A Ninja's View...

By Dennis Quearry

"It was a still lake, a stone cirle surrounded the tranquil waves of sand. A wind swept through the lake of sand as grains tumbled from the ripples in the lake, ripples that had not been disturbed for a dynasty. Shadows loomed across the lake, shadows of great size, as they came from five directions. A low voice spoke, and the animals in the area scattered to deeper parts of the forest about the circle. "He has returned my brothers...", the guttural voice stated in a low whisper. "Hmmm, this then is indeed the dark time we thought it to be my brothers.", the second voice intoned, this one speaking very slow and even more granier than the first. "We should seek the kami, the one who speaks in riddles...", this next voice fleeting and high toned added to the discussion. "Yes, he would be of great use. He must help dethrone the madman. Then stop our dark brother's horde.", the fourth speaker's words seemed to come from all directions at once. "But, what if he fails?", the fifth voice spoke with a calm that was almost unnerving. As the fifth speaker's voice seemed to linger on the gathered brothers, as a fine mist would over a lake, the skies began to grow darker and the clouds gathered in a most unnatural way. A low boom of distant thunder could be heard and felt for miles, as a static charge filled the air about the area. A sixth shadow fell over the gathered five. The voice that spoke carried the sound of crackling energy,"Then my son shall try to do what the kami cannot." As the great brothers congregated and continued to speak of the coming conflicts, a rustling came from the foliage about them. A lone figure stepped out into the clearing about the stone circle. Followed by another larger figure, though the upper body of this figure had the form of a mortal the lower body bore the same scaled hide as the gathered brothers. "We shall not fail you my brothers, and if I do, my son shall not fail.", the samurai's voice was like that of the void, something so dark and quiet it would shatter an ordinary man's nerve. As the words came from the samurai, a deep grunt of acknowledgement came from his son and companion. "Good then we might see a dawn once more in this world of shadows that our once radiant emerald empire has become.", the fleeting voice of the amber hued brother I heard once more, and then a few more moments of strategic plans were discussed and then all the visitors to the stone circle departed as quickly as they had arrived. The only traces of the gathering were the grains of sand that had fallen from the once still ripples of the silent lake. Then I left from the surrounding forest, my lord." - Sanado, speaking to Bayushi Aramoro

Return...