The Dancer immediately ran toward Nido, his rapier brandished before him, aiming to strike at his midsection. Nido noticed the attacker and quickly spun on his heels the moment he came close to contact. Aiming to punch him as he ran past, Nido's fist swished in the air, with no contact.

  The man was already on the other side, pushing off of the rocks and jumping straight at Nido's side.

  He quickly defended with his axe, but the rapier swished around, making a shallow cut on his shoulder.

  Nido whirled around with his weapon, but the man managed to create some distance before the iron head could make contact, now it cut only air.

  The crowd was screaming with excitement at the fight.

  As the man turned to run at Nido again, the half-orc quickly lowered himself and picked up a rock from the ground.

  Nido tried to defend the incoming strike, but the Dancer's first stab was a feint, opening Nido for another cut, this time on his stomach.

  The man jumped back quickly, expecting a retaliation from the half-orc, instead he just narrowly dodged the incoming rock. As he turned back to the giant, the axe was already coming down on him. The Dancer still managed to move to the side, and run to make distance between the fighters again.

  "Regretting the bet already?" asked one of the man Deatt. It was true that Nido's opponent was quick, much faster than Deatt had been when they sparred together. He was dancing around Nido, making a plethora of small cuts all around his body, making the match seem almost one sided.

  "Too soon to tell I think."

  As if Nido heard him, he dodged another incoming strike, this time aimed at his neck. As he got to the ground, he picked a handful of dirt and threw it at his opponents face. The Dancer tried to swat the dirt away with his rapier, but the blade was too narrow.

  As he blindly stepped back, Nido swung with his axe, hitting the opponent on the shin and sending him to the ground.

  Before he managed to close the distance, however, the half-elf was already on his feet, retreating from Nido's reach again. Though it seemed that his stance was a little strained.

  The battle continued like that for quite some time, with Nido on the defensive and the Dancer attacking then immediately retreating. But the hit Nido delivered already seemed to slow down the Dancer considerably. He was still avoiding getting hit, but he struggled to hit Nido again. The pair was now locked in a stalemate, waiting for the other to make a mistake.

  Nido was the first to make a wrong move. He closed the distance, moving his axe in an overhead arc, opening his whole body to a counter attack. The Dancer moved under the swing and stabbed Nido in his side. At least that was what he wanted to do, but his wrist got caught by Nido.

  In the wild swing, Nido let go of his axe, throwing it to the other side of the arena, while reaching for the man's arm. He twisted it at the wrist, making the Dancer let go of his weapon. He rolled on the ground, jerking his hand away from the grip.

  Now both weaponless, they stared each other down.

  With a guttural roar, Nido charged, bloodied, bruised and unrelenting. The Dancer’s eyes widened. He turned and bolted, the roar of the crowd chasing him as much as the orc behind him.

  The fight was over, at least Deatt thought so. The Dancer was already slowing down, his stamina drained and leg increasingly hurt. He was already convinced that he won the bet as well. He knew perfectly well how Nido liked to end his fights. His gaze wandered to the VIP lounge again.

  Now there were two women standing there. One Deatt recognized instantly.

  Evelynn was standing next to the railing, watching as Nido was slowly catching up to the half-elf. She wore a new set of clothes - a slim blue tunic with light blue sleeves and a belt across her waist, her blonde hair was made into a ponytail and she wore high leather boots. She was smiling as Nido started throwing rocks at the running man, berating him with stone and angry insults both.

  Deatt felt even more weight drop from his heart and he relaxed his shoulders. He was still scared of what might have happened to Evelynn, now he was content to know she was alright. She was in a VIP seat no less, talking with an obviously wealthy woman.

  But his smile did not last long, it died the moment the other woman turned around.

  Deatt's world froze. He was deaf to the crowds hurrah as Nido knocked the man out with a perfect left hook. He was blind to the sorrow of the two men, as they lost their bet. He felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing else...but the woman in the VIP lounge.

  Her long raven hair flowed past her shoulders down her back, her perfect figure hidden under a multilayered red to yellow dress. She was just having a smoke, pressing her cigarette holder against her red hot lips.

  Deatt's mind swelled with mixed emotions. For one, he never thought that he would see the captivating woman again. If not for the life in prison she sent him to, or the turned suddenly appearing, surely causing mass spread havoc, then for the fact that they were a long way from home.

  Now she stood before him, in all the luster and splendor he remembered. She might have become even more beautiful than before. She matured through the few years he had not seen her, though only in the good ways. It was almost as if he could smell the perfume she bathed herself in even from the distance.

  But he could not forget the way he and Nido were wronged by her. He could not forgive, even if he would love to.

  He jerked his head away and bent lower, trying to hide in the crowd. He didn't want to be seen by her at all, lest she would somehow find her way back to him. She knew Nido and presumably even Evelynn now, so Deatt would probably come face to face with her sooner or later. If she wanted to.

  Now, trying as hard as he could to focus on the battle, he finally realized that it was long over. The Dancer was lying on the ground, breathing steadily. His mouth was open, with some blood running from it, as well as a few teeth on the ground before it. Meanwhile Nido was flexing his muscles and growling into the crowd, summoning cheers from the onlookers.

  It seemed that Nido finally saw him as well, though the half-orc was desperately trying to look the other way during his victory performance, their eyes still did connect once in a while. Nido knew that she was here.

  When Nido went to grab his winnings, Deatt did much the same. The sound of his pocket clinking much more happily than before.

  "Deatt!" Evelynn yelled as she ran to him on the catwalk.

  "Hel..." Deatt was interrupted by the sudden hug, as Evelynn decided to jump at him from the speed.

  "I thought you'd be dead. I am so glad you manage to get out alive!" she yelled. Way too dangerously loudly. Deatt looked onto the VIP lounge.

  There was only one person left and she was still smoking a cigarette, but now, she was watching him. A chill ran down his spine and he had to cough out the nervousness away.

  "How?" asked Evelynn as Deatt put her down.

  Deatt and Nido embraced each other when they arrived. Deatt finally felt at ease, knowing that his big friend and his delicate friend managed to get into the safety of the giant wall. Not only that, they managed to obtain a very nice apartment for them all. Though they spent most of the gold on it.

  The armchair was soft as Deatt fell on it, groaning in a content tone.

  Evelynn put a pitcher with wine on the table, and filled three glasses with the red alcohol. Then she sat down with the men.

  "I was looking everywhere for you two. I was afraid you didn't manage. Just how did you slide here without the guards knowing?"

  "That a...Let's not talk about that right now." Nido said, picking up the glass. It seemed awfully tiny in his grip. "I am just happy we met here. It is about content right? We should be content that we have been able to see each other once again."

  "Nido," Deatt put the glass back down. Unwilling to let the matter go. "Tell me."

  "Someone gave us a ride." he confessed. "They saw us walking tired on the road and helped us inside. They didn't even have to show identification or anything else, they were immediately let through."

  "And just who was the samaritan?" Deatt asked, already sure of the answer. He felt his hands squeeze the arms of the chair on instinct.

  "Miss Carmilla." answered Evelynn innocently. "She seemed to know a whole lot about you. You have done so much! Like the time you scaled the city bastion wall just to pluck a feather from the...how was the bird called."

  "Fire-red finch." Deatt replied.

  "Yes, that one! That was a very romantic gesture." Evelynn nodded. "Then all the thieving you did. No wonder that you have landed in prison. Anyway, is she your?"

  "An old acquaintance." Deatt hissed back.

  "I had to get her into the city Deatt. I didn't know if they would let me in." Nido tried explaining himself.

  "I know. I know. I don't blame you for anything." Deatt reached for the glass. He really did not blame Nido for anything. Truthfully? He was glad that he managed to get them into the city in one piece. Deatt gulped down the glass in one go, trying to wash away the bitterness in his mouth. "Actually Nido. Good job." he said with a smile, trying to sincerely convey his thoughts on the matter.

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  The corner of Nido's mouth twitched slightly, before he smiled as well.

  "She also told me to tell you something." Evelynn said breaking the moment. "That there is a job."

  "You can tell her I said no." He grabbed the rest of the bottle. "We have just arrived. I think we should relax a bit before returning to our old ways."

  "She told me you would say that. In that case, I am to say it a bit differently." Evelynn straightened her back and looked into his eyes. "I need you help Dee. Is what she said."

  Deatt put his head into his hands, while a wave of pleasant memories flooded his mind, bringing a deep sorrow and a pinch of hate along with them. A very deep pinch.

  "I...I will think about it alright? Can we just...just talk about something else?"

  "How?" Nido asked suddenly serious.

  "How what? Just think of someth-"

  "How come you didn't turn?" he asked.

  Evelynn looked between the two of them, surprised.

  So you saw it huh? Deatt thought.

  Without speaking, Deatt slid the leg out of the boot, showing the somewhat healed bite on his heel. Nido looked at it, striking his chin, while Evelynn stayed confused, gazing with the wound with apprehension.

  "I don't know." Deatt replied. "All I remember is that I saw something, hallucinations probably. I had a fever and couldn't breathe. I almost didn't make it to the bell. After I rang it I passed out. Thought that I might not wake up."

  "Hallucinations? What kind?" asked Evelynn inquisitively, suddenly shaking the confusion out. She grabbed her bag, searching for something inside.

  "Somewhat pleasant? But it was hard to enjoy it. A giant house, very lavishly furnished, a pile of gold, I was sitting on the throne for a little bit and..." the image of Carmilla flashed through his mind, taking the wind out of his sails. "That was pretty much it."

  "Did you like those things?" She asked, quickly turning the pages in a book she took out.

  "Yeah, I think so. Who wouldn't?" Deatt asked, swishing with the remaining wine in the bottle.

  "And did you feel a connection to them?" Evelynn continued, her bright eyes gazing at him intently.

  It was almost enough to make Deatt blush, it was a long time since a woman seemed so interested. He coughed to regain composure.

  "Deatt wanted a giant house ever since I knew him." Nido answered for him. "And being king? He would love that."

  Evelynn listened and bopped her head, her gaze wandering around the room as if to catch a thought. She must have been successful in the hunt. as she smiled widely as she turned to him. She pointed at a page, where a funny looking circle of text made a symbol of a star.

  “Then... what if it’s not a sickness at all?” She looked up at the two of them, eyes wide. “What if it’s a curse?”

  Both Deatt and Nido lifted an eyebrow at her, absolutely unaware of what she might have meant.

  "The turned!" she continued, now seeming a bit annoyed by the men. "I bet it's a curse that's making them do that!" She kept knocking her finger against the page.

  A curse? Deatt knew next to nothing about all things magic, but it made sense. Although it must have been a huge one, or at least he hoped. If a simple curse could cause such devastation...Deatt did not like what it would mean for the world.

  "Do what?" Nido asked, still struggling to piece it all together.

  "Everything!" Evelynn yelled at him. "The eating and running and..." Evelynn had to stop as her stomach started turning. She breathed deeply and finally exhaled with a long sigh.

  "You mean, that a curse turned all of them into that? Why?" Deatt asked.

  "Well, that I have no idea. But if it is a curse, it definitely has a purpose."

  "I sure do hope it is a good one." Nido said, his brow burrowing down on his face. "Caused a lot of people to die."

  "I don't think it can be Nido." Deatt finished the dark thought.

  They all continued drinking in relative silence, all three trying to digest the reality of the situation. When Deatt was escaping with Nido, he did not have the time to actually think over the heavy truth. The survival taking precedence over wallowing in the dark times they found themselves in.

  But now he had the time, as they all did, and the grimness finally took hold of them all.

  Evelynn excused herself first, going to the single room she settled into. Deatt and Nido shared a bed, but neither complained. They were used to sleeping back to back in the cold.

  Deatt laid in bed, the events of the last weeks playing through his mind. He escaped prison, fought with the turned as he came to call them, found a sheltered witch and 'freed' her and finally, he, somehow, escaped the grasp of a very nasty curse.

  The heel sent a sliver of pain up his body as he thought about it, almost to remind him that he actually did not know if he was free of it. No, he was almost certain that he did not 'win' just yet, only that he was winning. The question of "for how long" remaining unanswered.

  But that still did not hold a candle to his reunion with Carmilla and he audacious request for him to help her. As if she forgot what that cost him the last time.

  But even as he forced himself with all his might to once again forget about her face, he could not. She was too beautiful and he had spent too much time in the prison, trying to recall all the edges of her graceful body.

  The thought of her was the last thing he thought about as he fell asleep.

  Deatt was not happy about it. Not happy at all. He knew that Evelynn's naivety would pose a danger in this case, especially since the one manipulating her was Carmilla. He had a dozen and a half excuses just why helping her was a bad idea. But when Nido joined her side, he felt like he had no more cards to play.

  Defeated and nervous, Deatt followed slowly behind the pair, trying to drag out the time before the confrontation. As if he could avoid it now.

  Deatt was not surprised when they arrived at the house Carmilla was staying in. Even inside the city, the building was almost as huge as the manor they found Evelynn in. Although instead of a forgotten memory, the house seemed more like a den of snakes. Though Deatt was biased, so there was no point in trying.

  Nido and Evelynn on the other hand thought it was grandiose.

  The building was made of dark almost black wood, each of the three stories a little smaller as you gone up. Big windows and statues spanned about the walls of the building, while two giant doors with ornaments iron reinforcement stood strong as the entrance.

  Deatt wondered how much of the money for it he unwillingly helped her to get.

  Nido knocked on the giant door, the sound resounding inside with a deep echo. But nobody answered.

  "What a shame! Nobody is home! We can come back another day!" Deatt turned to walk away, but stopped when he saw the faces of his companions. They did not buy his act at all.

  Evelynn decided to keep the men company. She fit into their little entourage well, though Deatt was still wary of the suspicious circumstances they found her in. He didn't pry, knowing the value of secrets like those, but he would feel much better knowing just how she got abandoned.

  Then, gentle clicking of heels sounded from behind the door and the great wooden entrance opened.

  Inside, was waiting Carmilla.

  She had the same dress on as yesterday, her hair flowed in the sudden wind flowing into the house and her eyes were exactly as deep as the night sky. Just as Deatt remembered.

  "So soon? I was afraid that you wouldn't come at all Dee, but I see you missed me almost as much as I missed you."

  "What is it?" Deatt asked flatly. Trying not to stare at the generous cleavage that was on full display. This woman bore arms in all directions.

  "Oh so cold." the woman mused. "But I understand, I won't pretend I haven't made some mistakes in the past."

  Mistakes? Mistakes! As if that word was enough to contain all that she did! he thought.

  "You needed help?" Evelynn reminded them.

  "Yes. Gravely." she said, moving to the side. "Please, come inside. My husband will tell you the rest."

  HUSBAND? Deatt's mind flared. Thankfully he managed to rein his feelings in, only forming a scowl on his face.

  "Congratulations." Deatt could not help keep the poison out of his mouth.

  "Thank you." Carmilla winked at him as they moved inside.