Chapter Three: Trials Toward the Desert

"so essentially you're magical bees" Sigurd said bluntly and mostly to himself. There were many creatures he was well versed in. Fairies were not one of them as the high forest wasn't known for its Fey creatures... Or lack thereof. Part of him was surprised that there wasn't more of a reaction to his hybrid self emerging from the portal but he figured fairies were odd enough creatures that not much would surprise them.

He watched pip with a smile, his mind wandered, he remembered being Pip's size when he was very young and there was an innocence with him that Sigurd seemed to miss. His thoughts traveled to Pip's father. Did he know the date of his family? Or was he silently resigned like Sigurd had to be of his own family... He'd have to talk to Pip soon...

Snapping from his daze Sigurd nodded to Brock "we are very honored to be allowed an audience with your queen"

Brock led them through the city, which for someone human sized wasn't that large. But for fairy sized people it would be even larger than Eventide. He stopped in front of a rather elaborate ball of vines. It was dotted with multicolored flowers and stood about 3 feet tall. It had ornate stairs made of vines, leaves and flowers leading up inside it. Brock turned to the travelers with a smile.

"This is the inner sanctum of our Queen. But you'll have trouble fitting inside as you are." He clapped his hands twice loudly and several fairies flew up holding small vials. Each vial was holding a clearish blue liquid and was handed to each of the companions. "This is a diminishing potion. It will shrink you down to our size so you can speak with the Queen. I assure you it will not have any harmful affects."

Ashwyn looked carefully at the vial curiously and she glanced down at Pip with concern.

Brock noticed her look and smiled. "And don't worry about the pup. I have my best animal fairies standing by to care for him. They are more than capable."

Ashwyn looked at him and nodded. "If you're sure... he can be a handful."

Brock chuckled. "All children can. He will be fine, I assure you."

Zane looked at the liquid curiously as Brock continued to explain.

"You're clothes and equipment will not shrink with you. We have clothing standing by for you." He indicated a line of fairies with tiny pieces of clothing draped over their arms.

Smirking a little at Sigurd's 'magical bees' comment...whether he'd meant it to be heard or not, even her human ears had caught it...Lo can't help but look around in awe at their huge tiny city. As they walk, she wonders what it would be like to see the city from their perspective but that's unlikely to happen and anyway her imagination is more than sufficient...but when they come to the enclosed structure and not an open pavilion like she expected Lo hesitates. There's no way they can fit in there...when Brock brings in the blue vials, Lo looks at them with interest. It would be fascinating to see their world, but a large part of her is skeptical about accepting unknown concoctions from strangers. Not just that, but leaving their equipment behind would make them subject to every whim of these folk until they can return to their proper size...

"How long will the change last? Is there a different vial to return us to our size?" Not wanting to appear rude, Lo smiles at Brock. "I am concerned about suddenly returning to our original size while inside. I would hate to accidentally destroy such a beautiful place."

Brock turned to Lopiena. "There's no worry of that. This potion is permanent on it's own. We have a growth potion standing by when your audience with the Queen is over. Of course, you're also welcome to stay as long as you need to before returning to your size."

Ashwyn looked at the liquid again and frowned, trying to decide. She knelt down and carefully set Pip down with the animal fairies who immediately began petting him and rubbing his belly. He began to coo in pleasure at the attention and she smirked.

"Oh well. May as well." She said and then down the vial in one gulp. At first nothing happened. "So... does it take time to..." she trailed off as a strange feeling started in her stomach.

It was like a rippling feeling. She looked down at her hands and realized they had begun to shrink into her sleeves. But it wasn't just her arms. Inspecting her whole body she saw that her armor was beginning to become larger. Then the pain started. It felt like her muscles were all cramping at once and caused her to bent in on herself. She closed her eyes and bit her tongue to keep from making a sound. She breathed in and out slowly through the pain and when she opened her eyes she was in darkness. She blinked a few times she realized it was because she'd become lost in her own clothing.

Zane watched fasinated as Ashwyn's body shrunk into her clothing and she began shorter and shorter until she wasn't visible at all. "Amazing..." He looked at his own vial and shrugged. "Well.... here goes." He tipped the vial down his throat.

Meanwhile, Ashwyn struggled with climbing out of her clothing but eventually she made it to the surface and was met by a small fairy girl holding clothing made of leaves and pedals. She handed them over and Ashwyn smiled. "Thanks." She said, taking them and then jumping back into her clothing to change easier. When she emerged, she was wearing a dress that hugged her chest and fastened in front with a gold clasp between her breasts. It was open from that point all the way to the ground and fell around her similarly to a cloak. She also had on a bottom piece that covered little more than her small clothes with tall boots that went up to mid thigh. The outfit was finished with arm coverings that were similar to gloves but left her hands free. The outfit was made from soft white feathers that had purple streaks down them. It gave the affect that the top portion of her outfit was white and faded to dark purple at the base.

By the time she'd climbed back out of her clothing, Zane had also shrunk down and was being met by another fairy handing him clothing. His clothing was a pair of pants made of green and brown leaves and a tunic made of vines weaved together.

When Ashwyn looked to the fairy girl who had been holding her clothing, the girl looked at her excitedly. "Do you like it? I made them special for you. I know you don't like dresses, so I thought you'd want something with maximum movement."

She spoke so fast that Ash had trouble understanding at first. But eventually she smiled. "Yes, this is fine. Thank you. And it fits perfectly."

Watching Ashwyn and then Zane...that does not look comfortable...Lo is still hesitant but there doesn't seem to be another way to move forward. At least Pip is happy, and anyone who takes care of animals with kindness is hopefully worthy of some trust. Carefully putting down her staff and pack where it won't crush anything, she takes a deep breath and swallows the vial in one gulp. The inevitable pain is....well it's bad but since she had the advantage of being prepared for it she also shrinks down without making a sound.

Climbing out of her clothing, Lo is greeted by a different fairy girl holding what looks like a huge flower. Not entirely sure how it's supposed to be worn, Lo asks for help...and eventually emerges wearing what appears to be a modified moonflower, white with a skirt that flares out at her knees. The top seems to be constructed of bluebird feathers that trail from the top down into the skirt, giving the illusion that the moonflower is streaked with blue. Blushing somewhat under the rather lightweight clothing, Lopiena rejoins Ashwyn and Zane, wondering if Sigurd will acquiesce to be transformed in this manner. While waiting, she gives Zane a big hug. "I'm glad you're ok. Really." Standing back up, she starts looking around the area. Definitely different from this perspective...wandering over to a flower, she looks for the nectar but decides to leave it alone. Not hers to take.

Sigurd watched as his companions shrunk before his very eyes, he made sure to mind his footfalls as not to crush them. Taking the vial of liquid he considered sitting this part of the adventure out as he had JUST gotten comfortable wearing his armor again. With a sigh he downed the liquid. As his size diminished Sigurd slipped his arms out of his bracers and set them aside carefully so they wouldn't roll or crush anyone should they drop off of him. Almost methodically he undressed as things became too big to stay on until he reached finality of the potions effects.

There was little pain but he expected that being a race who's body changed almost constantly. Stepping from away from his neat pile of armor Sigurd was greeted by a younger fairy girl. She approached him with shaky arms and a bright red face as her eyes seemed to wander all over him. "my eyes are up here lass." he said with a smirk as he took his clothes. She quickly skittered off to join the others.

Dressing Sigurd wore a fine tunic made of oak leaves that trailed down his back into almost a tail. two halves of an acorn covered his shoulders and the connecting belts crisscrossed his chest. His arms were bare up to his wrists that were covered by bracers that looked like silver lime tree leaves. His pants were brown and cut off at the knee and he wasn't provided any footwear which was preferable to him anyway.

Ashwyn couldn't help but chuckle at the small fairy girl blushed at Sigurd's impressive form. She felt a swell of pride at that, knowing that his body was hers and no one elses. She approached him as he dressed and then hooked her arm in his.

"Very nice." she smiled at him.

Zane shifted a bit in his new clothing, looking at the construction carefully. "This is really quite amazing. What do you use for thread?" He asked the young male fairy who'd handed over his clothing.

He smiled warmly at him. "Spider silk. It's very strong and flexible."

Zane looked back at the connections. "Amazing..."

"Focus Zane." Ashwyn called to him and he snapped out of it and turned to Brock with the rest of them.

"You all look wonderful!" Brock said with a smile. There were two other fairies behind him now. Unlike Brock, who had rather dull looking moth wings, these two were more bright.

The young man behind him had somewhat messy dark brown hair that framed his face and had bright green eyes. He wore an outfit very similar to Sigurd's except his chest bore a swirled emblem in gold and his tunic was a burnt orange color. On his back were two large dragonfly wings. He had a shield strapped in such a way as to not hinder them and a long sharp fork-like weapon on his back, along with a fancy looking curved bow. He also bore a warm smile.

The woman had long blonde hair that curled at the ends and sparkling crystal blue eyes. She wore a tight bodice of soft green leaves and a skirt of bright blue pedals. On her back were large butterfly wings that looked similar to a Colorodo Hairstreak butterfly with deep purple and black tips. On her head she wore a headband of twisted roots that held small gems and white flowers.

Brock stepped to the side and held his hand out towards the pair. "Allow me to introduce you. This..." he indicated the young man. "Is Cirro Beesting. He is the Captain of the Clerical Guard and my best cleric."

Cirro stepped forward and bowed deeply. "You flatter me, sir. I'm only here to do my duty."

Brock shook his head. "And he's modest." He smirked. "And this," he turned to the woman. "Is Princess Peanut Peachripple. The heir to the thrown."

She smiled warmly at them. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. I've been so fascinated by your journey and I can't wait to talk with you about it." She smiled.

Twisting and adjusting his clothes to try and at least break them in, Sigurd had hardly noticed Ashwyn until she put his hand on him, He looked her over and his heart skipped "interesting choice." he said noting the design of the outfit. He smiled at her compliment and gave a bow "apparently our adventure will see me dressed up in gallantry every few days or so.."

As Brock introduced his kin Sigurd smirked to himself "Beesting..." it went along too well with his previous comment about them being magical bees. For some reason he found himself lacking his usual decorum when it came to meeting with other cultures, he'd have to fix that...

Taking a step towards the princess Sigurd took her hand gently and kissed it "It is an honor to meet you, your highness. I hope our presence hasn't interfered with your people's lives too much. Hopefully our meeting with the queen will be brief and you can all go back to business as usual." he said with a casual smile.

<"Interesting choice."> At Sigurd's words, Ashwyn blushed a bit and wrapped her arms around her middle, covering her bare stomach. "Yes... To be honest... I feel a bit naked..." She admitted with a smile.

<"apparently our adventure will see me dressed up in gallantry every few days or so.."> She chuckled at his bow and his words and nodded. "So it seems." She smiled and walked with him up to Brock as he introduced the new people.

<"Beesting..."> She backhanded his stomach lightly and shot him a look that said, "be nice", but she also smirked at him.

The Princess beamed at him as he kissed her hand and she smiled sweetly at him. "Oh you haven't disturbed us at all, Lord Krieger. I myself have been so very intrigued by your noble mission. It is an honor to meet such a stalwart warrior such as yourself." She smiled, her wings fluttering in excitement. Every time her wings fluttered a sparkly power came off of them making her body glitter in the sunlight and enhancing her... considerable... assets. The powder would smell sweetly to Sigurd, though the others wouldn't be able to pick up on a scent.

Ashwyn raised a brow at the young woman's...excitement. She wasn't sure she was all too pleased about her eagerness and the way she clutched Sigurd's hand, but she wasn't about to make a scene.

Cirro, meanwhile, had approached Zane and Lopiena and bowed in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I'm a lover of the forest and knowledge myself. So I have been particularly eager to meet the both of you. You're skills have impressed me thus far." He said with a dashing smile.

Feeling rather awkward and shy...the lightweight dress certainly dosn't help, she'd feel more comfortable with nothing at all...Lopiena bows respectfully. "Thank you for meeting with us today. We are...I am honored to meet you." She looks up curiously when Cirro is introduced; Clerical Guard sounds intriguing! For an instant she's lost in his eyes...what a lovely shade of green...but snaps out of it quickly when the princess is introduced. Bowing again and trying to at least appear less awkward than she feels, Lo is almost relieved when the princess tallks to Sigurd and Cirro approaches them instead. Relieved until she gets lost in his eyes again. Blinking quickly and looking at the floor, Lo focuses on what he's saying.

"Your forest is fascinating, and I have been enjoying traveling through," Lo smiles shyly, and attempts to at least look at his face. Looking at his chin seems safe enough, until he smiles...oh dear. Back to the floor. "There are many new species that I have yet to learn, and it would be an honor to learn from one who lives here. Cirrus...that's a type of cloud, right? That is a great name."

Wondering why her stomach feels so weird, Lo realizes that her breath and heart rate is increasing, just like Ashwyn pointed out last night. The realization is like a splash of cold water. They’re not here to be making eyes at anyone; this is not the time or the place. Forcibly shoving those thoughts and feelings away, Lo stands a little straighter and focuses on their purpose. They’re on a mission, lives are at stake! ...but knowledge is part of that mission, and the opportunity to learn more about the forest should not be passed up...finally resting her eyes on his shoulder (seems safe enough), Lopiena hopes Zane will have plenty of questions. She's not sure if her voice will be trustworthy at the moment.

Sigurd smiled softly to the small princess he was about to speak again when her aroma hit his nose. He closed eyes and tried to place where he had smelled it before. It made him feel warm.. like home. Shaking it off he found himself staring straight into the princesses cleavage. Quickly fixing his focus and hoping no one else saw.

"Not to rush things my lady, but we should be meeting with the queen without delay. Every second we spend socializing is another moment our lives are at risk" he said softly, his eyes locked with hers.

Cirro smiled at Lo's awekwardness and a soft blush crept across his features in return. "I'd be happy to share all I know about it. If you think of a question, please don't be afraid to ask." He said with a smile.

When she referenced clouds, he smiled. "Yes, that's right. I enjoy the clouds so I picked my name from them. But please, call me Bee. My friends do." He smiled.

"Choose? Bee? I'm curious, do faries pick their own names?" Zane asked.

Cirro smiled. "In a sense. We're given a name at birth but it's very simple. Usually no more than 3 letters. Just as a way to identify us. Once we come of age we choose a name that suits us and we're given another name by the community. The naming ceremony is really quite important in our lives. I choose Cirro, in honor of the clouds. My second name....well... that's a long story." He chuckled shyly, his cheeks flushing again.

---

The princess chuckled at his words. "Yes of course. Forgive me for taking up so much of your time. I only wanted to meet you for myself. Perhaps we will have time to get to know one another later." She smiled, her eyes twinkling and another burst of the sweet scent would hit Sigurd's nose. He would find it very pleasant and comforting.

Without releasing his hand, she stepped backwards, pulling him along with him. "Come with me. I'll show you to my mother's chamber." She smiled at him, pulling him gently along. She glanced at the others. "All of you, of course." She added with a giggle.

The giggle did it. Ashwyn frowned. She had never been all that comfortable with overly happy people anyway but this girl....it was sickening. She sighed and kept the pleasant smile on her face as she glanced over at Pip, who had begun to wander over towards her. She glanced over to Sigurd. "I'll be along in just a moment." She hurried over to Pip, who was MUCH larger than her now. She carefully rubbed his nose and smiled.

"Don't you worry, Pip. We're just going inside for a moment. We won't be long." She pressed her forehead against his and smiled as he nuzzled against her and his soft fur encased her face making her chuckle. She stroked his snout and smiled. "You be good now, alright? Don't make trouble?"

Pip yipped happily and wiggled his tail.

Ashwyn smiled and nodded. "Good boy." She leaned in and kissed his cold nose.

Another burst of scent, he stared at the princess for a moment, yes it was coming from her. He felt hi body relax, every pent up impulse melted away and he found himself being tugged along into the hallway. 'we have to meet the queen and get out of here....' he thought to himself trying to keep his mind disciplined and focused. As they walked his eyes darted around making notes of exits and possible hold points until he noticed... he didn't have any of his weapons, and summoning his greatsword would probably crush the entire building... well... maybe, no. but noted..

Glancing back he saw Ashwyn saying goodbye to Pip "He'll be fine dear! keep up" he said trying to wrangle her back near him. Looking back to the Princess there was this nagging feeling in the back of his head but he couldn't pin it down.

Listening to Cirro's story, Lopiena is more than a little curious. Especially the fact that they can choose their own names...she's not even sure what hers means, and the thought of choosing a name based on personal choice sounds fascinating!

"Would...you be...willing to share your story? I mean...while we're walking, I think we should go..." wow that came out awkward. Try again... "I mean we need to talk to your Queen, please...um..." desperate, Lo looks around and spots Ashwyn saying goodbye to Pip and Sigurd being dragged into the building. "We should definitely stay together, and it looks like the others are already heading inside." There, that's better. "If you don't mind, I mean...I'd love to hear your story and..." Flustered, Lo realizes she's babbling and stops mid-sentence. Blushing even redder, she sort of bows in the direction of the building and indicates to Cirro to please lead on.

The Princess smiled at Sigurd. "Oh you needn't worry. You're all perfectly safe here. No one can enter our grove without our permission. Not even those nasty imps have been able to get in. You're all perfectly safe." She smiled warmly.

She glanced over to Zane and Lo who were still talking to Cirro, and then at Ashwyn who was still petting the fox. "Hmm, seems your companions aren't in as much of a hurry." She chuckled.  "Well, I can always give you a tour before you meet with mother. Would you like that?" She asked, and another burst of scent would hit Sigurd's nose. He would find it rather difficult to refuse her.

Ashwyn heard Sigurd call to her and she nodded. "I'm coming!" She called back, still looking at Pip. "I promise, I'll just be inside. Stay out here, okay?"

A couple of the animal fairies approached and began to pet him. "We'll take good care of him. We promise." One of them smiled.

Ashwyn smiled back and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, I don't mean to distrust. It's just... I made a promise that I'd care for him."

"We understand." The other said. "He'll be just fine. We promise."

Ashwyn smiled and nodded. "Of course. Thank you." She said, before turning back to head into the Queen's sanctum.

---

Cirro chuckles at Lo's awkwardness. "It's alright. I don't mind telling it's just.... a little embarrassing." He admitted. He held out his arm, waiting for Lopiena to take it so he could escort her inside. "You see... I was out on one of my first missions as a cleric. I was still very young. Very inexperienced. We came across a beehive that had fallen from the tree. See, part of our duties in the forest is to help the creatures here. So we went to put the hive back in the tree. Well, I was... a little arrogant, I suppose. I thought I could do it alone. I didn't think about how the bees would react so..." He pulled the sleeve up on his other arm. There was a series of long scars along his arm.

"Needless to say, they didn't take to kindly to my arrogance." He smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, I was alright. Just a bit embarrassed. And all of my friends started calling me Beesting. Over the years it was shortened to Bee and, honestly, now I find it rather endearing." He smiled.

"What about you? I don't believe humans choose their names, but I think Lopiena is a beautiful name."

Sigurd's head started to feel like it was spinning and that he was walking on air. Would he like the tour? yeah sure... may be good recon for... something.. what was he doing there again "Ugh.. Sure I don't see the harm..." he said softly as he started following her more obediently. His body felt fuzzy but the air was full of such a wonderful scent. His body tingled as if he had been four or five tankards in at the pub. "So.. how long has this place been here" he muttered trying to get his mind to clear.

Taking Cirro's arm, Lopiena walks alongside him wondering about the strange feeling in her chest. Must be a really bad case of nerves or something. She does have enough sense to make sure Zane and Ashwyn are coming, and as they walk along she watches Sigurd and the princess up ahead.

Listening to Cirro's story with wide eyes, Lo can only think how big bees must be compared to their current size. "That must have hurt terribly! Were you able to make it out on your own or did someone have to get you? What sort of healers do you have here?"

At his questions of her, Lopiena only blushes. "I honestly don't know what my name means, only that my mother heard it while she was across the ocean. It doesn't mean 'ocean' though, and anyway I've never seen it. To me, my name reminds me of my mother." She smiles vaguely as thoughts of her mother help calm her heart rate. Up ahead, Sigurd and the princess turn off into a series of rooms and Lo assumes Cirro will lead them the same way.

(perception roll 17)

In an almost blind stupor, Sigurd just nodded to most of the things she was saying to him, he tried to keep mental notes of rooms, layouts, possible improvised weapons but as quick as he had logged them into his steel trap of a mind they slipped away. Walking into the princess's room he took in the sights but then there was a cup in front of him. Food.. drink? when was the last time he ate... he guessed he could eat or drink something.

Taking the cup he slowly sipped the nectar he was handed. It was very sweet. He turned to look behind him, subconsciously looking for his Mate and the others.

The Princess smiled as he drank. "It's good right? It's my favorite." She smiled she finally let go of him and took a step back to sit down. Then she looked around, as though just realizing something. "Oh, dear. I only have one chair. I'm so sorry, how rude of me." She stood again and took his hand. "Come, we can sit over here." She dragged him over to the bed and sat down with him. "There. Much better." She smiled.

As the nectar slid down his throat he'd start to feel.... warm. He wouldn't be able to pin point why exactly, but everything around him would begin to feel comfortable and and welcoming. Particularly the Princess.

---

Ashwyn entered the structure and looked around. She frowned. She didn't see which way the Princess and Sigurd had turned. She looked around for a bit but all the doorways looked the same. She finally turned back the way she'd come and found Brock still waiting for Cirro, Zane, and Lopiena.

"I'm sorry, I was a little slow and didn't see which way the Princess went." She admitted.

Brock chuckled. "Oh don't worry about it. Once you're other friends come along I'll show you the way. Peanut can be a little over eager with new people. We'll catch up." He smiled.

---

Cirro chuckled at Lo's concern. "Oh, it did." He said in regards to the pain. "But like I said, I was more embarrassed than anything else. The bees weren't trying to kill me, only wanted me to leave them alone. I should have known better but I had to try showing off." He shook his head. "It really wasn't as bad as it looked. And our healers are... different than you're used to. We're one with this forest so the forest works to heal us for the most part. But that's also why we have a league of clerics, for healing. Not just each other, but the forest. It's our soul purpose in life, to protect the forest and all life within it." He looked down at her.

"I guess that's a lot like druids, eh? Protecting nature?"

Nodding along to Cirro's words, Lopiena keeps an eye out for Ashwyn but doesn't see her. "That makes sense, bees know that they only get one sting. They wouldn't do that unless it was absolutely necessary. How...how does the forest heal you? And you heal the forest? Protecting the forest and all life within it...sounds idyllic."

Smiling, Lo nods. "Yes, we protect nature. As much as we can anyway, there are a lot of factors that we have to work with. It sounds like our magic must be so limited compared to yours. Protecting the forest must be a lot of work, especially now." Frowning, Lo suddenly remembers why they're there, the attacks and the Wasteland and..."Where is everyone? I saw Sigurd go that way...shouldn't we be going that way too?"

The warmth of the room was actually making Sigurd almost sleepy so he didn't so much as complain being pulled down to sit on the bed, it was incredibly soft, he found himself rubbing the comforter in a daze "ooh soft..." he managed to say with a dopey smile. "much softer than home..."

Sigurd smiled and flexed his arms "I am strong aren't I?.. not like your fairy friends, they're like little boys.. human boys.. not SpellWolf boys, they're strong too" he gave a chesty laugh and smiled. "if you need help lifting anything I'm your wolf!" he was about to laugh again when he turned to look at her, his eyes locked on her breasts that were almost falling out of her dress "uhhh" he stared at them for a long moment 'those look heavy' he thought and chuckled to himself.

Relieved at seeing Brock and Ashwyn at least, Lopiena relaxes. Wherever Sigurd and the princess disappeared to...they're probably discussing something important, or maybe they're with the Queen already. Turning back to Cirro, Lopiena smiles. "I would be happy to discuss anything you would like. I am...still inexperienced, but even if I don't know something I've probably at least seen it done."

Turning to Brock, Lo bows slightly while still holding Cirro's arm. "My apologies for the wait. I did not intend to keep you or the Queen waiting."

Looking at Ashwyn, Lo smiles. "I saw Sigurd and the princess go into some of the rooms in the back, they're probably talking to the Queen already. We should be able to catch up soon."