Hello Darlings!
Finally, we have an update!
I really want to take this opportunity to thank those of you wonderful people who stuck faithfully with me through my hard times. I also want to welcome new people who stumbled their way to my writing and decided that it was worthwhile to read, review, favorite, or follow. Thank you!
I hope you lovelies enjoy this long awaited chapter!
Love,
Blissful Illusions~
"I realize that you always smile so fondly at the sun." She spoke to him with curiosity.
He stopped his adoration of the sun and turned his endearing gaze toward her instead.
Her heart stopped for a brief moment as their eyes met.
"The sun never ceases to embrace us with its generous warmth…" he breathed while continuing to enjoy its welcoming rays.
She looked at him in confusion before giving in to her soft giggles.
"Are you amused, my lady?"
She pressed her lips firmly together to contain her impending laughter, but her eyes had already revealed to him the truth.
He blushed faintly at the sight.
"Could it be that the fondness is related to you missing home, my lord?" Her delightful voice charmed his ears.
Given that it was a logical answer, but it was not his reason.
He shook his head.
"Surely, I must be right!" she teased him with pure joy.
He continued to deny her victory as he dismissed her every guess.
"You have to tell me! I will surely fall ill with all this curiosity you have raised in me." Her lashes batted while her lips pursed in the most cute pout.
"It is because of a story passed down from generations to generations of my people."
"You mean a myth?" Her brow raised in challenge.
"It is a story, because I believe strongly in it. A myth is a legend which has long been abandoned."
She tilted her head slightly with a gentle smile gesturing him to continue.
"It is the story of how the sun came to be and how it will always continue to shine on our people forevermore."
In the beginning, there was nothing of the harmony of light and darkness. There were no sensations of the relations of warmth and coldness so hence everything felt rather numbing and dull.
Nothing thrived in the vast wasteland of sand so hence it was much too barren.
It was believed that the origins of the desert dwelling people could be traced back to the celestial beings of the heavens above.
In the heavens, there lived the majestic god who reigned supreme over all of the other heavenly individuals as their king. He ruled in tyrannical fashion over his subjects with an iron fist. No one dared to defy him as it would be certain death in the utmost cruelest way.
Despite all of his merciless ways, he did harbor a more gentle charisma which was only exclusive to his beloved daughter. She was the only thing that could awaken the consciousness of his remaining humanity. He held his dear daughter closely to his, often rumored nonexistent, heart.
Those who had been fortunate to have laid eyes on the princess would with no doubt describe her as the most exquisite masterpiece. She had alluring eyes with the depth of the scarce water. Her skin possessed an ethereal glow among its flawless ivory hue. Her dark tresses flowed effortlessly behind like a splendid silk shawl. Her voice was melodious and her movement was balletic. She was so precious that her father confined her to an eternity of loneliness in fear of his greatest treasure being spirited away.
However, there was also another person the god king entrusted dearly. Even with his lengthy reign, the god king was ever weary that one day he would be betrayed by one of his subjects and thus overruled. In this nerving fear the god king delegated certain affairs to a young but proving general. The general was not only worthy in the eyes of the god king, but he was admired by the other deities as well. He was embraced with love by all those who encountered him.
With time passing by, the princess and the general soon found themselves living in two separate worlds regardless of the same heaven they both resided in. Because he was so cherished by the others, the general's life was filled with warmth and light. With the princess confined to her bitter misery of isolation, she grew to be cold while being surrounded by the bleak obscurity. So hence that was the start to the creation of light and darkness as well as warmth and coldness.
When his anxiety got the better of him, the god-king grew greatly concerned with his daughter. It was predicted that one day the princess would be stolen away by another thus leaving the god king to suffer the rest of his immorality alone. With the impending fate fastly approaching, the god-king thought of numerous tactics to avoid this ill fortune.
One day, the god-king decided to unveil the secrecy of his daughter to his loyal general in order for him to better protect his most beloved treasure. The king established that the young general would be her personal guard in order to ensure her utmost safety.
It was then that the king made his greatest mistake.
There was an instant attraction between them when they had first met. The princess and the general were rather intrigued by the presence of one another. She was enticed to the light and warmth of his being while he was captivated by the coolness and shadow about her. They were two of separate worlds, but they had found commonality amongst themselves as they were both filled with certain aloneness.
Although they differ vastly, one cannot exist without the other. There could not be light without the companionship of darkness. Warmth would hold no meaning without the presence of coldness. They were two parts of a whole and inseparable.
The god-king was too oblivious to the on-going chemistry between his dear daughter and his entrusted general. He was far too blind to realize the start of his own demise. The faith of his daughter now belonged to the general while the general's loyalty was now pledged to the princess. The god-king no longer had his place in their lives, as the significance of one another out grew his own.
The general and the princess met in secret while the god king wandered around through his limited days of ignorant bliss. With each embrace, their love strengthened into an unbreakable bond would not wither from any odds it may face.
Eventually, a child was created as the symbol of their love.
The princess knew all too well about the wrath of her father and the general knew of the horrid outcomes of those who had suffered through it. They both knew that the king would not look too kindly upon their union and thus they decided to elope.
The general, through his connections, gathered a potent drug which reduced its victim to a state of extreme fatigue. The drug requires its victim to rest for couples of days in order to overcome its effects. The princess knew that her father was never the one to take the time to rest, especially with his anxiety always getting the better of him. She calculated that in his state of tiredness, her father would be too disorientated to realize the situation around him. So she plotted with her beloved against her father with no hesitation.
The lovers fled under the confusion of the god king. They knew that for as long as the god-king still reigned supreme, then they must still remain in hiding. Hence, the general led the princess to the earthly grounds below knowing that it would be the last place anyone would every pay a thought to.
Earth was far too barren when compared to the celestial heavens. The aura was grim and coated heavily with fog. What life that had managed to sprout did so with no refinement as they grew wildly about. Although it was not a life that they were used to, the couple made do with the simplicity of living among the land.
As time passed, the lovers had realized the change in the land upon their arrival. No longer did the misty fog linger as the combination of light and darkness turned into days and nights. The wildlife seemed to have grown with nurture and brought upon many fruits under the couple's presence. It was then that they had noticed that their love had not long brought forth an impending child, but it had also changed the entire landscape of this once desolate land.
While the couple lived below in harmony, the king raged about in his days as his stamina depleted more and more by the second. His mind played games with his sanity and his energy was drained from his body at a rapid rate. The heavens were in absolute chaos while the god-king was nearing his ruins.
It was at twilight when the princess felt her labour pains and it lasted from dusk till dawn. In the morning, under the first ray of light to be shone, a healthy baby boy was brought into the world. The couple gazed tenderly in awe as they saw their son for the first time.
However, this joyous moment was not meant to last.
The baby shrieked a roaring cry which echoed about the land and pierced through and into the heavens.
As the last bit of vitality was about to take its leave from the king, the shriek of the baby revitalized his senses.
The god-king shook his head in disbelief of what had happened around him. His utopia was now in shambles from his neglect to rule due to the fatigue he had been experiencing. His entrusted general was no longer by his side and obeying his orders. But it was the abandonment of the princess, his beloved daughter, which had pained him the most.
The god-king was enraged when he found out about this atrocity. Along with his grand army, the god-king descended to earth seeking to find those who had betrayed him.
Even though he could have slayed the family before him, but that was not what the god-king did. There was something about the tears in which the princess shed which triggered his sympathy. The only other time he saw his beloved daughter shed tears was when his queen had passed away. With the princess crying before him, those same tears had brought forth his mercy.
He had been wronged and betrayed. But before him were his daughter, his once trusted subject, and grandson. The king did not have the heart to kill them, but they indeed deserved punishment for their treason.
The princess held on to her child tightly while her love shielded them from the pointed swords of the soldiers.
The princess apologized profusely to her father about her wrongs and begged for his forgiveness.
The princess pleaded for her father to spare her son at the very least.
In the midst of the chaos, the god-king had realized the change around him. The land which had used to be inhabitable had turned into a lush paradise that even rivals his heaven. It was sprouting with the abundancy of life.
With a final nod the god king had made up his mind. His decision was the one which would shape the way the world is today. The god king unknowingly founded the start of mankind.
"You know the ending didn't really resolve or explain anything." Naomi questioned with the tilt of her head.
He smiled gently and pointed towards the sky.
"What is that that shines upon us?" he asked her.
"The sun."
"What illuminates upon us in the eve?" He asked again.
"The moon."
He nodded with content at both of her answers.
"Then the god king created the sun and the moon?" she still found everything certainly odd.
"It was told that the god king needed to punish them, but he could not bring himself to order their death penalty. So he placed a curse on the family." He explained to the confused girl.
"Then what curse would punish them worse than death but still show his mercy all at the same time?"
"The god-king cursed the child to a mortal life while the parents were to still remain immortal."
"So the curse was for the parents to watch their child wither away before them?" She murmured at the treachery.
"Yes. But,however, with a mortal body, the child could still not withstand the atmosphere of the earth so in a way he was still doomed to die a premature death anyways. The parents knew of his fate so therefore they chose to sacrifice themselves in order to ensure the life of their child."
"If the general was the source of warmth and light, then he became the sun. And then the princess who embodies the cold and darkness manifested into the moon. But what of the stars?" Naomi pondered.
"The stars are the tears of sorrow shed by the princess each night when she gazes down upon her lonesome son."
"Then what of the child? Did he die a lonely death?"
He smiled while softly shaking his head from side to side at her endearing interest at what he had to say.
"Mortals die, and that is a given fact that none could alter. But it is the legacy of man that makes them withstand the trials of time and into immortality."
Her translucent aqua eyes looked at him with wonder.
"The child's name was Ryo."
"He was the ancestor of the Ryo Clan." The both of them spoke out in unison.
"It is quite an origin fable for the clan known for being one of the most fearsome warriors to walk the earth." Naomi remarked as she took another sip of her tea.
There was something most enticing about the way her cherry lips curved upwards into a playful smile. It was a rare sight considering her typical reserved demeanour.
"Do you find me frightening because of my roots?" he inquired with concern fearing that that was the reason why she had always been so distant from him.
It was then that she let out the most euphonious but yet still refreshing laughter.
"How could I after the kindness you had shown me?" She teased him wholeheartedly.
He blushed upon his sun-kissed skin. It was a rare tendency for him.
She looked sincerely at him," No one had ever stood up to the Lord Indra like that, and most would find it quite amusing that the confrontation was caused over a mere woman."
There was a hint of unpleasantness that lingered her now dewy eyes.
"I am most glad that do not view me as a threat any longer." He relaxed relief with a sip of the tea she had poured him.
Then the easy-going atmosphere began to alter.
"I understand that you are attempting to court me. So please…do not mistake my newly found fondness for you with infatuation, my lord." She continued on with a more serious attitude.
"Please forgive me if-"He was cut off before he could better explain himself.
"However, I am truly thankful towards you." She ended gracefully with a nod.
He took that as an acceptable way to end their time together as she stood up.
"I quite enjoyed our time together. I do wish to hear more of stories of your people next time." She spoke quickly before giving him a farewell bow and left the area.
"Next time?" The Lord Takao's heart raced with anticipation upon hearing her content with him.
The Great Son of Ryo was ever so confused by this woman. She was different since she had always refrained and kept a suitable distance from him. However, she was not completely cold and unapproachable as she did share her tender moments. One moment she seems to be warming up to his presence, but then just as soon as he managed to begin understanding her mysterious ways she would flee once more.
He had never desired the company of the fairer sex, but her attention was like an intoxicating drug that he craved madly for.
Suddenly, the successor of Ryo sensed another presence near him. His hand instinctively reached toward the blade he had strapped to his side.
"As much as I want you dead, now is not the most appropriate time. I mean you no harm…for now." A low voice growled from the shade of the great trees.
Both males were now locked in a furious eye contact battling for dominance.
"I am guessing your father finally taught you the suitable manners for someone of your status. But it seems that he had forgotten to tell you that spying on others was not acceptable." The Lord Takao spoke in a smooth but still threatening tone.
The Lord Indra smirked at his remark before walking out from the shadows.
"I see you do live up to your expectations for possessing a sharp sensory skill. I certainly look forward to slaying you in the near future. May you suffer from excruciating agony as I slowly extract every headstrong will you had ever possessed." An evil aura radiated from Indra as he stalked forward.
"I would say the same for you, but except the Ryo Clansmen are taught to show mercy to even the most unforgivable foes. I suggest you stay true to your otherwise empty treats." The desert roaming warrior scoffed before walking away.
Here was a great intensity in the fury Indra glared at the figure walking away.
Then the sound of rustling leaves from the nearby bush triggered Indra to through a kunai dagger at its source.
"!"
Indra sighed heavily with impatience.
"Let's get going Asura, I am in need of a sparring partner." He spoke with malice before disappearing from sight in a poof of smoke.
It did not take an intellectual individual to know the danger that would evolve from an infuriated Indra. The young Lord Asura knew all too well that death would not be too far along with the current given situation. He only hoped that his father would sense it before Indra resume his previous...questionable ways.
Wow, dark Indra is scary! I hope I didn't want him too much of an antagonist, but please expect later chapters with him being a lot more nicer...well at least to our lovely Naomi.
Did you people find Takao's little story interesting? To me, he comes off as such a dork! But that is also what makes the hunky him adorable!
I know I may be focusing too much on one of my OC Takao Ryo, but I assure you that it is very relevant to the plot. I am still setting you gals up for more plot twists and other heart-pounding things. So please be a bit more patient until the actual drama starts to unveil itself. And for those of you who enjoy our humble Takao Ryo, enjoy it while it last!
On another note, I just want to confirm that I am still interested in continuing on with the series. I realize that most of you might have been given the wrong signs with my rather questionable late updates. But please continue to stay tuned!
So until nex time! (I hope it would come sooner as well!)
Love,
Blissful Illusions~
