The Forest's Songs

[Willowsong]

As Willowsong awoke early the next morning, she was very thirsty. Had she been ? Indeed she was feeling rather warm. Had she gotten herself a new blanket?
No, the warm thing next to her was Talwyn's sleeping form. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Willowsong tried to remember what had happened the last evening.

She had fallen asleep while Talwyn was trying to read the book. Had the spell fallen off him as Willowsong lost concentration and consciousness? Most likely. As far as she knew, her mind was weaving the spell subconsciously. If she was asleep, Talwyn was at no harm. Or she was entirely wrong, and Talwyn was now and forever her slave.

But that thought didn't occur to her. She wriggled herself out of Talwyn's grasp, and left the cave. The witch returned five minutes later with a bucket and that leather jar full of water. She placed it down and sat next to Talwyn. Wiping her wet face, she touched Talwyn and shook him gently, trying to wake him up.

[Talwyn]

Tal's sleep was a deep and peaceful slumber. With Willowsong sleeping as well, the magic slowly faded and his mind got some much needed rest. However, he was not the first to wake. With Willowsong awake once more, her magic also started again.

Since he was still sleeping, the curse had free reign over his mind. It was almost as if it was leaping at the chance, as it voraciously started it's relentless assault on the hapless prey. Talwyn was, of course, not aware of this and was still sleeping peacefully.

Her gentle shaking roused him from his sleep, eventually, and he yawned and stretched himself. Sitting up, he rubbed in his eyes and yawned once more. When he finally looked at her, his eyes were filled with desire. With passion. Reaching for her cheek, he whispered. "Good morning..."

[Willowsong]

"Good morning..."

Willowsong smiled briefly, before she noticed Talwyn's gaze. She tilted her head, causing her hair to fall over her face as she scanned his face. Maybe she was just tired.

"Are you , Tal? Did you find what you needed?"

She filled the leather jar with water, and held it out to Talwyn. But Willowsong wasn't stupid. If Talwyn turned out to be still under her spell, she just had to hope that the magic hadn't completely taken him over...and he was not beyond saving.

[Talwyn]

Taking the jar of water, Talwyn took a single sip. His stomach was growling. Loudly one might add. After all, his stomach had been complaining about the lack of food even before the two of them had fallen asleep.

He drank some more water, still staring at her intently. Putting down the empty jar, he brushed some stray hair out of her face. The most beautiful face he had ever seen. "Yes..." He finally started. "I'm . But... it can wait. I found I what needed..."

Still staring at her, his eyes seemed to never leave hers, he waited until he saw the realization hit her and nodded. "Yes... what more could I need besides you? So long as you are here, I have all I will ever need, for you are all I desire." His hand gently touched her cheek and a single tear rolled down his own cheek. "Please tell me I am all you need as well."

[Willowsong]

"I'm . But... it can wait. I found I what needed..."

Willowsong perked an eyebrow, looking Talwyn over as he spoke yet again.

"Yes... what more could I need besides you? So long as you are here, I have all I will ever need, for you are all I desire. Please tell me I am all you need as well."

So he still was under her influence after all.
Willowsong took his hand that was touching her cheek, softly grabbed it and pulled it away.
"What I need is you to be at your senses. Remember who you were, Talwyn. Do me a big favour love. Become the man you used to be. Forget about me, forget about this forest. Just focus on your inner self. There is someone inside you, eager to get out. You had your fun, now let him get back."

Willowsong's skin suddenly became flakey, dry, then scaled. Her teeth became two long fangs, her hair disappeared and her eyes turned into those of a reptile.
Her shapeshifting only had one purpose: To estrange Talwyn from her magic. You couldn't love someone who looked like a snake, right?

Her body, now a snake's, lunged forward as Willowsong wrapped herself around Talwyn's body, before positioning her elongated head in front of Talwyn's.
"Ssssstill pretty?", she hissed as her vocal chords became that of a snake, and she lost the ability to speak.

[Talwyn]

When she told him to remember who he was, to remember his goals, a faint flicker of recognition sparkled in his eyes. Inside his mind, he waged a great war, but he was still losing. Blinking his eyes, he shook his head and stumbled back a few paces.

It was obvious he was trying to fight it, but it was equally obvious he wasn't succeeding. As the witch turned herself into a snake and wrapped around him, he froze. "Ssssstill pretty?" She hissed at him. "Yes of course... No!" Grabbing his head he just stood there.

Mumbling to himself, he suddenly cried out in pain. The magic wasn't giving up easily this time. As the saying goes, third time's a charm. And this was caused by Talwyn's third attempt at tempting fate. It was impossible to say whether or not he was succeeding, but he was certainly fighting with all he had.

[Willowsong]

Willowsong, in her serpent form, observed as Talwyn fought an inner battle to defeat her magic. She had to admit, it was quite intriguing to see how her subconscious was capable of bringing such a strong-willed individual under its dominion.
But Talwyn was Willowsong's friend, right? And what wouldn't you do for your friends.

The snake, green-scaled as it was habit for Willowsong's different shapes, tightened its grasp upon Talwyn, but not enough to actually crush his bones. That was impossible anyway, seeing how the cursed man obviously had a bit of a golem in him. But if the pain wouldn't wake him up, maybe fear would.
Her forked tongue flicked out between her scaled lips, as her eyes, that had turned yellow by now, stared deep into Talwyn's before she stretched her head and twisted her now flexible body, rolling Talwyn, still wrapped up in her tail, over so she could reach his legs.

Afterwards, the snake opened its mouth and enclosed it around Talwyn's legs, slowly working its way up Talwyn's body. Of course Willowsong had no intention of actually swallowing and devouring Talwyn, even though the serpent part of her mind found it tempting, but her main focus was on scaring Talwyn enough so that his will would allow him to break free of the spell. By now, she had worked her way up to his knees.

But how would she know how to stop? If Talwyn screamed? Maybe...

[Talwyn]

Struggling, he screamed again in pain. The mental fight was actually exhausting him physically as he started and panting. With Willowsong no longer being "cute", "pretty" or "seductive", the spell also seemed to weaken, giving a small chance to Talwyn's weakened and exhausted mind.

His painful screams stopped abrubtly and started gasping for air. One hand grasping his chest, as if he was trying to squeeze his heart. His eyes were wide with fear, though not from her. Calming down, he looked at her attempt to slowly devour him. "You know... I'm terribly heavy on the stomach. I'm fairly sure I'd give you some nasty stomach ache so please let go already?"

[Willowsong]

"You know... I'm terribly heavy on the stomach. I'm fairly sure I'd give you some nasty stomach ache so please let go already?"

The snake stopped briefly, trying to tilt its head to look up at Talwyn with the eyes on the side of its elongated head before resuming its swallowing progress. As it began to reach Talwyn's waist, it suddenly cracked loudly as the snake dislocated its jaw to better swallow the cursed human.
Either Willowsong wasn't yet convinced that Talwyn was released from the spell, or she couldn't control her serpent instincts anymore.
In any case, she continued in her attempt to swallow him alive.

[Talwyn]

His eyes darkened at her continued attempt at eating him. Holding out his hand, he chanted swiftly. With a "swoosh", a globe of fire ignited in his hand, ready to be directed towards Willowsong. "I don't want to do this, but if you don't let go right now I'll fry you to a crisp..."

There was a slight hint of desperation in his voice. He truly did not wish to harm her, she had become a friend. Which was rare for him. But if he had to chose between his life and or being swallowed by her... well... that choice was easily made.

[Willowsong]

Willowsong had just swallowed Talwyn up to his abdomnen as he conjured up a fireball in his hands. The snake paused again,and after feeling the heat of the fire near its sensible nostrils, it suddenly began writhing and choking on Talwyn, slowly spitting him out again.
After nearly ten seconds, Willowsong dropped Talwyn out of her wide mouth. Shortly afterwards, it also spat out the missing one of Talwyn's boots. Granted, Talwyn was now covered in slime and saliva, but at least he was free.
As for Willowsong, she quickly released Talwyn from her tail's grasp, and quickly slithered deeper into the cave, where it eventually turned around and watched Talwyn and his fireball from a safe distance, its yellow eyes glowing as they reflected the fire.

[Talwyn]

He remained completely still after she released him, as he stared back into her eyes. Eventually, he balled the hand holding the fireball into a fist causing the fire to sizzle and die. Trembling, the fist suddenly collided with the ground as he let out a frustrated cry of agony.

"WHY?" He yelled whenever his fist hit the ground, making him look much like a little child throwing a temper tantrum. Sitting up, tears started to appear in his eyes from. It had been quite a while since he had been this frustrated. Shaking his head, he tried to calm down.

After he managed to do so, he got up and grabbed his boot with a disgusted look. Wiping off the slime and saliva he slipped the boot around his foot once more. "So, you changing back or should I get used to the idea of having a man-eating snake for a friend? Also... the way you keep staring at me like that is sort of creeping me out." He said while trying to wipe of most of the slime and saliva.

[Willowsong]

As the fireball sizzled and died, Willowsong relaxed and blinked. The snake was surprised as it observed Talwyn going through a tantrum of sorts.

"So, you changing back or should I get used to the idea of having a man-eating snake for a friend? Also... the way you keep staring at me like that is sort of creeping me out."

There were various sounds of shifting bones and cracking skin from the darkness as Willowsong spoke again, her voice slowly becoming that of a woman agan.

"Sssssorry but I ssssought it wasss the only way of releasing you from my control."
At least, she hoped that answer would be enough for Talwyn's question earlier. At least, if the witch had understood it right.

Willowsong didn't come back into the front part of the cave yet, though. A short shuffling was heard as she sat down in the darkness.
"Sorry if I scared you...", she muttered with an apologetic tone in her voice.

[Talwyn]

Sitting down again, he looked defeated. It seemed like he didn't even hear her. Replaying the events of the past few days in his mind, he once again grew frustrated. Though he did manage to not throw another tantrum. Looking at all the books he had not yet read, his shoulders slumped.

Grabbing one of them, he flipped through the pages. Unable to read the damn symbols, he closed it and had to resist the urge to throw it away. Or better yet, incinerate the damn thing that seemed to be mocking him. With a sigh he turned his attention back to Willowsong. "No... you did not scare me. Don't worry. Willowsong I..."

He paused, whatever he wanted to say, was something he did not like admitting. Looking away, he took a deep breath. "I'm giving up. The chance of finding the answer in here was slim at best according to you... And this last time... I... I was really gone. That was scary." Shaking his head in defeat he looked at her again. "I am truly grateful for your assistance my friend. But it seems I have to admit defeat..."

[Willowsong]

"I am truly grateful for your assistance my friend. But it seems I have to admit defeat..."

Willowsong leant her head forward, rubbing her forehead. So he gave up. Simple as that.
It was only logical. It was the third time, and this time he really had been gone. It was only the fear for his own life that had brought him back to his senses.
But then why was Willowsong sad? Maybe it was just shocking to see how Talwyn, a man who had previously stood bold against fate, was now submitting defeat?

"So what will you do now?", she asked tonelessly, still sitting in her dark corner, watching.