The plague, their blessing..

Posted on Mon Sep 3rd, 2018 @ 5:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Sarah Dufrai & Ensign Sabine Rona
Edited on on Mon Sep 3rd, 2018 @ 5:39pm

2,639 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: The Return to Faltan
Location: Atuginia - Market District
Timeline: MD07 - 1247

Atuginia city, a city with a lower population than the rest of the Faltan cities. It is considered as one of the lesser common towns for trading and such, but still bigger than Jaifnard. This is mainly due to their production of food with farming, cattle, and fishing. The main river at the side of Atuginia leads directly towards the ocean. Due to this, the land is green and healthy, clean skies and yet with the arrival of our young Ensign, not so cheerful as a depression hangs in the streets of the city.

Sabine finished with the braid she was placing into her hair as she approached Atuginia. She'd made herself a bit more common looking than she liked, even ending up with boring brown eyes instead of her normal gold ones. If one of those guards happened to see her, the eyes would be a dead giveaway that she didn't belong. But she had to remember: she was Elise Shena, not Sabine Rona.

She did have to admit, she loved when land looked peaceful. Unfortunately, as lovely as it was, nothing seemed peaceful in town. Not sure I've seen a place quite this gloomy, she thought to herself as she tried to blend in with a crowd. She'd have to watch and see how to blend in more, but following the crowd was the best she could do.

While her transport wagon rides on the road, Rona would see that there were sick people at the side of the road and Red Guards patrolling the area heavy "Welcome to Atuginia miss, I hoped to give you a different view of the city. But it seemed this way for quite a while" The driver of the wagon stated with a shrug "A plague has hit the city quite bad"

Plague? She shook her head to the wagon driver. "Not much you can do if that is happening." Her eyes followed the sick people on the side of the road and the guards. Wonder why the Red Guards are watching the sick.

The scene however changed when arriving at the market district. It was clear what the Red Guards were doing as a poor man that was ill and begging for some help was just kicked down by a Red Guard member "Filfy man, stay away from me!" He said in anger as the Driver ignored it and drove the wagon on to its destination "You sure you want to be here miss?"

"Yeah, this is where I need to be." She started to wonder if anyone really knew what was going on here. This wasn't quite what she had in mind when she thought about a scouting mission. She kept the Red Guard who kicked the man in the corner of her eye as long as she could.

The driver shrugs and nodded as he pulled into a safety zone "Papers?" A Red Guard said as the driver gave the papers and that of Rona to the guard as he checked it "Driver and passenger, Miss Shena?" The Red Guard stated looking at Rona "State your business, the city is under quarantine"

Nodding towards what she had with her, Sabine looked at the guard carefully without it being obvious. "Supply run, from Crystal Fruits. It should be expected."

"Crystal Fruits? Mmm well move along then" The guard waved his hand as he gave the papers back to the driver that drove the wagon towards a place to park. When that happened, the driver looked at Rona "Well miss, good luck on your voyage from here" As he gets out of the wagon and grabs his bag. The marketplace, well this section, was more alive with traders and people walking around. But still that depression was hanging as if the people were on edge.

Grabbing her own bags, Sabine nodded to the driver. "Thank you." Getting herself off the wagon, she looked around. Oh this'll be fun she thought , trying to make it look like she knew where she was going. So, she followed a few of the other traders for a moment. Her eyes scanned around, doing a headcount on the guards she saw in each area. At least she managed the right outfit and plan to get into the city. So far, no suspicion that she was out of place that she'd caught onto.

The direction Sabine was walking into was crowded, more people were passing through in that street and guards were stationed at alleyways. As if the area was sealed off from anything that could possibly pass along. People tended to ignore the presence of Sabine. But soon she would arrive in the festival area where people were hanging up lights and decorations.

She couldn't help but notice the guards at the alleyways. She kept with the crowd as best she could, acting as if she was looking for something specific rather than watching all the guards. When the crowd started to break up a bit, she caught the festival setup, stopping to watch the lights being hung. As some people passed her, Sabine shook her head slightly and kept walking, a bit slower than before. She had to make sure she got as much of an overview of the city that she could.

Coming into a more open space of the market district, people seemed to be gathering around something. Then there was a sudden voice that spoke up "Atuginia, my dear fellow citizen...this beautiful place has been stroke by the gods with ill intention. While the noble Red Guards protect us from the plague, we require to do something about this!" A priest with dark purple mantel and white clothing stood on a podium of sorts "We are not cursed, we are yet people that were making ill choices"

Joining in the crowd, Sabine stood and listened, putting one of her bags over her shoulder carefully as to not hit anyone nearby. Listening carefully to the priest, wondering if they really believed the Red Guards were protecting them from the plague. However, so she could play her part, she acted extremely attentive, taking in the words from the priest.

He opened his arms "Well my children do not fear, we will have a festival of the Red Moon to celebrate us being alive and sacrifice the ill tonight" The crowd was a bit puzzled by it but the Red Guards cheered this announcement as the rest only followed "We shall cleanish the unworthy and heal this town to its former glory. This, we of the Sacred Bones, promise this town!"

Biting her lip, Sabine continued to listen but knew that this was bad. And if that was happening tonight? Damnit, she thought to herself, I need to let the team know, now. Looking around, she carefully tried to slip away from the crowd, her eyes watching the Red Guards again. There were too many here to try to get individual information from, and there was no way her flirting would work if they were gearing up for this 'sacrifice' tonight. Come on, Spider, come up with a plan.

"Are you alright?" A man in armor stated as he placed his hand on Rona shoulder "You seemed scared?"

Having heard someone coming a split second before the hand was on her shoulder, Sabine only acted surprised. "Hmm? Oh, I'm alright. Ended up out here while walking to make my supply run is all." She nodded to the guard, "What he said actually happening tonight?"

The guard looked at her and blinked a bit as he puts his hand down "Execution of ill people, I think about 5 people that were hit first by the plague. This would please the gods so that the plague restrains itself" He said looking at the podium where the priest was still talking "It is something that has to be done tonight, or it might become worse"

"This plague, how long as it been here? I'm sorry, I didn't know of one before I was given this supply run. I saw quite a few sick people along the road on the way in as well." She just had to keep talking, for now, the best way to figure things out.

"About three weeks ago, illness was spreading quite fast throughout the city and there was little people could actually do against it. We had to quarantine big parts of the city to contain it. The people at the streets are seen as mere filfth of the street that requires to be wiped out" He rose his hand and looked at her "How bad as it sounds, it is the level these priests have brought to this city. We of the Red Guards simply support their efforts in cleaning this situation. So this sacrifice is required to sustain the morale of the people"

This is crazy, she thought as she listened. But, she didn't let her cover slip. "I do not blame you. Especially after it has been around for that long. I am not a fan of watching people die, so I might not find myself watching that." Could she manage more information out of this one who seemed willing to talk if she put on the flirting face? It couldn't hurt, right? She added the sweet voice that had worked on the previous guard. "And you of the Red Guard appreciate keeping the morale of the people high, right?"

Looking at the woman without a bit facial change "We do what we can to keep their morals and safety in check. But Commandant Sesl and his new bodyguard is keeping everyone in check" He shrugs a bit as he looked back at the priest "That woman is a real nightmare...disobey the Commandant and you will no longer be in the present of your fellow people but away in some dungeon with...her"

Well, that didn't work. Inwardly, Sabine signed. Hearing the name the guard was mentioning, that caught her attention, and could only guess about the bodyguard. "A new bodyguard? Is this something I should be worried about?"

He blinked and looked at her "Well yes if you want to stay alive, she is from an off worlder. Uhmm Rivka Käser I believe is her official name? We just call her Skinner due her cruel reputation" He shrugs and looked back at the priest that was still gloryfing his actions "Things really are dark here these days..." He mutters.

"I think staying alive sounds like a good thing, especially since I'm not here long term. The name Skinner sounds like something that was earned by her." Sabine put up a hand. "I don't want any details honestly." Her eyes followed his again, hearing what he muttered. "Dark? How so?" She knew she was taking chances talking to the guard as long as she was, but she knew she'd have to get out before Skinner showed her face, and wanted to get all she could.

The man did not respond to that question as he merely looked at the podium "The first that we shall sacrifice to the all mighty is Conu Eezis" The crowd tension went skyrocket hearing the name as the guard narrowed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath "I understand your feelings towards this child, but she was cursed with this plague that had affected us all!"

This was starting with a child? Sabine closed her eyes for a moment, biting her lip. She knew she had to keep her cover, but this was horrible. Don't do it, Spider, don't... As much as she wanted to not hold her tongue, she did. Instead, she looked at the guard as he spoke up. "Seems there are some who don't want this to happen?"

"They know the moment they object...they will be replacing the person on the death list" The guard replied without looking at Rona. It was a brute reality that the Faltans now had to endure. But this disease had no ending and was starting to affect other elements in the city that could endanger operations even more.

"So they are keeping quiet. And...if they interfere when this whole sacrificing thing starts?" Her eyes scanned the crowd before going back to the guard. "That is where you all step in?"

The guard started to get annoyed by these questions "It is not like my choice ma'am, but as I said earlier they will be placed next to the others for execution" He looked at the priest that was almost finished "Miss Eezis will bring peace towards this city and her blood will bring the cure towards all those affected by this darkness"

Realizing the guard was tired of her, and the flirting earlier hadn't worked, Sabine simply gave a nod. But, her mind got the better of her, and she took a deep breath a moment later. "Like hell, it will. What good will spilling a child's blood do to cure people?!"

Silence fell around Rona as people looked in fear and anger at her. The guard let a deep breath go and places his hand on the pistol as the Priest narrows his eyes looking at the stranger as he suddenly points at her "See there, the heretic is here to go against our beliefs! The sacrifice of the less to save the many is the best method!" He yelled at her

She cursed herself for speaking out, but, now that she was playing that part, she kept at it. She only hoped to be able to get out of there soon. "I am not here to do that. I have nothing against anyone's beliefs. Only against harming children who had no control over what happened to them. Is it the child's fault that they got sick?"

"The child is cursed with bringing this plague upon our people, she needs to answer for her crime. You don't know how the people of this town have suffered?" The priest looked a bit disbelieved of what he is looking at "Are you not from around here?"

Damnit, Spider, why'd you speak up? Sabine shook her head, holding up one of her bags. "I'm here for a supply run, and stumbled into this area along my way. I am curious if you have attempted to see where the child might have received the plague from?" She was in too deep...

The priest narrows his eyes and looked at the guard next to her that was looking calmly at his direction as he gave a slight nod. He exhaled and quickly grabbed Rona at her arm and placed it to her back "Miss you are under arrest for causing trouble at the priest announcement and sentence shall be awaited..." The priest rose his hand "... the sentence is death, even if she is not from here. She will follow our laws" The guard looked shocked at the priest and tied his grip on Rona.

Trying to pull away on instinct when her arm was grabbed, she swore under her breath. Knowing better than to fight, though she had a deep desire to do so, Sabine dropped her bags. "I didn't meant to cause any trouble at all. I'm not even sure of all the rules here. Please, can't we discuss this?" With her still free hand, she acted like she was pushing hair over her ear, but instead was tapping it, speaking quietly, but put her other hand to her back to show she was cooperating. "Spider in trouble."

The priest just waves his hand away as the guard pushes Rona away from the scene "Let's move, there are no words that can defend you right now" He said escorting the woman away.

 

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