IC:
Oh. What a coincidence. Five minutes of walking and carrying Lewis, making sure he doesn't drown in his own vomit, and we reach Magic's Outcasts. I can't say I'm thrilled. It's been about two hours since I was last there.
"Felix!" Aaron shouts, "why are you here?"
"Long story," I shout back, "tell you later."
Aaron, Zan and an attractive young girl in a white and purple poncho run up to us. I catch myself staring at the girl. Damn. I'm starting to wonder which one Aaron chose, if at all, the witch, or this... I'm guessing Catholic priest.
"Can I help you?" She asks, obviously seeing me staring. She's smiling. I slap myself. Snap out of it, Felix! You have Deomi! She's all you need. I'm right, though. Deomi's perfect in every way. I couldn't manage with anyone else.
"Oh, don't do that!" The girl says, "you could give yourself a headache!"
I see Aaron glaring at me. He shakes his head slowly. I won't, I mouth to him. He seems to be in a relationship with this girl, and I'm happy for him.
"This boy," Deomi says, pointing to Lewis, "is a master summoner. This boy opened a rift in the sky and created a bone snake the size of a town, then killed it with a parasite in its brain when it turned against us. This boy - " her voice cracks, "is very, very ill. "
The girl presses two fingers to Lewis's chest. We wait for the diagnosis. It's tense. So, so tense.
"ALEX! ALEX! BREW UP SOME HERBAL TEA! GINSENG, COCKATRICE BLOOD, DOCK LEAVES! QUICK! THIS BOY HAS OVER-SUMMONED! COME ON, COME ON!"
It's all gone crazy. The girl looks terrified. Aaron grabs her, not in an angry way, in a loving, worried way.
"Eyri," he says, "Eyri, listen to me, calm down. Tell me what's up."
Eyri runs her fingers through her hair, stressed out. "Okay," she breathes, "in a nutshell, if we don't get this guy the right drink, the exact right drink in five minutes, he's done for. He's summoned way too much for someone of his age and experience. He's very, very sick. ALEX! HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA BE?! SERIOUSLY, WOMAN, WE'VE GOT THREE MINUTES!"
A plump young woman with dyed ginger hair and a lot of piercings runs up with a large clay mug filled with an olive green liquid. She wipes Lewis's mouth with a cloth and pours the drink into it. She rubs his throat and he swallows it. Minutes pass with no movement. His eyes suddenly flutter open. He groans, and slowly gets up. He's unsteady, but he gains his balance.
"He's going to need to recuperate for a bit. Felix, I know you want to leave, but you all need to stay here. You've proved invaluable to the camp. We need you, Felix. I need you, Aaron."
Aaron smiles, and they kiss. I turn away and roll my eyes.