Charlie: Hello, I'mma back. Yes, 'tis me, the killer. Okay, one more note on the deaths, a LOT, and I mean a LOT of people will die, some characters whom you may not like, others who you may worship. Let me just tell you know, that some deaths were necessary, while a few were just simple casualties in my planning. Yes, everyone who dies in my fic had to die in order for the events in this thing to make sense. (Because I'm not letting any of the characters break the laws of physics, chemistry or biology other than using magic). Well, now that that's cleared…I want to warn you that this chapter, chapter three, is THE most brutal chapter of this series as of now. Lots of things happen, lots of BAD things happen. If you get queasy easy at the mention of "dead bodies," then well…sorry.

Erk: And he doesn't own FE.


The Kathlati Strain

Chapter 3: Inhumanity

Matthew returned to Ostia a few days after his report. Other than the death of one of the scientists, he could find no more evidence. Dismayed, he rode back with his incomplete material, hoping that the other members of Hector's court could sort out this mess better than he can.

To him, solving mysteries were his life, but this is one heck of a mystery that he'd prefer never happened. As he rode out of Khathelet, he found crop fields burning in the countryside. Matthew shook his head. If this kept up, the people would starve. The rest of Elibe were already reluctant to send supplies, now with a possible conspiracy going on, they'd be completely unwilling. Matthew knew that if this matter wasn't cleared up, the people of Khathelet and possibly Araphen would starve to death.

He smiled morbidly at the irony and rode off towards Ostia, noticing that a caravan of merchants were headed Northeast towards Caelin and Pherae with a load of meat.

Castle Ostia was in complete turmoil when Matthew arrived. Hector, Oswin and Serra were in a heated debate over lord knows what. All the attendants and ambassadors were nervously standing outside the Marquess's private conference room, wondering what the noise was all about. Matthew was tired from his trip, but this seemed too important to ignore. He took a deep breath and entered the conference room, hoping that he wouldn't invoke the anger of his not-quite-so-young-anymore master.

The scene inside was quite interesting. Hector, Oswin and Serra were standing up over the tables and yelling full blast at whomever the heck was in front of them. Matthew sighed and quietly entered the room. The three combatants were too busy arguing to notice him. Another person however did. She quietly walked over the the thief and greeted him.

"We-welcome back Matthew." She stuttered.

Matthew smiled at the woman. "Hey Florina…how long has it been?" He asked gesturing towards the argument.

Florina sighed and shook her head. "A very long time…" She replied softly.

Just then, somebody noticed Matthew, and the arguing died down.

"You're back." Hector said. "Well? What's new?"

Matthew left Florina and took his usual seat. The others sat down too, though obvious still tense.

"Okay, there's nothing new…other than the fact that the scientists at the KBI fear mutations."

"Eh?" Hector asked. Mutations were a very new concept. It lied in the field of study for Geneticists and Biochemists. Not a lot of people knew about it.

"Yes, according to the Biochemistry department at the institute, they're scared that the bacterium may evolve into a new form. As of now, there are only two known ways of transmission, carbohydrate products and infected body fluid. They fear that it may evolve and be transmitted another way."

"Jesus…" Hector said. Oswin and Serra remained silent, though they were listening intently. Matthew knew all the science was over their heads. It was over his head. Until recently, he never even considered the possibility of organisms changing and mutating through information researchers believe contain the coding for life…but now, he was fascinated by the influx of information.

"Yeah, and the next thing they fear is what the bacterium attacks would change as well."

"Huh?" Serra piped up. She was a cleric, so she understood illnesses, but she never knew illnesses could change, nobody did.

"Well, right now, the cause of death is mainly a rapid state of starvation. The bacteria consumes any and all carbohydrate products inside the body and reproduces to a enormous population…then as the body starts breaking down itself, the bacteria consumes the carbohydrates formed by the breakdown of protein and fat. Eventually, the body kills itself, trying to stay alive."

Hector, Serra and Oswin took a minute to digest this information. They never knew that the body could kill itself.

"Wait…" Hector said. "Did you say this bacterium was contagious?"

"Yes…" Matthew replied. "But as of now, not very…as long as you don't exchange body fluids or eat crops from down south, your fine…"

The others relaxed slightly. It was a while before anyone spoke.

"Matthew, I think it's time we let you in on what we were arguing about."

Many miles away, Caelin hospitals report several cases of what seems to be early stages of malnutrition in the general population.


Araphen Militia surrounded a local orphanage as a special biohazard team in protective clothing entered. All around them, they saw emaciated children lying in beds. Quite a few were already on the verge of death. A few members of the team lost their nerves and sank to their knees, crying. The rest were traumatized in other ways.

Twenty seven orphans at this orphanage. Merely two weeks ago, they had been perfectly healthy. Everyone was happy, bouncy. Then last week, the caretaker fell ill to malnutrition. The nurses at the orphanage knew what was coming next. They isolated the caretaker from the children in hopes of preventing the disease from spreading. Alas, days later, everyone fell ill. The biohazard team stepped into the deeper chambers.

At the last room, they found the caretaker. He was a bishop of St. Elimine who had fought against Nergal decades ago. People couldn't understand why he fell to this disease, but then there were many unanswered mysteries to the disease. The team members shuddered when the found him lying on his bed. His body was merely a layer of pale sickly skin covering his emaciated body. His previously lush blonde hair lay around him in thin sickly clumps. The man was near death.

The leader of the biohazard team walked up to him. Lucius looked up at the stranger in the strange suit and weakly pointed to a safety box. The biohazard team looked at the safe box confusedly. Lucius pointed more urgently, his mouth forming incoherent words. The team leader looked at the safety box and at the man pointing. Then something clicked.

"Do you want me to…open it?"

Lucius smiled and nodded before lying back down peacefully on the bed. He closed his eyes, waiting for what was sure to happen. The biohazard team walked cautiously up to the safety box. Unsure of how to open it, the leader produced a simple lockpick and went to work. Minute later something clicked and the box opened effortlessly. What was inside shocked the biohazard team more than anything. Looking back at the orphanage caretaker, they saw him nod his head apologetically. Then the man's body convulsed and he fell limp, his chest no longer rising and falling.


Days later, the entire orphanage burned. The entire town of Araphen came to mourn the passing of the great bishop who has shown kindness to all and the 27 orphans, casualties in a horrible tragedy. The biohazard team leader was the first to arrive and the last to leave. As he headed home well after the flames had died down, one thought kept turning in his mind…

'Why did the report say all personal effects were burned when the bishop clearly had quite a few items?'

He sighed and continued…just another mystery in this great godforsaken plague.


Even a week after the meeting, Matthew still couldn't believe what he had heard. He knew it was happening, but he never knew that it would be to this extent.

Lycia and Bern were now officially in a state of war.

But Matthew had his doubts. Though he suspected that Bern was behind this in the first place, the time he spent in Khathelet made him reconsider. If Bern had planned it all along, they would've struck already. But waiting for Hector to declare war, and waiting for the plague to destroy nearly the entire area of invasion didn't make sense., especially now since Bern couldn't strike for fear of the bacteria.

"The thing that is destroying us is also saving us…' he thought ruefully; this time, he didn't laugh at the irony. There were too many of them.

Luckily, Hector felt the same way as Matthew did. The man was oafish at times, but he was by no means an idiot. Matthew had been given his next assignment. He was to infiltrate Bern and uncover the truth. Matthew sighed…it was going to be a long mission, but he had confidence in his skills.

…besides, his contacts were two old friends from Bern whom he was eager to meet.


Dr. Christopher Liang was in his private laboratory in Khathelet. He was hunched over, looking at rows of data. In his test tubes, an ominous looking substance was submerged in some nutrient broth. Dr. Liang had been studying these specimens for quite a while.

Little did he know this time his data would be different…

And that it would change his life forever…


Matthew left Ostia the day after Hector received the report of the orphanage tragedy. As he rode towards Tuscana, his mind still recounted Hector's reaction. The silent shaking, the sullen expression, and the taciturn manner in which he left the room…everything was embedded into his memory.

Matthew sighed as he continued North, hoping to enter Bern from Sacae as to not rouse suspicion. His contacts would meet him in Sacae.

Then, Matthew thought, then they would get to the bottom of this once and for all.


Oswin hurried towards Hector with a release from Khathelet. Matthew was gone so Oswin had taken over reporting duties. He found the Marquess and his wife in the throne room, talking quietly. Oswin apologized for the intrusion.

"It's okay Oswin, go on." Florina replied softly, knowing her husband's rather coarse temper.

"Thank you milady." Oswin said before turning to Hector. "Sir, this came in today: Dr. Christopher J. Liang, Microbiologist of the KBI and the Bacterium Project has vanished. His residence was found to be on fire approximately 3 days ago. No body was found in the wreck which leads the Khathlati Militia to think that it was intentional."

After Oswin finished reading, the room remained silent for a long time. Nobody talked, or even moved. Then Hector pointed towards the door.

"Go…" He said shakily. "I want wanted posters of this man all over Elibe. Bring me that bastard dead or alive."

Oswin saluted and left from the room. Hector then sighed and placed his head in his hands. He felt Florina's soft arms embrace him lightly. He looked up at his wife.

"What are we to do Florina?"


Araphen laid in ruins. People were starving, either from the Khathlati Strain or the lack of food. Crops had been burned, but people still died. Imported consumables were running low, and with the apathy shown by the rest of Elibe, Araphen had no choice but to await it's death.

Khathelet was no better than Araphen. The Marquess and Marchioness were both bedridden. Doctor's worst fears had been confirmed…both were suffering from malnutrition. Before he fell ill, the Marquess had sent his only daughter away, hoping to save her. She was the last person from Khathelet and Araphen allowed to leave the area. Days later, Caelin and Pherae Militia arrived, preventing anybody from entering or exiting the area. People running for their lives now were turned back, forcefully at times. All trade wagons into and out of the area were thoroughly searched. The militia left no stone unturned.

Both Khathelet and Araphen were dying… the population stayed indoors for fear of contracting the disease. Those who were brave enough to venture outside were rewarded with a slow and painful death. Soldiers stationed at the trade routes in and out of Khathelet and Araphen would never forget the face of a dying man, woman or child. But to all men in service stationed there, a partially decomposed kitty cat at the side of the road exemplified the state of the infected cities.

Nobody realized until it was too late what the dead cat meant.


Charlie: If you can guess what the dead cat means, I'll give you a prize.

Erk: Yeah, right, don't trust him.

Charlie: HEY! I'm trustworthy! Oh well, thanks for sticking with me. Please review. I really hope you guys like this so far.