It wasn’t easy to hear that the sole purpose of her creation was the addressing of her father’s fear of his mortal enemy. It took something special, however, to make such a combination of two completely different species to work. At one time, even the Fah’Voy Ra would not have existed if it were not for the spilling of an immense amount of divine blood. Now that mere trees have been given the opportunity to uproot and live as a mobile people, they had to deal with the consequences of such an existence- no matter how hard it was to bear.

No matter the reasons which initiated any situation, those who encounter those situations must face and overcome them. No matter the circumstances which resulted in Shei’s birth and life, it would be folly to feel anything but continuous gratitude for that life. With uncertainty playing such a big part in this time of her life, Shei had to take what was granted to her by those forces which orchestrated everything to divine perfection and make decisions which benefited everyone involved.

“Poliden’Ra, you mentioned that these creatures were observed. Knowing the measure at which a king measures his words…”

The light-green Fah spoke again. “Yes. Observed. We were attacked last night. Join us in Ahnsha xithortikos and you will see for yourself.”

Shei closed her eyes and saw the thing immediately. The creature was very much like a Fah, yet its flesh was black and veined with red. It had antlers and additional limbs. Its skin appeared to have been bathed in fire. It towered over other Fah, by at least three times. Within moments, its long, petrified feeding talons reduced Fah into mere splinters. It acted more and more intoxicated as each victim was felled by the roots of this monstrosity. It mastered killing its own kind, capturing its prey between adapted foot roots and reducing them to mere sawdust in its next bound. Then it simply bound away once it had its fill. The Fah of Annayl didn’t even have a chance to attack the creature before eleven Fah died viciously.

The pale Fah continued. “After much thoughtful deliberation, we can guess that it is only a matter of time before the next attack.”

Shei was completely out of her league on this. Just one of those things devoured so many Fah. What could the Nymphs do to assist the Fah’Voy Ra against such a formidable foe? It appeared to have been created for the sole purpose of annihilating the dryadic race. Created… Altered… Planned?

“My King,” Shei became inquisitive. “Do you know what brought this about? You knew of this threat for at least thirteen aunnei. How did you know?”

“Our Rooted Father was one of the Fah during the Granitegrey period, during which he assassinated dragon young. He was one of those credited for the creation of the Domiscythe lore the dragons of Granitegrey wrote. Our Rooted Father failed at one attempt, in the capturing of a dragon adolescent, which escaped back to their village and revealed us, our race, to the older dragons. We suppose that they imagined us to be the Greenspire Trees, which you know would account for a reaction of fear instead of retaliation. Only that adolescent would know the truth of our kind. It named us Fah’Voy Ra, not because of fear, our Rooted Father admitted, but as a curse against us. Nobios’Ra, that Father who has remained unnamed since his death until now, told us fifteen aunnei ago that Poliden’Ra would be the king to see this bane unveiled.”

A great story, but of little help. “We need to set up a defense. I will need two priests and as many Myric Fah as Annayl can offer at this time. The next time the Di’Fet think that they can strike Annayl, it will be they that die horrible deaths.” Shei was determined to set up a temporary system of defense for Annayl, at least until the nymphs could join them against the threat. The pale Fah was probably right. The Di’Fet will probably inform the others of its tribe of the plentiful food source, if it hasn’t already. The gods only know at this point how many of those horrible things live in the lower regions of the Sefspar peninsula.

One of the nine Fah surrounding Poliden’Ra began to uproot. “We have decided that I will be one of the priests you require. I am called Copic. I will help you find your second priest from the Innokt Spire. The Myrics have already been called to our aide. They will gather at the bottom of the Annayl Spire and wait for us there.” The aqua coloured Fah quickly removed himself from the chamber.

“Poliden’Ra, I understand why you’ve called me here. You may understand just as well what I intend to do here before I leave for reinforcements. Please know that I will do what I can to arrange for the safety of Annayl in both endeavors.” Shei’s heart was weighted with conviction. The circumstances were heavy and there was little to be done except fight whatever came from the southern boundaries of Thokta Dell, bearing a grim promise to destroy whatever was found within.

“We appreciate the immediate nature of your response,” the light green Fah exclaimed. “We think that this is the most unexpected thing that could ever happen to the Fah’Voy Ra- which is why we have yet to create an effective response. Please take care in these endeavors. We depend on you, Daughter”.

Shei departed at once. Copic was nowhere to be found. While she believed him to have gone ahead to the tower, the Diplomat decided to make certain. Finding a piller-like structure, Shei placed her forehead against the featureless fah’skull embedded within. “Have you seen Copic, the priest who left the Governing chambers moments ago?”

[Yes. We saw him leave. Departed from the gates which lead to the Innokt Spire.] Annayl responded.

The smooth heartwood felt warm and welcoming to Shei. It felt alive and vibrant, yet it was only as alive as the Regalium in the Dictorium back at Nymphallatess. Very alive, but just as detached. The soul of this Fah is dedicated to watching the happenings of the city, telling the most exalted each and every whereabout of any citizen they desired. No other city could possibly be this integrated- yet none other could be this powerful.

Shei began her travels down the gentle slope that spiraled down the outermost part of the city. Some sapling Fah ran by her, four chasing one. They were as wild as nymph children, though vibrating their tongues loudly as they gave chase instead of laughing. They were all light tan, as none of them had established diets. None of the children found in this part of the city would have any colour or markings, as water and vegetable diets take the longest to become evident. The only children bearing any colour would be Myric, as they are fed fresh, bloody kills from a very young age. This, along with the most disciplinary rearings of any Fah, is what makes them the most effective warriors; at least that was the belief of the Fah.

Shei soon made her way down to the bottom of the Spire and discovered a large group of Myric Fah waiting there. Copic was also there, standing next to a rich hunter green coloured Fah. She assumed that this was the other priest, as there were no green Myrics. They were all dark red or pinkish in colour. Myrics were notably taller than other Fah, but yet every one of these warriors would be dwarfed by the Di’Fet that was here only a night ago.

One of them approached the Diplomat. Saying in a voice that sounded like a large, chirping insect, “I am called Qfove and am the princess of this Hive. You are Hee and daughter of Poliden’Ra. My life is in your hands.” The Fah standing before Shei was one of the most beautiful Fah she had ever seen. Qfove was bright red and polished to a shine. Her head, hands and footroots were dark red, nearly black, and graduating to the true red that coloured the rest of her body. She had the hive identifier carved into the left side of her face and inlayed with a beautiful orange metal. Even in the fading light of the day, the metal seemed almost luminescent. The Diplomat could see that Qfove was fed the finest meats and animal blood over the whole course of her life and quite possibly received equal discipline to offset the maniacal nature of having such a diet.

“My life is in yours as well, Qfove. I can see that much care has been taken in your refinement.”

“I have prayed to my Rooted Father that my training will not be a waste. I am told that I am the most capable warrior ever raised by the Fah.” The Myric was proud, yet built for one purpose alone. Shei felt safe near this princess warrior, yet could not understand the level of training Qfove had to endure, especially during these many years of peace.

Most Fah did not dress unless preparing for battle and had the figure of the gods which bore them thousands of years ago. Though a little warped, the silhouette of the Fah appeared to be as complete and perfect as any Grae, minus finer features such as faces, ears, sexual parts and teats on the breasts. Most of the more civilized tribes of the Fah were shaven of bark at birth, though they produced paper shedding until they became full adults.

Qfove patiently waited to be dismissed by the musing Diplomat, standing still as though on display. Shei had many more questions, but it had been so long since she had been amongst the Fah; all of the details of this beautiful race were just too great not to mentally refresh. “Come, Qfove; I would like to meet your hive.”

Both walked a short distance back to the group of Fah as a torchlighter ran from torch to torch, busily setting them aflame. It was that time of night which made Annayl a very dark place, even for a Fah. As they reached the other members of the hive, they organized themselves and stood like pikes in the ground. These Fah were also bright red, though none of them were polished. Shei began to consider that Qfove was the only one the Diplomat has ever seen which was cared for in such a manner. As Shei placed her hand on the Myric’s shoulder to observe the texture, Qfove chirped loudly. “Hive! Observe! This is Hee, Daughter of Poliden’Ra and Diplomat between Fah and Nymph! Introduce yourselves in her honor!”

One by one, the each of the Myric Fah barked its name.

“Kitji!” Another female.

“Aqujae!”

“Qvuba.” This one had a low, rumbling voice. Not very loud, but intimidating.

“Ycun!”

“Cadyx!”

“Cajka!”

“Qdae.” She was female as well.

Qfove turned to Shei. “This is not the entire hive, but they are our most capable.”

“Very good.” Shei then turned to the hunter green priest. “Priest. What are you called?”

“Hee, Daughter of Poliden’Ra, I am called Qopyfy. I offer my life to your service.”

To all, the Diplomat gestured to move in closer. “Come. I need all of you to listen carefully.

“Late last night, a new terror came from the southern boundaries of Thokta Dell and killed eleven of our numbers. It is only one of an unknown number of Fah Di’Fet, a tribe dedicated to the slaying and absorbing of other Fah. Your King and I are concerned that this horror may have notified its tribe that there is a preferred food source here, so it is in the awareness of our safety that we are forming a guard in the region south of Annayl.

“Myrics! Be prepared, this monstrosity is large, quick and unpredictable. Be certain that some of you will fall when it returns. As it has already become dark, I ask that you go and are quick to return with your finest armor and weapons.

“Copic and Qopyfy, you are here to both slow the creatures which may emerge, as well as bring power and fortune to the Myrics. Meditate and root yourselves strategically. You will need your whole minds about you.

“I will oversee all of your activity over the next few days, but I am charged to leave and return with the aide of the Nymphs as soon as I can. When I return, you will share the southern region with Nymph warriors for the first time- but the details regarding that will come in the morning. Under the light of the Sun.

“Now go! Be fast in your preparations!” Shei made an explosive gesture with her hands to disseminate the group to their task. The Fah scattered at the queue, moving faster than she ever thought possible for the wooded race. The Diplomat had never seen the Fah react with urgency before this very moment. All were beyond the light of the torches to the north of Annayl by now, except for Qfove. Shei walked over to the Fah as it was rummaging through a large cloth sack. As the cloth rolled away from itself, Shei recognized this as Qfove’s personal arsenal. Blood had indeed gone to this Fah’s brain.

“We are a blessed race, Diplomat, because our brothers and sisters are hard to kill. These weapons were made with that in mind.” Among the weapons at which the Fah gestured lay two long, thin swords that were serrated and oiled, which appeared to mount on to the forearms to cater to both slashing and sawing. Other weapons included an axe, foot-knives, darts and a weighted razorchain. There was armor wrapped up in the cloth as well, including a helmet, shoulder mantles, chestguard, girdle and greaves.

When Qfove was fully armored and weapon-clad, Shei could not recall ever having seen an armored Fah before. There are so many things which she hadn’t realized or taken into account. At the very least, the experience was educational.

There was an object that Shei failed to notice in the sack which the Myric now removed- a wrist mounted cylinder. “What is that for?”

“It’s a pranic-focuser. I made it myself. Observe.” Qfove lashed it to the underside of her wrist and fastened the buckle. Bending at the knees, she turned her wrist up, letting the sword point slightly downward. She looked at a small shrub at the base of an old tree and pointed the cylinder at it. After only moments, the shrub flashed and burst into flames. “It’s a great weapon to use if you have time to use it, but in close combat, it takes a little too long to be effective.”

Nevertheless, Shei was impressed.

The rest of the Myrics arrived, fully armored and carrying a host of varied weapons. “We are ready,” Qvuba grumbled.

Through the trees, south of the Annayl Spire, Shei noticed firelight. “Let’s go.”

By the time Shei and the Myrics arrived, the priests had set up a worthy camp before they rooted and blossomed. A bonfire burned slightly off in the distance, which made seeing possible, but did not fully expose the camp or its inhabitants.

As the ground was saturated with a blood and water mix, supplies were laid out and armaments were placed strategically. It was then that Kitji spoke up. “Have we even seen these Fah before? The Fah Di’Fet?”

“Only in ahnsha xithortikos.” Shei noted quietly.

“Can we see what we are up against?” Kitji’s question was more curious than riddled with fear, yet it had caught the attention of the rest of the hive.

The sound of trees groaning and snapping at the border to the south of the bonfire seemed to answer Kitji’s inquiry. The attention of Shei and every Fah at the camp was immediately turned to the massive hand that swept the trees aside with great force. A giant, hideous Fah Di’fet emerged from the new break in the tree line and moved towards the bonfire to inspect the area. The Myrics rushed to arm themselves and face the threat in a single line. As the team watched the titan stopping to examine the area, they noted that it had not yet noticed the battle-ready Fah of Annayl. Taking advantage of this, the warriors broke out of their formation into two separate teams and quietly ducked into each side of the bottlenecked clearing. Shei moved quietly to a couched position behind the blossomed Qopyfy and observed the massive horror.

The Diplomat noticed six additional arms attached to the abdomen of the giant, each stretching and kneading at the air in front of the giant, though these arms were much smaller in comparison to the main arms to either side of it. The titan’s countenance was very ape-like; its staunch knuckles heavily pressed into the ground before it, preceding its thick, stocky footroots. Gnarled antlers emerged from the back of its head. As it shifted its weight to gain a more solid stance, the wood of which it was made groaned deeply, like distant lightning just behind a ridge of mountains.

Only moments passed as the monstrosity stood mesmerized before the dutifully crackling flame before two other Fah Di’Fet appeared from the newly made entry. While they were much smaller, each could easily be three times the height of any of the Myrics, who all stood taller than Shei. They were also unaware of the camp that lay beyond the bonfire; both were slowly taking in the surrounding area, focused on the ground as though seeking out the tracks of they who built the fire.

Suddenly, one of the minions flashed and burst into flames. As it lost control and ran wildly in circles, its companions turned towards the burning one. Qvuba sprinted towards the other minion with his giant hammer raised above his head. The Myric jumped and planted the sharped tip of the long-handled mace firmly into the back of his target, knocking it slightly off-balance. As it whipped around, Qvuba found his footing on the hips of the angry minion. Before his hand reached the axe at his side, the warrior was suddenly snatched off of his quarry’s back and enveloped by the giant’s fist. At once, the snap of crushed wood and metal echoed through the forest and the warped remains of Qvuba were tossed irreverently aside. A blaze flared up on the giant’s back at that moment, causing the monstrous Fah to throw itself to the ground to quench the flame before it was consumed.

Wise to the attacks, the monstrous Fah Di’Fet jumped to its footroots and sprung at the tree line. Huge hands swatted and clutched at the nearby trees and, upon withdrawing them, the giant had Kitji attached to one forearm, Cadyx at the other and the struggling Cajka in its grips. As Cajka was torn in half, the other two were striking at the titan’s arms with slightly curved swords, whittling away at the blackened bark that covered their target.  An arm withdrew, allowing Kitji to be intercepted by the six smaller arms. Though she fought wildly, the struggling Fah was pulled apart, limb by limb. The now freed hand grabbed for Cadyx, but quickly lost two fingers as the Myric swiped with precision at the approaching deathgrip.

Meanwhile, Ycun’s razorchain whipped at the pursuing minion, gracefully sawing bark and limbs away from the aggressor. As the black Fah struck, the red warrior dodged and lashed the chain against his foe with masterful precision. As the dance of attack and riposte led the minion and its prey toward the far edge of the clearing, Aqujae came out to join the fight with her long, broad sword. Her blows were heavy and damaging as they landed, not to mention well-timed between the lashings issued by Ycun’s flailing weapon.

Shei turned back to the fight between Cadyx and the giant. By then, Qfove was quickly striking out with her twin serrated swords while Cadyx circled around the giant, jabbing at the stocky legs. Massive fists hammered heavily at the ground in front of it, missing the lightening-quick Qfove. Shei could tell that the giant was unfocused as the two were relentlessly attacking from all available angles. It turned to reach for Cadyx again, attempting to minimize the threat of the skilled warriors by taking out at least one of them.

A loud crack averted the Diplomat’s attention. Aqujae had just been swung violently against a nearby tree by one of her legs and was instantly crushed. Ycun faltered at this and was immediately dominated by the minion as it reached out and placed him between its footroots. Feeding talons snapped off against the tough armor of the Myric. Finally, as the minion tore at its screaming victim, Qdae bolted out of the forest and swung her sword with all of her might. Though clipping off the head of the aggressor, it fought even more wildly than before. As it struck out in all directions, the minion was entirely open for all incoming attacks. Another cleave from Qdae’s quick sword had the upper body dangling from the lower portions. Ycun appeared to be injured as he continued to crawl away from the black Fah. He caught sight of Shei and shrilled as loudly as he could. “Do something! Help us!”

The giant whipped its head around as Shei fled her position behind Qopyfy. Its mass allowed the titan great speed, though its movements appeared slow. Qopyfy’s flowers appeared to glow for a moment, but the intended effect didn’t have time to take hold of the charging Fah Di’Fet. The tree that Qopyfy had become was merely crushed into splinters as the priest was carelessly smashed underfoot.

In very little time, the Diplomat had made her way into the forest standing between the camp and Annayl, as the massive Fah and two Myrics chased closely behind. The giant was nearly upon her, though it was made clumsy as it pursued its fleeing quarry. Branches and leaves lashed against her relatively exposed body as she dodged through the brush, but every welt they would leave behind would not be given time to hurt. Abruptly, Shei changed her course northwest, towards the small enclave where she landed. The now diminished hill of fyle-hash reflected in the flickering orange light, along with the faceted wings of her huge mount. “Attack!”

The wings of the warfyle thrust downward with such great force, the torches in the area were nearly extinguished. In the very next moment, the insect wrapped its powerful legs around the back of Shei’s aggressor. She spun around to see the success of the attack, taking a hard fall in the process.

The strong jaws of the warfyle made quick work as it clipped away huge sections of the Fah Di’Fet’s bark. The giant swung its head from side to side madly in protest. Finally, one of the antlers caught hold of the warfyle’s wings and mangled them. Despite this, the insect relentlessly chewed away at its target. Falling to its back, the titan crushed the relatively fragile insect beneath it, spraying fyle blood everywhere. As it rose to strike at Shei, Qfove raised her sword at the exposed heartwood of the black Fah and took aim. Instantly, the massive enemy caught fire and exploded in such a way that nearly ripped it in half. It was dead before it hit the ground, with a ground-moving quake, very close to the cowering Shei. In the poorly lit clearing, everyone left standing was silently waiting for another attack. Qfove and Cadyx stood among the carnage left behind by the giant, studying the body for movement.

Having lost all resolve, Shei burst into sobbing. No pain was held back now, especially that in her heart. Ycun was burned into her sight and his scream was still ringing in her ears. The notion hit her that she could have done something sooner. The fact that fear had completely overtaken her was no longer an excuse. Her heart now held her accountable for the death of so many Fah, wrenching more stinging tears from the corner of her eyes. Her blurred vision took in Qfove, who approached the massive corpse and severed one of the thick antlers from its head. Shei’s head hung once again as she tried desperately to pull herself together. So many negative feelings overwhelmed the Diplomat that she longer knew how to respond in front of the polished Myric Princess. Should she be embarrassed for her display of weakness? Was it appropriate to mourn the dead as vigorously as she had? Could she stop the sobbing if it weren’t?

The blade of Qfove’s serrated sword hit the ground and sang dully as it came to rest. A hand was placed on Shei’s jerking shoulder. The Myric purred gently. “They died doing what they were trained to do. You aren’t at fault for any of them. Consider this: Your strategy saved my life and the lives who remain of my hive. I applaud you for your swift action.”

The Myric Princess’ words had an immediate calming effect on Shei. She never fully considered that words rolling off of a wooden tongue would be so effective. She mused the thought that maybe it was the feelings projected from Qfove’s heart that rendered such peace in that of the Diplomat’s. “Thank you, Qfove. You are brave, both in the face of danger and in circumstances of emotional turmoil.”

They rose, both looking at the fallen Fah Di’Fet. After a few moments of reflecting on the battle that had just taken place, ahnsha vodm filled the air. It was the feeling of being around several hundred meditating Fah. The pressure was so great, it nearly caused Shei to faint. Qfove’s senses brought her to climb the Di’Fet corpse to poise her blade firmly against the now softening Fah’s neck. “You better die, Di’Fet.”

[Hungry. Tired. Heavy...]

“Let it speak. I think these are the souls trapped inside.” Shei’s face became dry of tears as her blood boiled in fear and anticipation.

Qfove responded by climbing the face of the monstrosity, keeping her sword trained on the neck.

[They lie. Words of the tongue. Foul and without life. As is the lie given we.]

“What lie were you given, Giant?” Shei spoke to the blackness before her.

“A tongue and the fruit of a Fah’Voy Ra. No fah of wisdom. A war of tired spirits. Seeds within grow death.]

“Who lied?”

[All we and a tongue of flame. Searing away the true voice with the hiss of an extinguished fire. Symbol of true hive. Perverted in revelation. An answered wish.] The ahnsha vodm cleared immediately. Qfove stepped off of the now sagging corpse, knowing that it was truly dead in every way it could be.

Cadyx, Shei and Qfove jogged back to the camp to regroup with those who were still alive. Qdae was pulling a cloth loaded with the mangled remains of Qvuba and Kitji back to the camp. Ycun was being treated by Copic. Each wound was seared shut by precise heat projected from the hands of the priest. Once all was done for the injured and the dead, those who remained stood watch over the camp.

Silently, Qfove stood firmly facing the gaping entrance that was made by the titan. She wasn’t rooted, but very still and silent. With the swords attached to her armor, Qfove’s reach was slightly greater than the length of her legs, Shei noted. The Diplomat also took notice of fist shaped hammers at the end of the serrated blades, which did not exceed the height of the blade. She guessed that it made stabbing impossible and had some other function that Qfove thought important with her fighting style.

Cadyx briefly cleaned his blade and ran off into the shadows near the clearing opposite the gnarled path left behind by the Di’Fet party. There, he would become invisible and be the first alert for those that remained in the camp if more danger came.

Ycun was seated on a felled tree on the side of the camp opposite Shei. He was half a mind about polishing his razorchain as well as assisting his Hive Princess in keeping watch over camp. Each segment was flanged with four sharped half-ovals that probably took as much skill to clean it as to wield it effectively. With the task completed, the chain was coiled and placed into a circular pouch. Ycun then moved to the north side of the dark camp, settled his stance and stood as stone, facing the path leading to Annayl. As Shei studied the Myric, she noticed that his armor was indeed scarred by the minion’s feeding talons. The metal was extremely durable, being made with solid wooden hands that did not blister when working with a hammer over a long period of time.

One of Shei’s earliest memories was the armorer just west of Annayl. His massive form drenched wet with water, Haudax would be constantly licked by the flames of the forge, causing white steam to roll off of his flesh as he pounded the armor into form. Almost triumphantly, he held up the piece to inspect it before moving on to engraving. Shei wanted to watch the Fah work with his more delicate tools to see the masterful etching come to life before her eyes, but her mother would intercept the young halfling once she was done in the Governing Chambers at the top of Annayl.

No such etching was present on Ycun’s or Qdae’s armor, though it was present on that worn by Qfove. The Myrics under her command wore armor fit for only the task of protection from the enemy attacking them.

Qdae stood over the priest as he meditated for the fallen Myrics. Copic’s job would be to stunt the softening of their flesh until they were given the proper rites and prepared to be applied to the walls of Annayl. Suddenly perplexed, Shei realized that the outer flesh of Annayl was all one colour; not patchy with reds and greens and blues. To what part of the Spire would these dead be applied? The Diplomat had seen no part of the city of that colour, but guessed that it would only be a matter of time before that happened.

The priest rose and turned toward his watcher. “They will remain in their present form throughout Shadowless, which gives them enough time for their last rites.”

Qdae nodded once and turned her head toward the bodies of her dead hivekin. “Thank you, Copic.” She made a hissing sound through tightened stomas, as though sighing. “Could not this have been prevented?”

“Perhaps, but Qopyfy and I were concentrated on the Di’Fet’s ability to fight back.”

“Is that all you were doing, priest?! Could you not have helped in a better way?” Qdae was irritated.

“This was the plan.” Copic noted casually. “I could have fought beside you.”

“Don’t even try to be humorous, greenleaf…” Qdae was furious. Through she stood tall, the Myric was so shaken that she was at a loss for words. Even Ycun turned towards the escalating discussion.

Copic held his ground and remained placid. “I’m not a greenleaf. I’m a Greyleaf, if you must know. I am capable of destroying an enemy such as that in ways different than your methods.”

“A Greyleaf?” Shei ventured towards the standoff, too curious to ignore the topic.

“He’s a Priest of the Storm.” Qdae softened her stance as she let the realization roll off of her tongue. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“What is this?” Shei became insistent. The horizon seemed to stir alive at that moment, shedding the sun’s pale blue light at the bottom of the sky. Qfove also snapped out of her trance, though she remained silent.

Copic turned to Shei. “I was trained to use… more aggressive prana than most priests a Fah would encounter. Observe.” The priest walked towards the corpse of the minion nearest to the camp. He took a deep stance and held both of his hands before himself. Almost immediately, the minion’s body began to blister and whine in protest. Wisps of steam rose from the black form violently, eventually forming a fog around it. The high pitched squeal subsided into a dull, crackling and the fog cleared. Copic stood and let his arms relax at his side, still looking at the minion’s body.

The Diplomat jogged over to the corpse and felt an intensifying heat as she approached. She observed that its flesh was parched and ashen where it started to rend apart. “I don’t understand what I see here.”

“It is a fire that burns from within, Hee. There is no water left in that vessel.” Copic responded dryly.

“I see that I have misplaced your talents.” Shei could feel her throat clenching and her jaw setting. Another failure. How many deaths could have been avoided?

Both the priest and the Diplomat went back to the camp, though she was slow in her return. She looked over her shoulder at the charred Di’Fet and noted that this one would not liquefy. Her feet continued to move toward the brightening encampment, no matter where her attention was focused. Suddenly there, she called the last of her wits to her aid. With the sun’s arrival, a new set of tasks would be set before them all. “Fah, the day approaches. Much has to be done to ensure the safety of Annayl before night comes to us again. I must go to my father and deliver my report of tonight’s events. Copic, you will be responsible for the dead. Qfove, I leave you to your hive.”

The Myric Princess immediately went to Qdae and pressed her head to hers, a glossy black hand holding the back of the other’s head. Though she watched for a moment, Shei wouldn’t hear any words; as the two Fah were engaged in a conversation only they would witness. She turned and walked quickly toward Annayl.

Only a moment later, Shei was startled to find Qfove at her side. The panic that bolted through her body froze her progress toward the Spire. “Did you need something?” Shei responded instinctively. Diplomatically.

“Hee, let us speak here for a moment.” The Myric stood tall and perfectly poised.

“Go on, Qfove.”

“It was your bravery that brought that battle to an end. It was your strategy that brought us victory-” She paused. “We would either have died or we would be fighting still… if it were not for you. It is because of this that I wish to bind with you… in service during your journey.”

Shei attempted to interrupt.

“Wait. Last night as I stood guard, I considered my purpose… my role in life. I was hand crafted for war, Hee. It is not for beauty that I was polished. It was the will of my Rooted Father. You must understand that my polishing was a symbol of servitude, just as my spirit was tempered to be hardened in battle. I am unable to host saplings… to mother a fahling. My legacy will lay in servitude to the Fah’Voy Ra as a warrior… for as long as I live.

“My heart tells me that your path is no longer to be traveled as an emissary between Nymph and Fah. You are now a spear in the wind; on a direct path to achieve a purpose far greater than loose treaties or politics.

“Hee, I need my life to mean more than a series of battles. It would bring me honor to walk with you as your protector while you discover your own path. The gods walk with you, yet I will not trust them to do what I wish. It is my choice, so it is my effort. I ask that I be allowed to return to you what your strategy afforded me only a short time ago. A longer life and a chance to build a noble legacy.”

“Qfove, I understand… but I will only accept your offer under one condition. You are not obligated by me to fulfill this task. You are free and may leave when you choose.” Shei said emphatically.

“You are wrong, Hee. I am not free. I am forever bound to one purpose. I will leave nothing behind but what I have done in life. Despite this, I will accept your conditions.”

Though Qfove and her kind did not have discernible eyes, Shei could feel the Myric staring deep into her. Her new protector felt searching and determined. Completely lit aflame with this new conviction. “I welcome you to travel with me, Fah.”