Ryan's POV
I yanked the phone into my hand, and scanned the depths of my memory for the number I was searching for. It came up and I dialled it into the phone.
I pressed the communication device close to my ear, the ringing in my ear like that of a death chime. Eventually the ringing stops and I hear a male voice.
"Hello who is this?" he asks, I can hear female voices talking in the background.
"John? This is Ryan." I state.
"Ah Ryan, what's up?" he replies in an upbeat voice.
I briefly stop, how he's acting is in such utter contrast to my current situation. It almost made me briefly forget about it, almost....
I then take a deep breath in my lungs and say "Jenny's been kidnapped."
John then quickly says "Okay Ryan, slow down and tell me what happened. Wait one sec, Mom I'm going to need to talk with you soon!"
I waited till he was ready, and then told him what had happened. Including the details where I tore up my knuckles punching a tree, just felt like I should keep details like that in.
Once I was done John said "Right then, give me a sec to think....."
The ensuing silence was near unbearable, thoughts were swirling about in my head. Things like why Jenny? What was John going to say? That last question was quickly answered.
"Have you ever heard of the wedding test Ryan?" John asked in a somewhat quiet tone.
"Nope." I replied bluntly.
John sighed, as if what he was telling me was hard. But he did talk with "Think an arranged marriage, but with magic forcing the people into it. The usual one is a guy turned girl is forced to get hitched to someone, usually someone they know. The victim must either resist the magic controlling them and escape, or at the very least not say "I do." trust me I've been on the short end of this test more than once. Isn't that right Mel?" no doubt shouting that down to his sibling.
I then bit my upper lip, harder till it drew blood. My tongue went onto it, lapping at the copper smelling liquid.
"......Do you know anything about this John? I heard your council does tests on each other, tell me now....." I half muttered and half growled into the phone.
John could sense my anger, my wrath was coming to the people involved. He then sighed and said "I overheard the witch council talk about a wedding test, two or three days ago. They were talking about a bride to a prince, I don't know anything else Ryan. That's the truth, take that as you will."
After a few seconds of waiting I believed him, but I was still fuming. I had no time to waste, a week was not much time. I needed a lead and fast, if I was to have any chance to save her. But there was one thing lingering on my mind....
I bit my lower lip, digesting this information. I spoke up with "Hang on, Jenny is already a girl. So there's no gender changing. But what will happen if I fail, and Jenny is forced to go through with the wedding?"
I dreaded the response, and John's heavy sigh told me it wasn't good.
"She would be stuck with a person she'd be bound to. Those who fail normally end up married to a person they must learn to love, even if they are horrible partners."
I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, like I'd just been dunked in a thick sheet of snow with no clothes on. The words ringed in my ear, my right eye twitched. My teeth were grinding against each other, and then before I knew it I had crushed the phone in my hands. I let the trashed metal go and stormed into my room, and there perched against the wall was my katana.
I grabbed it, the sprit inside the blade spoke to me "My Lord, you seem distressed. What is the matter?" his voice ringing into my mind.
"My love has been taken from me Azura, and if I don't find her then she will be lost forever to me."
"Oh dear! My Lord, upon my honour as a samurai I swear to you. I shall do my upmost to aid you in this quest, and if I should fail then cast me into the abyss and leave."
"Thanks, but we need to come up with a plan. I'm getting everyone together." with that I went back out to find the rest of my team. It was time for action.....
End Ryan's POV
Meanwhile....
John moved his head away from the phone, the sound of static was the output. He then frowned and turned the phone off.
"Who was that?" Ms Harrison asked her son.
John sighed and said "Ryan Carlson, my old penpal. His girlfriend has been kidnapped, for a wedding test it looks like. He's not taken it very well."
Ms Harrison sighed, knowing the damage that sort of test could do to people. "You know I had no other option for you John, I just hope that boy doesn't do anything rash."
John scoffed upon hearing that "Ryan's out for blood it seems, I just hope no one gets killed. Magic can't do that, but a katana can. I was about to tell him about that other bonding ceremony, the one you used for me and Megan."
Ms Harrison nodded "The boyfriend and girlfriend one, John I know what your thinking. You have my permission if you wish to help Ryan, I think he'd need it to avoid any bad fates if you know what I mean."
John gave a small nod, stood up and got his shoes on. It was going to be rough, and could all end in tears. But John spent the better part of his life so far helping others with their problems, and this would be no different.
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