With no other choice than to obey, I did as he asked. To my shock, two shining cards appeared in my mind’s eye. One was a radiant gold, and the other obsidian black. The first card was completely empty aside from a short sentence at the top which read: ‘Along for the Ride’.

Unable to glean any more information, I moved on to the obsidian card. This one had significantly more detail. At the top, in a font much larger than the rest of the card, it read: ‘Excrutiating Existence’. I gulped from those foreboding words and began reading the long paragraph beneath it.

There is nothing more painful than not being able to die. Even a man drowning in a sea of flames will escape in the embrace of death. You are not to be granted that luxury. You spat in the face of life and returned anew. This act of defiance against the Pantheons has greatly pleased [REDACTED] and as such, he has bestowed upon you a most terrifying curse.

I shuddered at the accusatory writing. A pool of dread grew within me as I looked underneath the paragraph of text.

Aspect I: Your body will not let you die easily.

Aspect II: [Requirements Not Yet Met]

Aspect III: [Requirements Not Yet Met]

Aspect IV: [Requirements Not Yet Met]

Aspect V: [Requirements Not Yet Met]

Cursed Aspect: Any pain you suffer is amplified significantly.

I didn’t know how to react. On one hand, I had received an overpowered healing factor, but on the other hand, the amount of pain I would feel was much higher than normal. What the man in front of me had said rang true: there was indeed a catch to tremendous power. I couldn’t help but notice there were four lines of text detailing that I had the potential to gain more Aspects to my Curse, but I had no idea how to unlock them.

“So, what do your cards say?” He half-asked, half-ordered me.

I was not so stupid as to divulge what few hidden tricks up my sleeve that I held so I thought carefully before answering.

“I have a Curse which lets me heal more quickly, at the cost of making the healing itself a painful process.” His eyes squinted at my response. I held my head high as if challenging him to question my partial truth.

“And the Blessing?”

I knew I couldn’t tell him that there was nothing on it, otherwise he would presume I was lying. That was something I could not afford. Instead, I attempted to concoct a believable Aspect that would he would not care about. I looked down at myself, making out the rippling muscle beneath the grime and tattered clothes that covered me, and thought of an idea.

“It provides an increase in the ability to gain muscle.” I candidly stated, forcing myself to try and believe my own lie.

My efforts seemed to bear fruit as a satisfied expression crossed his countenance.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it.” He turned and walked across to the other side of the room. “We are not monsters.” He said plainly, “You have been cooperative, so I will do two things for you.” He reached into a dark satchel and pulled out a gourd as well as a small poutch.

My body reacted before my mind could. I could feel saliva pooling in my mouth, forcing me to swallow loudly. The smell of raw meat clouded my head. Without realising, I was straining against the metal cuffs that binded me to the wall.

“First, I understand you must be hungry. Since you gave us the information we wanted, I have permission to feed you.” He walked towards me, the gourd in one hand, the pouch in the other.

He placed the gourd on the floor and dug his hand into the pouch, pulling out a jerky-sized chunk of raw meat. My eyes were glued to it.

“Don’t bite, or I’ll have to punish you.” His words dampened my enthusiasm slightly. I was once again wrought with inner conflict as a result of my new form. How could something so unsightly seem impossibly delicious to me? As his hand reached towards my mouth, I opened it obediantly. The moment he placed the morsel on my tongue, the world seemed to explode in colour.

What I might’ve previously described as chewy, sinewy, and cold – tasted like a meal from a Michelin star restraunt. My tail thumped against the wall as I savoured each and every bite. He continued to feed me until the pouch was empty. The ravenous hunger in my abdomen had been somewhat soothed. I nearly whined for more before regaining composure, my face flushed with shame at the realisation I had just been fed like a dog by a man who had torn off one of my nails moments ago.

He reached down for the gourd next. Popping off the lid, he tilted it into my mouth. I happily lapped up the refreshing water it contained, my body immediately noticing the effects of hydration. After the gourd was empty, he walked back to the table and placed it in the satchel.

“The second thing, is that I will tell Sir Galladeel of you cooperation so that he may be inclined to spare you.” Questions immediately flooded my head. Spare me? Sir Galladeel? My previously active tail was once again lifeless.

“W-what do you mean?” I stammered.

“You may have done us a favour by telling me what I wanted to know, but that doesn’t change the fact you killed Sean. He was a good friend to many, and an even better father to his children. You are currently the most hated creature in our battalion. The only reason we bothered to ask about your Gifts was due to the rarity of having a Blessing and a Curse. However, it would seem both of yours are useless.” He paced back and forth. His gaze never leaving my unsightly form.

I recalled the feeling of sinking my teeth into the neck of a stranger. A stranger who had a family he was protecting. I felt in that moment like a monster. Blinded by the indignity of being called a name, I took a man’s life like some kind of beast. The harrowing realisation bore into me, more painful than having my nail forcibly torn from me.

As I stood, shivering, chained to the wall, the man looked me over once more.

“You truly are an unsightly creature.” With that, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

The torch which had provided a small amount of comfort in the unforgiving darkness of the room I was in flickered before extenguishing. I stared into the darkness. A thousand thoughts riddled my mind, but one more frequent than the others:

I was in deep shit.