RYUHIKO - 06

RYUHIKO -06-20150205

The storm disappeared leaving Ryuhiko and Moru standing looking up into a cold rain. They stood motionless and speechless for a long time. Finally Ryuhiko transformed into his human form, walked slowly to the bag of clothes, still lying under a nearby tree, took out a piece of material and wrapped a fundoshi around his waist. The cold rain felt like needles hitting his bare skin. He pulled out one of the robes and was putting it on when he turned to Moru, who had yet to move.

“What did he mean about my father, brother and sister?” Shinmasa's voice was soft and low. It was the voice of a man who had just gone to hell and back and wasn't sure if he had survived.

“What?” said Moru shaking her head as though she was just becoming conscious. “What did you say?”

“What did he mean about my father, brother and sister and the other dragons?” Shinmasa repeated a little bit stronger. He walked to where Moru was still standing staring after the disappeared Lefu. He took her by the shoulders and turn her to face him. “What did he mean? What haven't you told me?”

“Lefu Sefefo is my brother,” Moru turned her head away. Almost as though talking to herself, “he is so different. He is so full of pain and anger and hatred.”

“What did you fail to tell me? Why is he so intent upon making me suffer?”

“You are the dragon prince. That's why you are called Ryuhiko, . . .”

“I know what my dragon name means, but why?” Shinmasa interrupted. He squeezed Moru's shoulders and again turned her face toward him. “What haven't you told me?” His voice was now strong and insistent.

“Your father was the Dragon King,” Moru's head dropped as though the weight of the memory was too great to hold it up. “His name was Ryutada. He was our champion along with two of his children, your sister, Haruko, and brother, Ryutake. Any time that Lefu would try to hurt people or destroy something, your Father would stop him.” Moru raised her head and looked into Shimasa's eyes. “When he would rise up to face Lefu he was a blinding brilliance.”

The two sat down under a tree as Moru continued her story.

“Lefu created a horrible, malevolent creature he called Babe Kgwebo. It was like a cross between a plague and the anthropomorphism of pure terror, but Lefu loved Babe Kgwebo. I wasn't there, but my sister, Phoofo, the animal spirit, saw your Father destroy Babe Kgwebo. She said that Babe Kgwebo got too near to your Father. Your Father put his paw on Babe Kgwebo's chest and sent a beam of light straight through him. Lefu was so incensed that he went on a rampage starting wars, feeding hatred and prejudice, and violent storms wherever he went. It was all that your Father, brother and sister could do to contain him.”

“One day shortly after you were born Lefu caused a great storm at sea around an oil platform that had been poorly capped. He liked to use that type of situation. Greed was the reason for the well being poorly capped, and when people found out they would be angry and want revenge. It always played into Lefu's hands that way. Your Father, Haruko and Ryutake went to protect the platform. But the greed, selfishness and lack of caring that surrounded the platform made Lefu stronger and stronger. The oil gushed to the surface like the welling up of centuries of oppression and anger. The derrick caught on fire and began to buckle. Men were trying to escape the flames by jumping to their death in the oily sea. The three dragons were trying to save the men but there was no trust or faith. The doomed men died believing in the very ones who caused their death. Little by little Ryutada, Haruko and Ryutake were pushed under the oil by the weight of the oil rig and all the evil that went with it. They drowned trying to save the humans. The human news media reported that a bad storm had damaged an oil platform. It never mentioned the death and the millions of gallons of oil that poured into the sea.” Moru dropped her head and cried. It seemed to Shinmasa that the branches of all the trees around them sagged as though burdened with a great, unseen weight.

Shinmasa put his arm around the sobbing woman. She might have been a powerful spirit, but right then she was as vulnerable and fragile as a small child. The forest around her was sharing her grief. It took some time before Shinmasa could bring himself to ask her the next question. He just sat and held Moru as she cried.

“What did he mean about the others?”

“They're all gone. All the dragons are dead except maybe three or four others whom Mahotsukai Ryunake hid.”

“All gone?!”

“Your Mother's name is Ryu 'Me,” Moru looked up at Shinmasa. “She was the last of the Dragon Mothers - women who could give birth to kawizate dragons. Lefu found and destroyed all of the other Dragon Mothers. Mahotsukai Ryunake gathered the other surviving babies and hid them around the world and then took away your Mother's memory of who she was so she could not be discovered by Lefu or his henchmen. He did not, however, take away her belief in dragons. That is what helps make you powerful. Mahotsukai Ryunake is out right now trying to find the others without Lefu knowing.”

“Are my other brothers and sisters dragons?”

“No. Just you.” Moru smiled. “Your Mother is a great woman. For many ages she carried and gave birth to kawizate dragons. A few years before the birth of your oldest sister, your Mother fell in love with a mortal - your earthly Father. He was a good man and cared deeply for your Mother. Your Mother gave up being a Dragon Mother and immortality for him. He never knew. It was a decision I don't think she'll ever regret. But my Mother, Me Tlhaho, was worried about Lefu and asked your Mother to carry one last kawizate dragon. You.”

Shinmasa sat trying to digest everything he had just heard. It was hard enough to learn that you're a dragon, but even harder to learn that you're a dragon prince who is the target of a spirit who possesses all the hatred and evil in the world. Then, if you get past that, you find that you might be the last dragon and it is going to be up to you to stop this super-powered evil spirit to save the world. No pressure.

Moru had stopped crying and was pressed tightly against his chest. They just sat.

Thabeng arrived a few hours later. She made another rather unorthodox entrance. Shinmasa really liked Moru's younger sister. He had assumed, since mountains are so majestic and at times stern looking, that Thabeng would be big, powerful, stately and a bit on the serious side. To the contrary Thabeng was more of a female version of Peter Pan, or perhaps even better, the typical comedy movie stereotype of the blonde female cheerleader. Shinmasa knew that there was no way she was as scatter-brained as she presented. This had to be her 'I'm off the clock' behavior.

“Oh, I have the greatest place for you, Ryuhiko. It is near the peak of a mountain that rises about 9,000 feet. It is right at the top of a cirque that was created by a glacier and there's even a lovely lake in the middle of the cirque. It is so remote that even I haven't been there before, but it is gorgeous. You'll love it.” Thabeng paused a moment and did a little dance, then picked right back up as though she'd never stopped. “And I made a large area for when . . .”

Moru interrupted. “Why don't you show us instead of tell us?”

“That's a great idea,” Thabeng giggled. “That's why she's my big sister,” she said to Shinmasa. Then turning back to Moru, “It should be exactly 47.29 miles northwest of this spot.”

“Could it be 47.3?” teased Moru.

“Nope,” Thabeng evidently didn't joke about that sort of thing. “47.3 would put you on the western side of the ridge and you'd miss it completely.”

“In that case, lead the way sister,” Moru laughed.

Shinmasa took off the robe he was wearing and was standing there in his fundoshi. He transformed into Ryuhiko leaving only the cloth of the fundoshi lying on the ground. Moru picked up the cloth and robe, stuffed them into a bag, and climbed onto Ryuhiko's back.

Thabeng led them exactly 47.29 miles northwest. As they approached Ryuhiko noticed a dark spot high on the cliff above the cirque lake. Thabeng led them straight to it.

Landing in a cavernous area in the side of the mountain, Thabeng took on her human form and danced around the entrance to the lair. She was so excited about her creation that it as all that Shinmasa and Moru could do to keep up with her chatter. The entrance to the lair could not be seen from the lake below, which made it virtually invisible. Just inside the lair was a large room. To one side was an area filled with human amenities, but the most of the room was created for a dragon.

As Thabeng danced around the lair chattering happily, Moru took hold of Shinmasa's hand. With a gentle squeeze she said “This is where it begins. This is where you will learn to be a dragon.”

“I know,” Shinmasa replied looking back toward the east where they had encountered Lefu. It was late afternoon and the setting sun reflected like a red glow off the mountain tops. He thought of the old sailors' saying 'red sails at night, sailor's delight'. The view was breathtaking and he hoped the red sky was a good omen. “I know,” he said squeezing Moru's hand tightly.