Chereads / The Wind’s Wanderer / Chapter 2 - A frail blade

Chapter 2 - A frail blade

I walked down the old wooden stairs I had within the traditional eastern home I lived within, while walking down the same wind spirits followed me about, a curiosity emitting from the calm apparitions. I continued my way downstairs as I met with the wooden floors below, a chill going through me as I hit the cold floors. I looked to my right to see that the door to the backyard has been left open for me, and farther off I could see my father. He had been waiting there for me with two wooden katanas within his grasp, and the look in his eyes showed he had no intentions of making this easy for me. I stepped forward as the floors creaked, I listened as birds began to chirp their song as I stepped out into the light, a calm wind embracing me as I faced my father. I had a slight fire within my usually calm jade green eyes, I had wanted nothing more but to humiliate my father in a duel. My father seemed to have seen this and grinned a bit as he said to me "Hyo, I hope you'll be even close to decent this time."

I hadn't been a boy for words, as I simply gave him a nod. He seemed amused by this as he tossed me one of the wooden katanas he had been holding. I barely caught it, stumbling a bit as these simple wooden blades were like weights to me, my skinny arms trembling a bit as I lifted the blade up, ready to face my father. My father readied himself in the same way, two hands upon the wooden hilt as the very edge of his wooden katana faced me, and as the birds stopped chirping our duel had begun. I moved forward as I brought the wooden blade down at a steady yet shaky rate as it had been heavy for me to heave around. My father simply smacked the blade back as he bellowed to me, "Try harder boy!"

I went forward once more as I brought my blade down lightly, this time feinting it as I then turned to his right side swinging my blade heavily as I went to strike my father in the ribs with a violent attack. My father simply stepped back before pivoting, and then with his full strength he hit me on the back of the head with the blunt end up his wooden katana. I fell upon my stomach being too skinny and frail to take such a blow. My head stung with the pain of a hundred needles being drove into my skull, my head bleeding lightly as I lied there in defeat. My father laughed as he ripped my blade from my grasp, I struggled to keep conscious as my father said to me, "Just as I thought, you'll never be good enough at this rate boy, someone like you could never become a samurai I can be proud of."

I eventually passed out as I listened to his laughter echo on, and as I sat within the darkness within my head, I listened as the winds picked up, a girl's whispers saying to me, "Do it." as I drifted away into a slumber.