"This Blade will not cut."

[Shang Li]

"This blade will not cut." The old man said looking at the long slender needle that was being offered. "You would dare to sell me, a master of my own school a blade that will not cut?" He continued, with his fury begining to distort his otherwise noble features. "B-But, g-great one, masterful one, you asked me for an exotic blade from an exotic land." The merchant stammered, looking about as though searching for a way to keep his head on his shoulders. "I asked you for a sword from a strange land, not an exotic needle you fool!" Seeing the old man's hand drift down to the hilt of his sword while his feet adjusted themselves minutely, I approached, the rings on my staff jingling loudly with each step. "A basket hilted rapier in the Italian style? I asked quickly, unconciously rubbing an ugly scar that ran from the bridge of my nose across my cheek. "Leave it to the foreign devils to craft a blade that does not cut and then devote an entire art to that blade." I watched as recognition set into the old man's eyes as I ran my thumb across the scar given to me in my most recent duel. "Master Ito," the old man began. "Is dead." I finished for him. "By Imperial decree, all remaining swordsmen of the schoool are to disarm themselves. Since the Master and the school both exist to serve the emperor, both are no more. I am now Li of the shang province, a simple monk."




"but that's what makes it good for training - you can swing it around without breaking anything." The pimpled teen behind the counter continued as I blinked, confused at the sudden transition from a market in Kyoto to a mall in Maine. Watching as the young man waved the cheap blade in his hand around untill I couldn't help myself anymore, I spoke. "You really should put that way before you hurt yourself with it." I said, sighing in anticipation of the answer. "Don't worry little boy, I've been working with knives for 10 years now, experts dont get hurt." he said as he tousled my hair, much to my annoyance. Placing the blade back in the saya the young man made another overhand cut, resulting in the saya flying off of the blade, bouncing off the wall and striking the youhng man in the eye, who immediately struck himself in the head with the thankfully unsharpened blade as he grabbed for his face without first dropping the blade. "you should put ice on that before it swells shut." I said as I turned and walked out of the little shop - what I seek is not here.

[Holister]

I must say Master Li, I love your stories.

[Shang Li]

I am sorry it comes out so disjointed, but I don't know how else to tell it. One moment everything is normal and the next moment I am somewhere, somewhen else. I know they are memories that were mine once, I also know that when they come on so strong that I am aware of nothing else it is somehow important, although to be honest I am not sure how this one was important to anything.

Seeking an unknown thing that you are aware of only by it's absense is not easy.