Samurai Awakening Read online

  “David-kun, did you know that both Rie and Takumi practice kendo every morning before school?” Masao asked. David had noticed that indirect questions like these usually led to a request or command of some kind. The use of kun after his name was a familiar suffix that served to increase David’s unease.

  “Takumi invited me, but I was never really able to get up that early. I have always been interested in martial arts, but I just do not seem the type, do I?” David answered weakly. He was embarrassed, and given the discussion he had just had, was afraid his sacrifices were about to begin.

  “You will begin training with them tomorrow. You may still not quite believe the story you heard last week, but the training will be good for you.” Masao smiled a little then, adding, “In any case you need to learn how to punch something properly. You are a Matsumoto, and all the Matsumotos train. Remember: continue to keep what happened last week to yourself. Secrecy is the only protection you have for now.” Turning, Masao left the room.

  “Protection from what,” David muttered, and then a thought hit him. “When do you practice?”

  “At four-thirty,” Rie said brightly. David slumped with a tired look in his eyes.

  ‘She’s not quite back to the super energetic girl I remember, but at least she’ll look at me again,’ David thought. David went back to finishing his homework, trying not to think about having to wake so early. Apparently, he failed to hide his feelings because Rie laughed at his expression. Takumi simply reached over and started copying his English.

  David’s room was dark, the only sound from frogs in the pond. Compared to the sparse rooms the rest of the family slept in, his was almost cluttered. In deference to David’s western upbringing, the Matsumotos had converted the old office at the back of the house into a bedroom. With a western style bed and locking door, the room allowed him a bit more privacy than the rest of the house. Since only sliding doors separated the main house’s rooms, the Matsumotos usually walked right through them. Flailing, David tried to hold on as his world suddenly tumbled.

  “Hurry up and get some clothes on! It’s time to go!” growled Takumi. He had spent the last ten minutes trying to wake David up.

  “But it’s only four-ten,” David said groggily looking at his alarm.

  “We start practice at four-thirty but we run before that.” Takumi spoke as if he expected David to be completely aware of their exercise habits. “You should get up at four.” David simply stared at Takumi as if he had two heads.

  “What’s going on? It’s almost time to take off.” Without knocking, Rie came in looking for the pair. David scrambled for his covers.

  “Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Rie said, then she suddenly turned and was out the door again.

  “Come on,” Takumi said.

  Grandpa was waiting in the dojo when David came crawling in at nearly five. Takumi had returned before, while Rie had gone back for him. The dojo had wooden floors, with sliding doors and racks with swords and other weapons. One wall was mostly mirrors with two doors opening into a storage area. Along the far wall, the framed pictures of past Matsumoto Masters solemnly peered down at them.

  “I am not a runner.” David gasped as he pulled himself in­to the dojo. Just behind him, Rie entered.

  “You only ran half a kilometer, if you can call that running,” she said. Her tone reminded David of Natsuki for the barest moment. She seemed to catch his look and continued a bit more kindly. “We usually run five K to warm up.”

  “Go easy on him. I am sure he will be up to your standards soon enough, if not completely blow them away,” Grandpa said easily. He sat behind a low table chuckling and sipping tea. “I think for today, David can just watch. Start with basics, slowly, so David can follow, then he can begin tomorrow. David? Have a seat next to me. You will get used to the early hour soon enough.”

  With David struggling to stay awake, Rie and Takumi went into the rooms behind the dojo to change, emerging in simple tunics and trousers called gi. In perfect unison, they began a series of stretches, blocks, kicks, punches, and other moves. While they worked, Grandpa began to explain the purpose behind what they were doing.

  “Matsumoto kendo is not what you might see taught elsewhere in Japan. Our style has been handed down from father to son, or daughter, since the time of Ninigi. That is not to say it has not changed. Our family’s style includes elements from many other martial arts.

  “The core is kendo, or the art of the sword. The sword is an extension of the body, so before a person can learn to use a sword, they must master their own body.” Grandpa gestured to the twins as they stepped and blocked accentuating his point.

  “The basics you see the twins doing are the prerequisites to weapon basics. Though they have mastered these techniques, they still practice them every day. They are the basic movements you will use in an unarmed fight. Your body must know them so well, that even if your mind is otherwise occupied, you can still react appropriately. By practicing the basics every day, they become second nature. The student becomes correct in form, fast in movement, and accurate in target without having to think about what their body is doing. This leaves your mind open to do other things.” Grandpa smiled mischievously, his eyes twinkling at David.

  “How am I supposed to do that,” David said pointing as Rie kicked above her head.

  “Do not worry over much. You will grow. You have chosen a samurai’s path. The training will not hurt,” Grandpa said. “Well… maybe it will, but it will be good for you. It is not all physical training either.” Grandpa poked David’s temple with a long finger. “We will train your mind just as we train your body so that when the time comes you will be such a Jitsugen Samurai as to make Ninigi himself proud.”

  Finishing the empty hand basics, Rie and Takumi went to the racks and retrieved heavy wooden swords. Back in the center of the room, they began again with the fluid movements of sword basics. The blocks, attacks, and combinations were adaptations of the empty hand movements David had just seen. They moved slowly and with precision. The twins ended practice with a sparring match. With no protection, and the heavy wooden swords, the twins sprung at each other with a flurry of activity David could barely follow. The whack of wood on wood periodically echoed throughout the dojo as their swords met. Their forms became a blur of graceful feet and flying wood.

  David’s next week was the hardest of his life. Mornings started promptly at four with being rolled out of bed, all too often literally, by Takumi. After a grueling practice, and a quick Japanese style breakfast of rice with raw egg and soup, David was off to school with the twins. At school, he again had trouble concentrating, not because he did not understand, but because he was so tired from all the new physical activity. Morning practices, P.E., and badminton combined to leave him exhausted and sore every day. He felt constantly on the verge of physical breakdown, but somehow managed to stay just shy of injury. Luckily, his last year’s studies kept him up to speed, and his teachers were used to students dozing in class.

  As his classmates began to get to know him, David was invited to several free time sports. Although a small school, his classmates played everything from basketball to soccer. Since David usually chose to practice badminton with Chul Soon, and he was so popular, David was soon meeting many new students in other classes.

  After school, David spent most of his time with the first years running drills, and learning how to practice badminton. He could follow along without explanation by the end of his second week, and although he was not as fast or accurate, he was not far behind them. Many of the first years had only a month of practice on him. Back on the Estate, David tried to get through homework as fast as possible so he could escape to bed.

  One positive note to keep him going was the five-day vacation at the beginning of May known as Golden Week. Similar to spring break back in the States, it was one of the busiest vacation seasons in Japan. Hearing his fellow students talk about their plans, and their excitement, made David all the more eager
for a reprieve from his physical training.

  “Any plans for Golden Week?” Chul Soon asked after lunch one day. Though it was by now apparent to everyone David understood most Japanese, Chul Soon continued to talk to David in English. “My brother and I are not going anywhere, so if you want to hang out, let me know!”

  “Actually, I’m not sure if the Matsumotos have any plans. Guess I should ask,” David replied. He had yet to hear anything about the break from the twins, and assumed they would just take a vacation from their training. Exhausted, but looking forward to the expected break, David brought it up to Takumi after studying late Thursday night.

  “So what will we do next week? I’ve heard everyone talking about their plans for break. Shou and his family are going to a hot spring! Chul Soon mentioned he’d be in town if we want to hang out too.” David’s hopes for a week off died as Takumi paused his video game.

  “Ahh. I forgot to tell you. We go on a camping trip every year. You’ll come this year too,” Takumi said.

  “That’s great,” David said. “I love camping. We used to go up north to the forest every year in the summer to escape the summer heat for a while. I was also a boy scout. I always loved sitting around the campfire, chopping wood, setting up the tents. My Dad would wander around looking for…”

  Laughing, Takumi rolled away from his new 3DS and sat up. Rie came in carrying drinks and snacks and set them on the table.

  “What are you so happy about?” asked Rie warily. “I don’t trust anything that makes him that happy,” she added to David.

  “I just told David we’re going to the mountains and he started talking about tents and fires,” Takumi said, struggling to get the words out past his laughter.

  “Oh, I’m afraid you have the wrong idea, David,” Rie said stifling a laugh of her own. “Think of it more like extended training. The three of us will hike out together with just our supplies. Then we will have to evade Dad and Grandpa, find food, survive, and make it back to the Estate on Wednesday.”

  “What do you mean evade?” David asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

  “If they find us, Grandpa and Dad will attack us. Plus there will be traps,” Rie said excitedly.

  “What about food?” he asked. Although concerned about the other aspects of what Rie was saying, several days without food seemed the most important thing.

  “That’s what our weapons will be for. It is great practice. And pretty fun too,” added Takumi, still struggling to keep a straight face.

  “We used to play war games out in the desert with super soakers. Sneaking around and stuff, but that was just for a weekend. We had food and tents. This sounds more like ranger survival training or something.” David’s brain finally made it into the conversation as he realized just what they were talking about doing.

  “We’ll be with you.” Rie looked away, and then deftly stole Takumi’s game, leaving David dumbfounded.

  Camping in Style

  May,

  In the darkest moments the memories came. The flashes of places and things so ancient as to be nearly as incomprehensible as my alien environment. The visions were a torture, a taunt, a glimpse of what I had been searching for…

  Saturday morning David woke in a panic and unable to breath. Two shadows stood over him. One had put a hand over his mouth, while the other pinched his nose. Frightened, David struggled for a breath. Luckily, one of the shadows let go of his nose, allowing him a deep exhalation.

  “It’s just us,” Rie whispered. “Don’t say a word, don’t make a sound. Just put these on and hurry.”

  Rie handed David what turned out to be a cross between a ninja’s outfit and standard military camouflage. Under Takumi’s supervision, he donned pants, boots, a shirt, and a pullover that tied at the sides. The ensemble also included a hood and removable facemask. His new outfit was almost black, but with limited and random patterns of dark green and brown for camouflage.

  Outside, the two shadows moved along with David, blending into the dark outlines of trees and buildings. David moved slowly, but he lacked the grace and utter soundlessness that the twins were able to achieve. A trickle of stones kicked out from David’s shoes as he stumbled, eliciting a hiss from one of the twins. The trio circled around towards the back of the Estate, avoiding the path to the shrine. Moving through the Matsumoto forest, they quickened their pace until the wall at the back of the Estate loomed before them. With deft movements, Rie scaled the wall and watched as Takumi helped David negotiate a path up the rocks.

  “We already disabled the security sensors along the top of the wall. They’re supposed to give us a lead, but that’s no reason we should tip them off to when we leave.” Rie spoke in a less-than-whisper that barely made it to David’s ears as he pulled himself up and over the wall. Once outside the Estate, they struck straight out from the wall.

  “Walk straight ahead. Rie and I will go ahead to check for traps. Your job is to create a trail leading off in a direction we don’t plan to follow. Do your best to hide yourself, but don’t go too slow. We need enough time to get to a better spot before this afternoon.” Takumi was busy adjusting his own pack and clothes as he talked, ensuring one last time that everything was ready.

  Takumi and Rie backed away, blending into the forest. Within seconds, David was alone in the unfamiliar wilderness with nothing but a knife, his clothes, and water.

  ‘This is definitely not going to be like camping in Arizona,’ David thought. He took a deep breath and reminded himself of the map and compass courses he had done as a Boy Scout.

  Steeling himself, he stepped carefully through the rough terrain, his eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness of early morning. Only the barest light from the still waxing moon remained to guide him as his thoughts turned inward.

  There were numerous rocks, streams, and thickets to block his way, forcing him in new directions. The land grew ever more rugged and he soon breathed heavily with every inclining step.

  Although it was difficult, David walked for hours alone in the forest. The isolation was surprisingly welcome after being inundated with new people and activities over the last few weeks. Along the way he thought back on his family camping trips, of fishing for crayfish he never ate, and exploring caves with Jess following close behind.

  David thought of the twins. He was only just beginning to get to know them. Takumi was obviously determined to carry on his family’s tradition. He was serious and straightforward, at least at the Estate, yet he laughed and joked louder than Naoto at school. When Rie smiled, she engaged the whole room, yet there was something new about the way she acted towards him since the incident at the shrine. He could not quite name the change, and so shrugged the thought away. After all, the responsibilities of being a Matsumoto hung over the twins, maturing them before their classmates.

  ‘And I just committed to the same life, didn’t I? I’ll just have to be sure to let myself have some fun and relax. No way I want to turn into Masao,’ David thought.

  When he finally made it to a dark stand of trees, where he figured it would be safe to take a few minutes rest, David sat down. As he did, the sun began to rise from behind him.

  “Well I guess I’ve been heading west then,” David muttered to himself, looking around the dark trees.

  “Actually you’ve been heading north, but turned west about ten minutes ago,” Rie said from right behind him. David jumped from his stump in surprise, his head knocking into a low branch.

  As he staggered, the branch creaked and fell beside him. David rubbed the painful bump that sprung up and blinked his smarting eyes. Rie steadied him, and then led him to a low stump to sit down.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you, but sneaking around is kind of a habit out here,” Rie said smiling. “This should give Grandpa and Dad something to think about. You picked a good spot to rest. We can cover your tracks in the stream just on the other side of those trees.”

  Once David recovered, they followed the stream, Rie showi
ng him how to shift his center of mass in order to walk without disturbing or slipping on moss. Eventually, they were able to end the trail David had been creating from the start of the trip.

  It was an interesting experience just walking through the forest with Rie. They barely talked yet it was the most time they had ever spent alone. The longer they walked, the lighter her steps seemed, the more relaxed her shoulders. She began teaching David how to be truly quiet in the forest.

  “Being sneaky is fun,” Rie said as she slid past a tree. “If no one knows you are there, then you have all the freedom. Come on, if you thought I was good at kendo or badminton, just wait until you see what I can do out here.”

  Hours later, David was beyond sore and tired as they stopped before another tree trunk near the top of a mountain. From the vantage point, the pair could see most of the surrounding area and nearly every possible approach. The only exception was to the north, where the mountains grew even taller. Being stealthy had made a challenging hike far more difficult. The techniques Rie showed him required the use of rarely used muscles. Despite the jolts of pain in his legs, David was enjoying the trip. As he slid to a sitting position, Rie circled the area.

  “This is the place Takumi told me about. It should be a good spot to camp during the heat of the day. We will hunt, then sleep,” Rie said with just a hint of uncertainty and concern in her voice.

  “Great! I’m…” David’s words were cut off as he fell back into a hole beneath the trunk. Once again, he found himself with a hand around his mouth and a shadow whispering in his ear.