Team of Seven Heroes Short Tales 4 Chapter 9

9.

Junior

Akbar crouched behind the dune watched the town which was built around the oasis there, and thrived on when the train made it stop there. He was dressed in his dark shades and held the rifle in his right hand. He looked from there to the far right and saw Salleh had reached the small hill there overlooking the town. The brother of his will take to shoot at anyone that threatens the advancing army of his. He had reinforcements from the other villages and then stood at forty warriors. He had divided them into three groups; two of fifteen in the numbers and himself led the smaller group of ten. They will conduct a pincer move on the town forcing them to retreat to the dunes behind. He had cautioned the town settlers many times that they are living on the sacred land but the lure of wealth from the visitors desist their plans to move away. He had to ask the Council for the advice and was told that the move to terminate the town of its inhabitants. He had counted a population of a hundred and mostly are women and children but the words of the Council were not to be ignored.

“Ikram, you will take the right side and command the Station. Destroy the communication lines and watched for trains.” Ikram, the lieutenant of Akbar took off with his assigned warriors.

“Badrul, take the left and covered the town shops. I want them awaken and running. Do not go near. There are some who are armed.” Akbar will not repeat the failure of the day before.

“Leader, we have sights of horses and mules leaving the town during the night. We counted two tracks and they travelled in the general directions to the valley.” That was Ali, his trusted scout and old friend from the days of his father.

“Take young Said, and each of you take a trail. I want to know where they go and if they are near the valley, send the hawk to me.” Akbar told the scout. Said was the son of Ali and had learned the art from his father. He then looked to the horizon and saw the sun was coming up then. The train shall be here when the sun past the horizon and then they will attack when the train leaves. He then heard the call for prayers and he withdrew from the dune to the wadi below. He will do his daily prayers before he goes into battle.

It was also then the mother of the teenager woke up to freshen up. She was still a devout follower of the faith and the call for the early dawn prayer had awakened her. Her son was not of the faith but had followed his father’s. He won’t be awakened then. She did her prayers and then while folding up the prayer mat, she looked at the sleeping lad. He looked so much like his father but this journey will be his final test of his readiness to hold the mantle as the demon hunter. His father would had taken him here but fate have drove him to die earlier in the hands of the demon he was battling then. The mother had then taken the journey with the son with the concealed scroll to be opened by the son only when they reached their destination.

Hasnah then took off to the outside and breathe in the morning air. It was fresh and the skies looked great with no signs of any storms. She heard the sound of the relief train and was glad. It must had made its way through the night to arrive so early. She turned to go back and get ready for the next few hours of train ride but stopped when she saw the lady standing there waiting for her.

“Its been a long time, Madame.” Hasnah replied.

“Twenty years maybe more. I saw you when you took the train but did not see you come into the Dining car. Your son however was a regular.” Madame Deauville replied. She was dressed in the simple tunic and wide skirt with the shawl over her shoulders. “How are you, the daughter of Master Osis?”

“I am well. How are you?”

“Better I hope. I have stayed on as you can see to …. Oversee what your father had told me to. It’s not a sad land but a dangerous one if the innocent does not know its path.” The other lady replied. “Your father was insistent and I was to comply.”

“You still harbour affection for him after all these years. And even though you wanted to kill then.” Hasnah looked at the lady where ten feet separates them.

“The past was then, and for now, I lived on in his dream.” Madame Deauville. “I was …. Obligated then by loyalty to serve and he was my nemesis. And regretted it since then.”

“If you must know, my father did not survive the ordeal. He did consent the man I was to wed.” Hasnah told the Madame. “Love and trust kept us alive. And from love, we have learned to live on.”

“Love is a lovely antidote to pain. Did he … sanctioned it?”

“Yes, but he was not to coach us in the Arts but we prevailed. And I am back to complete the final task.” Hasnah replied. “Even if it meant death for me.”

“You know then. You are …. Brave and wise I guess. I am however …. Old and lonely but I wished you the best of the helps you could get from the Gods to help you.” Madame Deauville then looked at Hasnah. “Does he know?”

“He knows that his life was different from the others. He had been with his father for many years and learned many things. He has accepted the death of his father and will one day on mine. He learned from young that life is a journey and it held an end where we move on. He will be fine.”

“As I recall he is like the father, brave and wise.” Madame Deauville smiled. “I had my chance and fumbled it.”

“One’s loss is mine to gain.” Hasnah smiled. “I won’t deny you were an unexpected bitch then.”

“Your mannerism had improved with your age. I must go. I have guests in my home.” With that Madame Deauville left the warrior lady to her own. The French lady stepped into her home and saw the wounded master was at the fireplace brewing the pot of tea. He did not acknowledge her entry while he watched the fire. He was controlling the flames to ensure the tea was not overdone.

“Taro-san, how is your wound?” The French lady checked the larder for food. It was mostly empty for she was hardly there. She spent her time on the train with her sight on the passengers. It was her task to singled out the hunters from the hunted or the innocents.

“I am fine, Madame.” Taro-san replied in French. “It had been some years since we met.”

“Yes, many years have pass but I remember you well. Is that Yukio whom I met in Okinawa?”

“Yes, the grand daughter you left behind.” Tara-san replied. “She is unlike her mother or her father. She is like you. The lady adventurer. Why did you asked for her to be here?”

“For one, I am her grandmother. And …”

“As her grandfather I cannot leave her alone. Not with you but its ordained by fate. You were an influence over my son. And your daughter over him to travel the lands. And now her.”

“Taro-san, Shoji was a good samurai. He had learned hard from you. It was unfortunate that he was sacrificed in the task of rescuing your daughter. My daughter with their marriage. She had courage and that courage exist in their child.”

The blade drawn out closed their distance when the tip of the blade reached Madame Deauville bosom. The blade was a rare one made by the ancient swordsman. The blade was not straight like the European model and not the scimitar but it held a slight curve from the hilt to the tip. The curve was aligned for a smooth withdrawal by the wielder. The blade was etched with the ancient motifs the displayed the dragon crawling on its feet with the tail tailing behind which ended at the hilt. The blade was polished to the fine sharp edge from the half of the blade to the tip on the inner side of the blade. It was designed to slash or thrust straight into the belly. The blood that stained the blade will flow off it when the blade is lowered to the ground. The blade was exactly three feet in length and the hilt another foot. The wielder held the hilt with the two hand-grip for the force to slash the other’s limb or cut in deep.

“Taro-san, you have drawn the katana. It’s the rule that you will need to draw blood or forfeit a life before it’s returned to the scabbard.” Madame Deauville reached up with her right hand to grip the blade tip. She pricked her index finger on the tip. The drop of blood trickled down the tip and then it fell to the ground.

Taro-san drew back the sword. He looked at her.

“I am getting old and the young one needed a custodian. You have to do it from now to complete the circle.” Taro-san then returned back to the house. His wound still hurts but the burden on his heart was over. He went to the train.

“I guess I have to be a grandmother for now.” Madame Deauville smiled. “What does a grandmother do with her granddaughter? I am sure she won’t be as bad as me.”