Death Wind from the East

After the grand feast last night, John and his troops diligently prepared for their journey back to Constantinople. Prior to his departure, Stefan and Emil met him at the city gates to bid farewell.

"Your Highness, may you forever bask in His divine light, and may He be your constant companion on your journey," Stefan warmly wished.

"Thank you, Emil."

"Do not forget, Bulgaria stands ready to answer your call if the need arises."

"I won't, Despot Stefan. May your rule prosper within the empire's reign."

With these heartfelt words exchanged, John and his escorts left the city and embarked on their southward journey toward the capital. Among his company were Demetrius and Giorgios, along with retinues of elite guards.

As they made their way, their conversation naturally gravitated towards the captive Ottoman Sultan, whose presence served as a guarantee for the smooth transition of the remaining Ottoman territories under the empire's control.

Managing these newly acquired lands was proving to be no small task.

"Has the Sultan arrived safely in the capital?" John inquired of Demetrius, who nodded solemnly in response.

"What do you think should be our next course of action with him?" Giorgios asked.

"That, my friends, will ultimately depend on my father. I presume he's currently engaged in a rather civil tea-time conversation with the Sultan."

"Shouldn't we consider releasing him soon?" Demetrius questioned.

"That is a consideration, but it will have to wait until we've achieved stability across the newly acquired territories," John concluded thoughtfully.

Their journey southward was remarkably smooth, free from any interruptions.

There were no raids, bandits attempting to rob them along the way, or unexpected ambushes to interrupt their journey; everything was exceptionally peaceful.

While they did take occasional breaks during their travels, for the most part, it remained a safe and uneventful journey.

It wasn't long before they reached the city of Bizye, where they decided to take a brief rest before continuing to the capital. There, the co-emperor and his men discreetly replenished their supplies to avoid attracting attention.

Despite being a relatively small city, Bizye buzzed with activity, likely due to its status as the last stop before the capital. It thrived with energy and commerce.

Being a city under the rule of a noble who had pledged loyalty to the emperor and co-emperor, its streets adhered to the regulations set forth by John in his reform efforts.

The streets were well-maintained and clean, although not without some imperfections, such as the slums on the city's outskirts. Nevertheless, it met the acceptable standards set by John.

Upon their arrival in the city, John and Demetrius strolled through its streets in disguise, casually inspecting the surroundings. Along the way, they overheard citizens discussing recent events, including John's role in revitalizing the empire.

"Our empire has indeed risen from the ashes, what a relief."

"True, our co-emperor is a capable ruler, despite his youth."

"Without him, we would never have what we have now, unlike in the past..."

"Yes, without him, the empire would still be in darkness... only God knows what would have become of us."

Demetrius smiled proudly, holding his head high, even though the praise from the people was directed at John, who could only clear his throat in embarrassment.

As they casually pretended to peruse items at a vendor's stall, John's attention was suddenly drawn to something.

He subtly leaned in closer, listening intently to the hushed conversation among a group of elderly individuals who had gathered nearby.

"Did you hear? The north has been hit by the plague. Merchants who traveled from there couldn't return and were forced to go to Constantinople as a consequence."

"What? Another plague? Oh Lord, are you punishing us again?"

"Quiet down, it's just a rumor, isn't it? I doubt it will reach us anytime soon... the Lord has blessed us abundantly recently."

"Blessings or not, I heard this from an old merchant who came from there. I met him in Constantinople before I returned. It was quite devastating. Even the Grand Prince of Moskva had to close his palace for that reason."

"Oh Lord! Have mercy!"

Upon hearing about the plague and the Grand Prince of Moskva, John suddenly trembled.

However, Demetrius, deeply engrossed in a conversation with an elderly lady who owned a vendor stall, remained oblivious to the co-emperor's reaction.

"Demetrius..."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Hasten our departure; we must return to Constantinople immediately!"

"Wait...what do you mean?"

"Later, gather the men, and we'll leave as soon as we've made the necessary preparations."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Demetrius hastened to their lodging to prepare for their imminent departure, adhering to John's directives.

In the meantime, John chose to linger, surreptitiously monitoring the ongoing conversations.

His contemplations were abruptly interrupted by an elderly woman with whom Demetrius had previously engaged in conversation.

"Young man, is there an issue? Your companion appeared quite rushed."

"I... it's nothing. Have you come across any recent tidings?"

"Tidings, you say..." the elderly lady mused, then continued, "I have heard whispers, or perhaps I should call them reports. Are you inquiring about the recent successes of our co-emperor, perhaps?"

"Um... no, not that. I was inquiring about rumors regarding an impending outbreak. Have you heard anything about that?"

John momentarily felt disconcerted when the elderly lady mentioned his recent triumphs, although that wasn't his primary concern.

"An outbreak... there have been murmurs, but I've heard it's confined to the northern regions. Nonetheless, I believe it's merely hearsay and nothing more,"

The elderly lady replied, her wrinkled smile offering solace to John amidst the troubling thoughts consuming his mind.

'The north... Anna...'

He muttered under his breath, briefly flashing a smile at the elderly lady as he rewarded her with coins for the information. He then promptly departed in the direction Demetrius had headed, leaving the elderly lady somewhat flustered by the unexpected generosity.

His hurried, agitated breath attracted the attention of nearby citizens who instinctively avoided him. As he approached the lodging, his intended destination, he accidentally collided with a child, causing the young one to tumble to the ground.

Recognizing the mishap, John paused momentarily to offer apologies to the child. However, as he did so, he was suddenly frozen in place. The child...

Some parts of the child's attire were tainted with an ominous darkness.

"What..."

"I'm sorry, noble sir... I'm sorry..."

The child bowed repeatedly, seeking forgiveness, before swiftly darting towards an adjacent alley.

"Wa--wait!" John attempted to shout, but he lost sight of the child amidst the bustling crowd.

'This is dire! The plague has infiltrated the city!'

Without delay, he made his way to the lodging where a group of people was hastily gathering their belongings. Among them were Demetrius, Giorgios, and a few royal guards, all displaying signs of urgency.

"Demetrius, accompany me to the city hall momentarily, Giorgios, ensure everything is managed here!"

In a state of confusion, the group exchanged glances, taken aback by the sudden and exasperated commands from their co-emperor.

"Yes, your highness, but..."

"No buts! There are something we must inform the city governor urgently," John interjected firmly.

"We will handle matters here. Demetrius, go with his highness."

"Yes, sir!"

And so, John and Demetrius immediately sprinted toward the nearby city hall, just two blocks ahead, where a modest yet luxurious mansion served as the residence of the city governor.

Initially, guards obstructed their path, but John swiftly displayed his royal insignia, prompting the guards to clear the way.

"Is your lord inside?" John inquired of the guards.

"Indeed, milord, he is inside, enjoying his lunch, but..."

"No time to waste. Lead me to him immediately."

"Of course, lords. Follow me."

Inside the mansion, a family of four was enjoying a pleasant lunch when their household butler abruptly interrupted them. The middle-aged man among them, presumably the city lord, grew visibly irritated.

However, when the butler mentioned that Co-Emperor John Palaiologos had requested a meeting, the middle-aged man abruptly rose from his dining seat and hurriedly made his way to the mansion's living room.

"May I inquire, Your Highness, as to the nature of this matter?" Demetrius asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"The plague."

"Plague?"

"Yes, indeed, the plague... the one we feared most."

"Don't tell me... was it not just a rumor? It can't be true, can it?"

Demetrius hadn't heard about the plague in quite some time, especially in recent years. Ever since the last outbreak half a century ago, no new pandemics had been reported. The mere mention of the word "plague" sent shivers down the spines of the people.

In Europe, and indeed, across the entire world, the 'Black Death,' commonly known as the bubonic plague, was a deadly scourge with no known cure.

It had claimed tens, if not hundreds of millions of lives throughout its history.

While it had slowed in recent years due to increased immunity, it had not ceased its spread.

Some saw it as a curse from God, others as the devil's trial. But for John, it was a threat to his newfound life, particularly as this was the first occurrence in his current existence.

His younger brother, Michael Palaiologos, who should have perished due to the plague after his birth, had survived due to its absence. Nevertheless, this did not prevent the next outbreak.

'Why now...'

Then, footsteps signaled the arrival of the master of the house. It was the city governor and his butler, who bowed before John. His face, filled with urgency, left the governor and the butler bewildered.

"Are you Lord Ioannes?" John inquired, his voice calm but his heart racing. He needed to act swiftly if the plague had already infiltrated the city.

"Ye--yes, Your Highness... Is something amiss?"

"Very well... for now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say and prepare accordingly."

John proceeded to explain the purpose of his meeting with the governor and the circumstances surrounding it. He discussed various aspects, particularly focusing on preventive measures and initial actions.

Initially, the governor and the butler were perplexed, then they grew increasingly concerned, and eventually, their expressions darkened before returning to a state of perplexity.

"Your Highness, could it be a mere rumor?"

"No, I've witnessed the symptoms firsthand. A child from the slums has contracted the disease, and I fear it may have already begun to spread among the citizens."

John shook his head, dispelling any notions of it being a mere rumor, which further agitated the governor.

"In that case..."

"We have no time to waste. Ring the city bell immediately, implement emergency measures, and remember the steps I've just outlined."

Sweat beads formed on the governor's forehead as he absorbed John's explanation. He promptly instructed his butler to dispatch a servant to the church with news of this dire development.

John and Demetrius then departed the mansion, despite the governor's pleas for them to stay, fearing the disease might afflict the co-emperor.

John rejected the offer, insisting that he needed to reach the capital as soon as possible, rendering the governor helpless.

Nevertheless, the governor vowed to follow every directive issued by the co-emperor until a solution could be found for the looming plague.

"Are you certain about this, Your Highness? Do you believe the measures you've outlined will effectively curb the further spread?"

Demetrius inquired skeptically. Although he had confidence in the co-emperor's handling of state affairs, matters of life and death were a different realm entirely.

Not even the church's priest, who served as the physician, possessed knowledge of a cure for such a disease, let alone John, who had no expertise in apothecary matters, a domain solely governed by the church.

It remained baffling how John had come across knowledge of this disease, but Demetrius felt compelled to inquire,

"Is there no other option? I hope this is indeed the case; we cannot afford to rest until we reach the capital."

"Understood."

As the duo reached the front gate, where their companions had already gathered with the horses, the city bell rang incessantly, sowing confusion and panic among the guards and the people waiting at the gates.

Giorgios, bewildered by this sudden turn of events, instinctively grasped the hilt of his sword, scanning his surroundings before turning to John. "Your Highness, what is happening? Why is the city bell tolling?"

He questioned, with the royal guards on high alert as well.

"I will explain later. For now, we must ride swiftly towards the capital without delay," John responded.

"By your orders."

With that, the company raced towards their destination: Constantinople, propelled forward like a force of nature.

John's heart remained agitated, refusing to calm for even a single beat. His mind remained in turmoil, consumed by the pressing issue at hand.

Thoughts of his family's well-being back in the capital lingered constantly, never allowing him a moment's respite.

"I hope everyone remains safe until we return."

Yet, amidst this turmoil, his thoughts couldn't help but stray northward, towards the Grand Principality of Moskva, where Anna, the newfound love of his life, resided.

"Anna..."