Hey there! \u00a0Sorry about not getting this up last week. \u00a0It’s been a busy time, and it’s sure to get busier as I prepare for the wedding.<\/p>\n
Enough rambling though. \u00a0Once I go off on a tangent, it’s hard for me to stop, as many of you are sure to know! \u00a0Instead, let’s get right to it. This is the third and final part of Blessings and Curses, where we see what Conrad plans to do with his new-found ability. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Blessings and Curses Silence had returned to the rear of the temple, and the paladin remained in good health after some brief healing attention.\u00a0 Though Robert hadn\u2019t spoken again, his inquisitive stares left Conrad uneasy indeed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t remember anything before coming to the kitchen?\u201d the cleric asked.<\/p>\n Robert shook his head but scanned the room as if searching for pieces of that puzzle.\u00a0 He blinked away his bewilderment and rubbed the back of his head.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps it is for the best.\u00a0 It would only serve to confuse you more, I\u2019m afraid.\u00a0 Can I get you anything?\u00a0 Something to drink?\u201d<\/p>\n Waving away the offer, the paladin climbed to his feet.\u00a0 When he arrived there, the door to the western hall swung open.\u00a0 His father was there, a hefty tome cradled in the crook of his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cRobert,\u201d the priest said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you still doing here?\u201d\u00a0 He waved his own question away then.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do I even bother?\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t break your vow of silence but for something truly shocking.\u201d<\/p>\n Both of the other men passed knowing glances to each other.\u00a0 Robert clapped his father on the shoulder and nodded to his friend before slipping through the open door, shutting it behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cI have news of our friend\u2019s curse,\u201d Richard said.\u00a0 \u201cThere were a few that came close to what you described, but one is nearly perfect.\u201d\u00a0 He slammed the tome down on the table and flipped it open to a dog-eared page.\u00a0 Richard prodded at an entry with his finger, a proud display of his triumph.<\/p>\n Conrad spun the book about and scanned the entry.\u00a0 \u201cKaikano\u2019s vengeance?\u201d<\/p>\n While the cleric read through the details of the curse, Richard took a step back and leaned against the wall, offering up a satisfied grin.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a curse that\u2019s particular to a remote tribe in the south seas, the Sadori.\u00a0 Apparently, Kaikano is one of the gods they worship, a great kraken who drags whole ships to the bottom of the ocean and into the underworld.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Sadori are a tribe of great hunters and fishermen,\u201d Richard went on.\u00a0 \u201cApparently, when they would capture a squid or octopus, they would sacrifice it in the name of Kaikano, knowing he would be happy for the weak or foolish creature to be removed from the sea.\u00a0 The tribe eats the squid, but they use the ink in various rituals.\u00a0 One of these is Kaikano\u2019s vengeance.\u00a0 It\u2019s supposed to make the tribesmen better hunters\u2026 Power through pain and all that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this man is from Blacklehn,\u201d the priest continued.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a long way from the south seas.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for those tattoos, I would discount that particular curse.\u201d<\/p>\n Conrad moved to the sleeping captive.\u00a0 Sure enough, the man\u2019s tattoos had resurfaced.\u00a0 The cleric felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Richard\u2019s sympathetic gaze pointed his way.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cTurn the page.\u201d\u00a0 As Conrad did what he was instructed, Richard continued to reveal his findings.\u00a0 \u201cThe Sadori medicine men and hunters knew Kaikano\u2019s vengeance was not without its drawbacks.\u00a0 If a hunter underwent the ritual, he understood he could no longer depend on the medicine men for healing.\u00a0 The medicine men were not meant to endure Kaikano\u2019s vengeance.\u00a0 If they healed the hunter \u2013 if they drew that darkness out of them \u2013 they would be forced to live with the curse as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Conrad\u2019s jaw locked and moisture made its way to the rims of his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYour secret is safe with me, child,\u201d Richard said.<\/p>\n \u201cI hurt Robert,\u201d the cleric confessed.\u00a0 \u201cThe only way to expel the pain is to release the dark energy.\u00a0 It seems no matter where I am, it travels to the next closest person.\u00a0 I only pray there will be no lasting effects.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy son seemed no worse for wear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe spoke,\u201d Conrad informed.<\/p>\n The priest let out an incredulous laugh.\u00a0 \u201cI must admit, I\u2019m glad to hear he hasn\u2019t forgotten how.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not angry?\u00a0 He broke his vow of silence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy child, he takes that far too seriously.\u00a0 Most men of the clergy will invoke a silence during the day out of piety.\u00a0 My boy is a\u2026 He\u2019s a rare case.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s return to talk of you.\u00a0 This curse\u2026 It seems it may not have taken you completely.\u00a0 As you said, Robert was hurt, but not so bad that I noticed.\u00a0 My suspicion is you healed him.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be thankful you still can.\u00a0 And though you must endure your fair share of pain now, perhaps it is a boon you can now inflict it upon others.\u00a0 You are in the rare position to do even more good for this city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI fear the darkness I release will lead to terror.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no doubt you\u2019ll learn to disguise it well,\u201d Richard returned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His eyes opened, and the first thing he saw was the cracked ceiling.\u00a0 He felt the pain that persisted in his body.\u00a0 He tasted the lingering flavor of dried blood that coated the back of his throat.<\/p>\n The Blacklehnian shot up, his eyes wide.\u00a0 In the corner, another man stirred, yawning and blinking away his fatigue.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d the large captive said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat am I doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n Conrad stretched and groaned.\u00a0 \u201cYou couldn\u2019t let me have these last few moments, could you?\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2026\u201d the captive soldier said.\u00a0 \u201cYou are the healer from the alley.\u00a0 I\u2026 I thought that was all a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfraid not.\u00a0 Everything happened just as you remembered.\u00a0 You left the Bravado, you got into a fight, we nearly killed each other, and then I took the darkness from you.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blacklehnian squared his jaw and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt was supposed to be me.\u00a0 I was the only one who should have to endure such agony.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, at least you\u2019re not alone.\u00a0 You won\u2019t even spend time with the other soldiers we captured.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWar was never my desire.\u00a0 I\u2019d sooner stay away from them than be reminded of the atrocities I\u2019ve seen committed.\u201d\u00a0 A deep sigh pressed from his lungs.\u00a0 \u201cI should know who I share my curse with.\u201d<\/p>\n The cleric extended his arm and shook hands with the hulking fellow.\u00a0 \u201cThey used to call me Conrad the Blessed.\u00a0 After what happened last night, who knows what they\u2019ll call me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know whether to loathe you or thank you, Conrad,\u201d the Blacklehnian said.\u00a0 \u201cI am Ruslan Ananto.\u00a0 You may have given me another chance to seek redemption.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what is it you seek redemption for?\u201d<\/p>\n Ruslan harrumphed and bowed his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard of your kind.\u00a0 There are healers aplenty in Blacklehn, but only in Carthis do we have clerics who ask questions like that.\u00a0 I have committed foul deeds, and though they were not by my will, they were by my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKaikano\u2019s vengeance,\u201d Conrad said.\u00a0 \u201cYou did not ask for it, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n The Blacklehnian\u2019s eyebrows arched at the mention of the curse.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know of Sadori rituals?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a vast library in Atalatha.\u00a0 Perhaps the greatest in Tellest.\u00a0 It\u2019s more astounding that anyone should have found the answer in any of those tomes.\u00a0 But there are more studious minds here \u2013 ones that love to solve a mystery.<\/p>\n \u201cYou and I share a common bond, Ruslan.\u00a0 If you aren\u2019t opposed to telling the tale, I\u2019d be interested in finding out how an islander ended up fighting alongside Blacklehn and how he found himself enduring a curse against his will.\u201d<\/p>\n Another bellowing sigh erupted from the hulking man like the tremble of a far off quake.\u00a0 \u201cVery well,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cMy people have always been hunters.\u00a0 Not quite seafarers, but accustomed to the water in ways others could only dream.\u00a0 The Sadori are attuned to the sea, and it is known Kaikano grows angry.\u00a0 For decades, we\u2019ve seen what disrespect is cast to the ocean.\u00a0 My family knew better than to tempt fate.<\/p>\n \u201cHalf a century ago, a sect of the Sadori left the islands.\u00a0 They landed upon Gandarst, a place equally famed for its hunters and not without worthy trophies.\u00a0 My mother was one of the Sadori who found her way there.\u00a0 She met one of the warriors of the southern wastes, and they began a family.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo brothers preceded me, each as violent and reckless as our father.\u00a0 But when I was born, they knew the beast had come.\u00a0 We traveled to Blacklehn to pledge fealty to the warlord king, Galen Fowler.\u00a0 My father promised him three great champions.\u00a0 As I grew older, though, I turned from the fighting and even the hunt.\u00a0 My father was ashamed of me.\u00a0 I was the biggest \u2013 the strongest \u2013 of his sons, and I had forsaken my birthright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo your father afflicted you with Kaikano\u2019s vengeance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne day, while my father was hunting, my brothers and I were called to supper.\u00a0 Before the meal was finished, I was thrown to the floor.\u00a0 While my brothers held me down, my mother stood over me, dagger in hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember much of that day,\u201d Ruslan said.\u00a0 \u201cBut when I woke, I had these awful tattoos \u2013 the blood of Kaikano \u2013 already bound to my flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve never found a cure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t really been afforded the time to look for one.\u00a0 Old Sadori scriptures speak of Kaikano\u2019s brother, the volcano, but they too were lost to the sea.\u00a0 Kaikano does not want to see his blessings purged.<\/p>\n \u201cBlacklehn has made good use of it too.\u00a0 A warrior that yearns for battle from his deepest inner being\u2026 It\u2019s perfect for them \u2013 so long as there is a battle to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now you\u2019re a guest of Atalatha.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have to find a way to placate the darkness as best you can.\u00a0 These aren\u2019t soldiers here.\u00a0 They\u2019re laborers and merchants, citizens who wouldn\u2019t be able to defend against you even if you didn\u2019t have the blood of an angry god flowing through your veins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you find out how to suppress it, let me know.\u201d\u00a0 A pronounced sigh shook even Ruslan\u2019s large frame.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u00a0 You suffer the same fate as I, I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps, but not without direction,\u201d Conrad replied.\u00a0 \u201cIf I must cast out the darkness, let it be toward someone deserving of the pain.\u00a0 There are people who are far worse than those two drunks that cornered you in that alley.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blacklehnian hummed as he considered that truth.<\/p>\n \u201cCome now,\u201d Conrad said. \u201cThere\u2019s no sense wasting this day any more than we have.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get you off that cot and into the light.\u201d<\/p>\n The cleric led Ruslan to the rear door and swept it open.\u00a0 Both men stepped outside, casting their gazes upon the rolling hills of the temple district.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you mean what you said?\u201d the hulking man asked.<\/p>\n Conrad arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you truly think you\u2019ll be seeking out evildoers in the middle of the night?\u00a0 Are you thinking of taking justice into your own hands?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see any other choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Ruslan squared his jaw and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll need someone to watch your back.\u201d<\/p>\n Though he was weary, Conrad allowed a grin to stretch across his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hey there! \u00a0Sorry about not getting this up last week. \u00a0It’s been a busy time, and it’s sure to get busier as I prepare for the wedding. Enough rambling though. \u00a0Once I go off on a tangent, it’s hard for me to stop, as many of you are sure to know! \u00a0Instead, let’s get right […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[990,184,1027,1028,149],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tellest_WebHeader-x2-e1427024822542.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-H8","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2674"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2674"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2676,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2674\/revisions\/2676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n-P<\/strong>art Three-<\/strong><\/p>\n