It was the dawn of the third day of the week, Ehum's day. Reis was busy making breakfast. He had woken up early to prepare himself for the next action he had decided to take. He had just finished setting the table when Kyla walked down the stairs looking tired.
"Hi there Kyla, how was your sleep?" Reis asked.
"Great, thanks for asking. I see you made breakfast" Kyla said.
"Yeah, just want to leave something behind for you guys to remember me by when I'm gone" Reis said.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Kyla seemed disturbed by Reis' words.
"Don't misunderstand me Kyla. What I mean is…" Reis was saying when Shin walked down the stairs yawning loudly.
"Great, you're awake. That makes things much easier" Reis said.
"What'cha talking about?" Shin asked.
"Ah-uh…I'll be leaving the guild for a while. On a mission of course" Reis said nervously.
"What are you saying? Are you still talking in your sleep?!" Shin yelled angrily.
"I have to agree with Shin on that one. You don't even have a dragon partner yet" Kyla said seriously.
"I'll be completing Erasa Senshiiro's mission" Reis said.
"Quit yapping in yer sleep dammit!" Shin roared and attempted to punch Reis.
Reis sidestepped in time, easily evading Shin's punch.
"Calm down guys. It's not going to be that bad…is it?" Reis asked trying hard not to annoy them any further.
"IS IT?! HAVEN'T YOU EVEN HEARD OF THE DANGERS INVOLVED IN GOING ON MISSONS?! WHY THE HECK DO YOU THINK WE'RE PLACED IN TEAMS HEADED BY A DRAGON MASTER AND PARTNERED WITH DRAGONS! YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT'S BAD MORON!!!" Shin yelled angrily.
"Shin is right. A fully fledged dragon master and two dragon students were captured on that mission and Erasa nearly died! And even with that it seems your only guarantee of survival is…IS IT?! Did you even bother to read more about what missions entail in this guild Reis?!" Kyla glared at him angrily.
"I know it will be dangerous…but I can't forget the vow I made before everyone. I'll never forget the words 'I will protect the weak and free the oppressed'. I intend to complete this mission and come back alive no matter the cost!" Reis declared.
"Really?" Shin asked with a twitching eyebrow.
"I mean…uh…um…no matter the reasonable cost?" Reis stammered nervously.
"Reasonable huh? In the next few years…you'd have learnt that out there…it takes more than reason to keep you alive. Most of the things that can harm Dragon Rangers are beyond reason. Go and survive then…no matter the reasonable cost. P.S…a lot of those things can actually fly. Keheheheh" Shin chuckled sinisterly.
"Hey hey, what are you trying to pull Shin? That's a bit excessive. Are you going to drive Reis from this guild before he actually experiences his first bio-roller coaster?" Kyla asked.
Reis gulped.
"You two are definitely related" he muttered under his breath.
"Well, if there's no stopping you, we'll give you our consent but come back in one piece okay…heheheh…assuming there is any piece of you left. Where should I address your remains?" Shin chuckled sinisterly.
"Cut that out already! It's getting pretty creepy!" Reis exclaimed in worry.
"By the way Reis…just in case you don't return…is Aurora perchance open territory?" Shin asked.
In the next instant he was flying across the room.
"Where the heck did that nonsense come out from?! Was that the mouth that said that?!" Reis screamed angrily.
"Shin…you're hopeless" Kyla sighed.
"Mutineer! You switched sides so quickly! Traitor!" Shin yelled angrily.
"That was indeed quick" Reis said.
A THREE WAY VERBAL DEADLOCK WAS INSTANTLY INITIATED FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES…
"What's all that noise?!" Master Jin's clearly irritated voice was heard from upstairs.
He descended the stairs fully dressed in Ranger uniform.
"I've decided" Reis said seriously.
"Decided to do what?" Master Jin asked.
"He's decided to suicidally solo it out completing Erasa's mission" Shin said.
"Cut it out Shin! That's way too much unnecessary information I don't remember sharing!" Reis yelled angrily.
"I see. I believe in you. Good luck" Master Jin said with a confident smile.
"What?! You'd never allow me if I asked!" Shin exclaimed in dissatisfaction.
"Come ask again after you've learnt to wash your own socks and cook your own food" Master Jin said.
"Now that's too much unnecessary information I don't remember sharing!" Shin yelled angrily.
"Ri-ight" Kyla muttered with a smug look on her face. "You're seriously not going to stop him Master Jin?" she asked.
"No, I'm not. He is a dragon ranger. He is also strong enough. All he needs now is more field experience" Master Jin said. "Go get yourself ready Reis. I'm taking you to the Rangers' headquarters."
When Reis was done preparing, he sheathed his father's sword after inspecting it closely. He looked at his dragon scar and decided that it was no longer necessary for him to hide it. By the time he was downstairs, Kyla and Shin had already left for school.
"You ready Reis?" Master Jin asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be" Reis said with a determined expression on his face.
"Then let's go" Master Jin said as he led the way.
It was a particularly windy day. There were heavy clouds in the distance.
"It really is Ehum's day. The wind is so strong" Reis said.
"You're right. I suppose today might be a good day for Kyla and Ehum" Master Jin said.
It didn't take them long to reach the Ranger's Headquarters. Captain Hiru met them outside with Erasa.
"You really came, Reis" Erasa said.
"I always keep my promises" Reis said.
"Reis, Kira's team is already inside. The Dragonlord awaits you" Captain Hiru said.
"Go in Reis, I'm off to work" Master Jin said as he walked into the Temple.
Captain Hiru escorted Erasa and Reis into the Dragonlord's chamber. As Captain Hiru had said, Mistress Kira, Aurora and Darak were already with the Dragonlord. Reis approached them slowly.
"Dragonlord, won't you say anything about the matter?" Mistress Kira asked.
"My answer is no. You are shorthanded. The Senshiiro team was fully composed. If they were taken down, the enemy is indeed formidable. We've also been severely shorthanded in general since the annihilation of the Team sent to Saggeese" the Dragonlord said.
Aurora bit her lip as bitter feelings flowed into her gut.
"You are not the ideal team for this mission" the Dragonlord said.
"Don't underestimate us Dragonlord! Even down by one member, we're still the strongest rookie team in this guild!" Darak declared.
"My answer remains the same" the Dragonlord said.
Reis finally spoke up. No one had noticed his presence yet since the discussion seemed to be drawing closer to a heated argument. Well…maybe the Dragonlord did notice but chose to ignore him.
"Excuse me Sir Dragonlord…" Reis said.
That was when Team Kira noticed his presence.
"Reis?" Mistress Kira exclaimed in surprise.
"Who invited you?!" Aurora asked rudely.
Reis ignored her.
"I've come to request your permission to complete Erasa Senshiiro's recent mission in her place" he said.
"You haven't yet been assigned to a team and you don't have a dragon partner. Do I need tell you more?" the Dragonlord said seriously.
Reis smiled.
"I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this" Reis sighed and turned to walk away. "I just hope you recall the line of the Rangers' pledge that says 'I will protect the weak and free the oppressed'" Reis said.
"What are you planning to do?" the Dragonlord asked.
"Do I really need to tell you? I'm going to complete Erasa's mission without your consent" Reis said with a determined smile.
Everyone stared at Reis in surprise.
"Have you so soon forgotten the line 'I will obey the Dragonlord?'" the Dragonlord asked.
"No I haven't…" Reis paused in his tracks. "…but I won't forget the words written on this door! The words 'The will of the heart is the key to destiny'. I promised to save the people of Saggeese. I can't do that if I never save a single person…because I think I'm weak" Reis said.
Everyone gasped in surprise.
"Reis, you can read those words?" Aurora asked in shock.
"Yes, they were written by someone called 'Aralpheisl, The Wise One Of The Unison Courts'. I can't tell how I know that either but by my father's Way Of The Sword and with everything I am, I will complete this mission even if I have to do it alone!" Reis declared.
Erasa stared at Reis as a feeling of admiration flowed through her. Aurora too couldn't help admiring Reis.
"If your resolve is that strong, then there is only one thing I can think of that will remedy this situation. It will definitely be tough for all the parties involved but it is the only condition through which you can earn my permission" the Dragonlord said grimly.
"What is that condition? I'm sure it is something we can fulfil" Mistress Kira said with determination.
"That Reis Dragonhaart…from this day forward…will become a permanent member of Team Kira!" the Dragonlord declared.
"What?!" Reis exclaimed in shock.
"That is not an option!" Aurora yelled angrily.
Mistress Kira remained silent.
"Then you are not as determined as Reis to save Team Senshiiro" the Dragonlord said with a look of disappointment.
"Dragonlord! I have no problem with joining Team Kira…but is now really the time?! They recently lost a comrade and my presence might destroy the Team" Reis said.
"You are a bold one aren't you? You considered all that in just an instant? That is one of the reasons I am doing this. There are times when the entire guild is forced to fight on disadvantageous fronts. In times like that…when our foes are not just enemies but demons as well…mistrust among guild members can destroy an entire formation in less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea" the Dragonlord said with a mischievous grin.
"How do I put it…this guy is really creepy" Reis thought to himself.
"You must be thinking… 'how do I put it…this guy is really creepy' right now aren't you Reis Dragonhaart?" the Dragonlord said with a smirk.
"HE READ MY MIND WITHOUT A PARAPHRASE?! WHAT SORT OF DEMON ARE YOU?! THAT IS A CLEAR INVASION OF PRIVACY!!!" Reis roared angrily.
"I didn't need to use my powers to do that. That is the wisdom that comes with experience" the Dragonlord said with a chuckle.
"No Reis, you are the one that's scary…making small talk with the Dragonlord. What sort of freak are you?" the others said with shocked expressions on their faces.
"I don't have a problem with Reis joining our team" Mistress Kira said.
"Neither do I" Darak said.
"Really?" Reis asked.
"You are the only one in this guild I recognize as a worthy rival Reis. It will give me the opportunity to test my skill and assess yours as well" Darak declared with a smirk.
"When did I ever agree to become a rival to you? No, what did I ever do for you to consider me a rival?!" Reis exclaimed in horror.
"It's not about what you did. It's simply because I deem it so" Darak said.
"What are you…some sort of spoilt rich kid?" Reis grumbled.
"Aurora, what do you think of Reis joining our team?" Mistress Kira asked.
Aurora's hands were curled into tight fists at her sides. Her teeth were clenched furiously and she was glaring at Reis as though she intended to kill him. I can assure you that at that moment, the saying…
"Hell hath no fury…" kept echoing in Reis' head like some kind of sick joke only the devil would consider playing.
"If you guys want to accept Reis, that's fine with me. But let me get this clear! I hope you're listening Reis! I will never accept you as a member of Team Kira! To me, it will be like you don't even exist and don't ever think for one moment…that you can replace Jared!" Aurora yelled angrily.
Reis was hurt by her words but he put on a clumsy smile.
"That will keep things interesting" Reis rubbed his nose.
Mistress Kira burst into laughter and the others just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Well then, now that you've sorted things out…" the Dragonlord said as he suddenly assumed a serious look.
"Team Kira I hereby order you to rescue Team Senshiiro and free the Village Of Shades from the bandits oppressing it!" the Dragonlord ordered.
"Yes Sir!" the new Team Kira embraced their mission and set out.
They had decided to meet at the Guild Gates after sufficient preparations. Reis packed a few clothes, sheathed his father's sword and headed to the gates. He waited for almost half an hour before he finally saw Team Kira approaching. At that moment he heard Erasa call and saw her approaching from a different direction.
"Erasa, are you coming along?" Aurora asked.
"Yes, I will guide you to the Village Of Shades. It's hidden behind several natural defences and impenetrable for normal people" Erasa informed her.
"That's bad" Aurora said with a frightened look on her face.
"Don't worry, Reis will protect us, won't you Reis?" Erasa said with a smile.
"Looks like you already have a few fans don'tcha Reis?" Darak smirked.
"Hey, don't put me into any more trouble Darak" Reis pleaded.
"Ggggggrrrrrr" Reis could hear Aurora growling angrily.
"I'm even scared to imagine what kind of expression she has on her face now" Reis thought to himself.
"I SUMMON YOU DRAGNAROK!" Darak called.
"APPEAR BEFORE ME MARINA!" Aurora called.
"COME OUT INFERNO!" Mistress Kira ordered.
"LET'S RIDE TERRA!" Erasa called as flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder and a mixture of many elements announced the appearance of the various dragons.
"Wow! This is so cool!" Reis exclaimed in joy.
The dragons smiled when they saw him.
"I'm not giving you a ride, so don't even ask" Aurora snapped at Reis.
"Neither am I" Darak said.
Reis looked disappointed.
"Reis, you can ride with me" Erasa offered with a smile.
"You don't mind?" Reis asked.
"Of course not" Erasa said as she helped Reis mount Terra, her dragon partner.
Reis sat behind Erasa.
"Okay, we're heading out!" Mistress Kira ordered as the dragons took to their heels and leapt into the skies with amazing speed.
"Uh…um guys?" Reis asked.
"What is it?" Aurora glared at him.
"Um…there's this small detail I forgot to mention" Reis said with a gulp.
Aurora growled angrily.
"Just spill it already!" she yelled.
Reis shut his eyes.
"I'm…I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS! GOD SAVE MY SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL!!!" Reis screamed and clutched Erasa tightly without realizing what he was doing.
"REIS YOU LECH!" Aurora roared angrily.
Erasa screamed from being startled.
"LET GO OF HER REIS!" Aurora threatened.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET! I'M TOO YOUNG!" Reis screamed as tears streamed across his face.
Aurora smirked.
"Terra, we're increasing speed. Don't get left behind!" she called as she rode ahead.
Darak immediately caught hold of the cue and charged after her. Mistress Kira followed them and Erasa had to catch up.
"AURORA YOU DEEEEMOOOOOOOON!!!" Reis cried.
"Heh! I finally know your weakness Reis. I'm gonna have a lot of time, now that you're a permanent member of Team Kira and…a dragon ranger. Try not to die on me!" Aurora smirked.
"Aurora…I think Reis just made an understatement, you're an archdemon" Darak chuckled.
"Erasa! Take the lead since you know the way to the village!" Mistress Kira ordered.
"Roger!" Erasa replied and increased speed.
"ET TU ERASA, MISTRESS KIRA?!!" Reis screamed in horror.
"I'm sorry Reis! Please forgive me…if you die!" Erasa called.
"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!" Reis screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Reis' voice was heard as the Rangers' Guild faded into the distance.
Reis eventually lost consciousness and would have fallen over if Terra had not grabbed him in his claws.
"I think its best he remains in Terra's claws for now" Mistress Kira said.
"And I think I need to add aerial battles to my list of sparring practice sessions with Reis" Darak chuckled.
"How do I put it…Team Kira is fundamentally warped" Erasa thought to herself.
A lot of time passed; then Reis regained consciousness. He was however startled to find himself in Terra's claws and began to panic.
"I think it better for you to remain here. Don't you think so Reis Dragonhaӓrt?" Terra asked with a slight chuckle.
"Am I safe?" Reis muttered while shivering uncontrollably.
"You are. Nothing slips through my clutches unless I will it. I am the Dragon Of The Earth after all" Terra said.
"Heheh, don't tell me gravity is your doing too" Reis said with a sarcastic look on his face.
Soon, they were over the great Kingdom Of Novatio. It was a great city that stretched widely over the land; surrounded by many smaller villages and rich in fertile ground and water. The Castle Of Novatio could be seen from the air. Even from their altitude, Reis noted that it was quite huge and strategically positioned on high ground. He also noted that though its position was good enough to deal with land foes; it stood out too much and would be easily vulnerable to foes attacking from the air. He asked Mistress Kira why it was built that way and she explained that the King Of Novatio was a good man and thus had the support of the Dragon Rangers. Though most of their involvement with the Kingdom itself was more personal than official.
Reis seemed happy.
"Novatio sure is a great place!" Reis exclaimed.
"Of course, the people are much better here than in Saggeese as well" Aurora scoffed.
Reis turned his gaze away from her.
"Erasa, are we still far from the Village of Shades?" Reis asked.
"It's right after Novatio fades from sight. Between Novatio and the Village Of Shades, there are a number of natural fortifications. One of them is a mountainous region that dominates the air and the second is a quick sand infested forest that goes around the mountains. The problem is; the mountains contain the nests of a horde of notorious creatures called Kaehum Dactyls. These creatures are swift fliers and possess strong breath attacks. Our ride could get bumpy" Mistress Kira explained.
"So the ground is a better option?" Reis asked.
"Yeah, it definitely is. Apart from dealing with the quick sand and a few poisonous critters, we're gonna have a fun time fighting Kaignis Wolves as well. Rumours say there's a great Kaignis wolf by the name of Sabre-fang who dwells within the forest below. He is also known as 'The Kaignis King'; a fierce wolf capable of killing with a gaze. His bite is even more poisonous than that of a mamba. Once bitten, the victim has roughly two objective hours to live. It is also said that his spirit is immortal. So if he happens to be killed in battle, he lives on within the one that slayed him. A pretty epic lore huh? Well, I'd like to give this Sabre-fang guy a try. A few bites here and there…so what? An epic battle is all that matters" Darak said with a smirk.
"You're psychotic. I think I prefer seeing a sarcastic look on your face. There's a good reason lores exist you know? Those that try to challenge them are often faced with a far worse objective reality than superstition" Reis muttered while glaring at Darak from the corner of his eyes.
"But that is what real men live for!" Darak challenged.
"Speak for yerself. I'm still a boy" Reis grumbled.
"Wow, you sure have no sense of pride in you, do you Reis?" Aurora teased.
Reis' eyebrows began to twitch revealing his efforts to seethe his irritation.
"Haha, looks like she'd rather mock me and face danger than give me a break and avoid it" Reis muttered with a sarcastic look on his face.
"Well to tell you the truth, I'd rather deal with wolves than face both Kaehum Dactyls and gravity" Erasa said.
"That's quite a clever way to live" Mistress Kira said with a laugh.
"What's gravity?" Reis asked ignorantly.
Since he had never actually been to school till he found himself in the Rangers' Guild, he was still having quite a hard time getting used to some of the terminologies often used.
"Uh…let me see, what's the simplest way to explain it? Terra, would you mind letting go of Reis for a moment so he can watch what happens?" Aurora teased.
"Hey! That's pretty mean Aurora!" Reis complained.
Erasa couldn't help laughing.
"I'd like to see what happens too" Darak added with a smirk.
"Now I'm just going to keep my big mouth shut for the rest of the journey" Reis grumbled.
"You could consider 'gravity' the embodiment of your worst nightmares. It's not heights you're scared of Reis. It's falling from heights, and gravity is the force that makes it possible" Darak explained.
"Tell me where Gravity lives so I can bury him!" Reis yelled excitedly.
"I don't think so. That'd be like fighting the planet Ryugaeia" Aurora said flatly.
"If you dislike gravity so much, here's an idea. Why don't you try living on the moon?" Darak teased.
"Okay you guys. Stop being mean to Reis. I'm sure he already feels less than himself for allowing you all to witness his weakness" Mistress Kira advised the young Rangers.
"Yes Ma'am" Aurora, Darak and Erasa responded with a slight tone of disappointment.
Reis remained silent from then on.
After a few more hours, Erasa began to show signs of familiarity with the land below them. She led them to a clearing within the Forest Of Shades and told them they didn't have much longer to go as long as they could avoid the dangers of the forest.
"Reis, we'll be landing soon. You do not yet have a dragon partner nor do you have any notable elemental affinities. We'll be dealing with flame natured Kaignis Wolves and a few natural traps. I think it advisable to leave the fighting to the rest" Mistress Kira advised.
"That's where you're wrong Ma'am. I grew up in land where elemental abilities would be useless even if you had any. Society would never let you forget that. Besides, it is precisely because I grew up without depending on such powers that I can handle myself pretty well. I'd say, above anything else, I'm a fairly decent hunter" Reis said with a laugh.
"I hope you're not just mouthing off Reis. This isn't going to be a game" Mistress Kira said sternly.
"To be honest, I'd say aerial combat in this situation would be more to our advantage. On the ground, the power of the dragons in combat would be useless particularly in a forest terrain, especially because the dragons of Ryugaeia are lovers of nature. That's one big power-up immediately crossed out. The Kaignis Wolves are also familiar with the terrain and in a forest terrain, our visual senses would be seriously impaired since we won't be able to get a good grasp of our surroundings, but the Kaignis wolves can hide anywhere; that fairly impairs our strategic abilities and even if we had those, the quicksand limits our movement. On the other hand, the forest is the Kaignis Wolves' backyard so our movement is impaired. That's quite a lot of overwhelming odds and it's not like we have a psychic to help us perceive our surroundings" Reis said.
The others stared at him in shock.
"Hey, hey, and you're seriously calling yourself an illiterate?" Darak seemed impressed.
Mistress Kira noticed how impressed Darak was.
"Well at least in the air we have our movement, senses and one huge power-up, the dragons; but that's just my opinion" Reis sighed.
Darak smirked.
"Hey, are you chickening out on me? Overwhelming odds are just my kind of fun" Darak burst into sinister laughter.
"I'm sorry to have to say this Darak…but are you sure you're not a psychological boneshaker?" Reis asked.
"And what's that supposed to be?!" Darak roared angrily.
"Are you sure your brains are firmly fitted in your skull or do you just want to die having fun fighting. Well to be honest, I'm just the new guy coming along and an extra to boot so it's not like my opinion really matters in this group" Reis sighed and shook his head.
"You're wrong Reis. Your opinion matters. In critical situations, trust in the team decides who lives and who dies. Try not to forget that…all of you" Mistress Kira said solemnly.
"Well whatever you choose, I'll offer my full support and do my best" Reis said.
"Tch! Who does that jerk think he is? Acting like some big shot?!" Reis heard Aurora complain and wished he had never spoken up.
"Unfortunately, we can't afford to go through the air since don't forget Reis; that our ultimate foe is in the end human. We haven't assessed their capabilities yet so we can't afford to be the first to be spotted. To some extent, at least the Kaignis Wolves have predictable attack patterns. I just pray we don't encounter the Kaignis King. Myth or otherwise, he'd be a terrifying opponent. One that is said to be able to attack humans within their souls" Mistress Kira said.
"Don't say that Mistress Kira! It is a well-known fact in this world…in fact, almost an objective reality that the probability you most try to avoid is often the one that becomes a reality" Darak complained.
"Somehow I'm pretty convinced about that last statement…haha" Reis chuckled nervously.
"Hey you guys! Stop creeping us out already!" Aurora yelled angrily.
"We're landing there!" Erasa pointed to a clearing.
Mistress Kira immediately noted the landscape and ordered the Dragons to descend slowly. She attempted to view the area as widely as possible in order to create a route that avoided the spots closest to the habitats of the Kaignis wolves. The Kaignis wolves mostly lived in caves and hollow trees. They were highly adaptable creatures that preferred both extremely humid areas and extremely dry areas. Like normal wolves they often moved in packs but the Kaignis wolves possessed great intelligence, almost close to the intelligence of humans…no…possibly surpassing that, for it was said they were almost psychic. They recognized only one Kaignis Wolf worldwide as their "Reis", their King. They would never bow to or heed the call of any other creature, natural or otherwise unless their Reis was defeated in battle. The Kaignis Wolves were known to offer unconditional loyalty to their Reis, so much in fact it seemed the Reis himself was an embodiment of their desire for the ideal leader.
Once on the ground, Mistress Kira instructed the Dragons to disappear for the mean time.
"Can we start moving now?" Aurora seemed impatient.
"N-Now that I th-think about it, I d-do recall that it w-was w-with the help of Effuien's psychic abilities we were able to make it through" Erasa said nervously.
Fear had already begun to creep into her heart as her familiarity of the landscape around her dawned on her so much it almost sickened her with fright.
"In other words, it's almost impossible to get through without a psychic to guide you?" Aurora asked.
She almost appeared impatient. The last thing she'd ever want to admit was that Reis was right. She'd rather take her chances against all the present odds than to ever trust a Saggeesian.
"That's what I'm trying to say. I'm so used to being with my family that…I didn't realize that Effuien was no longer here" Erasa said sadly.
"Don't worry Erasa. I'm sure they're alright" Reis assured her.
"Yeah, following the enemy's logic, Dragon Rangers are quite a valuable specimen. They'd only consider killing them only if they were sure there was a way to break the bond between the human and the dragon" Darak said.
"Couldn't you have put that in a much nicer way Darak?" Aurora sighed in exasperation.
"Actually, I thought that was pretty nice" Darak said.
After that, he began to mumble a lot of words as though he was grumbling.
"I give up, you're a lost cause" Aurora said as she shook her head in disappointment.
Reis couldn't help laughing.
"Don't worry. As long as we make sure to watch where we're walking and ensure the ground before us is firm, we'll be fine. You could try breaking branches and use them as "guides", so to speak" Reis said.
"That's actually a clever idea. We could test the ground before us with that huh?" Aurora grumbled.
"Heh, did you say something Aurora? I didn't quite catch that" Reis teased.
"I'm not repeating myself so just forget it. It was even an accident those words ever escaped my lips!" Aurora yelled angrily.
"I don't see why you should get so angry Aurora" Mistress Kira said with a smile.
"Uh…let's just pretend I never said anything, shall we?" Aurora scoffed and folded her arms defiantly.
"Just to make sure, I'll take the lead" Reis said as he sliced off a tree branch and walked ahead of them.
The others followed close behind.
"Well aren't you the perfect gentleman. I can say this for certain. It will definitely be fun to watch you sink" Aurora said with a sinister chuckle.
"Now you're jinxing me too? Isn't your hatred enough?" Reis thought with a depressed look on his face. "I know she's already killing me off in her mind".
The rangers walked on through the forest with no dangers crossing their path for a while. Since nothing seemed to be happening, Aurora began to get irritated with how heroic Reis was appearing to be.
"Are you sure there's any quicksand at all? Maybe it's just a bluff and you're playing along pretty well Reis" Aurora said.
"Hey! Hey! Just what kind of impression does she have of me?!" Reis exclaimed to himself.
Aurora quickly ran ahead of him.
"Hey Aurora! Wait! Don't be so careless!" Reis called to her.
"Sheesh! Why does her hatred for Reis always have to surpass her common sense?!" Mistress Kira exclaimed in anger and ran after Aurora.
Reis and the others followed her.
"Aurora! Slow down! It's dangerous to charge ahead on your own!" Reis called after her.
"Ha! I'm sure this whole quicksand and Kaignis King deal is just one big hoax!" Aurora said indignantly.
"Just don't be the one to confirm it isn't!" Darak said with a sinister grin.
"You really are a lost cause aren't you Darak?" Reis said.
"Oh, shut up!" Darak muttered harshly.
As the three rangers chased after Aurora, she temporarily disappeared out of sight. When they found her next, guess where she was?
Yup, in quicksand! Darak was right after all. He may be a lost cause but his skills at perception were really great…even if he mostly used them for the wrong purposes.
"R-Reis" Aurora said in a frightened tone.
"Aurora!" Mistress Kira called in alarm.
"Someone toss her a branch!" Darak exclaimed in concern.
Reis immediately sliced the longest branch he could find and stretched it out to her but unfortunately, the longest branch around appeared too short to reach her.
"Hey, I hear if you slither through the quicksand, depending on its density, you might not sink" Reis suggested.
"Well I'm certainly not going to be the one to test that theory" Darak scoffed and folded his arms angrily.
"Hey guys! Is now really the time for that?!" Erasa exclaimed angrily.
"And how did you get that far into the quicksand anyway? Did you dive in or what?!" Darak exclaimed angrily.
"Okay guys, run this by me again, this is a fantasy setting isn't it?" Reis asked.
"HEY! Don't you even try that! What are you, Emma Colette or what?!" Darak yelled.
"Who is Emma Colette?" Erasa asked innocently.
"Trust me, you definitely don't want to know" Darak said as his eyebrow began to twitch in a way that obviously emphasized how irritated he was. "If you ever hear her name, freaks of nature are bound to occur; and not the usual kind either. These ones are the kind of freaks of nature that are considered freaks even among freaks of nature. Like for example, what I see before me now" Darak said as he pointed ahead.
"Huh?" Erasa exclaimed as she looked ahead.
Reis was running on the quicksand towards Aurora. (Don't you even dare try this at home; or in this case, in any existing forest in your reality, even if you hear the name Emma Colette).
"Emma Colette must be a really frightening person" Erasa said with a shocked expression on her face.
"Let's just say she's a myth no one has heard of…yet" Darak said with a smirk.
"In other words an unborn legend huh? Then how do you know of her?" Erasa asked.
"Let's just assume I was mouthing off" Darak said with a grin.
"That just makes this an unnecessary plot twist don't you think?" Erasa said.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that just yet" Darak said as though he was attempting to stifle laughter.
"Aurora, reach out your hand!" Reis called.
"How are you even…?!" Aurora was shocked by this senseless display of courage and even more inexplicable was the phenomenon happening before her.
"Now's not the time!" Reis scolded her.
Aurora wasted no time in reaching out to him. Reis pulled her out of the quicksand as quickly as he could and carried her to safe land.
"Art thou even human?" Darak asked.
"Don't even start with me" Reis tried to end the topic as quickly as he could.
He set Aurora down as gently as he could.
"How did you do that, Reis? I demand an explanation!" Mistress Kira ordered.
"The way I see it, there are two possible explanations, one; the power of love can indeed make people fly or two, the mention of Emma Colette's name" Darak said.
"Well I guess I've got no choice. This guy's just making things tougher for me" Reis thought with an irritated look in his eyes.
"It's option 2! That has to be it!" Reis exclaimed.
"Seriously?! Who'd be dumb enough to believe that! There's no way the mention of Emma Colette…!" Aurora was yelling when suddenly…
"ARRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" loud howls filled the air.
"Oh no! Don't tell me…!" Mistress Kira appeared alarmed.
"You have got to be kidding me" Aurora said with a sarcastic look.
"The name Emma Colette really is effective…for better or worse isn't it?" Darak said with thumbs up.
"Darak…you archdemon, don't tell me…" Reis said as he glared at Darak from the corner of his eyes.
"Yes indeed! It is as thou imagineth! I hath been mumbling the name Emma Colette until Aurora ran off to test its efficacy and it's proven to be very effective so far!" Darak confessed.
"YOU IDIOT! WHO JINXES HIS OWN PARTY MEMBERS!!!" Aurora yelled angrily.
"Apparently, I do" Darak said with a smug look on his face.
"This guy is totally messed up in his archives!" Reis thought angrily.
"Let's get outta here!" Erasa screamed desperately.
"Sure thing! You ladies take the lead! I've got some hunting to do!" Darak exclaimed as he unsheathed his blade.
"In this case, I don't think there's much else we can do except summon the dragons and fly away but from this distance, the Kaehum Dactyls will spot us immediately and if we're knocked off the backs of the dragons, we'll just have to face the Kaignis Wolves again…except when that happens…we're most likely to face them injured" Mistress Kira explained the situation.
"Feel my flame!" Darak roared as he charged to attack the Kaignis Wolves.
"Though every cell in my body tells me I should just turn my back on that psycho, I don't think I can in this situation" Reis said as he unsheathed his father's blade.
"We'll just have to defend ourselves and come up with some way to escape" Mistress Kira said.
"Reis! Let's see who gets the most kills, shall we?!" Darak challenged.
"I certainly have no intention of indulging in any of your delusions! Our priority should be to survive!" Reis exclaimed.
"That's fine with me. You're still going to have to fight anyway and I'm still going to measure your skill even if you don't like it" Darak said.
"YOU SURE KNOW HOW TO IRRITATE ME DON'T YOU!" Reis yelled angrily.
"A simple rule of battle is…the first person to strike is always at an advantage" Darak laughed as he sliced a Kaignis-wolf apart.
Reis focused on knocking them out or rendering them immobile.
"Darak! You're so damn reckless! If they're as poisonous as we've heard! Isn't it simple knowledge to avoid their blood?!" Reis roared angrily.
"Maybe…or maybe not, it all depends on where the poison is" Darak seemed unperturbed as more Kaignis wolves fell by his blade.
As more Kaignis wolves charged out of hiding, Erasa, Mistress Kira and Aurora were forced to fend for themselves.
"Erasa! You're an earth based Ranger right? Think you can create a barrier around us to keep the other Kaignis wolves out?!" Mistress Kira ordered.
"Of course!" Erasa exclaimed as she punched the ground.
A huge circular wall of earth enclosed the perimeter around the rangers.
"Good going Erasa! Now, we can focus on dealing with the wolves here. We should also be able to hold out until the ones outside leave!" Aurora exclaimed happily.
Reis had just managed to evade the bite of a Kaignis wolf by stepping aside and smashing it in the forehead with the blunt side of his sword. The Kaignis wolf collapsed.
"If you don't kill them Reis, they're just going to wake up and come after our throats again" Darak warned.
"I have no intention of being manipulated by you" Reis said with a smirk as he immobilized more Kaignis wolves.
"If that's the case, then I'll just take 'em all! FIRE ELEMENT! PYROGEYSER!!!" Darak exclaimed as he released a huge amount of flame from his body.
"Fool! Don't you even think at all?!" Reis yelled angrily.
The Kaignis wolves were flame natured creatures so they consumed the flames Darak had just released and only grew stronger.
"Whoops, my bad" Darak said.
"How insincere!" Reis glared at him.
"Darak! Don't make things even more difficult for us just so you can have more fun, understand?!" Mistress Kira exclaimed with a terrifying glare.
Darak seemed intimidated. He didn't attempt to talk back to her or try anything crazy. When the final wolf within the barrier was down, the rangers slumped to the ground.
"Haaah, finally, we can rest up a bit" Aurora sighed tiredly.
They listened to hear the other wolves leave before they dropped the barrier. It took a very long time since the Kaignis wolves outside the barrier seemed to pace around them for a while as though waiting for an opening to break through and devour the comrades.
"Mistress Kira. How are we going to escape now?" Aurora asked worriedly.
"Normally, lighting a fire would scare wolves away. However, since the Kaignis Wolves have a strong affinity for flame, doing that would have the exact opposite effect on them" Mistress Kira exclaimed.
"But I think drenching them in water would definitely have an effect. And fortunately for us, we're a well balanced team. Aurora can summon and control water, Erasa earth, Darak fire and I'm guessing you also utilize fire Mistress Kira, right?" Reis asked.
"And you, nothing" Aurora said.
"She wastes no time in rubbing it in!" Reis seemed depressed.
"Let's consider me a neutral type okay?" Reis pleaded.
"Don't let it get to you Reis" Erasa said with a comforting smile.
"It's almost sunset. I guess we're just going to have to rest within these walls till tomorrow morning. The Kaignis wolves are nocturnal so they should return to sleep in the morning. We'll use that time to make it as far away from their territory and the territory of the Kaehum Dactyls as time can allow us to" Mistress Kira suggested.
"And Darak, I have one more suggestion to make. Don't you dare jinx this party again or so help me dear God, I'll bury you!" Mistress Kira threatened.
"Yikes! It looks like I really made her mad this time!" Darak seemed frightened.
"Someone has to rein this guy in" Reis thought to himself. "Mistress Kira, good job!" Reis said with a thumb's up and an extremely happy smile.
"You've got issues of your own dude" Darak grumbled in the corner.
"And make sure we can all hear what you're saying too Mister!" Mistress Kira added.
"Yeah, yeah!" Darak muttered and slumped into his corner.
A few hours later, the sun set.
"The most fortunate thing we could ask for now is rainfall. But that would be a double edged sword wouldn't it?" Reis asked.
"Not to us. Erasa could create a roof in an instant. Windows small enough to keep the Kaignis wolves out would be enough to keep us comfortable" Aurora said.
"Wow, that's amazing Erasa! So you could build a house in a single day?!" Reis exclaimed excitedly.
"That's an original way to think of it but I think it's too much of a stretch. I'm not so good with architecture, especially when it comes to controlling my abilities that accurately. This is probably the first time I've used my powers to build something like this" Erasa confessed.
"Don't be so modest Erasa. You need to praise yourself sometimes. This just shows how much you've improved. You've done well and I'm proud of you" Mistress Kira said.
"Thank you Ma'am" Erasa said happily.
"A certain someone could learn a thing or two from you" Mistress Kira said.
"Mistress Kira, please don't go fanning his flames. It would be troublesome to have an inferno on our hands don't you think?" Reis joked.
Aurora burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"An inferno! Now that's funny, good one Reis!" Aurora congratulated him.
Reis stared at her in surprise. In fact, everyone seemed surprised until Aurora realized what she had just done.
"Okay, you got me this time. I should at least be able to recognize a good joke, don't you agree?" Aurora chuckled and struggled to regain her composure.
"Moments like these are good for team development. I hope you can soon let go of you anguish Aurora" Mistress Kira prayed silently.
Hours had passed. The team had decided to split watch duties. Reis and Darak volunteered to be on the second shift. The Kaignis wolves had been pacing around the barrier for a while but showed no signs of retreating soon. At about the third hour to midnight, Reis noticed scuffling sounds as a few of the Kaignis wolves footsteps drew further and further away.
"Hey Darak" he whispered sharply.
Darak nodded. "Do you think they're retreating?" he asked.
"Or maybe just moving further out of sight to observe our next actions" Reis said.
"Well, the Kaignis wolves are said to possess great intelligence and they're almost impeccable hunters" Darak said.
"Ha, so you can actually think huh?" Reis teased.
"Who needs to think when there exists no danger capable of overcoming me?" Darak bragged.
"At first I used to think you were cool, then I thought you were just plain stupid but I was wrong, you're simply delusional" Reis said.
"And what's so wrong with that if I can afford to be delusional?" Darak taunted.
"I give up" Reis sighed. "Let's keep watch for a bit more" he suggested.
At about an hour to midnight, the activities of the Kaignis wolves appeared to slow down. They became more silent and it appeared more of them had retreated.
"Reis, I think they may soon all leave us" Darak whispered.
But just after he said that, the footsteps of more Kaignis wolves were heard to be drawing closer.
"What's going on? I thought they were retreating" Darak whispered.
"Wait a minute! Don't tell me…" Reis sighed in defeat.
"What?" Darak asked.
"Darak, I think it's hopeless to sit this out. The Kaignis wolves are…as unbelievable as it sounds, they're changing shifts as well" Reis admitted with a look on his face that showed he was shocked to the point of finding their entire situation quite humorous.
"Tell me you're not joking" Darak muttered.
"I'm not" Reis said.
"Sweet!" Darak said with a sinister chuckle.
"Darak, damn you!" Reis growled angrily.
"I think we should tell Mistress Kira before she gets mad at us later" Darak suggested.
"Why don't we tell her when we're about to change shifts. That way she can get enough rest" Reis suggested.
The two boys sighed and slumped to the ground. The night was a gloomy one. A crescent moon showed in the sky. There were countless stars as well but the glory of the sky was nothing as compared to the gloom and terror the ground ruled by the force known as gravity presently presented to the party. The sounds of the forest were intimidating enough. The howls of the Kaignis wolves scary enough but the most frightening thing plaguing the boys presently was their fear of the mysterious being known as the Kaignis King.
As midnight approached, the night grew darker. The shadows expanded even more.
"If it comes down to it, I may be forced to use my abilities and this time, I don't think the mention of the name 'Emma Colette' is going to cut it as a decent enough explanation. The first two times were fortunate coincidences but I doubt any superstitious ability that name may hold may not be enough to justify what I may be forced to do" Reis thought to himself. "If there is another way to get out of this without having to rely on my powers, I'll choose that path instead".
Thirty minutes to midnight, the Kaignis wolves were almost silent. The surrounding darkness was almost unnatural. Reis and Darak quickly awakened the others.
Reis explained the situation as calmly as possible.
"Hmm, that is quite strange. Why instead of considering to hunt other creatures would they choose to keep us entrapped?" Mistress Kira thought.
"Something just doesn't sit right with this whole scenario" Darak said.
"Hmm, do you think the Kaignis King could actually exist?" Erasa asked Reis.
"My gramps used to tell me everything that has a name exists" Reis informed her.
"That doesn't sound so reassuring. Where then do we draw the line between imagination and reality?" Aurora asked.
"How is it possible to imagine something that doesn't exist in the first place?" Reis asked her.
"Instead of wasting time and energy on vexing your minds, use those to recover your energy. We might need it all, if we're going to survive this night" Mistress Kira advised the youths.
"ARRRROOOOOOOOOGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" a sudden loud howl filled the air.
Reis and the others had to cover their ears to prevent the sound from deafening them. This howl was certainly different from anything they'd heard from the other Kaignis wolves and now, it was almost midnight. The one moment that stood between the past, present and future. The howls increased in volume and intensity. It was like the sound made when a pack of wolves and a pride of lions were all making noise at the same time.
"Don't tell me…IT'S REALLY REAL!" Aurora screamed.
A shadow moved swiftly through the forest as the eyes of a predator scanned the area. These eyes could see the warmth in the forest. Yes, the warmth of five humans. It chuckled slightly. They were frightened by its presence and seemed to doubt its existence.
It would definitely take them some time to recover from the shock of its howl. Yes indeed, in an RPG, this attack could be likened to an intimidation move. Their confusion was tearing down their defences. The girl who had set up the barrier could not muster enough mental stamina to hold it in place any longer and their party formation was almost in shambles. An easy victory, the creature thought.
He had all the time in the world to pick who his first victim would be. He raised his eyes to the sky and stared at the moon, the moon of the Kaignis King, the Crescent Crimson Kaignis Moon. The king raised his voice and sang a song in courtship of the night. The moon responded as the mark of the king, two cross shaped scars appeared, on his forehead. The king was hungry for a fight. Was there a worthy opponent among the humans present? How would they react? He stared at them and could see where each was focusing their attention. There was one absolutely selfish human who was extremely strong, yet his flames would not be enough to oppose the king. There was another human who appeared to coordinate the others and her attention was focused on them. She surprisingly seemed composed enough to fight the king. There was a familiar presence, yes, the scent of a girl who had passed through the forest with a few other humans days ago but he wasn't interested in her. Her mind wasn't even on the present situation and her consciousness was shaken by more than just one ordeal. There was a girl too with conflicted feelings. She seemed to harbour a strong hatred for one of her party members while she also possessed strong love for the others. The Kaignis King had finally found his victim, the last of the party, the boy. He had silver hair, just like the moon gleamed whenever the Kaignis King wasn't present. He had within his heart all of Ryugaeia and…
"That boy, he possesses the Seal of Aralpheisl" the Kaignis King narrowed his eyes.
"How is it possible for a human to house all of Ryugaeia within his heart? However he appears to be conflicted in his feelings. His love is clouded by a guilt he has no reason to bear and the hatred focused on him by that other human is throwing his balance off. No matter how I look at him, he appears to be…interesting prey! Well then, let us see if my poison can devour his soul or perhaps, will fate prove the Seal Of Aralpheisl to be a formidable force? Either way, I must test this human" the king said as his shadow faded into the shadows of the surrounding trees.
A moment passed and the forest returned to its silence.
"When One Possesses The Seal Of Aralpheisl, he shall become Ryugaeia itself. Do you possess the Strength Of Heart to Carry Within yourself, the Will Of Ryugaeia's Heart and become…The Wise One Of The Unison Courts at the end…of your journey?" Reis heard a voice whisper to him.
"Huh?" he appeared perplexed.
"D-Did you guys just hear something?" he asked the others.
"How could we not hear that howl Reis?!" Aurora seemed irritated.
"I meant…" Reis was about to say when the voice rang again.
"Wilt thou even knowing all that thou art capable of…still deny thineself?" the voice rang again.
Reis stared at the others. They appeared perplexed as well…but it appeared it was for a different reason.
"W-Wait a minute! Could it be that…they can only hear howls?" Reis asked himself.
Erasa seemed frightened. Her fright caused cracks to appear in the barrier of earth she had created and it started to crumble.
"Erasa! Maintain your composure!" Mistress Kira ordered.
Erasa gulped and remained behind her as the barrier of earth continued to crumble. As its height reduced, the party could see a faint crimson light glowing just beyond the walls, then the figure began to become more and more apparent.
Crimson fur, a cross shaped scar on its forehead, sinister crimson eyes, terrifying sabre fangs that could rip any being regardless of armour apart and a mouth curled into a vicious snarl. The Kaignis King had finally shown his true face and now they knew for sure. Just beyond the wall stood their worst fear, the being that could attack humans within their souls, The Kaignis King, Sabre Fang!
The party quivered as the wolf stared at them. Its gaze shifted over them all as though it was sizing them up. They finally understood how it felt to be looked upon as food.
"It's not…possible. Y-You can't be real" Mistress Kira muttered in fear.
The Kaignis King did not reply. For a moment, it shut its eyes and in the next instant, it had disappeared. The party stared around fearfully for a while and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"DON'T LET DOWN YOUR GUARD YET! HIS KILLING INTENT IS STILL IN THE ATMOSPHERE!!!" Reis warned the others.
In an instant, the Kaignis King stood before Aurora.
"Shoot! How could we be so careless?!" Darak exclaimed as he rushed to parry the Kaignis King's attack.
The Kaignis King glared at him and he was instantly paralyzed.
"Know thine place human! The force of thine will is not enough to quell mine!" the voice of the Kaignis King roared within Darak's mind.
"I can't believe…how sinister its will is!" Darak exclaimed.
The Kaignis King grinned and opened up its fangs to devour Aurora! Aurora was frozen in fear. She stared as the mouth of the Kaignis king opened wide. Beyond its mouth was darkness and intense flame. It felt as though Aurora was staring into her fate.
"I-I c-can't do anything!" Aurora realized how immobilized she was. "I've got to move or…I'll…I'll die…die!" Aurora's mind screamed desperately.
The words kept ringing within her mind but she was held to the ground as though her fear had intensified the force of gravity itself. She shut her eyes to avoid the horrible moment and in the next instant, heard a roar followed by a piercing sound. She could feel her protective gear and clothes dripping with a fluid she knew within her mind was blood. She could not feel any pain yet and wondered if she was already dead till she heard a painful voice call to her.
"Au-rora"
"Am I alive?" she wondered and opened her eyes.
A figure stood before her but she could not recognize it. She thought she knew the person.
"S-Sir Jinrai?" She called fearfully.
"A-Are y-you alright…Aurora" the voice called again.
Her senses were disoriented. She could not make sense of anything that was happening around her. As her senses began to focus, she lifted her eyes to behold her rescuer and found despair!
Reis stood between her and the Kaignis King. Everyone else had their weapons stuck within the Kaignis King.
"LET HIM GO!!!" Erasa screamed in anguish as she stabbed at the Kaignis King as many times as she could.
Darak's flames were burning intensely around the Kaignis King and Mistress Kira was attempting to strangle it.
"R-REIS!!!" Aurora screamed in terror.
The Kaignis Kings fang was lodged deeply in Reis' arm. Reis had managed to deal a fatal blow to the Kaignis King. In his attempt to save Aurora, he pierced it through its upper jaw and managed to pierce through its head but now, the Kaignis King's poison was already coursing through Reis' veins.
"WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO STUPID AFTER EVERYTHING I PUT YOU THROUGH! REIS!!!" Aurora screamed.
She was torn between hating Reis even more and being concerned but she couldn't help crying in anguish.
"D-Don't be silly. D-Don't you recall our oath? 'I will protect the weak and free the oppressed'. Though in this case, while protect-ting th-the weak, I ended up b-becoming the oppressed. H-How i-ronic" Reis joked with a laugh.
"R-Reis! Reis!" Aurora called in anguish.
"Though that's just me trying to go off with a cool line. I guess that just doesn't cut it" Reis said as he fell on his knees.
"Kid! If you think I'm going down with you…then you're sorely mistaken!" the Kaignis King roared and sank his fangs even deeper into Reis' flesh.
Aurora grabbed hold of its neck and pulled out her Sabre. She sunk it deep into the neck of the Kaignis King.
"Our battle has only just begun, Reis Dragonhaart, cherished one of the Dragons!" the Kaignis King declared as he became an immaterial being and faded away.
"How lame. I haven't even partnered with a dragon yet, and here I am…dying" Reis scolded himself.
Aurora quickly removed a handkerchief from among her things and tied Reis' hand above the bite to slow the progression of the poison.
"Why would you be so reckless?!" Aurora scolded Reis.
Darak stared at Reis in anguish. Mistress Kira and Erasa seemed distraught. Aurora stared at Reis and for a moment, it felt to her as though she'd lost Jared a second time.
"You're a dragon ranger. My partner, my friend and someone dear to me" Reis said with a comforting smile.
Mistress Kira raised her ring and summoned the dragons.
"Aurora! Summon Marina immediately!" she ordered.
Aurora seemed confused but she immediately obeyed.
"What has happened to him?!" Marina exclaimed in worry.
"He's been poisoned; by the Kaignis King!" Mistress Kira exclaimed.
"How could this…happen again?!" Marina exclaimed in horror.
"Again?" Mistress Kira seemed perturbed but she calmed herself. "Can you cure him?" she asked.
"I can't but I can slow down the venom's progression" Marina said and placed a finger to Reis' forehead.
He instantly fell into a slumber. Then Marina encased Reis' body in water. The venom began to seep into the water from Reis' pores but within his body, it was expanding quickly. The proportion of extraction to expansion was enough to keep the venom from reaching Reis' heart for a while.
"Now quickly! We must take him to the Village of Shades!" Dragnarӧk ordered as he roared so ferociously, the surrounding Kaignis wolves scattered.
The rangers mounted their dragon partners. Marina held Reis securely in her jaws without hurting him with her fangs.
"It's my fault! I should have done something myself!" Aurora cried as the dragons soared through the skies moving so fast the Kaehum Dactyls that attempted to pursue them could not keep up.
"Damn! We should have just come straight through Kaehum Dactyl territory or found some way around it!" Mistress Kira cursed her own carelessness.
**** **** **** ****
THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE OF SHADES…
Mistress Kira advised the Dragons to keep their presences concealed at all times. They were quite amused with her concern but disappeared all the same. The Rangers quickly changed into clothes that would not expose their identities. Marina was forced to transform the orb of water around Reis into a protective aura instead to protect the Rangers' identities.
"Erasa, are you familiar with any of the villagers?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Yes, there was this kind doctor who looked after us. His name was Gensai" Erasa said worriedly.
"Then I'll leave getting past the sentries to you since you're familiar with the Village" Mistress Kira said.
"That's fine with me" Erasa said as the rangers approached the gates of the main village.
The Village of Shades was a village made out completely of wooded houses. The village was filled with plant life and decorated with many tall ornamental trees. Since it was so close to Kaehum Dactyl territory, the trees provided a shield from the view of the Kaehum Dactyls as they flew over. It was seldom that they attacked the Village. However, this was not the case with the Kaignis Wolves. They were the Village's main scourge till the bandits appeared.
Finally, the rangers stood before the sentries.
"Erasa, is that really you? I thought we'd never see you again!" one of the sentries exclaimed.
His partner motioned to him to be silent.
"Erasa, it's dangerous to hang around. The bandits. They've left the village for a short while but I bet they'll be back soon. The men of the village have been discussing ways to increase the Village's defences but so far we're at a disadvantage. Those bandits have some sort of dragon manipulation ability" the other sentry explained the situation.
"Wow, it looks like you're pretty trusted around here huh Erasa?" Darak whispered.
"Who is that kid on your back?" the sentry who had spoken earlier questioned Mistress Kira.
"We found him injured and have decided to bring him to Dr Gensai on Erasa's recommendation" Mistress Kira said calmly.
"Wait a minute…" the other sentry seemed suspicious all of a sudden.
Mistress Kira and Darak already had their hands on their stealthily concealed blades, ready to strike if necessary.
"That kid seems pretty familiar. Yeah I know, he resembles one of Dr Gensai's old friends!" the sentry said.
Mistress Kira and Darak let go of their blades.
"Really? It must be a coincidence. We're in a hurry. His condition is worsening and we really need Doctor Gensai to take a close look at him" Mistress Kira said impatiently while trying to sound as polite as possible.
"Sure, go right ahead" the sentries opened the gates and gave the rangers passage.
"These guys are too trusting" Darak whispered to Mistress Kira when they were out of the sentries' range.
"This is such a beautiful village" Aurora observed.
"It is indeed. Erasa, how far are we to Dr Gensai's house?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Not very far; we should arrive there in a few minutes" Erasa informed her.
As the rangers proceeded through the town, they noticed that a few buildings were damaged and many more seemed to be currently undergoing repairs.
"This must be the work of the bandits" Darak muttered.
"Unfortunately, this village has more enemies than just the bandits. The Kaignis wolves have been their main source of misfortune for a long time now" Erasa explained.
When they finally arrived at Dr Gensai's house, Erasa knocked on the door. There was no reply so she knocked a bit harder. The rangers could hear footsteps.
"Who is it?" a young male voice asked.
"It's me Justin" Erasa replied.
The sounds of locks being unbolted could be heard and in a few minutes, the door was opened. A young boy stood before them. He was about twelve years of age.
"Hello Erasa, it's good to see you again" the boy said with a welcoming smile.
"These are my friends, Kira, Aurora, Darak and Reis. We really need your gramps now is he in?" Erasa introduced the others.
"What's wrong?" Justin asked.
"One of my friends was bitten by a Kaignis Wolf" Erasa explained.
"Come in quickly" Justin suddenly seemed very serious.
"Thanks" Erasa said gratefully.
The others followed behind her. Darak carried Reis into the house.
"For a while, we thought the bandits had killed you" Justin said with a sigh of relief.
"I would have died…but Reis saved me. I can finally repay my debt to him" Erasa said with a happy smile.
"Gramps! Gramps! Erasa's back and one of her teammates has been poisoned by a Kaignis wolf. We really need your help!" Justin called.
In the next instant, an elderly man stood before them. Though the room appeared messed up with books lying everywhere, he somehow managed to appear before them without falling to the ground.
"Justin! Didn't I tell you to clean up the place?!" the old man roared angrily.
"I did but whenever you study, you just mess it up again and you're always studying" Justin seemed frustrated.
"Well clean it up again! I can't tend to my patients in an untidy environment! I can't have my fellow doctors laughing at me for this!" the old man yelled angrily.
"I'm sorry gramps. I'll get back on it right now" Justin pleaded and headed out to get a broom.
Reis was breathing hoarsely now. He was sweating profusely and his temperature was quickly rising.
"Hello everyone, I'm Dr Gensai. Friends of Erasa are friends of mine. Follow me" he motioned to them.
The Rangers followed Dr Gensai into a room which was very neat.
"Put him on the bed right there" Dr Gensai motioned to them as he himself went elsewhere to get changed.
When he returned, he looked much neater.
"Now, let me take a look at him" he said as he walked to the bed and examined Reis.
"Who was it that tied his arm above the bite?" Dr Gensai asked.
"I-It w-was I" Aurora said worriedly.
She feared that she might have endangered Reis' life even more.
As Doctor Gensai examined Reis, he thumbed up her.
"Good job, exerting pressure on his blood vessels above the wound slowed down the poison's progression towards his heart. What you should have done next was this" Dr Gensai said as he picked up a blade and placed it into the fireplace till it was searing hot.
Then he walked to Reis and made an incision at the point where the bite was.
"You should have attempted to bleed out as much of the poison as you could without severing any of his major blood vessels" Dr Gensai informed them.
He inspected Reis more.
"Surprisingly enough though, it somehow appeared this was achieved through some other method. The rate of blood cell degeneration appears to be particularly low. I have to hand it to you Dragon Rangers. Your very existence is a miracle" Dr Gensai said.
"I see. That was what Marina did earlier and the fact that she drained the poison through his pores made it a much more effective method than blood-letting" Mistress Kira observed.
"Aurora, you have one fine dragon partner" Mistress Kira complimented her.
Aurora smiled happily.
"What exactly did you say bit him?" Dr Gensai asked. "If I don't know exactly what that was, concocting anti-venom will be particularly difficult. Before that, I want to know this…was any of you stupid enough to attempt sucking out the poison from his wound?" Dr Gensai asked.
"Why is that a stupid thing to do Doctor? I hear it's effective in dealing with poison from a bite" Aurora asked curiously.
"Tell me you did not attempt it" Dr Gensai said seriously.
"I-I didn't" Aurora said truthfully.
"Good. It is effective in some cases depending on the potency of the venom and the health of the one doing the draining. However with more potent venom, you could have two patients on your hand since if a bit of the poison entered your digestive system, it wouldn't be much different from taking in poison. Even with weaker venom, if there is a wound in your mouth you're unaware of, the poison could easily make it into your blood vessels through there and I don't need to tell you it will flow much faster to your heart than from the limbs of the one who was poisoned through a bite" Dr Gensai explained.
"I see" Mistress Kira took note of his words.
"I am particularly shocked to see the poison hasn't reached his heart yet though because the potency of Kaignis wolf poison is very high" Dr Gensai said.
"Actually, Dr Gensai…he was bitten by the Kaignis King" Mistress Kira confessed.
"What?! Repeat what you just said and tell me you're just joking!" Dr Gensai exclaimed fearfully.
"Oh? So you heard it the first time didn't you old man?" Darak muttered.
"Show some respect Darak or so help me dear God I'll bury you!" Mistress Kira glared at him angrily.
Darak stepped as far away from her as he possibly could.
"Now that's an extreme reaction from the strongest rookie in the guild" Aurora seemed bored with his reaction.
"Is there anything you can do for him Doctor Gensai?" Erasa asked worriedly.
"There is only one thing. I hope it will be effective but if it isn't, the only choice we have is to wait out…his demise" Dr Gensai said truthfully.
The rangers were shocked to hear this.
"N-No. Not so soon after…" Aurora seemed shocked.
Erasa, Mistress Kira and Darak were rendered speechless as well.
"I've been working on a new formula to deal with Kaignis wolf venom. It involves boosting his immunity to the poison while speeding up his cellular regeneration but it has been tailored for use with the poison of the Kaignis wolves itself as the base. I do not know whether the Kaignis King's venom differs in its molecular construction from the Kaignis wolves'. If it does, all this formula will do is speed up his cellular regeneration abilities but it will not counter the poison itself in any way" Dr Gensai said. "The only miracle we can hope for is that the boy is strong enough to overcome the poison on his own. For now, I will take a sample of his blood for testing".
Dr Gensai brought out a syringe from one of his drawers and withdrew a sample of Reis' blood. Then he walked out of the room.
"I advise you get some rest" he instructed them but the way he said it was so grim the rangers felt fearful
"The name 'Emma Colette' is really frightening isn't it?" Darak said.
"That's because you believe it to be an omen for ill damn you! Don't you know the principles of good and bad luck operate around your own belief systems?! The name only has that sort of effect because it's exactly what you believe it is capable of!" Aurora yelled at Darak.
Reis grunted in pain.
"I think we should be silent in here" Mistress Kira advised.
"Sorry" Aurora apologized and remained silent.
In his room, Dr Gensai brought out his anti-venom and began to experiment with Reis' blood under a microscope.
No matter what he tried, it didn't appear anything was changing. Reis' blood appeared to be poisoned but it did not appear as though his cells were degenerating as quickly as a regular Kaignis wolves' poison would cause them to.
"This isn't right. It's not normal. By usual standards, he shouldn't be in as critical a condition as he's in. Or could it be that the poison's effects are more psychological than biological?" Dr Gensai wondered.
Dr Gensai rushed back to the room the others were in and examined Reis' pulse and his eyes.
"It is exactly as I suspected. A fearful form of hallucination has been cast on him and it's causing his mind to degenerate instead of his blood. It's just like that other time. How long has it been since then…Jinrai? Forgive me. It appears once again…I'm going to be unable to save your son, just as I was unable to save you. I'll trust your bloodline though Jinrai. Just as you pulled through relying on the Strength Of Your Heart, I believe…your son will too" Dr Gensai thought to himself.
"Everyone, please remain calm. I'm sorry to have to say this but…unfortunately, there is nothing I can do…to save your friend. Unless he can pull through relying on the Strength Of His Own Heart, he's going to die. It is not his blood that has been poisoned. It is his mind. His mind has been poisoned to an extent that his body is reacting to the Kaignis King's bite just as it would react to any malicious invader" Doctor Gensai said.
"Are you trying to say he is being possessed by the Kaignis King?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Unfortunately, that is exactly what I am trying to say.