Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Wow. This is a long fall. Longer than the first one.

I couldn’t see the other princes but I can hear them somewhere in the distance. Screaming with fright. I wrapped my hands around myself as the cold fog engulfed me inside.

‘Master!’ I felt Custard grabbing a hold of my collar with his mouth and swung me upward. I reached down to grab his fur and pull myself close until I was riding my familiar’s back. My knees hugged his body as I looked around.

‘Custard, where are the others?’ I asked him.

‘Sorry, master. I do not know.’ He says sadly.

“GUYS!?” I screamed.

A hand suddenly grabbed my hand and I saw a face emerging from the fog. It was PRINCE Ace. “I found her!” Ace yelled out loud somewhere behind him.

“Come here!” I said and grabbed his hand and assisted it to a space behind me on Custard. Luckily, he managed to pull his own weight and sit behind me. I looked at me. My ponytail slapping my face at the action. “Where are the others?” I asked him.

“They were behind me a while ago.” He says. It was hard for me to see his expression through the fog.

“Are they going to be okay?” I asked worriedly. “It really is a long fall!” I have to say it a little louder because the air was blowing my voice away.

“They’ll be fine!” He yelled. “We’ll be fine!”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because!” He paused and I could feel that he was hesitating a bit before answering. “I feel life down there!”

“I need more than that to convince me!”

“I can feel the forest down there!” I yelled louder. “And get ready for a rough landing!” He ordered and I felt him pushing my back gently to make me crouch. Lucky that he did because a few moments later, the fog was lifted and I saw a forest below us.

“Rose! Ace!” I looked up and I saw Ren and Nate looking at us.

“Be careful!” I yelled to them both. I saw them nod slightly and readied themselves for the impact.

I gripped Custard’s fur a little tighter and let out a yelp the moment we came crashing into the forest. Custard was able to maneuver and used his large paws to kick and leap from the large trunk to tree trunk. It was more than a bumpy ride and it was not fun at all because I almost fell during one of the sharp turns. Luckily the backseat passenger was able to grab my shirt collar to steady me back.

As soon as we landed, I felt like I wanted to puke as I slumped dizzily on my familiar’s back. I heard a few rustle of leaves and screams as Ren and Nate fell. I immediately looked up to see how they were doing.

“Damn. I think I dislocated my foot.” Ren his and I saw how his legs were bent at a weird angle.

“Let me help you with that.” Nate says and grabbed the injured leg and snapped it back to it’s correct joint. I grimaced at the sound.

Ren hissed with pain and painfully smiled at Nate. “Thanks. Let me help you with that too.” He gestured at Nate’s bent wrist.

“No thanks! I am doing fine. I can - AH F****!” Nate cursed the moment Ren got up and fixed Nate’s wrist.

“Don’t get me wrong. I still want to stab you. It’s just payback for helping me.”

“I still cannot fathom the fact that you guys are okay after all that.” I said and clumsily got down from Custard. My legs wobbled and I face planted on the floor. Custard lowered his snout and helped to pull me right back up.

Ren was stretching his legs and Nate was rotating his wrist when they looked at me. “Wolves can heal fast.” Ren says before slowly making his way towards me and rubbing my back. “You seem fine. That’s a relief.”

“Back at you.” I replied and rubbed my head to ease up my dizziness. “I guess we are all accounted for.” I looked behind me towards Custard’s back. Ace Wasn’t there anymore. “Where ‘s Ace?” I asked.

“It’s PRINCE!” We followed his voice to see Ace, his hands on one of the trees looking glum and confused. His face wrinkled with concentration. I can only assume that he was using his powers to see our current location.

Come to think of it, we fell from a really high place.

I looked around us. There was still a light fog surrounding the area. The ground has a few huge elevations that resulted from the trees’s roots protruding from the ground. The soil itself was moist, but not enough to make it hard for us to walk around.

‘Master! Above you!” At Custard’s warning, I looked up. Ren, who was beside me, followed my gaze and we both gasped. Debris from the platform that we were on before was falling from the sky.

“RUN!” We both screamed. Custard, being a huge wolf, tackled Ren and I to push us onto his back as he leaped out of the way. “Take cover!” We warned everyone and I can only hope that they made it out in time.

I heard Nate cursing beside us and I was relieved to see that he was able to make it out. We all stopped beside Ace and Custard shielded us from the impact the moment the debris crashed. Dust flew all around us and I had to wave my hands in the air just to clear the space around me.

“Gee, what’s next? The sky is going to fall?” I asked and pushed myself up.

“You probably shouldn't jinx it.” Nate says as he dusts himself. He looked at the spot where we were and let out a whistle. “Thank goodness for Custard’s warning.” He said and started petting Custard’s head. “Thanks, boy.”

“Something is down there.” Ren pointed to a spot where a stone block stood that was now half covered by the debris. “I’ll go and have a look.”

“Don’t be a fool and come back here!” Nate says even though he is sliding down from the slope as well.

“Those idiots.” Ace grumbled and turned to look at me. “You stay here.”

“Why can’t I come?”

“Keep asking that question and I will give you a list long enough to be a novel.”

“Oh, so it’s AUTHOR Ace now and not PRINCE Ace?” I joked. Ace’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Okay, have fun then.” I immediately said and waved him goodbye.

He didn’t waste any time as he followed the two other princes who were now digging into the ground. They were uncovering some sort of stone with some writings on it, but from where I stood I could not read what it said. Ren raised the stone in the air. It was missing another half.

Custard was growling beside me and stood closer. His hackles raised and he looked as if he was ready to pounce at any moment. Before I could ask him why, something emerged from the rubble. It was small and was moving fast. I watched in horror as it passed through Ace’s body. Ace suddenly fell limp. Ren dropped the stone and was about to check on the fallen prince when the light suddenly flew past him this time before passing through Nate. I watched as they all fell limp and dropped to the ground.

I started to move but Custard blocked my path the moment the light was headed towards us. Custard raised one of his paws and brought it down the moment the light came close. He managed the make contact and I can finally see that that light’s form really was.

“A spirit.” I whispered as I watched the little white fox shaking off the dizziness after receiving Custard’s blow. It was beautiful. It’s furr looking soft and white as snow. It’s mischievous blue eyes found mine and it made a sort of chuckling sound. Is it laughing?

My familiar snarled at it in warning loud enough to spook the fox. It returned the gesture that Custard before looking back at me with an amused look. Intelligence glinted in it’s eyes before turning it’s back to me and rushing into the forest.

As soon as it was gone, Custard finally relaxed and we both headed towards the princes, who were no unconscious. “Ace? Ren? Nate?” I poked their bodies, but there was no response.

I sniffed and started gathering some dirt and throwing them over the prince. “I will miss you guys.” I whispered and started throwing more dirt and mud over them. Might as well bury them and their stupidity for dying.

And I thought I was the thoughtless one who doesn’t think before acting.

“Custard, help me bury them.”

‘Master, you haven’t checked their pulse. They’re alive.’ He while giving me a tired look.

“Really?” I asked in surprise. At that moment, Ace suddenly sat up as I was throwing mud. It met his face with a splat.

‘Custard? I think you might want to dig a grave for me instead.’ I said through our link as I watched the prince of darkness wiping mud off of his face.

“What the hell, Rose?” Ace said, making me flinch with surprise. Did he just call my name? I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Why is his tone different?

“Ace..?” I said with uncertainty.

“It’s PRINCE!” My eyes grew even wider as I followed the voice who said it. It was Ren, who was now giving me a murderous look. I blinked a few times to make sure that what I was seeing was actually Ren and not Ace.

Is Ren angry at me?

“GAH! Why am I looking at my own body!?” Nate screamed while looking at Ren. That gesture and reaction alone somehow gave me a hint of what was actually happening.

It couldn’t be, right? But the way that they were acting is already proof of that.

My jaw was still open as I tried to process what was happening. Suddenly, Ace looked at Nate and screamed as well. “Why is my body staring at me!?”

“Why is there mud on my face!?” Ren screamed before looking back at me. Right now, they were on their feet and circled each other. Studying and cursing even more.

I was biting my lower lip right now as I stared at them. “I think I may have a clue of what’s going on, but I need you guys to confirm it for me.” I said, making them all stop from their pacing as they gave me their full attention.

“We switched bodies, Rose.” Ace said and offered me a small smile.

Great. Now that is going to give me nightmares. Oh, and that fact that they switched bodies. “You’re Nate?” I asked and pointed at Ace. He nodded solemnly. I looked at Ren, who was glaring at me. “No question. You’re PRINCE Ace.” Ren scoffed at me.

“Obviously. Ever wonder how this idiot suddenly became smarter?”

“Hey!” Nate complained.

“Ren?” I asked. Nate looked at me and grinned.

“We have to switch back!” Ren(Ace) says, looking grim. “With my current body I cannot use my powers.”

“Great idea. But how do we do that? Can anyone remember what happened? The only thing I remember is that glowing light attacking us.” Nate(Ren) scratched the back of his head as he tried to recall the scenario earlier.

I raised my hand to catch their attention. “By the glowing light, you mean the white fox spirit?”

“A spirit?” Ace(Nate) asked. His soft expression is really going to haunt me for the rest of the day.

“Y-Yeah.” I said uneasily and avoided his gaze. “Custard was able to hit it before it got to me.”

“Damn it!” Ren let out a curse. “We have to find that fox!”

I dared to look at Ace again and stare. Ace(Nate) caught my look and grinned flirtily at me. “What? You falling for me already?”

“Remember whose body you’re on!” Ren chastised him.

Strong shivers were sent all over my spine as if I was being electrocuted. Then I met Ren’s gaze and eagerly nodded my head until I was busy. “Yes please.” My eyes dared to peak at Ace and saw him smiling sweetly at me. Oh gosh. “We have to.” I urged and caught their gazes. “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” ...

...Before my sanity leaves me seeing a very flirty Ace.