Adam watched the sun rise from the piling he was meditating on. He smiled as he looked down, seeing the students start their chores and training around the grounds of Kurama. "It must almost be time for me to do my trial. I've been here for too long, and now I'm ready to leave this place, and take my rightful place by the young lord and my family."
"Masanari. What are you doing up there? Come down so we can talk about the trial." He nodded at Sojobo, climbing down the piling, bowing at him when his feet touched the ground. "Your students greets you."
"Soon you won't be my student anymore. Your time has come to start preparing for your trial." He looked at Sojobo with curiosity. "What is the trial called? It can't be just a trial of strength."
"Correct. We just call it that, to make the students feel comfortable. Its real name is Takekirie. Come follow me. I'll tell you what happens." He followed Sojobo through the temple, towards the location where the smiling monk teaches his monk students. "This is where it will happen. On the steps outside, and in here. You'll be competing against others, and the first person to accomplish the task is the winner of the trial."
"What is the task that I have to complete?"
"You need to use a sword to cut a thick bamboo branch into six pieces, and than carry those pieces to the other side of the temple as an offering to the snake statue that's there." He looked at Sojobo with a confused look. "There's a long story that goes with it about a male and female snake, and."
"Sojobo. When it comes to telling stories you should let the one who knows the stories tell them. You destroy the legend and any story you tell the students. Let me tell the legend, as its my role as the head priest here at Kurama after all."
He bowed at the smiling monk as they entered the empty hall. "Your student greets his teacher."
"Masanari. You don't always have to do that. Soon, we're no longer student and teacher, but I wouldn't be surprised if you would take a mask and stay here longer. Hahaha. But I know you won't since, we have made extensive plans for your young lord." He nodded, smiling at the smiling monk. "The legend?"
"Ahh yes. The legend of the Takekirie. Thank you Sojobo. I can continue the preparation from here, you can go enjoy your new students that'll be arriving soon."
"As you wish. Farewell Masanari. I'll see you later for the trial." He bowed at Sojobo, turning to look at the smiling monk. "It seems that Sojobo, has taken a real liking to you, and your sense of duty and loyalty Masanari." He smiled at the monk. "As have I. He's a good person, and his skills are strong. I enjoy sparing with him and the black tengu as well."
"When you leave, the both of them will become very bored, and have nothing to do since they'll have no one to spar with." He lowered his head. "I'm sure they'll find something to do, since they've been up here in Kurama for a long time."
"Maybe they'll join the wars that are happening in the valley below." He nodded. "The black masked tengu, I think he will, I'm not sure about Sojobo. He seems more used to the life here."
"Perhaps... We're here to talk about legends, and not about possibilities, come sit and listen to the story." He knelt behind one of the desks, and waited for the smiling monk to sit behind his table in front of the hall. "Lets begin shall we?"
He nodded. "Takekirie is about a monk named Ebun, fighting against a snake here in Kurama." He leaned forward paying attention to the smiling monk. "The legend says that Ebun was walking through the mountains when he came across a fearsome male snake that was hunting people on the mountain capturing them and eating them. He drew his sword and fought that snake eventually cutting it into small pieces." He nodded. "Makes sense so far."
"There's more to the story. Why do you think there're many waterfalls on this mountain that never run dry?" He shook his head. "I guess it has to do with this legend as well?"
"Correct. There was another large snake that Ebun found. A female snake that spoke to Ebun and pleaded for her life. She told him that if she was spared, she'd make sure the waters on Kurama would never run dry, that there'll always be water here." He nodded. "So he spared her?"
"Correct. Why do you think this legend is important today? What does it teach us?"
He looked at the table in front of him in thought. "Every tengu monk here teaches this in their training with their students. You've been a part of it for nearly eight years. You must have some sort of idea. Even your family does this daily." He nodded in thought. "It has to do with vanquishing evil, through the killing of the male snake."
"What about the female snake?" He sat in thought. "From her actions, it seems that we need to tell others, or spread the information to others."
"What information?" He smiled. "We should spread the truth, and destroy the evil, so no minds become twisted and distorted by evil."
"Yes. So every year we do the trial, and we do this as a way to spread the truth of the water on Kurama to the others. To vanquish the evil in our lands, to unify these lands, and bring it into the light, instead of being in darkness and war." He nodded. "I'll do just that in the lands below. I'll vanquish the evil that exists there, and spread the truth and power of unification." He bowed at the smiling monk. "Good resolve you have. Have you ever thought of what will happen to you after the unification. Will you and your family still be needed?"
He shook his head. "If the day comes, and we're no longer needed, we'll just go back to our lands, and be who we're supposed to be."
"What's that?"
"Farmers, doctors, merchants, travelers, painters and many more things."
"Will you feel bored in a world like that?" He shook his head. "Not at all. The wars we fight to unify the land are to bring peace to these lands. That's the truth we want to spread and share to the lands below."
"Good. Well, now you know the legend of the story, and why we do what we do. You also know the trial you have to cut thick bamboo into six pieces, presenting it to the shrine of the female snake."
He smiled. "Not too difficult. I can do that."
"Good. Than you have nothing to worry about. I'm about to have a class with my students, you can leave and go back to your little nest in the library. I'm sure there're a few scrolls you haven't finished reading and learning from yet." He bowed at the smiling monk, standing and leaving the hall, as he saw a line of student monks waiting to enter the hall he was in. He left them and exited the temple, staring at its large wooden doors. "I'm going to miss them."
"Its not going to be that bad. You'll have a lot to do, and people down there will keep you busy." He turned, bowing at the black mask tengu. "Yes. But still a part of my life was here, so there must be some part of my heart that will always desire this place."
"If that does happen, then you'll fall. Once you leave, you must leave all emotion and thoughts out of it, your blade, fists and legs will grow dull if you do that." He nodded at the masked monk. "Thank you for your words and wisdom. I won't forget them."
"Masanari. Come spar with me. Sparing is a good way to clear the head after a long talk with the smiling monk." He smiled following the masked monk to the sparing platform. He frowned when he saw they were going to the pilings instead. "More training?"
"No training. Just a spar. I want to use my spear. I haven't had a chance to use it, and I am a very big fan of the spear." He watched the masked monk go to the weapons rack and select a bamboo spear with a flat top. "I'm using this so I don't kill you before your trial. Wouldn't be much fun."
He looked at the spear smiling feeling his heart start to race. "Its an interesting weapon. Teacher, may you show me how to wield a spear?"
"You want to learn how to use a spear as well?" He nodded. "Very well. Take this one, and I'll get another one." He bowed grabbing the spear in the masked monks hands, feeling its weight and spinning it around him.
"A spear isn't a staff. Its not for spinning or defending. Its good for one thing, and one thing alone. To attack, and attack fast." He stood watching the masked monk climb the pilings and started to move over them, showing the form. He watched the form in detail, the steps he took and the strikes he focused on. He nodded. "I see what you mean. Every strike of the spear you make is one of death. Its hard to block when you attack that way. A swordsman will have trouble fighting against you."
"Than come up here, and show me what you can do with a spear." He climbed up the piling and stood on the opposite end to the masked monk. "You watched me move, show me how much you remember." He bowed at the monk and started to move as he saw the monk move previously. Once he finished he bowed at the monk again and stood waiting. "Not bad. However, when you stretch out with the spear to make your strike you have an error. If you keep the spear straight and not moving the enemy can block it, and you're wide open for a counter attack and death. Think of the spear as a snake. It wobbles and shakes in the air. The mouth can move and bite any part of the opponent. Watch me again." He watched the monk go through the forms again, and focused on how the tip of the spear would move around making a defense from it almost impossible. He bowed at the monk. "I understand and thank you for your lesson. The spear is a fascinating weapon as you say. I'll be practicing and using it more."
"Good. I also like the spear, and when I have space to use it, I'll use it, when I can't use it I just have my fists and legs. I have no need for a sword. Just a spear, and my body. I'll take on anyone in the field of battle." He smiled. "That's if the lord allows you to fight in battle, since you'd fit the role of a general leading troops, than a foot soldier."
"Even if I'm a general, I'll fight with my men. I don't hide at the back, I'm in the front, and I fight leading my men." He smiled at the masked monk. "I understand. I can see your Bushido, as you spoke about your men that you'll lead. I know you'll be a strong warrior on the field of battle for your lord, to bring unification to Japan."
"I don't care about unification. All I care about is the chance to fight against strong opponents, to find who the strongest is. I plan to become a spear saint." He bowed at the masked monk, listening to the conviction in his voice. "I believe that you can, and I know you have the ability to do so."
"Enough talking. I'm not the smiling monk. I came here to spar with you, and calm my boiling blood. Lets see who's the better at using a spear. Me who's used one for most of my life, or you?" He nodded. "I think you'll win this one. This is the first time I've held a spear in my hands."
"Yet you were able to finish the form without difficulty at all. I find it hard to believe. Now come. Lets spar." He nodded and ran on the pilings towards the masked monk with a smile on his face.