Disease

Cats were the first creatures to disappear from the bustling streets of Groamburk. No one knew where they ran off to and, quite frankly, not a lot of people cared. Then it was the birds that stopped flying over the city and instead chose to go around it, even if it meant giving it a wide. The wave and subsequent infestation of rats that people had expected to happen due to the sudden disappearance of cats never came to pass. It was almost as if the animalistic instincts of these creatures warned them that Groamburk was about to become the epicentre of something terrible. The inhabitants of the city, however, just thought it was a curious phenomenon not worth paying attention to.

And then the disease arrived.

The sickness spread through Groamburk swiftly and unforgivingly, like a horde of barbarians aiming to rape, pillage, and burn every household they could lay their eyes upon. In this case, though, it was far worse than a horde of foreign bloodthirsty intruders because with that kind of calamity you could at least see what was killing you.

With the disease, there was no such chance.

The first people that caught the disease didn't realise they had it until they spread it to others after they incubated it for a few weeks. This was particularly disastrous given that the disease itself was incredibly contagious and the people who had it passed it on to others by simply being in close proximity to them.

The first people who showed symptoms merely happened to walk around with a cough slightly bit dryer than normal. Due to the fact that this event coincided with the changing of the seasons and the first drop in temperatures from summer giving way to autumn, no one really took notice of it and just attributed it to a seasonal cold which would eventually pass.

But it didn't.

The first people to die were the ones nobody cared about: the poor, the lost, and the abandoned. Those whom the general populace discreetly avoided when they walked down the street so as to not give them alms. The beggars, orphans, old and widowed, desperate, and forgotten; the ostracised members of the community that everyone knew were there but no one bothered enough to think about.

It all began when an old vagabond collapsed right in the middle of the Groam pass that split Groamburk in two; in effect, the literal heart of the city. The vagabond showed signs of struggling to breathe, suffocation, and extreme bouts of vomiting.

The guards were promptly called to pick the vagabond up; which they did quickly and efficiently. Not because they wanted to lead the vagabond to help, but because the vagabond was an eye-sore that needed removing from the city's main street.

The guards sent to retrieve the vagabond had faces covered with disgusted looks as they placed the vagabond onto a small cart and dragged him off to the local gaol, which also served as the locale where citizens had to go and pay their fines when necessary.

The vagabond died a few days later after drowning from the liquid accumulating in his lungs. It was excruciatingly painful.

The guards took the dead body out of its cell, loaded it into a cart of detritus and had it taken out of the city and placed into a cesspool without even lamenting the passing of the vagabond. Well, that's not entirely true, they lamented the fact that the vagabond died on their watch and in their cell.

Other people started dying soon after.

Not unknown people without a name or a profession or that people didn't bother looking at twice; people others cared about. First there was widespread mourning as the city united in prayer towards the good fortune for the souls of the individuals lost. Mourning which quickly turned into worry, and finally panic as the numbers of sick people rose every day without indication of coming to a stop.

No one knew just how many sick people there were within the city's walls and suddenly people began mistrusting one another, barring their doors and eyeing their neighbours with a gleam that simply didn't seem right. Shops closed and food, or lack of it, suddenly became a problem. Riots seemed nearby in the not-so-distant horizon.

Groamburk was dying.

--

Jack sat at the border of the second floor's landing, the door to his parent's bedroom directly at his back as he made every effort possible to tune out Adras' incessant coughing. It sounded as if her lungs were about to burst out of her mouth and he felt his heart crumbling with every time the dry, rasping, sound came out of her mouth.

With his keen spiritual perception, Jack sensed that Ichabod was inside the room holding her hand closely to his chest, begging whatever deities there existed that they take him instead and allow her to live. Alongside him were two of the city's best doctors who'd rushed out at Ichabod's summons and were examining the sickly lady with grim looks on their faces.

Gritting his teeth, Jack rose up to his feet with his mind having been made up. "Erik! Jadelere!" He shouted out in a tone that was brimming with authority.

"Yes!" Exclaimed the two in unison, almost unaware that they'd straightened up subconsciously at Jack's command.

"I need to see my mother."

"Young master Hare," Began Erik with a concerned expression. "that's not possible. The plague is extremely contagious and all the experts agree that keeping your distance is the only way to ensure your safety."

"My safety is of no concern to you." Jack's eyes turned increasingly colder and both Erik and Jadelere felt a shiver go down their spines. "I will examine her instead of these quacks."

Jadelere and Erik exchanged glances and each of them saw the same knowing look in the other's eyes. Neither of them had forgotten Jack's miraculous feats when he was still an infant, nor had they ever stopped wondering about the potential existence of Jack's supposed master. Even though Jack had remained mostly quiet over the years, the impression he'd made on them when he fought Leah to a standstill still weighed heavily on their minds. Maybe he would be able to create another miracle.

After a mere moment of thought, they both nodded. "What do you need?" Asked Jadelere.

"I need twenty-five silver needles. They must be four inches long and no wider than three times the breadth of a human hair." He spoke with confidence and he knew exactly what he required. There was no hesitation within his eyes.

"Acupuncture?" Wondered Erik aloud. "I believe I have something like that within my belongings." The manner with which Jack spoke somehow made him feel as if there was a chance for him to be successful and he felt a sense of hope swelling up inside him.

"Then be silent and quickly go and get it."

"Right away!"

With that, Erik quickly rand down the stairs and made his way to his bedchamber. In the meantime, Jack stood in the same position, not bothering to even shift his body weight. He stood perfectly still, like a statue. Jadelere wanted to say something, but in the end decided it was best to wait matters out and hope for the best possible conclusion.

In a matter of minutes, Erik was running back up the stairs whilst carrying a small rectangular-shaped leather box which he handed to Jack as soon as he got to him.

Jack opened the box and nodded in satisfaction when he saw five rows of five neat and exquisitely designed silver acupuncture needles. From just a glance, he could tell that these were of a superior quality compared to the medical instruments available in the empire as far as he was aware of. The thought of why Erik had such a treasure in his possession never crossed his mind but he did give his teacher a look filled with gratitude and appreciation.

"Let's go." Without anything else to add, Jack walked up to the door and slammed it open.

The people inside were startled as they jumped up in surprise and turned to look at who dared to interrupt them. Ichabod showed a look of extreme surprise when he saw that it was his son that was barging in completely uninvited. Jack looked at him and sighed in his heart because that his father seemed far older than he had just a couple of days ago; even his hair had started to go grey in some parts.

"What is the meaning of this?" Angrily inquired one of the two doctors that vaguely had an appearance which reminded Jack of a mouse. "This is disgraceful!"

"Why have you come in here, my son?" Asked Ichabod after waving at the doctor after waving his hands in a gesture that meant he would handle the situation. "It's not safe."

"Father, do you trust me?"

"I do. Of course, I do!" Answered Ichabod without any shred of hesitation.

"Then send these two back and let me examine mother."

"This…" At Jack's request, Ichabod couldn't help but feel extremely troubled. Even though he trusted Jack completely, they were talking about the survivability or demise of his dear wife. Any mistake would have irreversible consequences.

"Preposterous!" Exclaimed the mouse-faced doctor. "Medicine is a sacred art that requires years of arduous practice before one can even begin to call themselves a doctor. What can an ignorant child like you possibly do where we have failed?"

This doctor's name was Lau, and he had long heard about Jack's condition of having crippled meridians. Therefore, he didn't give the boy any face and went so far as to look at him with his nose held up very high, demonstrating the scorn with which he viewed Jack.

"Who are you?" Asked Jack in a voice as cold as ice.

"Me? You're not qualified to know." Snorted the doctor. By this point, even his companion felt that Lau was taking things too far.

"Very well. But know this:" Said Jack calmly as he walked up to stand directly in front of Lau. "If anything happens to my mother or anyone else in my family, I will burn down the entire city with everyone you love in it."

"How dare you?!" Exclaimed Lau as he pointed a trembling finger at Jack. He had never once been threatened in his life and to be spoken like that by an eleven-year-old was a slap to his face that he had trouble swallowing.

But Jack was in no mood to take any bullshit. He was on the verge of exploding with fury and so he continued on whilst ignoring the mouse-faced doctor's outburst. "And when the flames calm down and you feel like I am finished, you will realise that I will only have just begun." There was something in the eerie calmness of Jack's voice and the iciness in his eyes that caused everyone listening to him to feel like they'd just stepped foot within the netherworld itself.

"I will make you eat the ashes of the city and mix an uncountable number of poisons within your bloodstream that will make you feel your blood is boiling. I will bury you alive next to the burnt bodies of your family and feed you a drug so potent, that you will end up devouring them from the sheer excruciating hunger it will cause you."

Jack paused for a moment as he walked past Lau but without letting his eyes leave the doctor's. "So pray to whatever gods you believe in that I am successful because I do not make any threats, only promises."

With that, Jack turned away from the doctor which was now sweating profusely down his back. For some reason, Lau believed every single word that came out of Jack's mouth. He wasn't the only one, even Ichabod believed that his son would do what he'd promised.

As soon as jack reached the side of the bed, doctor Lau snorted and, in a vain attempt at regaining his lost face, swiftly spun around and departed the room without adding another word. He was soon followed by his companion.

Ichabod sighed when he saw the two doctors leave but he knew it was already too late to go back and ask them to return. "I hope you know what you're doing." He said in a whisper.

"Believe in me, father, not as your son, but as a man." Jack crossed his gaze with Ichabod and Ichabod saw that his son's eyes were full of confidence and assurance.

"Alright!"