A fool’s wisdom

It had been after dark as I looked out my slightly opened window, the skies filled with such wonderful colors of blue, purple, and white. These colors coming together to make the beautiful slang the sky is today. I looked to my door holding the piece of paper the man had given to me as I stepped forward, ready to complete what I had decided. I opened the door silently as I silently walked forward, looking to both sides of the hallway before going down the stairs, the stairs letting out a slight creaking noise. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but with my father being a past samurai he had heard this as he swung his door open, a katana in his right hand and a lantern in his left hand as he looked to the stairs skeptically.

I had been able to quick duck under the stairway as my small size made it easy to fit in the gap in between the stairs, I covered my mouth as I breathed calmly trying my best to stay silent. My father however walked over to the stairs as he seemed to look directly at me. He began moving forward putting his lantern out as the light began creeping towards me. Suddenly I saw the door swing wide open as the winds poured into the room violently, his lantern going out as it grew pitch black. I didn't waste time as I ran out from under the stairs, my father swung his katana but missed in the darkness as I ran out the door. The spirits of the wind then shut the door behind me violently as I continued running through the

great stone stone streets of Alta.

I stopped once I felt I'd ran far enough, I knew my father wouldn't even chase someone this far as I looked to the piece of paper. It had instructed me to take the northern path, but what confused me the most a small note he left for me as it read, "If you feel lost, look to the winds." I pay no mind to this however as I took the northern path, seeing the windmill the man had told me of earlier. Upon the front porch of a small house behind it, just to the right of the old windmill was a man with a lantern, sitting as I heard a flute's soft whistling. I stepped through the dirt path as I walked through the farmland, growing closer and closer to the magical melody. As I grew closer and closer I noticed something, the spirits of the wind had been dancing to his music, winds embracing him in a melodic pattern as his song pressed on. This song had felt so very magical and sad, it made me feel nostalgic as I remember memories I'd never had.

The old man stopped playing as he looked to me with a smile, "Took you long enough there kiddo."

"Well then come on, take a seat." The man said as he pulled out another old wooden chair. I reluctantly took a seat as I looked to man with such a wonder within my eyes, I had been curious.

"What did you mean when you said that samurai aren't who they say they are mister?" I asked the man an innocent and questioning voice. He then looked to me as he said "Well I meant exactly what I said." The man moved a bit, getting more comfortable.

"You see they speak to you of honor and all of these beautiful things that come from serving as samurai, but.." the mans voice had trailed off as I saw him chuckle a bit, a saddened look within his blue eyes as the stars reflecting off the beautiful darkness within them.

"But?" I asked eagerly, my eyes still filed with that curious yet calm look.

"But it's not true kid, it's just not. There is nothing honorable about saying you killed a man or that you can use a blade. They label those who disagree with their methods as no honorable, some being named-"

"Oni." I cut him off with a serious voice that had been scary upon a child my age, my eyes wandering off as I now saw what this man had meant, I myself questioning the samurai's ways now.

"Look kid," the man said with a sigh as he stood up to face me.

"Don't let them tell you honor is in your name and what things you have done. Honor is in the heart, not the name." The man said as he looked to his fields, the winds moving ever so carefully around. At this moment in time I felt saddened, I felt a need to search for something better, to search for an honor worth carrying upon my small and frail heart. I looked to the spirits of the winds as the serpent like ghostly figures flowing throughout the starry skies ever so carefully, their breezes bringing such emotions below. I looked to the man once more with a slight smile as all I could say was,

"Thank you mister." As I began to walk away, the man grinning as he saw the winds wrap around me as I walked away, the winds with me always as he said back to me,

"We really need more people like you in this world kid. There's no shame in looking for a better world, even I know that much. Something tells me you got one life ahead of you boy, just know that kindness is what honor truly means! The skies aren't for dying stars after all." He said with his voice trailing off as he sat back down. He began playing his flute once more as the winds moved to his melody, I waved to him as I walked away. I had been ready to make a change in this world with the idea that the only things that mattered where the thing that I thought of myself, and with the winds at my back I felt immortal.