Curse Breaker (2)

32

An eerie feeling settles in my stomach as earth transitions to cobblestones. The trees don't get much of a chance to thicken before they dwindle into mere shrubs. We stand at the edge of the bush line, eyeing the still village ahead of us.

Nestled in the crevice of the valley, the village rests peacefully. Nothing but a gentle breeze disturbs the buildings. It's small, that much I can tell from where we stand. A seaside village, not at all like Portson. The buildings are made from a darker stone than those in Veymaw, with more pointed roofs. There's nothing familiar about this village. Uneven cobblestones remain unstained, a fountain in the centre stands surrounded on all sides by stone. No water ripples through its surface.

After weeks of being on the run, hiding in the corners of the building as we crept through villages, it feels almost strange to take a step into the village without a thought for who might be watching. But the silence is anything but calming. The tension hanging in the air is a harsh reminder--we may not have to worry about who is watching, but we do have to worry about what.

Casimir nudges me with his elbow. He nods towards the building to our left. Lei gestures to herself and then points to the next building. Cas nods as Lei creeps around the back and he presses himself to the wall outside. I slide next to him, feeling the rough stone press against my shoulder blades.

I raise my eyes to the sky, heart pounding. The sun is all but a cascading ray through the v where the hills meet. It's a race to beat the setting sun, and we're losing.

Casimir raises a dagger, putting his hand to the door handle. I hold my breath as it creaks open. Ducking a head inside, Casimir waits a few seconds before shifting his body, gesturing at me to follow.

Inside, the darkness robs me of my sight. Casimir's hand finds mine. I don't move until he does, my other senses tuning in. I can feel the ice in the floor, the absence of any life rising through its stones. How long has it been since anybody lived here, lit the fire, drew the curtains?

My breath shakes as Casimir clears the room. Empty.

The longer we stay still the more my vision adjusts. Dark shapes fill the space, transitioning into more solid objects--a wooden table, two chairs, one flipped onto its back. I release Casimir's hand as he moves towards the doorway into the next room, moving to the kitchen bench.

Running my finger along the front of the bench, I stop when I reach a lump, pulling it gently. The wood scuffs against the drawers. Reaching inside, my fingers scuff against only wooden utensils.

I try the next, stomach settling when I feel the smooth edge of a blade. Trailing my finger down its generous length, I wrap my hand around the hilt, pulling it from the drawer and wrapping it in cloth from my bag to tuck into the front pocket.

Casimir taps on my shoulder. I half-turn. He's so close his breath ruffles the top of my hair.

"Nothing useful here," he whispers. "Let's try the next."

I follow him outside, only one weapon richer. The last few rays of the sun pierce my eyes as we move to the building across the road at the same time Lei emerges from the one beside, a bundled up bunch of material in her arms. She nods, a satisfied grin on her face.

Casimir gestures at me to wait by the wall as he budges open the door of the next cabin. He clears the room before ushering me inside. Like before, it takes several seconds for my eyes to adjust to the light, my other senses guiding me through the space as it does so.

This building doesn't seem as much like somebody's house. The room is wider, told by the echo of our steps, and several tables centre in the room. I maneuver around the tables using my hands to feel them out as Casimir gestures as he's going into the next room. I nod, scoping out this one. Dark lumps come to realisation.