Trek

A thin string of smoke lingers as the party awakens the next morning, offering little to no warmth for their frigid fingers as they pack up what small amount of belongings they still possess; Ready for yet another journey into unknown territory. As they ready themselves for the trip and grab one last bite to eat, they each silently acknowledge that it is the last meal they will have for some time, as all supplies have been diminished to nothingness. Regardless, they pull at their bootstraps, tighten their belts, and ensure their masks are firmly pressed to their faces. All except for Samuel and Samara, that is.

"Here." Hael's voice resonates in a peaceful tone as she offers one of the twins a spare of hers. "Lee will give another to whoever remains without."

Lee grunts distastefully, but begins extracting a cloth from beneath his coat.

"How were you two so close to Dabria without masks all this time?" Yuler questions, realizing the risk that they must have been facing.

"Simple," begins Samuel, "with our hideaway so securely shut, not even the seeds could spread through the cracks."

"Fortunate." Marne states, buttoning his coat with groggy motions.

"Similar methods are what kept it at bay for all these years." Samuel states, reminding them of The Bethel's history. "Of course, with such a lack of information on the plant remaining, it was only a matter of time before it was freed once more."

"Lack of information?" Questions Hael. "With all that The Bethel stored throughout the years, they never documented these extraterrestrial plants?"

"Of course they did," he begins, "but over time much of that information was destroyed, tampered with, or even lost entirely without a trace. It's simply how things go. Eventually, there will come a day where all known information is destroyed."

"Hopefully no time soon." Marne's voice quivers at the thought. "We've come too far to lose it all so early into the voyage beyond what is known."

"'We'?" Asks Samuel, who cocks his head to one side as he asks with a mouth full of bread.

"Yes, 'we' as a species have come too far." Marne assures, resting a palm against the hilt of his blade. "We deserve to get through this."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Samuel claims, rubbing his hands together and getting to his feet. "After all, we are a destructive species. It's only a matter of time before we are all led to our demise." With this, Samuel steps away from the others, closely followed by Samara, who clasps her hands together with grace as she walks. "If we're to reach Crater's Crown before nightfall, we should be on our way."

"Indeed," Samara says in an agreeing manner, "otherwise their people will no longer be expecting us."

"Expecting us?" Lee questions, unsure of the nature of Samara's statement.

"Well, as I have said before, we have some unfinished business there ourselves." Samuel reiterates in a calm tone. "We have scheduled our arrival for the date and must fulfill it if we are to finish our work there."

"What work might that be?" Hael asks, not wanting to pry.

Samuel smiles and leans in.

"Private work."

"Of course." Hael clears her throat and stiffens her neck. Not used to being on the outside of another's plot, she clenches her jaw and tries to shake off the urge to ask for further information. "Let us be on our way then. No need for us to remain here."

The party and their new companions leave behind their hurried campsite and begin walking with the guidance of Samuel and Samara, who eagerly chatter amongst themselves about what they expect from Crater's Crown upon their arrival. In doing so, they fail to include the others, but their conversation does not go unheard.

"I assure you, dear sister, their will be much to eat once we get there, and much more to see. It feels like it's been ages since I last visited."

"I, as well." Samara looks about the trees that surround them, then makes a small left turn down a grassy path that cuts through the woodlands. She then excitedly looks to her brother and grasps at his sleeve. "Perhaps we will meet the Tsar!"

"The 'Tsar'?" Marne's voice cuts through the air like a blade as he interrupts their conversation.

"Y-Yes, the Tsar." Samuel assures awkwardly. "Crater's Crown's appointed leader. He has been operating their government for nearly thirteen decades."

"I apologize, but did you perhaps mean to say three decades?" Hael's voice interjects, not wanting to be misled.

"No, I spoke correctly. He is no man."

"What is he, then?" Lee now wonders with curious eyes. "What being could live for so long?"

"One who can explain such things for you himself." Samuel snaps. "Come, we are nearly at the stretch."

"It's the fastest way there." Assures Samara, who looks back at the rest of the group and can see that their feet have already begun to grow weary. "Trust me."

"How long is 'the stretch'?" Marne steps over a small dip in the ground and feels his heel pounding as the weight of his body is pressed against it once more.

"I can tell you nothing more than that its length is where it gets its name. I've never measured it myself, I simply know it to be quite the trek." Samuel reaches for a small leather satchel at his side and opens it up. He then extracts a small sliver of jerky meat and begins gnawing at it.

The mouths of those who follow behind him begin to water, but none dare to ask for a piece. Hael assumes the twins are less fit to deal with these conditions, given their talk of feasts and tourism, while the others simply deem there to not be enough for each of them to refill on. As they travel along, they are led onto a dirt road, which appears unkempt at first glance. But, as they begin to walk down it, it becomes clear that it is only ever traveled using horses and wagons, given the paths cut into the grass underfoot.

"We can't be too far from civilization with trails like these." Lee states, kicking at a small rock as it becomes visible to him. "Surely we're nearer than expected."

"Perhaps closer than you expected." Samuel points out. "This road goes on for miles in both directions. I assume your past experiences have made even the most distant lands seem near."

"Perhaps so." Lee smiles proudly as he looks back to his rock.

"Curious nature these seedlings seem to have." Hael suggests, looking to her feet as well.

"Why might that be?" Yuler wonders, looking to the ground as well.

"During the night they stand upright, but during the day, Dabria seems to wilt. Yet, they don't die in the sunlight. They simply seem to... rest."

"Such is the way of something which only ever came about in total darkness." Samuel states, now huffing as he walks. "They come from a land that is nothing like the land here, so, surely that must be the reason for their weariness."

"Surely." Samara agrees, whisking away sweat as she walks.

"Would the pair of you like to rest awhile before we continue on?" Hael offers, not wanting to carry their exhausted bodies the rest of the way should they faint.

"No, no. We'll be fine. It's not often we get a good walk in."

"Come to think of it, why did we not stop by your stables and pick up something to ride on?" Marne looks to the twins with a bit of disappointment in his eyes. "It would have certainly made the trip more bearable for all of us."

"Unfortunately, most of our horses perished the moment Impar delivered Dabria. Those which did not die fled in terror and we haven't seen them since." Samara allows her chin to fall, exposing the bridge of her porcelain nose to the group as she looks over her shoulder to speak with them. "My favorite was one of those which have yet to return to us."

"Well, I'm sure they are perfectly fine. They must've... found a safer place to graze." Hael offers, not wanting to give the obvious truth to the young woman.

"I hope that to be what has happened." Samara says with sadness in her voice.

"Can I ask a more... personal... question?" Yuler bites at her tongue once she has asked this, expecting rejection to come from the twins.

"Sure." Samuel offers blandly.

"What happened with Samara's stomach? With the... not-pregnancy?"

Samuel and Samara both stop in place and Samuel looks back at the rest, while Samara stares forward, awaiting her brother's explanation.

"Samara had fallen ill last year. What you saw me performing that day... the day you peaked in on us... was me removing the infection and injecting a... newer type of medication."

Yuler's face turns white as she comes to the realization that she had been spotted all those moons ago.

"There is no reason for you to feel embarrassed," Samuel assures, "after all, without curiosity, there wouldn't be much discovery, now would there?"

"Could we mind our own and be on our way?" Lee barks, not wanting to remain idle.

Samuel and Samara begin moving once more and the group follows.

"I do apologize, regardless." Yuler offers, now grasping at her own hands. "May I ask what the ailment was?"

"We could not say. It has yet to be named." Samuel states, growing impatient with the questioning. "I was given the medication by a local doctor, who insisted it would clear her right up. Unfortunately, it still took quite some time. Regardless of that, it did work and as you can see, she is in better health." Samuel motions towards his sister, who in turn offers a smile.

"What of the infection you extracted? Did you dispose of it?"

"Of course not." Samuel says matter-of-factly. "I stored it for... research purposes."

"If it were so harmful to Samara, why would you risk its potential to reinfect others?"

"I am a man of science, and with that, I must take risks to reap the rewards. Now, let us change topics."

"Please?" Samara asks with a shiver of her spine. "I'd rather not relive those days and look towards the future instead."

"Oh, of course. Again, I apologize."

"We're nearly there now as it is."

"Nearly there?" Lee asks with a hint of surprise in his voice. "It's hardly even noon."

"No no, nearly at our first town of crossing." Samara states with pale blue eyes looking back into those of Lee.

"We do not intend to stay for long, but it will be good to sit down for a short while."

"Which town might this be?" Hael wonders, not recognizing their surroundings.

"Hunton. It was nothing special the last time we came through and I am sure that hasn't changed since.

*****

As the group rounds a bend, a large wooden sign come into view on one side of the road. On it, there is nothing more than carved letters, spelling out the name of the town. Yet, as they pass the sign, they find the town to be destroyed. Burned buildings reduced to nothing but ash litter either side of the road, and those which remain standing are covered in sprouts of Dabria, which have gone to rest for the day. Their buds appear sealed up as they slumber, refusing to express the seeds and red fluff that fill their interiors.

"I'd say you were right to not think much of this place." Says Lee in a condescending voice. "What now?"

"I... suppose we press on." Samuel states, still looking about the destruction lain out before them. "Who would have done such a thing?"

"It seems the town became overran by Dabria," Hael begins, "so it wouldn't surprise me if the townsfolk themselves were responsible."

"No, I don't think that to be the case." Comes the voice of Samara, who steps away from the others and approaches one of the remaining buildings, which has nothing left standing but the front porch. As she gets nearer to it, Samuel rushes for her and pulls her back.

"What are you doing, dear sister?" He asks in a demanding voice.

"Look." Samara points towards the porch, where beneath a fallen sign, an arm and head can be made out.

As the group gets closer, the sound of whimpering can be heard. Hael swiftly approaches and pulls the sign free with the help of Lee. Once they have done so, Marne and Yuler pull the injured man out from beneath it and flip him over onto his back. They each acknowledge that his body is covered with burn marks, but only Yuler, who stands the closest, notices the fur that grows on either of his arms. Ignoring this, she pulls a flask from her hip and offers him water.

"Drink this, it'll help."

The man takes the flask from her hands and chugs it, but almost immediately coughs up the contents as he makes eye contact with her.

"Oh, by the gods, more Nostrum!" The man shouts, now cowering into his hands. "Please, please don't kill me!"

"Yuler, this man is infected." Hael states, now catching a good whiff of him under the smell of ash. "We mustn't stand so close."

"We're fine." Yuler assures.

"Not everything must end in a death." Samuel states, giving Hael a look of disapproval before he too approaches the man. "Tell us, what happened here?"

"He... he came to us looking for refuge... but found that we were all contaminated. I... I understand not wanting to stay. I understand not wanting to be around so many ill... but fire? Why... why would he do this? Curse the Nostrum!" The man begins to weep as he falls from Yuler's hands and hits the ground. "Curse them all. M-My family... my friends...."

"Who was he?" Yuler asks, attempting to stir the man once more. "Who did this?"

The man's sobbing slowly comes to a stop and his arms fall limp at his right side. One last breath escapes his charred lungs as his eyes stare blankly at the ground.

"He's gone." Hael states, taking off her tricorn and resting it against her chest.

"Good riddance." Lee spits before pulling his closer to his head and turning away. "Nevermind the Nostrum responsible for performing this cleansing. We must be on our way."