Chapter 1
Lorraine sat silently at the base of a full bloomed cherry tree. Her beloved Akita, Hachiko huffed in his sleep at her feet as a pair of flies irritated his black nose which resulted in a fit of sneezes with each little landing from the flies.
Staring up through the pink of the flourishing tree, she dreamed into the infinite blue of the sky above. She ignored the world around her and just stared up, watching the cranes in their flight. Like gliding clouds of long wings and straight legs against the cerulean sky.
"Good morning to you all!" a familiar voice sounded out causing Lorraine to look up to the top of the hill which hid her home from prying eyes. Two more heads turned in the same direction towards the young man strolling down the hill and into the garden of the family.
"Morning, Daichi" Ume smiled "And too you, !" Daichi pleasantly smiled back with a wave. "Daichi" Hayabusa huffed in greeting as he hauled halved logs onto a cart "Hayabusa!" Daichi mimicked in a more joyful tone than the older man "and how is my best friendo?" Daichi dropped down to a sitting position in front of his friend "I'm good" Lorraine replied while rolling Hachiko off her foot as she pulled herself into a respectful sitting position.
"Good to hear!" Daichi beamed "And you?" Lorraine asked "When am I ever anything but good?" he questioned "Just about never" she nodded with a smile. Daichi yawned before falling backwards onto the grass before stretching out "Guess where we are going today?" he turned his head to Lorraine "Do tell" Lorraine solemnly answered "Sei'an City, baby!" Daichi punched the air.
Lorraine groaned before she let out a giggle "Dare I ask why?" She questioned "Because" Daichi started "gotta go get stuff for my da and..." he trailed off "And?" Lorraine pushed "Got to check out the enlisting role for the army..." he sat up with a serious tone. Lorraine let out a slight gasp "The army..? but why?" she asked in surprise as her expression fell "Not enough money coming in" Daichi frowned "But-" "Our hunting isn't doing much, unfortunatly, more over my dad's too sick to work now and the medicine is at a high cost over the on going war between here and China" he explained. "I see..." Lorraine looked down "Maybe you can join too!" Daichi clicked his fingers causing Hayabusa to stop what he was doing and turn to the pair "Me?" she questioned "Yeah! Come on, Lorraine. No one can beat you here in Shinshuu Field. I bet you anything that you could take on that Sasaki Kojiro man, even Miyamoto Musashi!" Daichi applauded with admiration "Don't get ahead of yourself, Daichi" Lorraine shook her head "Okay, maybe not Musashi but maybe-" "I will not have my daughter be enlisted in the army" Hayabusa cleared the air "No daughter of mine will have the role of any man, she is much better than that!" Ume huffed.
Lorraine rolled her eyes at the thought of being some housewife or some concubine. "Anyway" Daichi smirked "every woman loves an army man" he proudly winked at Lorraine causing her to shake her head as Hayabusa glared at the younger man.
"I'm not sure being in the army would help me though" Lorraine thought aloud "If you were I'd bet you'd make it all the way to being a Storm Guard" Daichi supported the idea "The Storm Guard but isn't that the-?!" "Yup, the best of the best of very outmost brilliant best who protect Queen Himiko" Daichi fell back before putting his hands behind his head. "Never in my life would I get that far..." Lorraine rolled her eyes "You're a champion archer, expert swordsman..err woman, intelligent- "Stop" Lorraine sighed before her friend could get ahead of himself on describing her "See!" Daichi beamed at her.
"And you'll go down in history" Daichi sat up and punched Lorraine playfully into the arm "I don't care!" Hayabusa interrupted "you're not joining and that's the end of that!" he crossed his arms and nodded to himself. "You can make it onto the Storm Guard team for me" Lorraine smiled at Daichi "I'm not THAT good but, it's for you so I guess I'll try" he chuckled before jumping to his feet and pulling Lorraine up with him "Let us be on thy way!" Daichi pointed forward before stopping himself "jeez, that sounded terrible" he laughed at himself "Don't become a play writer" Lorraine walked past him "Agreed" Daichi jogged after her with Hachiko pacing behind them
Ryoshima Coast was at its busiest, as usual. People from all over the province and other provinces hustled by on foot, on horse back and on wagons. Samurais sparred against each other in practice with wooden bokkens on the long stretch of what seemed like an infinite beach.
The air smelled fresh but salty but with that the smell of fish, herbs, freshly cut grass and foreign spices flowed in the air current.
Archers shot at distant targets in the grass widely opposite to the sandy beach in unison with each other at the signal of their master, all hitting spot on in the center.
Young, inexperienced archers and average citizens watched in awe as they went about their course of shooting down flying steel plates flung into the air or shot at stilled targets.
"Man, this place is amazing!" Daichi spun himself around slowly to take it all in "Four hours of traveling, it'd want to be" Lorraine hissed "Don't act as if you're tired" Daichi laughed causing Lorraine to smile at her friend "Oh, Dai-!" Lorraine attempted to warn her friend as he backed right up into one of the samurais in the formation. "-chi..." Lorraine flinched as he caused the whole formation to be knocked out of place, whether that be to the floor or out of the line altogether.
"HEY!" bellowed a gruff man's voice "WHAT ARE YE DOIN'?!" he yelled in frustration "Playing human dominoes" Lorraine sarcastically replied. The man groaned at the young woman before turning to Daichi who was removing himself from atop of the first soldier he fell against and knocked to the floor.
"Sorry man.." Daichi offered the man his hand which he took before allowing himself to be pulled to his feet "It's alright, lad. Just don't be so clumsy next time" the soldier nodded before removing his helmet. "Wait, you're!" Daichi's mouth hit the floor while Lorraine, who had by now, tuned off and was looking around unaware of the soldier's identity.
"Terada Yamaguchi" the soldier bowed "Holy..." Daichi let out in awe before punching Lorraine into the shoulder causing her to look at him sternly "IT'S FRICKIN' YAMAGUCHI!" he yelled into her face "Stop-yell-ing!" she whispered harshly "Forget Yamaguchi!" the master yelled causing them to turn to him "you distrupted my whole force!" he snapped "And I apologise" Lorraine bowed more over the fact the real culprit was fanboying over the laughing soldier next to him "and excuse him" Lorraine groaned. "You're not the one responsible" the master straightened himself.
Knowing this was her pay back time, she slapped Daichi upside the head before punching him square in the chest and then proceeding to pull the man in front of her and the master "Jeez, woman!" Daichi gasped "Say you're sorry!" Lorraine hissed "Oh yeah! About that, I'm sorry!" Daichi smiled causing the master to raise an eyebrow "Accepted" he sighed. Daichi let out a sigh of relief "So, you really are the real Yamaguchi?" Daichi leaned back "I am" Yamaguchi nodded "In the living flesh" Lorraine pointed out before attempting to push Daichi "That is amazing!" Daichi punched the air which almost resulted in Lorraine getting an uppercut but she was saved by dodging.
"Anyway, we gotta go" he grabbed Lorraine by the wrist "Wait!" the master called out.
Lorraine pulled her arm from Daichi's grip as he spun around and almost flung her to the floor with his clumsiness "Why do you, a young woman, carry with her a forged sword and a wooden bow?" he questioned "Because I am being trained" Lorraine responded "By whom?" the master asked once more "Junichi Takahashi" Lorraine bowed.
The master smiled "Ahh, so you most be Daichi Li Takahashi..." the master rubbed his chin "All the way!" Daichi beamed "In hopes of joining the army?" he asked "That I am" Daichi nodded "And you?" the master looked to Lorraine "My father won't allow it" she frowned "And your father's name?" he asked "Hayabusa Kimura" Lorraine nodded "Him?!" the master gasped in shock "Not by blood, I was orphaned, sir" she explained "I have not seen either of your skill, but son" the master started "if by chance you do become a soldier I will gladly take you under my wing" the master nodded "Wow...That's awesome!" Daichi excitedly let out "I do not know your skill but you have a great teacher as it is, my only guess is you are already an expert" the master bowed in respect as did Yamaguchi "Bet she could take on Sasaki Kojiro!" Daichi put in causing the master, Yamaguchi and just about everyone who heard the statement to stop and stare "N-No, I'm not THAT good" Lorraine put in anxiously "Sir, Kojiro is in the city as the present moment" one of the soldiers openly stated "Great..." mumbled Lorraine.
"If you can defeat Sasaki Kojiro I can promise you both a seat next to Yamaguchi in the Storm Guard" the master offered causing both Lorraine and Daichi to stare at each other.
Knowing how much her friend wanted to be in the elites; Lorraine took a breath before turning to face the master once more. "Okay then" she accepted causing everyone to come to a complete hault "I will duel Sasaki Kojiro" Lorraine smiled sheepishly "HECK YES!" Daichi cheered "that's my girl!" he punched the air.
