Flames of the World : The Rise of Chaos

Chapter 18 : The Story of Toshiro (Part 1)

Not long ago a young boy abandoned by his brother was sitting alone in the rain. Tears filled the young boy's eyes while crouching next to the wall of an old building. He was helpless, lost and felt unloved. But in the village near the east cost in Japan no one would take care of him. Until the most unexpected creature approached the white haired boy. A relatively big cat with long white-grey hair walked up to the crying boy and spoke to him. He took it upon himself to take this boy with him. The boy grabbed the cat's tail and let him lead the way. 
Not long did they have to walk until they found a small minka, which both of them used as shelter. The boy was tired, so the cat brought him to bed and let him rest. While lying down the cat started to tell a tale, a tale of one of the cat's many adventures. The boy listened to the talking cat, but his eyes couldn't hold long, until they closed and he finally fell asleep.
The sound of birds and the sound of the wind moving the trees woke the young boy up. He rubbed his eyes, removed the blanked off his body and got up. The boy opened the door and walked through a narrow hallway. Then he reached a large room. On one side of the room was a giant bookshelf, on the other was the kitchen, on the opposite wall from where the boy was standing were windows, in the middle was a table with chairs and finally on the table was the talking cat sitting next to a freshly made breakfast.

This special cat changed the life of this young boy. A life he will always be grateful for. And here this life begins, the beginning of a story, the story of Toshiro.

After a well made meal both went outside and enjoyed the rising sun in the blue sky. Only a few clouds were hanging in the air. Birds came flying from each side. Toshiro watched them spreading out there wings and tried to imitate them, but it was fertile. While the sweet young kid ran around, Charly the talking cat spectated him from a stone he was sitting on. Out of joy Charly waved his tail around and purred anytime Toshiro did something amusing. Suddenly Toshiro stopped running around and walked towards his new friend.
"[in Japanese] I miss my brother." Spoke the little Toshiro with a sad expression on his face.
Charly looked up to him and got up on his paws.
"[in Japanese] Do you love your brother?" Asked Charly.
"Yes, he is the one that taught me to read and write. He was always there for me..."
"I understand. It must have been hard for you, to be separated from him."
Toshiro rubbed his eyes. Trying to hide the tears from Charly.
"Do you have a brother?"
Charly thought for a moment. He looked up in the sky and gazed at the few clouds. After a few seconds he sought himself back from his daydream and looked back at Toshiro.
"I did. Once a time I had someone I called a brother." Replied Charly.
"Where is he now?"
"Somewhere in paradise. Somewhere far from sadness, pain and suffering. A place we both will eventually reach ourselves, one day..."
"Is it better than here?" Asked Toshiro curiously. Already at a young age Toshiro was keen on knowledge and curious about the world and everything it contained.
"Oh yes, it has anything you can wish for. As the word paradise already gives away, its a place where one can truly be happy."
Charly looked up at the sky while speaking. Giving the hint that it might be somewhere up there, where the stars twinkle at night.
"If it is so good, why don't we go there now?" Asked Toshiro keenly.
Charly laughed, amused by the wise words of the young Toshiro.
"So thoughtful questions coming from such a young boy. The future must have something great installed for you. I'll tell you a secret, Toshiro. Everyone was born for a specific reason. We might not understand what it is, but at the latest when we die, we know what that purpose really is."
"Do I have a purpose?" 
Charly laughed again from amusement.
"Of course. I believe you have something very important to do in this life."
"Really?" Toshiro's eyes opened wide from excitement and happiness.
"That is what I believe."  
"I hope it will be to find my brother." Said Toshiro, now again with a sadder expression.
"We will see. Who knows what might happen. You just need to be strong in here ..." Charly pressed his right paw onto Toshiro's left chest side. 
"... and in here..." And then he pointed with his paw at his head. 
Toshiro started to get red in his face and was lost for words. After a few moments he opened his mouth.
"Say, what do I call you, wise cat?"
Charly thought about his answer before replying. He then decided on what he wanted to say.
"I don't have a name in Japanese. What about 'sensei'?" 
"As in 'my teacher'?" Asked Toshiro a little confused.
"Exactly. What do you think? Do you want me to teach you the meaning of life?"
Toshiro started to smile out of excitement and answered with a loud "Yes".
"But how is that you can talk? All the other cats I met couldn't talk to me."
Charly started to laugh again.
"Well......"
They continued to talk the rest of the day. And even after that, Toshiro was still keen to know everything his sensei knew. Toshiro had made a new friend that would teach him new things, keep him company, so he would not be alone and excite him with adventures of his past. Everyday they enjoyed their lives at the fullest. They would wander around the lands surrounding their small home and experienced something knew. If destiny hadn't intervened, they would live their lives like that to the end of days. But like life does it best, it comes with twists, surprises and shocking moments, which even Toshiro and Charly had to experience, about one year after their first meeting.  
It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was still on the horizon and shone as red as blood. Clouds moved in front of it like guards protecting a gate. The small village was already switching off lights and getting ready to rest for the night. Toshiro and Charly were still walking down a sandy path. They walked by small houses. These houses looked like traditional Japanese houses with lanterns hanging from the roof sides and slide doors opening and closing. The village wasn't very big and it was relatively quiet. Since Japan is an island, it was mostly spared from the wars of the past and the Erians never invaded these lands. That is why Japan is considered a holy place and a lot of people travel here to seek answers, peace or forgiveness. 
While walking Charly spoke of his experiences with the American Volk on the other side of the world. 
"They are similar and different to us at the same time. They speak a different language which is called 'English' and have different customs to the Japanese ones. They believe in one god only..."
Toshiro interrupted Charly by asking him a question.
"Do you believe in a god or many gods? My father never believed in one or taught me to believe. He never believed in anyone." Toshiro, who enjoyed his life as much as he could, still sometimes thinks about his old life. It may be already a year since the last time he saw his brother and father, but even now he was still thinking about them.  
"I believe there is something over us. Not necessarily a god, but some kind of being watching over us. But it doesn't matter what I believe in, it is what ...."
Charly got interrupted once again, when he heard loud noises from an alley way just a few feet to the right from them. You could hear men talking in a relatively quiet voice. Normally a human could not hear such quiet sounds from that distance with the ears they have, but for some reason Toshiro could hear their voices ever so slightly.
"What is wrong, sensei?"
"These voices... I know them. Wait here. I'll find out who they exactly are and what they are doing."
Charly climbed up the nearest wall of a small minka. He landed very gently on the roof of the building. With his soft paws he slowly walked to towards where the sound came from.
Toshiro was a very curious boy. He could not stand waiting until Charly decided to show up. He decided to listen as well. As quiet as he could, he tip toed to where some men were talking. He peeked over the corner steadily. 
At first he saw nothing. But then when he looked more closely he saw four men. They weren't very tall and were definitely Japanese. All four of them had katanas somewhere on their body. Those weren't ordinary men, even Toshiro knew that. But he still couldn't really hear what they were saying. 
What was so interesting that sensei had to go and listen? They are probably from one of those clans in the south sensei mentioned once. But what are they doing here? Thought Toshiro to himself.