The dawn broke over the settlement, cold and gray.
But something was wrong.
I stood on the roof of the council building, my eyes scanning the horizon. The sky was heavy with clouds, the air thick with the promise of rain. But it wasn't the weather that troubled me. It was the silence.
The settlement was too quiet.
"Aldric." Claudia's voice came from behind me, urgent and breathless. "You need to see this."
I followed her down to the main hall. People were gathered there, their faces filled with fear. In the center of the room lay a young man, his body convulsing, his skin pale and clammy.
"What happened?" I asked.
"We don't know," Claudia said. "He just collapsed. He was fine an hour ago."
I knelt beside him, my hand on his forehead. He was burning up, his skin hot to the touch.
"
