It was abundance all around, and those that inhabited the village were full of joy. Life on this island was like living in paradise; the people who lived here came from many generations sent here from the mainland to cultivate the land as an alternative. Sons and daughters were born here to eventually raise their own sons and daughters. The island was populated through this process, and peace was within the island.
Fathers taught their sons the ways of the ancients, as well as Mothers, taught their daughters the techniques in leading the households. Ambassador on the island had a young son fascinated by the ways of the ancients. He dreamed of life as a samurai. The son soon would be free to choose his lifestyle. If he so sought, as no one offspring was forced into an occupation, as it was the custom back on the mainland. Of the other choices for their son was to live life on the island cultivating the island and building the infrastructure of the growing village, which was a very respectful path. Very few were still fluent in the way of the samurai, but those who were would be called to protect the island if the time ever came.
The head family was content where they were and with their young child who quickly learned and showed high intelligence and understanding, gaining the awards and rewards of his brightness. At home, his father would tell him stories of the ancients. This further sparked his interest in learning as well as his interest in the lifestyle of the samurai. Soon the boy, when left to his own devices, would dream up his personal samurai stories of honor, trust, and living by the code. His mind was a fertile playground were any ideas he may contemplate lead him on a journey. In his own account, he'd play out in the open land and wilderness that was his home.
On one of these outings by himself, he saw off in the way distance of the ocean that surrounded the island he saw foreign ships heading toward them. These were different ships than the ones, which came for trade or were passing through posting up on the dock for at most a week to regain strength and regroup. These ships seemed menacing; it was like nothing he had ever seen. Not knowing what to do, the young boy rushed home to tell his father and mother what he had seen. Maybe they and the village elders could say to him what these ships were.
Concerned by what his son had seen the father and other men of importance in the village went to the lookout point. They found the ships still sailing in what looked like the direction of the island. The symbols on the sails were challenging to make out. They were foreign, and no one on the island was familiar with them except the eldest of the elders who was one of the offspring from the original settlers to the island. Stepping forward into the circle of men, his wife having died long ago and with no children of his own, he became a surrogate grandfather to many of the children on the island. He told the group of a time when ships of pirates barring that symbol came and terrorized the island. This wasn't without significant effect and great loss. The people of the island were able to defend themselves as several pirates in a savage battle that sent men back to their ships and back to where ever they came from. Others lost their lives to the well-trained group of samurai warriors from the island. Over time the need for samurai warriors to protect the island and the village diminished. Soon the way of the samurai became stories that fathers would tell their children as they lay in bed.
For some reason, the story the old-timer told made them fear a democratic solution, not seeing that there may be a way to work with these foreigners on these ships. That night, as the boats were at least days to two days out, the island held a village-wide meeting to decide what to do. The boy watched his father listen to the concerns of the island people. Some were fearful, others were hopeful their way of life could be extended to these foreign travelers, but no one was quite sure.
After the meeting, the boy's father, after listening to everyone, felt that they were going to act civil to the travelers like anyone from a trade ship. At the same time as over the years, they had foregone the draft of young men of age to teach them the way of the samurai and protect the island he felt they may need to declare an emergency draft. This would even mean his son, the smartest in his class one everyone could see doing great things in other places, and he'd be called to choose. As the travelers drew closer, the village was pulling into a fearful mindset, something they had not felt in recent times.
