Gryffi's Fairy Tales: Calm After the Storm

***Calm After the Storm*** is the sixth chapter of the Library book *Gryffi's Fairy Tales*. It is a love story introducing Amorae Forest and the Loveslugs, and was released as part of the Valentine's Day 2016 event.

## Story

The silence was deafening as it clung to the walls and the inside of his chest. It wasn't right; the eerie lack of noise should not have been as loud as it was. It seemed to roar in his ears as he stared blankly at the wall adjacent to him. Everything felt wrong; it felt as though the walls were tilted and everything in his world was currently one big maelstrom of disorganized mess. The feeling thundering inside him was unpleasant at best and unbearable at worst.

He thought about going to the hotel where she was supposed to be staying. Biting at worried lips, he paced back and force in what used to be a shared living space, but was now missing an entire half. The air was missing the electric buzz she put off; the previously burning light in their life was absent and it was eating away at his insides.
And no matter how hard he tried to redirect his thoughts, the image of her was burned into the back of his eyelids. The pet Tundra Squirrel stood at his legs for a moment before scurrying up his clothes and resting at his shoulders. He glanced over and smiled sadly as the little creature clearly tried to cheer him up... but it was undeniable that even the tiny squirrel looked a bit lonely.

He sighed before gathering up his shoulder bag and stuffing a few miscellaneous items in it before leaving the empty shell of a living space. Each second spent there was only worsening his mood and it was beginning to feel overwhelming; the past memories of their relationship was a ghost attached to those walls, and he needed to escape. The haunting feeling that was crashing down and threatening to drown him was too much.

It was almost hard to breathe until he successfully exited. Stepping outside into the brisk air—chilly, but with a faint promise of warmer weather to come—he inhaled deeply, reveling in the way the fresh air filled his lungs. A tinge of relief sparked in his chest. The weight didn't feel quite so heavy and constricting out there. Still on their shoulder, the squirrel chattered a questioning little comment and in turn, he glanced over and merely shrugged.

He walked into the heart of town then, with aimless direction, but content to let his feet take him wherever. At one point he passed the inn where she was staying, but resisted the almost tangible lull that radiated from the building. It was too painful—the wounds too fresh—and he was not ready for confrontation yet. It was hard to think through the numb feeling that had seemingly seeped through his skin and latched onto his bones.
He ended up in front of the local restaurant. It was supposed to be the best in town and everyone always talked about how fantastic it was. In all honesty? He thought it was overrated and overpriced. All talk and hype, yet lacking legitimate quality. In fact... She had thought so too. It had been how they met actually; a sarcastic remark about the establishment's poor quality had led to a conversation which then opened the door to their relationship. Sadness rang through him at those thoughts. Of course his feet would lead him there.

A wistful sigh escaping his throat, he dragged his feet inside the building and perched on a bar stool at the end of the counter. It was the one she'd been sitting at on that fateful night. The cook over the counter looked at him, and recognition instantly flashed in their eyes. It wasn't a huge town, and Sterling seemed to know everyone. "The usual?" his rough voice asked. "Where's the misses? She's usually here with you." He didn't meet his eyes, but quietly replied, "Just me, tonight." Sterling tutted to himself before wandering off to the back to prepare the single meal, and in the meantime he could not help but overhear the verbal exchange occurring a few seats away from him. Two were seated there, both young; they looked like teenagers. One was grinning, and he watched as one flashed a bottle in the other's face. He had to strain to hear the words over the general chatter of the building, but he managed to make out most of it. "Loveslug Flakes!" the boy exclaimed with a lewd grin. "Gonna try it with my girl tonight."

He chuckled to himself, watching the conversation. For all the acclaim that stuff received, he questioned the actual effectiveness of the marketed product. However, it managed to get his thoughts churning, pondering over something he'd read a long time ago. Sterling brought the platter out, and as he nibbled on the steaming hot food his mind lingered over an old spell. At the time, it hadn't been relevant and he'd merely skimmed over it. But now...

It was a love spell. A fairly potent one, if he remembered correctly. Finishing up the last of the meal, he hastily threw some silver down next to the plate before approaching the two younger boys. They looked a little startled at the sudden new addition to their party. "Loveslugs. Do you know where I can find them?" The first boy, the one with the bottle of Loveslug Flakes, blinked in alarm. "U-uh, sorry?"

He reiterated the question, perhaps a bit too roughly. It couldn't be helped though. Frayed nerve-ends and a shaky emotional state tended to have that effect.

"... I have no idea," the second boy said after a moment of hesitation. "It's just a rumor, but I've heard they actually show up in the forests up north from here this time of year." Something must have changed in his expression then because the boy hastily added, "But, d-don't take my word for it! Again, s'just a rumor."

"Thanks," he huffed, nodding towards the two of them before making a prompt departure. Outside, he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. Was it possible? Could a simple potion fix what had been broken? A tiny voice in the back of his head pestered him, speaking concern about morals and the line between right and wrong... but the ideas bouncing around his head were loud and easily trumped those concerns.

Suddenly, with a new sense of direction, finding some Loveslugs was suddenly placed at the top of his short list of priorities. The mucus they secreted was essential to the potion he had in mind. With an almost urgent sense of determination he rushed home, Tundra Squirrel still on shoulder, to pack a proper bag for a potentially long journey.

Almost an hour later, he found himself on the northern outskirts of town. The sun still hung far up above, looming overhead, telling him that he still had a fair amount of daylight left. With a mission, he set off into the woods. It was nice, having an end-goal in mind; it took his mind off the painful ache in his chest. And the idea that there was even a chance of being able to see her again sent hope buzzing along his spine.

Time passed with alarming quickness, and soon his new-found excitement and hope became a low-burning and dismal thing, threatening to be extinguished entirely. The sun had sunk significantly closer to the horizon, and while he'd have a few more hours of proper light still, dejection began to gnaw at his insides. It seemed pointless now. Hours of blundering through the forest, looking, hoping with every ounce of his being... It brought to him nothing but the cold kiss of failure.

He slumped against a particularly large tree and let out something akin to a wail. He couldn't take it anymore. There was a flurry of emotions twisting and turning inside him, and once again, it seemed almost too much to bear. For a moment, he actually struggled to hold back the tears that so desperately wanted to leap to the ground. After a short lapse of time that felt more like eternity, he slowly slid to the ground, shuddering with defeat.

Staring up at the treetops, he sighed for the umpteenth time that day. A strange calm seemed to settle over him then. It was uncanny, flittering across his being, but he couldn't resist that way it soothed the hurricane of feelings into a dull storm. His eyelids flickered shut and he let the feeling wash over him. It was foolish really, the quest was. And wrong. Blinking, a shocking wave of astonishment coursed through him.
Then shame prickled along his skin. He had actually been considering trying to take back her love with something as cheap as a potion? That realization hit them as though a Longma had kicked him in the stomach. The entire scenario was just so... desperate. But oh, how he just wanted to be with his love again. He missed the scent of her hair, the way her sweet little chuckle could lighten up even the most tense room. He longed for her contact again.

A fleeting memory crossed his mind and it made him laugh. The image of her managing to set the bed on fire because she'd been rough-housing with the tiny salamander... and then attempting to dab it out with magic, but failing because she'd been so flustered. It brought a smile to his lips. At the time it had been an incredibly stressful moment, but in retrospect, it was just another fond memory he had of her.

Not long later, he began singing a soft tune his dad would sing to him when he was a child, as a tidal wave of old happenings and memories washed over him. It was a wistful little tune that spoke of the future and the events it would bring. He sat there for a long time, contemplating his choices and simply reveling in all the memories. Maybe it was best to just let go. Obsessing over the past was moot and served no one beneficially. He had thought she was the source of his pain, but in reality, perhaps it was his own mind pulling tortuous tricks on him, prolonging his suffering.

Maybe he'd be better off just appreciating the memories he had of the good times.

At that moment, it was like the anvil sitting in the pit of his gut had been removed. He hadn't noticed it before, but suddenly breathing didn't feel quite so difficult. Yes, he thought. It's better this way. It was still painful, but he had a feeling that scar would never fade entirely. It was like a wound that healed just a bit improperly, leaving in its wake phantom ghosts of pain. However, it was also a trophy of sorts. He survived and the memories would never disappear. It was time to view that scar for what it really was: a blessing, not a hindrance.

The sun was making its way closer to the horizon when he finally stood up, stretching his limbs. A new-found burst of relieved energy burst through him. It was time to go home and move on.

Moving through the forest back the way he'd come, it was only a few minutes later that something weird caught his attention. It was impossible to describe, but it was like a magical lull of some sort was calling his name. He didn't resist, but instead followed the strange sensation until he founds himself at a makeshift wall made of branches and leaves. It didn't make sense, but something insisted that he proceed, so he began pulling at the obstacles until a big enough entrance was made that he could slip through.
Once past the barrier he was shocked by what greeted him. It was almost like a whole new land on the other side, something that didn't even seem possible, but he was seeing it with his very eyes. Magic clearly protected this place. Magnificent trees with blossoming pink petals loomed overhead and there was a faint yet detectable trace of something sweet in the air. It was stunning and his breath caught in his throat at its sheer beauty.
Then the sun reflected off an unknown surface, immediately drawing his attention to it. He had a blink a few times to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Before him was a Loveslug, just sitting there as the sun cast rays on its back. He couldn't be entirely sure, but he thought that it was staring at him.

Looking around, he was suddenly very aware that there were others of these creatures slowly grazing through the unfamiliar territory. They were minding their own business for the most part, until the first one began moving closer to him. In honesty, he was just struck by the scene more than anything; there was something magical in the way the setting sun's light caught in the petals of the trees, slipping through and then reflecting off the shiny slugs.

The Loveslug came closer and he crouched to look at the creature face-to-face. Up close, it was slimy and kind of gross, but cute in a weird way. "Hey there," he said, extending a hand for it to look at. It reared up a bit and he couldn't help but laugh when it started sucking on his hand. He stood up then, smile still lingering. "You want to come home with me?" he asked, looking down at it.

The creature didn't seem to protest when he bent down and picked it up. Then again, he wasn't really sure what a protesting Loveslug would look like, but the mollusk just sat there in his arms so he figured it was fine. It was dripping with slime, but nonetheless he found himself taken with the odd charm the slug had. The Tundra Squirrel, which had so loyally sat upon his shoulder through the entire journey, seemed to be just as intrigued by the new ally as well.

While he was very tempted to just stay there and bask in the aura of the place, the sun was slipping further and further down as the minutes passed, and just as some intangible force had lead him here, it almost felt as though it was now telling him it was time to go. Taking one last good look at the beautiful clearing as the sun set, he exited out of the little opening, Loveslug in arms.

The idea of using the slug's mucus for the potion didn't even cross his mind again.
The trek home was fairly uneventful, although he stopped to put the Loveslug down at one point because its slime was starting to get all over his clothes. To his relief, the slug seemed happy to continue following behind, and was surprisingly fast and managed to keep up without too much difficulty. The sun had just about slipped under the horizon by the time he made it back to the outskirts of town.

Tired from the adventure, he walked back to his home and slumped inside. A nice meal and then rest sounded really nice. However, he could never have expected what was awaiting him inside.

In the living area there she was. Just sitting there. For a split moment, the scene wasn't even strange to him; for a second, it felt like everything was back to normal. "W-what are you doing here?" he asked, frozen in place. His heart hammered uncomfortably in his chest. Somewhere in the back of their head, he wondered if she could hear it from across the room. He couldn't be sure because the sound of blood rushing was the only thing in his ears.

She looked up, and he was caught off-guard by those impossibly blue eyes.

"I... I've been thinking..."

Maybe he should have been mad. It wasn't right of her to leave and then show up again. He had all the justification to be at least a little upset. But he couldn't bring himself to feel any inkling of anger or hatred... just a little spark of hope.

"I miss you," she said quietly, eyes flittering back to the ground and not meeting his own gaze. "And I don't like how things ended."

"Me neither," he whispered. It was so quiet it was possible she didn't even hear it.

After a few moments, she said, "I don't expect us to just go back to the way things were before... but maybe we could try again?" She looked up then, and reflected in her eyes he saw the same glimmer of hope that was currently burning in his chest.

"Yes." Maybe he replied too quickly, or too eagerly, but he couldn't help it. There was this bursting explosion of happiness shooting through them and it took every ounce of willpower in his body to contain it. It was impossible not to approach her though, and pulled her to her feet before embracing her. "I've missed you too. So much." It was probably only a few moments that they stayed like that, in each other's arms, but the seconds dragged on like blissful eternity until he heard her chuckle. He pulled back to see her looking down.

"And who's this?" she asked, a little smile playing on her lips as she looked down at the Loveslug, who was actually nibbling at her pants legs and seemingly looking up at them. He couldn't stop the bubbly grin that blossomed across his face then. "A new friend."

## Links

* Gryffi's Fairy Tales
* Calm After the Storm