Ronin Of The Winds

Chapter 2

I woke up a week later, groggy, but at least I felt a lot better than a week ago. My body was healed, mostly, and the wounds of the burn on my left arm was reduced to a little spot of blackened fur, nothing a little bath in the hot springs couldn't do to wash it and restore it to its former cobalt color. I looked out of the den, and I saw that dusk had just came upon the world. I then looked around the den, but I didn't see mom, but saw a big box-like grass wrapping, and a note in my clan's signature writing on it. I got up and slowly limped over to the grass wrapping, and read the note. After reading it, I remembered that it was my birthday, and I started to open the wrapping. What was in the wrapping surprised me the most. What was in the wrappings were a carefully forged chokuto (straight sword), a yari (Japanese spear), with a long, sturdy steelwood shaft and a lizalsteel spear-point, a samurai kago yumi (type of Japanese bow), made of steelwood, reinforced with the samurai's main choice of reinforcement, hi no ryū bones, and a bundle of 50 arrows, with sturdy wooden shafts, and tipped with obsidian arrowheads, in a leather quiver. I had only heard of these being in human society, but seeing them in my possession now, I just couldn't keep my excitement in me. I was about to cry tears of joy when I heard the sound of my mom's cooking. Nekomata weren't known to cook, but my mom and I don't like raw meat. I walked out of the den, on my hind legs, and saw my mom, cooking with a pot, making some spicy rice and amberjack ramen. I started to shiver, because of the colder days of the year, and sat by mom. "So, mom, can I ask you something?" I asked. "Yes, Shinsei" mom said. "I got the gifts, and I was wondering if, when I'm actually trained with the weapons, can I go out in the world and become a samurai?" I asked. "Shinsei, I know you have the love for fighting of your father's in you, but, I'm not really too keen on you being a samurai..." Mom sighed to me. "Why's that?" I questioned. "It's just that... A samurai is under the authority of a shogun, and the current shogun isn't the nicest person around... I'd love to say yes... But, if I were to ever let you die, I would be breaking your father and my promise" mom said. I started to believe that my father was overprotective, and then I started to whimper. "You have your father's eyes, you know that?" Mom asked. I didn't know what she meant, because I never met my father, but I took it into consideration. "Mom, can you tell me about dad?" I asked. "Oh, your father was handsome, a skilled fighter, almost as if he was immortal, and he had the spirit of the last Shogun King. You know what those people are, right, Shinsei?" Mom ranted, and ended off with a question. I shook my head no, and my ear twitched in curiosity. "Well, the Shogun Kings were a long line of shogun who fought for the well-being of Japan, and avenged the lost souls of those who had died because of others. Your father was the one that had the spirit of Shogun King Sora, the last Shogun King that lived before the murder of her husband, her children, and herself" mom explained. "But, doesn't King mean a male ruler?" I asked. "Not to the Shogun Kings. The word king in their dictionary means a title given to someone of a higher status, not specifying any particular sex" mom said, causing me to blush madly at the word. "Oh, don't give me that, you know full and well that I never mean that use of the word" mom assured me. Mom then looked at the pot, and pulled out a spoon. She scooped half the rice, catfish, and noodles, put it into a bowl, and handed over to me. I took out some sticks that I use to eat with, and started eating. My body instantly started to warm up, the Supaishīna Hābu adding spice and heat to the ramen. "You know that you act more human than nekomata, don't you?" mom asked. "Yeah..." I responded. "You're definitely your father's son" mom said, before eating her fill. I waited a while before asking her another question. "Mom, why did dad leave you?" I asked, shocking her. "Well, it seems like I can't hide it from you forever. The reason why your father left us was because he was a part of a guardian group known as the Sutōnraionzu" mom explained. "Oh... Mom, the reason why I asked that, is because Buru said I was the reason he left..." I explained my reasoning. Mom sighed and looked at me with a little worry in her face. "Don't believe what he says, Shinsei, he doesn't know who you truly are. You are, how do I put this?" mom said to me. she thought about it a little bit, before speaking to me again. "You know how I said that your father had the spirit of Sora in him?" she asked, as I nodded. "Well, think of yourself as the son of the last Shogun King alive" she explained. I nodded, acknowledging the fact that I may possibly be a Shogun King. "Tell you what. If you get up early tomorrow, I'll teach you what I know from my days of being your father's apprentice, OK?" mom said.

I woke up early the next morning, and looked out the den's opening. It was early, before even the first rays of sunshine shot out the horizon. I got up and grabbed my new weapons, before running out the den's opening. I saw mom with a daikyu aimed at a tree, nocking an arrow onto the bowstring. She pulled the bowstring back, before shifting her shoulders and head around, and loosing the arrow. The arrow whistled through the air, straight and true, before stabbing its target, splitting open another arrow, and leaving me astonished. "Mom, how'd you do that!?" I questioned loudly. "Your father taught me the skill of Kyūdō, and I was skilled enough to surpass even the shogun" mom replied, her voice full of calmness. "Do you know anything other than Kyūdō?" I asked. "Sadly, no. I wasn't as successful in other arts as your father was, other than Te tai te no sentō (Japanese for Hand to Hand Combat). BUT! I will teach you how Kyūdō works" mom said before motioning me over. "OK, now, strap your quiver over your waste" She instructed me, as I did as instructed. "Get your kago yumi out, and nock an arrow onto the bowstring" she instructed. I took an arrow out of my quiver, and nocked it onto the bowstring. "Now, aim the yumi to that tree, and loose it" she finally said. I aimed at the tree to my right, and shifted my shoulders and head, before loosing the arrow, as a squirrel came down from the tree. The arrow flew through the air, not as straight as mom's arrow, but it still hit bulls-eye on the squirrel, killing it. Mom looked at me, eyes widened, before congratulating me. "It looks like you have my natural talent for Kyūdō. But you need a bit more practice to perfect it" mom said, before demonstrating a strange technique to me. "This is a technique passed down through my friend's family line" she said, before she nocked 3 arrows into the daikyu, and jumping into the air, floating. She then summoned 3 soldier-like wisps, and let loose the arrows, hitting bulls-eye on the wisps, and dropping down to the earth again. This astonished me greatly, seeing my mom being fierce with a weapon. "It's kind of hard to master, but it pays off in the long-run" mom gasping for air. "Mom, are you alright?" I asked her. "Yes, it's just that it takes a toll on my 40 year old body to do it. I'm not as athletic as I was when I was an archer in the Sutōnraionzu, with having to take care of you and me being older" mom replied, causing me to sadden up at me causing pain to her. She noticed this, and stood up and looked at me, before speaking in a soft tone. "Shinsei, you aren't anywhere near as bad as your father was, when I was with him. You're actually a huge weight off my back, and I love you. Even if you ever leave, know that you'll always be the only son that I'll be willing to take care of... Even in death. You are My son, the only one I've ever had" mom explained to me, before pulling me into a hug. A few minutes passed before we let go, but it was a wonderful moment, knowing that one person in this world loved me. "Shinsei?" she said to me. "Yes, mom?" I answered. "If you ever go to become a samurai, please, join the Sutōnraionzu, they'll treat you like you're family. And remember, that I'll always be here for you, if you ever feel like coming home" she said. "I... I promise..." I answered, before the first rays of sunshine came out. I don't know what the next few years will bring, but, I can be certain that there will be quite a ride in store for me.