Charlie: I'm back! Thanks for reviewing R. Amythest. Yeah, I know Vaida was probably OoC, but then I don'tpay attention to her much...so I don't know that much about her personality. Sorry about the typos...I think I fixed the ones in here. I doubt cremeting bodies would speed the process of mutation since the bacteria wouldn't survive that, but it is evolving. And I'm honored that you see me as demented n.n.

Okay, anyways, due to the huge influx of work that I will be encountering -cough SATs cough- Khathlati won't be updated until after next Saturday...not that that's much of a big difference. Oh well, on with the chapter.


The Khathlati Strain

Chapter 5: Tip of the Iceberg

Wearing a pair of Bern uniforms, Matthew easily blended in with the two Wyvrens, who were in their respective uniforms. Since Heath and Vaida were both top Wyervan Lords in the army, the trio navigated the string of armed forces gathered at the border. Their goal was to get to the dead center of the army block. As they moved, Matthew noted that the army was positioned in a defensive rather than an offensive formation.

It took the trio a few days to reach the command center. Matthew found the command center to be situated in a highly fortified castle surrounded by nearly impassable mountains. He was thoroughly puzzled. If Bern had planned to attack, they wouldn't fortify all their good men in this place. It took an entire day just to pass the mountains, and that was with three people only. Matthew began to doubt his conspiracy theory.

Upon arrival, Heath and Vaida went through the routine background checks and questions. During this time, Matthew took the liberty of vanishing into the shadows, as he always did, and snuck into the command castle. The entire structure was a series of concentric walls with archer upon archer roaming the top and cannons at the outer wall. The entire thing was designed to keep anyone hostile out, and to Matthew, it would do that just fine.

Matthew went unnoticed throughout the castle, his many years of experience coming into play. Deftly sneaking past the levels, he took back his previous impressions. He saw that behind the archer and cannon façade, there was really nothing else to protect this castle short of a few castle guards armed with outdated lances.

In a matter of minutes, Matthew had made his way to the center. Zeroing in on a room he assumed to be the central command station, Matthew pressed his ear against the wall. After confirming that nobody was in there, he worked his lock picking magic and snuck in. The command station was very simple. A mere desk for the general stood in the back, with portraits of the leaders of Bern hanging on the wall. Another table for conferences stood to the side. Matthew quickly snuck over to the general's desk. After flipping through numerous papers, he found nothing. Not one document indicating hostile troop movement, attack plans, or even the biological weapon that Bern had been assumed to have released.

Just then, Matthew's keen ear picked up movement in the hallway. Looking around, the thief quickly found himself a niche in the wall and hid there among the shadows, hoping nobody needed to go to that corner for any reason.

The door opened moments later, and two well decorated men strode in. The leading man took a seat at his desk while the second man pulled a chair up. The two men looked grim while the first man looked at the document he was looking at.

"Let me get this straight Colonel." The first man said. "Hector of Ostia actually think WE released that god damn disease into their territory?"

The colonel across from him nodded. "Unfortunately General, that's the case. Apparently, the Marquess believes our station of troops at the southern border where the disease outbreak is an act of aggression, like we're taking advantage of Lycia during a time of crisis."

The general groaned and placed his head into his hands. "I swear that man is an idiot." He groaned. He looked up at his colonel. "But that cannot be helped. Right now, we must stick to mission protocols. Not a single soul is to enter or leave the border between Bern and Lycia."

The colonel nodded. As the conversation progressed, Matthew saw that his theory had completely collapsed. Bern wasn't planning to attack Lycia, but that still didn't explain why the country had placed its troops along its southern borders.

The general continued. "Right now colonel, our goal remains as always. We do not want that nasty bug spreading into our beloved country. I thought we had made it clear to Hector that that was our intention in the first place."

The colonel looked down. "Umm, sir... I think they failed to mention to you that our message never got across.

The Bern general's eyes flashed. "WHAT!"

The colonel shuddered. "It's true sir...the messengers died on route, and it was too late to go around as a state of war had already been declared. Hector never knew our intentions."

The general sighed. "God damn it, who the hell is running this army?"

Matthew had heard all he needed to hear. Moving silently he snuck out from his niche and moved among the furniture. Just as he got to the door, both men at the desk rose and headed right towards him. Offered with no choice, Matthew broke for it.

Both the general and the colonel jumped when the mysterious solder leaped from behind a chair and bolted for the door. It took a second for the two to process the information before they both arrived at the same conclusion.

"A spy!" They both exclaimed at once and immediately ran out to alert the guards.

Outside, Heath and Vaida heard the infiltration alert. They looked at each other with grave expressions before sprinting towards the castle.

At that time, Matthew was already busy scribbling his report as he bolted through the hallways.


Dr. May walked through the hallways of the Caelin General Hospital with a depressed air surrounding her. More and more people are dying everyday of the plague, and she hated herself for the fact that she couldn't find a cure.

As she walked through the hospital, she remembered her last few patients, who had looked her in the eyes before they went. Their eyes were filled with sorrow and suffering, as their body destroyed itself in the search for an energy source.

Dr. May couldn't shake the feeling that these patients weren't really dying of starvation. Although they were clearly malnourished, May was sure that it was but a side effect of something much deadlier. Malnutrition can be treated with nutrient shots, but to these patients, nutrient shots had no effect whatsoever, which led May to consider the validity of the Death by Starvation theory.

But now was no time to think. Her colleagues advised her to transfer to another hospital, for now the death rate of doctors is also climbing. Reluctant to abandon her patients, she had to realize that she could do nothing to save them. Her expertise would be better spent in a research lab. So accepting the transfer, May agreed to move to Ryerde to a modest medical research lab.

As she left Caelin that night, her thoughts set on Ryerde, she remembered that the news report confirmed the presence of the scientist who released the disease hiding out in the area. In her heart, May hoped to meet this man, so that she could pick up a knife and kill the one who had caused so much pain and suffering.


After her report of one failed assassination was filed, Kiyoko strode from the post and walked swiftly towards the inn at which she and her partner were staying. There were three of them in all, but only She and Audrey had been assigned the Ryerde target. As Kiyoko strode through the streets of Ryerde, she thought back to her secret employer. Neither she nor her partners have seen their employer face to face yet. The man was enigmatic, choosing to communicate with his assassins through secret notes.

Kiyoko wondered what he looked like, or why he wanted these scientists dead, but she did know that he was paying her and her partners a very healthy sum. Besides, the man she was currently hunting is well known to her. He was the scientist who allegedly released Khathlati into Lycia, killing thousands in the process. She was sure that the man who had hired her had family dead from the deadly disease.

Presently, Kiyoko found herself at the door to her room already. She stepped inside and found her partner pacing around impatiently.

"Where the hell have you been Kiyo?" asked a young woman with long brown hair.

"Taking care of business." Kiyoko replied. "He got away Audrey."

Audrey nodded solemnly at her partner. "Yeah, I know. We just got a nice little death threat from our mysterious friend."

Audrey gestured towards a opened letter. Kiyoko moved over and picked the piece of parchment up. The contents of the letter were quite threatening. Kiyoko knew that she could not fail anymore.

"Well...looks like somebody really want this guy dead." Kiyoko said after reading the letter.

"Yeah..." Audrey agreed. Then in silence, both women strode from the room, making sure their respective weapons were well hidden. As they walked through the streets, they began to secretly plan their next strike.


Heath and Vaida saw Matthew burst out of the castle frantically while soldiers chased him. Lucky for the spy, his agility gave him an edge over the knights in their heavy armor. Quickly, Matthew ran over to the two Wyvern Lords and handed them a piece of parchment.

"Get this to Hector!" He yelled at them. "NOW!"

Heath and Vaida stared at the note in front of them, momentarily stunned, before the wizzing of arrows snapped them back to reality. Instantly, they scrambled to their Wyverns and rode into the western skies.

The General of Bern ran out to see two of his units assisting the Lycian spy. Furious, he ordered his archers to bring down the traitors. Then, grabbing a musket, which was still new to Bern, he brought a squad of three musketeers to hunt down the spy. From his location, he saw the man give the traitorous Wyvern Lords a piece of parchment before dashing off towards the mountains. The general took aim and fired, praying that his aim was true.

Matthew heard the loud crack. Though muskets were a very recent invention, the frantic training of musketeers at Ostia already acclimated him to the crack of these weapons. He knew that if he didn't get to cover, he was dead. Lucky for him, the first shot had missed, the lead ball lodging itself into the ground next to him.

The general cursed as his first shot missed. He ordered his men to hunt the spy down as he tossed his musket to the ground. He knew that by the time will have reloaded, the spy would either be dead, captured or had escaped. Moments later, three successive cracks rang out through the air, and a cry of pain emitted from the fleeing spy. The general smiled, his men had hit.

Matthew felt the lead ball strike his leg. He fell over, felling fire flare from his left leg and spread throughout his body. Looking up, he found the soldiers of Bern surround him, pointing their weapons at him. He knew it was over, he had been caught. He just hope his message got through to Hector.

Looking up towards the horizon, he stared in horror as one of the fleeing Wyvern Lords took a hit from an arrow.


Heath heard Vaida cry out. He turned around and saw his commander's lifeless body wobbling in her mount, with an arrow through her neck. Seconds later, it fell, plunging back into the ground.

Heath held back the tears as he flew westward, carrying Matthew's letter.


In Caelin, Araphen and Khathelet, the mountain of dead piled up. The three provinces have become the cities of the dead. And now, an even greater danger stands before the inhabitants.

For four travelers in Khathelet, the danger became very clear. All very healthy and robust youths, the travelers were planning to leave the dead city when without warning, one of their members shriveled suddenly and died. To his horrified companions, his corpse resembled that of a victim of Khathlati. Then, as sudden as one death had come, the rest succumbed as well, all shriveling and dying in a matter of seconds.

Around them, the wind made ripples in the desolate fields.


Charlie: Well now...somebody's screwed. Actually, a lot of people are screwed. Well, that's this chapter...see yas after SATs...unless I get compelled to get the next chapter out... or I don't have any homework. Please review. I wanna know what you think. It doesn't take long to leave one.