"Could've just sent a messenger for this…"
"Damn father!"
A bitter taste clings to the back of my throat.
The jostling stride of the animal beneath me sent a hiccup rattling through my chest.
Each upward lurch a fresh wave of discomfort.
The rhythmic plop-plop-plop of its hooves against the mud.
A monotonous counterpoint to the simmering feeling in my gut.
Muscles ripple beneath its hide.
My reins remained slack.
Offering no more guidance than tangled weeds.
Each tug that I use on the fowl animal.
Each command that I used.
Was just met with a defiant toss of its dense head.
It gallops relentlessly along the path where slick mud sprays like dark tears from its churning hooves.
The path before me…
No…
The world around me…
Shrouded in a blurry canvas of white—a thick, clinging mist that swallowed the edges of the path.
The already muted gray sky, fading into nothingness.
The breeze blowing my golden-brown hair, ruffling it.
The colour befitting someone of my caliber.
The air hangs heavy and damp in my nose.
Each breath tasting of moisture and the earthy scent of the mud below me.
When am I getting closer to this damn town?
"Hyahh!"
Flicking the reins even harder.
The beast muscles bulging the more.
It's veins so thick that I can feel blood rushing through them.
Feels like an entire river is in there.
The wind hitting against my face becoming more harder.
I never knew that it could go faster than before.
My sword in its sheath clanking in rhythm to the gallops.
The bags on its saddle waving around, it seems like they could fall off at any moment.
….
Finally! A sign!
It reads uhhh…
Let me get closer to it first.
*Plop-plop* *Plop-plop* *Plop-plop*
…Slov…
And there's also a drawing on it…
A horse with a pickaxe and shovel forming a cross…
Yes I'm at Slov!
Now no more wasting time.
Zara's waiting for me.
The dumb animal strides against the mud, tearing it viciously.
*Plop-plop….*
*Brrrrfff*
It flicks its tail in the air as I pull on the reins.
This stubborn piece of shit!
Stop goddamnit!
*Nyeeeigh!*
*Brfff*
The air hung thick with the cloying stench of stagnant water.
Also with a hint of something rather vaguely…fecal…
The murky puddles reflecting my long light brown cost with the inner dark purple shirt made by the best tailors.
The purple shirt dotting my clan's crest design—The twin snakes with their backs facing each other, the gap between forming a circle.
Hehe
The sight makes the water much more better.
The buildings sagged under the weight of dampness.
Their lower levels stained a uniform brown up to even the edges of the roofs.
The brickwork in some parts show a clear sign of poor craftsmanship.
I mean c'mon–even my estate has better architecture than this.
Well…though I shouldn't be surprised.
Truly a testament to the filth these commoners live in.
But they couldn't try their best?
Even if worthless?
A woman with a child clinging to her sodden skirt trudged past me as the horse was finally moving more slowly.
All the commoners' eyes on me.
As if I'm one of the gods
Heh!
Their faces etched with a weariness that seemed beyond their years.
Mud splattered their bare feet.
Utterly disgusting…
Don't these people have the smallest amount of pride whatsoever?
And uhhhgn… that smell…
Reaching my hand into the satchel on my waist as I ride along.
Ahh the clinging of the coins… Rustling of paper…
There it is.
Removing a piece of cloth from it and putting it directly on my nose.
WHIP!
"Hey! Hey!"
"Get back to work!" Someone barks.
A man wearing a dark blue bottled shirt with a buff build.
Doesn't seem like the design is from here…
His dark brown trousers wth his thighs outlining also seem to not be from here…
His pinkish hair…
Is this man…
An outsider?
"Those mines aren't going to work themselves now, aren't they?"
He cracks his whip in the air.
SNAP–SMACK!
"Ahh!"
The whip seared at the boy.
Falling face down to the mud.
Serves him right actually…
Probably didn't obey orders given by his superior…
Especially in his condition…
The man's gaze then leaves those people.
Turning it towards me.
His eyes, slightly squinted.
His mustache burly.
The edges around his mouth wrinkle as the tip of his brows face downwards.
He then spits in the mud.
What the?
…
As if I'm irritating!
That damn bastard!
The veins on my hand becoming more visible as my mouth twitches.
Wait… No…
…He isn't the reason I came here…
And I definitely can't demote myself to his level.
My horse trudges along the mud as I turn my head away from whatever is happening there.
I just want to do what father sent me to do and go back to the estate…
*Sniff* *Sniff*
My ears pick up on tears… and the sniveling of a nose.
Could it be that boy?
Even if it is…
What concerns me.
I grip the reins more tightly…
"Now… where's the Kumigara?" As my eyes scan across the town looking for at least just an indication of it.
Its greeted by the shit covered mud roads…
The almost run down buildings…
And a group of people all wearing white clothes packed together like the symbol of those three dots.
Those three dots though…
They look familiar…
Oh wait…
Followers of charitas?
And I just passed some on my way here…
Hmm…
…
Ughn…
Where could he possibly be?!
.....
I don't have time for this!
Been on the road for a while now!
And he expects me to just find him?
…Next time I'm telling father to just send a messenger…
"Now back to the mines! All of you!"
SHAWCK!
Huh?
That man whips his whip again in the air.
With so much energy the air itself seems to somehow pop at its tip.
The people he's threatening…
They're crying…
The boy that he whipped, the back of his cloth torn.
Revealing a bleeding mark with his dirt covered skin underneath.
Sobbing as he's being carried by the other people…
His friends maybe?
Well such happens when the order is broken—The rules.
Could've been just prevented if they didn't defy him
…
"Now quickly, get along now." He chuckles as his throat hics.
The way he has order over those people…
Could he be a retainer of someone?
Probably the Kumigara?
Tch!
Removing the cloth over my nose, putting it back into my sachel.
Holding the reins in the opposite direction trying to get back to the man.
*Nnyeeih*
This damn disobedient horse!
My legs tensing up.
I use them to hit it right in its sides.
*Nyeeeeeih*
"Woah… waoh!"
It stands upright on its two hind legs kicking the front ones in the air.
The peasants around look, with their eyes on the horse.
"Hahaha" As a kid laughs behind his mother.
The nerve—
CLUMP!
It then touches the ground, the muscles having a strong firmness beneath me.
*Brfff* *Brfff*
"Damn horse!" The veins in my body boiling, my muscles also tensing up too.
Seems its listening to me again…
But for how long this time?
…..
I ride it closer to the man as he starts to walk away with those people.
"Hey wait." I stretch my hand forward.
"Hmm?" The man pauses.
He turns his head back in my direction.
"Oh it's you…"
His voice as if a heavy stone was dragged against his vocal cords.
What does he mean "oh it's you"
Do I know him from anywhere or what?
"Wait! I have something urgent I need to talk to you about." I close in on my horse.
"Can't you see I'm busy?
"Sod off!" He waves his hand at me as if I'm some sort of fly.
He's treating me like some insect as if I'm one of the people he's whipping.
My blood feeling like bursting from my skin as I see him walk off.
I've spent too long… all just do what?!
I can't let him treat me like this!
Who does he think he is?!
Quickly I hop off my horse.
My boots slamming into the mud as I land.
Some bits flying off into the air.
"Hmm!" I grunt as I walk towards him, my legs feeling heavy as I advance.
"Hey!" Catching up to him, I immediately cement my grip on his wrist.
The people around all just staring…
"Oh no… doesn't he know?" One of the people he was with said under their breath.
"What's the meaning of this?!" He raises his voice at me as he turns his head slowly.
"I said that I needed to ask you something." The words coming out of my slowly, but each with weight.
"And I told you to sod the fuck off." He shrugs his hand from my grip
Bending my head down… my body trembling.
But not in defeat or fear…
But going every fibre in my body to hit that man!
Does he know who I am?!
Whatever useless position he has doesn't compare to me!
"Where's the Kumigara? Where can I find him?" My eyes deadlocked on him.
My hands relaxing on the hilt of my sword.
"The Kumigara…"
"I don't know, you happy now?" He grins baring his yellow stained teeth at me.
"Bullshit." My mouth says almost instinctively.
"So what? You're saying I'm lying now?" He fully turns his body towards me.
Caressing his whip.
He grabs it and points it forward.
"Look… I don't know who you are or what you want…"
"But you don't dare speak to me like that!"
"For I am the great Isan!"
He unrolls the whip and brandishes it into the air.
SNAP–WHIP!
"Damn… now he's riled up." A woman says as she skiddles along with her child.
"Now… go away." As the whip rolls in the mud.
My lips shut.
Only my eyes look at him.
A cool breeze blows, my coat dances with it.
"Isan was it?" I move in.
Removing my sword from its sheath as I get closer to it.
"I couldn't literally care less who or what you are to this town."
"Why…You little kid!" He grips his whip so hard that I hear a squeezing sound.
"Yeah I am a kid…"
"...Yet you still don't compare to me." I fully draw my sword.
Pointing the tip at him as the little ray of sunlight penetrates the clouds and shines off it.
"And what sort of playful imagination led you to that?" He raises his whip high up.
"Its the imagination that you could never even afford."
"Even if you lived a thousand lifetimes." I glare my eyes at him.
Directly looking into his iris.
"Hehehe." He tightens his jaw.
He cracks his neck.
The cool wind blows once more.
…
"Maybe this will teach you some manners!" He screams as he forwards the whip towards me.
"Hmm… pathetic." I say u under my breath as I look at him and that god-awful whip he's using.
SWHH–
CRACK!
Too easy.
A swift step to the side, my boots marking the mud. My cost billowed in the wind.
"What?!" His mouth gaped open, his wrinkles smoothing out.
I lunge straight at him with my sword in the air.
VVWISH!!
His eyes snapped shut.
A single bead of sweat tracing down a path down the side of his face.
It's stopped by the edge by the cold steel of my sword directly on the side of his face.
I could feel the shudder that ran through his body. His eyelids still glued together.
"Now… where is the Kumigara?"
"Y-You damn bastard!" He stutters.
He quickly jumps away from my sword.
He's not even looking at me—his eyes fixed straight at the ground as his face is riddled with sweat.
People gather around watching as if it's a play.
The children staring in wonder as well.
"Ha..haha…ha…" He chuckled as he reels his whip back in.
His hands, slightly shaking.
"Just dumb luck boy!" He tightens the whip.
"Dumb luck almost had your head cut off."
My mouth stretching into a smirk.
"I'll soon teach you what disrespecting the one in command here means." He grits his teeth.
One in command…
Does that mean he's the Kumigara?
Flinging the top of the whip in the air.
He gleens at me, making me witness his poor dental hygiene.
Utterly irritating.
The whip comes rushing down towards my head.
Seeing this, I put my sword out, holding it horizontally to guard my head.
CRACK-CLANG!
It worked… what can a mere whip even do to someone bearing the crest of the Ujochi clan.
And especially to someone of myself.
"Hahahahaha." I couldn't stop laughing just at the mere thought.
Isan, a vein bulging on his forehead.
Hearing the clanking of his teeth.
"Have you gone mad?"
"Hahaha… no… no…" I try to calm myself.
"Just thought of how you actually think that you could still win." my eyes deadlock on him.
My mouth, still trying to recover itself as the wind blows my hair.
Isan spits into the ground as he raises his whip in the air again.
"HRAAHHH!"
It comes towards me with incredible speed.
CRACK-CLANG!
Successfully blocked.
"Ohhh." The crowd gasps.
Oh…
The whip doesn't seem like its going back.
Instead it's…
CRACK-CLANG!
Blocked again.
So that's how he wants to play it huh?
CRACK-CLANG!
CRACK-CLANG!
CRACK-CLANG!
"Just drop dead you bastard!" Isan screams at the top of his lungs.
His dark blue shirt drenched in sweat.
He brandishes the whip forward once more as his sweat is also sent flying.
CRACK-CLANG!
CRACK-CLANG!
CRACK-CLANG!
Does he think the same old tricks would work on me? —He thinks I'm him?
For the Kumigara he is quite stupid…
Damn, enough of this play!
I'm already tired of this!
He lunges the whip forward again, but instead of blocking it—
–SWISH-SNAP!
I dodge by quickly moving towards the side.
I run straight towards him.
What can he do? Hah!
"That won't work twice!" He screams like a pig.
Then the whip swiftly moves to the side towards me.
It moves with intense speed this time, I'm almost impressed.
SWISH-SNAP!
I bend down as the whip effortlessly moves right above me.
Putting effort into each step.
I bolt at him as the wind blows much harder—my hair rustling more.
His face whitened as I close in…
His body trembling, this even reflects on the whip.
There's nothing he can do at this point.
He should know that whip while powerful…
It's useless…
I take one last powerful step.
Especially in closeups!
I'm within breathing length of him and ready to slice his head with my sword.
There it is… his face.
A white as if he's been drained of colour.
Well too bad.
Don't even care if he's the Kumigara anymore.
…
SWOOSH—
"What's going on here?!"
—KSH!
—The end of chapter 2—