Catharsis, Legend of the Lemurians Read Free

Most of the older men sustained injuries from past
expeditions, but someone still had to procure supplies, clothes and
medicine. Morf took after his father, growing tall and
strong—stronger and taller than most Uglies. At sixteen, he towered
over his mother, and at that point Morf knew, it was his turn to
become a Runner.
    At seventeen, this was already his sixth
run. He kissed and hugged his weeping mother and his limping father
goodbye, made sure he had his water bottle, and carefully examined
his gear. The gear every Runner carried along consisted of two huge
sacks, which they would load up with as much stuff as they could
gather during their expedition, and two sturdy purses strapped to
their waists, in which they would carry the most valuable items,
like medicine. Morf also carried two backpacks, one upfront, and
another in the back. Some Runners were so adept that they even
strapped additional small bags to their legs and arms. Equipped
this way, each of them looked like a walking, talking clothes
hanger.
    To Morf, the fully loaded Runner resembled
what Catharsians called “a decorated New Year’s tree.” During one
of his previous runs he had seen a real New Year’s tree after it
was thrown out into garbage. Even in the garbage the tree looked
very beautiful. The Uglies didn’t have any trees. The wasteland
where their camp was located was dry and barren, with only one
small river, which was hardly enough to water their crops. No water
could be spared on luxuries like the trees and even bathing was a
problem.
    Morf desperately wanted to pick up that New
Year’s tree and bring it back to the village so the children could
enjoy it. But it was too big to haul all the way back. In the end,
he had to sacrifice the tree for crucial necessities, like food,
clothes and medicine.
    The thing was, Runners had to carry
everything they were able to gather on their person. They couldn’t
bring carts, because the carts would slow them down. It was very
important to be fast on your feet. In fact, sometimes it could mean
the difference between life and death.
    Morf waited for his companion Dorf, a
veteran Runner from his village. Three other Runners from the
neighboring villages soon joined them, and all five disappeared
behind the tall gate. Five men was the optimal size for the Runner
team. Any more and it would be harder to find enough stuff for
everyone. On the other hand, it was certainly not advisable to
travel alone. Thar, the capital of Catharsis, was a very safe city,
but not for the Uglies.
    Thar’s stores and pharmacies carried
signs:
     
    NO UGLIES ALLOWED
     
    So, it would normally take Runners all day and a lot
of ingenuity to try and find a place where they could get necessary
supplies. It certainly didn’t help that they had to do all of their
errands on foot, since they had no money to buy the beautiful motor
carriages Catharsians drove. But the Uglies were a resourceful
bunch. If they couldn’t buy what they needed, they’d dive into
garbage disposal bins, where they’d usually find perfectly good
food, almost new clothes, and even medicine well before its
expiration date, thrown out by the demanding Catharsians. They’d
never admit it, but Catharsians actually loved it when Uglies
picked up the unwanted food and clothes from their trash. Garbage
wasn’t beautiful at all, and the more of it the Uglies removed, the
better.
    As Morf and his four companions walked around the
city, the locals spit and cursed at them, and children threw
stones. Some even sicked Elpets on them as they passed.
    Morf knew: this was how his father became a cripple.
The attack of an Elpet was especially hard to run away from when
the Runner was already on his way back to the camp after an
exhausting day, hungry and tired, and loaded with all the stuff he
was able to carry. No Catharsian would give the tired Ugly a glass
of water to quench his thirst or a bite to eat, while smells of
delicious cooking from the nearby houses would