As they made their way through the village, Launi quickly noticed that the man who had met her outside the forest was not the only one to give her distrusting looks. Everywhere she looked people were eyeing her with speculation. Launi was confused, though it just mixed with the confusion and worry already coursing through her; she chose to ignore it for now. She would ask Screbra about it.
She had been to this village a number of times, to trade or to help the sick. Darthax had always taken her. Launi wondered if the lack of her father were the cause of the distrustful stares.
The man led Launi to the center of the village (it was common for the village elders and head figures to live in the central area). He told Launi to wait outside and knocked on the weather-worn door of Screbra’s home. There was a muffled call for him to enter and the man opened the door slightly, poking his head through.
He spoke quietly. Launi had a hard time making out what he said. She thought she heard the words “Darthax” and “help”. There was a muted reply that Launi couldn’t hear. The man pulled his head from the house and motioned for Launi to enter. He held the door open for her and Launi thanked him quietly as she passed into the house.
The main room of the house was cozy. Candles were lit and sitting on all the available surfaces; which were far and few between. Books, papers and jars were everywhere. Stacked in piles on the floor, on two of the three chairs in the room, on the two tables and on shelves that lined the space between the few curtained windows. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace. Screbra must have been up for a while because the coals were glowing nicely.
The man himself was settled in the one chair that wasn’t covered in things. He was an old man with a short, well-trimmed white beard that covered the bottom half of his face, Dark, deep set eyes glittered next to a long nose that turned up ever-so-slightly at the end. His skin was weathered and tanned; a man who had seen many years out in the sun. He had an open book on his lap and was wearing a tunic and pants that were almost entirely made of patches.
He watched Launi as she entered and waited for the door to close behind her. He motioned for her to take the seat opposite him. She did so, after moving a pile of papers and a few jars to the ground.
“So, Darthax sent you?”
“Yes,” Launi replied simply. She waited to see if he recognized her.
Screbra nodded subtly, “why couldn’t your father come himself?” So he recognized her, that was a small relief.
“He and the other villagers have all collapsed and are unresponsive,” she explained.
Screbra was silent for a moment and Launi knew better than to interrupt. She had been around the old man a few times before and knew that he thought through everything he said and didn’t appreciate being hastened.
“They have all collapsed? Do you know what from?”
Launi shook her head, “no, my father and I came back from gathering herbs and found everyone on the ground. He told me to look for a boundary where forest life started again and if it came to it, to come see you. When I got back from looking for the boundary he was on the ground with everyone else.” She felt her throat restrict as she remembered the horrible scene.
Screbra scratched his chin with a wrinkled and knobble-knuckled hand. His eyes were fixed on Launi. He didn’t speak and before long she had to fight the urge to squirm under his gaze. “I see, did you find this boundary?”
“I did,” she nodded again.
“And had the livestock collapsed as well?”
“I didn’t see any.”
“None at all? Interesting.”
Launi didn’t think it was interesting but chose not to say anything. She wanted this man to help her. “No, none.”
“How far away from the village was the boundary?”
Launi thought about it for a moment, “roughly two miles.”
“And how long was it from when you first arrived and your father collapsed?”
She wasn’t sure, but she gave her best guess, “maybe forty-five minutes.”
Screbra shifted the book from his lap and rose slowly, but not with any sign of stiffness, from the chair. He moved deftly over to a teetering stack of books and began to sort through them. He spoke as he did so.
“I believe that a curse has been placed on your village. The boundary your father had you find will be the boundary of the curse. The animals could sense it was coming and chose to run. It is most likely the result of dark, malicious magic. Ah, here it is.” He pulled a book that must have been as old as he was from the stack. Launi stayed silent, trying to take in what she just heard. Screbra returned to his chair and opened the book.
“Describe the villagers state to me.”
Launi did, trying her best to remember everything and all the terminology that her father had taught her.
Screbra flipped through the book. Launi watched his hands but wasn’t really seeing.
A dark curse? Why would someone want to hurt my village? What did we ever do? We are in the middle of a forest, and not near anything important to the realm.
Screbra’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Yes, here we go.” He skimmed the pages he’d opened to before speaking.
“I believe that it was indeed a dark curse and that the villagers have been put under a sleeping spell of sorts. However, since it is dark magic, it is safe to assume that the villagers will not sleep forever.”
Launi swallowed, “what do you mean? They might never wake up?”
Screbra gave her a sad, pitying look. “Launi, my dear, they won’t be asleep forever, because as with all dark curses like this, death is awaiting them.”
The plot thickens!! 🙂 (Meaning: I can’t wait for part 5 lol)
I’m glad you are enjoying it! Part 5 will be out next week! 🙂
The plot thickens!! 🙂 (Meaning: I can’t wait for part 5 lol)
I’m glad you are enjoying it! Part 5 will be out next week! 🙂
You did it again. You left me hanging 🙂
I enjoy doing that! It makes the next installment that much better!
You did it again. You left me hanging 🙂
I enjoy doing that! It makes the next installment that much better!
Wow just wow can’t wait for part 5
I’m you’ve been enjoying it! Part 5 will be out next week!
Yay can’t wait
Wow just wow can’t wait for part 5
I’m you’ve been enjoying it! Part 5 will be out next week!
Yay can’t wait