'They are still asleep,' the haggard man mumbled, eyes welling up. 'It has been a month since a morsel of food, or even a drop of water, has passed through their lips. They refuse feeding, and are withering away in their beds. They are withering away! My father. My sister…'
Siel offered him a small handkerchief, and the man dabbed at his reddening eyes. 'Forgive me. I have spent every day since on keeping my people alive. I had a healer come by – to save their failing bodies – but even she has now said that things are out of her hands. I understand how taxing it must've been, going from one household to the next, treating every person, every single day, but! I cannot give up! I cannot give up on them!'
The man had started sobbing in earnest now. He turned to hide his face, deepening his voice in a pretense of composure. 'We have… already lost three. An elderly pair that resided by the fountain, and a young… a young boy. Only three years of age. Their bodies gave up. And it won't be long now, before the others follow.'
'And that is why, I thank you! I thank you for answering to me. Do anything you can – whatever you must! – to wake them up! Please, find a way to awaken the people of Silvershade!'
*
Arin sat at a table in the deserted village marketplace. The area was spotless; it was clear that Sir Veylor had done his best to maintain the village singlehandedly, in the absence of its other inhabitants.
Perhaps that was the only way he'd been able to keep his mind off of things, and hold on to his sanity.
Mostly emptied stalls and carts lined the length of the path – their contents having been sold off to neighboring settlements. The poor man had used the money earned in exchange for the services of that healer he'd mentioned.
He and Siel had been taken around to a few houses earlier, in order to see first-hand the state of the villagers within. Their papery skin, sunken cheeks, and cracked lips had been disturbing enough. However, what affected Arin the most was the rasping, labored breathing coming from each one of the people lying prone.
Sir Veylor hadn't been exaggerating. These villagers already had one foot in the grave.
But seriously, why were all these villagers either dying, or dead, in this stupid world? What was up with that?!
Arin wanted to slump down on the table before him. Maybe hit the surface with his fist a few times. He held back, however, because of the wide-eyed boy who sat facing him on the other side.
'…but the important thing is that the first case began nearly two months ago,' Siel was saying, chin resting on his fist.
Arin nodded. 'Sir Veylor said it was the daughter of the village head.'
'Yes. After her, it was her caretakers. Then, an elder in their household. Based on when the village scribe's records end, it was only after a few weeks that everyone else in Silvershade was affected. So whatever this is, must surely be rooted in something to do with that girl…'
'Hm,' Arin nodded again, tilting up the corner of his lips in an attempted show of approval.
The boy beamed. 'I may flounder about and test my ideas freely, only because I know you – senior brother – are here to take charge if something goes wrong. Truly, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to learn!'
Arin felt his expression stiffen.
'…It is no trouble,' he said.
And it wouldn't be. It shouldn't be –
- as long as the situation didn't devolve to the point of actually requiring his input.
Siel had already moved on to talking about something else.
'I was thinking we might visit Willowshade before sundown,' he said. 'So that we may learn more about the circumstances of the village head's family. For all his care, Sir Veylor has not been very helpful. He cannot be blamed, of course, being that he's spent much of the last ten years away from Silvershade. What a stroke of luck that he happened to be visiting when he did.'
'Indeed.'
Arin didn't want to think about what might've happened if Sir Veylor – who'd been working as a guard in some far-away city – hadn't chosen that very month to visit his family.
It might have taken several days for the neighboring settlements to notice that correspondence from SIlvershade had ceased.
And by then, most of the sleeping villagers would have long since been dead in their beds.
'And will we return to spend the night?' he asked after a moment.
Siel laughed. 'There is no need for you to test my resolve, brother. We shall, of course, be returning for the night!'
Arin had to hide his grimace. After that time in Lullwater, he wasn't exactly looking forward to spending another night in yet another potentially cursed village.
Especially since whatever had affected Silvershade, had also taken effect at nighttime.
…
'I didn't return alone, you see,' Sir Veylor had told them. 'A friend had accompanied me home. When we first realized something was wrong, I had asked him to remain back and attempt to awaken everyone, while I raced to get help from elsewhere. It took me until the next morning to return. And by then, my friend had also been lost to this strange slumber.'
As he'd spoken, he'd been looking sadly at a hollow-cheeked man lying on a mattress inside one of the houses.
'I've stayed here during the day. The healer I had called upon, as well as some others who'd come over to offer their help, have remained here, unaffected, while the sun's been up. But we are careful to leave before the night falls, lest we suffer the same fate. Please heed this warning, sirs; whatever has happened, will take effect at night.'
…
'Well.' Presently, Siel stood up, stretching his head from side to side. 'There's no time like the present. Let us leave to dig for information at Willowshade, so that we may return in time to see just what is going on in this village.'