Chapter 4

An abscess had formed inside the wound. Aqua could feel the swelling and heat radiating from Riku's arm. But she was confused. The battle that had earned him this injury had happened only a few hours ago. How could infection have set in that quickly?

"I don't care if you really are not hungry right now, that is no reason to send me flying into oblivion! Try it again and... what the hell happened to you?"

Lea had recovered from the punch Riku had landed on him and had approached him, fuming, until he had seen the wound on Riku's arm.

"We were attacked by a swarm of Heartless a few hours ago. One of them must have bitten or clawed Riku's arm. I don't get it though, even as filthy as the Heartless can get, infection can't have set in that quickly, unless..."

"Unless one's immune system were already suppressed..." Lea interjected. "I told Yen Sid it might have been too soon to send Riku out here..."

"What do you mean..." Aqua asked.

"What I mean is Riku had only just recovered from another injury before Yen Sid sent him out here. One of Xehanort's followers tried to rip his heart out, and he nearly died while they were trying to heal him."

"Lea..." Riku growled warningly. He didn't like anyone speaking about his dealings with Xigbar. It was a long and humiliating story.

"Well, we can't just dawdle now. It will be a long journey to the next village, and I don't like how fast this infection is progressing. If I have to carry you, I will, but we need to hurry." Aqua said.

"There's no need. I can walk." Riku answered.

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It was still a slow journey, as the infection in Riku's arm quickly set in deeper, it also began to inhibit his ability to function. He felt wobbly, often stumbling and mis-stepping, and he was experiencing something like vertigo, making the world seemed to shift and swirl around him. The intensity of the attacks would rise and fall, one time getting so bad that he fell to his knees and started vomiting.

He had lost so much control over his body that he no longer had the ability to walk by nightfall, making Aqua resort to carrying him. Riku could not protest, knowing if he got stubborn now they would all be doomed. He was the only one who knew how to get out of the realm safely.

Lea kept suggesting that they think of Sora, Kairi, or Yen Sid and use another Dark Corridor to get them out of there based on his theory. Riku wouldn't allow it, giving Lea the same explanation he had given Aqua earlier. He just didn't want to leave it to chance.

Fever had set in, and Riku was slipping in and out of consciousness by the time they hid themselves inside an abandoned dwelling on the outskirts of the village. Aqua found several candles in the small house and lit them using Fire magic. Riku was lying on a dusty sofa in the middle of the room, with Lea kneeling next to him, talking quietly to him.

Riku was clearly in agony at this point. The injury flared with nonstop, throbbing pain. He would let out a sharp outcry every time something grazed it. Lea had been trying to distract him the whole time, asking him questions about random topics. But the only thing holding Riku's focus was the constant pain.

"Lea, p-please! No more!" He pleaded with him after an especially nasty flare-up. He passed out shortly afterwards.

"Poor thing..." Lea said sympathetically as he saw Riku twitching in his sleep, his body still responding to pain even though his mind was gone. He thought maybe Riku could get some relief if he wasn't forced to wear that hot, itchy cloak. He began to slip it off of him as gently as he could.

"Master Aqua, I think you should look at this..." he suddenly said.

He had fully exposed the injury as he tried to strip Riku of his cloak. What he saw concerned him. Aqua came over to them and saw the injury at a better angle. She recoiled at the sight.

The wound was leaking a substantial amount of pus along with a clear fluid. Angry red veins branched out from around the wound. The entire upper arm radiated with an intense, burning heat. Aqua had seen the symptoms only once before, but it was a very grim sign.

"This is not good..." Aqua said hurriedly. "That's a symptom of blood poisoning. I can only hope there is medicine potent enough to treat this in the village. Lea, stay with him, it will be easier and faster if I go get the supplies alone."

End of Chapter 4