Chapter 20: Balrog, fire demons curse?

Chapter 20: Balrog, fire demon's curse?

[POV: Serena, goddess of fortune]

As we walked through the dense forest, the Grygan girl looked up at us with a curious gaze in her purple eyes.

Her purple eyes instantly reminded me of Lord Lumiere's enchanting amethyst eyes which accentuated his effeminate face.

She asked for our names, so Lord Lumiere and I introduced ourselves.

I then asked the girl her name, to which she replied with a sobering response, "I... I don't have a name." I was taken aback, as having no name was something completely foreign to me.

Immediately, I questioned why this was so.

Lord Lumiere spoke up, "Long ago, there used to be a magical physicist who formed a theory that unknowingly became a principle about 'thou which must not be named'. In other words, naming an accursed species will lead to an equal amount of the curse being passed to the one who named them, and if they already have a curse, it's doubled with the possibility of a shortened lifespan. It was something called [Flyndor's Law], established in the Mythical Age."

The girl confirmed what Lord Lumiere had said and praised him for his intelligence.

Lord Lumiere, being modest as always, apologized for indirectly calling them accursed beings.

The Grygan girl was taken aback, for she never thought a "human" of all races would apologize to her.

As we made our way through the forest, we approached a clearing, and we could see the Grygan village not too far off in the distance.

The village was nestled among the tall trees, and we could hear the faint sound of Grygan voices in the distance. The air had a magical quality to it, and my mana senses tingled as we drew closer to the village.

"The village is just up ahead," Lord Lumiere said, breaking the silence. "We should be cautious and follow the Grygan girl's lead. We don't want to cause a disturbance."

"Yes, my lord." (Serena)

We were almost there.

"I just hope we can break the curse..." (Serena)

"Yeah, me too." (Lumiere)

A thought crossed my mind, concerning why Balrog cursed them, but I chose to keep at it bay for the meantime.

As we approached the Grygan Village, my eyes scanned the surrounding forest warily.

Lord Lumiere had warned me of the Grygans' hostility towards humans, but I didn't expect an immediate attack.

Suddenly, five arrows whizzed towards us, barely missing my head.

The Grygan girl, whom we had met earlier, shouted a warning but it was too late. I planned for a counter but Lord Lumiere beat me to it.

"Earth Magic," he muttered under his breath. His hand gestured towards the ground and an earthen wall rose up before us. The arrows hit the wall and harmlessly clattered on the ground.

I looked at Lord Lumiere with amazement and admiration. He had improved quite a bit.

"Nice one," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Lord Lumiere just shrugged and grinned.

We approached the village cautiously, still wary of any further attacks. Lord Lumiere's calm voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "We come in peace," he said.

"We seek the Grygan Elders to discuss their curse." I added.

The surrounding Grygans hesitated, eyeing us suspiciously.

Then, the Grygan girl stepped forward. n0veLUsb.c0m

Instantly, the mood changed.

The Grygans relaxed and welcomed us with open arms.

Lord Lumiere and I shared a knowing look - we both knew the Grygan girl had just vouched for us and saved us from a potentially deadly misunderstanding.

As I stepped into the Grygan village, I immediately noticed the sorry state of the buildings.

Only a handful stood - huts made from unevenly cut logs and thatched roofs that barely kept the rain out.

Children with sunken cheeks and pallid skin peered at us curiously. "What happened to them?" I asked the Grygan girl, nodding towards the sickly children.

"It's the fire demon's curse," she explained. "It causes oxygen deprivation. We're doing all we can to help them."

"But you don't seem to be hurt by it... like the other children are, not that that's a bad thing." (Serena)

"The curse feeds off the mana a person has, so the lower your mana points, the more likely you are to suffer oxygen deprivation and have your lungs poisoned." (Girl)

My heart sank at the thought of innocent children suffering because of the fire demon's curse. "We have to put an end to this," I muttered to Lord Lumiere. He nodded, his expression grim.

As we walked through the village, the Grygan girl talked about their hardships while Lord Lumiere and I listened intently.

It was mostly me and her talking, as Lord Lumiere seemed lost in his own thoughts.

We finally reached the elder's hut, which was marginally better than the others. The Grygan girl bid us farewell and left us with the elder, who introduced herself as Fasit.

"Welcome, travelers. Thank you for coming to our village?" Fasit said with a kind smile.

"We've come to discuss the curse and find a solution," I explained.

Fasit listened intently as Lord Lumiere and I detailed our actual reason for passing the Great Forest, exchanging information and ideas.

A smooth back and forth discussion.

Fasit was an elderly Grygan with black hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to hold a wealth of knowledge.

She listened with an open mind while offering her own insights. When we were finished, she spoke firmly.

"I'm sorry about the greeting you both received, back there." (Fasit)

"One question, how exactly do you have a name?" (Lumiere)

"Oh, I see the girl must've told you about the Grygans' nameless situation. I already had a name before we were cursed by Balrog fifty years ago." (Fasit)

"I see, apologies for making you have to recall such dire origins." (Lumiere)

"It seems like a grave situation," Fasit said. "But I believe a solution can be found. Can we work together to end this curse and stop my people's suffering?"

I felt hope blossom in my chest. With the wise Fasit's support, we might finally be able to put an end to this nightmare.

"You don't need to offer us anything," I said. Speaking Lord Lumiere's mind.

He smiled at me.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but even with all the information you've given us on the curse, I would still like to know how you all got afflicted by the fire demon's curse. Please tell us, so that we might have a clue.." (Lumiere)

It was hard for Fasit to continue. Simply by looking at her face, I could tell.

"If that is the only way," Fasit paused. "Then I will tell you," a stern face followed.

Both Lord Lumiere and I nodded in preparation to absorb as much knowledge as we could from her story.

As the story of their curse unfolded, I could feel my heart growing heavy with each passing moment.

"Fifty years ago, we were living in peace, yet one day, Balrog, the fire demon, attacked us with his love for destruction." (Fasit)

I shuddered at the thought of such a fiend, who had no demands other than to see a village burn to ashes.

"I still don't know what angered him so," Fasit continued, her voice heavy with emotion. "We had never encountered him before, and yet his wrath was unending, leading to the deaths of numerous elves and grygans... I barely escaped with my life, and he left only after afflicting us with the curse."

My mind raced with questions. Who was this Balrog? What did he hope to gain from destroying innocent lives? And how did he become one of the great Kings of Curses? I looked to Fasit, hoping for answers.

"He's a demonoid from the Demon Continent, one born of chaos and destruction," she explained. "His power is matched only by his bloodlust and lack of empathy. A demonoid with the ability to engulf entire villages in flames with his fiery breath."

I shuddered at the thought of such a creature, and my gaze shifted to Lord Lumiere, who appeared equally horrified.

"And then there is the Beast King," Fasit continued, shifting the conversation to a slightly more hopeful note. "He's the overall ruler of the Great Forest, respected and feared by all who live within his domain. A powerful being, with strength that surpasses even the most formidable of enemies."

I wondered what kind of strength it took to govern over so many different creatures. Was it just physical might, or did it come from something deeper, like wisdom or compassion?

As Fasit finished her story, I was left feeling a mix of anger and sadness.

It was a tragic tale, one that spoke to the fragility of life, even in a world where magic and power were so prevalent.

I vowed to do everything in my power to help the Grygans break the curse, to bring an end to the suffering they had endured for so long.

"Leave it to us, we'll do everything in our power to ensure you're lifted from this curse." (Lumiere)

The joy on Fasit's face having seen out determination, warmed her soul. That much was obvious.