Kazima Lament: Black Clay Forest Ep.
Circa; The Aftermath of the Last Great Ninja War
Name: Zeff Taka
Age: 13
Location: Unknown (presumably the Black Clay Forest)
“What?” groaning before sitting up against the large rock behind me. Carefully I look around, and then it became clear to me why I was asleep on the earth. Not far from where I laid and now sat up was an entrance to a cave that I was in. Outside the cave’s entrance sheets of rain poured from the sky. Cool wind swept into the cave and brought forth shivers and coldness to my bones.
Removing my sandals and my jacket and it’s under shirt I ventured out of the cave and started to gather firewood. Where am I? I picked up bundles of sticks and logs, as many as I could in the cold pouring rain before clambering back into the black walled cave. “How did it go again?” I stacked some of the sticks and large pieces together and kept several others off to the side. Performing hand seals I then held my two hands out and pushed forth energy from inside until a small swirl of both air and flame were produced between my hands. The wind and fire coursed over the stack of wood until it started to catch fire.
Huddling against the rock I fell to sleep again, now warm by the fire. I felt safe… despite being lost and unsure where home may lie. Rest is what I needed. Rest…
…
“I didn’t sleep much it seems” looking out the cave the rain continues to fall and I heavily sigh “Why won’t it stop? I need to get home but with the weather keeping up I won’t know the direction I am going”. Not like I know which direction lies home…
Rolling over I placed a few large pieces of wood from the bundle onto the flaming embers, and closed my eyes to conserve myself. I would wait for the storm to pass. I found myself dwelling on what put me into this predicament; a loss I could only understand deeply in my chest. Every time I close my eyes though I see images of my mother lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood and my father stuck to a post by several blades.
Shuttering from the recent past I stare into the small dancing flames and curl into a ball closer to the flames. If it doesn’t stop pouring I’m going anyways tomorrow, I need to find a road and some signs. “Something. Anything… A sign for my village.”
…
Sighs waking up and peering out of the cave “of course”. Staring out the sky continues to pour rain down like tears from grieving souls left alone at the village. Home.
“No, no time to dwell on how I got here. I just need to get home. I’m sure the rest of the family is worried.” Quickly tossing sand and dirt from the cave floor onto the fire, I gathered myself as I held my hands over the doused flames. I remembered the heat as I stood up and headed to the caves entrance.
“Let’s head straight and see if there is a path or road that way.”
…
That grin on that man’s face… Slowly my hands shook. “Wait” I came to from my thought as I realized I was standing in the middle of a pathway. “Wasn’t I just leaving the cave…?” Looking about I couldn’t spot a sign of my movements. It’s been raining non-stop so why isn’t there any foot prints in the direction I came. “Is this an Illusion?”
“So you finally noticed…”
“Who said that?” leaning back as rain continued to fall in a steady pace I brought my front leg out to the side and brought my hands up with hands opened.
“It won’t do anything, you asked the question… ‘Is this an illusion’ so trying to fight won’t help you. It is an illusion, Zeff Taka.”
Shit. “How long have I been in your illusion?” I pulled myself back up standing straight while looking around at every direction until a figure materialized in front of me.
“You’ve been in this illusion since you passed out on the ground or since you opened your eyes and saw the rain. Even before then you’ve been trapped by my genjutsu. As I brought you to my home.” I figured if you woke up in a bed in a house you’d just run.”
“Why am I in your illusion!?” My fists clenched until my knuckles went white.
“I already explained that; you’d most likely just leave. By the time I found you, you had left your village days prior. It seems while you were missing the People of Takane have been looking for you but not as a lost person, but as guilty of murdering your parents.”
My body started to shake, as a shock went through me… “What do you mean… guilty of murdering my parents… it wasn’t… I didn’t… How could I? I couldn’t stop him so they are blaming me…”
…
