The Cursed Tattoo Pt. 08

The Castle Run

Ellie spent some time "interrogating" the captured ninjas. No one else was allowed in the room. Luckily, there were no obvious screams of pain and terror, or anything. Once she was done, she said they had revealed everything to her.

They were all members of an ancient occult society. The society knew of the witch who had given the spell to Ryan. They knew she'd given the spell away, but not to whom. They had searched the city for months, finally finding Ryan. The ninjas had come to kidnap him.

After several days of further research, Eleftheria had devised a plan. The amulet she found on the ninjas turned out to bear the symbol of their secret little club. She determined their current base was in Germany. Ellie told everyone they would need to go there and handle the cult, one way or another, or these attackers would just keep coming. She also managed to convince everyone that a key to breaking the curse could be found there.

Ellie gathered everyone together to explain the operation.

"...so, if I can somehow get Ryan into that castle, I believe we can find more than enough there to alter, or completely reverse, the curse."

"Germany? We obviously need to come with you since we can't leave Ryan, but Germany? Can all of us even afford a trip like that?" Annie said.

"I can handle that," Claudia said. "If it means getting rid of this fucking curse, then I'll gladly pay for a trip around the world, for all of you, twice," she added, looking at Ryan.

"What if we don't want to get rid of it? What if I want things to stay as they are?" Erica, the new girl, said.

Eleftheria interjected before Claudia could go on a rant. "You have made your choice, Erica. Why do you think the others would not deserve the same? If you have the freedom to choose for yourself, why should Claudia not have that same choice? Why not everyone?" she said.

Erica had no answer to that. She apologized.

"And even if some of you chose to stay, what about Ryan himself? It is not right for him to be a danger to others, either. He deserves the freedom to walk the streets without fear, also," Ellie said.

The girls had to concede her points even if most of them felt like they would choose to stay.

"I'm sorry, but how can you be so sure there's anything there? I mean, isn't it a big risk to take Ryan away from us? How do you know it's worth it? Shouldn't you check it out on your own first, or something?" Lizzy said.

"There was a collector of spells and magical items some decades ago, called Claus. I believe this society has his collection, and they hold it at this castle. If the collection is there it will hold the majority of all magic on earth. Our chances of finding multiple different cures is very high," Ellie said. She paused for dramatic effect.

"Wait. Claus Willhelm, the Nazi? You found Claus Willhelm's collection? I want to be there, I need to come with you," Erica said.

Ellie gave another angry glance at Erica, once again, for knowing more than Ellie thought she should.

"No. This will be dangerous. None of you girls will follow us, absolutely not. Every single one of you will stay behind. Ryan and I will go alone," Ellie said.

"No!" Annie gasped. "You can't take Ryan there. If it's so dangerous, then what will happen to us if... if something happens to Ryan?" she said, almost crying. Ryan went to hug her and hold her.

"You will survive. It will be hell, but you will survive. If Ryan were to die, for any reason -- not because of this mission, it should not be that dangerous, but for any reason -- you ladies would eventually recover, but only after a long and agonizing battle," Ellie said.

There was an uproar of anger. The girls had been led to believe that the curse was fatal. Claudia was already eyeing Ryan like she wanted to just kill him herself, right then and there. It took a while for them to calm down but among the scolding and name calling a general question was formed: Why did Ryan have to go? Why did he need to be in the castle?

Ellie told everyone it was their best bet if they found something useful. Rather than try to steal what they needed, they should have the option to just use it right away, hopefully unnoticed. Who knows, maybe they could even negotiate with the cult.

The girls protested the idea of taking Ryan straight to the people who were actively trying to kidnap him but Ellie told them that she would be there to protect him. Ellie was able to use her authority to ram the plan through. No amount of protesting would work on her, and eventually, the girls were left nonplussed.

No one had anymore questions, except for Erica. "Do you know Claus Willhelm personally? Did you have some dealings with him back in the day? He was big into..."

Before she could finish the question, Ellie grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and dragged her to the bedroom. Ryan jumped to go after them but Ellie pushed him back, careful not to touch his bare skin. She pushed him hard enough for him to slide across the floor. The girls were all shocked. They'd never seen Ellie get so physical with any of them. The door to the bedroom slammed shut and no one dared to challenge her any further.

After a few minutes, which felt like forever, the door opened again and Ellie and Erica came back. Erica was shaken but seemed otherwise fine. She ran to hug Ryan and all of the girls came to hug her, too.

"What did you do to her?" Remy said.

"Nothing at all. We merely had a private conversation about her running her mouth. As always," Ellie said.

"If she knows nothing, then why do you always need to shut her up?" Remy said.

"If you want to talk about this in private, you are more than welcome to join me in the other room," Ellie said.

People had their doubts, but the plan went ahead. Ninjas had broken into their home so something had to be done. Ellie's plan was the only one they had.

Once it was clear they were going to Germany, Claudia told everyone she had a zero tolerance for slumming it, so it would be first class flights and a five star hotel for everyone.

---

The flight was somber. No one could do anything about that. There wasn't even a thought about joining the mile high club, or anything like that. Even Ryan himself felt it would have been an unnecessary risk.

Their room at the hotel was gorgeous, though. They had the grand suite. They had to get another room, too, to keep up appearances, but in reality all of them, even Claudia, actually slept together in the big suite, especially now, on their final night before the mission. Ryan made love to all of his girls for what could have been the last time.

He pushed deep, but treated them gently and sweetly, even Claudia. She hated him for making her love him even more by finally being so considerate. It was one of those rare times he only fucked her in the pussy.

Ryan did his best to hide his fear when he planted his seed deep into each of his girls, not knowing when or if he could do it again. He fucked his girls well into the night, but eventually, he had to get some sleep, too. Interestingly enough, Ryan got by with very little sleep these days. The curse was somehow rejuvenating his energies, letting him recover fully in just a few hours. And even on a night as stressful and restless as this one, he got the rest he needed.

Ryan and Ellie left early the next morning. They took a train to a different part of the country. They still had a long drive, too. They wanted to be near the old castle by sunset. They had rented a four-by-four to approach the cultist stronghold by a less used, old road. Ryan drove and Ellie sat in silence.

Their plan was to first set up an escape route, just in case. Then they would scout the compound and from there either try to find someone to talk to and negotiate, or delve deeper into the castle and try to find their leader, or their treasure room. Then phase two... And phase three would be them walking out happy, with all of their problems resolved.

Ryan watched Ellie braid her hair in the sunset light. Her long, lean, and strong arms moved with practiced grace. He followed her neckline to her full and round breasts, resting beautifully in her thin, white dress. He still had not had enough of her, even though they'd been working together for months now. Her braid was in preparation for battle, however, and Ryan hoped it would remain a mere precaution.

Once the sun had set, they stopped about a mile away and walked the rest of the way, with their gear in tow. The air was getting heavy. A storm was brewing. It was dark by the time they reached the foot of the castle walls. The whole castle seemed abandoned to Ryan. It was in good condition, not ruined, but it was completely dark. Ellie threw their rope up and it caught. They climbed up.

Ryan let Ellie go first and even in the darkness it turned to be a good idea. He got a nice view up her short gown. Ryan also thanked himself for the strength he'd gained from all the endless fucking. His flabby belly was gone, replaced by a six-pack, and all of that weight seemed to have gone directly into his chest and biceps. Climbing a rope like this would have been difficult for him before his life had changed.

They hid the rope on top of the wall and Ryan finally saw some signs of life. A few lights were on in the courtyard and in some of the inner windows -- not to be seen from outside the walls. There were guards in the yard and on top of the wall, but only a handful in total. Ellie and Ryan managed to find their way around them.

"When are you going to tell me the rest of it?" Ryan whispered.

Ellie shushed him.

"Don't shush me, just tell me the truth. It's that Claus guy, isn't it?" he said, still keeping his voice down.

"Shut up. We have a mission here," Ellie said.

"Yes, and I would like to know what it is. I mean, we're already here so I'm not going to turn around anymore. Can't you just tell me truth now?" Ryan said.

Ellie said nothing at first, but she turned to look at him. Her expression was as regal and unflinching as ever. "If you trust me, follow me, one more time," she said.

Ryan looked at Ellie. She seemed perfectly sincere so he relented, even though he was sure Ellie was not telling him everything.

"Okay, I believe you," Ryan said.

Then, for the first time, he saw sadness in Eleftheria's beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, and touched his forehead. Ryan's world went dark and he lost consciousness.

---

The guards at the front gate saw Eleftheria approach them from across the bridge. She was dragging the unconscious Ryan behind her by the collar of his jacket.

"Private property," a guard said, in German.

"I am here to see Claus. You know who I am," Eleftheria answered.

The guards took a closer look and then cowered in recognition. One of them gasped and ran into the castle. He was going to get help, but a part of him was just running in fear.

A handful of guards soon surrounded Eleftheria and they led her deep into a system of caves under the castle. The underground cavern had a stench.

They reached a set of tall double doors, decorated with runes and symbols on the outside. They stepped into a dimly lit room. There was a small stone altar at the back of the room, but there was nothing else, not even any decorations. The space was spartan and seamless. The guards left Eleftheria and Ryan in the room.

Once the guards were gone, she touched Ryan on the forehead again. He snapped awake with a gasp. He took a moment to reorient himself and take stock of their situation.

Ryan turned to Ellie to ask what had happened but he froze when he saw the look in her eyes. She looked so sad now. I'm sorry, her eyes seemed to say, but not for just failing the mission. The depth of that look -- I'm sorry for everything, was what her eyes told him.

A deep, oppressive dread took hold of Ryan. He felt like a rat that can smell an earthquake coming. Eleftheria had a single tear on her cheek. The heavy wall of fear and sorrow crushed Ryan to the floor. It was pushing him from the direction of the door, like a silent storm wind. He saw a purple glow in the otherwise dark corridor. As the glow intensified, so did the weight of his horror.

A maniacal laughter echoed around the stone hallways. It was deep and heavy, and was like a slap in the face for Ryan, adding insult to his terror. Eleftheria stood still. The purple glow was hot now, and a dark shadow grew in the middle of it, outside in the hallway. The glow crawled all along the walls of the room, and as it went, it lit up endless rows and circles of previously hidden runes and symbols all over the walls of the room. And all over the altar.

The shadow outside formed into a shape of a man, but kept growing and growing. Then, finally, he turned the corner and stepped into the room. Ryan whimpered and looked away. The man laughed again, his low bellows hitting Ryan's ears like punches. Ryan could not bare the searing brightness of this terrible creature, but he sneaked a little peek from between his fingers, and his tears.

The man was floating in air, his feet a foot off the ground. His body was hard and sinewy. A purple glow surrounded him, spreading from him to illuminate everything around. Tendrils of black swam in it. His eyes were all white. His whole body was covered in tattoos, similar to Ryan's.

"Strudel!" he said, to Eleftheria. "I always knew you would come back to daddy. And I hoped you would bring gifts." He looked at Ryan and laughed again. "This, of course, will not be enough, you whore. You will suffer long and hard for what you did to me, you will suffer for at least as many years as you have been away. But then, I will allow you to please me again. You have realized now that I've always been a fair Master to you, yes?"

"Yes, Master. I accept my punishment, even if it be death. All I want is for you to take me back, one way or another," Eleftheria said. Her eyes were cast to the floor.

The man floated to her and flicked her dress off of her shoulders. He then cut her across her breast with his sharp, claw-like nail. Ellie whimpered and the man laughed again.

"Oh, Strudel, you always were my favorite. Of course I will take you. I will take you again and again. Sometimes I think you tease me on purpose, defying me like this. A few decades as a toy and a toilet for my soldiers should help you regain some of the humility you've lost, yes? Would you do that for me? Would you be nothing more than a sack of holes, hanging from a chain, for years and years, just to make me happy?"

"Yes, Master." Ellie said.

Ryan was crying now. The wall of oppression this creature pushed in front of him was crushing his very soul. The man turned to him.

"A pleasure to meet you, mister Dobbs. I am Claus Willhelm, but you can call me God. Please, do not get up. You are right where you should be. I understand you have been holding one of my spells for me? Well, I thank you for that. Not to worry, I will take what is mine soon enough. After that, I might just make you a gift for my troops, too." He laughed again.

Claus turned back to Ellie and they continued their conversation in a strange language -- definitely not German, but something even stranger.

There was nothing Ryan could do. He was physically unable to move, but more than that, he had lost his will to fight, to even live. He wasn't angry at Ellie for betraying him. He was sad for her, for everybody. He knew in his heart that Claus would eventually take over the whole world and push everyone down, like he was pushing him. The girls, everyone from work, his family, everyone. Ryan knew they were all just maggots for Claus to step on. The world deserved to fall. Even though it broke his heart, Ryan felt no need to resist something so inevitable.

Claus licked the tears on Ellie's cheek and squeezed her breast. His claws drew more blood. Ellie was sobbing now. Claus turned back to Ryan.

"Time to complete my collection," he said, and reached for him. "I could just rip it off and eat it later, but I feel the need to bite right in."

Claus' jaws extended unnaturally and revealed rows and rows of shark-like teeth. He pulled Ryan's shirt up to reveal the tattoo. He held on to him and licked the tattoo a few times with a long, thick, black tongue.

Ellie whispered a quiet word under her breath.

Ryan felt the oppressive horror lift the tiniest bit. He still could not move, and he was still terrified, but just that small relief in the weight of that anguish was one of the best things that ever happened to Ryan in his short and miserable life.

Claus shot up and and turned to face Ellie. Whatever she had said had made him furious. "You bitch! There are no sigils here! What did you hope to achieve? The day you die will be your happiest, because your torture will be the longest I've ever inflicted, you..." Claus suddenly stopped and looked at his feet. He was not floating anymore.

He looked like he was about to say something more when Ellie drove her spear right through his head. His broken skull exploded into a cascade of that purple energy.

Ellie jumped on top of Ryan and shielded him with her body. A cacophony of magical energies roared in rage, and swathes of it singed off hair from Ryan's arms and legs. Then a new wave of oppression hit him and he could hear whispers in his ears. Whispers in that unknown language. They wanted something from him, demanded it, but Ryan could not understand.

The force of those whispers made him pass out.

---

When Ryan came to, again, he was still in that room. Eleftheria was still there, too. She was sitting in the middle, her legs crossed. Her dress was still down around her waist but her cuts were healed -- her perfect breasts were pristine again.

It felt like Eleftheria was done with her plan. Hopefully, there would room for truth now.

A strange calm had taken over Ryan, too. His mind was clear and his soul was at peace. He had but a vague memory of the oppressive horror that had crushed him, previously. He didn't want to act like and idiot so he thought about what he already knew before talking to her.

"You used me as bait, didn't you? You were gunning for Claus from the beginning. You brought me here just to, what, ambush him with some spell?"

"Yes," Eleftheria said. Her eyes were shut. "How many spells do you carry, Ryan?"

"One," he said.

"No. You carry two. I put another one on you. The mark is under your hair."

Ryan thought about it. "Honestly, the guy seemed bad enough, so I can't blame you for doing whatever you had to to get rid of him. You could have told me, though. I could have helped you willingly."

"Trust me, my love. You do not know Claus. My plan was perfect, and every detail was necessary. Besides, the plan has already worked, so there is no improvement you could make to it anymore."

"But what about my curse? Was there ever anything here that could have helped us with the girls?"

"No. My plan ended at the moment of Claus's death. If you still want to throw away your converts, you need a new plan. The only person who could take the curse from you is the witch who put it there, but you would not enjoy the process, or perhaps even survive it," she said.

Ryan thought Ellie was being overly pessimistic so he wanted to cheer her on. "Well, these guys were after her, so maybe they caught her and now she's here. Let's take quick look around before we leave," Ryan said. He stood up, but the double doors slammed shut.

"No. I have weighed my options, and I have decided I want to keep you," Eleftheria said. She was standing now, too, but her eyes were still closed and her face was still calm.

"Keep me? What the hell does that mean?"

Eleftheria smiled. "I am one of your converts, Ryan. I am under your spell. You captured my heart and my soul the moment I touched you, to give you that second Sigil on your scalp."