Samurai in the Time Rift 4.2

4.2

Taisa was cautioned by the slave, and he did not tell the others. He looked at Edo who was discussing with his farmers after they woke up the next sunlight. He kept his observations to himself while he sent Gunso to do some findings. It was for five days now; Edo spoke to the Taisa.

"As you requested, I have asked the Ainu on the poison used by them to fight off the creatures; its the plant poison Aconitum. They found it in growth here along with another plant Antiaris introduced by the Gaijin who had seen the plant in this sailing to the humid islands. They combined the two to make this potion." Edo showed him the plant in his hands. "I have asked Iza to identify the plant. He is good at this."

"Good. This news would come in useful one day." Taisa replied.

"As useful as what I seen do? I noticed you been very observant of the hosts. Are we anticipating trouble?" Edo came up closer and asked the Taisa.

"No, I am not. Why do you asked?" Taisa feigned ignorance.

"You sent Gunso out with supplies and he comes back empty. You are planning something." Edo was not pleased to left out. "The slave did not speak to you alone, but also to me."

Taisa looked at the farmer and smiled.

"Obviously, the commoner cannot be trusted to keep their words." Taisa replied.

"No, Taisa. The commoners are slaves and farmers. We kept our words to each other." Edo walked away without saying anymore. It was then Gunso came over to see the Taisa.

"I have hoarded the supplies as your requested. I have Bento and Sun mapped the hidden path. We also have fifty new arrows, made by Bento."

"You did fine, Gunso." Just as Taisa Mori finished his words, the cavern was sounded with excitement and noises. Taisa Mori stopped a Ainu villager and asked.

"The foul creatures are coming. They are coming in numbers."The Ainu rushed off to alert the others. He saw the slave running and stopped him.

"How many creatures?" Taisa asked.

"There are many... Many more than we had ever dealt. They ride on bigger creatures." The slave told him. Taisa then saw the Commander Kito running with his uniform in a disarray. He was hollering for the men but no one was listening.

"Stand with me, Taisa Mori. We would fight to the end." Commander Kito called on his men but some are avoiding and running away. "Would you fight with me?"

Taisa nodded and the older man turned to walked back towards the cavern entrance. As he took his strides, suddenly he collapsed holding his chest with one hand and the other using his katana to hold his body up. Taisa knelt down next to the Commander.

"Fight with me, Taisa....." The Commander collapsed back on the flooring. He was not breathing anymore. Edo placed his hand on the Taisa.

"Taisa Mori, everyone is running for cover. Its time that you and myself do." Edo told him."We can come back to fight another day."

Edo-san, its not the bushido way to retreat." Taisa Mori replied as he picked up the Commander's katana. "I would avenged the Commander. I am sure we can round up a hundred warriors."

"Yai! Taisa Juno Mori." Edo hauled the samurai up to his feet. "You are not a samurai in the Shogun's land. You are fighting to stay alive. There are no way to follow except your one now."

"I am a samurai." Taisa shouted out but Edo shook his arms.

"Better to be a living one than a dead one. Follow me." Edo led the samurai to joined the rest waiting at the rear.

There stood also the Captain and Nuruk of Khiyad. They led the way to the rear and then out by a side entrance. There waiting was the Ainu and almost all the men of the three leaders. But there was some sailors of Commander Kito too. Captain Rodriquez then walked to the boulder where he had planted the long wicks that would light up the barrels of powder he had placed on the rock ceilings and walls. Once the wick was lighted, Captain Rodriguez said a prayer to those who are still in there.

"Let us say a prayer for the Commander. He's brave man but in his age and pride, senility have grown in and forgets our trap." The sound of the blasting in the rocks was heard and the fallen rocks falling on the whoever was in the cavern. Taisa pulled the arm of Edo.

"You knew. Yet you kept it from me." Taisa Mori asked the farmer.

"Only because you are a dangerous man, according to them." Edo told him off. "You are a samurai which made you dangerous. The Ainu scared of you. The Gaijin of you. Thay have all lost their friends to your kind."

"The Commander was their ally......" Taisa Mori argued back.

"And he did not listen as he wanted to go down fighting. Commander Kito was getting senile; he thinks he commands an army of samurai but he forgets we are not his. He only wants to fight for his pride. He lost it when he jumped into the sea." Edo told the Taisa.

"I spent days talking to them; the sailors, the fishermen, and even the barbarians. Commander Kito was going senile; he only had vision of himself as a warrior. He had an army with him but he fought as if he had thousands more. His warriors died needlessly. When they saw you, they were afraid of you doing the same. I consoled them that we were farmers and former slaves. Not samurai. Only five of you are."

"No one stopped your Gunso from sneaking out food. They know you don;t trust them and they don't either of you." Edo continued. "Taisa Mori, come to your senses. Be the warrior but be one with us."

"No, I shall not be one with them. They have lived here and shared no ambition to go back. They fight and hide, set traps but none of them talked of returning home. I want to go back and so does my men." Taisa Mori spoke out. He approached the three leaders.

"I would take my men and leave you. I thanked your hospitality but we must be on our way to find the light. We would then go home." Taisa bowed to the leaders.

Nuruk of Khiyad approached the samurai. He handed him a cannister containing the poison that hurt the creatures.

"You would need this, samurai. If we ever meet, then we would drink like warriors." Nuruk then walked back among his men. More men came up to the samurai and handed them gifts; arrows, poison cannister and even food. The five samurai then bowed to the generosity of the new friends.

"I would come with you, Taisa Mori." Edo walked up and told the Taisa. "You needed a better person to guide you."

The other five farmers also rejoined the group but not the slaves. All of them said their goodbyes and went their own way. Gunso collected the extra supplies and then handed out to the group.

Bento examined the Mongol bow and arrows given to him by a pair of Mongol warriors who had shared his interest in the weapon. The Mongol bow unlike his had a core of bamboo, with horn on the belly (facing towards the archer) and sinew on the back, bound together with animal glue. As animal glue is dissolved by water, composite bows may be ruined by rain or excess humidity; a wrapper of birch bark may give limited protection from moisture and from mechanical damage. The bow is usually stored in a leather case for protection when not in use. Its smaller in design to his own, and so was the arrows; length between 30 to 40 inches and the shaft's diameter is around half an inch.

The arrowheads, or points, could be everything from wide metal blades to bone and wooden points, which are used for hunting birds and small animals. In addition to these kinds of arrows, whistling arrows are useful during hunting, because the effect on animals of an arrow whistling away high above the ground is often to make it stop, curious to see what is in the air. These whistling arrows made by inserting an arrowhead of bone in which air channels have been created. When shot, such arrowheads make a very audible sound through the air.

"Unique workmanship, too short the length and lighter." But he still kept the arrows in the quivers given to him.

Taisa Mori looked back at the collapsed cavern and at the new landscape. In the five days after having joined the new friends, he learned more of the land; sparse vegetation with small cluster of forest but they are streams and abundant creatures; some are predators while some are preys for the hunt. The day is short with one third of light and two third of darkness but its fair weather they have experienced.

"We need to continue on our search to get back home. Not until then, do we give up." Taisa Mori told this new ten men group.