Chapter 3 - The Curse

With a simple motion, Eimme picked up the slave woman in her arms and stepped out of the cell. The corridor, filled with the sounds of the other slaves confined in nearby cells and cages, echoed around them as Eimme moved forward, taking care to ensure the woman's comfort as much as possible. 

Eimme couldn't fully understand why, but the comfort and happiness of this slave woman were incredibly important to her at this moment. When she reached the exit, she blew gently at the magical circle on the wall. A portion of the circle erased itself, as if wiped away by an invisible hand. 

The slave woman had lost consciousness, but she was fine. There were no life-threatening injuries. 

With part of the magical circle removed, the barrier spell dissipated. Light began to filter in through the exit—the hole with the stairs leading upward. Fresh air flooded the space. The dragon woman, dressed in a black dress adorned with red embroidery, gazed out through the opening. 

"Glaznac Grayfall! Can you hear me? Glaz!" 

The woman in black called out loudly. A response came moments later. 

"Stop yelling, will you? What now? Are you here to ask for another sword!? Pay off your debts first, you jobless dragon!" 

The irritation in the man's voice was evident. No one could be seen. The voice seemed to emerge from nowhere, making it impossible to pinpoint its direction. 

"Hey! Who are you calling jobless? It's been five years since I last spoke to you. Can't you be a little more friendly?!" 

A sigh was heard from the unseen speaker. 

"Fine, fine. I, Glaznac Grayfall, the Dwarf known as the God of Iron, will listen to your request." 

"Is that your idea of being friendly? Ugh... whatever. I didn't contact you this time to ask for another sword." 

"That's rare. I was certain you were a sword maniac. Every time you talked to me, you clung to my legs begging for a new blade." There was a teasing tone in the dwarf's voice. 

The woman's face darkened with annoyance. 

"Shut up!" she snapped but immediately regretted it. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Can you talk to Emu for me? I need her to teleport me. You're the only one who can contact her right now. I need to get home." 

"What? You want me to talk to that creepy woman? No way! Also, where are you right now, anyway?" This time, his tone lacked its earlier humor. He seemed genuinely reluctant. 

"Please?" 

"No." 

"Think about it for a second. Right now, you're my only option. Please!" 

The dwarf let out a resigned sigh. "Fine, but I'm adding this to your tab. This favor won't come cheap." 

The dwarf's voice fell silent. Moments later, a magical circle appeared beneath Eimme. She and the unconscious slave woman vanished in an instant. 

*** 

Eimme and the woman in her arms appeared in the open area where the teleportation circle of her castle was located. A blonde maid was waiting for them. Her eyes were closed, and she was looking down at the ground. Her hands were clasped together. It was nighttime, and the simple torches lighting the area created a warm atmosphere. The maid slowly raised her head and opened her eyes gradually. 

"Welcome home, my la—WHAAAAAAT?! Who's that in your arms, Eimme? Why is someone with you?!" 

"Haha, I'll explain everything. For now, could you do me a favor and call Luther? As you can see, this girl needs some rest." 

"No, no! Explain yourself first—" 

"Sis. Please." 

The maid threw her a sharp glare, then turned around and headed toward the castle. When she entered, she slammed the massive door shut behind her. Terrifying. Eimme thought. Despite her older sister being kind and gentle most of the time, when she got angry, she was absolutely uncontrollable. Even Eimme couldn't do much about it. She was ridiculously strong—almost unfairly so. 

Eimme began walking toward the castle. Before she could get halfway there, the door opened, and an enormous man, about three meters tall, stepped out. His body was absurdly muscular—clearly human, but his physique resembled that of a giant. His blond hair was tied and braided into two sections at the back of his head, a style that clashed completely with his masculine appearance. He held a massive hammer, not the kind used for fighting, but one suited for construction work. His expression was rather peculiar. He didn't look angry, but his face gave off the impression of irritation—anyone, even a child, could tell it was fake. 

"Hey, Luther. How's my favorite healer doing? Can you help me out?" 

"Hmm." 

The man gently took the slave girl from the woman clad in black, then turned around and started walking toward the castle without saying a word. 

"Looks like you've been playing with Emu again. I know my sister can be a little irritating at times, but she only does it because she cares about you. No need to get upset. And by the way, it suits you." 

"Hmm?" 

"Yes, really." 

"Hmm!" 

A smile broke out on the man's face. 

They walked through the castle's corridors, chatting as they went. Finally, they arrived. It was a spacious room. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with bandages and medicines. Numerous beds and stretchers were scattered throughout the area. Empty medicine bottles and dirty cloths littered the floor. This was clearly an infirmary, though it could hardly be described as hygienic or well-organized. 

The massive man gently placed the slave girl on one of the beds and covered her with a thin blanket. He set the hammer he was carrying to the side with a heavy thud. Then, he grabbed a medicine bottle from a nearby table, popped out a pill, and swallowed it. Clearing his throat loudly, he spoke. 

"She'll stay here tonight. She doesn't have any physical injuries. She probably lost consciousness due to a traumatic experience or malnutrition. Maybe both. She'll be fine. Don't worry." 

"I see. You're an expert at what you do, Luther. I trust you," Eimme replied. 

"So, do you feel like explaining now? Who is this young lady?" 

"I'll explain. I'm waiting for my sister—she wanted an explanation too." 

The man let out a hearty laugh. "Of course she did! No doubt about that. She's very attached to you. Seeing someone unfamiliar by your side must've made her both angry and worried. You should be scared." 

Eimme responded with a short, tense laugh. She was well aware of this. She hadn't forgotten the "training" her sister had subjected her to in the old days. Torture and torment disguised as lessons. Forgetting was impossible, no matter how much she wanted to. 

Then, the door slammed open. A blonde woman with striking blue eyes entered, dressed in a purple and extravagant gown. 

"Ah, that looks good on you, Sis. I haven't seen you wear anything other than a maid's uniform in ages. As always, you're stunning." 

The woman's expression darkened, and she delivered a sharp punch to Eimme's head. 

"Flattery won't get you out of this, Eimme! You owe me an explanation. Who is this woman? And why is she in such terrible condition? She's skin and bones. You didn't do anything to her, did you?" 

"What do you take me for? Of course, I didn't hurt her. Quite the opposite, I rescued her. She was a slave. I freed her from her cell and brought her here when she passed out. Luther is the best healer in all the realms." 

Emu sighed and sat down on one of the beds, crossing her legs. She let out another sigh. 

"What am I going to do with you? Give me a detailed explanation." 

Eimme recounted everything that had happened in vivid and painstaking detail. Luther listened attentively. When the explanation was over, he stood up and picked up his hammer again. 

"You said she couldn't speak, right?" 

"Yes, why?" 

"Hmm." 

The unconscious woman lay stretched out on the bed as Luther carefully examined her throat. His hand gently probed her neck, checking for abnormalities. He opened her mouth and inspected her throat with a meticulous eye. 

"As I thought... there are no physical injuries. She should be able to speak. Perhaps it's psychological. If it's not that, the only remaining possibility is a curse. Let me check." 

He raised his hammer, pulled a pen out of his pocket, and began writing and drawing something on its surface. He drew what appeared to be a magical circle. The symbols were unreadable to Eimme, who wasn't well-versed in magic. The metal of the hammer emitted a faint glow. Raising the hammer higher, Luther made a swift motion and swung it toward the unconscious woman's throat. 

Just before the hammer's edge could touch her, stopping mere centimeters away, it was forcibly halted. A thin purple light emanated from the hammer's tip. Then, the hammer recoiled violently, flinging both itself and the enormous man backward. 

"Are you okay, Luther?" Both women spoke in unison, their voices laced with shock and concern. They clearly cared deeply for him. The dark-clad woman swiftly turned toward the unconscious patient, needing to confirm she was still unharmed. Emu, on the other hand, appeared less concerned about the patient and far more focused on Luther. 

The large man coughed up a bit of blood but managed to rise again. 

"I'm fine. It was stronger than I expected. I thought I could break it." 

Emu suddenly appeared by his side as if she had teleported, gently supporting him to ensure he could stand. 

"Are you absolutely sure you're okay, darling?" 

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just a minor setback." 

"So? What just happened?" Eimme asked. 

"I was right. It's a curse. I don't know why she has one, but the thing preventing her from speaking is definitely this curse. But seriously... this is absurd. I've never encountered a curse this strong before. I was certain I could break it, but then, in an instant, I found myself across the room. Whoever placed this curse on the young lady clearly didn't want her speaking." 

"Hey, Eimme! You're being so rude to Luther!" Emu interjected. 

Eimme was taken aback by herself. She truly cared about Luther; he was incredibly important to her. Yet, for a brief moment, the slave woman seemed far more valuable and significant than Luther. For that fleeting moment, she had genuinely stopped caring about what happened to him.