Breath Of Fire 2: The Hidden Past
Prologue Part 1 : The Beginning
Memories flash across his mind like thunder across the horizon in a storm. Past times when a younger, happy mind was in control. Thoughts of running across fields and through the forests that surround the small village of Gate. But of these memories some are stronger than others. One in particular stands out. The memory of his death.
It was a bright start to the day that would mark the death of Ryu Bateson. He awoke as always to the sounds of the church organs being played by his father. His father always played the organ and was considered by many to be the best. The sound alerted Ryu to the fact thathis sister was not asleep in her bed like she usually was. Most mornings she managed to sleep through the organs and would wake up late only to find she had missed breakfast and was on the way to missing lunch.
Nevertheless, Ryu awoke and quickly dressed and was just making his bed when he heard his father's voice call out from the floor below. "Ryu, could you please come here for a moment?" Ryu, on his way down anyway finished off making his bed and quickly headed downstairs. He reached the bottom of the landing to find that his father was already waiting for him impatiently.
Ganer Bateson was a fairly old man and had lived through many turbulent times as could be seen from his worried brow. Despite his age he seemed to carry an air of confidence that alluded to hidden power behind his seemingly aged features. Normally a happy person, this morning he had a frown on his face and Ryu could tell that he was not as cheerful as he usually was.
"Ryu could you please go a find your sister Yua for me? I would go myself but I have to organise the morning prayers and get ready for the festival of the forest tomorrow" said Ganer who obviously had other things on his mind.
Ryu gladly accepted as any reason to get away from helping his father with the prayers was well worth the effort. As he rushed upstairs to put on his boots his train of thought wandered to his sister Yua and her possible location. He knew exactly where she would be, in the mountains behind Gate.
Ryu left the church and headed down the winding path the stretched through Gate and served as the main road. It was still early in the morning and most of the town was still waking up although a few of the townsfolk greeted Ryu as wandered on. Even the old lady at the cottage greeted him, which was unusual as she only ever acknowledged him when he was with his father. He quickly dismissed this odd occurrence as he reached the little known trail that stretched from Gate to the mountains.
The back mountains of Gate had no known name to the people of Gate. They had always just called them the back mountains, but they did have a proper name. It had been forgotten during the period of the time that had passed since the destruction of Tyr, a name that itself had also been lost in legend, into myth and then faded away. It was the ancient hideaway of the ultimate power.
Drogen!