Up north, in one of the few somewhat habitable places in Zou, Leonin and Tabaxi, a subspecies of skinwalkers, formed 5 different villages that work together to assure survival and prosperity. The SnowMane, one of those 5 lands, was established long ago and was currently the centre and core of this tiny kingdom. They had somehow been able to create a peaceful-ish village in such grim conditions. There were no wars nor attacks, as it was well protected by sturdy walls and hurdles, in the middle of the mountains, guarded by innumerable strong warriors. But being peaceful doesn't make it boring, as there was no rule that prohibited fights, in fact, quite the opposite. A child in this village does not behave as most children do, they are much more violent than other species. The SnowMane is a village of warriors and the Leonin are a race that behaves as such, entertaining themselves by fighting, most of the time. This means that, from the moment they can walk or, in some cases, crawl, Leonians fight … and fight ... and fight ... and fight, without ever getting tired of it. Instead of playing with toys or dolls, a Leonian child plays with swords or their claws. Even their sports involve some fighting. Perhaps that is why they all become such strong warriors.
Most male Artic Leonin are born with greyish skin and a somewhat white mane but Majeh, as he was named by the village Great Elder, was gifted with perfect, tough, resistant and beautiful silver skin and a mane as white and clear as snow. Not only did he look different from the moment he was born, as he also had a lot of potential with his extraordinary strength, acceleration and constitution. Afterall, an apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as his parents were the strongest of the SnowMane for quite a few decades. The Leonin usually try to mate with the strongest partner they can find, mostly ignoring love, emotions, beauty or romance. They focus mainly on attraction, and they are only attracted to strength. So, it's not that strange to believe that the two strongest in the whole mane would get together and have a child. Or a bunch of them… Although they have a harder time reproducing and conceiving, once a Leonin is able to get pregnant, they don't have only one single child but, instead, they have a litter with more than two kids and, usually, less than five. Once a Leonin gets pregnant, it takes around 5 years until it is time for the birth, and it is highly unlikely for a Leonin to become pregnant twice in their lifetime.
Moraa and Bratool had already given birth once before, so everyone was extremely surprised when they announced they had gotten pregnant once again, only about a year after she had given birth to their first children. Majeh was part of their second litter, being their fifth child, the oldest of the three newborns that had recently joined the mane. As such, Majeh was good enough to be treated as a talented prodigy but not enough to be treated as the next leader in the making, like his older sister Maya. Not long after giving birth to them, Moraa decided to stop going on adventures throughout the continent and accepted that she shouldn't push her responsibilities any further. It was her time, so she officially became the village chief, as Bratool become her Vice-Chief. Ever since, the elders have been paying special attention to their offspring, in hopes of creating more responsible leaders. They are focusing mostly on Maya, but also on the first litter, as she will need equally capable people to support her.
Unlike some of his older brothers and sisters, Majeh had no interest in neither leadership, knowledge, management nor anything else that was not directly connected with fighting. He considered all of it boring. He only focused on strength and family. Fortunately for him, the Silverclaw family was big enough that it would be almost impossible for him not to get along with anyone. Besides his parents, he lived with three older sisters, one older brother, one brother and one sister from the same litter as him, and two adopted kids that his mom had picked up during her latest travels, Flash and Kaiou. Most families in the village weren't this big, having only around 4 or 5 members in their household. The Silverclaw family had almost 3 times the regular amount.
The harsh conditions make sure to eliminate the weaker babies but, due to their great genetics, all of the kids in this household were able to survive without much trouble. Even Flash and Kaiou have great genes as they were "acquired" from the greatest fighters from their original villages, the Chiefs of the GoldenMane and LoudMane. Moraa was able to convince these warriors into a duel where the winner would choose what they wish to take. Moraa was obsessed with strength and genetics, so she wanted even more strong children. However, even if they are only attracted towards strength, after they accept each other, a Leonin should remain faithful until death, so there was no way she would have a child of another man, even if it was possible to get pregnant once again. She came to the conclusion she simply had to take them by force. Because the Leonin she was facing weren't particularly affectionate with their children, they agreed with the bet, not considering the possibility of defeat.
With such a big family and different personalities, the children started creating sides, as two forces arose within the Silverclaw family:
- those who followed Maya, the oldest and strongest sister, with a calm and cold manor and personality, focused on reaching her objectives, gaining strength and learning all she needs to one day replace her mother as the village chief. On the orderly group were the remaining 3 elder siblings and the youngest sister. The members of this group were typically more well-behaved, had a more amicable relationship with the elders and spent most of their days following Maya on her training and classes, trying not to be left behind.
- those that followed Majeh, the one with the most fighting potential, extremely carefree and unpredictable, focused on having fun and protecting those closest to him, constantly breaking the rules and getting punished for it. On the rowdy group were Majeh, his younger artic brother Torou, his desert brother Flash and his jungle brother Kaiou. The members of this group were seen as the village ruffians or delinquents, as they had a hard time following rules and were constantly trying to skip classes.
Tourou, like his other brothers, has blueish skin and a snow-white mane. He took after his father, Bratool, so he was quite thinner and smaller than Majeh, showing greater speed, agility, acceleration, dexterity and flexibility.
Flash has a similar build to Tourou, competing with him in almost every single chance they have, distinguishing himself by his yellowish skin and golden mane.
Kaiou was even larger than Majeh. Even as a child, he was already around the same size as most adult Leonin. With this size also came tremendous strength, although he was much slower compared to everyone else.
Although they were still half-a-dozen years younger, Majeh's team overall strength could almost rival the other team due to their great compatibility and any flaws that they might show would be suppressed by Majeh's battle prowess. He might be naive, impatient and perhaps even a little bit slow in certain aspects, but he can easily be considered a genius almost anywhere due to his fighting prowess.
Even so, this still wasn't enough to gather the interest of the elders, as his big sister was pretty close in terms of fighting potential. She had a little more agility and speed, with lower strength and resistance compared to Majeh. However, unlike him, she had the perfect profile to lead the next generation, so the elders preferred putting all their eggs in her basket, giving her as much support as they could. Leonin aren't treacherous characters, so they wouldn't do anything underhanded to hinder Majeh. The worst they could do was not support him. But Majeh preferred being free than a restricted protegee. He was happier this way and could maintain a healthy relationship with his sister… and by healthy, I mean a relationship where both of them are constantly fighting each other, in the hopes of becoming stronger, enjoying the thrill that comes with each one of those fights.
As the child with the most potential, although the village didn't have many children to begin with, Majeh is destined to become a great warrior. As such, he gains the right, or duty depending on the point of view, to learn several skills from the village elders, such as learning the story of the world, learning a little about the most common races and tribes, how to speak, write and read the common and the feline tongue. Common tongue was spoken around most of the world, so most children learn it at a young age too, and the feline language was what they used in their village, as well as in the other Prides.
Most tribes value their strongest warriors, trying to protect them and keep them within the village, but the SnowMane like to set them free in the world and let them grow, teaching the whole world how great the Leonin truly are. This tribe in particular is hidden faraway in the mountains so they can't exactly receive many foreigners. The Leonin are usually cold and suspicious towards other races, so, even if someone is able to reach the tribe, they probably wouldn't be that well received.
Nevertheless, the Leonin still wish to become legendary, so they release their greatest male warriors into the world, in hopes they can become legends themselves. The Leonin are a race that dreams to one day rival the gods, as they believe that a race as strong as theirs does not need to worship any other creatures. A race that is already on top of the world does not need to follow anyone. As such, they wish to be the source of such great and fantastic acts that they can replace Gods in the people's minds. They wish to create a legend so great that it can rival the tales of the Deities. So, they care more about glory and stories than actually growing and thriving as a whole nation. That is why the village has existed for several centuries, but nothing has changed.
The village is still hopeful and is waiting for their next big legend to come, as they keep sending their strongest warriors into the world. Several stories have already been created about the Leonin and, a couple centuries ago, a great warrior from the SnowMane was actually able to wreak havoc in the world, making the whole tribe proud, as he is now what most children in SnowMane village wish to become. He is their final goal. But this occurred once, several centuries ago. About 7 out of 10 warriors that leave the village do not come back, be it because they like to travel throughout the world, they have found another Leonian tribe and are currently living there or simply because they were not strong enough to survive the crueler world outside.
Either way, few warriors ever come back, but the ones who do are able to become village elders. Right now, there are only about twenty of them, with the strongest one being a level 13 Barbarian and the weakest a level 8 Fighter. These Elders rule the village together with the Snow Guardians, the female best warriors that stay in the tribe to protect it from outsiders. To join one of these you need to reach, at least, level 10, with the current leader being a level 14 monk, the third most powerful being in the whole tribe, Theages, only behind Moraa and Bratool. The SnowMane village tends to consider the females as the most promising leaders, which is why they encourage the females to stay in the village and take less risks, as they push the males to travel outside, in hopes that one of them can reach new highs. This was also why a lot of the elders were not particularly fond of Moraa and her ways. Since she was really young, she was favored to be the leader, as there were no other females with as much potential as her. However, she refused to stay still, as she kept accompanying Bratool on his voyages. Now, they wouldn't take any chances with Maya, which is why they were so focused on the way she was being raised.
The Leonians tend to reject Gods and are usually incapable of powerful magic, as such, they usually prefer to become Fighters, Barbarians or Monks, with the occasional Rogue or Ranger.
Majeh is being taught by his aunt Hera, a level 11 Fighter. She taught him how to wield a long sword and how to make use of his strength, speed and flexibility. She also tried to teach him as much about the real world as she could, but whenever she started speaking for a bit too long, he would sidetrack and look far away, onto the horizon. Usually, he would only snap out of it after getting hit in the back of the head. It was due to this attention deficit that his life changed.
One day, they were travelling in a forest close to the mountains, as she was telling him everything he needed to know to survive in similar places. He started listening really attentively but, after 10 minutes, he just started looking elsewhere, just lost in thought. He felt like his bladder was pretty full, so he silently went to a nearby bush, to avoid having to start the lesson from the beginning once he was done. After the deed, he went back to where he was, but no one was there.
He looked around but he didn't find any trace of his teacher. However, he did not freak out. As a warrior, he was taught to never let fear dictate him, so he simply calmed himself down and started walking forward. He couldn't find his teacher, so he simply decided to go back to his village. The Leonin are a race with a great sense of direction. They had left the village for about one month, but it's only been 3 days since they left the mountains, so he was sure he could go back by himself. He kept confidently walking, without ever looking back … for 7 days. He still had no trace of the mountains and even the extra rations he was carefully saving were already gone.
He tried to climb up to the top of the tallest trees, but the higher branches were too weak for his weight, so they broke the moment he tried to climb them. If he didn't have cat-like instincts and grabbed a nearby branch, he would have fallen and become seriously injured, if not dead, as the trees in this forest go as high as the eye can see. With all his Leonian pride it was hard to admit, but he had no idea where he was. As far as he knew, he could have already gone past Aincrad, but he couldn't turn back until he found the proper trail. If he went to Zou without knowing exactly where he was, he would undoubtedly get lost in the mountains and die due to the harsher climate. He only needed to find something he knew, and he would be able to get back home. He wasn't even sure why, but something kept telling him to keep going, to keep moving forward, that he would eventually find what he needed.
Two months passed by, and his hunger just kept increasing. In fact, the only reason he was still alive is because he kept eating whatever fruits he recognized and, about one month ago, he found a big lake where he was able to restock himself with water, after satisfying his thirst. It was such a big lake that he couldn't even see the end of it. The only reason he called it a lake instead of a sea is because it didn't taste like salt water. This time, he optimized his rations and only ate when he had no choice. Still, his hunger was all he could think about. He had left the forest some time ago, so he couldn't even find enough fruits or vegetables to fill his stomach.
He was still following the trail around the lake, so thirst wasn't a problem but there wasn't any fish near the shore. He once went for a swim, in search of small fishes, but all that he could find was a shark. The creature was still far away when he noticed it, but it was still able to close such long distances in less than a minute, almost taking a bite out of him. If he hadn't been swimming close enough to the shore, the big cat would have been a snack for it. Ever since, he never dared swim in that lake again. According to his experiments, it was safe to fill his bottle on the lake, but he couldn't go too deep in or else he would be risking never getting back to land.
Just as his legs were about to give out, he could see a big warthog in the distance. He was unsure of whether he should attack it or run away, as his hunger was high, but his strength was low. He noticed that the creature seemed to have strong muscles, so Majeh was ready to turn the other way, as he didn't have the strength to fight it right then. If he was in good shape, the animal would not allude any significant danger, but in his condition it would be too risky.
However, after all the time he spent calculating and debating, he grasped that the creature didn't even notice him and was too preoccupied with something else. Majeh recognized that his hunger was at its peak, and if he didn't take this chance, he might not have another, not knowing for how long he could stay alive.
He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, strapped on his back, lowered his center of gravity, and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and the moment he opened them he was already dashing towards the pig, approaching from its left side. When he got close enough, his sword flew directly from his back towards the boar's neck. The warthog seemed to notice it only when it was already too late. When it finally grasped what was happening, its head was already on the floor, as its body flopped to the side.
Majeh took another big breath, strapping his sword on his back once again. His knees fell to the ground as he no longer had the strength to stand up. He drinks a little bit of water and is able to calm himself down. This was the first creature he was able to kill. The point of the original trip was to hunt but he wasn't supposed to be as hungry nor weak as he is right now. But still, he was able to do it and take the first step towards becoming a proper warrior.
Suddenly, he starts hearing some weird noises. The noises seem to be close by, but he can't seem to find anything weird or suspicious. No other creatures appear in his sight, besides the pig's corpse. Until he looks at the ground near him, in the direction of the hog's head. Its body is still on the ground, but its head is trembling nonstop, and the weird noises come from it.
He screamed and jumped back, with his fur standing up and all of his claws penetrating the ground. He seemed more like a cat than a lion humanoid at this point. He had previously heard of ghost and undead, but this would be his first time dealing with it.
Before he is able to calm himself, the hog's mouth opened up and a small creature came out of it. It was so fast that he wasn't even able to properly see what it was. He calmed himself and searched his surroundings, looking for the creature. Eventually he found it. The creature was not a bird nor an insect, but it seemed like a little winged elf girl, with green wings, long messy blond hair and pointy ears, wearing baggy, stained and torned white clothes.
She seemed a little out of breath and agitated, which seems acceptable, given the circumstances.
Majeh waits a little bit, to calm his mind, and finally breaks the awkward silence.
Majeh: … Ok… what is going on?
The little elf girl was still catching her breath, so she took a little longer to answer.
Sora: …Ahhh…ahhhh… ahh… Hi there… Thanks … for the help …. Ahhhh… I thought … I was going to die … ahhh
Majeh: … You're welcome? I guess…
Sora: … Ahhh … you seem a little confused …. Let me explain. I was travelling through these lands when I found a little baby bird on the ground. She seemed to have fallen, somehow, and wanted to go back up but she still couldn't fly. I couldn't let such a poor creature suffer in front of my very eyes, so I was going to help her immediately but, before I could, a big warthog started running towards it. I didn't have enough time to think, so I simply threw my spear at his head and killed it. Afterwards, I flew the baby bird back to her nest and went looking for my spear, as it was the only weapon I had. When I finally found it and went to get to it, another warthog, hidden inside the bushes, jumped towards me. I wasn't able to feel his presence before and I still had not picked up my weapon, so I didn't have the chance to defend myself. He smacked me with the side of his head and took advantage of the situation to try to eat me, putting my whole body inside his mouth. Even though I didn't have my weapon, I still had enough strength to stop him from chewing me. However, I don't know for how long I would be able to hold him back, so thank you. Had you not appeared … I might already be dead at this point.
Majeh: Oh … well, no need to worry. As long as you have no problems with me eating this pig right here, then we shall call it even!
Sora: Never mind this pig, you can even have the other one I killed for all I care. I don't eat meat either way, so you don't have to worry about it.
Majeh: Really? How can you not eat meat? It is so delicious!
Sora: It has something to do with my race and the way I was raised. To be honest with you, I don't really remember much from my childhood. My first vivid memory is waking up inside a nearby tree. I don't really know why, but anything before that seems to be a little fuzzy. It even hurts if I try too hard to remember. So, I have been looking around, searching for clues about who I might be, but, so far, 4 months have passed, and I have already looked everywhere around this place, unable to find anything useful. In fact, you are the first humanoid creature I even found… I have been alone this whole time…
Majeh looks at her with a glimpse of sadness and affliction. He has only been alone for 2 months and he has already felt the hardships of solitude, so he can only fear how much this little girl, that seemed to be the same age as him, has suffered, being alone for double that time, without any idea of where she came from or where she needs to go.
Majeh: Well, at least you are not alone now. I am here with you. I am Majeh of the SnowMane! Nice to meet you.
Sora seemed a little surprised by his reaction, showing a slight smile across her face. He was the first creature she met for a long time, so she wasn't sure of what to do.
Sora: Oh right, silly me. I am Sora from …. I don't know exactly…
Majeh laughs and says not to worry, as they would eventually find something. Sora takes him to where she killed the other warthog, removing the little spear from its head. It was a little spear, the size of a pencil, carved out of wood, with a sharpened rock on one end, fused together with some sort of improvised rope. She probably had to make it herself to survive in this place. They talk about the next course of action and Majeh convinces her to keep walking forward. Sora had no place to be and Majeh didn't like to travel alone, so, for the time being, they decided that they should go together.
They kept moving forward, using the lake as a compass. They knew that, if they kept going forward, they would eventually find something, and the lake was the best way to make sure they stayed alive. Sora could feast on the little fruits of the bushes around the lake and use her small size to lure in other creatures for Majeh. She was less than 20cm tall, so she seemed like the perfect target for several creatures looking for a snack. On the other hand, Majeh was only 1.50m but still had this dangerous vibe around him, so most animals would avoid confronting him directly. Just by looking at him they could tell that he wasn't going to be easy prey and if they attacked him, they might turn from predators to prey in a matter of seconds. They kept this symbiotic relationship for several months, eventually becoming as close as brother and sister. Their previous agreement was no longer temporary, as Majeh had already promised Sora that he will never let her get away from him. She doesn't have any idea of where she needs to go, so they will live in the SnowMane tribe and, when the time comes, they will travel the world together. The Leonin are usually distrustful of other races but after they get to know her, he knew they would end up accepting Sora.
At this point, Sora spends most of the time sitting on Majeh's shoulder and, when she is too scared or tired, she uses his mane as her hideout. When it was time to sleep, Majeh would lay on a tree and she would stay the whole night inside his mane or on his arms, depending on what position they were sleeping in.
They reached a new forest while traveling and, little by little, they were starting to get used to it. This forest was a lot more dense and much more dangerous than the previous one, so they needed to be a lot more careful than they were used to. Every so often, they would provoke a dangerous beast and would have to run away. Majeh didn't like running away. As the proud warrior of the SnowMane tribe he is meant to become, he cannot refuse a challenge, but that does not mean he would just walk into his death. He is not a warrior yet, so he will leave those problems for the future him. It was at these moments that he questioned some of his village's teachings. If he found a creature much stronger than him, then why should he try to fight it? Life is more important.
They kept going deeper into the forest, never completely losing sight of the lake. They had created improvised backpacks to keep food and water, but those rations couldn't last forever, so they needed to know where they needed to go to get more.
One day, they were simply walking through the forest as they normally do, when Majeh started behaving in a strange way. His ears start tingling and his nose keeps twitching, sniffing the air.
Sora: Hey... Is everything alright Mah?
Majeh: shiiii! Just a second ….
After a couple of minutes, Majeh starts ruining, signaling Sora to hide in his mane.
Majeh (whispering): Sorry, Sou. I can hear someone speaking. It seems to be the common tongue. I think we finally found another humanoid. But he seems to be fighting against some strong beasts. He should be pretty strong, so we should be careful in case he doesn't see us in a good light. Not everyone is as open-minded about other races as you and I. My tribe is usually cautious about them and some of the older folks even hate certain species, like the Kitsune, Lycanthropes or Tritons, for some reason. The elders have taught me that there exist different types of people of every race, so I had no problem accepting you as my sister, but others might not do the same.
Sora seems to comprehend, as she hides herself in his mane and gets her spear ready in case the worst comes to happen. In only a couple of minutes, Majeh arrives at the location and sees several beasts on the ground. It was a bloody scene, with severed arms, legs, tooths ... all of it spilled everywhere. Just as he was investigating the scene, a blade surges from behind, only a few millimeters away from his neck. The blade was flying by itself, but Majeh still felt an amazing strength coming from it. He felt that if he made any sudden moves, his head would be the next thing to fall. He raised both his hands, in an act of surrendering, and called for the hidden warrior.
Majeh: Hello? I just wanted to see if you could help us.
Hidden figure: Oh … for someone with a blade on your neck you seem awfully calm.
Majeh: Well, even if this wasn't here, I wouldn't stand a chance against you. I can easily tell that much. I couldn't even hold a second against most of these beasts, but you were able to kill them without a single scratch, it seems. During which you probably even felt my presence and sensed that I was coming here. I just wonder why you decided to hide yourself… You have no need to, after all.
Hidden figure: Oh, you seem pretty smart. As a reward, I shall tell you the truth. While it is true that I felt your presence long ago, but i only noticed you once I realized you were coming closer. I couldn't tell exactly how strong you were because I was focusing on the fight. In fact, most people would have some trouble detecting someone's strength without seeing them … interesting. Well, I am Koruto Kanimaku, of Himeno village.
As the figure approached from the shadows, Majeh could finally see who he was talking to. A human male only a bit bigger than him, covered by a black cloak, shirtless, showing a muscular figure despite his thin frame. He was wearing a pair of wooden sandals and baggy, black pants made of silk, tied at the waist by a thick red rope. Even though his sense of fashion was at the very least questionable, what caught the most attention was his long vivid red hair, which seemed to amalgamate well with all the blood around him.
Majeh: Majeh Silverclaw, of the SnowMane.
Kanimaku: What about the small one hidden in your hair? Does he not have a name?
Majeh: I wasn't going to let her out until I was 100% sure you were safe, but it seems that now is as good a time as any …
Sora comes out of his mane. She wanted to come out a long time ago, but Majeh gave her a hidden signal to stay inside, but it would seem like Kanimaku still felt her presence.
Sora (fidgety): I am Sora …
Kanimaku: Worry not as I mean you no harm, young ones. Now, what did you wish to ask?
Majeh (kneeling): My original intention was to ask you where we are and for some directions... But now, I would like to ask you for an even bigger favor … if I may…
Kanimaku and even Sora seem a little confused.
Kanimaku: I have no trouble giving you some directions, as I do have some knowledge of this place, but what could the second thing be?
Majeh: Well, according to my estimations, these beasts are strong … a giant wild boar would even give some of the guardians in my village a little trouble… but you took care of all of them so easily, that I suppose that you should be around level 13 or maybe even 14?
Sora: Level 14 ??? Are you sure he can be so strong???
Kanimaku: Ohhh! You seem pretty smart, to have made such accurate deductions at your age…
Majeh: Actually, truth be told, I am pretty stupid in most cases, but whenever fights are involved, I seem to have a better understanding of my surroundings, and my brain seems to work much faster. My aunt says that is my battle instinct taking over.
Kanimaku: Interesting … Very well, young one. You are right, I am indeed a 14th level warrior. What do you wish to ask? Perhaps there is some creature you want me to kill? I am a little bored, so if it is strong enough, I might just agree.
Majeh: Actually… I was hoping that you could teach me some of your swordsmanship… I have a feeling that the fighting style they teach me in my village isn't the best for me and, although I wasn't able to see it, I was able to sense it. It was almost as if your swordstyle is calling for me. I think that your emphasis on speed, skill and focused strength rather than brute force would be a better fit for me, compared to what I can learn back home.
Kanimaku: I am sorry young one, but the way of the Samurai is not something that can be taught just like that. To learn this swordsmanship, you must commit yourself to follow the way of the Samurai and, believe me, you would have to follow several codes of honor. It might not seem like much right now, but you must not break them.
Majeh seems to stop, collect his thoughts and consider his options, before he finally responds.
Majeh: Is the way of the Samurai connected to the Gods?
Kanimaku: What do you mean, young one?
Majeh: What I mean to ask is if the Samurai follows a God that watches over him and, if he breaks an oath, he shall be punished by that same God. Does that happen?
Kanimaku: Well, a Samurai may follow any God he wishes, but he does not have to. The oath he makes is with himself and, if he breaks it, destiny itself will find a way to punish him. Some may even call it Karma.
Majeh: Oh, ok then. If I don't have to follow any God, then I am willing to.
Kanimaku: Very well. Then, as a Samurai, you must always live your life with honor. Do you think you can do that?
Majeh: I do.
Kanimaku: Then, as a Samurai, you must always do your best to protect the women, the children and the weak. Would you be able to follow these terms?
Majeh: I would.
Kanimaku: Then, as a Samurai, you must never tell a lie. Can you always stay truthful?
Majeh stops for a brief second, thinking of hypothetical situations, but stops himself.
Majeh: I can.
Kanimaku: Then, as a Samurai, you must always take good care of your sword. Will you always make sure of that?
Majeh: I will.
Kanimaku: Then, as a Samurai, you must never run away from a fight, no matter what. Is that possible for you?
Majeh seems to consider this question a little bit. This was also one of his village's teachings, but not one that he particularly agreed with.
Majeh: … it is.
Kanimaku: Then, as a Samurai, you must always be alone, deprived of friends or love, forever sleeping alone, so that you can focus only on perfecting your swordsmanship. Can you do that?
Majeh: …. That I cannot.
Kanimaku: Oh … how so?
Majeh: First, I promised Sora that I would never leave her behind. Second, I still have my brothers back home to whom I must return to. Third, in the distant future I wish to start a family. Forth, I believe in the strength as a group and not in the strength as an individual… With that said, I am sorry if I waisted your time then…
Sora started crying and flew back towards Majeh hugging one side of his chest, as that was as far as her arms would stretch.
Kanimaku starts laughing, approaches them and slaps Majeh's back, consoling the two kids.
Kanimaku: Those questions were only tests to see how much you would be able to let go to become strong. The truth is a Samurai must only stay true to oneself. Originally, Samurais had to put certain limitations on themselves and follow them but, as time went by, certain grey areas came up, as several warriors were forced to break one oath to keep another one. As such, the most important thing to become a Samurai is to stay true to yourself. Make sure all the things you do can be done with pride. You may not regret any major decisions. You may make mistakes, but you must accept the reason why you made that mistake. All actions you take must be to achieve something you find honourable. You must always remember this mantra. This is the true way of the sword.
Majeh: Then… does that mean you can make me a Samurai?
Kanimaku: Indeed, it does. But with due time. It will take at least two years to teach you the basics. According to what you said, you should have a place you wish to go… Can you push it back that far?
Majeh: The place I wanted to go to is my home, but I feel like being here for one or two more years would be much more beneficial. As such, I don't see any problems with it. I am sorry Sou. I know I promised to introduce you to everyone in the village, but it seems like that will take a little bit longer.
Sora: No problem Mah, as long as I am by your side I will not complain.
Majeh smiles and pets her head.
Kanimaku: Very well. We just have to perform a small ritual, as I accept you as my disciple and you accept me as your master and then I can start teaching you. But before that I must ask, how did a Leonin and a Sprite meet each other. You must forgive me, but you two make an extremely uncommon pair.
Majeh and Sora look at each other as if they both reached enlightenment, as if they had just figured something out.
Majeh: Well, she doesn't remember anything from her past, as her first proper memory is waking up in a forest nearby. It's like something is blocking out her older memories. Thanks to you, we just figured out she was a Sprite, as we have no idea where she came from.
Kanimaku: Interesting… Shame that is all I can tell as well … never mind then. Let's perform the ceremony. We both need to kneel down and say…
It took them the whole afternoon, but the ceremony was finally completed and Majeh and Kanimaku officially became disciple and master. Majeh was so excited that he couldn't wait until the beginning of the next day to start learning. He usually couldn't pay any attention to anything that involved learning or lessons, but anything that was directly related to fighting was always an interesting subject to him. As such, he kept attentively listening until it was time to rest.
After a week of constant teachings, Kanimaku informed them that they needed to start moving towards Himeno, his village. He needed to take the meat from the beasts they had seen him slaughter back to his village. He would also take the opportunity to grab some things from Wano for the two of them. Apparently, he had left to hunt and now was the time to go back, or else his village might start to starve. He put all the dead beasts on top of a wooden box that was being pulled by horses, and the three started walking towards the village next to it. On the way, Kanimaku kept repeating his lessons, adding notes and reviews, passing all his teachings on to Majeh again and again, until they were fully engraved on his mind. Occasionally they would stop and Majeh would try to put everything he has been learning into practice. While they were moving, Majeh would try and use the feet movements, falling down whenever he got one of them wrong, or he would swing his sword back and forth. Sora quickly got bored of not doing anything, so it didn't take that long for her to try and imitate Majeh, after all, she had listened to all of the same classes as him. Kanimaku gave her a small metal rod that he roughly sharpened into a small sword, so that she could proceed with the training.
Amid the voyage, a small black cat approached them, intrigued by their presence. Majeh welcomed the small animal, showing some affection by petting and playing with it, going as far as giving it a bit of his leftovers. The cat appreciated the food it received so much that it would not stop following Majeh. Every so often it would rub itself on his legs, showing its appreciation, and it would even disappear for a few moments before returning with a rabbit or a bird on its mouth, presenting it to him. Unknowingly, Majeh had formed a bond with the small cat.