The Real You

44. The Cursed

Skylar

We were standing in front of a small mud hut. A woman who was close to her 80s kept talking to us. We didn't know Russian so there was nothing to comprehend. 

Sasha leaned towards me, "Why does it sound like she is cussing?"

"I'm sure she is just trying to help"

And then a pan came flying and landed right on my feet.

"Okay" I groaned, "She is cussing"

"Let's go" Sasha steered me away from the place. 

The village is beautiful. Unlike what I heard of Russia, it doesn't look like the mafia laid their dens here. There is impressive greenery, mud houses, water streams, laughing ladies, and men who were walking around with pride. They were very cheerful until we approach them and ask for help in 'English'. As soon as the words leave our mouths, they either scowl or scurry away. Some launch insults or even utensils. No one wants to talk to foreigners. 

"Why are we doing this again?" Sasha asked.

I was tired from all the walking. However, she didn't even squirm in discomfort. 

"We are going to hear the local legends"

Sasha sighed, "And that's going to help you sleep well tonight?"

"Sure" I smiled, "If it gives me information about the Goddess"

"We already know about her. Death is equal to her equal to war equal to we die"

I stomped my foot and immediately regretted it when it got stuck in snow. Sasha helped me out. Things were not going in the way that I had imagined.

"What is this war about?" I asked.

If Sasha was any less desperate to find a way out, she would have ignored my question. Instead, she began explaining it to me.

"When we defeated my dad, we set certain events in motion. Ari warned us that there will be bigger challenges. We've shut our eyes and pretended that we'd never see it. But guess what? Back to the pavilion"

"Now, you are scared that your children will..." I couldn't get myself to say Die. I knew she'd flip.

"Yes"

"Would you agree if they weren't in the picture?" I asked, hoping I won't get the dreadful reply.

"Yes, we would. It's for their future! We don't want them anywhere near danger!"

I let her answer sink in. Is it me? Are they thinking about their children, their families, and leaving everything else because I am influencing them? Am I augmenting their fears? We are talking about the Karsons who put everything at stake to fight off evil. They had children then too, didn't they? I've heard stories from every person in the palace - the gardeners, the maids, soldiers. They said the royal family lost a lot in the war. 

Julian lost his mate.

Dexter died and came back! Why didn't fear stop them before? Is the Goddess of death telling the truth? Am I....

I shook the thought away

"What is this portal?"

Sasha explained, "When the Monstik died, the witches opened a dark and sinister portal as a last resort. But they didn't get any help from it as they'd expected. When Ari fought the Monstiks and the army of evil or whatever, for the first time ages ago, she locked up every evil being in a vessel and the opening to it is a portal. It's like the top of a volcano. They are trapped inside and they can crawl, or climb out. The witches thought that they'd be out instantly. Apparently, not. It takes years to get out. No one sealed the portal. We didn't know it was open until now."