Reaching Immortality

Chapter I: Fortuitous Fruition

[[Not entirely sure if I want to use -san, -sama, -kun etc yet. If you think it would make it better, then I will edit it in. Bare in mind that, although this is based on Feudal Japan, there will be the introduction of different ideas and perhaps distorted history as well. The provinces and the characters and pretty much everything is based very loosely on Feudal Japan.]]

Mist shrouded the people who gathered in the square of the Yuhi Province, the province to the far east of the Kinkō lands, cut off from the rest of the provinces by a shield that was the Kamigami Bamboo Forest. Dressed before red gates in faded white cloth, the people were all divided into small groups, spreading rumours of a new son in their family or some other business. Some of the people were alone, arms by their side, eyes on the cracked stone that made up the square. Some of the people walked the perimeter and greeted the souls in the tombs of the previous nobles, running a hand on the wood of the torii gates as if it were them. 

"I have heard that Shogun Masayoshi's samurai are becoming old." A woman stated, hand on her hip, her belly rounding with maternity.

"Their families are honoured, they have served the Kinkō for many years." Another woman said dismissively.

"Perhaps Shogun Masayoshi will need new samurai soon."

"Perhaps. But they will not find samurai here."

"The Koga Family have not allowed their people to side under the Shogun for centuries, but there may be time for change, now."

"No, it would bring dishonour on us all. A soldier of the Yuhi recruited under the Shogun?" The latter woman laughed.

"The shogun has lost more samurai than we have lost our children."

"And we won't lose more children under a fool."

There was silence among the two women, the fog around them thinning. And then, "What are you naming him?"

"How are you sure it is a boy?"

"Strong women give birth to males."

The first woman smiled and looked at her belly, moving her hand from her hip to under, to cradle the life inside. "Hoshiko."

"It is the name of an honourable warrior."

On the other side of the red gates there was another square closed off to the others by three rectangular buildings that met at each end, grey tiles on the roof riddled with the past. Three brothers sat cross-legged on individual pillows laid out uniformly on the floor around the table. They had been eating, and one of them was still holding chopsticks, bowl in the other hand, head bowed down slightly to hurry himself. The room that they were sat in was lit dimly, with mildew around the edges of the white walls which were fading. 

Two women sat in the corner of the room, eyes to the floor, head down, dressed in grey kimono. The male holding the bowl slurped quietly at the noodles. "You need to eat, Cho! Women like strong men!" A brother commented with a grin, baring teeth, some which were absent in the juvenile look he went for. He slapped the back of Cho who then jolted forward and choked on the food. "Don't play sick again Cho." The third brother, Hoshiko, grunted, scratching the back of his bald head. 

"Well it's not like we're going to war, are we?" Cho answered and put the bowl down on the table. He waved one of the maids over, and one went to rise to take the bowls off of the three noble brothers. The eldest brother, Hoshiko, held up a hand to stop the maid, and she went back to sit by the other lady, her head lowering again as she sat on a pillow to await an order. "Eat, Cho." Hoshiko nodded at the unfinished bowl of soup and noodles. The second brother took his hand off of the back of Cho.