Muirethriel sighed as she returned Kirsty's look. She still didn't have all the answers, but the young woman was right in that she deserved some explanation. She was silent for a few more moments as she finished mixing.

"I don't really know all of what's going on yet," the Lady began as she flowed back into sitting area carrying a bowl of herbs and salts. She poured the contents into a corner of the pool, which turned out to be partitioned off from the rest. The water boiled for a moment, then a pleasantly scented steam began to spread through the room. Turning to regard Kirsty, she interrupted her emerging narrative.

"You really should get undressed if you are going to get in the bath, dear," Muirethriel said as she waded in herself, easing down into the warm water. "Come along and I'll tell you everything I know."

Kirsty only hesitated for a moment because she was not used to bathing with other women, of course there had been nude spa in Germany... And it seemed Muirethriel was unaffected by whatever power had been affecting Gardum. And she really wanted to be done bathing before the Ogre got back so she slipped out of the tattered remains of her gown and joined Muirethriel in the water.

It felt amazing! Warm and fragrant and refreshing against the bare skin. "Ooohh... That feels great!" She sighed as she leaned back against the side of the pool. She took a moment to soak it all in before turning her attention back to the Lady. "So, what do you know?"

"I'm glad you like it dear," Muirethriel responded. She produced a sponge and dipped it in the dregs of the mixture in the bowl. Shifting closer to Kirsty, she reached under the water and lightly grasped one of the girl's legs, lifting it up so she could examine the scratches.

"Sqwazit is the Goblin King's chief hunter," the Lady began, gently rubbing the sponge over Kirsty's abrasions. A pleasant tingle followed the motion and the wounds simply disappeared, wiped away as though they were nothing but smudges of dirt. "If he is after you, then the Goblin King must be looking for a new bride." Muirethriel continued to apply the mixture over Kirsty's leg, carefully healing each and every nick or scrape.

"That means the dragon you encountered is most likely Xokuxuatl," the blue-haired woman sighed, a mixture of emotion plain on her face. "He is to we fae as we are to humans; a remnant of times long passed when magic truly ruled. In some ways, he is magic." Finished with the first leg, Muirethriel motioned for Kirsty to give her the other.

"It must have been he that put the power into you, but I have no idea why. It also seems he has taken a . . . liking to you if the power's effect on Gardum is any indication."

Kirsty flinched away when Muirethriel first attempted to grab her leg but relented what she realized she'd just been attempting to treat her wounds. "Sorry, 'once bitten twice shy' and all that." She listened intently as the Lady of the Spring talked about the goblin she had encountered and his mysterious master. "Wait, a new bride? What happened to the old one? And why would Xokuxuatl liking me make any difference??" It was clear from the way she said the word that she did not understand that Xoku probably "liked" her in a sexual way.

"Your naivete is very refreshing," Muirethriel suppressed a giggle. "Xoku has a thing for women with long, lovely legs. See?" The Lady lifted one of her own from the water by way of demonstration.

"You're really a lucky girl," she continued confidentially. "His tongue can be quite . . . exquisite." Muirethriel shivered slightly, a tiny bit of color entering her cheeks. She was lost in reverie a moment before clearing her throat.

"Now shall we finish treating your wounds?" She motioned for Kirsty's other leg again, not wanting to spook her again by taking a hold of it directly. Apparently she had momentarily forgotten about Kirsty's other questions.

Understand suddenly dawned on Kirsty and she flushed pink as she suddenly had a flash of the vision Muirethriel was painting. A colorful Asian looking dragon servicing a woman with his exquisite tongue. She shook the thought away and cleared her throat, pretending she never had the strange thought. "I don't feel very lucky. I was nearly raped twice today..."

"I'm sorry, you're right of course. He really shouldn't have done what he has to you," Muirethriel paused, simply handing the sponge to Kirsty as she seemed reluctant to produce her other leg.

"But I don't think you're going to have a choice," The Lady continued. "In order to get you home before the goblins come for you, we're going to have to flush that extra power from your mind." A slight look of unease stole over Muirethriel's countenance along with something else.

"I can try, but I'm afraid it won't work unless Xoku does it . . . "

Kirsty frowned at this, "I don't understand..." She was completely disregarding her still injured leg while she spoke. "Exactly how do we go about flushing this power from my system." Her cheeks became even more inflamed suggesting she had a fairly good idea already.

"The power is currently trapped in the mechanism of your dreamwalking, keeping the ability engaged. It is slowly oozing out of its own accord, so eventually the problem will clear up on its own, but I don't think we have the time to wait for that to happen." Muirethriel explained the problem first, avoiding rushing directly to the solution which she suspected Kirsty would find unpleasant on an intellectual level.

"In order to clear it out faster, we need to force you ability to disengage, to make your mind go blank, as it were," The Lady paused, coloring a bit herself. "In my personal experience, there's only one way to reliably drive all thought from a woman's mind . . . "

"Couldn't the same effect be reach through meditation or something?!" Kirsty ask desperately. She'd never been much good at meditating but it sure as hell beat the alternative. "I really don't see how it would be much of an improvement letting this Xoku character molest me to save me from getting married to this Goblin King guy. Besides, I'm a virgin. Having my first sexual experience with a dragon would be more than awkward for me. There has to be another way. Why is it exactly you think we can't just wait it out?"

All color drained from Muirethriel's face at the mention of Kirsty's virtue. Another, rather ugly, piece of the puzzle just fell into place. If the Goblin King got a hold of her while she was still a virgin . . . The Lady shuddered.

"We can't wait because the goblins will come for you long before the power subsides on its own and the Goblin King tends to consume the souls of his brides. Especially those as sweet and pure as you. Besides, he would be a much worse choice for your first experience than Xoku. We might as well just let Gardum split you open and be done with it." Muirethriel explained.

"As for meditation, it might work to clear your mind, if you are any good at it, but if what I suspect is true, it won't flush the power from your psyche." She paused, considering her words carefully. "You see, the power Xoku put into you is affected by his lust for you. Like him, it wants to be near you and I don't think its going to let go unless Xoku has his fill of you." A slight look of jealousy flashed in the Lady's eyes before she quelled it and her consoling smile returned.

"It really will be all right, dear. Xoku can be quite a gentle beast." Muirethriel sighed wistfully.

Kirsty didn't like were this was going. She squirmed uncomfortably in the pool, pinning her knees together defensively. "Does it have to be sex... I mean, I don't even see how we'd be physically compatible. How is it even suppose to work?" She wasn't sure she wanted to think about it. This is not at all how she wished to lose her virginity. "Besides, we don't even know where he is or how to find him. Are you sure there is no other way!?"

The Lady laughed despite herself, having quickly regained her carefree demeanor. She looked at Kirsty with a mix of amusement and longing. How long had it been since she had been so innocent?

"It's not quite what you think, dear," Muirethriel began. "I've already told you about his tongue . . . " Her sentence trailed off for a moment as she considered how to proceed. "He doesn't really have a-" Her eyes grew wide and she stood up abruptly.

"Xoku!" For the beast in question had just glided up to the landing, a burst of scintillating colors filled the suite as he poked his head around the half-drawn curtain. Muirethriel's hips swayed in a sultry fashion as she walked over to him.

*SMACK* The sound of the Lady's palm impacting Xoku's face rang in the room for a second. "Where have you been!?" Muirethriel's voice took on the aspect of a crashing flood as she stood before him a truly terrible sight (though no less beautiful).

"It'ss nicsse to ssee you to Muirethriel," Xoku replied, rubbing his cheek with a few tendrils.

"Quit that hissing you old serpent," she laughed, falling to her knees and kissing him lightly where she had just slapped. "I've missed you so!"

"I'm sorry, Muiry . . ." The serpent murmured to her and for a moment his eyes became deep golden pools of hurt and regret. Then the moment passed, and a merry twinkle returned.

"But, tell me: What have you two lovely girls been up to?"

"Slap him again for me, Muirethriel." Kirsty replied, refusing to come out of the pool and moving to the furthest side from where the serpent was sitting. She glared icily at Xoku. "It's all your fault I nearly got raped by a tree and an ogre today and thoroughly don't appreciate it. I was having a perfectly lovely first day at school until you came along and now I've been told I won't get through this day with my virtue intact. I'd hit you myself if I thought I could do the tiniest amount of damage to you. Why me?"

"What have you been telling this girl about me, Muiry?" Xoku asked with an innocent expression.

"Just the truth," Muirethriel giggled, he anger apparently spent.

"That explains it," the serpent grinned, turning back to Kirsty. But then his countenance turned serious. "I am sorry, Miss Barker, this . . . was not supposed to happen." He paused a moment, the pained look returning. "Please, leave us Muiry."

"All right, but don't you disappear without coming to see me." Muirethriel walked out onto the surface of the pool and began to sink into the deep section. "And be gentle with her Xoku."

Watching the Lady of Springs vanish into the pool, the ancient serpent seemed on the verge of tears, but he blinked them away, turning once more to the angry girl opposite him.

"An explanation: yes?" he began, staying where he was so as not to crowd Kirsty. "I was supposed to just try to activate your um, ability and observe. The Being I'm bound to serve - thrice damned be its name- has taken an interest in you. But its playing with me as well. It must have known I wouldn't be able to resist someone like you and that my only means of activating your power would likely lead to something like this . . ." Xoku gestured expansively with a few tendrils. "Nightmare."