I was summoned to find a magic crystal bead

 I was still lying on the grass, my back hurting from the fall. Thankfully, I was able to catch my breath.

“Zora!” Korvan yelled at me.

They both jumped over the threshold and ran straight to me.

I rolled over on my side, my bruised back protesting. They told me that once I step out of the castle, I will be cursed and turn into an animal. But when I looked at my hands, I could still see them in his human form. I checked my limbs, looked at my body. I didn't understand what was going on. At all.

“Was I not transformed into an animal?” I asked.

The weasel shook its small head.

“But why?” I asked. “They told me that once my foot steps out, I will be cursed. So am I able to be outside now? Or once I return to the castle, I cannot go out again?”

“I have no idea,” Korvan said. “This is strange. We saw Vesna being transformed into a black cat right after stepping out of the castle.”

“We will have to find out the reason,” I said.

I was able to get back on my feet. Now I could finally see the courtyard properly. The castle was not big, so the area inside was narrow. Usually, you would see cobblestones or dirt ground in such a place, but here, there was only one stone path and a lot of grass with wild, untrimmed bushes. I could see a small well guarded by a pair of trees.

“Is this the inner courtyard?” I asked. “It looks so small.”

“Yes,” Korvan answered. “Once you step out through that part, you will be able to access the outer courtyard. That one has more buildings inside and a big garden. But it is not being taken care of.”

“Are we the only ones living here, then?” I asked.

“Right.”

I could feel another wave of tingling in my feet.

“Maybe I will have to run again,” I said. “Looks like the spell is activating again.”

“No running!” Korvan said.

The weasel squeaked, ready to start chasing again. I started walking, hoping it won't turn into another dash. Being outside, my legs were much slower than before. We went straight through a gate, and we were able to arrive in the outer courtyard.

There was a garden around the outside of the castle. I could see hedges running around, enclosing the whole garden. Tall trees of many types stretched upward, trying to reach the sky. I could see multiple flowerbeds spread across. I could see bushes of roses. But the garden itself looked poor. Hedges were drying out and browning in some of the places, and the trees were missing their leaves. Flowerbeds were empty, and all remnants of flowers had withered. The bushes of roses were green, but no flower buds were sprouting there.

“This garden looks so sad,” I said.

“I am taking care of it,” Korvan said. “But I am unable to make it strive again. I do not know why. Probably because of the dragon’s curse.”

“The curse deteriorated the whole courtyard?” I asked.

If you had a prince being cursed in fairy tales, the courtyard was usually cursed too, with all people around their ruler disappearing, animals dying, and flora drying out.

“Even your magic was not able to help it,” I stated.

I would love to inspect the garden further, but my legs were still walking around. We were now exiting the garden and went around the corner.

I could see a big barn standing there – the house of our weasel. The half-timbered walls were stuffed with stone infill. It looked more like some cottage for an evil witch than modern barns I used to see in my world. The door was slightly ajar, so I had to open it to slid inside, following my now enchanted leather shoes.

The barn was larger inside than expected, and it housed many kinds of animals. Korvan was telling the truth, there was a cow inside. And on the opposite side, I could see a flock of chickens. They were just running outside through the small hole at the bottom of the wall. There was also a pair of beautiful horses standing there. One was black as night, and the other white as snow.

Despite so many animals, the air was not heavy or smelly at all. Whoever took care of them did a flawless job.

“All animals look pretty and in good condition,” I said.

The weasel beamed.

Oh, so the zmok was taking care of the castle and garden, and the weasel took the responsibility for the animals.

“Where are we going now?” Korvan asked.

Uncomfortable because of my sudden praise for the weasel. He was able to fly up, and this time, he sat directly on the top of my head.

The weasel went to the back of the barn, where the pile of hay was. There, I could see a nest, a small dimple in the soft hay, as if something lay there many nights, its body shaping it. The weasel nudged the hay around it.

“So you had this wooden box hidden there?” I asked.

I received another nod for confirmation.

I looked around, still at a loss for what to do. But the shoes brought me to the place where the incident happened. But where to go next?

“What did you even lose?” Korvan complained. “Surely we are not looking for some food?”

I could swear I saw the weasel glaring at this sassy black chicken.

“Wait,” Korvan said. “Don’t tell me…”

“Tell what?” I asked.

“Don’t tell me that you lost the only thing His Highness entrusted to you!”

Now the weasel looked embarrassed.

“You lost the magic crystal bead?”

The weasel shook its head, but Korvan did not want to listen anymore.

“His Highness gave it to you. And you lost it! And now you go to us to help you find it? How can you dare?”

I was looking at the poor animal, shaking now fully. But its eyes were still glaring at us.

“Korvan, wait,” I silenced the small, angry bird. “What if this bead was not lost?”

“Do you see it in that box? It is not there! That means it is lost for good!”

“Is that crystal bead important?”

“It is very powerful,” Korvan said. “It is crystal clear, and even though it is round, when you look through it, you can see a true form of all evil.”

So there was this dragon’s curse and a bead that could show you a true form.

“If it is so powerful, could it happen that someone stole it?”

The weasel squeaked, its head bobbing up and down feverishly.

“Did you see who stole it?” Korvan asked.

Another nod.

“But the thing is,” I said. “Why have my shoes brought me here, where the bead was stolen?”

“Maybe the spell was not working?”

Thinking back, it looked like the shoes were quicker inside, and they slowed as we got here. Could it be that they were not urging me as much because the stolen thing was near? Maybe still in this barn… Along with the perpetrator?