Nebulae and Cosmic Filaments - A Second Anthology of SF SD Shorts

Part 3 - Extenuating Circumstances

"I was there," the traveller grimly repeated, returning his look to the slender Kursed.  "I heard the Dedicated pronounce their curse on the rebels and make it into reality with magic and nano-technology.  In a heart beat an entire species was slaughtered.  And in the next, reborn as an undead horde.  An undead horde that would lay waste to the realms connected by the Flux and force the ignorant to turn to the Dedicated for their salvation."  A muscle jumped in his jaw with tension.

"And in doing so the Dedicated raised themselves to the status of gods, with the power to create and destroy at will.  Worshipped by those they had, in reality, condemned to a thousand lifetime's of torment." Then he was addressing the Kursed directly.

"What do you want of me, creature?  I do not have the power to reverse the curse that is destroying your people."

"But you do have the power to see me and my precious burden safely to the Undying Lands," the slender creature pressed, taking yet another step towards him with her hands held out pleadingly towards him.  And in doing so, she earned target status once more from the wolf, who snapped her twin blasters back to the ready to take aim at the center of her chest.

"Not another step, filth," the wolf growled.  "Or your journey ends here."

The traveller glanced over at the wolf, his thoughtful expression deepening.  The Kursed's next word, however, pulled his attention hard back to her.

"Your name is legend among my people, my Lord Heretic," she said, her voice holding audible pain, an ache as she remembered her people as they once were.  "We fought to deny the Dedicated their dark purpose of remaking the universe in their twisted image.  But you, once the most powerful of their number, included in their inner councils and granted the title of Grand Ascendant.  You recognized the madness they were about to unleash.  You forsook your own kind to lead our armies against them in battle.  Thanks to you, we almost won."

"Almost," the traveller echoed, the bitterness thorny barbs that granted each syllable an acidic bite.  "Ultimately I failed to stop Unity.  And the price of my failure was your species' annihilation.  I have spent a lifetime looking for a way to undo what I have, ... what they have done.  Perhaps in doing that, I can return the universe to what it was.  And my burdened soul may at long last have purchased redemption."

It was the most words he had spoken in nearly a decade.  And the emotional force of them was enough to steal both the Kursed and the wolf's voices as they stared at him in naked astonishment.  Then the Kursed was visibly shaking herself.

"You want to undo what the Dedicated have done, my lord?" she said.  "Save my people from extinction.  Protect me as I carry the new queen's essence to the Undying Lands.  There the curse will be lifted from her unborn body by the mystic power of that place.  And in her our people will be restored."

"You're not seriously thinking of helping her, ..." the wolf began before a curt gesture from the traveller stilled her tongue.

"The greatest threat of the curse was the madness," he began, fixing the Kursed with a hard look.  "Where your people gradually lost their intelligence and became little more than ravenous beasts, hurling themselves in great swarms at any creature that came across their path.  Those swarms would kill in the most horrible fashion then devour that poor soul with no remorse or regret.  If I take up this quest to protect you until we reach the Undying lands, how am I to guarantee you won't do the same when we have our backs turned?"

Silently the Kursed began stripping off her clothes.  Until, throwing a last piece aside, she stood naked before them.  But not uncovered: every square centimetre of her body and her arms to the elbows and legs to the knees was filled with dark blue, black and red necromantic symbols and runes.

"One thousand of our strongest holy men and women sacrificed their life force to create these symbols," she said in a hoarse whisper.  "Each meant to hold the madness at bay, to keep the curse contained until my task is complete.  And, if any one of them are broken and the curse threatens to come forth, the rest will combine together to burn my body instantly to ash."  She threw back her head.

"My Lord Heretic, you have the faith of my people, and the power of their magic as a guarantee of your safety."  The Kursed let her eyes track over to the wolf.  "And the safety of any who travel with you."

If she was in any way reassured by the Kursed's words, the wolf didn't show it, choosing instead to curl a lip in a silent snarl as she slowly and reluctantly returned her blasters to their holsters.

The traveller, on the other hand, was satisfied.

"Very well," he said with a nod as he stepped forward to pick up an oddly delicate and feminine piece of underwear to hand it to the Kursed.  Who mutely took it from his hand and began dressing.

"You have your protector.  I give you my vow I will do all within my power and capacity to get you to the Undying Lands."  He then turned to the wolf.

"And you, Rekaar's daughter, will do everything in your power and capacity to help me."

"But the Kursed, ..." she began in protest.  Only to be silenced by another one of the traveller's curt gestures.

"You want to travel with me?"  At her mute nod, he continued.  "Then you'll do what I say.  The path to the Undying Lands is fraught with peril.  If I'm to keep the both of you from falling victim to those dangers, I need your absolute cooperation with everything that I do and say."

"You have it, my Lord Heretic," the Kursed quietly indicated.  Nodding in satisfaction, the traveller fixed the wolf with a questioning look.

"Rekaar's daughter?  Do I have your word?"

The wolf grimaced, then reluctantly sighed.

"You do, my lord," she said, folding her arms beneath her generous breasts.  "I will do everything that you say."

"Good."  The traveller turned and began to quickly walk down the road.

"Now gather yourselves and move.  We need to get out of here before the Dedicated discover this Kursed One's presence on a Flux way and sends their reavers to cleanse the path!"