Duncan's POV
Duncan watches quietly as Rythian observes Kim, who has not moved in position for the last few hours. She stopped breathing for a few seconds at one point, and he knew that the situation was deteriorating quicker than he thought.
He cringes as Rythian's hand touches the flux, but he has already asked the mage why it doesn't effect him, and his response is that he is immune because of his Ender abilities-the subject had been dropped quickly after that.
"Well?" Duncan asks impatiently. He has been silent for an hour now, fidgeting uncomfortably as Rythian pokes and prods her-gently, but still firmly, firmly enough for Duncan to bite back protests.
"There's some good news, some...alright news and some very bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"
"The alright news" Duncan replies warily, standing up as the mage straightens.
"It wasn't exactly the potion that caused it, it was just the wrong prescription. You should have made Will come and see her first instead of buying the first one you saw. He wouldn't have given it to you otherwise" the mage sighs, rubbing his forehead weakly.
Duncan nods in confirmation, before continuing. "The good news?"
"I know an old friend who knows a lot about the flux; he lives quite far away from here but he'd definitely know the cure for it."
Duncan breathes a sigh of relief, before remembering the other choice. "And the bad news?"
Rythian glances at Duncan before looking back at Kim. "She doesn't have more than a month left, I'd say."
Inhaling sharply, Duncan stares at Rythian and tries to think of a response. A month? That was it? The scientist slowly sits back down, clamping his hand tightly around the bottom of Kim's bed so he didn't fall over, and he looks over at his apprentice's sleeping figure. She looks like an angel, her skin already turning paler where it wasn't purple, and she looks so peaceful...it's hard for Duncan to believe that someone so perfect could leave this world in a matter of weeks.
"I'm sorry" Rythian grunts awkwardly, leaning against the bookshelf.
"You don't have to be" Duncan mutters, before leaning backwards and shutting his eyes. "This is probably just karma kicking me up the butt for everything I did to you and Zoey."
Rythian chuckles humourlessly, but doesn't reply. The two stay in silence for a while, before Duncan stretches and gets up, facing Rythian with sudden determination.
"Well, I can't just sit here feeling sorry for myself. How far away is this friend of yours? I'll set off straight away."
Rythian watches him for a moment, studying him silently with thoughtful purple eyes. "It'll take a few weeks to get there, two if the weather permits. But we need to prepare-the place he is in is dangerous, and it isn't a place we should be in. Bring weapons, food, water, anything you need to survive-we'll set off tomorrow."
"Why not today?" Duncan persists, scrambling around in a chest for a backpack. "I can pack pretty quickly."
"Just because you don't have anyone else in this god forsaken castle that you care about doesn't mean I don't" Rythian snaps, his voice deepening and projecting, enough to make Duncan pause.
"Right, of course. Zoey...uh, fine. Tomorrow works for me." Duncan scratches his head sheepishly.
"Tomorrow. Come to our house in the morning, it's in the same direction."
"Alright" Duncan sighs, sitting next to Kim and laying his head on his arms.
"And Rythian?"
The mage turns as he exits. "What?"
YOU ARE READING
Outcast (A Yogscast Fan Fiction)
Fanfiction"Love is weakness" he growls, clenching his fists as he glares at her. "I know" she whispers, advancing regardless. "But denying it is weaker." After the Bomb, the Yogscast were forced to move as the radiation destroyed everything they knew. They ev...
