The bird of Providence part 4

"Oh, allow me to elaborate," Said the knight." I'm not here for the refugees of the raid. I'm here to answer to the numerous requests of the villagers and civilians from other cities of Lunarfield who are afraid of the spreading infection of the walking corpses. Your people have been exposed to the diseased for a very long time."

"Yes, I realize that," Said Carlos." This plague is so deadly that it can bring down any man in under four hours."

"And turn him into a horrifying corpse, thirsty for blood. The kind of disease that draws out a human soul and leaves only an animal lust for survival. It's a true nightmare. I'm utterly surprised you didn't contact us sooner.

"We tried to find the source of the infection but never found any evidence to lead us to where it had started. It took over the land so quickly that we could not continue the research. Even my friend, Bennett Archer, tried to..."

"There was no need for research, Mr. Blacksmith. Through simple correspondence, we could have saved you the trouble of it all. We would have told you and the king that this is not a mere illness you could find anywhere else in the world. It has been concocted through the use of Dark Magic."

"Mr. Rivers, what I saw was no simple curse. It was much stronger and more terrible than any curse, believe me."

"Correct. No curse can take away a human's soul unless a spirit replaces it."

" I don't understand. You mean to tell me those corpses are some how possessed?"

"To be honest, I don't quite know yet myself. If that's the case, it means that someone in this realm is practising a very ancient, forbidden form of the Dark Arts."

"Necromancy!"

" I beg your pardon?"

"Necromancy. I meant the forbidden practise of communicating with the dead."

"Carlos, would you mind changing the subject to something a little more pleasant? Mr. Rivers has already too much to worry about as it is." The young woman's voice rose from the doorway in startled Carlos.

His stomach began to spasm again. Rivers said almost immediately,"Ms. Mortalhart, so good of you to join us.b Mr. Blacksmith would like to know about the peculiar bird that has caused the war."

Carlos nodded in agreement and said," The bird of Providence."

The young woman studied carlos's expression and said with a smirk," The bird of Providence? That is just a made up-name. In my opinion, that bird is nothing but misfortune. It's not actually a bird either. It's an ancient creature that has existed before the time of mankind. Some say it's a Diligo : a creature created by the Seven Ancient Demigods to help humankind achieve balance in this world. Sorcerers and alchemists have been trying to hunt it down for centuries."