Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
The other alraune paused as Ione asked her to wait, and turned toward her curiously. Her brow raised in surprise at the offer to join the three of them on their journey, and she paid no heed to Ione's seemingly frightened reaction, instead placing a hand on her hip and turning toward Clarissa and Arthur as she said; "I could travel with you, but your other companions would have to agree to allow me along as well."
Arthur shrugged and replied; "I have no objection to your presence, though I we'll need a name to call you by." The other golden alraune smirked and replied; "Among the fae, I was known as Mandragora. You may call me that as well."
Clarissa scowled slightly, but simply nodded when Mandragora turned toward her. "I will not object so long as Arthur does not, and so long as you desire her to be here, Ione."
"Excellent! Well, now that that's settled, where are you headed?" She asked, beaming at Ione in the process. "We're going to Celesis." Arthur explained, but then went quiet as Mandragora seemingly ignored him completely.
Ione let out a small breath as the other alraune introduced itself. Her name was Mandragora apparently, an apt name for an Alraune she surmised, being the name of a blooming flower. 'A flower with purple blooms too' she briefly thought, fidgeting a little at Clarissa's scowl towards the other alraune. Ione was surprised at the demoness' acceptance of Mandragora to travel with them, almost sure she would have raised some ire at the company. She was glad she didn't... the plant girl did want to learn more about this particular plant girl after all, who was now staring straight at her with a beaming look. "Yes... Mandragora, we're off to this city of Celesis. I've never been, but Clarissa tells me it's a rather exciting place full of all sorts of people..."
The plant girl blinked for a moment, before letting out a eased laugh for once. "How silly of me... Mandragora let me introduce you to my companions. This beautiful demoness' is called by the name Clarissa, and this cute man over here goes by the name Arthur. As for myself, I am known by others as Ione... its a... um... pleasure... to meet you..." Ione stated, the tinges of her nervousness beginning to leak back into her voice. She gave Mandragora another glance before turning to give Clarissa an appreciative smile. She'd have to repay Clarissa's kindness later when she could, knowing she must be at least somewhat miffed at the other plant girl's presence.
With their newfound ally, Ione rejoined the others with Mandragora in tow as they rested a while longer before they would return to their trip. Taking up a spot near Clarissa, Ione left another next to her open, giving the other alraune a meek knowing glance to take up spot there. When she had or if she took up spot elsewhere, Ione would speak. "What brings you into these parts Mandragora? Alraune don't usually travel around here that much... kind of a reason I choose to live near hear actually... ah ha..." The plant girl said, taking a moment to fidget, scratching a small itch on her elven ears as well. "The few other non-alraune I've met though have always been glad to see a friendly face... some more so than others."
Ione blushed a little as she recalled a few times of such crossings, many of them still fresh on her mind. A lot of people had been appearing around these parts recently she could recall, though this was the first Alraune that had in many many seasons. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a coincidence for it, or if it was just a randomly high traveling time for some folks. Giving Mandragora her attention, Ione finally relaxed in the other alraune's company, as something about that beaming look she continued to give seemed to disarm her, even against the voice in the back of her head telling her not to give the other plant person an inch.
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
"Tis a pleasure to meet all of you." Mandragora replied, bowing in turn to Clarissa, then Arthur and finally to Ione as each name was given. Arthur and Clarissa gave surprisingly similar agreeing grunts, causing the two to glance at each other for a moment. Neither seemed to want to rest any further, and they quickly packed up their things and started on their way once more.
Mandragora took up the position offered to her by Ione immediately, walking beside the other golden bloom silently until she had finished speaking. "Oh, I like to wander. Tis something the fey left in me, I'm afraid. Along with quite a few other things, of course~!" She giggled for a moment to herself before continuing; "I have seen few other blooms here as well. I know of a colony nearby, though they are ruled by a number of the Ancients, and I have never been comfortable within thought-range of such beings."
Arthur interrupted; "Ancients? Thought range? What do those mean?" Mandragora smiled patiently at him and replied; "The Ancients are the most powerful form of us that can exist, though they have a not entirely undeserved reputation for being incredibly dangerous. The fey call them death trees, and I have heard mortals refer to them as black oaks. The thought range is the way I've come up with to describe the connection members of my kind share to outsiders. It is the distance at which we can join with the minds of one another. More powerful members of our kind, or the Ancients can reach for miles around, while the simpler creatures like the shorn weeds can only sense others within a few yards."
Arthur gave a thoughtful grunt, and began to pester Mandragora with questions as they traveled. The other alraune answered everything he had to ask frankly, though she became increasingly flirtatious the more they spoke. Clarissa quite obviously didn't like that one bit, the demoness constantly shooting glares in Mandragora's direction and growing slightly red around the ears. Arthur largely ignored or sidestepped the plant woman's flirtations, and that kept Clarissa mollified to some degree.
As such, Ione was largely the only one paying much attention to their surroundings as they traveled onwards, and they suddenly came upon a bridge crossing a wide, deep chasm. There was a wide rope bridge directly ahead of them that would take them across it, but as they approached a humongous golden skinned man stepped out of hiding. None of them had seen the troll where he'd been crouched, and as such they were barely more than ten feet away from the massive humanoid when he appeared, blocking their path to the bridge. Arthur, Clarissa and Mandragora stopped in place, and they held up a hand for Ione if she didn't stop on her own.
"Gotta pay the toll if you wanna cross the bridge." The troll grunted, and Ione got the distinct impression that it had uttered those words many times before. Mandragora blinked, and then said; "But... I am a friend of the courts! I don't need to p-"
She was cut off as the troll grunted; "Everyone pays the toll. No exceptions." Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Even you?" The troll blinked for a moment, and then nodded. "To who?" The behemoth scowled, and simply replied; "Everyone pays the toll!"
Arthur sighed, and then said; "Very well. How much is the toll?" The troll thought for a moment, and then pointed at Clarissa. "Her!" Clarissa blinked in surprise, "Me?" The troll nodded emphatically, "You! Give us her, err.... Give her to us, and the rest of you can go!" Arthur didn't even hesitate to reply, somehow being both flat and emphatic at once; "No."
The troll growled low in its chest, standing head shoulders and a good bit of torso over Arthur, but the mage didn't seem particularly intimidated as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't have her. She's mine!" He said, but Clarissa gave a bark of laughter, "Oh I'm yours am I?" He wheeled on her, opening his mouth as if about to start an argument, and Mandragora sighed. Unfortunately, the troll looked like he was about ready to simply squash Arthur where he stood... And while his back was turned.
The return to traveling rather than sit to chat with the newfound alraune did much to relieve Ione. She was becoming more relaxed with the other plant girl's presense as time went on, but the sooner they were traveling away from that place the better, as a part of her still clung to the idea of other scheming alraune still mucking about in the shadows there. It was all new to hear another plant girl talk so cheerfully towards her, and Mandragora's hints at some vivid behavior grabbed Ione's attention quite well. Just as much as her flirts and answered questions did when Arthur spoke to Mandragora, the plant girl going on much about the fey, and even of a colony of alraune nearby.
Only noticable to Clarissa at the time, Ione quickly let out a shiver as she suddenly felt rather cold, wrapping her arms around herself. 'A... colony with... ancients? Nearby too? I was sure this place was empty for many miles...' Ione's thoughts were quickly swept up in a number of questions that formed. How long had they been there, how close had they been to her home, and perhaps more importantly... could they have known about her the whole time? If her home were in range of one of these ancients, she pondered the possibility and could only come up with a yes to that possibility. It was an answer that left more chills than comfort traveling through her.
She made certain to walk a little closer to Clarissa as their trip continued, arms brushing against each other from time to time, in an effort to bring some relief to herself. She noticed the demoness' reddened look at the flirting happening to Arthur, letting out a weak giggle at her jealousy. Luckily, Clarissa was able to keep herself composed, and so the plant girl didn't need to intervene in any party conflict. Ione took note of the rope bridge and wide chasm as it came into view, and was about to alert the others to it when the Troll made itself known. The towering hulk was as similarily gold skinned as either her or Mandragora, but that was about as much they had it common it seemed.
Ione scowled a little when it spoke of a Toll to pay, grunting the line out with the ease of much use. She wasn't quite wanting to pay a toll if she didn't have to... especially since she could just fly over the chasm without even using the bridge. Her Psionic powers certainly came in handy like that. The alraune doubted the others would want to take such a trip in lieu of the wide and sturdy looking rope bridge. Ione was expecting the Troll to ask for money at first, but when it demanded they hand over Clarissa she had to let out a small laugh in disbelief. 'As if I'm about to hand over sweet Clarissa to some random Troll to pass on a road.'
Normally she would have laughed at Arthur's antics afterword, but it was hard to ignore the towering creature who was now staring at the man's back with much intent. Did Arthur really have that much lack of sense? He really was a scatterbrain sometimes then, as Clarissa had mentioned when they first met. Moving forward, the plant girl reached for Arthur before grabbing the man and leading him back a step or two. "Now now Arthur... don't be so rude. It's impolite to turn your back on someone you know..." Giving Arthur a 'you dummy' look, Ione turned then her gaze at the Troll in front of them, with a smile. "Oh, but you've been naughty too Mr. Bridge Troll. Don't you know it's customary to Honor the one a bridge is tolled for? We can't honor who the toll is for if you don't tell us who it is, no? Of course, we won't get mad if there actually isn't anybody. If I was hiding in the bushes and saw Clarissa coming along ... I'd be pretty struck with her too~."
Winking at the troll, the alraune waved her palm forward and held it non-threateningly as she continued, giggling lightly at her spoken words to the Troll. Despite the appearance, Ione was already preparing to deal with the thing in case it tried to take them by force, the feeling of an Energy Blast already beginning to form in her seemingly passive hand. 'Mandragora, keep an eye out for anyone else. If this troll takes even one threatening step towards us... he won't have the thoughts left to regret it...'
Ione chats with the Troll and tries to discern whom he's holding the bridge for, and to try to disarm the troll with some playfulness. She also looks at Arthur funny for being a 'turning your back on a giant' derp.
If she is able to disarm the situation, than no harm done.
If the giant tries anything though, Ione will Energy Blast the oaf for 14 EP
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
Rolls
Perception: Only Mandragora succeeds.
Arthur blinked in surprise as Ione came up next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, but then went silent and turned back to the troll, blushing slightly as he realized the danger that he'd put himself in. The troll glared down at Ione, folding its massive arms over its chest and grunting wordlessly in response to her words. Across the mental link that they shared, Mandragora quite insistently replied; 'Ione.... Don't. He's not alone.'
The image of a man hidden in the trees with a bow drawn and ready in his hands filtered into Ione's mind, and Mandragora continued; 'If I can see one, then there's definitely more than one. I've never known a satyr to hide in such plain sight if he was alone, and if he's so obvious then there's likely more of them out there, and he just wanted one of us to see him. So that we'd know.'
Arthur and Clarissa looked quite oblivious to the upgraded threat, seeing only the troll. It was then, a few moments later that the humongous fey decided to offer a reply other than a monosyllabic grunt; "The toll on this road is for Lady Acrasia, Seductress of Knights, High Queen of Autumn and lord and ruler of this realm. You would do well to remember her name, talking plant. And you would do better to know that we are her personal servants! She has commanded that we seize any demons that we find for questioning, and if they refuse to cooperate...." He trailed off and grinned as his arms unfolded, one fist suddenly smashing into the other with a thud loud enough to shake the ground beneath their feet.
"Oh... Shit." Mandragora muttered out loud, and then sent Ione an urgent message over the mental link; 'This isn't good! If they're telling the truth, we're in a lot of trouble! They won't hesitate to kill us if we resist!'
"Look, beast, I don't give a damn who you claim to work for! From what you say, you sound like nothing but a violent brute. There's not a chance in hell that I'd let you have Clarissa!" Arthur suddenly spat, his fists clenching as if he was preparing to strike at the troll with nothing but his bare hands. "I'm not going with you alone, troll. I know all too well the hospitality that your kind has to offer, and will not risk a return visit, particularly if one of your mad monarchs is involved." The troll growled deeply, and the massive man's knuckles cracked audibly, but he didn't move to strike, at least not yet. "Last chance. Surrender the demon and be on your way, or we'll simply take the lot of you instead. Your choice."
Ione continued to smile at the Troll, maintaining the appearance even throughout the moments that followed. With Mandragora's notice of the Saytr, at least she and the other alraune knew of the more hidden threat, even if Arthur and Clarissa were still oblivious to it. She had gotten a hint from the big thing itself of there being others, his stumbling words being more than a dead giveaway. The big question that now lingered was just how many? The Troll was obviously the big intimidator and main power house... the rest were probably just support. More Archers and perhaps a footsoldier or two to back him up. The plant girl had seen scenes of bandits sporting the same on rare occasion, and she could easily picture Amazonians taking up the same places as this bunch.
The Troll's talk of the toll's owner raised an eyebrow for the alraune. It was already perturbing enough that an Alraune colony lived around these parts, so close to her old sanctuary, but now a Fae High Queen's Kingdom held influence here too? Not that it was much more of a shock... but she had expected her secluded hideaway to have been quite more isolated than it apparently was. 'All the things so close to my home! Have I literally been living in plain sight all this time?' Only a fidget gave visible display of the sudden thoughts, those thoughts capturing her main attention even as the Troll showed off it's willingness to follow it's orders... quite gleefully too as his smile would indicate.
Mandragora's sudden swear and telepathic message was plenty enought to gain her attention, causing Ione's smile to falter slightly. 'Sister, I've only been in a few smaller courts before... and I've never heard of this Acrasia. Have you ever dealt with her before?' The plant girl glanced between the eager Arthur and Clarissa as they reaffirmed their unwillingness to pay the Toll, much to the Trolls chagrin. The beast's crackling knuckles and deep voice did little to intimidate Ione. She was more afraid of sudden destructive displays, like the deaths of the wolves from before, and on that note she briefly wondered if there was even a spellcaster waiting amongst the hidden group.
There was little time to wonder, seeing how the Troll was waiting intently for an answer, it's strong muscles tense in anticipation. And a tense moment passed between them still before the plant girl would act. Suddenly standing up straighter, she looked to the Troll with a calm narrowed expression through her helmet. "I will not part with this demoness, or any of the blooms in my company. These three are... my charges, and we have important business elsewhere that needs attending to." Letting her staff tap firmly to the ground, the plant girl continued to attempt an air of authority, in clear contrast to her playful behavior before. "We have already been accosted once recently by the dark denizens of this land, another such rough interruption is unnecessary. If you wish, you and your hidden companions may escort us safely to the court of your Lady Acrasia."
After announcing the presence of the hidden threat to Arthur and Clarissa openly, and no doubt alerting those others to their lost cover, the plant girl took a moment to breathe deep. "We shall not go under threat however. Only under promise that you and your men shall not accost us will we return with you willingly." For a moment, she let her gaze wander over the strong muscles of the creature, eying it's shoulder curiously. "And also only if... if you let me give you some company... on your shoulder I mean. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill on the part of this pretty flower and the others... ah ha ha..." Ione laughed out lightheartedly as she rubbed the back of her head a little, ready for the creature's response, or any response from her company and even the others hidden about around them. 'Ready yourself, just in case. However you can.' She briefly responded over the link. Despite the sudden lightheartedness, Ione was still prepared to deal with the group, in case their intentions changed.
Ione refused to surrender Clarissa and speaks out for them to be escorted to this Lady Acrasia's court. Assuming that their intentions are indeed good, this would mean they will be taken to this Fae Court without incident. Also Troll shoulder ride for fun and derp
On the other hand, if the giant and it's companions tries anything, Ione will Energy Blast the oaf for 14 EP, and shenanigans will begin.
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
'Personally? No! Of course not! She's.....' Mandragora replied over the connection, visibly dumbfounded, and a moment later audibly said; "She's.... She's a Faerie Queen.... You don't just.... Just walk up and talk to one!" That earned a brief odd look from Clarissa, but the other golden alraune quickly continued over the mental link; 'She's one of the four Faerie Queens, I thought everyone knew about them... I guess that could just be me forgetting that not everyone knows as much about the fey as I do though. All four of them are very old and very dangerous, and from what I hear Acrasia can be particularly dangerous to mortals passing through her court."
The troll scowled darkly in response to Ione's continued refusal to surrender Clarissa, but his expression softened down to confusion when she suggested that he escort all of them to Acrasia's Court. Arthur and Clarissa turned from angry and wary to equally confused, but Mandragora's face had adopted a look of horror. It was too late for her to do anything now, however, and the troll hesitantly nodded and replied; "Very well.... All four of you will accompany us to the Lady's Court, under no threat from me or my kin so long as you do not attempt to escape or to harm any of us. Seems reasonable."
The humongous golden skin humanoid looked at Ione like she was touched in the head for a moment following her request to ride on his shoulder, but a chorus of laughter suddenly sounded from the trees on either side of them, both male and female. A dozen or so satyrs broke cover, some rolling or tearing up with laughter, but her comrades were not so easily amused it seemed as all of them were looking at Ione with a look even less mirthful than that of the troll. A handful of women wearing almost nothing but broad, mirthful smiles came out of the woods shortly thereafter and largely took charge of most of Arthur's attention, as he was either staring at the half dozen nymphs or trying to make it look like he wasn't staring. Clarissa gave him a flat look, but Ione noticed that she was ogling the nearly naked females just as much if not more than Arthur afterwards. Each faerie woman was dressed in a very short and very low cut dress, such that it wouldn't be wrong to wonder why they bothered wearing clothes at all, since what they had on covered almost nothing.
One of the nymphs casually strode forward, possessed of light blue skin and dark green hair that fell to her shoulders, and said; "Oh, be nice Trog! This lot is harmless, the demon included. I doubt that one of the ones we're looking for would have had time to ensnare a human sorcerer and two alraune already! They've only been on this plane for a few hours." The faerie strode forward and wrapped Mandragora in a hug, and the surprised plant woman suddenly brightened and shouted; "Sivi! I didn't know that you served Acrasia!" She hugged the faerie woman back tightly, giggling with glee, and when the two parted Mandragora turned toward Ione and said; "Ione, this is one of my teachers! She wouldn't let us walk into anything dangerous, I'm sure we'll be alright now!" Mandragora missed the nervous look that the faerie woman, apparently named Sivi, momentarily adopted. Arthur and Clarissa looked skeptical, but before much else could happen the troll cleared his throat audibly.
"Since you'll come along, I suppose it couldn't hurt to let ya rest your legs, but we'll be leaving. Now." The troll promptly dropped to a knee once he'd finished speaking, waiting for Ione to climb onto his massive shoulder.
Once she had done so, the massive man rose back to his feet slowly so as to not jostle her too much, and they were off at once. They didn't go over the bridge, instead turning into the woods and starting down a path down the cliff that Ione was sure they could never have found without the fae leading them. Along the way, Ione heard Clarissa and Arthur start up a whispered conversation a short ways behind her and the troll.
"They're as likely to kill us as let us go.... You saw the look that the faerie whore gave when the witless plant assured us that we'd be safe. We should try to find to eliminate our guards now, when we can see most of them and they don't have easy access to reinforcements." Clarissa said, but Arthur muttered back; "We will do no such thing. When did you lose all tact, Clarissa? They have promised us safe passage, and the fae are good to their word. Attacking them now would only get us into more trouble, and besides, what could they possibly do? If they double cross us, I'll just burn them all down." Clarissa hissed back; "We're in a rainforest! It doesn't burn here, and there's enough cover for a blind moron to vanish. We could be surrounded by a thousand fey in here and never know it until they decided to kill us all!" Arthur promptly grunted back; "I'd burn the forest down too." Clarissa gave an exasperated sigh, and that was the end of their conversation.
The trip didn't take as long as Ione might have thought it would, and the entire time Mandragora vanished and then appeared again, generally chatting with Sivi when she was visible. Suddenly, they broke from the trees, and Arthur and Clarissa stopped short as they found themselves at a humongous structure carved from pure white stone. It was more curved than angular, and Ione could see a dozen or more domes that were pockmarked with holes. It was toward a large structure in the center, the only one that was more angular than it was round, that Ione and her companions were led. As they reached a long wide set of white marble steps, the troll gently dropped to a knee once more and said; "You'll have to walk from here."
The plant girl let out a breath of relief as the Troll gave way to her request, looking at her in it's confusion. She caught the other's looks of confusion too in a glance, as well as Mandragora's horrified expression. From what she had said through their communication, this Lady Acrasia was not one to trifle lightly with, as most powerful Fae aren't. The plant girl hoped that when they if they finally met she would be able to keep up the air of authority she had enacted. Looking weak in front of a Fae Queen was not something she was intending to do anytime soon. Especially if it meant that the others might be at risk. She wasn't about to let her 'charges' down after all, and definitely not Clarissa.
Laughter echoing about the pathway caught the plant girl's focus and her gaze quickly scanned about as the Troll's companions all broke cover. There had to be more than a dozen or so of them from the looks of it, plenty capable of putting up a good fight had they actually tried to fight there way through. Ione took a good look at some of the Saytrs, admiring their forms as they came forth, but like Arthur and Clarissa before her the arrival of the Nymphs snagged her gaze away. Oogling the lightly dressed woman, the plant girl would only stop when her eyes met the other's, a knowing smile making the plant girl suddenly blush from being caught, a smile beginning to form on the alraune's face.
Ione turned her gaze onto the Nymph that casually strode forward, looking to her curiously when she took Mandragora into a hug, much to the surprised delight of the other alraune. It seemed to the two of them knew each other, and Ione was quickly introduced to Sivi, politely bowing but making note of the nervous look she gave as Mandragora assured everything would be ok. Before Ione could say or do anything further, the Troll named Trog lowered it self to the ground, announcing the intent to get going and also it's acceptance to let her ride on it's shoulder. Ione's light smile quickly turned into a big grin, and before anyone could stop her she scurried her way onto Trog's shoulder happily.
The path they were taking wasn't across the bridge as the alraune came to find. Turning off from the path they were on, it was a short trip down the side of the chasm that led them into thick portion of the rainforest in surroundings that could only be described as an ambushers paradise. Ione held comfort in knowing whose territory it was though, as well as having such a safe place on a Troll's shoulder as well. Clarissa and Arthur's hushed whispers were not lost Ione, who was glad Arthur did well to disarm her from hostility. Mandragora's disappearance was however, and it wasn't until she reappeared chatting with Sivi that Ione gained some relief at the plant girl's return.
As they approached the white stone structure they seemed their destination, the Troll stopped and lowered itself, to which Ione was a little hesitant to leave his shoulder. "You aren't going to join us? Oh... I suppose you do have to go back and guard the bridge. Thank you for the ride Trog. You... you were the first Troll I've ever riden, and a girl never forgets their 'firsts' you know~." Giggling a little, Ione gave Trog a quick hug and peck before she disembarked, moving to join her companions once more. "Come, we shouldn't keep Lady Acrasia waiting on us... right?" She said, giving Sivi a glimpse for confirmation to that statement, before moving forward with the others.
Despite her outward appearance of calmness, the trip toward the angled structure kept Ione's mind quite alight in constant thought, and she couldn't help but subconsciously air some of them through her own link she shared with Mandragora. 'A Fae Queen! What do I do if she's hostile? Or tries to take Clarissa? If she's as old as Mandragora says how could I fight her if I need to? Even with what I was taught I'm not sure I could defeat a Queen. Especially not if she has a court full of Fae too.' Ione's linked thoughts turned silent, and try as she might she couldn't shake those troubling thoughts which quickly took to scrunch her face up in nervous uncertainty.
"Clarissa, Arthur, Mandragora. Stay close. And try to hold any outbursts you two." She said, giving Arthur and Clarissa a glance. "Let's try to make a good first impression before any mischievousness shall we? If she's anything like the few lower courts I've been to... I'm sure she'll be quite hospitable... and things might get mischievous rather quickly..." Visibly blushing, even the thoughts of those times from before weren't enough to disarm her nervousness as it broke out on her calm expression, and the plant girl's three companions along with Sivi might find some surprise at a few tendrils sneakily poking and wraping around them with a light squeeze.
Ione and company technically go up some stairs. WOOO
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
Mandragora, apparently thinking that the thoughts were directed at her, responded to Ione's concerns quickly and clearly despite being in conversation with Sivi throughout most of their journey. 'If she's outright hostile, we are pretty fucked. I don't think we could stop her if she wanted to take Clarissa, but I hope that it won't come to that. The Queens are usually flighty and unstable, but they're very rarely unfair, particularly to guests who have come without offering them violence. We shouldn't have much to worry about so long as we're polite. If things turn violent..... Even four of us against her alone probably wouldn't even last five seconds. It'd be best to handle this with words, not violence."
Trog looked highly conflicted following Ione's descent from his shoulder, trying to maintain his gruff and distant exterior and attempting t fight the smile that came across his face following the hug and the peck on the cheek. He lost the battle, his massive cheeks widening in a bright smile, and he gave a little bow after rising back to his feet and said; "It was my pleasure, little bloom! They will see you to the Lady." The troll gestured toward the nymphs that had been with them at the bridge, and then he and the satyrs turned to leave. Sivi gave a nod at Ione's question, and they set off immediately on their way up the stairs after Arthur and Clarissa simply nodded, making no argument against Ione's demand that they not make a scene of themselves.
The ancient structure loomed over them as they drew nearer, and all those whom she wrapped a tendril around save for Sivi reacted with surprise and then acceptance, Clarissa even momentarily clutching at it comfortingly and offering Ione a confident smile. The faerie skipped the surprised part, reacting as if the action were as natural as could be and moving a step closer to Ione and her group to compensate. As they passed through the massive door into the Fey Queen's palace, a strange smell caught Ione's attention a single step after they had entered the building, and a moment later she realized that their surroundings had changed completely. Within the temple, the air was much cooler and more crisp, but not exactly unpleasantly so. Plants that she had never seen grew all around them, the inside of the complex a veritable forest in and of itself, and a single glance upward showed her that there was an open sky covered in lightly grey clouds above them, not the stone ceiling that she might have expected.
Fully half of the trees were extremely strange to her, covered in thin fibers that looked like tiny needles rather than leaves, and the other half had leaves in all different colors, ranging from violet to gold to red. The ground was coated in fallen leaves of similar colors as well, and they crunched beneath their feet with every step. Ione spotted deer and rabbits aplenty moving through the woods, the wild creatures giving their group a quick skittish glance before vanishing into the thin woodlands. The walk was extremely easy and really quite pleasant despite the unfamiliar wild surroundings, but her companions remained silent throughout unless Ione directly addressed any of them.
Finally, they came upon a stream spanned by a short bridge, and a man of indeterminate age sat upon the edge of that bridge, his feet dangling into the water and a fishing rod in his hands. He didn't even glance at them as they passed, but the odd look in his eyes drew Ione's attention. His gaze looked.... Empty, as if his body was functioning in a mechanical manner while his mind and soul were elsewhere. "This is where we part ways, for the moment." Sivi announced, and then shooed them forward across the bridge, "Acrasia, Queen of Autumn lies ahead. Follow the path, and you will arrive at her court safely in but a few short moments. Stray from the path, and be lost in her domain forevermore." Judging by the smile on her face, Sivi evidently didn't think that such a fate was truly a bad thing at all, but Arthur and Clarissa glanced at the woods around them and frowned darkly, while Mandragora simply nodded and said; "Thank you, Sivi. Will you be here when we get back?"
Sivi nodded and replied; "Yes, I will be here if you return. Perhaps we will be able to catch up shortly, hrm? It has been so long since we last saw one another!" There was more than a hint of suggestion in her voice, but her fellow bloom simply smiled back and nodded, though inwardly Ione could feel a stirring of fear at the word "if."
The nymphs remained behind at the bridge, none of them going near the strange fisherman as the four of them continued on alone. When they were a good ways away from the bridge Arthur said; "This is probably not going to end well, isn't it Mandragora?" The other alraune hesitated, and then shrugged her shoulders and replied; "I don't know. Acrasia is a fey queen. If she means us harm, she wouldn't have to lure us into her domain to do so. That leads me to believe that she has some desire that we aren't aware of yet." Clarissa interjected; "If she wanted us to do her a favor, she could have just had the troll ask us for it. I'm at least convinced that she wants something more than to torture me for information that I don't have, but what that something is we'd go mad trying to guess."
Her words were delivered in a scathing tone, and Mandragora placed a hand upon her face and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers. "Clarissa, I know that you don't like the fey very much, but could you please.... Just please, behave with some respect? Just... Just let Ione and I do the talking." She offered Ione a glance and smiled slightly, "You've proven yourself an able diplomat so far, especially if you got these two not to kill each other. And you said earlier that you've been to courts before?"
The alraune kept scanning the ancient structure as the group drew near, keeping an eye out for any further sentries that might be watching them. When they stepped through the massive entrance door however, Ione had to catch her breath for a moment when the taste of the unfamiliar surrounds entered her. All the heat of the jungle they were just in whisked away and was replaced by a gentle coolness that blew across her skin. The plant girl found herself staring absentmindedly at the sight of all the different flora, a distant tapping coming from the back of her mind. 'This place... I've never seen a place like this before in my life and yet... why does it seem so familiar to me?'
Ione kept looking curiously at the sights of all the plants and creatures that dwelled within the Fae's court, interested in seeing all that this place had to offer. She even went so far as to stray a little and run a hand along the needle leaves as they continued, giggling slightly as they tickled against her skin. "Such strange leaves... someone would burst into laughter if they hid in one." Moving back onto the path, the plant girl took to enjoying the walk close to her companions once more. The walk was pleasant, refreshing and quite relaxing, and she wanted to enjoy every second she could of it before they eventually had to face the Fae Queen who ruled this place.
Walking in continued silence with the others, her tendrils still giving them light squeezes from time to time, the appearance of the bridge and it's fisherman easily caught Ione's eye. Even as Sivi shooed them on, the plant girl found herself giving the Fisherman a little more attention. Something about the absentness in the man's eyes perturbed her, as if he were a bloom struck down and at the edge of rotting. Yet, he still moved and fished as if nothing were wrong. For a moment she wondered if the man were merely blind and lethargic, but the ending of Sivi's conversation brought her back to reality. The nymph would be here if they got back... if being the big emphasis Ione noted.
As the conversation began once they had made some headway from the bridge, Ione listened on silently until she was spoken too, her spare tendril having not retracted from Sivi's absence but rather moved to double enwrap Clarissa. "Hmmm? Why yes... I've been to a few courts before. Rarely, but I've been. Around the ones I... place... I was born in... there weren't any courts, but after I left I ran into some from time to time. Small ones mostly; Barely but a courtmaster and a handful of courtiers." Ione fidgeted a little, glancing out amongst the trees before she continued. "The biggest one I had been to was ruled by a... high count? Or was it a duchess... I can't remember it too well considering I never even got to meet them because there were..." She stopped again, glancing at Mandragora herself before looking away with a shiver. "There were... other alraune there... I couldn't face them so I... I ran..."
The moment of silence that passed seemed like an eternity to the plant girl, who fidgeted even more during it. Quickly though, she shook her head and gave Mandragora a smile. "H-Helping Arthur and Clarissa was no trouble at all. They just had some misunderstandings is all, and I was very happy to help sweet Clarissa and Arthur through it. Although... I think Arthur could do with a few more... punishments~..." Giving the man a knowing glance, Ione returned her full attention to the path ahead. "Since you three are my... charges... It'd be best if I did most of the speaking. I understand how it is to be a bloom in an irritating shade, but now it'd be best if we weather through this peacefully if we can." With little recourse other than to wander off and be lost in the wilderness, Ione continued to lead the group on down the path toward Lady Acrasia, still unsure if she was leading them into friendly arms or hostile ones.
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy, Charmed
Rolls
Resistance (Ione) : Failure, Ione has been Charmed
Resistance (Arthur) : Failure, Arthur has been Charmed
Resistance (Clarissa) : Success, Clarissa has resisted
Resistance (Mandragora) : Success, Mandragora has resisted
Arthur shot Ione a flat look following her suggestion that he could use further "punishments," but then smirked slightly and shrugged. When it was decided that Ione should do the brunt of the talking, he and Clarissa frowned but still nodded their consent to the plan. "So long as you don't make us agree to do anything without consulting us first, then you may speak for Arthur and I." Arthur looked momentarily cross at being spoken of in that manner, but again nodded without saying anything.
The path did not diverge as the group traveled on, each of them wrapped up in Ione's tendrils and Mandragora adding some of her own as well. The path began to slope downwards and narrow, forcing the already tightly packed group to come even closer together, until the double wrapped Clarissa was practically pressed up against Ione's side. This state only lasted for a short but silent while, before the group emerged suddenly into a clearing that had looked like just another stretch of path. In that clearing, it seemed that night had fallen without consulting anyone as the stars and the full moon, bright and larger than Ione had ever seen it before, were visible in the sky above. The clearing was fairly large, a hundred or so feet long and half as many wide, and had a pair of long wooden tables running along its length with wooden benches running along each side, almost as if this place was a dining hall. A bonfire roared between the two tables, illuminating most of the clearing, and what little was not touched by the flickering light was illuminated by a series of blue burning torches attached to the trees lining the place.
At the tables were seated a small army of boisterous faeries of both sexes, ranging from nymphs wearing almost nothing to knights in full golden plate armor. Satyrs and gruffs and trolls, and even a couple of other alraune were present along the grand tables, though they were secluded far from the throne that stood on the opposite side of the clearing. There, on a slightly raised platform stood a grand chair formed from a living tree and carved with intricate designs. Upon that throne sat a woman the likes of which Ione had never seen before.
Fiery copper hair with streaks of gold and violet curled lightly and then fell from her head, reaching about a quarter of the way toward the ground and a rough estimate would place it at halfway between her waist and her shoulders had she been standing. She was currently sitting sideways on the chair, her legs crossed and hanging off of one arm of the throne while her back rested against the arm on the opposite side. Her arms were folded beneath her breasts in a relaxed pose, and she was smiling pleasantly to an armored knight who knelt before her throne, giving Ione and company an angled view of her features. Her face was.... Indescribable. Or at least, Ione found herself unable to assemble words together in order to describe it, as she found herself momentarily dumbfounded and unable to look away, or even remember why they had come here. No goddess that Ione had ever heard of or seen represented in stone had been so beautiful as the woman sitting upon the throne, and as she was lit by moonlight, starlight and the flickering light of the fires all around, Ione couldn't help but wonder if this might be what was meant by love at first sight.
The female figure glanced in her direction, two eyes of mixed pure gold boring into her, and the weight of that figure's attention very nearly knocked Ione back a step. Acrasia. Ione realized idly that this must have been Acrasia, the faerie queen. The knight seemed to realize that he had lost Lady Acrasia's attention as he lowered his head, and she offered him a dismissive nod of her head as she pulled her feet from the hands of a man who had been holding and massaging them and shifted to stand. The motion caused Ione to finally recognize that the figures gathered around the faerie queen were not all among her own kin. Surrounding her throne were a dozen or so men and women, though the men outnumbered the women. All of them seemed to be mortal, humans and elves largely, but Ione also recognized a green skinned orc and one of the western cat-folk among their number as well, both of whom were female. Each of them looked upon the fey queen with eyes filled with blind adoration, but even as enraptured as Ione was herself she recognized the emptiness behind their loving stares. Just like the fisherman on the bridge, the gazes of the men and women among the Queen's harem were vacant and lifeless.
Clarissa cleared her throat audibly, the sound just barely heard of those at the feast, but it drew Ione's attention to her side. The demoness was glaring sharply at Arthur, who's mouth had fallen open slightly, and who now had a narrow line of drool running down his chin. Despite Clarissa's nudging, however, he would not shake from his enraptured state to do more than blink and fix his gaze upon Acrasia once more. The faerie queen approached them, skirting the edge of the fire, and where she passed the gathering went silent, the immortal revelers as enraptured as their mortal counterparts by the sight of her. It was during her approached that Ione finally managed to see the whole of her rather than just fixating upon her face, recognizing the red and green outfit of a royal huntress. The close fitting clothing did nothing to diminish her figure which was, perhaps surprisingly, more athletic and anything else.
Acrasia walked toward the four of them, her arms swinging at her sides casually, but to Ione the woman's every motion seemed to be part of a rhythmic dance. She stopped a few feet away and smirked for a moment, examining them, and she wasn't the only one. Every eye in the clearing seemed to be on the four of them, and the feast had gone silent other than the crackle of the bonfire at its heart. Perhaps thankfully, they were only the center of attention for a moment before the faerie queen, apparently irked by the sudden silence, tossed a glare of her shoulder and gave a wave of one delicate hand, causing the sounds of the revelers to return in full as they all turned back to their meals. Turning back to Ione, the queen spoke, her voice a melody to match the music that seemed implied in her every motion that hypnotized the charmed alraune; "Be welcome in my court, newcomers! Have you come to join the festivities?"
Acrasia smiled broadly as her gaze swept over the four of them before finally settling on Clarissa, at which point a slight purr became detectable in her voice, the music that her words created in Ione's mind slowing to match. "Ahhh, a demon has come to my little party.... And she has brought presents! But really... Flowers and candy? You are so old fashioned!" She giggled, the sound strangely causing a well of joy to rise in Ione's chest, but it was perhaps mitigated somewhat by the fact that she and Mandragora had been thought of as flowers while Arthur was apparently being presented as candy in the faerie's view.
Clarissa scowled and glanced at Ione, for the moment not saying anything. The faerie queen began to circle their entangled group, maneuvering around them with catlike grace as she continued; "I suppose that it's not amiss that your lord has sent you with a peace offering, given your sudden presence here in my domain. You are more polite than the insects, at least, but even so, what reason have I to permit you here?" It was at this point that Clarissa apparently couldnt help herself any longer as she said through clenched teeth; "What are you talking about?" Acrasia paused in place at the demon's words, the smile gradually fading from her face. "Ahhh, so you are not affiliated with the new arrivals to my little playpen then? Just a traveler passing through? My my.... What a misunderstanding.... Silly me!"
The smile returned, but now there was something different about it, appearing almost sinister in nature. "Of course, it is only right that I demand a toll from those passing through my domain, is it not?" From the look that the faerie settled on Arthur, it was fairly obvious just what sort of toll she intended to take from the four of them.
Ione's nerves grew more tense as the group traveled along the path, despite the comfort she felt from wrapping them up in her tendrils. It was a simple reflex, something she saved for more intimate encounters usually. But considering she and her group were deep in Acrasia's domain she made it an exception. Especially in the demoness's case, the 'toll' asked from before still present in her mind as they continued along. The narrowing path did little to help her nerves, save for the feeling of Clarissa and the others pressing into her. She could practically feel the demoness's breath against her cheek, another comforting rhythm to go with the foot falls they made into the grass and soiled earth.
With the narrow path beginning to break in front of them, the plant girl realized they had finally broken out of it and prepared herself. Emerging from the path, she was surprised by how quickly time seemed to have passed. Could it have taken them so long to get to the court? They couldn't have been traveling for more than a few minutes, and completely missed the dusk. Powerful magic was a work here, and the thought of it made Ione a little nervous... and curious as well. Whatever magic was controlling the weather was augmenting as well. it 'Wow... the night. I've never seen the stars and moon so vivid before.' She thought briefly, before her attention was pulled back to the clearing.
It was a large space, with two large wooden tables on either side, adorned with benches to sit at. In between was a fire pit as well, and even from where they emerged from the plant girl could feel the heat of the flames blowing across them. She was quick to catch how it cast it's light on them as they entered, offsetting the blue of the torches surrounding the place. If they hadn't sensed them coming before, they would certainly notice them now, and Ione scanned the tables to see all of whom sat amongst them. Plenty of Faeries were spotted, mostly Nymphs and Knights it seemed. The trolls were easy to spot towering over the tables, along with the horned satyrs and the playful gruffs too.
As soon as Ione spotted the first green skinned alraune the plant girl stopped dead in her tracks. They hadn't noticed her thankfully, but that didn't prevent the plant girl from letting out a small whine at spotting them, a very brief and spooked 'P-Plantkin! Ta-tables!' ringing out over the link she still shared with Mandragora. She had been meaning to close the link... but had hesitated. It felt... right... to minespeak to another alraune. But only on her terms. She wasn't about to let ever other alraune have free reign in her thoughts. For now at least. Distracting herself from the sight of the plant girls, Ione found her eyes wandering to the intricately designed tree throne at the other end of the clearing, and then slowly upward to the woman occupying it.
Time seemed to slow as Ione took in more and more of the lady on the throne. It was strange, the feeling of attention the plant girl suddenly had for the woman. Like she couldn't look away even if she wanted. The worries of the alraunes sitting at the table's end closest to her became a distant memory. She had to take in more of the woman's visage and she did, admiring her fiery curly copper hair, and her pleasant smile that she gave to a subordinate. The plant girl was too distracted to know for sure who it was, recalling only that it appeared to have been a knight before her gaze was stolen by the indescribable beauty of the one lit by the lights of the stars, fire and moon.
'That Fae woman... she's so... so... so beautiful! Her hair! Her skin! Her body! Her ey...' Ione stopped thinking momentarily when the woman's mixed gold eyes locked onto her own blue ones, the feeling of the woman's presence knocking into her like an axe striking against a log. If one pardoned the expression... 'Her eyes! Acrasia... it's the Lady Acrasia! She's... I...' Awestruck and dumbfounded, Ione kept at gazing to the Queen, stopping only as she noticed the various people surrounding Acrasia when the person tending her parted. Dozens of people. Humans, elves, both men and women among each. And two other women, a cat girl and an orc? She hadn't time to ponder the green skinned woman, as something else about them grabbed her attention more.
Their eyes. Just like the one from before their eyes were... vacant. She was sure they weren't dead, at least not physically. But the way they stared mindlessly in adoration toward the Fae Queen... made the plant girl very curious. More so than it made her wary it seemed... which was strange. Hadn't she been more worried about Acrasia before? Ione shook her head briefly trying to clear her head, and while doing so took time to glance at the others to check on them. Just as Clarissa cleared her throat as it sounded, causing the plant girl to re-double her focus toward her. The demoness was intently glaring off, and tracing her gaze Ione soon found the once again owner of Clarissa's stare. Arthur.
It only took a second to realize the man was completely fixated on the approaching queen, even noting the line of drool coming from the man's mouth. He was really taken by her, even more than herself, and Ione finally pulling herself from her own similar state regarded the man with an audible set of giggles. It felt nice to giggle at Arthur's antics... but wasn't there something she was supposed to do? They were about to meet Lady Acrasia... and... she was the leader! It was why she was in front of them after all, ready to meet the queen head on once they faced her. And by the sight of the approaching lady it was mere moments away, as more of her visage came into view with every step.
Following Acrasia's approach, her every motion viewed mesmerically, the plant girl snapped to some sense after gazing at the woman's athletic figure and red and green huntress outfit, an attire of great quality and fitting such a queen. Still, it was hard not to gaze deeply at the beautiful Fae so close to them. So tantalizingly close... Even with the sudden silence of the clearing, it was only vaguely known to Ione's senses against the loud rhythm pulsing within her. 'My heart... it's beating so fast! Mandragora... it's beating so fast~!' She voiced in happy excitement to the other alraune, her attention drawn straight after by the harmonic voice of Acrasia's introduction to them.
What a voice it was as well! The alraune could literally feel a melody spreading throughout her as she welcomed them, and then the purr as she addressed Clarissa directly too. The welling of joy she felt as the Fae Queen giggled made the alraune take a visible breath and clench her tendrils a little, the feeling of her rising pulse traveling down them and making them twitch. The comment of being brought as a gift momentarily flashed an image of the bridge from before in the plant girl's mind and she wrestled to get a grip of herself. Still, the thought of being seen as a mere flower lessened the impact of the Queen's words in context. Although the comment of Arthur being candy was spot on. He was certainly a sweet thing now that most of his rage from before was gone.
Ione glanced back at Clarissa, catching the scowl the demoness sent her way as Acrasia circled them all. The topic of the Fae Queen's conversation quickly broke into the alraune's thoughts the moment they began to be spoken. 'A lord? Sending us? Insects? A playpen? What is she talking about? The only lord I know about is that lazy ass Centaur lord Viorica used to prattle about... has Acrasia been accosted by someone? Is that the reason for the toll road earlier?' She wouldn't know until she asked Acrasia herself it seemed, though with their non-involvement in this troublesome Lord, it seemed the view of tribute had shifted from demon to something a bit more... mortal.
"Lady Acrasia..." The plant girl said after taking a deep breath to steady herself before giving a polite bow. "It is quite a pleasure for us to meet the High Queen of Autumn in the safety of her court. There has certainly been quite a misunderstanding. My charges and I are indeed travelers passing through, and it was by the suggestion of some bridge servants of yours that we travel here." Ione paused a moment, letting a smile run wild on her as she felt her face flush from both excitement and leftover nervousness. "They informed us you wished to question demons passing through your land, and naturally to clear any misconceptions concerning my charge, we chose to come to your court willingly."
The alraune found herself locking eyes with Acrasia, and being quite unable to look away. "I suppose as a Queen you could demand for such tribute... but as I told your servants before I can't afford to part with any of my charges. We have business elsewhere that requires our full attendence, and there is a sort of personal matter that I'm mediating for which involves them." Tugging on Arthur and moving closer, Ione idly wiped the drool from the man's chin and tried to shut his fallen mouth. "Since we are here in your court however, it would be polite to provide some entertainment should you desire it no? Though... from the sounds of things you already have something of an... attraction... here already? I must admit I'm a curious sort, and you've gotten me all... excited~. If you don't mind me inquiring... what's all this about demons, insects and a playpen full of new arrivals? Certainly no one that has been causing you too much trouble I hope?"
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy, Charmed
'Just remain calm Ione... It's something I expected given the nature of our host. Try to keep a clear head, and remember what we're here for.' Mandragora seemed much calmer and more controlled than Ione herself was, at the moment. The other alraune present at the feast had made no attempt to form a connection with Ione, and it could be assumed that they hadn't tried on Mandragora either.
As Ione addressed her, Acrasia paused and directed her full attention upon the golden alraune, and as before the force of the woman's gaze was strong enough that Ione could literally feel it pressing against her body. The gaze wasn't a hostile one, however, and seemed more curious than offended despite the fact that the fey queen had been addressing Clarissa rather than Ione. At first she merely listened expressionlessly, but as Ione's excitement became more and more plain a smile began to come over the woman's features. It was a knowing, predatory smile, a look that would have inspired fear in anyone with sanity enough to recognize it if it weren't for the passion for the woman that had so suddenly taken root within Ione, and for the fairly straightforward connotations that her predatory gaze held in this context. Arthur's jaw remained closed after Ione gave him a little nudging, and the young mage gave a light shake of his head before settling back once more.
"Your charges, eh? So you are the voice of group, and not the demon?" She directed a gaze at Clarissa, who had adopted a completely calm expression that belied nothing of what might be going on within her head. "Interesting....." Acrasia resumed her slow circling, but now her gaze rested solely upon Ione, barring an occasional glance at her other companions. "Well, I suppose if you are unrelated to my troubles, then it would be remiss of me to not show you proper hospitality."
Acrasia came to stand in front of them once more, and then halted and faced Ione squarely as she began to explain; "Some of her kin have entered my domain... My playpen, if you will. The insects I speak of are demons as well, but of a very different sort, and as they are the very last of their kind I was... Convinced into sparing them their lives. They have caused no trouble, but I am not convinced that the newer arrivals will do me the same courtesy. Of course, there are already forces at work moving to displace them, so I assumed that your charge here was a member of their group, and given her unusual accompaniment I assumed that she was messenger, bringing me a peace offering from the new party's leader. " Even as she delivered the report in a fairly straightforward manner, the melody of her voice was such that Ione might have danced to it if she'd had a mind to.
The faerie queen smiled sweetly then, and the same strange rush of joy as the last time the woman had looked so pleased washed over Ione as she beheld the expression. "But these are my concerns, not something I should trouble my guests with~! Come! Be merry within my court, and you will repay my debt in full." A hint of the predatory expression came over Acrasia, and her gaze flicked over Ione twice before she continued; "I think I shall entertain you in private, in fact! Why don't you come along with me, beautiful little bloom? And do bring your friend here.... I have such a sweet tooth, as I'm sure you've guessed by now~! Come, your two other charges will keep well among my friends here, even the demon will be welcome openly if she is under my protection!"
Acrasia turned to walk away, a noticeable strut in her walk that kept Ione's gaze locked on her rolling hips, and out of the corner of her eye she noted that Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away either. Ione felt herself unconsciously drawn to follow her, and Arthur was already numbling moving to follow when Clarissa suddenly spoke up in a low, harsh and angry tone that was nonetheless delivered at a near shout; "Over my dead, cold body." The faerie queen stopped mid stride, Arthur stopping with her and giving another shake of his head, as if he were attempting to clear it as Ione felt the presence of the woman she had become so suddenly enamored with take on an entirely different feel.
Very slowly, the woman turned around to face their group again, but this time the pressure of her attention was directed solely against Clarissa. Even so, Ione felt the effects of it, as Clarissa actually took a step back, stretching the two tendrils that Ione had wrapped protectively around her. The tension in the demoness was plainly evident to Ione, and she felt that same tension rising in Mandragora even as the other golden alraune give a nervous gulp. Even despite the power on display, Acrasia responded in a sweet and even voice that nonetheless caused a mild tremor of fear to run through Ione's body; "What did you say, mine guest?"
Clarissa, now in a flat tone that showed not a single hint of fright, replied; "I will not allow you to take the two of them alone, not when it's clear that they were both too weak willed to resist the effects of your glamour. You would reduce them to mindless thralls with which to decorate your throne room, and I cannot allow that." Acrasia frowned, even pouting slightly at Clarissa's words, but she still sounded calm and even if a little less sweet as she replied; "I would do no such thing! All who choose to remain at my side do so of their own free will. I need no such heavy handed coercion, unlike your kind!"
Clarissa scoffed, and then gave a short derisive laugh that caused Mandragora to tremble and take a short step away from her. "Heavy handed? As if you have the right to talk about heavy handed! Why, the display you've just put on would get you laughed out of the lowest council in Hell! So artless and direct an act would only be performed by one with no tact or no sense of taste. Which are you, Lady Acrasia? Have you been obeyed blindly for so long that you have done away with tact, or have you simply no taste for fulfilling your indulgences in a more challenging manner?" The demoness placed a hand on her hip and smirked confidently, and despite the multiple and fairly glaring hypocrisies in her statements she had spoken with absolute disdain.
Acrasia took it somewhat predictably, of course. The woman bristled and scowled darkly for the first time as she retorted; "You are one to call another tactless, demon, given that you have repeatedly insulted a queen in her own home. Taste for challenge is another matter that I think you have no right to accuse others of, given that I can see your hold upon the two of them already."
Mandragora cleared her throat before the argument could get any further, drawing the irritated attentions of both Clarissa and Acrasia. "We are all grateful for your hospitality, milady, but as has been said, we are bound to one another. If you wish to entertain us privately, we would be glad to accept, but it must be all four of us!" She glanced at Ione, clearly looking for support.
Though she stood as attentive as her form could muster, the sound of Acrasia's voice was like a melody to the plant girl, threatening to make her dance at a moments notice. She swayed a little to it, but remained merely standing as she listened to the Fae Queen's explanations. Calling her domain a playpen sounded odd at first... until she recalled how 'playful' Fae could be. There was probably plenty of playing to be had here, and the thought sent a shiver or two of excitement through Ione's already excited body, piking her interest. What the Fae Queen said of demons raised her curiosity toward them more. Just what kind of 'different' demons could she be entertaining she wondered?
She had little time to ponder on the answer before Acrasia was waving the conversation away with a sweet smile. A smile that made the alraune feel greatly happy herself, causing her own smile to rapidly widen into a grin. Especially from what Acrasia was inviting both her and Arthur to do. A private audience with a Fae Queen was sure to be a very... pleasurable experience. Especially with the way Acrasia seemed to flick her gaze squarely on her. She found herself entranced by the way the Acrasia's hips moved as she strutted away, unable to look away. Just as much as Arthur was she realized, though she remained still against the urge to follow, unlike the mage who shuffled forward a little.
Clarissa's voice cutting through the air was felt in more ways than one to the plant girl. Not just by hearing it... but feeling a change in Acrasia's presence echo throughout her senses. Even though the Queen's focus was on the Demoness, it was bluntly obvious from the heavy oppressive feeling that gave them all pause and tension that Acrasia was no longer as happy as she had just been. Even her voice still spoken sweet and even did little to stop the tremor of fear that suddenly wracked Ione's body, traveling down even her tendrils still wrapped around everyone. Clarissa had taken a step back from it she realized too, as her tendrils stretched a little and tried to pull her closer once more.
As the Fae Queen and Demoness argued, Ione found her attentions squarely on them, taking in every word clearly. 'Resist the effects of... mindless thralls... she doesn't mean that I've been...?' The plant girl began shaking her own head along with Arthur as she tried to make sense of everything. She didn't want to believe that she had been... influenced... but the more she thought about it the more it began to make sense. She had been strangely enticed by the Fae Queen, and things did feel off. It didn't feel bad, but in the back of her mind something told her she should've been much more wary before. With this change of presense Ione found it easier to listen to that voice, and she shook her head more to clear her mind toward it.
Letting out a sigh at her repeated attempts to clear her mind, Ione turned her attention to Mandragora as she spoke, before following up. "Yes... we're really quite inseparable, my charges and I. And I don't just say that because of these..." She said, wriggling her tendrils around her ensnared companions as she let out a bit of a forced smile, her grin from before having vanished during the argument. "I'd be very... grateful... if you entertained all of us together Lady Acrasia. I wouldn't want to leave them out of a wonderful experience against their wishes. Besides... it wouldn't do to have a little sugar without some spice too~." She grinned truthfully, pulling Arthur and Clarissa in until she was right between the two of them. "Maybe you could invite some of those 'spices' of your own as well milady? I feel quite at ease among Fae-kin... I'm sure my charge would feel the same with another demon or two about..."
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
Acrasia merely continued to frown as Ione spoke out in support of Mandragora, but she let out a sigh that might indicate defeat.... Just before Ione suggested that she ought to invite some of her subordinates, at which her face became suddenly still. Mandragora adopted a panicked look, reading Ione's thoughts before she spoke, but by then it was too late. "I'm sure my charge would feel the same with another demon or two about..."
Acrasia's eyes widened, and the feast suddenly went silent again, every eye settling upon the four of them in the span of a few heartbeats. Ione felt both Clarissa and Mandragora tense under her tentacles, and Arthur shook his head drunkenly. The faerie queen's will hit the four of them like a tidal wave a moment later, and Arthur ended up tumbling over while the women all felt themselves being practically crushed by a nearly irresistible force of will. On the plus side, the affection she had felt for Acrasia not more than a moment ago was gone. Unfortunately, in its place was a sense of utter, primal terror that threatened to paralyze her.
The faerie queen hadn't changed, at least not physically, but as she met the woman's now blazing emerald eyes Acrasia seemed to tower over her. While the sense of power radiating from the woman had been evident since they'd entered the glade, it had expanded now into something far more impressive. As she looked upon the faerie queen, Ione felt like an insect staring up at the form of a dragon, or perhaps more appropriately like a blade of grass about to be crushed under the foot of an elephant. The faerie's assembled around them seemed set to act as well, though whether it was to rush to their queen's defense or simply to get out of the way of the flexing of Acrasia's power was indeterminate from where Ione and company were standing.
Arthur shook his head heavily, apparently freed of the effects of the faerie queen's influence as well, and he rose back to his feet seemingly without trouble. Only then did Acrasia speak, her voice heavy and cold; "You would suggest to me, in my own court, that I invite members of demonkind, the most hated and vile enemy that my kind have ever faced, into my private sanctum to see to the comfort of one of their own, whom I have treated as guest despite several thousand years of open war?" The air around them suddenly became frigid, a chill that rapidly seeped into Ione's body and stole the warmth right out of her.
"Milady... Please, Ione meant no-" Mandragora was cut off mid sentence by a mere look from Acrasia, who looked as if she were about to behead the lot of them with her gaze alone. Settling her glowing eyes upon Ione once more, the faerie queen took in a deep breath, which she let out with a sigh. Glancing aside at her companions, Clarissa was smirking smugly even though the expression was somewhat strained, while Arthur was scowling darkly and sweating despite the cold, and Mandragora maintained her look of near panic. "Leave my court, now, and do not return to my domain unless invited by one who speaks with my voice."
The woman simply turned and began to walk away, the sounds of the feast returning but muted a moment later. Clarissa opened her mouth to speak, but Arthur quickly clapped a hand over her mouth before even a single syllable could escape. They glared at each other for a moment before he removed his hand, and the demoness remained silent. They were still being stared at by those around them, but the looks now were more hostile than curious. Mandragora began shooing for them to move, a mortified look upon the alraune's face despite the fact that they were being allowed to leave unharmed and with no major repercussions.
Fear. True and utter primal fear was the only way the plant girl could have described the feeling of will that poured out of the Faerie queen following her suggestion. In nearly an instant, all the loopy feeling of music and dance that intoxicated her vanished, swept away by the crushing will that followed shortly after. Ione found herself unable to move, fixated to the blazing emerald eyes that bored deep into her own and paralyzed her to the spot. Not that it was just her eyes alone that paralyzed her, for if she had thought Acrasia strong before the explosion of power she displayed now removed all doubts. It was like being a stem looking up at a mighty towering oak rooted deep and firm.
The alraune's eyes grew as wide as they could possibly go, so focused on the Faerie Queen in front of her that she had little sense for the actions of the other faeries. When Acrasia's heavy and cold voice sounded forth she would've sworn she could feel every ounce of color leave her along with her warmth. The sudden chill wracked her heavily itself, an unfamiliar sensation to be nearly without the smallest hint of warmth, and the plant girl quivered uncontrollably. Had she had the mind to do so, she would have wrapped herself tightly in her own tendrils, but with the present set of blazing eyes still boring deep into her own she only managed to clench her shaking hand tight to her chest.
The short silence that followed the fae queen's heavy and frigid words edged on the plant girls fearful nerves, and glancing aside she took in her companions reactions. Only Clarissa appeared to be taking things in stride, smiling smugly with a strained look. Arthur's sweating scowling face and Mandragora's nearly panicked look painted it quite clear of their own vastly opposite feelings on the situation. Ione stared anxiously at the fairy queen with dread, waiting for what inevitable further force she would call upon them then. But with a deep breath and an eventual sigh, Acrasia merely ordered them away. Away from her court and domain unless invited by one who served under her will.
It seemed so very unreal for a moment as the queen simply turned and walked away. Ione could feel her mouth hanging agape at the sight, the feeling of terror not leaving her as simply as the queen did. Even with the murmured sounds returning to the clearing terrible silence was all the plant girl could hear. She felt a desperate tug, probably Mandragora urging her to move. And she did, taking a step back as words formed in her throat. "I... I o-only wished to... be f-friendly. You said t-there were others... you said so! D-demons in your d-domain that you spared... were c-convinced to spare... who caused no harm... I only thought you m-might summon for one... to calm mine in a show of your b-benevolence... and then maybe we all could've... could've... had some fun together..."
Ione gasped for breath, and thinking it would help her breath better she reached up and removed her helmet, letting her pink hair swing free... but all it did was give her something else to clinch her knuckles white on like the staff in her other hand. "I-If I was wrong to t-think such a thing y-you could have just... just... w-waved my suggestion away, or c-corrected me. You didn't have t-to terrify me so!" Finally able to take her eyes off the Faerie queen, it was then that she could notice the looks of all the fae surrounding them at that moment. No more mere curiosity shined from their gazes. Instead, stern and hostile eyes looked back upon them, scowls dotting most of their faces.
She didn't think she could feel more discouraged, but looking at those hostile looks made her resign herself, her pointy ears drooping a little as her spirit fell more. "I came here p-peacefully, wanting to feel safe and... welcome. To be merry amongst friends... and enjoy myself with... you. But if I... if I'm really not... w-wanted... then I'll just... go..." With little other recourse to go on in the unfriendly court and nothing more to say, Ione finally called her body to move and join her eager to leave companions, turning to leave herself and follow them out of the clearing. And as she began to leave she couldn't help but feel heartbroken then too for being so rejected by the beautiful woman who charmed her so beneath twinkling starlight.
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
Acrasia paused in place as Ione spoke even after her dismissal, and she very slowly half turned and directed her head around, allowing her to look at Ione with her impossibly bright eyes without giving the alraune or her party a clear view of her face. She listened, remaining as still as a statue, and said nothing. No one else said anything as Ione spoke in a trembling voice, but even her companions eyes were upon her. Arthur's scowl dropped into a confused frown, and he glanced between Ione, Acrasia, and the faeries surrounding them each in turn. Mandragora's panic had lessened slightly, making way for hints of vague sadness that Ione could feel through the mental link that they still shared. Finally and most dramatically, Clarissa's victorious smirk was gone, and in its place the demoness wore a look of shame.
Even with Ione's evident despair, however, the looks of the fey surrounding them only became marginally softer, and Clarissa wrapped an arm around Ione's back and quietly said; "Lets go." Arthur stayed a moment to glare at Acrasia as the others turned to leave, Mandragora wrapping an arm and several tendrils around Ione as well as they left the glade, and once the tendrils that Ione had wrapped around him began to stretch he spun on his heel and followed, his cloak billowing slightly. The glow from the Faerie Queen's eyes had faded as soon as Ione turned, but she hadn't shifted an inch since assuming her current position, and that was how the four of them left her, standing with one eye visible through her auburn hair as she watched them over her shoulder.
The forest had lost none of its beauty, but with the mood of their exit from Lady Acrasia's court still hanging over them, none of Ione's companions paid much attention to it. Once they had moved a short ways into the trees, Clarissa halted them momentarily and gave Ione a tight hug, and then whispered into her ear; "I'm sorry, Ione. I caused this, I shouldn't have spoken to her the way that I did..." She trailed off as Mandragora shook her head, "The fault was mine. I should have tried to prepare you all better for this. Acrasia is notoriously unstable, and in a way we're all lucky. She could have done a lot worse than banish us from her court." Arthur, speaking in a more hushed tone than might be expected, interjected; "The fault was Acrasia's, if it matters. She went off the handle over a custom we didn't know about and didn't share, after attempting to seduce and separate us in pursuit of entertainment for herself. For all we know, Ione and I could have ended up like those other empty-headed fools surrounding her throne."
Even with his relatively brash manner of speaking about their host, Arthur still watched Ione with concern in his eyes, and the same sentiment was reflected more obviously in the looks of the two other women with her. None of them had been unaffected by Acrasia's harsh treatment, but Ione had shown the most reaction to it out of all of them.
Ione gave Clarissa a quick glance when the demoness wrapped an arm around her back, and then Mandragora when she did the same along with some tendrils. Through the link the plant girl shared, the faint feelings of sadness mixed together with her own fallen mood, and try as she might it became increasingly harder for her to keep her vision up now. The stares of the court and Acrasia, along with that overwhelming fear the fae queen instilled had been enough before to keep her gaze fearfully steady and upright. But as she departed her gaze found itself following the lead of her drooping ears, sadly falling down as her head began to hang and angle to look merely at the path ahead of them.
It was just as well. Though the beauty of the forest surrounding them hadn't diminished, the plant girl's mood was such that she couldn't really enjoy it as she had before. Only the view of needle leaves passing beneath her, and the sound of their crunch beneath her foot falls offered any solace then, but only solace from the terrible silence her hearing had been stricken with before. She was still wracked with despair, and the cold... it was still there too. 'D-damn this cold... if I were a tree I might have shaken all of my leaves off by now...' She wasn't shaking nor gasping nearly as bad she had been before, but her breath still came drawn out. Every intake feeling like ice to her lungs.
She was prepared to keep walking down the path until Clarissa made to halt them all, and before she could react the Demoness had moved in front of her to wrap her arms around the plant girl, bringing them both into a tight hug. Ione returned the hug limply at first, but slowly it grew to be just as tight as Clarissa was giving it herself. The alraune heard the demoness whisper her apology and blaming herself, with the words from the others following soon after. Mandragora shifting the blame onto herself for not preparing them all better, and Arthur in a hushed tone outing Acrasia for it all. Pulling back, it was clear to the plant girl just how concerned they had become merely from the reflection in their eyes.
"I'm just g-glad that we were a-allowed to leave unharmed... I was so terrified that she would... crush us l-like blades of grass..." Ione said in almost a whisper, her voice still quivering a little. "I'm still really unnerved... I've never felt so... cold and unwelcome before. I still don't really understand why she became so hostile... I wasn't trying to upset h-her... it was j-just a suggestion..." Sighing, the plant girl buried herself into a cuddle with Clarissa, shivering and laying her head against the Clarissa's chest as she closed her eyes. "I was concerned... when you spoke out to the q-queen like that... I wanted to make things better for you. She talked about those friendly ones before, and I thought you might be calmer if one was around to reassure you. I didn't think she'd react like that to my suggestion..."
With another sigh, Ione tossed a little and pulled away, looking half-lidded at the three of them. "Maybe things would have been better if we had been prepared more... if I was more p-prepared. I thought I was... but that charm... it disarmed me. It might have done so even if I were more prepared, and we might still be in the same kind of vessel" She shook her head briefly. "As for ending up like those ones surrounding her throne... I don't really know. I don't recall there b-being any plant-kin among them. Or demons. Just... humans and elves. Even with Acrasia being... as she is... I would think she would have enough honor to not separate us forever. I did speak of business we need to be together for after all... and mediations..."
The plant girl retracted her tendrils then, letting them all slowly return back to her and freeing her companions from their snare. Taking a few more breaths, now much more stable thanks to the comfort the others had given her, she took a moment to compose herself further before turning to her companions once more. "We probably shouldn't idle. Not for very long at least. It shouldn't take us very long to find our way out and on our way if we follow the path. Although..." Ione paused, remembering then of the nymph they encountered from before. "You want to visit your f-friend who guided us in here... right Mandragora? Sivi was her name if I recall? Maybe she's still waiting at that bridge we passed earlier..."
Ione: HP = 62, PP = 36, EP = 74/76, Status = Telepathy
Clarissa clutched at Ione tightly as she spoke, her soft pillowy breasts pressing against the distressed alraune's head. "I know, I know... You were just trying to make me more comfortable, but after what I said to her... I guess the lady was already upset, and that just set her off. I know it's not what you intended to happen at all, but we got out okay and that's the most important thing, right?" Clarissa said quietly and soothingly, her fingers brushing slowly through Ione's hair. Mandragora piped in; "Even I didn't suspect that she'd react like that, and I've known about her for years now. Stories are told about Acrasia... She's dangerous, and reacts like that at random sometimes. Though, I'm not sure what friendly ones you mean.... The shadow demons I know would never be invited here-"
Clarissa suddenly interjected; "And I'd never be comforted by one of those... Things!" Mandragora gave her a nod before going on; "And the other demons seem to have only been around for a little while. She thought that Clarissa had been sent to secure peace, so I guess Acrasia hasn't had any contact with them yet. I wonder how they could have come here though, it's not like portals between the mortal world and the demon world are easy to make." Before the alraune could muse further on that, Arthur added; "That hardly matters to us, let Acrasia worry about it while we move on."
The two women nodded, and just then Ione pulled away and continued, to which Clarissa said; "She probably wouldn't have cared about any of our desires if she'd enthralled us like them, though I imagine she wouldn't have bothered keeping me given how much she hates demons. She might not have kept either of you two either, and I shudder to think of what becomes of her slaves when she grows bored of them. The fey are capricious, cruel creatures who care not a bit for the desires of others." Mandragora frowned at Clarissa's ill words toward the fey, but after what had happened and Ione's continued distress she said nothing. Arthur glanced behind them somewhat nervously before hesitantly placing a hand upon Ione's shoulder, his voice low as he made a decent attempt at a comforting tone; "Don't worry about what could have been Ione, we're together and safe, and that's what's important right?"
When Ione retracted her tendrils and suggested that they ought to be off, her three friends nodded in agreement and Arthur removed his hand. "Yeah, lets get out of here," the mage said evenly, and moved to take the lead this time. When Ione mentioned Sivi, Mandragora looked nervous for a moment before nodding and replying; "If we see her along the way I wouldn't mind talking to her, but I don't want to hold us up looking for her."
As it turned out, Sivi was waiting for them by the bridge, sitting beside the same man who'd been fishing over the side when they'd last passed it. She rose and smoothed out her dress the very moment she spotted the four of them, and came over to stand before them with a worried expression on her face. "Mandragora! What happened? I've not felt Acrasia so angry in months!" she said hurriedly, but Mandragora smiled thinly at her and replied; "Nothing too bad, Acrasia just... Didn't like what we had to say, I guess. We've got leave to go in peace, but I don't think we'll be welcome back any time soon." Sivi frowned at Mandragora's cryptic explanation, but rather than press for more information she nodded and said; "Well, at least you're alive... And still yourselves. Come, I'll see you to the entrance of Acrasia's realm, that much is the least I can do to make up for my lady's lackluster hospitality."
The nymph turned and lead them on, her skimpy dress barely concealing her shapely bottom as she walked and all of her finely shaped legs on display. They didn't actually need the blue skinned woman's guidance given that they'd come along a more or less straight path, but Mandragora seemed to be comforted by her presence all the same and neither Arthur nor Clarissa raised any complaint. Her companions walked in silence unless Ione decided to speak, the walk back to the entrance of Acrasia's mystical domain seeming shorter than the walk to get to her court had been but still taking up a decent chunk of time. They encountered no wild creatures this time, and the chilled forest was quieter than it had been before, but as they moved away from the land's ruler it slowly began to warm back up around them, and the sounds of the insects of the night returned just as the exit came into view.
They were led out into daylight by Sivi, the familiar wet heat of the jungle returning and causing Arthur and Clarissa to begin to sweat. Sivi seemed unbothered, while Ione and Mandragora, both natives of this sort of climate, were both comforted by the hot humid air. The nymph turned toward them, as they reached the bottom of the wide marble steps, a troubled look upon her face that immediately caused Clarissa to sigh knowingly. "So... I... I have to apologize for my Lady's behavior. She's been worse than usual of late, something about a warning from the angels has her upset and she's been acting very erratically ever since," Sivi said apologetically, but Clarissa rolled her eyes, an action that Arthur seemed to find quite confusing and which Mandragora didn't seem to notice.
"Anyway, I was wondering... My Lady has given us leave to serve her as we see fit, and.... I thought that I might join you in your travels for a time. It has been too long a time since I saw the lands beyond the court, but I still know them well and can call upon help in case we get lost. If you would have me, of course! I know you've not had the best time with us, but I promise that I'll be no trouble to you, and help you in your journey whenever I am able to do so," Sivi looked around among the four of them hopefully, and Clarissa simply replied; "You have been decent to us so far, I have no objection so long as no one else does." Arthur quickly grunted; "Seconded," and that left Mandragora, who opened her mouth to speak with a wide smile upon her face, but then stopped and looked at Ione. The other alraune adopted a pleading glance, but said nothing even though she clearly wanted her friend to join them. The decision was seemingly being left with Ione however.
With her companions in tow or rather in tow behind Arthur taking the lead, Ione followed suit as they all got on their way back down the path. She had been comforted quite a bit by the others concern, and even surprised that Arthur made an effort, albeit hesitantly. Understandable, considering how long he had been more gruff than loving. Their words had brought mix feelings, ringing questions and thoughts through the plant girl's mind. How could such an unstable fey become queen? What really does happen to all those people she snares through her charms? And those demons... those others. Could they have been those shadow demons Mandragora mentioned, or possibly something else?
Ione quickly shook her head of the thoughts. It was like Arthur had said before; thinking about it too hard wasn't really important. They were safe after all, and that was that really mattered. It would keep nagging her, but she could put it aside to ponder over later, or forget. Whichever really came first. The appearance of the bridge coming into view offered a good landmark to know they were truly on their way, and Ione took note of the nymph Sivi's worried expression and words as she offered them to Mandragora. And following the nymph's offer to see them safely to the entrance of the Fae Queen's realm, the plant girl gave a quiet nod and once again followed suit with the others.
The path they had traveled was clearly marked, even as natural as it was etched out to be in the dirt and fallen leave cover. They didn't necessarily need the blue skinned woman to lead them, but the company of another was further comfort and Ione saw how Mandragora seemed to really relax in her friends presence. Ione could see why herself, in the shapely bottom that swayed atop a pair of fine legs. Her mood to enjoy the strangely silent and creatureless forest still hadn't returned, but that wouldn't stop her from enjoying a nice peek. 'Hmmm... what is it about the color blue that's just so... nice...' Smiling faintly, the plant girl was content to remain silent and take in the sight.
After some time, the cold forest made way to warmth, and proceeding through the threshold of the realm the alraune found herself back in the familiar jungle of her birth. The comforting sound of insects abound, and the comforting feel of heat washing over them. At least, comforting heat to most of them, as Clarissa and Arthur were soon sweating from the change. Reaching the last of the marble steps, their blue skinned escort turned to address her and the others, apologising for what had occurred back in the court. Not that it comforted them very much, and it left yet another question for the plant girl to ponder. Just what could an angel have said to make a Fae Queen so much more unstable than she already normally was?
This time, rather than have to shake the thoughts herself, they were shaken away instead by the nymphs sudden offer to join them on their journey. Clarissa and Arthur were quick to voice their acceptance of having Sivi around, and looking toward Mandragora it was clear to see just what feelings the other alraune had of her friend possibly joining them. She was practically pleading at her for Sivi to join them! Yet for a long while Ione stood silent, giving the nymph a good look over. She might have been Mandragora's friend, but she was still a servant of Acrasia and that was something that kept her hesitant. "I'll be honest Sivi, I'd normally jump at the opportunity to welcome another friendly face. But you'll have to excuse me if having a momento of our time here doesn't fill me with a lot of joy."
Letting out a sigh, the plant girl gave a look down to the helmet she had taken off and stashed away during their return, gripping it once more. Raising it, she once again donned the thing, taking a moment to adjust it properly before settling her gaze once more on the blue nymph in front of her. "If you really want to travel with us... and everyone else is okay with it... then I suppose I'd be alright for you to come along too." Ione stated, taking a pause right after. "I can put aside a little uneasiness for the sake of my friends... and my own guests. Do tell us a little about yourself... Mandragora said you were one of her teachers before. That sounds a lot like there is some... fun... history there..." With the topic to lighten the mood and see them off, the plant girl took some steps forward and gestured for them to be on their way, giving the group's new found member attention for her response.
