Senshi

Chapter 4 - Unwelcomed Guests

"You're drunk aren't you!" I shouted as we darted toward the house.

"Not in the slightest, and besides, we have more pressing matters at hand."

Surely enough, in the distance, I saw a party of mounted samurai heading our way.

This is not going to turn out well. We closed the door behind us and after barricading the house, went into father's dojo.

"This is bad, we're going to get killed," I said, pacing around the room.

"Calm yourself Namakaze, " Reo started, "A calm and clear mind is the most formidable weapon."

"A calm and clear mind?" I repeated, walking to him and gently pushing him backwards. He stumbled, falling to the floor.

"Ouch!" he shouted

"You're clearly not fit to fight!"

"This is nothing, I'm still a capable fighter," Reo said, his words uttered with a sluggish slur. He gingerly got up, "And besides, I think I have a plan to get us out of here safely and with minimal harm too."

"How?" I asked, losing hope each time Reo spoke. In the next moment, we heard a flurry of neighs and whinnies from the outside.

"That must be our guests," Reo said, hand at his hilt. I felt a swarm of unease hit me, can't I just rest for one day.

I left Reo in the dojo as I ran to the living room, I hunched down whilst peeping through a window. My heart sank, there were six horsemen in front of the house. Draped in military kimonos, each one wore a stern expression. Honour-stricken, like all soldiers, they were disciplined and ready to die at a moments notice.

A few paces, behind the six samurai, were two mounted figures. One of them stood out, mainly because he was the only one adorned in samurai armour. He seemed to be of a different ilk. He was a large hulk of a man, he had somehow found a large enough stead to mount. He loomed over the other samurai, both in stature and might. Next to him was a lanky youth, who looked around his 18th year, which meant he'd be around two years older than me. Dressed in a lavish navy blue Kimono, he also wore an annoyed expression. Besides his sword, the boy had a bow slung over his back, which rested next to his quiver.

Three samurai rode out of view, heading to the sides of the house. They're surrounding us.

"That domineering figure at the back must be their commander," Reo said, almost startling me to death. He had somehow crept to the window in the living room without me noticing.

"What are they after?." I found myself asking.

"Most likely you" Reo waggishly blurted.

"Why, what have I done?" I asked

"Besides kill one of their own?" Reo retorted.

I gave him an icy stare, "That was self-defence and besides, you killed more than me!"

Reo started laughing, "Go and tell them that, ".
I rolled my eyes, the Idiot was clearly drunk.

I glanced back at our guests, they were unmounting now. The archer spoke to one of the samurai. The samurai, given his orders, walked towards the house. After clearing his throat, he proudly opened his mouth saying,

"By our military law, we order you to show yourselves, we know you are in there. Our scouts have been watching you. We know what you've done, you know what you've done. Come on out and face us, my commander means only to speak to you." The samurai shouted, his voice reaching our eager ears.

I looked to Reo, he had on a hard expression.

"We have you surrounded. There is no means for your escape. If you do not comply with our orders, we will simply burn this house and you with it!" the samurai continued.