The draigs. Witches worshipping the dark gods and demons. They are ugly with bodies infested with curses. They were originally humans but shifted to unholy power in order to become more powerful.

Lekas had slain thousands of them before in this forest, together with his companions. The worst part about Draigs is that they could launch all types of curses at you without even talking, just by even looking at you. But the good part is also that they could absorb any type of curses and take it as their own. That is Lekas’s idea in order to save Seraphin. The only problem is that draigs live in the cursed forest of LUBENIA. At the entrance of north, territory of the demons. He wasn’t sure that Seraphin and her father could support that journey but they had to. Her fate depends on it.

However, as soon as they got there, everything started going haywire, to the point that his love even kneeled to him, begging for her father’s life.

‘It’s my fault for not being clear.’ As Lekas was about to clarify the misunderstanding, he suddenly felt the presence of two mana pools coming. One was a way weaker than him while the other was a monster, something he surely shouldn’t fight right now.

“Well, the draigs are here anyhow.”

Only the draigs inhabit this forest as they are not considered demons and are rejected there by other demons who see them as disgusting hybrids.

After he speaks, Seraphin and Hithindil look in the same direction as him and see two figures appearing from the fog. As the two figures become clearer, they also become uglier. A man and an old woman finally appear and stand in front of them, right before the dome. The man taps the wood cane made of the same wood as the trees around on the ground and the screaming stop.

“You are quite courageous to enter this place. Who are you?”

The old woman then speaks while looking at Seraphin who is still kneeling. The sight of a young and beautiful maiden in this cursed place was certainly something uncommon. Seraphin jumps when her eyes meet those of the old and evil looking woman. Her skin which looks like old and distorted wood was repulsive enough to make her scream with disgust. Her bent back gives her the look of witches from books for kids.

‘So, witches do exist after all.’ It was the only thing that went through Seraphin’s mind at that point. Not that her father was any different.

“I have come to negotiate.”

Suddenly, from the stranger’s mouth, unknown and bizarre words come out.

***

Lekas had fought in this forest for a year and a half, wiping out the draigs under Cald’h influence. In the process and with the help of Windhil Lokforth, who understood magic and ancient languages more than anybody else, he managed to learn a bit of their language. It was important to understand the enemy to better defeat it. Though he never used it before, he was now glad that Windhil forced him to learn it at the time.

‘I can never thank you enough, teacher.’

“Ohh, you can speak our language? But you aren’t one of us. Who taught you?”

The old draig doesn’t answer Lekas in their language, that is a sign that she doesn’t like it for an outsider to use it.

“I am sorry if I have somehow vexed you. That was not my-“

“The matriarch has asked you a question, answer it.”

Unlike the old woman, the young man with her doesn’t hide his animosity and shows clear disgust for the stranger who dares to speak in their tongue. He doesn’t understand why the matriarch hasn’t destroyed the barrier around them already and cursed them. The lack of experience is the worst enemy of the untrained, especially right now.

“Don’t worry, I am not mad, just extremely curious. You humans consider us worse than demons since we gave up our humanity so for one of you to speak with us on the same term is unsettling.”

“I was thought by a hermit who told me he came here long ago to have his curse removed.”

“Ohhh… Interesting. Which curse was it?”

The matriarch knows all types of curses. Besides, she remembers every single person who came for curses' removal.

“It was the curse of sloth. The eternal sleep.”

“…I see. Your teacher was a high vampire, then.”

The matriarch stands calm for a while. From her memories, only three vampires ever came to this place and of them, only one had his curse removed.

‘If she is really his mentor, then, I should handle this very carefully or my whole clan will be killed.’

“I understand, which of you need to have his curse removed then?”

Hearing those words makes Lekas’s heart jump a bit. After all he is lying about it all, or almost.