Breath Of Fire IV-Into The Mind Of Ryu

Chapter 1-Being Found

I don't really know how I got here. All I know is I was happily training at the facility on Draconis, my home planet, when all of a flurry I'm whisked away by men in official-looking clothes. They take me to their offices and they tell me where I'm going and why, but I don't understand them. They summon one of their dragons and he transforms, and that's the last thing I remember of Draconis.

Now I'm lying here, naked on the floor. How undignified. But there's nothing I can do, because I don't know where I am. Ah? There's someone over there. She's walking over to me...damn, she's pretty.

"Um...Hello?"

She talks tentatively and she has such a soft voice, I'm enthralled already. She jumps and turns quickly. I stand and ask her what the matter is, and she tells me. I'm not wearing anything. Of course! I was in such a hurry to know who she was, I forgot my nakedness in quite a hurry, I can tell you. I wandered over to a treasure chest I could vaguely see, and slapped on a white cotton vest, some blue jeans and a belt.

For the first time, I observed my surroundings. I appeared to be in a huge rock hole, possibly made by...made by what? Damn, I couldn't remember anything! What was going on!? Where was I? I saved the personal crises for later and examined my surroundings closer. There was a large wagon crashed to my right, with spilled boxes and fruit packages strewn all over the sorry sight. The pretty woman was sitting down over on a rock ledge, and I observed her.

She wasn't just pretty-her body was great, too. Such perfectly formed curves-and blonde hair, as well! She wore a particularly short skirt, so most of her legs were showing. Plus a pair of tights. Still, I wasn't complaining, was I? Her little feet wore black heels, and her eyes blazed an emerald green. I could already tell I wanted to travel with her.

"Um...hi?" she ventured. I nodded to her, ashamed I couldn't say anything else.

"What's your name?" she asked. I told her.

"Ryu."

"Ryu? That's a nice name." My stomach did a flip. She liked my name! I unnecessarily brushed my hair aside out of my face, but she didn't seem to notice. She stood up and approached me.

"Where are you heading?" she asked me. I thought for a moment, trying to decide a witty thing to say, when I realised-I didn't actually know where I was going, did I? That's what I told her-I said I didn't know, and she laughed. She actually laughed!

"That means you're lost." she said teasingly. I shook my head, lost for words at her voice.

"Yes it does." she giggled. "Come on, admit it. I don't mind-I've been lost loads of times." That seemed to make it better. I nodded, grateful at her support. She nodded too, and told me that if we worked together we would escape. I agreed, and we walked over to a rock face.

"OK, I'll get on your shoulders, and you throw me up. Don't worry, I'll be alright." she said. I reluctantly agreed, and threw her up to the edge of the cliff with all my might. She produced a rope from her travel bag and fastened it to a particularly large rock, gesturing for me to climb, which I did. With that, we talked.

"So, where do you think you're going next?" she asked. "Oh, sorry, I forgot. You're lost." I'd given up by now, so I nodded.

"Why don't we go to Sarai? I'm sure there'll be someone there who knows you." she suggested, smiling. I agreed, and together we began to walk in the direction of Sarai, wherever it was.