|
Training- Cease to Exist, My Sensei.... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A young man around the age of 14 walked the village path toward the training area. His crimson hair was only parrallel to his eyes, which were also crimson. As he passed through the marketplace, several people called out to him. One was his good friend Neru. Although Neru was over 20 years older than him, and owned the local bakery, he still gave the young man free bread every day.
"Echo....Hey, ECHO!" Screamed Neru past angry customers that were waving their fists at him. "ECHO! Over here!"
Neru was a very large man with a long black beard that went down past his chest. He had small, beady black eyes and a dough-stained apron. His black hair was always tied up in a pony-tail.
Echo turned to face his friend with a slight look of hunger on his face. He walked over to Neru, making his way through the andgry people and jumping over the counter of the stand. "What's with all of the angry people, Neru?"
"Oh, them?" Neru beckoned over to the angry crowd. "They're just angry because I ran out of bread....."
Echo's eyes widened. "Ran out of bread!? The town counts on you for thier supply of bread....Wait a second....How do you 'run out' of bread? Can't you just make some more?"
"Unfortunatly not... I have ran out of dough all together. I need to wait for the traders to come around next weekend. Untill then, the town will have to go without bread." Neru shrugged, then looked Echo over. "Damn, Echo.... Is old man Koheru starving you again?"
Echo's stomach growled angrily and he turned red. "Master Koheru believes that hunger gives me more of a reason to take my training seriously... I havent eaten in three days..."
"Three days!?" Neru's jaw dropped. "I can't even go a few hours without eating." He patted his large stomach and laughed. "You have to eat, my friend, or you will never leave this country to make your blade." He looked around quickly, noticing that the people had finally given up and left while him and Echo had been talking. He reached under the counter and took out something wrapped in thin white paper, handing it to Echo. "Carefull, make sure no one sees you with it, or it will be my head. No go on, shoo!" He put his hands on Echo's back and pushed him out of the stand.
Echo pocketed the gift with a grin, continuing his walk toward the school. He walked over the small hill as it finally came in to view. A small building made of light wood. There were large cleared out areas with various students and thier teachers sparring out in the open. Echo walked streight toward the building.
When he entered his masters school room, he noticed that his master was not there, but there was someone sitting cross-legged on the floor, waiting patiently. A young girl around the same age as Echo opened her eyes and said in a soft voice, "Hello Echo...."
Echo's face went red and he looked away from her. "Hello Mirage...."
Mirage was about 5'6. She had long brown hair that went down to her waist, and had grey eyes. She was skinny and beautifull. Mirage had been Echo's classmate for the past seven years.
"Master Koheru is late....I dont understand why." Mirage said, puzzled. "He is usually here all day."
Echo walked over to her and sat down, crossing his legs. "Maybe it's another test, like the one he pulled on us last friday when he said that we had passed. Then he got mad at us for leaving the village because he thought that we would say we werent ready and we needed more training."
"Possibly...." She said with a smirk.
"Or maybe he's right here."
The voice seemed to come from out of nowhere. There was the loud ring of a sword being pulled from its sheath hastily, then the ceiling seemed to collapse. Echo was the virst to act, drawing his wooden sword quick enough to knowck the ceiling boards away from him and Mirage as she got up.
A man dressed in complete black, a kitsune mask covering his face, dropped down from the cieling. He carreid a crimson blade. He hesitated only a second before running at Echo, sword raised. Echo ducked down, then launched up quickly, avoiding the swings thown at him my the person. He landed behind the stranger and dropped down, kicking the back of his heel. The stanger fell to the ground, sword cluttering in front of him. Echo picked up the weapon and put the blade to the back of the man's neck. Suddenly, he felt strange, every hair on his body was standing up. The sword sent a large electrical shock through his body. He dropped the sword, startled. The man jumped up and took off his mask, revealing the qrinkled face of Master Koheru.
"Don't you remember lesson four, Echo?" He said, irratably. "Never pick up an opponents weapon....it could be enchanted."
-To be continued-
 Echo of the Sand · Tue Oct 04, 2005 @ 05:49am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
