Chapter 18: To Break the Curse

The room beyond was sparsely decorated, like Tsar'kris' throne room. There were pillars supporting the ceiling, and a throne on a dais seated before a window, only this one wasn't iron and glass but wood and empty air, letting in the cool breeze that blew in from the mountains. Seated on the throne was an older man with snow-white wings dusted by faun brown. He wore soft gray robes and slippers, and a small band of gold encircling his brow served as a crown. His eyes, they could see, were a very startling gold, like those of the eagle that perched, apparently tame, on a stand beside the man.

"You say one of my people attempted to cause your deaths?" he asked in a soft voice that was soothing and kind, but one that Orko felt could easily rise to a thunderous shout when enraged or commanding.

"Yes," Dregan answered. "One who called herself the Sorceress Queen, Tsar'kris." The king shook his head sadly, as their escort made a sound that caused the mages to think he wasn't happy about something.

"Tsk, tsk, I'm so sorry you can afoul of that one, and sincerely am glad that you escaped alive. Please, be seated and tell me your tale." Chairs made of wood with silk pillows for the back and seat were brought for them, and they took his offer eagerly. Dregan and Zentarou alternated the telling, Dregan beginning with Vivi's rescue of him and going to their aiding the cat, who in turn backed it up a bit to those beasts removing him from the cage and taking him to the room where he'd nearly dies, and where they'd rescued him. Then Dregan again picked up the tale, of retrieving their things and the subsequent battle and escape. Vivi and Orko put in various details here and there, such as Vivi's find of the emerald and gate cubes, Dregan ending the story by saying,

"And after a bit of traveling, Natar advised us to some here to seek a way to break the curse."

"Quite a tale," said the king, nodding his head sagely. "And you're sure Tsar'kris is dead?"

"Trolly-molly," from Orko. "No one could survive the spell Dregan used or the tower's collapse." At that, the soldier who'd guided them gave an angry growl and thundered out, without any sort of a by your leave to the king.

"You'll have to pardon Kar'karis. Tsar'kris was his sister. He agrees that she broke our laws, and needed punishment, but feels my sentence of banishment was excessive to the crime."

"What did she do?" asked Vivi.

"She consorted with a demon, used it to gain power at the expense of another's life, and then continued to bargain with the demon, favors for favors. Thus, she was sentenced to exile and stripped of her wings, as is the law. Summoning demons for answers to a question is one thing, but to actually team up with one is forbidden. We are not that kind of casters." He sighed softly. "It pained me to do it. She was very powerful, even before her crime, and quickly rising to a position as one of my advisors. She was more intelligent that some of our race twice her age, at the time, and by our standards quite beautiful. But the law is the law, unbendable for any."

"Ya forgot her taste in clothes," came an old accented voice from the door. All looked to see the mage from before entering with another who's wings were as gray as his hair, and had the bearing of ancient wisdom despite the fact that only the corners of his eyes and mouth bore any wrinkles. "Ah, so these are tha four who stumbled upon mah gate cubes," he chuckled, as he bowed to the king.

"Your cubes?" echoed Vivi.

"Mine as in Ah made 'em. And ya want ta break mah curse, eh? Well, ya'll have a rough time of it. When Ah make a curse, Ah make 'em good."

"Is there a way?" asked Dregan.

"There is." The four mages' faces lit up, but before they could begin to celebrate, he held up his hand. "But it's very tricky. Ah made 'em so no one sentenced ta exile could use 'em for escape.

"Here's how they work: One side is keyed ta tha designated plane of exile, tha opposite side keyed ta tha plane of tha maker - me. It's standard procedure here for makin'' exile cubes. Now, instead of keying tha other four sides ta four planes, as in regular gate cubes, tha 're left blank.

"When tha one sentenced ta exile arrives on said plane, tha end squares become dead. Should tha prisoner find some way ta escape, once they leave tha designated plane tha other four sides activate after eight hours. But since tha're blank, it sends them ta a random place.

"To break tha curse, anyone affected must set the four sides to ah home planes of the bearers. All four cubes are connected so what affects one, affects them all. But, ya see, tha trick is that it must be a home plane of one of tha bearers. In other words, the one exiled must get three other planar travelers ta agree to help and take a cube, then travel with them ta each one of their home worlds and set a side. And we were careful to choose only rarely traveled worlds."

"We know that she couldn't have left with them," Vivi said, "but if they were keyed to her, why did the curse hit us?"

"Well, she died. Once that happened, the cubes were freed to key to anyone that touched them or claimed them as their own."

"Namely us," commented the cat.

"And ya four can go ta each of yer home worlds and set tha cubes."

"Trolly-molly, we were going to go to each world anyhow," Orko commented, sounding rather pleased. "We'll just set them as we go."

"And afterwards, we'll have a gate cube keyed to each other’s homes," added Vivi. "We'll be able to visit each other."

"That ya will,” agreed the old one with a smile. "Amidst other things. Ah put a few surprises on those cubes, should anyone ever break mah curse. Ah figured they deserved a reward, after all, if they could accomplished that."

"Thank you, sir," Zentarou said gratefully.

"No problem. Always glad ta help fellow mages." His apprentice helped him up, and with a final bow to the king they left.

"By my best guess, we have about five hours. Perhaps a rest and some food are a good idea, then we allow ourselves to warp and call Natar them."

"Sounds good," agreed Orko. Vivi and Zentarou nodded. They bid farewell to the king, and left. Their previous guide was nowhere in sight, but they found their way out anyways and levitated down.

For the rest of the time, they took it easy. Although most of the people shunned them, they were able to purchase a little food with some of Dregan's gold coins, and rested up. Their spirits were high; the knowledge that they could break the curse, and gain a means to stay in touch in the process, had renewed their spirits.

Precisely eight hours after they arrived, the four vanished. They appeared in a field but didn’t bother to stay, summoning Natar and continuing on their journey.