1 Eiji The Conqueror

"A long time ago before you and I there was a young man named Eiji. He was the son of a very powerful and mean man." I looked up to my father in delight to hear another one of his riveting stories of Tomo's past times.

Tomo meaning knowledge is the name of the small island country my father and I have been living in since my great, great, great grandfather moved here from the cold and isolated Urope countries. We both love our home here but every year times are getting more robust with the trade since our money system was discarded many years ago. Tomo, even though it's a beautiful place has cut itself off from the rest of the world not letting its people leave or other nations enter.

My father being the only parent I have left, always tells me stories of my mother before she was taken and of the world before my being. As it was a thriving utopia for all cultures to pass through, with people learning new things every day. You could even choose what you wanted to be when you passed adulthood or when you turned sixteen.

My eyes shining bright I got up and asked, "what was his name dad?! You always forget to name him!" I jumped around the room reminiscing of all of the other stories of Eiji and his unnamed father I'd been told since I was young. "Eiji and Daisuke, Eiji and Hanzo, Eiji and Mr. Hun! What's his father's name this time?"

He looked at me with surprise at first but then softened into a heartwarming smile. "Why don't you choose this time?"  Poking my nose he stood up and starting tapping his forefinger to his chin, "how about~" I waited in anticipation for him to say it.  He stopped and turned out of the small living room, I began to follow him until he turned around and put his hand up.  I knew someone was here but at this time of night? Curfew had already passed two hours ago...

As my father walked to the front door we heard a few stern knocks and immediately I ran down the hall to my room.

I looked through the small crack in the wall to see what was going on.

My father opened the door only to be shoved out of the way by three guardians dressed in dark green and black uniforms.  "You know the drill."  My father wiped off the ceiling dust that fell on him from hitting the wall and started walking down the hall, the guardians marching close behind.

I quickly flipped over on my mat and pretended to sleep.  I heard a creek in the floorboards behind me as the marching stopped.  I steadied my breath and waited for them to say it.

"Next room."  They walked out within the minute and moved on to the kitchen and my father's room.  Within the hour they had come and left.

My father came in and sat next to me, "I think it's time for you to go to bed squirt."  I popped up and looked at him with the poutiest of pouts a mid-teen girl could give.

"But dad it's only nine o'clock! You always let me stay up later than I'm supposed to.  I looked at him, then he looked at me. 

Finally, he sighed, "I'm afraid they'll come back, they did come earlier than usual this time." He looked at me then pushed my forehead back until I fell lightly to the mat again.  "If you wake up early tomorrow maybe I'll be able to finish the story for you." 

I laughed and hugged him goodnight.  Laying there, thinking up my own story knowing that when I wake up he will already be at work. 

I began to pretend to snore as well as thinking of a new plot based on previous stories...

'His father's name was Yukimura, a strong and powerful yet rotten man to his people.  He trained his son to be the strongest in the land, but something had always gotten in the way of his training to become the Great Eiji.  Whether it be his'...Um...

What was that word dad always used in his stories?

Schooling! Yes, that's what he would say! 'Whether it be his schooling or his injuries from the training.  Yukimura over the years became harsher and harsher with his son making him skip classes and deal with the pain as he got closer and closer to his crowning day where he'd finally be able to take over the land.  

But as Eiji grew up in this harsh and uncultured environment he felt that all this need for power his father desired would never be any good to him if he didn't use it correctly.  So as time passed Eiji continued to follow in his father's footsteps until his passing.  Then and only then did he decide that enough was enough.  Eiji ventured off into the mountains to find his mother after she left Yukimura to find peace with the monks. When they met after fifteen long and painful years, Eiji studied with his mother to find what truth his homeland needed to stop the wars and genocide happening throughout, only to find materialistic objects continuing to cloud his mind.

He pushed and pushed and pushed them away at every chance he had! Alas, it was no use.

His mother, out of sheer remorse for leaving shares a secret with him that he'd been looking for the entire time. She spoke softly to her son, 'what you are looking for is not behind the obstacle, but the obstacle itself.' He turned to his mother and saw in her eyes the materialistic injustice his father put on his mother before she left for good.

He finally understood what he'd been looking— YAWN~ for...."

And after that I don't remember the rest of the story, I guess I just dozed off seeing it was already around nine thirty.

I just hope they don't come back, why do they even need to do that stupid check up anyways? It's not like anyone owns books anymore...they were all destroyed a long time ago.