Post by Maverick on Jul 4, 2004 14:16:43 GMT -5
The Shadowlands Invasion: Ronin
Fall, Year 1184
The 15th year of the Reign of Toturi III
It was supposed to be a quiet day.
That was the thought that went through the mind of Akodo Kenji. He blocked the strike from the bandit, and in a flash, the shorter wakizashi was unsheathed, and found itself deep in the bandit’s chest. Kenji looked around the village, the very same village that he was asked to protect, the other ronin that he rounded up to help in the defense of the village were taking care of the rest of the bandits. Unfortunately there wasn’t any time to fortify their positions as a Lion Clan samurai would have done, but he was no longer of the Lion Clan.
The bandits were retreating, the ronin were going to go after them, but Kenji ordered them to stop, by letting them go, they’ll tell the other bandits that the village would be able to defeat them. “However,” Kenji thought, “We should really set up the fortifications, and train them to fight.” Kenji turned, and saw a bandit holding a villager hostage. The bandit seemed preoccupied with the ronin who had their swords drawn, and without a bow and arrow, Kenji decided it was time to put a long practiced, and risky, technique to use. Kenji sheathed his katana, and placed his thumb near the swordguard, he twisted his torso back, and sent the katana flying towards the bandit, the sword’s hilt caught the man on the forehead, and sent him falling backwards. The villager was unharmed, however, the same could not be said of the bandit. A swarm of villagers attacked him, and he was killed gruesomely.
Kenji walked towards his katana, and sheathed it again, and without a word, walked into the forest, looking for stragglers. His thoughts were on his former clan, and how his father, Akodo Akira, had banished him from Shiro Akodo, after numerous fights over how the weak were treated. The older Akodo had stubbornly held on to the age-old belief that the weak should be subjugated by the strong, Kenji however, disagreed, and was banished for calling his father a tyrant.
It was a good year after his banishment, his father telling him that it would be a good lesson over how the world really worked. “Well father, I guess I’m as stubborn as you are.” Kenji thought, as he ducked under a tree branch, “But that is the past, why am I dwelling on it now?” Kenji thought he heard leaves crunching near him, and he hid behind a tree, hoping that it wasn’t a large group of bandits, otherwise he’d be trapped. He looked around, and noticed that there was a lake in the area. “Must be animals.” He thought, as he let out a sigh. “No, wait…” He looked around, and saw a young woman in a tattered kimono. “She looks to be just out of her teens, I wonder what she’s doing out here with bandits roaming the area.” Kenji stood up, and walked towards the lake. The woman looked dirty, with her hair messed up, her skin covered in mud, but Kenji noted, her eyes looked confused. “Hello!” He said his voice as friendly as he could get it. The woman looked at him, and turned away. Kenji started walking towards her, until he heard screaming, Kenji turned, and ran towards the village.
“Damnit!” Kenji thought, “The bandits had more than expected?” Kenji couldn’t believe that there were more bandits, the largest group of them was no more than thirty, and the number of bandits fought were thirty-five. When he arrived, several oni had torn apart the village, the bodies of his band of ronin were thoroughly ripped to shreds, organs had been spread across the village’s road. Dismembered body parts of the villagers who had help defend the village littered the fields, however, none of them looked to be of children, or women, which meant they were still hiding in their shelter. Kenji looked over, and saw a bow lying next to a hand, and some arrows scattered on the ground, he ran as fast as he could to the bow, grabbing as many arrows as he could. “I have the element of surprise on my side…” He thought, as he replaced the regular tips with jade tips. “…if I plan this right, I can rescue the women and children.” Kenji aimed at the closest oni, and fired the first of his ten arrows. The arrow struck the oni on its massive back, it roared in pain, and pulled the arrow out, as another hit it in the eye. The oni fell over dead, its companions momentarily cancelled their search for the hiding non combatants, and went over to their companion’s body. Kenji fired off one more shot, and the arrow hit the closest oni on the back of its head. “There!” one of the oni yelled, as the oni with the arrow in the head lifelessly fell and they ran over to where the oni pointed, where Kenji was hiding.
Fall, Year 1184
The 15th year of the Reign of Toturi III
It was supposed to be a quiet day.
That was the thought that went through the mind of Akodo Kenji. He blocked the strike from the bandit, and in a flash, the shorter wakizashi was unsheathed, and found itself deep in the bandit’s chest. Kenji looked around the village, the very same village that he was asked to protect, the other ronin that he rounded up to help in the defense of the village were taking care of the rest of the bandits. Unfortunately there wasn’t any time to fortify their positions as a Lion Clan samurai would have done, but he was no longer of the Lion Clan.
The bandits were retreating, the ronin were going to go after them, but Kenji ordered them to stop, by letting them go, they’ll tell the other bandits that the village would be able to defeat them. “However,” Kenji thought, “We should really set up the fortifications, and train them to fight.” Kenji turned, and saw a bandit holding a villager hostage. The bandit seemed preoccupied with the ronin who had their swords drawn, and without a bow and arrow, Kenji decided it was time to put a long practiced, and risky, technique to use. Kenji sheathed his katana, and placed his thumb near the swordguard, he twisted his torso back, and sent the katana flying towards the bandit, the sword’s hilt caught the man on the forehead, and sent him falling backwards. The villager was unharmed, however, the same could not be said of the bandit. A swarm of villagers attacked him, and he was killed gruesomely.
Kenji walked towards his katana, and sheathed it again, and without a word, walked into the forest, looking for stragglers. His thoughts were on his former clan, and how his father, Akodo Akira, had banished him from Shiro Akodo, after numerous fights over how the weak were treated. The older Akodo had stubbornly held on to the age-old belief that the weak should be subjugated by the strong, Kenji however, disagreed, and was banished for calling his father a tyrant.
It was a good year after his banishment, his father telling him that it would be a good lesson over how the world really worked. “Well father, I guess I’m as stubborn as you are.” Kenji thought, as he ducked under a tree branch, “But that is the past, why am I dwelling on it now?” Kenji thought he heard leaves crunching near him, and he hid behind a tree, hoping that it wasn’t a large group of bandits, otherwise he’d be trapped. He looked around, and noticed that there was a lake in the area. “Must be animals.” He thought, as he let out a sigh. “No, wait…” He looked around, and saw a young woman in a tattered kimono. “She looks to be just out of her teens, I wonder what she’s doing out here with bandits roaming the area.” Kenji stood up, and walked towards the lake. The woman looked dirty, with her hair messed up, her skin covered in mud, but Kenji noted, her eyes looked confused. “Hello!” He said his voice as friendly as he could get it. The woman looked at him, and turned away. Kenji started walking towards her, until he heard screaming, Kenji turned, and ran towards the village.
“Damnit!” Kenji thought, “The bandits had more than expected?” Kenji couldn’t believe that there were more bandits, the largest group of them was no more than thirty, and the number of bandits fought were thirty-five. When he arrived, several oni had torn apart the village, the bodies of his band of ronin were thoroughly ripped to shreds, organs had been spread across the village’s road. Dismembered body parts of the villagers who had help defend the village littered the fields, however, none of them looked to be of children, or women, which meant they were still hiding in their shelter. Kenji looked over, and saw a bow lying next to a hand, and some arrows scattered on the ground, he ran as fast as he could to the bow, grabbing as many arrows as he could. “I have the element of surprise on my side…” He thought, as he replaced the regular tips with jade tips. “…if I plan this right, I can rescue the women and children.” Kenji aimed at the closest oni, and fired the first of his ten arrows. The arrow struck the oni on its massive back, it roared in pain, and pulled the arrow out, as another hit it in the eye. The oni fell over dead, its companions momentarily cancelled their search for the hiding non combatants, and went over to their companion’s body. Kenji fired off one more shot, and the arrow hit the closest oni on the back of its head. “There!” one of the oni yelled, as the oni with the arrow in the head lifelessly fell and they ran over to where the oni pointed, where Kenji was hiding.