The Boy and His Curse

by Michael P Mordenga

  “I had a dream,” he said.

  “I’ve read about those,” she admitted. “Did you know that Phaenix can’t dream? Our brains are big enough to store our inner conscience.”

  “No, I mean, this dream was very weird. It was about my curse. I saw a dark blanket thing crawl inside it. It felt so real and then this voice told me that it had found me. I couldn’t even move.”

  Caitilin’s eyes widened; she had a deadly serious look on her face. “A dark blanket?”

  Ethan nodded.

  Caitilin got close to him with her eyes wide and her lip trembling. “They spoke of a boy who would be infested with the dark demon of Geruvain. When infested, he would be under its control. You need to do something now.”

  “What?” he said, alarmed.

  She grabbed his arm and yanked him forward, “You need to watch where you are going.”

  He tripped over a rock and fell on his butt.

  She chuckled at him. “I really had you going right then. You thought I was being serious lipped, you dark-browed boy.”

  Ethan mustered a smile. She got him good; he hadn’t even known she had it in her.

  “It’s nothing,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  *****

  The war room was packed and it gave Budgeron small hope for the situation. Every Phaenix who wanted to risk his or her life to spy on the Kalhari were sitting at the war table. Volunteers begged to be put in this mission for the sake of Faeria’s safety. Finally, Faeria was preparing to eliminate its invader. The towns of the North and West were worrying a great deal about what might happen. Even the survivors of the East massacre did not feel safe hiding out in the West. The startling truth unnerved even the stoutest of heart: the Kalhari were ravenously hunting them.

  Budgeron knocked on the table. “Quiet, quiet: the meeting will now begin.”

  He took a look around the room. The Phaenix gathered were young, energetic, and willing to risk their lives. They knew what a troll could do to a Phaenix and they had still signed up. Each had been invited into the glorious castle, the Majesty. No ordinary Phaenix could be invited to the Majesty.

  Everyone took a seat in honor of the Master of Defense. Budgeron stood at the head of the table, looking over a small map of Faeria. It displayed the East and West forests, the North Queendom, and the great area in between, known as the Driftspace.

  “Here’s what we know,” he said, and the room became silent. “We know they are marching out in the open, and they are also walking at a fair pace. There is no rush in these soldiers. They are taking their time, even enjoying some of our flora. But still they are marching and they are moving toward us. Even now, we know very little about them, except that they have full control of our East Forest and they are burning it.”

  The room fell into an uproar; every Phaenix cursed the name of Kalhari.

  “Let’s stop them now!” one Phaenix shouted.

  “We have to rattle their skulls, make them pay!” another Phaenix added.

  “Our Daysun is punishing us.”

  Budgeron quieted them down and they all took their seats again.

  “We can’t just start a battle. We need to know what they have and what their plan is, which is where each of you come in,” he began. “Every time they camp, we will need you to take inventory of what they have. Do they have artists, sword trolls, sokratist bears? We need to know or we will all be troll-clubbed with our wings down. What I will have some of you do is take flight over and make quick inventory of what you see. If they spot you, then you won’t have long to escape. Once you take inventory, log everything significant and communicate it back to me. I want to know everything from food supplies to their hygiene methods in early morn.

  “That will be the easier task. The more difficult task is for those who will hide within the camps they make. You will need to find a way to hide inside their camp and see what they have. This task is considerably more dangerous, but is crucial to what we need to know. Your job will be to count and give the army a feel for what we need. Based on your results, we will change our recruiting program, materials production, and strategy.”

  Budgeron’s face grew very serious. “At all costs, you must make it back. For some of you, that will seem impossible, but it is imperative that you return. My soul will burn and the fire will not fade until I see your faces again.

  “You will need to find a partner to help you on your mission, a Phaenix who tries to spy alone will be an easier target. And if there are two of you, at least one of you will make it back. Do not take a long sword or saber with you; the reflection of the blade in the sunlight might give you away. Kalhari troops know how to quickly find Phaenix. They can spot a Phaenix in flight at two hundred wing breadths away. They are ugly, but not dim-brained. Also, do not wear armor, for armor will slow your journey and necessary escapes, and we need to preserve our armor supply for battle.”

  The Phaenix around the room seemed to understand the peril they were committing to. All of them came expecting to face such trouble—it was all for the homeland that they loved so much. Budgeron looked over the crowded room. Every Phaenix was young. Some of the males had not even finished their Trumen test. Some would never get the chance to betroth a female. They were risking their future for the sake of the land.

  As Master of Defense, he remembered the battles he had been in charge of. He had led his Phaenix warriors into victory against Wolfian insurgents, and even stopped many Darken border brawls with his cunning and ability to see a problem before it got worse. Budgeron was a Phaenix of discernment, but he was still baffled as to how the Kalhari swelled to such power so quickly in the homeland. He wanted to destroy them now, but there was no prophecy and no plan. Without them, the Phaenix might be doomed.

  Coming into the room, closing the door behind her, Sasha had come. Budgeron’s face froze. Then he got angry and red.

  Budgeron stood up, “Sasha, make leave now.”

  She glared back, then stormed out. Budgeron followed.

  Sasha was a fireball, defiant since the day she was plucked from the garden. Unlike most parental units in Faeria, Budgeron still survived his daughter’s sprouting—it was a rare occasion. He had discovered that she was just like him; so adventurous and persistent.

  “No daughter of mine will be setting foot in a Kalhari camp. There will be no negotiation. Go back to being a woodsmith.”

  She stomped her feet. “You said anybody could come, Father. Just because I am your daughter doesn’t exclude me. I want to protect my homeland just like you.”

  “Yes, that excludes you. Maybe I have no problem sending other Phaenix into great peril, but I will not send my daughter. You can go home. I refuse to argue with you about this. What about your betrothed, Shen? Will he appreciate your adventures when you are in the grave? No, there is too much at stake here. I forbid you to go.”

  She stood still, holding her ground.

  “Away!” he roared.

  She was gone.

  Budgeron walked back inside the war room where the rest of the volunteer Phaenix waited for his next command.

  He began again, “It’s the love of the homeland that inspires me. This land had housed my family for generations and I am not going to let it fall. That is why you cannot fail. It is not in our blood to fail.”

  He sat down and quietly reflected. “Let us pray to the Daysun for protection before you go out.”

  *****

  The walking grew tiresome and the awe of the beautiful forest started to wane on Ethan. He had been trudging along for half a day, watching the trees trail on forever. He didn’t know how it had happened, but he was in an argument with Caitilin.

  “All I am saying is that we are here by chance. It is pure chance that I was cursed, met you, and came here, and it is by random coincidence I found this alternate universe. That is how the world works. The inclusion of some deity leaves too much to be desired.”Caitilin huffed and rolled her eyes upward. “It would take an Earthian t
o believe that. All this happens to you: you get a curse that has never been given to an Earthian and I just happen to show up on the same day. You think that is by random dice chucking?”

  He nodded. “Adding fate to anything just disappoints you. The world is an endless ball of chaos. You can’t put some higher being in front of it; you’ll only find that nothing makes sense. This Daysun you talk about. What is the point of trying to explain everything when nothing goes your way?”

  She looked up to the heavens and apologized in her language, “You don’t get it, Ethan, and this is where your Earthian knowledge finds its fatal death. We didn’t make up the Daysun, he made us up. That is our kotoma, or our belief system. We believe the Daysun made up everything in our world.”

  “And what about other people?” Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Other tribes have gods. They can’t all be right. How do you compensate for their gods? What if there is a tribe out here that thinks a talking fish is their almighty creator?”

  Caitilin had never really thought about that. She stood still, trying to think of the answer her Readying House would give. All those cycles training to be a faithful messenger of the Daysun’s blessing and she couldn’t think of a good argument. “I don’t know…,” she surrendered.

  “And what about this war in your country? The Daysun promises to protect you and now by mere chance you are at risk of being destroyed. It seems like this belief system you have is fading away. Now, if you believed in chance, we could all agree that it was by human—or, creature—error that this happened.”

  Her temples started to throb and she bit hard on her lip; she could feel her body start to go numb. She honestly didn’t have an answer for the stupid Earthian.

  Ethan noticed she had stopped walking. “Caitilin?”

  “What do you know?!” she yelled. “You are just a moronic Earthian! Your world started more wars than all the other realms put together!” She felt the burst of aggression leave her and then remembered a deaconess should always strive for peace. Feeling hot with embarrassment, she ran off into the forest.

  Ethan followed her. A few footfalls in, a hand grabbed his mouth and dragged him backwards. It was Caitilin; she had a stone serious look on her face. She motioned with her finger to be quiet.

  “Be very quiet. We have a large Octaflaught in these forests unlike anything you have ever seen. It has a head like a squid and the body of a falcon. The beast likes to roam in these parts. We don’t want to awaken it.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Ethan exclaimed.

  She was not kidding.

  This was real. “Maybe it might be asleep?” Ethan asked, lowering his voice.

  She nodded. “Yes, but we need to be very careful. It’s unlikely that the Octaflaught would appear, but we need to keep it that way by being as silent as possible.”

  She quietly tiptoed ahead.

  Ethan immediately clutched his cursed hand.

  “What?” She realized what he was doing and her stomach dropped. They were in the middle of the forest, surrounded by dark trees everywhere. There was no chance to escape.

  She looked angrily at Ethan. “Now is a horrible time to do that, you know.”

  “It’s not like I can control it.”

  “Let’s cover your hand. Maybe it won’t activate the curse.”

  Ethan dropped his hand to the ground and they both hurried to shovel dirt over it.

  Caitilin closed her eyes. “Daysun please save us from whatever is coming.”

  Ethan’s eyes were worried. “I don’t want to die.”

  She was about to speak, but a revolting snort blasted through the forest.

  Ethan and Caitilin froze. The snort sounded again, pushing through the trees. Then the sound of a monstrous screech filled the air. Even the trees trembled in terror. Ethan saw the trees in the back begin to sway.

  “We have to leave now, Ethan!”

  “My hand is still burning.”

  The sound grew louder and boughs flailed from the direction of the monster’s snort. The Octaflaught smelled the fear of what it hunted.

  Ethan and Caitilin were about ready to move. Ethan didn’t budge. “I can’t get my hand out of the dirt,” Ethan panicked.

  His hand was burning continuously, mocking him for being in such a state.

  Out of the darkness the giant white head emerged. Sinister black eyes the size of beach balls stood on each side of its face. Two tentacles protruded out of the front and they snapped at the trees, while its gigantic talons skittered across the ground.

  Caitilin yanked as hard as she could on Ethan’s wrist, but it felt like something underground was holding onto it. “What’s got your hand?”

  “I don’t know,” Ethan said, beginning to cry. “A gopher with a vendetta?”

  She yanked harder, using her feet as an anchor, but it was no use. The monster announced his presence with another eardrum-shattering screech. This time Ethan could see its massive red feathers flapping up and down. At the tip of the feathers there were moving tendrils. They snapped at the trees. The beast moved forward toward its prey.

  “I don’t want to die here!” Caitilin pulled his arm harder and prayed, “Daysun help me, help him!”

  The monster lunged forward, its eyes transfixed on the two targets. It was hungry. Caitilin realized she was not going to get his hand out, but she wasn’t out of options. She put her hand inside her robe and pulled out coarse sand. There was just enough to make a mark on the beast. Her studies of the Octaflaught were not comprehensive, but she knew it was afraid of artistry. The Octaflaught would be driven off if she could produce some fire.

  Unfortunately, intimidating fire was not her specialty. She was mostly a peaceful Phaenix, and mainly only artist warriors used fear-mongering fireballs.

  The beast came in startlingly fast, grabbing onto tree trunks and pushing itself forward. If anything could happen, it needed to happen now. Caitilin would have to use her skills for battle for the first time.

  “What are you doing?” Ethan shouted.

  “Phaenix dust is a catalyst,” she said, rubbing her hands in it. “It helps multiply and exaggerate the effects of our artistry. Maybe I can scare it off.”

  It was now or never. The beast presented its beak of razor sharp teeth, ready to consume the two pieces of raw meat. The tentacles would finish off anything the beak missed.

  She rubbed her hands with the dust until she felt her cells warm up. Then, with burning friction, she sparked a flame in her hand. It swallowed up her whole fist and branched upward toward the sky. She began to tend to the fire, pushing with all her might to make it expand. It rose up sharply, obeying her instruction.

  Caitilin held her posture and stretched out her fiery fist. Her face poured with sweat, knowing she had no option to fail. With a single burst of energy, she released the fireball on the white skin of the Octaflaught. It spread in multiple directions, licking up against the target. The Octaflaught deflected from its attack course, in fury with the fire. It rose up with its tentacles snapping the air in pain and let out an irritated scream.

  Ethan could see his terrified reflection in the black eye of the squid. The Octaflaught bounced back on its talons. It spread its wings and began to fly off through the forest. The sheer force of air from its wings pushed Caitilin onto her rear.

  Caitilin's heart was beating rapidly. She turned to Ethan and laughed nervously. He looked back at her with tear streams down his face. They had just fought off a huge Octaflaught, something no one in Caitilin’s Readying House could ever do.

  “I guess we can go now,” she said.

  Ethan pulled his hand from the dirt. It came free. He got up and brushed himself off. Caitilin had saved him. She had courageously scared away a horrifying monster and that impressed him.

  “Caitilin, I’m sorry I made you angry.”

  She beamed.

  The voracious screech reverberated again.

  Her smile disappeared.

  Their eyes searche
d the tree line. Leaves moved violently, announcing the creature’s presence. The Octaflaught was coming in from the sky. It hovered above the tree clearing and spotted its victims, readying to swoop down and crush them. With the speed from its aerodynamic hawk wings, it would be no difficult task.

  Ethan and Caitilin ran, ignoring the fact that Octaflaughts were much better fliers than they were runners. They bolted as fast as their legs could go. Fear was the only fuel they had to survive.

  The beaked animal burst through the trees, pushing two huge trunks down with its tentacles. With a hungry yell it charged. A mammoth tree was uprooted by its massive tentacles.

  Running proved pointless. In a single bound it caught up to both of them. It lunged with its talons in front and whipped its tentacles right at its meal. Caitilin could feel the heat of its lunge. It was too late for them. Her legs faltered.

  Ethan was mowed down, perilously to the ground. His body thrashed against rocks and dirt clods, falling into a ditch. Expecting to get wrecked with the animal’s tentacles, he covered himself with his hands, only opening one eye.

  The Octaflaught was going to beat him like a drum. Ethan’s body tensed, his skin turned pale, and his sweat turned the temperature of cold death. There was nothing he could do but take the impaling of the angry squid tentacle. He forced his eyes to open one more time before the beast killed its first Earthian high school student.

  Caitilin watched helplessly. Her hands were shaking. She couldn’t make a flame. She leapt back toward the boy.

  The Octaflaught’s tentacles were raised high in the air. Too late. It was in the kill position.

  The forest had gone silent—no more unearthly screams or trees being crushed. Ethan was still screaming a deathly wail. His voice went hoarse and he realized not a single tentacle had touched him. When he looked around no squid monster was in his line of vision. Then Caitilin came and peered down to where he was lying. Her face was excited and hopping.

  “You’ll never believe this.”

  Ethan climbed up the ditch and realized a loose log was the thing that had tripped him, not a tentacle.