Tomes - Tales of the old

[Harrington 136]

Greetings Shinobi! I am officially kicking off our lore with a series of short stories detailing the creation of the Land of Fire. In the following weeks I will be dropping new tomes featuring new and old faces as well as hinting towards map locations and content! I know this is small, but we hope this will both give more life to the forums as well as give you the player a peek into the world we are creating! I hope you enjoy these tales of the old!

 

 

Volume I

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

We cannot change the direction of the wind, only our sails.


 

 Darkness blanketed the small town by the sea as the sun went down with only the street lights glowing to show the way. Merchants packed up their stalls and the inn had lit up with the sound of the townsfolk carousing. The night was not like any other but in the shiyakusho a discovery was about to come to light that would shake the very understanding of life itself on this continent. The light of the moon shone through the cracks of the windows directly onto the Elder Kareki Sarutobi's face. Before him knelt his nephew Ushinawareta, whose eyes would not meet his uncle's gaze.
  "You scare the people." Kareki spat at him "You bring such shame upon your late mother. I lament the day you did not die with her." His eyes brimmed with hate, shooting senbon at his nephew. The wrinkles on his face enhanced both by moonlight and anger. "If I exile you, you become a kemono stalking the countryside. If I have you executed, I break my promise to your mother." he stood abruptly, turning his back to Ushina. "So tell me, you poor bastard, what should I do with you now."
   Ushina glared at the floor through hot tears. He choked, gasping to hold back chest rattling sob. His small frame shaking. "Uncle ple-" He was cut off as soon as he began by the shuffling of Kareki's robes towards him, he raised his head to see the reason for the commotion to be met with a stinging pain on his left cheek as a deafening smack resonated through the empty room. Blood began welling on Ushina's cheek from the ring on Kareki's hand.
   "You are to address me as Elder Kareki. Know your place in this world." His words flew from his mouth like a coiled serpent attacking its prey striking Ushina harder than his hand ever could. He had never known his father, Kareki was the closest thing to family he had. Dark secrets of his mother had driven the rest of his remaining family to push him away. Out of love for his sister Kareki swore to her to protect Ushina, her only child and he knew this was the only reason he had lived to see the pain of a life unwanted.
  Silence ensued as Kareki made his way back to his seat and continued for an eternity in Ushina's mind. Sounds of the village carried in as Kareki glared at his nephew with contempt. after a few attempts Ushina pulled himself together just long enough to choke out the words "Aye Elder Kareki, I understand."
   "It's best you do." Kareki furrowed his brow and clasped his hands. "Ushina." he trailed off for a moment as Ushina looked up to his uncle once more, flinching slightly. "I have decided."

Ushina woke to the gentle sounds of the sea coming to shore. A breeze blew through the cave, bringing the stale sulpher smell of his new coastal home. A week had passed since his exile, Kareki had arranged a boat to drop him off in a town on the opposite side of the bay, solidifying his banishment. He replayed the moments that lead to his exile over and over in his head. For the longest time Ushina had felt the raw power of the elements around him. The sounds of the waves had always brought him comfort. The breeze through the trees in the gardens seemed to sooth him like a warm blanket on a cold night. While these things brought him great joy they were only the beginning of something much bigger. He had spent much time on the beach near Hachou meditating, training or simply wasting extra time watching the waves roll in and out. This beach was his home away from home, a safe place he could escape from his life as the elders nephew. A place where he could practice his martial arts and focus on his love for the sea.

The sun was rising on a foggy day in Hachou when Ushina had taken his last journey to the beach. He had woken before the sun and found himself restless. Pulling on his robes he stumbled out of his room and snuck out of the hall. Stopping for breakfast at the market on the way to the dock he was taken aback by the activity in the port. He had never strayed from his home at this hour. The docks were alight with the life of the working man. Sailors loaded boats, wandering aimlessly between the boat and port carrying supplies. Merchants who had not capitalized on the early activity were just setting their wares up for the day. A beggar made his way person to person before noticing Ushina. With a curt nod and smile Ushina passed the man a coin and continued moving, eating his roll and taking in the sight of the Land of Fire's most popular industry. Trade brought more than goods, cultures from all over the world came through this port. Every day news from different settlements around the continent came bringing hope and inspiring adventure in the youth.

Ushina was also inspired. He made his way to his place on the beach and began stretching. The sun had finally brought an orange glow to the sky illuminating him on the beach. The warm glow cascaded over him warming his bones. He brought his hand with two fingers extended up pointing towards his chin, a traditional sarutobi hand sign for rest. He took a deep breath, an odd tingling coming down his spine.  Upon exhaling he felt the sensation of the elements raw power leaving his lips. Shocked, Ushinawareta fell straight on to his behind. Looking up he could almost make out what looked like a ball of water shooting across the waves. He could not believe his own eyes, in fact, he did not believe it. Passing it off as a flicker of the light and nothing more he stood up brushing the sand off his robes. It was not uncommon for him to lose his balance while stretching. He carried on with his routine. As the sun rose in the sky Ushina wrapped up his morning thinking of the day ahead. He had almost left when he thought once more of the strange occurrence that left him on his behind. He focused once more, bringing the rest sign to his chin once more. He inhaled, the feeling of power once again falling down his spine. Opening his eyes wide Ushina exhaled with force, to his amazement he saw before his eyes an orb of water form and launch right in front of his lips, shooting out towards the ocean, tearing through an oncoming wave. 

He stood silent for what felt like an eternity, his eyes wide open staring at the sand below. Ushina had not yet come to terms with what he had seen. But he was not the only one. Not far from the beach sat a man in his boat, watching the curious lad practicing on the beach. Upon seeing this sight he rowed back to town, intent on telling his tale at the tavern to any who would listen. These rumors would lead to the townspeople telling stories of Ushina being the spawn of a sea monster lurking in the bay. It would not be long before these rumors would reach Kareki, setting in motion events beyond what anyone could have seen coming.

A bird flying into the cave snapped him from his daydream. Ushina looked out across the bay in the direction of his old home one last time before turning back to his lair in the cave. Picking up his stick he stirred the fire. It spat at him almost playfully urging him to bring the water to his defense again. This cave was wet and secluded, the perfect place to keep practicing the strange magic that had gotten him exiled from his homeland. A small town had sprouted nearby around a successful dockyard. The Kisaragi family had developed a thriving town around their successful business, the boats brought money. Money brought improvements to their stead, eventually growing into a small town for sailors and scoundrels alike. While the other local leaders of the land had taken notice of their misdeeds, not much was done for the fact that it was much too far away to confront. This was the perfect place for Ushina to hide away. Finding his new home nearby, the cave had served as a nice place to rest. By now the word of his exile had surely reached Tsuki’s Rest, he had resigned to his fate. He would never again be in the lands of the Sarutobi uncontested.

I hope you enjoyed the first installment! Stay tuned for more. I will be putting out as much as i can when i have time!

Edited February 7, 2021 by Okaze