The Zero Curse

by Christopher G. Nuttall

  Valeria was waiting for me, impatiently, when I returned. “This way,” she said. “The forge has been untouched for two years. I hope it is still usable.”

  I frowned. “Why was it even here?”

  “A travelling forger married my third cousin,” Valeria said, curtly. She sounded oddly displeased. “He was interested in studying the cursed city. Every year, he would go to the city and ... and one day, he didn't come back. His wife eventually closed the forge and abandoned it. The tools he forged for us didn't last.”

  I nodded, slowly. I’d seen the city and heard the stories. I could easily believe that someone had gone there and never come back. It had happened, a thousand times or more. I was surprised his wife had even let him go. And yet, I could understand what the forger had wanted. The man who cracked the secret behind Objects of Power would be renowned ...

  And he was looking in the wrong direction, I thought. They were all looking in the wrong direction.

  I took a breath. “Can I ask a question?”

  Valeria stopped and turned to look at me. Her blue eyes were sharp. “You may ask,” she said. “I may not answer.”

  “Everyone was staring at me,” I said. “Why?”

  “It is very unusual to see someone of your skin colour here,” Valeria told me. “I will rebuke them for staring.”

  Just like I’d stare at a Hangchowese man, I though, ruefully. It had never occurred to me that my skin colour would pose a problem. But if I stick out like a sore thumb, Fairuza won’t have any trouble finding me.

  I groaned. Valeria seemed a good person, yet ... Dad had insisted, more than once, that everyone had a price. Find a person’s price and you could get them to do anything. It might not be money, he’d cautioned, but everyone wanted something. I’d been kidnapped because I wanted fame and a patronage network ... Rolf had played me and I’d fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. And if Fairuza found out what Valeria wanted, Valeria might hand us over without a second thought.

  We can't stay here for long, I told myself. The longer we stay here, the greater the chance of being discovered.

  Valeria stopped outside a darkened building, hidden in the forest. “This was his territory,” she said. “Is it safe to remove the bolt?”

  I snapped on my spectacles and examined the wooden barn. There was a hex attached to the upper bolt, so faded that I wasn't sure what - if anything - it would do. I poked it with the dispeller anyway, then helped Valeria pick up and lower the bolt to the ground. She was strong, I realised. I wasn't sure I could have removed the bolt on my own. I definitely didn't want to get into a fight with her.

  Valeria pulled open the door, allowing light to spill into the barn. A forge stood in the centre, surrounded by a preservation spell. Another was wrapped around the cupboards, keeping their contents safe. I felt myself smiling as I took a step forward, feeling the musty air tickling my throat. I’d have to open the windows and probably the chimney, but ... but I could work here.

  “No one has disturbed this place since he vanished,” Valeria told me. “We don’t have any more supplies.”

  I used the dispeller to release the cupboards, then opened them. Inside, there was a neat collection of wood, metal and potion ingredients. I checked the labels and frowned. The ingredients should be safe to use, but ... but I had no way to be sure. It was quite possible the preservation spell had contaminated them. I’d have to be very careful what I did, I realised numbly. There was no hope of resupply until we got home.

  “It should be fine,” I said. I released the forge and inspected it, then the handful of tools. It wasn't that well-equipped, compared to my workroom at home, but it would do. “Give me a couple of hours to clean everything, then you can tell me what you want.”

  Valeria frowned. “Do you want me to ask some of the children to help?”

  “No, thank you,” I said. Dad had told me, time and time again, that I needed to take care of my tools myself. He wouldn't let me ask the maids to do more than sweep the floor. Even that was pushing it. “I need to make sure I know where everything is.”

  “Then come find me when you’re ready,” Valeria said. “There are some Devices we need fixed.”

  I nodded and started to work. The preservation spells had kept the dust from getting into the forge, or the cupboards, but the rest of the barn was coated in dust. I opened the windows, found the key to opening the chimney, then started to wipe up the dust as best as I could. It felt clammy against my skin, but ... but I’d had worse. I made a mental list of tools and supplies - including some that needed to be replaced soon - as I worked, quietly cataloguing what I could and couldn’t do. The forger who’d owned the barn - Valeria had never mentioned his name - had piled a number of metallic devices into the corner. Some of them were strange, but others were recognisable. They’d once been Objects of Power.

  They might not be repairable, I thought, as I dusted them. But I can probably reuse the metal.

  I sighed as I went through the pile. There was a device that looked like a crab skeleton, complete with teeth and claws. I tried to figure it out, then gave up. Maybe it was an animated guard of some kind, although I’d never seen anything like it. Gargoyles and moving statues were far more traditional. Another looked like the wreckage of a flying machine, although far smaller; a third looked like a horseless carriage, with an oddly-familiar device in the front. It took me a moment to realise that it was a scaled-up version of the toy Magister Tallyman had shown me.

  Parts of it must have rotted away, I mused. Too many pieces were missing. Even the Object of Power is useless now.

  And yet ... I looked at the wreckage, working out how the Object of Power had provided the energy that made the carriage move. It wasn’t that complex, not really. Akin could build the rest of the carriage, if I produced the Object of Power itself. And who knew what we could do then?

  I reached for a notebook, then stopped myself. I didn't have a notebook, unless I wanted to write on the scroll. Most forgers would have had at least one notebook in their forge, but I couldn't see one. I made a mental note to ask Valeria if she had any paper, then started to put the concept together in my mind. Now I knew about the magic field - now I knew where the power actually came from - I thought I understood precisely how we could get home.

  Someone moved, behind me. I spun around, raising the spellcaster even though I knew it was already too late. If Fairuza had caught up with us ... A small girl stood there, wearing a shapeless garment and a funny expression. I thought she was seven, although it was hard to be sure. She’d have been starting her magic studies if she’d been born to one of the Great Houses. She was staring at my face as if she didn't quite think I was real.

  “It’s lunch time,” she said, spacing the words out carefully. Perhaps it wasn't her native tongue. “Will you come and eat?”

  I blinked in surprise. Lunch time? How long had I been working? I glanced at the sun. It was just about midday. I’d worked hard, I knew, but ... but it had taken longer than I’d expected. I’d lost track of time. It would have pleased me, I supposed, if I hadn't been worried ...

  The girl was looking at me, expectantly. “Will you?”

  “Coming,” I said.

  “I always wanted to look in here,” the girl said. She reminded me, suddenly, of myself. I’d always asked questions too. “Mummy scolded me when I tried to open the window.”

  She peered past me. “What is that?”

  “That is a forge,” I said. I pushed her out, gently, and closed the door. “It's where metal is heated and then reshaped.”

  “It sounds like fun,” the girl informed me. “Is it a kind of blacksmithing?”

  “Just a little,” I said wryly, as I brushed myself down. Dust fell everywhere. “But don’t say that to anyone else.”

  I smiled at her confusion, even though it wasn't really funny. I knew forgers who would have cursed her for daring to compare their art to blacksmithing. Blacksmiths don’t use magic, not beyond very basic spells.
They certainly don’t forge magical blades. But then, a broken magical sword would shatter into a thousand pieces if it was smashed into a mundane blade.

  We walked back to the farmhouse, where Valeria and the other girls were serving food to the men. Akin looked tired; Rose, beside him, seemed to be having trouble concealing her amusement. The other young men were eying him ... I suspected he’d made something of a fool of himself, although it was his first day on the farm. I took a bowl of stew and bread myself, then sat down next to Rose and Akin. Valeria eyed the three of us, but said nothing.

  “We’re having a good time,” Rose said, softly. “But we can’t stay for long.”

  Akin groaned. “Is it always like this?”

  “Pretty much,” Rose said. “The men work in the fields; the women cook, clean and take care of the animals. As soon as a child is old enough to work, they work; they work every day, even holidays. The work is never ending on the farm.”

  Her eyes swept the room. I followed her gaze.

  “The grown men here are all children of the original farmers,” she added, softly. “The young women all married into the extended family. The women born here probably married out as soon as they reached marrying age. Valeria will be married off herself in a couple of years, if she isn’t already engaged. I’m surprised she’s still here.”

  “But there are several families here,” Akin said, puzzled.

  “The elders will keep very close track of the bloodlines,” Rose said. “Everyone here will be a cousin, I think. The wider community will hold dances every year for boys and girls to meet partners who aren't too close to them.”

  I frowned. “How big is the community?”

  “I don’t know,” Rose said. “I’d say there were at least ten similar farming communities in the same general area, but I don’t know. Valeria was tight-lipped on the subject.”

  Akin glanced at her. “This could have been you, couldn’t it?”

  Rose looked pained. “I always knew I’d be moving away, once someone asked for my hand in marriage,” she said. “I just ended up leaving sooner than I’d expected.”

  I reached out and squeezed her hand. Rose had opportunities that most of her friends and family couldn't even dream of, yet they came with a price. By the time she graduated, she would have nothing in common with her former friends ... and her family would have effectively disowned her. Even now, she was separate from the rest of the farmers, even though she was one of them. She might never find her place again.

  Valeria walked over to us as I finished my plate. “How is the forge?”

  “Ready to use,” I said. I noticed Akin listening and smiled at him. “What do you want me to forge?”

  “I have a list,” Valeria said. Her voice was clipped. “Come with me.”

  I listened as we made our way back to the forge. Some of the Devices of Power she wanted were relatively simple - scythes that never blunted, farming tools that never decayed - while others were surprisingly complex. I understood, suddenly, precisely why the original forger had been welcome in the community. The tools he’d forged for them had made their lives easier.

  I could stay here, I thought, suddenly.

  It tempted me, just for a second. The scroll could be destroyed, the secret dying with me. Rose would be happy in the community ... even Akin might come around. But it would mean never seeing my family again, ever. Akin and Rose would miss their families too. I promised myself, silently, that I’d do what I could to thank the farmers, after I made it home. Perhaps Dad could ensure they weren't disturbed by the taxmen ...

  “Let me know how much of this you can do in a day or two,” Valeria said, as we reached the forge. “I don’t know how long you can stay here.”

  “I should be able to do some of it,” I assured her. If she needed us, she’d probably try to keep us for longer. A source of Devices of Power would be priceless to the farmers. But ... rumours of a dark-skinned girl and an aristocratic brat were probably already spreading through the community. It wouldn't be long before they reached whoever was supplying food to our former captors. “And there’s something else I need to make for myself.”

  “Very good,” Valeria said. She looked around the forge, disapproval evident in her cold gaze. “I’ll come and find you when it’s dinner time.”

  And don’t go wandering around, I finished, silently. I was tempted to ask her why she disliked the forge - or maybe it was me - but I doubted I would get a straight answer. You want me to stay here.

  I shrugged as she turned and walked out of the forge. Valeria seemed to be in two minds about keeping us here, but as long as we could stay for a day or two it didn't matter. We could leave, once we were rested and fed. And then ...

  I smiled. I’d had an idea. And if it worked, we could get home very quickly indeed.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Valeria, I discovered over the next two days, was a harsh mistress.

  She wasn't as impolite as Fairuza, to be fair. I wasn't her prisoner. But she had a whole list of Objects and Devices of Power that needed to be fixed or rebuilt from scratch. Frictionless tools, ever-sharp blades, water purifiers, heat exchangers ... I worked constantly, carefully putting them together while wishing for a better workshop. The abandoned forge simply didn't have an abundance of supplies.

  “Valeria hasn’t heard of anyone approaching the community,” Rose said, at lunch. “We don’t know who was selling food to our captors.”

  Akin scowled, displeased. “How do we know they’re not keeping us here so we can be recaptured?”

  He rubbed his forearm. There was a nasty bruise, clearly visible against his pale skin. He hadn't been enjoying the farming life at all, although he knew enough magic to make himself useful in other ways. I’d have expected Valeria to put him to work in the forge, but apparently not. Perhaps she just felt that he should be working in the fields.

  “They gave us their oath of hospitality,” Rose told him. “They won’t break it.”

  “Hah,” Akin muttered. “How much is an oath worth?”

  Rose shot him an irritated look. “Out here? Quite a bit.”

  I held up a hand to keep them from arguing. Rose was used to the farming life and I had my forge, but Akin? He simply didn't fit into the farm. And he was right. Word of our presence was spreading, slowly but surely. It wouldn't be long before Fairuza heard of us and came calling, if she hadn't been trapped in the collapsing villa. I didn't think it was too likely. She was strong enough to defend herself against falling debris.

  Unless she was caught when I brought the roof down on her head, I thought, as dinner came to an end. Or she might have destroyed her base and gone into hiding. She might have assumed that we’d made it home already.

  I shook my head. It was wishful thinking and I knew it. Whoever was backing Fairuza would know when we made it home ... until then, Fairuza could still redeem herself by recapturing us. She might still be searching the ruins ... or she might have reasoned that we would have headed away from the city as fast as possible. I bid farewell to my friends and walked back to the forge, thinking hard. What would I do in her place? I couldn't think of many options beyond searching the surrounding area for a trio of runaways.

  Rose changed the subject. “Good food?”

  I nodded. The food was bland, yet ... there was something about it I liked. Perhaps it was the way the women brought out the natural flavours, rather than smothering the meat in fancy sauce. But we couldn't stay.

  Valeria was waiting for me outside the forge when I arrived. “Did you finish the scythes?”

  “I did,” I said, leading her inside. The scythes sat on the bench, just waiting to be taken out and put to work. I’d carved runes into the metal, then waited for the spellform - the very basic spellform - to take shape. “They’ll cut through anything and never lose their sharpness.”

  “Very good,” Valeria said. “And the other projects?”

  She cast her eyes over the collection of tools and reworked m
etal. I wondered, grimly, just how much she actually knew about forging. She hadn't been raised in a magical family, yet ... a skilled forger would have realised I’d been working on a number of projects I hadn't told her about. I wasn't sure how she’d react, if she knew the truth. Valeria was unpredictable.

  And if she does want to keep us here, I thought sourly, she won’t want to give us any chance to escape.

  It wasn't a pleasant thought, but it had to be faced. Valeria and her people were hiding from the aristocracy. The king might wish to extend our borders towards the Eternal City, if he knew it was possible to survive - and even prosper - so close to the cursed lands. I didn't think he’d want to take the risk, not when it might provoke a war with our neighbours, but I had no way to be sure. Valeria had good reason not to want to either hand us over to our former captors or let us go home.