Part 6: The Song of Innocence

Mesmer Jr.: She’s in a deep sleep. Unlike adults, who often relive traumatic memories during this time, children face the danger of never waking up from their dreams at all.
Vertin: Do we have a way to wake her up?
Mesmer Jr.: Was I not clear enough? This is a "condition," not an ordinary state of sleep. Forcibly waking her could cause serious brain trauma.
Mesmer Jr.: Aside from letting her little brain wake up on its own, there is no other solution.
Mesmer Jr.: ...Such an out of control Arcanist ought to be subject to more stringent and regular checks.
Mesmer Jr.: The LSCC's research on her grandfather's arm ring is still in the exploratory phase. It won't be of immediate help to her.
Mesmer Jr.: Moreover, the death records here show that her mother was hospitalized for the same reason.
Mesmer Jr.: This is the "gift" that accompanies their family's Arcanism, a rare kind of hereditary illness.
Mesmer Jr.: Fortunately, though, we have a sample right here with us now. This should prove useful in treating Arcanist illnesses.
Mesmer Jr.: You have indeed made a good deal with her grandfather, Vertin.
She presses a needle into Erick's wrist, and slowly releases the liquid within.
Mesmer Jr.: This is 5 milliliters of Mandragora extract, a hemostatic and neural blocker. It will slow the worsening of her condition to maintain her vital signs for about 2–3 days, but it's far greater than the normal dose.
Mesmer Jr.: Even a carbuncle nearly 7 feet tall would be knocked unconscious by this. It’s commonly used in the black market for live critter dissection.
Vertin: But aren't we supposed to be finding a way to wake her up?
Mesmer Jr.: Aside from the coma, she has other, more lethal issues.
Mesmer Jr.: According to the blood dilution analysis report, her body is abnormally "expending" blood. Her veins are filled with blood-sucking parasites.
Mesmer Jr.: The most conservative treatment is to first calm these "parasites."
Mesmer Jr.: As I’m sure you know, this is our last sample.
She returns the empty vial to the shelf.
Mesmer Jr.: I'll come back in 4 hours.
The medication quickly takes effect. Her breathing becomes lighter.
Outside, dark clouds gather. They are building up to a downpour.
…
The direct light is dazzling. Erick rubs her eyes. Her brain is on the verge of waking, but the sleepiness is unstoppable.
Erick: @#&*￥@...
As she mutters incomprehensibly in her sleep, the softness of her blanket pulls her deeper into her dreams.
Her body instinctively rolls away from the light—
"Thud!"
Erick: Ouch! That hurts...
Erick: Oww, my head! It's going to swell up as big as a bar of soap.
Erick: Huh? Wait, this is...!
Erick: My room?!
The storybook lies open there on the floor.
The carpet is sticky with chewing gum, smelly socks crumpled on the ground. All the familiar messiness—
Harald: My little sleepyhead, has winter finally passed?
Erick: Harald?! Is this real?! Wait, I’ll pull a hair to see if I’m dreaming...
Erick: Ouch... Ow! That really hurts!
Harald: Go wash your face quickly, and grab your helmet and weapons. Your dad's already gone to pick up your little sailors.
Erick: But, but why...
Harald: Oh, have you forgotten? Today is the "Victory Party" I told you about. I’m so impressed that you’ve completed such a perilous journey. What a feat! I'm proud of you, child.
Erick: Right... that sounds familiar...
Harald: Looks like that fall really did a number on your head... We'll wait for you downstairs, child.
Harald: Remember to tidy up your room a bit.
Erick: Okay, okay! You’re starting to sound like nagging Old John!
She scratches her messy hair, opens the wardrobe, and starts rummaging around...
Erick: But when did I get home...? I don't remember a thing.
Erick: Where was I before—
Little Sailors: Welcome home, Erick!
Erick: Oh! Sailors, you scared me!
The children swarm around her, holding her hands, crowding her onto a throne draped with bearskin.
Snotty Buck: Erick, I heard you went to a place full of witches!
Jason “the Slob” : They could go anywhere unimpeded and could even predict exam questions! And they had monsters that could eat a tire whole in one bite.
Little Sailors: Is it true?! Is it true?!
Erick: Calm down, sailors; it wasn’t as scary as that. Though it was certainly perilous, the witches there were actually quite reasonable...
Erick: And those monsters, wow, you have to see them to believe it. I can't even begin to describe how scary they looked.
Little Sailors: Tell us, tell us!
Erick: So, listen up, that place...
A grand story begins anew, the children gasp in horror yet are unable to pull themselves away. They crane their necks like a little herd of giraffes.
Old John clatters in the kitchen, occasionally glancing at his daughter before going back to stirring his pot of thick soup.
Erick: There, I had two of the greatest sailors. They were...
Erick: They were...
The children continue to stare at her.
Erick: Sorry, it’s strange... I can't remember a thing.
As if a stone is suddenly lodged in her throat, she can no longer continue the story.
???: Hey, Erick. Hey!
A voice seems to push through a thin membrane.
Erick: Did you guys... hear something?
Jason “the Slob” : Nope, I didn't hear anything.
Snotty Buck: Heh-heh, I heard it! Jason, you bad boy, you ripped a stealthy one!
Jason “the Slob” : Y-You’re talking nonsense!
They scrap it out, first Jason on top of Buck, then Buck targeting Jason’s ticklish spot.
They grab their desired pillows to start a pillow fight on the sofa.
The living room becomes a chaotic playground, with children cheering and laughing uproariously.
???: Pfft, pfft!
???: Shh, don't bring "it" over here... be quiet, you idiot.
Two tiny figures press against the window, whispering.
But apart from Erick, no one else seems to notice them. She approaches the window and peers out.
Erick: You two idiots, what are you doing standing there at my doorstep? Come in, all my friends are welcome!
???: ...But w-we can't go in, Erick.
???: "It" is coming...
???: When "it" arrives, it takes away all joy. "It" will take away the candy and amusement parks, the fun of running away, and your prized little wooden sword.
???: "It" will eat your heart, so you'll never feel excitement again. Your feet will feel like they’re chained, and your head will feel like it’s carrying a hundred gold pieces, too heavy to lift again.
???: Eventually, you'll start forgetting, forgetting the great stories and the treasures at your fingertips.
???: We don't want that; we can't let "it" in.
Erick: Don't worry, guys, I'll knock "it" down before it can even take a breath!
???: But it's our turn to protect you now, Jarl!
???: Shh, shh! "It" is coming, run!
The figures outside the window flee fast.
She quickly opens the window.
Erick: ...Strange, what's going on?
The setting sun casts its rays, hitting her face and the green lawn outside. The sprinkler is hissing.
But there's no one there.
Harald: ...This is a frightening monster, child.
Harald: I mean... yes, I do know of it.
Erick: What kind of monster is it? I didn't even see what it looks like...
Harald: Do you remember the museum ticket seller, the lady who always picked you up?
Erick: Ms. Sigrid? Oh, her face was long and sour, her voice croaky like an old crow. If she caught you doing something she didn’t like, you were in for a serious paddling.
Erick: The worst part was having to listen to her endless lectures afterward. "Children should behave themselves." "When I was your age..." Blah, blah, blah. I'd rather walk the plank!
Harald: Do you remember the day you climbed the "World Tree" and the carvings you found at the top?
Erick: "The Eagle Feeder tops them all."
Erick: "The next kid to read these words will become the new master of the World Tree."
Harald: It was Ms. Sigrid who carved those words.
Harald: When she was your age, she ran faster and jumped further than any boy in the village. But, none of the boys wanted to admit that a girl could best them.
Harald: So, one day, they dared her to climb the World Tree, the tallest tree in the village. If she failed, then she would have to say they had been letting her win all along.
Harald: We all know what happened next.
He sighs deeply, spreading his hands.
Harald: But, adults always think a girl running fast or getting sun-tanned... is not a good thing.
Harald: So, one day, the Eagle Feeder met this monster. At first, they were evenly matched, palm against claw, stubbornness against obstinacy.
Harald: But eventually, she wore out.
Harald: Her heart was torn to shreds by that monster, but no one ever saw her shed a tear.
Harald: —And then she became Ms. Sigrid, the gloomy ticket seller who’s always telling off kids.
Erick, sitting on the bed's edge, lowers her head uneasily.
Erick: ...I’m so sorry for what I said about her. She was a courageous hero. That monster... must have been truly scary...
Harald: Yes. It has no name, and no one has ever seen it with their own eyes. You must be careful.
Erick: But now, it's relentlessly pursuing my two sailors... They led the monster away to protect me.
Harald: They are brave too.
Erick: But what should I do? what should I do? Harald, can you help me?
She looks up eagerly, her eyes wide with hope.
Harald: I'm afraid not, child... My hands are too big, and the monster too small; my footsteps are too heavy, and its too light.
Harald: Only a child could defeat it, and only a child could be defeated by it.
Erick: But what if I lose to it? If I become like Ms. Sigrid... will you still love me the same?
Harald: No matter what you become.
He holds the child's arms until she stops trembling and raises her head.
It felt like she was gazing into his eyes a thousand, ten thousand times over.
Harald: I'll be waiting for you.
Her palms no longer tremble, her steps grow lighter.
She runs down the hallway.
Runs down the stairs.
Runs through the bustling living room.
Jason “the Slob” : Erick, where are you going? Are you leaving the party?
Snotty Buck: You can't go, we've been waiting ages for you. Look, we even brought a popcorn machine from the shop!
Little Sailors: We want to hear your stories about your grand adventure, about the treasures you brought back!
Erick: Sorry...
Erick: I miss you all and those good old days of adventuring...
Erick: But I've made a promise to two other sailors you don’t know. I can't abandon them...
Erick: Sailors, I'll come back for you, but not now.
Erick: Jason, sorry... I'll return your homework later. You can blame it on me.
Jason “the Slob” : ...Don't worry, boss. My behind is battle-hardened. Even if the teacher comes with a branding iron, I won't utter a sound!
Erick: And Buck, if Nasty Abel still bothers you while I'm gone... tell him to stop acting smug; Jarl Erick will settle the score.
Erick: If he wants more trouble, take Jason's hellhound "Garm" over there.
Erick: Remember, it only eats sturgeon fish that have been left out for three days and three nights.
Snotty Buck: Thank you...
The children watch her, like a farewell choir.
She grabs the doorknob, feeling the cold metal in her palm.
Suddenly, a hand reaches out to stop her.
Erick: Old John... don't block the way, this isn't—
—He wraps both hands around her shoulders.
He ruffles her golden hair. His embrace makes it hard for her to breathe.
But she doesn't resist, she just allows him to hold her tightly, so tightly.
Eventually, he lets go.
Erick: I have to go.
She turns the doorknob.
The dawn light spills through the gaps in the trees, illuminating her in patterns.
Erick: Goodbye, Dad.