The cursed

-There weren't always dragons in the valley...

Elias left his sentence hanging as he pulled a small, finely crafted wooden box from his pocket. Ceremoniously, as if he had rehearsed these gestures over and over again, he opened it to extract several pieces of wood that he arranged on a table in front of him. After rolling up the sleeves of his long red tunic, he began to fit the curious objects together. As he did so, he glanced at the crowded room, which never took their eyes off him.

"I know what you're thinking", he mused, as his hands went to work without him having to pay any attention. "You're thinking : Dragons? There are dragons in the valley? And which valley is he talking about? Is it Nerégole? Or is it the nearby Petite Fauchée? And if there are dragons today, what was it like when there were none? By my fork, how on earth did they get here?"

With a marble face, Elias suppressed a laugh.

"I'll let you rack your brains a little more ... Given the heads you have, it can not hurt !"

The women and men in front of him were devouring him with their eyes. In addition to his very unusual outfit, that is to say this tunic of a bright red covered with golden patterns reminding undeniably of clouds, he had a hair style of the most original. His black hair, streaked with numerous silver threads that he claimed to have because of his immeasurable wisdom and not because of his somewhat advanced age, flowed down the sides of his face where beard and hair were so intermingled that it was not possible to tell where the first ended and the second began. A goatee that he frequently fiddled with in a meditative manner tapered his chin, giving his face an unusual severity that drew attention.

Raising the musical pipe in front of his face, Elias checked that he had correctly assembled the different parts. Of course, he had rehearsed these gestures so much in the past that he knew he had not made any mistake. Nevertheless, he scrutinized the strange instrument with meticulousness.

Then, in the overwhelming silence of the room, he pulled out three old, worn leather purses and placed them on the table. Opening the first one, he drew out a few deep blue leaves and stuffed them into one of the three fireplaces that the musical pipe had. He did the same with the other two pouches, taking red and yellow tobacco from them respectively.

After bringing the mouthpiece of the instrument to his lips, he drew two embers from the fire burning in the hearth behind him and placed them in the fireplaces containing the yellow and blue leaves. The embers glowed as Elias took a long breath. Curiously, when he caught his breath, he did not exhale any smoke. He did this three more times under the curious gaze of his audience. Then he crossed his legs with ostensible nonchalance and stared at the crowd.

Once again, he had to restrain himself to keep from cracking a mocking smile. It was certainly not the first time that he found himself in front of an audience coming from the hinterland, but he was still surprised by the emptiness that he perceived in some of the looks. He could almost hear the cogs in their dusty, clogged brains turn on and off.

"Probably for the first time in your life... "

Elias smiled at the thought.

-In the past, he said at last, and these simple words sounded like a thunderclap in the silence of the tavern, the valley was green.

He tapped the keys of the instrument and, as a joyful trill went up, a thick, deep green smoke cascaded to the floor and spread softly. It was accompanied by a powerful smell of pine that covered the alcohol fumes of the place.

-In the past, the valley was green and the village that had settled here lived in peace.

Elias changed the melody a little, but the smoke continued to flow.

-The blacksmith was forging, the squarer was squaring and the lazy one was lazing about.

After a few manipulations, he sucked again in the musical pipe. From then on, a blue smoke escaped and began to snake languidly across the now green floor.

-A river ran through this valley where the village lived in peace and where the blacksmith forged, the squarer squared and the lazy one lazed.

"By my pen, may I speak well! Look at them, they are subjugated by every word I say! You have not seen everything yet, my dear peasants..."

-But one day, a boat landed in this village and...

Suddenly the door of the tavern flew open and a young boy jumped out, looking panicked:

-Sir Elias, sir Elias! We need you! Quickly, it's urgent!

-Me? But...

-Yes, hurry up!

And without any further explanation, the boy left, leaving behind him a wave of cursing and outraged exclamations.

-And the story ! said some.

-We want the continuation ! said the others.

With his chest swollen with importance and his arms raised in a soothing gesture, Elias tried to calm the crowd:

-Friends, friends, the story is what it is and it can wait. It would seem that duty calls me elsewhere ; let me deal with what I assume is a minor problem before I continue my adventures with you. Because yes, these are indeed my adventures. I can see by the keen eyes of some of you that you have already discover this secret. Am I right?

Some men approved with a feigned humility : surely, they had understood that.

"I doubt it", Elias mused, as they put on a sorry face and headed for the exit.

Once outside, he closed the door and his expression changed from one of repentance to black wrath.

-Seneschal! he whispered. Seneschal, come here, you ungrateful little man!

A poor voice answered him:

-Master Elias, I'm sorry but...

-There you are! There you are, you little idiot who can't remember a phrase.

-Master Elias, I...

-Don't interrupt me when I'm lecturing you! And what could you possibly say in your defense, anyway?

-Well, I... I said the right phrase but...

-Oh, yes, you did! But, you stinking worm, how many times have I told you that the rhythm is just as important as the text, if not more?

-But, Master Elias, I ....

-How much, Sénéchal?

-A ... a lot ...

-Oh, much more than that, even! Countless times! And have you retained this wise teaching that, in all my goodness, I have placed at your disposal?

-Master Elias, I swear to you that...

-Have you retained it?!

-Yes, I...

-No! No, you didn't retain anything! You had to enter the room when the tension was at its highest, when all those peasants would have been ready to tear each other apart to find out the rest of my adventures. I had to give them enough information, I had to tell them a story they had never heard before in their lives. But you, unfortunate one, intervened much too early! Seneschal do you realize that I didn't even have time to tell them that it was about my adventures? It's a good thing that, thanks to my genius mind, I was able to place it just before going out... Well, I have to go back if I want to be able to fix your mistake...

-Master Elias, please listen to me.

-No Seneschal, you've done enough for today.

Running out of arguments, the child opened his hand to reveal what was in it. Elias'eyes widened in amazement.

-Where did you get that gold coin?

The child was about to answer, but someone else spoke before he could:

-Well, well, why don’t you stop tormenting that poor boy ?

Elias froze in shock at the sound of the familiar voice. Behind him, nonchalantly leaning against the wall of the tavern stood a young woman who detailed him with mischief.

She had a thin face with delicately chiseled cheekbones. Two blond locks had escaped from her bun to frame her facial features and emphasize her look. Her irises, of an intense green, had the particularity to be stained with small darker spots. Apart from their beauty, her eyes shone at times with a worrying brightness. Indeed, she had this way of detailing the strangers as a lioness considers the animal penetrating on its territory.

The storyteller wanted to speak but held back. His gaze flew from the little Seneschal to the gold coin he was holding before returning to the newcomer, a glint of understanding in his eyes.

-I dare to hope that you didn't use your charms on this rascal, Lili.

The young woman emitted a melodious laugh.

-It's been a long time since I've been called like that, Elias. (She put her emerald eyes on Sénéchal who blushed violently) Don't worry, we just chatted a little ...

-Of course ... It will not be the first time that you "chat" with one of my boys ...

Lili's smile faded a little. Elias approved for himself:

-Well, at least I can see that your heart is not completely dried up. That's not all, but I have a show to give. What do you want, Lili?

-What makes you think I want anything from you? Don't I have the right to visit an old friend?

-Lili, I don't have time for your little chats. Either you tell me why you gave this gold coin to Sénéchal so that he ruins my show in beauty, or you let me tell my adventures.

Unmoved by the storyteller's anger, the young woman arched an eyebrow.

-Your adventures? Aren't you telling about our peregrinations in Nak-Navar ?

Elias sank back.

-Yes, well, these are our adventures, so what? The public is waiting for me, Lili, what do you want?

Abandoning her petty smile, the young woman suddenly seemed indecisive. She crossed her arms over her Tundrill leather tunic and let her eyes get lost in the surrounding forest.

The tavern where Elias was performing was not used to have so many people in its common room. However, when the storyteller announced his coming, people came from far away to listen to his stories.

-I'm looking for him, she finally said.

-Who are you looking for, Lili? Be precise, please. Precise and concise.

-You know very well who I'm talking about ...

Elias put on the face of a big cat that has just find out a mouse.

-Oh, I see... I thought you couldn't stand him, that he was the king of... what word did you use again?

Lili pursed her lips. You could see in her eyes that she regretted having come to ask the storyteller for help. As for him, no doubt he had already forgotten that at least hundred peasants were waiting for him in the next room, so much did he delight in the young woman's expression.

-Klutz, she said. I said that he was the king of the klutzes.

Visibly, it cost Lili to pronounce such words which delighted Elias at the highest point. He did not hide it besides by seeing the jubilation which raised its face.

-That's right, "klutz"... What an insult! The king of the klutzes... (He seemed to enjoy repeating the word, as if he was savoring its flavor). Oh yes, what a word! Insignificant, ineffective even, if it is thrown at the face of someone who does not count, to a stranger, but terribly cruel if it is intended to touch a loved heart. Tell me, Lili, was he a stranger to you?

The young woman turned pale. She lowered her head before slowly shaking it from right to left.

-Ah! said Elias, implacable. So you're looking for him to present him your deepest apologies, I presume?

-No, she said, straightening up. I need him to ... to fix a mistake.

-A mistake? That you made, no doubt...

-That we have committed ...

-Him and you?

-Him, me (she looked into the storyteller's eyes) ... and you.

-What are you talking about, Aliana ? I didn't make any mistake!

-Not directly, indeed. But you were with us when we made this mistake. You're even about to tell the details to all these people ...

Elias looked at the door of the tavern that his friend had just pointed out.

-But what mistake are you talking about? I never make mistakes!

-Never make mistakes? What about your introductory sentence "there have not always been dragons in the valley..." ? That’s just a bunch of lies. You know as well as I do that there have always been dragons in Nak'Navar. Long before humans came to settle there.

The storyteller shrugged:

-That? That's not a lie, it's a proven and effective way to get the public's attention. Every story has to be embellished, otherwise it's not a story, it's gossip. Of course there have always been dragons in the valley, but that creates many questions in the minds of all those ...

-I don't care about that, Elias! It is totally false and this lie makes our mistake tolerable. Worse, it makes it necessary.

-If you don't tell me what mistake you are referring to, Aliana, I don't see how I can understand a word you are saying.

The young woman tucked a lock of her long blonde hair behind her ear. Suddenly she seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders as if... as if she felt guilty. But of what? What was this mistake?

-We... we shouldn't have killed them...

Elias frowned at his delicate eyebrows.

-The dragons? That was our mission, I remind you.

-Yes, I know, but...

Aliana seemed to curl up under the weight of guilt, and for a moment Elias thought she was going to cry. But she snorted and straightened up, all traces of that overwhelming feeling gone. Or so it seemed...

-I have to find him, Elias. Do you know where he is?

The storyteller shook his head vigorously:

-He made me swear not to say anything, especially to you. He is very angry with you, you know?

-I know, but this is very important.

Elias took a long look at his friend. Obviously, she had to make colossal efforts to put her ego aside and ask him for such help. It was far from being like her and made the storyteller fear that the reason she was acting like this was much more serious than she wanted to admit. This is what convinced him.

-Very well, Lili, I will take you to him (he raised an imperious finger) after my show!

-I don't have time, Elias, just tell me where he is and I'll ...

-Ta ta ta! It's that or nothing! You don't think I'm going to miss out on any new adventures with you two?

An inner battle seemed to rage in Aliana's head, which was resolved with a resigned sigh:

-Let's hurry, then.

-That's what I've been trying to tell you, my dear...

The young woman went towards the tavern but just before she opened the door, Elias caught her by the arm:

-One more thing, Lili. It's my story, I'm the one telling it. Under no circumstances do I want you to interfere, do we agree?

-Isn't it also my adventures?

-Yes, but ...

-Don't worry, Elias, I won't interfere... unless it's necessary...

And with a last mischievous smile, she closed the door behind her.

The storyteller remained standing there, contemplating the tavern where his public was impatiently waiting for him. Suddenly, he was frozen with fear. As he knew her, she would certainly intervene, it could not be otherwise. But how on earth could he prevent her from ruining his show even more?

-Master Elias?

Surprised, he turned around to fall face to face with Seneschal's innocent gaze. He had almost forgotten that one...

-What do you want?

-Was she the one your stories talk about? Was she ... Aliana Of The Tear?

Elias snorted mentally. It was only Lili, after all...

-My little Seneschal, to make up for your monumental stupidity, I want you to go and sit next to this charming young woman and not let her out of your sight. She must not interfere once. Do you hear me ? (The boy nodded briskly.) Well, get out of here now.

After taking a deep breath, Elias pushed open the door to the tavern.

-Ladies and gentlemen, he heard, here is the one you have all been waiting for: Elias!

Cheers and applauses greeted him joyfully as he was transfixed by what he saw: Aliana with arms outstretched was waiting for him on stage.

He had to force himself to compose a jovial mask and join the young woman. Externally, he seemed delighted by the turn of the events but internally, anger and fear were mixing in a dizzying emotional mixture. Once at her side, he smiled at her as a father would do at his son and, as the audience chanted his name, he muttered through clenched teeth:

-Can I ask what you're doing here?

-I told them we were going to tell this story together, isn't that wonderful?

All the years of stage practice were unfortunately not enough for Elias to maintain his mask. He almost choked with fury. Unable to formulate one syllable, he contemplated the crowd in delirium which had no idea of the disaster which it was about to attend.

Silence returned little by little but, for once, Elias the storyteller did not find his words... It was Aliana who, after having thrown him a quite revolting wink, saved him :

-Contrary to what one might think, there have always been dragons in the valley ...