Star Ocean: The Novel
Chapter Two: Epidemic
The Next Day…
"Ratix…!" his mother called, as he shuffled in bed, groaning, but falling back asleep.
"Ratix. Get up!" she called again.
"Nnh."
"Come on!" she said, shaking him gently.
He groaned, and opened his eyes.
"You have work today, don't you?"
"Yeah… I'll be up in a minute."
"Okay, Ratix."
After he got dressed and ready, he headed out, kissing his mother's cheek.
"I'll be okay, Mom. And I'll try my best for dad, too. I wish he were here right now…"
She nodded, as he began to leave.
"Could you go by and see if Fraise has anything for me, Ratix?"
"Sure thing, Mom."
With that, Ratix exited his house and walked down his sidewalk, and soon turned left, towards the grocery store, and headed inside. At the counter was an old woman, a scarf over her head, and she was pacing about as he usually did.
"Oh, hi, Ratix!" the woman, Fraise called "Could you tell your mom I've got vegetables ready?"
"Okay." he said, with a nod, and returned to his house for a moment, peeking his head through the door. "Hey, Mom, Fraise says she has vegetables ready for you."
"Okay, thanks… I'll go right away. You just worry about getting to your job."
Ratix nodded, and quickly left, heading to Clatos Brigade Headquarters. As he went on, he got several comments, either compliments about what a good job he was doing, or telling him he'd be late, or asking him why he wasn't with Milly. He either said thanks or ignored them and continued up the steps to the HQ, where a none too happy Milly was waiting.
"You're late yet again!" she cried "Get inside, Dorn's already there."
And so, the two went in, where Dorn was waiting for them.
"Late as usual, I see, Ratix… Get inside, the Elder says he needs to talk to us about something important."
"Let's go." Ratix responded, and headed into the office where the Elder was waiting "Hello, Elder… what's going on?"
"Something horrible has happened! Take a look at this letter…"
The Elder handed Ratix a folded sheet of paper, which he opened, and his expression looked none too happy when he read it, as he showed it to Milly and Dorn.
"This is terrible…" Dorn sighed.
The note read as follows.
Please, send help! Our village has succumbed to a terrible disease, the same one that has already taken out the town of Portmis to the north, not to mention the other continents! It is highly contagious, so be careful. We are suffering, we beg you for help…
Elder of Cool Village
"What do we do?" Ratix asked.
"We help them, of course!" Dorn said.
"If we had the great healing herb from the summit of Mount Metox, we might be able to stop this…" Milly explained "It's said the herb can cure anything…"
"Well then, let's" Ratix began, but was stopped by another voice.
"Wait!"
With that, a tall man ran in, his hair and tail the same color as Milly's. He wore blue and green robes and a green headband. This man was Milly's father, Maltos Killiet.
"Father!"
"Oh, Maltos!" the Elder exclaimed "You intend to go? As one of, if not the best healing mage of all of Clatos, I will be quite relieved if you go and check out what is going on."
Maltos simply nodded.
"They're calling it a mysterious disease, but I should be alright. The rest of you, stay here while I go."
Milly was bout to protest, but decided otherwise.
Seeming to know what Milly was thinking, he looked at her.
"Don't try anything dangerous like going to Mt. Metox. Alright?"
Milly nodded, and Maltos exited.
That night, after some more discussion with the Elder, he was set to leave.
"So, if anything new happens, you'll be sure to let me know, yes?"
"We'll take care of everything, Elder." Dorn replied.
"See you later."
After the Elder left, Dorn turned to Ratix and Milly, who were both seemingly sad and distant at the moment.
"Hey you two, cheer up… Ratix, I understand why Milly's feeling this way, but what's with you? You've been like this for the past few weeks…"
Ratix gave no response.
"Dude, tell me something, anything…"
"I don't feel like talking about it, Dorn. I'm sorry." he finally responded "It's nothing to do with you guys, really."
"Okay, Ratix…"
"I'm going to head home."
"Okay, later…"
And with that, Ratix exited.
"I really wish I knew what was wrong, Ratix…"
Meanwhile, Maltos had made it into Cool, a small remote village just a few miles from Clatos. Once, long ago, it was a flourishing town, with brilliant paintings and buildings, but it had decayed much, the old buildings now made up its bridges and sidewalks, although some refurbished buildings remained. Usually, it was bustling with activity, even in this day and age, but now it as eerily quiet. He quickly ran to a house, and knocked on the door.
"Hello?"
No response. He knocked again, louder.
"Hello?"
"They can't hear you…" said a voice.
Maltos quickly turned around, to see an elderly man in front of him.
"I came as soon as I heard what was on the letter. I'm Maltos."
"You're too late, Mr. Killiet. I'm one of the last remaining few who hasn't succumbed…"
"No! It can't be… please tell me it's not true…" he said, putting his hands on the man's shoulders. Big mistake. The old man yelled, jumping back.
"You… you touched me…"
"I-I'm sorry. I guess you don't like being touched, huh?"
"No… the disease…. It's contracted through touch… You… you've just doomed yourself."
"What? I-I-I…aargh…"
With that, Maltos squinted his eyes in concentration, and a light began to sweep throughout he village, over everything until it reached the outskirts.
"I hope that worked…" he said, holding his head "Took a lot out of me…"
The old man looked at him.
"Let's go see," he said, opening the door to the house, Maltos following him inside. The residents were still snuggled in their beds, like statues, unmoving, their bodies completely gray and rock hard.
"Damn it…. Maybe I should try again, tomorrow after I get some rest…"
"It may not work… another healing wizard came by, and he was unable to do a thing… he's now at the north exit for eternity…"
"I have to try, though…. If I don't, it may never be cured…. This could be the end of our world… the end of all of us. Even if we didn't touch others, we would eventually die for certain."
"There's a house at the north end of town… you can sleep there. The people who live there haven't been turned yet, just tell them who you are and they should let you stay."
"Alright, thanks."
And so he stayed. But no matter what he tried, rested or no, he couldn't cure the residents. He tried spell after spell after spell and medicine after medicine. Finally, after a day and a half of trying, he was himself in no condition to do anything but lie in bed.
Before he gave up, however, he picked up a piece of paper and began to write on it.
I thought I could cure Cool of the disease, but this has not become the case. I, myself, have contracted the disease, and I don't have much longer before I, too, will be gone. I fully regret that I was not able to do anything.
To who gets this, please stay away from Cool. There is no hope for us, we are doomed, unless we keep to ourselves. Mere touch will pass the disease on, so it is imperative that no one else comes in contact with anyone infected.
Maltos Killiet
Quickly, he attached the note to a carrier pigeon, and sent it off in the direction of Clatos, before walking to the bed and laying down. Any day now, he would be a statue as well. May the fates rest his soul, he thought.
To Be Continued