Muromachi Era.
This was the story when I met that one who changed my life forever.
I was born to be a thief. One fancy thief, I might say. Because I acted from someone's request, but I wouldn't steal anything if it wasn't a good thing for both of us. What I did maybe seemed ruthless, but helping people steal something, it was already on my adrenaline.
People called me Kuronekomaru, while my real name was Arashi. I thought people gave me that name because I looked like a cat who like to steal, and a black one, because I always did the stealing in the midnight and no one knows my real identity. It was so hard to find and contact me even though I stayed at the same place. No one ever saw me under the broad daylight. So here was me, a black cat thief.
I lived for no reason other than stealing. I was a free man. I did anything that I want. I didn't believe that a certain person could change me or stop me from stealing. Never.
But there was her.
"Arashi. Hey."
I opened my eyes. It was evening already, and I felt tired after stealing the big Chinese vase from a rich family last night. A real big one. I yawned and turned to the door. I saw Sagiri, a woman who owned a parlour. Frankly said, she was the only one who knew my real identity and since I did not have a house to stay, I frequently went to her place. Oh, well, not her. It wasn't her who changed me.
"You wake up yet? Pretty nasty job you did last night."
"Yeah," my voice sounded a little hoarse. "But it did came with such a huge payment."
Sagiri laughed. "Hey, do you know that the Emperor Kougami has finally died? Really tough, he is. Regarding his illness after all these years," she said and closed the door of my room. I didn't really interested in Emperor's news or anything about it.
"Yeah? What about it, " was my respond. Sagiri laughed again.
"Nothing. Just want to share you about what happened in the outer world since you are not really aware of it. At least you know. And there is the Princess that the late Emperor has left behind. I heard she is so beautiful, and so many men come to the castle to propose to her. But sadly, before the late Emperor's dead, he already arranged a marriage for the Princess with the Head Guard of the Castle."
"Sounds boring. You woman really should find another activity beside gossiping."
"Well, maybe someday you'll meet her too and fall in love with her. You do like the beautiful one, no?" Sagiri leaned to me and gave her widest grin. I glared to her and she laughed again.
"Go get your mask. I saw someone has been holding a black flag this morning. Maybe he was looking for you," Sagiri stood up and then walked outside my room. I rolled up again in my futon. People who wanted my help will secretly holding a black flag while wandering around the village. And this was a small village though, so Sagiri should be seeing them and reported to me. I exhaled and grabbed my pitch black yukata and my things.
***
The night already fell. I jumped out to the roof, and began searching the one who held the black flag. It was easy, I found him near my place so, I jumped out two roofs more and stepped right next to him. He startled. I examined him before he could say anything. That typical of man who asked my help, maybe this one works at the castle, judging by his kimono.
"My goodness! You can find me!"
"Heh. Good isn't it. Now spill out what I need to steal," I said. He seemed uneasy and somehow, I felt this one would asked something beyond my reach.
"You know that Dragon Scroll?" he asked.
"Huh? Never hear anything about that scroll. What's good of it?"
"It's a scroll that grants wishes. It's already in Kougami family line for years. And now since it's only the Princess left, I want you to steal it for me!"
I looked at him. He looks so scared yet brave. To steal something important like this, I already felt the adrenaline. But scroll that grants wishes was too imaginable. So I asked him again, "Do you really know that there really is a scroll like that? Have you ever prove it?"
He shooked his head. "No. Since no one can touch the scroll. It's always hidden nowhere by the late Emperor. But now I knew that the scroll is with the Princess."
"Hmm.. Princess, huh."
"Yes! Please! I will pay you with one or two wishes from the scroll! Just come to the castle and steal it. I know where the Princess' room located," he insisted. I thought about it, the risk was just too high, and the payment not really that necessary for me. But I have never been inside the castle. So I nodded and asked for the direction.
And that was the beginning.
As the midnight came nearer, I slipped to the castle and somewhat easy. I ran towards the building that the man had already point me, but unfortunately, someone saw me.
"It's Kuronekomaru! He's here! Catch him!"
Whoops. I ran to the opposite direction, intended to confuse them. But I was the one who confused because I didn't really know the castle well.
"He's fleeing towards the house opposite! Chase!"
"Please call Master Hanazono now!"
I ran and ran. I wasn't afraid, but I really lost too much time. If I didn't find the scroll now, it would be dawn soon. Then I saw a huge sakura tree near a building and without thinking I jumped to the tree. Wished no one had saw me jumped here. I heard they were still shouting and searching for me, but it was faraway from where I was now. And then, the sound of a door opened surprised me, and I saw a woman walked through to the balcony, holding an old scroll. The woman was so slender, her brownish long hair looked so silky and smooth. Her kimono was perfect. She seemed like a doll, but her face was in agony. Even though I only saw a glance because of the moonlight, I could tell she was beautiful. And then, out of the blue, she was pouting.
"For the Kougami family, hm? Bound to serve the family's interest, why was I even born? Are you listening....," she grabbed out the scroll in front of her, "..dragon guardian who is sealed in this scroll?"
Ah, so that was the infamous Princess. And she was holding the scroll. Good point, woman always the weaker ling and it was so easy to deceive them. I moved out to jump down but then I heard she cried. I stopped and looked at her. She was embracing the scroll, her shoulder was shaking enough I could imagine she would break apart if I touch her.
"Aren't you supposed to be the guardian?" she cried. She was shaking more than before. I decided not to come down and stood in the branch instead. This woman, she looks she was hurt enough. Maybe she was missing her father.
"Aren't you suppose to be the guardian?!" she repeated, almost screaming in despair. She gripped the scroll tightly now, and then she said, "Then, please, send me a more proper men.."
Hmph.
Before I could restrain it, I already said, "So that's the magical dragon scroll that grants wishes?"
She surprised and then came looking for the origin of my sound. Then she grabbed the bow and arrow that hung next to her. "Kuronekomaru?!" she shouted. I chuckled. So she know me, how sublime. "So it's the scroll that you want?! Then go meet your maker!"
Before I could acknowledge what she would do, suddenly she picked up a knife out of nowhere and aimed right to me. Lucky me, I grabbed the knife just in time and I saw she was taking an arrow now so I had to jump from the tree and secretly snuck out behind her.
"You shall die under my arrow.....!!"
I shoved the knife next to her throat and she was frozen still. I said, "A rough lady suits my appetite just fine, milady..."
Who knew that the Princess could defend herself like this. She didn't even have any maids or guards near her room. She was strong. I sensed she endured her stiffness and lowered her bow.
"A dead end's fine, too.. Hmph." she said in a disgraced manner.
I felt irritated. "I'm just a thief, not a murderer."
"What a pity. If I was killed by you, I won't have to get married."
"Get married?" I surprised and then laughed. So she was in agony because of marriage? Woman, really! And yet she was this strong to defense herself? No joke. "Hahahaha! Such a dangerous lady wishes to get married? Why, you must be stronger than a man, and have a plain looking face, right?" I grabbed her neck and tighten my knife then turned her face to mine.
Under the moonlight, I was mesmerized the time I saw her face for the first time. Her pale face, perfect structured bone, red small lips (even though it was only under a moonlight I could tell), and the one that drawn me the most, was her eyes. Such a fierce look, strong-willed, somehow mysterious, and.... beautiful. I could stare at her eyes forever, looking for answers.
I lowered my hand. "You're very skilled.. and really beautiful."
She got no respond for my words, steady as she was. But she replied, "You're pretty good-looking. I thought you were some middle-aged man with hunchback. Since you favour me, why not take me away?"
I surprised by her words. But before I could say anything, the guards who chased me came into her room and shouted, "Missy! Did Kuronekomaru break his way there?" but he couldn't go far, because it was prohibited to someone other that the Princess maid to break through to the inside part of the room without permission. It was classified to protect the castle family. I looked at her face again and she still wore that same expressionless looking. I couldn't restrain myself from laughing. Behind us, the guards were still knocking down the door to the inside part of her room.
"Hahaha! You must really hate your fiance."
"I do."
"Interesting.." She seemed so sure of what she said. Really, this woman. She might be the most important lady in this village yet she wished to be disappear. I wanted to know about her more, so then I grabbed one of my yukata.
"I don't specialize in abduction," I wrapped the yukata around her, and then grabbed her, ".. but I love beautiful things!" I jumped to reach the roof from the balcony, then to the tree, right before the guards broke in.
"Missy!"
"Quick! This way, Missy has been abducted!"
I managed to jump to the roof, then I jumped again to the other roof. For some time, she kept silence. But suddenly, she grabbed my shoulder, and asked bluntly, "What will happen to me? I don't want to be sold."
I chuckled as a respond. Then, I thought of something funny that never once crossed my mind. "Well, why don't you marry me then? I may be better than your fiance!"
And then just of that, her cheek blushed. "You mongrel! Don't talk rot!" she shouted angrily. I stopped jumping.
"Since you're unwilling, I can only sell you or let you go. But..." I pulled her close. Her face was so surprised that I knew that she never touched by a man until now. I smiled. "..if you follow me, at least you don't have to be bound to your family."
Her face became more pale as she shocked by my said. She back on silence, so I have to asked her again, "How about it? My dear restrained beauty?"
"Put me down. I can't abandon my family."
I looked at her face again. Expressionless, but I know she was suppressing herself. "Everyone in my family.. no, even me, my opinion isn't as important as the family," she pushed away from me, but I still drawned to her face. Looking for something hidden. Then she looked straight to me, her eyes telling me everything: she wanted to run. I crossed my hand, and she feel disgraced. "Hmph! But I doubt you'll understand, you being a thief, " she said again.
"I am used to being carefree, and I don't wish to understand, " I put back my smile. "You're very interesting, but we don't get along. So I shall just leave, with the dragon scroll!" and I held up the scroll that I had been hiding in my belt all the way back before.
The princess flinched. She seemed to had the urge to take the scroll back, but then she was just grasping her hand. I saw she angrier now.
"You.. you've got what you want, so leave. My mischief is done with. We won't meet again."
A bunch of arrows came to my direction, so I had to duck before I could answer anything. Then I heard someone below yelled, "Over here! Quick!" so I decided to take my leave now. I put back my yukata, and called the princess, "Lady!"
She turned her back to face me, but I couldn't see her face. Then I wore my yukata, and said, "You must treasure yourself! "For your family" is such a pathetic excuse!" and I ran along the roof. But before I jumped to the other roof, the princess called me.
"Kuronekomaru! If you don't wish to die, do not untie the string of the scroll! The scroll is very dangerous, so return it if you change your mind! Take care!" she shouted. But I didn't stop, I kept running and jumping. What did she said? Didn't you think a mere thief's life was worthless? She even asked me to take her away. I stopped in a narrow hallway, far from the mansion.
"Really.. what an unfeeling young lady.."
****
"You'd have to be careful!"
I opened my eyes. I was just laying down on my futon in my room, got a severe headache from drinking, and it seemed I just couldn't get rid of what that princess had said. Just what she had been thinking, said something like that.
"Hey, Sir. You're so generous."
I turned my head, and there was an unknown woman sat down beside me. It must be one of Sagiri's worker. What a nuisance. Coming here in my room as if I one of her customer. And what with this face? I have never seen her before.
"Are you actually a noble, or the young master of a family that specialises in martial arts?" she grinned, and I got up but continuously ignoring her. She then clinging on me and said, "Sir, why don't you take me with you?"
My door slipped open and then there was Sagiri, pinched the girl's ear and shouted out loud, "Hey newcomer! You fool!"
"That hurts!" the girl's whined.
"At our parlour, it's forbidden to find out about a guest's background! And the young master doesn't like to be restricted, he'll just find the way you stick to him irritating!" Sagiri scolded the girl. The new girl suddenly rushed out of the room. After that, she said, "I'm sorry, did she displeased you?"
I smiled, "No." And Sagiri smiled too. She sat down next to me and looked at me as if she examined me. "How rare, aren't you going to make a move tonight?"
"I don't have the mood."
By saying that, the face of the princess showed up in my mind again. And I thought that I'd forget once I was drunk. She was but a beauty, but the owner of the scroll. I'd usually lose interest almost immediately.. and yet, my thoughts still centred about the young lady from the Kougami family. Her gaze was proud, yet firm. Eyes that did not wish anyone to feel wronged, eyes that open themselves to the grievances of others. She strongly desired for freedom..she was about to bethrothed to a man she had no interest in.
Tsk. I was thinking about it again.
Suddenly I remembered I had the appointment with the man from the castle, to retrieve the scroll. I got up and pulled the yukata.
"Are you setting out now?" asked Sagiri.
"Yeah. I have an appointment." I wore my mask and opened the door, then I turned back to her. "I'm sorry, Sagiri." and left to the roof.
"Sister," I heard Sagiri's youngest sister asked as she came by the front room just behind the place I was stood up. "Is young master leaving already?"
"Ah, that man.. may never return."
"WHAT? See, the newcomer has enraged the young master!"
"No, don't be foolish. Can't any of you tell? Young master is thinking of another woman. Woman's intuition." Sagiri answered. Then she clapped her hands. "Alright, from tomorrow on wards we have to work even harder! We must find a customer who is as generous as he is!"
"Okay!!"
***
"I have retrieved the scroll which allow wishes to be granted by God."
"Ah, so this is the one! Then I'll have to pay you as I promised."
"However, you didn't seem to hear an important thing, which is that anyone who carelessly opens that scroll will die.."
"What? Have you opened it?"
I yawned. Oh, this man. I tired dealing with him. The faster I could get back, the faster I could forget the Princess Kougami. "Idiot. Of course I wouldn't dare open the scroll after hearing that. Goodbye, I'm going back to my nap. And I don't need to make wishes."
The man leaned on me closer and whispered, "Hey, remember! Other than Kougami family, we're the only one who knows that possession of this scroll can grant wishes."
I shook him off and walking away. "I wouldn't believe in some dragon god, you can just treat it like a suspicious object."
"Aaargh!!"
I turned back and shocked to see the man had already lied down in the road, drenched in blood. The scroll had partially opened, fall next to him. I walked back to him to make sure he wasn't playing around.
"Hey. Hey! Get a hold of yourself! You can't die okay!" I shouted and shook his body. But the body wasn't moving. The man was really dead. I looked at the scrool and somehow I felt terrified. I tightly tied the scroll, and I remembered her saying again.
If you don't wish to die, do not untie the string of the scroll!
"Tsk.. what the hell is this.."
And then I took the scroll, then jumped to the roof. I had to get it back to the princess, but I have to wait for the night to come. Thank to the lady's warning, I wasn't dead. Did she remind me so that she could get her scroll back earlier? She seemed to have made a wish to the scroll..
Night had already fall, I rushed to go to the mansion. I finally reached the huge sakura tree next to her room. A little surprised because I still remember the way here. I jumped down to the balcony, took out the scroll and placed it on the balcony.
"Such a dangerous object, I'll leave it here for you.. I wish you happiness, Lady.."
"What are you doing here? Hanazono!"
The Princess? Suddenly I heard screaming from her room. It was her scream. It seemed that her fiance broke into her inner part of her room. What happened to her? My feet were just like it was being tied down, couldn't move.
"We have yet to get married, we're not a couple yet. Didn't you return earlier?"
"Your shouts are futile, no one will come here, lady. I have already chased them away."
Why.. why was I hesitating? They were going to get married sooner or later. I was nothing but a thief, what can I do even if I symphatise with her plight.
"In the future, there will be chaos around. Choosing me as your husband will be beneficial to the Kougami family!"
Then, I couldn't think anything more. I instinctively rushed into the balcony and jumped to the window then opened the door that lead to the inner part. Her fiance looked so surprised yet furious. He pushed down the Princess roughly.
"Didn't I tell you not to enter? Who are you by the way?"
I ignored him. I walked towards the prince. "Lady, I'm here to kidnap you once again. I am still unable to let go of beautiful things."
She remained expressionless. I thought I lost hope when suddenly I saw tears dripped down her pale white skin. "Foolish man. why is your reaction so slow?" said the Princess, and that with that teary eyes she gazed upon me. Again, with that fierce look. "I need to uphold the Kougami family!"
But, unknowingly, her fiance had already took out the bow and aimed to my direction behind her. "Damn it! Who are you?" and then everything became like in a slow motion. He pulled the arrow, and the princess shouted "Stop it!" then she ran towards me.
"What..!" I shouted as she fell down towards me. The arrow in her back, her blood was dripping in both of our clothes. I held her body to prevent her from moving so carelessly.
"La.. la.. Lady!!" her fiance screamed. I looked down to her pale face. Her breath became uneven, her hands started to become cold.
"What happened to the unfeeling side of you, you switched too fast. Why did you have to save me?"
"Haha. I only.. did what I wanted to do, that's all. At that moment, I had live as freely as you did." she answered in faint voice. Then she turned up her face, and her bloody hand graced upon my face. "Kuronekomaru, let me ask you..."
"What is it?"
She smiled widely for the first time. "Are you.. the kind man the dragon god granted me?" then her hands falls off. The body weighed up in my hand. I was shocked.
"Lady! My lady!"
Her blood dripped down on the scroll. Suddenly it rolled up across the room, and that it shines so brightly. The scroll opened and a giant dragon showed up before me.
"If the lady died, there would not be anyone left to carry the line for the Kougami family. I have to follow the agreement, and save her life. She who was burdened by her family background, and had no power to change anything. That pitiful lady use sincere heart to pray that I would change her fate..."
"D, dragon god!"
And then, the earth began to shook and crumbled.
"Foolish thief, I will punish you for stealing the lady's heart and in turn causing her death. For you, you have to dedicate your everything to the Kougami family, and protect her whole-heartedly in my place. This curse shall be passed on to the countless generations to come!"
Then a bright light shone, blinded my eyes till it hurts so much.
My mind became clearer. I looked on the body that sleeping soundly in my chest. I held the body, and then brought here to the futon.
"The lady has returned from the dead! The scroll, where is the scroll? Give it to me, you despicable thief!" screamed Master Hanazono. But I was just looking at him, with no feeling.
The next thing I knew, I just threw up his body to the river. I looked down on my hand, full of blood. I felt disgusted. This was a filthy blood. I quickly washed my hands on the river, and then heading back. To my young lady.
****
Sun was really so bright, but I could stand walking in the daylight. I came to the castle with the proper entrance. I walked down the same road, and stopped in front of that familiar balcony.
"..and Miss, a new housekeeper would like to give you his respect." I heard a sound of an old woman, and then sound of dashing feet, and then I saw her. Her vibrant and beautiful face under the sunlight now came before my eyes, and now filled with anxious. I knelt down.
"My name is Haya.. could you call me just by my name?" she said, in the most softest voice I ever knew. I bowed deeply.
"I am but a lowly servant that serves the Kougami family, I can only address you as "my lady"," I answered. And I could tell, that now she felt more anxious than before, but I just couldn't ask her why.
"Since I have taken your freedom from you, I would like to know your real name..."
I lifted my face up to her, and gave her my best smile I could afford to do. "Arashi. It is a wind that has found freedom, worth much more that a man who would swap his life for objects."
That anxious face slowly turned to relax. And then a color that stronger than the cherry blossom that fell around us, filled her cheek. I could feel now that those fierce eyes looked soft to me. "This is the first time that I'm looking at you under the sunlight......
....Arashi Kuroishi."
