The tiny woman scooches a few more inches back.
"Um, th-thanks. You're not gonna squish me are you?"
Reiko shakes her head and sits down, clearly in no position to attack the small creature. "We don't squish people. We'd like to speak with you, if you are willing. You aren't the person saying 'Doom' are you?"
She shakes her head vigorously enough that her ears flop a little and when she stops, her hair is covering her eyes. She doesn't take another step back, though given how hurriedly she tries to clear the hair from her face, she isn't ready to trust you either.
It seems to Vigny the choice has been made to try befriending the fey whatsit. If that's how it going to be, it should be done very well indeed. If we do something wrong, we could wind up cursed or insane.
This does cause a light to do on as Vigny makes a possible connection: Ameiko? But she will wait to bring that up with the others more discreetly.
Everyone likes to feel knowledgable and important...
Vigny peeks out from over the shoulders of Soli and Emi to ask "do you live here? I've noticed the boat down by the wharf looks newer. Did anyone arrive in it recently? Can you tell us anything about them?"
Old habits die hard, and figuring his height might scare the little fey, Jerukh takes the opportunity to lurk in the background.
As he stands quietly listening, the alchemist eyes the surrounding area, concerned that fey can be tricksy as well as benign;
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The small, fairie-like woman looks from each of you before finally settling on Vigny.
"The boat came in about a week and a half ago. There was a big fight with some kind of dragon thingy that I think killed all of the people on it. I'm not sure what's in the castle, but they are the ones always shouting out doom."
After a moment, she looks to Soli and takes a tentative step forward.
"A-are you hurt? I can heal wounds," she says.
"No, I didn't. It sounded really hurt towards the end of the fight, though," the tiny woman answers. After a moment, she looks up at Soliana.
"Who are you? You're not like most of the monsters that come around here."
"Spivey, my name's Spivey. I'm a lyrakien and servant of Desna," she answers. Looking around, she flits up into the air and motions for all of you to follow her.
"Please, follow me. It's not safe here."
If Spivey is Desnan, she doesn't sound so bad to Vigny.
"I follow Cayden Cailean. He and Desna are very good friends."
Emi proudly displays her cleavage (well, even a little bit more than usual) and the vibrantly colored butterfly tattoo that adorns it. "I am a follower of the Starsong too, little vun," she offers with a grin, "My name is Emiliana Fasilescu; it is a pleasure to meet you, Spifey." Without much consideration, she trustingly begins to follow the small woman.
Jerukh tries to avoid catching an eyeful of Emi's bosom, mumbling awkwardly as he looks to the sky as he speaks;
"I... Ahem... I am Jerukh. I did follow Desna, but recently have read of Sarenrae the Sun goddess, and feel drawn to her. She preaches good will to all..."
The alchemist furtively looks to Vigny, then nods to himself as he settles again into the background.
Lyrakien Azata are celestials that celebrate freedom and are commonly from the realm of Elysium. They take the form of tiny lithe women with butterfly or moth wings. They are often seen serving Desna when on the material plane. While they have some characteristics in common with atomies, fairies, and pixies, they are not fey in any sense.
"Any of the followers of the goodly faith are welcome to my home," Spivey says with a grin as she flies along the path backwards so she can talk with you. "I've met Caydenites and Sarenrites, but that was before my master and teacher got eaten by a huge plant monster! It was this big!" Spivey holds her arms as wide as she can, and from fingertip to fingertip is only a foot. Seeing this, she tries to stretch her arms wider a couple of times, closing her eyes and grunting with the effort each time.
Reiko follows along quietly.
Spivey nods sadly at Soli's question.
"I've been tending the graves here."
Vigny figures she's done her part by explaining to the the fairy, or whatever she is, why she would have no ill intent. That's all the involvement she wants with a fey creature so she lets Soli deal with her.
Reiko frowns, listening carefully to what the small creature has to say.
Spivey shakes her head.
"My master didn't die here. I wandered for a bit then saw a shrine to Desna. It's a mess, though I tried to clean it up. I must have caught their attention, and they chased me out. I've been here ever since, tending the cemetery and the shine I made there. They think it's haunted though, so they rarely bother me," she says with a mischievous grin.
"Yup!"
Spivey nods as she gives the answer, Being around others, it seems, has lifted her spirits. The tiny woman grows more and more relaxed with each step you take and a smile isn't gone from her face for long.
"What brings you all the way out here? Most people seem to have to have a reason for coming all the way to an abandoned village," she says, giving a sage nod, only to have her attempt at being wise foiled by flying into a tangle of twigs.
While the fairy or whatever seems nice enough, that's the whole problem with fey beings thinks Vigny. Humans and fey are just not meant to mix. Things go bad without bad intentions necessarily coming into it.
Vigny trails along at the rear, wondering how many things she might like less than going to visit a cemetery with a fey creature, and who exactly "they" are.
Jerukh stoically listens to the fey's words.
Huge plant monster... I wonder if such a creature lurks here?
He eyes the trees and shrubs with a concerned look as he accompanies the others toward the cemetery and shrine.
"We are trying to solve a family's mystery. There may be important clues in some vaults beneath the castle. Have you seen any sign of an entrance?"
Spivey shakes her head sadly.
"I haven't seen any vaults under the castle, though I really didn't get all that far into it," she admits. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend though. Do you think it might be a ghost?"
"Yes, I think it could be a spirit of some sort." Reiko says with conviction.
Emi follows along being uncharacteristically quiet.
Iko, why did you have to get sick... I guess I shouldn't be upset, you took care of me while I was sick, but that's exactly the problem- if something happens to you who will I have left... who will get into trouble with me, and get me out of trouble? who will I eat breakfast with on those quiet mornings when I wake up alone? who will teach my children to sing, when I have them... many, many, many years from now? I need you, Iko... stay strong until we figure this out... please...
When Soli mentions seeing the shrine she musters a smile and a nod as she continues walking.
"Well, no one lives here anymore, and it looks like a lot of bad stuff happened. Isn't that what creates ghosts," Spivey says, Slowing to a stop as she ponders the question.
"Well, no one but the monsters," she adds in a quiet voice.
Jerukh trudges along still mulling the nature of the creatures the fey had restively touched upon;
"Monsters? What monsters little one? Plant monsters like you spoke of before?"
Spivey shakes her head.
"Big monsters, some that look like you took someone and stretched them out really weird and made them all lumpy. There's also the ones that look giants with crow's heads and taloned hands and feet with black feathers all over. They walk around sometime, but they stay mostly at the castle."
”Giant compared to whom, little vun?” Emi asks suddenly becoming somewhat aware of the conversation around her. ”Vould ve think they are giants or are ve nearly their size?”
Reiko nods, "These creatures sound interesting."
Jerukh frowns as he mulls the little fey's word - wracking his brain for any creature of lore that matches her descriptions;
Lumpy, stretched-out big monsters and crow headed giants... Ach! What could they be?
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