Chapter 2

"Watch your steps" Pike instructed as she walked Fiona into the house.

The house belong to a woman, the villagers referred to as the Sage. They claimed she could heal or give solution to any magical ailments.

Pike's and Fiona's issue was not clear to them yet but it seemed diabolical and weird to them, more than just any sickness.

The Sage was seated in a crouching position,her eyes closed. Wind blew weirdly around only her.

"Is she sleeping?" Pike turned back at Fiona.

"I don't think so. She is wielding the wind. I am very sure about that" she kept staring at the Sage.

"Hello" Pike yelled.

The Sage didn't respond. It seemed she couldn't.

"I'm sure you can hear me because she is sure you are wielding that wind around you. Can you just say something?" he tried getting her to talk. "Please, we are looking for the Sage, does that sound familiar to you because it is supposed to be your name" he gasped in frustration as there was still no response from her.

"I think we should leave, let us go" Fiona murmured and headed back outside.

"Leaving already?" the Sage appeared in front of them immediately as they stepped out of the house.

"We....Yeah....You are the Sage, right?" Pike stuttered out of fear.

"You came all the way from Adoris for a reason, not just to see me and leave" the Sage walked past them back into the house. "Come in, if you are serious" she instructed.

"How do you know we are from Adoris village?" Fiona asked as they followed her backed in, she was very shocked and bothered by her statement.

"It is only in Adoris that you will find kid, rebellious enough to talk someone out of a ritual session" she laughed.

That was not convincing enough for Fiona. She stared at Pike in the eyes to know what he thought about that.

"The necklace belongs to a clan in Adoris" the sage pointed to a necklace Fiona had around her neck.

"It is my mother's" she mumbled. That was actually what sold them out.

"Why are you here with your brother?" the Sage focused on both of them.

"No. No, she is not my sister. She is my.. my.. my wife" Pike replied awkwardly. "I know you think I am young to be a husband but I will like to tell you that my grandfather got married to my grandmother at the age of eighteen which I will also be in the next few moons, the only difference is my grandmother was younger than her" he ranted and stopped abruptly.

"So, you want me to do what?" the Sage asked impatiently. She seemed tired out by his long talk.

"We have a problem. We just came to Temeth few days ago. After the wedding, couples are expected to do something which we were not able to do, so we think it is abnormal. And everyone in this town recommended you are the one to visit" he stopped again to catch his breath.

"And the problem is?" the Sage scoffed.

"There is no way where the way is supposed to be" he gasped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the Sage asked again.

"Okay" Pike turned to Fiona. "I think you are in the best position to tell her this" he murmured.

"Just go on. You can tell her too" she waved at him.

"I mean she is a woman and you are a woman, younger but she will still find you understandable than me" he trembled.

"Do you need some time to yourself?" the Sage intervened.

"I can't say anything, I will break down in tears. I can't do this" she sobbed.

"Stop crying" he patted her. "Actually, we couldn't make love to each other" Pike said quickly to the Sage.

"That's funny. No one needs to teach you that. I'm very sure no one taught your grandfather that was same age as you when he married your grandmother" the Sage concluded and laughed at them.

"This is not funny, ma'am. I couldn't penetrate" he sounded flustered.

"You're impotent?" the Sage whispered.

"No!" Fiona yelled and stood up. She moved closer to the Sage and lifted up her dress showing her her crotch.

"What in the name of...? No" the Sage breathed heavily. "The Curse of Lacus!" she panted.

"Curse?" Pike asked furiously.

"I'm not sure yet but, you are going to see for yourself. Wait for me" the Sage hurried into a room and came back out with a rod.

"What are you going to do with this?" Pike asked quickly.

"We are going to a journey together. The three of us" she said breathlessly. "We will see what happened together. But I must tell you, if this is the curse of Lacus, there is no remedy" she seemed sad as she narrated.

"Then let us be on our way right away and wish this is not the curse of Lacus" Pike sprang up and headed outward. He was really optimistic.

"No. Not that kind of journey. We journey right here" the Sage pointed the rod forward at them. "Grab this" she prompted.

Pike quickly rushed back to grab the rod. Fiona held onto it reluctantly. The Sage started chanting in some strange language inaudibly.

"She said it will be permanent if it is the curse of Lacus" Fiona whispered to Pike.

"I assure you, it isn't" Pike persuaded her.

The Sage continued chanting intensely.

Fiona breathed heavily as they were encircled by a wind with some ghostly voices.

"Close your eyes" Pike whispered to her as he closed his own eyes.

The wind became hotter and it was growing hotter and hotter. The three of them groaned hard.

Then, there was an explosion sound. They found themselves in a strange cave.

"Where are we?" Fiona asked awkwardly turning around to check out where they were.

"Our destination" the Sage replied and went to sit on a stone nearby.

"Are we here to sit?" Pike asked in confusion.

"Mother!" Fiona screamed as her mother and another haggard looking woman, obviously, a witch, walked into the cave.

"She can't hear you. Just stay calm and watch what happened here" the Sage implied.

"Happened?" Pike chuckled. "Like we are in the past?" he wondered.

"We are not in the past. We are just onlookers" the Sage nodded slowly.

"What was my mother doing in a cave with a witch?" Fiona was astounded.