Chapter Six: The Heartbreaking Reality
In the morning, the young lovers decended the steps from the their home as they had done several times before, only this time, instead of Serge simply allowing Kid to lean on is shoulder, both of his arms encircled her warmly. The festival decorations were in the process of being taken down, so Kid sat on the edge of the stage and watched Serge help the other villagers. After only a minute, Radius made his way to her side and greeted her pleasently.
"Good morning, Kid. Your injuries are almost fully healed now, am I right?"
"No, they're not... I'm still coughing up blood, and my ribs haven't stopped hurting..." she told him uncertainly.
"Are you sure?" questioned the old man with a serious frown. "It's been a month and a half, you know. You should have been completely healed, unless there were complications... Has Serge been feeding you that medicine I gave him?"
She nodded, biting her lip. She couls still see Serge out of the corner of her eye, and dreaded his reaction when he found out.
"There must be an infection," the village chief continued. "Although I hate to say it, I'm going to be honest with you, Kid... If an infection has lasted this long, it will be very hard to fight. It may weaken your body permanently. To stop this from happening, you must stay indoors and, other than short walks through the house, you should not leave your bed. I will give Serge some stronger herbs for you. If you take care of yourself, you still have a chance to recover."
Kid listened silently, biting her lip. She just could not imagine herself, Kid the Radical Dreamer, as a cripple. Seeing her unhappiness, Radius offered to tell Serge for her, but she shook her head, forcing herself to be strong. She watched the boy talking and laughing merrily with the villagers, and hated the fact that she would have to upset him as much as she hated her condition. And her request, Radius left her alone to wait for Serge. When he came to check on her, she told him she was tired and asked him to go back with her, and as soon as they were alone in the room they shared, Kid sadly repeated what Radius had said to her.
"Oh Kid, I'm sorry..." Serge said emotionally, "but you're so strong. I know you'll pull through. I'll go fetch those herbs from Radius right now if you want."
But she shook her head, clinging tightly to his hand so that he would not leave. "Stay with me, just for a little while..." she paused to cough. "I'm... scared." It took all of her will to say such a thing. She was supposed to be strong and fearless, but at that moment, that description was far from the truth.
Knowing how hard it was for the firey girl to admit her weak mortallity, Serge sat down on the edge of the bed and embraced her, letting her bury her face in his shirt. He was startled to feel a slight dampness soak through, but did not comment as she shook and cried quietly.
Time passed, and Kid's illness gradually worsened. Although the thief did become bored of staying in bed most of the time, she knew better than to complain. Everything would change, however, one week after the festival. On this day, the thief's protective lover had been assigned the job of catching dinner, which meant he was far out in a fishing boat and there was no telling when he would come back. A certain red-head took the chance to have a friendly chat with her ex-rival.
Kid sat up in bed as Leena stepped into the room with a mumbled greeting. "Hey Kid... I just thought you might like some company since Serge is out fishing."
The ill thief shrugged, not admitting how true Leena's statement was.
"Anyway," the other girl continued, "I know you're not supposed to go out, but it seems like staying in this room forever is not very healthy either. I say this because I had plans to walk to Divine Dragon Falls today and I was wondering if you'd like to come."
"Yeah, I would..." muttered Kid, "but I can't exactly walk."
"Don't worry about it. I've got this little old wagon that I used to pull the village children around in for fun. You can ride in that, if it doesn't bother you. the only tricky part would be sneaking you away without anyone noticing. That's why I waited until Serge was gone."
Kid nodded at Leena's reassurance. She really did want to go, after all, though she had no idea why Leena was suddenly being so nice to her. If it had been someone else, she would not have trusted them, but she knew that Leena was an honorable, decent girl, and would not seek petty revenge. "Alright, I'll go."
Pretending to leave, Leena waited around outside until Marge walked out the door to visit Radius over some trivial matter. As soon as Serge's mother was out of sight, the girl slipped back in and helped Kid get to the wagon which had been parked in an unobtrusive spot outside. There was a piknic basket already stashed at the front of the little wagon, leaving just enough room for Kid. She hoped no one whould notice her, both because they would send her back to bed, and because she did not want to be seen in a dinky toy wagon.
With the combined skill of the thief and the clever village girl, they made it out unseen. Leena chattered away pleasently as she pulled the wagon through the woods on the fairly long hike to the waterfall. Kid had not been out of Arni village in far to long, and, even though she coughed a bit and generally felt very weak, she truly enjoyed the change of scenery. The fact that Leena seemed to have completely accepted Kid's relationship with Serge helped, and by the time they finally came into view of the beautiful falls, they had become much closer spiritually. After making sure Kid was comfortably sitting on a blanket just far enough away from the water to keep dry, Leena took off all but her underclothes and swan-dived off of a ledge, recieving weak cheers from her friend. It was already noon, but the two decided to wait a little while before eating, so Leena cooled herself off in the clear water and Kid relaxed on her blanket... until she heard a moan from somewhere within the cave. It was the faintest of sounds, and she thought at first that she had imagined it, but the voice was so familiar that it nagged at her until her innate curiousity was raging.
Leena was engrossed in her swimming, and did not see Kid struggling to her feet and limping into the cavern. At first glance it looked the same as always, but after a more thorough search, Kid realized that a few rocks had fallen away from the wall to reveal a narrow crevice. Kid, already being a skinny girl, had lost weight over the course of her illness, and could easily fit through the crack. Upon doing so, however, she froze, paralized by the gruesome scene that she beheld.
On the jagged stone floor of the hidden room, devoid of clothing and laying in his own dried blood and refuse, was an emaciated young man. It was too dark to see the boy's features, but Kid could make out the rusty chains which kept him prisoner. Covering her mouth to keep from coughing, Kid knelt and gently turned the boy over, only to fall back with an involentary cry. It was like a nightmare, and she squeezed her eyes shut in the futile hope that she would wake up safe and far away from such horror. Her reaction was all due to the identity of the boy before her, for she knew him more personally than any other. But that was impossible, right? She had seem him just the day before, yet this boy had clearly been here for weeks, maybe even months if someone had brought him food occassionally.
With tears already streaking her face, Kid reached out and ever so lightly touched his cold forehead, and at her touch, his mezmerizing blue eyes fluttered open. For a moment they showed uncertainty, and then widened suddenly in recognition. They stared at eachother as the seconds ticked by, and then the starving boy lifted one thin arm and brushed the tip of his finger over her cheek, catching a single teardrop. His dry lips opened partially and mouthed something. Swallowing, he tried to speak a second time, and managed nothing but a whisper of her name.
Even with her own weakness, Kid stumbled to her feet, taking a heavy rock with her, and slammed it against the rusted chains until the gave out. Collapsing from the effort, she crawled to the boy on her hands and knees. He seemed only half-awake, and she had to drag him to the cave entrance.
"Kid! What are you doing?!" Leena shouted back, scrambling out of the water and up to her friend. Only then did she notice the other figure, and had to stifle a scream. "How can this be?! I-I saw him just this morning!"
"Shut up an' help me," Kid commanded through clenched teeth. The starved boy had fainted in her arms, and she herself was on the verge of collapsing again. With Leena's cooperation, she carried him to the blanket, folding part of it over to cover his naked body, and sitting down beside him.
"This can't be real... What if it's a trap?"
Kid did not look up from the boy's face. "We can't risk losing him. Get some water and food. We're gonna have ta stay here until we find out what's really goin' on..."
"I can tell you zhat," said a soft voice, just as Leena was gathering what Kid had asked for.
Leena and Kid looked up in surprise to see Harle perched like a bird on a low tree branch above them. Suspecting the jester immediately, Kid would have attacked right then and there if it were not for her weakness. Leena was more rational, however, and set down the food and drink before confronting Harle. "Tell us everything, but make it quick. Why does Serge look like he's been trapped in that cave for weeks when I saw him as well as ever this morning?"
Harle jumped lightly out of the tree so that she could be on the same level as the human girls, who listened with stunned expressions as the truth was unvailed. "Zhe one you saw was not zhe real Monsieur Serge. Monsieur Serge's orginial body, which was stolen by Monsieur Lynx, was not destroyed in zhe battle with Fate, and zhe wounded Time Devourer found it after Lavos was defeated. Zhe Sky Dragon, who is zhe strongest and zherefore controls zhe ozzer five, chose to use zhat body as a weapon against zhe ones who defeated him. To prevent any interferance, he imprisoned zhe real Serge here. Being a dragon monself, I knew of his plans, and I have been keeping mon ami alive. And before you ask," she said quickly, as Leena opened her mouth to object, "Zhe chains zhat held him were cold iron, and a magical being such as moi is unable to touch it."
"Yer lying!" Kid shouted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Even if it were true, why would you be workin' against the other dragons? And even if ya are, how can we trust a traitor!"
Harle sighed in exasperations. "You are impossible to please, non? If you refuse to believe moi, ask Monsieur Serge."
Kid and Leena suddenly realized that the boy had regained conciousness and was watching them quietly. When Kid asked him if Harle was telling the truth, he nodded. Returning her attention to Serge, Leena lifted his head and offered him the cup of water, which he gulped down with renewed vigor. With the cool water soothing his throught and the light of the sun warming his skin, he felt better than he had in months.
"Kid... Are you alright?" his gentle voice asked, noting that the blonde thief had gone silent, staring off into space. Harle's words meant more to her than the others realized. Coughing slightly, she regained her composure after several seconds, clenching her hands into fists. "No... No, I don't believe you. You're lying!" she screamed, pushing herself forcfully to her feet and running with a burst of strength back in the direction of Arni.
Leena shot a worried glance at Harle. "I have to find her before she hurts herself... Whoever or whatever you are, please watch Serge until I get back. Try to get him to eat something. I think I know why Kid reacted like that..." With one last look at Serge, she ran off after her friend. Kid had made it farther than Leena expected, but her trail was not hard to follow, and finally the red-haired girl saw her fallen in a fetal position with her back againt a tree. At first she appeared to be unconcious, but as Leena came closer, she could hear quiet sobs.
In a moment of tender compassion, she sat down next to the crying girl and placed a hand on her back to get her attention. "Hey Kid... It's okay to cry sometimes, but right now you should be with Serge. I know the one who you has taken care of you is just a double-crossing lyer, but you still love the real Serge, right?"
Kid's only response was to sniffle and nod slightly.
"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" inquired Leena insightfully. "You feel like you've been cheated out of something precious, and have betrayed your Serge at the same time."
This time she did look up, eyes wide and tear-filled. "How did you know?"
Leena shrugged, frowning. Kid was her friend, but she was still a bit jealous. "It was pretty obvious. Anyway, that's not the issue. Listen, Kid, you can't let yourself fall into a depression just because that bastard tricked you, and as for how the real Serge would feel, I think he'd be honored to know that you would be so intimate with him."
"Thanks... Mate..." the Radical Dreamer mumbled through coughs and sobs.
"Come on, let's go back. You really shouldn't strain yourself so much, you know," she scolded gently, pulling Kid to her feet.
They made it half way back to the falls before Kid had to stop, and before they continued, Harle and Serge found them. The boy was clean and dressed in clothes very similer to his old ones. Harle had probably gathered them for him to use in case he escaped. He looked much more lively after the fresh meal which he had enjoyed before following Leena and Kid. He sat at the wounded girl's side and smiled at her her in wordless thanks, while Harle explained the plan.
"Listen. Kid and Monsieur Serge, you must stay in these woods until you are well. Zhe villagers may search for you, but I can keep you hidden. Madammoizelle Leena, return to Arni and act as if you know nozzing. You will be our spy. Until you all are able to fight, we cannnot make a move against zhe Time Devourer."
As it turned out, Harle showed the trio back to the same clearing which Leena had found Kid in. Here the clownish dragon revealed a small hole in the ground that had gone previously unnoticed. It was the entrance to what appeared to be a den made to accomodate humans. There was straw bedding in one corner, and a cabinet full of long-lasting food rations. When Harle had left the two alone, Kid let herself fall onto the bed and was to sleep almost instantly. She was only awakened that evening by her hunger, having not gotten a chance to eat since the day before. Serge, who had made himself quite at home in the little hideout, fetched her some dry meat and fruit from the cabinet. She started to take a bite of the meat, but then remembered something and dug through her pouch until she found the old herbs which she had taken during the hunt for the Magical dreamers and promptly forgot about afterwards.
Just before she could apply the herbs to her food, however, Serge's hand shot out and stopped her.
"What's wrong? This is medicine for my infection," she told him, her hand still held in his awkwardly.
He shook his head, not letting go of her. "That's not medicine. That's a mild poison found near Arni. It can slow or even stop the healing process... Kid the Time Devourer give it to you?"
She stared at her closed hand in surprise. "Well... yeah, he did. I mean, he told me Radius had given it to him, but he must've been lyin'. So wait, does this mean my lung isn't infected? It was just this stuff that wouldn't let it heal?"
Serge nodded, finally removing his hand, as well as the poison. "That's right. You'll be fine soon as long as you stop taking it."
"Wow..." the girl muttered, quite pleased with the news. "Thanks a bunch, Mate."
Serge just smiled in answer and gestured for his friend to eat her dinner.
In the morning, the young lovers decended the steps from the their home as they had done several times before, only this time, instead of Serge simply allowing Kid to lean on is shoulder, both of his arms encircled her warmly. The festival decorations were in the process of being taken down, so Kid sat on the edge of the stage and watched Serge help the other villagers. After only a minute, Radius made his way to her side and greeted her pleasently.
"Good morning, Kid. Your injuries are almost fully healed now, am I right?"
"No, they're not... I'm still coughing up blood, and my ribs haven't stopped hurting..." she told him uncertainly.
"Are you sure?" questioned the old man with a serious frown. "It's been a month and a half, you know. You should have been completely healed, unless there were complications... Has Serge been feeding you that medicine I gave him?"
She nodded, biting her lip. She couls still see Serge out of the corner of her eye, and dreaded his reaction when he found out.
"There must be an infection," the village chief continued. "Although I hate to say it, I'm going to be honest with you, Kid... If an infection has lasted this long, it will be very hard to fight. It may weaken your body permanently. To stop this from happening, you must stay indoors and, other than short walks through the house, you should not leave your bed. I will give Serge some stronger herbs for you. If you take care of yourself, you still have a chance to recover."
Kid listened silently, biting her lip. She just could not imagine herself, Kid the Radical Dreamer, as a cripple. Seeing her unhappiness, Radius offered to tell Serge for her, but she shook her head, forcing herself to be strong. She watched the boy talking and laughing merrily with the villagers, and hated the fact that she would have to upset him as much as she hated her condition. And her request, Radius left her alone to wait for Serge. When he came to check on her, she told him she was tired and asked him to go back with her, and as soon as they were alone in the room they shared, Kid sadly repeated what Radius had said to her.
"Oh Kid, I'm sorry..." Serge said emotionally, "but you're so strong. I know you'll pull through. I'll go fetch those herbs from Radius right now if you want."
But she shook her head, clinging tightly to his hand so that he would not leave. "Stay with me, just for a little while..." she paused to cough. "I'm... scared." It took all of her will to say such a thing. She was supposed to be strong and fearless, but at that moment, that description was far from the truth.
Knowing how hard it was for the firey girl to admit her weak mortallity, Serge sat down on the edge of the bed and embraced her, letting her bury her face in his shirt. He was startled to feel a slight dampness soak through, but did not comment as she shook and cried quietly.
Time passed, and Kid's illness gradually worsened. Although the thief did become bored of staying in bed most of the time, she knew better than to complain. Everything would change, however, one week after the festival. On this day, the thief's protective lover had been assigned the job of catching dinner, which meant he was far out in a fishing boat and there was no telling when he would come back. A certain red-head took the chance to have a friendly chat with her ex-rival.
Kid sat up in bed as Leena stepped into the room with a mumbled greeting. "Hey Kid... I just thought you might like some company since Serge is out fishing."
The ill thief shrugged, not admitting how true Leena's statement was.
"Anyway," the other girl continued, "I know you're not supposed to go out, but it seems like staying in this room forever is not very healthy either. I say this because I had plans to walk to Divine Dragon Falls today and I was wondering if you'd like to come."
"Yeah, I would..." muttered Kid, "but I can't exactly walk."
"Don't worry about it. I've got this little old wagon that I used to pull the village children around in for fun. You can ride in that, if it doesn't bother you. the only tricky part would be sneaking you away without anyone noticing. That's why I waited until Serge was gone."
Kid nodded at Leena's reassurance. She really did want to go, after all, though she had no idea why Leena was suddenly being so nice to her. If it had been someone else, she would not have trusted them, but she knew that Leena was an honorable, decent girl, and would not seek petty revenge. "Alright, I'll go."
Pretending to leave, Leena waited around outside until Marge walked out the door to visit Radius over some trivial matter. As soon as Serge's mother was out of sight, the girl slipped back in and helped Kid get to the wagon which had been parked in an unobtrusive spot outside. There was a piknic basket already stashed at the front of the little wagon, leaving just enough room for Kid. She hoped no one whould notice her, both because they would send her back to bed, and because she did not want to be seen in a dinky toy wagon.
With the combined skill of the thief and the clever village girl, they made it out unseen. Leena chattered away pleasently as she pulled the wagon through the woods on the fairly long hike to the waterfall. Kid had not been out of Arni village in far to long, and, even though she coughed a bit and generally felt very weak, she truly enjoyed the change of scenery. The fact that Leena seemed to have completely accepted Kid's relationship with Serge helped, and by the time they finally came into view of the beautiful falls, they had become much closer spiritually. After making sure Kid was comfortably sitting on a blanket just far enough away from the water to keep dry, Leena took off all but her underclothes and swan-dived off of a ledge, recieving weak cheers from her friend. It was already noon, but the two decided to wait a little while before eating, so Leena cooled herself off in the clear water and Kid relaxed on her blanket... until she heard a moan from somewhere within the cave. It was the faintest of sounds, and she thought at first that she had imagined it, but the voice was so familiar that it nagged at her until her innate curiousity was raging.
Leena was engrossed in her swimming, and did not see Kid struggling to her feet and limping into the cavern. At first glance it looked the same as always, but after a more thorough search, Kid realized that a few rocks had fallen away from the wall to reveal a narrow crevice. Kid, already being a skinny girl, had lost weight over the course of her illness, and could easily fit through the crack. Upon doing so, however, she froze, paralized by the gruesome scene that she beheld.
On the jagged stone floor of the hidden room, devoid of clothing and laying in his own dried blood and refuse, was an emaciated young man. It was too dark to see the boy's features, but Kid could make out the rusty chains which kept him prisoner. Covering her mouth to keep from coughing, Kid knelt and gently turned the boy over, only to fall back with an involentary cry. It was like a nightmare, and she squeezed her eyes shut in the futile hope that she would wake up safe and far away from such horror. Her reaction was all due to the identity of the boy before her, for she knew him more personally than any other. But that was impossible, right? She had seem him just the day before, yet this boy had clearly been here for weeks, maybe even months if someone had brought him food occassionally.
With tears already streaking her face, Kid reached out and ever so lightly touched his cold forehead, and at her touch, his mezmerizing blue eyes fluttered open. For a moment they showed uncertainty, and then widened suddenly in recognition. They stared at eachother as the seconds ticked by, and then the starving boy lifted one thin arm and brushed the tip of his finger over her cheek, catching a single teardrop. His dry lips opened partially and mouthed something. Swallowing, he tried to speak a second time, and managed nothing but a whisper of her name.
Even with her own weakness, Kid stumbled to her feet, taking a heavy rock with her, and slammed it against the rusted chains until the gave out. Collapsing from the effort, she crawled to the boy on her hands and knees. He seemed only half-awake, and she had to drag him to the cave entrance.
"Kid! What are you doing?!" Leena shouted back, scrambling out of the water and up to her friend. Only then did she notice the other figure, and had to stifle a scream. "How can this be?! I-I saw him just this morning!"
"Shut up an' help me," Kid commanded through clenched teeth. The starved boy had fainted in her arms, and she herself was on the verge of collapsing again. With Leena's cooperation, she carried him to the blanket, folding part of it over to cover his naked body, and sitting down beside him.
"This can't be real... What if it's a trap?"
Kid did not look up from the boy's face. "We can't risk losing him. Get some water and food. We're gonna have ta stay here until we find out what's really goin' on..."
"I can tell you zhat," said a soft voice, just as Leena was gathering what Kid had asked for.
Leena and Kid looked up in surprise to see Harle perched like a bird on a low tree branch above them. Suspecting the jester immediately, Kid would have attacked right then and there if it were not for her weakness. Leena was more rational, however, and set down the food and drink before confronting Harle. "Tell us everything, but make it quick. Why does Serge look like he's been trapped in that cave for weeks when I saw him as well as ever this morning?"
Harle jumped lightly out of the tree so that she could be on the same level as the human girls, who listened with stunned expressions as the truth was unvailed. "Zhe one you saw was not zhe real Monsieur Serge. Monsieur Serge's orginial body, which was stolen by Monsieur Lynx, was not destroyed in zhe battle with Fate, and zhe wounded Time Devourer found it after Lavos was defeated. Zhe Sky Dragon, who is zhe strongest and zherefore controls zhe ozzer five, chose to use zhat body as a weapon against zhe ones who defeated him. To prevent any interferance, he imprisoned zhe real Serge here. Being a dragon monself, I knew of his plans, and I have been keeping mon ami alive. And before you ask," she said quickly, as Leena opened her mouth to object, "Zhe chains zhat held him were cold iron, and a magical being such as moi is unable to touch it."
"Yer lying!" Kid shouted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Even if it were true, why would you be workin' against the other dragons? And even if ya are, how can we trust a traitor!"
Harle sighed in exasperations. "You are impossible to please, non? If you refuse to believe moi, ask Monsieur Serge."
Kid and Leena suddenly realized that the boy had regained conciousness and was watching them quietly. When Kid asked him if Harle was telling the truth, he nodded. Returning her attention to Serge, Leena lifted his head and offered him the cup of water, which he gulped down with renewed vigor. With the cool water soothing his throught and the light of the sun warming his skin, he felt better than he had in months.
"Kid... Are you alright?" his gentle voice asked, noting that the blonde thief had gone silent, staring off into space. Harle's words meant more to her than the others realized. Coughing slightly, she regained her composure after several seconds, clenching her hands into fists. "No... No, I don't believe you. You're lying!" she screamed, pushing herself forcfully to her feet and running with a burst of strength back in the direction of Arni.
Leena shot a worried glance at Harle. "I have to find her before she hurts herself... Whoever or whatever you are, please watch Serge until I get back. Try to get him to eat something. I think I know why Kid reacted like that..." With one last look at Serge, she ran off after her friend. Kid had made it farther than Leena expected, but her trail was not hard to follow, and finally the red-haired girl saw her fallen in a fetal position with her back againt a tree. At first she appeared to be unconcious, but as Leena came closer, she could hear quiet sobs.
In a moment of tender compassion, she sat down next to the crying girl and placed a hand on her back to get her attention. "Hey Kid... It's okay to cry sometimes, but right now you should be with Serge. I know the one who you has taken care of you is just a double-crossing lyer, but you still love the real Serge, right?"
Kid's only response was to sniffle and nod slightly.
"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" inquired Leena insightfully. "You feel like you've been cheated out of something precious, and have betrayed your Serge at the same time."
This time she did look up, eyes wide and tear-filled. "How did you know?"
Leena shrugged, frowning. Kid was her friend, but she was still a bit jealous. "It was pretty obvious. Anyway, that's not the issue. Listen, Kid, you can't let yourself fall into a depression just because that bastard tricked you, and as for how the real Serge would feel, I think he'd be honored to know that you would be so intimate with him."
"Thanks... Mate..." the Radical Dreamer mumbled through coughs and sobs.
"Come on, let's go back. You really shouldn't strain yourself so much, you know," she scolded gently, pulling Kid to her feet.
They made it half way back to the falls before Kid had to stop, and before they continued, Harle and Serge found them. The boy was clean and dressed in clothes very similer to his old ones. Harle had probably gathered them for him to use in case he escaped. He looked much more lively after the fresh meal which he had enjoyed before following Leena and Kid. He sat at the wounded girl's side and smiled at her her in wordless thanks, while Harle explained the plan.
"Listen. Kid and Monsieur Serge, you must stay in these woods until you are well. Zhe villagers may search for you, but I can keep you hidden. Madammoizelle Leena, return to Arni and act as if you know nozzing. You will be our spy. Until you all are able to fight, we cannnot make a move against zhe Time Devourer."
As it turned out, Harle showed the trio back to the same clearing which Leena had found Kid in. Here the clownish dragon revealed a small hole in the ground that had gone previously unnoticed. It was the entrance to what appeared to be a den made to accomodate humans. There was straw bedding in one corner, and a cabinet full of long-lasting food rations. When Harle had left the two alone, Kid let herself fall onto the bed and was to sleep almost instantly. She was only awakened that evening by her hunger, having not gotten a chance to eat since the day before. Serge, who had made himself quite at home in the little hideout, fetched her some dry meat and fruit from the cabinet. She started to take a bite of the meat, but then remembered something and dug through her pouch until she found the old herbs which she had taken during the hunt for the Magical dreamers and promptly forgot about afterwards.
Just before she could apply the herbs to her food, however, Serge's hand shot out and stopped her.
"What's wrong? This is medicine for my infection," she told him, her hand still held in his awkwardly.
He shook his head, not letting go of her. "That's not medicine. That's a mild poison found near Arni. It can slow or even stop the healing process... Kid the Time Devourer give it to you?"
She stared at her closed hand in surprise. "Well... yeah, he did. I mean, he told me Radius had given it to him, but he must've been lyin'. So wait, does this mean my lung isn't infected? It was just this stuff that wouldn't let it heal?"
Serge nodded, finally removing his hand, as well as the poison. "That's right. You'll be fine soon as long as you stop taking it."
"Wow..." the girl muttered, quite pleased with the news. "Thanks a bunch, Mate."
Serge just smiled in answer and gestured for his friend to eat her dinner.