Magic Kingdom For Sale* (*Some Assembly Required)

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Thanks, Allyra," *Phaeder calls back softly before heading off.* Allyra's always so nice... I must remember to do something for her later so she doesn't think we take her for granted.

*Once he finds the clearing and their scouts, Phaeder rolls his eyes but can't help but quirk a smile at the silly picture.*

"Oh no, sprites," Anshul groans. "I hate dealing with tho-- wait, are you doing!?"

What do you think? I'm going to go talk to them... *he sends back mentally to Anshul, a little puzzled.*

"Uh... Phaeder, I don't think that's a good idea... sprites are malicious little buggers; they love to play all sort of nasty tricks on you. Like the one time they stuck molasses in my... uh, never mind." If ghosts could blush, Anshul would be a rosy pink right now.

Riiiiight. Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? *he reassures the ghost.*

"That what you said when you went off to meet Anaya, who might I add, turned out to be a werespider intent on sucking your juices and I don't mean..."

Can we NOT talk about that? *To forestall any more discussion from Anshul, Phaeder steps into the edge of the clearing and clears his throat gently so as not to startle them and smiles charmingly.* "Ehm, excuse me little ladies, I hope my scouts haven't done anything to disturbed your home."

"Fine. But don't blame me if the entire caravan later finds you doing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies in nothing but a flower corset," Anshul grumbles as a parting shot.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The little faeries seem a bit startled by Phaeder's arrival, and give a bit of a squeek. After a few moments some of them get their courage back and fly back out to meet the bard.*

"Hello, hello! Aren't they very pretty now?" one of them asks. This one looks rather like a little pink rose with her pink hair and green leafy skirt. "They will be rested with beauty around them when they wake up. Isn't it lovely?"

 

[Thanee]

Allyra

A small distance away, Allyra smiles, while she continues to watch the scene and the surroundings through her invisible sensor.

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Yes, very pretty," *Phaeder chuckles in agreement, glad that no harm had been done, and thinking of the looks on the scout's faces when they wake up. Peering more closely at the little fairy woman, he asks in a friendly manner, "Hello, what your name? I'm Phaeder. My group and I," *he gestures back towards the way he came* "are just passing through this area on our way to the lake. I was drawn by your lovely singing and came to investigate."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"Oh! Silly me. I'm Rosie. And there's Pansy, Daffodil, Iris, Dandylion..." the faerie continues, naming each of the other faeries by another flower's name. Some of them continued to weave flowers during the introduction, and after a moment, Phaeder felt a crown of flowers drop down on his head to a chorus of giggles. "Isn't it pretty? Those others, they were working so hard, we thought they should have a nap. Do you want a nap?

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Ah, no, but thank you. I'm not feeling tired right now," *Phaeder replies politely. He touches the crown of flowers atop his head gingerly and gives Rosie and the other faeries a slightly goofy smile before looking around at the clearing.* "So is this clearing your home? It certainly is lovely."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"It's all our home, all the pretty forest. Are you staying?" Rosie asks innocently.

*The caravan finishes loading up, and waits for Phaeder to return, watching Allyra closely.*

"What did the scounts find?" someone pipes up.

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

*Phaeder shakes his head.* "No, we're only just passing through on our way to the lake," *he gestures vaguely down the river's stream.* "We're planning to build a settlement down there, by the shore. We mean you no harm," *he adds soothingly, hoping to alleviate any fears the sprites might have about their intentions.* "It's our wish that we can live peacefully with the goodly inhabitants in this forest and be friends with them."

*Looking at the changing slant of the light as the afternoon wears on, Phaeder realizes he's probably been gone longer than he intended. Moving towards the sleeping scouts, he drops to one knee next to them. Addressing the sprites, he says gently,* "Thank you for giving them a wonderful nap but I think it's time for us to go. I'm afriad we still have a few miles to cover before we can camp for the night." *With that, he will reach over and lightly shake the scouts awake.*

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The scouts wake up, a bit embarassed by their slumber, and go back to the others. The wagons move out, with the others blazing a trail ahead of them. Traveling several more days, you take a break in a large grove to organize some larger hunting expeditions. One evening, however, the scouts report that they've heard crashing sounds occasionally from deeper in the woods. It almost sounds like something is moving out there... but no one has caught sight of anything yet.*

*Torches ring the camp, and the scouts stay carefully hidden in blinds and trees. It is the changing from first watch to second when there's a scream from the far side of camp. It an instant, the camp becomes alive with whirling clouds of razor-sharp leaves. Terrible crashing sounds can be heard from outside the torch ring, and you all can catch glimpses of something tall and terrible coming you way. There's not enough light to see your opponents clearly, and the swirling leaves make it all the harder. Screams sound from all around the camp as everyone is woken up by the razor-leaves.*

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Wha--!" *says Phaeder, as he is startled awake by the screams. Fumbling for his goggles, he gets up and slips them on to see if he can better see what was attacking them in the darkness. All drowsiness falls away as he shouts coolly for his followers to fall back and let the Hex deal with the threat. He will also burn a charge off his wand of shield (UMD +20) and draw Lament.* (What he does after that depends on what he sees and what his fellow party members are doing.)