Chapter 2: The Land of Rivals

“Sorry it took so long to find an exit.” Said Araya as he stood back on his feet.

“At least you found an exit.” Mariam said trying to be optimistic in the situation. As they were approaching their way up the stairs, they heard the door open again.

“What was that?” she whispered. “Did you come with someone?”

“No…” Araya replied before disappearing and reappearing almost instantly.

“Who was that?” She asked nervously.

“one of the soldiers… my soldiers.” He replied, a bit uneasy with what he said

“What?!” she said in a shocked expression, “You didn’t need to kill one of your own soldiers.” She said.

“I had to, if he found out about you and the baby, he would have tried to kill you both!” he replied “You know I won’t let that happen.” Mariam kept quiet, she knew he was right.

In Raibarumura, for the Phoenix clan, it’s strictly prohibited for men to marry women from the Dragon clan. If anyone is found doing this, they are to be humiliated in front of their clan for 24 hours, then killed immediately after.

“Fine, but at least knock him out then teleport him somewhere else” she said trying to make her point Clear

“I would've done that if I could” He said. “I only have enough chi to teleport short distances now.”

“WHAT!!?” she shouted. “Are you serious, you have more chi than even normal Phoenix guys!”

“Hahaha, well I may have a lot of chi, but it can still run out you know.” He said as they began walking up the stairs again.

“Yeah but you could teleport to the edges of Raiba over like forty times in a row or something.” she said as they were just coming out of the basement

“I have limits, and not to mention there were many things I did outside.” He continued to explain, “Like looking for an appropriate exit to leave from, not to mention fighting multiple Dragon clansme-”

“Hmmm… Limits, many things to do?” she interrupted asking in disbelief “Hahaha wow. Suddenly being a father makes you have so many excuses.” She said with a smile on her face chuckling at her husband’s embarrassed looked, but this smile became a frown quickly. “Araya, do you think we’ll make it out of here with our son. I mean, will we get to see him grow, or… will we die here trying to save him.” Araya looked at her somewhat confused. As he was about to answer, the door opened up revealing a large group of soldiers from the dragon clan.

“Don’t try to move,” one of the soldiers said, “or else.” He lifted his sword and pointed it directly at his son and wife just beside him.

“Mariam, stay back!” Araya said in a very commanding tone “You know I could take you all on right?” He asked ready to draw his own sword from his back.

“Hahaha that’s really hilarious. We both know you don’t have enough chi to try anything to us, you’re still too weak.” The solider grinned with the sword still pointing at Araya’s child.

“Fine, Have it your way.” As Araya said this, he pulled out the golden sword from the sheath he wore at his back, cut off the hand that held the sword pointing at the child so fast that no one, not even the solider himself, noticed the hand holding the blade was on the floor. Before a reaction could even be registered, Araya cut off the soldier’s head just as quickly.

“Who else.” He asked the other soldiers with a face more intimidating than that of a lion’s. The others hesitantly approached to see if they had a chance, but before any of them could lay a finger on him, all their heads were on the ground detached from their bodies, ejecting blood all over the floor.

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“Let’s go” he said, Mariam nodded in agreement as they made their way out to the bloody battle field.

….

O

 

“Grandpa Furoto!” I said with a nervous smile on my face. “When did you get back? You said you would be at jikanmura for a month. It isn’t even two weeks yet!”

Gramps stared at me looking like he knew exactly why I was outside the village. “I just came to check up on the village” he said looking at the city “And making sure you don’t get into any unnecessary trouble.” He added

“Me Trouble? Never.” He obviously didn’t take my words to heart, I mean, would anyone?

“Well, let’s get back” I hesitantly nodded in agreement as we walked into the front gates of Raibarumura. I knew what was waiting for me back in that death trap of a city, with all those torch holding weirdos.

As we made our way back to the city, gramps turned and looked at me. I knew exactly what he wanted to ask “Kai, have you been keeping up with your training?”

“ohhh…umm…not really?” I said a little nervously, gramps looked disappointed and I couldn’t blame him for it.

He expected that someday, I would be the pride of Raiba, a legend just like my dad and himself. He always told me I was a prodigy that had everything it took to become the best guardian this village could ever have. But as I’ve said, the village didn’t like me, so I didn’t really care about them. Besides, the whole guardian thing is just so political now. They’re just there to look all cool and do nothing.

Now, I’m sure you’re trying to understand exactly what a guardian is and the change it’s gone through. Guardians, are basically protectors of a village and are the panicle of what a clansman can use their chi to do. They are the leaders of the village’s military force and on a few occasions, the village’s leader themselves. They were always considered the strongest of their clan because of the knowledge they had in using their clan’s forbidden techniques which is only accessible to the royal family.

“You know, the chances of you becoming my guardian apprentice is actually quite high,” grandpa said “I don’t want you to waste such an opportunity.”

“No thanks!” I declined (again…). Apprentices are the members of the clan who are chosen by the current guardian to become guardians of the future. They are trained by their guardians to be better fighters and tacticians. Unfortunately, I’m not the type to train earnestly, so being an apprentice is something I was not interested in.

“I think there are people more motivated than me to do anything” I said “so why don’t you pick those guys.” Before gramps could answer, a large familiar group of people holding torches approached.

“How did you guys even know when I came in?!” I said a bit shocked and nervous.

“And, why are you holding torches in broad daylight?” gramps asked while stroking his beard looking somewhat uuuh… intrigued? “This son of a devil stole a book from my shop!!!” The shop keeper said “He has to die right now!”

Gramps immediately just threw a pouch of money at the shopkeeper. The crowd as they saw this, dispersed immediately, and looked disappointed. “Let’s go on kai” he said. But, my attention was totally on what I just witnessed. “Kai?” he tapped me this time.

“Ohh… sorry grandpa” I said. ”hey gramps, why… do they hate me?” He was silent… (as usual…).

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