Fantasy Forest 3: Ressurection

13. Partings

I walked down the hall towards the stairs and as I did so I could hear a small commotion down below that seemed to consist of three different voices. I turned the corner and peered down the stairs. Down below was Seally but he was joined by the purple haired girl from yesterday, Patty, and Demetri who apparently hadn't left yet despite it being well past sun up. Seally had a sour expression on his face as Patty seemed to stand over and lecture him. I couldn't make out what they were saying but as I approached the taller girl grew silent and smiled at me.

"Good morning." She said.

"Hey." I mumbled. I felt awkward walking into their conversation but Seally seemed somewhat relieved to see me. "Whats going on?" I asked.

"Its nothing." Seally stated. "Just uninvited guests."

"Don't be rude!" Both Patty and Demetri said and Seally groaned quietly. I took out my phone again and looked at the time. I had to get home. Seally must have saw this because he turned to me with a strange expression.

"Are you leaving?" He asked. I couldn't read his face. In the moment it looked both sad and angry and maybe just a little bit pained but even then the expressions were subtle. 

"Yeah." I muttered, feeling somewhat guilty before remembering that it was Seally who had forced me to spend the night in the first place.

"I'll walk you." He said. "Wait here." And then he turned and shot Patty and Demetri a look before turning back up the stairs and heading for his room.

"I thought you said you would be gone by morning." I said to Demetri who smiled coyly.

"I was gonna leave but then Patty showed up so..." His voice trailed off as he turned to smile at the woman. Patty, in turn, patted Demetri's head in a slightly condescending manner before speaking with me.

"I had something to discuss with the little king." She said.

"What was it?" I asked.

"Personal." She stated with a sly smile. I had very mixed feelings about these two. Demetri made me uncomfortable because of his sharp claws and when he smiled I could see even sharper teeth, but Patty was something else. Patty looked at me as if she had known me forever and knew all my tiniest and dirtiest little secrets. It's not that I had something to hide, but the way she almost looked through me was unnerving.

"Lets go." Seally's voice piped up from behind. I turned and saw him dressed in his usual robes which seemed to settle me since it meant that while he was walking me back, he probably didn't intend to stay in the city long...I hope.

"Ill be waiting here for your return." Patty said.

"Thats unnecessary." Said Seally.

"I think it is necessary though."

"I'll be gone for hours."

"Im used to waiting."

"I might not come back at all."

"Then I will find you and drag you back. It wouldn't be the first time."

Seally finally huffed and grabbed my arm to pull me away.

"We are leaving." He said.

"See you soon." Called Patty as we exited the castle and Seally shut the door behind us.

"Are you fine leaving your friends behind?" I asked.

"They are not my friends." He stated. "Besides, you can't walk home alone." 

I nodded in agreement with that statement as we began the long walk back to the city. Was it just me or did it take even longer today than it had the day before. We also seemed to pass unfamiliar places that I didn't remember from the day before but eventually we did make it back to the iron gates that separated the city from the woods.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye." I said.

"And why is that?"

"I have to go home and you have to go back to your castle to see Patty."

"I am in no hurry to go see that woman." 

"Well I have to go meet my friends and I can't bring you with me!"

"Why not?" Seally asked and I sighed. He was being stubborn.

"Seally." I said with my sweetest voice and my sweetest smile. "Seally I am putting my foot down. You can't come with me." Seally paused and for a second the air was filled with nothing but the sound of birds and distant traffic.

"Fine." He said at last and I let out a sigh of relief. "But don't think you can get rid of me. I know where you live." His words sounded almost like a threat but his voice and face didn't contain any anger.

"Does that mean you will be coming to see me again?" I asked.

"Of course." He said. "You're mine now after all." 

I ignored his last statement and bid him a quick farewell as I climbed over the iron gate. As soon as my feet touched the pavement I turned to look back at him but he was gone.

"I KNEW IT!" A voice called out from next to me. I looked over with a start and there was Talia. She had been hiding behind the wall next to the gate. I threw her a sheepish smile but she looked absolutely pissed. "I knew you were up to no good!" She yelled as she drew near me. "You were in the woods with that kid, weren't you! Why do you always do such dangerous things!"

"Calm down." I told her.

"DON'T TELL ME TO BE CALM!" She screeched. Her small body was shaking by now and she had very evident tears pooling in her eyes. I could tell she was close to breaking. "Do you know what could've happened!?" She asked me. "Do you know what you've put me through!?" Her shacking voice seemed to soften as the tears started running and eventually she just collapsed into a small heap on the sidewalk and moaned into her hands. A couple people passed by and stared at us and I gave them an awkward wave as they hurried past. "What were you doing in there?" She asked me between sobs, her hands balled up into toy fists rubbing at her eyes and puffy cheeks.

"I'll tell you." I told her. "But you may not believe me."