The Serpent Queen

Miyagi-Do | Part One

A teenage Daniel sat in the ruins of a cold stone castle. It was lit by torches and thousands of candles. He was one of several hundred people in the castle attending a big end of summer celebration in Tomi Village, called the Bon dance.

All the women, from the youngest girl to the oldest grandmother, were decked out in their finest kimonos. Everyone sat congregated around a small sized land island in the centre of the ruins, accessible by a makeshift ladder with planking laid over it. A group of young and old women, Kumiko included danced on the island.

Everyone in the crowd had a decorative hand drum in their hands, very similar to the one Daniel had been practicing with during his time on the Japanese island. The dancers twirled in unison in time with the music, being played a a traditional Okinawan four-piece band. Sato and Mr Miyagi, sat in chairs at the front of the audience facing the island just on the other side of the makeshift bridge.

Daniel sat next to his Sensei, watching the dancing. The music stopped when the dancing ended. Everyone in the audience twirled their drums in approval at the magnificent display.

The women bowed to the audience and filed off the island, over the makeshift bridge. Only Kumiko was left.

Everyone's attention was glued to her performance, being the epitome of grace and beauty. The entire audience was captivated and enchanted by it, especially Daniel.

Kumiko smiled at him while bringing her coral pink hand fan across her face.

No one saw a figure zip lining from the top of the ruins by a strong rope that held the different coloured round banners.

Daniel noticed. "Behind you!" He yelled to Kumiko.

Chozen yelled as he landed on his feet and put an arm around the girls' throat. His eyes were crazed with anger and we're determined.

"Kumiko!" Her aunt Yukie yelled jumping up to her feet along with Mr Miyagi and Daniel.

Chozen took out a knife from his pocket and put it to her throat. "No more talk. You cross bridge, I'll kill her."

"Daniel-San, this is not tournament. This is for real." Mr Miyagi informed his student.

"I know."

Daniel got up and approached the bridge and walked across it.

"No bridge." The dishonoured young man demanded.

The American glanced between his enemy and the bridge. Chozen only tightened his grip on Kumiko. Daniel lifted his end of the bridge and moved it into the shallow moat. Nobody could get to him, and he couldn't escape either.

"Now, I dropped the bridge. Let her go."

"Now we fight to death." Chozen took away the switchblade and flicked it a few times before throwing Kumiko to the ground. He attacked the American boy. He swung at Daniel and hit him in the face.

Chozen was a fearless warrior and attacked with pure aggression and determination to win. He got a lot of hits on the boy, while Daniel got fewer hits on him, but still held his own against him for a while.

Standing up shakily, lifting his arms for the last bit of defense that he could muster, Daniel looked to Chozen as he was about to charge at him, when suddenly a rat-tat noise of a drum beating could be heard.

Shaking his hand drum, back and forth, the whole village put their eyes on Mr Miyagi and followed his example with their own drums. One by one they began to sound their drums, until a couple hundred were banging through the castle ruins.