FireSamurai: Hello everyone. I am sorry that I haven't updated Twin Elements yet but this is why. I am rewriting Element Warriors. Since I am rewriting it, it would not make any sense for me to continue to write Twin Elements. I am very sorry about this but I do hope you like the rewrite. Also, thank you for all of those that have reviewed Twin Elements or anyone who has read my stories. Now, here is the first chapter of the New Element Warriors.
Chapter 1 The Start of the Journey
The blazing sun smiled over the little village of Furame, Japan. The sweet morning smell of fresh baked bread came from village bakery. The clanging of metal being hammered came from the local blacksmith. The dirt roads were already filled with people as the shop keepers opened up their doors to welcoming customers. Trade wagons began to arrive from villages over the mountains to trade goods with the local shops. This small village was known for the fresh fish the men caught down by the lake. Some of the fish were twenty meters wide and thirty meters long. The lake was about two miles from the village of Furame. The lake itself was very marvelous. It provides Furame with not only fish but with fresh clean water.
On this particular morning, a young man, about the age of 16, was at the lake with his fishing pole. The man lazily slept on the east bank of the lakes and his pole was propped against a rock, his hook dangling in the water. If the man were standing, he would be five feet and seven inches tall. He had shaggy brown hair and eyes that would make even the ocean envious. He wore a navy blue gi top with a white dragon sewn into the back of it. A black obi held up his navy blue shitogi as a ninja-to, a short sword that was about twenty-four inches long and are used by ninjas, rested on his back. Black arm guards were strapped to his forearms. He then heard a voice, a soft voice, sounded feminine to him. He opened a lazy eye and saw a woman, about the same age as him, jogging toward him. Her cloudy silver eyes sparkled in the sun as her brown hair swayed gently past her waist. She was five feet and six inches as she wore a silver uwagi with a giant falcon sewn on the back. She also wore a black obi that held up her silver hakama. White arm guards were strapped to her forearms while crossbow was mounted to her right forearm and a quiver of bolts strapped to her back. The man got up quickly as the woman approached him.
"Hey Ami, what's the rush for?" He yawned as the woman finally got up to him, huffing and heaving for air.
"Today.........he.........is.........back." She huffed. The man's eyes widened and he mentally slapped himself. How could he forget today of all days? He quickly snatched up his fishing gear and quickly ran passed Ami toward the town.
"JIRO!! WAIT FOR ME!!!!!" Ami yelled after her friend as she ran after him. As Jake approached Furame, he saw trade wagons coming along the main road. Each wagon passed by; bringing new and exciting goods with it. As the Last wagon went by Jiro, Ami had finally caught up with him and she too saw the last wagon go by.
"Damn it! He said it would be today. Where is he?" Ami growled.
"Awww, boo hoo, your little friend wasn't coming after all." A slimy voice said from behind the pair. The two turned around to be greeted by an ugly pair. One of them was five feet and seven inches like Jiro as the other was five feet four inches. They had black hair with dark brown eyes. They both wore a blood red uwagi with black skulls sewn onto the back. They wore black obis and black pants. The small one wielded two katanas, the blades being three feet long from the tip of the blade to the hilt. The tall one wielded a no-dachi, a long bladed sword that was from the tip to the hilt about five feet long. They were the brothers Arata and Rintaro, Rintaro being the younger of the two.
"What are you two scum bags doing here?" Ami asked, annoyed to see the two.
"We just came here to welcome an old friend home. Nothing wrong with that." Arata said slyly.
"I bet Areku would just love to see us again." Rintaro added.
"Yeah, ya mean he would love to mop the dirt road with you ya mean." Jiro mumbled.
"What was that?" Rintaro snarled.
"He said nothing." Amy just stuck out her tongue at them as she and Jiro left the two sickly pair. The pair walked around town, seeing all of the goods the traders brought in. They then saw people crowding around three people in the middle of town.
"I wonder what's up with the crowd." Jiro said, looking toward the crowed area. He put down the new fishing rod he was looking at and they both left to see what was going on. They moved closer to the center with a "Sorry," and "Excuse me," here and there. When the two finally got to the middle, they saw Rintaro and Arata fighting a man. The man was wearing a black cloak and his red shitogi pant legs and black shoes were visible. A no- dachi was strapped to his back as black armguards were strapped to his forearms as well. A hood covered his face so no one really knew who it was.
"Heh, didn't think he would come back after what he did." Someone said from behind Jiro and Ami. The two turned around to see an old man, probably later forties. From the look of his old face and his brown eyes, you can tell he is very wise. He had a white headband on with black hair on top. He wore a white and black uwagi with dark navy blue shitogi. Black armguards rested on his fore arms as a no-dachi rested on his back as well.
"Mr. Kasamatsu," The two bowed, "What are you doing here?" Ami asked. Mr. Kasamatsu is a ronin, a samurai without a master. He came to the small village of Furame after a large war. With him came a small child. That small child was Areku and Mr. Kasamatsu taught him the way of the samurai. After meeting Jiro and Ami, and making enemies of Arata and Rintaro, Mr. Kasamatsu decided that they could take the lessons with Areku if they wished. They both agreed and it has been that way ever since.
"Do you know him Mr. Kasamatsu?" Ami asked.
"Just watch and see Ami." They then returned their attention to the fight. The man parried Arata's blade and dodged Rintaro's katanas as they came in to strike. Arata then backed off and Rintaro went in for an attack. With in a moment, Rintaro became unarmed and his katanas flew over near Arata. Arata then charged but the stranger sidestepped his attack and hit him with the flat side of the blade, knocking him over. The two brothers laid there, a little dazed from their little battle.
"Nice to see you guys too." The man whispered. He then started to walk toward Ami, Jiro and Mr. Kasamatsu. As he was walking toward the three, he didn't notice the two brothers got up, got their weapons and they charged him from behind.
"Duck!" Ami yelled as she loaded her crossbow and shot a bolt. The stranger ducked and the bolt flew straight ahead, catching on his gi and stuck him to the wall of a stone house. Jiro then jumped kicked Arata, sending him flying toward his brother. The two brothers picked themselves up and ran home. The stranger and Jiro laughed as Ami stuck her tongue out at them.
"That will teach them not to mess with you or us again eh?" Ami smiled to the stranger. The stranger nodded and took off his cloak. Jiro, Ami, and everyone else in the village was shocked at who was standing in front of them. His left eye was fire red as his dark brown hair was flowing over his right eye, almost mistaken for black. He wore a fire red gi top with a black dragon sewn on the back. A black obi held up his red pants as black armguards rested on his forearms. His no-dachi rested on his back. Some black fuzz sat on his chin.
"A-A-A-Areku?" Ami stuttered. She walked up to the man and placed a hand on his face. She moved her hand slowly down his face to his chest. She then took him into a big hug.
"Yes it is you, Areku." The whole village cheered. After everything settled down, everyone left the street and just Areku, Jiro, Ami and Mr. Kasamatsu stood in the street.
"So you have come back then." Mr. Kasamatsu turned his back. "I will see you at home." Mr. Kasamatsu then walked up the road to the house that he and Areku have lived in since they moved here.
"Father......"Areku frowned.
"Come on Areku. Let's go to the tavern so you can tell us about your adventures." Jiro smiled. Areku nodded and they headed for the tavern. In no time, they got a table and Areku started to talk about his travels. They both gasped and laughed at points in his adventures but they marveled at his exciting journey.
"That was a really good story Areku." Jiro said as he took a sip of his drink. Ami nodded in agreement.
"Yeah but it would have been more fun if you two were with me." Areku grinned as he took a sip of his drink as well.
"Those were very interesting stories Mr. Kasamatsu." A voice said from the table next to them. They looked over to see a man, about his late sixties. He had white hair that went into a ponytail and his robes gave him the look of a taomagician, a person that uses tao magic. A staff with a ying-yang on it leaded against the wall.
"Did you tell them the story about what happened to your right eye?" The man said. Ami and Jiro just chuckled.
"What do you mean by what happened to his right eye? Nothing has happened to his............." Jiro and Ami were shocked as Areku made his right eye visible. There was a great scar going from his forehead to his cheekbone, going over the eye itself, making it white instead of red. Ami quickly moved next to Areku, checking the scar for herself. To her horror, it was real. He quickly coved his right eye and looked over to the old man.
"So you know about my eye. Sometimes a warrior has to give up something to protect something they care for. Not to sound rude, but what is your business with me old one?" Areku asked. The old man chuckled.
"Straight to the point I see Kasamatsu, but this does not only concern you. This also concerns your two friends there, Mr. Fujimoto and Miss Keiiseru, as well." Now all three were listening to the old man.
" And what is it you want with us sir?" Ami asked. The old man then paid for his drink and started to get up.
"Come to the lake at midnight tonight and you will see." The taomagician picked up his staff and left the small tavern, leaving the three friends in bewilderment. Jiro just sighed as he took another sip of his drink and looked toward Areku.
"So what do you think we should do Areku?" Jiro asked with one eye open. Areku took a sip of his drink and looked down at it.
"I think we should look into it," He turned to Ami. "What do you think?" Ami took a sip of her drink and looked at the other two.
"I am in if you two are." All three nodded and exited the tavern.
"Meet at the entrance to the village at midnight?" Jiro asked. Areku and Ami both nodded as they headed home. Everyone said hi to Areku as he head up the hill to his home that he has been away from for the past two years. It was about early evening when he reached the house. He took a deep breath and he went inside. Nothing had really changed. The living room was the same, with a small table in the middle and the two cups for tea drinking. Then there were three other doorways, one leading to the bathroom and the other two leading to Areku and Mr. Kasamastsu's room. Areku looked around to see that his father hasn't gotten home yet.
'I might as well pack quickly. Don't want him to see me leave.' Areku thought as he packed. He packed food that should last him three days, a cloak, his no-dachi, and a few other things. Seeing that he packed what he wanted, Areku headed for the door. What greeted him was not the fresh out doors but the old samurai that raised him.
"So you are heading out again?" Areku nodded. Mr. Kasamatsu looked to see what he had packed.
"Is that all you are going to need? Doesn't seem like much."
"Jiro and Ami are coming with me. Between the three of us, we should be able to last for a few days. Plus, Jiro is a good fisherman. We could live on fish for a while." Anger started to rise in Mr. Kasamatsu.
"That is not the point! You are going out there just to get yourself killed again." Some anger started to rise in Areku's body as well.
"I lasted this long by myself! I do not see why I won't last longer, especially since I have my friends with me." Mr. Kasamatsu slammed his fist on the table.
"You fool! It is not just your life this time. This time you have two others to look after. Can you promise me that those two will be safe?! Can you?!" For the first time, Areku could not look his father in the eye. He cast his glance downward. Mr. Kasamatsu sighed and smiled to himself.
"You remind me of myself at your age. Always looking for adventure. It was always I and always my two friends. This must be fate that something like this would happen." He then did something that Areku didn't except to see in a thousand years. Mr. Kasamatsu then removed his no-dachi and held it out in front of Areku.
"Father..........."
"Take it. May it help you in your journey." Areku then took the blade from the old samurai's hands. He removed the sword from its sheath and took a few swipes with it. He then sheaths the sword and bowed at Mr. Kasamatsu. Mr. Kasamatsu then moved out of the way.
"Go and adventure forth." Areku then headed for the doorway.
"Thank you, father." He nodded as he headed out, the darkness in wrapping him from his father's sight. Mr. Kasamatsu then looked up at the night sky that is showing the dancing of the moon and its followers the stars.
"I hope I did the right thing Kurameru." As if answering his question, a star raced across the heavens.