A Ballad of Samurai

The Investigation

"Fate of the dead and the creatures of night
All are yet hidden as secrets from sight.
Anxiety builds in my heart as we go
Further and deeper inside this abode.

Still not a word I can give of the thing
Nor of the hardships our journey may bring.
Still your own heart and yet ready your steel
Harm I suspect we'll be called on to deal."

Now silent sat the pair of men not daring fall asleep
Though wearied both did fear the things what morning surely keeps
And knowing rest does make the nightly hours hasty fly
So both did battle mortal form and need for sleep defied

In hopes that little longer fate for both they'll brief abstain
Before their force surrender mind and down to rest yet deign.
To longer keep the night at bay the older man does speak
Now knowing brief repose is thing they both the pair does seek.

"Tree that's in bloom and the height of the day
Also the strength of the son that I've raised
Stands at the fullness of splendor and power
Wrought by our training for days and the hours

Man is not child who first I was bade
To take on my own and to teach him the blade.
Skills you have won though the winning was hard
Fighting for inch what for other's a yard.

Still you are formidable made in this hour
Given the gift of a Samurai's power.

Master who fostered you long in your youth
Stands as an elder now long in his tooth
Soon I'll no longer be able to give
Service to clan as I long have been bid.

Tell me my son what are hopes that you hold
After you're bidden so lonely but bold
To render your service in absence of man
Long who has bidden your path and your plans?"

The man surprised did turn his face and meet his master's gaze
To see the questing nature made that on his face now laid.
For never 'fore the student thought of day without his lord
When warrior sure the head of clan will send on questing chore

Without the man who raised him well and taught him all the ways
Of warring men who wields that dread and famous curving blade.
Inside his heart a great frustrating turmoil rose at thought
For never 'fore had any plans of such the youth yet ever wrought.

"Bridge that decays and a river that's swift
Time before crossings this thing is a gift
Longer I will that we're left as a pair
Ever the danger together will dare.

Still I do know that the day will yet come
Long when the battle is beating as drum
Man will be bidden to go yet alone
Companion only the skills that he's honed.

Still on this time I am loath to yet dwell
Lo though forgoing of thought is yet fell
Adding nor taking a moment or time
Both of us yield to our vows as a bind.

Turn from this question and think not on thing
Worries to present the future will bring."

And master turned his head to rest along his sleeping mat
And stares for long at ceiling head and thinks on students tact.
Then after long he starts to speak though thing was ill advised
To goad his student start to think and future plans devise.

"Passing of moment and day of our death
Neither will pause for a time unbereft.
Future is coming though banished from thoughts
Still it arrives and it's troubles are wrought.

Turn not you eyes for too long from the fate
Day that for everyone surely awaits.
Just as my training has vigilant made
Form beside me in bed that is laid

Let now my words do as such for your mind
Maybe that plan for your future will find."

Then master turned his face to wall and silent went the night
Though rest for boy was hopeless made by sudden thought of plight
That surely lay in future time not long from present hour
Endowed with all of fates unturning will and daunting power.

So deep in night the pair there lay until the morning sun
When task that both not only one had turned their head yet from
Did fall and both were bid to rise and don again disguise
And take upon themselves the tact of petty act and lies.

From inn they leave and quite went and neither dare a word
For both by many thoughts of day are ever onward spurred.
And still discouraged glances pair are thrown by peasants past
And many worried eyes to pair by serf are onward cast.

Yet ever on their force to go though great foreboding air
Does fill the land in which they press and ever onward dare.
Through cool of morn and heat of day on backwards roads the steal
Not wanting hands or steel of sword to force the pair to kill.

And hour by hour they onward go but take a cautious step
To make themselves not anxious look or ever too adept
In ways of war or ways of steel but just like peasants men
Do take a humble step and go to seek whatever end

Does lie before the warring men so pair may know the bind
That's laid on land in which they trek what mystic work they'll find.
And on they go till day does ware and sun begins to set
As wearied steps incautious ways in both the pair abet.

Beside plateau the pair now walk the heads are downward cast
Yet still they forward drive themselves and turn their mind to task
Now looking well for place to stay before the night does fall
They know the dangers found in land that long before them sprawls.

Yet even as their minds are bent upon the task at hand
The master nods his head at thing that up on ridge does stand.

"Exhaustion pains and the end of the day
Surely mirage on that ridge does yet lay.
Bloom of a flower and the rise of the land
Something exotic on hilltop does stand."

Then student hearing masters words does turn his head to thing
To top of ridge the walked beside to see what troubles bring.
But stands aghast at thing he saw against the dropping sun
A field of flowers high aloft the top of crest does run.

Their stems are straight and rigid black against the reddish sky
With crimson blooms that sun does aid by adding glowing dye
That bleeds through handsome petals lending comely paint to rose 
Though all were straight at many angles flowers current bode

And sprout from ground a strangest sight to see that day in land
No such a thing before in Nihon ever 'fore did stand.
Then sudden younger man does speaks and tell his master thoughts
That strangest thing atop that ridge to mind have current brought. 

"Brilliance of sun and the wonder of sight
Up on that hill does your student invite.
Stay I will venture and see what is layed
High on that hill at the end of the day.

Maybe these blooms will our answers reveal
Showing the truth so our hearts may be stilled."

But master cautions son he raised and dearly loved from child
To stay his hand till the night had passed and wait a little while.
For sun did blind obscuring much so fewer things are saw
What hidden dangers high atop the ridge of hill does sprawl. 

"Virtue of patience and cation in heart
Tell me to wait till the morn has yet start.
Go not on ridge when your blinded and worn 
Wait for the morn when our sight is yet born."

But younger man had started up and left his master's side
To see what blooms atop the ridge do current wait and bide.
He climbs to top to see the blooms he never saw before
So man might know the cause perhaps the heart of questing chore.

Already wearied legs did press and drive him up the hill
So longing want for knowledge's sake the man could quickly fill.
He reaches crest and grabs the ledge and finally over comes
To find what strange and ornate things atop the ridge had run...

Then sudden froze his blood in veins at sight before his eyes
As many fallen warriors down before him dead do lie.
Their ancient armors marks the men as one from warriors clan
Who came to search and learn the truth that vexed forbidden land.

The flowers no longer hid by sun reveal themselves anew
As arrows fixed in flesh of corpse instead of blooms that grew.
Their fletching red from dye of men not natures vaunted paint
A sight that caused his heart to beat and leg to feel yet feint.

Then sudden whistling sound does fill his ears and eyes to sky do turn
Beholding fate to late to see and hurt to fast to spurn.
A hail of arrows fall on man to ground he's quickly pinned
As sight begins to fade and turn to night that's final end...

Hey guys what do you think about seeing Naegi all grown up!

Please vote and comment!!!