Sunday, May 27, 2007

13 years later, here I stand

(NOTe: Going to be out of town Tuesday .. If this seems a little long, that's why)

Focus total and complete. The bo staff tiwrls in my hands, my movements are fluid and easy. Then like a lightning strike across my senses, I feel her pain.

The vision erputs across my senses as well. It makes my knees shake in agony.My daughter taken before my eyes and being helpless to do a thing.. That is the closest thing to terror I have ever felt.As soon as I could move I was at her side, cradling her, holding her while she wept..

The visions come almost daily now, she can find no peace.

She was struggling against me, gasping her skin was on fire. Her nails clawed at her tunics desprete to get them off. When she finally did, my breath came in a low gasp. Straight down her back there was an intricate symbol, tribal..

The smell of burned flesh hung in the room. The design had been burned into her skin, hence her pain. She was asking me what was wrong.. I carefully led her to a miror. She was shocked and slightly scared but she found her voice to speak ." what .. what is it?"

I frowned.. I knew what it was supposed to be.. I have a smiliar mark on my right outer thigh though it is faded by now. "Normally this would be a mark of maturity in your spirit animal, but it is never this bad and it isn't supposed to be this deep"

She pulled her tunics back into place, hissing in pain as the cotton fibers touched her injured skin " is there anyone else who would know more about it?"
I paused, unsure.. I had been meaning to ask her about this but I was afraid she would say no, that she didn't want me going.. I would respect her wishes if she answered the negative.. But I had been hoping for this for months.. I couldn't not ask her now

" The Onkichi Budokai will begin within a few days.. I've been wanting to go.. It's a tourtament strictly open for the DaiShujo.. There might be people there who could explain this better than I could.. My grandfather is supposed to be there as well.. I was hoping to be able to go but I didn't want to upset you.." I looked away, not wanting to see the hurt that I was sure that was in her eyes.

" Of course! Godfrey you should compete! Will I at least be allowed to watch?"

My spirits soared whenever she said yes. I had been to young to compete at the last Onkichi Budokai.. I had only been ten at that point. The tourtament is held for the Daishujo warriors every 13 years. My mind slowed enough to answer her question

" Since you're in the family .. They'll let you in. We can always bring Belda as well.. Your niece.."
She nodded, the matter settled in her eyes " So it's settled.. You'll compete in the Onkichi Budokai and we can find out more about this.. thing.."

Her boundless neergy never ceases to amaze me, not to mention her willingness to go to new places on the spur of the moment.Well if I was going to compete I would need to train...


For the next two days I pratically sequestered myself in one of the older training rooms.I trained almost nonstop, only stopping when my body couldn't move anymore.Phobia brought me food so I didn't forget to eat whilst in the middle of my training.I have the feeling now that she thinks I'm as stubbroun as she is.

" Look I brought you down a perfectly good hot meal.. Now will you sit down and eat?"

" Just let me finish this kata and run acouple more techniques, then I'll eat."

" HA I know you, now sit down and eat.. Don't make me knock you off your feet"

" You do that everyday dear, now just have some patience" Punch, sidethrust kick, ridgehand, spinning back kick, reverse punch, inside form block popkick.

She walked over and right when I was comming off the spinning back, she uses a sweap on me and knocks me flat on my rear. She grabs the plate and pins me to the floor, dangling the food in front of my nose" Now are you going to eat?" Damn is she persuasive.

The third day I finally had to return to the apartment. I had pushed myself clear out of my normal bonds and into something I didn't even clearly comprehend. Belda was in class and Pho was out. So I did the only reasonable thing any dead tired man would do. I kicked my shoes off and dropped onto the couch where I promptly fell asleep.

I gradually started to wake to her soft voice reading.. She trailed off as she reached on part in her story the book fell open in her lap and she fell asleep. I pushed myself up on my hands , noting the blanket she had draped over me and got to my feet.

Picking her up I carried her to our room and put her to bed, moving a strand of hair away from her face where it had fallen.
While she slept I began to pack, telling Belda to do the same but to make sure she didn't wake her master til we were through. I packd my bo, kamas, sais, tonfas and my uniform along with a few changes of clothes and a few datapads as well as my Jedi robes.

When Pho woke she packed quickly only needing one small duffel bag. Lisette would be fine for a few days where we were going. The tourtament was going to be held on Ragoon 3 but I didn't tell them this as I set the coordinates. I didn't want Pho having to run off on a mission so soon after this mess with Marasha.

" What's the.. O..onki..Onkichi Budokai Master Godfrey?" Belda asked me with a puzzled look.
Smiling I had her come sit with me and I told her the story Pho had heard from me seemingly hundreds of times.

Time faded away as I told her about the council of seven, the decenshion, and the phoenix and the dragon as well as the pact.I could feel Phobia watching us, smiling. She was content, at peace for once. I was happy it was this easy.. This peaceful.. I was no fool .. I knew such moments could not last but I would treasure every second of those moments we DID have.

TBC
Until Later
Godfrey

4 comments:

Phobia said...

We'll be fine.. and I know you'll win Godfrey.. You've been so anxious to compete.. You'll do fine.. make Netsuki proud of you*huggles*

Master Obi-Wan said...

I wish you good fortune for the tournament my friend.

It looks like you have matters under control.

Master Adana said...

May the Force guide you in your quest, Godfrey.

Take care of Pho and Belda and come back in one piece.

Godfrey Zebulon said...

*grins* Thank you Obi Wan.. this is the first DaiShujo tourtament I've been alowed to compete in.. I watched the first.. a sort of awe that one day I could be in the ring too.

I'll make sure I give you the full story once we return, good or bad.


Thank you Adana.. May the force be with you as well. it's things like this that I manag e to keep Pho off the council's radar for missions. She's had too many close calls lately.

i won't let them out of my sight.. Ragoon has some wild animals that are nasty to tangle with.. But it's the only place where the tourtament can be held safely. There's one or two other JEdi I know of that are going too from what I hear..