Yamigawa

Volume 10: A Journey of Sea and Sand

The next morning at Anzenasho was a strange one. Jaiden Steely strangely woke up before the sun. He quietly got dressed, before grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He walked outside toward the village, and started walking. The village lights were recently upgraded, with a few homes having their overall state made more well. He reached town square before taking a seat to look at the stars. They would soon be gone, as he knew that the sun would come up rather soon. He walked over to the local village bakery, and ordered a steamed bun. He sat back down on the bench, and pondered.

"My first day as captain.. And I'm spending it away from my team. Why am I even going on this mission? To find out about the pillars? Why should I care."

He took a large bite from his food, and looked down at his waist. Jaiden wasn't wearing his gi, or any kind of armor. He was wearing dark tan pants with a light blue shirt.

"Strange. It feels weird to not wear armor. I feel naked without having a sword at my waist. I didn't even feel like that when I switched from two swords to one. Speaking of which, I need to figure out what I'm going to do with Galasen's old one. It's cursed with something so cruel.. Yet I still want it on me. He was not by any means a good person, but I still want to honor him."

Jaiden looked up to see that the sun was starting to slowly peak over the horizon. The distant view of Shohorre, the nearby view of Perolia's peak, and Fuyu all were visible. But now, they weren't just backdrops. They were all places that Jaiden recognized and knew very well. He looked back some, and could see Houtouchi Mountain. He smiled, and ate the last bite of his bun.

"Leigheas said that I was one of the pillars. That he was certain of it. But I don't know what that means. What is a pillar of Yamigawa? It was said all those years ago that there were only two beings that could match his strength, and that was his two sons. The Grandmaster, and the Supreme Leader. And the person who ultimately beat Yamigawa was equal to him in strength. There's no pillar. Obviously I shouldn't take it literally, but still. My point stands. Maybe that's why I'm going on this mission."

He got up, and continued to walk toward his house. He looked across the dirt path to see a newly moved into home. He smiled, and was certain that Seer and Scyla were both asleep. He walked to the backyard of his home, and crouched in front of a grave. His father's name was in bold.

"After the funeral, I was so lost. I'm sorry that I didn't visit a lot, and I'm sorry you have to see me from above. If I had it my way, I would be up there with you too. But I took an oath that day. I became a true fighter. I did it dad, I beat him. I beat him for you. But most of all, I beat him to protect the Midknight City. I know that's what you would have wanted. Seer sadly got really hurt, but I helped him. He even made me the captain of the first Strike Team."

He paused for a moment, trying his best not to cry.

"I'll try to find my real parents. I know that you and mom both have taken care of me. But I want to do this for answers, not to dishonor what you've done. So I thank you, so much. I thank you for everything you gave me. But this is where my journey takes me."

Jaiden got up, and smiled. He heard the distant sound of a hammer striking an anvil. He walked around the side of the house to find his mother, standing over an anvil, striking steel down into a sword. It wasn't anything like Jack's, it was much more thin, sharp, and delicate. Still a blade of quality, but one of a different style and built for a much different person. Laura Steely had taken up the family business, all on her own. Jaiden walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, looks like you're hard at work."

The woman smiled, and put down her hammer.

"Yeah. I've been workin' pretty hard on the new stock. While you were away, I was able to start back up the shop. Luckily people have been pretty easy going about losing Jack. Many people that are rude just get run off. Your friends moved in across the road. They're very kind. Hopefully I'll have a few new hands around here."