Threads of the Soul

Ultimately, at the end of the day, a decision had to be made and, for some reason, he was the one they were expecting to make it. Unfortunately for the opinions and feelings of many, Seth couldn't bring himself to simply abandon people just because they were considered 'useless' by others.

Civilisation might have collapsed, but that didn't mean civility had to go with it. It was not good enough to just survive day to day, they had to instead strive to rebuild society. Not how it had been, but better.

These people might be called useless when it comes to fighting or handling corpses, but they had other uses that they simply hadn't had the opportunity to show yet. A civilisation based on nothing but warriors wouldn't last for very long.

You needed scientists, doctors, farmers and so on. While many would parrot 'survival of the fittest' to justify all sorts of dreadful actions towards the physically weaker people, that phrase was often misused. It wasn't about physically fittest, but the ones most able to adapt and suit their environment.

Was a bear weak because it couldn't survive in the ocean, or a shark in the desert? No, only an idiot would claim such things.

Humans main trait was their adaptability, not just to changing circumstances, but when it came to them being thrust into unfavourable environments. If a human was tossed into a desert with the shark, would they flail and die alongside it?

No. They would force that environment to bend to their will and adapt to their needs. That was the strength of humanity. So why the hell would Seth let this cruel, unjust world control his mindset? If this world demanded a cull of the weak, he would stand up and protect them.

This world would bend to his will, whether it liked it or not.

However, despite this resolute will to conquer this broken world and reforge it into something grander, Seth was not some idealistic fool who only saw stars, sparkles and rainbows.

He knew the difference between those who simply could not work, or who had yet to find their ideal place, and those who just refuse to contribute in the slightest.

It was the difference between someone who did the minimum work needed, and someone who passed even the minimum off to other workers. He had worked more than enough minimum wage jobs to know that difference, and the reasonings behind it.

Some simply needed someone to carry them, and some just dug in their heels no matter how you tried to help them.

So, when it came time to make a decision, Seth instead decided to make an offer. An order was given to gather everyone in the main hall of the library, the home they were reluctantly vacating.

***

Once everyone was gathered, their Lord stepped atop the reception desk and stood above them all, letting a subtle yet oppressive aura wash over them. He gazed over them all, his eyes hidden behind the swirling blackness of his beaked mask, spawning a cacophony of hushed mutters and gentle murmurs as everyone who was not at the meeting tried to deduce why they had been summoned.

Yet before too many rumours could spread, such as a purge or all of them being abandoned, a single voice echoed throughout the room. The voice reverberated unnaturally and, although it was spoken at a normal volume and not even a shout, it shook many to their core as it carried with it a primal urge of supremacy.

"Silence!"

With a single word, and a little hidden help from mana empowering his vocal cords, their Lord had silenced the entire room and reminded them of his strength. Just his words alone held traces of his power, enough to make some of his much more fanatical followers drop to their knees in worship, mentally reciting their devotion to their one true Lord. Although their were only a few of these cases, for the time being.

Silence hung in the air as all eyes were focused on the dark, cloaked figure standing above them, waiting with baited breathes for his next words.

"I hear you all want me to lead you, is this correct?"

Mutterings resounded again, all of them answering in the positive and with some doing so with a little more fervour than others. Not all answered, but if they disagreed with the sentiment they seemed to be content with keeping that to themselves, perhaps afraid of the wrath of the mob or simply not caring enough to answer.

A single hand raised by their Lord silenced the room once again, as they heard his dulcet tones once more.

"Very well. Who am I to disagree with democracy. But if this is what you want, it comes at a price. If I am to be your leader, then you must agree to follow my rules.

These rules will be fair and just, but they are also necessary not just for your own continued survival, but for the lives of all others as well. If you cannot follow these rules... I am afraid we cannot allow you to stay.

While this may seem heartless, and it pains me to do so, I cannot ask these brave people to risk their lives for those who think so lowly of them as to follow simple rules. You will be putting us all in danger, and I cannot risk that.

Does anyone object to this?"

Muttering spread throughout the crowd like a tidal wave once more, the words exchanged between neighbouring bodies were louder and more intense than previous occasions, shocked by the revelation that they could be abandoned. It felt cruel and indeed, utterly heartless, yet despite the unkind words being shared amongst the crowd, their Lord did not try to silence them.

Instead, that silence came after a voice spoke up from within the crowd.

"Tell us oh great Dark One, What commandments do you bestow upon us, your lowly followers?"

Many eyes rolled at the phrasing of the question, hearing that it came from one of the members of the small cult that had formed, worshipping Lord Crow as some new God of Death that would cast his wrath down their enemies. However, despite the frankly insane origin of the question and the over the top phrasing, it did raise a valid point. How could they decide without first hearing these rules?

"For the time being, there will be only two rules. When we are on the move, outside of the protection of walls, you do as you are told. No wandering off, you stay in formation and listen to orders. If you run out of fear, we cannot break formation to save you at the risk of many others.

And two, Those who wish to come must earn their keep. If you do not currently have job, one will be assigned to you. You will do this job until we can find one that better suits you. You may disagree with your assigned job and petition for a different one, but you will have one regardless. This is non negotiable.

Those who agree with these rules, make yourselves known and request job assignment if you do not already have one. Those who disagree, stay out of the way."

A torrent of outraged voices suddenly emerged, many people suddenly crying at the fact they were being told to work or be abandoned. The term 'Slave Labour' was tossed around in nearly every sentence by these folks, but many paid them no heed.

They knew these ones were the type who refused to work no matter what. Others, who simply had yet to find something suitable for them, were quick to come to the appropriate members for assignment, finding that most of the 'jobs' were incredibly simple.

Most of it was simply down to transportation, carrying bags of food, water or other supplies needed by the more active members. Others were given cooking jobs for when they would make camp and a couple even offered themselves as 'squires' to certain warriors. Although what that meant would be up to the warriors themselves, but the job would be monitored to make sure there was no abuse present.

All in all, the simple nature of many of these jobs made the continuing outcry of those people seem even more ridiculous. They were really so petty that they would risk their lives over carrying a bag of their own food?

But no matter how ridiculous they seemed these people, who were thankfully only an incredibly vocal minority, stood firm in their beliefs. They had seen these people risk life and limb, seen them feed them no matter how little they did.

They could not fathom the thought that they would simply be left to die, that this leader would be seen as an utterly heartless monster that would have to come grovelling to them for apology over the slave labour expected of them.

These people were simply digging their heels in and unwilling to accept that the world had changed from how it was before. They couldn't understand that it was now survival of the fittest, and the fittest of this new world were in fact the weakest amongst them.

The weakest who understood their downfalls and sought to make up for it, to surpass their weak self and traverse the path laid out before them. It was just a shame these others could never understand that.

While others adapted, they refused to let go. Thus, when these people rose the next morning, expecting to find this leader begging for them to come with him, instead all they would find is an empty library. That they had been left in their well of ignorance, exactly as they had been warned. Abandoned by even some of the books.