Scourge

By Darren Chang

A plague hangs over the region of Brymlight. Surrounding nations have closed their borders, and have passed a kill order to anyone who dares cross from Brymlight. Cut off from the outside world, the locals are left to fend for themselves as they go about fearing they may never see the next sunrise.

Nikolai and Lana have volunteered to scour the land for the source of the plague but still nothing has turned up. In desperate situations, humans tend to resort to unthinkable means. With their people now contributing to the death toll, will Nikolai and Lana retain their sanity long enough to find a solution? Or will they become part of the problem?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darren Chang
• Release date: Mar 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463799604

Darren Chang

This guy lives in Malaysia where art isn't that much appreciated. Struggling to make things work in a place where people either break your stuff, or don't care about your stuff, he's grown a sense of humor to make life easier on himself.

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Scourge

By Darren Chang

Copyright 2020 Darren Chang

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for purchasing this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to purchase their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter 1 – The Promise

Chapter 2 – Knowing

Chapter 3 – Legacy

Chapter 4 – The Darkness

Chapter 5 – Fear

Chapter 6 – The Plan

Chapter 7 – Devil’s Truth

Chapter 8 – The Consequence

Chapter 9 – Oswald

Chapter 10 – Trespass

Chapter 11 – Covenant

Chapter 12 – Steel, Blood, and Fire

About Darren Chang

Connect with Darren Chang

Acknowledgements

Four years were spent on this project and there were periods where I thought I may never achieve my dream of completing a novel. Therefore, I would like to first thank God Almighty for being present every step of the way, especially during those days and nights where I felt helpless trying to finish this story.

I am grateful for both my parents who pushed me even when things seemed impossible. I am thankful for my father, Chang Tat Cyan, for advising me to pursue my dream despite how difficult worklife was becoming. I would also like to thank my mother, Leena Lim, who believed in me when I was alone in this battle.

And finally, I thank the readers for the time they would be putting into going through this story, no matter how short or how long. Time is a precious commodity, so I thank all of you in advance and I do hope you find your investment worth it!

Prologue

"In a time before the First Children, there was only nothingness. Then, the Creator whom we call our Father, weaved His divinity; forging a world we would come to know as ‘Silraphia’. From that divinity, a part of Him remained; something He would introduce to His children as Magic."

While there is good to be gained from His gift, so long as mortals possess selfish desires; its infinite potential would certainly corrupt. And therefore, I was tasked to teach the people about the evils of temptation.

-- Brymia Light; Sage of the First Children.

Bane of the First Children

None had studied Magic more closely than Nora Nolovar and in time, she had mastered a number of forms. Her nine siblings recognized her gifts and deemed her the strongest of the First Children. However, Brymia Light foresaw darkness arising from her sister's growing talent.

The Creator saw greatness in the First Children.

And so, for the remainder of their years, He entrusted to them the task to care for the ones who would come in time while He returned to the Heavens. They were to teach the people how to live in His intended ways for they would resume life even after the First Children had passed. And indeed, the New Children came, bringing with them the Era of Civilization. By day, the people worked the fields, building homes and erecting cities. And then by night, they praised and worshiped the Creator for all that He provided.

As numbers of the New Children grew across the world, so did the knowledge and uses of Magic. Their forms and discipline were passed down to them by nine of the ten siblings, with Light tutoring them of the dangers of misconduct. Light's disciples were few but of those numbers, many abstained completely from Magic as a form of their devotion.

Time passed quickly, and Silraphia expanded. Towns and cities spread far and wide across the land. Everything was of good.

However, the strongest of the First Children, Nora Nolovar was unsatisfied. Having grown accustomed to her talents, she refused to accept that her influence would eventually come to an end. Troubled, Nolovar abandoned the task that had been set out for her and vanished without informing her siblings.

When Nolovar returned years later, she felled hundreds of the New Children by blade and Magic. To her siblings, she had proposed that in order to ensure their immortality, life in Silraphia should never achieve their Father's desired vision. She would have the New Children erased and thus, returning the world to the time where there were only the ten of them.

Unable to reason with her madness, Light shepherded what remained of the New Children to safety while an inevitable war commenced between the siblings.

It did not take long before the Creator Himself descended from the Heavens. And when word of Nolovar's actions fell upon His ear, He granted to her the immortality she so desired. However, she was to be isolated for all of eternity.

Nolovar vowed vengeance as her nine siblings sealed her deep beneath the earth, where time and darkness would become her only companions.

A World After the First Children

During Silraphia's recovery, Brymia Light founded a region to house all who adhered to her teachings. It was rich with food, water, and mineral. Her disciples named their new home Brymlight in honor of her name.

With what they had witnessed from their fallen sibling, the remaining nine children foresaw threats that would come beyond their time. A decree was erected as a monument in Brymlight; excluding the region from affairs of the world. Brymlight would be a sanctuary to those who wish to follow a path without Magic.

The nine siblings eventually met their final days.

Brymia Light was the last of them to pass. But when she did, her followers began to separate. Some had abandoned the teachings and traveled to other lands. While there were others who remained in the region, most had banded together to construct a city away from the former community, following a loose doctrine of cautious Magical practice.

Years then passed, and the world beyond Brymlight changed. As Light had predicted, Magic became a gauge of one's strength, quickly dividing Silraphia. The Era of Kings began shortly after, placing worship of the Creator as a thing of the past.

War tore across the world for centuries.

Those who despaired, cried out to Him though they received nothing more than His silence. As faith in the divine began to fade, the wars ceased suddenly. Rumors arose that three of the world's strongest kingdoms were now exploring the possibility of peace.

However, Brymlight, the only region which had seen no part of any war would soon face a different kind of darkness...

Chapter One – The Promise

While the people of the city stayed within their walls, the ones who lived in the village made effort to search the land. Herbs; mushrooms; any sort of plant were to be brought back to be made into medicine. The bedridden remained in their huts with at least a companion to care for them.

It had begun in the first month of the year. That was when the plague hit, and it was when it hit the hardest. Bleeding from the nose led to a slow-rising fever that quickly dehydrated the body.  Sore throats then came about which made the intake of water more difficult than it should be. It wasn't clear what about the plague that killed a person, but once someone was affected, death was close by. No cure or remedy was up to the task of combating this mysterious sickness.

What made things worse was that the countries neighboring Brymlight erected blockades and stationed soldiers at their borders, preventing entry from the region. The sick could not leave to seek treatment elsewhere and had to remain in Brymlight where they would eventually succumb to the illness. Such was the fate of the Brymlightians.

It was now the fourth month of the year. The disease had slowed its pace but the death count was still rising.

Many villagers were so taken by grief that they had abandoned all hope; returning home to spend time with their loved ones in their final moments. Only a handful now were adamant enough to maintain search for a cure. Due to their dwindling numbers, more work was to be done to cover entire sections of Brymlight.

Nikolai and Lana had volunteered to examine the northern parts of the forest right after the village. Days had past since they went home, and both were becoming increasingly irritable during the expedition. After some long hard searching, they came up with --

Nothing... Lana muttered.

The young woman let out a frustrated sigh as she tossed aside the long thick branch she had been using to poke around at the bushes. Lana adjusted the bow slung across her body so its upper limb sat between her breasts. The shoes she wore and the hem of her grey tunic robe stained with dried mud splatters and leaf fragments. A typical imagery of a village huntress -- though there weren't that many to make it a common enough look among the women.

Nikolai let fall the branch he held. He patted his trousers to rid the dirt off his hands as he gazed out at the lake's clear water surface shimmering in the daylight sun.

It's not from the vegetables, he said, frowning. He tapped his finger on the butt of his machete's handle. It's not from the livestock. Not from the river. Not from here either...

Maybe something drowned out there? Lana suggested, nodding towards the huge pool.

Nikolai paused. The current would at least carry the carcass here, he said, pointing at where a river formed at the lake's edge.

Maybe it got bloated and sank?

Nikolai turned and pointed at something over Lana's shoulder. Both of them watched as a doe stepped to the edge of the water to hydrate itself. Two of its young splashed into the water without hesitation, much like little children.

Animals won't drink from poisoned waterholes, Nikolai said.

What if, said Lana, looking a little annoyed, it's only affecting us?

Then this whole 'find the source' thing is useless and we should all just wait at home to die, he snapped, turning to leave. "It's not here."

"Can we at least check?"

Nikolai raised a hand and gestured towards the water. "You wanna dive into a place you just said is maybe making us sick?"

Lana folded her arms. You have a better idea?

Yes, Nikolai replied. We go somewhere else.

Well, I think we should look here.

You can't even swim!

Lana folded her arms. But YOU can...

Several more days were burned away as they camped by the lake. The deer never came back after Nikolai blundered with Lana's bow. In his own words: it had been too stiff. They ended up having to settle for the small rabbits Lana managed to shoot while Nikolai scoured (very much to his reluctance) the bottom of the rather shallow lake. When light became scarce in the evenings, Nikolai stopped the dives to rest for the night. The search came to an end on the fifth day.

I can't believe there's nothing here, Lana muttered, staring out into the water.

What? Excuse me? Nikolai said with the most sarcastic tone he could muster. I can't hear you with all this water STUCK IN MY EARS.

Lana rolled her eyes. No need to rub it in --

"There is every need to rub it in. Nikolai snatched the machete off the ground and tied the scabbard around his belt. He paused before rummaging through his pockets. When his fingers closed around the body of his trinket, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was still there. We don't have the luxury, alright?"

I know --

"You know? Then STOP making me do stupid things! Nikolai snapped. I already said it's not the water. It wasn't the herbs. It wasn't the meat. If we had a thousand foot tall mountain, you'd probably say we should check the peak."

I'm just being thorough --

I can't afford to waste time, Nikolai groaned, throwing up his arms. Can't lose my mother too.

Immediate regret followed that sentence but the damage was done. His eyes darted to Lana; whose face turned red quickly.

Nikolai held his breath as silence came over them. The sound of the running river did help alleviate some of the tension, though it wasn't quite enough to remedy the situation. Now, if only a deer or two would enter the scene...

Lana pressed her lips together, avoiding his gaze. She turned and walked away. Nikolai sighed. Whenever she did that, it was best to keep his mouth shut until she decided to say something. He adjusted his clothing slowly as he watched her leave. She had gone quite some distance from him before he began to walk.

Lana's cold shoulder was perhaps the only thing guaranteed to knock Nikolai into a sudden phase of self-reflection. One session could last between several hours to (if he was unlucky enough) days. It had only happened four times so far in the course of their friendship -- and it was four times too many. There was once where she refused to talk to him for a week because they had an argument about herbs. She had been sure that hers was the right type needed for cooking while his; when cooked, would result in a terrible stomachache.

Despite his careful nature, he had been wrong about the herbs. And while he was the one who suffered from the gut pain, he had to also brave through Lana's icy treatment. Despite that, he was grateful that she brought to him her own concocted medicine: the Frostmelon... which she made sure to place at the furthest corner of the room away from his bed.

Sometimes, Lana just infuriated him with her constant worrying and inability to move from difficult situations, though he also knew she was only the way she was because she was concerned.

He watched Lana's back as she trudged across the forest floor. It was true that she became considerably more paranoid ever since the plague took her family. But then, who wouldn't have been affected? Both parents and a younger sister. And all three of them were taken within the first two weeks of its arrival.

He closed a hand tightly around the body of the pocket watch in his pocket. Its soft ticking pulsed through its gold exterior against his skin, mimicking the beat of his heart.

At least he still had his mother... A month ago, when he discovered his father had succumbed to the plague, he felt a void tear into his heart. It was like an invisible weight crushing him. The village people had always called him competent simply because of his slightly better hunting skills. But if he compared himself to Lana, what with the three family members she'd lost almost all at once, could he really still be called that? Yes. There were many things he had said in the past without thinking. This time, however, he admitted that he had been rather insensitive.

Nikolai hastened his steps. When he was within reach, he grabbed Lana's wrist. Without looking at him, she tried to pull away but he held on tightly.

I'm sorry, Nikolai said. Lana, I'm sorry.

The young woman stopped struggling but still she refused to face him. Her arm remained stiff.

It's not your fault, he said. I just wasn't thinking straight.

Lana's heavy breathing told him she was trying to control her emotions. He stepped towards her and placed a comforting hand onto her arm, avoiding her gaze by turning to stare at a tree.

Yes, we should check everything, Nikolai said, choosing his words carefully. It's our job. You're right. I'm sorry I yelled. I should spend my energy searching with you instead of worrying about something I have no control over. I'm just --

You sound ridiculous when you apologize, Lana whispered. Nikolai heard a sniff and then a small giggle. Only then did he feel it was safe to look. Lana turned to him just as he did to her, and he saw the long wet stains down her cheeks. A pang of guilt rose within him.

Lana wiped away the remnants of her tears with her sleeve before letting out a long sigh. Nikolai slowly released his grip on her wrist.

Where do you think we should we check next? he asked. He normally wouldn't ask for her opinion because that would involve unnecessary detours but he thought it'd be better to soften her up a little more. Or should we go back to the village? he added as an afterthought. He truly didn't feel they did anything productive for the past week.

Lana paused. Maybe --

A snap of a twig made them both turn. Their hands moved instinctively to their weapons. Predators in Brymlight weren’t particularly aggressive enough to confront humans, though there were a number of special cases.

Cammie? Lana said, surprised.

A little girl in an oversized tunic climbed out from behind a bush, staggering on one foot as she tried to balance herself with her outstretched arms. When she looked up at them, they were shocked to see her bleeding from her reddened nose.

Hi Lana, Cammie said in a tone similar to someone who had a terrible cold.

We have to get you back! Lana said, rushing towards her.

No, no, I sleeped on a rood and hid my noss, the little girl muttered, licking the blood trickling down onto her lips. Dun warry. I'm nod zeek. Well, I think I’m not...

Are you sure? Lana fussed over the girl's face, examining her nostrils. Is it broken? Does it hurt? You shouldn't be so far away from the village! It's dangerous --

I came to ged you, Cammie replied. Zumbady ad de zity zed dare's an anidode.

Really?!

I... I didn't get that, Nikolai said blankly. He looked at Lana and then at Cammie.

Somebody at the city said there's an antidote, Lana said quickly with excitement. Let's get you fixed first, Cammie.