The Raven's Curse

by Rain Oxford

  “You work? I figured you would hide out in the woods if you didn’t go back to Mother.”

  “I tried hiding out in the forest, but it got way too boring. I found a nice place I figured Mother would never run into and started my own shop. I sell animals as companions. I go by Kian so that rumors don’t get back to Mother, though. What?” he asked when my eyes widened dramatically.

  “That is an awesome job. I saw your shop. Is it very successful?”

  He shrugged. “Compared to selling potions and curses? No, not even close. However, it’s a lot more fun and I make a living on it. I still make the occasional curse or potion, or play a cruel prank on some of my neighbors, but it’s usually just practice to keep my skills up. Sometimes someone tries to con me or start a fight, so I have to show them that I haven’t been declawed. I wish we had time to talk, but we really don’t. Do you know why you lost control? Do you remember what you did afterwards?”

  “Some of it. I’ve been getting angry and saying things I didn’t mean a lot lately. According to Merlin, it got worse every time I used magic. We think it was a curse to make me into a sorcerer.”

  He nodded. “That’s exactly what it is. Well, almost. It makes you a truly ruthless sorcerer, and we’re pretty sure Mother put it on you. We just can’t figure out how or when.”

  “But I’m okay now. Did someone break it?”

  “Mason tried. He says it’s the worst curse he’s ever seen and he thinks that it’s bonded with your magic. He’s afraid to even try to remove it. His family and Livia agree that it’s too dangerous. None of them know how to break curses as well as you.”

  “Then I can break it myself.”

  “That’s even more impossible. As we speak, the curse is getting stronger. Livia put a spell on you to mask it for a while, but it is a huge strain on her. She’s doing it so that I can explain to you why we have to put you under a sleep curse.”

  “What?! I don’t believe you! You’re trying to trick me so you can take me to Mother!”

  “Ayden, I’m not trying to trick you! If you’re asleep, we can control the curse. We’ll keep looking for a way to break it. We’ll kill Mother if we have to. Then you can wake up.”

  I grabbed my staff and stood, not caring that there was a bandage wrapped around my bare chest. There wasn’t any pain, so I figured it was fine… well, except for the blood seeping through.

  “I’ll kill Mother myself, and then the curse will be broken.”

  “You can’t face her. By the time you reach her, the curse will be in complete control again and she could steal all of your magic!”

  “Not if I steal her magic first.”

  “That’s the curse taking control! My little brother would never say that.”

  “If you’re too afraid to face her, I don’t mind. I’m not going to run from her anymore.”

  “She wants you to go to her. Be reasonable, Ayden.”

  What would Merlin tell me to do?

  Who cares? He left you.

  Because I told him to.

  I was considering it, starting to doubt my intentions, when I pushed him out of my way. I hadn’t meant to do it; I was out of control again. The shock of hurting my brother pushed the darkness away just enough for me to lean down and check his head, which had hit the wall. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

  He reached up, touched my head, and too late I realized what he was doing. I passed out.

  Part 2

  Merlin

  Chapter 18

  Cennuth taught me magic, Caedmon taught me wisdom, and Brynjar taught me literacy. Morality was left up to me. I learned about the balance of nature and magic and how dark magic always came back on the person who inflicted it. Although the universe was not concerned about justice, magic was.

  I was not a purely good man; I had done my share of dark magic. It was never worth it knowing I made the world a darker place. I helped people I chose to help and fought people I chose to fight. I had enemies and allies, but not many people I would call friends. There weren’t many people I really trusted.

  Caldaca was probably the strangest world, though it wasn’t because of the clearly divided classes of citizens. It was strange because magic was the majority instead of minority. Here, dark sorcerers were not balanced by dreadful fortunes. Instead, the sorcerers and wizards balanced each other. Without one, there couldn’t be the other. I played at understanding it and taught Ayden to the best of my abilities, but I was tired of being so out of my depths. I wanted my magic back and I wanted to go to another world.

  Ayden needed me, and I needed him, unfortunate as it was. If I had my magic, I wouldn’t hesitate to defeat Ilvera Dracre. I even knew that I could. After all, I had faced her before and I knew her weaknesses. Kille Rynorm, however, was not a man I ever wanted to be on the bad side of. Ilvera was a vicious, spiteful woman with an abundance of power. Her husband was downright dangerous, possibly even more so than Baltezore. The difference was that Baltezore was my enemy.

  Ayden was a kind person, very confused about what he wanted in life, but also extremely honest with me. I didn’t trust him at all when I first met him. He had his mother’s stubbornness and his father’s bond with dragons. However, over the months of teaching him magic, I learned that he was too kind for his own good. He had a dark edge and could be dangerous when he lost his temper, but he wasn’t quick to anger.

  When he traveled to another world to help me, I realized I did trust him. This wasn’t a comfortable revelation. I was used to losing everyone I trusted or cared about. That was when I decided I would leave as soon as the curse was broken. Of course, I would make sure Ayden was safe and that his mother wasn’t a threat first, but I didn’t want him to get caught in my dark past.

  Ayden’s brothers were like their mother; they were full of anger and dark magic. In the few times I saw Ayden get angry, I thought he could be like his brothers if he wanted to be. Since the young sorcerer became afflicted with the strange curse, I realized he was never going to be like his siblings. That was what bothered me most; the affliction was bringing out something that was already in him. He was turning into a sorcerer, but not like his mother.

  Kille was like a dragon in the guise of a simple snake. People saw it in his eyes that he was dangerous and they didn’t want to mess with him, but they had no idea how dangerous he really was. Kille and his brothers could destroy Caldaca if they wanted to. Each of them had it in them to rule as the dragons once did. Although Ayden wasn’t showing the power or intelligence that his father had, I could see it deep in his eyes. The part of Ayden that was a sorcerer, the part buried deep under the desire to make the world better and help people, was a Rynorm.

  If he was pushed into it, Ayden could take care of himself and defeat his mother, but it would destroy the part of him that was special. He was a kind sorcerer with light magic. If he did what was necessary to stop his mother, he wouldn’t be able to face himself and he would turn to dark magic completely. For his own sake, to make sure that part of him wasn’t lost, I would protect him.

  * * *

  I ran towards the south shore, not even considering how I was going to get across the vast oceans. Although I had made it in time to save Ayden from wasting all his energy on the illusionary monster, it required running as fast as I could, which wore me out terribly. I didn’t have all the same weaknesses as a wolf, fortunately. While I had the heightened sense of smell and hearing that wolves had, my eyesight was no better or worse than it was before the curse.

  Judging by Vinr’s endurance, I suspected that I had a slight advantage in long-distance running. I could trot for long distances or sprint fairly fast for short distances, provided I ate enough to keep up my energy.

  The stabbing pains in my body told me I wasn’t getting enough food, but all I cared about was getting to Ayden’s mother before he did. I knew it was her behind this curse and I had to find a way to end it. At about sunrise, I suddenly collapsed while running. I had only stopped
for food and water three times, and was completely out of energy, especially since I hadn’t recovered from following Ayden to Certainty. My body was durable, but not immortal.

  I passed out.

  * * *

  My dreams came immediately, but it took time for me to gain control of them. I saw Ayden as he would be if I couldn’t help him. He was standing in the snow, which told me I had a little time. It could have been that he was further north, but my dreams didn’t usually work that way. In this vision, Ayden’s hair was black, his eyes were burgundy, and his expression was cold. Of course, this didn’t help me figure out how to stop it.

  How do I get to Ilvera Dracre?

  My vision changed to show me as a child, talking to Caedmon. I felt a pang of regret, for I wished I could go back and thank him for everything he taught me. Unfortunately, it was pointless to hold onto the past, for it was already gone.

  “Why do I need to learn to fight?” the young me asked.

  “Magic will not always be there to help you.”

  “Why not?”

  “That I cannot say, for I don’t know what the source of magic truly is. The dragons have their notions, but they have no proof. I grew up believing that only the gods should have magic and for mortals to have it was wrong. Now I see it differently, of course.”

  “How did you end up living here?”

  “As you know, I grew up on the idea that honor was only attained in battle. I was born in the blood of my enemies and that was how I wanted to die. Then, one day, Cennuth attacked my village. We tried to chase him off, but he kept returning. Finally, I was able to wound him. I actually tore off one of his horns. He left then. However, as the only one who was able to hurt him, I was tasked with finishing the job. I spent the next three years hunting him down. He evaded me, though he never tried to harm me.”

  “Did you find out why he attacked your village? Was he hungry?”

  “I did find out, and no, he wasn’t hungry. I spent those years learning about Cennuth; how he fought, how he hunted, and what his limitations were. I managed to sneak into his cave, where I overheard him and a female dragon. Cennuth had fathered an egg, which was stolen. Although he didn’t know who stole it, he was able to track it to my village. The intelligence and kindness I saw in the dragon that night changed my entire viewpoint on dragons. He didn’t hate me, or my people, he just wanted his egg back. Unfortunately, his wound affected his power. I gave up my hiding spot, revealed myself to him, and gave him back his horn. With magic, he was able to reattach it. I was certain he would kill me, but he just thanked me for returning it.”

  “Are all dragons nice or just Cennuth?”

  “I wouldn’t say any dragon is nice. Cennuth has his breaking point, just like any dragon and any man. Through many years, Cennuth learned wisdom, and through his actions, so did I. I learned about mercy and forgiveness from him, as none of my people were very good at it. I went back to my village and searched for the egg. Unfortunately, in doing so, my people realized that I hadn’t really killed Cennuth. They wanted an explanation, and I told them the truth.”

  “I take it things didn’t go well?”

  “They said I was a traitor, and I was to be killed. Cennuth arrived just in time to save me, and then we protected each other while looking for the egg. We found it, and Cennuth offered to take me with him to another world. I refused, but I couldn’t stay with my people. Being an outcast was very dangerous then. Of course, life was very dangerous. I spent the next few years reevaluating my life, and more importantly, my lifestyle. When Cennuth returned and made the offer again, I was ready. He brought me here. I never found out what happened to his egg.”

  “Why did Cennuth return?”

  “He has a habit of showing up when you really need him. However, he also taught me a way to call a dragon for help, if you know their name.”

  “Can you show me how?”

  “Will you ever trust Cennuth enough to ask him for help?”

  “I might have to, because magic won’t always be there to help me.”

  * * *

  I woke with the ritual very clear in my head. That was immediately sent to the back of my mind when I realized someone was flicking water at me. I opened my eyes to find a young woman sitting cross-legged in front of me. She had long, braided, dark brown hair, dark green eyes, and soft facial features.

  “Settle down, wolf,” she said as I tried to get up. “You need to take it slow.”

  I tried to tell her I was in a hurry, but all I got out was a low grumble. I didn’t know why Gmork was able to speak and I wasn’t.

  “I know you want to go, but you won’t get far without food and water,” the woman said. She held a bowl of water to my mouth. “Drink.”

  I sniffed it and it smelled clean enough, so I drank it. As soon as the bowl was empty, she reached into another bowl by her side, picked up a piece of bread, and put it to my mouth. I ate it gratefully.

  “I know meat is what you want, but my brother does all the hunting and he’s been having some bad luck lately.”

  I tried unsuccessfully to thank her again before giving up and letting her feed me. When the bread was gone, though, she pulled out a bottle and uncorked it. I leaned back.

  “This is a healing potion. It will help.”

  Hesitantly, I accepted her potion. It tasted as most healing potions did— like chalky, bland lavender tea. Of course, the ones made by the mages of Caldaca were a lot more powerful than those made on my world.

  “Rest for a while, and soon you’ll feel better.” She waited patiently and it was a peaceful silence. I felt worse before I started feeling better, but that was the way most healing potions worked. When I was well enough to roll over onto my stomach, she bid me farewell and left.

  I found a secluded clearing on a hill. It was better to use a mountain, but I didn’t have one. In fact, I was missing almost everything necessary for the ritual. I created a circle out of thirteen rocks with the diameter of seven feet. I didn’t have gold, so I found some yellow wildflowers and spread them out in the circle. It was not a good substitute, but they were yellow and I was a bit desperate.

  Since I didn’t have a fire sword, or even a dagger, I found a sharp stick and used it to draw a dragon symbol in the middle of the circle. It was also the wrong time of day for this, and I didn’t have dragon’s blood resin. I spent half an hour looking for an herb that smelled vaguely of my missing ingredient and set it down in the circle. Then I set down and wondered how I was going to use it. I was supposed to burn it, but that was hardly possible with paws.

  I decided to move on to the next step, which was to stab the “sword” into the ground. Using claws, teeth, and willpower, I dug the stick as deeply into the ground as I could. Movement caught my eye and I looked up to see a girl about fifteen. She saw me and froze with confusion.

  Even on Caldaca, it’s a bit unusual to see a wolf in a magic circle, trying to jam a stick into the ground. Slowly, she put her hands up and backed away. “I didn’t see anything.” A moment later, she turned and ran. I rolled my eyes and continued trying to get the stick in the ground.

  Once it was in enough, I faced south and said the incantation in my head as if I was speaking to Ayden. When I was done, I waited and listened.

  I thought for a moment that I felt something… but it was apparently just a warm breeze. Nothing happened, and I couldn’t wait any longer. Ayden was running out of time. Caedmon was right; magic wouldn’t always be there to help me. The fact I forgot was that dragons were magic.

  * * *

  I reached the beach about an hour before sunset and then was at a loss. Without magic or speech, it wasn’t going to be a simple matter. Still, I was determined to figure out how to get to Akadema without relying on magic or dragons. I was hundreds of years old; plenty old enough to figure out a way around being unable to speak.

  There was one boat at the docks, which was leaving soon. I considered just getting on it and hoping it went the right way. I
highly doubted they were going to let me go with them, though. Although the world was accustomed to magical creatures, they had no way of knowing that I wasn’t just a regular wolf.

  Just before I turned away to find another way, I saw the one ship I knew could help me.

  Bloodbath’s pirate ship was sailing towards the docks. Of course, it wasn’t going very fast, so it took half an hour for the boat to actually reach the docks. As soon as the ramp touched down, I ran up it into the boat. Several of the pirates shouted with shock, causing Bloodbath to turn. Fortunately, he recognized me instantly. “Merlin, what are you doing here?”

  I glared at him.

  “Right, you can’t answer me. Is Ayden around?” I shook my head. “Is he in trouble?” I nodded. “And you need me to help?” Again, I nodded. “Where do we need to go? Back to the Island of Light?” I shook my head.

  I then went back down the ramp and waited for him to follow me. As soon as he did, I returned to the beach and used my paw to write in the sand. It was difficult, as the language wasn’t one I was entirely fluent in. I learned the language from Vactarus and he wasn’t great at literacy. Still, I did the best I could to write Akadema.

  “Sorry, I can’t read.”

  I put my paw over my eyes in frustration.

  “He needs to go to Akadema,” Jevwen said. I looked to see him leaning over the side of the ship. Apparently, he had rejoined his father.

  “Akadema is quite far away. It’s going to be a long journey.”

  I started writing again. “He says it’s an emergency.”

  “Fine. We’ll go now.”

  “What about the job?” one of the pirates asked.

  “We can do the job later. Helping a friend comes first. I know Ayden would drop everything to help us if we needed it. Ludo and Red, you two unload the cargo and stay here. We’ll be faster without it.”