Since the incident with Ives Evory, the dark desires, the want to place a curse on someone, wouldn’t leave Tanya alone.

While Kuon and Silas gathered supplies and information for their upcoming trek up Mount Trellis, Tanya tried to think of a way to give way to corruption without acting in an unforgivable manner.

The person who came to mind was Visanta, the human woman that Kuon had tried to steal from. She seemed a perfect candidate to place a curse on.

A noble woman leaving home with a charming, scheming unicorn she’d only know for a fortnight? Visanta was running from something. Maybe Tanya could help her while helping herself.

Under the cover of night, Tanya flew to Visanta’s estate. Visanta’s family was quite well off, from the opulence of the grounds and the upkeep of the manor. Nothing untoward at all.

“Why did you want to run away?” Tanya whispered.

Tanya cast a cloaking spell upon herself, and peeked through the windows until she found Visanta’s room

A maid stoked a fire in the hearth while Visanta brushed her hair in front of a gilded mirror.

When the maid left, Tanya knocked on the window.

Visanta glanced towards the glass, and then went back to her hair.

Tanya knocked again, louder. This time Visanta got up.

She unlocked the window, and opened it.

“Hello?” she asked.

Tanya made a gust strong enough to push Visanta backwards, and slipped through the opened window.

“Kuon? Is that you?”

That was interesting. Tanya would have guessed Kuon would’ve disguised himself and come in through the normal doors to meet Visanta. There was no easy way to climb up to Visanta’s window.

“Shh,” Tanya placed a ward of silence on the room, and made herself visible.

Visanta turned white.

Visanta opened her mouth, but it took a moment for the words to come. When they did, Tanya held back a sigh.

“Please don’t kill me. Please.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Tanya said, and then under her breath, “should’ve disguised myself.”

If anything, that made Visanta’s face grow paler.

“I’m not going to hurt you at all,” Tanya backed away to give Visanta more space, “I’m going to offer you a deal, and if you decide you’re not interested, I’ll leave. I swear.”

Visanta nodded slowly, but didn’t move.

“I’m friends with Kuon,” Tanya said, “what’s going on that you were willing to abandon your home and leave with him?”

Visanta swallowed, “My mother is trying to wed me to Lord Reveer. He’s, well...and anyway, I don’t want to marry now. There's no reason for mother to pressure me like this anyway. My brother Rodney married well enough for us all. I was too scared to leave, until I met Kuon, and he said he’d help me escape,” Visanta gave a brittle laugh, “I was lucky the gardener didn’t report me to my parents when she found me in the bushes.”

Tanya winced at that. She and Kuon could’ve been kinder when they’d returned Visanta home.

“Anyways, it’s not like I would’ve left home forever,” Visanta said, “I planned to let them know I’d come home once I’d explored the far reached of the kingdom.”

“What if I offered you a way to do that, on your own?”

“What exactly are you offering?”

“I will place an...enchantment upon you, so you can safely do that.”

“What do you ask for in return?” Visanta asked.

“You’ll owe me a favor, though I won’t call upon it for anything nefarious.”

Visanta didn’t look convinced.

“Here’s what I’ll do. You don’t want to marry Lord Reeve, and you want to be able to safely travel. The enchantment will let you do that.”

“And I’ll just owe you a favor.”

“Yes.”

“Then I accept your offer.”

Tanya moved closer to Visanta until she was close enough to take her hands.

The change occurred bit by bit. Visanta’s long locks grew brittle and changed to the color of mud. Her pretty features disappeared as a large nose took up most of her face, and her lips grew thin and dry.

The corruption on Tanya danced as Visanta’s shrunk several inches, growing more and more wretched looking. Tanya didn’t suppress it, but let the perverse joy flow.

When it was done, Visanta stumbled away from Tanya.

“What...what have you done to me?”

“This way you can travel unimpeded,” Tanya said, “not many will bother a beggar woman. And in case that’s not enough, I’ve made you many times stronger than a man.”

“But...this is no enchantment! You’ve...you’ve cursed me!”

As her sister had said no long ago, Tanya said, “I know.”

Visanta let out a wail, and clutched her face.

Tanya lifted up a finger, “If you want to undo the curse,” there was no point in denying what it was, “you must do three things.”

Visanta sniffed, and looked up at Tanya from her behind her hands.

“Travel to the edges of the kingdom,” Tanya raised a finger, “pluck an everblossom from the Vasilian Heights,” Tanya raised a second finger, “and third, make peace with Lord Reeve,” Tanya showed three fingers, a smile on her face.

“Then you’ll have your form returned to you.”

Visanta let out a half sob, half laugh.

“Why would you do this?”

“Don’t you know?” Tanya cupped Visanta’s chin, her tone cold, “Tears are all monsters. If I didn’t do this to you now, like this, I would’ve let something much worse loose on someone who would only hurt from my ‘gift’, and who would probably not be given a way out of it.”

Tanya released Visanta.

“My sisters and I are cursed ourselves,” Tanya’s voice was back to its normal cadence, “cursed with an all consuming desire to hurt. I’m one of the last chances to break that. But I needed an outlet, and you seemed a good option. And I think you’ve benefited from this more than you think.”

Tanya turned to the window, “Don’t cry too loudly, now. I’ve just taken off the quieting spell.”

With that, Tanya left.