Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Five: The Power to Survive
Written by Estrelita Farr
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Ryu stared at the lifeless eyes on the head of the fossilised Dragon, an overwhelming feeling of remorse, despair and loneliness washing over him.
"Why? Why won't anyone answer?"
But what came from his mouth was not the voice of a human, but a high yelp of a creature.
"Why…?" he whimpered, tears threatening to fall.
The fossilised Dragon said nothing, merely staring back at him with these lifeless eyes. Nothing in the darkness moved, not a sound was heard other than his own whimpering.
Then, suddenly, voices came from behind him – human voices.
…angry human voices.
"There it is! There's the monster!"
"Get rid of it! It'll only destroy us all!"
"KILL IT!"
Ryu spun around, but retreated slowly away from the voices, terrified. He wanted to get away from the shadows of the huge figures that haunted his mind… away from the darkness beyond.
"S-stay away from me!" he cried in fear, a high yelp sounding through the darkness.
"KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!" the invisible crowd chanted.
Panic gripped him. "N-no! Stay AWAY!"
Hot, burning energy gathered in his throat, and he threw his head forward, ready to unleash the energy like an exploding valve… then the familiar male voice yelled at him.
"NO! DON'T!"
He obeyed immediately without thinking, drawing back, and then realised what he had done. He tried to gather the energy in his throat once again, but it was already too late – the shadows charged at him.
A single blade appeared before his very eyes as terror glued him to the spot, and there it gleamed, a dazzling light causing everything to turn white…
And the blade stabbed him in the heart.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Ryu woke up with a start, breathing heavily. His heart racing, beads of perspire covering his face, he could still remember the dream vividly… as though it was real. The hot energy almost felt real.
Ever since he had woken up in this cabin three months ago, alone and confused, he had been together with Rei and Teepo – killing the Nue, hiding in their cabin throughout the winter, and then stealing money from the mayor of the village to give to the villagers. Throughout these months, he had forgotten about searching for his past. He was contented, reassured.
But the dream… it brought back some disturbing memories. Memories of flames, of screams, of terror… they forced him to remember that something had happened to him before he was found in Cedar Woods, that he had to look for his family.
He felt as though there was a great purpose waiting for him. A great responsibility.
But he was happy here; he had friends, companions that accepted him. It didn't matter who he was before.
Yet, he felt that all of this would soon be taken away from him…
No, he didn't want to think of it. If any of his memories involved anything similar to the dream he had, he didn't want to go through it again.
He shut his eyes tightly, and willed the thoughts from his mind.
Despite the tiring trip to McNeil's mansion, Ryu was unable to return to slumber; he was too agitated from the dream. Getting off the mattress that had become his makeshift bed for the last three months, he stretched his aching limbs and stepped towards the balcony door.
Only then, he realised that Teepo was outside, sitting at the edge of the balcony and staring into the darkness of the forest.
"Teepo?" Ryu called, settling down beside him.
The other boy turned instantly. "Oh, hey, Ryu… couldn't sleep?"
"Yeah… you too?"
"Sorta." He turned his gaze back to the dark trees, hesitating. He was strangely forlorn, unlike his usual confident self. "It's just that I feel bad for some reason…"
Ryu was surprised. "About what?"
He didn't reply immediately, but continued staring at the trees. "Ryu, if… we ever get separated… we'll look for each other no matter what, right…?"
He felt concerned. "Teepo, what do you mean?"
"I know I'll keep on looking for you…" He shook his head. "You'll keep looking for me too, won't you…?"
"Of course I would, we're friends." The younger boy smiled. "We haven't known each other all that long, but… you and Rei are my first friends… my… family…"
He smiled as well. "Thanks, I'm really glad to hear that… you're part of us now. We'll stick with each other no matter what, right…?"
"Of course…" Gazing into Teepo's crimson eyes, Ryu suddenly felt his eyes suggested that he was anything but human. There was something in the crimson colour that seemed familiar… as though he had already met him before the first time he woke up here. Just like how he felt when they first saw each other, the day he woke up here.
"Well!" Teepo stood up, grinning. "We definitely did a good job kicking the ghosts' butts, huh? Let's go and sleep now, and tomorrow we'll be hailed as heroes like before!"
Glad that his companion had already recovered his composition, though doubtful that they would be hailed as heroes again, he nodded. "Yeah, we should, it's getting late."
As both of them returned to their bedrooms once more, Ryu pondered over the recent event for a moment. Teepo seemed rather different today, did he feel that the peace would not last, too?
But if we do get separated, I'll come and look for you… I promise…
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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To the trio's surprise – and much to Teepo's indignation – this time the residents at McNeil Village did not crowd around them like the time when they defeated the Nue. In fact, some of them were even glaring at them with a disgusted expression.
"Ah well, maybe they're just too busy to come!" Teepo remarked, though he seemed as though he was trying to convince himself rather than the others. "C'mon, let's go talk to them!"
However, everyone seemed to be avoiding them and scowling when they approached, and those few that spoke did so either angrily or sadly.
"I wake up and there's money sitting on the porch," one young woman muttered, shaking her head. "Then one of the mayor's men comes running from the manor… it was one of your pranks, wasn't it?"
"Thanks a lot!" the innkeeper cried angrily. "Thanks to you, now Mr. McNeil thinks we're thieves too!"
"Hey, you punks!" an old man shouted when they approached. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here!"
"What do you want?" a farmer asked gruffly. "If you mean what I did with the bag of money, I gave it back to the mayor… now get outta here!"
"When I woke up, there was this bag of money in front of the house… I was so surprised!" a woman conversed with her friend.
"Oh, that," the woman's friend spoke. "I returned it as soon as I could, I don't want Mr. McNeil to be angry at me… he'd kick me right out!"
Finally, the trio had heard enough from the villagers and stood at the side of the road, well out of everyone's way.
"You know…" Rei started. "Somehow I don't think this is going according to what we think it should."
Teepo kicked the air angrily. "We did nothing wrong! Why're they angry at us?"
Ryu shook his head sadly. "I don't know…"
"Well, the only thing to do now is to find Loki." The half-tiger turned towards one direction. "Speaking of which… here he comes."
Very much to the cloaked man's surprise, the trio confronted him, and he found that he could not escape from them.
"H-hello, boys," he stammered, evidently nervous. "N-nice weather, eh?"
"Hey, Loki," Rei said loudly. "We did just like you said – we got into McNeil's house and gave the money to everyone–"
"SHHHHHH!" Loki shushed, jumping a little. "Don't say that so loudly! People'll hear you, and if McNeil finds out, he'll kill me…"
"What're you so afraid of anyway?" Teepo demanded, even louder than Rei. "You're the one who said that McNeil was the bad guy!"
"SHHHHHH!" The cloaked man shook his head. "All right, all right, I'll talk, just not here!" He glanced at them. "We can talk in the hut, but you go on ahead, okay?"
Silently, the trio nodded and left without saying anything, heading towards the hut.
Teepo began to look as forlorn as he did the night before, as they entered the abandoned hut. "Rei… something's wrong…"
Rei nodded, seeming a little grave as well. "I know... we'll get that Loki fellow to explain everything…"
They waited silently for a moment, then someone entered the hut. They turned instantly, ready to bombard the cloaked man with questions, but they immediately found that it wasn't Loki at all.
It was Bunyan, and Ryu somehow felt really glad seeing him.
The woodsman wasn't alone, however. He had a cow by the rope, which followed him obediently like a little puppy.
"Old man?" Teepo said, surprised. "What're you doing here?"
Bunyan, however, did not immediately answer them. He walked over to one side of the hut and seated himself on a crate, and the cow clambered next to him.
"I was hired to take care of the cows," he stated in a low voice. "So, whatever I say is going to be to the cows."
Ryu felt confused, but he understood that it was a safety precaution in case they were overheard.
Rei shook his head and whispered, "Bunyan, what's going on? We're looking for Loki…"
Stroking the cow's head, Bunyan spoke to the animal with his normal tone, "Hey, Buttercup, did you hear that this fellow Loki thought he could have an easy life if he got a hold of McNeil's money?"
"W-what?" Teepo growled. "That son of a–"
The woodsman ignored them entirely and continued to stroke the cow. "Though he didn't know that McNeil was working for a big gang of crooks that doesn't like being stolen from... sounds pretty dangerous, doesn't it, ol' Buttercup?"
Buttercup the cow mooed, playing its role very well.
Ryu didn't understand. "What does it mean…?"
Rei's expression was a mixture of seriousness and anxiousness. "It means we shouldn't be hanging around here too long… we should be getting home – and fast!"
Teepo nodded. "R-right!"
Both Rei and Teepo ran out from the hut first, though Ryu first paused to thank the woodsman before following his companions quickly.
Bunyan, left alone with the cow, heaved a sigh. "Good luck…"
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Even though the three of them hurried as fast as they could all the back home, fleeing from the attacking monsters to save time, it still took them a little over half an hour to reach the area where their cabin stood.
The first thing they noticed was the crimson sky, followed by a burning heat.
Then, a familiar crackling sound.
Their cabin was burning.
"Wha… what the?" Rei exclaimed, running quickly to the fence outside the cabin. "What's going on? What happened?"
"It's McNeil! I know it is!" Teepo yelled angrily, running up to his side. "He did this to get back at us!"
He turned around. "Teepo…"
The boy snarled, kicking the air forcefully. "I'll kill him! Just you wait, I'll get him! I swear I'll get him!"
Ryu, who then came up towards them, felt terrified, tears threatening to fall once again. So the bad feeling he had before was right after all, that something terrible would happen to them if they stole from the mayor…
"No, it really happened…" he muttered when tears finally slid down his cheeks.
The oldest among the three shook his head uncomfortably, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Ryu… I'm sorry…" He averted his eyes. "I… I never thought… I never knew…"
"Rei!" Teepo interrupted, a frown on his face while he looked at the pathway leading away from their cabin. "There's a bunch of people blocking the road!"
Sure enough, there were a lot of rough-looking men standing not too far from them, blocking their only way out of the area. All of them had a cruel grin on their faces, as if they knew there would be fun soon.
All of Teepo's anger ebbed away from him completely, revealing the frightened side of him that Ryu never knew. "We're trapped… Rei, I'm scared…" He looked as though he was about to burst into tears as well. "What should we do…?"
Ryu sniffed, rubbing his eyes to wipe away the tears. "What's… what's going to happen to us…?"
Rei appeared rather uncomfortable and there was a hint of fear on his striped face as well, but he took a deep breath and put on a brave look. "…don't worry, you two. Whatever happens, I'll make sure you're all right… I promise."
With that, he strode forward, down towards the group of men, pulling out his dual daggers as he walked with a purpose, with the other two following reluctantly behind.
Two figures stepped forward, and from how the nearby men stepped out of the way in respect, they had to be their leaders.
They looked like what seemed to be humanoid unicorns to Ryu – both of them had the head of a horse and bare muscular chests, with a single horn protruding from their foreheads. They only wore a pair of dark pants, red gloves and one shoulder pad, their horse tails swishing as they spoke, and they had hard hooves instead of feet.
They had to be twins or at least brothers, for the only differences between them were the colours of their Mohawk-styled mane, tail and skin. While one had striking green mane and tail as well as brown skin, the other had turquoise mane and tail together with sky blue skin.
"Well, that McNeil's a wimp… he needs us to take care of something like this for him?" the green-haired one spoke, grinning. "But they're just a bunch of kids, ain't they, bro?"
"Hmph!" The other half-unicorn waved his hands once. "Still, they could've been useful as slaves, eh, Sunder? I guess we don't have a choice, they tried to steal our money…"
"And might as well have some fun with them while we're here!" Sunder laughed, sounding like a neighing horse. "What do you suggest, Balio, bro?"
"Hm…" Balio grinned. "What about we throw the tiger one into the river, the purple one into a tree and the blue one down a cliff?"
"S-shut up, you bastards!" Teepo, who had been charging a spell, shouted and threw his hand forward. "Take this! SIMOON!"
The familiar expanding fire sphere formed, engulfing both the half-unicorns, but to his horror, they came charging right out of the sphere, unhurt and ready to strike.
"Hah! You want to play with magic? I'll give you magic!" Continuing to rush forward, Balio threw a glowing hand forward. "Lightning!"
A surge of thunder sparks shot out from his hand and engulfed Teepo completely, and seconds later, the long-haired boy fell to the ground with a cry, unmoving.
"T-Teepo!" Ryu exclaimed, tears filling his eyes.
Rei, on the other hand, was at least on par with Sunder, for he was fast enough to avoid his fists. However, the moment Balio caught him off guard, he was an easy target for the other half-unicorn. He was juggled between the two like a rag doll, repeatedly punched and kicked, and then finally thrown into the swift current of the river.
"No! Rei!" Ryu cried loudly, tears streaming down his cheeks, but he was determined to help them and prepared to cast the Rejuvenate spell. He succeeded once, the familiar sparkles surrounding Teepo, but his companion remained unconscious.
And Rei was nowhere to be seen.
"Well, well, take a look at this, bro!" Balio stated, still grinning.
"Aw, he's trying to bring his friends back!" Sunder remarked mockingly.
The two of them cackled, then Balio suddenly punched Ryu's stomach hard. The strength of the punch was unbelievable; Ryu gasped in pain and was forcefully thrown back, landing on the ground painfully. The pain was so great that he remained lying down, unable to get up.
Balio smirked, stepping casually forward and pausing only to pick up the boy's fallen short sword. "I guess you won't be needing this anymore."
As the half-unicorn stepped forward, Ryu's eyes widened with utmost fear.
"N-no…" he muttered unconsciously, backing away as far as he could, his heart banging against his chest.
Then his back touched the side of a cliff.
He was trapped.
Sunder grinned. "Finish him, bro!"
The other half-unicorn nodded as he stopped right before Ryu, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. "With pleasure."
It happened in an instant. One moment Balio was holding the short sword in his hand, and the next moment Ryu instantly found himself completely filled with cuts and gashes. His eyes wide, his mind numbed with shock, the blood splattered all over like raindrops.
He did not even feel the pain.
Time felt as though it slowed down considerably, to the point it was taking forever for him to fall towards the ground. His blood was like beads floating in midair, and everything else around him blurred as though they were unimportant.
Something unlocked in his mind; something filled his body with a rush of energy, a feeling he recognised.
His mind was blank, though aware of the energy that surged within him.
His mind, filled with only instincts.
To survive.
The energy, as though obeying a single command, suddenly gathered in his throat. It grew hot, begging to be released.
Power. To destroy everything.
He was about to unleash the burning energy in his throat, but a familiar serene male voice stopped him. It murmured in his ear, but the words were difficult to comprehend.
He only heard one phrase.
"No, you're not ready yet, Ryu."
It was simple, but it calmed his now animal-like mind.
The energy disappeared away, so suddenly that it left him breathless. Empty.
Then finally, he landed on the ground with a thud.
And both half-unicorns neighed in laughter, triumph in their voices.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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The two gigantic figures moved towards him, their evil grins showing plainly on their faces despite the great darkness. He backed away in fear, his eyes wide, only to find that he was against a wall, unable to move further.
A scream to his right made him turn, and he saw Rei collapsing. To his left, Teepo fell to the ground. Tears filled his eyes as his friends remained unmoving, as the two large figures in front advanced menacingly with their gigantic fists.
Suddenly, he felt energy gathering in his throat – hot, burning energy. He felt braver, as though this energy was a great power that would protect him.
He threw his head forward, ready to unleash the flames of death, but a voice, that familiar voice, stopped him…
"NO! DON'T!"
Immediately he looked up, the energy ebbing away, but it was the wrong move.
For then a blade was stabbed through him, through his heart.
And everything went black.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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"ARGH!" Ryu cried as he sat up quickly, jolted awake by the nightmare, but a stabbing pain in his body forced him to recoil and land hard on his back once again. Breathing heavily, he shut his eyes tightly to endure the pain, which soon diminished to a bearable amount.
Once he had calmed down a little, he turned his gaze slowly around the place he was in. He recognised it almost immediately – it was Bunyan's stone cottage in Cedar Woods.
Sitting up – slowly this time – he found himself lying on a bed with his armour taken off, revealing his bandaged chest and arms. He had on only a pair of shorts that he usually wore beneath the armour.
What happened…?
Abruptly, everything that had happened before he blacked out came flooding back into his mind, and he threw himself off the bed quickly.
Rei and Teepo! They're hurt! I must g–
As soon as he stood up, another pain shot through his body and forced him to his knees with a cry. A wave of dizziness kept him from getting up again, nausea making it difficult to breathe. As the room spun around him, he let himself fall into a sitting position on the floor and rested his head on the bed, beginning to feel as though he was burning from the inside, yet as though he was in the middle of a blizzard.
And he was alone. Without his companions.
Just an instant later, he heard the door creaking loudly and slamming shut, followed by a series of heavy footsteps that grew louder with every step. Then, he felt two strong hands lifting him off the floor gently and placing him on the bed in a lying position, which helped to lessen the dizziness and pain slightly.
"With your small body, you still shouldn't move at this stage." Bunyan's familiar gruff voice spoke. "You still have that fever."
Slowly, Ryu's vision slid back into focus. He had thought that the woodsman would be angry at him for stealing from McNeil with his companions, whatever the reason they had for doing it, but he was surprised to see that Bunyan's face was gentle, filled with pity and concern.
"I was… sick…?" the boy muttered, his voice a little hoarse from a long period of disuse.
Bunyan nodded. "You've been in bed for four days, and from how much you were thrashing in your sleep, it didn't look good for a while…" He smiled slightly. "But now that you're awake, it means the worst is over."
Ryu merely nodded, resting his aching head on the pillow. But as he thought of the battle against the two half-unicorns, he asked, "Where… are they…?"
He shook his head slowly, looking grave. "All I found was you, alone and wounded in the woods. No doubt that you've gotten yourself into trouble, but I never thought something like this would happen…" He hesitated, as though he wasn't sure how to continue. "I'm afraid they're…"
Dead.
The word roared itself in Ryu's mind, over and over like a repetitive echo.
No… they can't be dead…
Dead. Dead. Dead.
No! They're still alive! Just gone!
Dead. Dead. Dead.
NO! THEY'RE NOT DEAD!
That very moment, all the emotions in his little heart burst out of him. Disbelief, fear, pain, despair … all of them came at once, and it was too much for his young mind to bear. Tears started flowing down his face like a river, and he began sobbing loudly like a newborn child.
And Bunyan, experienced though he was, could not do anything more than to place a hand on the boy's shoulder.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Though the woodsman did not show it – he hardly showed his emotions openly, after all – but he was worried. This little boy was worn and weak, but had a resolve stronger than he had expected.
Forcing himself to move, however many times he fell from pain and dizziness, Ryu trudged on through the woods, with one hand over the bandaged wound on his chest. He had refused to be carried, refused to rest until he recovered, refused to resign to the possibility that his companions were gone. As soon as he had stopped crying, he stepped out of the cottage and started towards his former home.
Bunyan understood what he was going through. He silently placed an oversized coat around his shoulders, told him to be careful, then followed closely behind him like a large guard dog. With him wielding the large axe he had forced Ryu and Teepo to cut firewood with three months ago, any monster that tried to attack was cleaved easily into two.
Before long, the wooden fence on the small hill loomed into view.
Ryu, having forced himself to walk here, finally fell to his knees. He was breathing hard, his hand pressed painfully on the bandage on his chest, but his head was raised, his blue eyes focused on the remains of the burnt cabin.
Tears filled his eyes. A sob escaped his lips.
Bunyan saw the trembling despair that took over the boy's body and placed a comforting hand on his back. The resolute composure that he had through the journey here had collapsed completely, and all that was left was the vulnerability in his heart.
The woodsman, once again, continued to worry over him. He had never known the reason why the boy had joined the notorious duo of Cedar Woods, but he sensed the innocence, even purity, in him. This boy, if given the chance, would never steal. Bunyan had sensed the strong loyalty he had for his companions, as shown by his resilience in coming here despite the pain and weakness he was going through.
And now he was suffering. The consequences of having chosen to remain loyal to his friends.
Bunyan then decided that it had been long enough. Gently, he picked up the boy's light, scrawny body with one strong arm, and strode back towards his stone cottage.
Ryu, still sobbing softly, did not resist.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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How long had it been? Three days? Four?
Ryu was no longer able to keep track of time. Every time he woke up, either from sleep or from unconsciousness, he would force himself to walk to the burned cabin and sit there gazing at the remains of its blackened walls, like a lost puppy that had lost its master and chose to wait for his return.
His mind was blank. All he could think of was to patiently await his companions' return, to go back to the way they had been living. All his heart was able to feel was this great void of emptiness, which Bunyan's kindness was unable to touch.
What was he living for now? What should he be doing? What was his direction?
He could not find the answer.
One day, as he was on the way to the burnt cabin once more, with Bunyan behind as usual, he heard a loud squeal coming from above, followed by noisy rustling of leaves. He looked up, wondering what made the noise, and to his surprise, he saw a Ripper – a breed of large green bird Rei had first introduced to him – clasping a claw around an adult squirrel.
The squirrel struggled as hard as it could, trying to free itself from the grasp of its captor, but to no avail. The Ripper, proud to have found its dinner so quickly, spread its wings and disappeared into the depths of the woods, the squirrel's loud squeal piercing the air.
The scene left Ryu speechless.
Bunyan, apparently already used to this, did not seem bothered by it. "Ryu, do you think that the strong conquers the weak?"
"The strong conquers the weak…?" Ryu lowered his head, feeling despaired once more. "Yes, I do think so… like what happened to us…"
"I see…"
And no more was to be said.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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However, the next morning, once Ryu sat at the table for breakfast, Bunyan approached him.
"Do you remember the squirrel from yesterday?" he asked.
Ryu nodded slightly. How could he have forgotten that brutal scene?
"Here, look at this." Reaching into his pocket, Bunyan drew out a dirty piece of cloth.
To the boy's surprise, on the cloth was a young squirrel, its claws clinging, its eyes gleaming. It seemed skinny, hungry and terrified, but the moment the woodsman tried to touch it, it snarled and fought with such ferocity that one would have thought that it was a tiger.
"Look at this, Ryu," Bunyan said slowly to the stunned boy. "This is the surviving member of the abandoned brood I found. I believe that its mother was the squirrel we saw yesterday."
Ryu couldn't stop staring at the squirrel. "The only one…?"
"That's right. Squirrels, by nature, are docile, but if that's the case with this little one, he would have already died like his siblings by now." Firmly but gently, he caught a hold of the struggling squirrel and placed it in a small cage, supplied with a bowl of water and another with nuts and fruits.
The younger of the two watched in fascination as the squirrel, at first, ran all over the cage in great frenzy, frightened in an unfamiliar place, but after a while it began to tire out. Once it was calm enough to explore its surroundings, it smelt the food hungrily and began eating, much to the delight of its observers.
Bunyan gave the boy a pat on the back and continued to speak. "All animals' purpose is to survive, but if the squirrel's heart was not strong, then he wouldn't have survived, now would it?"
He began to see what the woodsman was getting at. "I… see now. I should be strong in heart if I want to get what I want…"
The woodsman nodded approvingly. "Close. Remember, if you want to eat, you have to work. It's the same here; if you want something, you have to work to get it, and be determined enough to keep at it."
Ryu understood it now. He had done nothing in the past three days to deserve what he wanted. If he wanted to return to his peaceful life – with Rei and Teepo – then he had better start looking for them and get together again.
For the first time in days, he smiled. Though he was still sad that he was alone, his heart no longer felt as heavy.
"Thank you, Bunyan," he said sincerely. "I won't ever forget this important lesson you taught me."
He smiled as well. "Now that you're feeling better, eat something."
The boy was surprised at the sudden command at first, but when the woodsman lined the table with a pot of rabbit stew, its scent making its way into his nose, he began to realise the hollow feeling in his stomach. After all, he hadn't the appetite to eat until now.
And he ate heartily.
But, as he ate, his mind was filled with thoughts.
"Ryu, if… we ever get separated… we'll look for each other no matter what, right…?" Teepo had said the night before their separation, in a strange forlorn way. "I know I'll keep looking for you… you'll keep looking for me too, won't you…?"
"Of course I would, we're friends," Ryu himself had told him.
Indeed, he would start to look for them. They definitely had to be alive somewhere. Teepo had said he would go to Wyndia, hadn't he?
Then that would be his first destination.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Even though Ryu's resolve was strong now, another two days passed before he was even allowed out of the cottage on his own, plus another day for him to retrain himself using his short sword. During this period, he was taught the basics of camping outside – where the good places to camp are, how to set up a campfire, how to hunt for food, the sort – while he recovered from the fever that overtook him. His wounds healed quickly, at a rate that surprised the woodsman, though the latter believed it was just because of youth.
Finally, Ryu was ready to set out to Wyndia. Unlike the times he used to live with Rei and Teepo, he was now equipped with a small backpack filled with tools that he might need during his journey, courtesy of the woodsman.
Bunyan gave him directions. "Wyndia is to the east of here, past Mt. Myrneg, but it'll be a while before you'll get there." With that, he paused, he shook his head, then knelt down so that his eyes were level with Ryu's. "You watch yourself now, you hear me? You may have survived the last ordeal, as if something was protecting you, but it won't be like that forever… do your best to stay alive, and lead an honest life."
Ryu smiled. "Thanks a lot, I'm glad you helped me so much. I won't forget what you've taught me."
He nodded and straightened. "Run along now, you'll want to get as much distance covered in a day as possible."
"I will… goodbye."
Ryu turned to leave, missing the sad expression on the woodsman's face that disappeared after a fleeting moment.
The boy felt rather afraid of travelling on his own, since he had never been alone before – he had always been with both Rei and Teepo, or just the latter – but he was determined. He would get past all obstacles to find his friends.
But first, he decided to visit his former home again.
As he gazed at the remains of the burnt cabin, a place he had called home for the past three months, a feeling of sadness overwhelmed him. Now, his only memories were of this place and his missing companions.
His hand tightening on the hilt of the short sword that Rei had given him, he forced himself to focus on the present once more.
…no, I mustn't dwell on it, I must remember what I have to do…
With one final look at the destroyed place, he turned to leave, but he stopped when he accidentally kicked a small fruit. There it lay on the ground, lying among the scattered apples, and he bent down to pick it up. If one could describe the appearance of this fruit, it would be a golden orange, though its skin seemed to be glowing with a light that felt rather divine.
Teepo… must've found this the last time he got breakfast for us…
He pocketed the strange fruit and strode out of the area, fully determined to find his companions.
It took two hours to arrive at Yrall Road, as Ryu tried to stay as far from McNeil Village as possible, feeling that he wouldn't be able to face the villagers for the time being. He had managed to avoid contact with anyone other than a few stray monsters, until he arrived at the foot of Mt. Myrneg, which seemed much bigger than the mountain where they had slain the Nue.
Even though it was still springtime, somehow Mt. Myrneg still had the appearance of a partially barren land, rather like Mt. Glaus before the defeat of the Nue. There were leaves on the few trees that were there, but the ground was dry and barren for most parts.
Ryu ventured bravely towards the top of the mountain, occasionally meeting some monsters. Courtesy of Rei's constant sparring with him, he had no trouble with them, except a strange humanoid creature made entirely of mud. The blade of his short sword merely passed through the mud, allowing the monster a chance to hit him, but in the end, the problem was soon resolved by freezing it solid with a Frost spell that he had picked up from Teepo before striking.
Yet, despite being driven forward by his resolve to find his companions, he still ended up covering his eyes and swinging his sword blindly in a manner that drove Teepo mad. He just couldn't help it.
One day he would get rid of the habit, he promised. One day.
He walked as much as he could before he stopped to rest for a few minutes every hour or so, for he still felt pain in his recovering wounds beneath the bandages. But he persevered, and by the time it was sunset, he had already walked a good distance.
At night, he did not try to travel any further, since Bunyan had told him that it was a bad idea, and Ryu was more inclined to believe him when he found that without his campfire nearby, he could not see anything beyond a few feet away. He stayed up only for a few minutes, munching on the apples he had brought along with him, and went straight to sleep in a bedroll.
This was how he continued for three days.
At the end of the third day, however, he paused when he caught sight of smoke coming from somewhere nearby, which indicated that someone was there. Ryu, not taking any chances after his encounter with the half-unicorns, hid behind a large boulder and glanced forward.
He froze when he saw who it was.
Balio and Sunder were seated on fallen logs, with a campfire between them and two small birds being roasted on sticks held over the fire. They were surrounded by several trees and boulders, one of which Ryu was hiding behind.
"Man, that was a waste of time," the green-haired brother remarked as he grabbed one of the roasted birds and bit of a huge piece from it. "We shouldn't have stayed in that tiny backwater village for so long."
Balio took a swig from the mug in his hand and shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't think it's completely wasted…" He grinned. "We got to teach some kid thieves a lesson, didn't we?"
Sunder grinned as well. "Oh yeah, they won't be able to walk ever again! We made sure of that!"
Just that very moment, a Ripper set off from a tree, shaking the branches violently from the takeoff. Ryu, startled, took a step behind him in surprise…
…and trod on a dry twig on the ground.
Crack!
The half-unicorns were instantly alert, their horse ears twitching.
Sunder, who seemed to be the speedier of the two, managed to grab the boy by the scruff of his neck, and he smirked when he recognised him. "Hey, bro! Take a look at this!"
"Heh, he's a pretty lucky one," his brother sneered. "He's up and walking already!"
He cackled. "Unluckily for him, we happened to be in his way!"
Balio then spoke with a soft, dangerous voice, "Since he's here, we might as well have…" He suddenly raised his voice. "…some fun!"
Ryu's eyes widened as Balio pulled out a dagger, and he let out a cry when the dagger was stabbed towards him, and then into him.
Right through the heart.
Time froze. Just like the last time he was struck.
His mind was suddenly blank, aware only of the energy that began surging in his veins.
Instincts. To survive.
There was no pain.
That was all that mattered; to survive.
The energy inside him burned, aching to be released.
To survive.
He waited, as though for his master's command.
The serene male voice, the same one as before, spoke into his ear with approval.
"Yes, Ryu… I see you're ready. Now, draw the power from the heritage in your blood!"
Just as the voice faded, time resumed once more and Ryu fell to the ground. His mind numbed, his ears deaf to the triumphant laughter of his attackers, his eyes blind to his surroundings.
And his body became still.
Then, his heart beat once, resonating throughout his body that was beginning to glow.
A moment later, it beat once again, the light growing brighter and brighter, and finally becoming so dazzling that it blinded his attackers.
His heart now beating normally, it resonated and echoed throughout his body, giving him energy and power.
To survive.
Then, all too suddenly, the light surrounding him disappeared away, leaving his body lying on the ground. The wound had disappeared away, so did the blood.
However, his form was no longer that of an azure-haired boy… but a green Dragon whelp.
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End of Chapter Five.
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Author's Note:
The burning cabin scene? Well, I read this game script from GameFAQs (I use it when I'm writing the scenes in advance, before I watch the scenes in-game) that had some removed scripts as well. Since the burning cabin scene seems so much better like this (wonder why they scrapped it?), I used it here instead of the original… gives Teepo a darker personality. o_o
And I hope you liked the two scenes where Ryu encountered near death situations. It just seems more dramatic when you give him such animal instincts. xP
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Review Replies for Chapter 4:
To Lord Kain:
I like the ghosts having their own personalities too, as well as Rei having to chase that rat running off with his rope; kinda funny that way. xP
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who sees him being indecisive and weak at the start and that both Rei and Teepo are stronger than him, and I'm glad that you like it!
Haha, I know that I was dragging the beginning on a lot; I wanted to emphasise on the happy beginning a little bit so that it'll stick in readers' minds. Poor Ryu, after what's going to happen to him, he needs all that happy stuff at the start. :D
Thanks for the review!
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To Airess Byrd:
I like having protagonists whose instincts are stronger than their… intelligence, actually. Not to say that Ryu is stupid, but more like he's clueless to stuff at this point of time. It's like, "Hey, what's going on? My eyes are telling me it's like that, but my guts say it's not!" Kinda silly, but yeah. xP
Glad that you like the McNeils too! I like to turn them into a silly family, arguing among themselves while they try to find a way to deter the thieves, but it's more of the reason I find the Pacman ghosts boring. o_o
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Windscreen Wipers:
Haha, I update every Saturday, so you don't have to keep checking randomly if I've updated! I've been following the routine so far, though the hour that I update has a 6 hour range; I may do other stuff before I update. o_o
Though I'm glad to see that you like the ghosts! After I've added the personalities to the ghosts, I feel that the original ghosts are now a bit boring, and because they're still respectful enough to their ancestors, they just call the older ones grandpa. xP
Thanks for the review!
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To Nina Windia:
No worries, I knew you'd come back sooner or later. You love your fanfiction too much. xP
I'm glad you like the chapter though; I like Ryu and Teepo that way too! But it's kinda sad how they get separated for so long later on. T_T
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Kestre Wynde:
Glad to see you back! Did you enjoy yourself? :D It's good to see that you like my chapters!
Oops, I thought you meant the apostrophes. Trust me to get myself all muddled up. o_o I suppose the "…" feels a little odd for some readers… heck, even I feel it's odd sometimes, so I don't use it a lot. I don't really know why I do it, actually, maybe to retain some gaming element? No idea. xP
But ganbatte on your writing, I'm sure it'll be even better than mine!
And thanks for the review. :D
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To Omega Gilgamesh:
There are some Youtube videos that are like walkthroughs to the game; you'll be able to find some just by typing Breath of Fire 3 into the search bar. I haven't done this for BoF3 since I play the game as I write, but I'm sure you can find some!