Episode Ten: Revenants

In the small town surrounded by walls they find all the buildings have broken windows, sections of walls missing, and everything is covered with a layer of filth. Mud covers the streets in which animal carcasses can be seen. A few living people about but look tattered and hopeless. An old woman dressed in rags leans against a wall moans seemingly on death's door. In the village only three buildings stand less broken than the rest: a bar, brothel, and church. 
“It's places like this that make me glad I can’t smell,” Castor says. 
As Marco, Ivetta, and Castor make to leave the alley, they are gifted with a vision: large stone walls, salty sea air, thousands of people going hungry and mad. In the squalor, amidst thousands of books, lies a golden tube with a glass lens calls to them. 
Their horses are tied to posts outside the pub. Ivetta asks her journal where they are and it replies, “A not unfamiliar place.” they puzzle over this a moment and decide to use fake names when they speak to others. Ivetta chooses Amalia, Marco is Babio Babrichi, and Castor sees no need opting to use her own name. 
“Let’s go to the church first, it looks...safe.” when they enter it is clear that the place has been abandoned for some time. Evidence of ransacking is everywhere, gashes in the few pews that remain, the lack of any finery or object not nailed down. They decide to try the bar instead. It's dingy, and not well lit. Almost no one is there and most chairs are placed at the front. Less filthy than the outside but it still reeks. three men at the bar one is drunk and sleeping, the other is speaking with the bartender. 
Ivetta goes to talk with the barkeep. He licks his lips, “We don’t get too many like you comin’ through here.”
Ignoring the remark, Ivetta says, “hello, I’m wondering if you could tell us where we are.” 
The barkeep gives her a look, “what the fuck kinda question is that?”
“We’re travelers and got a bit lost…”
“Potsdam.” 
“And where is that?” 
“Potsdam is in Potsdam, who the hell do I look like to you?”
“What country?” 
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Alright, who rules Potsdam?”
“Ha! Nobody! You been living under a rock or what?”
“We’ve been traveling a while.”
“Listen, You’d be better accommodated across the way,” jerking his head toward the brothel.
“Well, thank you for your help.” 
“You gonna buy something or what?” the barman says.
“Um we don’t have any money.”
“Money’s no good here.”
Turning to leave Ivetta, Castor, and Marco are stopped by a man walking in. 
A well dressed noble person with fur lined cloak, vestments edged with gold and embroidery carrying a flintlock pistol at his hip. He turns to the barkeep, “I am in need of men.” spotting the ragtag group of three points, “You there I need a sort like you, will you join me?” 
“Join you? In what venture?” Castor asks.
“I am in need of escorts, you three look to be suitable, you there lad with your sword and you, your pistol. Come join me and we shall discuss details.”
They agree and sit with the man. 
He shouts to the barkeep, “Bring us the finest meal you can muster!” For payment he goes back outside and brings in a few sacs. It looks to be a barter system instead of coin. He joins the three at the table. 
“I am Gunter Abot.” (the mogul)They each introduce themselves as well. ”A pleasure to meet you. You look quite out of place here, You must be travelers. There is danger out there on the roads as I'm sure you know and I need the best of the best in navigating. I can pay you handsomely in gold, food, whatever you need. So long as you agree to accompany me through Berlin toward Stralsund on a trip of treachery but must be made quickly.” 
“You want us to protect you from bandits?” Castor asks
“Well, yes them too but mostly the undead.” 
“I’m sorry?” Ivetta says as Castor says “Excuse me?” 
“They are quite dangerous as I'm sure you know.”
“Ah yes, the undead, you mean the sick people lining the streets, dreadfully dangerous, yes.” Castor tries to make sense of this.
“You’ve encountered them before then.”
Ivetta jumps in with “yes, of course, but we’ve never heard them called that before. We could use some armor if you could spare any.”
“Of course, of course! You agree then?”
“I think you have a deal Mr. Abot.” Castor says.
“Excellent, we can meet my associates just outside.”
“Lead the way.”
Outside stands a starkly elegant carriage manned by a driver and a team of 6 horses. It's surrounded by a small group of people. Two big beefy men clad in leather armor, looking almost viking-like carrying their halberds. A hooded figure sits one a crate near the front of the carriage. A thin man in his late teens or early 20s sporting good quality clothing carries a pike. Finally a tall man who looks to be in his mid 40s adorned in black priest robes wearing small, tinted spectacles, and armed with a sword at his hip, a pistol under his left arm, and a musket slung on his back. 
Abat walks to the hooded man and helps him up. “Heinz, I want you to meet these three new recruits. This is Mr. Hollinzoller, head of the bodyguards. You take your orders from him. I will leave the three of you to get acquainted with the rest of the group.”
In a German accented Italian the man in priest’s robes takes Ivetta’s hand and says “I understand you will be joining us. I am Tobias.” (welcome to and played by Josh) Ivetta and Castor perk up a bit hearing their native tongue and it makes them all the more aware that they’re speaking another language perfectly and effortlessly. 
“I’m Amelia.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” He releases her hand and takes out a small book. “If you wouldn't mind indulging me about stories of your travels while we have the time.” 
Castor looks at him confused. He sees this and explains, “I’m making a map of the safe areas since I cannot traverse the map myself, I seek others to help me. Any information you could give me would be helpful.”
Castor says, “We can try but I’m not sure how much help we’ll be.” 
“Where are you from? I assume you're not from the northern reaches.”
“We’re originally from Italy.”
“Ah, Milan, Rome? I have been there myself.” 
Ivetta responds, “You had it in the first guess, Milan.”
“I studied there briefly, most of the cardinals try to make it to Rome. I tried but had to settle. 
Is it still beautiful as I remember? Italy may be one of the safest places nowadays.”
“It was when we left, but I can’t say now. What do you mean the safest places?”
“Because of the Carpathians that have protected her naturally.” 
“From what threat? Explain as you would to a child.”
Tobias chuckles and closes his book.
“About 10 years ago there was a great war, a great religious war between the Protestants and Catholics. Near the end, the current scourge emerged. Since then it has been difficult for smaller cities, even larger ones to keep afloat.” 
Castor thinks it clicks for her, “Oh, you mean the plague! The plague caused all this suffering.”
Tobias says “We don't know what it is. Many of my colleagues say it is a curse brought on by the Protestants and they say the same for the Catholics.” 
Innocent Castor asks, “What's a Protestant?” 
“They are a group that separated from the church and have rejected many of the Catholic teachings.”
“But that-that blasphemy!” Castor nearly shouts this and many of the group turn to look at her. 
Tobias leans in to Castor. “I'm glad you understand, but in the North they don't hold true to our beliefs so I suggest you keep talk of this to a minimum. The battle was not concluded so there are still tensions on both sides. I don't think I got your name.”
“Oh, I’m Castor.”
“Well, Castor, now that I have answered some of your questions, if you would indulge me in mine.” He once again opens his book and prepares to write. 
Castor looks to Ivetta and speaks slowly, choosing her words with care, “Father, it's not that we don't want to share this with you but, well, it is a long story. Suffice as to say we do not know where the safe zones are to travel.”
Tobias then snaps his book closed. “I understand, perhaps on our journey you might regale me with tales.”
Abot pokes his head out of the carriage and speaks to Hollinzoller. Abot retreats back into the carriage and Hollinzoller shouts to the group, “Form up!” the men fall into place leaving the three newcomers in the back. They head out of the tiny town walking on a narrow path of mud. 
Castor asks Hollinzoller about the armor and he says “Later.” 
Tobias asks him about Brandenburg and he says it has been overrun. Later he pulls his small book and crosses the town out.
Castor rides up to the 20 year old boy and chats him up a bit, "Hi there, my name is Castor whats yours?"
"My name is Adolf."
"How long have you been with this company?"
"They picked me up in Leipzig I've been with them for a few weeks." He adds, "look you don't seem the type to be with a lot like this, why did you join up?"
"You're right, heh, I guess you could say we’re looking for something."
"That's vague."
"Sorry. I don't know why Mr. Abot even wanted us. I mean, he's got two warriors up there plus its not like I really have anything to fight with."
"You have that." he says pointing at the gun.
"Ah, yeah if only I knew how to use it."
"What's the know? Point and shoot."
"Yeah well-" she begins but is cut off.
"Its probably best you don't use it anyway. Guns make noise."
"Ah yeah, wouldn't want to interrupt that tranquil forest."
"Ha! Yeahh, tranquil, right. Here, I have an extra dagger." He hands it to her.
"Thanks Adolf, you're alright."
About an hour before they make camp the caravan halts for seven dead bodies in the road. Lynus and Ezikiel, the beef bois check out all seven and cut each of their heads off.
Castor audibly gasps,”what are they doing?!” Tobias puts his hand on her shoulder. “It's just a precaution to make sure they don't come back.” 
“Come back!? Come back from what? The dead?? They're mutilating their bodies! Now they'll never get to heaven!”
Hollenstoller whisper shouts, “Tobias! Keep them quiet back there!”
Tobias moves Castor’s horse to behind the carriage blocking her view and tries to comfort her saying “we can say a prayer for them later tonight.” Castor just nods mouth open in shock.  
They all stop for the night picketing the horses in a circle around the carriage where Mr. Abot stays in the night. Several fires are lit and a watch is posted. Ivetta makes another dart. Castor sits kneeling and praying for an hour. Tobias fills in his map. They all eventually turn in for the night. 
In the middle of the night, a scream rings out. They are all awoken and see a sickly malnourished body with a sword in front of Ezekiel who holds his shoulder.
Hollinzoller marches up to him and demands to know what happened. 
“The bastard snuck up on me. I’m fine now all of you go the fuck back to sleep.”
Tobias heads over to him to ask if he can treat his wound. He’s met with manly aggression but Ezekiel assents to bandaging. Castor rolls over but Ivetta feels odd and watches Ezekiel continuously through the night.
After tossing and turning for a few hours he stills at last. Until he gets up heading off in the middle of the night. Ivetta wakes up Marco and Castor explaining what she saw. Marco says he’s probably fine. Castor asks if she wants to go follow him. She just asks them to stay vigilant with her.  
Castor spots him as he returns with 6 other people. “Who are they?” Ivetta insists that they gtfo and wakes up Tobias telling him the same.
Gregory , the driver on watch spots him to and shout to wake everyone up, “To arms! To arms!”
Ezekiel and the others look incredibly sickly. The new arrivals’ clothes hang off them in tatters and at the shout from Gregory, emit an otherworldly screech and charge toward the camp.
Tobias gets on Marco’s horse and pulls his musket aiming for them.  
The other men get in position, drawing weapons and making ready to fight and the driver after speaking with Mr. Abot, starts hitching up the carriage. 
Terrified, Castor throws a flaming piece of wood from the fire and bonks one of the people on the head. It screeches again and makes a b-line toward her. Tobias shoots that one dead. It falls into the mud in front of her. 
Another tackles Lynus, he stabs it and it falls to the ground. Unheasitianing, Ivetta stabs the one coming at her in the throat with her spear. Any reservations about his friend turning on him melts away as Lynus decapitates Ezikel in one fell swoop. Seeing all this mutilation and death, Castor, white as a sheet, mounts Azur, who rears up and bolts in the other direction. 
Tobias cuts back and around to where they came from, banging his sabre and gun together making a racket. The rest turn on him and chase him into the forest. He lures them far off into the forest. And when they fall behind, winded he rides them down. He makes it to a clearing where 20 or so more rise up. Tobias then nopes the fuck out of there, outpacing them on horseback with ease. When he returns, the caravan is hitched up and heading down the road with haste. those without horses hitched a ride on the outside of the carriage.
Castor is having a freak out and Tobias does his best to explain. “What on Earth was that?! What was wrong with them?? What just happened? Father?”
“The dead don't stay in their graves and the living can seldom manage the infection for more than a few hours before succumbing. This is the scourge that has faced us.” 
“But, but they're still people. They look sick. Can they not be cured?”
“No one has been able to find one as of yet. The only way to stop them coming back is to remove their heads.”
“But-But what of their souls?”
“The great father has accepted them into his arms, I am sure, these are just empty husks.”
“Then it's the devil using them as puppets? It would be like him to possess men like this, wreak havoc.” Tobias is quiet at this. 
“So are they demons?” Ivetta asks.
Solemn as ever Tobias replies, “I think there are many who call them demons.”
TBC
Episode Eleven: Mora vos Malus