The spread of the mysterious plague on Shing Jea island was minimal. Once we had travelled through labyrinthine Kaineng City, we quickly realised that the mainland plague was far worse we had imagined. The Afflicted from Shing Jea were simple peasants and feeble fishermen. Now in Kaineng City, capital of Cantha, the abnormal plague had cursed those who had risen to survive simply by virtue of the strongest. Hardened gangsters and deadly vermin were now aggressive victims of the pervasive ailment.
 
     Back on Shing Jea island we had callously ‘Mocked the Afflicted’ as the joke went. No-one was laughing now. These abominations were larger. Tougher. Smarter. We were Master Togo’s students, and had followed him from Shing Jea to the mainland the previous day. The passage had been, thankfully, short lived and uneventful.  
 
     Having arrived at Kaineng Docks, Master Togo addressed our group. "The most recent outbreak of the plague originated in this district.” He said. “I have asked Brother Mhenlo of Ascalon, a skilled healer and former student of mine, to meet us here." We had heard stories of this Mhenlo from veterans in Shing Jea Monastery.
 
     He was known to have a habit of engaging the enemy in the front line, and exposing himself to unnecessary risk. As a healer, he wore no armour and carried no hand to hand weapons. Heedless of his vulnerablility he would expose his men to dire threat as they went forward to save him. We privately tried to suppress our fears. "Perhaps with his help”, continued Master Togo, “we can determine the true nature of this affliction. Come, students, he is expecting us in Vizunah Square." Wary of Mhenlo’s knack of getting himself into peril, we cautiously made our way through the maze the Canthans call Bukdek Byway.
 
     We reached the platform-like plaza of Vizunah and spotted Mhenlo’s group of henchmen battling the enemy on a walkway far above us to the east. With Master Togo we rushed down into the Square. Hordes of Afflicted began to spring up from the depths of Kaineng’s Undercity, surrounding us. A cornered opponent always fights to the death, I recalled, as a plague-ridden warrior rushed at me. "Come closer, little lamb,” I whispered. “The wolf is hungry." The enraged warrior rushed at me and I sidestepped it, sinking my kris daggers into it’s back. "Come back, I want to watch you bleed!", I yelled after it. Suddenly another group of foes leapt from the dark pit and landed around me. Trapped within sheer numbers, I endeavoured to sell my life dearly but blacked out in a flash of pain to my chest.
 
     I came round at Sister Tai’s feet. Resurrection always astonishes me. I blinked and screwed up my eyes, then got to my feet and retrieved my daggers from the corpse of the Afflicted warrior whom I had last plunged them into. I felt a familiar sensation pass over me as Tai’s spell knitted my pulverised ribs, once again reminding me of when she first came to my aid on that glorious summer’s day in Zen Daijun. "Fear not,” she cried. “Dwayna shall protect us!" With comradely gratitude I called back, "It's a rare opportunity to see an artist at work. Cherish it, while you can!"
 
     Distracted by my good fortune I found myself still in the midst of the overwhelming bloodbath and made a last moment dodge to avoid a killing blow. The enemy just kept on coming. I stood back to back with Master Togo, parrying blow after blow from the waves of twisted plagueborne, for if he fell we were doomed to succumb to the terrible disease.
 
     A dozen more Afflicted clambered onto the plaza. Just as it seemed we were doomed, there was a roar from the northern stairway as our Ascalonian allies descended and tore into the ranks of the Afflicted. We were saved! I gave a cry of victory which died in my throat as I saw that Brother Mhenlo was leading the charge.