Source of the Plague

Jamie crouched on the ground and cried for a while. After all, he was only seventeen.

Half a year of sailing had tanned his skin and taught him how to do business and read people's expressions, but faced with so many things at once, he still could not bear it.

Jamie wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.

No... he couldn't fall apart. His sister wasn't here. He had to shoulder this burden and take care of their parents and younger sister.

He slung the bundle from the ground back over his shoulder.

"The plague might not be incurable. I'll go into the city to buy medicine right now."

"There are so many pharmacies in the Inner City. If one doesn't have it, I'll try ten. If ten don't have it, I'll go to the Black Market. I brought back plenty of Sea Shells this time, so it doesn't matter if it costs more."

Ella shook her head. "It's useless. I've looked many times already."

"For some reason, medicinal ingredients that can suppress the plague have been out of stock all over the island lately. I went to several alchemy shops again today, and every one of them had sold out."

She had not only started looking for medicine today. Ever since she developed a fever and cough, and then her skin began to crack and grow scales, she had gone into the city to ask every few days.

At first, she could still buy small amounts here and there, but it became harder and harder afterward.

Ella lowered her head. The scales on her neck were only the part others could see.

She herself knew best what her body had become.

Large patches of fine scales had already grown across her upper back near her shoulder blades,