Prologue..
*Somewhere in Stygia, a traveler approached the relatively fresh ruins of a small establishment during the dusty night. This especially cold season had kept the destruction from drawing too much attention from any witnesses. Being concealed a long walk from the road one would have to know where to look to find this hamlet. This was due to it's small nature as well as the obvious intent on keeping it concealed from prying eyes. The oasis flora surrounding it worked in harmony with the desert mountains in it's effort to hide this one path leading there.
It seemed to had contained two smaller buildings and a larger one functioning as some sort of gathering hall for the few that lived in the area around. It might had been a day or perhaps two since the apparent tragedy had struck, the building the farthest away from the larger building was the least damaged. There were also three much smaller groups of distinctive rubble closely located to the larger house. The surviving equipment witnessed that these were most certainly some sort of tents which came from people living as travelers.
Concealing himself within a large hooded grey robe, which were stained from the years of traveling it's owner had strained it through, he looked around the ruins carefully and finally went to one of the previous tents. Apart for his thin characteristics and tall body the traveler would be impossible to identify at this point. He paused and knelt carefully as he discovered a small metal box in one of the previous tents. His eyes flashed as he obviously recognized it and released the contents carefully manipulating the hidden mechanics of the exquisite container. Inside there was a scroll which revealed an elegant script of a tattered journal. He went through the scroll directly for the last entries identified by introducing dates and begins reading*
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The traveler has convinced Octavio he can cure the sickness my dear Nadira is suffering from. For now she was resting in one of the main house bed chambers. The traveller has been allowed to use Octavio's basement to prepare the promising elixir. Apparently his work will require the support from certain conditions which tries the patience of us all. I have never seen anything resemble the curse that haunts Nadira at every waking moment. She screams of foreign voices calling her and that we must allow her to leave immediately or she will die. Seeing her in this condition has made me very desperate indeed to turn to such drastic measures. I cannot bare to loose her now, not while our newborn son needs us so. The friends of this new arrival are still staying at the tents outside claiming they are praying for Nadiras health. We receive so few pilgrims here so it was a miracle they arrived just in time to help when this all began. They have been very assisting up till this point I must admit, however their current anti social activities and sometime disturbing chanting are of concern to everyone living here. Even if all this is true and Set can save her, I am not sure the others would see it from my perspective. I will do my best to keep the others at bay until the traveler can finish his work and finally leave.
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*The traveler arched a brow as he read about the newborn son and looked up from the journal and located something which could perhaps be identified as some kind of animal, or even a small infant in the next tent ruin. He went closer and saw the unmistakable shape of a small hand sticking out from the debris pile. Carefully removing a small bottle from his robe he sprinkled a liquid on the infants final burial place and proceeded to read the final entry of the journal*
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The traveler has claimed success! The patient has been moved to the basement so she could be more easily administered during the final proceedings. Sometime in the passing of the night Nadira finally had become quiet and fell into a deep rest, at first I thought she was dead. The traveler had explained this would happen and we proceeded urgently with his previous command to bring her to the cellar once this event had occurred. The pilgrims were waiting down there and they told everyone to leave the room as soon as she had been left on the bed. We were told to come back to see her when the sun rose, but we could only come one at a time, allowing a few minutes to pass between each person. The traveler had explained she would need to recover at her own pace before she would be discharged.
The next morning I was to be in charge of the main house until Octavio returned with the pilgrims and some others from a small trip to the local market buying the means for a grand celebration. Naturally I went down to the basement to see my love as soon as they left. Before I finished the stairs I heard the distinctive sound of more then one snake, I proceeded determined. I saw the strangest collection of bottles of all colors and scrolls of all shapes and sizes stacked on a old cupboards and shelves. Several dark ornamented cloth curtains were now hanging among the pillars separating a small section at the back of using a third of the basement. The traveler stood in front of it in a gray worn robe, it had all kind of stains on it perhaps originating from the work done here. I saw no reptiles nor snakes, alas there was something unsettling about the change of atmosphere in the room recently. I did not remember these unfamiliar odors and strange subtle markings on the walls and floors. The traveller seem not to notice me and proceeded slowly to withdraw a section of the curtains. My worries were no more when I saw my love lying with serene peace on a bed located in a corner with her eyes open looking at me with amazement. She had been strained for her own good which a pilgrim had explained to me on a previous occasion.
My love had been constantly resting to recover from her trying ordeal and amazingly she now looked better than ever, however I had been informed she would not be able to speak in weeks to come. Such a peril it has been for us, I felt blessed to see her awake and relieved of any obvious pain. When I stepped towards her, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder forcing me to face it's owner. The traveler nodded to me and studied me for a few seconds before one of the pilgrims revealed himself from behind the dark curtains. The pilgrim explained it is still one hour until sunrise and this could jeopardize the whole treatment if they were not left in peace. Reluctantly I left to have some rest. I looked at Nadira a final time and her eyes were now closed but she looked as if to be in peace, a bit pale, but that was to be expected.
So I have recounted the events of this ordeal rather than resting and I now believe it is now only a few minutes to sunrise. It is time for me to take my place at the side of my love and rejoice in her miraculous recovery. I think everyone I know will be there, and what a wonderful time it is to have your friends and family so close. I can hear they have begun celebrating already, I should go!
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*The traveler crumbled the scroll and threw it on the debris pile with the infant. He revealed a small leather pouch which contained some sort of signal colored powder. It instantly burst in a violent symphony of smoke and fire as he threw it on the debris. Slowly the traveler walked to what used to be the final tent. It had a larger part wooden container with strange reflecting metal markings all around it, quite obviously damaged in the fire. He searched it and eventually removed some equipment and placing them in a small bag. He carefully repeated the liquid and powder procedure at this spot instantly incinerating any trace of the container. Slowly he began walking in the opposite direction from which he came with the unnatural fire reluctantly dying in the background.*
28-05-08, 02:47 PM
