Episode 9 The Sickness of the Paradox

Arai looks quickly up at the sky. “Wherever they are, for whatever reason, we’ve got a friend somewhere…” He bends over Ryuu, inspecting his right eye closely. “Ryuu’s badly hurt. He needs medical attention immediately.”

“What do we do?” Kunai asks hesitantly.

Arai shrugs, standing up again and grinning at Kunai and Ivy. “Well, it’ll be okay. It looks like we’ll have to delay our going to Sleepywood for another couple more days, but that’ll be okay. I’ll see what I can do, perhaps phone in a doctor from Niora’s Hospital in Kerning…”

The slightly younger Ryuu walks slowly, limping slightly as he moves. He turns a corner and approaches the great tower library belonging to Grendel the Really Old, towering above the rest of the Ellinia Forest.

He steps inside, and emerges onto a balcony at the top of the tower, approaching Ayame, who is standing still leaning on the railing, looking down at the rest of the town from the edge of the balcony.

Ayame turns around as Ryuu approaches. “Ryuu…what happened?” she whispers softly.

“Heh,” Ryuu mutters, shaking his head nonchalantly, “I had a little run-in with Lord Fyx just outside of Haven. Everyone’s been growing more and more suspicious of his actions lately, and I have good reason to assume that he’s begun Paradox production inside that plant of his.”

Ryuu shakes his head again, joining Ayame at the edge of the balcony. “But that’s not really the point of why I’ve bothered to come here. I need to know…I mean, I heard from some of the others that you’d been…”

“Attacked by one of the Paradox?” Ayame finishes quietly.

“Yeah. And…is that true?” Ryuu asks in a low voice.

“The tell-tale sign…” Ayame replies simply, showing her right eye to Ryuu, where two pupils have appeared. “And not just any Paradox either. I broke into the chamber of the Zakum Paradox. A lot of the Joukai went down there, but I managed to survive. And then…the Triplicate appeared, and he attacked me. I only got out alive because Yttrius cast Mystic Door just in time.”

Ryuu’s eyes widen as he hears this news. “What?! How…how could you be so foolish as to break into the chamber of the Zakum Triplicate?! You’re lucky you’re alive…”

Ayame shakes her head sadly, looking away from Ryuu. “I know, maybe I was a little foolish…but you don’t understand, I wanted power. I wanted some of the power you had, and I thought I could become even stronger by creating my second pupil with one of the Triplicates. And now that I have…Ryuu, please, I beg you, will you create the seal to allow me to become a Hybrid?”

Ryuu stares at Ayame with eyes narrowed, hesitating slightly. After a long time he sighs, and turns away, looking out into the treetops hanging over the balcony. “Fine. I will. I’ll create the seal for you.”

Ayame grins, hugging Ryuu slightly. “Yay! Thanks so much, Ryuu! You’re the best!”

Ryuu shakes his head, shaking Ayame off. “However, I seriously think it was a bad idea for you to have risked your life just to obtain a little more power. But that’s not the point…what kind of Hybrid seal would you like me to make?”

Ayame blinks for a moment, staring into Ryuu’s eyes deeply. Then slowly, she replies, “Well, you know me well enough Ryuu. I’ve always been gifted with the skills of the Bandits, but…I’d also like to learn the ways of the assassins. I’ve always…had a little fascination with the powers of shadows.”

Ryuu stares at Ayame intently for several seconds, unblinking. “All right. I will create the seal for you, but only because it’s you. But promise me…that you will go to the Dark Lord and seek instruction from him. Become his apprentice. My heart’s a little unsettled about you tampering with the powers of shadows.”

Ayame grins, saluting Ryuu happily. “Don’t worry about me, Ryuu! I’ll never let you down!”

Arai bends over Ryuu, who is laying still on a bed, his eyes still closed and unconscious. Kunai and Ivy sit nervously nearby, staring at the scene worriedly.

The door to the now roofless cabin bursts open suddenly, just as the rising sun of the new day appears over the rim of mountains at the edge of the valley. A man wearing glasses and a white coat stands still in the doorway, a stethoscope hanging around his neck.

“Doctor!” Kunai cries, leaping to his feet as the doctor enters the room, approaching Ryuu while he rummages in his travel bag.

“I came as fast as I could,” the doctor replies hastily, glancing at Kunai, Ivy, and Arai in turn briefly. “Is this the patient?” he asks, gesturing towards the figure of Ryuu.

Arai nods, stepping aside for the doctor. “Yeah, that’s him.”

The doctor places his stethoscope absentmindedly over Ryuu’s chest, listening to it intently for a moment. As he does so, he turns to the others. “What happened to this man?”

Arai and Kunai both exchange nervous looks with each other briefly. “I…well, that is to say, Ryuu was attacked last night by a Level 13 Paradox.”

The doctor’s eyes widen, as he turns to stare at Ryuu with renewed interest. “I see, I see…interesting.” He suddenly reaches forward, opening Ryuu’s right eyelid, and stares at it, pointing a flashlight into it. “Wait a minute…he’s been attacked once before this, correct?”

“That’s correct, Doctor,” Arai replies.

“And did he suffer any negative physical ailments after the initial first attack?” the doctor asks.

Arai shakes his head, shrugging slightly. “No, not that I know of. He was pretty young when he took the first hit, only about five. Although I do believe he was only attacked by a Level 4 that time.”

“I see…” the doctor murmurs, staring at the unconscious figure of Ryuu.

“Well, what’s your diagnosis, Doctor?” Kunai mutters out loud.

The doctor shakes his head grimly, staring down at Ryuu as he does so. “I am not gonna lie and pretend that I am an expert on Paradox attacks, because I am not. However, through the years and from what I’ve learned about my patients who have suffered attacks from them, your friend Ryuu has most likely reached, or nearly reached, his limit of Paradox attacks.

“That is to say, his soul may have been shattered too many times, and he may have suffered grave damage. To keep it intact, I suggest you create a seal upon him and bind his soul together. Basically, your best bet is to write the seal to become a Hybrid and place it on him.”

Arai and Kunai stare at each other nervously again. “But Doctor, what if Ryuu’s already created a seal in the first place? You see, he’s already a Hybrid…a Hybrid Fire Mage Crusader, that is to say.”

The doctor shrugs, staring at Ryuu. “It’s not common to form multiple seals after getting attacked by multiple Paradox, but it is possible. However, it puts a great strain on the soul. Your friend might or might not survive this attack, but writing that seal is your best bet. It’s still a rather dangerous risk, though, that’s for sure.”

“Hm…” Arai murmurs, staring at Ryuu worriedly, “the trouble is, Ryuu himself is the only one of us who knows how to write those seals. I myself have never learned to make one, much less attempt to. And I’d rather not let this be the time now to experiment, with Ryuu’s life on the line.”

The doctor shakes his head sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that…because as I have said, I am no expert on Paradox-related injuries. And I only have a very small wealth of knowledge of treating them. I suggest you find someone who knows how to write these seals.”

“And who might know such a thing?” Arai asks, turning to look at the doctor.

The doctor scratches his chin for a long moment, lost in thought. Suddenly he snaps his fingers. “I know! There are not many left in the world who know the lost arts well enough to write the seals anymore…but I know of a dwarf who lives in the hills just outside of Henesys who may know a thing or two about such a thing!”

Arai nods, listening intently to the doctor. “And he will be able to write the seal for us?”

“I am quite sure he’ll be able to,” the doctor replies, scribbling a name onto a piece of paper and handing it over to Arai. “This is his name. You shouldn’t have much difficulty finding him if you just ask around. Just be sure to mention me and I’m sure he’ll be glad to help.”

Arai nods, pocketing the piece of paper with a grin. He stands up as the doctor does as well, and they both shake hands. “Thank you so much for all your help!” Arai says, waving as the doctor leaves through the door.

Kunai sighs as he watches the doctor leave, shaking his head slightly. “Well…I guess it’s off to Henesys then, huh?”

Arai sighs as well, reading the note with which the doctor had scribbled the name of the dwarf on. “Yes. This is quite a detour, actually. I’m beginning to think we might never go to Sleepywood with all these things distracting and delaying us.”