Flowers and Claws

Chrysanthemum

The creature stood up from her position. She then turned around to us, her hair seeming to grow even longer as she did. She looked at me for a second, her eyes sparkling like an ice cold river.

Her skin was a beautiful tan, looking like melted caramel. She had wrinkles around her eyes and the corner of her lips. She looks like the type of creature that would constantly be smiling.

"Grandmama, I need your help. He doesn't speak Korean. I mean he can obviously tell what I'm saying, but I have no clue what he is saying." Jaebum said

The long haired creature looked over at my protector, "Nymphs speak different languages depending on where their heritage is from. Some will speak Latin, others will talk in ancient tongues that nobody knows anymore."

"Well, do you think you could tell what it is that he speaks?" The werewolf questioned

"I should yes, get him to say something. He won't listen to me since I'm not his protector. His DNA is programmed to follow every word you say."

Jaebum nodded then turned to me.

"What's your name?" He questioned

I furrowed my eyebrows together.

"Ask another question, he might not understand."

"Uh okay. What's your favorite flower, you have to have one, yes?"

I smiled lightly before grabbing his hand. I looked over at the other creature and grabbed her hand too. I walked out of the metal mountain. My feet making a soft thudding sound on the hard ground under us.

When I got to the opening that we walked through earlier I let go of their hands. The opening was now closed and I was so confused.

I made a small noise in the back of my throat. I had no clue how to show them if I couldn't get back out.

"What's wrong?" My protector asked me

I turned to him before pointing at the now closed opening.

"Oh, you don't know how to open the door." He said

"D-door." I repeated, trying to say it the way he did

He smiled brightly, "Yes! Door."

I smiled back, proud that I did it right.

My protector then grabbed onto something sticking out of the door. He twisted it before pulling. The door opened again.

I smiled once more before running out into the rain that had started pouring while we were inside. When I got to an area of grass I started walking to an area in the middle of it. Speedwells appearing in my wake.

I sat down on my knees, placing my hands in my lap. I then closed my eyes and thought about my favorite flowers.

I felt the soft petals brush against me as I thought of them. I could hear the raindrops land on the lush flowers.

When I opened my eyes back up a perfect circle of white chrysanthemums was around me. The flower of truth and loyal love.

There was water on my eyelashes as I looked back up at Jaebum.

My chest filled with happiness as he smiled slightly. I liked his smile a lot. His face seemed naturally expressionless, so seeing such a small action made me feel so good about myself.

"Μου άρέσει αυτό εδώ." I said happily

"Greek, he speaks Greek." Grandma said

I nodded my head fast.

"Okay, come on back inside. We have to get you changed then we'll have a little talk. After that we'll have you meet all the others." Grandma stated

I looked from her to Jaebum.

"Oh right, come to me." My protector said while holding out his hand

I stood up and quickly ran to him, grabbing onto his warm hand. It felt nice against my own cold, damp skin.

"Go take him to Taeyong's room. They look around the same size. Also it would be good for him to know that there's another nymph here."

Jaebum nodded before he started taking me deeper into the mountain. We walked for a while before we were in front of another door.

Jaebum knocked on it lightly. I heard a clicking noise before a boy my size opened it.

"JB hyung, hey."

"Hey Tae, I need to borrow your clothes." He stated simply

"What?" He questioned

The werewolf looked over at me, the other boy following after. His eyes lit up in pure joy.

"Finally! Another nymph! Come in, Jaebum hyung, stay out there. If he's gonna change you don't need to see him." The boy ordered

"I'm never going to get over how controlling you are. I've already seen all of him. He's literally wearing only my shirt." Jaebum muttered before walking away.

As I was watching him leave I was pulled into the area beyond the second door. The boy closed the door and then looked at me.

"This is so amazing. I've been the only nymph here for so long. I'm happy Jaebum finally found his. And one who is my size too!" He cheered

I just stared at him.

"Oh right, language barrier. Uh, what do you speak."

"Greek." I said, pronouncing it the way that Grandma had said it

"Oh, okay. I know Greek." He said to himself

He then slipped into Greek himself, asking me a few questions.

"What's your name?"

"My mother called me Jinyoung." I answered

"How old are you?" He asked

"Twenty three."

It went on like that for a while before he said that I need to change clothes. I told him that I didn't know what clothes were. So he explained to me it's what you put on your body to cover yourself up.

I thought about it, and realized that I'm the wild, my clothes consisted of that cloth.

Taeyong then sat me down on this really plush thing. He called it a bed, I called it a less hard tree branch. He just laughed lightly while looking through a hollowed our tree thing that he said was a dresser.

I looked around the area I was in. Hues of beautiful greens and vibrant yellows littered the "walls". It looked like the outside was painted on the inside. There was a sunset of tall hills on one wall. A forest on another. There was an ocean on the third. And behind me was a wall filled with all different types of flowers.

I looked up and saw that there were stars above us.

"Why do you have all of this on the walls? Don't you go outside to see them?" I asked

Taeyong continued looking, "My boyfriend painted them for me. He told me that he didn't want to be the reason that I never got to see all of the things I love constantly. So when I'm not outside, I can still be around the gorgeous things I love."

"What's a boyfriend?"

He laughed slightly, "It's a person you love and have a romantic relationship with. My boyfriend is also my protector. He's a werewolf like Jaebum hyung. They're actually brothers."

"Oh, okay."

We sat in silence for a bit until Taeyong screeched.

"I found the perfect outfit."

He turned around towards me, showing me what he picked. He then placed it beside me on the "bed", waiting.

I then realized that he wanted me to put it on by myself.

"Oh no." I muttered