Size writer and artist //She/her//30+//Aro-ace// Check my pinned post for details about my stories and ocs! A few stories will have mature themes so followers need to be at least 18+ Profile header by cockatrice-writers-guild
Hello! The name's Bun and I'm a writer and casual artist. On this blog I focus on sfw size content most of the time, so expect to see giants and tinies, humans and littles, and occasionally all three at once!
My writing will range from fluff, drama, action, suspense, and anything in between. Some stories will have more mature themes, but they will be appropriately tagged so you can avoid them entirely if you want.
🌼 Master tags: #sfw giant #bun does writing #jac in the beanstalk society #oc: jac #oc: richard
Meet my characters:
Jac // Richard // Aiden // Jillian // Bo // Rod // Gerald // Goro // Marcellus
🌹Literature Master list:
🌿Main Series: Jac in the Beanstalk Society☘️
Synopsis: Jac is a human who has lived her entire life in a society where humans, giants, elves and other fae coexist. Jac's best friend, Richard, is a Wile giant who is trying to get through the struggles of everyday life. This series gives us a window into their lives as they face the many ups and downs of the world around them. Through it all, they continue to enjoy the pleasant and simpler things one day at a time.
High School Daze:
As it says on the tin, this arc takes place in the early years of Richard and Jac's friendship.
Modern Times:
Most of the episodes are set in this time period, when the main ocs are in their early to mid twenties
Main episodes: I Want To See the Fireflies • Snowed Out • Melody • Lullaby • Secret • Forlorn • Serenade • Regret • Midnight Rendezvous • Sanctuary
Other one shots: The Cookie Thief • Hug a Giant Day comic • blurb 1 • Poison • Gentle • Moth • Reverie • Cozy • Harvest • Slice • Puppet • Fragile • Quilt
Later Years:
Set when the main protagonists are in their late 20s/early thirties (and beyond!)
On the Edge chapters 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
🌸JITBS AU🌸
It's like the main series, but there's more magical and spooky stuff going on in the world. Some of the more dubious stories were moved here to exist in its own canon
Synopsis: Set in medieval times, Jac discovers that she is more than human and she must adapt to life in an enchanted forest where devious creatures (aka the Wile giants) dwell.
Synopsis: Jac and Richard travel through time to meet the real characters behind the classic fairy tales (which are considered historical facts in this world). Hilarity ensues.
For additional info regarding some more... niche works of mine, they are discussed below the cut. CW for snack themes.
I do dabble in snacks and mouth related things (you can probably guess what they mean) but aside from the latter on occasion, I will not post these stories here. However, they are considered a big part of what makes my characters... who they are (especially with the Wile giants). So for those who are curious, you can find said writing and art in the archives of my 18+ side account here.
Continuing the miniseries that was based on the promptober list that @/Bittykimmy13 made.
This is part 4 of Forlorn
<<Previous Chapter
A tantalizing aroma filled the air as the expertly carved steaks was finally served. While the cuisine was delightful to the senses, the two friends paid little mind to it at first as they focused instead on each other in their small, yet still important chatter. These talks were short lived yet welcomed, for long, awkward pauses often followed between each sentence. But as time went on their wariness lessened, and the atmosphere would gradually turn into a welcoming calm.
Richard barely touched his plate, despite a Wile giant's typical response to fresh, grade-A meat. This wasn't something that Jac took lightly, for she assumed since he got here that the shrunken Wile had neglected his appetite for far too long.
"Eat up," Jac reminded. "You're beginning to look like skin and bones under that suit! You can't hide that from me.."
"No I don't..." Richard mumbled.
Jac then cuts out a large piece of beef and shoved it into his mouth.
"Good, right?"
Richard was annoyed by this gesture but ultimately couldn't refuse. After the swallow, his eyelids sprung upward, and at long last his stomach trembled desperately for more. He leered at the still sizzling meat for a few seconds before he started to dig into it quite menacingly. While he was more than ready to forgo utensils in favor of sinking his teeth into it literally, he knew that maintaining a proper form was the safer option in a place like this. He still looked less than humble, to put it gently, and Jac couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight of him destroying his meal.
"This is barely enough to satisfy you." She laughed.
Wiping his mouth, the Wile gave out a toothy, yet softer than normal grin.
"I have work arounds. Even so... to be honest... I had considered staying in this size for a little while longer."
"Wha, really? Wouldn't... that take up a lot of energy?"
"I'll be okay. If Beta Wiles can handle it, then I shouldn't have a problem."
"It's... not like you though... Is there some other reason for this?"
Richard lowered his napkin and stared blankly at his empty plate. He was still taking his time to say anything, for his overwhelming guilt showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Even the smallest of words required careful consideration, and Jac understood this. Although she appreciated this approach, she was far from fond of it.
"Please... you don't have to be scared of me. Do you think that every little thing you say is going to make me angry?"
"...No... It's not that..."
"You're afraid of messing up, even if it's by accident... is that it?"
"Yeah." Richard sighed. "Is it... ok if I ask you something?"
"Sure."
Richard sighed and spoke as softly as he could.
"I... would like to go somewhere in the human district. Since... I'm in the proper height to actually be allowed inside now, haha. I would, like to walk with you... and talk, and listen... If, that's okay of course."
Jac was quiet for a moment, yet she never looked away from the shrunken Wile's face. She rose to her feet before she placed a hand over his forehead.
"You don't seem warmer than usual."
"I'm fine..." Richard grumbled.
"Well... to answer your question I... don't mind that at all if I gotta be honest. But, I don't want you to be uncomfortable for my sake! We can always do something in your true height, and on a separate night if you're too tired. It's not a big deal."
"Jac, I want this. It's the main reason why I... well..."
Jac cocked an eyebrow and pondered for a minute. Surely there was no foul play here, after all her best friend was clearly too afraid to do anything remotely manipulative. Her caution was warranted, but ultimately trust paved the way to her final decision.
"Well, if it isn't that much harder for you, then... yeah. I would like that."
Richard could not express the relief he felt upon hearing those words. For the first time in forever it seemed, he was finally able to crack a proper smile.
..........
After Jac ate her fill, the duo left Frederico's upon Jac's insistence with paying half of the bill. A small squabble between these two over money duties was nothing new, and after a few minutes they were able to laugh it off without much worry.
They walked for some ways in a quiet street, the stars obscured by the giant streetlights a hundred feet above. Jac never enjoyed walking beneath them, and secretly wished that she could ride under the crook of the giant's neck to avoid these flickering annoyances altogether. Her focus then turned to Richard, who was already feeling the strain of walking without, at least by his normal standard, covering much ground.
"Are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah! I... need a bit of a workout. So, uh... where were we heading to again?"
"Shi...su... I forget the name. But it's a garden located on the other side of town. The view is fantastic at night, and every time I visit I always wished that you could be there to see it."
"That sounds great." Richard replied, his thoughts enamored by the visuals described.
"We have to take the monorail to get there, but it's open to the public all night. Think that'll be all right with you?"
"Yeah! Let's go then."
He reached out but suddenly stopped midway, his hand shaking subtly in the air. Jac gave him a puzzled look before he decided to pull back.
"I'm sorry." He sighed.
"For what?"
Jac then took out her own hand and grabbed his, which caused him to panic for a split second.
"C'mon! We haven't got all night!" She chuckled.
Jac had virtually pulled Richard for a few steps before he finally followed along. They continued like this for over a minute with the latter not knowing what to say or how to feel about it. Realizing this, Jac slowed down her pace.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Is... this ok?"
"What do you mean?"
"The... hand..."
Jac looked down at her hand, which held a firm grip on Richard's digits. His was loose, however, and she realized then that they were still trembling.
"You don't... like this?"
"No! I... uh, I'm not used to it."
"That's okay. I'm sorry."
Jac then let go of the Wile's palm and walked a little ways ahead of him.
"Nonono! It's fine!" Richard said. "It just... caught me off guard."
"Yeah, I... should have given you a warning."
"Don't say that..."
The two strolled for a few moments before Jac broke the silence.
"I... always wanted to hold your hand. I just thought it would be kinda neat, that's all."
"So... that's, ok with you?"
"Yeah! Of course! Why didn't you think it would be?"
Richard didn't reply straight away, though Jac was able to put the pieces together on her own.
"I see... that's, why I decided to stop. If you're not comfortable with that, then--"
"Nono, I'm not... it's... hard to explain."
"It's confusing, right?"
"Yeah... I suppose so."
"It's okay." Jac sighed through her nose before continuing. "Society instilled the idea of holding hands as being more than just a thing that friends would do... Just know that... I personally don't agree with that."
As soon as they were finally away from the lamp posts, Jac breathed a loud sigh of relief before looking up into the night sky.
"I don't mind it personally, and I will hold hands with any friend who allows it. I also don't mind a lot of stuff that... people think is romantic. Like snuggles... and kisses."
Richard lowered his head, and started laughing between low energy breaths.
"Now I'm really confused."
"I get that a lot, don't worry. That's what it means to be a part of a spectrum. Some aromantic folks don't like those things but for me, personally, I don't mind! I don't see those actions, by themselves, as romantic. There's, more to it than that... that would make me uncomfortable."
"I want to learn." Richard said calmly. "Teach me... what is okay, and what isn't... so that I don't... make those mistakes again."
"I will. It's my fault for not explaining these things to you a long time ago. Though, to be fair, I was learning a lot of this myself, on my own..."
The two friends didn't say much to each other before they reached the railway station, but they both enjoyed each other's company with quaint smiles that never faded. They went off topic to talk about this and that while they waited, but in what felt like only a moment it was already time to step on board.
Jac flashed her card and went through the turnstile quickly, but before Richard could do the same a alarm was sounded along with red lights that flashed from the gate itself. Jac turned towards him and saw the distressed look on his face, his eyes dilated in the light as if he was a cornered animal. While there were only a few people who boarded the midnight express, there were a couple among them that stared down the young man.
"Wile giant..." One voice uttered.
Jac leered back to find whoever it was, but gave up quickly to return to her friend, the bars of the gate separating them by a couple of feet.
"Anti... Wile giant zone..." Richard grumbled.
"I'm sorry, Rich... I had no idea."
"It's... whatever. They probably think I'm going to grow into my full height while on board. While, excessive... it does happen suddenly sometimes, so... I can see why they'd be cautious about that."
"I see..."
Jac wasn't about to give up just yet. She pulled a brochure from the shelves and rushed back to the gates while flipping through the pages swiftly. And sure enough she found a map of the city and the places where the human and giant districts are segmented apart from each other. Using her finger as a guide, she gave Richard instructions for the next course of action.
"If you size up, you should be able to meet up with me before the monorail arrives right around... here! To the north east."
Jac grabbed her pen and made broad circles around the rendezvous spot. She then shoved the papers to his hands and squeezed them tightly.
"Think you can handle that?"
"Yeah," Richard sighed. "I'll be fine."
"You'll have to shrink again..."
"I know. But, I want to see this through."
"Okay."
Just then the monorail horn blasted, which instantly sent Jac running.
"I'll wait for you there!" She shouted.
She stepped in just before the doors shut, and within a few seconds the vehicle began to stir. Richard stayed put in his spot as he watched the monorail depart, waving goodbye to his friend inside even though it was unlikely that she could see him from his position.
Richard was saddened, yet a new sense of determination began to emerge from within. As soon as he stepped out, he hurried to the giant border and immediately sized up when his shoe touched the pavement. As always he had to kneel down to allow air back in his lungs, and during this time a passing security guard stepped in.
"You okay?" The man shouted.
Richard looked back at the Beansprout who was standing mere inches from his leg.
"I'm fine," he sputtered. "I wasn't going to do anything in there, I promise."
"I figured." The guard replied.
As the human walked away, he turned his head back and hollered.
"Go get her."
"Uh, thanks... She's, a good friend."
"Nevertheless! Good luck out there."
"...I appreciate that. Thank you."
Richard then got up, and began to brisk walk towards the path to the northern Sprout border. He uttered a spell under his breath, and the minuscule brochure in his hand grew in relative proportion to his current height. The molecular structure was thankfully in tact, and Richard was able to read the map as intended, with Jac's pen mark as a highlight.
"Thank god that worked." Richard sighed. "Ok Jac, I'm on my way. I'll be there in no time."
A part of a miniseries based on a promptober list made by @/Bittykimmy13
This is part 3 of Forlorn
<<Previous chapter
(Cw for angst and discussion of mature topics. This chapter is intended for mature audiences - viewers' discretion is advised.)
The cool night's breeze helped to ease the two friends out of the awkward silence they had started off with. After a few instances of clearing their throats, they both spoke at the same time.
"There's something I want to--"
"I have to tell you outright that--"
"...You go first." Richard said.
Jac gave out a deep sigh through her nose before she pulled a piece of paper from her coat. She unfolded it and pushed it in front of the shrunken Wile giant.
"Read." She commanded. "I was going to send this via message, but you saved me the trouble by... getting smaller, heh."
"Hm? What's this?"
"I... don't really have it in me to say these things out loud. So I wrote down my thoughts here."
Richard paused for a second before he carefully looked over the hand written notes, and in no less than a moment's notice his eyes widened upon discerning its contents. Various events from within the past eight or so months began to replay in his mind, though through the lens of the human they went very differently from how he remembered it.
"Wait... What? I thought...?"
Jac flattened her lips as she tried her best to shift her eyes away from her friend. She side glanced towards the musicians who continued to play a gorgeous piece with their fiddles, as Richard continued down the written notes slowly.
"I... didn't know... I, always thought you enjoyed our games..."
"To an extent, yes. But... lately the cat and mouse chases have become, well..."
"Jac, I... You, said yourself that you didn't mind--"
"Of course you always force me to have it your way in the end!" Jac exclaimed. "Your excuse is always 'oh, I can sense that you're only pretending to not want this right now' blah blah! I mean... it's just not as simple as that, okay? Sure I... think about it, positively sometimes. And yet I..."
"Jac...?"
There was a genuine nervous hitch in Richard's voice, which had drained all the confidence Jac had built up to that point.
"I... I just..."
Before long Jac grew quiet, as she felt her old habits tear at her numbingly once more. The strong desire to hold back her feelings in favor of silent acceptance was relentlessly pounding the back of her mind, but she quickly managed to fight the impeding sands that had sought to pull her in. The young woman seized this momentum by shifting priority to her right hand. And with a click of a pen and a rip of a new notebook sheet, she went straight to work.
Jac was internally grateful that Richard was as patient as he was with her on this night. An improvement, she admitted, but none too surprising. She looked up at last towards the shrunken Wile, who appeared perplexed and equally frightened. Not that he would show off the latter outright, his best friend could discern and recognize his body language regardless. She handed over the freshly jotted notes, which Richard accepted with renewed hesitation. His eyes darted side to side in quick succession, until they finally landed at a crucial part.
"So you...?"
But before the Wile could say another word, he double checked what he had just read. And in that moment, his face fell.
"Do you understand now?" Jac uttered. "I used to enjoy the running and the cropping and everything else in between! But after a while..."
"It had become too much... It was, no longer fun..."
Jac nodded.
"I... overdid it?"
Jac nodded again.
"I mean... I like teasing... it's all part of the game! But, I had no idea that that would actually..."
"It's... not the teasing I hate. It's how you've gone about doing it lately that's the issue here... You see..."
Again, she made her case known on paper when her voice failed her. But no matter what format she spoke in, to Richard the message was received just as loud and clear.
"Lately you have a tendency to twist my words to get what you want. This is especially true when..."
The shrunken Wile then paused before he retorted in his own tongue.
"Huh? Push my height around? What does that mean?"
"You... would lift me up in the air and give me no room to leave on my own terms, for one! I can think of a bunch of other examples, but judging by the look on your face, I think you get the idea."
"I..."
Ultimately however, Richard was left without any more words to convey.
"Keep reading." Jac said. "You'll get a better idea what I mean then."
With another long breath, Richard continued down the original notes, as he took in the numerous occasions where Jac's boundaries were loyally crossed. Many fond memories had become shattered under the weight of his renewed understanding, which brought the shrunken Wile into an even deeper pit of despair. His eyes sunk as an unyielding sense of guilt had begun to claw into the sides of his heart. Each revelation caused him to steadily furl into himself, so much so that he was on the verge of falling off of his chair.
Jac understood that look, and felt as though she needed to intervene before he would be swept away by his emotions.
"I know that Wile giants need to chase. Need to crop... it's something that you can't really help. And I was all for helping you... which was, one of the reasons why I didn't say anything at first."
"You... didn't list the graduation party..."
"Huh?"
The fact that night was brought up had caught the human off guard, though she was able to shake off the initial shock relatively quickly.
"Funny you should mention that. To tell you the truth I, honestly enjoyed it that time. The biggest difference then was... was..."
Infuriated by her increasing nerves, Jac kicked an invisible stone before she reached for her pen a third time. Richard's hand was visibly shaking as he accepted this particular set of freshly made notes. He wasn't sure why, but he had already sensed that he wouldn't be ready to swallow the pill that was to come. Nevertheless, he sucked in a breath and braced for impact, for despite everything he endured so far he wanted more than ever to listen and soak in every word. He understood that in order to make things right, he needed to man up.
Another deep sigh followed, before the Wile opened his eyes and read out the rest of her sentence.
"You weren't rough back then... You were gentle, sweet, and caring... before, during, and after our play times... You weren't selfish, and was a lot more considerate about my own needs. And most of all you weren't posses... sive... you weren't controlling...?"
Richard momentarily grew silent before he continued.
"This was the worst of your offenses. Before I even realized it, you have gone so far as to isolate me from my other Wile giant friends. You try your best to cover up your je... je... but you can't hide it from me anymore--"
"Jealousy?" Richard quipped, his voice a shadow of its former self. "Jac! Since when have I..."
The look on Jac's face when he said this forced him to stop midway. The human then proceeded to write on her notepad again, though in the process she stopped and contemplated her options. In a moment's time, she dropped the pen.
"You've changed." Jac spoke flatly. Her nervousness was largely apparent, though she chose to push through. "The Richard I knew... from that time is, different from the one sitting here right now."
"I don't understand..." Richard admitted. "I'm, still me?"
Jac lowered her head. "You may not realize it. But..."
Jac gulped a few times, but numbingly continued to voice her displeasure. The more she spoke, the more her confidence gradually increased.
"Remember when we broke up? You... said to me then, that you were... fine with it. I gave my reason, and you told me that you were in full support of that... But... think about it for a second, Rich! What was the one thing you held me back from doing above everything else? The one thing that, for gawd sakes you told me you never thought about in a romantic sense? And yet every time the mere thought of anyone else giving chase and..."
"And why would they?" Richard cut in. "Why would you even consider letting someone else do tha--"
"You're just proving my point!" Jac exclaimed.
Richard's eyes had shot open, though this time he was clearly vexed. Towards what Jac couldn't tell. Jac sensed that their surrounding might have overheard the anger in her voice, though in truth the background chatters had all but drowned it out. In any case, she drew in another breath and continued to speak in a quieter, yet firm tone.
"Never had I once thought of it in that light, and I never will. But deep down you didn't want anyone else to nom me. That right belonged to you and you alone. Why should it matter, why should you feel such unwarranted envy? Unless..."
Jac took a moment to breath, before finishing her sentence.
"You haven't moved on."
Richard stopped dead on his tracks. He opened his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried, not a single retort, counter nor defense had made its way out. He barely understood why those fours words sent chills through much of his nervous system, yet he could only express guilt ten times the amount as before the further it sunk in.
And with that muted response, mist began to form in Jac's eyes.
"You still love me. In that way... And despite me being very clear back then... when I told you I'm aromantic... you decided... to push through anyway. Against my wishes... I don't know if it's due to frustration... but you started to take it out on me... without even noticing it seems! And I haven't been comfortable since..."
"Jac..."
These words made the shrunken Wile quiver at his very core. Despite being torn apart by them, he chose to let her continue without contest.
"The reason why it's been tough these past few months... was because, subconsciously or not, you chose to satisfy your own desires at my expense! You couldn't get what you wanted from me, so you chose to do all those things... by taking advantage of the fact that I've felt sorry for you! You never thought about how I had felt. Even when you claimed you did... everything was skewed towards how you saw fit. And as a result, you've overstepped my boundaries over... and over again."
Nothing was said for a few minutes as tears began to flow down their faces. Jac took notice of the way the Wile clenched his fists, and she could feel the heat that was starting to seep from his bubbling rage. Her own anger and sadness paved way for a greater sense of fear, and she stumbled a little as she tried to get the rest of her words out.
"It's... my fault too... I should have said something a long time ago... I may have been worse off because I chose to remain silent. I was too scared of... hurting you... and that was dumb on my part. You... never really asked for my opinion anyway... so I thought... it wouldn't have amounted to--"
All of a sudden Richard rose up from his seat. Jac pushed back against her own spontaneously as she readied herself for the inevitable shout, but what came out of his mouth was the last thing she would have expected.
"You were scared of hurting me? But I wounded up hurting you!! How is that better?! How could... I have been so..."
Jac looked up and saw the face of a miserable man, the wrinkles of his brow crumpled up into a hundred knots, his eyes stinging from the hot tears that fell along with his head to the floor. He banged his fists on the tiles, which alerted the attention of staff inside the restaurant. But none of that mattered now.
"I'm so sorry... for everything, Jac... How...? How did I not see this for so long? Why was I... so stupid?! Idiot!! I'm such an idiot!!"
A guttural sound escaped his mouth as he started to physically throw fists in the air. His suit came undone slightly as he continued to bellow profanities at himself. Jac halted security who came to check in, as she dove to be by his side in spite of his increasing ferocity. She watched and waited mere inches from the shrunken giant as his growls and temperament gradually lessened over a good while.
She didn't say this at first, but deep down Jac felt this was the best possible outcome she could have foreseen. She was afraid of the Richard that would snap back, who would fight with every tooth and nail. But this... wasn't him. He wouldn't do that at this delicate moment, she realized. For instead, even in his moderately feral state, she saw a broken down man who thought of himself as a monster. Which made her even more terrible for taking a stand, even though she knew it was right.
Jac held a hand to Richard's back, which caused him to jolt his head up. His eyes were a narrow catlike slit for a split second before he registered his friend's face, his pupils quickly softening to it's former state. It was very apparent to Jac that the Wile was fearful, maybe as much as she was just moments prior. And to that, she could only respond with a humble acknowledgement back. They stared at each other, nearly without blinking, until at last the shrunken Wile finally croaked.
"I'm... appalled at myself... no apology can make up for what I have done..."
"It's a first step..." Jac cried. "And your eyes are open now. It'll take time but... I want to give you another chance."
"...Really...?"
Jac took a moment before she nodded.
"I like you too much, for all the good things. And it... would be wrong of me if I didn't give you a chance... to save this friendship. After you've shown me, that you actually cared to listen..."
"But... I was so toxic to you... worst still, I was too dumb to even... notice..."
"You were... yeah..."
"Then why...?"
"I won't forget all the good. I won't forget the bad either but... if you work on it, and promise me that you will genuinely make the effort to change, then... I don't mind sticking around. And waiting to see the improved Richard for myself."
"Why are you so... willing to accept me back?"
"I don't know! Maybe I'm dumb too. Will you accept that for an answer?"
"...No... Maybe..."
"Good." Jac smiled. "Now then..."
Jac looked back at the empty table just as catering was about to ride into the balcony.
"I think we should try to make the best of tonight. You went through a lot of pain because of me, and I'm sorry for that... So I, want the rest of the night to go well at least."
"Nonono, please! Don't be."
Richard pulled himself up and brushed his coat. He tried to reach out to do the same for Jac, but hesitated at the last moment. Jac realized then that her words had actually come out in her brush with adrenaline, and with her luck that was likely the only time that would ever happen.
Maybe it was fate, weird...
They returned to their seats as silent as a mouse, waiting for the other to speak first. It was Richard who finally broke the monotony.
"I promise... I'll make it up to you. Tonight, and every night after this."
"You don't have to make a big show of it. Just... being you is enough."
"Aside from... that side of me." Richard shuttered.
"Obviously."
The first chuckle came since their discussion began, a welcome feeling to break the tension however brief. Food was far from their minds at this point in time, but they were just relived that the storms that weighed heavily on their shoulders had finally started to lift.
Day 7 of the promptober list that @/Bittykimmy13 made and the second part of Forlorn
Several days had came and went with no response to messages, no phone calls or emails. Even a letter would have given the Wile giant a much needed sigh of relief, anything that could get him out of this agonizing hole that he was sinking deeper into. Ever since Jac left, Richard had spent his every waking moment feeling utterly miserable and hot to the touch. Everything else he had to do to get through the day- work, transportation, etc.- was overshadowed by the scene of his best friend walking away, which played in a constant loop in his head over and over again.
Jac...
He barely ate. He bathed minimally, and his nights were restless with turbulent thoughts. That looming dread of losing his best friend... of what that could mean and, what he considered doing if it ever came to that point. He was weakening by the hour, yet he chose not to care.
Jac meanwhile was faring no better. The revelation of that night had infected her mind and it was difficult for her to maintain self control. She released her pent up emotions by lashing out violently at her pillow on numerous occasions. But in a few days time, even that feeling had passed, and in its place was a sense of hopelessness, resentment and despair.
And yet, nothing that Richard had said surprised her, nor did it cause her to outright hate him. She started to miss the parts of him that she loved, yet each time she tried to look back on them she was reminded of the side of him that, in her words, sucked.
Deep down I knew... that he still sees me this way. No matter how much time had passed...
She wanted dearly for things to go back the way they were, but not if he couldn't past her being a romantic partner. The very thought of that gave her cold chills that crawled up to the base of her neck. But at the same time, she knew that if she continued down her current path, she would never get the closure she desperately wanted. Something needed to be done, and soon.
Jac called her friends and told them her side of the story, and they all basically reacted to her the same way.
"We've gone through this before, Jac..." Aiden replied worriedly. "You have a tendency to bottle up your thoughts, and that's probably why he's been acting this way these past few months. You need to set boundaries, by letting him know what is ok and what isn't, you see what I'm saying?"
"You gotta stand up for yourself!" Jillian exclaimed. "Show him who's boss! You told him you don't like him being all lovey dovey, right? If he doesn't respect that, accidental or not, you need to reinforce that you can't accept that part of him! By not giving him the time of day until he learns to accept that change!"
Jac's response was always the same.
"I know that... It's... it's just not that easy for me. It's always been hard to confront people, even when that person is my best friend, sometimes... Even when I know damn well that being silent is possibly the most unhealthy thing I could do. It's better than getting hurt in the process... and seeing him get hurt because of me..."
"You have to at least try. Otherwise, you'll never know the truth." Aiden said. His voice was mildly choked up from the other line. "I know how much your friendship with Richard means to you. And if you cared that much and want it to last, then... you need to talk to him. And be upfront with how you feel."
"It's never easy Jac, and it never will be." Jillian replied. "But you gotta start off by practicing talking things through, no matter how hard it is. It's the best thing you can do to protect yourself, and to hopefully see a positive response if he's willing. You gonna be pouring rain nonstop otherwise. Doing nothing will lead to nothing. So the best thing you can do, is to let him know what's up."
While brunt at times, Jac was nevertheless grateful to hear these words. When she hung up, her resolve was strengthened to the point where- for a moment- she could not wait to dial the first contact saved on her phone. But just before her finger landed on the call button, she abruptly stopped. Her second guessing had caught up with her, and threatened to dampen her momentum with a new wave of dread. After a couple of moments of wallowing in a constant loop of asking herself "I'm ready for this?" She paused and stirred up a different question: "why am I not using my energy to actually put my brain into action?" Slowly but most certainly, a plan began to take shape, which helped in turn to boost her confidence to sky high levels. After a few minutes of refining her new master strategy, Jac took a deep breath, and began typing.
As soon as he heard that notification, the one designated just for Jac, Richard dropped what he was doing and grabbed his phone in the speed of a bullet.
"Meet me tonight."
The Wile giant texted back.
"Where?"
After a minute long pause which felt like hours, Richard got the fateful reply that elevated his spirits profoundly.
"I don't care. Wherever you decide. How's that?"
Richard could not help but put on a pathetic smile.
"Sounds good. I'll text back soon!"
As cryptic as that seemed, Jac accepted his response in silence. It took a while to sink in, but she too started to feel a heavy weight being lifted from her shoulders.
..............
"Meet me outside Frederico's Fine Dining."
That five star Italian restaurant across town... I haven't been there in ages.
Jac was admittedly cautious, but followed the Wile's direction without complaint. She was hoping that she didn't have to dress up for the occasion, but the Wile had went through the trouble of reserving a spot in the balcony just for the two of them, so she couldn't walk in with her every day attire. Just to rub it in his face, she chose to go in the clothes she would wear when attending a job interview- nothing more or less.
When she arrived at the designated spot, she was greeted by a single, human sized dining table, with candles near the edge of the balcony that illuminated her path. The star filled night was crystal clear, and the picture perfect scene was topped off with paid musicians who played a somber serenade with their violins.
He went all out...
Jac wasn't sure what to make of this just yet. Was this a love-struck friend's last ditch effort to profess his feelings for her? Or was it, in her own eyes, something more meaningful?
It took a few minutes before she spotted him off the distance. Sure enough he was in a suit and tie, but nothing like Jac was expecting. If her hunch was right, he too was wearing the same clothes that he wore for his own job interview. Which drew out a light chuckle from the human.
Richard's ears perked up as he turned his attention to the side of the building, and when their tired eyes met he was overwhelmed with emotions of every kind.
"You came..." He cried.
Jac said nothing at first, as the Wile giant walked up to meet her face to face. His top half was all she could see from her vantage point.
"I was worried that you might have... uh..."
"I was the one who texted you, you know." Jac snapped back, though she made sure to lower her voice after that. "I wouldn't have if I didn't wanted to see you..."
The two took in each other for a moment before any more words were exchanged. Jac noticed right away the Wile's slightly rough shave, as well as the horrendous dark spots that had formed under his eyes.
"You look like you got hit by a train."
"Sounds about right..." Richard replied. "You look, nice."
"Thanks, I guess."
Jac looked back at the table and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't know what the deal is here, but seriously Richard? You couldn't even get us mixed seating?"
"I can explain! See..."
Jac could tell his heart was racing, but she decided to give him time to allow air to flow back in his lungs.
"For one, mixed tables were booked. And second, and most importantly!... I... thought I should even the playing field a bit. At a time like this, I figured that perhaps I'm a bit too imposing as... I am now. So maybe..."
Jac's eyes opened widely at the implication of what he meant.
"First of all. I don't really care about your size, you know this. But... at the same time, I don't mind seeing all of you at once. It would help right now... I think. But, are you sure?"
"Positive." Richard answered nervously.
Richard backed up until he nearly reached the street.
"Stand back!"
"WAIT!!" Jac exclaimed.
Richard hit the ground running as a bluish white light began to flow from his back, and he leaped towards the the air just as the rest of his body glowed in an intense flash. He had shrunken midair into the size of a human just as he had made a grand entrance- by sliding across the balcony floor before plummeting against a wall. The music screeched to a halt as Jac rushed to be by his side.
"Oh my gaaawd!! Are you okay?!"
The Wile laid painfully on his side, but he tried his best to open his eyes for her.
"I... did not think this through..."
"Of course not!! What the hell was that?!" Jac yelled. "You could have gotten yourself killed..."
"Nonsense, I... could have maybe done that a little bit better, but I'm still here, heheh..."
As Jac aided Richard in as he slowly pulled himself up, as she brushed off the dirt that had clung to his suit during the incident. He still ached a bit, but it was nothing that his unfailing determination couldn't ignore. That, along with the other implications of what this could possibly mean, had begun to scare Jac slightly.
"Why though?" Jac uttered, as she looked down at her feet. "I know how much you hate being this size. So why do this now?"
"I... wanted to talk with you eye to eye. I know! We do that normally. But I wanted to see you... like this. To talk to you while seeing every bit of you upclose, and to really give you the opportunity to speak without a barrier or... even punch me in the gut if you have to!"
Jac held a hand to her mouth. "Don't give me any ideas."
"You'd like that, huh."
"Yeah.." Jac giggled slightly. "But, I think you've gone through enough pain tonight. I will warn you now though, that if you say anything that warrants it, then..."
"Then don't hold back. I mean it."
A pause followed, although this time the duo never looked away from each other's faces. Jac sighed and gave the shrunken Wile a rather cocky smile.
"You forgot one thing."
"What's that?"
"You... can hold me in this size."
Richard took a step back in surprise. "I-Is that allowed?!"
"Maybe... but you gotta earn it."
The two friends walked slowly over to the dinner table, as the sweet melody resumed in the background once again. Jac was quick to pull up her menu, but her mind drew a blank when she scanned the offerings. She glanced over at Richard and saw that he wasn't paying attention either, as his hand strummed atop the unopened book.
"How long do you think the food will take?" Jac asked.
"An hour, maybe? Frederico's has the best cuisine this side of town, but they're not known for their fast service."
"Perfect. That's all the time we need to have this discussion."
Richard nodded slightly and gave his first smile of the night. With enough time allowed, maybe things will go the way the two of them had hoped after all.
Notes: Day 6 of this year's promptlist that @bittykimmy13 made is forlorn, so I felt it was time to revisit an old prompt I had made back in 2021. The previous version was very rushed so I wanted to do a slight do-over x3
(Cw for angst and brief mentions of mouthplay. This story and its subsequent chapters are intended for mature audiences. Viewers discretion is advised.)
What began as a quiet afternoon in Richard's house would turn into the scene of a near fatal incident, the casualty being that of a long held friendship.
It all started simply enough when Jac recalled an event that she could have sworn was recorded on her phone. After three thorough scans of her photo gallery however, she had proven that this was not the case. With no where else to turn she begged the Wile giant to let her investigate his device, which resulted in the latter giving her a sharp eye roll in return.
"First of all, that was a weird way of asking," Richard replied. "And, well... of course I'll help you out. We'll look for it, together." He was quick to add.
The brunette sat on the single seated sofa with Jac firmly perched on his left arm, as a perfect view of the much too large screen was placed right before her. Throughout the next hour, they swiped past several hundred images of various historic events in their lives, stopping every few seconds to reminisce and giggle at their findings.
"Is it this one?" He asked. The selected photo showed the two of them as older teens as they posed in front of a water slide at an amusement park.
Jac shook her head. "That's not it... It was a little further back I think. We were still in high school and you took a selfie of us just as you fell backwards into a pool."
"That was an accident..." Richard mumbled.
"It was definitely on purpose! No one could have made such a clean dive." Jac laughed.
"Do you think I wanted to hit the water directly on my back? I slipped on a pool toy some Sprout had left on the side. My shoulder blades were aching for days..."
Memories of times gone by filled their heads in ways they had not expected as the Wile giant continued to scroll backwards in his saved files. Some were precious little moments that helped to shape their lives for the better, and others were from times that the two could barely recognize.
As their search went on, Richard began to develop a sense of yearning. His brain fluttered back to the days of his youth, a period where he did not have to worry as much about careers, social expectations and the often unrealistic baggage that came with living in such a hostile world. He projected himself into these cherished moments as they were pulled up into view, like the joy of seeing the first snow of winter, or the pleasant day before their graduation, and the many moonlit nights he would spend together with his dearest friend.
"Hey, what's this folder?... Bittersweet..."
Richard was startled back into reality when Jac spoke those very words, and he swiftly grabbed his phone from her reach.
"Hey!" The human protested.
"What were you doing looking through my stuff?"
"You were fixing to fall asleep, so I thought I could continue the search on my own. Why are you being so huffy about that?"
"...You're right..."
Richard sat back down and returned the phone on his lap.
"I'm sorry... I honestly don't know how to explain this to you."
"You can try. We're best friends! You don't have to keep secrets from me!"
"It's just..." Richard paused before he gave a out a long sigh. "I just don't think I should be sharing this. It's a bit too... personal."
In an alternate universe he would have shown her, boldly and unapologetically perhaps, but this Richard knew the complications of what would come from it if he did reveal its contents. Still that did not stop Jac from trying to put two and two together.
"Is it pics of that girl that you met in college?"
"NO! Why would I have that? I want nothing to do with her!"
"Biggs, you know I don't really care about who you were dating. We discussed this."
"Yeah, but really Jac? That person?"
"Well, maybe I was a bit off... But you know I'll keep second guessing until I get it right."
"You're so nosy..."
Truth is... you say you don't care about anyone I date, but I can't be too sure in this case...
They both silently agreed to drop the topic for now. And since Richard was wide awake as a result, he went straight back to his search. After a few expected stops along the way, Jac was suddenly bursting into laughter.
"What the hell is going on here?" She heckled.
The photo in question was taken in front of a display that was carved in the likeness of a shark. In front was a younger Richard who looked back at it with the appearance of utter shock. That coupled with the cups of beverages that was suspended in midair just below his outstretched hands made this the perfect comedy scene for the tiny woman, as it was enough to cause her to fall backwards. Richard, on the other hand, looked upon this child version of himself with disdain.
"Oh dear God, why is this even here?"
He was just about to aim for the delete button, when Jac lunged herself onto the Wile's index finger. She wrapped her arms around it in an attempt to pull it back.
"What are you doing? You can't erase that! It's a part of history!"
"Well there's some portions of 'history' that's best left unseen!"
And with that it was unceremoniously trashed, which had made Jac rather upset.
"C'mon, was it really that bad to see your old self with renewed eyes? You won't see me deleting old photos, no matter how much of a pain it is to relive those moments sometimes..."
Jac paused before she continued her sentence, "I still hold onto them. Like it or not, it's just one of those things that I don't want to let go of..."
The two friends then grew silent for a short while, though the Wile giant's curiosity had perked up upon hearing Jac's words. To the point where he felt the urge to test their authenticity. He quickly shook off that notion however, beating himself mentally for even thinking such a thing, and shifted focus back to his phone.
"Well, not in this case. Pout all you want Jac, but I think it should be lost to the sands of time."
Jac had to fold her arms and puff her cheeks to that remark.
We'll just see about that.
For what seemed like the rest of the afternoon, the two friends continued to laugh and share their thoughts about the photos that were on display. They would eventually find the image Jac was searching for, a far from interesting picture of the two in front of a public swimming pool, at least when compared to the far more interesting pictures that had equally tugged for their attention.
As the sun began to set, the Wile giant had set off to a brief visit to dreamland once more. Now's my chance, Jac thought as she carefully pulled the phone from his loosened hand with all her might. With a flick of her hand she pulled the glorious shark photo out of the trashcan, placing it back, as she considered in her mind, to where it belonged. In the process she had come across that peculiar folder again. The word Bittersweet called to her like a dinner bell, yet she could not bring herself to go against Richard's wishes.
"It's nothing... there has to be a good reason for him not wanting to show me..."
She stared at the file for some time however, and the more she pondered the more her inquisitiveness had started to get the better of her. The human peered back at the Wile, who had his head reared back with drool pouring slightly over his mouth. Jac thought it was now or never, and she would keep it with her to her grave if she had to.
After one last brawl with hesitation, she opened the folder and peered at its contents. And almost immediately she began to regret her decision. Some of these images she held fondly to this day, like the dances they had made in the various prom nights they had over the years, and the dinners that occupied the light of the full moon. But others gradually made her sick to her stomach, like the photos of Richard swooning and the two of them sealing a lip to lip kiss. Which was then followed by a picture of her being sucked between his lips, which shot open a memory she would rather forget of their tongues embracing while she was inside.
"J... Jac...?"
A very drowsy Richard began to stir, but before he could fully process what happened, Jac gave out an involuntary shriek that torpedoed his eyelids open. Jac hopped onto the screen and pushed the back button just as she was being scooped into his hands.
"What happened?" He asked. "Why are you...?"
It did not take long for the Wile to put the pieces together on his own, as evident by the bright tomato red that Jac tried desperately to hide.
"Jac, I... how could you..."
"I'm sorry..."
Tears started to form from the base of her eyes as the giant breathed harshly through his nose.
"I know I didn't tell you outright not to, but... that's a serious overstep of my privacy, Jac. I thought I could trust you to not look through my secret files, especially when I said--"
"I was dumb, ok? I, let my... feelings get the better of me..."
"It's ok..." Richard sighed after a long pause. "I'm not mad... it's just...I really didn't want you to see all of that... To be honest, I should be the one apologizing."
"W-What for?"
"For not giving you an explanation and... holding onto these photos to begin with. I've considered deleting these... after a while. But yet, I just... can't bring myself to do it! Every time I've considered it, I worry that I may regret it later..."
"Nonono, you're good!" Jac said quickly with a higher voice, "It just... caught me off guard... Like, I said earlier... no matter how uncomfortable and gross some of the past makes me feel, you shouldn't erase history."
Hearing Jac describe their past dates in that way was like jabbing a blade through Richard's heart. His eyes began to cloud ever so slightly, which Jac immediately took notice of. Her face cooled off slightly, but in its place her mouth had flattened.
"Do you... still look at them fondly?"
"W-what?"
"Be honest with me. Even though we broke up our romantic ties... does all of that, still... mean something to you? Aside from just, a memory."
Richard didn't know what to say after that, and a long uncomfortable silence followed. Jac's expression darkened afterwards, which caused Richard to react in a pained tone.
"Of course not! I don't want to ruin what we have now. You know that."
"Even though you still love me... in that way?"
"I... uh..."
Jac gave out a long sigh.
"It explains a lot honestly."
"Jac..."
"Even though I told you this isn't what I want... What I had envisioned our future to be..."
Richard chose not to stop her from going down his pant leg as she started to walk away.
"I need time if that's okay."
"I'm sorry Jac..."
Nothing else was said between the two as the human retreated to another room. The Wile giant then sat silently for some time, and pondered about what he could have done differently. Everything that they went through today... the memories they held so deep, the treasures that they both shared... stood a very good chance of falling apart. He needed to act, and soon, if he stood a chance at repairing the opened wounds.
Richard rushed over to the other room, before he checked all of her usual hiding spots. Not a single sound could be heard, nor any trace of her presence. It was then he had realized that she had long left the house...
Word of the strange firebird that ascended towards the heavens had quickly spread far among the residents of the forest. Murmurs among the flock of the equally peculiar man who was the cause of this phenomenon had soon reached the ears of the Alpha Wile. The thought of what this could imply had become a pressing matter that trickled in the back of his mind, yet the ruler needed more evidence before any course of action could be implemented. His only option was to lie in wait, as he forwarded a task to his trusted lieutenant.
"See to it that you will bring this so-called, magician to me. I would like to have a, word with him."
Rikuo's voice was calm, yet Goro understood that it was a firm and direct order. The smaller Tengu bowed his head dutifully.
"Aye sir. Leave it to me."
Using Jac's tree hollow home as a haven, the witch and her Beta Wile friend had spent many days offering much needed provisions and support for their new guest. Goro loaned the magician some of his energy, doing so by covering him under his down much like that of a nesting mother. Other unorthodox methods were also used over time, such as skin remedies made of mud and other odd spells, which had greatly helped in speeding up the healing process. By the time of the new moon, Aiden had already recovered quite considerably. He still struggled to lift himself and was slower of pace, but he was rejuvenating faster than what would normally be possible even when putting magic into consideration.
One fateful morning, Jac walked into the magician's room with a basket of goodies in hand. She was surprised to see that Aiden was already on his feet, preparing a wizard robe that had likely been repaired by his own magic. When questioned, the magician merely replied. "I must be going soon. I don't want to burden you for too much longer."
"You're leaving? Why?"
"There's a whole wide world out there, full of people who would love to see my performances! I can't stay put for too long, for a great magician needs to spread his talents far and wide! My audience awaits--"
"You can't be serious!" Jac cuts in. "Remember what they did to you back there?"
"Yeah..." Aiden mumbled, though he perked back up right after. "But the world, Jac! Think about it! I could travel to different villages across the vast plains and beyond the ocean yonder... And I can put on one show after another after another and bedazzle the crowd with my infernal crafts! I can picture it now..."
As he spoke these words, he began to immerse himself in the whimsy of his thoughts, as if he was proudly standing on stage with thousands of people seated around him. The various moments of his tricks had bled out into reality, as he waved his hands and spun around in a sort of trance. He was humming a little tune to top it off. To this display, Jac could only shake her head.
"You expect things will be different? If you ask me, I don't think it's worth the risk of dodging the human enforcers at every corner! You could wind up seriously hurt again! Or..."
"Relax, I've survived this long!" Aiden said as he continued his dance. "I'll be a-okay! Don't swea--"
Suddenly the magician involuntary swung his foot forward, which snagged on his cape and caused him to nearly tumble. Had it not been for the armrest he had clung onto he would have fallen face flat on the wooden floor. Frazzled and a bit confuddled, Aiden was pulled up by Jac as she began to walk him to the very bed he dreaded ever going back to.
"You certainly don't look like you're in any shape to be traveling far yet!" Jac remarked. "C'mon now, your body still needs rest! I don't think it'll hurt to stay for little bit longer."
Aiden grew crestfallen, though he was good at hiding it from his friend. The magician was rather frustrated at himself, for deep down he sorely wished to be free of the doldrums that came with staying in the same room for the past half month or so. He could have sworn that he had healed so much faster in the past. He turned his head towards the hollow window and sighed. He wanted more than anything at this moment to soak in a little sunshine, at the very least.
"I won't leave yet, but... if I may be honest? A change of scenery would be nice..." Aiden finally said. "Will it be alright if I stepped out for a bit of fresh air at least?"
"If your body is up to the task, then I don't see why not. We can go about this one step at a time." Jac gave it some thought, before her eyes lifted up wide. "Oh! And when you're feeling better, I could give you a tour of the entire forest if you'd like! There are landmarks and all sorts of places we could visit! Like the Umbra Falls. Solemn Peak has a lovely view in the springtime. Or how about--"
Aiden could only give out a sigh in response. The magician could tell that Jac perked right up when the prospect of showing him around as addressed. She was already treating him like a formal citizen of the forest, despite not knowing if the other residents would take kindly to him, not that he planned to stay long enough to find out. It really seemed like she was enthusiastic over wanting him to stay for more than just the safety reason that was given. It didn't surprise him if the monotony had gotten to her too.
The fresh forest air greeted them when they walked out of the tree hollow door, and the magician basked in the soft rays that tried their best to penetrate through the thick groves above. Aiden was carefully taking his time, with Jac staying one step behind him to ensure no stumbles would be repeated on the path. Despite this they did manage to walk a good ways through the wood, with Aiden's stride steadily growing stronger with every step. Indeed, this was just what he needed.
As they trekked, they continued to talk about a multitude of little things, from magic to nature, and of life itself. Their chatter was the one bright spot that got Aiden through the turbulence of the last few days, one that he greatly appreciated. Soon the topic of socializing came about, which gave the magician the chance to prove if his hunches were correct.
"Do you miss it? Being able to... connect with people, and travel anywhere you want?"
"Hell no!" Jac scoffed. "I'm done with all of that, especially after the hell I went through before I arrived here. So no thanks! This place is as close to a real life paradise as it gets! You have all the food you can eat, you never get cold or hot, it's like a dream come true!"
"But..." Aiden looked around and subtly pointed out how eerily quiet it was. Not a single chirp or sound. "...Doesn't it get lonely?"
That seemingly innocuous question caught the witch off guard. "N-no!" Jac stuttered, before she collected herself again. "I have... I have the Wiles! Goro is the nicest person I've ever met. And... um..." Aiden blinked a few times as Jac placed a hand under her chin. "Hm... A-sushi is... unreadable. I don't know him that well. Soju is, ok... Haru is an asshole. Richard is worse... yet somehow better? It's hard to explain..."
As she was struggling with that, Aiden put his hands behind his head and chuckled. "Maybe this works best for you... you can be happy here, and free. But for me? My life is out there! I am a wanderer at heart. And I have a mission I must fulfill."
"A mission?" Jac questioned.
Aiden took off his hood, revealing the messy orange hair underneath. " Truth is... I don't have animosity against humans, even after what happened. For I know that for a time, humans once embraced magic, and looked up to those of us with the gift of wielding it... The world needs a positive outlook on magic again. Because..." Aiden took a deep breath and gave out a long sigh from his nose.
"If those... fanatics keep having their way, then sooner or later, magic will cease to exist in the world! I can't imagine what our future would be like without it! The world may turn into something... cold... and, unrecognizable..."
Jac looked down on her feet and trembled at the thought herself. "That sounds horrifying... But at least we'll still have the forests! And the mountains and caves and other fae havens. So long as there are good places like this, I'm sure magic will continue to thrive!"
"If these battles keep happening, then I'm not so sure.." Aiden sighed. "That's why I took it upon myself... to be that someone who can show them the truth even with the risks involved. If I can make at least a little bit of a difference with my performances, even if I merely change the hearts of a few, then... it will still be worth it for me."
Just then, the sound of cracking bark could be heard nearby. Aiden was rattled enough to stop on his tracks, as Jac went in front of him to stand guard. Her stance lessened in a few seconds however, when a familiar giant bird came into view.
"Goro-chan!" Jac exclaimed happily.
The Beta Wile greeted Jac with open wings, though at the same time Aiden chose to keep a considerable distance. Goro's sharp eye could see the timid one clearly as the former gave a cheeky smile.
"I see that you are well enough to be moving on your own, Aiden." He said.
The sorcerer shivered. "Uh... thank you once again for saving me..." his voice grew quieter, "please, I don't need your energy anymore. I'm fine! See?"
Aiden then whipped around with his star patterned cape flowing behind him. He wobbled a bit before he quickly regained his balance, his chin held high throughout. "See? I'm getting better! You reallly don't have to roost next to me like I'm some kind of baby chicken again!"
Goro had to chuckle aloud. "There's no need for that anymore. I can assure you. You should be able to heal on your own from here on out."
"Thank the suns..." Aiden coughed. "I'll admit, that was a bit, humiliating..."
Smiles and laughter swept over everyone's faces, which made Goro even more hesitant to say his next words. He really wanted to give the magician more time, but alas, the master's order took top priority. The Tengu had to give out an abrupt ahem before making his announcement.
"Aiden, the time has come where I must inform you," Goro paused briefly before continuing, "that whenever you are able, our master Rikuo has requested to have an audience with you."
"Oh suns..." Aiden grumbled.
"What?!" Jac yelled. "Why?! This is the first I'm hearing of this!"
"Second time for me actually..." Aiden confessed.
Jac whipped her head to the side. "Seriously? Why didn't you tell me? Is this why you were so bent on leaving?"
"Well!... It's not the only reason, but it's uh.." Aiden shrugged nervously,..."it's why I'm in a hurry, heheh."
"Oh my gawd." Jac fumed. "What the hell does Richard want with him?" She beckoned for Goro to lean closer, which he complied forthwith. She then whispered rather harshly into his ear. "He can't be thinking about eating--"
"Nonono! I highly doubt that!" Goro interrupted. "I believe he just wants to talk this time."
Jac chose to showcase her frustration by folding her arms rather than to explode in a profanity ridden rant, for Aiden's sake. The latter then crept closer to the Beta Wile as he spoke with a slight quiver.
"Will he... take no for an answer? Heheh..."
Goro sighed through his nose and spoke firmly. "I'm afraid we do not have a say on that matter. So long as you remain in this forest, you will have to abide by the command of its ruler."
"To hell with that!!" Jac exclaimed.
"Well!" Aiden said in a slightly higher voice. "I... guess this means I better get a move on after all! Heheh..."
"Aiden no!" Jac exclaimed. "If we have to do this, then Richard will have to go through me first! Trust me, I can handle the guy."
"I, believe you." Aiden replied upfront, though this did nothing to calm his nerves. Jac then took one of his hands and squeezed it tight.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to not let him lay a single claw on you. He'll be getting a fist full of flames if he tries!"
"...Thanks Jac..." Aiden sighed.
"A fist full of flames, you say?"
The two friends jumped at the sound of that voice, and even Goro was taken by surprise. All of a sudden a strong gust around them whipped across the field in a startling cold snap. Not even a few seconds would pass before their entire view was covered by a massive shadow that zipped overhead. This was followed by a loud and heavy thump that rattled the forest like a small tremor, as a familiar black bird much larger than Goro stood before them with wings spread wide. Jac marched forward with a livid huff as she placed herself between the magician and the enormous king of the forest. The pupils of the monster's eyes were needle sharp, likely caused by reflection of the surrounding light, yet the sight of their menacing gleam had caused Aiden to flinch on the spot nonetheless.
"Hello Jac." The Alpha Wile crooned.
"Richard, why the hell are you here!!" Jac roared.
"First of all, stop calling me that. Second, this is my domain, and I can come and go as I please." As the Alpha spoke, his quaint smile grew ever wider. "I told Goro that I would meet up with our 'guest' if he failed to fetch him by this time."
Goro then bowed in apology, both to his master and simultaneously to Jac for not informing her sooner. The Alpha Wile then turned his attention towards the magician who feebly hid himself behind the witch.
"So this is the little fire bird." The Alpha Wile spoke with a cat like voice. "Why don't you be a good little... man and come closer?"
"Over my dead body!!" Jac intervened.
As the Alpha Wile stepped forward, Jac made sure to stand in his way. Size made no difference in her stance, for she was still effective at putting some distance between the two. The monster bird gave his most placid expression, returning Jac's frown with a warm grin. The witch was used to that look however.
"I can assure you, Jac, that I will not hurt him." The leader of the Tengu Wiles said softly. "The new arrival is not a mere human, far from that in fact. That automatically makes him, well... free from my wrath."
Jac still wasn't convinced. Meanwhile, Aiden was given enough time to take a few breaths as he slowly calmed himself to a more manageable level. It still pained him that he had to go along with whatever the Alpha had planned for him, but he had already accepted that the opportunity to sneak out of this mess had long since passed. It was best to get it done and over with, even if it meant he had to suck in as much courage as he could handle up to this point.
As Jac had done to him prior, Aiden expressed his gratitude and his willingness to stand up for himself by gently squeezing the witch's left hand.
"It's okay." He said. "I believe him... I, can handle this."
Jac continued to cautiously leer at the black feathered fiend, although her stance had mellowed somewhat. "You promise you won't do nothing. No funny business, all right?"
The Alpha Wile grew silent for a few seconds before replying. "You have my word."
Jac continued to stand on guard for a moment longer, though it was ultimately Aiden who made the first move by walking away from her cover. Whether his decision to approach the Alpha Wile was a brave or foolish one, the magician knew not. Despite how he felt, that it was now or never.
"Okay... I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
The Alpha's smile had spread ever wider, and made for an unsettling look.
"I knew you'd come around."
****
The interview took place at the heart of the Wile's base, deep within the tunnels where the king's nest resided. The other Wiles of the flock had all gathered within the shadowy corridors, ready to assist at their Alpha's beck and call. Most of them chose to distance themselves as they gazed upon the sorcerer warily, with at least one of the Beta Wiles apprehensively raising the feathers on his back in a fight or flight response. Goro was given the order to hold Jac back with a wing claw in his own corner of the tunnel; while far removed, the witch maintained a sharp eye on the much too large avian throughout the interrogation. No matter how convincing his sweet talk was, she knew Richard still had a wild side to him.
At first the master Tengu craned his neck to scan the magician front and back, which did not help to keep the latter's nervousness in control.
"What happened here?" Rikuo gasped lightly. "That is a nasty seal..."
Aiden gulped as the Alpha looked him straight in the eyes. "What shall I call you?"
"If... I may be selfish, this once... I can't give away my name so readily, sir..." the magician tried his best to suppress his trembling. "B-basic wizard rule."
"Fair enough." Rikuo replied. "'Thou are to not give out thy name, lest thou be easily manipulated through means of enchantment.' I am well aware of that law. So then, how shall I address you?"
Aiden took a moment to steel himself before he put on his stage moxie. He took in a deep breath, and within a few seconds, his eyes opened revealing a level of confidence he had not shown before. With a wave of his cape and a bow, he spoke from his chest without wavering.
"I am... known as the great pyromancer! A magician of the infernal arts! Yet I am but a humble showman, and my passion is to capture the hearts of people around the world as I bedazzle and enrich them with the wonders of my fiery spells!"
"How interesting." Was Rikuo's response. "May I ask you to share a demonstration of your talents?"
Aiden's eyes darted swiftly between his hands and the monster bird as a slight hint of fear darted over his head. But just was those feelings sought to overwhelm him, the magician took another deep breath and used this momentum to do as he was told. A smoke-less fireball then magically appeared that hovered just above the sorcerer's index finger. He flung it in the air as he gracefully maneuvered it to dance between his arms like that of a will-o-the-wisp, all the while the Alpha Wile remained silent as he carefully took in the wondrous sight.
As I suspected... a master of his craft...
Throughout this conversation, alarm horns had already sounded off in Jac's head. She was familiar with Richard enough to know he was not the type to be charmed by flashy stunts, magic or otherwise. And on top of this, his speech here seemed... off.
"What are you plotting?" Jac muttered.
Goro's ear was close enough to hear her admittedly valid reaction, to which he gave out a short sigh in response. Jac raised an eyebrow to him accusingly.
"Do you know something?" The witch whispered.
Goro said nothing in the first half minute, before he finally answered. "I... believe it's time you learn that Aiden is, not what he seems."
At the same time, Aiden's fireballs had increased to ten as he began to juggle them with relative ease. This dazzling spectacle reached its climax in a few minutes time, however not in the way the magician expected. One by one the flames fizzled out, with only a single fire remaining. Aiden's head was drenched in sweat, but he still had momentum to take a bow as proper.
"I could show more," said the magician, as he briefly gasped for air, "but I still need more time to recover it seems, heheh.."
Rikuo looked upon the pyromancer with calculating eyes before he gave out a slightly unnerving smirk.
"Perhaps I can help you with that." He replied cryptically.
At his master's call, Souji swooped down to present a wooden stick before returning to the shadows as swiftly as he arrived. Rikuo took it by the wing claw and brought it up close to Aiden's face.
"Tell me now, does this look familiar?"
Aiden tilted his head in confusion as he gazed at the staff of burned wood, but after a moment his eyelids shot up wide. The sorcerer then took the last fireball above his fingertip and carefully placed it on top, which instantly caused that part of the stick to bloom into life like a small, fiery flower. Warm and delicate, and oddly familiar.
"What is this...?" Aiden gasped. "Normally my fire should engulf it completely..."
Rikuo smiled. "Indeed. Would it surprise you that a human came with this torch in hand? Such dubious circumstances really. It was as if fate had gifted me with the acquisition of such a profound magical artifact. One that actually holds the key..."
The master Tengu then closed in until his head was just beside the magician's body. His whispers were as soft as rain, yet as dark as twilight.
"...to your awakening."
The very essence of these words had caused the temperature in Aiden's head to drop a few degrees. His tried his damndest to speak as his heartbeat intensified, but not a single sound would escape the magician's mouth. This gave the Alpha ample opportunity to snake talk.
"There's no sense in hiding it anymore... The might of your internal flame, the power of what it chooses to burn... indeed you are more than just a mere magician." The feathered fiend slowly coiled his neck to surround the trembling sorcerer as he continued. "Tell me, great 'pyromancer', do you recall spreading your wings and souring to the highest of heights? Does your fiery soul wish to burn even brighter than the nearest star?"
The sorcerer's mouth grew slightly agape before it slackened wide, as a new sense of dread unlike any prior to this meeting enveloped him like a sudden storm.
"You know these binds were made to do more than just limit your true potential." The Wile whispered. "There is a reason why you are not healing as quickly as you would be normally... That is why I want to help you. I only ask..." he said as he placed a wing claw under Aiden's chin, "that you give your name, and your full devotion to me. Temporarily, or longer if you so choose. Indeed you could become a valuable member of the flock. Though I grant that choice to be yours."
These words shook the foundation of Aiden's very core, so much so that he nearly collapsed on the spot. Sensing her friend's anguish, Jac shot up from her position.
"What the hell did you say to him?!" she yelled. "Give him some space! He's suffocating!!"
Jac rushed to be by Aiden's side as Richard, surprisingly, did as he was told. The magician allowed the passage of time to recuperate and was thankful that the folks around him gave him the space to do so. There was a lot to unpack in the Alpha's words as they continued to echo in the back of his mind even as he had come to. At this time however, the sorcerer was much more concerned about how Jac took the news, as he sensed that she was behind him even before he looked back. Soon the magician slowly stood up and turned to meet the witch's face with a solemn smile. There was a sense of guilt in his expression, as if he felt like he had betrayed her in some way.
"I... guess you know now." He uttered. "I... I'm sorry... for not saying anything sooner..."
Jac just shook her head with a smile on her face, which brightened up Aiden's mood more than he realized.
"I don't really care about that." She said calmly. "Whether you're a Wile or human doesn't make any difference to me. I'm sure there was a good reason for it, so I won't judge."
"Truth is," Aiden sighed. "I've always known that I was a Wile... But, I barely remember anything of it. My life as I am now is pretty much all I'm used to..." He looked down on the dirt below and began to kick his heel in stimulation, which helped him gain more energy to get his words across. "This was a lot to process... Never in my wildest dreams would I... have guessed I was avian like you guys... On one hand I'm... curious about that. To be able to fly... and to travel great distances in a short span of time? That sounds like it could be the experience of a lifetime.. And yet..."
Aiden dropped to his knees and began to fold onto himself once more, though not as tightly. "What if I change? I could become dangerous, especially to humans, and that's... counterintuitive to everything I stand for... How am I to show the world that magic is meant to be beneficial when I become the very thing that people fear?"
"It's lamentable how badly the humans have bewitched you." The Alpha Wile mumbled.
"Shut it, Richard!" Jac exclaimed to the bird, before returning to Aiden with a softer glance. She took a moment to come up with the right words, before she spoke softly. "Goro has enlightened me to a lot of what's going on. Do you know who did it? The one who sealed you in your human form?"
"No." Aiden replied. "It must have happened before my memories were wiped."
"If my readings are correct, it remains." Rikuo announced. "Unbinding your soul will help you to regain everything you have lost. Your memories, your magic, and your full lifespan. You have more to gain than not from this."
"For once, I'm in agreement." Jac replied. She sat down on her knees next to the still humbled magician, and with the latter's permission, she held a hand to his back. "I don't think you need to worry. All the things you've said to me earlier, about your mission... I can tell that your heart was poured into those words! I believe that no matter what happens, you won't turn against humans. Even if this, seal or whatever it is, is broken... you'll still largely be your old self!"
"You think so?" Aiden asked, as his intrusive thoughts were gradually getting the better of him. "What if I snap?... Or turn ravenous! Or..."
"Easy now..." Jac gave it a brainstorm, but in the end she chose to reply to his question honestly. "I can't say for certain that you won't ever do those things. But frankly? I think you'll be fine. You're too good natured to be a monster. Besides, if Goro and most anyone here is any indication, you'll only turn feral as a last resort to protect someone. It matters not what they are, but who."
"...You think so?"
"I know so!"
A long sigh from Aiden was all that left his mouth, to which Jac responded by giving his back a rub. He in truth appreciated his friend's reassurances more than he could verbally express, and it had helped to part the clouds in his head as time went on.
Eventually Aiden stood up and addressed the Alpha without looking at his face directly.
"I... need time, if that's alright. I need to process everything... and... prepare."
The Alpha's smile was back, however small. "Very well then. I will permit a few moons time, or longer if necessary. When you are ready, you shall meet me at sundown at this very spot. That is when the unbinding ritual shall commence!"
Aiden stood with his face towards the ground for a few moments longer, for he couldn't shake the strange feeling he had whenever "unbinding" was brought up. Regardless, he chose to suppress those feelings, as he took a few deep breaths and slowly looked up to the giant with a renewed conviction.
"I guess I gotta." He finally said. "Honestly, if anything, I do look forward to soaring in the sky."
My continuation of a story I posted last week where I incorporate words from a prompt list @lorichu and @gtypewriter made.
<<Previous chapter
Chapter 2: Cords
With a snap, a small flame appeared above the sorcerer's fingertip, followed by another, as the fiery spectacle increased to one for every digit. He then proceeded to juggle them seamlessly, and by some strange circumstance it neither burned nor caused pain. The audience was captivated, and upon hearing their gasps, the magician decided it was time to showcase one of his finest acts. He began his incantation as the fires grew larger and more vibrant with every word.
"Suns of gehenna, bright as gold, I beseech thee to bring forth the wonders of the elements! Like the stars that guides travelers or the nearest sun, let there be known the true beauty of its internal flame!"
After a wave of his arms, the fireballs instantly erupted into a dazzling display of brilliant colors, as each fizzled out in a sea of orange, reds, purples and blues. The crowd watched in awe and astonishment as the blaze devolved into stardust that had begun to drift softly outside the stage. Loud cheers followed which prompted the magician to pause for a brief second to catch their eyes. He took notice of one child who had caught a stardust harmlessly in his palm. The look of wonder in their eyes.... The magician couldn't help but put a smile on his face, for this aided in giving him even more energy to charge up his spells.
As the show continued with even more stunning performances, the number of people gathered tenfold around the makeshift stage. Talk of the show had spread across the village, which brought with it the attention of men who slowly crept into the crowd unawares. The magician sensed their presence mid-spell, for he caught sight of three armored individuals who had advanced to each accessible corner. The emblems on their chests were a telltale sign that these men were not here to spectate.
"I have unfortunate news to give," the magician proclaimed with a hint of a crack in his voice, "but I must make a sudden departure! It was a pleasure sharing the gift of magic to everyone here today! When the time is right, I shall return. But until then, I bid you all farewell!"
One last spell was cast, as the entire stage was bombarded with an array of colorful smoke. Within the smog the sorcerer vanished, but he was unable to go very far. Not long after the guards made their way inside the platform, as they went so far as to topple everything in their path. The sorcerer meanwhile was just beneath their feet as he gathered as many potions and essentials as he could. He winced repeatedly upon hearing the devastation upstairs, as he hid one final knapsack under his hood. His mind raced to find a way to make himself unseen, but during the chaos he failed to see the guard who had snuck up from behind.
"Say... that was a mighty fine show you put out there." The soldier spoke, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. The magician gave out a spontaneous squeak, though he didn't turn to face him. The guard then lowered his lip and replied darkly. "These be more than just simple card tricks though. Care to explain yourself?"
"Well you see, I can assure you that everything I perform on stage is but an act! I can prove it if you just let me--"
"Tell it to the judges when we take you into trial, witch. I'm sure the they would love to hear your story." The guard was fixing to close in, when the magician reacted in turn.
"I am but a humble magician." He spoke as he pulled out something from under his sleeve. "Just give me one moment to demonstrate!"
In an instant, a flashbang was fired between them which filled the basement with irritating smoke. The royal guard took out his blade and lunged forward, but without clear vision it's edge struck one of the shelves instead. A crash was heard from above, as well as a large yell from a different guard. A faint orange glow penetrated through the thick smoke, which the men took as a signal to follow.
Just a little further...
The sorcerer managed to tumble through the window he just demolished, small ignited wood near the exit be damned. He was about to make the sprint of his life when he found himself completely surrounded by dozens of royal guards who had laid an ambush. The magician took a sharp turn in a feeble attempt to flee, but it had all come to an abrupt end when he was suddenly struck on the back of his head. The magician crashed onto the ground and was immediately apprehended, much to the shock of some of the crowd who remained. The last thing he witnessed before he whited out was the young boy he saw in the audience prior. His smile was replaced with the start of tears as the performer was about to be taken away. The magician was thoroughly disheartened, for he shed a tear himself before his mind faded into darkness.
To spark joy in the hearts of people. That was all I ever wanted..
Some time had passed before the sorcerer came to. The next thing he knew, he was in a murky, haze filled room that he assumed was the state between reality and the unconscious mind. The magician knew that he would likely slip right back into the cloudy depths of fainting before long. Nothing was discernable to him, but one thing was abundantly clear. He was restrained from the neck down by something that had inflamed his already painful wounds. His eyes were still too weak to open, but he was able to make out the voices of those who surrounded him.
"He's a witch!" An angry male voice shouted. "I say we burn him to the stake first thing tonight!"
"We will ALL be burned to ash if you do any such thing!" A woman spoke out, "And I can tell you right now that such tactics will not work against him."
That got a few gasps out of the room. The magician tried his best to open his eyes at that statement but failed to do so. For in the patchy fog of his mind, his magical senses was able to detect a soft, golden light around the person who came forward. It was faint, yet gentle like light rain. Though it was just strong enough for the sorcerer to discern a silhouette from their external glow. They appeared to be a young woman, perhaps, who wore a robe that obscured her face. Another magic wielder... one that he was surprised to learn was treated far differently from the governing body.
"The high priestess.." The other voice, likely that of a guard, spoke. "What do you know of this foul person?"
"I know that the standard execution methods will not work on him. He will come back alive none worse for wear. But devastation unlike any we've ever seen will come to us all! If you even attempt to do more than what was done here!"
"But then, if we can't burn him alive, what can we do? We can't just let this heathen run free! He'll corrupt the others with uncleanliness! He'll--"
"Send him to the edge of the dark forest." The priestess announced. "He will die to the hands of the foul spirits who dwell there. There shall no blood be stained by the hands of our people. Lest darkness will fall upon us all."
****
Among the treetops the songbirds chirped and fluttered, setting the stage of the strange serenity that filled the landscape at dawn. Contrary to the old legends, sunlight did seep into the crevices of the enchanted forest, yet it barely ever reached the forest floor normally. The result was a gentle cool breeze that persisted all year round. One of the many perks of living here as far as Jac was concerned.
The young witch would spend much of her free time perched high atop a thick branch near her tree hollow abode. She soaked in as much of the sun's rays as she could while she breathed deeply in a trance-like calm. As was often the case she would have a visitor, one who for whatever reason would try to conceal his presence even though he could never succeed in doing so.
"Goro-chan!" Jac exclaimed in a childlike tone. "You know I can sense you right? How come you've been staring at me for the past, I dunno, all morning?"
A voice rumbled in the darkness, smaller than usual. "I... you make it sound weird if you say it like that.. I'm just standing guard."
"I didn't hire you to be my bodyguard, you silly! Why don't you come up here and sit with me?"
"Um... are you sure?"
"Yeah! I'm not going to bite!" Jac chuckled.
After some hesitation, Goro swooped up and reappeared as a young man in what appeared to be some kind of robed garment and a small black hat. Fashion from his homeland, Jac figured. He slowly eased closer to the perched woman before resting just before their shoulders touched. The Beta Wile couldn't help but give off a quaint smile, for despite his initial reaction, he cherished these little moments whenever he could.
"Care to join me to gather fruits and nuts on the east side? I heard the blueberries are in season."
"Of course!" Jac replied. "I could always add to the food stock myself. Though there's never any shortage of it."
Jac looked down and fell into silence once more. Goro tilted his head slightly but chose not to say anything, allowing her room to ponder in peace. The two continued to perch together for some time until Jac felt boredom settle in. Figuring it was time to get a move on, Goro transformed into his avian form, and with the witch securely mounted they took to the skies. They had all the time in the world, so they continued to bask in each other's company all the while.
The berry pickings were plentiful as was expected, but that wasn't the first thing Jac and Goro noticed upon arrival. Immediately, their attention shifted towards the charred grass and singed dirt nearby which had all pointed towards a struggle that carried on across a field. Goro stayed airborne as he followed the burn tracks, while Jac tapped into her senses to scan for any signs of life nearby. They soon felt it simultaneously- a magical essence, fiery, yet weak, that surrounded a human silhouette who was buried deep beneath the earth.
The Tengu Wile swooped down above the exact spot where the magic's essence was at its strongest. Jac and Goro started to claw the debris and leaf litter away, and sure enough they unveiled the mouth of a steep pit. A strange net of some kind, strung together with large cords that were as thick as bamboo stalks, acted as a barricade to keep whoever was concealed within from escaping.
The activity would stir the captive awake, and he instantly locked eyes with the dim light above. The auras emitted from the two were strong, there was no mistaking it. With as much of his strength he could muster, the magician stood up and whirled a flame into being above his index finger.
"H-hello?" Cried a voice from within. "Can anyone hear me?"
Jac and the Beta Wile whipped their heads in tandem at his voice. It was difficult to make out the man's figure through the waffle-strung ropes, but the small fireball helped Jac to discern some of his features. A hood hid all but the edges of the young man's reddish hair, and he wore a purple cloak that was adorned with the elaborate patterns of suns and stars. He was covered throughout what could be seen with mud and scrapes, and could barely stand.
"Oh thank the stars we got here in time!" Jac shouted. "We're going to get you out of there! Just hang on a little longer."
"You're not one of the guards..." The man below spoke quietly, with a sigh of relief right afterwards. "You have... an aura around you."
"Yep! I'm like you, so don't you worry!" Jac replied.
The witch then tried her best to loosen the cords, but it was strung tight and barely budged. The accompanying Wile giant then attempted to break it with his razor sharp talons, but no matter what, the net remained intact.
"What the hell?" Goro spat.
"It's no use." The magician sighed. "Those ropes are protected by some kind of weird magic. It's not easy at all to get rid of."
"What? How?" Jac exclaimed. She couldn't fathom that another magic wielder could even consider working for the human enforcers. But then again, she thought, all human-likes are fickle.
"I don't understand it myself." The sorcerer shook his head. "All I know is that the spell has to be broken a certain way. I tried using my own magic against it, but it was no use."
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try everything we can." Goro stated.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Jac grinned. "We'll do whatever it takes to set you free. Make no mistake!"
As the sun made it's way across the sky, the two best friends tried as many skills at their disposal to destroy the seal. Transformation spells, relocation spells, shrinking spells, slide through barrier spells... Not to mention the tried and true brute force spells, yet even Jac's dark fireballs did nothing to penetrate the thick binds. This irritated the young witch immensely, for she stomped her feet and swore obscenities at every other failed attempt. Whenever this happened, Goro tried his best to quell her with a brush of a wing against her back. It wasn't enough to completely get rid of the thunderstorms in Jac's head, but it did aid to cool her down somewhat to keep her head straight.
The monster bird had a few tricks of his own, which under usual circumstances would have been considered devastating blows. Expert swings with the katana in human form, wind cutting magic in his true form, and even a bit of blue fire magic of his own. But even the mighty giant was unable to break the barrier that was set in place.
Between their attempts, Jac would gather the harvest from the nearby bushes, which she would then lower to the worn out prisoner. The sorcerer thanked her each time for the offerings, which he devoured without hesitation. Throughout the day, this helped him to gather a little bit of his strength back, which he was even more grateful for. He figured at this point he had enough energy to pull off one spell, but he had to make sure it counted.
The magician was quietly observing each attempt, as he took mental notes of every spell that was casted. One thing that he noticed was between them all, the stronger fire spells would linger the longest. Jac's most fearsome fireballs would set the ropes ablaze for a few minutes before dissipating, while Goro's blue flames wielded similar results.
"Dark magic, Soul... and inferno..." The magician uttered. "The three harmonious pyro crafts..."
"Wha?" Jac exclaimed. "I didn't quite catch that."
"I have a theory." The sorcerer announced. He then gave his findings to the duo, before adding his suggestion. "What if we combine our strongest fire spells? We have the three harmonious flames... so with our forces united, it may just be enough to disrupt the magic flow that's powering the barrier!"
"I have no idea what that means." Jac admitted. "After everything else we've tried, how sure are you that we could pull something like that off?"
"You're looking at a master magician of the art of pyromancy! If anything, I know my fire elemental magic well! Besides, as with everything else, it wouldn't hurt to at least try."
Goro was hesitant. "Wait... if what you are saying is true, wouldn't that pose a risk not worth taking? You are but a few feet away from the entanglement. Something that powerful could cause serious injury in that range."
The magician pondered for a bit, before he raised his head. "We don't have very many options. Besides, I'll be fine. I can use a protection spell if things get a little out of control." Only one spell rung in the back of his mind. To lessen the two friend's worries, however, he chose to keep that to himself.
The witch and the Wile looked at each other in silence before coming to a unanimous decision to go along with the magician's plan. They both took a moment to charge up their power, as the auras around Jac and Goro grew to a vibrant light blue and indigo respectively. Jac was the first to make a move. She uttered a near inaudible incantation under her breath, as was usual per her signature style. The blue fireballs that emitted above her palms grew larger and more brilliant, until at last she was ready to throw.
"Stand Back!!" Jac roared as she tossed dozens of fireballs onto the ropes, setting them ablaze once more. As predicted, the flames remained as it tried its best to burn into the fibers.
"Now! It's your turn!" Jac turned to Goro.
The large avian still remained reluctant, as a mild scowl appeared on his face. There was something about this idea that unnerved him, but he couldn't quite figure out what exactly. The Beta Wile chose to quiet his thoughts by shutting his eyes, as he slowly breathed out through his nose. He then went airborne and spread his wings out wide. With a single flap, scorching hot blue flames in the shape of birds appeared before him and launched into the barrier like tiny missiles. The spell combined with Jac's resulted in a spectacular blue flame which had grown exponentially in size. This left Goro and surprisingly Jac visibly shaken, as the fire was large enough to engulf far more in its surroundings, both on the surface and beneath. Jac raced towards the pit but was held back by the wing of the Wile giant. A voice could be heard from within, which had eased some of her fears.
"I'm okay! I knew you could pull it off!" The magician said, his voice oddly intense and somewhat cocky compared to his previous meekness. "Now! The moment you've all been waiting for! It is time for the epic climax!"
The magician's eyes sharpened, before he closed them shut. He took in a breath while thinking back on that glorious night. The crowd of people cheering at the marvels he made. The sense of wonder in the eyes of the small child. He reminded himself that escaping this hole will guarantee that he will put on another show again. He imagined this to was a performance, one that was treated as if his life depended on it. It was then that his aura grew tremendously, as did the fireballs that appeared above his every fingertip. The flames above obscured his form, but his voice was loud and clear. His fires grew wild at the start of his incantation, as he spoke them with much exhilaration and delight.
"Suns of gehenna, bright as gold..."
Just then, the feathers on Goro's neck puffed up, and his eyes grew wide with sharpened slits.
"...I beseech you to bring forth your power!!" The magician continued with increasing excitement. "Like the stars that guides travelers or the nearest sun, let there be known the true beauty of its internal flame!"
The ten fireballs erupted into a sea of vibrantly colored fire beams, though unlike in his magic shows, it ignited with the intent to burn everything in its path. Goro immediately grabbed Jac and tried to get some distance between them, for his instincts screamed that something horrid was about to take place. And he was right, for at that very moment the three fires molded together and bloomed high into the sky in a pillar of flames. The inferno appeared in the shape of a bird with magnificent purple and gold colors that swirled over its burning plumes. It soared in the air like a slowly ascending arrow before it disappeared entirely from view. Perhaps the flames continued into the land of the stars, but it was impossible to know.
A few minutes later, Goro opened his wing which revealed Jac as she gradually climbed out from under his protection. She took a moment to assess the situation, only to quickly learn that the ropes had indeed been charred to ash, along with a wide range of vegetation that surrounded the hole. Yet strangely enough, no new growth was affected, but every single old and fallen leaves in its path was destroyed at least partially. By sheer miracle, or perhaps due to the strange magic that they just bore witness to, no fire remained lit.
"Master Rikuo needs to know about this..." Goro uttered, his feathers still ruffled on edge.
Jac hurried to the now open pit and jumped inside, seeing that the entire ditch was completely covered with burn scars. Goro lowered his head and carefully pulled the two occupants out by the teeth. Jac then managed to drag the unresponsive magician onto a bed of grass, his body coated entirely with soot. She evaluated his vitals anxiously before getting to work on a quick healing spell. It wasn't something she was particularly skilled at, but it was better than nothing.
Goro remained in a cautious state, for he reared back while facing the magician as if he was a cornered animal ready to retaliate. Jac noticed this and cocked an eyebrow at the giant bird, before the man by her knees began to stir.
"Ahhh... my... head..." The magician spoke weakly. He then did his best to clear his throat.
"Oh thank the stars you're alive!" Jac said, as a slight hint of relief washed over her. "You need serious help. I can try to use my healing spells but it's not my specialty so I don't know how effective or how long it'll last. If only Jillian was here, I--"
"Relax... I'll be okay..." the magician tried to speak the best he could as he sensed the witch's bubbling panic. "I'm fine with basic medic skills... I know I don't look so good, but... I promise, I'll be as good as new soon."
"I can believe that." Goro replied flatly. The sorcerer looked upon the Wile giant with slight hints of fear, though he was too weak to react. It was noticeably far less pronounced compared with other humans who had encountered a Wile for the first time- another thing Jac took mental note of. The magician then said something that completely caught her off guard.
"I'm on my own... a wanderer looking for my own place..." He was addressing Goro. He paused for a moment as he tried to catch his breath before continuing. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Please believe me. Besides... I'm weak. I'm stuck like, this... I can't even change even if I wanted to."
"What do you mean?" Jac asked. Goro meanwhile, understood completely. He still remained wary for a few moments more, until he finally released the tension he had built up with a sigh.
"That... explains a lot."
"What does?" Jac was very confused.
"Truth is, in your current state, your core stands a great chance of not lasting another moon cycle without strong magic." Goro admitted. He then lowered his feathers onto the injured man before continuing. "So I will lend you some of my power."
"That... won't be necessary..."
"You value the life you have now, don't you?" Goro cuts in. "I have plenty of energy to spare, so, don't sweat it."
The magician wanted to say something back but, he was unable to find the words. What was said touched him more than he realized, as tears began to form at the base of his eyes.
"I can't... thank you both enough for everything..."
"Any good magic wielder would have done the same." Jac replied.
The young witch figured that it was best to ask questions later after the severity of the situation had passed. For now, getting the injured to a safe, secluded place was her number one priority. Goro lowered his back as the magician was escorted onto his black feathers. During this time, the magician couldn't help but allow more teardrops to run down his face. The overwhelming joy he felt when everything had sunken in. He knew not another way to express how grateful really he was.
"I'll return the favor someday..." He spoke the best he could.
"That won't be necessary! Um..." Jac looked at him before she realized. "Come to think of it, I haven't gotten your name yet."
"I am... known as the great magician of pyromancy. A showman at heart, one who knows a bit of--"
"Not that! Your actual name! We need it to conduct our healing spells. And also," Jac continued. "I would like to know. Just cause."
"Oh.." The magician normally wasn't keen on giving out his name. But to the two who had saved his life, he was more than willing.
Doing a word prompt challenge that littleLorraine over at Deviantart and @gtypewriter cooked up! This is where I mix and match the selected words to create a continuing storyline! I figured for this it'd be a great time to visit The Witch and the Raven AU again! Haven't seen these guys since The Fugitive x3 This story takes place roughly one year after that one.
content warnings: fearplay, mentions of war crimes, discussions of eating smols
Chapter one: Torch
The deepest part of the enchanted forest was no place for the most fearless of men, much less that of a humble one. But here was Reginald, who had fought his quivering nerves to ride atop an elderly horse far into the wretched canopies. Aside from his steed, he was alone. Yet he embarked on what most considered a fool's errand, with the terrifying stories that surrounded this place clear in the back of his mind.
Just as the legends proclaimed, the woods were cloaked in perpetual darkness as far as the eyes could see. He knew not if it was noonday nor midnight, not that he had time to worry for such trivialities. Had it not been for the peculiar light that flickered atop the wooden stave he carried, Reginald would have been unable to discern his own hand in front of his face, let alone his environment through the thick brush.
With the flame as his guide, the young man slowly advanced forward, careful to not make even the slightest disturbance. His efforts were for naught however, for as essential as his light source was it made him stand out like a beacon. All manner of eyes would likely draw attention to it, from woodland creatures and perhaps more frighteningly, the beings that were said to haunt these lands. And no matter how hard he tried to shake off that thought, the young man couldn't help but feel that he was being hounded by something, somewhere unseen.
A sudden burst of wind whipped up, which sent a chill that crawled up Reginald's neck. This could have been just any old cold snap, but to the young traveler the timing seemed a tad too uncanny to his liking. As an unrelenting panic seeped in, his mind began to wander into sinister places.
Why am I even here?!! Reginald screamed in his head. Why the hell did I think this was such a good idea?! What's so important that I would risk everything to come to this wicked place? No man had ever made it out of here alive- why would things be any different now!?
As he shifted through his pocket with his free hand in a turbulent fit, the brunette pulled out a cloth of a simple beige hue, embellished with art of delicate flowers. A small reminder.. one that immediately took effect to quell the storms in his head.
I... can't go back on my word. Not after I've come this far... I made a promise... even if it takes me to the ends of the world, I will--
At that exact moment the old stallion reared up on its hind legs and cried out a long and fearful bray. Reginald slid down unceremoniously onto the gravel beneath him, just as his mount had taken off to who knows where. The young man fought through his aches and pulled himself up slowly, as he desperately reached for his torch which had fallen onto the foliage. Miraculously it's flame remained in tact, and for whatever reason it seemingly refused to scorch any growth in its path. Reginald could not help but stare dumbfounded as he pulled up the fire in front of his face. A costly mistake, for he had let down his guard for a minute too long.
A loud snap of a branch was his first sign. Reginald instantly whipped his head towards the source, but failed to see the culprit before he was immediately knocked back down. Before he knew it, he felt like he was tossed afar and caught again, and his entire world began to spin. He came too in brief moments but would fall back into disorientation before long, only understanding with certainty that he could no longer feel the ground beneath his shoes. All the young traveler could do before he blacked out completely was accept that he was at the mercy of whatever had taken hold.
****
Goro swooped into the corridors of his home base, relieved to finally be able to tuck in his wings. As he waddled inside, the Beta Wile was careful to not leave a single graze on the prize he had obtained during his excursion. He would not be alone for long however, for his presence quickly caught the attention of another member of the flock. Harutaka looked down at the fellow bird's talons with a glint in his eye. He then leaned close and craned his neck around Goro's own.
"Care to share with a peer?"
Goro remained unfazed. "I don't believe our master would be pleased to learn that one of the flock has eaten from what belongs to him. The smell of human can't easily be hidden."
"They always say you were the master's pet." Harutaka grumbled.
"Would you volunteer to be gorged instead?"
That was enough to keep the other Beta Wile from saying any more on the matter. Without further delay, Goro traversed through the winding tunnels until at last he had reached the cave's very core. The heart of the Tengu Wile's homebase was massive- a luminous cavern wide enough to house a multitude of said giants. Yet only one was present, though it was difficult to tell as his form melted into the darkness that surrounded him. It was in this precise moment when the human in Goro's clutches finally stirred.
"Master Rikuo." Goro lowered his head.
"Ohhh? What's this?" Said a haunting voice that bellowed from within the shadows. "A human? How delightful!! I haven't had one in months!"
Reginald's eyelids flung open the very moment the Alpha Wile stepped into the dim light, as the it's massive stature overtook the young man's entire view. This was his greatest fear manifested, spoken in tongues as the titan with jet black wings, part bird, part man. He and his flock were responsible for the deaths of many among the strongest battalions this side of the country. And here he stood just mere feet away from the young man's minuscule body. The monster's eyes showed clear signs that he had the eagerness to strike and he desperately wanted to hurry things along.
"Wait." Goro exclaimed as he surprisingly held back the human, obscuring him slightly from the Alpha's sight. The Beta Wile then presented the torch with his wing claw, which envoked a head tilt from the much larger Wile Giant. A couple of seconds later, the Alpha puffed up his neck feathers, and his eyes narrowed to a sharper slit than he had prior.
"Where did you find this?" The Alpha spoke, his voice sent ice down the human's back.
"The human was holding it." Goro replied.
The master Wile loomed over them, which was the unspoken signal for the Beta to set the human down on the cave floor. Reginald's heart pounded relentlessly, but he was too panic-stricken to make an attempt at escape. Sensing the human's fear, the monster couldn't help but give out a smile. In turn he deliberately showed off his dreadfully sharp fangs at every opportunity, delighting at every squeak he could get out of the tiny man.
"So... You came to our forest with a magic flame that you had no right to possess. Tell me human, how did you obtain it?"
Petrified beyond reason, Reginald remained in his shivering position. Which prompted the Alpha to raise his voice.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
The human's ears rung in pain, and from his inner turmoil he finally spoke.
"A wizard gifted it to me! He said it would protect me from creatures like... like..."
"Like us?" The Alpha Wile crooned. "An unlikely story! No mere magician would be have control over something so powerful. And it would have been severely irresponsible to hand it to the likes of someone like you." The giant's head lowered ever so closer to the man's quivering body. "Did anyone ever tell you that causing trouble in these woods with such uncontrollable magic would get you killed, small one? Not that such advice would do you any good now.... What was your purpose, hm? Fame? Fortune?"
"NO!!" Reginald stammered as hard as he could. There was no way he could fight off tears at this point. "I was just passing through! I had no intention to cause any problems! Please!! You gotta believe me!!"
With that, the Alpha Wile grew silent for a few seconds, although it was merely a fluke. The monster bird then crashed his clawed hand right next to the tiny human, which caused the latter to hyperventilate ceaselessly. Years of anger seeped out like smoke from the giant's throat.
"I have been told such lies countless times! After being stabbed in the back repeatedly and losing my men to your soldiers, you suspect that I would feel differently now?!"
The Alpha calmed down after that statement, as his voice slowed to a deep, intimidating crawl. "How bold of you to believe that I could be thwarted so easily with mere trickery. Unfortunately for you..."
The monster bird's teeth were mere inches away, and he made sure his catch could feel every last breath. Rikuo whispered darkly, cracks of an animalistic rumble could be heard between each sentence. "I can't just let you leave with you knowing everything you do. An army isn't something I need to deal with later. No...." he bellowed. "I need to make sure you won't ever. Say...Another...Word..."
But just before he was ready to open his mouth to make the fatal blow, all of a sudden, the Alpha Wile was interrupted by thunderous explosions that echoed from within the tunnel walls. During his interrogation, the apex predator failed to notice the commotion that had quickly advanced towards their location. He looked up to see that Goro was readily fending off the whirlwind-like menace on his own, but she ultimately proved too much for the Beta Wile to handle.
"I can't let you in here! Master Rikuo is very busy--"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY OR ELSE!!" Shrieked a high pitched voice.
"OK!!" Goro staggered as he cleared the path.
Almost immediately after, a barrage of magical blue fireballs erupted from the entrance which continuously bombarded the Alpha Wile square on his face, neck and wings. The giant reared back and let out a horrendous shrill. Although the flames disappeared on impact and left no lasting scars, it felt like the equivalent to getting stung by a swarm of fire bugs. And the attacks were merciless enough that it forced the mighty master of the Tengu Wiles to back off into a corner. A small blur then dashed into the scene and stood in front of the still cowering human. It was clear as day that this infuriated the Alpha Wile to no end.
"Jaaaaaaac..." The bird rumbled.
The much smaller woman looked up at the mountainous fiend with a fearless and defiant grin. The sparks of blue flames still shimmered above her fingertips, just waiting to be flung again.
"You've been a bad, bad, bad, bad bird, Richard." She spoke with unwavering confidence.
"Don't call me that!" The Alpha Wile growled. "I'll have you know, that human would have burned the forest down if we hadn't intervened! It's only right that he should be punished for his deeds."
"He hasn't done anything! And you likely wouldn't have given him a fair trial!" Jac shouted. "Besides, you and I both know that you're just using that as an excuse to eat him."
The Alpha Wile then let out a bone curdling hiss, which prompted Jac to give out a loud hiss in return. Reginald in the meantime was finally able to look up at his savior, though the sight of her did not alleviate his fears at the slightest. She wore a smoldering hood and ebony colored shoulder pads which ended in a long cape that flowed in the breeze. The rest of her attire was in tatters and she showed a startling amount of skin on her legs and stomach.
"Y-y-you're a witch!!" He shouted.
"How'd you guess?" Jac hummed. Sensing the man's continued apprehension, she tutted. "You got a problem with that? Look, it's either going to be that guy or me. Take your pick."
Seeing the cards that were dealt, Reginald felt as though he needed to stick with the lesser of the two threats. Either instant death or a slow one. He'll take his chances on the latter if it meant he'd have an opportunity to get away any day.
"Thought so." Jac smirked. "I wasn't going to let you choose anyway!"
At that very moment, the witch threw a fist on the ground, which caused a five star banded circle to magically appear beneath the human's feet. Rikuo's eyes shot daggers knowingly at Jac before he charged towards Reginald like a rampaging bull. With his enormous size, the Alpha Wile would be able to reach their spot in a matter of seconds, but despite his efforts he was no match for Jac's quick recitation. Being the fastest spell caster in all the land did have its perks, even if she wasn't the best at it.
A star mark appeared on Reginald's forehead, alongside Jac's. The magic engraved flashed a bright crimson light before it disappeared beneath their skins. The monster bird screeched to a halt, his eyes red with fumes. He reared up on his hind talons, showing off his grand size in a final show of desperation. But in the end, there was nothing he could do from that point on.
"There! He's magic now!!" Jac yelled as she stuck her tongue out. "You can't do shit!!" The young witch then gave out a cackle befitting of her title.
The Wile giant lowered his head and leered at the woman, which only got her to sneer right back at him. "What are you gonna do about it, Richard?" Jac said in a sing song way. "You'd have to destroy me to get to him now."
Richard could only give out a light grumble in response, which prompted Jac to give him a pat on the nose.
"Atta boy." Jac mewed. She made sure to rub it in for a couple of minutes before the giant decided that he had enough.
Defeated, the monster bird refused to speak another word as backed up into the shadows that his feathers blended into well. Jac then turned to Goro who had witnessed it all unfold from a safe distance. His head dipped slightly into his shoulders.
"I need to take this fella to the ends of the forest." The witch said. "Care to give us a lift?"
Goro normally wouldn't think twice about heeding Jac's request, but the Beta Wile was nonetheless hesitant. With the master retreated to his roost however, he relented shortly afterwards. As the just as imposing bird lowered his body, Reginald was understandably shaking by his knees. With a little bit of magic to power up her palm, all it took was for Jac to shove the man forward to get him to land on the bed of feathers. She stepped on with practiced ease, as a magic rein appeared before her hands and wrapped around the monster bird's neck. Goro then carried them through the corridors, first on foot and then by wing. Despite his size, their flight would still be a long one that stretched for many hours. Which had given Reginald plenty of time to calm down somewhat and think about what in the world just happened.
****
The crimson mark sparked brightly as Jac put her fingertips on his scalp. The witch then clinched her hand in a tight fist, and in that instance the mark had vanished. She then let out a tired sigh and smiled.
"Okay! The pact has been removed. You're free now." She said.
"W-what??"
Reginald was outspoken by this point after the initial shock had mellowed down. "What exactly did you do to me back there?!"
"I gave you a witches contract." Jac replied plainly.
"You signed me up for a deal with the devil?!!" Reginald hollered. That got Jac a little vexed but all she could do was roll her eyes.
"First of all, I don't deal with devils. Second, that was the only way I could get you away from Richard safely. As long as we were linked that way, if you feel pain, I do too. And of course the other way around. But now that you're leaving the forest, you won't be needing it anymore."
Reginald was at a loss for words, but as the minute rolled on he was able to find them again. "S-sorry...for accusing you of... that. And uh, thank you... for saving me."
"Ehh, it ain't nothing. I knew straight away that you weren't some kind of hooligan out for blood or anything. If it's one thing I trust, it's that of a horse's mouth."
"Wait... huh?"
Soon, just as the crack of dawn had lit up the sky, they had reached a clearing with fields of grass that stretched far beyond the horizon. It was there when Reginald spotted a familiar creature, the very horse he thought he would never see again.
"He ran up to me and sought for my help." Jac explained, as she gave the steed a light pat on the chin. "I figured out right away what happened to you from there."
"He... spoke?"
"Nah! Just intuition. Though I heard witches can do that with some animals, it's beyond what I'm capable of with my current skill."
"I... see."
"Well, you're out of the woods now. Quite literally in fact." Jac chuckled. "I have to ask though, what made you come all the way to a place like this? There has to be some reason why you didn't take the long road around."
"Y-yeah.." Reginald was hesitant, but after a few gulps he fought off his nerves to pull out the cloth from his pocket.
"I... heard of an elf that goes by the name of Jillian."
Jac's eyes opened wide upon hearing that name. The traveler then continued. "I made a promise to someone that I would find and seek out her help. And rumors said that she would visit this very forest."
Jac's mood lowered. "She used to live here, many moon cycles ago. But she left suddenly, and I have no idea of her whereabouts." The witch grew silent for a moment for her old friend and tutor, before she shrugged off the unhappy thoughts the best she could. She then raised her hand on Reginald's shoulder.
"I wish you the best of luck on your journey. I hope you'll find what you are looking for soon."
"Thanks."
As Reginald walked away on horseback, he waved goodbye to Jac. Thankful to be alive, he would continue to keep her in his thoughts from that point forward. Despite this, the witch gave out one last warning before she disappeared into the covers of the trees she called home.
"Don't come back, all right? I can't promise I'll protect you twice!"
My story prompt combining Different Era and Panic! This features the public debut of monster!Richard, otherwise known as his feral Wile form in his first encounter with Jac. This story also highlights some Wile giant lore, with a demonstration of how an Alpha and Beta Wiles operated as a pack long ago.
Synopsis: Set in the middle ages, a young woman flees from an angry mob into a forest where dark and mysterious forces loom.
CW for mentions of blood and violence
From a distance Jac could see the illuminating specks that penetrated the darkness with their angry glow.
'Torches'
Swarms of fireballs and pitchforks had burst into the canopy of the thick brush, and was closing in on her fast.
'Just one spell', she thought.
The young woman was internally kicking herself for allowing this to happen. But then she remembered what lead her to make that fateful decision in the first place- an infant blue to the skin from a foreign object lodged in it's throat. If she hadn't used her magic at that exact moment of time, it would not have survived.
But instead of being called a hero, the normal humans gazed upon her with shock and disgust.
"A witch!" One cried aloud for the entire village to hear. And that was enough for Jac to know that she had to make a run for it. She was forced to leave everything she knew and held dear to her behind- her childhood home, her friends, her career... All because of one spontaneous act of kindness. Any good samaritan would have done the same, magic user or otherwise.
For many moons, Jac continued her quest to be free from this near endless chase but her pursuers had been relentless. Every new village she thought she could take refuge in would also join in with their weapons in tow- word had spread fast, especially since there was a bounty that deemed her worthy of their attention. "Dead or Alive" was what it read as she passed through one of the signs. "Just. Effin. Great."
Jac wished she had the ability to fly or to teleport. Or turn invisible! Or even transform into something entirely different- anything just to escape from all of this even if it meant leaving the human world entirely. But alas, only fair folk have such power, and she was merely a human who was blessed, or rather cursed with smaller bits of magic for some gutdamn reason. None of them served her well now, and even if they did they only offered temporary fixes.
Soon she had reached the entrance to what had been known by these parts as the dark forest. No rational human being would dare step foot on this soil, lest they be whisked away by all manner of sinister fair folk that dwell here. Fairies and fawns and other so called shadow creatures. Or what is perhaps even the worse of them all...
A perfect opportunity to lose them! Jac thought as she dived straight into the bushes.
Despite getting a good distance between herself and the angry mob, there was no stopping the nearly hundred strong from following her into what could very well be certain doom. The chance of large sums of cash was more than enough to drive them to the point of setting aside all rational thought. Without being given a chance to breathe, Jac had to press on even as her legs burned in pain. Her adrenaline spell was beginning to fizzle out, and it would only be a matter of time before her whole body shuts down.
Past a corner between a gap of spiny thorns she arrived at an area infested with all manner of tree trunk thick vines that reached towards the sky. With ever increasing panic, Jac struggled to find a gap or opening to continue her run with no such luck. It was starting to look like she had reached a dead end.
In sheer dread, she looked back to see that the people who wanted her dead had closed in. She can start to make out faces now, some old while others fresh. There was no stopping them as they stampeded in mass towards the young woman, swords drawn, torches flung and spouting calls to whatever god they chose to follow before they went in for the kill.
Jac fell to her knees.
'This is it...'
Her fists clinched in fury and her jaws did the same. Energy or without, she wasn't going down without a fight. With a bit of concentration a series of blue sparks began to ignite between her fingers.
'If Im going to die anyway I might as well take a few of these bastards with me!'
Without a second thought, she charged into the encroaching crowd like a rabid animal. As she did she tossed the magic dust from her knapsack onto her assailants, some of them making contact and setting their hair and hands ablaze. As the ones on the forefront fell however, two or more swooped in to take their place. Jac had put up an intense battle but she was starting to lose steam quickly. Within minutes, her enemies had advanced to grab whatever they could of her in their clutches, every arm and leg was squeezed so tight that it felt like her veins were about to pop.
Jac struggled her damndest to break free but it was no use. She could only watch as some of her pursuers began to light a fire under a cross that was being set up... she knew then and there that this was the beginning of the end.
All of a sudden the wind howled, at first lightly and then with a gust so great that it swept every person off their feet. The fire was blown out and amid the fear and confusion, Jac managed to break free. As her weakened form staggered to get as far away from the crowd as possible, something extraordinary huge swooped down gracefully from above, which stopped everyone dead in her tracks.
Large iron clad feathers, black as the night sky, covered the being's entire body from throat to foot. It's face was oddly humanoid, yet not quite, as he began to open his mouth to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. Jac was frozen in place when she realized that those pairs of incredibly large red eyes was staring directly at her.
"Wile giant!!!" A man cried out.
Bubbling chaos erupted from the masses as many had dropped their weapons in an attempt to run for the hills. But it was futile for a select few, for little did they know, the creature wasn't alone.
Seeping into the crowd just minutes before unawares, men with strange armor began to reveal themselves as they drew out their swords, their faces had transformed into a bright red hue. With a battle cry that resembled a high pitched shrill, they began to chase down the fleeing swarm, specifically targeting those who had touched the young woman prior as well as the people who were setting up for the execution. With expert swings, heads were flown and the forest floor was quickly covered in puddles of blood.
At the same time, Jac was in utter panic as she struggled to get away from the Alpha Wile that was looming over her. But it was no use as the giant lowered his hand over the woman, surrounding her without actually touching her like cage bars made up of his talons. Burning tears fell down her cheeks as she fell on her back, and with the last bit of strength left in her she screamed.
"Easy.." Said the voice above, hollowed and hoarse, but in a language that perfectly matched her own.
Dumbfounded, Jac was still shaking as she looked up at the monster who was taking up her entire view. She couldn't see it, but she could sense by his ever alert eyes that there were a few humans left that were surrounding them.
"We protect our own." He uttered.
Jac could barely process those words as the Wile giant gave out a bone curling hiss at one of his attackers. Renewed chills seeped under Jac's skin and she swiftly folded herself in a ball; she could only imagine the horrors that had ensued as she heard the sounds of bones crunching and cries that were horrendously cut short.
Not long after, the forest grew silent, an eerie calm from just seconds before. The giant lifted up his terrible claws and allowed the tiny human freedom to roam, which she acknowledged without having the courage to question. Jac took in her surroundings slowly as she viewed the carnage scattered all over, but she snapped back into focus when she saw the red faced men, four in total, approach. The young woman stumbled backwards, accidentally bumping into the feathers of the titan, which had since softened after he relaxed. The soldiers spoke in a tongue she couldn't comprehend while the Wile giant replied in kind. They then transformed again, this time resembling their leader in everything but size as they folded in their small wings in exhaustion.
"Beta Wiles..." Jac uttered in stupor.
She nervously backed away from the group but stopped short before making a break for it. One question lingered in the back of her mind, and if she didn't get answers now it would continue to haunt her for the rest of her days.
"Why didn't you kill me?" She asked with a slight crack in her throat.
The Wile giant cocked his head and gave out a small smile. Though it wasn't meant to be intimidating, it still looked that way for the much smaller woman.
"You're what the humans call a witch, are you not?" The giant replied, his thundering voice softened. "You're a fellow fae in truth, and we won't bring harm to our own kind."
"I'm not one of you!!" Jac exclaimed as best she could, her confidence lessening with each sentence. "I'm just an ordinary magician! I... I'm... not wicked..."
The Alpha winced at the word she had used but understood that she did not mean any harm by it. "No ordinary human could have pulled off magic like you did earlier. Your powers have only just awakened, but it'll continue to grow, and soon you'll leave mankind behind."
Jac eyes were reddened with renewed tears. "I... I... had suspected that, but... but..."
One of the Beta Wiles lifted his head and offered her advice. "Don't listen to the humans. They fear what they don't understand. You're not evil, that's the kind of talk they use in an attempt to control us."
The Alpha Wile then sighed. "We're just happy you came to the forest in time. Please, feel free to use our territory as your own, at least until you've healed some. There's plenty of food here and you won't have to worry about being attacked even under the bed of stars. The humans shouldn't show their faces here again, or else they'll have to answer to me."
"And me!" The other Wile shouted, and the other Betas nodded in agreement.
Jac was still overwhelmed by everything that had unfolded within the last hour. She was at the verge of death, then rescued by the beings that she thought would absolutely put an end to her life. And yet, she was given a second chance, even though she she could not bring herself to fully trust the Wiles even with their claimed hospitality.
With a lowered head that hid a slight leer, she thanked them quietly. "I can go anywhere in this forest?"
"So long as you don't reach the border back to the human realm, then you should be saf--"
At that moment, Jac took off, using the last ounce of adrenaline she had before she toppled over a bush a few yards away. That was enough- all she wanted was to get as far away from the flock as possible, at least until she was ready to face them again.
As expected, the Wiles had merely watched. Their Alpha gave out another sigh as he began to make his move towards the opposite direction. The Beta Wiles all climbed up his back as he walked away into the shadows from hence they came, but the Wile who had spoken up earlier couldn't help but voice his concerns.
"She'll be fine, she has a strong will." The Alpha comforted the smaller one with a light tap of his finger. "We'll be sure to fetch her something to eat if she doesn't have anything by morning."
And with that they all dissapeared into the darkness that their feathers blended into well.
The 25th entry and the last of the short stories I wrote from this list.
When Jac goes to visit the family farm on a colder day, there's one thing that she looks forward to more than anything else. It was surprisingly not her dad's wonderful singing, nor was it hanging out with the vegetable sheep herd and sleeping on their wool (though that would be a close second). That distinction belongs to staying in the living room and wrapping herself all around with her favorite quilt.
This luxurious fabric was hand knitted by the green man himself from the fleece of the very vegetable lambs that he had raised. It used to be a part of a much larger throw that had decorated the sofa for more than a decade. But after seeing that his adopted daughter loved it so much, Gerald decided that it would be better for her to have a piece of it to claim for herself. So he had cut off a portion and presented it to her one fateful dawn- and the young woman had been enamored with it ever since.
Jac was so comfortably snug in the center of her thick, warm veil atop her resting place on the back of the couch. Her figure reminded Gerald of a chrysalis, for the tiny human remained completely still in that exact position all throughout the morning. He knew she was awake, but he was also aware that she would not be getting up anytime soon.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Jac!" Her father teased, "I wouldn't be surprised if you will turn into a butterfly in a few more days."
"You know what?" Jac finally spoke in a muffled voice. "Let's test that theory."
"I never saw a giant butterfly before, so I'm sure that would be truly remarkable!" Gerald replied. "I bet you'll become a very beautiful one."
"Thanks dad." And with that, she was done speaking for at least another hour.
As the day rolled by and the nature giant was mostly done with his early chores, he sat down to relax with a nice cup of joe next to the human cocoon. While she failed to notice his presence at first, Jac listened intently as more and more sounds began to perk up her ears. The creak of a tin opened, which was immediately followed by a plastic wrapper unzipping, that would then unleash a sweet yet tart smell that tickled at her nose. Jac slowly turned her head around to witness the majesty that was her dad's famous cookies, her eyes then widened to about the size of an owl's.
"Well! That got your attention," Gerald said with a soft chuckle. "You want some?"
Jac gave an audible gulp that even the giant was able to hear. But as soon as she unfurled the quilt that had protected her small body, she was quickly reminded of why she had it on in the first place. After merely a moment exposed to the surrounding air, which in turn caused her to shiver quite a bit, Jac backed up and took refuge underneath the safety of her quilted shield once again.
"I think I'm good for now." She said.
"Are you sure..?" Was Gerald's response.
"Yeah..." Jac was reluctant, but she had mostly made up her mind.
"Well, that's too bad. I suppose I'll just have to eat the last remaining ones myself. Wouldn't want to let good food go to waste after all."
One by one, the noise of soft crunching slowly reverberated through Jac's skull, which had made it excruciatingly difficult for her to ignore. The thought of missing out on this rare treat pained her, and it wasn't long before she had to take back her initial decision. Gerald patiently waited as Jac's inner turbulence was swirling around in her mind. After a time however, he felt that he needed to speak up.
"Why don't you come on down here and help yourself? A bit of exercise will do you good! Besides," The green giant was hesitant to suggest this but he thought it would be the next best solution. "You can always go back to that spot when you're done."
"Deal!" Jac exclaimed in lightning speed.
As much as Jac would have hoped to keep herself from tripping over her blanket as she made her way to the seat, this proved to be next to impossible for the tiny human. Thankfully, Gerald offered to lend a helping hand quite literally, so that she can enjoy feasting on a part of a cookie without the need to unwrap herself from the safety of her fluffy cocoon.
Nothing could beat devouring one of the most delicious sweets that Jac has ever tasted while simultaneously being nice and snuggly with the best quality quilt that she owns. Gerald watched in silence as his adopted daughter happily chewed away like a rodent, and during this time he had a good thought.
"Why don't you take that blanket home with you? I know how much you like it, so it would only seem natural I think."
Jac nearly dropped the cookie she was holding and swung her head to face her father much too quickly. "This is part of a set with the other quilts isn't it? I'd hate to break it up after all this time."
"Doncha worry about it. I never cared about keeping a complete set or any of that hullabaloo. It's yours Jac. Feel free to take it and do whatever you please with it."
It took a little bit for Jac to fully realize just how happy she actually was by that statement. With a great big hug to her pops, she thanked him wholeheartedly for the gift.
"I promise I'll take good care of it!" She said excitedly.
"So long as you remember to go to work and exercise and get out of bed every once in a while then I'm fine with it." Gerald suggested.
"Sure thing dad."
Somehow her father couldn't believe that, but he went along with it with a slight sigh.
Prompt 22 focuses on a rare moment when Jac is feeling particularly small, thankfully Richard is there to help her to drive away the sads, at least for a little while.
'Child, you are my little ray of light
Like a fire that glows in the darkest night.
If you find me I will hold you tight
Never letting go
I promise I'll be there for you.'
Jac had awoken to the voice of her mother as she whispered into the young woman's ear- her sound echoed with such clarity that she almost thought it was real. But much to her despair, that couldn't be further from the truth. As she gradually opened her eyes, she realized the full moon was still shining through the curtains as she found herself within the shelter of Richard's hand. The Wile giant was sound asleep, yet he had subconsciously brought her up to his chest. On an ordinary night, his would have provided maximum comfort for the smaller human, but this time she was unable to feel the joy that this level of affection would normally bring.
Jac couldn't shake off the feeling that was began to well up from within her chest. It had been months since she had relapses of the visions of her mother in dreams, so for one to just show up unexpectedly and with that particular song no less? This had put a damper in her spirits and unearthed unspeakable anxiety that was shaking her to the very pit of her core. She had fought hard to weather her fluctuating emotions, but in the end, she was unable to hold back hot, stinging tears.
Richard steadily opened his eyelids by the sound of Jac's various gasps and wheezes. He looked down at the small woman who was curled up in the dip of his right palm, his eyes gradually shedding off some of their drowsiness as he began to realize that she was actually crying. The Wile giant's keen ears was able to pick up on her sobs despite the tiny human's best efforts to try and hide them.
"What's wrong?" He spoke softly, his tired voice still lingering.
Jac was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to pay mind to what was said, although she did quiet down somewhat. Perhaps she just chose to not answer him.
Richard wasn't surprised to see her like this, but he could never get used to it. This exact scenario would play out every once in a while for about as long as he could remember; the trigger was apparently always the same, but he was never given the details as to exactly why. After seeing what this has been doing to Jac, and always getting the same dodging reaction whenever he had brought it up, over time he felt that it was better not to question it. Or perhaps he had become too afraid to ask.
Instead, Richard brought his other hand behind the one that held Jac. He then slowly but surely placed her all the way against his chest, his hands completely covering her up as she was nestled onto the fabric of his shirt. He then began to start humming a sweet melody of his own.
The tune was pleasant, as gentle as the giant could muster with his voice. With variables ranging from a cheerful, upbeat track to a quiet, more graceful sound, Richard had many a song to hum to. After a few short minutes, Jac's sorrow had begun to dissipate, as she listened intently to the giant's voice as her mind spawned new visuals that tapped into her imagination. It wasn't long before she finally spoke.
"What are these songs? They all sound so... refreshing."
"They're Wile giant hymns," Richard whispered, "passed down from generations. They have different meanings but nowadays they're more commonly used for lullabies."
"Do you know the lyrics?" Jac yawned, as she wiped the remaining liquid off of her eyes and nose.
"I know of some. Many of them are probably difficult to comprehend for you, but I'll try to think of one that I can sing."
Richard paused for a moment, before he found one that he thought would be easy enough to share with the human. He cleared his throat, and began in a near whisper.
"Why are you crying dear child
The heavens bring the stars and the moon
The wolf in the forest, the birds in the trees,
the night flies dance in the twilight
there is much to see"
"What do the words mean?" Asked Jac, her eyelids getting heavier by the minute.
"I did say that they were cryptic," Richard chuckled, "but yeah... I think it's meant to be interpreted in different ways. But I personally think it means that even if there is stuff in the world that makes you feel sad, there's still enough beauty in this planet to not want to... give up."
There was a hint of concern in Jac's face, which the Wile giant picked up on right away.
"I'm sorry. It's just... this was one of the many things I've used as a coping mechanism growing up."
"It's okay, I understand."
Jac looked down on the indents of the giant's hand momentarily. Her mind was drifting once more, but this time with a new resolve.
'Perhaps that's what mother was trying to tell me all along.'
The beginning of new tears started to form on the base of her eyes. Richard realized what was happening and worried that it could have been his own fault, but instead of dwelling on it he chose to switch focus onto a more pleasant tune.
"Ode to the bush warbler building his nest
sweet songs that he sings, the cherry he brings
on route to gather many food in his crop
bring them home to seven mouths without stop."
That got a laugh out of the smaller woman, which brought a sense of relief to the giant.
"Is that a real Wile giant song?"
"No, you got me. I just made it up on the fly."
"That wasn't too bad though for something you thought up in a few seconds. You should record that!"
"Nah, I had already forgotten most of it."
The two friends laughed it out, before Richard continued to come up with different songs to hum. The new tunes ranged from an array of Japanese folk songs to popular music slowed to an almost music box pace. Jac chose to quietly listen through the rest of this special little concert that her friend made just for her, but it wasn't long before she fell back into the world of dreams again- this time with the clouds from before long gone, bringing with it clearer skies. Shortly after Richard followed suit while in the middle of a tune- he had apparently sung himself to sleep.
Synopsis: Jac is set on getting a piece of the pie, quite literally. Little did she know, a certain Wile giant would catch her in the act.
Mild cw for some snackish teasing
Jac's eyes glistened as she beheld a marvelous sight. Her mind was in a wistful, dream-like state and her mouth watered after breathing in its freshly baked scent. A pumpkin pie fit for several giants sat atop the window sill. Steam swirled over its hot, flaky crust, which hinted that it had been brought straight out from the oven. If it were a dream, Jac would have been floating in midair as if she were pulled by its soft, hypnotic spell. Jac's mind was made up- she was cooking up a nefarious strategy, one that would involve extra cunning to pull off successfully.
After several attempts, Jac had managed to throw a bed sheet over a chair that was conveniently placed near the window. After she lowered the other end of the sheet rope by tying it around a weighted anchor, the little daredevil then proceeded to climb up the wobbly path, making sure to maintain a firm grip during her ascent. After she had gotten onto the seat, she climbed the rest of the way up via the handle and hopped squarely on the sill with a shaky landing. Her prize was within her sights, and the only thing left for her to do was feast. And with that, she made quick work of it.
It wasn't long however, before she heard a sudden creek from the door. With her mouth still filled with pumpkin pie, Jac slowly turned her head around. She was expecting Bo to check in on her and possibly give her a lecture about eating the sweet pastry when he asked her specifically not to until it cooled. Instead, someone else had walked in, and upon realizing who it was, this caused the tiny human to swallow hastily in panic.
"Well well well, what do we have here..?" Richard spoke in a sing song manner, no doubt amused by this scene. He scanned the hand prints that had been scattered all over the pastry, as well as the small crater that Jac had already chewed off of.
"A mouse!" He teased, "What a surprise."
"Richard!" Jac yelped slightly, "I wasn't expecting you to come over today!" Tried as she might, she wasn't able to hide her nervous laughter. "Where's Bo?"
"I dunno! He wasn't in here when I came in, so he must have gone out for some reason."
"Oh..." Jac replied disappointingly.
She had felt it in her bones and in the soft, slow tone of Richard's voice- the Wile giant was getting hungry, but it wasn't the pie he was after.
"Jac, you seem to be stuck! Let me help you out.." He spoke darkly with a gentle, yet just as grim smile.
Jac gulped. "I, think I'm good."
"No you're not!"
"...Why's that?"
"I feel like you're missing something..."
Without further warning, Richard made a quick-draw of a can of whipped cream that he had pulled from the counter just a moment before. Jac was given no time to react as she was sprayed head to shoe along with a quarter of the pumpkin treat that she was standing on top of.
With the tiny human secured in place for the time being, Richard gathered a safety knife and began to carve a slice for himself, the one of course with his sweet cherry on board. As the Wile giant carried his plate over to the dining table, Jac tried all she could to persuade him to change his mind, no matter how small of a percentage that would be.
"Bo's going to come in any moment, you know that right?" Jac protested as she attempted in vain to wipe away the thick coating of white sugar.
"Don't you worry about a thing, my Cherry," Richard crooned, "I'll be sure to make it quick before he even comes back!"
With that statement, the giant had begun to scoop up the pie with his spoon bit by bit, deliberately aiming it close to Jac so that it seemed to barely miss her by mere inches. Jac wasn't amused by this act of false intimidation at first, but her grumps had soon desolved into laughter as Richard began to lick the heavy cream off of her. Whether she giggled as an involuntary reaction simply because she was ticklish, or this was due to her secretly enjoying this weird form of affection is anyone's guess. To Richard it appeared to be a bit of both, which was more than enough of an excuse to keep up with his gentle slurps.
Within the excitement, they failed to hear the heavy footsteps as they made their approach to the dining room.
"A-hem"
The two friends were startled to a halt. They immediately looked behind them with their mouths hanging agape, where they find Bo who stood near the entrance with his arms crossed. He had the look of disappointment with just a hint of seething rage within his stare. Richard stammered to put his utensils down as he simultaneously bolted from his chair. Jac had a more nuanced response, but she still couldn't hide the blush of embarrassment from her cheeks.
"Well...?" Bo said coldly.
This time Richard was the one who chuckled nervously. "Oh hi! Didn't, hear you come in!"
"Care to explain...?" Bo was looming over the smaller Wile at this point.
"Well, um, you see..." Richard gulped. "I came to check up on Jac to see if she was okay, and I found her on top of this pie. And... well, I see that she's perfectly fine! So... now that I've confirmed this I'll best be on my way! I'll see you later okay Jac? Bye!"
Richard would then ease his way past Jac's big brother before he brisk walked the rest of the way out the front door. With that out of the way, Bo faced Jac and sighed.
"Why do you let him get away with this?"
"Well, for one it's in a Wile giant's nature, and two... well..." Jac was hesitant to admit anything else but Bo had gotten the message, much to his visible displeasure.
"I'll never be able to understand.." he sighed yet again. "You're not helping this case yourself little lady, if you haven't been munching on that pumpkin pie..."
"I'm sure he would have had a different excuse," Jac said. "Well, on days when I don't feel like dealing with him, I should visit you more often, haha."
"Sounds like a plan." Bo replied with a slight smile.
10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?
-the closest to this is probably the multi chaptered works that have gone on hiatus, which I had to drop for various reasons. They all linger in the back of my mind, to the point where I now feel like I shouldn't take on any more projects before finishing these first, aside from maybe a few one shots. I do plan to return to them soonish, but I'm going to do the smart thing and not post until all the chapters are actually written down first.
26. How do you get into your character’s head? How do you get out? Do you ever regret going in there in the first place?
-Honestly, it just comes down to thinking about my characters too much x3 Diving into my oc's heads involves trying to get a sense of what it would be like to be in their shoes. Figuring out what they would do in the given situation based off of their personality, beliefs, etc.
And yes, I have escaped. Sorta. I used to be a lot more hyperfixated on them (and gt by extension) than I am currently. Thanks to a number of factors I don't feel that the niche itself gives off the same kind of spark as it used to. Thankfully however, my characters still hold a special place in my heart. I don't ever regret getting a good look into their minds, and I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. To the point where I enjoy giving them even more problems haha
