“Touch! Touch! Touch!” the healer yelled at the people who had been taking rest after breakfast not a long ago. They were in his cart which meant they were under his command. He was straight forward with rules to everyone.

“I am coming.” The fat person came by adjusting his slipping pant.

“What were you doing?”

“Marking my territory.” He tightened the pajama around his belly.

“Saer!” he said.

Saer put his hand on the man’s shoulder. Others touching Saer were avoiding strong grip on his puss leaking body. Healer was holding tails of the horses while a man at end was hugging those sheep. As the fat man touched Saer, everyone was linked in skin contact.

“Don’t remove your hand off anyone if you don’t want to be left out here.” Healer said loud, “Ready?”

“Yes!” Others were louder.

“Get ready for side effect.” He whispered in Saer’s ear.

“Side effect?”

The man rubbed his ring downwards from the same hand. Saer felt fierce wind pressing his facial muscles. The force was strong enough to make his sight blur and eyes start to tear. Sheep cried and the people screamed.

I am fainting. Saer couldn’t take a breath in. There was nothing to breathe. He attempted expanding his lungs but the force on his face was making it impossible.

Everything stopped in a sudden.

Horses and sheep made use of their vocal chords. People in the cart were not silent too. They showed their dissatisfaction my random mumbling which even they couldn’t make sense out of. Healer loosened the tails then the horses sat.

They had reached to a village from the barren land of Lacroix Crossing. Things were hotter there than in North East. Saer spotted some wooden huts on the green land. Behind the agonized men was a farm.

Saer lifted his leg. Terrible wave of pain travelled to through his vertebrate just because of the little motion. He reckoned his lower leg was broken. Others were also groaning in pain. Now their curses were easy to apprehend because of the swearing.

“Side effect.” Healer squinted at Saer, “Pain will fade in an hour.”

“Hour! Fuck!” fat man cussed.

“Why don’t you walk to Lacroix Crossing by yourself if you don’t like this pain, huh?”

“This was more hurting than last time.”

“At least you have a tale to tell you children.” Healer looked at other people trying to gather their strength. He saw a man walking in his pig stable.

“Roher!” he called the man accompanied by sucklings.

Farmer kicked pigs blocking his way, crossed the low fence and walked in their direction with pig excreta reaching up to his shin. Saer could only imagine how many worms resided in the farmer’s wet gumboots.

“Take this man to Doctor Eryne.” He said.

Farmer spit out toothpick from his mouth and gave Saer his hand. Saer didn’t hold it after noticing dried stable dirt on his fingertips. He took his ground after climbing down. At least he could find balance despite of pain.

“Wait!” the fat man said.

Saer looked at him.

“Give me the pearl.” He stretched his arm.

Saer took it out and placed it on his humongous palm. He wrapped his fingers around it then placed it in his pocket. The lump on his pocket became everyone else’s business.