The Cursed Herald

by Rina S Mamoon

  Once he was twenty feet away, the door opened. Both Mara and Karl turned their heads and saw the owner. Evelyn looked identical to Mara. A beige tunic with a white cloth around the waist adorned her torso. Dark brown pants covered her long legs. Dirty brown boots went up to her knees. She bent over to reach for the sack of grain. Mara glanced back at Karl, noticing his eyes on the bra under her shirt; they remained stuck on her chest for a while. Then he noticed her struggle with the sack of grain. It wasn’t a surprise since he struggled with it as well, but she was no match for it and needed his help.

  “Excuse me,” Karl called, walking towards her. Evelyn stood up and watched as he came closer. Once within distance, he crouched down to grasp the bag. “Let me help you.”

  With a firm grip on the sack, he lifted it up to his chest. Evelyn gazed at him, appearing stunned by his strength. She stepped out of his way and let him into her home.

  “Where do you want this?” Karl inquired.

  Evelyn guided him to the spot to put down the grain. After he was done, Karl stood up and looked at Evelyn. The two gazed at each other for a long time. Love began to spark between them.

  Fast forward into the night, Mara remained outside Evelyn’s home. Karl approached the house and knocked on the door three times. The door opened to reveal Evelyn. She stood on the other side, dressed in a simple long shirt for night wear. The silhouette of her body could be seen through the fabric in the light of the lantern. However, it was her eyes he saw. The huntress watched as their eyes remained locked, and suspected this was a memory of the night Karl ran away to be with Evelyn. He was threatened with disownment, but he’d rather be with someone who loved him than live in a family who shunned him.

  Evelyn let him in. Mara watched from outside the window while Karl held Evelyn in his arms and kissed her. She didn’t resist. Some great force drew them together, and no longer could they deny their feelings. They removed all of their clothes before laying in bed together. Their bodies pressed against each other and their legs intertwined. Mara didn’t feel upset at seeing them together because she knew the whole truth.

  There was one more thing Evelyn wanted to show her. Mara found herself standing before a great tree. She recognized the tree she used to sit under whenever she wanted to take a break in her travels. Karl and Evelyn stood underneath it. Another older man was present with them. No one else was around, but the two didn’t care. They looked happy.

  “I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the old man said.

  The newlyweds held each other. Their faces leaned in for a very long kiss.

  The man who married them appeared to be an alderman. Since many couldn’t afford the Faith’s wedding services, they sought out an alderman to perform the ceremony. It costed less than five hundred gold, which was ten times more affordable compared to only hiring a priest of Kallikratés.

  Snapping out of the visions, Mara gazed down at Karl. There was one last thing Evelyn wanted. She leaned into his face and pressed her lips to his own. Mara could’ve resisted, but she felt Evelyn’s grief and sorrow. The huntress wondered if she was aware of what happened. Could Evelyn see everything? She was the force behind some of Mara’s actions. She did all these things for Karl. Whether he knew this was unknown, but it no longer mattered. He would forget his former wife. So, Evelyn bid him farewell.

  Mara pulled away, regaining control over her body. Standing up straight, the tears continued to spill. They were no longer Evelyn’s but her own. She was crying not for Karl, but for the former wife. Evelyn went to sleep in the darkness and faded away. The huntress wondered if this was the fate she had to look forward to. She tried to stop the tears from falling, yet it was futile.

  “It’s okay to cry.”

  Looking to the doorway, Mara saw the Watcher staring back at her. Aspen approached them. It was time. Without saying a word, the huntress stormed past her and left the room. Never once did she look at the Watcher.

  Entering the living room, she saw James and Mr. White. They were watching her, but she ignored them. Mara saw the Binding Dagger on the floor. It remained there since being forced to drop it. She kneeled down and picked it up. There was no need to use this right now. After strapping the dagger to her belt, Mara returned to her room.

  ***

  Mara made her preparations. She had Nightingale, the Moon Lantern, her crossbow, and her necklace. Everything was equipped, and she was ready to take on the divine. She hoped Aspen was also ready. By now, she should have erased Karl’s memories. Looking out the window, the huntress saw the fog growing thicker. The blue glow from the Moon Lantern grew brighter. She saw the lantern and couldn’t ignore the message it conveyed: Aazalith was coming.

  The huntress entered an empty living room, but didn’t have to wait long. The door opened and Aspen emerged, followed by the three men. Aspen stood beside Mara while James and Mr. White assisted Karl with getting the last of his attire on. No longer was he wearing his commander’s garb. James had lent some clothes for him to wear. The young nobleman wore a white dress shirt, black pants, and matching shoes. Mr. White provided a black coat to keep him warm. Mara saw his green eyes. They seemed brighter than before. However, Karl looked very befuddled. She wondered if the Watcher erased more memories than expected.

  The former college professor glanced at his ward.

  “Come along, Karl,” the old man began.

  The younger man complied, but remained very puzzled.

  “Where are we going?” Karl asked softly.

  “We’re leaving for Corlin. You were in a terrible accident. Your adoptive family had perished. You survived, but lost most of your memories. You’ll be under my care for now.”

  James nodded. “Yes, the doctors in Corlin will provide better help,” he added. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do much, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

  Karl glanced at the middle-aged doctor, the look of confusion remained on his face. Mara raised an eyebrow. The two men lied to him. Then again, it was the only way to hide the fact he was a two-hundred-fifty-year-old immortal. Karl remained silent until he noticed Mara. He stopped and studied her for a while.

  “Who is she?” Karl questioned.

  Mara stared back at him. Although she was a little sad at his inability to remember her, Mara knew this was for the best. Karl was no longer a threat, and Kallisto lost her commander.

  The old man glanced at her. “She came upon the wreckage, and found you passed out in the woods,” he lied, then gestured to the three. “They all helped you recover.”

  “Oh, they did?” Karl kept his eyes on Mara while approaching her. “Thank you for your help.” He offered his hand for a handshake.

  Mara gazed at his hand, then to him. She was unsure what to do. Glancing around, she saw everyone staring at her. The looks on their faces told her to shake his hand. Looking at Karl, Mara noticed a confused expression on his face. He was probably wondering why she hadn’t shaken his hand yet. There was nothing to worry about. It wasn’t like touching him would make him remember. She reached for his hand, but a knock on the door grabbed everyone’s attention. She looked away from Karl and watched James answer the door. On the other side was a familiar face.

  “Chancellor Davis, I wasn’t expecting you,” James greeted his guest.

  Chancellor Davis arrived with two guardsmen. Dad’s weapons were in their possession. They came to return the stolen property to their rightful owner, placing the weapons on the floor. Mara looked up at the chancellor, noticing Davis’ gaze on Mr. White and Karl.

  “Commander White, what are you doing here?” The chancellor glanced at his attire. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of uniform.”

  Karl looked baffled. “Commander?”

  Everyone glanced at each other, unsure what to say.

  The old man stepped forward. “My apologies, sir,” he said. “My ward had been through a terrible accident. He has amnesia.”

  The chancellor seemed surprised. “Oh, is
that so?” He gazed at Karl. “I was wondering why I haven’t seen you around lately. I’m very sorry.”

  “Yes, we’ll be travelling to Corlin tonight,” Mr. White said. “Given the circumstances, I believe the doctors there will provide better care.”

  “And I recommended it,” James added. “He’ll be better off in Corlin.”

  Mr. White glanced at Karl. “Let’s go home,” he beckoned. “We must pack our belongings and prepare for the long journey tonight.”

  Karl nodded. As he followed the old man outside, the chancellor had one more thing to say.

  “I wish you well in your recovery.”

  Karl looked back at him. “Thank you.”

  Then the two left.

  Mara folded her arms before glancing at the chancellor. “I’m surprised you didn’t arrest Commander White and his guardian.”

  Davis cleared his throat. “Well, I did consider, but given the circumstances and his amnesia, I’ll let him go for now. In time, he will have to answer for his crimes.” He changed the subject. “Now, the reason why I’m here—I wish to speak to you about the Dark One.”

  “What about it?” Mara asked.

  “As far as I’m concerned, you’re going to confront the beast. Am I correct?”

  “Yes, if we can get inside and kill the undying fused to her core, we can stop her.” Mara gestured to Aspen. “After all, only an undying can kill an undying.”

  “Well, I’ve spoken with Evan about your plan and we wish to assist you,” Davis said.

  “Assist us?” Mara looked intrigued.

  “We’ll provide a small army of guardsmen and Hema’s knights to aid you. After studying the historic records, we determined the creature will emerge from the ocean in the East.”

  Mara gave a peculiar look. Alkina told her something similar. It seemed the shaman had the gift of foresight.

  “Har’ Yhan will be evacuated. We must make sure the ports are unharmed,” the chancellor continued. “I believe approaching the Dark One in the ocean may keep Ardana out of harm’s way.”

  “Confront her in the ocean?” Mara inquired.

  “We will provide a fleet.”

  Mara watched the chancellor and folded her arms. “Seems like a great plan, though it won’t be easy. I can’t guarantee everyone will survive this night.”

  Davis gazed at her. “I’m well aware of this, but I’d be damned if we didn’t do something to protect our home.”

  She stared at Davis in silence. The huntress could use all the help she could get, since she didn’t have a clue how to approach the divine other than breaking all the seals to draw Aazalith to them. Whatever Davis planned, it seemed to be a better idea than anything the three came up with. Her respect for Terra’s chancellor grew a little more. Then she looked at James.

  He gave a sad smile. “Save Ardana. Please come back.”

  She nodded before turning her gaze onto the chancellor and the guardsmen.

  “We’re ready to go.”

  “We can offer you two a ride to Har’ Yhan,” Davis said. He turned to the guardsmen. “Send transports to the town and oversee its evacuation.” The guardsmen left to perform their tasks. Chancellor Davis looked back at Mara and Aspen. “Now, if you two come with me, I’ll take you to your transport.”

  As they left, Mara glanced back at James. He gave a small smile, though she could tell he was very concerned for their safety. There was a major possibility they would not return from this, but they had to try. She nodded before turning around. Mara and Aspen left with the chancellor.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Forlorn

  Mara and Aspen were silent as their carriage drew closer to Har’ Yhan. Looking out the window, Mara watched the town being evacuated. She also spotted five large ships beyond the buildings; the sails were visible. She figured the small army of guardsmen and knights were already there.

  Once they reached their destination, the carriage stopped and they got out. Mara gazed up at the night sky. The moon was red while all the stars were blotted out. It was an ominous sign of impending doom.

  The two followed Davis and his group to the port, where they got a closer view of the ships. Four of the five vessels were all equipped with cannons and ballistas. Each ballista was equipped with a large spear four times Mara’s height. The huntress was impressed. She knew the chancellors had a plan to help her and Aspen, but had no idea how much they were going to offer. The two women ignored the stares of people being evacuated as they kept walking to their destination. Mara wondered if the townsfolk knew they came to save this land.

  Approaching the port, Aspen stopped. Mara noticed this and glanced back at her.

  “Mara, I’m sorry,” Aspen spoke.

  Mara gazed at her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  Aspen looked down at the ground. “I shouldn’t have said those words to you. You are nothing like Kallisto.”

  Mara frowned. “Aspen, it’s okay.”

  “No, I never considered how you really felt. You’ve been through a lot more than anyone would ever face in their life.”

  “True,” Mara said. “I was devastated and angry, but you were right. Evelyn deserved to see her husband one last time.”

  “What happened to Evelyn?” Aspen inquired.

  “She went to sleep,” the huntress replied. “I believe she spent the last few centuries wondering why her husband betrayed her. After I absorbed her soul, Evelyn saw everything and learned the truth. I think the others were aware and found peace as well.” Mara took a deep breath. “Now we have to find Amara and put her to rest.”

  Aspen stared back at Mara. “Will we be able to do this? Amara can kill us, being the oldest undying, and protected by the body of Aazalith. We may be outmatched.”

  The huntress placed a hand on her necklace. “Even after absorbing those souls, you think it’s not enough?”

  “I don’t know, but we must try. We are the only ones who can stop this.” Aspen walked ahead of her.

  On the way to the ships, Mara spotted a familiar blacksmith waving to her.

  “Over here!” Talon called.

  She ran over to him. “What are you doing here? The town’s being evacuated.”

  “I’ve been searching for you. Heard you were facing the Dark One, so I wish to help by offering my services.” He glanced at her equipment. “You won’t last long if you don’t use my services now!”

  Mara decided to let him repair her weapons and gear. She also made sure all of her equipment were fully upgraded. All this for a decent price—that was good old Talon.

  “There, your equipment should be ready to take on the Dark One,” he told her.

  “Thanks. You should get out of here. It’s not safe.”

  Talon nodded. “I will, and good luck.”

  Mara left Talon and rejoined Aspen. She looked back to see the blacksmith pack up his things and leave. The town was now deserted.

  ***

  The two undying reached the port. The chancellors, guardsmen, and knights were already present. Both Davis and Evan stood before the small army they gathered. The light of the lanterns illuminated the faces of the two men.

  “Thank you for coming,” Davis began. “You’ve been called upon to assist Miss Ashwood with defeating the Dark One.” He gestured to her. “You are to protect her and the Watcher from harm.”

  “We have provided Terra’s government with our artillery,” Evan added. “Four of the five vessels are equipped with cannons and ballistas. Each ballista has a silver-tipped spear.” He looked at Davis. “Though I will admit these haven’t been used in a long time. Lady Isabella had these commissioned one thousand years ago.”

  “They should still be effective,” one of the guardsmen said. “All supernatural are weak to silver. The Dark One should be no exception. I know this as a former Silver Thorn.”

  Everyone gazed at the guardsman.

  Davis nodded. “Very well.” Then he looked at the huntress. “We are rea
dy to assist you, Miss Ashwood. If you come with me, I will guide you both to your ship.”

  The chancellor guided the two women to a central ship. This ship was different from the others for there was no form of artillery on it. At least there were some lifeboats. Stranger still, only Mara and Aspen were to occupy it. The other four had at least twenty crew members manning them.

  Mara gave a questioning glance at Davis. “You expect us to man this by ourselves?”

  “With my powers, it shouldn’t be a problem,” the Watcher said.

  Mara glanced at her. “Okay,” she responded.

  Davis gazed at the two undying while holding his hands behind his back. “I pray for your success and safety.”

  The two women nodded to him, then walked towards their ship.

  ***

  They boarded the vessel by midnight. The night air was frigid. When they were ready, the eyes on Aspen’s visor began to glow. The ship departed using her psychic powers. As soon as it drifted from the port, the other four followed suit.

  Mara’s eyes scanned the dark ocean. All she saw at the moment were the other vessels following them. Some of the guardsmen and knights held lanterns. Two ships were on each side of their vessel.

  Glancing down, the huntress noticed the Moon Lantern glowing brighter. She lifted her gaze. Beyond the bow was a large black mass emerging from the ocean. It could’ve been mistaken for an island, but Mara knew this was no land mass from prior visits. The ocean swelled as a large wave came towards them. The ships swayed and rocked. The huntress almost lost her balance and fell, yet Aspen remained unfazed. The Watcher kept the ship stable while the creature emerged from the churning ocean. Mara looked at the other vessels. The guardsmen and knights took to the cannons and ballistas, getting ready for the inevitable encounter.

  The light reflected from the blood-red moon shone upon the divine. Aazalith had seen better days. Much of her rock-like scales rotted away. Whatever remained of the divine’s flesh clung tight to her black bones. A blue glow could be seen under parts of her decaying flesh. Her magical essence began to regenerate her flesh. A peculiar white glow within the ribcage caught Mara’s eye. This had to be the Forlorn’s location.