About
Before losing his memories, Ryuu grew up in the Steppe with a Raen sister, Julie. Ryuu was nearly mute and consequently became more expressive than other Aura. They protected each other until the day of a Garlean attack that nearly took his life. Ryuu's dance with death caused severe memory loss and to protect their tribe, the two escaped to Eorzea. Being a blank slate, Ryuu adventured alone, his sister protecting him from afar as he tried to find his place.Ryuu's affinity for the lance eventually led to be trained formally as a dragoon in Ishgard. His draconian traits during the Dragonsong war made every day a struggle for survival, finding enemies in ally and foe alike. Many of his patrols were dangerous and alone, often snatching victory by pushing his body to its limits. Being alone, however, allowed him to practice his speech bit by bit. The few trusted comrades he had, would take him to taverns to escape their worries, even teaching him how to read and write. After reuniting with his sister, Ryuu returned to the steppe, regaining his memories.Since regaining his past, Ryuu has been searching for a way to move forward. Being a Dragoon during the day kept his spear at bay, but at night, the trauma of his past still haunts him. He found working late at night in taverns and bars keeps his spirits up and the demons at bay.
Snippets of Story
PHOTO ALBUM
Companions and Cohorts
Introducing my friends (Page currently under development. I apologize for the delay!)
Chef ryuu
I was asked once what I did in my free time by Y’shtola and I drew a total blank. At first, she thought I was just being silent again but I reassured her that that was not the case. I then asked her if being a Dragoon was an acceptable hobby to which Tataru bonked me with a newspaper. She said “Being a Dragoon isn’t a hobby it’s a job. It’s part of who you are.” And while the conversation started with a harsh scolding from multiple people within the scions, it ended with everyone sharing their passions over a meal. At that moment, I realized my life revolved around the work I do as a dragoon. Outside of that, however, little kept my time or attention. I realized one more thing too. That I wanted to be that excited about something outside of just my dragoon training. And while the spark of inspiration was inside of me, it was quickly overshadowed by a crisis, and my work as a scion took center stage once more.It wasn’t until a few weeks after that conversation that I found it. Running some Errands for the Maelstrom, I was on my way back from a mission bringing some gear I had obtained. I returned only to overhear two officers under my charge talking about a restaurant. Bismarck. It piqued my interest. I had always found meals to be the best of times before a battle amongst friends. For me. That’s where the best memories come from. My hunger made its voice known at the thought of food and I would make no effort to deny it. Heading over to Bismarck, I got a table, and upon hearing a colleague of the warrior of light was present, I was met by the chef moments after ordering. Enjoying an amazing meal in the honorable company of Lyngsath Hyllbornsyn, my interest peaked and I gestured towards the kitchen. He put two and two together and showed me around.While examining the chef's armory, he handed me a pan and a knife and offered to show me how to make some simple items. I shook my head. How could I even attempt a dish in the eyes of a master culinarian? He must have read my mind and quickly swayed my fears. He told me my eyes glistened when I looked at the different pans and knives he had in his possession.With him denying my repeated refusals, I began to cook and I went at it like a fish to water. In its natural habitat. It felt as easy as breathing.
An Au ra's Horns
Ryuu couldn’t help it. He always hated when people stared at him. His tail could be hidden in a cloak and The scales on his body and face were covered easily by gloves and a hood. However, what he couldn’t hide were his horns. They always stood out on the sides of his cowl.They were sensitive. That Ryuu was well aware of. A few of the scions had asked to touch them once but Ryuu knew he couldn’t let him. That answer became obvious to everyone one day in Ishgard.Ryuu barely remembers it. After multiple heated sparing matches, one of the trainees who had been disarmed did not yield and instead lunged at him grabbing one of his horns. The response was quick, a loud growl erupting as the trainee was thrown to the ground and nearly skewered if it hadn’t been for Estinien’s intervention. Ryuu meanwhile had lost all control. Panting, eyes wide with the intent to kill. No one, no other person was to touch his horns. One had to ask permission and even then Ryuu knew the risk of losing himself to his blind rage.There was a different side effect to touching his horns. The opposite side of the coin. One Ryuu would not readily admit to and few have ever seen. The one that made his eyes soften and knees weaken. To submit to the will of the holder, something Ryuu guarded for intimate moments with those he cherishes and allows into his heart. Depending on the setting, the feeling could be as simple as contentment or as intense as intimacy.Even with those he loves, Ryuu has to be vigilant. Sometimes the dragon within him seeks to protect even when no threat exists. An Au ra’s horns are not to be taken lightly, and for Ryuu, they are a secret he guards with his life.
A Broken Voice
Ryuu… didn’t really talk much. Not in the common tongue at least. He simply struggled with the common tongue so much to the point of frustration. After he awoke on the outskirts of Coerthas, and after a few less-than-positive encounters, he chose to let his actions speak for him. Often times a nod or shake of the head was all that was required of him. At the beginning of his journey, before the defeat of the Ultimate Weapon and subsequently, the beginning of the 7th umbral era, Ryuu remained for the most part silent. A word here or there but nothing too complex out of concern for saying something incorrect or incoherent. It also gave more significance to the words when he did manage to utter a word or two, so in the end, it worked in his favor. Even the Scions barely heard Ryuu speak, save for a few moments, including talking of his origins to Thancred on the roof of the rising sands, and similarly telling Alphinaud whilst traveling together.He didn’t start talking more until his dragoon training brought him to Coerthas and the meeting of Lord Haurchefant. The Elezen man treated Ryuu as a person and that is what drew Ryuu to him. His kindness. It kept bringing Ryuu back to Coerthas. After a while, he began to open up to Haurchefant. In the quiet hours of the night, he would let Ryuu ramble on without judgment of his accent. And he never did hold being an Au Ra against him. A kindness Ryuu felt he took for granted. To this day, because of Lord Haurchefant, Ryuu wants more than anything for Ishgard to be his home. However… There are still so many that scorn such a thought of an Au Ra being amongst the peoples of Ishgard, so for now it is simply a place he enjoys frequenting as he pursues his work as a dragoon whilst aiding the Warrior of Light.After Haurchefant’s death, Ryuu closed off again. He could not dare speak a word. A grunt was the most noise that anyone could steal from him. But in the isolation of night, naut but the sounds of a shattered heart, a broken man’s cries could be heard. Refusing to speak till the bastards who slew his beloved Haurchefant fell by his had only to have his silence persist when Estinien… transformed, ‘twas as though Ryuus heart was destined to be torn asunder. Never to be repaired…It was when Ryuu saw Haurchefant’s grave overlooking Ishgard that he truly broke. After Tataru and Alphinaud left him to grieve in peace, he let the emotions wash over him as he sobbed into his hands and collapsed upon the snow-covered ground. During this downward spiral, Ryuu recalled something Haurchefant had said one night amidst his incoherent ramblings. That he should talk more. That he loved the sound of his voice, the cadence, the joy in a rough unused voice. And so Ryuu began to ramble to the headstone. Telling him “I miss you. I wish I only had more power to protect you. To protect those I love. Everyone I hold dear. the pain... it's... too much for one man to bear, Haurchefant. I miss you so much. I’m so sorry. I...”The moon was high in the sky by the time Ryuu left. His body weighed heavy on him, drained, and yet... Healing. Slowly. After regaining his courage, Ryuu would spend his lonesome evenings at the Forgotten Knight in Ishgard practicing speaking in his private room. Or when he would get the chance during his travels, go visit Haurchefant’s grave and discuss with him everything he had done thus far. Keeping him apprised of the goings of Ishgard as well as Ryuu himself. To this day, Ryuu still doesn’t talk a lot with people but he is trying his best to be better about it. For the man he loved.
A Dragon Reborn
Ryuu reported for duty bright and early, arriving at Aymeric’s office. His hood was kept up as he walked. His dragoon armor was hidden behind his thick white coat that kept his Au ra traits hidden, an old habit that would never die. Soon after his arrival, Aymeric and Lucia entered the office, shaking the morning snow from their own armor. As greetings were exchanged, Ryuu could hear the barely contained glee in Aymeric's voice when they spoke of the gala.After the pleasantries, they got down to the brass tax. Ryuu was to lead a small team of three knights and one other dragoon on an expedition to investigate the allegations of cultists working near the Dravanian border. The previous group had not yet returned, and it had been nearly two weeks. The military needed answers, so this time, they would send dragoons alongside the knights to ensure they could handle the problem or retreat with relative ease. Being in a smaller group also allowed them to remain relatively undetected.Aymeric introduced the team. Fendrik, the other dragoon to go on the expedition and a longtime friend of Ryuu’s and the three knights. Lenthar is a novice knight with good promise, Therinaix is a veteran with house Haillenarte, and Juliomont is another veteran of the Ishgardian military. With pleasantries exchanged, the men prepared their satchels’ and made their way to Falcon's Nest.The first day out in the cold snows of Coerthas was blissful for Ryuu. He always enjoyed trekking through the snow. The knights were chattering amongst themselves, all the while, Fendrik made it his life’s goal to interrogate Ryuu. Fendrik no doubt had volunteered for this mission to do just that, asking about the gala, his abrupt vacation, and a certain dancing cat. Ryuu indulged him, speaking highly of his mate and making sure to emphasize his possessiveness over his lover. Fendrik had been one of the few by Estinien’s side who had truly welcomed Ryuu to the dragoons, being one of the men who helped teach him how to read and write.The two chatted for hours, catching each other up on their lives and lovers until dusk settled on the horizon. The group worked quickly together making camp, the dragoons clearing any monsters and the knights setting up the fire and clearing the encampment. Ryuu and Fendrik returned an hour later to camp not only having cleared the monsters but also with an elk. Fendrik flayed the elk while Ryuu cooked the meat to perfection, always bringing his travel cooking supplies with him. The five ate their meal in relative comfort as the fire blazed.Eventually, sleep nipped at their eyes, and with watch order settled, Ryuu took the morning watch, and the group slumbered. Ryuu tried his best to fall asleep but having been one of the first times without his lover by his side, his heart ached. Once sleep caught up with him, Ryuu was plagued by night terrors. Each nightmare ended with Ryo leaving him one way or another. By morning, when he was awoken for his shift, he not only awoke startled, but the restless sleep only served to make him more tired. The morning watch he spent alone, listening to the winds. Another first in a long time, Ryuu prayed. He prayed to Fury to return him safely to his lover and grant him strength in his expedition. He then prayed to Althyk, asking for more time. More time with his Ryo, and to protect and watch over both of them during this new chapter of their lives.After a few more hours, the group was awoken to continue their journey. The second and third days were largely similar to the first, the events repeating themselves save for the third, where they ran out of elk and had to rely on the rations provided to them. Luckily, Ryuu, with his culinary prowess, turned their meal into something edible with actual flavor. Midway through their fourth day, they neared the site of the missing persons' report. Silence befell the group as they stayed in formation, investigating the small encampment they found in their survey of the land. Ryuu dug through the layers of snow, finding blood amidst the snow. Frozen into a rock but most certainly blood. Fendrik’s brow furrowed, the silence of the group was deafening. A bit more digging took place but no bodies were found. If there had been monsters, they would have seen evidence of such things, but aside from a bit of blood, the encampment was undisturbed. Something had happened here.One of the knights turned and noticed something, pointing to an outcropping to the west. Below it was the mouth of a cave. At first, we questioned the significance until… was that a torch flame flickering? The group, now ready for anything, approached the cave with their weapons drawn. Inside there was a large lit tunnel going down with branching paths. Not a great sign. Fendrik volunteered to take the lead. Looks like the report of cultists in the area had merit.The group continued their descent until they came across a clearing in the cave and there they were met by a small batch of cultists. The robes covered their faces. Looking around the room, one wall stood out. Against that wall... The armor… their allies' armor ripped to shreds and in its place… dragon blood-tainted men. All of them turned into monstrous forms. Fury save their souls. The cultists however looked… happy. A trap. Ryuu cursed in his native tongue. In moments, they were surrounded. The cultists talked amongst themselves in hushed jovial tones as if they were victorious, but one glance between Ryuu and Fendrik was all the other needed and the battle ensued.As the battle raged, all Ryuu could think about was Ryo. Even while fighting these cultists, Ryuu could not help but think about his last battle, his spar with Ryo. They came at him from all sides just as his lover had, except they were slower, they didn't dash about like Ryo did nor did they have his flourish. He danced with his weapon, elegant and graceful but each movement had a purpose and his scythe would find its target. Even in this fight for his life, Ryuu could not help but think of his lover.The battle seems unending, these cultists did not go down without decent effort, even able to parry a few attacks. That’s when it hit Ryuu. These weren’t just ordinary cultists, they had training. Military training. While Ryuu was keeping up with the flurry of attacks with relative ease, his comrades were less fortunate. Ryuu’s fellow dragoon, Fendrik was holding his on but he too was trying to support the knights. It was like the knights were… fighting one of their own.These people weren’t cultists. They were us. A quick removal of one of their hoods mid-combat confirmed Ryuu’s theory. Soldiers who had walked away from military life after the war because they didn’t want peace with the dragons. They wanted to win or lose regardless of the cost. Fendrik seemed to come to the same realization and… he steps in to block a blade for one of the knights only to be struck in the side. He jumps back, making some distance but just from a glance, that wound had been deep.Two of the knights began to back off trying to escape blows but one was not smart enough to realize our need for retreat. I shouted hoping it would snap him out of it but it was too late. Lenthar, the knight, was struck through his chest, he slumped to the ground, dying the snow red. It was the sight and the sound that killed me. His shield clattered to the ground. Another failure. Ryuu’s mind replaced him with Haurche in an instant. But then the image flickers, not to Haurche but to Ryo, lying dead in a pool of crimson. With his instincts, kicking into overdrive, the rage builds inside of Ryuu. “Run,” he says to the expedition members. “RUN!” He shouts at them again when they don't move, and at this, they do as they’re told, retreating to Fendrik who gives Ryuu one more look before turning and running with the remaining Knights. “Make them pay!” Fendrik shouts from yalms away but Ryuu’s horns do not hear them.A savage battle cry is ripped from his lungs as he begins his rampage. He takes small knicks and cuts as he fights with all of his power. The battle rages for hours, some of the men now carrying torches in this battle between life and death. These men spew the horrid obscenities Ryuu hadn’t heard since the war. The battle continues. He must have fought 40 men by now but unfortunately for Ryuu, the adrenaline begins to wear off. He feels the tiredness pull at his bones, but keeps pushing regardless. They won’t get away with this. They won’t kill his beloved Ryo. “Not my Ryo. Not my…”The world stops for a moment. He barely feels the lance go through his abdomen. This is not where Ryuu will die. It can’t be. He refuses to. The blade is ripped from his stomach, the memory of protecting his sister, Julie from a blade plays in his head. He keeps fighting, taking out the man who stabbed him and his companion but more come. It’s never-ending. “Dragon scum! You’ll become the perfect tool for us you monster.” Ryuu feels the blade at his neck before he is struck unconscious on the floor.When Ryuu awoke, he was hanging, slumped off the wall where the bodies of the missing men turned monster had been. Now it was just him. As his eyes regained focus, he saw a few of the remaining cultists in front of him, all huddled around a fire with one close to Ryuu’s left staring at him. Their reaction was swift, and before Ryuu knew it, he was held back by all of them. The last of them to approach had a vial in their hand and forced the poison down Ryuu’s throat. Ryuu choked down the fluid. It tasted hot as it made its way into his stomach. He coughed as some of it had found its way into his lungs when he fought back.Then the beating began. The men began torturing Ryuu’s body with anything they had on hand, their fists included. It was brutal, by the end of the first thrashing, at least one of his ribs was broken, blood dripping from the open wounds. Ryuu endured the first round before passing out from exhaustion. His abdomen was still torn from earlier. Ryuu did his best to hold it together, but his mind raced. What had they given him? Ryuu knew he just needed to hold out. Just a few more days. They would come to find him. He had to believe they would come back for him with reinforcements.In his unconscious state, Ryuu’s mind tried its best to comfort him. Dreaming of his life with Ryo, making breakfast together, sitting on the roof, and watching the sunrise. Ryuu wanted nothing more than to stay there in that dream state with his lover, but his captors had other plans. Day after day of torture ensued, but each day, Ryuu learned more. They were planning an attack on the dragon outpost in the draconian foreland. The cultists were to use those they turned with dragon blood and unleash them onto a few villages outside Ishgard to insight violence and hopefully reignite the war once more. And that’s what they had given him. The blood of a dragon. Ryuu’s nightmare was to be given flesh, if he wasn’t a monster now, he soon will be.By the third day… nothing happened. There was no change. His sister had always joked about them being dragons as kids. Perhaps her stories held some truths. Maybe his Xaela blood made him immune to this transformation. His captors forced more down his throat. They increased the intensity of their attacks. Ryuu could no longer hold back his screams until he was choking up blood as his voicebox broke on him. On the fourth day, they continued their torment, at this point he was just a punching bag for their hatred. A place to put their anger and rage. It was on the sixth day, things changed. Ryuu felt hot. His body felt like it was on fire. His muscles tensed and felt as though they were ripping. Was this it? Ryuu thought amidst the pain. The end of him being himself. His last thoughts before he blacked out were an apology to his sister and whispered apology to his lover. A quiet goodbye.Rage. It was all Ryuu knew when he awoke. In his gaze, he tore and ripped everything in his path tearing apart everything in his vicinity until his mind returned to him. Below Ryuu were the shredded remains of multiple cultists but they looked… small. In the reflections of ice, Ryuu saw it. A large golden dragon. It was himself. Looking around he saw his armor in tatters from where his new form had torn itself. Interrupted from his thoughts a group of cultists had come into the room to find their dead comrades and meet the monster they had made. Rage. That emotion consumed him again as Ryuu resumed his rampage but this time with calculated purpose, clearing out every nook and cranny, killing every cultist in sight until all that was left was Ryuu alone.Ryuu sat at the mouth of the cave for a few minutes. Watching the snowdrifts blow in. The beginnings of the blizzard. It must have been five days since he had first been captured. The cold nipped at the gaping hole in his stomach that had still not healed. Taking another look at himself, Ryuu huffed. Was this to be his life now? He could never return to the barracks like this. Like a monster. A long wingless dragon of gold and amber shined against the icy mirrorlike walls. Resigning to his darkest thoughts, Ryuu made his way into the bowels of the cave, finding the deepest and darkest little cove and curling up into a ball. He forced his eyes closed, praying that this was a dream and praying to return home into the loving arms of his beloved Ryo. Home. He just wanted to go home.
Fendrik couldn't stop. Even with his wound refusing to seal, he kept running. He hadn't heard Ryuu roar like that since the last stand with Nidhogg. As he and the two knights fought their way out of the cave, they kept running. He had to get back. He had to return to Ishgard and bring reinforcements. They didn't stop moving until they had made their way back to their morning encampment. Fendrik looked at the knights, the two veterans shaken, having to fight and kill those they once called kin. Fendrik sutured his wound, searing the skin closed.He allowed them a few minutes of reprieve before getting up and leading the men back. They would walk day and night to return their report swiftly to Aymeric. As they walked in a wind-whipped silence, Fendrik’s mind wandered to Ryuu’s joy in talking about his lover. It burned his heart. His friend for years now fought alone, but if he returned to Ryuu’s side... He looked down at his wound knowing that to return would only mean his death. He had to pray. Pray to the Fury that Ryuu would prevail. Pray that the Fury would protect him and give him the strength to win.The two knights did not have his endurance and stopped at their day two camp to rest. Fendrik, however, would not be stopped. He had to move faster. After three days of nonstop running, Fendrik collapsed outside the Falcon's nest. He woke up a day later in the infirmary, gasping for air. The knights he has been joined with had not yet returned, and he was considered the only survivor. Fendrik demanded an audience with the Lord Commander, who came swiftly, asking the whereabouts of his allies. The dragoon scrambled to relay everything: The dragon blood turned missing men, Lenthars death, Ryuu fighting so that they can escape... Swiftly Aymeric began barking orders, preparing a squadron of soldiers to return the other two knights. Another group was also to be prepared to journey forth into Western Coerthas, to be led personally by him to go and save Ryuu.Four days had already passed since they had left Ryuu there. As Fendrik looked out his window, he saw the blizzard setting in. Travel was going to be horrendous in these conditions. Aymeric did his best to assuage his guilt, but it ate at Fendrik’s mind nonetheless. He sat in his room looking west and prayed.
Aymeric could hardly believe his ears. After hearing the report directly from Fendrik, he sprung into action, using every ounce of resources at his disposal as Lord Commander to prepare for a rescue mission. He sent out missives to each town and each outpost to every soldier to be on high alert for an attack. Fear ate at him. Even with Nidhogg dead and gone, their peace with the dragons was still fragile. Eventually, night fell with Aymeric still in his office. The weather was against them. With such intense snowfall, it would take at least a week for such a massive group of knights. He set up a squadron of dragoons to lead the charge, but even then, the snow would still delay the dragoons from getting there by an extra day or two. The time they didn't have.Aymeric began to pack up and prepare for leaving tomorrow but not before writing one last letter to have sent immediately to Ryuu’s address to be put in the hands of Ryuu’s mate. He had hoped to meet him under better circumstances, but it had been eight days since Ryuu had left. He should be updated on the situation.A woman clad in knight's armor pounded on Ryuu’s door until Ryo opened the door. She hands Ryo a letter stamped with blue wax. The knight was none other than Lucia Junius, second in command for the Temple Knights and Lord Aymeric de Borel’s right hand. She explained that the letter was from the Lord speaker of the House of Lords and Lord Commander of the Temple Knights. With a bow, Lucia leaves Ryo in the doorway with a letter in hand. When Ryo opens the missive, the letter read as follows:
Dear Sir Ryo,This letter comes to you, not from the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights of Ishgard nor as Lord speaker of the House of Lords or even the Viscount of House Borel. I instead write this as a lifelong friend of Ryuu. It pains me to inform you that Ryuu has yet to return from the expedition. The military is making every effort to go to Ryuu’s side and I have spared no expense to make our way. As I write this, a squadron of dragoons is on their way to the last known location of the enemy. I know in my heart, he is still alive so we must hold out hope. I shall be joining the secondary team of knights that will be following closely behind the dragoons. I shall update you by raven when we reach the cave in question. Have faith and may the Fury guide Ryuu home.Lord Aymeric de Borel