5 - Fairytales and Folksongs

*Characters: Stone, West, Brooks*

Stone finished shoving the rest of whatever she’d need for the field job into a small bag, she checked the time and hurried out the door. As Stone exited the site, she was joined by West and Brooks.

“So where are we being dragged off to today?”  West asked as she adjusted her wings that were  cleverly hidden by a hollowed bookbag, and Brooks shrugged.

“I think we’re heading to a bar or pub of some sort?” Stone beamed at the mention of going to a pub.

“Sweet, I wonder if there’ll be music.” West raised an eyebrow as Willow pulled up with a car.

“You do realize we’re going because there were reports, right?” Stone rolled her eyes.

“Yes I do, don’t worry West” she replied as the three of them entered the car.

About an hour later, they arrived at the bar where they were supposed to ask the locals about the reports. Stone stepped out of the car and shut the door as Brooks also stepped out. The four of them made their way into the building, as they seated themselves at the main counter Stone heard the sound of people arguing in hushed tones.

Stone glanced over at the small stage and saw a group of people with instruments, she heard them trying to figure out who was going to play what. Stone stood - much to West’s annoyance -  and walked over “I could play the violin that you guys got there” the small group glanced at each other before one turned back to Stone “Yeah sure, the dude who was supposed to play it aint here”

Stone nodded and as she picked up the wooden instrument, one of them turned to face her “Are you okay with being lead?” she nodded and saw Brooks staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Stone smirked as the same girl informed her of the song they would be playing.

Stone picked up the bow of the violin and glanced at the other three researchers. She took a breath and after hearing the countdown started playing, the sounds of the violin echoing through the bar and Stone felt the air around her change.

She closed her eyes as she continued, no longer aware of the rest of the musicians. A few minutes later they stopped playing and the group thanked Stone as she walked back towards Brooks and the others. As they were asking around about any myths or fairy tales, a young man stumbled over to the group.

“Hey there, pretty thing” He mumbled at Brooks, and it became clear that the guy was drunk. He sat down on a stool next to Brooks, leaning against her and throwing an arm over her shoulders. Brooks slouched in an attempt to escape the dude. “Please stop, and please leave me alone” She kindly asked “Oh c-come on, let me buy you a drink”He muttered, his words slurring together.

“Hey, She asked you to fuck off” Stone heard Willow tell the guy. “Yeah, w-well I wasn’t talking to you, now was..s I?”  He replied as he moved closer to Brooks. Seconds later he was face down on the floor with Stone standing over him.

“She told you to fuck off, and you didn’t listen” she said as the guy stood, Stone smirking at the look of pure rage on his face. Once the drunk had regained his footing he swung at her, but due to his intoxication when his fist hit, Stone barely felt it. Stone swung hard and caught him in the bridge of his nose. Stone saw Brooks and West flinched as a loud crack rang out, the drunk yelled out in pain as blood poured from his nose.

Stone took the brief seconds as he fumbled, to grab the guy’s shirt and rammed her hidden horns into his head. There was a sickening crack as he fell to the ground, A couple people crowded around the guy, one of them checking his pulse. Seconds later they gave a thumbs up and they all went back to their drinks and chats.

West pulled Stone back towards the counter where Willow was talking to the bartender. “So how does the local legend go?” She heard Willow ask “Well, as the story states: there’s a Fox that lives in the forest just behind this here bar” the bartender explained as he cleaned a glass “The fox is said to have unnaturally bright eyes that can lead someone to their fate”

Stone leaned against the counter “And how do you summon it?” “There’s an old song that is used to attract the creature” after the bartender taught them the song, they thanked him and paid for their drinks.

“So are we going to try to find the fox because most of the reports have been that of a fox” West asked as the four stood outside of the bar. Brooks shrugged “Well the owner said that we need a g-”  she stopped as Stone opened the trunk and pulled out her guitar “You were saying?” She smirked as she slung in over her back.

Willow shook her head “Should’ve known that you’d sneak that into the car”  West fixed the hollow bag that covered her wings as they set off into the forest behind the building. Stone pulled the guitar off and held it as they stopped at a clearing. “Alright Stone, ready?” West asked Stone as she sat on the stump in front of her.

Stone nodded and started to play, as she played Stone heard Brooks softly whisper “the lights never get old” Stone smirked as she began the song “There will come a soldier, who carries a mighty sword” She paused for a breath “he will tear your city down, oh lai, oh lie, oh lord”

Stone heard West tapping her foot to the beat. “There will come a poet, whose weapon is his word,”

She watched as the bushes in front of the group moved. “He will slay with his tongue, oh lai, oh lie, oh lord”

She heard Brooks gasp as a small animal poked its head into the clearing.

“There will come a ruler, whose brow is laid in thorn,” The small fox slowly made its way towards Stone. “Smeared in oil like David’s boy, oh lai, oh lie, oh lord,” as Stone finished, West and the others calmly picked up the fox.

The fox gently nuzzled West’s arm before leaping out of her arms, the fox then made its way around the group and began to lead them out of the trees. As the group followed the creature, It led them back to the car, much to their confusion. “Why would it lead us back here?” Brooks asked as the fox proceeded to paw at the door of the car “I’m not sure, however it seems to want us to get in” West replied as she got into the front seat.

Stone and the others followed suit and once they were in the car, the fox started to walk down the road pausing every so often as if to check that they were still following. After a few minutes of slowly following the fox, they realized they had been led back to the site. “Wait, why’d the fox lead us back here?” Stone wondered aloud as they parked.

West shrugged as she pulled the hollowed backpack off, stretching her wings in the process. “Well, didn’t the bar owner say the fox leads people to their fate?” As West replied the fox padded up to them and started to gently tug on Willow’s pant leg, so they followed the fox once more.

It led them right up to the main doors of the site, and as they reached them it wove between each of their legs before trotting off back towards the town, pausing once to look back at before racing away. As they watched the fox slowly disappear, Stone turned around as she heard footsteps, it was Steve and Atlas.

“Oh are you guys finished with the field mission?” The security guard asked as he flexed his robotic hand a little.

“Yep, I think so, anyway.” Willow replied.

“Well if you are, you should join us in the staff room” Atlas responded, Stone tilted her head.

“What’s going on in the staff room?” Steve was the one to answer.

“There's a small party going on.” Steve explained.

“Also I think one of the medical staff might have borrowed your violin,” Atlas added. Stone raised her eyebrows as she opened the main door, walking in followed by the others.

“Oh hell nah, and it better have not been Jerry,” Stone ranted, “because if it is, I swear to 343 he’ll be in deep shit.”

When they reached the staff, they heard what sounded like a dying animal and many voices complaining, so Stone barged into the room making her way towards Jerry. Jerry flinched as Stone grabbed her violin from his hands “I’ll be taking that back, thanks” as she brushed off the violin, she gave the medical staff a dirty look.

One of the other medical staff spoke up “Stone, play something!” Stone shook her head “not right now” “Come on! You promised at the last staff party that you’d play something at the next one!” Stone glanced at West silently asking if it was alright, West nodded. Stone sighed and got sorted “Alright fine”

There was a cheer from the others as Stone began to play, setting down her violin and adjusting her wooden guitar. The guitar  rang out across the room “When the cold wind is a-calling, and the sky is clear and bright” Stone watched as the lights started to appear.

“Misty mountains sing and beckon, lead me out into the light” Stone felt the eyes of everyone in the room “I will ride, I will fly” the guitar ringing out louder “Chase the wind, and touch the sky”

Stone’s accent started to become thicker “I will fly, chase the wind” the misty lights grew brighter “And touch the sky” someone had brought a flute and began playing it “Where dark woods hide secrets, and mountains are fierce and bold”

Stone saw Brooks pick up her viola and nod to Stone before playing “Deep waters hold reflections, of times lost long ago”  the instruments sang together in a wild and free melody.

“I will hear their every story, take hold of my own dream”  Jesper flew into the room and perched on her shoulder “Be as strong as the seas are stormy, and as proud as an eagle’s scream”

Stone saw West flare her wings “I will ride, I will fly” the lights grew brighter and the mist thicker “Chase the wind, and touch the sky” The rest of the staff joined in “I will fly” Jesper hovered over her shoulder.

“Chase the wind, and touch the sky!” Stone sang as the song finished, a cheer rang out in the room. Stone did a slight bow with a laugh as music played over a speaker.