Second Chance

Parker Forest

Parker Forest

The next morning they checked out of the inn after eating breakfast. There were no disturbances that morning so they were able to enjoy their food and leave afterwards. It took another three hours before they reached Parker Forest. Jewels, Roku and Ichi were dropped off at the edge of the forest. Sunny and the Driver would head back into town and check in another inn and wait for them there. Should there be any trouble, Ichi or Roku would be able to send word to Sunny to get help or vice versa.

Knowing that Jewels came to the forest to train, Roku and Ichi were under strict orders not to interfere unless it was life threatening. For two weeks, Jewels spared with Roku or Ichi in the morning. They would break camp and make their way further into the forest. On the way if Jewels saw any medicinal herbs, she would stop to pick them and stash them away in her bag. If they ran into a wild ferocious animal that was a level 6 or lower, Jewels would fight it, kill it and take its soul stone.

Each animal had a soul stone that could be used to help with energy cultivation. Each soul stone held the energy that the animal had cultivated over the years. The higher the level of the animal, the purer and more potent energy it possess. Within the past two weeks, they only ran into three level 4 animals and Jewels was able to kill them by herself. Jewels did not use the soul stone immediately like Ichi or Roku thought. Instead she held on to them and horded them away. They would make camp when the sunset and prepare for dinner and turn in early for bed. Each taking turns to keep watch for the night.

Each day Jewels learned more and more about Roku and Ichi. Ichi's family had served the Osamu family all their lives. They have always been faithful and loyal to them and the Osamu family have rewarded them greatly over the many generations. Even with wealth, land and titles, the Osamu family still kept the tradition of protecting and guiding the Kings of Redbane.

Roku and Fudo were abandoned by the side of the road. Picked up by a General of Redbane on his way home, he raised Roku and Fudo as his adopted sons.  General Tekeshi already had a wife and family at home. The wife was not happy with the orphans he picked up, but swallowed her anger and took them into her home. She did not care for them and treated them unkindly every chance she got. She would pit her son against them in everything. When they trained, spared, or tested. She put so much pressure on her son to be better than Roku and Fudo that he slowly started to hate them himself. When Roku was 16 and Fudo 14, Roku decided to join the army and fight along side his adopted father, who have been tasked for protecting the boarder from raiders. While Fudo, who excelled in literary works, planned to stay behind and finish his education. Although it was hard for them to part, they consistently kept in touch, however Fudo did not tell Roku the truth about what he was going through. The madam, would only feed him once a day and he was made to do hard labor. His education and training were taken away from him and he struggled for three years wile the General and Roku were at war. During those three years, although he struggled, the only bright light for him was the General's daughter who saw the injustice and helped him any way she could. She made sure to save some food when she was able to set some aside for him. When she could steal some medicine from the doctor she would take them and give it to him when he was feeling sick. Slowly in those three years, they fell in love and kept it a secret. When the madam of the house found out, she threw Fudo out and locked her daughter in her room. Fudo stayed close to the manor and waited until the General and Roku came home. It took two years for The general and Roku to come back and by then Fudo had become the leader of a gang. Unable to find shelter, food or a job, Fudo had to turn to the criminal underworld to survive.

When the General and Roku came back, they found out what happened and both of them were infuriated for different reasons. The General was mad that the madam treated Fudo wrongly over the years, however he did not like the idea of Fudo and his daughter in love. He thought his daughter could do much better then Fudo and did not disagree on his wife kicking Fudo out. Roku on the other hand felt his brothers injustice and argued with the General. In the end Roku was also kicked out of the General's household. When Roku finally found Fudo, their lives were completely different, however they were still brothers. Although Roku did not agree with Fudo's livelihood, he knew his brother was his own person and was now able to take care of himself. When Roku was protecting the boarders, he had become one of the best soldiers there, quickly moving up the ranks. By the end of his service, he's actions and leadership had been noted by the King and was given the opportunity to become the Crown Prince's bodyguard. Roku accepted the job have been Prince Radian's bodyguard for 8 years. Roku did not know how Fudo became Doku's disciple and Fudo was not willing to share the story either. All Roku knew was that the General contracted a marriage with another General's son and his daughter. Fudo did his best to try to persuade the General to let him marry his daughter, but to no avail, the marriage between the two General's children happened. Fudo soon disappeared afterwards and Roku did not hear from Fudo until 4 years ago.