Book of Curses (The Renning Chronicles)

by L. D. Hutchinson

  "Because child, I am following Law. The Law of the God's, because of that I may only speak of so much, but there are things I can do they will never know, like this…" He extended one of his arms; light began to encase me immediately. Soon I was surrounded by it and felt the warmth that it brought, and then it was gone once more and I felt cold. "You and your brother both will be healed enough to journey on once you wake, though I cannot guarantee you will be fully healed."

  "I - Thank you for that."

  "Do not thank me just yet, you must leave as soon as you can and meet a woman by the name of Lorella. She is a Psychic, and was gifted with insight even we god's do not know." He took a moment to pause, moving closer to me. His voice dropped several octaves and I knew somehow he was staring straight into my eyes. "Seek her, ask her what she knows. Once you hear it, go back; gather your guardians and leave. You will need to hurry."

  "Hurry? What for?"

  "She has Maldre coming for you now; you must leave as fast as you can and not return. Get to the boundaries of this region, once there go east until you are out completely and you see endless skies. As soon as you see them ride north into the Air Region, only stay long enough to win over your guardians. There will be more there than just Air, Light as well as Water."

  "Once done there ride into the Fire Region, and be careful. I will come back to help you as much as I can, but for now I must go. Be safe child, you're everyone's last hope."

  "Wai- Dammit!" I shouted as loudly as I could, before I could say wait fully, he'd already dispersed into tiny beads of light that soon faded away completely, as did the dream too. It didn't take long before I was awake in the room once more.

  I sat up as fast as I could, feeling sweat clinging to my back and hair, making it heavy on my head. I also realized almost immediately when I shot up in the bed, that I didn't feel pain. There was none anywhere in my body now, well not severe pain anyway; there were some stiff muscles that I could still feel in my body.

  Hopping up from my bed I searched the room until I found clean clothes, and pulled them on as fast as I could. It was dark in the room, but I knew it was a straight shot to the door and then I would be out, the hard part was maneuvering the halls.

  I figured it wouldn't be that bad, I could find a way out. Feel along the walls I found light from a candle at one point, and let that help guide me out of this place, and then I could find the woman I was looking for. That was until I realized I wasn't alone in the room. That just ruined my whole plan.

  "Who else is here?"

  "Where the hell do you think you're going? You're going to get me killed." Fang hissed at me, sounding a bit hysterical.

  "Then come with me. I need to find a woman by the name of Lorella, do you know her?" I asked him, trying to get a sense of where he was. I was failing miserably until he placed his hand on my shoulder, making me jump at least a foot and he laughed.

  "The local psychic, yeah we all know her. She's out back by the Lane's."

  "Fang, I need you to take me to her. This is a life or death matter here, plus I need a witness to what I hear."

  "Yeah ok, come on… Just go where I pull you so we don't wake anyone." He grunted at me, before letting out a sigh. He muttered something to himself that I couldn't understand; all I could do was try not to laugh at him.

  He wrapped his hand around my forearm; trying to be gentle I'm sure, but failed miserably. He yanked me rather roughly and I made sure to keep up with him as best I could so that he wouldn't rip my arm off of my body.

  "Don't trip so much…" He hissed back at me, his voice low but lethal still.

  "I can't see, I'm sorry!"

  "Don't be sorry, just try more you imbecile." He snapped at me, yanking my arm again. From there we got around pretty quickly, and quietly. Once we approached the doors I felt like we were home free and could find her house easily enough, and be back before anyone knew. Then I heard a voice that stopped me dead in my tracks, and made me feel like a little child who was in trouble.

  "Really, you're sneaking out? With him?" Talon asked, actually laughing at what he'd said like it was the funniest thing ever. "He's the worst person to try and sneak around with, and he can't even keep himself stealthy enough. Where are we going?"

  "None of your business, bastard." Fang snapped at him, his eyes glowed a strange eerie white color.

  Though of course while watching Fang, I answered at the same time. "Lorella's."

  "Lorella's?" There was a slight pause before he let out a sigh. "I might as well go along with you, so I know he doesn't kill you, but tell me… how are you suddenly so, uninjured?"

  "I- It's a long story for another time, this is important and we need to go, now!"

  "Right, go on then." Talon stated simply, waving his hands at us. It was like he'd been drained of all emotion all over again since he'd begun speaking. It was starting to get rather annoying.

  Fang took off again, dragging me with him. My arm was actually starting to burn from pain all over again, because he kept pulling on me like that. We took off down streets as fast as we could, snaking around corners until Fang came to an abrupt stop, nearly letting me fall over beside him.

  "Here's Lorella's, and she is still awake, she must've known." He sighed sounding annoyed, as he always did.

  "Of course she'd know, she knows all…" I mused out loud, feeling the stares of the two men on me. I didn't care to look back at them; I just stalked forward towards the house. Just as I was about to knock on the little door it swung open in front of me.

  A short thin woman stood inside. She had long black hair, and white-blue eyes that just barely had a blue tinge to them. She was wearing a long, emerald green, velvet dress. She was smiling at me, showing off her perfect white teeth and blood red lips.

  "Raine, Fang and Talon, how nice. Come in, come in." She instantly stepped back from the door, waving for us to come inside. I was the first to take a step inside, but I didn't rush in. Talon and Fang followed after me quickly, like I'd suddenly disappear if they didn't.

  "Lorella, ma'am I'm here because I was told by Aer-" That was as far as I got in that speech before she cut me off.

  "Aerbael, came to your dreams and asked you to seek me out… ask all I know before you set out once more, yes dear, I know.. I have a lot to tell you sit, sit."

  I didn't argue with that, sitting down quickly I watched her with more fascination than anyone I'd met yet. I could hear the other two flopping down into seats near me, never once speaking, or making another sound. Lorella sat down in the seat across from me, smiling still as she looked at me.

  "My dear, Raine Renning, you are in for more than any of us ever thought possible, and other psychics have already begun to bind regions just so that you find them faster. Air, Water and Light all are waiting for you in the Air Region, hoping it makes things easier. The Fire Region decided to stay and guard what they could, where they stayed."

  "You have much to learn about what you must do, what you must accomplish, and so many tasks to overcome yet. But, the greatest is the one coming sooner than you, me or anyone else would like, you and your brother Thomas will have to face this one alone too, because it will be somewhere only YOU two know." She looked at me; her smile had turned into a grim line across her face. Her hands were then placed on top of mine.

  "My dear, the god's are planning to cause a ripple in time and space. They're planning to send you home, but in the process they will send themselves and your guardians there too. You'll have no choice but to try and defend your world, or else not only will we be doomed, but so will your world…"

  "Wh-What?" I stared at her as if she was an alien then, I could feel my body shaking. "That cannot happen… there's so much there, so much that they won't understand. So many people who could get hurt much faster and easier than here, its mortals... so many mor-"

  "There are as many mortals there as there are here, you may see it or not, but you will be prone to it now after being here. You have no choice in what is
to come, and we will all suffer a great loss soon, those of us who don't make it over with the rest of you, are to perish here, for when the gods leave even for a short period we will perish in the most agonizing way's possible.."

  "All I can tell you is that your guardians and you two will make it safely, along with Nickel and several others who are willing to pledge their service to you in the end. But, some of them will be doing it for revenge more than out of loyalty. Losses here will be greater than any we've ever seen, and I hope that in the end, you both rise as victors instead of them, in the end I hope you kill them...”

  "Take them out and save the world, for they will be bound together after this. Now go, go and get your guardians together and leave, Maldre is on his way. Ride east then north, quickly!"

  I stood up as fast as my body would let me, staring at her before I leaned down quickly enough to take her by surprised, and I hugged her. "I am forever in your debt for your help." Into her ear, as quickly as I had leaned down I stood up straight again and looked to Talon and Fang who only nodded to me. All three of us headed towards the door and rushed back out towards the palace, as fast as we could go without me being left behind in the darkness.

  *****

  "Fang, get Nickel and Layre, Talon get Nixon and Dolphus. I'll find Eyloff and Tom." I ordered not caring what they thought of it, and then took off down the hall to check all the doors they'd let be. I found Eyloff sitting in a chair bored, with Tom out cold in his bed. As much as I didn't want to wake Tom I had no choice in this.

  "That was easy..." I muttered aloud to myself, grabbing Eyloff's attention almost instantly.

  "What are you doing out of bed! How are you even able to walk?" Eyloff demanded from me. I rushed to Tom, ignoring Eyloff and began to frantically shake my brother trying to rouse him from his deep sleep.

  "Thomas, wake up, now!" I shouted at him making sure there was an edge in my voice. My shaking never once ceased, and I was getting frustrated with him now. "Tom!" I ended up snapping at him.

  His eyes almost instantly flew open, and he sat up in his bed staring at me. "What's wrong, Raine?"

  "We've got to go now, its life or death." I said, then looking back at Eyloff. "We'll explain to you once we head out, but we've got to go, now."

  "Right."

  "You're going to listen to her? She was wounded not too long ago!" Eyloff practically screamed, sounding outraged by all of this.

  "She's in her right mind you stupid wolf, Get your ass up, and get out here so we can leave!" I heard Fang growl from behind me, I had to smile at it. It got their attention as well as mine, and I looked back to see our entire group awaiting us.

  "We need horses…" Nixon muttered tiredly, as he started to stretch looking between all of us.

  "We've got plenty, Lane." Talon said to him in a flat tone, smirking a bit as if he'd said the funniest thing in the world just now. "As long as they don't mind riding a vampire's horse."

  "As long as we get going it doesn't matter!" I snapped at him, starting towards all of them.

  "Horses? Again?" Dolphus started to whine, looking pitifully towards me. He looked like a five year old at that moment, with his tousled hair and big bright eyes. It was almost a comical look on him; it was all I could do not to laugh. "Nicky love, you will keep me safe right?"

  "But of course." Nickel said to him, looking lovingly towards the wolf. I think I actually gagged from the sweetness. "The fewer horses we take, the easier this will be, I figure we should double up. That also leaves the troops here some more for fighting."

  "Perfect thinking, Nickel!" Layre spoke; she looked more lively than the rest of us combined.

  "Let's get going." Nixon quickly interjected, before anyone else could speak. I nodded at him.

  Following the group as quickly as I could, I felt Tom's presence beside me. Our feet pounded across the floors loudly, as we made our way towards the barn. It was twice as big as the barn was back in the Earth Region, and full of horses in every stall.

  The boys managed to be fussy about who they took of course. They looked for the fast ones, then stopped and took count. Then they were fighting about the best tempered ones, from there it was back to fastest, I just sighed. I wanted them to get done, pick horses and let us leave.

  "Tom, ride with Layre, Dolphus with me, Nixon and Raine, and Fang and Talon can get separate horses and lead us out." Nickel announced, nodding his head. "Pick your horses from here down."

  I managed to pull myself up onto the stallion that Nixon had brought out for us. It was a gorgeous paint, well-mannered too. I was getting used to the horseback thing at this point; it seemed to be their favorite way of transportation.

  Nixon hopped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my sides and grabbing hold of the reins. Five other horses stood close by with riders mounted on them already. I looked to Fang, and then Talon nodding my head just slightly at them. I was ready to go, whether they were or not.

  "Follow us." Talon announced in a bold voice, heading out on his horse. Everyone followed behind him quickly, making sure he didn't get too far out of sight. We all relayed the info Lorella had given us about what was going on. I could feel Nixon tensing up, and knew it was fear for his family as he took in each detail.

  No one said a word for a long time; the silence was starting to grow, to become eerie and making me angst for someone to speak. I was thinking about it over and over again, unable to stop wishing I could find a way to stop the gods. It was ridiculous and frightening all at once.

  "We'll all get through this one way or another; we can't worry about 'what ifs' right now." Tom spoke to us flatly, then clearing his throat. "We need to do what Lorella told you, and work from there."

  "I agree, how long till we reach Air?" Nixon asked, his muscles relaxed, and I realized he was trying to keep his head high and not worry.

  "Not long, but this is going to be uncomfortable for you and Talon." Fang told him, sighing a bit.

  "Why so?" Nixon asked, I looked back at him and saw he had turned his head to look towards Fang.

  "The sunlight will bother you, you won't like it at all," Nickel let out a sigh, before laughing in a uneasy manner. "At Talon's age, he won't burst into flames like some. He'll burn easily though."

  "The people there owe me a favor, so it's ok." Talon replied to that statement, I could hear the amusement in his voice.

  "My worry is any of you in our world, it's so different…" I finally whispered, looking down and forgetting that they could all hear me perfectly.

  "I'm sure you'll show us around then." Nixon replied to my statement, resting one of his hands on my shoulder in an act of comfort.

  "That's the thing, we live in a big world, and you could end up anywhere."

  "She has a point." Tom grunted then sighed, I was sure he was thinking it over just as much as I was. They could end up in China, or Sweden, or maybe some smaller part of New York, that wouldn't be too bad though.

  "Then we'll come to you, don't worry." Talon spoke shrugging his shoulders, but never once looking back at us.

  Chapter 14

  _______________________

  I looked down at the horse after a while as we rode on, studying the animals back intently and as quietly as possible. I watched where the brown became white and the white became a brown again. I saw how the colors mixed, beginning to let my mind wander into its own depths, taking the chance of having my fear attack me.

  There was just so much going on right now and after all that'd happened I didn't know how to react. Where to begin, how to begin, how to even try to understand any of it. I needed to sort through my thoughts, and pick at what was right and what was wrong. What was necessary, and what was unnecessary.

  Regardless, we were going to end up back in our world at some point in the future. Not just me and Tom this time though, no we'd end up back there with these people. The good and the bad of the bunch, plus more. We'd end up there with these foul 'Gods', who only wanted to kill and laugh as we died. />
  I blinked a few times so that the itching burn of tears would ebb away into nothingness once more. Just like that, I laughed, it was a silent laugh to myself, but I was beginning to think that this had to be some really bad dream caused by the numerous movies we watched the night before, and a bad blend of junk food.

  I'd end up waking up soon on the couch with Gabriel curled up on me purring away like mad, and Mazy on the floor rolling around and waiting for either me or Tom to pet her and tell her what a good girl she was. Tom would be watching cartoons, and Christie would probably be cooking something amazing in our kitchen, even if we told her not to.

  I just had to hold on a little longer and I would wake up. I'd wake up and be at home, happy and telling them about this weird ass dream I just had. Tell them about the strange people who were in it, and what was going on, and then I'd tell Tom to get rid of that book he got me because it freaked me out.