Jidai Stories

Ariya doesn't remember anything from before she was six. But she's always had this ability to wield a sword like a true master without dedicating herself at dojos. She joins the Kurokon Jidai, group of "rogue" samurais. While there, her past catches up to her. She holds a secret that explains her unnatural blond hair color and why a demon named Ichiru is after her.

Chidori's duties are clear; what is not so clear is how she can fulfill her duty to her father as well as her duty to her new husband, when those duties conflict. Submission for the 2013 spring Historical Fiction Smackdown For this round, we had to select three pictures out of a total of nine, and a quote from the "Tale of Genji" Words: 4017 PIctures: # 3 (Post riders at the Village of Sekiya at the Sumida River), # 6 (boy viewing Mt Fuji), # 9 (Ejiri in the Suruga Province), all by Hokusai. Quotation: # 3. “So heavy the burden I bring with me from the past, I doubt that I should make these vows for the future.”

Our story takes place in the 12th century, as we follow the tale of Akamatsu Mitsusuke, son of the Emperor Toba. He was rightfully meant to take the Imperial Throne after his father. However, tradition doesn't always follow through. We shall see how Akamatsu's struggle for his father's approval eventually drives him to attempt to claim the throne by force...

A little short story I made a couple months ago. I thought it would be interesting to write from the point of view of a common soldier, since it is something rarely done in media concerning the Sengoku Jidai time period, where the common perspective is that of high ranking daimyo and samurai. Was inspired by the famous Battle of Sekigahara, the last of the Sengoku Jidai and the beginning of a new age for Japan. (ok, that, and hours of playing total war: shogun 2) PS: if anyone tells me I'm a filthy weeb virgin, well, I guess you'd be justified.