Chapter 2: Panem et circenses (part1)

Creating whatever my sick mind could imagine proved to be much easier thanks to my tools: 5 main vials containing 5 means of diffusion for my little plague and dozens of other vials filled with various diseases I could extract attributes from. The translucent vials glittering iridescent mixtures attracted my eyes like a plateau of naked women, piquing my childish desire to play and experiment.

I had used this wondrous mobile laboratory only once before when I created my little kill-drug/bacteria which I dubbed heroin. Once in your body, it would convert oxygen from the blood flow into epinephrine. As the bacteria reproduced, the oxygen percentage would lower leading to an oxygen deficiency that would just get worse as the epinephrine forced your body to perform high oxygen-consuming tasks. All in all a perfect trap that would steal oxygen whilst making you feel like invincible until the last breath.

My next creation would be a bit trickier. As much as heroin was a nice way to murder, it lacked the means of spreading over to more people, it barely counted as a virus and was more of a deadly poison. Thus my next creation would need to be able to indefinitely reproduce and spread from host to host.

After a whole day of considering my options and mixing together attributes, I stared down at my masterpiece. The slightly yellow liquid floated without a care in the crystal vial I concocted it in. A Cheshire smile widened on my face, the only thing lacking now was test subjects. Restraining my enthusiasm for a few minutes, I decided to put my little “cupid's bow” (temporary name for the virus) away and produced a small vaccine. God forbids my mission ends before it even began due to the lack of precautions.

I walked out of the tavern, as I was unwilling to compromise my base of operations so soon.

The sun was already setting on the white city and a jubilant atmosphere spread all around me, street stalls selling unknown meat were sprouting everywhere like mushrooms whilst wandering minstrels and bards filled the streets with music and stories. I mixed myself in the crowds, blending in thanks to my commoner's clothes and stupified expression worthy of a country bumpkin.

Wondering what kind of occasion would reel in so many people, I tried to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. Unfortunately, just by listening to the random chatter around me I was unable to pinpoint the exact cause, all I knew was that today, someone from the Solaris' church or whatever it was called, would be visiting the city and this was causing the people around me to wet their pants in excitement, 'Heh, let's see how wet they'll be after my show goes live.' The people had finally finished preparing the streets for the night, the soft light deriving from coloured paper lanterns finally substituted the sun's natural light, bathing the city and its inhabitants in the myriads hues of the rainbow.

As I walked around, wandering by the stalls, I sprinkled a few drops of my lovely concoction on food and beverages being as careful as possible to not be seen, already giggling inside to the thoughts of what was to come. From where I came from this would be called bioterrorism, but I doubted the citizens of this world had any knowledge or experience of it, seeing as how no one saw alchemists as the potential threats they actually were; -Luckily for them, tonight will be a pink reminder of what a man with a glass vial can do.

Little side note, the food here can basically be divided into two categories, medieval: rye beer, black bread and seed porridge, which I found either disgusting or/and hard to eat. And fantasy-like: fried wyvern's tendons, slime jelly soup, yan-tzi-tzi drumstick and my personal favourite, mosswine steak. Eating meat that would ooze wine while being chewed turned my concept of tasty food totally upside down

Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Maybe I would even need to go back and prepare more cupid's bow to elevate the party further. However, as to prove me wrong a guard suddenly approached me with the eyes of someone not looking for directions. “I saw you putting something in that beer!” he yelled, and, with a backhand slap he threw the sophisticated drink to the ground, I threw an awkward look in his direction, I probably looked like a kid caught with his hands in the jar. Before I could say anything in my defence, his hands moved like lighting and his sword found its way to my neck, just a hair's breadth from my skin. mm

I gulped down feeling nervous, this wasn't in the plans! “Calm down, I can explain!” I said, slowly taking out my last vial of cupid's bow, “You see, inside this vial there is just-” before completing my sentence, I threw the whole content of the vial to his face, and, turning around, fled the scene. I wasn't sure what would happen upon contact to an undiluted portion of my lovely virus, but, I was sure I didn't want to stay there one more moment.

Even if I kept running amidst seas of people, somehow the guards would keep showing up, chasing me in the maze they called home. As I jumped down from the second floor of a restaurant, trying to shake off my chasers, I could feel some kind of change in the festival

In front of a smithy called the rusted stallion, sitting in one of the many food stalls, a boy and a woman way older than him were engaged in a fierce staring competition. The first to turn away its gaze would lose.

Not even sparing a glance to the food being served to them, the two continued mechanically shoving food inside their mouths while watching themselves being reflected in the partner's eyes. Unbeknownst to them, the food they were eating was not the chicken tikka masala they had ordered; Well, it was, but with a little special addition.

As they ate, something started feeling weird. A warmth spread from their stomach to their faces and slowly made its way down to their nether regions; The boy less experienced than the older woman started sweating cold while feeling his pants stretch under an unstoppable force. Gulping down some beer hoping to quench the growing fire, his resolute gaze wavered, almost moving down to the twin peaks of the woman.

They kept staring at each other in silence until, with a quiet moan, the silence was broken by the woman. Like a spark landing on gunpowder, that little moan ignited the desire of the boy who, while still staring at the woman's cloudy eyes, leapt forward like a lion on its prey. Their bodies intertwined on a public road under the gazes of hundred of people, but all they had eyes for were each other.

What had started maybe, as a drunk, isolated, act, soon spread like wildfire, couples jumped in each other arms, creating small islands of depravity amidst a sea of judgemental stares. Some lonesome men affected by the invisible hand of cupid, assaulted nearby women, spreading the love, and like magic, more islands popped. Some balanced, between couples, others with many different bodies defying the anatomy rules, and bringing to this world the “cubist perspective”.

One certain guard had been buried by women of many colours, his desire for flesh couldn't be satiated as he used his advanced spear techniques to defeat foe after foe. The more he defeated, the more would come after him, fascinated by his ability and everlasting stamina. Unfortunately, a human was still a human, and after too much exertion, his heart collapsed, much to the disappointment of the dozen women hoping for another 'spar'. To some, the destiny of dying young and healthy might seem cruel, however, watching the smile plastered on his face, even those who knew nothing of him understood he had died with no regrets.

Soon the islands had formed continents, with more and more people joining in. And like this, without anyone noticing, a small virus had declared his dominion over the streets