Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 589: Contagion ()

~Fort Scabbard

The sun had just begun its ascent over the small town, yet a sense of unease was already settled upon its inhabitants...one which had come to stay, it seemed.

The once bustling streets were now eerily quiet, with only a few venturing outside at these early hours for the most urgent purposes and nothing more.

Perhaps for fear that a moment out at an odd hour would somehow make one more susceptible to the contagion.

Up ahead, the patrol dragons soared, far out of sight of the human eyes but low enough that they kept a close eye on the settlement,

But watch as they did, this threat was one neither their fire nor might could contend. All they could do was look on in concern as the state of things swiftly worsened, and closely guard a city that was slowly being ravaged from within.

This was the settlement on the outskirts of Fort Scabbard and the first signs of the strange plague had begun to appear here, beginning with the most common symptom of a cough and fever at the start, but soon after, the most unlikely symptoms of withering skin.

And just like that it had come, with a cough here or a fever there, spreading rapidly from one to another. In a settlement with the majority population being human, the speed of the spread was beyond imagining.

The streets that were once bustling and filled with life, a settlement awake from the very crack of dawn, now saw much different days.

Not just the race afflicted, but even the other races who were not afflicted by the plague had fallen to the affliction of fear and trepidation of who would fall to the contagion next.

The streets were now lined with empty houses and closed shutters.

The occasional sound of a door creaking open would break the silence, only to be followed by a fit of coughing from within.

All commoners had enforced a personal restriction to their boundaries of their own homes, in a feeble attempt to protect themselves from the invisible threat that loomed over the town.

The marketplace was another disheartening sight, where vendors once proudly displayed their goods, all that was left were deserted stalls covered in a fine layer of dust that grew thicker with the days passing.

The smell of rotting fruit and vegetables lingered in the air, yet no one seemed to have the leisure to pay attention to it.

At the town square, where children used to play around the great fountain, it now stood, an empty fountain surrounded by wilted flowers.

A group of town officials could be seen hurrying down the streets, headed for the Scabbard Tower, their faces were grim as they moved on in silence, clutching reports of yet an even greater amount of victims showing symptoms of the contagion.

As dawn crept upon the town, casting away the long shadows over its deserted streets and silent buildings,

The atmosphere of fear and uncertainty was palpable, each day brought with it a more fearful word of this strange contagion,

The beginnings of the plague had taken hold, leaving its mark on every corner of Fort Scabbard, and no soul was left unaffected.

"There Dante." Estelle pointed to a cluster of cottages far below from which a small stream of smoke rose up.

Dante swiftly swooped down and the closer they got, the more apparent the fire became, sourcing from a single cottage that was slowly becoming engulfed in the flames,

Yet no one hurried to quell the fire. Instead, there was small angry mob gathered there, preventing any well meaning commoner from going through.

"She brought evil to us! It began from one house and spread to the others in the Marlow street! We have to stop it!" A raging voice cried out.

Many other voices echoed their support for the raging cry.

"Burn it down! The sooner she dies, the safer the rest of us will be!" Another voice roared.

It was still too early in the day for such a scene. But as the contagion spread more and the panic and fear rose with it, so did the agitation.

"I cannot land here." Dante thought to Estelle.

"I will make do." Estelle said back.

"It’s Young Lord Scabbard!" Someone in the crowd caught sight of Dante first just as he swooped down.

Dante halted his flight just a short distance over the rooftops of the cottages and Estelle jumped off before Dante shot up again, but he did not go too far.

Instead he hovered over the scene, casting a shadow with his massive dragon form.

Estelle jumped off the roof, landing to the ground with a crouch and she stormed over to the small mob, her eyes blazing with rage.

A pin drop silence had dawned at the sight of Dante and his presence still within sight was enough to silence any protest...all but one.

"The order from Scabbard Tower instructed us to stay indoors and we did as told! The girl went over to Marlow street and returned infected! She broke the rules, why must we suffer for her disobedience?! It is within our rights to eradicate the evil!" A middle aged man dressed in aristocratic robes declared harshly.

His words incited echoes of support from the rest of the mob.

"Stop this madness this instance or so help me!" Estelle roared furiously,

Her rage was echoed by a warning growl from Dante above and a puff of steam that had the mob going quiet once again.

Estelle stormed through the mob. She wasted no time dashing up to the burning cottage and she quickly reached for the barricades blocking the doors and caging the victims of the agitation in.

Estelle hissed when the iron handle of the heavy cart singed her palm at touch.

Dante roared in agitation above but Estelle did not mind him, she took hold of the cart and tossed it aside in one hard pull.