The valley of Baica looked as beautiful as ever, flowers blooming in a vivid, almost unfair display of life. But for Reika, lying limply on the bed, it was all one big, painful nightmare. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, and she was sprawled out on the bed like a wilting vegetable, looking as lifeless as one too. Face pale and eyes empty, she looked like she'd given up on life entirely.
"Oh no, am I really done for? Is this it? No way! I haven't even had my big breakthrough moment yet! Going out like this would be such a waste!" Reika muttered weakly, filled with existential regret.
Heavy footsteps approached outside, and soon enough, Corwin Brightforge entered the room with a grim look, as if the world were ending. In his hand, he held a bowl of medicine with a suspicious aroma, looking for all the world like a hero about to bear a great burden.
"This wound of yours... it's bad," Corwin declared, staring at her swollen, inflamed leg with a face that looked even grimmer. "This Rejuvenation Elixir can only keep the infection at bay temporarily. We'll need the Grand Healer, Alden Ravenshadow, to truly fix this."
Reika's eyes rolled dramatically at this news. "Knew it! This 'Rejuvenation Elixir' is just a gimmick, huh? All grandiose in name but doesn't really solve the issue? And now I need the healer with the fanciest name ever... Alden Ravenshadow? What's next, a quest to summon him?"
Corwin sighed. "The herb storage was raided recently; quite a lot was stolen. We're running low on everything, even the elixir."
Reika groaned inwardly, thinking, *"Just how badly guarded is this place if people can just steal the meds?"*
A sneering laugh came from the doorway. Zara Brightforge, looking very pleased with herself, entered with an air of superiority, casting a condescending glance at Reika.
"Oh, Reika, just look at you... so helpless," Zara said, her lips curving into a smug smirk like a peacock preening its feathers.
Reika took a deep breath, restraining the urge to shout, *"You're the helpless one!"* Instead, she rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh? Thanks for the concern, I'm still hanging on."
Zara's sneer widened. "Heard you needed a dose of that rare elixir? Funny thing—I just happen to have some."
"Great. And the catch is...?" Reika asked directly, mentally bracing herself for whatever outrageous condition was coming. No way would Zara do anything for free.
Zara pretended to think it over, then said with a sly smile, "Simple. I want Zephyr Nightbane to spend an entire day with me."
"What?!" Reika nearly fell out of bed, eyes wide in disbelief. *Did this woman really just demand that?*
Zephyr, standing nearby, froze at the demand, a mixture of surprise and reluctant intrigue in his expression. *This is way too bold, even for her!*
Yet a thought struck him. *Wait a second… Zara's family runs the biggest auction house in Elmwood City—they must know something about those obsidian crystals I've been investigating.* After a moment's pause, he turned to Zara with a calm smile.
"Alright, I accept." His voice was steady.
Reika, looking like she'd been struck by lightning, stared at Zephyr in shock, tinged with disbelief and a strange sense of appreciation. Her mind was whirling. *He's actually sacrificing himself for me? Is this some kind of epic romantic sacrifice? This is like straight out of a classic romance novel!*
Eyes wide and glittering with tears, she looked at him with dramatic fervor. "You… you'd do all that for me? A whole day? You know how much that means, right? I owe you my life!"
Zephyr felt his mind go blank, trying to keep his composure while his inner thoughts were in a frenzy. *No! This isn't what you think—I just need those auction details! But how do I explain that right now?!*
He managed an awkward laugh, scratching his head. "It's nothing… friends, right? That's what friends do."
"Friends?! You're sacrificing a whole day for me and calling it 'just friendship?'" Reika's eyes sparkled, and he could practically feel her internal monologue turning him into some kind of chivalrous knight.
Zara, however, was far from impressed. With a smirk, she said, "So it's settled, then. I'll be here tomorrow to pick you up, Zephyr dear. Make sure you're ready." She swayed out of the room, her perfume lingering like a villain's calling card.
Watching her leave, Reika muttered, "Doesn't she seem like some over-the-top anime villain? Even her exit's got its own theme music."
Once Zara was gone, Reika burst out laughing, clutching her sides. "Oh my gosh, Zephyr, your sacrifice! Your expression was priceless! Like Sasuke joining the Snake Squad in *Naruto*! Classic!"
Zephyr shook his head, sighing with a small, helpless smile. "You're having way too much fun with this, aren't you?"
Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, she grinned and said, "But seriously, thank you! I can't believe you did that. I owe you big time!"
Zephyr's face twitched as he fought back a sigh. *One little act, and now I've got a life debt hanging over me? Great.*
As night descended, Reika finally drifted off to sleep, while Zephyr watched over her, sighing deeply. The misunderstanding was getting bigger by the second, and there was no easy way to clarify things now. Between Zara's schemes, the obsidian crystal mystery, and Reika's increasing antics, he sensed a storm brewing.
Meanwhile, Reika was fully convinced of his "noble sacrifice," thoughts swirling with a mix of admiration and confusion.
*"How does he manage to be this selfless? Wow, Zephyr… you're really one of a kind."*
＊＊＊
Lying in bed, Reika glared at her arm, the one still sporting the bite mark from that overexcited phoenix rooster. She couldn't help the flood of questions and self-pity running through her mind. Who would've guessed that the queenly, majestic bird would take one look at her during the spirit beast showcase and launch itself at her like she was a long-lost best friend—only to clamp onto her arm like a crazed fan?
"Did this rooster mistake me for its owner or something?" Reika sighed. Just thinking about that high-and-mighty bird bouncing over to her with starry eyes, then nipping her out of sheer excitement, made her cringe with a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"This is insane! I came to see the spirit beasts, not to be chosen by one!" she muttered to herself, feeling thoroughly vexed by the situation.
"If it hadn't latched onto me like that, I wouldn't be stuck here, that's for sure," she groaned, shooting her injured arm a resentful look.
At that moment, Corwin Brightforge entered, carrying a bowl of the oddly scented Rejuvenation Elixir. His face was grim, like he'd just been entrusted with saving the universe.
"This potion should stabilize the injury, but it won't neutralize the spirit energy entirely. We'll need to find a better solution," Corwin said seriously, glancing at her wound.
Reika thought back to that bizarre feeling when the phoenix rooster bit her, mumbling, "That bird… do you think it'll try to nibble on me again? It's too persistent…"
Corwin frowned, looking at her wound. "The energy from that phoenix rooster is unique. This is no ordinary injury. I'm going to call Elder Alden Ravenshadow."
Reika perked up at that. Alden Ravenshadow was the legendary healer known throughout the sect, though his methods were famously…unpredictable. Tales were told of his absurd prescriptions, but they all had shockingly high success rates. In short, he was the unhinged genius of the sect, able to heal anything, but always with a hint of chaos.
"Oh, great," Reika sighed, "now I'm not only bitten by a rare rooster but have to be treated by the resident comedy relief? This just gets better."
Right on cue, a cheerful voice sounded outside. "Who's saying I'm not reliable? Aha! Looks like someone's been giving me a bad rep!"
In swept Elder Ravenshadow, his long white beard nearly brushing the ground, waving a folding fan with every step. His face was covered in so many smile lines his eyes were practically closed, and he looked like a blend of a wise old sage and a mischievous trickster.
Reika stared, her inner monologue kicking into high gear. Is he…Gandalf meets Master Roshi?
Elder Ravenshadow examined her injury with a mischievous smile, tapping her arm with his fan. "Quite the curious wound! That spirit energy has intertwined with yours. Yep, this one's a classic case of 'unbind the rooster to unbind the wound.' That bird is very taken with you, young lady."
Reika blinked. "Unbind the rooster?! It bit me, and you're saying it has a crush?"
Ravenshadow chuckled, giving his fan a little flourish as if he'd seen it all before. "Exactly. It's likely that it mistook you for its rightful owner and got a bit too excited. So to fix this, you'll have to get it to settle things personally."
Reika gaped, looking thoroughly scandalized. "What? It's supposed to fix it? That bird won't 'settle things'—it'll just bite me again!"
Zephyr chimed in with a smirk. "Guess our next mission's become a 'find the bird' quest. The rooster roams freely, but it has its favorite spots. We could try the dining hall or the spirit beast enclosure."
Reika rolled her eyes at the thought of the rooster bouncing around like some overgrown chicken. "Dining hall? That fancy bird has to hang out somewhere more refined than a food court, right?"
Elder Ravenshadow cackled even louder. "Oh, you'd be surprised! Our little phoenix rooster may look elegant, but it's got the appetite of a fiend. It often stakes out the dining hall, eyeing any food with a hint of spirit energy. It's a regular glutton!"
Reika facepalmed, mentally dubbing it the Spirit Beast Snacker. "Guess it's a beast with expensive tastes."
Zephyr chuckled. "We'll head to the dining hall. And if we find it, I'll try my best to 'calm it down' before it decides to get…attached again."
"Calm it down?!" Reika clutched her arm defensively, remembering the bite all too well. She wasn't eager for a repeat performance.
Ravenshadow folded his fan with a cryptic smile. "Relax. Now that it sees you as its 'master,' it'll likely behave…in theory."
A shiver of doubt crept into Reika's mind, but they'd already reached the point of no return. With a deep breath, she gathered her courage. "Alright, then! Time to track down that rooster!"
Corwin looked at her resolute expression and shook his head with a small smile. "Just remember, it's a proud creature. If you get too excited, it might…take another bite."
Reika shuddered, sighing dramatically. "If it bites me again, I might just roast it myself!"
And with that, they set off toward the dining hall and the spirit beast enclosure, ready for their impromptu "Find the Rooster" mission. Little did they know, this rooster hunt was about to get a lot more complicated than they'd bargained for.
"This rooster isn't setting me up for another round of mayhem, right?" Reika thought, bracing herself for whatever chaotic twists awaited.