Complete 18+ Private Natural Touch

[Crimson Ruby]

Venturing through the Tangleweaves, the beastfolk duo were into their first hours of their journey, swimming past lakes, avoiding snaring swamps and at the same time, being able to appreciate the beautiful sight it held.

For most of part, Ruby couldn't help but feel admired by Vina's decision to go all the way deep into foreign territory to find a solution for one of the many problems Vintergard faced. When asked to come with the vixen, Ruby had immediately accepted, especially considering her role as an explorer, she couldn't just let her beloved friend to get herself in a dangerous place without proper escorting.

As they completed another hour of travel, Ruby neared a tree, quickly leaping to hold onto it, before working her way up to it in a swift climb so she could gently pluck a couple mango-looking fruits, that held a violet color that resembled the whistle that Ruby had resting on her chest. After taking the fruits, Ruby jumped down, breathing a sigh and swaying her tail before looking at Vina, offering one of the fruits to her.

"Here, it will give a bit more of energy for us. It helps hydrating too." She smiled, soon taking a knife out of her pouch, working on peeling her fruit and cutting a piece, tossing one into her mouth and appreciating its sweet and juicy taste before scanning the area with her eyes.

"Do we know what exactly to look for, Vina?" She asked, not with a rude or judgemental tone, but rather a very curious one.

"We couldn't find any village with people to help us out yet, and it doesn't seem like we have any signs of it either." Ruby said, almost as a report of the obvious, rubbing her chin before looking up at the treetops.

"Maybe we will need to get some higher ground..." She wondered.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina was very happy that Ruby had agreed to accompany her into the Tangleweaves. As a druid the vixen felt safer in the dense jungle than most, but it still was a good idea to have a friend with you. That, and she always liked going on adventures together with her loved ones.

They'd only been in the Tangleweaves for several hours, but already Vina had ended up removing her clothes and putting them in her inventory so they wouldn't get dirty or in the way. They only weighed her down when they had to cross bodies of water, fungi could grow on them if she wasn't careful, and when the two adventurers got deeper inside the untamed wilds the clothes might snatch on various things.

Of course, many people would still choose to retain their clothes as they offered protection and decency, but Vina's clothes weren't very good at the former and she didn't care that much about the latter, especially when Ruby was the only one who'd be looking at her.

Friends shouldn't be ashamed about being seen by their friends so far as she was concerned.

But their journey had gone quite well so far: with only the two of them they could make good progress, especially when Vina's druidic talents were combined with Ruby's agility. Poisonous swamps were safely skirted around, and difficult terrain was easily overcome.

Seeing that Ruby was approaching a nearby tree with purpose Vina followed, coming to a halt at the base and looking up as her friend nimbly scaled the wooden giant to retrieve several of the juicy fruits the tree offered to the brave soul. Once Ruby came down and offered one of the fruits to her Vina smiled gratefully and took it, not wasting any time with cutting it up as she instead bit straight into the violet sweetness.

Thanks Ruby~! (She swallowed before chuckling.) We should take turns with that though: can't have you do all the hard work~

While Vina's athleticism didn't compare to Ruby's she was still quite nimble, and climbing a tree was right up her alley. She continued eating the fruit, taking another bite and ignoring the droplet of juice running down her chin. Once her companion asked her question she stopped eating, swallowing the pulp in her mouth before replying.

The people from the MIT say that the Dragonship is draining all the energy from the leylines, which is why nothing can grow around Vintergard. (She indicated the jungle around them.) The Tangleweaves seem to have the opposite effect, where there's an overabundance of energy so the jungle grows without limits~

She'd done some research before heading out here, and unsurprisingly the Yladians had known the most about the Tangleweaves. The vixen placed her hand against the tree which Ruby had just scaled, feeling the energy flowing through it. This land was truly brimming with energy, and the cause of that was...

The Yladians believe that the roots which form this land are responsible for it. I'm hoping we can find a good place to retrieve a cutting from the roots. If we can cultivate that and plant it around Vintergard it might help return the energy from the leylines to the land~

Of course, that was easier said than done. Cuttings worked better for some plants than others, and if the Yladians were correct the one tree from which all these roots originated was a unique case. Vina's plan was also largely based on the conjecture that the Allfather Tree could actually influence the leylines and that it would be effective in counteracting the effects of the Dragonship.

She followed Ruby's gaze to the dense foliage that formed a roof for this part of the Tangleweaves. It wasn't a bad idea, although as she thought about it Vina lowered her head and pointed down instead.

I was hoping we could find a path into the earth. It'll be easier to retrieve cuttings from the root tips, which should be buried far below us.

Given that she was talking about the roots which literally formed the landscape retrieving a cutting sounded like it should be easy, but the giant roots were also incredibly durable, and they'd have to carve through quite a thick protective layer before they'd get to the part they needed.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby offered a smile to Vina, tilting her head with an ear twitch. "Next time it is your turn then. I want you to choose a very sweet fruit for me though~" Ruby teased, as if challenging Vina to do better than her, abeit jestful.

Her tails swayed as she slit smaller pieces of the fruit she held, tossing its pieces into her mouth and enjoying its taste while Vina gave her thoughts and theories about it. The fact the Dragonship could suck the leylines all to itself was immensely concerning, and that wasn't even limited to just the ecossystem, but rather spreading to all forms of life that could be around it.

In a fantasy world, some creatures needed the leylines, and it could be particularly harming for magic users.

"So, you want to terraform Vintergard using Tangleweaves species?" Ruby hummed, nodding for a moment before looking around, seeing the plants and feeling a hint of excitement growing in her.

"That sounds like a great idea. I can only imagine what sort of biome it will be formed if we mix the little of what have in Vintergard and add Tangleweaves to the mix." Ruby had a few guesses, but she preferred to see things in action.

Finishing the last piece of her fruit, she tossed it aside and licked her fingers, casting a glance at Vina's chin.

"In this case, taking a high ground to find a path won't be useful." She declared, leaning closer to Vina and leaning in closely to her face, gently brushing her tongue on Vina's chin, taking the trail of the fruit's juice into it before licking her own lips and leaning away to smirk to Vina.

"So shall we keep going deeper into the forest?" She questioned.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina's tail wagged behind her as she smiled back at Ruby, nodding as the feline playfully demanded a very sweet fruit.

Sure thing Ruby~! I'll make sure to find you the sweetest fruit~

She winked, then took another bite from her fruit. It really was quite sweet, so to find something even sweeter would take some effort. Of course, she could use her magic and cheat a little... It wasn't like Ruby would mind, really.

Terraforming works, yes. I'm not planning to turn Vintergard into a second Tangleweaves though, so we'll have to be careful to not go overboard~ (She tilted her head and twitched her ears.) Not that I'd mind, but we have to think of what the people living there want~ (Her smile brightened as Ruby voiced her enthusiasm.) I'm glad you agree~!

Ruby's glance at her chin made Vina aware of the fruit juice that was sliding down her skin, but before she could wipe it the feline was already leaning forward. Feeling Ruby's tongue against her chin the vixen stuck out her own tongue, brushing it against Ruby's as if to steal some of the fruit juice back. Raising an eyebrow at Ruby she smirked as well, then finished her fruit and took the time to lick her fingers clean before replying.

Sounds good to me~ There should be a path downwards deeper inside~

Giving her friend another teasing look as she lowered her fingers she turned back towards the road ahead of them, pointing with her staff.

As they kept moving the dense foliage above would block out more and more of the sun, until eventually Vina would motion for Ruby to halt for a moment. Holding her staff with both hands she'd hum a lively tune until the tip of her staff began to emit a soft blue light, illuminating the path before them. It wasn't as effective as what a White Mage could do, but bioluminescence was better than nothing, especially as the path did begin to lead further down.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Her tails swayed excitedly at the determination of the vixen to give her a tasty fruit, showing her a grateful grin and tilting her head as she explained a bit more about what she had planned for Vintergard. "So not a second Tangleweaves, hmm..." Ruby muttered, nodding briefly before raising a finger. "You shouldn't worry that much anyway. People don't live in there anymore, so we can afford to have more freedom to decide what to put in there." She suggested.

Upon Ruby's approach, Vina's reaction made Ruby's ears perk up, and her gaze slowly shifted deeper into the forest just as the vixen moved along.

"Don't go without me, hmm~" She giggled, snapping her fingers and making a Sol's Flame swirling out of her dress, hovering right above Ruby's shoulder and helping to light up their path after Vina had halted her for a moment as they were engaging the depths of the woods.

Engulfed only by the light and flames they had on them, it didn't take long for the two beastfolk girls to be surrounded by darkness, in a jungle where the sunlight no longer could reach.

It was almost as if it was already a cave on her own, and each step felt more humid than the other. "Having a bit of dark vision is helpful at these times." Ruby admitted this much, even if it wasn't perfect, her enhanced sight came with quite useful perks.

However, even with that advantage, Ruby eventually sank her feet in what it seemed to be a pool of vines, that as soon as it touched the feline's leg, began wrapping around it tightly, tugging her. "V-Vina?!" Ruby called, trying to pull her leg out, but failing to do so, while she was unsure if her friend was in the same predicament.

As she was stuck, however, a silhouette slowly approached from a far, accompanied by other smaller silhouettes as it continued to march relentless at their direction.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina hummed at Ruby's suggestion, the druidess entertaining the idea of growing a second, smaller Tangleweaves inside and around Vintergard. She certainly liked the idea, a pleased smirk adorning her face, but eventually she'd still tilt her head.

You have a point, but they might still want to return eventually. (She leaned forwards a little.) But it would also be a nice to have a place for ourselves where we get to enjoy scenery like this without any of the dangerous parts~

While it was easier for her than for most others to enjoy the Tangleweaves she couldn't deny that it wasn't without its threats. The Red Fever incident had made that clear. So a smaller, less hostile Tangleweaves... was certainly an appealing thought.

Don't worry, I'll make sure to stay close to you Ruby~

The feline's floating fire orb certainly did a good job illuminating the path, possibly even better than Vina's bioluminescent staff. With the blue and the yellow light combined they could keep going without fear of stepping into anything dangerous even as around them the world grew darker and darker, the trees blocking out the sun.

Hmmmhmmm~ (Given that she also had night vision, she shared Ruby's opinion) I rely more on my ears than my eyes, but I still prefer to be able to see~

However, the idea that they wouldn't have to worry about any traps was crushed when Ruby stepped into something that made her call out. Vina, never having strayed from Ruby's side, quickly turned to face her friend.

Ruby?

Only to find that the same vines were curling around her shins as well, making the druidess blink. She quickly glanced at the silhouettes that were now approaching.

Can you shine a light on them while I take care of this?

If this was a planet she should be able to use her Nature Magic to untangle the two of them. If it was an animal... well, Beast Arts should have similar results, although depending on what those silhouettes wanted they didn't have a lot of them. Kneeling down Vina touched one of the vines with a hand, trying to get a better feel of what exactly was ensnaring them while also lighting up the ground around them with her staff.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's heart and mind felt at ease with Vina's closeness, albeit it didn't stop her from falling on the fate of being entangled by the vines, at least on her feet, just as they started crawling up, only vaguely retreating thanks to Vina's spellcasting that warded them away for a moment... However... It wouldn't be enough, with the vines insisting and fighting back, trying to brute force their way up to the two girls

"A-Alright-" Ruby responded, aiming with her hand forward, squinting at the silhouettes while her Sol's Flame swirled at their direction, revealing a startled figure that seemed to panic with the approach of the flames.

Spoiler: Silhouette

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-!! N-No! Don't get any closer, it is them again, it is them, I'm sure!"

A voice pleaded, and the vines under the two girls became even more agitated, reacting to the behavior of the feminine figure that was a dozen meters away, flailing and trying to slap the flame away, while Ruby struggled to keep her balance, eventually falling on Vina and holding onto her.

"Ow, sorry Vina! But this thing is going... Crazy!" She struggled, trying to stand, only to fall on her knees again.

"H-Hey! Stop right now!" Ruby called to the other girl, that continued to struggle due to the flames, that seemed to go rogue and couldn't listen to the cat girl's orders anymore.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Kneeling down meant that the vines had an easier time climbing up Vina's body, the vixen breathing slowly and deliberately as she felt the green tendrils slithering across the bare skin of not only her legs but her arm as well, quickly trapping her in place. She could feel how her Nature Magic was failing to grasp hold of them, the vines continuing their advance slowly.

When a druid couldn't control a plant it was because something else was already controlling it, whether that was another druid or...

Ruby's flame revealed that the person who had been approaching them was some kind of dryad, which quickly explained why the vines were resisting Vina's attempts at pacifying them. The songstress frowned as the dryad seemed to exclaim something before the vines became even more energetic.

I don't know who we're reminding you of, but I assure you that we're not here to harm you~

Unfortunately, it seemed that Ruby's flame was contradicting her, the fire blazing despite the feline's attempts at keeping it under control. Rather than forcing the vines to retreat Vina would settle for keeping them from advancing any further, closing her eyes briefly as she tried to attune herself better with the plants.

That plan was foiled when she felt Ruby falling on top of her, the nude vixen doing her best to support her friend with her free hand. With the both of them now on their knees she wouldn't be able to keep her friend from being bound as well, so instead she decided to pull rather than push: she'd let the vines advance, but only towards herself, the druidess suppressing a shiver as she quickly felt the green tendrils crawl across her torso. No point in trying to resist, so instead she relaxed.

Just focus on your flame Ruby, it'll be all right~

She still had one hand free, and she aimed that towards the blazing orb which was out of control. Whistling a swift melody she called upon the winds, summoning a gale which pushed the fire orb away from the dryad and into the air. Feeding some of the air into the fire Vina tried to attune her energy with that of the flame through the melody of her whistling, helping stabilise it so Ruby could regain control.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

The dryad continued to shriek at the flames swirling near her, 'endangering' her well being as she tried to flail the flames away with her own powers and defenses, while her vines only grew stronger and fiercer, as consequence of her own self-defense against the flame that was out of control.

Down with Vina, it wasn't hard to feel the vines having a sudden surge of energy, quickly entangling the girls more, nearly pinning them down.

Ruby in particular, could feel a vine slithering and brushing around her neck, before tightening its grip around it, making her grit her teeth as she felt her throat partially closing. "Th-That can't be good-" Her voice escaped quieter and weaker, but she kept her courage and her attempt to control the flames. Despite everything, Vina was there with her, so she held all her faith into the one sole comfort she had in this predicament.

"I will--" Ruby said, and did as Vina told, glaring at the flames and the flailing dryad, trying to get it under control, and despite the flame flickering for a moment, she ultimately failed.

Despair started to kick in, but luckily, both Vina and the dryad herself managed to contain the flames, with the wind giving it some sudden growth but also calming it down, buying time for the tree-woman to engulf it with a brimming lime slime, that made it falter and weaken until it turned into a small sphere that continued to faint as if starting to fade.

The cat girl's eyes grew wide seeing the state of the flame her long lost friend had given her. "Wait, let it g- Aack-!" She winced, feeling the vines tightening even more, both on her and on Vina, as the Dryad turned at them with a death glare.

"I... I finally have you. The flame bearer." Her eyes shimmered in hatred toward Ruby. "So it was the two of you. And you even dare to control my children." She glanced at Vina.

The dryad, that despite its beauty and soothing appearance, had a scowl that was threatening. It didn't had the look that had intentions of keeping any 'prisoners'. Her hand opened, showing its palm, and the vines loosened every so slightly, enough to give a very faint relief for the girls, and allowing Ruby to speak again.

"It... Is not-- You have... The wrong..." Her weak voice, however, was silenced again.

"Enough. Your menace ends here, and now."

Her hand closed into a fist, and the vines ruthless and slowly began their death grasp, unless something was done about it very soon.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

This would probably be a lot easier if the dryad wasn't panicking. Fortunately, even with that difficulty they still managed to get the flame orb under control, which made Vina let out a sigh of relief... until it became apparent that the dryad wasn't about to let them go or calm down. Her accusations made the vixen frown, but she wasn't given the chance to try and diplomatically resolve the situation before one of the vines began to strangle her.

The songstress closed her eyes as she focused, trying to think of what to do. Her Nature Magic alone wasn't strong enough to keep the vines at bay as long as the dryad was controlling them, which meant she'd have to get a little bit rougher.

She just hoped the dryad wouldn't be too mad afterwards, but she couldn't let Ruby get killed just because she didn't want to hurt the tree spirit. For that matter, she couldn't sacrifice herself like that either, since it wouldn't resolve anything.

She still had hold of one of the vines, even if her physical strength wasn't nearly enough to pull it away. Instead of pulling or pushing, however, she'd use what little air she still had left to hum softly, squeezing the vine rhythmically as she channelled not just her Nature Magic into the vines but also her Harmonic Magic. All life had a rhythm to it, and while the vines had been constricting and strangling her that also meant that Vina had been given plenty of opportunity to get a grip on their rhythm... and align her own heartbeat with it.

One of the secrets of Harmonic Magic was harmonisation and resonance. On its own Harmonic Magic only allowed you to harmonise and resonate with other people, but if you combined it with other masteries it was like an amplifier. In this case, where before the dryad's control was too strong for Vina to overcome, the vines would now begin to weaken, their grip loosening.

The difference was that Vina wasn't trying to forcefully assert control. Instead she was... simply weakening them, cancelling out the control the dryad had over them, as if putting the plants to sleep. This way neither of them would have any control over the plants.

Of course, to strengthen the effect her magic spread towards the dryad as well. As Vina's humming became stronger (the vine around her throat no longer having the strength to choke her) it filled the air, a soothing melody that would induce lethargy and drowsiness. Reaching out Vina managed to grasp Ruby's shoulder with one hand, preventing her friend from becoming affected by her magic.

This alone wouldn't be enough to shut the dryad down entirely, but she trusted that Ruby could exploit this opportunity to free the both of them.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby opened her mouth, trying to grasp any hint of air, albeit it was impossible with her airways all blocked with the tight hold of the vines. However, Vina's quick thinking eventually got the vines to loosen slightly... Not enough to free themselves just yet, but enough to give Ruby some work around it.

"How..? That's it... I will finish you off myself." Her hands opened, with sharp wooden javelins starting to grow from the nearby tree trunks, slowly floating while the two of them were still stuck.

Ruby's gaze locked on the flame that was slowly becoming extinguished in the slime sphere the dryad had created, then, her eyes trailed back to Vina, who was just as stuck in that predicament as herself, along with the javelins that were ready to threaten their lives.

Those sights gave the cat girl the strength to become resolute, gripping her sword tightly and thrusting the pummel between some of the vines, reaching for the blade without concern for her hand and holding it, pushing it to use her jian sword as a lever and free her limbs.

Managing to slip some of them, Ruby had the freedom to use all of her body, quickly disrupting the vines while charging at full speed toward the dryad, deflecting the javelins with her sword and making the tree-woman back down with a surprised expression, giving the cat girl the time to swirl with her blade and slash through the slime, recovering Sol's Flame and kicking herself back toward the vines and Vina, just in time for the flames of her friend to return, brimming as she leaped closer to the vixen with the flames, that made the vines retract and slither away from her while the dryad shrieked.

"No! Not my children!" She hissed.

Ruby quickly sheathed her blade, holding Vina and quickly jumping out of the 'vine pool' they had been stuck on, landing and having a surge of coughing as soon as she finally got to halt, with her adrenaline lowering, and having her chest heaving as she breathed erratically.

"A-Are... Are you alright, Vina?!" Ruby asked, concerned as she placed her blade between them and the dryad, trying to keep her friend safe.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

As Vina had expected, giving Ruby the freedom to move was enough for her friend to take care of the rest. Or at least improve the situation significantly. The vixen was stuck humming her song to help keep the vines languid, watching as her red-haired companion tore herself free and dashed towards the dryad, forcing her to expend her wooden javelins and retrieving her fire orb so she could free Vina as well.

As Ruby grabbed Vina to carry her out of the vine pool she'd find that the songstress was remarkably light, possibly lighter than could easily be justified. However, right now it just meant that getting the two of them to safety was even easier, the pale-furred druid halting her humming and taking a deep breath of relief now that she was no longer getting strangled.

Th-thanks Ruby~ (She smiled at her friend.) I'm all right, but could you keep your fire back for now? Maybe we can still resolve this peacefully~

As long as the fire orb was in play the dryad wasn't going to listen, and Vina wasn't about to resort to violence when everything indicated that this was a case of mistaken identity. Taking a deep breath she stepped forward, spreading her hands as she gave the dryad an apologetic smile.

I'm sorry for messing with your children, but could you tell us why you're so angry with us? We've only defended ourselves so far, and I don't think you're the type of person to attack others without good reason~

Even as she spoke she sharpened her ears, listening not only to the dryad but also to the trees around them. At the moment the dryad was in control of their surroundings, and it had already become clear that Vina couldn't counteract that control unless she bolstered her magic with music... and she couldn't both sing and converse with the dryad simultaneously.

As for the trees... she couldn't sense them sharing the dryad's anger, not fully, but they were going along with the dryad's wishes. Under more peaceful circumstances she might have been able to get more information out of them, but talking to plants wasn't as straightforward as talking to people (with dryads being the natural exception).

As you can see I've got nothing on me, and I promise I won't mess with your children again as long as you don't have them attack me or my friend~ Is there anything else that I could do to earn your trust~?

Peace-loving as she was, the druidess would much rather figure out how to help the dryad and calm her down. Everything else aside, as a nature lover she'd hate to have to end a meeting with one of nature's guardians on a sour note.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby held Vina dearly for a moment, protectively, and yet, her words hinted that at the very least she should show a bit less of hostality. The cat girl couldn't help but frown at the idea, but she followed it, making the flames flicker away and hide back into her starry blade, framing into the star that it represented but never really putting her guard down.

"Be careful, Vina... This thing is dangerous." Ruby hissed, maintaining a cautious stance.

"YOU are the danger. You are endangering the sacred roots, you were thirstying for the destruction of our homes, how dare you." The dryad spoke, with eyes ironically boiling in rage.

Vina's far less aggressive tone and words, however, caught the dryad's attention. There was little to no aggression to Vina's approach, showing that she had no intention of harming and trusting very much on the possibility of dialogue.

Ruby could feel her heart going to her throat, seeing her friend simply putting herself in a vulnerable spot, but not allowing her to do it alone. Of course, it would be of no difference if she remained armed, so for this time, she trusted on her, sheathing her sword and taking a step forward as well, staying at least near enough to try and run with her if necessary.

"This better not be a bad idea..." She muttered, close to the vixen, swaying her tails and remaining wary.

"Trust? There is no trust to be earned. You've reaped any trust. You, and this flamebearer you have." The dryad gritted her teeth, extending her hand toward the two, with her fingers quivering while aiming at the two unarmed girls before slowly retreating her hand, apparently unable to go for such a coward move. Not after the two apparently surrendered.

"... Just... Leave. You've already destroyed enough... I don't have time for your tricks." She said, mostly dejected.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

She's not a thing Ruby. (She gently corrected her friend.) I'm sure we can come to an understanding~

With the flames gone the dryad had at least one reason less to be on edge, even if it meant that the only light remaining in these depths was the glow from the tip of Vina's staff which was still amongst the vines, having been dropped by the druidess as she and her friend escaped the entangling green tendrils. The vixen turned her full attention back towards the dryad, frowning as she took in the plant-maiden's words. The accusations were rather hurtful, but she shook her head and took another step forward, now standing quite close to the spot dominated by vines.

I assure you neither of us has any desire to harm you or your home. Quite the opposite, actually: we've come here because we're hoping that this garden of life can help us with a problem of ours~

There was some consideration to accept the dryad's instructions and leave, but Vina did really want to improve relations here. If nothing else, it sounded like the dryad's actions were based on more than just distrust towards outsiders.

Can I make a proposal? I'll explain why we're here, and if our explanation doesn't satisfy you we'll leave. In return we'd also like to know more about what we've done to anger you. I can't speak for any other outsiders who've gone before us, but to the best of my knowledge the two of us have only traversed the land and survived on its bounty like all animals are known to do~

Her playful expression became a bit softer as she placed one hand on her chest, her tail now calmly swishing back and forth behind her as the immediate danger appeared to have left the encounter. She would much rather not abandon their mission and retreat already, but if she wanted to make the dryad give them a chance she had to at least offer her something the plant-maiden would want.

By the way, my name is Vina Skysong and my beloved friend here is called Crimson Ruby~ (Looking back at Ruby she gave her friend a smile, taking hold of her hand before turning her gaze back towards the dryad.) Do you have a vocalised name we can address you by~?

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears flattened aginast her head upon Vina's correction, and her eyes trailed at the dryad, still uncertain about being near her... Or even about continuing to talk to her. But Vina had her own thoughts about it, and Ruby, while couldn't agree much, she respected and decided to stick around. She wouldn't let the vixen alone.

"If she tries anything, we are out of here, alright?" She muttered behind her friend, pausing to listen to her words.

The dryad locked a gaze on Vina and Ruby, albeit her attention turned mostly to the vixen as the other spoke up for the two of them. The mention of having the garden of life to help them to solve a problem made her lock a suspicious expression on her face.

"How exactly... Regardless of your need, we won't accept being destroyed to help you."

The hostility in the words made Ruby wary, but the calming tone of her friend made her halt herself before she did anything but throw a sharp glare at the dryad, then taking Vina's hand, squeezing hers softly. "I don't like her." Ruby whispered, closening her distance even more to Vina.

"... My 'common' name is Ivis..." She answered, with her tone still being gravely skeptical. "Tell me then, what are your intentions, outsiders?"

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina didn't like correcting Ruby like this, since it might give the impression that she was siding with the dryad over her beloved friend. However, calling someone a thing was just rude, and their relationship with the dryad in question wasn't good enough that they could let such a thing slip.

If this goes wrong you can punish me all you like afterwards~ But I want to at least try~

She whispered these words towards Ruby, using her combination of Aeromancy and Harmonic Magic to make sure the words directly reached her feline friend's ears without anyone else being able to overhear. She didn't know how good the dryad was at listening, but if she could communicate with all the plants she couldn't be too careful.

A quick shake of her head was her initial answer to the dryad's accusation, followed by her raising her hands in front of her and waving them about as if dismissing the very thought.

I swear it isn't anything like that. In fact, if you could help us to ensure we can get what we want without causing any harm at all I'd be very grateful~ I really like this place, you see, and I'd sleep much better knowing we managed to get what we came for without causing any trouble in the process~

Ruby's continued distrust made Vina suppress a small giggle. It wasn't entirely inappropriate, but Ruby's protectiveness was rather endearing, and now that Ivis was talking to them the vixen was also a lot more relaxed. Which was why she raised a finger while smiling at the green maiden.

It's nice to meet you Ivis~ Could you give me a couple of seconds? I'll make sure to explain afterwards~

With those words past her lips she turned halfway, still facing Ivis but giving herself the space to pull Ruby into a hug, resting her forehead against the dancer's, speaking softly.

I'm sorry for making you worry Ruby. As a druid I can't really abandon the thought that I should be getting along with the guardians of nature instead of running away from them~ And I think she has her reasons as well: the way she's been speaking something bad has already happened here, so maybe if we help she'll become friendly~

Bringing one hand up she stroked her friend's hair, then lowered the hand to stroke her tails as well. After finishing the reassuring gesture she turned back to fully face Ivis once more, still having one arm wrapped around Ruby's waist.

Sorry for the delay Ivis~ So... why we came here...~ (She mulled for a moment to get her words in order.) Have you heard of what happened south of the Tangleweaves? Four summers ago a giant beast made of metal fell out of the sky and destroyed one of our biggest settlements. We've only recently managed to pacify it, but even now we've got no way to remove it and merely by remaining there it's draining all magic and life out of the surroundings, killing the plants and forcing the animals to flee.

The two of us were thinking about how this place is bursting with life, thanks to the Allfather Tree helping spread the world's energy so everything can grow in abundance. Our idea was that if we retrieved a tiny part of the Allfather Tree's roots we could cultivate it and borrow its powers to restore balance, returning the world's energies to nature~

Everything she said was completely true, even if she did intentionally phrase it to (hopefully) appeal as strongly to Ivis as possible. As a dryad she would be most interested in protecting the forest that she herself is part of, but she could probably appreciate them trying to do something about the Dragonship's harmful presence.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby squinted at Vina's suggestion, frowning. "You sound like you would enjoy me punishing you, Vina, that doesn't make it sound a bad outcome for you." She sighed, rubbing the back of her head as if she was feeling a headache tingling at the back of her mind. There was way too many things happening in such a short span of time, yet the conversation between Vina and the dryad continued, at least until Vina requested for a time.

"Alright, but do explain it as soon as possible. Your time is running thin." She declared, still wary.

It was when Ruby was caught by surprise... And by an embrace, one that made her cheeks rosy, especially when they suddenly got so close and since the vixen was naked. However, any thought regarding it faded when she spoke, requesting nothing but the trust of the crimson cat. Her gaze fell, slightly guilty for her own stubborness, but soon she hugged Vina back, taking a deep breath before slipping- "Sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt..." She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead on Vina's, nuzzling before they parted, with her tails brushing on the vixen's hands before they turned to face the dryad.

The dryad simply watched the exchange of affection with a stern glare, not softening her stance not even for a moment.

Only when the vixen elaborated the reason they were there, that the dryad paused, considering what she had said, and remaining pensive for a moment, with her shoulders stiffness fading as she continuously pondered about it. "Four summers ago... Yes. I do remember. Giant beasts, enough to bring darkness for a minute... And after they passed here, days later... The nature cried. The plants echoed... Pain, plea for help... But we couldn't do anything..." The dryad closed her eyes, in a saddened expression.

Ruby half opened her mouth, feeling a sting in her heart at the dryad's words, taking a moment before she opened to speak herself. "We need to recover that. But we can't do it without this forest's help... And well, we can't have this forest help, if it is endangered as well, can we?" She said, squeezing Vina's hand.

The dryad stared at the crimson cat, shaking her head, and then turning to the vixen, finally relaxing.

"Vina... Right? The truth is that someone had come. Someone surrounded by powerful beasts of metal, and flames that devour everything. The Flamebearer." The dryad closed her eyes, in a saddened expression.

"It hides its face, however... I thought your friend was it. Unmasked, finally deciding to no longer be a coward." Her gaze hardened.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina couldn't help but acknowledge Ruby's point with a small chuckle, although her words were a bit more serious.

The bad outcome for me would be that we failed to get what we came for, and also couldn't improve our relations with one of the forest's guardians. The punishment would be so you can vent~

Unless of course Ruby took her words much more seriously and made the punishment seriously unpleasant, which the vixen didn't think likely. But she wasn't lying when she said that failing to convince the dryad would be enough punishment already: she was completely honest in her desires to connect with Ivis.

Which was why she didn't want to make Ivis wait too long, even if she couldn't reasonably keep ignoring Ruby's concerns, especially since they were valid. Ivis had tried to strangle them, and not in a fun way: to just forgive her for that might be par for the course for Vina, but most others would retain animosity over such an act.

Her own gaze was affectionate and understanding as the feline dancer relented, a pleased hum escaping her lips as she felt Ruby's arms around her bare waist as well. Her one fluffy tail wagged happily behind her as she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead against Ruby's in return.

I know Ruby~ I'm happy that you're concerned, so let's work together to get out of this unharmed~

Her one arm securely remained around Ruby's waist, the hand resting on her beloved friend's hip as she held her close. It seemed that Ivis knew enough about what happened outside of the Tangleweaves to take Vina's words seriously, which meant that their odds of convincing the dryad went up. Vina's expression grew both mournful and regretful as Ivis told them about the cries of nature's children wasting away thanks to the Dragonship's arrival.

I wish we could have been there to help, but back then when the metal beasts first showed up we'd been locked out, unable to do anything or even learn about what was going on. We only managed to return recently, which is why it's only now that we're trying to undo the damage.

Ruby's words hit the nail on the head, the playful vixen nodding in agreement, her hand squeezing Ruby's in return.

Exactly~

The sight of Ivis relaxing and the sound of the dryad addressing her name made Vina smile again, although that was quickly replaced by a thoughtful frown as Ivis explained the source of her distrust.

I can imagine that would make you much more cautious Ivis... But does that mean the Flamebearer also looked like Ruby~? (She looked at her friend.) I think those beasts of metal would be the offspring of the giant beast that we're trying to deal with~ When did they show up? I'm a druid, so I can try to help heal this place... or is there another way that we could help~?

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

There was comfort in Vina's reassurement and encouragement, one that Ruby at least could rest on, and calm her heart to. If anything, there was the fact Vina would never lie to her, and if she truly saw a solution in the end of this tunnel, Ruby was ready to face it.

Thankfully, the dryad's behavior changed considerably. With misunderstandings being lowered and explanations being settled, an exchange proved to make a lot of pieces come together.

Vina's mention of the supposed Flamebearer to look like her made Ruby tilt her head. "I thought it was just because of my friend's flame... Is that not right?" Ruby questioned.

"That as well... But the flamebearer did have fur red hot as fire, as well." She responded.

"They didn't show up for too long..." The dryad's eyes locked on Vina's. "A druid..? No wonder my children gave you ears, I thought you..."

Her words were then cut short, with her expressions faltering for a moment as she frowned, looking around. The wind whistled, brushing on the treetops, brushing on Vina's skin and hair, whispering to her that something burned, something was causing pain...

Those warnings were followed by birds flying away, and small animals rushing to a direction that opposed the winds.

"My cousins!" The dryad shrieked, in fear and despair, paying no mind for the other girls any longer before rushing, sinking into the foliage and the woods, moving rapidly through it as if it was a fish swimming into the water.

Ruby's ears perked up, with her eyes growing wide as she looked around, half glancing at Vina and taking a step forward- "Vina, we... We need to hurry--!" She wasn't sure, but her leg shook, agitated and urging to dart off to follow the dryad.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

It looked like both Ruby and Ivis were becoming more willing to talk things out, which made Vina happy as they were finally making some progress. While the initial meeting might have been a bit rough she was eager to put that behind them if that meant that they could get along and work together.

However, when she was about to reconfirm that she was a druid she paused, her ears twitching as she caught the whispers of the winds. Whispers of flame and pain, not too far from here.

Ivis's panicked response was only confirmation that something was going wrong, and that they needed to cut their conversation short to deal with it. The vixen also took a step forward, but then paused to look at Ruby. A quick nod answered the dancer's words, the songstress squeezing Ruby's hand before letting go.

Give me a second...

She whistled, calling upon the winds to gather around them before lifting her into the air. Moving behind Ruby she grabbed her friend by the shoulders, weightless as the air continued to hold her aloft.

You're much faster than I am, so go as fast as you can~

The same winds that allowed Vina to float like a leaf would also push against Ruby from behind, the tailwind boosting every step and driving her forward once she started moving, with Vina drifting right behind her like a cape, her obscenely long white hair and tail forming a pale trail as the two beastfolk headed for the source of the trouble.

@Crimson Ruby