The blackness stretched out before them. The mist around her was gray but the blackness somehow seemed different. It still curled and rolled like a smoke, but it was thicker, as though it would suffocate her. The distorted figures within it flowed and moved like a breeze blew around them but she felt none on her skin.
"What do we do?"
"I don't know," there were one too many voices that answered her. No one knew.
"Can you see it?"
"We see a pit of darkness, nothing more," Duran answered.
Khash said, "I see shapes in a black fog."
"Me, too." She didn't know what to do, but she reached instinctively for her sword and found one there, strapped to her hip. She pulled it free. "We have to find Wren in that."
"How? They look the same."
"You cannot touch them," her mother warned. "They will try to attach to you."
"I understand."
"Most of these souls are already dead."
"Most?" She turned to look at her.
The woman that came for Khash answered, "When a soul is cursed, part of it comes here until the curse is lifted...or until they die. As the curse worsens, more of their soul comes here, bit by bit." She took a deep breath and loosed it slowly, "There will be paler forms in this black sea, those are the living. Wren's soul will be...very dark but not lost."
Her mother nodded, "If they die cursed, their soul never leaves here."
"What happens out there? When the curse fully claims him?"
Khash answered this time, "He will no longer be able to become human. Now I understand why. His soul has slowly been stripped away, over time. Pieces of himself coming here. When all of his soul is gone, Wren is dead, he is here. Only the beast will remain, ravaging the kingdom."
"Not all curses take the soul, but this one does. It is...a terrible thing to do."
Erinne's heart hurt to hear those words. All these years, having one's soul slowly taken...it must've been a hell Wren could not truly put into words. "Why was he cursed like this? Who would someone do this to another?" She looked around at all the lost souls, blacker than soot, roaming the sea. To look at them was to look at a sunless sky, where no light would ever find them. It made her own soul feel less somehow.
"Someone who did not understand the consequences of hate," a new voice joined them and they all turned to see a woman and man moving from the mist. The woman looked different, somehow, as though she were, herself, a shadow. Not quite like the Forgotten Souls, but the air around her was blackened with a hint of the same wraiths she saw wandering the dark fog.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"A cursed one." She answered easily, but the man next to her seemed familiar.
She heard the sharp intake of air before Khash hit his knees, "My Lord, King."
Erinne frowned, studying the man. His blue eyes and high cheekbones were familiar. The man smiled and knelt down, taking Khash's shoulders, "You do not bow to me anymore, here I am no king. My son is king. You will serve him."
"You're...Wren's father?"
"Yes, and she is Wren's curser."
The woman beside him hung her head, "My curse was made in anger, I did not know the consequences of my actions."
"Why do you...look like...this?" She wasn't sure how else to ask the question.
"Cursing one comes with a cost. I live a half life, neither here nor there. I am always hungry, I am always thirsty. I never feel at peace." There was so much hurt and pain here. It broke her heart. All these lost souls, all these spots of darkness. The woman must have sensed her thoughts because she said, "You cannot help the others. They are already gone."
"What about the ones that live?"
She didn't answer.
"How do we save Wren. Is there a way to free the cursed orc? A Seer told me I could not bring his soul back but I'm not sure I understand how to bring any soul back."
The woman breathed deeply, facing Khash, "You must give up something to cross into the darkness. You must sacrifice. You must find Wren and the orc. You must bring them out of the darkness and to this side. When they are in this side, the curse is broken. When you wake up, you will take Wren with you and his soul will reunite with his body."
"What happens to the orc?"
"When the curse is broken, but his soul not returned, the body will be purely creature. The orc will not remain. That animal's body will be allowed to die."
Erinne swallowed, anxiety piercing her, "You mean...the orc is still in there?"
"Part of his soul remains, somewhat conscious. He cannot control himself but sometimes when the beast sleeps, he dreams. He knows what he is and he is trapped. His curse...it's worse than Wren's. At least Wren had some semblance of control for a time."
Erinne shuddered as the witch outlined the orc's reality and her heart ached all the more. It was no wonder it always came for Wren, the one who cursed him. The orc had come to Thunderfall with the intent to kill Wren and paid dearly for it.
Once again, Erinne found herself in the middle of a war of hate. This woman had cursed Wren to lash out at his father. This hate drove a wedge in the entire world. Caught in the middle again, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why me? Why am I the one to fix all of this?"
The witch smiled sadly, "Because I cursed you, too."
Erinne felt her heart skipping in her chest, she felt a strangeness wash over her. "What?" She said slowly, watching her intently.
"There must be a balance, you see, magic users know this. You cannot create without death, you cannot control without chaos. Darkness to light, light to darkness. The day I created the curse, you were also created. The day I cast the curse, you were born. Nature has a way...of balancing itself. Curses are of hate, but you are of love. Your heart is so pure, dear Erinne."
"Why me? It could've been any child."
"Because you are my blood."
Erinne frowned and turned to her parents and her mother nodded and she said, "I don't understand."
Surprisingly, Khash answered her, "You're a lady. Your parents were part of the court before they moved to Broc'Tannen."
That was true, she knew that. She'd even wondered at times how she'd been raised before Broc'Tannen, but they were memories too far gone to remember. Her parents had moved to have a simple life in the country, far from Thunderfall. Unfortunately it'd placed them on the orc border, the thing that became their downfall.
Her mother spoke, "There are many reasons we left court, but my sister's betrayal was the truest reason."
Her father shook his head, "We could not stay there after the prince was cursed. We left it and the shame our family had brought to the kingdom to raise you in a simpler life. And we were happier for it."
"But why, why did you curse him?" She pressed her hands to her temples.
"I was to be his wife, but he married another," her eyes cut to Wren's father, suggesting she was still not over the hurt. "Instead I was given to another Lord, a cruel man."
Her mother looked sad as she said, "She ran away to us, we were still living in Thunderfall then. She was so injured...the healer said she would never be able to have children..."
"And there he was, the king's son...the son I could have had. I cursed him because I knew it would aggrieve his father and I wanted him to feel the pain I had felt...but I hope you can change it."
Erinne shivered. Wren had been cursed. She had been born. She'd always been his resurrection. Tears filled her eyes. "You ruined his life. He wasn't even the one who hurt you, his father did."
Regret actually shone out of her wispy eyes now and she nodded, "Nature, it maintains its balance. You were created when the curse was, you were born when it was cast. Your family is human and orc, the curse affects us both. You are the only one who can walk among human and orcs, the only one who can undo the curse and make things right again. But you must sacrifice." She waved her hand towards the darkness and Erinne peered out at the sea of black fog again. It churned like a slowly creeping storm. "They will try to attack you, much like the curse attached to you attacked Khash."
Erinne swallowed as she stared at the sea, waiting for them. Her orc warriors braced next to her, her parents stood taller. Khash moved closer to her. The darkness threatened to consume them and they hadn't even touched it yet. She glanced at her parents, holding their gaze for a long moment and then Duran and Tekoe before she asked the witch, "Can souls die in there?"
"We're already dead, Sheobulf," Tekoe laughed, "but yes, we can become like...them."
The witch said, "The cannot stay there long. Every moment they touch the darkness, the more of them it takes, and they must return with you because only one who is between realms, as you and Khash are, can bring them out. When they are out, they will be fully restored."
"What about the sacrifice?"
"As you are both living," she indicated Erinne and Khash, "your sacrifice will be great."
The thought scared her. Not that long ago she felt she had nothing to lose except Anyse. Now she had a family again, a future she hoped for once more. "I cannot ask any of you to come with me and risk your peace. You've already lived and died. Cold Hammer and Lohke deserve to join you in Everfen." She turned to face the pair of orcs.
"It's not your choice. We will fight with you, as our sons have fought with you. It is our honor."
Her father drew a sword and tears pricked her eyes, "I was a Lord and Knight for my king, it is my honor to be a Knight for my daughter." He turned to her mother, "If I do not come back out,"
"I will walk in and join you," she whispered to him and kissed him. Tears filled her eyes.
The woman that had come with Khash turned to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Your magic will work in the darkness, dear brother, it is my gift to you. But you both must hurry, the day has turned to night and your Seer begins to worry. Wren is fading."
"That settles it then, we must go, now." King Wren didn't pull a sword, but a bow and arrow.
Erinne shook in place. Nothing had ever felt more real than this moment, right now. She understood now why she was the Warrior of Everfen, she understood so much more than she ever had. She was born to break curses, she was born to break hate. It had always been her life's mission. Meeting Lohke had driven a new peace that was unprecedented, loving Cold Hammer had broken barriers. This was her destiny. She raised her chin higher. "I'm ready," she said, and stepped into the black fog.