by P. G. Thomas
“Mother does not want us to beg for food. Her bounty is great, but only if we wish to partake of it. If Mother was to smite the Royal House from these lands, what happens the next time when another attack happens? Mother helped by sending Earth Mother. Sister and even Father helped, but we also have to help. If we want peace, if we want the eastern lands back, should all not fight for it? If Earth Mother wanted to, an Earth Bond she could send forth, and make all the children worship her. Mother’s anger would be quick, and both the bond and Earth Mother would be no more.”
“So you’re sure there is no plague?”
“There is a plague, and its name is the Royal House.”
*******
When they arrived back to the house, Panry and Ryan explained to the few that were present what had happened. Logan, hearing the news, went up to Lauren’s room. Ryan also gave the stones to John, but before they could consider their options, Erust interrupted them, as a runner had just advised that there was an emergency town hall meeting.
Aaro, Bor, Mirtza, Panry, John, Ryan, and Eric all headed to the town hall, wondering about its purpose. The hall was so crowded that people were standing in the doorway.
Eric, looking over the others, could see two individuals at the front clearly, and one was Korg. His heavy sigh made the small group turn to look at him, “They’re both wearing masks over their mouths and nose. I guess to protect them from the plague.”
Then they heard Korg, “My friends, I bring bad news. After meeting and talking with so many, our worst fears are true, as the plague has entered the west.” The crowd erupted with shouts and screams. The commanding voice of Korg silenced them, “That is why I wear this mask. We have identified three stages of the plague. Fortunately, we have only spotted the early stages here, and it is during that stage when our cures have the greatest success. Being afraid that the plague may have been present, we did come prepared. We brought with us one of our most talented healers, and tomorrow we will open a clinic where we can test you. If you are infected, we will heal you. For those who are not, we will hold a meeting to show you how you can protect yourselves.”
“It’s that filthy shantytown,” someone shouted, “We should burn it down.”
Korg raised his voice, “That is where we searched first but remember how I said; in our ignorance, we did great harm to our lands. We do not want to repeat the same here. The highest concentration we found was in the town itself. We will have Royal House forces up here next week, and they will help to quarantine it. They will also bring more healers and cures. Now, I want to make myself clear: there is no reason to panic. Nobody is in danger of dying from what we have seen.”
Another voice shouted, “What are the signs?”
“In the early stages, it primarily affects the mind. Mood swings, anger, depression, violent tendencies, and such. If it progresses, it starts to cloud your judgment. You may hear voices, see false visions, and become susceptible to suggestion. If somebody said they were wearing a green shirt, telling you it was brown, if you heard it enough, you would believe it. Or if a group of people started to talk about an event that never happened, they would all believe it. In the final stages, the body rejects itself. Organs begin to fail, loss of sight, and hearing, as the brain begins to boil from accumulated heat. I want to repeat, we have only seen the initial stages of the plague, which can be contained. Now, we only brought one healer with us. If you have not experienced any of the signs I mentioned, please do not rush to our clinic. That is where you stand the highest chance of catching it. If you have experienced symptoms like those that I mentioned, please visit the clinic but do not panic. While we are treating you, we will also continue to search for the source of the plague. We know there is none in the south port town, so we are hoping that it is confined to Alron. Thank you all for coming.”
The seven had to clear the doorway quickly, as citizens with arms covering their mouths pushed and shoved their way into the fresh air. John was leaning against the wall with his Iron Wood staff, “Korg is brilliant. He just infected every person that heard my speech about the plague. People that talked about events like the attack on the Earth Mothers will question their health. Did it happen, or did they just hear about it and believe? Did they see blood on those buildings, or did they imagine it? In the end, he made us outcasts. We were the last people to arrive here, and it was after our arrival when everything started to happen. They’ll start to spread rumors soon, thinking the Earth Mothers are infected, turning the town against us.”
Panry slammed his fist into the wall, “How do we fight lies?”
“We can’t, but maybe we can get people to stop listening to them. Let’s go talk with the Earth Mothers.”
Aaro looked confused, “What can they do, as they have no effect on the Royal House.”
“I’m hoping they can issue an Earth Bond, convincing everyone that they don’t have the plague. If it stopped them from arresting Lauren, let’s see if we can use it to do more good.”
*******
John and Panry’s arrival interrupted Zack’s attempts to comfort Nur. John knelt down in front of her, “Can you issue an Earth Bond so that Mother’s children quit listening to the Royal House lies?”
As Nur wiped away her tears, “Are they lies? Is there a plague? Am I…”
“Dudette, there’s no plague, and you’re fine. Believe me.”
“Zack, I saw the water turn un-pure. It makes sense. If the plague clouds my mind, then maybe I cannot hear Mother.”
“Dudette, It’s all a lie. I’ve heard them for years, trust me.”
“I trust you but the water, Mother. You could be saying one thing to me right now, and I could be hearing the opposite. John, if you did ask me to use an Earth Bond, the plague could change what I will do. I could hurt Mother’s children. It’s too risky.”
Zack stood up, “I’m going to find him and rip his head off, shoving it up…”
Panry grabbed him by the shoulders, “Calm down, as your anger will only make it worst. I also feel your frustrations. Given the chance given, I will run my steel down his throat to slay his lies, but violence makes us look like we are plague infected. We need a different solution.”
“Zack, listen to me,” John said sternly, “Don’t do anything. Stay here and comfort Nur. If we do the wrong thing, everything gets worse for us.”
Not wanting to cause Nur or Zack any more discomfort, they both headed back to the house. After John slammed his Iron Wood staff into the ground, he realized that people were looking at him. “Korg is an evil genius. Just as he undermines the confidence of the Earth Mothers, he has painted a target on our backs, and he has unleashed fear into the town. If we had used an Earth Bond before Korg gave his speech, it might have worked. None of the Earth Mothers will be able to issue an Earth Bond they don’t believe.” When they returned to the house, John found Logan and Gingaar watching over Lauren while she slept. They asked Gingaar to join them in the backyard where Panry repeated what Nur had told him, and John showed her the rocks.
John was hoping Gingaar might have some knowledge, “Do you know of any rocks that can change the color of water? Mirtza told us there were berries that could purify water. Do you know of anything like that?”
“John, again I am sorry. Plants much I know, but rocks I have never seen used, but one part seems odd. Panry said that the stone will only work on those with the gift. That is not Mother’s way. When Mother blesses us with a special bounty, it is for all. It would not be just for Earth Mothers. If there is a need where she helps, help all she will, and discriminate she will not.”
“Thank you,” John had realized before he asked that the question that it was a long shot, “It’s time to reboot.”
Panry looked down at his boots with a confused look.
John called to the cook for hot bean juice, “We’re going to be here for a while gentlemen. From the top, we’re going to review everything. It’s highly improbable that everything we have been through is a shared
delusion.” The cook brought out a tray of the desired liquid and mugs. John then scanned the small group: Panry, Aaro, Bor, Mirtza, Ryan, and Eric. “Even though what I’m going to say may sound like I have the plague, I don’t. For arguments sake, let’s consider that we do. We need to identify the elements of that storyline that aren’t conducive with the facts.” John looked at the blank stares, “Let’s try this. We’ve one story line, starting from when we arrived on our bus to sitting at this table right now. It’s our belief the plague is a hoax. The Royal House would suggest that we have, in whole, or in part, a shared delusion. Both stories cannot be correct, and there has to be a fact to discredit one of them. The first one would be the covered forest. We all remember that, as it was long before we found any signs of plague, so that has to be real.”
Mirtza coughed, “What if I was infected?”
“Damn it all! I hadn’t thought of that. I thought it would be after we found the mass graves that any potential delusions would’ve started. Everything before that, we would’ve been plague free. Damn it all, now I’m starting to believe in it. We could have sat around a campfire one night, joking about being captured and tortured. We can’t explain how we were healed, and we don’t have the scars to prove it. It’s like we never finished the story, so we don’t remember the details. Think about it, was Alron real? Was the mountain valley real? Am I even sitting here with you six right now?”
Few beasts scared Panry. Threats that he could attack with his sword, he reveled in; the bigger, the better, but watching doubt stalk John, he began to worry.
Eric stood, pulling Tranquil Fury from its sheath. His voice was emotionless, “This is real.” He ran his palm along the fine edge, letting it taste his blood, “This is real.” He held up his hand as the blood ran down it, wiping the blood onto the sword, watching it run through the deep runes, dripping onto the table, “My armor, real. Royal House lies, they are real. Battle fought with lies. Trickery, deceit, without honor. Those I cannot fight. Hesitation. Disbelief. Mistrust. Indecision. Royal House allies new. Do you want proof?”
John was uncertain of what was happening, but he wanted proof, “Yes.”
Turning the massive sword around, Eric extended the handle to John, “Grasp it.”
When he grabbed the handle with both hands, four hundred and fifty thousand memories of death screamed in unison; feeling bolts of lightning rip through him, hot gasses cook his insides, burning timber’s trap him, and so much more. John looked up from the ground, “What the hell just happened?” He raised himself up, “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Four hundred thousand dead. Each death, memorized I have. Their deaths, all real. All is real, except plague. Eric speaks highly of John. Calls you smart. Prove it. Evidence, where do I find?”
John shook his head, “If the big guy says the plague is a hoax, that’s good enough for me. Don’t ever touch that sword. I think I crapped myself.” John ran his hands through his hair, trying to push the pieces of his skull back together, “All of the evidence is in the east.”
“Take me there.”
John shook his head, “We don’t know where in the east.”
“If we could,” began Mirtza, “you should start at the beginning: in the Bright Coast.”
Eric stood, “Take me. This evidence I want.”
“It’s too far away,” replied John.
“Excuses, lies. Neither do I want. We go now.”
“Mirtza, would Gayne have a stone for the Bright Coast?” asked John.
“I doubt it. If he did, he would have returned to check on his school.”
John thought about his conversations with Gayne and Mirtza, the eight-legged horses, the six-legged ox, “Aaro, please go get your brothers because dwarves know metal and minerals. Tell Fodu to bring his sketchpad.”
Aaro was dwarf, clan leader of Ironhouse, and John his adopted clan member. Dwarf helps dwarf, so he ran into the house, not needing to know why.
“Ryan, send a runner,” began John, “and tell Zack to get over here. Mirtza, when Fodu comes down, I want you to describe a unique feature about the Bright Coast: a statue, fountain, doorway, anything but it has to be unique. Don’t let him stop until the image you see on the page is the same as in your mind.”
Mirtza was not dwarf, “What are you planning?”
“The magic has the ability to interpret desire. That was how you made the eight-legged horses, so we’re going to teach your bracelets a new trick.”
“Bor, check with Fodu. Find out every metal or mineral that he can engrave. Have your brothers and any other dwarves make two medallions the size of a gold coin from each, so that they can be engraved. On the first, Fodu engraves the image that Mirtza describes. On the second, he engraves the statue of Alron.” John paused to create an image in his mind of the necessary tasks, “Mirtza, tomorrow go see Gayne. You remember how he told me about the teacher who kept dropping rocks through the bracelet. I want to hire his magic students to do the same with the medallions that Fodu is going to inscribe.”
Mirtza shook his head, “Gayne will not like your request.”
“Eric, if Gayne is unwilling to help, can you convince him?”
“Help he will, glad he will be.”
“Eric, Korg told all that he had reinforcements coming. He probably arranged them before they left, so they’re already on the road. Borrow a fast horse from Pintar, go and greet them for us. I don’t need any more damned Royal House guests here, as we already have a full house. If they’re bringing any wagons, try not to hurt them, so you can see what they contain.”
Eric looked at John, “Eric was right. Smart you are. Slow, you take too long but smart.” Then he headed to the house in search of his armor so that he could greet the southern visitors in the quiet night.
As Eric left, Ryan looked at the rest of the group, “Did he just try to make a joke?”
Chapter 13
John walked out to the front of the house with Ryan and Panry where they greeted Zack. John looked at the three of them, “We have a problem. There are too many Royal House guests in our town, and they never asked permission to be here. I don’t think we can ask anybody for help because nobody will trust us. Zack, do any of the guards or their lackeys go out at night?”
“They usually stay pretty close to Pintar’s. Some of them have gone out, but I stay in the attic, seeing if I can hear anything.”
“Panry, get the Dawnfalcons and have Aaro and Bor play Earth Guard tonight. These guys are evil, and the concept of playing nice is probably getting on their nerves. We need a vice to appeal to their darker sides: gambling, stealing, or greed.” John looked to the ground, “Are there any brothels in town?”
Ryan and Zack’s jaws slowly fell open.
“What is a brothel?” asked Panry.
John continued, “You know, where a lady, you pay her, she…she…somebody gives her... pays for a...”
Panry finished John’s thought, “Do you speak of prostitutes?”
“Yes.”
“Among midlanders it is a trade that some practice, though in the rougher parts of town. Most frown upon those that provide pleasures intimate.”
John nodded, “Would the Royal House guards know where these fine establishments are?”
“I do not imagine so because their stay in town has been short.”
“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. They’ll recognize Zack or me, and there’s a high probability that they would recognize Ryan because we don’t fit in. However, all of the elves look alike. Zack is right, and jerseys with numbers would help.
Could the Dawnfalcons go into Pintar’s, making it look like they have had a little too much to drink, and have just visited one of those fine establishments? You know, talking about their experience to get the attention of the Royal House guards. From what I’ve read, soldiers and sailors seek either alcohol or female companionship at the first chance they get.”
Panry cocked his head to one side, “What do you read to provide
such inspiration?”
“Historical books about war. Don’t judge me.”
“If they get the attention of the Royal House, then what happens?”
“The Dawnfalcons take them into a deserted alley.”
Panry prodded for more details, “Then what happens?”
“I don’t know. Eric’s sword just kick-started my brain, and everything hasn’t fallen back into place. I really don’t want to kill them, but I’m open to options. It might be useful to question them later, but I don’t want to bring them back here in case Korg can track them. There aren’t many deserted buildings left in town… Help me out here.”
Zack looked at John, “Mauled by a wild animal?”
“It might be a little hard to sell, especially if it happens in town.”
“Noisy as well you work is. We will need quiet.”
“Hey, just sharing, Dudes!”
Ryan smiled, “We could bury them?”
“If we kill them, we may have to,” advised John.
“Who said anything about killing them?”
John stopped, “What about a brothel in the shantytown. We can leave ahead of the Dawnfalcons when they take the Royal House guards out of town, that way the town guards can’t say we followed them. Zack can follow in whatever shape works best for him, making sure nothing goes wrong. If they take action, well, then a wild beast mauled them, just not the wolf. The shantytown has no lights, no town watch. A mugging out there might seem more plausible, and I’m sure, if anybody hears screams out there, nobody will come to help. Some of the Royal House might see the Dawnfalcons escort them away, but even if they put all of the elves in a line up, nobody could pick them out. The downside is that we’ll have to kill them. The bonus is the Royal House might start questioning all of the elves, which will rub them the wrong way.”
It was at that moment that the Dawnfalcons stepped out of the front door, and Panry smiled.
“Tell them to leave their belts behind,” added Zack.