-POV Tao

As the last light of day faded into soft orange and grays of twilight, our weary tribe had reached a well-trodden path, which should hopefully lead to a village. Desperation guided our steps, driven further and further by the evil spirit, who relentlessly chased our every step. It took us oh too long to escape its influence.

We have recently escaped into the green pastures, untouched by its presence. But it wouldn’t last, it never did. It would catch up again and again. It wouldn’t catch up right away. No, it took its time. Lulling you into a sense of security, offering a bounty of animals to hunt. And once you got comfortable, It’d pounce. It wouldn’t be noticeable at first. The abundance of animals would trickle away before it came after the plants that couldn’t run away. Graying and dying at its touch. If you haven’t noticed it by that point, the dying elders and children would alert you of its presence. The men of the tribe would fall ill, but none had died so far.

The air grew cooler as we approached the village. Our presence marked by nothing but the sound of our ragged breaths and the thuds of our feet. Walking into the village it was obvious that it was abandoned. The silence of this place was dreadful, but it made sense. No one in their right mind, who’s heard of the news, would stay in a place so close to the spirit. We walked through the place and dispersed among the houses to rest.

The smell of burning wood reached my nose. Curiosity got the better of me and I headed deeper into the village until I got to the main hut, where smoke was flowing out the top. I didn’t see it earlier since it was covered by trees. I approached the hut with a healthy dose of curiosity and caution. Once I reached the door, I saw an elderly man huddled in front of the fire, staring aimlessly ahead. I took a step closer and a branch broke under my feet.

“You can come inside. Nothing is stopping you.” The old man chuckled as he said so.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, elder “ I answered as I walked inside. The hut was warm and cozy, with the smell of fresh ash wafting through the air. There was some bedding in the corner, a small stockpile of fruits and berries in another, and a dwindled supply of what seemed to be branches, probably what was used to keep the fire going. The pile was only enough to feed a single man for a couple of days, so I doubted there was anyone else in there.

We sat there in silence before I finally got the nerve to speak up. “If I may be so bold, what are you doing here all by yourself? Where is the rest of the village?”

He took a minute for the question to linger in the air. “They left. Running from the evil spirit that seems to be out for everyone. I’m sure you are aware of it yourself since you are in this village.” I nodded at that, but the man continued to stare forward, without glancing at me a single time. Wait don’t tell me-

He continued, “Unfortunately, I am old and aging. I cannot survive the trek out of here, let alone my eyesight.” He chuckles, and I bow my head. “I am blind, and would only hold everyone back. I decided it was better to stay and point any guests on their journey in the right direction. You aren’t the first ones to stumble upon this abandoned village, and spirits know if you’ll be the last.”

Silence lingered in the air as I tried to find words to say. He didn’t let me overthink as he interrupted my thoughts. “All I ask you in return for sending you to a better place is that you help restock the fireplace and the food, as I wish to see another day. Or it would be more accurate to say, hear another day.”

He laughed at his joke, but I didn’t have the heart to laugh with him. “Of course, elder. I would do so without the knowledge you would provide.”

He nods at that, “Truly, you are doing me a blessing, may the spirits of the forest guide your every step. I will tell you now so that you can leave tomorrow morning after helping me out. Down southeast, past the mighty mountain that looks like it’s been cut by a great mason. Past the mountain you’ll see a great river, follow it. There stands a city that is said to house a Sage.”

I looked at him quizzically. “Sage?”

“You must be further north than I assumed, I apologize. A Sage is a figure of myth from our legends, said to harbor knowledge that transcends mortal minds and brings change that no one would expect. This Sage specifically is said to be able to bring the dead back to life.”

I was skeptical about the prowess of this Sage but didn’t want to outright express my doubts out of respect, so instead I decided to ask a more reasonable question. “If I may be disrespectful, how do you know of this ‘city’?”

He looks up, almost as if trying to see the stars. “A group of travelers came through, heading north. They were looking for the evil spirit.” I inhaled sharply at that, why would any sane person go looking for the spirit? “They were going due to the orders of the Sage. They were looking for a way to defeat it or hold out against it, but I do not know all the details. During their stay they shared tales of the Sage and his breakthroughs, and also on how to get to the city.”

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“I appreciate this elder, I truly do. I will ensure that you are stocked up to survive even the winter.”

He laughed at that, seeing the irony. He didn’t ask, but he probably knew that his time was coming soon. The spirit was relentless, and it’d be here soon.

* * *

-POV James

We were screwed.

I realized that the plague was very much real once the refugees started flooding into the city. All of them sharing stories of loss. And we couldn't even run away, since the ocean was all around us. We were on a goddamn peninsula. A big peninsula but a peninsula nonetheless. We had nowhere to run. I thought about boats, but these guys only knew how to build riverboats, and even then. It was extremely primitive, being closer to a canoe meant for only several people.

I wouldn’t trust these people to build a seaworthy vessel as far as I could throw them, which was probably a meter or two. After all, I was a head taller than most of them and I was actively working out and doing cardio. With their short and stocky figure, I could probably do it.

We could technically move closer to the ocean, but it would only buy us a month at most. We would have to abandon our infrastructure and farms. We’d end up starving before the plague even hit us. The only choice we had now was to stay and try to battle whatever monstrosity was coming our way.

The situation with the refugees wasn’t helping. Well, it was helping right now, since we simply threw them at the farms to help increase our output of wheat and other relatively non-perishables. I’d need to find other avenues for labor as there was only so much land we could farm and people that could be put on those fields before problems arose.

We were even getting refugees from the neighboring city. And after further inquiry, they weren’t citizens of the city, but simply refugees that got redirected here since they probably didn’t want to deal with these people.

“Sage! Another argument broke out in the streets.” A servant quickly runs over to me. “We need you there as a mediator.”

I sighed as I followed the man. Winding through the streets, filth and garbage littered throughout the ground. I tried to introduce hygiene into the city, but my work was quickly undone once the population got too cramped and people stopped caring. Perhaps that’s where I will send the overflow workers next. To keep the streets clean.

Nearing the crowd that had formed, I heard screaming and hollers. This wasn’t the first fight I had to break up, and I doubt it will be my last. It was currently working, since all the refugees were local enough to believe in the same myth of the Sage, but the more refugees came, the higher the likelihood that one of these people wouldn’t respect me and we would need to use force to break up fights and settle disputes.

The crowd made way for me as I approached, almost everyone knew of me. “What is going on here?” I spoke loudly and clearly, making sure everyone heard me. Especially the duo that verbally but thankfully not physically, fought each other.

The taller of the duo, a lean man with piercing eyes, replied with gritted teeth. “This woman accuses me of stealing the bread and vegetables from the rations! The woman lies! I’ve taken my fair share!”

The shorter and stockier woman replied fiercely, “I saw it with my own two eyes, this man helped himself to more than his fair share!” Murmurs of disagreement dispersed amongst the crowd. I wouldn’t be able to use the eyewitnesses to help settle the dispute.

I tried to buy myself some time to think as I started by addressing everyone, “Arguing and fighting will not make our food supplies last longer, it will only make it harder and more miserable. We must pull together, not apart, in these tough and scary times.”

Turning back to the troublemakers, I figured out a crude, but hopefully effective method. “Take out the bags that you each used to pick up the rations, and you will swap the bags” Uncertainty crossed the features of the man while elation danced on the woman.

“But Sage, why would you trust a woman's word over a man's?” He asks desperately, trying to backpedal the situation.

“If you both have gathered a fair share, shouldn’t it not matter who gets whose bag? If they are equal in portions, then the exchange will end up with nothing changing.” I explained in as patient a voice as I could, as I couldn’t start preaching about the fact that a man's word or a woman’s are quite literally equal, and using such an excuse was lame.

“Now trade bags, I will ensure that she won’t take any food out of her bag so that you end up with less, unless you doubt the words of a Sage?” I ask him.

He quickly replied while shaking his head. “No, of course not. I trust that you are wise. But…”

“But what?” I replied slightly less patient this time.

“She’s a wom-,” Before he has time to throw more excuses I interrupt him. “You will trade now while I have the patience to simply not take your bag away.”

Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly handed his bag over to the woman while she almost excitedly gave hers to him. The woman opened up his bag and it was certainly filled with more food than what was the standard ration.

I turned to the servant who led me here, “Please have a guard walk with her to ensure that no one robs her of her rations. And get a guard to monitor the bags so that no more problems arise.”

He bowed his hands and quickly left to fetch the guards. The woman bowed down to me, “Thank you for your wisdom Great Sage, I knew you were just!”

I shook my head while helping her get up, “There is no need, you have helped the city immensely by exposing that we need guards along with the distributors to watch the distribution. You have earned this yourself.”

The man looked angry, but couldn’t do anything, and quickly escaped the crowd. There were mutters of approval at my wise way of dealing with the situation, although I did hear some muttering when I looked in their direction, it was quickly shut down.

As I turned around to walk back to my place and celebrate a job well done, I felt a stab in my back.