Chapter 5:Warm Embrace

It's been 3 days since I learned the truth.I'm not in the mood to go out of my room.Maybe the truth is too much for me.I was a Samurai and I have duty to protect people.Then the people I have to protect are now suffering from being slave.It is my duty to free them?How can i do that?I'm just a kid,I live in the mountain.Can I really free them?

While I keep thinking about that.

(Stomach growling...)

"I guess my stomach can't handle not eating."

I decided to go down and eat.I saw my father and Adler drinking.They seemed to be talking about something.I decided to hide and eavesdrop on them.

"It's been three days but Livius still doesn't come out of his room.He really has a hard time accepting the truth."

After he said that he drank the wine that was in his glass.

Father just nodded.He also drank the wine from his glass.He really was worried on me.

I have to make a decision.I have to decide.I sneakily went out.

"Guess I have to eat later."

The Sun was shining brightly.I lay down on the grassy field near our house.I do not know the reason but I want to be exposed to the Sun.

The heat that I received from the Sun.As if someone was holding me tightly.Those feelings,I want to keep it.This peace,I want to hold it.I want to live on a world where there is peace everywhere.I want to live a normal life.But in this world,there's no peace.What do I have to do?I don't know anymore.Me,the last hope?Can I really do become their hope?

Everytime I close my eyes,my mind recalled the moment when my father told me the truth.

Suddenly I felt someone walking towards me but I ignored it.I felt it sit next to me,I thought it was father.

I was surprised when it spoke.The voice was not from my father,it was a woman's voice.I opened my eyes to find out who it was.The moment I found out who it was,my eyes widened.

What I saw was a girl.She was Adler's daughter.The girl who always hides behind her mother.She looked at me as her face blushed a little.She took a deep breath then spoke.

"Are you okay?"

Her voice is soft.It matches her shy personality.I didn't notice before,but her eyes is kind of unique.

"What are you doing here?"

I ask her in depth.Everytime I stare at her she avoids looking.What a weird girl...

At first,she was embarrassed to answer but she took another deep breath and answered.

"In recent days,you have not been out of your room.I tried asking my mother but she did not answer me.I'm worried because I thought something had happened to you."

I was surprised when she said she was worried about me.We didn't really talk very much.Yet I'm glad that she talk to me.For someone like me who lives on the Mountain with only my father,I never had any friends to talk with.

"Thanks for worrying about me."

I looked up at the sky and raised my hand to reach it.

"I really love the Sun...I love how it envelops me.Ever since I was a kid,i just gaze on the Sun.It feels like it was comforting me.I want to become the Sun,I want to comfort people too."

Why does I am saying it?Am I crying?Why does it hurts?Talking about it makes my chest hurts.

"I want to live a normal life.Ever since I was a kid my father teaches me how to hunt,how to hold a sword,how to fight,and how to live a kind life."

Please..Stop it.It hurts....

"I never saw my mother.I envy you...Your mother is there for you..."

Don't say anymore...Your hurting yourself..

"I always wonder what lies under the Mountain.I really want to go down.I want to know more about it.And yet I learned that under the Mountain was a crucial world.And I have a duty to fullfill.The reason of my existence,was to protect the people."

I don't want to fight,I don't want to kill...

"It is my fate to free the people...I'm just a kid,how can I do that?Can i even do that?Carrying the burden of my ancestors on my back.By the time I realize it,it keeps getting heavier."

It's heavy...Everytime I say something my chest tightens..I don't like this feeling...Please make it go away..

"I realized that there is no peace in this world.This is not the world that I want.Am I gonna kill someone too?That burden...I don't want it..I cannot do it..."

My body starts shaking slowly..What is this feeling?Like I'm inside a world with darkness...There was no light at all..Am I alone all this time?

I just keep walking on this dark world.Even though there was no way to see,my feet just keep walking...

What is this?Some light suddenly appeared,it's getting nearer.The light reaches me...

The time I realized it,Petra was hugging me...She hold me tight..

"Wh-What are you doing?"

I was stunned.As she holds me,the dark world that I'm walking suddenly filled with light.I stop trembling...I still can't understand what happening.The pain suddenly gone.Her warmth saved me.

"Share it to me...Your burden..You don't have to fight it alone..Let me carry it to."

As soon as she said that,tears fell down from my eyes...I felt relieved on what she said...It's warm,it's so peaceful...I want to remember this feeling...

In just a little words she was able to calm me...

"The peace that you want..Together let's claim it.."

She said that without hesitation.You can also see from her eyes that she's serious...When did the shy personality of her go.

This girl really is strange.She has experienced the cruelty of the world,how can she smile?

I wonder how this girl become this strong.From what I remember,when i first saw her,she was crying.Even when they stay on our house I never seen her smile.This must be the first time i saw her smile.Why?Why does her smile calms me down?This girl...

From the deep of my heart I always wanted this to remain,our relationship,those fun moments,but I know that it will not gonna remain forever.I have my duty to fullfill,there are still many people out there that is in their hands.Those people are suffering,I have to free them.

Rebecca suddenly call us.It was time for lunch.Petra and I quickly got up and ran to the house.

*Inside Livius' house*

Father and Adler are not too drunk anymore.While we were eating,Dad and Adler started talking.

"What are our plans now?We can not stay here long.By this time I am sure that the officials already know about us.The bad may be that they are on their way already."

Father took the paper out of his pocket.It was a map.Our house is located at the Summit of Mount Jifu.In front of our house is the Jifu forest while at the back is a cave.I have not been able to enter it.

Father point the cave..

"This is where we will go,the cave has two exits.The first one is towards the waterfall.The second is towards the forest.It might be risky to choice the exit that leads to the waterfall,the water flow is strong it might be dangerous to pass there.It's dangerous for Rebecca to swim in her condition."

Adler nodded...

"Your right,our only choice is to go through the forest."

Julius gently touch Rebecca's stomach..

"It's better not to put too much stress on her."

Rebecca smiled on him.

We were suprised when father suddenly stood up..Father shouted..

"Get down!"

Father hugged me while Julius held his family.An arrow quickly shattered the window and hit the table...

(gasping)

"Tch...They're already here."

From that moment,I realized that I was too weak.My body starts shaking from fear.Father grabbed me and ran towards the backdoor.Adler and his family follow us.As soon as father opened the door an arrow suddenly flew towards us.Father shove me and deflected the arrow with his bolo.

"They are already surrounded us.This is bad."

Father closes the door.From my father's perspective,there are 10 people out there,3 archer and 7 swordsman.One of the archer are watching us from the forest in front of our house.While the two are watching us from the back.Father still doesn't know where the 7 swordsman is.

"Livius,stay here,no matter what happen protect Adler and his family.I'm going to my room,my swords are there."

Father ran toward his room.Adler hugged his family.

(blag..)

The door suddenly opened from the front.A man wearing a black robe with a sword appear.We quickly hides behind the wall.The man slowly walk as he searches us.He pass the door from my father's room,little by little he will see us.Suddenly,the door from my father's room opened.Father quickly pierce his sword on the Man's chest.The sword penetrated the Man's heart.He quickly died as soon as my father pulled out his sword from the Man's body.

Father's dark aura started to show again.At first I was scared from him when he shows his intent to kill but now I get used to it.

"There are 9 left,there are 6 people on the front and 3 on the back.Something's strange here,they only sent 1 man to enter our house."

Alder were shock on how father knows the location of the enemy.Adler ask father about it.

"Julius how can you know where the enemy is?"

Father qucikly answered...

"I can feel their intent to kill."

When father answer it I remember his teaching about hunting.I was 6 years old when father and I went hunting before.According to him every living things show intent.There are many types of intent and the strongest of it all was intent to kill.It's hard to master on how to feel the other's intent but through father's strict teaching I learned it.

I gently close my eyes and let my senses guide me.Become one with nature,use the nature to your advantage.Feel the change of the atmosphere,the flow of the wind and the sound they make.That is what my father teached me.

I can feel it,their intent to kill,father is right about their location.

Father talks to us about his plan...

[10 minutes later]

Father opened the frontdoor and quickly ran towards the forest.Arrows flew towards him but he deflected everyone of it.He located the archer,it was hiding from the tree.When father tried to approach him,suddenly many swordsman surrounded him.

Suddenly a strange man walks toward my father.At that time I didn't know that a bad storm was coming towards us...