Sive Peregrinus

Novis was a small knit community, a town where everybody knew each other. It’s a quiet town where even the slightest whisper spread throughout, like a gust of wind working within a storm. One could only imagine the town’s reaction to a new figure, a man wearing a dirty old trench coat, styled with a top hat and finished in feathers with random odds and ends, marching upon Main Street with a staff in hand, as if to command an army.

Whispers filled the shops and gossip about the old man voiced within the locals. “He looks like he hasn’t showered in days” spoke Jane Mulligan who was standing outside of her flower shop. “Probably doesn’t even know how” chimed in Mike Furtul.

The talk of the town continued on about how he looked ragged and weird and would become a danger to their community. Soon, Main Street was everything but silent. The speech of the locals carried on, following the man as he marched along with his head turned towards the sky. The chatter didn’t seem to bother him, he was on a mission and could not be stopped, especially by words as meaningless as theirs.

He arrived in front of a small shop, an apothecary. The bell announced his arrival as he stepped in through the door, his figure disappearing from the prying eyes of the crowd gathering outside. The store had a chill, just enough to notice but not enough to send you shivering for a jacket.

 With a slow placement of the man’s staff, being settled against an antique bookshelf, a soft yet confident voice beamed.  “Hello, my name is Anna. Can I help you sir?” she inquired with a welcoming smile. Anna’s eyes followed the man with wonder as he glided to the right of the store stopping in front of various plants and herbs. “Do you…” the man drawled out “...have any Atropa belladonna?” His face turned to hers. It was sagged, covered in wrinkles with spots of discolouration spread throughout.

 “I keep that in the back sir, don’t want anyone just grabbing it. It can be very dangerous. May I ask what you intend to use it for?” Her body moved towards the back, passing through the beads that had been strung upon a weakening frame. “It’s for medical use…” mumbled the man “people I know…they need some…help. Only…I can provide it for them accurately… as the situation calls. My knowledge…..is vast within… the herbal arts.” He finished speaking to catch a breath.

 Anna emerged from behind the beads with the deadly nightshade in hand. “I hope this will be enough then, I don’t appear to have anymore. Not many request it. Is there anything else I can grab for you sir?” she beamed, still smiling as big as ever. Her hands moved along the back wall grabbing wrapping paper and a paper bag to house his goods. “No…that is all” the man concluded.

“Perfect then. Your total will be thirty-two dollars and twenty-five cents.” Anna watched as the man reached to his side, gripping a coin purse. He poked around it, feeling empty wrappers from mints and the fuzz that naturally appeared within. He frowned and sighed, looking up to the young girl. With no judgement in her eyes and a smile on her face, she waited patiently for his coin.

This one may be different.“It appears…I cannot pay.” His baggy eyes stared to the ground. The man’s thoughts continued, Maybe she’s different. No more looking. “That’s no worries sir, it’s on the house! I don’t mind at all. I believe in the Three fold law.” Her eyes flashed a look of concern and then filled with joy almost instantly, smiling as she spoke. Perfect.

 She dunked down behind the counter and popped up with a Citrine bracelet. “Allow me” she said, grabbing the man’s hand in hers and slipping the bracelet onto his wrist. “It’s for good luck. Everybody needs it sometimes and I wish plenty your way sir” The man smiled at the girl and a tear left his eye.

 Her heart proved to be above most. It was time. “Thank you……Annabelle...” Her eyebrows drew into a puzzled look. How did he know her full name? It wasn’t of any knowledge to anyone. The man chuckled and grabbed his nightshade, dragging it off of the counter and into his pocket. He turned and strutted out of the shop, grabbing his staff at the door and appearing to use it to push the door open, however, the man didn’t even touch his staff to the door.

 More of the locals began to gather on Main Street. The whole town must have been here. It keeps getting better and better.  Faces were filled with disgust as the lips of many moved closer to each other’s ears, the whispers growing stronger. They were filled with hatred. Why would somebody strange come into their small town and disrupt the natural order of things? They felt as if he was misplaced among their sophisticated town

. The town was litter and graffiti free, with each building defining itself through the cleanliness proven within their sparkles. Even the cars lining the streets casted blinding glares in the unfortunate eyes that wandered past.

The man started forward again, grinning at those who he decided to glimpse upon. Fear shot across their faces when he moved towards them, backing away, instantly tripping each other as he moved faster. Fools. He continued on until he reached the end of Thirty-Eighth Street. Turning right, he then went on another four blocks before reaching his edge of town and entering the forest.

 Through gut feeling the man found his way to the lake. The town’s main water supply. The staff guided him to the edge where he stood and took a deep breath, taking in the fresh aroma of the trees.

Placing the staff gently on the ground beside him, he reached up and took off his hat. He then reached into his pocket and took out the deadly nightshade, unwrapping it and placing the wrapping paper in his pocket. Next, he threw it back into his bag and took out a vial of green shimmering liquid, pouring it into the bag and mixing the ingredients together he chanted, “B’oh vail y’umm di lita’ire!” The bag started to smoke and he grinned from ear to ear holding it over the water.

 Pieces of paper started to melt away and the mixture dripped into the clear blue water swirling down into the darkness. Over the next few seconds, a green liquid bled from the bag as the bag sank within the water dissolving on its journey.

 The water started to swirl with the green water glistening off of the sun’s rays. It sped up faster and faster until the whole lake was the same shade of green, beautiful but deadly. “Tit’um sur haier’euj” the water calmed and turned back to clear blue as he spoke those three words, finishing his part of the task. Now I wait. Bending down, he picked up both his hat and staff, placing his hat firmly on his head with a grunt. He sighed and turned away, walking further into the forest disappearing between the trees.

It had been three days since the shamed walk through town and the words spoken above the lake. It should be set in now. Time to begin the show. The man stood atop the highest hill that was a part of a collection of high grounds, surrounding the town.

 Looking down upon the town he watched as people strolled the streets. Almost perfectly timed, people started to flood the streets from within the shops, shouting for help and yelling to call 911, crying for medical attention. But then, all of a sudden, the locals began to grab at their throats, coughing and begging for water as they could not breathe.

The man counted all of the faces he saw, most of the towns-people were outside. Jane Mulligan, Mike Furtul, Kimberly Duin, Orin Balgusi he continued naming them in his head as their souls left their bodies and collected in a spiraling blue pool left growing in the middle of the street.

 Some people dropped in the streets struggling to hold onto to their last breaths, trying to resist the inevitable. He tapped his staff to the ground three time and spoke “Dil’hailtu” and hovered above the hill until he leaned forward, floating down the hill, past the rocks and trees until he reached flat ground.

 From there, he landed and snaked his way through some trees, until he became familiar with his surroundings. Continuing on, he walked upon the middle of the street with no whispers, only the sounds of those still choking.

 Smiling, he walked up to the blue pool of souls waiting patiently in front of it as it collected the last of the townspeople. “S-sir?” It was Anna, untouched by the effects that ate her town. “D-d-do you understand w-whats happening? E-everyone just s-started to…..”  Her eyes glanced to those in front of her.  “Their souls were evil.”  Anna’s face grew even more confused and frightened, but not at the man.

 “Did you drink the water in the past 3 days?” He questioned her. “Y-yes..what does that have to do with anything?” she stumbled upon her words, putting all of her effort into not breaking down from the amount of death that surrounded her. The man turned away from her and flicked his staff up to the pool swirling it around, the blue souls moved up and around the staff melting into the wood and vanishing almost instantly.

 His eyes shone icy blue as it happened, chuckling under his breath. When the staff collected the entire pool he brought it back down and it released a loud crack, startling Anna into jumping back. “Well?” Anna asked again “Why do you care if I drank the water? What just happened? Is everyone really…dead? ... Who are you?” She looked as if she was going to continue rambling, her mind racing with questions he did not care to answer. His eyes rested upon her and paused for a moment, thinking about what he should tell her. If she deserve to know at this point and time or if he should continue with the tests.

  She’s proven herself thus far. Is it time?  He decided upon his answer. He’d keep it simple, just enough to tease her and to make her question things more. His lips parted into a smile, her body growing tense with the answer he’d give.

 The words left his mouth and she furrowed her brows, more confused than ever. He chuckled again and turned back to the way in which he came gliding across. Her eyes were wide with shock at what just happened and her body began to shake as she watched him disappear around the corner leading to the forest. The words echoed inside her head as she sank to the ground. Steadying her breathing she began to smile and repeated the words out loud “Three fold law.”