A generation for a Salgarian is a long time. Hundreds of years drift away into the void of space and time before the next generation takes its place and drives the society forward. For the Ta"em family it seemed to move too quickly as its patriarch First-Baron Akio Ta"em fell prey to a rare, but deadly disease that robbed vitality and strength from any Salgarian it infected. The honorable thing to do was to take his own life, and it was his plan, but not before his daughter, Ayumi Ta"em was wed to a suitable successor.

There would be no male child, his own wife had died years before and he thought he had time to find another. Ayumi was just out of childhood, rushing her to accept a suitor had never been the plan, plans changed as circumstances demanded, as the First-Baron few knew that better than Akio.

When he had announced he was accepting applicants for the courtship of Ayumi there was no shortage of takers. Beyond the fact that the male would inherit the Ta"em lands and titles, they would also marry Ayumi, a woman of rare and exotic beauty and grace. Akio had given in to her every wish and she was trained in the martial arts as well as philosophy, history, politics and more, much more than noble women usually were exposed to at any age.

Ryuu had come from one of the mountainous regions, a far way to travel to reach the great city of Asahi. He had no family, an orphaned boy left without name or means, he had been raised at a small orphanage. Surprisingly well-spoken, he possessed a calm confidence that won him an audience with Akio. The surprise had come to all when he was among those given permission to court Ayumi.

To those that did not know him he seemed a poor choice for the ailing First-Baron but through charm, wit and something undefinable he was the man Ayumi chose to be her husband. As he had no family name he took that of Ta"em, an action that Akio approved of whole-heartedly. Ryuu proved to be an able leader of men and a fierce warrior, besting all that came to challenge his right to inherit the title of First-Baron. There were rumors about his strength, his stamina, and other strange happenings around Ryuu but there was no proof and therefore nothing came of the whispers.

It was on the night that Ayumi gave birth to Tatsuo Ta"em that Akio performed the ritual of seppuku, leaving the way clear for Ryuu to claim the title. Ayumi, Ryuu and Tatsuo lived for years in happiness. Ryuu accomplished the taming of many new worlds, expanding the Salgarian empire significantly. None dared speak against him and his humble beginnings, nor would they for a Salgarian could recognize greatness when it was before them.

Ayumi died giving birth to their second child, whom died of complications shortly there after. Tatsuo was still in the formative years of his childhood when Ryuu left, not long after Ayumi's death.

There was only a short discussion before Ryuu left Tatsuo to face the world alone, or mostly alone. Ryuu was going home. There was a reason no one could find his parents, for they, like him, were of the earth. Ryuu was the great spirit of the mountain that spread across a quarter of the land, Kyodaina. He had walked amongst the people, something he did once every thousand years or so but without Ayumi there he could not put up the pretense anymore.

Tatsuo was his fathers son, a mighty earth spirit, and, despite still being counted a minor because of age, he claimed the title of First-Baron and held it against all comers. After a tenuous first few years the people acknowledged his right, something that had yet to be confirmed by the Emperor, and life fell into order once more.

It was over a century later that a baby was dropped off at the Ta?em estates with a letter for Tatsuo. The child was acknowledged as his blood and he named her for his late mother. It is still expected that he will take another wife, time will tell, as it always does in the end.