Blackbeard; The Legend

Midnight Escape

Akahana scurried along the shingles of the walls, avoiding the gaze of any watch guards. She jumped off, landing without making any noise, and she headed towards the garden. Carefully reaching into the bushes, she pulled out a brilliant blade. It was forged by a blacksmith that lived near the mountain, and she had paid a hefty price. Fortunately, the ironsmith was competent in his craft, and as Akahana twirled the blade around, she could hear it cut through the air, crisp and clean. She gazed into the steel, and both her determined face and the moonlight glinted off of it. Sheathing it, she grabbed a bag of coins that she also had hidden in the undergrowth. She at least needed money to start anew. Strapping it to her side, she exited the garden, sneaking past the guards.

Leaping up on onto the slanted roof, she crouched low, observing the roads outside the her home, looking for the carriage that was going to arrive soon. Her ears were perked up and alert, awaiting the cry of a very distinguishable bird.

Wait for the call of a ryukyu robin. You'll know it when you hear it.

Akahana kept her ears alert, scanning for the caravan that was bound to arrive. She still had qualms about doing this, but her mind was made. Hiroaki, Twig, her father, she knew that leaving them behind would hurt them, and she didn't wish for it purposefully. Yet, she knew that she had to carve out her own path.

Suddenly, Akahana heard the sharp call that pierced the midnight silence. It echoed throughout the valley, and it sounded exactly a ryukyu robin. That's when she spotted it. A carriage, traversing through the dark, horses pulling it forward.

Akahana quickly leapt from the slanted shingles, landing nimbly on the cold stone. Quickly scanning her surroundings for any guards, she scurried towards the brick walls, and leapt over them, the soft wet grass cushioning her fall. Akahana rushed towards the caravan, the coachman squinting to see who was approaching, his other hand on the hilt of his weapon.

She waved, and he immediately relaxed his grip on his weapon. But something else caught his eyes as they widened in alarm. Turning around to see what it was, her breath caught in her throat. Twig stood illuminated by the moonlight, his chubby figure casting a long shadow. She waved off the coachman, who had drawn out his sword in alarm.

"I knew you were lying." Twig shook his head sadly, sorrow in his voice. "You know, I tried to believe that I was just imagining things. That I was seeing illusions. But," He sighed. "I wasn't." He looked up to her with sorrow in his brilliant green eyes. "You're running away."

After a few moments of tense silence, Akahana spoke up. "...Are you going to tell father?" Akahana whispered. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword as she awaited her brother's answer. Her heart nearly stopped when Twig opened his mouth again, as she awaited the answer. But she was in for a surprise.

"No."

"W-what?" Akahana stuttered, shocked.

"I'm not going to stop you." Twig approached her. "I'm here to give you something." With that, he drew out a blade. But not any blade. It was Isamu's Golden Sword, its jade jewels glimmering in the moon's shine. She gasped, and took a step back.

"But why?" She asked. "You heard father; Golden Weapons can't be given, only earned. Also, what are you thinking?!" She batted it away from her. "Father would murder you!"

"Akahana." Twig presented it before her again, his voice serious. "You have earned it. You trained hard and learned, even with everything against you." He stopped before her and presented it to her. "That's why I'm giving it to you. You deserve it."

Akahana was about to knock it out of Twig's hands, but her mind raced. Finally, she had the weapon that she had dreamed of for so long! With it, she could easily carve out a name for herself in possibly a few months, a few weeks if she was pushing herself to the limit. That would show her father that she was not incapable of being a warrior. He was a fool not to see her potential! With a newfound eagerness, she reached out for the Golden Weapon.

Suddenly, she stopped. Her temptations screamed inside, berating her as to why she was holding herself back, and they begged with her that she must have it. Without it, she would be nothing. But she knew that it wasn't the right way, and her values agreed. Becoming a hero meant that there were no shortcuts to take in order to get there faster. And besides, she was already an exceptional fighter. With time and dedication, she could make her name without extra help.

"No." She withdrew her hand, surprising her brother. "It's alright Twig."

"You...don't need it?" Twig looked up at her, bewildered.

"Out of all the things you've told me, the most important is that a hero must never take the route fastest to power." She lifted him up. "But thank you for giving me the option." Twig looked like he was about to say something, but he dropped the sword on the ground, and in a flash, he wrapped his arms around Akahana, enveloping her in a bearhug. She embraced it, knowing that it was the last time she would ever do so in a while.

"Be safe out there, okay?" Twig whispered, a hint of a sniffle in his voice.

"I will, brother." Akahana murmured. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Don't tell anyone what happened to me. It's for the best, and I don't want Father to be angry at you."

"Alright..." Twig murmured, heartache in his voice.

"Make sure to take of father, and Hirokai and his family too." Akahana added. "I don't want them to be cheated out of what I did."

Twig chuckled. "What am I, an errand boy?" He wiped a tear from his face. "Alright. I'll take care of father and your boyfriend's family."

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." Twig replied, and even with his voice cracking, his words were strong with assurance. With that, the siblings reluctantly released their grip on each other and bid eachother farewell. Akahana climbed into the carriage, and the coachmen commanded the horses to pull the caravan. Akahana gazed out from the window, where she saw Twig waving goodbye, and she waved back. Her heart ached to see him and her home vanish off into the midnight distance, but within the sorrow, she felt a small spark of excitement. This was the very first step in her long journey to becoming a hero, and she wiped away her tears. Maybe one day, she could return, and by then, tales of her fame would've reached to her family, and her father would come to accept her as a hero.

Lying down on the cushiony seat of the carriage, Akahana closed her eyes, and even with the rocks on the road jolting the carriage every now and then, she found her way to slumber, and with it, glorious dreams of grandeur, and a return trip back to smiling faces and open arms.