The Life of a Ninja

I drew my katana from its place on my hip. It slid like butter from the sheath, flashing into the air like a flame. The armored men surrounding me leveled their spears in preparation for my next move. Silence hung eerily in the air. The heat of the night bore through my black suit, armor, hood, and mask, making me sweat more than I usually would. Luckily, my hands were gloved so I knew it wouldn’t affect my grip on the weapon’s handle. I twirled the blade, accustoming myself to its balance. I stared back into the eyes of my attackers, conveying my resolve. I saw fear, regret, and a hunger for violence. I could taste my imminent victory.

I made a leaping step at my first victim, slashing my blade through his spear and torso. He fell hard and lay still as I bounded over him to the next warrior. Each man attempted the same basic attack—jabbing their spear point directly at my stomach. All it took to counter was a slash across the staff and then another to the throat.

I finished the final attacker and paused to catch my breath.

“You tired yet?” My brother, Zarius, asked breathlessly, bounding across the bloody mess I had made.

I nodded, “Can I please burn this place to the ground?”

Even with his mask, I could tell he smiled, “Seeing as it’s a castle made of stone, I don’t think fire is going to do much damage.”

“But trying will make me feel better.” I wiped my blade across my forearm, cleaning off the blood, and returned it to my sheath. “It’d be less to clean up too.”

Zarius started jogging deeper into the castle, “Yeah, but thankfully we shouldn’t be the ones tasked with that job if we assassinate the baron. We’ll get some much-needed time off, I’m hoping.”

I followed shortly behind him, “I need it, man. All this blood work is just too much at this point.”

“Tis the life of a ninja, Tarran.” He crouched and held up his hand, signaling for silence.

I knelt with him, and we peeked over the wall. We watched as the castle’s defenses roused the alarm and moved into their many defensive positions. I made eye contact with Zarius and smirked as both of us pulled our shurikens from their hidden places in our coats.

Shadows are a large part of what makes us ninja effective. It’s why we do our attacks in the middle of nights when the moon is halfway between being full and covered. You can hide and strike without the enemy noticing your presence quick enough to properly react.

I ran along the base of one of the walls and hurled my small four-bladed throwables into a group of running soldiers. Some of them fell and others just reacted to the wound and looked around for us. Zarius took another direction, jumping and flipping his way to their other flank where he shot his shurikens at them for added confusion. When his blades started hitting the men, steering their attention away from my direction, I leapt from my shadows and struck hard and fast into their armor. The moment the soldiers realized where I was attacking from and started to counter accordingly, Zarius leapt from his elevated position and dropped on top of them. The soldiers were now entirely at a loss to recover their defensive tempo as they couldn’t determine where their attackers were coming from, making them easy to slash through. After all, you can’t counter a blow you don’t see coming.

We breezed past that position and hurried up the stairwell they’d just come from. Men shouted after us in the darkness, racing to catch us and avenge their fallen comrades. We knew we would gain distance from them as they chased us up the stairs. Their heavy armor bogged them down while Zarius and I’s minimal armor and superior physical agility allowed us to spring up the stairs with ease.

After reaching the end of the stairs, we found our way to the master bedroom, where we knew our target would be waiting. Zarius slung his blade through the thick beam holding the doors shut and kicked his way inside. I covered the right side of the room as he did the left. The room was quiet, black, and motionless. Zarius shot a dagger into the bedsheets, but nothing moved.

The hairs on the back of my neck straightened to attention when a gruff, growly voice cut through the silence.

“You ninja think you are the apex predators of this land?”

We turned to face the voice, finding a man cloaked in robes standing in a passageway leading to the master bathroom. The moon’s shadows hid his face and the markings on his robes.

Zarius passed me a concerned glance, looking to me for how we would resolve the situation.

The whites of the man’s eyes caught the moonlight as he looked up from the ground to us, “Two ninja for one Guardian.”

“What’s a Guardian?” I thought to myself.

Zarius suddenly hurled a shuriken and lunged for the man—one of our standard opening attacks. The Guardian dodged the thrown-dagger and Zarius’s sword swipe, countering with a short-sword of his own through Zarius’s chest. Zarius and I both gasped. I lunged into action. The Guardian let Zarius thud into the wooden boards as we clashed blades. Up close I could distinguish the man’s age. He had to be in his fifties, but he moved like he was in his twenties. Every technique I’d trained for, he countered with inhuman foresight. Pain stung into my right leg as his blade caught my hamstring.

I fell next to Zarius in the passage and stared up at the warrior with amazement. He glared at me with no sign of pity and left. I watched Zarius slowly bleed out as the thumping footsteps of the soldiers approached.

I had failed as a ninja. I had failed my clan, my family. I had failed my brother, Zarius. I would not die without honor in execution. Zarius would at least be remembered for death in combat.

I gritted my teeth and pulled a blade from my belt. I placed the tip against my stomach. Zarius’s eyes met mine as his breathing slowed and I could see the realization as to what I was about to do hit him.

“For honor,” I explained solemnly.

He nodded, “I… love you, Tarran,” and sighed his last breath.

Tears stung my eyes. I turned my attention to the door and hesitated until the torch lights from the soldiers entered the room and rushed toward me. I pushed the blade into myself, fighting the unbearable pain, and slid it through my entrails seconds before a soldier yanked the blade from my hands.

“No!” He shouted furious he could not take my honor from me. Taking a ninja’s honor was an enemy soldier’s greatest dream.

I flashed a bloody smile at him as I felt the darkness that is death consume me.

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