At first light the General woke up early to find the girl missing. He quickly got up, all the while worrying that she could have slipped from him and got eaten by a demon only to find her in a clearing twenty meters west of the lake doing the weirdest things ever. She was moving her whole body in perfect synchrony.


She was moving her small body like master martial artist, which she happened to do completely aware of it. The general asked her what she was doing. She answered that she was imitating the moves the soldiers did the night before.


The General recalled the brawls that occurred the previous night. The face-offs were meant to entertain the soldiers and to keep their physical health in check. Looking back, the General noticed how absorbed the little girl was of the scene in front of her. She concentrated at the soldiers' movements as if she were told to memorize it to be tested later on it.


The General was impressed with the intensity of her focus, frightened even, though in his mind he brushed off her purposeful observation to nothing to nothing more than her fascination in seeing her first play-fight. It never crossed his mind that not only did she commit the details of the fights to her memory; she was actually able to imitate those moves in utter perfection.


She further impressed him with basic swords man ship that she also saw the soldiers display, using a big stick as her sword and was performing amazingly. The weight of the stick however became too much for the little girl and she fell on her butt, turning from professional to childish in an instant.


The General could not help himself and started laughing; so hard that he was crouching from his aching stomach. The girl, bewildered by what happened stared at the General and upon seeing him laughing she started to laugh as well. They both continued for a while enjoying themselves until they heard the other soldiers getting ready to leave and they quickly got up to join them, smiling to each other the whole way.


On their way to the capital, the General told the little girl of her adoption and the girl beamed into such a big smile that all the eavesdropping soldiers started smiling too after they finally trusted her to not be a demon.


Later that day as everyone can see the great capital of the Xing kingdom from a distance the General remembered something important and he immediately called the girl's attention. When she answered him by using father, he completely lost focus and for some time forgot what he was about to say.


Shaking his head to clear his mind he remembered the topic of their discussion. The General asked the girl the name she would want hers to be, wondering silently if she can even remember names. He was watching as she pulled out a necklace from under her blue kimono exposing a golden chain around her neck and at the center of the chain was a tetrahedral structured gold pendant with a tiger carved on it. For some strange reason, the tiger carving seemed familiar but he could not put his finger on why. He turned his focus back to the girl as she wedged her fingers into a small gap on the pendant and managed to open it.


Inside was an equivalent to the exterior in beauty, another tiger encased in rubies that shine brightly in the sunlight. On the other half of the pendant was an engraving, the engraving was a name and under the name were writings that read, "The girl we all love so much." The little pointed to the name and asked if her name can be Karen because it was her name with her old family and that it has a beautiful meaning. She gazed at the General- her new father waiting for a response.


The General stared into her determined eyes for a long time, noting from everything he figured out about Karen is that she is from a high class, well educated family. He wished from the bottom of his heart that he can provide her with the same level of education and living for her, even though she would not be able to remember it. Fortunately for him, his wishes were answered.


He was instantly promoted to the Minister of Defense and after accepting her new name, Karen Edojawa she became a ninja trainee. Her devotion to her father made her become as devoted to the kingdom as him, and to fulfill her wishes he acquainted her with the secret society of the shinobi no mono.


There she was taught in various specialties such as martial arts, acting, disguise...etc. She was rigorously trained in all the arts. At the same time she was trying to complete her education with the best tutors in the entire kingdom while being a normal child.
Regrettably, the latter objective never came true since, like the soldiers, people thought she was a demon and would always run away from the sight of her. Disappointed and upset from her loneliness she decided to pour her whole being into her life as a ninja and its causes.


Her increased and new devotion to the ninjas she discovered that she really was different. Using that to her advantage she managed to complete all her ninja training by the age of eleven and became the youngest ninja in the kingdom.

"That girl is me."

I Karen Edojawa have been a full-fledged ninja for more than five years. My mission and my life's purpose is one: that is to protect the emperor at all costs.


There were many ninjas in the past, over one hundred of them: but due to the wars that commenced these last four years, they all fell one by one until only I was left. The only thing that kept me alive was that I was much different from my fellow colleagues.
Our mission was to ensure the safety of the young prince; Lord Aizen. The late emperor, his father died around a year ago from old age and illness. Even though he was my contemporary, Lord Aizen chose to take his father's position in ruling the kingdom with the desire to end the wars between the two kingdoms and to unite them into one.
Lord Aizen is an intelligent young man with chestnut-brown hair and sky- blue eyes. Like me he has something which makes him different from anyone else; he has the special ability to manipulate water.


An ability thrust upon him since birth and throughout the years he managed to control his power and manipulate water at will, turning it to ice and from there, into a variety of weapons.


Every day he would train next to the stream in the backyard of the palace with the desire to get stronger, while I watched him from the shadows...
That is how things work here, for even though I am obliged to protect the young master no matter what the cost may be, I have also been ordered by my superiors that the prince must not know of my existence and that, like a true ninja I should protect him from the shadows.


Ironically, I have always been comfortable in the shadows most probably due to my own ability. Similarly to Lord Aizen, I am different because I own the ability to monopolize shadows. I have the ability to create shadow clones; replicas of myself created from any shadow.


I can create an unlimited amount of them and they are real, their drawback is, with a single touch they vanish due to their superior volume. I can also replicate any object that casts a shadow as well as people. This gives me a great advantage against my opponents as I can kill them with their weapon.


Today was a normal day like any other, with Lord Aizen starting it off with sword training in the palace yard with his friend and training partner Takeshi. They were constantly clashing their swords into one another with no one sure of who would win. Nearer to the end of the duel it seemed as though Takeshi was gaining the upper hand by using the difference in height between him and Lord Aizen and using his greater physical strength.


Just as Takeshi attacked with the final blow, Lord Aizen who, very light in his feet, dodged Takeshi's assault by turning ninety degrees to the right. Aiming his sword to Takeshi's throat he won the duel and ended training for the day.


"You have improved quite a lot Takeshi; you were very close to overwhelming me. You were great!" Lord Aizen announced after they had both sat on the ground from exhaustion, wiping sweat from his forehead.


"Thank you milord, you were not so bad yourself but I was only being easy on you. Next time you should better watch out because I will not be as easy on you." Takeshi threatened mockingly.


"Is that so?"


"Yes sir."


Takeshi is an ordinary man compared to Lord Aizen. He is two years older than him and the exact opposite of Lord Aizen. While Lord Aizen has fair skin and light colored eyes and hair, Takeshi has dark skin with black eyes and hair.


Lord Aizen wears his hair at ear length, with two separate forelocks on his face above the ear; Takeshi pulls his hair back in a long braid that reaches his waist. Also while Lord Aizen lives the luxurious life as a prince Takeshi lives an austere life as a soldier in the army.


Despite their differences, the two boys are intimate friends since childhood; each trusting their life with the other without hesitation.


As they sat there laughing at their little joke, I was watching them from the trees trying to find the humor in the joke. I have lost all of my feelings during my training. I was told that feelings were rendered useless and would only obstruct me in completing my mission. Riding me of it was a must.


That is why protecting Lord Aizen is my top priority and the most important thing in my life. I live, eat and breathe to protect Lord Aizen; for he is the only reason I keep living for.


This is how our story begins:

After Lord Aizen and Takeshi have rested under the trees' shade, a servant was sent to inform Lord Aizen of his summoning to the Grand Hall.


As the boys parted their separate ways, Lord Aizen advanced to the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall is, in fact a conference room. All the ministers and generals of the kingdom meet in the Grand Hall to discuss issues concerning. With me tailing him in complete silence, the prince stood in front of the large and thick mahogany doors, seeming to be slightly tense.


When he pushed the doors; it revealed a wide and spacious room with sleek, shiny dark brown wood on the panels and dark crimson tatami mats covering the entire flooring. In the center of the room, over nineteen cushions of exotic colors are placed in a rectangle, with nine cushions placed precisely one meter away from each other and another nine cushions were placed in the exact same order, two meters away from the first set. At one end where the two sets meet, a single cushion sits at the emperor's spot.
Occupying one of the cushions was the man who summoned the young prince; watching him with troubled eyes, filled with sorrow.


Seeing the man's eyes Lord Aizen wished to ask him about his troubles. But evoking his manners he stopped himself abruptly and decided that it would be best to ask him later. Still on his feet, Lord Aizen bowed to the man, who was surprised by the young prince's overly respect to him.


He quickly rose to his feet and bowed, apologizing for his rudeness and asked for his forgiveness. Lord Aizen replied disapprovingly, "General you really did not need to stand up. I am afraid that you will hurt your back or worse."


Now the last part is not very true, for the General is only in his late forties. He retained his nickname "General" because of his famous reputation in serving as a general in the Xingese army; winning many battles and contributed in the expansion of the Xing kingdom. For that he is one of the respected men ever to live.


"Now, now milord you know that is not true," he pointed out, "but there is an important matter I wish to discuss with you about."


"Then let us hear it." Said Lord Aizen, the General resuming his former position and Lord Aizen sitting across from him.    


The General cleared his throat, took a deep breath and spoke in a grave tone. "As you are completely aware of milord that the wars are rapidly increasing. In number and difficulty, the bodies our men piling up." He looked up to see if Lord Aizen was following him. He was, with a serious and calculating expression to replace his happier and carefree look that he wore earlier.


The General continued on. "Our enemies, the Zing kingdom are getting stronger by the day. At some point they will overpower us! Milord, I beseech you! Now is the time!"
Lord Aizen nodded, understanding where the conversation is going to. "Milord I beg of you. Now is the time to search for the Xing warriors."


According to the legend, when the times in the kingdom became rough, a group of six warriors with extraordinary powers will appear to save the kingdom from the Zing kingdom. In the legend it was also mentioned that the warriors will fight against the Zing warriors; whom like the Xing warriors have the ability to harness powers beyond the human mind. They will fight in a glorious battle that will not only determine the fate of the two kingdoms, but the fate of the whole continent.


"You have been training hard for many years up till this very day for this task, but I can understand milord if you are somewhat hesitant about this." Proceeded the General without giving Lord Aizen a chance to answer. "I shall send my finest men to the task and then we –"  


"No."


"No milord?"


Lord Aizen placed his right hand above his heart and spoke with such compassion that both the General and I were taken aback. "This is my task and my task alone. Searching and persuading the Xing warriors is my responsibility, not only as a prince wanting to protect his people but as a Xing warrior wanting to do the right thing."


Despite his astonishment the General answered Lord Aizen calmly, with a hint of satisfaction. "I am pleased milord to hear that you have accepted this task. All the same however, I will send my strongest men with you. For this task is filled with dangers, especially from the Xing warriors, milord and you need protection.


Lord Aizen bowed in apology. "With all due respect General, I believe that I should go alone." The General opened his mouth to protest but Lord Aizen would not allow it. "Listen carefully. If I am accompanied by soldiers the warriors will feel intimidated and who knows what could happen." He then launched into details the possibilities of how the warriors will act once intimidated to aid his point of view.


In the beginning the General's face was blotching red with anger at the objection from Lord Aizen. While listening to his reasoning his face was turning back to normal and Lord Aizen added for his benefit, "If you insist that I should be escorted by one of your men, then I choose Takeshi. He is one of the elite soldiers in the army and he is my best friend and I can easily trust my life with him. That is my final word." Firmly ending the discussion.


"As you wish your majesty," confirmed the General as the bowed to each other and stood up, "Shall I send a servant to inform Takeshi of your journey?"


"No bother. I shall go to town and inform Takeshi myself."


The General laughed at the remark, "You always try to find an excuse to leave the palace do you not Aizen?"


"How can I not General!" Answered Lord Aizen, who was laughing sheepishly at being caught with his hands red. He then bowed and took his leave.


I stood there for a while following the conversation digesting what I have just heard. Well, I thought there is no use for him to try change Lord Aizen's mind. He seems set on it.


Turning to the door, I better follow Lord Aizen and guard him; you do not know what could happen or who could be spying on him.


I had not taken a step when I heard the General call out. "Karen, I wish to speak to you. Come on out." He spoke softly as if he thought–no– knew I was in the room.


In the blink of an eye I came out I came out of my hiding spot and appeared before the General, kneeling on one knee.


"Yes sir, you summoned me?"

After Lord Aizen and Takeshi have rested under the trees' shade, a servant was sent to inform Lord Aizen of his summoning to the Grand Hall.


As the boys parted their separate ways, Lord Aizen advanced to the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall is, in fact a conference room. All the ministers and generals of the kingdom meet in the Grand Hall to discuss issues concerning. With me tailing him in complete silence, the prince stood in front of the large and thick mahogany doors, seeming to be slightly tense.


When he pushed the doors; it revealed a wide and spacious room with sleek, shiny dark brown wood on the panels and dark crimson tatami mats covering the entire flooring. In the center of the room, over nineteen cushions of exotic colors are placed in a rectangle, with nine cushions placed precisely one meter away from each other and another nine cushions were placed in the exact same order, two meters away from the first set. At one end where the two sets meet, a single cushion sits at the emperor's spot.
Occupying one of the cushions was the man who summoned the young prince; watching him with troubled eyes, filled with sorrow.


Seeing the man's eyes Lord Aizen wished to ask him about his troubles. But evoking his manners he stopped himself abruptly and decided that it would be best to ask him later. Still on his feet, Lord Aizen bowed to the man, who was surprised by the young prince's overly respect to him.


He quickly rose to his feet and bowed, apologizing for his rudeness and asked for his forgiveness. Lord Aizen replied disapprovingly, "General you really did not need to stand up. I am afraid that you will hurt your back or worse."


Now the last part is not very true, for the General is only in his late forties. He retained his nickname "General" because of his famous reputation in serving as a general in the Xingese army; winning many battles and contributed in the expansion of the Xing kingdom. For that he is one of the respected men ever to live.


"Now, now milord you know that is not true," he pointed out, "but there is an important matter I wish to discuss with you about."


"Then let us hear it." Said Lord Aizen, the General resuming his former position and Lord Aizen sitting across from him.    


The General cleared his throat, took a deep breath and spoke in a grave tone. "As you are completely aware of milord that the wars are rapidly increasing. In number and difficulty, the bodies our men piling up." He looked up to see if Lord Aizen was following him. He was, with a serious and calculating expression to replace his happier and carefree look that he wore earlier.


The General continued on. "Our enemies, the Zing kingdom are getting stronger by the day. At some point they will overpower us! Milord, I beseech you! Now is the time!"
Lord Aizen nodded, understanding where the conversation is going to. "Milord I beg of you. Now is the time to search for the Xing warriors."


According to the legend, when the times in the kingdom became rough, a group of six warriors with extraordinary powers will appear to save the kingdom from the Zing kingdom. In the legend it was also mentioned that the warriors will fight against the Zing warriors; whom like the Xing warriors have the ability to harness powers beyond the human mind. They will fight in a glorious battle that will not only determine the fate of the two kingdoms, but the fate of the whole continent.


"You have been training hard for many years up till this very day for this task, but I can understand milord if you are somewhat hesitant about this." Proceeded the General without giving Lord Aizen a chance to answer. "I shall send my finest men to the task and then we –"  


"No."


"No milord?"


Lord Aizen placed his right hand above his heart and spoke with such compassion that both the General and I were taken aback. "This is my task and my task alone. Searching and persuading the Xing warriors is my responsibility, not only as a prince wanting to protect his people but as a Xing warrior wanting to do the right thing."


Despite his astonishment the General answered Lord Aizen calmly, with a hint of satisfaction. "I am pleased milord to hear that you have accepted this task. All the same however, I will send my strongest men with you. For this task is filled with dangers, especially from the Xing warriors, milord and you need protection.


Lord Aizen bowed in apology. "With all due respect General, I believe that I should go alone." The General opened his mouth to protest but Lord Aizen would not allow it. "Listen carefully. If I am accompanied by soldiers the warriors will feel intimidated and who knows what could happen." He then launched into details the possibilities of how the warriors will act once intimidated to aid his point of view.


In the beginning the General's face was blotching red with anger at the objection from Lord Aizen. While listening to his reasoning his face was turning back to normal and Lord Aizen added for his benefit, "If you insist that I should be escorted by one of your men, then I choose Takeshi. He is one of the elite soldiers in the army and he is my best friend and I can easily trust my life with him. That is my final word." Firmly ending the discussion.


"As you wish your majesty," confirmed the General as the bowed to each other and stood up, "Shall I send a servant to inform Takeshi of your journey?"


"No bother. I shall go to town and inform Takeshi myself."


The General laughed at the remark, "You always try to find an excuse to leave the palace do you not Aizen?"


"How can I not General!" Answered Lord Aizen, who was laughing sheepishly at being caught with his hands red. He then bowed and took his leave.


I stood there for a while following the conversation digesting what I have just heard. Well, I thought there is no use for him to try change Lord Aizen's mind. He seems set on it.


Turning to the door, I better follow Lord Aizen and guard him; you do not know what could happen or who could be spying on him.


I had not taken a step when I heard the General call out. "Karen, I wish to speak to you. Come on out." He spoke softly as if he thought–no– knew I was in the room.


In the blink of an eye I came out I came out of my hiding spot and appeared before the General, kneeling on one knee.


"Yes sir, you summoned me?"

I stood on the tip of a fern tree watching the sun sneaking above the horizon, hesitant to what the day may hold. Standing there with perfect balance on the small tip of the tree I thought of the sun's hesitance to announce the start of the day and the beginning of a journey that will affect everyone's destiny.


Gazing downwards I could see Lord Aizen and Takeshi are standing and chatting next to their horses both already packed for the journey.


From what I can tell from lip reading, Takeshi was taunting the prince that he will not be "pampered" from today onwards until their return from their itinerary with all five Xing warriors. With all four Xing warriors, I mentally corrected.


Lord Aizen is doing nothing more than listening to Takeshi, a small smile on his lips, obviously amused by his friend's attempt to get him irritated.


On the other end of the palace yard at the palace's main gate, it opened following with the emergence of the crimson-clad ministers of the Xing kingdom wearing their top hats bearing the official insignia; they meant business. Seeing the General amongst them, I knew that was my cue.


I jumped from the tipoff the tree I was onto fall on the tip of another tree running at such speed that my image seems to blur and disappear only to reappear somewhere else.


This time I was on a branch of a tree twenty meters. Under most circumstances, I would have been easy to spot, but I was trained well. I blended with the shadows cast by the higher branches with their countless leaves. I maintained a degree of immobility that a few doves perched on my crouched shoulders, quietly observing the scene.


It took a while for the group of ministers to reach the pair standing at the edge of the palace next to the fort.


The General leading the group stopped a few meters from the two travelers and in perfect unison bowed, then straightened up again as if their bodies were attached to strings, controlled by an invisible puppeteer. Lord Aizen and Takeshi likewise bowed even lower to the ministers, displaying their respect to people of such high rank.


Going over the pleasantries with each minister, Lord Aizen asked with sorrowful eyes, "So this is goodbye huh?"


"Yes, for now milord." The General replied reassuringly. "Now, I know what you are thinking Aizen. Do not worry about us, we will be fine." He was not convinced as he moved his object of gaze from the General to the palace.


"Will everything really be fine if I leave?" his thoughts turning to the possibilities of things that could go wrong in his absence. In the midst of the young prince's thinking the General placed his hand on Lord Aizen's shoulder breaking his train of thought.


"Relax Aizen. You need not to worry about us. We can take care of the kingdom and operate things smoothly. Remember we have been doing this long before your birth." He said laughing away Lord Aizen's worries.


There was a pause before the other ministers started to scold Lord Aizen, saying that his worries were undermining their self confidence. Some jokingly and some deeply insulted.


Lord Aizen laughed sheepishly. "I guess you are right. There is no point in worrying over what you can't control. It will only get me into more trouble."


"Finally. Something got through that thick skull of yours, Aizen!" Takeshi spoke up in mock relief, knocking Lord Aizen's head playfully.


"What do you mean, Takeshi? Lord Aizen inquired him.


Scratching his head, then raising it at shoulder-level, palm face up, Takeshi asked, "All is well, Aizen, but how will we find the chosen Xing warriors? Will we be running all over the kingdom in search for them?"


"Fear not, Takeshi." The General pulled out a scroll from his kimono. It wasn't an ordinary scroll. The ends of the scroll were made of pure gold that was so smooth and glossy; you could see your own reflection. Along the scroll itself, in smooth and rich colors, were symbols in the colors: deep-sea blue, apple-red, rosy pink, moss green, white and jet-black.


Takeshi looked more mystified than before. "What is this?" he inquired with a comical expression that leaves any viewer to see.


Aizen looked back to his friend. "It's called The Scroll of Guidance. By its name you can tell that this scroll will help us find the Xing warriors."


The question mark started to get smaller bit by bit.


"How?"


"The contents of the scroll are a collection of riddles that are said to have been bestowed to our ancestors by the Gods regarding the identity, ability and location of the Xing warriors."


Unrolling the scroll, Lord Aizen pointed at the first riddle that read: 'He stands high in many ways, yet he doesn't ever look down on people even as they stand low. His eyes are the color of the heavens, above all living creatures. His talent is truly a gift from the Gods and the origin of life."


"But this hardly says anything, Aiden," Takeshi complained.


"On the contrary, Takeshi," Lord Aizen contradicted, tapping his head with his finger. "You just have to think outside of the box." Stopping his finger, he continued. "The first part of the first sentence shows that the warrior is of a high status and that this person lives in a high area like a mountain or hill. The second part though argues with the part about 'living in a high area' by adding that 'he doesn't ever look down on people even as they stand low.' You may have interpreted it as humility but the fact is that the riddles do not display the personality of the warrior. So if it's not humility, than what is it?"
Lord Aizen left the question hanging in the air, wanting to give his friend a chance to uncover the answer himself, barely containing his own excitement like a child at the sight of candy.


The only reason that Lord Aizen - a restless man on most occasions - gave his friend a chance, was because Takeshi - who is not very smart in most things - makes up for it by solving difficult riddles. There has never been a riddle that Lord Aizen gave him that he did not solve, no matter how tricky it was.


Time passed before Takeshi begun, "Hmm... I'm afraid that I couldn't understand the first part of the riddle, but I did understand the rest of it." He stared off into space as he spoke, "The second sentence of the riddle, when they mention the color of his eyes, saying they are the color of the heavens above us, it was referring to the blue sky. For the third part, which was the easiest, the answer for it is: water. People call it 'the gift from the Gods' because without it, people, and all other living creatures, would die; which is why it is also called the 'source' or 'origin of life'."


He looked at Lord Aizen, a mischievous grin on his face, "So, Aizen. Care to explain the rest?"


Lord Aizen beamed, finally having a chance to explain. "Well, we're clear about the status of the warrior. Now the second part that you misunderstood as modesty actually means that he lives on the same altitude with everyone else rather than living on a hill or mountain. So what does the term 'high in many ways' mean? We can translate the word 'high' for the word 'up'. By doing that and by eliminating the possibility that the word refers to a specific landscape, there is only one possibility left: 'the north'. On a map or compass, an 'up' is represented by the north direction. If this scroll was really meant to guide us to all Xing warriors, then this is the only possible translation to the riddle that gives us enough and logical information on the warrior."


Now it was his turn to smile at his friend. "See it was – easy. All you – needed – to do – was – to think – outside – the – box." Because he was talking without stop, he ended up being breathless.


"So, basically, this riddle is talking about you, huh, baka (stupid) Aizen?"


"No, no. it speaks of an entirely different person who lives in the north with blue eyes and can control water." He responded sarcastically with a stupefied look on his face.
Takeshi raised an eyebrow, calculating Lord Aizen's honest and easy-to-see-through eyes. "Aizen, how –"


"Now that you have understood the conditions- essentials – to be able to decipher the riddles –"


The General intervened, losing his patience, "I suggest you start working together on making sense of the next one, if you ever wish to begin your journey at all."
His impatience felt like a slap to the boys who shoulder much respect to him; one as his superior and the other as his mentor.


A bit shaken, Lord Aizen mumbled to himself, "Hmm... Let us see what the next riddle says." Then, reading the next poem distinctly, it read, 'Mankind's first and greatest achievement, now a powerful weapon of war. Its master has hair the color of the setting sun falling upon the horizon. Standing on a similar plane. To find such a man, you will need a strong heart and unwavering determination. Like the small two-horned animal whose footsteps must be followed to reach him."


Lord Aizen and Takeshi, post reading the new riddle, looked at each other, then at the riddle, then at each other again. They did that about half a dozen times before they spoke.


"I think we should start construing the lat part and work our way up. Fine by you, Aizen?"


"Yeah, fine by me."


The boys both leaned on their midnight blue stallions and began discussing.
"It looks like those two will take a long time." The General announced. He pointed to a servant. "You, boy. Bring us something to drink." The servant disappeared, and five minutes later, he came back carrying golden cups on a silver tray.


Whilst the other ministers were occupied with the refreshments, the General crept away, heading towards the forest.

As soon as he reached the densely packed trees, he broke into a run. He kept on running like a mad man, nothing like the dignified man he was minutes ago. He ran till the trees gave way and opened up to a clearing. It is one of the few places that the light manages to cast upon an area in perfect symmetry.


The General standing on the bright half of the circle; was looking around him in attempt to slow down his heart beat. I could see in his eyes that the meadow has not changed. The tulips, in their diverse colors bloomed after a long slumber. The trickling sound of the stream nearby and the chirping of the birds coloring the meadow with their songs.


He focused on the dew glistering in the sunlight like little diamonds ultimately recollecting himself. In advance to face the creature gazing at him from the dark half of the meadow.


I walked in his direction to halt at the border dividing the circle, looking straight into his eyes without reservation.


"Good morning, my daughter. I hope you have slept well last night."


Nodding at his question, I lifted the bag he prepared for me with my two fingers so that he wouldn't bother asking the following question.


A wicked smile played on his lips, catching me off guard. "You thought that I was to ask you of your bag, didn't you? Heh! I was going to order a verbal report of this morning."


He lowered himself to my level, and, smiling wider, said, "I shocked you, didn't I?"


Now it was my turn to gather my scattered thoughts as I slowly understood the sneaky trick played on me. I swear! There is nothing that I have experienced – including all my ninja trainings – that is harder than understanding this! Time after time, I am easily and effortlessly taken in by him.


I gritted my teeth, carefully drawing breath through them, quieting my emotions and returning to my 'ninja mode'. "The morning has been peaceful so far, other than a group of bandits fifty miles west of the castle. Their aim was to kidnap the emperor, so I dealt with them accordingly."


The General flinched at my words, heavily bothered by my ease and calmness at ending peoples' lives. I saw it all but felt nothing, for it had become a part of me that cannot be removed.


The General, nervous and eager to change the topics, left my report uncommented on. He cleared his throat, informing the – already – aware me of the change of subject.


"Your mission," He started. "You have put aware of Lord Aizen's objectives in the trip and the method. Now you should know your own part in this mission. You have to most importantly protect the emperor, and, for his sake, protect Takeshi.


"You should also aid him on his journey in every way possible. I leave the method to you. However-" He looked at me with undisguised concern. "-we have gone through the discussion of your appearance to Lord Aizen as the 'shadow warrior', and, though you refused and we argued about it, I came up with a compromise that you will have to agree to." To my ears, the following 'compromise' was in reality a non-discussable order. "You will guard and support him from the background, but, if he and Takeshi face an opponent that challenged them to a fight, then, no matter what, do not pry in their in any way possible. Only if Lord Aizen is on the verge of death – in the very last minute – do you act in and save him." He paused to gaze at my bag for a bit, directing the conversation by sight alone to its contents. "In the bag there is a letter that you should deliver to his majesty after they see you for fear that they take you as an 'enemy'. After he reads the letter you should properly introduce yourself to him, regardless of any detail other than your name. Whether you should continue to be with them as the 'ninja' or as the 'Xing warrior' is up to Lord Aizen to decide. If he chose for you to travel with him as the 'Xing warrior', then in the bag I prepared for you a very suitable garment to dress around his majesty.


"There are also important things in your bag including food rations that will last for a period of time, even though-" He muttered, "-you could easily manage on your own."
He then instructed me to open my bag and scan through the items to make sure everything is in there. Searching through it, I found a familiar scroll in gold and on the ends there were colorful writing.


Lifting the scroll closer to my eyes, I saw that it was an exact duplicate of the Scroll of Guidance; from the gold-welded sheet, to the strange handwriting of the past that molds the characters into one another.


"Ah... yes. What you see now, Karen is a counterfeit of the scroll. Should anything happen to the original copy, please present this to Lord Aizen."


I quietly asked him, "So this is just an over precaution?"


A sweat mark hung on the side of his head; a typical standard of discomfort. "Ah... Unfortunately, that is not the case. You see... Lord Aizen's boyish nature leaves something to be desired, not that he would purposefully allow the scroll to be destroyed, but-" he shrugged his shoulders, "-he's not the type of person to care about such minor details such as this in a fight. Unlike you. This is why I feel more at ease leaving it with you than with those careless boys."


The General looked up at the sky to see the sun that had gathered up the courage to stand on its countless kilometers and rise above the horizon.


I wondered why the General got distracted to such a thing during a very important discussion – a trait he detests the most. I felt his eyes turning to stare at me, and instantly, the atmosphere got heavy. I looked at my father in panic with the sudden change.


What I saw was not the prestigious man with a reputation, feared and adored by many; a man who hardly lets his emotions show to make a decision that has brought only good things to the kingdom; a man who's strong will I have always admired and worked to gain like it; a man who always held his head high.


What I saw was a child trembling and crying, his overgrown shoulders hunched low, and his head hanging low as if it was disconnected from his body. His hands clenched into fists, his lower lip forced to a pout, refused to stop trembling even as he sank his teeth into his lip to prevent himself from crying.


Seeing him in that state, I removed my masks and crossed the border separating us to embrace him in my arms. By then, his shaking got more violent, and his tears were flowing non-stop.


I lifted my head to softly whisper in his ear. "Don't worry about me, Father. I can take care of myself. I am no longer a helpless child. I promise you that I will come back alive with Lord Aizen, Takeshi and all the other Xing warriors so we can save the kingdom." I pushed the General a bit, but kept him in arm's length to look at his teary eyes. "I promise. So please stop crying: it's unnecessary." I wiped his tears with the side of my hand.


This time it was the General who held me in his arms in a fierce bear hug for a long time, unwilling to let go.


I tapped his shoulder lightly to tell him to let me go. He freed me and took a step him, his face flushed red from his moment of weakness, trying to wipe the tears from his face without me noticing. The General coughed, clearing his throat, though his voice was hoarse as he spoke. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Karen." He stood up straighter, his legs closed together, and saluted to a military salute. "I wish you the best of luck, and may you all be under God's care."


I re-wore my masks and saluted back, formalities existent again. "Thank you, General, and good look on your side as well."


I turned back to the dark side and walked to the trees, when I recalled something. I called out to the General, not turning my head at all.


"Ram."


He too stopped walking, which I guessed – for I no longer heard the snapping of the grass blades. Confused, he asked, "Ram?"


"Yes," I replied. "The animal in the riddle is a ram, and I believe that the Xing warrior related to it is the 'fire warrior'."


Not waiting for him to react, I disappeared, my after-image- only logging behind by only a second.

Few minutes later I returned to my original position observing the new changes in the scene.


Lord Aizen and Takeshi were still discussing the riddle, not reaching a final conclusion. However, the atmosphere had calmed down a great deal. The boys confidently talked back and forth with the consultation and support of the other ministers, offering their insight for the boys' use.


Based on what I heard, they were on the right track to unscrambling the riddle. That is when speaking of the direction of the warrior, when it came to their power they were more far off than a bird migrating to the north during winter. I was puzzled by how they could get one part of the riddle; the last part even, right where they cannot get the first part correct.


Do not mistake me for being a stubborn bull. I am just intuitive, a necessity needed to solve the riddles. The trick of the riddle is simple; having seen the first riddle before thanks to the General I invented a method to get the information from the riddle.
Separation. You first break down the riddle into a number of parts. Then you translate as many parts as you can, as for the rest you simply twist the meaning of the words so that it can fit the data regarding the warrior within the context of the original riddle, not surpassing it in any way.


The only problem with this method would be the second stage; it is far too easy to make mistakes in it because you imagine it to be complicated when it is straight forward.
It requires shallow-deep thinking. Over thinking or under thinking leads you to the wrong direction resulting in obtaining details that have no relation to the sought out warrior.


Takeshi who was as still as a statue for gods know how long, without a second thought, snatched the scroll from the shocked prince and scanned through the riddle once to then stop and think. He read it again and repeated the process. It was not until he read it for the fifth time did he make a sound, laughing out, slapping his forehead. "Why did I not see this before?! This is way too simple."


  Everyone around him were flabbergasted, completely lost for words. Takeshi kept on laughing like a hyena for a while, only to be interrupted by the entrance of the at-last-clear-minded General. "What is the meaning of this Takeshi? Why is it that you are laughing like a madman?" his voice was not stern nor was it angry, he sounded tired.


His mind is not what it used to be. For him to take so much time and energy to sort out the words I threw at him, age has clearly taken its toll on him.


Takeshi retreated to a chuckle. His laughter made me question his sanity and whether he should be with Lord Aizen on this journey. "I am sorry for my sudden outburst, nut I found out where we went wrong."


Lord Aizen fervently asked, "Did you solve the riddle? Tell me who is it?" energetic once more after the previous exhausting discussion.


"Whoa! Slow down Aizen, I will explain everything." Addressing the ministers he spoke. "In the third part we established that we need to go in the direction of the ram, in other words we go east. The second part is a hint of the warrior's physical appearance   describing his hair color by the setting sun; Aizen assumed that to be the color red and I agree with him. That is all well and good."


His chuckling ceased though the humor remained in his voice. "The biggest problem was the first part that speaks of his power saying that is man's first and greatest achievement, a weapon used in wars. We all jump into the conclusion that the Xing warrior's ability is related to metal because of the phrase 'a weapon used in wars' overlooking everything else when in fact its talking about the first invention made by mankind." He directed the following words to Lord Aizen. "Can you tell me the first invention made by our greatest ancestors?"


The roles were now turned, Lord Aizen thought back on all his historical studies of the history of the kingdom and the past of the world.


The silence grew louder around them, as everyone kept quiet to allow Lord Aizen to think. On the exception of two people, the rest grew agitated and tired from thinking so much in the morning alone, impatiently waiting for Lord Aizen to discover the answer.


The prince himself was examining Takeshi's face hoping to find the answer in him.
Lord Aizen's brusqueness overpowered his patience. Tapping the side of his head, he sharply turned away from everyone to look up at the sun. At that I got immensely irritated. I do not understand why everyone looks at the sun. Does it have the power to enlighten people? If not, what power does it have?  


Like the click of a box when the lid was adjusted and closed after being misplaced, Lord Aizen turned back, concession in his eyes. "Now I see why you were laughing like an idiot before, the answer was very simple was it not? The answer is fire."


Eureka! He discerned it just in time for me to turn to dust from old age.


The General and Takeshi were both relieved as Lord Aizen happily declared the warrior to be the fire master of the Xing warriors. Then as Takeshi confirmed it the ministers hooted in celebration from having their brains fried up so early in the day.


The General then cleared up the riddle, proving how fire was documented to be the first creation made by man. He also said that it is powerful as a weapon as it is used to light up the cannons and guns. Though the fire as a weapon is at its strongest when discharged from an arrow to burn people, crops and accommodations, thereby ending the fire fiasco with their sanity intact.


I changed my position on the tree branch from a crouch to s normal sitting posture letting my legs dangle mid air. Massaging my aching joints in a circular motion I decided to pay no attention to the scene below and focus elsewhere.


Leaving the old scene behind me I opened my eyes to the new scene that appeared in front of me.




Hi, I guess this is my official AN. I like to thank all of my steady supporters for reading my story and for putting up with my typos. I also want to thank my sisters for making my story known to their friends and for making edit and occasionally type for me (you see I write my story on my notebook and I still write on it, only typing for the sake of letting people read what I do for a hobby).
In case you didn't know the term baka is a Japanese term and so my story. It has a Japanese theme in terms of clothes and some food as well as the direction but it is my imagination in everything else. So please don't give me unnecessary criticism.

That aside what do you think of the characters of my story. Who did you like most Aizen, Karen (it is pronounced Karean), Ken Edojawa (aka the General) or Takeshi?
I know I stretched this part of the story quite a bit but wait a chapter or two to meet the fire warrior in the flesh. Can you guess what he is like?
Till then see ya later alligator