Greetings. My name is Shinzo Ryuno, but everyone calls me Ryu - except Yuki, who calls me Shinzo-chan. Yuki is a girl I know. I didn't mind her calling me that until my fifteenth summer when I became a warrior. It was the most important time of my life and having a silly girl following me around calling me by that childish pet name got on my nerves. I really snapped at her once about it and I'm sorry for it now. She has always been a good friend. I feel awful that I hurt her by yelling at her so often about such a trivial thing as what she called me. But I was a different person then with different desires. I wanted to become a warrior, just like my father Taka before me, the greatest warrior known to my people.
But I do get a little ahead of myself, forgive me. I will tell you more of myself. My eyes and my hair are black, like all other people's - well, most other people, as I shall soon reveal. I still am rather young in years, but my mind seems to have aged enough to encompass three lifetimes. My eyes no longer hold the eager sparkle they used to. I am perpetually tired and often sigh wistfully. I know much more than I should…
Perhaps I had better get on with my tale. There is so much to tell and so little time to do it in. I will start at the beginning. That's always best.
It was probably my fourteenth summer when the evil pervaded our land. My father was killed in one of the first battles. I was eager to become a warrior and take his place. I do not remember mourning, though I do so now. I did not know Taka Ryuno the man very well, merely the legend - the one I hoped to out do.
There was never a moment from the time my father died until my warrior ceremony that my head was not filled with dreams of grandeur, of men singing victory songs for centuries after my great deeds. How naïve I was to think that it would be that easy and that wonderful. It's funny how fate has a way of giving you exactly what you want.
But anyhow, that was also the time Shiroi started hanging around me, but I had no mind for her. I had no mind for anything except swordplay and other things associated with becoming the hero of legends. Becoming a warrior the following summer was my proudest moment - I thought nothing could ever beat it, ever. I was wrong, of course, but so goes the young life. The ceremony itself was little more than saying simple words in a solemn way. The celebration was the best part. It was little more than the newly made warriors running around, dancing, hollering, and getting totally and gratuitously drunk. Needless to say, I was not at my best the next morning when a messenger - a man named Otoko - came from the self-proclaimed emperor of the world, Shibo. I could barely understand what was going on as I stood at attention, while Otoko and our general, Chi, spoke. I gathered that Otoko was on an errand of peace, offering eternal friendship and safety if our people would bow to the great Shibo. He would not elaborate on what we would be protected from when Chi asked. I remember staring at Otoko, resplendent in his ornamental armor, standing so regally, thinking what a great warrior he must have been and how I wished to be just like that someday - more proof of my naiveté.
Chi was not long in consulting our leader, Tonosama. It was a flat refusal, not open to negotiation. Otoko had smiled, bowed curtly, and left. I'd thought that that was all there was to it, so had everyone. But we were wrong. About an hour later, just as we were sat down to the midday meal, we were attacked by a legion of shitai led by Otoko. It was no contest. The zombie-like shitai swept through our city killing all they found, women and children as well as men. It didn't matter what it was as long as it could be killed. There were many warriors who stood against them, but every one died. I did the smartest thing - I fled very quickly into the surrounding hills with so many others. I laugh at it now, but I owe my life to cowardice.
The next day I crept shamefully back to the city, worried about how my undutiful action would haunt me. I was shocked to find that general Chi and Tonosama had also fled. Chi was the first one I saw. He stood tall with his arms folded across his chest. I stepped softly closer to him, but the grief I found in his dark eyes when he looked up at me gave me pause. I smiled weakly at him and turned away. There had been a dead body at his feet. It was that of his wife.
I stumbled around the city for an unknown amount of time, not really thinking anything. I saw one familiar face after another. Yoshi, Mamo, Shingo… All dead. All people I would never speak to again. Somewhere, I ran into Tonosama. He told me to gather the survivors into the center of the city, that he would see about gathering the bodies to be burned so that they would not rise and turn into shitai. I nodded, not really listening to him. He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled bravely before leaving me. At least he had given me something to do, I needed that. And I was still a warrior. The least I could do was act like one. So I gathered all the people I could find. They followed me, of course, probably for the simple reason that I told them to. Like me, they needed something to guide them. All looked at me with the same haunted expressions and they all had the same question lurking in their eyes, why? I wished more than anything that I could tell them, but I had no answers. I had nothing. And so did they.
It must have been an hour or so when a small figure slowly approached me. I wasn't paying any attention to anything, so didn't notice until the person reached out a hand and touched my arm. I jumped, sword arm flying to the katana resting comfortably against my hip. I did not draw the blade, however. I looked up wearily to see Yuki standing before me. She looked paler than the dead.
"Shinzo-chan?" she asked weakly. I nodded. I could hardly believe she had survived. "Shinzo-chan?" she repeated. "What happened?" Her voice broke and I could tell she was trying to hold back tears. So was I, and I was more successful.
I drew her toward me, wanting nothing more than for everything to be all right again. I ran my fingers through Yuki's hair, trying to comfort her. I knew her parents were dead; I had seen them on my aimless wandering. I assumed my own mother was dead since I had not seen her when I gathered the people - but then, I hadn't noticed Yuki either. Somehow though, I knew my mother was dead. I was utterly alone.
I stood there holding Yuki for what seemed eternity. I held her all through Tonosama's speech on what to do next. I listened somewhat less than attentively, although I was anxious to get on with things. I wanted this all to be behind me. I didn't care what lay ahead. Tonosama urged us to rebuild, and to prepare ourselves for more attacks. He said that evil was trying to steal the land, that we had no choice but to oppose it. He claimed that Shibo was the epitome of darkness and that we had to strike back, fight as we had a year ago, when my father had died. It was a losing battle then, too. Everyone knew it. That's why Otoko had come offering an alliance. Not only would the evil force have had our land, but also slaves to develop it. I, for one, did not want to be a slave. Tonosama appealed to the people's anger and need for vengeance, and it got them motivated.
Over the next few months, we built the city into a veritable fortress, lovingly calling it Shiro. We also struck back at Shibo and his troops, surprisingly enough, losing few men. I personally led many of the raids, destroying many of the shitai. I quickly became a hardened warrior, and gratefully so. I was making quite a name for myself in the meantime.
By my eighteenth summer, Shiro and its people had fully settled in. Shibo was seeing us as a real threat finally, and, for the moment, leaving us alone. It was also about this time that the weather began to change. Strange storms with lightening of all shades would come up as quick as the eye blinks and just as swiftly vanish. It was after one of these storms that Shinri, my friend and comrade at arms, came knocking at my door.
"Strangers have been found just outside the city," he told me excitedly.
"Strangers?" I asked.
"Yes, " he nodded, grinning. "Very strange indeed!"
I gave him a confused look, to which he laughed.
"Come, Ryu," he said. "Chi is waiting for us."
I went inside and grabbed my wakizashi just in case there was trouble and hastened with Shinri to the South Gate. I stopped abruptly when I saw the strangers. My hand went instinctively to the blade at my side. My fingers idly traced the dragon design on the tsuba as I cautiously approached Chi, who stood watch over the people - a man and a woman. I tried not to stare at the woman, but I couldn't help it. Her hair was golden in color. I had never seen the like before. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen.
"Who are they?" I asked Chi.
"The man says his name is Risu and the woman is Kitsune," the general replied.
I noticed that the man was looking at me. I couldn't help but stare back. He wore baggy black pants and a black gi top tucked into a red sash. His boots were leather and also black. His hair was the color of the earth at my feet and his eyes - the most disturbing things about him - were the color of the sky. I could just make out the ends of a katana - it was too long to be anything but - strapped across his back.
I glanced at the woman and noticed that her eyes were also the color of the sky, but with a ring of gold in them around the pupils. She clung to Risu, though she didn't seem to be frightened.
"What do they want?" I asked Chi. "Why are they here? We never get visitors!"
Chi frowned. "They don't know, or so they claim. I don't trust them."
"Could they be spies?" wondered Shinri.
"I've never seen them among Shibo's ranks," I said. "Nor any of their like. Look at that woman's hair!"
"And their eyes!" exclaimed Shinri.
"Hush, both of you!" Chi snapped. "They can hear us."
"What do we do with them?" Shinri asked.
Chi thought a moment, then said, "Ryu, you are alone in your house, are you not?"
"Yes," I answered slowly, not liking where this was going. "I am alone in my house."
Chi grunted. "Good! Then they will stay with you!"
"What?!" I practically screeched.
"They will stay with you," he repeated. Leaning closer to me, he softly added, "That way you can keep an eye on them." He winked and I frowned.
"Very well," I sighed. "When will they leave?"
"When Tonosama says they can," Chi answered before walking off back to the palace. I watched him a moment, then turned to the strangers Risu and Kitsune.
"This way," I told them. "You will stay with me."
"Where are we?' asked Kitsune. A sensible question.
"You are in Shiro," I told her.
"Where's that?" she asked.
"Here," I replied and walked back to my house. They followed in silence, the woman still clinging to Risu. I guessed by this that they were lovers. As I reached my door, Shiroi came over to me. "Good day," she greeted me, smiling a tad too broadly. "Are these the two new ones?" She indicated the pair behind me.
"Word travels fast," I commented.
"It sure does," she replied, intentionally brushing up against me to get a look at the two strangers. "What hair!" Shiroi gasped, picking up a few of Kitsune's golden strands. I was getting annoyed very quickly.
"Go to your own house, Shiroi, and allow me to show them to mine!" I told her briskly.
She batted her eyes at me, then laughed and skipped down the street. I rolled my eyes and entered my house, Risu and Kitsune right behind.
The house wasn't very cluttered, I needed little to live. A few cupboards dotted the walls and my daisho rested in a corner. A low table was in the center of the room. I sat down on it as I waited for the couple to finish appraising my things. The woman's eyes seemed to light up when she noticed the weaponry.
"What are we doing here?" Risu asked after a moment.
I really didn't know what to tell him so I gave him the lamest response I could think of. "Chi has told me to watch over you."
"Why?"
I decided to be honest. "I have no idea."
"What's your name?" Kitsune asked me.
"Shinzo Ryuno, but you may call me Ryu as everyone else does." I thought a moment. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course!" said Kitsune.
"Where are you from? I don't mean to be rude, but you both look so strange…" I hoped I hadn't offended them. It appeared that I hadn't, for they both smiled.
"I doubt you've heard of it," the woman told me.
"you're probably right," I said. "Do you know what you are doing here?"
Risu shook his head and proceeded to tell of their odd arrival. Apparently they had merely been taking a walk through the woods when a strange storm suddenly came up. A grey cloud came through the trees and enveloped them.
"And when the cloud lifted, we found ourselves here," he concluded.
"A strange storm, eh… hmm… " I murmured.
"Are those common here?" Risu asked.
"Odd storms, yes, but not grey clouds like you described," I answered. I wondered if it had anything to do with Shibo. Who knew what he was capable of?
"Risu," said Kitsune softly, "how do we get home?"
He didn't answer. He couldn't answer.
"If Shibo is the cause of it, I see no way of getting you back home," I informed her.
"Shibo?" inquired Risu.
I told the two strangers about the evil that had invaded our land and of all we had done to fight it. Certainly my eyes gleamed as I told them of my part in it all. I still dreamed of fame.
"What do you plan on doing about this?" Risu asked when I had finished.
I gave him a blank look. "Do?"
"Surely you realize that you are merely at a standstill," he said. Of course I had realized that. Or, more correctly, a part of me had realized that to be true, but the part in control wanted more victories and that's all that I cared about. Both parts, however, were listening to what the young man said next.
"If you truly want your plight ended, you must strike in full force and destroy this Shibo and his reign." He said it so casually; he made it sound so easy. Something inside me clicked. Oh, the glory that could be gained from an attack like that! What a hero I could be!
"You'd probably all die," said Kitsune, breaking in on my thoughts. Ah, the voice of reason, that beautiful fox.
"I wouldn't die," I told her. Like many young people, I thought I was invincible.
"Probably most of those that went with would die," she replied. Why is it no one recognizes the voice of truth when they hear it?
I didn't respond to her. I just looked at her, for the first time really noticing the extent of her beauty. Rather silly timing, I know, but so things go. Her hair reminded me of moonbeams and her eyes of dragons from ancient legend. I wondered briefly if these two strangers were, indeed, dragons. It seemed possible; anything was at a time like this.
Risu seemed about to say something when a knock sounded on my door.
"Come in!" I hollered.
The door slid open and Shinri poked his head in. "Tonosama calls," he said. "They are to stay here." He nodded toward my visitors.
"I will return shortly," I told Risu and Kitsune, bowing. "Please don't wander away.
"We won't," said Risu as I slipped out the door.
Go back to the Author's Domain.
Go all the way back to my Index.