Chapter 12: The Eastern Lands

"There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself." -Musashi Miyamoto

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|SHIN|

After a long travel, passing through dozens of mountains, crossing numbers of rivers, and entering few thick forests. It took us few weeks, but we've already arrive to our destination.

A quiet and secluded village, a breathtaking view of wooden houses surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers.

We finally arrive at Gramps' homeland, Reishen. The land of the warriors.

We stand at the top of a hill as I print the view of the majestic land into my mind. The shrines and temples that I can only see in gramps' paintings, I can see it now with my very own eyes.

"We have arrived, you two. This is where I was born and lived for a long time. The land where the sun rises. The land of Reishen." Gramps uttered as I continue to observe the land in awe.

"It's breathtaking, Gramps." I uttered unconsciously. I just can't help but to be mesmerized by its beauty.

"I want to see it from up high too, brother!" I looked at Aria who's pouting at me. I smiled at her and pats her head.

"Come here." I said as I carry her to my shoulders. I am strong enough to do it and it's my duty as an older brother to fulfill my sister's desire.

I can feel her excitement as I lift her up and carried her over my shoulders to give her a more stunning view. Her happiness alone is enough for me to continue to move forward.

Now that Mom and Dad was already gone, I have to do whatever it takes to protect my little sister, but I still haven't forgotten about my mission to avenge my parents' death.

Until now, I can still feel the burning rage inside my body as if it will burst anytime soon. But I also realized that I'm still nowhere near enough to challenge those demons.

I must become stronger. If this truly is the land of the warriors, being here is the best decision that I took.

"Aria, Shin, Let's go. We must arrive at the village before dawn." After gramps stayed those words. I put down Aria sho's sitting comfortably in my shoulders and the three of us went back to the carriage that we've been riding all throughout our entire journey.

We can already see our destination, but it's still quite far from our location. It might took us for another few hours to get to Eashen, that is why we have to continue our travel.

The hill is a bit steep, so instead of riding the carriage, we decided to walk and let the carriage carry our belongings instead.

It took us for about 6 hours before we arrive at the village's gate. I can feel a few gazes directly at us but I just ignored it and followed gramps' lead.

I looked around the surroundings and noticed that they were all wearing the same style of clothes as gramps often wear. If I remember correctly, it is called kimono. This must be the normal clothes of the people who lives in here.

We continue to walk until we reached a house that has the same design from our house back in Enthopia, but this is more spacious and neat. It seems old but its still looks sturdy.

Gramps knocked a few times when we heard a voiced coming from the house.

"I'm coming! Please wait for a bit!"

We waited for that person to open the door for us, it took a few minutes before he opened it. "Who is it-"

I can see the shock from the man's eyes when he saw gramps standing infront of him. His tears fall immediately and his eyes are brimming with joy.

The old man kneel infront of him and says. "My Lord, Kojiro-sama. Welcome home."

Huh? My Lord? Does that mean, gramps is someone from high standing in this village?! I know gramps is really strong but, I didn't expect this. Just who in the world is gramps?

"I have returned, Goza. And I'm with my grandchildren Shin and Aria, please treat them well."

"I'm at your service, My Lord." Mr. Goza stated as he stand firmly and assist us to inside the house.

"Please treat us well, Mr. Goza." Aria and I said in harmony as the two of us bows our head to pay respect.

"It's an honor, Young Master Shin, Young Miss Aria."

He offered us for a cup of tea which we accepted gratefully. He also gave us a sticky treat that looks like a ball with fillings inside, which they called manju.

Aria and I continues to eat the food infront of us while gramps and Mr. Goza and I listened to them out of curiosity.

"So, Kojiro-sama. Are you and the kids staying here for good?"

"That's the plan. I also wanted to train Shin to his full potential while we're here." Gramps response to Mr. Goza's question as they drink sake.

"If I may ask, Kojiro-sama. Why didn't you bring your wife? If you have grandchildren, that means you've remarried right?" Mr. Goza asked once more but gramps just showed him a faint smile and drinks the remaining sake in his cup.

"I've never remarried, Goza. This kids are the children of my foster child from the Kingdom of Enthopia. My heart belongs to Ayame, and her alone."

After gramps said those lines, the two of them remained quiet and drink their sake in silence.

None of them uttered a single word when gramps excuse himself for a bit and went out. Mr. Goza also excuse himself after he put away the sake and cups that him and gramps used.

I'm still curious about this Ayame that their talking about, that is why I asked Mr. Goza who she was.

I looked for him around the house when I saw him swinging his wooden sword at the garden in the back of the house. I think he noticed me because he stopped swinging his sword and approach me.

"Good day, Young Master. What brought you here?" He asked and asked me to sit next to him at the side of the walkway.

"I just want to ask something, Mr. Goza." I stated and think a proper way on how will I ask who Ayame was.

"Ask anything, Young Master Shin. And please just call me Goza."

"If that's alright, Goza-san. Anyways, Goza-san, I heard that you and gramps are talking about someone named Ayame. Who is she?" I asked.

Goza-san took a deep breathe and slowly exhale it as he looked up in the blue sky.

"Ayame-sama is the second most strongest warrior in Reishen a long time ago next to Kojiro-sama, who is also her husband."

Gramps' wife? That means she's grandmother...

"Where is she now? My grandma, I mean." I asked but only a faint smile was formed on Gozo-san's lips.

"I'm sorry, Young Master, but I'm in no position to tell you what happened to her. If you really wanted to know, I think it's best if you ask Kojiro-sama instead." He stated and stood up to continue his training.

"If you want to look for him, he's at the top of a small hill near the village's gate where you can see a cherry blossom tree, Kojiro-sama must be there."

I immediately excuse myself to Goza-san and head to where gramps is.

There, I saw him standing infront of a three piles of stones while praying. I waited for him to finish what he was doing and call him out.

"Gramps! I'm here!" I shouted and run towards him.

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|KOJIRO|

"I have returned, Ayame..." That is the first thing that came out of my mouth as soon as I saw her gravestone.

"It's been five decades hasn't it? I still haven't forgotten about you, My Wife, you'll be forever part of me." I placed a bouquet of flowers infornt of her grave and light a candle and place it next to the flowers.

"There's someone I would like you to meet." I added and make two new gravestones next to hers and carved both of Ro-kun and Azrael-chan's name on it.

"Ayame, this is our children, Roland and Azrael. They may not came from our flesh and blood, but it doesn't matter right? I always tell them our story, about how strong and beautiful you are back in the days." I uttered and just like what I did to Ayame's grave. I also place a candle and flowers in the newly made graves of Ro-kun and Azrael-chan.

"Ro-kun, Azrael-chan, this is your Mother, Ayame Sasaki. Please treat her with respect okay?"

I wiped the tears that is coming from my eyes and chuckled a bit. "Pardon this old man, despite my age, I'm still a crybaby." I said as I continue to laugh on my own.

I wiped the grave of Ayame and gently kissed it. "I miss you so much, but I still can't leave our grandchildren on their own. They still need this old man right here, so wait for me okay? It won't take long..." I said as I looked at them as if they're just infront of me smiling but weren't able to talk...

"Ro-kun, Azrael-chan, how are you doing up there? Don't cause too much trouble to your brothers and sisters, specially to your father over there okay? Take care of your Mother, Ayame while I'm still here." I uttered and offer a prayer for the three of them.

After a praying, I heard the voice of Shin-kun calling me out from afar and noticed that he's running towards my direction.

"Looks like one of our grandchildren is here, Ayame." I said as I gently touched her grave.

"What are you doing here gramps?" He asked as soon as he get here. I sit at the blanket I brought and smiled at him.

"Oh, Shin-kun! I made a grave for your mom and dad here, come! There's also someone I would like you to meet." I said and move a little to give him a space to sit.

"Shin-kun, this is your grandmother, Ayame, my wife." He looked at the grave and smile as he touch it gently.

"Hello grandma, I'm Shin Sasaki, your grandchild. Mom, Dad, we have arrived safely." I watched him kissed the grave of his grandmother and parents. I just can't help but to look at the sky and smile.

Ayame... Our grandchild is kind isn't he? Don't worry, I'll also bring Aria-chan with me next time...

Shin-kun lit three candles and place it in each of their graves, I'm just sitting here as I watched him do it.

After that, he leaned close to me and asked. "Gramps? How did you meet my grandma? And why did she die?"

I messed his hair a bit and smile while looking at the blue sky as I reminisce my days together with Ayame.

"You see, more than fifty years ago, when I was just twenty years old. I met her when I was out for hunting." I just can't help but too sigh while remembering that day as if it was just yesterday.

"Your grandma was the most beautiful girl in all Reishen, her slender figure, beautiful brown eyes, and her smooth skin. I can still remember how it felt..." I can feel the tears from my eyes starting to fall so I wipe it off immediately.

"She's strong... Way stronger than any warrior I know... And I fell inlove with her." I placed both my hands on my knees to suppress myself from crying.

"I chased after her not just for days, weeks, nor months. It took me three years to make her love me back."

"After those three years of chasing, we got married after two years... We were so happy and contented with just the two of us..." I still tried my best to hold out my tears but it still falls all on its own...

"But then one day, when I was out for hunting with Goza... An army of demons attacked our house... I know she fought really hard, but I was too late... When I came back, all I saw was a bunch of demon corpses and her, on her dying breathe..." I continue to wipe all the tears that's falling from my eyes but its still won't stop...

"She died in my arms with our three months unborn child... And that day, I swore to myself that I will take revenge against those demons... I went on a journey alone, killing all the demons I pass... And that's when I got to the Kingdom of Enthopia."

I can still remember it clearly... Even the face of the demons I've killed... I can still smell the stench of blood in that battlefield which I fought alone... But I can also remember how a single kid change my whole life...

"For more than two decades, I continue to fight. Without ounce of magic power, just by using my brute strength and swordsmanship, I have killed countless of demons... But it all change when I met this kid in the woods crying for help..."

I saw Shin-kun's expression changes when after I said those words... I guess he already knows who that kid was...

"That's right Shin-kun... That kid was your own father... I saw Ayame in his eyes, that's why I decided to adopt him, train him to become strong, and become a great man..."

"I can still remember his promise to me. That he will defeat all the demons in my stead and bring peace to the world so that I could retire... Up until his very last breathe, Shin-kun... Your father fulfilled his promise..."

That's when my tears starts to fall from my eyes even harder... It really hurts to make a grave for your own family... For your own wife... And for your own children...

I still regret that I wasn't able to save any of them... It still hurts no matter how long it was... If only I can give my own life in exchange for their own, I will gladly surrender my very being... But that's not how this world works...

I felt Shin's arms wrapped around me as I continue to sob... I can feel his tears dropping on my shoulders which hurts my heart even more...

"Don't worry grandfather... For today, onwards, I'll be the one who'll share all those burdens with you... and I promise that I will not die..."

I hugged Shin back tightly, as the two of us continues to shed tears for our beloved ones who passed before us...

This time... No matter what it takes... If any of them were in danger, I will save them even if it kills me...

That's all I could promise you, Ro-kun, Azrael-chan...

Ayame...

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End of chapter 12