Little paws hit the concrete rooftop and ran across it at the speed only a cat can achieve. Behind the small, brown tabby cat ran a platoon of guards, the ruckus caused by the clamour of their armour woke the whole town and men and women alike were joining the mob. Dogs started barking in the distance, yet the cat sprinted on. Leaping from roof top to roof top the little cat knew exactly where she was going and was getting there perhaps faster than needed. Another leap approached 1 stride-2 stride-3 strides and leap. The little cat flew through the warm night air, and missed. Her front claws had connected with rooftop and she used those to cling on for her dear life. She struggled not to cry out. Pulling with her front legs and scratching with her back legs to find something to push her up, she slipped downwards and with a yowl and a dangerous gamble she brought her back leg up, it connected and she pushed, leaping onto the rooftop. The mob was near now. Not stopping to look she set off again with a flick of her tail, at a dead sprint.

If this was not unusual, the scroll in the cat's mouth certainly made it unusual. Even in a place as magical as the country of Emanseria. The mob was yelling "Burn the witch!" "Daemon!" and "Be gone Satan!" for one of the guards had walked in on Ada while she was working, meaning she had to make an unfortunate and hurried exit. She did close the door, it's not her fault the guard did not knock.

The dull thud of hoofbeats in the distance attracted the cat's attention and she turned towards it. A couple of houses on she stopped on a building over looking a main street. Down the main street trotted a bulky black and white horse pulling a green wagon. Street lamps lit the cobble street with warm orange light, chasing the dark away temporarily. The horse did not spook at the shadows from the swinging lanterns hanging on either side of the gypsy wagon's driver seat. In the drivers seat sat a hooded figure with the door behind it, into the wagon wide open.

The little cat crouched, as if to pounce, her bum high in the air as she watched the wagon approach. As it neared her tail swished and she prepared to jump, she waited until she would land on the circular roof of the wagon before she jumped, she nearly slipped off the other side, but she made it. Then she trotted towards the driver and jumped down into the wagon. With a clink she banged the door shut.

A moment later the mob stopped the wagon "Excuse me, have you seen a witch? She is in the form of a small brown cat and is carrying a document?" One of the guards asked the driver. He saw the two white ears poking out from under cloak and thinking it belonged to an elf dismissed the wagon. The mob which waited in patient silence then started their calls again. Many were carrying burning torches and other were carrying all kinds of weapons: pitchforks, spades, axes, swords and cross bows. The figure under the cloak wondered why they didn't shoot the cat with the cross bow. But then again, villagers were never the most intelligent.

The horse lurched forward into a trot again, his heavy hooves hitting the ground with dull thuds. The wagon creaked as it bounced and swayed on the uneven road. The lanterns and the horse's harness jingled as horse and cart moved out the well-lit town and into the dark of the surrounding forest. Once they were well under the cover of darkness again, the door opened and a tanned woman with freckles emerged. "For people who can't read, those villagers are very touchy about this scroll. Honestly, when are they ever going to need it!" Ada exclaimed pushing her headband back and falling into the seat next to the cloaked figure. "So what do we have here anyway?" Ada reached back, grabbed the scroll and opened it. Unfortunately her cat teeth in her tiny cat mouth had gotten slobber all over the back and created several small holes and deep gashes in the parchment. "Oh look! It's lore on humans! We were looking for that right? I think we were?" Ada unhooked a lantern and held it over the parchment, she looked at the driver, the white ears were still poking out from under the cloak. With an annoyed swipe she knocked the cape back to reveal a mask on a stick with the cloak draped over. "Oh right that's where you are, Well Willow you're still here" the horse trotted on and snorted "it's lore, a prediction, of an earthling that will be joining us in our humble dimension. Curiouser and curiouser."

Phrenesis

The night was cold and dark, only a sliver of moonlight penetrated the clouds offering some little natural illumination but not enough to see clearly. A tall and imposing figure sat atop a midnight black horse, his face and body cloaked in shadow as his penetrating gaze surveyed the poor souls brought before him, shackled and locked, covered in dirt and clearly mistreated. A small fat and grubby man emerged from the darkness that lay shrouded over the path and he approached the tall and unmoving figure before bowing slightly and in a thick heavy accent he barked “As requested I have brought them to you, oh chaotic one.”

The tall figure turned, moonlight showing his face for a brief moment and revealing his pale and scarred completion. His left eye was also covered by a few tatty bandages, showing clearly that the eye itself had been removed, leaving a gaping and messy hole which was clearly becoming infected despite the rough bandage covering it. “So you have” responded the figure calmly and coldly, offering no words of praise or other indication of his feelings to the grubby man.

Silence dominated the scene for a moment as the grubby man shifted uncomfortably, obviously afraid to ask for the payment he so desperately wanted. The tall man dismounted from his horse and strode over to the two huddled and shackled figures, taking pause to examine them in the moonlight as best he could. The first was a man with shoulder length dark hair, clearly on the wrong side of his youth as grey was dotted throughout his hair and his face showed the wrinkles that came with age. He also had a large bruise on his face from where he had been obviously struck, the mud covering his baker’s style clothing showed that he had also been dragged for some distance with little care to his wellbeing. Next to him was a young woman, clearly much younger and slightly better treated, though also covered in some dirt and a few signs of abuse here or there she seemed mostly unhurt.

“What do you want with us?” begged the shackled man, the sound of fear clear in his voice. The tall one eyed man ignored him and gazed intently at the woman before moving his face towards hers, causing the shackled man to cry out and attempt to struggle against his restraints and add “leave her! Leave my daughter alone”. In a few quick and powerful movements the tall man had unlocked her shackles and pressed something into her hand as he moved his face intently closer to hers.

Just as it appeared the man was about to kiss her he froze and stared intently into her eyes. Suddenly from every tiny orifice in the man’s face a black oozing gas seemed to expel itself and rush into the woman’s face, the whole process taking no more than a few seconds or two before the tall one eyed man collapsed backwards into the dirt, leaving only the woman stood as a strange bemused expression soon covered her face.

The fat grubby man rushed forwards, obviously concerned and confused that his employer had collapsed. He crouched next to the man who lay in the dirt with his one eye staring dully up towards the moon and poked at him once or twice before it became clear that he was indeed dead. Suddenly the young woman took a small step forwards and with the knife that the tall man had placed in her hand she slit the fat man’s throat in one smooth and graceful movement, his beady little eyes bulging for a split second before his writhing body collapsed next to that of the tall man, blood spilling out across the dirt as a meek gurgling sound escaped him.

From the shadows it the treetops above a raven cawed several times as it floated down from a branch where it had been watching and waiting, landing softly on the young woman’s shoulder before staring at the man who remained shackled and crouched over.

“Now father…” began the woman, her voice now sounding cold and distant, a sarcastic twinge in her tone “don’t worry about anything, everything will be fine – after all it’s time for the fun and games to start” Suddenly a huge grin spread across her face as she began to gently stroke the raven on her shoulder with one hand, the other tracing her own body shape as if to explore the new form that he, Phrenesis had taken.

Fritz

The small stone skipped rapidly across the still lake, ripples spreading out from each time it bounced through the water before it disappeared in a little splash. Sat on the bank atop a fallen tree was Fritz, several books spread out around him with bits of paper and some pencils littered about. He was bored after spending the last hour or so intensely studying the chemistry book that he didn’t quite understand, the many chemical chains and diagrams combined with the small text now starting to give him a bit of a headache and so he had started to skip stones across the surface of the lake.

Skipping another stone he grinned as it bounced clean across the lake and to the other side, landing on the opposite bank and giving him the idea to explore around to the other side. Packing up the books and things quickly he stood and stretched out before jumping down from the log and beginning his short walk around the edge of the lake, his eyes wandering all around as he did so. He whistled a little every now and then as he made his way, occasionally stopping to examine something here or there that peaked his interest. He soon found himself on the opposite side, and after that he found himself following a little trail that lead away from the lake and through a large field before it eventually lead him to a small looking wooded area he wasn’t familiar with. He paid little attention to where he was going and just instead focused on enjoying himself.

The small wood itself looked relatively uninteresting, though since he had not explored it before and he guessed that he had enough time to wander through some trees before having to return for the evening meal, he decided to investigate and see if he could find anything interesting or of note. Making his way into the woods he felt a little strange and tingly, or almost like he was being watched by something or someone. Pushing the feelings aside he continued onwards, ignoring the strange sense of foreboding that passed over him briefly as he made his way into the shade of the trees before leaving the little trail as he followed his feet forwards at his whim.

The wood itself seemed normal as any he had been in before, some insects and slightly interesting plants caught his attention, but nothing out of the ordinary. After quite some time he started to wonder why he hadn’t found the edge of the wood yet, after all it was only small and he had only been walking in more or less a straight line and should have come out at the other side by now. He started to worry a little as more time passed, if anything the trees seemed to be getting thicker and more densely packed together – and he hadn’t seen the trail at all since he left it upon entering the woods, and sometime in the next few hours the sun would be going down.

Picking up his pace Fritz began to run slightly through the trees, trying to turn as little as possible he soon began to realise that he had somehow gotten hopelessly lost in the woods that had appeared so small yet obviously wasn’t. More time passed and he soon began to think he would be stuck in the woods for the entire night, his mind going to how much trouble he would be in when he did manage to return.

As the surrounding forest began to get darker and darker, the sun starting to set slowly above the treetops Fritz suddenly found himself in the strangest little clearing he had ever seen. It was only small but the trees all seemed to stop, no vegetation inhabited the centre of the circle at all and the only thing there was a small puddle of shiny clear looking water. Reflected in its very still surface was the full moon slowly rising into the nights sky, however it looked different somehow, magical almost. Peering into the pool intently at the reflection Fritz gasped slightly, totally in awe at the sight before him. He reached down with his hand brushed the surface of the pool causing ripples to break the perfectly flat surface. Suddenly everything around him rumbled and shook almost like how he would imagine an earthquake to feel, only with a much more jarring and bizarre feeling. He soon started to feel very dizzy and found himself pitching forwards, the small pool now shining more brightly than it was a moment ago. He fell head first into the pool, the liquid rushing forwards to meet him as it surrounded and engulfed him, smoothing out any feelings or sensations he had and rendering him unconscious as if he were in a very deep sleep.

Unknown to Fritz he has just passed through one of the very few portals that connects the human world to the world of Emanseria during one of the brief moments it was active. His adventure is about to start.

Sparrot

Sparrot sat waiting, as he had been instructed to by his love, his small eyes tracking all movement in forest that he could see, watching and waiting for the one his master had instructed him to wait for. As he waited he fixated on a small fae creature that was moving its way through the tree-branches closer and closer to him. It was a small fairy type creature, Sparrot was sure of it, having seen quite a number of them in his time that looked similar. 'Like tiny feet-walkers, they are, but with wings and a much smaller size Most silly looking' he thought to himself. His love ignored such creatures almost completely and as such Sparrot was content to do the same - that was until the little creature came within a few inches of the bird and had the audacity to smile and wave with its tiny tiny hand.

Lightning quick and without warning Sparrot struck out with his beak stabbing at the surprised fae several times in rapid succession, causing severe and fatal trauma to its face and torso. The cruel act failed to register to the bird, its mind simply urging it to strike again and again before the creature lay dead and Sparrot stood over its body before beginning to feed. It tasted horrible, thick, hot meaty and peppered with the unsavoury flavour that always seemed to accompany the magical creatures he fed upon, it also led him to realise that he wasn’t hungry and was beginning to make himself feel nauseous by gorging himself. Without a thought Sparrot nudged the little fae’s body off from the tree branch causing it to plummet to the forest floor far below. ‘One down, one lot more to go’, thought the bird in its muddled little head before it turned its attention back to the task at hand.

‘Where, oh where are you - Aergar Wald’ thought the bird, singing to itself slightly as it did so ’My love wants to meet you, and so I make it so, oh Aergar Wald’.

It had been several years since the bird had last set its eyes upon the woodland fae he was searching for, but Phrenesis had assured Sparrot that by waiting exactly here he would be able to spot the Imp some time or other, and when he did he could let him know that Phrenesis had a use for his services once more.

Ah, the forest was always most alive at night. Daytime was so ordinary and dull, it wasn't until the sun went to sleep that the true nature of the flora and fauna was revealed. The trees whispered among themselves, with their leaves rustling in a passing zephyr and the creaking of ancient branches. The night flowers bloomed and lifted their delicate faces to the moonlight, which painted them silver with its aura. This was the time when the crickets and frogs joined together to harmonize in a delightful chorus, occasionally graced with the eco-locating squeaks of bats or the mournful hooting of an owl. Infant mushroom spores had waited out the light to suddenly spring to life upon both living and dead tree trunks. The ants continued their dutiful marching, uninhibited by the darkness, each guided by the scent of its fellows as they carried out the task of storing up enough food to last them through the harsh winter months. Families of deer browsed in the brush, raccoons squabbled with one another, a pack of wolves called back and forth somewhere nearby.

Ah yes, the night. One particular creature enjoyed it far more than any other, due to the fact that he was able to recognize and revel in each individual part as well as the whole. He had been dozing against the roots of one of the more ancient oaks, and anyone passing by would not have noticed him curled up like a babe in its mother's arms. The wild tufts of hair sprouting from his head bore a close resemblance to the various forest grasses, though it was soft as silk to the touch, and adorned with all kinds of leaves and berries in a random order. His complexion was smooth and pearly, like old polished wood, and was nearly hidden beneath the collar of his jacket, which made him appear to be a part of the ground. His feet were bare and tucked beneath his legs, toes curled around the root against which they gently rested.

The slightest change in the breeze roused him from this peaceful respite, his eyelashes fluttered briefly before opening. He breathed in deeply and cocked his head to listen. Aergar Wald, the imp of the forest. And what an imp he was, with the mischievous look in those amber eyes and the small golden horns that adorned his forehead. He rose to his feet and stretched, stifling a yawn. A she-skunk waddled from her den and brushed past his feet. Aergar bent to scratch her head, murmuring, "Someone's in my forest, Polecat." He straightened and the animal went on her way, off to forage for the little ones she left behind in the nest, still too young to follow their mother out into the world.

"Let's see, let's see. Where are you? Not far I think." He vanished with a wink from the spot, and the forest continued on as if he had never been there to begin with.

~ ~ ~

"...We were looking for that right? I think we were? It's lore, a prediction, of an earthling that will be joining us in our humble dimension. Curiouser and curiouser."

Lore, prophecy… how intriguing.

Unbeknownst to the gypsy wagon's passengers, they were being observed. A figure crouched lightly on the wagon's frame, and though the pair had their backs to him, he was careful to remain in the horse's blind spot. Animals were far quicker to give him away than persons. An earthling? he thought to himself, But they're just myths. They've only ever existed in children's stories, have they not? He pondered this, rubbing his index finger across his lower lip. He recognized the curly-haired woman as Ada the magician, though her companion was unfamiliar she gave Aergar a strange feeling that he could not place. He was sure she must be a creature he had never encountered before.

This Ada woman though, she was the one Phrenesis was always going on about. Aergar could never understand that grumpy old ghost's obsession with her, but it was amusing to watch them brawl. The gypsy had never seemed terribly interesting except in passing, though now she had acquired something that just might change that. He considered what to do for a moment, departing from his position atop the wagon as swiftly and stealthily as he had arrived, deciding to wait a while before revealing himself to these travelers. He would find Phrenesis, whom he knew would be very interested to learn of Ada's presence within the forest, never mind what she was carrying. He would investigate the latter part himself.

He teleported up to the bend in the road, placing a sharp stone where he knew the horse's foot would land and pick it up. Regardless of who the travelers were, he couldn't simply let them go about unscathed. If the horse went lame, it would slow them down a great deal and make them easier to find again. Satisfied with this, he dashed off to find that old ghost, or his pet raven.

Since he wanted to go in a straight line and game trails were not ordered this way, he scaled the nearest tree, hopping lightly from branch to branch and tree to tree, much like a squirrel. By this way he covered a great deal of distance, not exactly knowing where he ought to look, or even if Phrenesis was in this forest. The odds were good that he was, however, since secluded places like forests are good places to pull the kinds of schemes that the old ghost liked. After some time he stopped to rest at the top of a white pine, which stood far above most of the other trees. From this vantage point he could see for miles, so from here he searched for any sign of irregular phenomena. While he rested, the wind changed again, suddenly this time, but there were no storm clouds on the horizon, the stars shone crystal clear. He turned his face toward the source of the gale, narrowing his eyes. With little more than a wink he vanished from the treetop.

~ ~ ~

He was near the source, Aergar could feel it. There was a strange smell in the air. He was partly curious, and partly indignant that something so utterly alien could show up so deep within his forest without his prior knowledge. He slinked around in the canopy, sensing a clearing nearby. Strange, he didn't remember a clearing in this part of the wood. A slight glimmer caught his eye and he dropped to the ground to investigate. The tiny body of a fairy lay mangled among the dead leaves, it appeared to have been pecked to death. "Ah, Sparrot, you give yourself away. No other bird would so brutally murder an innocent fairy. Come now and show yourself." He cast his eyes upward and searched for the raven whom he knew was not far away. "The wind is very strange tonight, what kind of sorcery is your master up to this time, eh?" His tone was lighthearted, but that lilting singsong voice could be interpreted as friendly or threatening, depending on what you wanted to hear. "He shouldn't meddle so with my forest, I might become angry."

The wagon creaked on, a strange breeze lifted and blew a lock of black curly hair out of Ada's face. She looked up startled. Wind in the forest? This little gust was cold and a shiver ran down her spine. "Whoa" Ada mumbled and Willow gradually slowed to a walk. Ada picked up a lantern and jumped out the drivers seat and onto the gravel road, her boots shifted the gravel as she landed and her knees jolted. It was always more uncomfortable doing things in human form, however being a cat for too long was annoying, the tail and claws were great, but fingers and clothing felt better.

Ada walked forward a couple of meters, into the darkness, holding her lantern to eye level. Behind her the little lantern still hanging on the wagon flickered and dimmed for a breif moment, but Ada noticed it. She turned and leaped lightly into the drivers seat, stepping into the wagon for a second she gathered some herbs, and held them over the candle inside the lantern. The dried sage lit easily and the smoke trailed upwards, dancing in the air "Vade , malignus, dum vigilo exies a facie mea et non est reversa" (Begone evil spirit, leave my presence) Ada chanted the spell quietly and slowly, thinking about each syllable as she cast the spell. The smoke turned and encircled the wagon in a light halo. She left the herbs in the lantern to burn and picked up the reins. "On we go Willow" she commanded quietly, tugging lightly on the rein to lead him into the forest. "I don't know what he's up to tonight Willow, but that dratted spirit isn't getting us, not today." It took longer to travel by Wagon in the forest but it gave Ada the safety she needed to read in peace.

They continued running parallel to the road, but just out of sight so that from the road the faintest glow could be seen between the trees. When Willow unexpectantly stopped to sniff something, next to a shrub lay a pair of monocles bound together by some strange wire. Ada picked it up, turning it over in her hands. How strange, she noticed the two glass shapes and knowing little about glass and monocles but enough to know they could twist your vision. She lifted the glasses to peer through the lenses and the world came into sharper focus, she drew the glasses away and stumbled back with a slight cry.

Commanding Willow onward she put the glasses next to her and sat cross legged staring at them, chanting numerous spells trying to find out what they were.

Sparrot

Sparrot’s small eyes fixated suddenly, his mind bursting with excitement as he spotted below him the forest imp he had been waiting for, already eager to please his one and only. Before the bird could consider its course of action however a gentle voice drifted up from below.

"Ah, Sparrot, you give yourself away. No other bird would so brutally murder an innocent fairy. Come now and show yourself."

Sparrot turned his head and hopped forwards slightly, now that the imp knew he was here and waiting it would be pointless to attempt to conceal himself, not that it mattered to his agenda. Leaping from his perch and taking flight for a few brief moments Sparrot cawed before landing on a branch this time only slightly higher than the ground, practically eye level with his quarry now.

"The wind is very strange tonight, what kind of sorcery is your master up to this time, eh?" continued the imp "He shouldn't meddle so with my forest, I might become angry."

The subtleties of Aergar’s tone was lost on the bird, who continued to cock his head back and forth as he spoke. Was the imp aware of his master’s plot already? Impossible, surely he referred to something of little to no interest – after all, only Phrenesis said things that were interesting.

“Aergar Wald” squawked Sparrot, his voice cracked and slightly shrill, as always involuntarily phrasing his sentences like a peculiar tune “it is not we, who meddle with your forest”.

The bird paused briefly and narrowed its eyes as it gazed deep into Aergar, taking in the imps features and mannerisms once more. Though his brain and memory were fragmented Sparrot recalled this one, the joy he had felt at the sprites’ mischievous antics and somewhat cruel nature, the complexity of his thoughts and actions went beyond the scope of what the bird could comprehend, but he knew he was capable and was not the enemy of his master, and that was all he needed to know at this moment.

“Aergar Wald, it is time again, this time, all time” began the bird eccentrically “the darkness grows and with it so can we all, grow, grow grow! Phrenesis my love wants Aergar Wald, and so Aergar Wald must be told, and so he is told”.

The bird twisted its head suddenly and gazed down at the little mauled fae that lay in the leaves at the imps feat before he suddenly added “it did not know, it did not want to go. So quick, so easy, off it does go. Into the dark, I wonder, does it now know?” Pleased with his cryptic words Sparrot squawked once more before he fell silent, watching Aergar intently as he did so.

Fritz

Fritz groaned, his head hurt and he tasted the tangy and bitter flavour of soil. Opening his eyes slowly he realised that he felt very strange, like his entire body was a little numb and tingly and was just starting to wake up. Looking around he could see that he was still in the forest, but it somehow looked and even felt different somehow. Rubbing his cheek Fritz realised that he must have landed face first, a smudge of soil up his face and his glasses where nowhere to be seen. Beside him lay his bag, however it looked like it had come undone and some of his books and things were missing, he quickly rifled through and realised that he only had his chemistry book and his notebook. Several others including a history book, algebra book and his fantasy books were gone. He was also missing a few of his things like his pencil case and a packet of gum that had been in his bag. Standing up he stretched out as he looked around, the trees surrounding him looked different somehow, more… naturally tree-like if that even made sense. The air smelt clean and rich, scents of the forest assailing his senses from all around.

Looking up he gasped slightly at the sight of the sky, the stars being clear and visible and far more numerous than he had ever seen before. Picking up and shouldering his bag he took a few steps forwards before realising that he had no idea where he was or which way to go to get home. Frowning slightly he decided that the only thing for it was to try and make his way out of these woods one way or another, and so started to walk forwards, however this time deciding to stick to any trails that he could find that may guide him out of here.

After only a very short distance he heard something, the sound of words making their way through the trees, instantly grabbing his attention and pulling him towards the source of the sound. He couldn’t make out the words but he could tell it was two people who were talking, one of them sounded very strange indeed, though the other didn’t sound like anyone he had heard before either, his curiosity now burning within him. Moving forwards quietly now Fritz peered around the edge of a tree, spotting suddenly a figure stood a short way away in the distance he froze as he realised that the person in question wasn’t particularly a person at all. The first thing to give it away was the pair of short horns protruding from his head, coupled with his definite otherworldly and unnatural appearance Fritz suddenly realised that something very strange indeed was going on. The next thing that came to his attention was the other person who was speaking, or again the fact that it wasn’t a person at all but rather a dark raven perched on a branch who was uttering whimsical nonsense as far as he could tell.

Questions began to assail Fritz’s mind, who and what were these people? Where on earth was he? What were they talking about? He strained his ears intently trying to listen, but all he heard were some squawks and something about going into the dark. Shifting forwards slightly Fritz flinched as he stood on a sizable twig, a very audible ‘snap’ emanating from it a piercing the moment of silence. He remained very still for a moment before deciding not to try and stay hidden like some eavesdropper who had been caught red handed, and so took a step away from the tree and into the open, his heart pounding with both excitement and fear.

“H-hello?” he managed to blurt out, his voice traveling clearly across to where the pair were stood, his pulse still racing as he waited for an answer.

Phrenesis

The sweet sickly smell of sugar was thick and pungent within the small backroom of the shop, mixed with numerous other odours associated with flour, honey and general baking. A pot atop the large iron stove was filled with a dark gooey paste, stood before it was a young woman who was covered in all manner of different substances, flour smudged across her chin and neck, one hand coated in dried honey with bits of different nuts and seeds stuck within it, even a bit of egg shell had managed to find its way into her long auburn hair which was tied back into a haphazard bun. Rubbing her eyebrow she managed to add a splotch of the dark gooey paste to her face before she sighed loudly and twirled herself backwards and onto a wooden stool sat beside a counter covered in all kinds of ingredients.

“Impossible, impossible…” she mumbled to herself absentmindedly, pausing for a moment in deep thought before she suddenly exclaimed “I know!” reaching over to a small crate that was obviously out of place in the small kitchen, its wood being old and somewhat rotted after a period of long storage. From within the crate she pulled out an old cobwebby jar and attempted to open it several times with her hands, the lid staying stuck fast. After more failed attempts she sighed excessively once more and exclaimed to herself “daamn these fragile arms…”

After a brief moment of thought she shrugged before throwing the jar directly down at the ground with all of the strength she could muster, causing it to shatter as the finely ground contents spilled out onto the floor. “I suppose there are other advantages to keep in mind” she continued, reasoning with herself as she took a brief moment to once more run her hands up her body before resting them briefly on her chest and giving a quick squeeze or two as she did so an unhinged grin remaining upon her face. Reaching down she took a pinch of the substance that had spilled from the Jar, sprinkling it into the troublesome looking mix that was now beginning to bubble as it heated. Licking the remaining powder from her fingers she then licked her lips and made yummy noises saying “Oh it’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed powdered unicorn!”

The woman continued in this way, speaking to herself and adding various ingredients into whatever she was making. At one stage she picked up a wooden cutting board which was covered in eggshells, bits of dough and a few other bits of miscellaneous kitchen waste before taking it outside to where there was a grate that fed down into the little cellar the shop was built upon. “Here you go daddy!” she said merrily, sweeping the waste down the little shoot to where the girl’s shackled father was restrained, the refuse tumbling down and out of sight into the gloomy cellar. The stubborn baker man had gotten too smart for his own good, having realised after the other night that his daughter was being possessed by some kind of malevolent spirit and then trying all manner of stupid folk cures to rid her of it. Phrenesis had been entertained at first, mocking and toying with the man by pretending to be driven out before then continuing to return and torment him, eventually it had gotten to be too much and he broke the man’s will a little. As much as the man begged to be trusted and assured Phrenesis that he wouldn’t try to escape or tell anyone whilst the spirit was in possession of his daughter for fear of what it might do, the chaotic spirit had in turn decided to lock him securely in the cellar where he could do no harm. Once there Phrenesis had begun to question the man on all manner of topics regarding baking and such delicious treats, bombarding him with some of the most senseless and ill-considered questions he had ever heard, the spirit clearly knowing nothing about baking at all.

Moving back inside the little kitchen the woman once more began to sing and prance around as she continued to make what would undoubtedly be some very very bad pastries, giggling to herself the whole time.

Seeing as Sparrot was a simple creature, Aergar was not the least puzzled by his riddles. In times past he had become accustomed to the bird's nonsense, and was usually able to make a pretty educated guess as to what he was trying to say. Apparently Sparrot didn't know what was stirring up the weather, so chances were Phrenesis was not responsible, at least not directly. Though the bird's presence so near the source was suspicious. He wondered what Phrenesis wanted of him this time, and considered asking the raven for a moment before deciding he wouldn't get a straight answer anyway so shouldn't bother. That bird so loved to be dramatic.

Aergar didn't answer right away and knelt beside the small glimmering corpse, he hated to see things rot and become foul and so murmured a spell over the tiny body: "Fieri saltum alat, kleine fee." Before he had finished speaking, fine white root hairs reached up from the earth and cocooned themselves into something like a casket, then withdrew once more into the rick black soil and leaving no sign of that which had died. "Where is Phrenesis now? I could not sense his presence in the forest." He was about to stand when a twig snapped loudly to his left. Not under the foot of any beast and not of its own volition, someone was trying to sneak up on them.

Aergar calmly tilted his head to one side and stared defiantly at the branches and bushes that concealed the intruder from sight. Even as the figure stepped forward, now realizing his cover was blown, the branches seemed to part and clear a path, not for him but for Aergar's line of sight. A timid "hello" was called with a shaking voice. It wasn't an elf, neither was it a fae, nor was it a shapeshifter for no shapeshifter would wander around the forest at night on two legs. What is this creature? the imp wondered to himself. He remembered Ada's prophecy then, could this then be a human? It looked weak, and obviously not accustomed to seeing in the dark. He wondered if this could really be the source of all the excitement. Indeed, what a pitiful creature, he could hardly bear to look at it, though his curiosity caused him to stare regardless. It appeared to be a boy and wore strange clothes, carrying a satchel.

Finally standing, the imp strode fearlessly up to what he could now only assume was the human creature, sticking his face very close to the boy's. They stood at about the same height and Aergar's eyes fixated on him very intently. He sniffed several times, again unable to recognize anything about the new scent, it seemed rather chemically made, perhaps this human was an alchemist. He circled the boy two or three times, examining him up and down and finding nothing remarkable. Aergar resumed staring at his face, still not having said a word to the bewildered newcomer. He scratched his head while pondering what now to do, dislodging an acorn behind his ear that bounced off his shoulder and fell to the ground.

"You." He said at last, jabbing a pointed fingernail at the creature's face, "You are clearly a very weak creature, and a foreigner, how is it you come to be so deep in my forest? And what is this?" Rudely snatching the bag, the imp peered inside, pulling out a shiny volume with large letters on the cover that read, 'Chemistry Student Textbook', its smell was similar to the boy's clothes, something artificial and alien. He opened the book and flipped through the glossy pages, amazed at the texture of the paper and overall quality. He had never before seen a book like this. "So you are an alchemist, I thought as much. This must be your spell book then, hm? I've never seen its like, what sort of spells does it teach?" Skimming down a page, he could not find any incantations or even any ancient words at all. How useless. "Sparrot!" he called over his shoulder, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?" He closed the volume and examined the cover once more. Student, it said, so this creature was not an alchemist, only an apprentice. Well it was useless after all, Aergar dropped it unceremoniously on the ground.

Fritz

Fritz stared in utter disbelief for a moment, his mind very briefly failing to process just exactly what he was seeing. It was definitely real and it was definitely happening, this creature, not an animal, not a person but something else. He briefly remembered an illustration he had seen in a book once, a book filed with tales about fairies and imps of all kinds. Before he could process what was happening, the fairy man was beside him, sniffing him and examining him, a strange look of curiosity mixed with something else, a look that made Fritz somehow a little nervous.

Suddenly it was speaking, calling him a weak creature and a foreigner, a foreigner in his forest. His forest? Was this some kind of forest imp fairy creature? Before he could think the imp suddenly snatched his bag away, routing through it and pulling out one of his books, flipping through it with a fascinated gaze before saying "So you are an alchemist, I thought as much. This must be your spell book then, hm? I've never seen its like, what sort of spells does it teach?"

Fritz again was speechless and couldn't muster an immediate response. alchemist? Spellbook?

"Sparrot! Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

Sparrot? Fritz stared down at his chemistry book where it lay in the grass, struggling for a brief moment again to speak, but eventually blurted "It's a chemistry book", his statement hanging in the air for a moment before he suddenly burst out with questions.

"Who are you? What forest is this? what are you, a fairy? Did that bird really just talk? I-…"

Sparrot

Sparrot watched the human boy suspiciously from the branch where he was perched. Aergar dealt with the boy in an appropriate manner, investigating it's strange little satchel, reviling it's odd little book. Fascinated Sparrot watched as Aergar questioned the human, he to wanted to know what level of magic this human was capable of, surely such a creature could indeed be a powerful ally for his love. Maybe the human would destroy Aergar, such an event would be impressive.

Suddenly the human boy spoke, not the booming words of some incantation or curse as Sparrot had expected, but instead a snivelling statement followed by a string of meek questions that did nothing other than display how little knowledge this beast possesses.

Suddenly Sparrot leapt from the branch, swooping directly towards the boy squawking the entire time, he scratched at his face with his crooked talons causing a few small cuts. The boy cried out and recoiled, Sparrot swooping over to an adjacent branch, landing quickly before settling into a dead unblinking stare with human. This human did not impress him, he didn't like it's strange style of its clothes or funny little voice, not one bit.

A sudden squawk filled the silence and pulled Ada out her trance, she got distracted while chanting spells at the bi-glass-thing and started singing a song to herself in her head. She hadn't noticed that Willow had stopped and was eating some grass. Blinking slowly like waking p from a deep sleep Ada realised the night chill was settling in. She sighed and her breath appeared in a misty cloud before her eyes. She covered herself in a deep red cloak and threw a thick blue blanket over Willow to keep the chill at bay. He grazed while she stood on her drivers seat with a star chart to pinpoint her location. She appeared to be moving East, good, on course. Where is that blasted rabbit?

Ada decided the glasses were just another strange trinket she found and absent-mindedly pushed them into her pocket. Strolling around the wagon to get some circulation back in her body she found two books lying in the dirt seemily randomly thrown down. One was small and had a drawing of a man slaying a mighty dragon, the other had the strangest cover had ever seen with weird runes covering the front cover and every page inside. She felt a chill run down her back, she hadn't seen witchcraft such as this for a very very long time. She turned each page as if it contained a poison that could kill her with one touch.

Back on the wagon she put the dragon tale to the side and fetched a silver tray out the wagon along with a hare she traded for yesterday in the town. Somehow remaining sitting on the roof of the wagon while it bounced and swayed over the uneven road she tore out pages from the black book and burnt them slowly, one at a time, making sure the fire devoured each page. She used magical fire to ensure each page was burnt until it could no longer be burnt any more. The ash fell in the silver tray. Ada kept a sharp ear for any illegal magicians that may be in pursuit of her now that she had the book but she feared the covers the most, it was covered in some shiny and smooth material that was separate to the parchment yet she could not turn it without a piece of thick parchment following, and it was completely see-through. Using a simple levitation smell she held the skinned hare over the flame, cooking it slowly.

Something was amiss. Too many strange things in one night, Ada suddenly sorely missed the rabbit.

She did not sway off course and kept firmly parallel to the road.

What a pitiful creature, and so dense. Aergar thought to himself as the boy began rattling off questions. Chemistry, alchemy, was there a difference? Though, he seemed to have no knowledge of magic in the least. Wherever he came from, they must be so simple, not knowing anything about magic. The world was full of magic, anyone with eyes should be able to see that, and this boy wasn't blind. Sparrot had apparently gotten fed up because he cut the boy off as he was in the midst of spouting off a stream of questions, squawking and scratching at his face. The boy was no match for the raven's wrath, and he stumbled backward with a cry.

Aergar made no move to help him, for Sparrot's outburst didn't last long before he swooped back up into a branch and glared sullenly at the boy. He suddenly got an inkling, while he was here why not toy with the child's mind a little. A smirk crossed his face, and while the little alchemist tried to recover some dignity he ordained to answer the first question.

"Who am I?" He threw his head back and laughed, not a friendly laugh either. "You dare call me a fairy? I am the god of the forest," he flourished his hand in the air, "Aergar Wald, lord of the trees and the vines and the flowers, the boars and the bears and the little marching ants. All flora and fauna await the commands of my fingertips." As he spoke, the trees on all sides seemed to lean in, hovering ominously, their branches stretching out as if to block out the sky. In spite of the pressing darkness, Aergar's eyes were ablaze and his white teeth were revealed in a manacle grin. "Insolent mortal," his expression darkened into one of disdain. A pair of roots shot up from the ground and entwined themselves around the boy's feet, trapping him where he stood. "I should have the devil bird peck out your eyes for your stupidity. But--" he placed a finger against the boy's lips to stop him from speaking or otherwise interrupting him with some annoying sound, "Today I am feeling rather merciful. Perhaps we can work something out."

At this point Aergar was ad libbing, it was very exciting. He paused as if to let the boy consider his words, while in his mind he devised what sort of bargain to strike with this one. He didn't appear to be carrying anything of value, so perhaps a service or a task would do. Nothing too complicated, he didn't want to unnecessarily tie himself to this pathetic creature. "What have you to offer me in return for sparing you?" he wondered aloud, more to himself than the little alchemist. He considered something gruesome, perhaps taking an ear or finger, but he was unsure as to what purpose that would serve and so quickly rejected the idea.

"Ah, I know!" he said brightly, "There is a certain tree which grows in a certain valley, a very rare species that produces only one flower every year, and one seed. You must fetch this seed for me, for I wish to cultivate that tree within this forest. A simple task really, I'm sure even the likes of you could carry it out. What do you say to that?"

Fritz

Fritz cried out slightly as the Raven launched a brief attack on him, before he could do anything he had received a small cut to his face and the bird was away, glaring at him from a nearby tree branch like some evil guardian.

His heart was now pounding as the unsettling feeling he had continued to grow, it was becoming clear to him that he was somewhere very different, somewhere that was very quickly becoming hostile and a most worrying place to be.

The Imp smirked as he watched him recover from the assault before bursting out laughing, a threatening and almost mocking laugh before he began to introduce himself as God of the forest.

As the forest God spoke the trees around him seemed to respond to him, their branches now moving inwards somewhat and beginning to block out the sky as Fritz had the realisation he was at his mercy, at the mercy of this unsettling forest that surrounded him. Aergar Wald, as the forest god had introduced himself as looked almost unhinged as he continued to grin, though this time clearly in a sinister way, Fritz was about to take a few steps backwards when he realised his feet were entangled by some vines that had crept up from the soil itself, holding him in place as Aergar Wald continued to speak

"I should have the devil bird peck out your eyes for your stupidity. But--" the creature placed a clawed finger over Fritz’s mouth, the subtle taste of soil reaching his tongue "Today I am feeling rather merciful. Perhaps we can work something out."

He then proceeded to present a quest to him, a quest for a seed, a special seed from a far-away valley and a special tree. Fritz’s eyes widened somewhat as the offer (or demand, as it more-so seemed to him), his mind jumping instantly to the kind of quests and heroes that he had often read about, the thought of adventure exciting him and causing his feelings becoming even more muddled.

He glanced to the raven before looking back to Aergar Wald, his mind carefully thinking about and deconstructing everything he had heard and comparing it to everything he knew. As impressive as his powers were it seemed somewhat unlikely that this creature was actually a god, after all what kind of god would need to send him on a quest for a rare seed or torment him. No, the more he thought about it the clearer it became to him that this was indeed some kind of forest imp as he had initially suspected, a creature of trickery and mischief – that fitted the bill much more closely. That being said Fritz still was unsure as to the best course of action, after all even if he was right it didn’t mean that this Aergar Wald wasn’t dangerous and more than capable of harming him, especially if he called out his deception.

Suppressing a grin himself, his fear forgotten in an instant Fritz decided that it was his turn to see what he could do to impress this creature and secure his release.

“Hah!” exclaimed Fritz as he reached down and picked up his bag, beginning to ruffle through it as he spoke “such a task would be below the likes of me!”

His hand found what he was searching for as he continued to speak “for you are correct, and I am a most powerful alchemist in my world! Observe!” with as much grandeur as he could muster Fritz pulled a box of wind-proof matches from his bag before pulling one out and striking it against the box. It sparked into life as the phosphorus coating ignited, hissing as it did so. Taking aim Fritz flicked the burning match with a practised skill directly towards the bird that had attacked him. The match flew with surprising precision, causing the bird to squawk in alarm and leap from the branch as the burning stick whipped narrowly passed its face. The raven flew one brief circle around the pair before it disappeared into the forest, a particularly rude insult reaching Fritz’s ears. He stood smugly with another match held ready in his hand, hoping that the small display had impressed this ‘Aergar Wald’.

Phrenesis

Phrenesis was tired, so very very tired. This morning marked the second consecutive day of attempting to bake something, anything that looked even remotely edible. Despite the detailed and thorough knowledge that the woman possessed and the constant stream of questions he had asked the baker, he had still failed miserably to make even a single thing. He could feel how exhausted her body was, as he lay on the floor of the kitchen, still covered in countless different bits of ingredients. He had not stopped to rest, seeing as how it wasn’t necessary when he was possessing a creature, though the physical body was now showing some mild effects, dark bags under the somewhat bloodshot eyes and a slightly paler appearance amongst them. He had refrained himself from using his magic to alter the woman’s appearance in any way, seeing as he wanted to remain as discreet as possible when the time came, and the usual horns or claws that he opted for didn’t exactly ooze subtlety.

The numerous counters were covered in his failed experiments, mostly burnt and horrifically deformed pastries of all kinds. There were buns that looked like they’d spent a few months floating in lava, cakes that looked like they’d been trampled by horses and the pies… well he didn’t want to think what the pies looked like, but it definitely wasn’t good.

Standing the woman rolled up her sleeves once more before taking one deep and calming breath before she walked gracefully and calmly over to where she had put the gear that Phrenesis usually carried around when he was possessing someone. In one swift and flawless movement she pulled out the long gleaming blade from the dark scabbard, swinging the sword effortlessly through the air, giving it a few twirls to become better accustomed to the weight as this foolish baker’s daughter. Standing perfectly still for a moment she once more took a long calming breath before she suddenly and with all the aggression that had pent up within her began to scream and shout at the top of her voice, slashing the sword left and right, destroying the abysmal pastries, the counters, and pretty much anything else that found itself in the way of her rampage.

Several minutes later she was slumped against a wall in the now thoroughly destroyed kitchen, breathing heavily with a satisfied smile covering her face. It hadn’t been her intention to damage the baker’s shop so badly, but the red mist had descended and Phrenesis just couldn’t help himself. Looking around the woman furrowed her brow, it seemed it may now be much more difficult for her to make anything now that the kitchen was in this state. Still holding the sword she stood once more thinking idly as she did so.

“Ah damn be to this!” she shouted before moving with determination towards the hatch that led into the cellar whilst yelling “Baker! I need you again!”

Phrenesis had initially wanted to complete the plan with as little outside assistance as possible, but it seemed now he would just have to force the baker to make the pastries for him. ‘So be it’ he thought savagely.

At the precise moment the boy alchemist decided to defy him, Aergar Wald had two thoughts. The first was that wherever this boy came from people must not pay any heed to their gods, or, his second thought, this boy was cleverer than he looked and had seen through Aergar's ruse. Still he wasn't quite finished yet. In fact, he allowed himself to be surprised by the little fire trick, for he was surprised by that sudden flare of light. Sparrot was extremely unhappy to have been made the target of this display but the imp temporarily forgot his facade and laughed delightedly. "That's wonderful!" he exclaimed, "You're not such a pitiful creature after all. Bravo." He applauded.

"Knew there was more to you than meets the eye. Fortunately for you, since you aren't much to look at. And clever, at least a little bit." He giggled childishly. "You don't think I'm a real god, and I don't think you're a real alchemist, so we're square." He clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Fritz, is it?" He'd taken note of the name written on the inside cover of the chemistry book. "Well you can run along now, I have other business to attend to. Sparrot!"

As he turned away, the roots entrapping Fritz's legs retreated back beneath the earth. "So long Fritz! Perhaps someday you may be a mediocre alchemist!" With that, he stepped behind the nearest tree. Not a large tree, but wide enough to hide him from both Fritz and Sparrot's line of sight. From here he teleported a short distance away. He whistled once so the raven could find him. In the distance he heard the jingle of a harness and hoofbeats. It was Ada, he recognized it by the sound. No doubt she would find the boy. Ah, if he went with Ada then the likelihood of their paths crossing would be greatly increased. How interesting, he looked forward to seeing how it all played out.

"Now," he said once the raven had rejoined him, "Take me to Phrenesis."

Ada jumped when she heard a tinkling laugh echo through the forest. A light breeze lifted her hair off her shoulders and the forest darkened and leaned in one direction. Halfway through burning the book Ada quenched the flame and stood up. Mumbling drifted over the wind and played in her ears, followed by a loud squawk then more mumbling. Then through the forest trees a light flared up. Ada tugged Willow's rein in the direction of the commotion. She rose slowly, hiding the book and the half eaten carcass. She also drew her sword.

The trees opened up to reveal a slight clearing with a person standing in the centre. Ada could sense no magic from the creature. A whistle echoed in the distance and a raven darted through the tree's. "Hail! Are you in need of assistance, the road is to your right" She watched this creature from the driver's seat of the wagon, the boy was dressed strangely, with a coloured rope around his neck. Using her foot, Ada pushed the things she found in the forest behind her to conceal them from sight.
He was of no obvious origin, and he had more weight on him then she was used to seeing, obviously a noble. The satchel he was carrying was open and a book lay a distance from him, near a tree.

Fritz

Fritz grinned slightly at the praise he received from Aergar, relieved that his trick with the match had worked somewhat, or rather that it had impressed him. With a few words the forest imp dismissed him before calling out for the bird once more, then taking a step behind a rather large tree as the roots entwined around Fritz’s feet retreated back into the soil.

Fritz stood for a moment before taking a few steps to see if the imp was still there, feeling slightly surprised and amazed when he discovered that he had simply vanished. A huge grin broke on Fritz’s face as he considered the implications of the interaction he had just had. ‘Where on earth am I?’ thought Fritz to himself ’if I even am still on earth’

Before he could think further a sudden voice drew his attention.

"Hail! Are you in need of assistance, the road is to your right."

Squinting in the darkness towards a light, he struggled to see who had spoken, he again felt somewhat uncertain, especially after the experience he had just had, though this voice did certainly seem friendlier than that of Aergar Wald and that bird Sparrot.

Covering his eyes with a raised arm as he looked towards the lantern he could make out now a woman who was gazing at him, she was riding on a wagon with a large horse pulling it, he hesitated for a brief moment before responding “Hello? Road? Yes I think I’m lost.”

He waited cautiously for an answer, ready to run at a moment’s notice if need be, should a similarly bizarre series of events begin.

"Lost, well I can help with that" Ada moved over to create space next to her on the driver's seat. "Come on, sit next to me, it's dangerous to travel alone at night in the forest. There is a dreadful imp that makes a nuisance of himself in these parts, a couple of weeks ago he sent a poor girl off to kill an imaginary dragon. She watched the boy and his confused expression, he was tense and stood there staring at her "Well don't just stand there, you're not a tree. Sit, sit!" She hung the lantern to the side and sat down holding Willow's reins waiting for the boy to respond.

Duplo
The fat man hobbled behind her, leaning heavily on his walking cane and sweating in anticipation, with his other hand he was already zipping down his trousers. A darkly clad girl in torn-stockings and a leotard danced infront of him, her hips swaying and her feet light and delicate. The man reached out to catch her, his bottom lip trembling and his breathing heavy. She pranced out of his reach, turning around to laugh at him. She leaned forward, still skipping but backwards, and seductively reached out her hand to call him forward. The man was sweating and moaned and she laughed again. Her laugh echoed through the dark alley over the heavy clank of his walking stick and the shuffle of his feet. She danced slightly ahead of him then with a pirouette lightly lept into a doorway that took the pair out of the alley and into a store room. A wooden bench with a goose down seat was pressed against the wall, and this is where the girl sat, she had her legs crossed and leaned against her arms which stretched back, her dark hair fell over her shoulder and her head was tilted towards the man as he shuffled in. The man saw her and smiled slowly, he closed the door and dropped his stick. It fell with a clatter to the floor and he almost fell forward over his own small feet.

Before he came on to her she held out her pale, slender hand to his chest. She giggled again and the man sat down next to her, disappointed. The man reached out with one grubby hand to run a finger up her arm from her wrist, over the top of her shoulder and across her collarbone, she giggled again as she brushed his hand off her with a feather light touch. "So how's work Mr White?" she tilted her head again and her dark hair fell over her shoulder, in the soft light the man could see the shine of the porcelain ears on the girl's mask. A disguise no doubt so she would not be shamed by villagers because of her prostitution.
Trusting the girl was desperate enough to keep her identity secret by not telling anyone, he told her about his work problems, and the new investment they made.

The next day a woman's scream woke the entire town as she walked in on the fat man, decapitated with his genetalia hanging out, on the floor of the store room.

Phrenesis

Deep within the forest, in a sheltered glade a soft laugh carried through on the wind, a gentle enticing laugh which made Hiol the Satyr glance around looking for its source. He had been bathing himself within a spring, a perfect pristine pool that he often frequented hoping to stumble upon a Nymph or other beautiful Fae, as such the laugh made him quite alert. Standing and taking a few steps away from the pool he continued to look around, briefly sparing a moment to smooth his hair into place and make sure his horns were presentable. At the edge of the glade he spotted the thin silhouette of a woman making her way through the trees and he grinned, preparing himself to begin what he called his ritual of courtly love.

“Hello there” he said, trying to sound as smooth as possible “come hither baby, this glade is big enough to share. The water is perfect at this time of year.”

From behind the tree stepped a young and beautiful woman, she wasn’t a fae or elf like he had hoped, however she was still more than beautiful enough to appease his shallow standards.

Whistling slowly in appreciation the Satyr smiled his most charming smile before introducing himself “Welcome welcome, I am Hiol, descended from Gliyphis, once king amongst my people. What brings one as beautiful as you so deep into the forest?”

The girl took a few steps forwards before giggling, her eyes fixed on the eager Satyr as she reached out a delicate hand and began to gently caress his chest as she said “I was just walking, enjoying the evening and looking for someone just like you” the seduction clear in her voice.

“Well I’m glad you found me” he replied as she began to guide him backwards towards the clear pool, their eyes fixed on one another. A few moments later they were in the pool, the water coming to their waist level as they embraced and Hiol moved his face closer to hers, trying to kiss her and begin what he hoped would be an extremely passionate night. As his lips brushed against hers he suddenly felt a very odd and somewhat painful jolt to his chest. Looking down he saw that the beautiful young girl had just stabbed him with a long thin dagger, its blade now resting deep within his chest just above his heart. His eyes shot back up to hers, a look of alarm now dominating his features, whilst a look of almost innocent curiosity dominated hers. She watched him twitch as she started to move the blade further, cutting a hole before she withdrew the blade and brought it up to her face, her eye contact never leaving his as she licked some of the warm red liquid from its edge.

“But…” murmured Hiol weakly “I thought we were gonna do stuff…” the look of betrayal and disappointment in his eyes clear, gritting his teeth he summoned the last of his strength before head-butting the woman as hard as he could. There was a sickening ‘thunk’ sound as he did, his blow landing squarely and causing a big split in the woman’s eyebrow, though lacking the usual strength he was able to muster which would have done far more damage.

The woman did nothing but smile at the Satyr before reaching her delicate little hand into the slit she had made, her fingers closing around his heart as it continued to beat in a rapidly increasing rhythm.

Hiol looked down at her hand reaching into his chest cavity and frowned before looking back up at her, realisation at what was about to happen crossing his face before he simply said “Crazy bitch…”

With that she gripped tightly before yanking with all of her strength, a horrific tearing noise accompanying the action as she ripped his beating heart from his chest, his eyes watching the heart for a moment before rolling up into the back of his head as he collapsed into the pool, his blood running thickly into its once clear and pristine water as it rapidly became more and more red. Taking a seat beside the floating corpse the woman continued to smile as she started to bathe in the sanguine waters.

Sparrot

‘Stupid little human…’ thought the raven savagely as he flew through the air ‘we will show him, my love will destroy him body and soul, oh yes he will’. The bird perched some distance away, watching as the scene continued to unfold, waiting for Aergar Wald to finish his little conversation.

A whistle sounded through the trees, enough for Sparrot to know that Aergar was done, and so the bird took flight once again towards the imp. As he landed beside him he was still muttering “… peck out his eyes, we will. Cut his tongue from his mouth and shove it up his-…”

"Now, take me to Phrenesis." said Aergar, clearly done toying with the human.

Sparrot tilted his head and glared at Aergar, half considering instructing the imp to go back and finish the human here and now, but he knew better than to make such a decision on his own without consulting his love first.

A squawk left Sparrot’s beak before he took flight, guiding the elf through the forest to where his master would be waiting, the bird always being able to locate Phrenesis no matter where he was – the result of a spell that had been cast long ago at Phrenesis’s instruction. It would not take long for them to arrive, especially with the Imp’s teleportation power to match his own flight speed.

Fritz

"Well don't just stand there, you're not a tree. Sit, sit!" said the woman as he stood considering her words. It seemed that he had already run into the imp she spoke of, and so as he rushed about gathering his somewhat scattered belongings he responded “Do you mean Aergar Wald?” before he walked over and clambered up onto the seat, deciding that the woman definitely seemed friendly enough, though he kept his wits about him.

“He and his pet bird tried to send me to fetch a seed from some tree that flowers once a year, but I think he was busy as he left me alone when I didn’t accept his… quest”.
As he sat Fritz checked through his bag to see what else was missing, exposing the contents to the woman’s gaze as he did so.

“I’m Fritz” he said introducing himself as he glanced around at the wagon “I’m… new to these parts, at least I think I am, I’m not really sure where here is”.

He smiled at the woman and tried to appear as friendly as he could, though he was still a little on edge and was waiting to see if anything… crazy, for lack of a better word, would happen.

Sparrot

Swooping down into the small glade Sparrot landed on the shoulder of the woman as she sat in the pool, its waters now fully as red as blood itself, before nuzzling his beak against her for a brief moment of affection before Aergar Wald would arrive.

“He comes my love” squawked the bird to Phrenesis. The woman that he was in had sustained a little damage, he could see. Her left eye was a little swollen and there was a large cut that had already begun to heal slightly on her brow. Sparrot hopped off of her shoulder and onto the back of the floating Satyr, the body making a perfect platform for him. The bird glanced at her body, noting that his love had seen fit to remove her clothing – though Sparrot failed to appreciate the female form he could tell that others would be most pleased with what he was seeing, most pleased indeed.

The pair waited briefly for Aergar Wald to appear.

Ada
"Fritz, good name Fritz. My name is Ada, pleasure to make your acquaintance. So if you are not from here, where are you from? You've got to come from somewhere, especially a young 'un like you, surely your mum is looking for you. And what is it you have in your bag there?" Ada chased Willow on with a shake of the reins. She made the decision to head Willow back onto the road, it would be easier to explain why she left the road and went back on to to explain as to why they were remaining off the road.

This boy was strange, although Ada couldn't put her finger on why exactly. Perhaps it was his clothes, or his odd behaviour. Ada watched his ruffle in his bag, he clearly was not trying to conceal what was in the bag, but she couldn't read the words. He was simply a boy, too young to be a man, too old to be a child. She settled on his clothes, out of his appearance, his clothes were the strangest. She'd met many a person with stranger mannerisms, even if they didn't waltz around with a coloured rope around their necks.

The night was still and the creaks of the wagon as it bounced uncomfortably and swayed with the uneven ground were amplified by the silent trees around them. Willow's hooves fell in their dull never changing thuds. Overhead crickets chirped at the stars that swirled in the heavens. A little bit further off, but not that far, the moonlight shone on two porcelain ears as they moved through the woods. From tree to tree, then tree to rock, rock to ground, ground to tree; the figure lept and twirled dancing a graceful ballet to a melody that only she could hear.

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Duplo
She ran as fast as she could worried Ada would be at the destination before her, her stockings were positively ruined and feet dirty but the wooden tube the scroll was in was unscratched. With two gentle hops she lept onto a branch and then dropped a bit further on into a fire-light clearing. Many gypsies were gathered in small groups, dancing, singing or just talking. Two elves in tiger skins danced with them while one stood to the side discussing what looked like trading plans, A Fairy sat with the group talking, it had gills that waved backwards every couple of seconds in an elegent formation, and webbed fingers. "Hail and hearts!" Duplo walked over to the group sitting around the camp, "has Ada Lovelace passed through here?"

Aergar

"Ah, the both of you. Leaving a trail of carnage in your wake. Certainly, Phrenesis, you have no difficulty upholding your reputation." Aergar appeared, perched on a rock ledge that jutted out over the sanguine water. His eyes passed disinterestedly over the body which was its source. He had never paid much attention to Hiol, and vice versa, the satyr would not be missed. He instead fixed his gaze upon Phrenesis himself, or rather the body which he now possessed. A girl this time, beautiful though obviously not of noble origin. He let his eyes linger, and though she was pleasing to she did show physical signs of misuse. Her eyes were red and puffy, surrounded by dark circles from lack of sleep, and she seemed thin.

"You forget that mortal bodies require certain taking care of, old friend. At this rate you'll soon be possessing naught but a corpse. Nevertheless, an interesting choice this one is." Aergar rested his chin on one hand, letting his toes dangle in the water, dipping and then lifting them up, glistening bright red. Casually, he withdrew three seeds from one of the pockets of his jacket, breathing gently over them before letting them fall from his slender fingers into the pool, causing a series of small interlocking ripples to spread out beneath him.

"What have you been up to then? Surely you don't intend anything serious in that state. Or is it the fact she'll soon expire that you summoned me here, hm?" The imp wrinkled his nose, "I would hope you'd be more careful with a better specimen. But then, I'm getting ahead of myself."

"By the way, I saw Ada earlier today. Not a terribly interesting encounter though I figured you would have wanted to know about it." He didn't mention the prophecy or the human boy. Not because he wanted to hide the information, but because he knew Phrenesis would have no use for it. The old ghost was only ever interested in that gypsy woman anyway.

Near the imp's dangling feet the water stirred. Three shimmering objects rose from the surface, spreading dark leaves that floated on the surface. Each in turn produced a bud, and each bud blossomed into a brillaint scarlet flower. Blood lilies, flowers that only bloomed in iron-rich waters, and so named because they were most beautiful when nourished by a living being's blood. Rare in a forest to be sure, and these would not last longer than a generation, but still they were quite lovely to look at.

Aergar plucked one of them and brought it to his nose, filling his senses with its bittersweet scent. He held it out to Phrenesis, more as a joke in light of the spirit's current appearance than a gesture of goodwill. "Tell me, Phrenesis, why is it you have summoned me here?"

Phrenesis

"By the way, I saw Ada earlier today. Not a terribly interesting encounter though I figured you would have wanted to know about it."

Aergar’s words rang in Phrenesis’s ears. ‘That one’ he thought sourly to himself. He then began to imagine a variety of situations, each where he had captured or otherwise bested her – all fictional but satisfying to think about none-the-less. He smiled to himself as he imagined her eating a pie filled with his Breath of Phrenesis and then the look on her face as he informed her of its content a brief moment before seizing control of her body.

"Tell me, Phrenesis, why is it you have summoned me here?"

The Imp’s words brought his attention back to the present. The girl smiled sweetly at Aergar and gently took the blood-lilly from his outstretched arm, examining it very briefly before she said “Well, my dear Aergar, simply put I require you to do a little something for me”. As she spoke she began to absentmindedly pull the occasional petal from the flower “I need you to get close to Ada, close enough speak with her without arousing her… suspicions. I want to know which baked good she would like.”

Pausing and smiling again the woman suddenly took a bite from the flower in her hand, chewing it several times before swallowing and continuing “Then I need you to tell me what it is. Then I will make whatever on Emanseria her stupid little hearts desires, fill it with my Breath, and then you will give it to her. Convince her to trust you, convince her you are interested for a different reason, convince her of whatever it is you think is most convincing, I have faith you are resourceful enough to handle this, in-fact I believe you are exclusively perfect for the task.”

Sparrot cawed, obviously frustrated at his master’s words of praise for any other than himself. The bird started to peck at the floating Satyr’s eyes, feigning disinterest as he listened to their conversation carefully.

The woman swallowed the rest of the flower before continuing “as for this little… cupcake” gesturing to herself “ I’ve been toying with the bakery in Tariq, it was… difficult, to begin with, but I have to say things are running much more smoothly than before. Already I hope that several of my little treats are being sent all over Emanseria to a few select people of… influence, shall we say.”

Finishing his short speech Phrenesis smiled before suddenly thinking back to Aergar’s comments about the woman’s appearance. Her brow furrowed before she asked “what do you mean a corpse? Surely you could not tell of my occupation within?” Aergar had indeed been right when he said Phrenesis had forgotten how to care for the fragile bodies of mortals. His plan somewhat hinged on the girl appearing normal and mundane, and by the sounds of Aergar’s comments he wasn’t sure that he was doing so well in that regard.

Fritz

Ada, the woman introduced herself as. Fritz smiled as she spoke, she seemed genuinely friendly, definitely lacking the bizarre edge that had accompanied the other two he had met.

“I’m from London originally” he said “and that’s where my parents are. I’ve been staying in Gilbert’s Advanced school for boy’s. You know it’s just outside of Hampshire?”

Gesturing to his bag he said “Oh it’s just some of my books and things, but I think I’ve lost some when I fell into this weird shining pool, those any my glasses anyway.” He pulled out his chemistry book, interested to see if her reaction would be anything like that of Aergar Walds.

Looking at the surrounding area he was still unsure of exactly where he was or how he came to be here. But he was definitely starting to think he might not be in England anymore, since when were there imps, talking animals or friendly gypise woman who seemed to find him strange and interesting.

“Where exactly is here?” he asked somewhat uncertainly.