Curselock

Chapter 42: Nightmares

Chapter 42: Nightmares

Leland woke up with a shock. He sat straight up, his vision going wide. A groan escaped his lips, pain still drifting around his mind.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Turning, Leland found Alkin sitting in a rocking chair with a book in his hands. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days.”

They were in an unfamiliar plain room. It was smaller and less opulent than anything in Onryo mansion. From a glance out of the window, Leland saw that there was no fog. In fact, there was only a clear blue sky.

“Where are we?”

Alkin hesitated for a moment, snapping his book closed. “A small village outside of Shoutwell.”

“Jude?”

“Asleep in the next room over.”

“Glenny?” Leland asked, his voice breaking.

Again Alkin hesitated. “Boor searched for him. But...”

Curling up into a ball, for the next few minutes Leland didn’t speak. He only wished his parents were on their way, he needed their help, they all did. He desperately needed them to tell him it would be okay, that he did his best, and that everything that had happened wasn’t his fault.

But that wasn’t going to happen, and he knew it.

They were too far away, too caught up in whatever. His dad would teleport a letter, sure, but what good were written words when the world was crumbling? What was he supposed to do? Glenny had been taken or killed, and either way he was ill-prepared to handle the next steps.

“What happened?” he asked.

Alkin cleared his throat. “After mother dispersed the meteor illusion, we helped you move Jude into the mansion. Glenny wasn’t there, and you went manic. Theses... things, clawed their way up from the ground and you suddenly started glowing green. Your eyes... we could see that you were not there. Boor knocked you out before you harmed anyone or yourself.”

Leland wiped away a tear. “What about the mansion then? Why are we outside the city?”

“The mansion is not safe. Not with the Sightless running around, I mean,” Alkin handed over some jerky and water. “They almost killed us. If... if my mother didn’t rouse when she did...”

“Is she okay? A-are you okay?” Leland asked.

“Yes to both of us, but my mother is still in and out of consciousness. Boor went to find medicine or healing potions. This village doesn’t have an apothecary, but he should be back soon.”

“Mavi?”

“Least hurt out of us all.”

“Good, good...” Leland laid back, finding a scratchy pillow that felt oddly like a cloud.

He pulled at his tattoo, removing his grimoire and flipping it to the information page. It had been some time since he last checked on his progress and now that Glenny was missing, he’d need every advantage possible. The tome felt heavy in his hands, however, something he’d never noticed before.

You have assisted in killing multiple Witches and those that follow false ‘Lords.’

An appropriate reward has been added to your Legacy.

Fracture has increased to rank 8.

90% chance to break a random bone in a single target.

Crow Massacre has increased to rank 7.

Summon 10 ethereal crows to attack a target for 1 minute.

“She ran away,” Leland supplied. “We got most of the lower ranked cultists though.”

Jude sulked in silence for a moment, but a question got the better of him. “You said ‘we’ had been out for two days?”

Leland nodded. “My newest spell doesn’t leave me in the best headspace. It seems losing Glenny pushed me over the edge.”

Groaning, Jude said, “Welcome to the club.”

Leland smiled at that.

A presence appeared in the doorway. Boor the butler stood holding a sack of glass vials. “Apologies for the interruption but I figured Master Alkin would wish to be present. I have brought many potions.”

Alkin nodded vigorously and scampered out of the room. Boor, however, did not follow right away. He lingered, eyeing Jude and Leland.

Settling on Jude first, Boor said, “Thank you for your help with the leader. I was unable to make any headway, and you gave me a few openings.”

His eyes fell to Leland. “You... frighten me.”

“What?” Leland recoiled.

Boor didn’t answer right away, his eyes shifting back and forth. “When you found young Glenny was missing, you changed. For lack of a better word. Those things came and fed you power, power that you wielded with absolution.”

It was then Leland noticed the butler’s arm. It was limp. “You’re hurt? Who—”

“You did,” Boor said simply. “I had extracted the others from your domain, but the power was killing you. I had to intervene, which meant moving close.”

Leland’s face fell. “I-I’m sorry. My spell breaks bones, I must not have been—”

“My arm is not broken. Well, not really. One of those things hit me. It ripped part of my soul from my body, my arm specifically.”

Boor pulled up his sleeve, revealing a grey wrinkled appendage. “Feeling is returning,” he said. “Albeit slowly.”

“I-I...”

“I understand quite well. You were not in control. Although I do warn you to find a path forward. There is only ruin if you continue. That goes for both of you.”

Jude nodded right away but Leland just stared at Boor’s arm.

Boor didn’t say another word and simply turned away. The boys followed shortly after but not before Jude wrapped an arm around Leland and pulled him into a short hug.

“We’ll find him.”

“Yes we will.”

Lady Onryo was awake but sitting in a dark room with her eyes closed. The moment Alkin opened the door, however, she grimaced. Mavi spoke for her.

“Is Boor back?”

“I am,” Boor said, stepping around Alkin. He fished through his sack of glassware, eventually finding three small red vials. “Drink.” He pushed the potions over to Lady Onryo.

She did, instantly finding that the cloudy magma in her head cooled. Jude and Leland entered at this point and shared cautious glances with the House matriarch.

“It seems I’m going to be paying quite a bit for your services after all,” she said after the potions took effect.

Leland didn’t feel like speaking. Jude did, “I want a harmonica. My old ones were stolen.”

Leland did, however, feel like giving his friend a sideways glare.

“I’d like to formally apologize for Glenny going missing. None of this would have happened if—”

“It's alright, we’ll find him.” Leland interrupted.

Lady Onryo nodded. “What did you learn from the smuggler?”

Boor took the initiative and answered.