Mikoto-no-Dojo

'It is said, that before people of north arrived in Nordfall, there was a Dojo with thousands of students. The Dojo practiced a unique swordsmanship. They believed that blades born from a now long gone metal could live and die, and that by doing so, they were superior to any other blade there is. That belief created a new approach to fighting. People of the Dojo, in a battle, tried to kill not the man, but the sword, and by doing so they would live longer, and their swords will live longer with them.'

'Where is that Nordfall?'

'It is here, where we live,' she smiled.

'But we live in Norewill!'

'He-he.'

Every time he returned home, he remembered all she read him when he was a kid. For some reason, the night was silent. Dogs weren't barking, families weren't laughing, and even the wind has calmed. All he could hear was the sounds of his wooden sandals. "Is it the day?" he wondered. There was no way to know.

'Where are you going?'

'Master Mikoto is leaving to meet the Emperor, and to celebrate, we all are having a supper together,' she said, 'I cannot believe that the Emperor acknowledged such a small dojo as ours!'

She was very happy.

'But it isn't small! I saw it! It has brother Goro, and brother Roku!'

'It has notorious ''The Flower and the Eight Guards" in it, but it is still small. He-he.'

'Do you have hundred people?'

'No, we have twenty to thirty people.'

'Is it more than hundred? Because I know that hundred is a lot!'

'No, it is less than a hundred.'

'No way!'

Ichiro was lost in his thoughts. Tomura was right behind, he remained silent until they were home.

Ichiro lived with Arthur and his family. Arthur didn't have brothers nor sisters. He shared a room with Ichiro for almost ten years. For the past six years, Arthur trained in a dojo on the hill outside the village, Ichiro followed him after a year. Arthur's father was the head of the village, and his mother was a seamstress. But since the village is small, and on top of that, nothing happens in it, the father mostly works on his farm.

After having their dinner, the family went to bed.

Ichiro fell asleep.

'Mikoto is dead, and the Emperor's shinobi are onto us.'

'What are you saying! Where is he?'

'You left with him, why didn't you return with him?'

'Sis, what the hell's a shinobi?'

'It's a special team of warriors taught to kill in the name of the Emperor. Kuro, go get your brothers,' she ordered.

'What that ol' man do? Did 'e want 'is woman?'

'When we arrived... They wanted the Mischief. Mikoto...'

'Sis...' the boy coughed blood, and fell on his knees.

'Kuro!'

'Ichiro!'

Ichiro woke up in a cold sweat. It was almost the dusk.

'Ichiro, are you alright? You looked horrified,' Tomura sat by his bedside.

'Yes. I am alright. Are you going to pray?'

'Will you go with me?'

'Yes. Yes, I will.'