I began my way back home, following the old dirt paths through the night. The skies had been so very clear, the tall grass and rice fields surrounding this lovely little path dancing within the winds as the spirits of the winds moved joyfully about. I felt at home here, as I continued marching feeling good about myself. Eventually I found myself within a forest, a bit odd but I figured I had just taken a detour as I continued on my way. As I continued walking I came to notice I was lost, the path I had taken was covered up by the winds as leaves smothered it. A strong wind seemed to push me forward as I trudged on, I looked to the old trees seeing slash marks upon them, marks from katana blades. I felt an eerie and cold darkness as I stepped forward, hearing a loud crunch under my foot as I looked down. There before me, just under my foot had been human bones, a samurai's bones as his armor seemed to crumble up as I touched it.
Horrified I ran forward frantically, I heard such eerie whispers as a single distorted scream came out from the woods. I ran with the winds as they grew violent, the branches upon trees reaching out to grab me, I had been suffocating within this forest of death as the screams of the people who lied here echoed through my ears as I ran. I ran and ran through the branches until I hit a root and fell out from the forest, I looked forward to seem a single stone statue before me, the winds calmly flowing around the mossy statue, spirits of nature taking their grasp upon it too. I felt connected to this piece of stone, I felt warm and safe as I got up, wiping the dirt from my hands and clothing before stepping forward. Two torches around it suddenly lit up, fire spirits looking to me with their endless amount of energy.
I reluctantly stepped forward as a sudden wind came out from all around, the strong winds taking the shape a single girl that stood before me. She had a cloth around here eyes, her facial expression seemingly expressionless as I looked to her, she had been around my age of 12. I moved my head to the left, and so did she. I then moved my head to the right as she did as well, I then turned around, the women in the winds doing the same. I turned back around to face her as I reached my hand out to them, they too reached out. As our hands met her expressionless face smiled, she had a warm and kind smile as a sudden wind surround me. The violent winds making such noise as she floated towards me, still grasping my hand as she did. I the heard her voice, the same voice from before when I was struck in the head as she said to me, "Hyouka."
She said my name and for some reason I liked the way it sounded compared to others, her voice soft and gentle like my own, and her words carried such meaning and kindness within them.
"We can now finally meet," she said once more as she went through me, though blindfolded I could feel her gaze upon me as she floated around me, a soft wind with her. As she spoke the noise from the winds surrounding us seemed to stop completely, the spirits respecting the girl by a great margin.
"You've kept the wind waiting for quite some time, Hyouka," she said as she returned to my view, her hands behind her back, "The wind has been seeking to meet with you, Hyouka." I was speechless as I stared to the winds, as the winds showed such love and understanding towards such a small boy like myself, the girl then said to me, "You'll learn quickly that the winds aren't like other spirits, attracted to the strong and fearless." I was silent as I listened.
"We seek out the meek, the afraid, we wish to become strong through weakness," she said with such a kind and yet powerful voice.
"And you Hyouka, shall be our vessel, you shall become the wind's wanderer." She reaches her hand out to me as I stood there, afraid. I had heard stories of spirits luring in kids and men alike, killing them and sometimes possessing them. I stepped back, my eyes shaking with a fear as I suddenly turned away and sprinted a back through the forest, wiping away my tears as I knew being something strong like they had said to me was far gone. The girl stood behind me as she pulled her hand away, she seemed saddened as she frowned, saying the words, "Soon." The winds seemed to calm as she faded away, I found my way back to the path as I began to walk in silence, thinking of the girl, thinking of the lonely wind upon the mountain side.