Zen awakens to the sound of a closing door.
Quiet footsteps outside his room.
He has heard this sound before many times
His parents coming back from the village in the early morning
Hearing the sounds of his father unpacking
And his mother grabbing iron pots to prepare breakfast
A few minutes later, he hears his mother call his name.
"Zen, it's time to get up son"
In a calm loving voice
Which is something that always makes him smile
Not because of her words
But because he's already awake before she says it
As he opens his room door his father is sharpening a samurai sword.
His samurai sword from the old wars
Which has seen many battles
But now it's only use is to cut down chickens for dinner
Zen has rarely heard his father speak of the old wars
And what actually took place
His father only speaks of his blade as a curse
And how all curses have a purpose weather for good or evil
His father gives him the same look every morning
His eyes wide with a small smile from the corner of his mouth
Zen stumbles half awake to the table where his mother is sitting
Her eyes look different today.
She looks worried
But has the same loving smile she always has
"Zen, today at the village we saw imperial guards"
She says firmly
Her eyes grow even more worried
"Eat all of your breakfast before you start your chores today"
Zen noticing tension in her voice as he eats
He knows that the imperial guards are not a good thing
It means China has finally made its way across the East Sea/Dong Hai
Zen finishes all his food as his mother told him
And before he gets up from the table
His father says firmly
"Zen, come to the oak by the river when you finish your chores"
As his father walks out of the house and closes the front door behind him.
As Zen starts getting ready to go do his chores
He feels a shift in the wind
Like a new shadow has appeared in the distance
nevertheless, he has chores to do
A daily routine that consists of feeding the chickens and cuting fire wood for dinner
His mother also has chores
A daily routine of tending to the garden and crushing grain for his favorite food
Bread
Which he can smell from deep in the forest, no matter how far he has wondered
His father is usually tending to house repairs or checking animal traps
But not today
His mother was still in the house and his father was nowhere around
"He must be waiting for me by the river pass"
He thought to himself
Trying to think of what his father wanted to teach him
Zen hurried to finish his chores
Excited to learn what his father wants
He walked faster then normal through the forest path towards the river
Then Zen notices,
It's quiet in the forest today
Distracted by his excitement
he suddenly feels like someone or something is following him
Watching his movements
As he comes to the top of the path he sees movement behind a large fallen tree in the valley
He pretends not to notice
"Maybe its just a squirrel"
He says to himself and continues down the hill
Suddenly next to him
The brush moves and a figure rushes out
Zen stumbles off the path and falls into a jaggerbush
"Haaa Ha Ha"
Laughter echoes through the valley
Its Himari
His friend from the village
She was laughing so hard she fell on the path
"I got you sooo good"
Himari cries out in-between laughter
"I hate when you do that"
Zen says as he carefully climbs out of the jaggerbush
"Where you going"
Himari asks snickering
"My father is waiting for me by the river pass"
Zen replied
"Can I come?"
Himari says playfully
"No.."
Zen says awkwardly.
" I think something happened in the village today"
Himari answered quickly
"There are a bunch of Imperial soldiers walking around"
Zen hesitated as he noticed Himari holding her arm the way she always did when she was nervous
"What do you think they want?"
Zen asked
"I don't know, but it can't be good"
Himari said nervously
They continued walking into the woods towards the river talking about the unusual situation brewing in the village
"They're not really doing anything.. .
Just kind of walking around"
Himari says calmly
"Maybe they're looking for new traders..
Or maybe opening more stores!"
Zen says confidently
"Yea... Maybe!"
Himari replies as if convincing each other, it's not as bad as they think it is
But they both knew that nothing good is going to come of this
Change is coming
"What do the soldiers look like"
Zen says curiously
He has never seen a soldier before
Let alone imperial guards
"I don't know.. ."
Himari hesitates looking confused and then continues
"There are different ones.
Some soldiers have uniforms and others kinda look like your father.."
Himari looks at Zen
"There's one guard that is very big, like a giant!"
She says with a shocked look and her arms high above her head trying to reach the guards height
"He wears shiny armor all over,
And his helmet has a falcon carved into it..
He looks real important!"
Himari says smiling confidently
Up ahead soon the woods path spits
One to the river pass and one to the village
Zen slowed his pace and asked
"I wonder what my father wants?"
Himari looks into the distance as if she could see his father from there
"Maybe he'll finally, teach you what he says to the chicken before he beheads them without even moving an inch?..."
Zen smiles
Then replies
"It is weird when he does that"
"Yea, it's like magic.."
Whispers himari
still staring into the distance
Then suddenly dashes off the path towards the village
"Byeeee"
She says in a high pitched rhythm like she always does
And disappears through the brush
"And its always weird when YOU do that"
Zen says loudly to make sure she hears it as he walks towards the river
Zen couldn't stop thinking about a 'Gaint shiny imperial guard walking around the village
He wondered if he was really a gaint
His heart raced with curiosity
Almost forgetting why he was even going to the river pass
He hears the rapids of the water rushing through the valley
Carefully navigating down the narrow path
The same way as he has so many times before
As if he knows each rock by name
Each step perfectly worn as if it was made for his foot
Getting closer to the bottom of the path
As the river starts to straighten and calm down
Zen remembering his father's words
"Never walk along the shore,
Stay on high ground"
Zen climbs across back into the tree line
"Follow the deer and fox holes through the thicket"
Zen thinks to himself
'Its easier on the shore line'
But he didn't want his father to see his laziness
So Zen slowly moved through the brush
Making sure to stay on high ground
Zen sees his father in the distance sitting next to a large oak tree
Sitting halfway up on the ridge with a good hidden view of the river pass
His father's favorite place
"It's where the water spirits clash,
'Rage and Calm,
Everything needs balance"
His father would say
As zen silently approaches the backside of the large oak tree
His father speaks
"You know your mother and I,
'Love you very much"
Zen stayed still in shock
Not because somehow his father knew he was there
But because his father never speaks this way
It was something his mother would say
Zen stands up and walks around the tree to where is father is sitting
He stares at his father for a couple seconds
His father looking at the fading rage in the river
Zen sits next to his father for several minutes
Not knowing what to say
Then awkwardly blurts out
"I heard there is a Giant in the village"
His father just looks further up the hill into the raging water
An awkward silence
And then his father says
"The Imperial design is not of peace"
His father pauses
"It demands control and obedience"
Zen is now also looking at the Rage of the river rushing down the hill
Trying to understand his father's words
Zen's father looks at his sword
"Like, a curse..."
He mutters softly
Then his father says a name firmly
"Tan Zheng...."
Zen looks at his father confused
"The Gaint you speak of"
His father looks at Zen
"His name is 'General Tan Zheng"
He says familiarly
Zen's thoughts are rushing
'Does my father know a Giant?
'Does he know why the soldiers are here?
Zen can barely hold his tongue from speaking abruptly
"He leaves nothing but dust and ashe in his trail"
His father says calmly staring back at the raging water
Zen suddenly feels confused and overwhelmed
His father's calm was unsettling
Zen noticed his father's grip on his hilt was tight
Then his grip starts to slightly loosen
His father turns his head to look at the calm water by the river pass
"Tan Zheng has hired other Ronin samurai.."
His father watches the wind push a leaf across the calm water towards the shore
"Zen,
I was hoping you would be older when this day came,
You are strong and patient just like..."
Zens father pauses and takes a deep breath
He closes his eyes and lifts his head towards the clouds passing in front of the sun
A calm warm breeze blows through the tree tops
He opens his eyes and looks at Zen
"Remember what you have learned,
Stay patient and only show strength when it is needed"
Zen looks at his father with concern and sees the smile in the corner of his mouth
The one he gives him every morning
Zen suddenly starts feeling calm
Not because of his father's smile
But because he can smell his mother's bread on the wind
"Come, let's see what your mother has cooked today"
Zen starts to stand up and notices his father still smiling as he adjusts his sword to his side dressing
"Himari,
You should get back to the village before your parents start to worry"
Zens father says loudly
A bush shakes suddenly in the near distance
Himari pops out from behind a tree with a surprised look on her face
Zen smirks and lets out a small laugh
Himari locks eyes with Zen
Her look saying everything without words
'How did he know I was here
Himari lets out a high pitched rhythm
"Byeeee"
And disappears behind a tree
His father begins walking up the hill towards the path home
Zen follows
"She got here 30 minutes before you did"
His father says teasingly
Zen thought to himself
'As if it where a race or something'
Zens father was very competitive
He would treat even small tasks as an unsaid competition
His father would say
'The dance between darkness and light will always remain'
Or
'Even the beginning and end,
Fight for the present'
Back on the main path
Zen can't help but wonder how his father knows General Tan Zheng
And something Himari and his father said
'There where soldiers who looked like your father'
'General Zheng hired other ronin samurai'
Zen wondered to himself
'Is my father a Ronin samurai?'
After all his father didn't look like the other villagers
Zen thought
'He dressed different,
'Even walked different
'And he's the only one that carries a sword that he never lets out of reach
"I want you to stay away from the village"
His father says with a concerned voice
Zen hesitates
"I.. I understand"
His father's words worried and confused Zen
His father has never said that before
And Zen wanted badly to see the soldiers in the village with his own eyes
The smell of his mother's bread was thicker then usual through the woods it seemed that day
Zen was anxious to get home now
His stomach growling
He could see smoke from the woods line coming out the brick oven his father made
Which was situated on the edge of the garden away from his house by the woods
As zen walked between the garden and the chicken huts that lead to his front door
His mother suddenly opens the door and runs out towards the oven
A moment later she cries out
"Nooo... "
With a silent sob
"I can't believe I forgot about the bread"
Her hands at her side
Fists clenched
"I can't believe it"
She says again
Zen is concerned now
A cold chill ran on his neck
His mother never got that upset over burnt bread
She would usually just smile
Shake her head and make no deal of it
But today tension was high with the news of soldiers in the village
'Maybe she's just worried because of the soldiers
Zen thought
Trying to make sense of everything
Zen walked to the well by the side of the house behind the chicken huts
Washed his hands and went into the house
His mother and father already at the table in the middle of the room
Zen noticed more food on the table then usual
He wondered
'Are we having guests
"I made alot Zen"
His mother said smiling
"So eat up"
Zen was more then happy to fill his plate
His mother's cooking was something he looked forward to everyday
Zen ate
His parents talking amongst themselves as they usually do
Zen finished eating and went to his room
Exhausted from all the excitement today
He lays on his bed
His thoughts racing about giants, soldiers, ronin samurai and the village
His eyes begin to get heavy
Shadows start dancing on the walls as Zen starts falling asleep
The last thing he heard was his room door closing and his mother's words
"Goodnight my son.
Sweet dreams, I love you"
Zen falls asleep