The priest of the farlands demanded to see Zyros, mentioning how important it is that the issue be spoken to him and him alone; apparently this being so important that even his wife herself shouldn't know. People were getting afflicted with an ague, not the usual as that of a normal demonic possession or that of generic disease. It came quietly like a demonic possession, yet exorcism didn't cure them, medicine seemed to help only for it to return stronger than how much the medicine cured, and now the afflicted became rabid, speaking of how a He would return to seek vengeance, some gave this supposed He a title each unique- 'The Forgotten Brother', 'The Fallen' and many more. More people started to behave similarly erratically and yet they showed no signs of possession. "My lord, i have done my best to save my people. I fall to your knees to beg you to save your children. Please save them, even if my blood is the price for it." told the priest and all Zyros could do was bring himself to the man and promise him that his soul wouldn't be needed, and instead only his blessings to his son and so he showed the priest his son, little Kælith. The priest had only his necklace to offer, he adorned the boy with it and only prayed for his joy to be eternal and him untouched by evil. The priest returned to his home with a relief in his heart knowing that his God would relieve his people of their suffering..yet neither he nor could anyone ever imagine the changing tides of fate by something as benign as his necklace
The necklace wasn't some grandiose and expensive item. Just a simple metal chain with a wooden decorator having engravings to symbolize his faith to Zyros alone.. if only it were truly that insignificant to the eyes of evil.... if it only were untouched and untained during its making itself. The wood was of a tree that had a disease that the corrupt had created, one too different from what afflicted humans yet in its own equal right just as ravaging. Neither the woodcutter nor the engraver ever thought that the dark patches in the wood were a sign of corruption rather the natural dark patches the wood carried. The great lord of hell being the master manipulator he is, had just pulled off the greatest attack that hell itself has ever seen and poor Zyros himself hadn't noticed. He spent months studying the corruption while right under his nose, his own son started to be influenced by the corrupt. Strange behaviours creeped up. Kælith was seen giggling at seemingly nothing, speaking out bits of the language of the corrupt and at one point even spoke about a Him, yet gave no titles like the mortals. Slowly as more and more vile incidents had surfaced, the fog had begun to clear and the curtain slowly burned down to reveal him who it was. He knew exactly who it was that is this supposed lord of hell.. he knew the strength of this lord..and his name.. deep down he prayed that it wasn't him, but he knew it cannot be anyone but him... He had to hide the name and knowledge from everyone.. it ate him from the inside, to lie to his own wife about what he knew..he knew what it would cost him if his truth came out.. He only had one option.. silence this evil before it came to power. Ethera couldn't understand why her husband was possessed with this investigation, and why he didnt speak anything about little Kælith's new behaviours and why she was only met with "Nothing" or "Im studying why these are related" as responses instead of hard answers. Her heart ached for her beloved husband and her darling son and she couldn't stand the sight of their combined suffering and her helplessness in helping either of them and her devotees who too shared her suffering.