WRATH - Chapter : 2

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the golden light from the sun gleam through the opening in our house. I find that my older brother and father had already left for their daily hunting and gathering of food and firewood. My mother was tending to the crops in our garden. I was supposed to join my father but I am more of a liability than an asset to him. My father, Junichiro, was after all the Leader of the tribe.

My name is Ren and this is where I belong.

Our tribe was called the Azumi. It was the largest of the land as far as we could see, that was what my father would say, and he was responsible for it to grow so much. Even though the tribe has flourished in its time, it was not ONE. There was questionable unity. The tribe was divided into 4 tiers. The first was The Head Council which was filled with old men and women. My father was the youngest one among the Council. They are the wise ones who make decisions and the laws by which we live. The oldest of the Head Council, The Wise One, is profoundly known to be able to predict epidemics before they even happen. I happened to meet her once and I took the initiative of asking her how does she know that a disaster approaches us. She told me, “Dreams, my son. Our Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu, has given me a gift which I use for the betterment of our tribe.”   

The second was of the strong males who would go and hunt down wild beasts and spread our reign over the land. They are what makes the tribe strong. They also carry weapons at all times to prevent wild beast attacks. During our last Seasonal Feast, a giant hairy beast had

come to lay waste which was when the men took up a stand and killed it. Lives were not lost but many were injured.

The third was of the women who work at the fields and cook great food for the Seasonal Feast. We dance, sing and enjoy ourselves in this feast. The next one is when the moon is full and high with clear skies.

The fourth tier was of The Shrine Worshippers. They are mostly all the while found in shrines worshipping our only goddess Amaterasu. They provide great offerings to the goddess stating that it is FOR the tribe.

I am not sure in which tier I belong. I am not strong like my brother, Akio, nor wise and ferocious like my father. Sometimes I feel as though I am not part of this tribe. I don’t worship the sun goddess either. When I mentioned this to my father he would say “Only time will tell, Ren.”, whereas my brother would laugh, slap my back and advise me to join him on his daily hunts and hikes.

Our tribe was known for it’s fierce, strong and ruthless warriors. We have also served the King as mercenaries. But of course, they are not just born that way, they are molded over time by our predecessors. I am also expected to go through their rigorous regimes to become a warrior, but I soon found out I was not made for that. There had to be something I was supposed to be good at… something I was made for.

In search of this hidden objective of mine I seek my brother to accompany him on his hunting. “Finally, you decide to come with me! Took you long enough to realise how fun hunting is.”

“I thought about it and realised it was not such a bad idea to go with you, Akio.” I reply to him.

We depart at the river which is north of our home, go past the White Forest and go west from the edge of the river which actually leads to a steep fall. “Mother Nature is indeed very beautiful! It is what gives us shelter, food, and water. That does not mean we are the upper hand. We are always in debt to Mother Nature, for what is given can also be taken.” My brother with a sharp look on his face which is quite uncommon to see. He has always been bright and strong-willed.

I wish I was more like him. We hike our way beyond the mountain and stop in a cave to set camp at dusk, before we can go any further.

“Now, let me tell you about our prey that we will see in the morrow. It is big and hairy, just like our father(chuckles). It has two great tusks on the sides of its trunk and its legs are thicker than my body. It may be big but it is fast.” Akio with a light tone that shows how confident he is to take its meat home for dinner.