Tsukuyomi’s appearance at the beginning of the story
Kagutsuchi’s appearance at the beginning of the story
Where to start this story? From the very beginning? In the middle? Or perhaps the tumultuous climax? How about.. let’s start here. The birth of two dragon brothers, so similar, yet so different.
The elder, a fiery hot-head by the name of Kagutsuchi, and the younger, a cool and composed youth named Tsukuyomi. Both were filled with ambition from the very day they were born. Their parents expected great things from them, which was not unusual.
Most dragons living in the Heavenly Realm pursued transcendence and often passed teachings unto their offspring. To become Fabled was a great blessing. Gaining a boon of knowledge, transforming into a great and powerful protector, amassing enormous wealth, spreading your name throughout the land, this became the ideal. Thus, this was the sole pursuit for many. It was a path fraught with hardships, yet the reward was too enticing to ignore. Kagutsuchi and Tsukuyomi’s parents were no exception. But in reality, they were neither famous nor powerful. They were failures who climbed the mountain nonstop, only to realize they hadn’t even made it halfway. So what then, should they do now? With their one dream in life shattered, they decided they would not let their endeavors go to waste.
They descended to the lower level of the Heavenly Realm after their failure above. They picked out a home to settle on one of the many floating islands scattered across this level. They had eggs in the hopes that their children would accomplish far more than them. They lamented the fact that they were talentless in the face of those prodigies. The path to transcendence was difficult, but a select few were able to grasp it and become Fabled. Being Fabled meant you had successfully written your own story to make it that far. Those dragons had the potential to ascend to Ryuo.
Then what happens to the dregs who couldn’t do it? This is the answer. They return to the menial tasks of society far from the grace of transcendence. Their story has already ended for them. But they still have a chance to write a new one, if not for themselves.
In their younger days, Tsukuyomi was very attached to his elder brother. Kagutsuchi always had a bright personality that could shine through Tsukuyomi’s gloom. Among other young dragon kin, Kagutsuchi was the most popular. Tsukuyomi believed his brother’s popularity was attributed to his easy-going and extroverted nature, unlike himself, who sat on the opposite side of the spectrum. On the off chance that someone decided to pick on Tsukuyomi, Kagutsuchi would always be there to protect him. The two grew up in a fairly normal childhood, but it didn’t last long.
When the brothers became of age, they were enrolled in a prestigious school where they could begin their training. They started out with physical training. It was fairly difficult since they were at a high-class school and Tsukuyomi often fell behind. On the opposite end, Kagutsuchi did very well in this part of the training. He was often flocked by admirers. Tsukuyomi was honestly grateful that they didn’t come to him instead.
Once the physical training was complete, all dragon kin take an attribute test to determine their elemental affinity, therefore affecting the type of specialized training they receive. Elemental affinities are not passed down genetically and are completely random. This is because the affinity is affixed through the soul, not the body. Each dragon kin’s soul is read by an orb-looking object aptly named a <Soul Reader>.
Tsukuyomi carefully watched Kagutsuchi go up to the reader. It seemed like everyone else in the room was holding their breath. Tsukuyomi scoffed in his head. Did it matter what affinity his brother got? They would cheer all the same. A brief moment after Kagutsuchi’s claw made contact with the orb, the orb turned into a brilliant orange and yellow with flames rising from the top of it. As expected, the other students cheered loudly. Almost too loudly for Tsukuyomi’s liking. Kagutsuchi’s elemental affinity appeared to be fire, symbolizing strong passion and a guiding light that others can follow.
The students began chanting Kagutsuchi’s name when he came down the stage to rejoin them. Kagutsuchi had a beaming smile on his face, his chest puffed up with pride. Tsukuyomi didn’t join in, but he was still proud of him nonetheless. It took a while for the dragon instructors to calm down the crowd. When they eventually did, they called up Tsukuyomi for his turn.
As Tsukuyomi approached the orb, he sensed something deep within him writhing. It was an ominous feeling. He nervously placed his hand on the object and waited with bated breath. At first, nothing happened. The nearby instructor was starting to worry until… a white light emanated from the orb and a projection of the moon appeared on it. The room was silent. Tsukuyomi didn’t know what this meant. He quickly turned to look at the instructor but, they too, were shocked.
“This is…” The instructor cleared their throat, attempting to regain their composure. He lowered his voice and whispered to him.
“You are indeed very special. We will talk after the ceremony is over.” Huh? Tsukuyomi was confused. What’s going on? Why are they keeping this secret? He glanced at his brother sitting in the crowd. There wasn’t a smile anymore. There was only concern plastered on his face. Tsukuyomi hesitantly stepped off the stage while constantly looking between the orb and the instructor. The instructor said nothing further. No cheers arose like before, only stares. Tsukuyomi wanted to hide his face with his ear wings from all the gazing eyes.
“Hey, it’ll be alright.” Kagutsuchi gently patted his brother’s head and pulled him in close. Tsukuyomi smiled. He could always rely on his elder brother. After a few more dragons finished their tests, the opening ceremony drew to a close. The chattering students began filing out of the hall. Some passing glances struck Tsukuyomi, to which he did not enjoy the extra attention. Kagutsuchi glared back at them, making them turn away quickly. He sighed. “Don’t worry about them. I’m sure nothing bad will happen.” He grinned brightly at Tsukuyomi to reassure him.
At that moment, someone called Tsukuyomi’s name. It was the same instructor from earlier. He motioned to the side with his head to join him elsewhere. Tsukuyomi slowly peeled himself off Kagutsuchi’s side and looked back at him. Still had that stupid smile of his. He couldn’t help but chuckle.