Calamity Mandate

Ahead on the path, Char Char found herself walking beside Firuzeh. The older Exalted seemed to be lost in thought, a pensive expression on her face. Yuima's priest Naomi was ten meters ahead, seemingly content with walking alone at the front of the group while the rest lagged behind.

Char Char eyed the priest skeptically, her lips pursed together in thought. She didn't know what to make of Naomi. She seemed pleasant enough, and forthcoming with information, but something didn't feel right about her.

The feeling was subtle, a quiet nagging deep in her gut. She couldn't put her finger on what it was that bothered her about Naomi, and in fact thinking about it too hard made her wonder if she was worrying about nothing. Perhaps there was nothing to the feeling, and it was just Yuzu's comment that she couldn't see Naomi's fate that set Char Char off.

"Yuima has actually sent us to help, right?" Char Char asked, breaking the silence between her and Firuzeh, who raised an eyebrow in response.

"We are tasked with saving the village, as is Naomi." Firuzeh responded carefully, "At least on the surface our goals are currently aligned."

"So as long as we focus on that, there shouldn't be any trouble…" Char Char muttered, her thoughts gloomy. She didn't miss the small smirk that touched the corner of Firuzeh's lips, "What?"

"You've grown a lot, in this short time." Firuzeh said, her lips softening into a smile. She looked like she was about to continue the thought, but decided against it, letting Char Char fill in the blanks.

As the conversation fell into a lull the two women's lay their gaze upon their guide ahead, who continued to lead the way as if unaware of the conversation happening behind her back.

On the surface, our goals are aligned… Char Char contemplated her mentor's words. Firuzeh had clearly been having the same thoughts as Char Char around Yuima.

Their meeting with the Goddess of Nature on the mountaintop had an edge to it. They were outsiders intruding on Her lands, unwelcome despite the invitation from Lord Noga himself.

Earlier in the day Yuzu had explained their purpose here. Lord Noga was seeking help from the White Maiden to save Lord Matsuhara, though save him from what, exactly, Yuzu was unsure. This crisis was something that both Noga and Yuima had been unable to solve themselves.

However while Lord Noga was willing to enlist the help of the White Maiden, Yuima was skeptical. This was why She had given them the task of saving a village. The fact that she had sent Her own priest to support was also a sign of good faith.

All parties wanted to save Lord Matsuhara. Therefore, on the surface their goals were aligned.

"I guess… We'll have to see how things turn out, before making any assumptions…" Char Char said softly.

"Indeed." Firuzeh nodded.

Ahead, Naomi suddenly stopped and turned to look back with a serious expression. Char Char stiffened briefly, wondering if the priest had overhead them, but then noticed that her gaze was directed past Char Char and Firuzeh toward the rear.

Yuzu and Kai were not in sight anymore, hidden by the crest of the hill they had just passed.

Something happened? Char Char felt a jolt of panic as she nearly took off to go find their two lagging members.

She didn't get the chance as the two missing members came into view a moment later, walking side by side.

Char Char breathed a small sigh of relief. The pair walked apart from each other, Yuzu slightly ahead with Kai taking up the rear guard. Nothing seemed amiss as they waited for Yuzu and Kai to catch up.

Still, Char Char's heart seemed to be racing unusually fast. She couldn't help but think that she had missed something important.

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"Everything's alright?" Char Char asked as Yuzu finally caught up.

"Mmhmm." Yuzu nodded, perfectly at ease.

Kai, also, had his usual aloof-but-alert attitude about him. But just as Char Char turned around she caught a brief moment where he locked eyes with Firuzeh. There was worry and concern in his eyes, a friend looking out for a friend.

Something did happen between them. Char Char resisted the urge to look at Yuzu or bring the topic up. But it seems okay now?

Ahead, Naomi had already started down the path again, her robes blowing softly in the gentle valley breeze behind her.

Char Char frowned at Naomi's haughty, dismissive attitude. For a priest whose task was to travel to villages to help spiritually depressed people she was surprisingly cold. Char Char would have even accepted a little hostility. Instead, there was simply an emotional disconnect.

Their little party had just been formed, and yet there were already big cracks threatening to break things apart.

Before too long, the path became wider and well worn, signifying their proximity to the village. The flickering of candles glimmered in the rocks above terraced rice fields whose their water-filled trellises snaked across the uneven terrain.

In Huan, where villages were built around mines, many of the working class homes were built into holes excavated directly out of the mountain rocks leftover from exploratory shafts.

The sun was setting, orange light beaming down on the village in long shafts between the mountains. As they passed the outskirts of the village its bamboo houses came into view. Though it was not too late that people wouldn't still be out finishing up the day's task, it was eerily quiet. There were no chirping of birds, or barking of dogs. There was only the occasional, muted chirps of crickets, punctuating the soft howl of a lonely wind.

At some point, the sound of sobbing reached Char Char's ears.

"Is that…" Char Char couldn't help but stop walking as she turned to look at the source of the sound to her left.

Not five meters away, a man in soaked clothes was kneeling waist deep in the paddy water, his head tucked into his hunched shoulders. He was so still Char Char had mistaken him for a rock. His sobs were muffled and nearly silent.

Before even registering her thoughts Char Char was already wading into the water, saying softly, "Hello… Sir… Are you okay? Do you need help?"

It wasn't until Char Char gently placed her hand on the man's shoulder that she received a response. The man shook his head, muttering, "Gone, gone, gone…"

"It's okay, it's okay…" Char Char replied, "Come, stand up for me."

With gentle prodding, Char Char was able to get the man to stand. He wasn't frail or unhealthy. His clothes were even in good shape. He just looked extremely sad.

"It's the Wailing." Char Char said, looking over to Firuzeh, Kai and Yuzu who were standing at the edge of the path near the water. "He'll be fine, but we should bring him inside."

From the gloves he was wearing and the weed pulling tool submerged beside him in the water, he had probably been finishing up tending to the crops before the light of day ended, when he'd been hit with depression.

The Wailing wasn't something life threatening, nor did it usually incapacitate the villagers even at its worst. For this man to be reduced to this state, he had probably been unlucky and snuck up on by a shade, exacerbating the condition.

Char Char had seen this state before and knew how to handle it. She started leading the man over to a home that was not far away, where she could see silhouettes moving in the window. She didn't fail to toss a glare at her entourage who seemed content to let Char Char do all the work.

No, it wasn't that they were lazily watching. Kai was scanning the road behind them. Yuzu was looking out over the village with a glazed look in her eyes — scanning the village with her powers, Char Char guessed. Firuzeh was looking up the path where Naomi was— just walking on, uncaring.

Aren't you supposed to be helping the people? Char Char's brow furrowed in annoyance, but even if she wanted to call out the priest, she was already too far away.

It only took a minute to bring the sobbing man into his home, where his wife and daughter were preparing dinner. There was a blank look in their eyes as the man shuffled into the doorway, as if they were too caught up in their own thoughts to register that their family member was in need of help. They didn't even give Char Char a second glance before they went back to setting the table.

This village was probably deep into the Wailing. In a day they might not even have the willpower to get out of bed.

Seeing that the man was at least safely in his home, Char Char shut the door then jogged back to the group. They had continued up the path following the priest, though Kai lagged in the back to wait for Char Char to catch up.

"So what happens now?" Kai asked Char Char, "It seems pretty bad."

"Usually the priest lights incense and hold a ritual at each home. The Wailing has to be dispelled out of each person one by one." Char Char nodded."The priests usually come before a village reaches this point."

"So then, Yuima's priests have arrived late, or… perhaps it was kept this way on purpose." Kai said casually, not lowering his voice despite Naomi being clearly within earshot.

"You mean… as a test?" Char Char frowned, "But they didn't know we would be coming."

"That's not it." Naomi said as Char Char and Kai caught up to the group, "This village was completely fine this morning."

"It was fine?" Char Char asked, not hiding her surprise, "How can that be? It should take weeks to get this bad."

"Simply put, the affliction faced by this land getting worse." Naomi said, "And it's spreading."