Bell 7
It was the day after Talora said that the food was to be rationed. All the people were in panic, trying to get their ration for the day. Eldecrok's scientist friend had recently left and he was trying to figure things out on his own for once. Getting his things ready he heads out the door and into the plaza to be greeted with lines and crowds of people trying to get meals. Dazed and a bit petrified at the sight, he was shook awake by another citizen from behind lightly shoving him aside to get into the line. He choose to head towards the Sharai peaks, skipping a meal, he maneuvers past all of the people. A bell passes with his slow, sluggish crawling that he's been trying as of late, only using his wings to get up steps as needed. As he arrives at the agricultural sector of Sharai, he asks one of the few people there some questions...
"What in name of Leth happened around here?" He asked, looking around at the ravaged fields and then back to the farmer.
"Well now, not even going to ask my name are you?" The farmer said before lighting his pipe and taking a puff. "Well you see, not even I know what happened. They suddenly all began to wilt and then... poof!"
Poof? Poof? No, that can't be right, "Things don't go poof sir, what really happened?" He was determined to find out what was going on.
"Poof? Well it was more like a sudden death wave came over and simply wiped out the place. The name's Jones by the way, make use of it."
"May I investigate sir?"
"Sure, why not. Just come back before the Noon Rest Period, alright? I'll let you nap in my cabin if you really have to."
With that he goes wandering into the field, looking for anything apart from the unusual. Wandering the fields of brown, dead, withered wheat and corn with crisp, thin grains flying through the wind, there was little to find...
Even so, after a bit of scrutiny of some of the plants, he found a small blue speck on one of the plants. He put it in a small vial and continued to find them scattered around the field, the closer to the edge of the field he came to, the more he found, though only a little bit more. In addition to that, small, black pieces were lying around among the grains of each plant, and there was a faint smell of charcoal in the air. Putting those in another vial, he noticed that they mostly came from the edge of the field as well. Examining the plants a bit more closely, there were a few curled up pieces that looked like vines around the stem of each plant.
After a while, near the Noon Rest Period, Eldecrok went back to the farmer. He presented the blue and black specks he found. "Here's what I found, a bit of Jasuo, a bit of ash, and a couple of vine-like things around the plants. Have any idea where these could have come from?"
"I have not idea." He said, fidgeting a bit. He was lying and attempts to hide it.
Noticing his body language Eldecrok pushed him further on the issue, "So, a person who is more connected to crops and plants than I am doesn't know much about Jasuo?"
"Jasuo? I've heard of it, but I don't know if any are growing around in this area." Another lie.
A bit frustrated with the Farmer's refusal to cooperate, he takes the more direct approach. "There is Jasuo in these fields."
"I know that, Alright? What are you even doing here anyway? Are you that Scientist's boy? Look. I was lazy this year round because I usually have my workers do it, and I purposely avoided any checks from anyone. I burned to fields to try and burn the evidence, but looks like you've found me out."
"So?"
"So If I give you 5 Kiras, then you go on your merry way, deal?"
"No, It's alright. It's a trade secret." Eldecrok said stoically. He went off the ranch and reported this to the closest official, telling them about the farmer's negligence and the fact that he tried to hide it. The next day the man was put in prison for his sins.
"At least we figured one thing out." One Farm was negligent, but who knows what happened to the rest. Perhaps Eldecrok will visit the farms a bit more.
"What in name of Leth happened around here?" He asked, looking around at the ravaged fields and then back to the farmer.
"Well now, not even going to ask my name are you?" The farmer said before lighting his pipe and taking a puff. "Well you see, not even I know what happened. They suddenly all began to wilt and then... poof!"
Poof? Poof? No, that can't be right, "Things don't go poof sir, what really happened?" He was determined to find out what was going on.
"Poof? Well it was more like a sudden death wave came over and simply wiped out the place. The name's Jones by the way, make use of it."
"May I investigate sir?"
"Sure, why not. Just come back before the Noon Rest Period, alright? I'll let you nap in my cabin if you really have to."
With that he goes wandering into the field, looking for anything apart from the unusual. Wandering the fields of brown, dead, withered wheat and corn with crisp, thin grains flying through the wind, there was little to find...
Even so, after a bit of scrutiny of some of the plants, he found a small blue speck on one of the plants. He put it in a small vial and continued to find them scattered around the field, the closer to the edge of the field he came to, the more he found, though only a little bit more. In addition to that, small, black pieces were lying around among the grains of each plant, and there was a faint smell of charcoal in the air. Putting those in another vial, he noticed that they mostly came from the edge of the field as well. Examining the plants a bit more closely, there were a few curled up pieces that looked like vines around the stem of each plant.
After a while, near the Noon Rest Period, Eldecrok went back to the farmer. He presented the blue and black specks he found. "Here's what I found, a bit of Jasuo, a bit of ash, and a couple of vine-like things around the plants. Have any idea where these could have come from?"
"I have not idea." He said, fidgeting a bit. He was lying and attempts to hide it.
Noticing his body language Eldecrok pushed him further on the issue, "So, a person who is more connected to crops and plants than I am doesn't know much about Jasuo?"
"Jasuo? I've heard of it, but I don't know if any are growing around in this area." Another lie.
A bit frustrated with the Farmer's refusal to cooperate, he takes the more direct approach. "There is Jasuo in these fields."
"I know that, Alright? What are you even doing here anyway? Are you that Scientist's boy? Look. I was lazy this year round because I usually have my workers do it, and I purposely avoided any checks from anyone. I burned to fields to try and burn the evidence, but looks like you've found me out."
"So?"
"So If I give you 5 Kiras, then you go on your merry way, deal?"
"No, It's alright. It's a trade secret." Eldecrok said stoically. He went off the ranch and reported this to the closest official, telling them about the farmer's negligence and the fact that he tried to hide it. The next day the man was put in prison for his sins.
"At least we figured one thing out." One Farm was negligent, but who knows what happened to the rest. Perhaps Eldecrok will visit the farms a bit more.
