Cal spun around and hugged Moura. The others looked confused, but slowly lowered their weapons. Moura patted Cal's back, then stepped out of the hug. She never liked long physical contact.
"Guys, it's Moura", Cal said into the awkward silence. Karifa squealed a tiny bit as she sheathed her sword. But Moura quickly looked around and put a finger onto her lips.
"Not here" She held out her hand, smoke emerging from it. The Four quickly gathered their belongings and held onto them as they submerged into Moura's Smoke Dimension. Figures and shapes formed after a few seconds, and a welcoming home greeted them. Moura took off her cloak and revealed her puffy ginger hair. She then smiled and tolerated another hug by Karifa.
"We thought you were dead", Pyromant said. "No signal, nothing. Why? Where are the others of the Seven? " Moura's expression grimmed.
"Follow me", she said, leading them through the Dimension into a broad hall. Along the wall stood seven howering stone figures, frozen in time. They were the missing Seven, together with Moura.
"We were attacked by the curse as soon as we entered town", Moura said, slowly walking across the floor towards herself. "This is only a spirit, it's not really me. I am right here. I can't do nothing in this form, no magic, I can't even send a message. I am so sorry."
"But you are alive. All of you", Racc said.
"Must be."
"Do you know where this curse came from?"
"I have a clue, but nothing serious... This whole town is spasming with miasma, it's hard to tell. I moved us into my Dimension for safety, but that's about it... I was able to gather some information, though."
"That's good", said Pyromant. "We're glad you're alive." Coming from Pyromant, this was almost a love declaration. Moura flashed a smile at him.
They sat down in another room on comfy sofas and armchairs and ate breakfast. Moura told them everything she knew.
"The curse seems to be of the seeping, slow-working type. Everyone and everything in the town seems to be affected by it."
"Nothing specific then", Racc said between bites.
"Yes. But judging by the speed it hit us Seven with, it must have a master, a thinking one."
"So we're up against the old-fashioned villain, huh."
"Most likely." They ate in silence, everyone thinking for himself.
"Anyways, you should rest", Moura said and got up. With a slow motion of her hand beds and cushions formed, and the lights dimmed. "In ten hours in here it will be 8 o'clock outside. Sleep until then." She vansihed into smoke, and the Four went to bed.
Moura woke them up, saying it was time.
"Remember, we only want information today. No fighting. Stay together, and keep your curse-repellants on you all the goddamn time. Call Moura if you need aid. Pyromant, you're coming with me today - I don't need a burning town." Cal looked his team in the eyes and let out a heavy breath. "Stay safe, guys." Then Moura closed her Dimension and brought them back to the gates. She immediately went back inside, leaving them alone. Her spirit was aw vulnerable as it could get in this state. Karifa and Racc went downtown, while Cal and Pyromant entered the outskirts. People of all kinds and races, magical and non-magical, did their daily work. But as soon as they spotted the warriors, they stopped all conversations and avoided their gazes. Cal started randomly asking questions, of which only half were answered. Pyromant wandered around the streets, investigating what he wanted to investigate. Questions about the curse were avoided by the citizens, some pretending not to know, some clearly not knowing, some answering not at all and some getting angry. Quite a few times Cal and Pyromant had to give up in one street because of this and try their luck in the next.
By the end of the day they were exhausted and tired from walking around pointlessly. Moura brought them back into her Dimension for the night. This went on for about a week, without any progress. Pyromant cured his cough, and that was about the only positive thing during this time. Racc spend some nights sitting in front of his frozen comrades. It was affecting him quite hard, seeing them half-dead, half-alive.
Then, a few days later, it happened.