TORIN YOUTH – CHAPTER 03: NEVER FORGET

With her team decided at the academy, Rhea visits the Hall of Elysium to see the memorials of fallen Legionnaires.

The weight of the place presses in on her.

"We have one day to prepare ourselves," she thinks to herself. "To say our goodbyes to our loved ones and do whatever else is needed."

She reads the inscription beneath a statue:

“In memory of Legate Phoebus Taiyo, who gave his life in defense of the great city of Torin and her Queen, Ourana.”

There is sadness in Rhea’s eyes as a crowd gathers around her, excitedly adoring her.

“That’s her father,” one person whispers to another.

“I heard she breezed through Academy training,” someone else utters. “She’ll pass her trial and become a Legionnaire Specialis, for sure.”

“Of course,” another replies. “Taiyo blood runs through her veins.”

“She’s going to be the greatest of them all, isn’t she?” someone asks quietly.

Rhea tries not to appear annoyed by the comments she overhears before stepping over to a different statue.

She reads the inscription there as well:

“Pyros Taiyo — Torin’s greatest hero.”

As she gazes up at the muscular, heroic figure, Rhea overhears more chatter from the crowd behind her.

A child says, “I want to be a legendary hero like Pyros when I grow up.”

The father replies, "So did we all, son."

Rhea sighs, losing herself in her thoughts.

"Everyone knows the story of my great-grandfather, Pyros... 

The way he fought the giant sphinxes at the Battle of the Lucent Spire—overwhelmed and mortally wounded...

A sphinx tried to swallow him, thinking Pyros was defeated...

But the heroic warrior used his remaining strength to prevent himself from being completely swallowed...

He caused the sphinx to choke to death...

Pyros may have died, but he took the sphinx with him.

He died a hero… but he died nonetheless."

Returning her attention to the present, she overhears a man behind her.

“If anyone has the potential to surpass Pyros, it’s Rhea,” he says.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t get eaten like her ancestors,” another responds.

Rhea’s anger spikes.

Her gaze hardens on the memorials, jaw tightening as her fists curl at her sides.

The words linger.

Later that day, Leon arrives at the Taiyo Villa to check on his cousin.

He walks into the courtyard and is welcomed by a woman watching a thirteen-year-old boy—likely her son—training with a sword and shield.

“Hello, Leon,” she greets him.

“Good day, Aunt Vestia,” Leon says.

“Rhea has confined herself to her room, as usual,” the woman tells him.

“Thank you,” Leon says as he makes his way down the corridor toward Rhea’s room.

“Oh, Leon,” Vestia calls, “come home to us in one piece, dear.”

Leon nods. “I will, ma’am. I promise.”

On the way, Leon notices a headless wooden training dummy standing in the courtyard. Its torso is battered from numerous strikes made by a person’s fists; the head lies nearby, also badly damaged.

Leon opens the door to Rhea's room and sees her lying still, sprawled out on the floor.

Her hands are wrapped in strips of cloth for protection.

She stares blankly at the ceiling.

Leon sighs heavily, saddened by the state he finds her in.

“Rhea,” he calls as he enters the room. “This is a day you should be spending with your family and friends—not training until you drop.”

Rhea acknowledges Leon’s presence only by stiffening her expression.

“Lucky for you, I’m your cousin, so I count,” Leon jokes as he takes a seat on her bed. “Let’s go have some fun before all the danger begins tomorrow.”

“I visited my father’s memorial today,” Rhea states.

Leon gulps. His attempt to steer the conversation toward something lighter is clearly failing.

“As everyone knows, he was killed by the Scarlet Vixen—eaten whole and alive,” she continues. “Everyone expects me to avenge his death one day. But do you know what the crazy thing is, Leon?”

Leon asks weakly, as if afraid to know, “What… what is it?”

“I’m not angry at the Vixen at all,” Rhea confesses. “She did nothing wrong. No—my father died because he was weak.”

Leon is visibly troubled by where Rhea’s thoughts are headed.

He scans the room, desperately searching for a way to change the subject.

On Rhea’s wall, he notices a wooden mask carved into a smiling face. A grin spreads across his own as he stands and picks it up.

“You still have that mask from when we were kids,” Leon says cheerfully. “I asked the carpenter Dominik to make it special just for you.”

The sight of it takes him back.

He recalls, seven years ago, when he and Rhea wore masks as they performed slapstick comedy in front of a small group of adults. Leon wore a sad-faced mask at that time and wildly overacted, while Rhea wore a happy-faced mask, reacting coldly to his antics.

“Do you remember when we used to create our own comedy acts and perform them for our families?” Leon asks. “You may not have thought you were funny, but your dry wit had our parents in stitches.”

“I’ve never told a joke a day in my life,” Rhea states plainly.

Leon laughs. “See? That’s what I mean. You are funny, Rhea. And you bring a smile to people’s faces, whether you know it or not. You’ve always made me smile.”

Rhea sighs, her demeanor softening.

A faint smile touches her lips.

Leon stands and extends a hand. “I need you to make me a promise.”

Rhea reaches up and takes his hand. “What is it?”

Leon helps her to her feet.

“Never forget who you are,” he says. “Not the daughter of Phoebus or the great-granddaughter of Pyros—just Rhea Taiyo. And you are loved.”

With her hand still in his, Rhea nods. “I promise. I’ll never forget.”

Meanwhile, high above Torin City, the giant harpy Helia soars.

From this height, she can see even more harpies patrolling beyond the perimeter. Atreus rides atop Helia’s head; at one-hundred-seven-feet in height, Helia is vastly larger than Atreus, who stands only six feet in height.

Another giant harpy, Gale, flies alongside Helia.

They take in the view of the city, aware that this may be the last time they get to enjoy it together.

“I’ve known you almost all my life, Atreus,” Helia says. “I can’t imagine living here without you to annoy me.”

“And you think I’m a worrywart,” Atreus replies jokingly. “Relax—I’ll be back… and more annoying than ever.”

“Yeah, you’d better, you prickly-headed pest,” Helia says with a smile. “Us outcasts gotta stick together.”

“I’m sure you’re going to come back with some incredible stories to tell,” Gale adds, smiling widely. “I can’t wait to hear them.”

Atreus gives Gale a confident thumbs-up. “You bet, Gale!”

He then flashes a smug grin at Helia.

“See? Gale gets it,” he teases.

Helia sighs. “Ugh. Let me just drop you off already.”

As Helia begins to descend, Gale peels away, calling out, “See you later, Atreus.”

Atreus waves as he heads toward the ground. 

“Bye, Airhead!”

On the ground, Bia peers out the window of her second-floor apartment.

She spots Helia landing in an open field a few insulae away.

“That’s gotta be Atreus’ harpy friend,” she says.

Bia excitedly heads for the door. “I’ll be back later, Mom and Dad!”

Atreus slides down Helia’s wing and hops onto the ground.

He sees Bia jogging toward him and is immediately filled with joy.

“There’s Bia!” he exclaims, waving his arms wildly.

“You seem really happy to see her…” Helia notes.

“Yeah… I mean, I finally have a chance to make some friends my own size,” Atreus says.

The comment seems to sting Helia slightly.

“I see,” she replies. “Well, to be completely honest, your size has never been a problem for me, Atreus.”

Atreus realizes he’s hurt her and quickly tries to apologize. “Helia… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Don’t be,” Helia says, forcing a smile. “I know you need this. I have friends my own size—why shouldn’t you?”

Bia leaps onto Atreus, wrapping her arms around him and knocking him over. “NEW TEAMYYYY!” she shouts, celebrating their placement together.

“WOAH!” Atreus gasps as the impact nearly knocks the wind out of him. “You’re— you’re not afraid to be seen hugging me?”

Bia grins. “Nope~”

She rolls him onto his side, locking her legs around him tightly.

“I think you’re cute,” she says. “And I’ll fight anybody who has somethin’ to say about it.”

Atreus winces. “Ow, ow, ow… Bia, you’re gonna crush me!”

Rhea and Leon approach, waving.

“We weren’t sure which building it was,” Leon explains, “but Rhea recognized this harpy.”

“Woot, we’re all here!” Bia cheers as she hops to her feet, leaving Atreus checking himself for broken bones.

Rhea offers Bia a soft smile, trying her best to follow her cousin’s advice. “Indeed. We’re going to have some fun this evening, right?”

“Yup,” Bia says. “First shopping, then some drinks.”

“Oh… should we be having that kind of drink before our trial?” Leon asks.

“Come on, Leon—don’t be such a wet blanket,” Bia laughs.

“Drinks before we head off to our certain doom then,” Leon jokes.

“HEY!” Bia shouts. “No jokes about dying. I promised my brothers I’d come back as a Legionnaire Specialis and rub it in their faces. Nothing’s gonna stand in my way.”

After Atreus gets up to his feet, Bia offers him her arm.

He blushes at her forwardness, laughing softly as he accepts.

Helia prepares to take off.

“You’d better not get eaten, Atreus,” she huffs.

“Yeah, yeah. See you when I get back, egg head,” Atreus replies.

Rhea looks up at Helia with admiration… tinged with envy.

Helia notices and gives her a cold, curious look.

“What?” she snaps before flapping her wings and flying away.

The team of Legionnaire Specialis trainees strolls through the streets of Torin City as shop owners call out, inviting them to browse their wares.

Bia leans against Atreus’ arm, smiling affectionately.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Atreus asks, “Bia… I don’t mean to sound rude, but… this is weird. Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I’ve always been nice to you,” Bia replies. “Because I like you. I’ve always liked you. But you never noticed me.”

“How could I not notice someone like you?” Atreus asks, confused.

“I used to be shy and quiet,” Bia admits. “But growing up in a house full of boys—where I had to fight for everything—changed that. And now… you notice me.”

“You’re not worried I’ll cause us to fail our trial tomorrow?” Atreus asks.

“Nope,” Bia says sweetly. “I’ve been watching you for a long time. I know you’re a good person—and the strongest one on this team.”

Atreus mulls over her words as she leans on his arm.

A man holding a musical instrument calls out, “Fine young people! Any of you interested in a beautifully crafted lyre or flute? Best prices you’ll find!”

Atreus’ attention is immediately drawn to a beautiful lute.

“Ooh… I’ve always wanted to learn to play,” he says, stepping closer.

“Really?” Leon asks. “I play. Maybe I could teach you.”

“Seriously?” Atreus lights up. “That would be awesome.”

His excitement fades when he notices the price. He searches his mind for a less shameful excuse not to buy the lute.

“But…” he sighs. “It’s—”

“Oooh! Everyone—look at this lyre,” Bia says, reaching out to gently pluck one of its strings.

Leon’s eyes widen at Bia’s discovery. “Whoa, another beautiful find,” he says, laughing. “That one makes the lute seem like a bargain.”

Atreus sighs and turns away from the lute as their attention shifts to other items in the shop.

Rhea observes him.

As the group looks elsewhere, she reaches into her satchel.

Bia bumps into a table holding instruments in her excitement, nearly knocking everything over.

“Whoops!”

Leon and Atreus scramble to steady the table and keep the instruments from falling.

“Yikes,” Leon says nervously. “That was a close call.”

After things settle, Rhea approaches Atreus and places the lute in his hands.

Bia and Leon stare, wide-eyed and stunned.

Atreus’ jaw drops.

“Whoa… I don’t even know how to begin to thank you,” he says, accepting the gift.

“You can start by not making a big deal out of it,” Rhea mutters, already walking away.

Atreus gazes after her, overwhelmed.

Bia whistles. “That lute suits you,” she says, smiling.

Atreus blushes, laughing at the compliment. “Thank you.”

Rhea interrupts the moment, impatiently waiting.

“Are you three coming or what?” she calls.

They hurry after her, Leon and Atreus chatting excitedly about the lute as they catch up.

That evening… 

The team members go to the Sideways Legionnaire bar.

Leon plays the lute while Atreus sings with his face partially concealed by a rag, as they entertain a lively crowd.

Rhea and Bia are seated at a table, watching the performance after finishing their food and drinks. Bia claps enthusiastically, while Rhea is more reserved, though still engaged enough to show her cousin support.

"Atreus and Leon seem to be getting along like they’d been friends for years," Rhea thinks to herself. "I suppose their performance isn't terrible.”

Among those clapping and singing along are two popular, human-sized Mocking Harpies.

The blond Mocking Harpy with bright purple feathers asks the two human girls about Atreus, impressed by his range.

“Who’s that singer? He’s got an amazing voice… for a human.”

Rhea rudely shrugs off the question, causing the harpy to recoil.

Bia hesitates, her discomfort with lying is obvious.

“He... doesn’t want his name out there,” she says.

The blue-haired Mocking Harpy with red and blue feathers narrows her eyes in suspicion. “What—is he wanted or something?”

“Oh, no,” Bia says quickly. “He’s just humble. Doesn’t want fame.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” the blue-feathered harpy smirks.

The harpies lose interest and turn back to the performance.

Leon and Atreus bow to cheers and requests for another song.

Bia claps enthusiastically. Rhea joins in, more reserved.

Later, Leon says, “I think we broke that lute in properly. What was that—five songs? Six?”

“Enough that I might not have a voice tomorrow,” Atreus jokes.

“It’s late,” Rhea says. “We should go home and rest.”

They exit into the quiet night.

“I guess this is goodnight,” Leon says. “Next time we meet, we’ll be heading beyond the city walls.”

“Thanks, everyone,” Atreus says, removing the rag. “You don’t know what today meant to me.”

Bia hugs him. “No need to thank us.”

Rhea watches, sighing heavily.

“If it’s alright, I’ll walk with Atreus,” she says. “I want to speak with him…. alone.”

After a pause, Leon and Bia agree.

“Okay,” Leon says.

“Sure,” Bia follows.

They say their goodnights and head off for their homes.

“Follow me,” Rhea commands.

It’s just the two of them. Atreus’ heart pounds.

Rhea is composed, her posture relaxed and assured.

“Don’t you ever get tired of being so small?” she asks as they walk.

“That’s… kind of a loaded question,” Atreus replies. “Do you mean being poor and an outcast? Because yeah—it’s hard. Very hard.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Rhea says, gazing up at the sky. “Look at us. Trapped. Unable to roam beyond these walls without risking being devoured by monsters whose heads scrape the heavens.”

“I’ve never thought about our lives that way,” Atreus admits.

Rhea spots a giant harpy silhouetted against the night sky.

“Look at her,” Rhea says. “No fear. A predator, inside and out.”

Atreus silently listens to Rhea give her perspective.

“A predator does what she wants, goes where she wants, eats who she wants,” Rhea adds. “She is no one’s prey. And to make sure she never becomes prey, she must NEVER tolerate weakness in any of its forms. No—the weak shall be her prey.”

Atreus frowns. “I don’t understand. Where do I fit into this?”

Rhea laughs softly. “I want you to know that I don’t blame your treacherous mother for my father’s death. The Scarlet Vixen only devoured my father because she was strong enough to do it—there’s no one else to blame. That is the way of the world we live in.”

Atreus sighs, giving up any hope of her revealing a secret crush on him.

“I have to be honest—I wasn’t sure where our conversation was going to go tonight, but it wasn’t there, that’s for sure,” Atreus says.

“Now you won’t have any guilt clouding your mind tomorrow,” Rhea replies.

“So, you don’t hate me then?” Atreus asks. “Because I promise you that I will never betray our team or Torin City.”

“Don’t get the wrong impression, Atreus Speros,” Rhea says coldly. “I hate you with every fiber of my being.”

Those words pierce Atreus’ heart like a spear.

“I hate you,” she continues, “...because you’re weak.”

Atreus breathes heavily, trying to compose himself amid the storm of emotions beginning to rage inside.

He weakly grips the lute he received as a gift from her in one hand, threatening to let it fall.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” Rhea says as she walks away.

(NEXT CHAPTER)

Rhea Taiyo concept sketch.