[IMG]https://img.picload.org/image/dccllaaa/markerjaelnec.png[/IMG]
[h3]Outside the southern gates of Zerul City[/h3]
“Recent?” Thomas mused, scratching the back of his neck. “The person being cured, you mean? That was a while ago, it turns out, but we only learned about it just several days ago, and it took another day to actually track him down. We’ve only known about all of this for a few days, really...”
Jaelnec frowned, though, at the mention of people being able to walk even with the Withering. That part he [I]knew[/I] was true; most people did not even notice that they had contracted the pain at first unless the marks it left happened to appear somewhere within easy sight, and only noticed themselves weakening after a day or so. And even then... though the Withering was undeniably horrible, painful and debilitating, the weakening of the afflicted only increased gradually, typically not leaving victims bedridden until four or five days in. And [I]even then[/I], Freagon had stayed on his feet and scowled, growled and fought as he had always done, until he was literal hours from death to the plage. While it was probably unfair to hold others to Freagon’s standards – concerning this or pretty much anything else – it did make it somewhat unlikely that the city did not have even a few people who caught their Withering in its early stages.
“And the other thing?” he asked Thomas, gesturing to Domhnall. “About people able to walk, and family and friends being willing to help them?”
Surprisingly Thomas sighed at this. “I don’t even know where to begin... Firstly, there aren’t as many friends or as much family available as would be ideal, really. Not only has the Withering taken its toll on Zerul City as much as anywhere, but with so many people off elsewhere in Rodoria...” He let the sentence trail off, leaving them to reach the conclusion that a lot of people were left alone for themselves.
“But even ignoring that, [I]I[/I] didn’t want to send them off without not just someone to care for them, but bodyguards ready for combat. I sent out word about looking for volunteers along the most public channels I possibly could, and though I suspect most Zerulics wouldn’t admit it, there’s a pretty thriving crime syndicate based in our city. There’s a very real danger that they’ll be ready to either ambush the people going to Mount Zerul and take them hostage, or in a best case case scenario loot the homes and businesses of anyone going while they’re gone.”
Clenching his jaw, Jaelnec had to stop himself from angrily chastising the boy for being so indecisive. He had to remember that not everyone had gained the same gruesome insight about what happened to those that died from the Withering that he and his companions had. “And if you wait, those people die anyway.”
“I thought the same thing,” the other admitted regretfully, “and decided to go ahead with the expedition after waiting for volunteers for just one day... but...” He shrugged. “‘Whether I let them or not’ is right. It’s probably no surprise that those afflicted who [I]could[/I] still walk, and who [I]still[/I] had friends and family... they left on their own. I have no idea where by Mount Zerul they might be, or if they even made it there, and I’m left almost exclusively with afflicted who can barely move.”

“As for this,” Thomas said, making a vague gesture at the refugee camp forming along the wall of Zerul City. “Yes, this is new, but the guards were stretched thin even before this. These people are from Nemhim City, which has apparently been attacked and destroyed by some kind of monster.”
“A monster? Singular?” Jaelnec remarked, eyes widening at Thomas’ words as he quickly ran through the creatures he had read about in the records of the deo’iel that could possibly be powerful enough to effectively defeat an entire Rodorian city.
“Yeah, just the one. Shapeshifter, apparently, with reddish-brown skin.” He paused, grimacing. “And it eats people’s hearts.”
Jaelnec instantly turned pale as a ghost, chilled to the bone. “Immanuel.”
Now it was Thomas’ turn to widen his eyes in surprise. “What?”
“A harvester. The monster you just described... it’s a harvester.”