Plague of divinity

Chapter 4

Enrick had loved going for walks in the woods before he had gone off on his travels. There was something about the forests surrounding the village of Mordich that was just so enticing. It just felt like there was so much variation in the wildlife you could go outside with a vast array of knowledge and still find new things you didn't realize lived there, if one was bothered to take a close look that is. He took a sigh, a twinge of guilt and sadness pricking his heart as he thought back about the events of the previous couple days. A lot has changed since he left. It feels like he missed out on so much all because he felt that itch for adventure. Because of his lack of presence he wasn't even able to be around when his brother died. He of course hoped it was a painless and graceful death but he knows deep down what plaguely death can really be like. Coughing up blood, vomiting, dehydration, frail people formulated of just skin and bones, their bodies writhing and begging for something or someone to end their agony. Those were just some of the ones he'd seen when people had suffered of a normal plague but... this didn't feel like a normal sickness... somehow.

Sighing he sat down on a rock and put his head in his hand. He just wished he had been more useful in general. He couldn't even help his sister learn to read back then, how the hell is he supposed to help these people? A gentle crunching of leaves sounded nearby. Probably Mags he thought, trying to look a little less depressed for the arrival of his sister.

"Oh, hello there," An unexpectedly masculine voice sounded out, turning his head in surprise Enrick laid eyes upon the familiar man walking into eyeshot "Funny for us to meet again so soon huh?"

"Oh... hi," Enrick responded, straightening himself up in surprise at the sudden presence. "Yeah, funny..." The man walked over to a plant sporting pretty bell shaped purple flowers nearby and bent down, gently plucking some of the leaves and placing them into the basket to be accompanied by some red and white mushrooms already there. "Oh I hope you aren't planning on eating those, you know they're poisonous right?" Enrick said almost jokingly, hoping the other man wouldn't have been foolish enough to try. The other man turned his head and narrowed his eyebrows in shock, looking into the basket in disappointment "darn it, there go my lunch plans," before looking at Enrick, a teasing relaxed smirk growing and replace the frown he previously bore.

"I'll just have find another use for them instead." Adjusting what he had collected he gave Enrick a wink before standing up and stretching "I'm Aldrion by the way," he walked over and held out his hand. Enrick shook it and gave him a nod "I'm Enrick," which earned an eyebrow raise from Aldrion "I feel like I've heard that name before," he sat down on a large rock nearby

"I'm the village doctor," Enrick explained sheepishly,

"Ohhh that's right," Aldrion nodded, "you left for a while didn't you?"

"Quite a few months yeah"

Aldrion let out a tsk before continuing "must have been quite the mess to come back to,"

"Yeah it was... certainly news to return to," Enrick could feel a tightness in his stomach at the recent memories.

"That's rough buddy,"

"Mhm,"

"Also... I bet you get asked this a lot but what's with the mask?"

"Heh I do, it was recommended to me by some friends,"

"How interesting, and here I was thinking you were wearing it just because you had good fashion sense,"

Enrick blinked in a confused manner. He couldn't quite tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Oh that too of course," he decided to just go with the flow.

Aldrion gave a brief chuckle before standing up once more, "you seem like a cool guy, if you ever want to chat don't be afraid to come visit. 3rd house in the town square can let you know where I'd be," he walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder reassuringly.