BLOOD BOURNE

CHAPTER 1

HAVEN.

It wasn't anything special. Just one of the many settlements in feudal Japan.

Cool north winds paddled over broad hills and nested on the valley grasslands that birthed the Kõga province.
It was a fairly small place filled with a bunch of peaceful struggling peasants. It was basically adorable.

Looking down from the top of one of the many hills surrounding the village, one would see a cluster of well arranged towers and yamagoyas (huts) forming short crooked streets.

Streets which were filled with men, women and children engaging in all sorts of activities.
Old men could be seen playing various kinds of games that came with old age; Renju, Shogi, sugoroku and of course rìchi-mahjong.

The market place was not in any way more special than the village itself. Just a collection of stalls, kiosks and of course children.

A group of children playing Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton) in a corner of the street in the market, soiled the air with unimaginable dust and were driving the adults insane.

A couple of traders who stood beside them - and didn't seem to mind the dust - stood behind a kiosk and drew strangers attention to their fresh sakanas (fishes).

All over the market place, products of different kinds and qualities, littered tables and food stands.

Stepping into the village, you would immediately get the impression that this was a place that specialized mainly in food production.

And indeed it was.

The proof lay a few kilometers west of Kõga province, just near the river hokuriku. There dwelt the treasure of the Kõga people.

A vast valley filled with crops, flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees of various types, sizes, shapes and colours.

These crops were all planted in various sectors of the giant landscape. A little close to the hills in the meadow amongst the numerous flowers and tall grasses, were the berì (berry) crops; tomatoes and all kinds of perishable products.

Each arranged so beautifully, it became a haven for butterflies and bees.

Viewed from the hills, it looked like a painting made by lord Fujin (Japanese god of wind) himself.

West of the meadow, in the large swamp on the bank of the hokuriku river, was the main crop of the Japanese.

Raisu (rice).

A group of farmers with boots and bõshi (hats) were busy tending to newly germinating Raisu crop. Others, with different kinds of tools attended to many other plants on the other side of the farm.

The secret, to success of the Kõga people was simple.

Unity.

They did practically everything together.

They played together, worked together and on the Great harumatsuri festival, they ate together.

Kõga province, was leagues away from any of the other provinces in feudal Japan but that didn't affect them as a result of their self sufficiency.

Only on a few occasions did some traders travel to other towns to buy supplies that weren't made in Kõga.

Besides that, the people of Kõga were happy with their uninterrupted lives.

Or so they thought.

Despite the fact that the Kõga people delighted in giving birth to children, they didn't seem to increase in population.

No one knew why.

The streets were filled with orphans. They didn't lack food though as there was more than enough in Kõga province.

But besides the physical beauty of Kõga province, there was something awfully wrong, but no one knew what it was.

Though there were many orphans in the streets, not all of them seemed to grow up.

It was as though something took some of them from childhood, and left the remaining ones to grow.

The seemingly missing ones are then replaced by New orphans every few years, so no one really took notice.

But of course this was just one of the many gossips that roamed the market place.

No one new what was really wrong.

This was just one of the many mysteries in feudal Japan.

Hi guys. If you're enjoying this story please leave a comment. The next chapter is going to be awesome you can count on it

I'll update in a couple of days.

Please follow @blackbriar56e