(Okay since I done tons of updating on Chap one I decided to delate the old one off of here. Also since not everyone can seem to download the files I'm posting the story here as well.)

Chapter 01

Long ago in ancient Japan there lived a young fox with his grandfather on a little rice farm. The young fox knew nothing of his father expect that he once had one and knew his mother passed away soon after giving birth to him. Since he lives with his grandfather, they are poor rice farmers, so it seemed that he was going to stay as a poor rice farmer. If nothing, good happens in which to help the young fox to reach his dreams of being rich and having all the things that he wants some day. However, once the young boy had reached the age ten he was more curious then ever as of why his grandfather was always going off alone in a different and more closed off room of their home every day after working in the rice fields. His curiosity took over as he quietly snuck over to the door and slide it open just a crack to see what his grandpa was doing. To his surprise, his granddad was practicing with a sword, as he continues to watch he sees that he is a master of swordsmanship not letting his guard down as he swung the sword, and attacked all the invisible enemies that only he seemed to see.

While he continues to watch his grandfather through the crack of the door he always was very astonished at his grandfather’s swordsmanship. After about five more minutes had passed he was spotted; after being spotted his grandpa set his sword down to his side, then invited him in, and finely began to teach his grandson of the swordsmanship ways. At first the young fox tried to lift one of the real swords in the room, but it was too heavy for him so his grandpa handed him a wooden sword to start training with. At first the young fox looks the wooden sword over then up at his grandfather seeing that he haves a wooden sword as well. So the young boy took the stance that he once seen his granddad take and try to be ready for any swings that would be taken.

His grandfather took a swing at him to see what how his grandson can handle himself if he had no choice to fight right now. To his surprise his grandson blocked and pushed his sword away in a great defense stance, but within moments to the young fox’s surprise his granddad swiped him off his feet with the wooden sword which caused him to fall flat on his back. Grandpa chuckled softly and smiles at him, “well that is not a bad start, but you still have a long way to go my grandson.” Then he helps his grandson stand up once again so they can continue to train.

Since after that day when his grandpa first took him into the room within starting to train him, and he grow better at fighting with the sword. When he reached the age fifteen he was given a real sword for once, and started to practice with it right away. With each passing day he grew even better at fighting with a sword much faster than his grandfather suspected him to, and soon he over passed his granddad’s level and skill in fighting very quickly. The final thing his grandpa had ever taught him was that to never use the fighting skills for revenge, but for protecting the ones that he truly cares for the most as well as to protect his home and land from any and all dangers.

Just after the young fox turned sixteen there was a war starting up, but they did not know that was going on because one of the samurai’s with the message that is requesting all of the strong young men was killed before reaching the farming area. Even though he was heading that way the killers didn’t bother going to the farm where he was heading, but by luck a friend of the young blood red fox found the almost dead warrior. When the friend was close enough to the soldier he gave the young man the royal letter to go and get the other strong young men for the war. The friend of the blood red fox goes around to one farm house after another to give the message once he reached the blood red fox’s farm house to give the message. The man that killed the samurai happened to spot him and see the royal message in his paws.

While the young friend is heading to the farm the blood red fox is in the closed off room practicing more with the sword and adding new and more powerful techniques to his fighting. After another minute he finishes with his practicing and was getting ready to step out, but he stopped and listened. He heard the beating of horse hooves from a distant slowly coming up to his house along with the footsteps of his friend. The young fox stayed hidden away in the training room as he peeked through a hole in the sliding door and he saw that his grandfather gave him a sign to stay hidden until everything was okay to come out. He obeys his grandpa, because he knows if he does not he would be punished severely and he doesn’t want that again. As he sat there and watched a while, as he saw an arrow fly by, and hit his best friend in the neck killing him the instant it hit. However, as much as the red fox felt bad that he could not do anything to help he stayed where he was obeying his grandpa.

The young blood red fox continued to watch his grandfather and saw that he stood up to the man that had killed his friend, and killed the him with one swoop of his sword. A few moments later he caught another sound from the woods, he heard a bow being ready, and an arrow struck his grandpa. He was about ready to dash out to defend his grandfather but he was stopped again by the sign that told him to stay in the room. He frowned at the signed, but obeyed since his granddad is still alive right now and nothing else happened expect the one that shot the arrow rode away from the farm on his horse. When everything seemed to be at peace the young blood red fox quietly slips out, and peeks outside and slowly drags his grandpa and dead friend into the house and closed and locked the doors and windows. Then he hurried to attend to his grandfathers wound, but he was stopped in the middle of wrapping it.

“Vetto… it is no use… it is a poison arrow I’ll die anyway. So my grandson, please bury me with my sword when I’m gone…” He stops for a moment to cough up a little blood because of the wound and poison. “Here take this…” He hands Vetto the note that his friend had. “Go and defend our home land from these men… take that dead jackal’s horse and our only horse. Pack all the swords we have and go to a black smith and sell what you don’t want then patch up and sharpen the ones you want.” His grandfather coughed up some more blood then looked at him. “Take me outside so I can watch the sky before I go… and bury your friend.”

Vetto frowned deeply, but nodded and then picked up his grandfather to carry him outside like he requested. He carried his grandpa to his favorite tree and laid him down so he can watch the sky and birds. Then he gone off to get his friends body, a shovel, and carried him to a spot where he planned to bury his friend. He takes about two hours or so to dig a deep enough hole for his friend then burry him and make him a cross out of some cherry wood from a small cherry with his friends name on it. Then he began to set up the house for his grandfather and gathered the sword that his grandpa requested to be buried with. Once he gotten the sword and house ready he sat with his granddad for a while since he is still hanging on and watching the sky peacefully.

His grandfather reached over and took his hand and slipped a silver locket with a rose etched into it. “Take this Vetto and give it to your life mate once you find her one of these days.” Vetto nods and tuck the locket away in a pocket. “Take care of yourself, my grandson and rise a big and happy family one day.” His grandpa gave him a final sentimental and very loving smile. Then he slowly closed his eyes to sleep, as he slowly and very peacefully passed on. After his grandfathers passing he picked him up and carried him into the house to lay him in his bed and then lay his sword on his chest with his hands on it. Vetto finished packing things on the draft horse with the swords and as soon as he was ready to leave he set the house a blaze. Then he climbed on the jackal’s Arabian horse and rode off to the city to sale and get swords sharpened by the black smith.

Once at the black smith’s, the smith recognizes the swords when Vetto came up to him and handed them over. “I know this sword workmanship, these swords belong to Gatarou.” He looks at Vetto and then the two brand new swords at the blood red fox’s side in their sheaths. “How did get these swords? Because, I know that old fox very rarely made swords since after that last war he was in.”

The black smith’s words took Vetto by surprise because he never knew that his grandfather made swords. Then he frowned and looked down at the ground as he sighed deeply. “Gatarou is my grandfather and he asked me to sale the last of his swords to you expect for these two that he made especially just for me, or others that I want, but could I at least request you to sharpen these two and the newer daggers a little for me?”

At first the black smith was thrown back by hearing that Vetto being Gatarou’s grandson, he knew Gatarou had a daughter, but he thought she had died before having her cub. “Sure thing young man by the way how is that grandfather of yours?”

Vetto is looking around while he listened to what the black smith is talking about to him. “He was killed by a jackal’s poison arrow.” He turns and looks at the black smith. “By the way, do you know how to get to the royal of Japan that is requesting young men to join the army to kick the enemies out of our country and towns?” He shows the black smith the letter he had received to join the army.

“The royals palace is just over pass the roman stand at the end of this street,” said the black smith. He continues to sharpen Vetto’s swords and daggers then a moment later hands them back along with a bag full of ryo about one thousand maybe a little more. “That’s about half for the swords you are selling to me. As soon as I get another thousand I will be sure that you will get the other half as soon as possible.”

Vetto nods and takes his swords back. “I be sure to check back on your word on the last half, but I’ll expect it as credit if you fill a paper out with your name and I can use that credit if I need my swords sharpened or fixed, or at least while I am in town that is, so will that work out for now?”

“Yeah that is a deal and what is left that I owe you I will give to you in ryo I have collected.” The Black smith smiled and filled out an agreement paper on credit while Vetto is in town for now; once he leaves the credit, agreement is up. Then Vetto took the paper then grab the lead ropes on his two horses and headed over towards the palace.

Before he reached the palace he decided that he would stop at the roman shop and get something to eat. Vetto ordered one of his very favorite dishes in roman which he had not had for a very long time or latest since his fifteenth birthday. Since he hadn’t ate for two days he orders about three bowls of his favorite roman. Once he was finished he then grabbed the horses lead ropes again and walked up to the palace. He spots a tie pole and stops at it so that he can tie his horses that way they would not run off, then he walks up to the palace doors to knock. After about a few minutes the door guard comes and allows him in only after seeing the letter in his hand. Since the letter told him that he is of the young strong men that the royal and the royal guard had requested to come to join the army. Since they need help to get rid of these jackals and other forces of evil that may be with them, and cause more damage to their homeland.