Songs of a Despairing Warrior
                      Episode 2: Enter the Masters
                          By Locke Gilderthorn

Aothor's Note: The lawyers for Pioneer, AIC, and anyone else cannot sue
me! Unfortunately, I'm not making any cash off this... feh, anything for
fiction...!

Aeka smiled cruely as she and Eric left his room to supper, and the
doppleganger disappeared...

"It's working sisters!" She exclaimed.
"Excelent..." A male, clad in armor, said.

They laughed at their success.

In the morning, Tenchi invited Eric to train with his grandfather.
"Do you do a lot of kendo with Yosho?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, though I'm either late to practice, or I can't concentrate."
Tenchi replied.
"You're lucky. Once, I was so hyper, I trained for twelve hours
straight."
"Dude, that's just not cricket..."
"I know. I was pretty damn tired after...But by then, it was time to go
to school!" Eric exclaimed.
They laughed as they walked to the shrine where Yosho waited.

"You have considerable talent, young Eric." Yosho complimented.
If possible, Eric would have turned redder out of embarassment.
"Aw, I'm not that good..."
"No really, I wouldn't mind if you could tutor Tenchi for a while."
"Grandpa..." Tenchi warned.
"I'm serious, my son. You could learn a few things from him." Yosho
explained.
Tenchi just gave up. "I'm going back to the house," he said, "can I get
you two anything?"
"No, thank you, tell Nobuyuki we'll be along shortly."
"I could use something. Get into my backpack and grab one of my SoBe's."
Eric requested.
"Right, be back in a sec."

Yosho took up his bokken once more.
"Shall we have one more go, Eric?" He asked.
Eric smiled.
"Sure I always wanted to try out the Black Lotus technique." he replied,
and readied his wooden sword.
"That's an extreme, even for an expert." Yosho warned as his grandson
had.
"I can take it."
Yosho just shrugged, and they began.

The bokken met in their clack of song. Both bodies circling in a dance
of strategic display. Wood on wood, swift, CLACK. SWOOSH CLACK CLACK.
Grunt. Exertion. Sweat. Opportunity.
Eric smiled at Yosho through the X of the blades, pushed off, and
jumped/twirled over his opponent with expert agility that Kagato had not
had when he and Yosho last fought.

He felt the tip of Eric's bokken near his juggular, then dropped his own
in supprise. The FIRST time a child defeated him. He fell forward in a
distressed kneel. "Yosho! You allright?!" Eric exclaimed.
"Yyyes. I just...You are very skilled to defeat my technique. You could
have lead armadas of troops in ancient times..." Katsuhito Yosho Masaki,
master swordsman of Earth said.
"Naw, I wouldn't have the guts to have alot of people put their faith in
me..." Eric said abashedly modest. " I would probably wet myself if
someone attacked me with a REAL weapon..."

"You would do worse than that...You would DIE...Your soul be tormented
for all eternity in the pits..." An erilly frightening voice said out of
the woods.

"What the hell? Who's there?! Show yourself!" Eric exlaimed, readying
teh bokken again. No more harsh words came like the howling of the wind.

"Strange as a hairless monkey..." He mumbled. "Any idea who-"
Yosho stood, grinning wildly. His regular kimono disappearing in a flash
of black light, giving way to dark armor of a Juraian quality.

"You DIE..." Yosho said in the deep, windy voice.
"My God.." Eric whispered.

The man before him disappearred, leaving scorch marks on the grass
underneath where he stood.

Eric ran up the steps to the shrine. Just about kicked the door open in
histerics. At the low desk, sat Yosho. Calm as ever, as if what just
happened had not.
Eric was frightened and confused.

"Eric, what can I do for you?" Yosho asked.
Eric just dropped the bokken in shock, and fainted dead away.

They had their fun, they laughed while they could, all of it cruel,
malevolent humor.
Another part of their mission complete.

"He is strong of virtue and honor." Master Arrogance said with a sneer.
"But he can never beat ME!"

"Oh shut up." Misstress Torment said. "I could beat you with a Yari
without a point."

"Both of you shut up," Misstress Pride said, "We still cannot allow him
to walk the shrine grounds. Not while our plans remain unfinnished."

"Patience sister, patience." Master Hatred soothed. "We will kill the
medler when we have the chance, until then, our sister Torment will
handle him, won't she?"

They laughed at their prey.