Chapter One

I was born in a small village in the Jinseki Mountains to two loving parents. My father, Kareha Odori, was a hunter who brought home food. My mother, Yuuan Tsuki, was a former Kunoichi who quit so she could raise me properly.

When I was a year and seven months old, my mother had another child. A sister. Atarashii. We were a couple of trouble makers early on.

I suppose we calmed down quite a bit when our father died.

There weren't a lot of bears in the mountains as high up as we were, but there were a few. My father was just unlucky enough to meet one of them face to face. He managed to kill it, but not before it dealt him a mortal wound. Our mother missed him quite terribly. I remember him a bit, but Atarashii was only two at the time.

I seem to remember that it was about three years later when our lives, and our future troubles, truly began.

We had both been waiting for months, but it was finally time. We had finally reached the day of our ceremonies. We were ecstatic on the inside, but on the outside we tried to appear calm and collected.

This was to be a serious turning point for us. After a child passed their ceremony, they were considered a full member of the village. Even if they ever decided to leave, they would always be welcomed back with open arms.

I was seven, and Atarashii was five.

It was already beginning to cool down in the latter half of August that year. I was in the back yard, waiting patiently for my mother to finish getting my sister ready. It was taking forever. We were definitely going to be late. After what felt like an hour, the door was opened and they both came out to join me.

"What took you so long?"

We laughed together for a moment as we continued on to the village's heart, where our first rituals would be performed.

Mr. Akiyama, as always, would be performing the blessings over the two of us as we stood before Lord Jashin in spirit. I would be going first, since I was older. Atarashii would follow directly after. We would then be presented with one snow rabbit each, which we would take as our first kills.

We would eventually move on to taking the lives of sinners and those who counted themselves among Lord Jashin's enemies. But at the time we were only children. We would not be expected to kill living human beings until we were a bit older and more mature. Able to withstand the burden put on one's soul by taking a life.

Until then, it would be acceptable for us to limit our quarry to wildlife.

My excitement diminished considerably as we arrived to find a crowd gathering. All of these people would be watching us closely the whole time. If we made a mistake, all these people would see.

I felt our mother rest a hand atop my head and looked over to find that she had done the same for my sister.

She was making an attempt to comfort us.

It worked, because I looked around and suddenly noticed that no one was looking at us in a negative way. In fact, most of the crowd smiled as we passed, or shook our mother's hand. She was a well-known member of the village. Everyone respected her, and therefore they also looked upon us with a fondness.

We made it through to find Mr. Akiyama standing at the center of the mass of people. Everyone backed off a bit as our mother guided us over to the man.

They exchanged the common greeting quietly before Mr. Akiyama turned his gaze to me and Atarashii. The look in his eye made me sure that, had we not been about to partake in something serious, he would have ruffled my hair. He did so every time he came to visit our mother.

Instead he looked to me and asked, "You first, then?"

He reached a hand down to me with a smile. I was led to the very center of the village while my sister went to wait with our mother. I stood as still as I could as Mr. Akiyama decorated my arms and face with red paint. When he'd finished he placed the remainder of the substance out of the way for when it was Atarashii's turn and came to stand before me again.

The ceremony was ready to begin.

A thumb was pressed to my forehead and his other hand raised my chin so I looked to the sky. The thumb was removed before he began muttering quietly under his breath. I closed my eyes and darkness wrapped around me. My feet stumbled in the black as I walked in spiritual form.

Every now and then I'd think I heard a whispered word of the prayer Mr. Akiyama was reciting outside my body. I came to a stop when the shadowy outline of a tall figure became visible up ahead.

There was no mistaking his silhouette.

I took a knee and bowed my head.

"Welcome, child." His unique voice echoed all around the emptiness, indescribable. He laid a hand atop my head. His skin was somewhat cold as he brushed his thumb against my forehead. I suppressed a chill, but not because of the coolness of his fingers in my hair.

Because he was right there in front of me. It was quite humbling, having your god standing so close that you could reach out and clasp his free hand in your own.

"Do you come here seeking the gift of immortality?"

I nodded silently.

"Will you, in return, swear yourself into my service so long as you shall live?"

"I swear, my Lord." My voice sounded quite small, but there was no hint of hesitation. I had gone over these words in my head repetitively for months in preparation for that very moment. "Sľubujem, že ti slúži k tomu najlepšiemu z mojej schopnosti až do dňa Aj zomriem."

He raised my head so I would look at him, smiling behind a mask of bone. A secretive, knowing smile.

"Then you shall go forth and do my bidding."

With this, he placed a hand over my heart and I could have sworn my blood stopped flowing for a minute. My heart stopped beating and the darkness started to close in as my body shut down.

I was dying.