Legends of Belariath
Kasumi
Kasumi's History
The sun rose gently over the hills of Kyoto. Hues of red and blue scattered around the plains like little sun worshipers they greeted the morning's warmth. A slight fog blanketed the hills as the morning dew melted in the sunlight. The sounds of the bustling city soon rose to a clamour as it came to life in much a similar fashion as the flowers.
The castle of Midori sat commandingly upon the highest hilltop in the Kyoto area. Banners of red hung out the windows with the Shinari family coat of arms proudly displayed upon them. It was the year of the monkey according to their calendar. And it was a joyous day indeed. The queen, Ayako Shinari, was about to have a child!
”Oh curse you Shinji! Curse you for doing this to meeeeee!!!” she screamed out from the bed chambers as the chamber maids tried desperately to keep the labored woman on the bed.
”calm down your majesty! Please, the baby is almost here just breathe!” one of the maids desperately tried to coax the Queen.
Though it wouldn’t help much as she continued to spout forth curses that King Shinari had never heard from his wife's lips. He smiled softly knowing that it was merely the pain that caused such horrendous words. He whispered softly with his brother, asking him if this was normal behavior.
”Hahaha of course it is old brother!” Haritai told his younger brother as he slapped him on the back. “You’re a father now and things will most certainly be different!” Shinji blushed and chuckled a little bit. He was nervous, here he was the king of the most powerful country in the East, having won several battles and wars. Yet it was also here that he was at his weakest. What was to come of the future? Who would his son be? Would he continue in his footsteps? Shinji couldn’t wait to teach his son the art of sword play! He couldn’t wait until he was standing much in the same spot as he was now, watching his wife give birth to their first born... Oh he was so close to having his first son!
”It’s a girl!” came the joyous cry of one of the chamber maidens. As she held the newborn babe.
Shinji's heart skipped a beat... A girl...? How could he have spawned a girl? This wasn’t right? He couldn't have his first born be a girl. Confused and bewildered he took the couple steps to his wife, who was being handed the newborn child.
”A girl...?” He asked his wife.
”Yes darling... isn’t it wonderful?! We can name her Kasumi!” the queen said with most divine motherly love. Yet Shinji looked disappointed. Surely it want his fault that they had a girl, it must have been Ayako's fault! Yes that was it, it was all Ayako's doing.
”Oh... Kasumi? Yes that sounds nice Ayako.” Shinji said a bit distracted.
******************** 7 years, and another daughter later *********
A flash of light streaked out from its epicenter as the air was slashed into pieces. “Haiya!” came a girlish shout. A loud clang and screech of metal on metal rung out in the courtyard of the castle. Shinji side stepped the little figure before him and parried the attack.
”No no, you have to attack from the opponent's flank. Strike them where they are not expecting it.” He told her. The little Kasumi looked to her father, her shoulders rising and falling quickly as she panted. Determined though she nodded and charged her father again! Her long red hair flayed out behind her as she turned her wakazashi, which at her size may as well be a katana, backwards. With a quick dash to the right she spun left and into her father.
Shinji blocked right, unprepared for the attack to the left, or was he? He easily lifted his vambrace in the way of the attack catching Kasumi's blade against the metal. “Better.” He told her. She continued her attack, grunting and crying out as she lashed at her father! But Shinji easily blocked each of the attacks from his 7 year old daughter.
Ayane, Kasumi's younger sister watched from the sidelines. Smiling happily as her sister tried to best their father. “Yeah get emm Kas!” she shouted to her sister as she continued to strike at her father quickly. Ayane and Kasumi did everything together. They shared a super tight bond that helped them through many trying times. Though, thanks to their father they never really did get much into the whole being princesses thing that their mother would have loved.
Instead of playing with dolls and tea parties, these girls were sharpening their family swords, and mastering their martial arts. A loud clang rang out through the courtyard. Kasumi's shouts and Ayane's encouragements echoed through the years...
****************** 10 years later *****************************
The moon shone upon Midori much as it had through the past 17 years of peace. A sweet tranquility as wisps of clouds occasionally shrouded the moon's light. Crickets chirped happily in the summer breeze through out the courtyards. Blissfully unaware of the actions that humans would take on a night like this.
Kasumi slept peacefully in her royal chambers. Happily enveloped in her silk sheets, dreaming of boys and swords. A smile on her features as everything was wonderful and glorious. She had mastered her wakazashi and impressed the hell out of her father. She had even beat him in recent days at a couple sparing events in the courtyards, much like they did over the past ten years.
Ayane had climbed up the charts in her skills as well. Being the only one to rival her older sister now in skill. She wouldn’t let her sister beat her at anything. Though Kasumi continually teased Ayane about being the younger sister, she loved her dearly, a feeling which was mutual between the sisters.
It was not to last though. A shadow crept through the royal Castle, dead guards lay silently with their throats cut. The assassin moved with an intimate knowledge of the castle. He knew where every guard was and where every sound trap lay. The castle's strong defenses were no match for this solitary warrior.
However, a guard had left his post as mother nature had called to him. The assassin was confused and looked for him, but did not see him. Damn it all he thought to himself as he tried to find the missing guard.
”Oh hello there, I didn’t think you were coming here until next month.” The missing guard said seeing the man in black in the hall. The assassin smiled softly and thrust his hand out before him. Tiny needles flung from his hand into the guard's neck cutting his wind pipe off. “Nnn!” he struggled for a short time as he fell to the floor. Making little more than a grunt.
The assassin smiled seductively to himself and moved into the main chamber where the king and queen slept soundly. He moved with silent grace through the chamber to the bed where both of them sleep soundly. He rose his sword above the form of Shinji. He couldn’t help himself this moment was too great... “And now your rule shall end!” He said aloud as he thrust the sword down into Shinji.
Shinji woke to immense pain as the sword thrust down into his heart. He grasped at the bloody sword and looked up to the owner of the blade with shock and amazement. He didn’t have the strength to shout as his life's blood seeped into the bed.
Ayako awoke to the commotion and saw what was happening to her husband. She shrieked in fright and stumbled out of the bed away from her mortally wounded husband. She knew the assassin, he was a family friend. She couldn’t believe it though and was stunned by it.
Kasumi awoke to her mother's scream. Startled she sprung out of bed wearing only her night shirt. She snagged her wakazashi up and dashed through the halls quickly. She leapt over the dead guards and knew instantly that there was trouble beyond her imagination.
Kas burst into her parents room just in time to see her mother get impaled on the same sword that killed her father. Blood was everywhere. And the Assassin was still there, pulling his sword out of her mother. Ayako looked to Kasumi with desperate eyes, extending a pleafull hand to her daughter as she collapsed to the floor.
”NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Kasumi shouted furiously. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she dashed into the room with pure unbridled abandon. Her wakazashi sung out of the sheath and clashed against the defensive move of the assassin.
Kasumi grunted as her attack was blocked and she dashed to the right. Spinning around her opponent and striking him again. But no matter how fast she was, he was one step ahead of her and there to block the attack.
Ayane heard the commotion from outside and rushed into the castle to find out what was going on. She had been outside studying the stars during all of this.
Kasumi panted as the battle raged on. She struck at him again and again, but the assassin remained one step ahead of her. Eventually though he got tired of her feeble attacks and parried Kasumi's sword to the side, disarming her.
Her eyes widened in fear as she watched her sword fly out of her hand and skid across the floor. It was her watching her blade leave her hand that caused her not to be prepared. A piercing sharp pain flooded her senses as she could hear the flesh of her shoulder give way to the persistence of the assassin's sword. She whimpered and winced in extreme pain, falling to her knees. and then to her back as she gripped her bleeding right shoulder.
”What .. why ... why did you... kill my parents! Damn you! Damn you to hell!” Kasumi shouted up to him as she lay on the floor bleeding.
”Hold your tongue cunt.” He glared down at the princess.
”Why Haritai! Why! He was your brother!!!” she cried out painfully. Haritai knelt beside Kasumi's bleeding form.
”Because I can. Kyoto will fall. And my brother's tainted line will end here tonight starting with you.” Haritai then took his sword and pushed it deep into Kasumi's throat. She yelped in pain as he did but her voice was soon cut off as the blade severed her vocal chords. Satisfied with her demise he stood up and wiped his blade clean in her hair. He laughed sinisterly and leapt onto the bed and then the window sill opening the window to go find that missing sister of Kasumi's.
Ayane burst into the room as the black cape fluttered out the window. She fell to her knees in shock and utter despair seeing her mother and father dead. There was blood everywhere, she cried out in terror screaming into the night. A bloody hand raised into her blurry vision. Ayane gasped with amazement! Her sister was still alive!
Ayane raced to her sister's side and quickly, yet lightly tried to stop the bleeding of her sister's throat. She cried out into the night for help, over and over. Finally the soldiers had amassed and filled the royal chambers. Healers quickly came to Ayane's aide and helped Kasumi. Sealing the wound with their magics.
************ 3 years later **************
Ayane had blamed Kasumi for that night in the castle. If Kasumi had not been so proud of her skills then maybe their mother would at least still be alive today. If Kasumi would have just called the guards right away none of this would have happened!
The healers did everything they could for Kasumi but they could not repair her broken vocal chords. Their magical knowledge was limited in the area of repair. And never had anyone survived such a grievous wound before. Kasumi was now mute.
She struggled to learn how to communicate with out her voice and was often frustrated to no end. And with Ayane hounding her about that fateful night in the castle she could never get a moment's rest. Her sister had turned against her and took control of the kingdom in spite of Kasumi being the next to the throne. She had managed to convince the elders that a mute couldn’t run a country.
Eventually as the years passed the story went from Kasumi trying to save her parents to that Kasumi actually killed her parents. Ayane's rage continued and rose and deepened through the years. She loathed her sister now and was trying everything to make her life hell. She even went as far as to make her sister work in the kitchen with the other commoners.
Kasumi was powerless to stop her sister. On top of that no one would believe what she was writing as Ayane was a very good story teller and with each fabrication of the 'truth' her powers over the people grew. As Kasumi faded into the darkness.
She had to avenge her parents death and clear her name. Everyday she would wake up and pray for her vengeance. Until one night she realized she had to track Haritai down. She had no other choice.
Kasumi escaped into the darkness one night heading off to find her parents assassin. She would follow his trail for 2 years before finally tracking him down to The Lonely Inn.