The Quest for Normania #1: The Door of Andrios

4. A Source of the Curse

It was something that hadn't occurred to Ayesha when she had decided to leave her world and go somewhere else.

'Of course,' she thought now, as she felt Agatha's eyes hard on her. 'Why didn't I think of it! I was so intent on saving my people, my world... That I didn't even think about that same danger I feared following me!'

In the far distance, she heard some noise, but she didn't care. No until she heard a voice following it:

"You seem certain about this."

Ayesha snapped out of her thoughts and focussed on Agatha, who was merely staring thoughtfully at her.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Are you certain this danger you speak of is coming after you?" Agatha elaborated.

'That is a good question,' thought the young princess. Aloud, she replied, "No, but I wouldn't be astonished if that's what winds up happening."

Agatha nodded slowly, deliberately, her eyebrows knitting together. "All right," she said at last. "I know someone you must see. I'll take you to her, but you must remain by my side, do as I say. You cannot do anything else, lest you land in more boiling soup than you already have.

"Can you trust me with this?"

Ayesha stared long and hard at this older woman who seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. 'She has forgiven me for shooting her brother, after all... Or has she? I do not know. What did my master always tell me? Never trust a goat who shoos you away and always trust the dragon who gives you a home. Yes, maybe this Agatha woman means well and really wants to help me.'

At last, she said, "Where are we going?"

Agatha's response was quick, as though she had been expecting this: "To seek answers. Do you know what kind of curse you're on?"

Slowly, Ayesha shook her head. "Just that one prophecy I told you about."

"Good. The person I have in mind in an old woman named Ashisha. It's rumoured that she's a witch and an entire army is out to hunt her down, but she won't let them find her. Oh no. But I do. She likes Cecil and me. We meet her occasionally and help her out with certain chores." She stopped, her expression now confused. "What's the matter?"

Ayesha had frowned at the mention of the name. She shook her head at Agatha's question at the end. "No, no, it's fine. It's just... I may have heard of the name before."

"Really? Oh well, maybe she's from your world, who knows!" Agatha chuckled, but the other girl didn't.

'My world indeed. Well, I never!'

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By the time Agatha and Ayesha had got ready to go out, Cecil awoke in the tiny bed chamber and called for his sister.

Ayesha followed Agatha into the room. Cecil was half-sitting on the bed.

"Water," he rasped. "Water!"

"I'll bring it!" Ayesha volunteered and went right back out, leaving the siblings in the room. She quickly took a clean metal tumbler from one of the racks in the kitchen and dipped it in the pot of water. She hurried back to the bedroom and offered it to Cecil, who was now sitting upright against his sister.

He took it with a grateful smile at her. "Thank you. Er –"

"Ayesha," the young princess filled in.

"Ayesha. Thank you, Ayesha." He tipped back his head, lips on the brim of the tumbler, and gulped down the water, his throat going up and down slowly. When he was finished, he removed the tumbler from his mouth with a loud gasp, and handed it back to her.

She took it quietly and turned away. 'This is probably it,' she thought. 'The curse. It's probably about bringing hurt and misery to everybody you meet, everywhere you go.' She sighed inwardly.

Meanwhile, Agatha was stroking her brother hair. "Look, I want to tell you something. And I want you to listen to me carefully."

Cecil looked at her in adoration, despite his pain that still lingered and nodded.

"Ayesha and I will be meeting Ashisha. Ayesha has some questions that I know that old lady will be able to answer. In the mean time –" she paused abruptly.

Cecil caught on to this and groaned. "No, no, don't tell me..."

"I'll be requesting Lawrence to come and guard the hut," she went on, just as though he hadn't spoken. "Is that clear?"

He didn't want to reply, but he knew his sister too well to discard her question as a mere question. He sighed in defeat. "Yes."

"Good. I'll get him now, then Ayesha and I will leave. You're in no position to walk, so don't even think about getting out of this bed on your own. Understand?"

Poor Cecil nodded. He leaned forward to kiss his sister on her cheek. "You take care of me so well. I wish I wasn't half an impulsive like I am. Where do you get all your patience?"

Agatha shrugged. "Maybe from the mistakes you made."

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Lawrence Belford was a young huntsman, who lived in a hut not very far away from Agatha and Cecil's.

When the front door opened the next day, Ayesha was at once taken in by the tall lean man with looks of a young Normal-born son of a minister back in Ahala. When he spotted her in the common room, Lawrence tipped his hat in a salute. Ayesha made a curtsy in response.

Lawrence guffawed at this. "She's stranger than you say, Agatha!" he exclaimed. "Where did she get such wonderfully silky dress from?! And where did she learn such impeccable manners?!"

Ayesha didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted, but she remained quiet.

Agatha smiled at her friend. "Not what we need right now. Right now, Lawrence, I want you to take care of my brother, who has been stabbed by a... knife a few hours ago. Very nasty wound, but the young girl here has helped tend to it."

"Yes," the young Ahalan eurin put in. "The healing hard already begun when I had tended to the wound. It should've healed completely in another hour, but the pain will still be there. I suggest you don't excite him in any manner whatsoever."

The young man nodded. He seemed a little older than both her and Cecil, perhaps close to Agatha's age. "Noted. Thank you very much. I shall take care of Cecil while you take care of whatever business you have at the lake."

Ayesha frowned at this, but didn't comment. 'Lake? I hope we're not going to need go under the water.' She paused. 'Not that I cannot swim...'

"Thank you, Larry," Agatha was saying in lower tones that the princess could barely hear. "This means a lot to me. And you know, my brother really is fond of you, even if he says otherwise. Well, at least as an acquaintance, if not a friend."

Lawrence nodded. "You may be rest assured that he's in good hands. I shan't leave him even if he were to drag me out himself."

"Oh yes, about that—no excitement at all and definitely do not allow him out of his bed."

"Ah yes, of course." He took Agatha's hand and patted it gently.

"Thank you." Agatha patted him on the shoulder and turned to Ayesha. "Come, we need to leave. We have until sunset to return."