Unnatural

Chapter Eight

The following evening, Sarah and her friends, along with Victor and Zen came back to the blighted Abernoir fields.

They didn't inform the Captain, nor the King, they only told Arfina, so she could handle things, while they were away.

"My name is Edgar, Highnesses" bowed a middle aged man at them, "the owner of this plot of land." He said.

"Well Edgar, when exactly did you come to know your land was blighted?" Asked Victor.

"We understood only when the crops started withering, Prince, " Edgar told Victor, "before that everything was normal."

Victor doubted whether Edgar, was giving full details.

"The land is clearly cursed, Highness, I think we will have to leave Abernoir and Ivory." Edgar said dismally.

"No Edgar," Said Sarah, "I will not let my people suffer this way, we will find a solution, don't loose hope." She encouraged.

People were already really scared, Sarah realized.

A crowd had gathered surrounding the royal teens, spectating the investigation.

A young woman stepped forward curtseying at them, but she seemed hesitant to speak up. Edgar was glaring, at that young lady.

"Is there something you wish to tell us, miss?" Asked Sarah helpfully. The girl eventually spoke up, now looking more confident.

"There was no sign of the blight until two days ago, Highness," the lady said in a small voice "It was only a day before, in the morning, that we noticed the crops all crumbling." she completed.

"Was it all fields at once?" Asked Tim.

"No, Highness," she said, "it was Edgar's field first, then Renda's and her neighbour’s, and then slowly everyone's." She recalled.

"What about your field miss?" Asked Ilai.

"Miss Ivana's field was the last to be blighted." Remarked Edgar, passing a cold stare at her.

"Where is your field?" Asked Victor and Ivana pointed at her field.

It was in the middle of all the fields that were blighted before hers.

"How come your field was the last to be blighted, when it is right in the middle?" Asked Carry, "any blight is supposed to be successive in nature." She concluded.

"As it is certain, it is the curse, this blight is not a normal one." Said Edgar.

Zen felt Edgar, was very insistent on the curse concept.

Sarah was starting to fret now, this was all very strange.

"Whatever the reason is, this blight took place a day before, beginning in the morning," observed Tim.

"So, something definitely took place two days ago, at night." said Ilai, completing Timothy's sentence.

"Your Highness, a curse could take place anytime." Said Edgar.

"I didn't say this is a curse." Said Tim, with conviction.

"What are you implying Timothy?" Asked a confused Victor.

"He means that the land isn't cursed." Said Ilai, stating the obvious.

"And why?" Asked Sarah, impatiently.

"Look at the trees," he said gesturing at the towering, green canopy around the fields, "they are absolutely unaffected."

Sarah smiled at Tim, he was very perceptive.

"Excellent Tim," Said Victor proudly, lauding the observant prince, "a cursed land doesn't have exceptions."

"If the lands are not cursed, then the only other option left, is that they are poisoned." Said Carry.

"Entire Ivory altogether?" Asked Victor.

"I don't think there exists a poison strong enough, to work so profoundly." Said Zen.

"I guess we'll find out." Announced Sarah, whispering something in Victor's ear.

The siblings smiled at each other, confusing everyone else.

"Let's go back, we have a plan." Said Sarah.

After hours of waiting, Arfina found Sarah and the others in the castle library, intently searching for books, while moving around in a messy pile of books, scattered all on the table, on the floor, everywhere.

Sarah and Carroll were sitting cross legged on the table, heads buried in books, while Victor was on the ladder, tossing down books to Ilai and Zen, who were skillfully catching them.

Timothy was the only one, normally sitting on a chair, reading his own book.

Arfina squealed in surprise, as Zen suddenly somersaulted, landing directly in front of her, catching a book that Victor had thrown carelessly.

"That was an amazing catch Zen!" Ilai praised, making Zen smirk.

"What on earth are you all doing?" Arfina questioned.

"Arfi come here, help us too." Sarah called out, Arfina obliged and walked to the chair near Sarah and sat on it, as the princess immediately handed her a book.

"Poisons and it's effects volume seventeen." Arfina read the book title, out loud, finally understanding what exactly, everyone was upto.

"So the lands are poisoned?" Arfina asked Sarah quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone.

"Yes, we're searching for a particular special poison, that has long lasting effects, is not successive in nature and affects only plants." Sarah explained.

Arfina felt herself relxing a bit, she felt uneasy all day hearing all the gossip about how Ivory was cursed.

It put her mind at ease, to know they were dealing with something explainable.

She didn't think such a poison could exist, but the 'volume seventeen', which was a fairly bulky book, made Arfina have second thoughts, about her knowledge of poisons.

Minutes turned into hours as the little group, kept studying about various poisons, in intemperate silence and focus.

"I don't find anything that lasts more than twelve hours long, it is the deadline clearly." Said Ilai looking up from his book and stretching noisily.

"Considering the blight is enduring the whole day, the land is being poisoned twice a day." Regarded Victor.

Everyone agreed.

"If the fields are deliberately being poisoned, it means that there are a lot of people involved." Said Tim, frowning.

"Alot of people?" Said Ilai, "it means, half of the Ivory population is involved." He corrected.

"I do not think the people are to be blamed, Prince." Said Arfina politely.

"There is no way that a single person was poisoning all of Ivory." Remarked Zen, sitting beside Ilai.

"There is also the question, of the fields being poisoned at different timings." Sarah reminded.

"Yes Sarah, that is something I am confused about too." Confessed Tim.

"Do the trees or other plants release some kind of poison?" Ilai thought aloud.

"I don't think so." Zen replied, equally thoughtfully.

"That is not possible, Ilai." Said Sarah.

"Yes, the trees or any other surrounding plant couldn't release a poison all of a sudden." Stated Tim.

"Please pay some attention on the research too, if you have finished gazing at the mirror since the past ten minutes Carry." Chided Tim.

"We cannot find a reasonable explanation, that connects all the facts anyway." Lamented Carry, putting down her silver, ruby studded hand mirror, fixing her golden hair, one last time.

"Alright, can we pause the research for sometime?" Ilai asked, "I'm starving." He said, clutching his stomach.

Nobody argued and they all immediately went for dinner.

After an awkwardly silent supper, without a word about the so called 'curse', everyone resigned to thier individual rooms, with various unanswered questions in their minds.

A cold breeze caressed the Ivory princess's face, as she lay under her pearl white sheets, sending shivers up her spine.

"Sarah." Called out, a familiar sweet voice.

Sarah's eyes instantly flew open, knowing exactly who it was.

"Mother." Sarah called out softly, scared to move even an inch, lest the woman in front of her would disappear.

"Sarah, my dear." Queen Safana Ivory, spoke gently, walking towards her bed, extending her pale, hand.

Sarah reached out her own hand, not being able to restrain herself.

Her heartbeat stopped when she realized, she was able to clasp her mothers hand.