Chapter 17: Story-Telling

I blinked groggily. What... happened? Last night's memories hit me like a ton of bricks, and I let out a groan. Wait... a groan? I opened my eye's wider, and I looked down to see... finger's. It took a while for my brain to process what's happening, but I figured it out eventually. I was human! I was back to normal! I sat up, wincing at the slight pain I felt, testing each finger. It's so good to have opposable thumbs again!

Turning my head around, I noticed I was in one of the many small study room's, the door shut and the windows closed. Looking at myself, I saw I was wearing a white t-shirt, a pair of light blue jean's, and I was bear-foot. Pushing my hair out of my face, I softly touched a new scar on my foot. One more to the collection, I thought grimly, checking my arm's as well. I let out a small sigh, and got up, looking around the area.

After confirming my suspicions, I now know that I've been 'locked' in. Deciding to just wait it out, I dropped onto a nearby couch, before grabbing a book. Fingering the paper, I looked down at my hand's, wondering what I could do. Throwing caution to the wind, I ripped out a page, and started folding it into many complex shape's. Another weird thing these humans do is bend and fold the paper, they call it called Origami. I played around with the possibilities, before my nimble fingers had quickly created a butterfly. Blowing gently, it fluttered into life, flying around the room. I swiftly created a few more, the paper brought to life, free to travel the earth.

Rubbing my face, I felt the potion take effect again, making everything seem sluggish and slow. I was soon dragged into a drugged sleep.

I watched her head hit the pillow, and as she did, the butterfly's fell, returning back into normal paper. I crossed and uncrossed my arm's, unsure what to think.

"Did you really have to make that potion so strong?" I asked, turning around to face Duncan.

"Hey, she was about to kill you Rythian, plus it was a prototype." Duncan said nonchalantly, looking through a list of ingredient's.

"I was just so... freaky." I muttered, remembering the two glowing eye's, and the horrible snarls. "It was like... she was under the effect of something."

"Why was she in your room in the first place?" Lewis asked, looking over Duncan's shoulder.

"Beat's me, I was just doing some brewing." I said, shrugging. We fell into silence, and I touched one of the healing scars on my arm. Thinking back, I remembered waking up with Zoey crying over me, blood everywhere, the shouts, the scream's... my eye's snapped open, and I briskly walked out of the room, mumbling a quick bye. As I entered my room I slammed the door, breathing heavily. Stupid Minecraft merge thing, I slowly took off my scarf, revealing horrible scar's. If only I thought of a more better past, a better reason on why I wear this mask...

Blinking, I wrapped the scarf back around me, and I slowly walked to my bed. I just need to sleep it off... My door opened slowly, and I turned my head, to see Zoey standing there, her eye's puffy and red.

"Rythain? Can... can I sleep with you?" She asked, still sniffling slightly. "I.. I had another nightmare... You... you died and..." She burst into tear's. I frowned, and I grabbed Zoey's hand, making her sit on the bed with me.

"Shhh... don't worry..." I muttered, rubbing her back. "You can sleep with me..." She nodded, and curled up next to me. Shifting into a more comfortable position, I hugged Zoey, drifting off into sleep.

I let out a childish giggle, nudging Duncan. "Look's like Rythians got a sweet spot for Zoey!" I mutter, closing the door.

"Kim, of course he does! You can see it, plain as day." Duncan laughed.

"Their in a relation ship, right?" I asked, crossing my arm's.

"I don't know..." He mumbled, scratching his head. "It definitely look's like it, but I don't think they know."

"Sooo... their in a relationship, but they don't know themselves?" I exclaimed, tilting my head. Duncan nodded. "Awww, that's so cute!"

Duncan let out a chuckle, and started walking down the hallway. I walked with him, not really knowing where we're going. "Do you know where we are? I still haven't figured out where everything is yet."

I snorted. "Idiot."

"Jerk!" He retorted playfully.

"Stupid!"

"Mean."

"Duncan."

"Kim."

"Sweetheart..."

"My dear..."

"My love..." I blushed, staring into his green eye's, our forehead's touching. Before he could say anything, I leaned in and captured his lip's.

I yawned, rubbing my eye's. I looked up sleepily, to notice the door was... open? I looked around, before walking into the hallway, my footing uncertain from being on all four's. Stumbling, I accidentally banged my head on a wall, and crashing into a nearby table. I blinked, before getting up again, and slowly made my way to the main living-room. Noticing Duncan and Kim, I waved, but they seemed too busy... hugging? I frowned, my thought's a jumbled mess. Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I carried on walking, mumbling curses. I resisted the urge to go back down onto all four's, I knew it would just encourage my code to go back to my wolf form.

"Your awake!" Someone shouted, and I turned around, squinting. Who the hell it that? Shaking my head slightly, I closed my eye's. Stupid potion...

"Freya?" It asked, and I opened my eye's. Frowning, I tilted my head.

"Where am I? Everything's so... fuzzy. Am I in space?" I mumble, swaying slightly.

"You don't look to good..." I replied, just as I collapsed.

"Freya... Freya... FREYA!" A voice shouted, as I was jolted back into reality

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" I said quickly, blinking rapidly. God, it feel's like I've been zapped between two dimensions... "Damm, what was in that potion?"

"Lot's of alcohol, judging Duncan made it." Someone said, and I heard someone let out a laugh. I sit up, flinching when someone touched me.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I apologized, "I don't know what happened, I'm so-"

"Don't worry, we know it wasn't the real you who attacked Rythian," Soothed Ridge. Wait, where did he come from?

"God, the problem is I know that I could have stopped it! I could have concentrated the essence into one spot, and manipulated-"

I was interrupted by Ridge's laughter. I sighed, and looked up at him. He had such a cute laugh, rich like chocolate, smooth like silk... I blinked, and concentrated on the task at hand. No need to start thinking about that now. "You may laugh, but this has happened to me before. I could have stopped it..."

Ridge sighed. "Where have you been? Your so reckless."

"Tell us a story!" Simon exclaimed. "You've been to so many places, I'm curious on where you've been!" Everyone seemed to agree, and urged me to recount my adventures from my past.

"Can I sit down on a chair at least?" I ask getting up from the floor. Once everyone was seated in the various couches and bean-bag's, I lit the fireplace behind us, creating the right mood. Twirling my finger's, a wood-pipe started playing. "I'll say a story that I heard from a dimension. I'll translate it the best I can. It's called The Willow Maid."

"A young man walked through the forest,
with his quiver and hunting bow,
He heard a young girl singing,
and followed the sound below.
There he found the maiden,
who lives in the willow~

He called to her as she listened,
from a ring of toadstools red,
'Come with me my maiden,
come from thy willow bed.'
She looked at him serenely,
and only shook her head.

'See me now, a ray of light in the moondance.
See me now, I cannot leave this place.
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest,
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead~' "

I swept my hand's across, making a cloud that covered the moon move out of the way. Small people that looked like it was made out of coloured air, danced around the room, acting out what I said/sang.

"A young man walked through the forest, with a flower and coat of green, His love had hair like fire,
her eyes an emerald sheen.
She wrapped herself in beauty,
so young and so serene~

He stood there under the willow,
and he gave her the yellow bloom,
'Girl my heart you've captured,
oh I would be your groom.'
She said she'd wed him never,
not near, nor far, nor soon.

'See me now, a ray of light in the moon-dance.
See me now, I cannot leave this place.
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest,
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead.'

A young man walked through the forest ,
with an axe sharp as a knife,"

I jabbed down a small pocket knife onto a nearby table, making everyone jump.

"I'll take the green-eyed fairy,
and she shall be my wife.
With her I'll raise my children,
with her I'll live my life.

The maiden wept when she heard him,
when he said he'd set her free,
He took his axe and used it,
to bring down her ancient tree.
'Now your willow's fallen,
now you belong to me.'

'See me now, a ray of light in the moon-dance.
See me now, I cannot leave this place.
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest,
Don't ask me, to follow where you lead.'

She followed him out the forest, and collapsed upon the earth.
Her feet had walked but a distance, from the green land of her birth. She faded into a flower, that would bloom for one bright eve.
He could not take from the forest, what was never meant to leave~"

In my hand's I held a small flower, and it slowly opened it's petals. I placed it into a flowerpot, and put it down on the table.

"So... the girl... died?" Kim said hesitantly.

"Yep. This story was told to children, to tell them how greedy people can be, and we must not horde the beauty of nature. It was based on a true story, you can walk into the forest to see a chopped willow. They put small candles there, for respect to the poor Willow Maid." I grinned. "I think I will tell you more later, story-telling is pretty cool."

Everyone groaned, but I didn't change my decision. They soon went to sleep, leaving me alone in the room. I looked up at the moon.

"May your story live on, dear Willow." I whisper, before shifting in my seat, pondering which story I would tell next.

Authors Notes:

A new chapter! I know Zoey is a lesbian, but SCREW. IT. Some small fluffiness, and Kim and Duncan's idea came from a awesome picture someone drew, I think it was by Averelle? Anyway, you should totally check it out!

Thank's for reading!

Signing out,

Deceptive Chrysalis