Yasu woke up to the morning light. He was on his side, on the ground with a dead horse in front of him. That horse was given to Rai when they first began learning how to ride a horse. Yasu was 7 years old while Rai was 9 years old. Because the horse was given to Rai as a present, Rai treasured the horse as if it was himself.

The horse was obedient towards Rai and only listened to him. Not only was Rai dead, but his beloved horse was also. Yasu's heart felt empty as he kept staring at the horse's mane. He could see several arrows lodged into the horse and yet it never stopped running. It had brought Yasu out of the woods, however the enemy soldiers had cornered it towards a cliff.

His body was injured as well, however he couldn't feel the pain.

Yasu could hear the river flowing fiercely as it fell down and the rapids crashing against the boulders. How did things turn out this way? There was peace throughout the land for so many years. How did the enemy descend upon them so quickly? Why wasn't there a warning?

Yasu's eyes quickly looked at the forest. He could feel the vibrations of a small hunting group heading towards his way. They were following the horse's bloody trail. They weren't willing to let one person go. Which meant that his Father also died.

Feeling his whole world broken into pieces before his eyes, he felt so empty and hollow. He would never let the enemy soldiers have his life. He would take the chance to live, even if that chance meant his death. As long as that chance was his own decision, then it was worth it.

Yasu stood up and turned to look at the waterfall and the fast rapids. He knew that this was his only way to survive.

"Are you going to jump?" The same male voice asked as he walked out of the forest and saw a battered young nobleman stare at his last option. The knowledge that they forced the young man's hand to this point made the man feel superior.

"If you're going to jump, then jump. We'll wait." The leader said as the rest of his men came out of the forest as if they were one with it.

Yasu turned around and stared at the group of men. His eyes empty of emotions. Empty of hope, of joy, of fear, of pain, of death.

However to the leader who spoke, his eyebrows raised high in surprise. The battered young man before him was like a wildflower. Unyielding yet beautiful. The injured man was one of the most beautiful man he's ever seen.

"What's your name?" Yasu asked the rugged man.

The rugged man looked half wild with a mixture of a standard soldier's uniform and clothes for a hunter.

"I'll spare you, if you become my man." The rugged leader offered.

"Name?" Yasu asked once more.

Hiraga stared at the young man at his last strand of hope. For some reason, Hiraga didn't want to let the young man down. He wanted to keep the young man by his side. Play with him until Hiraga was bored.

"Hiraga." Hiraga answered truthfully. "What's your name?"

Yasu stared at each individual that stood before him, letting the silence fall between them.

"No matter how long it takes. I'll have my vengeance."

Yasu turns around and jumps. As he fell he heard the leader of the group shouts, "No."

But it was already too late. Everything was already too late. Nothing could be taken back.

Hiraga rushed towards the edge of the cliff to only see the young man's body slam into the water. The rushing rapids pushed the limp body down the river, further and further, until Hiraga could no longer see the beautiful wildflower.

"Find him for me." Hiraga ordered.

"No one could survive that jump and those rapids." Endou stated as he too watch the young man's body hit the rushing river before being swept away.

"If alive, bring him back to me, broken or beaten, it doesn't matter.  If dead, I still want to see the body." Hiraga ordered.

"As you command, your highness." Endou stated as he bowed his head.

Endou along with two other guards began their journey of finding the young man that they chased for a day and a half. Although they have eliminated everyone who could talk, their Prince wanted to ensure that no one could identify him as the culprit. Especially since the Prince told his name to the injured man. Endou hoped the man was dead when they find him, if not the young man's life would only be filled with pain for the rest of his life. It was the young man's own fault for being so alluring. Even when beaten and broken. It was exactly to the Prince's taste.

Yasu only felt a moment of freedom while he freefalled to his death. What hurt him the most was when he landed in the river, the moment of impact caused him so much pain. Instead of fighting with the rapids, he let the rapids guide him down the river. The further and faster he was away from the hunting group, the bigger chance he would live.

Yasu tried his best to hold his breath underwater and take breaths when he was above the water. However, he wasn't lucky enough to escape the large boulders. During a small dip in the rapids, his head fell forward and knocked up against the boulder. Knocking him out completely.

Yasu was surrounded in cold and darkness. He couldn't feel a thing. But he was fine with it because he could forget the pain of losing everyone he loved. Everything around him was cold and darkness, Yasu reveled in it.

For a long time, Yasu couldn't feel anything. Suddenly, like a fire burning hot like the sun, his whole body felt heat. Scorching heat.

[Wake up. Wake up. Handsome man, quickly wake up. Wake up before you're caught.]

The feminine voice called out to Yasu.

[Wake up! You need to run and hide. Run and hide. Quickly.]

The voice warned Yasu again.

Yasu's eyelids felt like a ton of bricks. It slowly opened and could only see the darkness.

[Pick me up and run, handsome.]

The feminine voice ordered him.

[Pick me up. Take me with you!]

Yasu saw a smooth silver stone that glowed in the dark. The stone was small enough to fit inside of his palm.

[Quickly. Pick me up and run. I'll show you the way! Quickly!]

Yasu's body felt heavy and his mind felt sluggish. However he still did what the voice told him to do.

Yasu picked up the smooth stone and launched himself to stand up and run. Every couple of steps he fell down again, but with the voice encouraging him to keep on running, Yasu ran and fell and ran again.

With the voice guiding him, he could only follow directions. Deep into the night Yasu ran. Strangely there were no sounds of night animals nor did he run into one.

The voice brought him to a cave and lead him deeper into the tunnels, making right and left turns, crawling up and down several hidden gaps. Finally before the last of his strength, the voice guided him to the clear pool of water.

[Float into the pool of water. It'll heal your wounds. Make sure you float on your back and not on your front. You're not a fish after all.]

Yasu fell into the clear pool of water his last thought was to make sure he fell on his back and not on his front. The rock in his hand fell down to the bottom of the pool.

Once the rock fell to the bottom of the pool, a bright white light shined brightly. The dark cavern lit up in rainbow colors, as the core of the mountain shook. The rainbow color light found its way to the top of the mountain. Once it escaped, it shined brightly towards the sky, lighting up the sky in its brilliance.

At the capital, sat the Emperor in his throne room. For the past week, he had disturbing dreams which caused him to have insomnia. Beside him is his trusted aides. Doctor Sugi, Eunuch Aoki and Taoist Priest Hayashi. The four of them witness the brilliant rainbow light, light up the sky for several seconds before it disappeared.

"What was that?" Emperor Ogura asked. His eyes has never seen such brilliance before, with it gone, he felt a deep emptiness that consumed him.

Doctor Sugi and Eunuch Aoki looked at the Taoist Priest who had his eyes closed the whole time.

"Taoist Priest Hayashi, can you enlighten us?" Emperor Ogura asked.

For a long time the Taoist Priest kept his eyes closed as if he was meditating. He slowly took the gourd by his side and uncorked it. He tilted his head and drank the contents of the drink until it was empty before opening his eyes.

"What is it?" Doctor Sugi asked with wonder and impatience.

"The peace that we once held dear is broken.

The world has tilted upside down.

Dead is the river snake, arise a dragon has awoken.

His name will be renowned."

"Who... whose name will be renowned?" The Emperor asked.

"The only dragon among men, renowned to all is the Emperor." Eunuch Aoki stated clearly.

"But the Emperor has never been a river snake." Doctor Sugi interjected. "Is it a forewarning for future events?"

The three of them looked at each other before looking at the Taoist Priest.

"All should be well, if you prepare for the worst." The Taoist Priest told them. "Beware of those who are closest to you, for they are the ones who could easily hurt you."

Emperor Ogura looked at his three closest aides and shook his head. They would never betray him. However those that he calls his family, they would betray him in a heartbeat if it meant that they could sit on the throne.

With a forewarning, the Emperor began to silently move behind the shadows that night, guarding against those who share his name and blood.