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Chapter 7 Part 1
We finally reached Akairo’s village around dawn after taking a few short breaks, where I shared some of the food Kiel packed me with Akairo, and he let me have some spring water from a canteen he carried at his side. The village seems small as we looked at it from the mountain path, but I soon realized it was anything, but small. Akairo's village has over 20 homes, at least 10 commercial buildings, and 5 open markets to buy food, clothing and other trinkets. I was relieved I had Akairo as a guide, or I would soon find myself lost along the winding road that seemed to slit in 3 directions at every intersection. As we walked we were greeted with good morning from everyone we saw…I didn’t expect such a warm welcome from a town of bandits…it made me feel more like a princess returning home from a long trip. Akairo told me he is considered the villages leader even though he’s young…that why he’s treated so well.

“I started with only my house, which I built by hand from some trees I took from the near by forests…Over time more and more people came and settled here and I taught them everything they would need to know to live off the land. Before long the village grew to what it is like now… Many villagers said it was because I taught them how to use things in nature to survive, and then they begun calling me boss, and asking me for advise. Before long the villagers began calling themselves the “Red Sun Bandits” after the rough translation of my name Akairo Takeru…Red Rising Sun. At that time the only one we were really stealing from was Mother Nature…but as time flowed on the natural resources seemed to get fewer and fewer as more and more people came. We asked out neighboring villages for help, but they refused to take our naturally grown crops as trade for their assistance. That’s when we truly became bandits…stealing what we couldn’t get from nature…we never killed anyone though…” Akairo said as we approached a medium sized house at the edge of town.

We walked in and almost immediately Akairo was tackled by 3 young children (all are under 10, 2 girls and 1 boy)… All greeted him with nee-sama (brother respectful…literally mean Lord Brother). Shortly after a middle aged woman came into the room with a large pot in one hand, resting against her side for balance, and a wooded spoon in the other hand. “Okaasama” (mother…Literally Lady Mother) all of the young children said running to her after she set the pot down on the table. She began serving them what looked like oatmeal with chopped up strawberries in it into small bowls two of them pink and one blue each with matching spoons respectively. She signaled me to come over so I sat next to Akairo and one of the girls who stopped eating to look at me and smile for a brief moment.

The lady called “Okaasama” then served me and Akairo and herself in regular sized bowls. Akairo and Okaasama gave thanks for the food and I watched them for a moment, and tried to mimic their eating habits. Once every one was done eating the three younger children got up and bowed to Okaasama and said arigatogozimasu (thank you very much for the food) then the boy took her dishes over to the sink to be washed. The two girls took one handle each of the big pot and carried it over to the other side of the sink to be washed as well. Akairo took the remaining dishes to the sink and started helping the kids wash them. It was amazing how they worked so well together. Akairo washed the dishes, while the boy rinsed them off and one of the girls dried them and the other girl put them away.

{Due to this chapter being really long it’s split into 2 parts so please go on to Part 2 now.}