The lithe young man smiled as a buttery smear of sunlight melted across his face. Eyes closed he inhaled the sweetness of the dew hanging on the morning air. And then the sudden call, "To arms! To arms!" The moment was spoiled. He felt it fade into eternity without a trace left behind. His fellow soldiers charged forward; swords drawn, bows stretched taut, spears ready. However, instead of joining the charge he merely stood, gazing at the trampled grass. The commander pointed at him with a gray-gloved hand, "You there! What's your name? What division are you from?!"

The young man raised his childlike face and responded evenly, "Kiisan, sir, from Division One."

The commander gaped. "Division One, You're the kid who survived the ambush at Eiken Valley. Didn't they give you an honorable discharge?"

Kiisan shrugged, "They were going to, but then the general changed his mind."

The narrow- eyed commander held back his laughter, "Why don't you go home- I'll take care of it."

Kiisan bowed deeply, causing his smooth chestnut hair to slide into his face. As he raised his head it flipped back messily. "Thank you, sir...?"

The older man's eyes twinkled, "Captain Louis Abdul. Good luck kiddo."

Kiisan breathed deeply, trying to ignore the scent of blood, steel, and death as he strode away to the southeast across the once green fields. One of his greatest wishes was to one day be able to walk the earth without being able to see the casualties of wars, hear the clash of swords, or taste dust kicked up by armies...even if he tried to find them somewhere...

Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni

"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"

Prologue: The Survivor Sees Blossoms in the Distance

Home. Kiisan was going home. The viridian waves of corn stalks beckoned him on. He picked up his pace; pulling off his helmet and letting his maple toned hair shimmer under the bright sun. The relief was beyond description; he raised his face to the sky and slowly smiled. His sand dollar white teeth gleamed. "I'm going home!"

The thatched roofs of his home village were covered in purple flowers and trailing vines. Still so far away Kiisan thought he caught a whiff of them on the wind. He clenched his dirty hands into fists around his sword and the strap of his helmet and with tears collecting in his eyes began to run. He ran so fast that he could barely stop in time to throw his arms around his mother. On seeing Kiisan she dropped her basket of cherries, spilling them all across the dirt path.

"Kiisan! You're home!" He dropped his sword and helmet to the ground carelessly and buried his dirty tear-streaked face in his mother's shoulder. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home! I was worried I would never see you again after I heard that the First and Second Divisions had been ambushed in Eiken Valley! Kiisan! Oh, come inside! Kiyo and Osayo will be so happy to see you again!" Leaving the blood red cherries strewn across the path she grabbed her son's scratched helmet and fragile sword and led him to their small house. Kiisan followed his mother through the gate in a daze. The wisteria was in full bloom, just as he had thought...