Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Restoration ❯ Forest ( Chapter 3 )
Lee paced nervously back and forth. What had happened to Ryo? He wished that Ryo had told him where he was going. It was getting dark and Ryo still had not returned. He hoped nothing had happened to him. Why didn't Ryo tell him where he was going? He should have at least begged Ryo to let him go with him. If something had happened to Ryo, it was because Lee had not pestered him enough to get permission to go with him.
"I've got bad news Lee," D said as he walked into the room.
"What is it?" Lee demanded as he gazed out the window.
"Ryoshan's horse returned but Ryo wasn't on it."
"What?"
"Ryo wasn't…"
"I heard, I heard. I'm just shocked. This is not something that Ryo would do on purpose. What are we supposed to do now?"
"Look for him."
"How? No one knows where he went."
"The stable keeper said he rode off to the west. We're starting a search party. It's the only lead we have. Are you going to join us?"
"Why wouldn't I join you?"
"I wasn't sure if you would be in a rational state of mind once we're on the road. I know how emotional you get."
"Shouldn't I be emotional about this? He could be hurt or something. He might have been taken for all we know."
"By who? Levin is dead."
"There was more than one family that resented Shorel's actions," Karu said as he walked up to the two.
"But not many people know about Ryo. People haven't been informed of the defeat since a lot of our communications systems were destroyed," Lee said as he nervously rubbed his hands.
"He does look a lot like the original. Members of the families that deserted Shorel will know that he's a direct descendant and not everyone viewed Shorel's deeds as noble."
"If one of those families took him…what could happen to him?"
"I don't know."
"But my baby didn't do anything to them."
"Lee, resentment is passed down through the ages. Ryo killed Levin and that action probably didn't make him very popular in the eyes of the deserters."
"Why does it matter? Why are they carrying a grudge for something that happened over two thousand years ago?"
"We do things by tradition, you know that. You can't lose your head just because you're in love with Ryo."
"So what are we going to do?"
"All an can do is wait. If the prince is in danger, I'm sure we will get news of it soon. It doesn't seem to me that if he was captured, his antagonists would just keep his imprisonment quiet. They would more than likely..."
"Waiting isn't good enough. We need to do something."
"Lee the forest is still extremely dangerous. Let's at least allow time for Ryo to escape. If he was able to survive in the wilderness for six years then he should be able to take care of himself."
"Not if he's been drugged or something," D said and Lee stared at him.
"Drugged? That's it," Lee said and walked out of the room.
"Lee don't go. It's not safe."
"I don't care. Ryo's out there somewhere and he needs me."
"Lee, if you go out there and he makes it back alive…"
"If he makes it back alive?!"
"You aren't helping the situation D," Karu said as Lee walked out into the courtyard. He picked up his bow caster and a full quiver of arrows. D ran after him just as Lee's clothes fell to the ground and he emerged in full armor. D grabbed Lee's arm and Lee glared at him.
"Let go of me," he hissed.
"Lee what you're about to do is not sane," he said as Lee pulled his arm away.
"D, sometimes you must act on the heart and not the mind. This is one of those times. I'm going after him. You may join me if you wish but you're not going to stop me, understand?"
"Maybe the horse wandered off."
"Nightwing would never leave Ryo unless the situation was extreme. Now are you coming or are you staying?"
"What's all the commotion?" Ikara asked as he walked up to the two. "Hey, point that thing somewhere else. Where's Ryo?"
Lee bared his fangs and turned away from the two. Ikara looked questioningly at D as Lee walked into the stable and D sighed.
"Ryo is missing," D replied.
"What?"
"Look, are you going to come or not? I'm not waiting any longer," Lee said and D heaved a defeated sigh.
"I'm coming. You're probably going to need my weapons expertise. An arrow can only do so much. You need something that can cut down the overgrowth of the forest anyway," D said as he watched Lee mount Nightwing.
"Hey if you're going, then I'm going too. I wouldn't feel right being left alone here," Ikara said and Lee pointed to his horse.
"Fine. Take Eveningsong. Just treat her fairly," Lee said as he coaxed Nightwing out of the stable.
"Be careful all of you. Ryo would never forgive himself if something should happen to you. Especially you, Lee," Karu said as he watched the trio ride out of the courtyard. They rode outside the castle gates and stopped when a figure approached them. It was, more specifically, a group of people and Lee recognized them. It was Freon, the scientist whom he and Ryo had unexpectedly run into on their way from the city. Their meeting had turned sour when Freon's prized creation, a creature that was a cross between a demon and a butterfly, had begun to explore Ryo and Lee had seen it as a threat. Lee now watched that creation with suspicion as Freon lowered his head in respect.
"We have decided to honor his highness' invitation," Freon said as Aquarion, his silent creation stepped up to Nightwing and stroked his nose. Lee glanced at him for a moment then tried to kick Aquarion away.
"Now is not the time to visit. We are much too busy," Lee said and D coughed loudly.
"Forgive him. The prince is missing and we are going to search for him. Since you are a scientist, you would know a little about construction, wouldn't you?" D inquired.
"I know a little. I would be willing to assist you in the kingdom's reconstruction as much as I can," Freon said as Aquarion ran up to him. He began pointing at Lee and making strange gestures and Freon raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell is with that thing?" Ikara asked and Freon glanced at him.
"No dear one, you cannot go with them. How could you even think of such a thing? You cannot speak and you cannot defend yourself. There are a lot of dangerous things out there."
"I don't have time for this sort of thing. Are you guys coming with me or are you going to sit here and talk to the scientist?" Lee asked as he prodded Nightwing forward.
"Besides, I'm sure there will be a lot of things for you to see and do right here. We have a large project to undertake and you'll be able to help me," Freon said and Aquarion made some more gestures. "He wishes that you all will take care and give the prince his regards when you locate him."
"Did he actually say that?" D inquired and Freon shook his head.
"Not in so many words. He is a simple creature."
"Let's go," Lee said and prodded Nightwing into a trot.
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When Ryo awoke, he found that he was bound in chains. He gazed around at his surroundings and tried to figure out where he was. He seemed to be in a cave near a river of some sort or perhaps it was an ocean. He couldn't tell. He tried to move his hands but found that he was bound too tight. He bared his teeth in rage as his captor walked up to him. The captor gazed mockingly down at him and Ryo's eyes darkened. He should not have let his guard down when he had come in contact with that old woman.
"Now, now, now. Save it for your opponent," a tall burly man said and Ryo glared at him.
"What opponent?" he demanded. "What do you want from me?"
"The opponent that you are going to fight to stop this once and for all. You are going to fight the ancestor of the soldier Shorel murdered."
"My family would never murder anyone outright."
"You weren't there were you? Shorel ordered a soldier to attack and the soldier refused. Angered, Shorel killed him. That's why a group of us left you precious ancestor's army. Soon it will be time for you to atone for your family's mistakes."
"What gives you the right to judge whether or not what my family has done is just or not? Besides, if your ancestor went against orders, he had to be punished. Now I must admit that killing a soldier for defiance of orders seems a bit harsh but perhaps there was a reason for such a brutal punishment."
"Silence!"
Ryo's eyes winced at the sting of leather that his captor had delivered to his face. Blood ran down his cheek and Ryo grinned darkly. Taunt him. Abuse him some more. The rage was building inside him and Ryo knew that with a little more provoking, his element would take control and he would show the cowards just what a descendant of Shorel was capable of.
"You do not have the right to carry a grudge for something that happened over two-thousand years ago. There isn't anything you can do about it. The past is the past. Leave it there and go on with your lives."
"I told you to shut up!"
"What's the matter? You blow wasn't as hard that time. Are you afraid you're going to hurt me? Believe me, I've been through a lot more than this. This is nothing compared to what I've experienced."
"Would you shut up?!"
Ryo watched as what appeared to be his superior walk up to him. The superior took the whip from his captor's hands and broke it. He then turned to Ryo and brutally kicked him. Ryo's eyes darkened as the fire in the cave sprang high up in the air. He bared his teeth as he clenched his hands. He stood up, his metal bonds creaking in strain as they attempted to hold him. He had suffered enough abuse and he wasn't going to take it any more. His captors watched in shock as his shackles fell to the ground. Ryo looked at them and sneered.
"Who's going to tell me to shut up now? I'm listening," he hissed as he gazed around the cave.
"How…?" the superior officer asked and Ryo casually flexed his wings.
"I know we are deeply rooted in tradition but don't you think we're carrying this a little too far? No one's alive that remembers what exactly happened. All we have is the words of others and that is not always correct. Is living like thieves the answer to whatever happened? Would our families be happy about how long we have carried this grudge? Is it not more honorable to forgive and go on with your life?"
"You don't know what we've experienced, Shorel's descendant," a large demon hissed and Ryo gazed at him.
"Do you want to know what I've done for the past ten years? After a traitor to my father assisted Levin in killing him...First off, would any sane man kill another then skin the body and wear the dead man's fangs as a necklace? Is that right? Are the rest of you as hellish as that?" Ryo demanded as he clenched his fists at the memory of his father. Blood streamed down his hands as he awaited an answer.
"Levin said that he was going to make it look like a hunting accident," one of the rogue demons said.
"That was NO hunting accident. My father was killed in the throne room. He was murdered in his own castle. Levin and his men attacked without warning and because of that man, my parents died. My father murdered and my mother fell to the fangs of a deadly snake. After that, I lived in these forests, every day a survival game. I didn't have the luxuries of my title. I had nothing. I was damned to live like a rat because of a grudge for something that happened so long ago. I repeat, what gives you the jurisdiction to tell me who is right and who is wrong when none of you were at the event in the first place. If you are so inclined to take the humans belief of god into your own hands then do it elsewhere. You have no place to pass sentence on someone that has never seen you before simply because of his heritage."
"He's right," another rogue demon said.
"I apologize for whatever my family did. That is all I can do. I have no control over my past and neither do you. If you still wish to fight so be it but bear in mind that I will not do it for my past. I will do it because I have no other choice," Ryo said as he picked up his sword with his tail.
"The resemblance is uncanny. He looks just like Shorel," another demon said.
"He also has the wisdom of the original. Perhaps we were wrong," the first demon said.
"No. Shorel stole the Purity Stone after he was named king. We cannot forgive that. That was a prized possession of our clan," the tall demon hissed and Ryo's eyes darkened further.
"Look, if I remember what my father told me correctly, that stone was lost in the sea during the victory celebration. Your ancestors would not know of this because they had deserted. Perhaps your ancestors were afraid and ashamed that they deserted in the hour of need. Perhaps that is why you are so upset with my family. Your ancestors might have stretched the truth a bit to make themselves seem more heroic. Whatever it was, it's over. Leave it in the past," Ryo growled.
"Let it go, Izen. Our families have obsessed over this long enough. Let's start anew," the first demon said and the tall demon growled in disgust.
"The rest of you can do what you want. I'm going to take you down, prince," Izen hissed and Ryo shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll make this quick. I have someone that's going nuts about my absence and I refuse to make him wait any longer," Ryo said as Izen drew his weapon. His clothing fell to the ground in shreds and he spread his wings. The other demons watched nervously as Izen stood tall as if daring Ryo to make the first move. Ryo's eyes took on the presence of his ancestors as he awaited Izen to make his move.