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“Blasted, those Spotted Fire-Stricken Newts always ruining everything,” Wang Jiexi complained once more, he had been mulling over for 5 hours preparing the bubbling cauldron of Dream Walker .
Tsk, the cursèd creatures similar to slippery walking loaches. He loathed working with their slimy hides, the puffs of flames singing the brim of his hat, the orange brown and grimy innards dampening the edge of his leaf green sleeves as he attempted to separate the spine from the skin.
Flicking off the specks of fresh newt, he mutters an incantation, cleaning his hands of the putrid substance. Giving a long sigh, Wang Jiexi carefully picks up the skin and drops it into the pot, turning it a cool ocean blue. Flipping through his notes, he makes sure that the colour matches his previous tests.
He sprinkles atop two scoops of winter ginger clove, letting it simmer for another half hour before dunking half a bottle of red vermillion jackbird blood.
It was the 5th time Wang Jiexi has brewed this potion, the very first two attempts resulted in an explosion that luckily happened in his private quarters, less the dean expels the top student for burning a giant hole in the middle of the campus.
He had created it successfully on the 3rd and 4th attempt albeit on a rather smaller scale than the one at present.
It was no matter. He must succeed today. He couldn’t simply present his thesis without proof of the potion, he would never hear the end of his professor’s incessant yapping if he did.
The cauldron starts to teeter to the right until a loud POP broke loose, sending his hours of work and even more months of preparation, down the drain. Wang Jiexi scrambled to douse the ever erupting blue flames but only made it worse. He tried to cover his face and prevent himself from inhaling any of the coloured smoke that billowed and boiled out from the rusty cauldron, but his head started to throb as a high-pitched ‘ting’ began to ring out, his vision clouding as he felt his body going limp. He hit the hard stone floor with a hard and loud thud.
It was rather lonely sitting in the river of which he, Yu Wenzhou, the local river spirit resided in. The more cheery moments, being when various small critters visit his water dwelling for a gentle sip during the warm summer days. He heard a small splash from a bit north up stream, he swam over to see what it was that interrupted the bitter silence.
Laying facing downwards, laid a petite mushroom-brown kitten with one eye larger than the other. He knew he couldn’t let the poor little thing drown. Scooping up the small creature into his arms, he brought it over to the banks of the river. He gave the kitten a light tap, willing the water out of its wet fur. It shivered ever so slightly.
Yu Wenzhou was certainly not familiar with caring for small animals. Being a simple river spirit, he had no need for such things as food or materialistic endeavours. Although at times, he did wish he was human, that he could venture into those so-called towns that the humans chatter about, and experience sights he would have never seen before. But alas, his body was bound to the water of which he inhabited, unable to stay far from it.
Glancing around trying to find anything that resembled fruits that he had once seen birds feast upon, he saw a berry bush. Gently shaking off some of the ripened red fruits, he scooped a couple into his hands, gave them a nice rinse before heading back to the feline.
It had yet to regain consciousness. He worries a bit.
A few hours had gone by and the kitten awoke. Shaken by its change of surroundings, it tried to stand but wobbled as though it were unused to standing on four legs. Yu Wenzhou watched from afar and it limped over to the berries he had picked and ate some.
He didn’t want to scare the poor creature. He did feel relieved that it was fine, it was only a matter of time before it would scurry off, leaving Yu Wenzhou to his silent loneliness once again. He sat in his river, hugging his legs as he continued to watch.
It was getting late, and he could feel his energy depleted. He hoped that the kitten would have stayed a bit longer, at least until he awoke again but laughed at his wish for he knew it was impossible to yearn for company.
Being turned into a cat the size of a large grapefruit was the one experience he never thought that would happen. Luckily, somebody was there to rescue him. In his hazy mind, he could feel the gentle cool hands carry him to safety, strangely the hands although objectively felt cool like water, had some warmth.
They set him down on the banks of the river. He heard them leave before returning with some fresh berries. His body still ached and his eyes still tired. Wang Jiexi slept for a few more hours. When he awoke, he couldn’t see his saviour but he could still feel his presence.
A small pile of MuliBerries were nearby. A bit tart as they are not quite in season yet however, not toxic. Wang Jiexi tried to see if his saviour was still around but could not find any figure. Walking over to the riverside, he took a sip.
Ah. There. In the water. He could feel they were hiding at the bottom of the river ever so faintly. Shy? Perhaps.
But he can’t simply stay here in this form.
He knew that he would rather return once he regained his human form. And now he had a feeling on who had saved his life. Although it would be another 2 years until he returned, for which he stayed by the riverside, accompanying the no longer lonely river spirit for years to come.