As Spidena and Ben followed Filif the mushroom sprite, the forest around them changed.

For one, rather than following a specific direction that they would forge through, the sprite had them meandering around large trees and boulders, making random lefts and rights. But what was strange about this, was if they wound up making four rights they would find themselves before a different scene entirely. When it should have drawn them in a circle. For another reason, there was a brighter, hazier glow around everything under the brilliant sun of the day.

The entire forest smelled fresh and earthy after the rain, the aroma of wetted pines and soil the most potent of them. Birds chirped peacefully above them, chipmunks darted through the brush and across their path completely unfazed by their presence.

Not excessively abnormal… And yet… Ben felt lighter. Like he was drifting along…

He was in such a state of peculiar peacefulness as they went through this silly walk through the woods following a mushroom sprite, that it wasn’t until midday that Ben finally realized what was guiding their confusing journey.

The sprite was following mushrooms. Mushroom lines and circles!

“You do realize the odds of us winding up on Earhav’s land is significantly greater with us following him,” Ben whispered to Spidena as they proceeded to move around a large oak tree three times.

“I doubt it. Fey folk don’t like him either.”

“Why do the sprites hate him?” Ben mused with an amazed scoff.

“Mm… They tend to be mischievous and he… at times overreacts. And the type of magic he specializes doesn’t sit well with most beings.”

Despite their lowered tones, Filif swung around and nodded his head adamantly in agreement with Spidena, his mushrooms waving dramatically as he did so.

Ben cleared his throat.

He still wasn’t used to the peculiar appearance of the sprite, even though the little creature seemed perfectly friendly and amenable to him. There was a persistent prickling in Ben’s heart and in his head that told him there was a lot more to Filif than met the eye.

“Right…” It was all Ben could think to say.

Filif tilted his face, peering up curiously at Ben, then spun around with a giggle and continued scampering in a new direction where small white flowers dotted the ground as shafts of sunlight illuminated pollen and dandelion seeds drifting through the air.

“It’s strange, I almost feel like… we’re in a different world,” Ben noted distantly as he watched Filif frolic over another bend in the peculiar path that seemed to just appear before him; the feeling of serenity was starting to come on as potently as a glass full of strong liquor.

“We somewhat are in a different world. You in particular.”

Blinking, Ben turned his head slowly to stare at Spidena. “What?”

Spidena waved him off. “Come along. Sprites can be impatient little things.”

Opening and closing his mouth, Ben would’ve insisted he have the whole matter explained, but a dull thudding behind his eyebrows told him his brain was absolutely done with absorbing any new information that made no logical sense.

And he was feeling quite splendid, so why impede on that. It only vaguely occurred to wonder why he was feeling so lovely he would not be quite so at ease any more.

With the decision to not spare his present state any more thought, Ben decided frollicking through the forest looked quite fun. Almost like being a free stag in the forest.

Stag’s were nice.

They were majestic.

Kings of the forest!

Closing his eyes blissfully, Ben launched himself into the air in a magnificent skip, and then bounded by Spidena who halted in her steps again to watch him until he caught up with Filif, and next thing he knew… Ben was giggling right along with Filif. What a wonderful day it was turning out to be!

*

Letting out a drawn out snort of laughter, Spidena doubled over. “I’m never going to let him live this down. Dumbass with a wart for a brain.”

Overhead Wolf swooped soundlessly, light glinting off his pristine black wings.

Sighing, Spidena let the seductive magic of the other realm take over just a smudge, and felt a smile climb her face.

When in the fey realm, as long as you could manage to remember it was not where you belonged, you could leave when you wanted.

Ben would most likely need to be dragged…

And Spidena would be lying if she wasn’t already looking forward to it immensely.

Though by the mid afternoon she would be eating her words.

***

“Welcome customer! How can I–Mr.Godlbry! Fancy seeing you here!” Daffy beamed at the man who wore a tasteful dusty rose vest with gold buttons, a black tie, and tan pants, with his white shirt sleeves already rolled up. While he did have a widows peak, his remaining hair was thick and curled, and strawberry blond, with white only touching the sides of his head.

Pesch Goldbry ran a hand over his heavily treated hair and turned with a polite smile to the nymph.

“How are things, Daffy?” His voice was pleasantly deep, and sounded as though it had been well seasoned in cigar smoke and fine whisky.

“Oh, they are going well, Mr. Goldry! We still aren’t getting a significant amount of customers, but I’m sure that will change very soon.” Daffy giggled knowingly.

A good natured half smile tugged up Pesch Goldbry’s mouth as he waved two muscled men and an abnormally tall woman through the rounded doorway behind him.

“Oh! You brought your helpers!” Daffy observed, her smile warming.

“Good to see you Miss Daffy,” the bald headed man with dark skin clad in a draping black coat greeted while bowing to the nymph. His dark eyes were flanked by deep lines. He had no neck to speak of, and a gap between nearly every tooth, but despite his ominous appearance, his tone was perfectly cordial.

“Miss Daffy,” the second large man greeted. While the first muscled fellow looked to be in his fifties, this one looked to be in his late thirties. With honey brown hair, a salt and pepper beard, and steel blue eyes.

“Boco, Gazin!” Daffy called happily in the order in which they had greeted her. “It’s wonderful to see you!”

The final person to walk over the threshold to the inn was a woman. Her long dark auburn hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Her amber eyes swept over the cramped hall of the inn calculatively, her posture ramrod straight. Not only was she incredibly tall, but she was as thick and broad shouldered as many knights.

She looked to be in her early thirties, and unlike most women, she wore white pants, tall black boots, and a light gray coat she had buttoned all the way up.

She inclined her head to the nymph. “Miss Daffy.”

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Daffy giggled. “Oh Azette, you’re still so serious.”

“Yes, and she’s not a kid anymore, so you know that really is her personality,” Pesch said with a warm smile, his gold tie clip glinting in the warm light of the inn as he leaned forward with the jest. “Why is it you think business is going to be picking up soon?”

“Well! Let me tell you! Obbie! Set the tea out! We have company!”

“THEY PAY UPFRONT! EITHER BY KILLING EVERY GODFORSAKEN ANT OR MOSQUITO ON THIS PLANET! OR GOLD! AND I WILL NOT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING–Ah. Mr. Goldbry.” Obbie greeted, his demented energy as he charged through the kitchen and dining room instantly extinguished.

“Obbie. Good to see your spirit hasn’t shriveled up and died a martyr’s death,” Pesch greeted with an arched eyebrow.

The fairies upper lip twitched. “Yes, well. We’ve only been open a full lunar cycle or so. There’s still time.”

“Shall we?” Pesch asked with a polite smile while bending slightly at the hips.

Obbie rolled his eyes, then, with an extraordinarily mocking bow, he gestured Pesch Goldry and his entourage into their dining room where only five patrons sat scattered around the long tables and benches..

One other fairy sat with a man that didn’t look entirely alright– Possibly someone possessed by a ghost. A bucket sized tree stump sat beside the ghost-human squawking until the fairy tossed a cup of water in its mouth.

There was another nymph sitting alone on the opposite side of the trio. Black, ashy smoke hovered around his face with its glowing red eyes discouraged close attention.

Then there were a couple of dwarves huddled over tankards who scowled up at the newcomers, until Pesch caught their eye and lowered his head in acknowledgment.

Their thick wiry eyebrows rose a fraction, then the two dwarves lowered their gazes back to their drinks.

“Why, here, Mr. Goldry,” Obbie took the tea towel off his shoulder and slapped the bench nearest to the kitchen and hearth with it. “Best seat in the house.”

Gazin started to rumble while Azette tilted her head with her gaze turning both icy and sharp.

Obbie tsked then seated himself down.

Pesch chuckled then proceeded to lower himself across from the fairy. Gazin sat on his right, Boco on his left, and Azette sat beside Gazin, but with her back to the table as she kept facing the doorway that led to the front hall.

“Now, lovely Daffy, please tell me what it is you believe will improve business?” Pesch interlocked his fingers on the table surface expectantly.

“Yes. How will Daffy improve the business you started then abandoned to see if it’d stay afloat like a centaur’s turd in a pond.” Obbie leaned his face on his hand that was propped up by his elbow on the table.

“For a fairy as high ranking as yourself, Obbie, I’m surprised you have such a disgusting way of speaking.”

The fairy grinned shamelessly back at Pesch.

“Well, Mr. Goldry, I happened to meet a witch who has a growing cloud of big magic around her!” Daffy announced loudly, drawing everyone’s attention back to her as she seated herself next to Obbie while nudging him firmly in the ribs.

Today Daffy wore a bright white and yellow floral dress, and so the moment everyone laid eyes on her again, their tense expressions naturally softened.

“A witch with big magic following her? As in… She can wield it?” Pesch wondered slowly.

“Probably a little—she can cast incantations. But you see, the big magic is there because she got herself fate tied to a man chop,” Daffy giggled excitedly, her shoulders wriggling. “And ooh, let me tell you! He has a secret past that has to tie into the big magic! You see… He is actually a dodder!”

Pesch’s eyebrows rose. “How old is he?”

“Mm… I think the witch said he was around his mid twenties? He looked older though,” Obbie contributed boredly.

“A dodder in that age bracket who wasn’t slaughtered?” Pesch sounded a mixture of impressed and surprised.

“Yes! See? So interesting… Well, Mr. Goldbry, even just from her being here for a single night, we already have had more business! Magic folk smell that kind of power and flock to it, and the longer that big magic hangs around them? The stronger the smell. And the witch and her man chop will come back soon, I’m sure of it!”

Pesch folded his arms and leaned backward thoughtfully. “I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone with ‘big magic’ hanging around them like you describe.”

“You were around that woman who was cursed,” Azette reminded tonelessly without taking her eyes off of the doorway.

“That was unpleasant,” Goldry’s eyes dropped as he recalled that unfortunate incident in mild tones. “However this sounds far more fun. Tell me, what were their names? Was it a witch I would’ve heard of?”

Daffy beamed at the positive reaction their benefactor was giving. “I don’t think you would’ve heard of either of them! She was quite young herself. The witch introduced herself as Spidena and her man chop is called Ben.”

Pesch Goldry and every single member of his entourage drew themselves straight, and their eyes collectively widened.

The alarm was so obviously great, that even Obbie started to sit upright.

“You… Are certain… that this witch’s name was… Spidena?” Pesch’s voice sounded like it was barely restrained.

Daffy nodded slowly, her smile fading.

“She was traveling with a man?” Azette growled.

Daffy gulped. “Y-Yes.”

“Did they… Share a room?” Pesch asked, his lips curling in disgust.

“Oh, no, they didn’t!”

“Not that Daffy didn’t try her darndest to make it happen though!” Obbie contributed brightly.

Daffy gave a panicked chortle before reaching up and cuffing Obbie firmly behind the head. The fairy didn’t seem contrite in any way.

“Both of you listen closely.” Pesch Goldbry lowered his thick eyebrows to stare at the nymph and fairy darkly, the air around him turning tremendously terrifying.

Even the smoking nymph on the opposite side of the room shifted a little farther down the bench.

“If that witch comes back in here, you will contact me immediately, and not let her leave. She has a lot of explaining to do.”

“So it sounds like you’ve met… the witch…?” Obbie ventured with only a slight note of sarcasm.

It was the closest to serious most people had ever heard from him.

“I have. I know her quite well. And she has much to apologize for.”

“Huh. Wow. She and man chop certainly have a lot in common!” Obbie noted lightly.

“What the fuck do you mean?” Azette demanded. The honed fury in her eyes made even Obbie lean away.

“Oh. Well. Man chop—Ben. He had some problem with a nasty patron of ours. Oleg or something. Another group stumbled in that was looking for him after he and the witch left. The leader of the second group of men was named Reggie Bowan. He and his cronies were coming down from one hell of a strong charm… They were babbling about some stolen gold.” Obbie shrugged.

Pesch stood up slowly. “Where did the witch say she was heading with the dodder?”

“Kintel,” Daffy answered hastily, her voice high pitched and thready.

“I see. And did you tell that to this man named Reggie Bowan?”

“N-No!” Daffy shook her head adamantly.

Pesch strode away from the table without another word, his three companions following suit. The one who had reacted outwardly the least had been Boco… However he loitered behind his company to lean over to Daffy and Obbie and say,

“If I were you, I’d make sure that when she does show up, you lock her in a room with nothing else in it. We won’t let this go again if she leaves without seeing us.”

Then, turning on his heel, Boco ambled after Pesch.

“Why didn’t you tell them Ben gave you a button and that you could probably find them right now?!” Daffy whispered urgently to Obbie.

They fairy gave a lazy single shoulder shrug. “I’m bored. This seems interesting.”

Daffy openly fretted, but Obbie ignored her. Rising to his feet, he proceeded to head back into his kitchen, though compared to earlier, there appeared to be a bit of a spring in his step.