Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 626: A Street For The Infected 2 ()

Neveah stepped through the wards into the other part of the city, and in that same moment, a wave of despair washed over her.

"I will find a place to get her settled and attended to." Everon said to Neveah.

Neveah nodded halfheartedly, her gaze more focused in examining the condition of Scabbard.

Everon escorted the young woman away, meanwhile Neveah stood for a moment and just stared around.

The sight was already alarming right from the other side of the wards and one did not even need to go in too far to get an understanding of the pitiable state.

"Veah..." Estelle called Neveah’s attention but Neveah did not respond.

Her mind was ridden with thoughts, even Neveah’s wolf was burdened by what was before their eyes, Neveah could sense her wolf’s restlessness.

’Jian and Xenon would be dismayed to see this... devastation...’ Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

Neveah understood her wolf was all the more concerned because all that lay before their eyes were important and beloved by their mate, and while he was unaware of it, everything was already in ruins.

Neveah felt a deep sense of responsibility, the kind she had never allowed herself to be burdened by.

She had barely been able to keep her own self alive in these past years, where had she had the time to be concerned for others?

But now, it felt to her that she had failed these people terribly, even if Neveah was not certain how she could have been of help in the first place.

’Is this how it feels to be a leader? Responsible for the lives and well being of thousands? It is a very unkind feeling...a helpless feeling...’ Neveah thought to her wolf.

It was just another street in the Scabbard City, it should have been one of those bustling streets, filled with rich sights and smells as it usually was with the Great fortresses,

However, this part of the city though much calmer was in an even greater devastation than the other.

The streets lay eerily quiet, with only a few figures shuffling around. From their robes, Neveah could tell they were physicians or at least attendant physicians. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

A part of the contribution to stall the contagion made by all the great fortresses was the dispatch of their best physicians to aid with the effort to keep the contagion in check and perhaps find a cure,

It was even more complicated since they could only send out physicians that were not of the mortal race, or at least mixed race, since they held lower chances of falling victim to the contagion.

However, human physicians were completely out of the question.

Neveah herself had sent out over half of the physicians residing in Dune City to Scabbard, leaving behind just a few for the commoners of Dune City to get by,

Yet from what Neveah could see now, it seemed they were still short on hands. And how would they not be? The contagion claimed more and more victims by the hour and the death count was slowly but steadily rising.

The smell of herbs and tonics hung heavy in the air, as well as the potent smell of burning residues which Neveah guessed originated from the large fire pit she could see up ahead,

A couple of attending physicians rolled a cart, headed for the fire pit and the cart was filled with all kinds of clothing, old and tattered, rich and luxurious... robes worn by the infected, Neveah guessed.

The contagion did not discriminate by wealth or status, all humans were equally susceptible.

There was also the unmistakable stench of decay and death in the air, all creating a putrid blend that sent Neveah’s stomach churning.

The buildings that lined the cobblestone streets stood as hollow shells of their former glory, their windows boarded up and doors barricaded shut.

However Neveah’s sensitive ears could still pick up on the sounds from within.

A faint sob echoed from one of the buildings, blending with the distant wailing of an infant, echoes of the impact of the merciless disease that had gripped the city in its deadly embrace.

The cobblestone streets were littered with debris and overturned carts, a once-thriving marketplace now abandoned to decay.

Though it was still not as bad as it was on the other side of the wards where the rioters raged.

The echoes of the riots reverberated through the narrow alleyways, punctuated by the distant shouts of angry mobs.

That thick black smoke that billowed from fires set ablaze by the radical rioters was still visible on this side of the ward,

Casting an ominous shadow over these parts of the city of Scabbard.

Even with the wards keeping away the rioters and keeping the infected in, Neveah could still feel the tension in the air, a palpable sense of unrest that seemed to seep into every stone and crevice of the city.

The sound of the wailing infant echoed once again, and Neveah’s eyes sought out the source of the sound, her heart clenched tightly in her chest as her mind drew her back to Isalder’s infant whom she held and adored.

Neveah’s eyes zeroed on a woman hunched over at the far end of the street, she clutched the infant close to her chest while an attending physician fed her a bowl of tonic.

Like she could sense Neveah’s gaze, the woman turned Neveah’s way and though Neveah was certain a mortal could not see her from such a great distance, she could see the woman clearly enough.

A once beautiful lady, now with skin turning an ashen shade.

"Veah..." Estelle called again, placing a hand on Neveah’s shoulder.

Neveah was finally drawn out of her thoughts, she passed a look to Estelle, her gaze pained.

"How has it come to this?" Neveah asked in dismay, though she knew Estelle also did not hold the answers.

"We should move on, staying in one position would attract attention." Estelle advised.

It was then Neveah recalled she was draped in a black cloak from head to toe and her presence would raise eyebrows.

"Come on." Neveah said to Estelle and carried on through the streets.