Kengi was the oldest of 7 childeren his father had alays wanted a priest in the family, because Kengi's grand father had been a priest and Kengi honored his fathers wish. Kengi's graet grandfather had been a yamabushi, priest and was well respected in the town. and when it was known that Kengi would be following in his great grandfaters footsteps, there was a grand feast. This was because the town had not had a preist living htere since his great grandfather lived htere. At the age of 19 Kengi went to study with the yamabushi presithood. The elder of the clan was an old, very old man by the name of Jubei. Jubei took a liking to Kengi like no other student, he grasped the consept of the priesthood in an instant. and Jubei had been a studeny of kengi's great grandfather. Jubei was shocked to see that No other student was able to use the powers of the priest as fast as Kengi. Kengi liked Jubei, not only because he was such a good teacher and but because of his stories. most of these stories where about Kengi;s great grandfather. Jubei also told of a Tengu that was friends with his great grandfather, these of course were not ture as tengu were only legend, but none the less the stories were wonderful. Childeren from miles around woyuld come and sit and listen for hours to Jubei tell of the Tengu that heped the farmes, and stopped thieves in the town, but when asked where the tengu was now, Jubei could only said he was travleing. This always made Kengi laugh
Kengi studied with the mountain priests, and only after 5 years of study do the elder priest make it known to the freshman of what is it they do. They help the framers, and love to travel, but protection is what they do. At the age 26 Kengi was a full fledged priest, well versed in the magic of the priests, and as a fighter he was one of the best. He would go to visit his father and Jubei was very proud of his son. More then once Kengi helped fight off raiders that came to the town. He hated when people where taken advantage of. I If he saw an act of evil being done to a fellow human, he would dish out justice; Kengi would turn on the man and beat him with in an inch of his life. His elders did not like his methods at all but it did turn the land in to more peaceful place at least, and when you Oni and all the other foul things that came out of the rifts, it was good to have sombody who was not afraid to fight.
It was his will to protect the weak and defend the helpless that he met the being that would become his best friend. Kengi was walking through the forest when he saw from a distance five men attacking what looked like a monk. Kengi ran to see what was happening and when he got the leader of the three told him to stay out of their business
"I see five men beating on one, that IS my business"
"This man has stolen from us, he used his magic to distract us and he stole our gold, it is our business what we do to a thief" said the leader, a man with one eye.
Kengi looked down at the man on the ground, he didn't look like he was beaten too badly, in fact he looked just fine, reguardless of the fact that the men were hitting him with bo staves. "If this man did steal frm you why not take him to the samurai, why have you decided to be judge and jury?"
"we belong to no land, no samurai controls us, now if you don't some of the same get out now and let us finish here!!!"
Kengi coun;d stand it no longer, he bent doen and picked up 3 small stones, and swallowed them, his skin turned a dull grey. as he was swallowing the stones he caught the eyes of the man on the ground and he winked at Kengi. Kengi looked at him for a fraction of a second, and got smaked in the face by a thug. Being Now beign made of stonem this did not effect Kengi, he swung and hit the man in the chest and he was thrown 10 feet back. The man on the ground lookd at Kengi again amd laughed, this dispite the men hitting him in the back with the bo staffs. the man with one eye was bringing down a death blow on the mans head and he looked up and caught the staff with his hand. He got up and still had the staff in his hand. The other man kept hitting him but it didn't seem to bother him, and the most outragous this was he was STILL laughing.
"Wha....wha....what is this you could have done this the whole time????" said the man with one eye with fear and anger at the same time.
"No NO no" said the man with a laugh ," only when it was funny, HA" and he snaped the staff with one move from his hand. with his other hand he punched a man who had come up behind him, he jumped up and broke loose of the rest of them . at that time the rest of the men came at him. It was a whilrwind of fists and feet, and bodies falling all around the men got up and 1 ran away the others drew knives 'OHH Now we get to the real men stayed to fight, you have now brought a deadly weapon into this frey, if you want to live to see tommarow, put them away and leave, and I will say to you the man who ran stole you money, why do you think he ran?"
the men looked at each other and ran at the man, it seemed to happen in sl;ow motion, the man looked down at the ground and shook his head, out of his robes he drew a shimering katana. In a swish the sword flashed in the sun bright and gleaming and then a flash of red blood ran down the sword all four looked at eachother and then two of the four's heads fell off their necks and the bodies fell to the ground. The onr eyed man made a stab for the man and missed and the man cut off his arm at the elbow. as the man with eye fell the tall man kicked him. the fouth man ran way, the man with one mettered somthing and ran off. the tall man bowed and without realizing it the first man and the fourth cam up behind him. Kengi saw this and drew his sword and stabbed one man thourght the back tha slashed one both men fell to the ground dead.
The tall man turned and bowed to Kengi, "thanks you you are just like your great grandfather, Yoshi, he saved me once too."
Kengi couldn't belive what he heard, his grand fatther how could this man know his grandfather. "How do you.."
"know you great grandfather," the man laughed " I know it sounds strange, you have just saved my life, and now I will show you who I really am..."
"Wait, I SAVED YOUR life, you did fine your self, and speaking of that" he looked at the four dead bodies ,"we should get out of here as soon as possible."
" Fair enough, let us go and I will explainmy story," they walked for an hour with out talking Kengi was too shocked to say anything, the strange man turned to Kengi, " I met your great grandfather many many years ago, and he like you saved my life, I was watching you from your first day with the monks, I don't normaly befreind the monks, buit Yoshi, made me promise that I would watch over any one of his grandchilderen, and you have fullfiled MY requirements, " The amn looked at Kengi, and smiled, " you think I'm crazy, well it's about time I showed you" and just then the strange tal man changed into a TENGU!!! kengi almost fainted, these creatures were only legend, they never came out and spoke with the monks. but if you did befriend a Tengu, you wouldn't tell anyone would you.
" yes I am a tengu, and you have saved my life, and I will be your compianion for the untill the day you die." Kengi jumped at these words, " ha ha, yes you will die before I do, most of my kind befriend 20 to 30 humans in a life tiem, you are my thrid, after yoru great grand father,died it was a quite a blow to me."
"wellIf I am to be your friend, what am I to call you??"
" well Yoshi called me, Satoshi, or Sato for short"
Satoshi and Kengi were very good friends for a very long time, when ever they were in company of other humans Sato stayed in human form, the older monks saw this new friend and knew right away who, or rather what, sato was for realy.
After many many years of peaceful times it happened, a group of raiders came to the town that momnks lived in, they raped and stole from all around the leader of the raiders came up to the eldest monk and the momk just bowed, the man raised an arm with a sword and cut the monks head clean off, he then turned to face his fellows, and raised up both arms, but the other arm, was only half there. Kengi screamed
'NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!" Sato tryied to satop him but he ran to to the one eyed man,
"NOW WE GET THE STAFF AND THE GOLD, COME ON MEN!!!!!!" said the one eyed man, kengi
Kengi ran in to a shrine and cam eback out with a staff and a sword, "Leave now or you will die where you stand"
the one eyed man laughed, " YOu got away from us once before , not now" then the man attack Kengi struck and sato see his friend fighting, tramsfomed, he spred his huge wings and flew at the men Kengi saw nothing but talons, wings and blood. the lasted all night ,more men came and more men and monks died, at the end of the battle the one eyed man stood looking at Kengi and Sato.
"Tengu, I have dreamed of this day from the first time I saw you , yes fron that day I knew and now you die" he drew a cross bow and fired not knowing what to do kengi jumped infron of the bolt and was struck in the chest, Sato screamed, and in a swift movment he charged the man, and with one great snap of his beak torn the mans arm off his body.
Sato glanced at kengi, he was bleeding badly, the one eyed man said ."Yes tengu, now you must chose kill me or save your friend" he laughed,
"Sato do it, you can't save me" Kengi said with his last breath, Sato let out a scream and charged the man, and before he knew what happened Sato's fist had come out threw the mans chest and out his back, the man fell to the ground.
at the sight of their dead elader the rest of the raiders left, "The Staff iss ours we will get it and kill all of you untill we do"
Kebgi now coughign blood< grabed sato" Take the satff friend you have fulfiled your plede you have proyteced me, taked the satf and the sword, and flee, sato my friend, I will never forget...." sato never hread whet was next Kengi had died.
Sato did not rest untill the last of the raiders was killed, he left the area, and tralved fro 3 years and met a magci user ,and the man had opend a rift and it sucked Sato in and never saw his home again.