachi from its respectful resting place.

            He cut his way through the lines sending foes to their long awaited deaths. As he pulled the Nodachi from a man’s chest a strike of lightning came from the overcast. Every fighter stopped what they were doing and looked to the sky. The clouds did not look like they were thunder clouds, and it was too cold for a thunderstorm. Another strike flew across the sky but this lightning looked as if it were a long snake like creature. The lightning stayed fixed in one spot which seemed to scare some of the warriors as they ducked behind the barricades and even under dead bodies.

            At the end of the lightning it formed a long nuzzle face with deer antlers and incredible fangs. From the neck seven more heads similar to the first grew out and the rest of the body was shaped from the lightning into a long snake like body. The creature looked over the battle field and one of the heads let out a horrifying roar.

            “What brings about this dispute?” came a voice from the great dragon yet none of the mouths moved to make the voice.

            “Yamata no Orochi, great lord our enemies attack us out of will,” shouted one of the Japanese soldiers. “We have done nothing wrong to them, cast them from our land, I beg you!”

            Another one of the dragon heads roared and opened its jaw wide, lightning burst from its mouth and then separated into thousands of wire sized lightning. It shot through most of the Mongol’s bodies, all but enough to take one ship back to Yuan and tell them of their defeat. The Hojo smiled for this was not the first time he had encountered the Great Yamata.

 

*****

 

1278 A.D.

 

            “Sire, I am here to offer my peace to you,” a Mongol said to Go-Uda the Japanese Emperor while on his knees. “I have brought a treaty with offers and trade papers.”

            “Mongols.” The Emperor said and sighed deeply, then waved at a man sitting in the corner who was bowing to him.

            The man stood, it was Hojo Tokimune. He unsheathed a Katana from his waist and walked to the Mongol who just sat there waiting for what he knew was coming. Tokimune held the Katana to the back of the Mongol’s neck, then pulled it back and swung through the sent envoy’s neck, beheading the servant in the most honorable way the Hojo could execute him.

 

 

These stories are not entirely historically correct; they are for your entertainment and not research purposes. -Rococo