Raiden

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CW: blood, violence

Four assassins hid in trees surrounding the dilapidated Yasomori villa. The Yasomori family was an old name all but forgotten. Scandals plagued the family for years preceding their fall from grace and with it, the villa sat almost undisturbed for generations. Many told tales of it being haunted or cursed; some even told stories about a demon walking the halls, but no one dared to enter until now.

The assassins started with the outskirts, slaughtering the lone guard with ease as they worked their way into the crumbling walls. The assassins' benefactor had provided them with a map of the old villa. The very center room of the blueprint had been circled, indicating where the family kept their one last treasure, said to be worth more than their combined weight in gold.

They had to be careful as the last few of the Yasomori family still remained in their home, including the last matriarch, Miyako Yasomori. The assassins plan was to go ahead and rid the world of the cursed family to assure no one could identify them. No one would miss them anyway.

Everything went according to plan as they moved through the villa. It wasn't until they reached Miyako's room that they ran into a hitch. One assassin broke off from the rest of his group and followed the hallways to reach what was believed to be the room right next to their hidden treasure. He entered quietly and the smell of blood hit him.

Miyako Yasomori was already dead. Blood poured out of the gaping wound across her throat, staining all that it touched. He approached the body, carefully and cautiously, looking around trying to see what could have done this. He stood a few feet from the body taking it in, a dimly lit lamp behind her bed barely illuminated her upper body. A mix of fear and despair was painted on her face. The assassin reached towards the lamp, but as he did he felt a sharp pain surge quickly through him and then nothing. He was dead before his body hit the ground.

A pale figure sat in a dark corner of Miyako's room, his bloodied katana laying across his lap. After a few moments he swiftly moved into the adjoining room leaving the door slightly opened so he could watch what would unfold next.

He sat patiently for some time before he heard the faint steps of the rest of these invaders. The door slid open and his third eye focused in on the intruder. They stood at the doorway for a few moments, as if they were trying to figure out what was going on inside the room. The assassin made it one foot in the door before they dropped onto the floor. They squirmed for a few moments, gasping for air. A sloppy job.

The sound of the body hitting the ground alerted the remaining intruders and they rushed into the room. Weapons drawn, they searched all over, never noticing the door to the next room slowly opening wider and wider until the door was opened completely. The pale figure stood in the doorway and with a quick motion threw a knife directly at one of the intruders. The knife pierced their throat and they collapsed, dead instantly. The last intruder jumped back in surprise and fell onto the floor. Next to them was the dying lamp. Without a thought the assassin tossed the lamp in the direction of the door. The lamp narrowly missed the figure, but as the light passed the assassin caught a glimpse of the figure's face.

The assassin's face contorted in fear and tried to get away, but he slipped in a pool of blood and fell flat on his back. The pale figure moved slowly towards him, but stopped briefly. Light started to shine from the room he had previously been hiding in. A fire. The lamp had shattered and the small flame ignited the wood in the room and the fire was growing rapidly. The fire engulfed the room and the pale figure's body was finally visible to the assassin. The assassin fished around for a blade, tanto, anything to defend himself, but the monstrous man before him sliced his throat open with one fell slice.

The man held his blade out to his side, blood dripping from the tip of it. The flames from the other room lit up his surroundings and he stared upon the scene before him. He cast the blade aside and darted out of the room, into the hall. He made his way into a hallway closet and grabbed a bag filled with his belongings he had stashed away earlier. He then fled the villa before it was consumed by the fire.

With the deaths of the remaining members of his already dwindling family, Raiden decided it was time to leave his ancestral home and make his way out in the world and see what it had to offer him. He combed through the ruins of his home and found what little money he could along with some of his childhood belongings that survived the inferno.

Raiden traveled across the countryside, mostly at night to avoid large crowds, moving from city to city trying to find his place. Eventually he ended up in the capital of Jinin, Ayajinbo, for a job he had taken from a minor lord in the neighboring country. There was a rival lord rising quicker than Raiden's employer could tolerate and wanted to send a message.

He finally reached a tavern after a few hours. All activities and sound stopped as the patrons stared at him as he entered. Raiden paid no mind to this, he was fairly used to it, and he walked to the counter. He looked around briefly, taking in his surroundings, and dropped a money pouch onto the counter and pointed upstairs. The bartender shakily took his money and pressed a key into Raiden's outstretched palm, careful not to scratch himself on Raidens sharp claws.

Taking the key, Raiden made his way up the stairs and to his room. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, dropping his equipment on the floor. The window looked out over a river where families gathered to wash their clothes and play. A child looked up into the window and locked eyes with Raiden and screamed. The child's parents rushed to him and the child pointed to the window, but there was nothing to see. Raiden listened intently as the screaming subsided and the child was ushered away. On the bed Raiden sat until nightfall, just waiting for his next journey to begin.

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