Call of Samurai: A Mugen Love Story

Monster

I could hear the girl arguing with the men as I attempted to sleep. They sounded like siblings; bickering at one another. I wondered why she even needed to switch rooms if she was so close to them. In contrast to hearing the constant chatter-I gathered my things and began to take a walk. I didn't plan to go too far- Just far enough to give the girl long enough to settle in for the night without the pressure of my presence.

 It was far from the Inn, but a little relaxation sounded grand given the compromise that I had just accepted. I craved the warmth of the hot spring. A grand friend in the face of such a disturbance.

Stripping and settling back down into the hot spring offered the solace that I sought after so intensely. It was a ritual that I had appreciated every time I had the opportunity to do it.This was possibly the first time that I had partaken twice in one night. The calming water surrounded me and engulfed my body. Although the water offered peace in some ways, there were some things that I just could never manage to escape.  

Troublesome memories returned to me. 

I grimaced at the memory of being called a monster as I soaked. I remembered lit lanterns being thrown and my catching fire because of it. I pushed through the surrounding mob, attempting to find a safe place without hurting anyone else. The man that I had murdered that night was no ordinary man; he was powerful and well known, unfortunately. I shook the memory from my mind. Popularity and power- an uprising and a tragic downfall. 

There are paw prints on the palms of my hands as well as on the bottom of my feet. I was always certain to keep them covered. These are the warnings to others of what I am. I touched the back of my neck, caressing the kanji for wolf located there. I sunk a little farther down in the water, admiring the moon and the many, many stars watching over me. 

The stars always guide me. They always show me enough of who I am when the world is dark. 

l am the one with this life. I am cursed to be a beast- a monster.

I slowly stood up from the steaming water and stretched before wringing the water from my hair. I clothed myself as the sounds of the night seemed to echo; a clear sign of my discomfort around returning to the room with another person there. 

The inn was still and quiet. People chatted quietly near the entrance as I passed. I listened closely as I approached my room. The girl's snoring was a definite indication of my ability to enter the room with minimal interaction. I quietly reached to slide the door open but was stopped by a gentle touch.

It was Yana.

"Thank you for your earlier kindnesses." 

She smiled and handed me a serving of dumplings and a side of grilled meat. 

I looked down at the plate and then looked past it at her. She moved the plate into my hand.

"It seems that you are very beautiful-both inside and out, Miss Sanyo."

I smiled at her although the old woman would have no way of receiving my smile through the cloak that I wore. 

"Thank you. This is very kind of you."

She went on her way - as did I. I quietly ate the delicious meal in the corner of the room. The girl's snoring quieted yet continued. The men in the other room appeared to be asleep as well. 

After finishing the meal, I gave in to the peaceful night and fell asleep.

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I was awakened by what felt like an eerie presence.

I opened my eyes to find Fuu staring at me. My hazel eyes met with her dark brown ones slowly. I looked at her disinterested and covered myself back up.

 I wondered if she could see my eyes through the shaded darkness provided by my cloak.

"Thanks again for everything last night."

"It's fine," I said. 

" Well, you better get up soon if you wanna enjoy the day!"

" Why would I want to do that?" I asked. 

"Well, only some type of monster would want to sit around in a dark room all day." She added.

I was taken aback by the term 'monster'.

I stood and proceeded to collect my things. 

" Where are you going?" she asked.

I said nothing as I left the room.

I walked away from the inn, embraced by the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze of the early morning. It had been quite a while since I had been awake early enough to feel the early rays of the sun. I wandered into the nearby forest and found myself getting deeper and deeper inside, though I could still remember the path that I had taken. Finally, I reached a tree, warmed by the sun enough already to not be covered in dew drops. I leaped up high enough to reach the tall branch protruding from the tree, swinging myself onto it so that I could rest atop it. I settled on a branch against the trunk of the tree. 

As I was nearly nodding off, my attention was drawn to a man walking into view. I assumed that I had not been seen and remained motionless in the tree. I was disinterested until he made his way closer to my tree. I hoped he would continue on, but I had no such luck. He rested his back against the tree I was in, sliding down until he was sitting. I leaned over to get a better look. He had wild black hair, earrings, a red jacket over a white shirt, and to my surprise, a weapon. I stared at him, leaning over further. 

*why here?* I thought.

 I looked away from him and  jumped down, bothered by my inability to find solitude in the recent night which had apparently continued into this morning.  

 I shook the encounter from my mind.

  I quietly escaped into another tree that continued into a path of others. After reaching what I considered to be a safe distance away from the man, I jumped down into  a clearing of lush grass and stood in the middle. I plopped into the soft grass below, lying in a way where I faced the sun. The warmth of it embraced me.  I decided that this was a great place to take a nap , away from any commotion. I closed my eyes, allowing the sun to warm my eyelids as I dozed off.

The small nap put me in a better mood. The sun was still shining bright and the leaves of trees swayed in the breeze. This was the perfect time to plan my next moves.

I collected myself and rose from the warmed, soft grass. 

I'd longed for the sight of the moon. It was surrounded by the stars that I had come to appreciate. I stretched, yawned, and continued staring into the sky. In a way it was like it was watching me too, questioning me for being there looking at it when I could go anywhere else and find it still by my side.

I stood, taking one last reassuring look at the sky before making my way into the town. It had been a while since I was able to sleep the day away. Resting helped ensure that I could have a productive night. 

As I journeyed through the town, I crossed paths with Fuu and her two male companions. I was surprised to see that one of them was the man that I had noticed in the field earlier. I continued on without acknowledging them. Fuu stopped and watched me so intently that her head turned fully as I passed. 

I continued as if I had not noticed the trio. I didn't want to show any interest in developing a relationship or companionship with anyone, let alone a group of people. I wondered if my disassociation was something noteworthy for the girl. Was I going to have to hear about this later?