A brightly lit room awaited Klad as he followed Teles through the insides of the bar. They went up the stairs and after a couple of moments a wooden door awaited him.
"This is as far as I go. Good luck inside, she has been… pretty low since yesterday."
Klad nodded and entered the room, and as he did so he was blinded by the light coming from a big window in front of him.
As his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in brightness, a calm voice spoke aloud.
"Greetings young Klad, nice to meet you. My name is Cherry, but everyone here calls me Chief."
And so he saw her. A beautiful looking middle-aged woman, wearing long bright red hair tied in a double braid that rested on her back.
She cautiously studied Klad through her single eye, the other one laid hidden behind a black patch.
"So please tell me, what brings a young man with a bright future to this decrepit sad looking place?"
Klad didn't know what to answer to that.
'I do have to agree she is making a fair point. The amount of thing I have to do for that damned glutton…'
He didn't voice his opinion though, instead Klad did a small bow towards Cherry and spoke in a confident tone.
"Nice to meet you, chief. The name is Klad, but I suppose you already know that."
"Yes Klad, but I'm afraid you don't get to call me chief yet. You are still not part of us."
"You are right Cherry. Regarding your previous question, I must say I'm deeply concerned regarding the —"
"Stop it Klad. You don't have to sweet talk me, just go to business, why do you want to join my gang?"
"Gotcha," Klad was happy to drop the act, he had it on in the first place just to make sure he didn't get on the wrong side of their chief but now that he had been given approval he was going to take it. "The reason is I need the money. And screwing the local government is a great job nice job perk."
"Ha! I guess you and I are very similar!" Cherry's happy laugh dimmed quite rapidly as she continued speaking. "Unfortunately Klad, we are not in here for the money"
He shook his head
"You aren't? If you are here for the fun I think that there are better ways."
"Stop it Klad. I'm not in the mood for jokes, not after what happened. I suppose Teles must have told you, but I really don't want another young one to have a meaningless death."
"Would it be better if I told you that I'm really into whatever the reason you guys are fighting?"
"Ha. No, It wouldn't. Or at least I would reject you right ahead but honestly we are not in the best circumstance, and you seem like a pretty cunning man so I would really love to have you in, even if it ends up costing your life."
'Well there was no need to sound that ominous Cherry! But I guess that after everything that they went through these days I can't say that I blame her.'
"So what do you say Klad, are you willing to join my gang even if it costs your life?"
'I was going to agree regardless but now that she says it like this I am starting to regret that there's no other way of helping Ita.'
"How about you first tell me what you guys are really after, then I will make my decision."
"Sure. But please sit, I feel bad to be the only one standing."
Klad nodded and took a seat in front of Cherry while she gestured with her only arm as she explained their reasons to him.
"We are tired Klad." She said bluntly. "We have been governed by the same pathetic family for the last two hundred years and yet nothing changes. The winters are cold and harsh, most of the kids in the slums starve while our so benevolent Lord feasts in his mansion at the Capital. He wastes money on his shady business while we starve more each year, the miners get taxed more and more while everyone starves each day."
"Why don't you leave then?"
"And leave all my friends, my people, my city behind? Why should I change when they won't? That's not a great way of thinking young Klad, they should fix this mess."
"Yeah and what's your great plan? Leaving is easier than trying to fix this place."
"Leaving is always easier." She said with a sad smile. "We are the ones who try to help this place, even though we can leave, we fight for those who can't. That's who we are."
"Well…" Klad was a bit stunned by Cherry's honesty, he was expecting a grand speech about the greatness of saving the city or the amount of riches that the Lord had, but definitely not this. "I suppose you have a point. Fine, I'll join you. But I ask just one thing in return."
"Oh yeah? What is it? We don't have much money though, especially not after what happened."
"What do you know about the Cursed Ones?"
A small silence filled the room, and after a few moments Cherry laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! Of course that's your question! Let me tell you Klad—No even better let me show you!" She proceeded to untie the knot that covered her missing arm and as she did so, Klad saw an image he wasn't expecting at all.
There was supposed to be an arm stump yet instead of skin on the end of the missing arm, there were dark sparks that looked like they were trying to swallow the remaining part of the arm into nothingness. She also lifted her patch, showing a similar scenario in her left eye, where instead of an eye, a dark abyss of eternal swallowing sparks laid.
Klad thought of the image of Ita's eyes, even though they a bit similar, Klad knew that they were inherently different from each other. Ita's eyes felt like a part of her while this thing in Cherry's body seemed like it was another thing trying to get ahold of her body.
"What do I know about Cursed Ones? I am Cursed! This damned Curse took my arm and my bloody eye!"