CHAPTER FIVE
Recollection of Cursed Memories
Dison walked into town carrying Tina, who was asleep on his back. The morning was bright, and the cool, moist air filled his lungs with every breath. Rosetta and Silvara followed behind him. As he reached the steps of his porch, a couple of townsfolk approached him.
"Is Tina alright?" A woman asked.
"What happened out there, Dison?" A man demanded to know.
Rosetta interrupted the couple, noticing how exhausted Dison looked. "I think Dison and Tina need some rest. Why don't you come back later? We'll fill you in on everything," she said, ushering them away. She then turned to Dison, who was trudging up the steps.
Kaida rushed out the door and hugged them. "What happened? Are you okay?" Before Dison could say a word, she took Tina from him. "Come inside and lie down, now," Kaida demanded, as she carried Tina inside.
Rosetta chuckled as she looked at Dison. "You heard her. Get to bed. I'm sure Roman will want to talk to you when he gets back."
"What about you?"
"I'll be around." Rosetta beamed with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with joy. She gracefully turned on her heel and strode away alongside Silvara. The two of them moved in sync, their laughter mingling in the air as they shared a moment of companionship.
As Dison stepped through the threshold, the melodic chime of the doorbell echoed warmly through the hallway, wrapping around him like a familiar, relaxing embrace. The night's weight hung heavily on his shoulders—long hours spent navigating challenges that seemed to multiply at every turn. All he craved was his bed, where he could surrender to the soft blankets and drift into a peaceful sleep, leaving that night far behind.
Rosetta and Silvara walked through the town's gate. The entrance wall looked worn and old. As she gazed up at the spikes at the bottom of the gate, Rosetta thought the wall needed to be torn down and rebuilt around the entire town. The buildings and walls were dimly lit in the town that morning. She was so accustomed to the noisy life of the city that the quietness here felt unusual; she could barely hear the surrounding townspeople.
They soon arrived at an old monastery with its doors wide open. Inside, Rosetta saw a man sanding the pews. The man was old and wore the attire of a priest. His hair and stubble covering his prominent chin were gray.
"These people still believe in the old gods," Silvara stated. "I don't think I'll ever understand why."
"It's just hard to reject what you've learned your whole life."
"I suppose that's true," Silvara sighed. "Regardless of its form, deception surrounds us all, religion, politics, teachings, and even the people misled around you. This includes even your own thoughts."
"It's not our place to determine who's wrong. All we can do is have faith in our actions. If we find out we are wrong, we will change our course to make it right."
"You surprise me all the time. Humans like you never cease to amaze me with your words sometimes." Silvara laughed. "You're just like Rosan. You might even be the next commander of the seventh garrison."
Rosetta chuckled. "Stop it. You know I have no interest in that. I just want to fight monsters."
"Sounds like you just want to be a hero."
"Don't we all?"
"I think there's more to life than just fighting."
Rosetta walked up the few steps to the monastery. "Are you coming?" she asked, looking at Silvara, who shook in response. As Rosetta stepped inside, she heard her footsteps on the hardwood floor—the rough scrubbing of emery cloth against a pew and the smell of wood polish in the air. The walls displayed depictions of priests praying to extraordinary beings, and the stained-glass windows showed winged creatures and people glorifying them. When Rosetta approached the older man, he glanced at her briefly before returning to work.
"Come to pray?" The man asked.
"What would I pray for?" Rosetta replied.
"Hmm. There are many things to pray for, longevity, forgiveness, and our souls, which are lost and struggling daily in this place we call our world." The man glanced at her with a smirk.
Rosetta looked at the corner of the pew he sanded down to a round point. "Why are you doing this?"
"My comfort, really. These new pews have terribly sharp corners. You never know when a child can fall on one and get hurt."
"Doesn't prayer ease your mind about such things?"
The man looked up once more. "No. Very little eases my mind now. But I hold faith that one day something will." He put his emery cloth down, pulled a wet rag from a nearby bucket, and wiped off the pew. "You don't believe in the gods, do you?"
"Not really."
"That's a shame. The gods believe in you. They protect us and watch over us in our darkest times. They know we'll come back to them when we need to."
Rosetta looked at the windows with curiosity. "Are these winged creatures your gods?"
"No. Those are the Angelics. They were the soldiers of the gods. They carried out the gods' orders."
"Even the terrible ones?"
The man looked at Rosetta mild smirk. "Even the terrible ones." The older man picked up the bucket and walked away. "I'll pray for you." His voice echoed through the great hall.
Rosetta watched him until he entered a door behind the altar. Then she walked back out. Her thoughts consumed her as she went to Silvara.
"Why did you go in there for?"
"I don't know." Rosetta smiled, but her smile lacked sincerity. "Something must have called me to."
"Anyway. Let's get to the town hall before everyone. I'd like to find the most comfortable bed to crash into."
"Sounds good to me," Rosetta said as they continued to the town barracks.
The sunlight streamed through the forest, causing the trees to come alive once again. Rosan, Elayne, Talbis, and Rivera stood before five graves marked by swords. Rosan raised his sword in the air, and the others followed suit, drawing their weapons in solidarity. A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, stirring the surrounding leaves.
"A knight shields the people!" Rosan spoke out.
The rest repeated what Rosan said in cadence.
"A knight battles for righteousness."
They repeated.
"Until a knights final breath!"
They repeated with tension in their voices.
"Five men's bodies return to the world that gave them life." Rosan knelt, picked up a handful of dirt, and threw it toward the graves. Their souls go to the grand halls. There, they will wait for us to join their celebration.
Elayne placed her hand on Rosan's shoulder. "I think we need to get some rest."
Rosan grabbed her hand gently. "I think you're right. Let's head to town."
They all saddled their horses, feeling the cool morning breeze against their faces, and set off toward town, the sound of hooves echoing on the dirt road.
The sound of the shop doorbell roused Dison from his deep sleep. As he opened his eyes, a vision of a burning city flashed before him. Feeling confused, he looked around his room and rubbed his face. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was noon. "Not again," he muttered to himself, recalling the vision.
Dison left the bed and walked downstairs to see Rosan talking with Quinn in the shop. He entered calmly.
"Hey, kid. You did well out there," Rosan said. "I think you're ready to be a soldier, after all."
Quinn gave Dison a stern look. "Yes, go do more foolish acts of heroism."
Dison lowered his head. "This is my dream. To go on adventures like yours. To be a noble knight, a leader like you. What's so wrong with that?"
Quinn grew impatient. "I wish I had never told you my stories. They're going to get you killed or something worse!" He started coughing and rocking back and forth.
"You don't believe in me, I know it?" Dison said. "You think I can't handle myself?"
"I do. I know you'll be one of the best. That's what frightens me. For all we know, those people are still looking for you. Drawing attention to yourself would not be a wise choice." Quinn said in a weakened tone. "I just want you and your sisters safe. It's all I ever wanted."
"I can look after him, you know," Rosan interrupted. "If he's with me, what's to worry about?"
"We don't know who these people are," Quinn breathed heavily. "They could be part of our very own organization."
"Hey, I'll be there with him. I give you my word. I won't let anyone get to him." Rosan said.
"It doesn't matter. Dison interrupted. "This old fool keeps talking about these people. Believing my crazy mother's stupid journal."
Quinn started coughing up a lot of blood. Rosan rushed to him. Quinn pushed him away and fell out of his chair. Dison and Rosan picked him up and took him to his bed. Kaida followed behind them in panic.
"Get water," Rosan ordered Kaida.
Kaida ran and fetched a cup of water and returned. She wiped the blood from Quinn's chin and gave him a drink of water.
"I need to talk to Rosan alone," Quinn said weakly.
Dison and Kaida walked out of the room and into the kitchen, where the smell of cornbread filled the air. Dison did not know what to do and felt helpless. He paced back and forth. "He doesn't understand what I can do for us. Maybe I can get him treatment."
"You and I know there's no treatment for him, Dison." Kaida approached him and placed her hand on his chest. "It's okay, calm down alright."
"I'm fine." Dison said in an angry tone. "The damn fool." Shaking his head, he exited the room and made his way out of the house.
Kaida listened as the bell rang, and the door slammed. She looked and saw Tina standing in the hall. "It's alright. Go back to bed, okay?"
"Is Daddy alright?" Tina asked.
Kaida knelt and hugged Tina. "Dad's going to be alright," she said, wiping away some tears. "We're going to be fine." She escorted Tina back upstairs to bed.
Lying in bed, Quinn looked up at Rosan with a look of grievance. He pointed to the nightstand beside the bed, which had a single drawer. Rosan approached it and opened the drawer. Inside, he found only a few books. He pulled them all out to see what else might be hidden.
"The bottom." Quinn coughed into a rag.
Rosan could smell Quinn's foul breath and felt pity for him. He removed the bottom of the drawer, revealing a hidden compartment with some pages torn from a book. He looked at Quinn with curiosity. "What's this, old man?"
"Something you need to keep from the boy. He can't know. Not yet."
Rosan looked at Quinn with uncertainties. "I think he should know."
"He wouldn't understand."
Rosan glanced over at the papers. His eyes widened as he looked at Quinn. "What are you getting me into, old man?"
"I think we both know our lives changed that day we found that boy."
"Is this why you left?"
"Something's coming, Rosan. Something this world isn't ready for. If those people in the cloaks find Dison, then the world as we know it could change for the worse."
"We should tell the high order. This is too much for us to handle on our own."
"No. Who can we trust? The ones after the boy could be in high order. We can't trust anyone but ourselves."
Rosan looked at the papers and stuffed them in his pants pocket. "I guess we keep it to ourselves then."
"This is my last order, Rosan."
"Don't say that."
"Shut up and listen. Protect that boy, no matter what happens. As much as he acts and talks like us, remember, he's not one of us. He's something else. Please, this world's survival may depend on it." Quinn gasped for air.
"I promise, old man."
"Keep this secret between just the two of us."
"I will."
"Thank you, Rosan; you always were an outstanding student and friend."
Rosan glanced at Quinn, noticing he had fallen asleep. He smirked as he walked toward the door. He looked back at Quinn with a sorrow. "Gotta say old man, you really know how to throw me down that staircase. Sleep well."
That evening Dison leaned on a tree by the creek. He listened to the wind while watching nearby animals like squirrels running up and down the trees. He heard footsteps approaching. Dison turned and readied his sword to see Rosetta.
"Careful with that. I don't want to have to fight you." She turned her head to the side. "Or do I? It could be fun. You sure handled those monsters well."
Dison relaxed with a smirk. "You mean a child?"
"That was no child." Rosetta looked at the creek with a thoughtful expression. "Not anymore. Elayne told me she was under a curse of necromancy. You released her spirit."
"I can only hope so. I don't know what this sword did." Dison looked into the trees. "These past few days have been just too much." He sat down on the ground. "How'd you find me, anyway?"
"I talked to your sister, Kaida, right? She said you'd be here. Gave me directions to find this place." Rosetta sat beside Dison and stared at him. "You got something on your not telling me?"
Dison looked at Rosetta uneasily. He doubted she would understand, as he did not. "Just things I'm trying to put together." He gazed at her with infatuation as she observed the fish swimming beneath the water. "May I ask you something?"
Rosetta smiled at him sincerely. "Sure. I might answer."
"Why are you a soldier?"
Rosetta's smile gradually faded. "My father. He's a mighty warrior. I want to be strong like him. He and my mother didn't want me to. But my father trained me because he knew how stubborn I was."
"You sure are firm with your fist. That attack you did with that spirit. What was that?"
Rosetta showed her hand to Dison. It had a crystal embedded in it. Dison looked at the crystal and the surrounding scarring. He took her hand gently and examined it closer. Realizing what he did, he released her hand.
"Sorry. I was just curious. What is that?"
"It's alright. These are ultrament crystals. They allow us to use the magic elements."
"Like the elves. I've seen this once before. We use occult shards for lights and other jobs. But never to push magic through our bodies."
"It comes at a cost." Rosetta lowered her head. "My hair used to be strawberry blond. The crystals changed that."
"Oh, is that right? What other cost comes with it?" Dison said with curiosity.
Rosetta stood and dusted off. "Let's not worry about such things. You and me have a date."
"A date?" Dison said as Rosetta grabbed his hand, pulling him up.
"Yep, where's the best pub in town?" Rosetta laughed as she dragged him by his arm.
"Easy."Dison chuckled, feeling optimistic for the first time in days. As they left the forest, the sun was setting over the town. He glanced at Rosetta and felt a sense of comfort—something he rarely experienced. Together, they watched the townhouses as the lights turned on.
"Are you ready for a night on the town with me?" Rosetta laughed and tugged Dison down the hill towards the town.
In an area northwest of Danestria, a woman in a black cloak walked through the grave sites of an old battleground, illuminated by the flicker of her torch. The remnants of swords, axes, and spears marked the ground. She approached a grave marked by stones and knelt before it. As lightning flashed through the clouds overhead, she removed her hood and pulled out a black book from her bag, carefully opening it. Her expression was a mix of sadness and cruelty. "Juliana, are you ready?" She said.
"Here you are, Eliza." Another woman in black appeared from nowhere. The light flickered, revealing her black lips, hair, and a dragon-adorned cloak. "What were you thinking? If Drakonion knew what you were doing, he wouldn't be too happy."
"Veltress," Eliza stood up and faced her. "These people deserve death for what they did. I'm here to give it to them."
"This town is much too big for your abilities. You'd need an army."
"I can do this."
Veltress looked around at the massive number of graves. "I was here, you know. When this battle took place. Seeing Lisorin's full power was both fantastic and terrifying at the same time."
"Do you fear them?"
"I don't underestimate the elves. If I were you, I wouldn't either."
"I know the story. I grew up here, after all."
"Don't overestimate your abilities. I've seen the results many times end the same way."
"Are you done lecturing me? I'm tired of waiting. Tonight that town burns. The townspeople deserve everything coming to them." Eliza said in a stern voice.
Veltress stared at Eliza with concern. "Very well. Come here by dawn, and we'll return to the others." She turned away from Eliza and opened a portal. "I'll keep this between us. Do what you must." She stepped into the portal, giving Eliza one last glance as it closed behind her.
"Thank you." Eliza turned back to the grave and read from the book written in the ancient language. The last words she read were. "Eldarsal, Cladu, Vermeric." The lightning grew more intense as she read, shaking on the ground and backing up as her face lit up with an evil grin. Eliza observed as a skeleton crawled from the ground—dirt, mud, and clay accumulated on the bones, resembling skin. The creature screeched as it emerged from the soil. The shredded dress it wore became dark as coal. A nearby old flag flew and wrapped around the figure of a woman, forming a dark cloak as she floated in the air.
Eliza gazed with immense joy and astonishment. "The curse of the banshee worked. Juliana, we will soon have our revenge on these wretches who live in this town. All of Danestria will die tonight!"
Juliana floated above Eliza as the wind howled ferociously around them, and lightning struck the ground nearby. She let out a horrible, deafening scream that echoed throughout the fields and forests nearby.