GARO Fanfic – Exiled’s return, 8

Chapter 8: Research


“I see you managed to awaken the ‘sleeping beauty’” Rei says ironically in coming into, causing his companions to lift their eyes from the opened book on the table.

“He woke up by his own” Jabi points.

“Good”. Rei approaches them and drops a newspaper on the table. “Because we’re busy”.

Jabi and Kouga read the headline: There are no clues about the perpetrators of the mysterious mutilations yet.

“Mutilations?” Kouga shows amazed.

Rei bases to rest on the table with both hands.

“They’re awful scratches anywhere on the body, or bites. At the time of the closure of the newspaper, there’re seven victims. Two among them have bled to death”.

The young man notes the effect the news has on his two companions, take a seat next to them, and goes on.

“They’ve tracked the origin of these incidents to the Kaoru’s case, the first one known. Survivors tell about people who suddenly assaulted them without a cause. Others say about unusually large animals”.

“Animals?” Kouga asked again.

“Look”. The younger knight takes the newspaper and read a paragraph. “‘Yoshio Mutsuda tells he was bitten by a poodle, but of a tiger size’” He watches the other occupants of the table. “Do you see? These horrors can metamorphose into any kind of being, but can not increase or decrease their size. Certainly, I don’t like the idea to face such a big bee!”

Jabi and Kouga look at each other.

“So, are there more than one?” she asks.

“Probably” Kouga says. “The book tells about an entire race of horrors”.

“And they also can work together” Rei adds. “Unbelievable!”

“According to the book” Jabi says, “they’re more intelligent, so they can do it. But, they’re also more vulnerable when they’re hungry. Then, their instincts overwhelm them. One of their weaknesses, is a bump on the stomach level that, as destroyed, disrupts their ability to feel satiated. Then, they become killing machines”.

“What a weak point!” Rei exclaims, sarcastically. “That is, to finish them, we must feed them to burst. Any idea where we can get the food surplus?” Silence. “Are there more ‘good’ news?”

“Soul metal doesn’t kill them, although it injures them” Kouga answers. “But they’re pretty vulnerable to Madou Fire”.

“And, they breed” the priestess adds.

“Wait!” Rei has almost risen from his chair. “D’you mean that these creatures aren’t born from Meshia secretions?”

“Sure they are”  Jabi says, “but, apparently this is the original breed of horrors, and may have other attributes. Maybe they’re even another species”.

“So, there’re males and females among them”.

Jabi shrugs.

“As the subsequent horrors have no sex, maybe they’re hermaphrodites”.

“We must foresee” Kouga contributes “when they need reinforcements perhaps they can self-fertilize. We don’t know how long they need to give birth to a new horror. Or more than one. Nor, we don’t know how short or long their childhood may be either”.

“So” Rei concludes “we don’t know if they may increase their number from seven to fourteen or to a hundred in a few days”.

*     *     *

The trio does experiments with the piece of antenna that Rei cut from the horror which tried to kill Kouga. Rei sends a burst of Madou Fire to it and Jabi, by a strange gatget made of skin of who knows what animal, attempts to get the resistance on the cells of the horror.

“Dead” she finds “but we don’t know if an alive horror will be more resistant”.

“Bet your magic brush” Rei comments.

“Excuse me”.

The three turn to the door. Gonza is at the threshold.

“Mr Kouga, a messenger requires your presence”.

“Sign yourself the receipt, as always” the lanlord replies.

“He insists that it must be handed”.

Annoyed, Kouga leaves his colleages.

The messenger left in his hands a rectangular package where would fit, in Gonza’s opinion, a small appliance. But there are holes on both sides. And it moves. Also, he was given a letter at his name.

A baby. Inside there is a baby. Kouga and the butler look each other in amazement.

“There must be a mistake” Gonza says. “Who would think to send a baby through the mail? This is reportable!”

The young man looks back at the little one with a growing concern, before to open the letter.

*     *     *

Why?

Standing and motionless in front of the static and sitting body of Kaoru, Kouga’s mind rushes into a whirlpool of speculations.

“Don’t blame her before to allow her an explanation. You did it once and butt in, d’you remember?”

Kouga knows Rei is right but, what can he do when all his doubts assail him! This baby is about three months, Jabi said. He had to be born in Italy. And he had to be bred there. The only person he loves in the world has cheated him, and to conceal it she has left her son. A double deception. And now there is a child without parents. Could he trust her again?

“Hey, Kouga” Jabi interrupts his suppositions, “it’s obvious that there's someone very interested in accusing Kaoru. If not, the ‘package’ would come to her name, and not yours. This thing deserves to keep the doubt”.

He closes his eyes tightly, his anger rising. A strong hand rests on his right shoulder. He is about to turn around suddenly and give a blow to him or her, but he restrains himself in time.

“Please”. Jabi's voice speaks with a kindness that denies the strength of her arm. “Remember: that horror has weakened your spirit. You haven’t never shown your doubts, well, you even don’t believe in them. Your greatest power has been taken away, don’t forget it, my friend”.

She says so big truth! Kouga do not recognize himself, but he does not know how to retrieve his true self. All he can do is to watch his hieratic beloved one and to scream to her silently, to ask her help to answer his questions.

“Excuse me”. Gonza enters into with a newspaper in his hand. “I was commissioned to buy the today one”.

Rei is about to pick it up.

“Thanks”.

Gonza goes out, and Rei sits to seek some useful news about the movements of the Bariri horrors. Jabi comes closer to the little one, lying in an armchair.

“How much time ago he hasn’t eaten? He hasn’t even cried, hasn’t slept...”

Kouga and Rei and turn to her, they have not realized it. Rei returns to his reading, but Kouga approaches, somewhat bewildered.

“Why have he to cry?”

Jabi bursts into laughter.

“Kouga, you have to be a dad, for you to learn what a baby is”.

Before he wonders whether to replicate or not, Rei exclaims:

“Look at this!”

They come closer to him, and he reads:

“’... Also, it is remarkable the death of a child fifteen weeks old, because his leg was almost torn off’”.

Three pairs of eyes turn, cautious, to the little being in the armchair.

*     *     *

“That damned shield is draining your energy, you do have to destroy it!”

“If I can’t heal Kaoru, no”.

“And, what is going to happen when the father or the mother of the baby horror came to get him? That little monster almost bit you, but you were too distracted to avoid it and your reaction has been slow. So, you’re useless, okay?”

Kouga peers at his colleague. Then, at the silent priestess.

“So, help me to share my blood with Kaoru”.

“That one again?” she protests.

“That one, or no one”.

“Why don’t you ask to Kaoru?” the girl replies. “Don’t you think you're taking too many decisions belonging to her? Did you ever ask her opinion before freezing her in the time?”

“Of course I did! And I promised her to undo the spell when I had the medicine”.

“Then, wake her up” Rei interjects. “She’s to decide whether to accept the blood exchange, or to test the Madou Fire”.

“But” Kouga still protests, “although we’ve seen that it has effectively put an end to the child horror, that intensity of fire could kill her!”

“Let her to decide it!” Rei's shout is conclusive. Then, more softly: “There’s always the possibility of re-freeze her, right?”