Troops from eastern, western and northern district were sent by the king to avoid the soaring population of lunatics to spread further. A frontier was created between the territories. They enclosed the area from low west to low eastern and up to the palace. Each civilian found was thoroughly examinated for any wound.
Thanks to the full rapports the king received, he pictured the problem and ordered according to his instincts. He trapped his citizens in the city's walls first, then with his army he divided his population.
People with wounds were brought into a tent with the others, waiting to see if their mind seeped with their thoughts before becoming crazy. Aggressive comportments weren't tolerated, even for those who fell on their way, lost a sibling and argued about it.
For everyone's security, people were executed on sight. Any jewel found was stolen by the soldier as a raise.
Farther in south, the team of four went toward where it all begun. Hoping to find a rat that would prevent people's death.
The four used Jaggar and Picco's previous way to avoid crossing path with lunatics. Those they had slain before attracted more that fed on their corpse. By the time they understood the situation, they almost got spotted. They had to go using another path, two hundred meters apart the first one.
Their hope made them pass through hard pictures, at least only for those with eyes open.
One more hour until sunset and Prem began to complain.
"Ah, I can't endure this any longer! There's so much mud sticking to my shoes my knees just reached their limit! Can't we find another place to rest?"
His high spirit rose many unwanted attention. Two lunatics came toward them just to be slashed full strength. "Don't talk too loud you idiot! We need to find another shelter before nighttime. I think we can snatch something from those stand, and get in this house up the slope. Its doors are open."
They all filled their belly. Before going to sleep, Jaggar was curious and asked.
"So where did you two met?" But Prem wanted Seven to remain silent. "He's not allowed to talk about it, it's an order from the king." He said, sweating. Keith gestured Prem to follow him next room, for a private talk, it was Show's idea.
"Listen, I know you value the king's life a lot, but first he sent you to die with the monsters outside, he's not envisaging your comeback. Why do you care so much about this king that doesn't like you, a life of servitude and enslaving?" It was the kid's normal voice, yet it struck deep in Prem's one track minded way of thinking.
"You weren't sent to save the day, I was. You're just here to confuse people, and nothing you can tell them will be taken seriously, because you're already doing your best to obscure my identity. Picco, the little man knows things already, moreover I don't see why you wouldn't be curious as well."
Finally back in the living room, Keith spoke. "I was born in Kodra, and him too, long before me. It's a small village with plenty of events, you should visit it some day. I came here to find my father, my quest was interrupted by the monster incident, the one three moons ago. I survived wounds that'd make plenty pale only by thinking about it."
"My mother being a witch, I impressed the king with tricks and got enrolled as his personal sorcerer. You all know the rest, I'm here to end the calamity."
'Tricks?' They all thoughts in unison. Prem had never witnessed Seven's power, nor did Jaggar witness magic before. As for Picco he was impatient to see anything linking Keith to Wenyi.
"Show us something! I want to be sure I'm not risking my life on empty words!" Said Jaggar, surprising the two other that were about to say something similar.
'Eh, they're so curious. How cute. We could show them how good we are at seeing, because it's the most obvious weak point we have. Here's what we can do...' Said Show, dictating the kid's next words.
"You, the warrior, get up, give me one hand." The man executed the order, he was incredulous like the two others. Between the roughly made beds, they looked at the kid with effort to fight fatigue and the lack of light.
"I'll count to three, and I'll release you from a heavy burden. Just think as becoming lighter."
'A burden? I'm grieving for my father, I can't be cured about that, I need those emotion to fight against those monsters... I can't-' Thought Jaggar. Keith suddenly strengthened his grip to keep the man focused elsewhere his target.
"Three." Said Keith as the man's chestplate fell on the ground. Clung! Show came back in Keith's outfit in the blink of an eye, the men had yet to pick up their jaws, the kid was off to 'sleep'.
Indeed this was accounted as a burden. The three men agreed with Keith's trick as a token to be considered more important than he looked.
He escaped two hours later. He woke up the warrior who did not dare to follow the kid. The noise from the creaking door was enough to alert him. His night was about to be long and devoid of sleep.
Keith jumped, ran and sprinted in the desert city. His eyes were open and he had totally forgot about the itch. An eery green color emanated from his gaze as he followed black linings entangled with silver ones.
"How are we supposed to find the rats?" He asked.
'We'll use Randi's corpse, they used his belly as a home, so we'll start from there.'
Dirt stained the royal outfit the kid wore, the few things he touched inadvertently torn it apart, but he felt free. From the corner of his eye, he saw five men, none talked nonetheless they moved together and chased the kid.
'Stop moving, I'll stay close to you and get rid of them.' Slash! With confidence, the kid continued his way as if nothing happened. His stamina depleted slowly, his impeccable lifestyle among the palace gave him enough energy to fuel a year.
He stopped near a cabin, with an eye drawn on it, it was one of the details Randi gave him in the explanation. Keith entered and three more head fell on the ground.'Perfect. Let's set our bait here.' Said Show, making Randi's corpse appear.
Its ribcage was visible to the naked eye, and so was his spine from the inside of his abdomen.
Mister Show used his many arms to draw a circle around it, pushing the bed aside. He then added arrows going out and inside of it, and finally he used organs from the corpse next to them to give the rats a reason to come back home.
After five minutes, one rat appeared, Show prevented Keith from moving until more arrived.
Twenty minutes, the second one came. Two hours and the third one one here. In total, they waited five hours to have all the rats. Their fur was black and they left behind them a trail of black and silvery lines. Taking life, spreading death.
Show launched six arms like spears to catch them at the same time. The rats did their best to escape but in vain. More fingers engulfed them.
"Now what?" Asked Keith, impatient to finish all this mess.
'Now we burn their house, and we kill them, we're erasing them. I'm doing it, you don't have enough hands.' Said Show. But a voice interrupted their ritual. 'No! They are my friends! You can't kill them!' Randi protested.
One more hand gushed out from Show's main body and entered the kid's head. The stroke of pain almost made him faint on the spot. When his head touched the ground, Show rooted out a ball of black lines.
He used Randi's spiritual remains to attach the rats together, his many hands formed black sun rays of fists with squeaking matter in the middle of the corpse.
Crack. The rat's house roof was ripped off. Show continued to mutilate the corpse. He cut off the feet, to break the foundations. He destroyed completely the ribcage and ended the curse by killing all the rats at once.
Show pushed the boy forward and spoke. "Now it must all come back from where it's from. Eat it all to seal this curse. Don't be shy, or I'll force you." Keith nodded and began by sniffing around, hoping to get hungry. Nothing special emanated from it, but the insatiable stomach of the kid allowed him to overcame the unpleasant sight.
Bit by bit, the carcasses vanished. Even the one from the dead lunatics around. Three hours passed until nothing was left but a blackened tent. Show was back into the kid's clothes. They exited the house to find some water in order to clean themselves.
Outside, everything was quiet. Not even birds dared to approach the area. Dawn lightened the sky with orange colors and far away clouds approached. The guards and soldier that fought all night were exhausted. They were happy once they saw their enemy falling one after the other.
It was time for the city to feel the bitterness of their loss.
As the guards advanced toward the southern gate, so did Keith's companions. They found the boy stumbling between the barracks. Thankfully he fulfilled his priority task before encountering them.
"See? It's over guys." Keith said, not even looking tired.
Alas in the tent he forgot his wooden mask. Jaggar stopped walking, while Picco hid behind him and Prem continued toward the spine-chilling child. "Congratulations Seven! Although we were scared to not find you this morning, we're all relieved to have you alive. Here, take this, you must hide your facial features, even your friend from Kodra doubted your clarity of mind from afar."
The servant gave Keith his hat and untied the part supposed to float with wind. It didn't completely hide his neck nor lower jaw but it was enough because he was short and people would more often look at him from above.
Picco approached as if he never faltered in front of Keith's appearance and gave him a hand. 'I still can't believe how much he must've suffered to get a face like this.' He thought.
'I can't unsee his face, that's going to haunt me too.' Thought Jaggar.