Maria Graywood was laying in her husband's bed after having a mage confirm she was pregnant a few hours ago, and she was very sleepy after finishing a meal for two. She decided to take a small nap, even though it was midday. She opened her 'eyes' to an abyss with two stars slowly descending towards her, "What's going on?" She wondered inwardly and outwardly apparently. "Listen and obey, my devoted. You have been chosen to host the vessel of a mighty hero, this boy has a curse placed upon him for his safety. When the curse lifts, the boy will awaken. It is your duty to take care of his vessel until it is ready to bear the burden of such a soul."
"AAAAhh!" Maria screamed in agony as she felt a searing pain coiling around her stomach like a snake. In under a minute a servant girl ran into the room, "Ms.Graywood is everything ok?" Lyda asked. "Summon the mage to this room, immediately." Maria ordered. "At once." Lyda said and bolted out of the room. 'That was excruciating.' She thought as she lifted her night gown over the source of pain, there now was a tattoo of a chain wrapped around her stomach several times that glowed a bright pink while circling her womb like a shark.
Dean Rockfall was under the assumption that this job would be relatively easy and straightforward, but he couldn't have been more wrong. "Mr.Rockfall! Mr.Rockfall!" A servant girl ran yelling as loud as she could towards him and Mr.Graywood, who were just leaving the estate. Mr.Graywood looked a little bit annoyed at the blatant misconduct this young servant girl no older than ten was showing, but I chose to ignore the lack of formality. "Yes young lady, what is the matter?" The girl took a moment to catch her breath and with a raspy voice she answered, "Ms.Graywood… summons you… to her chambers… immediately." That answer seemed to surprise Mr.Graywood, so he asked "Should I accompany him there?" The servant answered instantly this time. "I believe that would please Ms.Graywood."
After that little debacle we were on our way to her chambers, when we arrived Ms.Graywood was under the covers and seemed to have her night gown rolled up under her chest. Then I saw her face, she was sweating profusely and seemed very lost in thought. "Ms.Graywood?" I asked. It snapped her out of her train of thought and she replied, "I wish to know if the vision I just experienced was real." Mr.Graywood asked the question before I could, "Maria, are you okay?" she beckoned him over with a hand, when he arrived next to her at the side of the bed she lifted her covers and let him see under them.
When Mr.Graywood looked into the colors I could see a pulsating pink light illuminate his face, that's when I decided to take this request more seriously, but before I could Mr.Graywood sternly ordered everyone out of the room. When I was allowed back into the room a few minutes later Mr.Graywood asked me directly. "Dean, do you have any experiences with curses?", "I have dealt with a few, why?". "Do you know how to tell how strong a curse is, or maybe its origin?"
I grimaced at the question, 'I know for a fact he isn't going to like my answer.' "Sir please forgive me, but in order to determine those details… I would need to be in contact with the magic powering the curse." I stated looking at the ground with my eyes closed just waiting for a physical reprimand. There was a pause before he spoke again, with great reluctance he asked. "Very well, do your eyes need to be opened for this procedure?" I hastily responded, "Absolutely not sir, I've done this more than enough times." "Good, stand next to me and close your eyes. I will guide your hand to the affected area." He breathed a sigh of relief as I walked over to his left side and closed my eyes.
I felt his hand grab my own and begin to guide me to the correct spot on Ms.Graywood. As soon as my hand touched her skin, I too had a vision; I was brought into an abyss, there wasn't any light at all and I couldn't move. Then I felt a voice boom throughout my body, "This is your one and only warning boy, if another attempts to break my curse I will smite their soul with my chains! BEGONE!!" After the disembodied female voice thundered her threat, I felt myself being snatched from behind.
…
After Mr.Graywood sent everyone out.
…
When I asked for privacy, I had my wife explain her 'vision'. With this information I quickly created a plan; it might be difficult to carry out but the outcome is more than worth the risk. I needed to deceive the entirety of the nobility and his majesty.
After I placed the mage's hand on the glowing tattoo his muscle went taught and his whole body stiffened. From what I could catch, it looked like he was pulled from behind with unnatural strength, and thrown into the wall. I quickly covered my wife with the covers again. Dean got up and shouted in shock, "By the blue one's tits!! What did you do to catch the ire of the Chained one!" I responded in a neutral tone, in an attempt to calm him. "We haven't caught her ire; she has given my family a duty to uphold and I won't say anymore."
A duty from our beloved Goddess is a very serious ordeal and it should get him to back off. "Dean Rockfall, would you please keep this matter a secret? I will inform the baron within the week. Also, thank you for confirming the truth of this matter." I showed my appreciation by bowing my head a little. "A duty directly from her holiness! Ah-Yes of course I won't tell a soul! But I must say, she was truly terrifying." the mage muttered out that last. "Please forgive my outburst Mr.Graywood, I didn't mean to be so rude. It's just that was the most terror inducing experience I have ever been through, and I'm pretty sure I'm still a little out of sorts."
"I forgive you, it's only reasonable; I have no idea what you went through, but if it's enough to scare the mountain crusher himself, I'm pretty sure this reaction is warranted." I replied with genuine understanding, 'Whatever this man went through probably would've sent me into a fit of insanity'. "Would you like to rest here tonight and leave in the morning, or would you prefer to leave now?" I offered. "I think I would prefer not to be a burden, I will take my leave for now. If you ever require my assistance for this holy duty don't hesitate to call upon me; And with that, I bid you farewell." Dean bowed and left the room in a hurry.
"Benard, why didn't we tell him the whole truth?" My lovely Maria asked. "The answer is simple dear; do you want our child to lose the gift of choice?" I answered in a soothing voice. "No, I wish for my boy to be free of all burdens and responsibilities." She responded with barely a thought. "We must guard this secret with everything we have. if his highness only heard the word 'hero' mentioned in passing, we would be held hostage inside of the capital. We probably would be targeted by hired mercenaries as well."
…
A few days later
…
"Baron Windvine, it's a pleasure to see you again my friend!" I said to the local baron. "Mr.Graywood, welcome!" The baron replied. "Come, we have business to discuss." Windvine guided me to a room in the back of his estate. "I hear a matter of great importance occurred in your residence." Windvine said leadingly. "Yes, my house has been given a duty by the Chained one herself. This has also been confirmed by your mage." I explained. "May I inquire about this sacred duty?" Windvine politely asked. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you Baron Windvine; I was sworn to secrecy by her holiness." I half-lied. "Very well I won't bother you about this any longer."
"Could I ask you to keep this matter a secret?" I asked with hope. "I can't avoid informing his highness, but I could just tell him directly. There's the first prince's opening party coming up within the next few months; I know how to be discreet." The baron offered. "Very well, I would prefer maximum discretion. I have some other business with you. I would like to buy a villa out of town, somewhere my family and I could stay away from prying eyes."
"I will ask someone to handle this purchase for you. You may discuss further details with them." Windvine graciously offered. "Thank you for your understanding, Baron Windvine. I wish you good fortune." I said, and then took my leave. 'This has turned out better than I expected, if they believe that my entire household has this 'duty', it will remove suspicion from Maria.' I spent the rest of my visit buying a villa, away from prying eyes, and pondering how to keep my wife and unborn child safe.
…
Many Months Later
…
Maria Graywood was due to give birth any day now. Meanwhile Benard Graywood was in the process of hiring a wet nurse. "How qualified are you?" He asked. "I've attended over a hundred births, and I'm very confident I could handle just about any situation." The elderly nurse said. "Very good; I'm sure this particular birth will be unique. I'll have to ask you to keep this ordeal a secret. If you can agree to this then consider yourself hired." Before the elderly nurse could give her answer, they both heard a commotion from the room Maria was resting in. "Come with me, it might be starting now!"
During the process the glowing tattoo that Maria had around her stomach, slowly unraveled and slithered like a snake through the air and coiled around the baby boy that was just born. The boy was fidgeting in his sleep until the pink chain coiled around his whole body and flashed with bright pink light, then faded into a black tattoo of a chain spiraled around the entirety of the boy's body. Now the boy remained completely still with a vacant gaze, as if he was missing a soul…