(Book 1) The malediction of the Undertaker

Chapter 12: Illness

Taker and Pat have finished talking to each other, Pat has gone to get his men to tell them that the alliance is made. Taker decided to have a banquet for Pat's men and his to get to know each other while Pat and Taker talk to each other. Taker offered Pat and his men to sleep at the castle instead of sleeping outside, Pat is honored by Taker's generosity. They walked through the fortress showing Pat around, Taker telling him that he had a recent attack from Mendal's men. He told her that he lost a lot of men and creatures due to this attack and that he wants revenge. Pat can see the left tower of the castle being repaired, the village is also being rebuilt. They were at the Calaways cemetery and Pat met Taker's mother, Queen Betty who was blooming the various graves of Calaway men.

The statues are impressive, the eyes look so real thought Pat but Taker told him that it was every Calaway's real eyes embedded in the eyes of the statues to always make the look as cold as they were. The most impressive statue was that of Scott, the statue was represented with his famous cane, the hands of the statue resting on the cane, the gaze of the statue could follow you with his gaze, the illusion of madness. Plus, Taker looks like Scott but younger, it's crazy how crazy genetics can be. He is in awe of every Calaway, all those men who had been friends with his ancestors for generations. Scott, Elvin, Dracon, Tarek, Brand, Lothnair, the names of the first six Calaway, the friends of his ancestors. Pat looks at one of the statues a little further and could read written on the stone. "Erix Calaway, Seventh Lord of Darkness." It's his great grandfather. Pat thought. "So Erix is the last Calaway to hang out with my family." Pat finally says to Taker who is following close behind him looking at the statue of the seventh Calaway.

"Your grandfather and your father didn't write a passage in the book?" Asked Taker remembering that Pat didn't even mention his grandfather and father. Pat looks down, then looks back to look at Taker who has his hands behind his back. "Alas.. No, to be honest, I never heard from my grandfather. My father died in battle, it was my mother who raised me." He says sadly, then they walk over to the eighth Calaway statue, Taker's grandfather, Jeff Calaway. "I don't know anything about them unfortunately..but my mum told me that my dad was a man who loved to protect his people and was an amazing person." he added. Pat's gaze goes to the right and sees, a large stone but no statue on it, it could read "Lucius Calaway, ninth Calaway". He looks at Taker wondering why there is no statue on this rock. "My dad disappeared after he cursed me, I've been looking for him since I was eighteen but he didn't show up." Taker said before Pat could say anything. Pat knows what happened to Taker when he was young, cursed by his own father. It is because of this that everyone thinks a Calaway is in cold blood to hurt people even their family members.

~!~

As night falls, Taker and Pat discuss a plan to begin entering Mendal's camp which is near here. They plan to take prisoners and torture them, to find clues. Betty is impressed with how Pat opposes the plan without fear of disagreeing with her son. Everyone stops talking when the queen starts coughing very loudly. "How are you, mom?" He asked, taking his mother's hand, Betty rubbed her hand against her son's chest to reassure him. "I...I'm fine...I'm just going to go to bed..." she said as she walked towards the door, Taker apologized to Pat then followed his mother. "Are you sure you're alright ?" He asks again, he takes her hand closed since she coughed, opens her hand and sees like blood.

"It's nothing my son.." Trying to reassure him as best she can, Taker glares at his mother spitefully, not believing she's telling him it's nothing as she coughs up blood. "It's nothing? you're bleeding! how long have you had this?" He asked trying not to scold his mother as she pulled her hand from her son's hand. "For a few days" She finally said, she hid this from her son so he wouldn't worry and stay focused on his work as Lord. Taker raises his fist and bites his fist so as not to get angry. He looks at one of the many paintings hanging in the hallway of the castle, somehow repositioning one of them. "Go to bed and stop hiding things from me." He said, still looking at the painting, his back to his mother. Betty walks over to Taker and gives him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. After hearing a door close, Taker, in a fit of rage, slams his fist against the wall, so hard it cracks the wall.

Betty is in her room against her door, she heard her son getting angry against the wall. The walls shook so much that her husband's painting fell. She fell ill for a few days, even very ill which she tries to hide. What she didn't tell her son is that she's vomiting blood too, she doesn't want to see him worried or refusing to do what he needs to do to keep the fortress alive. She takes the painting of her husband in her hands, she misses him terribly.