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Bakamono · (This post was last modified: 03-29-2011, 12:59 AM by Bakamono.)

19 years ago...
I awoke suddenly to the Yelp of a dog, I donned by sandals, clothes, grabbed my sword and went noiselessly into the silent night. It was warm, the blossoms had just come into season, casting their dappled shadows by the sliver of moonlight.

It was my first year as a student of Tennen Rishin-Ryu, I was fourteen years old. Mother nor father had stirred, it fell to me to search for the dogs. After a few careful moments, I happened upon our hound. Tsu lay dead on the ground, a small pool of blood had spilled from the wound at the back of his skull. I swallowed my sick anger and drew my blade, tears would have to wait. I heard the breath of my attacker before seeing him, I spun to face the threat even as my sword slashed from top right to bottom left, and back to stance. Luckily I caught the attackers weapon, a dull crack sounded as his Wakizashi was sent skittering to the ground. I saw the whites of his eyes as they widened in disbelief. I wasted no time, and stepped forward, making two more vicious arcs with the solid katana. I felt the brief resistance of flesh as the black-clad attacker flinched and fell backward, blood spilled across the garden path.

I shook with nervousness and desperation, abruptly I vomited as the impact of Taking and life and Tsus' death ran through me. I continued my patrol of the house grounds.

Gently pushing open the door to the kitchens, I discovered another stranger dressed in the black of a thief. I rushed forward, the figure spun to face me revealing a readied sword. Releasing one hand from my grip, I grabbed at the overhanging pans and began hurling them at the intruder. He came at me slowly, turning to avoid the worst of the pan-assault, without a better plan I dashed at the attacker searching for an opportunity. Clubbing him with one of mothers large cooking pots bought me precious seconds with which to steady and strike one handed with the Katana. The intruders swords flicked out wildly several times, deflecting my blows and inflicting superficial stinging cuts. My arms were numb from the repeated shocks yet I pressed the attack, driving the intruder backward. He mistakenly turned upon bumping into the stove, giving me the opportunity to pierce his chest, he fell to his knees as his life pumped out onto the stone-tiled floor. I ran to my parents room only to find a third intruder leaving fathers' study with a sizeable wooden box. We both hesitated for a heartbeat before I sprinted at him. I ran Kicking wildly at the box, seeking to floor the intruder. The box was thrown backwards into the mans' face, he grunted in pain as he stepped backwards, but remained standing. Mother and father had been roused by the scuffle and were shouting questioningly in alarm, I ignored their shouts and advanced on the intruder as he drew two dagger-length blades. I met his his cruel and confident eyes, before he launched into a flurry of strikes as I desperately parried and lost ground. The screen door slid open suddenly and my mothers quick glances at the scene must have quickly told her the situation. She hurled a wooden cudgel at the intruder, which stuck him fully in the side of the head. He toppled sideways into the corridor wall, letting his guard drop and ceasing his attack. I cut at his arms, at anything that was within reach, furiously chopping at the threat. Eventually mothers voice cut through the confusion 'He's Dead Isami-chan, you can stop now.' I found control of myself, and looked about at the eviscerated corpse below me. I looked to mother, whose saddened gaze returned mine: resigned to the fact that her son had now taken a life.

Father had armed himself and quickly surveyed his sons red-spattered form, before ordering that we both secure the homestead. After it had been confirmed that we were once again safe, we gathered up the body of Tsu and buried him in the gardens.

The intruders corpses, we dragged outside the grounds, lay out for the police to make their deductions. Father spoke to me as we listened to the mornings birdsong and observed the three bodies in the false-dawn,
the sound of the police craft whirred in the distance 'I will miss Tsu.' he said with reverence. 'You did a noble thing here today Isami-sama, it is not an easy thing to kill and to face death. No matter what the Police say, I am proud of you son, though you may wrestle with the morals of what has happened: you should know that you acted well; these 'men' knew the consequences of their actions. Now, go and wash that blood off and make yourself presentable to for the Officers.' I did as my father asked, reassured by his reference to me as an adult and his frank words.

I reflected on the night as red and pink swirls of water spiraled down the drain: reliving the sickening moment of finding Tsu I resisted another urge to vomit, and again upon recalling the life spill from the first intruder I had encountered. A wave of disappointment rode through me as I remembered losing control and submitting to rage at the final attacker, I cursed myself and pledged to keep my head in future, to adhere to my teachings.

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