~~~ Seeking the Cure ~~~

 

In the early morn, a light caravel gently slipped away from the docks of Treegum, rapidly gaining speed as it moved clear of the harbor. Sarah Kellei stood on the deck, watching the waking town grow smaller and smaller as the rising dawn chased the shadows away. A hand reached up to clasp the golden pendant hanging round her neck. As a cold breeze came off the sea and rushed through her hair, the Hope of Dawns seemed strangely dim.

 

She was leaving her home to the mercy of this strange malady. An infection that turned men into blood-raged cannibals. Or were they cursed with undeath? These were the questions she was determined to answer, but as her ship continued to flee from the rising sun, she couldn't help but wonder if she was leaving Treegum to a die in her absence. Though it had started in Cadbridge, the relentless malady was now knocking on Treegum's door. But she would have to leave that battle to A'nadra and the others. Eron, Vindruil, Kasak... even that stupid drow.

 

The last thought made her blood boil and for a brief moment her worries and fears were overridden. Turning towards the bow of the ship, however, the weight of her undertaking came rushing back. Ahead, for as far as her elven eye could see, was not but water. Sure she had taken the voyage to the mainland before, even to fight foreign conflicts, but never had the stakes been so high.

 

Port Prosperity was believed to be the source of the strange sickness. After witnessing the way its effects ravaged Eveningfall, Sarah wondered if there would be anything left of the human settlement once she arrived. And once again her thoughts drifted back home, wondering if it too would be a sea of blood upon her return...

 

"You should get yourself settled, ma'am." a sailor's voice snapped her back into focus, "S'gonna be a long voyage."

 

She realized she hadn't barely moved since setting foot on the vessel, her bags still lay on the deck beside her. She forced a smile and nodded to the man, gathering her things.

 

Before heading below deck, she looked back towards Treegum one more time, the town a mere blip on the horizon. In a month's time she would arrive on Valiyus and start getting answers. She could only pray they would be the answers everyone needed.

 

~|~

 

With the exception of a violent storm that nearly capsized the small vessel, the voyage across the Maw of the World Sea was a largely quiet affair. Sarah had spent the time in prayer, beseeching her God for guidance in her quest for answers. She'd grown attached to the crew along the way, having spent many nights playing dice games, or singing songs and telling tales of past glories over a hot bowl of soup. For a moment the weight of her journey slipped away, lost in the midst of hearty laughter.

 

As Port Prosperity drifted into view, her focus returned along with that unshakeable sense of dread. At least there was no sign of the curse's effects here on the mainland. She'd half-feared sailing into a city full of blood-thirsty madmen ready to rip her throat out as soon as she set foot on the dock. But the city seemed completely unaware of the ravenous plague tearing through Saphage.

 

But the curse originated here, so there were surely answers to be found. As to avoid unnecessary attention, she donned the disguise of "Maev" that had served her well in Treegum months back, a cantrip hiding her wings in the illusion of a cloak.

 

Her search started with the crew of the Gliding Gull - the ship that delivered the contaminated crate to Cadbridge. The Gull itself was still in port, undergoing repairs as its main mast had broken in two, apparently from a monstrous storm. All she would find is the captain, who would then send her in search of the man responsible for counting a ship's cargo before departure.

 

That is when the veil masking the blood-raged curse began to draw back...

 

~|~

 

It had been nearly six weeks since Sarah first left for the mainland. After scouring Port Prosperity, an unlikely lead lead her to the magnificent city of Cutlas Prime. She had passed through a few times in the past when doing business on Valiyus, but the sheer size of the city still managed to take her breath away. Cadbridge seemed like Treegum in comparison. The size struck her for a different reason this time, however, as she faced the daunting task of tracking down leads in the giant maze of city streets.

 

But was it even a lead? She'd garnered some small information on the ones responsible for loading the crate, but nothing substantial and it indicated they were already on Saphage. What lead her to Cutlas Prime, however, was a nursery rhyme. She'd overheard it while in Port Prosperity, the words of the rhyme ringing strangely in tune with the events taking place back home. Sarah knew it was a long shot, and the two-day flight to the grand city of its origin nagged at her for wasting time. She wondered if being so removed from the thick of the situation had made her lazy, or caused her to lose focus and fervor. But there was little else to go on. Port Prosperity was a dead end.

 

Though tired from pushing herself harder than she should have during the flight, she moved in to the city in search of a library. She hoped it would have information on the truth behind the children's rhyme.

 

It had to...

 

~|~

 

Sarah stood on the bow of the deck, the mist of the splashing sea a refreshing tingle on her face. At last she was on her way home. While at first her diversion to Cutlas Prime seemed fruitless, it ultimately proved to be the saving grace of the excursion.

 

The two books that may have had the answers to the blood-raged malady were mysteriously missing from the grand library, likely stolen by the perpetrators themselves. But this ultimately lead her to the Knights of Vastur. It seems the Order was inextricably tied to the events wracking Saphage, having battled the same malady on more than one occasion, centuries ago.

 

The sails were full, but the ship could not possibly go fast enough. Though she had acquired a great deal of information during her trip, and had many answers to share, Sarah still did not have the definite solution to the problem. Even if she arrived on the morrow, there was still much work to be done. As the Mainland slipped from view behind her, she looked out upon the vast blue of the sea and silently prayed for the Sun to guide her home swiftly.

 

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