Son of the Hunt

Prologue

Izuku sobbed as he wandered through the forest. He was only four, he had just been told he couldn't be a hero, and his mother abandoned him. All because he was Quirkless. He had been in the forest for a few days, and he was getting hungry. He was going to die alone and scared.

Izuku tripped over a root and hit the ground, scraping his knee. He cried out in pain, but quickly fell silent, knowing that noise would get him killed faster. The leaves rustled behind him, and Izuku looked back, terrified of what it could be.

A tall man emerged from the trees. His skin looked like the bark of a tree and he seemed to have branches growing out of him. He wore a viridian tunic and ebony trousers with a cloak that appeared to be made of moss. His hair was a leafy green and his eyes were the color of emeralds. He carried a hunting bow with ivy twined along the limbs, and there was a sheathed dagger at his side.

"Hello little sprout," the man said, crouching down to help Izuku up, "are you alright?" The child swallowed and nodded nervously. "My name is Oysus, and I live in this forest. What's your name, sprout?"

"I-I'm Izuku," responded the child quietly. "What are you doing out here all alone, Izuku? It isn't safe for someone so young out here." Oysus murmured, knowing that it couldn't be good.

"My mom left m-me here a few days ago. She said-" Izuku's voice cut out with a sob. "Shh, it's alright young one," Oysus said sadly as he opened his arms to Izuku, offering a hug. The younger barreled into the older's arms, bawling his eyes out as he continued. "She said she didn't want me because I'm useless!" At these words, Izuku's voice cracked as he blubbered into Oysus' shoulder.

"If she cannot see past physical limitations and understand that no life is pointless, she does not deserve to have a child," the bark-skinned man murmured. "If you would like, I will take you in, and you shall learn to appreciate the beauty and strength of normalcy. If you accept, it will not be easy, but it will be rewarding, and you, Izuku Midoriya, will grow stronger than any quirked person could."

"How did you know my full name?" Izuku questioned. Oysus smirked and answered, saying "I am the god of the forest and hunt, and I know of all inhabitants of my domain."