The Ireem Chronicles

Arriving for her evening patrol duties, Lone is seen gracefully moving about as she rehydrates at the tavern with some refreshing water and chats to Smooth before moving onto the bakery. Here she finds Fury and two other patrons, but before she eats she questions Fury, who claims it’s safe as she did not bake it herself. Its clear Lone is a little hesitant, but she eats a whole loaf as she does before each shift.

Looking satisfied she moves on to greet her husband, Big Papa, as her shift does not begin for another 10 minutes. However, she does not get to speak to him long before she starts to feel sweat beading on her brow and her stomach starts to ache. Commenting that it must be heat of the desert and the heaviness of the bread, she heads back to the tavern for some more water, but it is clear that she is also dizzy as displayed by the swaying as she walks. She even comments something about the bread possibly not being any good.

She is becoming paler by the second as she approaches Smooth, who was still dealing with a disorderly undead looks at her in concern as she walks into the tavern.

Unknown to Lone, the creature known as Once Flea follows Lone into the tavern very closely, fangs showing and huffing, but Lone is desperate to get some water. As she reaches for the pitcher to pour herself a glass, she suddenly passes out, SLAMMING her forehead on the counter before her body hits the hard stone floor with a final sounding THUD.

Surprised by this, Flea leans over and sniffs her. It is thought that one Flea may have sense some illness in the Knight Leader as she licked her. However, this was not seen by Smooth or Big who were still in the door way and only saw the previously threatening creature behavior and is now leaning over Lone’s limp body.

Big becomes enraged in his fear for his wife’s health and threatens the beast but Smooth notices the motherly protective stance Flea is displaying and tries to restrain Big so they can decide how to best help Lone.

Lone is unconscious throughout all of this as the poison runs a furious path through her body, weakening her heart, bringing it to a dangerously slow pace as it works its way up to her brain where is spins her into dark and tortures nightmares that are unseen by the rest of the world. All that those in the tavern can see is her clothes become damn from sweat as her temperature rises to deadly highs.

Desperately wanting to help her, but unable to do so with Flea curled over Lone’s failing body, Big raises his sword as his mind battles whether to attack Flea with risk of further harming his wife in the process and leave to find a physician. Seeing the desperation in the male’s eyes, the beast licks and nudges Lone to wake her, but Lone’s head just flaccidly sways with the nudge but shows no signs of awareness. With this, Flea gives a low and mournful sound; the tone alone enough to draw tears from the coldest of hearts as she moves away, her heart wrenched by sadness, she leaves like a mother abandoning her dead cub.

At this point is can be observed that the sweat on Lone’s body is steaming off as her temperature reaches beyond what the normal human body should be able to withstand. Frantic, Smooth runs off to find a physician while Big lifts Lone and carries her still limp body to the hospital to await help.

Big, the attentive, loving husband does what he can to sooth her by ripping off a piece of his kilt and wipes her down with cool water, hoping to lower her temperature. Those observing said his hands were visibly shaking and he was clearly lost in his concern for his beloved wife. They also commented on how pink Lone’s flesh had become, as if she was scolding hot. What they were not aware of that during this stage the poison would have had complete control of her mind; however, an unusual site was the trembles that were becoming visible as Lone’s spirit fights to regain control again from the depths of the darkness.

Flea enters the hospital at this point, sees Lone, and rushes over gently grabs her now tense, trembling body in her mighty jaws. Big, who is overwhelmed with despair and has tears in his eyes, looks pleadingly at the beast "If you understand anything that I’m saying… Help her please”.

Shocking to everyone there, Flea gives Big a sad look as she bites down on Lone's shoulder, piercing the flesh with a popping noise as she attempts to eat her and spare her the pain of sickness… causing poisoned blood to run over Flea’s tongue and into her mouth. Not knowing that this seepage of poison is ultimately what prevents Lone’s death, Big naturally become angry at the creatures attack on his wife and punches Flea on the nose shouting “NO! That is not helping!”

Meanwhile, Lone’s shows no acknowledgement to this attack as her muscles continue to tremble as nightmares bruise and batter her from the inside; the screams in her head drowning out any noises going on around her.

Smooth comes rushing in, anxious as he could not find a physician, but discovering the beast with a bloody mouth and seeing Lone’s new wound, he is happy to help remove the beast from the hospital. Big ties to attend to Lone’s wounded shoulder but her body stiffens as sweat continues steaming off from the high fever and tears begin running down her cheeks.

Suddenly, she starts to convulse as her mental torment continues and a loud, chilling scream escapes her lips, shattering glass bottles on the shelf and several window throughout the kingdom. Not to mention causing us in the room to cover their ears and hunch down before any damage is done to us directly.

When we look back at Lone, her body is once again limp. Big refuses treatment for blood coming from his ear as he continues to attend to his wife’s wound. Distracted by the commotion as the hospital picks up with other injured people arriving or those simply wishing to checking on Lone, it is hardly noticed that Lone’s temperature has dropped some and her flesh starts to appear more normal. Even Big has stepped aside to help bandage a citizen.

When he returns to his wife, he sits on the edge of the bed, which stirs Lone, and her eyes flutter open, but this goes unnoticed as Flea returns again, but this time looking very sickly; panting and vomiting. Big stands protectively in front of his wife’s bed, arguing with a man who claims to be Flea’s father over the earlier attack on his wife, but the argument leads nowhere as both parties are concerned over their sick loved ones.

Observing all of this, Lone has a very confused look on her face as she rubs her temple and examines her bandage shoulder. Realizing that Lone is awake, Big rushes to her side and tries to hold her hand but Lone’s become very insulted and smack his hand away. Expression of shock spread across the room as Lone calls her husband “Sir” like he is a complete stranger, but no face is as memorable as the expression of pain seen on Big’s face as he tries to explain to Lone that she is his wife.

Page, a palace dancer tries to step in to offer Lone tea, which she refuses stating that Big needed it more as he seems very confused on who she is. After some time, it is clear that Lone does not trust these people as she tries to quickly escape, but is unable to do more than stumble and sway out of the hospital in her weakened state…

This leaves many questions for Ireem! Who has poisoned their beloved Knight leader? Will her memory return? What will become of the Knights?