Fantasy The Legacy (Closed)

[Shibbie]

Wind split over the wings of the small dragon as it glided through the forest trees. The speed the creature flew at was fast, and it was closing in on its prey. A small fish was swimming in the stream that split the two sides of the forest in half. Finally with a clear shot, the dragon swooped down head first into the water catching the fish on it’s first attempt. It carried its reward to a small tree where it rested and ate it’s morning breakfast. The dragon was tiny, no bigger than a squirrel or bird. It’s deep blue scales were now glistening with the moisture from the water.

The dragon finished eating its meal, let out a small puff of fire while stretching, and leaped off the branch into the air once more. The morning air was mild, as autumn approached the temperature dropped further and further. The orange leaves hurried past the dragons’ face as it darted back to where it had come from. It shortly reached an open field with a large house on the other end, to which it soared in through an open window into a room with a young man standing in front of a large mirror. The dragon glided into the collar of the shirt that the boy was wearing, cuddling against his neck. They boy turned with a smile towards the dragon, "Successful morning hunt, Irit?" the boys voice was soft, and the dragon let out a small plume of smoke boastfully.

The boy turned once more towards his reflection of himself in the mirror, his see through blue oriental robes rested over his formal shirt. The top half of his outfit was much more elegant than the plain white pants that acted as an accent towards the rest of his outfit. His hair was a mess still, but he hadn't bothered to style it. He wasn't a huge fan of all the getup just to send him off with an apprentice, which was more than likely a waste of time. He hadn't much hope for whoever it was being able to make it through the journey ahead of them.

He picked up the sheath that had been leaned up against the mirror, it was a oriental sword gifted by Jishu, the head of state. It was a sign of respect for Yokino ending the war that his country fought for so long before him. They were on the verge of collapse before him, so he guessed that the state was pretty grateful for his actions. He was just happy to help the place he grew up in.

Yokino made his way towards the front door of his home, a large house that was also a gift from the state. There were many fields surrounding it, along with a small stream and woods to practice and hone different types of magic. It was a perfect place for him, secluded a few miles away from the city. He let out a sigh as he stepped outside of his home and shut his door behind him. He was not looking forward to the festival, either. He wasn't the most social of people, and being forced into the presses eye would only irritate him. He was curious, though, who his student would be. They were to announce it at noon, only an hour from now.

Yokino stepped a few feet from his house, glancing around. "Are you ready Irit?" Yokino looked down at the small dragon on his shoulder, which happily let out another small puff of smoke. Yokino lifted his arms out away from him, a blue glow emerging from underneath his feet. The small dragon crawled itself out of the shirt, leaping into the blue light below. After a second of silence, a roar emerged from below, followed by Yokino quickly getting swept off his feet from below as the dragon, now much larger than Yokino's house, took towards the sky. Yokino held on tight as the dragon pulled upwards, until it leveled out a hundred feet up. He gently rubbed the deep blue scales of the dragon. "Okay, towards the state hall. You can take your time, if you want to stretch your wings in this form for a while," his words were greeted by a grateful roar.

 

[Berries]

"Chacha! Can I come in?" A small, squeaky voice chirped from outside Chiyo's door. Turning around to resentfully eye her door, and therefore the child behind it out of sight, Chiyo gave a small sigh.

"Sure, but make it quick. I have to leave soon." The girl replied, turning back around to appraise herself in the mirror situated before her eyes. Her younger sister, Daiko, tended to have the most inconvenient timing - not to mention the ridiculous nicknames. Somehow her original name, Chiyo, had morphed into Chichi, Chiya, and now Chacha seemed to be the end result. As Chiyo examined herself and began to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Daiko could be heard throwing the door open and bursting into the room.

"Are you excited? I'm excited! You're going to become an Aoe!" The little girl was practically yelling as she pranced around the room. Her arms flailed about, apparently mimicking magical battle as she muttered boom and bam to herself while waving an imaginary staff. Gazing at her younger sibling through the reflection in the mirror, Chiyo's eyes seemed to dull at the words. She had been given lecture after lecture about this day, to the point where she couldn't exactly seem to register that it had actually arrived.

"Excited to be a disappointment to the family? Definitely," Chiyo muttered under her breath where Daiko couldn't hear. The girl stopped bouncing for a second to curiously tilt her head.

"What did you say?" She inquired innocently with her large brown eyes wide open. Shaking her head in response, Chiyo summoned a small smile to her face.

"Oh, I said I'm very excited." The older girl said with cheery undertones to her voice. The smile stayed plastered on her features for a few seconds until Daiko resumed her dancing, after which it disappeared. Chiyo could feel her heartbeat begin to accelerate as she ran possible scenarios through her mind. What would the Aoe, soon to be her mentor, be like? Of course, she had heard story after story about Yokino, but she had yet to even catch a glimpse of him in real life. He was said to be as tall as trees and possess a dragon the size of a city, but Chiyo had learned to dismiss a lot of stories on account of their exaggerations.

Giving herself a one last glance-over, Chiyo stood up out of her seat. For the festival she wore a light blue kimono with flowers painted on the bodice and sleeves. It was a fairly simple garment, but was made of fine silk and had been designed by a famed designer. Of course, nobody expected anything less than luxury from the Dai Family. The Dai Family was one of the most influential families in the area, seeing that they held a massive monopoly over the metal industry and had long since branched into politics.

Chiyo was the eldest Dai daughter out of three, and after the accident which befell her older brother she was also now the oldest child. It was because of this she had been chosen to take up the apprenticeship with the Aoe, though she was more than a little apprehensive about it. For one, she had the weakest magical ability out of the family - despite the fact that her gold eyes were said to be a good omen for magical potential among their bloodline - and she hadn't been asked whether or not she had wanted to do this before being told the arrangements had been made.

Straightening her back and raising her chin, Chiyo's eyes turned from dull to bright with a stubborn light. She had long ago resolved that, magical potential or not, she would not fail her family. Now was the time to put her convictions into play: she would become an Aoe worthy of the Dai Family. "Let's go," Chiyo told Daiko with a smile, gesturing towards the door.

It wasn't long before the girls were placed in an elegant carriage and shipped off to the state hall. The festival usually began with a parade that started from the hall, so naturally the Dai Family would make an appearance there. Publicity is half the battle, her father often told her, and Chiyo knew her role as a composed Dai Lady. Daiko, on the other hand, had yet to grow out of her rambunctious stage and for that reason was being accompanied by their mother to be kept in control.

Arriving at the state hall, Chiyo gracefully disembarked from the carriage. The Dai Family had arrived in a procession of six carriages; warranting a lot of stares as the common people watched them walk out onto the street. The Dai Family was incredibly well known, and their emblem on the carriage sides left little question as to who they were. Normally the members would be accompanied by bodyguards, but Chiyo had long since requested that she be allowed to venture alone. She had been granted that privilege due to her combat abilities: despite the fact that her magical abilities were sub par, physical combat was one area where she excelled.

Patting the hilt of her katana to ensure that it was there, the girl scanned the crowd briefly with her eyes. Her face was expressionless, as was expected of her, and as she walked there was a flow to her movements that bordered on mesmerizing. Chiyo preferred not to appear in public much, but she enjoyed festivals, so she quickly began to distance herself from the Dai carriages in order to get a good view of the parade.

 

[Shibbie]

Yokino stretched out onto the back of the dragon, laying down facing the sky. It was much colder at the height they were at, but the sky was as clear as could be. He was lost in his thoughts about the day, and of course the journey ahead. He had already made the journey once, albeit he was by himself when he traveled. The only Aoe that was alive when he embarked was well in his 90s, much too old for travel. He wondered if the old man was alive, having not talked to him since a few days before he finished his summoning. He let out a sigh, remembering all the hardships that he had to go through, but he was happy that he went through with it even still. Even though now he just acted as the state's pretty face.

"Show off your dragon, some magic maybe. The people love knowing about you, you're a celebrity. You can't keep cooped up in your house forever," Jishu's conversation from a few days back rang through his head. Jishu wanted Yokino to show the people why he was an Aoe, what the magic he could perform was. Ever since the day he came back from war, he's avoided using magic in public, and public in general as a whole. He hated being treated differently because he was a military power, he wanted to be treated as equal to others. He knew it wasn't possible though, with the amount of praise and recognition that had been given to him.

Yokino's remained lost in his thoughts, bouncing between not wanting to show off any magic to trying to think of what would make people the happiest to see. He finally settled on just letting Irit do some flight tricks while he cast a basic levitation spell. Nothing crazy, but it should let the people in the parade get a bit of enjoyment. He knew the parade would be ending at the state hall, so he decided that was when he would go through, in order to not have to walk in the parade at least. Yokino pulled himself back up into a sitting position, looking at the back of the dragon he sat on. The deep blue scales glistened in the sunlight, but it also allowed for the dimness of the scars and torn scales to be more visible. He frowned, running a finger over one of the old injuries.

Finally the small city came into view, the volume of the crowd could be heard clearly even at the height they were flying at. Yokino stood, walking his way towards the neck of the dragon. He did not have to tell the dragon what to do, instead their minds were almost completely shared under the familiar summoning. The dragon let out a plume of smoke, now much bigger to complement his size, and looked back at the man on his back. He waited for about 15 minutes until the parade was coming to an end, at which point Yokino finally signaled Irit to start diving towards the hall. The dragons speed was intense, and the drop was sharp. Yokino waited, though, until he was only 20 feet from the ground to take the leap off of the dragons neck and into the air.

He fell briefly before facing his palm towards the ground, and in an instant he remained floating where he was. It was indeed a basic spell, to be able to float, however it required a massive amount of magic and control to be able to sustain, which is why he figured it would be a good enough showing for the crowd. Yokino slowly lowered himself towards the stairs of the state hall, looking up as the blue dragon did loops in the air, letting out a few large streams of fire into the sky. Finally landing on the stairs, Yokino turned towards the parade, trying to avoid eye contact with any specific person. Instead, he gave a small wave and a smile, waiting for his dragon to shrink back down to it's smaller size and land once again on his shoulder. This time, the dragon sat up looking attentive and watching, scanning every direction in case of a threat.

After a minute of waving, Yokino turned in towards the state hall, where he would finally meet his apprentice. He was quick to get out of the spotlight, and half rushed into the building where a feast had been prepared for everybody to enjoy. It wouldn't be open to the public until midway through the festival though, instead it was reserved for higher class and VIPs to meet the Aoe and his new apprentice. He did let out another small sigh, not looking forward to being bombarded with the high class's questions that were usually filled with ignorance towards the lower classes. They only cared about their own personal wealth and well being most of the time, however there were a few exceptions. He just hoped that if his apprentice was from one of the higher class families, that it wouldn't be one that was blinded by their own personal wealth.

Yokino shook his head, trying to keep his mind positive. He was sucked into doing this now, and he could only make the best of it. That's what he kept having to remind himself, anyway.

 

[Berries]

Chiyo had managed to find a good place to view the parade; settling on the top of a flight of stairs near the state hall. Despite the fact she was alone, nobody dared to approach her. Perhaps it was because of the weapon hanging at her side, but her expressionless face and agitated aura probably was the reason for most of it. Her seated posture was straight as a rod despite the fact she was sitting somewhere so undignified as the stairs, and her eyes remained fixed on the parade with an unwavering, unblinking intensity. It was hard to deduce the fact that she was actually enjoying herself as she had more the look of somebody on silent vigil. In fact, the only thing that differentiated Chiyo from a statue was the way her hair occasionally shifted with the wind and the mechanical movements of her arms as she ate a package of sweet rolls which she had bought before sitting down.

While it was highly unladylike, Chiyo's sweet tooth ran rampant. There was little in the ways of desserts which she wouldn't eat in a heartbeat, but unfortunately that urge was mostly suppressed due to the fact it was unbecoming to binge eat candy. This was both due to the fact that it had a negative impact on her weight but was also generally just frowned upon. Seeing that today was a stressful day, as well as a public holiday, Chiyo had cut herself some slack and bought the small package of sweets. Despite the fact she was enjoying them immensely, her facial expression remained set in stone.

The thing that finally broke Chiyo's impassive face was when a dragon began diving towards the hall. Her eyes widened a fraction, her mouth pausing mid-chew. She had staunchly disregarded the rumors of the city-sized dragon, but as she stared she realized that the rumors had very nearly been correct. Tracing the dragon's movements closely, she soon spotted the figure jumping off the creature's neck into the air. Her mouth closed to finish her bite but her eyes remained fixated on the figure - doubtless the Aoe she would be apprentice to. Tracking his movements through the air, she was not in the least surprised by the control he displayed over his flotation spell. Chiyo herself had a hard enough time summoning the magic required to float, but the hardest part was controlling said magic long enough to not crash herself into the ground.

Her eyes only lifted from the Aoe and his dragon, which shrunk rather rapidly after the display, when the duo disappeared into the hall. At that point, Chiyo rose from her seat and began to walk towards the hall herself. She was only a few hundred meters away, so it took her very little time to reach the entrance. Upon arriving in the hall, security guards blocked her entry with their spears. "Please present your admission pass," the one on the right demanded stoically. Tonight it was his job to make sure that nobody interfered with the VIP banquet, though the Aoe had passed freely seeing that his identity was beyond question.

Realizing that she had tucked her banquet invitation deep inside her bag, Chiyo decided against looking for it and instead simply retrieved the Dai emblem she carried on hand at all times. Flashing it at the guards, the two men hastily stepped aside with deep bows. Continuing on into the hall, Chiyo noted that the dining hall had yet to begin filling up. She was still early for the beginning of dinner, so it was no surprise. It didn't take her long to locate her assigned seat which was labelled with a small sign reading Chiyo Dai. It was much to early to sit down, however, so the girl remained on the outskirts of the table, eyes slowly scanning the area to find the Aoe whom had entered earlier.

 

[Shibbie]

Yokino forced a laugh as the heavy set man joked about him being too small to be all that strong. The mans intentions were harmless, just a simple bit of tease, but the atmosphere of the room put him on edge. The large man gave Yokino a pat on the back, "I obviously am kidding, lad. But I must insist that you stop by our butcher shop for some nice fatty cuts, fresh and free just for you," the smell of wine rolling out with his words. Yokino smiled, promising to take him up on the offer at some point. It made the man happy, and he began to make his way over to his next victim of his presence. Yokino watched as a few people started shifting into the hall, a few younger kids with their mother, a girl by herself, a man with his wife and son. He wondered if his apprentice was already here, or if they had yet to come.

He let out a small breath, walking his way towards the far end of the hall where the king Jishu sat. "Hey old man," Yokino said as he pulled a seat out from next to him. A glare that could cut metal was shot at him, but Yokino just waved it off. "Sorry, can't expect me to be formal no matter where we are, Jishu. It was part of the deal," He laughed as Jishu lead back in his seat letting out a sigh.

"You're lucky I like you, ya bastard," His voice was coarse, but he returned a grin. Jishu wore a simple set of brown robes that were lined with gold, they weren't very fancy but symbolized the power of the state, at least that's what he always told Yokino. His hair was white now, and his beard followed suit, but the man was very peppy for his age. He had never been the most powerful fighter or the greatest mage, but the wisdom and intelligence he owned was far beyond anybody of their time. "Yoko, are you ready for your second journey. You did sign up for this, once you became an Aoe, ya know." Jishu laughed, handing Yokino a glass with a deep red wine.

Yokino set the glass, his eyes drifting around the room once more. "You know that alcohol isn't good for mages, makes it much harder for us to use magic," Yokino's eyes widened by the number of people who had funneled into the room in just a few minutes. He wondered if it was almost time. "At least tell me you picked me a viable candidate. I don't want this to be a complete waste of time." A few minutes passed without an answer, instead the two of them just watched over the people as they interacted in the hall. A few folks approached Yokino or the king with blessings and offerings of money or gifts, but none that were accepted. It was a strange tradition to accept a gift from somebody in their country, the significance of a gift was much more valued and respected, so it was common practice to respectfully turn down gifts from those you weren't familiar with.

A short ten minutes passed before Jishu once again turned to Yokino, " Say, you don't have a spell that can make a loud noise, can you? " The old mans voice now much more quiet. Yokino only nodded, a few small spells that he could cast would make enough noise to gather the attention of the room which was what he assumed Jishu meant. "If you wouldn't mind, could you? I think it's about time we get this started."

Yokino paused briefly, a bit of anxiety finally pushing through to him. He was nervous that he wouldn't be a good enough teacher, and that he would let the people of Zieo down. He was also worried about the long journey ahead, which wouldn't really put much strain on him, but more whoever he was accompanied by. Yokino placed his hand on the table, with his palm facing up. "Very well, I shall use it now then, " His voice much more tame than before. A small orb appeared in his hand, a white glow emit from it. It slowly compressed smaller and smaller, until finally it shattered releasing the sound of a firecracker that echoed throughout the room.

Jishu stood up, his hand stretched upwards. "Good day, people of Zieo. It's been an amazing day for us to gather here..." Yokino toned out the voice of the old man as he began addressing the crowd. It was much less formal of a speech than he expected, but he always knew the king hated giving speeches. He scanned once more through the now few hundred people who had piled into the state hall, without any real clue as to who his apprentice was going to be. Odds are they were fresh out of schooling and about to reach their adult years, but there was enough people in here that could fit the description that it was almost hopeless to guess. "But now, the time is finally here when we will be addressing our new apprentice to the Aoe, as well as beginning the festival of travel as they begin their journey tomorrow towards the Koiyai Shrine."

 

[Berries]

It didn't take Chiyo long to locate the Aoe. It seemed he had taken a seat next to the King and started a conversation. Chiyo, despite being at a distance, could see that the Aoe seemed awfully at home. Her eyes twitched slightly at the apparent lack of formality the boy was showing to their King, and her gaze lingered for a few moments longer than would normally be deemed polite as she noted the way the Aoe paid no formalities and seemed to talk in a disdainful manner. Forcing her eyes away and calming her sense of outrage at his lack of manners, Chiyo contended herself with the explanation that she could not hear what was being said and therefore it was likely the Aoe had paid more respects than she could see with her bare eyes.

Luckily, her attention was soon absorbed by the return of Daiko. The rest of the Dai Family had finished making their rounds around the parade grounds and had begun to funnel into the hall - the enthusiastic little girl being the first one in. Followed by their mother, the esteemed Lady Dai, and after that their arrangement of siblings and close relatives. It always gave Chiyo a sense of pride to watch her family arrive and leave events together in a unit, their sense of power and presence always astounded her. She was proud of her family's wealth and accomplishments, as well as each individual's personal strengths. There was no member of the Dai Family who was unskilled in some regard, though their skills tended to vary widely.

For instance, Daiko was a prodigal artist. One might not expect it from her carefree demeanor, but to watch her paint was nearly an otherworldly experience. The youngest son, Kikuchi, was already being hailed as one of the greatest orators of this generation. The list continued, and the edge of Chiyo's mouth twitched in a small smile before resuming its neutral position. It made her happy that her siblings and family was so successful, though thoughts pursuant to that fact sent a pang through her heart. Her elder brother, now deceased for three years, had been a strong mage. Obviously, nowhere near the level of the Aoe, but respectable nonetheless. Now, in his absence, it was her job to take up that role - but her lack of magical potential made that task seem impossible. If anything, Chiyo specialized in sharpshooting, which was one of the furthest fields from magic imaginable.

Drawing a short breath through her nose, Chiyo dismissed her negative thoughts. It was much too late for doubts, now that the banquet was so close to starting. Almost in sync with her thoughts, the firecracker spell went off, and her attention was immediately absorbed as the King stood up to begin speaking. Bowing respectfully to the man as he began to talk, as did all the other nobles and persons in the hall, it took Chiyo a significant amount of self-control to keep her breathing even and steady as the King spoke. She couldn't help but be nervous, despite her best attempts to suppress the feeling, but the force of her willpower kept her head up and eyes emotionless - betraying none of the turmoil inside her heart and stomach. Perhaps those sweet rolls hadn't been a good idea, as far as stomach turmoil was concerned.

As the King's speech went on, Chiyo blinked as she felt a small hand dart into hers. Apparently, her nerves hadn't gone unnoticed by Daiko, and the younger girl squeezed her older sister's hand encouragingly. Immediately her fears subdued themselves and Chiyo squeezed back. Right on time, the King got to the point of the gathering: "But now, the time is finally here when we will be addressing our new apprentice to the Aoe, as well as beginning the festival of travel as they begin their journey tomorrow towards the Koiyai Shrine."

Daiko's hand fell away as Chiyo prepared to get out of her seat. Her eyes fixated on the King as he spoke. "Lady Chiyo Dai," a small pause was allowed for an outburst of murmurs throughout the hall, "come forth and be known".

On command, Chiyo rose from her chair and walked to the front of the banquet hall. Pausing by the seat of the King, she bowed deeply to him - casting a respectful nod at the Aoe - before turning to address the assembled people. "I look forward to serving the great nation of Zieo as apprentice to our great Aoe." She stated with even tones, not betraying any emotion and speaking at a volume great enough to be heard to the end of the hall. "I thank you for this great honor." The girl concluded, bowing again to the King before taking the empty seat opposite the Aoe and beside the King.

It wasn't a great surprise that a Dai child had been appointed as apprentice, so the hushed chatter in the hall soon rang silent. Accordingly, the King waved his hand to permit the feast to begin, and waiters began to serve the food stretched across the tables.

 

[Shibbie]

Yokino watched as a girl from the crowd came fourth, Chiyo Dai was her name according to the king. Yokino recognized the last name Dai, but he was unfamiliar of where from or who Chiyo was. He assumed it must be a prestigious family or well known of sorts. He watched as the girl made her way up to the table, returning her nod. The girl seemed very formal when she spoke, a trait that was respectable but also partially irritated Yokino. He prayed that she wasn't as formal outside of the hall, her almost monotone opening words were as dry as could be. He decided not to worry though, as a name that was known enough that even he recognized it meant she must have a strong form in magic at least. Hopefully.

His eyes followed the girl as she took her seat, and then back up to Jishu who had called for the feast to start. "A pleasure," Yokino barely managed to get his words out before the first family approached the table for a blessing from the king, in exchange for a blessing given to the apprentice. It was another strange tradition of Zieo, but one that they would have to sit through. The people mostly just smiled at Yokino as they exchanged blessings with the king, but Yokino didn't mind. He remembered how odd it made him feel just two years ago when he went through the same scenario.

After a short while, only a few more families remained to receive blessing, and Yokino watched as one approached. It had a small child, he couldn't have been any older than 12, standing behind his parents. But the small child's eyes kept darting over to Yokino and then to something behind Yokino. It was an easy guess for Yokino, he just smiled and signaled the child over to where he was. The boy looked up to his parents, as to get their approval before he walked over to where Yokino was sitting. "Put your hand out," He gently said with a warm smile. The boy did as he was told, and Yokino put a small piece of meat from the table into the boys hand. "Call his name, and he will come to eat out of your hand. Or you can hold it up for him," Yokino lightly gestured to the dragon that still rested on his shoulder.

"I... Irit?" the boy said nervously, but bravely held out the food. The dragon crawled off of Yokino's shoulder and made a small leap onto the boys arm, scooping up the meat into a swift bite. The boys eyes widened, staring right at the dragon. Yokino leaned back into his seat, watching as Irit slithered up the boys arm and onto his head, briefly. The dragon leaped off once more landing back onto Yokino's shoulder. "He says thank you," he said with one more smile as he pat the boy on his head. The child's parents called for him, and he swiftly fell back now with a huge smile on his face.

It was a small gesture, but Yokino always enjoyed the awe that children had whenever they met a dragon. Something about the innocence of their younger years blissfully ignorant to all the worlds issues helped put Yokino at peace with his own past. He wished that no other child would bear the burden he had to at such a young age. His mind wandered for a second before he snapped back to attention by the king beckoning for him. "You alive over there?" Jishu shook his head, pulling at his beard. "Well, anyways. Now that blessings are over, you're free to go. Enjoy the festival this time, Yoko, and eat well to prepare for your embark," his tone was much more mellow than before.

" Huh, I forgot you knew that I skipped my own festival last time, old man," Yokino laughed, waving his hand in the air. "Plus, I was able to leave a day early because I bailed." Yokino scratched his head, his eyes dropping towards the table, "Besides, I have no idea what to do at these kinds of things," his voice trailed towards the end. It was one of his biggest issues about these events, was that he remained alone at all the previous one, besides the king. But he couldn't be asked to bother the king for too long, plus Jishu always ended up getting way too drunk for Yokino to handle.