Plague of Thanged
By Mardrena
The celebrations of the previous day had left the visitors from Earth too exhausted to even consider returning home at night, but Everlasting Mother Yainae graciously offered accommodations in the sprawling residence of the House of St'lur. What they lacked in available bed space outside of the immediate family, they made up for with pillows; lots and lots of pillows. Aurora had strewn dozens of them all over the floor of one of the large upstairs rooms, and the Ronin and their friends slept rather comfortably; a rather astounding feat considering a few had forgotten to remove their armor before dozing off sprawled across the floor. While most everyone remained on the floor blissfully snoozing as dawn broke, one figure hobbled outside.
"Oooogfh…I think I had way too much of the moukiri…" Rowen groaned, suffering from a monumentally bad case of cottonmouth. He folded his arms atop the balcony rail then thumped his forehead against his arm, immediately regretting it when he remembered he still wore sub-armor. He moaned softly before tilting his head back, breathing deeply and letting the damp morning air awaken him. He looked down at the street when he noticed a man sitting on a bench.
"Hey! Mister? Uhmm…" Rowen rubbed his temples. "Tuvo benar? Tuvo monmos?" The man didn't respond and remained sitting on the bench, head tilted forward slightly. "Poor guy must've partied so hard he didn't even make it home," Rowen muttered and vaulted over the rail, landing on the lawn below. "Listen, I can take you to wherever you live. Just tell me where and I'll get you there in a snap," Rowen walked towards the bench and grabbed one of the man's wrists and draped his arm over his shoulders. "Looks like the entire city partied itself silly. Guessing you've never been to an event this big." Rowen started to haul the man out of his seat.
The man's head rolled about on his shoulder listlessly until he faced Rowen. Rowen glanced at him, expecting to look into drowsy eyes, but gasped and promptly released the man, letting the body slouch back onto the bench. The eyes looked completely clouded over, and a sticky black substance trailed out of the nostrils and corners of the eyes. Rowen stared at the body wide-eyed and clutched a hand over his chest, feeling as if his heart beat a hundred miles a minute.
Within minutes the Thangien equivalent of EMS had arrived on the scene and a team of women clad in white cowls and combat uniforms placed the man's body into an insulated bag then zipped it shut. They carried the body into the back of a carriage attached to a pair of white Pegasi. Concerned people from the immediate neighborhood congregated along the sidewalks.
"Wow…super advanced technology and they prefer the ol' horse n' buggy. Sage'd probably feel right at home here," Kento chuckled. Sage sniffed and threw him an annoyed glance.
"It's more a matter of cultural discipline. They maintain a simplistic lifestyle to prevent overindulgence, and use technology only where deemed necessary," Anubis explained.
"Military and medical…" Cye muttered and scowled.
"Jeez Rowen, what's up with you and finding dead bodies-ow!" Yulie squawked in protest when Ryo promptly slapped him upside the head.
"Looks like word's gone out," Rowen said and looked up at a series of banners being raised on a flagpole further down the block. In the distance, they spotted other flagpoles and matching banners rising into the air. "People will hear about this across the city."
"Wait, you mean that's how they get news around here?" Kento remarked. Rowen nodded. "They don't have internet?" Rowen shook his head. "Television? Radio?" Rowen shook his head again. "Morse code? Smoke signals?" Rowen scowled and put his knuckles on his hips.
"Ren Skyrider." Rowen's attention snapped to the front when he heard one of the medics address him. "We must ask that you come with us to the Traedeskaton to be decontaminated, since you may have been exposed to this contagion first-hand."
"Huh? Oh, okay…um, I guess I'll see you guys later," Rowen waved to the others and walked over to the front of the carriage. The two white Pegasi swished their tails and waited for the medics and Rowen to board before trotting down the street.
"Bad stuff to go down day after a wedding…" Ryo commented and turned to go back inside, but paused when a shrill siren erupted from the distance. He turned back around and everyone looked up when more banners began rising on the flagpoles. "Anubis?" Ryo asked, concerned when he saw the look in the Elder's eyes. "You're the next Thangien aficionado besides Rowen. What's going on?" Anubis turned to face him, looking worried.
"Red…underscored by black…means this isn't an isolated incident."
The rest of the visitors from Earth remained indoors, and outside daylight shone on sparsely-trafficked streets. Aurora and T'plaureth distributed cups of spicy broth to their guests, and most of the Ronin and their friends lounged about the contemplation circle with the exception of the newlyweds, who remained secluded in their own room. They looked up when they heard a faint whoosh and saw the door open. Rowen stepped inside, wearing Eagle sub-armor.
"Ahh, Rowen! Welcome back! So, have fun getting scrubbed down by several hot Thangien nurses?" Cale teased. Rowen threw him an icy glare.
"Shove it, Cale! People have died out there!"
"Whoa…no need to bite my head off…was just trying to lighten the mood…"
"Rowen, how bad is it out there?" Ryo asked cautiously. Rowen averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his head, looking almost nauseous.
"From what I gathered, there were at least a hundred other deaths reported across the city: all with similar symptoms, and a lot more sick bring brought in for treatment."
"Suppose it was something they ate?" Kento asked idly, drawing annoyed glares from most in the room. "Hey! Don't look at me that way! I'm serious! They crammed the entire populace into the Pavilion yesterday. Maybe something got in the soup that shouldn't have."
"Ehh…it's a possibility…it's just…I never seen symptoms like that before…"
Most of the women of the group stayed upstairs, and in one of those rooms Australa held up a purple-and-white bloom encased in a softball-sized glass orb for Tanya to see.
"Oh my gosh! It's beautiful! I had no idea you people were so adept at glass-working!" Tanya beamed and cupped the orb in her palms. Australa wiggled slightly, looking very proud.
"So, who is your nucan?" she chirped abruptly. Tanya raised an eyebrow at her.
"Huh? Oh, no one. I'm not into relationships. I just wanted a souvenir to take home."
"But there has to be someone, otherwise you would not have caught it."
"Psh. I'm a Ronin Warrior. I don't have time for that sort of thing."
"Dais found time. As did RoweTakin. And CyeTakin. And SageTakin. And AnuTakin at some point…" Australa brought up and giggled softly. Tanya rolled her eyes.
"Trust me, there's no man in existence I'd ever-whoa, you okay?" Tanya frowned when she saw Australa rubbing her eyes, wondering if she'd hurt the girl's feelings somehow.
"Ahh…I am allright. I labored most of the night to finish, and the festivities from last night have taken their toll," Australa assured and flicked sleep from the back of her glasses lenses.
"Go sleep yourself out, and thanks again!" Tanya waved and headed downstairs with her present. Australa blinked several times more before turning to retire to her room. "Hey guys! Check out what Australa made me!" Tanya announced and approached the circle.
"Whoa! How the heck did she do that?" Ryo exclaimed upon seeing the preserved bloom.
"Search me. Now that I think about it, it'd make a nice snow globe, though I dunno how they'd get the snow inside now..." Tanya glanced at them then at the staircase.
Kento's eyes widened when he saw the orb slip from Tanya's grasp, as if her hands had gone limp suddenly. He lunged forward and extended his arm, barely catching the orb in his palm and banging his chin against the floor in the process. He opened his mouth, intending to scold Tanya for being so clumsy, but paused when he saw the look on her face. He looked towards the staircase and saw what had her so absolutely terrified.
Australa clung to the bottom post of the stair rail and tottered from side to side. Her left foot slipped off the bottom step and she staggered forward, pawing at the air futilely. Sticky-looking black fluid trickled from the corners of her eyes, and she could only breathe from her mouth.
"AUSTRALAPAELA!" Aurora screamed and ran over, catching her by the shoulders before she fell onto the floor. The Ronin seated at the circle jumped to their feet. Some of them stepped away, but Rowen ran over and knelt beside the stricken girl.
"I can port her to the Traedeskaton. I've been there before. ARMOR OF STRATA!" Rowen summoned his armor and slipped his arms underneath Australa's shuddering body. Her eyes looked unfocused, and she kept blinking repeatedly. "You're gonna be allright, don't worry," Rowen whispered softly. Aurora and T'plaureth backed away as the teleport rings began forming. Rowen gave Ryo a quick nod then looked upstairs briefly. He saw the door to Dais and Danae's room hanging open and caught a glimpse of a concerned Dais sitting beside Danae-who rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut-before the teleport took him out of the house.
Britania came downstairs quietly and glanced about the gathering room. She spotted Anubis standing by one of the windows staring through the filmy curtains at the flagpole. "Anubis?" He glanced at her when she addressed him. "…We're not going to be going home today, are we?"
"…No, I'm afraid not, my dear. You see that pennant at the bottom there?" Anubis pointed at the pole and the large yellow-and-black checkered flag whipping about in the wind. "It means quarantine has been implemented. People are not to venture outdoors until further notice."
"First Australa…then Danae…and now Yulie!"
"I'm actually impressed how calm people have been…for awhile I was worried they'd start accusing us, thinking the Pairing angered the gods, or something," Roxi commented.
"Our Queens are not so capricious," the Everlasting Mother stated firmly as she entered the room. Roxi ducked her head apologetically. "They gave every indication that the Pairing served their will. No…this bears the odor of something far more malevolent."
"What…what are you saying?" Britania frowned.
"I am uncertain…" Yainae narrowed her eyes and stared out the window. She stiffened and Brianna looked back at the pole in time to see the yellow pennant sliding down.
"Look! The flag's gone! Quarantine's been lifted! That means the worst has passed!"
"No, it's been lifted because it isn't going to do jack squat," Shannon spoke up and rose out of her seat at the contemplation circle. "This shit's airborne…" she muttered and walked towards the patio door. Roxi and Brit exchanged worried glances and walked after her slowly, watching as she stepped out into the courtyard towards a languid Sandstorm. "Hey, moping over Australa's not gonna do any good. I need you to take me to the Traedeskaton."
Sandstorm lifted his head up and raised one ear. His right eye lens widened slightly. Shannon grabbed his wing-shoulder and hauled herself into the saddle and slapped him on the rump sharply. "I MEAN IT!" she snarled. Sandstorm unfurled his wings and launched into the air.
"Did I hear right? Quarantine's over?" Ryo asked as he came downstairs, followed by Tanya, Kento, Cye, and Sehkmet. Britania nodded shakily. "Okay, once Rowen gets back from dropping off Yulie, we'll get him to take the rest of us there too so we can get the location point. Those of us with teleport abilities can help ferry in new patients..."
While Ryo issued orders, Roxi leaned against a wall and folded her arms. All the times I dreamt of coming here…I never thought I'd bear witness to something this terrible…
Yulie lay on his back in one of the sealed clear-domed capsules. He could still feel the black sickness oozing from his eyes and nose, but being in the capsule eased his headache some. He'd caught a glimpse of Australa and Danae in their own capsules when he'd been brought in, so he knew he at least had familiar company. Dais maintained constant vigil near Danae. Mom…and Pop…aren't gonna be happy…that I lied… Yulie stared up at his reflection in the canopy.
His gaze shifted to the side when he saw someone sit down beside him. At first, his fever-blinded gaze perceived her as his mother, but a few blinks clarified her appearance. Wispy light brown hair framed a gentle face, and a light blue hood draped over her head and shoulders. For some reason, no matter how many times he blinked, he kept seeing her eyes all funny with black irises and hazel pupils. He wanted to ask her name, but all of a sudden he felt weary and settled into a deep-yet peaceful-sleep. He caught a glimpse of a smile before his vision faded.
"Heya sport! How ya holdin' up?" Kento asked and seated himself next to the woman sitting beside Yulie's capsule. The boy slept soundly.
"I'm afraid he won't be very responsive for a while. The capsules can only keep the sickness at bay, not cure," the woman admitted sadly. "People call me the Morning Mother because they identify the dawn with new life…but I'm also known as the Mourning Mother. Life and death may be a necessary cycle, but it's no less a painful one to endure. Seeing him suffer hurts me."
"Eh, I'm not too worried. I just wanted to stop by and check up on him while I'm here. Yulie's a tough kid…a real trooper. He'll pull through," Kento said with a grin.
"The death toll rises…and you're not worried?" the woman raised an eyebrow.
"Well…a little…but Yulie's not your run-of-the-mill kid. He can't die yet; he's still got too much to do. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but he's faced down bad guys scary enough to make most grown men piss themselves. He won't let something like a nasty cold get the better of him," Kento whispered and placed a hand against the dome.
The woman's expression softened and she smiled warmly. "Such faith in friendship shouldn't go unrewarded. He will not die. I…I…I will see to that." Kento blinked when he heard the voice shift into a weird deep echo and glanced to the side only to find the woman had left the room. He looked about the room and walked towards the door, peering out into the hallway. He spotted a group of medics down the hall and walked over.
"Hey ladies, did you see a woman come this way? She was about yay tall, brown hair, blue hood, white robes…kinda funny eyes now that I think about it…said something about 'mourning her mother' or something?" The medics gasped and began whispering amongst themselves before running away down the hall, chatting hysterically. Kento blinked. "…Was it something I said?"
Britania looked up when she heard footsteps and saw Aurora coming downstairs bearing a grim expression. Behind her, T'plaureth carried the human-Thangien boy of the twins. "Ko'li has fallen ill, and I cannot wait for the Morind to return. I am taking him to Mazzan. If any of you wish to accompany us to assist in the efforts, I will have the remaining Pegasi convey you."
"Wait, I thought the hospital was called something else," Roxi frowned as she stood.
"You have not heard then. The Traedeskaton overflows with the sick and dying. Emergency camps have been established in Mazzan and Raaezen," T'plaureth stated. Kayura, Michelle, Roxi, and Britania stepped away from the contemplation circle.
"We'll all go. We're not warriors but we can help in our own way," Brit said enthusiastically.
Mia, who elected to remain behind, watched them leave. She wove her fingers under her chin and stared at the flames of the circle for a few moments before glancing at the window. Yainae maintained her vigil and stared out at the flagpole, watching the ever-changing sequence of banners. Mia could tell from the banners-even with her limited understanding of Thangien numbers- that the death toll had surpassed four digits in the span of only a few hours Thuruk-time. Whiteblaze thrust his head under Yainae's palm and crooned softly.
Mia knew all too well the pain of losing a loved one to something so sudden and unavoidable, and now the Everlasting Mother faced the possibility of losing two daughters and a grandson.
Ryo walked through the halls of the Traedeskaton's lower floor supporting a sickened woman until a pair of medics arrived to take custody of her. He turned to head back out, but paused when he passed by one of the infirmary rooms. Several medics had gathered around a bed, and some of them wept profusely. One of the senior medics pulled a sheet of linen over the prone form lying on the bed, and as she did so, Ryo caught a glimpse of silver strands of hair. The distraught medics tried to comfort each other as they exited the room.
Ryo leaned against the wall and let his arms hang at his sides as they walked past. Inside, he felt as if a strong fire had suddenly withered into dead coals. Now, only in his memories did the radiant voice exist. He squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths.
"It's officially reached epidemic status." Ryo looked up when he heard Rowen's voice. "Some people are dubbing it the 'Weeping Death'."
"Like that's supposed to be funny or something," Ryo snarled bitterly.
"The worst part of it is they have yet to identify the cause. The Black Death wiped out a third of Europe's population in the 1300's; Influenza killed off millions in the turn of the century…Bainshaebo only has a maximum population of a few million. Ryo, if this thing isn't stopped…it could cripple Thanged's fighting capacity," Rowen stated grimly.
"…I'm getting the feeling that's just how someone wanted things."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Rowen raised an eyebrow and watched as Ryo pushed himself away from the wall and walked down the hall.
"Dunno…just a gut feeling…" Ryo whispered and narrowed his eyes.
Cye paused and peered inside one of the lab rooms of the upper floors when he spotted Sehkmet in full armor. The Warrior of Venom had drawn one of his swords and inserted the tip into a large glass container. A handful of medics stood by and waited patiently for the container to fill as bright reddish liquid dripped from the edge. A couple more filled containers sat on adjacent tables. Satisfied with the amount, Sehkmet drew his sword out and a medic sealed the container. "Slian yador, Sahat Venomrider," the medic nodded gratefully and she and her partners left the room carrying the sealed containers. Cye scooted to the side and waited for them to pass before entering the room as Sehkmet sheathed his sword.
"What was that all about?" he asked, curious.
"Eh, they wanted samples of my venom. They're gonna try distilling it into a painkiller for the worst of the cases…Cye…can I tell you something?" Cye nodded and hummed. "This has me worried…and that in turn worries me, because I usually don't get worried. I don't like facing an enemy I can't sink my fangs into. You can't fight sickness with swords," Sehkmet commented and raked his fingers through his hair. Cye frowned sympathetically and remained quiet for several moments, contemplating. He looked back up and folded his arms.
"You're assuming battles are always fought with swords, but they're not. Real battles aren't fought with swords or skill, but with spirit. I mean, think about it; your venom comes from your swords, right? If they can make a viable drug from it, then in a sense, you're lending your weapons to these patients so they can put up their own fight." Sehkmet bit his lip then nodded.
"Yeah…I guess you're right…never looked at it that way…Thanks."
"No problem," Cye said with a smile.
"Wow, I didn't know you could do that," Tanya remarked as she stood by and watched Sage place his hand against the canopy of one of the capsules.
"I used to not be able to. The original Armor of Halo had strict limitations on how I could apply such power, and only under certain circumstances," Sage explained as the woman inside the capsule began responding. The blackened encrustations running along her cheeks flaked away, and no new discharges took their place. "I can't cure them, but I can buy them time."
"How…how many people have you treated like that so far?" Tanya asked, concerned when she noticed how Sage leaned to the side and rubbed his eyes.
"Hnn…I've lost count."
"Okay, that does it. You need to get some rest pal or else you'll burn yourself out," Tanya grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to haul him to his feet.
"You underestimate my ability, Shannon. I'm perfectly comfortable in high-stress situations."
"…You just called me Shannon," Tanya said stiffly and frowned. Sage blinked several times.
"…That I did…allright. I'm not as proud as your brother that I'll refuse sound advice."
"Sage advice. Now scram. Port yourself back to the House of St'lur-Whoa! Sage!" Tanya exclaimed when Sage tottered slightly as he stood.
"I'm allright. Just…just exhausted…" No sooner did he say that and take a step towards the door than did he stumble once more. This time, Tanya caught him by the shoulder.
"Sage! You're not allright-You're NOT allright!" Tanya cried when he slumped towards the floor. She moved to his right side to pull him towards a nearby bench but recoiled when she caught a glimpse through his thick hair of glistening black trails oozing from the corner of his eye. "Oh my God…I need a medic here NOW!"
The medics managed to find a vacated capsule and set Sage up in the same room as Danae, Australa, and Yulie. Tanya stood by and rubbed her arms as she waited for the medics to finish calibrating the machine. Kento -who'd been visiting the still-slumbering Yulie- sat by the boy's capsule and watched Tanya as she paced about.
"Don't you dare die on me. If you do, who else am I gonna give shit about having haystack-hair," Tanya warned shakily. Sage chuckled softly and clasped his hands over his stomach.
"There's the Elders, for starters…" he whispered then closed his eyes. A small panel of flickering lights close to the head of the capsule, which had previously been blinking rapidly, fell silent. Tanya gasped and slapped her hand against the canopy.
"Sage?! SAGE! HEY! I NEED HELP IN HERE! NOW! SOMEONE-"
"Damnit, Tanya. I'm not dead, I'm just meditating to conserve energy," Sage spoke up suddenly without opening his eyes, his brow furrowing in an annoyed scowl.
"Oh…okay…I forgot you Zen types could do that…Makes sense, I guess. Kinda playing possum to the plague… I wish I could do that, but I suck at that sorta stuff. I mean, I can stay quiet and calm when I want, but that sort of mental discipline is way out of my-" Tanya paused when she saw Sage glaring at her with his visible eye. "…Right…shutting up…I'll just, go over here then…" she muttered and backed away. All the while, Kento watched her as she drew her knees close together and grasped her shoulders. Instead of standing straight and brazen as typical of her, she looked small and fragile. Her eyes darted back and forth rapidly and she shuddered.
"…I've never known you to be the type to get worried," Kento spoke up softly.
"…When you've lost as much as I have, the thought of losing someone else you know-even if you don't know them that well-It's…it's upsetting," she replied in a hoarse whisper. She stood there for a few moments longer. Suddenly she narrowed her eyes in an irritated scowl and stormed out of the room in a huff. Kento remained in his seat and watched her leave quietly.
Ph'li crouched beside his sleeping brother. His wispy tail lashed about anxiously. Roxi tucked the blankets around the arms of one of the patients, and Brianna pressed a damp cloth against the forehead of another. They flinched when a chorus of metallic wails pierced the air.
"The Pegasi…they're crying. So many riders have died so quickly," Brit remarked.
"They can will themselves to die, if they choose," Ph'li spoke up suddenly. "It is Eyurodin's gift to them, that they are not shackled to eternal life in suffering." Just then, a booming roar rose above all other sounds, loud enough to cause Roxi and Brit to plug their ears.
"What the hell's that?" Roxi exclaimed and glanced in the direction of the large domed pens. Ph'li's ears perked up and he staggered to his hooves.
"It is Skybolt! He tries to encourage them not to lose hope!"
"I get it…he could've given up and died when Ander did, but he chose to survive," Brit stated and looked at the distant pens. "By living, he keeps Ander alive in a sense."
"I heard YuliTakin fell ill…you are Oldworlders…and you do not worry for yourselves?"
"Listen, kiddo; we swore we'd fight same as the Ronin Warriors do," Roxi stated firmly.
"Shannon said it's airborne, so we're all potentially buggered. Might as well make the most of it," Brit said cheerfully and glanced back at the pens as Skybolt Sunhammer continued his litany. She listened to the cries for a few moments then remembered she'd brought her violin case with her. Ph'li's ears cocked when he heard the first notes take to the air.
Roxi, however, looked irritated. "How can you play at a time like this?"
"What? Music can have a beneficial effect on people," Brit argued, pausing briefly.
"The people of Banguk-our sister world-once practiced the art of healing with sound." They looked up when they heard Tornath approach. He carried an unconscious Rona in his arms and set her down on a nearby bedroll. "But it has since been lost to us…along with its' people."
Roxi recalled what Rowen had said about the Thurukian system, and how he had neglected to go into much detail regarding the last two worlds. "Tornath…what…what happened to the Bangukians?" she asked warily. Tornath scowled angrily, and Roxi flinched.
"They were exterminated…by the Thunthen."
Bedrolls lined the floors of the great archives, and moans of discomfort echoed through the shelves. "For all my power, I can do nothing…" Kayura lamented and glanced over at Michelle. The young shaman knelt beside a woman expending her last breaths and uttered a chant in her native language. The woman ceased moving and Michelle gently pressed her eyelids shut.
"All we can do at this point is ease them into the next world…but I don't know where they believe their dead go…" she admitted and wrinkled her nose.
"I like to think we all go to the same place, just different interpretations. It unnerves me how sudden this happened, though. I can't begin to imagine how Yainae and Dais must feel, Dais especially since he came so close to losing Danae once before!"
"Dad's trying to figure out the cause. He can't really assist much in the rescue efforts, so he decided to hang out here and look for clues in Thanged's written history."
"Really? I haven't seen him recently…Where is your father?" Kayura raised an eyebrow and looked down the aisles. Michelle pointed upwards. Kayura tilted her head back and gasped when she saw Anubis' legs dangling off the edge of a chair suspended high above by a complex network of cables. The Ronin Warrior leaned to the side and peered down at them.
"I've been poring over their earliest records searching for any instances of catastrophic disasters. Rarely does anything happen in the present without having occurred in the past. I'm hoping secrets, and more importantly hope, can be uncovered from these pages."
"Being the bibliophile you are, I'm certain you'll succeed," Kayura chuckled. A team of medics came by to retrieve the recently deceased, and after they left a second team set up fresh bedrolls for new patients. Kayura clasped the hand of a little girl and stroked her hair. Michelle began chanting again, her language-foreign to the Thangiens-comforting them.
Sage emerged from his trance when he heard a commotion from the hall outside. He tilted his head up and caught sight of a frantic woman supporting a sickly young girl. A medic spoke to her and shook her head, politely refusing the woman's pleas. Sage glanced about the inner edge of the canopy lid and wriggled his left arm up towards an emergency release switch. Tanya had returned earlier and sat on the floor with her back to the capsule and knees drawn towards her chest. She'd folded her arms over her knees and napped with her head resting against her arms. She blinked sleepily and raised an eyebrow when she heard a hollow-sounding whisper.
"Here, she can have mine," she heard Sage's voice say and opened her eyes to see Sage standing up shakily and beckoning to the distraught woman. The woman bowed and blessed him profusely in Thangien and the medic glanced at Sage, uncertain until he nodded reassuringly. She reluctantly situated the girl in the capsule and closed the canopy.
"SAGE! What the *censored* are you doing?!" Tanya exclaimed and stalked over to Sage as he seated himself against the wall.
"Our duty is to protect mankind…death…comes with the territory," he whispered.
"How the *censored* are you supposed to do your duty if you're dead to begin with!?"
"…You ever read 'Masque of the Red Death'," Sage asked abruptly and glanced at her.
"…No, can't say that I have…"
"It's a short story, by one of America's authors. It takes place in a country ravaged by a terrible plague called the 'Red Death'. A wealthy prince and hundreds of his fellow nobles seal themselves in a great castle where they plan to wait out the sickness. They spend their evenings celebrating, until one night a mysterious guest appears dressed as a plague victim. Enraged, the prince confronts him only to find out too late that the guest is the Red Death incarnate: come to claim the lives of all within. Can you guess the message?" Sage glanced at Tanya.
"…No one's above death…" she whispered and stared at the floor. She opened her mouth to speak as she looked back at Sage, but held back her words when she saw him meditating.
"Tiua Windrider?" Tanya blinked in confusion at the title and glanced towards the doorway at the medic leaning into the room. "Your presence is requested upstairs." Tanya nodded in acknowledgement and stepped towards the door. She glanced at Sage once more before exiting the room and following the medic, who guided her into a large office-like room where oddly enough Shannon sat near a table next to an elderly Thangien man. Other available Ronin eventually filed into the room, except for Dais-who remained with Danae- and the ill Sage.
"Good, everyone's here. I'd like you all to meet Kin Kin Aega, Coval. He's Chief Physician of the Traedeskaton. We've spent the better part of the last few hours investigating the plague and we have good news: we're not dealing with a virus here. It's actually a form of mold that typically only occurs in the deep soil. Anubis deserves the credit for putting us on the right track," Shannon nodded and gestured to him.
"Thangiens have encountered this malady once before, when eight-thousand of our years ago the most recent Solar Swap caused a heavier-than-normal rain season," Anubis explained.
"'Solar Swap'? What the heck's that?" Ryo whispered.
"Thangiens haven't sat idle within the walls of Bainshaebo. They've uncovered fossil records indicating that once every fifty million years, the Twin Suns exchange positions in the system."
"Is that even possible?!" Ryo squawked and recoiled.
"Well, for them it is," Rowen quipped and shrugged.
"We suspect yesterday's deluge agitated the soil enough to cause this mold to erupt. Infection occurs when spores are inhaled and nestle into the sinus cavities," Coval explained and pointed at a diagram projected against the wall from a desk-mounted lens array. "The 'Weeping Death' is a result of the mucus membranes and tear ducts laboring extensively to cleanse the sickness."
"But it's a Catch 22," Shannon added. "Keeping the body hydrated only causes the mold to breed faster, but the more the body tries to flush the mold out, the more it becomes dehydrated. The more it becomes dehydrated, the more quickly the mold goes after vital organs."
"Death occurs when the mold enters the brain," Coval said grimly and pointed at an image of a deceased victim's cranial cavity. Several of the Ronin grimaced in revulsion.
"So, what's the bad news?" Cale spoke suddenly, drawing glances. "You said identifying the cause was the good news, so there has to be accompanying bad," he shrugged.
"Well, Richtho tea can neutralize the infection and bolster the body's natural defenses enough to fight back, but it's not enough. It's barely keeping the death toll from climbing into six digits. We're brewing the stuff by the cauldron-full, but eventually demand will exceed supply and they'll have burned through all of their stock. We need to find the vector circulating the mold into the air and eliminate it, and for that, we have a two-pronged approach," Shannon stated and thumped the desk with her index and middle fingers.
"How did the ancient Thangiens handle it?" Sehkmet raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"You mean besides letting two-thirds of the population die off? The original bloom occurred after Thanged experienced heavy rains that made yesterday's storm look like a faulty lawn sprinkler. When Thuruk 1 began moving back to its original position, Thanged went through a mega-winter that lasted for centuries until Thuruk 2 returned. It forced the mold to retreat under the topsoil and gave Thangiens time to recuperate and rebuild."
"Ren Skyrider, Khanto Earthrider, Sahat Venomrider, and Aruian Wrathrider will coordinate with Azurotago and the Metraind to execute a full sweep of the outer walls. You must search for pools of stagnant water. That is the only environment capable of nurturing the mold into the air. Tiua Windrider, Kouan Shadowrider, and Sean Waverider; I am told you are able to utilize a powerful freezing attack when your powers unite," Coval began. Shannon pulled her pendant out from under her dress and thumbed the Torrent Aquamarine.
Cye flinched and staggered back a step, closing his eyes from discomfort. The other Ronin glanced at him. Cye opened his eyes and blinked, looking at his hands. His eyes glowed faintly. "I supercharged your armor. You can't make a blizzard without snow, and you can't make snow without water. We're going to freeze the existing mold spores out of the city's air. Ryo can take you to Thananagreia, since he's been there before. It's the tallest structure in Bainshaebo, and you'll need to blanket the entire city for this to work," Shannon explained.
"Your armors seem to have shielded you from the worst of the infection, so you should be able to withstand prolonged exposure," Coval noted.
"Wait, then how come Sage got sick? I was exposed first hand," Rowen argued.
"Sage expended a lot of energy healing others. He kept giving and giving and kept nothing in reserve, and that weakened his body's natural defenses. For all we know, all of you could be infected and you just don't show symptoms because of your armors. However, before you all head out-and until we're in the clear-I want everyone to take a dose of Richtho tea every hour on the hour." Several of the Ronin moaned out loud in protest. "Yes, I know the stuff tastes like rubbing alcohol mixed with diesel fuel, but it's the closest thing we have to a cure at present.
"Oh, and one more thing," Shannon spoke up as the Ronin turned to leave. They glanced back at her, curious. "If any of you see fit to join Sage and Yulie in the capsules, I'll personally kick your ass: armor or no armor!" Shannon growled and clenched her fist tightly.
"…Man, O'Connor women sure are scary," Cye muttered as he turned to leave.
"I know, one should be so lucky," Cale commented. Cye glanced at him warily.
"…We *are* talking about Shannon, right?" he raised an eyebrow. Cale merely replied with a toothy warlordish grin that didn't make Cye feel at all comfortable.
"I don't get it: why are we looking for standing water again?" Kento asked as he ran through the countryside bordering Bainshaebo's exterior wall.
"Because there shouldn't be any," Rowen shouted from where he flew overhead in Eagle sub-armor. "The soil tends to absorb water quickly, even after heavy rain, so something else must be interfering. Most of Thanged's water exists in underground reservoirs with the exception of a few rivers and lakes. There is a old legend that Thanged used to have oceans long ago, but Roth gave them to the Aguarians because she felt they took up too much arable land."
"Whaaaat?! Why the heck would she do that?!" Kento pouted. "How are Thangiens supposed to learn how to shoot-the-curl?" Kento muttered and wrinkled his nose.
"Whoa, I think we just found our first source," Rowen muttered and alighted on the ground next to Kento as he came to a stop a few steps away from the edge of a large pond. The surface looked murky, and the two found a strange yellow-green fibrous growth extending from under the water along the shore. Rowen stepped forward and knelt down, reaching out with one hand and touching the growth with his fingertips.
"It's…it's some sort of hard algae," he remarked and rapped his knuckle against the surface.
"So that's been keeping the water from being absorbed?"
"Yeah, feel that?" Rowen pressed his hand into the soil outside of the algae. Kento knelt down and followed his example, feeling the damp loam squeeze between his fingertips.
"It's all squishy," he commented.
"Exactly. Thanged's soil is very porous, and isn't supposed to allow water to sit for this long."
"Whoa, check this out…" Kento scooted to the side and reached out for a spongy-looking globule mounted on a wispy stalk poking out of the water.
"Don't touch that!" Rowen shouted in alarm. Kento's fingertips had barely graced the surface when a fine yellowish mist erupted into the air. Kento stumbled backwards and blocked his nose and mouth with his forearm and watched the mist cloud ascend before dispersing.
"Okay…well I guess that explains how it got airborne," Kento muttered and shook his hand before pulling himself to his feet.
"Usually, there's a breed of ant that uses the mold as a food source deep in the soil…"
"But the flooding drove'em away…you said this stuff is keeping the water in place? Break it, and the water should drain?" Kento asked Rowen, who nodded. "Okay then…" Kento knelt down and placed his fingertips into the soil close to the edge of the algae. He pushed forward and grunted, and at his command, pillars of earth jutted up through the surface of the pond. He stood back up, satisfied when he saw the waterline begin to recede.
"Whoa…you see that?" Rowen frowned when he spotted a glint of metal atop the center-most pillar. He rose into the air and floated over to the pillar then braced his feet against the edges before reaching down and wrapping his fingers around a cylindrical protrusion of algae. After a few strong tugs the knotted mess peeled away from the soil and Rowen floated back and alighted next to Kento to show him the object.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that looked like a canister…look at these," Kento ran his fingertip over rows of narrow slits all-but hidden by rigid algae growth.
"This stuff…came out of this thing…" Rowen frowned and glanced at the horizon, where he saw dozens more stagnant pools in the distance.
"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Anubis howled and sent his chains into every puddle within line-of-sight. He retracted his chain and smiled confidently upon seeing the puddles dwindle. He frowned when he heard a curious dull clatter and spotted a cylindrical algae-encrusted object entangled in the weighted claw. He stared down at it then glanced up at the rest of the cleansed ponds, spotting the faint sheen of metal at the center of each and every one.
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!" Six swords struck the algae coating six immense pools, and immediately upon contact, the hideous algae withered and crumbled into dust. Sehkmet laughed merrily and recalled his swords. He paused in sheathing one when he noticed the dull gleam of metal before the acid consuming the algae began corroding the cylindrical object.
"Allright guys, let's give Bainshaebo its first White Christmas in over eight-thousand years," Ryo said and stepped away from the edge of the roof of the citadel-chapel.
"Cale, I think you need to lead off first," Tanya suggested. Cale nodded and drew his sword.
"BLACK LIGHTING SLASH!" In the courtyard below, the faithful gazed skyward and watched in awe as crackling blackness reached into the sky like claws.
"TYPHOON BLAST!" Tanya aimed her sword wheel at the sky and remnants of last night's caevas drew closer, obscuring the light of the Twin Suns.
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye thrust his trident into the air, unleashing his enhanced power. Instead of a single devastating pillar, Torrent produced a massive wave of fine mist.
"RAKING RIME CLAW!" Ryo watched calmly as the combined super powers suffocated Thuruk's light entirely. It seemed to coalesce into a form like that of a gigantic horned specter that reached out with clawed hands and swept a great cloak over the city far and wide.
Yainae raised both eyebrows when the curtains billowed away from the window. Mia rose to her feet and walked over to stand next to the Everlasting Mother. Both of them watched bewildered as tiny flakes of white fell from the sky, and cold air penetrated the estate, almost quenching the fire of the contemplation circle.
"I'd almost forgotten…With everything that's been going on, back at home it's getting close to the Christmas season. It's a time celebrated with fellowship and generosity, and heralds the birth of the next year and of the future…" Mia whispered sadly.
"Our seasons do not change as that of Oldworld…but Ander told me often of what you speak," Yainae sighed. The two watched the great frost-demon sweep about the sky over Thananagreia. Snow accumulated in the streets and along the walls and roofs of the neighborhood and not even the heat of the Twin Suns outmatched the Ronin's strength.
"There is an old story associated with the suns…" Yainae began, and Mia listened attentively. "That long ago, when men first came to Thanged, before we met the Queens, the nomadic tribes were ruled by two brothers. One was strong, but a poor leader, and the younger weak, but very cunning. They were supposed to share in power, but after a time, the elder brother grew resentful and slew the younger. He proclaimed himself king, and named the suns after himself.
"The spirit of the elder brother took up residence in the central star, and the younger sought refuge in the lesser. Eventually it came to pass that the younger brother wrest control from his elder, usurping his position and ruling the system, if only for a time. He exacted vengeance in the form of a terrible sickness upon the complacent and wicked who dwelt in their settlements and abused the bounty of the land. Only the freelanders escaped judgment, and when the elder brother reclaimed his domain, the younger unleashed a chilling wrath before retreating.
"And so I wonder," Yainae said hoarsely and looked at Mia. "Is this our punishment?"
At Raaezen, Kayura and Michelle administered Richtho tea to recovering patients and laughed and rejoiced with the children who came to visit them. At Mazzan, Ph'li tousled the hair of Ko'li and lashed his tail ecstatically, and T'plaureth held them both close. Tornath patted an awakened Rona on the shoulder and Roxi and Britania instructed the Thangiens in the finer points of snowball fights. At the Traedeskaton, Dais hugged a renewed Danae tightly and Sage shared a pot of fresh Richtho tea with Australa. Kento playfully noogied Yulie and patted him.
"You said you found one of these at the bottom of every pool? That the algae came out of it?" Shannon asked and turned the encrusted object about in her hands.
"You sure you should be handling that?" Cale commented.
"It's harmless. This wasn't the source of the mold; it just allowed it to proliferate," Shannon replied and reached towards the table and retrieved a pair of forceps. She set to picking away at the fibrous mess. "This stuff is pretty…resilient…" she muttered.
"Hey, I can use acid to-" Sehkmet suggested.
"No, you disintegrated all your specimens," Anubis retorted and nodded towards a bin filled with rusted cylinders. Sehkmet pouted and huffed. Other bins filled with retrieved cylinders occupied shelves along the walls of the room, but Shannon currently examined the one discovered by Kento and Rowen. Azuro stood close by and waited patiently as Shannon peeled away bits and threads of the algae to expose the mysterious object.
"It…looks like there's…something underneath…like scratches…almost…" Shannon muttered as she managed to peel away most of the encrustation in a single large sheet, revealing a gleaming metal cylinder covered in narrow slits. She turned it over in her hands and peered down at it. "These markings…almost look like writing, but-"
Azuro promptly spun about on his heel and stalked towards the door quickly, the draft of his passing almost knocking Tanya off her feet. Blood curdled in the veins of those who saw the look on his face before he exited the room. "Whoa…I don't know what the Thangien word for 'pissed' is, but he looks it," Tanya stammered, eyes wide and pupils contracted.
"…Okay…I'm…guessing he knows something I don't?" Shannon remarked uneasily.
"Rowen? You know what this is?" Ryo asked when he saw Rowen's blanched face.
"Yeah…I know what it is…I don't know what it says, but I know what it is…" Rowen bit his lip and took several deep breaths. "It's called highscript…it's the type of handwriting used…by the Thunthen," he whispered and looked at the others.
The room fell utterly silent. Shannon slouched in her seat and let the cylinder rest on her lap. Cale grimaced and Anubis rubbed his eyebrows with his fingertips. Ryo stared at the letters, which sported a more rigid, angular style as opposed to the crescent writing used by Thangiens. Cye leaned against the wall next to the door and narrowed his eyes in a concerned scowl.
"There's no doubt that this was premeditated. They knew heavy rain would follow such a high-profile Pairing," a stern voice hissed. "They exploited your daughter's generosity."
"She takes blame upon herself and suffers from her guilt," an even voice stated.
"Guilt can wait! We can't let this blasphemy go unpunished!" a coarse voice growled.
"It's not our place to intervene, even for such a tragedy as this," the even voice countered.
"Perhaps you're right…the fiend's son took the bulk of their forces with him, anyway. Only their dames and hatchlings remain at home," the stern voice muttered.
"Bloodletter hungers! Let's take the fight after them!"
"…He's on his way," the even voice said calmly.
"…Is he now? Well then…that makes things a great deal more interesting…"
"After all these years…he's kept true to his promise," the stern voice whispered.
"Almost fifty thousand…it doesn't sound like that many, all things considered, but for the Thangiens, it's too many," Rowen whispered as he leaned against the wall close to the staircase in the House of St'lur. Ryo stood next to him and stared down at the floor.
"It could've been worse…it could've been a lot worse…" The two of them glanced towards the opposite end of the room when they heard a commotion. They spotted Aurora and Azuro in a heated argument. Azuro wore a more militaristic variation of his combat uniform and lashed his arm to the side, jabbing at the wall with a finger. Aurora spoke calmly.
"I don't have a translator with me…what are they saying?" Ryo whispered.
"I dunno…they're talking too fast for me to follow," Rowen replied. Aurora shook her head and voiced a soft rebuttal, but Azuro leaned close and snarled through clenched teeth, shouting the words "Vai Stel Vethu". Aurora bowed her head in defeat and sighed heavily. Azuro hissed something else before storming outside. Aurora sighed again and glanced in the direction of the two Ronin. She looked at them sadly, almost apologetically, before exiting the room.
"Whatever they were talking about, it didn't sound too good…" Ryo muttered.
"I know what they said." The two glanced at Cye, who leaned against the wall further away. "I don't have to know Thangien to understand them. Azuro's planning to call an emergency meeting of the Council of Houses, and Aurora was trying to talk him out of it."
"Talk him out of…what?" Ryo raised an eyebrow. Cye looked at them grimly.
"Petitioning the Watch-Rider…to go to war."