CALISSA WAS TRUE TO HER WORD and didn’t hesitate to accept the new intensity of her training, even despite her young age. It got to the point where Calissa refused to go to school with the other children when she came of age, preferring to be home schooled by Miyamoto on subjects she considered to be of greater value. Yet after a full year of studying full time with the old samurai, he insisted that she at least attend some classes to cover the subjects he wasn’t able to instruct her on. During this time, Alfred raised the walls around his backyard so that no prying eyes could observe the training that Calissa was going through, and the raw powers that she was starting to exhibit. Before she turned eight, Calissa started to show the ability to leap so tall, she could land on the roof of their home any time she wanted to. She also started to show great strength, being able to pick up very heavy objects without even breaking a sweat. Miyamoto was also observing how fast the young girl was becoming as she was able to lap the town in record speeds, meaning she could run long distances in very little time. Her father was seriously impressed with the new feats his child was able to accomplish, but he was still unnerved by the source of all that power as he was constantly reminded of that horrible day and who was lost. Yet Calissa’s determination and refusal to slow down reminded Alfred of his wife, as the fire inside her was very similar to the passion that her mother often had whenever she was determined to see a task through. Watching Calissa train with Miyamoto and improve with each passing day, month, and year made Alfred very proud of his only child and he knew that her mother wherever she was was proud of her as well. She was mastering the katana and the several other weapons that Miyamoto had brought with him from his homeland, progressing faster than even her master could have anticipated. While they were playfully sparing in the back courtyard, Calissa stopped to make an inquiry as she was curious about something.

“Master,” she said, pausing to rest. “When will I get armor like yours?”

“In time,” her master replied, “You are still growing little one, and when we suit you up… we want this armor to be able to last a very long time, not one or two years. The materials we use are very expensive, so we only get one chance to fit you right. We need to do it when you’re an adult, now when you’re still a child.”

“You still consider me a child?” Calissa asked.

“I do,” Miyamoto said, seething his sword. “A very dangerous child, but still a child none the less. Do not take offense from something that is clearly a fact. You are still young, but that is not a burden. Life is a gift, little one. Some people do not even make it to your age and pass on before even being able to have a real life. No one’s time on this world is finite.”

“Mine is,” Calissa corrected him.

“Explain,” Miyamoto requested, even though he had an idea of what she was referring to but wanted to hear it from here rather than tell her himself.

“You said Hakken can only die,” Calissa began to recall, “When stabbed in the heart or decapitated by a weapon made of pure silver.”

“That is correct,” Miyamoto said, still not tipping his own hand. He wanted to see where she was going before offering anything into the conversation.

“If those are the only two ways a Hakken can die,” Calissa continued, “That means all other methods and causes will not work. I will survive them all until one of the two criteria are met. Is that correct?”

“That is correct,” her master confirmed.

“That includes dying of old age, doesn’t it?” Calissa asked.

“I believe so,” Miyamoto said, as he stepped closer. “If what I’ve been told by the wisemen of my homeland, somewhere between the age of twenty-five and thirty, you will stop aging. You will remain in that form until someone takes your life with the method we have discussed.”

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“You have more time to look forward to than everyone here in this village combined,” Miyamoto said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Enjoy your childhood when you get the chance, because you will have plenty of time to adult when you reach a certain age.”

“My time may be infinite,” Calissa said, “But yours is not. I need to train before you and father pass on from this world. After that happens, I’ll try to be more social.”

“Don’t let all this time pass you by,” her master warned, “You will want some good memories, so you don’t forget this place, or about us.”

“I will never forget you master,” Calissa retorted, “Every time I hunt down and rid this world of another Hakken, I will give thanks to you for preparing me for the duties I will accomplish.”

Miyamoto stood there, and almost teared up when he heard that statement. All he could think of was the child that he wished he could be training instead and what the Hakken had taken away from him as well. While he himself had dispatched many of the big wolves he was confident that when in her prime, Calissa was going those filthy beast regret that fateful day one of them had killed her mother. He was sure that this young girl and her uncanny powers were going to lead to their extermination. His only regret was he wouldn’t be able to live long enough to see it all happen.

“Are you alright, master?” the young girl asked.

“I am, but we’re done for the day.” Miyamoto said, “I need to rest. Help your father in the kitchen as it’s his turn to cook today.”

Calissa watched as her master left the courtyard and strolled back into the house. She stood there for a moment but instead chose to stay outside and practice with her sword on her own. She had every intention of following her master’s instructions to help her father, but she knew it was better to wait for her father to ask for it rather than push him around in his own kitchen. She remained outside and practiced her technique and footwork with her katana, like she had thousands of times over the last few years. It was during this practice when she felt this sudden burst of pain that caused her to drop her sword and drop to one knee. She knelt there on the ground, holding onto her chest as that sharp feeling was coursing through her veins, up her spine and into her head. Calissa remained in that position and rather than call out for help, she chose to take some deep breaths and just remain calm until whatever it was passed. Yet the calmer she became the more she could hear it. At first, she thought her heart was racing but the slower her own heart went down, the more she noticed the other heartbeat. Then she began to notice other heartbeats as she could feel them all beating in unison as if they were a choir.

“Oh my gaud,” Calissa said as she was doing a count in her head.

“Calissa!” Alfred called out as he noticed her crouched over in the courtyard. He ran over and knelt down beside her, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“I feel something,” she replied.

After hearing her father call out, Miyamoto also came scrambling into the courtyard to see what was going on himself.

“What is it you feel?” Alfred asked her.

“I feel heartbeats that are not my own,” Calissa asked, “A least half a dozen.”

“Whose heartbeats?” her father asked.

“The Hakken,” Miyamoto answered, “We suspected for a long time that the beasts had an inner connected that allowed them to co-ordinate without speaking. This appears to confirm that such a connection exists. Where are they, Calissa?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, “But they’re not far away.”

Alfred looked back up at his friend. “Are they going to attack?”

Miyamoto shook his head, “They wouldn’t dare. A group that small just might be scouts or a hunting party.”

“Hold on,” Alfred said, as something occurred to him. “If she can sense them, can they sense her?”

“I’m not sure,” Miyamoto said, “But we have to assume they can. We need to prepare for anything and prepare for battle.”

The two men carried Calissa back into the house and let her rest on the couch as they both dressed up in their best armor and armed themselves to the teeth. Miyamoto walked over to Alfred and offered him a small dagger.

“What is this for?” Alfred asked, “I already have a sword.”

“That sword can’t kill them, but it can knock them off their feet.” His friend replied, “But once they’re down, this dagger will kill them if you put it into their heart.”

“I want to come out too.” Calissa said, trying to get off the couch. She keeled over in pain again as the pain she was feeling earlier was now more intense.

“They’re getting closer,” Miyamoto said, as he helped Calissa back to the couch.” Remain here, little one. You’re not ready.”

“Where is it coming from?” Alfred asked.

“I’m not sure, so let’s split up.” Miyamoto answered, “You stay out front and protect the main doors. I’ll stay here in the courtyard and defend the back entrance. If anyone asks, you just got your armor resized and are testing it out. We’ll stand guard until something happens or her pain resides, whichever comes first.”

“Alright,” Alfred said, “Good luck, my friend.”

“To you as well,” Miyamoto said before looking at the young girl on the couch, “And you stay right there unless called for. That is not a request.”

“Yes, master.” The girl smugly replied.

As Miyamoto strolled into the back courtyard, there was already something waiting for him. There was a man wearing a rather fine suit, standing at the back of the courtyard, looking around and admiring the setup. As the samurai strolled closer to his intruder, the man looked his way and finally noticed the fully armed warrior that was heading his way.

“I thought this garden looked familiar,” the man said, speaking in Miyamoto’s native language. “But I had no idea that an actual warrior from the eastern lands would be here as well.”

“I know what you are,” Miyamoto started, as he pulled out his silver katana.

“I doubt it,” the man said, feeling so full of himself.

“You’d be surprised what I’ve killed in my time,” Miyamoto said, grinning at the cockiness of the man before him.

“You’re not the one I’m feeling,” the man said, looking around. “Where is the heartbeat that I’m sensing?”

“She’s inside,” Miyamoto said, sure the man already knew and was patronizing the warrior. “You’re too late, I’ve prepared her for you.”

“Did you now?” the man said, curious to hear that. “You waste your time Samurai. She is one of us.”

“She is her own person,” Miyamoto corrected him, “She will choose her own path and no man or Hakken will take that away from her.”

“Fetch her for me,” the man ordered.

“Not going to happen,” The samurai said defiantly. “I order you to vacate these lands, or I will not hesitate dispatch you from this world like I have to so many of your kind before.”

“Is that so?” the man asked as he didn’t appear to feel threatened. “Let’s test that theory, shall we?”

With a snap of his finger a large, hairy creature leaped over the back wall and into the courtyard. Without hesitation, it charged at the samurai who took up a defensive stance and waited for his prey to approach. The Hakken was oblivious to the man that it was attacking, assuming he was only a simple man with a sword. Yet as it reached out to claw at the Samurai’s face, the man stepped to the side, and with a quick flick of his sword, chopped the wolf’s arm off just above the elbow. The wolf yelped loudly and crashed onto the ground, and the rest of his arm flopped on the ground like a fish that was just pulled out of the water. The armored Samurai than returned his focus to the man he was speaking with, who in his opinion was the real threat. The wolf he just maimed was foot soldier, and nothing more. The man standing before him was even more dangerous and powerful, as he was a natural birthed Hakken, just like Calissa.

“Why not charge?” Miyamoto asked, “Join the battle and I will provide you with an honorable death.”

“Tempting,” The man said, as he stopped talking and put his hand to his head as he was feeling pain, just like Calissa was experiencing earlier.

“So, you’re feeling it too,” Miyamoto said, as he walked closer. “I would be a fool not to use this tactical advantage!”

Miyamoto charged the man and despite taking a decent swing, the natural Hakken was still too quick and able to get out of the way, causing the Samurai to hit nothing but air. The other wolf, the one missing the arm, started to charge at the Samurai from behind, but he was tripped up by someone that wasn’t seen. Alfred had returned to backcourt to provide help. Calissa saw what was going on and rather than expose herself to those who meant to take her, she went to the front and told her father what was going on. He immediately went to the back court in time to see the wolf and trip it up as it ran to hit his friend from behind. The big wolf had the wind knocked out of it, and before it could get back up, Alfred took the silver dagger that his friend had given him and followed his advice. He drove that dagger right into the wolf’s back but right into its heart as he was instructed to do so earlier. The wolf let out a piercing yelp, and seconds later the beast’s body turned to ash and crumbled into a small pile of powder.

“No!” the man called out, angered to see one of his own killed so easily. He looked back the Samurai that just tried to kill him with a face of utter contempt.

“You are not welcome here,” The Samurai reminded him, “And if you do not depart now, we will turn you and any other filthy beast you brought to ash.”

Miyamoto took another defensive stance, and Alfred took position behind him and did the same. The united front was more than what the man was expecting as he started to take a few steps back. As he was backing away, Calissa stepped out from the back door to see what was going on. The man noticed her as they locked eyes for the very first time. Rather than contempt, the stranger now had a look of confusion on his face. He looked back at the two men, still puzzled.

“She’s just a child,” The man said, “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“We don’t care,” Alfred said, “She’s my daughter and the only way you’re getting anywhere near her is over my dead body!”

“Our dead bodies,” Miyamoto corrected, “And you’ll need a lot more beasts to support you if you even want to remotely challenge us.”

“Duly noted,” The man said, as he leaped up so high that he was able to flip and clear the back fence with little effort.

“Are you guys alright?” Calissa called out.

“We’re fine,” Miyamoto said, as he then turned to look at Alfred. “Nicely done, my friend. Your first Hakken kill. How did it feel?”

“It was weird,” Alfred confessed, “But you could have warned me about the ash, I got some of it my eyes and mouth!”

“Apologies,” Miyamoto said, grinning. “When I try to warn people, no one believes it, so I stopped trying.”

“What happens now?” Calissa asked, “Why did they come here?”

“They were looking for you,” her master replied, “And that means we are no longer safe here, and our presence endangers the people of this town. We need to consider moving her to a more secure location.”