Zirul nods in agreement with the group, then looks back at the young man. "You haven't consumed any of this, have you? She said just to give it to the kellid, nobody else, correct?"
"No, of course not", he says with a shake of his head.
***
"Sorry skinny. We're movin'. You can catch up."
"You're too antsy to wait 5 minutes, Primerib?" he grins.
"If Sefina's involved in this, this is bad. Last time I saw her, I left her so happy she'd have done anything for us. We need to get to her and see what's going on before things get any worse."
Zirul raises an eyebrow to get a further explanation. "Who is this lady anyways?"
"A fey. Capricious, beautiful, nasty when angry... a nereid. And... don't let her kiss you or spit on you."
Bjorkus chuckles.
"That mouth is dangerous alright."
He grimaces.
"Gotcha. So basically, don't piss her off and don't get her wanting you in the bed."
As the party steps into the clearing where Sefina's spring is, a rocket flies into the air and explodes into fireworks filling the nightsky with brilliant points of colored light
"I'm so sorry neighbors..." a feminine voice calls out from the water.
"I have no choice!"
"What do you mean you have no choice? Come out here and explain yourself!" Luthor double moves to the edge of the water.
"No choice? Always a choice." Zirul single moves and downs a Shield extract.
"Oh s++!. We didn't plan that firework. Is that a signal for something? Tell us now Sefina!"
Opal castes Haste upon her group.
Kal begins gesturing at the sky, speaking words of power to call forth lightning.
The voice can be heard sobbing.
"Not all of it. No! He made me! He took something... Something I need. He made me charm that boy and talk him into feeding your guest that poison to make him lustful."
Kal is aware that nereid all posses a special shawl that ties their life force to the material plane. Without it a nereid will wither and die within hours if they don't get it back or craft another.
"Damn it. Forget her for now, we should get back to guests and she won't go far!"
"Who did!? Why didn't you just ask us for help?" Luthor will total defense.
"Kal...what's going on?
Zirul pulls out his rapier, keeping his eyes open and looking around.
"We need to figure out what to do, and fast."
"Come on Sefina. We're your neighbors - your friends. We helped each other, remember? Remember how good you felt when we were together? Who did this?" Bjorkus rumbles.
"Your shawl? Who took it? And as Luthor said... why didn't you come to us?"
The starless cloud-filled nightsky rumbles with growing thunder.
***
"A cruel little man. He came here claiming to be a friend but when I let him into my spring he stole from me. I can't remember what it's like to feel good... It hurts... It feels like dying..."
Suddenly the water within the spring surges forward as a monstrous wave and takes a vaguely humanoid form. The living wave smashes watery limbs down on the two men closest to the spring.
Bursting from the water is an unearthly beauty with long dark hair. However, unlike last time the party met her, the nereid's normally glowing skin is sickly and dull. She waves her delicate arm sending a spray of water at Luthor. The crystal clear water is cloying and burns Luthor's eyes.
"WHO WAS IT?" yells Kal again.
Kal turns to Bjorkus. "Get to her, subdue her... we need to figure out who's behind this. If we can return her shawl, she may be alright... I don't want to kill her."
He moves to Bjorkus and casts a spell, causing him to move even more quickly than he already was.
Bjorkus nods and, on hooves borne on water, rushes across the clearing towards the spring.
He lunges for the nereid.
"You've gotta stop this. Let us help!"
"I don't know!" Sefina sobs. "I've never seen him before. After he took my shawl he gave me the glass full of spirits and told me what I had to do..."
As Bjorkus crosses the water, the elemental lashes out with a massive limb.
But it bounces harmlessly off of the bull's thick hide.
The minotaur easily overpowers the delicate fey. She gasps in surprise.
"She's not leaving us much of a choice, but I'll try."
Luthor manages to fight off the poisoned water and slams his brass knuckles into the watery mass assaulting him.
The blow is solid but not wholly effective.
Zirul growls out. "Lady, if you kill us, you're gonna be even further up s+&& creek!."
Zirul's quick swipes leave marks in the elemental's form but they're not as deep as they should be.
Opal steps forward and fires a pair of her signature arcs of lightning at the elemental.
Both connect wounding the elemental greatly.
The elemental rears back to slam into those in front of it again.
Sefina struggles against the raging bull.
But can't break his mighty grip.
"I'm sorry", she sobs. "I'm sorry."
Growling low, he sees that the rapier will not do near enough to this sort of enemy, and as such, Zirul puts the weapon away and pulls out his mutagen, guzzling it down and grinning, as his limbs lengthen, and the dagger rows of teeth force his jaws to widen, his fingernails growing into long razor-like claws, and his skin growing leathery and covered in a patchwork of fur. The look in his eyes grow more feral.
Also using a free action for his Spontaneous Healing ability, to heal 5 damage.