Chapter 6: Baby Ryokuryuu
A soft spring breeze caused baby blue eyes to open and look at the world around him. A woman was looking down at him with beautiful soft brown eyes. The newborn had no idea how drastically his life was going to change over the next year, nor did he really care. As a soft hand touched his milky skin, he gave a soft coo that had the woman above him smiling. She picked him up and held him to her chest. Thinking it was dinner time, he began to fuss when he wasn't given what he thought he should have; instead he was handed to another.
Looking at this person, the newborn cocked his head at the long green tresses and green eyes that stated down at him. This person didn't seem too happy, but angry for some reason.
"What's it's name?" the harsh words left the green haired man's lips with such vehemence that it startled both mother and child.
"Jae-ha." the child's mother responded.
"Tch." was all the man said before thrusting the child back into his mother's arms and left without another word.
Jae-ha instantly began to cry from the rough handling. His mother began whispering words of encouragement and love. "Be a good boy and Garou won't be so rough." she assured her tiny little treasure. This, however, held no reassurance to the newborn child as he cried heartily against his mother's chest.
Days passed into weeks. Spring turned into summer and with summer came an odd beauty that captured the bright green eyes of little Jae-ha. Butterflies. Only a day ago had they appeared in the village. Many of the same design, but some were unique. The three month old laid on a blanket near his home as his mother hung laundry out. Hands flailing above him as he tried to grab at the bright blue and sometimes yellow butterflies as the fluttered above his head.
Soft coos and sometimes a bout of laughter would catch his mothers attention causing her to smile. She knew that her time with her son was limited. Being born with the green scaled leg of the Ryokuryuu meant he'd be given to Garou in a year or two, depending on when he'd learn to use the cursed leg. Her husband promised another child once Jae-ha was gone, but how could she forget her first child and love another so quickly. She feared for his future.
As it turned out Jae-ha was a remarkable child. Learning to crawl by the end of his fourth month and walk by his sixth. He still chose to be carried by his mother, who was all too happy to indulge her son's whims. He began eating soft foods at this time, enjoying apples more than anything else.
It was when he had turned six months that Garou came by, this being his second time around Jae-ha, who wasn't very interested in the green haired man; instead ignored him the entire visit. At the end of the visit, with his mother's back turned, Garou picked Jae-ha up by the back of his shirt. Surprised, Jae-ha gave a startled cry.
Garou glared at the small infant. "Because of you I'm stuck here." he muttered to the boy. "Once you're with me, you'll wish you were never born." He practically dropped to boy onto the soft blankets before leaving.
When his mother returned she found her son quaking with fear and crying out for comfort. She readily gave it to him. Crying inwardly at how horrible Garou really was and the future her son had with that man.
When he turned nine months it was the middle of winter. He refused to touch the snow. He hated it! It was too cold! He clung to his mothers skirts in order to absorb her body heat. It worked, mostly. She was always going outside though to the market and during those trips people would stare at him all the time.
During this trip he found himself so bundled up that he could barely move. This, however, was not good. Older children took one look at him and started laughing. He didn't like being laughed at, so he kicked snow at them. Laughter quickly turned to terror as snow and dirt rain down upon the children. Jae-ha had been thrown several feet away from where he had been and hurt himself in the process. This, of course, led to one thing; crying and boy did he ever cry.
His mother brought him home very quickly, took care of the cut on his forehead and tried to calm her son down with very little success. It wasn't until after dark that he actually stopped crying and it was then that the elders came knocking.
Jae-ha had never seen so many old men in his life. The little boy man faces at the smells that came off of them and even went so far as covering his nose with his hands to block their stench. He didn't know that because of what he'd done earlier that his life was about to get hard.
A small chain tied to a large ball and a maniacle was put on his green scaled leg. Looking up at his mother, his eyes asking her what he couldn't yet voice. Why did he have to wear this?
The old men left after this, but Jae-ha feared they be back. At the time he didn't know how right he was.
Spring had once more come only to find a three year old Jae-ha chained to an even bigger ball of metal. Garou was in charge of his welfare now, since his mother could no longer keep her son from jumping and playing roughly. Jae-ha had cried at being taken away from his mother. He had screamed and kicked as Garou had taken him away and thrown him into the one room hut that he now shared with his torturer.
Garou sometimes forgot to feed him or leave him blankets when the nights got cold. By now Jae-ha understood clearly what he was. The Roykuryuu. Garou would tell him of a red haired master that would one day take him away and force him to do his bidding. It brought nightmares to the small three year old.
He didn't want to be a slave. He didn't want to be the Ryokuryuu. He didn't want to live with Garou. He wanted his mother and father, but he was told they no longer cared for him nor wanted anything to do with him by Garou. This only made him cry, which led to being beaten, which led to more crying.
At five years old Jae-ha woke up to a feeling inside of him. Something was going on. At first he didn't understand just what that was until suddenly a bright light filled his mind. A single word appeared in his mind afterwards; Hakuryuu.
"Tch." Garou's drunken voice could be heard causing Jae-ha to pull in on himself. "Another brat has been born." he started to laugh. "Poor bastard. He's gonna die."
Jae-ha stayed quiet. He really didn't want to talk to Garou about this, but it confirmed his belief. Garou felt the lights too. The only other light that blinded him was the golden one. It never faded. Not like the blue and white ones had over the last few years.
So another Hakuryuu has been born. he thought grimly. Joy.
His thoughts went blank afterwards as he fell into a fitful dream with thousands of Ryokuryuu coming into existence, only to die with resent. Then they began to be tied up, only to escape and never come back. Then another was born and the cycle repeated over and over again. It was too painful to watch.
Waking up he found six red apples in a bowl in front of him. Garou was nowhere to be seen. Grasping them with dirty hands, Jae-ha began to eat them greedily.
Two years after Hakuryuu was born Jae-ha was awakened again when a new Seiryuu was born. As the years passed by though he began to wonder why Ouryuu's light never faded. Opening a bruised eye he found himself starring up into the night sky. The red star was there. Closing his eyes he found himself feeling warm and so as he woke up, he found himself covered by a dirty cloak. It was warm and it made him feel somewhat safe.
Garou beat him for having it. Thinking Jae-ha had stolen the cloak. But the question raised was why would he escape only to come back with a stolen cloak?
The day finally came when Jae-ha was twelve that escaped for good. With the help from Garou who had lost his Ryokuryuu leg, Jae-ha had escaped the crowd of people who had come to kill him and Garou. Freedom had never felt better. He would avoid the other dragons and go as far away as he could. See the most beautiful things that were in existence and do wonderful, fun things. He didn't know where his new journey would take him, but one thing was for certain, he'd never serve the red haired master without a fight.
M-Angel: I debated on going on with this until he met Gigan, but decided to stop here. Kija is next! ^_^