The couple approached the musician carefully. The sound was coming from a clearing with a small campfire lit in the middle. From what they could see in the dark, there was a man dressed in green, with a very pointy hat. He sat and played his flute, while more than a dozen children of all ages, sat still on the opposite side, looking at the flames as if mesmerized.
Zora cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said softly.
The man stopped and turned immediately. "Who are you?" he said, startled.
"Forgive us. We did not mean to frighten you. My name is Zora and this is my husband Aidan," the queen pointed, to which the king lowered his head in a greeting. "We are here on the behalf of the villagers."
The piper looked to the side. "In that case, you can both hit the road. I do not want to hear anything those simpletons have to say."
"No! No! Please," Zora said abruptly. "I assure you that all of that was a... a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? Throwing rotten food at me? Chasing me with sticks, and shouting that I was a witch," the man said in a dry tone.
"Well, you never know. Rotten food is a delicacy in some parts of the world," Aidan added.
The man chuckle.
Seeing his opportunity, Aidan continued. "It was not that they did not prepare your money. In fact, I have it right here," he said, holding up a very heavy bag. He shook it, making the gold coins jingle.
The piper looked away, unable to pretend disinterest.
"I understand your feelings. It is not easy to make a living with magic. And some people get frightened so easily," Zora said in a friendly tone.
"You have no idea. The situations I got myself into," the man complained.
Zora nodded. "I know, I had a lot of problems with my in-laws after acquiring my magical abilities as well."
"Mine is not actually magic. It's more... Never mind. Continue," the man stuttered.
"Why not take the prize for your hard work? What can you possibly do with these children? So many mouths to feed," Aidan continued.
The piper looked towards his catatonic prisoner. After a silent pause, he added: "Perhaps you are right. It is a lot of work."
"See?" she said, happy.
"And the slave market is so far away. Not to mention the fluctuations in the pricing! I tell you, these slavers are as fickle as they are slimy."
"Oh," the couple looked at each other, concerned.
The piper stood up. "Well, you have convinced me. May I have my payment now?"
"Of course," Aidan said, handing him the sack.
Moving his fingers, a little rectangle of paper appeared in the piper's hand. "This is my card. In case you have an infestation problem," he said with a bow.
The king took his card awkwardly and thanked him. "Now, about the children. Will they stay this way forever?"
"Oh. Not at all." The man snapped his fingers and the children started moving. As they moaned and rubbed their eyes, the man added. "I will be going now. Take care."
The couple waved at him cautiously.
With a slight skip in his step, the piper placed a cheerful tune and walked away. In an instant, it seemed he had vanished into the thick forest.
The children looked around. The younger ones started crying.
"Who are you and where are our parents?" a chubby, tall boy said, angry.
Zora sighed in frustration. It seemed that the children, much like their parents, were vigorously suspicious of magic. An hour had passed, and they were still standing in the same spot, frowning at the open glowing portal.
"Now, now children. There is nothing to fear. The magic ring is perfectly safe and will take you back, a minute-walk away from your village. As you can see here," Zora pointed at the dark trees shown in the circle. "
They remained silent.
"Do you not want to see your parents?" she explained patiently.
The youthful group, looked at her with their arms crossed. "Why don't we just walk there?" the bigger boy said.
She leaned towards him gently. "Because, dear child, we are tired. The walk, as you call it, will take days, perhaps even a week. And we are in a bit of a hurry to return to our own home."
Still, the children stayed put, with their sour faces fixated on her.
She made an effort to smile. "Look, we too have a little boy waiting for us at home. He is probably so sad his parents are not with him."
The children's expressions remained the same. "That does not seem like our problem," the boy said coldly.
With another heavy sigh, the queen turned to her husband. "I do not know what more to do," she said, defeated.
The king hummed. "Cheer up, dear!" He leaned towards her and whispered something into her ear. Zora's eyes widened in shock.
As she stood up, she let out a sudden squeak.
"What is it?" the children asked, concerned.
"Oh no! What is that?" she added, pointing behind them.
This somewhat theatrical remark, made the children turn their heads. Aidan, in his werewolf form, jumped out of the bushes. "Boo!" he said with his mouth opened and his claws extend.
The little folks screamed out in fear, before hurdling towards the portal. Zora waved as the last child that entered. "Send regards to the villagers," she said, happy that the portal was finally closed.
"What hardheaded little!" werewolf Aidan barked.
Zora shook her head. "Wonder how they'll adjust to this ever-changing world."
Meanwhile, in Viniria's forest, Eli could not sleep a wink. Ever since Zora left, she lay clutching her feet, pondering on what to do. "They have not returned yet. What if they never return? What if Luka is no longer with us? What will happen to me then?" she thought, beyond anxious.
She moved her head suddenly, as if getting an idea. "I know! I'll just run away. There are many valuable things here. I could sell them and get on a boat to a far away land. Yes, that is what I will do! If I pack now, I have plenty of time to run."