Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Part 4

It was only dawn when they reached the village.

The first rays of sunlight fought their way through the thick fog that had settled over the village, and the inhabitants, who excitedly turned their curious glances at the newcomers, watched them with a mixture of fear and impatience.

As they entered the seamstress’s house, a disturbed murmur remained in the air.

The villagers wondered where the other men who had gone hunting the night before had gone.

However, their questions faded into the silence of the morning as they were left silent.

Leana dropped a stack of dusty books onto her table with a dull sound.

“Look here and see if you can find anything,” she ordered, handing Leuven an old book bound in worn green leather.

Leuven took the book with shaking hands and looked at the gold decoration on the cover. “Dark curses and magical cancellations,” he murmured as he read the title.

He sank down into an old red armchair in a corner of the cutting room, the upholstery of which had long since lost its shine.

Leana also gave the half-demon an old book. The brown cover had the words “Devilish magical creatures and demonic curses” printed on it.

“You seem to own some works on dark magic,” the half-demon remarked with a crooked grin.

“Well,” Leana replied with a dark look, “it is not written how to use such magic. That would be the greatest sin of all. But perhaps we can find a way to break this curse.” Her words were a promise of hope and despair at the same time.

Leuven raised his head. “So, to understand it correctly: you want to turn this harpy back into a human? – She has taken the lives of so many. Why are you doing this?”

“The harpy,” said Leana with a dark expression on her face, “is called Emilia. Yes, I want to transform her back. She is an innocent girl. She does not deserve punishment for the deeds that were done to her. The real blame lies with the one who brought this misfortune upon her.”

“So now we’re looking for the person who transformed her?” Leuven frowned. “This sounds familiar.”

Evan turned to Leana, ignoring Leuven’s thoughts and speaking with a serious expression. “However, we must prepare ourselves for the fact that if we cannot break this curse, we will have to consider other means.”

“I know,” Leana replied, determined to find the answer she so desperately sought somewhere in the countless pages of her books.

The sorceress turned to a large book already open on her counter. The pages whispered of long-forgotten secrets as she bent over the pale letters.

The hours passed in heavy silence. Only the patient rustling of the book pages and the occasional clearing of the throat broke the oppressive calm.

Leuven fought against the heaviness of his eyelids, which kept trying to pull him into the realm of half-sleep.

“This isn’t going anywhere,” Evan finally grumbled, slamming the book shut with a loud bang.

Leuven jumped, jumped up as if struck by lightning, and suddenly stood bolt upright in front of the chair. “I’m awake, I’m awake,” he said, startled.

Leana sighed deeply and let her gaze sink resignedly to the book. “The only thing I found is a ritual where we have to brew a potion.”

“That’s something,” Evan replied with a slight hint of hope.

“But half of the herbs we need don’t grow here, and the potion would take nearly thirty days to brew,” Leana explained wearily. “So we can forget about that.”

“Perhaps we have no choice but to let the blade do the talking,” Evan suggested.

“If we knew who put the curse on Emilia, that could help us,” Leana replied. “But neither Albert nor Jakob nor anyone else in the village has the necessary knowledge.”

“And what good would that do us?” Leuven frowned.

“We could try an unbanishing spell.” Leana leafed through her thick book, the pages whispering mysteriously. “Curses can often be undone by the person who cast them.”

“Unless it’s an eternal curse,” Evan interjected.

»What exactly is an eternal curse?« asked Leuven with a worried look.

Leana tried to explain it to him. “An eternal curse is so powerful that even the person who cast it cannot take it back. Such curses are the darkest remnants of dark magic and are cast out of pure hatred and desperation.”

“That sounds terrifying,” Leuven muttered. “Suddenly, without warning, you’re cursed and find yourself with wings. I never thought such things actually existed.”

“The world holds many secrets that are not easily explained,” Evan said, looking thoughtfully around the room. “You have seen for yourself what horrors lurk in the dark.”

Suddenly there was a violent knock on the door and a panicked voice echoed through the house.

“Leana! – Leana, please open the door!” echoed through the door, filled with desperate fear.

Leana looked up in shock as the hasty knock echoed through the room. With shaking hands she opened the door, which creaked loudly.

A young woman, her curly dark hair falling in tangled strands around her face, staggered over the threshold. Her eyes darted wildly, and her breathing was rapid and irregular.

“Nella?” Leana asked, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

The young woman entered the room, the panic in her eyes unmistakable. She quickly turned to Leana. “You were in the forest, what happened?”

Her words were strained, her posture was tense. She walked desperately toward Evan.

“Where are the men?” Her voice broke.

Leana tried to calm Nella down, but the young woman was uncontrollable. Her hands were clutching at her, her eyes filled with tears.

“Well,” Evan began with a deep sigh that filled the room with a heavy burden, “you didn’t make it.”

Leuven jumped up from his chair to make room for the young woman, but she ignored his gesture and paced wildly up and down the room.

“What about Jakob?” asked Nella. Her voice trembled with painful fear. “How is he?”

Evan, who had been calm and composed until then, pulled a face. “Jakob? Why are you interested in the young farmer?”

“I need to know if he’s okay!” Nella’s voice was filled with desperate hope, while her eyes stared at Evan as if frozen. The silence that followed the room was oppressive and heavy.

The silence was painful. Nella turned her gaze to the old books scattered on the table.

Leana’s panic had not escaped the half-demon.

The sorceress, who had always presented herself as the local seamstress, was now struggling with a despair she could no longer hide. Her eyes revealed more than words ever could.

“What kind of strange books are all these?” asked Nella with a critical look.

Leana’s lips trembled, her thoughts swirling wildly. But before she could utter a sound, Evan jumped in. “I’m a wizard,” he said dryly.

The seamstress and the merchant looked at him in astonishment.

“You’re a wizard?” asked Nella, frowning. “You don’t look like a wizard.”

“What does a wizard look like?” Evan asked instead.

The young woman did not answer.

Just as he had done at the gates of Haren Castle, the half-demon tried to speak with an unusual naturalness in his voice. It had worked that time, albeit with the help of Marie, who was able to convince the guards at the gate.

“No,” Nella replied after a moment’s thought. “I don’t believe you.”

Leuven looked at the half-demon with a sideways glance. He already found the half-demon’s appearance in front of the castle gates strange, but in this situation the whole thing seemed even stranger to him.

Nella, on the other hand, didn’t need long to think. Her gaze wandered over to Leana. “I’ve heard some rumors. Some people in the village say you’re a witch. Stupid talk, I thought. But they really do seem to be right.”

Leana’s whole body was shaking. “That’s nonsense. I’m just a simple seamstress.”

“Oh, yes?” Nella looked at her sharply. “Then why are these two men with you? Are they even demon hunters? – Besides, you don’t have to think I’m stupid. I can see that these books are from your shelf.”

The sorceress found it difficult to find an answer; her thoughts were circling in her head again.

But Nella didn’t seem to want to accuse her of that. “You want to save Emilia, don’t you?”

The room became silent; you could have heard a pinhead drop.

“What do you have to do with the miller’s daughter?” Evan asked suspiciously.

Leana took over. “Nella is a friend of Emilia’s. Of course she’s worried.”

Worry. The half-demon saw worry in the young woman’s face, but there seemed to be something more behind it.

“And then?” Evan asked coldly.

The sorceress looked at him darkly.

But Nella really seemed to be hiding something.

“Well,” she began in a shaky voice, “I may be able to help.”

Then she turned back to Leana. “Don’t kid me, you’re not a simple seamstress.”

Great, thought Leana. She came to the half-demon’s aid and her cover was immediately blown.

She sighed. “That’s true. But I’m not a witch either. I’m a sorceress and I went to the academy.”

Nella’s eyes began to light up. “Then I was right. Will you help us?”

“I, at least I try,” the sorceress stammered back.

Evan took a step forward and fixed Nella with a demanding look. “But first you have to tell us what you know.”

Nella sighed and looked nervously around the room, her fingers tapping restlessly on her hip. Finally, she began to describe the events.

Nella was clearly uncomfortable as she broke the silence in the candlelit room. “There’s something else you need to know,” she began hesitantly. “Jakob and I were a couple.”

Evan didn’t raise an eyebrow or show any reaction. His expression remained neutral, as if he wasn’t particularly surprised by this information.

Leana and Leuven, on the other hand, were visibly surprised.

The seamstress stared at Nella with her mouth open, while Leuven opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Jakob… and you?” asked Leana, as if she needed to make sure she hadn’t misheard.

Nella nodded. “Yes. For several months. We wanted to leave the village. Build a new life together.”

Evan continued to stand there motionless. Only his curious expression betrayed his interest. “But wasn’t he engaged to Emilia?”

“That’s true,” Nella sighed.

She avoided making eye contact with anyone in the room. “But Jacob didn’t want that. It was all his father’s idea.”

“And Emilia, did she know about it?” Leana asked curiously.

Nella hesitated for a moment before answering. Her fists clenched. Only the half-demon seemed to have noticed and was now watching her even more critically.

“She knew,” Nella hissed. “That bitch knew, but she didn’t care. She wanted Jacob for herself.”

Her voice changed. There was something ominous in it now. “I don’t regret what happened to her. She deserved it.”

Evan tried to interpret her words, but Nella was skilled at hiding her emotions.

“And what happened?” asked Leana, although she already had a hunch.

The half-demon also seemed to have come to a conclusion. “So you were looking for a way to get rid of them.”

Nella’s face turned pale. Her anger disappeared and was replaced by fear. “We… we… it wasn’t like that,” she stammered.

“So what was it like?” Evan demanded an answer, his arms defiantly crossed in front of his chest.

Nella sighed again. Her whole body relaxed. She seemed to know that she would never get out of this situation.

“Well, it was like this,” she began, and this time she sought eye contact with the others. “Jakob and I just wanted Emilia to leave him alone. We were looking for some reason why she would lose interest in him. He ignored her, rejected her, but nothing helped. Then this man came to the village.”

“Which man?” Evan pricked up his ears.

“It was an older man. He seemed to be passing through. Jakob and I drank a few beers in the tavern; he seemed to have overheard our conversation. He told us about his travels and ultimately that he could help us. With a kind of ritual; but we weren’t allowed to tell anyone. He was probably afraid of being recognized as a witch.”

“A dark magician, perhaps,” Leana thought, frowning thoughtfully. “But what would he get out of it?”

Evan intervened again. “And you two immediately agreed to turn your friend into a harpy? – I’ve seen and heard a lot, but that seems doubtful to me.”

“No!” Nella exclaimed. “We didn’t know this would happen!”

Tears ran down her face. “I hated her, but that wasn’t our intention. He said the ritual would make Emilia lose interest in Jakob, not turn her into a monster. I swear that’s the truth.”

“How exactly did the ritual go?” Leana asked excitedly. “Nella, I need to know exactly what you did. Were there any ingredients, formulas, special items?”

“Well, um, yes,” Nella sobbed, clearly gathering her thoughts. “The man gave us a powder. A brownish powder. It smelled like… I don’t know.”

“Please think!” Leana snorted and wandered excitedly to her bookshelf. She seemed to be frantically searching for a particular book.

“It smelled kind of like lavender, but also slightly nutty. He also gave us a piece of paper with a saying on it that we were supposed to say,” Nella continued.

Leana exclaimed, “Aha!” and reached for a book with a leather cover. “Clearly black magic, or rather a curse. Unfortunately, one that is not easy to break.”

The sorceress leafed through the pages of the book and walked up and down the room. “The words on the piece of paper, in what language were they written?”

“I don’t know.” Nella shook her head. “We could hardly pronounce the words. They sounded strange.”

Evan groaned loudly in annoyance. “You could barely say the words and yet you said them?”

Nella looked at the ground, her face blushing with shame.

“How stupid do you have to be?” the half-demon added, and was finally interrupted by the sorceress. “Enough now. This might even help us.”

“How come?” Leuven now intervened, who otherwise stood quietly in the corner and observed the situation with astonishment on his face.

“Sloppily executed curses are easier to break,” Leana continued. “We are dealing with a dangerous curse here that requires a deep understanding of black magic. It does make a difference whether a trained magician casts it or a layman.”

She turned back to Nella. “You and Jacob are not magicians. Did this man give you any object that was important for the ritual?”

“Um, yes, actually,” she replied. “A feather. It was strange.”

“In what way?”

“I had the feeling that something was coming from it. It was pulsing in my hand. But maybe that was just my excitement.”

Leana closed the book in front of her nose. Dust spread around her face. “Then the case is clear.”

Those present stared at her, spellbound.

»Do you still have the piece of paper and the pen?«

Nella nodded hesitantly.

“Go and bring her here. We will break this curse.”

Nella nodded again and quickly set off.

With a suspicious look, Evan turned to the sorceress, who could barely hide her pride. “Will you tell me what’s going on?”

“Well, apparently Nella and Jakob were duped. Unsuspectingly, they triggered a curse that turned Emilia into a harpy instead of changing her feelings for Jakob.”

“I already know that, but I don’t trust the whole thing,” the half-demon replied. “Nobody can be so stupid as to cast a curse without considering the consequences. I’ve seen Jacob. He doesn’t have the balls to do something like that.”

“What do you mean?” Leana asked, confused.

“I got the feeling that he was really worried about Emilia. Why else would he have joined the search for her? – But he also seemed very anxious to me.”

“He knew all along what had happened to Emilia. He felt guilty, wanted to make amends, and it should come as no surprise that one is afraid when one encounters a harpy,” the sorceress objected.

“Something is fishy here. I don’t trust that girl,” Evan grumbled.

“Neither do I,” Leuven interjected, raising a finger to indicate that he was also present.

Leana shook her head as if she didn’t want to hear the words. “Emilia interfered in their relationship. I’m not saying what they did was smart, but maybe they saw it as the only option after trying everything else. What happened is cruel and inexcusable, but we have the opportunity to make amends.”

“Make amends?” Evan looked at her in disbelief. “Innocent people died. How can you make amends?”

“Well,” Leana gasped for a moment, then it exploded out of her. “What else are we supposed to do? If we just sit around doing nothing, things will only get worse.”

“I’m not saying we should sit idle,” the half-demon replied grimly. “I just said I don’t trust the girl. I don’t think she told us the whole truth, and if you’re wrong, we’ll be next on the harpy’s menu.”

“Why would she lie to us? – Just like everyone else, she wants the nightmare to finally end. We don’t have to worry about her punishment.”

“Do you know how we can break the curse? One mistake and it could be the end of us.”

The sorceress looked at him darkly. “I am a trained sorceress. Of course I know how we can break this curse.”

She was visibly annoyed that the half-demon doubted her abilities, even though he only wanted to be sure.

Leuven watched the scene excitedly. To him, the two squabblers seemed more like an old married couple.

“Fine!” Evan finally spat. “Then tell me your plan.”

The sorceress took a deep breath. “So, the curse is ultimately based on very little magic. The feather that Nella mentioned was probably used as a catalyst. Since neither she nor Jakob have magical powers.”

“So the feather has magic stored in it?” Evan asked.

“Correct,” Leana replied, raising her hand. The ring on her hand began to glow faintly blue. “We wizards also use objects that can power them with magic. This allows us to use them in a targeted manner, otherwise it could lead to a catastrophe if we try to use them. Magic without a catalyst is unpredictable.”

Leuven frowned. “That disappoints me a little. I always thought that wizards themselves carried magic within themselves.”

“That’s true,” groaned Leana. “But as I mentioned, trying to use magic without a catalyst could have disastrous consequences. For example, if I tried to create a fireball, I wouldn’t be sure how much energy it would draw from my magic and how big it would get. Ultimately, it could burn down my entire house. That’s what I have my ring for. It doses the magic.”

“I’m still disappointed,” Leuven replied. “It sounds more and more spectacular in the books.”

“But magic is not about spectacle. It is about using it correctly to get the benefit from it. But there are also a few who have such a strong grasp of magic that they do not need a catalyst. These are blessed with the divine hands.”

“So the really good magicians?” the young man asked again.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite say that, but yes, only the most powerful wizards have this ability. Many have failed to learn it.”

“So you’re not a powerful sorceress?”

Leana’s eyes clearly showed the anger rising within her, but she bit her lip as she continued. “As I said, only a few can learn this skill.”

Leuven tapped his chin thoughtfully with his index finger. “Well, I for one am not yet convinced.”

“You saw what magic I can do!” she suddenly yelled.

“That’s enough,” Evan said in a calm tone. “I’ve met some wizards before. I know what they can do. Leana, go on. So the feather serves as a catalyst in this case. But how could the two of them use magic if they aren’t wizards?”

Leana cleared her throat and then continued in a calm tone. “Exactly. Most curses require very little magic, as they are based on formulas. The little magic that is required works more like a flint. It gives off a spark, if you will. Even people who are not gifted with magic can at least create such a spark. Nevertheless, it is very dangerous. A curse like this can also cause side effects.”

“What kind of side effects?” the half-demon wanted to know.

“It can also come back to haunt you or cause other undesirable effects.”

“Could it be then,” Leuven began, reconsidering his words, “could it be that they did cast a spell that was supposed to separate Emilia from Jakob, and it went wrong? – That would at least speak in Nella’s favor.”

“Hmm.” Leana looked thoughtful. “Possible, although unlikely.”

“For what reason?”

“It would have been more likely that the curse would have reverted to them than that something like that would happen. I also think that a feather was deliberately used as a catalyst. I maintain that the two were tricked, although I don’t know why anyone would do that,” the sorceress continued.

“We should take care of that one problem first,” Evan objected. “Once we’ve sorted out the harpy thing, we can take care of this stranger.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Leana admitted. “But we need Nella for that. It would be best if we had Nella and Jakob. But it should work without him too. We just can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“So,” said the half-demon, “what’s the plan now?”

Leana looked at him seriously. “We have to repeat the ritual, but we have to change it a little. Think of it like we want to pull someone’s tooth. We’ll pull the curse out of Emilia again, but then we have to catch her.”

Leuven’s face showed irritation. “Catch the curse. How do you catch a curse?”

“We need a magical vessel for this. In this case, it would be a good idea to enclose the curse in the feather, since it is already imbued with magic,” explained the young sorceress.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Evan asked seriously.

“It will work.” Leana took a deep breath. “Well, I’m convinced it will work.”

Evan understood. She simply didn’t want to think about other options. “In times of need, all we can do is put Emilia out of her misery.”

Leana looked at him in shock. “We don’t need to worry about that!”

“Yes, we must. I’m giving you the opportunity to do it your way. But if that doesn’t work, I’ll do it mine,” Evan replied dryly.

“You don’t have to worry about it!” scolded the sorceress. “I know what I’m doing. I won’t fail.”

The three of them were silent for a moment. Leana had not yet completely calmed down when she spoke again. “You should go. I still need some sleep. We’ll meet at your car at sunrise.”

Evan nodded as Leuven silently followed him out the door.

“What do you think about the matter?” asked the young merchant undecided.

“Nothing,” the half-demon replied, growling. “I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.”

Without a word, Leuven followed his companion into the dark night.

The next morning, the group gathered at the wagon as agreed.

Leuven gently groomed Ida and pushed a few carrots towards her. “I know the whole burden is always on you,” he murmured softly as he stroked her neck tenderly. “But you’re doing really well.”

Ida snorted excitedly as if she had understood his words.

Evan stood off to the side, arms crossed, staring impatiently into the distance.

There, on the horizon, the two women appeared.

“Good morning,” said Leana, suppressing a yawn. “Are you ready?”

“For a long time,” Evan growled, without even looking at her.

Without another word, he turned away and, with routine, swung himself onto the coach box first.

His jaw clenched, the usual tension hanging over him like a heavy shadow.

Leana frowned and looked after him, irritated. They were on time, as agreed. Where did this brusque mood come from?

Leuven noticed her confused look and smiled apologetically. “That’s just how he is,” he whispered to her as he pulled himself awkwardly onto the coach box, his movements less elegant than Evan’s.

Leana let out a quiet sigh. She would prefer to be in her tailor shop right now, in the quiet routine of her work. Without the constantly irritated half-demon at her side and the monster that raged in the area. But as long as things were like this, she had no choice but to bite the bullet.

She turned to Nella, who stood silently beside her, her eyes fixed and absent, as if she had completely forgotten the world around her.

“Do you have everything with you?” Leana asked quietly, her voice gentle but demanding.

No answer.

Nella’s eyes seemed empty, like that of a doll that had been drained of all life.

“Nella?” Leana repeated her question, this time more insistently.

Nella twitched slightly, as if waking from a dark dream. “Uh… what?”

»Do you have everything you need for the ritual?« Leana kept her eyes fixed on her face.

“Yes, of course,” came the uncertain answer, as Nella pulled out a small cloth bag and handed it to the sorceress.

Leana opened the bag and searched through it with practiced fingers. Finally, she pulled out the feather – black as night, streaked with red speckles that glowed like tiny sparks.

Even after looking closely, Leana could not tell which creature the feather came from.

She glanced at the paper with the curse and her suspicions hardened. “Yes, it is definitely black magic. I can’t decipher the spell, but this is definitely something dark.”

Evan interrupted impatiently. “Are you finally coming?”

Leana rolled her eyes. “We’re already on our way!” she hissed, annoyed by his constant pestering.

Leana and Nella climbed onto the cart. With a jerk, it started moving.

As the wheels rattled over the bumpy ground, Leana explained to Nella every detail she needed to know for the ritual.

Leana kept leafing through a worn book, writing words on a piece of parchment, crossing them out, adding new ones, her forehead deeply furrowed.

“That’s how it should work,” she finally murmured, handing Nella the piece of paper.

Nella took it, but her thoughts seemed far away.

“It’s important that you do exactly what I told you,” Leana urged. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes. Do you understand me?”

Nella nodded timidly, but avoided looking Leana in the eyes.

Leana felt the tension in the air. “What’s going on?” she asked cautiously.

Nella hesitated, her lips trembling slightly. “I’ve put so many people in danger.”

Put in danger, thought Leana, suppressing a bitter smile. That was more than an understatement. But she remained silent, relieved that Nella was finally starting to speak.

“I just wanted that witch to leave us alone,” Nella continued, biting her lip. “I wanted her to just disappear…”

There was a hint of anger in her voice, a tone that Leana couldn’t quite place. And suddenly she understood why Evan was so suspicious of Nella.

Despite everything, Leana could understand her side. Love was a strong force, but it did not excuse what Nella and Jakob had done.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

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