Sakura was a beautiful place in the spring. The cherry blossoms filled the eyes with beauty while the blossoms assailed the nostrils with their pleasing aromas. Yet, as beautiful as the area surrounding her families farm was, Mitsuko Yamiko dreamed of a more exiting life. It was not that she hated being the daughter of a poor farmer and seamstress, on the contrary. She loved her father Hayato and mother Asuka dearly and loved her sister Akiko just as much. Yet she dreamed of far off adventures in distant lands: daring sword fights, men and women in need, far off kingdoms. Between dreaming of far off places and taking care of Akiko, Mitsuko had no plans for a life of her own. It wasn't until it came that she even had a chance to live out her dream.
Dragons were nothing different to the people of Sakura. The dragons were the known protectors of the rivers and the forests. However, never before had a dragon threatened the safety of a village. Not until it showed up, a dragon with scales as black as night that burned everything in it's path. Mitsuko watched as some of the king's best men failed to stop the beast. She knew something that they didn't, a dragons soft spot was in it's chest, at least that's what all of the tales she had read spoke of. These men would not listen to her, would not take advice for they thought of her as a silly girl who did not know what she was speaking on.
Mitsuko would not take no for an answer. She broke into the tomb where her grandfather's armor was, securing it to her own person. It was larger than she was but not by much. Putting her hair into a bun to hide it under the helmet, Mitsuko ran off to battle. She had never handled a sword before and the handle felt heavy to her as she trudged off for the dragons lair: a cave. This cave seemed darker than the ones that Mitsuko had played in as a child. It was littered with bones, which she assumed were from various men who had attempted to destroy the beast. She was afraid as she entered, the bones crunching underneath her armored boots. She tried to stay as quiet as she could but she knew that she was failing.
"Welcome to my den" grinned a voice as thick as darkness itself.
Mitsuko had not been aware that dragons could speak until that moment. Gripping the hilt of her sword tighter in her hands she called out into the darkness, "Show yourself you horrid beast!"
"Horrid beassst," the voice hissed, seemingly unamused, "I am not the horrid beassst. I sssimply went againssst what wasss expected of me. I have waited a long time for you Mitsssuko Yamiko."
"How do you know my name?" Mitsuko bravely asked as she came face to face with the creature. It was not as horrid as she thought; in fact, it was rather beautiful. The dragon's skin was black as night, twinkinling in places as if they were stars etched in the skin of the beast. It's mane was a deep blue, flowing down the dragon's spine. It was much, much larger than she and could gobble her up if it so wanted.
"I have known the name of many heroesss from many landsss," the dragon spoke, lowering it's face to stare at her, "yoursss hasss been recent."
"I'm no hero," Mitsuko spoke softly, "I am but the child of peasants."
"A hero hasss no need to be born of nobility," the dragon spoke, "believe me for I have ssseen many a hero."
"What is your name dragon?"
"What sssays I am a dragon?" the beast smirked, "What sssays thisss isss my true form?"
"If this is not your true form then what is?" Mitsuko questioned, her guard breaking.
"Dear girl, I cannot ssshow you my true form," the dragon kindly spoke, "if anyone were to sssee my true form, they would grow mad."
"You are a god then," Mitsuko spoke confidently, "That is why no man can kill you."
"No, no I am no god. I am more than immortal, I am ever changing," the dragon spoke, "I am an idea, a concept."
Mitsuko pondered it for a moment, "No man can slay you for it was not their destiny. It's mine, that's how you know my name. You are destiny!"
"Precisssely," the dragon grinned toothily, "you know you mussst now do thisss. However you ssshall not ssslay me with your sssword."
The room radiated with a golden light as the dragons talks opened, revealing a staff in it's large paw. As soon as Mitsuko took it into her own, it shrank to the size of a human weapon. The staff was the finest bamboo, beautifully sculpted with twin dragons dueling each other all the way up to the top of it. She tested the weight in each hand, twirling it as her mother had taught her to do with ribbons. "It has no point," Mitsuko mused, "I mean no offense to you, but I am not strong enough to defeat an enemy with just a walking staff."
"My dear girl, you are ingeniousss enough to figure out the true meaning of being a ssstrong hero."
Mitsuko held the weapon, "It's not about killing...is it? Being a hero, like the stories I tell Akiko, is not about destruction. It is about helping the people with as little bloodshed as possible. A true hero can change the beliefs of the people who have done wrong."
"You are very wissse Mitsssuko Yamiko," smiled the dragon, "you know what you mussst do?"
Mitsuko hesitated, "You burned villages, did you not?"
"No I did not," the dragon admitted, "ssstories of my cruelty were falssse."
"And the men whom came to defeat you themselves?" Mitsuko asked as she stood firm, looking for any signs of a lie.
"Memory of the event wasss erasssed," came the nodded reply.
"Then I have no reason to kill you," Mitsuko smiled, "but then again you knew I would decide upon that."
"You are asss wissse asss I sssaw you in my visssions," the dragon chuckled, "go now for I mussst take a new body. The people of your village and all of Sakura will percieve you asss having dessstroyed a dragon. You ssshall travel the world asss a sssamurai and ambasssador."
"Where shall I go?" Mitsuko asked.
"You ssshall wander to learn new ssskillsss," the dragon decreed, "Now go Mitsssuko Yamkio. Your journey hasss jussst begun."
Mitsuko left the cave, coming face to face with the emperors men. They had seen the slain dragon, praised her work. Though she wanted to tell them of the truth, she did not. The Yamiko family was tossed into being nobles, their daughters work throwing them being known across the nations. Mitsuko was proud.
Her journey had truly just begun.
Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:36 pm