Odder- The Blood Curse

by Nathaniel Red

  "Suit yourself. Just more for me."

  The sound of small feet pattered across the floor, a door squeaked open, then slammed shut. Odder's left eye sprung open. He lifted his nose. The aroma of fried eggs and crisp gris enticed his senses. His stomach pleaded with him to get up. He slowly opened his lazy right eye, sat up, stretched his arms out, and exhaled a long, low-pitched groan.

  A basket filled with clean clothes laid at the foot of the bed, and a tin filled with fresh water perched on a table across the room. Odder pulled the basket to the table. He scooped the water in his palms and immersed his face in the solace of the warm wash. Feeling somewhat revived, he cleaned the rest of his body and changed his clothes.

  He stepped up to the window and opened the shutters. The bright light of the new day blinded him. His eyes adjusted, and he surveyed his surroundings. The old split tree appeared harmless during the day compared to the night's light. The vantage point from the second story allowed him to see across the field, past the marsh, and even a sliver of the Cydin Sea, which separated the elven lands from the Xenduri shadow region.

  His stomach barked and bellowed. "Alright, I'll feed you."

  He headed to the door, pulled the latch open, and rushed into the hall nearly colliding with Aimma. "Oh, sorry Aimma." He stepped back and waved his hand. "Please, after you."

  Aimma curtsied. "Thank you."

  Odder followed her down the stairs. "Your change of clothes suits you."

  She wore a light gray blouse with a thin brown leather jacket, leather belt, and tan leather pants. Her wavy white hair curled around the sides of her face.

  "Thank you. No doubt compliments of Martha."

  "How did you sleep?" Odder asked. "Better than mine I hope?"

  "Nightmares at first," she replied, "but after a quick downing of sleeping potion, I slept like a bugbear under a stump."

  "Anything in your bag strong enough to wake the dead?" Odder pulled his cheeks down, accentuating the dark circles under his eyes.

  Aimma giggled. "No helping those." She looked in her satchel. "I do have some macco beans. I'll mix you a drink after breakfast. You’ll wake right up."

  Martha greeted them at the base of the stairs. "Good morning. I see you found the clean clothes." She gripped Odder's arm and practically pulled him to the dining table. "Come, I saved you some food. It's been so very long since we had guests. I hope you enjoy the meal."

  "Of course," Odder said, taking a seat.

  "It looks and smells delicious," Aimma said.

  Martha grinned. Finkle nodded with a mouth full of eggs, and fried wild gris and bread on his plate.

  "Slow down Finkle," Odder said, shifting in his chair. "You might fall off the stack of books you're sitting on."

  Finkle pointed a dull knife at Odder. He mumbled but choked before getting a clear word out.

  Odder and Aimma laughed.

  Odder looked around the room. Martha was back in the kitchen. "So where's Karzan and Serra?"

  "Oh, that old wizard is in the cellar tinkering with his potions." Martha grabbed a plate and sat with them at the table. "He wants you to go down there when you're done eating." She took a bite of her bread and sip of her water. "Serra's on the field practicing her spells."

  "I'll be joining her," Finkle said, after clearing his mouth with a drink. "I'm curious about her dark elven magic."

  "I'm sure you have lots in common," said Aimma.

  Odder nudged her, attempting to restrain her sarcasm.

  Martha squinted, her pursed lips faded into a smile. "And you, Aimma. I understand you're a healer?"

  "Yes," Aimma grinned and pulled up her sleeve to show off the symbol of a diamond with two snakes wrapped around it. "I'm a conjuror. I studied under my grandmother."

  "Oh, how exciting. Only a step away from wizard."

  Aimma lifted her chin. "I hope to get my wizard of healing within a couple of years."

  "Perhaps I can help. Do you want to see my extensive library on healing spells and magic herbs after breakfast?"

  Aimma perked up. "Oh yes. That would be wonderful."

  "How about that macco drink now?" Odder winked at Aimma.

  "Macco?" Martha's eyes brightened. "The Celestines' gift to this world. "If you have the beans, I have the press and hot water boiling as we speak."

  Aimma stood and picked up her satchel. "Wonderful, let's make some brew."

  Finkle tidied up his plate and walked toward the back door.

  "Aren't you going to wait for the brew?" Odder asked.

  "Nah, that stuff makes my head spin. Enjoy, laddy. I'll be out back with the vixen learning a few spells."

  "Here you are, Odder." Martha placed a thick ceramic cup filled with a hot dark liquid in front of him. "Now, the brew is an acquired taste. I added a few spices to give it some flavor." She sat back in her seat and watched with a keen eye as Odder took a sip.

  He jerked his head back like biting into a green lemon.

  Aimma sat across from him. "I can tell you're not terribly fond of the taste."

  Odder licked his lips. "Terrible is right."

  "Take a few more swallows, and you'll fall in love with the stuff," Martha said, grinning with confidence.

  He took another drink. His head lightened up, and sure enough, the flavor became pleasant. A sense of wellbeing bubbled inside of him. He smiled. "You're right. This is good."

  The house shook. Odder glanced left then right. "Is this what Finkle meant by head spinning?"

  Martha laughed. "No Odder, that's just the potion master at work. You better finish your drink and run downstairs."

  Aimma, who also glanced around, let out a sigh of relief. "Good, I thought I mixed the wrong beans."

  "Odder, he's in the cellar." Martha pointed toward the wooden door he came through last night from the split tree. "Instead of opening the door, turn the knob and move the entire handle to the right of the door."

  Odder lowered his eyebrows.

  "Don't look so confused lad. Run down there and do as I said."

  He approached the door and turned the rounded knob slowly.

  "Now drag it to the right."

  "I can help him," Aimma said.

  "No dear. He has to do it himself."

  Odder hesitated as his inner voice planted seeds of fear and doubt into his mind. He shook his head clear and pulled the entire handle to the opposite side of the door. His frown turned into a wide-eyed expression.

  "Now open it, lad. What are you waiting for?"

  The door, this time, opened to the left, revealing a new passage with spiral stone steps leading down.

  Just before he took a step, his inner voice pleaded, "STOP." Odder paused and glanced back at Martha and Aimma. "Are you sure this is the right path?"

  "It will lead you where you need to go?" Martha replied.

  A knot formed in Odder's chest, and he fought the strong urges to flee.

  ***

  Odder, unsure of his footing, slowly placed his boot on a dirt floor as he stepped off the stairs. The dim hall smelled like old dirty beets, and the soil looked freshly turned. Roots tangled and weaved throughout the walls, and he heard the creeping of crawly things hidden in the crevices. He pressed on, sluggishly, to the heavy iron door at the end of the hall. It creaked open.

  "Come in, Odder," Karzan said. "Welcome to the potion room."

  Odder stood wide-eyed and opened-mouthed, looking across the cluttered room. "This is amazing." Illuminating bulbs of various sizes attached to vines and crept across the tall arched ceiling. Hundreds of clocks, of many different designs, mounted on the walls. Small intricate contraptions including a steel owl and skull fitted with interlocking gears, covered a table. Then the potions... "You must have a thousand vials, containers, and jars."

  "Closer to ten thousand, I would say."

  Odder walked over to a large iron container which resembled an upside-down octopus. A glowing liquid, behind a glass, swished between plungers. Several metal tubes proj
ected from its side with glass bottles attached on top. "What's this?"

  "A potion mixer, for certain potions at least." Karzan tapped on a bottle filled with a purple liquid. "And this is mulder berry juice, the base ingredient for potions. I can replace any of the jars and with a turn of this spout, release the liquid into the iron container." He pointed at several other jars then slightly turned their spouts. He spun a small crank wheel mounted to the container.

  The potion mixer vibrated, then trembled, then shook the entire room. Odder braced himself on the wall until the tremor stopped. A pressure valve at the top of the container whistled.

  "And now a potion," Karzan said, with a gratified grin.

  "So, this is where the tremor came from," said Odder.

  Karzan placed a small clay cup under a spigot at the base of the container and twisted the valve until the cup filled to the brim. "Here, this cup is for you."

  "What is it?" Odder leaned in and took a whiff. It smelled like berries mixed with toad spit. He wrinkled his nose and turned his head. "No thank you."

  "Suit yourself." Karzan took a swift drink. His face turned a lively shade of pink and his spectacles fogged. "Just a morning tonic." He cleared his throat. "Would you like to look around?"

  "Absolutely." Odder wandered, looking at various gadgets and instruments. He tapped on a square copper box. It spun and twisted open revealing tiny gears that formed a strange mechanical tree. He then sat in a decorated chair with wheels, but the wheels turned into metal legs and bucked him off.

  “Watch out for that one,” said Karzan. “It’s temperamental.”

  “I can tell,” said Odder, looking around the room. “You have many unusual things.”

  “Oh, just items I like to create and tinker with.”

  Odder approached a wall filled with different glowing jars. "Something's moving."

  "Step closer, lad. What do you see?"

  "Incredible! The jars, they're filled with small ghostly creatures.” He tapped on a jar holding a jumping frog.

  "Each jar encases the magical essence of a creature."

  "The magical essence... Yes, Aimma explained that to me." Odder moved on to a shelf filled with marked vials.

  "Ah, and those are the potions." Karzan smiled.

  Odder squinted, his head moved side to side as he tried to read the jumbled marks on the label.

  "Enchanted labels," Karzan explained. "Only deciphered using a coded spell."

  Odder continued along the shelves, trying to read the vials until he stumbled on an old tarp covering something huge. "What's under here?" He tapped it. The tarp pushed back. Odder's heart jumped as well as his feet.

  Karzan held his stomach and laughed. "That Odder is one of the most wondrous creations in all of Arcaina." He raised his voice and his hands. "Corbin, please show yourself to our guest."

  The tarp puffed out as if giving birth. It moved upward, making a metallic clicking sound, and exposing two golden metallic legs. Odder stepped back. The tarp lifted to the ceiling, nearly twelve feet. He glanced at Karzan, who gave him a pleasant smile. The tarp fell to the ground. Odder blocked his eyes from the glare, then peeked. A glimmering golden creature stood before him with a glowing red heart, pulsating behind an exposed ribcage and a network of moving gears.

  Odder stood astonished. "What... is... it?" He stepped back further to get a better view.

  The creature bent down slowly, its body humming and whistling as it did. Its two large round blue eyes blinked. Odder lifted his hand to touch its face, but the creature retreated to its upright position.

  "Corbin may look formidable, but he's quite shy and timid." Karzan held out his hand. "It's alright. This is Odder, and he's a friend. He won't harm you."

  "Friend?" Corbin asked, his words originating from behind a steel plate on his face.

  "Yes," Karzan said, reassuring with his palm up.

  Corbin’s heart pumped faster, and several gears turned inside the creature's chest as he stretched out his metal hand to Odder.

  "Nice to meet you," Odder said, wrapping his hand around Corbin's finger.

  "Nice to meet you," Corbin repeated.

  "Alright, Corbin, sit." Karzan motioned down.

  Gears at his joints rotated and ticked – making a hum as he descended to the floor.

  Karzan gripped Odder's shoulder. "Let's go to the other room."

  As Odder followed, he glanced over his shoulder at the creature. "Is he made out of gold?"

  "He is?"

  "How did you make a living creature from a metal?" Odder asked.

  "He’s not my work and far from ordinary. He's a golem," Karzan said, "a golden golem. As far as I have tested, he's made from a combination of gold and silq, making him a hundred times stronger than the metal alone."

  Odder's curiosity spiked. He lowered his brow and asked, "What's a golem?"

  "Rare and magical creatures. No one knows how they are created or where they come from. They are living elements. Sometimes made of stone, sometimes made from earth. I once heard a rumor about one made from dragon's fire."

  They entered a semi-lit room with a stone table surrounded by two chairs. Mounted on the walls were shelves filled with hundreds of books and scrolls.

  "Please have a seat," Karzan said, pulling out a chair for himself.

  Odder examined the room as he sat, "How did you get him?" Odder asked.

  "I found him, or rather he found me – in the deep woods as I searched for herbs, a pack of dargens surrounded me. I conjured spells to disband them, but their numbers were too great. I knew they would soon overtake me. A sudden crash of trees snapping like something large plowing through the forest, spooked the dargens, and there he appeared, the golden giant. He hurled rocks at the pack, and they scattered in fear."

  "I would too."

  Karzan nodded. "Once safe, the creature collapsed on the ground. He hummed and whined, and I approached to examine the creature up close. The sadness in his eyes broke my heart. He looked devastated. I circled him and found his limbs nearly ripped off. I managed to bring him back to my workshop and repair his joints with the gears I had on hand."

  "Does he feel pain?"

  "Oh yes. He feels hurt, sadness, and even love - he is alive." Karzan pulled a foot-long knotted root from his belt. He waved it in the air toward the bookshelf. "You see golems are rare and precious. In most cases, when discovered, they are hunted."

  "For what?"

  A leather-bound book vibrated, obedient to Karzan’s wand, and flew off the shelf and onto the table. "Their hearts." Karzan cleared his throat. "Their hearts are filled with powerful magic which gives them life. This priceless life magic is more tempting than silq. Many will kill the golems to obtain it."

  "Sounds horrible."

  "Indeed." Karzan placed the book between them. "He's taken care of now, so let's focus on you and find out what demons are cursing you."

  "What about proving I'm the Champion?"

  "You will never be a Champion," said Odder's inner voice. "Forget this foolishness and flee far from here."

  "Odder?" Karzan moved close and peered into his eyes. "You seemed distant for a moment."

  Odder shook his head. "No, just doubting all this."

  "I believe once you confront your demons, you'll know the truth."

  Odder rolled up his sleeve and held out his forearm. Karzan hovered his wand over the markings, chanting. The markings illuminated red, and a wave of nausea overwhelmed Odder. He covered his mouth with his right hand until the queasiness passed. The muscles on his left arm tightened, his fingers twitched. His confused eyes pleaded with the wizard for answers.

  Karzan, using his wand, pulled the glowing crescent moon and eye pattern from Odder's arm. It stretched in the air, resisting Karzan’s authority. He gripped his wand with both hands and forced the marking into the book. The book slammed open. Its pages flipped until it stopped on a blank page. Letters bled to the surface, spelling Formeteu.

  A sudden vile ch
ill gripped Odder at the base of his neck.

  "Old elven for fear," Karzan said, without taking his eye off the book. More writing appeared, and the outline of the creature formed.

  Odder's arm trembled. "Karzan?"

  Karzan moved his wand back to the markings. He pulled out the second pattern resembling the face of a dragon and placed it on the book. Again, the pages flipped until stopping on a blank page. This time the word Bilusund, and a picture of a demon burned on the page. Black smoke twisted up from the writing and dissipated into the air.

  Odder's blood raged. He gnashed his teeth and scraped his fingernails across the table. He had a sudden urge to rip at Karzan's throat.

  "Wrath," Karzan said, in a low, harsh voice.

  He moved his wand back to his forearm and pulled out the third symbol, the upside down five-pointed star. He placed it in the book. Pages flipped once more, landing on a blank sheet. Ink spiraled and swirled in all directions until the writing and picture became clear.

  Odder's face became pale. His knees weakened, and his shoulders hunched. "Stop you fool," said his inner voice. "It's useless."

  Karzan closed the book. "Infadecus, Self-loathing." He leaned back and clasped his hands. "These are your demons."

  Odder reached for the book but hesitated. An uneasy combination of fear, anger, and distaste overcame him like vagrants staking claim in a private home. He took a deep breath and pulled his hand back. "I want them out! What do we do now?"

  CHAPTER 16

  INFADECUS, SELF-LOATHING

  Karzan closed the book. "You're not ready to face your demons."

  "Then am I to die here?"

  "No. The poison has progressed but has not yet reached your heart." Karzan tapped his wand on the table. "Do you know the rules of magic?"

  "No one has bothered to teach me."

  "Then that is where you must start."

  "What good will the rules be since I’ve never experienced magic?"

  Karzan pulled heavy on his long gray beard. "Can you see it?"

  "What?"

  "Magic." Karzan waved his hands through the air.

  "No. Of course not."

  The wizard held his hand to his mouth and blew. A red smoke flew out of the end of his palm and filled the air around them. "This will open your eyes." He held out his palm and revealed a pair of large spectacles held in a leather frame. He handed them to Odder.