Chapter/Volume 1

Volume 1
-A fathers death-
>It was one year ago that my father died.
>Our Daimyo led us to battle against the Ashika
>We managed to maintain our land and fight back the Ashika, but my father was nearly taken.
>As he was being taken, he drew his second sword and split his belly.
>He was left to rot.
>I found him the next day.
>Kneeling lifeless I knew what he had done. Seppuku.
>His beautiful sword had been taken and all that was left was the weapon that had caused his death.
>I removed it and took his sheath.
>This was all I had left of him. All my mother and sister had left of him. Our only link to him.
Akira> Ronnin!!!
Ronnin>Akira! Over here!
Akira> Father...*cry*
Ronnin>Do not weep for him. He was weak.
Akira> How can you say that? Father was an honorable man.
Ronnin>Honorable? A man who leaves his family to fend for themselves has no honor. All he cared about was himself.
Akira> Father did what he was supposed to. He did what he was taught. He did it to save his honor.
Ronnin> You will never understand Akira. They have already convinced you that we live only to die. I know better. I won't let that happen to me.
Akira>*slap* How can you say that!? Go back to the house and tell Mother what has happened to Father.
-Return to house-
Ronnin> Mother!?
Yumi>In here Ronnin.
Ronnin> I found Father. He was dead on the battlefield. Seppuku.
Yumi> It was as I had feared. At least he has fallen with his honor intact.
Ronnin> You and Akira are one in the same! How could you all say these thing!? He has killed himself and left us alone. He was more worried about his own shame then our entire lives!
Yumi> *hit* How dare you say that!!! Do you have no respect!?
Ronnin> I have respect, but only for honorable men. Those that put others before themselves. Not men who would rather kill themselves and leave their families behind then live in shame with the ones they love.
Yumi> Leave... leave at once! I never want to see you here again or I swear, I will kill you myself!
-Leaving Land-
Akira> Ronnin, where are you going?
Ronnin> I have told Mother what I told you and she has sent me away, never to return.
Akira> No Ronnin. You can't leave. I don't care what I said before, your still my brother.
Ronnin> I must go. Don't you see? It isn't just mom. I need to leave this place. There's nothing here for me anymore. I will never delve deeper into my Samurai training, Know that I have realized the truth. I have to leave you.
Akira> If you must go, take me with you.
Ronnin> You are too young. You have to make your own opinion of the Samurai ways. I just hope that when you are older you realize what I have. I will return, but by that time, it will be your own opinion that decides whether you want to go with me or stay with the land. Goodbye sister *runs off*
Akira> No! Ronnin! Come back!

Prologue

My father was great warrior, skilled in battle. A great man, with a wife, me and my sister. Now, he is no longer with us.

Why? He was a samurai. Their ludicrus, sensless feudal code: virility, simplicity, politness, fidelity, and most important of all, honor. Honor was above all else. To be maintained no matter the cost. No matter the cost.

For my father, the cost was his life. Seppuku, ritual suicide, would be his end. He was taught from childhood on, that it was better to die in honor than to live in the shame of defeat, but to me, he is more shamed now than ever in life. He left my mother, my sister, and myself alone. He chose the cowards way out, not the honorable way. He was selfish. So he would not be ashamed, we all suffer.

I cannot blame him entirely. It was what he was taught; he knew nothing else. But I refuse to let the same happen to me because of what our Lords call honor. I refuse to let the Daiymos go unpunished.

Kumori Musha

This is my script (if you can call it that) for a manga/comic/flash/any media platform. It is obviously not professional or anything, and I know it needs some (alot) of work, but that is what you are reading it for. Feel free to leave commments, suggestions, or even discuss if you want to be an artist for the story (I have no preference of age, I am only 15). If you want to contact me directly, send an e-mail to KumoriMusha@yahoo.com. I just really wanted to get this out there to see if I am the only one that is into this story. Hopefully others will be to, and maybe, just maybe, a artist will come by and see my work. The posts that follow this are the raw unfinished dialogue, with a few action discripters thrown in, hopefully, for your entertainment.