Gabe

I try again to remove Maribel's amulet.

[Notice! This item is cursed* and cannot be removed!]

[*This curse affects the item and is not affected by your Curse Resistance.]

Right. That's what it said a few seconds ago.

I read the text aloud to Maribel.

A wash of various emotions cross her face. Concern, frustration, anger maybe?, more concern, resolve, and then finally she sits back down in the chair she had been sitting in.

"We'll take it one step at a time."

Maribel stands back up and walks to the threshold of the door, then suddenly stops.

"Gabe, could you get the guard and inform her that we've finished?"

I raise myself up fully to a seated position, then roll off the cot. The AFK healer is still there, asleep, on a cot next to me.

"Thanks for keeping me alive, man."

I know he won't hear it, but it means something still, right?

As I cross the doorway, Maribel speaks again.

"And Gabe..."

"Yeah?"

"Could you also..."

Her voice goes quiet.

"Yeah?"

"We need to pay the healer... and the money is in my room."

I look at her askance. Is there something happening that I don't understand here?

"I... I can't leave this room without the amulet. This is the only place warded against intrusion, and without the amulet..."

She continues to look down at the ground. I don't think I've ever seen Maribel like this. This amulet must be incredibly important to her, or she must be incredibly shaken from the fact that she's been wearing an amulet that would have easily killed her as soon as someone uttered a few words, unable to do anything to combat it.

But then again, everyone has a hidden story. Everyone has hidden pain. I know that I definitely do. It makes sense that so would she.

Her voice comes across quietly again.

"Could you get the money for me?"

I look at her with what I hope is a look of surprise.

"Of course I can. You just put yourself in danger for me, to keep me safe. We're friends, Maribel. In fact, I count you as one of my closest friends. And that's saying a lot. And I'll do anything for my friends."

She looks up at me with a sense of resolve.

"The money's in a pouch in my closet, in the dresser - second drawer from the top. Here's the key to my room."

She hands me a keyring from her pocket, indicating a small round key. The keyring has a handful of what seem like charms, as well as assorted other keys.

"We've finished, ma'am. I'm headed to get your money now."

"Perfect. We have another appointment later today, and I was concerned about being able to make it."

I walk down the hall and then turn back a moment later.

"Thank you. I know your healer friend may never know what kind of impact he had, but his presence saved my life."

"He would probably appreciate knowing that. But I have no idea when he will awake from his sleep. In the meantime, I'll continue to watch over him."

Oh. Yeah. How does it work that this player can fall asleep / log out from the game and his character stays present? Every time I've logged out, my character disappears. Yeah, there's a delay, and you can't log out during combat, but I would have had no issues if I could have fallen asleep while wearing my clothes in the first days of playing Dungeon Quest. Other than randomly dying to bugs. Or slimes. Or pickpockets. Or probably choking in my sleep. I'm guessing that he must be playing with a different setting, or have a skill, or is wearing some type of item that keeps his body here even when he isn't. Unfortunately, he isn't awake for me to ask about it.

I duck in and out of Maribel's room as quickly as possible. I'd rather not be seen going in and out of her room, and I don't want to abuse the trust she put in me. I do notice that the room feels quiet, bright, and clean. Someplace safe, happy, and peaceful. There's a slightly open window overlooking the courtyard from the second story, a couple small plants, and a neat desk with nearby bookshelf. The closet is open, which means I can purposefully not look inside since it's easy to find the dresser and then the pouch she indicated. I have no idea how much money is going to be needed, so I bring the whole pouch with me.

I lock the door behind me, and walk back. As I cross the threshold into the warded room, I hear an unfamiliar voice speaking.

"So, we've been helping to break a curse?"

The healer is sitting up on his rolling white cot, sipping on a drink through a straw.

I look to Maribel, who looks back at me. She shrugs and gestures at me.

"This is Gabe. He was the one you were healing. He can probably tell you more about it."

Wow. Thanks for tossing me in the fire there. But this room is warded, and this guy spends most of his time asleep anyway... right?

"We had some cursed items and there was a chance that they could cause damage. I'm glad that we hired you, because..."

"Gabe would have died if you weren't here."

Maribel's words are directly to the point.

"I gathered that, considering the amount of blood on the cot. Only a long-lasting anti-healing effect combined with bleeding would result in that much blood."

I look at the cot I was laying on and realize, for the first time, that it is a deep, dark red. Absolutely covered in blood. Come to think of it, so are my hands. And my clothes. And there are red footprints leading away from the bed on the floor.

Um.

At least it isn't... wet? The blood looks mostly dry, which means that the bleeding had to have stopped at least a little while ago.

But my stomach rises into my throat and I find myself almost ready to throw up.

Maribel raises her hands and casts a spell, and the room returns to a neutral smell. The floor goes white. My skin stops itching as the blood flakes off into white dust. The bed remains, still dark red. As do my clothes.

I turn and look at the healer. He's looking at my clothes.

"You... except for the weird metal jewelry you're wearing, you don't look like you can afford to hire me. You're a player right?"

I feel like I'm on a stage with a spotlight.

"Uh, yeah. I'm a player. I was just helping Maribel with this. I don't know how much it costs to hire you, but Maribel said it was necessary, and if I need to I can pay you back."

I look down at the floor.

He looks at Maribel, then looks at me.

"Don't worry about it."

I look up, slightly confused.

"Uh... but we need to pay you, right?"

"I said don't worry about it. Maribel is a friend, and I have plenty of money. It seems like there's something important happening here, and you seem nice. Maribel told me that you saved a bunch of kids here?"

"I guess so..."

"Wait. Are you the healer that took max HP damage for it? By healing kids that were too far gone? I think I actually remember hearing about that. They had my character laying next to the kids for a while. That was one of the first times I worked with Maribel."

He looks at his watch and scowls.

"I'm supposed to do a work meeting here in a little bit, so I need to head out."

He pulls a card from his inventory pouch and scribbles on it.

"Here's my number. Call me if you need anything."

I take the card. It has a phone number on it.

"Like... actual phone call?"

"Yes. Actual phone call. I hate messages. And I'm never in game unless I absolutely have to be. I'm Nando, by the way."

He reaches out his hand for a handshake. I take it.

"I'm Gabe."

"I know."

He smirks, then stands up.

"Let's go, Geneva. If we're lucky I can get out of here in time for lunch."

They walk out of the room, Geneva rolling the cot behind him, leaving Maribel and me alone.

She looks at me with an odd look on her face.

"I don't think I've ever heard of Nando not accepting payment for his work."

"Uh... maybe I just have a great smile? Or maybe I looked really really poor. Or badly injured since I was covered in blood."

She looks at me from head to toe.

"Well, you definitely hit two of those. Poor and badly injured."

She sighs.

"Let's figure out what we're going to do next. Can you do me another favor and call Father Kyrael in here? No sound leaves this room, and I can't afford to leave it either, which means that I'm going to need your help while we figure out what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"The amulet you're wearing was never supposed to come off my neck. Now that it's around yours, my leaving this room could put all of us in even more danger than we've faced already. I'm going to have to stay here until I can get a replacement or until we can break whatever curse is on the amulet - if breaking the curse is even possible."

"Is there someone who can break the curse here at the church? I mean, isn't curse breaking one of the things the church offers to adventurers?"

Maribel looks at me quizzically.

"Why would we do that? Cursed items are often extremely dangerous, and curses even more so. Sometimes even trying to remove a curse can trigger another curse, or cause it to spread."

I gulp. Spreading curses? Uh... if the amulet around my neck spreads its curses around the city, a whole lot of people will be as good as dead.

"We offer healing, and sometimes identification services, but I've never heard of a church that specialized in removing curses."

Well, there goes my "churches are where you get stuff blessed / uncursed" trope.

"So... where do we go to remove curses?"

"Honestly... we would need to find a specialist. An enchanter would probably be the best choice. Unfortunately, the best enchanter I know is likely also the one who cursed the item. Anyone weaker or with less skill would struggle to remove the curse."

I think.

"What exactly is a cursed item?"

"Cursed items are generally items that have negative effects. In this case, a cursed item also means that it is bound to the person who wears it, so the item can't be removed."

"And how are they made?"

"How are they made?"

Maribel looks at me with a decent amount of shock.

"I... I don't know how cursed items are made. Traditionally I assumed that cursed items housed angry souls, or the grievances of the dead that collected over time. That, or the touch of an angry higher being. It had never occurred to me that someone could curse an item."

"Well... are there any blessed items?"

"You mean divine items?"

"Uh... maybe? An item that is sort of the opposite of cursed?"

"That would honestly be any enchanted item. An enchanted item has positive effects, where a cursed item has bad ones."

"Well, it's pretty clear that our man Hector cursed the amulet, right? Can you think of anyone else who would have done it?"

"No. If it wasn't Hector, he would have noticed the curse when he enchanted the amulet for me originally. Enchantments sometimes interfere with one another, and that can cause stress and strain on the magic and the item itself. I put on the amulet as soon as I got it from him, and haven't taken it off since. Unless someone cursed the amulet while it was around my neck, and I don't know how that would be possible unless it was a higher being of some sort, it was very likely Hector."

"Well... I guess for now it's around mine."

I glance around the room for a moment.

"Can I ask what the amulet is supposed to do?"

Maribel looks at me, looks out the doorway, and then curls and uncurls her fists.

"I guess at this point you've already jumped into it."

"Unlock: $%S#&*A@"

I look at her questioningly.

"The amulet is an amulet that I've kept with me since fleeing my prior home. I will need to Lock this information, and I will only tell you the barest minimum, as even knowing this could put you at risk. The amulet is made of an extremely rare alloy made of mithril that has been soaked in liquid mana for hundreds of years. This increases its ability to channel mana, and allows for enchantments that are impossible otherwise. It was... originally an amulet of protection. It would bring the wearer back to life and simultaneously teleport them away in cases of extreme danger. The protection aspect has already been used. I don't know if there are other enchantments on it, since I cannot take it off, and using Greater Identify would bar me from being able to use it. At the very least, it should be an amulet of Camouflage (status) and protect from scrying or other soul searching spells."

[You have become aware of the recipe to create a Legendary material! Legendary materials may have dramatically different properties as compared with other types of materials. Continue to explore and find new knowledge!]

[Congratulations! +1 Truth! Positive values of Truth increase your ability to see the truth. Negative values of Truth increase your ability to hide the truth in plain sight.]

She sighs.

"And apparently it's also cursed."

She looks at me.

"I'll ask you to keep it covered up, Gabe, as we figure out how to either find a replacement or break the curse. Breaking the curse might break the item... and that amulet has a lot of sentimental value for me. It's the only thing I have left from my home. I left everything else behind."

I tug on the amulet and it still won't come off. Maybe I could move it? I try winding my arm up through the amulet, but it still won't come off my neck. Apparently cursed items don't want to leave their slot. I was hoping to be able to transfer it to my arm, then my leg, and keep it in my boots or something. I lay it under the very red shirt that I'm wearing.

"A tailor should be able to clean your clothes. I don't know how much it'll cost, but since we didn't have to pay the healer, go ahead and take whatever you think you might need as we try to find ways to break the curse."

I look inside the pouch. It's completely full of gems and gold coins. I look up at Maribel in alarm.

She smiles weakly at me.

"I don't have much to spend on these days. Buying a simple toy for the children, replacing something when it's fully broken."

Her voice gets quiet enough that I can't hear her.

"I... have a skill that increases wealth..."

"So take as much as you need."

I pull out a few silver coins among the gold and gems, then hand Maribel the pouch.

"Could you actually return this to my room? Ahhhh... but I guess I won't be going to my room anytime soon. That reminds me. We should really have Father Kyrael here. Can you call him in? I'll need to talk with him and figure out what to do next. If you could come back sometime tomorrow, maybe we'll have a plan for moving forward."

She looks around the room and gestures with her arms.

"Either way, I'll be right here."

I start walking out of the room.

"Oh! Gabe. I need to Lock the information I told you."

I turn back to Maribel, and she takes my hands.

[Someone is casting Lock on you. You will be unable to communicate details about the given subject {Maribel's background, Mana Mithril}, directly or indirectly. Any attempt to communicate about the subject will be system-restricted to others. This spell can be countered by an Unlock spell of higher level as long as the caster knows what needs to be Unlocked, or an additional casting of Lock on you, at the same level or higher, with your express consent.]

[Accept the terms of Lock?]

I accept the terms, and Maribel smiles again.

"Thank you, Gabe. I'm not sure how this will turn out, but I'm glad that you've been here to help along the way."

I head out of the room and call for Father Kyrael. I don't explain much other than that Maribel would like to see him. I'd like to change clothes, or at least get these ones cleaned, as soon as possible. While walking around covered in blood isn't unique (I've seen Fred do it at least a few times, though apparently its part of one of his skills, and not a fashion statement), I'd rather not be known as the bloody pacifist

I head towards fountain square, where I know a tailor shop that will hopefully have the skill to clean up my clothes.

As I walk, I sigh and pull up a portion of my status screen - one that I haven't really addressed yet - that makes me feel just a little bit guilty.

[Congratulations! Your constant loss of blood, stamina, and mana, along with continual healing through anti-healing effects, has increased your awareness of the world! You are now aware of the existence of the skill The Sun Shines Brighter!]

[Congratulations! Your continued healing under duress, recovering from the brink of death, direct healing by a master healer, and resisting anti-healing effects has combined into something wonderful! You have gained the toggled skill The Sun Shines Brighter at a Level 0 proficiency!]

[Pacify additional effects: 3x cost for skill progression. All resource costs are tripled. The Sun Shines Brighter is unable to cause harm at Level 0, and has no effect on individuals currently in combat or affected by active damaging skills including bleed or poison. Cannot be used during combat situations.]

[Toggled Skill: The Sun Shines Brighter Level 0 (0/100)]

[Cost: 300% of current mana regeneration]

[Healing-over-time aura, affected only by proximity. Requires direct sunlight. When applied to a single target, counters anti-healing status effects.]