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Saranna

All the more to embrace you with, my dear.

0 · 826 views · located in The Hidden Glen

a character in “The Multiverse”, as played by Moonscar

Description

6th Chamber
Clock Room

7th Chamber
Library/observatory

8th Chamber
Zoo

9th Chamber
Kitchen/dining room/living quarters

10th Chamber
Forbidden


1st chamber
Mixing Room/ Ingredients

2nd Chamber
Magic circle/summoning room/spell room

3rd Chamber
Armory/smithy

4th Chamber
Artifacts

5th Chamber
Greenhouse


Image

So begins...

Saranna's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Saranna
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The witch's eyes followed Aiyanna as she came in, only momentarily. She pulled the cloak over her shoulders again, hiding every extra pair of arms she had. She looked like a normal human once more. "My name is Saranna." she said to Strix.

"I suppose I should thank you."

The setting changes from Gambit's Bar to Terra

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Damian Farway Character Portrait: Siana Character Portrait: Saranna
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When Damian woke up, he would see two eyes looking into his. It had not been the same eyes that Siana had adopted earlier, but seeing as she was a shape shifter, it hardly mattered. The woman staring at him, with her face just an inch away from his, had a very pink tint to her skin, with webs in between her fingers and gills just beneath her shin. There were flowers in her blonde hair, all blue and tiny.

As he found himself staring back at her, Damian could only grin.

"Good morning?" He joked, unsure of whether to move or not. somehow...he'd gotten used to her continually changing her looks on him. Although he could not bring himself to say that the shape shifting always seemed to require a bit of extra....patience to deal with.

The girl blinked, then gasped as he spoke. Immediately, three others that looked just like her popped out of the water, swarming around him. All with webbed fingers and gills. They seemed astonished.

Damian looked around and sighed. "I take it....I've been fooled for a second time? Honestly...." Again, really? It was so damned hard to tell when it was Siana, what with her being a shape shifter and all.

"I assume....you all don't want to cause me harm...." He was hoping actually. "Considering...if you wanted to you would've done so as I slept..." He turned to look at the one above him

"Um...could I stand...please?"

The women retreated slowly, gathering in a heap atop each other like bewildered puppies. As all water maidens were, these were nubile young maidens, acting with all innocence about them that separated them from sirens. They peered over the bank, slipping back into the water.

"Oh! Shoo!"

A loud, booming voice carried down the river, and the young woman screamed and screeched, fleeing back into the water and down with the current. Siana was rushing down the middle. "I leave for a moment and they gather! Let me be damned!" she fussed, looking up at Damian.

Getting up to his feet Damian glanced back at the river, no doubt catching a few lingering around watching him from under it's surface.

"Um..." He rubbed his neck. "What were those? I don't think they were sirens....I still have my head...."

"Sirens are green." she replied, glaring down at the water. Yes, they were lingering, hiding right at the edges of their underground burrows. "Those are Merrow. Good, but nosy folk. Good thing you got the women. The men are so horrendous that the females of their kind try to snatch up humans as husbands. I'd show you, but you'd scream."

"Ah." Damian nodded, offering a polite wave to the curious women. "Well, they may have surprised me but at least they didn't mean any harm." He grinned. "I thought one was you at first, since you like to change so often. I really should learn more about this river if I'm going to be hanging around it, sure is a lot hiding under the water."

"I could tell you all about it. But that would take a year and a half if I went into details." she told him, glaring down at the merrow.

"Also, if you really get that confused, just give me a set of features to stick with and I'll make the effort to stay that way in front of you." Her eyes shifted to him briefly.

"And if your thoughts are what I think they are towards those women, I'll advise you that they have fish tails. They're not mermaids, but close enough."

"Hey, is that really how you think of me? I'm hurt. I thought I had earned a better rep than that. I was only being civil. I'm not going to be all 'GRRRRRI'maeaturface' just because they were curious, I mean that's how you and I met after all isn't it?"

"You should feel hurt. From what I've gotten, it's usually the truth. I saw your smile. Now answer my first question!"
"I was being polite!" Damain tried to defend himself but he kept grinning at her. "Don't tell me you've gotten jealous on me?"

Siana's hand hit the water as she tried to splash it into his face. "Oh, hardly! Get off it!"
Damain couldn't really do much in the way of avoiding the soaking, but he didn't mind too much. He actually laughed. "Did I hit a nerve?" He smiled, flashing his teeth for a moment before covering his head with his arms, bracing for her next attack.

It was not a splash this time.

It was a wave.

"Oh shush!" she ordered once the wave had passed, flicking her hair out of her eyes. "And you're still avoiding the question!"

Damian was knocked onto his rear at the force of the wave, once again he found himself drenched, despite having just dried off.

"I should start wearing trunks when I come here..." He chuckled as he planted both hands into the ground at his side.
"So, what's this question your so desperate to hear my answer to? I seem to have forgotten what with you getting so flustered at my smiling at other females."

He was going to get a hurricane if he kept going. "I asked you to gather some features you'd like to see me with whenever we meet. So you don't get confused." she repeated. "I've done it for people before, when I changed more often."

"Ah." Damian nodded, crossing his legs to sit bow legged. "Well...that's a hard one..." He said as he held his ankles, thinking.

He'd be quiet for a long moment as he contemplated. Even his expression had faded from his joking and teasing smirk to a more serious, thoughtful, face.

"What I want...." He said finally. "Is for you to look like you. I want the real Siana, because it isn't about appearance for me. It's about you."

Siana soured her face. "It's not about that! It doesn't matter what I really look like! I've...forgotten! It's been so many years. The best I can do is render up something you can familiarize yourself with. What do you like? Light skin, dark skin? Blondes, brunettes, redheads? Come on. All men have particulars they like. It shouldn't be so hard."

"You asked me what I wanted, so I told you. I won't change it just because you tell me to." Damian just looked at her smiling, his palms against one another in between his legs. "I just want you to feel comfortable, so that you don't want to change all the time."

"I don't mind. Does it look like I mind?" she asked him, resting her hands onto her hips. She looked at him indignantly. "It's only in my nature, as an undine, to change forms to fit the man's desires that we pair with." she said, leaning onto the bank lazily.

"It hardly makes me uncomfortable."

"I don't recall saying it made you uncomfortable. I just want you to choose for yourself. What I desire, is for you to choose what you look like." He hardly changed in expression or actions. "I'll simplify it. Take on an appearance, you think I would like or something that resembles your personality."

Siana rose out of the water to sit next to Damian, fingers tapping in thought upon the muddy bank. She leaned back onto her tush, legs lifting slightly off the ground. "Well, fine." she said, raising one hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. As she did, her hair turned a vivid red, wavy, dropping to her waist. Her skin paled, and her lips formed, upper slim, the lower full. Her eyes slanted upward and became almond-shaped, and her nose rounded.

To spite him, just a bit, she made sure she was flat.

"Well?"

"What? I said choose for yourself. My opinion doesn't matter." Damian smiled at her, but he made sure to notably look her over. "As long as you're you, I'm satisfied."

The woman frowned. All that work to even...

With a disappointed grunt, she scooped up water into her hands, then lifted it to splash him in the face. She huffed, slipped down into the water, and began to walk away.

Not even a compliment.

"Siana." Damian said hoping she was still within earshot. "I still have something I want to say. If you would stop drenching me, I'd love to tell you."

She whipped around to face him, folding her arms. "I'm listening." she said, chin up in a stubbornness. Hmph.

He patted the ground beside him. "Sit."

Siana rolled her eyes, then walked back over to him, sitting down. She looked away from him.

She'd wind up on her back.

Damian had pulled her shoulder down and pushed her to the ground, he loomed over her, a grin on his face.

"Alright now listen." His hands held her wrist. "Cause I'm not going to repeat myself again. I know you're annoyed, but that's because you haven't paid attention. I'm interested in you, for who you are, not what you look like. I have judged too many people in my lifetime based on appearances, and I know how those end. And I've told you that I'm done with that. Now, we're going to relax for a bit longer, and then we're going to visit this witch to find out if she can help you."
When he finished, Damian released her and sat down to her side. "That was it."

When she was pushed onto her back, her eyes grew wide. Her legs came together, and she tried to pull away from his grasp. Forced to look into his face, she felt her heart quicken. She opened her mouth to speak, but his own words stopped her.

When he finished and sat beside her, the undine stayed silent for a few moments. Then, quite suddenly, she sat up, caught his wrists, and soon, Damian would find himself on his back instead.

"I know I'm stubborn, and I know this is probably the wrong thing to be doing...again...but it's a hard thing for a woman like me to sit back and suffer that treatment without doing something about it. I'd like to know what you really do see in me after meeting me barely a week ago, knowing me for only three or four of those days. I think you're getting ahead of yourself. You know me little more than those women you'd meet in a pub for a night- but I'll give you something. The fact that you went so many lengths for me. Not that I know why. Perhaps you're guilty about the curse, and it hardly matters."
She lowered herself toward him, elbows on the ground on either side of his head. "I'd like to say that I like you too. Just the same. However-" she began, leaning in close enough for their lips to brush, "-unfortunately, for now, I do not."

With a high giggle, she slipped away from him, hands sliding down his shoulders and chest until she landed back into the water.

Damian sat up slowly, resting his elbows on his knees as he held his chin, his fingers steepling together over his mouth and under his nose. He smiled slowly.

"Beaten." He sighed. "I swear she's...interesting."

--------------------------------

Not an hour would pass before Siana came back out and the Merrow, who had been marveling over Damian once more, scattered like the fish they were and dove deep into the water. She had looked like she had before, but her long hair was up in a ponytail out of her eyes.

"They've taken a real liking to you." she commented, walking towards him. "I wonder what your trick is. Or perhaps its just because you don't look as ugly as their male counterparts who remain in the sea."

"I wouldn't know." Damian said leaning back onto the palms of his hands. "I think of it as a child's curiosity more than anything. or the curiosity in something new. Which reminds me. What was it that prompted you to come out of the water and talk to me that day?"

"They certainly don't look at you with a child's curiosity." replied Siana, strutting past him with her hands resting on the back of her head.

When he asked his question, she pursed her lips outward and hummed in thought. There was an easy way to dodge this. She took it. "I forgot." she said, grinning. "I'm so old that I can forget even little things like that."
It was a total and complete lie, but she hoped it would hold her for now.

"Really. Forgot?" Damian looked at Siana. He was no young 'un himself. Maybe he hadn't lived for as long as her, or maybe longer, he didn't know. But he was sure he had more experience with women....but she was certainly different. While he could not even fathom trying to read her, he could at least notice a slight...difference. When did women ever admit to being old?

"Well, that's the second thing you've told me you've forgotten." He sighed and got to his feet, dusting off the seat of his pants. "Well, let's get going then."

-------------

When they arrived at the Butcher's Teeth, Siana overlooked the scenery. It was a perilous and deadly set of cliffs, lined by sharp, jagged rocks. Some were stained red by those who were unfortunate enough to slip to their deaths.
Siana seemed unphased. At least, for herself.

"I'd advise you to be careful." she said, looking up at the dark clouds. It had been raining a lot lately. The cliffs were dry now, but if it started to rain and became slick, Damian would be in danger. She could always materialize back into water. He could not. "Her lair is around here somewhere. There should be a dip to walk alongside the cliff walls."

"I....I will try and be careful..." He was visibly nervous, looking at the ground as if here standing on a well worn bridge. It wasn't that he was only concerned about his own safety, which, he was. He also had something that weighed on him like a boulder.

He was behind her, so he could see it. The mark that prompted much self loathing, the mark that bound his fate to hers. He had to be careful, for both of their sakes.

Siana had actually forgotten that part of the deal with the mark. She had centered it all on what it was causing her to do. All the little things it had shifted in the way she thought and looked at things. Especially Damian. It was certainly not herself she was thinking about when she near feared someone dying on those rocks.

"Here, you can stand on the inside of the path. I'll be right beside you, just in case. Right there, against the wall." she said as they came up to the path she had mentioned. She set her feet on the very edge, spreading her arms like a tightrope walker. She nearly laughed. "Fun. We're very high up. I almost think I should be worried. Look how far ahead of us the path goes."

"You...you be careful too..." Damian said, relieved to have some sort of relative safety. "Unless you want to drink from me again." He chuckled, trying to distract himself.

"So, who is this witch we're meeting?"

"Unless it's going to evaporate the water in this body, it hardly matters what kind of injury I get. You can crack my skull open, I'll feel it for a moment, but then I'll just liquify the wound and it'll all come together again. I'm sure that's something you would want, however. You certainly weren't protesting, last I remembered."

Green eyes flicked over her shoulder to land on him mischievously. She offered a half smile.

"Her name is Saranna. She's not very popular, though some people will come by for the odd favor and such. She always has a price as high as what is wanted, however. Lets see what she offers us."

The walk was not so long. It took about ten minutes down that winding ledge before Siana stopped. She was looking contemplatively at the path before them, which had narrowed dramatically to about five inches of ledge. "Bother."
"Ah...um....well...lead the way. I'll follow behind as careful as I can." Damian came to a stop as he waited for Siana to step forward. He was.....scared. He sure as hell wasn't going to say it though.

"I think you should go first with me close behind. My sense of balance will be better. If you fall I'll be able to catch you easier, too." she said to him, her face devoid of all emotion. She was perfectly fine with it all. "Go on, now."

"Oh be honest. You just want me in front so you can check out my ass." Damian smirked, trying to divert attention away from how nervous he was. So, summoning his fleeting courage he stepped forward onto the thin path.

Do not fall. Do not fall. She'll have to catch you...maybe fall? No. It wouldn't look good.

"If you want to think that. Shall I give it a good smack while you're walking on the ledge?" she shot back, stepping out behind him with a smirk. "I encourage you not to tempt me, Damian."

"I'll try not to, but perhaps I'm not the one you should be telling that to." He said, eyes fixed firmly on the ground a his feet.

High. Very High.

The thin ledge extended another ten feet in front of them. Not terribly long, and at the same time, it might as well of been a mile. Siana stepped out closely behind him, her breath on his neck. "Come on, now. Can't be that bad. Go!"

"Don't rush me." Damian snapped, he didn't really mean to, he was just really frightened. Especially whenever he remembered it wasn't his own mortality at risk here...

Slowly but surely he'd go across.

"Not....too bad..." He laughed nervously.

"It's probably a bad thing I'm wondering now if you're ticklish." commented Siana, pressed up against the wall. She held back a snicker. "Of course, I can always test that another time, I'm sure."

As they neared the end, she stepped out ahead of him, stretching her legs across the gap.

"Oh you're just looking for an excuse to get your hands on me aren't you?"

Damian smirked, trying to avoid breaking out into a sweat.

As she got onto much wider ground, her arm would hook around his waist to walk him forward. "I'll admit, the curse is making me a bit more friendly than I usually am, but it's only because of that." she commented, looking around the corner. She found herself staring into the absolute darkness of the mouth of a cave. There was a smaller, round window with a shelf to the side, about the size of an outstretched hand. Siana poked her face toward it.

"Hello!"

Her voice echoed, bouncing from wall to wall and repeating itself over and over for a good amount of time. A scratching noise came up the ledge in response, and out of the small hole and onto the shelf came a creature with a stunning resemblance to a fat toad. It had a little black ivy cap on paired with a white shirt. He wore no pants.

"Ah...oh...what is it you want?" he croaked, his voice low, but shaking, as if he were afraid.

It's only because of that huh? Damian found himself mulling over the thought longer than he would have liked. When he realized it, he blinked to dissipate the thought.

Only to find himself staring at a talking toad.

He blinked again. Well...stranger things...

At the toad's question Damian simply turned to look at Siana. Defaulting the question to the Undine.

Siana responded after exchanging glances with Damian. "We're here to see Saranna. Is she free? It's a little urgent."

The toad shrank back, scowling at her. "No. She's not free." he croaked, retreating back into the hole. Siana reached out to catch him.

"Now wait just one moment!"

The toad whipped right around and bit her finger. "Wha- ouch!"

Damian held back a snicker and stepped in front of Siana, standing before the amphibian. "If you'd please be so kind as to hear us out. This is a rather pressing matter and we can't very well just leave because she isn't available. Would you at least let us make our request before turning us away? I can assure you she has not heard one similar to this before, entertainment is guaranteed."

That was his whole life's purpose anyway, might as well market it.

The frog looked at them venomously, and Siana gave him a look that could kill. He retreated to just inside of the wall. "And what if I don't feel like it?" he grumbled, a webbed hand coming up to press his hat against his head. Siana did not seem to like the sound of that. Her hands came forward, grabbing the toad in the back of his shirt this time.
"Now, toad boy. Or you're going to be an unfortunate green spot on the ground."

That seemed to do the trick, for as soon as she set him back onto the shelf, he bounded away, yelling about news to the witch. A voice breezed through the cave mouth, blowing into their faces as if it were the maw of a large beast.

"Come...in..." it said.

"Well...I guess sometimes you have to be a bit more...'Forward' with request." Damain shrugged. He looked back over his shoulder at Siana. "Let's go then. How's your finger?"

"It's fine." she replied, walking into the mouth of the cave. They would be greeted with a chilly breeze from within, and after a few seconds of walking, they would hear crumbling. Siana looked up at Damian, eyes questioning.

Before they knew it, the ground would give away beneath their feet, and they would be on a spiral slide down, down, down into the darkness, speeding up on the slick stone as they went.

They would splatter down into shallow water with some kind of moss cushioning. It was still dark, save for one large doorway to their right.

Damian sighed as he got to his feet.

"That...sucked." He groaned, rubbing his face and then the seat of his pants. "Can't people have normal doorways? I mean whatever happened to the long hallways lined with paintings, or bridges over a nice pond? Jeez....always got to be a weird drop or something..."

He sighed again and ceased his griping, looking around.

"Siana, you ok?"

There was a slight tapping on a rock, then an impatient growl. "Damian." she said.

"What?" Damian turned to face the source of the sound.

"You're sitting on me."

Damian quickly got off of her and helped her up. "Ah....sorry. Guess I'm too used to being on top."

She took his hand and stood up, looking away. "Mhm, yeah, sure." said the undine, pushing away from him to step out of the pool towards the door.

The next room looked like a cave turned vertically, with perfectly rounded walls that reached so far up one could not see the top. Every wall was carved and scooped out to make hundreds and hundreds of layers with shelves, all holding bottles, jars, baskets, and cases of every shape and size. Hung down from the ceiling, however high up it went, were long pieces of white cloth that brushed the floor. Siana looked up, eyes scanning.

"There she is." The undine pointed upward at the forest of white cloth strips, and between them one could just make out something up against the shelves. The strips shook, and down slipped the witch they had been looking for.

Stopping dead in front of Damian and Siana, the witch held herself up by two arms that grasped the cloth and kept her feet from touching the ground. She was deathly pale, with pitch black hair that fell over into her face, though it barely obscured her vision. She had on a dress as pale as her skin, flowing down to the ground. At a first glance, she looked mostly normal. That is...if it were not for the next four pairs of arms that were attached to her body. One pair kept her aloft, another held various bottles in between her fingers, and a third pair was folded, the other two pairs rested at her sides.

"You wanted something from me?" she asked, her voice a cold, businesslike drawl.

Damian...again defaulted to Siana.

Yes, he was rather nervous. Given his track record with beings that control magic, he was justified in his fear. The last thing he needed right now was to piss off some spider-witch- lady-thing and wind up cursed with something else on top of this fucking seal, like his life was screwed up enough as is.

Siana looked over at Damian, wondering just why he preferred not to be the one speaking.

Wuss.

Turning back to the witch, she clasped her hands. "Ah...hello again...Saranna...you see, I've come to you again for a favor. This time, it is not just me, but-"

Siana was cut off harshly as the witch held up a finger to her mouth, intently looking over Damian. One pair of free hands whipped out to grab their arms and turn both of them around.

"Now..." she began, reaching for Damian's collar, "What's this I feel? Such...a...strange...demonic energy. Nothing I have...quite...come upon before." A palm came to press down on the back of the man's head, trying to force him to look down.

"Tell me your name and tell me your reason for coming. Then, I want you to explain the details of this curse."
Siana opened her mouth to speak, but she was thwacked on the back of her head sharply. The undine hissed.

"Not you. The boy."

"Ah..well.." Damain struggled not to cringe. "I am Damian Farway. I came here to seek your assistance with this curse that was placed on Siana here. It was placed on her because she got involved with me, and, I do not believe she deserves to be punished because of me."

He felt immensely uncomfortable being examined like this.

"It's a seal that was placed using the combined power of an Incubus and a Succubus. As you could guess, it's one that deals with the desires of the body. fortunately, her seal only lessens her self control, without penalty. However the main probably is that it links her mortality to mine. It's one of those, 'If I die she dies' sort of deals.

"My seal....well...it's a bit more complicated."

Saranna hummed in thought, a finger tracing on the back of his shirt where his mark was. A bright light would ignite behind him. "Have you ever tried to use holy magic to abolish this curse?" she asked him, a hand squeezing his shoulder just before the point of inflicting pain. She would turn him around again, more harshly this time. Glowing around one of her ten palms was a white light.

"Yes." Damian sighed. "But, it can not be undone that simply. You see this seal is the result of a contract, thus it is out of the jurisdiction of holy magic....it could work on Siana's though, since she was not an original party of the contract, but I wouldn't know how well Holy magic works on Undine."

"Holy magic only ever has trouble mingling with dark magic. It is a friend to any other element." explained the witch, rather matter-of-factly. "Is the curse bound to your body or your soul?"

She was asking both Siana and Damian. The undine was not sure. She turned to Damian.

"Siana's is her body, due to at the time of placement, she didn't have a soul." Damain said, looking at the Undine for a moment before returning his attention to the one asking questions.

"Mine on the other hand, is linked to Body, Soul, and Mind."

A hand came under Damian's chin to raise it up. Saranna's yellow eyes scanned him. "What an interesting subject you would be for a vivisection." she commented calmly, though the curiosity in her voice was not trying to be masked.
Leaning away from Damian, the witch centered her attention onto Siana. "Well, seeing as your current body is only made of water, the curse could not have possibly attached to that. There's only one other thing."

The undine stiffened, closing her eyes. She knew very well something unpleasant was coming her way. She was correct. Another of the witch's hands came forth, skimming down to Siana's stomach. It stopped just inches above her belly button, then delved into her body. There was hardly any resistance. Just like someone was dipping their hand into a puddle. Siana clapped her hand over her mouth as Saranna's hand stiffened. Her eyes shot open, and her body froze.

When Saranna retreated her hand, Siana fell apart, then rained onto the ground. Within the witch's hand was what she had retrieved from the undine. It looked like a perfect, empty sphere, clear, with black ink traced onto its surface. The trace was the exact same pattern that was on Damian's back. Saranna reached for one of Damian's hand to lift it up and place the sphere into it.

"Don't drop it. You'll kill her." said the witch, pointing to another door on the opposite side of the room. "Meet me in that room. I need to gather supplies."

With that, the witch ascended within her chamber, climbing the white cloth and gathering many vials and bottles as she went.

If Damian were to cross the chamber into the next part of the caves, he would find himself in a large, hexagonal room. In the center was what seemed to be a large bowl, or, rather, a pool. It could even be called a bath. There was a large burner underneath it.

Damian could only stand in this chamber and marvel.....at what he cradled in his hands. What was this...transparent ball he held? He knew it had to do with siana but...she''d said she didn't have a soul....was this an undine's heart?

Could be he thought to himself. Pretty ironic actually, when you consider. The fact he now held her heart, it was a good joke. If not a bit sadistic.

But it could've been something entirely different, so there was no point in fussing right? Just don't drop, don't drop.
He might have noticed a slight hum coming from what seemed to be a glass sphere, but it was only just noticeable. Whats more, it was very cold, like water just before it froze.

The clink of classes and straining cloth would be heard as the ghostly witch came in through a window, swinging from rope to rope in the chamber. She stopped right before the large bowl in the center. She began to unplug the various bottles in her arms before pointing behind Damian. "Pull the lever." she ordered.

Behind him, he surely would see the lever, a thick wooden pole jutting out of the ground with a short groove underneath it. If he were to pull it, a trap door would open up in the ceiling, pouring water into the bowl.

"She cannot hear us, so if there is anything you wanted to ask about undine, now is the time. They often like to hold back about their kind, and many times, there is information they do not know themselves." informed the witch, pouring a sickly green liquid into the water.

"Ah...wow...that's uh...I'm not quite sure where to start." Damian couldn't tear his eyes from the orb he held. "She brought up a pretty good point recently actually...that despite my fascination...I don't really know much about her....I really would like to know more. And this is a great opportunity..."

Damian suddenly smirked. "But, I want to learn more from Siana herself. So, if you don't mind, I don't really have any questions."

The witch's expression remained flat as she poured a white liquid into the gigantic bowl. The minute it touched the water, the liquids began to swirl and mix with one another. Every time she poured something in, she rested it onto a shelf on the side. "Very well, however, I do find it ironic," she began, pulling out a very large clear jar with a red powder within it. She squinted her eyes and looked for a label. "Powdered...dragons...blood. Ah. This is you." she said to herself, unscrewing the cap and taking a handful of the substance before flinging it in. The water rapidly turned pink.

"Where was I? Oh. The irony. Yes, that you seem to have fallen for an undine and, at the very same time, you have some kind of curse. I hope you are not ill mannered or have a tendency to sleep around once you charm her. You'll find yourself in much worse of a situation." explained Saranna, squinting her eyes at a small case that she had pulled from a shelf in the other room. "Crushed paladin's bone. Perfect."

She opened the case and took out a thin vial, all with a white powder. She flung that in, as well. The bowl lit up with a bright light, which the witch turned away from for a moment.

"Tell me more about your curse."

"Fallen for? I wouldn't go as far as to say that. It's dangerous for me to get that close....well for reasons that have already come to pass actually. Anyway, It's difficult for me to have feelings of that level when my entire existence is devoted to the desire of the flesh. It isn't something I choose, therefore I have no control. Sure I can try and delay, but it is only a matter of time for me."

He held the ball up close to his face.

"Besides, Siana has apparently been betrayed in the past. I don't want to put her through it again. Her attraction to me at this point is a result of the seal that was placed on her. When it's removed I'm sure she will only see me as just another male."

Saranna held her four main arms in the front over the large bath, her palms splayed. Her lips pursed before she answered. "I only said it seemed so. After all...you've left your domain altogether and handed over your life the moment you stepped into my chamber. If you are willing to go that far for a mere undine, then she must mean something." She laughed through her nose, smirking. "But what do I know? Nothing, of course."

Her fingers wiggled a bit, then, just as the ingredients all mixed together, becoming a pearl white, she dipped to hands in. Words rolled off her tongue in a rapid chant, floating around the chamber and igniting a magic within the large cauldron. A golden light broke through the thick liquid.

The witch paused her chanting to look towards Damian and speak. "Put the glass core within the vat. Quickly."
Damian could not fathom a proper response that allowed him to remain in his position, so he stood quiet and simply followed the witch's orders. He carefully placed the ball into the small pool, submersing it completely, the liquid coming to his mid-forearm.

"Do I let it go?"

Saranna rolled her eyes. "Of course you let it go."

Damian's brows lowered at her demeaning tone, but he did deserve it he guessed...carefully, he released the ball into the liquid and withdrew his hands.

The little glass core would swirl to the center, sinking under the surface. The golden light intensified, and Saranna's cryptic chants heightened to a pained scream that echoed throughout the chamber. Her head whipped back, and her eyes rolled back into her head from the mere rush of magic coursing through her body.

And, all too soon, it was over.

The light vanished as though a switch had been hit, and Saranna's body became limp. All but two hands that kept her aloft by the threads hung from the ceiling dropped to her sides. The water stopped swirling, becoming so still it could trick the eyes of most to think it was a solid floor. All was quiet.

Damian scratched the side of his face and yawned. He really wasn't new to this kind of thing. Those two liked to screw with him by forcing him to watch their rituals. Although, this one was very pleasant in comparison.

At first, it seemed as if nothing would be happening any time soon, however, as Damian probably expected, something sudden was going to happen. A hand shot out of the water, reaching for the front of the blonde's shirt. It pulled up with it a brown, brown haired young woman with olive skin and green eyes, She gasped for breath, startled and pained to great heights. She was completely soaked.

Damian was surprised to be pulled towards the pool, but he wasn't completely taken off guard. He braced himself, trying to avoid falling in with one hand, and tried to help Siana out with the other.

"Easy. Easy!"

Siana's arms wrapped around Damian's waist with a death grip. Her eyes squeezed shut as she buried her face into his chest. Around this time, Saranna came to, lifting her head back up. She rubbed her eyes.

"Bother. Did I black out? I swear, it's the holy magic. Always gets to me. Must be because I don't worship their gods." she mumbled to herself, making her way toward Damian and Siana. "Since there is no usable water in the vat, or any water in this cave that I care for you to use, I've given her a temporary puppet body. The curse is gone from her. Go on your way whenever. Oh, and-" She looked toward Damian, grinning.

"-do come again."

Damian placed a hand on Siana's head and let it rest there for a bit, offering comfort. He looked up to the witch, returning her grin with a hint of bashfulness.

"I'll visit again soon. Perhaps we could do some research into my own seal."

Saranna tapped her chin. "Very good. That is the only place my interest lies. However, I am afraid another woman might get to you first." said she, swinging away to the window again. She paused and turned back.

"Oh, and Siana, that means you'll need clothes. You can't materialize any." she added before moving away.
Hearing this, the undine, who had been clinging to Damian with such a steadfast grip, slid down back into the vat, arms curling around herself. "Sorry..."

Damian found himself grateful he had not looked down at Siana. "Ah, no problem really." He said, making sure to keep his gaze locked on the witch. He unbuttoned the pale tan shirt he wore and held it out for the Undine to take, remaining in a grey tank top.

Siana reached an arm out of the water and snatched the shirt, standing up, facing away from Damian, and slipped the shirt on. She was extremely glad it reached her thighs.

"Did she give you a lot of trouble? I'm...I'm sorry. She's unstable." she told him, trying to step out of the tub. "I've forgotten what a human body feels like. It's so heavy."

"No, no trouble at all. We actually had an interesting conversation." Damian shrugged. "So, how are you feeling?"
He turned to face her and scooted back from the edge a bit. Making room for her to sit.

And, indeed, she sat at the edge of the vat, legs hanging off the side. "Weak."

Damian wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her close, and with the other slowly pulled the collar of her, well, his, shirt down.

Gently, he inspected the spot where the seal was formerly. Yes, formerly. Only to be replaced by a small scar.
"Well...I guess," Damian said softly, bringing his face in between her shoulders, a hair away from the surface of her skin.
"Now that this seal is gone, your interest in me has dissipated as well."

Siana shivered as his breath blew across her skin. She wanted to turn and face him, but she found herself pausing from his words. Her brow knitted. "And...what makes you so sure about that?" she asked Damian, her voice the same deadpan that it had before the curse. "And...why are you so close?"

"Just making sure it's gone." Damian smirked, withdrawing. He even uncoiled his arm from around her.

"And, I only assumed, given your nature. I mean you said it yourself didn't you?"

Siana turned around, swinging her legs to the other side. She drew her lips tight. "Why, you sound so sour, Damian." she said, fingers tightening around the edge of the vat. She was brooding.

"Well, I'm happy that I was able to atone for my mistake and that we could get that seal off you, to allow you your freedom." Damian said, folding his hands together. "I mean that."

He was tempted to voice his dissatisfaction, but decided against it. No, there really was no point in it.

Siana fumed, her teeth gritting together as she shook her head. "No, but you're unhappy about something else!" she growled.

Damian sighed. "I would suppose. I guess now that you've lost all interest in me, I've got to return to dealing with my issues on my own. I guess I grew fond of having someone to talk to."

"What makes you thi- oh, sod it."

Siana's hand shot out to hook her fingers into the neck of Damian's tank top and pull him towards her. Her other hand would press on the back of his head, and for a moment they would be locked in a kiss. Deep, passionate, but brief. All too soon she was pushing him away and stumbling towards the door. "Don't come to conclusions so fast."

Damian lingered behind, his hands between his legs as he blinked at the ground.

That was...real...right? That wasn't one of his false realities, that wasn't one of his illusions. It was real. And it wasn't because of a seal...or a curse.

He steepled his fingers and bent his arms, bringing his hands to his face below his nose as he thought.

Confusion...but, it wasn't a bad thing right? Wait...maybe it was...what if those two decided to try something again...but, then again, that wasn't the only problem here.

What about himself?

As Siana opened the door to the main chamber, she fussed, then looked up at the witch in the next room.

"Saranna...summon up a rainstorm for me! I'll get you an enchanted staff at the bottom of the lake if you do." she asked the witch.

Saranna's dark chuckle could be heard from the next room. "Very well. Do bring it by the end of the week. I'm beginning to think you are going to skimp out on our deal from last time. Oh, and don't remember this only adds to it."

"I remember- but give me a heavy rainstorm! Now!" She turned to face Damian. "Come on!"

"Wait." Damian said as he got to his feet.

"Don't forget, ask about that gem while we are here. We should confirm that it is what originally thought before we return. I mean, that soul is very important to you after all."

Siana's eyes popped open, "Oh, right. I-" Her hand came to her neck, where there was no gem. She fidgeted. "Where is it!?"

Saranna slid down in front of them, seating herself into a large throne at one side of the room, made by the same stone that the chamber was carved from. One hand popped up, grasping the necklace and gem. "Is this what you are looking for? Forgive me. I took it as my little payment this session. Are you saying it was not?" she asked.

Siana shook her head, "No. I was...I thought...I'd found a soul."

The witch cackled. "By using a contraception charm?"

"Contraception charm?" Damian repeated.

Wait...for an Undine, and for himself that's....

"Dammit...." He muttered quietly. He recalled just how he'd found that book....why didn't he question it before....

Saranna huffed, "Yes, that is what I said, isn't it?" she snapped. Siana's hand came to her mouth, and she reached for the charm. It was lifted from her reach. "Ah-ah! Not so fast. Why do you want it?"

"It's mine! I found it!"

"I'm taking this as payment. What are you willing to pay me to get it back?"

"I...that's not fair."

The witch laughed again, legs curling in towards her chest, resting on the chair. "I can only guess why you want it back, but I'm afraid it wont work for your kind. Your fertility overpowers the charm. This one, at least. I am sure there are more potent ones."

Damian fished through his pockets for a moment, only for them to turn up empty.

He paused. Sighing. And placed a hand on his chest, clutching something.

"Siana, how much do you want that charm?"

The undine sulked, turning away. "None anymore." she mumbled, walking to the entrance. "Saranna...rainstorm! I shouldn't repeat myself!" she cried irritably, opening the door. She paused. "Wrong way." Turning in place, she stalked to the other side of the room, opening that door instead.

"Can't go up a water slide, after all."

Damian watched a bit confused, as siana left. He turned to the witch.

"What would an Undine do with a contraception charm?"

"Is that not obvious?" asked Saranna. " Aren't you a dimwitted human? She would use it to stop getting pregnant. Do you realize how many undine go for these? The minute they lose their virtue, they will become pregnant. No time to enjoy themselves." she informed him. She leaned back in her throne and inspected the charm. "It's a powerful charm, but not powerful enough. Not for an undine."

...again he felt that deserved condescending tone.

"Ok...do you have any idea where one could find one potent enough?"

Saranna looked up from the charm, and slowly, she found herself beaming up at Damian. "A Goddess' temple. Aphrodite's. Or Brigid's. Those are the two I know of around here." she said. "You're more eager than she is. I know Siana just a slight bit. How are you so sure that, even if you do get the charm, you'll be able to win over her heart?"

"I didn't have those intentions." Damian said with a shrug. "I figure if it's something thta could be considered precious to an Undine, I could get one for her as a way of giving her something to pay her back for all I put her through with this curse of mine."

"I'm sure you did not think of yourself even a slight bit when you heard of the charm." said Saranna, mocking him. She rose up upon the white ribbons again and placed the gem onto a shelf. "If you find another, come here. I will be able to judge how powerful it is so you don't screw up."

The exit door creaked open. "Damian, what are you doing? Come on!" she fussed. She looked back to Saranna. "You!" she growled, pointing skyward, "Rainstorm!" She pointed to the ground. "Now."

She reached out to grab Damian and pull him through the doors. It was a series of spiral stairs all the way up to the top. It was a long way up.

-----------------------------

As they came back to the river for what was perhaps the millionth time, Siana set herself down into the water. As she did, her body began to dissolve, and the golden goop that the faux body had been made out of washed down with the current. Damian's shirt had washed away with it, but at the last second Siana surfaced down the river with it on.
It had been raining the whole way, just as Siana has asked. That far from the water, she was still rather afraid of the demons that liked to the blonde that had accompanied her all this way. Now that she was back in a large body of water, she felt much better. Much safer. She could not absolutely trust much else other than herself.

She turned and walked back to Damian at the shore. "I...really can't thank you enough. If you want, there's enough money at the bottom of this river to fund a kingdom. I'm supposed to guard it, but...I can give away what I like."
"I hardly did anything in the pursuit of profit." Damian sighed. "Just having you to talk to is enough for me-"

"Oh phewy." The voice interrupted Damian almost instantly as the two were settling down. It would seem Damian had still not earned himself a break. Sitting not four feet from Damian side was the Incubus, Schwarz, inspecting a stone before throwing it into the river.

"You did what you wanted to do because you thought it'd be easier to charm her, just as you have done what, thirty two times before? I may be off by five or six."

"Thirty eight, dear! I can't believe you haven't been keeping count!" said the succubus, Lorna, at the other side of Damian. She had her legs folded, with her eyes down upon her nails, inspecting them.

Siana went into attack mode the second her eyes laid onto them. The water heaved up, icing over into spikes that darted down to try and put as many holes in them as a block of Swiss cheese.

"Go away!"

Both demons had expected that much and had been able to avoid the anger driven attack.

"Hey, no need for the hostility, only making sure all the facts are put into the picture." Schwarz turned away from Siana and grinned at Damian who stood, glaring.

"What do you want now?"

"Ah but we don't want anything do we? You see we've already got what we wanted, you two provided much entertainment in your little struggle, very cute, I wish I could say it was my idea, but I only conceived the whole concept of trying to find freedom, only to slap chains on yourself."

He turned and smirked at Siana. "Tell me Undine, doesn't it seem odd, in retrospect, a fire elemental would be guarding a contraception charm? Although you definitely gave ol' Cerb a good beating, I had to pay him double."

The hair on the back of Siana's neck stood up on end. She did not want to listen to their rubbish, but...what were they saying?

"What do you mean?" she hissed, standing beside Damian, the water coating the ground before them. One shot. Just one good shot is all she needed. "Cowards!" the undine spat. However much of a fury she was in, realization swept over her.

She turned to look at Damian.

"The book." she said, narrowing her eyes, "Lead me to the temple. It said there was a soul there. It wasn't one." Her head turned to the side, and her stare became downright poisonous.

"You gave me that book."

"I swear I thought the book was real just as much as you did." Damian said quickly when he noticed how she looked at him.

"Ah, Ah, but he's telling the truth really. I was the one who planted it. Although I honestly thought you would've at least suspected something...I guess I over estimated you. distracted by my dear's meddling." He blew the succubus a kiss.

"Ah but she is clever isn't she? Whipping up the sandstorm? Brilliant really."

The succubus extended her hand, pretending to catch the smooch and feign surprise. "Don't repeat what I already know, darling." she said to him, giving the incubus a wink. Her gaze switched to Siana, who was shocked beyond belief.

"You tricked us. Both of us." she said under her breath. As she spoke, however, her voice only became louder. The water rushed out of the river even more fiercely, until it came all the way over their knees. The demons only rose into the air to avoid it. "You dare!" yelled the undine, her rage building. Damian would notice the temperature of the water rising- nearly to a boil. "You dare!"

Two towers of water shot up to encompass the demons, though the woman was sure it would not hit.
"You really are rowdy," Schwarz side as he simply floated away from the water. "And here I am trying to give you a little insight. and you speak as if we did some terrible thing, from what we saw you seem to enjoy it quite a bit. Hell, more than Damian here I dare say. don't you agree hun?"

He perched himself on Damian's shoulder, as if daring the Undine to try something that would put the blonde's life in danger.

She stilled, fists clenching. Were she human, she would have drawn blood. "Everything only happened because you rigged it all. Like puppets on strings! All for your own show! None of that was my own doing!" The undine screamed it to them in her fury.

The succubus lifted a finger, waving it back and forth. "Ohhh, no. We set the situation, dear- but you did the rest! What, you think all that moaning and groaning was caused by the spell?" Her head lashed back in a wicked laugh.

"The only thing that curse did was link your lives. Nothing else!"

The male demon bent his legs to squat on Damian's shoulder, similar to a bird, even in weight. "Wasn't it so convenient for her to blame that seal for her attraction to you?" He whispered into his ear, although it was certainly more than loud enough for the Undine to catch.

"Now, just how powerful was that witch, that she couldn't tell you that it was only a simple life link? Curious though, I'm wondering what's going on in that head of yours."

He traced a finger on Damian's seal. "Ah, but then again, everything boils down to one, doesn't it?"

The succubus floated to Damian's side, leaning onto the other shoulder. "Did she not give you enough signs? I'm so surprised you missed them all up until the last."

Siana seemed defeated. She sat back into the water, her head in her hands. No, no, no, no. That could not be right. She did not feel those things, no- not for anyone! It did not make sense. She had closed herself off a long time ago from those things. She'd...she had made sure of it.

The succubus, dared float closer. "Ohh, don't be so ashamed, pearl! It's only natural. What, afraid to give it a go, still? We won't watch, promise! Not even a peek."

As the succubus spoke, she had not noticed the delicate, slow tendril of water that curled out of the river, snaking upwards. Just as she gave Siana a little pout, the undine looked up to her from between her fingers. Her eyes were crazed.

"You're going to die."

Before the words even left her mouth, the tendril of water curled around the succubus' leg, preventing her from flying away. Siana rose, lifting her hands. Large spikes of ice jutted upward and pierced the demons body. "Oh- shit! Honey!" she cried, only slightly distressed as she lifted a hand toward Schwartz. "Help me, dear. I'm in a spot of trouble."

"Are you? Well you aren't the only one are you?" Siana would notice a scythe like claw pressing against the underside of Damian's chin. "As entertaining as you are Damian, I care about my girl exponentially more than you. It's such a shame really. You would think all that attention I give you, I'd think of you like a son, but alas, you're nothing better than the family pet, not even the dog, more like a hamster really."

He seized Damian's chin and raised it so that he would face Siana.

"Well, Miss Undine. Time to prove your words. Show us how little you care about this face, I'll be more than willing to remove it for you."

Damian looked back to Siana, but, he was not pleading. Instead he just seemed....drained, tired.

Siana locked eyes with Damian, unfurling her fists. Her shoulders sloped at her sides, and she let out a very long sigh. The succubus hiccuped, blood pouring out of the side of her mouth as she returned the attention to herself.

"I'm just a little uncomfortable. Nothing to worry about, really."

With an irritable groan, the ice spikes began to remove themselves from the demoness. She made sure they pulled away nice and slow, inflicting as much pain as they possibly could before she was released. The succubus fell to the ground, full of holes and bleeding. The water all retreated back to the river.

"Fine." said Siana, looking up to the demon man. "Let him go."

The setting changes from Terra to The Butcher's Teeth

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Within the Butcher's Teeth, upon a rocky ledge, just barely able to be seen, was a cave.

And, of course, in Terra, it was not simply a cave.

When one entered the rounded entrance, most people would find themselves slipping down a winding slide into a pool at the very bottom. The room would light up with torches on either side of two doors made of polished wood on the side. Beyond those doors was the largest of the eleven chambers.

It was a vertical cave, perfectly round. Lining the rock walls were countless shelves, and they held countless bottles, chests, jars, and cupboards, filled to the brim with strange ingredients that the witch used in her potions and concoctions. There were ten doorways within the chamber, all perfectly spaced from one another. From the ceiling, so high up that one could not make the top, hung glowing white cloth. Suspended from them, lowering herself into the throne that was formed from the same rock as the cave, was Saranna, the ten-armed witch.

"Good of you to come," she told the stranger, black lips forming words that were spoken so fluidly, "Please, have a seat." With one white hand, she gestured to the chair across from the throne. She smoothed down the black braid alongside her neck, then let a long, extravagant blue dress roll down the steps of her throne.

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The smallest of smiles appeared on the witch's face. She crossed pallid legs, resting one pair of hands upon her knee. The second pair of arms laid themselves lazily onto the armrests, and the third, steepled the fingers and had her chin resting atop them. Four and five held onto the glowing cloth.

"Yes, I have ten arms. Get over it." she said flatly. "I am indeed looking for a sword for hire, and not only that. As many arms as I do have, I need another pair. I will not be ripping yours off. More, I need another mind in the chambers. One that isn't as small as the frog servants you will see hopping around. Though within these chambers, I have all the power I will need from anyone who decides to snoop around, I have next to no power outside of them. I can provide you with food, shelter, and whatever other payment you may see fit as long as I believe it is reasonable enough for your services." She leaned forward, peering at him.

"You might have known already, but my name is Saranna. Please tell me your own."

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The witch's smile was somewhat pleased as he laid his lips upon the back of her hand, "Classy, I see. Not many stick to suck old-fashioned ways." She nodded as he sat back down.

"Yes, there will be errands I will be sending you to do. The odd job here and there. Possibly a delivery, or a capture. Even a few strange things as I do my own work when customers come to visit. If you think that is too much, I assure you the pay is as great as your burdens. Do you agree to these terms?" she asked.

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Saranna gestured to the entirety of her chamber, "This job is a day-by-day learning experience. If There is much I'd like to mention, but it would take a week, if not more, to explain it all now. I hope you understand you will be with me for a while. Until the spells upon the toads wear off and some of them become human again. If you would like, I can give you a tour, or you may walk about the chambers and discover them for yourself. I would be wary of the...'zoo,' as we have come to call it. It's really a dungeon. There are a few creatures in there that would dare to draw you close only to try and feast on your flesh." She gave him a grin.

"They're such wonderful dears."

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"Very well. I have much time before someone will be coming to visit." The witch reached the longest of her arms- the fourth and fifth pairs, all alien and mutated, elongated far past human standards- and lifted herself up onto the hanging cloth. She traveled by grabbing onto a trail of these cloth strips and leading herself to the first pair of doors.

The cauldron room.

"The tour begins."

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The witch turned around, just catching sight of Railynn as she came in. The woman clasped three pairs of hands together, "Ah, it seems I was mistaken. Forgive me." She waved to the girl.

"Railynn, here. You're just in time. This is my new sword for hire, Sangrei. Sangrei, this is Railynn. She is a dragon tamer and a friend."

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Saranna held out a hand, taking the bag with a pleased smile upon her face. "Why thank you, Railynn. This is greatly appreciated." she said.

She looked to Sangrei, beckoning him, "Why don't you come on the tour, Railynn?" I don't think you've been in the first chamber.

The first chamber was a spherical, domelike room. The sun filtered in from one window to the side. Within the center, there was a large bowl. Above it, intricate tubes and golden dishes floated.

"This is the mixing room."

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"There is where I mix potions." she said, picking up one of the golden dishes and pushing it over the main large bowl int he center. It was at least ten feet wide in diameter and five feet deep. "The bowl in the center is for consumptions, when the subjects whole body must be consumed by the potion. I have done several of these since I came here."

She pointed to a large chain hanging from the ceiling, leading to a pipe, "You pull that, a torrent of water shall fall down to fill it. Nearly all potions contain it. You might be spending a lot of time here with me soon, Sangrei." She then went for the door.

"Not much more to do here."

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Saranna waited for them, opening the door to the second chamber. "Be careful in here. If you have anything that can cause a flame, I advise you to leave it outside these doors. Though any flame from out here cannot get past these, any flame inside will consume everything."

She walked in, opening double-doors wide for the two.

They would be surrounded by books. Hundreds of thousands of millions of books. They were in a library. One quite possibly larger than Wing City's own.

"Here lies infinite knowledge. Whatever you need, you might be able to find here if you look hard enough."

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The witch had her back turned, marveling at her collection. On top of one of the shelves, a frog servant was organizing a shelf, finding bookworms and putting them into a large squirming jar.

"You do think too much of me. I may have a wide set of knowledge, yes, but even I don't match this library." She took a large blue book from a shelf, dusting off the cover. It had no words upon it. No title. "There are things even I have to learn. Knowledge is infinite, after all. It is impossible to know all." She tucked the book back onto the shelf.

"Alright. Third chamber. Come." She beckoned to them. "The third chamber might be of interest to you personally, Sangrei." she explained, opening up intricate steel doors, the lock with the face of an eastern dragon.

Once inside, they would be faced with a long, seemingly endless hallway of weapons. "This is the armory."

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"Visitors? Always. However, I can deal with them myself. Hostile ones, in any case. This place is my domain. None can challenge me fairly here." She went down the hallway, to the end, where it split off into a fork. There was a raised platform in the middle of the hallway. Upon it was a long case, at least five feet in length. As the witch approached it, the case began to shake violently, as if there were a person within it.

"This, here, is the Wyvernblade. I advise you never to open it. You may play with anything else that is not chained up or within a case, however, if you break it, I expect proper payment."

Screams came from the Wyvernblade's case, and it nearly toppled from the platform from its violent tremors. The witch simply walked past it. "There is more here. You must meet someone." She turned to the fork on the right, just as decorated with weapons as the hallway they were passing.

As they came to the end, they would approach a rather empty chamber with torches at either end. It was less of a chamber and more of a...dojo.

In the center stood a suit of armor. "Suo." said Saranna, voice echoing clearly through the room, "Come, now. We have visitors."

The suit of armor looked up, neck squeaking.

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The suit of armor took a step toward them, the helmet facing Sangrei.

Shrrrring.

The sword at its side- a large, dangerous claymore- was unsheathed. Saranna clasped one pair of hands together, shaking her head and tutting at Sangrei.

"Look what you've done, insulting Suo like that. He is not pleased. After all, he does guard the armory from any unfortunate thieves that try to come by when I am out. Not that they usually make it past the door."

Suo squeaked stiffly toward Sangrei. "Oh, perhaps he only wants to get to know you better." One hand came to rest gently on Sangrei's back, pushing him forward.

"Don't you think they would have just the most exciting conversations, Railynn?"

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"The pipe-fox? And how did you find that one, Railynn? He refuses to make himself known to me. Very well, for the scales I shall trade you the fox. They are very useful. Very good at eavesdropping."

The suit of armor rose the sword, then began to bring it down upon Sangrei's head. It stopped not an inch from coming in contact with skin.

A squeak and a sheathe of the sword later, the armor had its hand held out to Sangrei. Saranna laughed. "There, see? Sou is not so bad."

She turned and began to lead them out. "Alright. Next chamber. The artifact room."

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"Oh, we have a few of those. Potions, cloaks, and...all sorts of things, in fact. It depends what kind of invisible you are going for, however. There are things that will cause others not to notice you, and others that will cause people not to see you. Both are a type of invisibility."

She walked out, opening yet the next door. Though it did not have a complicated lock, one could see the magic surrounding the bright red door, a golden character painted on the front. Powerful magic. A protection charm.

"If I am ever out, you should never come into this door. If you need something out of it, you ask me or Toad to go into it. Never a frog. Only Toad has permission besides myself. You understand?" She pushed her way into the door.

And, of course, much like the main room, it extended high above their heads, but instead of potions and ingredients, it was artifacts. Strange little things, like shells, or talismans, or small figurines. The amount of artifacts were countless, coming in every shape, form, and size.

After, Saranna lead them past the sixth room, which was an entrance. The waterslide entrance. After that was the zoo.

She stopped before she opened the clear doors.

"I must warn you of this room. It is the second most dangerous chamber of them all. Railynn knows her way around it, but you, Sangrei-" She pointed to him with one long, thin white finger, "Stay close. Don't poke your fingers in any cages. Don't fall into temptation. There are far more than dumb animals in these dungeons. Understood?"

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"That comes with the perks, Sangrei. I did mention that in the beginning, did I not? Your payment may very well be in the form of artifacts and potions. If you're good enough, I may even allow you a pet...from in here."

She pushed the doors to the dungeons open, and a light from above flickered on, bright as the sun. That was exactly what it was, too. An artificial sun. Small, warm, doing the job a real sun would without burning them all to a crisp. It was far too small for that.

Inside, the hoots, howls, screams, buzzes, trills, and calls of hundreds of animals blasted toward them with a desperate ferocity. "Do not let your heart sway from their whining. All of their rooms are much larger on the inside than they would like to admit."

The dungeons were so large that it looked as if they had walked right outside into a path with millions of pits in the ground. Like an outdoor zoo. Above, there was the screech of an eagle. On the side of a cliff, a griffin called down, shuffling its feathers. There was a glass exhibit with a giant spider, at least twenty feet tall, pressed up against the glass. In yet another, a large serpent.

"The blue? He is farther in the back. I thought the young one would be suited better for a smaller exhibit until he is older. It is still open, and there are no obstacles for him to hurt himself on. If you like you may choose another exhibit."

"Hey...hey you..."

Out from one of the cages, a white hand poked out, beckoning to Sangrei. Her voice was in a soft whisper. "Come here, wont you? Please come here."

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The hands reached up toward him. The cage was dark, but a vague shape could be seen behind the bars. A woman. A slight, slim figure, kneeling down in front of the bars. When she shuffled forward, her face came into view.

Perfect. Flawless. An absolutely beautiful young woman with pale skin and red hair. Her layered dress came up before her knees, revealing slender, shapely legs. Coiled around them was a fox tail. Her little hands grasped the bars. She looked up to Sangrei with an innocent, wide-eyed, helpless pout.

Saranna made her way next to Sangrei. "Huli Jing." she said, looking the creature over, "Much like a kitsune. In some cases, much more dangerous, and sometimes benevolent. Not in this case, however. She is a temptress."

The woman drew back, tears welling up in her eyes. "She lies!"

Saranna simply turned her back to her. "Why, isn't this blue a happy one. Very good. He does nto seem bothered by the cage."

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"You may touch anything in here if you want. It depends how much you want them to touch you. I'm sure the Huli Jing would love a piece of you, Sangrei." Saranna informed him, clasping her first pair of hands together in front of her.

"You two seem to be getting along swimmingly. Perhaps you should stick around for a tad longer, Railynn."

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The Huli Jing shrank back from Railynn, scooting to the back of the cage, the fox tail dragging on the floor behind her along with the pink frock that slipped from her shoulders.

"Alright, I think we are done here." said Saranna, turning toward the door. It opened up, and the witch walked out of it.