Farafel - Ch2 Bliss

At that moment, Terrance Tobias Albion was no more. As far as he knew, he had died. At that moment, he became me. I don't know how long it took. I only remember darkness. I had the sensation of drifting through the blackness that had surrounded me. I could hear someone speaking. Though I didn't recognize the words. I tried to call out but nothing came. I tried to move but nothing responded. I was...detached. I felt like I didn't exist at all.

The voice soon became clearer. I began to understand. “Please, do not be afraid.” It said. “Please, do not be angry. It took all of my strength and it cost me my life. I am afraid it will cost much more than that, but I have no choice. I am sorry to do this.” I recognized it as what I had read moments before the darkness came.

Sorry to do what? I wondered.

“The window was opened. But it was never shut. I saw an observer and I stole him. I am truly sorry.”

Saw an Observer? Is that me? My thoughts seemed to echo along with the voice. As if I was communicating with it. The fact that it answered me seemed to confirm that.

“Yes. My brother...my prince is in danger. I cannot go on. Please, do not be angry. I have placed my responsibility onto you. Protect him. For I can no longer...” The voice drifted away. I could feel its presence leaving.

Wait! Who are you? ...Silence. He had gone.

Another timeless moment passed. I suddenly felt a searing pain in my gut. It was more than I had ever felt in my life. It burned itself deep inside of me and spread all over my body. I suddenly felt...stretched. Like I was being pulled in several directions at once. I felt sensations in places I never had before. I felt like I was falling. Plummeting down into the darkness. And with a startling jolt, I stopped.

Slowly I opened my eyes. I wasn't greeted by towers of stone and glass. Nor did I find myself in the sand underneath the jungle-gym. I was laying in grass. Surrounded by trees and rock. My head spun. I closed my eyes to keep from nauseating myself. I tried to stand up, but had a little trouble balancing. I made it up to all fours and tried to get oriented.

“Where...?” I said. Or at least...tried to say. What came out was more like something between a grumble and a bark. I opened my eyes in surprise.

“What did I...?” I tried again. What left my mouth sounded nothing like I had intended. It was...inhuman. It shocked me enough to realize that I was oddly comfortable on the ground like this. I looked down at my hands...or rather what should have been my hands. They were planted firmly on the ground beneath me. Covered in silvery blue scales and tipped with dangerously sharp claws.  My legs were curled beneath me and my feet stood with their balls on the ground. Something that was quite impossible for a person to do. I was suddenly aware of limbs I never had. I felt a weight on my shoulders and at the end of my rear. I closed my eyes again.

This is a dream, right? This can't be real. Hesitantly, I tried to flex the muscles I felt on my back. Sure enough something moved. I focused on the appendage behind me. Again, it twisted and curled as I commanded. I opened my eyes and turned my head. I was met with scales and claws. A pair of wings hung on my back and a long lizard-like tail flowed behind me. I couldn't deny it. I was a dragon.

It was, to say the least, surprising. I knew it couldn't possibly be real, but I was far too alert for this to be a dream. A hallucination, maybe? If so, it was incredibly vivid. It was dark, it felt like it was late at night. But I could see clearly in the darkness. I could feel the blades of grass swimming over my...claws...as the wind blew by. I could smell all the different flavors of the forest from the trees to the animals surrounding me. And the strangely tangy but sweet scent of blood...

Blood?! There was blood all over the patch of grass I was laying in. And it led to a lump in the grass next to me. I looked closer at it and found it to be a small boy. Couldn't have been older than twelve years or so. Somehow, I knew this was Prince Axel, the character from the book I had just read. He was unconscious but still alive. Maybe it was the disembodied voice's final message, or just some impulsive reaction to seeing someone in distress but something came over me that instantly told me that I had to get Axel to safety. As soon as I moved, a pain in my gut seared over me.

I had a deep cut across my stomach. The pain was like I was back in the darkness again. The sight of the wound was sickening, but I just had to keep going. I did my best with my new stature and limit dexterity, but I eventually just grabbed Axel's leather vest with my teeth. I tried to be gentle and still move quickly. I wasn't sure how I knew where to go, but I pulled Axel to the nearest road. The pain became too much and I had to stop. I saw a horse pulling some sort of covered wagon coming down the road. It stopped near us. I growled. I was weak, and not completely aware of myself. I saw someone approach and tried to remain alert, but I had lost too much blood and blacked out soon after.

“Who do you think they are?” Darkness. I couldn't see anything. It worried me until I realized my eyes were closed. I couldn't bear to open them, though. I felt like I was asleep for days. The rumble beneath me implied I was moving. As soon as my mind finally clicked on, I figured I was on the cart that had approached us.

“Who ever they are, they's lucky we happed by and not some band a 'rauders.” I tried to feel around me. My tail only twitched when I tried to move it and everything else just felt too weak to do anything. I was vaguely aware of something binding my stomach. Bandages I assumed. Who ever found us at least wanted to keep us alive.

“The boy had a bolt wound in his shoulder and the dragon was run through with some bladed weapon. It's a miracle he was able to move at all, let alone drag his master through the woods and survive.” The didn't seem to know who they had found. For some reason that relieved me.

“Might be a thief...or a heathen. What'll we do with them?” I wanted to fall asleep again. But there was still one thing left that nagged at me.

“Daniel, it doesn't matter what creed he has or crimes he's done, he's a little boy that needs our help! We'll take him to Derga. It's on our route, maybe someone there will know who he is. Let's set up camp. It's late.” Derga...That did it. I vaguely remembered that Nolan had instructed Farafel to take Axel to Derga. It made a certain amount of sense in it's own bizarre way. Farafel died protecting his prince and I just happened to be around to take over. Great. How lucky for me. Somehow...I've become the pet dragon of a fictional prince...And it hurts too much to be a dream. This was my last thought before I finally drifted asleep again.

Something woke me the next morning. A smell. I couldn't quite think of what it was. But it smelled absolutely delicious. I could feel my mouth salivating. My stomach grumbled, despite the wound it had sustained the last night. In fact...it felt fine. That made no sense to me. Gaping wounds don't just heal over night. I didn't dwell on it long. I was too hungry. I stood up tentatively. I seemed stable. Adapting to my new body was easier than I had expected.

If I thought my eyesight was good at night, it didn't compare at all to what it was like that morning. Everything was bright and vibrant. It was...a shocking experience. I took in my surroundings, temporarily forgetting about my stomach. I found that I was indeed in the covered wagon. It was well built. Almost like a house on the inside. There were beds and a table built into the walls. There were various objects scattered and piled near the back. Things from pots to clothes and jars. In one of the beds I saw the Prince was still sleeping. I walked over and sat next to him.

“Ah, yer uppan about, I see. ” The man took me by surprise. I hadn't even heard him coming. I'm not sure exactly what I expected from this new body, but I must have assumed I'd have command over all of my new senses. I was on my feet and turned around in an instant. I instinctively took a combative stance, “Woah, there, little dragon. I mean no harm.” I shook my head, realizing what had just happened. The man was slim but still looked strong. He wore a plain cloth shirt and leggings. His face was clean shaven and his hair was cropped short. He seemed a little under 20 years old by my estimation. I looked at Axel again. He was breathing slowly, but steadily. He was asleep this time, not fainted. I relaxed a little knowing that he'd be fine. “You two lost a keg out there. Kept comin' outta ya, too. Supprised, ya didn't shrink up like a raisin, I was. Mar patcht ya up a good one, though. Nonna that 'gic ever made no sense to me. But it works miracles sometimes, eh?”

“Is he awake, Daniel?” Another voice said. Female and much more well spoken than the man.

“His little dragon is. Boy's still catchin' a wink er two.” Another figure appeared at the back end of the cart. She was rather pretty. Had long curly hair, dark as the night. Curvaceous would have been an understatement. She wore a simple dress and shawl. Her complexion was a little darker than Daniel's. Over all she looked like some sort of dancer. She walked in an knelt next to me. She looked me in the eyes and then examined me from head to tail. I wasn't entirely sure what to do, so I just let her do it.

Finally, she said, “Hmm you look fine. I've never seen anything recover so fast. I admit you're the first dragon I've had to heal. I'm Marie, if you can understand me. I'm here to help” She removed the bandages around my waist. All that was left of the wound was a jagged scar running diagonally across my belly, “Even for a dragon, a wound that deep should still take days to heal. You've got a strong spirit, little one.” Just at that moment, my stomach decided to remind me and everyone else in earshot, that it was hungry. I leaned back in surprise and embarrassment.

“Not surprising,” She said, “You lost a lot of blood. I've tried to make up for it as much as I could. Still, you're probably starving. Daniel, the meat is probably done enough now. Let's give the little one something to fill his belly.” Daniel quickly left the wagon and returned in less than a moment.

“There ya are, dragon. Somethin to keep ya from gnawin on Astrid, at least.” Daniel was holding a large chunk of roasted meat. Instantly, my mouth began to water. I was so hungry. I couldn't even move. I could only stare at it, frozen in place. After what felt like a year, he tossed the slab of meat into the cart. I couldn't help myself. I was on it immediately. Tearing into it was disgustingly pleasurable. I didn't know what I was eating or if it was even cooked. From the amount of juices and the...admittedly wonderful flavor of blood that it produced, it must have been almost raw. It was nauseating to me, but I couldn't stop. I wasn't just eating. I was feeding.

This was how I spent much of my first day as Farafel. Surrendering myself to my senses and instincts. And as much as I regret that day of weakness and shameful exhibition. It was...fun. Almost a dream come true, you could say. I read fantasy books and adventures because I felt I lacked a purpose. All my life I've used these tales to escape. To suddenly found myself to in one of those stories? Well...who wouldn't lose their head?

Daniel and Marie set off on their cart toward Derga soon after breakfast. Axel still didn't wake up, but I didn't worry too much about him. I was too busy racing their cart horse, Astrid, down the road. Running on two legs has nothing on running on four. I was intoxicated by how fast I could run and how long. I ran for miles and didn't even get winded. Astrid wasn't much of a racer, though, and would often just ignore me running around in circles. As the day went on, I sunk further and further into the bliss of being a pet dragon. It took me until nightfall to realize that Axel didn't wake up the entire day.

We stopped around dusk and I returned to the inside of the cart. I looked as Marie stood over Axel. Giving him another examination. She stayed with Axel all day and kept trying to get him to wake up. I laid down in the corner, completely exhausted.

“Hmm...his fever is worsening. I think the bolt must have been poisoned. Where is it?” Marie looked around and found the bolt on the table. She examined it and the wound, “It looks as if he pulled it out himself. He has nerve, I'll give him that.” She set down the bolt and began rummaging through the items in the cart. After a while, she stopped and sighed.

“The matter, Mar?” Daniel was laying on the empty bed, not really paying attention.

“I know this poison. It's a simple knockout blend. But it's not intended for children. I don't have all the supplies I need to cast the purifying spell...I don't know if it'll work without them. He may die before we reach Derga”  Marie sat in a chair dejectedly. I moved over to Axel's side. Poison? I thought. I was suddenly distressed at the thought of Axel dying. Almost to the point of panic. Daniel seemed to notice my agitation.

“The 'little one' don like the sounda that. May as well try. Worsll happen is nuthin.” Marie nodded and began marking the floor with chalk. She used several different items and used them to draw more symbols on the floor. It all looked very complicated and I didn't bother to pay attention. I just stared at Axel. Wondering where the fear of losing this stranger had come from. I felt an attachment to him. Perhaps it was another thing the first Farafel had left in my lap. If anything, it annoyed me. I was stolen from my own world in order to fill a role my predecessor couldn't manage. Now I have a loyalty to this person I had never met before. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling. Eventually I began to justify it. It isn't so bad, I considered. If I do this...I should be able to get home...right?

“Daniel, help me move him onto the circle.” The two of them lifted the sack that made up the bed's mattress. They placed it carefully in the center of all the markings, making sure not to disturb them. “Alright, now we just need a miracle and this should work.”

In the face of the demon, in the presence of death,
In the twilight of spirit, in the living's last breath,
Expel the foul and breathe in the light.
Defend this poor soul, and cleanse him of blight

Marie chanted her spell and I felt the air grow dense. The light around us seemed to dim...as if I was focusing on a bright light. My skin tingled and my nose itched. The circle she drew on the floor looked almost as if it were glowing, but neither Daniel or Marie seemed to make notice of any of it. Whatever she was doing was playing with my senses. She repeated her spell several times, and the effects seemed to lessen in strength. But Axel showed no signs of responding. It wasn't going to work.

I soon found myself chanting along with her in my mind, just trying to urge the spell to work. I felt a chill go down my spine and the air cleared. Marie had stopped chanting and looked down. Daniel looked worried and sat back down onto the bed. Marie sighed and stood up.

“I guess I wasn't strong enough,” She said. I turned as she left the cart. Her spell had failed. The poison was still infecting him and would probably kill him before we reached town. I wanted to bring her back. I wanter her to try again. But she just left.

Just then there was a moan from behind me. I turned around to see Axel stirring from his sleep. When he opened his eyes, it was...surreal. The look of pure love and relief when he looked at me broke my heart. I knew it wasn't really me he was looking at, but I couldn't help but feel...cherished. To him, I wasn't just a pet. At that moment, I understood the connection Farafel had left for me. For the first time in my life it was like I had a family.

“Fel...?” I walked up to him as he sat up. He was alive. I was happy. All the running and eating and simple pleasures of the day didn't compare at all to how happy seeing him look at me made me. “Farafel! Thank the Almighty you're alive! I surely thought you were lost.” He pulled me into an embrace and didn't seem intent on letting me go. I admit I don't believe I wanted him to. The impact of the sudden connection I had with him stunned me for a moment, but it also woke me up. I couldn't just frolic without a care in this intriguing new form. He was my Prince. In a way, he was my brother. And I had to protect him. No matter what.