"Nope. No idea of what a curse is or even how it works. How do you know anyway?"
Ash grimaced.
"Undead react in a peculiar way to curses. Different types of curses exist, but for us it's just that business with the crystals. Quite painful, I'll tell ya."
"You've experienced curses before?"
"In Lothric, the only way of judging something is dying to it. Curses are just another thing on the list of possible causes of death there."
"Sounds fun."
"As a fellow Unkindled once said to me, it's all fun and games until you get torn to shreds by a carnivorous chest."
"Huh."
"Jokes aside, curses are usually transmitted by air. However, only we have suffered from it. I don't know anything about this world's curses, so we might need to ask a few questions."
"You think Beako might know something?"
"She's the one who knows most about this world's magic. However, her library is difficult to access. Something with portals and alternate dimensions, whatever that means."
"Oh, you mean like this?"
Subaru pushed open a door, and on the other side was the massive library, complete with a flustered Beatrice angrily looking at the door.
"Now what do you want?"
"Hey, uh, Beako, we have something to ask you."
"You'd better make this good."
Ash stepped in to calm the fuming lady down.
"We have reasons to believe a curse-casting entity is close. The problem is, this world's curses are different from my own's. Basically, we need your help."
"Oh, so now you need help, eh? Remind me what you needed information on?"
"Curses. Anything you may know."
"And where does this curiosity come from?"
"I have... a hunch. Come on, let's hear it."
"Well, curses are known to be the uttermost expression of dark magic. Once activated, they cannot be reversed, but there is a period of... incubation, one might say."
"How are they cast? Are curses some kind of spell?"
"They are inflicted by breaking the skin, usually. What's going on, why all these questions?"
"As I said, a hunch. Thanks, Beako. You've helped enough."
Subaru enthusiastically patted the small lady on the head, earning a frown. Ash simply bowed with a wide smile, slightly putting Beatrice to rest.
"Curses are dangerous things. Don't get involved with them."
"Don't worry, I know."
Ash commented, a slightly dogged expression making its way on his face.
They left the room, and Subaru immediately began crunching the information.
"So we know that curses are inflicted through wounds."
"Yep. So in what occasions were we cut? I don't think the kitchenware has a cursing side effect."
"The way she said it, it sounded like, more than a cut, a..."
"A wound! But that something wounded us both."
"Curses don't take that long to have effect, as far as I know. A day would be way too long, so something cursed us in a few hours before our deaths, maximum."
"So what do you think?"
"I'm thinking the village. Whatever it was, it was probably there."
"It was the dog. It bit me in the village."
"You too? Indeed, I should have snapped the pest's neck when I had the chance."
"Dogs can curse in this world too?"
"Doesn't surprise me. We have to do something. Something that ends in a blade in that mutt's neck."
"You don't like dogs, don't you?"
Ash shot a withering glance at Subaru, which melted his grin at a terrifying pace.
"No, I guess not."
The knight lowered his head.
"Dogs just irritate me. That aside, our best course of operation is to wait for a moment when it's alone, then strike. We don't want to be known as puppykillers, do we?"
Subaru nodded silently. Him and Ash spent the next couple of days in a tense state, waiting for that fatal day. And it came. Although not as they predicted. Roswall had left the mansion, for an unknown reason. Work, he said. Yeah, right. In the meantime, he had left Emilia in chief of the household. That evening, however, things took a different turn.
Looking out of the window, Ash could see a villager desperately running towards the mansion. He looked distraught. Rem was quick to greet him at the front door. Ash and Subaru rushed to reach him.
"Please, you have to help! The kids..."
Ash took control of the situation, grabbing the man by the shoulders, earning a frown from Rem.
"What about the kids? What happened? Spit it out!"
"The barrier around the village was damaged, and the kids are gone! Please send help, we beg of you!"
The man was going hysterical on him. Ram and Emilia arrived at that moment.
"What's going on?"
"Lady Emilia, it seems we have a crisis on our hands. I'll take Subaru to take care of it, if he is willing."
"Oh, you're not leaving me behind!"
"Very well. Rem will go as well. Stay safe, guys. Please."
Both Subaru and Ash smiled.
"Rest assured, lady Emilia."
"Nothing can kill us."
They glanced at each other and dashed off like two young boys in a mischevious mood. Rem simply sighed, and after lightly bowing to the mistress, followed after them.
"Ash, what do you think?"
"Somehow, the pest has captured the children. Probably brought them back to its hole. In the forest, I reckon."
"What's our plan of action?"
Ash spared a glance at the kid.
"Get in, get our hands bloody, bring the kids back. Simple enough."
Rem somehow had caught up to the both of them.
"That doesn't sound like a plan."
"Any better ideas, miss?"
"Yours sounds more... efficient."
"Thanks. I worked on it."
"Hmmmm."
Meanwhile, they had arrived at the village. There was a small congregation of people holding torches in the town square, but they didn't look ready for a fight. They were terrified for their children. Ash disappeared behind a house, and came out fully armored in under twenty seconds, which impressed both Rem and Subaru.
"Chief, what can we do? Our kids are somewhere in the forest, probably scared out of their minds!"
"We need to stay calm, first of all. I have sent someone to ask Roswall for help."
"And here it is, name's Ash, I'm the reinforcements. Give me the rundown and point me in the right direction."
"Oh, I thought we'd recieve help more... numerous?"
"I'm better than any army, now, quick. Your kids' lives are on the line."
"Oh, yes. The barrier was damaged around that spot over there. We suspect they have been... taken out of there."
"That'll do, lass, that'll do. Rem, Subaru, follow my lead."
The trio sprinted off into the forest, leaving behind the perplexed villagers. Without breaking stride, Ash pulled out a distinctively curved sword out of thin air, and passed it to Subaru.
"Lest I forget, and you get yourself killed in a stupid manner. Even an untrained kid like you should know how to use a sword, eh?"
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"
"We'll see. Lady Rem, any preferences?"
"I already have what I need."
"Fine. I see a clearing up ahead. And a couple of... somethings."
As they burst in the clearing, the silhouettes revealed themselves to be two of the kids that had gone missing. They were lying on the ground, clearly unconscious. Ash kneeled and layed a hand on one of them.
"They're still alive. But whatever did this can't be far away."
Almost on cue, a loud bark was heard and a large black dog shot out of the bracken, clamping its jaws on Ash's neck.
"ASH!"
Subaru yelped out, as the dog firmly pinned down his friend. Ash was not amused.
"Bad..."
He slowly opened the beast's jaw, and placed his gauntlet in it.
"...dog!"
He then twisted his arm, snapping the beast's neck instantly. He stood up, massaging his own neck, taking care to cover the wounds with the armor's cloth.
"Ash, there's still someone missing! Petra is gone!"
"One of them?"
"I recognize them. Luka and Mild. Petra's still missing."
"Go then, I'll bring these two back."
"You're going alone?"
"I can handle myself. You focus on getting that girl back home."
Ash then picked up the two boys and stomped off back into the forest, leaving Rem and Subaru alone.
"Rem, you ready?"
"Yes. However, you are not."
The rattle of chains was heard for a moment, before Subaru's leg disappeared. His eyes widened and he fell back with a silent scream on his face.
"I don't know your motivations, or if the other guy is your ally, but your ride ends here."
"What... are you talking... about?"
Subaru managed to cough out.
"Your friend, Ash. Ram may have come to like him, but I have no doubt. Nobody could have survived that attack."
She bent down and picked Subaru's head up by the hair.
"I want you to tell me exactly what is your objective here. I already know who you're working for."
"Do tell me, because I have no clue either."
Subaru gasped out, retaining still a bit of his sass. This bit, however, evaporated when his hand detached itself from his arm.
"Enough joking around. I can smell the stench of the Witch on you."
The Witch? Emilia had mentioned her back in the capital. Apparently she had wiped out half the planet, or something like that. She was this world's bogeyman.
"Rem, I don't know anything about the Witch, I promise you. You already know I mean no harm."
As he panted this out, he grasped the sword he had been given, and tossed it aside.
"The last thing I want to do is hurt any of you. Come on, everything we've done together, was it all for nothing? Everything you taught me?"
He was halfway through his sentence when the chain dashed once more, carving out a massive gash in his neck. As Subaru painfully drowned in his own blood, Rem had an expression of only contempt, before disappearing into the forest.
"You talk too much."
This chapter has been a long time coming. Due to a combination of personal problems and a bad case of writer's block, I have been unable to progress this story. I deeply apologize and hope for your forgiveness. Unfortunately, new chapters will be released more sporadically, so a precise schedule I cannot provide. Every week or two is the timespan I would expect. Once again, sorry, and I hope this chapter satisfies you.
