The night was cold. Cold enough for snow, and dark. A Londoner all her life, Ailsa was used to cold and dark and rainy, but this was different. She hadn't seen a night as cold and dark as this one since her last vacation to see her grandparents in the highlands.
The stars were out twinkling across the black sky in all their glory and the moon was high though it was hidden behind a small cluster of clouds haloed by the moon's brilliance while light shafts beamed out across the silhouetted clearing.
With all of the beauty around her, she stood on the rock bank by the small spring of crystal clear water that seemed to glow as a small cloud of steam wafted up from its surface. A cold breeze blew across the clearing and agitated the surface of the pool, and continued on to rustle the leaves in the walnut tree standing before her like a tall skyscraper. However, Ailsa only had eyes for Elsbeth Thorburn.
Her mother stood just below the north side of the tree in front of her. Her hair was glossy, cherry red, and almost black. Her eyes were such a brilliant emerald green that they seemed to shine in the moonlight, and her skin was flawless white porcelain. Her mother looked exactly the way she remembered her as the wind caught Elsbeth's hair and gently blew it out her left side as dead leaves rustled below her feet.
Her mother's voice had called her just moments before, and now here she was looking just as she had the day she left on her anniversary trip just a few weeks ago. Except, Elsbeth was wearing a long white dress tattered along the bottom hem just above her ankles…
Ailsa's mind felt fuzzy for but a moment and then with a shake of her head she gasped delightedly, "Mummy!"
"Come to me, my girl! Come to me, my lovely daughter!" Elsbeth crooned with arms opened wide to receive her.
Without a second thought she ran to her mother's waiting, outstretched arms. Tears burst from her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and squeezed tight. Burying her face in Elsbeth's hair she cried, and there they stood for several minutes until she calmed down. Only once her sobbing became hiccups did she turn her head towards her mother's neck and inhaled deeply. Elsbeth smelled like flowers and earth, freshly cut grass and pine sap. She smelled wonderful!
It was a dream come true, a wish come true, except for a nagging in the back of her mind that reminded her that her mother used to smell like Chanel No. 5 and freshly baked pastries when she was home and cooking. Elsbeth was many things but a gardener wasn't one of them. Pushing the nagging feeling down, she decided not to think about it and just be thankful that her mum was here.
"Mummy," She mumbled, "You're here! Oh thank god you're here!"
She was so relieved, but for some reason she couldn't remember for the life of her why. Hugging Elsbeth again she finally gave a shaky sigh and stepped back and beamed up at her mother's beautiful smiling face as she took her hand and turned as she pulled a reluctant Elsbeth towards the rocky perimeter of the spring.
Elsbeth squeezed her fingers, but finally allowed herself to be pulled along as Ailsa giggled, "I can't believe you're here mum, we were so devastated by what happened to you and father in Paris…"
"What happened in Paris dear," Elsbeth asked.
The memory, the fear, the sadness, the overwhelming sense of loss, it was on the very edge of her consciousness. An old wound that her body remembered, but as she tried to bring it to the fore of her thoughts it seemed to slip away like vapor.
"I… I can't remember," She whispered as she brought a hand up to her forehead.
Stopping at the edge of the water, Ailsa watched the surface ripple as bugs landed and walked across its surface, the cold wind blew gently causing the moon and stars' reflections to dance as steam wafted up. Looking down she saw her reflection staring back up at her. It was her reflection and yet it wasn't. The girl in the water looked like a fairy with brilliant feather hair that was red and purple. Her skin was pale white but also gave off a green glow, and her arms were green hummingbird wings with only a clawed thumb and pointer finger at the wrist. Her reflection's eyes were wide open from fear, and she was shaking her head and waving her wings to get Ailsa's attention.
She saw herself. She saw her reflection, but a gleeful haze kept her from recognizing the danger. With a delighted smile, she tightened her grip on her mother's hand as she turned to her.
"My darling girl," Elsbeth began as she stared down at Ailsa's reflection and waved a hand sprinkling pollen on the surface of the water.
The honeyed purr of her mother's voice warmed Ailsa to her core but goosed her flesh. A tingling crawling outward like spider legs scuttling across her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her neck all the way down her spine before traveling down her arms and legs to fingers and toes.
"I have missed you so much," Her mother continued, "Why don't you come with me into the house, out of this cold weather and away from…the…water. Let me take you inside where it's warm, and then we may talk over a hot cup of tea?"
"Okay mummy," She answered agreeably, and began walking with her mother back towards the tree.
As they walked, she ignored ants and beetles as large as she was as they went about their nightly rituals of foraging for food. Crickets chirped in the distance, and other night creatures moved about in the forest of grass. Up above, in the boughs of the walnut tree, blue eyes reflected the moon's light as they watched Elsbeth and Ailsa walk the few metres from the spring to the base where there was an ancient rotted out knot that sank down deep into the earth beneath the tree.
"It's just in here," Elsbeth said as she pulled Ailsa along, but once her gaze fell on the old knot that looked like a gaping maw lined with jagged teeth, something deep inside her soul twisted her guts into a knot and brought her feet to a sliding halt!
For the first time since seeing her mother, she was frightened…
"What's wrong my dear?" Elsbeth asked innocently as she held Ailsa's hand fast and gave her a gentle tug, "We're almost there. We're almost home! Can't you see it? Can't you smell it?"
For an instant the gaping maw loomed in front of her and the putrid smell of rot bit at her nostrils, and then it was gone, replaced by an illusion of her home in London. Her cozy home she had known and loved all her life. It wasn't too large, or too small, it was just large enough for mum and father, her and her siblings, and Elizabeth…
Elizabeth?
Her beloved Elizabeth!
Her confidant and friend, her playmate and storyteller, her lovely monster while she would be a knight-princess-warrior. The only person she loved almost as much as her mum. Elizabeth's beautiful dark features danced in her mind as alarm bells sounded in her head!
"Is something the matter?" Her mother asked, her voice full of concern and persuasion.
She found that her voice was caught in her throat. For some reason her feet wouldn't move, so her mother gave her a gentle tug. When she didn't follow the tug became a pulling as Elsbeth yanked her towards the front door of their townhouse.
"Awaaakkkeee!" Shouted a dark shadow with gleaming blue eyes falling out of the sky as moonlight glinted off steel as an axe blade cut a deep gash in the ground behind Elsbeth, "Awwwaaakkkeee fooorrr yooouuurrr liiifffeee!"
Suddenly there was a commotion in the small depression below the roots of the tree as Elizabeth jumped up followed quickly by Blair and Lachlan. In front of Ailsa, her mother's regal form disintegrated into pollen leaving a strange flower-mannequin shriveling up and dying now that the axe had cut a thin umbilical that stretched out of the old rotten maw. Blinking her eyes, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before!
——(!)——
As soon as Elizabeth heard the shout to "Awaken'' she jumped up. Blair squawked as she was nearly rolled into the fire pit. Lachlan, who had been making some weird low level hum that sounded like an electronic snore. Glowing red robotic eyes fluttered open, and he activated rockets in his feet and on his back just below his angelic wings of synthetic light. He hissed as he streaked across the ground on his belly before he pushed off with his hands and unfurled his wings. Catching the air he shot up into the sky and hovered above the ground like a luminous golden angel!
Meanwhile, Blair hopped to her feet. Her normal diminutive demeanor gone, her plump mouth was peeled back in a snarl baring white teeth with long canines. Below her obi her kimono flared out like it had a will of its own exposing long lithe legs and freeing her tail to whip and wag excitedly. Eight pink fiery orbs whirled around her. Landing in a crouch, the orbs consumed her kimono and became eight pink fiery fox tails magically connected at the sacral promontory between the cheeks of her buttocks. With her kimono gone, she was left naked except for the geta on her furry pawed feet, a white sarashi binding her breasts, a white fundoshi that looked like nothing more than thong panties tied intricately around her black fox tail, and the red flower-embroidered obi girding her waist. Looking around quickly to assess the situation she whipped her hands back and forth when she saw that she held pink fireballs.
Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder in time to see that Lachlan and Blair were up and safe, but that was all. As soon as she was on her hooves she was dashing as fast as she could out of the low depression below the roots of the tree.
It may have been a walnut tree once upon a time, but it was ancient, easily the oldest and probably the largest tree on the property. It stood hundreds of feet high and it was easily more than nine metres wide at the base where large roots, some a meter thick, spread out like the spokes of a wheel. She was half way around the it's perimeter, leaping over yet another root nearly as high as a hurdle when the root suddenly wrapped free of the ground as the tree came to life!
It twisted back and forth, tree limbs swooped down trying to bat her to the ground while the roots began writhing and reaching out to ensnare her ankles or twist around her thighs and waist. With a growl she dodged and jumped and rolled. When she came to her feet she held her thick broadsword and dagger in each hand. Looking back the way she came, she saw Lachlan smiting tree limbs with his fiery sword while Blair threw pink fireballs.
She turned back in time to block a root with her sword and stab it with her dagger. The tree let out a wail that sounded like wood creaking and cracking and snatched the root back, ripping the dagger from her grasp. Jumping back she hacked and cut as she steadily circled around the perimeter making her way toward the spring pool.
Behind her fire lit up the night as pink fireballs burst on impact with roots while Lachlan's sword of flame and light cut through swinging limbs intent on knocking him out of the sky. Charging around a thick wriggling root she caught sight of the green glow cast out by Ailsa. She was standing in the grass near the base of the tree where a gaping ravenous looking maw was opening and closing like a mouth intent on eating her tiny charge. Large booted feet danced around Ailsa, making Elizabeth gasp in fear before looking up to see a tall warrior shadowed by a red cloak slashing and hacking at roots and limbs before they could reach the little fairy.
"Who are you?" She yelled as she ran up and scooped Ailsa up and placed the tiny fairy in her cleavage in the small space between her breasts and bra.
"A friend!" The stranger shouted as he parried a root with a large battle axe.
"What is this? What's going on here?" She shouted as she danced around until she was back to back with the red cloaked stranger.
"You managed to camp under the most dangerous thing in this area," He answered, "This old walnut tree is a prison sealing away an evil spirit called the Fae Eater!"
"A what?!" She shrieked.
"A Fae Eater! A fairy eater," The stranger answered as he dodged and swiped at the same tree root, "Well, actually it eats anything living. I'm sure it was going to dine on all of you tonight, but it likes it's dessert first, and dessert is your little green friend there!"
"A tree that's carnivorous!" She shouted as she parried another limb then hissed as the stranger overbalanced the swing of his battle axe and nearly caught her in the thigh, "Give me that thing before you hurt yourself, or me!"
"Here," He growled as he tossed the axe to her. Twisting back around, he drew his sword as another root tried to impale him.
Catching the axe in mid-air Elizabeth couldn't believe how right its heft felt in her hand. With a laugh she tossed the stranger her sword and then began dancing as she chopped and hacked like she had been wielding a battle axe all her life!
"So, what do we do? Kill it?" Elizabeth asked once she severed a thick root and took the opportunity to look around and see if she could find Lachlan and Blair.
"No! We shouldn't," The stranger yelled as he ran up the side of the tree and pruned a thick limb off with a combo of strikes, "If we destroy it we risk releasing the evil imprisoned within."
"Then we should run!" She suggested while executing a somersault as a root swung at her waist. She danced free of it, but not before it snatched the heavy wolf pelt from around her hips. As she landed, she was naked except for the small loincloth attached to her belt. Which meant that when her legs were spread open the stranger saw everything!
"Ack! No! You! Don't," She growled as she twisted back around and began hacking at the root trying to retrieve her pelt.
"Leave it," The stranger laughed as he moved past her and pointed his sword where Lachlan and Blair were supposed to be, "Would you rather have your dignity, or your charges?"
With a curse she gave up on the wolf pelt and charged after the stranger. When they came around the tree Lachlan and Blair were fighting back to back, each concentrating on defence trying to keep the tree roots at bay. As she watched in horror, a root snuck up behind Blair and before the girl could react she was being snatched off her feet and encapsulated by thin rope-like roots before being drawn towards the base of the tree where their dugout campsite had been.
With a mighty roar the golden hair marching down the spine of Elizabeth's tail turned into golden flame. Matching dragon's wings of flame burned through the leather and silver of her bra, popping the band, and dropping it to the ground at her feet as she charged at the old walnut tree. Her wings stretched out and up, and with a mighty downward stroke and a leap she sailed into the air.
As her bra fell away Ailsa 'vroomed' out from Elle's cleavage and flew up high in the air. When she was far enough away she felt safe, she turned and watched as Elle landed on the ground between Blair and the tree. With a mighty shout and battle axe high above her head, her hands became enshrouded by a golden flame that enveloped the battle axe in seconds before she slammed it down to the earth with all her might!
She cut through the roots dragging Blair like they were nothing. The roots on the tree side of her axe caught on fire and began wriggling and whipping about crazily while the roots encapsulating Blair immediately withered and fell away.
"Run!" Elizabeth snarled as Blair wasted no time on getting her feet underneath her and running as fast as she could back to Lachlan and the stranger.
The tree was on fire in several places as it loomed over Elizabeth ominously. Limbs and roots curved in to attack her, but with a mighty heave she pulled her battle axe free and swung. The axe never reached the tree, but the golden flame enshrouding the axe extended and in a single swing sliced through everything in front of Elizabeth!
Everyone watched with mouths slack and hanging open as the old walnut tree creaked and twisted before falling over with a mighty crash. Elizabeth was heaving with rage and adrenaline. With battle axe held out to her side, she gasped at what she had done as she remembered the stranger's warning about the thing imprisoned within.
"Mmm, yes. Thank you my daughter," A gravelly voice hissed as black ickor poured out of the center of the tree and began coalescing on the new stump in front of her, "After thousands of years trapped in that prison, I am finally free…"
"I am not your daughter," Elizabeth growled, and leaping into the air with a mighty beat of her fiery dragon's wings she launched herself at the ooze as she screamed, "And, you are not free!"
Blair ran forward and threw large pink fireballs while Lachlan launched himself into the air as well. Flying around opposite of Elizabeth he transformed his right hand and arm into a laser cannon and fired. Elizabeth for her part felt a burning in her belly that moved up to her chest. The heat was so intense that her heart and lungs began to glow, and then her breasts. Golden horns of flame seemed to grow from her forehead and curled back over her hair and long elf ears, and her eyes, her brilliant blue eyes began to glow like blue flame, and then the heat in her chest moved up to her throat and she screamed.
Oh god, did she scream!
As she shrieked a golden flame shot from her mouth in a long conical gout, and when it hit the black ooze it shuddered, then began writhing and screaming in pain...
Fire raged all the rest of the night in that small clearing, and when the dawn finally rose on the next day there was nothing left of the walnut but ash and the Fae Eater was never heard of again.
——(!)——
With the adrenaline fading from her, Elizabeth flapped her dragon'esk wings and landed on the ground. Lachlan flew around the flames and landed beside her and gave her a couple sidelong glances before watching the tree for any movement. Ailsa flew in with a 'vroom' and landed on her shoulder and gave her a peck on the cheek before chirping something she didn't understand, but that was most likely a simple, "Thank you."
It was Blair that walked up, her kimono now back to its original form now that the battle was over, and took one look at Elizabeth and began shaking her head.
"Lachlan," Blair hissed, "You go over there with the stranger in the red cloak and keep an eye on him."
He simply nodded and turned to leave.
"Now that he is gone," Blair harrumphed to no one in particular while shaking her head and untied her obi and let her kimono fall open as she unwrapped the sarashi binding her breasts.
Turning to Elizabeth she looked up into her face and saw the vacant stare of someone whose mind had shut down from exhaustion even though she was still standing. Even though she had never been in Japan, or all that interested in Japanese traditional culture, Blair found that she knew exactly how to wrap the sarashi around Elizabeth's breasts, and then she also knew how to wrap her kimono and obi around herself.
Taking Elizabeth's hand Blair led her away to the others, "I'm not sure what's wrong with her, but she seems to be in a daze."
"It's called manaburn," The stranger informed, "It's when someone has used all of their life-force, or mana. She'll recover by morning if she gets some sleep."
Lachlan snickered and pointed at Elizabeth, "Elle's baked!"
"Lachlan!" Blair hissed since there was no one else to get on to him. Then turning to the stranger she asked, "So, is it safe to camp here now? Or, should we retreat to a new location?"
"Well," The stranger mused as he rubbed a chin still hidden in the shadows of his cloak, "If the Fae Eater is indeed dead, then this is as safe as anywhere else in these woods."
"Okay," Blair declared, "Let's find a good camping spot and try to get some sleep then."
——(!)——
Elizabeth woke up with a start. Sitting up in a panic she found Ailsa secure in her cleavage with her wings outside of the sarashi binding her breasts like she was beneath a blanket. A thick red cloak fell down her body and she found Lachlan sleeping behind her and Blair curled up in front of her.
Wondering where the cloak had come from, she found the stranger sitting on the ground across from her with a fire pit between them. He idly poked at the embers and threw dry grass on it before stacking three logs in a pyramid above the new flames.
"Good morning," He welcomed in a deep soothing voice.
"Argh, morning," She retorted as she brought a hand to her head and squinted against sudden pain reminiscent of a hangover, "Good remains to be seen…"
The stranger laughed easily and nodded. Then he pulled some black roots out of a pouch at his waist and wrapped them in green leaves before handing them to her, "Here, chew on this. The mint will alleviate some of the taste of the root but not all of it. It won't taste great, but it will revitalize you and get rid of the headache."
"Thanks," She mumbled as she took the medicine and put it in her cheek and then nearly gagged. He wasn't kidding about it tasting awful!
Looking around the campsite, she saw the huge walnut tree felled and burned to a long black sender. The spring was clear and sparkling, and only a few feet away, and then she stood up and started to hand the cloak back to the stranger, "Thank you." Then she saw that Blair's sarashi was barely holding her overflowing breasts, her wolf pelt was gone exposing her ass for all the world to see, and she now only wore the leather corset around her waist and a thick fleece lined belt with a dagger and sword scabbard while both weapons were missing.
The stranger reached out to take his cloak, but she snatched it back with a sheepish grin and explained, "If you don't mind, may I borrow this for the time being? I feel...a bit exposed..."
"It is yours then," He answered with a rye grin and a nod.
"Thank you," She gushed thankfully as she swept it over her shoulders and pinned the collar with a large wolf headed broach.
Rubbing the broach with her fingers she looked up and the man before her. He was indeed a man. Tall and broad across the shoulders, he was a figure made up of square shaped muscles with a square jaw and sharp angular features. He wore a ragged beard that looked like he trimmed it with his knife maybe once every six months, and his long cherry red hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. He didn't look like much, as a matter of fact, he looked a bit unscrupulous, but his eyes. His eyes were clear blue like purified sapphire and as light and bright as the clear blue sky!
Those eyes reminded her of her father, and she felt a deep sense of honesty and security from them. Feeling her heart flutter, she turned away as a blush pinked her cheeks. Looking at the tree again she asked, "What happened last night after I cut down the tree? I thought you said there was an evil spirit within it?"
"Since you haven't asked," The stranger answered suddenly as she stood and walked around to offer his hand, "My name is Connor Amaroq. I'm also known as the 'Hunter in Red', or the 'Hunter in the Red Cloak'. It's a pleasure to meet you…"
Elizabeth gasped and shook her head, "I am so sorry! Where are my manors? I'm Elizabeth Wright, and this little one snuggled up in my cleavage is Ailsa." Pointing to the sleeping kitsune she continued, "And that is Blair." Pointing to Lachlan she finished the introductions then asked, "So, if you're a hunter, then what is it that you hunt?"
"Wolves," He answered as his gaze lingered on Blair.
"She's not a wolf," Elizabeth said as she took a protective step in front of Blair, "She's a kitsune, a fox spirit."
"Oh, I know," Connor retorted with raised hands, "We have our own legends about fox spirits. I just haven't ever seen one before. They're notoriously devious, but otherwise harmless…"
"I wouldn't say harmless," Lachlan corrected as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, "She held her own very well in that fight last night."
"She did indeed," Connor agreed with a nod, "What I meant is, she's not a killer. Wolves. At least the wolf I'm chasing is."
Blair woke up and stretched and yawned as her ears twitched furiously. Once she opened her eyes she stood up and looked around camp. When her gaze fell on Elizabeth, she leaned over and grabbed a handful of her long curly brown hair and examined the tips.
"Interesting, Elle did you know that your hair is changing color," She asked as she held Elizabeth's hair out for her to see.
"I didn't," She harrumphed as she looked at the golden blonde tips of her usually dark earthy brown hair, "So what happened last night after I cut down the tree by accident?"
"You're kidding, right," Lachlan chortled.
"You don't remember," Blair asked as she put a hand to Elizabeth's forehead.
Lachlan laughed when she shook her head before describing what happened, "Elle, you changed!"
When she gestured to herself he shook his headsail he chortled, "No! You changed from how you are now into something else…"
"It was beautiful! You were beautiful," Blair whispered, "And fearsome!"
"You must have an interesting heritage," Connor agreed. "It's said that the Dragons taught men the ways of being a paladin. Lachlan is certainly some form of paladin, but you, you made him look…emasculated…compared to your power. What are you? I see human in you, and dark elf. The tusks are orcish maybe, but the hooves are demonic, maybe succubus. Some of both succubi and orc have tails, but yours changed, and then there are the golden flame dragon wings and the horns that grew out from your forehead and curled back over your hair and ears…"
"I," Elizabeth gasped as she shook her head in denial, "I don't know exactly. I imagined myself as human and dark elf yes, but I also imagined myself a monster and hero!"
"Hmm, dark elves, orcs, and succubi are all considered monstrous in their own ways. So are dragons depending on culture," Connor mused, then shook his head in defeat, "Well it is unknowable unless you know your mother and father's ancestries. However, what we can ascertain is that you are indeed a hero!"
"No kidding," Lachlan agreed with an adamant nod before continuing, "Elle, your tail became enshrouded by a golden flame, and you grew wings of fire. You leapt into the air and then your belly began to glow. It moved up to your chest, and then your heart and lungs began to glow so bright that your breasts…I mean…your bosoms became so bright I could barely see you! I…mean…all of you…" He shuddered from fear as Elizabeth glared at him. "Then the glow in your…um…chest…moved up to your throat and you breathed fire!"
"Elle, you breathed fire," Blair reiterated in awe, "Like a dragon!"
Turning to look at Connor for confirmation, he simply nodded.
"Elle," Lachlan laughed, "You're a bloody dragoness! You burnt the shit out of that tree and that thing inside it!"
She found herself opening and closing her mouth as she tried to find words, but she was too shocked to say anything. Turning away from everyone she saw the spring. Looking down at herself she saw that she was covered in soot and ash. Taking the dagger and sword scabbards off she handed them to Connor, "Here, you can have my sword and dagger, if you can find it, in trade for the axe."
"Agreed," He answered with a nod and took the scabbard.
Picking up the axe, she also took Blair's hand and announced, "Boys, make yourselves scarce. Us girls are going to go take a bath," and hefting her axe she promised as she looked directly at Lachlan, "And anyone caught peeping will lose something dear to them!"
Connor laughed, but Lachlan gulped guiltily.
Walking over to the pool of water she looked back at the campsite and found Connor and Lachlan had disappeared. With a nod she motioned for Blair to undress while she unfastened her belt and cloak, then unwrapped the sarashi.
Ailsa flew away and made a circuit of the clearing making sure they were alone, and when she returned she found Elizabeth stepping down into the water.
"Wow! It's surprisingly warm," She cooed and quickly sat down and immersed herself fully.
Once she came back up Ailsa landed on her shoulder and slid down to a pool of water held in Elizabeth's cleavage. Blair took the longest to get into the makeshift bath, but it was due mostly to the fact that she had to unwrap her obi, kimono, and figure out the workings of her thong fundoshi.
As they bathed the soot and ash seemed to fall away from their skin and sank to the bottom of the pool. The water even seemed to swirl and jet around their bodies, massaging them and taking away the aches and tiredness they hadn't realized they had.
Blair leaned back and sighed as she stretched out and floated just below the water with only her face above. Elizabeth smiled and stretched out as well, however her breasts peaked out like two great islands that Ailsa used to hang on to so that she wasn't overcome by the depth of the pool or the giants in it.
Elizabeth let her eyes close and dunked her head beneath the water. When she came back up and wiped her face a kindly blue woman with white hair sat on the edge of the pool smiling at her, "Hello there, it is so nice to have company after such a long slumber, my name is Lyne!"