"He's one sturdy dwarf, I'm sure he'll be alright." At least she was being truthful in some aspects, he wasn't injured in the first place and surely would be back on his feet though when their suspicions weren't warranted they'd have to explain a few things.

Flame observed Willow like an eagle focused on its prey despite acting the part of another friendly customer, noting where she stored the sap for one in case she made a run for it sometime later, the expression splaying over her features when she spoke of the Dragon though the mention of sending aid prompted her into action. "That may not be necessary. I'll fashion a makeshift crutch for him once I returned to them and see how far we can get, so we may not be there anymore when your Centaur arrives, but I appreciate the help."

With a polite bow she excused herself, having to depart urgently in regard of the tale. "We will stay in the area today and tomorrow due to business with the nearby Faerie Dragons so I'll come to see you sometime inbetween."

Thankfully she appeared to have believed the story relayed to her through Flame, the sorceress wasn't nearly as good in terms of acting as Spencer and despised telling lies when they hadn't known for certain as to whether or not the one they lied to would be proven guilty. She shook her head at the nonsense flowing through her mind, they had to stay focused on the task at hand and if Willow played a part then she wasn't to be trusted, the trio regrettably following the scheme of guilty until proven innocent but it couldn't be helped when dealing with demons.

Once linked up with Roc they set out for the Dark Wood, naturally lacking their flying companion though speaking of possession made the human uneasy. "For how long do these wards last?"

His second point wasn't entirely beneficial to their cause, ending the life of the Dryad went against her nature and while they might draw the bound female out far enough for them to remain out of striking range of the stationary tree, avoiding one of the deadly threats, they had to deal with a possibly possessed woman acting under demonic influence and for that Flame didn't have the required expertise. Without knowledge they were headed for them, however, drawing up a feasible plan as they went or merely investigating the surroundings in preparation of their dangerous undertaking.

Reluctantly traversing the brim seperating lush green and less appealing plantlife they were soon lulled in the less pleasant atmosphere cast upon the Dark Wood, the red head crossing her arms in front of her chest in defiance as the darkness began to haunt her, sticking close to the dwarf by her side given her limited line of sight and mild fear of the dark. A construct with these weaknesses, she didn't even wish to think about it.

Time rushed by as she seemed lost in thought when in reality every single noise nearly had the woman jump, eventually settling down slightly enough to keep more than a foot inbetween the two walking side by side, but then another stopped Flame dead in her tracks, spinning around on the spot and just in time to witness the monstruous creature erupting from the thicket.

Any layperson merely indulging in books would recognize the bear when they saw one save for several oddities, this one in particular allowed for the woman to enter an intimiated state when it roared out in anticipation of battle despite its unusual physical makeup. Fire immediately sprung to mind, undoubtedly the most effective method of dealing with their assailant and before the flames got out of control she could probably let them evaporate into nothingness.

She wasn't a fighter and as such almost panicked at the sight before she recalled facing far more threatening demons before, hesitating for the slightest moment before sending a volley of air toward it in an attempt at slowing down its advance, followed by another ray of flame aimed at the center of the beast seeing how the massive bulk provided the largest target.

“About twenty minutes, I can renew them when necessary,” Roc answered about the wards. For a time he had forgotten that she had been human realizing that she was staying close to him given that she could not see all that well.

He had warned her about the Dryad in the event that they had to kill her or needed a quick distraction. Having such a weakness such as the tree would divert the attention of the Dryad, possessed or not. In a way he was supplying her with options in dealing with it.

Rather a head on approach she could distract the Demon/Dryad so that they could withdraw of he could kill her/it … he was the trained warrior monk, he had so much blood on his hands that a little more would not matter. He lived two and a half centuries already and Gale was probably much older at least chronologically but he had fought in so many battles it was not even funny.

“You still have that dagger?” Roc had glanced at Spencer's blade she used on the Demon. They had all forgotten about it, it seemed or Spencer didn't think she had finished with it yet. “Let me see it.”

When he had it Roc bent down, scooped up some dirt and sprinkled it on the blade and flipped it over doing the same to the other side as he chanted. When he finished the weapon was shedding light equivalent to torch light.

He gave her the blade back, at least now she could see better though she still remained close, jumpy at the sounds … she seemed afraid … they were in the Dark Wood after all and his courage had been sapped too, there was something here that sapped courage and emitted fear but both had overcome it.

Then the “bear” burst forth grabbing there attention as he spun around to face it he noticed that the plant creature had aspects similar to an ursine but different as well.

He did not near though figuring that it would. An Abjuration of protection was what he went with slapping it over Flame as the creature had been hit with a blast of air which slowed it down some though Flame was no Gale and the element hardly slowed the creature though it was just enough it seemed to keep them out of the range of those tentacles that flailed towards them.

Roc's fists hardened into stone with and an enchantment though the bear roared out in agony as it was hit with the ray of fire, it was vulnerable to those flames that spread over it's chest, the roar of the beast seemed to be the signal as dozens of these twig-like diminutive plants appeared amongst the brush armed with poisonous darts that the hurled at them, darts tipped with a paralytic poison.

Already a few darts had been imbedded into Roc from a launched volley though the dwarf did not seem to be hampered … yet at least as he tore out the darts tossing them aside. “I'll focus on the bear then help you with these things, try using more of that wind it might hamper their aim.”

Just one more spell, another Abjuration meant for Flame to make her skin as hard as a rock though a tentacle from the bear coiled about his ankle and jerked him off his feet dragging him towards the plant creature with haste.

Being afraid of the dark made Flame feel like an innocent child. Even though by comparison she walked alongside an elder man that could be her great-great-grandfather the red haired lady hadn't managed to shake off these impulses, staying close and fearing for those creatures that dwelled in the area.

Thankfully he appeared to have taken note of her needs, the woman quickly searching for the magic imbued weapon before handing it to him although his intentions weren't exactly clear to her at this point in time. Only when it radiated in an appealing light did her eyes widen, visibly relieved and pleased that she wouldn't have to rely purely on him, not that she'd minded but seeing things herself in a certain radius took off the edge of her foremost concerns.

"Thank you. I just .. don't really like darkness." She briefly placed a hand on his shoulder while seizing the weapon with the other, grateful that he hadn't commented on the given weakness before marching on, illuminating the path before them.

Perhaps it gave their position away or aided the assailant in that regard, either way she considered herself lucky that most elements save for water based conjurations came relatively easy to her, stopping the bear in time with a blast of air though it wasn't as much of an impressive feat as the Flame Serpent would've been.

Too focused on the fight to notice the preparations of her dwarven companion, Flame managed to sustain the ray scorching the overall chest region of the frightening abomination they opposed for several seconds and they might've succeeded within brief periods of time although the appearance of numerous threats all around them tipped the young sourceress off, her focus diminished as projectiles were fired in their general direction. Most of them either missed or were then jutting out of Roc which he resumed to dispose of at a brisk pace, luckily none struck the young woman though their purpose became apparant even prior to taking effect.

Were they destined to be enslaved or eaten? Either fate wasn't tempting, but surely these darts were primed for stunning purposes or riddled with deadly poison that lingered in their veins, gradually weakening them until the fight left the pair entirely. She was an agile beauty, but nothing except incredible fortune saved her from the initial salvo that penetrated his skin and even with the spell laid unto her she could only take a certain amount of physical punishment, needless to say one lucky shot may render her defenseless should the Enchantment stop all of a sudden.

"Got it!" She wound up anxious, but he commanded and Flame obeyed, lifeless leaves rustling across the forest ground as she built up the elemental forces and selected the recently exposed targets, yet the bear shattered the newly found confidence as Roc was forced off his feet, the woman uncertain as to whether or not he could handle the thing without assistance.

Acting upon instinct she sent a firm breeze through their ranks akin to the pace of a rampaging storm, hopefully enough to throw them off for the moment as she turned toward the dwarf. Another knowing gesture sent a focused beam of flame rushing for the tentacle that held onto his ankle, the root of which remained stationary atop the massive creature in an attempt to burn it right off its body, subconsciously utilising air magic should Roc fall in order to protect him from the worst effects of falling from height.

Naturally it left her flanks open, but all by herself she wasn't going to oppose the demon or survive against the odds that the Dark Wood presented, let alone carry him someplace safe should they manage to end up victorious and he was paralyzed by then.

So you're a lights on woman, I see ...

She could hear Spencer's voice in her head though Roc was fair more reserved and mature from such lewd comments. The two were different though both had her best interests at heart and neither seemed to be holding her “hostage” in the sense of having her do something in exchange for this devotion, at least she did not have this sort of feeling as Roc handed back the enchanted blade.

“Your welcome.” It was such a simple spell that he imagined she knew it but lacked the memory of it perhaps it wasn't deemed important. He barely had use of it himself and only used it in an offensive capability as creatures like Orcs and Goblins were light sensitive and could be driven off by this in the same manner that flame drove away wild animals.

Roc, she found drew no judgments from her short comings. He had his own of course, though he had not shared them as they had not come up though he hated being teased about them himself.

The light did draw the attentions of the denizens of this place, like the Angler fish of the depths that drew other fish closer with light the creatures here had learned that those wielding light were often too powerful to overcome though on rare occasions they discovered how naïve they were …

But they were being searched for, the bear that emerged had been sent after them. Though by itself it would have been less of a danger those diminutive Twig Blights joined it hurling their poisonous darts at them, many missing her on account of the fact of Roc's Abjuration though the dwarf was not so lucky.

Before he could get the stoneskin off though he had been jerked off his feet and being dragged rapidly towards the creature. Flame's burst of air threw off the aim of the second volley of darts as miniature darts were swept aside and many of the two foot tall creatures had been knocked to the ground.

With haste she launched a scorching ray at the vine-like appendage that caused the bear to withdraw it in pain, like touching a hot pan. Though the mighty ursine brought it's attention to Flame. Her flanks were opened too though a combination of her own agility and Roc's protective spell she was able to avoid the few darts that came in.

Roc was on his feet charging forth, the enchantment on his hands letting him tare into the creature with greater ease and deft skill, he was amazing to watch, the way that he evaded the attacks made it clear that those darts only struck him because he had been surprised by them.

In seconds the bear had been dead and Roc spun his attention to the Twig Blights. He joined Flame, his hands slapping the earth as he rushed up along side her sending a shock wave through the earth that opened up a fissure that many of the Twig Blights fell in. It might have been over kill but even the dim Twig Blights were are of such power and were routed between the two of them in short order.

“Nope, no new tattoo for me ...” Roc was shaking his head as the remainder of the Twig Blights fled.

Crimson eyes cast glances upon the local premises, the voice appearing within her mind undoubtedly Spencer's although him following them around was impossible, there was no indication he might've traced their tracks and with Roc's ability to see an invisible Fae clearly made it an implausible conclusion that he was flying close enough to whisper into her ear. Perhaps he was speaking directly into her head from afar, after all Flame collected little to no details regarding his physical and mental prowess, thinking that he might know a few spells but nothing more. Either it was him adressing her through telepathy which would've been quite a marvel, or something else played with her senses as it drew upon memories and friends.

Still, the voice had the sorceress blush faintly as they went, rather the message it conveyed as it touched upon that particular weakness in such a suggestive manner, wondering what he'd meant though surely he hinted at something vaguely dirty. Granted, while she may be strong and determined in some ways, she couldn't conceal any measure of fear when exposed to these hazards her mind only conceived of as threatening unless trying hard to do so and may reach out for a strong pair of arms belonging to someone who didn't lack confidence.

Now in the bedroom she didn't fall for the darkness, not with the company of another in the safety of their home though out here in the middle of the woods she almost physically clung to Roc, keeping herself in check due to his reserved attitude and later through the illuminating dagger. Hopefully it wouldn't get any darker, as long as she didn't feel as though she were alone or isolated from him and all by herself Flame could maintain a handle on her wits.

They were mutual in the devotion they offered, the nubile woman recalled the many times she'd lied to them and receiving such kind gestures regardless let them gain her gratitude. Saving the Dryad as someone she never met one could only imagine what great lengths she'd go for her two travelling companions in case they wound up in danger.

Instead of disposing of the many assailants hauling darts at them from a distance first, Flame prioritized the dwarf above matters of personal safety for the sake of loyalty though with the Enchantments she was bearing a minimal risk of getting hurt, the onrush of air dismissing the threat of these creatures all around temporarily before Roc was freed from the grasp of his captor. Despite that several darts came flying at her still, most of them dodged by athletic finesse alone while the rest was taken care of through his protection.

It was a matter of seconds before the warrior monk sealed the fate of the enormous ursine, flawless technique and execution turning him into a blur amidst fists connecting with their target and dodging bullets in a sense. Needless to say it didn't have a prayer as it laid defeated, lifeless as he turned his attention to the remaining opponents.

With trembling force that shook the earth they found the morale of their foes broken, those still alive running for the safety of the denser forest around them.

Concerned with his status Flame approached carefully, scanning the treelines before glancing at his wounds where the darts must've injected whatever they had on their tips. "Please, forget the tattoo. Are you feeling alright? You've been hit by some of those darts."

Originally Roc hailed from Brindel, perhaps he knew of the effects or wasn't truly susceptible, maybe he never came to these parts of the Shadow which seemed more likely though if he couldn't carry on they were better off heading back for as long as they were able to, they could always return at another point in time when Spencer relayed his report after all. She was gently touching upon him and pressing into the skin surrounding one of his injuries, checking whether blood or the poison would surface although the impact of the toxin was most likely immediate which made removing it a pointless effort. "I'm not a doctor, but maybe we should have your wounds looked at."

As the situation died down around them Roc had looked to his right arm as if her attention to it was the only reason that he remembered the toxins that had been pumped into his blood stream. Roc had been hit thrice, the wounds barely bleeding and not deep at all though tending to them she could see some of the green venom.

“Hm,” Roc analyzed some of the sap. “Unfortunately I'm no woodsman but it's either an injury or contact poison.” It was most likely an injury poison that affected him.

“I am alright, these are just scratches,” though he did not object to her fawning over him. He might not admit it but he liked the attention, particularly that touch since it had been decades since he had felt one upon him, not since his wife and child … Kale … they had been avenged but dead was still dead.

Where they to succeed or get captured? That was the thing about Aegir, he did not mind how his stories unfolded and stepped in directly at times but he tended to follow what was in the minds of those he brought to such realms. If capture was strong on Ryu's mind then clearly he would oblige her though it was not so prevalent there this time so he focused on continuing events along.

Roc let Flame see to the wounds a bit. “Flame ...” He grabbed her attention then stood from the log that they were sitting on. “You can just bandage it unless it is your aim to tempt me. We are in the Dark Woods after all.”

He explained as if this was a bad thing then he added. “I am a dwarf.” He grinned as if that should have explained it. When he saw that it did not immediately click with the human he elaborated on this further.

“Dwarfs can shrug off magical effects easier and poisons too. We can be poisoned, true, but our physiology shrugs off these effects … my training as a warrior monk exposes me to all manners of toxins so I will be fine, but thank you for the concern.”

He would not get into why she let her carry on though. If she had asked he would simply tell her to ask him later, he'd tell her after they had the Dark Wood behind them. Soon they were near their destination, though neither had been here before they could see the immense gnarled oak tree, the Demon's presence had to corrupt it though it and the Dryad had to be close.

They could see the tree between other, smaller gnarled plants. It was easily the largest tree in the forest sitting alone in a small clearing that had still been a ways off.

Roc halted them and renewed their protections, if their had been a Demon here that twisted the trees and infused the land with evil. “Alright, what is our game plan going to be? My guess is that those creatures from before had been a welcoming committee, not very strong but a lot of them … I may be wrong there though … after all it's unlikely the Demon knew we were coming unless it has agents all over the forest ..”

Could that be the case? He was uncertain as he glanced at the sorceress, hard to imagine that she was anything but a human ...

"I'll see to them anyway, just in case." Flame had been working diligently to remove the poison from his arm, a tender feminine touch grazing over the rough texture of his muscled limb, applying mild pressure every now and then only for the vile substance to surface in a shade of venomous green. She lacked expertise in the realm of medicine, but knew well enough that ridding oneself of the substance would help in most cases.

Short of sucking the fluid out, however, Roc chimed in and had the red haired sorceress freeze up for a moment, her eyes staring up at him with mild amounts of confusion, wondering what he'd meant unless he really did hint at the temptation prevalent within her mind. Dwarves were relatively unknown, a courtesy of the suppressed memories he was the only one she could recall with utmost clarity.

"I understand .. and you're welcome." At first she remained hesitant, merely blinking in thought as he stood before drawing him back unto the log with a gentle tug. "Let me clean up what I've spilled on your arm, at least."

Undoing the knot around her waist she brought up the coat which hadn't found purpose ever since their journey through the desert, the climate here and there far more enjoyable than any dark, chilly cell. Swiftly she'd torn the garment near the brim of the sleeves, cutting where mere muscle mass failed to achieve the same goal before using the newly gained strip of cloth to collect the liquid from his wounds, discarding it once they were all taken care of. Another three fashioned into bandages were applied to his right arm, the dark fabric not too tight on him although it left Flame with a comparably short sleeved overcoat.

Despite the minuscule odds of any poison even taking effect if there were any to begin with, he wouldn't say why he let her carry on, but Flame hadn't truly minded doing him a favor as it soothed her own mind as well, taking her thoughts away from their task momentarily. The clothing was taken from Carrion anyway, one of the few good things to ever leave that prison it seemed though she didn't regard it highly in any sense.

Before moving on she'd tucked the illuminating dagger away, realising the error in their ways and while a good amount of fear wouldn't kill, it certainly made the young woman more alarmed and wary of their surroundings. It wouldn't take them long to reach the demonic tree as they could see it from where they found themselves shortly after.

An intimidating tree, Flame thought it impossible but being afraid of a simple plant came easy to her at this point. "You may be wrong, but unless we know for a fact that you are, they'll expect us to travel as a pair. Some of our assailants back then made a run for it and might've warned others."

She considered for a moment. "Well, I'm not a tactician, but I'm thinking we can expect an ambush of sorts, without a doubt. Whether the demon has agents all around or those creatures are simply out for revenge, they'll know where we were headed and surely wouldn't have allowed for us to get this far unless we're in for a surprise."

Given the dark and gloomy environment she couldn't see nearly as good as the Dwarf either way, with the weapon she'd merely attract attention which may be beneficial to their plan. "If you think it wise, lay another stone skin Enchantment on me as you did before, then turn invisible and encircle the clearing rather than expose yourself. In the meantime I will lure in whatever is out there by approaching the tree with dagger in hand, if there is anything at all and they fall for it of course. You'll be within their ranks and dispose of them while I see to the Dryad."

Flame glanced at Roc then. "I want to find out for myself if she has any sanity left and knows any solution to the problem or that she can't be saved at all. In case of the latter .. We'll have no choice but to destroy the tree."

He had looked at the three bandages as he then flexed his arm … it was a little sore from the wounds on it though they had been minor. He still had the range of motion in his arm that would allow him spell casting.

Roc had tried not to think of Flame in a sexual light, at first it was easy, she was attractive but of a different species but when Spencer got mixed up in things it became apparent that he was made to think of those things more with the antics of the Faerie Dragon. Still he had been able to keep himself composed though with that heated touch, that reminder that he had so many years ago lost for himself.

It was nice … it was also lust he knew, though there were more than primal feelings there the dwarf was keeping this a professional relationship. They had continued on a short ways without the light source though Flame had remained close, which he didn't mind at all Roc could still see the look of confusion on the features of the woman at least in his mind. She had not even considered which was what he had assumed anyway and was happy with.

“I can't go invisible ...” he professed though the idea was sound. “As a warrior I never had the need to go sneaking up on enemies but rather fought them face to face. But when I became a monk and added to my skill set I was given a lot of special operation missions where I would sneak into or out of places … I got quite good at stealth without the use of magic though and so the plan is still a good one.

“I have many Divinations though, speaking with the stone, seeing invisible things, detecting auras of magic or evil though I need no magic to tell me that the tree will radiate such an aura.” Roc looked ahead briefly, he then began the Abjuration, the Stoneskin lasting longer than the Shield spell he used.

“Your skin is as hard as stone … you can still be hurt but will resist a great deal of damage, like hitting a statue with a hammer you might chip it with a few blows but it will take you a while to destroy it. Magical attacks that are not force effects will bypass this protection and piecing attacks, like those darts won't penetrate your flesh, in fact no attack will cause you to bleed for the duration so injury poisons are out.”

Roc explained before they split up. He could hide quite well though with her sight hinder she lost track of him soon enough. When she felt he was out of the area she used the dagger again and made her way to the tree.

Dark shapes played at her mind and it seemed as if the shadows were moving but when looking there had been nothing there save for gnarled and twisted plants. The land seemed to emit more of that horrid aura to flee that had been emitting from the tree …

Perhaps it was an enchantment to help protect the tree, though she could brae the effects, either she managed to shrug it off or it could not take a complete hold on Golems. If the former than the effect might not have been to powerful so if there was a Demon it certainly was not out of her league to deal with.

Something came over her mind then, a spike that flared like a brief headache and was gone. Something tried to attack her mind! Something tried to usurp it but it was thrice protected, essentially she had a human and an Elemental spirit, plus the protection that Roc had cast.

From the tree there was a rippling effect as a woman, barely the size of Lily with pointed ears, chestnut brown braided hair that extended to her ankles. A sneer had been on her comely features. Her eyes an onyx black as she stared out upon Flame.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

Responsible for her perplexity were the continuously reserved signals Roc emitted whenever they were together until commenting on the almost innocent manner in which she tended to his wounds because she wasn't aware of his immunities, he never seemed to have abandoned that temperate road in favor of another and therefore never truly struck Flame as even remotely interested given the partial description of his occupation. He was a warrior monk and the immortal beauty held profound respect for him hence she never touched upon the thought unlike she did for Spencer, the Dwarf being more of a mentor figure than anything though she had to admit that he was appealing in the sense that he possessed great strength and wisdom.

He'd thrown her off guard for a moment there, the nubile woman proceeding with cleansing his wounds shortly after and applying bandages fashioned from her own clothes before they got underway. Flame remained closer than before, compensating for the lack of light and their approach bringing them closer to their destination although she refrained from touching him directly as they walked.

With a few alterations to the plan their mind was made up, Roc casting the protective spells unto the young red head. "Your training is exactly why I need you out there. I cannot see let alone fight well without a light source, I'd be a moving target whereas you might take them by surprise should anyone be hiding in the area."

"Watch your back out there, and good luck." Crimson eyes tracked him while he departed from the scene, soon leaving her sight as his moving image bled away in a haze of darkness until he was no more.

Flame drew the dagger from the depths of her garments, illuminating the premises in a pleasantly bright light although beyond the sphere where the light had been strongest the sorceress noted the absence of such clarity as the effect ebbed away the further it went, additionally lacking the companion by her side she found herself alone, a shudder creeping over her but she pressed on before it threatened to overwhelm the stream of thoughts leading her to their objective.

Something thoroughly experimented with her courage as these horrendous shapes appeared to be moving all around, her mind fearing the supposed ambush already manifested within the back of her head and yet nothing could be seen when she did hone in on the shadows, not even movement as though it simply vanished or wasn't there in the first place. Perhaps the possessed tree extended his reach upon the intruding female, she couldn't recall ever feeling nearly as frightful in the dark before but venturing into the woods alone, Roc seperated from her it all seemed to be urging her to turn back at all costs though Flame knew that she couldn't.

Several steps onward she was bound to shrug off the sudden painful sensation surging through her temples, the effect brief but even she figured it wasn't of any natural origin. Whatever it was, wherever it came from, it had failed to take a hold as she marched on without relent.

Eventually Flame stood tall before the terrifying growth, prudent enough to remain out of its reach should it arouse into an animated state though the woman erupting from the bark let her assume an easily prepared fighting stance should she dare make any wrong moves. Lilac, she assumed, a shapely lady not much taller than the Pixies they'd encountered back in the treetop village although seeing her features distorted into a sneer made it a rather repulsive view.

No doubt the demon possessed her then with those eyes, the Dryad merely a submissive tool as the fiend assumed direct control, but then again she'd never seen one of her kind before as she pointed the light source at the corrupt creature.

"I wouldn't be grinning if I were you, after all I've managed to overcome what flimsy terrors you call protection, not to mention what I did to some of your brethren in Sirocco .." It was displeasing, introducing yourself to a demon although it did state her business in the area. "My name is Flame and I've come to speak with Lilac, the actual Lilac and not you."

“You too,” Roc returned before he bled into that darkness that swept over him. He vanished completely as she continued. The Dryad pulling itself from the tree and gazed at her. Being stuck her, trapped because the Dryad had been anchored to this tree the Demon could not leave and had no real knowledge of the outside world.

Minions had told her that warm blooded creatures had entered the Dark Wood at last! After all this time! She could not possess the plants after all though her wave of evil corrupted those that had been in her sphere of influence.

“Brethren? I know not of what you speak of girl. But if you think that the Twig Blights protected me then you are a fool. If you could not beat a few of them then I knew that your body would be useless. Easy to possess but not so durable to last should I have to oppose anyone.

“You cannot speak to Lilac, she is not home.” She gestured then and something snapped off of her skin, quills? Half a dozen or so green skinned humanoids emerged from the edge of the clearing, each covered in hundreds of quills several that fired forth at her but those that struck, and there were many, failed to pierce her skin though the Demon had not seemed surprised as she stepped back into her tree upon hearing the dwarf emerge one the scene.

She reemerged as a magically generated series of rocks crushed the skull of a plant creature though Lilac was laughing at them, the sounds of trees crashing to the ground could be heard, Dryads had plenty of nature inducing magic which the Demon had access to now.

The ground vibrated as something big was coming from all around it seemed and as Roc moved to get a better angel so he could see the Demon he launched a stream of magical stones at her though the Demon vanished, teleporting back on the ground near the edge of that clearing. Weaker than a Fire Demon, maybe, but this one had access to a Dryads abilities … but had her weakness as well …

The tree, she was vulnerable … there was that as stunted grasses and other weeds burst into a frenzy of movement in order to hamper their movements, dark shapes appearing at the edge of that clearing.

Perhaps the combination of powers and this terrain made the Demon a lot tougher … then again, that was when the Stone Serpent appeared, coiled about the two protectively for the time being.

“It looks bleak but we can win, not if we try to save her though, not without withdrawing and rethinking our options but if we use lethal force we can end this.”

He was leaving this up to her. After all the situation looked dire but for those of their power, when they chose not to hold back, they could devastate. Of course they could be stuck where they were and the Demon could Teleport though would it dare getting closer or just wait until the large sounding creatures neared … no, probably not creatures seeing that she could not recall seeing a real animal here as if they were kept away, perhaps by that aura of fear that emanate from the Dark Wood though it was clear that she had to make a quick decision whatever they were going to decide.

"You're not the first demon I've met." Possession had been her intention all along, the maniacal and twisted mindset of a Demon bound to a nigh stationary entity presumably without the ability to return to his former realm of existence unless that would've been another life far worse than what she experienced in the Dark Wood for many years of solitude.

Flame thought she may have overstepped her bounds by adressing her in such an aggressive manner, but needless to say she despised their kind, hated them for all they desired appeared to be the sating of a natural thirst for power and suffering of others.

Humanoid quill beasts erupted from the treelines that surrounded the clearing they were in, her gaze drawn to the numerous projectiles that were essentially part of their bodies though the initial volley didn't even leave a scratch. The sorceress realised she wouldn't be listened to any further then, spinning around and guiding her attention to a chosen assailant before enclosing him in a vortex of violently blazing fire with a mere gesture of her hand clenched into a fist, hopefully leaving nothing but charcoal as Roc arrived to her aid.

While she might've been almost invulnerable given the Enchantments of his, her spirits weren't quite as high as she perked up at the sounds reaching her ears, trees being uprooted and falling aside somewhere out of sight as though something large was on its way there. The events didn't unfold as anticipated, the possessed Dryad teleporting with utmost ease as Roc propelled several stones at the woman to no avail, the ground beneath their feet shaking and the seemingly lifeless plantlife assisting their demonic opponent as it sought to hinder their overall progress.

Shadows riddled their surroundings whereby other forces seemed to be drawing near, the two of them slowly but surely enclosed by numerous enemies summoned from the middle of nowhere, natives perhaps though with the appearance of the Stone Serpent they were given a slight moment of respite to reassess the situation. The answer, however, came quick in light of the fact they didn't have much time to decide. "We should head back while we still can and think of something else. I'm not going to kill her just because we didn't want to waste time looking for another way."

If only she had the knowledge of Cane, the abilities Abdul mentioned, marvels of life giving magic she inherited thanks to the Priest or the necromancy of her father, in that case her death could've possibly been reversed.

The life would be lost should they achieve victory here today, however, even though the same life may be grateful for the intervention for ending its continuation would put an end to the claim another being placed on her. That wasn't mercy in her eyes, it was pointless bloodshed and Flame didn't wish to allow any part of her to become something as abysmal as a Demon for surely they'd have chosen that outcome if their roles were reversed.

As it were the Demon couldn't leave the area, bound to the clearing in which the tree stood for many years without hope of finding another vessel whereas the unusual duo could travel anywhere and return whenever they pleased save for the preparations undoubtedly made for their next arrival.

Maybe if Flame offered herself and invited the demon in, then perhaps Lilac could be saved then and there although withstanding the will power and influence of that abomination, she wouldn't last and figured she'd simply fall to the curse like the rest of those afflicted.

Talk was over, possession had been the Demon's goal all along as it could not possess the plants and the warm blooded ones had some use. The Demon had already tried to possess Flame but being unable to do so it would have to weaken her first, it needed at least one of them alive to get out of here, it had no preference and while Flame was here alone she volunteered her body to this role.

But Flame absolutely during the first Needle Folk to cinders. They were vulnerable to fire! No, magic! As another collapsed as Roc joined her. She had about a second for this to register, to think if they were vulnerable to both magic and fire she could incinerate them with ease.

Even the ground conspired against them as plants coiled about them in an effort to restrain them and hinder their movements and while they were not immobilized they were hampered, the Demon with the ability to Teleport had the mobility advantage over them. She had displayed that by evading the attack of the dwarf who she had suspected was out their somewhere since her minions said there were two creatures out there. Sadly she only had the Intel from reporting Twig Blights that there were two beings but they were rather stupid and could not tell the differences between humans and dwarfs.

They reported in and the bear was dispatched along with numerous Twig Blights as a test.

Roc nodded at Flame's words as the reinforcements arrived, quills smashing off the hide of the Stone Serpent that Roc would dismiss in just a second …

She was embraced by the shorter dwarf just as a treelike being appeared peeking into the space that the Stone Serpent was coiled around, it reaching toward them as Roc stomped on the ground, a few arcane words and they sank into the earth …

When they emerged they were still in the Dark Wood. They were still close to that clearing, close enough to hear the creaking and heavy movements of the trees.

“Ents? No, they are good natured … Dryads … Dryads have Divine abilities over plants she probably animated a few trees ...”

The scary part would have been if she had someone else doing it for her, it sounded as if the trees were closing in on all sides … but out of immediate danger he mulled it over.

“Alright let's get out of the Dark Wood at least ...” There were other Twig Blights though the pair had no problem in dealing with them as the escaped the Dark Wood.

Dawning hitting on Roc, at least that was a possibility. “Fae are tricksters – perhaps her reinforcements were just one or two animated trees, audio illusions could have made it sound as if we were surrounded.

“From what we've seen she had Twig Blights, real easy to deal with and Needle Folk, also easy to deal with. She may have a corrupted Ent or two working with her though and those can be a bit of a challenge especially since they can animate trees too. I don't think we gave her enough time to set off an illusion so I'll assume the worse though, Dryads aren't big tricksters though overall the Fae possess that quality.

“Maybe if we get that Water Elementalist … I think I might have an idea though it's probably not the greatest of one.”

His warmth felt reassuring, his hold on the busty sorceress a blessing as Flame struggled with ever waning composure. She couldn't bear losing for either of them would've been possessed, the fate of the other an unknown her mind preferred not to calculate and yet winning would've been far worse, taking the life of another for the sake of saving time when they had all the time in the world to find another solution. Not all of their visit was pointless, after all, they gathered valuable intelligence on their demonic foe and could prepare for their next return.

Shadows loomed over the surrounded pair, the treelike entity perched upon the Serpent and looking right at them in their enclosed space, a sudden chill flowing through her then whilst wrapping her arms tighter around Roc as crimson eyes widen at the sight of animate branches and twigs reaching out for them. The few words he uttered allowed for them to escape as they vanished beneath the earth, the young woman reflexively holding her breath as though they could suffocate.

Momentarily the noises of battle had vanished until they returned slightly farther off, their position changed though only when he spoke did Flame ease up. They were close to the scene, too close for comfort and sanctuary laid beyond the edges of the Dark Wood.

Her heart was racing, thrumming against her chest as they were on the run as was the wind rushing past their moving frames, overall her limbs felt like they were made of jello as she glanced back every now and then in fear of any more powerful pursuers. Twig Blights were disposed of easily enough, the red head utilising air magic to quite literally blow them away as to avoid any further bloodshed of any kind.

Even with the body of a voluptuous athlete she was gasping for air once they managed to reach relative safety, adrenaline pumping through her veins after fleeing from an evil predator which took her a moment to properly digest, her back briefly settling against a nearby tree as the recovery usually came quick given the recurring exercise.

It made sense that they were being tricked, a tactic used to intimidate the stronger opponents into a state of concern making them uneasy in face of countless enemies, maybe even prone to mistakes that'd make usurping their minds far easier in the long run, but with their elemental prowess they didn't strike the tree dead, neither the Dryad which revealed that they needed, wanted her alive when they could've easily destroyed the demonic threat once and for all after all these years.

"These illusions were quite vivid if that's the case, either she's smart or made use of everything she had trying to keep us there." Having aides would complicate matters, especially since they hadn't seen any other Fae in the proximity of that tree so they were going off of assumptions here. Spencer mentioned they had nothing to see in the Dark Wood until now, indicating that some of their kind must've ventured out in search of the Dryad though whether corruption could spread to such an extent, Flame didn't know.

She sighed, realising that they were in quite a pickle when they came back. "Allies or not, I wouldn't expect our next trip to be quite as uneventful .."

Crimson eyes were cast upon Roc then. "You mean Typhoon? I'm not sure that can be arranged, Nicodemus is on a rather tight leash while recovering his powers and we won't see him until tomorrow evening. Retrieving the Water Elementalist would be difficult without his help and even if he could assist us I'm uncertain as to whether or not he'd risk it as close as we are to disposing of the witch."

They'd have to break into Carrion to get him or wait for another day unless he meant someone else, either way she wasn't certain how he might aid them. "We cannot kill the demon without killing Lilac and I'm unaware of any means that'd allow us to extract the demon from her mind and body, so what's your plan?"

It was a bit touch and go getting out of that section of the forest. Always expecting the worse in the form of stronger opposition but the Demon had not seemed to be ready for their flight from the scene or perhaps did not have many strong minions at the ready.

Flame had dealt with most of these though, blasting them aside with wind and when they could launch their poisonous darts they were off the mark completely. But the Demon would be better prepared next time.

Roc looked to Flame seeing her heaving bosom as she drew in air he promptly looked away as she leaned back against the tree. When she had recovered enough he looked back. He himself had not been breathing hard despite having to work harder to keep pace with her. He was very durable she had found and despite their size difference he had been very quick.

“Typhoon entered my mind though he is not the only one with access to such spells it would be easiest … surround an area with the Flame Serpent and the Ents, if they are Ents, will stay back. Surround the Flame Serpent with that of the Water Serpent to keep the flames from spreading but there are any number of ways we could prevent that.

“Perhaps the toughest thing to deal with would be her moving about so easily, neither one of us knows Dimensional Lock too well though in a few short days we could learn it and stop her from Teleporting. Once that is done we surround her with the Flame Serpent, she may be resistant to fire but I'm sure her allies will hesitate against such a vulnerability.

“From there I could grapple her and we could conduct a full fledged exorcism. Her allies, if Fae, would have been possessed so she could have gotten out of there so maybe their plant creatures as well, the smarter ones like Ents can learn magic though it is rare.

“In any case we'll need to bring a Priest with us next time … or a Druid which is probably easier to find among the Fae and has access to magic that effects plants and quenches flames even. We could also get magical wands to extinguish fire in the event that the flames from the Flame Serpent spread.

“We have time though, she cannot leave more than 100 yards from that tree though I am suspicious of something … it is a powerful spell, animating trees if those were not Ents but if she could do that then why not animate her own tree and move it? There must be something there that shields it from most magics save for her entering it which probably doesn't count as the two are essentially one in the same, I don't know … But whatever the effect is the Demon cannot undo it for whatever reason, but yet I felt a strange vibe emanating from the tree as well so not all magic seems to be suppressed perhaps it works similar to our collars but in reverse. We were incapable of casting spells ourselves but others could cast them on us. Maybe this effect no one could cast spells on the tree but it could use them freely on others like Spell Turning rather than Anti-Magic.”

The dwarf pondered as he tried to feel their way through the situation. He was busy analyzing each tid bit of information that they got learning as much from what didn't happen as did happen, “Spencer may know of Druids though we could probably find one ourselves amongst the village we were at, the Elves are easier to deal with than the Pixie even if they tend to be a bit arrogant. We can help him out too or one of us while the other gets a better grasp on Dimensional Anchor, we'll have to meet Nicodemus again before we go back though so this is a long term project. Your call.

“I suppose you want me to explain about me words earlier to, what I say stays between us, deal?”

"As long as we have a chance at freeing her without letting her life slip away, I'm ready for anything." There wasn't much for Flame to add as he went on to explain matters or rather his observations regarding the events they took part in themselves. Between gasping for breath and trying to make sense of anything that had them on the run she might've gotten things jumbled once more such as the Demon needing another mobile vessel in order to leave which narrowed down any potential allies to the neighbouring plant creatures scattered throughout the forest lest it would've escaped a long time ago.

Searching for either Druid or Priest was another objective on their list for the exorcism, Lilac would hopefully be unharmed afterwards although years of possession made her question the viability of their plan. Perhaps the Dryad might descend into the farthest depths of depression or insanity, they wouldn't know for sure unless they pulled through, but surely freedom would bring her spirits to new heights, the appearance of other living beings a shimmer of hope at least and the red head wasn't going to let it die now. Maybe the collar would soon find purpose around another neck, reducing the Demon's capabilities while tied to the Dryad, but she wasn't counting on it.

"In that case I'll assist Spencer while you refine the spell. Elves might take more kindly to Humans than Dwarves although I'm sure they won't think too highly of me either." Not that Flame shunned studies, but with over a century of lifetime experience she allowed him the freedom of indulging in the subject in her place. Essentially as a construct blessed or cursed with immortality she may find time to learn it herself or be taught by Roc personally, but for someone not predominantly involved in any sort of warfare it wasn't of utmost importance that she was capable of casting the spell. "I could join you once we find somebody in time and see what I can learn, just in case one of us cannot cast the spell for whatever reason when we need it."

Her mind wandered to the prison, Gale certainly wound up furious with three of them dispatched to another Shadow whilst she spent time alone in a cell full of illusions of her former cell mates, but freeing her in proximity of the temple likely wouldn't be a good idea.

"I believe it's worth our time unless you'd prefer going on vacation for two days." She smirked a bit at that seeing how it could be taken in several ways, pressing on in a more serious fashion. "From what I've seen these past few days I've experienced evil in a lot more places than good and if we can make the world a marginally better place, then I'll most certainly try to do so."

When Roc adressed his earlier notions Flame didn't hesitate approaching him, the voluptuous frame bending in time with the fabric surrounding her luscious curves although she merely smiled down at him. "I'd be delighted, but I won't pressure you for an explanation."

A hand reached toward her ruby lips with a gesture commonly associated with shushing someone, her index finger pressed to their full richness. "Either way my lips are sealed, I won't tell a soul."