"You can't do this!" The plea echoed through the square, but it was drowned out by the relentless hail of stones.

"Please, have mercy!" Another voice, raw with desperation, begged the crowd.

"My head! Oh God, it hurts!" The cries of pain were gut-wrenching, cutting through the air like a blade. Blood trickled down, and the sickening thud of rocks against flesh etched itself in my brain.

Pain and misery surrounded me, the criminals' screams echoing through the square. Their desperate pleas for mercy pierced straight into my soul, unheeded by those leaving a mark I couldn’t erase.

"It's all your fault! If it wasn't for you, we would still be alive!"

Jia tore free from his bindings with a surge of rage. The crowd scattered in a panic as he barreled forward, the guards being knocked aside like bowling pins. He seemed to grow in size the closer he got to me, towering over me as he reached for my head with a hand the size of a frying pan.

I jolted awake, panting heavily. Trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart, I reached for my water skin and emptied it completely, before reaching for my 'wine' and emptying it just as quickly. "It's all a bad dream, James. It's all just a bad dream," I whispered.

When I finally got the shaking of my hands under control, I looked out the window. Although the sky was brightening, the sun had yet to make its appearance. I sighed as I got my clothes on, made my bed, and left my house. Outside, I was greeted by a small squadron of guards in my yard. There were some hushed discussions taking place to help pass the time and not disturb my sleep. Most immediately noticed my presence and quickly stood to attention, while the rest caught on quickly and moved to do the same.

I found it funny how it almost felt like I was gaining more guards by the day. I started out with having zero, then it increased to six after the stabbing. Ever since, it's been continually increasing. After the deal I made with the Priest and after the storage incident. At this point, I must have had at least fifteen personal guards assigned to me.

Once I headed out to start the day, most of the guards followed, with a few that were left to ensure my residence wasn't looted or disturbed. The soft thumps of our footsteps echoed through the air as we walked toward the animal pens. A cool breeze swept through my hair, and I felt a pleasant chill run down my spine. Since the bugs were finally starting to pass, we didn't have to wear as many layers as before.

Approaching the hut where some of the workers who handled the day to day tasks of taking care of the animals slept, I gently knocked on the door frame. I just wanted to check if someone was awake, and if everyone was asleep, I’d go to the next station. A sleepy grunt was heard from the other side of the door. "Give me a moment."

I waited patiently at the door, listening to the noises coming from inside, presumably of the man getting dressed. When he finally came out and saw me, he was slightly startled before he quickly bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry, Sage. I didn't realize it was you. If I had known I would've been out faster."

The man had a darker complexion, and looked to be a refugee. I suppose the execution a week prior hadn’t done any wonders for the noble aura I tried to carry. I forced a chuckle, "There is no need to apologize. I am the one imposing on you here."

He hurriedly nodded, "Of course, sage, what can this humble servant do for you today?"

"I wanted to check in on the status of the animals and see how everything has progressed," I replied.

He nodded again and quickly moved over to the primitive stairs that led to the top of the fence, so that we could see over it and into the animal pens. I looked towards the oxen and boars and noticed something unexpected; tall creatures with long legs—horses. Or at least, they looked close enough to them. I pointed towards them. "What are those animals?"

He looked towards them and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Great Sage. We accidentally let them in when we were herding the oxen. We thought it was too dangerous to go inside and force them out, but we'll do so if you command."

I shook my head, a smile on my face. "There's no need. In fact, make sure to take care of them as well."

The worker bowed, "We shall do as you say."

I looked closer at all the animals. They looked fine, for the most part. Some appeared sickly and thin, but there wasn't much we could do for them since most of the herbs that helped with illnesses were reserved for the people of the city, leaving very little to spare for these animals. Hopefully now that the bugs were mostly gone, the animals would start to feel better.

"How has the overall domestication process been going? Have there been any particular troubles?" I asked, looking over the field.

"It was just as you described. Most of them get agitated when approached, and the aggressive ones who try to start fights are put down. Other than the whole insect debacle, there hasn't been much else going on," he answered.

I nodded as I continued to take in the field, before finally looking beyond the fenced off area, enjoying the view this outpost provided me with. The rolling forest, hills, and early morning sky painted a beautiful picture. But then, something caught my eye—a bunch of small moving dots in the distance.. At first, I thought it was just some of the remaining animals left behind catching up to the main herd. But then I noticed sticks. Sticks with sharp stone ends. Sticks meant for hunting. Sign of other people.

"Li Wei, get up here," I ordered as I moved to the side to make room for Wei.

He climbed the stairs and looked at where I was pointing. "Have we sent any hunting parties this early in the morning?"

"I don't believe so. It should be too early for that." We continued to stare, trying to make out the figures, until we finally confirmed it. "They’re definitely not a part of our people. Look at the way they dress their hair. They have it up, unlike our people, who let the hair flow down over their shoulders."

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

My casual tone subsided and a more formal one replaced it. "Send two runners, one towards the city and the other towards my house.” I looked at the amount of people in the party, “What do you think, Wei? Should we approach them?"

He considered it for a minute before replying. "We seem to outnumber them. Plus, they appear to be a hunting party, not a war party, so it should be relatively safe."

I nodded but turned towards the worker standing nearby, just in case. "Wake up the rest of the workers currently on the ranch and head to the city. You can return once we've confirmed everything is safe."

While I discussed the details with the worker, Li Wei was already organizing the party and dispatching the runners. After I finished instructing the worker, he quickly ran off to wake the others. I glanced towards the fenced area. It'll probably be fine since this was a hunting party and not one meant for war, but I need to keep it in mind for the future.

Once everything seemed to be in order, we swung near my house to pick up the other guards and headed towards this foreign hunting party. I gripped my staff tightly as we approached. Everything should be alright. We aren’t even going to fight. We are simply going to talk and warn them if anything. Besides, this was what all the training I’ve been doing has been for.

Once we got closer, the other party noticed us and gathered together, discussing amongst themselves. I couldn’t hear them due to the great distance, but their animated gestures suggested a hurried conversation. As we drew nearer, they sent one man out to test the waters. Both Wei and I approached the man, leaving the rest of the squad behind.

The man introduced himself. "Greetings, I am Jing of the Yunlong Tribe. May I have the honor of knowing who I am conversing with?"

Before I could respond Wei spoke up. "I am Li Wei of Greenhaven, and the man beside me is known as the Great Sage Jie Mins."

Jing didn't bat an eye at my introduction, so either he didn't believe us, or he was from far away. I didn't know which possibility I preferred. Wei continued, "May we know why you have trespassed on our lands? There should have been plenty of markings indicating our territory."

I glanced at Li Wei in surprise. I hadn’t realized there were markings, but it made sense in hindsight.

Jing quickly replied, "We're sorry. We assumed” he paused, clearly looking for the right words, “that the city had been abandoned and was no longer occupied. We will leave your territory this instant.” Hesitation crossed his face before speaking up again, “but before that, would you be willing to trade resources for information?"

Wei looked at me, and I decided to play the mysterious figure he had set me up to be and simply nodded. Wei replied, "What are you looking to trade?"

Jing’s face visibly brightened, "We would like to trade our information for food. Not meat; but fruits, nuts, and vegetables."

Wei thought about it before nodding. "We will trade for the information, but we will be the ones who will evaluate the cost of said knowledge."

Jing hesitated, but Wei reassured him, "Do not worry. In the presence of the Sage, all promises are to be kept. I personally guarantee that he will evaluate fairly."

That did not appear to ease Jing's concern, his face still etched with doubt. "Would I be able to discuss this with my fellow brothers?"

Wei nodded and Jing hurried back to his group, where they discussed for several moments. I got plenty of looks, but like the stranger Jing, their expressions were limited to curiosity.

Wei frowned and tensed, clearly finding the stares disrespectful. When I shook my head however, he quickly decompressed, returning to his previous calm demeanor. Once they seemed to be done discussing, Jing once again approached us. "We are willing to agree to the deal."

Seeing me nod, he continued, "This information is really important. It could even save your lives. Many lives were lost to obtain the knowledge I am about to share with you."

Now it was my turn to frown. He was clearly playing the value of his information up to try to make it more 'expensive'. He noticed my annoyance at his ploy though, and decided to get to the point: "There is an Evil Spirit going down south. It kills everything and everyone in its path."

Both Wei and I looked at each other. Since we hadn't left, they must have thought that we were unaware of the Plague. Wei spoke up, dousing the poor man of his dream of a big payout. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we are already aware of the Evil Spirit, as you call it. We haven't left because we believe more of our people would survive if we stayed put."

Jing's eyes opened wide, completely outraged. "You're lying! There is no way anyone who knows of the Evil Spirit would willingly wait in front of its jaws! You're saying that to not give us what you promised!"

Wei raised his weapon, "How dare you accuse the Sage of lying!".

As everyone was readying their weapons, I spoke up. "The symptoms of the Plague, as far as we are aware, are restlessness and dizziness. We aren't sure if there are any other symptoms, since it's rare for people to survive the Plague for long enough to reach us, and those that do rarely stay alive for long. But that should be enough to reassure you, I believe."

Jing was still incensed, and weapons were yet to be laid down, but at least no one looked like they were about to hurl into a fight. "As an apology for not being able to get the food that you expected to get, I'll offer another piece of information. We are surrounded by an ocean."

He looked at me confused, and I clarified, "It is a giant lake made of salt water. It is impossible to cross the ocean, so the South is a dead end. Do what you want with this information."

This clearly didn’t go over well with Jing, as he once again screamed out: "You lie to get away without giving what is owed!"

Wei raised his hand, his muscles taut, ready for a fight. I put my hand on his shoulder, freezing him. I faced Jing with a severe look. "I will not allow you to call me a liar again." He looked behind us at my retinue of guards. We outnumbered them two to one, and we were more equipped for a fight. He shut his mouth as he realized a fight would break out if he said anything wrong. I didn't want to leave with a sour note between us as I didn't want them to raid our farms that were about to be set up again or the pens in retaliation. "Instead, if you could tell us one piece of information, I will ensure you receive some grain for the time and frustration."

Jing gulped but nodded. "Are you the only ones following the herd South? Or are there more tribes doing the same?"

He hesitated, ruminating. I could see his eyes take on a calculative glint. When he finally answered, his answer confirmed my fears. "We are not the only ones traveling south. It is said that there are several dozens of tribes, if not more."

I followed that up with another question. "And how many people are in your tribe?"

His eyes turned into slits, "I will not be answering that question." He said with a tone of finality.

I considered whether to bribe him with more food or threaten him, but decided against it. I didn't want to build an image of slimy or unsavory behavior among my retinue. I turned to Wei, "Ensure they get a shi of grain for their answers."

Wei looked at me in surprise but didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes, Sage."

As I walked off, Wei began organizing where the grain would be delivered.

I needed to figure out how many people were actually moving south, since it sounded like this could potentially end up becoming a bloodbath. Perhaps the children stood a better chance here after all.