I too was one of those people who believed it just to be a fairy tale but some small part of me wished it was true if only to fly like a bird or be free like a wolf. It's funny how fate seems to work around those tiny wishes of ours.
I was travelling from city to city along superstitious forest roads; roads few dared to trek down in fear of witches or other such unnatural things. I thought that they were only stories made to scare others; I didn't really expect anything interesting to happen.
“You there! Young man!" Came a voice from behind that sounded like it had no right to say those words.
Turning around somewhat wearily, the stories of the trail springing to mind, I watched as a man no older than 30 hurriedly made his way towards me pulling a cart that seemed far too big for a man his size.
Seeing me raising an eyebrow at his payload he was quick to try and erase my superstitions. “No no, don't worry I'm not a witch or a troll or anything else you may think I am. I'm just a simple travelling merchant that specializes in exotic goods."
The man had caught up to me now and fell in step with me, which was surprising since I was walking faster than usual and was only carrying a backpack while he was carrying so much more.
“I travel this road quite often when heading towards Tyrellia," the man told me, “and never do I get the pleasure to actually meet another human on this road."
He continued to talk and I only half listened, I was more concerned about how since the man had arrived, I had not heard a single forest animal and occasionally I swore I could hear a howl. I wasn't sure if I should take all this as a good or bad omen.
Sensing my discomfort the man shifted the conversation. “You don't mind me walking with you, do you? At least until sundown that is, after that I'll need to leave you to reach the city by sunrise."
I muttered my consent and the man lit up once more, continuing to talk about his adventures and some of the things he had collected in his years. Silently I was doing some quick calculations in my head, it took 3 days to get to Tyrellia, and I was only a one and a half days in. Did the man really think it was wise to travel at night and risk garnering the attention of the more dangerous denizens of the forest?
Stopping his rambling and expressing my concerns to the man only earned me a hearty laugh from him. “My boy you worry too much, when you get as old as me you learn a few things in your life time. Worry not about me, instead worry more about what you plan to have for supper or if it will rain today."
I silently wondered if the man was older then he looked, knowing it was rude to ask and now impossible to gauge, I dropped it for a more interesting topic of choice. “If you don't mind me asking but, do you have anything more interesting than simple things from other lands?" I asked.
The man once again let loose a hearty laugh, something I feel I would have to get used to.
“Do I ever! Do you think that I can just sell simple things from other lands and call it a day? I wouldn't be a seller of exotic goods if some things made even the smartest people question their outlook on the world."
He stopped and out of curiosity so did I. Turning towards him I was about to ask why he had stopped, my question instead caught in my throat once I made eye contact with the man. It wasn't menacing but boy, was it piercing. It felt like all my hopes and ambitions as well as fears and hatreds were on display for the man to see. I unconsciously noted that his smile faulted for an instant before beaming back brighter than ever before.
“Boy, I think I have something you're going to love."Shifting forward the man pulled down a stopper from the two handles he was pulling the cart by and walked around to the back of his cart to scrounge through it. Thinking it was rude to inquire what just happened or what he was doing I instead was content on waiting for the man to once again show his face.
It didn't take long thankfully and he walked over to me with a book in his hand while seemingly inspecting the tome for any damage. “Here, have this," The man offered, thrusting the book into my hands, “I can't sell it, too many people think it's just a fairy tale and I have nothing else to gain from it. I would tell you not to damage it but... that would be outright impossible."
Raising an eyebrow at the man I looked down at the cover of the large tome, it looked fancy to no end and the script on the front was unreadable, the book was quite obviously old but lacked any tell tale signs of being so. Maybe the man had a point?
Looking up to thank the man for the strange book I noticed he wasn't where he just was. In fact he wasn't anywhere in sight and the sun was close to setting. Had... Had I just been standing here for hours? Was it all just a dream or hallucination? Looking down at the large book I felt it wasn't and looking down at the hard dirt path proved it even further when I could see visible lines where the cart was towed.
Stuffing the large book into my now cramped backpack I decided to jog until the sun was about to set to attempt and make up for some lost ground I made while just standing here. I had much to think about.
The sun had set, I had made a campfire and now all that was left was to sleep. That would normally be the case if I wasn't given this tome, the script – or more accurately, runes – on the front seemed to glow a soft golden light on their own which was both thankful and intriguing. Flipping it open I was surprised to see it was in my language and I promised myself I would only read the first few pages. Who knows how long I spent reading that night before sleep finally claimed me.
I fell into one of the strangest dream that night. I was a wolf and I could smell my prey, they were all in one spot from the smell of it and if it wasn't for the absolute quite of the night I would be excited for such an easy dinner. As it was I was eerily uncomfortable and decided to investigate then feast if I could.
I could start to see a faint light up ahead, a tell tale sign of a human no doubt and somewhere in that light both laid my prey and hopefully an answer to the sudden interest. Sneaking closer as to not makes a single sound I was partially thankful that I was downwind; it meant that they could not smell me and it would be a thankful respite from causing commotion.
As I neared closer I heard murmurs, I could hear fox talking to deer who was also apparently conversing with a few rabbits. Whatever they were under the spell of it became clear that the hierarchy of the forest was seemingly being ignored and that something of a much greater importance must have their attention. Breaking into the lit clearing as majestically as I could I was appalled when I was only given quick glances before conversations were resumed.
I started a low growl in an attempt to reassert my dominance when the human next to the campfire caught my attention.
It was obviously asleep and had been for some time, but the thing on its face sparked forgotten instincts inside me. Walking over to the sleeping human I looked at the cover and was mesmerized by the soft glow of it. Breaking out of my trance I realized I could somehow actually read the cover as if my instincts themselves knew what it said, 'Animal bonding, the lost and forgotten art of soul sharing.'
It was now clear what the commotion was about, I found out that someone had discovered the light and sought its warmth but instead made the discovery. One thing leads to another and now a quarter of the forest turned out to see what the fuss was about. There were animals here that should have been asleep hours ago and here they were talking about what they would do if they got picked.
I sat there and idly listened to them all. I didn't want to be picked but I felt that if I was it wouldn't have been either the humans or my decision and instead a binding of fate. I liked where I lived, I was the ruler of these lands. I didn't want to leave and I certainly didn't want to become someone's pet. Of course the benefits were there if what was being said was true, higher intelligence was one of the main ones but so was a degree of sentience. Not having to worry about food and exploring the world was nice for some but here I had all I needed.
It was then the cloud that seemed to hang over this clearing made itself known to me. It wasn't spoken out loud but most, if not everyone here knew that the book was giving us some degree of sentience and intelligence. I knew the words in my head and the words I was hearing was just the books power, I knew that normally I would have ravaged this clearing the second I had gathered a whiff of prey.
It was then the main selling point of being bound snaked its way into my heart. I had had a taste of sentience and intelligence and if not bound by the person I would lose this liberating freedom I had gained. It was then I changed my mind on being picked, leaving this place to travel alongside another – even as a pet – was better than squatting here in this forest pretending to be the ruler of everything yet owning the kingdom of nothing. Sentience and intelligence was looking real good right now.
The human stirred and I looked up, my tired eyes noticing that the light we had all perceived to be the campfire for the last hour was actually the rising sun. Any moment now the human would rise and might pick a partner. I had to make myself presentable in that time.
I woke in almost complete blindness, the word 'however' taking up almost the entirety of my right eye's vision. Shifting uncomfortably at how I fell asleep, the book slid off my face and thumped loudly closed on the ground next to my head. Opening my groggy eyes I stopped mid stretch and yawn when I realized that I wasn't alone in this clearing.
Beyond my feet was a wolf that was looking up at me sheepishly mid lick of its fur, to my right was a proud looking fox with its head held high and to my left was a stag that seemed to bow its head at me. Beyond those animals were various others that were all staring at me in looks of wonder and hope. Thinking back to the oddly clear dream I had just awoken from I concluded that I probably had to choose an animal or two for a 'pact'. Maybe those children tails aren't fairytales after all.
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