The Cursed Prince and His Witch

@ FallenHope95

Atreyu leaned back harder against the wall once he heard a response from inside the room. He had been worried that her unwellness had taken a turn for the worse. The thought of checking in on her before this had crossed his mind but also did not seem like something that he should actually do. After all, this wasn't a family member or some close friend. She was just a witch that he hoped could help him. Checking in on her in the early morning or something seemed like an almost creepy thing to do. Especially if she was sleeping. But, the man did have a lot riding on this witch and he could only hope that it would go well.

Once she came out of the room, he pushed himself off of the wall and stood up properly. "Good morning to you as well." Atreyu said as he followed her down the hallway. He wondered if she actually remembered any bit of the layout of his house. He had thought now so he was instead, pleasantly surprised when they arrived at the dining room. The pancakes he had made were still steaming on the table. Alongside with syrup, butter, glasses of water and fruit.

"I hope you like them. I never made pancakes before so I don't know if they taste right." Atreyu told her honestly before heading over to his own seat at the table. Once settled, he took a few from the stack before beginning to eat. They tasted good enough but who was to say if it was actually right or not. "How are you feeling this morning?"

@ Sweet.Persephone
"Seriously?" Rey asked, surprised as she glanced behind herself towards Her eyes a little wide as she hadn't met anyone who's never made pancakes before. Walking to the table, Rey sat down where she had sat down before and took two of the pancakes that Atreyu had made for them. Putting some butter and then syrup onto her pancakes, Rey then cut the soft fluffy cakes into bite-size pieces before taking a small bite. Her right eye slowly twitching as she noticed something a little off about the taste.

"You uh, added quite a bit of salt to the batter," Rey said quietly as she reached out and grabbed her glass of water to wash the burning salt taste from her mouth. "Where'd you get the recipe for these?" Rey asked, trying to seem casual in her question and not upset Atreyu. After all, he didn't have to make her breakfast or dinner last night. "I'm feeling better, I slept like a rock last night so I think I'm almost completely better. Just a little bit sore." Rey said as she looked up towards Atreyu before looking down at her food and doing her best to eat the salty food.

After a while, Rey found herself almost halfway done with her food and she glanced at Atreyu once more. "Do you-" Rey paused, her lips pursing slightly as she tried to figure out what she had wanted to say. "Do you know what those things were last night?" Rey asked quietly, her lips pursing slightly. "I've felt them in the dark before. Just, never had them hurt me like that." Rey raised her right hand and ran her hand through her damp hair. "They were really scary."

@ FallenHope95

Once Rey had taken a bite out of the food, Atreyu lifted his eyes up to look over at her. His head tilted to the side a bit as he watched her drink down the bite she had just taken. "Is it too much?" Atreyu asked her before motioning his head over to one of the cookbooks that was on the kitchen island. "Just from that cookbook." He told her. The man took another bite of the pancakes before offering her a shrug. Perhaps it was a bit salty but the man didn't mind that so much. Food was food and he had gotten used to his own cooking after being in this godforsaken land for centuries. "It's not that bad despite it though."

He let out a long hum, giving Rey a bit of a nod as she spoke about how she was feeling. "Good to hear. Can't have you laying around in bed for too long. After all, you have work to do, especially now that you are going to be stuck here for a while." Atreyu shifted his eyes back up to look her in the eyes. "I mean, you can't stay at the store or your house anymore. At least, not for a while. It is clear that you are not prepared to be living on your own yet. If it wasn't for me you would probably be dead... or perhaps in someone's basement? It's really hard to say." The spoke matter of factly before shrugging at the thought of it all. This was just how life was for those with magic in this world. It was so rare that many thought it didn't exist. And those who knew but didn't possess it became obsessed.

Atreyu went back to his food for a bit, allowing the silence to fall behind them. He didn't mind it. At this point, the man didn't have a lot to say to her. Rey needed to heal, needed to understand her own magic better. Plus, despite what she said, the man believed that she needed a few more days of rest. These human bodies were so frail. So, when she started to talk, he glanced off to the side for a moment, unsure if he should answer anything. Though he decided that it did him no good to keep her ignorant. "They are shadow walkers." He answered her. "Unfriendly creatures but they only like to fight in groups. When they first met you, there probably wasn't enough of them to attack. That or someone is controlling them."

@ Sweet.Persephone
There's really nothing to be said when Atreyu spoke about the recipe. Slowly, standing up Rey walked over and grabbed the book to bring with her when she sat back down. As Atreyu spoke, Rey flipped open the book and looked for the recipe that Atreyu used. Also noting that the book was a little outdated as well. "A pinch of salt." She mumbled quietly to herself and then glanced up towards Atreyu, looking at his hands before looking down once more.

Closing the book, Rey sighed and looed towards Atreyu. Her lips pursing together as she crossed her arms. "What do you need me for? You've spoken about needing something before but haven't answered me." It was quite annoying to be kept in the dark. Especially since this guy went out of his way to save her and then is forcing her to practically stay here with him. "You're practically keeping me hostage you know. Kinda." Rey mumbled quietly as she looked down at the book that she was looking through before looking back towards Atreyu.

"Shadow walkers?" Rey murmured quietly, her lips slowly turning into a small frown. "Are they like, demons or some sort of magical created thing?" Rey asked, curious as she hasn't learned of these creatures before. "How could they be controlled?"

@ FallenHope95

"I am not keeping you hostage. You are more than free to leave, if you'd like." Atreyu told her with a sigh. "I wouldn't recommend it though. I think you would be dead by the end of the week without me but you can go." He finished up his pancakes and stood up from the table. "Don't get me wrong, if you left, I would come to check up on you. You are right, I need you for something. But I can't force you to do anything. I am going to ask for your help in something and it is easier to do that if you are alive. But it will remain your choice if you want to stay or go. But if you are unwilling to help me, then I won't allow you to stay here."

Atreyu set his plates down in the sink before turning to her. He leaned back against the counter, glancing Rey over for a moment. Once again, sizing her up. Even after the last day, Atreyu wasn't quite sure what to think about her. And he didn't know how much he should reveal. But, now he was at the point where not telling Rey what he needed would cause a larger issue. Now she was staying here, with him, and he didn't want to waste time on someone who wouldn't help.

"I came to this world centuries ago through magic. A portal, really. But when we arrived, the portal closed behind us. Not even a few days later, some we were attacked. Many of my men died. Some of them retreated, others captured. But I was cursed during the warfare and was able to get out alive. I believe that I am the last of my people alive in this world and it is my desire to go back. I need your assistance in making a portal back to my world." He hesitated for a moment before continuing on. "And I need you to lift the curse off of me that was placed centuries ago."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Sitting up straighter, Rey slowly narrowed her eyes. He was willing to let her go, but she'd die if she did? Was that a sort of fear tactic? Did she even want to change that though? She wasn't sure. A small huff escaped from Rey as she listened. Her back straightening as she crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't sure if she could believe him or not, although he hadn't done anything to her yet. Then again, it could also be a form of Stockholm syndrome?

Although, when Atreyu finally turned towards her and started to actually explain. Rey's eyes widened and she felt her shoulders relaxing. Her back rested back against her chair as she listened. Finding his story confusing as well as interesting. "A portal?" Rey murmured quietly, trying to think about what he was saying. "Cursed." The pieces slowly coming together and Rey couldn't help but frown as she glanced up towards Atreyu. "So, what? You're not human then?" Rey asked, feeling a chill slowly move down her spine.

Opening her mouth, Rey wanted to ask something else, but then closed her mouth. She wasn't quite sure what else to say at the moment. Her head spun with questions and needing answers to things she wasn't quite sure he was going to answer. "What are you then? Why'd you waited so long to try and go home? You said you've been here for centuries, certainly, you've had chances to break this curse and go home before. Right?"

@ FallenHope95

"No... I am not human." Atreyu told her, a bit of uncertainty entering his voice. "I have tried to go home many times before this. I would always run into one problem or another. For example, witches and warlocks are not easy to find. Sometimes it would take me a mortal lifetime to find one. Some wouldn't want to assist me, would say no and send me on my way. Usually out of fear. As you might imagine, there are those who get paranoid. Afraid of who is friendly and who is not, so they turn away everyone to protect themselves. Some would only help for a price, and there were prices that were too high for me to pay. Then there were the ones that I was able to assist me but... well, they couldn't do it. Either that magic was in their abilities or they were too weak... or they died before they could complete the spells for me."

Atreyu cleared his throat a bit. "There are a lot of obstacles that have been in my way. And, because I have been here so long, I have taken breaks as well. It is hard to be on what seems like an endless journey to get back to where and who I belong. Admittedly, it has taken a toll on me. When it does, I stop looking"

He tapped his fingers against the counter a few times, hesitant to continue on. Atreyu turned his head, looking out the window and into the woods that were besides his home. But, after a moment, he let out a sigh and looked back to Rey. "I am a dragon. The curse laid on me made it so I could could turn back into my true form. Nor use many of my abilities."

@ Sweet.Persephone
As Atreyu started to speak, her heart suddenly felt heavy and nerves started to rise up inside of her. Not human, is the first thing to really hit her and cause her to feel anxious. Except, he didn't seem to stop speaking there as Rey expected. She was only thinking that he'd tell her that and leave it handing in the air to keep her curious, but he didn't. No, he was opening up his life to her, his soul sorta. Rey's stomach dropped and her shoulders slowly did as well. A deep sorrow slowly started to fill Rey. Here she was, thinking that Atreyu was just another guy who was bulky and intimidating. She would have never guessed that he was just a simple man who would want to just get home. To his world, realm, whatever you'd want to call it. His family must miss him terribly.

"Are you certain that I have the abilities to help you?" Rey asked quietly, her gaze wavering slightly as she looked down at the table for a moment before glancing off to the side. "I mean, just a couple of days ago I was a normal girl. Living a normal, working, and trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. I've got no formal or informal experience to speak of and I can't even read the book that's been left to me." Her gaze slowly shifted towards the man who deemed himself a dragon. He looked completely human to her, there was no dragon or reptile characteristic's that she could notice on him. So, the spell either worked wonderfully or this man was a creepy liar.

A quietness that Rey wasn't used to befell upon her. One she wasn't quite used to, it felt deeper. A little bit sadder, maybe it was because she knew the feeling of being separated from a loved one too soon. To not be able to go home anymore. "Okay," Rey said quietly, feeling like things were getting a bit too grim in a way that she wasn't comfortable in. Slowly, Rey moved to stand up from her seat and started to walk towards the room she was in once more. "I better get started. I can't read my book, and I have no idea what I'm doing but as they say. Rome wasn't built in a day, so I better get started on trying to learn to read." Rey said, squaring her shoulders and trying to portray as much confidence as she could. If going home and being able to be his true self is all Atreyu wants. Then she'll help him. What could she possibly lose from doing so?

@ FallenHope95

"I do not know." Atreyu told her honestly. "I can sense magic but I have lost the ability to determine the type of magic around me. I can only hope that you are able to learn it quickly and help me. And, do not worry, I know that it will take time for you to learn how to control your powers. I am aware that I will spend much time waiting for you. But I am willing to wait if that means I have a chance to go home, to be who I should be again." He ran a hand through his hair. "This is all that I want. I have been striving for this for centuries. A few more years means nothing in that timeframe. And I know you will learn how to read the book, they all do."

A bit of a smile came over the man's face when Rey promised to help him. "Thank you. I would rather you do not daddle in this task but, also, do not stress yourself out. I am sure that it will take you a long time. After all this time, I can only assume that creating a portal to another world is advanced magic." The man gave her a little shrug before turning around and closing the dishwasher. If he was honest with himself, Atreyu had no clue if it was or not. But it would not make sense to him if it was something that Rey could do within the first few months of becoming a witch.

"If you need something from me to help your training go smoother, just ask. I can't guarantee that I can help but perhaps I can figure out something for you." Although his knowledge on how the actually spells worked in witch magic, the man had every intention of doing whatever he could to resolve this. He was desperate to go back home. Atreyu would do anything to go back. Anything.

@ Sweet.Persephone
It's been a couple of weeks and things have been progressing. Slowly, but they were slowly getting there. It took around two weeks alone for Rey to be able to read the book and get a small understanding of what the spells were saying. An come to find out, not all of the writing in the book was for spells. Some were for summonings, and others were for potions. Who would have guessed that Rey's grandmother was teaching her magic potions the whole time they were in her garden back at her house. It was mind-blowing to Rey, even weirder though was the fact that she found a note written to her on the day her grandmother passed. As if it was a journal, signed and dated. Telling her that she was gifted with something great and to take pride in herself more. It was such a grandmother thing to say, except Rey now knew that she meant what she wrote.

In the note, Rey's grandmother wrote how she was blessing Rey with her power once she passed. Saying it was the family's tradition, to pass on their powers when they felt their life-ending. It was a way to hopefully help correct their sins of the past, to help do good. Which, Rey took as her family had something to do with cutting off Atreyu from his own world and family, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She already felt like the overgrown lizard didn't like her enough as it is. So, instead, Rey used that knowledge to push herself forward and get stronger. To actually help her supposed dragon friend.

"Just a sprig of Newt's tail and it'll be done," Rey murmured and then tried to hold back her gag reflex as she opened the jar. It was the first time she'd used the supposed ingredient for something and well, Rey really wished she didn't open the thing. As she couldn't help the scream that escaped past her lips as she freaked out. "They're moving!" She shouted as she hurriedly picked one out and threw it into the cauldron that Atreyu found for her and then hurriedly closed the jar. "Why does this have to be so freaking gross! Who in their right mind would touch this shit all the time?" Rey complained as she placed the jar on the small shelf on the basement wall and shivered, brushing off invisible newt tails.

A small groaning sound started to build behind her and Rey slowly turned around. Expecting for the sound to be one of the old water pipes, only for her to see a pink blob forming on top of the cauldron. "Oh, no," Rey murmured quietly and moved to duck behind an old couch just as the bubble popped. Releasing hundreds of tiny little bubbles that smelled like summer and sent sparkles everywhere when they popped on a surface. "Ah, Atreyu is gonna kill me. This place is gonna look like Hello Kitty's playroom." Rey murmured, peeking out from behind her hiding spot to see that the bubbles also left pink goo on the surfaces. "Shit."

@ FallenHope95

It had been an interesting two weeks for the man. It had been a long time since he lived in the same house as someone else. So, adjusting had been difficult for him. Although, he tried his best not to show it. It was just so odd, turning a corner and seeing another person there. Walking around his home and seeing bits and pieces of another person's existence. There were times where it seemed that the woman showed up out of nowhere, or when he heard mumbling and such from around the corner. This was just something that the man was going to have to get used to. And he would. Atreyu knew how to adapt.

During the last two weeks, he had taken to reading. There was no much for him to do at this point. A witch was found and now the man had to sit around and wait for her magic to work, or die. At that point he would find a new one but right now, all he could do was wait for something to happen.

That was when he started getting a strange sense from the basement. While he was no longer a dragon, Atreyu kept some of his abilities after the curse. Not most but... hell something was better than nothing. So he closed the book he was reading, setting it down on the side table before slowly making his way down to the basement. It was most likely that Rey was stressed out, or that someone had gotten ahead of her. But what he saw made his jaw drop.

"Rey! Do something!" He said as he stepped into the room, watching the cauldron spew, causing the pink sparkly goo to go everywhere. "Why did you do this!"

@ Sweet.Persephone
A small groan escaped from Rey as she heard the heavy footsteps of the supposed dragon as he rushed down the stairs. She was in so much trouble now. "I-I can't! I don't know how!" Rey yelled back as she peeked out from her hiding spot. Her eyes widening a bit more as she saw the mess her little potion was making. This was so not what she had been expecting to happen. How could she stop it, she only knew one spell to neutralize things and half the freaking time it did nothing. Another small squeak escaped from Rey as she saw the mess was slowly spreading towards her. Threatening to coat her in pink goo and sparkles.

Freaking out a bit more, Rey ducked behind her hiding spot and pressed her back against the couch she was hiding behind. Her eyes closed as she muttered a spell that was supposed to neutralize things but was usually useless. It was the only spell that Rey knew that neutralizes things, so she kept her fingers crossed that it worked. And surprisingly enough, the sound of the cauldron slowly stopped and the tension that was building in the air slowly dissolved. Leaving behind a calm scent of lavender to cause people to feel more relaxed.

Slowly, Rey peaked out from her hiding spot once more and frowned. The spell had worked, but it didn't help with the small mess that she had created. "Welp, I guess that potion's a goner," Rey murmured quietly as she looked at the mess she had made. It'll take her forever to clean it up unless she used a spell to do the work for her. "Sorry," Rey said quietly as she peaked up towards Atreyu and then down again. She had a feeling that he was going to be even grouchier than usual now that she'd made a mess in his basement. "I'll uh, clean it up right away."

@ FallenHope95

Once the potion was no longer out of control, Atreyu allowed the door he was holding to open up all the way. He stepped inside, rubbing his forehead as he glanced over the huge mess that was there. Atreyu then looked down at himself to see that the majority of his clothes were now pink and sparkly... For a moment, he held in a breath before releasing it as a long, tired sigh. There had been a few mistakes that occurred from Rey's practicing. It was expected. She was new, with no mentor. The woman had no idea what she was doing and he was stupid enough to let her experiment in his own home. But there was no where else for her to do it.

Atreyu closed his eyes as he dropped his hand from his head, allowing it to return back to his side. "You might want to consider learning a cleaning spell. This is not going to be the last time you make a huge mess in my house." His eyes shifted over the basement once again. "It is definitely good that I moved you down to the basement. Otherwise this might have infected the whole house."

The man was doing his best to try not and lose it. This was not the first time and it was not going to be the last. Besides, if this witch actually got him home, then it would be worth it. "Just try not to infect the rest of the house." He paused for a long moment before pointing out the bathroom in the basement. "And clean up before you come upstairs. I don't want residue magic getting into the rest of the house."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Whenever Atreyu spoke to her like this, it always made Rey feel like a child. Being scolded for doing something that she wasn't supposed to do. Her shoulder sank down a bit and a small sigh escaped from her. "I know, I know," Rey mumbled quietly, her eyes roaming over the mess that her little attempt at making her first pure magic potion had made. What a disaster this had been. Maybe she should have waited to test things out, at least waited until she knew some actual spells off the top of her head or something like that.

Raising her gaze, Rey glanced towards the bathroom before looking back towards Atreyu. "You know, pink suits you." She said, offering a small smile. It was a crappy attempt at trying to make the dragon smile and was most likely a failed attempt as well. Releasing another small sigh, Rey placed her hands on her hips and looked around. "Don't you even want to know what I was working on?" Rey asked, hoping for some sort of interest from the man she had protected her from who knows what out there. "I promise you would have liked it."

Walking towards her book that was placed on a little podium that Atreyu had found for her. Rey started to slowly look through the pages. She still barely understood it, but it was slowly coming to her. Each day, she felt the magic from the book slowly building up inside of her. "Ah, and I want you to ask me with actual interest! Don't give me a monotone reply!" Rey cut off Atreyu and gave him a devilish grin as she looked back down at her book. She stopped flipping through the book when she found a page to enchant things. Looking towards the mob and broom that were in the basement corner, Rey mumbled the words for the spell and watched as the things glowed for a few moments. Then a couple of moments later, the objects started to move on their own and clean. Sweeping up the sparkles that weren't attached to the goo and the mop washing away the pink stuff.

Grinning, Rey looked towards Atreyu. "I'm becoming useful." She told him and then returned to watching the objects clean the mess she had made up.

@ FallenHope95

"Purple suits me," Atreyu told her rather bluntly. "Not just any purple though." His eyes shifted off to the side, glancing out of the one window there was in the basement. When he was in his dragon form, he was purple. It was a rich, deep color. Not only was it strong but it symbolized his place in society. As their prince. The one that would one day rule his people. It had been such a long time since Atreyu had seen his shade though. The specific shade wasn't all that common... and it seemed to not exist in this world at all. Though that was just fine. The man was sure he would just long for his true form more if he saw it.

His eyes shifted back to the young woman as she asked if he wanted to know what she was working on. Atreyu looked over at the pot for a moment. Did he want to know? According to her, he would have liked it but did she even know what he liked? Rey was basically a stranger to him. Though as he was about to open his mouth, she cut him off, telling him how she wanted him to ask the question. She was being rather needy. Both wanting the question asked and for it to be asked in a certain way.

Even so, Atreyu shifted a bit, standing up a bit straighter to prepare himself to ask. All the while, she managed to enchant some items to start doing the cleaning for her. At least Rey was getting better. "I suppose you are becoming useful." He said with a mused smile. Atreyu stepped into the room, specifically on the spots that were clean. He looked closer at the goo that was on the floor, analyzing it to see if he had any idea on what it was.

"Alright, what were you working on then?" Atreyu asked her. "It must be something spectacular if I would like it."

@ Sweet.Persephone
A small sigh escaped from Rey as she got the supposed Dragon to ask her what she had been working on. It wasn't exactly how she wanted him to ask her, but it was good enough. "It's a potion that's supposed to make one dream of their happiest memory," Rey said quietly. Her eyes looking back down at her book. Her right pointer finger slowly tapping on the pedestal as she thought of what else to tell him.

"You just, always seem a little down. So I thought a potion that would make you feel happy for a couple of moments would be a good idea." Rey did her best to offer Atreyu a small smile. "but something went wrong and well." Rey looked around at her mess and frowned. "This place because of a little girl's dream." The edges of Rey's lips slowly twitched upwards before moving down into a frown.

"Well actually, I don't know if you'd be happy with it but I thought it was a nice gesture," Rey murmured quietly, her eyes slowly looking up towards Atreyu. "Sorry for the mess," Rey mumbled, a small sigh escaping from the young girl as she watched the cleaning objects move of their own accord.

@ FallenHope95

Atreyu's head tilted slightly when Rey revealed what she was trying to make. In truth, he was surprised to hear what she thought would make him happy. Although it was not necessarily something that he would want... He was somewhat touched by her kind gesture. But Atreyu thought that it would be too sad to repeat a happy memory, with him being home, and wake to be back here. It seemed to him that Ray thought a bit like a child. Though that was not surprising at all. In his world, Rey would barely be a toddler. New and fresh to the world. And, in many ways, she was as well in her world.

He smiled lightly at her, the curls of her lips moving up slightly. The man moved across the room until he was at her side. He reached over and lightly patted her on the head. "I appreciate it," Atreyu told her, his voice gentle. "Though you do not need to worry about me. I am content with how I am at the moment with where I am. I really don't expect to be as happy as I would be if I was home. But it was a nice gesture and it shows that you have a kind heart."

His eyes shifted back at the mess. "The mess is okay... In the grand scheme of things, it could be a lot worse. You could blow up my house." Atreyu let out a small sigh. "Try not to blow up my house." Once again, he patted her head. "As I said, just clean it up and everything will be okay. Besides, you're going to want to make sure there is no residue magic when you make something else. Otherwise, it will mess up your spell castings and your potions."

Atreyu hesitated for a moment before he dropped his hand back to his side. "If you want, we could go get some ice cream. That is one of the things I really like about this world."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Feeling Atreyu patting her head caused Ray to smile slightly. She was glad that he was pleased with her thought. She just wanted to do something for him, because he'd done so much for her. From saving her life to allowing for her to live with him, Atreyu has done so much for Rey and she wasn't sure she'd ever been able to pay him back for his kindness and hospitality. "I might have had some residue hidden somewhere, which backfired on me. I'll have to look things over extra careful next time I attempt something." Ray mumbled as she glanced around the room slightly. Watching as the room was slowly cleaned by the enchanted objects.

"You don't have ice cream where you're from?" Ray asked as she glanced towards Atreyu once more. An arch of a brow and a tilt of her head as she tried to wrap her head around not having the ability to have ice cream. It's been around here for ages After all, after being created in the early eighteen hundreds.

"Do you have something similar then?" Ray asked as she started to follow Atreyu towards the door so that she could get ready to head out and get ice cream. "What sort of sweet treats do you have then? Do you guys still have cakes or cookies?" Rey asked, curious about Atreyu's realm since it sounded so different.