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A lone wanderer travels the grim lands. The lands were unforgiving sometimes, everything was hostile and many of the people weren’t welcoming to them.
From frog kingdoms to a ghost town filled with monsters, the places were filled with bleakness and all thing dark.
The wanderer got used to this, seeing the beauty of the terror that was this land. They had a backpack filled to the brim with supplies and other survival items.
They had travelled into a forest after hours of aimless walking. It was dense and filled with slumbering, dangerous looking animals. They knew that sleeping here would be a death wish. The wanderer pressed onwards, looking at the twisted trees. It wasn’t long before they walked through a clearing and saw a small town.
The town entrance appeared to have a handful of hills around it, rats peaking their heads out of them and sniffing the air. They looked to be covered in dirt and filth, along with having sharp teeth and white beady eyes as well. The wanderer carefully walked past the rat’s nests, hoping to not bother them.
When they got to the town, there was a sign above the gates; ‘Hamelin’. The wanderer’s eyes widened a bit, of all the places they’ve been to, they came to the infamous town. The looked forward, the green gates opening with a creaking noice.
As they stepped in, they observed their surrounding, hoping to see if anyone else was in it. The town was dull and filthy looking, two or more rats would scurry across the stone paths and buildings even had rats inside the cracked walls. The ambiance was filled with the sounds of squeaking, couching and scurrying or rat feet.
Walking down the streets, they saw that the places there were less than savoury; some were morgues, asylums and even bars. It was all very strange to them, but didn’t phase them as all. Suddenly they heard the sounds of a pipe in the far off distance, the turned to see a pale looking man.
His clothing being different pale and dark colours. His hat was tall and had a red worn out looking feather in the back. His pants were the same colour as his shirt and his shoes were pointed. His red cape was tattered and had holes in it, as if rats had chewed through it.
The wanderer jumped and ran into a nearby alleyway, hoping that the man didn’t spot them. They hid behind a crate of mouse poison. As they hid, two or more rats ran past them, paying them no mind as the man walked around the town playing his pipe.
“Is that… the pied piper?” The wanderer thought,
“Theres no way it can’t be him, I have to get closer to the person.” The peaked from the side of the large box to check if he had turned away. Indeed, his back was turned, but then he stopped playing and stopped walking. It was like he sensed something or someone was in Hamelin with him.
The man turned his head see who was there, the wanderer quickly ducking back behind the crate. “Hm… Is anyone there?” The man questioned. He had a German accent with a slightly smooth voice. “I must be seeing things then…” The man said out loud,
“Onward, my fellow rats,” the man proclaimed, turning back and proceeding to play his pipe.
“Woah,” the wander whispered
“He really is the piper.” Their eyes lit up as they peeked their head up from the crate again. The piper was now far away, nearing the town exit gate. The wanderer waited for him to fully exit the town so they could follow him from a safe distance. They made sure that he stayed in their line of sight
After a few minutes, they creeped out from their hiding place and sneaked a few feet behind the piper, enough for him not to notice their presence. The wanderers hair blew in the wind as the piper’s song echoed through the lands.
The piper and the rats turned to the forest, now walking quicker. The wanderer also sped up, while also trying not to get caught by both the piper and the rats. It was almost exhausting, yet very tense for them. Who knows what would happen if the piper caught a stranger following him.
That idea made the wanderer gulp quietly. The piper then began to walk fast and faster, eventually he started to dash off into the woods. The pipers song faded into the deep forest. The wanderer panted in exhaustion, trying to keep up with the quick-footed piper.
They landed to the ground, kneeling down. Their dusty rose colours shorts now slightly dirtied from the slightly wet soil. They looked down and whipped the sweat off their face.
The wanderer heard a pair of foot steps stop right in front on them, the wanderer saw the same brown pointy boots with the same viridian green pants.
“It is rude to follow someone, you know,” the piper spoke out,
“Especially me…”.
The wanderer looked up and saw the pied piper looked down at them like a disappointed parent.
“Also…”
The piper held his right hand out, then a rat scurried up the piper and sopped at his shoulder, the small animal took out an apple and help it in its small hands. It was red and shiny.
“You dropped this when you ran into that alleyway…”
The rat handed the piper the apple and then scurried off into the forest.
“I saw you the moment you entered that town…. I’m surprised anyone would dare to visit that place.” He said as he tossed the apple in the air.
“I… uh…”. The wanderer was lost for words. They’re face-to-face with the infamous pied piper. The one who had the magical pipe that could hypnotise any creature. They were now with one of the many classic fairytale legends.
“A-a-are you th-“
The piper smiled warmly,
“The pied piper of Hamelin? Indeed… Although we have had a bumpy first impression, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He took a bow, tipping his hat.
The wanderer was speechless, they didn’t know that he was so polite. They heard legends of him being a cold and serious person.
The piper held out his hand,
“Here, allow me to help you up,”
The wanderer took his hand, helping them up.
“I must must say, you are a very stealthy person,” the piper smirked
“I ran because I wanted to see if you were just like me in a way…” the piper rubbed the back of his head.
The wanderer smiled,
“Hey, at least I got to meet one of the legends himself, that’s cool,” they softly smiled at him.
The piper chuckled a bit
“Huh, I did not know that I was a quote-unquote ‘legend’, I just see myself as just a simple piper,”
The pied piper crossed his arms’
“Along with catching rats and having a wide knowledge of them, buuut…”
He closed his eyes,
“I am to be paid after all. Everyone took note of Hamelin’s bloomer and made it so that I would be paid,”
The wanderer nodded reassuringly,
“I see, m-mr piper—“
The pipers eyes winded at the wanderer’s title,
“My dear, you do not need to call me that. Since we are well acquainted with one-another, just call me the pied piper, I’m more well known by that title. I can tell you already know that fact, yes?”
The wanderer blushed a bit,
“Y-yeah…”
The wanderer fixed up their Bouquet pink shirt,
“I go by the wanderer around here, kinda like your name in a way,”
They rubbed their arm.
“Is it because you like walking everywhere? This place is vast.” The piper said.
“Yeah I guess, heh…” the wanderer shrugged.
The piper grabbed their hand,
“Come on, it’s getting late,” he noted.
The wanderer blinked.
“Ah? I didn’t realise the ti-“
“It goes so fast, too.”
The two began to walk into the forest, the pied piper holding the wanderer’s hand.
The piper pointed to the distance and quickened his pace, the wanderer trying once more to keep up with him.
“How are you so fast?” The wanderer asked,
“Simple,” the piper turned to them
“I’m as light as a feather,” he replied, giving them a warm smile.
The wanderer blushed a bit at this.
Then the piper stopped dead in his tracks,
“We’re are here.”
The clearing was surprisingly empty, the grass was a greyish teal and had a calming feeling to it.
“This is a good place to rest up in my good opinion.”
The piper commented, putting his hat down and stretching his arms out, sitting down on the grass.
“Yeah, I think so too, it’s already getting dark so might as well.”
The wanderer replied, setting their bag down nearby his hat and sitting next to the piper.
The piper laid down on the grass, looking at the wanderer,
“You know, I’ve never had a rest in a long time,” the piper admitted,
“What with all the rats that come over to Hamelin, and that the you were fortunate enough to be there. I rarely come back to that place. Was it fate that drew you there? We’re we destined to meet?”
The wanderer went a bit quiet at the piper’s mused words,
“I dunno, All I remember was coming back from the city of gold, then I… kinda just went all over the place till I got to somewhere!”
They remarked, laying on the ground with him.
The piper smiled’
“Well I’ve been there one and let ‘em tell you, golden rats aren’t that useful,”
“Heh, tell me about it.” The wanderer replied jokingly
As the night drew on, the two began to get tired,
The piper yawed as he slowly wrapped his arms around the wanderer. The were at first surprised at this.
“You’ve seemed to warm up to me rather quickly,” the wanderer noted,
“Ah, how could I not,” he whispered.
“You have such a cute way of thing, you’re just a curious ball of wonders.” The piper teased.
This made the wanderer giggle a bit and blush,
“Oh, and that blush on you is so adorable as well,”
He said, kissing them on the forehead as the both snuggled, drifting into sleep in each other’s embrace.