Post by Ryu on Jul 25, 2007 21:44:49 GMT -5
-- One day week earlier. --
Yoshi sat quietly, looking at the man who rode into the village on a chestnut steed. His father stood a few feet infront of Yoshi, before he approached the mounted messenger. The messenger gave a simple bow, before he spoke to the village leader, Yoshi's father, Katsumoto. "I deliver a message, from Lord Iksugawa, of the Eastern domain. I am to take your response to him." Katsumoto took the scroll from the messenger, opening it quickly and scanning over the written message. Katsumoto's expression slowly changed from calm to a great disdain, and he ripped the scroll in half. "A lord we've never heard from, until now, cannot demand such things from us! We have enough trouble protecting our neighboring villages with the few demonslayers we do have. And, for the more important reason, they're our children. Tell your lord, I reply with a resounding 'No.' Now get out of my sight!" The messenger gave no reply, but for a simple nod, before he gathered up the scraps of the scroll, and rode back towards his Lord's domain.
-- Present day. --
A week had passed since that incident. All had been quiet, besides a couple small demon attacks. They'd been destroyed without any casualties or wounded. The demon slayer was fortified with a simple wooden wall that outlined the village, giving it small defenses against demons on land, but the demon slayer's usually had no trouble. A river traveled through the village, and continued unto the very edge of the village, where there was a sudden drop-off, a steep cliff and a waterfall. Despite there being so many demonic attacks, the forest looked very peaceful. Serene, quiet, and easy on the eyes.
Yoshi was sitting in a garden, which was near the waterfall that dropped off so far, all that could be seen was the fog below. No one had ever fallen off of it, thankfully. Yoshi rubbed a hand along the grass, feeling the blades prickle his hands. He liked training in the dark, it was always cooler, and the lack of light didn't bother him, he was blind anyways. He felt more at home in the darkness, not being evil or anything, but just growing akin to it, since darkness was the same as full daylight to him. The clawed gauntlets were tied to his belt, at his side. He only wore them when he was training or outside the village. But, he wasn't in his demonslayer armor either, just a normal blue kimono. He sighed, listening to all that made noise in the night.. He heard something like.. thunder?
Iksugawa had been displeased by the rude answer he'd recieved, of course. And having a small village of demon slayers defying his command was bad for public relations, so what options did he have? A small army of cavalry had rode on the village, the very day Iksugawa had gotten his reply. A small pack that road ahead, planted a bomb at the side wall next to the river, blowing it apart, just as the rest of the cavalry arrived. Rushing through the whole in the wall, torches were thrown at the huts and small houses. The demon slayers who were up, were soon cut down as they tried to defend against the raiders, but there were just too many of them. There was at least 3 or 4 score of them.
When Yoshi heard the explosion, he knew something was definitely wrong. Grabbing the clawed gauntlets from his belt, and secured them quickly. Standing very still, he heard one of the horses riding past him. Jabbing to his right quickly, the claws dragged along the horse's rib cage, cutting through the flesh and the cinch that held the saddle on. The man atop the horse fell off, but landed on his side, and was soon on his feet. Seeing that it was only a young teenager, he unsheathed and swung at Yoshi's head. Yoshi heard the unsheath, and then the man's breathing growing closer as he lunged for the swing.
Moving his hand up to block, Yoshi was almost forced to his knees from the strength of the adult. The katana's tip cut into his cheek, and he flinched, stumbling back, feeling the hot pain, and the feeling of cool blood running down his face. Stumbling back, he heard the man laugh, and his steps draw closer. Yoshi, being in such danger, finally remember his training. Lunging forward, he punched three swift time, before he rolled between the man's legs. Due to the gauntlets having claws, the man had been pierced in his intestines twice, and another time in his left lung. The man gasped for breath, and fell over, unable to breath correctly, and having been somewhat suprised.
Yoshi slowly stood, breathing hard, his heart beating in his throat, feeling like it was going to explode. He heard something behind him, and then a sudden extreme pain, hearing the horse ride by him. One of the mounted soldiers had rode up swiftly, completing another route through the village, and spotted Yoshi. With a simple sweep of his katana, he caught Yoshi over his back, sending the young teenager to the ground. Fortunately, Yoshi only had to endure the pain for a few moments longer, his fingers clinging to the grass, before things faded black, and he fell unconcious.
-- Iksugawa's domain, fortified castle, eastern coast of Japan. --
He felt like he was dead, when he awoke. Yoshi felt cold. No, it was from the cold stone floor he lay against. Moving some, he cried out in pain at the wound on his back, inexpertly patched up with cloth. His face had stopped bleeding on it's own. He stay still, and lay on the floor, his back hurting badly.. At least that meant he wasn't paralyzed, then. But, where was he...?
The lord, Iksugawa, had been recruiting men of age 12 and older, to join in his army against their will. The raider's had lost only a handfull of men on the assault against the village, one of the men dying thanks to Yoshi. But, for the young children who had been taken from the demon slayer village, they're training would not be wasted to just be used as fodder in the army. Iksugawa had special plans for them...
-- Back at the demon slayer village. --
Everything was burned down, and only a handful of villagers remained alive, from either hiding or running away. The smoke from the village could be seen for miles, if there had been any demons in the area, they would surely have went after the free food, but, the demon slayer's had cleansed the forest long ago.
Yoshi sat quietly, looking at the man who rode into the village on a chestnut steed. His father stood a few feet infront of Yoshi, before he approached the mounted messenger. The messenger gave a simple bow, before he spoke to the village leader, Yoshi's father, Katsumoto. "I deliver a message, from Lord Iksugawa, of the Eastern domain. I am to take your response to him." Katsumoto took the scroll from the messenger, opening it quickly and scanning over the written message. Katsumoto's expression slowly changed from calm to a great disdain, and he ripped the scroll in half. "A lord we've never heard from, until now, cannot demand such things from us! We have enough trouble protecting our neighboring villages with the few demonslayers we do have. And, for the more important reason, they're our children. Tell your lord, I reply with a resounding 'No.' Now get out of my sight!" The messenger gave no reply, but for a simple nod, before he gathered up the scraps of the scroll, and rode back towards his Lord's domain.
-- Present day. --
A week had passed since that incident. All had been quiet, besides a couple small demon attacks. They'd been destroyed without any casualties or wounded. The demon slayer was fortified with a simple wooden wall that outlined the village, giving it small defenses against demons on land, but the demon slayer's usually had no trouble. A river traveled through the village, and continued unto the very edge of the village, where there was a sudden drop-off, a steep cliff and a waterfall. Despite there being so many demonic attacks, the forest looked very peaceful. Serene, quiet, and easy on the eyes.
Yoshi was sitting in a garden, which was near the waterfall that dropped off so far, all that could be seen was the fog below. No one had ever fallen off of it, thankfully. Yoshi rubbed a hand along the grass, feeling the blades prickle his hands. He liked training in the dark, it was always cooler, and the lack of light didn't bother him, he was blind anyways. He felt more at home in the darkness, not being evil or anything, but just growing akin to it, since darkness was the same as full daylight to him. The clawed gauntlets were tied to his belt, at his side. He only wore them when he was training or outside the village. But, he wasn't in his demonslayer armor either, just a normal blue kimono. He sighed, listening to all that made noise in the night.. He heard something like.. thunder?
Iksugawa had been displeased by the rude answer he'd recieved, of course. And having a small village of demon slayers defying his command was bad for public relations, so what options did he have? A small army of cavalry had rode on the village, the very day Iksugawa had gotten his reply. A small pack that road ahead, planted a bomb at the side wall next to the river, blowing it apart, just as the rest of the cavalry arrived. Rushing through the whole in the wall, torches were thrown at the huts and small houses. The demon slayers who were up, were soon cut down as they tried to defend against the raiders, but there were just too many of them. There was at least 3 or 4 score of them.
When Yoshi heard the explosion, he knew something was definitely wrong. Grabbing the clawed gauntlets from his belt, and secured them quickly. Standing very still, he heard one of the horses riding past him. Jabbing to his right quickly, the claws dragged along the horse's rib cage, cutting through the flesh and the cinch that held the saddle on. The man atop the horse fell off, but landed on his side, and was soon on his feet. Seeing that it was only a young teenager, he unsheathed and swung at Yoshi's head. Yoshi heard the unsheath, and then the man's breathing growing closer as he lunged for the swing.
Moving his hand up to block, Yoshi was almost forced to his knees from the strength of the adult. The katana's tip cut into his cheek, and he flinched, stumbling back, feeling the hot pain, and the feeling of cool blood running down his face. Stumbling back, he heard the man laugh, and his steps draw closer. Yoshi, being in such danger, finally remember his training. Lunging forward, he punched three swift time, before he rolled between the man's legs. Due to the gauntlets having claws, the man had been pierced in his intestines twice, and another time in his left lung. The man gasped for breath, and fell over, unable to breath correctly, and having been somewhat suprised.
Yoshi slowly stood, breathing hard, his heart beating in his throat, feeling like it was going to explode. He heard something behind him, and then a sudden extreme pain, hearing the horse ride by him. One of the mounted soldiers had rode up swiftly, completing another route through the village, and spotted Yoshi. With a simple sweep of his katana, he caught Yoshi over his back, sending the young teenager to the ground. Fortunately, Yoshi only had to endure the pain for a few moments longer, his fingers clinging to the grass, before things faded black, and he fell unconcious.
-- Iksugawa's domain, fortified castle, eastern coast of Japan. --
He felt like he was dead, when he awoke. Yoshi felt cold. No, it was from the cold stone floor he lay against. Moving some, he cried out in pain at the wound on his back, inexpertly patched up with cloth. His face had stopped bleeding on it's own. He stay still, and lay on the floor, his back hurting badly.. At least that meant he wasn't paralyzed, then. But, where was he...?
The lord, Iksugawa, had been recruiting men of age 12 and older, to join in his army against their will. The raider's had lost only a handfull of men on the assault against the village, one of the men dying thanks to Yoshi. But, for the young children who had been taken from the demon slayer village, they're training would not be wasted to just be used as fodder in the army. Iksugawa had special plans for them...
-- Back at the demon slayer village. --
Everything was burned down, and only a handful of villagers remained alive, from either hiding or running away. The smoke from the village could be seen for miles, if there had been any demons in the area, they would surely have went after the free food, but, the demon slayer's had cleansed the forest long ago.
