“Yes, I’m one of them. I was stationed in Ozin to protect its people. But with my eviction and the White Lady gone, it’s almost a relief. Whatever befalls that village, it’ll be someone else’s problem.”
“Can he really help me?”
Saskia nodded. “I think he’ll be more than willing. He’s very knowledgeable. Told me that only an undying can kill an undying.” She paused and looked at her attire. “And you could also use a new change of clothes.”
Mara glanced down at her own clothing. “Well, they’re not the greatest.”
Saskia placed her hands on her hips. “You were ill equipped, but I don’t blame you. It’s a miracle I managed to persuade the alderman to purchase steel and silver weapons from our guild’s blacksmith. When it comes to hunting and killing monsters, being prepared is the difference between life and death. Much of my gear is in Greyward Hold. I’m sure there’s something that’ll suit you far better.” She beckoned Mara. “Let’s go. Our work here is done. Oh, and let’s keep your situation a secret.”
Mara nodded in agreement and pulled her mask back up. The two left Misty Valley.
***
The two left Misty Valley the same way they entered. Much to Mara’s surprise, they didn’t encounter any monsters, but could sense they were being watched. The Forgotten Ones hid in rickety shacks, peering at them with glowing eyes.
“They’re afraid of us,” Mara commented.
“Probably because we murdered their mother,” Saskia remarked. “With the curse lifting, they may be affected as well.”
“You think they’ll change back?”
“Hard to say,” the Silver Thorn replied. “I’ve seen a human transform into a monster, not the other way around.” Then, “By the way, ever find the missing kids?”
Mara shook her head.
The red-haired woman sighed, “Damn, probably ended up like the others.”
“Maybe they’ll change back,” Mara said, feeling hopeful. “Hasn’t been that long.”
“I doubt the villagers will take them back. Knowing how they treat supernatural and outsiders.”
They finally reached the entrance to Misty Valley. The next half hour was spent travelling back to Ozin. It was unusually quiet, so Saskia decided to talk about something else.
“Ever heard of the Dark One?” Saskia questioned. Mara shook her head. The Silver Thorn was mystified. “Really? Most people know.”
“I have amnesia,” Mara reminded her.
“Oh, that’s right…” Saskia reached for the monster index. Opening the book, she went to a page. It showed an illustration of a massive dragon.
“The world was united by the gods, bringing peace and prosperity. It was called the Golden Age. However, the Dark One awoke, intending to destroy this world. The Dark One is a creature of immeasurable power and the source of the magic blight. The Great Lord sacrificed himself to stop the beast, thus the Legend of Kratés was born. But much of Ardana was destroyed and countless souls were lost. Seven seals were placed to keep the colossus from awakening again. The Golden Age came to an end and the Era of Darkness began.” Saskia closed the book and gazed at Mara with a sombre expression. “And I hope we won’t see the day it awakens.”
“You think it’ll awaken again?”
The red-haired woman shrugged. “The Faith of Kallikratés believes so. They’re an ancient order prevalent in Ardana and the neighbouring countries, Corlin and Loris. They believe in a prophecy that tell of the Dark One’s awakening when all the seals fail.”
The conversation helped pass the time. The village drew closer.
***
Ozin was already in a festive mood. People heard of the monster being slain, but Mara wondered how they knew. Of course, she remembered what happened. Boyd likely witnessed their victory and ran back to the village to tell what happened. Except he twisted the story. Now people were praising him for slaying the monster they just killed. The two remained silent while walking into the village. No one seemed to notice them.
“We should stay quiet,” Saskia began in a low voice. Mara looked at her with a questioning glance. The Silver Thorn gestured to a group of knights in fluted armour. “Mirahyll’s Guardsmen are here tonight. They may ask him to join.”
“You don’t think they should know the truth?” Mara questioned.
“In time he’ll get exposed, but something about him I don’t trust.” Saskia glanced down to a pouch strapped to her belt. “Oh, I mustn’t forget.” Opening the pouch, she reached into it. The red-haired woman handed Mara some gold coins. “I did offer to pay for your meal tonight.” Saskia smiled at her. “Just enjoy the night. Pretend it’s for you as it should. After you’re done, return to my house. We’ll leave in the morning.”
Mara nodded. “Okay.”
Saskia headed home, parting ways with Mara. Looking at the gold coins in her hand, Mara pocketed the money and headed to the inn.
Walking into the inn, she saw a group of men and women surrounding Boyd as he spoke of his grandeurs in slaying the monster. Others noticed Mara and began to talk about her.
“You see that girl?”
“Didn’t Boyd say she die?”
Mara ignored them and looked at Boyd. He noticed her too. The scoundrel began to shift in discomfort while the villagers laughed and cheered, and drank their ale. She gazed at him briefly before turning away. She found the same corner table from last night. Mara went to the main table to get food and drink. After gathering her meal, Mara returned to her spot. With her back to the crowd she removed her mask. While eating, she heard someone approach her.
“Hey there…”
Hearing a familiar voice, she stopped and turned around. Mara saw Boyd’s smug little face.
“I see you’re still alive,” Boyd said, acting as if he were unaware of his crime.
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Mara hissed in a low tone.
His eyes widened. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. You ought to be more careful. I thought you died!” Boyd looked at her sympathetically. “Look, I’m very sorry. I’m glad you survived. Here, let me make it up to you.” He presented a fancy steel sword. “The Guardsmen wanted to reward me for slaying the monster, but I think you deserve it. You can use it for practice.”
“Oh, thanks,” she said. “Really nice of you… considering Saskia and I killed the monster.”
“Keep your mouth shut!”
Mara watched Boyd. Pure rage and fear graced his face. After a few seconds, his tense expression lightened up. “The Guardsmen are interested in having me join their ranks and the last thing I need is you blowing my cover. Then again, who’d believe you? A mere girl who couldn’t hold a sword in a fight!”
He had shown his true colours. Her eyes flashed in anger, but she kept her cool.
“Thanks, but you can keep the sword,” Mara grumbled. She turned away and ate her meal. She heard Boyd leave. He also took the sword. Even though that man soured her dinner, Mara noticed a change with the way the food tasted. Everything had flavour. Even the vegetables and milk tasted better than before, not just the meat. Mara wondered why this was happening. At least she could enjoy her meal. Once finished, she pulled her mask back up and left for Saskia’s home.
***
Night had fallen by the time she left the inn. Mara walked to a house with some bushes in front. Approaching Saskia’s home, she noticed all the lights were off. Reaching the front door, she decided to be polite and knocked on the door.
“Saskia, it’s me.” She got no answer. Mara looked perplexed. Why wasn’t Saskia answering? She tried again. “Hello?”
She kept knocking. The door suddenly creaked open. Mara stopped and watched the door. Saskia never answered her calls. Something wasn’t right. Guided by intuition, Mara entered the home and locked the door behind her.
Glancing around, Mara found the house ransacked. Tables and chairs were overturned, with papers and documents scattered about. On the centre of the floor, Saskia lay unmoving.
>
“Saskia?” Mara called, but noticed a sword sticking out of her friend’s chest. The blade looked familiar. The Silver Thorn’s attire was already red. A pool of blood formed around Saskia. It grew wider, reaching out to Mara. She looked around and saw more blood. The walls were decorated with red handprints. A struggle happened. Looking back at the red-haired woman, Mara noticed her chest rising and falling. Saskia was still alive.
“Saskia!” Mara cried. She dashed to her side, ignoring the blood. Looking at her torso, Mara saw more stab wounds, but they were smaller. The Silver Thorn was stabbed several times. The left lung was punctured, filling with blood. Saskia opened her eyes and gazed at Mara. The red-haired woman slowly lifted her left arm and reached for her. Mara gazed at her friend’s face, her heart pounding like a drum. So many thoughts raced through her mind. Here Saskia was—stabbed and impaled to the floor. “What happened? Who did this to you?”
“Go,” Saskia said barely above a whisper. The red liquid began to pour out of her mouth. She was drowning in her own blood. “Harold needs to know… Leave now…”
She slowly exhaled. The light faded from Saskia’s eyes. Her arm fell onto her chest. Mara couldn’t look away. The sight was burned into her mind.
Three loud knocks on the door startled her. Before she could do anything, the door was kicked open. Two armoured men stormed the house and saw her over Saskia’s corpse. This looked bad for Mara. No questions were asked and they apprehended her. Mara shouted in pain as they grabbed her wrists and yanked them to her back.
“Well, well, well… caught you in the act.”
She heard a familiar voice and saw Boyd. He stood there smug with his arms crossed. He walked over to Saskia’s corpse and pulled the sword out. The guards hauled her out in silence. They dragged her before a group of villagers, among them was the alderman.
Mara noticed the accusing glares on her and shook her head. “It’s not what it looks like! I found her like that.”
“Then how do you explain this?” Boyd asked, tossing the bloodied sword in front of her.
Mara gazed at the weapon. She recognized the steel sword from not too long ago. She glanced up at the crowd. “Why would I kill her? She was the only one kind to me.”
“I don’t know.” Boyd approached her. “To hide your secret.”
Mara stared at him. He knew! Boyd eavesdropped on their conversation and learned about her secret as well. He looked back at the group.
“This woman is an undying, just like the White Lady!” He turned to Mara and grabbed her hood and mask. He yanked them off. The villagers gasped upon seeing her face.
“She looks so human,” one of the villagers said.
The barmaid from the inn stormed over and pointed at Mara. “That’s not how her face looked before! She looked as if she rose from the grave. A living dead creature!”
A male villager stepped forward. “Probably devoured the souls of the missing young ones,” he said to everyone. “That’s how she’s able to look like that!”
Madness ensued. People began to yell and scream at Mara.
“Murderer!”
“Monster!”
Her heart began to race. Mara shook her head, trying to fight back her tears. “No, I didn’t kill them.” But there was no reasoning with them.
The alderman glared at Mara and shouted, “Seize her! Don’t let this vile revenant escape. Quickly! Before she takes more of our children.”
Two guards grabbed her. She became numb as a black bag covered her head. She could see Boyd smirking at her through the black cloth while being taken to be executed.
“There’s no need for a trial,” Nigel declared. “A tree will do.”
***
Once the black bag came off, she saw the place of her execution—an old tree outside the village. She stood on a rickety chair while being prepared to be executed. The executioner placed a noose around her neck. The moon lit up the night sky. Now she was secured and ready to be executed. She gazed over at the villagers. In the light of their torches, Mara saw the dark expressions decorating their faces. They wanted her dead. Children were also present. Some clung to their parents’ legs as they watched her. None encouraged the little ones to avert their eyes. Her heart was pounding and her head spun. She felt sick.
Boyd approached her, still keeping that smug look. “Nothing personal…”
Mara snapped out of it and looked at him.
“What chance did you have? You’re nothing more than a monster.” With that, Boyd kicked the chair out from under her feet.
Now dangling from her neck, Mara choked to death. She heard their screams and shouts.
“Her face is changing!”
“Her true form is exposed!”
The roars of the crowd bled together and grew distant. Everything went black.
Chapter Four
Journey to Greyward Hold
In the dead of the night, Mara’s body remained hanging. The villagers had their fill of justice and went home. None remained at this hour, except for a large black bird who came to investigate. A raven just landed in the tree, perching on a nearby branch. The creature kept her company, its beak glistening in the moonlight. The raven cawed at her body. A gentle breeze passed by, making her sway. The rope creaked and strained under the weight of her body. The raven cawed one more time before spreading its black wings and flying away. A tingling sensation ran through her fingers, causing them to twitch. The tingle became a burning sensation, rushing through her body, like fire through her veins.
All of a sudden, Mara jolted awake. Her eyes and mouth snapped wide open. Her irises glowed bright yellow while gasping for air. She was alone. None stayed to witness her resurrection, thanks to her curse. She reached for the rope and tried to get herself down. The rope was strangling her again.
“Do not move,” a familiar female voice called to her. Mara became still. A creature with several eyes and a red hood walked before her. The Watcher glanced up at her. “Please remain still. I’ll get you down.”
In a flash of blue light, Mara was cut down from the tree. She fell to the ground coughing, then looked up at the creature.
“What are you?” Mara demanded.
The Watcher stared back at her, refusing to answer her question. Instead she instructed, “You must tell Master Harold of Saskia’s death. Return to her home and obtain the map, the bestiary, and her journal. Show him the murder weapon as well, to prove your innocence. It will be in the guards’ quarters.”
The Watcher disappeared into the darkness and vanished from her sight. Mara looked back at Ozin Village. Returning to the village that just executed her was the last place she wanted to go, but she didn’t have much of a choice. All she could rely on was the advice of her guide.
***
At least it was easy to sneak around the village at night. With the White Lady gone, the Forgotten Ones were no longer a major threat. Security was lighter and only two guards remained on duty. One patrolled the village while the other stood by the main entrance. Sneaking around, Mara found Saskia’s home, but a guard approached before she could enter. Mara hid in the bushes and watched the guard stagger about. He obviously helped himself to some leftover alcohol from the festivities. He stumbled past Saskia’s home. Mara intended to wait until the coast was clear. The guard keeled over from his own drunkenness—that also worked. She dashed to Saskia’s front door, but it was locked.
“Damn it,” Mara hissed to herself.
Looking around, she noticed a ring of keys shining on the unconscious guard’s person. The key to Saskia’s home might be among them. She approached the sleeping guard and lifted the keys off of him, taking care not to awaken him. The guard groaned as he rolled over and continued to sleep. Mara returned to the front door. After a few tries, she found the right key and the door opened. She went inside and locked the door behind her.
Glancing around, the house remained the same. The only difference was the absence of Saskia’s body. The massive bloodstain se
rved as a reminder of where it was. Avoiding the blood, Mara searched the home. Walking by the kitchen table, she saw a large black book with several pages in it. Recognizing the gold trimmings and the blue gem, she found Saskia’s bestiary. Mara reached over and touched the leather cover. Picking up the book, she opened it and flipped through the pages. She recalled Saskia reading it to her. It had a leather latch, allowing it to be attached to her belt. She equipped it, just like Saskia.
Mara searched for the map of Ardana. The map was in plain sight, hanging on the wall. She spotted a marked location—Greyward Hold. The map was a little too large to carry around in her pocket, even when folded. She found a travelling bag to use. Taking the map off the wall, she stuffed it into her bag. The third item she needed was the journal.
She entered Saskia’s room. It was larger than the cramped space Mara stayed in. It had a single bed, a small dresser, and a washing tub. The journal sat on the bed in plain sight. There was also a travelling bag on the floor. Saskia already packed her things and was ready to leave, but that never happened. Mara walked up to the bed and picked up the journal.
While gazing at the journal, something caught Mara’s eye. A mirror sat on the dresser. She recalled the villagers claiming her face changed while being executed. Curiosity got the best of her. Mara pulled down her mask before the mirror. Her reflection showed pale skin with a tint of grey and riddled with black scars. Her cheeks were sunken and dark circles sat under her eyes. Her lips remained full, yet dark compared to her skin with the upper lip more darker. Her face was thin as if she were starved. The markings around her eyes and down the sides of her face have now blackened. Her eyes possessed dark scleras. Her face was now different from what it looked like after slaying the White Lady. Now she looked as if she rose from the grave. To say the least, Mara was horrified. Her breathing became hitched and her heart pounded. It was like a nightmare where she couldn’t wake up. Tears threatened to spill. She was now a monster. The villagers were right about one thing, but she didn’t kill Saskia, and she planned to prove it. Mara pulled her mask up and turned away. Taking the journal, she placed it into the bag.
The Lost & Cursed Page 4