by J E Mueller
The neighbors found three bodies. Many rumors surfaced about what had happened to me. One side believed I had started the fire and killed the family to take their possessions. Thankfully others believed something else must have happened, though none could agree upon what. The area was on high alert regardless. People were afraid of what could have happened, and that it might happen to them.
I stayed in the area long enough to attend the funeral from a distance. To let myself have a goodbye. I needed to get back to moving and figure this curse out. No longer was the game plan to find an answer to defeat the mad king, but instead to keep Sam’s death from being in vain. That my adoptive family was not gone for no reason.
For the first time in years, I had to push myself to travel far. As far away from my comfort zone as I could go.
I carefully learned to cover myself at night using trees and shrubs as well as making sure I was well away from any main roads before lighting a fire. Thankfully, after almost six months of wandering as far as I could and living off the land, I ran into good luck.
Great luck, really.
A fairly quiet collective came looking for me. the Order of Reawakening, a group of Cursed and gifted alike, was always on the lookout for young wanderers and rumors of Cursed children. Their goal was to give those cast out because of their differences a chance to learn and grow. They provided shelter, a place to learn, and helped many get back to their lives, even helping to cure some of their curse. When the news reached one of the Order of a child that could kill by touch, they began looking for me.
It was early one afternoon when they, a group of three, found me. Two stayed put while one followed me on her own. After a short time, I decided to see why.
“My name is Lilith. We can help you,” she assured me.
I rolled my eyes, staying on the defensive. “How?” I was standing several paces away and wouldn’t let her close the gap. It was more for her protection than anything else.
“Whatever rumors are true, you’re not the first,” Lilith explained, taking a step forward. I responded by taking a step back, and she sighed. “Something with fire. What is it? Being close? Touch? Is it dependent on line of sight? Whatever it is it makes no difference.” She studied me for a moment. “Touch,” she decided with a firm nod. “And there are plenty in that boat since it is common with demon magic. Don’t you want to learn how to live with it? Or perchance how to get rid of it?”
Her words caught my ears.
“Why didn’t you come sooner?” I asked.
Lilith sighed. “We find people based on rumors,” she explained carefully. “If you’re keeping things hidden or under control, we have no way of knowing you exist.”
Her words made sense, but I had no reason to trust them.
“We have a place a couple of days away,” she continued when I didn’t say anything. “There’s food and shelter, and everyone has their own room. It’d be worth just checking out. It doesn’t make sense to make up your mind about whether or not to stay with us until you’ve seen it and had something to eat.”
That night my traps came up empty again. I was frustrated and hungry. I missed my adoptive family and found myself wondering what was going on with my birth family. There were so many reasons to give this group a chance, but I was still worried about a repeat of everything that had happened in the past. I tossed and turned all night. Worry and an empty stomach wouldn’t let me sleep. In the end, I came to a decision.
In the morning I went back to Lilith. Her small group was camped where I had met them yesterday. A small campfire burned and the smells of something cooking over it were almost overwhelming thanks to my hunger, but I didn’t want to approach them. Instead, I stood at a distance and waited for Lilith to come to me.
“Would you like to join us for breakfast?” she offered, stopping a short distance from me.
“I’d like to know more about this place you’ve mentioned,” I replied instead.
“Perfect! First some breakfast, and we’ll talk as we pack up,” she smiled brightly.
“I’d rather not be around a group,” I said as she motioned for me to follow her.”
Lilith laughed and held up her hands, covered in leather gloves, “We’ll be fine, and you’ll be fine. Your space will be respected. They’ve all got gloves and you can see they are well covered even from here, now come eat. No one should try to travel on an empty stomach.”
I followed her cautiously.
“Cam, Jake, make some room. Our friend here needs her space.” The two people moved from sitting opposite of each other to next to one another, leaving a lot of extra space around the fire. Lilith turned towards me. “I’ll grab you something to eat with and you can help yourself. There’s plenty. Cam can’t seem to cook for a small group, but the more the merrier.”
Cam, a young woman in her mid-twenties, looked up at us as we approached. “I prefer not to let anyone be hungry,” she informed us, “Healers like you don’t know what a few nights without a meal can do.” She nodded at me. “Not fun, eh?”
I noticed her face had several scars and a burn along her neck.
She saw that I had made note of her scars, but did not appear to be bothered by this. “We’ve all got our stories. Good news is mine hasn’t ended badly. Maybe yours will end well too.”
I was surprised by her words. Lilith set a bowl and spoon down by me and motioned for me to get some food.
“You’re not going to say it’ll be happily ever after then?” I asked Cam.
She shook her head, “I’ll say it gets better than this. Wherever you're at now isn’t where you’re meant to be. Stick with us for a few seasons and you’ll at least know what you need to do to get through life. Maybe even find a way to end your curse.”
“And all the maybes are supposed to convince me?” I gave Cam a doubtful look as I sat down with my food.
“A maybe is better than no chance at all.” She winked. “So what do you say? Is a maybe worth a few days of travel?”
I ate my food in silence for a moment before looking over at Jake. He seemed perfectly normal and I wondered why he was here.
Jake caught my stare as he got up to put his stuff away. “What’s your question?”
“What’s your story, then?” I asked bluntly.
Jake smiled. “Thorns and roses.” He winked while Cam laughed. “You see, I am a healer of sorts. What a wonderful trade to take up. A path parents may not always love, but it’s certainly noble enough. Except I can see your darkest secrets. I don’t even need to be very close. With the right distance and the right amount of concentration, and I can destroy lives.” He laughed without humor. “No one wants anyone to know those types of secrets.” He motioned to the group. “And so after some rather terrible misfortune, I ended up with this lot.”
Jake looked me in the eyes, “So yes, I do know some things about you, but it was worth it for both sides to be ready with the gloves,” he admitted freely. “And you can be thankful or hate me for it, but either way I won’t tell a soul more than they need to know for their own safety. The tale is yours to tell, alter, or completely avoid mentioning. Whatever you choose, I’ll respect.”
Surprise filled my eyes. “What do you know?” I asked, half terrified, half amazed by such a gift.
“Just the recent history,” he said softly. “Enough to confirm what precautions should be taken. Touch curses are actually the most common. Which is unfortunate, as you know full well.”
I looked back at my food. I was too hungry not to eat more.
“Enough talk Jake, let’s get packed up. We can easily make it back in three days,” Lilith said, getting up and dusting off her clothes.
“But we brought three horses,” Cam pointed out.
“And you can ride with me. Thank you for volunteering,” Lilith replied firmly. “Sound like a plan?”
“I’m not well versed in riding,” I chimed in.
“That’s not a problem,” Jake said as he moved away to dismantle th
e camp. “Maple is a good old horse and will follow the others. You’ll be fine just sitting on her back. I’ll ready the saddle and everything.” He waved off my concern.
“But how do I get on?” I didn’t want to accidentally harm the horse or someone else.
“I’ve got this,” Cam said, getting up and going to a tent. She brought her pack out and pulled out some ribbon, “We’ll tie your clothes good and tight, lift you up there, and call it a day.” She kept pulling out more and more ribbon. “And yes, this has been done before.”
For a moment I smiled. They seemed to actually understand the full potential for disaster here. Maybe this was a good idea.
7
The trip was problem free. Cam liked to talk about her different recipes, and Lilith knew a variety of sweet songs to keep the journey light and happy. Jake didn’t have much to say, but then again, I didn’t either. It was nice to be included, but even nicer being able to remain silent and keep my distance.
When we arrived we entered a low valley where many buildings were set into the hill. A few of the buildings stood separate around varying fields, but most of the area was left open. The place felt monstrously huge and yet looked peaceful and inviting. There were people going about their tasks and the sounds of animals in the distance. The first thing I noticed were the signs of magic all around. Patched up buildings, a few trees recovering from fire damage, and some dead spots in the grass where nothing wanted to grow. There was a large temple with a very long stone staircase leading up to the entrance. In the setting sun, I couldn’t tell much more.
With all the magic bubbling about, it was no surprise they knew I was coming. I was given a quick tour by Lilith while the others stabled and brushed down the horses.
First, she showed me the temple. It was even bigger than I had expected. A wide room with pillars and statues made up the main entrance. There were clusters of people kneeling around each statue saying prayers and lighting candles. Lilith quietly pointed out a series of doors towards the back and mentioned services were offered on different days if I had someone I worshiped. The lie I had told Sam’s family came to mind. If I were to travel more, learning more about the Lady of the Early Dawn would be beneficial.
After a quick tour of some nearby buildings, training rooms, and empty practice rooms, we headed to the dining hall. The room itself seemed unorganized and terribly designed. As I stood in the doorway for a moment I realized it was actually perfect.
There were rows and rows of long tables and chairs, and along the outside of the room were smaller tables with chairs spread out. While some sections looked over packed you could easily pick out the spots of people who wanted or needed the extra space.
Lilith patted me on the back, startling me, “Let’s get some food and get you to your room. You’ll find this is a nice place to stay.”
Nodding I followed.
The next morning I woke up in a small room. There was enough space for the shabby bed, a window, a chest, and a water basin. While it felt cramped, it was all mine for as long as I chose to reside here. This seemed like the perfect place to get answers, but part of me couldn’t believe it would be that easy, and I was reluctant to get my hopes up.
To start the day, Lilith, who I learned was a mentor, had me join a group of three others near my age.
“I’m Grace.” The girl sitting in the back of the room said to break the ice. “I don’t do contact. I turn people into stone.” Her bluntness surprised me.
“Grace is the queen of the acceptance stage.” The girl nearest to me said. “I’m Amber, and also a member of the no contact team since I hate physical contact. I have healing magic. Do with the facts as you will.”
“Jay.” The final person, a guy a few years older than me said. “Amber is my sister. I’m not afraid of contact but I avoid it since I can’t get my strength in check. I may have accidentally broken a few people.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Don’t bones heal?”
“Yeah yeah yeah…” Amber chimed in for him. “It would be great if the family healer didn’t have a phobia of touching people. So now we’re here to work on being less problematic...or something.”
“Or something?” Her lack of confidence in her statement surprised me. Amber just shrugged.
“Well, why have you come here?” Grace asked but didn’t give room to reply. “To work on talents? To fight off a curse? Cast out with nowhere left to go because of your magic? Doesn’t matter what the answer is. You’ll find you’re safe here and can learn things, and maybe you’ll find the answers you need. The only thing I can promise is this…” She stood up and walked over to me. “This will be the only place that will not cast you out for whatever past you have.”
Lilith cleared her throat. “That may not be fully true, but yes, you’ll find a home here.” She smiled brightly. “Grace, I’m sure you’ll gladly show Key here the different lessons and work to be done?”
Grace nodded. “Of course.” She turned her attention back to me. “Are you in the no contact group as well?” She looked at my gloved hands and nodded, “There’s enough of us for sure.”
“It looked like in the dining hall there were more that were not like us.” I pointed out.
Amber laughed bitterly. “That’s because this is the biggest school for healers. They’re always arriving and leaving in swarms.”
“No worries, sis,” Jay said, “You don’t need to learn how to heal. We just need for me to learn not to accidentally break someone’s spine by giving them a pat on the back.” He offered her a smile.
“That is more important,” she agreed.
Grace motioned for me to follow, leaving the others behind.
“Let’s do the fun tour.” Grace said with a smile, “Anyone can join any lesson they want, and the times and days are posted in the temple. It’d be a waste of time joining things you don’t have talents in, but you can always observe. Like the fire dancers.”
“That sounds fun,” I agreed.
Grace led the way around the back of some buildings to an open and fairly well-scorched field. There were a few people spinning swords and staffs, the ends covered in flame.
“Is that from their magic?” It looked impressive.
“Yep.” Grace smiled.
Someone started to juggle fireballs.
“That’s amazing control…” I watched in awe for a few moments until someone dropped their sword. The fire died on impact with the ground. “How?”
“Some have elemental gifts, some have fire curses. The control comes from inside,” she explained.
“That’s annoyingly cryptic.”
Grace nodded and held up her gloved hands. “Same for my problems. The answer lies within. Psh.” She looked back at the excitement just yards away. “The real answer varies, for everyone, of course, and they highly recommend meditating on it. I’ve been here for so long…” Grace sighed deeply and paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve heard rumors there’s an easy way to get rid of curses.”
“There’s no way it’s easy.” I gave her a skeptical look but internally I was screaming with hope that she was right.
With a sly smile Grace turned to me, “As easy as finding the demon that placed the curse and slaying it.”
I groaned loudly. “Has anyone, apart from the imbeciles making a pact, even seen one?” My heart sank and I flopped to the ground in defeat.
“They say several years ago the former king made a pact and demons fought his last battle for him. So I’d assume the surviving soldiers did,” Grace mused.
“I doubt they would know how to find one specific demon,” I grumbled. I didn’t bother mentioning that that exact battle was where my problem began.
“I heard those who commit suicide meet them before their last breath has fully left their body,” Grace added.
“Probably so they can collect the soul.” I shook my head and sat up, “I’m not going that route.”
“Me neither. So let’s go see what else there is
and continue the blasted soul searching.” She motioned for me to follow her.
I got to see the healers at work, and a class of lightning elementals learning to direct the currents of their talents before it was time for lunch. The day continued much the same with Grace remaining as my guide and travel companion. She enjoyed introducing me to others with similar curses, but what she really had fun with was showing me how many had conquered theirs. While Grace was clearly frustrated by her own curse, she was still inspired enough by the victories of others. Every day she would take at least an hour to work on finding her answer.
Though I thought it would do little good, I decided it was at least worth a try to meditate myself. And so began my time there; I was determined to be hopeful that an answer was just beyond the horizon.
In the long run, my eagerness meant nothing, and none of the magic-based courses seemed to make any progress for me. I was told to be patient, but couldn’t stop myself from wanting to rush to the end. It frustrated me, but I wasn’t alone in that. There were so many like me, and even the ones with different gifts and curses knew much of how I felt.
Together, my newly found comrades and I told tales of our travels and our families. Some told stories of being thrown from their homes that made my own tragic tale seem like nothing, and others simply left home with the promise of returning someday. Thinking of home always brought a whirlwind of emotions and I never wanted to say exactly where I was from. Cursed or not, I would no longer be seen as an equal if they knew of my royal title.
Good did come of my time there. While I was with the Order of Reawakening I learned a lot of the differences between half curses such as mine, and full curses. Mine was brought on by a deal half kept. Full curses occurred when the pact was kept in full. Lessons about those who were able to break full curses filled me with hope and helped me stay on my path.
