CHAPTER THREE
Cursed Remains
As Tina descended the old, creaking steps, the rhythmic sound of a broom sweeping echoed from the lower floor. The air filled with the faint scent of wood polish and dust. When she finally reached the bottom, she peered into the dimly lit shop. There, a midst the scattered light filtering through the windows, stood Dison, diligently pushing the broom across the wooden floor, a few stray dust motes dancing in the sunlight. "Good morning," Tina said, entering the room. "You're up early,"
Dison glanced at her with a smirk on his face. "Trying to get things done early today."
"Why? There hasn't been a customer here in months." Tina said.
"That's rude," Kaida said, as she walked behind Tina, carrying a bucket of water and a mop.
"It's the truth." Tina said.
"Papa will be happy with a clean shop when he gets on his feet." Kaida said.
"Daddy's not getting better!.. He's going to die and Dison's going to leave us," Tina moaned.
Kaida turned to Tina. "Tina, how could you say that?"
"I heard you talking last night. You want to join the military?" Tina cried, wiping the tears away. "I heard you through the window. You can't go. I won't let you!"
"I would bring a better life to us—a better future." Dison tried to reason with her, but he understood the risks well. He didn't want her to worry, and he didn't want to lie to her either.
"What if you go to battle and never come home?" Tina yelled, getting more upset. "We'll be alone!" She dashed past Dison and out of the store as the door slammed.
Dison ran after her out the door and watched her sprint down the road and into the field. Kaida followed him outside.
"Stop. Leave her alone. Tina will be fine. She just needs some time." Kaida said.
Dison and Kaida watched Tina run up an old trail into the forest. Dison wanted to comfort her but hesitated, unsure if he should try or even how to approach her, knowing that the path ahead would be challenging for everyone. They walked back into the shop, continuing their cleaning. The bell above the door jingled as they entered. Quinn sat in his chair at the counter.
"Papa, you should be in bed." Kaida walked to him hastily.
"I'm fine, child. Cook us some breakfast, would you? I need to talk to Dison alone." Quinn said as he gently patted Kaida's hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine."
Kaida nodded. "Okay, papa." She appeared concerned, but she walked toward the kitchen.
"Dison, I need you to go to the cellar and get a wooden box from atop the shelf," Quinn asked.
Dison needed clarification. Quinn had always warned him not to go to the cellar. Dison suspected Quinn was hiding something there, but never felt it was his place to investigate. "Sure," Dison replied, still seeking clarity about Quinn's behavior. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that lingered in his mind. Following Quinn's instructions, Dison picked up a lantern and stepped outside toward the cellar door. He opened the creaking door and peered down the dark staircase.
A musty, earthy odor wafted through the air, wrapping around Dison like a familiar cloak as he made his way to the shadowy shelf at the back of the dimly lit room. With anticipation, he craned his neck upwards, his gaze landing on the long, dust-coated box that Quinn had cryptically referred to earlier. He hesitated momentarily before stretching to grasp it, his fingers brushing against the excellent, worn surface. As he pulled it down, the weight of the box amplified his growing curiosity about what lay inside. Squinting at the faded writing etched across its surface, a sense of unease washed over him. What exactly did this mean? Is this a gift? He pondered, his mind racing with thoughts about Quinn's intentions.
Dison carried it outside into the cold air, which made him shiver. He returned to the shop and placed it on the table with the lantern in front of Quinn. "What is this?"
"There are things you don't know. I don't know too much myself."
"I don't understand."
"It's about your mother. What she left for you." Quinn pulled out the journal he had found that day in the village. "Your mother's journal."
"I didn't know she had one. What's this all about?"
"My boy, you don't know of anything because your mother wanted it that way. She wanted you to live a quiet, ordinary life." Quinn sighed. "I'm afraid that's just not going to be possible for someone like you. Where she wanted to protect you, I wanted to prepare you."
"What do you mean? I'm an average person with normal ambitions. Nothing special."
"Read the journal. It will tell you some of what your mother knew about you." He reached it to Dison, who was hesitating at taking it.
"Just some?" Dison thought this was all absurd. "Look, father, I loved my mom, but she's gone. There's nothing I need to know about me from that time. I choose to live in the present. I want to be a soldier, to go on adventures and save people. To be a hero, like you."
Quinn looked with a smile. "Open the box," He insisted. "Today is the day I think you're ready."
Dison opened the box, revealing the sword. "Did you get this for me?"
"We found that in the house you in all those years ago."
Dison reached for the handle as he heard whispers coming from it. It sounded like a language he had never heard, but somehow familiar. He hesitated and withdrew his hand. "I have a bad feeling about this thing."
"The journal tells a little about you. Where your mother and her companions found you. She even mentioned the ones in black robes that would come looking for you."
"She told me she wasn't my actual mother, but the ones that attacked the village? They were after me? Why?"
"That was not in the journal. Whoever finds you should keep you and this sword safe if anything should happen to me. That's what your mother wrote."
"Is that why you brought me here?"
Quinn looked with concern at his next words. "Yes. To keep you safe."
"Shouldn't believe crazy people's journals. My mother was paranoid." Dison flipped through the journal and came to a missing page. He looked at Quinn, thinking, did he rip out the page, or was it his mother long ago? He threw the journal on the table. "My mother loved and gave her life for me, and I have this scar on my face to remind me every day of her death. I couldn't save her or myself that day. I don't want to live my life like her, looking over her shoulder at every turn."
"This is about more than your mother. Those people, the ones in cloaks that your mother kept you from, are doing something. Something that's been going on for decades, or maybe even longer."
"You think I can stop them? Is this the reason you trained me? To go after them?"
"I trained you to protect people. What if they find you now? Kaida and Tina are at risk in your very presence. You need to be stronger for them. I can only train you so much. Going out into the world will train you far more than I could."
"You just want me to leave, well I've already taken care of that."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been keeping in touch with Rosan. I've told him I want to enlist."
"Damn it, boy. What if those people find you? Do you know if you can even trust the military?"
"I trust Rosan, just as you did. I'm joining his garrison. He's seeing to it. I hope those people do find me. I'll avenge my mother."
Quinn lowered his head. Knowing that Rosan would be close to Dison eased his anger. He chuckled as he thought Dison was at least thinking things through. "Yes, Rosan was like a son to me, as are you? I'm glad you have some brains. But I still have my doubts."
"Rosan is on his way now."
"Things won't be the same without you here. I actually wanted you to join a guild or something close by. I never wanted you to just up and leave." Quinn said in defeat.
"I know. Tina is upset with me. I need to go talk to her."
"Tina will be alright. Give her time."
"I need to go find her. I'll talk to you later." Dison stepped outside, reflecting on everything he had been told. He wanted to find Tina, but needed to decide whether it was the right thing to do. Unexpectedly, Kale bumped into him, slamming both of them down. As he looked at Kale, Talbis stepped in to pick up Kale.
Talbis laughed. "Nice save, kid." He handed Kale over to a few men behind him. "Try not to let him go this time."
Rosetta reached out with her hand to help Dison get up. "You okay?" She glanced at his face, which seemed familiar to her. A melancholy smile spread across her lips.
Dison stood and examined Rosetta from top to bottom. "Ugh. Sure," he said as he snapped out of his daze, hearing Kale screaming and fighting as the rest of the company walked past him. "What did Kale do?"
"His name is Kale. You know him?" Rosetta asked. "Look, we don't know his condition, but he's been calling us monsters and demons since we found him."
"That's weird."
"What's your name, kid?"
Dison thought this girl wasn't old enough to call him a kid, but brushed it off. "Dison,"
"Dison. You're the one Commander Rosan talked about. I'm Lieutenant Rosetta Greystone. Nice to meet you."
Dison smirked as Rosetta's beautiful smile made him nervous. He did not understand why. She was his type—young, gorgeous, and full of spirit. He usually asked a girl out in a heartbeat, but Rosetta made him awkward. "What happened to him?" Dison asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
She noticed Dison's gaze on her, causing her to blush, She thought of another young man who looked at her the same way. With sad eyes, she smirked. "We don't know. Kale keeps asking what we did with his father and brother."
"Yeah. Kale, Jamus, and their father Jerim are hunters. They have a house in the forest on the to her side of town."
"Well, whatever happened to him happened in the forest. So I'd stay out of there for now. We're still looking for the others."
Dison thought out loud. "Tina. I have to go after her."
"Who's Tina?"
"My sister. She went into the forest not long ago."
Rosetta stopped Dison. "We'll get her. Rivera! Elayne!"
Rivera and Elayne ran over in a hurry. "What's going on?"
"His sister is in the forest," Rosetta said.
Elayne looked at the woods intensely. "Whatever is in there, its presence is growing. I've never seen such dark magic."
Dison and Rosetta observed as the forest darkened and a thick haze seeped in. The sky darkened, covered by ominous clouds. It was disturbing for everyone in the area, as if a foreboding shadow stretched over the landscape. Townspeople pointed at the phenomenon; some hurried inside their homes.
"What is going on?" Dison looked in shock. The forest had always seemed inviting and adventurous. But now looked horrifying and wicked as the trees began dying before his eyes.
"This complete area is under a curse." Rivera said.
"We'll get your sister." Rosetta said.
"I'll come with you." Dison demanded.
"No. It's too dangerous. We're trained for stuff like this," Elayne suggested. I'll go see what we're dealing with.
Rosetta and Rivera ran toward the woods. Glancing at the shop before running in. He looked in the empty shop, but he heard Kaida and Quinn talking in the kitchen.
Dison approached the box and reached for the sword without wanting to alarm them. He hesitated for a moment before finally grabbing the handle. Abruptly, a vision of flames flashed before his eyes as if he were somewhere else for just an instant. The image baffled him. "What was that?" he wondered to himself. Realizing he didn't have time to dwell on it, he ran out the door, slamming it behind him as he left.
Running into the forest, Dison skimmed for the others, expecting to catch up to them. He listened to the forest, but it was silent. He kept walking until he heard a woman's voice. "Dison." He clutched the sword tight and examined his surroundings, thinking he must be crazy to come into the forest at such a time. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"Come this way. I'll lead you to her." The voice had gotten more explicit.
Dison felt thoroughly puzzled. He noticed a woman walking away into the woods. "Well, that isn't mysterious at all," he thought, shaking his head. "I'm going to regret this." Despite his doubts, he followed her deeper into the forest.
Sitting against the rough bark of an ancient tree, Tina sought solace in a shimmering waterfall. Although the crystal-clear water sparkled in the sunlight, the beauty of the scene escaped her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as painful memories flooded her mind. Bandits had taken her father from her, a dedicated doctor, while delivering life-saving medicine. Shortly after, her mother succumbed to a devastating illness, leaving Tina feeling as if the ground beneath her was crumbling. The weight of grief made the thought of losing anyone else unbearable. Surrounded by the peaceful sounds of the waterfall, she sobbed uncontrollably, consumed by despair.
"Are you okay?" A girl's voice spoke.
Tina peeked over her arm at a little girl around her age, who smiled back at her. The girl had long, dark hair, wore a cute red dress and had the cutest smile she had ever seen. "I didn't know anyone was out here."
The girl sat beside her. "It's okay to cry. Someone hurt you?"
"Just my stupid brother."
"Oh. I have two sisters, Lylian and Madrina. They can be a real pain. I never had a brother, though. My name is Alivia. What's yours?"
"Tina," she said with a frown.
"Let's be friends, Tina."
"Okay. I guess. I've never seen you in town before. Are you from around here?"
"I've been here a long time. Me and my sisters have been in these woods for years."
"You live in the forest?"
"Our home is not too far. Do you want to come and see it? I'd love to show you." Alivia smiled and grabbed her hand as she stood. "Please. It's been a long time since we had visitors. We can play forever at my home."
"Well, I need to get back to my home soon. The forest has gotten darker."
"It's not far, please." Alivia begged, giving Tina a puppy face to persuade her.
"Tina smiled with sympathy.,"Okay."
"Yay." Alivia stood up and ran off. "Follow me!"
Tina had a strange feeling about Alivia. As Alivia ran ahead, jumping excitedly, she grabbed Tina's hand and led her deeper into the woods. At that moment, Tina didn't notice the decay surrounding them; the forest was dying as they strolled together.
The imposing doors of the town hall burst open, slamming against the walls as Talbis strode in, his brow furrowed in determination. He hefted Kale over his shoulder as he squirmed and protested loudly about escaping. The main hall stretched before them, its gray stone floors cool underfoot and its white walls creating a stark, unyielding backdrop. Towering wooden doors at one end led to the bustling mess hall, where chatter and clanging dishes echoed faintly. Talbis's frustration simmered within him, growing more intense with every protest from Kale. "I'm getting real tired of you fighting me."
Guards approached him quickly, their expressions a mix of confusion and urgency. A captain stepped forward calmly. He wore fancy dress attire and his black hair was slicked back, and he wore a classy outfit reminiscent of a noble suit.
"I'm Captain Meldrin of the town guard. What's going on here?" He spoke in a nasal voice.
Talbis looked at the Captain with wide eyes. He glanced at the other men, chuckled, and then laughed. The Captain regarded him with irritation.
"What's so funny?" The Captain said.
Talbis managed a sentence after his outburst. "Aren't you fancy? Well, while you idiots were here playing dress up, something was in your forest, possibly killing people. Maybe it still is."
Elayne came in behind Talbis. "We need a cell to contain this man."
"Why? What has he done?" The Captain asked.
"Just get us a damn cell, jackass." Talbis ordered.
"Very well. Follow me," the Captain said with irritation. He pushed open the heavy oak door, its hinges creaking in protest, and descended the narrow stone staircase into the depths of a dark, damp dungeon. The air was thick and musty, carrying the faint scent of mildew. As he reached the bottom, he paused at a rusted cell door, its iron bars cold. He swung the door open and looked at Kale curiously. "Why is this man so scared?" he wondered aloud, the echoes of his voice reverberating through the eerie silence.
Talbis placed Kale in the cell while Elayne approached a nearby table, slamming down a small chest. She opened it to reveal potions and vials arranged like a lab setup. "Where is your knowledge hall?"
"Knowledge hall?" the Captain looked confused. "What's all this about?" He looked at Kale, and Kale kept looking at him in fear.
"Get me books on curses and dark magic." Elayne ordered one guard."
"Yes, mam." The guard ran up the stairs.
Elayne walked over to the cell. She watched Kale as he huddled in the corner. "What do you see when you look at me?"
"The boy has clearly lost his mind." The Captain said.
Kale kept his distance as he gazed at the grotesque creatures with blood-red eyes that had imprisoned him in the cell. He looked for a way out, but lost hope. The monsters showed no signs of letting him go. "What do you want with me?" Kale screamed.
"Come on, Captain. You and your men need to keep the townsfolk out of the forest until we find out what is going on," Talbis said as he exited the room.
"Yes, my men and I will get started on it right away," the Captain said, following closely behind.
Soon after, a soldier came down the stairs with a stack of books and set them on the table. "This is all I found on the curses and dark magic."
"That's all you have?" Elayne looked at the few books with concern and picked one up to dust it off.
"This has always been a peaceful part of the country. There are not too many monsters around here," the soldier said.
"I'll make do. Hope there's something in here about this."
"Are you sure he isn't just, you know, on something?"
"I thought that too, but his state of fear exceeds any drug that exists. If he keeps this up, he'll die of a heart attack." Elayne said as she flipped through a book. "Plus, there's also the matter of the forest outside decaying rapidly as we speak."
"What?" The soldier rushed out of the dungeon to find out what Elayne was discussing.
Elayne continued to sift through the books until she came across an ancient volume titled "The Curses and Creatures of Necromancy". Although she believed that necromancy had not been in practice for over two thousand years, she felt compelled to open the book because her feelings about this discovery were unsettling.
Rosan and his group stepped onto the old road, its eerie atmosphere wrapping around them like a thick fog. The surrounding darkness felt alive, almost as if watching their every move. The daylight struggled to penetrate the overhanging trees. As Rosan glanced both ways, he saw the road stretching endlessly into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness. The cobblestones beneath their feet were uneven and worn, creating an unsettling crunch with every step they took.
Urision swaying his head. "It's too early in the day to be this dark. What's going on?"
"It's a curse." Silvara knelt and watched a plant die short. "I've not seen such dark magic. It's getting stronger." She looked up and noticed pollen falling toward them. "What's this?" she thought to herself. The soldiers behind her abruptly drew their swords.
They began shouting and attacking, calling each other monsters and demons. Silvara joined her hands and moved quickly, creating a gust of wind blowing the spores away. Meanwhile, Rosan drew his sword to intervene and blocked the men from hurting each other.
"Stop!" Rosan yelled as he kicked one of them down. "What's going on here?!"
"Don't let the spores touch you!" Silvara called out.
Rosan looked up as more floated down from the trees. He took a deep breath as his sword became engulfed in flames. He took a stance and swung his flaming blade into the air, burning all the spores over them. Rosan looked to see the three soldiers had run off. It was just him, Urision, and Silvara left. He listened as he heard a woman whisper in the air. "Come to me." It said.
"You hear that, too?" Urision asked as whispers and cries came from all directions in the forest.
"Silvara, you know what this is?" Rosan asked.
"No, I've never encountered this before," Silvara said. "This is fowl."
Screams pierced the air, echoing faintly from a distant soldier caught in the chaos. The sound sent a chill down Rosan's spine, twisting his insides with frustration. He felt angry with himself, knowing he could not prevent the unfolding tragedy. "Damn it. Let's go!" He ran toward the screams as the others followed close behind.
They found the man dead, being absorbed into a tree. They approached with caution, weapons ready. A woman's laughter came from above, followed by a screeching moan.
"It's in the trees. Whatever it is," Urision muttered, backing up. Unexpectedly, he heard a moaning sound behind him and backed away, turning to see a woman emerging from the trunk. "Oh, shit.?" he exclaimed. The figure smiled at him, revealing sharp, blood-covered teeth, and then lunged at him.
Rosan slashed at it with a flaming blade, but it dashed out of sight before being struck. He turned to Urision and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Sure. What's going on?" Urision asked with total concern.
"Get it together, Urision." Silvara steadied herself, gripping the handle of her Urumi blade as vibrant flames danced around it, consuming the steel in a mesmerizing display of fire and destruction. "I don't think it likes fire."
"It's made of wood, so I would say it doesn't," Rosan said. Hearing a voice from above, he attacked to catch the monster descending from the branches. It fell to the ground, burning and screaming in agony, until it finally stopped.
"Good job," Urision said. "The thing wasn't that strong."
"It's not over." Laughter echoed through the forest once more. Rosan remained vigilant as he followed the sound of laughter around the trees. "Let's return to the road. We'll have a better chance there."
"We need to find out what this thing is so we can kill it," Silvara said.
"Until we do, we stay alive. Elayne will figure it out," Rosan said confidently.
They readied their weapons for potential attacks as they returned to the road. He could hear the screams of his soldiers echoing through the forest. He desperately wanted to save them, but knew it was a trap to lure him and others. The men were gone, taken by a nightmare. The cursed sword at his side rattled with anticipation. Catching its excitement, Rosan took a deep breath to calm himself.
At the town hall, Elayne was mixing a potion from the book she had been studying. Captain Meldrin watched her keenly, glancing at the book before her. Elayne, feeling distrustful, looked at him warily, concerned that he might interfere with her work. "Can I help you?" she said, irritated.
"Have you found out what this could be?" Captain Meldin said.
"Necromancy. The Curse of an Asthiral. A vindictive spirit of the elements." Elayne mixed one final potion. "It releases spores into the air from the trees. If you breathe them, you go into an uncontrollable fear. You're trapped in an illusion while the monster devours you."
"A spirit, huh? Guess it's good we kept that old book around."
"Necromancy was supposed to be eradicated thousands of years ago. Lisorin would not tolerate such practices." Elayne said with concern. "If they were to discover that this occurred here, they would execute everyone in this town."
"Then we best handle this with care. The vile things." The Captain said.
"You don't like elves, I take it?"
"Why should I? The way they talk down to us is disgusting. Just because they don't age doesn't make them better than us. Also, forcing our hand into subjugation."
"I agree. But not all of them are the same."
"I'll believe that when I see one."
Elayne walked to the cell, holding a vial. "This should work. I need someone to hold him."
"I'll go get some men." The Captain walked out of the room.
Elayne looked at Kale with concern, worried about Rosan and the others in the forest. "What's happening in this small town?" she asked, holding the vial close and staring into it, hoping the others were safe. Seeing Kale in the cell reminded her of the first time she had seen Rosan in a cell when they were younger.
The forest grew darker with each passing hour. Dison hurried through the trees, aware that he needed to reach Tina. His footsteps echoed in his mind as the leaves rustled with each step he took. When Dison arrived at the tree near the falls, she was not there, and worry came over him. Thinking to himself, where could she be? "Tina!" he yelled, overwhelmed with anxiety.
Dison searched the nearby forest, but no answer came back to him. As he looked around, pollen caught his attention falling from the trees. Dison let some land on his hand, unsure what to make of it. "What is this?" he thought to himself. Ignoring it, Dison continued his search for Tina. Abruptly, he heard whispers from the trees, and a sense of dread washed over him. "Tina! Are you there?!" he called out.
Dison drew his sword, visions of fire flashing in his mind. He saw something burning, but couldn't discern what it was. Coming to his senses, he prepared his weapon.
"My curse isn't effecting you. That's strange." A woman's voice came from the forest. It moved from place to place. "You are a peculiar one. I wonder how you will taste."
Dison could see his breath as the air grew colder. "Who are you?! Show yourself!"
The woman laughed as the wind gently blew the tops of the trees back and forth. The wind picked up as leaves swirled in front of Dison. It was as if the ground swirled up with it to form a statue of a beautiful woman. The leaves formed her dress as Dison admired it for a second before it opened its lifeless eyes. "You're cute, very delicious looking. That old man from earlier left an unpleasant taste in my mouth." It smiled at Dison while walking toward him. Each movement felt disjointed and carried an eerie tone.
"What are you?" He kept backing up with his sword pointed at the woman. Watching her heavily.
The woman fell back to the ground, and laughter came from all around in an echoing voice. "Now, why would I explain myself to my food?"
Dison looked for a direction to run. His heart thumped in his chest, knowing he could not fight this. Dashing through the woods as fast as his legs could, he felt the monster chasing him. Dison stopped and backed up as the forest went silent. He was looking for any sign of attack, but nothing. Dison felt something grab his leg as he looked to see multiple hands sprouting from the ground. The woman formed rapidly in front of him.
"Hmm. Are we having fun? To be honest, I was hoping for more." The woman opened her mouth with multiple roles of teeth, ready to devour Dison.
As Dison struggled, his heart raced with desperation, leaving him with no hope of escape. Short, His eyes glowed with blinding white light. He felt a powerful burning energy coursing through his veins, and in that moment, the monster's grasp vanished. Dison opened his eyes and got to his feet, bewildered by what had just occurred. He looked around but saw no sign of the lady.
Dison gathered his thoughts, but an intense pain throbbed in his head just as he was about to leave. A vision flashed before him, the same one filled with flames. Still, this time, he discerned a city engulfed in fire, accompanied by the agonizing screams of countless people.
The vision faded, and Dison regained his senses. The woman grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the tree behind him. He looked to see her burnt face. Dison's eyes drifted to the sword he had dropped while lost in the vision. The woman continued to grab him, slamming him onto the tree multiple times until he was stunned.
"I'm not sure what just happened, but it doesn't really matter," she said, a wicked smile spreading across her lips. A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as she opened her mouth, her anticipation palpable. She lifted Dison toward her, ready to savor every moment as she prepared to devour him.
Dison regained consciousness and punched her in the face. He broke free for a mere moment and rushed toward the sword before she grabbed him, slammed him on the ground. He grabbed the sword and lunged it into the monster's chest, hoping it would do something.
The woman glared at him with anger. "Was that supposed to stop me?" She laughed. Unexpectedly, the blade illuminated and engulfed the monster in a red burning light. She screamed in agony as the brightness intensified. "What have you done to me?" Filled with rage, the woman glared at Dison and raised her hand to strike him, but she then exploded in a blinding flash. Dison flew back into the tree, knocking him out.
Rosan, Silvara, and Urision ran from the woman in the trees when they stumbled upon a flash of white light in the distance. They stopped and looked at it suspiciously. The woman's laughter drew closer.
"You can not escape from me!" the woman said in a raspy voice.
Rosan looked at the others. "Go see what that light was about."
"We can't just leave you with that thing," Urision said.
"Go. Maybe you'll find something. I'm going to stay and kill this thing." Rosan ordered.
"What if you can't?" Silvara asked.
"Then you all will have to find a way. Now go! I won't repeat it! This thing killed my men." Rosan's blade ignited with flames. "I have a score to settle."
Urision glanced at Silvara with intensity. "Don't you die on us." They ran cautiously toward the source of the light, approaching the old carriage.
"This thing has been here for decades." Silvara said. "A dark presence is here."
"Look at this." Urision pointed to a body with a rock formation in front of it. "What is this, witchcraft?"
"Something like it." Silvara examined the body. "It has the same dress as that spirit."
"Then we destroy this, and the thing dies." Urision walked toward it with destructive intent, but felt Silvara grab his arm.
"No. This is dark magic," she said. "If this spirit is bound to a location, disrupting this spell could set it free to go anywhere it wants. That's not a good idea." Silvara gave a concerned look. "This magic is a mystery to me." She glanced over and saw the burnt remains of a body not far away. Growing suspicious, she walked toward it and knelt, touching the ash.
"What's going on? Is that what made that light, this burning body?" Urision said with a hunch.
"Maybe?" Silvara said with curiosity.
"WATCH OUT!" Urision grabbed Silvara, pulled her away from a hand from the tree in front of them, and nearly got her.
Rosan rushed in, severing the hand. "Please tell me you found something." He sliced more tree limbs, shooting from out of the surrounding trees.
Silvara brought her hands together, igniting a fire in one hand and summoning wind in the other. She swirled them around, unleashing a gust of fire across the area. Roots from the ground soon interrupted a brief silence, and they attacked like whips. Rosan struck the body and stones with a blazing swing of his sword.
The woman crawled towards them in agony. "Alivia! Madrina! Where are you?" She eventually collapsed into ashes.
"Well, I think that worked," Urision said.
"We're lucky it did. That was reckless, Commander." Silvara stated in an angry tone.
"You're welcome," Rosan said with relief.
"That was a curse. We didn't know it would kill it or set it free." Silvara said.
"Well, it looked like it died to me." Rosan sheathed his sword. "Now we know how to kill them if there's more of them. Now, let's look for the other men the kid was talking about."
They searched the area, staying close to each other's positions, but found nothing. Rosan retraced his steps back to the road, noticing footprints along the way. He concluded that two men had run toward the road. By backtracking where they ran from, Rosan discovered another man's tracks leading in a different direction. As he followed those tracks into the forest, he paused with a sigh of failure.
"Silvara, Urision, over here!" Rosan called to them.
They came running and paused, gazing at a hideous sight. A young man's head and arm protruded from the roots as if the tree had engulfed him.
"Poor kid. He didn't deserve this," Silvara said.
Urision could no longer bear to witness the scene, so he turned away. The image brought back memories of the Third Civil War in Aardocia and the remains of his friends scattered across the battlefields. He took a deep breath.
Rosan knelt and gently covered the rest of the body with dirt. "We need to locate the other one," he said.
"You think he's still alive?" Urision said.
"We'll find him regardless, then find our men," Rosan said.
"The other body was burnt. I wonder if that means the other one is gone, maybe?" Silvara pondered.
"Maybe, but how?" Urision wondered. "Does that mean there were more of these things?"
"Two bodies. Two monsters." Silvara said with conviction. "Hopefully, that's the end of this."
"The forest is still dying, so I doubt it," Urision said.
They approached the carriage and examined the remnants. As nightfall came, they discovered the dresses and toys.
"Should we head back before dark?" Urision asked. "It's going to be hard to find anyone out here in the dark."
"Someone attacked this carriage a long time ago." Rosan picked up a dress for a little girl from the carriage and showed it to Urision and Silvara. "Two names."
"What do you mean?" Silvara asked.
"The monster yelled two names. Both bodies were adult women." Rosan said.
"There's another one. But where is the little girl's body?" Urision said.
"When they came under attack, most likely the little girl ran," Rosan said. "I'm hoping I'm wrong, and she got away. But there's a lingering presence keeping the curse ongoing."
"Her body could be anywhere." Silvara held a stuffed animal. She looked at it with a tense expression. Memories of her mother giving her a stuffed animal flooded her mind. She squeezed the animal in anger and then threw it to the ground.
"Then we find it and the old man. We end this nightmare once and for all." Rosan said. "Silvara, send up a flare for support."
"Okay." Silvara conjured red flames from her hands and shot a few into the sky, temporarily illuminating the forest. "I hope they can see it."
"They'll see it. You two stay here and wait for them," Rosan said before sprinting down the road.
"Commander, we must stay together! It's far too dangerous out here!" Urision shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he watched Rosan stride forward, his sword flickering with fiery flames, casting an eerie glow in the shadows. Shortly, Rosan vanished into the thick darkness, leaving only the echo of his bravado behind. "ROSAN! Damn it." Urision said with concern.