BLOOD BOURNE

CHAPTER 2

SUNRISE.

The Sun rose up in Kõga, just like any other day before.

Slowly but surely, the village woke up. It was Saturday. Not particularly a favourite day for the Kõga people.

The Kõga people were not lazy, because the whole lot of them were farmers, and a lazy farmer means only one thing...

Starvation

They worked hard most days of the week, but Saturdays were different. It was as if someone compiled the work from all the remaining days of the week and dropped it all on 'Saturdays'.

A few minutes after dawn, figures could be seen strolling in and out of yamagoyas. Old men and women were already sitting outside of their yamagoyas, in an attempt to absorb the morning sun.

In Kõga province, old people were greatly respected and adored. Since the Kõga people were very hard working, old age in Kõga, meant a lifetime of hardwork and service to the Kõga people. A mere crime like insulting an elder in Kõga, would result in severe punishments like you wouldn't believe. Their leader, a man called 'Shinichi taiki', made sure of it.

Shinichi as the name implies, was the first son of Shin taiki, his father. Shin taiki, was also a leader in Kõga province. He had a lot of influence in Kõga province, thus earning him a place in the leadership.

Leadership in Kõga was not an issue of inheritance. When a leader dies in Kõga province, a new leader is voted in by the elders. Shin taiki, was nominated and elected leader of Kõga province, as a result of his good heart and philanthropic nature. Shin taiki, was a fairly wealthy man. He never hesitated to help as many as came to him for help.
He even built a home for the many orphaned children in Kõga province.

Shinichi taiki, of course took his father's nature of philanthropy. Thus earning him a place in the Kõga leadership.

But that was a long time ago. Shinichi taiki, was now a 101 years old, but still didn't look a day over 85. He could still walk impressively well. He had keen eyes, that could be mistaken for a pair of orange seeds. Shinichi taiki was completely bald. He was a comfortable 6 ft 5. A common trait in his family. Some called them 'the Kõga Giants.

Shocking, isn't it?.

The Kõga people were great herbalists. They specialized in tea that smelt like rotten skunk, and tasted like a koala's stool. But despite that, it did wonders in the body. It was responsible for the many aged people in Kõga.

_

"Rokai!. Rokai!!.. Rokai!!!..... " a woman screamed at what seemed to be thin air, as a defiant little brat scurried away from his mother. "Rokai Yamashida, if you don't get back here this instant, I'll make sure you eat koshõ (pepper) for the rest of the year". Rokai, stubbornly still kept away from his mother because of what he knew to be empty threats. "Come on Rokai... Mommy has a lot of things to do today". When she discovered coercion didn't work, she resorted to pleading. "Rokai, if I don't give you a bath, you'll begin to smell. Then no one will want to play with you".

Rokai, despite the fact that he knew she spoke the truth, didn't budge from where he hid. Bathing was something he didn't like, and having it done by his mother, was intolerable.

He thought he was too big to be bathed by his mother anymore. He was way too smart for his age.

Rokai, having just turned 5 was a big kid. Not too fat or too tall, he was just bigger than his age mates. He was a beautiful boy with thick black hair that half covered one of his eyes sometimes. Skin as pale as the moon. His eyes were large. Of course this made him stand out as it was uncommon in Japan. He was what you would describe as a perfect kid. This of course made other mothers envious. Rokai never played with his age mates, he always played with the older boys. This often resulted in injuries which he didn't mind, but it always made his mother furious.