Episode Two
The Story of the Past Pt. 2
He sighed as the hot steam rose up from the water and entered his nostrils. The bathhouse was hot and steamy making it almost difficult to breathe. The water was so hot that his skin began to turn pink, but the warmth felt good after training for so many hours.
It was just after lunch when Kirin stepped into the water. He was tired from training and a large lunch, closing his eyes as he rested against the rocky sides. The bathhouse was inside the castle, but it was built with uncut stones from outside. The stones were lined up to form an artificial pond that was heated underneath. He let out another sigh as the peaceful silence lulled him into a nap.
That is, until, the Warlords came bursting into the room. They were fighting about something, as they always did, and louder than four normal men should. Kirin jerked up and looked over. One by one they jumped into the hot water, splashing Kirin and wetting his blonde hair.
"What are you up to, boy?" Sekhmet asked.
Kirin rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to relax."
"Don't get offended!" Dais said. "I know something that'll make you into a man!"
"And what is that?" Kirin asked.
"Saké!" The Warlords exclaimed.
Anubis grabbed a wooden tray with ceramic cups and a flask. He poured himself a cup then passed it around. Each of the Warlords poured himself a cup, and finally, the tray fell to Kirin. He did not take it. Dais took the liberty to pour him a cup, and he handed it to Kirin, but Kirin did not take it.
"Here, drink." Dais motioned for him to take the cup.
Kirin shook his head.
"Why not?" Sekhmet gulped his cup. "Take it!"
"Men in my village do not drink."
"You aren't in your village," Anubis sneered. "You're in the Dynasty now, if it still hasn't sunk into your little head."
"It does not matter. I will not break our traditions."
Anubis snorted then muttered something under his breath.
Kale stared down at his half-drank cup, remembering that at one time, he did not drink either, being a devote Buddhist.
The other Warlords carried on obnoxiously so Kirin turned around, grabbed his dry towel, and got out of the water. He wrapped the towel around him and quickly left the bathhouse.
"What's with him?" Dais took another drink.
"He's probably offended," Sekhmet said. "Self-righteous child."
"He'll learn," Anubis growled. "Or else…"
"Or else what?" Kale sneered.
"I'll just have to teach him a lesson." Anubis poured himself another cup of saké.
Kirin quickly headed to his bedroom in his towel. Once he was in the room, he dried himself off and headed over towards the bed. Next to the bed, on the wooden dresser, there was a small glass orb. He picked up the glass orb and rolled it in the palm of his hand. He stared at the orb for a moment. Flashing, the kanji in the orb glowed brightly—Un—the kanji of luck.
He looked towards the closet. Instead of donning his sub-armor, he went to the closet and picked out some of the clothes placed in there by the servants. He reached in, grabbing a green uwagi, which is like a martial arts top, a pair of brown zubon pants, and a brown obi sash. He put on the clothing and headed out of the room.
Kirin aimlessly wandered the castle—his soul restless and heavy. It was mostly quiet in the castle as he walked up and down the corridors only passing a random detachment of soldiers or a servant every once in a while. He came to an intersection of major hallways, and immediately avoided the right, which led to the throne room. Instead, he chose the left, which led him towards the training hall. As he approached, he heard someone in the room. He stopped in the doorway and looked on in.
The warrior, leapt back and forth over the tatami mats, practicing her karate. She moved swiftly and gracefully with precision and accuracy. She wore her usual fighting outfit—the blue jumper, white nylons, tall black boots, and thin brown armor. Her weapons—the jutte sai—were in the holsters in the back as she worked on her unarmed technique.
He stood there, watching, for what seemed like hours, but it only took her moments to turn around and see him standing there. His presence started her, and she stopped quickly. She stood there, staring angrily at him, while she crossed her arms.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You Warlords have your training time in the morning, and I…"
"I'm not a Warlord," Kirin said.
"Then what are you?" Kayura put her hands on her hips. "You look like one of them, and you're as much of a nuisance."
A small grin washed over his face—she was fiery. He began to gently shake his head. "I didn't choose to be here, and I will never be one of those Warlords."
"Then why are you here?" She asked bluntly.
"I'm here by force."
"Pitiful," She sneered, turning her back to him.
He faint smiled, feeling her distain for him. "Is there something I did to offend you?"
She spun back around, her face still stone cold, but she quickly looked away again.
"This is about the fight."
"If that's what you think," She hissed.
Kirin stepped into the room. "Perhaps you would like a rematch?"
"I'm training. I don't have time to waste."
"I'm sure a rematch would be beneficial to your training…"
"Oh, fine!" She interrupted. "If you insist!"
He smirked as he walked across the tatami mats. "Weapons or no weapons?"
"Whatever!"
Kirin waked over to the wall. Hanging all over the walls, mounts with all types of weapons bordered the room. He looked over them carefully. "Any preference?"
"Just pick something!"
He grabbed two bō staffs. He threw one to Kayura, which she caught one-handed, then walked over to the side.
Kayura gripped onto her staff tightly, feeling the knots in the wood. She swung it around and twirled to get a feel for its weight, but as she twirled, she glanced up for a brief moment.
He was taking off his shirt. The green shirt slowly slid down over his toned figure. As she glanced up, she accidentally hit herself in the back of the head with the staff. She quickly picked up the staff and tried to keep him from noticing, but her cheeks blushed a fiery red.
He threw the green shirt and the brown belt in the corner, only wearing his brown zubon pants. He stepped back onto the mats with his bare feet and started twirling his staff like Kayura did earlier.
They stared each other down as they moved into fighting stance. Charging forward, the two warriors ran across the room towards one another. The bō staffs clashed together. They backed off and attacked again. The fight had begun.
As the fight carried on, a curious spectator peeked through the doorway. Excited, the Warlord of Illusion disappeared then quickly reappeared with the other Warlords. The Warlords scrambled into the room to watch the duel.
As the fight went back and forth, Kayura regretted letting him choose a weapon. The staff was one of her weakest weapons, but it appeared that it was one of his best; nevertheless, she handled herself well. She glanced over to the side, seeing those obnoxious Warlords cheering. She rolled her eyes then turned her attention back to the enemy.
They paused for a moment to gather their composure. He stood up straight, leaning against his staff. He wiped the sweat from his brow then flashed a smile. She stood, puffing, as her cheeks flushed bright red.
"Well, I suppose I should really start trying now," He smiled.
They charged again. It was unbelievable. He was just toying with her earlier. As she fought, he was just as fast and even more powerful than she was. His relentless attacks caught her off balance. She could barely keep up. The Warlords were laughing at her. She was about to lose. She did the last thing she could—she kneed him in the groin.
He doubled over in pain and feel to the ground, dropping his staff. She towered over him, mortified at her reaction. The Warlords burst out into laughter. Kirin looked up at her, his face wrenched with pain.
Embarrassed, he skipped dinner, avoiding the descending and mocking of the other Warlords. He sat in his bedroom trying to amuse himself, but there were only the basics essentials in the room. He hadn't been there long enough to collect enough entertainment items compared to the other Warlords. Anubis had treasure and weapons plundered from battle, Dais had spiders, Sekhmet had snakes, and Kale had his books. Kirin, however, only had a rubber ball that he bounced against the wall all evening.
As the time passed, and he thought the Warlords would finally be in their rooms, he came out of his room and wandered the hallways, heading for the kitchen. The castle appeared to be quiet as everyone was settling in for the night. The kitchen was on the entire other side of the castle, but he was hungry. He quickly weaved for the corridors, hearing his stomach growl in the silence. He turned to the right around corner, fast, and crashed.
The two collided straight into each other, smacking their heads together and falling over.
"Watch where you're going!" Kayura grabbed her head. A large lump was beginning to form.
"Me?" Kirin exclaimed, picking himself up off the floor. "You're the one who turned the corner in the wrong place!"
"Turned the corner in the wrong place?" She stood up, putting her hands on her hips.
"Yes!" He insisted. "You always walk on the right side so that things like this don't happen."
She shook her head. "You're ridiculous! You should watch where you are going! You're going to hurt someone!"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "And you would know plenty about hurting people, wouldn't you?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" She hissed.
"Ahem," He cleared his throat.
"Oh," She looked away, embarrassed.
Silence fell between them.
"So…" She continued to look at her feet. "Is…I mean…well…" She looked up, blushing. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm alright," He said, more composed.
She nodded. "Well…that's good."
"Yes...thank you." He glanced away.
Silence fell again, but soon, Kayura took a step back and bowed her head. "I must be going." She disappeared.
Kirin stood dumbfounded for a moment then headed towards the kitchen.
Instead of heading to morning training, the Warlords were summoned to the throne room. The demon Lord, who never rested nor slept, sat upon his throne all night, brewing thoughts of destruction and evil. One by one, the Warlords came—a candle lighting up for the presence of each Warlord.
The thought disturbed him as a fifth candle lit up for his presence just like the other Warlords. He glanced over, noticing Kayura's presence. Her words ruminated in his mind all night long. Was he just like the Warlords?
Usually when Talpa summoned the Warlords, Lady Kayura was not included, but this morning, she was called also. Talpa sat quietly on his throne while his warriors assembled. He did not speak even though they had arrived and lined up in place. After a few moments, the warriors began looking around at one another, but finally, the demon Lord spoke, "The time has come."
"What is your desire, Master Talpa?" Anubis bowed as he spoke.
"War," The demon Lord said, and with that, evil grins washed over the Warlord's faces. Kirin, however, looked up towards the demon Lord, worried.
"To the east," Talpa breathed
"The Kingdom of Sung has been too defiant towards the great Emperor Talpa. It is time for them to be crushed into submission," Sekhmet said.
"We will destroy them for the glory of the Dynasty!" Kale said.
"Consider the eastern kingdoms to be yours, Master," Dais said.
"Master, we will set out at once to fulfill your will," Anubis placed his hand over his chest and bowed. "But, Master, tell me, which of us will be leading this glorious campaign?"
The other Warlords rolled their eyes.
"Are you implying that you want it to be you?" Lady Kayura put her hands on her hips as a large smirk spread across her face.
"Well, I don't think it would be such a bad decision…"
"Yes, it would!" Dais spoke up. "Remember the last time…"
"That wasn't my fault!" Anubis exclaimed. "Weather conditions…"
"A general should know these things before he goes into battle," Sekhmet crossed his arms.
"I'll have you know that I've conquered hundreds…"
"Silence!" Talpa boomed.
The Warlords shamefully fell silent.
"I have appointed Kirin to this task."
Kirin jerked his head up. "What?"
"What!" The Warlords exclaimed.
"Kirin will lead the attack against…"
"But, Master!" Anubis exclaimed.
"Silence!" The castle shook with Talpa's fury. "Do you, a mere man, dare to deny my will, Anubis? What I have decreed will be done because I am Talpa, Lord of the Dynasty!"
Anubis groveled before the throne. "I am sorry, Master, I will not speak of things I do not know." He stood up and hurried back to his place, making sure he shot a dirty look in Kirin's direction.
"When do we move out, Master?" Sekhmet asked.
"Tomorrow," The demon Lord began to laugh.
Within a day, the Dynasty forces were prepared to move out from the castle towards the eastern territories. Having no choice, Kirin found himself in the lead pack of the procession as the main general of this campaign. He was known as a strategist, but his abilities still had to be proven to the Warlords. While the other Warlords did not openly contest Talpa's choice of a leader, they whispered quietly among themselves about the decision. However, their condescending remarks were overheard by the young general. He knew quite obviously that they did not trust or believe in his abilities.
Lady Kayura also rode with them, but she did not speak unless she was spoken to. The usual bickering between her and the Warlords was minimal, but still quite non-verbal, with dirty looks and whispers. She was not friendly, when he looked at her. They had managed to have a small conversation two nights ago, but today, she was cold and aloof, barely acknowledging his presence. They traveled on.
Within days, they had crossed the borders of the Kingdom of Sung, the territory to the east. Spreading across miles, rich fertile plains stretched all the way to the ocean coast. On the southern border of the territory, rolling green hills blanketed with thick forests climbed up to the sky. The army marched further into the Kingdom, making camp across the plains. They could not push further towards the capital city on the coast because of the opposing army, but they had marched deep into the heart of the territory.
Fierce battle soon erupted. The Kingdom of Sung was a formidable enemy, led by the famous warrior, Sung Jian. He was an ambitious man, seizing power at any cost, much like Emperor Talpa. In fact, too much like Emperor Talpa that he had to be eradicated. This fact brought some comfort to Kirin's disturbed mind—at least he was not deposing a just ruler. As the war began, Kirin of the Forest, soon proved his abilities to all who doubted.
Early one morning, as the fog rolled across the camp, General Kirin stepped out of his tent. The young man, who was once mocked, now had a presence that commanded respect from all his warriors. As he moved through the camp, soldiers would immediately stop whatever they were doing and bow to their General. The warrior headed to the main tent. Inside was a large map with the battlefield sketched out in ink. There were wooden pegs to represent the military units to mark out their positions. The tent was empty when he entered, but he immediately set off to work by studying the map.
Soon Kale entered. He came among side Kirin and studied the man himself. He watched as Kirin moved a piece which seemed logical, but Kirin moved it back then moved it somewhere else—somewhere Kale wouldn't have thought, but he marveled after seeing it.
"Where did you learn the art of war?"
Kirin glanced over. "From my father."
"Was he a General?"
Kirin shook his head. "No, he was a carpenter."
"How does a carpenter know such things?"
Kirin turned to the other general. "He only fought when he was necessary. Otherwise, he enjoyed creating—not destroying."
"I suppose you hold such an opinion?"
Kirin nodded, looking back to the map. "Yes," He moved the final pegs into position. "This is our strategy," He pointed to the map.
Kale glanced over it, but then, the other Warlords walked into the tent followed by the other Generals of the army. Lastly, Lady Kayura entered the tent with a young servant girl trailing behind her. The two of them made their way to the back of the tent. The generals circled around the map, waiting for Kirin to speak.
"Is this it?" Dais asked.
"Yes."
"It's good," Dais said, putting his hand over his chin.
"Very good," Sekhmet said.
"It's stupid!" Anubis said. "We should just charge right in there!"
"Our men are tired," Kale said.
"Your men may be tired, but mine are ready to fight for the Dynasty!"
"Kale is right," Dais said. "Our men are worn down. The enemy is full of morale and vigor to protect their land."
"Where is your courage, Dais?" Anubis said. "The Dais I know wouldn't back down from a challenge!"
"Anubis, don't be a fool!" Sekhmet said. "Your pride is getting in the way of what is the best tactic for the battle!"
"Fine!" Anubis crossed his arms. "We'll see who Master Talpa rewards for valor when we return back to the Dynasty. I'll destroy a thousand warriors today!"
Kirin motioned to the map. "Anyway, it will be very important for all generals to stay in position and not to break rank." He glanced over at Anubis in disapproval then turned his eyes back to the map. "Today's battle is depending on this."
The Generals nodded.
"Let us head to battle then!" Dais cheered. The rest of the Generals followed suit.
The leaders exited the tent and headed off to gather their weapons and horses. Kirin headed off towards an open space behind the tent. Kayura was the last to leave the tent, taking a moment to review the map before leaving. As she stepped out and started to walk away, she noticed the young general in the corner of her eye. She turned towards him to watch but staying out of sight behind the tent.
Kirin was in his forest green and copper sub-armor. He stood still with his eyes closed for a moment then his head jerked up. "ARMOR OF FOREST…DAO UN!" As he yelled those words, he spun around moving his hands into a formation. Rolls of kimono cloth surrounded and encircled him then bursting into cherry blossoms. The blossoms wrapped around his body, forming his armor. Soon, the young warrior appeared dressed in his armor, ready for battle.
His armor was a light brown, copper, gold dark brown, green, and dark green. It was mostly the variant shades of brown, but with highlights of the green pallet and the gold. The seal of his armor was black and gold, and there was a maple leaf within a circle. As a weapon, he carried an ono axe which was a long pole-axe. His secondary weapons were smaller hand axes. They were small axes much like hatches. Once his armor was donned, the General walked off to find his horse.
Kayura left her hiding spot to prepare for battle.
The battle was in the hands of the Dynasty. Without much force or effort, the Dynasty forces slowly wore down the strength and numbers of the enemy warriors. They would lure them in, destroy them, and continue the process over and over again. This plan was effective as long as every man knew his duty and place within the formation; however, one particular General decided to break rank and charge through the enemy lines. While he successfully did this with his men, his absence caused an influx of enemy soldiers to come pouring into the trap the Dynasty army had set. The trap depended on letting a few through their lines to trap and destroy them, but by letting too many in, their own lines would break. The enemy warriors gained the upper hand. Wave after wave of attacks crashed against the Dynasty lines. Enemy soldiers surrounded at all sides. They were outnumbered and in disarray. Some of the soldiers that fought for the Dynasty were nothing more than evil spirits that would return to their Master upon defeat, but some of them were actually human. It was crucial to protect them.
Lady Kayura charged forward, leaping over horse barricades on her black horse. She took swipes at the enemy soldiers with her sai as she rode back and forth, trying to thin out the number of enemy soldiers in the area. Seeing Dynasty soldiers backed into a corner, she tugged on the reigns of her horse and rode forward, swinging her sai. Her arm came up, ready to strike down, but before she could, an arrow struck her through the arm. All feeling left her hand, and her grip released on her sai. The horse jerked up, sending her flying to the ground. The horse fell on top of her legs. She tried to move out from under the horse as the animal tried to scramble away. Finally, the horse got up off her, but it abandoned her. With pain shooting through her entire body, she pulled herself up. Her right arm was completely useless and her legs ached with pain.
The enemy warriors saw their chance to take Kayura out. Immediately, they surrounded her to attack. Kayura reached for her other sai in her holster and fought with her left arm. From all sides, the enemy soldiers poked and swiped at her with swords and spears. She clumsily blocked the attacks one by one as they came at her, but a soldier coming up from behind slashed his sword, striking her across the back. She screamed as the blade sliced through her skin. Instantly, blood started to seep out of the cut across her back. Her knees buckled, and she fell on her wounded back.
Her eyes, watering in pain, stared up into the blue sky. The enemy soldiers surrounded her quickly, standing over her body. One of them raised his sword, ready to finish the job. She closed her eyes as a tear leaked from her eye.
"LEAF BLADE EDGE!"
Kayura's eyes fluttered back open. High in the sky, the warrior of the Forest flew downward, leaves surrounding him like a cyclone and slicing into the enemy warriors. He landed on the ground, slamming his ono axe into the enemy soldiers. Instantly, the warriors around her were destroyed. Kirin kneeled down to Kayura and scooped her up in his arms. She moaned in pain as he touched her body. "You'll be alright. I'll take care of you."
Kayura closed her eyes, the last thing she saw being the Warrior of the Forest.
First Kirin broke the arrow, pushing one side through her arm. He tore a piece of her clothing and tied it around her wound. He then put her on his horse then leapt into the saddle. He jerked the reigns and instantly took off towards the Dynasty camp. He charged through the battlefield, hold Kayura with his left arm, and swinging his axe with the right. As he approached the camp, he began screaming for help. He looked through all the servants and attendants, and quickly found Kayura's handmaiden, Reiko. He rode over to the servant girl and leapt off the horse, holding Kayura in his arms.
"What happened?" Reiko asked, taking her Mistress from Kirin.
"She was shot in the arm with an arrow. She has a severe wound on her back too."
Reiko struggled with Kayura's body so other servants came to help. They immediately carried her off to tend to her needs.
"Thank you, Master Kirin." Reiko bowed to the General.
"Thank you." Kirin nodded, and leapt back on his horse, charging off into the battle.
Kayura was given medical attention, Kirin rode off into battle again, and the Dynasty was handed a crushing defeat that day in battle. As night fell, the warriors tickled one by one into the camp. It was a most disappointing defeat.