Sort of sequel to Sick Leave but it could be also be a stand-alone. Moar fwaff!
When Freud opened his eyes, it wasn't to the sight of soft morning sunlight filtering through his windows nor was it to the sight of his familiar old worn books lining his study from top to bottom in oaken shelves. It was to the sight of a dark leafy canopy raining down dancing shafts of soft light.
The intertwined smell of dewy grass, fragrant flowers, and fresh water replaced the musty smell of his archives and he was aware that he was lying on his back where he had been positive he had fallen asleep at his desk last night.
"Good morning. I see that you're finally awake," someone said casually to his right.
Freud sat up and turned towards the familiar voice.
Phantom sat a short distance away twirling his cane idly and wearing a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
Freud leveled a look at the thief that told him he wasn't terribly amused and asked, "Where did you take me?"
Unfazed by his good friend's apparent snappishness, the thief replied in the same light tone he had been using before. "My, aren't you delightful this fine morning."
"Forgive me if I'm a bit surly after being unknowingly kidnapped from some rather important work I have a strict deadline on and finding myself in an unfamiliar location with a pompous thief of all people as my only company," Freud retorted dryly.
"I would prefer the word confident myself and I'll have you know that people would absolutely kill to spend five minutes with me."
"Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people," Freud grumbled irritably.
"Perhaps not but admit it, you've already taken a liking to this place," Phantom stated rather triumphantly.
There was a brief pause, the lull filled with the sounds of chirruping birds and rustling leaves.
Freud finally sighed in a somewhat defeated manner and said somewhat reluctantly, "Yes, it is rather nice."
A grin nearly split Phantom's face in half to which Freud simply let out a sound of exasperation at the smug expression but he couldn't quite stop the small smile from creeping onto his lips. "But it doesn't mean you should have kidnapped me."
Phantom raised a delicate eyebrow. "Oh? And how else was I supposed to get you out of your stuffy study? Ask you? Because I can see that working out so well," he said, rolling his eyes.
Freud simply smiled in an indulgent way that suggested he knew something the thief had apparently missed and hummed.
"Well, you've finally succeeded in your ever tireless endeavor to pull me away from my work. Congratulations. So pray tell, what now?"
Phantom frowned, eyeing him suspiciously but decided to drop it for now at the expectant look that was directed towards him and simply replied, "We relax. Admire the scenery, bird-watch, fish," he gestured towards the view in front of him vaguely, "Whatever you want to do… that's not reading and getting blisters on your hands." He gave a pointed look towards his hands in emphasis.
Freud chuckled. "Unless books and quills grow on trees, I don't think that should be much of a problem out here."
"Exactly," Phantom agreed, nodding in satisfaction.
They spent a few more minutes in companionable silence gazing at the vast vista before Freud spoke up. "Now that I think about it," he started thoughtfully, "Since we're out here anyway, this would be a good opportunity to observe what the local wildlife is like."
Phantom shot him a dubious look. "You have the whole day off to rest and you want to troop through Leafre to look at the wildlife? Freud, I know we have differing definitions of what it means to relax but I'm pretty sure wandering aimlessly around a dense, maze-like forest is not what anyone reasonable would call relaxing. Besides, that's work."
"Then it's a good thing that isn't my idea of relaxation either," Freud said amusedly. "No, no. What I'm suggesting is taking a simple walk around the lake and seeing what we can find. It's only work if you don't enjoy it."
Phantom seemed to think it over for a few brief moments before shrugging. "Well why not," he said, getting up and dusting himself off. "But I can't imagine how looking at wildlife can be very exciting. The most we'll see here are birds and plants."
Freud shook his head and sighed. "Oh Phantom, I see you are missing the finer points of exploring nature. It's not about simply looking. It's more than that… but I suppose I'll have to show you rather than tell you," he appended, catching the skepticism on Phantom's face.
"If you're willing then by all means, show me the wonders of nature… just as long as you don't go Mercedes on me about it," he added contemplatively, humor in his tone. He gestured forth with his cane. "Lead the way then."
o-O-o
The moment Afrien woke that morning, he knew something was wrong.
For one thing, the connection he had with Freud felt tenuous, as though it was stretched over a great distance. He knew his partner wasn't dying because the bond wouldn't even exist so that was one less worry but still, Freud's sudden disappearance brought up a host of other concerns and possible implications.
His initial thought was that the Black Mage had somehow snuck through their defenses and had kidnapped Freud because he knew his master would have never leave without at least informing him of where he would be going first. Besides, Freud had always been very busy with his scholastic duties concerning research on the Black Mage and appropriate magical techniques and seals to use against him to go anywhere.
But to do that, the Black Mage would have had to get past the many intricate detection spells and the powerful defensive barrier erected with the concerted efforts of every single one of them pooling every bit of knowledge and power they possessed. It was by no means infallible but neither was it easy to navigate around and Afrien garnered it would take at least three full days without rest to undo every single defense they had put up if the detection spells didn't trigger first in the attempt.
Still, it remained a possibility and Afrien had nowhere near enough information to either prove or disprove it.
He decided to inquire his allies about any whereabouts of his missing partner or whether they noticed anything strange last night.
He moved through the space that served as their base territory until he came upon Mercedes in a meadow enjoying the fresh air of the new day while Aran stood a few paces away doing her morning exercises.
The two women turned towards Afrien as he approached, stopping whatever activities they were doing in favor of giving him their full attention. It wasn't often Afrien chose to seek them out for something that wasn't important.
Good morning, Mercedes, Aran, Afrien greeted cordially as he came up to them, his deep, rich voice resonating in their minds.
"Good morning, Afrien," Mercedes greeted in turn with a smile, her tone light.
"Good morning," Aran responded in kind, her face curious as she regarded the dragon before her. "Is there something wrong?"
Afrien seemed to heave a sigh. It seems… My master has disappeared overnight.
Mercedes's eyes widened dramatically in shock. "What?" she nearly screeched.
Aran looked at Afrien incredulously, just as surprised as the elven queen.
I awoke this morning to find that my link with my master has grown thin, as though he were miles away. I suspect he has been kidnapped but that's only conjecture on my part. I need more information before I make any more assumptions or go after him. Have either of you noticed anything unusual last night?
Mercedes and Aran shared a look before turning back to Afrien.
"No, I haven't," Mercedes mumbled, wide eyes filled with worry lowering towards the ground.
Aran furrowed her brow and shook her head, looking faintly distressed. "Neither have I."
I was afraid of this, Afrien murmured.
"Perhaps Phantom would know something!" Mercedes suggested almost desperately. "He seems closest to Freud in any case and he's often awake later in the night than any of us."
"Finding him won't be very easy though," Aran said with a frown. "He could be anywhere. Freud is usually the one who can accurately guess where he may be but…"
"But Freud isn't here and we need Phantom to find Freud and we need Freud to find—" Mercedes abruptly cut herself off and took a deep breath, letting it out with a soft whoosh before continuing more calmly. "Okay. Well… I think we should question Luminous first. If he doesn't know anything we'll all look for the Lumiere next. If it's here but Phantom is not on board then we know he is at least around the area and we can search for him. Luminous should be willing to under these circumstances. But if the Lumiere isn't here and Luminous knows nothing, we'll just have to wait…"
Afrien's eyes narrowed in sudden thought.
He was well aware of Phantom's convenient mobility thanks to his personal airship, the Lumiere, and he was well aware of his close bond with his missing partner.
He also knew from the accounts Freud shared with him that Phantom had been increasing his attempts to at least get him to lower his workload or to take some time off to rest. Of course, Freud never conceded to that but Phantom was a very persistent man who would insistently chase whatever he wanted until he received it and what he wanted was to get Freud to stop working. So what better method to get his way than to…
He turned his head in the general direction the thief had taken his partner, eyes turning into angry slits. A low, rumbling growl like rolling thunder emanated from his throat, exposing his sharp, pearly white fangs and making even Aran take a step back warily.
I thank you for your time. You were most helpful but there is no more need to search for the thief… I already know where my master is.
The two Heroes nodded their heads mutely, eyeing Afrien nervously. They had never seen the usually gentle and even-tempered dragon so vexed.
"Well if you are certain then… I wish you luck finding Freud," Mercedes said uncertainly.
Aran nodded in agreement.
Thank you.
And with that, Afrien unfurled his great wings and took to the skies, the large gusts of wind from his take-off buffeting the two Heroes and the surrounding environment.
They watched as Afrien's form spiraled higher and higher into the air until he was no more than a speck in the vast blueness of the sky, taking off in the direction east of them.
There was several more moments of silence before the sound of a single birdcall sounded tentatively from the trees followed by more calls until the meadow and surrounding forest was once again filled with its usual sound.
Aran sighed and shook her head, resting Maha's handle against her shoulder, still gazing in the direction Afrien had disappeared. "I hope whoever took Freud is prepared for the consequences because I have never seen Afrien look so displeased in all the months I've ever known him."
o-O-o
They had been walking on the grassy divide between forest and lake for a while now and Phantom was starting to grow bored.
He had amused himself with whistling at first and seeing if any birds responded. Then he began twirling his cane and doing increasingly complex maneuvers with it for a few minutes before that grew tiresome as well. Afterwards, he had tried to entertain himself by shuffling and reshuffling his deck but that too became dull after a while so he finally settled on staring at the passing scenery.
To his left the trees and plants stretched forever onward in a sea awash with an explosion of color and to his right was a sparkling blue expanse of water with tall misty emerald mountains looming beyond.
As nice as it was to see the plethora of sights and to feel the warm sun and cool breeze, he didn't think he could last another minute simply walking around even though he had agreed to allow Freud to show him… whatever it is he was going to show him. Speaking of which…
"Freud, we've been walking for a while now. I think that's ample enough time for you to pick a plant for me to look at and teach me to appreciate."
"Ever impatient aren't we, Phantom?" Freud merely replied, never pausing from his pleasant strolling pace, arms held behind his back.
"What can I say? I hate being bored."
"Well, if you insist."
Freud cast his sights to his left, scanning the foliage until his eyes alighted upon something in front of a bush between two trees and he deviated from his path to make his way over with Phantom trailing close behind.
The thing that had caught Freud's interest was a small patch of stark white flowers.
"These," Freud said as he knelt down towards the flowers, "are cochleanthes eburnea, commonly known as the canvas orchid."
Phantom glanced disinterestedly down towards the flowers. "They're very pretty," he commented flatly.
Freud cast him a look before yanking him down forcefully by the wrist to crouch beside him in front of the little patch.
Up close, Phantom could smell a waft of sweet fragrance coming from the blooms.
"As I was saying, this is the canvas orchid. The white kind is an extraordinarily difficult flower to find mostly because it requires conditions that are just right. The soil acidity, temperature, humidity, amount of water, sun exposure, and other factors are all determinants that can change its appearance entirely and as such, it is very sensitive to the environment around it."
Phantom heaved a large uninterested sigh, earning him a small annoyed glare from Freud. "Is there a point to all that?" he drawled, bored.
He nearly jolted when Freud abruptly grabbed his wrist again and put his hand against the petal of one of the flowers. A few seconds after his initial touch, pink web-like veins crept from underneath his fingertips and across the petal, eventually spreading throughout the rest of the corollas.
Freud released his wrist but his hand remained on the flower, watching in fascination as the pink darkened into a red, like little veins of blood, when he pushed the petal downward. The whole flower seemed to droop ever so slightly and he found that the more he pushed, the more the petals drooped.
"Surprised?" came Freud's voice.
He turned towards his friend who was twirling the stalk of a purple and dark blue-streaked orchid with pointed petals between his fingers, watching Phantom's captivation with the plant in front of him, a contented smile on his face.
"A bit," Phantom mumbled, staring at the flower in Freud's hand.
Freud's smile widened and he handed over the orchid to allow him to inspect more closely.
"Leafre is filled with an enormous diversity of organisms. It's one of the largest ecosystems in the entirety of the Maple World so it is absolutely teeming with a wide variety of wondrous and exotic creatures and botany that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet," Freud explained, shading another flower from the sun with his hand and watching it slowly enlarge and turn black. He took away his hand, scooped some dirt from underneath the bush, and deposited it to the base of the flower, patting the ground firmly wherein the petals became streaked with a faint blue.
Following his friend's cue, Phantom too began to experiment with the different ways he can change the orchids' appearance with a combination of different things.
Always trying to engage a person's curiosity aren't you, Freud? Phantom mused.
Eventually Freud stood up and dusted off his hands and robes.
"I think we should continue on now. There are still many things to see and we only have a few hours left to see them."
Phantom also rose from his position holding a red and yellow patterned orchid in his hand.
"So, what wonder will you show me next?"
"Depends on what we find," Freud replied simply.
This time around, Phantom was more willing to actually look at the scenery instead of giving it a passing glance and Freud certainly helped maintain his attention by pointing out different plants and animals at certain intervals and telling him some small yet interesting random facts about them. Once in a while they'd stop to simply observe or inspect something more closely the way they had with the canvas orchids.
"That," Freud said, gesturing towards a singing bird with a rainbow of tail feathers perched on a branch, "Is the bird of Eden. They're closely related to the harp and blood harp. The males have colorful plumage to attract females and they have a propensity to be attracted themselves to shiny objects." He cast a meaningful look towards Phantom.
"Why Freud, I am rather flattered that you'd think I was so striking," Phantom remarked, smirking.
"Why yes, Phantom. I do find your ego and flamboyance rather striking," Freud shot back pleasantly, a smirk of his own in place.
"A Well-earned ego mind you. You must admit that my skill and looks are rather stunning."
A short chuckle escaped Freud. "It's funny how you haven't included your personality in your list of stunning attributes," he observed amusedly.
"Well, I never said I was a good person, but even so, I am still quite charming," Phantom replied. "My accomplishments speak for themselves about just how much I really shine."
"I think you might regret some of those accomplishments very soon," Freud observed idly, eyes glancing towards the side.
Phantom scoffed. "Regret? Never. My accomplishments are a sign of my wealth, skill, and vastly successful—ARGH! Get off you blasted bird! OFF!" he squawked as the bird of Eden suddenly attacked him, apparently attracted to the glittering from the jewels and gold on his rings and suit.
Undeterred by his desperate efforts to bat it away, the bird pecked and fought vigorously to relieve a few shiny valuables from the dismayed thief himself.
The corners of Freud's lips twitched and his hand automatically moved to cover his mouth, trying not to laugh, but it did nothing to the piece of mirth that escaped his lips which eventually transformed into loud laughter.
He knew how much Phantom hated being laughed at but the sight in front of him didn't allow him not to.
By the time Phantom had finally managed to chase the bird off chattering indignantly with a few carefully aimed cards, he looked well and truly harassed with his hair mussed wildly, a few scratches on his face, and his clothes slightly torn.
"Thanks for the help Freud," he grumbled sulkily as he inspected the damage to his clothes and to ensure his precious possessions were still intact. "You were so very helpful standing back there laughing at me."
"Always a pleasure," Freud said mildly, traces of laughter in his voice and wide grin still in place.
Phantom cast weak glare at him but found it hard to stay angry at Freud especially since this was the first time he'd laughed like that in… forever. The sound was rather heartening.
"Perhaps that will teach you to wear jewelry while out hiking," Freud continued, inspecting the small scratches on Phantom's face.
"As if I could possibly predict a random bird would come attack me," Phantom grumbled, scowling as Freud led him towards the lake.
"Even so, I hardly think an expensive white suit is fit for this kind of environment."
"Trust me, if I had known you would suggest we trudge through dangerous wildlife, I would have worn something completely different," Phantom complained, allowing himself to be led by the hand.
"But no less expensive."
"Because it would provide me protection from random vicious bird attacks!"
"It wasn't random. You were inviting yourself into getting attacked by wearing so many things that glitter. Here, clean yourself up."
The thief grumbled but complied, scooping up clear water from the lake to wash out the cuts on his face.
He was moving to scoop another handful when what looked like an oversized goldfish popped its head out of the water a short distance away and stared at him.
Phantom paused, staring back at the creature before scowling. "What're you looking at?"
The fish simply continued to stare at him.
Phantom lifted a card to throw at it and Freud, seeing what he was about to do quickly tried to intervene.
"Ah, Phantom I wouldn't advise you to—"
Too late. Before either knew it, Phantom was now covered in a black slime, wide-eyed and stunned, looking very much like a small child who had just accidentally broken a vase.
For the second time that day, Freud broke into laughter.
"It's not funny," he mumbled grumpily, wiping off his face and examining his previously pristine white clothes. "My suit is ruined," he groaned.
Freud's laughter ceased into chuckles as he moved to sit beside Phantom sullenly trying to clean off the slime with a handkerchief. "I suppose that would teach you against attacking unfamiliar animals the backgrounds of which are unknown to you."
"If I don't attack, they attack me. If I attack, they still attack me. Does it even make a difference?" Phantom huffed.
Freud couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading across his lips as he looked at his friend. "Why Phantom, are you pouting?"
"… No…" Phantom denied sulkily.
"You are aren't you?" Freud chuckled amusedly. It was rather endearing in a way. "I suppose nature isn't your forte."
"What ever made you come to that conclusion?" Phantom asked sarcastically.
"Well, from my experience, it's quite incredible that, in just a single day, someone could manage to provoke two different relatively docile species of—"
"Stop. Right. There," Phantom hissed, glaring grumpily at Freud. "That was rhetorical and you know it. I'm trying to pretend this never happened."
Freud's smile widened into a grin. "Quite a difficult task with your soiled suit I'd say."
Phantom sighed in frustrated resignation and gave up on his blackened clothes. "Oh, never mind. I'll just give it to Gaston to take care of. Hopefully he'll be able to get this awful stain out."
"Would you rather keep going then? Or would you rather stay?"
Phantom paused, surveying the sky.
The sun was a little past its pinnacle, signifying that it was now around early afternoon.
"Let's have lunch," he suggested.
Freud raised a brow, confused. "Lunch? Well, certainly there are some edible plants and game wandering around but I doubt they're to your tastes, Phantom."
Phantom simply smirked and held up a card which folded itself into a raven that immediately sped off into the skies upon completion.
Not a few moments later, a picnic basket landed neatly behind them, its parachute fluttering about as it touched down.
"You really planned this out didn't you?" Freud paused. "I wonder if they saw you getting assailed by—"
Phantom gave him a withering look and the mage chuckled, putting his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Alright, not one more word of this from me. Although, if your ever loving staff did see, especially Gaston, expect never to hear the end of it again."
Phantom's face fell at the reminder but he shook himself out of it and said instead, "I'll deal with that as it comes but right now, we should eat."
He opened the basket and took out a blanket, spreading it out on the ground and settling on it before pulling out two sets of plates and silverware along with a pair of glasses and passing them along to Freud. He then proceeded to take out a container of potato salad, some baked chicken, slices of watermelon, a couple of sandwiches, devilled eggs, pasta salad, and some lemonade.
Freud arched a brow as the assortment of food was placed before him. "You really don't hold back do you? How are we supposed to finish all this?"
Phantom shrugged. "We'll manage. Look, Bardo even made your favorite pasta salad."
Freud smiled. "You'll have to thank him for me. From the looks of it, he has really outdone himself. More so than usual," he said, eyeing the intricate way the food was arranged and presented and the various creative shapes they were crafted into. "It's almost a pity to destroy such beautiful handiwork."
"Food is made to eat, not for admiring or at least, not for too long although it does add a certain appeal to it," Phantom said, popping one of the devilled eggs into his mouth. "Ah, delicious as usual."
Freud snorted. "It certainly suits someone as excessive as you," he commented, taking a little bit of everything onto his plate.
"Nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of extravagance to fit my noble persona don't you think?" Phantom asked, winking.
They spent the next hour eating and engaging in light-hearted idle conversation with the scenic nature and its many overlapping sounds that combined in harmony surrounding them in a pleasantly peaceful atmosphere.
How long has it been since either of them had been able to stop and simply enjoy each other's company or even stop to enjoy life? Far too long it seems.
Although Phantom had brought Freud out here for the express purpose of forcing him to rest and relax, he felt the tension he didn't even know he had melt away along with that dulled shade of blue in Freud's eyes to be replaced with his usual shining oceanic azures.
They sat together for a while longer after they finished their lunch, bantering and exchanging meaningful nothings, the air alive with their laughter.
When they finally decided to continue on their way, the sun was already midway through its journey down its arch.
They packed everything back up into the basket and with a dramatic swirl of the picnic blanket from Phantom, both basket and blanket disappeared in a short burst of cards having been teleported back up onto the ship.
"Now then," Phantom said, dusting off his hands. "Shall we continue?"
"Let's. I believe we've rested for long enough and the day is almost already over. How regretful," Freud sighed.
"I can always kidnap you again if you want," Phantom purrs, sidling next to him.
Freud shoved him away good-humoredly but shot him a faux grin that told Phantom that Very Bad Things Will Happen if he does decide to follow up on his suggestion. "As nice as this is, if you ever do it again, I will not hesitate to burn down your entire wardrobe."
Phantom recoiled slightly from the promise he would no doubt fulfill if provoked. "What? No! Don't burn down my apparel, Freud! They're all custom-made, tailored down to the last detail and painstakingly hard to get!" he cried.
Sometimes dragging Freud away from his studies meant the possibility of property damage and bodily harm but it was a valiant sacrifice he was willing make if it meant he would never find Freud collapsed on the floor of his study ever again.
"Well, if you never pull a stunt like this again then I wouldn't have a reason to burn your clothing now would I? Besides, I think it's a lot safer than the… alternative," Freud said mildly. "Oh?"
Phantom glanced curiously at Freud who had veered off his path towards something in the underbrush, following him to the source of his interest.
"What is it?" Phantom asked as Freud stooped down and plucked something off the ground.
"This," Freud replied simply, holding up a small purple and yellow plant pinched between his thumb and forefinger. "It's a Veala Alora, one of the best buffers for some of my magical experiments and it's also one of the ingredients I needed to refill my stock on."
"Well, we can pick a few. What do they do anyway?" Phantom asked, examining one of the plants up close.
"To put it simply, they help ensure that any magical experiments that may have gone askew won't blow up my entire house and me along with it."
Phantom shuddered. "Interesting way of putting it," he muttered.
Freud drew out a pouch from his belt and opened it to put the plant in. "You can put the Veala Alora in here. Help me pick as much as you can. They can be surprisingly hard to find sometimes since they are not only easy to overlook but they often grow in places no one is willing to venture."
Phantom was only too glad to deprive the whole area of any of the plants he could find. It was scary to think how things could go horribly wrong without this small, seemingly innocuous plant and knowing Freud, if he ran out and couldn't find another supply, he'd still continue experimenting.
He must have picked at least fifty of the little plants before he noticed something odd about the pouch.
It never seemed to bulge with its new contents.
Suspicious, he stuck a finger inside and was surprised when it didn't almost immediately meet the ground or the telltale feel of the plants inside. He was easily able to stick his whole hand in without any resistance.
"It's a spell to expand the space inside the pouch," Freud said, noticing Phantom's antics with some amusement.
"Really? How handy. I don't suppose you'd make one for me now would you?"
"I really rather not. Who knows what sorts of mischief you'd get into with something like this."
Phantom faked a wounded look. "You don't trust me?"
"I trust you just not with this because I can already see Luminous's belongings 'mysteriously' disappearing and somehow magically reappearing in their original positions when he tries to accuse you of thievery," Freud replied, sighing wearily simply at the idea of it.
"Well," Phantom drawled. "I hadn't thought of using it like that but…" He stops when Freud shoots him a look. "Oh alright," he sighed before continuing more thoughtfully. "But this has me wondering… Do you think you can use this spell to expand the inside of my ship?"
Freud raised a brow in surprise. "The Lumiere? Why? It's big enough as it is, is it not?"
"Yes it is," Phantom hummed, looking contemplatively at the pouch. "But it could be useful in misleading… uninvited guests as well as giving more room for my staff and for my treasure… the ones that truly matter."
Freud seemed to think on the idea for a bit before replying, "I don't see a problem with that. It'll require a little more finesse but it is certainly possible."
Phantom cast him a quick grin. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Of course," Freud simply replied.
"So do you need anything else?" Phantom asked, gesturing vaguely at the surrounding greenery. "Don't want anything else as important as the Veala Alora to run out."
Freud looked around himself. "Perhaps. Would you like to look further?"
"If it means you get what you need to prevent a lab tragedy then I have no problems," Phantom answered grimly.
Freud smiled at him. "Relax, Phantom. I'm careful."
Phantom shook his head. "I wonder about that sometimes," he muttered under his breath, recalling some of the close calls in the past.
Sensing his distress, Freud walked over and took Phantom's head in his hands so that he could see the quiet determination on his face. "I'll be alright," he promised, a steady pillar in a whirl of chaos as he always was and he allowed himself to relax. Freud never went back on his word. "After all, how could I leave a hopeless man such as yourself alone?"
Phantom managed a weak smile. "Hopeless am I?"
"Prove me otherwise when you're able to fold your own clothing without making a mess of things," Freud said, chuckling as he moved deeper into the forest.
Phantom huffed indignantly and followed after him. "That was one time…"
A certain ruddiness had stolen across the sky and painted the earth in a marigold color by the time they emerged once more at the lake.
"That took longer than I expected," Phantom commented, staring at the yellowish-orange sun starting to dip between the smooth curves of two of the mountains in the distance.
"That's just how it is when gathering ingredients," Freud sighed. "Although, I feel very pleased with what we found today." He looked towards the sky. "It's growing late."
"If you're worried that monsters will come out to attack us at this hour, then I can assure you that it's safe. I would never bring you weaponless to an area I am not already absolutely sure was safe."
"Hmm I'm not worried about that," Freud replied with a small, mysterious smile. "So, what would you like to do now?"
"I think…" he started but trailed off when something in the lake caught his eye and he broke into a grin as he quickly made his way over.
"Ah, I remember these," he said, breaking off one of the reeds growing near the edge of the water. "I used to sneak over the palace walls and take a few to fashion into flutes when I was a child. They're a bit different but not by much."
"Flutes?" Freud asked questioningly, watching curiously as Phantom took out a pocket knife and started to expertly carve the reed into a rough flute.
"You've never blown reed flutes before?"
Freud shook his head in answer and Phantom slowly broke out into a wide grin. "Well, well, well. I never thought a day would come when I get to teach you something for a change. Here, I'll give you this one. I'll teach you how to play."
A few minutes later and they were both sitting at the edge of the water with flutes in hand.
"We'll start with something simple. How about… Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?"
Freud shrugged. "I'm fine with anything."
"Okay then. Follow my lead…"
The first time was, of course, the most horrible. Freud had somehow managed to hit all the worst notes a flute could possibly make and Phantom had hastily corrected his mistakes before the screeching notes took his hearing.
The second time was a little better. At least there were no glass-shattering notes.
By the fourth try, Freud had improved greatly and before long, the simple notes of their original piece had evolved into something far different, the music of the improvised notes intertwining together into a bouncy melody that filled the darkening night sky with musical laughter and merriment.
The first stars had just started to come out when they finally stopped, slightly breathless and laughing.
"We should star in our own concerts," Phantom said, traces of laughter in his voice.
"I doubt many people would come to see us play on reed flutes," Freud chuckled.
"You never know. We could be hidden prodigies."
"We'd make an odd pair of musicians then if that were the case; a thief and a scholar."
"Not odd," Phantom corrected, grinning and waving a forefinger. "Special."
"Right then, special," Freud amended.
They sat together in companionable silence for a while, watching as the fireflies started blinking into existence like tiny, moving stars.
Phantom sighed as he felt the ground next to him. "I suppose the day has ended, hasn't it?" he asked, skipping a small, flat rock across the surface of the water in front of him and counting the number of skips. Five.
"Do you think so? Because I think a night such as this is perfect for stargazing," Freud observed, looking up at the night sky.
"I've seen the stars plenty of times. They're nothing special," Phantom said quietly, ignoring the sky above him as he skipped another small stone. Six.
He felt Freud shift a little closer towards him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I suppose if you look at it at the most basic level, they really are nothing special, simply tiny specks of light dotting the sky no bigger than a pinhead. At the most, they're beautiful but nothing more and at its least, they're simply white dots. But underneath that ordinariness, everything has a story behind it that turns it into something unique. Would you like to hear some of their stories?"
"I… suppose so."
Freud smiled softly and pointed upwards. "Then look up. See that cluster of stars near Altaris, the Guiding Star? That is Astor, the hero immortalized for bringing us the moon. He is the son of Irada and Enart, a wind magician. Upon accidentally murdering one of the goddess's favorite servants disguised as a fellow townsman, he is exiled from his village and was tasked with three missions in order to reach redemption. For his first task…"
And Freud started to share with him the various legends and myths behind each of the constellations he pointed out. He listened with rapt attention as he told of Odano, Nyis, and Lyner the snake, the tragedy of Endild, Isium, and so many more.
Lying on the grass like this, head resting on Freud's lap as he listened, he felt at utter peace.
Lonely, cold nights spent starving and gazing upwards, pleading desperately with the heavens for a miracle but receiving nothing but frosty silence in return were soon replaced with the warm dulcets of Freud's voice as he recited story after story, weaving a wonderful world of majestic fantasy with a gentle hand fingering through his hair and a deep feeling of satisfaction in his heart.
If this moment could last forever then…
A sudden bellow rendered the air apart and Phantom immediately snapped upward, grabbing his cane and alert eyes searching for danger.
"Ah, I see he's finally here," Freud sighed, standing from his spot and dusting off his robes.
Phantom looked suspiciously back at Freud. "Who?"
Another ferocious roar tore through the peaceful atmosphere and Phantom automatically looked towards the source of the sound.
It was hard to make out at first but from the darkness of the sky illuminated dimly by the light of the crescent moon was a dark blue silhouette of a creature that drew itself closer and closer and as it did, Phantom could finally make out what it was.
He gaped. "Is that…?"
Freud smirked. "My final lesson. The Onyx Dragon is an intelligent race of dragons that hold an enormous power but an incomplete soul. Some of their most notable features are their capacity to learn human language and their ability to form their own societies and like all dragons, they are rather possessive of what they consider theirs."
Phantom gulped as Afrien's immense form bore down upon them.
He had never looked more intimidating than at that moment when the enormous, powerful dragon was zeroing in on him and him only, intent on ripping him to shreds. Let it be known that he will never anger Afrien again.
Freud looked over at his panicking friend in amusement. "I had said that you shouldn't have kidnapped me."
"Freud, help me," Phantom pleaded, looking at him beseechingly with wide eyes.
Freud hummed, letting Phantom wallow for a bit longer in his dread.
"Freud!" Phantom cried.
Freud chuckled. "Of course I will help after all, you have given such a wonderful day to me. I still have yet to thank you for it. But for future references, never do this again."
Phantom beamed in relief and hugged him. "Thank you, Freud!"
A deafening roar caused Phantom to jump back away from him and glance nervously once again upon an enraged Afrien.
Freud sighed pityingly and said, "If you manage to escape this with minimal injury, I think it is advisable that you don't visit me again for the next few days."
Phantom could only manage a strangled sound of agreement from his throat.
Yes! Finally! 2/6(+) of the fics I wanted finish during winter break!
...
Oh gawd I'm never going to finish it all by the time it ends will I? ;_;