A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 13

Liam slept like a corpse despite his roaming thoughts, and he was the last to open his eyes, for everyone else was already awake and waiting. Even Ryan sat awake. Golden lights on the stone walls cast a soft glow amongst them, though it did not change how Liam felt. He felt cold, though he hid this. He could feel what damage had been done in his sleep. Nevertheless, Liam's headache was gone, and he stood, stretching out his limbs. He need only to make it through today.
"Liam," said Stephen, heading toward him with his wrapped hands. "I trust you slept well?"
"Indeed," Liam said half-heartedly. "I hope I did not keep everyone."
"Not at all," replied Stephen honestly. "I have been thinking of the open doorway into the tunnels Theron has spoken of, and... Will we reach the house first, or gather resources from up above first?"
"Gather resources," Liam replied immediately.
"Is everyone ready to continue?" Jackson called loudly from a few feet away.
"Ready as we'll ever be," grumbled Gresham, and Prima slapped his arm.
Jackson made eye contact with Liam, expecting to receive permission. Liam forced his head to stay still, and after a moment, Jackson made his own decision. "We will head to the nearest gateway," he said.
"Who will be going?" asked Stephen quietly, walking alongside Liam.
"Whoever wishes to come," replied Liam. "Though you cannot use your hands, so you should not come. I hope not to be gone too long."
Stephen nodded, and for a moment they walked in silence. Liam no longer appreciated the silence, for it fostered pointless thoughts of his father and his own personal failures as king. Liam looked to Prima, who walked just behind Jackson alongside her brother. She glanced behind at Liam and gave a small smile.
"May I speak to you regarding my crewman?" said Harvey rather loudly, falling behind to reach Liam.
Stephen casually picked up his pace while Liam nodded, and Harvey tilted his hat. "I hear we are headin' up soon, and if that is the case... I propose that Ryan and I go up there, too. You see, he has this sort of sense, and I think he'll be of much help. He is more comfortable aroun' me, though, if that is alright."
"Of course," said Liam. "As long as Ryan agrees. Is he able to talk?"
Harvey pushed his lips together and shook his head. "Nay. But he's a tough one, Ryan. He's a good crewman."
Liam nodded. "You are a good captain, Harvey. I am sure that is what makes your crewman good."
Harvey waved his hand in dismissal. "Very kind, Liam."
Shortly after, Jackson announced, "We're here." Above Jackson's head, imbedded into the stone ceiling, lie a circular door with a unique pattern. Liam made his way toward Jackson. "Do you have any idea where this may be in the kingdom?" he asked.
"Just on the outskirts of Chroal," replied Jackson. "That's good, for there are many vendors on the outskirts, correct?"
Liam nodded. "That's good." He turned to face the group and took a deep breath.
No one else seemed to be on the verge of shivers as Liam was.
"Does anyone wish to go up with me and gather resources, such as food and medicine?" asked Liam.
"Ryan and I," said Harvey immediately.
"We will go," said Prima, grabbing onto Gresham's arm.
After a brief silence, Liam nodded. "This will take us into the heart of the vendors, just outside Chroal. We shall take as much as we can."
Theron clapped his hands together. "Well, I'll just be working on my new project."
Prima scoffed. "You're going to steal again?"
Theron smiled and winked.
Jackson found an identical engraved pattern in the wall to his left and he traced the lines. The door above slid open and a small square panel in the floor raised a foot into the air, supported by suspensors. Jackson stepped up onto the raised platform and grabbed the edges of the hole in the ceiling, hoisting himself up into the street. Gresham and Prima followed, then Harvey and Ryan.
A chill ran through his body.
Liam gazed once at Stephen, then hoisted himself into the street. Jackson traced the patterns on the door and sealed the entrance. They were standing on Louksgold Street, the street famous for cheap vendors that sold to desperate commoners of Chroal. Nothing was boarded up; rather, it appeared as if all the vendors here were taken very quickly.
Jackson stabbed a zombie who was mindlessly walking in front of him.
Liam headed for a vendor that seemed to specialize in food. He nodded toward Jackson then gestured toward an apothecary. Liam hastily climbed into the vendor's shop and was immediately overcome with a horrid smell coming from rotten food which sat beneath some shelves.
"Are you alright?" asked Prima, who also entered the vendor's shop.
"We should refrain from speaking," said Liam quietly. He did not mean to impose on Prima's good nature, but he was not feeling well and zombies would make that worse.
Prima nodded and kept her head down, beginning to look through what food was left. Liam found a can of beans popular amongst Chroalinians and stuffed it in a box. Prima threw something into the box as well.
"There aren't many around right now," Prima said quietly. "And anyways, we're good at fighting them."
Liam examined a bag of bread, and then dropped it. Mold flourished everywhere.
Prima placed a few cans of mush into the box, then gazed up at Liam. "You're pale," she examined. She took a breath. "If it's the zombies that are bothering you, you should know that feeling guilty about them is detrimental to your survival."
"It is not the zombies at this moment," Liam replied quietly, tossing fruit that was not yet foul into the box.
Prima sighed. "Are you sick?"
Liam hesitated. He did not want everyone to know he was sick, yet if he were about to vomit then everyone would know anyways, and there'd be no preventing it. "It is moving fast, Prima. It moved as such with my mother and then my father. I can feel it."
Prima gave his arm a squeeze. "Worry is a sickness of its own! It doesn't mean you will die."
"My family has a history of weak immune systems," replied Liam. He tossed a sack of grains into the box.
"How do you know this is something to worry?" asked Prima quietly. "Children in Dínam fall sick very often."
"This is not a sickness of hunger or simple colds," replied Liam flatly.
He could feel it inside of him.
"Well, you have Stephen," said Prima. It was clear she was grabbing at strings. "He can always heal you. He's healing Ryan with what little he has."
"Stephen has lost the main tools that would only have prolonged my suffering," said Liam. "Prima, do not worry for me. You have your brother. Whatever is to happen to me must happen. It is so for us all."
Prima remained quiet. Liam carried the box out of the vendor's shop, and entered the neighboring store where Jackson, Ryan, Harvey and Gresham were rummaging through medicines on a shelf.
"Liam, we've tried, but we don't know what Stephen needs," said Gresham with a shrug.
Liam set down the box and they carefully placed bottles and packages of medicine inside. He noticed a glass bottle filled with yellow-hued pills and placed it into the box. He vaguely recognized the pills from when his father had first shown symptoms of an illness.
Something clattered behind them. There were a couple of zombies nearing from distant streets. One reached them. Jackson flung his knife and turned to Liam. "Do we have everything?"
Liam nodded and grabbed the box.
A few black spots appeared in his vision, then quickly vanished.
Jackson retrieved his knife and led them away from the vendors, toward the entrance to the tunnels.
A zombie ran for Jackson. The sudden movement made Jackson trip and fall to the ground.
Another ran for Liam.
Liam set down the box and held his knife firmly in his hand.
His stomach lurched.
Suddenly Liam found himself vomiting into the street. Panic flooded through him, not because of himself but because of the zombie still running toward him.
Liam's arm automatically flung up and he sliced through the zombie's jaw. It grabbed his arm.
Prima dug her knife into the zombie's arm and sliced it off, and the zombie turned on her. Gresham came to her aid.
Liam was finally able to breathe, though it did not feel as if his stomach was done. Nevertheless, he grabbed the box which had been spared of bile and stumbled toward the tunnel entrance. Jackson had recovered and opened the tunnel.
Harvey grabbed the box from Liam. "If you don't mind," he said. "Also, Ryan does not agree that we should be returning to the tunnel."
Out of the corner of his eye, Liam could see Ryan vigorously shaking his head, but they had no choice. More zombies were coming. "Go," said Liam.
Harvey nodded and jumped down with the box.
Someone grabbed Liam's shoulder. He expected it to be Prima, but he had not registered the unnaturally firm grip and the horrid smell.
Jackson threw his knife. Blood and sinew splattered onto Liam's face. Again, he retched onto the ground while Ryan, Gresham, and Prima passed.
Liam sensed another zombie behind him and he held out his hand. "Do not throw your knife," he said to Jackson, who had retrieved his blade during the time Liam was gagging. Jackson would get caught in a vicious cycle of throwing knives and retrieving them until he had no energy left to defend himself. Thoughtlessly Liam jumped down into the tunnel just as a zombie lunged and fell down with him. He landed hard on his feet and collapsed, and the zombie fell on top of him, thrashing and gnashing, shouting in his ears.
"Liam!" Prima cried.
Liam's training saved his life. He swung back his elbow into the zombie's temple and rolled over, narrowly avoiding its grasp. He pulled habitually at an invisible hatch on his shoulder, forgetting he was without his armor.
Gresham grabbed the zombie by its head and yanked it away, slamming it into the stone wall. For a moment, the zombie slowed, then Gresham stomped and stomped until it was like the mush of beans Liam had thrown into the box.
Liam got to his knees, swallowing in a dry throat. He heard the thump of the tunnel entrance being sealed, and he forced himself to stand. He felt disoriented, and he found his hands shaking ever so slightly.
Ryan was shaking his head vigorously still, while Harvey carried the box of food and medicine. Jackson grabbed Liam's shoulder and led him quickly through the tunnel.
"Was he bitten or scratched?" hissed Gresham.
"No," replied Jackson simply. "I would know."
"Well, it's a darn good thing we've got all this medicine!" said Harvey rather cheerfully. "Isn't that right, Ryan? Oh, quit shakin' your head! We're already down here!"
"I can walk, Jackson," said Liam, and Jackson let go of him. Liam was able to walk, though slower and he found himself a couple of feet behind Jackson. He could feel Jackson's protection on him, and he took a breath and wondered where all of his energy had gone. It had gone with the bile.
"What happened?" Stephen said loudly, scurrying to his feet under the glow of the lights.
Harvey handed the box to Stephen, who cried out with pain yet somehow set down the box rather than dropped it.
"Liam is sick," said Prima quietly beside her brother.
"But we got medicine!" said Harvey, beaming. He slung an arm happily around Ryan's shoulders.
Stephen glanced at Liam then bent down, examining what medicine they had brought. "Theron, will you unwrap my hands?"
Theron wrinkled his nose and stood, stuffing the papers he was drawing on inside his shirt. "Fine," he mumbled.
"Liam, sit down," said Stephen quietly while Theron unwrapped his hands. They were swollen and bloody.
"What are your symptoms?" asked Stephen.
Liam could feel the eyes of Prima on him, along with the inadvertent glances from Jackson. He was glad neither Harvey or Ryan were staring at him. In fact, they both sat down and were engaged in a hushed conversation that consisted only of Harvey.
"My stomach is upset," replied Liam simply. "I'm tired, and my head aches."
Stephen had stopped gazing inside the box and was now gazing at Liam. Liam could see precisely what the matter was, but he returned Stephen's stare with what little assurance he had left. Stephen picked up the bottle of yellow pills with a trembling hand. Liam could watch no more. "Let me open them," he said.
Stephen glanced at Liam then nodded, handing over the bottle. Liam opened, releasing a sour smell from inside. "Are they expired?"
"No," said Stephen. "That is how you know they are rare and very effective, so how they appeared in a common vendor's hands remains a mystery to me."
"They are effective how?" asked Liam a bit uneasily.
Stephen lowered his voice and gazed at Liam through the curls of his hair. "I do not know what you have, Liam," he nearly whispered. "Neither your mother or father exhibited your symptoms, at least not at the start. It is possible you have one of their sicknesses and simply respond to it differently, but... Liam, you know it will move fast. It is moving fast."
Liam nodded. "I know this, Stephen."
"It could just be a common sickness!" blurted Prima. An odd look of anger was on her face. "Like the flu! Surely you have the flu in Harksgold! He can survive that!"
Gresham grabbed onto his sister and pulled her away, mumbling something indecipherable to her. She sat down and crossed her arms.
Stephen sighed, returning his attention to Liam. "Your head aches?"
Liam nodded. "It has since Dínam."
"You got the cut on your head from a mask, correct?" asked Stephen. "It does not look infected. It looks like it's healing well. If only I had my scanner, it could tell me more."
"I do not want to get my hopes up, but perhaps this is simply a... A stomach bug," Liam ventured. After all, his family history tended to be one of much crueler sicknesses than a common stomach bug.
Stephen sighed and looked down at the pills. "Perhaps." He tipped one into his hand. "These pills were given to both your mother and father. They allow you to sleep. One pill will keep you asleep for twelve hours. If you take them consecutively, there is a chance that you may not wake, so we must plan carefully if we are to use them."
"What do you recommend?" asked Liam.
"I recommend taking one only when your symptoms reach a height that is unbearable," said Stephen honestly. "While we have a full bottle of these golden pills, I fear we do not have as much time down here, and if that is the case, I do not want to have to carry you away from the threat of zombies. We would not survive beyond that."
Liam took a breath and nodded. "I understand. I will tell you if I wish to take one."
Stephen nodded his head and straightened, making his way over to Ryan. Prima and Theron both stood simultaneously, though Theron patted his breast and gestured for Prima to go ahead. She did so and sat down next to Liam. "How fast do sicknesses move within your family, Liam?" she asked softly.
"With my mother, a little over a month. With my father, a little over a week," replied Liam flatly.
Prima inclined her head toward Liam. "That is... That is not okay, Liam! How can you be so calm despite these truths? I am optimistic, though I doubt that optimism is something easy for you under your circumstances."
"A king is taught never to let feelings override decisions," said Liam with a sigh. He felt empty, not because of his empty stomach. "I am scared, though I accept my fate. I have known it to be my fate for a while now."
"You are too young to deal with this," muttered Prima. "We all are. But... Perhaps because you are still young, you will be able to fight this sickness with an advantage your parents never had!"
"My parents were in healthier conditions than I am now," said Liam, unable to hide the bitterness creeping into his voice. "They had meals daily, health aides and doctors alike. Now, I have none other than Stephen, who would be encouraging if his hands were not broken."
Prima sighed in frustration. "Well, you are king, aren't you?" She shook her head. "Just win the battle as you were taught to do." She stood and made her way back toward her brother.
Liam closed his eyes and laid his head against the wall. "We will finish our journey to the storage house after we rest," he said to no one in particular. A chill ran down his spine, and he crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms. It was in that position, at that precise moment, that he had his last peaceful sleep.