1 Prologue: Kan

Kan stands in the snow layered field surrounded by the silence of dead trees. Steam rises from his lips. He kneels slowly into a crouched position, playing with the patch of dark hair on his chin, right hand resting on his katana at his side. He closes his eyes listening closely to his surroundings picking away animals and settling snow falling from the branches of the pine. Whispers from a distance behind him catch his ear. He rises into fighting position removing his katana with haste causing a metal ring. He turns with quickness. A bolt of lightning passes feet away from him the heat singes his cheek he turns to face the evil woman that stand before him.

" Yumi!." Kan gives a low rumble of rage with his words. Distorting his face in anger. "15 woman! 20 men! 16 children! As well as one unborn!" She inches closer pressing her breasts upon the tip of his sword. Her white robe gives a tear. He backs up. " you loved this village you helped raise its children. We gave you a home when you where orphaned as a young pup yumi." Kan grits he teeth holding back tears. " you have no more men yumi... Give up."

" whahahaha... My men are nothing young kan. Just puppets that follow blindly." She circles him as fast as a lightning strike. He diverts her incoming blow. Leaping to a safe distance.

"Why?!" He flails harm to the side.

"Why? Well it's simple of course..." She runs towards him. He prepares sword at ready, footing spread. She stops a foot away. " its my path." She slashes the air in front of him her twin swords fly in the air glowing red with the blood of his people. Fury builds in him. He rushes her, swinging at her ferociously. The clang of metal has now filled the quiet snow covered field and tainted its ground with blood. Sparks fly from the impacting blades. The lpaaughing yumi seemed to glide as they continued their duel.

His eyes grow wide as he intercepts a swift strike from her. Yumis katana flies out her grasp. She stops to examine her bloody hand. She clutches it together her shoulders quiver. "Your good, better than that old man!" She runs toward him once again. Their steel blanks together as if by a magnetic pull. They stare at each others souls. "His death was not quick, he suffered and brought shame. I enjoyed such a pitiful death." She licked her lips in ecstasy. Kan pictured his teacher his sensei his grandfather begging for mercy at the feet of this charlotten.

"Finally." Yumi whispers as she pushes away while swinging her sword upwards.

"Gah." Kan flies upward landing in the snow. A sting on the side of his face fallowed by blood painting the white canvas of snow beneath him. His vision blurries.

"Your emotion controls you boy." Yumi steps to the side of his kneeling body.

"F-Fuck you." Kan shouts. Trembling with anger or maybe fear. (Only master was able to lay a blow to him.) He looks to yumi. "Fuck you."

She gives a devilish grin. Clouds move from the moon as light turns Yumi's usual black hair gray. She quickly bows down bringing her bloody blade inches away from Kan's face. She licks his blood off her blade, painting her lips a scarlet red. "Not yet. For now sleep." She places a hand on his head. His vision weakens as his body thuds to the ground.

Yumi looks down at Kan's blood soaked face fast asleep in the last snow fall of the year. She looks to the sky. "Its going to be a cold summer." She whispers to the universe watching her breath disappear into the night.