Well. The morning comes, and we all hop up, brimming with excitement. Lurit waves us off, then limps away. It's strange, this Parasol place. I'm still not fully used to it... It's so ordered, something which Spearbreakers most definitely was not. As a young dwarf I was always told that order was bad, that it promoted soberness and elven behaviour - but it seems to work for Parasol. I suppose Ballpoint and the others are similar.
Anyway, so Tedaz and Strohe and I left the area we lived in, and travelled by that weird rail-hover-minecart thing to the main Parasol hall. When we entered the hall, we were stopped by a soldier in a strange blue uniform, labelled 'Customs'.
"Halt! If you are leaving, I need to scan you for any germs you picked up here. Can't have the Everockers dying of Parasol Flu, can we?"
We stopped, of course, while he scanned us.
"Uhm, sir, we're offworlders. If we had the 'Parasol Flu', we'd show it. I briefly learned medicine with the dwarves of Spearbreakers - we have no diseases but Spawn Fever that affect us on a delay."
"You ought to hold your tongue if you want this to go smoothly- it's my job. Some diseases have 'incubation periods', where you aren't sick at all until it hits," he said. The bluecoated soldier scanned us with this... well, it's hard to describe, but it looked like a metal rod, what elven druids would use, but metal instead of wood. A red light binged on it.
"You. You all have mild Spawn-vectored Hepatitis, in incubation stages."
Everything went cold. Spawn-vectored hepatitis? Just that word alone, 'spawn', was enough to send a long finger of dread into my mind.
Tedaz frowned. "What's Spawn-vectored Hepatitis? I hope we aren't going to turn into those vile creatures," he said.
The soldier eased from toe to toe. "No, it's unrelated to Spawn Fever. You probably realise it by now, but the Spawn of Holistic are very dirty creatures - they carry all raft of noxious pathogens, some life-threatening, some mild. Anyone who comes in moderately close contact to a Spawn, even unharmed, is likely to sicken from something it carries."
Strohe looked terrified. "Are we going to die? What's Hepatitis?"
Again, the soldier looked a bit sheepish, before addressing Tedaz and Strohe, while shutting me out. "Erm, hepatitis is when your liver is inflamed. In this case it is caused by bacteria, tiny living creatures that can live in your body. You two merely need a jab to kill the parasite - I can do that in our office there." He turned to me. "But for a dwarf, hepatitis is a lot more serious. You think, eat, metabolise with your livers, correct? You're going to have to stay in hospital on a course of antibiotics, just as a precautionary measure. I'm afraid I can't let you return to Everoc, just yet. Come with me."
Tedaz and Strohe and I are bundled into the customs office, where the soldier produced a nasty looking needle.
"Arm, you two."
Tedaz and Strohe both worriedly rolled up their sleeves, and the soldier jabbed them with the needle quickly, injecting a clear liquid into their arms. Strohe flinched - it was his newly healed arm, still tender.
"Reudh, I guess we have to go without you. You'll be alright, won't you?" Strohe said. He seemed genuinely worried about me. Even Tedaz' normally stalwart expression appeared somber.
"Stay safe, won't you? We'll have to return home without you - I'll try and send a message with the next Four Counties caravan for you, if you like."
"I'd really like that, Tedaz. I'll dictate it to you in a moment," I said. It seemed I wouldn't get to return home.
Probably for the best. Spearbreakers is likely in ruin by now. I think. Tomio was still the ruler - a good dwarf, that one. Tomio was strange, yes, but then again I was too.
The customs officer-soldier allowed me a moment to say goodbye to my friends, and left the office to stand outside.
"Okay, Tedaz: here goes. 'Hello Splint. It's Reudh. I'm alive and well. Vanya is alive and well too. I have sent this message with a trusted friend - he knows of Spearbreakers, and of Parasol and Ballpoint. I cannot say much - costs of missives - but suffice to say I'm nearby. Is the fort okay, and how's Fischer going? If you want to reply, send a message back to the fort of Ceshcacil, addressed to Tedaz Pimishas.' I think that'll do. Costs are high to send messages these days- take a few mugs with you to pay."
I pulled my backpack open and gave him two more jewelled native platinum mugs of Spearbreakers. That was the last of my stock. Once Tedaz had finished writing it down, he stowed it in his bag, along with the mugs.
There was a good side to this debacle, I suppose. I could visit Vanya and Lurit once the antibiotic course was finished.
Tedaz and Strohe left the room, and nodded to the soldier. The customs officer returned, and an orderly came with him. We headed to the hospital, where I would undergo preventative treatment for Spawn-vectored Hepatitis. I had been through worse, after all.
"Erm, soldier - I have no family here on Parasol, but for three friends. Let them know I'm in hospital, at least temporarily - these three are Katie Oklablokum, Vanya Carena and Lurit Fanuupu."
The soldier grunted, as he jotted it down into his PEA. I waved goodbye to Tedaz and Strohe as they prepared to step through the portal to Everoc, in the Amber Barb.
Goodbye, my friends. Stay safe.
I figured I'd try a different character. Reudh's gonna have a rest for a little while while Tedaz and Strohe have their own adventure.
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2273299 times)