Liam sat in the dimly lit camp infirmary, tending to the raw, gashing wound on his arm with damp clothes. One could hear the faint sounds of him groaning in pain.
He knew the others feared him, as if he were a monster himself, and he often preferred to keep to himself, away from their wary glances and hushed whispers. Soon, his adopted father entered the makeshift infirmary.
The older man's weathered face creased with concern as he approached his son. "Liam, my boy," he said, his voice soft yet insistent. "You can not keep isolating yourself like this. You need people on your side if you are to succeed."
Liam's eyes narrowed, his jaw set with stubborn determination. "I'm not interested in succeeding," he replied, the words clipped and harsh. "I'll be done when I've rid the land of every last monster."
His father sighed, placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Are you thinking the monsters will seek their vengeance in your next life if you destroy them, and you may never be free of this curse."
Liam's gaze grew distant, his mind wrestling with the weight of that daunting word. The thought of being hunted by those he had slain, even in a future life, filled him with a deep, abiding dread.
His father squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. " I will be there, as your true father," he promised, his voice rich with conviction. "I will protect you, no matter what comes, even in your next life."
"Orixas is known to be a blood sucking monster and soul destroyer,"he said, his voice low and measured."It has no soul itself, so it can not be killed." General tries to convince Liam that Orixas doesn't exist, that it is their fear of monsters that created a monster that is far scarier than the rest. 'No one has seen it in person,'"he said, his words tinged with a hint of doubt.
The general and Liam exchanged a troubled glance, their unease palpable in the stifling silence that followed.
Liam couldn't get convinced about his beliefs of Orixas from what the old woman prophesied. He said, "Those who meet Orixas met that fate, which is why they couldn't believe he existed.
As Liam's eyes burned with a fierce resolve, he knew that nothing they could say would dissuade him from this perilous quest. He was driven by an insatiable need to rid the world of the monstrous scourge.
The next day, The general's heart fills with joy as he receives a call from home, his heart racing with excitement that his daughter, Liam's wife has given birth,' He and his soldier set off on the journey home the next day, their horses' hooves pounding the earth in anticipation.
But as they arrived, a sombre mood enveloped them. The newborn had come prematurely, and its tiny body lay still, lifeless. The general's daughter, Liam's wife, lay in bed, her eyes sunken, her face gaunt. She refused to eat, her grief consuming her. 'It's all because of you, Liam,' she spat, her voice venomous. 'Your curse has brought this misfortune upon us.'
Liam's eyes dropped, his heart heavy with sorrow. He buried the tiny body himself, his tears falling onto the damp earth. His first son, a blind boy of twelve, approached him, his small hands outstretched. 'Father, Father,' the boy whispered, his voice trembling as he tried to reach out to his father. He knew the new baby was dead as he couldn't hear her cry. But as he drew closer, he throws up blood in his eyes.
Liam dejected him and couldn't come close to the boy. Liam blamed himself for everything as the memory of the old woman's prophecy echoed in his mind, 'Your family will suffer, your children will bear the curse.' Liam felt the weight of his supposed curse crushing him. He turned away, leaving the boy's cries of 'Father!' echoing in the air.
His wife's anger and grief boiled over, her words piercing him like daggers. 'Why did you drag my children into your curse? Why did you marry me? You have no feelings!' Liam's voice was barely audible, his words laced with pain. it is because you and I are the same. You are a monster just like me. "
A monster? She sobers. The air in the room suddenly turns cold. Everyone in North Wales, even the servants in the house, consider her differently and fear her - except for Liam, when they were little.
Blair is able to see things others can not see and things she's not ought to see. A faint shimmer in the air, almost like a distortion, seems to surround her. In the hot argument, Liam wants Blair to read his memory, and she does. As she concentrates, her eyes flutter closed, and a low hum emanates from her. Suddenly, she faints, collapsing to Liam's hand with a heavy thud.
In the vision, she was able to see a lady in a black dress come to save Liam when he was young, drowning in the water. The lady's face is obscured, but a sense of power and purpose radiates from her. The lady has been in his memory, and he remembers her always, so he kept looking for her. He wanted to break his curse, which he knew the lady must have a reason for saving him twice without knowing her. He was determined to go after Orixas and end the curse, also to free his son from the curse no matter what.
Blair confronts him, her voice sharp and unyielding. "You will die before that happens. Do as you please!" The words hang in the air, charged with an underlying threat.
Liam tells his wife that he wants to take their first son along. Only then could he be able to break the curse of Orixas. A sense of urgency and desperation fills his voice.
"Never!" Blair's voice rings out. "Do you want our son to die too?" she adds.
Liam stands his ground. "He will not die, I will protect him," he replies.
The room falls silent.
Days later, Liam and his wife Blair, together with their son, set out on their journey. A few loyal soldiers follow behind them.
They make their way towards the mountain village where Liam grew up.
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