My Destiny: The Giant Hornet
My Destiny addendum
The Giant Hornet
Waking I performed my morning meditation and released all thoughts from my mind to purify it before getting up and dressing. Since master had said this was my last day I chose my favorite fighting clothes. I had a short scarlet Cheongsam cut just above my knees covered by a foreign Haori of blue with a foreign Obi sash in a vivid violet, I enjoyed this outfit greatly for it contrasted so much with my alabaster white scales and my black hair that cascaded down my shoulders and was braided until it reached the middle of my back, and to top off how unusual I looked I even had a feline looking pair of gold eyes. Grabbing my first pair of Tatami sandals and throwing the other pair in a small bag I left for my master's room.
Arriving I knocked on the wooden frame of his door and came in when he called. Walking into his room as always I was amazed by the number of scrolls for different fighting styles that he had, he kept them covered beyond the name so that none could learn a style that was beyond their skill. Sitting where he indicated I was anxious about what he had to say.
"My child," he began slowly, for the tortoise followed the path of thinking everything through carefully, "It is time for you to journey forth into the world, you have mastered the Thousand cuts style in a way many did not believe was possible."
Pausing he observed me before he stood and took a scroll from the wall and placed it before me. "There is another style which I believe would suit you, however I can not teach this style to you." Removing the cover I saw that all on the page was the name of the style and the last known to use it.
"The Reaver's burn?" I asked looking at the scroll.
"It is a fighting style which strikes so quickly that those of untrained eyes see only one or two strikes and when they land they create heat giving your opponent burns as if they had just put their hand in the cooking fire." Standing up he put it back in it's place and brought down another. "This style will help you succeed in achieving your goal." he said before removing the cover and allowing me to read it.
"Crimson tears" was what I read on the scroll, it was used with 2 or 3 short blades and enemies cried upon seeing it for they knew it was to be their last fight.
"I teach you this now so you may use it later, you may not bring blades or any obvious weapons with you at the start of this journey for you will be traveling through a war torn providence, all I can do is prepare you, you must use this to move forward."
Hearing his wise council I bowed before him and took his offered bag of food. Traveling out of the town I had grown up in I waved to many and embraced some, for I knew it would be many years before I saw them again, if I ever did. At the gates I remembered as much as I could from my twelve years of life, all of it spent in this town, and most of that spent in master's temple.
Feeling my stomach grouch at me I ignored it and continued to walk, I had begun this journey and I won't end it just because I'm hungry! Looking around I saw nothing for a while until I noticed some trees in the distance, then I noticed they were apple trees and took off running. My feet felt excellent to finally have something to do other than walk in my tatami sandals. Jumping up the tree and grabbing a branch in my left hand and tail and grabbing an apple in my right I ate the first with a satisfying crunch. After that I lay on the branch contemplating the contrast between my scales and the beautiful red apple.
"Hey! You in the tree, get away from my apples!" came a voice from the bottom of the tree.
Rolling off the branch I landed on my feet and looked up at the angry bear that probably towered over normal people, let alone me. "Sorry, I've been traveling for days with no food, I ran out some time ago."
His scowl didn't relent, if anything he seemed to get even angrier, "You think that you outsiders can just come and steal our food! This offense is punishable, you shall lose your right hand for this, just because you pretend you're a little girl don't expect lenience!" he said before he grabbed my hand.
Pulling on it I realized that something would have to break before he would let go. Walking with him was tiring, I had only eaten the one apple, and my shoulder hurt from having my hand held so high up, though he would have to stoop to hold it any lower. Once we arrived at a town area he didn't loosen his grip any and took me to a tiger who looked very official.
Looking over the tiger said "Well, what do you have Lu'bay."
"Someone who was eating out of one of my apple trees."
Crouching down the tiger looked at me and said "She certainly isn't from around here, white scales, black hair," looking in my eyes he added "She even has gold eyes, well, she doesn't seem very dangerous, is it really a problem that she ate an apple?" he said while looking at the bear.
"You must punish her, take her right hand as the law says, from her movements getting out of the tree I assume she has training of some sort, she rolled out and landed on her feet with barely even a movement."
"Hmm, if what you say is true she may be a spy from another providence trying to get information on us by sending someone young but skilled, if this is true, the only punishment is death." the tiger said while drawing his sword.
Right then I knew I was truly in trouble and struck the bear at a precise angle with my left hand causing his bone to break in several places and his skin to split as if a dagger had cut it. I then jumped up with my tail pushing off the ground for more height. Landing on the tiger I struck him on the arm he held his blade in and jumped again, but with far less luck this time around. I felt something strike my left shoulder and then my right shoulder, two arrows which pushed me through the air easily and pinned me against the wall.
"I wouldn't expect you to have such troubles with a child Si'ji." the female panther said from the roof of the building opposite the one she had pinned me to.
"She broke Lu'bay's arm while barely even touching it, and mine is bleeding heavily." the tiger called Si'ji responded while tearing part of his Michiyuki and wrapping it around his arm with some difficulty.
"And why did you feel the need to draw your sword on a child that hadn't attacked you." she scowled at him while keeping her aim on me.
Speaking up I said "I ate an apple and am a foreigner."
Laughing she unstrung her bow and coiled the string in a pouch hanging on her Obi while hopping off the building. "Of course you're a foreigner, you're wearing your Haori wrong and you're wearing it on top of a Cheongsam, which aren't even sold in this providence, now, tell me your name," she said while putting her hand on the left and right arrows, "This will hurt." right before she pulled them out.
It took all I had not to scream, but I certainly flinched and didn't land properly. Looking at the arrows I saw why she hadn't just broken them off, they were just sharpened metal with no true head, they were designed to fly straight through one target into the one behind the first, probably through armor even. "Suzumibachi" I said to her question.
Yelling behind her Si'ji said "No, I refuse to let this filth in our land, you may be priestess Naiya but I am the appointed arm of the emperor in this village!"
From behind me I heard a voice say "Then perhaps the arm would tell the head what it is doing."