Character: Rūkasu (roo-ka-sue) Kazesuji (ka-zay-sue-g)

  "What do you remember?"

  "Nothing but that sword hilt and pain in my eye."

  That was all I could recall as I awoke from the searing pain in my left eye. Everything was black in the right side of my vision. I touched my face and found the wrapping.

  "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" the old man had yelled, making me flinch in fear. I have never been able to stand my ground in the presence of a commanding voice and this time was no exception.

  "Yes sir. Um..Why is my head wrapped to begin with?".

  The stranger lit his pipe, inhaled and began his rant. "A little gratitude would be nice before you start interrogating the one who saved your life! I may not have saved your eye but I mended your body and the deep slashes that patrol left on you. God's what were you doing out at that hour anyways?!"

  I jolted again at his anger and my own agonizing pain in my eye.   "What was I doing?... I can't recall sir, I apologize."

  I tried to bow to the nameless man, to no avail. I fell over clutching my sides.

  "Gods I told you that they slashed you! Why would you move? You were on the brink of death when I found you! Use your head BOY!"

  I looked up into the man's eyes, smelling the herbs in his pipe burning my nostrils. He bent down to look me in my eye, "Now tell me... who are you and what do you remember?"

  So naturally Rūkasu had told the man his name and tried to piece together the last day he could remember.

  ____________________

  The day had started like any other. Just Rūkasu trying to survive day to day and scrounging for food and water. His spiky orange hair had not been washed in a few days so a quick dip in the river had been first on Rūkasu’s list for the day. Scrubbing the grime from his face he had looked at his reflection in the water. Rūkasu never claimed to be attractive or even one of the strongest boys around, but he felt strong enough and stood at a respectable, above average height. Looking further into his face he stared at his tanned skin, brown eyebrows and his eyes everyone claimed were a bad omen. His left eye was colored brown but his right was a bright shade of green. It was known that a person with “bi-eyes” was considered a bad omen to any family. It meant nothing to Rūkasu. He felt that it made him special compared to everyone else in the slums. “Time to get some food for the day.” Rūkasu muttered to himself as he dried his hair the best he could.

  "That street rat is back! Get out of here Rūkasu!" The shop keeper screamed and threw a pear at me as I walked by.

  Not being one to pass up free food I knelt to snatch the pear and run. The shop keeper kept yelling but the wind in my ears was too loud to hear him.

  Finally slowing down I started to walk to my destination again looking around the shopping district. I noticed that my sight was getting even more blurry than it normally had been in my left eye as of late. "Curse my damned vision." I mumbled turning to see two young boys playing beigoma in the alley.

  I never enjoyed it as much as the other kids but I always wondered if they would ever find a way to evolve the game. I kept on down the road and was about to turn left when I saw the man I used to call my father.

  He had separated from my mother when I was merely five for another woman. My mother left the country to escape my father's cruelty shortly after.

  My father fed me and clothed me for a short time but eventually he grew tired of me and left me to fend for myself. We locked eyes. It had been years since I last spoke with him.

  I kept watching him when it dawned on me that he was not looking at me but through me. No sense approaching him anyways I thought to myself and I continued strolling down the alley I was headed towards lost in thought.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Why did I have to see him today of all days? Today was my birthday. My eighteenth to be exact.

  Soon, I assumed, I would be recruited to Lord Nobunaga Oda's foot soldier regimen. I had never held a sword or spear in my life, surely I would just be fodder.

  Lord Oda was the Grandson of the Grand Unifier Nobunaga the first and the son of Nobutada the eldest son and successor to the Unifier. Lord Nobutada had declared that every first born male of the bloodline shall be named Nobunaga to show respect to the first of his name to unite the country.

  Nobunaga the third was not as tactical as his grandfather had been and had set the country on a path to inner conflict once again. At least that is what I had heard in the market.

  Well it is getting pretty late, I had better find my bed for the night. Onward I continued towards my normal spot by the river pondering this evening's events.

  "Hey street rat!"

  I froze stock still. My mind started racing. Night patrol? It is too early for them. I still have time before curfew. The last thing I needed was a beating to end the day.

  As I turned around I felt the color drain from my face. The Genma Gang... Four of them.

  The Genma Gang were a group of men who thought themselves to be descendents of demons and were rumored to be cannibals, believing that eating humans would make them stronger.

  "Come here Rat! We need to talk to you." The first man started to chuckle as he rubbed his stomach with his cleaver. "Ya know where there is any good spot to eat?"

  I stammered my answer "W-well Mr. Tomaguchu has s-some good red bean b-buns." I broke into a cold sweat as all four men started to laugh at my statement. I could see their teeth from the light of the lamps, all covered in blood.

  "Huh-huh. No boy, we are thinking something with a little more.... meat." "Come on boss, this scrawny kid can't feed all of us! Let's find something a little less dirty. I hate tasting dirt with my meat!"

  The front man laughed again and turned to the other three. "He won't feed all of us but he will feed me! This rat is mine, GRAB HIM!"

  Before I even got a chance to run I had already been grabbed by the shortest of the bunch.

  So fast! I thought as he pulled my arms behind me. Fatman strolled up to me as I struggled, squatting down he had grabbed my hair and pulled my ear to his mouth.

  "This wasn't by chance, boy. You aren't making it to tomorrow." My eyes widened and tears started to well in my eyes.

  "What do you mean this isn't by chance?" I asked, confused.

  "Huh-huh. We were paid to follow you and end you!", the man exclaimed.

  "Why would someone want to have me murdered?! I don't understand! I'm... I'm nothing."

  He burst into laughter as he shouted at me. "Bahahahaha THESE ORDERS COME STRAIGHT FROM YOUR FATHER! BAHAHAHA HE SAID THAT YOU COULD NOT LIVE A DAY PAST YOUR BIRTHDAY FOR FEAR YOU WOULD AWAKEN! WHATEVER THAT MEANS! AHAHAHA!"

  He finally settled down from his cackling. "I'm not sure what he means but I will happily take the ten silver Oda's (a form of currency) he gave me and a free meal!" He leaned in closer to me laughing in my face as I struggled.

  Come on! A little closer you bastard! I thought, as I pondered in my head what to do when he got close enough. Finally he was just inches away from my face.

  "ROT IN HELL BASTARD!" I pulled back and jolted forward with a headbutt, breaking the fatman's nose in the process.

  "Ouch! Nobody wins with a headbutt." The shorter man regrouped my arms and kicked the back of my knees, bringing me to the ground.

  "Gah! You little stain! Now I am going to make it slow!" Fatman sheathed his cleaver and opted for his katana.

  There was no time to react before a searing pain in my chest took the air from my lungs. He had slashed at my chest like lightning. Five deep wounds were torn across my chest. The pain was too great, I swore my screams could be heard in Kyoto. Shorty let me go and I collapsed to the ground gasping in pain.

  "Bet you wish you could take back that headbutt and die quickly don't you rat?"

  I managed to spit in his face and grin. " I promise you, I regret everything in my life but not what I did to make you so pretty." I started to laugh hysterically. I knew I was going to die.

  Fatman flipped his sword around and jammed the hilt into my right eye. "Guess we are both "pretty" now boy."

  I started to lose consciousness and through my blurred vision I saw all four men turn in a panic before darkness took me....

  ____________________

  "Then I woke up to find you sir." I felt my left eye again knowing it was surely gone. "What is this?"

  "I said don't touch it. It needs time to heal and adjust to your body." said the old man.

  "Adjust to my body? What could you possibly mean?" Questioning the man did nothing to help my understanding.

  "Tomorrow it will be made clear. For now, rest child."