Meowlynn stared at the slim demonic man. He was surprisingly attractive despite her taste for taller men. His hair was black and only covered the top of his head. It sat loosely and almost had the appearance of a faux-hawk. His violet skin was similar to Shield's but just a lighter shade. The parts that fascinated the high elf wizard the most were his horns and eyes. The horns were dark purple and had the same shape as ram horns. They sat on the sides of his head just above his slightly pointed ears, strangely like elf ears, and none of his hair grew below the horns. Finally, his eyes were very different than normal eyes. The scleras of the eyes were pure black but the irises were crimson red, giving him the look of a true demon.

"What were you doing here?" asked Ciylia.

"I was captured in a forest not far from here," explained Blaine. "I was out collecting herbs for my research when a small band of orcs grabbed me and started beating on me for their amusement. There used to be seven orcs but I killed two before they finally got me."

"What kind of research do you do," playfully inquired Meowlynn. She knew that it would make Fern jealous and she wanted to see how he reacted. For some reason, she and the druid were growing a fondness for each other but she wasn't willing to allow a romantic relationship to form quickly between them. Fern already had a huge enough ego when it came to him and women and she wasn't going to be some easy conquest for him.

"That's kind of personal," Blaine sighed. "I'd like to keep that to myself if you don't mind." The man paused to go into a tent and grab some garments. They were very plain, a white shirt with a brown vest over it, black leather pants and boots, a belt with a few pouches and straps so he could wear his scimitars across when he wasn't using them.

"Not that I don't appreciate your help but what are you doing up in the mountains anyways? Finding a hidden spot for a threesome?" The demonic-looking man laughed at his own joke.

Meowlynn noticed that Fern blushed deeply. "N..N..No," stammered the druid. "We are looking for a giant bird. Well it has the head of a bird and its body is covered in feathers but its body is similar to a giant cat, including its tail. It also has bird-like feet and talons."

"Well, I can't say that I saw it but I'll help you find it and maybe capture or kill it if that is what you are looking to do. It's the least I can do to thank you for saving me," said Blaine.

"Wonderful," smiled Ciylia. "What skills do you have for the great outdoors?"

"I'm great at skinning animals if that helps. A skill I had to learn for my research as I need various animal parts for testing."

The wizard noticed the strange looks her two friends gave the man but they clearly never had to practice or study arcane magic. Meowlynn would stay locked up in a tent for hours with the bard that taught her song and magic. Since she didn't have the ability to cast spells through music but did possess the innate ability to cast magic, her teacher had bought her books to read and study arcane sigils from. Various parts of animals were also used in casting spells including bones, organs, or even their dung. In fact, one of the spells she had been trying to master in secret while others were sleeping used feces as one of the components. The result though would be a massive ball of fire that would burn her foes to the ground. Sadly, she hadn't mastered it yet but one day soon she hoped.

"We can make a few more hours of progress before nightfall," mentioned Fern.

"I think we should take a couple of their tents for tonight," said Meowlynn. She was not going to risk having rain fall on her in the middle of the night. "Our new friend Blaine can carry them as he is in such a thankful mood."

The cursed-blooded man merely shrugged and started packing up two of the tents in some sacks the had orcs used to carry them and grabbed an axe to chop wood. Meowlynn just watched and glanced at her chest. It didn't look like the cut was going to scar but she would use some of the magical healing berries that Fern could make later to rub on the wound to make sure it didn't. A scar would not make her sexy, and would only lower her sex appeal. She wanted to keep herself perfect so she could continue to manipulate men and possibly some women.

After they were ready to go, they continued up the mountain for a little bit before finally getting to a spot they could rest. Meowlynn supervised the group while they set up their camp for the night. The wizard was concocting a plan to get some alone time with Fern. She had two reasons for this, the first was because she wanted to get some of the magical berries and the second was because she wanted to show her thanks for saving her.

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"I'm starving," she exclaimed. "I thought you were good at catching animals," she pointed at Blaine.

"Uh, it's getting pretty late. Small game might be hard to find," rebutted the demonic man.

"Don't worry," laughed Ciylia while patting the man on the back. "I'm one of the best hunters I know. We can get a rabbit or something. Fern here is a cook of sorts so he'll be able to make it taste excellent."

"Lead the way," sighed Blaine in defeat. Ciylia and Blaine headed into the forest, giving Meowlynn the opening she wanted.

The high elf approached the half-elf who was in his tent. "What are you doing Fern?"

"I was just making some adjustments to where I will sleep. I'm a bit drained after today's encounter."

"Would you be able to create me some of those magical berries? I would like to use them as an ointment for my cut so it doesn't scar."

"Yeah, sure." Fern pulled out some mistletoe from his pouch and started shaking it. Magic started coursing through the sprig and soon a handful of plump purple berries appeared on it. The druid plucked them and handed them to the wizard. She gladly accepted them.

"Oh," purred Meowlynn. "There is one more thing I need to do with you." Her voice dripped with poison that invited ecstasy. Fern was like a fly caught in a spider's web, helpless to the whims of its captor. The wizard licked her lips to give them a glossy look and leaned in, inviting the druid to do the same. He hesitated but moved in as well. Once he was close enough the high elf raised her hand and slapped Fern across the face.

"What the fuck was that for," he yelled.

"That was for putting me in danger," she replied. "I wouldn't have nearly got killed if he didn't want to try to play the hero. Save that for the people better suited for it like Gene or law-loving Kira."

Water started to form in Fern's eyes. Meowlynn could tell her point was made. The druid turned away to wipe his tears away and when he did, Meowlynn gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That was for saving me," she smiled. The wizard then pulled Fern into her embrace, placing his head on her breasts. This would be the only time Fern would be shorter than her and she liked that feeling but also because she wanted to watch him go red.

A few moments passed before Fern tried to move away, gently pushing on her breasts. The feeling was not unwelcomed but she understood the others were coming back and they had appearances to keep. She winked before moving to the unlit firepit. There was kindling there and a few logs of chopped wood and some not. Pulling out her wand, she began casting a simple flame spell and began the campfire. Next, she grabbed an unchopped log and used it as a stool, and watched the fire flicker.

Sometime later, Ciylia and Blaine returned with a fat rabbit and some herbs. The pair made a make-shift table with some pieces of split wood. The wizard did not want to be subjected to any sort of bacterial disease from her food touching the wood that any creepy crawly could have been in. She walked over to where they had set up and took out her wand and pressed it into the wood. A small silver shimmer moved across the surfaces of it and any dirt or grime or whatever else was pushed to the edges and slid off, landing on the ground. "Savages," she whispered. "Now thank me for saving your stomachs later. The last thing you want is to be tracking that bird while you have to shit your pants."

"You are more likely to get sick from the damn rabbit than the wood," informed Blaine.

"I don't give a damn what you think," growled Meowlynn. "That rabbit, when skinned, was going to touch that wood and it could have also infected it. I am not going to risk that."

Ciylia bent over and whispered into Blaine's ear. The man let out a sigh, "Fine, thank you."

Satisfied to get her proper appreciation, Meowlynn went back to her log to watch them make her dinner, at least she liked to pretend they were her servants. She knew better but still enjoyed the fantasy. The high elf watched as the demonic man gutted the plump critter, skinned it, then chopped the meat into cubes as per Fern's instructions. Fern had sent Ciylia to go find a stream and fetch a bit of water. While the thief did that, Fern chopped some of the herbs and magically produced some of his own for spices. The druid also rummaged through some of the supply bags that Blaine had taken from the orc camp and retrieved an onion and two potatoes.

When Ciylia returned, he placed some herbs and spices into the water. Next, he drained a bit of rabbit's blood into it before dropping the chunks into it. He chopped up the vegetables and added them in as well and stirred the pot over the open flame. Finally, Fern went to his bag and grabbed out some red wine, and poured it in. He repeatedly stirred it every few minutes until he said it was done.

Everyone grabbed a bowl and ate the rabbit stew. Meowlynn thought it was pretty good despite not having all the proper ingredients or a kitchen. Even though she was daydreaming about her fake servants, she peered at the new ring on her finger and thought about her real servant, Ajax, the ram spirit inside the ring. She wondered how useful the creature would be.

After dinner, she went to the tent Blaine set up for her and Ciylia. She went into her bag and grabbed the mirror she got from the vanity. She took off her top and stared at her naked chest, disgusted by the long cut that ran along her breast to her lower abdomen. The high elf grabbed the magical berries and a herbal cream from her bag and mixed them together then spread it along the cut. Looking at how damaged her perfect body was, she decided if there was ever a day that someone from the Jellybeans truly died she would leave the group for good. Adventure and wealth were wonderful, but her life meant more to her than any of that.

She returned the mirror, that she planned on using the next day to see if they could find the bird, back into her bag, and grabbed her spellbook and an extra book about learning fire magic. She wanted to practice the arcane sigils before she meditated while muttering the words. The wizard redressed herself, brushed her long black hair, and sat cross-legged. She really hoped her ointment worked and secretly prayed that tomorrow would not end with her death.