Horizon

Chapter 2

The clock ticked in the dark as Councilman Dayif Kadal sat nervously in an armchair at the Council house. He was anticipating the war to start again at any moment the phone beside him would ring with a call to war. He wore nothing but a bathrobe as he was in his state provided apartment. He had been both dreading and anticipating this phone call for the past few months. Dreading, because of course it was, well war. Anticipating because there would be plenty for him to do. He began to drift off, when he was rudely awakened by the phone ringing off the hook. He grabbed the phone as quickly as humanly possible, dying to hear the news. "yes--I understand, i'll notify him right away." He hung up the phone and ran into the bedroom, he threw off his bathrobe and frantically dressed.

"Wha-what are you doing honey?" asked his wife drowsily sitting up in bed. "We have been attacked. I'm going to inform the chancellor now" He said pulling on his shirt. After dressing he kissed his wife and ran out. His wife, the young Sarri put her face into the pillow. She knew this meant she wouldn't see her husband much at all. Dayif jogged through the hallways nodding at servants as they passed him by. He burst into the Chancellor's office a worried expression on his face, he pulled himself together and approached the Chancellor. The Chancellor noticed him immediately and dismissed the other men with him. "How did you know I would be here Dayif?" said the Chancellor setting his glasses down the table and pulling out a box of cigars. "I couldn't sleep. I assumed you couldn't either. It's the wa-"

"I figured that out when you dashed in here, please sit. Cigar?" said the Chancellor "No thank you." replied Dayif as he sat down. "Bloody Imps! Does Admiral Gujet know?" "He's the one who told me sir." Chancellor Lipton sighs then blows from his cigar. "Now boy, we must get some rest tomorrow the war will officially start again." Lipton stands up and walks out towards his room, Dayif follows soon after.

****The sun rises over a small rice village. Mae Tako is a simple Kyoro rice farmer. So has this been the case for his father and many generations before him. It had provided for them and the people of the village Fuso. The people of Fuso had committed to never fighting in wars that was the pledge they had made for hundreds of years, but one man betrayed them, Mae's son Seno. He left them 10 years ago when he was 20. Mae was horrified and had the town elders banish him, he hated the thought of his son. But he took pride in his other son Akagi Tako who is 15 and follows his dad's every footstep. He realizes the simple principals the people of Fuso hold so dear.

Mae stops in his tracks and perks his ears, he can hear distant rumbling vehicles. He squints to see a cloud of smoke in the distance and leading it, military trucks. He drops his hoe and runs into the village center, bursts into Elder Ikehata's simple house. Ikheta is startled, he stops smoking Opium and looks up to Mae. "Mae you must not disturb me during my sm-meditation." "Forgive me, but there are soldiers here." Ikehata throws down his opium in anger. He pushes Mae aside and walks out to see most of the village gathered around military officers. Mae runs after him to his son.

Lieutenant Seno Tako walks forward and sees his father. Around 40 soldiers are gathered behind him. "Father!" he runs towards his father to embrace him, but Mae turns it away. Seno looks bewildered and sad. "Aren't you happy to see me father, it's been so long." "you are not my son! You betrayed our family and this village."

Seno frowned and held in his anger. A roundish older man walked up behind Seno and put his hand on his shoulder. This man was the infamous general Uyeda Hoshiro. He has executed over 1,000 pows and is one of the most powerful men in the Empire. "Forget about this old fool, he knows nothing of glory and power." He hands Seno a pistol. "Now kill him, and end all the shame he has caused you." Seno looks shockingly at Uyeda. His hands shake as he slowly turns the gun on his father. Sweat and tears pour down his face, he has never had to decide anything this hard. Mae scoofs "Go ahead kill me, but it will only double your shame. If you really wish to end your shame then you will turn the gun on yourself! You are worthless, you think the military will bring you fortune and honour! I don't love you and I neve-" "No!" screams Seno, he shoots Mae 3 times in the chest. The old man staggers back soaked in blood, then falls dead. Seno drops the gun, he is unable to speak, he just watches as Mae's life leaves his body. "I'm sure that was hard my boy, but it had to be done. Now you are free from his clutches." He pats Seno on the back and goes to address the village.