Note: Credit to Tyroth Darkstorm for his help in writing this chapter since both George The Turtle and James the Chimpanzee are his fan-charaters! Thanks so much my dear friend!

Chapter Five

Wise Words from an Old Man

After Mona and Jake had left, Callum felt the tears fall and he clenched his beak tightly since he no longer possessed a proper mouth or teeth.

He pulled at his straps again, his wrists and ankles were hurting as he had tried to pull on the restraints around them, and he wondered if he had bruised or blistered the skin, that is if there was any skin under the feathers that now adorned his body.

He lay back on the bed, so much rage was within his body, he had never felt so angry, not since he lost his sister as a human, nor since his mother died, nor since he had come into contact with anyone who gave him a hard time.

Each time he closed his eyes, he remembered the pain he felt from the transformation of his mutation, something he could never forget. He felt his legs against his talons as he struggled and he caught some of the feathers on his leg and began to pull at them in stress.

As he pulled the feathers, they hurt almost as much as having hair being pulled out, but the pain was nothing compared to what he had felt during his transformation in the temple.

"Am I still human underneath?" he thought as he pulled more of the feathers "Is there still skin? Is there still me underneath?"

He kept pulling more at the feathers, and he saw some pink skin underneath.

"There I am!" he thought "I'm there! I'm still here!"

He pulled more at the feathers, and as he did, James peered around the curtain, checking on the Raven so George could speak to him, yet he cried out in horror as he saw Callum plucking out his feathers!

"What the hell!?" James ran over and tried to stop him "What are you doing!?"

"I'm still in there!" Callum shouted "I'm still human! Get these feathers off me!"

"Stop it!" James ordered as he tried to prise Callum's hands away from his legs and he could see loads of feathers on the floor and on the bed "Stop Callum! You're hurting yourself!"

"I don't care!" Callum screamed "Let me out of this monstrosity!"

James grabbed the restraints and adjusted them so Callum could no longer reach his legs with his talons, yet the raven failed his head around, his sharp beak jabbing dangerously through the air.

"Whoa!" James dodged the beak as he strapped the restraints tighter, yet he wasn't quick enough when he stepped back and he felt Callum's beak strike him on the shoulder!

Yelling in pain, the chimpanzee fell backwards and held his shoulder where he saw some blood start to pump from a wound, staining his white coat.

"Shit!" he cursed looking up at Callum who glared.

"Let me out!" the Raven snarled "Let me out of here!"

James shook his head in shock as well as grasped his shoulder.

"No..." he said.

"What's going on here?" George appeared from behind the curtain and he saw James on the floor and Callum glowering.

He also noticed James's wound and blood on Callum's beak and he looked worried as well as shocked.

"James." he said calmly helping the chimpanzee to his feet "Get that seen to, I will talk to our guest."

James nodded and winced as he held his shoulder.

"He needs to be watched..." he said quietly "He's not stable..."

George nodded.

"I understand." he said "Just let me have a few minutes with him."

"Very well Gramps." said James as he walked to his main area holding his bleeding shoulder as well as looking skeptical as he watched the old Turtle go back behind the curtain.

"Callum?" George sat on a chair at the end of the bed and looked at the furious looking Raven who stared at where James had left.

Callum said nothing for a moment yet breathed heavily and angerily.

"Callum." George spoke again to get his attention.

"What?" Callum turned his head to the old turtle "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am George," George introduced himself, "I am the founder of Mutopia, a lot of the citizens here call me Gramps."

Callum exhaled and looked at him, still glaring.

"Don't worry son." George said softly "I'm not here to lecture or judge, I just want to talk to you."

Callum exhaled, the glare never leaving his face, but he relaxed, letting George continue to speak.

"I discovered Mutopia over 200 years ago, along with the Magical well within it." George said "I happened to come across it by chance."

"200 years old hmm?" Callum asked raising an eyebrow "No person can live that long!"

"I am." George insisted "I know it's hard to believe but I am over 200 years old, 245 to be exact, I have been around since the late 1700's, I have seen how things have changed in years, and some of those changes have been how those who have lost their way, found it again."

Callum looked at George and narrowed his eyes.

"I cannot count on one hand many much I have seen and heard." George said "Every soul here in Mutopia has a story to tell, but I will let them tell you, that is if you wish to listen."

Callum turned his head away.

"You already wish to welcome me into this place?" he asked "When I clearly do not wish to be part of it? I never wanted this, I never asked for it."

"I understand your anger son." George said gently "So many souls like you have felt it before."

"How can you understand?" Callum growled as he pulled at his straps "How can you begin to understand the pain I feel here? As well as the humiliation I suffer now?"

George looked at the straps on Callum's wrists and ankles and sighed.

"Because I do as well." he said "Seeing you now, I almost see myself in you."

Callum narrowed his eyes at the old turtle, not believing a word.

"Really?" he asked "You couldn't possibly understand, no-one can!"

George leaned on his cane and stroked his white beard as he looked at Callum.

"You would be surprised my son." he said "If I were to see myself as I am now when I was young, I would have laughed or scoffed."

Callum said nothing and looked down yet George decided to speak.

"Many long years ago, long before I became who I am now, I was much like yourself, angry at the world and those around me. You see, my father passed away early due to working far too hard to provide for his family, as my mother had gotten very sick one day and never completely recovered. After his passing, our family literary fell apart, with my older brother getting killed as he tried to steal to survive.
Angry and saddened by how our lives had been ruined, I lashed out and blamed my mother for everything, because she had gotten sick, blamed her for everything. I said a great many horrible things to her, and to my brothers and sisters, and I more or less lost the will to live, loosing myself in the sin that was alcohol, and at an early age too. My youngest sister, who had looked up to me for years, tried her hardest to get me back on my feet again, and I repaid her with anger, even after many years. I felt no guilt for my actions, and when our mother eventually passed away, my sister finally gave up on me, and all I had was the liqueur that I poisoned myself with."

Callum looked up and turned his eyes to the old turtle, intrigued by what he was hearing, but still feeling angry inside as well as wanting to be free from the restraints.

"By some chance," George went on "I still lived for a many long years, even as everyone that I once had held dear had passed away. But it wasn't until I myself was on death's doorstep that I actually stopped to reflect on my actions, and saw just how wrong I had been, how I had been a far greater reason that our family collapsed than any of the things I had blamed. I had refused to see the truth, and it had driven me from those that I had cherished, when all they wanted was to help me, because they loved me. Fearful for what hell that would await one such as me, I wandered for a long time, finding my way into the deep caverns, and eventually that which would become Mutopia. Thanks to the well, I was given a second chance at life, a chance that I choose not to squander, and while it did take a while to accept my new form, time was something that I had gotten a lot of. I have dedicated my new life to helping others less fortunate souls finding a place to call home and people to call a family again, and in return, they have all decided to help me in this."

Callum was silent as he listened. He never imagined the old turtle had gone through such a tough life, he felt a slight comfort within that there was someone who felt what he had felt, but he still felt hurt and angry at what he had become and never asked for it.

George then took another breath as he looked at Callum.

"Now we are all giving you the same chance to a new life, all you have to do is accept it. It will take time, but you will find that you are not alone, nor are you beyond the reach of love, least of all from your brother and sister."

Callum glared again as George mentioned Jake and Mona and he took a few deep breaths, just hearing them mentioned felt like poison.

He wanted to lash out again, but he knew that if he did, he would be strapped to the bed longer and he wasn't sure what James would do to him, he needed to hold it together and show the old turtle and the doctor Chimpanzee that he could be trusted to be let free.

"Thank you." he said quietly looking up "That was an interesting story."

"I can tell you're still hurting." George said "But I promise you, things will get better, just don't turn your back on those who love you."

Callum frowned and looked down again.

George wondered if the message had sunk into the Raven, he couldn't be sure, but since Callum was silent, he believed he had listened and taken in everything that was sad to him.

"I have listened to you." Callum said calmly yet still frowning "I wish to know Mutopia more and see what your way of life is, please, undo these straps."

George looked hesitant, as he had been told that Callum had tried to lash out at Mona back in the temple after he found out he had been mutated, after Mona had knocked him out, James had decided to strap him down to prevent him from hurting himself or others in his unstable state.

"Please." Callum looked at George, his hard look softening and almost pleading him "Let me free! I will feel more relaxed if I'm undone from these straps!"

George raised an eyebrow as he studied Callum.

"If we release you from the restraints." he asked "Will you promise not to do anything which may result in us having to keep you contained here longer?"

Callum looked the old turtle in the eyes and kept a serious face that looked sincere enough.

"Yes." he said "I promise not to lay a finger on you, or anyone."

George looked into Callum's eyes and studied him hard.

"Very well." he said "I believe you."

"James!" George called to the other side of the curtain to which James appeared, his wound had gone as he had drunk some water from the well that he kept in his medical room to heal it, yet the blood still remained on his clothes.

"Yes Gramps?" he asked.

"Our guest wishes to be let free from the restraints," George said "He has shown he has calmed down."

James's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked in shock.

Callum felt angry yet he tried to keep a straight face hoping to still hold on to the old turtle's trust in him.

"Gramps?" James said, looking at Callum then back at the old turtle, "Are you sure about this?"

George nodded.

"We have spoken, and even though he still has anger within him, he wishes to be released so he can take the chance to see Mutopia, and our way of life."

James thought for a moment.

He trusted the old turtle, yet he wasn't so sure of Callum after what he did to him earlier.

"Doctor?" He heard Callum speak "I am sorry that I pecked you, I did not realise how long my beak is when I was struggling."

James turned to Callum and even though still unsure, he saw Callum had a sorry look in his eyes.

"We should give him a chance James." George said "Undo his straps."

James sighed.

"Very well." he said, he walked over to Callum's bed and undid the straps to which Callum pulled his wrists and ankles free.

"Thank you." he said holding his sore wrists, "That feels better."

James stepped back a little then undid the white jacket Callum had around his chest that was holding his wings in and no sooner did that come off than Callum stretched out his wings.

"Thank you." he said then looked down at his legs where he had pulled his feathers out.

"Don't worry." George said "Your feathers will grow back."

James opened the curtain then went over to a chair where there were some clothes that had been left for Callum when he awoke and handed them over.

Callum nodded in thanks at the Chimpanzee then pulled on a pair of brown trousers which covered the bald patches on his legs. He decided to stay shirtless since he couldn't wear a top over his wings.

Seeing the Raven was dressed, George stood up.

"Will you follow me Callum?" he asked "And I will give you a tour of Mutopia."

"Thank you." Callum said softly then began to follow the old turtle out of the medical room.

James watched them go, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm not so sure about this." he thought "But I trust George, but Callum, something's not right about him and I will be prepared just in case, I do know that if Callum tries anything, the Knights and Tyroth will be able to hold their own against him, I just hope George will be."

He walked over to his medical table and checked his medicines and other supplies, he then began to fill some syringes with sedatives.

"I will be keeping and eye on him." he promised himself "Two eyes, very watchful eyes..."

Oh dear, Callum had a meltdown and he injured James in the process, but did he really mean it or was it an accident?

George has seemed to have established some trust with Callum, but is Callum opening his heart and mind, or does he just want to be free of the restraints.

George does seem to want to give the Raven a chance, but James is skeptical, and I don't blame him! How will things go from here?

Well keep checking back to find out!