Chapter one: Running away

Phew he managed to do the flip in time if not only the god knows what would've happened to him.

Terry McBride had ran all the way to the city walls. He did this at least almost every day. And when he did he went to the hedgehog terriers or he just walked aimlessly. He was a very no secure boy and be needed to feel secured so the only place where he could actually head to was the hedgehog terrier.

Remembering the spell, he cast it. It started with a tickling sensation on his toes and then his ears then his fingers and finally his whole body, and puff he was already as small as a hedgehog. The only problem was he still had his head of Terry. So imagine a hedgehog with a human head and hedgehog ears. what a funny sight.

This was all because Terry was such a clumsy guy who messed up in 90% of his daily life. He hated to be stressed around and didn't like this idea of working all the time. In school, all those teachers gave essays to write and spells to memorize and the worst potions to brew. So consequently he ended up always with bad results, as in very very bad.

Even though Terry never did all those, he was never punished as severely as the others but he was just scolded and talked to but as everyone knew Terry wouldn't listen. It was like throwing water on a horse's back and this helped in fueling the hatred people had for him.

It was all too much for Terry to handle. And because of this, this gave him the lazy outward appearance and proved that he was weak out and in.

At first people thought he did all this but was a really a strong guy because they had learned not to judge a book from it's cover through a skiny kid at school.

At first glance, Terry if a Lanky guy with kind of orange red hair and enough freckles on his cheeks to make him look like an elf with short ears. His skin too didn't look good because always being indoors gave him a very weak skin tone online that of his peers that has beautiful glows on them. His eyes are so dull in colour but one can still notice that his left eye is green while the other is somewhat golden that switches to grey and back to golden. This gave even shivers to himself and he hated that bullies used him as punching bag all the time. Coupled with the fact that he was so careless made him an easy target meant for bullying.

He always wished he was such a strong mage already that he could finish off his attackers in one go, stop the bullying and just live his life as a peacefully nobody.

At times he will search old journals in the library -even though he hated work- in a feeble attempt to find '' something '' that will help him be all what people expected him to be.

At least no one will find him with the hedgehogs. He quickly ran into the terriers and came out the other way round which made things seem like he was in a kind of mini nightclub

He was nicknamed '' The Reaper''. This was because sometimes during the day he would daydream mutter strange things. like '' The reckoning fast approaches'' or '' The reapers are all gone '' and this freaked some kids out.

Once Terry fell into a trance that lasted hours and when he recovered, he has no memory of such event. He just woke up in the infirmary with a kind is symbol written on his forehead and he didn't even inquire why he was there but just left.

'' Terry you came. I'm so happy you are here. We thought all these would go in vain.'' Kelly his closest friend cried out. All his friends were all there are when they saw him, they all shouted '' HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERRY '' he was kind of surprised but fast enough the hedgehogs could sip joy through his heart.

''Of course I came. Have you forgotten I come here at least almost everyday?" He asked with wide grin plastered on his face.

Actually the first time he started coming here was when he was pursued once and tried to turn his attackers into small hedgehogs but instead he got himself turned. Luckily the attackers didn't see him turn or else it would've been the end of it all. It's been one year since things changed.

He couldn't believe this. His friends made a surprise for him and when he meant ''friend'' , he meant hedgehog. He was so elated by this surprise that he never thought they would actually think of it.

The hedgehogs were very fond of him and he never knew why because if attitudes were gods then surely he reincarnated laziness and sluggishness.

''Come on.'' Kelly said and ran on all fours. He actually followed on all fours since he was already used to that.

On the wood tables, there were lots of hedgehog food and he couldn't believe his eyes, there was human food too and he wondered how on earth did they do all of that.

The terrier was decorated in a very simple and beautiful style with colorful leaves all over the place and mini lanterns too that seemed to be floating. They glowed green and blue and red and ather colors he didn't pay heed to. The walls that were cold and fresh had some juicy and fresh fruits on them consisting of mostly berries apples and bananas.

He was in awe but he didn't actually know what these hedgehogs did to get all of these prepared. He had assisted a few birthdays but nothing as grand as this in the hedgehog community.

He always endeavoured to get a few berries or other liked fruits for them. Even though he grew accustomed to the hedgehog food and lifestyle and wish he never had to change back into a human, he knew he would crack and so he decided to come as often as possible with a few treats as always.

His friends(hedgehogs) knew about how the other kids treated him and felt very sympathetic towards him. So after he miscast the spell and turned into a hedgehog, He ran to a terrier and was found by Kelly who introduced him to the rest of the community and he finally made some friends finally.

All that food he saw gave him a watery mouth and was tempted to get a few bites but he was still chasing after Kelly so all that food could wait. He just contempted himself with imagining how they would taste and roll on his now so small tongue.

After they arrived their destination, Kelly stopped abruptly and he bumped into her which projected him backwards.

'' sorry''

'' Look at this. Here. ''

'' What do yo... '' He didn't finish just as he was presented with something spectacular. it was so magistic and .... He lacked the real words to express himself. It was not beauty that gave Terry his speechlessness but the rarity and grandeur it possessed.

'' Is this not a-a-a ...''

'' Yes it is.''

'' An enchanted glove. upon the gods' wrath where did you get this? Do you kno....'' she didn't give him time to finish his sentence.

'' know what?" She asked mockingly and not rudely afterall. '' That it is powerful and manipulative?? That it gets dreams and phantasies and all the rest come true?? ''

Terry still couldn't help but swallow and look at the precious object before him.

There was this tugging feeling he felt in his hedgehog belly that told him this is the answer to all his problems.

''This is for you Terry. We all got this so you could help yourself in school and... get to accomplish some self made goals''

Wait for him? He wanted to shout yes and lick Kelly's jaw (that's hos hedgehogs show kindness, gratefulness...) and tell her she was the best. But no. He first had to know how she got it

''Where did you get this?" Terry inquired

'' Don't you like it?" Kelly somewhat felt sad

'' I like it but I just want to know where did you find it, how did you manage to even come close to one and...'' he said this last sentence in a rather low voice '' At what price did you get it?"

The price. The price.

Terry and everyone else knew such artifacts had pretty huge powers and pretty huge prices to pay to get them. Finding where one was was not easy, finding how to get to it too but the most important step was getting it.

'' I - I - I what do you mean how did I get it. It's not polite to know how one got gifts okay. Just get it and say thank you that's all.'' Kelly became really agitated as her voice turned shaky.

'' I'm not being ungrateful just want to know how?"He became suspicious.

''Fine.'' She rolled her eyes but tried in a desperate attempt to our Terry back to the crowd so she won't have to answer. '' First let's get back to the party. I'm not sure everyone will be happy to k ow I kidnapped you after you just came here.'' She forced a little laugh so as to reassure Terry and turned to run again so he would follow her.

Terry was no fool. He could be lazy, sluggish but he was no fool. He was very sharp and perceptive. That is actually what sometimes saved him from the school bullies.

''Come on. The last to arrive is a rotten berry.''

As Terry turned to leave, he threw a last glance at the glove and raced to the party. What he never knew was the fact that if he delayed, the glove might be snatched away before he got the chance to take it. He better left questions aside.

Kelly just wished she could make Terry take the glove and forget about the questions because she had had to pay a huge price to get that. Terry won't be comfortable if he got to know that she had actually... Terry mustn't know. Never.