I
Ryu could only lazily watch as the snowstorm ravaged his battered body. His legs grew tired, the pain behind his knees first stinging, then fading with the numbness of cold. As his vision dulled, as the color drained out of his world, he felt strangely content. At this moment, all the anger he harbored seemed utterly futile. He was going to die – regardless of the snow, and he was beginning to accept his fate. His last moments were not thinking of childhood, which was fairly standard and uneventful, or of the will to live. Rather he was thinking somewhat philosophically –uncharacteristically – of the chain of events that lead him to his great undoing on this frozen plain. As his eyes grew grey and his body limp, a small smile formed across his face.
Breath Of Fire
Chapter 1
Early in the morning, before even the earliest of birds would begin rousing the world from sleep; Ryu would already be quietly closing the shabby green door of his humble cottage. Walking towards the moon, the sky behind him igniting more and more, he would follow the road in his worn black boots to the centre of his universe. The road he knew better than any other because he fashioned it himself, this walk being recreated step for step every morning for all seventeen years of his life alone. His life alone being the time since his parents deemed that the church of St. Lacuna was no place for the centre of anybody's universe, especially no son of theirs.
He often thought of his parents, on this reasonably rigorous daily journey. However, never did he question his choice. Unfortunate that they would remain parted throughout eternity, he thought. He also knew however, that the strength of his faith and the power of his prayers would not go unrewarded by St Lacuna, and reward enough for Ryu would always have been the salvation of his father and mother. Satisfied by this train of thought, Ryu would always walk a little bit faster towards his church from that point of the journey.
The giant oak doors slowly opened against the weight of Ryu's slight yet durable frame. He walked past the pews, along the grey slate tiles which were each cut roughly and uneven – but somewhat intentionally, he always thought. The only person in all of LeaMaund to rise earlier than Ryu was Father Altzer. However judging by Altzers appearance, it would be hard to imagine him rising from any kind of sleep at all. His bent frame seemed held together loosely by his yellowed skin. The bags under his eyes so prominent, they seemed to have eyes of their own, however hidden they were in those dark caves. Although he would never admit it, in seventeen years, Ryu could still not approach Altzer directly. He would always walk silently, heel-toe heel-toe up the slate walkway, until the vision of the yellow man at the altar at the end of the room would make him turn and cut through a row of pews to approach from the side. However upon arriving to the right of the cloaked figure, Ryu noticed it wasn't Father Altzer at all.
The figure remained motionless, seemingly unaware of Ryus silent inquisitiveness, as he gazed at the bony grey hands clutching either side of the altar. The stature of this imposter offended Ryu, as it stood proudly, almost as if it was claiming this altar as new territory for whatever purpose it had in mind. Ryu felt sick all of a sudden. His stomach fluttered into his heart. His heart! Turning to ice, to stone as he tried to turn away from the sinister being. He was sure time had passed, that the sun should normally be shining through the stained glass window in the roof, usually making the bent candlestick motif of Lacuna radiate warmth and light. However darkness bore down heavily on the room on this particular morning. An intense feeling of melancholy swam through Ryus chest, and into his eyes, making tears spill onto the floor.
Ryu found himself drawn to the cloaked figure, just as he had been drawn to the church every morning. However the lure this time was of a shameful curiosity, which in turn made Ryu feel dirty. Assured this was a creature of pure evil, he found himself beginning to quote Lacunas Prayer towards the offender.
"Lest we all be drawn into the shadows, allow the righteous to depart the weak and find solace"
"Solace to seek Lacunas might and valor"
"Virtues to conquer the darkness and bring all to the light"
As each word passed his lips, Ryu began to feel self-conscious, ashamed. As if the creature was feeding off of his insecurity and loathing.
"Hateful creatures, you humans." Said the soft voice coming from under the cloak. "Always damning the strays rather than seeking knowledge. That is why yours is a doomed race."
The next thing he knew, Ryu was running at his full pace down the well trodden road. The sickness felt greater the faster he ran, however whenever he would stop, it would ebb away. He was being followed. He ran until his legs burned and his chest heaved. The trees and wildflowers blurred by him. He had run past his cottage, and at least eight miles from the church. The sickness had remained constant, which told him he was still far from the creature. He lay under a bent, shady tree for the rest of the day, weeping silently for the melancholy to subside, and the truth to leave the words he had heard that morning.
Chapter 2
Ryu awoke the next morning, in his own bed, in his own house. The two rooms of the cottage were as empty and silent as they had always been, as he liked them to be. Ryu felt happy, and sure life had returned to normal. Perhaps he could convince himself yesterday never happened, that maybe he would even shake Father Altzers hand vigorously and renew his vows to his god. He felt that might set everything back into line. He began to slide out of bed to make his small pilgrimage once again. He hesitated.
"Perhaps tomorrow, just in case." He thought to himself, and felt immediately embarrassed.
He was surprised at how easy it was to feel sleepy again, and further alarmed at how well he found he had slept when he awoke again. For a moment, he thought he noticed something different in the room. Brushing it off, he walked out onto his front porch, not quite knowing what to do with himself. As he was wondering whether home worship would be sufficient just for today, he heard a small cry from the path which runs behind his house, almost to his back door.
The cries gradually grew louder, and Ryu could tell it was that of a child. As he arrived at the rear of his house he was greeted by the gruesome sight of a small boy, covered blood. Ryu gasped as his eye strayed to the boy's hand, which had been mangled to an unrecognizable shape. Immediately clutching the boy, trying in vain to comfort him, he noticed a slight smoky smell on the air.
"Boy! What has happened here?" he asked desperately.
The boy was trembling, and looked up, gazing into Ryus eyes. He let a loud shriek from his throat, and struggled to free himself.
"Son, be troubled no more! Stay in my bed and allow me to care for you! You are safe here!" Said Ryu, wondering how much safety he could really provide.
"Your eyes! Your eyes!" screamed the boy. And with that, he dashed past Ryu and into the forest, out of sight.
After searching in vain for the boy, Ryu decided perhaps there was greater disasters afoot, and searched the skies for the smoke he smelled earlier. Sure enough, a faint wisp of grey smoke was coming from far in the east. Not being well traveled, Ryu ran inside to find a map of the area. He fumbled through his cupboards, his drawers and under his bed for the rolled parchment. He slumped back onto the floor to collect his thoughts when his eyes glazed across the ceiling. The ceiling. The map of LeaMaund fastened to his ceiling with harsh wooden pegs, forced through both paper and wood as if by some explosion. The map was different. His house was burned off, as was the church. Two perfect singed holes. To the east of his house, roughly 20 miles away was the town of Granas, which had been smeared with blood. Fear took his body and he got up with a start, and left his house, resolving never to enter those walls again.
He found himself wandering east, and as if the west would bring him more bad luck, he refused to look back. As he grew again weary and hungry he began to marvel at how far the child had run from his home. As night came, he began to feel scared, wondering what terror would make a person run so. Yet still he reluctantly trudged onward, toward Granas, as the smell of smoke grew stronger and the smell of sulfur emerged. The path became tamer, as the dirt gradually turned to stones, which blended into the tiled pathways a prosperous city such as Granas could afford. The air was getting so thick, it was as if walking through a fog. Ryu found himself holding his breath, to prevent choking on the smoke. He was surprised when he realized he could breathe as normal.
Stumbling blindly, keeping his feet to the smooth tiled path, Ryu walked headlong into a wall, which his hands found warm. The thickness of the smoke was incredible, as if at any moment it would begin to impair movement. Ryu felt his way along the wall until he reached the corner and felt a breeze blowing against him. He was relieved to hear the faint whistles and voices of people. The smoke began to blow away with the breeze and it cleared so he could see a team of people wearing goggles and long orange coats. Eventually he was noticed and was swept up in a tide of concerned voices and caring hands until he was brought to the captain of what was evidently a search and rescue group.
The captain was just finishing a discussion with a villager, burnt and battered, a look of wear in his eyes. As Ryu approached, the villager began to talk hastily to the captain, who listened intently. The captain then made a signal to the men in orange coats who in turn took the villager but each arm and escorted him into the woods. The captain then turned to Ryu.
"May Lacuna save us, we are glad you are safe!" said the captain with a sigh of relief.
Ryu was relieved to hear Lacunas name, but also curious as to his apparent importance.
"Please allow us to bring you to the Grand Church, where we are based." Ryu began to feel secure once again, almost as if he could start over in the east as the west had failed him. He was sure at that point he heard a muffled scream from the woods.
"Father Altzer will be relieved too" The captain said, slightly raising his voice.