The Cursed Herald

by Rina S Mamoon

  The huntress struggled to her feet. Her body protested, though there was a silver lining. If Alkina was right, Mara was now the last undying. Her attention was drawn to Nightingale, laying on the ground before her. She crouched down and picked up the sword. Thank goodness it remained intact. After sheathing her blade, the huntress removed the moonstone and put her necklace back on. She still had her crossbow and the Moon Lantern. At least she had everything she needed to take on Kallisto. Mara also noticed she was still in control. She didn’t need to use the Binding Dagger, but it was strapped to her belt just in case.

  The sound of water rushing drew the huntress’ attention. The blackened sea came in, filling the dragon’s corpse. Mara needed to leave. She ran back to whence she came. She reached the entrance she created earlier, although the water had risen. Once outside, Mara discovered the bow of the ship already submerged. The bowsprit remained firmly lodged in the divine’s torso. The weight of the dead dragon took a toll, and nothing could stop the gargantuan body from sinking into the ocean.

  However, one hope remained. She spotted a lone lifeboat, which was provided with the ship. She dashed to it and unsheathed Nightingale. She cut the ropes, then pushed the small boat into the ocean. Mara managed to get on while the boat drifted away from the dead divine and the sinking ship.

  ***

  Mara reckoned it had been at least an hour since boarding the lifeboat. She was laying in the boat as it drifted in the ocean. It was still nighttime as she gazed up at the darkened sky. No longer was the moon red, and the stars shone in the black velvet sky. Sitting up to a seated position, Mara’s eyes scanned the dark sea, but there was no ship in sight. She needed to figure out how to get back to land. She could use the paddles, but it was very dark. The moon water was no help, and the Moon Lantern only lit up to Aazalith’s presence. Now the lantern was dead. Maybe the current could push her in the right direction. Mara lay back down and stared up at the starry sky. Closing her eyes, the huntress wanted to rest a little.

  All of a sudden, a bright light shone upon her face. It went through her eyelids, creating a red tint.

  “Here! She’s over here!”

  She heard a man yell, but didn’t recognize the voice. Mara opened her eyes to see a large vessel near her little lifeboat. Where did it come from? She didn’t see it before. A guardsman watched her from the ship’s deck, shining a bright lantern in her direction.

  “She’s over here! She survived!”

  Mara watched as the man continued to yell. She remained very cold and exhausted. Everything went dark and she lost consciousness. The man’s voice faded away into silence.

  ***

  When Mara came to again, she awoke to the frigid cold. The huntress didn’t die, though she was baffled how she remained alive. When she opened her eyes again, Mara discovered two guardsmen carrying her. She was laying on a plank of wood as they carried her off the ship. Once they reached the port of Har’ Yhan, the guardsmen lowered her to the ground and walked away.

  While sitting up, Mara spotted the two remaining ships before her. Glancing around, she noticed some damage to the port. Some fishing vessels were knocked over while others ended up on land. She reckoned it came from the churning sea. Despite Aazalith being nowhere near land, she was still able to cause some damage.

  The guardsmen and knights were busy retrieving the dead washed up on shore. Her attention was soon drawn to the sea. The vessel she and Aspen were on was further sinking into the ocean. More than half the ship was submerged. Only the divine’s head could be seen. Loud cracking sounds emitted from the ship as it gave way.

  As Mara approached the edge of the port, a gleaming object in the water caught her eye. Taking a closer look, she found Aspen’s broken visor. A remaining fragment of the Watcher washed up on shore while the rest sank into the ocean along with Amara. She stared at the visor before picking it up.

  “Miss Ashwood?”

  She turned to see Chancellor Davis accompanied by some guardsmen. Evan was also present, making a report of all the casualties. They witnessed Aazalith’s defeat and they weren’t alone. Around twenty to fifty civilians anticipating the divine’s awakening came by. Despite being warned to stay away from Har’ Yhan, quite a few showed up. Then again, none could blame them for wanting to gaze upon a god-like creature who hadn’t been seen in a millennia.

  Mara kept her gaze on the chancellors while approaching them. Davis stared back at her, looking as if he saw a ghost. The huntress figured he never expected her to survive the encounter tonight.

  “Is it true?” Davis inquired. “Is the Dark One…?”

  Mara nodded. “Yes, the Dark One is dead.” She heard gasps and murmurs around her.

  One of the bystanders asked, “What about the prophecy?”

  After hearing such a question, Mara wondered if now was the right time to tell the truth. There might be followers in the crowd who could be upset by her words. But everyone had a right to know since their home was put in danger.

  “There was no prophecy,” Mara began. “Kallikratés was losing power in Ardana, so they plotted to awaken that creature and have her destroy this land, taking all their opponents along with it. The Faith was responsible for most of the seals breaking, starting with Saskia of Ozin.”

  Everyone gawked at her. Davis stood with a slack jaw. Even Evan gave a disturbed look.

  “What?” Davis questioned. He knew about the possible corruption within the Faith, but not its depth. It was one thing to arrest several women, then sell them to a rogue guild. It was another to hire the same guild to terrorize the people of Ardana. But now the Faith was responsible for the awakening of the Dark One?

  “She is lying!”

  A middle-aged man approached them, looking at Mara in a condescending manner. Judging by his fancy attire, she reckoned he was a noble as well as a follower of the Faith.

  “If I’m not mistaken, that’s the Cursed Herald from the prophecy,” he said. “The one who broke all the seals to the Dark One.”

  The huntress knew this would happen, and was ready to stand her ground.

  “There was no Cursed Herald,” Mara argued. “That was another thing made up by the Faith, so they could justify hunting and murdering innocent women.”

  Everyone glanced at her, then the nobleman.

  “Aye, my daughter was arrested for no reason,” a middle class man said.

  “More lies spread by the Cursed Herald,” the noble claimed, ignoring the man. “She is wicked. A depraved soul who seeks to spread lies and poison the minds of anyone listening!”

  “I’m wicked?” Mara questioned. “How often do you visit the temple?”

  The nobleman gave a strange look. “Well, I go there often. It is a sacred place.”

  Mara folded her arms. “Did you even know the temple sits on a source of the magic blight?”

  Davis gazed back at the huntress, sporting a puzzled expression on his face. “What do you mean, Miss Ashwood?”

  Mara pointed at the dead divine. “That was Aazalith, one of the Seven Divines of Thoron,” she revealed. “She attacked Ardana once before, seeking to destroy humanity. Thoron aided this land and stopped Aazalith by removing her soul. The Thoron Sages wanted the soul back, but Ardana betrayed them. The soul is currently inside Golden Mountain, under the Temple of Kallisto.” She shook her head. “Both the divine’s body and soul were the sources of the magic blight. Not only does magic cause cadavers to rise as monsters, it can turn the hearts of the living wicked. So, if you ever wonder why your neighbour is an asshole, that’s probably why!”

  People murmured to each other.

  “It must be true,” a lower class woman said. “No wonder why them nobles are so snobby and rude. Acting like they’re better than everyone.”

  “Not all of us are bad,” a noblewoman argued. “Though my neighbour is a devoted follower who travels to the temple often. Over time, he changed and now I can’t stand him.”

  The nobleman stood there, placing his
hands on his hips. “Thoron is a land ruled by demons,” he declared. “The Thoron Sages are nothing more than servants of demons!”

  Mara glared at him. “If the divines are demons, then so are Kallisto and Kratés! They used Aazalith’s soul to become gods.”

  Those listening responded with a gasp. Both Davis and Evan gawked at her.

  “What do you mean?” Davis inquired.

  “They served a covenant sworn to protect mankind from the magic blight,” the huntress said. “However, they betrayed their own and stole the soul. That’s how the Faith of Kallikratés rose!” She glared back at the nobleman, seeing his astonished face. “I know this because Harold of the Silver Thorns was part of that covenant, as well as my predecessor, Thalia. They were prisoners for a long time before escaping. Yet the Faith only focused on hunting Thalia.”

  “Why?” Davis asked.

  “She was the only one who could stop their gods. So they began hunting us, starting with Amara. After Kallisto and her followers captured her, Amara escaped and awoke Aazalith by accident. She spent a thousand years fused to the divine’s core. I was the only one who could slay her.” She looked at Davis. “Did you know Aazalith was seeking her soul?”

  “Is that so?”

  Mara nodded. “Kallisto and Kratés were the true targets during the cataclysm.” She looked back at the noble. “Oh, by the way, the Legend of Kratés is a lie. He never stayed behind to fight the divine. He was actually murdered by Kallisto.”

  After she finished, Mara glanced around. Everyone looked astonished. Davis was speechless, stunned by the revelation. It was a lot of information to take in, but at least the truth was out there. It was up to the people on what they wanted to do with the truth. Gazing back at the nobleman, Mara saw his face turn red. He looked angry to hear those words.

  “How dare you speak blasphemy!” He pointed at her. “You should be arrested for slander.” The nobleman then addressed the other followers. “We won’t need Holy Blades. We’ll take her to the temple to be judged.”

  The other followers began to approach the huntress, but were stopped by the guardsmen. Davis stood before them while the guardsmen held them back.

  “You will not approach her,” Davis spoke in a stern tone. He looked to a guard. “Take her to a transport back to Mirahyll. Make sure she’s returned to her home safely.”

  A guardsmen beckoned her. Mara complied and followed him to a carriage. The followers glared at her.

  The nobleman chased after her and shouted, “Why are you defending her?”

  Something in the huntress snapped. She turned around and slapped the nobleman across the face, knocking him down. Everyone froze like statues. Some stared with wide eyes while others had slack jaws. The nobleman sat there with a profound red mark on the left side of his face. He lifted his gaze to her and began to sneer.

  He shouted, “She hit me!”

  She reached over and grabbed his collar. Her eyes began to glow. She removed her mask, showing the dark blotches around her eyes and down the sides of her face.

  “I saved your life,” Mara hissed. “I was an enemy of the Faith, yet I was murdered for no reason. I lost everything because of people like you and the gods you worship.” She glanced to the other followers. “Yet I chose to save your worthless lives.”

  Mara released his collar. She stood up straight and walked away, not caring if she offended or hurt the poor nobleman’s feelings. Chancellor Davis gave an approving look, hearing everything she said. She walked with Davis while the rest of the guardsmen held the crowd back. Looking out to the ocean, the huntress watched the last of the divine’s body. Now void of magic, Aazalith turned into a black mass and sank into the sea.

  She boarded the carriage to Mirahyll with the chancellor accompanying her. The horses galloped at a higher speed as the two rode back to the city. In Mara’s hands was Aspen’s visor. She held onto it, never letting go.

  “Ardana and this world has no idea how much it owes you,” Davis said.

  She kept her eyes on the visor. “No amount of money will fix my problems or undo everything that happened,” she murmured.

  Chancellor Davis took note of the broken visor, growing aware of Aspen’s death.

  ***

  Mara requested to be dropped off once they arrived in Mirahyll. She intended to walk the rest of the way to James’ home.

  “Are you sure?” Davis asked.

  “Yes, thanks.” Mara left the carriage.

  The chancellor watched her. “Miss Ashwood, I want you to know your actions will not go unnoticed. I’ll make sure Ardana is aware of what you’ve done for her people.”

  Then they parted ways. Mara remained silent while walking to the Moen Residence. On the way home she noticed several people surrounding the town crier.

  “Here ye! Here ye! The Dark One is dead,” the town crier announced. “Ardana is safe!”

  Many of the city folk were surprised to hear this. They glanced to each other.

  A lower class man asked, “So, it’s true? The so-called Cursed Herald saved us?”

  “What? I thought she was supposed to bring an end to the world, not save it.”

  “I saw it with my own eyes,” a woman said. “She and another woman went with an army to confront the Dark One in the ocean.”

  “That is not what happened!”

  A nobleman stormed up to them. He was similar to the one Mara encountered in Har’ Yhan, but younger.

  “Kallisto and Kratés defeated the Dark One,” he claimed.

  The huntress shook her head. Even the most fanatical followers would say or do anything to discredit her role. It was classic damage control.

  “Praise Kallikratés,” the noble announced.

  “Praise Kallikratés,” a few other followers chanted in unison.

  Mara rolled her eyes and turned away. At least everyone was relieved to learn the end of the world had been averted. However, her work wasn’t done. She still needed to deal with Kallisto. Despite finding a way to defeat her, Mara had to figure out how she was going to confront the goddess.

  For now, she needed to rest. This had been a long day. Mara saved Ardana, but lost Aspen. She took her time getting home, trying to think of a way to explain Aspen’s death to James. Walking through the streets of Mirahyll, she saw people staring at her. By now, everyone learned what happened. She ran to James’ home and got inside.

  “James?” Mara called.

  She found him in a chair. He dozed off while waiting for their return.

  “James,” she called again, revealing her face.

  James woke up. He was groggy, but when he saw Mara, his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.

  “Mara, you came back!” James exclaimed. “Then it means…”

  She nodded. “Aazalith is gone. Ardana is safe for now.”

  James was shocked. He knew about her plan, but was still astounded she pulled it off. “Then…” He paused and looked around. “Where’s Aspen?”

  She presented the broken visor. Upon seeing it, his face dropped. He held out his hands to take it back.

  “I’m sorry.” Mara placed the visor in his hands. “Aspen was killed and absorbed by the Forlorn. Even though I killed the undying, I couldn’t save her.”

  James gazed back at her in sorrow. “I hope Aspen didn’t suffer for long. If Allen were here, he wouldn’t have let her go.”

  “None of us would have, but she chose this.” Mara changed the subject. “I intend to leave at sunrise.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m going to confront Kallisto. If I need to bring the fight to her, then I will.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t.”

  “I have to go. If I stay, they’ll come here. I’m not losing another friend.”

  James became silent. She was right. They lost so much because of Kallikratés. There were so many more atrocities they committed. The Faith needed to go. He gave a stern look. “Very well. Get as much rest as you can. Make sure you’re re
ady to take them on!” His stern look softened into a smile.

  Mara gazed at him, then smiled back.

  She went to her room to prepare. After making her preparations, Mara collapsed on her bed and fell asleep. The day caught up with her.

  ***

  “Mara! Mara, wake up!”

  James’ frantic voice jarred Mara awake. The first thing she saw was his face. His eyes were filled with fear. She also noticed a dark grey haze seeping into the room accompanied by the familiar smell of smoke.

  “James? What’s going on?”

  She thought she was dreaming, but the fear in his eyes made her realize this was real.

  “The house is on fire!” James exclaimed. “We need to go now before the place collapses on us!”

  She shot up from her bed and grabbed her belongings. Mara made sure she had her main weapons including Nightingale, her crossbow, and the Binding Dagger. She couldn’t take everything with her; she had to leave Dad’s weapons behind after retrieving them from Edwin. After gathering her belongings, she followed James to the door. Upon opening it, they were greeted by the roaring flames. Much of the living room was already engulfed except for a path to their escape. They needed to stay low to avoid smoke inhalation. Visibility was very limited. While Mara followed James to the exit, loud popping and sizzling sounds could be heard from the back of the laboratory. All of Allen’s work was being destroyed, including the Gateway. Nothing could be saved as the flames devoured everything.

  The two made it outside to safety. Mara was the first to escape. The morning sky was filled with black smoke and embers. Gazing back at the burning building, the huntress knew someone was responsible. Her eyes scanned the streets, searching for the perpetrators, but couldn’t find them. They might’ve fled as soon as they set fire to James’ home. The cowards couldn’t be bothered to face her. The city’s inhabitants watched the fire devour the home laboratory. They stood transfixed by the sight. The spectators appeared to be just ordinary people and didn’t look suspicious.

  “I don’t see them,” Mara said, but got no response. “James?”

  She gazed back at him. James stood still like a statue with a face contorted in pain. Mara was confused, wondering what was wrong. As soon as she took a step towards him, a red spot formed on the front of his clothes. The huntress stopped and watched as it grew bigger. He tried to speak, but only blood poured out. A steel and silver sword emerged through the front of his chest, slicing through his heart. James was dead within seconds. His body fell forward and hit the ground.