The Lost & Cursed

by Rina S Mamoon

  “Maybe so, but I know how you really feel about him. I’m psychic after all.”

  Mara’s face grew hotter. She wanted to say something, but heard whispers coming from everywhere. She looked around, but they were the only ones in the room. A shiver went up her spine.

  “Are we alone?” Mara asked.

  “There are others here. The darkling needs to be fed in order to stay alive. She’s one of the seals after all.”

  Mara glanced back at the Watcher. “I still have to save Commander White.”

  “It’s too late,” the Watcher told her. Mara closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the Watcher vanished with some parting words. “She knows you’re here.”

  Now alone, Mara looked to the stairs and began to ascend them.

  ***

  Walking up the stairs, Mara heard a light hiss as if from a snake. There were several more prison cells and Anna’s victims wandering about. They lacked the clarity to even acknowledge her presence. There was no need to fight them.

  After searching the tower, she found a large pair of doors. Mara placed her hands on them. With enough force, she pushed the doors open. She entered a large dark room with a single chair. Someone was strapped in by the wrists and ankles. Getting a closer look, she recognized him.

  “Commander White?” Mara called, but he didn’t respond. She looked around. No one else was here. She began to approach him. Mara had to get him out of here, saving him was top priority. As soon as she reached him, Mara kneeled down and began to undo his bindings. Eventually, he regained consciousness. She took notice while freeing him.

  “Oh, you’re awake. Mr. White sent me to rescue you.”

  Mara expected a snide remark from the commander, but got nary a peep. Looking up at his face, she noticed the blank expression. His eyes were glazed over and it wasn’t from being inebriated. It was exactly what Harold had feared. Even the Watcher gave a similar warning. Commander White had joined the others in the tower. She looked at him in silence, unsure what to think. How would his father, or the Faith, react if they saw him like this?

  “Can you stand?” Mara asked.

  Rising to her feet, she tried to get the commander to stand up. It was a major struggle. He was like a baby trying to walk for the first time. His legs were very shaky as if he never used them before. Mara shook her head. This was not going to work. She heard the hissing sound again. They weren’t alone. Before she could figure out where the sound came from, Mara was struck from behind and went flying across the room. She cried out in pain and hit the ground with a thud. At least no bones were broken. She got up and gazed back at Commander White, but it wasn’t him her attention was drawn to.

  A large female creature emerged from the shadows. She had the upper body of a woman and the lower half of a large snake. It was Anna and what a strange creature she was. Four red eyes graced her pale face. Most of her body was dark, except for the red glowing spots on various parts. Her hair was like writhing tentacles, as if from an octopus or a squid. Her long arms were covered in scales. Webbing connected each bony finger.

  Anna slithered beside Commander White. Mara noticed a bulbous appendage at the end of her tail. A smile crept upon Anna’s face while looking at the commander. The end of her tail hovered above his head. It opened up to reveal a circular mouth-like appendage, resembling a fleshy flower. The end of her tail fell onto his head, closing around the upper half of his skull.

  Commander White appeared to have reacted, but made no attempt to break free. Her tail pulsed and flexed. The darkling was pumping something into his head. His arms and legs twitched, but soon relaxed and hung from his body. He was paralyzed. Anna held him up by his head. The tail stopped pumping the substance into his body, but kept a strong grip on him. Anna smiled in a wicked fashion. She flexed her tail while rising. Mara looked on in horror.

  Anna’s head began to convulse in a violent manner. The commander’s eyes flew open and he released a bloodcurdling scream. Mara’s eyes widened. The sounds of his screams were horrifying, as if he were being flayed or burned alive. Anna continued to smile while lifting him up. She held him out in front of her, her head still convulsing. Commander White continued to scream with every fibre of his being. Tears flowed from his eyes.

  Mara didn’t know what Anna was doing to him, but enough was enough.

  “Stop!”

  Anna stopped. She seemed to understand Mara. The commander stopped screaming and crying. He wheezed from exhausting his vocal cords. Anna gazed at Mara and kept smiling. Her head convulsed again. The commander’s eyes began to flutter and rolled back into his head. A deep blush formed on his cheeks and he released a low moan. Mara looked on in confusion. She had no idea what Anna was doing or why, but she had a task to finish.

  However, the darkling had other plans. She gazed at Mara, and then to Commander White. Her tail formed a powerful grip, constricting the top half of his head. It looked like his skull was being crushed. He opened his eyes. They grew wide and he cried out in intense pain. The commander moved his arm and reached for Mara. He cried for help, but was unable to form words. The mouth in her tail began to pulsate. He froze, and then screamed again. Anna gave a very wicked smile, her eyes grew wide. She began to suck his brain.

  His screams died down. A clear substance trickled down his face while his eyes and mouth were wide open. He made a raspy sound as Anna fed on his brain. After a moment of feeding, Anna’s glowing eyes widened and her grin grew larger. The suction began to increase and her tail pulsated more. The commander’s head was pulled further into the strange circular mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth remained agape.

  Mara ran up to him. She grabbed the tail and tried to pull it off of his head. Anna stared at Mara and her smile disappeared. The darkling looked unhappy having her feeding disturbed. An unseen force knocked Mara away. She tried to get up, but it was too late. He went limp and became an empty shell. Mara just stared at Commander White. He was motionless on his knees with his arms by his side. The mouth-like appendage remained attached to his head. Mara stared at his hollow eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. Anna smiled, satisfied with her meal. The darkling slithered up to him and placed both her hands on his shoulders.

  Something snapped within Mara when she saw the darkling touch him. Filled with an incredible rage, she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Mara rose to her feet and reached for her sword.

  “Don’t fucking touch him!”

  The darkling tilted her head in confusion. Mara trembled as she glared at her. Anna had to die! Anna looked at her and began to rise, towering over the commander. The end of her tail engulfed his entire head and began pulsating with wild abandon. His body began convulsing. Mara looked on in shock. Enough was enough. She ran at Anna and unsheathed her sword. Anna frowned at her, swatting her away. Mara regained her composure and dashed at her again. Every move she made, Anna dodged effortlessly. As they fought, the darkling released Commander White. Mara saw him fall and ran to him. She approached him, unsure if he was conscious.

  “Karl—”

  Using her tail, Anna struck Mara really hard and sent her flying. Upon landing, she heard a loud crack. An intense pain shot up her left leg. Mara looked back and saw Anna lifting the commander up. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Anna’s face. He stared at her with adoration. Anna lowered his body to the ground. He took a few steps, then kneeled to her. Taking her hand, he kissed it. Anna pointed to Mara, who had yet to recover. Commander White nodded and gazed at her with a blank expression.

  Mara watched as he approached her. He began to unsheathe his sword.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” Mara asked, but her words fell on deaf ears.

  She tried to stand, but the intense pain returned in her left leg. Mara looked down to find her knee busted up. She struggled to her feet, but could barely walk. Commander White approached her with the Hand of Kratés, intending to kill her. Having no choice, Mara held her Silver Thorn strai
ght sword out in front of her. He stopped and mimicked her. In a swift motion, he lifted his sword and dashed at her. He brought the sword down. Mara raised her blade to meet his, but his strength took her by surprise. He had a very strong sword hand. She needed to use both her hands to block him. Mara was able to push him away, but the pain in her leg was immense. She could not focus on fighting him, but she was dead if she didn’t fight. Commander White stepped back and swung at her again. Mara blocked his backswing and pushed him away again. He returned quickly to strike. She was barely able to block. He wasn’t only strong, but fast. Even after being turned into a mindless slave, the commander remained a threat. He wore her down with each blow. Mara could not keep this up. His eyes glanced over to her busted leg and delivered a swift kick. The pain paralyzed Mara, forcing her left hand away from her sword. He swung at her again and knocked her down. Mara fell to the ground defeated. She could only watch as Commander White lifted his sword.

  “No… stop…” she pleaded, but it was futile. He plunged the Hand of Kratés into her chest and through her heart. Her heart stopped and blood filled her lungs. The black ooze surged up her throat and poured out of her mouth. He stared at her with a blank expression. Placing his boot on her chest, he pulled the blade out and returned to Anna. Death came swiftly. The last thing she saw was him walking away.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Friends and Allies

  The tingling sensation returned to her body. Her fingers twitched as each and every nerve came alive. The tingle turned into a burning sensation, as if her body was set on fire. Her eyes flew open and she bolted up. The pain left as quickly as it came. Mara glanced around, finding herself in a different place. It looked like a laboratory.

  “How did I get here?” Mara asked herself.

  “The Watcher insisted that we save you.”

  Searching for the voice’s owner, she found a man in a white lab coat. She recognized his blond hair and glasses. Dr. Moen worked at his desk, looking through a microscope.

  “You were here all night,” he told her. “Took a while to heal, given the damage you sustained. But I’m glad you’re okay.”

  The Watcher was also there, staring at her in silence. Mara sighed, swinging her legs around and facing him.

  “I wouldn’t say I’m okay,” she replied in a sombre tone. At least she didn’t use one of her two healing stones. It would’ve been a stone wasted.

  “No? Well, at least you have your mind. It was very stupid of you to fight Anna.” Dr. Moen lifted his gaze to her. “Why did you go there?”

  “Anna abducted Commander White. His father asked me to save him.”

  “Oh, is that so? Then it’s too late for him.” Dr. Moen peered back into his microscope. “I hear he’s now without his mind.”

  She stared at him. “I have to save him. Made a deal with his father. He promised to help me gain passage to Thoron.”

  The doctor glanced up at her again, this time with a raised eyebrow. “If you bring him back in that state, what do you think will happen?” Dr. Moen questioned sharply. “Can that priestess mend his mind? Will the Faith honour their end of the bargain?”

  Mara stared at him, but didn’t have an answer. Seeing Commander White like that—he would never be the same. The doctor frowned at her and rose from his desk. He walked to a black box sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

  “I can help you, but you must help me,” he told her.

  Mara watched him cautiously. “What must I do?”

  Dr. Moen opened the black box, revealing a syringe filled with a glowing blue substance.

  “I need a test subject for this experimental drug. Commander White will do,” Dr. Moen said simply. Then he explained, “Anna’s diet consists of brain fluid. She injects her victims with a neurotoxin, rendering them helpless as she feeds. While feeding, she releases other toxins, causing the zombie-like state and enslavement. She can also make her victims feel intense pain or pleasure, and reprogram them to serve her.”

  His words went over Mara’s head, but more or less it explained what Anna did to the commander.

  The doctor gestured to the syringe. “After some experimenting, I created this drug. Not only should it neutralize the toxin, it’ll restore the brain to its original state.”

  She eyed the antidote. “How did you make this?”

  “That is a secret,” he replied, giving a wink. “However, I’ve been to Thoron some years ago.”

  Mara looked at him with intrigue. “How were you able to get there?”

  “I had my ways. Learned many things during my stay there.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, it’s certainly not a hellish land ruled by demons, like the Faith claimed. Thoron is more advanced. One of the most iconic places is a prestigious college for the intellectually gifted.” His tone became sombre. “But the college had a darker side. About ten years ago, it was exposed as a research hall ran by a group called the Seekers, who experimented on students. One of their experiments turned on them.” He shook his head. “Wasn’t pretty. Even though the Seekers were no more, all their research was used to make medicine and technology none would imagine.” He gestured to the drug again. “Things like this serum and the Watcher were the results of me obtaining that research.”

  Mara stared at the serum. “And now you want me to fetch you a test subject?”

  Dr. Moen smirked at her. “It’ll be dangerous. I suppose you haven’t seen the way she feeds.”

  “Yes, I have,” she replied.

  “Okay, but have you seen the other way?”

  “What?” Mara asked, confused by his question.

  Dr. Moen led her to another room. She saw a small metal box with a green gem on top. Touching the gem, Dr. Moen activated it and a holographic image appeared. It showed Anna and her prey. The man looked on in horror as she transformed, her face sprouting tentacles. She grabbed his head with her tentacles and lifted him close to her mouth. A sharp proboscis extended out. With enough force, she penetrated the man’s skull and dived into his brain. He screamed in agony as she began to suck out his grey matter. Within seconds, the victim was reduced to making raspy sounds. His eyes rolled back into his head and his face turned pale. After she was done, she released him and the man fell to the ground dead.

  Mara stared at the footage in shock.

  Dr. Moen looked at her and explained, “This footage was taken by the Watcher. We’ve been studying Anna, making sure she doesn’t escape the Black Tower. The Silver Thorns watched over her, but they’re no more. It’s now our task, but the seal has been tampered with.”

  She gawked at the image of Anna, still stunned by her appearance. “What is she?”

  “She’s a darkling: a very rare and strange creature.”

  She looked at Dr. Moen in confusion. “What’s a darkling?”

  “In Thoron, they are called godlings, coming in all shapes and sizes,” Dr. Moen explained. “They are akin to the so-called divines. The Seven Divines are named Aazalith, Cenobia, Mantos, Pharos, Nocturna, Aldin, and Ulrika. Thoron worships them and their mother, Nymera: the Mother of Gods. Coming into contact with magic will turn one into a monster. The darkling happens to be one of the resulting creatures. It’s causing a debate among scholars on whether or not the divines were once regular creatures. There’s a theory that a human can become a god.” Then he switched the subject. “Regardless of what she is…” He walked up to the hologram and gazed back at Mara with a serious look. “If she gets you with this, there’s a good chance you won’t recover.”

  “But I—”

  Dr. Moen lifted his hand to stop her from speaking. “Look, I know you can return to life, but I never said you’d die from this. Chances are, you’ll be a mindless vegetable for all eternity.”

  Mara frowned at him. “So, all I have to do is not get caught by that?”

  The doctor stared at her in disbelief. “You’re still willing to go back there?”

  “I have to,” she replied,
shrugging.

  Dr. Moen gave a smirk. “Might as well go all out, swords flailing.” He walked out into the main laboratory. “Come here, we’re going to get you ready for your rematch.”

  “How so?” Mara asked.

  He looked back at her. “I’m going to create another Watcher.”

  She stared at him in shock. “What?”

  “Don’t get too excited. I’ll inject the serum used to make the Watcher, but I can’t guarantee you’ll get psychic powers overnight.” He gestured to his creation. “The human test subject, who became the Watcher, already exhibited latent abilities. At the very least, it’ll block Anna from reading your mind. Her psychic powers allowed her to read your every move. That’s why you lost.”

  Recalling her fight with Anna, Mara was unable to land a hit on her.

  “This should give you an advantage,” the doctor told her. “Any other powers manifesting will be a side-effect.” He led her to a metal table. As Mara lay down, Dr. Moen looked at her with an odd expression. “Aren’t you going to remove your hood?”

  Mara shook her head. “I can’t… my face. I’m not…”

  Dr. Moen looked at her, and then shrugged. “Ah, it’s okay,” he murmured. “Just lie down.”

  As she lay down, Dr. Moen placed a strange device on her head and made sure her forehead was exposed. It appeared to be some sort of mount. Without warning, metal straps held her wrists and ankles.

  “What is this?” Mara asked, feeling distressed.

  The doctor gazed at her. “Please, don’t be alarmed. You need to be held down for the procedure.” Dr. Moen prepared a needle containing a glowing blue liquid.

  Mara stared up at the ceiling. It was the only thing she could do. “This won’t hurt, will it?”

  “Try not to move too much.” He began to insert the needle through the threading in the device on her forehead.

  She gasped, feeling a sharp pain. The needle was being inserted into her brain. Her entire body began to seize up and her heart raced. The doctor was as careful as he could be and began to inject the liquid. She felt the foreign fluid enter her brain. Her vision blurred. The pain was intense and she blacked out.