Aniseed - NPC's page

When Zhu bends over to kiss Aniseed's hand, she grabs him by the collar and instead kisses him right on the lips, her tongue darting into and out of his mouth quick as a flash. A taste of strawberries lingers.
"Come by anytime you need something," the Witch purrs as she releases him, her eyes sparkling. "Old Aniseed will be here for a while yet, and my prices are always fair."

As the group starts to leave, the many pages tacked to the trees and bushes start to flutter and twitch as if in a powerful wind -- except there is no wind.

"Goodbye, my young friends, goodbye!" Aniseed calls out. "I'd accompany you to the edge of my territory, but I've got someone on the boil inside, and stews need proper tending. Goodbye and come again!"
You can hear the Witch chuckle to herself long after Arma had guided you out of the Dell and back to your proper path...

Aniseed cocks her head at Arma's offer and seems to consider.
Then she gets up, casually pushing off of Robert and Zhu, and sways over to Arma and Garnet. The Witch's feet make barely any sound at all as she stalks around the horse, looking her up and down.

"Steady, girl," she says in a soothing tone of voice as she strokes Garnet's nose. "I just want to look you over a bit."
The horse promptly opens her mouth so Aniseed can check her teeth, and allows the Witch to look at her hooves with good grace.

Finally, Aniseed spits in her palm and offers her hand to Arma.
"The offer will most certainly do /
so hereby I'll take her over from you /
Our deal I declare is done and done /
because although men and boys are fun /
but a Witch needs a good horse when she goes on the run /
And for her safety you need have no fear /
I don't mistreat my animal companions, my dear."

Provided Arma shakes the Witch's hand, she feels a jolt go all the way up her arm to her elbow -- and she knows the route to the Red Debbulls' lair; it's imprinted into her memory as surely as her own name!
Then, something unexpected; Garnet suddenly whinnies with shock and rears up on her hind legs -- and her body warps, her centre of mass and bone structure shifting. The horse sounds surprised, rather than in pain, but when the transformation is finished, the creature standing before you looks like a hybrid of human and horse, rather than a natural animal. Her eyes wide with amazement, Garnet is flexing her new fingers...

"There, business settled," Aniseed says as she sways back to the bench and sits down. "Unless there was anything else you all wanted?" The Witch snaps her fingers at Garnet. "You, Garnet. I've got a stable behind the house, go have a look. We can make any changes you want after we've had dinner. Step lively, girl!"

"Done!" the Witch says, grinning at Robert. "Whole, healthy, but probably a bit tired."

She smirks at Raina. "And to assuage your friend's fears; I'm not a Kuthite. Though I have been known to do some rope tricks, I'm not into chains."

Pulling Robert close, Aniseed leers at Zhu. "So. Do we have a deal, or is one of you going to give up something they truly love?"

Aniseed... laughs.

She guffaws.

She kicks her legs and laughs so hard that tears roll from under her eyelids.

When the bout of mirth has passed, she wipes away the tears and giggles a little before replying: "Oh, dearie! The friend the Harrow told you about? That isn't me. I am neither your friend nor your enemy. To me, this is just a business transaction, nothing more."

The Witch starts stroking the heads of the two men sitting beside her again.
"And I am not joining you on your little quest. I'm too old for that sort of nonsense, your problems don't interest me besides the business they might net me, and I am really very busy composing my spell. No, I'll take payment for my services. Pride is not my sin of choice -- and there are plenty of stories going around about me already, plenty to keep me in customers. Like young Xorshak."

The Witch grins nastily.
"Oh, yes. He has been one of my customers. I'll tell you that for free, but any more, you'll have to pay for. Heck, I can clarify each and every one of those Harrow readings for you, give you clear, concise answers -- so long as you pay me.

Hmm, but I must be fair. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. I'll make you a special deal; I'll give you directions to get to the Red Debbulls' lair, which guards Xorshak's tower. And in return..."

Aniseed's grip on Robert and Zhu becomes a little stronger.
"Hmmm. I could stand to unwind a little. I'll take these two for one night -- or else, one thing one of you truly holds dear. Not just something of value, something you love. How's that?"

"Show me your map," Aniseed says, after mulling over Kyrax' words for a moment.

Assuming that you do...

The Witch gives you a crooked smile. "I don't bend Fate for free, nor on a whim, boys - and girls. And I didn't do it here. Whoever left you this map wanted you to come to me; it leads straight here. If a Goblin did this, it's a tricksy specimen, and not stupid; a lot of the people who come here do, indeed, never return home. Nor go anywhere else."

Robert and Zhu feel Aniseed's grip tighten on their shoulders -- and now it is painful, although her expression of evil delight does not change.

"Excuse me," she says, smiling at Kyrax, "but did you just accuse me of waylaying you? Because that would be an insult."

Abruptly, the ambient temperature seems to drop a few degrees...

"Hmmm," Aniseed hums, her fingers trailing Zhu's jawline while she looks Kyrax in the eye. "What is the price of fate? A loaded question."

She cocks her head as Zhu speaks, and a more speculative expression crosses her face. "That does sound nice. But it rather depends on you returning to me alive -- and returning at all. I am not so trusting a soul. Any servant I send with you would be in some danger, and I'm a little too busy crafting a new spell to scry on you lot all the time. What to do, what to do...?"

A slow, evil smile blossoms on the Witch's lips. "I can twist your Fate-strands around my ankle. Once you have completed your quest in the lair of Xorshak, one way or another, those who survive will come to heel, my heel, no matter how battered your bodies. Fate itself will lead you to my doorstep. You will either pay me with your loot, or you will be mine to toy with as I please."

She raises a hand, forestalling objections.
"Fate for fate. And I will release you to go about your way once you have paid me, your Fate-strands free to resume their normal part in the great weave."

Aniseed leans back, still smiling. "Are we agreed? Safe passage to your destined path, in return for a twist on your destiny that will see you pay me? And do you want anything else before you go? Auntie Aniseed has many lovely things, and they're not all as expensive as a return to your destinies."

"Weeeell, that just depends on what you want, dearie," Aniseed said, clearly enjoying Arma's confusion. She visibly tweaks Robert's ear. "Depending on what you want, I might ask as little as a piece of copper. Or I could ask to have these two pretties for my property."

The two 'pretties' feel Aniseed's hands land squarely on their shoulders. Not painfully so, but very definite...

"Now then," Aniseed says, smiling once more. She packs up the cards, wraps them in silk and puts them away before leaning back, her hands toying with Robert's and Zhu's hair again.

"So much for the freebie you were owed, courtesy of your pointy-eared little friend staring at the stars so much," the Witch says, her smile somehow... corrupt. She blows Raina a little kiss. "Remember, dearie; when you stare at someone, they're going to look back.

With the reading concluded, let us get to business. What is it you'd like of old Aniseed, and how will you be paying?"