The Day of Thunder

The old teacher

"Hey. Are you the horse guy?"

The old man turned away from the meal he was cooking. A young woman had appeared in the entrance of the place he called home nowadays.

"I need to learn how to ride a horse. They're required to travel long distances quickly when you cannot ride the clouds."

A weird young woman apparently. But only weird things went that deep into the mountains anyway.

"I'm no teacher kid. Just a man asking to live his last years in this world in peace, far away from all this unrest."
"You lived to this day because your horse was fast enough to take you to a grove where your pursuers were ambushed and eaten by a tiger. Teach me to ride that fast."
"That's how you know of me? From that old story I've told a thousand times? Should be flattered some people still remember and repeat it I guess."
"Uh? No? I know because I was there."
"Kid, this happened so long ago I'm not sure your parents were even born back then."
"Was there. Saved you. You are honor-bound to help me."

Okay, weirder than most.

"Kid, you're crazy. Also, I don't do that new honor thing that's all the rage nowadays."
"You do. Honor is as old as the stars, sometimes as tortuous as a torrent, sometimes as simple as clear water. A debt was contracted. A debt must be paid. You promised me thirteen days and thirteen nights of dancing in my name and delivered none. Today I'm asking for thirteen days and thirteen nights of teaching."

The man began another complaint. Held it back. Went silent. Picked a second bowl from the shelf. Cleaned the dust covering it.

"I don't exactly remember what I promised the spirits that night kid. Too busy shitting my pants and crying. But didn't live that old by tempting fate when it's showing its fangs that bare. Thirteen days and nights you say? Well, nobody has ever learned anything on an empty stomach. So let's start with a lunch."

The young teacher

"Damn. Never seen someone so eager to learn the blade."
"Mastery of sharp metal implements is required when you've got no fangs or claws."
"You really should think of joining the Dragon miss. With your way of talking you will fit right in."
"Dragon guards the east. I take care of the west."
"Your geography needs some work however. Unless there are been some new edicts in my absence and the map been rewritten again. Been close to a full year since I've ventured into the wild."
"Wild? Here not wild."
"Sure, sure, it's just a quiet road, not the deep jungle. But you know, a place the clans aren't policing, where you could be attacked at any time."
"Won't be. I'm here."
"Yes, I've heard of how you beat to death a monster with a big rock..."
"Hadn't acquired metal implements yet."
"And similar stories about you really taking to heart the defense of these lands, regardless of your own predicament."
"Such is my duty."
"And that's good! Really, your understanding of bushido is very good for someone raised so far away from civilization."
"Honor predates fancy words to describe it."
"Uh. Maybe. You might want to refrain from expressing such opinions in more urban company though. I'm the weirdo who chose to go to this remote part of the Empire for the optional initiatory trip at the academy. So I'm pretty open to uncommon ideas. But not everyone is as tolerant. Also..."
"Also?"
"Please change your name."
"What's wrong with my name? Is very strong name."
"It takes several minutes to pronounce. That's... not good for a person of your status."
"I am perfectly healthy."
"Please, I didn't come here for a heraldry lesson, taken or given. Just trust me in that you should really shorten it to a couple of syllables at most."

The old enemy

"Welcome back to hell tiger. You can run. But you cannot escape. Each time you close your eyes, you return here. This is your realm. You belong here."
"You speak true monkey. This is sad. You used to be so good at telling the lies I wished to hear. And now, look at you. Trying to ape me as the apex predator. Not a hint of subtlety anymore. For the price of my crown, you lost everything you had for you."
"At least I still have something. Can't say the same for you. Reduced to this ridicule shell a strong blow of wind could shatter."
"I still have something monkey. I still have my pride."
"Your pride has always been your downfall."
"The darkness has broken the flow of the story monkey. In a world where the monkey was tricked and the tiger is chased, who can tell how things will end?"