SHADOW

Episode 13: SAKI'S FIRST MISSION

(After leaving the Hunter's Headquarters, Saki makes her way into a city ridden with poverty. Sina was once a beautiful city with a kind hearted Emperor until Saito gave Josh the power to overthrow the Emperor and now the people of Sina do odd jobs and some tend to steal just to make ends meet. As Saki was walking through the city, she sees various homes destroyed, some without a roof, soldiers breaking into a building and roughly throwing the residents out while taking their properties, children living in the street with torn cloths. The only emporium that is open was set up by the Emperor and this emporium never sells in small prices, another scheme by the Emperor to rid his people of what they have. Saki was still observing the city when a young boy pulls on her cost asking her for some food. She angrily chased him away but seeing the boy run away with tears in his eyes softened her heart so she went to the dry fountain where the boy sat and threw a candy at him, the boy thanks her and cheerfully eats it. She ask him what his name is and the boy answers Sam)

Saki: Where are your parents Sam?

Sam: Father died alongside the resistance and I don't know mother. Big brother said she died after I was born (stares sadly at his candy)

Saki: Big brother?

Sam: Yes. His name is Kevin and he is the best big brother ever. He takes care of me and he beats me sometimes, he is a meanie but he makes me happy. He is my family and I love him so much (they were still conversing when a bald man in his mid 40s with a walrus mustache wearing a red shirt with brown pants that is torn on both knees. He has a green leather slippers with worn out buckels; the man came to them)

Kevin: Sam! I have been looking for you all over the city and what did I tell you about talking to strangers?

Sam: But big brother...

Kevin: No buts- Now let's go (looks at Saki and bows to her) I apologise on behalf of my brother for any trouble he might have caused

Sam: I didn't do anything wrong

Kevin: (looks at his hand) Where did you get that?

Sam: She gave it to me (shoves it all in his mouth)

Kevin: (sighs) May I know the name of the lady that provided aid for my brother?

Saki: My name is Rose (she decides to go with an alias and extends a handshake)

Kevin: Kevin (shakes her hand) What brought you here? I know every folk in this city and today is the first time I'm seeing your face

Saki: I'm a writer. I write about fallen cities (thinks to herself "maybe I could use him to know more about this place and the new Emperor")

Kevin: A writer eh (observes her) You made a good decision coming here then

Sam: Big brother am tired, I want to sleep

Kevin: Get on my back let's go home

Saki: Mind if I come with you guys?

Kevin: You can come with us (gives his brother a piggy ride home. Stops in front of a building with cracked walls and broken windows. The roof of the house is covered with leaves and inside the house was an old portrait of their father and mother hanging loosely on the wall, at the centre of the house is a pond from yesterday's rain, the leaves as a roof don't work so well against the rain. They have a wide flat rock at the extreme of the building to avoid the rain from soaking them while they sleep, on top of the rock is a grass spread on it to make it a little bit comfortable. He dropped his brother gently on the bed)

Saki: You and your brother live here?

Kevin: It's not the best house but what makes a house home are the people living in it

Saki: I guess. You really love your brother

Kevin: He's all I've got. I will never let harm befall him. Family got to stick together. Do you have a family? or a brother?

Saki: My relationship with my family is complicated

Kevin: But you still love them?

Saki: I don't know. I haven't actually given it a thought. I have a mixed feeling towards them

Kevin: You should try not to let quarrels ruin your good relationship with your family. When everyone forsakes you, your family will always be there to kick you back up

Saki: I will bear that in mind. Thanks

Kevin: How long do you plan on staying here?

Saki: Whenever am done with my writing. What happened to this city, Kevin?

Kevin: You say you are a writer but you don't look like one (laughs) I have never met one before though. To answer your question; Josh ruined this city. He destroyed the beautiful city our Emperor fought hard to build. He lives off of us, makes us work for him with little and sometimes no payment. He turned the once kind hearted folks here into thieves. He killed the Emperor and the resistance. He executed them in public (angry) Before he killed the Emperor, he made the people throw turd at him.

Saki: Why did they agree to do it since Emperor Henry was good to them?

Kevin: It's not the people's fault. He killed the people that refused to do it. They did what they did in fear of their life, so you can't really blame them. (sighs) You won't learn anything about the city by staying in this cracked house. Do you want to follow me to work? I will tell you more stories

Saki: Awesome. I will come with ya

Kevin: (The sun slowly goes down and the moon comes up. It's a full moon. The moon shines brightly, displaying the wretchedness of the city. Sina now a husk of its old self) Let me make the place you will sleep ready

Saki: Thanks.

                                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(In the Shadow Realm; in Tsume's house. A beautiful house coated in red painting with a pink door. The house is surrounded with flowers which gives the house a beautiful scent. At the window is a vase of white roses sitting beautifully; Tsume's favorite flower. Inside the house is Sora wrapped in bandages talking with Tsume)

Sora: Thank you for taking care of me

Tsume: No problem. You still need to come back later so I can have a final look on you and maybe undo the bandages

Sora: (wears his cloth) Okay

Tsume: Sage Takashi told me you know where he stays

Sora: Yes but I don't intend to tell anyone

Tsume: And why is that?

Sora: I believe you know why. And I will kill anyone who dares go after him

Tsume: (tries to use another approach to discourage him) Why do you want to avenge him so bad? Seth died a happy man, Sora

Sora: Who said my vendetta is because of Seth? It was never about him. Saito must pay for making my mother suffer. He is gonna die by my hands. Seth got what he deserved. He could have killed that monster a long time ago but he chose friendship, there's no redeeming Saito

Tsume: You know that's not true. Seth loved everyone equally. He sacrificed his life for us. He died so we can have a future. Seth died a hero why can't you acknowledge that?

Sora: (scoffs at her) Yea. He died a worthless hero

Tsume: In time you'll understand what it means to love, care and protect the people you love. When you do; no sacrifice is too much to pay

Sora: Love means weakness. It is a chain which weak people use to hold down someone with great potentials. Love is a way of deceiving the foolish. Love brings nothing but pain and in the end the people you claim to love will either die or leave you. What is the point of loving someone if they are not here to receive it? What is the point of love if you don't get it back? Is it still called love when one party is sad and the other is happy? There's no point in love if it brings sadness. Love is a fallacy

Tsume: Sora...

Sora: I'm done talking about this with you (walks out of the house and disappears)