The Lustful Curse

Moonwhisper greeted the new day. The sun had already risen beyond the horizon, its rays illuminating the city. People were waking up, and the streets of the lower district were slowly but surely filling with an endless stream of life.

Eugene Mustfill had slept soundly for the first time in a long while. Neither problems nor unanswered questions disturbed him. Last night, Korvus Nightshade had saved him from the fate of becoming a mindless slave to the Lustful Curse. Korvus had given him pleasure unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The young man's body was fully relaxed, waves of bliss surging through him like a storm across the ocean, making him moan with every touch of Korvus. Thanks to the goblin, the Lustful Curse had weakened, if only for a time. Eugene had retained his mind, and now he could dedicate himself fully to the search for a secret place known as the Broken Hearth Tavern.

Slowly but inevitably, Eugene drifted back to reality from the realm of dreams. He opened his eyes to find the room already bathed in daylight. Turning his head, he noticed the empty bed—Korvus Nightshade was already awake. The bathroom door was open. He had slept so soundly that he hadn't even noticed when Korvus had gotten up and taken a shower.

Eugene stretched under the blanket. The remnants of the pleasure the goblin had given him rippled through his muscles, drawing a quiet moan from his lips. His body ached pleasantly, as if the previous night refused to let him go.

"So that's what it feels like..." he murmured to the empty room.

He recalled Korvus's heated kisses, the way he caressed him, the way he gave orders. And how Eugene had obeyed, making mistakes that earned him punishment.

A faint smile touched his lips. He was no longer a virgin. But more than that, he was glad that Korvus had been his first. Among all the people of Moonwhisper, Eugene trusted Korvus completely.

Time moved relentlessly forward. After lingering in bed for a few more minutes, Eugene knew he had to leave its warmth, take a shower, and return to Korvus. Thanks to the goblin's cunning, they had two weeks to find a way to escape Moonwhisper.

He got up and noticed a towel hanging on the wardrobe. Korvus had left it for him.

Grabbing it, Eugene stepped into the bathroom and pulled the lever. Hot water cascaded down his chest, washing away the traces of last night. He reached for the soap, rubbing it over his skin. It felt as though something soft and warm, a shield against the worries ahead, was being washed away with the water. His mind was already filling with questions.

Lyraeus's Curse. It couldn't be broken. It was woven from ancient magic beyond even the Dominion's control.

The prisoner in the Dominion's cells—he might know someone who understood that magic, someone who could shatter the shackles of enslavement.

An impending prison break and the Dominion's inevitable hunt. Soon, the Dominion would storm the lower city, searching for escaped prisoners—Korvus, for attempting to rob a vault right under their noses, and Eugene, for becoming Lyraeus's Scum. By law, they should have been executed. But by some miracle, they had escaped.

Escape from Moonwhisper—an impossibility for now.

Madam Claudia and her broken deal. Korvus was certain she would betray them, which was why he had struck a bargain: they would come to her Pleasure House in a week, and she would help them flee. That was when the Dominion would be waiting for them. And because of that deal, they now had two weeks to find another way out.

"The Guild…" Eugene murmured under the shower.

Madam Claudia would lie to the Guild, claiming that the vault robbery was the work of fools acting on their own. But what if the Guild realized she had ordered the heist herself, hoping to seize control of the lower city? That would mean a Guild fracture—a war with the Dominion.

A nightmare was coming to Moonwhisper. And in that chaos, Eugene and Korvus would find their escape.

"But what's inside?"

According to both Korvus and the prisoner, the Vault had been sealed tens or even hundreds of thousands of years ago. Inside, an artifact crafted from the remains of gods lay imprisoned. But what was it? And why had it been locked away? The Dominion had possessed the Vault for centuries yet had never managed to open it. Someone had hidden something so dangerous that it had to be locked behind a thousand seals, secured with magic.

Eugene lingered under the water for half an hour, lost in thought. He knew little about this new world, but he trusted Korvus. Korvus had studied magic—or at least tried to. He knew the history of this world. He knew of the dead gods. He had planned every step of the way. Perhaps Korvus was the only one who could save him from the curse. But first, they had to escape Moonwhisper.

Eugene left the bathroom, dressed in the boots, pants, and shirt Korvus had given him the day before. Then he opened the door and stepped out of the bedroom.

Korvus was lounging on the couch, reading a book he had borrowed from Madam Claudia's library. He flipped through the pages, carefully studying each one. Next to the couch, on a small table, sat a cup of tea, and beside it lay Eugene's glasses, neatly placed after he had knocked them off during the attack of the Lustful Curse.

"Good morning, Korvus," Eugene approached him, and Korvus set the book aside.

"Hey, Eugene," the goblin smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well." Eugene sat down next to him. "I didn't even notice how the night passed."

"Great! That means you're full of energy!" Korvus patted the young man's head. "We have a lot to do today. And we need to get everything done."

"I…" Eugene hesitated for a moment. "I want to say thank you for yesterday…"

"No need, Eugene," Korvus touched his hand. "I enjoyed it as well." The goblin chuckled. "After all… if I hadn't, the curse wouldn't have subsided."

"Really?" Eugene leaned back against the couch.

"Yes… Until you fully satisfy me and until we have proper sex… The curse won't calm down. And since you didn't fall into madness or lose yourself… It means you did what you were supposed to."

"I see. So we…"

"Again?" Korvus picked up his book again. "The deal remains in place until we find a way to break the curse."

"Every time you want…"

"Yes," the goblin flipped through the pages. "And every time, you will submit."

"If every time is like the last one…"

"No, Eugene… Even though I didn't hold back, I was still… extremely gentle with you."

"That… was gentleness?"

"Yes, Eugene… Let's just say… I was giving you time to get used to it."

"Well… I'd be glad."

"I know." Korvus raised a hand and pointed at a plate of food—various vegetables and fruits. "You need to eat."

Eugene took the plate and began eating. Every fruit or vegetable tasted different—some resembled meat, others tomatoes. Their shapes varied, yet somehow, they all carried the flavors of food from his home world. As he ate, Eugene glanced at the goblin, who kept flipping through the pages as if searching for something.

Yesterday, he had taken the book from Madam Claudia, saying it held the answers. But it seemed he still couldn't find them. Eugene would have loved to help, but he couldn't read their language.

"What are you looking for?" Eugene finished a fruit that tasted like pork.

"Answers, Eugene. There should be answers in this book."

"What is the book about?"

"History… Recent history." The goblin turned another page and smiled. "Here it is…"

"This will help us escape Moonwhisper?"

"Exactly. And now I know how. I had thought about it before, but… it was too risky. But now… it just got a little easier."

"And how do we escape Moonwhisper if the exits are patrolled by the Dominion?"

"Through the sky, Eugene," Korvus smirked. "We're going to steal an airship."

"What?"

"You've seen the airships in the sky, haven't you?"

"Yeah… but… do you know how to fly one?"

"Flying it isn't the problem… The problem is its construction." The goblin stood up and walked over to the kettle of hot water. He set out two cups and filled them to the brim, tossing in a few tea leaves. "There are several ways out of the city. We can use any of them. But each has its own advantages and disadvantages."

"What are they?" Eugene took his cup and took a few sips.

"Land. The simplest option. But also the most dangerous. The Dominion will be patrolling the streets. Most likely, they increased their guard even yesterday afternoon. The main city gates are heavily guarded. You can only leave with a permit, especially now. If before, one could sneak past the guards, now… it's impossible. And even if we do slip through… they'll send guards to hunt us down. We won't get far."

"And the second?"

"Water…" Korvus pulled a book from the shelf, opened it, and revealed a map of Moonwhisper. "There's a port in the middle district. A river runs through the entire city, stretching beyond its borders and into the seas. Traders and the Dominion itself use it. Even if we try to stow away on a ship… There will be a full inspection at the city's exit. They'll find us—either the Dominion guards or the traders themselves."

"What if we pay them? So they don't turn us in? I'm sure they take bribes to help people leave the city quietly…"

"Good thinking, Eugene." Korvus nodded approvingly. "You're starting to understand how this world works… The problem is, we'd need a lot of money, and I don't have that much. On top of that… You're Lyraeus's Scum, and I'm a thief who tried to break into a vault. And we also escaped from prison. That means we'd need an absurd amount of money, and there's still a chance they'd betray us the moment we set foot on the ship."

"Which is why we take the sky?"

"Yes… Airships."

"But aren't they guarded?"

"Airships… They don't have a landing zone in the middle or lower districts. Only on the territory of the Church of the Kyrexan Dominion. But, considering they've sent their forces to the lower district to search for us… and since the Dominion won't believe Madam Claudia's story that a couple of idiots tried to steal an artifact from them…"

"They'll need someone to blame for damaging the Dominion's reputation? And while they deal with the guild… we steal an airship?"

"Exactly… You catch on quick, Eugene. The Dominion will need someone to punish. Right now, Madam Claudia is going to play her card—claiming she found the thief and Lyraeus's scum. She'll go to the Dominion herself and offer them a deal to capture us. In return, she'll get protection from them. But when the Dominion doesn't believe her… she'll throw the blame on the guild, and a war will break out between the guild and the Dominion."

"So we're setting up the guild…"

"There are good people in the guild… but… the rest…"

"They'll be killed?" Eugene's voice wavered.

"Everyone in the lower district, Eugene, thinks the same way. They only care about themselves. So if the streets find out about you or me… they'll turn us in immediately. They'd get a couple of gold coins for us. No need to worry about them so much."

"But the others… Do you think the streets will burn?"

"Hard to say. But one way or another, the moment a fracture happens within the guild… the Dominion might take advantage of it and destroy the guild, seizing the lower district. That would force the guild into action… and then war will break out. And that's when the streets might be in flames."

"And at that moment, we steal the airship?"

"Exactly!" The goblin patted Eugene's head. "I'm proud of you." Korvus glanced out the window and noticed a few guards patrolling the streets below. "We're going to sneak into the Upper District and steal an airship."

"There will be fewer guards, I get that, but… do you even know how to fly one?"

"No, and that's not even the real problem. All Dominion airships use magic."

"Magic? They fly because of magic?"

"What did you think?" Korvus widened his eyes, staring at a few airships drifting through the sky. "Their power source, the thing that keeps them afloat, is a special crystal, created for one purpose—to hold the airship in the air."

"Do you have one of those crystals?"

"What? From where?" Korvus turned to look at Eugene. "No. I don't have one, but I know who might." Korvus grabbed a book from Madam Claudia and flipped to a page.

"Who's this?" On one of the pages was a black-and-white photograph of an elderly deer. He had a gray beard, heavy curled antlers. His gaze was serious, but there was visible exhaustion in his eyes.

"Cassius Elmridge. A scientist. Several decades ago, he created the prototype of the airship that runs on magic. Now, all Dominion airships use magic."

"Is he a wizard?"

"No, Eugene. He's a scientist who studied magic as a science. If magic is a natural flow of energy for wizards, then for him, it was an object of research. He tried to find its laws, universal laws of magic. Calculate parameters. Create mechanisms…"

"Wait a second…" Eugene touched his glasses. "Did you steal these from him?"

"Not from him, but yeah… he's the one who created them."

"And how did you steal them? You think he didn't notice they were missing?"

"He's dead, Eugene. A few years ago. I think from old age. He had several labs. One of the buildings was abandoned, so I sneaked in and took the glasses."

"Oh… Wait…" Eugene stared at the photo, then hesitated. "So… he worked for the Dominion? Since all airships are used by them."

"Yeah… but that doesn't matter," Korvus closed the book. "I know where his lab is. It's in the middle district."

"We're going to break in? Is it still abandoned?"

"As far as I know, yes. Exactly this lab belonged to his family. Thanks to his discoveries and the creation of airships, his family moved to the Upper District. And the lab was left behind. I doubt they care about some old building in the middle district."

"And why do we need to break in?"

"Eugene…" Korvus placed the book back in his collection. "There should be instructions on how to operate an airship, and there should be notes on how to use the magic crystal properly. Also… I'm sure the place is full of valuable things." Korvus stepped closer to the young man. "We need money. If we pull this off… and leave Moonwhisper… we'll need money, at the very least, to survive."

"And after that? What's next? Are we going to search for a hidden place?"

"Yes, Eugene. We need to find that wolf, because he might be able to help break your curse."

"I see…" Eugene nodded. "But why are you… helping me?"

"That doesn't matter right now, Eugene." Korvus pulled a bag from the drawer and slung it over his shoulder. "We're in the same boat… The Dominion is hunting us, and also…"

"The curse…"

"That too. Just know that I'll help you however I can, and I won't abandon you. Alright?" The goblin stepped closer and ran his hand along the young man's cheek, just like the night before.

"Thank you, Korvus," Eugene pressed against the goblin's hand. "So the plan is… we break into that scientist's lab, find everything about airships, and take a few valuable things with us?"

"Exactly, Eugene. But…"

"But what?"

"A goblin would stand out too much in the middle district, especially with a red-haired young man. Together, we'd look exactly like escaped prisoners being hunted by the Dominion."

"And…?" Eugene had a feeling he wouldn't like what Korvus was about to say.

"So you're going into the middle district alone. Through the tunnels."

"What?"

"I'll take you through the tunnels to the middle district. You'll come out not far from the lab…" the goblin smirked. "You sneak inside, find everything you can about airships, grab a few valuable things, and come back. We'll sell whatever you manage to bring back and come up with a plan to steal the airship."

"You say it like it's so easy… If you forgot, I don't have magic for picking locks… or whatever it's called," Eugene waved his hands. "And what if I get caught? I… " The young man tugged at his shirt. "I don't think everyone in the middle district walks around in clothes like these."

"You don't like them?"

"No… I…"

"I'm joking, Eugene." The goblin walked over to the cabinet again, running his finger along the spines of the books. "But you're right. You'd stand out too much there, and luckily, I know someone who can help us… not for free, of course," the goblin picked up a thick book.

"And what's that?"

"The Holy Scripture of the Dominion. The book of laws and rules. 'The Truth.' No one would ever think someone carved out the pages for a hidden compartment."

"Why?"

"Death awaits anyone who tarnishes the Dominion. And defacing 'The Truth' is a crime against the Dominion."

"And what did you hide in there?"

"The payment for our escape, hehe," Korvus smirked, opening the book and pulling out a small vial filled with liquid. "Imperium."

"Imperium?"

"A perfume of the highest quality. Created in the deserts of distant lands. Its scent mesmerizes, captivates, subjugates. Only a hundred vials are produced each year..."

"Why do you have it? How... You stole it, didn't you?"

"Are you still surprised?" Korvus placed the vial into his bag. "It was a birthday gift for the judge of the middle district. And while everyone was celebrating and having fun, I sneaked into his house and stole it. I'm sure he thought he lost it while he was drunk... But we need it because it's highly valuable in certain circles. It's..." Korvus motioned for Eugene to come closer. "It's for a rainy day... when we need help that can't be bought with mere gold."

"I thought we had everything figured out?" Eugene stood up from the couch.

"We?" Korvus opened the door and gestured for the young man to go first. "We have a plan. But carrying it out alone won't be possible. And that's where Imperium will help us."

The goblin locked the door behind them and descended onto the bustling streets alongside Eugene. Together, they had to visit one of Korvus's contacts, prepare for the infiltration into the Middle District, and take yet another step toward escaping Moonwhisper.