*Colt and Luna enter the room*
[scene : Anya sleeping in bed, breathing heavily, her face red from fever, Luc and Lea stand beside her]
*Colt closes the door*
Colt : "Being your guards sure is convenient, unless you explicitly say so. We remain by your side. So, did you do anything yet?"
Luc [feeling sorry for Anya, looking at her with sympathy] : "No, Lea said we should wait for you."
Colt : "Good."
*Colt walks to Anya's side, touches her neck, closes his eyes, stays like that for a second, opens his eyes, backs away, makes a soundproof barrier with Anya outside of its range*
Luna : "What is it?"
Colt : "I hate being right. And you say I'm too pessimistic. It's the worst case imaginable."
Luc [concern and anguish] : "What does that mean?"
Colt : "Every person here... and that includes us... is a dead man walking."
*Colt's statement rains heavy, Luc and Lea's expressions reveal their fear*
Lea : "How do you know? What did you sense?"
Colt : "Yersinia pestis."
Luc : "What are you saying?"
Colt : "Also knows as.. The black death."
Lea : "I've never heard of it before."
Colt [ignoring her] : "That thing is one of the most dangerous diseases, it once wiped out half a continent. A kill count of 25 to 50 million people."
*Luna looks at Colt with horror knowing what he says was true, all three swallow*
Luc : "S-Surely you're mistaken, there's nothing like that in our history."
Colt : "Didn't think so."
Luc : "So, are you making it -"
*Luna spreads her arm in front of Luc to stop him*
Luna [calm] : "What can be done now?"
Colt : "Those who have been cured are the ones with strong bodies... the others get better for a short while then fall sick again."
Colt [looking down] : "With what can be done now… You can only continue to use healing magic. And pray, hope that they get better. That's all there is to it."
Luc [clenching his fist] : "So then."
Luna : "Wait! Don't start despairing yet."
Luna [to Colt] : "You said what they could do. I know how you like to play with words, you doing that… and how calm you are, tells me it's not as bad as you made it look. What can you do?"
*Colt looks at Luna*
Colt [indifferent and playful tone] : "Who, me? I've already made the cure."
Luc and Lea [staring at him] : "HUH??"
*Colt laughs*
Luna : "You really need to be more considerate, look at these two."
*The view shifts to Lea holding Luc's shoulder, Luc cries as he covers his eyes with his arm*
Luc [in a shaking voice] : "Anya... Anya"
*The view shifts back to Colt looking at him with a blank stare*
Colt : "This guy makes a great drama partner. Anyway, I'll use multiple cures as well as my magic. The damn thing seems to be able to somewhat survive normal healing magic but nothing lasts against me."
Lea : "Thank you."
Colt : "Don't thank me yet. I wasn't kidding before, the black death is no joke, I'm honestly surprised it hadn't spread around the entire domain. Corpses should be filling the streets by now."
Luna : "You're not kidding!"
Colt : "I told you its history, right?"
Luna : "How do we stop it?"
Colt : "You, me, our families, and everyone we care about can easily be immune. *sighs* I'm only doing this because you wouldn't leave all these people to die."
Lea : "I can't tell if you're good, or evil incarnate."
Colt : "Couldn't care less."
*Colt looks at Anya*
Colt : "Damn it! We need to know how it started, who was the first to fall ill, and we'll need the authority to make the people do as we say. There are only two people who fit that criteria: Anya and her father."
I wished that I was overthinking again but, this means I'll have to resort to the backup plan.
Colt : "Listen, since it's now known that Lea's healer. You'll have to treat both Anya and her father, yes?"
Luc : "It would be disgraceful to our family otherwise."
Colt : "Fine. After you're done, do you leave or stay here?"
Luc : "The custom in this situation is that the host has to prepare lodging for his guests."
Colt : "Then I have a plan..."
*The next day*
[scene : In front of the mansion gate, two people in cloaks appear in the distance, they walk to the gate and are blocked by the guards]
Guard1 : "Who are you? This place's off limits. This is the domain lord's mansion."
The man [in a very calm tone, yet a bit menacing] : "My name is Helix. And I am the only one capable of curing the disease ailing this house."
Guard2 : "Like we'd believe that, turn back or else."
*The man lifts his gaze to the guard from underneath the hood, his red eye displays a menacing look*
*The guard shivers, then Luc comes from inside*
Luc : "Let him in, I am the one who sent for him."
*The guards, still shaken, lower their spears, Helix and his companion pass*
Helix : "Master Luc, I'm glad to see you're in good health."
*The three start heading inside*
Luc : "Did you have to scare them like that?"
Helix : "Be glad I didn't end them on the spot."
The woman next to him : "They were just doing their jobs. They didn't mean any offense by it."
Helix : "I know, Helia. Besides, my father's in the same position."
[flash back]
Colt : "Alright, here's what's going to happen: tomorrow, a healer will come to this mansion. His name's Helix. He's the only one who can cure the black death and he knows it."
Luc : "Does such person exist?"
Colt : "He's right here."
*Colt changes his hair style to spiky, and his hair and eyes turn red.*
Colt : "Whatever I say goes, I'm the absolute healer Helix. *points to Luna as her hair takes the same color and her eyes regain their color* and this is Helia, my wife and assistant."
Luc [in awe] : "This is..."
Luna : "What about our voices?"
Colt [in a different voice] : "Try speaking now."
Luc : "How did you-?"
I changed the frequency of anything that comes out of my mouth.
Luna [laughing, in a different voice as well] : "And I thought your spells couldn't get any crazier."
[end of flash back]
Luc : "I still can't believe that actually worked."
Helix : "I'm the only one capable of such drastic alterations, of course it'd work."
[scene: Helix in the master's room kneeling in front of his bed with Luna. Luc and Lea stand next to the two of them]
Luc : "Master Julius, this is Helix, a very powerful and wise healer. He's the only one who can cure your ailment completely."
Julius : "The only one you say... This strange young man?"
Lea : "He's helped us in many ways before."
*Julius gives Lea a side look, barely managing to hide his disgust.*
Julius : "Is that true, healer?"
Helix[still keeping his head down] : "Yes, my lord."
Julius : "A very bold claim, though none of the other healers managed to do so."
Helix : "I use a different method than the others."
Julius : "And that would be...?"
Helix : "May I have permission to use item box?"
Julius : "You may."
*Helix uses item box, brings out two petri dishes, holds each in one hand*
Helix : "I am well aware that this is quite unusual. Therefore I shall take this medicine first to show it's safe."
*As he's about to put a dish on his lips*
Julius : "Stop! Take the other one."
Not bad, he's making sure I swallow the one I didn't choose.
*Helix puts the dish on the ground, takes the other one, swallows its contents*
Julius : "You claim it's medicine. Where did you obtain such a thing?"
Helix : "I've made it myself, your lordship."
Julius : "Let us see how you do, healer. You may begin the treatment."
Helix : "Before we begin sire, the ailment haunting this house is highly contagious, the people I'll treat will never catch it again. How many would you like me to treat?"
Julius : "Three."
Helix : "And those would be..?"
Julius : "Myself, my wife and my daughter of course."
Helix : "As you wish, my lord."
*Helix hands the petri dish to Julius, Julius takes the medicine with water.*
Helix : "I shall now begin treatment."
*Julius rests his head on the pillow, Helix casts healing magic, Julius remains still*
Luc : "Is it done?"
Helix : "It's done."
Lea : "Then why isn't he waking up?"
Helix : "He won't... not until I make him that is."
Luc : "What did you do? Why?"
Helix : "You wouldn't understand what I did... as to why. It was the only choice I had."
Luc : "What do you mean?"
Helix : "Did you really think I'd let that sorry excuse for a noble off so easy? This… This... This scumbag doesn't care. Not a bit."
Luc : "I know I can't stand against you. Even so, this is my fiancée's father. I can't allow such disrespect. Please refrain from insulting him."
*Helix looks at him in silence for a second*
Helix : "You might be right. But know this, Luc... if it was my own father *his face takes a dark expression* I would've killed him a long time ago."
*Luc steps back in fear.*
Helia : "Could you please leave us for a minute?"
*They leave the room, both still shaken*
*Helia looks at Helix with empathy.*
Helia [in a soft, calming tone] : "Why are you so angry?"
Helix [placing a hand on one eye] : "I can't..."
*Stops the voice modulation spell.*
Colt : "I hate it I hate it I hate it."
*Luna gently places a hand on his shoulder.*
Colt [speaking in a tone that resembles the hissing of a snake] : "Luna... Lunaaahhh."
Luna : "I'm here. I'm always here."
Colt : "What is happening to me? Why? Why?"
Luna : "I'll listen. I'll help. I'm always by your side."
Colt : "Why is he still alive? Why am I treating someone like him? Someone like those bastards?"
Luna : "You tell me."
Colt : "Because he's her father, she doesn't deserve the pain of loss."
Luna : "That means you care. You're changing."
Colt [squeezing his face harder] : "Since when? I never cared before. I would kill people like him and rip off their families. Why?"
Luna : "It was only once. And he didn't have a daughter."
Colt : "I didn't know that. I still don't. Why do I care now?"
Luna : "Because they're friends."
Colt : "I used my friends."
Luna : "Did you ever hurt them?"
Colt : "No... but-"
Luna : "You think of yourself as a monster, you seem to enjoy making everyone believe that you are one. And maybe you – in some ways- are, but you're also very kind... why do you refuse to accept that?"
Colt : "The part of me that was kind... died a long time ago."
Luna : "Then why are you helping these people?"
Colt : "That's because-"
Luna : "Don't say it's because of me. You know I'd never hate you no matter what you do yet you chose to help. Why are you so afraid of admitting that you're a good, kind person?"
Colt : "A good person wouldn't have the resolve to kill, to survive, he wouldn't be able to do what it takes. And even if he did... he won't be able to laugh it off like I do… how can I be kind yet enjoy killing and torturing my enemies? What am I?"
Luna [gently taking his hand off his face] : "You're you... that's all there is to it."
*The look in Colt's eyes reveal his utter confusion as he looks into Luna's eyes*
Colt : "What does that mean? Why am I doing this? I... don't understand my reasoning anymore. Luna.*hugs her tightly* Help me."
Luna [as she hugs back] : "I will, I'm always here for you."