III. Sun's Marks

Their past was on their feet as they move forward towards a better future. The Phillean people and the Haussian live in harmony in each others interest; no marks of unkindness nor signs of unfortunate friendship. Crops grown and harvested for the good of all. Livestocks were provided to feed their body from the hunger they faced. And the face changes as the day comes and will change more in the coming days of light.

The city of Phillean is currently facing a widespread crises; food were scarce due to the coming winter season, most livestock were sick due to unpleasantness of the environment. The present authorities has nothing could do to stop the increasing danger arising in the minds of its people. Some started to steal necessities whenever they see it unattended; and the authorities cannot blame them for their actions since they can't provide necessities for everyone. In this scenario, the city's status is hanging in a thread that anytime it can lose and the things that they started would start to crumble.

"Datu, there are tension arising in the farm lands." the soldier said to Sean, worried.

The Datu has grown worried as he hears the news; worried about the possibility that there might be rebellion in the upcoming fate. As a leader, he quickly leave from his house and gone to the farm lands riding on a white horse with his men with him for protection encase of a broke out of uprising. As he was coming, he see the shadows of those farmers carrying their dead childrens and children weeping over their dead fathers as all mothers are weeping for their dead husband and childrens.

"How many has perished from this plaque?"Sean ask Veros, his trusted man.

"For now there are few. Something out of note." Veros replied.

Sean and Veros walked in the village and saw many more unpleasant things happening that is not within their grasp. Many children dying in the disease and while the dead ones was placed in the graveyard in single packs.

"This is not good." Sean uttered, feels the pain from the scents of the blood in the sands from the ground.

"Remove the dead from sight and lend hand to those who are needing our help." He ordered Veros.

"Your command will be our will." Veros replied wholeheartedly.

In the following days, people are carrying their sick relatives in the encampment that was prepared for them by the Datu. As the command said that all who suffered from the disease will be given aid in the encampment outside the city. Those who fell and draws out of breathe are be buried outside faraway land away from the city. It is amended that no man or woman is allowed inside the city that possesses the deadly disease. These aforementioned command draws many reactions from those who are well and those who was infested. It is the right decision that a ruler must make to lessen further infection of the disease into his people.

A couple of weeks have gone still the plaque continued to ravage the people. Some of the soldiers is infected and the casualty boosted nothing like before. Sean saw the unfortunate event as the apocaliptical sign of their downfall that made him crumbles from his mind to his feet.

"Any words towards the plaque?" He ask Veros. It can be read in the face of Veros even without a word that the things happened is not good.

"This is going to be tough, the number of casualties each day are not dropping instead it further increases even more." Veros replied.

Sean is about to make his most unexpected decision towards the preservation of the unstained life of his people from the disease carried by the people of Haussians.

"Any thoughts?" Veros asked Sean. Sean looked seriously to Veros showing some signs of uneasyness of the thing he is about to say.

"I am left but absent choice. We have to abandon them." He said in the face of Veros.

"Abandon?! No! I would not impart on that command!" He added. Sean was desperately encouraging him to do as he commanded but Veros still don't want to impart words.

"There's no other way brother! We must or else we too and the others will fall victims to it." Sean said.

"This is the only way, life will lost if we don't take actions now!" He added. In the end Veros fall to purpose as what Sean had laid.

"Yes, of course, I believe in your path." Veros replied.

"But keep this upon your heel that no Phillean men and women would ever forget what you are about to do." He added.

"We should take the path, I will resolve the consequences later." Sean replied.

The command happened as commanded that all that fall victim of the illness are be abandon in the land that no eyes had preyed upon the ground. Almost a couple hundred of soldiers and a thousand citizens are infected, no hope for cures nor freedom to live. The city now tagged them as the undead souls where there bodies are soon to fade. At the appointed day, a long march had started to occur. All feet are ready for the battle with the dust and dirt.

"Please this way." Ordered by the assigned general of the Datu toward the completion of the command.

Many people marched on that day across the open field, crossed mountains, rivers and forest towards a place where life is expected to live in loneliness and despair. The people are clamoring of the decisions made by the datu. They yet but have a feelings of regret towards him in the end of days.

*
**

The winter is coming; the wind starts to feel cold as the hail is slowly becoming like a stone falling from the sky.

"The winter soon will strike us getting away food and necessities." Veros reported to Sean.

"Let all the people know that we should make all grains in proper use for we cannot provide for the coming winter days." He commanded.

It was in that day that the wind freezes and the river once flows with water is now flowed with solid ice. The gaze upon the eyes of many people is like a crow; full of hunger and thirst. And those who felt the wrath of the blowing wind starts to pray to the Gods that they may yet be able to grasp their power to survive. Sean brokes his silence and faced the people in the midst of calamity.

"We have faced misfortunes this span of days, scribing fear among us that we may face our bitter end."

"We may yet breath as those who was in the other side perished with the illness with them."

"I once like you, wanting only life and peace against the enemy of our land. We still have a reason to keep our feet in this world, we fight and honor our fathers who have been fallen in an unfortunate death."

"We shall see them paid, those who stood in the middle of us were sent to the life beyond this world. Those who tells us that we were weak and defeatable, we must teach them wrong."

"To fulfill this, this freezing snow is the first step in that cause! We shall overcome this and be a nation of dreadful sword!"

The words that was spoken gives determinations to the heart of the people as what a true leader is. Sean saw the changes in the surroundings; people starts to glorify him, so different from the doubtful tongue that was thrown to him lately. The people became strong like a bar of an iron sword upon his shield. All is well as a mountain standing over a sea of freezing sea starts to move.

In the meantime, as their spirit was lifted and they were all in the presence of determined company. A group of man came from nowhere wearing thick clothes as thick as a wood; gives warm to their bodies allowing them to travel without a worries of freezing concerns.

"Gholt?" Sean whimpered as he saw Gholt armed approaching in a distance leaving his men in battle formation. As a total reaction, Sean's forces prepared themselves in battle form not allowing Gholt from coming to Sean.

"Let him pass!" Sean commanded. His men let Gholt on his intent on come closer to Sean but still their eyes was on his every move that may yet give sign of murderous intent.

"Express purpose." Sean said to Gholt. Gholt then removed his sword from its scrape and he point it on him. The action Gholt has made creates a minor but nearly bloodshed reaction of the men of the Datu.

"You are aware that I did not agreed nor accepted you as a new Datu after my Father."

"You ended our generations power over this land by snatching what is rightfully ours!" Gholt said. The men of Sean reacted and came to Gholt planning to rub him of his life but Sean commanded them to stop.

"Be calm and straight forward." He said.

"Know that until now I am still against it but for the land my father took power; I shall remove my desires and work under your command in the name of Phillean. You can have the seat my father once stood at but don't remove my place in serving this city into prosperity." Gholt said.

"And how can I assure of that? That I may not find doubt in your honored word." Sean questioned.

The touch of cold wind to the body of a soldier was removed from thoughts as the event assures a warm conversation of the two brave warriors. Sean found himself in doubtful thought towards the offer that Gholt has presented to him. And as a thing of assurance, he asked Gholt upon it that he may have a concrete basis for his decision. Gholt looked deeply in him and slowly remove his eyes upon him turning them to the men he brought.

"As assurance, I would gladly give my soldiers command into your hands." He said.

Sean is shocked of what he heard from a man of self interest itself would present that term to the man he hate.

"Are you sure of that? It seems you are in deepest need of a certain intent." He replied.

"Just to prove that all I long is a place that I may serve this land where fathers and all fallen brothers lay under the very ground of this now turned to snow sands."

"You showed honor towards your purpose. I accept your terms but know that my eyes is upon your every move. Revelations of dark intent will surely faded with your head." Sean replied.

"I will do anything for the city of my birth. The city my father served into prosper." Gholt said, leaving. Because he gave permission to Sean the command in his men, he leave with his horse alone.

"I don't believe him." Gerzebon said.

Like Veros, Gerzebon is one of the trusted man the datu has. After the attack he was wounded and was needed to rest for him to recover. As he recovered, the datu, Sean, appointed him to be his words and will for the forces.

"We shall give the man a chance to prove that we were wrong." He replied.

"I hope I was wrong." Gerzebon said.

The datu ordered his men to keep an eye to the man and that he cannot inflict betrayal in his command. They follow him in his house, sneak upon the gates and observed the young leader. As the hour expires a noise of thundering thud in the door, awakens the darkest of hour and a group of men swiftly go to see what is happened. They were shock to see three men on the ground, they were killed by a sword by an unknown man though they suspect that it was Gholt that killed them. In the coming of days, Gholt has still be yet to be found, not in his house nor in the dessert of snow. The question arises where did he go, he was like a sun vanished in the middle of winter.

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