Alma 168 Itroch, the Spirit of Undying Love

Truth be told, it was a primitive remedy that was as old as time. One of the simplest methods to dispel an individual's accumulated stress was to indulge in a pleasurable activity. It did not have to be an explicitly amorous activity, either. Different people handled their stress in a variety of ways.

The Ancient Mulian warriors of yore would partake in grand, celebratory feasts before terrible battles. They would enjoy their most favorite meals and savor the taste of atzintli, an alcoholic beverage of old. These warriors would spend the night with the people they cared about.

Modern Mulians handled things differently depending on the particular race's culture. Humans engaged in all manner of debauched activity, while Avunians spent it meditating or speaking to their many forests. Eisalons often de-stressed by finding comfort in the embrace of another, much like Reed had done with Lu'um.

As far as Lu'um every method was viable and none was better than the other. It was all fair game. The only thing that mattered was that the person got rid themselves of their negative emotions. A warrior had to be both of sound mind and body if they were to perform at their very best.

But she was no fool. She knew that this method only worked to dispel momentary stress that was shallow in nature. The type that arose out of being put in strenuous, emotionally challenging circumstances.

It was not a feasible way to heal deeper wounds of the psyche that were actually serious. Someone affected by a terrible wound of the spirit required the attention of a medical professional. Were Reed genuinely in need of expert assistance, Lu'um's method would have only acted as a band-aid for the problem. In time it would have become a crutch, as well.

She was no stranger to the horrors that came with war. Some of the strongest warriors she had ever come to befriend had fallen in a spiritual sense. They had physically returned alive from the war, but... it had come at a price. Many poor souls ended up finding themselves at the behest of the bottle, the flesh, and other things to abate the pain of what they had experienced...

By the time Reed awoke, the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had arrived at its destination. It solemnly hovered in silence several kilometers away from an abandoned metropolis. The once-grand city was now but a grim reminder of the bloodshed that had occurred there long ago... during the Great Barrier War.

An ominous, glowing fissure ran through the gigantic city like a fresh, bleeding wound upon the earth. The ancient city of Itroch had become the center of a terrifying phenomenon that had begun to plague the North in secret. It had become the epicenter of an unforeseen surge in unexplainable events across the formerly frozen empire of snow and diamond dust.

"It seemingly happened overnight in a city located in the northeastern corner of the North. The city of Kymir. We received reports from the contenders stationed there that a series of unexplainable events had begun to occur across the city," said Lu'um.

"...And? This is Mulia we're talking about. The continent's haunted in some kind of way, no matter where you go. You're going to have specify the type of weird shit that's been going on because there's the normal weird stuff and then there's--"

When Velvund pulled up images of the "unexplainable events," Reed's indifferent expression turned into a sour grimace. It was awful. Images of gore, blood, and fine red mist flashed across the holographic projector without end. They were scenes of the unrestrained carnage that the citizens of Kymir had suffered.

The images displayed all manner of unfortunate victims, be they individuals, families, and even multiple neighborhoods. At some point, things clearly escalated to a point that it had become an issue worth reporting to higher-ups of the North. Eventually, the madness reached a point where not even the conquerors that had been deployed to the city could stop it.

"...In the end, the entire city of Kymir perished. All twenty thousand mortals who lived in the city eventually succumbed to what we are calling 'Itroch syndrome,' of which we have found no cure for at the present moment." 

Itroch syndrome? A viral or bacterial infection? Is it the Infestation's plague toxin? Or something else...? Still, this is clearly out of my domain of expertise. I'm no pathologist or epidemiologist; this clearly a job for them and not us...

"Why is it called 'Itroch syndrome'? It couldn't be because a Chosen caught some kind of bug in this city, right? That's not possible. All Chosen are immune to mortal diseases and illnesses by nature of their Alma."

Velvund nodded and said, "But that doesn't mean that a Chosen couldn't have acted as a carrier for something, even if it had no effect on them. Something that would end up finding its way to a Mortal."

Ah... That's possible. Shit. I didn't think of that. I can't imagine the consequences of bringing something like that back to Cem-Elle. Back to the Hartfords'... 

Reed felt an awful feeling in his stomach as he observed the various floating images in front of him. A terrible nightmare flashed through his mind, but he quickly flushed the thought down the drain.

"Then have we identified the initial host for this... Irtoch syndrome? The Chosen who brought it back?"

"Yes, we have. We have looked into family's records and found that his extended family caught it when we returned from an expedition into the ruins of Itroch that the North ordered." A report of the Chosen's deceased family members appeared on the holo-projector. They had unfortunately not survived, either.

"Since then, we have quarantined every single Chosen that has entered into the ruins of Itroch away from the general population. We have also limited Altar travel across the Four Empires considerably, citing 'technical difficulties'. It goes without saying that we also had to... readjust the media's narrative on the mysterious disappearances of certain border cities.

We cannot afford to incite mass hysteria among the Mortals, lest they do something utterly foolish. For the last year or so, we have followed these protocols and they have worked well in stopping further losses -- at the cost of venturing into the city of Itroch to find an answer. Each Chosen that enters the city is effectively a walking host for whatever has killed four cities..."

Reed turned around gazed at the ruined city in the distance and said, "It's been a year and we still haven't figured out what's been killing the people? You're telling me that all of the continent's lifeweavers have not found an answer?"

If lifeweavers, Chosen who have elected to pursue a medical support profession instead of fighting on the frontlines, could not find an answer to the problem, then shit really has hit the fan, thought Reed.

He grimly laughed and said, "It really is the Eventide of Faith. I'm sure you both see it, right? How quickly do you think those under our care would turn against us were they ever to learn that we had unwittingly become the very thing we have been protecting them from?"

To think that this would be the plague for this fissure. Not one threatening the lands themselves or even history itself, but the people instead. A truly detestable evil has befallen the North this time...

"We have found zero evidence that could indicate a bacterial or viral infection was at play. Neither have we discovered any signs of Infested corruption from any of the samples we have recovered at both Itroch and the afflicted cities that were hit by this plague. We have had people working day and night trying to find the cause, but there is only so much we can go on from what we have..."

Reed shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. Lu'um and I will activate the rest node at the bottom of the fissure and close this freak case for good. Whatever has taken hold in that accursed city should be purged once we're done with the fissure. The North won't have to worry about this evil place haunting them after today..."

What Reed said had been correct, but it did not account for one thing -- the infected Chosen who had already ventured into Itroch. Would they be cleansed once he activated the reset node? That was something they didn't know. If they weren't these Chosen would never be allowed to leave their quarantined lives, for fear of infecting Mortals and other Chosen with whatever they had picked up.

It was effectively a death sentence in the making for them. Still, there was no time left. They could not postpone fixing the fissures in order to gleam a cure for them anymore. A couple of days -- that was all that was left for Mulia if the Eventide of Faith was not stopped.

He was not happy about that possibly grim future for the Chosen who had ventured into Itroch, but there was nothing that they could for them. Reed felt more than a hundred million lives on his shoulders and understood that he had to prioritize them first...

Velvund stroked his chin and said, "...Maybe not. With the two of you here now, I believe that we might have a shot at saving everyone, son. And to that end, I have spoken with the North and we have come up with the semblance of a... theoretical plan. You will not be venturing into Itroch alone.

A small team will be accompanying you to collective data we believe to be crucial to understanding the nature of the plague. They will travel with you, but they will have their own mission running tangentially with yours..."

...Hm? A team with a separate mission? The hell..?

Velvund pushed a button on his holographic monitor and said, "You can come in now."

Silence filled the room for a solid minute until Reed heard the sound of footsteps outside of the conference room.

And then... the door opened.

Chapter end