Under the Old Willow<\/p>\n
Rain fell gently on the branches of the Old Willow that stood overlooking the valley. Its\u00a0branches drooped down towards the ground, making it appear as a lamenting giant. Perhaps it\u00a0was saddened further by the sight that laid before it or the knowledge of the days to come. Either\u00a0way fate begat the sight to be sought. Under the Old Willow, only a few meters away from its\u00a0base, two men stood as foes.<\/p>\n
Kayasi\u2019s blade was drawn, extended towards his enemy. The castle forged steel glistened\u00a0in the reflection of the rising moon, which was barely visible through the rain-soaked clouds.\u00a0Kayasi\u2019s eyes were fixed upon his brother, Hizuru, who stood before him. The men of the same\u00a0blood grimaced at each other, contemplating their next move, for what seemed to be an eternity.\u00a0Finally, breaking the silence, Kayasi spoke:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you can run after the Council\u2019s deliberation? Those lands are mine by right,\u00a0brother. You know there is no point in fleeing from the consequences of your actions. You are a\u00a0fool<\/em> to expect any outcome other than your death.\u201d His voice was fraught with disgust. Hizuru,\u00a0however, said nothing. His face was no longer glowering at his younger sibling. His green eyes\u00a0transfixed on the boy, barely even considered a man, that challenged him. Kayasi continued\u00a0\u201cDamn you! You know what you have done! You—You have defiled all that we were taught to\u00a0hold sacred! You…fraternize<\/em> with witches and warlocks. You mock the gods–You mock the\u00a0very sigil that belonged to our ancestors!\u201d At mentioning their forefathers Kayasi beat his chest Hizuru finally spoke, \u201cBrother, these are lies and you know it. What I have done, I did for\u00a0the good of our people. The Council is marred by unctuous bureaucrats and politicians. We-We\u00a0had dreams, brother, dreams of changing the swamp of war that contaminates this world into the\u00a0calm waters of peace. Join me<\/em> and it can still be that way.\u201d Hizuru outstretched his hand.\u00a0Kayasi\u2019s katana still marked his brother as its enemy. Kayasi weighed the words that were\u00a0spoken. His viridian eyes began to swell with tears, which were barely visible from the gentle\u00a0shower that fell from the heavens. His blade lowered for what seemed to be a couple of inches.\u00a0His composure faltered for a second, more than ever he looked like a boy playing at a man\u2019s\u00a0game. However, he quickly regained himself. His blade returned to its original, menacing\u00a0position.<\/p>\n He cried out, \u201cNo\u2026 Liar. You are a liar! You forfeited your right to that dream the\u00a0moment you threatened the life of your emperor. You no longer have the right to father\u2019s lands\u00a0and you have no right to your title.\u201d Kayasi took a step forward in his fighting stance. Hizuru\u2019s\u00a0face offered a clear modicum of disappointment, like a father shamed by the actions of his son.\u00a0Hizuru brought his outstretched hand closer to his face. His emerald eyes gazed at his palm as if\u00a0he was searching for an answer.<\/p>\n He said, in a voice that had deep longing in it, \u201cI know that someday we shall find peace,\u00a0brother. But it has become evident that we shall not behold it together.\u201d After a moment he\u00a0reached for the hilt of his sword.<\/p>\n Under the Old Willow brother and brother locked blades…<\/p>\n The Song of Steel<\/p>\n Sparks flew in all directions as their blades collided. The scraping of edged steel rang a\u00a0blood curdling song that carried over the sound of the rain. Blow after blow the brothers were\u00a0locked in combat. Kayasi\u2019s katana waving, almost frantically, with each swing. Hizuru\u2019s\u00a0calculating blocks, parries, and dodges counteracted any attempts of fatal blows that came in\u00a0quick succession. Grunts and huffs emanated from the brothers as the battle waged on, dueling\u00a0forces of similar resolve met in heated confrontation. Then, at once, Hizuru pinned Kayasi\u2019s\u00a0katana in the dirt and rammed into him with his shoulder. Kayasi was taken aback.<\/p>\n Once regaining his footing Kayasi lunged at his brother with his sword above him,\u00a0grasping it with two hands. Kayasi\u2019s eyes widened, rage filled the green of his eyes that\u00a0somehow seemed red. Hizuru retaliated by side stepping his charging opponent and, with a flick\u00a0of his blade, slashed the upper thigh. At the finality of his counter, as if to immobilize his brother\u00a0further, Hizuru jabbed the pommel of his katana into the back of Kayasi\u2019s head. The boy fell\u00a0forward, disarmed and bloodied. Ground broke under the force of his collision; mud plastered the\u00a0front of his body. Hizuru, using the crease of his elbow, slowly and methodically cleaned the\u00a0shinogi<\/em>. The edge was pointed upward and the blood fell in droplets, mixing with the mud\u00a0below. As Kayasi was face down in the earth, his older brother deliberated what would become\u00a0of him as he sheathed his katana. Hizuru contemplated the effects of his actions. Sedulous in his\u00a0deliberation, Hizuru quickly finalized the coming moments. The older brother walked over and\u00a0kneeled next to his brother. Hizuru’s head was almost level with Kayasi\u2019s motionless body. His\u00a0breathing was strained and he was muttering some words. Hizuru bent his head down closer in\u00a0order to hear what Kayasi was saying. It was hard to completely decipher the whole sentences,\u00a0but a few words bled through. \u201cFather<\/em>…honor<\/em>\u2026.regret<\/em>…Home<\/em>.\u201d Understanding what his\u00a0younger brother was trying to say, Hizuru stood up again. He gazed at the body of the closest\u00a0family he had left. The rain pattered overhead and the moon was almost directly above the Shaking his head, he proceeded. Nothing would break his resolve. He declared, \u201cYou\u00a0have made an unwise decision, Kayasi. Sometimes I forget that when children are burdened with\u00a0power, they tend to conduct themselves as such. I do not fault you; I am to blame. I expected too\u00a0much from you. However, a lesson needs to be taught. Such is my divine right as champion of\u00a0this duel to mark you as an example to all those foolish enough to cross me as you have. You\u00a0have my pity, not my forgiveness. Be that as it may, get in my way again and my benevolence\u00a0will not save you. Goodbye, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Upon dictating Kayasi his sentence, Hizuru unsheathed his tanto. He bent down and cut\u00a0off the tip of his brother\u2019s right ear, forever marking him as his subordinate. The mud was cool\u00a0under his face. It never bothered him much, the mud. Its sticky, wet, and paste-like texture\u00a0reminded him of the floodplain that surrounded Kotimoro river. It reminded him of when he was\u00a0a boy, which was not that long ago but still felt a lifetime away. It reminded him of spring in the\u00a0village. The flowering of thick, fertile grass that surrounded the embankment. The glittering river\u00a0that teemed with life. His brother would take him fishing along the water\u2019s edge. They would\u00a0spend hours sending their lines into the slow-moving current or using a spear to skillfully skewer\u00a0an unsuspecting trout. The sun\u2019s glorious rays warmed his arms as they threw their lines in and\u00a0quickly retreated them. As the memory vanished from his mind, the pain seeped into the\u00a0forefront. Hot blood leaked from his ear and traveled the length of his face. Somehow, he\u00a0managed to go from landing on his face to being on his back, to once again facedown in the mud.\u00a0The pain in his ear began to throb, the rhythmic thump of his heart matched its speed. Get up<\/em>,\u00a0said a voice, barely a whisper. Kayasi\u2019s body ignored it. Get up<\/em>, it said again. Kayasi\u2019s mind\u00a0tried to wander back to the memory of the Kotimoro River in the springtime. He tried to picture\u00a0the river\u2019s illustrious waters that were clearer than any crystal or diamond he had ever seen. Get<\/em>\u00a0up<\/em>. The voice\u2019s tone had grown in both temper and volume. You dumb bastard, you need to get<\/em>\u00a0up.<\/em> \u201cNo,\u201d he thought, \u201cI cannot keep going. I lost. He beat me.\u201d However, the voice\u2019s\u00a0determination remained unfaltering. Get<\/em>. Up<\/em>. Something within himself stirred, a thrust had\u00a0followed the voice. It held a certain authority over him. Its sternness matched the candor and\u00a0vigor of a battle commander compelling his soldiers to bravery. Kayasi\u2019s eyes slowly opened, the\u00a0sun\u2019s magnificent rays struck like lightning. Once his vision adjusted he noticed that rain had\u00a0obviously stopped. He shifted away from his position, as he did the wound on his thigh reminded\u00a0him of its presence.<\/p>\n He gingerly rose off the ground, his eyes shifted to the skies. Burgeoning colors of\u00a0orange, yellow, and blue swirled above in a horizontal cascade of clouds. A lighter complexion\u00a0radiated from the Old Willow. Its stoic and impressive stature still towered upon the hill, but its\u00a0lamenting predisposition was all the more present. The rains that preceded this morning seemed\u00a0a distant memory. If truth be told, even Kayasi\u2019s recollection faltered, either intentionally or not,\u00a0to fully comprehend the events that transpired. It seemed like something that had occurred a\u00a0millennia ago. A legend from a time long forgotten. For a moment he wished he could stay there,\u00a0rest and ignore the beckonings of fate that call to him. He longed for a simpler time, he longed\u00a0for all to be set right. However distant that dream felt it only seemed to magnify with each\u00a0moment he stood admiring the sky. He needed to press on. The Council would need to hear from\u00a0him and the decisions his brother had committed. They would not make their verdict lightly, nor\u00a0would they be merciful in their distribution of consequences. This same Council ordered Kayasi\u00a0to kill his own brother. They expected his return for the right to his family\u2019s land. What would\u00a0they say now that Hizuru had defeated him? Beyond that, how would others at court illustrate\u00a0their displeasure at my clan? Nevermind that, now lies ahead the task of trudging back to the\u00a0village. And so Kayasi limped on.<\/p>\n Deep in the Angst of Autumn<\/p>\n Amongst the turmoil of the landscape, the Old Willow stood as it had for centuries. Its firm roots\u00a0clasped the ground with the same intensity as it had always had. The lamenting giant had\u00a0withstood the test of time and, it seems, it will continue to do so. Even as the ground trembled\u00a0with the clash of armies not mere feet away from it, the tree remained unmoved. Unfazed by the\u00a0clutches of immorality, by the facsimile of honor.<\/p>\n Reaching the base of the hill, Kayasi prepared himself for the confrontation that preceded\u00a0him. His heart thumped with a force that he felt reverberated throughout his body. Adrenaline\u00a0sharpened his senses and his wits were about him. His right hand instinctively reached for the\u00a0hilt of his Katana, where it rested close to the guard. He swiveled his head to set his face mask\u00a0properly on his nose. The holes for the eyes were positioned in perfect unison. Sweat moistened\u00a0the palms of his hands. His breathing eased and he proceeded with his ascension. At the top of\u00a0the hill, in full view of the Old Willow, was a samurai with his back towards Kayasi. The\u00a0Samurai was not wearing his kabuto, as it was resting on the hilt of his katana that was jabbed\u00a0into the ground. In front of the katana was a perfect rectangle that disappeared into the Earth. A\u00a0grave that was strategically placed. Kayasi slightly moved closer to the samurai. From behind the\u00a0warrior appeared to be too thin for his armor; It seemed to droop against his gaunt figure. What\u00a0Kayasi could inexplicitly make out was the fact that this man was his own kin. His own blood.\u00a0He felt an attraction towards this man that placed him at the cross section of his destiny.<\/p>\n Hizuru spoke,\u201cI hear that you proudly bear the mark that I presented to you, Kayasi. I\u00a0admit that a lesser man would have had the inclination to hide it. But then again, you were\u00a0always a stubborn child.\u201d He turned his body to Kayasi. Hizuru\u2019s face had lost all of the color\u00a0that it once had. His facial hair had grown to twice the length it had once been. Gray hairs\u00a0peppered his beard. What had not lost its gumption was his eyes. The viridian seemed darker\u00a0than ever, its rage more pronounced. Its hate is more palpable. Is this truly the Golden Shinigami<\/em>\u00a0of the Valley? Had the stories surrounding Kayasi\u2019s brother been true? Is this truly the assassin<\/em> Hizuru continued, \u201cI won\u2019t lie to you, your presence in my war has been annoying\u2013\u201d\u00a0\u201cYour<\/em> war?\u201d Kayasi spat in a quick retort. \u201cYou self-righteous bastard! I know what you are! I\u00a0know what you have become. You are a coward<\/em> and the stain that you have left on our people\u00a0ends here!\u201d Hizuru\u2019s eyes scrunched as he sneered at the outburst.<\/p>\n He calmly and wittingly replied, \u201cSuch talk of cowardice is rich coming from the boy\u00a0who would not face me at the base of Mount Ito. I assume that you learned such spinelessness\u00a0from Commander Fujiwama, because I taught you no such thing.\u201d As he uttered this sentence\u00a0Hizuru went for his Kabuto.<\/p>\n \u201cThat fool has never had the stomach to do what is necessary in the heat of battle. I\u00a0expect your training has been for naught with him. Tell me, where have you left him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are one to talk, you are the one that has eluded your destiny,\u201d Kayasi said with an\u00a0air of recompense.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes\u2014destiny. I was wondering how long it would take for you to mention your\u00a0fascination with fate. You never answered. What became of the great Commander Fujiwama?\u201d\u00a0As Hizuru spoke he assembled his helmet into place. His facemask covered his features that only\u00a0showed his dark green eyes. His Kabuto resembled the scowling face of a golden shinigami. The\u00a0mask had an inlay of jagged teeth, a large nose, and a dull reflection. Kayasi was in awe of the\u00a0mask, completely disregarding his brother\u2019s question. This was the face that struck fear into the\u00a0Ronins of the East. This was the face that was notorious amongst the people of the Valley. This\u00a0was the face that sent so many souls to their damnation. And here it was. Its gaze marks Kayasi,\u00a0not as a brother, but as its enemy. Hizuru cut the pretense:<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Brother. Is it your destiny to face your closest blood relative here on this<\/em> soil? Is it\u00a0your destiny to destroy your closest relative on this soil?\u201d His eyes were ablaze, the green of his\u00a0eyes illuminated behind the shield of mask. \u201cI think that your destiny is to end up in this hole.\u00a0Buried and forgotten. I think your destiny was fulfilled the moment you were fool enough to\u00a0think you could destroy all that I have built. What I have done will foment a peace that will last\u00a0until my bones are ash. I gave you a warning last time, brother. It seems that you have\u00a0completely forgotten it. A reminder is in order.\u201d<\/p>\n Hizuru lifted his blade from the dirt and steadied it with both hands. The sword\u00a0glimmered in the sun, its shimmer a golden streak. Come fulfill your destiny<\/em>, the Golden\u00a0Shinigami declared. Sparks flew once more with the clashing of brotherly blades. Castle-forged\u00a0steel bit at the air with a swish as deft hands pushed against the wind. War waged without and\u00a0within. A torrential upheaval erupted along the banks of the Valley. The rivers would run red.\u00a0The skies will be enraptured with plumes of billowing smoke. Corpses will be scattered around\u00a0the onslaught of victorious salutes as the triumphant extolled another day of breath. In the\u00a0decades to come the living men would tell their progeny of their bravery in the face of\u00a0desolation. They will aggrandize their standing and impact within the war. They will sing songs\u00a0of their gallantry. One side will tell of how good conquered evil and the other will lament how\u00a0evil prevailed. No tears will be shed for the fallen. In the end, it matters not which brother ended\u00a0up in the hole. It matters not which was standing for the better cause. Brothers<\/em> are still fighting.\u00a0Kin still abandoned their humanity in the face of desperation. There will be no true glory. No fair\u00a0winner. Only loss. Only grief.<\/p>\n To this day the Willow still stands. Lamenting as always. A harrowing sight to behold. It looks\u00a0on without judgment. It looks on as the years strip away at its bark. It looks on as the rain rots its\u00a0branches. It looks on as generations come and go like the leaves of autumn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gabriel Ferrer Under the Old Willow Rain fell gently on the branches of the Old Willow that stood overlooking the valley. Its\u00a0branches drooped down towards the ground, making it appear as a lamenting giant. Perhaps it\u00a0was saddened further by the sight that laid before it or the knowledge of the days to come. Either\u00a0way fate Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"parent":23,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-509","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=509"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":799,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/509\/revisions\/799"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/18-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nwith his left fist, his right still wielding the katana.<\/p>\n
\nwillow tree. Time had passed and Hizuru was no closer to his goal. His brother\u2019s body laid\u00a0firmly in the way. Coming to a decision, Hizuru turned toward Kayasi\u2019s deserted katana. He\u00a0dislodged the piece that held the sword together and broke it apart. He removed the mekugi<\/em>,\u00a0releasing the soul of the blade along with it. He scattered the pieces, throwing them in all\u00a0directions: North, South, East, and West. Returning to his brother’s fallen body he turned him\u00a0over, so his eyes faced the heavens. Even as Kayasi lay there half asleep, he seemed ever more a\u00a0child, small and defeated. Hizuru contemplated whether to just run away from the hill, leave all\u00a0of this nonsense behind and start anew.<\/p>\n
\nhe had once called kin?<\/em><\/p>\n