Forever a Killer

Set in the late 1850's of Japan an assassin sets loose. Yuri is a 16 year old who is trained to kill. She hunts for the man who killed her master and unravel the mystery behind her fathers disappearan

 I splashed through the crystal clear waters, creating a muddy mess. I quickly glanced behind me to see the men after me, swords in hands, most wearing bloody green and black armor. I surged forward through the water before stopping and turning around. The men were stopped at the river bank starring at the water trying to get it to clear.

                “The alligators will get us, we can’t enter!” One shouted.

“Maybe there is a bridge down a ways!” Another said in despair.

                “I’ll just shoot her with a bow,” One man smirked. I watched as he launched an arrow aiming for me. He let go of the arrow sending it across the river. I held up my hand catching the arrow inches before it pierced my heart.

                “What about my throwing dagger?” Another smiled. He threw a small dagger at me hitting my arm causing it to bleed.

                “Ha!” They cheered. I smirked before grabbing the dagger and threw it back before hitting him in the heart.

“We have to swim across! While she is weak!”

                “Shut it all of you! We cannot cross the Shibito River! We will surely die. Do not fret she shall return to your town for the jewel again. We will get her next time,” The man in red armor told the others. They glanced at me to the water before turning around and grumbling away. I smiled before falling to my knees my hand dropping my bow and sword. Panting with exhaustion I sheathed my sword, putting my bow on my shoulder.

                “Yuri you shouldn’t be so stupid!”

                “Shut your mouth Daiki,” I panted.

                “When will you learn not to run through this river? One of these days the alligators will get you!” The man shouted sitting next to me.

                “You don’t seem worried sitting near it,” I sat on my knees before turning toward the brown haired man. He was in all red, his white hair moving with the wind.

                “You know mother doesn’t approve of you fighting the guards, they are weak,”

                “Dai, when will you learn to shut your mouth? You may be my older brother but that doesn’t mean you are stronger than me,” I stood walking toward the trees.

                “But I am stronger than you. I would wear that bloody mess into the house; mother will kill you since she just cleaned. You also need to bathe, you reek of blood. Here take these,” My brother stood handing me a black kimono with pink lotus’s on it.

                “Thanks. What would I do without my assassin brother?” I asked with a smile.

                “Well, you would probably be a lonely cat lady since you can’t get a guy!” He teased.

                “Shut it, you can’t get a girl and you have been alive longer than me. So ha!” I told him.

                “Let’s go, you can bathe in the Shurui hot spring,” He gestured me through the trees. We stepped through, walking in silence as darkness surrounded us. We walked past trees while counting.

                “Here’s the path,” Daiki stated gesturing to a small dirt path. I nodded before walking on the path my brother behind me. We walked along further before coming to a steaming clear spring.

                “Okay go on, I’ll be fine,” I said to my brother. He nodded before walking on the bridge that would lead to the other side. I untied my sword, setting it beside my green bow quiver and my black bow.  I untied my metal mask before taking off my armor. I stepped in the hot water before lying back and washing my bloody hair. I finished before putting on the kimono grabbing my sword, and my bow and arrows. I wrapped a piece of cloth around my bloody arm before starting to cross the bridge when I heard something behind me. I turned unsheathing my sword and pointing in the direction of the sound.

                “Who goes there!?” I shouted.

                “Muhaha. You don’t even understand how many enemies you have made assassin,” Someone cackled.

                “Fight me if you are an enemy. If not be gone,” I growled.

                “Oh my dear. I shall fight, but are you sure you are the assassin? You have no one to help you,”

                “Assassins go alone. Come out now,” I waved my sword.

                “Haha! Assassins go alone! Then what am I?” I heard my brother behind me.

                “Daiki!” I shouted turning around.

                “He’s not the one who was talking, I was,” I turned to see a brown haired girl in a pink kimono. I smiled before dropping my sword and running to her.

                “Yumiko!” I shouted hugging her.

                “Yuri! It’s good to see you!” I hugged my friend before gesturing to the bridge.

                “Mother will be happy to see you!”

                “Yuri, I’m here to see Daiki….” Daiki smiled before walking over to me.

                “What… what do you mean?” I asked.

                “We have been seeing each other for a few months now… We didn’t want to tell you…” Daiki explained reaching for Yumiko’s hand.

                “What… you can’t date my friend,” I whispered back away.

                “Please understand Yuri…” Yumiko reached out to me but I backed away before picking up my weapons and clothes and running. I bolted to our house just a ways off, the darkness escaping away from the light. I slid open the door, kicking off my shoes and running into the hallway. I ran past a few doors before coming to a dead end. I lifted the picture of my father, Daiki and I all smiling to reveal a button. I pushed the button the door moving away. I stepped in before shutting the door and pushing another button to remove the button. I walked into the room a ways before seeing my bed, black with pink and white lotus’s on the blankets. I walked over to the wall beside me bed and pulled open the bamboo doors. I pushed past the clothes, closing the bamboo doors behind me. I opened the new doors in front of me to see a metal room. I walked over to a clear glass case before putting my sword on the stand, my bow and quiver beside it. I closed those doors before moving to the case next to it setting my black armor inside.

                “Yuri! It’s time to eat!” My mother called from inside outside.

                “I’m not hungry!” I shouted back to her. I quickly stepped out of the metal room into my room as my mother opened the door.

                “Yumiko is here don’t you want to see her?” She asked. I looked up to see her white hair combed neatly into a bun at the back of her head, her brown eyes full of sorrow.

                “No, I met up with her outside. I have work to do anyways,” I stated.

                “Suit yourself,” She sighed before walking out. I waited till she closed the door before breathing. I walked over to the door and pulled out the button again.

                “Yur?” I heard someone say from the door.

                “Aki?” I asked.

                “Yes! Let me in!” I heard the girl say. I quickly opened the door and saw the black haired girl fall in. I helped her up before pulling the door closed.

                “Why do you live behind a wall anyway?” She asked.

                “I’ve told you this before. My father wanted it so I would be in here in case something happened. It’s a safe room you know that,” I explained sitting at my desk chair. She smoothed out her blue kimono before looking at me.

                “Why aren’t you out there with Yumiko and Daiki?” She asked.

                “I don’t need them,” I explained to her, spinning around.

                “Listen, there are people in this world who prefer solitude, but no one can withstand it. They love each other and they love you too, just like me. You can’t live without friends or family, or people who love you,” She smiled at me.

                “Aki you are so optimistic,” I smiled.

                “Yuri you are so pessimistic. You cannot do this alone and you know it. Everyone has friends or even a friend. Even someone as depressing as yourself,” I turned to see Yumiko standing at my bedside beside Aki.

                “Yumi, I understand but an assassin works alone, you live to be alone,” I explained.

                “I gave up being an assassin so I could be with Yumiko, I also gave it up a while ago so you could become the assassin father wanted you to be. Father wanted you to be the assassin because of your power,” Daiki explained to me.

                “Power?” I asked.

                “Your strength, slyness, cunningness, and a power you have yet to find out. I didn’t want to tell you this because I don’t think you are ready, but you have to find Isamu in the woods. He will help you train, he was father’s friend. He taught me some things but not everything,” Daiki explained. We sat in silence for a few moments before we heard a scream.

                “Mom!” Daiki and I shouted. I ran into my closet.

                “Yur this is not time for a fashion statement!” Aki shouted to me. I shook my head before closing the closet doors and opening the others. I stepped through while slipping of my kimono to put on my armor. I grabbed my mask tying it around the back of my head before grabbing my quiver and sliding it onto my back. I grabbed my sheath tying it around my waist, putting my bow on and running through to my room. My door was left open, Daiki standing in front of Aki and Yumiko.

                “This is up to you Yuri. I’ll stay here in case someone comes. You need friends after all,” Daiki told me. I nodded before unsheathing my sword and running toward the kitchen.

Author's Note

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