Nothing could compare to the shock on Blair's face, her eyes were wide, her jaw was slack while Olivia fiddled with a bottle of ointment. Porter lifted his head and peeled off the steak from his eye and looked at everyone. "Why is everyone so grim about a fairytale?" Olivia dropped her gaze to the floor keeping her mouth closed and Eli straightened out a shirt completely ignoring his question. He cleared his throat. "I found a diary...."
.....
It was the year of the rooster, everything was going well. Structures are being built continuously and the colony is slowly increasing every day as wanders and orphans just like us, come across our settlement. The lush environment within and around the cherry tree forest is abundant with animals, vegetation and good soil that we need not worry about food. However we must always remember not to over hunt the animals and allow them time to reproduce.
There is an ocean not even a day's travel away from our location that allows us to fish if we cannot hunt. Although we have to properly dry and prepare the fish there to preserve it. Many people in this area have told tales of a demon that sleeps within a lake surrounded by a cherry blossom forest, deep within our forest but after 2 years of establishing our settlement, we have found nothing within the forest.
There has also been no great calamity, no untreatable disease or infection and no famine or war. If anything our farm's produce seem to be the highest quality ever seen while we keep in mind that peace is just a fleeting moment. We remember to train our minds and bodies to be ever vigilant in case war was to ever come to our doors.
As the season change I realize that the four of us, Earie, Desmound, Zephrus and I, as hard-working as we are, have not turned the heads of the ladies and if we have, we seem to be oblivious of it. I fear that our bloodline will wither away as time moves on, we must keep our bloodline flowing as to establish the roots of our civilization. We are the four founders, we may not be brothers by blood but we have become each others brethren in order to find a place to call our own.
It has been many of seasons and we find that the populace that has been growing has yet to bare any children. Women are worried as they have no babes in their arms while the men who are worried for their wives search the surrounding area for any babies that were left within the forest to die. My brethren and I have still not found suitable wives and with our people worrying about our small villages current crisis, we have put aside our personal needs.
As we near the end of the year of the rooster, I find that the morality of our village is has drastically gone down. Some women were able to satisfy their needs for a babe but not all were as lucky. It seems some of the wolves within this area had gotten to the abandoned babies and claim them as their own meal before anyone could save them. The women are growing envious of the mothers and I grow more and more weary as the days turn into nights.
I seem to be losing my sanity and actually take part in listening to the folklore of this area. All considering, I am tempted to go search for this demon and see why they are cursing are women in becoming barren husks of flesh.
It is now finally the year of the dog, an auspicious year! I hope that my secret searching under the cover of darkness is not futile and that I soon will uncover the lair of the demon. I still complete my daily duties with proficiency and accuracy so I am not a bother to my brethren but I do not know how long I can fool them for.
It's getting closer to the fall harvest and as the year predicted we have seen an abundance of produce, animal meat and fur and to our surprise a few of the women within the village are with child! I find that I shouldn't worry myself anymore and think that I should end my searching for this demon's lair. It is finally the day out of the Fall Harvest Moon, the first child is born but our hearts are full of sorrow and heavy with grief as this child came into this world still.
I hear the mother weeping for hours on end, my heart ache while the other women in the in the village wrap their arms protectively around their wombs as their husbands pray that their children are not born this way. I can't handle the grief anymore, I find myself running through the woods, I don't know where I'm going, I just need to get away. I can not look at me people and not feel hurt, I feel like this is my fault for not finding the demon before the babe was born to ensure it's safety.
I want my people to be happy and safe, I want our babes to be born with good health, we need our village to have prosperity! I have no idea how long I ran for but I find myself somewhere deep within the forest. Beside me is a tree that is in full bloom of cherry blossoms. I couldn't believe my eyes! I looked around to see if I can find another and I found one a good for three trees south. I run towards it and as I do I find another the same way.
I keep chasing one tree after another desperately along a path until I stumble along a beautiful lake. The entire area is full of cherry blossoms, the scene is some whatever eerie and peculiar as I had just been running through a forest of balding trees. Regardless of how logical my brain was working, my heart was moved by the beauty of the scenery, the imagery will forever be burned into memory as it leaves me in awe.
The moonlight dances on top of the lake water and I find myself being drawn in as a moth to flame. As I reach out to touch the lake, the water starts to bubble. I stumble backwards as the water starts to turn into a translucent nymph with a core of blue light. She looks at me and slowly descends over me. "Why are you here mortal? Do you not know what will happen to you when you venture into my realm?" she said in a melodious voice that I find myself captivated.
I pick myself off the ground, no longer afraid of the demon of the lake. "My name is Norell, I am the village head of a small populace near your realm. I have come in search of you to see why you have cursed the people of my village." The nymph pulls herself away from me and is now on top of the lake, with pillars of water holding her up as she walked. "I have not cursed anyone... it would be the four souls that reside within my lake that have cursed your woman." she said nonchalantly.
"Then I beg to see these souls so I can lift the curse! I can no longer bare to see my people suffer!" I pleaded with the nymph. She seemed to pounder for a bit and raised her arms in front of her. "Fine." Was all she said before she raised her arms into the air and four balls of water came up from the lake.
Four women are curled up inside a faint, glowing ball of water. Each one is beautiful but there is one that my heart aches for. She has beauty I have never seen before, sleek ebony hair that sparkles even under the moonlight, lips as red as blood and skin as white as fresh milk but had a soft glow to it that draws you in. I wanted to touch the ball but the nymph places herself in front of it protectively and hisses. "Do not touch!"
I take a step back and bow in apology. The nymph seems to settle down and wraps her arms around the ball with the maiden who I tried to touch. "Each child has had their heart broken, something stolen and wished for death with their very soul. They like you have stumbled on to this realm and have told me their stories. I took pity on them and have encased them in my magic.... these are my children Norell. If they wish to curse you I will let them but..."
The nymph let go of the ball and leaned towards me until she was an inch away from my face "You seem to have a pure soul, you live for others and wish for their happiness. So I will place my hopes on you. I want you to break them free of their cases, pair them with lovers and have them live a prosperous life. All I ask is that every harvest moon you bring forward an offering of your choice. Fruit, flowers, fish, I don't care as long as it's full of life, I will be satisfied and I promise you the moment they step onto land the curse on your village will be broken."
I nodded my head in understanding. "I will bring back my brethren and we will lift this curse!" I shout with sport and hope the nymph believes my words. The nymph waved her hand and opened the path for me to leave. "You have until sun rise or else you will not see me or my children again until the next harvest moon." she called out as I rush towards the opening. I wasted no time and ran as fast as I could down the path, the nymph made it rather simple to get back to the village and I wasted no time in gather my brethren.
At first they did not believe my words but followed along anyways. As I lead them back to the nymph's realm, I watched their face turn to shock as we approached the cherry blossom trees. I saw the nymph embracing her balls of water so affectionately I couldn't help but approach her cautiously as to not disturb her final moments with her children.
"Madam of the lake?" I called out gently. She looked up and stood tall and proud as she eyed us with out reservation. "Are you the ones who are willing to take the trials for the hands of my beloved children." she asked in cold voice that it sent shivers down my body.
Earie was the first to step towards, as he slowly approached a ball of water that held a fair skinned woman with a child like face. Her features were delicate while her ebony hair encircled her curled body. "Future mother in law, please allow me to take the challenge. I have seem to fallen hard for this maiden and I cannot bare to be torn away." The nymph moved closer towards Earie and placed a wet hand onto his cheek.
"This child is very cunning, she is beautiful as she is intelligent to win her heart you must be honest and patient. Do you think you can beat her in a duel of wits?" The nymph said as she moved her hand away. Earie looked at the nymph then the young maiden. "I work well with my hands and can lay any trap to get my prey but a maiden's heart is foreign to me, I may not be able to beat her. However, I am will to try my hardest to prove I deserve a chance and possibly become her student."
With his words the ball of water started to pulsate and glow brighter. The nymph looked pleased and escorted Earie to the ball. "Place your hands on to her case, then place your forehead to it, your soul will sync with hers. Once pass her test, the case will break slightly. The only way these maidens will allow the curse to be lifted is if they all leave together..."
"So that means even if one of you fails their test then all your souls will be taken and fed to me. You see I try to take the bare minimum for my children so that I can keep them alive just a little bit longer." the nymph explained as she placed a tender kiss on the ball that I am admiring. She looks up at us and allows the surrounding temperature to drop slightly.
"Do you think you're brave enough to sync your souls and risk your lives? Each of you will hold everyone's lives in their hands, do you wish to proceed?" the nymph asked with her hands stretched out. Without hesitation Earie placed his palms on to the water ball then his forehead. Instantly the water ball's light brightened and engulfed Earie. The nymph cracked a small smile and turned to the other men. "Who is willing to go next?"