Campfire Banter

[Johan Batara]

The small outpost was quiet, a bit too quiet. The moon was high in the sky, illuminating what little it could with its pale glow. A fire crackled outside the gates, and two spears were sticking up from the ground. A small black banner reading "Kyoda" in golden characters fluttered with the winds of night. Crickets chirped from the nearby woodlands and two men clad in black Kozakuran armor sat by the campfire, eating their dinner.

"Hey, Jotaro," said one samurai knight to his companion, munching on his riceball. "You hear about what's going on in the encampment?"

"No, Noboru, I'm sure they're fine." Jotaro was grim and burly, his weathered face bearing many scars. He was about fourty years old, a certain survivor of the siege seventeen years ago. Noboru was much younger, mayhaps by ten years. The carefree expression of the youth was in his face, though Jotaro was certain he was as capable as he was reputed to be.

"See, here." Noboru held out a piece of paper and handed it to his fellow samurai. Jotaro took it and held it by the fire, trying to read it. He looked up at Noboru.

"Is this true?" Jotaro swallowed some rice. "The young master wants us there?"

Noboru shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. Maybe he got lonely or something." He took another bite of the rice and wiped it on his cloth belt.

"Hey, don't do that! Impolite boy." Jotaro grumbled and finished the rest of his dinner. "You kids today lack manners. I should teach you some respect!"

Noboru swallowed his rice and laughed. "Relax, old timer. It's just us here, no one cares."

"The Spirits of the World are watching us always, boy," said Jotaro warningly. "Never forget that we must always present ourselves accordingly."

Noboru stood up and finished the rest of his rice, retrieving his spear from the ground. "Save me the sermon, I'll forget. We've got to continue our vigil."

Jotaro growled and muttered, standing and taking his own spear. "We need more samurai here. Not that I don't appreciate the help of those mercenaries here, but it'd be nice for someone to actually consider you respectfully!" Noboru chuckled.

"Calm down, I'm sorry. You gotta' watch your temper, Jotaro, or lord Kojiro will send you away at the first day."

"Mmm..." Jotaro tied on his helmet. "You watch your manners, or he'll make you sleep in the mud. I hear they have chickens that turn people to stone there. I hope it doesn't see you as bird seed, boy." Jotaro laughed. "Some western noble will see you in his art gallery."

Noboru shrugged. "I'm interested. Wonder what the west looks like. My aunt Emiko visited a place called Seimabya. She said it was a horrible place, that the west was filled by blackhearts. They hunt people with pointed ears and swear every moment they can. I wonder how our people fare there too."

"Nonsense!" said Jotaro. "My old friend, Iyoji, visited the west. He and Hoten, the old Ikeda monk, visited a place called Wataridifu. They called it the City of Splendors. There were good people, there were common ruffians. I'm sure the west is a glorious place, like Wataridifu."

"Heh, we'll be finding out soon, old sir." Noboru grinned and licked some rice off his fingers. "Nothing's impossible in this world, as my father once said. Let's hope that the west is what you said it is. I could use a little break."

[Brokenbone]

*intercepts henchmen with hard gold*

I mean, good story, I like!

"They hunt people with pointed ears and swear every moment they can."... yeah, that's more or less Sembia's slogan

[Valnir268]

good story dude, I enjoy reading them