"What happened?" Mercor asked, astonished. The body had a large gash along its side. Mercor then realized it was the man who had been staring at him in the pub the previous night. The same guard then said, "The undead got him. Leave this pub; we are busy." Mercor heeded the warning and left the pub.

The undead were here? Mercor was afraid. For as long as many could recall, the humans had been in a war with the undead. There were legends of some form of restorative beacon that resurrected the once living into undead ghouls that attacked all that moved. This couldn't be true. Mercor let the matter be. He went to the market instead.

The market was mostly scarce of people, with only one stand still open— a man selling dry bread. The bread was expensive for being so old, but Mercor didn't know where else to buy food. Suddenly, he saw in his peripheral vision a strange blackness move around a corner. He turned around. There was nothing. He turned back around toward the market assuming it was a shadow and bought the bread, regardless of the price of five gold coins. He would be rich soon if all went well.

That night Mercor and Socius met in front of the manor. It was a humid night and dew drops were clinging to blades of grass. The manor stood proud over the graveyard of a city. No one was seen out that night, the plague was getting worse. As planned Mercor walked to the large, heavy, dark wood door of the manor while Socius watched from a distance. With a vial of the medicine in hand, and a satchel to his side, he knocked three times. The loud echoing bangs filled the noiseless night. The sound of the door unlocking from the inside then rang out. Two guards with swords drawn suddenly burst the door open and grabbed Mercor as Socius watched from the shadows. They pulled him inside. After throwing him to the floor, they held still, as if waiting for a response.

Mercor stood, he was in the parlor— the side door was directly behind him. It was barred shut. He said shakily, "I am here because I fear that Lord Mortan may have the plague. But I have a medication that should be able to help..." He held up a vial of medication. One of the guards leaned over to the other and whispered something. They began to argue. Mercor discretely stepped back a few paces. He carefully lifted the bar from the door and put it in his pack. The guards agreed on something and then the bigger one spoke, "Lord Mortan will have no visitors at the moment." They threw him back outside.

Socius was waiting.

"They weren't in the talking spirit," said Mercor.

"Did you unlock the door?" Socius asked.