"This can't be true...", I can feel Jaswyn's arm shaking slightly as she continues to cover both of our mouths. But as I try to move it away to be able to speak her gaze snaps to me and she pulls me into a her arms. "What- Jaswyn? What is going on? You really need to start explaining.", her grip only tightens around me before she lets me go again. When I try to pull away she grabs my shoulders so I keep facing her and have my full attention on her.
"Listen here, kid. I know you don't understand most of what is going on but I really need you to do what I tell you, okay?" I hesitantly nod my head. "I need you to say it." "I'm going to listen to you...." "She breathes a shaky breath of relief. "I wanted to tell you everything once you turn eighteen and I'm so sorry but we don't have enough time to do that now. You need to get your brother and then immediately go to Kurtis' house. He can protect the both of you and will explain things." I stare at her confused. "Kurtis? The lunatic? There are about 1000 people in this town and you want me to go to him?" "We don't have time. You trust me don't you? You can trust him as much as you trust me, we are old friends. You have to go now, khestri. Take care", and with that sentence she releases my shoulders and opens the backdoor of the market stand for me to get out. "But what about you? I can't go without you...", she smiles a sad smile. "You need to, little one. I'm one of the only people that can fight. I need to stay and protect the villagers." "From what?" Her lips set into a thin line and moves back enough for me to peek over the edge of the counter and what I see sends a chill through my whole body. Oh gods.
The people that stood near the weird smoke grenade all transformed into something different....something that could barely be called a human being. They were attacking the humans around them, their skin was sickly pale and their vivid purple veins unnaturally visible under their skin. A few of them manically laughing while attacking, a few with raw rage and one women has tears coming out of her eyes as she slices a passenger in two with a sword made of lightning. The other maniacs did similar things: one was storming at his next victim, the ground shaking under his heavy steps and as he punches the person in the chest his hand goes clean through; another one was laying on the ground twitching as her body begins to change: her fingernails rapidly growing until she had claws, her eyes starting to look animalistic and her teeth elongating to fangs.
Shit, I think I know what this is: the curse of the hollowed. What the hell was in that smoke? And who would want this hell to happen again? Our ancestors were barely able to keep in under control long enough to finish building the walls around the remaining towns. I thought it was under control now, that's what the messengers from the capital have been telling us at least. They wouldn't lie to us....would they? I mean I knew there were still a few cases but never in our area and the hunters and royal knights take care of it. That man...the one with the strange eyes...what could be his mission? What could he want to achieve by this messed up act? Is he part of the divine light cult? I didn't imagine them to look like...that. I thought they would be dressed up like priests or something. He on the other side looked like the devil himself.