Bab 6: An unlikely friendship
(Chi)
The day was bright, and the sun shone its rays through the Washi paper screens of the door and into my room. The physician entered not long after I'd woken from the deep perplexing dream and examined me once more. With a nod of satisfaction, he was proud to announce that I was improving quickly. My body felt stronger by the minute and the thick bog hovering over my senses cleared. As I dressed, tying my armor tightly across my body absent sword, I wrapped my hair into a careless top knot and glanced down once more at the empty bowl that had held the water the night before. It had given me pleasant dreams, and a fit-less rest. I would have to thank whoever had made it for me after I met with the king.
As I emerged from the room I was greeted by guards with forever present stoic expressions.
"the king will see you now," they said in unison.
Without words I followed as they led me first left then right, finally emerging at the entrance to the throne room. It was long and about twice the size of the grand hallways. The walls were painted with Willow and sprouting Bamboo shoots. High above cranes swarmed in formation against the ceiling. On a raised platform sat a chair curled and exuded elegance. The Emperor sat atop that throne; in all the glory my father had boasted about when I was a child. I entered quickly and smoothly lowered myself to my knees bowing low.
"I am glad to see that you are alright."
His informal tone took me by surprise as I raised my head to address him, keeping my eyes low out of respect.
"Arigatogozaimashita Heika. The rains were not kind to me on my journey."
"Hai, hai. You look all the bit your father now. And my how you have grown!"
I bowed again. "Thank you, your majesty."
He leaned forward a bit with a hint of a grin on his face. "What brings you to Hiroshima, Chi Matasunei?"
"My father has passed on to the next life, your majesty."
His face fell in immediate grief. His lack of control over his emotions as we spoke was mind blowing. Most Emperors tried hard to show no emotion, whereas Emperor Okai fought nothing of the sort. "I am sorry to hear that Chi-San, he was one of the best men I knew."
I bit my tongue hard at the words of condolence.
"He spoke highly of you your majesty. He also told me of how he once served you here."
He clasped his aged hands together and nodded in agreement. "Ten years of service he gave me. Your father protected my family for a long time. I could not have asked for a better warrior, or a better friend."
"It is my wish to continue to do so in his absence your highness. I would like to fill my fathers' position as the samurai to guard your household."
Silence.
Fear filled me. I never considered what I would do if he rejected me. Truthfully, I never considered anything beyond this point. My palms began to sweat as they lay flat on the ground.
"I do need someone young to keep up with Misaki. She's a wild one that girl and is constantly giving her guards the slip."
My eyes flew up at the words that almost sounded like acceptance. But before I could get my hopes up his voice boomed through the walls of the long room and a tall man in a guards armor and pants fit into the leather almost soundless boots all the guards wore, walked in. the tip of the boot where the toes sat curled upward, just kissing the sky above. His beard was long and shaped into a sharp perfect point, hanging just off his chin. His eyes were serious, and his jaw set tight as he moved mechanically into the room and over to the Emperor's side.
"Chi has just made an interesting proposal. One I would like your opinion on general."
"Of course, Heika."
"Chi's father was a part of the Soma Minamoto Samurai. The men of his clan served my father for generations. And his father…saved my life once."
It was a struggle to remain emotionless as information I hadn't known surfaced. My father never told me a story in which he saved what had to be the young king's life.
The room was quiet once again as the general's hard eyes and all the weight that came with his gaze, fell on me. After an immense and uncomfortable silence, the general spoke. As he crossed his arms the fabric of his armor rubbed together as he placed one hand over a closed fist in front of him.
"With all due respect Heika, he is merely a boy." He took a step forward, addressing me. "Have you even ever seen true war?"
Ah, the fated question. The question of I am having taken life, shed blood. I squared my shoulders and sat back on my heels, meeting the generals gaze directly; he was no royalty.
"Hai."
He scoffed and crossed his muscled arms. "Detarame! Which wars have you seen boy?!"
His voice was commanding and condescending, but I would not allow him to deter me or intimidate me.
"Bushido," I responded.
His eyebrows drew together, and his lip raised in anger.
"Come again?"
"Way of the warrior. Tell me general, are you familiar with Harakiri?"
Another sneer. "Get to the point, kid."
My hands knotted into a ball as I glared back at him. "Harakiri, general, is a sacred tradition amongst us where death is honorable. The ritual is performed by two people." My hand came up quickly to draw Wakazashi from my hip.
"GUARDS!" the general bellowed.
A group of guardsmen barged into the room, surrounding me on all sides. My scoff was minute but did not go unnoticed by the general. Slowly I laid the blade down on the ground in front of me. "Who do you think performed the final act of severing my father's head from his shoulders, General?"
He said nothing in response. The great general of Japan, silenced?
"The way of the warrior is our code, my fathers and mine. Along with all fifty-one of our men. Living by this code, will carry me through many more wars than just my own."
His dissatisfaction could not grow any deeper as I smiled with the revelation of his apparent anger. He was not used to being talked to in this way, and it showed.
He'd better get used to it. I had not needed to observe him long to know that he leaned most of his weight on his left leg. A wound from what I assumed was previous battles must have made his right leg weak and unsteady. If I had to fight him, attacking his right side would be the favorable option.
The general seemed to have no immediate come back for my response, while the king smiled only faintly, glancing at the artistry across from him. The general turned sharply around and addressed the king.
"I would like to test the boy's skills sir. For your sake and mine. In fact, allow all the towns people to attend. I am sure the princess would also enjoy seeing a real samurai in action."
I wanted to run my blade through the general's mouth and out through the back of his skull. He was outwardly mocking my family, my father's training! This was precisely why I worked day and night as a child following my father's exact instruction. Why I slept so little and never went playing with the other children. My hands bore sores and my feet bled constantly after practicing my balance for hours on end. I itched to prove those like this man, wrong. To my pleasure, the Emperor accepted the proposal quickly.
"It is settled. Two days from today you will display your skills against my best men, Chi of the Minimoto clan. I pray your father taught you well."
I got to my feet quickly, bowing lowly. "Anata no igen o arigato."
He nodded quietly in return and I backed out of the large double doors.
(Misaki)
The morning bog hovered just above the whitewashed stones scattered around the gardens floor. The mini bridges connecting the small islands of the red and pink flowers were brown and smoothed over tinted green water harboring pools of fish. Dragonflies found solitude here in the early spring and were in abundance as I watched from the balcony window. The air here was freshest early in the morning. My Kimono hugged me as the fog wrapped around my body and moss collected at my feet.
"Kitsune.."
I whirled around at the unfamiliar tone behind me.
Him.
It was him!
He looked so different standing here. His hair wasn't pasted to his face anymore and his body no longer wreathed on the cold floor. He stood tall and lean, his muscles peeking just beyond his cloth robes. His hair was still long and wispy no matter what, even tied up in a knot. His jaw was taut and defined, something I had not noticed before, and his eyes were dark brown and intense as he took me in.
"It is nice to see you no longer sweating on my floors."
He stepped forward; hands clasped behind his back. "So, it was you."
A thousand suns! My attempt at shrugging him off would backfire on me. "Pardon?"
He took another step closer, leaning forward a fraction. "Watashi no heya no kitsune."
The fox in his room…
How did he know that I'd even been in there at all?
"When I went to thank the cook for the water left by my bedside, I was surprised to find that she had no idea as to what I was referring. But the murmur on her breath carried your name as I was leaving."
My cheeks flushed.
"Arigatogozaimashita," He bowed, touching the flat of his palm to his closed fist.
"Yes well, someone had to stop your ramblings." A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. "You were sure to wake the entire kingdom if I had not done so."
He straightened his back, and his face carried no more emotion, but he was not cold and unapproachable like the guards around us. How I thought meeting a Samurai would be. Not that I ever thought a day such as this would come. The mentioning of Samurai was spoken in myth and legend.
"Again, thank you." He answered politely.
He looked just beyond my shoulder, coming to stand beside me on the outstretched balcony. His eyes roamed the gardens that stretched on through carved bushes and lush green grass.
"It is even more amazing than father said..."
He caught my attention as he smiled sadly out over the view. For him, with the look on his face, he had never known beauty such as this. But for someone who never saw beauty, he understood my mother's intention with just the glint in his eyes. It brought a smile to my face as I got to share the familiar emotion, I had each day, with someone new."
"Who are you?" I asked lightly, keeping my gaze on the
landscaping.
He turned to me again and bowed stiffly. "Chi Matasunei. I came here to request a job."
I had never heard his name before today.
"What job would that be?
he glanced down. "Guarding the royal family. My father was the last remaining Samurai to Soma Minimoto. He taught me what it was to be Samurai. So, to honor his memory, I would like to fill the position left behind."
This boy could be no older that I! Was father truly considering this? We had an entire royal guard positioned here to protect us. What difference would this boy make? I am sure Mosai was not pleased with this request. He would see it as an insult. But the boy's father had been Samurai. If I remembered correctly, Soma Kunai served our family for decades before dying out of existence. The people of Japan have not seen a Samurai in over twelve years.
"The general, whom I sense does not like me very much has agreed to the Emperors ruling. Two days from now I will be demonstrating for you all."
To my surprise there was no hint of fear in his voice. No nervousness to be found. He was sure he would succeed. We would have to see.
Taking one last look at the gardens I began to take my leave.
"Sore wa yorokobideshita."
His voice traveled with me as I took my leave. A nod was all I
found suitable to leave him with.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone