14 Chapter 11: Curse of The Oni (2/2)

You collapsed at the guildhall out of nowhere... are you okay?

Amaris asked as she put her hand on top of my head trying to check my temperature.

”W-Where... am I? Aahh!!” As I tried to get up my head hurt intensly.

Amaris gently brushed the hair out of my face wanting to put a cold towel on it putting down the fever as she noticed two small knobs just above the edges of my forehead.

Brushing past them the pain only got stronger as I fell on my back unable to bear this pain. Unkown of what was happening to me my minded got flooded with the terrors of my imagination. Thankfully Christine just came back with a nurse?

A man stood next to Amaris observing my fever as Amaris told him of her findings.

Shocked the man asked everyone to leave the room telling everyone this was serious and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

The man explained I had been a victim to an almighty and powerful curse as he prepared some spells to counter this. Knowing he wouldn't be enough to deal with it he informed the church we were staying in and assambeled a few extra priests.

Combining their spells an intense light was formed and four priests were ordered to hold me down no matter what happened. As it drew closer I felt hesitant. What had happened to me? What were they going to do to me? A dreadful feeling seeped into me as the light touched my body. An unphantomable pain spread througout my body as I tried to get away. With all my might I tried to break free, but couldn't as I was held down by the priests. Screaming in agony the ubearable pain almost broke my mind as I layed there with curled up eyes and a spasming body.

An inkblack shadow slowly creeped out of my poors... my eyes... mouth... nose and ears.

The knobs retracted and as I felt the heavy shadow vanish from within I lost conciousness again as the pain had proven to be to much to handle.

The priests had fulfulled their task bowing to the group and appologizing for the events that went on in the room as they had performed their magic. With a professional atitude and mature tone they said.

”The patient is cured, you can go see him now.”

Allowing for Amaris and Aqua to enter, she went and sat next to me on the bed.

”What have you gone and done now, you idiot... I was worried about you...”

Aqua said with tears in her eyes.

As I turned to see who was waiting for me I noticed Christine, Amaris and Ivy standing outside the room. ”It's okay now Aqua, I don't know what happened but I'm fine now.”

I tried sitting upright as my energy felt replenished. I wobbled a little bit as I had just awoken from the treatment.

Still... I had to continue. This shouldn't set me back.

I gave Aqua a hug and asked her to help me stand up.

She obliged as she gave me my clothes. She quickly left the room so I could change.

One I was done I opened the door. ”Here's Michael!” I said in a joking manner.

I could clearly see all of them were worried about my wellbeing. Touched by this I dried a tear that wetted my eyes.

”We should get on our way, I won't let this minor setback hold me back.”

”You have been asleep for three whole days Michael, are you sure you're okay?”

Aqua said with a worrying tone.

”I'll continue with my training, there is nothing to worry about.”

The priest and the three girls who assisted him walked into the room to see how I was doing, seeing as I was out and about they slacked a sigh of relieve.

*Sigh*

”It appears you are awake now, let me introduce you to your saviours.

If it wasn't for them I could have never gotten rid of the curse inside of you. But before I do I have to ask you a few things, I hope that's okay with you.”

”Yes... yes ofcourse sir, anything that could help you the one who saved me.”

”Then if you might follow me to my office, we can talk there in all privacy.”

The head priest led the way to his office as I followed him there. We sat down as the head priest sighed in concern.

*Sigh*

”Sir Michael, in our years in the curch did we never encounter an curse like this.

I want to know as much as possible so we can inform the higher ups in Mineral.

Would you be so kind as to tell me where you were before you collapsed at the Guild hall?”

”Of course sir, let me try to recollect what happened to me.”

As I started thinking I noticed I could vaguely remember my past life, yet I did remember clearly what felt like last night what happened in the forests.

”You see sir, before I collapsed a few days ago I had visited Vitalia together with Christine as we went out and she wanted to show me her home town.

As luck would have it they were having a festival that evening with a huge fire as everyone danced around it. After a while we had a heated night and went our seperate ways the next morning. As I walked through the forest there where all kinds of little creature but they were not hostile.

I rested for a bid as I was exhausted by the night before and felt something sting or bit my back, I could not find what could have inflicted this on my so I decided to go on my way.

Once I arrived at the Guildhall I began feeling dizzy and collapsed right by Aqua and Amaris their sides.”

”Hmmm... I see... you did not experience anything of the ritual we performed on you, did you Michael?” ”No sir, I awoke to Aqua rushing in to the room, apparently after the ritual has been performed.”

”While you were unconsious did you experience anything in your mind? You seemed to be in agonizing pain while we performed the ritual to cleanse your soul.”

”Now that you mention it sir... It was pitch black where I was...

A dim light could be seen, A green flame as I later found out. But I was not alone in there. A dark inklike creature manifested out of the darkness trying to take over my mind. I couldn't tell what it looked like as it seemed formless, the only thing I remembered is its Dark Sinister Violet eyes as he said that he was me...

He wanted to make me stronger, but at a great cost.

After it tried to get in my head it fanished and I woke up here.”

”It feels to me like it was something not of this world trying to take over your mind Michael, I am glad you got here just in time seeing as our ritual seemingly worked to exterminate him from your soul.”

I looked at my hands realising something more dreadfull. In the end before the shade left it had a striking resamblence to myself. Deciding not to share it with the priest.

”That is all I needed to know, now... let me take you to the girls.

You want to know the names of those who helped me save your life right?”

I nodded, stood up and followed the head priest as we made our way to the main hall in the church.

Once there I reunited with Amaris, Christine, Aqua and Ivy. The next morning I awoke to a slight headache. There also were a few unfamiliar faces.

”Ah, I see you all have met each other already.”

The head priest called the unfamiliar girls to his side introducing one after the other.

”Well... Michael, there are the talented tree who helped me perform the ritual, savind your life. From left to right we have Celeste, Kiara and Zoe.”

The girls greeted me in unison as they were happy the ritual was a success.

Celeste had long brown wavy hair, all dressed in pink her she looked not like a normal priest would look. She smiled at me as I looked at her. Her eyes were yellow and she was wearing a purple lily in her hair which looked cute on her.

Kiara had short brown hair and was dressed in white, she had a white hair pin keeping her hair out of her face and pink eyes. She was a bit shy so she hid behind the last girl.

The last girl was called Zoe, Zoe light. She had long blond hair and green eyes.

Her attire was a bit different than the others as it was in different shades of purple.

She smiled and arguably introduced herself.

”Hmm... hope you're happy. That was such a hassle...

You know what? Make sure you learn a thing or two here... It could save your life in the end you know.”

As they went their seperate ways I caught wind of a request that have been made for them. It had something to do with Recruitement for an Expedition.

As nothing else really happened Amaris thought it would be better to go to the guildhall for now. on my way there I couldn't stop thinking about what happened... was that even something normal? Should I be worried?