They started off into the jungle, the thatch of oak branches and leaves blocking most of the sunlight, while the scent of pines filling the air. Although Pryne was fully covered, she did not seem to be bothered by the face scarf that might have obstructed her eyesight. She led the path as she had been there multiple times.

“You are rather quiet.” After hours of walking, Pryne broke the silence.

“Foreigners normally ask us a lot of questions… like, why our village had such a cursed name? Why are we covering ourselves? Why is the village not on the record of the empire?”

While Pryne did not get any response from Matea, she turned around, curiously staring at her. Wondering why this foreigner never took any interest in learning about the strange practices in Kataratos.

“Why?” Matea asked in a desultory manner. She was ordered to just follow the guide and do whatever she told. If she wanted her to ask a question, she would just ask the question.

Slightly unimpressed by the response, Pryne continued her path.

“Whatever happens next, is not important, so don’t ask! I don’t know how to explain it to you! All you need to do is collect the flowers, and watch out for your own safety.”

As she waved her hands and lightly touched the shorter shrubs, small white daffodils with 6 petals which resemble narcissus instantly growed from the branches of the shrubs. Matea was surprised, as she knew those shrubs should not bloom white flowers.

“Quick! Collect the flowers!” Pryne ordered.

Matea nervously picked the flowers and threw them into the basket. "Don't pick the leaves!" Pryne nagged when she saw her plucking the leaves together with the flowers as she was unfamiliar with delicate tasks.

Why are those flowers blooming on those shrubs? Is this some kind of magic? But why need to walk hours away from the village, into the woods, if those flowers bloomed by her instructions? We traveled through this jungle for many days before we reached the village, but the worst animals we encountered were just small foxes… but her previous helpers got attacked by wolves?

As Matea gathered the flowers, Pryne suddenly stopped, and she stood still and quieted.

ROAR!!!

A large brown bear jumped out from the bushes and roared.

“RUN!!!” Pryne shouted.

The bear raised its arms and attacked them. Matea was about to use her staff to counter the bear’s attack. The bear waved its claws, she could have dodged it, but Pryne pushed her away and the bear clawed Pryne’s head instead.

“You don’t have to protect me!” Matea shouted.

Pryne fell to the ground. The gushing blood tainted her coverall and spilling all over the ground. It was a strong fatal strike. The bear then turned to Matea, huffing and popping its jaw. Matea grabbed her spear in one hand and the walking staff in another, prepared to counter the bear.

“R… Run, you idiot!” Pryne weakly grabbed a piece of rock and threw it towards the bear. Diverted its attention towards her. “I’ve told you! Just run for your own life!” She shouted.

“I’m not a damsel in distress!”

Annoyed by being underrated, Matea jumped to the front of the charging bear, stuck her walking staff to its mouth, and stabbed through its head with her spear. The bear had fallen but soon they realized there was a pack of wolves surrounding them. It seemed like the Pryne had attracted those wild animals.

“But I am!” Pryne shouted. “I’ve told you, don’t try to be the hero you’re not!”

The sky was getting darker as the sun set. After a full day of work, dozens of large pots were boiling with the barley soup ready to be consumed. Agave was waiting for Matea and Pryne to return with the medicinal white flower to be added to the soup she prepared.

Matea returned, carrying a large basket and the wounded person on her back. Seeing them covered with blood, they called the asclepiades (doctor) to check on them. They brought in rolls of cloth, wrapping it all over Pryne’s body. They carried her into the hut and left her on the floor.

“What’s with all… these bloodstains!” Arete questioned about the basket of white flowers tainted with blood.

“You can’t expect me to add those into the soup, Mate! Blood does not go well with barley!”

“And where did all this blood come from?” Agave asked.

“It’s from a bear… and some wolves…” Matea replied, and she handed Agave a pair of bear palms. The expression on Agave’s face changed immediately.

“Aww!!! You’re great Mate! No worries, just a little stain, just wash it off. Hehe, yummy!” Those are some rare delicacies afterall.

Unhappy with the unexpected situation, Arete said, “Water supply is critical during an epidemic! Those stains can’t be easily washed away!”

“Lady Arete, it has been raining yesterday, our well is full. We have no problem with the water supply. Don’t worry about that.” Hephastos tried to make peace with the situation.

“Wait, what? The villagers depend only on the rainwater? You don’t have aqueducts?” Arete was surprised hearing Hephastos’s words.

“What’s an aqueduct?” he asked, not knowing what Arete was talking about.

Arete should have noticed that this place was just a village, the people here depended on still water that was only fresh when it rained. All villagers covered themselves and did not practice public bathing like those living in the larger cities. Part of the reason why they did this was because of fear of spreading the disease. Or maybe there was another reason.

Arete continued “Aqueducts are structures to deliver fresh mountain water to the fountains. In most larger cities, when the aqueducts were vandalized by the rebels or enemy troops, the citizens would easily get sick, and cases of death would rise.”

A sudden realization hit Arete’s thoughts, the reason why the strange disease kept traumatizing the village could be due to the unclean well water?

“We cannot oversee the importance of moving water.”

Hephastos: “But that is what we have for now! There is no manpower to build any structure as most of our people are sick!”

“Then we should leave this place!” Arete suggested.

“The hygiene of this place is no longer in a manageable state. Look at all these coverings on us, they are dark and not properly washed using ashes.”

“Ashes? We do not have a temple, we do not burn any offerings, we do not have ashes.”

“Ashes are essential! It is not just for the temple. Any ashes will do, from the fireplace.”

“Besides, the dead bodies are piled up in the village corner, there’s no proper burial. The whole village is doomed.”

“Let’s get all the villagers who are still alive, move out of the village, and camp at the nearby river area.” Arete suggested, putting Hephastos deep in thoughts.

“Some of us were outcasts from a young age. Some of us, deported from the city of Eretria...”

“We were left to die here, but we survived.”

“Nobody taught us how to live a civilian life.”

“You are asking us to leave our home. A place where we had struggled and survived.” Hephastos said in a slightly somber tone.

“Yes, and you will build a better home on a better land.” Arete reassured.

Hephastos took a deep breath. Reluctant to give up the place they called home, he had no other idea on how to reduce the pain and suffering of the sick villagers. After a moment of silence, he raised his hand and called his people.

“People of Kataratos, we will immediately prepare our journey! Bring as little as possible! We will bring everybody who is still alive and move out of this village tomorrow!”

Agave poured the basket of white flowers into a large tub of clear water, rinsed away as many blood stains as possible and moved the rinsed flowers to the boiling pots of barley. While Arete continued her discussion with Hephastos and a group of men, planning on the migration procedure.

Matea sat beside Pryne who was now lying on the floor. They covered her all over with white cloth like a mummy. She was wiping herself with a wet cloth and a bowl of water given by the asclepiades. They were all too busy attending other sick patients.

It was then Pryne noticed that under her fresh wounds, there were old scars all over her body.

“What happened to your breasts?”

Matea was surprised by Pryne’s question. She could not believe that Pryne was still able to see through her face scarf and after her head was hit by a bear. Feeling intimidated by the question, she immediately covered up herself.

“Are you alright?” Matea trying to divert the conversation. Although she could not see how bad her wound was underneath that cloth and scarf, she sounded completely fine.

“I’m still alive, alright!”

Perhaps it was because all of the villagers were fully covered, they were unable to communicate through facial expression. Matea was unable to see her eyes, but she did feel strange as there was a person who attempted to protect her from a bear attack. Perhaps Pryne might have underestimated her. As she tried to look closer at Pryne, she felt butterflies in her stomach.

to be continued...