Venom

27:Master of Crafts and Curse

The unfairness of it all can weigh as heavy as rocks tied to our feet when trying to travel up to paradise where everyone else seems to live in splendor as rocks hit us as they drop from above. Each hit feeling like another reason to give up and look for coverage, never to come out from the protection we think we need. Then there comes the time when the cave becomes stifling and you desire fresh air, but now the choice is yours. To remain in the stifling cave that protects you from what falls, or go out to brace against the hits but travel up in the freshness of opportunities in the world. The choices unfair, but still choices.

The power to make the choice, to change it, or to brace live within you. Some might even find that the unfairness of it all is hardly an obstacle, but rather a taunt to see how strong your drive is.

Harold was young, younger than I thought, but still old enough for me to be confused about who out of us two was really the oldest. His stature was that of a healthy athletic male, with broad shoulders and rather filled-out physic. He had light brown wavy hair that fell to his shoulders as it fell over the circular silver glasses he wore on his long nose that was circular at the bottom slightly curved forward, a perfect dark pink cupid bow over a lighter full pink lip. He had a square, but thin sun-kissed face, masculine but well...Harold seemed to have the habit of slouching. He shifted under our stares, large square shoulders hunched forward, thick hands clasped in front of him as he fidgeted nervously, his feet inching back ever so slightly in his ankle-length dark blue robe as he stared at the ground, hiding his eyes from us all.

The man was at least six foot three, twenty-four or twenty-eight with a muscular build that fit someone that did more defense than research, this man was the one the tower Master had called the wizard of curses and was currently standing here like he was ready to bolt for it if we spoke too loudly. Cute. The word came out of nowhere which made me stare harder as I tried to figure out if this was all an act of his to gain trust or if he were simply as he appeared. I would not underestimate the wizard of curses just because a shy little shimmy made him look adorable.

"You called Master?" he spoke, his deep and gritty voice making my eyes widen.

The Master of the tower motioned for him to come forth, he swayed where he was before inching only enough to stand behind the chair Venom had previously been sitting in. She huffed a laugh but did not appear surprised at his distance.

"These are the people I told you about Harold, you will be helping our guest here on breaking what I imagine to be a spectacularly potent curse." she turned to eye me with speculative interest now, a different type of curiosity to the one she had when we first met. Now that she know who I was and what I could do, she was probably wondering what was bad enough to get me to come out of hiding. "I'll let you introduce yourself, I've already spoken to him about your privacy concerns, but I have a contact ready if you wish to use one." she held out her hand and a flare of light appeared before a rolled parchment appeared, string wrapped around it. She held out for me and I took it.

Untying the string I looked it over. It was basic enough, a promise to keep all he learned, heard, or was told to himself unless given permission by the commissioner of the contract. In return I was bound not to disclose any methods he used to help, the treatment to remain exclusive, and any new discovery he made would belong under his name to research and profit. Those who broke the contract would have their magic sealed and live off no better than a human, with the barbaric addition that they would then not be able to utter words other than those that breached the contract. Definitely a wizarding contract. I thought it over for a moment. What else was there to add to avoid loopholes? There was bound to be something he would come across or that I would have to tell him if I wanted this curse lifted that would evade his knowledge. For as gifted as he was, everyone stumbled eventually... It felt a bit disrespectful to doubt his skill before even hearing or knowing just how far his capability went, but I could not simply go along and trust that I was in the best hands just because it was convenient. Ironic, I was not able to trust word of mouth, just as the tower Master had not been able to do for me. What goes around surely does come around quickly.