4 Chapter Four: The Curse

Scene One

As Arthur and Loran make their way through the path of a bog, they reach a grove of large exotic plants.

The plants lay flat on the ground, their centers being a bright pink that fades to green as it reaches the edge of the plant.

Also, there were long vines that mostly covered the ground around the plants, save for a few which climbed the sides of nearby trees.

(Loran) "This place gives me the creeps".

Arthur helps Loran step over a large vine, carefully setting her down so she doesn't touch it.

(Arthur) "Why are we even taking this route, isn't there a safer way Morkeet"?

An eerie silence ensued...

Not a sound anywhere, not even the birds were chirping.

(Arthur) "Morkeet? Where did you go"!

(Loran) "Who"?

(Arthur) "Morkeet... The Elf who is helping us get to Rysar".

(Loran) "Art, it's just been the two of us".

(Arthur) "But..."

Suddenly the vines next to their feet wrapped around them and started dragging them in opposite directions.

(Loran) "Ahh! Arthur"!

(Arthur) "Loran"!!!

The vines tighten around Arthur's arms and legs, tying him to the base of a tree and pulling his limbs nearly to the breaking point.

(Arthur) "Ahh!... I... I can't... break loose"!

(Loran) "Arthur"!

Loran is dragged feet first onto one of the large plants, she struggles to keep herself off the plant, grabbing onto a root.

(Loran) "Arthur. Help me"!

(Arthur) "Ahh... Loran, hold on"!

The four edges of the plant snapped shut, trapping all but Loran's right arm inside!

The bones in Loran's arm shattered, and tore through her skin!

(Loran) "(Muffled)Ahhhhhhhhhh"!

(Arthur) "Loran"!!!

Arthur pulled at the vines, bringing his arms together bit by bit.

Then the vines jerked and pulled his limbs from his sockets!

(Arthur) "Ahhhhh!!... Uhh... L...Loran".

The plant started rising from the ground, a large stalk forming at the base of the pod which traps Loran.

The light gleaming down on the plant allowed for Loran's silhouette to be seen through the plant membrane.

Suddenly liquid started pouring out from the stalk into the plant's pod.

(Loran) "(Muffled)Ahh! Ahhh!"!

(Arthur) "Loran! No Please! STOP"!!!

Drops of the liquid started dripping out of the plant where Loran's hand stuck out.

It burned away at her skin until her hand detached and fell to the ground!

(Arthur) "Loran! Please No"!!!

Arthur began sobbing both from the pain of his dislocated limbs and from the aching of his heart, watching helplessly as Loran's flesh was melted away, and she suddenly stopped struggling.

The plant moved slowly, lowering its pod toward the ground next to Arthur, then it opened up, dropping the liquid and remains out in front of him.

Arthur looked in horror as Loran's skeleton lay looking up at him!

(Arthur) "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"!

Scene Two

Arthur sat up in a sudden jolt, his body covered in a cold sweat and his throat sore from screaming in his sleep.

He started to calm down as he looked around and saw the familiar campsite Morkeet had set up for them.

(Morkeet) "My friend, are you alright"?

Arthur looked around, to see Morkeet standing next to him, and Loran who was sitting with her back against a tree, a look of fear and concern on her face.

(Arthur) "What... what happened"?

(Morkeet) "You were having a nightmare. You have been screaming in your sleep for the last ten minutes".

Arthur felt a sharp pain in his right temple, as memories of his dream flooded his mind. He pressed his hands on either side of his head and began groaning in pain.

(Loran) "What is that?"

Loran asked, pointing at a glowing tattoo on Arthur's right forearm.

Arthur looked at the symbol which glowed blue on his arm.

(Arthur) "It... it almost looks like a sword"...

(Morkeet) "Yes, you could say that".

Loran and Arthur look at Morkeet, their minds filled with confusion and curiosity.

(Morkeet) "Loran dear, would you mind coming over here and showing me your left hand".

(Arthur) "What is going on"?!

(Loran) "Why do we have these"?

(Morkeet) "I will share what I know with you but I must examine both of your oddities".

Arthur nods and beckons Loran to come over to them.

Loran hesitates the symbol on her hand starting to glow green and fear and doubt filling her mind.

(Loran) "No..."

Morkeet stares at the symbol and then looks back at Arthurs.

They both glowed, Loran's green and Arthur's blue, resembling weapons, Loran's a shield, Arthur's a sword.

Morkeet sat quietly as he thought about what he was observing.

(Morkeet) "As I thought, they are Curse Marks".

Arthur and Loran looked at their symbols and were filled with uneasiness.

(Loran) "Cures Marks"?

(Arthur) "What do you mean by Curse Marks"?

(Morkeet) "It is a powerful form of magic, runes in the ancient language engraved in the skin imbuing your body with its raw power".

(Loran) "So that's... that's how I was able to stop that golem from crushing me?!"

(Arthur) "And that is why I am so strong?!"

Morkeet stares at the mark on Arthur's arm, a look of concern upon his face.

(Morkeet) "There is a heavy price to be paid for those who engrave the ancient language into their skin, only the ancient ones themselves could bear marks without consequence.

For mere mortals, the price is nothing less than your greatest fear to be realized.

That is why they are called curse marks.

They cause the one who wields them, immense power, but they are to suffer through their greatest fears and insecurities, without any sign of hope or relief."

Arthur and Loran become quiet, a thousand thoughts spinning through their minds like tornadoes through a small town.

A chill breeze blew through the camp and Loran shivered, snuggling deeper under the dire wolf pelt she had wrapped around her.

(Arthur) "Is... Is there a way to remove them?..."

Morkeet looks down and lets out a sigh.

(Morkeet) "I'm not sure. No one has ever been able to remove them before.

That being said, I'm not the leading authority on things regarding the ancient language and the ancient ones who brought it to us at the birth of civilization.

It's possible one of the historians of my people may have information, but I do not promise anything."

Scene Three

The next morning, Arthur and Loran's help pack up the campsite as Morkeet packs the last of the meat he had slow-cooked into jerky over the night.

Arthur picked up Morkeet's backpack and the three of them began their journey to the Mountain city of Rysar.

Scene Four.

Another full day and night journey took them through a forest and beyond the grasslands.

There stood the three-point mountain, the second-largest Mountain in Akriun, it was home to all those who would venture from their homelands, all gathered together in the city of Rysar.

The city was large, being set at the base of the mountain, a man-made spectacle set between the three peaks, a large carved cavern at the back of the city.

Its dimensions were roughly fifty meters tall by seventy meters wide, giving easy access to the mines, which were the lifeblood of Rysar.

The city was divided into four sections, the farmland which stretched around the city for about six miles.

Then beyond the wall was the market where the city sold the food from the farmlands to the artisans who crafted various goods from the materials they found in the mines.

At the center of the city is the housing district, where all of the citizens both artisans and farmers lived with their families.

And finally in the mouth of the cave, was the artisans' workshops.

Set in the mountains cavern, it was a gathering place for many of the most talented Blacksmiths, jewelry craftsman, Alchymist, in all of Akriun.

Scene Five

It was nearly sunset when Morkeet, Arthur, and Loran finally made their way to the gates of the city.

As they entered the city gate Arthur was taken aback by the sheer size of the city, the market was busy with patrons making trades and purchasing the food from the farmers' district.

They made their way past several stalls with fresh vegetables and some small game.

As they made their way through the street they ended up in the housing district.

Loran and Arthur looked in awe at the buildings stacked upon each other, each one between two to six floors, set as if it was its own house, but stacked on each other and held up by large pillars that held them in place.

They made their way to a house at the back of the housing district two streets away from the giant cavern leading into the mines.

Morkeet walked up the strange staircase that seemed to wrap around the houses, somehow invisible unless you stood on them.

Arthur and Loran followed closely behind Morkeet, trying to hold in their amazement.

Finally, Morkeet stopped at a door on the third floor, and he pulled out a key from around his neck and unlocked the door.