Chapter Text
The day was hot. Clear. Perfect. The dirt underfoot, crumbling in clots beneath Ryu's toes was blistering. You could see the heat waving like the aurora in the air. Prince Ryu shifted the heavy camping gear, one shoulder to the other, like an old friend, and wove his way through the bubbling mineral pools to his favourite spot. Squinting out over the horizon, he could see the peak of the Basalt Tower, thrown into the shade of the mountainside.
His fishing rod he rested across his shoulder. At the end of the line, the familiar tug as the lure bobbed up, down, up, like a hopping frog. When he reached his spot, he sat, slouching back against the warm, smooth rock at the side of the pool, and pulled out his jar of bait.
"Morning boys," he said, examining the wriggling beetles. "Who's up for a dip in the pond today?"
He cast far into the pool, where the steamfish liked to congregate. Then he gripped the rod between his thighs, and laid back. The sun had lain in a perfect, white scalding circle upon the water; now, the lure divided it into rippling bars. He closed his eyes, to feel the heat on his eyelids. Prince Ryu had never been sunburnt. His people, only known as the People did not burn in the sun; only bronze further. Sunburn itself was very funny joke, played on those from delicate countries to the south.
There was a bite on the line, and he sat up, but it got away. It didn't bother Ryu. The heat made had him feel sleepy and stupid. He caught sight of himself reflected in the pool, and it startled him. He looked away.
His eyes sunk like the bobbing lure, and for a while he fell into a sun-induced stupor. Ryu's mind was wonderfully, mercifully blank.
"Hey, bro."
But, of course...
"If you're trying to hide out here, you really outta find a new spot next time. You trying to bore me?"
"I didn't realise it was my job to entertain you, Sevvy," Ryu said. He kept his eyes closed. He hoped that Sevvy might just be a mirage, and when he opened them, he would vanish. He groaned, inwardly, as he heard the scuff of his brother's sandals on the dirt as he sat down next to him.
"Trying to get some beauty sleep?" Sevvy said, hoping for a reaction, Ryu supposed. He ignored him, still hoping he'd catch the idea and go away. Of course, though, Sevvy never did.
For a few minutes it was strangely silent, only Sevvy's slight breathing. Then he said, "Bro, you've got a bite."
Ryu's eyes shot open. A golden glittering fish was struggling on the end of the line, scales flickering like candlelight in the sun. He reeled it in quickly. Ten inches. A good size.
"Nice one," said Sevvy.
Ryu broke the fish's neck with a satisfying snap, and said, "What do you want?"
"You mean there's no way I could convince you I came to find you for some quality bonding time?"
Ryu looked up at him. Sevvy, already long and lanky, was grinning like a cheshire cat.
"You could try," he told him, "or maybe, save both our time and tell me what it is you really want."
Sevvy gave his golden laugh. He was five years younger than Ryu at seventeen, but he still laughed like a little boy.
"You break my heart, bro," he said, and then he told him; "Mother's called a family meeting. She wants everyone back home."
Ryu looked away, at the band of clouds, hanging over the horizon. "Tell her you couldn't find me. I'm still M.I.A."
"You're not, though. I've seen you a few times. You've been circling the citadel for weeks," Sevvy pointed out.
Ryu recast, but here he paused.
"You saw me?" he said.
"Why not come home, Ryu?" Sevvy said, almost gently. "You haven't been back since last solstice."
"I prefer it out here. I'm living as our nomadic ancestors lived-"
"Except that our ancestors weren't antisocial goits," Sevvy said. Ryu stared. Then he set down my rod and stood.
"Are you asking me for a fi-"
Sevvy shoved him in the chest.
"I'm asking you to come home, you great big git. Everyone misses you."
Ryu paused, and turned away. He picked up his rod, his pack. "Yeah, well, I don't miss anybody."
He didn't look at him anymore. He didn't want to see him. Ryu just wanted to be alone. But Sevvy said, "Even if you don't, I should have mentioned: Mother says it's an order. If you don't come, she'll come and find you herself, and it'll be chargrill a'la Ryu."
When he turned back, Sevvy was gone; in the far distance there were wings beating the in the sky.
Prince Ryu swore under his breath. It seemed like, after six months, he was finally going home.
*
The citadel, the Basalt Tower, squatted like a crow beneath the craggy foothills that led to Mt Zavid. To find it you only had to follow the Fire Road, no road at all but a cracked molten river, which, a millenia ago, spewed like heaven's fire from the top of the mountain.
The gatemen rolled open the town gates when they saw the prince approaching.
It was livelier than Ryu even remembered. Or more likely, I've been in the wastes too long.
Women in wraps were singing as they they hung out the laundry, swinging babies in the other arm. Wild children play fought in the dirt, swinging blunted swords at one another, as he and his brothers had done, long ago. Overpowering smells of saffron, ginger and citrus invaded his senses, and reminded Ryu just how long ago his last proper meal was.
There came up a call of, "Prince Ryu! Prince Ryu!"" and the children came running, crowding around me. "Prince Ryu, you're back!"
The women looked up from their washing, the elders from their games, their engravings. Someone called, "The prodigal son returns!" and someone else, "Hey Ryu, how ya been?"
A scruffy looking tough boy in a loincloth asked him, "Prince Ryu, where did you go?"
"Oh, here and there," he said evasively. But looking at them, he couldn't help but smile, just a bit.
"Where? Where?" they said plaintively. "Tell us stories, like you used to Ryu."
He sat down on the old stone well. "Alright. But keep your pants on. Far to the north, past the mountain, I slept in a sacred grove our nomadic ancestors kept to Ladon. On..."
The children sat beside him, some cross-legged, others lounging on their elbows, as he told them; of the peaked mountains that signposted the end of the world; of the crystal caves, and their million colours, which had sparkled like a incandescent rainbow; and of the cedar trees to the south, as tall as gods.
And as he talked, he glanced up, and his voice trailed away like a banner without a breeze. Sarah stood some way away from the crowd, watching him silently.
"And then what happened?" one of the boys asked him eagerly.
"That's it," he said, all the warmth gone from his voice.
"But-"
"But nothing. Go back to your game."
He stood up sharply, and parting the crowd like water, approached Sarah. A good metre away, he stopped.
"Ryu. It's good to see you again. We were wondering when you were coming back," she said. Her turquoise hair hung in a sailor's rope down her breasts. In her arms she had a little baby swaddled in a blanket. Her other hand she held to her round stomach.
Ryu couldn't help but think about before; how wild she was, how free. Now, she was soft and contented, positively bovine. It made him ill to look at her.
"So what's this one on the way, number three?" he asked. He couldn't keep the ice sneaking into his voice. Somehow, he never could.
But if she heard it, Sarah didn't show it. With a flicker of her old mischievousness, she turned with a smile, to show the other the baby strapped to her back. "Four. It was twins," she said. "Didn't expect that one, I can tell you. Took it out of me. Adorable, aren't they?"
Ryu took a long hard look at the baby in her arms, which had scrunched up its red face and begun to cry.
"Like bouncing bundles of snot," he said.
Sarah's smile fell. She hastily put it back on. Took a step towards him, to say with earnest, "Ryu, I used to think the same way, but once you experience motherhood for yourself, it-"
Ryu turned his back on her, and started walking very quickly towards the citadel. Sarah's hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh Ryu, wait! I'm sorry- I forgot. Please wait!" she hurried after him.
"What, so you can insult me more?" he shot back at her. She was chasing him through the market, vendors turning their heads to stare.
"Please Ryu, can't we walk? It isn't because of Locke and I that you stay out of Dracon, is it?"
He spun back on her. "Don't give yourself so much credit," he snarled at her. He expected her to say something cruel back, but startlingly, she begun to cry.
"Please, Ryu? I can't stand what's happened between us. Can't we be friends again?"
Somehow, her tears made him even angrier. Why didn't she shout? Why didn't she get mad? What good did crying do? It made him want to strike her, just so she'd strike him back.
He forced himself away from her. Coldly, he said, "We were never just 'friends' and until you remember that, I don't even want to look at you, or your squalling brats."
*
Ryu's blood was boiling. It felt like it was going to explode. He was storming through the stone corridors of the citadel, when-
As always, his anger burnt out. It always happened suddenly, like something being shut off. And left an empty space behind. He came to a standstill, and sunk down onto the base of a pillar. What burnt through his veins now was something entirely different: shame.
Just what was wrong with him?
He'd been back in Dracon five minutes and he'd already let Sarah get to him. What good did hurting her do? It didn't make him feel any better. If anything, it made him feel worse.
He'd made a fool of himself, again.
He felt like punching someone. Instead, he punched the wall.
"I can always tell when you're home Prince Ryu. You just follow the holes in the décor."
From round the corner in the citadel was his old swordsmaster, Lebanon, one of the few people he was grateful to see.
"Master Lebanon," he said, leaping up to grip his hand.
"I have to tell you, young prince, there was talk we might never see you again. It's good to have you back." And to Ryu's silence he said, "Though I can tell you're already thinking of how soon you can leave."
Ryu's eyes dulled over. "Out there, it's easier, Lebanon. I've never fitted in here, you know that."
The old man's eyes seemed to pierce him. "And out there, you feel as though you do, hm?"
His immediate response was "Yes," but Ryu paused, because that wasn't quite right. "No," he said. "But everything out there is alone. The rocks and the trees and the stars. They feel what I feel. There's no real such thing as intimacy in this world. I sleep under the stars at night and feel their loneliness and my own, and it makes it something majestic. It's... comforting."
Ryu had drawn so far inside himself that when he returned, the sad look on Lebanon's face startled him.
"You're too young to think such things, child."
The doors to the antechamber were flung open, and Sevvy strode through. "Bro, you made it." And when he noticed the hole in the wall he glanced from it to Lebanon and said, "Whoah! Who pissed Ryu off?"
Lebanon turned to go, but before he did, he said to Ryu, " Come visit me before you leave. Promise me this?"
Ryu nodded. And then Sevvy gave him a shove forward. "C'mon. Mother's waiting for us in the counsel room."
They walked forward together through the high vaulted stone corridors lit with braziers, decorated with old, dulled tapestries.
"You know what this is about?" Ryu asked.
Sevvy shrugged sleekly. The sound of their sandals echoed down the corridor.
"Not sure. I think I heard something about Wyndia."
"Wyndia? I figured it'd be about more trouble with that clan that's taken root in the basin."
Sevvy laughed. "Clearly the wild pigs aren't much up on recent events, huh? Mother made a truce with them months ago. Had them sign up a treaty and everything."
"Wait. A truce? Why?"
"We're all about peace and love here know, don't you know? Also the First Ranger told me some of the poor fools wandered into the Wyrmwood. If that wasn't a deterrent I don't know what is," Sevvy said. Ryu winced. Not a fate he'd wish on anyone.
"Anyway, I doubt Wyndia will be sending out any party invitations at present, so don't get your hopes up for anything exciting," Sevvy continued.
"How so?"
"Haven't you heard? King Philip's daughter died."
"One of the twin princesses? When? And which one?"
He was so shocked he stopped in his tracks. Sevvy paused.
"You really are out of the loop. Must have been soon after you left, I guess." Here he looked subdued. "It was Princess Christina. A shame. I liked her."
"Me too," said Ryu, thinking back to the tour she'd made to Dracon some years ago.
How long had it been, since he'd thought of that night?
"Anyway," Sevvy said, heading towards the antechamber. "Locke was disappointed about the treaty. Mother was going to let him lead the first battle." Ryu saw, out the corner of eyes, Sevvy glance at him to see how he took this. But he said nothing. He was thinking of battle; the release of claws and jaws and no one to hold him. Ripping them to shreds, someone, anyone...
Ryu closed his eyes and shut them tight.
Sevvy said, "Alright?"
"Yeah."
They made their way through the throne room, past the seat formed from volcanic rock, where their father, long ago, had once sat.
"So listen. That hole in the wall..."
"I met Sarah."
"I though you might have." He continued quickly, "I told her just to leave you alone, but she didn't listen to me."
He glanced again, quickly, at Ryu to gauge his reaction. Ryu pushed open the door to the counsel room. "Well, Sarah never really listens to anyone, does she?" he said. He couldn't help but let a tiny bit of admiration infiltrate his voice.
*
The counsel room was at the base of the citadel, hewn into the rock of the mountainside itself. Tapestries dyed red as blood covered the walls, and moved in the yellow flickering light of the braziers.
Queen Brynhildr, leader of The People sat at the end of the war table, a powerful figure, her hair braided and beaded down to her waist, the colour of all who bore lineage of the dragon clan for the centuries past- blue.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ryu saw his older brother, Locke. Even with his back set to the brazier, the deep disfiguring claw marks on his face were impossible to avoid. Narrowly missing blindness, they marred the left side of his face. Ryu kept his eyes fixed on the Queen. He and Sevvy approached. He bowed. "My Queen."
Brynhildr rose from her chair and swooped forward, clasping Ryu in an embrace.
"My wanderer, how long were you planning to stay away from us this time?"
"I wasn't ready to come back," Ryu said, burying his face in his mother's hair.
"I understand. Yet, if we all wait till we are ready, we'll be waiting forever."
She pulled back, and gestured to the table. "Come and sit. I've important news, for all three of you."
Ryu sat, pulling up the chair with a scrape. Sevvy took a seat beside him. Fixing his eyes on his other brother across the table, he said without emotion, "Locke."
Locke nodded in reply. "Ryu."
Leaning forward on his elbows, Sevvy said, "Maybe it really is party invitations? I bet thirty zenny that-"
"If you wait, Sevvy, I'll tell you," Brynhildr replied, with a certain tempered patience.
From the pocket of her robes, she withdraw a letter, and slid it onto the table. It was embossed with the royal Wyndian seal; a sword crossed with wings.
"Knew it!" started Sevvy. Brynhildr silenced him with a withering look. He zipped his mouth shut.
With two fingers, she slid the letter to Locke. "Read it." He picked it up, and Ryu watched his eyes moving quickly across the paper.
When he'd finished, the spat the word, "Savage," and he thrust the letter to Sevvy. With curiosity, Ryu looked over Sevvy's shoulder to read.
To Queen Brynhildr of the Dragon Clan,
In a month's time my daughter, her Highness the princess Nina is to be wed. All noblemen of lineage from across the nine lands are welcome to come and vy for her hand. In one fortnight time Games will begin, the winner of which will wed my daughter.
I would like to cordially invite your sons, the three princes of Dracon to take part in the Games.
Philip Wyndia, King of Wyndia, protector of the Faith.
"Games?" Sevvy said, in bafflement. "Are we supposed to win her then, like a trophy?"
"It's one of the more barbarian traditions of the south," Brynhildr said. "They give their girl children away like prizes to be won. Though I have to say I never thought Philip would give away one of his darling daughters this way. Something has changed in Wyndia."
Ryu snatched the letter out of Sevvy's hands. He was studying one particular line of text. His brows knotted together. "It says, 'three princes.'"
"Yes."
Ryu looked at her with a question in his eyes. She said, "Are you not then, a prince of Dracon?"
Locke stood violently. He slammed his hands down onto the table. "You have to be kidding me. Mother, you're really not planning to-"
She sat, quite calmly in her seat. "You have an objection?" she said coldly.
"Ladon's fire, I do. What is Wyndia going to do when they find out the thing their princess had been married to is-"
Ryu's chair toppled back. He slammed both his hands, bam, against the table. "Say it." The words left him in a snarl. "Say it, and I'll give you another pretty scar to match the other cheek."
"Silence!" Brynhilda was standing now, face red with rage, and somehow Sevvy was up on his feet too. She said, "You will be silent. You-" she whirled on Locke, "you will treat your brother with the respect he deserves. Yes, brother." And when Ryu opened his mouth to agree, the finger was pointing his way. "You, Ryu, will control your temper. You will not threaten your brother, nor harm him. I'm sick of this infighting, this war between kin. I will tolerate no more violence in this house. If you are Locke's brother you will treat him as a brother. And you, Sevothtarte," she turned on Sevvy, who as always, looked worried at the use of his full name, "just sit down, Sevvy."
Brynhildr sat, her head in her hands. Quietly, with the scraping of chairs, her sons sat down. The silence stretched on. Sevvy looked as though he was about to crack a joke, but thought better of it.
Finally, Brynhildr said, with heaviness, "I'm sending all three of you. Tomorrow, you will leave for Wyndia. Any arguments?"
Silence. She looked, particularly, at Locke, who swore and said Sarah's name under his breath.
"Good," said Brynhildr. "Ladon knows, maybe you'll even have a good time. But at least there will be peace and quiet in Dracon for a few weeks." She stood, gathered her skirts around her and left through the beaded entrance towards the back of the counsel chamber.
There was quiet around the table. Ryu imagined his brothers were thinking the same thing he was: about the tournament, and how exactly they were going to get through this next month without killing one another.
To be continued.