As Takeshi walked down the stairs with his father he suddenly stopped and looked to the side. His father got alarmed, “What is it?” Putting his hand on his sword.
“Nothing, I thought I saw something moving.” Takeshi quickly changed his mind, what he saw wasn’t probably worth the effort.
“Are you sure? Wolves aren’t known to wander around here, it could be a demon.” His father approached the bushes ready to strike.
“It was probably just a rabbit, let’s head down before mother gets angry.” Takeshi’s words stung his father really hard, his mother did have a wild temper and he shouldn’t anger her.
“You’re right, let’s hurry.” His father sheathed his sword, giving one last glance at the snow.
…
After they left, a little girl jumped from the bush panting. Her body almost froze from fear and cold. “Damn, what is with that kid. I was using invisibility!” She quickly shook the snow from her clothes and rushed deep into the mountain. “I better tell grandma about it, that kid looked me in the eyes even though I was invisible.” She rushed.
“Grandma, grandma. Listen to this!” She entered the house built inside a forgotten cave. “Calm down Yamauba, I can hear you clearly,” Said the old woman who was going through the parchments, “I thought I told you to not wander around.” She gave her a sharp gaze.
“But, you told me that no one can see through the invisibility spell!” Yamauba pouted her cheeks and grumbled. “Well, it’s snowing outside, even if you were invisible your footstep isn’t… Wait, don’t tell me that someone saw you!” She exclaimed dropping her papers.
Yamauba told her grandma about what happened, and she looked worried. “The kid had a katana at his waist? Was he recognized as a samurai at that age?”
“I don’t know, his father held one as well.”
“Anyway, that kid had better senses than his father. You said the latter mentioned demons, the kid probably knew you were there and didn’t want to risk his father’s life.” Her grandma said running her finger on Yamauba’s hair. “This is why I always tell you to not wander around alone, we mages aren’t that welcomed here.”
Her grandma walked to make tea, “Avoid that kid from now on, you might lose your life if he recognized you.” She warned.
“Yes grandma, I won’t do it again.” Yamauba left to her room, going through the books and parchments given to her she thought about that kid. She had walked numerous times in front of other samurais with invisibility and no one was able to tell she was there. That Kid’s gaze scared her to the bone, she felt like a small cat being stared at by a large dog.
She immediately resolved to perfect her spell and not be detected by him.
…
“SHIT!” Daraku screamed inside his shed throwing a parchment at the wall. The thin paper immediately stopped as it was too light to be thrown.
He quickly fell on his rear end pulling the hair on his head, “Those bastards!” The paper he just stole from the merchants was a request for building material from logs, stones, and mortar, It was to be delivered for the construction of a new temple at top of the mountain. If that was all to it he wouldn’t be so enraged, as a memo behind the paper said that the children residing in the old building are to be sold to Yoshiwara.
“I’m going to kill them!” Daraku growled, The image of Miko came to his mind, “No I can’t leave her.” He smacked his fist on the ground, if he failed to get food to her she might starve to death.
‘It’s not time to wallow around, I have to get her enough for at least a week.’ Then I will have enough time to go and tear those bastards apart.’ He grinned slowly standing up.
He quickly ran from the shed, his target is the blacksmith. He had never tried to steal something from him as he was only looking for food. But now he is looking for a weapon, something that can kill quickly.
‘A tanto will do the job, a wakizashi would be even better.’ Daraku was aware of how weak he was. Still being a kid, using a real Katana was impossible. His only hope for a weapon was those smaller blades.
On his way toward the blacksmith, he spotted the merchant’s caravan stopping closer to a familiar house. Daraku quickly changed his way to avoid them and took a bit longer to reach the blacksmith.
It wasn’t that big or fancy of a shop. Just a forge built to the side of a house almost four times the shed he was living in. Even though he didn’t have much, to Daraku he was in another league of wealth. The person living in this small house had the whole village’s respect, even the prideful samurais bowed to him the moment he stands before them.
The blacksmith here was the one forging their blades and keeping them in shape. Be it for war or just farming tools, even kitchen utensils. This was the only place where you could fix or get some made in that whole village.
Stealing from here is bound to attract the wrath of the whole village. ‘I’m already despised by the whole village, what’s the matter of getting a bit more hatred?’ Daraku just didn’t care at that point.
He circled around the building making sure to avoid everyone’s sight. He was incredibly good at crawling in the snow and behind the bushes. ‘I’m like a rat, at least I have a talent I guess.’
Jumping into the backyard where the blacksmith stored the coal and firewood. It looked like a small garden of sand and ash. Bang! Bang! He could hear the hammer striking down, ‘Good she should be busy, I bet I could sneak an old blade without her realizing.’ He thought.
Slowly and silently he reached the shop’s window, after peeking inside with one eye to make sure it was empty he jumped inside. The door linking the forge and the shop was wide open. waves of hot air gushed in as the forge roared.
Daraku couldn’t help but sneak a look at the forge, he had to make sure she was busy working and won’t hear him searching around.
The woman was standing in front of the anvil, her muscular back was wider than that of most men. Only using a sarashi to tie her chest from the intense heat, with each hammer strike, sweat splashed from her arms.
Daraku gulped, she looked more intimidating than the samurais outside. The days he saw them come to pick their swords, he could swear she was taller than all of them.
‘Good, she is busy.’ Daraku immediately took the chance to search for a suitable blade. after searching the shop for some minutes he finally found something that looked useful. An old-looking tanto with a sun mark on its hilt, ‘I bet she wouldn’t notice this rusty old thing going missing’ He quickly hit it under his clothing.
“Ho…Taking that of all things?” A voice came from his back, Daraku immediately jumped toward the window. He knew that voice, it was her. Looking behind she was smiling at him, her red hot hammer in her hand.
Daraku couldn’t believe how she managed to sneak up on him, even cats can’t do that. “You o…”
“Take it.” She said before he could finish speaking. “Blades have a will, neither father nor I managed to sell that thing. It always ended back here.”
She didn’t seem threatening, even though the hammer in her hand was almost the size of his head.
“What nonsense you’re spitting?” Daraku growled, was the blade defective?
“Are that runt thief? I don’t care if you could take that blade, it’s going to end back here if you aren’t its master.” After finishing her sentence she went back to the forge, “I shouldn’t let the still get cold, go, you’re disturbing my work!” And she started hammering again.
‘What is her deal?’ Daraku couldn’t comprehend what she was saying and instead decided to move on. He quickly jumped back from the window and rushed toward the forest happy with his find.
‘Better grab something while I’m at it,’ he turned toward one of the farms and snagged some bread and rice. They seem to have put a large dog by the chicken coop so he didn’t risk it.
On his way back he decided to check on the merchants, the house they were parked by was the Kagasaki household. ‘Is that weirdo’s family getting involved with those bastards?’ Daraku snorted as he took a glance from behind a tree.
He seems to have been right, even though it was snowing he could see that fatty merchant talking with a tall man, Takeshi standing to the side. ‘What are they talking about?’ He tried to get closer to spy on their conversation.
‘Something about guarding? are they asking them to guard the caravan,’ they are samurais after all so taking this kind of job was common.
Suddenly he saw Takeshi change his posture and turn toward him. ‘He couldn’t have seen me, could he?’ Daraku wished.
Whoosh! Takeshi started running toward him and Daraku made a run for it. “Are you a f**king dog?” Daraku cried.