Going to see if I can bang together a new part every few weeks.
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Part 2Gavin did a double-take. But his new nose and eyes weren't lying. They were berries!
And they
glowed!
Before him a gnarled vine twisted around the base of a giant oak. Bunches of yellow berries clung to the foliage in regular intervals as the stem spiraled up the tree. And each berry shimmered in the shade, golden points of light dancing around the tiny fruit. He'd never seen anything like it!
Their sweet aroma caused his mouth to water, and he plucked his lifestone out of his muzzle to catch a better whiff. Could such a marvelous plant belong to someone out here? Well, no one was around... He picked one of the berries and studied the sparkling fruit. Held between two clawtips, it was half the size of a grape. Or rather seemed that way. His body was smaller now, so his scale was off.
He had no way of telling if the fruit was safe to eat, but his rumbling belly insisted he try. Tentatively he chewed up the fleshy sweet gem and grinned as it tickled his taste buds. It was good! A ferocious hunger stirred within him and he plucked more of the sweet treasures, gulping them one by one. For once his worries faded, and he reveled in the warmth growing in his stomach.
Having cleared all the berries within reach, he staggered over to the other side of the tree to continue his glorious feast. The world spun around him with each step, and he giggled as he tripped over some loose vines. They were so good! Finding another batch, he tore into them with an insatiable appetite. Each bite of the sparkling fruit brightened his mood and strengthened the giddy warmth that filled his belly.
Soon the second batch was gone. Or was it the third or fourth? He tried to find more, but shapes spun around his head. He waved the black blur that was his hand in front of his face and laughed. He thought he saw more of the wondrous yellow specs float past, but as he reached out to grab them he fell backwards into the bushes. So many colors! He laughed as weird blobs danced across his field of vision. His eyes grew heavy as he lay in such a comfortable position, and darkness quickly came.
----
Voices swirled around his mind. Echoing, screeching things. He drew a quick breath as consciousness returned to him, his muzzle so painfully dry. His head hurt and he felt as if he'd drunk too much the night before. Jagged ridges poked his back as he lay there and a musty dampness assaulted his nostrils. What happened?
He saw rock above him, as if he rested in some sort of tunnel. He doubted he could sit up without banging his head. But he couldn't sit up at all! Something bound his neck to the ground, and rustling his hands and legs proved them to be bound together as well. Was he tied up?
His eyes darted around as panic welled in his chest.
"It's awake! It's awake!"
He flattened his ears as something screamed shrilly. He caught a glimpse of movement to his left, but it was gone by the time he turned his head. He seemed to be in some sort of cave-- a tiny tunnel rather. Two holes opened in the wall to his left, both twisting into darkness. Between them stood a single torch, so small it was but a candle flame. Orange light danced upon the craggy rock walls. The walls closed in around him on all other sides, as he rested in a sort of nook in the tunnel.
"The reyan is awake ye say?"
The voice echoed from deep within one of the holes, and his ear twisted to pick it up. This one was less high pitched, sounding more like a miserly old man. "Stay away from it! I'm coming! I'm coming!" It still had an inhuman screech to it that made him grit his teeth.
From the closer tunnel burst a yellow figure, hobbling on a tree twig like a cane. Perhaps eight inches tall, it looked like some sort of ferret or prairie dog, thick tail lashing behind.
And it had his lifestone.
Gavin tensed as he watched the stone under the creature's arm, a deep emptiness welling in his heart. How could he be so foolish!?
"Oh, ye want this, do ye?" The ferret-thing wagged his twig at Gavin's nose, precious lifestone tucked against his side. It was nearly too large for the frail creature to carry. His graying muzzle cracked in a smile. "Ye owe me a wish."
Gavin's jaw dropped. "But-- but... I don't know any magic!" He struggled against his bindings.
"Ye lie! Ye lie!!" The old creature threw his cane to the side and grabbed the dimly glowing orb with both hands, long claws wrapping around the delicate glass. "Don't ye lie to me, reyan!"
At the same time, something grabbed Gavin's heart. He gasped in pain and collapsed to the floor as every ounce of strength left him. It hurt so badly!
"Ye owe me a wish!" The yellow ferret-thing stamped the ground irately.
Through blurred eyes, Gavin saw another creature enter the room, fur more towards a yellow green. "Father, stop. I think it speaks the truth." She picked the discarded twig-cane off the ground. At least he thought it was a she, as her voice was higher. "It only has one tail."
The graying ferret loosened his grip and held the gem with one claw. It was huge in his tiny hands. "I know that. But I am its master now." He grabbed the cane from his daughter and poked Gavin's nose. "It shouldn't talk back! Ye hear that! Ye hear that!"
Gavin's lips wanted to curl in a snarl, but he forced them back down. "Y-yes..." His heart thrashed against his chest. He just wanted to escape!
"Good, and ye will grant me my wish?"
"Yes..." A wish? How was he going to grant a wish? Tears came to his eyes.
"Good. Now what were ye doing gorging yerself on mana berries if ye don't know magic? Eh? Eh?" The twig tapped Gavin's nose again.
Mana berries...? Those glowing things! Just the thought of them made his stomach grumble for more. Those, sweet, delicate... No! They were like some drug! "I don't know!"
A few high-pitched chuckles sounded across the echoey room. More of the creatures watched from the safety of the tunnel mouths. "He doesn't know... he he he..."
"Even the stupidest know to stay away from mana berries, fatso." The eldest poked him in his belly. "But 'tis alright. If ye don't want to show yer magic, that's fine. So long as the wish is done." The ferret twirled with dignified grace, and pushed his twig-cane through the growing crowd of yellow to yellow-green furred little beasts.
Blinking at the odd comment, Gavin moved his tightly bound arms to the side to look at his white-furred belly. He had always been a skinny fellow, and that trait had followed him when he became a reyan. But his stomach did seem to stick out more than it did before... In fact, he could still feel the warm, sweet delicacies deep within-- Argh!!
"Do you think it will be alright if it can't use magic?" A scratchy voice asked.
"The lelran will use magic against it!" Another one sounded.
"Pah! Just look at it!" The elder turned and pointed at Gavin's muzzle once more. "Those massive teeth! Those wicked claws! It's a monster! Revenge is ours..." With that, he disappeared into the left tunnel, the entourage of ferret-things following. "Leave it be! Don't talk to it. Don't touch it. Don't go near it..." His voice echoed and died down the corridor.
Gavin watched their bright yellow tails disappear into the darkness. Revenge? Just what would they have him do? Gavin trembled. Did they want him to fight? To kill someone? He was afraid to ask, lest the creature squeeze his lifestone again.
His lifestone... he felt it pulled away, his body growing colder and colder as the distance grew. What if the elder ferret-thing dropped or scratched it? What if he took it too far away? What if Gavin couldn't grant the wish? Misery engulfed the young reyan as he lay in the dank tunnel room, bound and hopeless.
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