CHAPTER 199: THE CURSE OF LUST

"Tell me is this really true?!"

Adam said quietly.

"What is it exactly that plagues her?"

He asked out of concern for her wellbeing, but the answer he got was not the one he wanted.

Because in the moment Dolly tilted her head. The smile that touched her lips was sad, fond, but tinged with the bitterness of old wounds she herself had yet heal.

"Ah, her benediction are deep...but aye, young King... thou art knows so little too."

Dolly took a slow step forward. Her voice softened as she drags her tiny feet forward.

"Not of common hex for sure. Nay. Hers is no affliction borne of is mostly out of Vlada’s judgment."

Adam’s brow furrowed hearing this news, it was hard to properly respond.

"So it goes without saying, being judge that heavy, she did something to earn it the way she did."

"If you are not caught up with her crimes let me enlightened you. In her unlife, she had committed three great sins, each punishable by death under vampiric laws."

Dolly replied, each word like a tolling bell.

But to help Priscilla, Adam had to listen carefully.

"Her first sin... aye, the gravest of them all. The Sin of Diablory, an unholy act most vile among vampires. It is the devouring of another vampire’s very soul. Her own brother, no less. A transgression that stains her soul beyond redemption."

"The second... Murder, unwarranted and crude. In her flight, she did slay a very important elder of noble blood apart of the house of Cain, one whose death served no purpose but her own escape, and led to an even greater sin itself. Stealing from the king himself."

"Which lead us to the third sin... That being theft. A final indignity upon her departure from Helheim. She did pilfer from the King’s own vault...nay, not mere gold or baubles, but one of the two original scrolls sealed within the Royal Vault. The Scroll of Transcendence."

Dolly made clear, revealing much of Priscilla past to him.

Causing him to respond back, saying.

"The Scroll of Transcendence you say, hmm it seems like a very powerful artifact if it has the words Transcendence in it."

"Because it is."

Kifril said, his voice firm. As he step into the conversation.

He took a step forward, his expression grave as he prepared to explain the magnitude of the spell Priscilla currently has that make her a traitor to vampire race.

"The Scroll of Transcendence is no mere incantation as one might think. It is the philosopher stone of all Spiritualist you can say, the amalgamation of two opposing attributes within the Elemental feild of Light and Dark magic. Light, the benevolent force of creation, harmony, and purity. Dark, the malevolent force of creation, negativity, and corruption. Alone, each has its purpose, but when fused, they give birth to something altogether different, something far more potent and far more dangerous than normal magic types."

He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to settle. This was after all, forbidden knowledge of the highest order.

"This fusion creates what is known as Source Magic, a forbidden Magic Attribute that blends Purity and Corruption, Good and Evil creativeness into one untamable force. It defies the natural order of the world, reshaping reality itself, and it is this very magic that, according to the legends, allowed Merlin to transcend her mortal form and become the Divine Spirit of Magic."

A heavy pause fell between them, when Adam heard this information.

"Merlin did not ascend through ranks of Godhood normally. She cast this very spell, shedding her physical form and stepping beyond mortality. By doing so, she became not a goddess in the conventional sense, but a living Concept, as all Divine Spirits are, an idea given form. Through Source Magic, she tricked the very fabric of existence into accepting her as a Divine Spirit. But this ascension is not perfect. It is not true divinity, unlike a true Divine Spirit that Predate all that is of Material, she forced her way to that position. As such the Concept she represent is Set in Stone. She is probably the only Divine Spirit that lacks true independence. If one can cast this spell, they too will become a Divine Spirit of Magic as such being the manifestation of all Magic in Creation, As such Omnipresent, and Omniscient through Astrum. For this reason she is considered a fallacy in creation, usually if destroy all things related to a concept in existence the spirit itslef does not die. But in Merlin case this applies, if all knowledge of Magic is gone so too is she."

"...Wow."

Those were the only words capable of coming out of Adam mouth, it was a shocker indeed.

"To think a magic spell like this actually exist, I means if it does, why hasn’t Priscilla used it to break free from this world, if she has such a powerful relic?"

He said, then Dolly step in and commented.

"If such a spell were easily cast, our king would have long transcended this world, yet none know its working, nor how Merlin wove such a lie into truth, an even if one has infinite Astrum at their disposal, it doth not suffice in the slightest."

"Thou dost grasp the truth, aye? Why Vlada cursed Priscilla, though the latter now be mightier in raw power alone, the former still possessed such vast knowledge and Astrum that, even should Priscilla attempt to purge it with her own, it is as a river attempting to drown a world already made of water."

"So in layman terms...

Adam pause for a bit then continued.

"Priscilla can’t lift her curse because Vlada magic reserve is way larger than her own as such, purging is meaningless unless someone more magic than her to do so?"

"Aye... Pretty much."

"Hmmm... I see, well we went off topic a bit, please answer my question, tell me what this curse is."

Adam’s expression darkened in this moment, anyone could tell he was not happy in the slightest.

"Hmm very well... That sigil she beareth at her neither’s... Was the mark she got when she made a contract in the in-between to use magic as all Spiritualist eventually bears."

"But it wasn’t always a heart, rather it was Star, it only became that way after Vlada curse her."

Dolly continued.

"The curse Priscilla bears is a simple but cruel one. If Priscilla should ever get pregnant. She will die, as the life of her child will be taken as a forefeit of her own. And to make things worse every second, the urge to fuck increases by a Hundred fold. It’s the reason she stays in that child like form, instead of whatever excuse she has made up. In that form, her sexual urges are basically close to none you see."

Adam’ face twitched with anger at this moment.

The muscles in his jaw tightened, and something primal simmered in his eyes, fury, indignation, helplessness all braided together into a single expression of grim resolve.

"That woman...

He growled beneath his breath, eyes narrowing,

"Vlada will pay for what she did to my big is... I swear it... Still is there a way to break this curse?"

It wasn’t loud.

But the way he said it, quiet, low, and determined made even Kifril tense up at his rising bloodlust.

Dolly, unfazed by his tone, merely tilted her head to the side. Her hair bounced lightly as she folded her hands behind her back, a small hum escaping her lips before she responded.

"Perhaps...

She mused, her voice light as ever, though a note of seriousness crept in.

"But I cannot say for certain. I don’t know the countercurse, if there even is one. All I do know is that it is a Dark Element curse, old, deeply tied to blood, body, and will aspects like those. You would be surprised of the fucked shit one can do with just Dark magic, it’s the most versatile magic type after all."

Her eyes flicked to Adam, narrowing just a bit.

"However...

she began again, a sly glint sneaking into her smile.

"If thou were to accept our offering, properly...you could gain access to our cities library. Ancient, unredacted knowledge of magic. Somewhere in there may lie a method... or at least a lead. One could piece it together, with time, mind, and motive. Although knowing Vlada I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an Original Magic on her part."

Adam’s gaze bore into her now.

"Tell me."

He asked, hope building up.

"Is this really true?"

Dolly blinked once, then nodded slowly.

"Aye. I speak no lie on this. If it’s breakable, it’s written in there somewhere. No curse is born of nothing, it has structure, intention, and Origin. Even if someone made it as an Original vampire are a race that like to make countermeasures for what they make. So there is a chance at the very least."

Adam looked down, thoughts turning inward. He didn’t speak right away. It wasn’t just the cruelty of the curse, it was the implications. The life Priscilla was forced to live. The need to take the form of a child just to silence her own body, to dull an unnatural compulsion inflicted upon her. To be trapped in that form, not by choice mind you really rubs him the wrong way.

He clenched his fist tighter just thinking about it.

"She deserved better...

Dolly’s expression softened just slightly at those words.

"Aye... That she did... That she does."

"Although we are not forcing you, despite how it may sound, I don’t mind bringing you some books to read up on it. But that aside I think we do need to reach compromise of sorts, don’t you think?"

"I know, but you lots still haven’t told me what you want from me. I am not one to be taken lightly you know."