A Curse Is Also A Proof

A man was riding a creature that looked like a black lion as he approached an open field on a sandy road bordered by a forest. When he saw what seemed to be a burned carriage, he noticed many bodies of knights and royal guards on the ground surrounding the carriage.

He appeared astonished as he witnessed the situation, then he started to speed up in the direction of the carriage.

He sprang from the beast and dashed towards the carriage, opening the door to see a body and, on the side, a black sword with a red pommel.

"It can't be."

He walked back, hands on his head, eyes wide open, unable to believe what was in front of him: the carriage, the body of a 19-year-old, a black sword with a red pommel, everything indicated it was the prince Raiden's body inside the carriage, burnt to death.

"They… They killed him?!"

The man remained there; looking at the carriage for a few seconds, then he took a deep breath and after taking the black sword from the carriage he ran towards the black lion; leaving the scene in a hurry.

…

A few hours earlier.

Locked in a tree in the middle of a forest, a man with a scar on his face was attempting to free himself when he heard the sound of someone strolling in a lawn littered with sticks and dry leaves.

He stopped his attempt of free himself and kept an eye on his right side; where the sound was coming from.

"Hi!"

For a brief moment, he was startled by a voice emanating from his left side before realizing it was Raiden Warthron, the abomination he had to fight earlier.

"Your Highness, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to harm you."

He said looking frightened to the prince.

"Wait, I can't understand shit."

Raiden removed the fabric that was covering Cellor's mouth.

"Okay, now you can…"

"Please your highness! I didn't mean to harm you!"

Raiden was a bit nervous; he had just heard the man who had tried to kill and rob him say he did not want to hurt him. He could not help but assume that this jerk was joking.

'Calm yourself…'

"Can we talk?" Raiden said.

"Yes!"

"But first, you should drink something…"

Raiden tilted his head and peered behind Cellor on the right side and raised his hand, gesturing for someone to approach.

"You have been here for too long, you should be thirsty, right?"

Raiden said while Sir Douglas approached him with a water bottle, but Cellor turned his face; rejecting it.

"Oh! you just said you didn't want to hurt me, so what's the big deal?"

"I… I'm not…"

"What is it then?! Will you simply reject the help from your royal highness?"

He looked at Raiden and then drank the water; but Sir Douglas took it from him quickly, and then walked to the side of Raiden.

"Ok, now let's talk, what was your task? and who ordered it?"

"I do not know…"

"Oh, will be like that, huh?!"

Raiden took something from his leather bag…

"What a pity, he could be of help, right Sir Douglas?"

"Yes, your highness."

And began walking back, but before he got out of Cellor sight, he let him see a bit of what was on his hands.

"To die alone, tied to a tree, in the middle of the cursed forest; what a sad death…"

Cellor's eyes widened as he noticed the poison in Raiden's hands; he knew he would die without the antidote, and as an arrogant and ambitious man, he could not accept that form of death.

"I was ordered to stole the artifact!"

…

"So, you choose to cooperate."

Raiden approached rapidly at Cellor's side, startling him for a moment; he had not walked back to the camp as he seemed, instead he hid behind the tree to which Cellor was tied.

"Ye… yes, but I can't say who ordered."

"Why?"

"The mark…"

"Mark? What mark?"

"Th… The Fool's Mark…"

Raiden closed his eyes briefly and moved his lips trying to not laugh at what he had just heard.

"What… is that?"

"On my left wrist, there is a mark."

Raiden took a deep breath, then signaled to Sir Douglas go and check. Sir Douglas confirmed that there was a mark, Raiden got there to see; he could not believe in what he saw.

"The Blind Proof from the Traheim Forest?"

Raiden asked Cellor just to make sure.

"… Yes."

After listening; Raiden walked away with hands at his head, he could not believe he met someone that had that mark.

The Blind Proof is the nickname given to a curse obtained with the Artifact created by Amber Wallace and the spirits of the Traheim Forest, the curse name was Wallace Praestatur, and it had the goal of establishing an agreement or contract that would guarantee that someone fulfill it, or else the person dies.

However, there is a reason why the curse is known as the blind proof: There was no written contract or obligation of stating what, specifically, the person receiving the curse was committing to.

It was just as if you agreed with what someone was thinking; So, while holding an artifact that has the potential to kill you, say yes.

"Your highness the antidote? ..."

Cellor said looking to Raiden with widened eyes.

"You still have some time, so tell me what your exact task was."

Raiden did not want to look at Cellor since he was still assimilating what he had witnessed, so he tried to shift the subject while looking to the woods.

"As I said before I didn't have to kill you, only stole the artifact and kill Ferr…"

"Kill who?"

"Your highness…"

"What?"

Raiden looked back after hearing Sir Douglas call, and saw something that let him stunned for a brief moment.

"Sir Douglas you did not use the poison as I ordered, right?"

"Yes, I think… it was the curse…"

Both were gazing at Cellor's body, which was hanging tied to the tree; he was definitely dead.

"Should we cry or laugh, your highness?"

"I don't know, now I'm even feeling sorry for him."

Raiden sighed and started to walk away.

"Since he's dead, let's bury him now. Take him off the tree."

"Understood, your highness."

After releasing Cellor's body, they were heading towards a hole Sir Douglas had dug earlier.

"Your Highness... Isn't that a waste... He didn't say much..."

Sir Douglas muttered as he smeared dirt over Cellor's body.

"Uhm… Both yes and no."

Sir Douglas paused and sent a doubtful glance at Raiden before continuing to cover Cellor's body with a shield as a shovel.

"Yes, since we might had gotten more information; no, because he had that curse, and it says a lot."

Sir Douglas did not comprehend much, but he noticed that the prince had changed; he was not only stronger in fighting, but he was also colder, as if he knew what was about to happen and had everything planned out.

"So, your highness, what will you do now?"

"I guess, change plans."

"What plans?"

"The plan of staying alive as a prince."

"Are you planning in killing yourself??"

Sir Douglas stopped and looked astonished to the prince.

'What?! Is he dumb or pretending?!' Raiden though.

"Not literally tho, just make as if the prince Raiden Warthron died."

"Oh…"

Sir Douglas and Raiden continued talking as they headed towards the camp. Arriving at the camp; Sir Douglas called everyone.

"Listen up everyone! After interrogating Cellor, was discovered that someone ordered him to kill somebody here."

Raiden was in front of the 15 knights and...

"Wait what? Wasn't his goal the Artifact?"

"Yeah, You guys also heard what he said at the battle, but he had a curse, a rare one, the Wallace Praestatur."

They remained silent after hearing Raiden, with a few gazing to the ground and others looking at each other.

The Wallace Praestatur was not only the name of a curse, but also the name of a one-of-a-kind item used by Amber Wallace and a few spirits to convey the curse.

However, this artifact was considerably more uncommon than the majority of the Unique artifacts since it carried a curse; and curses could only be generated by those who manage Spirit magic, such as Godly beings or spiritual creatures, making the item much rarer.

"As you've already guessed, there's something going on, and it's not a trivial thing."

"So, what will you do, your highness?"

"First, I'll convince them that I, the prince, died here."

"Second, I will embark on a journey to prepare myself and plot a return."

"Then, what will we have to do?"

"You guys will come with me, forget about the training pitch?"

The 15 knights were in a cold sweat, they thought they could live with the prince in the capital in the royal army quarters, but they realized they would have to train outside without the benefits of the royal title.

Raiden looked at Kaian, Sir Ferreus, and the two royal guards, expecting them to say something, but all remained silent.

…

They then began moving the bodies around the carriage; precisely in the way Raiden explained. They even placed the body of a 19-year-old young man wearing Prince Raiden's clothing and accessories.

After everything was ready, they set fire to the carriage and the bodies next to it. Then they went into the forest, and after 3 kilometers (1,8 miles), Raiden told everyone to halt and rest.

While they were sleeping, Raiden went to the carriage without their notice, placed the Unique artifact inside, and then returned.

When Raiden returned, he used the Phantom Steps to go to his sleeping place.

Sir Ferreus and the two royal soldiers were eight steps away from Raiden, and Ella Dewny, who was closest, spotted him returning but feigned to be asleep.

Raiden remembered that there was a much more common artifact than the Wallace Praestatur, that artifact could mark any other artifact with a location spell, and the owner could then locate the marked artifact anywhere on the continent, it was named the Circino artifacts, and it was made ten of them but one was lost (exploded in an accident).

Knowing that someone utilized a legendary relic, he could not put aside the potential of a tracker being used in the artifacts.