Chapter 1: Chapter I
Waking up to the bright sun beating down on my skin and the sound of birds chirping from up above I wondered where I was. The last thing I remember was being in an airport surrounded by people going about their business. Now here I was in the middle of somewhere unaware of where I am and not knowing where the nearest civilization is.
Getting up off of the cold dirty ground, the leaves beneath me as I shifted to be standing in my feet. Looking at what I had on, my cloths were ripped and stretch all across me. The attire I had on was clothing I wasn't wearing in the airport, unless I didn't remember what I had on. It was like a dress with long sleeves, but had an opening that was stretched out to be exposing my chest. I quickly covered myself so nothing was showing, but my body ached with pains in places I didn't think could hurt.
My lower stomach screamed at me for moving, my head pounded and I could feel numbness in my face. I could barely feel my legs and arms and as I moved certain ways I could feel sharp pains such as my skin stretching beyond what it normally did. Looking at at my arms and legs I saw bruises and cuts running across them. The cuts weren't deep but hurt more than a paper cut. The bruises ran in many sizes but what caught my eye was the unusual ones that covered parts of my arms. Dressing my arms in three black and blue small circles and faded out by the fourth one.
I came up to my throat and gripped it a bit as if I was going to choke myself and with barely any pressure it hurt like soft pain that grew more intense. Tears strike my eyes, marking me breath hard and it hurt as well. Taking certain amounts of air my lower right back hurt. It felt similar to the time I bruised it when I got into a fight with a group of girls.
I calm myself and feel my hair to see if I can tame it any. Stroking it down There was many nots that needed to me combed out but as I stroked it more down it was a lot longer then the hair I remember from yesterday combing. It was down past my bottom and the hair I was familiar with was mid back. Taking it to look at, my hair was jet black and straight. It wasn't the familiar wavy strawberry blond I always led looked at. Looking at my hands they weren't the same hands I used the majority of my life. They were darker, tan, more olive color. Looking at the rest of my body it wasn't the same as I once looked at before, it was different but yet I could feel everything as if it was my own.
Negative thoughts swirled in my head, such as never reaching home again. Or thoughts that I will die out here, or never come into contact with others again, or simply I won't be able to go to college in Japan. That was why I was on the airplane, I was heading to Japan from Europe
I took a longer route to get here because I wanted to go to Germany for vacation before going to Japan to study for college. I took four years of Japanese, and a year of German so I could get my way around during my vacation. I remember the trip in Germany but after getting on a plan to Japan, my memories end there. Knowing I won't get anywhere just standing here I headed east, hoping to come across other people.
Many trees shaded me from the sun while the birds sung their songs in the trees and a buzz that reminded me of summer in anime's surrounds me while I walk. At some point I was walking up, at times it was steep and difficult for the amount of energy my body had. When I got to the top looking out there was a valley down below and the sun was just barely starting to set. I looked across the valley and say a building down below that had be higher then two stories and quiet large to be spotted from where I stood for it was small and almost at the other end of the valley. Almost running down the hill for I was getting help from gravity and the excitement that builder while I got closer to it.
Off of the mountain, few trees and large grasses covered the ground. Making my way to the building little by little it became bigger, while little by little the sun hid behind the mountains making it colder. My feet ached from walking so much but knowing I was near others made me forget all about the pain I was feeling.
The sun was out of view but some of the sky still was colored in pinks and oranges before the black, blue sky swallowed it up. I made my way around towards the entrance and saw many guards watching me from above walking outside of it. The building was tall and reminded me of a castle like temple. It looked like it came straight out of a historical anime (Japanese cartoon) with tiled roofs, walkways around it with fencing so people don't fall off so easily. A tall brick wall before the wood actually played a role for the building and the entrance was wooden doors that looked quiet heavy and loud to open.
Two men from above the stair cases came down towards me. I didn't know if should talk first or them, but I had little time to decide for they did for me, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" One man asked me in Japanese.
"My name is-" wait if I'm Japanese I can't use some foreign sounding name. Thinking of one that I like and quickly but they were already making comments, "Well look at that, she doesn't even know her own name." One or the guys said to the other one.
"My name is Watanabe Emiko. And I am looking for shelter." (In Japanese they go last name first name).
"You think you can get shelter here for the night? You must be crazy like we would let a strange woman come stay the night here." The other guard laughs as if I was stupid.
"Please, I'll play you with labor until tomorrow and I'll be on my way to find someone else to say with." I begged the two of them.
They look at each other thinking about something before they nod and one runs inside. The other guard looks me over before asking me "What happened to you cloths?"
I swallow hard and think if I want to stay the night I should think of something to make him feel guilty enough to let me stay here, "I-l" I say with a slight quiver voice "was on my way to the following town before some men came after me on the road. I ran off the road hoping to lose them, but they caught up and-" I end my sentence there imagining what had happened to this body yesterday night.
Do you remember their faces?" The man asked a little concerned.
"No, it was to dark and after a while my memories end." I tell with a slight quiver to my voice and thinking about the fear of being raped.
"Oh, he saws a little regret hangs around him. The door up the stairs open and out came the other man who stopped me at the stairs.
The man who decided down the stairs spoke, "The elders told us to bring her in."
The other one nodded before coming around to hold my wrists behind my back. As we went up the stairs the one I was talking to whispered into my ear, "Do not speak unless you are asked a question. If things end up worse, do not fight back and do not argue. Also, always keep your head down, well you should know this already." I nodded in response.
Walking through the halls which were made of wood and rice paper walls. The walls were plain unless there was a sliding door. Many rooms came like this until we came upon a large opening where many people sat eating and talking. Within a few quick seconds the hall became silent and the men who were holding me brought me to the middle of the room before making me kneel onto my knees before seven men. Keeping my head down just like I was told I kept silent, with my body slightly shaking from nervousness.
"What's her name?" I heard a low deep scratchy voice come from in front of me. I didn't answer waiting for one of the men to do so.
"Her name is Watanabe Emiko." One of the men told the elders.
"Why is she here?" Came the same voice.
"She is looking for shelter, she said that she will repay us with labor." Came a reply of the other man.
"How can we trust her? For all we know she might be a spy from the Oda forces." Came another voice from the elders, but this one reminded me of the birds singing when I was walking early today.
"Yes, that is true but look at her skin. It is all bruised and beaten and cut. Do you think the Oda would go that far as to beat their own to make it believable. Also what she will have to go through to even stay here will be hard, and she doesn't seem to know much about fighting. We can just make sure she is away from the crowd if you are still worried about it Shin." Came another voice, that came out smooth and grand like the wind blowing across a mountain.
"That is true." Came the voice that suspected me as a spy for the Oda.
"So, why don't you tell us how you got those cuts and bruises." came the same voice that defended me as for a spy.
"Yes, I was walking along a road, for the sun was starting to get dark. From the other side came some men running towards me. Without thinking I ran towards the forest hoping to get out of the way and hidden and then I realized they were after me. Running deeper into the forest, I lost track of the road and the men chased me before they caught up to me and started to beat me and force me to the ground. They tore open my kimono and raped me. At some point my memories became black and when I woke up unsure of where I was I headed east and came across here hoping to find shelter." I tell them with a quiver and at points I made myself sounded like I felt feel fear, hoping it would come snake into my story so I could get the lie sound believable.
"Do you remember the town you came from?" Came the voice of the first elder who asked for my name.
"I was traveling from Nagasaki." I told them.
"Where were you heading?"
"I don't know." I say unsure of what to say and came up with a small backstory for the body I was in.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Came from the man who is accusing me for a spy.
"My father died at war, and my mother was killed by some Ronin because she didn't let them leave without paying."
"Your father and mother didn't try for a boy?" came another voice that was flow-y like a stream of water.
"Before they could my father was sent out to war and was killed." I tell them thinking about how I lost a family member when I was little.
"How old were you?" came the same voice that asked me about my family.
"Only four." I tell them remembering I was only six when I lost my cousin due to a car accident.
"Four, that's plenty of time to try for another child." Came from the one who asked about me first.
I was about to speak but remembered they didn't ask me a question and was simply speaking their mind.
"Well, why didn't you simply marry? Any man would want a woman to sleep in their bed no matter how ugly they were." Came from the guy who asked about my family.
"There were no suitable suiters at the time. Unable to keep the shop going by myself and without paying I sold it and decided to go north hoping to start anew." I tell them with a small sigh at the end.
"Your money was stolen by the men I suppose." Came the man who accused me as a spy.
"Yes." I said.
"Well she can work in the kitchen for the cleaning and with the halls as well. Maybe some gardening will need the extra hand at some point I suppose." Came the voice who asked about my basic information.
The other elders agreed while he called a maid to bring me to my room and a small bowl of rice porridge be brought in along with a man kimono and comb as well. I thanked them and left the main hall almost as if I was in a rush to get out of view from them.
The maid showed me to my room and brought me the items the man described to be brought to me a few minutes later. I looked around the room and saw a futon folded up in the corner and a small table in the middle of the room. I had a small window showing me the limited amount of view of the valley that was lit by the moon. Looking out in the distance without thought I saw what seemed to me going on forever was the dark void of darkness. But if focusing hard enough I could just make out the trees that covered the mountain.
I heard I small voice call from beyond the other side of the rice paper, sliding door was the same maid that showed me to my room which was about the same size as a closet.
"Yes." I called back and she slid open the door telling me that the bath will be available with an hour for we had to wait for the others to finish before we could bathe. I ate my food and combed out my hair which took the majority of the time. I heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door, thinking it was the maid I was about to tell her she could enter but the sliding door opened abruptly before I could get a word out.
"Um yes, how may I help you?" I asked the man who came into my room. He was tall and had long jet black hair that ended mid back. He was well built and the kimono he wore hung on him nicely giving a small peak of his chest.
He looked at me before came a deep voice that was sharp like a knife, "Why don't you start telling the truth now instead of keep making up a lies about a sad story."
"I-I don't know what you mean." I tell him backing up a little. Reminding my self to stay calm and keep a confusing face on so I wouldn't give myself away.
"Don't play stupid girl. I suggest you start telling the truth and you might me able to survive this." He says with a growl.
"I don't know why you are accusing me for a past I did not choose, but what I tell you is the truth." I tell him thinking about how I didn't choose to be here thrown into a world I did not want to be in.
Tilting his head to the side while gritting his teeth out of no where he pins me against the was to our right and has a six centimeter blade hovering above my skin enough for me to know that any deeper and it would cut through my skin. Why did this have to happen to me, why did I have to be faced to deal with death so easily.
"I'll ask you one. More. Time. Tell me who you really are and I might just spear you life." He says in a low voice that could make anyone shiver out of their skin if fear.
I gulped before thinking of what I should tell him, because I know he will cut me up if I tell him the same story I've been telling everyone. I took a deep breath closing my eyes before looking up to meet his eyes and hold his gaze. "I have a good idea why you would be doing this, after all you don't want to have your valuable information be taken and given to someone who is out to kill you, and all the people you know and care for. But I can tell you this, I am not after that, I am simply looking for a place to stay to start anew. Just like you, I too, and everyone else are trying to live throughout these hard times in this cruel world that is filled with war. What I told the elders in the hall is the truth and if you do not believe me, watch me over the next few weeks and you'll find out how much time you have wasted spent on just observing me." I tell him not leaving his gaze and breathing slowly keeping a straight but defending face on.
After a few more seconds of him studying my feature he lets go of me and takes the blade away from my throat. "I will watch over you, and once you mess up I wont think twice to be able to kill you first." He smirks at the idea before leaving my room not bothered to close the door on his way out.
I quickly go over to close the door before letting out a breath I've been holding in. I could feel sweat damp my skin from what has happened throughout the day. Going over to get my change of cloths and bowl of what was left over of the porridge I heard the maid tell me that the bath was ready. Opening up the door I asked her where the kitchen was and as well as the bath.
Showing me around we both made our way to the bath house. There were a few other maids as well who were already bathing and a few changing out of their cloths before dipping their bodies into the water.
I took off my cloths and observed myself for the first real time. One of the maids from the water gasped at me, before asking me what happened. The lady seemed to be the oldest looking one out of all of them, and she didn't hold back when it came to her curiosity. I told her what happened and the other girls listened in on my short story. They all gave me synthetical looks, some of disbelief others of hate, even fear, sorrow, and pity. I dipped myself into the water before rising back up quickly from the cold water.
"Well what did you expect, a hot springs? Of course its going to be cold." The old maid said. I laughed a little at my reaction and the other girls giggled.
"So your from Nagasaki? You sure don't have an accident do you?" Said one of the other girls. She had large eyes, and her face was almost a perfect olive. I wasn't sure how to respond to her, and asked her a question to drive away from the statement.
"Have you been to Nagasaki? How was the experience if you went?" I asked her.
"Oh it was wonderfully terrible. There were so many bandits and thefts because of all the trading. I don't know how anyone could survive in an environment like that." She expresses her frustration through out her story.
"Yes it can get quiet bad, but once you get use to it and know what to expect you become well with dealing with it isn't that right Emi-Chan?" The old maid asked me, making me nod in response to her.
Scrubbing my scalp with the limited soaps we were presented, I finished washing up after cleaning my body. Making my way back to my room I folded my ripped kimono and laid it in the corner of my room. I finished getting ready for bed, and went to blow out the candle that illuminated the room of a low -yellow orange- color. I laid in bed but not able to close my eyes. I looked out the small window and saw the dark sky outside. I tried closing my eyes, tossing and turning until late into the night, wearing myself out into sleep.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone