(Book 1) The malediction of the Undertaker

Chapter 21: Issues

Early in the morning, Taker carries his mother's body in a cart, it is covered with flowers, an alley of soldiers who bowed before the queen's body. The villagers have woken up early to see the queen for the last time, Pat and his soldiers are ready for the gate of the fortress and kneel before the chariot. "Are you sure you're going alone?" Asked Pat wanting to be sure that his friend wants, he knows the pain he has inside of him to bury his mother. Taker looks at him, his gaze tired, tired of burying his dead for a while. "I'll be fine, while I'm gone, please look up some other information on Mendal and the map and the key." Taker said, Pat looked at him, patted his ally on the shoulder. "Don't worry, do what you have to do and I'll take care of the rest." Said Pat before Taker walked deep into the forest with his mother's body in a cart.

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Taker walks holding the bars of the cart behind him, walking through the forest, crossing bridges, rivers, villages. He decided to go alone to bury his mother, wanting to do it alone. For sixteen years, his mother raised him alone, she was always someone who encouraged her son, helped him. It was she who had the idea of tying him up in a cave on full moon nights so that he wouldn't hurt anyone. She was the woman of his life, he deep down loved her and now he has to do the hardest thing he's ever done, harder than burying his soldiers. He is going to bury his own mother. Staying a lord is hard when the only person you care about is gone. He looks at the top of a hill a statue is on it, he is almost there, he climbs the big slope of the hill. The slope is very hard to climb especially with a cart but Taker is determined to do the last wishes of his mother who asked him to do.

As soon as he reaches the top, there are four graves in front of the statue, these are those of Betty's parents and her two brothers. Taker doesn't know anything about his mother's brothers, he knows they were killed by family enemies. His mother's mother was murdered by a corrupt soldier and his father fell to his death from a cliff. Taker starts digging with a shovel at the vacant spot next to his grandfather's grave. The view from the hill is beautiful, the blue sky, you could see above the trees, the sunset horizon must be beautiful.

As soon as Taker is finished digging the hole, he takes his mother's body in his muscular arms, he gently places her in the hole before leaving the hole. "That's it mum, you're next to yours, where you wanted.." He said aloud, on one knee in front of the hole looking at the body of his lifeless mother. "I so wanted you to live for eternity but I know that a life leads to death one day.." He said feeling the tears coming to his eyes, his throat knotted. "I promise you I'll do my best to heal mum." He promised looking down the hole, he got up and took the different flowers and threw them one by one into the hole repeating. "May the spirits protect her on her journey to the heavens, may Betty Calaway be queen of command until a Calaway man comes." He takes his shovel then puts the soil gently back into the hole, as soon as he is finished filling the hole, he puts his mother's tombstone in the ground before getting back on his knees. "I will find dad, I promise you on my castle." He said putting his hand on the stone and resting his forehead on it. "I love you mom, see you soon." He said before kissing the stone and walking away.

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Pat and his soldiers found another Mendal camp twenty minutes away on foot, he spied all morning and decided to return with his soldiers to the castle. He is feeding Asgoth when he sees Diana entering the fortress after presumably washing her laundry in the river. He gives his creature one last meat before going to her, he takes off his hat before talking to her. "Hi Diana, it's a beautiful day isn't it?" He says smiling, his hat in his hands, Diana looks at him smiling puts down his laundry basket before taking one of his clothes to hang it on the line. "Yes, it's a very nice day despite the bad news that's piling up." She says, putting her laundry out to dry, Pat looks at her, she's wearing a green dress with a big yellow silk belt.

"I wanted to ask you if you would like to have dinner with me tonight." He suggested, she looked at Tigress who was next to her, then looked at him sadly. "I would like to but tonight, I promised my creature that we would go for a walk" She says refusing his offer, Pat looks at the creature which only comes up to Diana's knees, not so small, so big. He wonders why she has a creature when she is different from them. "I could come with you, protect you, just in case." He offered, she smiled at his loving attention that he was protective of the people of Taker's fortress. "Okay." She said smiling, accepted Pat's proposal, he smiled, kissed her hand before going to the castle putting on his hat.

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Taker makes a small detour before returning to the castle, he still has a problem to solve, the case of Markus' theft. Markus stole a creature from Arag to give as a gift to a human. He goes to the burrow of the oldest creature, Arag. Creatures are around watching Taker who was walking in the big burrow. "Arag? Are you here?" He asked not seeing the creature, he looked around he arrived at the heart of the burrow, a huge space with cobwebs everywhere. "What are you doing here?" A voice echoed in the large room, it is that of Arag. The voice came from a large hole in the wall in front of Taker, huge black eyes appear, long legs come out of the hole. Taker watches the large creature, bigger than Markus, descend from its hole. Small spiders descend from the ceiling and land on Taker's shoulders.

Arag advances towards Taker, the creature is in a bad mood and he knows it and understands his anger, he decides to come and face him instead of Markus, wanting to protect him. "Where is he?" The creature asked referring to Markus, Taker crossed his arms looking at Arag. "I came alone. You need to know why he robbed you." Said Taker taking the spider that was on his shoulder to put it on the ground. "Why did he steal? Arag asked looking at Taker, he put his hands behind his back and looked around. "He wanted to give a gift to the one who saved him from certain death." He said looking down then taking a deep breath knowing how Arag was going to react. "He offered a creature to a human." He adds that he had the courage to tell him, Arag is angry, he advances dangerously towards Taker who does not back down.

"HE DID WHAT?! Cried Arag annoyed by what Markus did. Give a creature to a human, but no, a creature does not give itself to a human and even less as a gift!" "YOU MUST SEND THE CREATURE HERE!" Straight in the eyes, Taker sighed knowing that Tigress already had affection for this human, "I...I can't...the creature is affectionate with her...it's too late..." Says he is touching his hair, Arag turns around, annoyed by this situation. "I want you, Markus, the creature and this human, tonight at the burrow!" Do you understand me?!" Arag ordered, Taker understands that the creature is mad at Markus but why does Arag want him to bring Diana back. "Why do you want me to bring the human?" he asked before takes a big blow from Arag's paw, his back hits the wall violently "You bring her back to me, that's all!" said the creature, entering his hole dangerously while Taker gets up with difficulty, he would not have shouldn't have asked him Arag is a very strict creature, hating when someone asks him questions at his request.

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Taker comes out of the burrow, rubbing his back in great pain from Arag's attack. Taker has no choice, he has to introduce Diana to Arag, the creature is very angry with them for letting Markus give a human a creature. He will have to force Tigress to separate from Diana otherwise he does not know what Arag will be capable of if she refuses to separate. He arrives at the fortress and he looks to his right and sees Diana with Tigress feeding her creature. "Taker!" Pat shouted as he walked towards Taker, he looks at Pat hoping he has heard from Mendal. "I wanted to tell you that I found another Mendal camp not so far from here, this afternoon, if you want, we will attack them, what do you say? Pat suggests rubbing their hands, Taker looks at Diana wondering if he should let her know tonight or if he'll do it later. "After lunch, I'm hungry." Said Taker looking at Pat patting his back before walking with him towards the castle.

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Over lunch, Taker told Pat about the blind man and his warnings of bad things to come, and this reality made by his father's madness... "Even if your father wouldn't have been mad, I wish I had met you in the other reality." Pat confessed to Taker while eating his meat. Taker smiles at his ally, even though Lucius is the cause of this reality we live in today, Taker is proud to meet Pat, he's someone you can trust no matter if you have powers or not, as long as you respect and don't upset others, they won't hurt you.

After lunch Taker climbs on Markus' back, Markus' walk is certainly lame but able to walk at least...don't know what he's going to do with Markus' broken legs. ..cut them? Taker doesn't know yet... his paws are dragging on the ground, he tries not to step on it with his other paws, that's why he limps, but he's a strong spider.