Introspection

With little other options left, Benjamin headed towards the main road just shortly off in the distance. Every step crunched through the underbrush leaving trails of dust from the decrepit field. This place had once been vibrant and full of life. Workers had harvested their crops and strewn their seeds here for generations. What was once a vivid assortment of greens, reds, and golden browns was now reduced to nothing but a deathly grey. Not even the dirt was spared the lack of life or color. An all too common a sight in recent times.

Plagues and famine had run rampant across the fields of Tenebris for some seasons. At first it was only some small crops fields affected. However, fate would have much worse in store for all who called this land home.

Now food shortages ran rampant across most regions of the nation. True, not every field had fallen victim but the damage done was already more than enough. Food prices had tripled in only a few months' time. Families and workers who lived hand to mouth have found themselves having to make harsh and cruel decisions. These people were having to think about who amongst them would end up going hungry, and inevitably starve to death.

One would assume that the leadership, the nobles, would be doing something about it. Certainly, some were importing foods, but that did little to alleviate just how desperate the food shortage in most cities had become. Stalls once so full of life now lay empty and unattended. Uneasy silence now gripped the markets and homes of the urban populace.

Ironically those who lived out and worked the fields were best off. A complete inversion of how normally all of the wealth and prosperity was held within city limits.One can hardly fault the farmers and field workers for prioritizing their own families and safety. Human nature however, is not so forgiving. People only see that something that they used to not have to think about is now in short supply.

This is the source of all the headaches that the nobility had been contending with. More and more people were falling below the line struggling to find where their next meal would come from. While this was not the singular issue at play, as the saying goes, "no nation is more than three meals away from a revolution."

As his feet finally meet the main road, Benjamin decided to leave these thoughts for now. Best for the contemplating of solutions for a national crisis to those who are afforded the luxury of time. Something that he was quite keenly aware that he lacked. Making progress he continued down the blacktop road in the direction that was vaguely "away" from the cabin that had been his containment. He had still yet to fully come to grasp his sense of bearing due to the lack of any notable locations or monuments. The road was a simple 4 lane highway devoid of any noticeable features or signs.

With the cloud coverage blocking much of the sky the passage of time was hard to perceive. How long had he been traveling along this path now? A few hours, or perhaps only but a handful of minutes. The only company that he enjoyed was the gentle hum of the nature that was all around him. He had since descended into something of a valley.

However, an unease soon settled in. The air around turned stagnant. The wildlife had become more distant with each pace. Soon a new sound pierced through the valley. A loud pop followed by a heavy impact. At first it only sounded off once, but soon chaos erupted. Followed quickly after was a cacophony of noise with the only respite in between the screams of suffering.

A new urgency filled his steps compelling them one after the other. Cool wind rushed past his face casting aside the beads of sweat. Chills run down his spine, and not only from the cool Autumn weather. Dread was slowing creeping out from the depths of the soul. Faces of those who had been taken all too soon quietly passed before his eyes. Familiarity of this situation was all too well engraved upon his soul. He readied his spear and checked the status of his armor. By the grace of God his power readings showed that his equipment not only functional, but fully charged. He would need the grace of this miracle to propel forwards through his coming trial. He was headed for an active combat zone.