Snow woke up just before midday, but his headache persistently survived his small nap.
Contrary to what he’d experienced every time they were on the road, the air there wasn’t fresh nor clean. Instead it felt damp and hard to breathe, making his hair stick to his forehead. There was a rancid smell all around them, reminding him of the Fortress’ prison cell where he had bee held, and he couldn’t help feeling as if something incredible heavy had just landed on top of his head, making his headache even worse.
Even though he was awake, he felt so bad that he didn’t make a move to get rid of the arm holding him upright. He hated the sensation of being held or hugged, reminding him too much of all the time he’d spent unable to move. But, right now, the warm, firm body behind him actually presented a comforting support. Although he knew he shouldn’t, he still couldn’t stop himself from taking advantage of it.
MenTar1Literally men (lake) + tar (wind) returned from the front where he’d scouted ahead, a smile on his face. It was strange seeing him smile so brightly amidst a gloomy place like that. They were closer than they’d thought, he informed the rest. Last Tree, the most southern village of Wei, was just a few miles ahead. If they didn’t stop, they’d reach it within the hour.
Hoping for a warm plate of food and a dry place to rest, they all hastened their horses, MenTar riding at the front as if to make sure they didn’t get sidetracked.
Last Tree was a small rural village, its people living mainly of what they could plant and harvest from the land. With its small houses made of thatch and wood, it had long been established as a last resting point for the merchants’ caravans traveling to and from the Province of Tei2Literally tei (metal). Where Tei is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province.. Built on the banks of one of Wei’s largest rivers, the land there had always been fertile, allowing its people to live a simple but plentiful life.
What they found as they rode into the small village, however, was far from fitting any of those well known descriptions.
Halting their horses by the rustic entrance gateway, the entire group couldn’t help look ahead with apprehension. There was no one in sight, they immediately concluded looking in every direction. Only the wind roamed the empty street ahead, rising clouds of brown dust in its wake.
Dismounting, they decided to continue on foot, so not to scare any unaware residents. Men on horseback, carrying swords on their backs, were normally seen as belonging to the army, and the common folk tended to want to stay as far away from them as possible.
Snow allowed ZaiWin3Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). to pull him off the saddle and did his best to stand firmly on his two legs. His head felt like it weighed a tonne, his legs felt weak and shaken.
“Don’t leave my side!” the familiar voice demanded and he simply nodded, dragging his feet to follow him as they entered the village, leading their horse by the reigns.
Snow tried to take in the scenery around him. He’d never been in a village like this, and he truly enjoyed seeing new things. But his mind was having trouble focusing, the air so heavy he had to breathe through his mouth.
The small houses built on each side of the street were small but sturdy-looking, with wooden doors and wooden blinds. He wouldn’t mind living in a house like that, he thought, blinking to force his sight into focus. He’d never wished for some fancy dwelling. A little house like these would be just perfect.
MenTar stepped away from the group to inspect an abandoned cart full of orange, round pumpkins, while ZenTar4Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) went to knock on one door.
“This has probably been out here for a while. It’s all rotting away,” MenTar regretfully informed them and ZenTar knocked on the next door, since no one had answer on his first attempt.
“Does such a small village even has an inn where we can stay?” HawkEye asked doubtfully and ZaiWin peered ahead.
“It should have. After all, they’re probably used to receiving a lot of travelers.”
“How so? If there’s no one insight?”
“Maybe they’re all working the fields,” MenTar suggested, looking towards the large extension of farmland to his left, searching for signs that would confirm his theory.
“There’s not even an animal in sight,” HawkEye added with a dubious frown.
Snow stumbled and crashed head-first against ZaiWin’s back.
Turning around with an angry retort ready on the tip of his tongue, ZaiWin immediately held back his words at the sight of the boy’s pale face. Especially at the fact that he had held on to his coat and had yet to release it. That, coming from a brat that hated any form of close contact with others, immediately told him that something wasn’t right with him.
“Are you feeling sick?” he asked, already annoyed at the possibility and at what that would mean. But Snow shook his head, his hand shaking slightly, his damp silver hair sticking to his face.
The heck he wasn’t!, ZaiWin immediately concluded. Anyone who even took a glance at him could immediately see that he was probably running a fever!
When ZaiWin realized, those pale eyes were looking up, straight at him. He looked even paler than before, breathing heavily and with difficulty, all signs confirming what he’d already guessed. But those eyes … they didn’t show neither the fear he’d got used to see in them, nor the anguish of a sick person. They looked firm and resolute, like they’d looked when he’d confronted the despicable woman that had held him prisoner.
“We shouldn’t be here …”
The words that slipped through his pale lips immediately seeped into ZaiWin’s mind and were taken as an indisputable truth, leaving him alert, searching for enemies left and right.
“Stop!!”
VinWei5Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal)’s shout made him spin around, ready to retaliate against any kind of imminent attack that might have been launched at them. But all he could see was her, running as fast as she could, her blond hair whipping the air behind her.
“Get back! Get back right now!!” she kept urgently shouting and he looked ahead, at what she was trying so desperately to reach, to see ZenTar look back with a bewildered expression on his face.
He’d just knocked on another door, apparently to no avail, and had been trying to peer inside the house through an open window.
“What …” the words died on ZaiWin’s lips when he looked up and saw the red symbol painted over the door-frame - a cross surrounded by a circle. “Zen!”
He was on the move before he could even think, flashing in a wave of darkness from where he stood to ZenTar’s side, grabbing him by his shoulder and pulling him back.
Without his sudden support, Snow stumbled forward, almost falling on his knees, his shaky legs refusing to bend as he too tried to understand what was happening.
“ZaiWin! Don’t touch him!” VinWei was shouting, still running as fast as she could. “Get away from him!”
For an instant ZenTar looked truly confused but then he shoved ZaiWin back as hard as he could.
“Get back!”
Caught by surprised, ZaiWin stumbled back a couple steps, but he quickly regained his balance.
“Zen …”
“Get back! You hear me?”
VinWei finally reached them, trying hard to catch her breath, and looked up at the red symbol over the door.
“This is not the time to be stubborn!” she scolded ZaiWin between forced breaths. “Try not to add to my problems!”
Taking a deep breath and straightening her back, she carefully made her way towards the closed door, ZenTar stepping out of her way so he could keep his distance.
“Vin … are you sure …” he started, but her angry gaze silenced him immediately.
“Do you want to die? Or do you want me to see if there’s anything I can do to prevent it?”
A burning sensation made Snow take a sharp breath, looking at his hand where it hurt. He was almost certain that he’d find a burning mark on his palm, but his skin remained completely unscathed. And then he could clearly feel it, quickly running through his veins, spreading from that point up his arm, spilling into his back and chest. The sickness. A devouring sickness that would slowly eat away at his organs, eat away at his heart and lungs, until he could no longer breathe. Except that it wasn’t in him, he knew without a doubt, watching the scene unfolding in front of his eyes, watching VinWei carefully peer through the window, trying not to touch anything. It was in MenTar, he knew at a glance. And in ZenTar. And soon it would be in VinWei as well, because it was in the air all around them. But, above all, it was in Nox6Literally nox (night). Nox is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. ZaiWin uses it because he is the Governor of Nox. ZaiWin. It had entered his body the instant he’d touched ZenTar to pull him back, he concluded looking at his own hand. They were all sick. And they would all soon die.
exciting chapter with good cliff hanger, glad the next one is out already xd