Call of the sword
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Chapter one: "Arrival"
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It was a sunny day. The skies were devoid of clouds and the sun was overhead. These conditions paved the way for a particularly uncomfortable walk for Louis Ogunbawo. He felt as though the sun was actively trying to bake his shaved head.
Louis wasn't bothered by it. He'd gotten used to it. Instead, his thoughts were focused on the task at hand. Spices bakery wasn't too far away from his home. In fact, it was only a twenty minute trek.
Louis checked his wristwatch. It read 2:35 pm. He picked up the pace.
Suddenly, a thunderbolt came down from the sky. It happened in an instant, so quickly that the young man's mind didn't register it until it had already happened. Louis collapsed on the ground.
'I thought being struck by lightning would hurt more than this. My body feels numb.'
Louis closed his eyes and rested his head, facedown on the soft ground. Strangely, he felt a cool breeze above his head, and not the heat that he was enduring a moment ago.
'A side-effect of being electrocuted?'
The seventeen year old relaxed on the ground, sure that he was still lying down on the streets of warri, Nigeria. However, as the seconds turned into minutes, Louis because more and more aware of his immediate surroundings. For one, he wasn't lying on the road, he was lying face-down on some kind of soft carpet grass instead. He also realized that the air was far cooler than he was used to. It was very strange.
He felt as though he could move. In fact, he had been feeling that way for awhile, but he refused to move, thinking that he had to be dead. But now he thought about it, it sounded stupid to him, so he got up.
'No pain anywhere, no numbness either.'
Looking around, Louis was stunned. He was standing in the entrance to an ancient japanese structure that might be some kind of temple or something. Grass was beneath his sandals, and around him was a vast landscape. He saw mountains out in the distance and he discovered that the structure was atop one, because to his left was a cliff, and beneath it was something that resembled a village. It was so far away, but the style of housing wasn't something he had seen before.
He wasn't in warri anymore. He took a glance at the sky, and he surmised that he wasn't on earth either. After all, which place on the face of the earth, happened to have two suns rather than one?
However, that wasn't all. He raised his hands up, seeing the old scars. A reminder that he had tried karate at some point in time.
"Why am I thinking about that now..." He burst into laughter, not completely sure about what he was even laughing about.
"I'm in another dimension."
As that sentence came out of his mouth, he closed his eyes again. What he saw when he opened his eyes again proved it. The pain he felt when he pinched his arm was another piece of evidence. There was no denying it. He was really in another world.
A myriad of questions popped up in his head. He wanted to know what was going on, why it's happening, where he was, what kind of world this was..but he didn't have the answer to any of those questions, and he didn't see anybody who could give them to him.
Instead, he decided to check out what he had with him. His wristwatch was still where it was before the 'incident'. His right pocket also had his money. 1000 naira. Glancing at the village, he concluded that it was probably not useful, but he kept it anyways. It was stupid to throw away money, after all. He also found a pen on his left pocket; he had left it there after studying.
"What am I doing? Stalling for time? There's only one way to get answers. And that is going out and looking for them."
With that, he took the first step into the temple. The moment he did, he felt a strange feeling. As though something was drawing him there. It was eerie.
Louis shook his head and continued walking. It was a straight passageway. At the end of it, he saw a sword. A katana to be precise. It was neither long nor short and he didn't exactly know the name. All he knew, was that that feeling he had before was far stronger in there.
He took each step forward with caution. He had now concluded that that sword must have some kind of supernatural element. He knew he should have turned back and ran away. He wanted to...but the feeling was too strong. It was almost like a magnetic pull dragging him to the sword. Soon he was right infront of it.
A chill went down his spine and he swallowed hard.
'What's going on? I just got struck by lightning, and now some voodoo nonsense is trying to kill me.'
"Sorry evil spirits, but I'm not ready to die."
You're not going to die.
"What the f*ck?" Louis jumped.
Aren't you a bit too young to be using words like that?
It was a lady's voice. Louis looked around pensively. Beads of sweat came down his forehead.
'I shouldn't respond. It's a goddamn evil spirit for crying out loud. Maybe it'll... No. I shouldn't think like that. If talking to it is so dangerous, I should be dead already. I'm probably not joining a cult by doing this, right?'
"How does that concern you?"
I guess it doesn't. Come pick me up already.
'Pick you up? I mean, maybe it isn't a spirit. I don't see anybody else here, but maybe she's outside or something... what does she mean by that? Is she insinuating that..'
Come on. You're wasting my time here. You've already made noise since coming here. The guards should be on their way already.
'Why does she keep saying 'already'?'
"Umm. Lady, are you a spirit or.."
I'm a sword idiot! A sword!
"An idiot sword?"
Stop playing and pick me up!
"Oh! I'm sorry, sword idiot."
Suddenly, Louis heard footsteps coming from behind him. Finally, there were other human beings to talk to.
Don't make a noise, they haven't seen you yet. Just stay where you are and don't move.
Louis turned back, with the newfound strength to resist the spirit's powers. Then, seeing the strangely dressed armed men, he shouted and waved at them.
"Hey! Over here!"
Damn you.
The guards rushed over.
"What? There's really someone inside the sacred altar?" One of them said to the other.
"Hurry, let's go after him. He has to be a thief!"
Louis shook his head.
"I'm not a thief!" He yelled at them.
"Shut up! Yosuke, kill him!"
"Why can't you kill him? Kisuke-sama?"
"Nobody normal can get here without being strong."
"But Kisuke-sama?"
They're wasting time. This is your chance, Adekunle, pick me up already!
"How do you know my name? No, that's not important. I'm not going to pick you up, okay? I don't want to be a thief."
So you've finally realized that I'm a sword.
"Yes, ma'am. It took me some time. I'm not used to talking to a sword, but it's easier knowing that you're an AI."
What the f*ck is an AI?
"Don't play dumb with me. You're an AI that was put inside this special high tech weapon that looks like a katana, right? And those guards are protecting you since you're some kind of legendary weapon that was probably developed by some secret evil agency that's trying to destroy the world?"
You..have an overactive imagination. But that won't help you with these guards. Both of them are well versed in the art of combat. They also have some level of spirit energy too.
While the voice was yapping away, Kisuke and Yosuke had agreed to attack together. Both of them sprinting towards the sword as fast as they could.
"Not listening."
They approached Louis with spears pointed at him. There was no hesitation in their eyes.
For a moment, the oddly dressed duo looked intimidating. Then that moment passed by, and Louis saw them for the ugly-looking idiots that they were.
Nevertheless, they attacked. In a split second, both their spears were parried with a certain golden scabbard. The sword was unsheathed.
Finally. It took you long enough.
The two guards jumped backwards.
"Kisuke-sama, it seems this one is a formidable opponent! That sword was too fast!!"
"Yes, you're right. Don't let your guard down."
Louis held on to the sword with his right hand and frowned.
"Alright Kisuke-sama! Let's handle this thief!"
A vein popped on Louis' forehead.
"If there's anything I hate in the universe other than the stupid teacher that forced me to get this little haircut..."
Louis swung the sword at them and their eyes nearly jumped out of their faces.
"..It's people who jump into conclusions and refuse to listen!"
And when the sword connected, it sent them flying.
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Next time.
"The sword with the long name."
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