Chapter 6 - Shattered Dreams

Volks walks Acura to the village appraisal shop. The shop was in good condition and displayed many different items and artifacts. The owner an old man with a spectacle over his right eye greeted them as they entered.

"How may I be of service today"

The man asked this while steering peculiarly at Acura. Volks asked to use the Psych reader, which he was told would be a payment of 8 Doge. He took out his brown money bag and handed over the Doge. He lifted Acura on the counter and instructed him to place his hands on the psych reader. It was a sphere made of glass that seemed empty but deep.

When someone placed their hand on the reader a numeric number would appear over the sphere which represents the quantitate amount of psych they currently have, the higher the number the better. The number would also be in on color, this represents the quality of psych and there are six in total (Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, and Violet) red being the lowest, Violet the highest.

As Acura placed his hands on the reader for a moment nothing happens. Volks nervously stares at it, while the shop owner gazes with curiosity. 'Never has it took this long to read someone's psych', the shop owner thought to himself. He figured it's either extremely high...or the item is busted. Suddenly the reader flickered several times with a bright light causing everyone to block their vision, then after some time passed it finally stopped.

Everyone uncovering their eyes were stunned when they gazed at the result of the test floating above the machine. A black zero as if representing a disastrous omen was seen over the psych reader.



All three of them stood facing the Psych reader, the shop owner's eyes open wide, and his facial expression showing that he has never seen an outcome like this.

"I knew there was something strange about you little boy my eyes don't lie"

Volks questioned the man on the meaning of the results, but he got no answers, the shop owner was just happy to witness something new for a change. Volks decided to pay another 8 Doge to test whether the reader was broken.

Within seconds his results were in, "2875, Blue". This was what Volks remembered from the last appraisal he did. The three of them all shared a significantly different expression on their face, Acura was puzzled.

Volks hurriedly grabbed Acura and thanked the shop owner as he ran out of the shop. Panting while running through the village Volks pondered what those results could possibly mean. He checked himself the machine couldn't be broken. But a psych level of zero, even new born babies has shown results of 100 or more. For Acura to be six and not have any at all, Volks couldn't grasp it.

What could he do? Who could he go to for answers? How is he going to explain to little Acura who was not too long ago jumping for joy at the thought of becoming a Merc, that he's potentially never going to become anything great because he is psych-less. And to top it off his quality color was black, that's not even a color on the spectrum. Is this a bad omen? Volks mind was about to explode until he remembered someone.

Dr. Gray! He once told Volks that he believes that there was something strange with Acura's psych. If he was able to tell from back then, maybe he would have some idea or at least point him in the right direction.

A gust of wind blows the wind chimes on a white building "Doc's House" is seen at the top of the two story structure. This is the only medical spot in the village. And the doctor who runs it is a one man team.

Volks rushes to the door with Acura still in hand and frantically knocks on the door. After moments of no one answering he decided to let himself in. Volks couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. An elderly man with crazy white hair and long beard was strapped to a chair naked with his eyes blind folded mouth gagged, and his ears plugged. There was also a small boy who was passing a bottle under the old man's nose.

The room was cluttered with all types of items, if a patient were to come in with an emergency, there's a good chance they might die before being able to be seen. There were also several jars of different colored liquids all marked, these seem to be the jars that the small boy is using to putt under Dr. Grays nose.

Upon further inspection the small boy had solid muscles, facial hair, and was in a gray lab coat, he was in fact a man, but was no more than 3ft tall. The small man stopped what he was doing and in a deep dark voice said "Who told you to come in"

Volks a trained combatant shuttered at the man's question. He immediately regained composure and assume a battle stance.

"Dr. Gray are you ok? What's going on who is this...man"

Acura looked at the small man and walked up to him and said "wow you're my height mister how old are you"

Volks was shocked! He was so on guard that Acura slipped pass him without his notice. He quickly grabbed Acura and gained distance again.

"Dr. Gray cannot hear you right now, we are conducting tests, and you are interrupting, I will have to kindly ask you to leave"

Volks never knew of Dr. Gray to have an assistant so he knew he couldn't just leave without clarifying.

"I'm not leaving until I speak with the Dr."

The small man saw the determination in Volks eyes and decided it wasn't worth the hassle. He freed Dr. Gray of his restrictions.

"What's the meaning of this Nome? I've only identified one of the contents, we still have more to go"

The doctor spotted Volks and Acura. "Oh we have guests i guess I should get dressed"

While he was in the back putting on his clothes, Nome began to prepare some tea, the aroma was of a natural blend made right in Herring Village. Nome as small as he was dragged a stool everywhere he went so he could reach what he needed. Acura seeing this couldn't help but laugh.

"Why are you laughing?"

Both Acura and Volks were again both startled. Moments later all drinking tea, Volks discussed the situation with Dr. Gray in hopes of receiving in sight.

"I've never heard of it and I have no cure or answers. I also don't like this tea, Nome you failed once again"

Volks disregarding the last statement was disappointed, for him Dr. Gray was his only bet at getting answers.

"What if I have him train his psych from now doctor, would we be able to force it to grow"

Bad idea! Said Dr. Gray. Psych isn't so simple, the quantity of psych isn't just a fancy number, it's a limit. If you use it too much and go pass that limit you will do irreversible harm to either one of your temples causing you to become crippled. If someone has a psych pool measuring 100, using any more than that is dangerous. Rest is needed so your psych pool can replenish. Acura on the other hand seems to already be on 0, even if he was to perform any sort of psych skills it will ultimately backfire.

Hearing this news Volks looks at Acura whose eyes are filling with tears, he holds him in an attempt to console him. This didn't work as Acura ran out the building screaming with tears in his eyes. Blindly running through the village nothing on his mind besides the fact that he was born a weakling and a failure. He ran and ran until he reached one of Herring Village's fruit tree patches. His running tantrum was halted when he bumped into a man who could be better described as a wall.