A Rattling Monster

Chapter 39: The Curse

He is probably gone by now. Yes, he doesn't respond to my thoughts. I really need a different way to communicate. Having someone knowing everything you can think of is disturbing. But if it grants me power, well I have to deal with it. The former bright blue crystal is slowing fading too. I think that when he will be gone, the last trace of a living Agorians will disappear. Only the heart pieces will remain. But they were truly unlucky. First, the meteorite condemning them. And after that, the portal leading to this world and the end of their humanity. Living for years, to hold a promise made to a god that couldn't hear them. If I follow Oslo, will I take the same path? Probably not. They were an entire race; they did what they needed to make the more of them survive. I am just one ratman. The only thing I care is whether or not I will die.

Now I need to leave this room. The light is already gone. The sigil won't work anymore I think. There are two doors. I take the left. As I walk in the corridor, I can see the painting on the walls. The story of their people. The first world, was it Pajat? Or Pashkat? I don't remember. Luxurious, full of life. Farmers working in the fields and smile on every face. The reality shouldn't have been this good, but it was probably better than their condition. After it, the portal. I can see that they sacrificed their children and elders. They probably wouldn't have survived the travel.

After walking a bit, I see a large picture of the two rituals. One made by the djinns, turning the trees and grass into sand, and the one by the undead creating a cage around it. Right after this, I see the sorcerer-king split his heart with his hands, and multiples rows of priests holding them. There are four banshees near him. Probably his wives. In the end, only one survived long enough to meet me. Funny, their closest memory is near the entrance while their best is near the council. Maybe to make the mood a little better before normally entering the council room.

Right after that, I finally see the exit. And what awaits me is a large place, with multiple buildings. Most are in ruins, but I can sense what were their uses. One look like a tribunal, another one a bathhouse. A palace, a prison, some habitations. The former city of a human race. I can spot a well as well a cistern. But when I look in both, I can only find sand. They really did the right choice, to turn into undead. Otherwise, they would have died and Salazar would have won.

I wonder why, but I can feel the different pieces calling me. Probably because of what the lich did to me. During my search, like he said, no skeletons bothered me. I could find in all the temples were a piece was located some pile of weapons and armors. Should be the last armored guards. Those that had to salute me. It took me many days to get everything.

In the end, I don't know why, but I return to the first temple. Maybe for the symbolic of my action. Since I have chosen to uphold my promise, at least I have to do it right. Now I am waiting for the god. Funny, when I didn't need him, he was stalking me and now he is gone. I really hope he will give me something good.

(Are you here?)

Yes, I never sleep, you should know it.

(Ok fine, sorry to warn you. Did you get the complete heart?)

Yes, why do you need it? Will it help me?

(Not directly. You see, the ritual of the djinns is based on a simple principle, turning life into death and desert. That's why you have nearly no animals in it. They are all hunted to sustain the ritual. Any humans, elves or whatever living being that enter the desert is hunted to fuel it. So, to make it understandable, what will happen when we supply the ritual with an orb full of death energy?)

Explode?

(Yes, and with a little bit of luck, resorb the damage done to this land, reduce the area of the desert. But don't worry, if it explodes, they will die, but you, you have my protection, you will even be able to gain some of what you call experience. Is it the right term?)

Yes, so you are saying, I should infiltrate them and bomb their most secured and precious magic? Just like that?

(More or less.)

Ok, just two things. One I have not the mark of Salazar, even the lich felt it. So how am I supposed to bypass the real djinns? I am not talking about this stupid second prince, he noticed nothing. I am talking about the real deal, probably the emperor and some of his guards.

(That I can do it, but you need to search some of the crystal you loot in the fairy forest. It will help me recover some of my force, to sustain the mark long enough for you to earn their trust and get near the ritual.)

Then, second thing, what is my current reward?

(That's why I can't do both and I really need you to either go back to the forest or find another source of power. I know you have been cursed when you ate the lich, what about getting rid of it?)

That's fine by me. Do your job.

"[Curse of the Dead has been removed, all attributes are back to normal"

Great, it worked, let's see it.

"Attributes:

Name:Sleek

Race: Ratman

Class: Plague Ratman

Level 4/25

HP: 178/178

MP: 246/246

Strength: 15.9

Agility: 24.0

Vitality: 17.8

Wisdom: 24.6

Intelligence: 24.6"

Can you see what I see?

(No, that is something only you can see. That's why I say your demand was weird but really smart at the same time. No god will ever expect something so, intangible to exist. But that really use a lot of my powers. Don't mistake that, if it was on my world, it would have been a piece of cake. But here, the interference of Aria makes things difficult.)

So, I won't be able to reach you before I either get stronger or grab those crystals?

(Yes, good luck with that. I will still keep a look at the surrounding and if there is a huge threat coming, I will warn you.)

Yeah, don't worry, I will probably flee like a rat and survive. Just a last thing, do you have a map or something like that. I get easily lost.

(I noticed, I can only give you the location of the burned village.)

I only had the time to hear his words that I got a strange feeling inside me. Saying to go in a certain direction. Guess that's what he meant. I really wonder how that is working. Did he put a waypoint on it? Anyway, let's quickly get toward it.

The travel was as usual boring and uneventful. But it is only when I arrived in the fairy town that I noticed a huge problem. While before the desert was at more or less 2 days of travel, now it only took me one day to reach the town. The ritual is truly frightening. No one besides the djinns and the ratmen knew that the Tomb Kings were saving the world. If one of the human of the Holy Kingdom of Aria would have spotted them, they would have launched an assault to destroy the filthy undead. And that would have cost them their world.

The fairy town is exactly how I left it, still destroyed. The only thing missing is the crystals. The other fairies should have retrieved them by now. So I still will have to fight a drake. But now that I am free of my curse, everything will be easier. I will fight with my full power. And I really want to see what my acid can do to scales.

I remember the location of the two nearest cities. I quickly run toward the closest, because I really don't have time. Especially since it's midnight, I can be more successful right now. If Salazar wins, he will not be as passive as Aria, he will try to hunt his enemies when they are weak. And since I have the mark of both Aria and Oslo, well I am definitely not on his friend list.

I can begin to see some fairies flying around, shining in the air. I never liked you in the first place, but I will remember you as a sacrifice for the greater good. Your death will help me save the world. Be thankful for it. But a curious sound stops me right before I begin my plan. What could possibly be such a small sound? It's not a natural sound, that's why I noticed it. It's like someone is hiding nearby and watching the surroundings. But he got a little bored and moved. And his boots did the sound.

(Elf, third tree to your right, at 5 meters)

That's what I thought. Didn't expect the elves. But what other race is both silent and live in the forest. My only problem now is, how do I dodge the arrows?

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