The initial shock of seeing a large wolf was dispelled slightly by Anise's much calmer reaction. Though to be honest Chris still wasn't sure how best to respond to anything at this moment. The girl did seem to have a better grasp of what the situation so as she spoke he listened. Not that it made a whole lot of sense. So she wasn't from this place, wherever it was, either.

The explanation still lets a lot of questions unanswered. Like how he actually got here and where this forest was, among many others. During the time the forest was being explained he looked about at the dark sky and surrounding trees. Something like this sounded more like a dream or nightmare. Curiously Anise spoke about protecting him in the forest. At first it sounded odd, but then again he had no idea what environment he would actually be facing other than what he could see in the immediate area. And if Reus was any indication there were potentially dangerous animals out there.

After appearing rather dumbfounded by it all Chris spoke again. "It's nice to meet you Anise... and Reus. Do you happen to know how I got here? That detail is bothering me." That seemed like a decent enough quetion to start with. Really most of the questions sounded slightly crazy to him. Without knowing more maybe it was best to keep them simple for a bit.

Anise listened to his question. That had been a question that lingered in her mind for a while until recently. While no one had told her, it had happened often enough that she figured out how she got here. She raised the lantern in its damaged glory and nodded at it. "This lantern is what summoned you here. I know it may be hard to wrap your head around it, but it has power... and a sort of will of its own."

She fully put her attention on the newcomer. "There are two different and opposed factions in this forest. The Kith and the Pirates. Both I think are people that were forced here by the lanterns, and each found their own way to survive this place. They also both have their own stories about a great dragon that ruled over this forest. The Pirates believe that the dragon was evil and sealed it away into these lanterns of which I know of four, but I think there's more. The Kith revere the dragon as a benevolent being and believe that breaking the seals of these lanterns will free the dragon and bring back the sun. I think both may be true to some degree and the dragon's 'evil' was not naturally brought about. I also believe that the lanterns are the only way back home and want to collect them, cleanse any evil from them, and free them. I just want to help those that are stuck here find a way back home."

Her expression then saddened. "Also, the dead's spirits don't move on. I want to help them find peace." She also wanted to see if any of them wanted to help her protect those stuck in this forest and act as guardians. If she could gather many friends to help her then that would be preferable.

Anise's expression returned to a more friendly expression. "I'm afraid that I didn't hear your name. What are you called?"

This was indeed quite a lot to wrap his mind around. Either what this girl was saying was true or someone was trying to play a cruel prank. For the moment he would have to hold judgement of the subject. The story of a dragon was interesting though. Real or not he could enjoy a good tale. his thoughts were interrupted by a request for his name. My name is Chris Addams. I um... I'm not exactly sure how to react to what you're telling me. It's kind of hard to believe."

Checking his pockets he found that they were all empty. So what was left was what he was wearing on his back. A sound made its way through the trees. At first Chris didn't make it out. But after a moment it clicked that it was someone swearing out loud. "Do you know of anyone else here in the forest?"

Anise nodded as Chris introduced himself and sympathized with his sentiment about what this forest was like. Ultimately, experience would be the greatest teacher here, but even the slightest bit of preparation could save his life, even if that preparation was just information. "I know... You'll know how to react when it happens. Whatever it ends up being." She was referring to the forest in general. She didn't know any other way to explain how this forest was other than as a living thing.

Anise glanced around as she heard Simon's voice echo through the forest. Something happened to him. Even with the previous mistrust between her and the group he was with when she met them, she felt concerned.

"Do you know of anyone else here in the forest?"

Apparently, Chris was also concerned about others, but not in the same way that Anise felt. She nodded. "I know of plenty, this one's name is Simon. He came here just like you and me. I thought he would join the Pirates, but if he's still where I think he might be then I'm not sure what to think. Either way, I want to help him if he's hurt."

Anise pulled the hawk mask down and used the clarity of vision it gave to help find Simon. While it didn't grant her night vision, somehow she knew where things were. She could tell where the stream was so she could use its waters to heal injuries. She walked cautiously back to where the conflict between her and the others happened. She was surprised to see that all had vacated the area except for Simon.

He was laying on his back, swearing out loud. She ran up to him and knelt down next to him to check his injuries. She found his hands were burned and one eye way badly damaged. "Simon! Oh gods! Can you stand? I can help you get to the healing waters. I know where the stream is." She offered to support him, even though she probably wasn't going to be tall enough to make a comfortable support. She was so used to operating on her own as of late that she didn't even consider to ask Chris for assistance.

So there were other people in the woods. Though that shouldn't be surprising. But it was someone that Anise knew so that was good. When Anise started going Chris followed. Curiously the young woman put on a mask. Either it helped her see or she just knew the forest well because he couldn't see a whole lot as they went along. "A flashlight would do wonders in the place."

While there were still a lot of questions Chris didn't have the luxury of many answers, it seemed. Going in the direction of the yelling they came across a man. Right away Anise went to him and spoke about healing water. Chris wasn't sure he believed in such a thing but this man looked like he needed help either way. Stepping over he got Simon's other side for more support. "Lead the way."

Reus eyed the stranger warily, his head high and ears back -- but upon seeing that no harm would come to Anise, he huffed and put his nose to the ground, snuffling and moving in slow circles, following the trail of what might have become of the shadow spirits. There were traces of darkness hanging on the edges of the blades of grass, and a deeper darkness where the Lord of Shadow had stood in the guise of the slain pirate. His ear twitched as something moved past unseen, and he raised his great head. The forest was dark beyond the reach of the blue lantern's light.

The wolf padded behind at a distance while Anise and Chris traversed back toward the noise of the other human. His ears were perked, and the fur on the back of his neck stood on-end. Certainly, they were being watched from the treetops. The red blinking eyes of monkeybats gleamed down out of the dark canopy -- but they were frightened of Reus. Perhaps now, too, they were frightened of Anise.

Reus arrived in the clearing just as Chris and Anise hefted Simon up between them, but the wolf wasn't interested in the soothsayer. His head down, he padded directly for the corpse in the white rabbit mask. A low growl rumbled in his throat; he very gently took the mask between his teeth and tossed it to Anise's feet. He shot her a glare -- that is too powerful to be left in the open.

And then, he rolled over the dead boy with a rough toss of his muzzle, grabbed Tyaelaem's canteen with his teeth, and shook the strap off the corpse's shoulder. He tossed this to Chris, and it landed at his feet, its contents sloshing. It was the same canteen that Tyaelaem had filled when he first met Anise, Hania and Randold in the firefly grotto.

While Reus was busy digging a hole -- huge chunks of grass and dirt flew in all directions -- the owl shifted on its perch. The owl hooted, its throat wobbling and eyes blinking. After a few moments, it slipped from the branch and swooped silently down, its talons outstretched to snatch the blue stone necklace that Simon had discarded in the weeds.

Anise watched as Reus went up to Tyaelaem's body and picked up the rabbit mask only to drop it at her feet as she picked up Simon. She wanted to properly bury the body, so it had a proper place to rest. She could tell that Reus was concerned about the power of the mask and wanted her to have it to keep safe. She picked it up and attached it to the belt that at one time held onto her sword.

She then heard a sloshing of water and her expression perked up as Reus put it at Chris' feet. "That's it! That's the healing water! Pick it up, Chris! We can use it to help Simon. Lets lay him down comfortably first."

After setting Simon down she got to help Chris with administering the healing water. She made sure that Simon drank some before using the rest to clean his wounds. "Alright, you'll be OK." She then took Simon's hand and smiled. "Thank you for your help, Simon."

She let him rest a bit and turned to face Reus whom was working on digging a hole for the late Tyaelaem. She then caught a glimpse of the owl as it flew to pick up something from the ground. She reached out to the owl with Spirit Stone's power to sense the animal's will, she wanted to know if the animal was a friend or foe. From what she could tell, it was curious, but aside from try and get Randold to run from Reus back when she had arrived the animal hadn't done much else except watch.

Whilst helping move Simon, Chris stayed rather quiet. He wasn't quite sure what to say yet, still soaking in the situation. The wolf ended up tossing him a canteen from a body. The fact that there was someone dead was unsettling to say the least. What was he getting into? Though hesitantly, Chris did take the object.

Reus also brought another mask over. That actually sparked a question that seemed to warrant asking. "What's with the masks? Do they have some significance or something?" Seemed a little odd of a thing to collect. His train of thought was cut off by the owl. Anise seemed occupied by the winged creature.

Anise's newfound power reached into the owl's mind, and the bird flapped and fluttered and crash-landed, skidding into the ground with the blue stone gripped in its talons, as if the very act of peering into the owl's thoughts was enough to knock it out of the air.

Anise would feel a sense of entrapment -- a patient and willful prisoner -- and a confident female presence. She held no ill will toward the princess, Simon or Chris, but there was a certain resentment toward Reus.

The owl hopped to her feet, bleary and a bit dizzy, the chain of the necklace jangling in her claws. She glared directly into the blue glow, feathers ruffled, and concentrated a message to Anise's mind:

My name is Wendetae. I'm the greatest warrior the Kith have ever known. She held up the stone on the black chain. Destroy this and throw it in the lake. The Lady of the Pond should return to the water before she really goes mad.

Reus growled deep in his throat. Wendetae the owl glared up at him. Her thoughts went out to Anise. ...And get rid of the mongrel. He's a pirate. There was a deeper betrayal in the owl's thoughts -- a long, complicated history between the owl and the wolf.

Reus huffed and went back to the hole he was digging. His nails scraped against metal: underneath the dirt was a platform like the one Anise and Simon had arrived on. It was carved with crude runes.

The door to the old pirate stronghold, Wendetae explained to Anise. Idiot dog doesn't realize it's been raided by Kith. Let him find out the hard way. Get the new kid to open it. The owl fluttered a wing in Chris' direction.

"What's with the masks? Do they have some significance or something?"

Anise took some time to respond to Chris' question as she focused on the owl. She had mixed feelings about what it had to say to her.

My name is Wendetae. I'm the greatest warrior the Kith have ever known. She held up the stone on the black chain. Destroy this and throw it in the lake. The Lady of the Pond should return to the water before she really goes mad.

Anise decided to respond with a question. Where is the lake? Which direction do I follow the river? Upstream? Down? This was the first time she attempted mental communication, but she felt that so long as she channeled her will through the lantern as she thought, then she could get her thoughts across to Wendetae. She accepted this request as she took the held out necklace.

And get rid of the mongrel. He's a pirate.

Anise could feel the complication behind those thoughts. She could tell that Wendetae and Reus had a history that was more than what was stated. Pirate or not, Reus was still a comrade. He hadn't done anything to hurt her outside of the initial fear he inspired when she first saw him. She didn't want to kill anyone, anymore. She let Wendetae feel her reluctance to kill without using words.

She then heard scraping as Reus dug into a platform much like the one where she was summoned.

The door to the old pirate stronghold, Wendetae explained to Anise. Idiot dog doesn't realize it's been raided by Kith. Let him find out the hard way. Get the new kid to open it.

Anise couldn't understand how an animal could have such complicated and hateful feelings. Could it be the masks eventually turned their wearers into animals and that was why Wendetae and Reus were such intelligent animals? They were far from ordinary. She felt nervous about reaching into Reus' mind to attempt communication with him. She did decide to break contact with Wendetae, as the sensation of contact and the experience of it made her feel odd.

Anise faced Chris. "The masks grant abilities. The hawk allows for extraordinary vision, although it doesn't help too much with the darkness, and the rabbit makes one move very quickly. I think they may do more than that though, but I'm not sure." She decided to remain vague as even she didn't have a clear feeling about the possible transformation that could result from wearing the mask too long.

She faced Reus and focused her attention on him. She attempted to make mental contact with the large wolf. Reus. What is so important down there? She would not oblige the hateful owl and risk Reus angrily lashing out at Chris.

After swearing out loud for once more Simon had passed out in a dream like state from the dramatic experience that his body (and mind) had just underwent. He felt like he had been sewn into the ground to which he lay, it was unlike anything that he had ever experienced before. He tried jerking his arms upwards first but nothing happened, he tried again but this time he attempted to use the momentum of his whole body to get up but again nothing. He lay on the ground aware of what was going on around him, he could hear leaves rustling and then he could hear footsteps as well. HELP! HELP ME! Simon screamed this at the top of his lungs but it was only own voice bouncing around in his head. Nothing audible had left his mouth this time. He was never going to communicate with the nearby entity. . . Maybe it was because he was like Tyaelaem, no longer alive, only a spirit left to wonder this miserable place.

As he started to think the absolute worst scenario was when three shadow figures had approached where he lay, two that looked like that Shadows that he had seen through Tyaelaems spirit. However the third was much larger than the others, and not nearly the same shape. One was inches from his line of ‘vision’ [if you would call it that] staring into his soul. It had spoke to him in an unknown language sort of like they were gargling water while speaking backwards. It's speech was rather rapid and high pitched but before he could fully function it he went from being one with the ground to being launched hundreds of feet into the air.

While he was in the air he could still hear voices this time they were amplified as if someone was speaking to the whole world in the same garbled language. Simon could view the region they were in as a whole but not in the actual scene of view. He could only see colors of regions. There was a region that was shade of green mixed with purple, there was also a region of blue that he just ascended from. The only other region that he noticed was the most noticeable to him and it was a jet black with a sort of mysterious feel but before he could gauge his bearings and connect what they meant his body was slammed pulled back down through the blue region back into the ground. This was the place that he originated in with the same three shadow figures next to him.

A few moments later Simon felt something touch his face, making contacts with his lips. As soon as the liquid touched his lips it was an extremely intense burning sensation, as if it was removing toxins from his body. Everywhere that it had spread through his body burned, but as rapidly the pain started it had stopped. He could slowly start to feel his body move again. He could start to feel his lips move first, his lip was trembling since it felt like an eternity since he last spoke. He figured he would try and wait until he had a little more strength to be able to properly speak.

While he was waiting he heard a new voice, one that he hadn't even encountered in his dreams

What's with the masks? Do they have some significance or something?

Simon looked over but the figure was still in a shadow state. As Simon laid there hoping something would turn out normal he could feel a slight feeling of uneasiness approach him quite rapidly. Almost like something was descending straight to the ground with a sense of purpose. He could feel it right next to him, an extremely uneasy feeling and his made his body thrashed around eventually giving the owl a boot in the process, right before his body stopped he subconsciously sputtered “Doooont trust the owwwwwl”

Simon noticed that he could half see now, when he closed his right eye and everything was clear as crystal, he looked around and seen Anise, a new guy and that giant dog that the old lady knew. Simon closed his left eye and opened his right and everything was back to Shadows, even though he knew what everything looked like. Simon looked Reus dead in the eyes without saying anything to either of the four entities that were around him.

If Chris wasn't confused before he was by now. Anise continued to act strangely, at least to him. Facing the owl and seeming to listen. Was he missing something? She had talked like she knew Reus like they had talked. Was that another strange aspect to this place?

Simon seemed to be stabilizing and Chris let out a small sigh of relief. Not a lot has been really going on but so far this was the more excitement than expected. Since Anise seemed to be occupied he stepped over to whatever Reus had dug up.

It looked like a plate of metal. It was a little hard to see in the low light but it looked like it was carved. An artifact or some kind? It was a rather large one if that were the case. Curious he reached down to brush more of the dirt off and get a better look. Seemed there was a hatch of some kind there. Giving it a tug it opened slightly. Putting more effort into it he pulled it open.

Where is the lake? Which direction do I follow the river? Upstream? Down?

She faced Reus and focused her attention on him. She attempted to make mental contact with the large wolf. Reus. What is so important down there?

Wendetae tipped her head and opened one eye wide, glaring hard at Anise. You can speak, child, I can hear you just fine without that telepathy nonsense, she snapped. Downstream. You know where the pirate ship is, don't you? The mask will show you the way.

And then, the connection with the owl was shut by the princess, and Wendetae fluffed with an irritable squawk.

Reus reeled back at the feel of Anise's voice in his head; his ears flattened and he snarled. A cold, icy block of refusal hit Anise in response, but within it was a fragile thread of an answer: Help. Help was down below.

He could feel it right next to him, an extremely uneasy feeling and his made his body thrashed around eventually giving the owl a boot in the process, right before his body stopped he subconsciously sputtered “Doooont trust the owwwwwl”

Simon noticed that he could half see now, when he closed his right eye and everything was clear as crystal, he looked around and seen Anise, a new guy and that giant dog that the old lady knew. Simon closed his left eye and opened his right and everything was back to Shadows, even though he knew what everything looked like. Simon looked Reus dead in the eyes without saying anything to either of the four entities that were around him.

The owl squawked and fumble-fluttered painfully along the ground in a desperate effort to get away from Simon's flying feet.

Reus lifted his head high, and he stared intently at Simon while Simon stared back through his right eye -- the eye that saw the spirit world.

The three entities that stood around Simon were spirits that had been touched by the Lord of Shadow; their wills were not their own, and they obeyed the Lord of Shadow completely. Their forms were dark as smoke, the same as those that had appeared around Anise.

Simon would see a bright white spirit within Anise, and another within Chris. These were living souls, pure and unscathed.

Within Reus and Wendetae, Simon would see bluish-gray spirits. These were dead spirits, but they were untouched by the Lord of Shadow and in control of their own wills. They appeared much the same as Tyaelaem's spirit after his death.

Simon would also see a thin red symbol on Reus' forehead, and another on the owl's forehead, only visible in the spirit world. He had seen the same mark before, at the witch's house.

Curious he reached down to brush more of the dirt off and get a better look. Seemed there was a hatch of some kind there. Giving it a tug it opened slightly. Putting more effort into it he pulled it open.

The hatch was barely open when a long thin hand snatched out, grabbed Chris by the collar, and dragged him forcibly into the darkness. The hatch snapped shut behind him.

Reus whirled around, but Chris was suddenly gone.

Chris dropped a short distance onto a dusty cold floor in the dark.

A thin hand wrapped around his wrist, and another patted him on the cheek.

"Oh d-dear, oh no, I'm s-sorry, did I hurt you? There's no time, come on, hurry, you're in much danger, we have to-to run now, I'm s-saving you, hurry, come on, d-down the stairs quickly, there's a-a passage just here to s-safety." The voice was slightly rasping but quite possibly female. As she stuttered nervously she helped Chris to his feet, then yanked him fearfully down the stairs as if hellhounds were on their heels. She was strong for being so much shorter than Chris.

Suddenly she stopped, and pushed Chris back to keep him from falling farther down the stairs. "Th-this way!" Even though they were standing in the middle of a pitch-black staircase, she yanked him to the side and into a narrow passage in the root-tangled wall. As soon as they were through the entrance, Chris would hear the hiss and rub of the roots closing up the opening behind them. Anyone following behind would never know there was a passage here at all.

Fireflies flashed up ahead. Then, Chris would see a soft yellow glow lighting up a room at the end of the passage.

As the light drew nearer, Chris could finally see who it was that was leading him. The girl was barefoot, with a dusty mane of blond hair, and she wore the same gray weathered clothes as the dead boy, Tyaelaem. She wore a white wooden mask in the shape of a mouse's face.

She pulled him along the passage, and they stepped out into a wide vaulted room full of trees with glowing yellow fruit. The squishy, head-sized fruits and the swarms of fireflies above afforded the room a nice ambient glow to see by.

At the center of the huge room was a bigger tree that was full of clock faces, gears and sprockets. It was silent; the clocks were dead and cold.

More people were here. A dozen of them stood curiously as Chris approached, and they stared at him through the eyes of white masks: a boar, a bear, a cat, a frog. All of them were barefoot, and all of them wore the same pale threadbare clothes. They looked almost like spirits, themselves, but the hand on Chris' wrist was definitely warm and human.

The mouse-girl let go and faced him with a relieved sigh. "You're s-safe now," she assured him. "Are you hurt? Can I-I get you anything?"

Anise felt better knowing where she was supposed to go from here. Then as she turned her attention to Reus she felt that cold rejection which didn't exactly surprise her. She expected him to be a bit rough towards, but even then the attitude hurt. He then told her that help was down there and her heart sank. If help was supposed to be down there and the Kith had raided it, there was no way of telling if it was there anymore. She sent out a warm and comforting feeling towards him.

I'm sorry, Reus, the owl told me that the Kith had raided this place.

She then watched as Chris started to open it, but suddenly was grabbed and pulled down the hatch unceremoniously. Anise stood there dumbfounded as she watched him disappear, but quickly regained her senses and cried out. "No!"

She rushed over to the hatch and tried to open it just as Chris was. She wasn't about to lose someone to this forest again. She lifted the hatch and shined the lantern into it, only to see that no one was in it. She saw a staircase after scanning the room some. She glanced at Reus with a worried expression. Anise felt unsure about him coming down, and then Simon wasn't in any condition to be alone. Then there was the handling of the stone that had the Lady of the Pond within it.

She hated abandoning someone, but if it was a Kith that grabbed Chris, Anise believed that he would be safe for now. Even the pirates weren't out to kill you right away, they were just looking out for their own survival. She broke her connection with Reus more carefully than with Wendetae to remain respectful to the wolf, as for the owl she didn't trust it at all. She looked at the stone that supposedly held the Lady of the Pond in her hand. Carefully she reached out to it with the assistance of the Spirit Stone to sense whatever she could about it.

Reus sniffed at the dark mouth of the stairwell, and he growled deep in his throat and snorted. The gigantic wolf would never be able to squeeze down into that sloping tunnel -- not without scraping his back and knocking his head -- and the overpowering smell of Kith made him uneasy. He scratched at the grass out of frustration, growled again, and suddenly shot a glare at Simon.

Somehow the wolf had just decided that all the chaos -- the fire, the flood, the Pirates, the Lord of Shadow, Chris' disappearance, the kidnapping of Talan and Fyair, the deaths of Randold and Hania and the old witch in the woods -- all of it was Simon's fault.

It was Simon who couldn't make up his mind whose side he was on. It was Simon whose bid for power burned an entire section of the forest to dust and flooded the rest. It was Simon who had somehow made enemies of the Pirates and the Kith, and who had proven he would turn on his allies the moment something shiny presented itself.

Reus loomed over Simon, yellow eyes flashing -- and then with a shove of his great muzzle he forced the soothsayer to his feet and licked him harshly. The big wolf proceeded to groom Simon with his rough tongue, harsh and unforgiving. If Simon began to object, Reus would growl dangerously. Simon had been to several unsavory places, spoken to several unsavory spirits, and communed with troublesome thoughts with no real reason except pure selfishness. By grooming away the grime and sweat that coated Simon's skin, Reus also symbolically washed away all of Simon's mistakes and bad decisions, and offered one final chance for the soothsayer to redeem himself.

The owl had slipped quietly into the open stairwell.

The Lady of the Pond was quiet within the stone as Anise reached deep to find her. She would feel something ancient, like the silent dark depths of the ocean -- something trapped and angry, screaming from a dark distance for the return of her great endless waters, the titans of the sea, the waves and storms. She never troubled herself with the wants and needs of the land dwellers, and she had no care for the sun nor the Dragon nor the Lanterns -- only the promise that once the Lord of Shadow had gathered enough power to free her the waters would flow again. She screamed from the deep.

Fireflies sparked overhead.

The blue Lantern flashed. Anise knew, suddenly, that something red glowed high on a mountain, between here and the shipwreck.

---

The dark forest teemed with chirrups and hisses and snaps and growls. Branches, thick with green, creaked and hushed. Stars peeked occasionally through moving leafy silhouettes.

A Lantern -- made of iron and glass -- hung overhead. It cast a bright, haunting red glow.

Artemis awoke alone in the forest. She had been lying on an ancient metal platform covered in roots and lichen, engraved with strange symbols and patterns. The symbol beneath her glimmered faintly where her skin had touched it.

The platform was embraced by the thick roots of a gnarled dead tree that loomed over Artemis, its veinlike branches glowing red in the light of the Lantern.

The tree was ticking.

Anise giggled a bit as Reus licked Simon. She had no idea of his reasoning as to why, but the sight alone she found amusing, and she of all people needed some levity in this dark forest. She felt empathetic towards the Lady of the Pond's quiet rage. She felt the longing for the lake. I'll free you. This promise she would keep as she headed towards the lake. If Simon wanted to follow, he could as he had enough time to recover to move at this point.

Anise expected nothing in return for this endeavor. She simply wanted to help the forest become a better place somehow, and if freeing a trapped spirit did so, then she would get right to it. She believed the pirates had locked away many things natural to this forest out of fear and they had made no attempts to reconcile with them in any way other than locking them away. This was a mistake, one Anise intended to fix.

Using the hawk mask, she followed the stream to the lake. She hoped that this lake looked something like the one next to the Castle Riverforde that she grew up in as that was a beautiful sight. The stream shifted into a small river as she followed it downstream. She expect that soon she would be coming up to the lake itself.

The sharp, small gasp cutting through the night air was the only sign Artemis had awoken. She had never been a peaceful sleeper. Someone else had, once. But the mystic found the waking world to be an escape from her dreams, rather than the other way around. In the beginning, waking had been a violent, unforgiving action, as panic slammed into her. But she'd learned to manage it over the years.

The hard metal underneath her was the first thing she registered. Then the unmistakable sounds of the forest at midnight, a long with an odd, whispering …tick…tick…tick. The cool night air breathed against her skin. And then finally, there was the warm red glow shining through her eyelids. Artemis was perfectly still where she lay as she realized she didn't know where she was.

She counted out a minute in her mind as she searched her memory for an explanation. But there was nothing. In fact, she couldn't even remember where or when she'd gone to sleep. Her minute was up. So, she cracked one eye open. Then the other. Still nothing. Slowly, carefully, Artemis pushed herself up to a sitting position and looked around. She was in a forest just as she'd guessed. Quite an active one, too, if the sounds were anything to go by. The thought made her press her lips together. If there was anything… hungry, she'd be ill equipped to handle it. Especially since it seemed like all she had were the clothes on her back.

The soft ticking captured her attention again and she turned to find its source: the… tree? Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at it. She looked back down at herself and finally studied the metal pedestal she was on. It was old and weathered, and covered in plant matter, but her eyes widened when she saw the metal directly under her hand. Parts of it were glowing. She hurried to push herself up to a standing position and saw the unmistakable outline of her body in the glowing metal.

Her eyes shot back up at the odd ticking tree and the eerie red lantern. Then she turned and hurried off of the pedestal and onto the forest floor. Stories from her childhood drifted up to the surface of her mind. Ghouls and imps that enticed and beguiled humans. Men who toyed with that which cannot be known. Of course, Artemis had long since outgrown the folktales of the Valley (even if her current line of work took full advantage of them). But still. If they'd taught her anything, it was that getting away from the mysterious glowing metal platform and the ticking tree was probably the wisest course of action. At least, she shouldn't be standing on top of one, and under the other.

Artemis turned back to look at the tree once she was safely on the ground ('safe' being a relative term). Or rather, she looked up at the red lantern casting its eerie glow. Sharp, con-artist eyes narrowed at it. It seemed to be the most benign of the three, but… what was so captivating about it? It wasn't ordinary, that was for sure.

Lanterns flickered because of the flames they held. This one just… glowed. Its light was a steady, unchanging force, whispering through the darkness of the night. Artemis stared and stared, and if she looked hard enough at it, she could've sworn it was almost pulsing.

She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. Then she turned to search the forest floor. Her eyes lit up when she found what she was looking for and she bent down to pick up a long, sturdy tree branch covered in green moss with a half-rotten end. Artemis walked back up to the platform, getting as close as she could without touching it. Placing the rotten end of the branch against the ground, Artemis half leaned on it and looked back up at the lantern, mind working.

She wasn't so sure she'd woken up after all.

"Well, shit."

Simon had been sitting with his knees up to his chest looking at the blueish tinted wolf sitting there starting at him still. It made him slightly nervous given what he imagined this wolf would be capable of doing to him given the chance. He would need to get something to cover his eye since he didn't know how long he could manage seeing things in real color and this shadowy colouring on his damaged eye. Just as Simon had been sitting there thinking about it he noticed that the dog had started moving towards him like he knew he was thinking about being mauled or something along those lines. Simon threw his hands up over his face to protect himself for whatever good it would do again a beast of Reus's size. Simon was faced straight on with probably the most physically intimidating entity so far this delightful journey.

He looked straight into his eyes and than seen him open his mouth and thought that this was the end for real this time. However all that happened was his face got licked, it might not seem like an overly horrible thing but the roughness of his tongue wasn't the greatest feeling ever but it certainly was better than getting eaten by those fangs hanging from his face. Simon threw his hands over his face in a small protest since his face was starting to get a little raw from the tongue that felt like sandpaper being rubbed repeatedly over his face. However when his hands hit his face he heard a deep growl coming from within Reus, who moved Simons hands and proceeded to lick his face anyway. Simon felt deep down like he knew the reason that Reus was doing this.

As Simon was being licked by the wolf he felt an odd bursting sensation that felt oddly familiar to him, like he was having a slight Deja vu feeling, sort of like he was connected to them in some sort of way. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Anise had started to walk away from him and the wolf. Despite this feeling he knew that going with her was the best thing at the moment. He had swatted at Reus playfully to stop licking and started to follow the princess. "Hey Anise, hold up!"

Water gurgled and glimmered in Anise's blue light. Tall grasses swayed, and critters rushed away from her feet into burrows and under roots. All around the forest buzzed, creaked, hissed and croaked with the sounds of night. A breeze sighed in the leaves overhead; blue reflections shimmered.

Simon would see a different scene through his one eye: gray shadows moved, ethereal, between the trees. Like smoke, they formed and then dissipated, never still. The gray spirits followed alongside the trio, keeping pace, always just outside the reach of the blue light.

One of those shadows glowed brighter and bluer than the others. Simon would recognize that spirit, even though its shape was nonexistent: Tyaelaem was following them.

Spirit flowers grew plentiful among the grasses where Anise and Simon walked. To Anise they were barely noteworthy, but to Simon they shimmered a white-golden blue.

Reus walked a bit behind Simon, steadily watching the soothsayer with bright yellow eyes.

The lantern light dimmed. For a moment, Anise and Simon were left in near-darkness. The water gurgled beside them.

A winged shadow crossed overhead, momentarily blocking the starlight. The gryphon disappeared again over the treeline, toward the mountain.

After a moment the lantern brightened again, showing the way ahead clear and blue. It reflected oddly on something metallic, coppery and stained with lichen.



In the dark, sitting on a stone at the edge of the trees, was a robot or a sculpture of one. It had been there for many years without moving. It was carved with runes much like those from the clockwork trees.

Simon would sense a hollowness about that robot -- that something was missing inside it.

Anise would see something floating on the water ahead: a small boy in a frog mask stood on a raft, pushing it along with a bamboo pole. He stopped when he caught sight of the lantern's light, and he stood silently on the moving raft, watching Anise.

Should Anise peer into his mind with the lantern, she would find that he was not angry nor afraid -- Anise was wearing a mask, after all, and to the boy she was merely a Kith in a funny dress.

"Where you goin'?" he called out, in a tone that indicated he thought she was lost. He burped and reached under his mask to scratch his nose.


After awhile, the platform faded again. Without human touch it was only something very old and very weathered, overgrown with twisting roots and lichen, illuminated softly by the lantern's steady red glow.

The tree ticked and tocked.

"Are you in need of assistance, My Lady?" The voice was that of an energetic old man, but there was no one around.

And then, when Artemis turned her head, he was standing in a place that had been empty a moment ago. This was indeed a grinning old man with a beard and a mustache and receding gray hair, wearing beat-up old armor that was painted with sloppy runes. He was illuminated oddly by the red light, and it was never clear where his eyes were focused.



"Perhaps I may be of service."


Grayce awoke on a rotted wooden floor, in the belly of a rotted ship. It was quiet and dim. Peaceful. The floor did not move; the ship was beached and still.

A cool night breeze flowed in through splintered holes in the walls, bringing with it the sound of lapping water outside.

At the center of the room was the wide, twisting trunk of a great white tree. Its roots -- some half as tall as Grayce herself -- had spread winding throughout the floor and walls. The sagging ship appeared to be held upright by the strength of these roots.

A white light glowed softly from within the tree, shining through a natural hollow at the base of the trunk where the roots met. Something was ticking and clinking steadily inside.

For someone with such a small stature as Grayce, it would be easy to crawl inside the huge tree if she wished -- and if she did, she might see a brightly illuminated system of cogs and gears and springs and thread that spun and crisscrossed and clanked and pinged in complicated succession. It was a masterpiece of complicated clockwork machinery that stretched on and on to the top of the trunk, where the source of the white light shone steadily.

Artemis gasped and spun to see the old man (hadn't that space been empty just a moment ago?). A slender hand shot up to her chest to still her heart, while the other tightened its hold on her makeshift staff. The haunting red light from the lantern cast skeletal shadows over the man's face and his armor glinted crimson.

Her eyes darted over him as his reedy voice cut through the forest's sounds. At first glance, he reminded her of the retired soldiers in the Valley – faded old knights who wore their aged chivalry and propriety like their armor. Not as sharp as they'd once been, but still nothing to scoff at. Artemis' mind drifted back to the curious way this man had so silently materialized out of nowhere. No, there was more to him than rusted metal and unkempt hair. And in a place where the trees ticked like clockwork and the metal glowed like moonlight, she knew better than to underestimate a stranger.

"Excuse me," she said looking down a bit and then back up at him in embarrassment, "I hadn't expected to meet anyone here and had nearly reached my wit's end." This was technically true. She gave a shy smile and a slight lift of her shoulder.

If he was this close to her, then he'd likely heard her curse – something quite inappropriate for a lady. He knew how she spoke, which was a shame. It meant she couldn't use an accent. Artemis did love a good accent. Plus they did wonders for getting people to perceive her a certain way. Oh well. The Knight and Lady game was one she'd been born to. She'd manage.

"But thank you very much for your offer, Sir," she said with a curtsy, one hand on her skirt with the other holding her staff upright. When she rose again, she greeted him with a smile. "You are too kind and I am too fortunate."

Artemis readjusted her grip on her staff, feeling the soft moss beneath her fingers, and pointed up to the glowing lantern.

"I would like to retrieve that lantern."

What she would've liked was to know where the hell she was and how she'd gotten there, but Artemis knew better than to lead with what she was really looking for. No, best to get him talking on his own and figure out what she could. Plus… Artemis glanced over her shoulder at the lantern, and its steady glow. She turned back to the old man and looked down in a mix between a nod and a bow.

"If you'd please."