Fall of the Mad King

[Lythrilux]

Several days before the Freeport 11 crisis

Erik Nodtviet lay back in the hospital bed. His complexion was pale and his body frail. The IV Drip that was connected to his arm was filled with an odd green liquid. The doctors within the medical bay turned to momentarily converse with each other, before venturing back to their patient. Nova Hawken sat at Erik's side, cautiously watching the Guildmaster. As the doctors came closer, Erik faintly smiled at them. The doctors looked at each other nervously.

"How is it looking, Dr. Vann?" Erik asked.
From the pool of medical staff, Lucien Vann came forward. "The tumour in your lower abdomen has grown rapidly in recent months. We are dangerously reaching the point where it may become inoperable and there will be nothing we can do. You are dying, Guildmaster".
Erik sighed, before nonchalantly rolling his eyes. "I see".
"Aside from us and your aide, Paladin Hawken, the rest of The Core are currently unaware of your condition. At this rate, you might need to inform them"
"No. The soldiers cannot know that their leader is dying. Their morale will suffer"
Nova spoke up "But as it stands you are in no condition to lead, Guildmaster"
"I will appoint the Arcani to handle matters in my stead. But I will return. Cancer is merely a product of human weakness. Through the right upgrades I shou-"
Lucien quickly interrupted him. "Guildmaster regardless of our advances, such technology is not available to us at this time"
Erik rose up before he responded angrily "How dare you interrupt the Guildmaster! You wil-"

He was cut short but a sudden cough that had been building up within his chest. He quickly placed his hand over his mouth to cover it. As he took his hand away, medium splotches of blood covered his hand and a crimson trail ran down his chin and dripped onto the hospital bed. His white bedsheets became stained with the dark red liquid. He slumped back down into the bed and sighed.

"How unfortunate" he commented. "In all of our technological superiority we cannot surpass something as feeble as this. What an untimely and inappropriate end for a Guildmaster. I recall from many old books I had read of millennia-old Emperors and Kings desperately seeking the secret to eternal life an immortality. It seems I will suffer the same fate as them with little resilience".
"Guildmaster... Cardamine elongates lifespan, that is known" Nova suggested.
He gazed at her with a look of disappointment. "If I died as sniffer, I would only be insulting myself".

Lucien suddenly spoke up. "Actually Guildmaster... now that you mention the idea... the BHG Core did conduct research into such. Unfortunately such research was lost along with Evelyn Sharp's corpse. The only remnant of data we had was that at one point Planet Pygar was used as a research site".
"Then I wish to go to Pygar Dr. Vann" responded Erik.
"Out of the question in your current condition. In the time it would take for us to establish a function research facility amidst the chaotic never-ending sandstorms, it'd be unlikely we'd discover anything fruitful. The cost of personnel, maintenance and so forth would be too high given the limited chance of any breakthrough"

Once again Erik rose out of his hospital bed, higher than he did before. He threw the covers aside, before slowly getting out. Breathing heavily, he weakly placed one foot in front of the other. Nova quickly ran to his side, attempting to get her back into the bed, but he pushed her out of his way and knocked her into a wall.
"I do not care how much it costs. I do not care how many lives it takes. I do not care how much time it will take, nor if we will discover anything at all. We will go to Pygar. We will establish operations there. And I will personally execute anyone who does not adhere to my wishes".

Nova, Lucien and the other medical staff worriedly faced each other, before kneeling in front of a frail Erik Nodtviet. "Yes Guildmaster, we will do as you wish" they said in unison.

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