Skin Deep ~ Act 1
The plane rattled as it sped down the runway and slowly rose into the sky.
Kensei looked out the window at the city of Chicago below him as the plane gradually rose higher and higher.
The Swordsman yawned and closed the covering on the window, blocking out the morning sun. He had taken the first flight he could to New Mexico, and it wouldn't be long until he arrived.
Until then, he would catch up on some much needed sleep.
Memories of the last time he saw his friend, Whiskey Jack, danced through his mind as his eyes slowly closed...
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The mid-day sky was as black as night as the massive storm clouds covered the sun completely. The howling winds picked up, slamming into Kensei and the young Navajo warrior standing atop the mountain.
"Be ready, Kensei", spoke the dark-haired brave with the long, tight braids dancing wildly in the wind. The large drops of rain and small bits of hail came rushing in from the West at a sharp angle, pelting both Kensei and the Navajo warrior carrying a wooden staff adorned with ritual carvings.
Lightning danced across the sky, and a loud crack of thunder echoed across the mountaintop. But it was the spine-chilling, high-pitched screech accompanying the thunder that steeled the two warriors.
Suddenly, an enormous raptor flew up the cliff face to stare down at the two foolish humans below it.
The bird of prey was massive, almost the size of a city bus. And with each beat of it's wings came the gale-force winds of a hurricane.
Kensei and the brave held on to whatever they could to keep from being blown off of the mountain.
The Swordsman gripped the Kusanagi tightly, and summoned the innate power of the legendary sword to control the winds.
Almost immediately the winds died down and the pair of warriors were able to stand freely once more.
The Navajo medicine man looked sharply at the creature, noticing it's left eye was missing.
"This is the one", shouted the brave.
"Are you sure", asked Kensei sarcastically.
"Positive", replied the Navajo warrior with a smirk as both he and Kensei dove out of the way to avoid the razor-sharp talons as the behemoth dived at them.
Weeks earlier, a group of brash teenagers climbed up the forbidden mountain, tales of the warriors of old dancing in their minds from the night before.
The children brought with them traditional bows of their people, and climbed the mountain seeking adventure.
But the mountain was forbidden for a good reason. On it's high, craggy top resided the legendary thunderbirds. Creatures of supernatural power, able to conjure mighty storms with a beat of their massive wings.
The children ran in to one of the creatures, and, in their panic, fired a single arrow at the thunderbird. The arrow struck the creature in the eye, causing the powerful creature to take vengeance on the tribe.
For the past couple of weeks, the enraged thunderbird has been terrorizing the local area, slaughtering livestock, pets, and even humans.
The creature, although it was wronged first, had to be stopped. And so Kensei arrived to help and met with the local medicine man called Whiskey Jack.
Together they fended off an attack on a old woman by the creature, and Jack then led Kensei up the forbidden mountain to finish the thunderbird off once and for all.
Lightning crashed into the mountain, nearly hitting Jack. Kensei recalled how earlier Jack mentioned that the creatures could summon lightning from the storm with but a blink of it's eyes.
The thunderbird screeched as it dove towards Kensei.
The Swordsman stood his ground, and, at the last second, leapt at the creature.
The Kusanagi dug deep into the thunderbird's belly, spattering the mountaintop with it's hot blood.
Kensei rolled as he fell, but the legendary beast was able to dig it's talons deep into Kensei's back and side on the samurai's decent.
The wounded animal deftly turned towards the injured samurai.
Kensei clutched at his side where one of the massive talons had torn his flesh. His healing factor would seal up the gashes in moments, but until then he had to somehow fend off an angry thunderbird.
As Kensei raises his blade to try and fend off the biting beak of the beast, Whiskey Jack charges in from the side. The medicine man tosses a fine powder in the thunderbird's lone eye, and the creature screeches loudly in protest as it begins to thrash about.
"Now", screams Jack over the din of the storm.
"While it blind! Finish it off!"
His wounds nearly healed, Kensei rises to his feet and stabs the Kusanagi deep into the thunderbird's neck.
The mystical blade stays buried in the creature's flesh as the thunderbird tosses back and forth. The death throws of the creature are fierce, and Kensei is soon tossed away like a rag doll. But the Kusanagi remains embedded in the thunderbird's neck as blood continues to pour freely from the wound.
With a final screech of protest, the thunderbird falls to the ground, shaking the mountaintop with the impact.
As the creature dies, the winds slowly die with it. Kensei slowly rises to his feet as the storm that was raging above him quickly dissipates, revealing a bright blue sky behind it.
Walking over to the creature, Kensei removes the Kusanagi and wipes the blood clean on the thunderbird's feathers.
"It's shame", frowns Jack as he moves to stand next to Kensei.
"Such a magnificent beast. Those kids aught to be ashamed for what they brought about."
"These creatures are not normally a threat?"
"No", answered Jack as he looked to Kensei as the samurai sheathed his blade.
"They keep to themselves and leave us be. But, if wronged, the wrath of a thunderbird is a terrible thing."
Kensei could feel Jack's sadness of what they had done, and the Swordsman placed his hand on Jack's shoulder.
"I am sorry, my friend."
"It's all right", Jack sighed.
"There was nothing else that could've been done."
"Come on. Let's get back to the village. I could use a drink."
And Whiskey Jack and Kensei slowly made their way down the mountainside as the afternoon sun beat down on their tired backs.
