Kuro: A Land in Eternal Night

Chapter 20.1: A Boy's Dream

It was a beautiful summer's day. The fields were green and lush, and the smell of flowers filled the air. The hot summer breeze blew through the valley, warming his cheeks, beckoning to him, luring him in with the promise of a newborn day. This, then to a young boy of seven, was happiness. There was no school today and he had been looking forward to spending the entire day outside, getting himself so dirty and grimy by the end of the day that his mama would yell at him again for being such a slob. But for a little boy, there was no better time than a hot summer's day.

The sun was already high up, taking its rightful place in a sky that was devoid of clouds this fine day. It stretched on and on like a beautiful azure sea. The boy lay on the ground for a while, letting his body feel the grass underneath him. There were bugs in the grass, but the boy didn't care. They crawled down his neck and into his shirt and he giggled as their tiny feet brushed against his skin. Sometimes they bit him, but he didn't care. He was a brave little boy and he was not afraid of many things.

In the village the other boys his age were too scared to scale the hills. He alone did it, bringing back fruit from the trees that only grew on the hills as proof. His mama scolded him and for weeks he was not allowed outside the house, so he thought that maybe it had not been worth it after all. But at the time, he had felt proud of what he did, and of the fact that he was the bravest boy in Kokoro village.

The sounds of summer filled the air – other children at play, birds chirping in the distance, the sound of the nearby river of Tennyo-gawa, its waters flowing on and on toward their destination. He hoped these days would last forever. He wanted to be like the river and the wind, free to travel as far as they wanted.

The boy felt the warmth of the sun on his cheeks as his gaze met the blue sky. It went on endlessly. He felt like falling into it and swimming in it, as if it were a sea on the other side of the world. On this delightful summer day, the sun was particularly beautiful, bathing the Kami valley with its warm glow.

The valley in turn gave back to the sun, showing it the full breadth of its splendor. Tall green trees rose up from the mountain's peaks, painting the countryside a rich, deep, green color. The river flowed through the valley, passing the three villages set up alongside its banks. The boy dreamed of one day walking though all three villages, heading south into the land beyond, where adventure waited.

Something caught his eye just then. A small branch had fallen from one of the trees. He stood up and went to it. It was a good branch, sturdy, slender, curved in an almost perfect arc. It was a great find. This was to be his katana. He dreamed of one day becoming a renowned swordsman, so that the world would know his name far and wide.

The boy looked around. The flowers were even more beautiful today than they were yesterday. The day was still young and his playmates were not here yet. He decided to do further exploration before they got here. Maybe he would be able to find the odd stone or rare flower, something from one of the mountains above, or perhaps an herb that only grew from one of the neighboring villages.

On an impulse, he ran through the fields, toward the mountains that surrounded the valley. Mama and Papa had always told him that it was dangerous that way and that boys shouldn't venture in that direction no matter how brave they were. On this day however, he felt that nothing could go wrong. It took about an hour to reach the foot of the mountains. The boy regretted that he had not properly calculated how long it would take him to get there. He was late for his gathering. No doubt his friends, thinking he wasn't coming today, had already started off on their own grand adventures. No matter. There was always tomorrow. Today, he was on his own. Perhaps, he would find another trinket like the katana by the end of the day – something he could show off to everyone tomorrow. The prospect of that made him even more excited.

He paused to catch his breath. Reaching the mountains had been more work than he anticipated. The sun was higher in the sky now, and the day had grown hotter. But the breeze that flowed through this part of the valley was cooler. In the distance, he could see the river, a silver snake flowing through the valley.

He checked his katana, and took a few swings to get himself comfortable with the heft. Just in case there was danger ahead, a wild fox, or worse, a wolf, he would need something to defend himself with.

Properly rested, he began his ascent of the mountain. The first few steps were easy-going. He felt the leaves crackle underfoot as he passed. The ground was uneven, but firm all around. The boy was confident in his abilities. He had scaled the hills before. And what was a mountain if not a very big hill? Didn't the menfolk go up on the mountain on a regular basis? Well, he was a man, or at least he would be in another ten years. What was the point of waiting that long?

Well, today was the day, he decided as he continued his ascent. The minutes became hours and his legs began to tire. He cursed the fact that he was still a little boy, not yet strong enough to be a man. He took a moment to rest. He was halfway up the mountain. The trees grew all around him, their leaves, many colored, providing a breathtaking sight. Even better, from this height, the boy could see the entire valley now, and the three villages – Genki, Chiisai and his own, Kokoro – all along the banks of the river. He realized that he was all alone up the mountain. He knew he should be scared like all the other little boys. He wondered why, strangely enough, he didn't feel that way at all.