Toshihiro was once the most powerful man in the country. He had become emperor at a very young age, was married off quickly to produce heirs, and had several loyal men who followed his every command.
He never abused the trust of anyone and ruled the country with a firm hand but also with kindness. The people loved him and revered him for being just in his actions.
His wife was faithful and loving but following the birth of their third son, she passed away.
Toshihiro couldn't bring himself to remarry and took care of his three sons with love. He made sure that they received a quality education and were humble and disciplined.
But as the boys grew older, he began to notice that his youngest son, Akihito was developing a desire for dark arts.
Toshihiro came from a line of sorcerers but had never once honed his skills nor used them to rule his kingdom. He knew that magic, good or bad, had consequences.
Somehow his youngest, Akihito had learned that he had the blood of one of the greatest sorcerers and decided to practice it. But it was never for good.
He abused animals and birds and on more than one occasion he had used his powers on servants, dismembering them in the process.
Although he had taken a vow to never use his powers, Toshihiro had to use his magic to help save his eldest son from falling off the roof after being put in a trance by his youngest brother.
Toshihiro punished Akhihito and had him put in a cell until he promised he would never use his magic again.
His youngest son did promise. But it was all a lie.
Toshihiro had gone off to another kingdom to discuss the terms of trade. When he returned more than a month later, he returned to a palace full of corpses.
The servants, the guards, and his two sons, lay in a pool of blood. He entered the throne room and saw his son sitting casually on the throne and licking blood from his fingers. Beside him stood a tall man in black robes.
"You have finally returned," Akhihito said with disinterest. "Juro and I have been awaiting your arrival."
Toshihiro called for his guards who had accompanied him on his trip. None of them came.
"While you were looking at the corpses, I had Juro put the guards in a trance. They answer only to me now."
Toshihiro came forward. "What is the meaning of this? Did you kill your brothers? How low have you sunk? How could you do this to your family? Get up from my throne. You have not earned it."
"But I have," Akhihito smirked. "I did kill everyone who got in the way of me and my throne. All that is left is you, old man."
Toshihiro grew enraged. "I made a promise to never use my powers but I will willingly break that solemn vow to defeat you."
"Juro!"
The man in the black robes immediately stepped forward in front of Akhihito and conjured a ball of fire.
Toshihiro murmured an incantation and the fireball was extinguished. Akhihito, who had one leg over the armrest and was slumped on the throne suddenly sat up. He looked nervously at his father and his magician.
"Juro, defeat him! It is an order!"
"I am more powerful than him." Toshihiro raised a hand and muttered a spell. Juro twisted on his feet and fell to the ground.
Akhihito stood as Juro writhed in pain. "Stop it at once."
"I'm not the one who started this. I never wanted to use my powers to hurt anyone but I have no choice but to use them on you. You have dishonored the gift of magic and who has slain his brothers for the throne. The throne is still mine. I am the emperor!"
Akhihito grew frightened by his father's outburst. He raised his hand and uttered a spell after which he stumbled and tripped over his fallen magician.
"Juro, contain him! Say the spell with me!" Akhihito ordered.
Juro cried out in pain but still managed to recite a spell. Toshihiro came forward and used his powers to slam Juro against the wall.
The magician groaned in pain, then uttered a spell and got to his feet. He raised both hands and uttered a spell.
Toshihiro raised his hand and began a protection spell for himself when Akihito lunged at him.
"Now!" His son roared.
Juro's spell grew louder in Toshihiro's ears. He felt something inside him weaken.
"Finish him off!" Akihito demanded.
Juro kept reciting the spell and Toshihiro used the last of his strength to push his son away and strike Juro.
But Juro's spell wasn't interrupted. He held on and massaged his jaw. Toshihiro collapsed back onto the ground and clutched his chest.
"What have you done?" Akhihito moaned and for a moment Toshihiro thought his son had grown a conscience and regretted his actions.
"That is not what I wanted. I wanted him dead!"
"But the power inside him was too hard to battle. This is the best I can do. He can't rule the kingdom like that, can he?"
Toshihiro opened his eyes. He wasn't dead but something was wrong. He felt heaviness in his chest and his limbs felt weak.
He turned sideways to see Juro on his knees begging for forgiveness as Akhihito stood before him, his hands clenched into fists.
Toshihiro tried to get up and when he couldn’t, he looked down at himself and saw that his body seemed oddly curved and large. His limbs had shriveled yet still had some strength.
But deep inside he knew the magic inside him had waned a little. He had been protected from death but at the cost of most of his magic.
"Forgive me!" Juro pleaded.
Akhihito took out his sword and decapitated the magician.
Toshihiro, realizing he was at a disadvantage, rolled quietly to the side. No doubt his son wanted to use the sword on him next.
He winced as every movement cost a great deal of energy. If Juro had been spared there was still a chance for the magic to be reversed. With him dead, turning back to his former self would pose a challenge.
Toshihiro hid from his son even as Akhihito launched an extensive search for him. Every room was checked, and every door was opened.
The guards who were entranced did Akhihito's every bidding.
It was easier for Toshihiro to hide. His short stature allowed him to hide behind furniture and curtains. He used his body as an advantage. He had seen the mirror. The idiotic and inept Juro had turned him into a cooking pot.
Nevertheless, it was easy for him to hide in the palace for several weeks, behind other cooking pots in the kitchen.
One time, a cook had almost picked him up and had him over by the fire. He had managed to get away just in time by knocking over some plates and distracting the cooks.
A year passed and Toshihiro hid in the palace not knowing where else to go. He saw the cruel his son was and how he had adopted tyranny as means to rule the kingdom.
His kingdom was plunged into darkness and despair. Akhihito did marry but was not once faithful. He had several affairs with women and the maids.
One of them had even gotten pregnant. She was unceremoniously thrown away from the palace.
It wasn't until five years had passed that Toshihiro overheard a magician conversing with Akhihito.
The magician explained to Akihito that his powers had greatly reduced after he used them to create gold and jewels and put people into trances.
The magician warned him that once the magic wore off, his wealth that was made through magic would disappear too.
His only hope was to sacrifice his child. The child would have powers within him or her. Those powers could be unleashed and absorbed by a family member.
Akhihito grew depressed. His wife had borne children but none of them had survived. He decided to execute his wife and marry another woman.
She too didn't bore any children and Akhihito considered using magic to create a child. But the magician warned him that doing so was against the rules of nature and that magic would only work if the child was born into this world naturally.
Akihito grew frustrated and remarried once more. This time there was a child but he was stillborn.
As time passed the doctors advised Akhihito that he had developed an ailment and he would not be able to produce children.
Toshihiro had smiled at the news. His son hadn't realized that overusing magic took a toll on the body.
What's more, his son had quite forgotten that he did have a child with a maid that he had thrown out years ago.
But Toshihiro hadn't forgotten and so after ten years in hiding, he finally left the palace to go in search of the child.
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