In the depths of the Sakuramori forest lies a crystal cave. It is one of many natural landforms in the area, but this particular one was inhabited by one of the Fae living in the forest. The Fae had lived for the longest time in seclusion. Only delving in conflict when the forest itself is threatened. But there was a rare moment of altruism to the Fae when she had seen a very damning curse inhabit a mortal boy.
She had never seen such a curse before, and she was compelled to purify it before something irreversible might happen.
This led to a long string of misunderstandings which involved a mage from one of Fiore’s independent guilds. The mage went by the name of Tim and he was responsible of ‘rescuing’ the boy from the Fae’s clutches. She expected him to sneak in and take the child through subterfuge; or to outright fight her head on. But level heads proved when they had finally met. Tim reasoned with the Fae, much to her surprise. In the middle of them resolving the misunderstanding, however, something completely unexpected had been revealed. The mage had the very same curse the boy had!
This had led to a string of events which culminated now into a gathering of people who were afflicted with the Curse of Nyx, as Tim had put it.
Inside the crystal cave were a very far-flung group of people from across Fiore: Tree people were from the river village north of the infamous Lycan Woods. They were the village elder, a girl no older than thirteen named Talia and her father. Four others were from the hunting village east of Cedar composing of two hunters from the village who escorted a girl younger than Talia whose mother had just been cured from completely transforming into a Lycan, and the mother herself. The boy the Fae had been in the process of purifying had come to her cave alone, he had lied about going to play so he could attend the meeting.
Finally, there was the last group which consisted of individuals most involved with the curse: Timόtheos, the mortal-son of Nyx and progenitor of the curse. Hemera, Nyx’s deity-daughter who had been guiding Timόtheos’ descendants away from the curse’s temptation. And finally, Tim, a member of the independent mage’s guild Silver Wolf. For the better part of his career in being a member of the guild, he had taken jobs which targets to remove Nyx’s curse from Earthland.
Tim had been teaching Talia and the boy how to control their curse along with Hemera and Timόtheos. The Fae had been in the later process of purifying the boy, Talia had just started with hers. The mother was easier to purify, and was now in no harm to transforming.
“I don’t hear anything.” The boy said as Tim instructed him to listen for any voices whispering to him.
“Not now exactly. It’ll be in your most vulnerable moments.” Tim looked at the boy.
“What’ll happen if I lose?”
Tim had told the boy about the botched purification operation in the spooky forest. How his magic where he had thought it was purifying magic turned out to be corrupted magic. The Fae listened with the non-cursed members of the two groups to Tim’s every word. There was a faint resignation to the way the young man told his story, as if it was foregone conclusion doing what he does. The boy noticed, “I have a question, Sir Tim.”
Tim quirked his brow, but nodded. “Why are you doing this?”
The rest of them looked at Tim.
“My mom told me not to trust you. She said you sound like you know too much.”
“Did she now?” Timόtheos answered before Tim could react.
“She is not wrong. Out of all the descendants, Tim has understood the curse the most.” Hemera said. “It is a personal question, however, dear boy. You asking about Tim’s motivations…”
“Whatever his reason is, young man. I can vouch for his selflessness.” The newly cured Lycan woman spoke, she had been slowly caressing Tim’s wolf companion, Madame Asena, as she silently listened. “I’m not part of your lineage, but I was cursed.”
“The wolf curse, right?”
“Lycan.” One of the hunters corrected. “But yeah, not even a day ago she was still twice as tall.”
The woman smiled Tim’s way as she spoke. “I was transformed. My thoughts were too busy trying to avoid eating one of the hunters who tried to rescue me, but I could still remember. He fought off a spirit Wolf the size of a house to keep me from permanently morphing into that monstrosity.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “A house?”
Hemera and Timόtheos looked at Tim. “You just told us earlier you fought a pack of Lycans?”
Tim didn’t answer.
“I didn’t want to hear anything bad against someone who just saved me. I’m sorry, Tim.” The mother quickly added as she held her daughter’s hand. “I want you two to know the extent he went for my sake.”
“What sort of spirit wolf was it, Tim?” Timόtheos asked evenly, already having an idea where this was going.
The Fae heard Madame Asena speak through the Fae’s telepathically rich mind. “It declared itself as an Icebergian Wolf God.” The Fae directed her thoughts to everyone. “Madame Asena had just told me.”
Tim looked at his companion but all he found was her usual indignant huff.
“Fenrir?!” Hemera stood up from her seat, her face flush in sudden anger. “Was it through Baldr’s instruction again? Tell me.”
Tim sighed.
It was good an answer as any to the rest of them. “Wait, a God? You fought a God?”
“And won!” The pride in the mother’s voice was palpable.
“I didn’t win. But thanks for the vote of confidence.” Tim clicked his tongue. “There was a flash of light, and that wolf bastard was taken up to the heavens.”
“The Bilröst.” Hemera supplied. “It’s not that dissimilar to how you ride light with your magic, Tim.”
“If it wasn’t taken up? I don’t think I could’ve hold him off.” Tim looked down. “Whatever happened with my magic back there? It felt like a fluke in the right place at the right time. It started to go away after the thing disappeared too.”
“I didn’t know such a battle took place. Again, I am nowhere to be found when my descendants need me the most.” Timόtheos hissed.
“I’ve had enough of deities and their meddling with mortal matters.” Hemera muttered.
“You’re literally doing the same thing as them, Hemera.” Tim quirked his brow. “Only difference is we appreciate your help a whole lot more than whatever those two are planning.”
“Huh?” Talia and the boy said simultaneously.
Tim looked at them and said an ‘Ah’ under his breath. “I never mentioned? Hemera is Nyx’s daughter. But, unlike Timόtheos, her father is Erebus.”
“-was.” Hemera firmly corrected. “I have since disassociated myself with his matters.”
Tim actually smiled at her. “Right.”
All of a sudden there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere between the people in the cave. “Really…?” Was all but one of them could say.
“Wow, I never met a goddess before.” The purified former Lycan mother’s daughter said, eyes full of wonder. “Could you make those hunters who found me alive again, Miss Hemera? They’ve really helped me and my mom.”
“Shh, honey, that’s not something you just ask about-!”
Hemera’s smiling face strained. All of them could tell, it was probably one of the first things she had thought of doing. Rather, it would be tempting to just leave everything to diving intervention. The Fae knew the feeling, about having powers who could directly interfere with mortal matters. She had been curing the boy, Talia and the mother, after all.
“The dead should stay dead.” They heard Timόtheos say. “Even Gods who dabble on such things for the best of intentions are never left satisfied.”
Tim winced. “The best thing to do is keep the people you love from harm.” The young man walked over to the girl and knelt on one leg. “Think about it, would you rather do that? Or always think ‘It’s okay for them to die, I can always revive them’?”
The girl’s eyes widened and shook her head. “I don’t want to think like that!”
“Right?” Tim smiled at her, but sighed as he stood up. “You really should say things more delicately to kids, Timόtheos.”
“I…see… I apologize.”
Tim then steered the topic away. “In any event, I pull you all out here so the three of you could be cured.”
Tim looked at the mother. “You’re a done deal. I just hope that wolf god bastard doesn’t do anything else to you or pull anyone else for the hell of it.”
“You two.” Tim looked at Talia and the boy. “You need more time, and between today and the day you’ll get rid of the curse I’ll be teaching you to keep yourselves in check.”
They nodded, but Talia seemed like she wanted to say something. Tim urged her to speak, but instantly regretted halfway hearing her question. “How about you, Sir Tim. Aren’t you to try and get purified too?”
There was a noticeable difference in Tim’s silence to earlier. It was Tim’s heartbreaking smile after a slight dry chuckle when he said “No, I won’t” that made them compelled not to ask any further.
The Fae noticed the soft whine from Madame Asena and the melancholic look Timόtheos and Hemra had given as Tim sent the others off the cave. The river village elder had come with them only to make sure Talia and her father were in good hands. The pair were staying in the boy’s village for the duration of their purification process, they could not afford to commute all the way on the regular. Tim was the one who paid the expenses for their trip and dealt with the hate dealt his way when the village had learned he was one the Fae’s side in letting the boy be in her company. Tim took the criticism in stride, or at least it looked like he did on the surface. The Fae noticed it being a constant theme with most mortals she had seen in the long time she had existed, where they would hide behind a façade. But it was a matter she knew would be a taboo for them, so she kept her curiosity to herself.
The hunters and the mother-daughter pair were people they wished wouldn’t get involved with them anymore than they had; they were complete innocents in all of this. The Wolf God, Fenrir, had taken them as a test for Tim. The Fae understood it weighed heavily to the young man, having innocents being taken from their homes on a God’s whim to test him. But the Fae had known about the stories of deities well enough that it was a frequent occurrence. Even Faeries are susceptible to such a selfish way of life. The Fae, herself, had only taken the boy out of concern. But there were stories of Faeries and mortals being entangled in a big hullabaloo because of an elder Fae’s matter with her consort. It wasn’t a tale that best described majority of the Faeries, even on their worst of times. But it was one well told among mortals, so well told it reached the Fae’s ears centuries ago.
Not a good few minutes later Tim had returned from seeing them off. “One hell of a family reunion, eh?” He said as he slumped in one of the stone seats the Fae had provided. Madame Asena had walked over and sat beside Tim. Timόtheos and Hemera took their seats opposite to him in the ornate table the Fae had materialized for them.
“Tim…about your curse.” The Fae started, but was waved dismissively by the young man.
“I appreciate you doing all this.” He looked at the Fae. “If curing me is one of the only few things you couldn’t do, I could hardly call it unfair.”
“I see…”
Because of Tim’s loss of control trying to protect Quanny village from bandits Erebus had taken hold of the young man for quite some time, or so he told the Fae. It was long enough for the curse in him to ripen in such a way where he has some control over it, but had become too late for a purification process to be effective. At least, the level of purification the Fae was capable of. She was an old being, but not old enough to study the purification process outright reverse a God’s curse. The first time Tim had asked about being cured and the subsequent realization that it was impossible for him was the most heartbroken the Fae had seen the young man. It was the very same look of resignation he showed earlier.
“It was my fault for losing control, anyhow.” Tim muttered.
“No, it’s Erebus’ fault.” Hemera spat.
Tim glared at her. “Hemera, I’m just as pissed at him. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What?”
“I know that look in your face, it’s the look of someone who’ll do something drastic and end up dead.” Tim hissed. “We’ve done some progress to what we’ve vowed to do, don’t do anything rash that’ll undermine our work.”
“Even if you cannot purify them directly, not having you around will affect us too.” Timόtheos admitted.
The Fae saw the goddess’ face loosen into a pained expression. “I can’t help it, Tim. How can one have so much hatred? I never had the best relationship with Mother. Especially not since I learned she had eloped with a mortal despite being with father. But I could never lay the blame it on any of you!”
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t understand how Erebus felt. I’ve seen humans do worse for less in the same circumstance.” Tim sighed. “Gods have the longest grudges, I noticed. Or is it just him?”
“Once you go beyond a god-like threshold, Tim. I think you will also exhibit those traits.” Timόtheos pondered. “I still feel like I want to crush Erebus’ skull, as well.”
“Not you too.”
“Feel like, that does not mean I will lay siege in the heavens to cater my whims.” Timόtheos shrugged. “Now that I think about it, you said something happened to your magic when you fought Fenrir?”
Tim nodded. “My magic swelled, I never felt so drunk on power before. It was horrifying, now that I look back on it.” He winced. “I think I know how my father sees the world now. Treating everything with some hierarchy, where everything is either beneath you or will become so.”
Timόtheos’s face darkened. “I felt the same when I first took revenge eons ago.”
Tim sighed. “I just hope I don’t get swallowed by this power.”
“I won’t let it, Tim.”
The Fae didn’t notice who said it, it was between Hemera and Madame Asena, but she could feel the motherly desire to protect behind those words. The Fae could only wish good fortune to these people she came to meet, for the coming days of strife which will eventually come down on them with the road these four had taken.
She had never seen such a curse before, and she was compelled to purify it before something irreversible might happen.
This led to a long string of misunderstandings which involved a mage from one of Fiore’s independent guilds. The mage went by the name of Tim and he was responsible of ‘rescuing’ the boy from the Fae’s clutches. She expected him to sneak in and take the child through subterfuge; or to outright fight her head on. But level heads proved when they had finally met. Tim reasoned with the Fae, much to her surprise. In the middle of them resolving the misunderstanding, however, something completely unexpected had been revealed. The mage had the very same curse the boy had!
This had led to a string of events which culminated now into a gathering of people who were afflicted with the Curse of Nyx, as Tim had put it.
Inside the crystal cave were a very far-flung group of people from across Fiore: Tree people were from the river village north of the infamous Lycan Woods. They were the village elder, a girl no older than thirteen named Talia and her father. Four others were from the hunting village east of Cedar composing of two hunters from the village who escorted a girl younger than Talia whose mother had just been cured from completely transforming into a Lycan, and the mother herself. The boy the Fae had been in the process of purifying had come to her cave alone, he had lied about going to play so he could attend the meeting.
Finally, there was the last group which consisted of individuals most involved with the curse: Timόtheos, the mortal-son of Nyx and progenitor of the curse. Hemera, Nyx’s deity-daughter who had been guiding Timόtheos’ descendants away from the curse’s temptation. And finally, Tim, a member of the independent mage’s guild Silver Wolf. For the better part of his career in being a member of the guild, he had taken jobs which targets to remove Nyx’s curse from Earthland.
Tim had been teaching Talia and the boy how to control their curse along with Hemera and Timόtheos. The Fae had been in the later process of purifying the boy, Talia had just started with hers. The mother was easier to purify, and was now in no harm to transforming.
“I don’t hear anything.” The boy said as Tim instructed him to listen for any voices whispering to him.
“Not now exactly. It’ll be in your most vulnerable moments.” Tim looked at the boy.
“What’ll happen if I lose?”
Tim had told the boy about the botched purification operation in the spooky forest. How his magic where he had thought it was purifying magic turned out to be corrupted magic. The Fae listened with the non-cursed members of the two groups to Tim’s every word. There was a faint resignation to the way the young man told his story, as if it was foregone conclusion doing what he does. The boy noticed, “I have a question, Sir Tim.”
Tim quirked his brow, but nodded. “Why are you doing this?”
The rest of them looked at Tim.
“My mom told me not to trust you. She said you sound like you know too much.”
“Did she now?” Timόtheos answered before Tim could react.
“She is not wrong. Out of all the descendants, Tim has understood the curse the most.” Hemera said. “It is a personal question, however, dear boy. You asking about Tim’s motivations…”
“Whatever his reason is, young man. I can vouch for his selflessness.” The newly cured Lycan woman spoke, she had been slowly caressing Tim’s wolf companion, Madame Asena, as she silently listened. “I’m not part of your lineage, but I was cursed.”
“The wolf curse, right?”
“Lycan.” One of the hunters corrected. “But yeah, not even a day ago she was still twice as tall.”
The woman smiled Tim’s way as she spoke. “I was transformed. My thoughts were too busy trying to avoid eating one of the hunters who tried to rescue me, but I could still remember. He fought off a spirit Wolf the size of a house to keep me from permanently morphing into that monstrosity.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “A house?”
Hemera and Timόtheos looked at Tim. “You just told us earlier you fought a pack of Lycans?”
Tim didn’t answer.
“I didn’t want to hear anything bad against someone who just saved me. I’m sorry, Tim.” The mother quickly added as she held her daughter’s hand. “I want you two to know the extent he went for my sake.”
“What sort of spirit wolf was it, Tim?” Timόtheos asked evenly, already having an idea where this was going.
The Fae heard Madame Asena speak through the Fae’s telepathically rich mind. “It declared itself as an Icebergian Wolf God.” The Fae directed her thoughts to everyone. “Madame Asena had just told me.”
Tim looked at his companion but all he found was her usual indignant huff.
“Fenrir?!” Hemera stood up from her seat, her face flush in sudden anger. “Was it through Baldr’s instruction again? Tell me.”
Tim sighed.
It was good an answer as any to the rest of them. “Wait, a God? You fought a God?”
“And won!” The pride in the mother’s voice was palpable.
“I didn’t win. But thanks for the vote of confidence.” Tim clicked his tongue. “There was a flash of light, and that wolf bastard was taken up to the heavens.”
“The Bilröst.” Hemera supplied. “It’s not that dissimilar to how you ride light with your magic, Tim.”
“If it wasn’t taken up? I don’t think I could’ve hold him off.” Tim looked down. “Whatever happened with my magic back there? It felt like a fluke in the right place at the right time. It started to go away after the thing disappeared too.”
“I didn’t know such a battle took place. Again, I am nowhere to be found when my descendants need me the most.” Timόtheos hissed.
“I’ve had enough of deities and their meddling with mortal matters.” Hemera muttered.
“You’re literally doing the same thing as them, Hemera.” Tim quirked his brow. “Only difference is we appreciate your help a whole lot more than whatever those two are planning.”
“Huh?” Talia and the boy said simultaneously.
Tim looked at them and said an ‘Ah’ under his breath. “I never mentioned? Hemera is Nyx’s daughter. But, unlike Timόtheos, her father is Erebus.”
“-was.” Hemera firmly corrected. “I have since disassociated myself with his matters.”
Tim actually smiled at her. “Right.”
All of a sudden there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere between the people in the cave. “Really…?” Was all but one of them could say.
“Wow, I never met a goddess before.” The purified former Lycan mother’s daughter said, eyes full of wonder. “Could you make those hunters who found me alive again, Miss Hemera? They’ve really helped me and my mom.”
“Shh, honey, that’s not something you just ask about-!”
Hemera’s smiling face strained. All of them could tell, it was probably one of the first things she had thought of doing. Rather, it would be tempting to just leave everything to diving intervention. The Fae knew the feeling, about having powers who could directly interfere with mortal matters. She had been curing the boy, Talia and the mother, after all.
“The dead should stay dead.” They heard Timόtheos say. “Even Gods who dabble on such things for the best of intentions are never left satisfied.”
Tim winced. “The best thing to do is keep the people you love from harm.” The young man walked over to the girl and knelt on one leg. “Think about it, would you rather do that? Or always think ‘It’s okay for them to die, I can always revive them’?”
The girl’s eyes widened and shook her head. “I don’t want to think like that!”
“Right?” Tim smiled at her, but sighed as he stood up. “You really should say things more delicately to kids, Timόtheos.”
“I…see… I apologize.”
Tim then steered the topic away. “In any event, I pull you all out here so the three of you could be cured.”
Tim looked at the mother. “You’re a done deal. I just hope that wolf god bastard doesn’t do anything else to you or pull anyone else for the hell of it.”
“You two.” Tim looked at Talia and the boy. “You need more time, and between today and the day you’ll get rid of the curse I’ll be teaching you to keep yourselves in check.”
They nodded, but Talia seemed like she wanted to say something. Tim urged her to speak, but instantly regretted halfway hearing her question. “How about you, Sir Tim. Aren’t you to try and get purified too?”
There was a noticeable difference in Tim’s silence to earlier. It was Tim’s heartbreaking smile after a slight dry chuckle when he said “No, I won’t” that made them compelled not to ask any further.
The Fae noticed the soft whine from Madame Asena and the melancholic look Timόtheos and Hemra had given as Tim sent the others off the cave. The river village elder had come with them only to make sure Talia and her father were in good hands. The pair were staying in the boy’s village for the duration of their purification process, they could not afford to commute all the way on the regular. Tim was the one who paid the expenses for their trip and dealt with the hate dealt his way when the village had learned he was one the Fae’s side in letting the boy be in her company. Tim took the criticism in stride, or at least it looked like he did on the surface. The Fae noticed it being a constant theme with most mortals she had seen in the long time she had existed, where they would hide behind a façade. But it was a matter she knew would be a taboo for them, so she kept her curiosity to herself.
The hunters and the mother-daughter pair were people they wished wouldn’t get involved with them anymore than they had; they were complete innocents in all of this. The Wolf God, Fenrir, had taken them as a test for Tim. The Fae understood it weighed heavily to the young man, having innocents being taken from their homes on a God’s whim to test him. But the Fae had known about the stories of deities well enough that it was a frequent occurrence. Even Faeries are susceptible to such a selfish way of life. The Fae, herself, had only taken the boy out of concern. But there were stories of Faeries and mortals being entangled in a big hullabaloo because of an elder Fae’s matter with her consort. It wasn’t a tale that best described majority of the Faeries, even on their worst of times. But it was one well told among mortals, so well told it reached the Fae’s ears centuries ago.
Not a good few minutes later Tim had returned from seeing them off. “One hell of a family reunion, eh?” He said as he slumped in one of the stone seats the Fae had provided. Madame Asena had walked over and sat beside Tim. Timόtheos and Hemera took their seats opposite to him in the ornate table the Fae had materialized for them.
“Tim…about your curse.” The Fae started, but was waved dismissively by the young man.
“I appreciate you doing all this.” He looked at the Fae. “If curing me is one of the only few things you couldn’t do, I could hardly call it unfair.”
“I see…”
Because of Tim’s loss of control trying to protect Quanny village from bandits Erebus had taken hold of the young man for quite some time, or so he told the Fae. It was long enough for the curse in him to ripen in such a way where he has some control over it, but had become too late for a purification process to be effective. At least, the level of purification the Fae was capable of. She was an old being, but not old enough to study the purification process outright reverse a God’s curse. The first time Tim had asked about being cured and the subsequent realization that it was impossible for him was the most heartbroken the Fae had seen the young man. It was the very same look of resignation he showed earlier.
“It was my fault for losing control, anyhow.” Tim muttered.
“No, it’s Erebus’ fault.” Hemera spat.
Tim glared at her. “Hemera, I’m just as pissed at him. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What?”
“I know that look in your face, it’s the look of someone who’ll do something drastic and end up dead.” Tim hissed. “We’ve done some progress to what we’ve vowed to do, don’t do anything rash that’ll undermine our work.”
“Even if you cannot purify them directly, not having you around will affect us too.” Timόtheos admitted.
The Fae saw the goddess’ face loosen into a pained expression. “I can’t help it, Tim. How can one have so much hatred? I never had the best relationship with Mother. Especially not since I learned she had eloped with a mortal despite being with father. But I could never lay the blame it on any of you!”
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t understand how Erebus felt. I’ve seen humans do worse for less in the same circumstance.” Tim sighed. “Gods have the longest grudges, I noticed. Or is it just him?”
“Once you go beyond a god-like threshold, Tim. I think you will also exhibit those traits.” Timόtheos pondered. “I still feel like I want to crush Erebus’ skull, as well.”
“Not you too.”
“Feel like, that does not mean I will lay siege in the heavens to cater my whims.” Timόtheos shrugged. “Now that I think about it, you said something happened to your magic when you fought Fenrir?”
Tim nodded. “My magic swelled, I never felt so drunk on power before. It was horrifying, now that I look back on it.” He winced. “I think I know how my father sees the world now. Treating everything with some hierarchy, where everything is either beneath you or will become so.”
Timόtheos’s face darkened. “I felt the same when I first took revenge eons ago.”
Tim sighed. “I just hope I don’t get swallowed by this power.”
“I won’t let it, Tim.”
The Fae didn’t notice who said it, it was between Hemera and Madame Asena, but she could feel the motherly desire to protect behind those words. The Fae could only wish good fortune to these people she came to meet, for the coming days of strife which will eventually come down on them with the road these four had taken.
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