There was a considerable amount of objections one could make against using a dead woman's nymph blood for protection. Time and safety were, however, of the essence. Audren and Terry had a curse to break.

Using the wraithsbane staff to keep the wraiths away, the pair managed to escape Malodell unscathed. Their horses had been similarly fortunate: the animals had fled back to Nymphenwald in Audren and Terry's absence, where they grazed peacefully, unbothered by the dead. The lord and the mage, in dire need of further transportation, took control of them again. On horseback, they sped away from Nymphenwald, back into Santonshire and to the mountains from there.

Though his body still protested, Audren made it through hours of travel at the fastest speed they could realistically achieve. He knew his realm well, and once their horses set foot onto rocky mountain terrain, he knew exactly where to go, which obscure, winding roads to take to get to Anahill while encountering a minimal amount of Cursed. They passed babbling creeks, lush valleys and recently-abandoned villages, where the undead now hunted in small groups. He didn't dare stop and admire his beautiful home like he usually did.

When they reached Anahill, when he could see the city walls and his castle, he had to suppress his concern. A large herd of Cursed, the one his scouts had notified him of, had gathered before the city gate, clamouring for blood and flesh in their typical snarls and grunts. With so many people from surrounding villages brought to Anahill, it was to be expected the Cursed would be drawn there most of all. But as much as he benefitted from the protection of unfamiliar blood, it still wouldn't be wise to wade through a sea of Cursed with no regard for personal safety.

"Do you think you could contact Dyna like you did before?" He asked Terry. "We can't enter through the gate. Request she bring an old siege ladder for us."

So it was done. A conversation, a bit of waiting, and there Audren saw his sister appear on the walls, accompanied by two guards who placed the ladder for their convenience. As Audren climbed up, a myriad of emotions crossed his mind: happiness and relief that Dyna lived, that his people hadn't yet fallen victim to the Cursed, but also worry about what his sister would say, fear for what was to come.

If he failed, if his idea turned out to be wrong, there'd be no way back. He'd die, and so would everyone else.

"Audren, Terry! Good to see you back safe and sound." Dyna gave him a weak smile when he set foot on the walkway. "I'd hug you both, but you look like living nightmares whose only bath in the past few days had been in a tub full of bloody pig guts."

"Oh, really?" Terry deadpanned. "And here I was thinking we were making the look work."

Audren grimaced. "Lovely to see you, too, Dyna." He looked around, down at the streets and buildings below. The only living souls he saw out and about were soldiers and watchmen. "It's... awfully quiet here."

Dyna nodded, a grave expression replacing the happiness from before. Though it seemed like she had managed to catch some sleep now, she still looked worn to the bone. "We've brought in so many villagers who all needed temporary housing that we hardly had time to check them all for, for... bites. I've implemented quarantine measures like Mother and Father did when the plague came ten years ago and confined everyone to their homes or buildings of current residence. Our soldiers and watchmen are enforcing it. Unpleasant, but we'll be able to control a potential outbreak much better that way."

Clever, and convenient, too. With no offense meant to his people, he didn't need to collect the opinions of everyone and their grandmother when it came to what he was about to suggest.

"I see I've left the city in capable hands."

"Of course you did." Dyna waved the two guards who'd brought the ladder away with a go on, you two, you're needed by the gate. Her gaze met Audren's, alarmingly piercing. "But we haven't any time to waste. You set out to find a way to break the curse. Did you find it? Or will we need to rely on the strength of our walls and gate?"

Audren swallowed hard. "I believe I know how we can break the curse. But when I tell you about it, you'll want to throttle me."

"We're siblings. I want to throttle you at all times. Try me."

"Fine. We need to open the gate. We need to welcome the Cursed in."

He gave that sentence some time to sink in. A silence fell in which he could've heard a pin drop. Dyna opened and closed her mouth in disbelief a few times and roughly thirty different emotions showed on her face within seconds. Which was impressive, for Audren had been certain far fewer emotions existed. Unfortunately, he recognised the one his sister finally settled on with ease: Anger.

"What did you just say?"

Audren held his hands up in defense. "Before you declare me insane, let me explain, alright? I'll keep it brief. We found Countess Limnaia and Terry ended up talking to the ghost of the mage responsible for this mess. As it turns out, he'd been in the process of losing his faith in humanity for a good while, until Limnaia finally shattered it beyond repair. Apparently, she has... had a sadistic side. She'd dress as a beggar with one of her servants, try to get invited into peasant homes, and if it worked, they'd torture the poor souls to death."

"Are you sure we're thinking about the same Limnaia?"

"I'd say I got a pretty good look at her when she wanted to pull my teeth out with pincers. Yes, Dyna, I'm sure." He resumed his story. "Either way, Terry told me all Credi said, and it got me thinking. The man wanted his curse to be broken. He wanted to make a point. There's one thing he said that stuck with me. 'In what world should kindness and hospitality be punished so harshly?' Society as he perceived it lacked kindness and hospitality. If we give this curse a display of those things, we might be able to avoid... punishment."

Dyna took a deep breath. "You're saying that, if we're hospitable and allow the Cursed into the city, they won't tear us apart."

Audren nodded. "Precisely. Have you seen them up close, Dyna? They're remarkably human. They all carry traces of the person they used to be. You see it in their clothes, their hairstyles, their faces. Maybe they even feel, deep down. Maybe we shouldn't see them as something other, but rather as... the friends and family they used to be. Humans no different from us. And maybe we should treat them that way."

"Audren. Audren." The look in Dyna's eyes had gone from disbelieving to skeptical. "Your arguments are better than I expected, but if you're wrong... the carnage will be disastrous. Don't you see that?" She turned to Terry. "What are your thoughts on this?"

Terry, who looked like she'd much rather have been a neutral observer to this discussion, sighed and crossed her arms. "As much as I hate to admit it... Whether I like it or not is irrelevant. What matters is that this idea does have potential. The best curses are simple to break, but the way to do it will be so undesirable it often won't occur to people naturally. Opening the gate is terribly easy, but it's not likely someone would make a conscious effort to allow the Cursed into their home. Certainly not on a grand scale."

"So you're... behind this?"

"Yes. The way I see it, we can open that gate and either live or die. If we choose to keep it closed, we'll survive for now, but it won't last. The moment our resources run out, we're done for. If the Cursed breach the gate, we're also done for. Only a miracle could still save us then."

"Dyna," Audren pleaded, "I don't need your permission to give the order to open the gate. I'm Lord of the Mountains. But I want your permission, because you've handled our affairs here well and because I value your opinion. Please take what we've told you seriously and decide for yourself if it's worth the risk."

He held his breath while Dyna thought, her expression conflicted most of all. He couldn't force her to see things his way, but he prayed to the gods she would. What would he even do if she refused to carry out this curse-breaking plan? Respect her advice and wishes as usual? Or would the situation call for his bypassing of her completely, for him to take matters into his own hands?

Finally, Dyna turned to the stairs leading down. "History will remember you as a hero or a fool, dear brother."

"Isn't that the case for everyone?"

Dyna simply motioned for Terry to follow her. "Come on, Kalister. I'll need your help scaring the soldiers into complying when Audren gives his order."

Permission to act. Audren's heart hammered in his chest as he willed himself to move, breaking out into a run over the walkway, in the direction of the gate. The closer he got, the louder the snarling and growling of the Cursed became. The undead pushed and clawed at the large wooden doors; though Dyna had them fortified and soldiers safeguarded them, Audren wondered how long they would persist against a continual assault.

He looked down at the herd, hesitated. Was he supposed to just order his men to open the gates? Or was he supposed to voice his intentions more elaborately, just to be sure? How official a welcome would be enough to break the curse?

It was best not to risk it. He chose to speak.

"I don't know to what extent you understand what I'm saying," Audren began, addressing the Cursed directly. Some looked up, drawn in by the sound of his words. "I also don't know to what extent you care. But I do care. And what I want to tell you is that, in spite of everything, you aren't monsters. You're victims, just like us. Victims of an embittered man who wished to make a statement. But while his message may be admirable, it will never excuse the method, what was done to you and us alike."

He tried to relax, tried to stay calm about what was to come, but couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

"I don't recognise any of you," he continued, "and truthfully, I don't want to. It would hurt. But some of you were family, friends and acquaintances. Most of you are strangers I would've liked to meet if the circumstances had been different. But you were all human. So I'll be humane to you and welcome you into my home as guests. In return, I only ask you treat us with the same respect I'm showing you."

He didn't wait for an answer, knowing it wouldn't come. Instead, he turned around, to find his way to the ground like his sister before him. "Open the gate!" he called out to the men below, his own voice sounding distant in his ears. He heard a shout and the creaking of wood, proof of his command being obeyed. It seemed Terry and Dyna had been convincing, though he wouldn't be surprised if more blood manipulation had been involved.

I need to be there, he thought to himself as the opening doors came into view, I need to see. He passed Terry and Dyna, even his soldiers, who'd retreated fast after their job was done. It was Audren who stood in front of everyone, the first person any entering Cursed would encounter. If his theory had been wrong, he'd be the first to die.

And that would only be appropriate.

The Cursed, at first, seemed almost confused, for the obstacle that had kept them out had suddenly disappeared. But they soon came to whatever senses they still had and shambled forward, teeth bared and hands outstretched. The one in front, an elderly woman, reached for Audren with claw-like nails. He flinched, resisted the urge to fight or run.

"Go on," he whispered. "I said you were welcome. I meant it."

The cursed lady stopped in her tracks. Audren watched her in anticipation, her bloodshot eyes, her rotting flesh, her few remaining teeth. He was still watching, dumbfounded, when she crumbled to dust and was carried off by the wind.