Volume 01 - Chapter 3: Three's a Curse (Part 04)

Tired legs not allowing us to hurry, the midnight hour looms by the time we reach Millie’s home. Two of her siblings rush to greet Millie upon our return, the rest fast asleep. Spotting us, both leap in front of Millie to guard her but relax after Millie details the situation. Millie puts them to bed and has us join her at their antiquated dinner table.

“Keep quiet. I’m going to read now,” says Millie, laying the book flat and opening the cover.

Mizuka rolls her eyes and leans close. Barmaid grabs a chair and scoots it close to Millie, pressing against her shoulder. I sit across from them with a yawn. A warm bed sounds wonderful, but my coin purse cannot suffer another night at the inn.

Flipping past the first few pages to the first wall of handwritten text, Millie’s expectation quickly turns to dismay. “What language is this? I can’t read this. What am I suppos—”

“Hush.” Mizuka tugs the book toward her and scans several pages. “Few can, I imagine. This is written in my language. The one I used the last time I was awake, anyway.”

“The book is five-hundred years old?!” I lurch forward.

“I said ‘quiet’,” snaps Millie. “If the little ones wake up, I’m making you deal with them.”

Clapping a hand over my mouth, I settle as Mizuka continues perusing the book. Her expression shifts in the same manner as Millie’s, yet her disillusion seems twofold.

“There’s nothing here for either of us. A pair of swords is mentioned, but nothing about where to find them nor any mention of a stone. And while curses abound in this book of fairy tales, not one resembles your father’s. Not that it would matter if one did. There are no instructions on removing or casting curses—only bedtime stories. Seemingly, that is.” She opens the book to the middle, pointing at the shredded binding. “Several pages are missing. Know anything about this, Millie?” She gives her an accusing glare.

“Lay off, hag. If I’d already gotten what I wanted, then I’d have just given you the book.”

“Liar. You need the whole book. I doubt your buyer would accept but a few pages of it.”

“Pages I already told you I can’t read. Besides, why put myself at risk by inviting you over and letting you read it? I wouldn’t think twice about ripping you off but wouldn’t do the same to her.” She leans into Barmaid.

“…At least you’re forthright.” Mizuka massages her temples. “Then we must assume the pages are truly missing. Meaning, once again, we’re out of avenues.”

Despair paints Millie’s hollow cheeks. “W-What about my father? That man swore this book would help me remove his curse. Wait…how do I know you’re telling the truth?” She mimics Mizuka’s earlier glare. “I can’t read it, so I can only go off what you claim is in the book. You have no reason to care about me or my family. You’re just making stuff up so you can get the book as soon as possible.”

She scrambles to her feet, grabbing the book as she dashes to the opposite side of the room.

“And saying you know about curses and that you can read ancient languages—who’s to say you’re not a witch? I bet you’re working with that masked man. You all wanted this book for some reason and tricked me into stealing it for you.” Fire burns in her frightened eyes. “It was you, wasn’t it?! You’re the one who cursed my father! All to get this stupid book! But too bad! You’ll have to rip it from my—”

Barmaid rockets toward her, wrapping her slender arms around Millie, who struggles to escape. Her head buried in Barmaid’s ample bosom, Millie’s muffled shouts soon shift to sobbing.

“Let it all out.” Barmaid combs Millie’s hair with her fingers. “I understand. Being afraid is only natural. There’s too much going on. Too much tragedy. And you feel like you’re responsible for fixing it. I know what it’s like to be alone and how helpless you must feel. But you’re not alone. You’ve got your whole family here to help. And I…we’re here to help you too, Millie.”

“She’s right,” says Mizuka. “We’re just as much at a loss as you, but I have an idea how we might solve both our problems. That said, I need to see your father.”

Millie pokes her head out from Barmaid’s chest. “…What for?”

“You have no reason to believe me, but I swear this book contains nothing about removing curses. Therefore, we must look into other options. If I see your father, I might recognize the curse and be able to help.”

Millie faces the floor, sighs, and tells us to follow her. Lit candlestick in hand, Millie leads us into a small room containing nothing but a small bed and nightstand. Atop the creaking bed is a massive, writhing figure groaning in agony. As it settles, Millie pulls back the thin, moth-eaten sheet to reveal a giant of a man. Shirtless with unkempt graying hair and beard, he appears a mad cave dweller.

“May I?” Mizuka draws near with a furrowed brow.

Millie gives a hesitant nod, and Mizuka begins her impromptu examination. As described, ashen spiral patterns coil round and round every inch of his body. Within the boundary lines of each are countless scarlet flecks radiating in the candlelight. A mere tenth of his original tanned skin goes unsullied by the odious snakes. Dried blood paints the areas around his mouth and beneath his ears. His presumably once hulking form lies emaciated, visible ribcage swelling as he struggles to breathe.

“I figured as much,” mumbles Mizuka, facing us as she finishes. “A wasting curse—Vastupen. A particularly nasty one designed to cause the greatest amount of suffering before inevitable death. Fortunately, it is easy to break. Unfortunately, I do not remember how to do so.”

“What do you mean, you ‘don’t remember’?!” Millie lurches, but Mizuka sidesteps her with ease.

“That is none of your concern. And I never said I won’t remember. Reclaiming my fragment must be the key to unlocking my memories. Thus, in doing so, there’s a good chance I’ll remember how to break this curse.”

“So…can you help my father or not?”

Mizuka’s mouth twitches. “…Probably. But first, we need to pay a visit to the owner of this book.”

“W-What for? I’ll give up the book now I know that masked freak lied to me. He must’ve known I wouldn’t be able to read it and would’ve come to him for help. Whereupon he would steal it from me!” She mumbles a string of curses that would result in one my sisters receiving a solid hour of spanking. “Anyway, what’s the point in returning it now?”

“If the missing pages contain what I’m looking for, then Marigold is the sole person who might help us find them. Which,” she raises a finger, “will lead to our saving your father.”

“Whatever…Here.” Millie hands Mizuka the book with gritted teeth bared.

Yet Mizuka pushes it back toward her. “Nice try, but you’re coming with us to apologize.” She locks her arm around Millie’s and signals for Barmaid to take the other.

“You have to set a good example for your siblings,” says Barmaid, grinning. “If you do something wrong, making it right and apologizing is the best course of action, right? Wouldn’t you want your siblings to do the same?”

“I’d rather have kept running all the way out of Halivaara.” Sighing, Millie accepts her fate as the girls lead her out of the room.

I pull the sheet back over her father and offer a silent prayer for his health. To think such evil magics exist in this peaceful kingdom. In barely two days, Mizuka and everything surrounding her have turned my understanding of the world on its head. Thrilling, but equally disturbing.