New sword of Yoshino
April, Lucia and Ethan had just returned from Hokane as the sun was about to set. The crimson sky was the perfect view to sum up their almost perfect day. They went to Daniel's house, who was with Raphael like usual.
When Daniel and Raphael were just boys they survived the war and fled to their father's cabin in the mountains, further east of Yoshino. They then established Yoshino a few years later as the land was good for farming. Other survivors established Hokane, Matsushima and Nara. Daniel and Raphael appointed leaders over these villages who reported back to them.
They have a brood of grandchildren. Forty five in all, boasting incredible mystical powers never seen since the world flood. There have been only a few in two thousand years who had such complex powers. These magic powers possessed by their grandchildren are owed to magic skipping a generation. After Daniel and Raphael went from the hot region of Pakresia to the cold region of Yoshino, they settled and when they became of age they had children.
They heard of the prophecy that they will take back their lands and their hopes were shattered when they realized that their children didn't possess any magic. The change in the location, from the hot desert of Pakresia to the snowy mountains interrupted with their magic and it skipped that generation. Their grandchildren however have four times the average magical powers. There had never been so many quad mages in existence before.
April and Lucia knocked and the servant let them in. They took off their shoes and went inside the house.
'Hello grandpa.' They greeted respectfully bowing before Raphael.
'My dear daughters.' Raphael replied with grin.
Daniel shuffled from the hallway into the living room helping himself with a staff.
'Hello grandpa.' They greeted.
"How are you my daughters?" Daniel replied warmly.
"We are well grandpa, thank you." The girls responded.
"I guess the mission went well." Daniel inquired.
"Yes it did but I guess you already knew." Said April proudly.
"I didn't want you girls to go alone so I asked Leo to send a raven to watch from the skies."
"I take it that you saw it." Asked Daniel.
"Yes we did and not only the raven but Ethan too." April said with a tight voice.
"He should be punished for that." She bawled.
"Leo didn't see him leave and did not even see his shadow in the forest." Raphael said.
"He only saw him at Purli when he met up with you."
"Your know your brother, his stealth is almost good as Cassie and maybe at the same level with Uriel."
"He is after all, your father's child. Your dear father Takashi was also antsy as him but all for good reasons."
"Ethan might be young but he's powerful." Raphael added
"B-but grandpa, even I don't go off wandering alone. I had Lucia with me cos I know the dangers of the outside world." April protested.
"We will see to it that he is punished." Raphael said firmly.
The girls filled them in on the details of the mission and then they went to their homes to prepare for the annual Yoshino establishment ceremony.
After freshening up they went to the hall we're feast was held. The whole royal family was there except Joel, Uriel, Octavia and Felix. The hall was crammed with people. Daniel, Raphael and their wives were seated at the place of honour at the front of the hall. Their seats were elevated above the others like a stage. Their sons and daughters sat on the tables next to the them and the grandchildren on the following tables. This set up was hierarchical. Other villagers sat at the tables spanning to the door. Among the sons and daughters of Daniel sat the servants who served them while at Abalon and at Yoshino. They made them nobles though they were not high born. Their children also sat with Daniel and Raphael's grandchildren. When everyone was settled on their mats. The servants brought the food and served the high tables different cuisines of sushi, tofu, tempura, yakitori, ramen, sashimi, oden, kashi pan and miso soup. After the elders were served, the servants served the rest in their hierarchical order.
No one had their fill like Nathan, April's older brother. He was a giant of a man towering above everyone in the four villages. He was bulky and strong as a bull. Like all his siblings, he had blonde hair and jade eyes. Unlike them he was big as an elephant. Perhaps what was strikingly similar to an elephant was his appetite. He had 9 ramen noodles with miso soup as an appetizer, then he had 6 plates of sushi, 5 of tofu, 7 of oden and 6 each of sashimi and tempura. He was about to try yakitori when Daniel signaled for attention and the hall fell silent. The servants had just finished clearing the tables but Nathan stopped them from clearing his as he said he was still eating.
"A lot has happened since the last ceremony,"
"Just this year alone we have had more missions that the last 3 years combined. And we had 100% success rate."
The crowd clapped and cheered wildly. They had been praying for a time where they could be a real threat to Onisians and it seemed the time had come.
"Just this morning, April and Lucia went after the men who plundered Hokane and burned Purli to the ground."
A deafening cheer resonated in the hall. The people had waited a long time for direct confrontation and the words were music to their ears.
"They returned everything that was stolen back to Hokane and also what belonged to the men of Purli."
"They came back with three times what was plundered."
"I applaud them for what they have achieved."
'However there are two people we would like to award today for their heroics and for completing most high ranked missions."
"The 2nd most high rank missions completed goes to Uriel!'
The crowd stood up and clapped for Uriel exuberantly. The girls cheered louder than everyone else only to be disappointed when they heard he was not attending the ceremony.
"He is not here so Lucia will accept the medallion on his behalf." Daniel said.
Lucia went to accept the medallion, the crowd still cheering loudly. She went back to her seat and Daniel announced the next award.
"The medallion for the most high rank missions completed goes to…
..goes to Cassie." Daniel said in a drawling voice.
The crowd cheered wildly as Cassie made her way to the front.
She bowed before Daniel and accepted the medallion. She went all the way back to her seat next to Lucia and April with the crowd still cheering at the top of their lungs. All admiring her, but not only for her magical prowess but also for her alluring beauty.
Nathan, April, Lucia, Leo and Atlas were awarded medal of bravery. They all received their awards and waited impatiently for the new sword of Yoshino award.
"I believe we have all been waiting for this last award, the new sword of Yoshino." Said Daniel and the crowd roared.
He motioned and the chant fell quiet as a stone. Everyone attentively listened to who the new sword was going to be.
'Who could it be.' They all asked themselves.
There was an unoccupied spot in the seven swords of Yoshino as Cassie had rejected to join the organization. The leaders had hoped she would change her mind so they left the spot unoccupied. They decided to give it to a new sword since it has been 4 years.
"The new sword of Yoshino is.."
"….Is Ethan." The whole crowd roared except for April.
She was incensed.
'How can they reward him for being reckless?' she thought.
'Grand pa said he will punish him, now why is he letting him get away with it?'
She was displeased about it but deep down she was happy for his brother. She loves him dearly and she is very proud of him just that today she wanted him to be punished.
Ethan did not hear his name being called or perhaps he did not expect it. He noticed that everyone was clapping hands, cheerin and staring at him.
"Was my name called?" He asked Amaros, who was sitting next to him.
"Yes, your name is Ethan right?" Amaros replied grinning joyously.
'Is he messing with me? No he is not, everyone is staring at me.' Ethan thought and made his way to the front. He did not believe that he was one of the seven at his tender age of 12. He couldn't hide the glee in his face as he was ambling nervously, eyes peering on his back.
Daniel blessed him and handed him a katana with inscriptions on the black hilt, ' The seventh sword of Yoshino.'
He bowed and received the sword. He then unsheathed it and raised it up with its tip pointing to the roof and the crowd chanted.
'Ethan the seventh sword'
'Ethan the seventh sword'
'Ethan the seventh sword'
Daniel called the other six members to welcome Ethan. Uriel the first sword was not present. Nathan the second sword was called next, followed by Leo the third sword, April the fourth sword, Midori the fifth sword and Lucia the sixth sword.
They welcomed him as one of them. April could've welcomed him with a slap if there was no one watching as punishment for putting his life in danger.
The celebrations carried on through the night but Cassie, Refilwe and Giannis had to go to bed early as they had to hunt wild game the next morning. Refilwe was hopeful that due to the scarcity of game they might have to go to the forbidden thundersmoke forest. She prayed on her knees to not find game in the nearby forest.