Becoming visible so that Flame could see him he not as he hovered their, fore-claws crossed over his scaly chest as he assumed a role that he did not often play though given how easy he fell into the role he had experience … she had recounted that when she first encountered him he was cast in the role of a Goblin, though the non Goblin name caused him to stick out a bit so she could used it, she could only imagine he used his real name to tip them off and another with the Goblins to blend in.

But he was a fair actor, probably experienced with all pranks he had a hand in pulling.

“I leave this Shadow and come back to find that it has been drastically chanced. The last time I was hear the forest to the North was so vibrant and full of life and now I got people telling me it's been cursed.

“Tell me, who is the cause for it? Who do I need to hold responsible for this Dark Wood? I am told it was a Satyr, was it you perhaps?”

The Fae must have had a habit of parting for centuries at a stretched but when you were immortal that must not have been unusual.

“N-NO! IT WAS SAMUS!”

“Sounds like a fake name, Orm.”

“No, no, it was him! He was boosting about doing this hot little piece, Lily. Story goes it was right in front of Lilac, this Dryad he kept trying to bang but kept getting away from him!”

The illusionary sound of a sword being drawn from a scabbard followed. “I'm not interested in Fairy Tales. Because of that dick the whole Fae court in Llynoria is up in arms. Someone very important passed and do you know how moody King Oberron gets when things don't go his way?”

“I swear it's the truth! It's part of the folklore I-I didn't do anything!”

“Trying to defile that, I admit she's a looker but ...”

“She wasn't real!”

“And if she were? You know, I don't have time for this. Where's Samus?”

“Dead.”

“Lily?”

“With Mire.”

“Whose that? Where is he?”

“Mire is a Troll. They live together in the East with each other at the bog.”

Spencer paused and frowned as if that did not make sense then touched Flame turning her invisible. He followed suit, a claw of her shoulder so she knew where he was. “Count to one thousand then leave. If you don't reach one thousand, well there's no telling if I'm going to be here silently counting along. Begin.”

And Spencer guided Flame along until they were some distance away. “Sorry about that, it just seemed quicker than chasing down Nymphs that may not know anything. Orm is fairly old so I figured he knew something … why would a Nymph be with a Troll and more importantly how do we approach this? Trolls are giant bestial creatures quite the opposite of the Nymphs.”

Akin to observing a vivid stage play Flame resumed watching the actors act out their respective roles, somewhat detached from the story given the sparse details of Brindel stored within her mind whereas the brisk flow of information made her head spin a bit. Sirocco wasn't nearly as complicated from what she could tell, lacking the Fae court and Goblins although Slavers weren't entirely pleasant companions. Then again she wasn't quite brought up to speed regarding the Shadow she spent most of her days on, the memories suppressed which turned the sorceress' stream of thought back around and to their actual objective here.

The sound caused the busty red head to flinch as it was authentic enough to be real, but nothing could be seen when her gaze scanned their surroundings and it became apparant that it was connected to the interrogation taking place. Damn, he was good at this.

But along with the pause came the conclusion of their encounter, leaving Orm behind and allow his recovery to proceed, but judging by the sheer force she'd applied he'd remain on all fours for a while if not think twice before choosing his next victim. When one had an eternity to spend that lesson would soon be forgotten, but maybe it helped some poor soul avoid the fate her illusionary counterpart almost would've suffered.

With Spencer by her side she ventured on until he broke the silence. "You did the right thing. You seem to know a lot more about the region than I do and it would've been stubborn of me to insist on catching Nymphs one by one, not to mention on foot."

"But you were quite convincing back then, truly intimidating to the point where even I was a little scared, perhaps you could make a career out of your acting skills if you ever choose to leave your home?" A free hand reached up to pat his claw, an amusing gesture she couldn't help but smile at for he was such an adorable little creature sometimes, leaving him to guess as to whether or not she was serious with that statement.

Perhaps she was alone in dreaming of stronger men, dominant partners that weren't afraid of the rougher aspects in their passionate love life which constantly teased Flame back in J'zar, the many orcs whose lecherous gazes were upon her form and in the back of her mind something beckoned her to sway these enticing hips slightly more than usual as to provide a show which she loved to offer, hoping they'd approach and ask her out or simply pay a fee and ravage her in a nearby home or alleyway as she cried out to the heavens above in pure ecstasy. Maybe those were some of the urges inherited by her mother or her very own, she couldn't tell for sure.

Naturally that may not be the case with these two. "Well, not that I'm here to argue relationships or anything, but I'm assuming Mire smashed Samus into tiny, little pieces before or after getting together with Lily as some sort of self proclaimed executioner of justice."

Giant beasts reminded her of Murk, his gross yet alurring stench automatically recalled to her senses as though she could smell him even now, briefly distorting her features in disgust. "I've had my fair share of Ogres these last few days and don't really wish to imagine what would happen if we stepped out in front of a Troll. The most prudent course of action would be to stay invisible and hopefully catch the Nymph all by herself while he's outside their home, foraging. They have to eat, after all, and I doubt they stay together all day."

"Truth is, we don't really have anything to offer in exchange for lifting the curse and unless we're extremely lucky in a conversation with her, she probably won't accept us doing her a favor for what favor could possibly make up for what happened?" Likely enough they could try and appeal to reason, that the Dryad served her time and with her rapist dead was there really any reason to let her relive the horrors she suffered once over and over again?

She disliked the idea of violence unless someone opposed evil, but what Lily did threatened to pass over into that realm the further they went and investigated the issue. "I'd rather not threaten either of them so we'd all wind up satisfied with the results, but as far as I know Trolls are prone to fire. We might have no choice if we want to end the imprisoned Dryad's misery as it is less about the sap to me personally, surely Roc will manage to overcome a simple dragon and retrieve some for us but leaving someone to an animate tree whose sole intent seems to be ravishing his captive or worse, I won't let that stand."

An inter species crush? Well Fae were appealing to other species but this had been the first time he had heard of someone falling for one of his kin. It was usually 'aw it's cute' rather than I want to bed that which was fairly common with the other Fae. Magic was a factor in so many half breeds though he could b wrong but was she hinting of him leaving this place and traveling with her? Was he reading the situation right?

In all of his teasing and protesting he had wanted to see her wares and figured he could easily do that by going invisible one of these days and spying on her as she bathed. He was never in a rush to do so, however saving that treat though his mind had not considered other possibilities.

“My acting is fair ...” he was being modest, he was one of the better actors among the Fairy Dragons. Hm, he just might have something …

“But am I sensing that you wish for mt to continue on with you?” He gazed at her as if gauging her reaction first though if she seemed as if she was indeed implying this he'd nod sharply. “On the condition I get to see you naked for at least three full seconds, no illusions either,” he teased if that was what she indeed was implying.

He had listened to her explain matters about Giants not that he could fault her there. His sharp nose let him smell the bog first so it was clear they were going the right way.

“Getting Lily alone should be easy. The diets are different. Fae don't eat meat and Trolls nothing but so it's doubtful they gather food together.”

Once they had left the presence of Orm they had been visible until now. He shifted her back to an unseen state and they had went invisible. Mire and Lily left their log cabin together, the Troll actually had more than a loin cloth and even had a bow, a giant sized well made bow that she did not need to be told seemed very similar to the tiny Pixie sized ones she had seen back at Willow's shop.

Lily had to have some influence on Mire's development though after he had killed a deer Mire returned allowing Lily to pick the remainder of berries and fruits to fill her basket. She had been picking matters haphazardly until now.

Now had been their chance to approach the slight Fae who had been bare foot and stood about five feet in height. She appeared human save for large pointed ears. She had green eyes and had been armed only with a dagger that served her as a tool as she cut some berries off of a strange bluish plant that seemed to difficult to draw away through brute force.

She paused listening to the stillness.

“You can come out now.”

"Your acting and fair? Oh, please .. you're selling yourself short." Flame peered over her shoulder, smiling warmly as she eyed the Fae whereas they pressed on in the meantime. "You're surrounded by those that do as you do which might give you that impression, but if you ever decided to leave you may find that you're greater than expected. Take it from me, Spencer, I wouldn't lie about it."

His witty acting proved endearing and his humor occasionally brought a profound feeling of joy upon the sorceress if not brief, pleasant memories she could recall in these past few days Flame remembered with utmost clarity. Any other male, no matter his species might've enraptured the voluptuous beauty with these sublime qualities alone and while he was unaware of her current romantic commitment to the Angel, unaware of the conversation with Whitney and her attitude toward looks which hadn't mattered all that much, he certainly had an appeal of his own that she wouldn't let go with ease if it could be helped seeing how his company brought her spirits to new heights.

The authority found in his performance touched upon a particular aspect of her personality which made these delicate thoughts feasible in the first place, naturally he was adorable given his appearance but before the interrogation she didn't think of him in any sensual manner. In turn she nodded when he asked for her opinion on the matter of continuing on together, her cheeks stricked by a faint blush as he pressed on and her eyes lower for a moment of bashful thought, returning to him shortly after.

"If you think you can't handle four full seconds .." Her voice trailed off then, leaving him to ponder on those ambiguous words whereas the red haired temptress was staring blankly ahead without further comment. She didn't accept nor deny him, however, a tease responding to another tease showing just how much of him she dared to endure.

Perhaps he would catch her off guard, eventually Flame had to freshen up after all and if he missed that opportunity she might permit him to snuggle up inbetween her breasts when they headed to bed for the night, sleeping amidst the heavenly embrace of these warm pillowy mammaries molding against his scaly frame ..

She caught herself in time before giving in to the fantasy, keeping these thoughts hidden for the time being before they reached their destination. The plan seemed sound at least, ridding themselves of the threat by sneaking up on the Nymph alone would make things easier although they weren't exactly suited for a chase through the territory.

The unusual couple wasn't quite what Flame anticipated when she first heard of the supposedly brutish Mire, characteristics more befitting for Murk than an apparantly civilised giant they laid eyes on from their hiding spot which happened to be wherever they pleased. It was a miracle that the Nymph managed to elevate the lifestyle of such a creature to a nigh sophisticated one, he actually dressed up adequately and using ranged weaponry suited for Elves and Pixies unlike the majority of the members of his species.

They played the waiting game, then and there Lily wasn't in possession of more than a dagger which rendered her rather defenseless in face of elemental magic, but again judging the Fae without further information compelled Flame to remain cautious. But it was the Nymph who spoke up first, whether they had been discovered didn't truly matter for they were most assuredly alone.

Without fear she approached, silently asking Spencer to dispel the invisibility cloaking them for the sake of common decency, not that they could hope to hide if the Fae knew of their appearance on the scene and it wasn't simply a ruse to draw them out. "I take it you knew we were around for a while now, thank you for not alarming your friend to our presence."

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she took a more resolute stance, prepared for the worst should they receive a negative response. "We need to talk about the cursed tree, Lily, in particular the Dryad you decided deserved punishment for her actions or rather the lack thereof."

Very few things embarrassed the Fae and the Faery Dragons had been incapable of blushing but he knew what it meant due to the fact that he had spent much time away from his home here in the forest and among species that had … usually these were slaves of the Goblins since he had that one magic ring but nothing stopped him from being invisible and directing illusion after illusion, this was harder to do for he had to concentrate on matters and the illusions cut out after ten minutes or so.

He had to invent excuses of cause distractions to make his illusions seem continuous.

Spencer was pleased that she thought his acting was good. He had been acting for some time that he did not care, that she was a separate species but he was Fae and the Fae creatures had a high sex drive. He diffused this somewhat by making sexual comments or jokes though even with the illusion he had tempted himself though he never did see her naked.

He had noted that she had mentioned him leaving again, “Oh, I wouldn't expect you to lie about that, thank you. You are probably right though amongst so many gifted individuals it is hard to notice.”

Four seconds? Now he was placed on the defensive unsure with all her hinting and now this. Had she been teasing him? Spencer explored this though at the same time he offered up a piece of education.

“Four seconds? That may be pressing my luck … I have never sen it but have heard of it but Nymph's have a gift of Unearthly Beauty that they can turn on and off at will. It's only a rumor but all seeing one while this aura is active go blind, and if the Nymph disrobes such blinding beauty can be fatal. I'm gambling her but it might take two or three seconds to kick in, by four it would have … but I am young, I'm a risk taker, after all I've come with you this far.

“Not a Nymph? Maybe not but other than the ears and demeanor ...” he grinned. “Satyrs are immune to this things if they are true. If we stay back, oh thirty-five feet or so the aura won't envelop us if it is real.”

Soon though Lily bids then to speak and Spencer drops the invisibility … “You are mistaken,” she stops where she was and shakes her had a little. “That was so long ago now that I can't even call it a curse any more.”

She regarded the two and found them surprising. A Fairy Dragon was unusual enough but a human this deep in the forest? Hm, an attractive one at that maybe …

“What causes you to ask about the curse any way? I thought only she, myself and Mire know of it.”

A moment of triumph Flame basked in, the notion of four seconds instead of the proposed three seemed to have visibly surprised the Fae which didn't happen very often during their travels. When matters regarding the witch were resolved, whether Nicodemus accepted the true nature of her being or she happened to be with child in the coming days, possibly weeks, Spencer would be welcome to stay by her side since she wouldn't have settled down in one place alone. She wanted to see the world and the many marvels within, preferably with at least one of her newfound companions that helped her through such troubled times and with or without memory there was much to witness and learn across the Shadows.

He weaved a story when addressing the time allotted, a beneficial rumor should it turn out to be true since they were headed for a Nymph now. But the well endowed red head took kindly to his advances, never appearing as though she were at unease.

"Consider yourself lucky that I'm human in appearance, then .. you can stay close without fearing for your life." She spoke without looking, smiling as the playful expression upon her features never ceased to persist and part of her toys with the idea of actually committing some time to the idea. "Not to mention that four seconds of seeing me naked should do you no harm."

But with Lily she wasn't quite as cautious when they approached, wary of the aura the woman on the other side may possess Flame had been well within thirty-five feet and although the opposing Nymph might've been ignorant of their knowledge, perhaps she'd see it as a gesture of trust. Warranted or not, the sorceress planned on finding out soon enough as they indulged further in the subject of the curse.

"It is still active and its nature hasn't changed in the slightest.", she explained, wondering why after all this time speaking of it didn't appear to be much of an issue to Lily, none at all.

"Fae are immortal, some of them spill information from time to time." Flame wasn't certain why she would concern herself with rather meaningless questions such as who else knew about the affair. "The Satyr who took advantage of you was boasting to others about what he had done to you and we happened to chance upon someone who remembered what he said in enough detail for us to come here and seek you out."

She paused for a moment, letting the fact sink in that others knew before proceeding. "But with your assailant dead and the Dryad suffering the fate you've chosen for who knows how long, I was merely hoping you might see reason and dispel the curse once and for all."

With the Angel Flame realised how important freedom truly is, what life essentially became without any chance of escaping the boundaries set by somebody else you were forced to obey, which got her involved in seeking the Dryad's release rather than aim for the sap. "Nobody deserves eternal torture of any kind and keeping her bound to the tree still when laying down the curse itself seems to have become meaningless to you, that is plain injustice and I ask that you remove it."

"Now, I have to admit we would have never come looking for a solution if it wasn't for something that I needed from the tree which let us stumble over the stories in the first place. In exchange for its sap someone has agreed to restore my memories since they were suppressed by a powerful witch, so I figured I'd have a chance to do a good deed while pursuing my own goals and assist those in dire need of help."

Now he wasn't certain, true he was a Fae and thinking about sex, a lot, was common but as a rule the Pixies were the only ones that dallied with their kind and Pixies had magic that polymorphed themselves so such unions always resulted in offspring of the mothers species when those rare pregnancies did occur.

But Flame was no Pixie but Spencer had to consider now all those matters and signs as if they were teases that meant anything or if she did intent them as to what they were. He had a few ideas though one was so “mean” of a trick that she might not brush it off so easily so he wanted to give it more thought.

And the fact that she seemed unsettled now told him several things. Either she was full of herself, confident in her appearance, making him squirm now that she had him on the ropes or she was secretly enjoying all this. He was uncertain here …

She was smiling though playing back perhaps? “No, it would not ...” he answered. “I'll look forward to it though with Satyrs around we'll have to save it for now, regretfully.”

So far so good with Lily as she seemed to take no hostile action to their presence but rather listened to what they said. It was a long time ago … she didn't show any signs of buying it or not as far as they brought up matters though but she leaned back against a tree after setting her basket of fruits down.

“Get rid of the curse?” She laughed, a slight sound. “I already said that you are mistaken. I cannot undo what is not there ...” She allowed for this to sink in.

“Stories arise when those with the memories of the truth corrode and fade. But this is how it is. She cursed me … Samus was her betrothed and I a Nymph and he a Satyr. It was in our nature though she foolishly saw more in our trysts … they were well not the typical Satyr – Nymph dalliances.

“She cursed me … the first man I ever loved would be hit with ugliness, at first I have been unconcerned. Samus and I did not truly love one another and I felt that I would never know love, but when you're immortal …

“My love with Mire began long ago when he saved me from death, Lilac took drastic steps and killed Samus but bound to her tree she was not much of a threat or so I thought. Maybe it was the fact that her curse wasn't being used, maybe it was from darker aspects going on …

“Regardless of why she sent a Demon after me, Mire saved me but was cursed while I had feelings for him. Oh, I've tried to hate him, tried to help him through this but … the curse knows how I truly feel, and yet, Mire stays.

“He never blamed me for it after all this time … that sap though … it is tainted … the Demon possesses the Dryad's tree and that sap is infused with the essence of evil.”

"No curse .." Flame must've misunderstood the first time around, questioning what in essence persuaded her to push along and retrieve the sap to begin with as it appeared that they were caught up in a construct of lies or downright misinformation where she found herself torn between sides, whether believing the story they were told or trust that Willow wouldn't lead them on a false track with the mere promise of restoring her memories. The Fae wasn't entirely truthful given their suspicions, it may be nothing, but in the long run these thoughts complicated matters if they were to do the right thing.

If the sap was tainted, why would anyone tell her that it could be used to restore her suppressed memories? What would happen to her under the usage of something stricken with demonic taint? Was she an experiment of sorts? Sending them off to different locations might render the evil within the Dryad's tree an unknown on her part or simply a preferred medium through which whatever she was hiding could be achieved, perhaps the taint spread and the trees were of the same demonic influence where either choice would benefit her, the red head simply couldn't put her finger on what was actually happening.

It was doubtful that Lily could fabricate such a story out of thin air, not that Flame wouldn't grant her a certain measure of intelligence, but the details were sound aside from the fact that they conflicted with what the sorceress initially pictured in her mind. Effectively the Dryad was an evil entity from the sounds of it, ending the life of her lover and sending a demon after the one she thought responsible for the crisis in their relationship, now bound to a tree of demonic possession which might be biting off more than Flame could chew all by herself.

She turned to Spencer, speaking lowly as to conceal the name of the one they were talking about from the Nymph. "It seems that you were right if what she says is true. Willow is up to something she shouldn't be doing unless she really doesn't know the truth."

Hopefully Roc would be the wiser and kept the sap to himself for the time being or fool around with the Dragon long enough for the pair to unravel the truth behind the whole incident. She fought demons alongside him before, but all by herself and fire being the strongest of the elements she could utilise, it seemed far more likely she'd burn the woods down in the process of destroying the one they faced amidst the forest.

Flame paused for a moment before directing her attention back to Lily. "Assuming what you said is true .. perhaps we could tend to the problem at hand and eliminate the demonic threat while we're here. One of our own is currently dealing with a dragon in the Valley of the Lost and we've done similarly heroic deeds before."

"We heard that the tree is animate and Lilac bound to the very same so she can't stay away for long. Could you elaborate on what happens if we were to get close, or what the tree actually does nowadays?"

She regarded the Nymph then, less interested in what they already knew since some of the Fae apparantly ventured out into the woods and observed the Dryad from time to time, according to Spencer at least. It was more about its capabilities, what would happen to those that dared taking a step further than the rest although there was no telling the fate of the demon possessing the tree in the first place. Would it perish or be freed if they chose to act?

“There seems to be something there, Fae dealing with Demonic sap … it's somewhat taboo though not as bad as Fae dealing with Necromancy. I have an idea as far as a course of action goes but I'll wait for now ...”

When Flame returned her attention to the Nymph, Lily seemed to reflect on those questions. If there were a Demon in the Dark Wood it somewhat explained why there was no help, perhaps over time the stories of a curse were invented to explain it especially if the Nymph had been seen with a Troll, a creature thought to be evil …

“I am unsure if the tree is possessed or the Dryad but the tree can move like an Ent, it can move it's branches but cannot uproot so it is stationary. Why a Demon would bind itself to a tree is beyond me. Perhaps it was sealed by Lilac but why use her own tree?

“My guess is that she grew jealous and infuriated, summoned a Demon and bond it to her service or more likely it possesses her and she cannot leave further than 100 yards from it. Over time the tree got tainted from the Demonic presence, perhaps she found something that the Demon was bound to and it possessed her. She cannot leave that area the Demon is stuck but Demons can summon others of there kind I think so she summons one and sends it .. I can't say why there hasn't been another attempt on me though I guess it has a lot to do with Mire.

“This is all speculation of course.”

After further questioning it becomes apparent that Lily can only guess, though she is quiet old. The only thing of importance that she can add is that Samus could have been killed by a possessed Lilac.

When they do part for Lily they have the option of speaking with Mire though Spencer reveals his idea.

“We know that this Demon is stuck their for whatever reason, that the sap is bad, that Willow seems a little sketchy but safer sap is in the territory of a dragon.

“Now just hear me out. I'm not saying we need Muscles or anything but I'd rather he get a new scar than you. He's got all those tattoos I doubt he'll mind.

“We find him, get whatever sap he got, go to Willow without him an say we got it after a hard encounter with the Demon tree. We can see what she does with it though she might rush to the Demon tree to see what's up or we can do some variant were we bargained with Lilac to get the sap in exchange of whatever and see what becomes of it, we can com up with some urgent business that you have to see to as well before this sap is used on you but you'll b back in x amount of time to get it done then. Sound good?”

Speculation or not, while the tree remained active and in possession of a demonic entity the sap would retain its properties and it was unclear as to whether or not it could ever be cleansed. Even worse, the Dryad may simply exist as an instrument of evil, seized by the same unearthly power as the influence spread to the surrounding area, perhaps when the demon lashed out in search of anything to corrupt growing more powerful than its ruler or overwhelming her in a moment of weakness. Flame knew nothing of the realm of exorcisms, going off of the assumption that she may not be serving a master at all, but rather that she served as the vessel herself which rendered the undertaking riskier than before unless they desired extinguishing anyone's life.

Sadly there wasn't much else to obtain from the Nymph in terms of information it appeared and any misteries they might unravel through speaking to Mire would become clear for as long as Spencer's theory held water which settled their following steps given the evidence collected throughout their trip.

Flame wasn't upset when he brought up Roc during their departure, the dwarf being a warrior monk was exquisitely trained for striking down foes and while the sorceress had powerful abilities, she wasn't nearly as tough as her unyielding companion. Maybe Spencer simply cared for her well being, she didn't think too much into it and while a little pain turned out to be enjoyable, enough for a scar should preferably be avoided.

She considered the idea for a moment. "So .. We either catch Willow red handed or she does not make use of the sap for any sort of scheming and I have a chance to recover my memories later on. Either way we win, I see nothing wrong with your plan."

"As a mere precaution we should stick with saying that we've barely managed to succeed and struggled for what we managed to get. We didn't have anything worthy of trade when we arrived save for the collar I'm hiding on me which isn't all that valuable and before she gets any ideas we should keep things simple. The less she knows, the better."

She could feel the weight of the magic suppression device rest upon her chest where it had been placed ever since the Fae removed it from her neck except for several minutes of privacy with Nicodemus, an object certainly mass produced and not uncommon for places like Carrion though what it may be worth to a Dryad on Brindel was beyond Flame.

"As for getting out before she has any chance to use it, I'm sure I could feign enough concern for Roc since he wouldn't have returned before us where we better go looking for him immediately, to see if he's hurt which would lead us in another direction than the tree and ideally provide a window for Willow to check up on it."

Flame nodded, brushing aside crimson locks that fell over one of her eyes before smiling a little. "It sounds good as far as I can tell, but we should hurry and find him before he's finished messing around with the Dragon .. the poor thing. It doesn't even stand a chance."

Somehow these vivid images were amusing yet dire in a sense, similar to a forced play between cat and mouse with the former eventually killing the newfound toy.

He was happy that she thought it was a good idea. “We can all keep tabs on her, if she makes no ill moves then our suspicion of her wanes. I can go invisible and so can Pixies but I have a few minor Divinations that will allow me to perceive her in that state. I can tail her easy if she brings the sap someplace or to someone.

“Though the collars could be valuable to a Dryad. Let me explain a little about them. A Dryad often charms a comely male and keeps them around indefinitely as a lover. All such unions eventual bare Dryad offspring which the mother gives to the enslaved lover along with an acorn from her tree to bury someplace.

“The magic in the acorn erupts into a new tree and the young Dryad, who matures as fast binds with the planted tree. In some cases though strong willed individuals brake free of this mental hold and fight back, a collar about the neck of a spell caster reduces this danger though with a successful union the male is sent away and the charm eventual ends and they are free to leave. Usually. That is if their daughters don't charm them as protectors …”

Spencer gave her a little history as to them. Dryads weren't innocent creatures being set upon by things like Satyrs but often just as guilty but less violent.

“So an exchange of some sap for the magical collar can make sense. The sap will not end until the tree dies after all so the price is right.”

They had to find Roc first in the Valley of the Lost. Within the valley though they encountered a rather odd sight towards the center of the valley, a spire of stone that had a road spiraling about it. Up top rested a temple constructed of white crystal.

What was it? Roc had no idea as he was new to the forest. He had found the dragon, fought it and ultimately killed it. “It's not even worth getting another tattoo for.” He had conjured a jar and gathered enough sap.

Spencer could tell them all about the temple though. “Oh, that's the Refuge of Blessed, the Temple of Air most call it. The Princess of the Elves has been selected to be the Priestess there along with her skills in Arcana …

“That road is misleading, it doesn't look so high from here but it goes up and up and up. I had to go to it one time when the winds stopped blowing to the far East and served as a guide to reach it, the people beseeching wind for their windmills that just stopped.”

Spencer, due to being from here had a great deal of information. He let the pair ask their questions before moving on though being that Air was his opposing element Roc had not show more interest than a passing curiosity of the place.

“So this is the Temple of Air. Your right, it doesn't look so high from here, some Illusion. So I remain absent and you two use the sap and claim it was the sap from the other tree? Then what do you and I do Flame? Wait on Spencer or look into that tree further? We held our own against a Fire Demon, which is pretty tough and a Torment Demon which is at the high end of the spectrum too so this Demon I doubt, is as strong.”

Normally Flame would've refrained from allowing Spencer to pursue the subject of the mating process of Dryads to such great detail, but as an eager student from a different Shadow she listened to him until the end. If she wasn't going to learn it now she may stumble upon the information later, but what better chance to indulge in the knowledge of a species which the sorceress thought of as nothing but mere pranksters?

Eventually she caved in, granting him another victory though she always appreciated his input in matters he seemed to be more knowledgeable in. "Alright, you've convinced me, we'll stick with the exchange then."

Perhaps they were better off that way, the two of them without a scratch after a supposed encounter with the tree even Willow wouldn't dare go near from what she revealed, possessed by a demon no less who certainly proved a match for an ordinary human and Faerie Dragon in an everyday confrontation considering that the red haired temptress hadn't revealed any of her magic based abilities thus far.

She followed her companion back through the woods and into the Valley of the Lost where they headed out in search for their third party member, all too soon exposing the horrid fate of the Dragon but such matters were negligible seeing how these young, albeit large individuals weren't exactly persuaded into dismissing the notion of territory. Even if she recalled the Draconic tongue and travelled here in his place it might've been doubtful that the outcome would've been any different than what she witnessed, granted Flame couldn't hope to best one of their kind because she never met one in person and likely would lay defeated even when faced with a young specimen.

The Temple of Air certainly emanated mystery until Spencer kindly explained what the misterious spire of stone stood for, her head tilted back as she looked up into the sky, funnily enough unable to see past the illusion of height he mentioned. "With the Dragon deceased people might come back once the news of its death spreads. It's just a shame the Priestess vanished several days ago not taking care of the thing, I would've loved to see the premises while we're here instead of having to come back another time, but I guess it can't be helped."

Somehow it brought her mind back to the prison, a captured Gale who was important somewhere, but judging by her attitude that was more a token of status than personality. The Elf being a princess herself, Flame figured that others of the same house would end up looking for their sister though she may be wrong here. She had yet to discover any clues as to why she disappeared.

"Speaking of which, who selects the Priestess in the first place?", she asked, curious since the Fae surely must know more than what he presented. "Do the people who travel all the way up there plead for the aid of the Gods or does the Priestess have a hand in their affairs? I know almost nothing about how things work in that regard." Did Elves even follow any particular belief structure? Roc drew her mind away from these less pressing concerns.

"I was hoping you'd ask, we should definitely look into it, if not take care of the demon itself although my foremost concern is the Dryad .." Her eyes briefly went to the dwarf, surely one of his mindset wouldn't fall for the charms of Lilac should an attempt on her part occur in order to save the tree, but destroying it should remain one of their priorities.

"She might not be herself at this point in time and may or may not respond negatively to our presence in the area as a result of the long lasting demonic influence which I hope will change once the demon ceases to exist, I don't know for certain what will happen though I'd prefer leaving her alive."

“Fine, just change the subject,” he was such a good actor that it was hard to tell if Spencer was miffed or if he were just playing. “Demonic possession of Fae beings … may … you know we should have robbed Orm he has that device that makes him immune to enchantments I think.”

“What? Rob? You can't be serious ...”

“Oh, as serious as I am about how the elves pick their successors to the temple … it is by Divine province. Those children that express being different that are blessed by the Deities and can thus learn Divine magic and are gathered up then tossed from those cliffs to their deaths. Those that are truly blessed are saved by the wind spirits and are the successors. It's really gruesome ...”

“Bull,” Roc shook his head. “Fae births are way to low for them to toss the lives of their young away like that.”

“Immortal. If they didn't do insane things they'd over populate. Take us Faerie Dragons for instance, the exception to this immortality … technically we are immortal but after age fourteen everything starts falling apart. If not for this we would over populate.”

“It still sounds sketchy.”

“As it should. The truth of the matter is that the position is hereditary. There is a bloodline, the nobles, that are said to have traces of Sylph ancestry and as such they are blessed with the innate ability and affinity of air magic. Quite boring, but that's the truth. OK, discussion can go back to the Demon.”

“Why thank you Spencer,” Roc was being sarcastic though this was shaping up to be Gale's temple. He turned over his sap and the three spoke as they went on.

“Monks are trained against mental intrusions, her charms will not work. Even if I did not possess such training I would be resistant to magical effects.”

“Dwarfs are hard headed.”

Roc shook his head, made as if he were going to lunge at Spencer though it was a bluff that had the Faerie Dragon flying to shield himself behind Flame which had the dwarf snickering.

“Just remember who took your collar off! See, Flame's grateful!”

“Dryads won't attempt to charm dwarfs -”

“I did say comely males,” Spencer was wise to go invisible then and even hide seeing that Roc had some magic to perceive through it.

“OK, I suppose you can dip in to see Willow about the sap and we have little choice but for Spencer to grow up and conduct an adequate instigation then we go check out this tree. I have some magic that can detect evil auras though in the Dark Woods with evil being everywhere I doubt it will work too well. I'll try not to use lethal force unless it is to save our lives.”

She would soon get back to Willow's with the sap though, alone, though Spencer was here invisibly as well. “Welcome back, did things go well?”

As if she was going to talk happily about the love affairs of Dryads, she didn't even mean to shut him up but rather be done with their embarassing topic of discussion for the time being before they reached Roc and he caught wind of it.

Spencer truly came to life as he began to shine with his acting and needless to say Flame had been amused by his verbal exchange with Roc albeit slightly less than usual given the nature of the requested narrative. He spun the dreadful tale of the Priestess without moving a muscle, his countenance unchanged as though the story had been true to history. It was vivid, something which could in essence be a fountain of nightmare material though she sided with the Dwarf on how truthful their companion was in his illustration of the events taking place.

In truth members of royalty of a certain lineage retained their position in the temple although she could've figured these facts weren't nearly as exciting, for better or for worse. They weren't underway for long, but the days without him would've been far more boring than how any Priestess was elected, perhaps if he chose to leave his home he'd make travelling across the Shadows alongside the sorceress far more entertaining.

It was good to know Roc would be immune to the charms of the Dryad as she took a hold of the sap, initially she'd concerned herself with the issue of allowing him to switch sides, effectively defect and betray Flame under their influence which would probably persevere against any code of honor in existence. Unfortunately these comments merely incited the conflict between these two, from her perspective a playful one as he was usually patient and Spencer more of a light hearted mindset.

"Now come on you two, enough already." She couldn't hide the amusement upon her features, shifting in favor of their diminutive companion as he utilised the only woman on the spot as a makeshift shield.

Even attempting to respond maturely didn't do the situation any good for eventually she searched futilely for the now invisible Fae, seeing how Roc didn't chase after him or remained focused on a spot behind her back he must've taken off for the moment, leaving her to sort things out. "Thank you, I'm not sure if she can be saved as of now though I'm not taking any chances either. Regrettably if our lives depend on it we'll have to strike her down, there's still some time left so if you come up with any alternative, just let me know."

"Spencer will probably do just fine." Flame looked around, obviously unable to spy him anywhere but it wouldn't hurt nevertheless. "We headed out and came back without a scratch, didn't we? He can be incredibly dependable if he wants to."

Undressing before him crossed her mind again, they didn't even have a place to sleep though the day would last a good while longer. She thought things over on what to do with him, how to present herself on a silver platter once given the chance while wandering toward the treetop village, finally feeling the familiar sensation of dizziness upon accidentally sparing a glance at the ground, but entering the workshop of Willow diminished the insistent feeling somewhat.

Back in front of the Pixie she smiled mildly, offering a glimpse of the sap entrapped within the provided receptacle before tilting it back to the other side, wary of it pouring on the floor. "Things went well if we've collected all you need."

"Luckily I had a keepsake of our most recent travels on me that I didn't need anymore, a reasonably prized collar from the first moments my memory functioned again. The Dryad accepted it in exchange for some of the tree's sap, but it's been a fair trade when I get to unlock nearly two decades of memories."

"Here." Without further ado Flame handed it over, hoping they wouldn't arouse any suspicion with an excuse that'd prevent its immediate use. "Ah, Willow, say how long will you be working here today?"

"I got word from the Faerie Dragon who was with us earlier that our friend headed for the Valley of the Lost suffered a fracture in his right leg or merely twisted his ankle as he carelessly fought the Dragon there, something I cautioned him not to do!" She sighed, feigning a bit of good acting of her own though she had to press on quickly. "Either way he went back to lend him company and I can't leave them by themselves, they'd probably go at each other's throats all day without me so I better check up on them before they do anything they might regret. I can't stick around for the procedure right away and was hoping we could get back to it later?"

She offered a distinctively warm smile. "I could probably get some more sap while I'm there, just in case. He managed to kill the Dragon before getting stuck in his misery, after all."

“How unfortunate. I hope he's OK,” Willow took the sap, so far so good there didn't seem to be any suspicion on her part as she stored the sap away in a magical box that kept it chilled. I am opened to sundown today but other than you and your friend arriving it's been a rather slow day and I've had no one commissioning any new works or even purchasing arrows today.

“Dwarfs are known for being dour and humorless so one laid up with a Faerie Dragon can be amusing … of course adding a Pixie to the mix can make matters worse for him, and sending an Elf, worse still given that the two species don't get along.

“But the Centaur … they have a lot in common with dwarfs. Some are weapon smiths and they do like strong drink an reciting ancestral tales so I'll close up a little early and send a Centaur or two to recover your friend.” Willow mentioned.

The Enchantress nodded at Flame's situation. “The sap will be here so take your time. As a human you'd be far more impatient than I.”

Willow seemed to buy it though Flame had seen a look of curiosity cross her features with the mention of the Dragon being destroyed though. It was a good thing, sap could be obtained from the valley and the way to the temple was clear not though she had left it alone.

Soon Flame was traveling with Roc to the Dark Wood to the North. “Just a reminder, if the Dryad is being possessed it cannot leave that area but can by possessing one of us it we get too close. There are wards against possession I know and can use, similar to that hedging ward that you were unable to enter though the effect is more personal and thwarts mental domination of various sources.
“The second is that the tree itself, if it is destroyed the Dryad is as well.”

They got to the Dark Woods the boundaries clear given all the dark gnarled trees. The forest seemed to be gloomy and dark with little light making it to the forest floor. Roc had cast their wards of protection before they traveled forth, the dim lighting made it tough to see, at least for her. Roc had been use to seeing in the depths of the underground caverns and had been adapted to this sort of thing.

Within ten minutes though they heard rustling in the brush, the loud snapping sound of branches as something shadowed them briefly then exploded upon the scene behind them, a bear! Standing on it's hind legs it let out a loud growl though Flame could see that it was a greenish brown and made of of plants. Two vine like retractable appendages had been on each side as the bear ca,e forward, teeth and claws formed of nasty thorns and it seemed that the bear had their destruction in mind as it lumbered forward.