I spent one more day in that hateful cell, covered and cared for by Zoey. She’d told me that my sneeze had released the sickness into the air. The Chief Hall was sealed. All the people who were on guard duty that day were quarantined.

You might have guessed it already, but the Sebyan were weak against human disease. For some reason their immune systems couldn’t fight it properly. In case it spreads, it might kill everybody who lived there.

“That’s odd…” I told Zoey. My voice was still hoarse. My bones ached too.

“What’s odd?” she asked me.

“I don’t remember ever falling sick like this.”

It slowly dawned on me. My brain wasn’t as active as I wanted it to be. It took me some time, but I managed to piece it all together. That spineless doctor! He was smarter than I’d given him credit for. Once more, he played me and led me right where he wanted. I felt like a puppet, and the words spoken by the first guard I met at the temple rung in my head.

‘It’s as much your fault as it is mine,’ Eva said. ‘I should’ve seen through him. Welcome back by the way. I thought we were goners.’

‘What happens to you if I die?’ I asked. It just occurred to me. ‘Will you explode into tiny fragments?’

‘That’s the most possible outcome,’ Eva said. ‘I don’t have much to offer you, unlike that Fragment of time. So perhaps those Lords, collectors of Fragments, won’t consider scooping me up.’

‘What happens to a Fragment once it explodes?’ I asked.

‘How should I know?’ Eva retorted. ‘This is my first time as a Fragment, you know.’

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘What do you think we should do against Lemien?’

‘There’s nothing we can do if we can’t get out of this cell,’ Eva said.

“Hey!” Zoey’s high pitched shriek made me jump. “Still alive?”

I nodded. “Thanks for all this,” I said.

She had been taking care of me for four days. None of the Sebyan healers, or guards for that matter, dared approach my cell. The entire prison block was sealed. They sent the human healer, Zoey in case you’re wondering, to tend to me. Dark circles had formed around her eyes. I could clearly see that she hardly slept.

“Eli should be here soon,” Zoey said. “He went to speak to that chief. He fought against the entire council. They wanted to burn you alive you know.”

I shuddered. “Who would blame them?” I said. “I’m death incarnate, walking on two feet, spreading disease and suffering.”

“It was just the flu,” Zoey complained.

“Which could have killed them all,” I retorted.

Zoey looked the other way. “Speaking of which,” she said.

Her shriek was now replaced with a hushed voice. I didn’t like the feeling I got from hearing it. She turned to look at me. The look of worry she gave me made my heart sink a few inches toward my stomach. Something about the way she looked at me told me she was about to deliver bad news.

I sighed. “Just get on with it,” I said. “How many of them died because of the flu?”

“Thirty have been quarantined,” Zoey said. “Seven have died, including a healer and two children.”

“Seven in three days?” I said. “That’s a deadly flu.”

“Deadly sneeze,” Zoey corrected. “If you were allowed to stay inside the city for just a few more hours, the virus would have spread everywhere. There would be no stopping it.”

“Then how am I not dead?” I asked. “And don’t tell me Eli fought to protect me. He’s a human as well. They wouldn’t have listened to his pleas after children died.”

“Eli wouldn’t tell me,” Zoey said. “In any case, he should be here soon.”

“And why are you still here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you go get some sleep or something?”

“I’m not allowed to leave your side,” she answered. “I’m a prisoner now, just like you.”

I was surprised to hear her say that. Not that I didn’t expect this, but I didn’t expect her to say it in that fashion. She didn’t blame me. She didn’t look at me and shriek. She just said it as though it was information to be passed down.

“You’re not mad at me?” I asked. I couldn’t help it.

“No,” Zoey said.

Did Aella’s star fall over the ground and the world ended? How in the world was she not mad at me? I didn’t have much time to think of this though. The door to my cell was sprung open and Eli came in.

“Can you stand?” he asked.

“I believe so,” I said.

I tried to move but my body protested. I felt shivers run down my spine. I pressed on and stood up nonetheless. I couldn’t lie around doing nothing anymore. Eli studied me with a calculating gaze. There were two creases that ran along the bridge of his nose, up toward his forehead. Even though he looked at me, his face rested, those creases didn’t disappear.

“There’s someone who wants to talk to you,” Eli said.

“Are you sure I’m allowed outside?” I asked.

“He’s here,” he replied. “He won’t risk bringing you out to the city in your state.”

I followed Eli out of the cell and into the prison block. He led me through the empty corridors and up some stairs. I was led inside a spacious office. A cloaked figure sat on a tall marble chair, reading some book he picked up from the library.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake,” he said as soon as I got in. “Please, have a seat.”

I obeyed and sat on a chair opposite him.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“The fever’s dying off,” I said. “I can move about just fine.” That last part was a lie. My body ached, perhaps from fighting the disease.

The man removed his hood, revealing a horrible face. I thought the Sebyan were different, a little uglier than us, humans, but they had an intimidating physique. This one could intimidate and horrify you at the same time. One of his lower fangs was broken. The horns on his forehead were longer than those of the chief’s. They coiled around at the top, like a ram’s.

He had a nasty scar that ran across his face, from forehead to lower jaw. He was bald. He had tattoos on his bare head that signified something, something I dreaded just by looking at them. I didn’t know what they meant though. I just got this foreboding feeling as soon as I laid an eye on them. His eyes were crimson red. I remembered him then. He was the cloaked Sebyan I met before I got into the Chief Hall.

“Eli tells me you go by the name Myles,” he said.

I nodded.

“Well, Myles, we have much to discuss, you and I.” He motioned to Eli with his head and my skinny friend left the room, shutting the door behind him.

‘He’s going to kill us,’ Eva told me. ‘You know how executioners are nice to people they’re just about to murder? I get that feeling from him.’

“You can call me Nag,” he said.

“Nag?” I echoed back.

“My full name’s N’gairi Larbee Botheecha,” he said. “You’ll find it easier to call me Nag, I suppose.”

‘See? He’s being all friendly while you caused his people’s deaths. This doesn’t bode well Myles.’

‘If he’s willing to talk,’ I said. ‘This means he’s willing to offer me something. Let’s just wait and see.’

“Nag it is,” I said while I forced a smile. “How can I be of assistance?”

“First off,” Nag said then pulled out a bottle from behind the tall chair, “let’s drink to your health.”

He poured a glass for him, sipped from it then offered me a glass of my own. I gulped the content heartily. I instantly felt my ears buzz. Some kind of warmth seeped through my entire body.

I felt rejuvenated, stronger, as though I wasn’t sick the past few days. I saw the world with a different eye. Everything had more color. Even the air was visible to me then, dancing in multicolored patterns, even though it was only for a little while. The smell of dust on the books was stronger. The books themselves spoke to me. They told me of their stories, their makers. It all came and went in an instant, but I loved that fleeting feeling.

“Our healers will have my head for this,” Nag said. “So don’t tell anybody you’ve drunk this, alright?” He gave me another grotesque smile. It was difficult to get used to their faces, their dark green skin, and their protruding fangs. This one in particular didn’t make it easier for me.

“What was that?” I asked.

“A rejuvenating potion,” Nag said. “It will help you recover faster. You may even find yourself able to think clearly. It has a positive effect on the human brain. On the other hand, it only helps our bodies recover. That’s all we can use on the men and women you poisoned.”

“I didn’t poison them,” I protested. “I didn’t even realize I was sick.”

“But you were,” Nag said, “herein lies the problem. My people want your head. They want to see you burn. They want to hear you scream while fire eats your frail body. I don’t suppose you want that, do you Myles?”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I speak in the name of our savior,” Nag answered. “He sometimes conveys his words to me, and I transfer them to my people. I’m a messenger of sorts.”

“Savior, do you mean the fox?”

“He likes that form,” he answered. “Animals don’t speak, he says.” Nag let out a wheezing sound. I took as a chuckle.

“So, you’re some kind of prophet?” I asked.

“The title isn’t important,” Nag said. “I can hear his words. I dream of him sometimes.”

“I assume you’re here against your chief’s wishes,” I said.

“The chief doesn’t tell me what to do,” Nag replied.

“Something tells me I’m alive to fulfill some kind of purpose,” I told him.

“I need information first,” Nag replied. “Eli tells me you escaped the necromancer.”

“Not before he injected me with the flu,” I said. “I don’t know when or how he did it. But he must have planned this all along.”

“Did you get a good look at the dungeons he lives in?” Nag asked.

“I know my way around his tower,” I said. “I know how to banish the banshee that allied itself to him too. But that’s all I can provide you with.”

“Do you know how to kill him?” Nag asked.

I remained silent. That question insinuated too many things. First of all, the necromancer couldn’t be killed using the good old conventional methods. Second, the Sebyan have tried to kill him before but failed. Third, they needed my help to kill the necromancer. I had to come up with something clever to say, if I wanted to avoid the fire.

“You don’t know, do you?” Nag said.

“I know he has a time limit to enter your city,” I said. “It has to do with his participation in the Holi Wars.”

The prophet went silent. He stroked his long beard, mulling things over. “How long?” he asked. “How long should we keep him out?”

“Eight days,” I told him, “Nine at most.”

“That’s why he’s become more aggressive,” Nag said. “He stormed our doors yesterday. Scouts say his puppets are gathering again, near the city gate.”

“Do they use the tunnels to spy on him?” I asked. Something was bothering me about all this. I had a feeling Lemien was planning something bigger. Injecting me with the flu didn’t sound like a master plan.

The prophet eyed me for a while. “Why do you ask?”

“Call it a hunch,” I said. “I can help you defeat the necromancer,” I said, “but there are things I must know before I tell you about my plan.”

“Ask away,” Nag said. “After all, you’re alive because you can be useful. Outlive it, and you shall burn at the main plaza.”

“Do you have livestock in the city?” I asked.

“How is that relevant?” Nag asked.

“Just indulge me, please,” I said. That potion helped me regain my senses. My mind worked perfectly, even better than before. I felt I’d figured Lemien’s plan.

“Yes,” he answered.

“Do you have rat problems?” he asked.

The prophet’s eyes widened. I guess it was the equivalent of a raised eyebrow, seeing as they didn’t have any.

“Scouts reported an increased activity among mice and rats in the tunnels, why do you ask?”

“Did any of your men get bitten? Or did any of the rodents get inside the city?”

“Not that I know of,” the prophet said.

“Then you should get to the bottom of it,” I said. “My sickness was a distraction.”

“Explain,” Nag urged. His voice had changed. His breathing had become shorter.

“He knew you’d react to my sickness that way. Perhaps he also knew you’d lock me up, burn me as well. He also attacked your front door to draw your people out to scout for further attacks. But he didn’t expect you to keep me alive I guess.” I was smiling now. That potion rejuvenated my senses, and gave me extra brain power as a bonus.

“He’s planning to spread plague and disease among your men. It will first start with me. Then it will spread, and more of your people will die. You’ll blame it on human sickness. You won’t notice until your own livestock starts to die. By then, he would have created his own army within the city.”

“Are you saying there’s another disease spreading in the city?” Nag asked.

“The necromancer showed me his experiments on rats. He’s controlling the sick ones, guiding them through the tunnels. As soon as one of your men gets bitten, or your livestock, which will make matters worse, it’s the beginning of the end for all of us.” I hid the fact that I might have given Lemien the idea.

The prophet pounded at the chair and yelled some harsh words I took as swears in his own language. He got up, handed me the potion and strode for the door. “Keep that well hidden,” he said. “Eli will tell you what to do once I’ve convened a meeting with the council.”

He opened the door, told Eli something in his native language then turned to me one more time. “I have a message to deliver to you.”

I assumed the message was from the silent fox. I looked at the Sebyan intently.

“Assimilate,” he said. He put on his cloak then left me sitting there.

“Wait!” I called out for him. “That’s it? That’s the freaking message?” but Nag was gone.

“Fucking animal!” I mumbled under my breath.

‘It seems he doesn’t like to speak at all,” Eva said. ‘Where have you seen him?’ she asked. ‘I heard you say that to the chief earlier.’

‘I’ll tell you about it later,’ I said. Eli had stormed into the room. His fat creases hadn’t faded.

He escorted me back to my cell. I found Zoey on the ground, sound asleep. “She hardly slept the past three days,” Eli informed me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I don’t know what you told Nag, but he doesn’t look pleased at all.”

“He’ll tell you everything during the meeting,” I said. “I suggest you make haste.”

Eli nodded and left me in the cell. He didn’t close the door behind him though. I guess nobody would want to get inside the entire prison, since I was death incarnate to them.

I sat on the floor near Zoey and thought about the Fox’s message.

‘Do you think he meant you by that message?’ I asked Eva.

‘Maybe,’ she answered. ‘What will you do about it?’

‘We’ll proceed as planned,’ I told her. ‘I will leave your consciousness alone, but merge your energy with mine.’

‘I don’t think it will work,’ Eva said.

‘Does that mean you’re willing to give up on your memories,’ I asked.

‘I exist because of them,’ she told me. ‘I know part of me lives in those bones, but that part is somewhere else, oblivious to my existence. You may find it silly, but giving up my memories feels like dying to me.’

‘You’re not giving me a straight answer there, your highness.’

Eva was about to say something but a booming voice overshadowed hers.

“CHILDREN OF THE FOREST,” I recognized Lemien’s voice. If I could hear it, it meant that everyone else could. “BY NOW, MOST OF YOU MUST BE SUFFERING. I GRIEVE FOR YOU, BUT YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELVES. I CAN CURE YOU, I CAN HELP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS GET BETTER.”

There was silence after that. The necromancer let his words sink in. He knew how to use pauses to accentuate his speeches. Damn that doctor!

“SEEING AS YOU REFUSED ME BEFORE, I’M WILLING TO OFFER YOU A DEAL. I WILL SAVE YOUR CHILDREN. I PROMISE THEY WILL HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE ABOVE GROUND. BUT TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOURSELVES TO ME, WILLINGLY.

“YOUR DEATHS WILL BE PAINLESS. YOU’LL SERVE MY PURPOSE, AND I’LL MAKE SURE TO REPAY YOUR VALIANT SACRIFICES. YOU HAVE MY WORD. NO FURTHER HARM SHALL BEFALL YOU. GIVE YOURSELVES UP, AND YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WILL LIVE PEACEFULLY ABOVE. SUNLIGHT WILL REACH THEM. THEY’LL THRIVE AND THANK THEIR ANCESTORS FOR THEIR SACRIFICE.”

Another eerie silence.

“YOU HAVE ONE DAY. THINK ABOUT MY OFFER, OR DIE A MOST PAINFUL DEATH. EITHER WAY, YOU SHALL BECOME MY SOLDIERS, MY LOVELY STRONG PUPPETS.”