15. Act II Prologue: Journey Anew (1/2)

act ii: adolescenceprologue: journey anew

all of the things that ryu planned to take with him were finally in the pack that he had prepared. he was ready to go. he stretched as he looked around the room. he'd been there and slept there long enough that it had even begun to look and feel like home. though really, the reason he had begun to feel comfortable in the place was the people, and he was going to have to do most of his trip on his own.

"i still want to go," came the mild voice from behind him.

"and you still can't," was ryu's response. he lifted the pack as he turned around to face luna, who was leaning on the doorjamb. "for lots and lots of reasons, but only two are important enough for them to matter. first, the king won't let you leave until you've mastered your ascension to the point that you don't have to transform every night you're outside and…"

"and i can't go in the dragon shrines. i know. i could help you through the temples!" luna said with vigor, though her heart was obviously not in it. it was a rehashing of the argument they'd already had. multiple times. "it's not like i would be useless…"

"no one ever argued that," ryu said, more than slightly exasperated with this line of thought. "i'd like it if you could come, but you can't. your instructor did say that you might be ready by the time i undertake my next pilgrimage."

her eyes narrowed. "i hardly want to wait another three years before i get to leave this castle without incredible trickery!" ryu chuckled. it was hard to leave the castle without someone finding out, though both of them had managed it on more than one occasion. often together.

"you'll get there, and faster than you think you will," ryu told her as he led the way out into the corridor. "i'm just annoyed i can't just go where i please and find my father so that i can figure out what to do with myself. i do need to figure that out in three years, and then i'll need a companion. i imagine you'd like to come searching with me?"

luna grinned. "there's no way you can stop me." they clasped hands and then luna headed the opposite way than ryu as he headed down towards the audience chamber. luna was always the informal type, and having her goodbye like that… it suited. ryu chuckled. he would miss her constant yapping though.

there weren't very many people he needed to say goodbye to, as his social life had basically been luna with a couple minor players here and there. jett had since 'graduated', since he was now eighteen and mature by ascent standards and could control his forms. he had left to act as an agent like bunyan had. he picked up the slack in handling ascent affairs, and had even visited a few times with young charges in tow. his stories, however, were generally bleak in nature.

i'll find out for myself as i travel this continent now. he was excited to get out there and to see things. and this time he didn't feel like that he had some sort of time limit in which to get information somewhere. this time he could take his time, do his best, and have a normal pilgrimage session. the one his sister hadn't been able to have. i have to succeed in becoming my unique form. for her, and mother. he was sure his father would approve.

he arrived in the audience chamber at the same time as one of the princess guard, a woman by the name of leah. she was laying her pack down to the side and ryu followed suit.

"ah! you're leaving with us?" she asked in her lilting voice. she was probably in her mid-thirties, but she was as full of energy as luna was, so it was hard to remember how old she was.

"yeah. going the same way for a while. safer to travel together a bit, right?" ryu responded as they both shrugged their shoulders as a response to the lost weight.

"it makes sense," another of the princess guard said as he joined them, placing his pack beside the two already there. "even though both you and the princess are experienced fighters and ascents, having companions along is always a good idea." ryu nodded.

more and more were arriving in the chamber, though there was no sign of any of the royal family as of yet. ryu was unsure of how he felt about the princess, his soon-to-be traveling companion for a while. when the king had suggested that the two trips be combined, ryu had to grudgingly admit that it made sense. nina wouldn't be coming with him the whole way; in fact, he would leave her behind long before his trip was really begun.

one of ryu's two assigned guard appeared and placed his own pack next to ryu's. he slapped ryu's shoulder in greeting. ryu smiled at him. "hey, lance."

lance, a tall and somewhat burly soldier, grinned back at him widely. "i betcha you're excited about this little venture."

"you bet i am," ryu replied. "it's about time."

lance chuckled, but did not respond, as the other of ryu's guard walked up at that moment. james silently greeted his two companions with a nod and placed his pack next to the other two. lance gave ryu a significant look, while ryu rolled his eyes. lance was convinced that james would never say a word that was unnecessary, and had told ryu as much that morning. ryu thought it was unimportant. it was just the way the guy was.

it was at that moment that the guard who stood at the entrance to the chamber that the royal family would use rapped his long staff on the ground five times, each time letting the sound resound throughout the chamber. "his royal highness, the king of wyndia approaches. her royal highness, the queen of wyndia approaches. her royal highness, the princess nina of wyndia approaches," he said, projecting the sound so that it could even be heard in the waiting chamber just outside the audience chamber.

from the doorway beside the guard, the king swept in first, followed by his wife and daughter. the king and queen were in their finest robes and such, while nina was in travel livery. she was beaming with expectation of the trip, but was managing to keep herself stately in her movements. she moved to her smaller throne to the king's left, while the king took the center throne and the queen took the one to his right. once the three royals were seated, the guards stood up from their bows. ryu followed suit.

"i call ryu gensu, ascent of the dragon clan and his support to audience," the king said, loudly, though without force. ryu and his two guards moved from the side of the audience chamber to the center and dropped to one knee each. "rise." they did. "today is an auspicious day for you, young ryu. many happy returns on your fifteenth birthday." at this, the entire chamber shook with a single cheer in unison.

"ryu!"

the king chuckled, but was not surprised at this. it was traditional when the guard cele

ated a birthday. ryu's face was aflame, so the king moved swiftly onward. "today is also important in that you will begin your second journey to the four temples on this continent to train yourself in ways of the dragon. though your support will help you get to and through each temple, the tasks within the shrines are yours and yours alone. good luck."