The wandering samurai

[Kazuro Itsumo]

A wind blows through the trees, unknown from where it comes or goes. However, the affects of the element are felt and the impact is silent and invisible.

Like a coming storm, my travels landed me in a town surrounded on all sides by the thunder of battle. Cannons firing on all sides, and a group of beings unknown to me, new names and faces to creatures who in spite of insurmountable odds, never lose heart and fight with everything they have to survive. This is something I can get behind.

As I silently observed, listening to their voices undisturbed, I found myself wanting to be part of this group. I wanted to protect them. When their enemy had invaded the town, I rushed with them, like I was already one of them, yet these were strangers I have never met.

At first, they feared me. I guess, it was because of the garments I wore when I entered their lands, unknowing that their enemy wore such colors. However, fear turned to curiosity as they began to introduce themselves to me, of course at their pace. I would neither desire to frighten them, nor to be frightened by them. I was in a new land, alone, and without a true friend as company.

I wondered why I was brought here in the first place. I wondered why out of everything that happened, I was chosen to take place in a war that I had no business taking part in. Perhaps, Koshiro brought me here to help me find strength in my heart once more. I hope you are watching, my love.

When the attacks became more fierce, everything in my heart told me to help them, to provide aid and find ways to make an impact to perhaps create friendships here. I know that the way home is far ahead of me, and I know that I cannot go back, but I feel that these people can help me grow and become as strong as I once was. I hope to return to you soon, my love, as the samurai you remember long ago with the strength and vigor my life has taken from me.

Until then, I will remain here with hope in my heart, as well as a fire for the battlefield that I had long ago.

[Kazuro Itsumo]

Darkness crept over the battlefield as I watched a people struggle to survive. A well lead unit, enemy forces were starting to quickly overwhelm the people who were defending the town. The lines of battle were drawn, however, I saw the enemy forces had greater firepower than the people who were defending the town. Even though I had known them for only a day, I had to do something.

“Blind!” I cast as I ran between the two lines ready to strike. That at least was able to reduce being blasted by their ranged weapons, giving us a chance to close the gap. … Why am I saying us? The lines of battle clashed against each other, heavy armor and shields in the front and archers in the back. However, I had no bow or ranged weapon. I had no armor. It was just me and my katana.

I ran to the side, invisible to the enemy lines and got behind enemy territory. Due to the fury of battle, they did not see me coming. I hoped to strike the enemy from behind and get them from their blindside, but that was protected, and I had a battle of my own on my hands.

“Stay your positions! Keep your line of fire!” Shouted their captain, keeping an ever watchful eye on the troops before him. I went to strike at his back, only to be blocked by armor. I had now awoken the dragon, the queen of the hornet’s nest. Their captain looked at me and disarmed my weapon. I made a hasty retreat for the moment, getting the captain to take his eyes off me and focus on his troops. That gave me the opportunity to go for it again. I ran back to pick up my katana, and went for the captain again.

As soon as my blade touched his armor, a voice called out from the captain to the people’s champion. “Take over and lead the troops.” And the next phrase sent chills down my spine, as if a demon within him spoke. “This one is mine!” There I was, wielding my katana and wearing nothing more than the hakama I had traveled into the portal with. My heart was pounding. I was facing an opponent that had me out armored, out classed, and was carrying a sword forged by the fires of Hades itself. “Oh snap. Oh snap. Oh snap. Oh snap.” I thought to myself. Steal your heart, Kazuro, or you will die where you stand.

The clash of blades echoed through the night as I was facing down the captain. He was dodging my attacks and blocking them. Blow after blow I landed, and holding my own against this armored terror with nothing but my prowess with the blade to protect me.

Minutes passed as I held my own against the beast. Blow for Blow finally began to hit the being. I was gaining ground when all of a sudden, I felt a stabbing pain in my right arm, then my right leg, and my left. I went down. The people’s champion had seen the battle between myself and the captain and took down the wasp that was stinging the dragon. I hobbled off, like a dog with their tail between their legs. I would rather live to fight another day.

What was I doing? I was fighting in a war that I had no business taking part in with a people whom I had only just met. In the battlefield as I crawled away, I saw one of their troops whom I had become friends with. They were bleeding out and their life was being extinguished. Using my Phoenix heritage, I ashed onto them, giving what little life force I had left towards this being to fully heal them. They thanked me as they ran into battle. They tried to pull the same thing I did, using their weapon against the head of the snake, and as I saw the battle take place. I saw then that the captain had extinguished the life of that friend. All I could do was look on in horror at the sight before me. We were losing.

“Retreat!” Shouted the leader on our side. “They have completed their mission! Retreat!” Battle beaten and close to our lives being extinguished, we fled. We had lost the battle, but in all reality, the battle was a distraction for what was really going on. Some beastfolk were investigating a temple, and they needed us to stay off the enemy long enough for them to uncover the secrets inside. Out of breath, I retreated to where I could get healed, as that night, I had become one with the people of Meadowmere. That night I swore an oath to become their samurai.

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