Curse Breaker

The small, remote hut seemed darker once the deed was done. Then again, the world around them always seemed a little darker afterward.

Their icy blue eyes raked over the pool of blood where a witch once stood, and they slid their sword, glowing purple, back into its sheath. Not much was left of the creature besides a twisted lump of mutilated flesh, but that was what happened when the person they came to confront refused to cooperate.

Taking their eyes off of the result of this latest contract, they stepped around the scene of carnage with the metal of their armor making heavy sounds with each step. The scraping of armor joints was the only sound in or around the hut, as even the animals that undoubtedly lived in the surrounding forest fled when their mistress was struck down.

As per usual, the hut of the witch was a mess; books were piled in every corner, parchment rolls across the surface of every table, clothes scattered everywhere, herbs hanging from the ceiling, and even the bed shoved against a wall was left unmade. They had heard people call this kind of a mess, controlled chaos before, and they could not see the "control" part, only the chaos, especially when having to go through it themselves to find something, as they were doing now.

There was a specific parchment, they were told, that had to be found, in order to fulfill the contract and break the curse for the client that had hired them.

Finally, after long enough for the remains behind them to begin to emit a putrid stench, they found the aforementioned parchment. They removed their helm, revealing short white hair to the emptiness around them, and reviewed the parchment a few more times to ensure that this was, in fact the correct parchment. Bringing back or destroying the wrong one was not only a waste of time, but it could cost them money from the completion payment.

Beauty's Loss

To suffer a fool would be most grave

So the fool must be made depraved

Strip what is most valued from her skin

Turn the fool to worse than tin

They nodded to themselves; this was certainly the correct parchment, as the client that had hired them had been made into rusted, twisted tin by the curse set upon her. She had not said what she had done to deserve such a specific curse, but they had not asked either. It was, quite frankly, none of their business.

Looking further down, the counter for the curse was written there as well.

Say the fool admits their fault

Say the words, "All is forgiven, all is forgot."

Then burn this parchment with thyme

All is then fixed in time

They sighed. Of course it required something specific to stop. At least, they thought, the specific thing was easy enough to find. Thyme was hanging from the ceiling with the other herbs, and though it did not say how much to use, they grabbed a small sprig of the herb before stepped outside. In front of the hut was a fire still burning with a pot next to it.

The witch had been preparing some concoction--they supposed it could have just as easily have been lunch--when they walked up to challenge her. Well, challenge may have been a stretch, they demanded the curse on their client be broken, the witch refused, they drew their sword and chased her into the hut, where they struck her down. Hardly much of a challenge; the witch did not even have time to fight back.

Once by the fire, they wrapped the parchment around the sprig of thyme and said in their deep, rasping voice, "All is forgiven, all is forgot." Then dropped the parchment and thyme into the fire. There was a brief flash of green in the flame, a short scream erupted from the fire, and then silence once again.

They shrugged and then replaced their helm on their head as they walked away and down the way they came toward the hut when they first arrived.

Right where they left him, their loyal black horse, Coal, was grazing on the grass, completely unbothered by the noises that had come from the hut earlier. Coal was used to such noises, though, as he had come with his master on many such missions.

They pat Coal's nose when he acknowledged them, and they smiled as they pulled themselves up into the saddle. Coal was not always so unbothered; the first time there had been a huge fight with a creature, Coal had run off and it had take days for him to be found, and by the time he was, his master was not very happy with him. From then, on, he was tied to a tree or a post until he became so used to the fighting and screaming that he would not run off.

The two took off through the forest, back to the nearby village, where the woman who hired them lived, Coal expertly dodging the trees and branches as he galloped. His hooves were nearly quiet on the forest floor, trampling over the thick vegetation that dampened the noise the galloping would usually produce.

A short while later, the two burst through the trees and onto the path leading into the village, them steering Coal in that direction rather than the other way toward their home village. They had to be sure the curse was broken and they received payment before heading back to their own home and their own bed.

Before entering the village, they could hear the voice of a child yelling, "They're back! The curse breaker has returned!"

Moments later, they bounded past the child, Coal's hooves much louder on the cobblestone roads of the small village.

At last, they halted Coal in front of a house with a blonde haired man waiting in front of it. They climbed off of Coal and stepped over to the man, whose face lit up upon seeing them. "You have done it!" He opened the door of the house so hastily, it slammed open, but he was eager to show them what they had done.

Sitting in a wooden chair just inside was a woman with dark skin and hair, though, they noted, the spots where there was rust on tin were now lighter patches of skin. They wondered if it was a leftover from the curse, but the woman gave them no time to ask. She stood, though clearly shaky and weak, and gave them a hug even over their grimy armor.

"Thank you, Evis, curse breaker," she exclaimed, her smile bright as the sun. "I am restored!"

Evis nodded but pointed to part of her arm that was lighter than the rest. "Is this left over from the curse?"

"Huh?" She looked, then smiled again and shook her head. "Oh, no, it's always been like that. I guess it looked weird when I was cursed, yeah?"

Evis gave her a small smile in return. "Yeah." They held out their hand. "I am glad to help, but I was promised payment."

"Oh, yes," the husband rushed in and over to a separate room, emerging moments later with a pouch full of coins. "As promised. We will also spread word of what you have done for my wife."

Evis nodded once again as they took the pouch of coins. "As you should." With that, they turned and left the house, listening to the gratitude still following them as they once again climbed onto Coal.

Job complete and payment received, Evis turned Coal toward gate heading back out of the village the way they came in, paying no mind to the excited yells of the people glad to hear that the woman's curse had been broken. All they could think about as Coal galloped down the dirt path was home and their bed.

If they knew what was awaiting them upon their return, they would not be so eager to get there..