I watched, as the old man drove the knife into me. Everything went black.
I felt the cool sensation of moisture, on my face. I opened my eyes slowly. A white sky lingered above me. I stood up. My body appeared unharmed. I was standing in a baron valley. The was growing; just flat, cracked ground. Three mountains surrounded me. Two of them were covered with conifers; cedar and hemlock. The other mountain was baron; only the maroon mineral face, could be seen. I couldn't see past that - a heavy fog was creeping in.
Everything was silent - I was alone. I felt at rest; as if there was no reason to move, from where I was at. My face was completely blank. I just starred though the fog, gazing at one of the wooded mountains. Everything was still; completely still. There was no wind to sway the trees. I knew were I was - I was dead, but happy, none the less. I had no thoughts in my mind. No thoughts of Atara, or the Lethovox; of good or evil. I stood there; for how long, I don't know. Finally, I heard a voice.
"Nishoma." It called softly.
The voice sounded strange but familiar. I turned around. My blood; if I had any, ran cold. It was Sensei Joe. He had no limbs...
"...like the man who talked to Atara, in your dream." Joe said, as if he could read my mind. "That man was once one of us, but now he is completely... sinister."
I was still amazed. How did Joe know everything?
"I know you are angry at me, and you have every right to be - I wasn't myself. I was tempted by that man. He has the gift of persuasion. His power is strong - I wasn't strong enough. How can you forgive? I tried to kill you twice."
I looked into his, glazed-over eyes.
'I forgive you." I stated with sincerity.
There was a moment of silence; then Joe spoke. "There something that I need to show you."
I felt my feet being lifted from the dry, yellow dirt. I floated towards the red mountain. Joe followed behind me. My body felt weightless. There was no resistance, due to the lack of air, yet I could still breathe. We reached the the summit of the mountain. My feet touched the ground again. The fog lifted in front of us. I followed Joe, though the darkness, to the edge of the plateau. He pointed to the fogy abyss, below.
"Look." He said, motioning to me.
I peered over the cliff. I saw the place where Joe died, and Kesho's Bluff above it. There was someone coming up the trail. It was a bearded man in a black shozoku. He was wearing a pair of purple tabi boots. Another man followed him. He looked familiar. I could not see his face; it was concealed by a zukin hood. The two stood men on top of Kesho's Bluff, looking out over Hayatoge.
"I can remember when I used to live that cave." The bearded man exclaimed.
The hooded man nodded.
"Ah, those were the days! Now It's up to you. You have a respect for this land - like I've never seen before."
The hooded man gave me a strange feeling.
"Who is that?" I said, pointing down the side of the mountain.
"Watch." Joe said.
The man pulled off his hood. I stood motionless - it was me. Suddenly, the image became engulfed by the fog.
"Are you okay Nishoma?" Joe asked.
My eyes didn't blink; not once.
"Nishoma!" Joe exclaimed with a smile. "You have been spared."
"What do you mean?" I asked him - not making eye contact.
"You are not going to die" Joe explained. "You've been chosen to do great things, Nishoma! It won't be easy though. You will witness tragedies, that no one can imagined. There will be lots of dying, but there will also be magnanimous victories, for good."
"What must I do?" I questioned.
"Continue to protect Hayatoge - see where it leads you. You will train with that bearded man - he will be your new sensei. My dojo is being run by Kage, again. Write to him often.
"Take this." Joe said - a black belt floating in front of him. It had a gold crest on one side. "Wear it, at all times. If it comes undone in battle; you will truly die."
This was all so much, at once. I took the belt and bowed with gratitude. I could feel the mountain crumbling beneath my feet, as I bowed. The cliff gave out. I down, into the dark fog...
Ahg! the old man shouted, his tanto flew from his hands. His face was thrashed violently, against the ground.
"Stop it!" he yelled - his nose bleeding.
Finally - there was silence. I felt the ropes on my hands being cut. I pulled my hands out, from my behind me. I got up - my face covered in dirt. I stood face, to face, with a ninja. He was dressed in black, except for his tabi boots; they were purple. It was the bearded man who lived in the Cave of the Giant Rat. Joe said, that he was going to be my sensei. The ninja handed me the old man's tanto.
"Who are you?" I asked the ninja as he walked into the night. He turned to me. His dark eyes; shining in the moonlight. Suddenly, A cloud of purple smoke appeared. I ran through the smoke, coughing. The ninja was nowhere in sight.
The shuriken was laying on the ground. I picked it up, and dusted it off. I tucked the tanto and shuriken, into my belt. There was something different about my belt. It had a gold kamon on the side. It was the belt that Joe gave to me. I walked through the forest, until I could see the lights of a building. I stepped out of the woods, and around the red brick, building.
A large stone sign read: Raven School: K-12 Education.
I open the metal doors, and walked in. A small crowd of about fifteen; sat, watching the stage. Atara was in the middle of his kusari act. He paused for second; when I came in. I grabbed a folding chair and sat down. The wooden floor boards creaked, as Atara leaped across the stage. His chain wrapped around an arm of the wooden dummy. He pulled himself close - blocking with his shoulder.
The crowd cheered, and clapped. Atara bowed, then left the stage. The curtain closed behind him. Just as the cheering died down, the doors flew open. It was Jim and his lynch mob. Everyone stood up. The mob was armed with pitchforks and shovels.
"Hello, sheriff!" Jim snickered, with a grin.
"Hello, Jim" I replied, calmly.
"It's a fine evening out there." He said, raising his pitchfork.
"Too bad it has to be your last!"...
A little 'A Christmas Carol', to get you in the Holiday spirit!
Last week in my other book 'Mila's Men' I did a crossover of some future 'Woodland Shinobi' characters. Here, I mention Kage from Mila's Men'.
I hope all of you are enjoying this holiday season!
Stay tuned, to learn why Jim is so upset.
