Chapter 4 ~ What Big Eyes You Have!

Nana and Cybil made their way back to the rest of the group just in time to see K'Tara finish setting up a fire pit. Nadia was looking through the bars in her cage at the Bird Lady as she seemed to be complaining to K'Tara. Cybil shifted her eyes to K'Tara who seemed to be ignoring her completely. Cybil wished she could tune her out half as well as K'Tara seemed to be able too. "We're back..." Cybil said to the group. "Finally! Like I have been trying to tell this Anolisary! We should not be building a fire here! It doesn't feel safe." The Bird Lady said. "... What did you just call her?" Cybil asked getting a little angry if that had been some sort of Malgamareian insult. "What? Anolisary? That is what she is! She is Anolisary." The Bird Lady said again. "It'sss my race. I am an Anolis." K'Tara said reassuring Cybil. "Oh... Well, we should be fine. We were probably washed 5 miles down the river and we had to have walked another 4 miles. Not to mention we are on the other side of the river. The canopy of the trees will help disperse the smoke... the Slavers won't find us here." Cybil said as she bent down and lit the bundle of sticks using Vulcan Palm. "It's not them I'm worried about... " She said. "What is it?" Nana asked. "It's too quiet... I haven't seen any animals in a while." She said. "... Now that you mention it. The forest has an abundance of vegetation, an overabundance actually." Nana said. "I'm lost here. This is a good thing, right? No animals to attack us and plenty of stuff to eat?" Cybil asked. "You idiot! And what is it you think is keeping the animals away?" The Bird Lady said. "The fuck you just call me? If it wasn't for me, you would still be in that cage back there!" Cybil told her. "Oh yeah! Good job, by the way. You nearly killed us all with your little mind magic!" The Bird Lady yelled back. "It was your plan you dumbass!" Cybil spat back and began walking towards her. "Woah! Hey!" Nana said out as she too got up and stepped in between them both. "My plan was to overturn the cart and escape! Not take a death ride through the forest!" The Bird Lady yelled at Cybil, Nana trying her best to keep them at away from each other at arm's length. "Calm down! Both of you!" Nana raised her voice. They both took a small step back from each other. Cybil let out an angry breath and looked away from the feathered woman. "Look, It doesn't matter how we escaped. We are all alive and..." Nana said before quieting down. Cybil blinked when Nana didn't finish her sentence and looked back to her. She seemed to be listening for something, what for she couldn't tell as the only thing she could hear was the slight crackle of the fire. "Nana?" Cybil asked. "... Its nothing, Just calm down... Let's eat, and then we can continue walking okay?" Nana asked both of them. "...Fine with me." Cybil said. "And you?" Nana asked. "My name is not 'You'..." The Bird Lady said. "... I'm sorry, I've never asked you your name." Nana said. "... Sa Ma Sera, and I'm fine... as long as we get moving soon." Sa Ma Sera said. "Okay then, let's eat..." Nana said as she motioned to the fire. Begrudgingly, both Cybil and Sa Ma Sera sat down. Nana began handing out sticks to everyone and then opened the bag. She pulled out a handful of mushrooms and began to sort them. "Let's see... This is a Dew Cap, got a lot of those..." She said as she began to hand out mushrooms to the group. "I'll cook your share Nadia." Cybil said. "Thanks, Umm... I know everything has been pretty hectic but... do you guys maybe think you can get me out of this cage?" Nadia asked.

~~~~~~=[ You have been offered a Quest! ]=~~~~~~
The Key to Friendship The fairy Nadia Lightbloom is grateful to you for freeing her from the Slavers and saving her life after falling into the cold waters of Tamtold River, but she has now requested you to free her of her prison of wood and iron.
You may free her by any means as long as she remains unhurt.

~~~~~~=[ Rewards ]=~~~~~~
Improved relationship with Nadia Lightbloom!

~~~=[ Penalties for Failure ]=~~~
None.

~~~=[ Penalties for Refusal ]=~~~
Decreased relationship with Nadia Lightbloom!

Would you like to accept this Quest? Y / N?

Cybil blinked at the prompt and looked over to Nadia. "Did you just give me a quest?" She asked. "Uh, Looks like it... This is embarrassing..." Nadia said blushing. "N-No! It's fine! Sorry we didn't think about it sooner! All of our minds have been all over the place I guess. I accept, and sorry again for not doing this sooner." Cybil said to her as she placed her mushrooms down and slowly and carefully picked out the cage and examined it. "The lock is built into the cage... Does anyone know how to pick locks?" Cybil asked. After hearing a resounding 'No' Cybil looked over the box again. "Hmm, the top and bottom are just wood... Maybe I can pull it apart?" She said. "Be careful please..." Nadia said as Cybil placed the cage on the ground and stood up over it. She placed her feet on both sides of the cage, using the weight of her own body to anchor the bottom of the box to the ground as she slipped her fingers between the bars on the top. "Okay... Get to the center of the cage." Cybil said to Nadia. "Okay! I'm good!" Nadia said as she curled herself into as small a ball as she could. Cybil took a deep breath and lifted with all her strength. She groaned as she could hear the wood creak and warp, her face was turning red from the strain. She then relaxed as she felt her hand beginning to slip. She shook her hands to get blood flow going back to her fingers and tried again. "You need help?" Nana asked. "I think I got it... The wood is weakening on top I thi-" She said as the wood snapped, sending Cybil tumbling backward. "Aw shit... N-Nadia? Are you alright?" Cybil asked as she slowly sat back up. At first, Nadia was silent as she sat up and looked herself over, she then looked around and her eyes beamed with joy at seeing the top of the cage torn open. She spread her wings and shot upwards like a bolt of lightning. Everyone craned their necks upwards to watch her zip about. "Ahaha! I'm free! its been so long since I've stretched my wings like this!" She said happily as she aimed herself downwards and suddenly stopped in a fluttering hover in front of Cybil. "Whoa... " Cybil said watching her fly, her wings were flapping so fast that they looked like a blur to her. Cybil held out her hand and Nadia landed in her palm, she was so light she might as well have been weightless. Now without the bars of that cramped cage obscuring her, she could take a good look at Nadia. Her wings looked like a Butterflies, but they had the fuzzy sheen to them so perhaps calling them Moth-like would be more accurate. Her long pale hair fit her diminutive stature and to call her adorable wouldn't do her justice. Cybil had to actively hold back from hugging her out of fear she might crush her. "Y-Your wings are beautiful!" She told her. "Thank you so much!" Nadia said back.

~~~~~~~~~=[ Quest Update! ]=~~~~~~~~~
The Key to Friendship ~~~~~=[ Quest Compleated! ]=~~~~
You have freed the Fairy Nadia Lightbloom from her portable prison, unhurt!
~~~~~~~=[ Rewards ]=~~~~~~~
Improved relationship with Nadia Lightbloom!

~~~~~~~~~=[ Relationship Update! ]=~~~~~~~~~
You have gained +10,000 Relationship Points with Nadia Lightbloom! Your relationship with the Fairy Nadia Lightbloom has
improved from +2,500 - Somewhat Familiar to +12,500 - Friendly Acquaintance!
~~~~~~~~~=[ Current Relationship ]=~~~~~~~~~
Nadia Lightbloom +12,500 - Friendly Acquaintance Mortal Enemy / / █ Lifelong Ally

"Huh? I saw this before when I adjusted my settings but... What are Relationship Points?" Cybil asked. "Just like what they seem to be! They tell you how another person sees you as!" Nadia said with a smile as she flew up and landed on Cybil's shoulder. "Ah... That will make things like dating a lot easier. Haha. So... Is my Relationship Points with you the same?" She asked. "No, you see only what another person sees in you." Nadia explained. "I guess that makes sense... So, what does It say that I think of you?" Cybil asked. "You are at +10,000 with me. As soon as I told you my name it's been like that. Haha, you're very trusting." Nadia said. "Ah...ahahaha...ha... Yeah, I guess so... Is it the same with you guys?" She asked. "Yeah,+10,000 when I told you my name and another +1,000 a little while ago when we were talking." Nana said with an embarrassed smile. "+10,000 when I told you my name..." K'Tara said as she pulled a mushroom from her stick and ate it. "... -1,000..." Sa Ma Sera told her. "... This is a bit embarrassing... Wait, -1,000? I didn't get any prompts about you..." Cybil said to Sera. "Probably because I don't think much of you to like or dislike you..." Sa Ma Sera said smugly. "... Anyway..." Cybil said as she picked up her stick and pulled a hot mushroom off, after tearing a small piece free and handing it to Nadia, she ate the rest. "What is our plan from here on?" She asked. "We keep walking." Nana said. "Is that it?" Cybil asked. "All we can do really. We are close to Le' Portano City. We have been walking westward, so we will either reach the shore or make it to the country of Medalia. Slavery is illegal there so it's our best shot. If we are lucky we might find a village along the way. Do a few odd jobs for money and stock up on supplies. After that maybe you all can make your ways back home?" Nana said. "I would like to go back to my family in Altia Forest." Nadia said. "Where is that?" Cybil asked. "In North Santeoria." She replied. "... how long have you been away from Altia Forest?" Nana asked as she ate a mushroom. "About 3 months... I was just minding my own business when a Hunter threw a net on me, He kept me for about a month before selling me to the Slavers..." Nadia said with a frown. "Why do you want to know?" Cybil asked. "... I was stationed in Fort Lilian, it's just north of Altia Forest, on the border of Santeoria and Asteia..." She said. Cybil felt a cold chill go down her spine. She looked at Nana who locked eyes with her. Lowering her head she took another mushroom from her stick. "Oh! So you have seen Altia Forest before? Could you maybe help me get back?" Nadia asked. Nana blinked and seemed to look at something infrount of her. Cybil watched as she bit her lower lip and hung her head. "Ummm... Nadia. I was captured by the Santeorian Army at that fort..." Nana told her. "O-Oh? So is that a no?" She asked confused. "... I think what Nana is trying to say is that the army most likely had to go through Altia Forest to reach her fort..." Cybil told her. Nadia's smile wavered for a second or two before returning with a slight sense of nervousness to it. "O-Oh... I see... Well... I-..." She said before her voice got caught in her throat. "It may sound bad but, you never know. They may have passed right through! Besides, you are from Santeoria. They wouldn't hurt their own citizens right?" Cybil said trying to what looked so clearly like tears forming in Nadia's eyes. "Ssshe is a Fairy..." K'Tara told her. "I know..." Cybil said looking at her confused as to why that would matter. "We are a lesser race..." Nadia said as the waterworks began. "H-Hey, Don't cry... What do you mean by 'lesser' race?" Cybil asked as she tried to wipe her tears away. "There are the Greater Races... Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Demons, Angels, Halflings, and Giants. And then there are the Lesser Races... Goblins, Orcs, Centaurs, Dark Elves, any of the Beastkin races like Anolis and Haps." Nana said motioning to both K'Tara and Sera. "And Fairies..." Nadia said. "Yes, Fairies too... as well as many other races." Nana finished. "Okay?... What does that mean though?" Cybil asked but already was getting a picture, but she hoped it was not what it seemed. "Lesser Races are not allowed to own land in most countries. They are considered little more than smart monsters to some... They are often exploited for cheap labor or... worse. It makes me sick how they are treated." Nana said. "Goddamnit... There is fantasy racism here?" Cybil asked. "Yes, but I can assure you it is quite real." Nana said a little offended. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that... Where I come from there are only Humans. But we still have a lot of hate based on skin color... Elves, Demons, Goblins... even Fairies are all just stuff of stories there. But I guess hate and ignorance is a multiversal thing..." Cybil said with a sigh. Everyone sat in silence for a few minutes as they finished their food. Afterward, they all got up and kicked dirt on the fire. Nana inspected the remains of the cage that Nadia had been in and began to break it down further. "What are you doing?" Cybil asked. "We need weapons just in case we come across a monster or worse... They are no sharpened blade but these iron bars will hurt like one if we stab them into any soft spots." Nana said as she handed one to Cybil. "Weapons huh?" Cybil said looking at the rusted bar. "Better than a rock." Nana said as she handed one to K'Tara and Sera who begrudgingly took it. "Your right about that..." Cybil said as she felt the weight of it in her hand. Once they felt ready they all grabbed onto the concealment cloth Belldandy was sleeping on and lifted it up. They again walked westward. Nadia flew ahead a little as she scouted and flew back to tell them everything seemed clear. She then landed on Cybil's shoulder. "How is Belldandy doing?" Cybil asked. "Let me see..." Nadia said as she turned her head and looked back, her eyes glowing a light gold. "She is doing alright, bleeding has stopped. Health is still at full, or as full as it can be. I hope she wakes up soon." Nadia said. "Me too." Cybil said. "Me too, that way she can walk by herself... She is too heavy." Sera said with a groan. Cybil rolled her eyes and sighed. She then turned her head towards Nadia and watched as her eyes returned back to normal. "Say, Nadia..." She said. "Yeah?" She asked. "That magic... What is it called?" She asked. "It's a Seerer spell called Analyze." She told her. "Seerer?" Cybil asked. "Yeah, its part of a class of information giving spells." Nadia said. "Hmm... Is that the only one you know?" Cybil asked. "Yeah, I was taught it by my family elder." She told her with a sad smile. "... I see... Would it be too much for me to ask if you could maybe teach it to me?" Cybil asked. "... Well... " She said as she placed her hand to her chin to think. "I mean if it's really personal to you... It's okay." She said. "No... Analyze is a fairly common spell." Nadia said. "O-Oh..." Cybil said. "Let's see... You did save me from the Slavers, Saved me from drowning, and freed me from that cage... So... Sure!" She said smiling. "Aha, you were milking that suspense for all its worth. Thank you." Cybil said. "Would you also like to learn my Minor Healing spell?" She asked. "Y-You would teach that one to me too?" Cybil asked. "It's the least I can do." Nadia said. Cybil smiled at Nadia, She could see Nadia smiling back but could tell that the conversation from earlier was still weighing heavily on her shoulders. "Umm... I know I didn't save you or anything... But... Could you teach me them as well?" Nana asked. "Hmm... I guess it wouldn't make much of a difference if I taught two instead of one." She said. "Could you... What about three?" K'Tara asked. "Sure." She said smiling back at K'Tara. "Aren't you all lucky? Getting free Magic lessons!" Sa Ma Sera said annoyed. "I might make it lessons for 4 if you ask nicely." Nadia said back at here. "I'm not going to beg..." She said. "... So, Anyway... How much are Magic lessons normally?" Cybil asked. "I guess it would vary based on where you are but a normal spell would probably be about 5 Gold Pieces and more for higher level spells." Nana said smiling broadly at the fact that she will be learning magic. "5 Gold? Is that a lot?" Cybil asked. "Yeah, You have Copper, Silver, and Gold Pieces. 100 Copper makes a Silver, 100 Silver makes a Gold." She told her. "Ah... Okay..." Cybil said. "... An average meal and a night at an Inn would run you about 10 Copper." She said. "I see... Let's just say a Copper is more or less a Dollar so... Jesus Christ! A-Are you sure it's okay to teach us for free?" Cybil asked. "Sure! I don't have a lot of use for money and we are in this together! If you guys know the magic, that makes it easier for me." She said. "Thanks! So, How do we start?" Cybil asked. "It's pretty simple, look at someone and imagine a Dominion Sheet coming out of their body and repeat after me. 'Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!' " She said. "Is that all?" Cybil asked. "Yup!" She said. Cybil looked over at Nana, and Nana looked at her. Cybil imagined Nana's dominion Sheet phase out of her and called out. "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" Cybil, Nana, and K'Tara said in unison. Nothing seemed to happen. "Keep trying! It's pretty easy to learn so you will probably get it in about 12 hours or so." Nadia said. "12 hours?... Alright... " Cybil said with a sigh and continued. "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" "Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight bey- Wait... This is simple... Why the heck is learning Magic so expensive? Can't you learn this from a book or something?" Cybil asked. "Sure, But the book would need to be enchanted with the Magic you are trying to learn." Nana said before she reciting the spell again. "Huh? So you can't just do the steps?" Cybil asked. "A person that knows the spell must be nearby for you to learn it, and they must acknowledge that they are teaching you the spell. To learn it from a book or scroll, the essence of the spell must be enchanted into them. They are even more expensive than learning from a person, but for good reason." Nana said. "Like?" Cybil asked. "When learning magic or even a skill from a book or scroll, you will learn it via Transference even if you don't have an affinity of 25% or more in its spell type. Scrolls are usually one-time use, Books can be used more than once I think." She told her. "...I'm almost afraid to ask how much they are." Cybil said. "I've never seen one but I would guess 100 Gold, maybe more." She said. "Man... Oh, Dominion! Grant me sight beyond mine! Allow me to see what others see! Analyze!" Cybil started again. A few hours passed as they all walked, at some point, even Sa Ma Sera began to practice Analyze, Nadia said nothing in protest. They began to notice the trees thinning out as they reached a small clearing. A tiny stream flowed through the middle Cybil smiled as her throat had become horse from chanting the spell and welcomed a drink of water. "Let's take a small break!" Cybil said as they placed Belldandy down carefully by the water. Cybil knelled down and cupped the cold water with her hands and brought it to her mouth. She drank it greedily and sighed with pleasure as it soothed her dry throat. She looked around and could see tall mountains in the distance from where the stream was flowing. She guessed that was its source, It had a small pure earthy taste that she could only remember certain brands of water back home on Earth had. She took a few more drinks and then looked over at Nana flipping Belldandy over gently. "Going to give her some water?" Cybil asked. "Yeah, could you bring some over?" Nana asked. Cybil nodded and cupped some water in her hands and slowly made her way over to Nana and Belldandy. Nana propped up Belldandy against her own body and tilted her head back and opened her mouth with her hand. Cybil hovered her hands over Belldandy's mouth and slowly let water drip in. Almost immediately, Belldandy's lips reacted to the water. She groaned as her eyes opened slightly. Cybil smiled as it seemed she finally had awakened and let a greater flow of water fall from her hands. Once her hands emptied she got up and got more from the stream. After about 4 trips back and forth Belldandy shook her head. "How are you feeling?" Cybil asked. "... Weak... but okay..." She said. "Are you hungry? We have some mushrooms and some berries I think." Nana asked as the others began to gather. "No... Don't think I can eat... Are we... Are we okay?" She asked. "If you are asking if we are safe, yes. We got away! It's thanks to your magic!" Cybil said to her. "Can you walk?" Sera asked. Cybil looked annoyed at the Bird Lady. Belldandy smiled as she began to try to move. "Hey, Don't! You're still going through withdrawal." Cybil said. "I'm okay..." She said with a smile and tried to stand but her knees gave out and fell back onto Nana. "No! Just rest and regain your strength. We have been carrying you this far, and we will continue carrying you." Cybil said. "Okay... Sorry..." She said. "Don't be, We would still be in a cage if it wasn't for you." Cybil told her. "Mmm... I think I'm going to sleep for a little bit..." She said. "Okay, and maybe when you wake up you can eat something okay?" Cybil said. "Okay..." She said as she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep almost immediately. The group looked at her as Nana laid her back down. Cybil sighed and got back up to her feet and then glared at Sa Ma Sera. "What?" She asked. "Look at her! You think she would be in any condition to walk?! Can you think about anyone other than yourself?! Is it so hard to act like a decent person?!" Cybil asked as Sera's eyes narrowed.

~~~~~~~~~=[ Relationship Update! ]=~~~~~~~~~
You have lost -500 Relationship Points with Sa Ma Sera! ~~~~~~~~~=[ Current Relationship ]=~~~~~~~~~
Sa Ma Sera -500 - Strangers Mortal Enemy / █ / Lifelong Ally

Cybil dismissed the prompt without a thought. "Why should I care about her? She is a privileged Human? Just because we were both enslaved still doesn't make us equal. She would have been sold to some rich aristocratic and made a servant while I would be sent to some work pit!" Sera spat. "Are you such a child that you can't see what kind of person she is? She gave me the Magic to let us escape with no fuss! then on top of that, she wanted us to leave her behind to act as a diversion while chained the wagon after we set it on fire! All to help us... And YOU escape!" Cybil shouted.

~~~~~~~~~=[ Relationship Update! ]=~~~~~~~~~
You have lost -2,000 Relationship Points with Sa Ma Sera! Your relationship with the Sa Ma Sera has
degraded from -500 - Strangers to -2,500 - Disliked!
~~~~~~~~~=[ Current Relationship ]=~~~~~~~~~
Sa Ma Sera -2,500 - Disliked Mortal Enemy / █ / Lifelong Ally

"Umm, let's calm down." Nadia said as she tried to get in between the two. K'Tara sighed and walked back to the stream for another drink and to wash any dirt from her body. "Shut up and get out of my face you Imp with wings!" Sera shouted. "That's it you fucker!" Cybil shouted and charged at Sera, which seemed to catch her completely off guard. Sera made contact with Sera's stomach and lifted her off her feet. Sera coughed as the force pushed the air from her lungs.

Congratulations!
You have learned the Battle Skill Grapple!
Force of grappling attacks cause 1.01 times damage.
+5% chance of breaking opponents hold.

They both hit the ground hard and rolled into the stream. K'Tara looked at them annoyed and got up. She walked around them a little bit until she was upstream from them and continued washing her self. "Would you two stop it! You are going to wake up Belldandy!" Nana said. "Stop them!" She called out to K'Tara. "Let them fiiight. It's better to let them get thisss aggression out now then have iiit crop up a worse time." K'Tara said. Cybil raised her fist and brought it down on Sera's cheek. Sera let out a painful yelp as she reached up and pulled Cybil's hair.

Congratulations!
You have learned the Battle Skill Unarmed Combat!
Force of unarmed attacks strike for 1.01 times damage.

"Owww! Let go you asshole!" Cybil yelled as she grabbed a hand full of Sera's feathers and pulled. "Ahhhh! You let go! You're going to pull them out!" Sera shouted. "You stop first!" Cybil shouted back. "Ahhhh... Ahhhahhhh...Haaaa...Ahhahhhhhhhhhhh... Ahhhhahhhh....Haaahaaaa...Ahhhhh...Haaaa....Ahhhhhhhhhhh..." Cybil blinked and looked down at Sera who blinked and looked at her. They both slowly let go of each other and got up. They both glared at each other but for some reason, they didn't feel as if hitting each other would solve anything anymore. Cybil looked back at Belldandy, she was awake again and looking at them sadly. "I'm sorry... You two are fighting... Because of me..." She said. "No... They are both fighting because they are both stubborn. We are sorry that we woke you up... Go back to sleep, I'll take care of this." Nana said as she turned away from Belldandy who sighed and closed her eyes again. "What was that?" Cybil asked as Nana approached her. "I heard singing an-" She said before Nana roughly slapped her. Cybil's vision doubled and she fell back into the stream. Her nose hurt and she could again taste the salty copper of blood in her mouth. Sera's eyes widened as she took a step back, hands raised to protect her face as Nana walked towards her. "W-Wait! It was her that takle-" She said before Nana punched her in the stomach. Her knees buckled and she too fell backward into the stream. "We have someone exhausted and trying to sleep and you two decide to have a petty fight. A fight that woke her up and made her feel that she had to use a skill to calm you two down..." Nana scolded. "She... Sera... Dammit..." Cybil began to say before realizing she was right, they had more pressing matters that needed to be addressed and she let her emotions get the best of her. "Sorry... It won't happen again." Cybil said. "Good, and you?..." Nana asked looking at Sera who seemed to have her attention focused behind her. "What are you loo-" Nana asked as she turned around, Cybil's eyes followed. They all froze as what looked like a white wolf the size of a small bus was hunched over Belldandy and seemed to be smelling her. K'Tara turned when she heard the others go silent and froze as well. "It's a Dire Wolf... Level 24... HP 702..." Nadia whispered as she slowly hovered behind Nana. "Okay... stand still, I've heard that Dire Wolves are quite intelligent and not known to be aggressive... If we don't move it might just go away." Nana said to the rest. The wolf raised its head and looked at the group It seemed unimpressed and lowered its head again. It lowered the rest of its body and laid next to Belldandy, it's tail curling around her body. "What is it doing?..." Cybil asked. "I don't know..." Nana replied. The wolf rested its head an closed its eyes. "Is it... Going to sleep?" Sera asked. "I thiiink so..." K'Tara said. "Okay... What do we do?" Cybil asked. "I don't know..." Nana said. "Can we... Kill it?" Cybil asked. "It is way too strong... And one bite from that will probably kill any of us..." Nana said. They all stared at it and looked at each other. "What if we-" "We are not leaving her..." Cybil said as she glared at Sa Ma Sera. "... Fine... Maybe we can lure it away?" She said. "How? What do Dire Wolves eat?" Cybil said. "Anything that is smaller than them?" Nana asked, this prompting Nadia to hide further behind Cybil's back. "Okay... One of us acts as bait and runs? Then the others grab Belldandy?" Cybil asked. "Who of us is the fastest?" Nana asked. "My Agility is 8." Cybil said. "Mine is 9 too." Nana said. "8." K'Tara said. "...6..." Sera said annoyed. "..............." Nadia was silent. "Nadia?" Cybil asked. ".......10." She said weakly. "And I can double my flying speed for a little while..." She added reluctantly. "Okay then... Do you think you can do this?" Nana asked. "I don't know... It's big and scary!" Nadia said. "If it gets to close can't you just fly straight up?" Cybil asked. "........ Oh yeah!" Nadia said as she peeked over Cybil's shoulder. "You seriously forgot that was an option?" Cybil asked. "Fear can make you forget a lot of things..." She said as she hovered above Cybil's shoulder. "Okay... get close to it, but not too close... and on the count of 3, yell at the top of your lungs!" Nana said to her. "O-Okay..." Nadia said as she slowly made her way over to the Dire Wolf. When she was only ten feet away she looked over at Nana. Nana three fingers up and then slowly counted down. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Nadia screamed, when she saw the Wolf open its eyes and look at her she sped off like a blur. The wolf blinked and then closed its eyes again. "... Okay..." Nana said puzzled. Nadia stopped when she realized that the wolf had not taken chase and came back to the group. "It didn't work..." Nadia said. "Yeah... What the hell is it doing?" Cybil asked. "Ah!... Could iiit be that ssshe is trying to protect her?" K'Tara asked. "What? Why would it do that, and how do you know it's a She?" Cybil asked. "Jussst a hunch... It iiis wrapped around her like a mother protectiiing her young." K'Tara said. They all looked at the large wolf and blinked. How the hell would that thing think Belldandy is its child? "Okay then... If that is the case what do we do?" Cybil asked. "Tell iiit that she is not her chiiild?" K'Tara suggested. "Will that work?" Cybil asked. "No iiidea..." K'Tara said. "... Okay..." Nana said as she began to walk towards the wolf. "Whoa, what are you doing?!" Cybil asked. Nana stopped a good twenty feet from the beast and looked back. She motioned with her hand to walk away. Cybil just shook her head, Nadia standing on her shoulder. K'Tara stood still, waiting to see how this played out. Sera was already half past the stream and heading for the treeline. Nana sighed and turned to the wolf that had already opened its eyes and was wearily regarding her. "Uhhh... We do not mean you any harm!... But you have your traveling partner with you... Can we please have her back?" Nana asked. The wolf only continued to stare. "I don't think it understands..." Cybil said. "WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS IN MY LAND?" They all suddenly heard reverberate in their skulls. "T-The hell?" Cybil asked. "Wasss that... Mind Ssspeak?" K'Tara asked. "What? What is Mind Speak?" Cybil asked. "Was that you?" Nana asked holding her head. "WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS IN MY LAND?" It asked again. "W-We are just passing through... We are escaped slaves! We mean you and your land no harm!" Nana said. "SLAVES? EXPLAIN THIS WORD." It demanded. "Uhh... We were captured against our will and turned into the property of another..." Nana said. The wolf lowered its head in thought. "... Like I said... We don't mean you an-" Nana said before the wolf Interrupted. "MY LAND BECOME SLAVE TO ANOTHER." It said. "N-No, We don't want to do that!" Nana said. "NOT YOU... ANOTHER!" It bellowed. "Ah...Okay! So someone else is taking your land? What does this have to do with her?" Nana asked pointing to where Belldandy was beneath its fur. "ONLY REASON YOU STILL BREATH." It told her. "Uhhh... I don't understand!" Nana said. "Have you been following usss?" K'Tara asked. "ONCE YOU ENTER MY LAND I FOLLOW!" It told her. "Don't make her mad..." Cybil said. "A few timesss while we were walking I felt usss beiiing watched." K'Tara said. "Same." Nana said. "Okay, So what?" Cybil asked. "Jussst a thought but... Were you planning on attacking usss?" K'Tara asked. "I WAS." It said back. "Then why?" Cybil asked. "Belldandy's song... It calmed you and Sa Ma Sera, it must have done the same to Her..." Nana said. "Okay then... What do you want us to do in exchange for her?" Cybil asked. "WANT LAND BACK!" it yelled in Cybil's mind. "But... We aren't the... Wait, do you want us to get your land back?" Cybil asked. "YOU GET MY LAND BACK, I WON"T DESTROY YOU!" It told her bluntly.

~~~~~~ You have been offered a Quest! ~~~~~~
Hard Core Problems for Hard Core Wolves. The Dire Wolf and Master of this Domain, has kindly asked you to reclaim its land from whatever it is that has stolen it from her.

~~~~~~~ Rewards ~~~~~~~
The return of Belldandy.
Free passage through her land.

~~~~ Penalties for Failure ~~~~
Death

~~~~ Penalties for Refusal ~~~~
Painful Death

Would you like to accept this Quest? Y / N?

Everyone looked at the prompt they were giving and in unison said roughly the same thing. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck..."