Chapter 36

Idid what they wanted me to do. I didn't see why I had to sit there and explain how I did it while Frog was upset. I needed to go after him, and I knew Sono couldn't make it better for him. I didn't know if Frog was upset because this man I just created was less strange looking than he was, and I was able to figure out how to gift him thought and speech just by looking into his eyes rather than spend hours in the yard trying to teach him like I had with Frog. I only suggested trying what I had on the man I created today on Frog because I thought it would help him.

I knew there was no way I could get away from the fire without either drawing attention to us or one of them catching me. If I tried to fly away, Volaris would bring me down as Sono had done. If I ran, Terros would chase me and that might make Frog run further into the woods. Esylle seemed to get me now.

I did the only thing I could think of. I stood up, avoiding the hands reaching for me. I could feel Volaris and Terros at my back. I let the heat she was pushing down rise up and reeled around to face them.

I controlled the heat as it surrounded me and ignored Volaris and Terros as they swore and drew back, screaming at me to calm myelf. Fluvis didn't seem to want to stop me and was arguing with them to let me go. So were Esylle and Joron.

Terros told Esylle to go after me since she was the only one who could get close to me like this, but I didn't stay to hear what else was said. I didn't think Esylle would.

As soon as I cleared the brush, I turned into a fly just in case I was wrong about Esylle and concentrated on finding Frog. He always smelled of a moss that grew on Idric and I hadn't smelled it since I came to the mainland except when I was near Frog. I didn't know if I would find Sono with him or how I would get him to leave if he was with Frog. It needed to be the two of us now, like it was back home.

I could smell Frog, but I couldn't see him. I almost flew over him. He was sitting on a fallen tree looking down at his hands but was almost nearly hidden by branches. I didn't think Sono would be able to find us and flew down to him. When he saw me, he sat on the ground and I rested my head on his lap like we used to do back home.

"I wasn't trying to upset you, Frog. I was just a kid when I changed you and Belisarus was so mad about it, he hurt me. You're perfect and I love you, but it was my first time, and it was completely by accident.

"Something came over me with that man and I knew what I needed to do next. I skipped that entire step with you because I was scared and didn't know what was happening. I may have eventually figured out how to do what I did, but Belisarus got so mad at me. What if I was supposed to do what I did with him with you? Why didn't you tell me you could change back?"

"You did do the same thing. You just did it the long way where we bonded. I'm the same as he is, but I have the added bonus of being your friend."

"Best friend," I corrected.

"Yes, that, too. I didn't tell you I could change back because you thought there was something wrong with you. I might not have been able to talk, but I saw what Belisarus did to you. It scared me, too."

"I'm not sure how it works with you and the mouse. I turned Tollam into a goat and then he was able to turn into a horse. What if you're supposed to be able to change into something else? Can you?"

"Just the frog, but I haven't tried to change into anything else. And can I just say, I wouldn't have been angry in the slightest if that man had been stuck as a goat?"

I giggled because same. I was upset about it at the time, but he really had been awful.

"What if they expect you to fight? You can't do it as a frog."

"If I have to fight to protect you, I will."

I looked up at Frog's large yellow eyes.

"You'll be hurt and I can't lose you. I don't know what happens to me after this. I don't want to die, Frog, and I don't want to just disappear somewhere I have no memories of. They all just expect me to do this, and they pushed me to change that man. How do I know he even wanted to be changed? Maybe he would be happier as a mouse rather than being expected to fight for them."

"You give us a longer life and purpose when you change us. We only know our instincts before you gift us."

"I don't think Tollam views what I did to him as a gift."

"Maybe not at first. You saw that room you were in, and you know what they did there trying to figure out how to gain what you did to him. You run to calm yourself. Maybe when he experiences that, he will stop looking at it as a bad thing."

"I don't think so, Frog. He always smelled of sewage when he looked at me. He really hated me and wanted me dead. He would have killed me if I hadn't changed him. I could have killed him instead of changing him, but I didn't. If I had killed him, none of this would have started."

"You've never killed before. I don't think you are capable of it. I've listened to you talk about how you don't want to hurt people. We don't know if you can die. I was so scared after the bear."

"Frog, you know it still hurts, even if it heals itself. I don't know why those three boys are fighting over me when I don't think I'm supposed to be here when this all ends. Belisarus wouldn't have taken me when I was a baby if I could die."

"Maybe it was because you couldn't defend yourself for a long time. I don't think Belisarus expected the healing thing if the first Spirus died. Terros is angry and keeps commenting that you are a flesh and blood girl and not a god. What if you are the way you are because you were meant to live your life out after this?"

"I'd rather just be a flesh and blood girl. I don't want to be this god and I don't want to be a princess either. When all of this ends, I'm sure they will expect me to rule if I don't die or disappear. If I had to be the princess Lisana, why couldn't I just be a normal Tempris?"

"They haven't said anything to make me think you are supposed to die. Volaris said he would knock you from the sky if you tried to fly back and let them kill you. Those boys all really like you and I think you like them, too. You should really shake things up and take all three of them."

"Frog! They keep saying they are going to pick one for me, but I don't want that. I think they'd get really mad if I stole all three of their princes. I do like that dip in their hips, though."

"You're the Spirus. You can technically do what you want. If you like them, take them."

"No one does that!"

"Ah, but you aren't no one. Own it."

"You've gotten really bold since we left Idric."

"You should, too. You're technically a god."

"You're bad, Frog," I laughed.

I heard shouting and could hear Terros. He could smell us, but he couldn't see us because of the branches. I sighed because he was getting close.

"Can you change so we can get away?"

"No. There's someone out there like me now. You need to do the same for him as you did for me. You have to get back now, Sorcha."

I sighed because I knew he was right.