Just a little bit more. This waste of time would fall soon. Renar yanked his poleaxe out of the wooden serpent's body as his charge reached its apex, halting briefly atop the snake's head. No heartbeat here. Unfortunate, easy as that would be. Nevertheless, he prepared to jam the spearhead of his poleaxe into the serpentine wood that passed for a skull, if only to keep the construct further off balance.

Or at least he would have, if the snake didn't choose just then to rear up, leaving Renar scrambling to latch onto a spike of wood with his free hand. From this vantage point, he could see the serpent launching multitudes of magical orbs in the air. And to this, he...stayed exactly where he was. After all, it stood to reason that the creature wasn't stupid enough to hit itself with them.

Once the attacks died down and the dust settled, Renar looked towards the ground, taking note of both Fionn and Gertrude's spells both completing. Judging by the trajectory, neither were aiming for the upper section of the snake. Good. He'd stay up here, just in case either of them missed the heart. Renar slung his poleaxe up over his back and began to clamber upward, reaching the head of the snake once more in short order. From here, he drew his weapon again and plunged it into where one of the eye sockets was, watching intently to try to detect the movement of the heart should it try to flee up here.

Mentally noting Ser Caulder as fine enough, Rolan was focusing his attention on the unconscious Aessyr in his grasp right now, gentle as he was being. It didn't take long to be joined by the one who had asked for their help, who was quick to try and rouse her friend rather than allowing him to continue getting the worst of the grime and ichor off the unconscious one, and a sinking feeling in his gut began to mount. Rousting someone unconscious was the realm of smelling salts and the like, but anything in his kit was meant for a fully grown adult. Even treating a child was easier since one could reasonably estimate how much to reduce a treatment by, but an Aessyr that literally fit into the palm of his hand? A few drops at most, which even then seemed excessive, and he was about to answer Ser Gerard's request for her condition negatively when she started waking up, almost missed due to how slight it was. "Seems she is coming to, fortunately."

Given he was preoccupied with the two Aessyr, Rolan had to let the others handle watching for trouble or something else coming into the clearing to investigate the sound of combat and noise. The tearful reunion going on in his hands made him feel a touch awkward, he never was one for wearing one's heart on their sleeve, and it kind of left him unable to respond quickly should something come up. He didn't have the lack of heart to interrupt the two Aessyr, however, not at this juncture when there was no overt threat, or even anything he could sense hiding in the underbrush. Of course he was wrong, but at the appearance of the clearly fae hunter, his instinct was to move one of his hands to his blades, or satchel, but given the circumstances he made no such move. The hunter could have struck any one of them down should he have wanted to, and casually wielding a great bow as he did meant that armor might not have put up as much of a fight as one might hope.

Tall, well built, incredibly underdressed but that could be overlooked given the whole 'being a fae' fact. His tone commanded presence in the woods they were currently in, addressing them as children of men and speaking that he was hunting the abomination they slew. Convenient that he didn't reveal himself until after his prey was dead, but he wasn't going to attempt to puzzle out the thought process of a fae. Possibly waiting to see how they collectively responded to the Aessyr fished from the remains of the Gannek in case they proved hostile to the fae overall as well, that made sense from a certain perspective. A shared enemy did not make for allies, and landing a killing shot when the fight was up close and pitched as it was took a steady hand. Doubly so when trying to not injure swallowed fae, so he did not question or even bring up the wait to reveal himself until after the hunt was done. "We did as we were asked, free the Aessyr from the thing's guts. Hunting the creature down in the process makes the woods better for all parties with a vested interest in it's health."

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

Fleuri Jodeau

As the serpent's upper body bloomed, Fleuri, having been situated just behind where the base of where it split apart, was struck by the expanding wood and knocked back towards the rear of the snake. He didn't seem to be injured, but it did knock him off his feet.

Never thought I'd get backhanded by a plant, he thought to himself as he pulled himself to his feet and and realigned his helmet's eye slit. He quickly realized that the blow was a stroke of good fortune, for it had knocked the knight away from the path of the magical projectiles being expelled towards those still in front of it.

The others were striking at the front, so Fleuri would attack the rear part. He lunged forward and swung his sword horizontally into the serpent's bark skin, intent on slicing through and leaving the creature with a long gash. If the heart wasn't where he struck, he hoped that he'd at least be able to discern which direction- forward or back- the heartbeat was coming from.

Gerard Segremors

@Eisenhorn@VitaVitaAR

"As he says." Gerard affirmed, tone even, measured. A big step in the right direction that this newcomer appeared before them openly, hiding neither his weapons nor his intent, as far as he could read— all points worth noting. Feeling how the air shifted and the trees sang when this gangly newcomer spoke, there was little doubt in Gerard's mind that, had this figure the intent, one or more of their number would be dead before they'd known their first battle had lured another to their midst. "We were met with a plea for help from one who was in need, and as Knights of the Iron Rose have a duty to answer."

He inclined his head and shoulders, sure to nod a little lower, if only just. He did not want to compromise his stance yet, nor was he in the presence of royalty or the Knight-Captain fully invoking Command— but there was the overwhelming sense that he was within another's territory, and, with nothing by way of food left to offer as he had Aithne... this was the respect he could show.

"I do apologize for the intrusion upon your Hunt, regardless."

Taking a few slow steps to his right, he slowly reached up to remove his helmet, revealing his wild coal locks, scarred face, and golden eyes most importantly to the new fae entity's view. Windows to the soul, mirrors to one's intent, the lupine knight would do what he could to return the courtesy of "showing himself".

By no accident, though, did he also end up between the tall, ethereally refined, antlered hunter and the rest of his peers. He couldn't simply say his goodbyes to all the fae present and have the knights be on their merry way, no matter how much he wanted to— and he really, really did. As glad as he was that everything so far had been a positive interaction, and that they had saved the second Aessyr, he still had little desire to involve himself with the dealings of the Fae of these woods any more than he needed to...

"You were hunting that beast. Might you hold wardenship over these woods, stranger?"

They were still here for a reason in the first place. The grey man bore himself with import in more than stature alone— his address of them, his stated desire, his resonance with the woods, all pointed to him being a key figure in the area. Not quite his image of a "Moonlit Queen", but even so...

"Our purpose in coming here was in response to a similar call for aid, before we were met with little Aithne," he explained, resting the helm in the crook of his elbow. "It is one of our kin who needs it, as it happens. The Duke Thedric of the keep at the Wood's feet, stricken by madness and mentioning a 'Moonlit Queen' repeatedly. If you've any insight on such matters, I thank you for sharing it."

The air itself sizzled.

Sir Fionn's efforts had paid off.

The brilliant light tore across the clearing and cleaved apart the wood that remained in the path of the serpent construct's heart. For a moment, it was exposed, then fully ripped free of its confines. Indeed, the branches composing the serpent had twisted inwards, gripped the throbbing, green mass shaped much like a human heart, and thrown it free from the body in an effort to escape its fate.

But its response was far too slow.

The magical energy hurled forth from Sir Fionn's blade struck it squarely and tore it cleaning in two. For a moment, it was suspended in the air, cut apart by light, as its own energy faded and the emerald tones dulled.

Then it came to pieces, shattering like glass.

The upper half of the massive serpent twisted for a moment, suddenly sharpening into an innumerable number of points and raising upwards---

Only to be blasted open, torn apart by Lady Gertrude's efforts, her Dragonstar shearing through the wooden serpent's flower-like upper body and bringing its final attack to a an explosive halt, splitting open its form and sending its halves bowing sideways.

Fanilly lowered her blade, taking a deep breath.

"... Good work," she said, after a few moments, though she did not yet sheath her sword. While the enormous construct had been defeated, something still felt incredibly strange in the air. She couldn't simply let her guard down, she had to be ready to move, to issue commands, "It appears to be dead, but---"

"The magical energy hasn't faded, you know," Lord Arken interjected, his staff raised "Simply because the construct isn't moving doesn't mean..."

He trailed off, lowering his staff.

The wooden serpent was no longer moving. The green light had left it.

However---

Life hadn't.

Portions of its body had twisted free of the mass, rooting themselves back into the earth as they once had.

Branches that drooped suddenly seemed sturdier, spreading, green leaves sprouting from the split and torn form.

New greenery covered the wicked gouges left behind by their assault, a verdant, living, yet bizarrely-shaped tree now standing before them.

As its branches raised and life returned to them, small buds appeared. Their petals parted all at once, as if the knights were watching the natural spectacle unfold sped up hundreds of times.

The great, strange tree that had moments about been their enemy was now covered in innumerable white blossoms.

"... It's faded," Lord Arken commented, finally, lowering his staff, "At least, insofar as can be expected in a place like this."

It was strange, really. Despite the enormous serpent having been a foe of considerable danger, now it was simply a strange, yet beautiful centerpiece to the clearing that perhaps held the entrance to the Moonlit Queen's realm. To Fanilly's eyes, it almost appeared as if they were looking upon a tree covered in stars. She didn't recognize the flowers. Did they exist anywhere else?

"... Now that the guardian has been dealt with, presuming we've found the location, now all we need to do is find assistance so we can get inside," the Knight-Captain said, after a scant few moments of silence, "Given what's left of the serpent, I don't think we should have a difficult time finding it again."

With that being said, she still wasn't certain about how they'd locate a fae or a group of fae able and willing to let them enter the Moonlit Queen's fae realm.

But they were far closer now then when they'd started.

@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@Crimson Paladin@Octo@The Otter

---

Silence filled the forest, as the tall fae hunter's initial response was merely to silently regard the knights in term. His green gaze traced along their forms swiftly, taking in each knight and lingering somewhat longer upon Sir Gerard's face.

But they lingered longest on the tiny shapes of the two aessyr, Enfys now managing to weakly return the tearful Aithne's embrace.

"---I see. Then I must thank you again, children of men," the fae hunter responded, "For preserving the life of our little sister."

He paused for a moment, clearly to consider Sir Gerard's request. By now, his stance had become casual, the bow still in his hand but held low and at his side.

His eyes narrowed briefly at the mention of a 'Moonlit Queen'.

He was silent for a considerable amount of time.

"While I would have enjoyed the hunt, you actions to bring the abomination to its end warrant consideration," he said, at last, "While I am among this forest's protectors, I am not the one you must speak to."

He turned, beckoning towards the deeper forest with his free hand.

"My lady shall hear your request."

@HereComesTheSnow@Eisenhorn

"Oh, that's great," Tyaethe said, armour gone and vampire darting over to inspect Fionn with a grin, "It's been too long since we had somebody throwing around magic blasts from their sword and the like, it just never feels right without some of that, you know? There was Elly, and Ed, and Parv…"

The vampire's rambling stopped, hands reaching out and pulling Fionn's sword down to inspect closely. At least it wasn't quiet for long, Fiadh had freed herself from her safe little bunker and flung her weight on the former mercenary's back with a cheery, "Yay!"

"That was very impressive, darling, I didn't know you'd take to everything so fast! Oh, to think you're so talented…" It was probably a bit awkward, all the Niyar's weight hanging from his shoulders while she did her best cat impression against Fionn's head.

"You broke your sword a little," Tyaethe noted, tapping the metal adornments on the hilt. What had previously been golden and shiny was now looking distinctly melted, with all sorts of interesting and oddly translucent bubbles ruining its previous symmetry. That was nothing compared to the smoking ruins of the runework, blackened and slightly steaming if one were to listen closely. Probably how the shortsighted girl had even noticed it to start with.

Rolan allowed Ser Gerard to say his piece as he listened and observed the fae hunter, noting that they were focusing back on their original goal for being here to begin with. His fellow knight had a better grasp on how to speak with and negotiate with the fae, his dealings with business prior to finding a place among the Knights was often hunting those who either broke the law or otherwise took advantage of those who could not protect themselves. Negotiating the restoration of a man's mind after unknown trespasses against some 'Moonlit Queen', even after earning an audience with 'his lady' as the fae hunter mentioned, was a bit further beyond his capabilities. Still, he had an obligation to see this through and he couldn't let his fellows left hanging in the breeze, as it were, and he stood, still carefully holding the two Aessyr. "Aithne, Enfys, we are about to depart. Would you prefer to rest longer, and come along, or do you have other preferences?"

Rolan did not intend to simply dump the two Aessyr on a flower or something and leave them to their devices, and given how slowly Enfys seemed to be recovering, perhaps a meeting with this Moonlit Queen would benefit them as well. Besides, having witnesses to the rescue efforts, doubly so when they had made no request for reward in return, might provide them some manner of consideration that would not otherwise exist. Assuming that very consideration wasn't being used to even gain a meeting with the Moonlit Queen, or however the hunter's Lady preferred to be addressed, but that was a bridge to be burned later. For now they had a destination, a way to progress the order's efforts in the area, though they would not be able to split any of their number off to go inform the bulk of their number. Assuming they were still, somehow, sitting idly in place entertaining a madman. Something he greatly doubted.

"Then we can depart immediately, if nothing else reporting this hunt concluded should not be postponed and I would not wish to keep your Lady waiting." Rolan hoped that Ser Gerard had some hidden savvy at negotiation, or perhaps Dame Yael or Ser Caulder might prove deft experts at such things. Otherwise he would have to rely on his experiences, and those were a massively far cry from dealing with the Fae. If he could, he would have surrendered his position here to allow Ser Fionn to take the forefront of the impending negotiations. Then again, if hope solved all the world's problems none of them would be needed for their martial prowess. He would have to carry this out to the best of his abilities, and handle the backlash of any missteps from there. By their combined efforts they might come up with a tenable agreement to free the Duke's mind from the grips of madness.

@HereComesTheSnow@VitaVitaAR

Gerard Segremors

@Eisenhorn@VitaVitaAR

He closed his eyes for a moment, and let a slow breath out through the nose. He’d not meant to hold it in, of course, but he was nonetheless forced to reckon with how much the scope of their “forward scouting investigation” had crept out and expanded. In many circumstances, the knight would have gladly lifted his hands in defeat, made some assertion that being a forward arm of the Iron Rose in endeavors of diplomacy “still far beyond his pay grade”, and slunk away to the aft of their number while the better-schooled talking heads worked what magic they could. Perhaps literally, given who they’d be dealing with.

A moment later, he opened them again, to glance back at his peers as they steadily reassembled behind, the reunited Enfys and Aithne in tow. Then green was met with gold once more.

”Agreed. We would be remiss to spurn the invitation, especially when we seek wisdom beyond our means. Lead on, friend.”

But there was nobody to really hide behind now— and it was high time he stepped up to the plate, if he really was serious about embodying the old stories.There were as many legends of knights as courtly envoys, making overtures for guidance and hospitality from afar, as there were slain dragons.

As they began to walk, he finally returned his sword to its’ sheath. This was a battle he would not win with it anywhere else.

The longer they walked, the odder the forest seemed. It was difficult to tell if this was simply a portion of the forest that was particularly affected by fae magics, or if they had, at some point, strayed into one of the very fae realms they had been tasked with trying to infiltrate.

They air seemed odd. A slight tingle on the skin of the assembled knights, though not a wholly unpleasant sensation. Rather, it almost evoked the feeling of the summer sunlight, on a particularly clear and fresh day. The foliage seemed greener, here, but also somewhat strange. It was as if it had grown in an arranged fashion, two rows of tall, white trees flanking their approach as they were lead by the fae hunter.

The trees were broken, now, by figures of equal height to the hunter. They were cloaked in black, standing out in sharp contrast against the white trees surrounding the path. What features they possessed were shrouded, but in their hands they gripped spears that appeared to be hewn from the same darkness as their cloaks.

It was difficult to tell how long the procession of armed fae was.

But at its end was a throne of wood. Not a throne carved from wood, but a throne grown from wood. It was a single, continuous piece, rooted to the spot and adorned with leaves that grew from it naturally.

Most striking was the figure seated upon it.

She had fair skin, and was nearly as tall as the hunter and the cloaked figures, herself. Her near-black hair was straight, pouring down her back, and she was possessed of fine, elegant facial features and blue eyes. Emerging from her forehead and parting her bangs, were a pair of horns that appeared almost as if they were grown from dark wood.

Her body was possessed of a generous figure, clad in flowing, shimmering robes of greens and blues, and she cocked her head lightly at the approach of the hunter, the knights, and the aessyr.

The hunter swiftly knelt.

"Faolan."

The female fae on the throne spoke in a clear, firm voice, addressing the hunter.

"You bring before me children of men. While I bear no ill will towards them, I do wonder what your intention is."

Dame Yael was the first to kneel. Sir Caulder followed quickly after, deferring respect to the fae lady in the throne.

"My lady," Faolan replied, "These children of men slew the Gannek that threatened to devour our little sisters."

A cry of "it's true!" could be heard, from Aithne as she continued to embrace the slowly-recovering Enfys.

"I thought it best to grant their desire to meet you, my lady, in light of their deed."

The fae lady cocked her head once more, bringing her hand to her chin.

"Is that so? How interesting," she commented, "Well then, why did you wish to meet me, children of men? If it is a frivolous desire, I may not appreciate it. Or perhaps, I shall be impressed by your boldness?"

A smirk crossed her lips.

@HereComesTheSnow@Eisenhorn

Gerard Segremors

@Eisenhorn@VitaVitaAR

As their guide chauffeured the quartet through the impossibly green depths of the old wood and he felt the change in the air, Gerard fell largely silent, measuring his breath save for the odd grunt of discovery, maybe wonder. The deeper they delved, the thicker the forest grew with a sense of primordial life— like his Sunlit Lady’s warm rays on the morning, building into a strong summer’s day. His eyes, gliding over the canopy, began to notice more and more of an ordained pattern emerging in the fold of the leaves, the split of each branch, and the slow rise of the trunks.

He reached down to his belt, with that hand still free of his helm, and quietly released the latch on the sheath affixing it to his hip, electing to carry it as the trees melted from a forest to an oaken hall, pillars on either side stretching into a full archway high overhead.

And like shadows against the pillars of marble wood, they were too flanked by countless lines of black-armored warriors, a royal guard each as prodigiously sized as the fae ahead of him, wielding spears of pitch. He imagined being stabbed by them to in many ways be so very like those his old furor always tore into his heart with. Lucky they had come here on peaceful, amiable terms. Even without making considerations for keeping those behind him less suited for the task alive, the gritty and determined knight, stubborn in the face of death by anyone’s measure, still scarcely liked his prospective chances against even a third of the number that encompassed them as they walked—

He took in a deep breath, and expelled even the idlest of such musings. At the head of the hall he could see the great throne, grown from the earth like any one of these grand trees, and the hunter’s Lady upon it. She was pale, striking, statuesque to the point of perhaps being carved from marble more than flesh. Her face was fine and her figure full, the way such statues were. Her curtains of black hair seemed to ripple as she shifted, her dark stag’s horns like lacquered wood. Her eyes were deep sapphires, deeper even than the blues of the robes she wore, flanked by forest green trim. They met his for a moment as they approached, and he found himself glad he had cleared his mind such. Windows to the soul being what they were, in that instant he believed she had found much of the measure in his gold before he could scratch the surface of the blue.

An enchanting beauty as any he’d seen in his meager twenty one years. A silhouette that burned herself into his mind as an eternal memory— and yet, his heart could not bring itself to leap. She was no doubt fae… and no doubt, the master of this territory. She was too almost the size of her kin, and the throne itself already towered over them.

Yet, as she spoke her first words of address, naming their guide as “Faolan” in that clear and strong voice, the knight couldn’t help but feel an echo of Thrinax in the way her presence seemed to swallow the room, even beyond their differences in scale. He was a man before a storm.

And he, taking the front, had signed up to make their entreaties to the hurricane of the old wood. No pressure, big guy….

Slow and deliberate, he set his sword down to one side and his helmet to the other, before he, last of their number in it, dropped to a knee, steeled his nerve once more for surety’s sake, and spoke.

“I trust that will be for you to know and us to find out. For now, we are contented with the honor of meeting you, fair Lady— and we wish not to waste your time.” he began, speaking clear enough for the hall at large to hear his low and even tone. His hands, freed of the steel they had carried, rested clasped upon his knee. The finer flowering on his words was thanks to his time in the dream, but he could not yet readily embody Cyrus’s lessons on loosening up and being friendlier here. Not before he had properly shown respect, for what that may have mattered to these famously capricious folk. ”We sought audience so we may be enlightened as to the nature of the madness that has struck the sitting lord of Brennan Keep, Duke Thedric, at the foot of these woods. Our order was called here to aid in that pursuit— and when we arrived, his ramblings were incoherent save for the repeated mention of a figure called the ‘Moonlit Queen’. In investigating the trail out of the keep, we heard and answered Aithne’s call for aid. That lead us to the Gannek, which lead Faolan to us, and now he has kindly lead us to you.”

He inclined his head, humbly as he could. Reon, Mayon, Dame Serenity, anyone who had taught him how to choose his words with care in his life… he begged they guide his tongue.

”Be there any guidance, or insight, you might be able to grant us regarding this matter, my fellows and I would be most grateful. This affliction appears something beyond the ken of us Children of Men.”

He tried to fight the urge to look her in the eyes once more.

He really did, yet…

Up two golden disks came, hiding no intent.

The good news was it seemed the surroundings were confirming they were heading firmly into fae territory, whether it was influenced or just their realm completely was beyond what Rolan could determine. The bad news was he was walking, quite contrarily, headlong against any and all advice and warnings he had received throughout his life in regards to dealing with the Fae, that being simply don't. Well, one person had instructed him on their usefulness if you could keep your end of a bargain, but that was not a man he ever intended to take life lessons from so that was safely ignored. He had to question the decisions he took in life that led to this moment, but all the questions in the world would not change what was to come next, so he kept his mind on the task at hand, as best he could at any rate.

Everything was natural, of course, but it was the wrong kind of natural. Everything was incredibly uniform and closely controlled, despite having none of the signs of man made tools or keeping of the area, it lacked the crudeness of even the most skilled of gardener's reliance on tools. It also all felt wrong, and the worse part was it wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but it was very much wrong, something he latched onto to keep him focused. Keeping himself focused on the task at hand was good, as the shadowy guards stepped out, cloaked and armed with darkness. Fortunately not the hungry kind of darkness, but it was a small comfort given they were at the complete mercy of the hunter's Lady. One of them might be able to slip the hunt should the rest fall in exchange, but that would be a dire prospect should it come to that, and if fortune held it would not be necessary.

The throne was something Rolan suspected more than a few he had met would covet greatly, a single grown piece rather than assembled or insulted with being forced into shape. This had been simply grown as such, in a way that let nature itself, such as it bent the knee here as well, adorn it with a natural form of beauty. Though most would not be looking at the throne, given the Fae ruler that seated herself upon it. True to the stories, stunning beauty that threatened to sear itself into his memory forever should he allow it. He appreciated those who were attractive, he had done so prior, but he knew better than to even entertain the beginnings of such musings here. The sooner they were done, the sooner they could be back among the normal woods, even if they were just a bit more unremarkable now that he was party to what they could have done to them with a deft will.

Rolan was third to kneel, though he was last in the procession of knights, still carefully holding the two Aessyr as to not rock the one who was still recovering, deferring to Ser Gerard as he began to speak far more properly given the circumstances. What he knew of diplomacy and the like was learned discussing contracts for those who had bounties on their heads, even with local authorities in a village or town it was very transactional. Even as old lessons crept up at the back of his mind, they were purely for the purpose of gaining every advantage one could and giving as little as possible. Not ideal for this situatio neither, but he would back Ser Gerard in his diplomatic efforts, though unlike him his gaze was level, staring at nothing when he spoke. He lacked the finer polish that Ser Gerard showed in his own words, and was far more direct, but he would not let a fellow stand alone, be it in combat or diplomacy.

"I suspect the Duke has transgressed, knowingly or not I cannot say with certainty, rather recently before the sudden onset of his complete loss of wits. The sooner our order can determine the transgression, the sooner we can do what is in our means to make it right to restore his mind."

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

Gertrude let out a loud sigh as their foe faded, remaining nominally on guard until its remains rearranged themselves and blossomed with small white flowers. She supposed it was pretty, in a way, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. She scowled as she trounced up to Fionn and got in the lout's face.

"You daft shite," she practically spat, "you could have gotten yourself killed. If either Fiadh or I had been slightly off, there was a good chance you would have exploded or bled to death. Natural result of your glory-hounding like the prat you are, but less than ideal for the employer you claim to care for."

Gertrude looked towards Fanilly, and then back to Fionn.

"Well, she won't tell you, so I will. If circumstances take a turn for the nasty, cancel the damn spell and keep your distance. Do not walk slowly towards the raining green orbs of pure energy. I had the shot anyways, and I was in very little danger. I had the shot because you steel-swinging buffoons got it for me. There's a time and a place for your new magic sword bullshite, and you need to learn to pick them better."

Not, of course, that Gertrude even cared about anyone here. She probably just wanted to yell at Fionn some, because he got on her nerves.

---

It wasn't surprising that he didn't even get a moment to catch his breath before Fiadh and Tyaethe were both on him—literally, in the one case—though he would've hoped for at least a moment more to stand back up and inspect the damage himself. Alas, that was not meant to be, with the pair bolting towards him to chat about what he'd just done. The thin trail of smoke coming off of his blade made it clear that he'd exceeded anything their smith had prepped it for, anyways, without having to look...and he could feel that the balance was off in his hand.

"Ach. Ardor's gonna kill me." He'd left the sword with the dwarf just before he and Tyaethe left to go hunting giant boars, so it had been modified by the smith's expert hands to account for where his skills and prowess had been. Not to account for running into Fiadh again, or the entire time they'd spent training in Merilia's other world. The orichalc had been burnt out beyond use, the pommel and guard deforming as well...he was lucky the grip hadn't burnt away or disintegrated under his fingers.

Of course, that luck couldn't continue, as Gertrude came intent to give him a dressing down he hadn't gotten since he'd still been a mercenary.

No doubt, the growing grin on his face wouldn't do anything to make her happier about it all.

He stood, brushed some of the dust off of himself, be it ashes from the enchanted beast, from his burnt-out runework, or just some of the dirt, before putting his blade back in its scabbard. "Aye, well, then it's a good thing I could trust the two of you, isn't it?" he replied, completely calm in the face of her stormy mood. "Would you like a hug, now that you've assured yourself I'm okay enough to start yelling at me?"

The forest was silent, as the Fae woman inclined her head to the side and quietly listened to the words of the Knights before her. Sir Caulder and Dame Yael hadn't quite expected Sir Gerard to take the lead in explaining things, but nevertheless they didn't stop him.

Perhaps they thought he was doing a good job, or perhaps they wanted to gauge the fae woman's reaction before trying to elaborate. Or perhaps it was both.

The only show of any sort of reaction before Sir Gerard and Sir Rolan finished speaking was the slight narrowing of her eyes at the mention of the 'Moonlit Queen'.

It was hard to tell way she allowed their words to hang in the air for quite some time once they were done with their explanation. Perhaps she was deep in through, or perhaps her silence was simply to make them worry. When it came to the fae, it was difficult to tell what their motives could be at times.

After a pause, her lips parted.

"The Moonlit Queen, you say?"

There was the slightest edge to her tone that hadn't been there before.

"Such a title is one favored by many of our kind, Children of Men," she began, "You worship the Lady in the Moon, but for us it is the moonlight itself that we adore. To be illuminated by moonlight, even when its pale face is not visible, is considered by many fae to be a symbol of status."

The resplendent woman leaned forward.

"In this forest, there is only a single fae of the Unseelie Court who has taken such a title. She is the only one who both desires it, and has the power to dissuade any others from trying to assert that they are so illuminated as well. She doesn't approve of those who try to take it for themselves, nor does she approve of many things that do not go her way."

Her sapphire gaze fixed firmly on Sir Gerard's gold, now.

Perhaps it was a prelude to what she was about to say. To gauge the way in which the knight who had taken the role of explaining their cause would react to the words she would speak next.

"This forest's Moonlit Queen is my elder sister, Children of Men."

@HereComesTheSnow@Eisenhorn

Gerard Segremors

@Eisenhorn@VitaVitaAR

"Your elder sister." he repeated slowly. Like with many things, perhaps one of the most important details in this conversation had come from an offhand mention, a slip of the tongue rather than any direct probing on the Knights' end— they were indeed dealing with members of the Unseelie Court. He didn't have terribly exhaustive knowledge of them, but he was certain of one thing— ironically enough, the uncompromising uncertainty that threw into any attempt at diplomacy or reason. That, plus the idea of somebody more powerful than the presence before him was...

It was his turn to slightly narrow his eyes, as he searched, searched, asking earnest questions of the impenetrable sapphire set upon that splendid visage. She was hard to read or guess at already, even with them staring at eachother this way. What was her intent— with the cards so close to the chest, he was all but swimming biind.

"I would hate to drive a wedge between family, or have that disapproval fall onto such a gracious host as yourself. Given how you've described her, I should ask immediately: Would entreating your assistance in this endeavor be asking you to act against her wishes? And if so..."

His gaze held. He did not, and could not, wilt. If he let her pressure swallow him, the unknowable mind behind those lustrous eyes would surely carve him up like a birthday cake until he danced to her tune— and as far as he knew, such would be getting off easy. How very characteristic of him to take the hardest path possible, and start his foray into Talking To People like this.

"... Is there a way we may parlay with her directly, rather than cause you undue trouble?"

Even all that said, he still needed to be a gracious guest, and not ask her to move heaven and earth if that was what he was unwittingly pushing towards. Walking the edge of the knife or not, he would do what he could with the elements under his control— and right now, that was his clarity in communicating. He had no wish see his mission forge an ordeal or a punishment for another, especially if they were already returning a favor.

The serpent was dead, none of his own side were dead, and the clearing was peaceful again. Just another day in the charmed life of an Iron Rose Knight. While he still would have preferred wheeling and dealing backroom politics, Renar couldn't deny that there were perks to this life beyond just the prestige.

After all, without all the free and effective training he'd gotten just for being fortunate enough to be arbitrarily picked by the Knight-Captain these past few months, the Renar of but half a year ago would most certainly be dead by this point. Or at least gravely wounded.

"This sword-swinging buffoon would appreciate a touch of gratitude for creating that opening for you." Renar had walked closer towards the others just in time to pick up the gist of the conversation, deciding to smarmily chime in. Because why not rile the arrogant little mage up some more? "Unless you'd like to have a go at holding a beast's attention yourself next time. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?" It was funny. With that said, he clapped a hand on Fionn's shoulder briefly before moving on to business.

"Right, then. Now for the matter at hand: how exactly do we find more fae? I confess I find the idea of simply going around broadcasting our intentions until someone deigns to answer to be somewhat inefficient." And undignified. But if that was what it took...

Fleuri Jodeau

The battle was over and the arboreal monster was felled. They weren't any closer to finding the Moonlit queen, but a serious threat to the people of Thaln had been dealt with, and the Knights could resume their search unimpeded. Renar was expressing concern about just how they'd go about doing that, however. He had a point- even with mages on their side, searching the woods was an inefficient method.

"Lady Gertrude, Lord Arken, is there anything from the remains of that serpent monster that could help direct us in the right direction?" He didn't know much about magic, but perhaps a mage might be able to glean some useful information from the creature's husk?

Rolan waited as the Fae woman considered their words. Ser Caulder and Dame Yael were probably gauging how well Ser Gerard was doing in discussing matters with the Fae woman who held sway over this particular holding, however large or small it may truly be. The only response that could be even gleaned from the woman was a narrowing of the eyes, however slight, at the mention of the title the Duke prattled on about, and he silently wondered whether or not he should be ready to move. Fortunately for all of them she was not going to simply take open offense to the mention, though he was concerned by the explanation as it went on. He wouldn't call himself faithful of any sort, but that was quibbling over details that would not benefit the explanation at hand so he kept his mouth shut in that regard. The more they learned the less ideal the situation seemed to be, especially since any good faith they might have earned here would be unlikely to aid them in actually aiding the Duke beyond gathering a bit more information.

An Unseelie fae, elder sister of the woman in front of him, and was the only Fae of these woods that had both power and interest in controlling such a title for herself. That...was problematic, though he was starting to piece together a rather broad strokes possibility of what happened. The late night party that he never got an answer on the location of, the one prompting this little foray into the woods to find actual answers, likely trespassed on the Moonlit Queen's domain in the process, and offended her far more fickle sensibilities. Being struck mad for a perceived attempt at usurping her title as Moonlit would explain his state of being, an example for any who attempted to take her place, which meant to restore his mind it would take some sort of way of making matters right in her mind, which he could not come up with a good offering currently.

Ser Gerard was careful in how he broached the subject of parlaying with the Moonlit Queen, risky as that endeavor would no doubt be, and played to the rules of hospitality, at least as best as Rolan understood them. Perhaps the best they could learn here was the location of the Moonlit Queen and depart for her from there, or perhaps reconvene with the rest of the Order. Though given the circumstances, the longer the Duke remained mad, the worse the damage, mostly reputation and metaphorical, but he was no master of magic and there was a possibility it was doing real damage to the man. Either way it needed resolved sooner rather than later, but he couldn't go trying to rush anyone present, he knew that was unwise. "We would not want to cause any undue conflicts, and ideally resolve the matter that occurred between the Duke and your elder sister amicably."

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

For a few moments, the fae lady's expression was unreadable as she regarded the knights.

Did she dislike the idea of interfering with her elder sister? Did she consider it an insult? Was she perhaps considering how to send them away, or worse, to punish them for what she perceived as insolence?

For those scant few moments, as an eerie stillness filled the natural, unnatural fae glade, the future was impossible to predict.

Whatever span of time the silence occupied, it felt like an eternity passed.

And then---

It was broken.

A light, musical-sounding laugh filled the air. It grew louder, as the fae lady bent forward, holding her stomach.

She was its source.

The refined, beautiful fae could not help it, now, bursting out into laughter as she leaned back, completely incapable of containing her amusement. It carried on for several moments, the lady's laughter reaching its peak before slowly falling.

She wiped a tear from her eye with one elegant finger.

"Ah, forgive me, children of men," she said, taking a deep breath before continuing to speak, "I could not help myself, your reaction was far too amusing."

Her neat, straight hair had become somewhat disheveled, and she took a moment to brush it back and tidy her appearance before she spoke again.

"You misunderstand me. I do not take offense to your desire to interfere with my elder sister's affairs. In fact---"

She leaned forward, a smirk crossing her beautiful face.

"---I am intrigued. She stole the wits of one of your nobility, you say? How unsurprising, she has utterly dreadful manners."

The fae lady crossed her legs, leaning back.

"I shall gladly assist in your mission. That elder of sister of mine deserves nothing less."

What had begun as a simple scouting mission had seemingly paid off. The fae lady's relationship with her older sister appeared to be rather difficult, which was only an asset when it came to securing her assistance. Given her treatment by the other present fae, it was quite likely she was powerful enough to help penetrate the Moonlit Queen's fae realm and seek audience with her.

@Eisenhorn@HereComesTheSnow

---

The strange tree that had formerly been their enemy stood towering over the clearing, the faint breeze lightly rustling its leaves, and the star-like blue flowers that adorned it. Despite its newborn nature, it looked all the world as if it had stood there for centuries.

Fanilly had found her eyes on it once more. It almost seemed luminscent, but the sense of danger had entirely vanished. This had to be by design by the construct's creator. Fae did dwell out in nature, so maybe it was the product of a desire to simply return what was taken, in a way? The serpent was made from the trees nearby, after all.

The Knight-Captain tore her gaze from the new landmark.

"Lord Arken, er... is this the right place?" she asked. While the presence of a construct of considerable might such as that certainly implied they had found the right location, there were other fae in this forest. Fanilly just wasn't sure.

"I'm certain, at least. I doubt there would be any others, not with that niyar's assistance," he responded. He was regarding the tree quietly as well. Even if Fanilly herself couldn't truly sense it, she was certain something like that had to be putting off magical energy even if it wasn't a threat any longer.

She turned towards the others. Sir Renar had a point, it wasn't as if they could just go forward without any plan at all.

"I suspect we'll have to rely on Lord Arken, Lady Gertrude, and Lady Fiadh's direction in hopes of locating another fae who might be able to assist," she commented, not having any other guess at a possible solution. Now that they'd found what was most likely the location of the Moonlit Queen's fae realm, it was for the best they regrouped before continuing their search, however.

Before that---

"Er... I would ask if you were alright, Lady Gertrude, but I think..."

Fanilly trailed off. She'd tackled Lady Gertrude without thinking very much, in an effort to try and get her out of danger as quickly as possible. She didn't really know how well a mage like her could handle defending herself without much warning, but helping her had seemed like the right thing to do.

"I think you've already answered that question."

The fact she was yelling at Sir Fionn like that meant she was probably fine.

@Psyker Landshark@Crimson Paladin@The Otter@Octo@Raineh Daze