Immortal Coil

Chapter 1

   The sun hung low on a little village surrounded by many trees. A man wearing a Blue Kimono with a big scar on his chest that steers to the right and a long ponytail that touches the middle of his back, swung viciously at a tree with his wooden sword using all of his strength in each slash. He began to breathe heavily, his skin looked as if he was just caught in the rain. He fell to the floor in exhaustion and sighed as he sat on the grassy terrain. A tall bald man who wore a white kimono, walked over and stood over him.

"Ha, you're actually taking a break? That something new to see from you Koji"

"Ah shut up, you should know I'm getting ready for war...you wouldn't know that because you're a monk," Koji said with a big smile on his face.

"Oh, so you've decided on fighting for the emperor... I see you are not following in your father's footsteps. I'm happy for you." the monk said in a tone of relief.

"Let's not speak of him. He no longer needs to be brought up, he is just a disgraceful man who abandoned his wife and children. There's nothing more than that, I am still young but I'm definitely more of a man than he has ever been. So please after this let's not bring him up or even compare me to him," Koji said, clenching his teeth together as if his jaw was locked.

"You're right...I shouldn't have even thought to bring him up. I'm very sorry Koji, my blessing will be with you during your battles. I can already tell you're going to be an amazing samurai," said the monk with his right hand on Koji's shoulder.

"Thank you for your blessings and the apology, monk," Koji got up and grabbed his wooden sword, he bowed to the monk and the monk bowed back. They both proceed into the main part of the village. Koji went into his home and greeted his wife. She was a beautiful woman with raven black hair, it was so long that it covered her whole back, her name was Aka. Koji sat down in silence staring blankly at the wall thinking of what is to come in the future. Will I ever return home unscaved or will I lay dead on the battlefield, never to come back. Koji thought deeply about this. If he would back out now everybody, even his wife would think he is a coward.

"Koji are you alright? Do you need anything?" Aka said with concern for her husband.

"No, no, I'm fine...I'm just thinking about the war and actually becoming a samurai, I already know this is going to be so cool. Fighting alongside legendary samurai, and if things go well for me I can come home and tell some battle stories like my grandfather," Koji said with excitement.

"Don't say that, you are going to come back. There is no 'ifs'. And Koji...didn't you say you were going to visit your mother and grandparents this evening?" Aka asked as she was preparing to cook dinner. She looked at Koji with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh shit! I forgot, I will try to be back in time for dinner, see you later Aka," Koji got up and headed out of the door, before Aka could even say goodbye to him. He walked to his grandparents home and knocked on the door. His grandmother opened the door, she was a very small woman who held a black cain.

"Koji, thought you weren't coming at all, thought you were too busy with your training ...Everyone is inside." Koji's grandmother said as she pointed to the room everybody else was in. Koji walked into the room with his mother, grandfather and sister sitting around a circle wooden table.

"Sit right here my love," Koji's grandmother said. He sat down and everybody cleared their throats.

"Koji, we know that you have decided to go fight for the Emperor, but be very careful. We will all be praying to the gods for you and that you shall come back home safely." Koji's mother said with a bit of distress on his face. I don't know what I will do if he dies. My heart will be filled with so much sorrow, but I cannot think like this. It will bring bad luck upon him, so I must think positive and I hope he will do good in his battles. Koji's mother thought as she looked at her son with a very worried look on her face.