25

  Scene: A vast and dark ocean in the Living Plane

  Enter: A creature opening its emerald eyes

  Shining in dark ocean bed with something arcane

  The eyes blink. The creature roars as it makes its rise

  A hundred metres wide or more it does comprise

  And It is perhaps twenty times that size in length

  Onyx blue scales, and sharp teeth that are optimised

  To bite anything, maybe everything, to death

  It undulates its body and lets out a breath

  Shaking away from it, centuries of debris

  "Something wicked this way comes" It speaks, quotes Macbeth

  "I cannot believe that I am finally free,"

  it rises up the surface within seconds three

  And transforms itself into a little human

  He is now a man with red hair, "Ouch! That damn tree"

  He plucks out splinter from finger and keeps moving

  He reaches the shore, people stare in confusion

  Some even laugh at him, the green eyed naked man

  A stare quiets them, from his green eyes of ruin

  He weaves a magic portal and then leaves the land

  The Midgard Serpent is free, but what is his plan?

  Will he bring Ragnarok, and end reality?

  From this frightening scene let us move to Japan

  Or its afterlife counterpart, past celestial sea.

  26

  Enter: Hiraku, one of twelve Overseers

  He was entitled to things most can only dream

  His fief of Ogon No didn’t hold any fears

  The whole realm of Uso held him in great esteem

  'Uso' means lie, which might be a little extreme

  For the Afterlife in which the Japanese stay

  They were expecting reincarnation it seems

  Or a place with their ancestors in starry bay

  In Uso, though ne'er hungry, they still need to pay

  for luxuries. They're tired of living the same

  life they lived on Earth, this is no true holiday

  It's the living world in everything but its name

  Hiraku was a samurai of great acclaim

  His scars told of battles where he ne'er gave quarter

  The real tragedy was that his death was real lame

  He slipped on a mango and died in the water

  before he could join in the world's biggest slaughter

  If the river hadn't killed him he would have been

  Hiraku, one of history's greatest authors

  The best and strongest samurai this world had seen

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  When he entered Afterlife he was not serene

  Years of training in calming his heart, he forgot

  He did not much like this land of the in between

  Was this really happening or Ieyasu's plot?

  Give me my rebirth, he demanded on the spot

  Where he first landed in the realm of Afterlife

  He tried to break open his head with a black pot

  To release his soul and go back to real world strife

  A wandering monk found him and did analyse (him)

  His head splitting behaviour was an oddity

  (The) Monk was Loong from Shaolin who met his demise

  When he slipped on a mango of bad quality

  He was legendary for his philosophy

  And renowned throughout for his great martial prowess

  Led on adventures by his curiosity

  The number of enemies he faced were countless

  His strength, people said, was very close to boundless

  His short stature made people underestimate

  him. Wherever he went he battled the foulness

  of men. He was a staunch foe to evil's mandate

  He knocked out Hiraku and then carried him straight

  to his home in mountains so tall and beautiful

  In Hiraku he saw a hero he could create

  He looked closely, sure he was not delusional

  Loong's training methods were all so inscrutable

  After fifty years Hiraku bade Loong farewell

  He went back to Uso, (his) journey a crucible

  Adventures en route made his reputation swell

  In this strange Afterlife his dreams he did excel

  His many tales attracted the Emperor's ear

  He was made an Overseer and did quite well

  The golden age of Hiraku was finally here

  The people of his fief all thought he was a dear

  He brought great prosperity to his Ogon No

  He made many new laws and raised his fief a tier

  (The) First law proclaimed banned all production of mango

  27

  Her name was Etsuko, she owned a perfume shop

  For brave, strong Hiraku it was love at first sight

  The thought of talking to her felt like a sword chop

  But Etsuko was his one and his true bright light

  Her shop, next to a fish monger's, smelt good despite

  Her perfumes were so strong, so fresh and very nice

  That even the manure shop next door couldn't stink the site

  Hiraku went there everyday to ask the price

  of her perfumes, bought them all and gave her advice

  On logistic and storage costs, other mundanes

  He did everything he could think of to entice

  the beautiful woman. Love then finally rained

  The whole fiefdom came to bless what Hiraku gained:

  A lovely new wife. Marriage feast lasted three days

  Eating was a luxury, so many remained

  for the entire wedding. It caused quite a craze

  Akio was born a year later and amazed

  Everyone with his great aptitude and his strength

  Feasts were given, and people came with take-aways

  To discreetly put some food in, before they went

  back to their houses, so full, so well and content

  They praised Akio's name to the skies. He was the best

  of the best, first in every single event

  When he participated there was no contest

  The best nannies, best food he had, none did protest

  The best of teachers and the best equipment too

  He assisted everyone in all their requests

  He even learned to fly at the age of just two

  He was a chivalrous knight, they said, through and through

  Tough as a warrior, and clever as a sage

  People cheered for him whenever he came in view

  And all this when he was only nine years of age

  The fief of Kita bordered Ogon No, they waged

  constant battles with Hiraku and his soldiers

  Kita now had a new weapon, a battle sage

  Sayonara his name, a crafty advisor

  Kita soldiers led by Sayonara the Tiger

  Rampaged through the wealthy fiefdom of Ogon No

  Hiraku caught unprepared, without armour either

  He in battle asked, "where's my son and Etsuko?"

  "They are both dead by now, and that is all I know"

  Hiraku was overcome with sorrow and grief

  He stabbed himself with dagger and fell in the snow

  And thus did Kita conquer Hiraku's great fief

  28

  Akio had been playing shogi with his friend

  When the sounds and screams battle did reach his young ears

  His mother armed with knitting needles did attend

  to her son as she imagined her greatest fears

  "Son, remember this," she said as she wiped her tears

  “Even from the ashes does the great phoenix rise

  Remember all your training and make many heirs

  I’ll do everything to keep you from your demise

  Fly Akio, just like your daily exercise”

  She threw open a window and then hugged him tight

  "I cannot bear it, mama," he said "please don't cry

  Let them come and I will show them my deadly bite"

  "No, my love," she replied, "In this you cannot fight

  Go now and fly far away, my child, please hurry

  Don't come back until you're able to end this plight

  Fly away Akio, please don't make me worry"

  She threw him out the window, and things got murky

  Akio heard the sounds of combat as he fell

  One day he would come back here, showing no mercy

  To (his) enemies, he swore, filled with vengeance and hell

  He flew far away with the sky in parallel

  And then reached a colourful desert caravan

  They were very impressed by him and let him dwell

  amongst them. He took a new name 'Al-Out Katan'