Those of you who are part of Wulfy's RP Fires of War should recognise the title... Anyway this is the background of my story, I was going to make it a SJA special but since its shut down I'll just post it everywhere instead! Also while your reading a bit of a plug. Again. My online portfolio I;d love you to boost my ratings:
http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/user_id/finchy
Enjoy...
(Language warning its a 18+)
Chapter 1-FreedomSaku peered over the bushes one last time before turning heel and sprinting after his friend Yori. They were both peasants and farmers in Japan. They were also bored. Twenty minutes earlier they had left the plots they were meant to be working on in an excited daze. They'd heard the rumours that the army was marching through their region but they'd not dared to believe them. Nothing exciting ever happened near their homes. But then they'd heard the distant drumbeat and the unmistakable pounding of marching feet and at last they thought that they might, just might, escape the boring life of a farmer.
They collapsed in to the field where Saku was supposed to be planting rice. It had been a short, brisk run back from the road and they were both panting slightly. Lancing through the air came the harsh voice of Saku's father,
"SAKU are you slacking?" The voice was followed by a heavyset man in his early forties stalking through the field's entrance, "I should have known you'd be here Yori. Go home now before I'm tempted to tell your father you've been shirking from your work again." This was a real threat as the fathers were very close; in fact they had no other friends that Saku could tell. Yori jumped to his feet and sent a meaningful glance over his shoulder at Saku before scuttling back to his own farm so no one else would realise he'd been missing.
As his father headed back towards his own worksite Saku made a half hearted attempt to stand up before falling back to the ground once he was out of sight. He'd had enough of his father's heavy handed discipline and the empty shell of a life he was currently tolerating. However the glance from Yori confirmed what he'd hoped, that he was going to leave it all behind; all but Yori and the gold cross that hung beneath his tunic and was attached to a golden chain around his neck. It had been a gift from some Spanish merchants a few years earlier, one summer they'd crashed their ship on the reefs and his father had grudgingly allowed them to live under his roof (for a price of course) while they built a new one. However by the time they left they had converted a young and impressionable Saku to their religion. This was yet another reason to go, he feared his father's reaction the day he found out his son was a Christian. It was his biggest secret and only Yori was trusted enough to know it.
But tonight Yori and he were going to run away to join the army. The stories that said they were marching past had also claimed they were staying in a local town for a few months. This would give them time to be recruited and train to become true soldiers in the Emperor's army to fight against whoever he chose. There was even talk of a rebellion to the south of Mutsu and that was where it was a suggested this army would be sent. Saku didn't believe that the people of Japan would rebel but one thing was certain; the militia were recruiting heavily, any volunteer who offered their services were snapped up right away regardless of there background or skill. But Saku was confident that he'd off been recruited anyway, despite being of average height he was broad and well muscled after years of hard manual labour on his father's farm. He had brown eyes and the beginning of a beard that was little more then stubble but still impressive for a fifteen year old lad.
* * * * *
Yori stood shivering in the dark, damp undergrowth outside Saku's house. He was urging Saku to come out, willing him on with every bone in his cold racked body. In his desperation he even sent up a payer to Saku's God for all the good it would do him. Suddenly an arm shot around a tree and smothered his mouth. Another arm wrapped round his waist to stop him from running. Yori's whole body went rigid and his mind blank except for unhelpful panicky thoughts that swamped his consciousness. They must have been found out, one of the fathers knew and he was in for the beating of a lifetime.
Then he heard the familiar dry laughter and the arms were slowly retracted as Saku stepped beside him from the shadows. Yori let out a breath of sweet air that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He angrily gestured at Saku to stop laughing in case they were heard and signalled again to suggest they started moving. Shaking his head he followed after Saku's rapidly disappearing figure, he was frustrated at himself for being spooked so easily. They were both fast since neither family could afford a horse or donkey they had to travel everywhere by foot and they both had plenty of experience of running away from their father's black moods.
Saku felt exhilaration spreading through his body as he left his house behind. At last they'd dared to take the gamble and it seemed the risk had paid off and it was completely worth it. He enjoyed his first breaths of air as a free man but knew what he was experiencing right now would be nothing to what Yori would be feeling. Saku craved adventure and the idea of travelling and fighting sounded perfect to him but Yori chaffed at authority. Especially that of his father and he couldn't understand the right his father had to knock him about as his will lead him. Yori had arrived at Saku's house on many occasions black, blue and weeping. Now he hated his father and all he stood for.
However that was the past, soon to be nothing more but a dark and distant memory and they were free to pursue their own dreams. They spent the first few hours using hidden wood paths to avoid seeing people but they returned to the main path for the final leg of the journey. As they stood upon millions of shards of stone that formed the path Saku slowed to walking pace. They'd been running for hours and he needed a rest, besides running in to town in the early hours of the morning was bound to raise suspicions. He knew from instinct and experience that Yori would have followed his example. Yori was shaped like a stick, thin and long with greasy black hair down to his shoulders. This was very different to his father who was short and stout and this was a bone of much discontent in the household.
It was about five in the morning when they finally arrived and strolled across to where a friendly man had told them the army was camped. However they were deeply surprised by the scene that awaited them. While small pockets of men were up and ready to face the day many of the so called soldiers, so obviously raw recruits, lay spread around various camp fires still asleep. As they moved closer the noise of snoring became louder. Shocked, Saku and Yori looked at each other with tired eyes showing their disappointment, this was not what they'd wanted or expected to see.
In the middle of the chaos stood a man, like a rock in a storm the winds swept past him and he slowly gave orders that began to quell the tempest. Authority radiated off of him and he was clearly the man in charge of the militia army. Saku and Yori felt themselves drawn to him but as they got near a man appeared in front of them. He had premature grey hair sprouting from his head and his bad tempered face was bright red on top of a body that was built like a bull.
"Who the fuck are you?" he demanded. Yori began to stammer an answer but Saku's natural confidence overruled the older boy,
"We wanted to join the army but after seeing the shambles it's in I'm not so sure." The man replied in his leering voice,
"Well I don't give a fuck if you little shits decide to join or not but in case you think you may serve some small purpose for the Shogun the clerk is over there."
He pointed to the other side of the field and the two tramped across avoiding sprayed limbs as they went; they were both insulted and shocked at the way they had been treated. When they arrived at the place that had been pointed out to them they found a balding old man who was clearly no use as anything else and was therefore given the role of sorting out new recruits. However he soon found them a faded red cloak with the Emperors crest on it in golden thread that was missing sections and a sword that looked like it might break if it was actually used. However the insult was soon forgotten and they ignored the dismal quality of the equipment they had been given as they now felt like real soldiers. Their tiredness faded as anticipation of a day of training swept through their bodies. They were free...
Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:40 pm
