Humayre: The Chronicles of Ronin Wilder
Chapter 20

Standing in line Ronin glanced around the General Store looking for where Grace might have run off to. She said she was going to get him liquid skin, but she’d been gone for at least fifteen minutes. The line had barely moved in the thirty minutes he’d been standing in it. At least fifteen people were in front of him. A sand clock was mounted to the wall above the checkout counter. It was a mystery he couldn’t solve, no matter how long he looked at the blasted thing.

The line moved forward. Using his foot he pushed his hand basket full of supplies until it was right behind the student in front of him. The basket was heavy. When they first arrived at the general store Ronin immediately went to look for basic school supplies. As he stood staring at paper, pens and notebooks, Grace jumped in front of him grabbed a pen, a single notebook and threw it in his basket. She then led him to the medical supplies section where she filled his hand basket with all sorts of bandages and ointments. Afterwards she led him to the line and told him he was good on supplies, minus one thing she forgot.

As Ronin looked into his basket he wondered, or more accurately feared, why he would need that much medical stuff.

“We’re going to be late,” said the girl standing in front of Ronin. She was talking to a blonde girl standing in front of her.

“Great,” said the blonde girl. “Master Kita is going to make us do defensive counters till our hands bleed.”

“Yeah.” sighed the girl in front of Ronin.

A firm grasp on Ronin’s shoulder caused him to turn around. He was expecting to see Grace. A smile inadvertently formed on his face.

“Wow,” said Ryan. “You are a freak. What are you part dog or something?”

Ronin pulled away. His eyes slanted in anger. He was shocked to see Ryan and didn’t have a rebuttal to his insult.

Ryan stepped close, his face was only a foot from Ronin’s. “Did you hear the good news?”

Ronin didn’t say a word. He was mad that he didn’t smell the jerk coming. One of the downsides to focusing on one stimuli at a time. It was easy to miss something as obvious as the oily stink of Ryan’s hair.

“Your parents have been deemed traitors,” said Ryan. His smile was as genuine as they came. “Apparently new evidence came up. New evidence that was brought to light by you.” He laughed as patted Ronin on the shoulder.

The letter Mr. Wetstone confiscated and the medallion in the painting Ronin pointed out. That’s what Ryan must’ve been talking about. It was all his fault. Ronin felt sick to his stomach.

“This is just too funny,” said Ryan. “Your parents are traitorous scum and you betrayed their secret.” He licked his lips. No one ever looked so happy. “So what’s that make you? No wait. Let me answer. A traitor to his own parents. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, now does it.” His forced laughter was both humiliating and infuriating to Ronin.

The kids in line ahead of Ronin turned around to see what the commotion was about. Everyone was listening. Ronin wanted to crawl under a rock.

“Since you are nothing but a traitorous Freshy who has no idea how we do things around here, I’ll fill you in on what’s going to happen next.” Ryan took a step back and folded his arms. “First, they will change the Wilder house name. Next they will remove their memorial. And last but not least.” He shook his head. “This is just too good.” He smiled and laughed. “They will destroy all their paintings. It will be as though they never existed as far as BrightWood is concerned.”

Grace walked up right next to Ronin, he barely noticed her.

Looking at Grace and then to Ronin, Ryan said, “Oh wait. I almost forgot the best part.” He chuckled as he slapped his leg. “Oh this is just too good. You are going to be put on probation. If you so much as breathe in the wrong direction, they can expel you.” He patted Ronin on the shoulder, blew Grace a kiss and left. As he exited the general store, he said, “Best start to the day ever.”

Grace stretched her hand out to comfort Ronin but pulled it back before she touched him. “I’m so sorry.”

Ronin shook his head. “It’s all my fault.”

“You can’t blame yourself.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Everything.”

“Then you know it was my fault. They never would have put anything together if I didn’t bring it to light, as Ryan pointed out.” He rubbed his hands through his hair, paying extra mind not to scalp himself with his claws. “Everyone is going to see me as a traitor now too.”

“The Wilder’s are famous, everyone knows their story and most never believed the accusations made against them. But good or bad you are not your parents,” said Grace. “I’m not saying they were traitors. But if they were, you are not them and people who matter will know that.”

“They aren’t traitors. I know they’re not. They would never help anyone like the Vein. They were good people. I remember them and they were not monsters.”

“Maybe you could talk to Mr. Wetstone. Maybe you could explain to him what you know about them. If they aren’t traitors, then the truth should be told.”

“That’s a good idea.” Ronin looked desperate. “Maybe if I explain to him how they really were, he will investigate more.”

“Maybe. In the meantime. You need to be careful. Don’t give them any reasons to question your character. They will be watching you like a hawk now. BrightWood tolerates nothing but absolute loyalty.”

Ronin nodded. “Okay.”

Standing before Master Kita with hands bleeding and a red welt just below his right eye, Ronin wondered if the day could get any worst.

First period Intro had been an utter disaster. He had been thirty minutes late, which Mrs. Bar found unacceptable. Grace even tried to calm her down as she reprimanded Ronin for his tardiness, but it didn’t work. It only got Grace in trouble as well. The next hour of class comprised of dirty looks from Mrs. Bar coupled with horrific imagery of Vein brutality and end of the world scenarios in which the Vein unite and destroy everything. Every story and every picture reminded Ronin that BrightWood thought his parents were just as monstrous as the Vein. Almost all his classes had been the same. It was as though the teachers all got the memo that Ronin was born from a traitorous line of monsters. The only class he liked was Beginning Sword Techniques and that was because Cyrus was the teacher.

And now, there Ronin stood, his bokken in hand, blood saturating the wood where he gripped it. His eye throbbed, his head ached and his heart was heavy. Basic Dueling, the name of Master Kita’s class. There was nothing basic about it. At least not for Ronin. Master Kita was making an example out of him. Ronin could only guess that it was because of his parents.

“Grip your sword tight,” said Master Kita. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

Tightening his grip Ronin cringed and almost dropped his bokken. Every time he strengthened his grasp his claws dug into his palms. The grip diameter was too narrow.

The students stood in a circle around Ronin and Master Kita. Kevin watched in horror as his friend bled all over the stone floors.

Master Kita lunged forward. His bokken came down in an overhead cut. It was so fast Ronin didn’t see it coming. The wood connected with Ronin’s shoulder. The pain was sharp and precise. It drove Ronin to the ground. His bokken bounced off the floor and slid into one of the watching students.

“Your reflexes are slow,” said Master Kita. He turned away from Ronin and faced the surrounding students. He held his bokken in one hand at his side. The bottom of his black kimono slid across the floor as he walked. “You might as well quit Ronin. The life of the sword is not for you.”

Ronin lifted himself from the cold floor. He staggered to where his bokken lay and picked it up. He grasped it with two hands and grimaced as his claws pierced into the flesh on his palms. “No sir.”

The torch light flickered off the highly polished stone floors. The dimness in the room confused Ronin’s sensitive eyes. They seemed to want to focus in the dark but then the torchlight seared his pupils as though he were looking at the sun. The effect was dizzying.

Master Kita turned and faced Ronin. The scowl on his face was horrifying. Ronin thought for sure he might kill him. It didn’t matter though. He wasn’t going to quit. Master Kita would have to bludgeon him into oblivion before he would ever quit. He held his sword with two hands and spread his legs apart just as Master Kita had shown him.

“Obstinate Dog!” shouted Master Kita.

Ronin had no idea what the crazy man was talking about. At first it scared him. But anger quickly overran his fear. Ronin had done nothing to deserve the beating Master Kita was dolling out to him. His eyebrows furrowed. The pain vanished from his hands. The skin on his knuckles became taught. The claws dug deep into his palms. He stepped forward. His eyes locked on Master Kita’s.

Master Kita lunged forward. He thrust the tip of his Bokken at Ronin’s head. Ronin tilted his sword and raised it up just as Master Kita had taught him. But Master Kita pulled his bokken back before Ronin could block his strike. Master Kita ducked low and spread his legs out wide. With one arm he slashed his Bokken across his body striking Ronin’s ribs.

A cracking sound filled the air. As loud as the noise was to everyone else, it was even louder inside Ronin’s head. It felt like his ribs were breaking as the bokken slashed across his midsection. The wind was knocked from his lungs and the room dimmed. He gasped out but could catch no relief. Below his feet a bokken caught his eye. It was his. He didn’t even realize he dropped it. The room grew darker. Kevin ran straight for him. But before Kevin could make it to Ronin, Master Kita caught him with a round house kick to the midsection. Kevin hit the ground holding his stomach and slid a few feet from Ronin. Once again, Ronin’s attempt to fill his lungs failed. He fell to his knees.

Master Kita stood over Ronin. He placed the tip of his bokken on Ronin’s chest. “You have no chance here. No matter how hard you try, you will never pass my class. If you choose not to quit this is what you have to look forward to every day.” His scowl softened. “So I am giving you one more chance. Admit your weakness and I will let you leave in one piece.”

Ronin pulled his gaze from off the floor. He found Master Kita’s piercing brown eyes. The strength in his neck was all but gone. He was barely able to hold his chin up. With his last bit of strength he said, “No sir.”

“Dog!” yelled Master Kita. His eyes furrowed. Rage contorted his normally wrinkle free face. His teeth flashed in an angry grimace. He shook his head. “We will see how you feel in a month. You will be begging me to let you quit. But you will receive no mercy from me.” He turned and walked back to the center of the room.

“Yes sir,” said Ronin. He collapsed on to his back. His lungs were finally able to suck in a gulp of air.

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