Delas shook his head. "No, I'll never be good with my magic. Mom tried for years to teach me, but I never got any better. The elder said its cuz I'm half centaur. Centaurs don't have magic, so he said its cuz I'm "incompatible with my magical abilities." That's what he said."[/size]
"That's unfortunate. What happened to your parents, Delas?" Cormac asked.
Delas pulled his knees up to his chest. "I left. The village didn't like me. They were nicer than the elf village, but the centaurs hated me just as much." Tears started welling up in his eyes. "They brought me into a world they knew would hate me. Then they spent all their time trying to keep me out of it. It's a lose-lose situation. Everyone hates me either way, but at least this way I'm not being smothered by people who were selfish enough to bring someone into a world they knew would hate them."
"When did you run away?" Cormac asked.
Delas was quiet. "When I was 11." He mumbled.
Cormac nodded. "I must have been...ten when I left my hometown. Geeze, I spent eight years wandering this realm..." He sighed and run his hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if my parents were still around."
"I can only wonder how my life would be if I wasn't raceless."
Cormac nodded. He sighed and looked at Astien, hoping he would wake up soon. Marius stopped the carriage a few hours later and came in for lunch, which Cormac had ready and waiting.
"Anything change?" Marius asked.
"No," Cormac said. "I've been coming up with a concoction though."
"For what?"
"To give to Astien while he sleeps," Cormac said. "It's a mix of herbs, berries, and water. It should sustain him until he wakes up."
"How do you plan on getting it in him?" Marius asked as he started eating his meal.
"Small spoonfulls," Cormac said. "I hope something kicks in and helps him ingest it."
"Pour some in his mouth, then rub his throat. That's what my dad would do when I didn't want to eat my vegetables."
Cormac nodded. "I'll try it." He looked at Marius. "Actually, I'll drive for a bit. You can handle feeding him, right Marius?"
"Uh. Yes. Of course. But are you well enough to drive?"
"I am. It's only for a few hours so I'll be fine."
"We need a cat, a cable, and some buttered toast, that's what we need." Delas suggested.
"What are you going on about?" Marius asked.
Cormac grabbed his warmer clothes and got dressed before going outside and getting the carriage going.
"It's simple. Cats always land on their feet, and toast always lands buttered side down. We tape the toast to the cat and drop it. The cat and toast will keep spinning in the air, since physics can't decide which side will land down. This spinning creates infinite energy. We take the cable and attach it to the cat, then attach it to Astien, and we use that energy to shock him awake!" Delas smiled proudly. "Simple logic!"
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," Marius sighed and finished his meal. He picked up the glass of Cormac's concotion and sat beside Astien's bed. He took a spoonful and slowly poured it into Astien's open mouth. He then gently rubbed Astien's throat.
"That will be interesting." Darol laughs.
Delas looked sad. "It's not ridiculous, it's physics." He mumbled. He climbed into the top bunk and watched Marius feed Astien. "Don't you know anything about physics?"
"I know a cat is heavier than a piece of toast. Even if it is buttered." He carefully fed Astien until the cup was empty. He set it aside and got a bowl of warm water and a rag. He started washing Astien down.
"Physics doesn't work like that, Marius."
Marius shrugged and continued washing Astien for a while longer until he finished. Marius managed to get Astien into a night shirt and tucked him in the bed once again.
Darol sheds a tear as he feels invisible to everyone.