Snow sticks to the windshield of the van even though inside the heat is cranked up as high as it will go. Heli would still rather be inside a building than a vehicle, but Eugene doesn't give him a choice.

"Why don't you take Solon on this trip? He knows how to get around here."

"I don't know him," Eugene had said.

Not much of an excuse, Heli thinks. Eugene has spent the last few days interrogating Solon for everything he knew about the monster, and Eira for everything she could remember about the archaeologists and university men. Jaan and Jakah have never given him any reason to worry, and Solon should be no different. After a few days in the inn, Solon's cleaned up well and doesn't even look like someone who'd spent years in the wilderness anymore. Heli's pretty sure it all comes down to Eugene's apparent preference to exploit his little debt spell as much as he can. He tries to remind himself the more he obeys Eugene's demands, the faster he'll pay the debt, but at the same time, he's starting to suspect it's either not possible, or Eugene knows all these little requests won't add up to enough within his own lifespan. Just how was he supposed to quantify the value of Heli's life?

No one else had come into the inn. In fact very few people were stepping out of their house at all, for fear of being the next victim. Eira spent most of the empty days pacing, staring out the window and jumping at every small sound.

They slowly roll out into the blue haze of the day, through the countryside and towards a university. At least he's been allowed the front seat next to the strongest flow of hot air. Viken and his map leaned between them from behind.

"We still could have brought Solon," Heli mumbles through a scarf.

"I didn't think it was wise to show up as a huge crowd," Eugene says. "Besides, if the monster shows up at the inn, he'll be better off to take care of it. Protecting Eira is part of the job."

"Jakah might not come back home if you don't agree to get a dog," Viken adds. "Turn right up here."

"Turn right, or turn right here?"

"Both. You're going to miss it."

The van slides as Eugene makes a sharp turn. The trees thin as a large campus comes into view. Numerous lit windows brighten the air as they approach. The road circles around several long, grey brick buildings. At the top of the campus stands an imposing structure of red brick. In the centre, a bell tower rises into the cloudy sky. Several students are out walking along the sidewalk beside the road, their bundled heads down.

"We need the archaeology department," Eugene says as he pulls to the side of the road. "Did you see anything to indicate where that might be?"

"The map only has the campus, not which building is which," says Viken from behind the paper.

"It's here." Heli points to a plain grey building ahead of them. "There was a sign."

"Excellent." Eugene switches off the engine and drops the key into his pocket as he climbs out.

Heli sighs as he also exits the vehicle. Considering the heat won't stay trapped inside for long, he might as well. The roads and sidewalks around the campus have all been cleared of snow, and it's an easy walk up the steps and into the department building.

"Are you allowed to just walk in?" Heli asks and Eugene reaches for the door. "I've never been to a university."

"Yeah, why not?" Eugene shrugs.

The interior is just as plain and grey as the outside. A long hallway extends on either side of the entryway, lined with doors marked overhead as classrooms and laboratories. A staircase turns as it rises to the floor above. Several benches are arranged around the open space, mostly unoccupied but one or two students lounge with an open book and pencil in their hand.

If Dr. Himmel had decided to take him in and see to his education in a medical field, maybe he would have had the opportunity for secondary education and gone to a university like this. He wonders if he would have been any good at it, studying the way these students are, their notes and papers spread about them. They don't even look up as Heli passes, taking no notice at all of the newcomers. Silently he laughs.

"I don't think so," he mutters to himself.

"Hm?" Viken tilts his head.

"I was thinking about studying," Heli explains.

Viken makes a disgusted face. "What good is that going to do you?"

"It's not."

"And this is why most of our jobs go to Taho," Eugene interjects. "Looks like there's an office here, come on."

Sitting at a desk is a woman, her glasses perched at the end of her nose as she works on a mustard yellow typewriter. A small tag on the desk reads "Secretary".

"Just a moment," she says, without missing a key stroke. When she reaches the end of the line and the bell chimes, she looks up at Eugene, over her glasses. "Can I help you?"

"We're looking for Dr. Haugen," Eugene says. "Do you know where to find him?"

"Are you looking to register in one of his classes?"

"No, I'm just interested in his work."

The secretary frowns. "I'm afraid he is busy with classes beginning today," she says. "If you'd like to make an appointment and come back-"

"That's not going to be possible," Eugene interrupts. "I need to see him today. It's about an excavation he took part in last summer."

She doesn't blink as she returns Eugene's hard glare. "You're going to need to make an appointment. Or, if you'd prefer, you still have time to sign up for a course."

"This is a matter of life and death."

"That's what they all say. Trust me, once you graduate you'll realise that you should have taken-"

"Good afternoon, Ingrid!"

A short, greying man enters from the hallway. He beams as he shakes the snow off his coat. "Eager to get the semester started, I see!" He nods to Eugene.

"Hello professor," the secretary responds. "These three were just leaving. They're not your students."

"That's too bad," the professor shakes his head.

"You're Dr. Haugen?" Eugene asks.

"That's right."

"Look, professor," Eugene says. "I'm not a student, but I do want to know about a project you took part in. Last summer, you dug up some artefacts near a town a bit north of here. You and your team brought crates of stuff off the mountain. We'd like to see it."

The professor's smile fades just a bit.

Heli shoots a sideways glance towards Viken.

There's no way he's going to try to convince him with a monster zombie story.

Viken shrugs with a frown.

"Nothing from that site is for public view," he says. "Are you an archaeologist?"

"No," Eugene says. "You must have heard of the mysterious deaths that have taken place. Just in the last couple weeks there have been more. The people of that town deserve to know what-"

So he did intend to convince the professor with a monster tale.

"I don't know what you're trying to accuse me of, or what my work would have to do with some people dying!" He looks from Eugene to Viken, his smile drooping as his face turns red. "It's simply not possible! If you'll excuse me." His gaze drifts from Viken to Heli, and their eyes meet.

"Professor," Heli says. "Why don't you just show us the artefacts? No one is accusing you of anything."

Dr. Haugen flounders for a bit, his mouth gaping like a fish until it forms back upwards into a wide smile. "Of course. This way." He extends a hand to point them back out into the hall.

Ingrid rises from her desk as they leave.

"Dr. Haugen!"

"I became a teacher to share my passion! Not hoard it! What an exciting find this was, you'll be amazed!"

"See, this is why I wanted you along," Eugene hisses as he lightly elbows Heli in the arm. "You're infinitely useful."

"Solon could have also done that."

Dr. Haugen leads them down a staircase near the back of the building into a cool, stone basement. While tile lines the halls. Dr. Haugen stops in front of one door and unlocks it with a key he pulls from his pocket, and flips the light switch. Overhead the fluorescent lights flicker to life. The lab room is equally white and bright, containing several cabinets and drawers and in the centre a smooth metal table.

"We were very surprised at the quality of artefacts," Dr. Haugen says as he opens a drawer and pulls out a shallow box. "It certainly shed a new light on our understanding of the people living this far north. None of their folklore made it into any of the great sagas, and is all but lost."

"How long will this last," Viken whispers as Dr. Haugen dons a pair of gloves and pops open the box lid. "The hypnotism?"

"I think we've caught him in his element," Heli smirks. "Probably shouldn't stick around too long though, just in case he snaps out of it."

He looks to Eugene who's wearing a big smile and nodding as Dr. Haugen unwraps little trinkets and lays them out on the table. Coins, like Eira's, buckles and coloured beads. Every time he displays something new Eugene hums as he inspects the item.

"What else was there?" he asks.

Dr. Haugen complies and shows him the scraps of ancient clothing, an axe head and cooking implements from another drawer.

"But isn't there something else?"

Dr. Haugen's enthusiasm doesn't seem to wane even as Eugene demands to see more and more of the contents of his lab. He repacks everything and pulls out every more stuff with an equally unwavering smile.

"I'm not seeing any grand treasure." Viken sighs.

"Are we sure our idea of treasure matches with what they actually found?" Heli says. "What if there isn't any?"

"Professor," says Eugene. "I heard there were crates full. You must have found something more than all these trinkets."

Dr. Haugen pauses. "These trinkets are more valuable than you think! Just because we aren't excavating piles of gold! What did you say you were studying again?"

He glances around the room with a frow as Eugene attempts damage control.

"I'm extremely interested in your work, I was only asking based on what I'd heard-"

"Do something before the hypnotism wears off," Viken hisses.

Heli takes a deep breath and steps forward to again look the professor dead in the eye.

"Is this everything or not?"

The professor's eyes unfocus for a moment as he blinks. He puffs up his chest as he regains his composure.

"Of course not! Would you like to see something truly remarkable?"

Heli smiles. "That's why we're here."

Dr. Haugen grins back and disappears behind the cabinet of drawers. They can hear him shuffling about for a few moments before he returns with a long, thin box in hand. He sets it on the table, lifts the lid, and folds back the white cloth covering the object inside.

A long sword lies at the bottom of the box. Though the blade has a few pits and dents in the edges, the metal still has some shine. Scraps of what had been a leather scabbard wrap around the blade. Etched into the hilt is a series of elaborate knots, and down the blade a line of runes.

"This is it," Eugene whispers. He pulls a pen out of his coat and turns to Viken. "Got any paper?"

"Just the map," Viken hands it to him, and he copies the runes in one corner.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Dr. Haugen beams. "The condition is amazing. To still have some of the leather work!"

"It really is," Eugene offers back a smile of his own. "Thank you for showing us this professor."

"Anytime! Which course did you say you were taking again?"

Eugene is still smiling as they climb back into the van. He turns back to Viken.

"I think I can get us back without the map."

"I'm gonna keep it out just in case," Viken frowns. "Unless you did something to it. What was so special about the sword?"

Eugene turns to Heli. "What did you make of it?"

Heli thinks back, visualising the sword and its intricate decorations. Imagining it now, the etchings feel sort of familiar.

"That sword," he starts. "Looked a lot like one of the ones hanging in Eira's cafe. I don't mean in a generic way, like the designs on it were the same."

"Right on," Eugene says. He drives away from the campus, setting back on the road towards the little town and their inn. "The blade was marked with a curse."

"Of course it was," Viken groans. "What isn't cursed? Do you know what these say?"

"Nope," says Eugene. "Should be able to figure it out though."

When he presents the scribbled runes on the edge of their map to Eira, she just shakes her head.

"I can't read this. For one thing, it looks like you wrote it while going downhill on a sled."

"Alright, nevermind the handwriting," Eugene retorts. "Do you know of anyone who could read this?"

Solon also takes a look, but shakes his head.

"Papa, maybe," Eira says. "I'll call him to come over."

Mr. Iversen appears just as disgruntled as their last meeting. When he sees the runes, rewritten in a neater fashion by Eira, his expression grows dark. He sits at one of the cafe tables, taking a long look at the paper in his head. He casts a sharp look at each of the seven of them.

"You saw these where?"

"On a sword," Eugene explains. "Just like the one hanging on your wall, but the real one."

Mr. Iversen sets the map down in front of him. "It's nonsense. A curse on anyone who would take this that isn't the rightful owner. That death and misfortune would befall them."

"We could have guessed something like that," Viken mumbles.

"I want to tell you there is no such thing as curses, but you seem like a superstitious lot. And I don't know where you got these ideas," Mr. Iversen makes a pointed look at Eira. "So I'll humour you a bit with a bit of old legend."

He leans back in the chair with his arms crossed. Heli pulls over his own seat to settle between Viken and Jaan, and everyone else follows suit, coming closer to hear what Mr. Iversen has to say. Only Jakah is on the floor, the dog Frida in his lap.

"Not many people know this, even though it all supposedly happened right here. I told you before the people who lived here were whalers," Mr. Iversen starts. "That is still true, but it's not the complete story. The men who started this town were whalers and merchants, yes, but they were successful ones at that, and acquired a significant amount of wealth. Of course with wealth came power and the captain of the whalers before long had what amounted to a small army, and considered himself something like the king of the north.'

'Not being the first people to ever live here, you might think conflict would arise, but no. This northern King was a fair and respected man who swore to protect those who pledged their loyalty. And that's exactly what happened. While he amassed more wealth from the people inland, he also protected them from raiders that came from the east.

'One such incident with an invasion turned into a full out battle, and eventually the northern King emerged victorious."

He stops to take a long drink from a cup in front of him.

"How does this relate to the curse on the sword though?" Eugene asks.

"These sorts of curses are created by evil men. The kind who do not care for others, only for themselves and their own possessions. Their greed binds them to this world in a merciless guard of what they had obtained while alive. Anything taken from their grave awakens them, a terrible monster, who hunts down thieves in their thirst for revenge."

"You said this King was fair and respected," Jaan frowns.

"I did. And because the northern King was an honourable man, he even gave his enemies a warrior's grave. The leader of these raiders was bloodthirsty, his band killing and pillaging across the country without any remorse. Most were even afraid to take a stand against him. Until he was finally defeated by the northern King. Parts of the legend claim that as he died, he swore vengeance on the King. That someday he would rise and slay the people of this town."

Mr. Iversen points to the swords on the wall. "I had those designed as an homage to this story. One sword represents the noble King, the other his enemy. I thought we should do more to show our local history, and with the excitement about the archaeologists, there never seemed like a better time."

Eugene turns to Eira with a cross expression. "Why did you not mention any of this? This is crucial information!"

"I've never heard the version about rising from the dead!"

Heli gazes at the swords mulling over all this new information. If each sword represented a combattant in the tale, and the curse was created by wickedness then… the sword at the university would have to belong to the ruthless invader.

Mr. Iversen uncrosses his arms as he stands. "Again, it's just a tale. There may be some truth in it, but none of that includes curses or magic swords, despite what Eira may have you believe. This is all just what happens when history becomes muddled with fairy stories." He looks at Eira with concern. "I left that much out because I knew your imagination would run away with it."

"It is a good story though," Eira says. "Don't you think there could be more to the myth? Something is killing the people of this town. Don't you think it could be related?"

"What we saw," Solon says slowly. "I could only describe as a walking corpse."

Eira's eyes widen. "The rotten smell…" she trails off.

"Nothing but garbage, and you've got them up here looking for monsters!" Mr. Iversen exclaims. "Next you'll all be lost in the mountains chasing after ghosts that are not there ."

With a sympathetic glance back, Eira follows her father out of the cafe as he continues muttering about nonsense curses.

Rather than being put out, Eugene lights up. He jumps from his seat and runs closer to the hanging swords.

"You've all got to be thinking what I'm thinking."

"Which part?" asks Viken.

"Even if you know what that curse is, you still have a problem," says Solon. "He said the sword would bring death if it was taken from its rightful owner."

"Ah!" Jakah interjects. "So what if you just took it back to the grave?"

"You're onto something here," Eugene points to Jakah.

"You can't take the sword back from the university though," says Heli. Eugene is still pointing as he adds, "Can you?"

"I don't think we have to," says Eugene.

Even Jaan's eyebrows are furrowed up in confusion.

"I don't get it," says Viken. "How are you supposed to return the sword to its rightful owner, without actually returning the sword?"

Solon jumps up, also heading for the decorations on the wall. He reaches up and carefully lifts the engraved sword from its mount and lowers it to take a better look.

"Is it even real?" asks Jaan.

Solon holds it in his hands, getting a feel for the weight, then unsheathes it from the leather scabbard. A flash of silver indicates that it is.

"It's not sharpened though," he says.

"Also irrelevant, maybe," says Eugene. "I might be able to recreate the curse onto this sword. It's basically identical, and it looks the way it would have a thousand years ago. All we'd have to do is take this one to the grave, and bam. Returned to the rightful owner."

A chorus of ahh rings out from the vampires but Viken lets out an exasperated groan.

"That would make you the owner, if you curse it. The whole thing is still messed up."

Eugene stares at the sword in Solon's hands. "Definitely tricky, but it still might work if we have a piece of the monster to bind the curse with. Eira's been in direct contact with it, she would be our best bet, if she's willing."

"This doesn't sound like a sure thing," says Jaan. "Just because it touched her once doesn't mean anything of it is still on her."

"I meant in her blood," says Eugene.

Still not a very steadfast plan, Heli thinks. Any trace of the monster from its attack on Eira is really bound to be long gone, and if the spell doesn't work, then what? Would they still have to hunt the monster down?

"Solon," he says suddenly. "You caught it once."

"Yeah," says Solon. "But I don't have anything-"

"You said you stabbed it," Heli continues. "With a spike. Do you still have that? There might be something on it."

Solon sheathes the sword as he thinks. "I might, if I didn't throw it into the stove. I'd have to look."

"That would be our best bet."

Solon agrees to look for the wooden stake, and Jaan accompanies him back up the mountain to look in his hut. The rest clear the cafe, leaving enough space in the floor for a circle. Eugene draws one in chalk slowly, flipping through his own notebook and scribbling down notes as he does so.

Heli and Viken sit at the bar counter, watching as he works.

"Solon would have had to go back anyway," Heli says. "If there was anything in there he wanted to bring with."

"Right," Viken says.

"How exactly is this spell supposed to work?"

"Man, I don't know," Gyu replies. "Binding spells, curses, that's all Eugene's area of expertise. I've got no clue."

Heli lifts an eyebrow. He had thought Viken would know, considering they all professed to be capable of magic. Come to think of it though, he can't remember actually seeing Viken do any magic, at least not without Eugene leading the spell.

"What about you then? What kind of magic do you do?"

"You haven't been paying any attention, have you?"

"I-"

"They're back!" Jakah skips into the room, Frida at his feet, her tail wagging.

"That was fast," Eugene rises from where he had been sitting in the circle, just finishing the last few glyphs near the centre. "Did they find the spike?"

"I did," Solon enters with a rough-hewn wooden stake in hand. The end is coated in a thick, gooey black substance and even from the distance Heli is sitting away, it reeks.

"Far out," Eugene takes the stake from Solon as he surveys it. "This ought to do it."

He steps back into the circle with the spike.

"Could you hand me the sword?"

Jaan takes it from the table Solon had set it on earlier and hands it over the circle's perimeter to Eugene. Removing the scabbard, he lays the sword in the centre of the circle. With the grime-covered end of the spike, he traces the runes from the original curse onto the floor next to the sword. Placing the stake down as well, he steps out and claps his hands together.

"Here we go."

The lights overhead flicker and dim as the lines of the circle simultaneously begin to glow. Flames rise from the gore-smear runes, burning them into the wood. As the fire runs through each one, it's also etched into the metal of the blade, in the exact arrangement of the one they'd seen at the university. When the last rune is engraved, the lights turn back on and the circle vanishes.

"Ha!" Eugene leaps forward to grab the sword. "Looks like a success to me! Now we just take it back." He runs a finger along the fresh runes, just grazing the edge of the blade.

"Ow!" A small bead of blood rises from his finger. "Also sharp now, that's interesting."

"We didn't see the monster at all, and we passed through the cemetery," says Jaan. "But we weren't sure if that meant it wasn't out tonight, or just had wandered somewhere else."

"We should probably take it back right away," says Eugene. "This inn was already its primary focus but now that this sword belongs to it, the visits might be more frequent."

No monsters are sighted on the trek back to the grave either. Eugene wanted everyone present as the final touch on this particular adventure, promising Heli they'd go home as soon as everything was put back in its place. Heli does feel a certain sense of ceremony as they stand in a semi-circle, facing the gaping hole dug into the earth. Someone just had to go down into the mound, and they could put everything to rest.

Someone just had to go down there.

He looks over at Viken, who's facing the trees, Solon and Jaan looking at the ground and Jakah also avoiding the scanning eyes of Eugene. The sword is hoisted onto his shoulder.

"Who wants the honour?" he says.

"Your idea, you do it," says Viken.

"I'm defenceless if it is down there and awake," Eugene retorts.

"And I'm not?"

"I'll do it," Solon sighs. "Give me the sword."

Eugene hands it over. Solon approaches the hole, holding the sword out in front of his face. With a single quick motion, he morphs into his wolf form, taking the sword in his fanged teeth and disappearing into the dark.

"You really didn't know he could do that?" Jaan whispers to Heli.

Heli shakes his head. A few moments later the wolf emerges and rises onto two legs as it transforms back into Solon.

"Was it down there?" Eugene asks.

"Yes," says Solon. "It doesn't like the wolf though, so it didn't try to attack me."

"Alright," Eugene claps the back of his shoulder. "Good job, team. Tomorrow we can go home. Right now, I'm tired."

Home. Just one more night in this frozen land, and they could be on their way.