Infection

"So I hear Roko is back."

"Indeed he has, Queen Rivera." Kaguya said, leaning against the door to the home where Roko was being kept, "Are you here to visit?"

"Indeed. There isn't much I can do from a medical perspective at this point so I'm just here to check up on him."

"I can allow you visit him but I hope you'll understand that you won't find anything you might be hoping to see there."

"...Whatever do you mean?"

"Just what I mean." Kaguya said as she stood up, "Don't go looking for anything that won't be there."

"Why would I do that?"

Kaguya simply stood aside, opening the way for the queen to enter the upgraded hut. The queen stood there for a moment though, looking displeased at the thinly veiled warning, "...Have you acquired a noumenite?"

"Whatever Roko has achieved, I'll leave it to once he recovers to let him tell you about it himself. It's the least he deserves after what he's gone through."

"...I'll take that as a good sign then at least?"

"The only thing you should be worried about is Roko's recovery. Because quite frankly, if he never recovers, then you'll never find out what he achieved."

"...I'll see what I can do then..."

Entering the room, Rivera could see everything has upgraded significantly from the hut that it used to be. Stone tiles littered the floor, mostly in place but some still just lying around, seeming to be leftovers from the mostly complete remodeling. The furniture were significantly upgraded though some had a human touch to them. A little bit of a different style of craftsmanship compared to the elves, though nothing seemed exotically extravagant. Even the bed where Roko had been snoozing away for the past few days was more sturdy than style. Speaking of Roko, he seemed to be under several layers of blanket, a detail that Rivera suspected was more about weighing him down to stop him from escaping than it was about comfort. Indeed, the man looked like he was nearly suffocating under there as Corissa sat besides him, feeding him some chicken soup.

"Hello Corissa." The elf queen greeted the princess.

"Lady Rivera." Corissa gave a short bow as she addressed the royal elf, "I assume you're here to see Roko?"

"Yes. I honestly expected a little more medical equipment around to monitor his health but I guess you don't have a medical hut set up yet."

"We've made the preparations for one but Enlil thinks it's best to place it inside the cave." Corissa nodded, "We've received a few pieces but we haven't taken them out of their boxes yet."

"I guess you don't really have anyone with the knowledge to use it either huh?"

"That is correct."

"Hm." Rivera turned her attention back to Roko who seemed like he might be having mild nightmares. He also seemed a bit green though that may just be a trick of the light. Magically speaking, he was leaking an immense amount of mana to the point that he may as well be slightly radioactive as well. This state would take years to recover from and a little bit of chicken soup wasn't going to help.

"He looks pretty bad." Rivera remarked, "I'm surprised he's still alive all things considered."

"It never gets any easier." Corissa said, almost like she was sulking, "I hate seeing him like this but there's nothing I can do..."

"...There might be one thing you can do." Rivera said.

"Really?" Corissa looked up but her eyes didn't seem hopeful.

"Roko's suffering from an imbalance of magic in his system. Holy removes magic. Your holy magic could save him."

Corissa's eyes widened in surprised but there was a hint of fear in them as she considered the idea. She turned around and looked at the sleeping Roko, her mood reverting back to depression quite quickly.

"Something wrong?" Rivera asked.

"I know that holy might be able to save Roko." Corissa said softly, "But it's not just magic that negates other magic. It's magic that eliminates that which cannot be understood."

"What does that mean?"

"I...don't really know myself." Corissa smiled softly, "Roko explained it to me once and I'm not sure I quite remember all of it. But I remember him telling me it's impossible for people to truly or wholly understand one another. Therefore it should be possible for...holy to erase other people."

It was now Rivera's turn to look surprised, "Erase other people? That's a frightening concept. But...this is just a theory correct?"

"Yes but this is a Roko idea. So...I'd really rather avoid using holy on other people if I can."

"I see." Rivera mused, "I have my doubts but I suppose it would be rather foolish to question Roko now of all times."

The two fell silent as Corissa reached over and fed Roko another spoonful of soup. As she returned the spoon to the bowl, Rivera could see Corissa's hand shaking a little. And when she next spoke, her voice was trembling, holding back a deepening sadness,

"Rivera...Roko's not going to die is he?"

Rivera looked at the princess almost in tears and then to the sickly human in front of her. And she sighed, "If I don't do something about this, I feel my credit as a queen will fall irrevocably."

"Huh?" Corissa looked confused.

"If the problem is that Roko's running out of vital mana, then we overcharge him with enough mana to flush out the wild mana."

"Umm..." Corissa blinked, "That...doesn't sound like a good idea..."

"Indeed. It's not exactly a tested cure. But there have been theories of using Mana Hypertrophy to counter Mana Bleed."

"I'm...not sure I understand."

"Mana Bleed is the term for the continuous loss of mana. In this case it is due to the stealing of vital mana through excess wild mana. Mana Hypertrophy is...an unusual state. It is the excessive production of vital mana. Not much is known about this concept. It's almost more of a theoretical state than it is producible...however there is one known case of inducing Mana Hypertrophy."

"And that is?"

"Animietas. An ancient disease that induces the production of an excessive amount of mana." Rivera answered grimly, "It's said to have wrecked the world thousands of years ago but nowadays it's a relic of a bygone era. Assuming you take your vaccines anyway."

"I...did I take a vaccine for that?" Corissa frowned.

"Probably. Though I think humans have a lesser chance of contracting it. What with your lesser mana abilities and all. No offense."

"Umm...none taken? So...is the plan to make Roko sick with this disease to counter his current condition?"

"An ounce of poison is a cure as they say." Rivera sighed, "And from what I hear, this Roko isn't from our world, correct? He most likely hasn't received the vaccine to counter it."

"I guess that's true..." Corissa mused, "What are people like under this disease?"

"It depends on the person. Animietas is an overflow of the self. In a general sense, you either lose all inhibitions and discipline or your paranoia and depression take hold of you. You become the most...you that you can be. Be it someone who goes on to uncover a great amount of talent or someone who cloisters themselves in their home, too afraid to proceed. Either way, it's dangerous as Mana Hypertrophy can cause heart failures, muscle decay, brain damage and, yes, death. Sometimes."

"This disease is eradicated, right? How do you plan on using it then?"

"We elves have dedicated ourselves to recording life itself. That includes all animals, plants, bacteria and, indeed, diseases. I won't say we have absolutely everything, that's just not possible. But we have a sort of...life vault. It's no where near here nor is its location especially well known. But it's probably the only place to get a sample of the illness. And trust me. Unlike with the noumenonite, I am CONFIDENT I can get a sample of it."

Corissa's face scrunched up, imagining all the unpleasant ways this could possibly end.

"Like I said, this is all in the area of magical theory. I can't guarantee it will work. And there is a lot of risk with this too. Even ignoring the very real chance that Roko could die, the more dangerous outcome is if the animietas mutates and becomes highly infectious once again. It could start a worldwide pandemic. But given Roko's current state...saying his chances of surviving is minuscule is putting it comically lightly. I'd go so far to say no one has ever survived going this far past the Quintessence Dissolution Limit."

"..." Corissa silently thought it over. Her face was grim and conflicted but she slowly gathered enough resolve that Rivera could see the answer in her eyes before she could even answer.

"Am...I allowed to make that decision?" Corissa asked.

"As one of the few people closest to Roko, I don't think there's anyone else who can decide."

"...Then please do it." Corissa nodded, "I don't want to lose Roko. Not like this."

"...Understood." Rivera nodded back, "Then I'll go make the preparations."

Rivera turned around and then almost jumped out of her skin, "Great Arbor! Was that black knight always there?!"

"Hm? Who, Varis? Yeah, he's always been there."

"Who stands in the corner of the room next to the door and doesn't make a single sound?!"

"That's just Varis." Corissa frowned, "Is it really so strange? Your daughter had a very similar reaction."

"I...nevermind." Rivera sighed, "I'll just get back to work."

In only two days, Rivera returned to the camp with a box in hand. Standing over the still unconscious Roko and a nervous Corissa, Rivera opened the box and took out a murky green gem. Tying the stone around Roko's neck, the elf queen shifted the necklace over Roko's chest and tapped it's surface. A small magical circle spun out from the surface of the gem and the dark spots of the gem escaped out of it, seemingly into Roko's body, leaving a perfectly normal emerald in its place.

"There we go." Rivera snapped the lid of her box shut, "It's all up to Roko now. The two forces should balance each other out for a short while. Once Roko starts exhibiting the more serious symptoms of animietas, tap the gem again and it should release the cure. Until then, I suggest one of you keeps an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret. Both in the dangerous sense and the embarrassing sense. There are famous stories about animietas survivors and how they want to die after being told the kind of things they did under the disease."

"Okay." Corissa nodded, "I'll keep watch over him."

"That's great and all but we do still need you to come up with that incantation soon."

Corissa looked down, unable to muster a response.

"Well, you're the one who made the decision so I guess you should take care of him." Rivera patted her hand on her shoulder, "When Roko finally stabilizes, do give me a call. I'll be making preparations to finally move Brea's grave."

And without another word, Rivera turned around and left.

Corissa stayed by Roko's side, keeping an eye on his condition which did seem to be improving though he still didn't seem to be able to move nor wake up. Corissa sat there all day, leaving only to prepare a meal for her patient...and to pick up a meal for herself. A few visitors would pop by every now and then to check up on Roko and offer a bit of simulating conversation for Corissa but the princess's concerns remained on her sickly friend. She refused to leave his side, even dismissing Varis to allow him to get some sleep as she continued her watch. But it wasn't long before Corissa fell asleep too, waking up in the middle of the night with a start. And to an empty bed.

A rush of fear and excitement took hold of her as she ran out the door, desperately looking around for where Roko could have gone. He was nowhere to be seen on the grounds, but when Corissa turned to look in the caves, she found him. Sitting on top of the entrance to the cave, in the outcroppings of the mountain was Roko, looking up at the cloudless night sky riddled with stars and a bright moon tonight. He looked serenely at the sky before he noticed Corissa and turned to shock her.

"Yo!" Roko grinned, "Can't sleep tonight either, Corissa? It's a pretty full moon out tonight so I can't blame you! The air's much crisper at night too!"

It was looking at Roko's smile that Corissa realized that...she had never seen Roko smile before. Smirking, yes. Perhaps a smug or malicious smile, sure. But...never with the pure joy that Roko had on right now as he was waving at her. The human stood up and jumped off, nearly prompting Corissa to run over to try and catch him but he landed quite safely and stood back up like he was perfectly healthy.

"You look like a mess." Roko smiled as he walked over and patted Corissa on the head, "Have you been taking care of yourself?"

Corissa was stunned but not too stunned to lightly blush. Roko had never been so...affectionate before. "Respectful distance" was basically how Roko always was, with physical contact only ever made when needed or if he really felt like he needed to comfort someone. Now he was rubbing her head like she was a dog with the most friendly smile on his face that Corissa had ever seen from him.

"Ah, that's right!" Roko said as he took his hand off a slightly disappointed Corissa, "You should come see what I found! Come on!"

Without another word, Roko walked back to the cave, or rather the mountain wall and started climbing again. Corissa felt like she should stop him but he seemed to be climbing without a problem and Corissa was...entranced to say the least. She found herself following him before she even knew it. Together, the two reached a flat point on the mountain. Not quite the tallest point as a few more spire rose up irregularly around them but for all intents and purposes, the top of the mountain. The ground was a dizzying height away though they should be able to climb back down pretty easily. Though Roko didn't even bother looking down or back in any way as he lead her deeper into this forested area atop the mountain. Corissa already had an idea what he had wanted to show her so it wasn't a surprise when they arrived at the rebuilt pond.

The pool had been filled a bit from the rainwater and then filled again by some more specially prepared water that Corissa had ordered to help promote growth. No animals had been added quite yet (though that has also been prepared) so the water was remarkably still. The height and the trees did well at stifling most breezes, leaving the surface of the water like a mirror that reflected the bright moon in the sky. The water was still so clean that you could look past it and the glass bottom and into the cave underneath, though there wasn't much to see at this hour. It was peaceful. Serene. An utterly beautiful sight that Corissa tried to enjoy but her mind and eyes were locked on Roko.

Roko was busy enjoying the atmosphere with that calm smile that Corissa still was not used to seeing from him. So this was Roko without inhibitions or restraints? It was...unnerving but...it was refreshing. After all Roko had gone through, the least he deserved was to be happy for once and it was all Corissa ever wanted for him. To be happy. And he now is, at least...on the surface. But it still felt so...wrong. Almost uncanny. Surely it was just too sudden a change and Corissa would get used to it eventually...but...did she want to? Was this really Roko? Was it okay for Roko be like this if this wasn't...him? Did Corissa...actually not want Roko to be happy?

The princesses thoughts haunted her with no real answer. She just kept staring at Roko, hoping that by just observing him, she'd come up with some sort of answer. Eventually Roko's attention turned away from the serenity in front of him as he looked up to check on Corissa. Seeing her staring blankly at him, Roko just smiled,

"The moon is beautiful isn't it?"

Corissa didn't reply, still regarding her old friend like a stranger until he reach up and patted her on the head again,

"Come on, lighten up. You always looked better with a smile on your face."

A common line. Corissa had heard it a dozen times before from people interested in her. Perhaps it would have worked on anyone else but Corissa was unfortunately guarded against such simple lines. Perhaps if this was normal Roko it would have meant something. It would have been more awkward. Badly delivered and with the sense that Roko never actually thought of whenever or not the statement had any truth to it and was just saying it to try and distract her. But it would have been endearing. It would have every reason that Corissa liked Roko to begin with. Now...now it was different. There was still no sense of courtship and no sense of manipulation. None in the sense that he wanted her to reciprocate or her to be cheered up. It was a simple compliment. One that had felt so platonic yet so familiar. It was...like he was a big brother to her.

A new feeling gripped Corissa's chest. A feeling of meeting someone again, of meeting family again. Even if she already had a family, even if she had felt a similar feeling meeting Varis again. It was freed from the disassociation she had from being adopted and from the abject horror she had from discovering Varis' distressing and ongoing state. She finally felt like someone had returned to her safely. Even if she knew in her mind that Roko had no such ties to her, no such reason for her to feel this way, doubly so again with his new behavior, she felt...for just a moment...like she was with old family and friends again. It felt warm, familiar and...more touching than Corissa was prepared to experience today. She closed her eyes, letting Roko's hand glide over her head, letting that sense of familiarity coddle her. Before she knew it, she had hugged Roko the two were holding each other close. Closer than Roko would have ever allowed. The same Roko who was treating her like a little sister.

"Come on now. It's pretty late already. Let's go back and sleep before we wake up too late."