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Akodo Hiroko walked through the streets of the village, glancing down each alley and listening carefully. She enjoyed the quiet serenity of the village, and not for the first time she made a mental note to thank her husband for the estate he had ordered built for her. It was a small village, unknown to many in the Lion lands, and that he had cared enough to build an estate so that she could take their children to visit her birthplace was a great source of happiness for her.
A child’s bright laughter filled the air, and Hiroko smiled. Her second son, Kano, was such a pleasant child. Always smiling or laughing, never solemn like his brother or doubtful like his sister. She loved them all, of course, but it was always him that brought a smile to her face. “Kano-kun!” she called out. “Where are you?”
“Here mother!”
She followed his voice toward a small temple near the village center. She could hear him talking and wondered what new friend he had made this time. He had a talent for such things. No matter where they went, he always found new friends. And not simply because he was the Lion Champion’s son, for oftentimes his acquaintances had no idea who he was until later. She entered the temple and looked around. “Who are you talking to my little one?”
Kano appeared, a broad smile on his face. “My new friend!” he announced proudly.
Hiroko chuckled. “Where is he? Can I meet him?”
“It’s a her!” Kano laughed. He pointed toward the center of the temple. “She smiled at me!”
Hiroko followed his gesture, her smile fading. There was no one there but a statue of the hero Matsu Hitomi. “Where?” she said.
“There!” he answered, pointing at the statue vigorously. He giggled. “She winked at me again!”
Hiroko smiled, but her heart was not in it. Something about the boy’s demeanor suggested he was not playing, but completely serious. “That is nice,” she said. “Come along, Kano, we must go.”
“Can I come back again tomorrow and play, mother?” Kano asked eagerly.
“We shall see,” Hiroko replied.
***
Akodo Kano tied the strings of his travel pack and tested its weight. Pleased, he turned to the racks containing his armor and swords. Once he took them up and left, there would be no turning back. This step could never be untaken. Oddly, he found himself unconcerned. Perhaps he should not have been surprised though; he had never been particularly prone to regret or reflection.
There was a sound at the tent opening. “Kano.”
He turned back to look at his younger sister and smiled. “Dairuko.”
“What have you done?” she demanded. She looked calm, but there was an undercurrent to her voice that indicated she might be panicked. She was always so worried, so dour. Her hair had begun to gray already despite her youth, and he was sure it was due to her incessant worrying. “I have done only what destiny demands.”
“You must not do this,” she said. “You must accept the Championship. That is your destiny. That is your duty.”
Kano laughed. “I have already refused. Do you think they would simply allow me to change my mind? Perhaps I will tell them I was simply refusing twice as custom dictates. I am certain they would understand.”
“Is everything a joke to you?” Dairuko demanded, her voice louder than he had ever heard it. “Is even the most sacred tradition something to be mocked?”
“I mock nothing,” Kano said. “I simply understand that not everything can be treated with the same absolute solemnity or else it loses all meaning.”
“Please do not do this,” Dairuko said quietly. “I… I cannot be Champion.”
Kano looked at her, surprised. “Of course you can,” he said. “I am not fit to be the Clan Champion. Surely you must realize that. You, on the other hand, are perfect for the duty.”
“How can you say that?”
Kano picked up his pack and his blades, choosing to leave his armor. “The world has changed,” he explained. “The empire that was is no longer, and the Lion must change or we will be lost. You alone are capable of teaching them what must be done.”
“This is a mistake,” she said.
“I know a great deal about mistakes,” Kano said, shouldering the bad. “I have made them something of a habit over the years after all. And I tell you, with absolute certainty, that this is the most correct thing I have ever done.”
Dairuko watched him as he made his way out of the tent and toward the road that led away from the castle. “What will you do?” she finally asked.
He stopped for a moment. “I do not know,” he admitted. “But I cannot wait to find out.”
