Willow

Outside Pop-Hopper Camp, Feather-branch Forest, Savriâ

It was with a heavy heart that Willow let the most worthy opponent she’d seen since arriving flee. That giant ex-pop-hopper thing would have been so much fun to fight, she just knew it! To start, she’d have to figure out how to damage it, which she suspected would be a challenge in and of itself. She’d also have to manage to avoid it stomping on her, or using those insanely long arms to sweep her away! The things passing caused huge gusts of wind, she couldn’t imagine how crazy a an actual hit would be. Not to mention finding a way to get actually meaningful hits on it! Not like punching the thing’s weird circle-foot would really do much more than upset it, after all.

Alas! She had a mission and not to mention she didn’t want to manage to get her friends killed as collateral. She might be able to stop some of the secondary effects with her focus, but it was only so large. If she wanted to fight the thing then she wouldn’t be able to stay bunched up with Naomi and Jonah.

“You’re not thinking about chasing that thing to fight it, are you?” Naomi asked through the party chat.

Shaking her head in disappointment, Willow turned back as she replied, “Nah, no point really. It’d be cool, though!” A thought suddenly struck her as she realized how dumb she’d been, “Uh… Sorry I didn’t do this last time.” She gestured toward the effective area of her focus.

“I… Well, I didn’t think about it.” The smile that passed briefly over Naomi’s lips and touched her eyes was almost worth the soft burn of shame she felt in her cheeks.

“It’s fine, we all forget things in the heat of the moment.” Jonah’s voice came, distracted but conciliatory. Naomi nodded, then turned to look back toward the now-desolate pop-hopper camp. Although her friends might forgive the mistake easily, Willow continued to berate herself. You’re literally a world-class fighter, girl! You can’t just forget to use your best advantage! What would coach say? A cartoonish version of his face popped into her head, eyes narrowed angrily as he spewed, “Almost ready to take your head out of your ass, Willow? Did you really panic and lose your cool because a bit of wind? Pah! I thought you were better than that.”

Alright, so coach almost certainly wouldn’t be so dramatic…

Putting aside her personal recrimination, she turned to follow the gaze of the other two. They were staring inward, Jonah with a nearly blank expression while Naomi’s eyes were narrowed in focus. Seeing that the entire sunsquat tree was simply gone was pretty jarring. Seeing the weird fae guy standing there playing with his book somehow made it weirder. Apparently, the giant had left without him having to move at all, despite standing directly in the center of a circle-foot crater.

Taking a deep breath, Willow decided to poll her team before rushing in. “Don’t think we’ll get a clearer shot than now to try out this ‘Mission’ from Madrick. I’m thinking we can just go have a chat with him?”

Naomi nodded, not taking her eyes off of the fae standing in the midst of pure destruction. In contrast, Jonah’s head snapped around to stare at her. His green eyes wide, “You sure? What if he calls that thing back?”

That… Was a good question. “If he looks like he’s going to be hostile I’ll delay him while you two retreat. I’m pretty sure I can take one of those giants, as long as I have disciple mana and can get you two out of the blast radius.”

“Right, right,” Jonah waved dismissively, clearly agitated, “We’ll get in the way and should run for the hills if the giant comes back. I’m more concerned about the guy who can apparently spawn those things though! If he can do that, who knows what else he can do?” His mental voice was almost frantic at the end. As far as she’d noticed so far, it wasn’t possible for voices to get out of control with cracks and breaks, as might happen when talking normally while upset. She got the impression if it was possible: Jonah’s tone would have been nearly a squeal.

Nodding slowly, she thought through the problem, “That’s true… Maybe you should stay back here to buff me if he does anything crazy? Maybe your ‘Trick’ spell can buy me some time if needed?”

He continued staring for a while, then sighed out loud. He just nodded grudgingly and waved in a, ‘go on then’ kind of manner. Seeing he was clearly not excited about the idea, she almost decided to ask if he’d rather they just turn and head back to the kobolds. But… I’m so curious about what that guy’s deal is. Not to mention why Madrick would want us to take him… Uh, where?

Realizing she hadn’t actually opened the coordinates he’d sent to see how far away they were, she quickly navigated her UICI to do just that. It was a familiar clearing nearby. The clearing they had been using as a campsite for nearly the last week. So he’s clearly been watching us, then. What a creep. Still, it wasn’t too far. Just a couple hour’s walk. Just before she decided to head down toward the camp to introduce herself, she noticed Naomi was looking at her intently.

“What’d you think?” She asked.

Naomi’s only reply was, “Let’s go.” Followed by her standing and starting to pick a path through the churned up earth.

Quickly catching up, Willow fell in step to the other girl’s right. As they navigated the now treacherous terrain, she wondered why the air didn’t smell dusty or anything despite the churned up air and clouds of dirt the pop-tromper - working name, I’ll find a better one, surely - had thrown about. In fact the air never seemed anything but normal. Similar to how the temperature had been.

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Cresting the final newly made hill between themselves and the former camp, the fae man’s features became truly visible. The man’s head was adorned with massive antlers which would have done the mightiest buck proud, his scales were just as shiny and shimmery as they had appeared from a distance, and the garishly neon pink wings on his back actually seemed to trail sparkling fairy dust. Aside from these alien features, his face was oddly normal and human. So normal, in fact, that the contrast was unsettling and uncanny. It’s like some of the original deep-fake faces. It feels like there’s something weird but I can’t put my finger on it.

Then his shining, golden, eyes flicked up. Apparently he’d caught their movement in his peripheral vision. The fae’s eyes narrowed very slightly, before relaxing. A smile spread across his face which, Willow assumed, was meant to be ingratiating and welcoming. It was creepy. Not a malicious kind of creepy, but more the kind of creepy found at family reunions when that one uncle who you’ve never seen smile suddenly gives it a shot.

Countering with her own, much more practiced, thousand-watt smile, Willow waved. They were still a bit far to comfortably talk without shouting so she maintained her smooth pace, noticing Naomi had fallen a step or two behind her. Still near enough to be walking with her, but behind enough to make it clear she didn’t want to be the focus of the stranger’s attention. He noticed her anyway, of course, but after briefly glancing at her his burning gold gaze returned to Willow.

Once she was within a couple feet Willow stopped. She pulled back on the intensity of her smile a bit, while cranking her southern charm up as far as she could, “Well ain’t it just a treat to meet someone else round about these parts!” Eh, a bit strong? Nah, people always eat it up.

The man blinked several times, as if struggling to process her words. Just after the silence became awkward he seemed to manage and answered. “It is indeed an unexpected and serendipitous encounter in which we have found ourselves. I greet you.” Stretching his right leg across and in front of his left, he flexed his knees slightly and bowed at the waist for a quick moment before resuming his ram-rod straight posture.

Entirely uncertain how to reciprocate such an over the top greeting, Willow fell back to what she knew. Planting her right first into her left palm, she bowed over her clasped hands at the neck and very slightly at the waist. The same bow she would give an opponent before a spar or training session.

It appeared to be enough as he turned his piercing gaze to Naomi. Curious as to what her friend would do, Willow glanced her way. She wasn’t disappointed to see Naomi give a Hollywood style princess curtsy. Between her blank expression and terrible form, it was absolutely perfect. Willow only stopped herself from snickering by bringing her considerable will to bare against the mirth bubbling up from within. Eyes flicking back to the fae, she saw a pained expression flash across his features almost too quickly to notice before returning to the same weird forced smile.

“Of course it is with great pleasure I make your acquaintance. Introductions are, of course, in order. I am called Nuu.” Now that she wasn’t distracted by unexpected bowing, she realized his voice wasn’t quite what she would have expected. His words were smooth and flowed together as if he was attempting to reciting a poem, while his tone was an alto which was clearly being intentionally pitched as low as possible. The entire presentation, flowery speech, and silly attempt to deepen his voice painted a clear picture of someone who was obsessed with his self-image.

Though somehow not very good at presenting what he wants. At least I assume he doesn’t mean to make himself seem like an as- uh… unpleasant person. Sorry ma’ma.

She answered in kind, keeping her southerner cranked to eleven in retribution. If he was gonna talk funny, so was she! He didn’t get to have all the fun here. “Wha-ey, the pleysuure is allll mayne. Ay assure yea!”

Seeing his blank expression as he tried to understand, she pulled back a bit. Leaving a bit of an accent, but not letting herself hit deep-south level of twang. Good thing she hadn’t decided to go with ma’ma bayou instead! No one ever understood that though, so she rarely did. She continued once she thought he’d had enough time to process. “My name’s Willow, good to meet you, Nuu!”

Unable to resist the urge to poke fun at someone so clearly uptight, she put in, “Your name is just adorable! I love it!”

Another few beats while he processed. She could see the exact moment he managed to fully translate as he stiffened and his lips tightened in obvious offense. Huh, shouldn’t his UICI be translating perfectly? Why is he having trouble, I wonder?

“Anyhow!” She quickly went on before he could shout, or throw magic, or whatever upset fae did. “My friend and I here were wonderin’ about how you made those pop-hoppers turn into a rock giant thing?”

Once he’d processed the question, he frowned, “The name which you prescribed to my soul tree guardians is, ‘Pop - Hopper’?”

Nodding excitedly, Willow explained, “Yep! I mean, the Kobolds call them jimble-jambles or something-”

“Jimble-grimbs.” Naomi supplied.

Nodding at her friend before returning her focus back to their new friend, “Yeah! That’s it, thanks! But anyway, that’s a way worse name. Not descriptive, not as fun to say, y’know? When you hear ‘pop-hopper’ you just know they’re gonna be spunky buggers that jump right at ya!”

. . . . . “It was my pleasure to leave the guardians nameless, intending to allow others to discover them and bestow upon them a suiting moniker. Undoubtedly, your choice is not without a creative spark.”

She got the impression he was trying to be diplomatic in order to not offend. She brought out the dreaded bottom-lip pout, “Whaaat, you don’t like it?”

The discomfort her felt at being pouted out was palpable, “Many apologies, my intent was not to infer a lack of merit. I-”

Unable to take the guy’s stiff discomfort, Willow had mercy. Dropping the act she waved it off, “I was just jokin’, sorry. Probably in bad taste seein’ as we don’t know each other proper yet.”

Something about this guy just makes me want to talk as silly as possible! Heh-heh, Jonah’s gonna hate him. She internally cackled in glee at the thought and sent Jonah a quick mental message, “This guy’s great, you’re gonna love him!”

“Hey, before we get too far into our little chat… You don’t plan on blastin’ us with magic or nothin’, do ya?” She asked before he fully managed to decide how to react to her previous teasing.

Willow heard, and ignored, Jonah’s reply and follow up question to her previous message. Naomi replied in her place, ruining her fun, “She’s being sarcastic. You’ll find him insufferable.” The two began to chat while Willow filtered them out.

It seemed Nuu was finally getting the hang of her manner of speech. As he answered a bit faster, “Indeed not. My talents lie outside combat and maimery.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Willow gestured toward the big table looking thing strapped to his back, “I take it those talents have somethin’a do with the plank of wood you’re carryin’ around?”

Annoyance flicked across his face before returning to its ‘smiling’ state, “Perhaps you haven’t the chance to encounter a portable enchantment workstation, which is the purpose of the ‘plank of wood’ of which you’ve taken note.”

Okay, so he’s a bit sensitive about his stuff being underestimated. Huh.

“I gottcha. So enchantin’ is how you turned pop-hoppers into pop-troders?”

“Not so, my guardians complete their purpose without interference by my hand. Their disposition and purpose has been determined and written into the grand narrative. My role ended upon penning the final period following the closing word of the terminating paragraph.”

“Uh… Wait, are you saying you wrote them into existence?” Willow’s eyes were wide at the thought.

“Just so.”

She began hopping from foot to foot, expressing her excitement, “You HAVE to tell me everything about that! That’s SO cool!”

A genuine smile managed to break free of Nuu’s previously forced expression. Now we’re getting somewhere!