RevengeInu
09-06-2006, 18:54
[Outskirts of The Imperial City, The Kingdom]
They stood at attention--one smirking, one not. The square, almost dull wooden building they stood in had an oriental design. The two men did nothing but stare at each other, they looked the same. They where twins in the physical form--though not the spiritual. One was of pure evil, the other of pure good. The only physical marking that could tell them apart was that one had a small cut under his eye which had scarred. It seemed almost like an eternity as they stood there, in silence, waiting for the other to make a fool-hearty move. The silence was broken by the one without the scar.
"Do we really have to do this, brother?" he asked, "Its obvious father isn't going to choose you, not to sound dramatic of coarse."
The scarred one raised an eyebrow, and after a moment his brother replied, "You're obviously the weaker sibiling. Always have been, you try to take the high road, and it has costed your lands dearly."
"And I suppose your subjects flock to you in love?"
The non-scarred brother laughed, "Akio, don't try to change the subject. Trying to do 'good' as you put it, as costed your people land, freedoms, privilages, even wealth. The only thing they have is--"
"Happiness? Which is more than I can say for yours, Takashi."
Takashi, the non-scarred brother's fast twisted into annoyance, "Fool. Happiness is but a byproduct of adject poverty, of a last of fullfillment of one's desires. Happiness is overrated and can be found only in pleasure. Doing 'good' isn't possible for humans, you know this as well, you just refuse to embrace the truth."
"Another lie told to you by that man-"
"That man is Sensei Shiro to you, and you would do best to begin respecting him. When I am King he will be head of the military, my personal advisor. Brother, lets just end this already, you refuse to see the truth and I will not waste my time with you."
"Agreed."
All was quiet for just a moment--until Takashi pulled out his Chinese Stabbing Sword which he had dubbed 'Serphant's Tongue', and immiedately rushed forward, swinging his blade at his sides in a circular motion, preparing for a strike. Akio waited until the last possible moment, he then quickly pulled out the most honorable of weapons in his land, the Japanese-designed Katana. In a swing upward motion he struck to cut his brother down. Though in great agility his brother dodged and at the same time brought the Serphant's Tongue against the katana, knocking it off its coarse. He then swung his own sword towards his brothers torso. Taking a step back, Akio barley dodged the blade, he then swung his sword against at his oncoming brother. Again, his brother dodged the assault, and went in for Akio's ribs. Akio spun around one hundred and eight degrees, dodging the strike he noticed his brother's ribs were exposed, one of the critical position his brother's style had a hard time covering--he went in for the kill. Just as his could almost feel the blade hitting his brother, the Serphant's Tongue came out of nowhere and hit his katana with such force it knocked it out of his hand. Without thinking, but acting upon instinct, Akio grabbed his brothers hands and delievered two front kicks to his gut, this weakened his brother's grip over his weapon, and he yanked it from his hands and tossed it to the side. As his brother recovered he noticed was happened.
"Honor is what holds you back--I would have kept the sword."
"I won't need it."
"Heh, I know why you think you can can win. You think because I follow a darker path, a more wordly path that its your naturally given right that you will win--because you follow a weaker path. I am everything our father is, I am his darker half, and what his darker half could not achieve in him--it has in me. When I do become King of these lands, I assure you, the days of isolation are over, and the world will regonize us."
"The people hate you, you need them to lov-"
"Fear you. You need them to fear you, that is all. You achieve this by whatever mean. Mass exeucutions, pillaging, theft, over-taxation. You do whatever you have to, to win, and let no being stand in your way."
"Now it seems you are the one who is beyond reach."
Takashi didn't respond, he instead charged forward with a series of kicks, all we blocked by his brother whom then delievered a palm strike to his solarplex. Takashi stumbled back, but had his defenses up just in time to block a jump kick by his brother. Akio continued with a series of punches, all of which were blocked and his final one grabbed. Takashi delievered a side-kick to his brother's ribs, then threw his arm down and kicked a front kick with the same foot. Akio's breathing heavier, a sign that a rib or two was broken. Takashi came in for the final blow, with Akio an upper cut to the ribs of his brother, and he heard a few of them crack as well. Takashi stumbled back, shocked at how he was caught off guard. Akio noticed Takashi reaching behind for something. On pure instinct, Akio charged forward, ignoring the pain being emitted from his ribs, and pulled out a kunai knife, and his brother pulled his secretly concealed 9mm handgun around, placing it on Akio's cheek, Akio placed the kunai knife at his brother's throat. They were in a stalemate.
"Enough!" cried an old voice from outside the building. Akio immiedately pulled the kunai knife away, even though his brother kept the gun aimed. Akio knew the voice, and knew his brother wouldn't risk his crown by attacking him now. Takashi only put his weapon away when he saw whom the man was, their father, Emperor Katashi. He was old, ranging from his fifties to sixties. Salt and pepper hair, with a rather small height of five feet, eight inches. He looked like someone you'd expect to be a push over, but he was far from it, and in fact very few in the Kingdom had defeated him.
Takashi walked up to his father, "Father, this is highly unorthodoxed! You should not even be here. We have to settle this some way, or civil war will occur. Let us settle it now."
Katashi glared at Takashi, which forced him to back up a few feet. Takashi knew the darkness within himself with something to be feared, but the darkness in his father was something to flee in terror from. "You will settle this, though not out here, in the middle of the woods where advisors shinobi can become involved or spread lies about the victor. Your battle will occur in the city, but it will not be this day or the next. I will not have the heirs to the throne killing each other while I am alive. You shall have your battle, on my deathbed you will fight before me."
Takashi went to speak up with the glare returned to his father's face and it quickly shut him up. He bowed, "Yes, father." Katashi turned and gave a more humble look to Akio, "Do you understand?" Akio bowed, "Yes, father."
"Good then let us return. Both of you have important duties you need to tend to. Both of you shall demonstrate your exceptional martial arts skills against Lords Yori and Ryu--both have requested a match with one of you. Takashi shall face the former, and Akio the later."
As the group of three left the building, sitting outside was a battalion sized group of the Imperial Guard, the captain of the guard led the way to the armored car which awaited them, flanked by two tanks. As the three entered the vehicle, they knew they could speak more openly.
Takashi started, "A match against us? Asked for by warlord's. Suspicious."
Akio interrupted, "Not nessecarily. The Lords in question where master's of their own styles. We are the Emperor's sons, what better way to expand an already infliated ego by challanging and beating us?"
Takashi didn't answer--which wasn't uncommon, though Akio's father didn't answer. He looked over to see him staring at the floor, he was in deep thought. "Father is everything all right?" The Emperor sudddenly looked up with a smile on his face, "Yes, just thinking of your mother. She's still very ill."
Akio looked down in dispair, him and his brother had taken a month's leave to train for the match they just had, and in that time he had often thought about his mother whom mysteriously become sick just before his departure. He was rather discouraged to heard her situtation hadn't improved. He heard his brother mutter something about weakness, but paid no further attention to it. The rest of the ride to the Imperial City was quiet, with only the occasional comment between Katashi and Takashi over matters of the newly formed Imperial Army, and his father's plan to end the days of the 'Daymio Armies' and institute a unified force. It was a radical ideal, as daymio's had strong control over their soldiers, and trying to force various armies, all of which are suspicious and hostile to the other, would prove to be a challange, if not outright impossible. As they passed threw the Dragon's Gate into the Imperial City, Akio felt his heart sink slightly--he enjoyed being in the countryside, where nature and man existed in harmony. No surprise that his brother got a glimmer in his eyes as he gazed on all the women in the city.
Unfortunately--he was home.
They stood at attention--one smirking, one not. The square, almost dull wooden building they stood in had an oriental design. The two men did nothing but stare at each other, they looked the same. They where twins in the physical form--though not the spiritual. One was of pure evil, the other of pure good. The only physical marking that could tell them apart was that one had a small cut under his eye which had scarred. It seemed almost like an eternity as they stood there, in silence, waiting for the other to make a fool-hearty move. The silence was broken by the one without the scar.
"Do we really have to do this, brother?" he asked, "Its obvious father isn't going to choose you, not to sound dramatic of coarse."
The scarred one raised an eyebrow, and after a moment his brother replied, "You're obviously the weaker sibiling. Always have been, you try to take the high road, and it has costed your lands dearly."
"And I suppose your subjects flock to you in love?"
The non-scarred brother laughed, "Akio, don't try to change the subject. Trying to do 'good' as you put it, as costed your people land, freedoms, privilages, even wealth. The only thing they have is--"
"Happiness? Which is more than I can say for yours, Takashi."
Takashi, the non-scarred brother's fast twisted into annoyance, "Fool. Happiness is but a byproduct of adject poverty, of a last of fullfillment of one's desires. Happiness is overrated and can be found only in pleasure. Doing 'good' isn't possible for humans, you know this as well, you just refuse to embrace the truth."
"Another lie told to you by that man-"
"That man is Sensei Shiro to you, and you would do best to begin respecting him. When I am King he will be head of the military, my personal advisor. Brother, lets just end this already, you refuse to see the truth and I will not waste my time with you."
"Agreed."
All was quiet for just a moment--until Takashi pulled out his Chinese Stabbing Sword which he had dubbed 'Serphant's Tongue', and immiedately rushed forward, swinging his blade at his sides in a circular motion, preparing for a strike. Akio waited until the last possible moment, he then quickly pulled out the most honorable of weapons in his land, the Japanese-designed Katana. In a swing upward motion he struck to cut his brother down. Though in great agility his brother dodged and at the same time brought the Serphant's Tongue against the katana, knocking it off its coarse. He then swung his own sword towards his brothers torso. Taking a step back, Akio barley dodged the blade, he then swung his sword against at his oncoming brother. Again, his brother dodged the assault, and went in for Akio's ribs. Akio spun around one hundred and eight degrees, dodging the strike he noticed his brother's ribs were exposed, one of the critical position his brother's style had a hard time covering--he went in for the kill. Just as his could almost feel the blade hitting his brother, the Serphant's Tongue came out of nowhere and hit his katana with such force it knocked it out of his hand. Without thinking, but acting upon instinct, Akio grabbed his brothers hands and delievered two front kicks to his gut, this weakened his brother's grip over his weapon, and he yanked it from his hands and tossed it to the side. As his brother recovered he noticed was happened.
"Honor is what holds you back--I would have kept the sword."
"I won't need it."
"Heh, I know why you think you can can win. You think because I follow a darker path, a more wordly path that its your naturally given right that you will win--because you follow a weaker path. I am everything our father is, I am his darker half, and what his darker half could not achieve in him--it has in me. When I do become King of these lands, I assure you, the days of isolation are over, and the world will regonize us."
"The people hate you, you need them to lov-"
"Fear you. You need them to fear you, that is all. You achieve this by whatever mean. Mass exeucutions, pillaging, theft, over-taxation. You do whatever you have to, to win, and let no being stand in your way."
"Now it seems you are the one who is beyond reach."
Takashi didn't respond, he instead charged forward with a series of kicks, all we blocked by his brother whom then delievered a palm strike to his solarplex. Takashi stumbled back, but had his defenses up just in time to block a jump kick by his brother. Akio continued with a series of punches, all of which were blocked and his final one grabbed. Takashi delievered a side-kick to his brother's ribs, then threw his arm down and kicked a front kick with the same foot. Akio's breathing heavier, a sign that a rib or two was broken. Takashi came in for the final blow, with Akio an upper cut to the ribs of his brother, and he heard a few of them crack as well. Takashi stumbled back, shocked at how he was caught off guard. Akio noticed Takashi reaching behind for something. On pure instinct, Akio charged forward, ignoring the pain being emitted from his ribs, and pulled out a kunai knife, and his brother pulled his secretly concealed 9mm handgun around, placing it on Akio's cheek, Akio placed the kunai knife at his brother's throat. They were in a stalemate.
"Enough!" cried an old voice from outside the building. Akio immiedately pulled the kunai knife away, even though his brother kept the gun aimed. Akio knew the voice, and knew his brother wouldn't risk his crown by attacking him now. Takashi only put his weapon away when he saw whom the man was, their father, Emperor Katashi. He was old, ranging from his fifties to sixties. Salt and pepper hair, with a rather small height of five feet, eight inches. He looked like someone you'd expect to be a push over, but he was far from it, and in fact very few in the Kingdom had defeated him.
Takashi walked up to his father, "Father, this is highly unorthodoxed! You should not even be here. We have to settle this some way, or civil war will occur. Let us settle it now."
Katashi glared at Takashi, which forced him to back up a few feet. Takashi knew the darkness within himself with something to be feared, but the darkness in his father was something to flee in terror from. "You will settle this, though not out here, in the middle of the woods where advisors shinobi can become involved or spread lies about the victor. Your battle will occur in the city, but it will not be this day or the next. I will not have the heirs to the throne killing each other while I am alive. You shall have your battle, on my deathbed you will fight before me."
Takashi went to speak up with the glare returned to his father's face and it quickly shut him up. He bowed, "Yes, father." Katashi turned and gave a more humble look to Akio, "Do you understand?" Akio bowed, "Yes, father."
"Good then let us return. Both of you have important duties you need to tend to. Both of you shall demonstrate your exceptional martial arts skills against Lords Yori and Ryu--both have requested a match with one of you. Takashi shall face the former, and Akio the later."
As the group of three left the building, sitting outside was a battalion sized group of the Imperial Guard, the captain of the guard led the way to the armored car which awaited them, flanked by two tanks. As the three entered the vehicle, they knew they could speak more openly.
Takashi started, "A match against us? Asked for by warlord's. Suspicious."
Akio interrupted, "Not nessecarily. The Lords in question where master's of their own styles. We are the Emperor's sons, what better way to expand an already infliated ego by challanging and beating us?"
Takashi didn't answer--which wasn't uncommon, though Akio's father didn't answer. He looked over to see him staring at the floor, he was in deep thought. "Father is everything all right?" The Emperor sudddenly looked up with a smile on his face, "Yes, just thinking of your mother. She's still very ill."
Akio looked down in dispair, him and his brother had taken a month's leave to train for the match they just had, and in that time he had often thought about his mother whom mysteriously become sick just before his departure. He was rather discouraged to heard her situtation hadn't improved. He heard his brother mutter something about weakness, but paid no further attention to it. The rest of the ride to the Imperial City was quiet, with only the occasional comment between Katashi and Takashi over matters of the newly formed Imperial Army, and his father's plan to end the days of the 'Daymio Armies' and institute a unified force. It was a radical ideal, as daymio's had strong control over their soldiers, and trying to force various armies, all of which are suspicious and hostile to the other, would prove to be a challange, if not outright impossible. As they passed threw the Dragon's Gate into the Imperial City, Akio felt his heart sink slightly--he enjoyed being in the countryside, where nature and man existed in harmony. No surprise that his brother got a glimmer in his eyes as he gazed on all the women in the city.
Unfortunately--he was home.