The Elder's Curse Andrew Walbrown (red scrolls of magic .TXT) 📖

“What is it?” Kona asked as she approached the water.

Amantius felt himself turning red, but unlike before, there was no Accarian heat to hide his shame. He tried to look away again, but he quickly discovered he was not the master of his neck or eyes. Fascination overcame him; he was surprised to find there were so few differences between the body of a Kalikki and that of a Human. The only distinctions he could find were in the shape of their facial structures, the Kalikki tail, and the fact that Kona was covered in a light layer of gray hair. At a distance, though, Amantius barely even noticed the fur, thinking of the pelage as more a skin tone than a coat of hair.

“Do you think we could have children?” Amantius blurted out, the words escaping before he could force his mouth shut. It did not matter whether it was a moment of lapsed judgment or overconfidence begat by the healing pool, he instantly cursed himself for being so brash. Though he had always wanted to bring up the subject, he wanted to wait until Ulam and others could participate in the discussion, mostly so his inquiry would not be mistaken for lust.

His words stopped Kona in her tracks. Her expression was impossible to read; he could not tell if she was surprised, confused, upset, offended, or amused. At first, Amantius thought she had misheard him, hoping she had missed what he said entirely. But as they stared quietly at one another he could see she was deep in thought as she searched for an answer.

“Aside from the part where I’m married, I don’t see why we could not have children together,” Kona replied, her soft voice and playful tone instantly easing Amantius’ worries. “Not that marriage prevents that sort of thing, but you know what I mean. I would imagine that if it were possible we would both be pariahs and Seto would probably kill us both, and our children as well.”

Amantius let out the breath he was holding, finding morbid relief in Kona predicting the murders of their unlikely prospective offspring. He relaxed again, the fear of upsetting her dissolving into thin air. As Kona began entering the pool, Amantius once again found his eyes drawn to her body, specifically the curves of her hips. “You’re probably right, but I guess we wouldn’t know unless we tried.”

Kona stopped again. “Ummm…What?”

Amantius froze, the same panic he extinguished only seconds ago returning tenfold. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!? JUST SHUT UP!

“You know, we, um, don’t know if we, um, could have kids. I mean, we don’t know if Humans and Kalikkis could have kids, unless, um, they tried?” Real smooth, Amantius. Real smooth.

“…right,” Kona replied, the corners of her mouth slightly curved into a smile. “Well with time I’m sure someone will ‘try,’ as you say. Let’s just focus on the task at hand, shall we?”

You mean babymaking? By the Gods, don’t say that, you moron! Though it was a struggle at first, Amantius forced himself to nod, not trusting his mouth to form a series of words that were both coherent and not dripping with inappropriate remarks. It was the correct decision, especially considering his mind was actively trying to sabotage any attempts at normal conversation.

Despite Kona’s hesitations, and Amantius’ original reservations about the pool, no misfortune befell the duo as they crossed together. Not only had they both made it to the other side unharmed, but their bodies were completely rejuvenated. For Amantius these effects were magnified due to his prolonged exposure to the healing waters, and from what he could discern, there were no negative consequences aside from a growing desire to never leave the pool.

“You can’t stay in there forever,” Kona said as she slipped her tunic back on. A puddle gathered under her as she proceeded to squeeze the water from her trousers.

“I probably could. I’m guessing the magical power of this place would keep me alive forever. And if I get thirsty I could always drink the water. Wait!” An idea suddenly popped into Amantius’ head. “What if we fill our canteens with it? You saw how it fixed my knee and shoulder; it would definitely help Nilawen!”

“We could always try.” Kona reached into one of the bags and pulled out an empty canteen, filling it with water. A moment later confusion and surprise spread across her face, her head cocked to one side. “That’s strange.”

Amantius had seen nothing out of the ordinary. “What is?”

Kona stood up and flipped over the canteen, but not a single drop poured out. The water had not entered the canteen, as a magical force kept it from being taken from the room. “Looks like we can’t take it with us. I wonder…”

A liquid trail followed Kona as she headed for the exit, her trousers still soaked. As she passed through the doorframe a light purple barrier flashed, allowing her to continue through while simultaneously creating a loud splash, much like the sound of water pouring on stone from a great height. From the pool Amantius watched as an outburst of crystalline liquid shot towards him, engulfing him and the surrounding area. After he wiped away the water from his eyes he saw Kona standing in the doorway, a conceited smile on her face.

“Just as I suspected,” she called, “the water can’t leave the room. My skin, my hair, and my clothes are all as dry as the Alakuum now. Come on, Amantius, we need to continue. Your brother and Mazargo may be waiting for us.”

Amantius groaned. Though he knew she was correct, he was not ready to leave the healing pool yet. He had never felt so healthy or strong in his life, and with every passing second, he felt more strength and virility spreading throughout his body. Despite Kona’s continued protests he remained in the pool, forever convinced he would leave after a few more minutes. But