Soon after the defeat of Ebruis, Roman, the leader, was blamed for the failure. Many of the men who were killed during the conflict with the Raphan were peasants and poor factory workers. A great famine occurred because the production fell drastically across the land. A gang of rioters bursted into Roman’s home, beat him and his wife to death and plundered his family possessions. From then on, the descendants were exiled from Ebruis, never to return.
The leader of the rioters was Vlad. He took control of the vast estate of the Ebruis. Vlad was young, ambiguous, and idealistic. He had no problem using violence to accomplish his goals. Vlad was highly impressed by one eccentric character, Witko, who had been a guest in the Rice territory until he died there. Vlad organized peasants to unite and refuse to give their produce to the elders of the Roman family. In his subversive idea at the time, those who work would receive the fruit of their labour. Resources and land should not be inherited by those who happened to be born into a certain blood line.
Vlad learned from the writings of Witko and preached to the peasants and labourers of Ebruis. The teaching later turned into Witkoism. His audience were mostly poor, illiterate, and hungry. They would accept anyone as long as they were promised food.
Witko was an aberrant character. He was born in a diasporic and deeply religious tribe Abra living in the land of the Pru. His father was a lawyer who turned into an agnostic person early in life. In the eyes of his tribesmen, their behaviour was heathenistic. The family was dispised because of his father’s belief. Also, the Pru discriminated against the Abras because of their look, culture, language, etc. Witko’s family denounced their Abra heritage and moved to live in the Rice family compound because the Rice clan needed people who were educated in the legal system.
Witko grew up witnessing the richer Rice children abusing their own poorer brothers or cousins. They grew their wealth mainly because they could find newer ways to oppress others by force, child labour, and the control of the food supply. He wrote about the future demise of such oppressive regimes. Most of the Rice household regarded Witko as an eccentric outsider but they were afraid his prophecy would come true. Witko was a good communicator and writer and he had many followers in the academic field. He died before he could witness Vlad taking over Ebruis.
After Vlad took over the possessions, he tried to distribute them to the people. The unrest gradually subsided but the people still struggled for their livelihood. Vlad died shortly after he decreed all land should be a common possession controlled by the governing body, himself.
The Dragon family was also in trouble. The general community was disgusted about the failure of Mercy and the loss of land and all the debt she incurred during the fighting. They heard about the labourers and peasants’ victory over the Roman family. One man rose up and inspired a revolt against the Dragon family. His name was Wen.
To be continue…
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