In the hazy light of early morning, the forest seemed to awaken with a whispered promise of hope. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the dense foliage, casting a warm glow upon the forest floor. Dew-laden leaves glistened like jewels, and the air was alive with the melodious symphony of birdsong. Yet, for the young man, the dawn brought little solace as he found himself still ensnared within the labyrinth of trees. Disoriented, he emerged from his slumber under the shelter of a gnarled oak, blinking wordless and tiredly as he surveyed his surroundings. The forest, cloaked in the soft light of morning, appeared almost serene, its secrets hidden beneath the verdant canopy. But to the lost wanderer, it was a bewildering maze of twisting paths and unfamiliar landmarks, each turn leading him deeper into the heart of the unknown. With a weary sigh, he pushed himself to his feet falling from the tree with the grace of a dog being dropped from a man's arm, his muscles protesting the strain of the previous day's journey and the pain from falling from his resting place as he mumbled to himself. "Ow."   His mind raced with thoughts of fresh food and liquor, yet the way ahead out of the wilderness seemed shrouded in uncertainty. As he stumbled forward, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of pine needles, as he began to strip himself of his clothes before his feet felt the chillness of the forest water beneath in toes. As he continue into the water till it was up to his waist as he began to bathe himself in the cold stream. The forest offered no form of companionship, its towering trees standing as silent sentinels, guarding their secrets with unwavering resolve. Despite his mounting despair of being trap in the forest for more days to come, a flicker of determination ignited within him. The time in the woods have taught him many things and made him remember many lessons that his father has taught him. Lessons such as staying near and following streams of water. As water is the life force of all things and a hunter was taught to hunt his prey in the most efficient way possible as he dunk himself into the way. Surfacing with a piercing glare as he began to observe his surroundings more carefully. Awake and alert. Ixedde didn't see any predator or prey in the vicinity. The birds was still singing their song of morning cheer, so he knew their was no dangerous predators in the area. Meaning that he could relax in the area as began to float naked in the stream without a care in the world as he began to think to himself why he came to the woods in the first place. After a few quiet thoughts to himself, he couldn't remember and shrugged to himself as he floated in the stream without a care.

The winter's morning was irritably brighter than Lumikki would have liked. There were not a lot of clouds to obscure the rays but the foliage would do fine. So Lumi kept her flight quite low as she soared back to her guild from a nearby village she claimed as territory. As her prominent ravens stuck by her on the way back home.

" I'm glad that the infernal twit of a bird stays in Erling to chase around mischief! I don't know how much longer I could stand his company." Trygve, Lumi's more attentive raven would bicker, he was just fresh out of another fight with Gunvald, one of the Demoness' more bloodthirsty ravens.

" Take everything he says as nonsense. At this point, it's your fault for constantly entertaining him and taking his words so seriously. Honestly, I just wish you stayed home when you know we are flying over to see him...." Lonu would rebuttal with his wave of annoyance. He was the more level-headed of Lumi's birds but that is partly attributed to his previous existence as a nature spirit in these very woods some time ago. And though he usually maintains a well of patience, it was beginning to run dry from all the pointless repetition.

Lumikki cloaked in raven form would snicker at their frustration. She would have been annoyed by their grievances by now if she didn't find their gripes so humorous. The small flock would not make it much farther before another stray raven would show; he was one of many who were scouting the woods for the Demoness' presence with hopes of reporting something odd in their notice. " Oh Revna, there ya are. A few of us to the east spotted a man walking for hours. Seems the poor fool's now drowning his woes in a nearby stream. Figured you'd like to hear of the new face in these parts of the words, but that is the gist of the news." He spoke with a rapid pace as if to pour all he knew for her as fast as he could. And just as fast as he came, he left. Darting in the direction of the stream if the Demoness chooses to follow.

" Interesting..." was all she would mutter before veering off her flight path in the direction of mischief.

It would not take very long for the flock to find the stranger. He was floating atop the water by then. Perhaps defeated, Lumi would surmise, but she didn't know quite yet. Still, what a fabulous way to live a dreary morning like this.

" Are you all alone stranger? Another soul lost in my woods. Serves ye right for not paying a proper offering to the spirits ya know." Lumi and many of her ravens would weave among the trees and branches. She, herself would opt into keeping mostly out of straight sight as she spoke in a fluxation of different voices and tones meant to confuse him. Putting on the guise of her being many spirits at once. Meanwhile, her ravens who were only understood by the Demoness alone, would join in the bit and mimic a single word in repetition. Offering, they would chime over and over to disorient the man more.
A few would pick up small pebbles and drop them near the man, never meaning to hit him but to add to the chaos of the act.

Eventually, Lumikki would find a branch far off from the stream with a clear view of her target and she would observer his further reactions from there.

 

In the stillness of the stream, he found himself suspended in a moment of serene solitude. The absence of any noticeable current left him adrift, floating aimlessly upon the glassy surface of the water. Stripped of the distractions of movement, he became acutely aware of the subtle nuances of his surroundings—the gentle rustle of leaves overhead, the distant chirping of birds, the delicate ripples that formed around his fingertips as he trailed them through the water. " Am I somehow attuning to nature? " He thought to himself trying to focus on this connection. His mind however quickly wandered to thoughts of food, specifically to his favorite food, sweet and sour chicken. Despite the surrealness of his situation as his stomach growl, the image of his beloved dish seemed to materialize with vivid clarity in his mind. He could almost taste the tangy sweetness of the sauce, feel the tender texture of the chicken, and envision the wonderful palate of chicken fried rice that accompanied it. In the midst of his naked drift, the prospect of indulging in that culinary delight offered a welcome distraction from the uncertainties of his surroundings. With each passing moment, his craving for the comforting flavors intensified, becoming a beacon of hope amidst the stillness of the stream. In the absence of movement, his imagination carried him to a world where savory satisfaction awaited, where the simple pleasure of a delicious meal promised to soothe both body and soul. And so, amidst the tranquility of the wilderness, the allure of sweet and sour chicken served as a comforting reminder of the warmth and nourishment that awaited him on the other side of his solitary drift. This was till he heard a voice making him stand in the stream covering himself with his hands. " Are you all alone stranger? Another soul lost in my woods. Serves ye right for not paying a proper offering to the spirits ya know."Looking around with his pride hidden quickly glance around and gave a small smile when he realize it was just birds as he would uncover himself as the birds began to repeat the word offering. He attempted to think of the response but the birds began to drop pebbles and other small items around him. " Their must be a murder afoot for you all to be here." He would say expecting a roar of laughter as he quickly realized something very important. " Wait. Shit. That's Crows. " He thought to himself as he caught himself very quickly and followed up. " But if theirs one thing I'm certain, this is such a big conspiracy and is a really big unkindness to me. I didn't know I was suppose to bring an offering to the spirits in the woods. I'll change that next time I go into the woods and I'm not lost. I'm..." He pauses, searching for a word. "Searching. Now if you don't mind me. Mr. and Mrs. spirits. I'm going to go get dress. " He would say as he began to walk out the water to retrieve his clothes.

Lumikki projected her voice so that it would carry around the wood. The chiming of her laughter bounced off the trees and danced upon the water's surface. " Aye, it would be wise to befriend the ravens while in the North lad. They are a more valuable favor than ye know." Her voice was akin to the howling tundra winds as they whipped upon settled snow. Her worlds reverberated in a way that sounded otherworldly, which would not be far from her true nature.

And as the man was shuffling about to recapture his wits, Lumi would shuffle to the ground and shift her form. Slipping into a visage that was more human-like in presentation with brown skin and azure hair. her eyes were two hues, one of the clear sky and the other like the sun above. Her hands and arms were black as if stained with ink while moving shadow would shrowd her legs and feet. Lumi's hair was tied back in a bun and she wore a long black dress with two long slits up the sides. A veil of dark would sit on her head and trail behind her.

The Demoness would keep moving through the brush of trees while maintaining the distance and cutting line of sight. All while sweetly but eerily singing an old forgotten Iceberg song. The chill of her magic would hang on the air while reaching out for the stream and the man within it. A black mist culminated and crept along the forest floor freezing all the flowers and foliage it touched. It curled along the water's edge, stirring in place before making frost of the water. Spawning black ice flowers with the two met. And if one were to look back up toward the trees, shadowy phantoms would peak and poke out through the brush, weaving through the openings as if to converge on the stranger. While soft tendrils would lightly grab his ankles and hold him into place before letting go repeatedly.

" So how shall we make amends Ixedde?" She spoke his name in piercing clarity. It was her gift to gleam a person with her "World's eye" and gather the gist of all that she needed to know. She could not pull one's past in perfect clarity, but know them as if they were the valor and famed hero of legends or a fiend in which story never dies to time. As one would peek into a celebrity's life. And it would be through such power that she would know this wanderer was head under water. It was common to find bands of bandits in these woods. The real question left was whether she should help him, or let him suffer his fate. But that would be up to him to convince her for the time.

 

The birds themselves wasn't laughing but whatever it was that was here. Since whatever it is said it would be wise to befriend the ravens. Context clues and his time as an inexperienced Hunter told him. It was something else. As he heard some creepy song as some black mist poured from the forest, freezing the flowers and grass, while making the already cold water colder. " Oh. This is fucking lovely. I should've just grab my shit and follow the trail. " He thought to himself as black ice flowers spawned at the water edge. He wanted to leave the water to get dress, grab his bag, and try to haul ass but he couldn't. Chilling black mist pooling from the forest freezing everything on the ground and by look of things, the water if he makes the wrong move. He has shadowy figures weaving around the tree line, no allowing themselves to be properly studied, and tendrils repeatedly grabbing his ankle holding him in place. He had given up on trying to leave the water as his adrenaline quickly began to spike.  " Ok. Ok. I get it. Don't leave the water. Stay naked. He would say crossing his arms as his eyes would shoot wide. " So how shall we make amends Ixedde?" He wasn't cold but now he was feeling the chills as the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he uncross his arms and look around. He could see the visible and the invisible and yet beside all the things happening, nothing was really out of place. He wasn't scared but disturb. He found the situation creepy from lost in the wood to having to deal with whatever THIS is. " Ok. You know my name. Consider me officially creeped out. If you know my names and know that I've been wandering the wood for a while then you should that I have nothing to make amends nor so I honestly plan too. Now reveal yourself and stop with all these games. I would like to get dress and not have my manhood swing around in the breeze. " He would say confidently as he thought to himself. " Or you can leave. Please leave. "

" Oooh, I see he's brave....." She voiced it soft and almost breathlessly. Drawing out the playfulness of her jest. The Demoness would clasp her hand at the air and mirroring her gesture, a large black frost talon would manifest in the water. Gripping the man in its grasp and holding him up above the stream.

"Brave, brave, brave!" Chanted her ravens. Adding to the escalation of the moment while they circled the suspended stranger.

It was then that Lumikki finally walked forward. With every step more ice blossoms bloomed in her wake and the bark of the trees would frost over. Their jagged obsidian shards look as if they would cut all that walked past. The veil that shielded her face was made of pure darkness obscuring her features from all who could not peak in the deep night.

" Yer a fool if I ever saw one." Lumikki was the vision of death, all clad in black and shadows. " But me birds don't mind the taste of yer like."

 

" Seems like my natural charm is paying off. If I keep this up, I'll be out of these woods eating some Sweet and Sour Chicken while sipping on a good iced tea. " He thought to himself confidently as voice seemed to agree with his previous statement as the birds chimed in repeating that he was brave. He thought that this meant that things was starting to look up for him but he was quickly proven wrong. As he felt the cold grip of death as he was lifted into the air by some black frosted mass. At first, it was a subtle prickling against his skin, a faint chill that crept into his bones like a whisper of winter's touch. Frost, delicate and glistening, had woven its icy tendrils around him, painting his body in a canvas of crystalline patterns. It clung to his flesh with a coldness that seared through his veins, sending shivers racing along his spine. Shivering from his position in the air, Ixedde could only look on helplessly as he stared at this thing as it stepped out of the Woodline. It looked human but he wasn't really able to tell as it had blacken arms, feminine shape, and a veil so dark, it wasn't possible for him to see their face. "G-G-Go-Good m-m-mor-morning m-m-ma'am. He would force out from his chattering teeth. " I-I d-do-don't kn-know how-w of-often y-y-you he-hear th-this b-bu-but I a-am na-naked in th-the pa-palm of-f-f yo-your ha-hand, an-and I wa-want t-to b-be l-l-let g-g-g-go. Ple-please." Forcing the words out as he began to sound like one of those chattering teeth toes that kids would play with as kids. The cold was everywhere, clinging to him with a fervor that sent shivers racing down his spine. Yet amidst the freezing embrace, there was the oddest sensation of burning, a fiery numbness that consumed him from within. It was as though the cold had seared through his skin, leaving behind a raw and throbbing ache that pulsed with every heartbeat. He tried to move, to shake off the relentless grip of the cold or break free from his captor grasp, but his limbs felt heavy and sluggish, as if he was slowly being encased in ice. Despite the agony that coursed through his veins, there was a strange beauty in the cold that surrounded him. The frost sparkled like diamonds in the grass and the feeling of sleepiness was damping his spiking adrenaline as the lady spoke of him being a meal to the birds. " 'f-fraid I-I do-don't ta-taste ve-very go-good. N-now wh-what d-do yo-you wa-want?" He would say in an attempt to cut to the chase so that he wouldn't end up as bird feed come a hours time.

Lumi gave his face a good look over, she never crossed paths with a fae before. They were beings of a legend long inscribed in books many would choose not to read. Yet she came across so many fantastical beings now that this one was simply another drop in the sea. Still, the charm of her first meeting would be enough to amuse her, and it would be in this detail that led her to conclude sparing him from her morbid games.

Lumi had eyes that could peer far away with ease but still, she chose to wander close. The shadows in all the corners and folds slowly bent toward her, warping until four black wings unfurled, lifting her off the ground so that now she was leveled with his eyes. " Hmmm....interesting..." Lumikki smelled like a mix of lavender and freshly fallen snow. " If I foster ye, would ya become more wanderous? Something fantastical even?" She gently circled around him. " Would ye get wings of yer own?"

Demons and Daemons would sport an advantage to the man's like. Their darkness could eat away and erode the nature of Fairies and Fae, but it would be due to their intervention that the Seraphim would be chased out of this realm at all. And it would be this knowledge that excited Lumikki to no end. After all, the enemy of her enemy was her friend.

Lumi at her last rotation, would graze his face with a talon-like nail. Prompting a flurry of black frost flowers to bloom and wilt in quick succession. Unlike the pain of all the flowers before, these would ease and heal the wounds inflicted by her magic, but they could not rid him of the cold.

From there she would glide forward, touching the ground away and willing her wings away. They decapitated like feathers first and then in flakes of falling snow. The massive talon would follow her, bringing the man to land and loosening its grasp, breaking into shards when he was safe to drop down. " Get situated." Her voice was more human now. She kept turning away so that he may dress in peace. Her birds would wake over if she needed to be alerted.

 

He was getting tired from the unwanted cold embrace as it began to lull him to sleep. He was able to fight it off for now as he didn't want to find about the unknown dangers that awaited him if he fought back or went to asleep. The best course of action was to play along but damn was it getting hard. His body was before stiff and rigid and not in the way, he would prefer. He would watch with uncertainty as the shadows around the figure would began to warp and twist itself into a pair of wings. " Co-cool." He would remark but that response will turn in more of growing terror as she came extremely close to him with what he assume was their eyes level since he was unable to see beyond the veil. His breath was caught as he dare breath till she said interesting. The smell of lavender hit his nose as the what he was now assuming was definitely a women continued to speak. " Foster? Wings? She knows I'm human right? I can't grow wings. " He would began to think in cold confusion and before he could continue the oddest of that statement, as his face would be graze by her nail, snapping him from his thoughts. " Wh-what mi-mighty fi-fine n-nails y-you ha-have. " He would say teasingly in-between the chattering of his teeth. As his body didn't feel "stiff" anymore as he was brought towards the ground, as the women shed her wings. As the claw shattered into ice falling onto the ground, the man was left standing naked as the women told him to get situated as he hastily began to pick up his clothes tossing them towards his bag as he began to pull out a pair of clothes without a layer of frost on them as he spoke. " Y-you kn-know. Y-you do-don't h-have t-to tu-turn a-around. Y-you al-already se-seen m-me na-naked. " He would say. Most people would be embarrass in a situation like this but now wasn't the time to play the meek card. He has to keep layering on the sauce if he want to have a chance to get out whatever this is alive. After a few agonizing minutes of getting dress while freezing, Ixedde patted his chest in confidence. He was wearing his father old adventuring uniform given to him as form of starting gear. It was basic old gear but it was warm as he donned the horned accessory on his forehead. " Ok. I'm situated. I'm warm. I'm Ixedde, though you already know that. May I know who and what you are and what you want with me? Miss??? " He said confidently.

" That I have, but staring toward ye wouldn't show the decay of tension. There is vulnerability to a back turned, I figured it'd ease some of yer fears." She turned to see the freshly dug-out clothes and he was already in his trousers. By the time he bore his worn, she would chuckle. It reminded her of a headdress she had often worn sometime ago. Although her form of a Demon adorned a pair of their own.

Lumi would observe his confidence, a feat she figured he decided as a plan to clash with the unknown of this current situation. " Entertainment," the Demoness chose to speak in her human voice still, " Though if I have ye wrong as ya pegged, then ya'd be no fun to keep at all. What do ye think I should do with him?" She turned over to a raven perched in the tree for an answer. He would respond in words that could not be understood by the man's ears. " We could drop him off in the town nearby, but I take it you want your fun. So I suggest a game to test his fate." Lonu had advised, and Lumi would enjoy that suggestion.

" Do ye think ya could survive a game?" Lumi turned back with a mischievous and insidious smile, seen by the thinning of her veil but her eyes were still obstructed from his sight.

 

He chuckled to himself. She was right, he'll probably be on his guard more if she continued to watch him but gave him the decency of letting her guard down while he dress. He could've ran off or  tried to attack her, both options completely foolish in this situation. He could only assume the birds would help track him down and attacking her would've led him to an early grave. " Fair point. " He would admit as he moved on with his questioning. Only two out of his three questions was answered. She was hear for entertainment. A imagine of his naked body back in her icy grip sent an unwelcome shiver down his spine. Then for the first time today he felt true fear as the word peg race across the front of his mind as he gulp  and squeeze his butt tight in true fear. Sadly, what was a misunderstanding in his mind was solidified as the crow stated that she should have her fun first with the young man. The mysterious women would only turn to him and give him a smile that one could not mistake as playful and sinister. Flashing a confident smile, he could only fake it till he made it as he spoke. " Not much else to do out here. I'm down for a game. I got a pack of playing cards in my bag. " He would say as he began to move towards his bag. " Just let it be cards. Let it be cards. Let it be cards." He would chant in his head like a mantra as he began to shift through the bag looking for that pack of traveling cards. They were old and dingy but still useable as he pulled the cards out and wag them in the air.

Lumikki looked at his cards unamused and it would not be because of their state. She's never played a game of cards. " What is the appeal?" she inquired while thinking out loud. " What stakes does one find in those?" She approached the man and pulled out a card. Inspecting it as she turned it in her hand.

" Wouldn't it be more fun having a chase?" A flash of eclectic violet and fushia eyes would pierce the veil, staring down Ixedde. " But I could give ye one more chance to find something more interesting....Otherwise, I would have to pick it on me own." She began to circle him again, her pace slow and methodical. And frost flowers would creep along his feet. In one of the many rotations, she would lightly nudge him forward in jest.

" Make yer move "human". What game shall we play instead?"

 

Ixedde was unable to read her facial expressions due to the veil and her body language didn't help either as she ask him some questions as she pulled out a card. " The appeal can be multifaceted. Some people treat these cards as source of living, other pleasure, and even some power. I just think they're neat and to answer your second question I will expand my first answer. The stakes one take in these cards are typically a wager of sorts for some money, other favors of all forms, and lastly bargain or a deal that must be kept." He was very pleased with his response till the women open her mouth again. Color flash from the voided abyss called a veil but what the abyss didn't know was that since this was life and death, He'll happily go all in. The women would circle him leaving behind flowers of frost as she nudge him. Asking him once again what game we're playing. " So you want a game with some thrill right. Let's play beggars stash then and to make things spicy, the loser has to fulfill one desire of the winner, 1 year from now since we're beggars after all.  Anything goes. " He would say with a smile of confidence as he turn to face the women. " The rules are simple. We split the deck in half. You have one half and I have another. We have to keep our stash away from the other person. You can't separate it, it has to be together at all times. Whatever beggar gets their hand on their opponent stash first wins. Oh and to keep things fun and more of a chase you can't use your birds and we can begin hunting for each other stash tomorrow morning. Don't you think that's fun? " He would say hoping that she doesn't realize the trick to the game that would make him win, but most importantly he hoped the game met all her parameters of a fun and interesting chase.

” Hmmm,” Lumi would utter as she heard him out. The game was turning out to be more interesting than she first surmised. And the further he would explain the rules, the more she was compliant to partake.

The Demoness held out her hand to receive her stack of cards, pitching them in between her talons as he finished off the last of his proposition. ” With the rules as ye’ve told it,” Lumikki began to answer while her form would be hugged by the surrounding shadows. Slowly shifting into another so that she was now in her natural likeness. Two wings adorning the side of her head would raise the veil, but still in the shade so as not to be properly recognized, while her arms which seem as if they were stained black before now gleamed with frigid blues as if they were carved of ice. The living shadow of her legs would solidify to appear more like talons, and the deck of cards in her hand would slowly freeze until encased by her frost,” and ye can’t change them now.”

Her mischievous and ominous grin would return, this time revealing her fangs. ” The pact is made, but if yer ever spotted by me, there would be no escape.” She drew a circle with her finger into the air, opening a dark portal on its completion. It was there that she dropped her sealed stack of cards so that they may be tucked away safe. His rules did not account for such magics, nor her eyes that could mark her targets so that she could always see where they were within one hundred meters. Or how she could see through the dark and invisible. Lumikki did not solely need to rely on her birds to hunt down her prey. And she unlike him, had all the time in the world to eventually find the prize.

It was now more of a matter of how long she would care to play the game. But she had an inkling that this is what he wanted. But a man lost in the worlds could only go so far, and he could only withheld the prize for so long without succumbing to her chill.

Lumi began to step back and walk away, shifting into a raven in her departure. ” I cannot use me birds, but ye’d never be sure which one was me…” And so she would glide back into the darkness.

Off to set some curious traps. One being to use one of her special keys to summon a lodge into the forest, a tempting retreat for the long cold night. The other is to use her second key to summon servants. All with the understanding to lead him there or confuse and tire him within the woods so that they could give him away in the morning.

And from there the game would begin as all her “cards” were set. And all her servants would long gone. Lumi, tucked in the trees would camp beside the lodge she arranged.

***

After three hours or so, the first of her servants would encounter Ixedde. His demeanor was very calm but he seemed surprised to see the man there. “ Heh, you surprised me there,” he began. His dress was very professional but causal enough to seem as if he was a resident of a nearby village. He was a man with black hair and pale skin. He wore glasses and an indifferent expression but his words would seem animated enough to display his surprise. “ Good luck to you stranger, it looks like you aren’t from around this stretch of the woods. If you keep doing the direction, you’ll find yourself to where the bandits hide, but I’m sure you’re aware.” He would begin to walk in another direction prompting the last opportunity to inquire of him.

 

Ixedde breath catch as he waited to hear what from the women that stand before him as he cleanly separated the cards into two piles as he handed the women that had one card less as she already had taken a card from the deck. Her body had seemed to changed as her blacken arms was now icy blue as she had wings on her face but the veil has not yet been lifted. The obvious and most apparent was the bird legs but he didn't dare express his confusing thoughts on his face. " Do not worry. The rules is as I say they were and our pact is sealed bonded by our words." He would say keeping a straight face as her smile reveal her fangs. He wasn't even surprise when she dropped her cards into whatever portal what she put them into too. All things considered, it was a smart play. The one thing that did surprise her was that she too would change into a raven stating that he'll never know which one she was, which was true but he gave a small smile and waved as she left. Once she left, he would pick his pack up and follow the stream south. He would only give a sigh of relief after five minutes of walking at which he would fall to his knees grasping for air. " Fuck. I could've died. " He would say speaking the truth of the situation into the world as he began to give laugh softly to himself. He didn't know why he was laughing or why he suddenly started to feel good about himself but he did know one thing. Power. He wanted that level of power and more. He didn't know why but this craving for power felt natural. With his breath caught, it was time to enact his plan as he began to gather a few dry sticks and twigs and grass and start a small fire. He would tend to the fire for about a hour, feeding the flames his cards. Once his stash was turn to ashes, he would douse the flames and scoop the ashes and dump them into the stream. " Their my stash is now the ocean and streams of the world. Good luck collecting that and now I wait. " He would say as he would spend the next few hours setting up camp in a tear while fishing. *** It was a quiet and enjoyable time fishing, he caught two decent size fish. Anything else he caught had to be thrown back and he was getting ready to nab another fish till he was interrupted by a some weird villager. Dark hair and pale skin, Ixedde at first thought him to be a vampire but it was day and knew that vampires didn't get out till the night. The man had little to say other than that he (ixedde) had surprised him and that if he continue the way he was going then he would run into bandits. This caused him to smile. " Blessed be the news you brought to me. " He would respond as another plan start to formulate in his mind. He could lure that spirit to that bandit camp by lying and saying that he hid the stash within, all he need to do is get caught by her first thing tomorrow morning. It'll be so easy, have her find me, tell her about the bandit camp, she'll clear the bandit camp out, and I'll come through like a vulture and pick it clean. He would think with a sinister smile.

The first servant would continue on his way as the man in question did not provoke him for more. This was find by him. The point was to keep tabs and lead him in directions but it would not require all to be pro active. Having strangers be abrasive in the woods did not lead to trusting situations especially after such encounter. But the mark had been set and the man they now loom over has been located.

Then would come the next servant upon the first request. He was that of red hair and a stature shorter than the first. His attire would be more in line with what would be expected in the setting and his disposition more amicable. “ Ha! I knew I saw something out of the norm. Didn’t think I’d be running into an adventurer here though. You sure know how to pick a spot stranger, aren’t you afraid of the beast that comes out at night?”

The servant studied the men fishing only giving short glances to the rest of the camp. With him so settled in the outdoors, it would be pointless to keep the mistress waiting with the news. And this homunculus had a feeling of something more, with the comfort of the man in the moment. He surmised that Ixedde was not quite burdened by the “game”. Of course these were all guesses as he had no way to tell. All he could do is further vet the man before making his way back to the others.

 

His luck with fish seem to have finally run out as no other fish was willing to bit his poorly put together fishing rod, made of a stick, thread, and a bent bottle cap and a worm. So, he began to clean the fish. His hands clumsily working the scales of one of the freshly caught fish. With practiced precision, he wielded a small knife, the blade glinting in the dappled light as water splash against his hands. With each stroke, the scales parted from the fish's silvery skin, revealing the flesh beneath. Occasionally, he paused to rinse his hands in the clear, cold water, washing away the remnants of scales and entrails. His brow furrowed in concentration. With each incision, he removed the fish's innards, discarding them into the stream where they would become sustenance for other creatures downstream. " I was not made for this. " He thought to himself with the first of the two fish cleaned and prepared, as he began to set himself on the task of preparing the second one as he was interrupted by a new man. This man was shorter in stature and had hair that red like an autumn leaf. The man asked if he was scared of the beast at night which cause Ixedde to shake his head as scared wouldn't even began to describe the beast that had him in her hands earlier as he prepared what might be his final meal as that man left as well causing him to think that perhaps their might be a village or a town nearby. The sun was giving close chase to the horizon as it began to lie on it's side as Ixedde began to prepare a small fire to cook and eat his fish before climbing back into a tree for shelter. Gathering fallen twigs and dry leaves from the forest floor. Each piece was chosen meticulously, ensuring they were perfectly dry and devoid of moisture that might produce unwanted smoke. With a small pile of kindling assembled before him, he knelt, his gaze fixed on the task at hand. Carefully, he arranged the twigs in a pyramid shape, leaving a small opening at the center to allow for airflow. As he picked up twig and leaf as he began tried and true method of a friction fire as he twirl the stick at fast speeds to get the small leaves aflame. Soon a tiny flame blossomed to life, its warmth dancing in the cool forest air as the man began to cook his fish on a stick over the welcome blaze.

It would not be long after the encounters with her servants for them to return with the news. With what little they gathered, he would not move from where he was. The could not gleam where his stack of cards were but they did note that he seemed as if nothing occurred. As if is there was no game at all.

Lumi thought it over as she glided down from her branch. Before touching the ground, she would shift back to her usual form. ” Vexing, I feel there was a trick he pulled on me for this game.” The Demoness sighed as she recanted the directions and slumped into her seat. The long dress she wore before now short and baggy. She did not mind the deception, it was written into the game, she was just hoping the fun would last for a little bit longer.

“ There was a fire made and doused in his camp, but when I came over, he was still fishing,” uttered the man with black hair.” I wouldn’t be surprise if the hinted that he burned his cards to seal the deal on his end.”

“ I second Alvis on this. When I got there, he was still cleaning the fish, but the camp fire remains were pretty old and used. There were remnants of ash everywhere.”

Tenevi, her harpy, had found where her master was kept and joined her for the night as well. ” Wouldn’t be surprised if the lad just set them in flames but that cuts all chance for a conclusion to our game now.” Lumi sighed.

” Cheeky human isn’t he my Revna. Where was he seen last?” she asked one of the servants who reported. They told her the location which caused a cruel smile to creep along his face. ” Go to sleep without me my Lumi, I’ll be back a little later.”

The harpy of a meter hight would climb out the open window to the room before flying off into the night. Her eyes would break through the night with ease and her dark feathers, speckled with hues of purples and blues would be hard to see in the cover of dark. She would fly her way over to the camp of the man, taking a moment to gleam where he hid.

When she spied him, her mischief would begin. With a lunge down, the harpy would attack his makeshift bed before ascending once more in preparation of her next strike.

 

Ixedde was unbothered. His problem was solved temporarily or it could be solved in an extremely gruesome manner come tomorrow. Either way, he was content with his current circumstances as he rotated the fish over to the other side. He stared at the fish longingly wishing that he caught a few more or at the bare minimum have something to season them with. He sighed as he rubbed his forehead. " At least I'm not going hungry. " He declared to nobody in particular. As he continued to flip the fish over the flames. He had expect his night to be uneventful but that expectation had quickly crash like his bag in the tree branches as he heard the flapping of wings and the rustling of feathers. " What the fuck?! " He would say rushing over to his pack as picking it up from the ground, brushing the dirt from it. He didn't know what it was but silently hope it wasn't whatever it was before. " It's not even the morning. Is she attacking me? Wait. No. Calm down and think. She wouldn't break the rules of the agree, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't use a loop hole like me. I can only assume she's making things more interesting for herself. " Ixedde thought to himself as his felt his intelligence increased as he quickly shouted out. " ALMS! ALMS! YOU BEAST! I PLAN TO FIND YOUR MASTER LAIR AND TAKE HER STASH BEFORE SHE CAN LOCATE MINE! ALMS I SAY! " As he realize that was the worst thing to say in this situation but he would prefer a chance to rest rather than an assault from an unknown creature. He waited in anticipation at the creatures next move, would it leave peacefully or will it attempt to cause more issues at his temporary camp site?

" Is that soooo human?" The words would strike a cord of irritation in the overprotective harpy. She would not take kindly to his outbursts, nor did she like how he played the game. While Lumi was content to move on, Tenevi was not. And since she was here, she was sure to show her ire.

With pulled-back wings, she would warp the shadows all around her. The darkness would rotate like disks in the air before halting suddenly and shooting down like a rain of razor-sharp feathers. Her attack would destroy what was left of his tent before she plunged again to seek him out personally.

" I could just do away with you altogether! Who would miss a wanderer like you so deep within the North?" As is to answer her fury, the dark beneath her would also warp and shift in form as if to aid her in seeking the man below. Large talons made of pure darkness would strike and claw at the land.

 

Whatever the hell it was, it didn't like him as more of his stuff was shredded. " Alms! State your purpose for this attack creature of the night! " He demanded as he Shaked his fist angrily in the sky as he held his bag in his other hand. The creature stated that it could do with me all together as no one would miss an wanderer. Boldly and proudly, Ixedde held his head up and spread his arms out welcoming the incoming attack. " Come then, kill me! But with my death! Know in great shame that you have caused your master a great loss at the hand of a mortal man! " Closing his Eyes to not see what was going to come next as his thoughts race. " I didn't get a chance to tell my parents that I love them despite how much it hurts me to say.  I never had a chance to grow, no it's not that I never had the chance to grow. It's just that I squander my my potential.   His thought ran rampant as he prepared for his life to end.

” Well if you insist~” Tenevi happily took the invitation as she began to swoop down so that she could slash at him with her talons. But it would be a raven that apparently stopped her. As it fought for the harpy’s attention.

” What!” she would screech in annoyance. It was clear that Tenevi was far from pleased. But the raven would only need one word to respond to halt her from the impending tantrum. ” Revna” it would croak back in response.

The harpy had to perch in a tree and reclaim her breath before finally uttering a response of her own. ” Understood,” would be all she said and she began to prepare her wings for take off. But her gaze would loom over to the man first and with a chilling voice she’d say,” I am sure we’ll run into together again…just know that you won’t maintain being unscathed forever. I’ll find a way to sink into you yet….”

 

Ixedde eyes were held tight as his mind race with his upcoming death but hearing the bird screeched out drew sweat to his forehead. " Did his mistress returning, is she being his knight in the shining armor? " The man open his eyes only to see just the darken forest in his eyes but glancing upwards, he could see a bigger bird and a smaller one. Their discussion was short and simple as the bigger bird turned towards him as it's stretch it's wingspan. ” I am sure we’ll run into together again…just know that you won’t maintain being unscathed forever. I’ll find a way to sink into you yet….” The massive thing would say causing the young man to swallow the taste of death that was fresh in his mouth and eyes as he himself spoke. WAIT! Tell your mistress this. Through this encounter, I have given myself the resolve to grow strong and reach beyond my station. In one or two years time, I will become a predator and hunt her. I will tear those cards from her cold grasp and demand upon her my wish. Till then I'm going to train. See you. As he would place his bag over his shoulder, grabbed the two pieces of cook fish and begin in true earnest to leave the woods. His mind now resolved to shed the flesh of prey and don the skin of a predator, but first he he has to leave these damn woods as an idea popped in his head as he climb the highest tree he could find and began to search the distance for light, finding many lights about a day's and a half walk away. let this be start of my real adventure, oh I should write mom and dad a letter once I get into town. " Sliding down the tree as he begin his journey to town.

The raven had already flown quite a ways off so it would be only the harpy to hear him. And it would take all her effort not to slaughter him further. Instead, she poured all that venom into the message he said. Choosing to warp and mangle his words so that Lumi wouldn't consider holding back on their next encounter.

Her wings were strong as her anger weighed down heavily. Her eyes usually closed, were now opening and beaming with annoyance. It was Lumikki who chose to play the game, not her. And so nothing stopped her from using the ravens to slaughter him sooner than a year.

" Welcomne back lass." Lumi greeted her harpy while he was mid-way through her stew. A servant prepared a plate for Vee so she could enjoy some dinner too." I am my Lumi, and I bring news. It seems the man in the woods seeks to slay you. He said if you give him a year, he's sure to claim your head. Do I have permission now to seek him freely?"

Lumi paused from her bite to give it a little thought until finally, she had her answer. " Yes."