“Suppressed, oh … that's easy, I cannot fix that but many Fae are good at illusion and enchantment effects. Faerie Dragon breath has a few effects, on causing others to suppress their memories while in effect the gas becomes a persistent poison that lingers.”

Spencer gave her hope that this could be undone, not now of course since they were in the middle of things and he had no way of dealing with them himself. If they were erased or changed even that would have been harder to deal with but possible though they would need an Enchanter for sure he thought.

“With amnesia you still remember things but don't remember that you remember them in most cases until doing them the fact that you remember spells and languages tells me that someone either wanted or needed you to remember specific details while blaming the memories of others for whatever reason.”

Spencer nodded though. “Even if there is nothing there I suspect Nicodemus will restore it if we are successful, when I was younger I remember that he was said to posses strange healing powers, if unable to do so himself he probably knows someone that can do so.”

Spencer had no doubt that this was a minor matter, the Elders might say it was complicated in which case they would have to find an experienced Wizard, most Fae had dabbled in magic enough whee they might know the Masters … tin any case it had seemed far more relaxing to Flame that it was mentioned after all such a solution was relatively easy … Gale probably was probably more connected than he though and not limited to just other Faery Dragons either.

“Sure I'll take you. Price will be going topless, kidding, really it is no problem though you two may get a little wet ...” Spencer did not explain that last part, it was not important just yet after all.

“It is important to get the object, right? If I have to hold off the Demon for a bit to do it then I shall, he cannot be worse than the Dragon and I've been a bit anxious in getting a new tattoo,” Roc told her.

Though he might not have known Sirocco as well as Brindel he was fairly well traveled in this Shadow that he was probably better than a nap in most places.

These were things that Roc did not know so he had listened on. They were cutting through the Shadow now and had about 45 minutes so Spencer answered though after they had gotten well on their way and realizing he was the only one in Goblin form he dropped his illusion revealing a blue eyes, orange scaled Faery Dragon with fluttering butterfly wings. His under belly was a yellow orange, just the tid bites of his old coloration there evidence that he was darkening so he was probably mid aged … 7 or so would have been Roc's guess.

“Oh, we love forests and waterfalls. Waterfalls in the forest are best! Any way we get along fairly well, they like games and we do too. There more prankish than us though but we can have such a playful nature.

“I guess you can say that we seek the lands of each other enjoying the company of each other.”

“Considering that most Fae consider Pixies annoying I'm going to think they think the same of you so w9th n0 one else you two species grew closer together.”

“So uncultured. Who'd hate a Faery Dragon?” And Spencer grinned devilishly at the dwarf.

Of course Spencer was right, Nicodemus posessed powers beyond imagination yet restoring her memories later instead of when first given the chance gave her the understanding that he might need the last fragment of his angelic essence before being able to make it happen. Flame hadn't disclosed that particular piece of information to them, neither of them seemed to be aware of his true nature and she intended to keep it that way until they had succeeded or Tori finally fell as a result of their actions in the coming days.

His offered help caused the woman to relax, not quite to the point where she simply dismissed the thoughts of never recovering her past though it helped to keep her mind on the task at hand, even if his comment involved an inappropriate jab at the sorceress once again. She wasn't truly surprised nor held any grudge against the Faerie Dragon, however.

"Keep in mind that you've removed our collars.", she warned whilst remaining playful throughout, meaning no actual harm to their guide.

A brief nod of hers acknowledged Roc's rather ambitious plan, dexterous and quick on her feet Flame wasn't quite as agile as Gale, but she trusted that it would suffice to pass the guardian and its opponent. If her stamina and athletic thighs were any indication it wasn't something she'd done rarely in the past either, encouraging that thought despite it being a daring one.

Usually not one to get overly excited over cutesy, colorful beings, it'd have been hard to deny that, even in her eyes, Spencer turned out to be more of a lovely pet than an actual creature of the forest once his disguise fell away though she'd refrained from commenting on it for the time being.

At last when he defined their chosen residence Flame replied enthusiastically due to connecting the dots rather than profound passion for the subject though it'd have been false to accuse her of faking interest in his species. "Ah, I see, so that's why you said we'd get a little wet .. I take it you live behind waterfalls? In caves, maybe?"

She paused, briefly considering their exchange before commenting on the matter. "Anyone that might be fond of a certain level of maturity, perhaps.", she began, less lively than before although the red head wasn't entirely serious at first before continuing in a slightly firmer stance.

"While jokes and pranks are great to get a feel for someone else and what you can or can't do in their presence, I doubt many could stand your somewhat over the top approach for long. Don't get me wrong, I can respect you for coming out here to help us as I imagine you're used to the company of Pixies and your own kind. Clearly you don't seem to be the loner type either and while I thought you were quite amusing once you admitted having merely messed with us, continuously proposing that a woman should undress under the circumstances we're in will definitely be taken the wrong way as it was wasting precious time the first time around."

Flame withered somewhat in the firmness of her attitude upon having spoken her thoughts out loud, wary of his contentment and pride yet fully aware that her words shouldn't have hurt him badly if at all. "But hey, you're sociable and there's quality in that although it'd seem that it lacks a certain finesse, that's all .. Personally I don't mind that at all as it gives me the opportunity to talk to something as fascinating as you."

“Yes, how regrettable that I wasn't able to seal away your powers a bit longer but given that there's at least one Demon present not to mention the Efreeti. Too dangerous ...”

But he nodded sharply as the issue of their home was brought up. “Ideally caves behind waterfalls are the best. The cave plays to our Draconic natures while the waterfall plays to our Fae origins.

“Though, I suppose your right … like a good joke timing is key and well,” he looked back at Flame then gestured to Roc as if to get her attention divert to a second.

“I rather see him naked.”

Was it a joke? Was it true? Did Faerie Dragons take anything seriously or where they in fact just as bad as their Pixie neighbors?

“You certainly have better tastes than most people though.” Spencer answers.

For the next forty minutes or so he shares facts and tidbits about this and that. Then he brings them there, emerging into Sirocco they are along the coast where the warm front from the desert clashed against the cold front from the sea.

The terrain was rocky and barren and they appeared atop a hill. Mountains were nearby at the foot of which had been a settlement. A town that Spencer pointed to.

“The City Within the City. It is somewhat dangerous to access but it is there amidst the Efreeti settlement of J'zar. There,” he pointed to the mountain not too far away, “is your destination. As you can see the settlement is lined up with us but can be avoided easy enough too I think. The Efreeti are aligned with Tori but they should not now who you are. To be brief the Efreeti are genies, evil fire wielding genies that tend to keep to the letter and not the spirit of the agreements they enter into so dealing with them requires a degree of finesse.”

Flame briefly eyed Spencer before looking over to Roc, whether serious or not his joke caused the busty red haired sorceress to giggle into a hand clasped over her mouth, swiftly brought up to suppress whatever it could, but to no avail as either of them would've clearly heard the soft, sweet laugh coming from her lips.

"Likewise.", she responded as they moved on, eager to indulge in the subject matter they were discussing. It provided her with a mostly fundamental image of how their society worked, what the rules and customs were although it seemed rather obvious that one had to venture into their territory and experience all of it themselves to fully comprehend it. She concluded their chat as soon as they'd arrived at what appeared to be their destination, willing to someday seek out his species once their world had become a little less dire.

Sirocco proved a sobering experience, the distinct landscape stirring nothing in Flame except a feeling of emptiness for the various elements combined, terrain along with climate reminiscent of not anything that the red head could recall while failing to summon even the slightest memory to mind. They were in a barren desert whose sole appeal could be considered the pleasant warmth they found themselves enveloped by, at last washing the reminder of cold prison cells away as she contemplated removing a layer of clothing, sliding out of her overcoat and wrapping its sleeves around her waist as to allow the garment to freely hang over her lower body, shifting enticingly with every step she made to mimic the motions of her hips.

Merely a shirt adorned the fiery woman's bust then, but she didn't mind as the breeze had yet to turn the soothing warmth into an uncomfortable chill. Meanwhile her gaze absorbed the city in the distance and the cave in which they would find Nicodemus' feather, not that either of them looked like much at this point in time.

"As in, getting straight to the point whenever we speak? I'm sure we can manage that." She assured him, wary that passing through would mean exposing themselves which they were trying to avoid in the first place, but part of her questioned the true nature of their undertaking. One demon alone surely wouldn't protect such an important artifact, if there were any traps or other guardians then she'd prefer to know prior to throwing herself at the mercy of fate despite it being risky.

"We should take a look around, see if we can find anyone that might be able to tell us more about the cave without being too conspicuous, then get on our way before anyone even realizes our intent." They were an unusual party certainly, perhaps leaving Spencer behind for the time being would be wiser although she left that decision for him to make.

They had a lot of time left and therefore weren't in any rush, after all. "With any luck we can finish here before nightfall."

Spencer was glad that he had managed to get a giggle out of her. The Faery Dragon was hardly ever serious even in pressure situations his mood was light though their it was, the Efreeti settlement off in the distance.

Roc gazed at it … “City within the city? Do you mean a black market?” He could not see the place being so large though he noticed it was near the cost and probably had a port. Behind it were the mountains and hills and more to the North West sat that cave …

“Oh, you'll see but you need a chance of clothes,” and with a wave of a claw both his and Flames attire changed pretty much right after Flame had seen to her coat, their attire more the style of the locals, baggy pant, open sleeveless vests and in Flames case a simple purple wrap that covered her breasts and a white turbans on their heads.

The illusion even covered their spears transforming them into scimitars. When Spencer was content that they would fit in he lead them to the Efreeti settlement and went invisible on the outskirts. “I will guide you as to where you need to go.

“You will have to see Jamal. Tell him that the price of rubies at the port has lost their value and he is better in collecting spice there instead of gems for his goods.”

While in the city seeing the Efreeti, red skinned giants it seemed about ten feet in height dressed in similar fashion save for the turbans.

There were numerous stalls set up here, people selling just about anything. Auctions for human slaves were held at the town square and it seemed that the city was full of unsavory humans and some other species, mainly Orcs and Half Orcs and some Efreeti as well.

Flame could feel Spencer at her back, a push on her shoulder to direct her this way or that until they got to a lavish home, which was more a rounded globe painted whit.

“I should have asked earlier but do either of you possess magic of reduction?”

By far the most intimidating species were the Efreeti, towering over the human female as she would over Spencer if he were to stand by her side, the crimson shimmer of her eyes drawn to several ones they passed by as she took them in. To think that a single demon would've taken their place as a guardian probably meant that they were in for a heated confrontation as much as it seemed unbelievable in the sense that these red skinned beings were each a formidable stronghold on their own, not even having considered their magical abilities at the time.

Heart beating strongly within her chest, anxious fingers clasped the handle of the illusionary curved blade, seemingly tucked away although she recalled the actual dimensions of their spears, doing her best to avoid bumping into the local populace with as much grace as humanly possible.

"Jamal? Is he an Efreeti as well?" Her words rang clear yet low as to prevent the passing masses to recognize them if they weren't explicitly paying attention to the young red head. "Should I know any specific details before talking to him?"

Personally Flame hadn't minded the change in attire until they wandered deeper into the city, the selected garments making her feel naked in a wholly different way since they were only different from the outside and their feel remained the same whilst her cautious gaze roamed around the scene.

Laying an eye on her womanly charms would've been a simple matter, the midriff left bare for the most part as it put a wonderfully flat, smooth belly on display, a token of her excellent physical condition though the pride of her bosom must've drawn more attention if anyone dared to look further. Even through the cloth covering the impressive twin orbs, to envision the full bounty of her breasts it wouldn't have taken more than the simplest degree of imagination as their voluminous expanse filled out the wrap around her chest nicely.

Despite the structure of her pants, one would have to be blind in order to miss out on the transition of her narrow waist widening into rather generous hips, naturally swaying throughout her every step in a more or less subtle manner. Flame despised it more the longer she looked over their surroundings, but when she recalled the gown she was wearing upon entering their cell in Carrion for the first time it certainly wasn't entirely worse than what she must've been wearing any other day.

She realized there was no point in growing restless, but the locals weren't anything less than despicable, humans and monsters alike surrounded by a dark haze of obscurity despite being in the desert sun. Some of them were above the red giants when it came to how frightened Flame would become in their presence, specifically those akin to Murk though they must've been a different species altogether yet brutes nevertheless.

Seeing the auctions obviously destined for humans swiftly deterred her interest. As abhorrent as those things were, she didn't wish to observe her own kind being shown off on stage for as long as she wasn't there to do anything about it nothing would be done, least of all anything that might cause anyone to suspect that they weren't just locals, merchants or travellers.

Guided by Spencer they soon arrived at what could only be Jamal's home or store, slowly heading for the doorway though Flame could not deny that he must've accumulated riches most ordinary people dreamed of, the size of the unusual structure they stood before indicating just that.

Her eyes briefly flickered toward Roc, knowing that if any of the two Spencer adressed were to posess magic of reduction it had to be the dwarf. Initially she didn't know what benefit such a trait would get them, but she left its importance to the Faerie Dragon to decide.

"I don't think so, no.", she responded before pressing on, anticipating further dialogue though if none came she fully intended to get off the public streets and talk to Jamal as soon as possible.

“Jamal is no such. He is a human merchant, high on the peeking order. You can say that he Runs the City Within the City, the Efreeti allow him to deal with the human affairs but unless he is given the password he will report the two of you to the Efreeti who will probably pass on any suspicious behavior to Tori.

“He is in an underground movement, a resistance movement against the Efreeti so he can be trust provided that we use the passwords of the underground. It is a little annoying though I suppose it's more of a precaution but there are different codes for different things to prevent an infiltrator from learning to much.”

There were several individuals that had been attracted to her wares. With Roc at her side things did not go further than a look as they assumed that she was with the dwarf. A human and dwarf … while it was unusual it was not uncommon though no offspring resulted in such unions and so as a result they rarely occurred.

Perhaps the most lewd glances belong to the Orcs and Half Orcs who were into rougher aspects of sex. Neither species liked Dwarfs that much and she could only image that they were thinking about dominating her and coming at her hard and fast.

As Roc was asked he nodded. Reduction was pretty basic and fairly useful in navigating small passages or reducing slabs of stone to a more manageable size. He gazed at the large home before them.

“And the power to enlarge things as well.” Knocking on the door with the attached another a servant escorted the pair in.

Straight away they saw the splendors inside and if Flame marveled at the exterior the interior was just as grand. A huge fountain as large as a swimming pool had been here. Water flowed out of the mouth of a giant carp, a pool in the desert was a big deal though they were escorted on to a room with Jamal who wore rings and necklaces, had a turban on his bald head and a busy black beard. His sin was a dark brown in color and all around him where women on cushions, a harem perhaps? Eunuch guards had been present and as they entered he was in the process of being fed grapes and being fanned. Another woman was massaging his feet as he laid there,

His eyes skimmed over Roc, not fussed at all but widened as they fell upon Flame and he quickly sat up.

“How may I help you?” The pudgy man asked.

While the pressure seemed greater as they entered the domain of Jamal, she'd gotten away from the lecherous gazes of these repugnant orcs, not that she wasn't into roughness to a certain degree though being nothing but an object to serve and be used for sexual pleasure to some of them was an absolutely revolting view to have. She didn't wish to think about it any longer, yearning for the moment they left this wretched place while at least for the time being they were laying their eyes on greener pastures.

Impressive if not somewhat pompous had been the entrance hall of what might as well be considered an oasis amidst the desert, water for one flowing in an abundance the likes of which Flame hadn't expected to find. The aesthetics were immensely pleasing regardless, drawing her curious glances throughout the entire chamber as they were taken away elsewhere, wondering as to what she might live in someday although she noted the extravagance of the one who dwelled here, hidden beneath the shiny surface of a seemingly great place to live when it soon became clear that it was less than noble.

Flame befell the urge to leave when she laid eyes on Jamal himself, pampered by the various beautiful women around him as it seemed their sole purpose in life was to serve the rather chubby man and tend to his lesser, worldy desires. They were all his or so it appeared, along the lines of wives if she understood correctly, not like that changed anything about the way she approached the matter.

If there was anything to note despite his blatant lack of regular exercise, it would've been the interest he had taken in the well endowed red head, straightening in his posture faster than she would've trusted one of his stature would be able to. They may use it to their advantage in the following minutes, maybe hours yet one had to exercise caution around someone as mighty as him. After all Spencer did say that he was running this place and even if they gave him any sort of password, she would not wish his anger on herself.

"Thank you for seeing us." She took the slightest step forward when he adressed them, his eyes glued to her as though he'd begun mentally undressing the sorceress upon entry, moving with elegance before reciting the line she was given.

"The price of rubies at the port has lost their value and you'd be better in collecting spices there instead of gems for your goods."

Jamal was looking, intently at the red haired women as he was calculating how best to add her to his collection he seemed.

“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine.” He grinned, his gaze worse than the Orcs in that he knew just enough to hide it but it was quite clear that he was admiring her too.

“Ah, yes, the cost of doing business in monetary wealth I'm afraid. Come.” He lead them into a back room that had a model of a city resting atop a table. Jamal grinned.

“The City Within the City, do you need the regent?”

“No,” Spencer said to Flame in a whisper and it was about then that she noted that the figures in the model were moving! Was it actually a model or an actual city?

When it was clear what they had to do Roc gazed at Flame to ensure she was ready. He didn't need any components for the reduction spell, it was just that simple a spell to cast.

Looks apparantly meant a lot to Jamal as could be seen by the charming women at his side, his every word rich in the pleasure such exquisite eye candy provided yet as he ogled the busty red head one had to wonder where the precious ruby came from, her flawless skin a distinct pale tone even amongst the people of Sirocco. However, the needed something only he could give them access to and thus Flame endured being handed to him on a silver platter, letting him examine every curve of the voluptuous beauty at his hands as long as he hadn't touched her directly.

Flame followed him whilst keeping closer to Roc for the time being, having a hard time not to let any anxiety shine through her facade. If he truly wanted her, surely there'd be time and place for such an undertaking since all it must've required was a snap of those fat fingers, but perhaps these thoughts were terribly misplaced and therefore irrelevant for their task.

"No, we'll be fine by ourselves, thank you." She replied, bowing slightly as she complied with Spencer's guidance although initially she'd been confused as to what they were looking at.

The City Within the City appeared to be nothing more than a joke from what Flame could tell, thoroughly investigating the room they were in yet couldn't find anything beside a neatly arranged series of buildings and such that made up a miniature city. The attention to detail had been of supreme quality, all the way down to its inhabitans .. but .. some of the tinier pieces were moving!

Realisation hit her, focus switching to Roc whose eyes were upon her, a simple nod enough to indicate that she was ready for the reduction magic they'd adressed mere moments ago. It was hardly necessary to assume that she wasn't flustered at the thought of walking the streets among various other shrunken figures, her first time to actually be subjected to the procedure though knowing that whatever contact they sought would be down there deemed it a worthy sacrifice for Nicodemus and themselves.

"Please proceed.", she then said to the dwarf, taking a deep breath whilst her heart began to race, wishing for it to be over quickly.

Roc examined the city carefully noting that there was no gates in or out. He had a few rudimentary questions for Jamal.

“There are no gates how do we get in … I can reshape stone to make a hole in the wall but I'm assuming that there's an easier way.”

“Yes, I will put you inside.”

“The people know that they are in a model?”

“They do. It was decided it was best to hide the city from the Efreeti so the city was shrunk.”

“Shrunk! The entire city!”

Jamal nodded stiffly. “Among the resistance is a sympathetic Efreeti.”

Efreeti were great at fire magic, this one was that good at earth magic as well? Roc was impressed. If he combined two elemental magic types …

“He's an Elementalist? He knows Earth magic?” Jamal nodded. “Both types … a Magma specialist?”

So the people knew that they were shrunk, that the city was hidden and new arrivals were part of the resistance.

“Alright, how do we get out?”

“Go to this park here and I will remove you.”

Or he could just reshape the wall and enlarge them outside of the city. Roc nodded, confirmed where the ruler of the city lived then cast his magic over he and Flame. There were lifted up and place in the city and Roc got his barrings.

“This seems to be the park he mentioned ...” Roc picked up a stone from the ground, cast a spell then pointed. “This way.”

He lead them along while speaking to the stones until coming to a couple walking hand and hand in that could direct them to the mayor, Whitney's place which thankfully wasn't far from where they were.

The structure was a simple one enclosed bu a low, waist high stone wall. There was an old man here tending to a garden in the yard. He was tall with slate gray eyes and dressed atypical to Siroccians wearing overalls though the climate in the model city was not all that harsh.

“Mayor?” Roc asked getting the man's attention as he looked at the pair.

“Yes, I am he though no one has addressed me by such a title in years. I guess they still count on me to run things here though and did away with elections and titles years ago. Now how can I help you?” He wiped his hands off on a rag as he looked between the pair.

Flame had to admit that hiding the resistance against the Efreeti in a shrunken city seemed beyond imaginative, ingenious in fact when one considered that Jamal functioned as a gatekeeper of sorts while also being affiliated with those the underground movement was opposing. Access to the city itself was restricted to those in posession of the correct password as there were multiple ones serving different purposes and even if one were to clear that hurdle, they had to be capable of reducing themselves to the size of a miniature figurine in order to walk its streets.

Granted, it left them susceptible to error or so she thought, every normal sized human proved a giant by comparison to the people in the model and thus anyone would merely have to flip the table beneath to turn most of the resistance into lifeless husks. The thought of being smashed to pieces in such a manner appeared rather grotesque, but at the very least they had a way out once their business there was finished to avoid such a fate.

One Efreeti working against the others, Roc made it sound as though he must've been incredibly powerful to shrink the city and Flame shared that sentiment without even knowing to what extent his or her own magic could rival those abilities.

At first she remained firm though closed her eyes throughout the procedure of being shrunk to a fraction of her former size. It was over quick, however, and as they were placed upon the park in the city she followed Roc's lead.

Speaking to stones .. mere spellcasting perhaps and as ridiculous as it seemed, it wasn't long before they got on the right track, the woman remaining mostly passive throughout their journey as to allow him to focus. Surely that must've amused Spencer although she hadn't even heard him snicker.

When they came across a couple Flame felt a sense of accomplishment, having gotten as far as they did and proceeding still though there was no denying that she wished to return to Nicodemus in every passing moment. Naturally her feelings for him had to be fully explored, their future unclear even upon defeating Tori and yet the drive to press on had been firmly established by the time they moved on. It was a noble task to bestow freedom upon an angel albeit a fallen one and even if there was nothing to gain should their relationship not work out as planned, Flame had the feeling that it was the right thing to do regardless and failure could not be forgiven.

Crimson eyes soon fell on an elderly man enjoying the simple life judging by his attire and home despite his place in society, then again they were in no ordinary city so expecting the ordinary felt out of place in itself.

"Years? How long have you lived here?" These words suddenly blurted out as he spoke, unthinkingly as the thought of them traversing a model city had been nagging at the back of her mind. It summoned a faint blush to her face, heat and embarassment rushing through Flame though she'd recovered quickly enough as she smiled apologetically. "My apologies .. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Please allow me introduce ourselves." Certain that at this point in time their names carried little value in the sense that they were escaped prisoners, caution would be replaced by courteous manners as the red head continued. "My name is Flame and by my side you see my traveling companion, Roc. We're elementalists and we've come to seek your help in a rather delicate matter."

She began to explain. "We know of the cave not far from the outskirts of J'zar and the demonic presence that dwells within. We were hoping that you or another one of the locals might be able to provide us with more detailed information regarding the demon summoned by the Efreeti as well as other measures of protection which may prevent us from accessing its farthest depths."

Concealing their knowledge of the artifact within had been a conscious decision, for one due to Roc as he was given the impression of it being the ring that allowed walking between Shadows while Flame knew that it was the fragment of an angel's power, keeping it to themselves for the moment before he spoke of it and unraveled the lie the dwarf found himself subjected to unless the old man simply didn't know in which case it hadn't mattered. "Can you help us?"

Where things would go from here had been a good question in regards to her and Nicodemus. Should she recover the feather of course could lead to a different situation than if she failed to retrieve it even though there had been no guarantees even if she uncovered the feather.

There was also the possibility that he was just using her to get the feather though that didn't seem likely
though it was on the list of possibilities of course. But regardless of the outcome of the matter she had concluded that it was not a bad thing to release an Angel from captivity.

At worse he was using her but if he were to be freed then he would no longer be in the service of Tori, right? And at best? Well, the rewards were numerous.

Eventually though she had made her way with Roc to Whitney noticing the bronze colored skin that seemed to be common. Jamal and others were different in hue than she was and it was odd that she had been mentioned as being Sirocan … was it just that she lived here? Was there another reason such as she moving here from another nation perhaps. Her origins were simple accepted.

“There's no need to apologize,” Whitney began as he shifted his gaze. He thought. “Oh, I guess since I was about four. That's when we moved here.”

He waited for that to sink in though he smiled at the end of it, “Young lady the city hasn't always been shrunk though it has been reduced for nearly a year now, ten months or thereabouts.”

While their names may not have seemed to carry weight, Roc being a foreigner and she a prisoner there was something their, a slight widening of the eye when she mentioned her name to him. He knew! At least he knew of her. How, or why she did not know but there had been recognition there that shone in those gray eyes.

“Come inside,” he beckoned them in and tidied up quickly given the boxes of scrolls.

"Forgive the mess I was searching for something earlier. Drink?”

After seeing to the beverage he considered the matter briefly. The Demon. Yes, it is so power of the Demon was great indeed.

“There are three three things to worry about. The first would be the curtain of flame though as a fire elementalist you should be able to control the flames. Efreeti have an affinity towards fire and are unharmed by it in any case and thus can pass through the sheet of flame.

“Next is the Torment Demon. By itself he would be a match for most mortal creatures. Finally there is the trap so three things that you have to recall.”

Whitney must've been an inhabitant of the shrunken city for at least half a century seeing to his physical shape, at least clearing up the misconception that it had always been in that state which she'd wrongly assumed would be the case unless the resistance hadn't existed for such a long time. "Ah, my mistake. I hadn't considered that."

It was slightly embarassing and while Flame considered that life wouldn't be half as bad for the residents as they were not bound to this place and neither spent a lifetime here, something caught her attention. There was a glint in his eyes when she introduced herself and the dwarf, a sign of recognition though positive or negative she couldn't tell yet Whitney hadn't seemed displeased and thus caused her to settle on the former rather than the latter.

Perhaps the old man would have a few answers depicting her life prior to ending up having agreements with angels and such, not trying to get her hopes up she suspected that he must've known her only by name and not in person yet that may give a slight hint as to who she truly was. Still, those concerns were cast aside for the primary objective had been to investigate the issues presented by the cave and the presence within.

"Thank you." Flame nodded in appreciation of his hospitality and followed him inside, greeted by what one could assume turned out to be an organized chaos, he somewhat rushing to tidy up which merely brought a soft smile to her lips. "I imagine you didn't expect visitors anytime soon? It's quite alright, we're not going to stay long so there's no need to clean up for just the two of us."

She sought someplace to stand where none of his scrolls were in the way, hoping to spy an arrangement of chairs nearby that allowed them to sit. Maybe the boxes were full of records portraying the town's history as would've been likely with the mayor or other scriptures since one of his age might've sought to become a scholar upon passing his prime. "Yes, please. Some water would be nice .. or tea if you happen to have any."

Flame let those thoughts run through her mind for a moment. Judging by her name and exotic hair color he might've referred to her as an elementalist, naming the proper element in the process no less which merely fueled the fires of curiosity as to whether or not he knew the smoking hot sorceress, briefly sipping on the drink she'd received before indulging in the conversation.

"Is it really that obvious that I'm a fire elementalist?", she asked with a grin, teasing him as she played with the idea of asking him then and there. "Well, because of several unfavorable circumstances I've been forced to pick up the basics of controlling the flames once again which might make it harder for us to pass through the curtain you mentioned. Would you happen to know anyone that could assist me in that regard or a place where I could refine my abilities for the day?"

The demon on the other hand, he didn't tell them much more than they already knew though she was prepared to ask questions when needed. "Does the demon posess any special talents such as those of its makers or does it rely on purely physical abilities when it comes to guarding the cave?"

His last point, however, intrigued her the most. It was an unknown, something they would've probably fallen for if they had decided to skip their trip to the city. "A trap? Would you be so kind and explain what exactly we've got to expect?"

“Don't you worry about it. An honest mistake,” Whitney smiles thinking that it was cute, an interesting thought if he had lived his entire life in a model city though. He refrained from any outward displays of mirth though not wishing to embarrassing her any in the process.

Escorting the pair inside he runs about to tidy up. “Well given the nature of the settlement there's few people that stop by unannounced.” He shots the pair a smile then clears spaces for them to sit at least.

He cleared some boxes from a few chairs and sure enough Flame could see that they seemed to be some sort of holy scriptures … fables on the Efreeti … How'd she know, yet from the little she saw they seemed quite familiar. Heat, fire, she recalled that Sirocco had been rumored to have been a forest once but now the surface was a barren wasteland fraught with danger … giant scorpions, the Efreeti the Yuan-Ti (snake men) at the cooler coasts where some forest dwelled.

A network of caverns ran beneath the surface too in order to bypass some of these dangers. Fortunately that did not have to travel too far inland.

“And for you?”

“Tea will do as well,” Roc broke with stereotypes but no drinking until this matter was dealt with, he had to keep sharp. Drinks were brought to them both and Roc differed to Flame with the fact fining as he drank his ice tea and listened.

“Obvious only in that I am very familiar with the stories,” Whitney smiled. “Your speak flawlessly, no hint of an accent yet look like a foreigner. Your description though … one that makes an old man wish he were fifty years younger, especially upon seeing you. But the crimson eyed beauty with the full figure, who could forget Flame, the Sorceress?

“Your father could perhaps jog your memory on matters but he is fairly distant right now. Meditating or otherwise reflecting on the matter could help though.

Whitney rubbed his chin. “Mostly physical and what magic it does possess is quite powerful. It can reverse the gravity in an area, Transverse any distance in a blink of an eye via teleporting. The Torment Demon can cloud the minds with confusion or even stun beings into inaction. It also has a number or minor magical abilities, can see in the dark as well as you or I can see during the day.

“It is also unharmed by weapons that are not enchanted and can shrug off some damaging effects.

“The trap ...” he pauses as he regards her, triggers when you touch the warded object. It summons another creature, probably another demon. But magical summoning effects only last for so long before they expire and send the summoned being back to where they were drawn from, just as killing them does kill them but sends them back to their Shadow of origin.”