“It was then when the Holy Knight trusted his magical spear and struck the dragon. The beast roared, and fearing death at the hands of the Holy, retreated. Then, defeated and humiliated by men, he flew away crying tears of fire that felt around the world. There, where the monster bled, roses grew, and around them plants and trees of astonishing beauty.”

Argia looked at the clock and closed her book. Little Mala sighted. “Did the knight marry the princess?”

“Of course he did. And they lived happily all their lives.” answered Argia. “Have a good holiday kids.”

One by one, her little students left the class with ease, happy to start the winter break.

Argia snorted slowly and walked towards the window. He was down there, in the corner of Jackson’s alley with ribbon’s street. He was staring straight towards her window with his dead eyes. She knew he was just stalking, waiting for the darkness to come.

The sky was filled with the reds of a sun that had passed the horizon. Argia had still some time, but not much. That night was going to be a new moon, and it was during the darkest nights that the Papu was most dangerous. She took her jacket and bag and strode to the exit, ignoring the few colleagues who still spoke to her.

The kids adored her, but when it came to adults, she wasn’t the most popular person. ‘An excellent teacher, but a weird woman,’ was how the principal used to describe her. She didn’t mind. Since she came to the city years ago, she had behaved like a lunatic, so that people would treat her as one was the logical outcome. At first she used to think that it was all Papu’s fault, but the truth is that everything that happened to her was her fault, no one else’s. the result of her jealousy and her betrayal.

The evening was cold, but not as remotely close to the winters of Arun. The streets were packed with people shopping for the upcoming winter festival.

With a subtle movement of her head, she glimpsed his figure limping behind her. A big bulky man, with small eyes and a gigantic nose. Dressed in rags and dragging that empty sack. The creature would not lose sight of her for a minute.

The form of that monster, dressed with rags and dragging an empty sack, was how Argia would see him under the light, but in the dark corners he had another form. One more terrifying and dangerous: a shadow darker than any place it was hiding. A shapeless figure with eyes of white light and a mouth full of hundreds of needle-sharp teeth

The thought of Papu’s mouth gave Argia a chill through her spine. She accelerated her steps to the limit.

She turned the key with a nervous hand and closed the door delicately. Ms. Otter was going to be on her couch, and she always complained of any noise. The old landlady was annoying, but she didn’t care about Argia’s eccentricities.

The wooden steps cracked under her feed. Ms. Otter shouted from the living room, but Argia reached her room before the woman could say any further complaint.

She closed the door and huffed. Head resting on the door. A thought spooked her. The lamp was not on yet.

As she turned, a little oil lamp on her side table turned on by itself. Argia smiled in contempt and walked slowly towards it, dropping her jacket and bag on the floor. From the window, she could see the darkness taking over the sky. There were much fewer people in the streets.

She searched for him. She was sure he was there, lingering in some corner. Soon, when the darkness reached its peak, He’d come for her. Nights like this the bogeyman had not enough with the stalking. The darker, the more violent and dangerous he would be. It didn’t matter there were lights outside. It would find the smallest dark corners to crawl around and As a twisting dark shape, he’d sneak everywhere.

Argia sat on her bed and looked at the door. The first new moon he came, He almost entered through the keyhole. That night, conveniently for him, the house was left without light. Luckily, she had a candle. With light inside the room, Papu could not squeeze through the gaps, and for some reason she didn’t know he’d break nothing.

For months Argia lived in a room filled with candles, feeding the anger of Ms Otter, who continuously reminded her of the dangers of fire. Strangely, the old landlord never kicked out.

Argia changed her clothes and got into bed. She had no dinner but a couple of small cookies eaten on the way home.

“Thank you,” she whispered, turning to the side.the candle quivered in response. It did not tremble because of any wind. It was an actual answer. The flame would never blow off, and the oil would never finish. That was a magical lantern. A magic item that came to her aid at the best moment.

Years passed and she didn’t need to use anything else but the lantern for protection. She was no longer the crazy nut of the candles, although many still thought of her as a freak.

She considered her plan for the winter break. She had for years that idea to go back home for a visit. Back to Arun. But she didn’t know how people would react. Not after what she did to Ohaine.

The wood of the stairs squeezed, and she pulled her blanket up to her neck. Curled up in bed, she stared towards the door again. Holding her breath. The wood squeezed once again. It was a sound only she could hear. The shadow under the door gave her chills. Her magical oil lamp became brighter, somehow knowing it would calm her nerves. That didn’t scare the Papu though, who remained behind the door. The sound of your rattle breathing interrupted time to time by the squeaking of the doorknob.

The door was obviously closed, and he’d never opened while the oil lamp was on. But he’d do it as any other night. And as any other night, he used his own magic to cut the house lights. Ms. Otter cursed from downstairs and Argia knew that, in other circumstances, Papu would have tried to use his shadow form to slip under the door, or through the keyhole. But like every night he tried, his assault failed.

Surely frustrated, the monster let out a slight growl and backed away from the door as the light shone again in the hallway. He’d come back, if lucky, maybe just a few more times, but even if he did all night long, Argia knew the magical light would not faint.

Knowing she was safe, she fell asleep. As expected, El Papu returned, and every time he did, she woke up. It was a tiring way to spend the night, but she was used to it by now. That was her punishment and she had already assumed it, although she was not going to let it last forever. She made up her mind. Maybe finding Ohaine and making peace. Maybe in some of her mother’s old books. Whatever it was, if there was a way to get rid of that curse in Arun, she’d find it.

Few days later she arranged everything for a trip to the valley. The speed of the automobile and the distance to the mountains would give her a couple of nights without having to worry about Papu. Maybe even more. But she’d never escape. Argia spent hours of research in old books, looking for a way to get rid of her pursuer. She learned a lot about magical creatures. She knew bogeymen were a kind of spirit that in most cases hunted and kidnaped were naughty kids. But some, like Papu, an ancient evil from the Eskun Mountains, didn’t make distinctions of age. When he found someone that smelled of guilt, they chased them mercilessly.

.

Did she feel the guilt of her betrayal to Ohaine before the bogeyman came or was her guilt a consequence of her curse? She thought. It was difficult to remember. What was sure is that she still regretted her jealousy. She was just a kid wishing for more attention from her mother. Nevertheless, she almost got a person who considered her as a sister, executed.

Through the window, Argia saw the changes of time. The country had embraced technology and she could see it everywhere. Cables of electricity and telephone, machines to harvest the fields. When she first went to the Plains, most of the roads were transited by horses and wagons, a few were those who had a car. She wondered how much of that new world would have reached Arun. She was in touch with her family there, and they always told her the valley resisted stoically in the tides of change.

The ride to the mountains lasted little more than a couple of hours. The improvement of the road network was a blessing. Luckily, Argia would have more time in her hometown without having to worry about Papu.

They even reached the valley of Isil that she closed her eyes for a moment, snoozed by the comfort of the seat and the warmth of the car.

“Miss, wake up,” said the driver gently.

Argia jumped in her seat. “Where are we? Is this Isil?”

“No, miss, this is the end of the journey: Endara.”

Argia looked through the window with wide eyes. The center of Endara, once a mud-floored esplanade surrounded by few houses, was now a cobblestone-paved square, and where there had been a water well, now there was a water fountain.

Argia walked slowly. The cold in Arun was intense even during midday, a cold she was no longer used to.

Amane, Argia’s aunt, had an inn in the square. A building that looked as she remembered, only a bit neglected, and now with buildings on both sides.

The door was closed. The last letter they sent they told her they were not having luck lately. That was more than a year ago. She replied, but never received an answer.

After pounding on the door for a full minute, someone inside walked slowly towards the entrance. The door squeaked and the pale and sucked face of her cousin Uhaiz appeared from the shadows. He looked decrepit and tired. The man gazed at her for a while. When he finally recognized her, his eyes widened broadly. “Argia? What… What a surprise!”

Argia answered with a timid smile and a squeeze of her wooden hat, not in front of her chest.

“I should have told you, but it was a kind of last-minute decision, and the telephone line never reaches here.”

“Yes, well... We have no phone anyway. But come inside, come!”

The inn was dusty and dark. No one cleaned for a long time and not even opened the windows to air out a bit. The smell was intense. A mix of the wet wood from the tables and the burned one from the fireplace.

Argia noticed her cousin had walked with difficulty, limping on one leg. “What happen?”

Uhaiz sat down and rubbed his knee. The table was filled with cold cuts and jugs of wine, most of them empty. “I fell a few months ago. Stupid accident. Come have a seat. I was just having some lunch. I will prepare you one room afterwards.”

Argia seated and took the glass of wine Uhaiz served. She looked around.

“Where is Amane?” Her own question made her stomach clench. The atmosphere of the place and the image that her cousin gave off gave her a bad feeling.

“Mother is upstairs resting. She is not feeling well lately. Later we can go see her.” Uhaiz’s words, although that wasn't good news, relieved her a bit.

Uhaiz drank two glasses of wine before putting any food inside his mouth. He chewed the salted ham in silence. His eyes were staring at the wall, lost. Something about him disturbed Argia. She didn’t touch the food. She just remained there, zipping her drink from time to time.

“Ohaine came last year,” Uhaiz said suddenly. Argia felt a chill. She was going to ask about her, but she never found the courage to do so. “Argia… I don’t know how to say this,” Uhaiz snorted, rubbing his face with his hand. “There was a mage’s party that came to hunt witches. Ohaine was a member, and Ipar guided the group. No one made it back from the mountains.

Argia froze. She heard about the problems the valley had with the wolves years back and how dangerous the wilds had become.

“Did they… I mean. Did anyone find, well… You know,” mumbled her. Uhaiz moved his head from side to side. Argia stared at the same wall Uhaiz had put his gaze on during the meal.

A weak voice from upstairs broke the silence. “It’s Mother,” the man said, almost whispering. “Give me a moment.” he strode upstairs, leaving Argia with her thoughts.

The news about Ohaine hit her hard. Although they never talked again since she sold her out to the Inquisitors, Argia still considered her as a sister. Guilt and regret overwhelmed her. She repented long ago and tried to reach her sister, but Ohaine answered none of her letters asking for forgiveness.

“Mother wants to see you, if you don’t mind,” said Uhaiz from the top of the stairs.”

Argia stood up quickly and rushed to the first floor. When she entered the room, she felt like a sack of doorknobs. Amane was leaning on the headboard, covered in blankets and bed sheets. She didn’t look good. Her skin was pale and had lost a lot of weight.

Argia smiled but felt tired. It was a tiredness she already had for a long time. Years hiding and running weighed too much on her soul and now, seeing Uhaiz and Amane that way ripped her heart.

“Oh, dear!” said Amane in a hoarse voice. “It’s so nice to see you! Look at you!” the woman sobbed and soon after started to cry. Argia hugged her and gave her a long kiss. She‘d couldn’t hold a tear herself. Amanes’ grip tightened. It took a while for her Aunt release her, but she didn’t mind. The embrace felt good.

“I’m so silly. But look at you! A beautiful woman now… I wish I feel better to prepare one of your favourite meals, but well…”

“What is it, aunty? Can I help?”

“This?” Amane raised her hands and looked at her own body laying on the bed. “This is just life, dear. Nothing that can be stopped. Do not worry.” Amane turned her head to the side, with a nice but weak smile that quickly faded. “Uhaiz told you about Ohaine, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did.” Argia turned, looking for his cousin, but the man had left the room.

“Did you see his leg?”

“He told me he felt,”

“Yes. In the mountains. Looking for Aine. He still does sometimes, although he needs to take care of me now.”

Argia knew about Uhaiz's wife. She left him suddenly and hide in the wilds. Like her mother did once to her.

Amane coughed. It was a nasty coughing that turned her teeth red. Argia helped her with a napkin and some water. “We have no news of my sister, I know you don’t want to hear, but,” Amane put her hand on her chest and narrowed her eyes in pain.

“Is all right. We can talk about her another moment.” Argia never wanted to ask for her mother. Loredi left her after what she had done to Ohaine, and although she could not forgive herself for what she did, she could not forgive that woman either. But she now she was in Arun to get rid of the Papu, and if to achieve it she had to engage in the whereabouts of her mother once more, she’d not hesitate to do so.

Seeing that her aunt needed some rest, Argia helped her to lie down. Uhaiz returned soon after. “I prepared your room,” he whispered while adjusting one of her mother’s pillows with ease. “Later I will make some dinner if you want to join.”

Argia nodded. “See you later Aunty.” Amane answered with a faint smile.

The room was small but cozy. With clean sheets and not a single bit of dust. She opened her luggage and put her lantern on the side table. It didn’t light on and that was a great sign. It was not dark yet, but if the Papu was close, the magic light would always turn on its flame. Still, she closed the latch on the window and turned the key to the door. She lay on the bed with her street clothes on and closed her eyes.

She didn’t seem to have slept for five minutes when Uhaiz knocked on the door. Outside was getting dark, but the lantern was still off.

Uhaiz had prepared a stew of lentils with paprika sausage, one of Amane’s inn famous dishes. In the center of the table a pitcher of red wine and a pitcher of beer surrounded by sausage dishes, cheeses and bread smeared with tomato, a tradition of the valley. Quite a feast for just two people. “We don’t have many visitors. Let’s celebrate your return, even if it’s for few days,” said Uhaiz, anticipating any comment from Argia.

Was she coming for a few days? Was she going to stay for good? She didn’t know. Coming back to Arun, a place she swore to never return, was her last resource. But how to start? Talking about the demon that was chasing her, a monster that only she could see, was something that had labeled her crazy for years.

“My wife was a Lamnia,” said Uhaiz suddenly. His glass of wine is still touching his lips. Argia frowned. Silent, waiting for more. “I mean a type of fairy. The ones that live in the lake.” Uhaiz filled his mouth with ham, almost as if he tried to stop himself from talking further.

“I know it sounds insane. But it’s true. She left us because someone that looked like me made her think I betray her secret. And now we are cursed.” Uhaiz huffed slowly, supporting his weight over the chair’s back. “Forget it. It sounds even crazier when I say it out loud.”

I’d sound crazy to anyone else, but not to Argia. She already had a good portion of madness for herself. “I believe you,” her cousin was looking at the wall, eyes lost like usual. “Uhaiz, I believe you,” she repeated, this time with confidence. Their eyes met and she could see a sparkle of hope on him. That gave her hope as well.

“Arun is a place where magic still exists. My mother knew that and I do as well.” The words encouraged Uhaiz, who began to talk about what had happened to them in the previous years. His spirit had grown and his words had more energy and excitement than before.

He told her about the little elf inside the thread roller, about the water women in the lake. How he met Aine and how, after an encounter with a jack-o'-lantern, his wife disappeared while pregnant.

“It was the minairo all along. I’m sure of it,” He said, hitting the table with his palm. “It tried to trick me into getting something from that wildfire… When I didn’t do as he asked, he punished me. He pretended to be me to deceive Aine.” His words were full of resentment and fury. “Now I pay for it. Mother,” he squinted his eyes tightly, as if the words hurt. “Mother pays for it.”

Argia put a hand over his shoulder and squeezed gently. “You said that green light can give you a wish.”

“I tried, I tried. Every Time I get there and it shows it just laughs at my requests. Then it goes even deeper inside the forest. Last time I had to search pretty far into the Freba’s woods.”

“It may not listen to you anymore, but it can listen to me.”

Uhaiz sat up in the chair. His eyes fixed on her. “Would you do that? I mean, it can be dangerous.”

She was definitely going to do it. It was the opportunity she was hoping to find in Arun. A magic light that could grant wishes was what could solve her own curse. She could not believe how lucky she was. A subtle smirk showed on her face. “Yes, I will do it.”