He came to the sea and saw three ships.
They were soon to depart to unexplored lands.
The first would travel to the realm of Waru, where tales told of a tyrant ruling without mercy. Dispatching this despot to the underworld would be child’s play. Liberating those lands would be a valiant and noble deed, and since the role of ruler would be vacant, he could step in and finally prove himself as kind and benevolent when granted authority.
The second ship would travel to the island of Utsukushi-sa, where a fair princess waited for a suitable husband. Many a man tried to woo her with a honeyed tongue and compete in the contests she held, to win her hand. All had failed.
He knew a warrior such as himself could leave so many rivals by the waste side and to charm a woman even one as witty and as beautiful as the princess of Utsukushi-sa was certainly achievable. Her high standards meant that she wouldn’t settle for less than the best but that was fine with him, he loved a challenge. To be the husband of the best maiden in this age would be an honour.
A voyage on the third ship promised not greatness or love, rather it would travel to a city where the buildings were as tall as mountains and strange words like “Electricity” and “Radio” were common currency. This was the land of tomorrow.
He could walk the streets of this strange country, see for his own eyes, the rumoured horseless carriages called “motorcars”, eat foods from the four corners of the earth, see pictures that moved upon large white canvases called “cinema screens”. In short, he’d be part of a different, newer world.
However, in this country he’d never be any more than a humble wonderer, an old dog out of his element, never knowing greatness but being surrounded by it.
And he cursed himself as he knew the familiar feeling of being paralysed by choice. He realised then that he wanted all of it, he wanted power, he wanted love and he wanted to see a world beyond his wildest dreams, but knew life was too short to have it all. The dreadful, wonderful thing about life was that there was never enough time for everything.
And he knew that he would forever dream of the paths never taken.
