The Girl of an Old Mansion

10. Zorus Province

The Zorus province was a part of The Kingdom of Noam, which was built amidst the windy fields of gentle grasslands and is truly a state-of-the-art sight. Its allure was matched by the backdrop of rich, luscious fields which had helped shape the city into what it was today.

Zorus itself looked beautiful. With its maple wood rooftops, maple wood walls and white, sandy beaches, it had a pleasant atmosphere. The main attraction was the guard tower, which had been built fifty five years ago and designed by barbarians. It had a feeble economy, which was mainly supported by fishing, jewel crafting and leather working. But their biggest strengths are refined carpentry and rare wood production.

Lord Yong and Nyang entered the province without wasting time. They asked some people for directions to the forest then headed straight towards it.

The forest was colossal, misty, and blooming. Its canopy was competed for by asp, larch, and sycamore, and the ample openings let enough dancing beams of light through for a range of bushes to sprout in the fertile soils below.

Bundled vines waved from a couple of trees, and an array of flowers, which claimed quiet corners, stuck out against the otherwise emerald terrain.

A medley of beastly sounds, belonging mostly to fleeing animals, resonated through the air, and were strangely synchronized with the sound of the wind blowing gently through the forest.

After walking for an hour Lord Yong and Nyang finally saw an old cottage. They rushed quickly to the cottage to check whether it was the Dark lord's cottage or not, as they were walking towards the cottage a foul smell struck them making them cover their noses with a piece of cloth to avoid the smell.

In no time both men realized that it is Dark Lord's cottage as he has been suffering from leprosy, the foul odour comes from his body.

The door was not locked from inside so they entered the cottage only to see an old man in a miserable condition lying in a bed groaning in pain.

They came closer, but just a single sight of the old man made them frightened as he was looking like a demon with a body full of blisters and boils.

Somehow they approached the old man. He slowly peeled his eyes.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he questioned.

"We are from The Kingdom of Noam. We need your help."

Lord Yong then tells him everything about the curse.

"You are our last hope. Only you can save those innocent lives from the curse and that wicked shaman," said Lord Yong

"I will surely help you but you have to make a promise. Promise me that you'll cremate me. As you can see I don't have much time, I am suffering from an awful disease if I die like this my body will decay here and it will surely harm the creatures living here. So, promise me that you will cremate my body," said the Dark Lord in a feeble voice"

"You don't need to worry about your cremation, we will cremate your body. You have our words. Now kindly tell us the cure to lift the curse," said Lord Yong

"You need to head towards the Xinjiang province and find the desert known to be the Sea of the Dead.

"Sea of the Dead?" Asked Lord Yong.

"Yes. It is believed that once you enter this desert there is no way out. A very long time ago, civilization had flourished there. There were houses and temples there. Today, everything is buried under the sand. Its inhabitants died almost years ago, yet their bodies have been well preserved by the dry air."

"There you need to find the Book of devil. Ancient people believed that a long time ago a monk traded his soul to the Prince of Darkness in order to escape from the death penalty, he was given the death penalty by the then ruler. Reason behind the punishment is still unknown. He kept on begging for his life, as a result he was given a last chance to save his life. The condition was that he would write a book with the world's knowledge, but his freedom from death would only be granted if the monk managed to complete the monumental manuscript in one night."

"As a last gasp for survival he agreed that he would create a book filled with in return for his life. The only way the monk could see himself completing the unconquerable task was with the help of the Devil. After selling his soul, the scribe was able to fulfil the order and gain his freedom."

"The legend claims that the book has all sorts of remedies and removal for nearly every curse."

"The last person who had The Book of Devil was from the Xinjiang province, at present that small town is entirely buried under the desert with several corpses."

"But it would be impossible to search for that book in that deadly desert" Lord Yong spoke next to him in a tense tone.

"The aura of the Devil's Book is really dark irrespective of its knowledgeable content that wherever it is placed it emits black fumes resulting in the emergence of black clouds," explained the old man.

Being on his deathbed, the dark lord was trying to explain to them each and every detail. His condition was worsening with every word he spoke, his eyes were getting heavier with no trace of light in them.

With his remaining energy he struggled to explain something to them. Putting together every ounce of energy he had left words tumbled out of his mouth.

"The-the sea of dead...is...merciless to its travellers. You will only have one day to find the book...and...come out of the desert safely."

"With every moment that...that passes, the more traces of your existence will...disappear," with these last words, the old man closed his eyes forever.

Witnessing the tragic death of a great scholar who once happened to be well known and admired by many people for a long time, somewhere shook them to the core. Both of them bowed in honour of the great man and prayed for his soul.

"We should start the cremation, "said Nyang. After a few hours they had finished burying the corpse.

"He might be on the other side of the horizon, a whole world apart. He might be above the heavens but he will always be honoured and alive in the memory of people because of his good deeds. He always touched the lives of people by his knowledge and help. The only thing that matters in the end is that people remember you as a good memory," said Lord Yong.

After a while, they started their journey back to Noam.