The Cloaked Samurai

Takumi could no longer think. Every time he tried to analyze his plans, to reevaluate his reasons, his heart erupted into pain. The only thing he could do was keep his mind numb. He couldn't ask himself why he was now hunting Akio; he only broke his group into several smaller segments made of about five men each. He ordered them to search everywhere for Akio. If there was a sign of the Cloaked Samurai in a village, burn the village to the ground. If someone admitted to giving the Cloaked Samurai food or shelter, kill that person.

It didn't take long for the terror to spread over the kingdom like wildfire. Whispers of the Cloaked Samurai floated in the air, always in the minds of the people. Now when Takumi inquired about Akio, the villagers begged for forgiveness and insisted they drove the Cloaked Samurai out of town. Mothers herded their children indoors at nightfall, murmuring that the Cloaked Samurai might appear at any moment. Fathers and husbands stood alert, ready to keep the Cloaked Samurai away from their town and protect themselves from the curse.

Even so, there were some things Takumi did not understand. Why didn't Akio simply take off his cloak so that the villagers wouldn't recognize him? Why was he giving them a chance to save themselves? And why were there rumors of Akio rescuing people from bandits or rogue soldiers? He would attack the bandits but not kill them. He would give the soldiers chance for surrender. Why didn't he just finish them off in a few short blows the way Takumi knew he could?

But to ponder these things meant to remember Akio. It meant to realize Akio wasn't a cold-blooded killer. It meant to recognize the heart behind the sword. Takumi couldn't think about these things, or his heart would burst into pieces.

Even so, Takumi could only block Akio out of his conscious thoughts. When he slept, he dreamed about Akio. Their last night together filled his mind: the feeling of Akio gently touching his scar, the smell of Akio's skin, the loving look in Akio's eyes, the sound of Akio's voice, the taste of Akio's lips....

Takumi was tortured by these memories and by his conscience. Should he kill the man he loved? Should he love the man who killed his friends? Should he even love a man at all? The confusion made his head throb until he was finally able to push his feelings aside. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He could only hunt.

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"We'll never find her!" Farrah sighed, sitting down in front of Farren.

"She certainly won't come back any time soon," Farren agreed. Why would she come back when Keiji had been made emperor?

"Do you think those rumors of a Cloaked Samurai are true? Could that be her?" Farrah wondered quietly.

"It's possible," Farren nodded. What was she going through? What had happened to her? He hadn't trained her to be a killer. Where was the naive, trusting samurai he once taught? Was that person gone forever?

Farren buried his face in his hand, trying to clear his head.

"Whatever you're thinking, it wasn't your fault," Farrah said, knowing the accusations he was bringing against himself. "She didn't become this way, the way the rumors say she is, because of anything you did."

"If only I had been there. I could have protected her!" Farren murmured. "I could have helped her and kept her..."

"Young? Innocent? She couldn't stay that way forever," Farrah sighed. "I just hope she's all right."

"When we find her again, she won't be the same. You realize that, don't you?" Farren said quietly. "She'll be someone different, a stranger to us."

"Yes, I know," Farrah looked down. "Things will never be the same."

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You sat unseen in the branches of a tree. You watched with interest as the scene unfolded below.

"All your money! Now!" the thief commanded, brandishing a knife.

"Please! I don't have any money!" the woman trembled, clutching her basket to her chest. "I was only going to wash my family's clothes in the stream!"

"Give me anything valuable you might have, then!" the bandit commanded. "Show me the clothes! How much are they worth?"

"These belong to my son!" the woman sobbed, shakily lifting a garment from the basket.

"This is a fine cloth. I'll take it," the bandit grinned, feeling the cloth with his grimy fingers.

"That doesn't belong to you!" you finally shouted. Both looked up. The woman covered her mouth as she screamed, spilling her clothing on the ground. The bandit's eyes widened, and his grip fumbled around his knife.

"The... the Cloaked Samurai!" he whispered.

"You heard me! Leave the poor woman alone!" you said, jumping to the ground.

"I... I didn't mean any harm. My wife and children are starving, too. We need money," the bandit tried to explain himself as he hastily dropped the garment.

"I don't care about the reason. Pick her clothes up and put them in the basket," you commanded. The bandit hurried to obey.

"Follow her to the river and help her wash those clothes. Then protect her on her way back to the village," you ordered.

"Yes, of course," the bandit nodded, shaking and putting away his knife.

"Good," you smiled in satisfaction, pulling out a coin. You tossed it to him. "Do as I say, and then buy your family something to eat with that. I'll be watching you."

You walked away from them, but once you were out of sight, you ran through the forest, taking a different route to the river you knew the woman would be going to. You waited in the trees until the woman and bandit finally arrived. They were silent and frightened as they washed the clothes. The bandit glanced up every once in a while, but he never saw you.

Just as you thought everything would work out, the bandit secretly pulled out his knife again. He slowly approached the woman, who had her back turned.

"Hey! That wasn't part of our deal!" you yelled, leaping out of the tree. In his shock, it was only too easy for you to knock his knife out of his hand.

"What makes you think I should give you another chance?" you challenged, placing a hand on the hilt of your katana. "I gave you money, didn't I? Now you're earning that money. Do you want me to kill you?"

"N-no!" the bandit protested, stuttering.

"Then explain yourself!" you narrowed your eyes.

"I... I..." the bandit's eyes darted around nervously. Finally, he pulled out yet another knife. You sighed in exasperation, shaking your head.

"If you insist," you shrugged. You unsheathed your katana. Your rage began pumping through your veins. Here it was again: someone taking advantage of a helpless victim just because they were bigger and stronger. Why was this always the same situation over and over in an endless loop? How was it any different than what Keiji had done to you?

The instant Keiji came to mind, you snapped. All it took was one good swing to bring the bandit to his knees. Another chop, and the bandit's head rolled into the river.

As soon as he was dead, your anger faded away. You calmly wiped the blade of your katana on the grass before putting it away. You fished the coin out of the bandit's clothing.

"Do you want this?" you asked, offering it to the woman. She shook her head slowly, gripping the sides of her basket.

"All right. Have it your way," you shrugged nonchalantly, pocketing the coin again. The woman ran away as fast as she could.

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A few nights after you killed the bandit, you were exhausted. You've been running from the ninjas for weeks, and most days, it was hard to find food or a place to sleep. Occasionally, you stole from unsuspecting camps of soldiers. You took food and money and whatever else you could salvage. Most of the time, you gave away whatever was useless to you, but villagers didn't trust you and didn't want to be around you. Takumi had done his job well.

This evening, it had been many days since you had found shelter or a real meal. When you smelled something cooking not too far away, you were irresistibly drawn to it. You reached a small village as poor and destitute as the rest you had seen, but the wonderful smell came from the house nearest the forest. You knocked on the door.

"I'll answer it!" a girl's voice called from inside. The door opened, and a fourteen-year-old girl stood on the other side. To your surprise, the girl's golden brown eyes lit up as she recognized your signature white cloak.

"It's him! It's him!" she called over her shoulder. "It's the Cloaked Samurai! I told you! I told you! It was only a matter of time!"

Before you could react, she grabbed your sleeve and pulled you inside, closing the door behind you.

"Sit down, sit down!" she smiled eagerly, pushing you onto the floor in front of a table where the steaming hot rice and meat was waiting.

"Miyoko, who is it?" a woman asked in amusement, turning around from the fire she was cooking over. Her eyes widened in shock.

"It's the Cloaked Samurai! He finally came!" Miyoko explained in excitement, kneeling a little too close to you. "Stay for dinner, please!"

"If... if you don't mind!" you finally stuttered.

"Of course we don't," her mother smiled kindly, setting an extra place for you at the table.

"What is going on in here, Miyoko? Not still blabbing about that samurai, are you? He doesn't exist," a boy a few years older than you came into the room. When he saw you, he began choking on air.

"There! I told you so!" Miyoko stuck out her tongue.

"You see, everything will be all right now," the mother assured the boy, leading him to the table. She smiled at you again.

"Why do you say that?" you asked curiously as a middle-aged man and an elderly man joined you around the table, both chattering in excitement.

"You're the protector of the weak, aren't you?" Miyoko asked with wide, hopeful eyes. "Well, we really need some help right now!"

"You don't want my help," you shook your head. "I can give you money if you need it, but there will be ninjas here at dawn."

"Don't worry about that. I have a plan," Miyoko smiled. "I'm willing to risk that part of the deal."

"Deal? What deal?" You were getting more and more confused.

"You're going to be my avenger now, aren't you?" Miyoko asked, although it was more like a command than a question.

"I have enough problems with revenge," you sighed.

"But you don't actually have to kill anyone! I just need someone to help me get to the palace at Najo," Miyoko explained. "And probably protect me from the guards."

"Why?" you asked, frustrated at her lack of a clear explanation.

"Because I'm the only one with proof."

"Proof of what?"

"That Emperor Keiji isn't as great as everyone thinks. You see, I'm pregnant with his baby."