There's a big canon change here. While shamans are really, really cool, they don't really add anything to the main story, as most of them are "secret characters." That, and I don't want Ryu anywhere near that whore, Sana. Love triangles are cool, but love quadrilaterals/pentagons/hexagons/dodecagons/polyhedrons are not (they were only cool in Escaflowne). Therefore, I've given them the axe. But, hopefully, you will find the changes to canon a new, refreshing, and enjoyable alteration. For one, I'm going to treat the so-called Dragon Power as a more mysterious force. So no blowing up of old ladies' forest homes, Ryu-chan.
As for why Nina gets to liplock Ryu first--flip of a coin. Seriously.
Translation Note: I shouldn't have to say this. This has to be the most well-known Japanese word short of "kawaii." "Ryu" has more than one meaning, but the one obviously used in Breath of Fire is that of "dragon."
Chapter Eleven: Watery GravesThe party crept through the tunnels beneath Capitan with care and trepidation. Ryu was on point, his sword out and a lantern in hand, illuminating the dripping walls with its pale light.
Nina, who was following close behind, mused silently, He's so different from before. He looked so…passionate and worried when he was talking about his sister. He looked so sad when he talked about losing her. But now he's cold again, closed up and not willing to let anyone inside. Oh, Ryu, don't you know you can let go of all that? You have friends who'll listen and help you. Nina sighed for her friend. But if you did that, you wouldn't be Ryu anymore, would you? You don't want to rely on anyone else.
Then a chitinous head appeared out of the darkness, mandibles snapping wildly. Nina leaped back with a cry. "Yaa!" she reflexively hurtled an arc of lightning at the giant insect, blasting open its exoskeleton and leaving it as little more than charcoal.
"What the hell is that thing?" Katt moaned, covering her nose in disgust. "Ew, it smells horrible! Couldn't you have just frozen it to death, Nina?"
"S-sorry," the Windian stammered. "W-what is it?"
Ryu knelt and sifted through the remains with his fingers. "I hope you wash your hands before touching anything," Katt admonished, half-seriously.
The ranger looked up. "It's a Deathpede spawnling," he explained. "Note the mottled texture of the exoskeleton and its relative softness—those are indicators of age. In this case, that of a juvenile. The head structure—what's left of it, anyway—resembles the larval stage of a Deathpede."
"Whoa, you know a lot," the Woren murmured.
"I pay attention," Ryu replied. "Anyway, that isn't what's of interest. What is interesting is that Deathpedes don't lay their eggs during the fall. They wait until the later months of winter and let them hatch at the beginning of spring."
"What would have made them reproduce out of cycle?" Nina asked.
"I can answer that one," said Sten. "Only direct threats to tha' hive proper would force Deathpedes to migrate and prepare eggs outside o' sync. It's to ensure that a new generation lives on, despite the arrival of a threat. Isn't that right, Ryu?" The Highlander looked at the ranger pointedly, as if testing him.
Ryu nodded. "Usually, the threat is a flood, since Deathpedes make their hives underground. Floods in these close quarters would wipe them all out. Farmers take care of Deathpede populations in the countryside by inducing artificial floods. It's a common tactic." Ryu looked back at Sten in challenge. But the Highlander only smirked, as if satisfied by something.
"So something scared the Deathpedes," Nina reasoned, "and since this place is relatively dry, flooding isn't the cause."
"Which makes you wonder what could frighten something like a Deathpede," Ryu finished ominously. He pointed down one tunnel. "Judging by the tracks this critter left behind, we can assume the source of Capitan's troubles is down this direction."
"Then let's go!" Katt said, punching the air. "There's a kid we got to save!"
Saving the boy is our primary concern, thought Ryu, but what in Eva's name could be so threatening to a hive of Deathpedes?
The party soon found out.
They followed the tunnel and came out in a cavern with an underground lake. Slimy goo covered every dry inch of the place, a hardening resin that gave the rocks a greenish, glossy look. Attached to the wall by a mound of such gunk was a small boy, crying softly.
"There he is!" Katt exclaimed, already heading to the child's aid.
Then Ryu caught something in the corner of his eye. The lake…something's in it. He shouted, "Katt! Look out!" He ran and tackled her to the ground just as a massive chitinous tentacle whipped out of the water, slashing at the air where the Woren had just been standing.
"Damn," Ryu grunted, covering Katt with his body protectively. "That thing's fast."
Katt looked up, coloring slightly at their proximity. But her discomfiture evaporated when she saw the blood on Ryu's back. "What happened?" she asked, concerned.
"That thing's fast," he said again. "It's tentacle has some bone ridges under it. Sharp ones." He stood up and brought up his sword. "Katt, Sten—grab the boy. Nina, help me kill that thing."
"But I can help too!" the Woren complained, wanting to be part of the fighting.
"Your strength is needed elsewhere," Ryu growled back, not in the mood to have his orders countermanded for pettiness. "Show me how strong a Woren is, Katt, and free that boy."
Katt looked at him and then nodded, cracking her knuckles. "I won't let you down." She and the Highlander made a beeline for the Donnelley boy.
"You know," Nina said, flying over to Ryu's side, "for someone who's supposedly a stone statue, you sure know your way around a pep talk."
"I needed to learn that skill for a job," he explained with a sardonic grin. His eyes narrowed suddenly, green slits peering into the lake. "It's coming back up. Stay alert."
The beast reared itself out of the water, revealing its horrible majesty. It looked like a giant turtle, but covered in sharp, menacing spines. Tentacles whipped around its mouth, revealing a razor-sharp beak within. "I have no idea what it is," Ryu said, "but if it can bleed, it can die."
Tentacles slashed and flailed, forcing the ranger and Windian to duck and dive. Ryu brought his sword around and clove a pair of tentacles right off. Nina launched a series of lightning bolts, burning off chunks of flesh…but the monster kept right on coming. An errant appendage threw Ryu into the far wall; Nina had to climb up to the roof of the cavern just to stay out of the turtle's way.
If only I had more room to fly, she thought, then I could take advantage of three-dimensional fighting. As it was, she had the advantage of height and started hailing flames, lightning, and huge balls of ice down upon her enemy. But the turtle found refuge under its thick shell. Nina gritted her teeth in frustration.
Then, suddenly, a tentacle sped out of the dark waters, straight for her. She tried to evade, but there were too many stalactites and not enough room for her wings to maneuver. The tentacle slammed into her head-on, wrapping around her waist and pulling her under the water. The sensation of icy death sheathed her body, the lack of air an ever-present doom. Nina flailed her arms, flapped her wings…all futilely—her arms could not hope to pull her out of the monster's grip and her wings were useless under the water. She thought of many things…she thought of Mina…and then blacked out.
Am I dreaming? No…I'm dying. Yes, I'm dying. I'm drowning. It feels cold. There are many ways to die underwater…drowning, hypothermia…I'm not dressed for warmth; it's fall, but it isn't that cold yet...I wonder if I'll die of cold before my lungs give out.
Wait…what's that flash? A sword…I see blood. Mine? No, it's green blood. Someone cut something…Ryu…he's saving me. The tentacle, that's the tentacle falling away. He cut it off.
Ryu's so strong. It must be hard swimming under armor and weapons while carrying a girl. I don't weigh much, but still…he's so strong. Ryu…I….
"How is she?" Katt asked worriedly. She and Sten had just freed the Donnelley boy when they saw Nina go under. In a rage, the Woren had single-handedly bashed in a fist-sized hole in the turtle's shell, giving Sten enough room to thrust his dagger deep into the monster's soft flesh, ending its existence on the mortal coil as its heart was slashed in twain.
But the victory was hollow, for Nina lay on the banks of the lake, not breathing, her face blue from cold. Ryu knelt by her side, checking pulse, checking breath. Even as Katt was trembling with concern for her friend, the laconic ranger went about his work methodically and with infinite reserve. It was irritating Katt.
"Say something, damn it! I asked how she was!"
"Be quiet," Ryu snapped with such sternness that it subdued the fiery Woren. "Let me work." He tilted Nina's head back. "Three breaths, then fifteen," he said quietly to himself. Then he sucked in a breath and pressed his mouth against hers. He watched her chest rise slowly and then pulled away. He touched the valley between her breasts, found the sternum, and counted down before locking his arms against it. "One, two, three," he counted softly with each compression. "Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen." He repeated the process again. Then again. And then again.
"Wake up, damn it," he growled, the first sign of his calmness shattering. I won't lose anyone else, he thought. What good is all my training, all my learning, if I can't save my friends? What good is any of it if I lose Yua again…No, I won't lose anyone ever again!
He pressed his mouth against Nina's again, forcing breath into her lungs. And then her head pulled up. Ryu backed away as the Windian coughed and sputtered, expelling water. Katt ran to Nina's side and threw a tight hug around her. "So glad, I'm so glad," the Woren murmured, crying.
"I appreciate the gesture," Nina said breathlessly, "but I just drowned; I could use some air." The girls shared a laugh at that.
Ryu stood up and went over to the slain turtle, if only to put some distance between himself and the rest of the party. I…don't want to lose anyone, he thought. But I don't want anyone, either. It hurts…to get close to people. I made a mistake in letting these people join me. I…damn.
"That's some trick," Sten said suddenly, walking up behind him and interrupting his thoughts. "I've never seen anything like that. Raising the dead by kissing. I'm sure there's romance stories about that."
"It's not like that at all," Ryu said. "It's a matter of breathing for someone; pressing down on their chest simulates a heartbeat and forces the heart to start beating again. I learned it from a doctor named Kay a long time ago. Apparently, it's a new technique that never really caught on, what with magical healing and all."
"Ye're rambling a bit more than usual," Sten noted. "Did Nina scare ye that much?"
Yes…it did. I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want to lose Yua again, he thought. But aloud, he said, "You're imagining things."
"Thank you so much for saving my boy," said the carpenter, Donnelley. "You've no idea how much this means to me." He hugged his son close, tears in his eyes.
Ryu smiled to himself. I know all too well.
Nina looked at him, looked at that smile. She knew what it meant. I hope he can cry those tears…with Yua with him again. Then she blushed when her thoughts turned down a different path. My first…kiss. Ryu gave it to me. Though it'd be nice if it weren't under those circumstances, but still…. She touched her lips. Stop thinking like this, Nina. He's…just a friend. You don't know if he even likes you.
"If there's anything I can do," said Donnelley, "just name it." He and Ryu were still talking.
Ryu looked thoughtful. "Well, a friend of mine needs some help fixing a house, so…."
Donnelley stopped him then and there. "Say no more, Mr. Hero. Just tell me where to go!"
"West of Mount Fubi," Ryu said. "A bit of a hike, but I have some money to pay for a palanquin to take you most of the way; only enough for one, though. By the way—its Ryu. I'd prefer it if you didn't go around calling me a hero when I don't deserve it."
"But you most certainly are one," Donnelley protested.
No I'm not, Ryu thought. A hero does good deeds out of selflessness. I do them out of selfishness. I'll never let another Yua happen again. To anyone. I'd feel…I'd feel like I did ten years ago, if it ever happened again. I don't want to feel like that ever again.
The party left the Donnelley residence and headed for the docks, having secured passage on the next boat out. But they saw a red-haired cleric waiting for them. Ryu and Sten shared a wary look; the ranger's jaw clenched and his hands tightened into fists. I can feel it…this unrelenting, unreasoning anger. Why?
"Can we help you?" Katt asked, blunt as ever.
The cleric smiled, his handsome face like an angel's. Katt's bluster fumbled against that disarming smile. Nina blushed crimson.
What is this guy? Sten wondered, watching the girls' reactions. Katt and Nina were not ones to simply fall head over heels for the nearest stud, not even Ryu. Even I feel strange around him, and I'm certainly more alert than those two. Is it sorcery that is making us feel this way?
"My name is Ray, a high priest of the Church of St. Eva," the cleric said in a soft, musical voice. It sounded as sweet as honey. "I wanted to thank you for dealing with the monster. My superiors noted several recent outbreaks in monster activity, so I was sent to deal with problems in the nearby towns. I heard about Capitan's plight with the intent of dealing with the monster myself. But it seems you have done just that." He bowed in a low, yet stately gesture. "My deepest thanks."
"Y-yeah," Katt stammered, suddenly every inch the giddy schoolgirl. "Um, s-sure, no problem. Uh…I'm Katt."
"And I'm Nina Windia," the Windian supplied, seeming very eager.
Ray smiled at them. He had dimples. "A pleasure to meet you, ladies." He turned his gaze—an emerald gaze as green and intense as Ryu's—to the men. "And you are?"
"Sten Legacy," the Highlander said, unable to stop himself. It truly must be sorcery, he concluded. And powerful sorcery at that.
"I am Ryu Bateson," the ranger said through gritted teeth. "Sir Ray," he said, using the cleric's honorific, "if you would be so kind, can you tell me why I hate you so much?"
That got everyone's attention; the others all turned to look at him as if he had grown an extra head. But Ryu's emerald gaze never left Ray's.
The cleric just kept smiling, completely unfazed by the ranger's strange question. "Do I look like someone you should hate?" he asked calmly.
"I don't know," Ryu admitted.
"What does your heart tell you, Mr. Bateson?"
"My heart…My heart…" Ryu closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they seemed to shine with their own light. "My heart tells me nothing," he said at last. "I work with my hands, not my heart. It's my hand that guides me…and I can barely stop it from going to my sword and cutting your heart out."
"Ryu," Nina murmured, sounding very concerned…and very frightened.
Katt moved to bop him on the head. "What's with you, Ryu? Stop being rude—" The Woren did not finish; she was stunned by the glower the ranger was giving the cleric.
"Tell me, Sir Ray," Ryu said again, "why do I hate you so much?"
"Perhaps because you and I are the same breed," Ray said mysteriously.
"What do you mean?" the ranger demanded.
The cleric continued smiling. "Do you believe in dragons, Mr. Bateson? I do."
Okasan…she has such beautiful wings…bat wings.
"What do dragons have to do with it?" Ryu asked.
"More than you might think," Ray replied. He smiled at everyone winningly. "It's been interesting talking with you." He looked at Ryu in particular. "Especially you, Mr. Bateson. I certainly wasn't expecting to meet anyone like you. Ryu…such an appropriate name." The cleric walked past them, heading back into town.
Ryu called out, "Wait. A question, Sir Cleric. Ten years ago…did you ever a visit a town to the east? On the peninsula to the west of Manori Island? Did you ever visit the town of Gate?"
Ray turned and looked at him. "I was only a child then, Mr. Bateson. I could not possibly have. You seem to have mistaken me for someone else."
You seem to have me mistaken for someone else, madam.
There is no mistake…Dark Dragon clan.
Red hair…bat wings…I don't understand.
Who is this man? Ryu wondered, watching Ray's retreating back. And why do I hate him so much? Okasan…why can't I find the answer?