Darelle

3

"Aye, lad. What are you doing in this part?" asked the drunk old man. "Don't you know that this is when the dwarf lives?" A middle aged man slurred out reaching out for his jacket.

Rumpel grinned delightful of the first person he had spoke to in over twenty years despite the actual disgust he would feel of the human touching even a thread of his clothing.

He stepped out of an arm's reach from the man, who didn't realize he could need a good scrub on that hand on his. Even though it was decent for a farmer or merchant or whatever he could be.

"You-know-who." The gentleman pointed in the direction of the path that lead to his cottage.

The forest and his fog covered up his old home path, abiding its time to swallow anyone who dare as much to stumble into his part, leaving to wander them until their dying breath. That was a story for another day.

The red, orange, yellow leaves scrunched under his feet as he stepped closer to the unsuspecting man like he was cornering a prayer.

In his trick to frustrate the poor old who happened to stumble, stop and block him on his way to town. "Who? "

"Rumpelstiltskin, the human skinned demon, who grants wishes in exchange for children. A woman claimed she lost her way in the forest and he came, and offer her safe passage back to her home." The man said. "But he would take the first time that lands on the bridge he woke. She is delusional. She said it was a tall, handsome dark man."

In his defence, he was a tad bit bored and grew tired of seeing the poor and wretched old woman walking in his forest, slow as a crawling, limbless bat.

"Anyone, would love to see such a wonderful entity." he stated the matter of fact.

The man looked at him in hot rage like he had lost his mind. And upon the older man's reding face, he was right on his assumption.

"Are you mad? Wonderful, you say!? I said he is a mad devil, a cursed dwarf, a stinky swine and a gravel to all that is evil. The devil, I tell you. What you even speak, is preposterous!"

"Oh then, what it takes is a delightful man to compliment the great evil. Coming from the greater evil." Rumpel chuckled, leaving the man in a dire need of clarity. "Pardon my manner, I am getting to the lower levels species. I am called, and known as the one and only Rumpel."

"Rumpel." The old man repeated. "You are R-r-rumpel. . . S
stiltskin." To the realization hit the old man's face and he turned pale as snow.

Almost making Rumpel to dance at hunting and taunting the poor unfortunate soul.

The man fell back on the ground in fear and he stepped in front of him as Rumpel whispered a foreign string of word to the man's after his offensive magic had made the man immobilized.

He pulled his head back and looked into the eyes of the old man, playing with the first spell he learnt how to conjure after the public humiliation he endured that slow witted woman.

The foolish witch made a mockery of his kind gesture and ended up being the who tricked him. He should have left them to off the queen's . . . her head, but it was too late, and he had plans to catch on.

"Follow me." And the man followed him to his own wagon.

Rumpel stepped on the front and adjusted to his comfortability on the wooden seat instead of the soft cushion ones. "Get in it." he ordered and the man sat next to him.

"Good." he praised the fool. "Now, I want you to take me to the central city of this kingdom of Mae. And you shall inform me of the latest do and don't of the day. As well as the fashion."