Vocab List
-sama - a suffix denoting the greatest respect
Hai - the closest equivalent I can think of is "Yes, sir/ma'am"
-san - a polite suffix used with strangers and aquaintances
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Chapter 2
In which strange things happen
"Shukaku-sama, Shukaku-sama!"
Shukaku, High Priest and ruler of a rather large village, looked up from the scroll of legends he was studying as a young man barreled into his office.
"What is it Initiate Jin," he asked kindly. "It must be important since you ran all the way here."
"Shukaku-sama, one of the Watchers spotted a traveler headed this way! What should we do?!" Jin gasped.
"Don't worry Jin," Shukaku said as he stood from his desk. "Not all travelers mean us harm."
"Hai, Shukaku-sama." Jin couldn't help but remember the time the village had almost been overrun by "travelers". He was very thankful that Shukaku-sama had been able to repel them. "The traveler is coming from the East."
"Thank you. Please gather the Captains; I don't want to take any chances."
"Hai!" Jin replied as he ran off again.
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Shukaku stood facing the East Gate. It was very impressive, a massive stone presence. The six Captains, his elite bodyguard, flanked him. After all, the last "traveler" had been a ninja assassin. He had been stopped, but these desert-dwellers had a long memory.
As they stood in front of the Gate the Watcher at the top yelled out, "Halt! State your business!"
Those on the ground heard a faint reply of, "Please let me in, I need your help! We were attacked by bandits and my brother is badly injured! I don't know how much longer he'll last!"
As Shukaku signed to open the Gate he warned the men and women beside him, "Keep your guard up. Just in case."
The Gate slowly rumbled open and a disheveled woman stumbled through. She carried a young boy who was bleeding through hastily applied bandages.
Shukaku quickly decided that his dignity wasn't quite as important as helping a bleeding, and possibly dying, ten-year old. He barked out orders as he ran to the strangers, the Captains close behind.
"Captain Akira, fetch a medic! Captain Shino, form a squad to deal with a possible bandit attack!"
The woman stared wide-eyed up at the man before her. Of course, that could have been because of the fierce looking Captains surrounding him. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Don't worry; I'm Shukaku, the ruler and High Priest of this village. We'll do everything we can for your brother," he said reassuringly as he inspected the boy. "Could you give me more details of the attack?"
"Oh, hai! My brother and I were traveling with a caravan when the bandits attacked. I think we're the only survivors," she said distractedly.
"Ah, I see. What are your names?"
"I am Sakura and my brother is Shinta."
"Thank you. Oh, Captain Akira, timely as ever," Shukaku said as he handed Shinta to the medic. "What's the verdict?"
After a quick inspection the medic looked up and said, "There's no cause for alarm. The boy's wounds will heal in a few weeks with the proper treatment."
"Thank you. Sakura-san, would you like to stay with your brother, or could you answer some more questions for me?" Shukaku asked. It wasn't often that they received warnings about bandits, and he needed all the information he could get. He didn't want his village to be caught off guard.
"I'd like to stay with Shinta, Shukaku-sama," Sakura said, bowing.
"All right," Shukaku reluctantly allowed. He reminded himself that Shinta was probably the only remaining family Sakura had, of course she would want to stay with him! "I'll have someone show you to the traveler's quarters later."
As Sakura nodded and walked off to follow the medic to the hospital, Shukaku leaned towards Captain Akira and whispered, "Assign someone to keep an eye on her. I think she's hiding something."
"Hai, Shukaku-sama," Akira replied.
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Later that night in a certain room of a certain hospital in a certain village, a dark figure watched over a young boy. He was sleeping fitfully, groaning and twitching occasionally, but never anything intelligible. The figure never moved.
No one would come; it was past midnight and the boy had no serious injuries. The boy cried out, "No!" and stilled as the dark watcher continued its vigil.
Finally, as the light of dawn crept over the horizon, the figure turned to leave. As it reached for the door, a whisper passed through the room.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way, young one."
The door ghosted closed, and light gleamed on clawed fingers …
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AN: Combined two chapters into one and changed the female Captain's name for the rewrite.
