Fantasy 1x1 with AznPersuazn

[madlyhazel]

The oaks that had once been grand and full of life, giving shelter to the various creatures of the forest, now stood as shells of their former selves. Their gnarled branches drooped as grey park peeled off of the in layers, collapsing into the ground in a pile of ash. Even the very grass that made up the base of the trees had turned yellow and crinkled under the barest step. In a matter of moments, these grand beings had been reduced to rubble, and Idise was left to pick up the pieces. As her palm trailed across one of the massive trunks, it came away smeared with charcoal, staining the tanned pad black. She grimaced, wiping away the residue on her leather pants. She may have been a naive denizen of her grove, but that didn't mean she was unaware of what might have caused such damage.

She'd only seen such magic a few times, but stories of it spread quickly when it did occur. Blight was a terrible magic that destroyed the very essence of life itself, taking away the force and converting it to something dark and evil. Her herd had told stories of terrible tyrants using it for themselves, killing the world around them so they could reform it to their own desires. Such forces were detrimental to forests, which survived solely off the life that they brimmed with. As such, seeing blight attacking her own trees filled Idise with a boiling rage. How dare any creature dare think of destroying the very place she called home! Whatever it was had slaughtered the bodies on the ground as well.

The earth mephits looked like mounds of dirt, but upon closer look, crumpled wings and long noses extended from their bodies. The decay that affected the trees clung to their thick bodies as well, winding up their arms and legs like terrible snakes and rotting away their flesh. Skin flaked off as she watched, staining the dead grass below a sickly gray. Idise felt her throat clench with nausea at the sight, and she quickly turned away to observe the rest of her surroundings. Anything else she could glean would likely prove to be very useful.

She knelt down on the ground, sniffing the air and trying to pick out scents beyond the general stench of death and rot. As a faun, her animalistic senses were heightened, and oftentimes she could smell the distinct scents of foreigners roaming through her grove. Usually, she didn't have to use such tracking skills, but there was no way she was about to let this assailant go. As a strange smell came to her senses, stinking of something crisp. It was the smell of snow, but the warm summer's day told her there was no reason for her to be smelling such a thing. Regardless, it was worth investigating, and in a matter of moments she was setting off after the scent, her eyes peeled for further tracks that might lead her to her prey.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

"No, no, the attunement was all wrong, it should have been a node of elemental fire, not earth. Perhaps it was an issue with the inscription, or maybe..." Elias' voice trailed off as it often did while he muttered to himself, considering his latest expedition, and latest failure. Though relatively novice at necromancy and the art of death, he hadn't thought to prepare anything strong enough to combat earthen elementals, and so he'd had to sweep the area with noxious clouds and a ray of negative energy to keep the creatures from reconstituting. The collateral damage was unfortunate, but it was a secluded area in a dense forest and unlikely to cause any lasting harm, so he thought no more of it. He trudged through the underbrush toward his small camp, leaving small hints of rime that quickly melted to dew as he brushed aside the foliage.

When he arrived at his campsite, he quickly miniaturized his tent and tucked it into his myriad pockets, doused the fire with a puff of frost from his hand, and called telepathically to Avernus. It was unlikely the owl would return the call before nightfall, and Elias hoped to be out of the forest within the day, so he didn't bother wiping the residual wards placed around the site, a minor klaxon and stasis rune to deter any local fauna. He held little love for "roughing it," as the local trappers might say, and so he lacked any real forestry knowledge beyond what random trivia he had picked up over the years. However, he had managed to procure a rough map of the area before his expedition, and he knew enough to tell east from west based on the sun's movement, so he set off in the general direction of the nearest logging town, pulling his great hat over his eyes to shield them from the noonday sun and muttering all the while.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Thankfully for Idise, she didn't have to travel for too long before coming upon the beast that had taken to destroying her home. The sun was already high in the sky and blazing hot, and the hide clothing she wore was better suited to the colder months of the year. Though she sported considerably less layers during the summer, the pelts were still thick enough to cause sweat to begin to bead down her forehead and spine. She would be more than glad to take care of this menace and return to the safety of her home; the adobe made from earth and woven grasses provided a cooling shelter from the hottest part of the day.

It appeared that the man she currently watched from the underbrush hadn't caused any further damage, which she was grateful for. Though she wouldn't be forgiving this fellow anytime soon for the decay he'd already caused, she supposed she could give him credit for not completely destroying the place. Still, even though she couldn't see much of him beneath his robes and frankly ridiculous hat, Idise thought he didn't look the type to use such devastating magic. He appeared to be skinny and relatively weak, while the ones she'd heart of causing such devastation tended to be strong brutes with rotting skin and sunken features. From what she could see, this man looked to be healthy enough, though his skin did carry an odd hue.

No matter. He still caused decay to her home without a second thought. Even if she'd snap like a twig in her hands and prove to be a less than powerful enemy, she'd still make him pay for what he'd done. With those thoughts in mind, Idise hurried from the brush, withdrawing the massive hammer she kept strapped to her back and blocking his path.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she chastised, "Prepare to pay, scum."

Without giving him so much as a chance to think, she swung.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias had read about Fauns before, but like most civilized people, he had never interacted with one, and based on the lumbering specimen before him, he likely wasn't to do so again. Though he was ill-suited for melee combat, Elias possessed enough trinkets to give him an edge in a pinch. The ring on his left hand, a small sapphire scale bound in silver, flashed a bright blue when the hammer impacted his shoulder, cushioning the blow and expending its stored magic. Despite the aid, the sheer strength of the swing sent Elias spinning and left his arm numb, greatly hindering his ability to cast. Unable to weave any complex signs and still reeling, he focused on his innate nature and thrust his hands forward, coating the ground between him and the faun in a layer of ice. Hoping that he had bought himself a few seconds, he flexed his tingling fingers and forced them through a simple pass, invoking a thin, shimmering shield that hovered before him, ready to intercept at least once more brutish attack.

Despite the adrenaline from being ambushed, Elias had enough wit left to know not to deliberately provoke a creature like this. One of his past mentors, a scraggly hermit who dabbled in druidic lore, taught him the connection that primitive races had to the land they tended, so he could only hope that this could be settled peacefully by appealing to that nature.

Elias raised his hands in a placating gesture, "Stop, please, I mean no offense! Allow me to make reparations for my trespass and I'll leave in peace."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

The frost that suddenly coated the ground in front of her, once again killing the grass below it, surprised Idise. She jumped back, avoiding getting her hooves frozen into the mess. Her teeth gritted tightly as she stared down at the mess below, wondering just where this guy got off on ruining the land. Not only had he taken to destroying those ancient oaks that had stood for millenia, but he dared to kill more flora directly in front of her. Her hands tightened their grip on her hammer, and she shot the man a venomous look.

The shield he'd conjured out of thin air did little to dissuade her, and his words only seemed to fill her with more rage. "Reaper... Repel... Reparations?!" she stumbled over the word, its syllables foreign on her tongue, "Unless you can bring what you killed back to life, I don't want any!"

With a great power, she swung once again, colliding with the shield. Idise's hammer harmlessly bounced off, and she swore beneath her breath. She knew little of strange magics like this, and she was really only useful in entirely physical fights. Spells that this man was using were completely unknown to her, and it only served to make her more angry. She snarled and bared her teeth at the intruder, though her flat teeth hardly made the gesture intimidating. Not one to be so easily bested, she took another swing, putting a greater strength behind it in hopes of miraculously breaking this mystical shield.

 

[AznPersuazn]

Though the faun could speak and understand common, perhaps Elias had sinned too greatly for parley to work. His shield quivered beneath her assault and likely would shatter in a few moments, so he had to think fast before his head followed suit.

Elias had almost no experience in creation magic or the ways of nature, since he had no practical use for those schools. Thankfully, his druidic master had imparted a wand of regrowth to him many years ago, though he had never found a practical use for it till now. Pulling the wand from his robe, he stood slowly and deliberately so as not to provoke aggression and whispered the trigger phrase. The ice he'd conjured earlier had already melted into puddles in the heat, so he didn't need to add his own power to fully catalyze the item.

Resembling a small twisted branch tipped in a closed flower bud, the wand quivered and leapt from Elias' hand and burrowed into the newly formed mud. Within a few heartbeats, a sapling sprang from the earth, twisting and sprouting flowering blossoms, then growing leafage and maturing to a full standing apple tree, ready to bear fruit. Where the blossoms fell, the forest floor regrew the crushed and wilted flora killed by the ice, suffusing the area with the heady smell of flowering plants and fresh loam.

Elias raised his hands once more in meek supplication, knowing he had played his last trick. "Peace?"

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

When the man raised what appeared to be a twig, Idise couldn't help but pause in puzzlement. How did he think that was going to help him? She was ready to slam into his shield once against when the branch suddenly sprang forth from his hand and stuck into the ground. She made a noise of surprise and stepped back, watching in amazement as a tree began to grow to its full size before her very eyes. Thick branches bore oval-shaped leaves and small pink buds sprouted forth, wafting a sweet smell into the air. Apple trees were common enough that she immediately recognized the form, and the thought of a fresh apple was enough to briefly mellow out her anger.

She moved quickly around the trunk of the tree, eyeing up the man before her. Now that she wasn't attacking him, she could get a better look at his form. While the majority of him was covered in fine, darkly colored robes, Idise could make out some odd features. Beneath his massive hat, she spotted a thin and angular face that looked at least a little worried. A strange dusting of snow seemed to cover his cheeks, which puzzled her greatly. Still, perhaps it was something to do with that frost magic he'd used. Either way, she could feel her rage slipping away into annoyed curiosity, and she lowered her hammer for but a moment.

"... Can you do that again?" she questioned in reference to his display of life magic, "If so, you're going to go back and fix what you ruined. Then maybe we can talk of peace."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias' shoulders slumped in relief, he had finally gotten through. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to recreate the effects of the expended wand since it had been consumed in the process, though there was no reason to let his would-be executioner know that. Perhaps he could barter for another if he could find a sufficiently large town, one with a mage's workshop, though he would need to get out of the forest first, and that seemed unlikely. He had limited experience with wand crafting, though if there was a shaman or druid nearby of sufficient power, he could guide them through the process and harness their magic to take with him and free him from this nonsense. Ah, if only he had learned more

He eyed the faun, with her hammer still firmly crossed before her. "Of course I could, but I need materials to shape the magic into the correct form. Do your people possess any affinity for the land? Perhaps a skinwalker, or tribal shaman? I'll also need a cutting from this new tree," his eyes shifted nervously to her weapon, "If you'll allow it, of course."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Idise's lips creased into a frown as the man before her explained exactly what he would need to undo the effects of the blight from before. Her people? She can't remember the last time she talked to her people. It had been well over a two years since she left her herd permanently, and the last time she'd even seen anyone from it had been months ago. She had no interest in returning to them to ask them for a favor like this, even if it was their forest as well. Her teeth gritted and her gaze flitted away, trying to think if she knew of anyone else who could be of assistance. Unfortunately, she was quite alone in this task.

"You can take what you need from the tree, so long as you don't kill it. The land is mean to be lived off of. But--" She sighed, her grip tightening around the shaft of her hammer in an unconscious annoyance. "--I don't know anyone like that. You've just got me, so tough luck. Better figure out a way to fix your problem quick, or else you're gonna have a worse one in a second."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Relief quickly turned to annoyance, and Elias puffed a short sigh in response; of course he had to find the one clanless faun in a hundred miles, likely exiled because she was so rude. Still, if given enough time to prepare, he could likely either find a way to help her or be rid of her, especially if she had no one to avenge her. A touch of killing cold to the heart while she slept would... He couldn't follow that train of thought though. The weight of the grimiore at his hip reminded him of his old master's kindly ways, and imagining the weight of his disappointment brought a tinge of shame to Elias' ears.

He shook his head and brought his attention to the task at hand. "If that's the case, this will be much harder. Restoring life is much harder than taking it. Much like carving a stone or fletching an arrow, one cannot restore the state of an object without borrowing from another. Unless you're familiar with the intricacies of thanatology, you'll need to keep me alive until I can research a solution to your problem." He waved his hand at her still-drawn weapon, "And I can't study when I'm being threatened by bodily harm, so if you wouldn't mind...?"

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

As the man spoke, Idise felt her face fall farther and farther by the second. For one, his words made little sense. She spoke enough Common to get by, and she preferred simpler words that didn't require extravagant definitions. Words like intricacies and thanatology meant nothing to her simply because she had no clue what they meant. Her amber eyes slid into slits as she stared blankly at the wizard, the wheels in her brain turning as she did her damnedest to figure out what he was saying. Still, it appeared he was genuinely trying to help her, and that was enough to make her toss away the words she didn't know with a sigh.

She slung the hammer onto her back, securing it in place with leather straps that went around her chest. Once done, she pointed a stern finger as him and hardened her face. "If you betray the trust I have in you, little man, you'll be real sorry. Now start studying."

She didn't care about the details that went into it, as long as it got the job done. Idise was one for more practical solutions; had she not been able to capture this man before he left the forest, she would have simply planted new seeds in order to replace the dead trees. However, if this man could shorten that solution by many, many years, she was willing to let him work. Until he had an answer, she'd be keeping a close eye on him.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias swept off his hat and rubbed his eyes, relieved that he had bought some time but at a loss for a solution. From the vague expression the faun cast towards him, it didn't seem like she grasped the full nature of what he had told her, and maybe that was for the best. He sat on a nearby stump and pulled out his grimoire, flipping through the pages until he found the entry of interest. Though he normally trafficked with elementals, dryads and other fey were not entirely foreign to him, since their interests tended to be unilaterally bent towards preserving and protecting their local flora. Perhaps if he could find one in this forest, he could convince it to aid in his restoration efforts, though his heritage of elemental ice might complicate things.

Another entry caught his eye, one referring to nature elementals. Though their creation and binding was similar to their primal cousins, they also required a spark of divinity to fully rise and perform their tasks. He was no priest, and his companion appeared far from religious, so it was unlikely they would be able to muster up the power, but it was a thought to keep tucked away for now.

"I think I have a potential solution to our conundr--ah, problem. If we can find a spirit of this forest, a dryad, and bargain with her, I may be able to tap her power into another wand, possibly several. However, my fundam--ah, my icy nature may upset her, so you would have to strike the deal for me." He drew out the crude map from before and handed it to the faun. "Do you know of any such spirits nearby? Perhaps an overgrown tree or especially dense thicket?"

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Idise squinted as they man sat down and pulled out a book, his hat coming off to reveal the rest of his face. She could now confirm he certainly looked like no one she'd ever encountered before, despite his human-like features. His silver hair made him look much older than he actually might be, though there were no apparent age lines in his face. It confused her, and she couldn't help but stare at the head of hair as he looking through the book he held. What kind of human had grey hair but was young, had a face covered in snow, and had skin that held a bluish tone? In her opinion, he looked like he'd drop dead any second. Perhaps the dark magic he was able to use had some kind of effect on him.

She took the map as it was handed to her, twisting it in her hands for a few moment as she tried to discern what it was. Thankfully, she quickly recognized certain shapes, and soon her eyes were tracing over the curves and lines. Dryad, eh? She knew of a few. She'd shared conversations occasionally while she tended to the forest, usually about the state of the trees and how soon they would be bearing fruit. The ladies were pleasant enough, but sometimes Idise found herself annoyed at how dainty they were. If they were as strong as they claimed to be, then they should act like it. She hated having to tiptoe around them in an effort to act as polite as they were.

"Yeah," she finally grunted out, handing the map back to the man in front of her, "There's one close enough by here. She's definitely not going to like you, though. She'd probably already sensed those dead trees, so you better beg real, real hard. I don't know if I'll even be able to convince her."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

As she studied the map, Elias took a moment to fully analyze the hale and burly woman, so opposite from him in many ways. Her stance, light yet ready, betrayed her martial prowess, though her taught biceps were evidence enough on their own, as did the ease with which she hefted her maul. Though fully a head shorter than him, she likely outweighed him by two or three stone, seemingly closer related to a dwarf than a satyr or wood elf. Perhaps it was the hardship of foraging in the wilds in solitude that had so weathered her, and in that he could draw some familiarity.

Her response shook him from his thoughts, and he tucked the map away. In his experiences in bargaining with spirits of other planes, he had learned that no matter their weal, most were selfish in their own way; whether for service or material gain, they could be bought and dealt with, though some had a steep price.

"In my readings, dryads tend to be driven by the simple protection of their glades, and as such they cannot deal with greater threats outside their reach. They're physically bound to an area, usually a great standing oak, as surely as if they were chained to it. We can use that to our advantage, acting as a sort of mercenary band in her stead. As amelior-ah, payment for our service, I'm sure we could bargain for a show of favor, a seed of life or prayer of growth."

He donned his hat with a haughty air. "I certainly will not 'beg real hard,' but with the right words and a little nudge from my magic, we should have no trouble convincing her." He gave a small bow, "And besides, with a creature of the land such as yourself at my side, she'll have no reason to suspect our motives."

With a small frown, he continued, "Although I cannot properly introduce you as 'creature,' so I will need a proper name. In return, my name is Elias."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Idise didn't care for this talk of bargaining with a dryad. It seemed dirty and dark, and she wanted no part in angering a spirit of the woods. She worked side by side with them every day, so having one hold a grudge against her was not ideal. Her lips thinned out, and one of her long, rounded ears flicked nervously. This man seemed to think a whole lot of himself, and what she wouldn't give to knock him down a peg or two. His type of personality was exactly one of the oned she disliked. She despised when people thought themselves better than her. If he wanted her help, he better start fixing up his attitude.

As he offered up his name, she grunted in response. "Call me Idise. Just don't go pointing blame at me and calling my name when everything goes wrong."

She began to walk in the direction of the dryad at a quick pace, not bothering to slow down so Elias could keep up. If he wanted to make sure he didn't get left behind, then he'd be moving those little feet of his quickly. Idise navigated the forest easily, ducking down to avoid low-hanging branches and side-stepping gnarled roots. Day in and day out she navigated this land, and she knew its ins and outs like the back of her hand. When she first came here, she often got lost. Now, she barely had to think as she wandered about.

"What are you doing here anyway, Elias?" she questioned, his name clumsily rolling off of her tongue. It was odd.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Clearly Elias would need to impart some manners to this creature if he was to suffer her company, though he kept the thought to himself so as to avoid bodily harm. He hurried along behind Idise, though he could never hope to keep pace; his robes often snagged the foliage and his hat was continuously off kilter from being slapped by branches. Despite his discomfort, his planar heritage afforded him a natural stamina that belied his thin frame, and since the sun was well past its zenith, he was no longer in danger of overheating. But still, he hated this overgrown nonsense. He should be in a cool study, penning his latest thoughts on the nature of elemental interactions, not tromping through some musty stretch of forest in search of a glorified groundskeeper.

Idise's question shook him from his thoughts, though given their interactions so far, it sounded more like an accusation. "Well, put simply, I was hoping to test a new theory on how to manipulate naturally existing planar gates, seeing if a different key could open the same door but to a different room, so to speak. Though the door I found was completely wrong, which was odd given the attunement I prepared, which I think may have been disrupted by a ley line running through..." His brow furrowed as his voice trailed off into a mutter, once again becoming wrapped up in his own thoughts.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

His words made little sense to her, but from what Idise could glean, it was something magical. With no magical attunement of any kind, she knew little of its properties. Her only connection to it was the land she tended to. Fauns tended to have small magical connections to the world around them, and the more skilled could use pipes and lutes to further connect themselves to it. She had no such abilities, and while she could sense and tell apart certain kind of magic, she had no way of controlling it. In all honesty, she really had no interest. It was easier to just swing a massive hammer than deal with any sort of incantation and its possible backlashes.

"I mean, this forest is pretty magical itself. Whatever you were doing, it probably didn't like. My parents told me the land has a mind of its own." She scratched behind her ear briefly, grunting as she hit a good spot. "Apparently this forest is home to an ancient battleground or some other, too. Each tree is supposedly a soul trapped here. So you killing them off is double bad, y'know? You really need to think before you go around messin' with that stuff."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

"That sounds like little more than superstition, but places where many have fallen in hate can harbor powerful negative energy if left unconsecrated, you know, like maggots to a corpse. Perhaps that would explain why the blight took hold so strongly and flipped my elemental seeking." He paused and regarded the area around him, the forest floor growing bare and dark as the boughs overhead grew more thickly and intertwined. "If we're getting close, I'll need a moment to prepare before engaging to give us an edge."

He cast about for a dry patch of earth and sat cross-legged, opening his tome. After skimming the pages for a moment, he pulled an eagle's feather from a pocket in his robes and began to gently flick it about before him, as though conducting some unseen orchestra, whispering the words to a spell. The air around him hummed softly, blurring and softening his features as if he was a foggy reflection in an old mirror. In a moment, the effect dissipated, revealing a handsome, chestnut brown face, large and delicately slanted eyes, and tall pointed ears, the perfect facsimile of a wood elf.

"This temporary transmutation should be enough to keep us from suspicion," he said, his voice airy and less harsh than before. "Dryads aren't known for their perception, wrapped up as they are in their own gardening. Still, I can only hold the enchantment so long, so let's hurry."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Idise blinked as he suddenly plopped down, hurrying to work on another spell. This fellow seemed to know everything, didn't he? She rolled her eyes and leaned against a tree as she watched him work through it with mild curiosity. Of course it was interesting, but she really didn't want to waste any more time. Thankfully, it was over as soon as it began, and she was left looking on in surprise as his appearance completely changed. She had to admit, she preferred him this way. He looked like a resident of the forest, and even though he was the same person beneath this odd spell, she found herself trusting him a little more. Perhaps this is what he meant by "giving them an edge".

She scrutinized him for but a moment before sharply turning so they could continue their journey. If he had just taken on this form prior, she might have given him a chance to speak before attacking. Instead, he looked like a foreigner ready to wreak havoc, and Idise naturally couldn't help but feel the need to defend her home. She didn't get much time to think on that further before they arrived in front of a grand willow, its trunk think with age and branches sagging under the thousands of leaves it bore. Approaching it quickly, she raised her voice.

"Ho! Let's have a chat!"

Such a blunt greeting might have angered any other spirit, but instead a humanoid form began to emerge from the tree's bark. It looked like a beautiful young woman with hair made up of the leaves surrounding her. Her skin was covered in a thin layer of moss, making her a shade of viridian. Similarly colored eyes peered out from the nest of leaves on her head, and her lips were quirked up into an amused smirk. Clearly, she'd long grown used to the faun's nature.

"Idise! A pleasure, as always. Who's your friend?"

"Elias," she grunted, not bothering to give him another name to match his new appearance, "Listen, we've both got a favor to ask. Listen to him for a moment, yeah? It'll be worth your while."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias chuffed a little at the flippant greeting, thinking a little respect would go a long way, but the dryad seemed to tolerate and even appreciate Idise's familiarity. Perhaps he could leverage their kinship into a swift conclusion, given that these kinds of spirits tended towards benevolence.

Still, he didn't want to push his luck and opted for a little tact. He swept off his hat, and dipped into a bow, hoping to endear himself with etiquette. "Lady of the forest, we have need of your power. My companion sought me out as a practitioner of the arcane to help combat a spot of blight that has appeared near here. Though outside my expertise, I know of a way to carry the necessary enchantments that one such as yourself could use to cleanse the area." He presented the cutting from earlier, "With this, I can transfer a modicum of your strength and prevent any further growth. Of course, I would wish to repay you for your aid, so my companion and I offer our services in return."

He held his supplicating posture in anticipation of a response.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

The dryad tilted her head as she listened to Elias, her face unreadable. When he was finished, she let out a long hum and shifted her gaze to Idise. "... As long as I've known Idise, I've never heard her ask for help from anyone. Why the sudden change of heart?"

The faun stuttered, her tanned skin gaining a mild flush. Indeed, she never asked for help, believing she could solve everything herself. However, if they were to gain the dryad's help, she would need to continue with the ploy. Averting her gaze away, she kicked a hoof into the dirt sheepishly.

"I have no power with magic--you know that," she began, gritting her teeth in distaste as she had to mention her own flaws, "So I figured a magician of any kind would be useful. When I found Elias wandering around, I knew he'd be pretty helpful. He said he could reverse the blight on my trees, but we need your help, apparently."

The dryad hummed softly, tapping her chin. "I see... A terrible thing that blight is. I don't mind helping if it means restoring what has been lost, but I am curious as to how you can help me, Elias. Idise is already of service to me by guarding the forest and tending to what me and my sisters cannot reach. What business does an outsider have with fixing something he may never see again? Why would you put yourself in debt to me, when you could very well leave all this behind? A kind heart goes a long way, but I wish to know just what your motives are."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias shifted, knowing he tread a thin line here. Though he lacked any natural charm, he had enough wit to know that often a sprinkling of truth was all it took to tilt perception in one's favor. "Well, that is a matter of some shame to me. My clan is naturally reclusive, I will often go years without contact or knowledge of their whereabouts, as they relocate frequently for safety. However, I was recently charged with hunting down one of our own who had been cast out in shame, apparently for trafficking with a demon from the north, if you can believe such a thing. In our brief conflict before his escape, my wards deflected his necrotic magic from me and tainted the ground as a result." He spread his hands before him in a gesture of apology. "So you see, in a way my magic inadvertently poisoned the area, and I would be remiss to leave it, both as a mark on my people and myself. However, my quarry likely moves with great haste, so I ask for a swift resolution from you, fair lady."

He could feel the strain of maintaining his transmutation starting to wear on his concentration. The spell would likely dissipate within a few minutes unless he could renew it, though it would likely raise suspicion if the dryad was able to discern the exact nature of his incantation.

He shot a look towards Idise and gave a small nod, encouraging her to back his story.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Elias' blunt lying filled Idise with annoyance, and she had to work hard to keep her brows from furrowing together. He had a silver tongue when it came to weaving together intricate stories, but that didn't mean it made it right. She knew he couldn't simply tell the dryad before them exactly what has happened, but he was trying to make himself seem like it had been mere happenstance that the land had been blighted. He'd been the one to cause it in the first place, and his attempts to put himself in a better light were only serving to piss her off. She stamped one of her hooves, forcing herself to offer a placating smile toward the dryad before her.

"He told me the same thing," she explained, though she was unable to keep the mildly bitter tone out of her voice, "So we're just asking for your help so we can fix it. I don't want the blight to spread over here, as that would be bad news for the both of us. What do you say to helping an old friend out?"

If the dryad noticed Idise's tone, she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she extended one of her arms, her long and elegant fingers reaching toward Elias. "Very well. I'll infuse my magic with this branch. Do take care while fixing the land, and don't put yourself in any more danger than needed."

Soon enough, the twig sported a small closed bloom off the end, and slight moss had begun to grow up its surface. The faun offered her thanks with a quick bow of her head before sharply turning and quickly making her way off back in the direction of the blighted tree grove. Her ears were pinned back against the sides of her head, and her expression was cross. Once the land was fixed, she would be kicking this bastard off of it within seconds.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Taking the infused branch, Elias bowed once more and swept his hat to his head, using the motion to mask his shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank you, good lady. The task shall be completed within the hour." That was, of course, untrue since he would need to study the wand before he could utilize it, but there was no need to share that. Behind him he could hear Idise stomping away, so he turned and scurried to catch up.

Once they were well out of site of the grove, he dismissed the enchantment with a thought; the sensation was akin to shucking a heavy pack after a hike, and no less relieving despite being intangible. Free of the mental burden, he could clearly see the faun's agitation in her posture and, humorously, her ears. He thought she would be happy, if not at least less angry now that their goal was in hand. She clearly had no appreciation for his talents, which was unsurprising given her headstrong nature, and he couldn't wait to put this business behind him.

The forest had grown dark during their exchange, the sun having sunk well below the treeline. Though not quite twilight, they had perhaps an hour or two of light remaining, and he didn't relish the thought of stumbling through the undergrowth, or worse, summoning a light that would mark them to any creature hunting nearby. "If I may suggest," he huffed, still strained from the spell, "we should consider making camp for the night. I will need time to prepare and study the branch, since it likely doesn't use the same trigger phrase. Keys to the door, and all that."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

As Elias suggested hunkering down for the night, Idise couldn't help but let out a long, frustrated groan. She sharply turned to face him, her amber eyes narrowed into slits as she regarded the man in front of her with disdain. She had already wasted the majority of the day tracking him down and then lugging him around, and now he wanted to waste even more of it by sleeping? As far as she knew, that blight would spread further and further, and a simple wand wouldn't be enough to fix it. Even as exhaustion began to grip her senses, she was more than ready to push through it if it meant fixing the land. Her small tail that poked through a slit in her pants twitched in annoyance.

"I know that some of us can't handle doing their job," she began, sneering at him, "But I actually want to fix this problem as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I need you to be the one to do that, so if you really need to rest that bad, we can rest the night. If you don't fix everything as soon as morning comes, I'll give you a reason to need to rest."

Idise placed a hand on her hip, blowing some stray hairs out of her face. "I have a home nearby, if you can make it that far. If not, we can rough it out in the woods. Just watch out for the predators that come out at night. I've been nearly killed by the local wolf pack enough times already."

AznPersuazn