The Last Harvest

Thump!

A long sickle stabbed into the ground and parted way like a hoe as Dullip Garobu frowned, 'What the heck is happening?'

He was already suspicious from the get-go, ever since he came to know about the Spirits displaying a lack of enthusiasm in performing their jobs. And hence, he decided to inspect the soil condition in regions not assigned to him.

It was when he realised a major ticking time bomb implanted in these regions, 'The soil is filled to the brim with fertilisers. And the contents are carefully picked too. Who the heck managed to make such calculated plans?'

The results of his investigation proved that the soil condition was bad. The yield of the crop wasn't affected though. Or rather, the yield experienced a thirty percent hike as compared to before. The quality of the crop too experienced a twenty percent growth.

So technically, this seemed like a great boon and caused the farmers to be happier than usual. Unfortunately, it would have been a joyous result if not for one thing.

The soil was rapidly losing its nurturing qualities. The lifeforce stored in it was being depleted at rates beyond its recovery means. Moreover, somehow, its natural replenishment had also been halted through mysterious means.

'This will be the last harvest on this land.' Dullip's expression was grave as he continued to inspect one patch of land after another. This would be the last golden harvest Garobu City would experience for a while.

After this would be a time of hunger, for the land would become dead, stripped of all nutrients necessary to sustain plant life. Nothing would grow on it.

'Does dad know about this?' Dullip wondered nervously. After all, if the all-powerful Deity, his dad, Merku Dullip wasn't even aware of something of such a scale happening in his own region, then whoever was scheming against them was a force beyond his fathomable comprehension.

"Lord Dullip, please have this. It's a token of our gratitude." An old man approached with a basket of seeds, "These are a batch of seeds that I have carefully picked and stored over the years. They would produce the best of crops."

"This…" Dullip hesitated. If it had been as usual before, he would have happily accepted. But now, he was aware that as part of the royalty governing Garobu City, he had failed the people, especially since this would be their last harvest.

"The harvest season is only a month away. Our yield has been the most bountiful this time. It's all thanks to the relentless endeavour of the Garobu Family," The old man pushed the basket of seeds into Dullip's hands, "Everything blossoms under the Sickle Deity's blessings."

"So, please accept the small gratitude of this old man. That's the least I could do for having lived in this blessed land all my life."

'Shit!' Dullip was internally vexed, but he couldn't display that, lest he worried the old man and other villagers. He forced himself to put on a smile and accepted the basket of seeds, "Thank you, I'll be using them myself."

"It's our honour." The old man bowed in response.

Nodding with a semblance of dignity and grace, Dullip made his way towards the field's exit, his expression crunching up vilely once he was away from the view of everyone, 'An unfathomable force is plotting against Garobu City. The only way to prepare against it is to alert father first.'

Intending to alert Merku Garobu about the state of affairs, Dullip Garobu closed his hands in prayer, 'Father, please hear the worries of your son, Dullip. There is something wrong with our soil. I fear this will be our last harvest unless we do something to replenish its vitality.'

Swoosh!

Usually, when a Spirit prayed, they established a direct line of communication with their Deity. Until now, irrespective of the situation, whenever Dullip prayed, even if Merku Garobu had been busy, he would at least return a word of acknowledgement.

But this time, there was nothing, worrying him, 'Did something happen to father? No, that's impossible.'

He sensed the Faith streaming into him as usual, 'Since there are no changes to the Faith, it seems father is just preoccupied with something important that he cannot afford to divert his attention.'

"Then, I have no other choice but to meet him directly…" He boarded his boat and began to row in the direction of the city's centre, speeding past countless boats.

Suddenly, when he was about to cross one such boat, Dullip's senses were triggered. He condensed his sickle and elongated it, placing its bladed end around the neck of a hooded figure as his voice resounded coldly, "Why is someone like you roaming about in the open?"

"Ah…L-Lord D-Dullip," The one facing the blade of the sickle was a Merit Shaman from the Sect. He was nervous, especially since he had zero hopes of offending the entity before him and living to tell the tale, "I was…just on a mission. As you know, that's how we make a living, and that's how we serve to keep this place clean of its filth."

"So, who's the target?" Dullip was suspicious, especially considering the recent string of events. He extended his hand, "Out with it. I know you have something regarding the mission on your being."

"L-Lord, you must know that leaking mission details is punishable by death. I d-don't wish to die yet." The Shaman stammered in fear, finding it hard to control his bladder from bursting.

After all, the sheer Faith emanating from the sickle was causing the minuscule Fear in him to rampage in panic and shrivel up like ice under the sun.

After asking twice, Dullip no longer bothered with the Shaman's arguments as he fished through the opponent's dress and pulled out a scroll, unfurling it to stare at the figures of Iota and Spring drawn there. Spring's image wasn't clear enough, but some of her characteristics were detailed, shocking him, 'The target was them?'

'Shit!'

"Where are you going?" Dullip glared at the Shaman, "I'll ask this the last time, refuse to speak and you can become fish food right here."

"T-To the region you govern, Lord Dullip. It's a hitlist, so all the Shamans are heading there as we speak." The Shaman said, feeling an intense wind after that as he flinched in fear, "Please spare me! I don't want to die! Please…"

He opened his eyes, confused as he was still alive. But, all that met his eyes was an empty boat. As for the figure of Dullip, he was nowhere to be seen, across the long canal stretch.