REUBEN. [II]

Drizzles of raindrops wetted the dusty roads of the port city of Calavaria with splashes and gently tapped against the window of my dwelling room at present. I looked out at the soft evening shower trickling down my window with a grim temperament, there was a laziness about the drizzle that somehow brought upon an inadvertent gloom about them.

"Sire, the recount is ready in its utmost detail. We have uncovered everything that is to be uncovered about this bizarre scenario." Gilbert reported in a grey manner while I languidly held my bare arm out of the little bedroom window and let the droplets splatter on my outstretched fingers.

I silently urged him to continue on his report and as he got the cue, he continued, "This plague called Corrodes disease starts with mild chills and fever, slowly developing into an excruciating pain afflicting the person's bones in the next few days. It is said that the pain is so intolerable that it feels like they are being fed on by termites from the inside out. After the onset of the pain in the person's bones, the person starts developing seizures and within a week after the initial symptoms' death claims the person's life undoubtedly. The fief lord of Calavaria invited many great physicians to solve this malady, but to no avail. They were left utterly clueless about this illness that seemed to spread through the air, and some of them even got infected by it. Before long, no physician dared to venture into Calavaria even if they were to be offered half the fief lord's fortune in fear of their own lives. And as such, the people were left to their own miserable devices. Three months after the plague first hit the city, the fief lord invited a holy abbot to take a look at the situation. The abbot is known for his varied miracles and the fief lord thought that the abbot might be able to get rid of this demonic plague. They said that even if the abbot was not able to get rid of the plague, he was able to bring back the people who had lost their lives back to life."

I raised a brow and tilted my fingers upwards as I silently watched the remnants of the water droplets run downwards my hands like tiny rivers. The crackling sound of the rain on the cedar roof, very tumult to the ears.

"Very soon, all the people of Calavaria started revering and venerating the abbot and to help aid himself in his undertaking to help and revive the increasingly dying number of people, he summoned his disciples and took root here in Calavaria. No one knows who or where did the wondrous abbot came from but the fief lord with the grateful people of Calavaria built him an extravagant palace and gifted him with all the riches and comforts they could possibly provide for. Now the people had nothing to fear for, but the abbot had a condition for helping the people of Calavaria. They should never let his existence be known to anyone outside of Calavaria. If ever they broke their promises, the people that he had brought back to life would once more fall back dead and he and his disciples will leave this place to fend for itself forever. The desperate people readily agreed and as such, they didn't let a soul know about the plague or the holy abbot." And I raised both my brows at that. No wonder I was not informed of this ordeal.

"Very soon, the plague slowly started to spread throughout the neighboring regions of Calavaria. But only those who got infected came to know of the existence of the holy abbot and after they were brought back to life, they and their families never breathed a word out of their mouths about this abbot or his disciples. To avoid the pain that came with the horrible disease, people even started to kill themselves at the early stages of the disease. They thought that they could be simply revived without much hassle if they committed suicide on the early onset of the illness as suffering through the disease till the last stage for it to claim their lives was very frightening and agonizing. Little by little, the influence of this abbot palace grew in exceeding proportions and before the people could even realize what was going on, the abbot took control of the high powers and authorities of Calavaria. The abbot and his disciples increased the taxes and their services now did not come free of charges like before. To save their dear ones, the people were forced to cough up the high demands of the abbot palace. The people who revered and worshipped the abbot soon started fearing him but there was nothing they could do anymore. If they tried to go against him, he would simply leave them to die from the horrid plague, and hence, six months after the abbot's arrival, the abbot Era in Calavaria began." Gilbert mouthed out the details of the report that he had collected in a composed steady manner, as though he was not reporting me events of a callous conspiracy but just a children's common tale. I sometimes had the urge to laugh at his unduly poised demeanour during major crisis, but I didn't want him to nag me anymore about it, so I held back.

"The sentinels at the entrance gate of Calavaria today were disciples of this abbot. They have taken control of the entire city Sire, even the overseas trades are personally conducted by this abbot palace now." Gilbert reported.

"Oh? What about the fief lord of Calavaria?" I asked in nonchalance.

"The fief lord, Count Geraldo Holebaxtter is said to be in cahoots with the abbot. But at the moment, he is nowhere to be found. All his dealings and his authorities has been taken over by the abbot." Gilbert said.

"Oh? He ran away?" I smiled a mischievous smile at Gilbert's words.

"I'm not sure my Liege. But based on our gathered intelligence, it seems to be the case." Gilbert grimly nodded.

"Ah! He sold his fiefdom to this abbot and ran away." I speculated with a smile.

"It seems to be the case Sire." Gilbert agreed in bleakness. "What should we do now Your Majesty, should we siege this said-abbot?"

"Ah! There's no hurry. We have all the time in the world to uncover who this abbot is and what is his real motives." I smiled wider and had a mischievous glint in my eyes. The game had just begun, I sought to relish in the thrill of the chase.

But my legion of royal guard knights turned out to be even more mischievous than me.

The very next morning I was informed that the lady knights of our troupe went out on a killing venture last night and came back sick with mild fevers.

And the playfulness in my eyes no longer shone with the mirth that they did last night during Gilbert's reporting.

"Sire, what do we do now?" Gilbert, for the first time in a while looked a bit flustered.

"Let's go pay the ladies a visit." I said in a taciturn voice.

"But Sire.... What if you get infected due to the contact...?" His voice trailed off in a low humming tone when he saw my eyes and he knew when he was to shut his mouth up.

"Let us go."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Gilbert bowed his head low and didn't utter any more refutes and we made our way towards the chambers where the ladies were held for their recuperation.

The knight guarding the door of the ladies room was the same guard who was thrashed by the gate sentinels yesterday. When he saw us approach the door, his normally laxed frame hoisted up in a ramrod posture as he saluted at us in acknowledgement. I didn't pay his nervous austerity much heed and asked casually, "How are the ladies doing?"

The young knight hesitated for a moment but nevertheless still answered, "Not great Sire, the royal doctor has been trying to tend to them this whole morning, but they still have not shown any signs of recovery."

"Hmm, I see." I nodded curtly and made my way into the room where the sick women guards were being held in.

When I entered the room, my eyes first fell on all the pale-faced womenfolk of my group. An old, bearded doctor was tending to them, his sweat on his temple visible to the eyes. I frowned a little at the sight as I made my way towards the doctor who sat beside one of the female patients taking her pulse.

"How are they?" I asked in an authorative tone.

All the people in the room were jolted awake when they heard my voice. They scrambled to sit or stand to greet and bow to me, but I just waved a hand to stop them in the middle of their tracks and said in a cold tone, "No need."

When they heard me, their already pale faces got even paler and one of the women knights struggled and dragged herself to fall to her knees in front of me, "Your Majesty, if you have to hold anyone responsible for the whole debacle, please hold me the sole accountable personal in this entire ignominy." Many sudden groans and protests ensued as she said her piece but she still undeterredly continued, "I was the one who instigated my fellow comrades to go extract our revenge for the humiliation we suffered yesterday. It was all me, please only punish me and do not admonish my sisters."

I knew this young knight who was bowing her head low in shame and regret at this very moment in front of me. She was a little hothead who did not like to be slighted at all. But besides her impulsiveness, she was otherwise a very competent knight. I seemed to have understood the entire scenario in a moment after her confession.

These women who looked to be otherwise meek were not to be underestimated at all. They were the kind of sheep who were scarier than the wolf and would not hesitate to swallow their enemies whole and not even spit their bones out. I could probably understand why they felt aggrieved enough to take actions against my orders when those two sentinels propositioned and humiliated them in the broad daylight yesterday. I could only silently sigh at the unhinged situation at the moment.

"Knight Rosalie Rovett, were you successful in your killing?" I asked.

The young knight raised her head in surprise for a moment, but her astonished face lasted for only a split second before she reverted back to her stoic self and bowed her head back down again as she spoke in a clear voice, "Yes Your Majesty. It was swift and clean." Meaning no evidence was left of who committed the act.

I hummed in response and said, "Well done, if you were unable to make the killing, then you would have been dismissed from the Order of the Reveldron Knighthood bearing the crime of defying the direct orders of the monarch."

She visibly paled even further when she heard my words, almost gaining the countenance of an undead ghost. "This humble knight shall never again dare to disobey His Majesty's direct orders. Thanking Your Majesty for being benevolent enough to take mercy on this meek knight." She knelt even lower as she expressed her gratitude for the pardon.

I only hummed in turn and said, "Now return to your respective beds and let the royal doctor take care of you. There is no longer any need for the convoluted courtesies."

All the lady knights thanked in appreciation and quietly returned to their beds. After listening to the details of the matter, I walked out of the room in solemnness. It was not known how or why my knights suddenly fell ill when they went after the two disciples of the holy abbot, but of one thing I now was sure. The root of all the mysteries that shrouded this plague is connected to the abbot palace.

It seemed like I will have to pay this revered abbot a little visit.

TO BE CONTINUED.........