All the magic users in a town are down with the sniffles. The stronger the magic, the worse they feel. Alas, even viruses can be magical. In this case, it's just another type of cold. People'll survive, it's just not comfortable. -- Anon Guest
The most common name for it was the Faekindred Flu since first it effected those whose ancestry hailed from Nanogh, the plane of magic. The local Hellkin and Hallobloods were also struck down, but prejudice rendered them less visible than the local Elves.
What alarmed most was when the local Clerics attempted to cure the disease, and immediately fell victim to the infection.
Then the same thing happened to the Druids in the area. Anyone with the slightest hint of magic fell ill. It was only those without the vaguest hint of magic in their makeup who remained in good health. Which made things very difficult.
Slower, too.
Imdrii was four. Ze could milk the cattle and put the pails on hir little cart, carrying it to some of the others. There, the milk could become part of soup, or attempts at cheese. Most of it went to broth for those who were sick.
And there were so many who were sick.
Just as quickly as it arrived, those struck down began to recover. The first to fall ill began to rally. They sat up more often, became more active, and eventually pitched in to assist all those who were ill.
Eventually, as the disease petered to a halt, there was time to analyse what had happened.
Nanogh made its influence on the world. It had done so for thousands of years. This was merely one of the times that the mortal plane influenced Nanogh.
A creature so small that nobody could see it. Made into something that feasted on magic. It moved in to a larger creature's body, attempted to conquer it, and spread to the next one.
After thousands of years in the cyclical waves of the Xenophobia wars, the influences of Nanogh were finally put to a pause by the smallest creatures that the gods may have put into the world.
But it was only a pause. Diseases and immunities are in a constant arms war with each other.
In this town, it was a mystery. In later villages and cities, it fast became yet another thing from the everyday.
[Photo by Tetiana SHYSHKINA on Unsplash]
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