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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 1988825" data-attributes="member: 102">Chapter 5Flesh was rent from bone as Saburo futilely held his arm up to block the incoming attack.  He turned to flee, not even pausing to look at that now useless appendage hanging at his side.  Saburo felt another shudder of impact and the searing burn of pain across his back.  His breath became labored as he staggered to the entrance of the barn.“Help me,” he gasped.Giyoshi had already began to run up to the doors of the stables, having heard the boy’s screams.  The veteran’s eyes widened with shock at Saburo bloodied form.“By the Kami, what has happened?!”“Blaze…it was Blaze…,” Saburo rasped in between breaths.“Quickly, get to the house,” Giyoshi commanded.Saburo knew not how he had the strength to do so but he managed to reach the house before collapsing on one knee.  Ren and Iriye, having heard the noise were already outside and rushed to meet him.“Are you alright,” Ren asked hysterically.Saburo was on the verge of explaining when a blood curdling scream ripped through the air.  Everyone turned towards the barn in unison.“Get…inside,” Saburo insisted feebly.“Ren, take Saburo inside while I go find Kenichi.”  Iriye’s look gave little room for argument.Ren nodded and took Saburo inside.  She quickly lay him down on the ground, headless of the trail of blood that he was leaving in their home.  Dashing back and forth from room to room, she rummaged up some cloth she used to bind the gaping wounds in his back and left arm.“Stay here, while I go see what is going on,” she said.Saburo tried to say something to the contrary but his breath caught in his throat from the searing pain running through his body.  He lay there for what seemed like an eternity…not moving.  He shut his eyes and concentrated on something else, desperately struggling to forget the fact that he had nearly been eaten by a horse.  Then something began to stir on the edge of his consciousness, telling him that things were very wrong.  It was quiet.  His ears began to hear the sounds of men striking earth, but there was something else…smaller steps, faster and lighter.  Then a shadow past across the window in the common room.  Then another.  And another.  Pretty soon he could not only hear them moving about the house, but he began to hear them speak.  It was a foul high pitched nasal sound.“REEEEEEEEEEEEEEN,” he screamed in warning.A shriek filled the air, followed by the howls and yelps of monsters.  Saburo got up from the floor.  He knew that they would be after him soon and he was afraid.  I’m no hero.  He limped over to the window and began to scale the roof.  The sounds of struggle ensued below.  No doubt Kenichi attempting a useless stand against the swarm of Shadowspawn.  His mind blocked it out.  Crawling on his belly, he reached the center of the roof and stayed.  Not moving, not making a sound.  Some of the raucous yelping seemed to subside a bit after a while.  However it was soon replaced by cries of pain as he heard the unmistakable sound of steel on bone.“SHIN-EEEEEEE!!!!”The battlecry was human for sure and was soon followed by a wave of screeching.  Death had come.  Soon a blanket of silence filled the air.  Nothing stirred.  Summoning the courage, he moved to the edge of the roof.  The scene before him was ghastly.  Laying about in various pieces were the bodies of the creatures he had heard swarming outside.  They were as small as children, covered in a yellow fur, and gifted with long fangs and sharp claws.  Their faces were bestial, and reminded Saburo of wild dogs.  Standing in the midst of these bodies was a single man.  His blades were undecorated and straight edged; no doubt a souvenir from the gaijin.  He wore the skin of animals and allowed his facial hair to grow.  His hair was unkempt and wild.  And his eyes shined with primal fury.  The man went immediately into a defensive stance, crossing his long and short blade in front of him and looking up at the roof.“I see I did not get you all,” he growled.“Wait,” Saburo screamed; his hand shooting out from the edge of the roof.  “My name is Saburo and I am a friend of this household!”“Look around you boy, there is no household.”“What happened to Ren,” Saburo yelled from his perch.“They took the young girl and the man.  The older woman and man were killed.  I secured their honor; however, by killing their assassins,” the strange man replied.“They…took…Ren…they killed…Iriye,” Saburo repeated slowly.“Get down from there boy,” the man commanded.Saburo slowly made his way down the side of the building.  The pain he felt before had been replaced by a void that he could not seem to fill.  Looking about the battlefield, he saw the body of Iriye among those of the Shadowspawn.  Something slammed against the wall he had placed around his emotions, fighting to get in.  Finally he was overtaken in a maelstrom of feelings and broke down weeping.  How disgraceful I am.  A coward who fleed and because of that Ren’s mother is dead.Something grabbed him by the back of the neck and wrenched him to his feet.  The man who had slain half a dozen of these monsters looked him right in the eyes.“Do not weep for them,” he hissed.  “Men do not weep at the sight of death.  Remember this scene.  Remember the pain and use it when the time comes.  You say you are a friend of these people.  Prove it.  Crying won’t bring them back, only you can do that.  The tasloi are a vicious people.  They move in droves from one mountain to the next feeding on human lives until there are no more.  You think what happened to her is bad,” he said as he pointed to the body of Iriye.  “Just think what will happen to that young girl if we don’t stop them quickly.”The man walked a few paces and stopped.  He didn’t bother to turn around as he spoke.“So what are you Saburo?  A boy or a man?”He let the question linger a moment.  “I have no use for children on this hunt.  If you are a man, then you will pick up a weapon and fight.  To hell with social grace and honor!  I say honor is doing something instead of hiding behind formality.  If you want to make a difference, meet me in the ruins of Old Town tomorrow at dawn.”The man dropped a small and ornate wooden box at Saburo’s feet and began jogging away when the boy called out.“What is your name?”“Akira,” the man called back.</blockquote>

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