Yamabuki

Prologue

Note: For behind-the-scenes footage of the film, check out 'Substitute' on my ff.net (which is subject to some plot changes to match up to the film, Yamabuki. Oopsie.)

Cast: (In case of confusion)

Sougo = Crown Prince Subaru

[Undecided] = Jiji (Old geezer/Minister) 

[OOO]

"-Subaru-sama!"

"..."

"Subaru-sama!"

That old minister bothered my nap again.

"Jiji (old geezer), can't you just let me nap? It's not like I'm learning anything anyway."

I felt his fist pound into my head. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Subaru-sama, this is for your own good! You need to know everything about our land from its origins to present-day so that you'll be prepared to take over your father's kingdom one day!"

I yawned.

This wasn't the first time he was scolding me. It happens so often that I can even predict what he'll say next—something about rolling over in his grave, worrying about me.

"How will I be at ease in my grave when I know that you can't even stay awake during a single history lesson?"

See? Things escalated just like I imagined. Now, it was time to soothe his rage with his weakness.

"Alright. Alright. I get it, Jiji. I'm only 9-years-old. We still have a lot of time, so calm down, or baa-san will worry about your blood pressure again."

"Ah, right! We can't have that now, can we?" He coughed to clear his throat and continued with his lesson. "As I was saying earlier, our land is named Kouyou because of its year-round crimson leaves that are only found where we live.

There are many theories behind the colour of these leaves. The most famous one belongs to an ancient 'legend' that's been passed down from our royal ancestors."

Legend? I think this is the first time I'm hearing this.

"According to the old scriptures, our trees were once covered in lush, green leaves that changed with every season—just like all the neighbouring lands. However, their colour permanently changed on one fateful day—when a certain deity sought refuge in our forest.

Ah, but this must be too boring for you, Subaru-sama, we can continue our lesson tomorrow, instead." He stood up and started packing up his belongings.

"Jiji! Wait! Don't go! What happens next? Who's this deity?" I knew he was trying to tease me, but I didn't mind playing along. I was too curious to wait for tomorrow.

I watched the old man chuckle before he unrolled one of the scrolls in his bag. "The deity's name was Kayda. True to her name, she was just like a little dragon."

I watched him point towards the drawing on the scroll.

"Her body resembled a four-legged snake. It was covered in thousands of scarlet scales that seemed to shimmer even in the dark. Her talons were sharper than any of our blacksmith's strongest sword. Her tail could wipe out villages for hundreds of miles. And do you know what the scariest thing about her was?"

"Wha-What is it?" I gulped. My heart was racing from anticipation.

"She possessed deep blue eyes that could capture you with one look. One single look was all it took for her flames to engulf you alive. You wouldn't even see it coming."

One look? No way!

"Jiji, you're pulling my leg. That's impossible. I don't believe you."

"Well, at least, this is what our ancestors say in the scrolls. Very few witnessed her in action and returned alive, so I'll leave it up to you to believe in it or not."

There was another thing that was bothering me about this deity.

"Wait, Jiji. You said she sought refuge in our forest. If she's so strong, why did she have to hide here?"

"Ah. That's because she sustained a lethal injury to her heart. No one knows how she was injured, and only the first Emperor documented the event. One evening, as he was trying to map out the constellations in the night sky, he thought he saw a bright shooting star from afar. Upon a closer look, he realized that it was no star—it was the injured dragon, Kayda, falling from the sky.

As she fell, he watched her blood dye the surrounding leaves red—"crimson red," he called it. Puzzled at the sight, he hurried to the scene where Kayda fell. He arrived just in time to listen to her dying wish.

No one knew if she died that night or what her dying wish was, only the Emperor witnessed that scene and banned everyone else from visiting her. He kept coming back to that area for a few months according to the ministers' reports.

Within that time period, he bestowed an official name to our land, Kouyou. As for the rest of his reign, there was absolutely no war.

Some say that Kayda was a guardian deity, and her blood was her last blessing upon the land. Others say that Kayda was the first Emperor's jilted lover who committed suicide upon hearing of his wedding night. Then, there are those radical rumours about the first Emperor being the one who killed Kayda and changed the name of the land to show off his strength and ward off all enemy attacks.

Whatever the truth may be, our land has been relatively peaceful since Kayda's demise."

"That was a lot to take in. I'm still stuck on what Kayda's dying wish was." I admitted.

"I'm afraid only the first Emperor and Kayda know what that was. The first Emperor never spoke any other details about the event besides what I've told you. You can check out the Royal Archives section of your father's library if you want to learn more about it."

"Hmph." I crossed my arms together. "I think that's just your way of tricking me into studying. I won't fall for it."

"Alright. Alright. You got me. You're so smart, little prince." He rubbed my head, but I shook him off and stormed out of the room.

My father's library was my next destination.

[OOO]

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: 

More than a decade had passed, but my interest in Kayda never faded away. She was often pushed to the back of my mind as I tried to juggle all of my other duties as the Crown Prince, but the thought of her continued to resurface every now and then.

I've already read all of the scrolls in my father's library, but there was no new information about her. My ancestors only confirmed the information from Jiji's story, nothing more.

I sighed as I put another scroll back on the shelf.

I'm not sure what exactly it was about Kayda that continued to fascinate me. Perhaps, it was the lack of any factual truth? Like how treasure hunters look for gold on an island based solely on a myth?

[OOO]

A/N: You know that moment when you write another story, but you haven't finished your other stories? That's me right now. I'd like to finish up Substitute before Best Man Sougo right now. No promises though. I need something light-hearted ahahaha.