DUCK THE SAMURAI
THIS IS NO ORDINARY DUCK TALE. Standing at 5’6, which is tall for the average duck, DUCK THE SAMURAI. His name is actually Nick, but some humans started calling him the Duck Samurai and it kind of stuck. Why did humans do that, well.. Because humans can be a little prejudice at times- especially to a duck.
The Ducks on the East Coast are a friendly bunch. There’s not a lot of them, but they get by, they usually tend to keep themselves. Most of them are farmers, they grow the sweetest sugar cane. There pretty nice guys too, maybe too nice.
They started giving their canes away for free and the humans started taking advantage of them. “We need more, We need more!” they said. So the Ducks started charging them, not a lot- even though the humans could afford it. The Wolves, on the other hand, they could not.
So what did the Wolves do? They huffed and puffed of course. When they still didn’t get their way they marched in and demanded that the Ducks pay them for protection. When the Ducks asked them who they needed protection from the Wolves said from them.
And for the next half of a decade that’s how things went. The Ducks farmed hard and at the end of the month a few wolves in suits would show up and collect their tariffs.
Nick was barely older than a duckling at the time. Out of his Flock he was the third youngest of eight. Even at that time he was always play fighting with sticks.
One month when the Ducks did not reach their quota, the Wolves felt they had to set an example. In front of the whole village they beat a handful of the Older Ducks. Nicks Dad was one of them.
Nick was furious, he asked his dad why they didn’t fight back. The response was, ducks aren’t fighters. They tend to nature and take care of those who need help.
Nick wouldn’t accept this. He trained himself with a sharp stick he’d found. When the Wolves came back a couple of days later, Nick challenged the biggest and baddest of them. Of course Nick lost, but he didn’t do to bad for a duckling. Nick managed to puncture the wolves right eye before the Wolf had him pinned to the ground by his throat ready for the kill.
The Older Ducks pleaded for Nicks life. They offered almost all their rations. The wolves accepted, they demanded twice fold for the next couple of months as well.
After the Wolves had left no one would say it, but they all knew it was Nick’s fault. Nick knew it too. He felt like an outsider. But he knew he was right, no Duck should have to fear a Wolf. A Duck didn’t owe anyone anything.
Nick packed a rucksack and left, much to the sadness of his mom who cried for him not to. It was tough on Nick’s dad too, though he could barely meet Nicks eyes.
After a few months of traveling, Nick ran into a Swordsman as old as dirt. Nick convinced him to train him. The Old Swordsman did. After 3 years of training Nick preceded to return to the East Coast to free his village. The Old Swordsman gave him the advice to use the sword as a last result, to try to kill first with kindness. Nick nodded his head, but he knew in his heart that there would be no kindness for the Wolves.
Sure enough when Nick arrived he defeated every Wolf. He’d already cut off the paw of one and broken the leg of another when his own father begged him to stop.
Nick sheathed his sword and warned the Wolves that if they ever returned he’d utterly destroy them. The Wolves agreed and fled.
Instead of gracious thanks, all of the the other Ducks kept their space from Nick. They seemed to be frightened by him. Nick bowed and apologized to his father, hugged his mom and turned and left the village for a second time. This time for good. He would not come back. Instead, he’d go wherever his blade took him.