The Chronicles of Chaos

By Dr. Dan Netherland

First in the chronology of The Tengu Scrolls, this epic saga of beauty and chaos is steeped in the antiquity of Japanese mythology. Legendary creatures, a Samurai host, and venerated masters all play their parts in this timeless myth of cosmic revenge. Looming throughout the chaos is the emerging presence of an invincible warrior.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Dan Netherland
• Release date: Jan 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310060052

Dr. Dan Netherland

Dr. Dan Netherland, 10th Dan , Kinami-Ryu Aiki Bujutsu . Is an internationally acclaimed martial artist with 60+ years training experience. He is a veteran police captain and swat team commander. He is best known as the undisputed world power Breaking champion. Holding Multiple Guinness world records as well as World Record Federation Records. He has been designated a living legend by the official United States martial arts Hall of Fame and the prestigious European martial arts Hall of Fame. As an author, what he writes about he has lived, knowing the depth of culture and combat. The genre of his work includes combat, sociology, philosophy, poetry and action adventure. Enjoy!

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Dark, mysterious and aloof, these mountains have stood forever in the wild region between the ancient capital of Nara and the barrier of Lake Biwa, in what is now the South Central area of the Honshu Island of Japan. Mist shrouded, near vertical cliffs with densely shadowed stands of towering Japanese cedar, soaring nearly two hundred feet up. Ancient, wind tortured Japanese black pines with gnarled massive trunks and twisted limbs. Red pines with lopsided irregular reaching branches. White pines with wide expansive ever reaching arms, all stand as lords watching over hordes of smaller evergreens, fir, spruce and maples.

Long before the first invaders from mainland Asia arrived in Japan, in the Yayoi era (300 B.C. – 300 A.D.), there was the Ainu, the original habitats of Japan. Before the Ainu, dating back to 100,000 B.C. there was a mysterious pre-dawn man in these dark covered mountains. Before this, these ancient, cloud covered mountains were the home of the Tengu, long-nosed mountain goblins, which to this day still inhabit these mountains, high in the lofty, inaccessible regions.

I am Jinsei, the seer, a shadow, the last of the Yamabushi warrior priests of the Sugendo sect of Mount Kurama. I have lived many lifetimes in the deep, haunted forests about Kurama Dera, temple of the long-nosed goblins. I have watched the ascent of man as he groped under clouds of illusions, seeking to find his identity, his purpose, his way. My family is the Kami, the spirits who preside over these misty mountains. My teachers have been the rocks, the wind, and the trees. My companions the Tengu, the elder race of long-nosed goblins that inhabit these mountains. My dearest friend and brother, the great red-faced Shojobo, lord of all Tengu, chief of the fearsome, man-like, crow-like Karasu Tengu, who are matchless warriors and chief of the dark winged Ko-Tengu, the seeing eyed messengers who assume any form they choose.

Hear me for I am ancient but not immortal. Time is soon upon me. I will part the clouds, sharing with you the ancient scrolls of the long-nosed goblins, given to me long ago by Saruta, patron saint of the Tengu. I will tell you of Chosen the challenge, the massive, indomitable one. The greatest slayer Earth has ever known. Chosen, the flesh of Hachiman (God of War). Fury of the mountain gods. Sword of vengeance of the Tengu goblins. Chosen, – man, immortal, demon – who traveled down the dark realm of hell and returned, bringing back with him a piece of each death sealed up within his eyes.

Between the end of the Kamakura period (794 – 1156 A.D.) and the beginning of the Heian period (1102 – 1333 A.D.), was the Gempei war, ending in 1185. Samurai with their lords returned home, leaving behind them legendary deeds of valor, great victories, and greater yet atrocities! Deities and demons alike were evoked for aid. Action that involves the spirit world is never complete, for one stage merely sets another hungry stage into motion. Some motion was best never started.

Jinsei No Kurmam

August 103 B.C.

Scroll Sho (Scroll One)

THE BEGINNING

PREFACE

Truth upon the wind

Pigs…pig pen of deception.

Squealing their version.

The Beginning. The beginning of everything is obscure. There is the beginning you hear, then the one you don’t hear. There is always the truth, which you seldom ever hear, because the truth is based upon the opinion and beliefs of the hearer, which in turn are often undetermined until the hearer hears something that fits his momentary mood, need or desire. So all things, in some manner of speaking, have a beginning of sorts.

The beginning goes back before the yawn of time itself, back to the heavens, before all other lesser creations were brought forth. The heavens were still wet with creation as myriad forms of divine existence came forth. Came forth they did, like little squealing pigs, each wanting a share of creation. Greedy for power, space, and things yet unspoken.

For eons these divine beings grew, each accepting a role in the fabric of heavenly life. Greed also grew in the depths of silent hearts waiting its time to spring forward to devour all. Greed is always hungry. Greed would eat itself to death, if this could be, but it can’t. Greed can never be filled, even if greed possessed all things, it would never be enough. Greed found a sure abode in the heavens. Licking its lips, it waited for just the right time to act. Though this be true, we must not get ahead of ourselves…now, the beginning.

In the beginning there was light, darkness could not be found. Slowly greed brought darkness into the heart of many a divine being. Quietly, steadily, unnoticed like a stalking predator, it inched forth to strike down its unsuspecting prey. Darkness of greed fell unnoticed across the divine land. When darkness was at last acknowledged it sent panic, for the intention of darkness was yet unknown. Then there was war in the heavens, for darkness revealed its intentions. Light refused to accept this new order. Darkness demanded everything. Light refused to submit to darkness’s demands. Light marshaled on one end of the heavens, darkness on the other. Chaos raged. Creation was shaken out of its place. War always brings destruction, not only to those at war but to the place they war. The heavens became void. Then there was silence again in the void. Void lasted the life time of a star. Chaos was silent.

The creative spirit brooded over the vast expanse all but forgotten by the greater heavens, and the void became the truth from which all things sprang forth. Perfection could not proceed from the void, for its very nature is void of perfection. This was a new creation, less perfect from the first, sprang forth. With this new creation came also a

single, solitary grain of greed, no more. Even a single grain of greed casts its own shadow. In time, the shadow of greed grew.

Single grain of greed,

Dark mountain within a speck

You must sweep better.

And there was again war in the heavens. This time all was not cast into the void, rather, sides were drawn. The heavenly war lasted for ages until darkness withdrew below the creations and light withdrew above creation. Thus, an uneasy balance weighed all creation on a crooked, uneven scale. Each side awaited the final conflict.

From time to time, light and darkness sent spies into the world below the clouds, to spy out activity that could be advantageous for their particular cause. Seldom did they meet. When they did, neither side wanted to start another world war yet, so they hissed and screamed at each other only. Time moved upon ancient legs, drawing slowly the lengthy shadows of a cold war. Darkness grew faster than light. It hid itself everywhere, where light did not go. Darkness of greed was hungry and could not be satisfied. Opening its mouth wide it screamed for more. Screamed yes, but could never be filled, never.

CHAPTER ONE

The autumn season had come to the deep shadowed mountain that dwells in the mist. Seasons were still a new thing, being less than two centuries old. Many remembered autumn’s first coming with its bright colorful pageantry, a pageantry of yet unspoken death. Who would have dreamed of a winter hiding behind autumn? Then winter fell, taking life from all forms. Winter was not bias, taking plants and people alike.

This new age of life left much to be desired. But there was spring, bringing a resurrection of hope and rich summer that returned fullness to life. Winter took fullness from life, but summer returned fullness to life. Spring and autumn were merely heralds of change to come, both beautiful but of no great consequences.

Hiding in autumn

The killing blade of winter.

Spring turns to summer

Healing the war ravaged land.

One plot, four conspirators.

What was before this new world? Whispers in the dark, nothing voiced in the light. No one knew for sure. There were no storytellers to remind man of his past. All that was known was everything had passed away, giving birth to this new age of life. Did the age before know fear? Surely they must, for fear lived in man’s heart. Fear lived in shadowed places of this new age. Dread, the heart knew dread. Sounds and smells of unholy things hung in the air, as beings of darkness passed by on their way.

Finite beings hid themselves while the greater beings, such as Tengu, stood bold in the face of danger. Why should Tengu hide? Were they not the master race of warriors in this new age? Did not red-nosed Shojobo of the flowing white hair lead them? Shojobo, lord of all Tengu, who alone possessed the fan of typhoons.

Typhoon feather fan

In the hands of a Tengu

Life…death but a choice.

Ages of time moved forward.

It was the zenith of the 100th year anniversary of autumn, when the bright colored leaves were blowing, caught upon a wild wind. Suzu (cluster of bells) lifted its voice for other mountains to enjoy. It was on this auspicious day that Shojobo discovered the great being in the depths of the lofty, dark shadowed mountain. There on a ledge below the twisted black pine he lay asleep. Bright painted leaves covered his colossal frame. Shojobo looked upon this being in wonder for he was unlike any being he had ever seen. The body was enormous in girth, with immense muscles that bulged even in slumber. This body spoke of unimaginable power. Touching the sleeper with his shakajo (ring-tipped staff) the being never moved. He did not sleep the sleep of death, rather the sleep of ages. Shojobo searched his long memory for one such as this. Slowly he turned, melting into the autumn forest.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, and still the sleeper slept. Tengu from the first day of discovery had watched, guarding this strange being. Winter came searching early, with freezing sword drawn. First wind, then ice, then snow. Snow took possession of all things green. Snow covered everything with its velvet embrace of effortless suffocation. Tengu dotted the white fur trees, watching the sleeper. Darkness could not come here. Tengu were always ready for battle. Being a warlike species they were always ready to act.

The wails of winter reached a crescendo in the cliffs of dark, misty mountain, like mortality crying in the wind. A visitor came unannounced to the sacred grove. It was a she. She was young to the eyes and beyond the description of beautiful. She was one of the first upon the earth, arrayed in white, velvety snow. Yuki-onna (lady of the snow), being one of the first, was very powerful indeed. She stood looking upon this great marvel for a long time, saying something lost to the wind. Suddenly her eyes brightened, casting a purple-blue hue upon the snow. Slowly she turned putting a finger to her perfect lips and whispered Hush. Immediately she raised her arms and was received into the snow. She would not be seen in this mountain until many centuries to come.

Tengu did not worship the kame (gods) nor did they oppose them. Only when it was to their advantage did they aid them. Such was the case when Hachiman (god of war) came to the sacred grove. Shojobo came to meet him out of courtesy. For a time they spoke in all but a whisper. When they were concluded, both went to the sleeping being. Who and what? Shojobo asked.

Hachiman replied, "He is the challenge. His name for this duration is Chosen.

He is high heaven’s executioner. When we are challenged, Chosen is our answer."

Shojobo nodded his head, knowing he was not receiving the entire truth. Still, he listened out of courtesy.

When he awakes, he will be directed to do our bidding. He must not act of his own will, only our will shall direct him, Hachiman said. "Befriend him if you choose. Only know this, he is a dreadful slayer with no mercy. When he awakes and goes forth, do not oppose