Once the Zirkan wildlife were ready, they were transferred into carriers for boarding into the hospital ship, where recovery kennels twice as big as the ones in GDF's veterinary ward were waiting for them.
As the healers were boarding the patients, Karl heard singing. His pupils contracted when he recognized the melody— a hauntingly beautiful song similar to that of the long extinct Hawaiian ʻōʻō.
"Wait!" Karl walked over to the carrier and kneeled, smiling at the bird. "Was it you? Were you the one who healed me at Mt. Niji?"
Karl felt a hand on his shoulder before Rywa crouched down beside him, looking at the bird. The bird pecked at the bandage around her wings, as if trying to scratch an itch. After a few failed tries, she slumped and dozed off.
Rywa looked at Karl then shook his head. He got up then extended his hand to Karl, who took it and was effortlessly pulled up on his feet.
"You may go," Rywa told the healer holding the carrier, who nodded and went on her way.
"That was not the mystical bird we encountered at Mt. Niji. She was his mate… Or rather, a part of that body once belonged to her."
Karl felt as if a bucket of ice water poured over him.
"That song was their mating call. A song her mate will never hear again once the ship departs for Zirka."
"Wait, but you weren't familiar with this bird call when we first heard it up at Mt. Niji, right?"
"Because these mystical healing birds are not a Zirkan wildlife."
Karl gritted his teeth. "You mean the victims weren't just from Zirka? And there could be more of them out there?"
"I'm afraid so. I don't know how long this has been going on for, and the extent of their operations, but we need to put an end to this before more victims suffer." Rywa sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "On top of the dark portals plaguing our world, we need to deal with this as well." He paused, pensive. "No… Perhaps they're not entirely unrelated. I wonder if the scourge plaguing our world is rooted to the planet's starcore. But if that's the case, that means things are far more convoluted."
Karl's brows knitted. "But wouldn't that mean that the Zirkans behind these experiments to extract a living being's light… possibly did this fully knowing how it was going to affect your world?" Rywa nodded, his face grim.
The last patient to be boarded onto the hospital ship was the hele pup, who insisted to come out of his transport vessel for one last cuddle with Karl. Koit, who was chatting with Mrs. Lyle and the rest of Team Alpha, noticed their interaction and chuckled. "It's endearing to see how the little one had become so attached to Karl."
"Aww… Come here lil guy," Karl crouched down and waited with open arms for the pup, who eagerly trotted towards him. Karl lifted him into his arms and gently patted his head. "I'm gonna miss you. Eat well, sleep well, and grow big and strong, okay? I'll see you again someday, when I visit Rywa in Mira. We'll play a lot, so you better not forget me."
After one last swift and soft squeeze, Karl put him down and gently ushered the hele pup back into his transport vessel.
One of the mages who were on their way to the escort ships broke free from the guards restraining him and teleported beside the healers carrying the hele pup's transport vessel. He opened the carrier and roughly yanked the hele pup out and strangled him.
Eyes wide, Karl recognized the mage as the one whose life he spared back at the facility.
"Let us go or this one dies!" The mage yelled, restraining the hele pup with both hands around the neck.
"What the- He's surrounded and in enemy territory! Is he out of his mind?" said Hogan.
Karl surreptitiously reached for the weapons tucked in his gun belt. "He's desperate, and that makes him even more unpredictable and dangerous."
"With the hele pup's condition he could easily snap the little one's neck," Koit frowned.
"Don't worry, Lord Koit. We won't let anything happen to him." Rywa leaned closer to Karl. "Gobaith is perched on the hospital ship's crow's nest. We just need to distract this mage."
"Leave it to me."
Blue lights circled like little fireflies around Karl before concentrating on the barrel of Karl's silver gun. He drew it and shot faster than the blink of an eye. The ether bullet grazed the mage's cheek, making his head twist to the side. The mage's hold on the hele pup loosened and that's when Gobaith dove down from the crow's nest, snatched the hele pup, and dropped him right into Karl's arms.
Karl hugged the warm ball of fur. "I'm sorry… This is all my fault." His voice faltered with remorse.
"Ddaearyneinhamddiffyn," Chris uttered. The sage's book he was holding glowed silvery blue, and with a wave of his other hand, ice formed and bound the mage's feet and hands.
The mage let out a deranged laugh then fell to his knees. "Go on. Kill me. However you do it can't possibly be worse than what that man with a blackened hand will do to me."
Rywa's pupils contracted and his face stiffened. Seeing the gentleness in his sun-coloured eyes get taken over by fiery rage, Karl's breath got stuck in his throat. Frozen, his mind went blank and Karl could only watch as Rywa got up and walked towards the mage.
As he walked up the ramp to the entrance of the hospital ship, where the mage was on his knees by the empty cage, a magic circle formed underneath Rywa's feet, which followed him like a shadow with each step.
However, it was different from the beautiful and intricate array Karl saw when Rywa saved everyone from the great fire around Tokyo Tower. This one had a violent and menacing energy to it.
"Rywa!" Chris called his name with a warning tone.
Karl figured his captain, more than anyone, must have felt the difference in Rywa's power at that moment.
But Rywa kept moving forward steadily. With a wave of his hand, a fiery wall encircled the mage, the tips of the flames just barely missing his skin.
"You work for The Count with the Cursed Hand? Where is he?" Rywa asked, the chill in his voice could freeze the entire island.
The mage violently shook his head, "I can't tell you."
"Viernn!"
Karl looked towards Sahd when he heard his voice. Viernn had drawn her bow, aiming at the mage as well. Her usually calm demeanour was gone and her beautiful features were contorted in rage, eyes blazing with an unspoken threat.
Standing in front of the man, Rywa effortlessly reached past his flames and grabbed the man's neck. The temperature in the cruiser docks seemed to drop even lower with every word that he uttered. "I will ask you again. Where is that vile man?"
Face contorted in terror, the mage looked up at Rywa with pleading eyes, struggling to breathe in between his words from the smoke and from being choked. "Can't… say… We're under… the pact of… secrecy… If I tell you… the spell will kill me…"
Rywa raised an eyebrow, face nonchalant. "Weren't you so eager to die earlier? That you'd even use an innocent hele pup?"
"Rywa… please stop…" Karl mumbled, pleading.
Koit moved closer to Karl and gently pried the hele pup from his arms. "Go."
After shakily passing on the hele pup to Koit, Karl sprinted towards Rywa and grabbed his wrist, trying to pull his hand that was strangling the mage away. Karl winced when he felt a sharp pain in his forearm, but chose to ignore it.
"Rywa… Rywa! Remember what you said about using your power to save others. Don't do this. He's not worth it." Karl glared at the mage.
Upon hearing Karl's words, Rywa's mind drifted back to that time…
*******
Rywa's hands were trembling.
"Rywa… What's wrong?" Karl's voice was laden with concern.
"The last time I ever handled fire of this magnitude was when my power lost control. That fire burned down an entire forest… and killed people important to me."
Karl gingerly reached for his hands. "But Rywa, look around you. You saved everyone today."
Rywa looked up and saw the firefighters, medics, and other emergency responders who, though visibly exhausted, looked relieved. People who didn't need care have started to disperse and cautiously made their way through the smoldering rubble, while some stayed in huddles, comforting each other.
"If you hadn't contained the fire, the firefighters and Captain would have had a much harder time to put it out. More people would have gotten hurt," said Karl. His eyes were gentle and warm.
Rywa smiled bitterly. "Since that day, I've always thought the power I posses was only meant to destroy. I will never be able to atone for what I have done, however, if this power can help others then I will no longer hesitate to use it." He brought Karl's hands to his lips and planted a soft kiss on the back of his fingers.
"And you are the one who made me realize this. Thank you, Karl."
*******
Rywa retracted his flame and released the mage from his hold.
"Killing you would be going easy on you. You shall go back to Mira and face the consequences of your crime according to our laws."
While the Zirkan guards took the mage away, Koit approached the two. He handed over the hele pup to Rywa. "He seems to be a little shaken after what happened. With your gift, won't you help him calm down?"
Rywa took the hele pup into his arms.
Koit added "And won't you take him inside the ship? Perhaps he can help you calm down as well."
Rywa nodded then wordlessly complied, taking the hele pup inside. Karl motioned to follow behind him but before he could take another step, Koit held his shoulder.
Karl turned around to face him and flinched upon seeing Koit's stern expression. "Show me your arm."
Karl lifted up his sleeve, revealing a burn on his forearm. "I'm okay."
"A burnt skin is not 'okay'. It will get worse if not properly treated. Hold still," Koit held Karl's hand and put his free hand over the younger man's forearm. A glowing green array appeared under their feet and a gentle energy emanated from Koit's palm, emitting a soothing sensation on Karl's skin. The burn mark gradually disappeared until it was gone, and his skin looked as if it was never burned.
"Thank you, Lord Koit. Your power is so tender" Karl's lips quirked upwards. He added as an afterthought, 'And really does feel familiar after all.'
He snapped out of his thoughts when Koit caressed his head again, the way he did when they first met.
"I heard what you said to the hele pup earlier. You shouldn't blame yourself for things that are not your fault," Koit smiled then retracted his hand.
"Have we…" Karl hesitated, then shook his head. "Will we see each other again?"
"I'm sure we will," Koit chuckled. He paused for a bit then added. "Who knows, perhaps much sooner than we both expect. Take care of yourself. There are people who cherish you so, and they would be terribly sad if you don't look after your health."
The king regent's aide then boarded the hospital ship. Karl felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness as his gaze followed the white mage's retreating back.