Author's Note: Some bad stuff's happened to the party these last couple of chapters. Now, it's the demons' turn. During the "memory lane" sequence with Yggdrasil, I would have added something from BoF 4, had I actually gotten a chance to play it.
Warnings and Shameless Self-Promotion: My updates will become less frequent (but I will still be updating!), as I am in the middle of planning another novelization. If you wish to read that (among my other works), feel free to click on my name at the top of the page; it should bring you to my profile and all the wonderful time I've wasted posting stuff up onto Twenty-Five: What the Tree Said
Katt watched over Ryu's too-still form with much anxiety. The fiery Woren was ever an energetic one, given to toe tapping and pacing when agitated or waiting. But now she was veritably trembling, so great was her concern. The poor girl would dry-wash her hands, or soak a cloth in hot water to place on Ryu's forehead, or just brush his hair to the side. It she did this more for the action than for any hope of awakening him.
Nina entered then, brows drawn tightly into a frown. "Still nothing?" Katt shook her head. The Windian set down a tincture at the bedside table. "The doctor said that this might bring him around," Nina murmured with little confidence. In the three days since Ryu fell, nothing seemed to rouse him from his coma.
Nevertheless, Katt quietly applied the potion to a fresh cloth and placed it against Ryu's nose. The aroma did nothing; he did not even stir at the potent odor. The Woren set the phial aside with a shaking hand. She looked ready to cry, so overwhelming was her despair.
Nina saw this and reached out, taking her friend's hands and giving them a squeeze. "It'll be all right," she murmured with as much assurance as she could muster. It was difficult; she, too, felt hopelessness sink in. No longer were they waiting for Ryu to awaken. Now it was like they were waiting for him to die.
"This is too much," Katt said softly. "First Bow and now Ryu. This isn't right. This isn't fair." She tore her hands free of Nina's calming touch and punched the wall hard enough to put a hole in the plaster. "Why is this happening, Nina? Why are we always being attacked by demons and monsters and God alone knows what else? Why are our friends suffering and dying? What the hell is going on?" By the end of her tirade, she was shouting.
Nina had nothing to say in reply. She, too, wondered. And she, too, had no answers.
Outside, on the steps of the apartment building, Yua Bateson was crying into her knees. This isn't right. This isn't fair. The litany exactly similar to Katt's ran through her mind. For her brother was dying, she was certain of it—and she could do nothing to help him.
Ten years she dreamed of being with him again. It was hard, clinging to the memory of her brother, so pure and kind-hearted, when all she did was steal and lie and cheat in order to survive. But after so long, they were together again. She could be that little girl again, whose only concern was teasing her brother unmercifully.
So cruel was life, that it was taking her brother from her yet again!
It started to rain. It suited the mood. She did not notice.
But then the pattering ceased to hit her, for an umbrella had been opened above her. She looked up curiously, her tears abating briefly.
"Won't do ye any good to catch sick yerself, lass." Sten Legacy sat himself down on the steps beside her, taking refuge from the storm. "An' it won't do him any good either."
Yua turned away, feeling fresh wetness rise on her cheeks again. "I can't stay in there," she said. "I can't stay in that room, knowing that he's going to die. I should be there—I'm his sister—but I can't…I can't stay there, Sten."
"An honest enough feeling," he replied, "an' not one to be ashamed of. I can't imagine what yer going though, since I've got no siblings of me own. But I'd think that if I did, an' I were flat on my back, I'd like the first thing I see when I wake up to be family."
A flash of light, a burning sensation. The smell of flesh charring, the sound of it crackling.
Aruhamel was living in hell.
Claws as sharp as swords tore into his flesh, slashed over his organs. Jaws more powerful than that of crocodiles tore into his shoulders. Flame licked his wounds. "Witness, Aruhamel, your nightmare," his torturer growled mockingly in an inhuman voice.
"No…stop…please…" the demon lord begged meekly.
"THERE WILL BE NO ABATEMENT!"
Aruhamel screamed as talons impaled him to the quick. Blood frothed at his lips. "Eva…Deathevan…by all that is in your power…save your loyal servant!"
"Your God won't save you, demon," the man-dragon announced ominously. "Where I am, they will not be. Where I am, there is only the misery that a Dragon can bring! But now that misery falls on you."
It was no longer Ryu speaking, but the Dragon—or rather, the creature that the Dragon had turned into. Armed with the power of a wyrm, but with the cunning intelligence of a man, the man-dragon was like an avenging angel, a doom-bringer, a harbinger and forerunner of every mortal agony. It was Despair incarnate, Torment made material.
This was the power of the Destined Child, a revelation that Aruhamel learned at a terrible price.
With each flick of a talon, the man-dragon flayed off a strip of skin. With each bite, it shattered a muscle. Slowly it brought the demon lord to the precipice of destruction.
"You were foolish to awaken me here, demon," the man-dragon murmured over his victim's tortured screams. "Here, I am but a mere shadow, a figment of the Destined Child's mind."
Flick, flick, flick.
"But you are here in the physical! Here, you are material! Here, I can get you."
Bite, bite, bite.
"Where will you run now, O mighty demon lord? Where will you turn? Who will you pray to? Your God won't save you from me, for there is no place for you or your master to hide!"
Aruhamel, pitiful and dying, weakly raised a hand and pleaded, "No…no more…please…mercy…."
And for once, the voice of a simple blue-haired man cut through the wickedness of the man-dragon, "After what you did to Bow, there won't be any mercy!" But the voice was soon overtaken by the sheer power of the creature. "I grow tired of this game, Aruhamel. Now, I kill you. With your death, I will awaken again. And I will hunt down your master. His legions dwindle. He has thrown all his forces against me. Next, his head will roll."
But the change in tone did not escape even pain-blinded Aruhamel. "There…are…two…two of you…."
The words were so softly spoken that the man-dragon did not hear it. The creature advanced, raising its talons high for the final stroke.
Night had fallen and still Nina and Katt kept their quiet vigil over their friend. Sten and Yua joined them, with the girl sitting at her brother's left hand, quietly administering what medicines they had acquired. Nothing worked, but even the futility of ointments was favorable to the stillness of doing nothing.
It seemed that another night would pass by with tension in the air…but then Ryu stirred. What happened next was like a vision out of nightmare.
His eyes suddenly snapped open, burning with a brilliant red glow, like rubies set on fire. As if some spirit possessed him, he sat upright, mouth opened in a long, loud howl. His friends, witnesses to this strange and horrific event, saw canines lengthen into fangs. The skin darkened, scaled over and hardened; fingernails became talons; horns tore through the skin of his forehead.
Finally, with a great burst and a scream, the leathery wings tore free from his back, their great span knocking Yua, Nina, and Katt to the ground. Reflexively, Sten reached for a knife, for the creature before him seemed more like a monster than any man he had befriended.
When the metamorphosis was complete, Ryu—and indeed, it was Ryu, if judging only by the blue hair—slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. He seemed dazed, yet…strangely at peace. A smile touched his lips.
Yua was the first to regain her senses after the stunning transformation. She reached over and cupped her brother's alien face in her hand. "Niisan…Niisan?"
Wearily, he lifted his eyes to her. The red glow had faded, revealing a familiar pair of emerald eyes. "Otousan…doesn't like it when you run off, Yua," he murmured dizzily.
Yua smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're awake! You're awake…oh, thank Eva."
That seemingly innocuous prayer drew a strangled frown from the alien visage. Ryu could not remember everything that happened in the dream, but he knew three things: Aruhamel was dead, the power of the "Destined Child"—whatever it was—had been awakened, and Saint Eva was somehow responsible for everything.
The others were equally gladdened by Ryu's recovery, but also astonished. Katt took his hand and examined the massive talons. "My God, what happened to you?" she asked in wonder. "What did this to you?"
"Was it the Dragon?" Nina reasoned.
The ranger nodded and explained, "A demon attacked me and put me into a coma, a monster named Aruhamel. It was he who attacked my hometown of Gate, separated Yua and me, and then wiped our memories, making it difficult for us to track one another. Aruhamel, like all the other demons, kept calling me the 'Destined Child,' and kept on talking about some power I had. Well, it seemed that the power woke up.
"Before, I could turn into a Dragon, but I didn't have any conscious control over my actions. When Aruhamel triggered it, I turned into…this thing. A hybrid, I guess you can call it. As strong as a Dragon, but with the mind of a man. With this power, I fought Aruhamel in my dreams and I…" and here, he quieted, for he had an inkling of the evil tortures he had put his enemy through, "I killed him."
"And with his power broken, you were able to escape the dream he entrapped you in," Nina realized, having some education in this form of sorcery.
Ryu nodded. "That's about what I figured."
"So, what exactly is this 'Destined Child?'" Sten asked. "And why are the demons targeting you?"
The ranger had an answer for this one, one that he had been mulling over since he defeated the Lord of Nightmare. "I don't know exactly what this is all about," he admitted, "but I know who will. Aruhamel mentioned that he had enslaved the Tree of Wisdom, Yggdrasil. Now, if I remember correctly, that's the name of one of the oldest trees in the world, just past the Valley of Fog. According to legend, it used to be alive and would give out advice to those who asked."
"But that's just a story; the tree hasn't done anything in centuries, even if it were true," Nina countered. "And besides, you could only get advice if you could speak its language, which no one knows."
"It's worth a try regardless," Ryu pressed. "It's the only lead I have."
Katt pounded the table with renewed energy. "All right then! It's settled; we're heading to the Valley of Fog."
The Valley of Fog was precisely that: a barren vale that spilled into the great Sea of Trees, the largest forest in the world, all of which was thick with a misty, coiling cloud. Magic was thick in this mystic land, where strange sights and sounds were readily heard by those who dared its green venues. It was even said creatures alien and supernatural made their homes here.
The bizarre aura of the place was unsettling to most in the party. Nina and Yua, unable to stretch their wings, found the place frightening and disquieting. Katt, usually so fiery and upbeat, was subdued by a pall that demanded silence. Sten, accustomed to foreign lands in his many travels, was at a loss for words and kept his hand at the hilts of his knives.
But strangely enough, Ryu felt…at peace here. Perhaps it was the transformation that had taken him that changed his perspective. Indeed, his eyes seemed to dimly glow again as he walked the soft grasses of the woods. The scales of his newly-molded flesh were warm with some comforting heat. Here, in this mystical place, Ryu the Dragon did not feel the curse that dogged his footsteps.
Eventually, the party made it to the heart of the woodland. To them, it seemed as if the branches parted to admit them in—or rather, to admit Ryu. They came to the largest and oldest tree any of them had ever seen, which they could only surmise was Yggdrasil, the Tree of Wisdom.
Nina, having read many legends about it at the Magic School, touched the aged bark in awe. "It's magnificent," she murmured.
Katt huffed, unimpressed. "It's a big piece of firewood," she said dryly.
The Windian shook her head. "No, I can feel a power dwelling within." She looked to Ryu pointedly. "But it needs to be drawn out."
Yua squeezed her brother's taloned hand. "Go on, Ryu-niisan."
The ranger flapped his leathery wings once and, with a swish of his tail, stepped up to the great tree. Resting a claw on the trunk, he closed his eyes; the dull red glow suffused through the lids. "Awaken, Yggdrasil," he murmured in a voice no longer his own, in a language he—nor any of the others—could not understand. His tone became demanding. It became a command: "Okinasai, Iigudorashiru!"
There was the rumbling of the very earth. There was the darkening of the entire sky. And then, like a master sculptor plying his hand across a mass of clay, a face appeared on the aged trunk. A face with eyes, nose, and mouth. A face old, tired, but awake.
All around were expressions of surprise and murmurs of disbelief. All except Ryu, who somehow expected this transformation. Suddenly, the trees of the wood arranged themselves into an impenetrable barrier, separating the ranger from his friends, who pounded on the assembled bark futilely.
Alone with the Tree of Wisdom, Ryu seemed to transform yet again. His eyes changed from their emerald hue to brilliant red to golden yellow.
The tree seemed to notice this. "A Dragon," the tree rumbled with a yawn. "Ah, yes…I saw you in the dream. You defeated the demon lord, Aruhamel, who kept me in slumber."
Ryu spoke with respectful tones, "Yes, I defeated the demon. I now have questions to ask of you—I beg you to answer them."
If trees could nod, Yggdrasil did.
"Who are these demons?"
"Servants of the Dark One," Yggdrasil replied. "The spawn of Myria, the ancient goddess of wishes foul and fair."
"Who is the Dark One, the spawn of Myria?"
"He has many names: Dark One, Spirit of Destruction, Son of Damnation, Saint Eva," Yggdrasil replied. "His true name is Deathevan."
"The church of Saint Eva—what is its purpose to this foul deity?"
"The answer lies not with me," Yggdrasil replied. "The Highlander city of Highfort will carry that you seek."
"The Destined Child—what is it?"
"The creator of all things, the destroyer of all things," Yggdrasil replied. "It is to this child that the power over life and death is given—the lost power of the Dragons."
"Why do the demons fear me?"
"The Destined Child alone has the power to defeat Deathevan," Yggdrasil replied. "This child alone can use the power of the Dragons to end His evil schemes."
"A final question, Wise One: what happened to me?" Ryu asked imploringly, outstretching his changed hands. "What monster have I become? The curse of my blood…will I only bring more death and destruction as I am now?"
At this, the tree's formulaic answers faded away. Yggdrasil spoke quietly, mournfully. "You are a Dragon, but not only a Dragon. For you are the descendant of mighty Odjin and divine Kaiser, blessed by Ladon, Lord of Wyrms, kissed by Agni the Mighty One, embraced by Infinity the Endless.
"You are the prince of the Brood, the mightiest to carry your proud and noble line. In you lies the power to change the world—for good or ill. In you lies the responsibility of the Brood. In you lies the curse of all Dragonkind.
"You have taken on your true form, as a warrior-prince of this ancient race. To you passes all the accumulated strength of your heritage. The honor of the Dragons is yours, O prince…and its curse.
"As your servant, O prince, I give you what I give to all who follow your hard road: I give you the memory of the ancients and the memory of what is yet to come…."
He was Ryu, the survivor of a dastardly attack by the forces of the Dark Dragon Empire. It was up to him to defeat evil, to bring peace to the world. Yes, it was his responsibility as the prince of the Dragons. In his veins flowed the blood of heroes.
So why did he hate this journey? Why did he resent the power inside him? All he ever brought was misery. Tuntar lay in ruins because he was near. Nina lost her youth because she joined his mission. Cerl and Alan lost themselves because of his interference.
He did not care about saving the world. He did not care about the responsibilities of his damned blood. All he wanted was to take revenge for his sister. That was all. Was that not enough? Did he need to mask selfishness behind heroism? Were all heroes as selfish as he? Perhaps he would never know….
"Yes," Yggdrasil said. "You doubted. But it is human to doubt. You must yet learn to believe! Only when you find the belief in yourself, in the rightness of your path, will you know! A true hero always seeks knowledge, for it is with knowledge that he gains understanding and power. When you finally find your answer, when you finally believe in yourself, then you can take on the mantle of heroism as you please."
He was Ryu, the last prince of the Dragons. To him was given the power to find God and to ask the question: Why? Garr wanted to know so badly. Nina would support him the whole way. Rei and Teepo, if he were here, would help without a second's hesitation. Even absent-minded Momo would give him assistance if he just asked.
But really, it was not anyone else's concern except his and Garr's. Dragging the others on this insane quest could get them hurt or killed. Was it not Garr who told him that it was the fate of all Dragons to bring destruction wherever they went? Just how many people died because they knew him? Enemies, friends, family—they were all still dead after meeting him. It was a wonder that his friends still lived.
Ryu had the sick feeling that it would only be a matter of time before their luck ran out….
"But you must also believe in your friends," continued Yggdrasil. "The curse of the Dragons is only as powerful as you wish it to be. Only when you find harmony with the self and with all around you will you conquer the curse that hounds you. Only then will your life's journey be complete! Walk the road! Turn not aside from the challenges that face you! And always believe that your allies will be near!"
He was Ryu, a Ranger with a D-Ratio of 1/8192. It was a good enough life, being a low-D. He had food, he had clothes, he had shelter. Sure, he did not get same respect as the mid- and high-Ds, like Bosche and Zeno…but that never mattered to him. He was happy just doing his job.
So why did he ever get involved in all this mess? He killed Zeno. He killed Rangers. He killed former friends, former coworkers…familiar faces, familiar names. Since that Dragon bonded with him, all he brought about was destruction. Would it never end?
But the doubts faded away, every single one of them, when a quiet little girl gripped his hand. When the too-thin arms wrapped around his waist. When the smooth cheek of her face pressed against his back. The doubts were gone. He did not question why, anymore. That was beyond him. All that mattered was what was ahead. And what lay beyond….
"Yes," Yggdrasil said. "This is the road you must take. This is where you will learn, where you will master yourself. Look ahead, and then look beyond. The curse will have no hold over you then. Not when you reach for the sky, not when what you seek is finally in your hand. Stretch forth your hand and grasp it!"
Ryu Bateson staggered and fell to his knees. He threw his arms out wide and released a roar that made the very canopy tremble with its power. In that roar was all the joy he felt, even beyond the joy held within the tears that streamed down his face. There is a way! he thought with the happiness of a man trapped in darkness who finally sees the light. The curse will hold me no longer! Ray Braddoc—hate and misery and misfortune will no longer hold us! My God, my God, there is a way!