Tuesday 10 April 2012

In My Time Of Dying - A Richard Faraday Adventure [excerpt]

“Let me tell you of the swords you search for. The metal you have is yours alone. But this story… if for all to hear. "An impossible legend has it that the two swordsmiths agreed to create the greatest weapon known to man. For seven days and seven nights they worked with the finest materials, they put all their skills to the test and when they were done they journeyed to a river that was positioned between two warring towns. The towns fought over the river, because they believed that only one town could survive off its life giving waters. Muramasa had created the blade Ten Thousand Cold Nights, and it cut and sliced everything that went against it. Leaves that drifted against the blade split into two. The air hissed and cracked as it was cut by the razor-sharpness of the weapon. Trees were felled and the ground trembled in fear of the weapon. That was the nature of the sword. To destroy.” Yebisu paused and stroked his long beard. “Some might say that is the way of every sword, but that is not for us to decide over fish and dreams. Masamune’s blade, Tender Hands, was slowly lowered tip first into a river. The water flowed past it. The air glided past. Leaves that fell against it simply drifted into the river, and floated away. Nothing was cut. No damage was done. Muramasa laughed and mocked his contemporary, but when the sword was removed from the river a miraculous event occurred—the river had split into two. One part of the river flowed next to one town, and the other part of the river flowed to the second. Masamune created a sword that could create. That could end wars without blood being spilled. How you use the weapon you are given will dictate the world after. Remember that.”

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