"So, boy. You wish to serve me?” Silhouetted against the blue-black sky, the horse-mounted samurai
with the horned helmet towered over him like a demon, as he knelt in the
dirt before him. He could not see the face but there was no mistaking the
authority in his growling tone, nor the hint of mockery in his
question. He tried to speak and managed only a faint croak. His
mouth had gone dry, as parched as a man dying of thirst. But he had to
respond, his fate rested on his answer. Raising his head just enough to brave a glance at the demonic figure, he said “That’s correct, my lord,” I said. “I do.” In an instant the samurai chopped off his head.
That was Katsumoto Hyuga, the most feared samurai in entire Japan. He was a man who hated cowardice, believed that only the strong and the brave should be allowed to live in this world. "The man without a heart"- they called him. What they did not know was that he was forged out of darkness. He had lost everything in his life and the only thing he believed in was Bushido: the way of the sword.
The forest was painted pink with cherry blossoms.He liked the serenity of this part of the forest, but he also feared the same thing. Beyond it's phlegmatic demeanor, he saw a pernicious demon. He was staring at the cherry blossoms and thinking "What does it mean to be Samurai? To devote yourself utterly to a set of moral principles? To seek a stillness of your mind ? To master the way of the sword?"
"Who's there?"- Katsumoto reached for his sword.
" Oh, Mister ! Please don't hurt me! I have lost my way in these woods. I am just trying to find my way back home."
She was a beautiful young lady with waves of austerity flowing all around her, simple clothes, elegant long hair and big brown eyes. Those eyes enticed Katsumoto.
He felt an urge to lose himself in those eyes, as if he would attain eternal peace there.
"Where were you going?"
"To Kyoto, Mister"
"I will take you there!"- Kyoto was the city he had recently taken over from the barbarian ruler Nagamoto Akane and he was glad that he beheaded him.It was not very far from the woods.
"Oh, thank you mister! That's so kind of you."
"So are you really a samurai, mister?"- she asked while they were moving through the pink woods.
Her voice was like the sound of a peacefully flowing river. Every aspect about her was just too perfect, almost affected. Katsumoto understood that she was not an ordinary peasant girl. He understood that beyond her warm, affable nature,she was hiding something. But he ignored his suspicions and nodded his head in affirmation.
" You don't talk that much, do you? mister? Okay, in that case let me tell you a story that I love."
"It's a fight between two wolves, one of which is a powerful white wolf, he is fighting for love,passion and most importantly, for his pack."
" The other one?" - asked Katsumoto.
"The other one is a dark creature, the very portrait of vengeance. He is powerful as well. Both of them are actually fighting for the same thing, to become the leader of the pack.
But the white wolf would bring peace and prosperity and the dark one will create nothing but more problems for the pack. The question is, which of these wolves should we feed?"
"We should feed the white wolf, I guess?"- said Katsumoto.
"Yes,that would have been the logical option which would have brought happiness to my people."- in an instant with a swift and nimble movement she pushed a kunai through his heart.
"But that's not the way revenge works,you see. Vengeance pushes you to the darkest corners of your heart, up to the point of no return. By the way, you didn't asked my name...... I am Sakura Akane, the princess of Kyoto who escaped and let her friends and family get killed by you."
His body was under immense pain, he could not move.
"I lined my blade with poison you see, knowing your reputation I did not take any chances...... Katsumoto-sama"
He was not listening , he was still in the awe of her beauty and elegance.Her eyes, it was as if a fire was in burning inside them. A fire that will not extinguish until it completely burns it's target to ashes. But he felt that there was a certain peace in that, the peace he had been looking for ages. He was never afraid of dying, but he needed something to pacify his disturbed mind before passing away and that was it. It was like black magic, he was happy to die this way.
A pink flower fell on her head, Katsumoto smiled while taking his last breath- "My Warrior Princess. I love you!"
That was Katsumoto Hyuga, the most feared samurai in entire Japan. He was a man who hated cowardice, believed that only the strong and the brave should be allowed to live in this world. "The man without a heart"- they called him. What they did not know was that he was forged out of darkness. He had lost everything in his life and the only thing he believed in was Bushido: the way of the sword.
The forest was painted pink with cherry blossoms.He liked the serenity of this part of the forest, but he also feared the same thing. Beyond it's phlegmatic demeanor, he saw a pernicious demon. He was staring at the cherry blossoms and thinking "What does it mean to be Samurai? To devote yourself utterly to a set of moral principles? To seek a stillness of your mind ? To master the way of the sword?"
"Who's there?"- Katsumoto reached for his sword.
" Oh, Mister ! Please don't hurt me! I have lost my way in these woods. I am just trying to find my way back home."
She was a beautiful young lady with waves of austerity flowing all around her, simple clothes, elegant long hair and big brown eyes. Those eyes enticed Katsumoto.
He felt an urge to lose himself in those eyes, as if he would attain eternal peace there.
"Where were you going?"
"To Kyoto, Mister"
"I will take you there!"- Kyoto was the city he had recently taken over from the barbarian ruler Nagamoto Akane and he was glad that he beheaded him.It was not very far from the woods.
"Oh, thank you mister! That's so kind of you."
"So are you really a samurai, mister?"- she asked while they were moving through the pink woods.
Her voice was like the sound of a peacefully flowing river. Every aspect about her was just too perfect, almost affected. Katsumoto understood that she was not an ordinary peasant girl. He understood that beyond her warm, affable nature,she was hiding something. But he ignored his suspicions and nodded his head in affirmation.
" You don't talk that much, do you? mister? Okay, in that case let me tell you a story that I love."
"It's a fight between two wolves, one of which is a powerful white wolf, he is fighting for love,passion and most importantly, for his pack."
" The other one?" - asked Katsumoto.
"The other one is a dark creature, the very portrait of vengeance. He is powerful as well. Both of them are actually fighting for the same thing, to become the leader of the pack.
But the white wolf would bring peace and prosperity and the dark one will create nothing but more problems for the pack. The question is, which of these wolves should we feed?"
"We should feed the white wolf, I guess?"- said Katsumoto.
"Yes,that would have been the logical option which would have brought happiness to my people."- in an instant with a swift and nimble movement she pushed a kunai through his heart.
"But that's not the way revenge works,you see. Vengeance pushes you to the darkest corners of your heart, up to the point of no return. By the way, you didn't asked my name...... I am Sakura Akane, the princess of Kyoto who escaped and let her friends and family get killed by you."
His body was under immense pain, he could not move.
"I lined my blade with poison you see, knowing your reputation I did not take any chances...... Katsumoto-sama"
He was not listening , he was still in the awe of her beauty and elegance.Her eyes, it was as if a fire was in burning inside them. A fire that will not extinguish until it completely burns it's target to ashes. But he felt that there was a certain peace in that, the peace he had been looking for ages. He was never afraid of dying, but he needed something to pacify his disturbed mind before passing away and that was it. It was like black magic, he was happy to die this way.
A pink flower fell on her head, Katsumoto smiled while taking his last breath- "My Warrior Princess. I love you!"
