Everything was on fire, the crops, the dead bodies, the houses.  Even the Mori Estate. By the time Soshu, Yasu and 25 guards arrived, nothing could be saved.  They couldn't even enter into the courtyard. The fire burned too fast and too hot.  

It was midday, those that were in the Mori Estate were servants and guards.  Without a word, Soshu made the decision to head to town where Miyoko and Jiro should be.  

The fast gallop towards town only took them half the time it usually takes them to get to town.  There were sounds of crying, screaming, and fighting. There was also the sight of fire and the smell of burning wood and dead bodies.   

The guards were split in half.  One group headed towards Illuminating Splendor, while the other went to the clinic.  Although Soshu didn't want to separate from Yasu, he also didn't want to delay the other from saving their loved ones.  

With Soshu entered deeper into town, to save Miyoko while Yasu left to save Jiro. What Yasu saw around him made him quiver in fear and horror.  Dead bodies lay everywhere with pools of blood flowing like a stream. Those dead bodies were people he knew and treated.  

Yasu kicked his steed and launched towards the clinic.  His heart beated quicker and louder in his ear. It was as if his soul had escaped and his only mission was to save his Dad.  

When they came up to the clinic, there were three guards laying in front of the door.  Their eyes were already closed and their bodies cold. The clinic in flames as the scent of medicine flowed through the air.  

Yasu jumped off of his horse and ran towards the clinic.  None of the guards could stop him in time. The fire spread out faster and faster with each moment.  Yasu ran to open Jiro's office door and found it messy, but empty. Yasu ran out of the office and grabbed a gauze.  He poured water over it and placed the gauze over his mouth and nose before running through the clinic to ensure his Dad wasn't there.  

Each dead body, Yasu turned over made him feel a sense of dread.  Sorrow, for it was someone he knew, but happiness because it wasn't his Dad.  Yasu saw that the pharmacy door was open and when he went inside, what he saw made him cry out in sadness.  

Jiro's lifeless body laid against the shelves.  A large sword wound cut through his stomach as a pool of blood and organs spilled out onto the floor.  Yasu launched himself towards Jiro, hoping that it was all a nightmare.  

But before he could reach out and touch Jiro, several hands pulled him back and out of the burning clinic.  

"Leave me!"  Yasu screamed through his tears.  "Leave me!"  

The guards hauled Yasu out of the clinic just in time before the beams fell down.   Yasu and the two guards coughed loudly and harshly as they turned back to look at the clinic.  Doctor Jiro Mori was killed and buried underneath the flames.  

"We have to go."  

Yasu was pulled up and flung him onto his horse.  His gaze never wavered from the burning building. The image of his Dad's lifeless body forever imprinted in his mind.  

The closer they went into town, the more fighting they heard.  

"Prepare yourself, Young Master."  The guard shouted as he took out his sword.  

Those words caught Yasu's attention, forcing him back to reality.  His mother and his father was still in danger.  

Yasu looked around and saw more dead bodies scatter the streets.  There were men in dark green with their swords out, fighting the Mori guards.  They quickly rescued their own guards and headed towards the dress shop. Those that were identified as enemies were slain.  

Yasu knew that these soldiers was not the core of the enemy soldiers, they were stragglers.  Soldiers who fell behind the army to loot and kill survivors.  

By the time they arrived to Illuminating Splendor, there was a fight happening at its doorsteps.  Soshu and the Mori guards against the enemy soldiers. They were outnumbered 1 to 3. With Yasu and 13 guards that followed him, they headed straight into the fight without a second thought.  

Yasu held the high ground as he hacked and slashed at the enemy.  With the 13 guards on horses, they held a higher chance of survival.  Somehow on their way deeper into town, Soshu and the 12 guards that he took with him, gave up their steed.  

Yasu could only release his anger at the enemy as he killed them one by one.  The shock of his Dad's death caused him to feel numb to killing others. With the dress shop's flame becoming bigger by the moment, Soshu saw an opening between the fighting and ran into the burning shop.  

"Father!"  Yasu shouted as he only caught Soshu's shadow disappearing.  Distracted, Yasu felt a biting pain on his arm as an enemy soldier stabbed him.  

A Mori guard quickly killed the enemy soldier that injured Yasu as Yasu concentrated on fighting.  When the enemy soldiers saw that they were losing. They quickly fell back and began their escape out of the town.  Half of the surviving soldiers ran after the escaping enemy soldiers, cutting them down from behind.  

"Father!"  Yasu shouted as he jumped down from his horse.  

Before he could run into the burning dress shop, he was held back by many arms.  

"You can't!"  

"Young Lord, don't go in."  

"Stop!"  

The guards shouted all at once.  Yasu could only wait as time seem to flow by slowly.  

"Father!"  Yasu shouted once more.  

From the burning building a shadow slowly dragged itself out.  

"Go help him!"  Yasu ordered.  

Several guards ran towards the shadow and helped him out.  Soshu coughed and staggered towards Yasu as Yasu caught him.  Soshu's back and left arm was bloody and burnt.  

"Father!"  Yasu called out as he cried.  

Soshu shook his head from side to side.  

"Trapped."  Soshu said as he described what he saw.  "Trapped under a burning beam. Dead."  

Yasu brought his hand to cover his mouth as a sorrowful scream choked out of him.  

"Jiro?"  Soshu asked, but his eyes already knew the answer.  

"Slain.  In the pharmacy room."  Yasu whispered. "Buried in ash and fire." 

An angry and grunting scream of anguish echoed through the square.  Tears fell one on top of the other as they were quickly wiped away.  

"Go."  Soshu ordered as he began adjusting his emotions.  "We have to get out of here."  

Out of the 25 guards that came with them into town only 11 were left.  There were 8 horses that were left. Yasu and Soshu each got their own horses, while the others shared the remaining horses.  

Soshu lead the way to Breezy Cloud Courtyard and saw that it too was in flames.  The thick clouds of smoke became bigger and thicker by the moment, causing Yasu, Soshu and the remaining guards to quickly get out of town.  

They exited the town and traveled a couple of miles away from the fire.  Away from their dead loved ones.  

Soshu slouched forward into his horse, with each passing moment.  

"Father, let me at least treat your wound."  Yasu called out.  

"Not yet."  Soshu told him.  "The enemy soldiers are still nearby.  We have to travel away from them and find shelter before nighttime."  

Yasu could hear Soshu try to speak without letting Yasu know how much pain he was in.  Yasu rode up to his side and reached into his belt. Yasu pulled out a medicinal herb he picked up while they were heading into the forest earlier that day.   

 "At least eat this."  Yasu told him. "It will be bitter, but it will give you some pain relief."  

Soshu grabbed the herb and placed it into his mouth.  He chewed on the herb slowly before swallowing it.  

Yasu kept an eye on Soshu as they left the main road and into the forest.  They travelled by horse, then by foot, leading the horses behind them.  

As night came, they found a cave.  Two guards entered the cave first to ensure there wasn't any wild animals living inside.  With the coast clear, they left the horses to the side before carrying the injured inside of the cave.  

Soshu sat down with a grunt, his eyes hazy with fever.  

"Watch over him.  I'll forage for some medicinal herbs and gather water for the injured men."  Yasu said out loud.  

"I'll go with you, Young Master."  Rai said as he came up beside Yasu.  

Yasu grunted and lead Rai out of the cave.  Two extra guards followed Yasu as Yasu lost himself in his thoughts.  He felt bad that through everything that just happened to them, not one thought about Rai's safety crossed his mind.  He felt like an ass. Insensitive and cold.  

"Are you injured."  Yasu finally asked Rai and the other guards.  

"Nothing major.  Just some skin injury, that is all."  Rai answered.  

The other two guards answered the same way.  The four of them came to a stream and filled up the water bags that was tied to their waist.  On the way, Yasu harvest several medicinal plants and they made their way back to the cave. By this time, the sun had set and the strangeness around them caused them to fear the forest.  

Luckily nothing happened to them when they arrived back to the cave.  Yasu quickly performed first aid to his father. The herbs he gathered along side the special medicinal herb he dug up earlier that day were crushed between two rocks and grounded into a paste.  

The precious herb that Jiro wanted Yasu to harvest was called 100 Blessings of Buddha.  It is rumored that it could cure 100 illnesses.  

Unknowing if it would work, Yasu washed Soshu's wounds before spreading the paste on it.  The cooling effect it had on Soshu's burns caused him to sigh in relief. Yasu then made him eat a pain relief herb before letting him sleep.  

Yasu spent another hour treating the guards.  The paste that he made worked immediately and caused the guards to praise him on his medical ability.  

After everyone was patched up, it was only then that he felt pain on his arm.  Yasu took off half of his robe and pulled out his injured arm. 

"Young Master!"  Rai exclaimed. "You're injured!  Quick let me help you!"  

Yasu grunted and let Rai treat his wound.  The wound wasn't deep. The blood had already dried and the wound had already began to close.  After patching him up, Yasu had Rai gather up the rest of the medicinal paste he made and wrap it up tightly.  He placed the medicinal paste inside of his pocket.  

That night the guards took turns guarding the cave entrance.  Before the sun rose, there were movements that could be heard.  

Two guards snuck out to scout at the noise, while the rest of the guards prepared themselves for an attack.  Soshu had a slight fever, however he was still alert enough to understand the situation.  

Yasu fed him another pain relief herb before the group left the cave.  The two guards who scouted the noise quickly ran back with news.   

"Enemy soldiers, heading our way."  They whispered.  

"Head west."  Soshu ordered.  "The next closest garrison is in that direction.  It usually will take seven days ride from town. We can get there quicker if we cut through the forest."    

Soshu lead the way, with Yasu placed in the middle.  He was in the center, to ensure his safety. Their movements were quiet and quick.  No one saying anything unless it was necessary.  

They passed the water bag once every three hours.  When they passed a stream, they would refill the water bag and kept moving deeper into the woods.  Yasu had thought that they had lost their pursuers. Seeing how it was late afternoon, yet there were no signs of them.  

It was Yasu's lack of experience and Soshu's lack of awareness that made Yasu realize that they had walked into a trap. The enemy soldiers had already predicted their movements and prepared a trap for them.  

By the time they realize that they were in a trap, it was too late.  

"Fight and die.  Or surrender and become a slave."  The voice called out to them.  

The group stopped walking and looked around.  No matter where they looked, they couldn't see who or where the man spoke from.  

"Fight and die.  Or surrender and become a slave."  The voice gave them the two options again.  

Soshu turned to look at Rai.  When Rai saw Soshu's gaze, he knew what his mission in life was.  It was to always protect the Young Master. Now was the time that his mission was being tested.  Now was the time that he could prove to the Mori family of his loyalty, thank them for buying him from the slave trader and treating him well throughout the years.   

Everyone knew what the answer to the question was.  Fight. Fight and die with honor. Everyone pulled out their swords in with one movement, the glaring sun shine against their blade, shined like their determination.  

"You've made your choice.  Now die."  

From the greenery of the trees, more than 50 arrows aimed directly at them.  

Several guards and horses quickly covered Yasu and Soshu, but they weren't quick enough.  Yasu and Soshu were injured, but it wasn't fatal. Before another round of arrows could be shot at them, Rai took the opportunity to pull Yasu away from the wall of protection.  

"What are you doing?"  Yasu asked as he was being pulled.  

"Following orders."  Rai told him before pushing him down into the bushes and behind a large boulder.  

"Are you crazy!  I can't just--" Yasu shouted, but was suddenly cut off.  Rai had knocked Yasu out. Out of the 8 horses that they brought into the woods, only 5 of them survived the first hail of arrows.  

A second hail of arrows fell down from the trees, this time more guards and horses fell down.   Rai whistled once and his horse, although battered and beaten, was still alive and could still run.  Without anyone noticing, Rai had left his horse behind when they stopped at the last stream. His horse followed after them, like a loyal steed, trailing behind them as if he was waiting for his master's orders.  When it came, the loyal horse sprinted towards Rai.  

Rai quickly picked up Yasu and laid him across the saddle.  Rai slapped the horses hide and shouted. "Run like the wind, carry him to safety."  

Those were the last words that Rai spoke, the last words Soshu heard as he fell down along with his guards.  Rai saw an arrow hit his horse's back hide, but the horse kept running. As long as the horse kept running, Yasu would live and that was all that mattered.