Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6
Fourth Era - Meaning
MacLeod found he was at the blacksmith’s more often. There was never an opportunity to speak to Kaoru again - the blacksmith kept her busy with the furnace. Instead, he would have to settle for exchanging the occasional glance or smile with her. He would catch her looking his way and she would immediately look away, flustered. She may well have blushed, but he couldn’t tell as her face already glowed crimson behind the flames.
It wasn’t for another three months until he could tell her the obvious; that he was hopelessly in love with her. It was evening, the sun lazily tracing its way to the horizon. He was walking down a path on the outskirts of the village when he thought he heard Kaoru’s voice. It was laden in indignation. She was shouting at someone to leave her alone. He didn't change pace, making his way towards her voice.
From a distance he could see Kaoru. She was in her work clothes, some tools tied together by cloth were slung over her shoulder. She was surrounded by six men, none of whom MacLeod had seen before. They were armed - two with short swords and the others with wooden spears. A potbellied, nauseating looking man was clearly their leader - he shifted himself around Kauro, his bloodshot eyes seeking satiety somewhere in Kaoru's figure.
MacLeod could sense the hibernating beast inside him stir. That familiar taste of blood tickled the back of his throat, his muscles twitching in nostalgic anticipation. His expression remained placid, hiding the firestorm of fury that exploded in his chest as the bandit leader took a step towards Kaoru.
MacLeod was just about to make his move when a cloud engulfed the sun, plunging the scene in front of him into grayscale. The air became still, and it was almost like Time had slowed to watch the events unfolding too. He saw Kaoru's face. There was no fear in those burning eyes, her cheeks belied no anger. Instead, all MacLeod could sense from Kaoru was a defiant purity, a sort of tried and tired innocence. Despite the threat she remained resolute in her character, her small frame steadfast in front of her larger opponent. Seeing this had a profound effect on MacLeod - any thirst for blood was immediately extinguished and replaced with a different hunger altogether. He knew what needed to be done. He ceased to matter because she was all that mattered.
The bandits noticed him gliding towards them. He wasn't in any hurry. One lunged at him with a spear. MacLeod could've dodged it quite easily, but instead let it pierce his chest. He felt it slide through, dissecting tissue, an artery and heard a faint pop as it went into lung. He barely missed a step and continued walking towards Kaoru. The bandits were visibly shaken by the large, bloodied silhouette approaching them. All rushed towards MacLeod with their weapons. He didn't seem to mind the spears perforating his bowels, and he didn't flinch when the swords sliced into his arms. MacLeod stopped walking and stood, wet in his own blood and impaled in the chest and abdomen. The bandits shuffled together and looked at each other uneasily. The fear that now gripped them was like nothing they could have ever imagined, and one of the bandits couldn't help but whimper as he saw MacLeod look up and smile.
This standoff didn't last long. He was unarmed and outnumbered, but within seconds he had them either unconscious or crippled. If ever regret had a sound, the cries of the bandits as they lay in the mud was it.
MacLeod sighed, and then slowly reached for each spear and pulled them out. He took his time with each one, a mixture of blood and bile would initially gush out and quickly subside as his wounds rapidly healed. For the first time, he was happy that the blood on his hands was only his own, and that no one died at his expense.
He turned towards Kaoru. The expression on her face was not what MacLeod was expecting. Despite the gore and blood, despite his ghastly inability to die, she was not frightened or upset. Instead, her eyes pooled with pity, her brow creased with grief. She dropped her tools and reached for her head, untying a white bandana. Her ebony hair swayed free behind her as she ran towards him.
MacLeod didn't stop her as she grabbed his hands and carefully wiped them with her bandana. Neither said a word as she worked her way from the hands to his neck and then face, the bandana now soiled in deep crimson. The tender touch of her hands, the gentle friction of the cloth ignited nauseating shame within MacLeod, and he felt a pain much worse than any spear or sword could've given him.
When the bandana could take no more blood, she paused and looked up at him. She was in tears. Their eyes met, and in her glistening pupils he saw his own sad reflection. It was swallowed up by the infinite darkness within them and for a second he thought he could feel all that was in her heart. He dared not blink as he saw the answer to the question he wanted to ask all these months.
"Kaoru - will you marry me?" said MacLeod.
The sun came out from behind the cloud. It blinded him for a only couple of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Before his eyes could adjust, he felt Kaoru had wrapped her arms around him, and when he looked down she was hugging him. Her head was buried in his chest and she was sobbing. He felt her warmth through his blood soaked shirt, and rested his hand on her head.
“Yes! Always yes!” exclaimed Kaoru, her voice muffled through his chest.
MacLeod felt her words reverberate inside him. For the first time he felt the emptiness begin to fill and he held her tightly against him.
The future no longer felt inevitable, and within his arms he enveloped it all.
Fourth Era - Meaning
MacLeod found he was at the blacksmith’s more often. There was never an opportunity to speak to Kaoru again - the blacksmith kept her busy with the furnace. Instead, he would have to settle for exchanging the occasional glance or smile with her. He would catch her looking his way and she would immediately look away, flustered. She may well have blushed, but he couldn’t tell as her face already glowed crimson behind the flames.
It wasn’t for another three months until he could tell her the obvious; that he was hopelessly in love with her. It was evening, the sun lazily tracing its way to the horizon. He was walking down a path on the outskirts of the village when he thought he heard Kaoru’s voice. It was laden in indignation. She was shouting at someone to leave her alone. He didn't change pace, making his way towards her voice.
From a distance he could see Kaoru. She was in her work clothes, some tools tied together by cloth were slung over her shoulder. She was surrounded by six men, none of whom MacLeod had seen before. They were armed - two with short swords and the others with wooden spears. A potbellied, nauseating looking man was clearly their leader - he shifted himself around Kauro, his bloodshot eyes seeking satiety somewhere in Kaoru's figure.
MacLeod could sense the hibernating beast inside him stir. That familiar taste of blood tickled the back of his throat, his muscles twitching in nostalgic anticipation. His expression remained placid, hiding the firestorm of fury that exploded in his chest as the bandit leader took a step towards Kaoru.
MacLeod was just about to make his move when a cloud engulfed the sun, plunging the scene in front of him into grayscale. The air became still, and it was almost like Time had slowed to watch the events unfolding too. He saw Kaoru's face. There was no fear in those burning eyes, her cheeks belied no anger. Instead, all MacLeod could sense from Kaoru was a defiant purity, a sort of tried and tired innocence. Despite the threat she remained resolute in her character, her small frame steadfast in front of her larger opponent. Seeing this had a profound effect on MacLeod - any thirst for blood was immediately extinguished and replaced with a different hunger altogether. He knew what needed to be done. He ceased to matter because she was all that mattered.
The bandits noticed him gliding towards them. He wasn't in any hurry. One lunged at him with a spear. MacLeod could've dodged it quite easily, but instead let it pierce his chest. He felt it slide through, dissecting tissue, an artery and heard a faint pop as it went into lung. He barely missed a step and continued walking towards Kaoru. The bandits were visibly shaken by the large, bloodied silhouette approaching them. All rushed towards MacLeod with their weapons. He didn't seem to mind the spears perforating his bowels, and he didn't flinch when the swords sliced into his arms. MacLeod stopped walking and stood, wet in his own blood and impaled in the chest and abdomen. The bandits shuffled together and looked at each other uneasily. The fear that now gripped them was like nothing they could have ever imagined, and one of the bandits couldn't help but whimper as he saw MacLeod look up and smile.
This standoff didn't last long. He was unarmed and outnumbered, but within seconds he had them either unconscious or crippled. If ever regret had a sound, the cries of the bandits as they lay in the mud was it.
MacLeod sighed, and then slowly reached for each spear and pulled them out. He took his time with each one, a mixture of blood and bile would initially gush out and quickly subside as his wounds rapidly healed. For the first time, he was happy that the blood on his hands was only his own, and that no one died at his expense.
He turned towards Kaoru. The expression on her face was not what MacLeod was expecting. Despite the gore and blood, despite his ghastly inability to die, she was not frightened or upset. Instead, her eyes pooled with pity, her brow creased with grief. She dropped her tools and reached for her head, untying a white bandana. Her ebony hair swayed free behind her as she ran towards him.
MacLeod didn't stop her as she grabbed his hands and carefully wiped them with her bandana. Neither said a word as she worked her way from the hands to his neck and then face, the bandana now soiled in deep crimson. The tender touch of her hands, the gentle friction of the cloth ignited nauseating shame within MacLeod, and he felt a pain much worse than any spear or sword could've given him.
When the bandana could take no more blood, she paused and looked up at him. She was in tears. Their eyes met, and in her glistening pupils he saw his own sad reflection. It was swallowed up by the infinite darkness within them and for a second he thought he could feel all that was in her heart. He dared not blink as he saw the answer to the question he wanted to ask all these months.
"Kaoru - will you marry me?" said MacLeod.
The sun came out from behind the cloud. It blinded him for a only couple of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Before his eyes could adjust, he felt Kaoru had wrapped her arms around him, and when he looked down she was hugging him. Her head was buried in his chest and she was sobbing. He felt her warmth through his blood soaked shirt, and rested his hand on her head.
“Yes! Always yes!” exclaimed Kaoru, her voice muffled through his chest.
MacLeod felt her words reverberate inside him. For the first time he felt the emptiness begin to fill and he held her tightly against him.
The future no longer felt inevitable, and within his arms he enveloped it all.
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