Read Online Young Samurai: The Way of Fire (short story) by Chris Bradford - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Bradford
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the
unagi
,’ suggested Saburo, a slightly rotund, plain-looking boy with a chubby face made even chubbier by a mouthful of food.
Jack looked doubtfully across the table at his friend, whose thick black eyebrows bounced up and down in unison with his enthusiastic chewing of a grey stringy lump of eel’s liver. It didn’t look particularly appetizing, thought Jack, but he could remember the first time he’d been faced with
sushi
. The thought of uncooked fish had almost turned his stomach over, whereas now he relished the soft, succulent flesh of tuna, mackerel and salmon. Eel’s liver, though, was another matter.
‘It’s good for your health,’ Akiko reassured him, spooning some rice into her bowl, but avoiding the eel herself.
Jack tentatively picked up a grey lump and lowered it into his mouth. When he bit into the liver, he almost gagged at the intensity of the flavour. It was as if a thousand wriggling eels had exploded on his tongue.
He forced a grimace of a smile for Akiko’s benefit and kept chewing. The eel’s liver had
better
be good for his health, he thought.
‘So who’s going to enter for the Circle of Three?’ Saburo blurted between mouthfuls, expressing what was clearly on everyone’s minds.
‘Not me!’ replied Kiku. ‘I heard a student died last time.’
Beside her, Yori, a small mouse-like boy, gave a wide-eyed look of dread and shook his head vigorously in response to Saburo’s question.
‘That’s just a rumour spread by the sensei to scare us,’ reassured Akiko, giving Yori an encouraging smile.
‘No, it’s not. My father’s expressly forbidden me from entering,’ said Kiku. ‘He told me it’s needlessly dangerous.’
‘But what exactly
is
the Circle?’ asked Jack.
‘The Circle of Three,’ explained Akiko, putting down her
hashi
, ‘are the three highest peaks in the Iga mountain range where trainee samurai face the three challenges of Mind, Body and Spirit.’
‘So what are the challenges?’
Akiko shook her head apologetically. ‘I don’t know. They’re kept a secret.’
‘Whatever they are,’ said Yamato, ‘my father will be expecting
me
to enter, so I guess I’ll find out first hand. What about you, Saburo? Are you going to enter?’
‘I’m considering it,’ replied Saburo, swallowing down another piece of
unagi
.
‘That means no. Obviously, you’re too scared! How about you, Jack?’
Jack thought for a moment as Saburo sat open-mouthed, uncertain whether to protest or not. ‘I don’t know. Is it worth the risk? I know it leads to the Two Heavens, but I’m still not sure what the Two Heavens actually is.’
‘Jack, you’ve seen the Two Heavens,’ stated Akiko.
Jack gave her a perplexed look. ‘When?’
‘On the beach in Toba. Remember how Masamoto-sama fought against the samurai Godai? He used both the
katana
and the
wakizashi
, rather than just his
katana
sword. That is the Two Heavens. The technique is extremely difficult to master, but when you do, you are virtually invincible.’
‘My father fought over sixty duels while on his warrior pilgrimage,’ announced Yamato proudly. ‘Not once was he defeated.’
Jack’s mind began to race.
He’d been made aware that he needed to become a better swordsman. By succeeding in the Circle of Three, he would be given the opportunity to be taught by both Sensei Hosokawa
and
Masamoto. Not only that, he would learn how to use
two
swords. The idea filled him with hope. For if he could master the Two Heavens, then he would be invincible like Masamoto. No longer would he need to fear the return of Dragon Eye.
‘Are all students who conquer the Circle taught the technique of Two Heavens?’ asked Jack.
‘Yes, of course,’ replied Akiko.
Jack smiled. Surely the Circle of Three was the solution to his predicament.
‘Then I will enter.’
Why should your eyes have all the fun?
Give your ears a treat and hear your favourite classics come to life!
Go to the Puffin Podcast on the
unagi
,’ suggested Saburo, a slightly rotund, plain-looking boy with a chubby face made even chubbier by a mouthful of food.
Jack looked doubtfully across the table at his friend, whose thick black eyebrows bounced up and down in unison with his enthusiastic chewing of a grey stringy lump of eel’s liver. It didn’t look particularly appetizing, thought Jack, but he could remember the first time he’d been faced with
sushi
. The thought of uncooked fish had almost turned his stomach over, whereas now he relished the soft, succulent flesh of tuna, mackerel and salmon. Eel’s liver, though, was another matter.
‘It’s good for your health,’ Akiko reassured him, spooning some rice into her bowl, but avoiding the eel herself.
Jack tentatively picked up a grey lump and lowered it into his mouth. When he bit into the liver, he almost gagged at the intensity of the flavour. It was as if a thousand wriggling eels had exploded on his tongue.
He forced a grimace of a smile for Akiko’s benefit and kept chewing. The eel’s liver had
better
be good for his health, he thought.
‘So who’s going to enter for the Circle of Three?’ Saburo blurted between mouthfuls, expressing what was clearly on everyone’s minds.
‘Not me!’ replied Kiku. ‘I heard a student died last time.’
Beside her, Yori, a small mouse-like boy, gave a wide-eyed look of dread and shook his head vigorously in response to Saburo’s question.
‘That’s just a rumour spread by the sensei to scare us,’ reassured Akiko, giving Yori an encouraging smile.
‘No, it’s not. My father’s expressly forbidden me from entering,’ said Kiku. ‘He told me it’s needlessly dangerous.’
‘But what exactly
is
the Circle?’ asked Jack.
‘The Circle of Three,’ explained Akiko, putting down her
hashi
, ‘are the three highest peaks in the Iga mountain range where trainee samurai face the three challenges of Mind, Body and Spirit.’
‘So what are the challenges?’
Akiko shook her head apologetically. ‘I don’t know. They’re kept a secret.’
‘Whatever they are,’ said Yamato, ‘my father will be expecting
me
to enter, so I guess I’ll find out first hand. What about you, Saburo? Are you going to enter?’
‘I’m considering it,’ replied Saburo, swallowing down another piece of
unagi
.
‘That means no. Obviously, you’re too scared! How about you, Jack?’
Jack thought for a moment as Saburo sat open-mouthed, uncertain whether to protest or not. ‘I don’t know. Is it worth the risk? I know it leads to the Two Heavens, but I’m still not sure what the Two Heavens actually is.’
‘Jack, you’ve seen the Two Heavens,’ stated Akiko.
Jack gave her a perplexed look. ‘When?’
‘On the beach in Toba. Remember how Masamoto-sama fought against the samurai Godai? He used both the
katana
and the
wakizashi
, rather than just his
katana
sword. That is the Two Heavens. The technique is extremely difficult to master, but when you do, you are virtually invincible.’
‘My father fought over sixty duels while on his warrior pilgrimage,’ announced Yamato proudly. ‘Not once was he defeated.’
Jack’s mind began to race.
He’d been made aware that he needed to become a better swordsman. By succeeding in the Circle of Three, he would be given the opportunity to be taught by both Sensei Hosokawa
and
Masamoto. Not only that, he would learn how to use
two
swords. The idea filled him with hope. For if he could master the Two Heavens, then he would be invincible like Masamoto. No longer would he need to fear the return of Dragon Eye.
‘Are all students who conquer the Circle taught the technique of Two Heavens?’ asked Jack.
‘Yes, of course,’ replied Akiko.
Jack smiled. Surely the Circle of Three was the solution to his predicament.
‘Then I will enter.’
Why should your eyes have all the fun?
Give your ears a treat and hear your favourite classics come to life!
Go to the Puffin Podcast on the
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