Senshi

Chapter 2 - Blood

Night had fully fallen, the moon, plump and high, scorned me from its high chair. Fatigued, I had fallen to the ground, sitting, contemplating the series of events that had transpired. Am I asleep?, yes I know I am... I started laughing.

Yes, this is all just a bizarre dream, I think I've listened to too many war stories from father. Mother will wake me soon, I'll tell her about this nightmare and she'll comfort me, she'll make me something delicious to eat, all will be well, I know it.

"Get up" the vagabond commanded, forcefully waking me from my thoughts and solidifying the notion that the grotesque events that had happened were a reality. I refused, I didn't want to answer him, if I did, then I would truly have to accept that this hell was my life.

"I know you've just gone through a lot boy but now is not the time to wallow into your despair."

He paused, walking towards me and placing a hand on my shoulder. My whole body shuddered in response to his touch. I was alert, I felt as if I had been asleep. I looked at him, he nodded his head and walked away. I looked to my hands, they smelled strange, blood, it had a subtle, metallic scent that I quickly wanted to forget. The blood had dried up in odd blotches on my skin.

My father's katana came into sight, it had been lying by my side the entire time. I remembered the rubbery hilt and how hard I gripped it as I confronted those men. I killed... I killed someone.

This weapon, all who held it knew its true nature, death was inevitable. I remembered a phrase my father would always quote, 'Those who live by the sword, die by the sword'. A common phrase in bushido and one that I could now comprehend. No, this is no dream.

"I hope that you've composed yourself, you seem calmer. Good, come now boy, get up, I need your help" he said, struggling to pull one of the samurai's bodies. I reluctantly got up, helping him move Black Kimono, who was quite heavy. We then went on to move White Kimono, the vagabond balanced the corpses with his one arm by holding the collar, whilst I held the legs.

"I can't believe what's happened, I killed, a samurai... ?" I thought out loud

"You did well by yourself boy but if this man were to be in perfect health, your death would have been imminent." the vagabond said, as we neared White Kimono toward his fallen comrade.

"What do you mean by perfect health?" I asked, looking downward at White Kimono, I noticed more detail now, besides the stab I gave him, White Kimono had suffered countless slashes, grievous gashes and deep cuts.

"I don't recall making these cuts," I said

"That's because you didn't, this man must have fought someone before you killed him"

It must have been father, I thought, saddened. We placed White Kimono next to his partner. Looking down from the samurai's faces to their chests, I noticed something so sickening that I shouted in disbelief. There were flowing blossom crests on their uniforms that belonged to the village of Yamato.

The vagabond looked up at me.

"These crests" I started

"What about them?" 

"They're our village's crest, this means that these samurai, these shits, that killed both my parents are from Yamato" I surmised, afraid of what my words meant.

Mother, father....I...father I'm so sorry, I didn't know, you must have been trying to protect mother.

The vagabond found their swords and placed them on the chests of their respective owners, he then went on to cross the two samurai's arms in an 'X' manner, on top of the swords that laid on their chests. Samurai were seldom seen without their swords, the sword and its wielder had a deep psychological bond. The vagabond understood that even scum needed some measure of respect.