12 Years Ago
We open up in Kyoto, Japan. Iseri is camping in the street in a tent. He does not have a home. The grime on the streets does not disturb his meditation and neither does all the street commotion, it’s a city bigger than the one’s he’s known. He’s part of a larger network of street tents. He stirs himself from his meditation to look at a bird resting on his tent.
Iseri: Can I really make peace with myself?
The air is still in the sky and the sun rests just over the horizon looking down into the streets. Iseri moves to get up but he hears the footsteps of others, he sees a group of Six heading his way, all with crests and in armor.
Ikutaro: Hello Iseri
Ikutaro arrives to Iseri with the rest of The Roaring Beasts, a band of Samurai that operate in this area of Kyoto. Ikutaro is with the other 5 members, Hadane, Kyo, Kya, Illun and Qushin
Iseri: Hello Roaring Beasts, good to see that you’re in great shape.
Ikutaro: It’s no problem sir, thanks to what you taught us earlier
Kya: It really helps having someone that used to be a part of The Royal Guard helping us out, so you have my thanks.
Iseri: Oh you have nothing to be thankful for, I just helped you when you needed it.
Qushin: I still wonder why a man of your talents is sleeping alone in the streets?
Iseri: Truth be told it’s all the peace I can get these days, I made a fatal error some time ago and I resigned myself to this fate in response.
Iseri can make out a seventh figure among The Roaring Beasts, and Iseri thinks he’s the only one who can see and hear him
Flandon: Ya know I don’t care how you sit in your misery all alone.
Iseri: Well…I
Illun: You do know that, no one said anything after that?
Qushin: Drop it brother
Illun: Sure
Kyo: It sucks losing someone you care for, grief is never easy
Hadane: You can’t grieve over a life you’ve never had for I’ve never had a love that ever lasted.
Iseri: Huh, what does that exactly mean
Hadane: I was born without a soul, still into this world so even though I can walk and talk I still feel nothing at all
Kya: It’s something that makes Hadane all the more exceptional
Hadane: It makes me more alone
Iseri: I get how you can feel that way
Flandon: Running away from that day isn’t gonna make your heart any more full
Illun: Well it was nice talking to you Iseri, but we should probably get back to our monestary.
Kya: Until we meet again
Iseri: Until we meet again
Flandon: I’ll see you all when you’re dead
Suddenly, a bright light begins emanating from the sun
Qushin: What the heck!
Hadane: I still can’t feel it’s warmth even though it’s boiling you alive
Kyo: I feel invigorated
Kya: Right, your sword is flowing with a special kind of power
Kyo: No Sister, I want to slash through the sky itself
Iseri: Piercing the clouds seems like a feat that would be impossible for any mortal man
Kyo: Today I don’t feel like a mortal
The sun begins glowing with a warmer and warmer light
Ikutaro: Ok, what the heck is this…
A beam shoots out of it, turning a massive shrine and surrounding areas into a fortress of light
Kya: Well…let’s find out what the problem is…
And as she said that, someone began to emerge from the fortress and floated high into the sky
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Iseri: It was such a quiet day as well
The Entity began to speak
Atagne: Do not fear me, I am Atagne, One of The Sun Goddesses and I have come for the soul of a mortal named Kyo Kanekita…
Kyo: Uh…that’s me…
Kya: Bro?
Atagne: Kyo’s soul belongs to me for he is linked to the sun
Kya: This sounds made up
Kyo: It’s real…I am linked to the sun…I never expected my soul to be claimed prematurely…
Atagne: For I am about to die, I have come to claim this man’s soul..if one of you can bring me this man alive, I will reward you with my remaining riches…
Qushin: We need to go
Ikutaro: Alright, time to go to the monestary and-
A sudden gang has formed around The Roaring Beasts
Gang Member: Alright, let’s grab the kid
And as soon as the gang formed around them, Iseri began cutting them down with his swords…
Iseri: You’re welcome…
Hadane: Why did you help us, you had better things to be doing
Iseri: I figured I won’t let this city give Kyo such a cruel fate
Kya: Thank you…he means the world to me
Kyo: Thank you
Ikutaro: Alright Iseri, you’re a roaring beast now and let’s flee
Qushin: We’re running away?
Hadane: Would you rather get minced by the street gangs right here in Tent Town?
Qushin: Alright, I’ll take running away?
Ikutaro: Yup, unanimous decision to retreat
Illun: It’s not cowardice if it’s strategic
Kyo: …
The Roaring Beasts set out into the city
The Party must escape Tenttown
When you’re 20% the way there
Illun: Ok, this place is way more packed than I thought it would be
Iseri: A lot of people live here
Qushin: Oh yeah you lived here? You ok with leaving all your stuff behind?
Iseri: I do not value my earthly possessions that much
Flandon: Good thing there’s nothing too important left behind when you see me next
Resume
When you’re 40% of the way there
Hadane: Seeing the hapless dead climb over themselves to reach us is a sight both awe-inspiring and despairful, the hapless masses of people not knowing they’ve signed a death warrant trying to kidnap Kyo for a false notion of riches
Kyo: Truthfully, I didn’t think my life would be this important right now
Kya: It’s important to me, and I don’t want anyone getting in the way
Hadane: Sibling bonds often break apart once both leave the parents, there are tons of siblings who just never see each other again.
Resume
When you’re 60% of the way there
Ikutaro: I gotta wonder why this goddess couldn’t have pawned Kyo’s life onto someone else and why they’re doing so much to get it?
Iseri: Truth be told, they most likely can’t move on unless he is dead or apart of her.
Ikutaro: Why would you think that?
Iseri: Well simple, it’s a lot of effort to land a light fortress in the middle of the city and then get it to hunt down a single dude
Ikutaro: I see…
Iseri: It’s likely that Atagne needs to kill Kyo herself or she will never get his soul
Ikutaro: I guess that makes sense
Resume
When you’re 80% of the way there
Gang Member: Alright, you’ve reached the end of your rope
Hadane: No
Hadane casts a powerful inferno around the Gang Member, trapping him in a circle of flames
Hadane: Anyone else wish to join him, I can make it bigger
Gang Member: Uh I’m good….
The Gang Disperses
Ikutaro: Way to go Hadane
Hadane: People are often unnerved by my disposition
Ikutaro: That’s certainly true
Resume
When you’re 90% of the way there
Kya: I believe that this alone would normally qualify as a busy day
Kyo: True..but this is a statistical outlier, not every day some god emerges from the sun and wants you dead
Hadane: Would you want that?
Kyo: No I’d prefer to only fight this deity
Hadane: I’d prefer to not fight any deity
Flandon: They don’t know that they don’t get a choice
Iseri: We can’t pick and chose our battles
Resume
When you finally escape Tenttown
Iseri: How far away is your monastery?
Ikutaro: About 3 streets away
Kya: That’s probably gonna be a chore if the streets are as packed as they were back there
Hadane: Most likely but isn’t this life about the challenges?
Illun: With all due respect, maybe cut it out with the sarcasm
Qushin: Yeah
Iseri: Laughter is just how some people deal with these situations
Hadane: It wasn’t sarcasm
Flandon: Ah yes, the challenges indeed
Hadane: You would know wouldn’t you?
Flandon: Wait?
Iseri: Who are you talking to Hadane?
Hadane: Why don’t you tell me?
Kya: Do you two really have time to argue about a ghost or something?
Flandon: Huh, I’m just a ghost or something now?
Iseri: I guess we don’t have the time, carry on then
Hadane: Alright, we’ll circle back to this later
Flandon: Please do
Begin The Trek to The Monastery
When you’re 1/3rd of the way there
Ikutaro: And it’s not as crowded as Tenttown but darn this is a lot of people…
Qushin: Bro, how much worse do you think this is gonna get?
Illun: A lot most likely
Qushin: Not what I wanted you to say?
Hadane: Maybe what you needed to hear?
Resume
When you’re 2/3rd of the way there
Ikutaro: It feels like the mob is getting bigger as we approach
Kya: I’ll kill a thousand people if it means there’s a chance my brother will get to decide the future for himself?
Hadane: What if he still can’t even after that?
Kya: I’ll kill a thousand more
Kyo: You don’t have to become dishonorable and kill people in my name, we can live with the circumstances
Kya: The circumstances are trying to kill us, what choice do I have?
Resume
When you’re at the monastery, a large mob is besieging it and laying waste to it
Mob Member: Where are the beasts? Where did they go?
Ikutaro: Ahem, breaking and entering is a crime
Mob Member: Wha?
Illun: All my stuff was in there
Kya: So ya silly goons, why don’t you come collect the prize?
Kyo: Come out and fight us if you can?
Fight against The Mob
When they are defeated, the mob disperses and runs off in different directions, the monastery itself is crumbling and heavily damaged by the mob, a lot of the valuables of the Roaring Beasts are gone
Iseri: So what will you do now that your home is in ruins?
Kya: If I understand correctly, the place where Atagne landed her fortress isn’t far from here…
Kyo: So we go up to Atagne and fight her head on?
Hadane: I don’t know if I believe in that plan even for a moment
Ikutaro: It’s the only thing we can really do?
Illun: Well…let’s go
Qushin: It’s time to wreck some skulls
Flandon: They’re gonna be bragging about this feat if they live to tell the tale