Page 32 - KJS_English_Storybook_3Taylor

A Stained Blade’s Search For Redemption

By Winston Leander Lie

As a child, Yanni was tormented with the words of his own village: On the best days, his
existence was an error in judgement, but on the worst days, he was a mistake that could never be
undone. His mother was a widow raising a young son, and Yanni soon had a father who came

and went as quickly as the cold winter passed. However, with this, Yanni had a half-brother who
could make up for everything he lacked. Patience, respect, and everything of the sort.

When Yanni was teased by other kids, his brother, Yona, always defended him. And although

everyone wanted to deny it, Yanni showed natural prowess in the way of the wind, right when
he enrolled in the village’s renowned sword school. The school’s elder, Elder Souma, saw
potential in Yanni, however when asked to come under the elder’s apprenticeship, Yanni being
impulsive, felt indi erent and decided not to. Yona then asked Yanni to open his eyes and set

aside his arrogance. After reasoning with Yanni, Yona then gifted Yanni with a maple seed,
which is a lesson of humility in the school. Yanni then decided to learn from the elder and
become his apprentice, calming and re ning the unbridled whirlwind within him.

One day, word of enemy invasions had reached the school. Yanni pleaded to his brother,
desperate to go out on the battle eld and protect the lands of Ionia. However, Yona sternly
rejected him, stating that his duty was to protect Elder Souma. On the day of the invasions,
Yanni yearned for the battle, impulsively deciding to go out onto the battle eld, believing he

could change the tide of the battle and leaving Elder Souma unprotected. Yanni arrived, only to
a raw grave for enemy and Ionian corpses.

Sobered, he returned to the school the next day only to be surrounded by the school’s remaining

students. Yanni was accused of not only dereliction, but also murder of the elder. He then
decided to act fast, escaping for his life, and con rming his very apparent guilt. Yanni, now a
fugitive in war-torn Ionia, had lots to think about. A quest to nd out the one behind Elder
Souma’s murder, and running away from his former allies. But for now, Yanni only had one

thing to worry about. Yona had tracked him down.

Bound by a shattered brotherhood and stained honour, they circled each other in a heavy
downpour, which foreshadowed the chaos which would ensue. Yona exclaimed, “You have

dishonoured us, you swore to protect him!”

31