Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Eleven - It's A Big World

CopyrightⒸ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved

"As a grown woman and an officially recognized and permitted Curse Breaker, we think it would be best for you to start working on large curses," Lucinda stated over dinner, each member of the household at the dinner table, cups of ice-cold lemonade between their hands.

"Prep for the Dragons curse," Briar Rose grumbled, putting her forehead in her left hand. "I guess that I might as well try. If I do nothing I'll sleep forever."

"A lot of people will sleep forever and many others will die. Almost every Curse Breaker and highly trained Witch and Wizard alive today was at that Ball. If we fall asleep, there will only be a few accredited Curse Breakers left to fight the Dragons."

"Fantastic," She grumbled, her head falling to the table. "No pressure. Just a year before Alagil falls into chaos."

"Listen well, for there is more danger than just the Dragons and the Curse Briar Rose," Lucinda chided, her tight voice making the young woman's head come up.

"There were many people at that party. Lords and Ladies, Witches and Wizards, Merchants and Port Owners from Alagil and Brightstone alike. The Royals were the primary intent of the Curse. From a basic understanding of curses, if you remove the intent, the Curse is nullified."

"A curse that complex from a Dragon would operate even if the intent were eliminated. The power behind it would propel forward regardless of the main focus." Briar Rose stated immediately.

Then the threat behind the words sunk in.

"They want to kill me? Kill me to save themselves?"

"Technically speaking they would need to take out High King Henric and High Queen Victoria as well as Princess Emerald," Dolphina stated, her hands clenched together so tightly that her fingers were white. "Skyfort is only open to those members who have Gold Thread and each is followed by the Royal Guard."

"So everyone in there is essentially enemies," Briar Rose assuaged. "Trapped into looking after each other. If someone dies, you know it was a Cursed person who did the deed."

"Exactly."

"Stay away from anyone with Gold Thread. They're a threat to your life. We made sure no one knows who you are and let everyone who ever met you know that you were a very talented Witch, something they could not deny when they saw you in action. You got your permit years earlier than the average, which speaks for itself."

"Why are you talking like that? As if..." Briar Rose trailed off. "As if you won't be with?"

"You cannot go into Skyfort. It's too dangerous. Stonesteeple itself is off-limits."

"Why would I go to a city where everyone wants to murder me?! You can stay with me. I'll go to other places and practice with you three." Briar Rose squeaked, twisting her hands together. "We're a family. We stick together."

Lucinda, Niall, and Dolphina all looked at each other, pain evident in every line of their faces. "No Briar Rose. We aren't your family. We're just your teachers. Teachers who have nothing left to teach you. All we can do now is return to Skyfort and make sure no one tampers with the Curse. We put in protective barriers to protect the spindle and it's high time we checked upon them. Besides that, this is the final year. Everyone will be worried and there will be attempts to break the Curse which would only increase the effects threefold."

Sniffling, Briar Rose wiped her nose, her eyes watering as she looked each Witch in turn.

"This has to be a nightmare."

"No," Lucinda stated, reaching out to grab her hand. "It's real. A never-ending nightmare will be our fate should we all fail."

"So, I just go out and never come back?" Briar Rose asked, panic setting back in. "Where will I live? What will I eat?"

"We have money saved up that you'll use," Lucinda admitted, rubbing her temples. "There's an enchanted coin purse that's worn looking with four sections. Each holds vast amounts of coins while being so small no one would think there's not much in it. When I give it to you, it will recognize you as the owner and only you will be able to hold it and access the contents."

"Like my Magic pack," Briar Rose stated, seeing the similarity in the enchanted function.

"Yes, like your magic pack. Equally cleverly disguised so that, if you need to hide the fact you're a Curse Breaker, you can."

Niall lifted a hand, cutting her off. "There are some situations where it is best to hide that you have magic. Dragons have created a lot of hatred towards those who wield it. When you are outnumbered you are at risk. A town full of peasants can kill you with pitchforks and kitchen knives as you pass through after breaking a difficult curse.

Wizards and Witches stick to covens for power in Casting to fight Dragons and for protection against Mortals when they are at their weakest after Casting. You don't have that luxury. Without your individual magic to aid you, you're left to Mortal methods of fighting."

All of the blood drained from Briar Roses' face.

"Stick to small towns and small cities. Avoid rural villages and large cities alike. We have a map marked for you," Dolphina pulled a map from the nearby cabinet. Red and blue-coated the landscape with splotches of green between a few areas. The rest was grey.

"Red is bad. Blue is good. Green is neutral, mostly because there are no human settlements there to mark. Grey is undetermined."

"That is a lot of Red," she lamented, looking at the map.

"I'm more worried about the Grey," Niall started, pointing a finger to a large area covering three whole cities. "That means that you have to be extra careful. There could be people there who pose as allies that are actually enemies. Lots of people fish for those possessing magic in cities. Forced recruitment."

"Enslavement to a coven," Briar Rose whispered, knowing the stories of such fates well.

"Yes," Niall agreed. "And they won't be kind if they realize who you are."

"We heard of a Curse in the country of Whitewater, only thirty miles from its border with Alagil. Apparently, a whole castle was cursed. Everyone was turned into animals."

"Who would have the power to complete such a feat?" Briar Rose asked, her eyes wide.

"It was a wizard from the Brightstone Court who lead it," Lucinda stated, her mouth a tight line. "The people of Whitewater refused to surrender to high King Henric when he was setting up protection from the Dragons, claiming they could fight them off own their own. The United Royal Magic Defense Force created the Curse and sent it out, overpowering the few Wizards that were in that castle.

When the Kingdom failed to defeat them and failed to reverse the Curse, people of the entire nation fled, joining with the countries who signed their contract for a united defense. Everyone who left had to swear fealty to King Henric and his forces to be admitted into the fold.

The cursed from the castle that swore fealty were cured instantly."

"They left the Curse intact?" Briar Rose exclaimed, appalled. "It's a countries own choice to join a union of any kind. Refusal isn't a just cause for punishment."

"I've heard that a few people stayed behind. Over the decades' many Wizards and Witches have tried and failed to break the Curse. Why don't you give it a try?"

Briar Rose looked at the map, seeing blue covering most of that country. "How do you know it's safe?"

"People there need magic users to build up their nation's defense. They despise our kingdom as much as the Dragons, who don't go that far often enough to be a threat. Most of their magic users from Whitewater left, joining the United Royal Magic Defense Force.

They know better than to try and entrap magic users. The recourse is more then they can handle and trouble they don't want to create, as long as you stick to the cities. Rural areas are undetermined."

"Well," Briar Rose put her hands on her neck, thinking hard. "It does have the least amount of Red."