Vengeance, guilt and love, the legacy of a Shinobi chapter 2: Earning a place in the clan.
Author's note- Rurik is about to meet this clan's Alpha wolf, Malcom, but what will he do with him and what kind of future does he have with the clan of wolves? Will he be treated like the fresh meat of the clan or will fate play a wild card and make him a stand out among the wolves? Read and find out what this little pup's future is in the clan.
Vengeance, guilt and love, the legacy of a Shinobi chapter 2: Earning a place in the clan.
Rurik walks into the great hall as the hundreds of wolves fell silent. Then one of the wolves closest to the pup spoke up.
"OI, what do we have here...hey look, Grenth went and had a son." The wolves around laugh.
A bunch of the wolves at his and many other tables started to laugh out loud at the rude wolf's remark.
"Quiet you mangy mutts!"
The crowd stopped laughing and realized that Grenth was serious in his tone. Then the lesser rank wolf spoke.
"Calm down mate..I was only pullin ya tail, no need to get hot under the colla."
(Australian wolf, for people who are spelling Nazis) malcom yells out, "That is enough you two, now come up here and lets have a look at the pup you think contains the mark of fire."
Rurik asks, "mark of fire?"
"The mark of the shinobi I said earlier is also called the mark of fire in our clan's legacy."
Grenth stays behind Rurik as he goes up the steps to the main seat, where Malcom sat.
"Come here pup and lets have a look at you..."
Rurik steps in front of Malcom as he grabs him and holds his face as he examines his eyes. Rurik looked at the elder wolf's pale gray fur and squinted eyes that were black in color and was a bit frightened at the wolf.
"hmm...Grenth, where did you say you found this pup?"
"outside the town of Itiyoshi, in a alley near one of the human's outer population centers...ahhh I think they call them villages."
"hrm, yes...well now do you have a name pup?"
I...forgot my birth name but Grenth gave me the name Rurik...
Rurik, hmm....very well Rurik it is then. As for a place for you in my clan, you will need to earn your right to call this place your home...Grenth? "yes sir?"
"I will leave it to you to train the pup in the arts...until you think he's ready to face "him"."
"But sir don't you think Rurik is to small and young to fight "him"?"
"fight who?"
Malcom laughs, "The strongest of our shinobi, the bravest of wolves and...not the most brightest of us, Balthazar Ironpaw."
Rurik swallows,"...I...have to beat him?"
Grenth answers, "No...only stay in the battle for 15 minutes without fleeing or expiring..."
"HUH????...EXPIRING???!"
"Don't worry kid, he's a complete idiot...you can beat him if I teach you a few tricks...you can do it."
"Ahhh....I'm having second thoughts about this whole clan business."
"Nah...you can do it, come on we have a lot of work to do...the sooner the better."
Rurik holds still as Grenth pulls his tail trying to get him to come, he brakes him free and drags Rurik back down the hall and heads for the training grounds.
"BUT....I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!"
"For wolfen's sake kid...your 12 years old...show some tail!...I told you I can teach you how to beat him, if you pay attention and learn the right style." "But I'm just a kid....why do I have to do this?"
"I think you know the answer to that kid...I saw it in your eyes....the day of flames...and your parents...and the faces of their murderers."
Rurik closes his eyes tightly, trying to suppress the upwelling of tears that were about to flow out of his eyes, remembering his scarred past..and the brutal murder of his loving parents right in front of his own eyes. Then he growls and looks at Grenth with a defiant expression on his face.
"I will make them pay!!!"
"hmm?"
"I....will kill those monsters....I HATE THEM!!!"
"Rurik....?"
"AND NOT JUST THEM.....BUT EVERY HUMAN ON THIS DAMN WORLD!!!"
"RURIK!!!....do not let your anger cloud your judgment...not every human is evil...only the strongest minded assassins of the clan can depict a human's true nature...let them do the hunting...and us do the killing."
"But Gre....!"
"SILENCE!!!...part of being a shinobi is controlling your emotions...if you let your hatred toward humans drive your soul it will become your conscious then devour you." "I!...I understand, master."
Grenth goes to the weapon rack and pulls out two katanas and gives one to Rurik.
"Now I must teach you how to weld a sword without you hurting yourself, put your left hand on the sheath and hold tightly and with you right and grab the hilt of the sword."
Rurik does so but then unsheathes the sword slightly and holds it as he steps out with his right foot as he pulls the sheath up slightly, Grenth was surprised if not amazed that this young wolf already knew one form of the legendary style, Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu...
Grenth's thoughts, "huh...if he truly masters that style he will become an unstoppable assassin in our clan."
"Where did you see that stance, Rurik?"
"Huh?...oh I watched my grandfather...he was a master of...ahhh, what was the style called..."
"A MASTER OF Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu!!!...do you remember his name?!"
"....Ahh its all black...I can't remember anything about him other then his sword practices."
"Well....I believe we have found your style of attack...I will train you in the art of Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu." "You know that style?"
"I remember one of the masters here, who died back before the day of flames, mastered it and I was his pupil to carry on the style...but I never thought a pup like you would know the style's basics at such a young age...I wonder if he was your grandfather..hmm...."
"you may even beat Balthazar before time is up....hell you might even kill him if you surprise him with the style...he won't see it coming..." he laughs.
"Really?...teach me how then!"
"Settle down now, I need to teach you the first principle of Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu before we continue...as this is such a deadly style, it is not taught lightly."
"Well then what is it?"
The first principle of Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu states, in the original text, " The Sword of Mitsurugi should be wielded for the people of the world...for the protection of the weak."...Somefur must have rewritten it to be for the furries of the world not people...but still it has the same meaning.
"So if I were to kill a human...it must be for the good of all human and furry kind alike?" "Yes, not everyone deserves to die....you must understand that not every human is pure of heart or evil, only a few in the world are but just like the second context, if you should engage a furry, fighting for the side of humans you must make a on the spot judgment call, killing a furry should be the last thing you should ever do because there are so few of us now we would rather work out a peaceful resolution to avoid unnecessary blood shed."
"I understand master."
"Now, did you learn any other stances or attacks from your grandfather?"
"Just one.....its called the Flying Dragon."
"WHAT!!...you know that attack.....well then I need not teach you anything else, I think your ready for Balthazar just as you are." he laughs.
"What......thats it...no other moves or other ways to attack or defend?"
"Well....I guess I could teach you a few balance moves and sweeps and the like..."
The two of them continue to train as the sun sets, for tomorrow would be judgment day for Rurik...and maybe his last day alive.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The sun rises on Rurik's dark fur as it warms his body, he awoke at the feel of his fur becoming to warm and ran inside the stronghold.
Rurik's thoughts, wow I trained all night and fell asleep on the training ground...what a night, but what a day this is going to be.
Rurik walks down the hall to see Grenth sliding his room door open, he steps out and yawns.
"Ha...you sleep well Grenth...in the bed I take it?"
"Well you were out cold like a stone and you didn't want to move...your harder to move asleep then you are when you struggle...."he yawns.
"Are we going to fight now?"
"No, a warrior always cleans his mind and his body before going into a fight of sacred honor...as must you, its a highly respected tradition in the clan."
"Follow me to the hot spring."
The two of them make a turn at the main hall and open a slide door to the hot spring, the steam made Rurik's fur stand on end...he's never been in a hot spring let alone a bath for many years and to him it was a new feeling.
Grenth takes his ninja vest off and slides his black pants off and tosses them aside with a clank, all of the weapons and iron in his pockets made them feel like training weights. Then he slowly walks into the hot water with a sigh of relief as the hot water hit his black fur. "Well....you going to stand there and stare or do I have to drag you in here like I did in the halls?"
Slowly but willingly he took off the vestments that he had on and tossed them next to Grenth's black gear. He walks in and closes his eyes as he sinks into the water, up to his muzzle.
"Wow...this feels great, I've never been in a hot spring before."
"I know huh....I can't last a day without coming here for a relaxing soak."
"But anyway down to the strategy, Bathazar is BIG so he's not so nimble on his feet. If you find an opening at his feet go in low for a trip and he will come down like a ton of stones. Also, he's got one hell of a pair of arms so don't let him grab you or who knows what he will do to you, choke, throw name it and he will do it to you without a second thought."
"Got it...don't let him grab me and look for openings."
"Just remember your lesson with your grandfather and what I taught you and you will survive...maybe even best him in combat, boy what a show this will be for the clan...its been years since Mitsurugi has graced our fight arena...I kinda feel jealous" he laugh." Rurik laughs, "Well I hope I can remember that attack well enough to use it."
"Don't worry kid you will do fine...trust your reactions and your aim and you will bring him down."
Rurik steps up and starts to get out of the water when Grenth sees a scar on his back.
"Hey Rurik, where did you get that scar....is it a wound?"
"I don't want to talk about it and it is a wound yes but I rather not remember where it came from...its in the past and should remain there."
"Hmmm, I see...what ever feels best for you kid, then don't tell me."
They both get out of the water and they shake themselves dry before putting their cloths and gear back on. They walk down the hall and into the fight arena...small, but then again this is a hidden sanctuary so it has to be that way.
All around wolves howl and bark out at the pup, dissing him and belittling him.
"HA, this runt won't last 1 minute with Bathazar Ironpaw."
"Yeah he's good as dead...kinda feel sorry for him though..."
"BA, this isn't a fight.....its a slaughter." the spectating wolf laughs. Grenth looks around and laughs at the remarks.
Grenth's thoughts, they have no idea what this kid is able to do....this will be one hell of a show...for the audience. muzzled laugh....Show us Rurik, show us what a true Shinobi can do.
Rurik walks into the open arena and looks at Balthazar, he was huge, standing nearly 8 feet tall. His fur was blood red and his eyes were slanted and green. His armor was no less over sized, the chest plate alone was as big as he was and his arms had spiked horned plates at the shoulder.. and his helm had 3 human skulls decorated on the top of it and the metal was made to resemble a wolf's head....and his sword was nearly 5 feet long, it had a dark shadowed skull that had blue sapphires as eyes and the fangs of a dragon on each end of the hilt's sides..the blade was cold, freezing air could be seen misting off the end of the blade made Rurik shiver.
Balthazar drove that monster of a blade into the ground making the arena shake as it plunged into the earth then laughed loudly. "HAHAHAHA....this must be a joke, why he's just a puppy..HAHAHA! I hope you don't take it personally if I end up killing you RUNT!"
"Talk all you want, are we going to exchange words or are we going to exchange blows?"
"HA, the only exchanging you will be doing is your fur, after I make you wet yourself, little mutt."
Balthazar sadisticly laughs.
Rurik unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Balthazar.
"I have no time for weak comebacks, so lets get this over with."
"HA, alright, if you want to do it fast...its your funeral kid."
Balthazar pulled his sword out of the ground and charged Rurik, Rurik rolled to the side as the Blade came down and it hit the ground with a earth shaking blow, it was like thunder to his ears as he was in a daze from the aftershock.
"HEHE, you may be able to escape the blow but you can't escape the attack!" he mocks him.
Rurik's thoughts, dammit, I can't have him swinging that sword around me or I may pass out from that aftershock...I need to get that blade stuck some how...
Rurik runs around the arena as Balthazar follow him in pursuit. "Awww already running away...little puppy is going to wet himself, HAHAHA!"
"ok...this is it...I hope it works."
Rurik stopped in front of the wooden gate then jumped to avoid Balthazar's blow then Balthazar's arm power got his sword stuck in the wooden gate.
Just then Rurik was 12 feet in the air and went head long in a spiral motion with his blade at the ready, Balthazar used his foot to get some leverage to pry the sword free then raised it to block the blow...
With a blinding light the two swords clashed and Balthazar was frozen still as Rurik was kneeling on the ground, his sword just barely touching the dirt right below Balthazar.
Rurik's thoughts, Did I get him...did it cut through?
Just then Balthazar's blade snapped into pieces and fell to the ground and his helm split in half, but he was unharmed....physically.
Balthazar's thoughts, thi....this pup knows the flying dragon...?! I can't beat this kid....if he's a master of Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu...I better call it quits.
Balthazar stands tall and raised his head and barked. "I....Balthazar Ironpaw....forfeit the fight and surrender to Rurik!"
Balthazar kneeled down and bowed his head respectfully to the new champion.
The crowd broke out with, "WHAT" and "HUH"...it was unreal and unheard of...a 12 year old pup bested a champion, and to top that in less then 15 minutes?
unbelievable.....I can't believe what I just saw...a pup used the Mitsurugi style..
Yeah I can't believe my eyes ether..but we just saw it and theres no denying it...this pup is a shinobi...
Never would have guessed the kid could pull it off...
The crowd of wolves cheered at their new comrade....Rurik was now one of the clan and one of the best.
Grenth's thoughts, muzzled laughter...I knew you had it in you kid...well done...but things only get harder from here now that your a shinobi.
Rurik looked at the crowd of wolves howling his name along with "viperpaw" at the end of his name....he now has his title and so begins his legend.
To be continued....
Author's note- Rurik "viperpaw"....thats what they call him now, he beat the best the clan has to offer and earned the title of shinobi but how long will he wear it? As a member of the clan he will now be expected to carry out assassinations on marked humans. But the question is.....will his mind be able to carry the stain of blood on his soul? Find out in the next chapter of "Vengeance, guilt and love, the legacy of a shinobi chapter 3: The first taste of blood"...he has the motive and the skill...but will his mind and soul stay intact after the first rain of blood?