Cursemancer

by A P Gore

  “Daddy!” A sweet demonic voice disrupted his thoughts. It wasn't the evil demon wrapping its tail around his head, but rather the four-year-old kid demon who liked licking his face. Which she was doing now.

  “Thia, what are you doing here? And don’t do that, its painted in rat’s blood.”

  “Daddy. Need. Help. Thia. Help.” Thia howled at the rats and leaped from his shoulder, landing on top of a rat and piercing its brain with her tail. That seemed to be her favorite attack. The rat died within two stabs of her tail. She jumped to the next rat.

  Noah wasn’t about to stand there and watch a small girl doing all the work for him. The fear of death he’d felt just a moment before vanished as the strong demon girl joined him in the fight, so he sprinted forward and focused on firing off poison orbs at two rats, back and forth. He was targeting their heads, and though he didn't look at the damage numbers, he was sure he’d get at least one critical strike between 3-4 shots.

  One of the rats died after the seventh shot, but the other one latched onto his thigh with its teeth, and he was out of spirit. The pain in his leg was unbearable, and he was completely unable to move it. It was as if it were paralyzed, except for the continued agony. A red notification popped up in the corner of his eye.

  He hated these notifications, and he had to do something about them before they got him killed in the heat of battle. For now, he ignored the notification and sliced his dagger at the rat’s throat. The rat died and fell across his chest, then vanished. But that one moment of the rat’s weight on his chest was enough to steal Noah’s breath.

  “Daddy. Okay?” Thia landed next to his head. Her bloody tail wrapped around his head, and she bent forward to look in his eyes. “Thia. Killed. Rats. Three.”

  For the first time, Noah thanked the maker for crossing paths with the cute little demon. He would have been scraping the floor of the respawn room if she hadn't come to his rescue.

  “Thanks, Thia.” His leg still radiated pain, however. He glanced at his health and found it below half. He was sitting at 130, and it was ticking down. He checked his notifications and found the reason.

  You have been infected with rat poison. You are taking twenty damage every five seconds. Effect lasts until antidote is provided.

  That explained his dead leg, too.

  “Thia. Help. Daddy.” Her tail unwrapped from his head and shot at his face. He closed his eyes, expecting a stab in the eye, but instead the pain flared in his neck.

  “What the...” A steady stream of energy flowed into his body. His health was improving, not like a river flowing in the sea, but like a faucet into a small pond. His health loss stopped after a minute, then the bar started filling back up. When it was back at 170, the health gain stopped, and Thia collapsed against his chest, unconscious.

  17. The Fun

  S weat mixed with rat's blood left a weird taste in Noah's mouth, but it wasn't immediately important. Thia was in danger, and he needed to focus on that. Heart pounding, Noah sat up, carefully holding small Thia in his arms. He checked her pulse, which was slow but still thumping. A quick perception check told him her life was below the halfway mark, but it was stable. Thank God, she wasn’t in an immediate danger.

  Did she heal me at the expense of her life?

  It had to be that. There was no other explanation for him to gain life and for her to lose it.

  Why did you do it, Thia?

  Tears blurred his vision. The girl loved him, for some unknown reason, and he’d been hell-bent on sending her away. But what other choice was there? He couldn't take her with him to the human town. He had seen the bloodthirsty look demons gave him, and the same would happen with Thia in the human town. There was another danger too: other players. Other players would kill her for cheap experience. Heck, he would’ve considered the same before seeing the complexity of demon society with his own eyes. Humans in the real world tended to look down on other beings, be they celestial beasts, dark mages, or extinct ancient beings. In their eyes, they were all the same, lower lifeforms. When he’d entered the game, he thought the same about the demons, but a few days with them had changed his views—for the better.

  He cleared the dirt from Thia's face, then put her on the ground and got to his feet. His left leg was still wobbly, but he could at least stand on it. After gathering the rat skins and a couple of crystals that emitted red light, he lifted Thia back up in his arms and slogged toward the town. He couldn’t stay in the forest, waiting for another predator to come for him.

  With Thia’s added weight, it took almost two hours to reach the town gate. He had to take a couple of breaks along the way to replenish his stamina. A couple of times ,Thia opened her eyes, smiled at him and then went slipped back into unconsciousness. Whenever that happened, his chest tightened with fear. He hated seeing her like that, and he hated the game more when his thoughts wandered to the real world again and again. He could have called an ambulance by now, if they were in the real world.

  He hated being so weak that he had to take help from a four-year-old girl. He hated the stupid game that made the small girl face such dangers. If only her mother were still alive, Thia would have been safely tucked in her arms. The game was cruel and stupid and idiotically made the little girl fight for her loved ones. He wished they had a filter or something to stop monsters from attacking kids. How could they allow monsters hitting a little girl like this? If he ever met the developer, he planned to raise this point.

  The familiar scent of alcohol filled the inn. Noah had never drunk alcohol in real life because it never suited his stomach. Here, smelling it daily made him consider trying it. Mathial was moving between the tables, filling scratched wooden mugs and chatting cheerfully with his demon customers. One of the demons moved suddenly, and Mathial almost lost his balance, but the heavy blacksmith managed to steady himself with a nasty curse pointed at the source.

  It was business as usual for the inn. But as soon as Mathial spotted the injured girl in Noah's arms, he set down the big jar of alcohol rushed over. Noah had never seen the blacksmith leave alcohol unattended before. He always complained about the demons stealing his alcohol when he wasn't around, but today he seemed less bothered about the possibility. Mathial glanced at Thia and rushed out of the room, coming back after few seconds with a red vial and a few bandages. Noah had put down the girl on a table by that time. Mathial poured the red vile into Thia's mouth, while Noah rested his tired butt on a chair.

  “What is that vial?”

  “Health potion. Rare and expensive. And if you keep getting this girl in trouble, I'll start charging you for them.” Mathial replied with a scowl.

  Thia's life bar went up a moment after the health potion entered her stomach. That was the beauty of being in a game; in real life, they had nanites which could bring a man back from the brink of death, but it took time. Weeks, sometimes. But in the game, it was super easy.

  Mathial handed him the bandages. “These are for you. But they will cost you a couple coppers. What did you put her through? And did you see the tailor? You stinking every day is bad for business.”

  Noah ignored Mathial's complaint. It wasn't so much business with the same 5-6 demons visiting his inn every day to drink cheap alcohol, and the demons themselves reeked worse than him.

  “Did you know she is a killing machine?” Noah wrapped the bandage around the wound on his leg. It was still bleeding. Slowly, but enough for him to lose a couple of points life every five seconds. The bandage magically wrapped around his leg, and his health started raising back up. It was a good thing he was in a game so he wouldn't have to change the bandages and care for the wound. Once his life bar filled up, the bandages would drop and there would be no trace of any wound. The game simplified many things, reducing them to simple bars and numbers, but it failed to simplify one thing: human emotion. If he had a bar for what he was feeling for the demon girl, the number in it would have gone beyond the boundaries of the bar.

  “Daddy.” Thia opened
her eyes. Noah watched those beautiful brown eyes scan the room before stopping on him. A radiant, innocent smile brightened her face, easing Noah's heart. Her tail wrapped around his hand. He guessed she was still weak, otherwise she would have been all over his face by now.

  “Thank you, Thia.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. Her tail jumped up and caressed his ears, sending tingles across his body. To heck with the digital tail or digital NPC, the girl cared for him with her heart, and she wasn't an NPC for him anymore. He would take care of her until he found a safe arrangement for her.

  Congratulations! Your caring for Thia has made a little space in Thia’s heart for you. +5000 reputation with Thia.

  Current Status: Friend

  Current Reputation: 10000

  Stupid Game!

  This yet more proof the game didn't know squat about emotions and relationships. If he went by reputation rank, Thia was at the friend level. In reality, she showed much more love than the stupid game said. Her actions contradicted everything the game told him. She was ready to die for him. That didn't sound like something a digital NPC would do. There was a heart inside that demon girl, and he had started caring for that heart. Maybe just a little, but she had made a space in his heart.

  Noah carried Thia upstairs and then took a bath. He wanted hot tea, but Mathial declined to give it to him without a bath. It made sense. No one liked a stinking person, not even his deceased wife had been willing to come close to him when he smelled like a chemistry reaction after a full day’s work in the lab.

  When all hygiene customs were attended to, and he smelled a little better, Noah went back upstairs and ordered a cup of tea from Mathial. It was included in his daily rent, so at least he didn't have to spend anything for it. The tea was good, but it wasn't the masala tea or coffee he used to love.

  “Mathial, where can I get a cup of coffee? Do you have a tea house or something in town?” He doubted the town would have one. Mathial might surprise him, though.

  Mathial stared at him like he had asked the stupidest question ever. “What is coffee, human? Is that the cat’s dung you humans eat?” He laughed at his own joke.

  By this time, Noah had grown accustomed to Mathial's stupid poop jokes and had stopped reacting to them. The more he reacted, the stupider they became.

  When Mathial's laughter died down, Noah replied, “Something like tea, but totally different in taste. And has more caffeine than tea.”

  “Caffeine?”

  “Forget it.”

  A bright golden-red notification popped up.

  Devine Quest unlocked: Your Goddess Sumara loves Starbugs coffee. If you discover the ingredients and make similar tasting coffee, you will gain her blessings. Reward: Blessings from Goddess Sumara. Hey, Noah. If you make any kind of coffee, I'll reward you with something nice… and something naughty (**Wink**). Select herbalism as your second utility profession. That's a hint from me. -Sumara. Do you accept? Yes/No.

  Noah accepted the quest. According to the forums, he could have two utility professions active at a time, and he could change it easily at any town’s mage college or by asking any high mage—for a fee, of course. There was no harm in accepting the quest, as the utility profession retained bonuses even if he changed it back and forth.

  He glanced at his experience which now sat at 1740. His progression toward the next level of poison orb was at 80%. The barrage of poison orbs he had cast at the rats had helped him make progress. When Thia woke up and came upstairs, rubbing her sleepy eyes, he checked on the weather. It was a nice, sunny evening with a warm breeze. He should have enough time to visit the tailor and get clothes for both of them before the shop closed for the day.

  The visit to tailor was quite fruitful. The tailor didn’t have any girl’s clothes, but he had a few things for demon boys. They fit Thia perfectly. Fortunately for Noah, they both walked out wearing new clothes and in high spirits. Thia was especially happy with her new clothes, and she was constantly showing them to Noah.

  On their way back to the inn, they came across a few demon boys playing a hockey-like game. He let Thia play with them while he settled on a nearby stone bench, watching the kids cheer, crackle, shout, and enjoy the game.

  The world suddenly went black, and Noah felt like he was being pulled away to some other place. He tried to shout, but his mouth wouldn’t open. It was a strange sensation, like his mind was pulled out of his body. But it ended as quickly as it had begun, though he wasn't back on the bench where Thia and other demon kids played. Instead, he stood inside a viewer’s box in a huge basketball stadium. But how was that even possible? Then the strangest thing happened. Another Noah walked into the box with Tia, holding a big tub of popcorn in her hands. She was just four years old. He remembered the occasion. They were here for her first magical baseball game. The players played a version of baseball where they could use magically enhanced equipment.

  Noah’s eyes flooded with tears as he saw the other Noah enjoying the game with Tia. It was his memory from the past—one he had forgotten. He stood there absorbing every word his Tia said to his former self. It filled his heart with joy and his eyes with tears. The glass-man was right, the game had evoked one of his memories. He tried to search his mind for others, but none were there. Only this. At least this would remain, and he would take any memory of his daughter over nothing. When the game ended, Noah and Tia rose from their seats, and Tia stumbled forward. The remaining popcorn from her tub flew into the air. Noah jumped forward to save her, but he was pulled back into the game world. He opened his tear-filled eyes to find Thia was still playing with the other kids.

  Thia, who had evoked his memory.

  The air turned cold as dusk drew closer, but the warmth of love heated Noah's heart. He called Thia back, and she came running, jumped on his lap, and started licking his face.

  “Thanks, sweetheart.” He patted demon girl's back. He didn't mind her affection today. She had made his life happier, twice in one day. First by saving him, then by giving him a fraction of his life back.

  18. Temple of Sumara

  T he Temple of Sumara only opened at night. The goddess seemed to love dark things. Noah had no problem going there alone, but Thia wouldn’t let him. He should have waited for her to go to sleep, he thought, while they walked over the faded old road in the cold night. Thanks to their new clothes, they smelled nice and were better protected from the chilly wind that reminded him of his first meeting with his deceased wife. That had been a cold, windy night too.

  Noah stopped in his tracks as he spotted a shadow moving around a corner. He whispered to the demon child sitting on his shoulder, playing with his hair, “Shh, don't make any noise, child.”

  Thia froze, along with everything else. The breeze died, and the town grew so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop. It was like the opening of a horror movie. Noah liked horror movies, but he didn’t want to live one. He relaxed when the shadow didn't return.

  It must’ve been a demon or some other stray creature.

  As he resumed walking, Noah watched every shadow, every moving contour, every dark corner for a threat while making sure they didn’t stray from the road. The demons of the town lived in the ruins. Noah hadn't yet gotten an answer to why the city was like this and what happened here, but whatever it was, it was major and dangerous. He didn’t want to deal with any threats right now. The pain of death was too real to face again and again. And now he had Thia with him, who wasn't immortal. He’d always respawn, but she would simply dissolve into meat and skin like the other creatures of the game world. The thought made him shudder.

  “Daddy. Danger.” Thia wrapped her hand around his head and jerked, urging him in the other direction. The result? Noah stumbled over his own feet and fell flat on his face.

  “Thia...” He swallowed the rest of the words when something flew over his head with a woosh. Someone had shot something at him. Thia was on her feet, crouched in a fighting stance. In the dim light of the moon, he spotted t
wo nails growing out of her fingers.

  He didn't remember seeing any demon growing nails, but to be fair, he didn't know many demons personally.

  Noah readied his poison orb. Every muscle in his body tensed and his adrenaline level spiked.

  Thia relaxed after a few seconds. “Danger. Gone.”

  Noah pushed himself up and jumped to his feet. “How did you know?”

  “Thia. Sees. Dark,” she replied in her broken language.

  I must ask Mathial how to improve her language.

  “Lucky for us.” Noah pressed on toward the temple, but now he danced on his legs whenever he heard any sound—even at the sound of the chilly wind blowing across the narrow lane. After twenty minutes of walking, they reached the Temple of Sumara.

  This time, Noah observed the temple in detail. He was here to pray to the goddess for advice. The temple was grand—grand in the sense of a palace being grand. He could have easily fit twenty copies of his real-life home in the temple, and it was a lavish two thousand square foot house. Being on a secret flagship project had its perks.

  The temple’s main attraction was the stone statue of Sumara standing on a raised platform. The temple must have been a grand attraction of the city once upon a time, but now it matched the city’s current condition: ruined. Noah trudged through the temple, observing the trappings of its former glory with curiosity. This a side of himself he had never seen before, an amateur archaeologist exploring a ruined temple and imagining what it’d been like in its heyday. The clues were all around him; ripped off flags painted in red and white color,, various small statues whose heads were chopped off, eight strong pillars forming a perfect line along the path to the main statue like beakers containing specimens in a lab.