He stood before a stone door. The door blocked the entry point of a crypt, and the crypt was located on the Ryuzaki Estate facing towards the cliffside overlooking the sea. This location was the site over various crypts and shrines and severed as a rather hallow location for the Ryuzaki Clan. This is where Konungr and Vulcanus were laid to rest, along with their primary spouse and various other important figures of the clan. Also within this area was a holy shrine dedicated to their great ancestor, Legatus, "The God Eater". The shrines within were used for not just worship or remembrance, but some were specifically used for the two holy rituals of the clan; The Trials of Legatus and The Blood of the God Eater. All warriors of the clan must go through Trials of Legatus to secure their standing as a warrior.
Raizo had not only reached the point of needing to complete his trial but honestly had surpassed the threshold. Having left the clan's estate to join Suna seemed to have thrown off his timeline a bit, but with the current state of the world and the upcoming Sennin Games, it felt like he could no longer ignore his duties.
While most endured their Trial of Legatus in the Shrine of Legatus, his father had told him that his trial would always take place in the crypt of his grandfather, Ryuzaki Saito. Saito was the Konungr before Raizo's father, Oga, and was given the moniker "The Emporer of Luck" due to seemingly having been blessed by the gods of fortune. Even in the most dire situations, Saito seemed to have found a way to overcome and succeed. Placing his hand upon the stone door, he would release a small amount of chakra, causing the door of the crypt to begin to hum at a low frequency as several glowing runic designs would appear upon it. The door would slowly, and on its own, begin to move opening the threshold and allowing Raizo to enter.
Looking around, he would see the tomb of his grandfather, a stone coffin with the visage of the former head of the clan carved upon the top of it. Within the room, there would be various shelves, statues, and works of art either depicting Saito or his various accolades. There would be books and other written works, some from Saito while others were from those who chose to either write or document the life of Saito. The only other thing of note was an old, dusty, straw hat that rested on a shelve next to an equally old and dusty book.
All of it was strange. His grandfather had passed before he ever got to know him, but from what he heard, the man was gentle, compassionate, and fun-loving, which all seemed to be the exact opposite of his father. The one other key thing he knew about his grandfather is that while he was known for his luck, he apparently died at the hands of a circumstance of what some would consider unlucky, something that his grandfather apparently laughed at and merely stated "well, everyone's luck runs out at some point". Again, it was strange. On one hand, he wished he could have met him, especially since his grandfather sounded more like the leader he was striving to be, but on the other hand, he could not see how such a man could have raised Ryuzaki Oga nor could he see how someone could laugh at a bizarre death. There was one more thing he didn't know;
"Now how the hell am I supposed to start this trial? I know I have to find the "heart" and "consume it", and I know my father said that when the time comes my trial would be held within this crypt... so what am I missing?"
Looking around, he hoped to find a clue, and while nothing stood out to him, he would continue to find his eyes going back to the area of the old straw hat. Approaching it, he would feel a strange sensation, one that seemed to be drawing him forward, and without hesitation, he would... push aside the old hat and pick up the book next to it. Blowing off the dust he would notice that the book was one of Saito's journals.
"Maybe this will help me figure out what I need to do?"
He didn't believe that, but he was interested in learning a bit more about his grandfather. The old straw hat, having been moved, now rested upon the shelf a little bit more haphazardly, not in position where a slight bump, jostle, or gust would send it crashing to the ground. Raizo wouldn't notice, as the hat was the least interesting thing in the room...
for now.
WC - 794/1500
Raizo had not only reached the point of needing to complete his trial but honestly had surpassed the threshold. Having left the clan's estate to join Suna seemed to have thrown off his timeline a bit, but with the current state of the world and the upcoming Sennin Games, it felt like he could no longer ignore his duties.
While most endured their Trial of Legatus in the Shrine of Legatus, his father had told him that his trial would always take place in the crypt of his grandfather, Ryuzaki Saito. Saito was the Konungr before Raizo's father, Oga, and was given the moniker "The Emporer of Luck" due to seemingly having been blessed by the gods of fortune. Even in the most dire situations, Saito seemed to have found a way to overcome and succeed. Placing his hand upon the stone door, he would release a small amount of chakra, causing the door of the crypt to begin to hum at a low frequency as several glowing runic designs would appear upon it. The door would slowly, and on its own, begin to move opening the threshold and allowing Raizo to enter.
Looking around, he would see the tomb of his grandfather, a stone coffin with the visage of the former head of the clan carved upon the top of it. Within the room, there would be various shelves, statues, and works of art either depicting Saito or his various accolades. There would be books and other written works, some from Saito while others were from those who chose to either write or document the life of Saito. The only other thing of note was an old, dusty, straw hat that rested on a shelve next to an equally old and dusty book.
All of it was strange. His grandfather had passed before he ever got to know him, but from what he heard, the man was gentle, compassionate, and fun-loving, which all seemed to be the exact opposite of his father. The one other key thing he knew about his grandfather is that while he was known for his luck, he apparently died at the hands of a circumstance of what some would consider unlucky, something that his grandfather apparently laughed at and merely stated "well, everyone's luck runs out at some point". Again, it was strange. On one hand, he wished he could have met him, especially since his grandfather sounded more like the leader he was striving to be, but on the other hand, he could not see how such a man could have raised Ryuzaki Oga nor could he see how someone could laugh at a bizarre death. There was one more thing he didn't know;
"Now how the hell am I supposed to start this trial? I know I have to find the "heart" and "consume it", and I know my father said that when the time comes my trial would be held within this crypt... so what am I missing?"
Looking around, he hoped to find a clue, and while nothing stood out to him, he would continue to find his eyes going back to the area of the old straw hat. Approaching it, he would feel a strange sensation, one that seemed to be drawing him forward, and without hesitation, he would... push aside the old hat and pick up the book next to it. Blowing off the dust he would notice that the book was one of Saito's journals.
"Maybe this will help me figure out what I need to do?"
He didn't believe that, but he was interested in learning a bit more about his grandfather. The old straw hat, having been moved, now rested upon the shelf a little bit more haphazardly, not in position where a slight bump, jostle, or gust would send it crashing to the ground. Raizo wouldn't notice, as the hat was the least interesting thing in the room...
for now.
WC - 794/1500