As the brute rumbled a chuckle from deep within the muscles of his impressive chest, I knew I had stumbled across a kindred spirit. I breathed an internal sigh of relief, finally someone to possibly share the darkest thoughts that crossed my ghoul filled dial. Keeping them to myself was slowly letting the ghouls take residence within my brain, and they often kept me up at night rattling and cackling away.

”Aye. There doesn’t seem too many of the old kind left these days. Mores the pity. Pansies, the lot of them I say!”

I spoke with a smirk on my maw and my eyes alive and dancing, as the others sharpened with a darker look residing in the depths. I had struck gold within hours of entering this place.

I could tell that although the look faded away from the brutes face that our conversation had not reached it end, and it sent a rush of adrenaline through my veins and my heart started to race in excitement. The ghouls skittered round my cranium like there were high, screaming into my ears. I shuddered as I tried to block them out and concentrate on the real.

I tried my best to concentrate as lyrics dropped from the others jaws. I let out my breath, which I hadn’t even noticed that I was holding as he explained that I had no need to join his herd on a permanent basis just yet. It sent huge plumes of ghost like air billowing through the near freezing atmosphere. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine I was expelling the ghouls from the prison of my brain. I shook myself and returned to the situation at hand;

”Why of course. I am perfectly good at lying low after all. Though I can’t imagine that this generous offer doesn’t come without some form of fee, however, this doesn’t quite put me off. I would like to take you up on your offer of hospitality, I am sure you won’t let me down. Lead and I will follow. For now anyway..”

My eyes shining, I knew he come to expect that I would only follow for so long, before I found my own path through these lands. It had yet to be decided whether that path included this kindred buckskin or not.
I watched on in slight amusement as a sneer appeared on the jaws of the brute, just before he turned away slightly.

Well, well. It seems all is not as rosy as he may well make out. This will make this all more fun..

If he was after an ally, an equal, then he would most certainly have one in me. A follower however, he would have to look elsewhere, I wasn’t that meek and biddable.

As his attention turned from me to the pitiful piece of meat masquerading as a fae behind me, I grew bored. She wasn’t worth even playing with as far as I was concerned. She would be all too easy to manipulate and leave broken. It wasn’t even worth glancing her a look. She would simply fall to her knees. They had to at least put up a fight, or pose some form of challenge to garner my interest.

Right on cue it seemed, a strong feminine perfume drifted into my nares. So much stronger than the smell emanated from the pathetic thing shivering behind me. This one was peaking my interest so much more.

As she entered into my field of vision, my blood started to pump with adrenaline all over again. Now here was a femme worth taking some time over. She wasn’t much to look at, but the twisted look that was set upon her dial suggested she wasn’t completely sane. Here was the challenge I had been looking for since leaving the treasure pelted one had accidentally thawed the chunk of ice that resided in my chest. I needed Jack Frost to visit it again, it was no use to me all warm.

However, the femme was clearly more interested in the buckskin standing in front of me. That did put my nose out of joint a little, but not enough for it to matter. I would still take her on quite happily. I tried my best to not bat an eyelid when a mountain lion stalked in behind her, clearly sensing lunch in the collie bounding round the weakened one.

As lyrics dropped from her maw, it was clear her voice was anything but feminine, harsh and gravelly, grated in my harks. She clearly held some form of grudge to the other, which only worked in my favour. The lion was now upon her back, and she wasn’t even flinching as it drew blood with its claws. This was going to be such fun.

”Afternoon Deary. Whom might you be? Such a charming companion you have. I am Rumplestiltskin. Charmed to meet you, I’m sure..”

The ghouls screamed round my brain, releasing such a strong craving for blood I had to fight myself to keep my hooves planted on the frozen ground. It was after all, far too early for that..

Tagged: Rumplestiltskin Notes: Sorry its taken so long! Credit: Manip: Loopie2008, Table: Stephy