Fifty faces

I'd been quickly getting ready to go out, I fixed my messy brown hair up a little bit, well to the best of my abilities. My father had been waiting downstairs for me as I finally finished up, I began walking down the stairs once I'd finished. I could heard the wooden stairs creak as I stepped lightly upon them, I looked to my father as I did so, he'd been against the wall to the right of the doorway. He had been wearing his usual wear, which consisted of a dark blue kimono along with a pair of geta. He cracked a smile to me as he got up from the wall saying to me, "Alright, let's go then."

He opened the door and walked out, I hadn't noticed before but he had taken his katana with him, which wasn't too much of a surprise though it made him stand out. My father's katana had been sheathed within a birch wood sheath, upon it carvings of dragons and flames. He held his sword within his right hand, the blade being perpendicular with the ground, the hilt taking point as it leered forward. He began walking as I silently followed behind in silence. I'd been a very distant and awkward person, I don't know why but I just was. If anything I much preferred spirits and animals over people, as odd as that sounds it just feels right for me.

As we walked the crowds around began to thicken, we'd finally entered the market place. There had been so many smells and sounds, spirits of wind and fire walked among us here. I had been particularly skeptical of the wind spirits due to my past interaction with them upon that hillside. As we walked my father tapped upon my shoulder, ushering for me to wait here while he bought some food. I watched as he walked off into the crowd as I stood there awkwardly in silence. I looked around me as I'd been surrounded by the crowd, stuck in my own little circle as I heard so many voices and the sounds of getas tapping upon the stone street. I looked up to see spirits of wind shifting through the crowd as they now stay with me in the little circle I'd been encaged within. They formed a small whirlwind around me, I'd been slightly afraid as I just stood still and silent looking forward. My father finally returned as the spirits then all scattered off, "Here you go." My father said to me as he handed me a kabob.

"Thank you." I said silently, my spinning around a bit as I nibbled at my food. I wondered where the spirits had gone off to. We continued walking around as we soon found ourselves away from the crowd. We walked through a small pathway as a sudden figure came out from around the corner. He had a black cloth around his face, a single eye peering out menacingly. "Ah general Yukimura. To what do I owe such a surprise?" The man's voice had been grimly deep as he spoke in a rather annoyingly sarcastic tone.

"Sanada." My father said to the man, they seemed to have known each other. I hid behind my father a bit as this man seemed rather unfriendly towards us.

"I've been searching for you you know?" Sanada said to my father in a sadistic tone.

"Well you've found me, and I was just leaving." My father put his arm around me as he turned around, pushing me away.

"I think not!" Sanada screamed violently as my father then suddenly pulled us both down, a blade going over my head as he did.

"Quick, hide boy!" My father yelled to me as he got up and turned around, putting his left hand upon the handle of his katana. I did not question anything as I ran out of the alley, my back to the house over as I then peered over slightly to watch.

My father now had his katana drawn as spirits of fire gathered to his sword, igniting themselves as they too faced the man before my father. Sanada then ran towards my father, kunai in hand as he went to stab my father. My father pulled his right foot off the ground pivoting his left as he spun, avoiding the man's attack. He then pulled his blade up and cut Sanada's head into two from a single fiery strike. Sanada lied there dead, a smoke coming from his insides as my father sheathed his blade. Suddenly Sanada's head began bubbling as his lower head popped from his body, a new head taking shape. A new face upon him as he laughed maniacally. "Fifty!" Sanada screamed, "I have fifty faces!"

"Sanada!" My father yelled out as he drew his blade once more. "That technique is forbidden! The demon within you will kill you!" My father's blade ignited once more.

Sanada laughed as he said "I don't care as long as it kills you!" Sanada jumped up as he stabbed my father. My father winced in pain as he kicked Sanada into the wall away from him. He then lifted up his blade once more and cut him in half this time, leaving the demon within no room to grow. My father sunk down the wall sitting there looking for to the blade within him. He looked to me with a smile as he said, "You can come out now boy." I stepped out from around the corner, when we then heard a cackle. It was from Sanada's body only it wasn't his voice. A red hand came up from his body as a large monster revealed itself, upon the faces of many people including Sanada's. It looked to my father as it said in a weak and exhausted voice, "No good you'll die soon." It then looked to me with its large eyes, "You will do as my vessel, alive." It licked its lips as it ran to me, my father yelling at me to run only I was frozen by fear.

My legs like jelly as they wobbled. I put my arms up to protect myself as suddenly SPLAT! I heard a choking sound along with the sound of steel swinging within the air. I peeked out from in between my arms, a man with a white mask on looked to me with a katana within his hand. It had the purplish black blood of the demon's upon it as the man looked to me and said, "You're lucky I was here, next time run." I fell upon my butt as I caught my breath.

The man looked to my father as he walked over and bowed his head, "It's an honor to meet you in person general Yukimaru. Come with me I'll take you to get help, you too there kid." I nodded as I finally got up, ready to follow the man to save my father and I from certain death.