The silence that hung over the room was thick with anticipation and dread. Although Darryl was almost certain that they had been expecting something like this, he knew that expectation and confirmation were two very different things. The girl - who Darryl assumed must be some high-ranked knight or medic or something similar - dropped her hand, releasing Zak's wrist. Although Darryl itched to ask her what she meant by not normal, he didn't exactly want to push the situation any further until Zak showed some sign of processing the information.
Thankfully, Darryl didn't have to ask.
"What do you mean?" Vincent practically demanded, taking a step towards Zak as though he could protect his friend from whatever toxin had already entered his system just by asking the question. "Don't scare us for no reason. You said 'not normal', so tell us what exactly that means."
A wry smile. "Shouldn't you know that already, astrologer's apprentice?"
The pure sly insinuation in her tone was what eventually made Darryl's gaze shift to Vincent, who seemed like he had finally stumbled upon some kind of grand epiphany, one that would no doubt have been useful before they had gone through this situation.
"Is this what I think you're talking about?" Vincent asked after a moment. "I thought we had no idea how that was being passed."
Darryl had no idea what they were talking about. Agitation built up in him, fingers gripping the side of his sleeve in an attempt to not speak out for fear of being disrespectful. If they were having some kind of important conversation then it would most likely be best for him not to interrupt. He didn't know what exactly Zak had been hit with and would have to face, so he could only hope that whatever conclusion they had come to there would be a cure. That was the only thing they could hope for now.
"Okay. Someone tell me what's going on. Right now."
Zak sounded frustrated, albeit a little weaker than normal. He was used to taking control of situations Darryl knew, but it had been easy to forget their power imbalance for a while when they had been out. Although Darryl had no right to demand answers, Zak could do whatever he wanted.
Vincent let out a long sigh. "We've been experiencing problems with a certain kind of poison." Another deep breath in, and out. "Two weeks ago the medical team asked us to have a look at what was prophesied for it. Turns out the poison is some kind of rot-like thing. It enters the body and spreads over time like some kind of stain through the bloodstream. The veins that have been infected turn a darker than normal, almost like something is corroding them from the inside."
Darryl's heart sank. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd expected, but this sounded a lot more serious than he had originally thought. Even normal poison would be preferable to this. At least then they'd know what to do about it and it could be handled, although it would take a little longer than Zak probably would have liked and would have been painful to deal with until then. But the way they were speaking of this seemed like it was an unresolved problem, and that was quite possibly one of the worst outcomes. Because if it was unresolved, then... Darryl didn't really want to think about it too much.
"Okay. So it's a poison," Zak murmured, before taking a deep breath as though trying to keep his voice from shaking. "But it can be fixed, right? I'll be fine, no problem?"
"We don't know a cure. We don't know what it does to the people it impacts. We don't know anything about it except it's been fatal to every person that's had it so far."
A pause and this time there is a barely-there tremble in the prince's voice. "Right. Okay."
In all honesty, Darryl didn't know how he was supposed to react to this. This had, of course, been partly his fault after all. He'd been assigned to protect Zak at all costs and had somehow let himself get distracted at the exact moment he was needed. Therefore it was partly his job to fix, and he'd do his damn best to do so. Now it appeared the prince's life was on the line things had gotten far more serious and Darryl found himself more determined than before. He would fix this, even if it killed him. He had to.
"If some rebels are using the poison then presumably they have more information on it, correct?" Darryl questioned, "If they have more information than we do then they might have a cure of sorts. Or information that would be vital for us to find a cure in time." In time. "I'll go find them."
Before the girl could reply, Vincent cut in over her as though he knew exactly what he had to do. Whether out of duty or concern Darryl couldn't tell, but it didn't really matter.
"I'll go too. You might need someone to help you out."
There was no complaint this time, no hint that anybody was going to stop them, even though Darryl was certain that Vincent should be staying back at the palace in order to learn and in case he'd be needed by the primary astrologer. That must have meant that this situation was seen as far more dire, and rightly so. Even Zak didn't say anything, though he'd been staring directly at the floor as though transfixed, presumably still trying his best to process the information.
"So," Darryl continued, aware that time was still ticking and that every second could count. "Do we have any leads on where exactly the rebel forces are located?"
"Kind of. There appears to have been a concentration of rebel attacks around the Kingdom's main borders. You have a map, right?" Vincent asked. "I'll mark it on the map when we leave."
Darryl could only nod. He'd never been on a journey like this before (most of the jobs he had been assigned to had been strictly within the area), but he had a feeling he didn't have much of a choice this time. If there was a way to reverse the damage he had caused then he would have to take it, even if it seemed to involve travelling for a long time without a guarantee of anything at the end.
"Let's go, then. We can't waste time." Then, turning towards Zak, he motioned towards the right wing of the palace. "You, go to the medical ward. Let them have a look at your arm while we're gone, okay? Take care of yourself, we don't need this getting any worse."
There was no reply. It was a little unsettling considering how full of life Zak had been earlier, and perhaps was the true indicator of how exactly the prince was feeling about the whole situation. Darryl understood - he, too, felt completely out of his depth. Rather helpless in fact. But he was happy to at least be on the move. If he had something to do then hopefully he wouldn't be thinking about the potential outcomes too much.
"We'll be back soon with a cure. I promise."
Perhaps it was foolish of him to make a promise that he wasn't sure he could keep. They could end up not being able to find anybody from the rebel forces, or they could simply arrive only to find there was no cure. But it wouldn't be wise or fair to voice either of these things - Darryl was sure Zak was already aware.
Still he was determined that they weren't going to waste any more time. They had everything they'd need for the first part of the journey anyway from when they had been out earlier, and anything else they needed they could hopefully pick up in one of the towns or villages on the way. With the authority of the crown on their side, Darryl was certain they'd have no problems getting anything they needed, and nobody needed to be any the wiser that the crown prince may be dying.
Great.
As he made his way to the palace doors he could hear Vincent's footsteps echoing against the marble floors from behind him, though he felt no need to slow down to let him catch up. In truth, part of the reason Darryl is so set on completing this task himself is that the responsibility has started to weigh down on his shoulders, making his head spin and his heart race.
If Zak doesn't make it then it's Darryl's fault. It had been his job to make sure nothing had gone wrong. But it had. It had.
They trek their way through the town, avoiding the marketplace. Darryl doesn't want to see it now. It may have given him an almost homely feeling once, but that had been tainted by the day's events. Besides, he knew that if he showed up there people would start asking questions. They'd wonder if Zak was okay, what Darryl had been doing that had ended up in the prince being hurt. He just didn't want to think about it now, didn't want to answer anybody when he could barely find the answers for himself.
"Darryl. Slow down."
Vincent's voice cut through the silence, and if Darryl was correct then there was almost a hint of worry in the astrologer's voice. Still he didn't stop, merely pulling his hood over his head and continuing to walk, picking up the pace.
"Stop. You're going to wear yourself out if you don't."
Turning on the other, Darryl could feel the bad mood from earlier bubbling up. "No. Because you know what happens if we slow down?" A small pause. "The prince dies. If we don't get this cure, he's gone. It's not some game. We don't have time to slow down."
For a few moments Vincent was quiet. Normally Darryl would have worried about upsetting him, but there were more serious stakes here than some feelings being hurt. Then he heard Vincent come up behind him and a hand met his shoulder.
"I know. I meant slow down. You're blaming yourself for a disaster that hasn't even happened yet. For all we know Zak might be completely okay."
"He's been poisoned with something that doesn't have a known cure and appears to be fatal. Please," Darryl scoffed, "tell me how that sounds like 'completely okay' to you."
They'd made their way out of the town and Vincent had fallen quiet again. It was normal behaviour Darryl supposed. They didn't know each other very well after all, and their only real interactions had been strained at best due to the events that had passed. Darryl was fairly certain it wouldn't improve any time soon, either. While he'd like to get to know Vincent to some degree – it was always easier to be friendly with the people you worked with – he was too focused on his own tasks to have time to converse, and he was already worrying about something else.
They walked for what felt like ages, only stopping once in a clearing to let Vincent draw on the map and to check their directions and navigation. Night had fallen and with it came complaints that they should really make a camp for the night and stop, though time and time again Darryl had refused. They could camp once they had managed to get halfway there at least, that way they would hopefully be able to make it to the area with rebel activity in the next few days. Then Darryl would feel a little bit more settled and less anxious.
It's his fault. It's his fault. It's his fault.
"Blaming yourself won't get you anywhere, you know," Vincent called out, picking his way carefully over several large rocks as they skirted a mountain they had come across, sticking firmly to the trail. Darryl hadn't wanted to have to go up the mountain and over, so the only way had been around, but that was taking a little longer than he'd like. "It won't heal Zak any faster. All it does is make you distracted. Again."
At that Darryl stopped dead. Again. Because his distraction had caused this. A part of him knew Vincent was right. There was absolutely nothing he could do now, the past was the past, but that didn't stop him from thinking about it. As a knight he'd had it drilled into his brain from a young age that he couldn't get distracted while on duty, something he'd usually been so good at.
"We're nearly halfway there," Darryl replied in a monotone voice. They were indeed miles and miles away from the palace and the town. The rocky landscape and trees surrounding them seemed untouched, a little too perfect. "We'll make camp soon if you really need to sleep, but we can't both nap at the same time. It's dangerous."
The last thing they'd need is for someone to attack them now.
A small crack sound echoed next to them and Darryl spun to face it, eyes wide. He'd sworn they were alone, but perhaps there were animals that lived nearby. Nobody would be out this late unless they were up to no good or extremely lost (or, he supposed, on a quest like them). Since everything appeared quiet, he chalked it up to something akin to a fox or a wild dog and turned back towards Vincent.
Vincent simply stared back. "Something feels off. Stop for a second."
This time, Darryl couldn't exactly disagree. Something did feel off. It probably didn't help that it was dark now, but he could swear he felt like they weren't alone. Carefully, he reached into his pocket for the small box of matches that he had brought with him, striking one. The flame cast a warm orange glow over the area. Still nothing.
"There's nothing there," Darryl said. "Nothing. We're both being paranoid."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Today must have made us a little jumpy or something."
A moment of silence falls between them, and then weariness hit Darryl all at once. With a small sigh, he sat down on the nearest rock he could find. Maybe they could rest for a few minutes. Just a few though.
"Hey." Vincent's voice was warm, and Darryl watched him as he sat down beside him. "I'm serious. What happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but the person who shot him. You should know that."
A huff of breath. "I know. Logically, I know that. I couldn't have known that he would be attacked that precise second. I know. But it doesn't stop me from feeling like I should have known." Darryl kicked a small pebble, watching it hit the other side of the path. "That's my job, you know? To keep you two safe."
Vincent hummed, as though in consideration. Though it felt odd spilling his feelings to someone he barely knew, it was strangely healing. As though saying the things he felt he couldn't express normally was taking a large weight off of his shoulders. Perhaps it was.
"We'll protect you too," Vincent said carefully. "I know Zak would. He's not the most threatening, but I know he cares about people. If you're going to protect him, then he's going to do the same for you. That's how he is." A small laugh. "I will too. It hardly seems fair for you to be expected to carry everyone's safety. That's not how friendship works."
"We aren't friends. I've been hired to look after you."
"Darryl," The astrologer said flatly. "There's no way we could come out of this and not be friends in the end. I'm thinking long-term."
At that, Darryl actually laughed. Maybe they really would come out of this as friends. After all, they were on the stereotypical adventure-story 'quest' of sorts together. Perhaps they'd be okay. Maybe it would all be okay; just like in the books and legends and they'd arrive home as some great hero figures. Maybe it would be okay to be optimistic this one time.
"Maybe you're right," Darryl murmured, still fighting off laughter. "I think we could be friends after all. Hypothetically of course. Long-term goal."
Vincent offers a small smile, fidgeting with the side of his travelling cloak, fingers moving across the constellations stitched into the purple fabric. "So. Will you stop blaming yourself every time something doesn't go completely correctly?"
"Probably not," Darryl admitted, tone almost sheepish as his lips curled into a smile. "But I'll admit that you're most likely right."
At that Vincent only nodded, and Darryl breathed out, letting the cold night air prick his skin as they let a comfortable silence fall between them. Maybe this journey didn't have to be so painful after all.
"I almost feel bad interrupting when you two seem to be getting along for once, but it's dark and honestly I'm getting really bored of the silence."
Darryl was on his feet almost instantly, whirling around to face the direction the voice had come from and desperately praying he was hearing something incorrectly.
The small flame illuminated the features of Zak's face almost perfectly, bathing him in a warm glow. His cape was fixed over his shoulders, hood down, hair messy from the wind. The bandages were cleverly hidden below his jacket sleeve, and Darryl could only watch as the prince picked his way across the path until he was right in front of him.
"No. You-" Darryl almost stuttered. "What are you doing here? I swear we left you at the medical ward and that I explicitly told you not to come."
Zak grinned in the way that Darryl had started to become very accustomed to, and also extremely frustrated with. Then, as though he was completely in the right and had absolutely nothing to explain, he took a few steps backwards, watching Darryl and Vincent.
"I mean, I could have stayed, but there wasn't much they could do for me except bandage it and tell me to rest, but where's the fun in that? If you two are having some adventure out here then I'm coming," Zak explained, voice raising a little in its pitch as genuine excitement entered his tone. "Plus it's more useful to have me here. You know, in case you do find the cure. No point having to walk all the way back before I could use it."
Darryl was dumbfounded. Not once in his career had he been left speechless before, so this was really a first. He had thought that the medical staff would be able to babysit Zak while they had been gone and keep him there. Apparently not.
"Go back home," Darryl said, teeth gritted. "Now."
"No. I don't want to."
"Oh my goodness. I'm not playing this game with you Zak," The knight continued sharply, brushing off his clothes from the dust gathered there. "Go home now, or I swear I'll carry you the whole way back."
Another confident smile, as though this whole thing was one large joke that the prince would bring up later and laugh at with his friends. This behaviour was rather irritating, and Darryl really didn't have time for it.
"If you do, I'll just follow you back," Zak chirped, gesturing wildly at himself. "So honestly don't waste time trying. Just let me tag along! Besides, having three people is better than two, right? Right!"
"That's not how it-"
"Darryl, let him stay." Vincent sounded almost weary, though Darryl suspected he was glad to see Zak. "There's no point. He'll just find a way to come with us anyway. Might as well voluntarily let him and keep an eye on him."
Although he didn't want to admit it, Darryl could see a point to what Vincent was saying. Forcing himself to calm down, he stared at Zak for a moment longer before making his decision.
"Fine. But if you get in trouble or slow us down then you have to go back. It's important we're as fast and efficient as possible, for your own safety. Okay? So no troublemaking."
"Sure," Zak replied, and though Darryl didn't exactly trust him, it seemed somewhat sincere. "I understand."
Without saying another word, Darryl sat back down where he had been previously, unsurprised when Zak took a seat on his other side. It would be an odd sight to any traveller – a prince, a knight and an astrologer all pressed up next to each other in an attempt to keep warm in the dead of night.
"Tomorrow, let's try and get there. It'll be hard, but we can do it," Darryl murmured quietly. "Let's get that cure and get this over with as fast as possible. But for now, rest."
Try. Because despite everything, their efforts may be for nothing. In the end, hope was the only thing they had.