The Curse (The Windore Series Book 2)

by Valya Boutenko

  “No!” he said. “I am not the hero of this battle.” There was commotion among the villagers. “Though I am strong and healthy,” continued the youth, “my courage was no match for that of this young woman!” He indicated to Amelliea, and the girl froze.

  “No-no, you really are the brave—” began Bloom, attempting to change the young man’s mind, but the youth fell onto his knees before Amelliea and proceeded to clasp his hands together in a dramatic pleading gesture.

  “I beg you, lovely—utterly unforgettable, blond lady-warrior, tell me your blessed name!”

  “Amelliea is my name,” she said.

  “Let it be known, now and forevermore, across the seven regions and beyond,” shouted the youth across the village square as he rose to standing. “That she, who single-handedly defeated the army general, and tamed the wild monsters, and brought peace to our beloved land goes by the name of Amelliea!”

  “Amelliea the brave! Amelliea the strong!” cheered the villagers.

  “So much for low profile,” muttered Bloom.

  Chapter 26

  Reluctantly Famous

  Bloom and Amelliea remained in the Coalsmith region for several more days to ensure that the rebellion of the people against their corrupt government would be a success. On the third day, the citizens of the Charcoal City took over the palace, and demanded that the King step down from his throne or swear on his life to correct his ways. Within an hour’s time the King had signed a proclamation banning all raids in the region and imprisoned the council members responsible for instigating the unnecessary tax raise. The council members in question were additionally sentenced to ten years of manure shoveling in the city stables for using inhumane tactics to achieve their illegal and dishonorable goals.

  Satisfied with these positive changes, Bloom and Amelliea packed their belongings once again and set off on their journey, this time in the direction of the Gator region. Rumors of the one-armed lady warrior had already begun to spread across the land. People stared at Amelliea as though they recognized her and spoke together in hushed voices as she passed. Unaccustomed to such attention, Amelliea drew her hood over her head. She stooped her posture, and took on a more masculine stride, but it was no use, for people could see she was missing an arm and they stared at the space where the arm would have been with open curiosity.

  “There are only two things you can do,” said Bloom, observing his daughters attempts to disguise herself, “you can either hide, or you can be the walking legend that inspires people and brings them hope.”

  “But I am not who they describe!” cried Amelliea. “All I can bring them is disappointment.”

  “You are not that far off from the lady-hero they describe,” laughed Bloom.

  “But I have never wrestled a fire-breathing serpent, or rescued a wounded unicorn from the teeth of a rabid Sasquatch!” said Amelliea, mocking the wild tails that were already being spun about her.

  “Fame is not an easy path,” said Bloom. “Yet it has been thrust upon you, and you have little choice but to embrace it. That is, without letting it spoil your character,” he added.

  “I never wanted to be famous,” she complained, “and it is already spoiling my character.” She kicked a stone off the road and it shot into the bushes with a thunk.

  “Worse things have happened to people,” smiled Bloom.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” muttered Amelliea glumly.

  Chapter 27

  The Mischief of Thieves

  Bloom and Amelliea traveled through the northern portion of the Wander’s Desert for three days, stopping only for a short while at a few clear lakes to rest and refill their water containers. The Gator region was quite different from the Coalsmith region. There were far fewer trees, but there were more lakes and wide plains that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The desert had its own beauty, and Amelliea soon found that she rather enjoyed the low-growing plants that carpeted the ground in tiny blue flowers and the adorable little rodents that lived in the brush.

  On the fourth day, early on in the morning, the pair of travelers came to the edge of a great canyon, and when they looked down they saw the Gator city spread out before them. Many of the buildings were built out of carved red stones and had ballooning tent-like roofs. At the edge of the canyon, Bloom and Amelliea came upon a tall archway made from the same red stones of the desert. Two guards clad in black and armed with curved blades stood on either side of the arch. A third man, in luxurious black and green silk robes, who had been sitting in a wooden chair near the archway rose to greet the newcomers. “Welcome, pebble-maker, and lady warrior,” said the man. His eyes were green and his posture regal. He was a broad, middle-aged man with a well-kept graying beard and dark, shoulder-length hair. Although he was not particularly handsome, he seemed to exude a compelling charisma that was difficult to resist. He wore no crown but an impressive jeweled necklace hanging around his neck sent the message across that he was no peasant. “We have been watching your progress across the desert to assure your safety,” he answered the obvious question of how he had known they were coming. Amelliea was about to retort something to the effect of ‘spying in the name of safety is a suspicious business,’ but Bloom interrupted her before she could speak. “A few weeks back your men swept through our village,” he said. “They stole necessary provisions and left many of our friends helpless and hungry.”

  “Come now, you have only just arrived and already you speak of business,” said the man. “You are welcome guests in the Gator region, and there will be plenty of time to discuss these matters in depth.” He indicated for them to follow him down a long set of stairways leading down into the canyon. As they descended the man welcomed them to the Gator City, speaking as though it was his favorite place in the world. A carriage waited at the bottom of the canyon, drawn by two large reptiles. The driver controlled the reptiles with sparkling silver reins. The stranger helped Amelliea into the carriage and held the door open for Bloom before climbing in himself. He gave a lazy wave, and the driver cracked his whip, urging the reptiles into motion.

  “The villages near the Sapphire Kingdom are vulnerable,” Bloom said, impatient to return to the matter that concerned him most. “These villages do not have the protection of the Sapphire army, and to take advantage of the people living there is equal to sentencing them all to death,” continued Bloom, as the carriage rushed down the city streets.

  “I did not give orders for my men to visit your region, it must have been some sort of mistake,” said the man. “I deeply apologize for the harm they have inflicted.” He looked at Bloom with curiosity.

  “How do we know you didn’t raid our village just to get us out here?” asked Amelliea.

  The man only smiled in response. “Your reputation precedes you, lady warrior. I am honored to make your acquaintance.” The carriage moved quickly along the road, lightly rocking the passengers inside. “As a token of my deepest regret for this honest mistake, I wish to give you each a present,” said the man. He reached into a pouch on his hip, and produced a shabby old coin purse. The purse had an unremarkable metal snap closure and was threadbare in several places. The man lovingly brushed the object off and handed it to Bloom.

  “Um, thank you,” said the wizard, feeling rather confused.

  “It is a magical object,” explained the man. “A relic from the Amethyst era! Go ahead and open it,” he urged. Bloom opened the snap and after glancing inside and finding it entirely empty looked up with even more confusion on his seasoned face. The man produced a large gold coin and handed it to Bloom. “Put this inside the purse.”

  Bloom dropped the heavy coin into the purse and snapped it closed. To his surprise, the purse remained flat and weightless as if it were empty.

  “No matter how much gold you put inside it, the purse always looks empty on the outside, so it is unlikely to ever be stolen. However, the gold remains perfectly safe inside the purse. In this way, you may carry an entire chest full of trea
sure weightlessly in your pocket!” The man clapped his hands with excitement.

  “Thank you,” said Bloom, moving to retrieve the coin, but the man only waved him away, indicating for Bloom to keep it.

  “And for the lady…” said the man, producing a transparent green marble from his pocket, “a wish!” The little sphere glowed dimly at the heart like a rare, and magical gem. He placed it in Amelliea’s hand and the girl looked at the object in awe. “This is another relic from history. It is good for the granting of a single wish! Keep it safe,” he said, closing Amelliea’s fingers around the marble. “And when you should decide to use it, hold it close to your heart and whisper the words dis-list-iem, wist-ierium!”

  Amelliea gave the man a graceful bow of gratitude, and he smiled, delighted to have pleased his guests.

  “We appreciate your generous gifs, yet we wish to make it clear that if such a raid ever happens again, the consequences will be most unpleasant for you,” warned Bloom.

  “It will never happen again!” said the man, closing his eyes and crossing his heart as if taking an oath. “You have my word, and the promise of the King of thieves is as good as gold!”

  “King of what?” whispered Amelliea, but the question was overlooked due to the rapid slowing of the carriage. They came to a stop and the coachman leapt from his seat to open the door for his passengers. Amelliea and the others stepped out onto a wide stone pathway facing a massive castle that stood before them like a cliff. Twelve red stone towers rose into the sky at varying heights, creating a noble silhouette. Countless sparkling windows and ballooning tent-like roofs and cupolas added a feeling of weightlessness and grandeur to the solid structure. The guards on either side of the walkway bowed low to the King of thieves as he passed with his guests. The mighty, brushed copper doors guarding the entrance of the castle were opened before them, and soon the three found themselves in a large hall.

  The stone floor inside the hall was an expansive mosaic composed of tiny pieces of colored stone set closely against one another and polished until they reflected like water. The perimeter of the spacious hall was lined with sturdy columns that reinforced the ceiling high above, and the far side of the hall was framed on either side by identical, cascading stairways. Natural light filtered down from unseen windows above, creating a bright atmosphere without the need of candle chandeliers.

  Amelliea looked around in awe at the cavernous hall. Approximately thirty young men were training in Gator-style martial arts to one side of the giant space, their voices echoing against the walls as they took turns preforming their assigned tasks. Grey linen mats had been laid out across the floor, and the students tumbled and flipped, practicing their agility. They threw daggers at targets, and moved in complex sequences of hand-to-hand combat. Amelliea could not tear her eyes from the training session. This was nothing like the lessons she had received in her village back home. The black robed Gator students were all well above her level of training, and Amelliea absentmindedly chewed her lip as she watched them.

  On the command of his coach, one of the young men flew through the air, preforming a rapid series of flips and kicks. The boy wore the same black robes as the others, only he had a burgundy band around one arm that none of the other students had. He threw three daggers in rapid succession at a target and each one hit the center mark with perfect precision. The young man was clearly the best fighter of them all even though he was by no means the oldest. He completed the routine by charging five other students with a yell. The others attacked him, but he fought his way through them with ease, making them tumble away in every direction to avoid his strikes. He successfully finished the last task and with his chest rapidly rising and falling from exertion, the boy bowed to his training master and broke away from the activity to approach the King of thieves. The young man was a strong-looking youth who looked to be about seventeen. He had emerald-colored eyes similar to that of the King. His black hair was messy from action, and it fell across his face casting a dramatic shadow. His handsome angular features suggested a rather harsh character.

  “This is Prince Galvin, my son,” said the King of thieves, gesturing to the youth.

  “I welcome you to the Gator Kingdom,” said the young man shaking hands with Bloom. He went to shake Amelliea’s hand, only to realize that her arm was missing on the right side. She reached out her left hand, and without skipping a beat he brought it to his lips and kissed it. Amelliea repressed a smile.

  “Our guests are tired, Galvin, please show them to their rooms to rest,” said the King.

  Amelliea wanted to say that she wasn’t tired anymore, but then thought better of it. The young man bowed to his father and gestured for Bloom and Amelliea to follow him. They bid the King goodbye, and were led away by the Prince. Galvin showed the newcomers a few of the more rare features of the castle as they made their way to the guest chambers. Apparently the castle was full of trap doors and secret passageways, and this enthralled Amelliea and unnerved Bloom. They passed the dining and dancing halls, and Galvin explained that they were to expect live music, banquets, and entertainment every night of the week. He was very polite, almost cold, and it was impossible to guess what he thought of them. At last they made it to the guest chambers and after handing them the keys to the door, Galvin left them, letting them know that a servant would come to collect them at dinnertime.

  Bloom and Amelliea found that their belongings had already been brought into the splendid room and set on a beautifully crafted wooden bench. Bloom explained that wood was scarce in the Gator region due to the lack of forests, and that wooden furniture was a sign of great wealth.

  Their living quarters were comprised of three rooms. There were two bedrooms on either side of a main living space. Light-colored silk curtains blew in the breeze of a floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. The stone walls had shelves carved into them that hosted rare and precious artifacts, giving the place a feeling a history. There was a tiny wooden door embedded at chest height in one of the walls, and when Amelliea opened it she found that it led to a small message box suspended by a pulley. A letter lay within the box that encouraged Bloom and Amelliea to use the message box if they had any requests or desires.

  “I like it here,” decided Amelliea.

  “Looks can be deceiving,” answered Bloom, and it was unclear if he was talking about the castle or the handsome Prince who was clouding his daughter’s ability to reason objectively.

  “Optimism is not a crime,” said the girl, plopping down on the sofa with a bounce.

  “They want something from us, only I cannot figure out what it is yet,” replied the wizard.

  “Perhaps they want nothing?” offered Amelliea, “Might they be simple kind people who enjoy entertaining guests? Would that be so unbelievable?”

  “The King of thieves wastes no time on meaningless guests.”

  “There you go again with your ill-assuming guesswork,” sighed Amelliea.

  “There can be no doubt that they raided our village to get our attention,” said Bloom.

  “That was merely an unfortunate accident,” replied Amelliea.

  “Was it?” asked the wizard. “The King is a dangerous man. We must be cautious not to fall into his trap if in deed he is setting one, for the cards tend to fall in his favor.”

  “We will remain alert during our stay,” agreed Amelliea.

  “And we shall not be staying for long,” finished Bloom.

  Chapter 28

  The Map of Inquisition

  The following morning after an extravagant breakfast in the dining hall accompanied by the angelic harmony of flutes and panpipes, Bloom asked to see the royal library while Amelliea was taken on a tour of the stables to admire the King’s collection of reptiles. Bloom was directed to a quiet hall with a geometric ceiling made entirely of green tinted glass. The library was extensive, even though it was not the largest Bloom had ever visited. There were books on everything from castle building, and gardening, to stargazing and
philosophy. There were volumes of both short and long myths and legends, and history books from every region. With immense interest Bloom read the many titles, taking his time to avoid missing anything important. Eventually he found his way to the section devoted to books on magic and his search stopped there. He had been to the library before, but had never had the time to explore it thoroughly enough for his liking. A few of the books he already owned, but there were many new ones, which he had never before read and the wizard pulled half a dozen from the shelf and got to reading.

  Many hours later his daughter came to fetch him for lunch and Bloom looked up at her with happy eyes, bleary from the oversaturation of unstructured knowledge.

  “Alright, up with you, lets go to the dining hall,” said Amelliea, pulling Bloom from his seat by his forearm.

  “Did you know that a dollop of onion powder is all you need to keep a sleeping potion from causing nightmares?” he asked.

  “That’s fascinating father, but I am rather hungry, and I feel as though I could stuff an entire rhinosaur into my stomach and still have room for dessert.”

  “But the thing is,” continued Bloom as she coaxed him through the door and down the hall as politely as possible whilst hurrying, “sleeping potions are not nearly as effective as spells because the dosage is difficult to gauge and the effects tend to wear off quickly, where as spells can control the duration as well as the nature of the slumber.”

  Amelliea rolled her eyes.

  “And the good news is, there are hundreds of different sleeping spells!” exclaimed Bloom.

  “Oh goodie,” said Amelliea sarcastically.