Episode 32 Lost in the Haze of Snow

Kunai raises an arm to shield his face as the snow around them begins falling much more heavily, blurring and dimming eyesight. He shakes several flakes of snow out of his hair. “I think it’s time to call it a night!”

Ryuu sighs, brushing snow out of his eyes. He glances around in the blurry snow-filled air. “Yeah, I think so too. There’s no way we’re gonna be able to get much further in this. We’ll be lucky if we don’t walk off a cliff.”

Arai points up ahead at a narrow rift in the cliff wall. “Look! There’s a small cave just up ahead we can hide in until the snow dies down.”

Kunai, Ryuu, Arai, and Ivy quickly scramble up to the hole in the wall, tripping slightly in the slippery ground. The four of them slowly squeeze their way through the narrow hole, entering into a small, dry, rocky cave inside.

With one quick slash of his sword, Ryuu lights a fire on the ground, and sits down in front of it, pressing his hands up against it and warming himself.

Ivy shivers in the cold. “It’s so cold out here…all this snow.”

“Not too long ago, you were absolutely ecstatic about the stuff,” Ryuu replies grumpily.

Arai shrugs as Ivy looks slightly hurt. He shakes his head. “Don’t mind him, Ivy,” Arai says, “he’s just mad that he didn’t buy any cookies when he had the chance.”

Kunai shakes his head, removing his cape and draping it about Ivy. He shivers slightly without it. Kunai then glances out of the tiny entrance to the cave. “We should probably do something about this hole. A lot of snow’s getting in.”

“I got an idea,” Ryuu says roughly, his eyes straying up to Arai. He suddenly stands up and picks up Arai by the collar, slamming him into the entrance and using his body to block it.

Kunai blinks as Arai takes the hit with a smile. He then shakes his head, wagging his finger disapprovingly at Ryuu. Arai then picks up his Dark Ritual, and creates an icy barrier covering the hole. “That should do it!”

‘Great…’ Kunai thinks, staring from Arai to Ryuu. ‘We’ve got a burglar, and a domestic abuser.’

“So, Kunai!” Ivy says cheerfully as Kunai takes a seat on the smooth stone floor, “Are you nervous since we’re so close to the next Triplicate already?”

“Yeah, a little,” Kunai mutters. He shakes his head. “But I’m beginning to think that it’ll be perfectly alright especially with you guys. The Triplicate that had haunted me is already dead.”

“Yay!” Ivy replies. “That’s the spirit!”

Ryuu bends down, dropping his flaming sword with a clang on the ground, as his eyes widen and his mouth drops in silent shock. In front of him is a slightly ragged, bloody form, huddled in the torn rags of a black cloak.

Around him is a dark grove of trees, silent in the warm night air. Above him is the moon, shedding a soft glare of light into the small clearing.

Ryuu takes in a sharp intake of breath as he draws his hand up to the huddled form lying in front of him. He removes the hood of the form, revealing a scarred face amid a mess of long purple hair.

“Ayame…who did this?” Ryuu whispers, lifting up the head of the girl.

Ayame slowly opens her eyes weakly, staring up at Ryuu. A slight yellow tinge hovers around her red eyes. “Ryuu. It’s really you. Don’t worry about me…”

“Tell me,” Ryuu pants desperately. “Who did this?”

“I’m fine, Ryuu,” Ayame replies softly, turning her head away from Ryuu.

“Tell me!” Ryuu growls angrily. “Tell me who did this!”

“A Paradox,” Ayame answers. She closes her eyes as a trickle of blood runs down her forehead onto Ryuu’s wrist.

“What…?” Ryuu murmurs. “No…it—it can’t be…”

Ryuu shakes his head in denial, as his body itself begins shaking uncontrollably. “Ayame…after all we’ve been through…I can’t believe…that…how could you…?”

“Some things are inevitable, Ryuu,” Ayame replies. “That’s why you must be strong to control the things that you can control. Don’t give up, Ryuu. Even though we part ways here…”

Ryuu looks up as the sound of hoofs approaches. A horse suddenly wanders into the clearing, its sad, mournful eyes gazing down at Ayame.

Ayame slowly pushes herself up into a sitting position. With one sharp gasp, she pulls herself to her feet, swaying and stumbling slightly. She pushes herself slowly towards the horse, and leaps onto it.

“Ayame…” Ryuu murmurs. Ayame does not reply, but rather turns the horse away, and rides away into the night. Ryuu remains standing fixedly, staring at the horse and Ayame as they slowly disappear down the road. “…You’ve left me all alone at last.”

Ryuu suddenly jerks awake, panting heavily. He glances around, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. Ryuu clenches his teeth, his body still shaking slightly.

He then glances around the small cave, where Arai, Kunai, and Ivy are sleeping peacefully. Ryuu looks out through the door of ice Arai had created into the pitch-black night outside.

Ryuu growls under his breath, and suddenly rises, picking up his sword and equipping it by his side, and packs up his things. He then takes one quick look out the wall of ice.

“Kunai! Kunai!” Ivy’s voice cries alarmingly suddenly.

Kunai turns over in his sleeping bag, groaning slightly. He opens his eyes sleepily and stares up at Ivy, who is looking down at him worriedly. Kunai shifts to a sitting position, staring at Ivy who is hopping around frantically. Nearby, Arai is sitting still, in a thoughtful trance.

“What’s…what’s the matter?” Kunai asks.

“Ryuu’s gone!” Ivy cries.

“What?!” Kunai shouts, jerking wide awake immediately. “What do you mean he’s gone?!”

Arai gestures solemnly to the wall of ice covering the entrance to the cave. It is cracked and broken. “It looks like Ryuu left in the middle of the night.”

“This is bad…” Ivy mutters worriedly.

“What happened? Why did Ryuu leave? Did he say anything?” Kunai asks, turning to Arai in alarm.

Arai shrugs, holding up a small sheet of white paper. “All he left was this note. Said that he needed some time to think, and that he would be back soon. He also told us to keep going ourselves and that he’ll catch up later.”

“Some time to think?” Kunai wonders softly to himself.

“Yeah, it’s a puzzle as to why he would suddenly pack up and leave,” Arai replies. He shakes his head. “Well, if Ryuu says he needs some time to think, he needs some time to think. We haven’t really got anything to worry about yet, he said he’ll catch up to us later on.”

“But where could he be?” Ivy says distressingly.

Arai shrugs. “He could be anywhere. Ryuu does this from time to time when he’s had a lot to think about. But I can’t imagine what could be bothering him right now…”

“All we can do is go on then, I guess,” Kunai replies.

Next Time: Episode 33 The Castle of Necroheim

Kunai: Look at all those zombies!

Ivy: I’ll kill them with my Heal!

Arai: What’s that scary looking castle up ahead?

Ivy: Hm…and who’s that scary looking guy? He doesn’t look very friendly…

Kunai: More importantly, where’s Ryuu gone?

Episode 33 The Castle of Necroheim coming soon!