The Day of Thunder

[Saru Ranmaru]

In her many years, Saru Kakiko had learned that the greatest pain of all was the loss of a child. Starvation and illness were terrible things which left her with the one boy.

And what a marvelous boy he was. Healthy, strapping even. The boons of her new Family, her new Clan, had done wonders for his growth. Indeed, sometimes it shocked her that he already stood so tall at a tender age of sixteen. Most boys, she understood, took a little while longer to reach their spurt. But she was glad since this strength proved invaluable during business; it had been rough years when he was a young lad and his father was nowhere in sight. As per usual, he loaded up the cart with ease while she rechecked the shipment.

"This is only getting in the way," her beloved Ranmaru said before, once again, stripping off much of his clothes. Her affiliate's two daughters gawked at his figure. One of them even cooed at him, which was an unfortunate mistake on her part. "Be quiet! I can't hear myself think when you're squealing."

"Okay!" the girl said, too young to know any better. She and her sister followed along quietly as he headed back inside.

At times, Kakiko wondered what more she could do. He was already saying some silly things, though she couldn't stifle his flame. To do so would invite this Corruption she'd heard about to envelop him. It wasn't enough that his body be strong. The mind, the spirit, the heart... all of him needed to be strengthened.

Not her boy. Not her boy.

And not herself. Kakiko neatened up her hair and refocused on her work. While she would have loved to trust her supplier, her eyes were ultimately best at deciding which nuggets were best for smithing. It was a great honor to provide any weaponry to the Kami's samurai. It was the greatest honor to keep her beloved Ranmaru safe through proxy wherever he went. This artistry was her true calling.

"Is all in order?" the smelter asked during his approach.

Kakiko sighed since she already knew the answer. "This and the other are the only you can spare?"

"Afraid so. I won't bore you with the details though." A bizarre assumption, though she didn't press the issue. Especially since the man had another agenda on his mind. "Your son has made the quite the impression on my daughters," he said with a big grin. It would seemingly benefit him greatly to have a direct tie to her.

What he did not know, however, was that her dear Ranmaru possessed no skill in smithing. Women's work, he considered it, which was odd considering the sweltering heat.

Not that that was the oddest part about him.

"My son aspires to follow the same path as the Emperor," Kakiko said. That was the most polite way she could phrase his eccentricities.

"I see." The smelter definitely considered the ramifications of one of his daughters living as a concubine instead. It must have come as a relief, at least, that he did not need to worry about any sudden pregnancies from him. "I am unsure what they would think of such an arrangement."

Kakiko put on her polite smile. "That topic is best left to their mother."