The Ash amongst the stars - Chapter 3

[redturtleotaku]

 
The Eighth month was just beginning, and Akanishi Jin was the name on the lips of every child in Hanada. For it was rare for outsiders to visit the secluded village, let alone settle there. Tomohisa sat cross-legged on the grass, an amanatsu fruit clasped in his hands, as he listened keenly to a group of older boys, two of which had recently encountered the new boy.

‘He’s a monster!’ a boy by the name of Katsuo groaned, as he pressed a cool cloth to his jaw. His friend, Nobu, nodded in agreement whilst gripping his nose in an attempt to prevent the blood flow.

‘What happened?’ another boy, who was trying to suppress a giggle, asked.

Katsuo scowled, and leaned to the left making it easier for him to kick out at the boy that mocked him. The boy, who went by the name of Ryouta, dodged it and rolled onto his back giggling. ‘I’m telling you, he’s not a normal kid! He beat Nobu and me with hardly any effort!’

‘That’s not so difficult to believe,’ Ryouta grinned. Tomohisa noticed that he’d distanced himself considerably from both Nobu and Katsuo.

‘I dare you to say that again!’ Nobu hissed, lowering his hand from his bloody nose and glaring at his friend.

‘How old is he?’ Tomohisa asked, hoping to gain some more information on the mysterious new boy before the older boys found another reason to start fighting.

‘He’s ten!’ Ryouta practically shrieked, mocking his friends with his tone and expression. ‘That’s two years younger than you two!’

‘And a year older than him!’ Nobu pointed at Tomohisa stupidly.

Ryouta blinked. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’

Katsuo giggled and then groaned, his injured face obviously bothering him.

‘I...’ Nobu hesitated, ‘I don’t know.’

‘You’re an idiot!’ Katsuo grinned and shook his head.

Tomohisa laughed along with the others and it took him several long seconds to realise that Nobu was not laughing; in fact he wasn’t even smiling. Tomohisa felt his heart sink along with his smile.

‘Is tiny Tomo laughing at me?’ he snapped, ‘who said you could laugh?’

‘I...I’m sorry,’ Tomohisa stammered but he knew that it wouldn’t work; those three were the village bullies. The only reason that he was with them was because Katsuo had seen him in passing and had ordered that he find a cold, damp cloth to ease his swelling jaw. He’d grabbed four amanatsu on his way to the area in which the three could always be found. The fruit, welcomed by the boys in the stifling summer heat, had worked as a temporary peace offering, and Tomohisa had taken the opportunity to listen to the boys’ stories about the Akanishi boy, who he was yet to meet himself. However, it seemed that he’d outstayed his welcome, as all three pairs of predatory eyes now trained themselves on him.

‘You think that what happened to Nobu and Katsuo is funny?’ Ryouta spat, as he pulled himself up to his full height. The fruit dropped from Tomohisa’s hands as he tried to shuffle away from the sneering boy.

‘No,’ he gasped, ‘I was just...’

‘Maybe you’d like to go one-on-one with Akanishi!’ Katsuo sneered, also rising to his feet.

Tomohisa dragged himself up and stepped backwards. ‘No,’ his mind raced to find the words to save him, ‘I...’

‘He’s scared!’ Ryouta jeered, nudging his friend before stepping closer to Tomohisa. ‘He’ll run home to his parents, just like the little coward always does!’

Tomohisa felt the blood rush to his cheeks and his small fists clenched together. ‘I’m not scared!’ he cried stubbornly, but his pounding heart spoke otherwise.

‘Prove it!’ Nobu joined his friend’s in taunting the youngest boy, ‘or else I’m going to teach you a lesson for telling lies...’

‘Yeah!’ the other two shouted, obviously taking great pleasure in their taunting.

Tomohisa gulped. How had he ended up in such a situation? He’d either be beaten by the new kid, who supposedly surpassed two older boys combined in his brutality, or he’d be forced to face the three people who never turned down an opportunity to remind him of his place. He took another uncertain step back; all three were now on their feet and waiting for him to respond. ‘I’ll do it!’ he shouted, in the hope that volume would instil confidence, ‘I’ll go to Akanishi Jin!’

A mock cheer rose from the Katsuo, Nobu and Ryouta. Tomohisa sighed, defeated; at least this way his beating would be memorable.

~*~*~*~

Their path was cloaked in ancient greenery; trees that Tomohisa suspected might have stood long before the time of formidable clans, brave warriors and deadly assassins. Light spilled through the leafage, highlighting their way and occasionally casting a kaleidoscope of colour against the wrinkled bark of the trees. Despite the discomfort of walking barefoot, the itch of his gradually healing wounds and the relentless heat, Tomohisa couldn’t help but admire nature’s gifts; sights that he’d been denied whilst living in the isolation of his village. The forest was alive; unseen birds cried out their song, mysterious creatures scuttled past the corner of his eye and the hum of insects worked like clockwork to inform him of the time of day.

‘We should arrive in two days,’ Jin spoke quietly, his voice somehow blending in with the magic of the forest.

Despite the hostility and violence of their initial reunion, Tomohisa was gradually beginning to find himself looking at his old friend with something akin to admiration; for Jin’s skills were like nothing that he’d ever seen before. It had seemed to Tomohisa that Jin had transformed when entering the forest, as though he had become a part of its ancient rhythm. He could read the very dust beneath his feet and taste the oncoming weather; he knew the name of every flower, herb and plant, and could explain at length all of their individual uses; anything could be become a weapon, and open-spaces could easily become the best of hiding places. It struck him that Jin could have possessed such skills during their shared childhood; after all he really didn’t know anything about the man that he’d trusted his life to.

In close pursuit of this thought pattern came a wave of bitterness and loss. Everyone that he’d ever known was gone; their bodies now no more than ash mingled with the cindered remains of their homes. The one exception was Jin; the only person that he had left in the world was the same person that had stood by and watched his village burn. He felt the hate rise in his chest once more and mingle with the emotions that were fighting to remain there. Almost against his will he felt his feet come to a standstill as he allowed the emotions to shimmer through him, fuelled it would seem by the damp, fragrant air that he was beginning to suck in with short breaths.

‘Pi?’ Jin sounded worried, but Tomohisa knew that to be a lie.

‘I’m fine,’ his voice lacked the conviction that he’d hoped for, ‘I’m just...’ But he couldn’t finish as his body began to take over. His chest was starting to contract at an alarming rate, making it impossible for him to draw in the hot, heavy air that he craved; sharp, stabbing pains punctured his insides; dark shadows clouded his vision; and nausea gripped his stomach. Jin was speaking, his voice comforting and familiar, while he used one arm to support Tomohisa’s back and the other to loosely grip his shoulder. But the closeness only worked to increase Tomohisa’s discomfort and he found himself forcing his old friend away with a sudden burst of power that he didn’t recognise as his own. Too caught up in his own frenzied fear, he missed the look that his actions caused in Jin’s eyes. He staggered backwards, and away from the man that held him captive, but lack of oxygen was making concentration increasingly difficult, and a disturbing feeling of numbness was creeping along his limbs. He didn’t feel the impact of the fall; only realising what had happened when he saw the dirt between his fingers. Tears sprang to his eyes as the sight brought back visions of that night a week earlier; he’d acted like a foolish coward, and here he was offering a repeat performance.

‘Pi?’ Jin was leaning over him, ‘you can hear me right? I need you to calm down.’

Tomohisa tried to pull away but Jin was ready for him. Tomohisa felt the man’s cool hands press against the damp skin of his face, he automatically gripped the strong arms that they belonged to, but his grip felt weak and the realisation struck him that he could be dying. ‘Jin,’ he cried, feeling the desperate urge to survive once more, ‘help me.’

‘I will,’ Jin’s voice was steady as his eyes poured into Tomohisa’s. Tomohisa watched as he released his face, situated himself on the floor in front of him and firmly took hold of his hands. ‘I want you to mimic my breathing,’ he said calmly.

‘I can’t!’ the words had left him before his mind had registered them.

Jin smiled, and squeezed his hands, ‘yes, you can.’ He started to take deep breaths, eyes never leaving Tomohisa’s face.

To Tomohisa it felt like a lifetime passing by, as he struggled to regain control of his own body. Jin’s silence, his slow breathing and calm eyes, gradually began to sooth him, and eventually he felt his body return to its natural rhythm. He hung his head, suddenly exhausted. ‘Thank you,’ he said quietly, for if Jin hadn’t been with him he didn’t like to think what could have happened.

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Jin’s voice held a smile, ‘except maybe trigger your panic in the first place.’

‘I thought I was going to die.’ Tomohisa admitted weakly.

Jin tongued the side of his cheek and straightened up. ‘I’m not a Doctor,’ he said coolly, ‘but I think that was your body reacting to what you’ve been through.’

Tomohisa frowned; he’d never heard such nonsense. ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ he said, his voice quiet but firm.

Jin sighed, ‘you’re obviously highly tense, and you’re probably in shock...’

‘No!’ Tomohisa tried to defend himself, ‘it must be something more serious! No warrior is that weak!’

For a moment Tomohisa could have sworn that he detected pity in Jin’s expression. ‘We can’t all be warriors, Pi,’ he said gently, ‘come on,’ he held out his hand in invitation. ‘I know somewhere that we can rest.’

To argue was Tomohisa’s initial urge, but something caused him to bite back his words. Was Jin trying to tell him something? He couldn’t explain his sudden suspicion, or what caused him to place his hand trustingly in that of his old friend. It was like a whisper, practically silent but undoubtedly there. And suddenly Tomohisa knew that he had no choice but to wait patiently for the whisper to grow into a voice that would be willing to share its secrets with him.

~*~*~*~

The tiny hut that would become home to the Akanishi family was still being constructed by the three members of the unit. Tomohisa could feel his pulse thumping painfully throughout his entire body as he approached the wooden skeleton. A boy, who he assumed to be Jin, was knelt several feet away from the building, expertly fastening together reeds that would insulate his home. There was no-one else in sight, making Tomohisa feel even more vulnerable; if Jin’s parents had been present they might have prevented their son from hurting him too severely.

A forceful push to the shoulder blade acted as a sign from Katsuo that he had to proceed. He nodded, without turning to face them and tried to swallow the dryness in his mouth. For a second he thought about running, perhaps such an action would take the others by surprise, and under the suffocating heat of the baking sun they might be less inclined to give a good chase. He took an uncertain step forwards; there was no way that would work, even if he did escape they’d catch up with him eventually.

He ground his teeth as he heard the boys behind him retreating. Jin seemed utterly absorbed in his task and Tomohisa was certain that he hadn’t yet been spotted by the new boy. He found himself inhaling and exhaling deeply as he took several more uncertain steps; he had no idea what he was going to do when Jin realised that he was there. He wondered if he should attack the boy outright, perhaps the shock would give him the advantage, and he might even win. The glory of such a defeat would be unimaginable, for Tomohisa had only twice ever won in a fight.

‘What do you want?’ Jin spoke suddenly causing Tomohisa to jump backwards with a small yelp. The mysterious boy hadn’t moved and his eyes were still completely focused on his task; to a distant onlooker it would seem as though he hadn’t spoken at all.

Tomohisa couldn’t speak, choosing instead to look around dumbly for someone else that Jin might have been addressing.

‘Well?’ Jin looked up and stared at him expectantly.

Tomohisa quickly looked him over. Dark hair, not quite black; the beginning of what would be a strong jaw-line; sparkling eyes and plump lips. He recalled the giggling whispers of the young girls of the village and noted that they had been correct; Jin’s face was as handsome as his persona was mysterious.

‘I didn’t want any...I mean I...well...they...’ nonsense spilled from Tomohisa and as a result he felt his cheeks growing hotter with each passing second.

Jin simply stared at him, unblinkingly, for several long moments before jumping to his feet and crossing the space between them. To Tomohisa the movement was both unexpected and terrifying but it was as though his legs had chosen to work for his soon-to-be enemy, as they remained frozen; quivering slightly, as though simply to mock him.

‘What’s your name?’ Jin demanded as he came to stop.

Tomohisa bit his lip; Jin surpassed him in height and build as well as age. ‘Yamashita Tomohisa,’ he managed quietly.

Jin tilted his head and stared at him, obviously expecting him to say more, but Tomohisa remained silent. A sigh and a scratch of his untidy hair preceded a small frown, and then Jin was turning back. ‘Help me with these reeds,’ his voice held an air of suggestion rather than authority, and Tomohisa could only stare dumbly at his back. ‘Stop staring at me and say something!’ Jin sounded exasperated.

‘Sorry!’ Tomohisa snapped back to his senses. It seemed that he’d escaped the beating!

Jin dropped down to the ground again and began to resume his task. ‘My father’s going to be so mad if these aren’t finished by night fall!’ he said, as though he were actually addressing the reeds themselves, ‘I hate this sort of job, so you can help me!’ He glanced up and grinned, his eyes sparkling more than ever, ‘and if you do, I won’t let that Katsuo kid or his friends get to you anymore.’

Tomohisa gasped and glanced around quickly. Was it a trick? ‘How did you know about that?’ he asked in a hushed tone.

‘I’m a fast learner,’ this time a boast, ‘and you’d better be too! Have you ever done this before?’

Tomohisa shook his head and sank slowly to his knees, close but not too close to the new boy.

‘Well I’ll show you, so pay attention!’ Jin seemed completely unfazed by his new companions nervousness, ‘I’m Akanishi Jin!’

‘I’m Yamashita Tomohisa.’ He responded automatically.

Jin frowned and then laughed, ‘You just told me that! You some kind of idiot?’

‘No!’ Tomohisa immediately defended, feeling his blush increase.

‘You’re so pink!’ Jin continued to laugh, ‘I can practically feel the heat coming from you!’

‘You cannot!’ Tomohisa wasn’t sure whether or not he was supposed to laugh too.

‘Sure I can! You’re like fire! Do you like fire? I love it! You’re so pink, I’m going to call you that! Yamashita Pink!’ he laughed loudly, ‘no...no...wait....Pinkyama....Yamapink....Yamapi! That’s it Yamapi! Well then Yamapi?’

‘Well what?’ Tomohisa could hardly keep up with the boy.

‘Well...do you like fire?’ Jin laughed, throwing some reeds at him, ‘here watch my hands...you’ll soon figure it out’

‘Yeah...I...I like fire....’ Tomohisa couldn’t help but smile.

‘Good! We’ll have to make a fire out of whatever’s left here!’ Jin gestured to the piles of wood surrounding his future home, ‘I remember the best fire that I ever saw was....’

Tomohisa grinned as his new friend continued talk. It hadn’t been such a bad day after all.

~*~*~*~

The taste and aroma of the tea was spicy yet comforting to Tomohisa. Jin had located flowing water, assembled a fire and collected together the herbs for the infusion in an unbelievably short amount of time. Tomohisa could sense the glances that his old friend kept sending him but he paid him no attention. The tea would calm his nerves, or so Jin had claimed, and as far as Tomohisa could tell the young assassin had been correct.

‘Is it good?’ came the question that, Tomohisa suspected, Jin had been dying to ask.

Tomohisa chose to simply nod rather than recognise his companion with speech. He stared into the cup of murky liquid and allowed himself the slightest of smiles. Jin was expertly slicing some fish that Tomohisa had watched him catch earlier that day, his hands moving deftly, and his eyes lazy, yet attentive. Tomohisa closed his eyes with a sigh and listened to the forest singing its way towards dusk. No-matter what horrors might lie ahead of him, or what destruction and shame he left behind, he felt blessed to be experiencing such a place.

‘Here,’ Jin’s voice caused his eyes to open. His hand was held out towards Tomohisa, in it a skewer containing several pieces of the fish, ‘Sorry there isn’t much.’

Tomohisa raised an eyebrow at his companion before shuffling forwards to take the skewer from him. Jin’s behaviour unnerved him; he was finding it impossible to determine the assassin’s intentions.

‘This kind of fish tastes best if you cook it,’ Jin said quietly, leaning in and suspending his own skewer over the flames of the small fire.

Tomohisa inspected the flesh closely, decided that it wasn’t a specimen that he was familiar with and opted to follow Jin’s lead. He moved closer and began, as discreetly as possible, to imitate his old friend.

Jin smiled, ‘you’re good at this! You always were better at cooking.’

‘Cooking?’ Tomohisa couldn’t help but laugh, ‘when did I ever cook?’

Jin tilted his head thoughtfully, ‘when we stayed out the whole night on the other side of the flower fields...’

Tomohisa gawped; ‘I forgot about that! You stole all that food from Nobu’s family!’

‘And you cooked it! On a fire like this!’ Jin grinned and turned to him, but behind his eyes was a stranger. The mischievous sparkle of his youth had been replaced with an emptiness that caused Tomohisa to feel shivers. Something in his expression must have given his feelings away, for the smile quickly vanished from Jin’s face, and he turned back to his task in silence.

‘What do you want?’ Tomohisa felt ashamed of the sudden emotion in his voice as he asked the question that had been plaguing him.

‘Lots of things,’ Jin replied nonchalantly.

‘Why am I here?’ Tomohisa persisted, ‘you told your...your...people that you had business with me. What do you want?’

Jin’s focus was on the fire and the fish that was gently beginning to smoke. The light danced across his face in the same way that it had when they were just children, but again Tomohisa was struck by the changes in his expression. When he eventually spoke his voice was low, and Tomohisa was sure that he detected uncertainty: ‘I can’t tell you that.’

He was unable to explain the disappointment that he felt upon hearing Jin utter such words. It was preposterous, and he knew it, but it was as though Tomohisa had been bewitched. Perhaps it was by the forest, or the tea, or simply the comfort that darkness and silence could occasionally bring, but somehow he wanted Jin to offer him his honesty. Instead silence drifted over them, and they ate their small supper without making eye contact.

‘Thank you.’ Tomohisa eventually nodded his appreciation for the food. Jin offered no acknowledgement as he continued to stare into the flames. Tomohisa bit his lip; the boy that he’d known had never been without a voice. What could have happened to tear away that person so entirely? ‘I’m going to sleep now,’ he found his own voice trying to fill the emptiness. Again Jin offered no response.

The earth was no less uncomfortable than it had been the previous night, or any of the nights preceding that, and the blanket of warm air that surrounded them began to irritate Tomohisa once more. For awhile he tried counting the stars in an attempt to lull himself into sleep, but large sections of the sky were concealed by leaf laden branches, and his mind was utterly absorbed by a certain lone assassin anyway. The dimming flames were the only record of time that Tomohisa had to go by, and Jin’s figure, still statue-like, gradually began to fade.

He cast his mind back to the incident that had taken place only hours earlier. Jin had been gentle then, calming and maybe even concerned. He’d saved him for a reason, but Tomohisa couldn’t fathom what it could be. A fluttering voice in the back of his mind suggested that Jin cared for him and hadn’t ever really wanted to leave him. It was an idea that was beyond reasonable belief, and Tomohisa wished to be rid of it immediately. However, with night as his only companion his mind began to act against him, taking him back to the last time that he’d seen his best friend; the night that Jin had offered himself to him. He remembered the kisses that had confused and thrilled him, and he remembered Jin’s tears and the silent shaking of his head before they fell into slumber. Was he grasping at fantasy? The men that had destroyed Hanada had been ruthless, and Jin had been one of them. Was it possible for someone such as that to care? Did Tomohisa even want him to?

‘What’s wrong?’ a voice that Tomohisa didn’t recognise forced its way through his thoughts. He bolted upright and searched the area; there was only Jin. He stared at the figure, now facing him, in confusion for several long seconds. ‘You...were shaking.’ It had been Jin speaking after all. Tomohisa felt as though his heart and stomach had been forced into collision; there was something wrong with Jin.

Swallowing away his nerves Tomohisa climbed carefully to his feet. He couldn’t explain his urge, but he knew that he had to get closer to Jin; he needed to look into his face.

‘What are you doing?’ the same voice, thick and uncertain. Jin began to lean backwards and away from Tomohisa who was only a second from reaching him. Had the man really wanted to he could have avoided the contact, or at least Tomohisa suspected that to be the case, but something was preventing Jin from taking action.

‘I want to see you.’ Tomohisa was already directly in front of his target by the time that he answered; his hands instinctively moving to cup the chiselled jaw. Jin made another attempt to shrink away but it was too late. Tomohisa gasped quietly as his fingers came into contact with damp skin. Brushing his thumb gently up Jin’s cheekbone he eventually managed to turn the man’s face to meet him, and the depth of the sadness that he recognized in them almost made him regret his actions.

‘Don’t!’ Jin gasped quietly, as tears continued to leak down his face.

Tomohisa could only stare; paralyzed by disbelief and confusion. Suddenly his emotions were as turbulent as ever, making it impossible for him to determine what it was that he wanted to do. His old friend’s face was so desperately sad, and Tomohisa knew he’d only ever witnessed such helplessness in Jin once before. He loathed the man for his betrayal, but he hated to see tears on such a beautiful face.

‘What are you staring at?’ Jin’s voice seemed to penetrate his skin, spreading numbness throughout his limbs. The sound was low, bitter and full of warning. ‘Is this what you want? You want to see me like this? Does it feel good?’ The man barely seemed to move and yet Tomohisa couldn’t deny the pain to the side of his neck as he was struck. Within moments he was pinned to the ground, Jin’s knee placed firmly between his legs and his fingers threaded through his top-knot, as they had the night of the raid. ‘You’ve never killed a man, Pi...’ a whisper as Jin lowered his head to Tomohisa’s shoulder. ‘You don’t know what it feels like....’

Tomohisa could hardly breathe. Was Jin threatening him now? Why would he do that, after taking the time to rescue him in the first place? He swallowed and tried to calm himself. ‘Jin...’ he didn’t really know what he wanted to say but found that words, drummed into him from childhood, began to spill from him anyway; ‘it’s ok...there is great honour in death...it is the way of the warrior to kill...’

Jin pushed his knee upwards slightly causing Tomohisa to flinch. Jin laughed quietly; ‘there is no honour...’ he whispered, ‘and I am not a warrior. I know nothing of loyalty or courage...’

‘That’s not true...’ Tomohisa placed his hands carefully against Jin’s arms, ‘Jin...’

This time a sharp tug to the hair, and Jin’s free hand found its way onto the inside of Tomohisa’s thigh. ‘Don’t pretend to understand me, Pi!’ an amused hiss, ‘I’m a liar, a thief and a murderer; that’s my trade.’ The hand began to slide slowly upwards, ‘I take what I want, without any care for anyone.’

Sorrowful resignation settled within his chest; Jin had known exactly what he was doing when he’d positioned them and no amount of fighting or struggling could possibly free Tomohisa from his best friend turned enemy. Clenching his jaw he looked up into the face of the man that held him. Jin had stilled, his breath heavy, waiting perhaps for a response from his victim. His eyes, still brimming, spoke of things that Tomohisa was unable to understand or even recognize. He wondered briefly if it was madness that he detected in them but at that moment he felt Jin’s hand beginning to move again, and Tomohisa snapped his eyes shut. Twisting his head to the right, he flinched as his hair, trapped between Jin’s fingers, was torn painfully from his scalp.

Time, it seemed, had decided to lend itself to Jin, as it slowed down, torturously prolonging Tomohisa’s fears. The fingers, that danced carefully across his inner thigh were showing no signs of reaching their obvious destination as they slid upwards and around, settling instead over the top of his leg and the beginning of his hipbone. Tomohisa gulped as he began to tremble, ashamed that his body was acting against him and demonstrating the fear in his heart. He felt Jin’s hair tickling his cheek, informing him that the assassin had lowered his head, and moments later he received definite confirmation as talented lips brushed against the exposed skin of his throat. He gasped and gradually opened his eyes as the iron grip that Jin had on his hair relaxed and the larger man began to stroke the hair, carefully and gently.

‘I’m sorry.’

Tomohisa couldn’t be certain that he’d heard Jin speak the words, but he’d felt the man’s lips moving as breath tickled his skin, before they pressed down into another kiss. A low moan escaped Tomohisa as shame and confusion washed over him. The realisation hit him with breath-taking clarity; he wanted Jin, and always had. And yet recent events plagued him, rendering his desires impossible, or rather he tried to convince himself as such.

The body that hovered above him felt bigger than it had when they’d last shared intimacy. Beneath fabric and skin the muscles offered more definition and a man’s broadness had replaced Jin’s boyish frame. Yet the slight quivering of limbs didn’t escape Tomohisa’s notice as Jin paused in his deliverance of desperate kisses. ‘I...missed you.’ Jin whispered his confession, his voice laced with uncertainty. ‘I’d never...’ he didn’t finish, choosing instead to breathe in deeply and nuzzle Tomohisa’s neck.

And then the weight was gone, so swiftly that to Tomohisa it felt as though Jin had simply evaporated. He struggled to sit up and found himself reaching out, hands grasping at nothingness. ‘Jin?’ his voice sounded loud, ugly against the forests slumber, but he barely noticed as he twisted around awkwardly, squinting into the darkness for Jin’s familiar shape, but the assassin had melted into the shadow of night. Tomohisa groaned and punched the earth in frustration before climbing carefully to his feet. If Jin had decided to run or hide then there was no way that he’d allow himself to be found. He swallowed and stepped carefully towards the dull cinders of the fire that still smoked gently while his fingers moved absentmindedly over his robe, adjusting and tightening it. He was pathetic and he knew it. Never before had he realised just how weak he was in so many areas. Jin had all the power, as he’d just demonstrated, whilst Tomohisa knew only what it meant to be helpless and defenceless.

Something was very wrong and he knew it. The other boys of his village had grown in strength, skill and experience, while he had been left behind. But there he was; the weakest of the bunch and yet the sole survivor. The world around him seemed to be hurtling out of control while he huddled within it, somehow surviving against all odds. And then there was Jin, who stood a step beyond his understanding, but Tomohisa knew that he had no choice but to place his trust the enigmatic assassin. Hate would not answer his questions and revenge would only increase his loneliness. Jin’s skills would make him a valuable ally and protector. He lifted his head and let out a sigh. His village was gone; that life was over. Closing his eyes he whispered a prayer for the deceased and muttered his final farewell. He’d shown his true colours in the face of death; he was a coward who knew nothing of honour. A new life lay just days ahead of him and he would not enter it as a frightened child, but as an adult, a man. Reinvention was unheard of in the warrior class, but that was not where he belonged. He was a prisoner, a no-body, property of the treacherous assassin Akanishi Jin. He smiled; suddenly the world felt new again.