The Tipsy Solberry's warm glow and the clatter of mugs faded into the background as Leon sat frozen, his eyes locked on Terya's face.
The black, web-like curse pulsed faintly across her cheek, a stark contrast to her striking green eyes and blonde hair that caught the lantern light.
Her leather vest hugged her toned figure, and despite the curse's menacing spread, her cocky smirk made Leon's heart race for reasons beyond fear.
Saria stood beside her, her face as unreadable as ever, but the concern in her eyes—rare for her stoic demeanor—made the air feel heavier.
Leon's half-eaten Glowcap Pie sat forgotten on the table, his appetite drowned out by the weight of this new challenge.
Saria's voice broke the silence, her tone firm but laced with urgency.
"Leon, you need to examine her curse. Now." She gestured toward Terya, who leaned back in her chair, one eyebrow raised as if daring him to try something.
Leon swallowed hard, his throat dry.
"Examine? Like… touch it right?" His voice cracked, and he winced, feeling like a kid caught staring at a forbidden magazine.
The memory of Saria's ritual—her lips, the surge of magic—flashed through his mind, and he blushed, his hands fidgeting with the edge of his tunic.
"Okay, uh, I can do this," he said, mostly to himself, his nerves screaming as he stood.
Terya's smirk widened, her green eyes glinting with amusement.
"Don't faint, rookie," she said, her voice husky and teasing.
"I bite, but only if you ask nicely." She tilted her head, exposing the cursed side of her face, the dark webs pulsing like a heartbeat.
Saria's eyes narrowed, a faint warning in her gaze.
"Focus, Leon," she said, her voice flat but sharp. She stepped closer, guiding his trembling hand toward Terya's cheek. "Touch the curse. Feel its energy, like you did with mine."
Leon's fingers shook as they brushed Terya's skin, soft and warm despite the curse's menacing appearance.
He closed his eyes and felt the touch, her skin, the curse.
The contact sent a jolt through him, not just from her beauty but from the cold, inky surge that crawled up his arm, like dipping his hand in oil. He closed his eyes, his breath hitching, and the tavern vanished.
A vision slammed into him, vivid and disorienting.
He stood in a void, darkness stretching endlessly around him.
Three altars materialized, glowing faintly in the gloom.
The first held a red, cherry-like fruit, its surface glistening like a bloodied jewel—a Crimson Thorn, pulsing with a faint light.
The second showed a snarling red-scaled kobold, its claws scraping the stone, its eyes glowing with malice.
The third depicted Terya, her back to him, her leather pants lowered to reveal her firm, rounded butt, smooth and flawless under the altar's eerie glow.
Leon's face burned, even in the vision, his mind racing with a mix of arousal and embarrassment.
The vision snapped away, and Leon stumbled back, his hand still tingling from Terya's cheek.
He was back in the tavern, Terya's smirk and Saria's blank stare fixed on him.
"Uh…" he stammered, his face redder than the Crimson Thorn. "I saw… stuff. Three altars. A red fruit, a kobold, and, uh…" He hesitated, his voice dropping to a mumble. "Terya's… backside."
Terya's laugh was low and throaty, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"My ass, huh? Figures the gods would pick that." She leaned forward, her leather vest creaking, and Leon's eyes betrayed him, flicking to her curves before snapping back to her face. "You're gonna have fun with this one, rookie."
Saria's expression didn't change, but her eyes flicked to Terya, a silent warning.
"The Crimson Thorn and the kobold are in the demon's lair where Terya was cursed," she said, her tone instructional, like a teacher addressing a slow student. "The curse binds its components to the location. We need to go there."
Leon's jaw dropped, his mind still stuck on the third altar. "Wait, hold up," he said, his voice rising. "We've got kobolds in the basement! Can't we just use one of those? Save us a trip?" He gestured wildly, his nerves making him babble. "I mean, I'm all for adventure, but a demon's lair sounds like a bad time."
Saria's eyes narrowed further, her voice cutting through his protests.
"The cure for the curse taints a specific monster nearby. You're a healer, not a shortcut-taker. We need the right kobold, and the Crimson Thorn only grows in cursed soil." She paused, her gaze flicking to Terya's smirk. "The third altar—her backside—means the cure's application method. You'll need to… administer it then."
Leon's brain short-circuited, his face burning so hot he thought he might combust.
"Administer? Like… you mean…" He trailed off, his eyes darting to Terya, who was now openly grinning, her green eyes dancing with amusement.
"That's, uh… wow. Okay." A goofy grin spread across his face, despite his embarrassment. "Gotta say, that part sounds kinda fun."
Saria rolled her eyes, a rare break in her stoic facade.
"Focus on healing, not lust," she said, her tone sharp but laced with exasperation. "This isn't a game, Leon. Terya's life depends on you."
Terya chuckled, leaning back in her chair, her fingers brushing the cursed mark on her cheek.
"Oh, let the kid have his moment," she said, her voice teasing. "He's bold, I'll give him that. Not what I expected from Saria's pet hero." She winked at Leon, and he nearly choked on his own tongue, his heart pounding.
Leon rubbed the back of his neck, his grin wavering but holding.
"I'm not a pet," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. "I'm, like, a hero-in-training. Right?" He looked to Saria, hoping for backup, but her blank stare offered nothing.
Still, Terya's teasing and the prospect of another ritual—however smutty—lit a spark of excitement in him.
I broke Saria's curse. I can do this.
Probably.
No. I have to do it.
An Ass is at stakes, Sorry, I mean. A life is at stakes
Saria folded her arms, her leather tunic creaking.
"We leave at dawn," she said, her tone final. "The lair's ten miles away, through the forest. We'll need a small party. Terya, will you come with us or wait?"
Terya nodded, her smirk softening into something more serious. "Wouldn't miss it," she said, her voice steady despite the curse's faint pulse. "Let's see if this rookie's as good as you say, Saria."
Leon's stomach flipped, a mix of nerves and anticipation swirling in his chest.
The vision's images—the Crimson Thorn, the kobold, Terya's… everything—burned in his mind, and the weight of another curse-breaking ritual loomed large.
He wasn't sure if he was ready for a demon's lair, but with Saria's fire and Terya's cocky confidence, he felt a flicker of courage.
Time to level up, he thought, his grin returning. Or at least not die trying.
After all, an Ass is at stakes.
Sorry, I mean.
Dammit.