Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Prologue
Legend of Sword Master Jako Suka
Prologue

As Jako carried the bucket of water to the cottage, he listened to the melody his mother sang while making the morning meal. When he walked in, the scent of bacon and eggs filled his mind. Father was already sitting at the table with Susy, his sister, talking about the festival going on in town. She had been at it for a week now, but father kept saying that there was to much work to do to get ready for harvest. As Jako finished with the water, he was surprised to see Susy running to her room. “I guess it won’t hurt to go for one day.” said father as mother gave him a plate of eggs. Mother threw her arms around him, gave a passionate kiss, and cheerfully exclaimed,” I will finally get to sing at the dance!”
Breakfast went by with everyone saying what they wanted to do. Father was going to talk with Bill. Mother was talking about the songs she wanted to sing for the dance. And Susy wanted to see Nate. After they had finished, Susy went to milk the cow, his mother and father went to gather supplies for the 20 mile trip to town. This left Jako to do all the chores. Jako was glad when Susy came and helped him feed the animals. With her help Jako was done in a little over an hour. When they got back to the house father was just getting done hitching up the wagon.
The town of Carlton was little bigger than a large village. The houses were all single story brick or log buildings. Although it was small, Carlton was bristling with people making preparations for the festival ahead. Jako was a little disappointed that they couldn’t stay for the games">games">games">games">games">games">games">games and contests that would come tomorrow, but was happy that they would at least be able to stay for the dance. As they passed the town square, Jako saw the stage. It was just a small wooden platform, big enough for the performers but not much more. People were making banners and decorative posters to gather people to their booths. Jako was surprised to see that the games">games">games">games">games">games">games">games booth was already open. The line of children discouraged Jako from going straight to the booth. They continued until they saw the shopkeeper. “Hi Bill.” Jakos’ father said.
“Hallo Tam. You look lovely today Amelia.” Bill said in greeting to Jakos’ parents. “How is the Farm doing?”
“The farm is doing just fine.” Tam said, “How is your family?”
As his parents talked, Jako found a shady tree to rest under so he could save energy for the night. In the shade Jako fell asleep. Later he found his mother talking with some performers. She was asking them if she could sing at the dance. The skeptical look they gave her was making her face red. Jako never saw his mother mad before, so he stayed and watched.
“You think I can’t sing! Is that why you won’t let me try. At least give me the chance to show you how I can sing!” With that Amelia began Heron on the Lake. It wasn’t long before she had a crowd of listeners gathered around her. When she finished, the crowd hoot and hollered, asking for an encore. With that she left. Not even bothering to ask if she could perform. The entertainers were left standing in a crowd of spectators.
There was a shout that made Jako turn to see what happened. He saw Susy storming down the street with Nate Goodson pleading for her to let him explain. Jako had known this would happen. Susy caught Nate kissing that Kennedy girl again. Since Jako didn’t want Susy to take her anger out on him, he went to find his father. Tam was drinking with Bill over by the saloon, so Jako decided to play the games">games">games">games">games">games">games">games until it was time for the dance.
Before the dance started, there was a speech given by an old, fat inn keeper the town called Mayor. It was as boring as any Jako had ever had the misfortune to hear. Jako was in mid yawn when the Mayor gave way to fancy dressed man that Jako new instantly was a lord. He shut his mouth and stared intensely at the man his father said was stealing the money of hard working men and women. It made Jako mad when the lord said that the people were going to have a 5% increase on taxes.
As the night went on Jako’s mother sang songs that made every soul in the square tap a foot. But Jako didn’t pay much attention to the dance. He was transfixed on the lord. The look he was giving Amelia was making Jako nervous. It was the look of a starving man. Jako couldn’t understand why, but that look was a red flag in his mind. Every muscle in Jakos’ body was tense. A thought came to Jako to watch this lord.
When his mother was done singing Jako saw the lord follow her into a side street, Jako followed. As he got to the entrance of the street he heard a muffled scream. Running Jako grabbed a spade from an open tool shed. He didn’t know he was doing but he was scared if he did nothing his mother would be hurt. The only thing that mattered was to stop the lord from hurting her. Jako forced himself to run faster.
It all happened so fast. Jako found the lord on his mother. Rage took control of him. With all of his strength Jako broke the shaft of the spade over the lords’ head. The lord crumbled like a doll to the ground. Amelia crawled out from under him, dress ripped and face ashen. She looked straight at her young child and said, “God help us Jako, you don’t know what you just did.”
Then her eyes widened as she saw the lords bodyguards coming to see what happened. Amelia grabbed Jakos arm and took off running. They got to the saloon and told Tam what happened. “We can’t stay here.” Tam said. “Go get your sister! We are leaving! Now boy, get Going!” Jako ran.
Jako found Susy kissing Nate behind the stables. “Dad says it’s time to go home Susy. There is a problem.” Jako said as he wiped tears from his eyes. Without taking his attention away from Susy, Nate kicked Jako toward the door. “Go bug someone else for a change!” Jako felt his fear turn into anger at Nate. In one quick motion Jako ran at Nate, using his momentum to hit Nate as hard as he could square in the chest. Grabbing Susy by the arm Jako yelled at her, “Let’s go!” As they ran back to the wagon Jako filled Susy in on what happened between their mother and the lord.
“Mother! Oh mother, He didn’t hurt you did he?” As Amelia gently hugged Susy, she told her to stop crying.
“We have to get going,” Father said in a disturbingly frightened voice. “The lord is probably a wake by now. If his guards come looking for us. I’d prefer it if we were long gone.” He said the last while he hastily packed supplies in the wagon. The whole time he looked for someone to attack from the shadows.
They spent the trip back looking for signs of pursuit. Jako thought they must look like fawns being led to the slaughter by a pack of blood thirsty wolves. More then once on the ride home they thought their was someone right behind them. Relief flooded into them in waves as they made it home. When they got inside Tam closed the shutters and locked the doors. Before they left Carlton, they had heard the lords’ guards asking questions about Amelia. There was no question that the guards would come. The question was what would happen when they did.
“Susy, I want you and your brother to go hide in the woods. Take some supplies with you. Stay there until ether your mother or I come and get you. Do as I say.” Susy just looked at him.
“No we will stay and help you and moth-“ that was all she got to say before Tams hand slapped her hard against the face.
“Do as I say child. Go!” With that he took the bundles from mothers’ hands and shoved them into Susy’s hands. “Don’t you come back until one of us gets you! I mean it girl! Don’t you dare!” she finally nodded. She then went to get Jako. Holding on to his mothers skirts and cried when she gave him to Susy. “You did all you can to help Jako. Now go and find a safe hiding place. Just remember, your father and I love you and Susy.”
Susy dragged Jako into the woods as he tried to brake free. It was almost dawn when they saw the light. There was no mistaking their home on fire. While Susy was distracted by the smoke and light, Jako ran for the house. I don’t care if I’m too small. I can still help. They can’t expect me to stand back.
When Jako entered the clearing near his home, he stopped dead. His fathers’ body lay not a yard from him. In the center of his chest was the object used to kill him. A dagger. He was so transfixed on the body that Jako didn’t see the mounted man coming at him with lance leveled for his heart. When Jako saw the man he new it was to late to run. He was going to die. That was the lone thought in his mind.
“Nooo!” Susy shouted from behind as ran in front of Jako. The lance made a sickening sound as it pierced her chest. The lance broke in half, spinning her body as the man rode past. Stunned Jako went to help his sister, but she pushed him away as she coughed up blood. “Run Jako! You can’t help us now, father is dead, and I’m dying. God only knows what they are doing to mother. Go find a place to hide. You can’t save us. But you can live. Go!!”
Jako sat there crying. His world was crumbling down around him. As the man came back, he got off his horse; reaching back he pulled out a Knife">Knife">Knife">Knife">Knife">Knife">Knife">knife. Susy was having trouble breathing, but as she saw him coming, she screamed. “Run!!! Run dam you! Run, Now!!”
With a jolt Jako saw the man. This man. This monster has taken everything from me. There is no way he is going to leave here alive. With his mind made up young Jako reached for the dagger in his fathers’ chest. With wild abandon Jako threw himself at the man of his hatred.
The man barley had time to flinch before 14 inches of cold vengeance rammed into his chest. Even while the man fell Jako repeatedly stabBed">Bed">Bed">Bed">Bed">Bed">Bed">bed his chest again and again until he saw for more of them coming. His first thought was to charge head long into them. But his sister’s last words kept repeating themselves in his head.
Finally taking his sisters advice Jako ran. He managed to dive into a fox den before the men came past him. He remained hidden their while the men went back to the clearing. He was their all day. That night Jako heard the screams of his mother as those monsters tortured her. He could hear laughing coming from the men when his mother caught her breath. Jako wanted nothing more then to go back their and kill every last one of those monsters, but stayed in his hiding place at fear of what he would see.
Jako thought there was nothing worse then the sound of his mother screaming. He learned he was wrong when shortly after dawn, halfway in mid scream she suddenly stopped. But as Jako began to emerge from his hole there came a taunting voice. “I know you are out there little boy. I have had my fun this night. But I will have a great deal more before I am through. Your family isn’t the first. And it won’t be the last. There is nothing you can do to stop me. We will meet again.”
When Jako went back, there was nothing left to do but dig graves for the dead. But on their graves Jako vowed, “I will become stronger so that one day I can stop evil from harming innocent people. But I vow if it means my life I will kill every man that took a part in your murders.” With that Jako set off to find his future. But knowing it will be guided by the trauma of his past.
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