Ch.8
Seokjin is easily the friendliest creature you have ever come across (not that you've across many). Though calling him 'creature' didn't feel right after getting to know his name. He's so playful and curious! It was astonishing to see the differences between you and him. Seokjin appeared human like to an extent, but even so, it was mainly his face. The rest of his body was covered with pink scales that Youngjo was a fan of. Seokjin was a beautiful merman that remained in your thoughts even when Namjoon brought you back to his castle.
The two of you only came back so Namjoon could be dropped off to rest. According to him, he's had a long day. He's only been out for an hour at most so you were confused to hear that from him. Unfortunately, the both of you had to part ways with Seokjin a lot earlier than you wanted. After discovering a merman who was willing to communicate with the both of you and meant no harm, why didn't Namjoon want to spend more time speaking with him? You felt like it was the perfect excuse to befriend Seokjin and get on his good side! But Namjoon was adamant about returning.
Youngjo was disappointed he had to leave Seokjin, but you needed him. He'll find out why later. You figured you should start thinking about turning Seokjin human and how to go about that. You'll have to flip through the old spell books you own to see if there's anything that'll give you a hint. Just maybe you'll need to play with potions so you'll have Youngjo fly out to get you ingredients. You just hope you can get the results you want to prove Namjoon wrong and also make Jungkook proud. By the time Malakai slowed down in front of the castle, Namjoon broke you out of your thoughts with his heavy sigh.
"I can't believe creatures like that were unleashed to our universe..." Namjoon got off Malakai. The frown on his face left you unsure whether to comfort him or discuss your ideas. Namjoon didn't give you a chance to say anything as he grabbed you by the waist, pulling you off the horse to set you down on the ground.
"Oh! I could have come down myself," you said. That's what you did last time, yet he only chuckled at your statement. Pursing your lips, you clasped your hands together and decided to just go on. "Well, I'm glad we're both back safely. I'll leave you to—"
"So soon?" Namjoon questioned to your surprise. He wanted you to stay a little longer? He didn't seem to be in the mood for company all too much. Yours in particular and you knew he wasn't a fan of Youngjo either, but the two of you were a package deal. "I mean, I'm only saying because...are you alright? You're not startled from earlier?"
"Earlier?" You repeated in confusion. When looking back, you were a bit lost until it dawned on you that he was speaking about the kiss. Right. How could you forget? So much happened in general that it almost slipped your mind. The realization was clear through your expressions, causing Namjoon to keep his eyes focused on you. "Ah...I'm alright."
Namjoon didn't seem to believe you. Maybe if you thought about it more, you would have different thoughts. Right now you weren't trying to think about it too hard. Seokjin didn't see it the same way as humans did and by doing so, he was able to speak your language. You figured it was just you taking one for the team. As long as you don't make it personal, you'll be fine. You don't have to consider it your first kiss if you really don't want to. These past couple weeks in general have been quite the ride. At this point, you're expecting anything to occur.
"It's hard to believe that I have to say. You know, if I still had my authority, I could have his tongue ripped from his mouth if you'd like." Namjoon suggested as your eyes widened. "Perhaps his hands chopped or if you'd like his head—"
"No! I'm not asking for that at all!" You were quick to interrupt him. Just the thought of that happening to someone you spoke to was enough to make you lightheaded. After having a conversation with him...he was real. "Seokjin didn't mean to harm me. I also don't want to kill anyone, creature or human."
"...what if Seokjin tries to harm you another time? What if he's deceiving the both of us?" Namjoon theorized, but you shook your head. Clearly doing so disappointed him. A sigh left Namjoon as he put his hands into the pockets of his coat. "You're too trusting, (F/n). You believed his story so easily and you're already so willing to help a creature you know nothing about. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"If he was trouble then Jungkook would have appeared. I have an angel on my side." You attempted to sound confident. Not that that would change Namjoon's opinion.
"And you trust this angel with your entire life too. Wonderful." Namjoon took in a breath through his nose. He was doing what he could to remain calm.
"I trust you too," You stated, causing him to raise a brow at you.
"I'm human."
"But you turn into a dragon whenever you get mad and we barely know each other," You said. Somehow what you said was making him get all huffy as he looked around in shock.
"I'm cursed!" Namjoon stomped his foot. "I didn't turn into a dragon two hundred years ago, you know!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you're strange too." You crossed your arms, amusing him.
"Well, Lady (F/n), you're one to talk. You're capable of sorcery and you willingly go against the law every day. You also talk to a bird." Namjoon glanced at Youngjo who sat quietly on Malakai's saddle. Soon his eyes were back on you. "You're quite the strange one if I do say so myself."
"Then I guess we're a compatible pair." You nodded. This wasn't what Namjoon thought he would hear. He chuckled at your words, intrigued by your thought process. You could tell he still thought you were extremely foolish and naïve, but you knew changing his mind wouldn't happen in a day. "I'll work on turning Seokjin into a human. We'll continue from there, okay?"
"If you're so confident, then so be it." Namjoon shrugged. He had a feeling he wasn't going to win with you and Youngjo was also staring at him intensely. He had to choose his words carefully. "But...are you sure what happened with Seokjin is alright? You must have been terrified out of your mind."
"...I mean, I was. I kind of still am, but I know he didn't mean it in the way humans mean it." You let out a deep breath. "While it may have technically been my first kiss, I think Seokjin gaining the ability to speak our language is worth it in the long run."
"I see—wait! Your first kiss? As in you've never kissed another in your life?" Namjoon stared at you like you were a frog. You blinked at him in confusion, wondering what in the world the prince had been up to back in his days. "How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen."
"Have you never had a lover before? Shared passionate letters?" Namjoon continued to badger you as you frowned at him. You didn't really take him as the kind to do so two hundred years ago. Truthfully, you thought the prince would be more self-absorbed and not that interested in such things.
"It's none of your concern, Namjoon. I'll be off now." You turned around to face your horse. If he was going to judge you for your lack of silly milestones, you had better things to do. Youngjo flew off the saddle as you got yourself up.
"You really are innocent..." Namjoon was in utter disbelief.
"Should I attack him?" Youngjo asked, flying in a circle above you like a vulture.
"Don't harm him, Youngjo. It's been a long day." Your words immediately made Namjoon gulp. That was one way to get him to stop talking.
Youngjo really would have harmed Namjoon if he had continued. Thankfully, that never had to happen. Once you got yourself on Malakai, you were off and didn't bother saying goodbye to Namjoon. He was too paranoid that he would be attacked by a bird. These were one of the many perks of having a raven as a best friend. Though Youngjo would claim it was the fact that he brought you many exciting gifts. While his random trinkets were appreciated, you liked his company and protective nature a little more. The both of you were laughing together on the ride back to your cottage.
It was past the afternoon already, so you knew you wanted to spend the rest of your time at home. If Miss Arla were to visit you then she would definitely do so around this time or the evening. Since you were home, you figured you would get all kinds of ingredients stocked up with the help of Youngjo. He was more than ready to assist. Hopefully, he wouldn't get distracted by anything shiny. You gave him a small satchel that you sewed together yourself for him. This way he would be able to carry more things at once than coming back every time he got something in his beak.
Before you could let him go out into the forest, you went over all your spell books. There really wasn't any written down spell for turning creatures human. The most you could find was bringing the dead back to life and that was not something you wanted to play with. That was practically black magic and those spells were the kind you avoided. But you continued to flip through the few spell books you owned and all the notes you had written down. Some spells were ones that you created and mastered on your own, so you hoped you could do the same with making Seokjin human.
"Are you sure he'll even want to become human?" Youngjo peered at your notes. You were scribbling a mix of ingredients that you thought would help if this called for a potion to be used. While Youngjo goes, you'll be trying to write down the words for this spell.
"I'll meet up with him tomorrow to talk to him about it. If I can make him human, then I'm sure I can return him to his original form too." You wanted to believe it even if you had to rely on false confidence at the moment.
"Lying with hope doesn't always make it come true."
"I know that!" You huffed at the raven, watching him jump back and flutter his wings. Youngjo could really be a pain at times. "Just go get the ingredients I told you about, will you? Today will be for prep, we'll meet with Seokjin tomorrow, and after that is when we'll start practicing."
"...we?"
"Yes." You smiled to hear Youngjo click his beak. He didn't look like he trusted you and you didn't really blame him. But again, you were relying on false confidence and hope.
*~*
Teamwork is an extremely important part of this process to break the curse. Youngjo wasn't quite sure how he could offer much help as a raven, but you insisted to him that he was crucial. He'll find out later. You were just glad that you had all the ingredients you told Youngjo to get. He got them all without fail and even got some extra gifts for you. A rusted shilling, a dandelion, and a stick with fungus on it. Special gifts that Youngjo was very ecstatic to give you. The shilling needed some dusting off and you put the dandelion in a little vase to please him. Though the stick with fungus was best kept outside and away from all your plants (but what Youngjo doesn't know won't hurt him).
You kept him distracted with making him help you on the potion making plus demanding he hurry up on the journey to Seokjin. Youngjo hardly got a second to rest. There was no time to do so! The faster you get Seokjin to be a human, the better. Whatever you can learn from him to improve your powers, you look forward to it and you just knew Jungkook would be proud of you. The two of you were in good moods heading up the mountain. Malakai was left to rest and eat the bucket of hay that was hanging on the fence. You'll get him more one of these days.
The outfit for today was less warm than yesterday. While it may have caused you to shiver the higher up you got, you weren't going to be spending much time in the mountains compared to yesterday. The skirt of your dress was much longer with a few extra layers to add volume. The bodice you wore was brown and felt like a vest more than a corset although the front ended below the bust. The white flowy top you had was revealed and it was off the shoulder. It would have been very cold had you not brought your velvet cloak with you. It was practically a blanket that helped you get to the lake where Seokjin lived.
"Pink man! Show yourself!" Youngjo cawed. He flew down to the shore, repeatedly clicking his beak. You thought that was all until he loudly screamed at the still lake. Holding back a chuckle, you stared down at Youngjo with a smile.
"His name is Seokjin," You reminded him.
"I like the name 'pink man.' It fits." Youngjo nodded to himself. He seemed content as he shook his feathers out and waited for movement in the water. Why did he have to be so adorable sometimes? The smile on your face didn't fade as you looked out at the lake.
"Seokjin! Seokjin, it's (F/n) and Youngjo from yesterday!" You shouted with your hands cupped around your mouth. "The human and raven!"
Youngjo raised his wings in excitement and even hopped. The beautiful teal lake was giant and Seokjin could be anywhere. Who knew if he would be able to hear the both of you if he was deep in the waters. Bringing your hands to your shoulders, you rubbed your arms for warmth underneath your cloak. Youngjo had to point out the movement that you couldn't spot. It started with a light ripple in the water before you noticed an approaching shadow nearing the shore.
"There he is!" Youngjo cheered. The two of you got closer to the shore, waiting for Seokjin to arrive. He was a fast swimmer and you didn't realize how fast until it looked like he was going to crash onto the shore. You took a couple steps back while Youngjo flew up briefly. The cold water splashed onto the rocks like a wave when Seokjin made it to the shore. Half of his body was out of the water, allowing you to get a better view of his large tail. You knew he was a merman, but...it was still a mesmerizing sight.
"You came back! Are you here to play with me?" Seokjin curled up the back of his tail before splashing it down. "Your boat is still here!"
"That's great, but that's not what I came here for, Seokjin." You clasped your hands together. Hearing this made Seokjin pause. If you weren't here to play then what could you be here for? The pink haired male glanced at the raven who was only quietly watching. "I want to bring you over to Namjoon's home. It's a very lovely place! A little old and run down, but it has character! You'll be super safe there and no bad humans will harm you!"
"...really?" Seokjin looked unsure. He placed his hand on the ground, almost looking ready to push himself back into the water. "Is there a lot of water over there too?"
"There...are places you can take baths at!" You wanted to sound exciting and trustworthy. It's just that when you heard yourself say things out loud, you knew you sounded like an idiot. "Look Seokjin, I'm going to be honest with you. Protecting you from bad humans is something that I can do, but it doesn't mean you'll get to live in a bigger and better lake. It's a price you'll have to pay for safety."
"No water?" Seokjin blinked.
"There will be water! Just nothing as large as this lake you have here." You shrugged, watching him pout. Seokjin stared down at the black and white rocks as you continued. "It won't be forever. It'll be temporary and I think I know a way to make you return to your lake safely as fast as possible."
"And how can you do that?" Seokjin stared at you with big eyes. He looked so innocent when he did that.
"I'll learn magic from you and eventually I will be able to break the curse set on this island. Maybe in the process...I can teach everyone that creatures aren't so bad. Not all of them at least," You explained. "But first, Seokjin, I need to turn you human and bring you to Namjoon's house."
"Turn me human...that sounds terrifying." Seokjin awkwardly chuckled. The back of his tailed curled up and splashed the water again as he thought to himself. He was debating in his head, but Seokjin was looking at you as if he only had a few options. "You promise I'll be safe?"
"Yes!"
"And you promise I won't be lonely?" Seokjin was the most serious about this question.
For some reason you weren't expecting his expression to change so much. He was already nervous about having to leave the lake and he hardly knew you. There were so many reasons why Seokjin had to be on edge, but it didn't compare to his worry of being alone. Even when Seokjin first met you and Namjoon, he had hoped the two of you would be frequent visitors. He must have felt so alone for so long. Smiling at Seokjin, you crouched down to take a hold of his webbed hand. It was cold and his scales were an interesting texture against your skin, but you could tell Seokjin needed this reassurance.
"I won't let you be lonely, Seokjin. I'll visit often and Namjoon will be there to keep you company." You squeezed his hand. That was enough to make him smile brightly at you.
"Then what are you waiting for? Turn me human." Seokjin nodded confidently. He was quick to scrunch his face tightly and hold his breath as he waited for you to work your magic. Unfortunately, you weren't there yet.
"Not yet, Seokjin. You still have time to be in your lake." You watched him slowly open his eyes. "I need to figure out how to make this spell work and once I have it down, I'll turn you human. Does that sound good?"
"It's sounds perfect." Seokjin splashed the water with his tail again. "I'll be swimming near the shore then, (F/n)! Come the second you get it down!"
"I promise I will." You let go of his hand to stand up straight again. Looking over to your side, you gave Youngjo a nod. "Let's go. We have work to do."
"Bye!!" Seokjin waved excitedly before allowing himself to go back into the water. It'll be sad taking him out of the water, but it won't be forever. You held your arm out for Youngjo to perch himself onto.
"About this 'we' you keep speaking of."
"Right, it's about time I explain my idea to you."
And naturally, it was one Youngjo loathed. He hated it immediately and didn't want to hear a second more of it. He was tempted to fly away from your arm to never return. The only reason he didn't do so was because you pleaded with him. Your pout and sad eyes were enough to make Youngjo stay. It was hard for him to deny you. It's not like he ever won many arguments against you either. Youngjo gave in as you brought him back to your cottage to practice the spells. Your precious raven was going to be your testing rabbit. Hopefully, you can turn Youngjo human and the second you do, it's off to visiting Seokjin at the lake!
"I hate this idea so much. Why would you want to turn me human? Can't you practice on Malakai or a random duck from the garden?" Youngjo complained. He remained still on the desk as you flipped through your notes.
"Because what if I have to use Malakai to go somewhere?" You reasoned. "And the other animals won't stay still if I randomly perform spells on them. I also doubt they will drink any of the potions I created. You're the best option."
"I don't know how Seokjin could agree to turn human. Sounds like the worst thing he could do to himself."
"I'm human." You pouted, though Youngjo didn't change his opinion all too much. You were the exception in his mind and that was about it. Otherwise, he would stubbornly cling onto the opinion he held.
You weren't surprised to find out he was unenthusiastic about turning human as an experiment. Still, you hoped you would be able to turn him back soon enough. That way you won't have to deal with human him complaining so much and he'll be able to fly away from danger. For now, your testing was going really slow. Some potions had no effect on Youngjo whatsoever. He drank them and you waited only for him to feel completely fine. No changes internally and clearly none externally. He looked like the exact same raven that pestered you every day.
However, this wasn't the constant result! With one potion, Youngjo coughed and flapped his wings desperately. Was this it? Your heart was pounding, but you got a little too ahead of yourself. The potion didn't turn Youngjo human. Instead, it made him about twice his size and that was not what you wanted at all. Clearly the potions you created were a total bust. Maybe you'll have better luck with your spells. Except that every time you made a mistake, you had to figure out how to reverse it and bring Youngjo back to normal. Creating and figuring out a new spell was always so time consuming.
"Why am I YELLOW?"
"I'm working on it!" You were so flustered every time you made a mistake. This wasn't looking good in the slightest to your dismay. After making so much notes and gathering as many ingredients for this idea, you felt yourself growing overwhelmed every time it went wrong. Youngjo's impatience wasn't making it better as you hurried to make it right.
"I look like an idiot." Youngjo huffed.
"Can you try to be nice to me? I'm already stressed." You pleaded with the animal. If he continued to badger you for your mistakes, then you knew you were going to cry.
There was a lot riding on you and you felt bad enough towards everyone for not being as talented as they expected you to be. They thought you were an amazing sorceress with grand powers. That you could do anything and that you would be the one to break the curse. While it had been your goal originally and your dream to do so, reality slapped you hard. It gave you a healthy reminder that you were mediocre with magic at best. There was still so much you had to learn, but you were stuck.
Thankfully, Youngjo stopped saying those things when you asked. It was a nice breather, allowing you to take a deep breath and calm yourself down. Stop getting so frazzled and think. Youngjo stayed quiet as he watched you smack your cheeks in order to focus. His quiet behavior finally allowed you to think as you quickly found the spell to reverse Youngjo's color. He returned to being a black raven to your relief. He shook his wings out while you immediately went to flipping through your notes and looking back at the spell books. Somehow, you'll discover it and master it.
Hours had passed of you trying to make many spells work. They always ended up giving you an entirely different result. You were beginning to lose your mind now that your own impatience was running out. Desperation was making you try anything as you combined different words together and did your best to focus and visualize. You needed to get this right. You were on your last try when you waved a wand towards Youngjo.
"A creatura usque ad sanguinem et pellem!" You watched light shoot out from your wand. It struck Youngjo, causing you to jump in fright. As soon as it came in contact with him, a large puff of smoke blinded you. There was nothing you could see in front of you even when you tried waving it away. "Youngjo? Youngjo, are you there?" You coughed, squinting through the smoke. You stepped forward when you noticed a black feather at your feet. Your heart stopped to see it. "Youngjo!!"
"I'm right here...are you okay?" Youngjo's voice made you feel like you were hearing things. For once, his real voice was out loud.
"Youngjo?" You looked towards the source of the voice as the smoke slowly began to clear. Sitting on the desk in front of you was a man with messy black hair. His eyes were intense as he looked at you before a smirk appeared on his lips.
(A/n: Say hello to Youngjo~!)