3rd month, 7th year of Tenshou era (March, 1580)
It was a cold night, It was cold during the day as well for the winter season still held a small grip over the land and wouldn't let go for the spring to replace her fully.
A small rustle of moving grass could be heard, breaking the silence. It came from the direction of the military camp, someone was coming.
"It appears the guards are quite tired today, the drills their captain runs them through are by no doubt taking their toll on their fatigue. We should strike soon Akimoto"
It was Shougo who had just returned from his mission "Iye… not yet, we must lay in wait until the shifts will change, that is when the opportunity will show herself"
"Will it not be better to strike now when the guards are leaping between the realms of reality and dream? When they will change their shifts other guards who are more awake will replace them"
"When will you find your patience Shougo? I want to make sure this will go as we planned, besides, my belly grumbles in negation, something feels wrong…"
"If it is the bandit you are worried about, I can assure you he is loyal to the bone to your uncle"
"Hai… you are right, but I do not like to work with someone I do not know"
A silence again filled the cloudy, moonless night. Akimoto and Shougo now again lay on the cold ground, hidden by the tall grass, in wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Ah! My memory is not what it used to be! Let us return to the small manor-farm, your confusion will be forgotten afterwards:
3rd month, 2nd year of Tenshou era (March, 1574)
After two or three months have passed without a word, it was clear my father may never return. Us siblings became like a family meanwhile: I was the father, working the fields alongside our few workers from dawn to dusk, returning home weary from a hard day's work.
Sakuya took the role of the household mother, cooking delicious meals for me and Chihiro while also maintaining the upkeep of the house. It was not much different from her live before father left and even then her cleaning and food were better than those of a veteran servant. Chihiro had occupied the role of the child, goofing around and playing most of the day.
Chihiro also helped Sakuya but only in the simplest and smallest of tasks. She was only five at the time and would likely do more harm than good if she were in charge of a certain household labor. Though I believe her youth and innocence were a blessing and not a curse upon us, her cheerful smile was probably the only thing that kept me and my sister sane in those following months.
Once in a while, she would obviously ask about father… We tried as hard as we could to conceal the truth from her, though these deeds ended up hurting her when she finally found out. I wish we had told her…
When the winter season finally arrived we understood we will not be able to live this way without help: we had almost no money left after the supplies for winter were bought and after the tax collectors came, not to mention most of the crops did not sprout by spring time. From all the things father had taught me, farming was one he did not considered a moment's thought to teach me "When you grow older" he always told me, I do not tend to speak ill of my father this days but I still believe he had not the sharpest mind in the area… a good man, yes, but not a very wise one if he left his son a farm owner without the knowledge of how to raise a farm.
When spring arrived, most of the workers have abandoned our farm for I could not pay them their wages except for old Yashima-san who claimed he is in debt to my father for life and a young boy, around my age, Muraichi Shougo was his name.
I always wondered why he had come to work our farm… he seemed quite well off when he first arrived, wearing a clean and quite expensive robes and new sandals with clean white socks.
Over the last year and a half since his arrival his garb changed and matched those of the peasants, yet it was still clear he was no peasant in origin. He spoke in a quite polite manner to his superiors and his speech was always clear and monotonous. Never have I had seen him upset up until that day in the spring:
One morning he knocked at the door of our house and demanded "For almost 18 months have I been your loyal servant, have I not? All I see is a failure of a farm, nothing similar to an establishment of the shadow lord! Unwillingly I convinced myself it is but a mirage which hides the true nature of your organization, that all of it is a plan to test my loyalty! Even when your elder clearly pointed out, again and again, it is nothing of the sort! And here I am, at the end of my wits, come and ask you: are you truly related to the great Okikuyama Kiro?"
Okikuyama Kiro… as in uncle Kiro my father made me swear I shall never get in contact with… At this time I saw no other option but meeting him. If, as this boy claims, my supposed is truly a "shadow lord" leading some sort of a shady organization, if that is all correct and not some weird lie made by a boy's wild imagination… "If that is all true then our troubles shall be over!" Was all I had in mind, after all it was my father who also told me to do anything for my family, even if this means swearing a pact with a demon, … or breaking my deceased father's only wish from me.
"True, I am related to Kiro-san" I had told "Yet I seek him just as you, tell me boy, where were you looking before you stumbled upon our farm?"
"I am no boy! I am a man just as you are, if you are to refer me from now on, know that my name is Muraichi Shougo. For our other matter: I have been looking around the town where our clan lord's castle resides, Okayama. There when I finally stumbled upon what might be his residence, I was rudely turned away by the guards and were called a few unpleasant names in the process"
"Then to Okayama we shall travel. Let me make a few arrangements and I shall make sure that you are accepted as one of us" I had to lie a bit to this boy, Shougo. Otherwise he might have just turned his back on me or worse.
I left our manor with Sakuya to take care of. The old man also willingly promised to make sure no harm happens to the farm in the time I shall be gone. I took my chest with its belongings inside along with what little gold we had left, this "uncle" of mine will surely require a proof I'm indeed who I am saying I am.
And so, I and Shougo traveled to Okayama on foot, for 4 days we had walked until the road finally revealed the town before us, it was amazing, I had never seen so many people in one place! And all the goods the peddlers sold were astonishing! I had never seen sight of so many strange and delicious looking foods. I allowed myself to buy a simple snack I knew nothing about at the time- Dango. Its sweetness and texture are still raising a smile like a child's upon my face when I think about it.
It was hard to act not surprised after all I had seen, and it still was nothing compared to what I found at my uncle's house:
We arrived at a mansion where two big and muscular men stood without motion, as if they were the hills of a mountain. "This is where I found…" Shougo was cut abruptly by one of the men:
"You! I thought I'd told you to never return 'ere! You must be either very brave or very stupid to show up 'ere again! And who's this tiny ant next to you?! You are only making this worse by bringin' friends over! Leave now or regret it!"
"Please Mister" I replied "I am the cousin of your Oyabun and I have brought these as a proof" I opened the chest.
"Bah! You think you can fool us that easily?" The second one replied while the first burst out in laughter "Scram now!"
"Please, let me ask a favor of you! Just show the Oyabun this chest and its belongings! I beg of you!"
"Alright… but if this is truly a hoax, know that you shall pay dearly for disturbin' our Oyabun." The first said emotionless after he had calmed. He grabbed the chest from my arms and ordered the second guard: "Akira, keep hold of 'em"
With that said, Akira grabbed both with both of his hands. His grapple was stronger than that of a hawk holding its pray, his palms were cold as if winter resided within them and a funny odor could be smelled from him, similar to that of fish rotting in the sun.
The first one returned after a couple of moments and had told "You may come in… but only you!" he pointed at me. "Your friend shall stay here meanwhile, now go!"
"I passed the gate guarded by them and reached the paper door, there I took off my sandals and entered. I was first greeted by a servant who had washed my feet. After she was done she had told me "Walk over to your right you shall continue forward across the hallway and outside until you had arrived at a second building, the door shall be guarded by one man. He shall announce your arrival and only then you may come in."
I had followed the servant's orders, meanwhile passing extravagant paintings of various scenes of nature, everyday life and battle. Amongst them I could spot two tigers clashing in a fight, waterfall among the mountains, daytime in a certain market of a certain town perhaps Kyoto, men clashing with spears inside a burning castle while arrows flying above their heads and many others. Not only the painting I had noticed, but also I took a notice of a large kitchen and a room that seemed like a washroom because the large tub in the middle of it, the rest were closed.
Passing through the hallway with astonishment I had finally reached the large building outside that was guarded, when there, the guard had yelled: "The Oyabun's cousin has arrived!" and opened the door right afterwards. A room which was mostly empty had opened before me. At the end there was a stool sited upon by a man wearing expensive red robes with a golden pattern. I arrived before the man and sited on my knees on a pillow which seemed to be specially made for me. I bowed deeply before the man and thanked him for his audience with me.
For a minute silence filled the room. I dared not to rise from my bow and felt the pressure swelling up inside of me. Then, the silence had been broken by my uncle: "Akimoto-kun! So you are Akimoto-kun! I have been waiting for the day of our meeting for ages! Please rise! I am your uncle, not your lord!"
I had risen from my bow as he told and replied "Thank you for your hospitality uncle, may I speak my mind?"
"Of course boy! Speak, speak and let me know what you desire!"
"Thank you uncle. First, I'd like to ask of you to receive my friend into your supposed organization, yet if it is not true, please tell him this yourself!" I had bowed again
"Rise Akimoto, I am your uncle remember that! You need not bow before me. I agree to your first request, I shall tend to him once we are done. Please continue."
"Second I'd like to ask your hospitality for a while, me and my sisters had recently lost our father and I'm afraid we cannot keep our small farm ourselves for we know nothing about it. I'd like to ask you to accept us into your household"
"Oh that useless brother of mine… of course you may move in! And would you like to ask for more?"
"May I please have the chest and its belongings returned to me? You may receive the gold inside but I'd like the chest back, kind uncle!"
"Hmm… I have enough gold to last for two live times, You may receive this back as it is rightfully yours, however, I am afraid we are at odds with the chest, you see, the belongings there should reside with the head of our family. Since I am the current head I'd like to keep them for myself"
"Please uncle! I know all about the items but I must ask of you to return it, for my father inherited me this chest and its belongings"
"Your father also denounced me and did not allow me to receive my rightful position from birthright"
"Please uncle! It is the only memory I have left of him!"
"Hmm… you do not stand down easily… I like that! Let me offer you this: you may keep the knife and the coin but I'd like to keep the chest, also, I may give those to you only if you shall agree to work for me"
Again, silence filled the air for a minute, and then I replied: "Of course uncle! Anything you ask of me!"
A tiny grin rose bellow his mustache "Excellent my boy! I will send riders over to your farm, please ride with them and show them the way! I will be waiting for your arrival."
I bowed once again before him and left, uncle in return again replied harshly "I will punish you if you bow before me again boy! I am your uncle remember that! We are family!" Then when I was near the door he again spoke, this time in a yell: "Send his friend over!"
"Hai tono!" replied the doorman and sent a messenger.
And so I betrayed my father's trust… To this day I do not regret the decision though, me and my sisters had nowhere else to go, I only hope they will one day forgive me and understand why I did what was must be done.
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