7. The Return

It was the final day, I could feel the anxiousness coursing throughout my body. Ranulf had taken residency in the kingdom. It had been arranged that he would be the next king, the nymphs couldn't be any happier. But my head was not there, it was somewhere else, still captivated by the image of the beautiful little witch.

I was about to join the others at the main hall when I felt the pull. I could feel it, this was it...it was happening that exact moment. Her voice was calling me.

"Arkael! Come to us..."

My body was sucked up to the surface, I could hear her chanting the old language. But her voice slowly faded to the background, as her beauty captivated me.

Walking to her, I let my hand out to her. She was looking at me, I knew at that exact moment she was affected by my presence. Then seconds later she was back to the ritual.

In front of her, was a large pot that she filled with her concoction. She was back to concentrating while glancing my way every couple of seconds.

"Florence, come...we're doing this now, I need you to relax and put your hand in mine. Walter, would you stay next to her just in case. I've never done this before, but you will know when she needs you. Your bond is already strong..." she was giving more instructions to Florence and her mate Walter, then carry on with the ritual.

The energy in the room was changing, it was cold at the beginning then turn to hot moments later when Shani poured the black potion into the pot. 

Then I was feeling the extreme pain all over my body, just like the first day I was sent down to hell. "Argghhh... ugghh....."

She kept on chanting her words, my blood boiled inside me, my vision was blurry. I was gripping the table when my legs were having a hard time supporting my body. I tried to keep it all in, I didn't want to stop her from the ritual. She already glanced back and forth at me. But I looked into her eyes, somehow telling her that I was good and that she should hurry with the process.

Florence was leaning to her healer, her energy was quickly draining as her hand was still connected to Shani. She must've seen my past cause she gave me the look. Her tears fell as she saw glimpses of my first few decades in hell.

Then the ground moved and the house shook as if there was an earthquake. They were holding on to each other, while I couldn't help but let out a louder groan. My skin was painfully peeling itself, it was pure torture. The flakes of skin shattered to magic dust and dispersed into thin air. Then it happened all over again, layer after layer of my chapped skin was peeled off of my body.

The temperature was ice cold in an instant, I was starting to gasp while trying hold in the pain. Shani was chanting louder and putting more stuff into the pot.

She kept on pronouncing her words, she looked at me then to Florence from time to time. I knew that she was trying to finish the ritual, as fast as she could. I was in much deeper pain, as I kept on lowering down my body to hold the pain until eventually Shani put her last ingredient that was on the table and put it into the pot and finished her ritual. 

And that was when I changed. My arms were revealing its human skin as the final layer was peeled off. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever endured. "Argghhh.....I...don't... think... argghhh..." I was growling louder. I was just about to give up and call everything off until the pain slowly diminish and the air was slowly warming up.

I was still dragging on my breath as I rest my back on the kitchen wall, the air around us was coming to normal and the ground had stopped to quake.

Shani was resting her hand on the table, I had the most powerful urge to comfort her and thanked her for all that she had done. I know that the ritual had taken more of her energy than she was expecting.

"Fucking hell...that was..." she breathed out her words, and was still trying to form her sentence.

"Thank you..." I said to her, as I lower down my cloak to reveal her work. I felt lighter, and tired but thankful nonetheless.

The small witch was gaping her beautiful mouth as she looked at my face. I smirked at her, deep down I was glad that she was at least affected in some way.

Then she looks at Florence where she finally passed out from the ritual. "You, sit down...I'll go take care of Florence. Walter, carry her to the bed. I'll whip something up for her to fasten the healing process." She was moving her little body around the kitchen gracefully.

She tended Florence and was back moments later with a bag. Then she went to the kitchen to gather her stuff, then she was in front of me in no time.

"Come on, I already said our goodbyes. Now, we leave them alone until she's all better." She said in her soft voice. I was still mesmerized by her appearance and finally snap out of it when she held out her hand.

I took her hand and slowly get up, I was still adjusting to my human body. It felt different, I was less energize, I felt like I need to rest my head, and then suddenly I heard it. My stomach growled, making her let out her light yet sexy laughter. But seconds later I was distracted by all kinds of feelings that were suddenly surging to my human body.

"Okay then, I know just where to go for that. Let's go..." she tugged my hand and hurried me out the door.

We were heading out,  then stop in front of some kind of thing with wheels. She put the bag and the rest of her stuff into it. She looked at my puzzled face, and let out another laugh. This time it made my thing twitched.

Okay...

"This is a car, it's how we get around in this era. It's like...a carriage with wheels and horse. This will shield us from the rain and all the bad weather and will take us faster and further." She gave me the sweetest smile and open the door for me.

"It's so small..."

"I know this is an old SUV, but it's hardly small. It'll fit, come on get in and let's get you some food." She nudged me inside the small entrapment, I felt suffocated right away and she noticed it. She put in the key under the round thing and it was alive. I panicked and hold on to my seat, she laughs louder making me squint my eyes at her.

Haha funny...but still is this thing safe?  What kind of future is this?