Hey, everyone. So, this isn't a story I'm actually gonna be writing anymore. I came up with the idea for it and wrote this chapter over a year ago, but I know I'll never finish it since I already have way too many things I'm balancing on my hands. And so, I'm posting this chapter purely to see if there's anyone interested in adopting and finishing it. If you are interested, just PM me and let me know since I'd still really like to read it, and I can also send you the list of things I had planned for the story. Hopefully someone actually is interested, since I know this could be a good story if done properly.
On a rainy evening, a man was walking down a dirt road.
This man had a regal face, with lightly tanned skin. He also had black hair, which was long and silky, and sharp, stormy eyes, which looked to be an interesting mix of gray and blue. The man was fairly tall, looking to stand at 6' solid.
The man continued walking down the road, carrying himself with the grace of a king. Taking in the scenery around him, the man thought, 'The land my sister loves... It is unfortunate to see it ravaged by their war.'
As the rain started to come down a little harder, the man decided to find some temporary shelter. He had to chuckle quietly at the fact that he, of all people, didn't like to be out in the rain.
Walking for a bit longer, the man soon found a hut that was mostly empty, save for some hay and farming equipment. 'This will do.' He thought, nodding in satisfaction.
Standing at the entrance to the hut, the man looked up at the sky. It appeared that he had found shelter just in time, for the rain had now become a heavy pour. 'I suppose I could just stop this... Though, Brother and Sister would probably be a little upset if I did that.'
He then heard a squeal, getting him to look down, where he could see a young woman running towards the hut he was in, laughing as she made it inside, running right past him. He watched as she shook her wet hair, before she seemed to finally take notice of him.
"It's coming down pretty hard, huh?" She asked, laughing lightly as she joined him in standing near the entrance, holding one of her hands out to collect rain on it.
"Yes..." He replied, taking the time to analyze the young woman. She had mocha skin, with black, wavy, chin-length hair. She also had hazel eyes, and a cute, small nose. She stood a little taller than most women he'd come across, and he also took note of her slim, toned physique. If he had to guess, he'd say she was around nineteen, maybe twenty, years old.
"Huh? Are you checking me out, Mister?" She asked, crossing her arms protectively as she took a step away from him, looking at him suspiciously. "You're not a pervert, are you?"
The man's eyes widened, caught off guard by the questions/accusations. "Wh- What? I would never-!" He was interrupted when the young woman started laughing melodically.
"Ahhh, you should have seen your face." She said, wiping a tear from her eye as she slowly stopped laughing. "Sorry. You just looked so serious, I couldn't resist teasing you a bit."
"I'm glad I could be a source of amusement for you." He deadpanned, which only made her giggle.
Holding out her hand, the young woman smiled and said, "I'm Rana. Nice to meet you."
The man looked down at her smiling face, and then further down at the offered appendage, before he slowly grasped it, shaking it with his own as he introduced himself.
"I'm... Sano. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Do you really have to go?" A slightly older-looking Rana asked, her expression filled with sadness. In her arms, she was holding a baby, wrapped up in a blanket.
"Forgive me, my love, but I have already been away for far too long." Sano told her, his tone conveying his sorrow. "My kind is not meant to roam these lands for as long as I have."
"B- But, what about our son? A boy needs his father in his life." Rana tried to convince him, her eyes watering as she stared up at him.
Sano looked down at the baby in his lover's arms, before he gently ran a hand through the little baby boy's hair. He then looked into Rana's eyes, with his own passion-filled orbs. "Our son will be just fine, my love. The spirits will watch over him, and guide him on his journeys. The same goes for myself. Even if I'm not here, I will always watch over you both. I swear it."
As he finished, he pulled Rana into a passionate kiss, which she returned with just as much ferocity, trying to put all of her feelings into what she knew would be their last kiss for a long time.
Pulling away, the two panted, resting their foreheads against each other. "I must go now, my love..." Sano whispered, slowly backing away.
Fighting back her tears, Rana put on the best smile she could. "Goodbye... Sano."
With a sad smile of his own, Sano nodded, giving one more look to his young son, who was staring right at him, reaching out for him. "Forgive me, Son... Because of my duties, I am unable to stay with you and your mother, no matter how much I would like to. Grow strong, and be sure to protect her, and everything you hold dear. No matter what may happen in the future, never give up. No matter what."
As Sano finished speaking, a golden light suddenly started to build up around him, making tears run down Rana's face, unable to hold them back anymore. Soon, the light became too bright, and she was forced to close her eyes, while instinctively using a hand to cover their son's.
The blinding light only lasted for a few seconds, before it faded away. When Rana opened her watery eyes, Sano was gone.
She stood still for a moment, with her lip trembling. Her knees shook, and she very nearly fell, but she knew she couldn't let that happen, lest she end up accidentally hurting her son.
Her son...
Looking down at the baby boy in her arms, Rana saw him looking up at her with those beautiful, stormy eyes of his, which was enough to bring a small, weak smile to her face.
The love of her life may be gone, but at least she still had her son.
Her little Ryujin.
On the outskirts of the Earth kingdom, there was a small village. Just by looking at it, one could tell that it wasn't exactly the richest village. And yet, the residents of this village almost all seemed to have a warm, friendly disposition.
Standing on the path to leave or enter the village, a young boy could be seen, with many people standing across from him. Most notably, standing at the front of the group of people, was a now thirty-two year old Rana.
The boy had tanned skin, with lightning-blue eyes that had a surprising sharpness to them. His jet-black hair was silky and pulled into a partial low ponytail, reaching just past the base of his neck, while the rest was left hanging freely.
Standing to his right, there was an animal, which held a very distinct, eye-catching appearance.
The animal had a slim, almost feline-like body, which was light blue, with a white face and underside, and had seven white diamond markings on each side. It also had a long, flowing, purple mane, and two white tails, which resembled long ribbons, or perhaps streamers. Its eyes were a dark shade of rid. Lastly, perhaps most notably, it had a large crest on its forehead, which was hexagonal in shape, and was a slightly darker shade of blue than the rest of its body, almost blue-green. In terms of size, the animal was just a little smaller than the boy.
"Are you sure you have everything, Ryu?" Rana asked, clearly worried.
"I'm sure, Mom." The boy, Ryujin, replied, giving her a small smile.
Rana frowned in sadness. "Do you really have to go?"
"I do." He replied, nodding seriously. "I don't want to leave you alone, Mom, but... after finding out about my heritage, I think this is something I need to do. This is what I've been training and preparing for."
Rana looked at her son, wondering how these past twelve years had flown by, and how he'd grown up so quickly. Given who his father was, she'd always known he would have to leave the nest at some point. While it hurt her to know that her child was leaving her, she supported his decision. He was in a position that no-one, including her to a degree, could really understand.
"Be sure to write often. Okay?" She said, sniffling slightly.
Ryujin nodded.
"Make sure to eat properly, okay? Don't go too overboard with your training. And- And-" Ryujin wrapped his mother up in a tight hug, allowing her to cry into his chest. He hated the fact that he was making such a wonderful mother like her so sad, but this truly was something that he felt he needed to do.
"I'll be back, Mom. I promise. You know how much I love your cooking." At that, Rana managed a choked laugh, which got Ryujin to smile.
As they separated, Rana kissed Ryujin on his forehead, staring at him with watery eyes, before she looked down at the animal by his side. Crouching down, she smiled as the the animal licked her cheek. "I'll miss you, too, Sui."
Standing back up, Rana sniffled, before she nodded at Ryujin, which he returned.
"Come on, girl. Time for us to go." He said, rubbing his animal companion's head, getting a bark of agreement in return. Looking at his mother and all of the villager's that were gathered, Ryujin waved at them as he climbed onto Sui's back. "Bye, everyone. I'll see you all again in a few years."
And then, the boy's animal companion took of like the wind, with sounds of the villagers bidding them farewell soon fading into the distance. Briefly, Ryujin's eyes watered at the thought of leaving home, and, more importantly, leaving his mother all alone, but he quickly fought back any tears.
'Today, the son of Susanoo begins his journey.' He thought, with determination shining in his eyes.
As if to bid him good luck on his journey, he heard thunder rumble in the sky, making him crack a smile.
That's a wrap for chapter one.