Ayumi whimpered at the sight before her. Her seven-year-old child was asleep on the cold stone floor, chained to the wall and bruises covered his face, obviously having gotten another beating from Garou. She bent down, caressing the child's head as she cried every time she saw him in this condition. She left him a blanket and some food like how she often snuck in the middle of the night every few months she could pick the lock on the door to come in and see him… She sighed again, rubbing her pregnant stomach.
"I wish I could tell you how much I love you Jae-ha… But they never let me see you." Ayumi sobbed. "If only I could stop your suffering. I won't be able to see you for a while because your little brother or sister will need me… But one day I wish you'll be free of this. I won't give up on you like Jubei did…" She swore she saw the young boy's eyes open hazily to see her, her blue eyes meeting his amethyst for just a moment before the angry adult Ryokuryuu yanked her away.
"Stupid god damn woman how many times do I have to tell you to get the hell out of here!" Garou smacked her as he dragged her out of the hut. "Forget that blasted brat already and beat it!" he tossed the gingered haired woman into the mud.
Ayumi sighed as she lay there until she felt warm arms lifting her up, she looked up to see it was her husband. "Raiden?"
"… I really wish you wouldn't have snuck out like that Ayumi, at least let me help you when you do this." Raiden sighed, taking her back to their place. "… I understand you want to see your son but you could get hurt really bad if Garou were to…"
Ayumi shook her head. "This isn't your burden to bear. Jubei may have given up on our son but I won't… Besides with our child coming I know I won't be able to do this much more, just that Jae-ha nearly got away last time so I thought as one last time I could help him…"
Raiden blinked. "What did you-" he then gasped when he heard a horn that the villagers used when Jae-ha had escaped again. "… You picked the lock on his chains again didn't you?"
"… He deserves to be free, and away from his village." Ayumi sobbed, looking into the sky and catching a glimpse of her child running for his life. "As much as I wish he could meet his sibling we both know that will never happen. At least if I know he's away from here that would be something… Actually Garou has lasted longer than any other Green Dragon in a long time…" she frowned.
"Yeah, honestly I thought he'd be gone by now as most Ryokuryuu only like 4 years at most after the new one is born." Raiden twisted his mouth. "I had hoped once he'd be gone it would be easier to get Jae-ha out of there, as otherwise he can track the boy down easily. Not that I want to wish the death of another just… After seeing how he treats that child I wish I could beat the living hell out of him for doing that to a child."
"Don't." Ayumi grabbed his arm. "He nearly took your head off that time you tried to stop him from hitting Jae-ha the last time he dragged my child back here. You can't fight that dragon leg."
"Ayumi that child is as much my son as he is Jubei's. I still find it hard to believe he gave up on you both but when he disappeared that night…" Raiden bit his lip, still remembering the day Jae-ha was born and the last conversation he had with his childhood friend. "Ever since you two asked me to be the godfather of your child before Jae-ha was born I wanted to protect him, I don't care he's the Ryokuryuu. He's still part of our family. No child deserves to go through that."
Ayumi smiled at that, but then suddenly her hands went to her stomach and she whaled in pain. "R-Raiden! I-I think the baby is coming!" she gasped, panic in her eyes as she was feeling the ripping pain inside her.
"Oh no…." Raiden growled, worried Garou smacking her around helped trigger her labor but he couldn't focus on that now, instead he needed to get her to a healer.
It was hard to find a healer during Ayumi's pregnancy let alone anyone to agree to be a midwife for her. Most people treated Ayumi like dirt for giving birth to the Ryokuryuu and the rumor was spread that her husband left her because of what their child was. But luckily Raiden was able to get one healer to agree to help when Ayumi would go into childbirth. Raiden stayed by his wife's side as after several long hours through the whole night as dawn broke. The cries of their black-haired newborn came, the healer cleaned the child off and handed him to Raiden who helped Ayumi hold him.
"It's a boy Ayumi, another beautiful son." Raiden smiled, seeing Ayumi's bright blue eyes on the boy. But he panicked when he saw Ayumi only smile weakly at her newborn and panting heavily. "Ayumi? Are you alright?"
"Raiden… Please… Protect our son…. If you ever see Jae-ha please tell him I love…." Ayumi's words fell silent as her head slumped to the side, Raiden caught their child before she dropped him.
The healer quickly checked over Ayumi and frowned, shaking her head. "…. I'm sorry Raiden, she's gone. She bled out terribly during the birth, there was little we could do. I barely was able to get your son out of her before he suffocated."
"Ayumi… No…" Raiden sobbed, holding their newborn tight as he slumped back into a chair. He then heard screaming outside that he walked out for some air as he saw Garou had just returned with Jae-ha, tossing the child back into his hut as the villagers just watched. Raiden looked to his crying son and frowned. "… One day your brother will be free, I won't let Ayumi's dying wish go in vain…. Once that bastard dies Jae-ha can get as far away from here as possible and I don't care if I have to die doing it I'll get him out of here."
That's when the elder approached Raiden, a scowl on his face. "I hear Ayumi tried to help Jae-ha escape again, Raiden. Where is your wife?"
"…. She's gone, elder." Raiden just returned the glare at him. "She didn't survive the birth of our child. So she won't be causing you trouble anymore."
The elder looked over his shoulder seeing the healer speak with the undertaker, but nodded. "… Then there's only one loose end. Drown that child." He declared.
"WHAT?!" Raiden shouted, clutching his newborn against his chest. "This is my son! How are you-"
"That child came from the same womb as the Ryokuryuu, he carries the cursed blood in him possibly." The elder reasoned. "We have been trying for years to rid that cursed blood in our village so that we stop having these Ryokuryuus born. They are nothing but a burden to the village. People that seek the power of the dragons have killed and tortured our people and it needs to end. That child is cursed don't you see? Don't make me force my hand, Raiden." As he spoke, several of the guards of the village gates surrounded Raiden, their spears pointed at him.
Raiden bit his lip at that, he knew the elder wasn't going to listen to reason. But how was he going to save his child? This was all he had left of Ayumi, and was their precious son they had together. "… At least let me give him a proper send off at the lake just outside the village." He attempted to reason, if only he could find a way to get his son out of here…
"… Go with him." The elder said to one of the guards. "Make sure he rids us of this cursed child."
Raiden tensed as the one guard followed him to the lake, sighing as he looked at his crying son in his arms. "Ayumi…. What can I do? I can't lose our son too…" he muttered.
"Hurry up and get rid of the brat." The guard said, holding his spear tight. "Or else the elder will have us both killed."
Raiden was about to retort as he kissed his son's forehead, deciding fighting this guard was his only chance. If he died trying at least he attempted to get away, but where would he go? Obviously the elder would send scouts out to find him, much what he suspected happened to Jubei. He often believed Jubei went to get help and that was the real reason he left the village, but the elder had him hunted down… At least that's what he had hoped his lifelong friend did, as he just couldn't believe Jubei really walked away from his wife and son….
But Raiden was snapped back to reality when the guard was suddenly knocked out from behind, an elderly man with an injured eye had saw them and approached quietly. Son Mundok had just been on his way back to his tribe after a visit to Hiryuu Castle, as fate were to have it.
"Are you alright?" the Wind Tribe General asked, looking at Raiden and his crying child. "The nerve of some bandits, attacking a man with his son. Was he trying to rob you?"
Raiden was completely dumbfounded by his luck that a passerby just happened to see them. "… Thank you." He leaned his head forward into the man's shoulder, as everything happened so fast he had to piece together what to do, and this was his chance. "But that wasn't a bandit. He was from my village trying to make me drown my child."
"Who would do such a thing?!" Mundok growled.
"It's complicated. His mother died giving birth to him this morning so he's considered cursed." Raiden pulled back, frowning as he held his son. "… I never even got the chance to name him…. Sir… Please." He held out the child. "Take him. If I don't return to the village they'll hunt me down thinking I didn't do the deed. He needs to live, I'm begging you."
Mundok looked at Raiden like he was crazy. "Why don't you just come with me? Surely this village must be terrible to have this kind of law… Look, I'm with the Wind Tribe I can protect him there, I could protect both of you."
Raiden bit his lip, as much as he believed this man… He couldn't leave Jae-ha in that village. He owed it to Ayumi to try and free her son… Their son. "I have one more son in the village, I need to free him too. He's a prisoner. But they might kill me as I try to get him out. That's why I'm begging you to help me save one child. Don't ever let him know where he came from as I'd never want this village to find him, they'll kill him immediately."
"A child is a prisoner?!" Mundok looked even more angry now. "Where is this village? I'll go there myself and-"
Raiden grabbed his shoulder. "No please! Just please take my son and get him as far away from here as possible. Please before they send more guards to check on me." He frowned and kissed his baby's forehead. "Please let him live."
Mundok frowned, but nodded. He couldn't stand the thought of letting this baby die because of some bastard's superstitions. "… Alright. Are you sure you don't want to name him before…? I mean he kind of has eyes of a hawk." He chuckled, looking at the newborn.
"I'll let you decide that, please find him a good home just as long as he's safe." Raiden smiled, going to pick up the guard and drag him back to the village. "… If I ever free my other son, I'll come see you in the Wind Tribe sir. Thank you…." It then dawned on him where this passerby said he was from. "… You wouldn't by chance know Jubei, would you?"
Mundok blinked. "Jubei? He was a friend of my son Sor-on, why? This is the village he came from?"
"He… Was my friend. Just he disappeared seven years ago, I just had wondered if you had heard from him." Raiden brought up, removing the blanket he had wrapped around the baby.
Mundok shook his head. "Sadly no." he frowned at that. He was going to ask more details when he heard people coming from the village.
"Go now!" Raiden hissed, tossing the blanket into the river to make it look like he did the deed. "Please!"
Mundok nodded, covering the child in his robes as he immediately got onto his horse to leave… Though he couldn't help but look back. "Don't worry, I'll raise this boy as if he were my own grandson… I wonder if Sor-on would like to take him in…"
