The New Shogun.

 

Along the way, the he had shed his robe and many of they layers he had worn, exchanging them for a plain black t-shirt, dark tan pants, and a black jacket with a fur collar. His lack of bulkier clothing left the dull spear along his back shining for all the world to see. He walked up through the lands to the village, his long journey now nearly completed, and entered the village. He did not know if the people there would recognize a young man who had left so long ago, but such concerns never materialized. Without actual direction from above, the guard had fallen simply into mindless routine. The village got next to no visitors and, to Jae's benefit, he looked distinctively unlike a ninja.

He moved through the village with a swift purpose, shooting directly to the mansion once occupied by the late Shogun. The people around him appeared somewhat dejected, but they were certainly not weak by any means. He did not particularly desire to lead, but these people needed someone to direct them. He entered into the mansion and walked up the stairs to the destroyed private office, finding the room still stained with the crusted blood of the former ruler of the country. How pitiful.

He moved over to the large, wooden desk upon which someone had placed the small wakizashi once carried by the leader of the samurai. It was something highly decorative, a deep sapphire sheath and and a short hilt studded with huge, glinting diamonds extracted from the mountain's mines. The craftsmanship was on another world, as if forged by the gods themselves. The man extended a casual hand, picked the thing up, and consumed the knowledge therein. With this, he donned the right to rule over the sword wielding people of this cursed, frozen island, the very people who had sold and forged him.

Exit