Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1

 

The boy gripped the shaft of the arrow tightly in his crossed fingers, and stretched the longbow in front of him, drawing his arm back, aligning the arrow with the longbow, parallel to the ground. The corded muscles in his arms shone brightly beneath the hot sun, and veins bulged from his neck.    

A bead of sweat rolled off his brow as he concentrated on positioning the arrow above the straw target in the distance, calculating the distance it would travel through the air and what angle to let it fly. He drew in his breath, steadying himself, and after one last adjustment of his fingers, let loose the arrow. It flew through the air like a ___ and thudded into the straw target bale thirty feet away, just inches from the red circle in the middle.

He did not smile at this near perfect shot, however, but quickly drew another arrow from the quiver on his waist.

He fitted the arrow into the taught, oiled bowstring and drew it back yet again, and he lined up his shot. He let the arrow fly and watched it as it flew through the air and thud into the straw target, directly in the middle of the red circle in the center of the target. He continued to fire the arrows through out the afternoon, alternating between types of arrows and longbows until he found a pair to his liking; a long bow made of strong supple oak backed with a strip of bamboo, and the string was of strong hemp coated in wax and pine resin.

The set of arrows were made of bamboo, with short, iron barbed tips trailed by three red feathers. He slung the bow over his shoulder along with his quiver and made his way back to his village over a rise in the hill.  He reached the top of the hill and was greeted by the warm sight of Tokisawa.

It was a small village set against the edge of a tree line at the base of a mountain, surrounded on the other three sides by open plains. It consisted of low broad houses and wooden structures over shallow creeks running through it in many directions, branching out from a small pond in the center of town, connecting to a series of trenches beside each building. As he neared Tokisawa he could make out the forms of the shops and tents that lined the streets, and the bustling shoppers and villagers that went between them. He came from the open field that surrounded the village where the archery range was set in the fields of wheat.

On the opposite side of the village were the rice fields, and surrounding all sides in the distance was a long high mountain range. He reached the entrance to the village before long, and was greeted with enthusiasm. He was fairly young still, perhaps seventeen years of age, with long, jet black hair and light eyes.  He wore a simple brown kimono, and a black headband lined his forehead. He had young looking features; a pointed nose and face and light skin.

He walked through the village proudly, his chosen longbow slung over his shoulder. He had used a short bow for his whole life before this, but had only recently decided to switch his preference to a longer weapon, preferring the wide range opposed to the small space provided with the short bow. He had been practicing with the wide variety of bows and different types of arrows for the entire afternoon, and had decided upon this set.

He walked through the streets, and was frequently greeted and complimented. 

“Nice shooting Zakoura?” “Fine days isn’t it Zak?”

He smiled and nodded at all of them, though he did not speak. He made his way over the sets of bridges and streets over the small rivers and streams, and finally reached the armory, a frequent stop for him. He had come here everyday since he moved here when he was young. When he first saw the inside, he felt an incredible feeling of warmth and eagerness.

The racks of weapons and armor that lined the walls astounded him, and everyday he would come here, trying out the different weapons, seeing which ones fit to his hands and movements, until he found his favorites. He entered through the open door and yelled as he set down his things, “Taro! Taro are you here?” He waited a moment and then a door in the back of the room opened and a burst of steam billowed out from within, followed by a stout man dripping in sweat.

He wiped his hands and face with a towel hung from his shoulder and said enthusiastically, “Zak! Good to see you as always!” he walked toward him and slapped him on the shoulder, a wide smile on his face. “I just came from the range.” said Zak happily.

He reached behind him and pulled out the arrows. “The arrows fly well. I like them.”

He began to put them onto a nearby table but Taro shook his head. “No my dear boy, I insist you keep them. You are the first to try them out and it would be a shame for you to give them back. The same goes for the bow. It is my gift to you.”

Zak smiled and said, “Thank you Taro. The bow is strong and flexible. But it is hot outside.”

Taro smiled. “Well it isn’t much better in here I’ll tell you that.”

Zak looked at Taro’s rough and slightly burned hands and asked “What are you working on now?”

 Taro smiled again and said as he walked back to the room, “I think you are going to like this one Zak.”

He returned a moment later holding a bundle of black cloth. He unrolled it and revealed a pair of silver hand held weapons. Zak smiled widely as he stared at them. They were small; fairly short weapons, with a wide handle and a straight blade protruding from the hilt, and two more slightly smaller, curving blades extending from each end of the hilt.

“They are called sais. I heard of them when I visited Kyoto during the winter, and have been working on them for some time now. Finally they are ready.”

After Zak was done marveling at the magnificent weapons Taro wrapped them up in the black cloth and returned them to the back room. While he was gone he wandered along the walls, gazing at the weapons and fine sets of armor. He knew each of them by heart, as he had seen them everyday for seven years.

But nonetheless he adored looking at them, as there was some sort of magic that emanated from them every time he looked at them. It was a feeling he could not explain……

 “But those are nothing compared to another project I am working on.” said Taro said happily.

Zak looked at him and asked eagerly “What is it?” Taro shook his head and said slyly, “You’ll have to wait. I think that you will like this one particularly.”

He went over to the table and leaned against it, continuing to wipe the sweat from his face and said “So how are things? Is everything okay?”

Zak nodded slowly. “Everything’s fine. But it’s been hurting again.”

He looked down at his tunic and pulled it up. On his chest was a giant scar that stretched from his left underarm to his collarbone. It was skinned over, but had maintained its fresh and dark appearance. It was dark blue and purple, and was wide and deep still just as it had been for many years.

He pulled off his shirt to fully reveal his scar over his muscled and chiseled chest. Taro examined it and said “It remains as it has been since it happened. It may be internal. But I believe there is nothing you can do for the time being but keep the strain off of it.”

Zak nodded and ran his fingers over the cool surface of the scar. After a short silence Taro said softly, “I remember the night I found you with it. I thought you were dead, but I just saw your little fingers trying to clutch the sword…..”

He stopped when he saw the look on Zak’s face. His eyes glossed over and his jaw clenched. It pained him to hear it, but there was a time every once in a while when somebody would recall the night when he was ten years old….the night when his parents…. were killed…..

“You should be off I think, the sun is setting and it’s getting late.”

Zak looked at him and nodded.

The sun was indeed setting now and the air was starting to cool.

“You should come back tomorrow bright and early to test out some new arrows. I think you’ll enjoy them as well.”

Zak smiled and walked out of the shop. The sun cast an orange glow across the ground, and the people were beginning to return to their homes.

His mood had shifted once Taro had spoken of that night seven years ago. He thought about this all the way to his home which was located on the outer perimeter of the village at the end of a side street. It was a very small building, big enough for one, with a low roof and __.

It was given to him by the members of the village when he arrived when he was ten years old. The village elders had offered for him to live with them when he came, but he refused. At first they would not allow such a young child to live on his own, but the weapon maker defended him, saying that it was Zak’s choice to make.

Zak appreciated Taro’s kindness, and the very next day after he arrived he went to visit him at his shop and first laid eyes on the multitude of weapons, and from then on his life was changed. He began to take up archery, a craft that his father began to teach him when he was younger. He would practice in the field outside the village border in the wheat fields. He had made his very own makeshift firing range, and after a while some of his fellow villagers took up archery. He had always been the best archer in the entire village, and would often teach the craft to people who were eager to learn from him.

His whole life he had been using a traditional short bow when he practiced, but only today had he decided to adapt to the longbow, which needed longer arrows. He got all of these weapons from Taro of course, who handcrafted the bows and arrows that he had been testing today, and he had chosen this bow and this particular set of arrows.

He walked down the street with the bow over his shoulder and the quiver at his waist, thinking of his past. He reached his house and slid open the door and walked in. It was a simple set up within the walls; consisting of a few sets of furniture and a ceremonial sword that stretched across the far wall. He walked through and went to his room, which was merely a small room with a mattress on the far side and a small furnace for warmth.

He went in and closed the door behind him and lay down.

 

**

 

The next morning Zak woke to the welcoming sight of an orange sunrise cast through a crisp, clean air. He went out into the village to find something to eat. He bought a bowl of cold vegetables and rice and was on his way back to his house when he heard a voice behind him.

“Where are you off to so soon?”

He turned and saw two men standing there. They were young, just as Zak was, and were both wearing light kimonos and straw hats. Over both of their shoulders were long bows and quivers of arrows. Their names were Tanaka and Ujio, long time friends of Zak’s.

“We’re going on an early hunt. Care to join us?” asked Tanaka.

Zak’s answer was eating his entire meal in one gulp and sprinting back to his house to retrieve his bow. In two minutes he was back and together the three of them were off into the forest. Just as they approached the tree line did the village start to come to life as people began to come out of their houses to begin their daily activities.

A half hour later they were deep in the forest beneath the darkness of the branches, which blocked out the morning sun, guided only by the streaks of light that seeped in through the leaves.

“Zak, have you been practicing?” asked Ujio.

Zak nodded and they all smiled. Ujio was referring to their last hunt where Zak had missed his target; a large buck that was nearly twenty feet away. Zak of course was able to make this shot with ease, for his superb archery skills never failed him. But as he had lined up his shot, something had overtaken him as he held his arrow back. Something within his being was telling him to not kill this innocent animal. A feeling had pulled on his heartstrings and told him to not kill the deer. So he had pretended to miss the shot.

They walked for a while longer until Zak found them a trail upon which were numerous animal tracks. They followed it as they began to speak to each other.

“A samurai came to Tokisawa yesterday with word of the new Shogun’s message. Did you hear what he had to say?” asked Ujio.

Zak looked up. “The new Shogun?”

Ujio nodded. “Yes. Haven’t you heard of him? He is Kaza Hiroshi. He is newly appointed, merely a fortnight ago. He resides in Kyoto next to Emperor Ojiro. His first order of business is the samurai.”

“What has he to do with the samurai?” asked Zak.

“He plans on using his power of the battle to give him the right to put samurai in a higher class. As he himself was a samurai, he is very fond of them. He is going to enforce class systems in Kyoto and all of Japan. His plan; put samurai above all. I do not know what he holds in store for the rest of us, but it does not sound like it will be fair.”

“But the samurai are already considered a sort of noble class.” said Tanaka.

“Yes, but now it is to be to the highest degree, higher than any before. If his actions come through, the samurai he commands in battle will be even more secure in the cities. This is a follow up action from the previous Shogun’s ninja extermination.”

Again Zak was curious. He did not know what he was talking about. “What do you mean ninja extermination?”

          “After the war four years before, ninja activity in the province had increased to an alarming rate. He wanted the clans in the entire country to be destroyed, so that they would no longer be a problem. So he had them all destroyed. He sent his massive samurai army out to march across the land. They destroyed all of the clans in the mountains, leaving no trace of any ninja existence.”

“So now, to this day, there are no ninja clans?” asked Zak.

Tanaka nodded. “The new Shogun has announced that he will annually make sweeps across the land to make sure that no new ninja clans arise within the cover of the mountains.”

They turned the corner and were met with the sight of an open clearing, and in the middle of the clearing stood a large deer, standing proudly on the opposite side, a mere fifteen or so feet away. The three of them dropped to their knees, concealed from view behind the foliage.

“It is a beauty, isn’t it?” said Tanaka.

They stared at it with wide eyes. This was indeed a fine animal. Ujio drew his bow, but Tanaka held him back.

“Let Zak do this.” He turned to Zak and said, “Go ahead.”

A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. Zak drew his bow and withdrew a long arrow from his quiver. He would have to do it again…..

As he drew back the arrow, lining up the shot, the feeling flooded back to his mind. This deer, so proud and magnificent, did not deserve to die. The same sensation came to his stomach whenever he was offered meat. He would not eat meat, ever in his life. Never had this feeling gone from him since he was a small child. He would not kill this deer.

He let his foot slide down over the leaves, and as he faked feigned falling forward he let loose the arrow and it whizzed by just feet above the deer’s body. Its ears perked up and it took off into the forest, away from them and out of sight.

“AH! Not again.” said Ujio.

They stood and walked forward, cursing their supposed bad luck.

“I am sorry friends, my foot…slipped.”

“It is okay Zak.” said Tanaka. “It was just bad luck.”

“I think we had better turn back. They’ll need us back at the village.” said Ujio, and Zak and Tanaka agreed.

Soon they approached the tree line and when they broke free of the trees, the sight of Tokisawa greeted them. Everyone had awoken and was starting their activities. When they reached the edge of the village they were met with greetings and ___ by the villagers, and when they reached the fountain in the center they went their separate ways.

Zak went back to his house and deposited his bow and quiver and went back out into the main village. That day he spent most of his time with Ujio and Tanaka in the fields practicing sword fighting and archery. They laughed and joked and had a great time, and by the time they broke for the midday meal they were already tired.

As they walked to the center of the village Zak passed by somebody who caught his attention. He was somebody whom Zak had not seen in the village before. He was tall and covered in a black kimono. He kept his head bent low, which was covered in a pointed straw hat. His face was shrouded in shadow, making him appear very mysterious.

“Ujio, who is that?” asked Zak as he passed a few feet to their left. He passed them and the three of them casually looked back to see who Zak was speaking of.

“I don’t know. I have never seen him before.” said Ujio.

“I should go talk with him.”

Zak broke away and made his way back toward the mysterious stranger. He reached him and the stranger turned to him as if he saw him coming.

“I have never seen you in Tokisawa before. Might I ask why you are here?”

The stranger smirked. “I’m sorry for not consulting with you first. My mistake. I am a merchant, traveling from Kyoto.”

“What are your fares?” asked Zak.

“Blades. I specialize in weapons. It seems as if this village needs some.”

Zak looked at him with a warning eye. He looked down and saw that there was a lump at his waist, in the shape of a sword hilt. He looked back at his eyes and something shot through his veins. He had seen those eyes somewhere before…

“Tokisawa has a weapon maker. His name is Taro. We have no need of your merchandise.”

Zak looked around and then said, “Where is your cart. I see no wagon of blades.”

The stranger smiled again.

“It’s around. My associates are watching it outside the border of the village. Like I said, it is my fault that I did not come to you first.”

He said this sarcastically with __ in his voice. Zak got a mixed feeling about this man. He made him unsettled.

“And might I ask your name good sir?”

Zak looked at him suspiciously. “Why?”

The man smiled yet again. “Curiosity.”

Zak remained silent for a moment, then replied, “Zak.”

The stranger’s eyes flashed, and then he said, “Unique name isn’t it.”

The man walked away, and soon he disappeared behind a row of houses.

“Who was he?” asked Tanaka, who had walked up to him.

“I don’t know. Supposedly he is a weapons merchant. I don’t feel good about him being here.”

They walked off into the village. They disappeared toward the fountain in the center of the village and went about their activities for the rest of the day. That night Zak fell right to sleep.

 

**

 

The moon was high in the sky, and Tokisawa was bathed in a blanket of darkness. There was no noise coming from between the buildings, and the entire scene was eerily still. Suddenly there was a dark shape that darted out from behind a building, and that shape soon reached the center fountain. He slid along the fountain all around and reached the other side and ran down the next street. His destination was a smaller house that bordered on the edge of the village.

He reached the house with no problem. He shuffled over to the other side of the house and slipped through the window. He slowly and silently made his way through the short hallway and then spotted him.

He was lying in his bed, sleeping soundly, just how he wanted him. He was about to creep forward and finish this when he suddenly he awoke. He could see his eyes open and then he began to sit up. Azaka sunk deeper into the shadows and out of sight. He was still sitting up, looking right at him. Azaka crouched lower and slowly turned around and slithered back to the main room. He would come back later…….