Adventure Spirit

This text is based on a true story about my grandfather (from my mother's family). He was born in Japan and lived there for some decades before traveling to Brazil, where, many years later, I would be born to write this. The story was told me by my mother when I was very young, and I never forgot it. I decided to write the story so the Future would ever remember it, as I will.

But the Currents of Time are very well known to destroy facts and turn them to legends and, then, to myths. Or worst, make the stories decay into oblivion. Thus, I decided to turn it to a legend by myself, giving it a chance in the Future's Memories. The story I tell here, though just slightly modified, is not exactly what really happened (well, who knows), but a homage to my grandfather and to all adventurers of the World.

The unicorn observed the little boy walking into the farm, his heart full of hope of a great future. The unicorn have seen so many like that, the same dreams, the same strength, the same brightness. But that place was not what they were told it was. Soon, like the others, that little boy would find it out. And, as before, the unicorn couldn't do anything, but stay in the shadows of the swamp.

The work in the farm was hard, but the promise of a good payment was more than enough to feed his soul. When he discovered there would be no reward for his efforts, it was too late to escape. He was trapped, enslaved in a dark feud. He saw his dreams torn away from his heart.

Deep inside, his samurai spirit was waked up. He wouldn't give them his future so easily like that. The little boy waited for the right moment, which came in the form of a storm.

The opportunity wouldn't wait until the darkness of the night, so the young soul decided to run away while there was a chance. The swamp, he remembered, was not far away from there, and it had an opening to the sea.

He ran as fast as he could. The pursuers were getting closer, but the swamp was just a few moments away. Then something crossed his way, like a ghost, too fast to be seen, but noticed. He ran toward its direction, finding a hollow tree trunk, floating on the swamp's dark surface. He jumped into the cold waters and hid himself inside the old log.

The hunters stopped a few steps away from him, attracted by something beyond the little boy's vision. They turned away and disappeared in the swamp. The night finally came, bringing the mask of darkness, which fit perfectly to the little boy. He got out of the swamp and walked to the nearest village, where, he was sure, his future was waiting.

The unicorn followed that little boy until he achieved the city of humans. From there, his adventure spirit took him into a journey to a new continent, half a world away from his homeland. Many years later, the unicorn was to watch that little boy's sons and grandsons engaging in their own adventures around the world.

by Cyberknight