Chapter 1
1
Slam! The door shut behind Ryoichi as cold air rushed in.
“Hey Ryoichi I know tending to the cows is tiring but do you mind running to town to grab some groceries”
“Uhh, ya no problem Grandma,”Ryoichi stifled a sigh.
“Thank you dear”
“Aww man I was really hoping to relax, why spring something like this on me so suddenly, town is like five miles away.” He thought to himself as he begrudgingly walked down the snow powdered, dirt road. The biting cold made the trip feel endless. He pulled his leather jacket tighter. “I don’t know if I could take this bitter cold if it weren't for this leather jacket.” Trying to keep his mind off the cold he filled his head with as many thoughts as possible. “I definitely prefer warmer weather, although wearing the fruits of my labor sure feels rewarding.” He could hear the satisfying crunch of snow beneath his foot after each step he took. ”There's so much shoveled snow it makes these paths look more like a maze made for rats.”
Ryoichi’s house was so far out of town because his parents were in the military. There were pros and cons to having a house in that location. There was more space so you could have livestock, and a slightly bigger house. The closest house was another one owned by a military family about three miles away. It isn’t all perfect though. The heart of the village is about five miles away, and you are closer to the active fighting although that was still about ten or so miles away.
As he started to get closer to town the three foot parapets of snow guiding the path grew to about four foot mounds surrounding the village. The cobblestone paths had a light dusting of snow but overall the village people did a pretty good job of making sure the snow was pushed to the edge of town. The town was pretty empty, no one was out who didn’t need to be. Wives and kids were in their temperate sanctuaries. Walking through the seemingly empty village, the only sign of life was the open store doors marketing their warm interior.
After finally arriving at the shop Ryoichi started chipping away at the shopping list.
“Eggs..
Honey..
Goat milk..”
“You know we already raise cows. We should just raise these other animals to save money and time… Well actually I take that back I have enough on my plate with the cows,”
As he started to walk home he had remembered something his grandmother had mentioned before he left.
”Oh before you leave, I forgot to write down bread, don't forget.”
”Crap!”.
It was getting late and he didn’t want to walk home in the dark so he jogged over to the bakery. The cold air pushing against his face burned. As he approached the bakery the smell of fresh bread hit his nose, along with the heat pouring out of the building from the ovens. All he could think as he approached was sleeping but he needed to start heading home soon or he would be making the trek back in the dark. The bakery’s warmth swaddling him like a blanket didn’t help the situation. After grabbing the bread he hurried out of the small shop.
”Finally now to go home for real this time.” He uttered with an exaggerated tone to himself. While leaving the village a familiar voice echoed out from the alleyway. ”Where ya going?” A man standing at about 5 '10, donning a well worn brown long sleeved shirt and jeans emerged from the alley's shadow. It was his lifelong friend Kurose.
“Where do ya think I’m going at this time’a night.” Ryoichi shot back.
“I dunno, maybe to stare at your reflection in the pond.”
“Haha, very funny.”
“What are you guys eatin tonight.”
“I dunno, maybe steak.”
“Ooh, again! That's awesome, most farmers can’t afford to eat like that.”
“Well they also can’t afford leather jackets…
,and also aren’t cow farmers.”
“Geez, chill with the sarcasm “
“You're one to talk.”
The night sky started to descend upon them as they walked home.
Kurose frequently ate with Ryoichi and his Grandma. He had previously lived with Ryoichi’s Grandma. She found him wandering the village by himself at a very young age. He couldn’t remember who his parents were and they were never able to find them, which you wouldn’t think would be that hard, because his skin was slightly darker than everyone else’s in the village. She wasn’t in the place to take in a kid, though luckily for her someone had volunteered to take him in. That only lasted about two months because he was found unsupervised in the village again, when the village people found his guardian she was wasted with liquor bottles all over the place and she made it clear then and there she was no longer interested in taking care of a child. He then went back to Ryoichi’s Grandma where he lived for six years until he was about twelve. That was the same time she had to moved into Ryoichi’s house because his parents got deployed on the front lines. He opted to live in the orphanage because he felt it was wrong to move into someone’s house who wasn’t even there to ask.
Ryoichi frequently visited his Grandma so he ended up being friends with Kurose before they were even old enough to go to school. Even after school started and he stopped visiting his Grandma, he and Kurose often hung out during and after school.
“So can I eat dinner with you guys?”
“Of course, We’d never say no, You even have a room here if you need.”
“I know, I don't want to burden you guys. At least at the foster home I’m only wasting the village's money.”
“I’ll say it till I’m blue in the face you're not a burden. Besides, the foster home’s gonna kick you out in two years, what do you plan on doing then.”
“Well that's why I’m constantly trying to find work notice I haven’t been buggin ya guys as much.”
“It’s unrealistic to think you can buy a house by the time you're eighteen, but if that's what you're planning I’ll wish you luck, Just know we’re always here as a plan B.”
“Uhh, thanks I’ll keep that in mind.”
As the sun set behind the mountains that always captivated Ryoichi he couldn’t help but wish he could see what was behind those mountains within his lifetime.
“What do you think os behind those mountains?”
Well I’m not sure about the east but to the west is another village that frequently trades with us.”
“Well obviously I know that, I’m more interested in the west and south of our village what’s in those directions.”
“I guess I never gave it much thought.”
*
“We’re hooome!!” Ryoichi enthusiastically declared, opening the cottage door.
“We? Must have brought Kurose then?” She questioned from the kitchen.
“Yup.”
“Dinners ready” She proclaimed as she walked around the corner.
“Awesome, let's dig in. Thanks Grandma.” Ryoichi said while finding a seat.
“Your Grandma always makes the best food.”
After dinner Ryoichi asked “Do you have to be back in town for work tomorrow?”
“Uhh, no I haven’t found a steady job I’ve just been doing all the odd jobs around town.”
“Oh, That hasn’t got in the way of school?”
“I stopped going.”
“Well you should work on our ranch with me then.”
“Do you plan on doing this forever?”
“I hope not.”
“What do you plan on doing after this then?”
“Joining the military”
“Huh”
“Joining the military”
“Why are you mumbling I can’t hear you dude”
“JOINING THE MILITARY!”
“NUH UH you won’t!!” His grandmother yelled from the kitchen.
“Why would you do that, both your parents were taken from me because they joined!” She stated as she walked into the dining room.
“That's being a bit dramatic, they might not be dead.” Ryoichi said in a dismissive tone.
“Their division has come back multiple times and we haven't heard from them; they haven’t been here for four years. Just because the head of the village doesn’t mandate telling whose MIA doesn't mean they're alive. They’ve been gone so long they aren’t even able to be my next of kin.”
“I know that's why I don’t bring it up around you.” He said with a clear longing for the conversation to end.
“Why would you want to pursue something like that anyway?”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Because I’m tired of living on the outskirts of town in a cottage. I don’t want to live my whole life in this tiny village.”
“Well you won’t be joining the military”, she said in a commanding tone. Before Ryoichi could respond his Grandmother added, “Why not the scouts, they leave town?”
“All the scouts act really weird and distant. Do you know any scouts, also as soon as I’m eighteen you don’t have a say in what I do”
“I don’t have the patience to deal with this. I'm going to bed. Goodnight.” She said walking down the hall. The awkward silence between the two at the table was screaming.
Ryoichi sat staring dejectedly into space for a moment before standing up so fast his chair almost fell over.“Well Imma head to bed, to see ya tomorrow.”
“See ya.’
2
Early the next morning Kurose went outside. The sky was still a dark blue. Scanning the vicinity he finds Ryoichi, sitting on the wood fence that keeps the cows from wandering off, and heads over to him. “Mornin,” Ryoichi exclaims. “Mornin,” Kurose replies with sleep still in his eyes.
“Sorry about last night.”
“What are you sorry about?”
“I brought up the whole future thing.”
“Oh, it wasn’t you; stuff like that happens regardless of who brings it up.”
“What are you doing out here this early anyway?”
Ryoichi stares off for a moment before answering. “Well, I’ve had a few bulls go missing, which is odd because there aren’t any predators around here and the gate’s intact.” He hops off the fence.
“That is odd.” Kurose says as he follows closely behind Ryoichi.
“Let's head back to the village. I have some products I need to drop off.”
Kurose nods his head in acknowledgement.
As the sun started to rise the temperature rose with it. “Wow, it's already warmer today than it was yesterday.”
“Ya, it’s much nicer today.” Kurose replied. After Ryoichi grabbed the milk he was planning on bringing to the market, they started on the five mile journey to town. The sky was blue and the sun was blinding. “Man it sucks how inconsistent the weather is here, one day there’s a blizzard the next its hot enough to make you sweat.”
“Well, the blizzard’s been about three days but I understand your point.” Kurose responded.
After a few minutes of walking down the snow-dusted path Kurose breaks the silence, “You didn’t seem particularly motivated about joining the military, any reason why?”
“Well, I want to leave the village behind entirely. I just can’t see myself living a life where I go to work for eight hours, go home do nothing for a couple hours then sleep and repeat. Theres gotta be more out there!”
“Well you might as well get that idea out of your head, we both know extremely well its illegal for anyone other than the scouts to leave the village boundaries.”
“Well I’ll sacrifice it all for a chance to live. I’ve made up my mind. You should leave with me.”
“I’m good. Although that sounds a bit short-sided what about your grandma?”
“ She’ll be fine besides tons of kids in the village would love to take my spot, Farm work is the next best thing after skipping town entirely. Do you have any desire to leave the village?”
“Well I am a little curios although I’d prefer to not have a warrant out for my arrest.”
“Well surely they can’t find out as easily as they make it sound.”
“I don’t care enough to find out.”
“Well the offer remains open, if you end up changing your mind just tell me.”
“What’s the point of pretending to be interested in tending to the cows if you plan on up and leaving?”
“Well I kind of see taking care of the cows as the least I can do to help out my community, because in the end I think all anyone wants is for everyone to live their best lives. So in short I guess it feels like my responsibility as a person to continue the families work.”
“I get that for the most part, although your theories fall apart when you consider wars, like the one your parents fought in.”
“Well maybe that’s because thats what they think is best for everyone.”
“You don’t hold any resentment toward the people who most likely killed your parents?”
“Oh no, I hate those bastards…”, he said in the same thoughtful tone as the rest of the conversation, definitely lacking any emotion one might consider anger,
“... But the people there are probably fighting for what they think is right. No one strives to be a villain.” The conversation ended as they walked into the village much more lively than yesterday although it was still a far cry from what would be considered “busy”. They made their way to the market to sell the milk he had brought from home. After making the successful exchange Ryoichi noticed a lot of flowers were strung up all over the village. After pondering why that was the case for a moment it hit him “Today must be the festival marking the end of winter.” he said with a snap.
“Oh ya, I forgot about that.”
“Honestly we should have realized that was coming when we noticed the nice weather.”
“Well in our defense we never go to festivals.”
“While we’re here might as well see whats going on, right?”
“Sure why not.” after dropping off the produce they head towards the center of the city. On their way they had their second encounter of the day, and an unfortunate encounter it was. “Sounds like you all just acquired some money.” The man said in voice one might imagine a serpent having. “Ya it’s called working something you might consider doing.” Ryoichi said without stopping hoping to just walk past the man, But he didn’t move. He continued forward until their shoulders met hoping he would move. After being stoped by force he realized this is something he won’t be able to easily avoid. “Give me some money and I’ll let you pass.”
“Still as direct as ever, haven’t changed a bit since school Arata…
Still just as stupid as ever too.” Ryoichi said with smirk on his face.
“Oh ya, just give me the money before something bad happens!”
“Well based on our many previous encounters I would bet your goons are hiding in the bushes on the side of the path, waiting for things to get physical.”
Arata only responded by gritting his teeth in anger.
“We both know in a fight between you and Kurose, Kurose wins everytime.”
Arata swings his fist towards Ryoichi as he hops back twice to reach the beginning of the path.
“ This is a fight I’d rather avoid.”
“Agreed.”
As soon as they started running three more guys hopped out of the bushes from both sides of the path.
After running until they’re out of breath they stop to see if anyone followed.
“Well I guess that throws a wrench in your, “ everyone wants for everyone to live their best lives,” theory.”
“Well there’s always outliers.”
Just as they started to get ready to walk to another path that leads to the village center another person came up behind them and put his arms around their necks.
“How’ve you guys been haven’t seen ya in awhile!”
“Well I’d be alot better if you didn’t scare me half to death tatsuya.” Kurose barked at him.
“Geez, calm down no need to get snappy.”
“Sorry we just had a run in with Arata.” Ryoichi jumped in.
“Oh that couldn’t have been pleasant.”
“It wasn’t, you’d think people would grow out of being an asshole.” Ryoichi sneered
“Right? Well I guess some people just never change. While I have you here I’ve been wondering, where have you guys been I haven’t seen you at school.”
“Oh, I quit.” They said at the same time.
“Oh man, I wondered its boring without you guys.”
“Ya, well I’ll make sure to visit you more often I guess.”
“I will too.” Kurose chimed in.
“Alright well you guys seem busy so I’ll let you guys go, see ya later.”
“See ya” The pair called out as they walked away.
“Well I’ve lost any interest I had in the festival.”
“Me too.” Ryoichi answered. With their feelings being mutual they got ready to leave the village and back to the cottage when they were abruptly stopped by the sound of screaming.
*
After hearing the screams Ryoichi’s mind was racing to find the what could be the cause. An attack? No, we’d know before it reached the city center. Maybe a fire from the celebrations went out of control? Well regardless I should go help. “Kurose let’s go check it out!” They started towards the ruckus.
After arriving at the source of the noise and locating the cause Ryoichi immediately realised this was his problem. A bull was rampaging through stands, every one seemed to have gotten away and the town guards were surely on their way. Ryoichi knew he could handle this better than anyone present so he ran towards the bull.
On opposite sides of this circular city center that was receded into the earth a little farther than the area around it made it feel like an arena. The place that was filled with civilians and vendors, now only occupied by two beings, Ryoichi and the bull.
As soon as the bull locked on to Ryoichi it started its charge. This wasn’t the first time Ryoichi had been in a situation like this but, normally he was on a giant field where there no civilians to worry about. Hearing the kids screaming and the panicked murmurs Ryoichi remembered the stakes were much higher than anything he has had to deal with in the past. As the bull started its violent charge the villagers ran into their houses and locked the doors. Under the pressure Ryoichi’s mind went blank and he panicked. Snapping back to reality he realised the hulking mass of muscle was bearing down on him at a high speed. He jumped out of the way last minute narrowly avoiding getting impaled on the bulls long horns. Damn it, that was close. I choked.The beast ran full speed into the cobble stone wall. Recovering from the dive Ryoichi thought to himself. Attempting to overpower a bull is a losing battle I’m gonna have to out smart it. Even with years of experience dealing with bulls he had never had to deal with worrying about civilians being around. He didn’t want to risk a single person getting hurt.
After looking around Ryoichi noticed the umbrella for the vendor booth lying on the rubble, ripping off a piece he got up and stood between the bull and the frozen over fountain. As the bull readied itself for another round so did Ryoichi. The beast turned, snorting clouds of vapor into the frigid air. Its wild eyes locked onto Ryoichi, and it pawed at the snow-covered cobblestones. I really hope this works. Remembering bulls are attracted to movement Ryoichi waved the piece of umbrella in the air. The bull lunged forward with a thunderous charge, Ryoichi stood firm with the large portion of umbrella. Once the bull was full committed to the charge Ryoichi jumped out of the way once more. Once the bull realised what had happened it was too late it slammed head-first into the ice fountain, causing minimal damage to the villages prized possession. As the bull tried to recover from its daze Ryoichi walked up to it and kicked its front legs from under it to buy a little more time, he ran over to one of the knocked over stands and grabbed a rope he ran back to the bull and tied the rope around its neck.
With the bull walking beside him he left the way he came as fast as possible while looking down to avoid eye contact with the people around him as much as possible. Oh man, I hope the damages weren’t too bad I think the village will handle this kind of thing but I feel terrible for ruining the festival. All the villagers watched as he and Kurose walked out of the village, the ones that had hidden in their houses peeked through the windows. Ryoichi felt like he could hear the gossiping whispers around him. “He Can’t control his own livestock?” “That senile old lady shouldn’t be in possession of such dangerous animals”. All the terrible things the villagers could be thinking rushed through his head. This isn’t just about me, would a mistake like this affect my Grandmother’s reputation? If I kept better track of the live stock could I have avoided this? The village doesn’t have space for a selfish person like me. Is this what happens when an unintelligent beast tries to leave its cage? It runs into a wall and gets dragged back to its enclosure. He felt sick to his stomach with guilt and shame as trudged through the air made thick with the villagers gazes.
*
While walking home Ryoichi made up his mind. “I’m leaving during the next blizzard.”
“Wow your really serious about leaving?”
“Ya and I think you should too, do you really want to live in a place where it’s illegal to see whats outside of where you live?”
“No, but why during a blizzard thats like the most dangerous time you could choose?”
“Well they’re common and them being dangerous works in our favor. No scouts will be out if ones forecasted and our tracks will immediately get covered by snow. What do you think, are you gonna follow?”
“What happens if there’s nothing better out there?”
“Well as a contingency we could say we got lost looking for one of my cows during a blizzard I’m sure they’d give us some leniency.”
“Mmmm, ya maybe, let me think it over.”
After returning the bull to its pen the number of missing bulls returned to just one. The blizzard that Ryoichi was planning to use was just one day away, so he grabbed the extra sword his family kept for self defense and training and packed a small bag full of things he would need for his travels. Later that night Kurose also agreed to follow along with him.
3
It was late in the after noon when the blizzard rolled in and they were checking their stuff before they set out.
“You got everything?”
“Ya how bout you?”
“Ya I got my sword, some stuff to easily make a fire and a couple days worth of food.”
“Why’d you grab that dull thing the sword over your mantle looked way sharper.”
“Well thats kind of like a family heirloom my Grandma would definitely notice if it was gone, although your not wrong this sword is pretty dull sharp enough to get the job done though.”
“Well as long as its durable I guess. Are you ready to go then.”
“You bet.”
As soon as they echoed their agreements they set off into the snow covered abyss. Looking out into the distance they couldn't see anything but a heavy white fog caused by thousands of snowflakes that torpedoed towards the ground.