Six years ago.
A youth was walking the streets of a town. Every inch of his skin was covered in various rags he stole from the clothes drying racks or from garbage. They looked, smelled, and itched terribly, making Aleric look like one of the poorest beggars. But even beggars stayed away from him, thinking that he was a leper.
Aleric stayed away from other people, too. Whenever someone looked at him, Aleric would tense, expecting an accusing shout. Instead, people went to other streets.
Finally, Aleric reached a townhouse with a bottle painted on the door—a sign of doctors in Aleshat. He knocked on the door and waited.
A minute later, a middle-aged man with a long beard came out. At the sight of Aleric's rags, he scowled immediately.
"Sir… Please, help me, I'm sick, terribly sick!" young Aleric begged before the man could say a word.
An instant later, the man closed the door shut in front of Aleric.
