Someone shaking his shoulder awakened Vivi early the next dawn. He slowly opened his eyes to see Valian.

"Val? What's wrong, son?" Vivi sat up fully, distressed by the look in his youngest son's eyes.

"I ... I don't feel... so good..." he answered. Vivi got out of bed and felt Valian's forehead under his hat - and gasped. The little mage was burning up!

As fast as he could, Vivi pulled on his jacket, gloves, hat, and shoes, and propelled his son to the medical hut. Cid, Dr.Tot, and Bernadice were still there.

"Val is ill," Vivi said as he eased Valian to a bed. But even before Dr. Tot could reach the bed, the door opened and Toru and Sola wobbled in.

"I think we caught what Eiko has," Sola muttered, slumping against the wall as if he had to strength. Alarmed, Vivi helped them into bed, then went to check on Calan and Nicara. But he didn't have to go far, as Calan, his arms around his younger brother to try and help him walk, met their father halfway.

"Cal! Nic!" Vivi hurried to help support Nic, and they got back to the hut.

"Hmm..." Dr. Tot mused. "It seems this is contagious. I would suggest that all of us here go to Lindblum, where I can better diagnose and treat this."

"Wouldn't that expose more people to the disease?" asked Bernadice.

"The airship docks directly with the palace, and there are secret routs from there to my tower that minimize contact with others."

"When should we leave?" asked Vivi.

"Dawn would be best." Cid squeezed his daughter's hand. "Hopefully Eiko's fever will break before then." Dr. Tot gave all of Vivi's sons a spoonful of medicine, and they each lay down to rest.

As it was, those few hours before dawn proved to be very revealing, in three ways: First, Eiko's fever refused to break, against Dr. Tot's prediction; second, all of Vivi's sons, despite the fact that they had received the medicine at an earlier stage then Eiko, falling into the same fevered semi-conscious state, much to Vivi's alarm; and third, five more Black Mages also fell ill that same night, and went to the medical hut only to also reach the same stage as the others.

"This seems highly contagious," Dr. Tot commented, amending his earlier statement. "I think my earlier idea isn't such a good one, now. It's spreading too fast. Every person in this village could be infected."

"What should we do?" asked Vivi.

"I think the best course of action is to quarantine the entire village, and send the airship crew for my things. If they leave the supplies in the woods, and then one of us who isn't yet showing symptoms retrieve them, the chance of infection the crew should be minimized.

"But until we know more, no one present in the Black Mage Village leaves the woods, and no one comes in."