#odyssey

She whispers to Zane, "Not getting trapped in some devil's fiddle bargain here, playing for a fairy queen for all eternity..."

Zane nods

And the spear guys look confused but nod "You follow" one of them taps the silverr with a spear butt, and a side trail of silver opens

WIDE EYED. "How did they do that?!"

"Some rede I've never see before. But..we'll be safe ... maybe not from THEM but..."

"Mmm I don't like this, but... its' your quest" Jonas says

Looking up to Jonas, "if it means knowing which pool ISN'T the pool of death?"

"Fine..." he sighs "I see the logic" and so they follow. into forested area that soon gets more so. They're well protected...

for the spear men guard them

but it just gets Cooler, in a weird way

"Where are we? Is this one of those little... pocket cities, like Thule?"

"Perrhaps.. seems safe ish..." Zane looks around

They approach one hut/haven bigger than the others , and the guy with the heaviest spear calls out, even as he kneels, "Great Queen of the many circles! She who washes every meal... we bring you short fluff head singer with hornns hooves nice voice"

"SUUUURE you did" A voice calls out from within the hut, female all right "FINE.. let's hear her sing. Nothing primitive, you neanderthals make me miss One Direction and I didnn't even LIKE them"

"But..queen, there are FOUR Directions.." he grunts. Other spear men nod "North, South.. West.. East..."

"GAAAH! Just have what ever America Idol contender your abducted start SINGING, you cro Magmorons!"

Piper skips a step back, and takes a moment to run through her mental repertoire.

One draws a spear "you sing now... "

It sounds like she wants pop hits, so that's what Piper gives her! She inhales, and starts a quick montage, a few lines each from several of the most recent radio pop plays! Ed Sheeran, Weeknd, and Olivia Rodrigo...

Well, good for you, I guess you're getting everything you want (ah)
You bought a new car and your career's really taking off (ah)
It's like we never even happened
Baby, what the fuck is up with that?
...

And I know I lose control of the things that I say
Yeah, I was lookin' for a way out, now I can't escape
Nothin' happens after two, it's true, it's true
My bad habits lead to you...
...
I don't know why I run away
I'll make you cry when I run away
Save your tears for another day, ooh, girl,
I said save your tears for another day...

She catches her breath...

From within the hut, steps out the Queen. She wears a crown of crudely polished bone, local river stones, and flowers in her hair. She has a shift of short great fur but with a sash of silk in black.. and her tail, her ringed tail, appears to be chained to something inside the hut. She also has a very familiar face... open in delight and surprise "Holy Shit, Goat Girl? they FOUND YOU!"

For it is Rikki

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! Is that really you?!" She squeals!

Piper rushes forward and, if not stopped by the Spearmen, will give Rikki a big hug!

Rikki returns the hug "You DORK YOU JERK" But despite her harsh words, she squeezes hard "You ran off four DAYS Sso I had to ggo looking for you since I was bored and shit you would not believe what I've gone through to get you here, mostly because I'm a troll and we lie a lot.. JERK"

"Um, not to kink shame or anything, honest, you do you girl... but what's up with this?" Poking at the chain with a hoof.

"Turnns out being queen doesnn't come with a safe word" A GLARE at the chimerical spear men

"Can not let queenn leave, then we be queenless" One says/"Yes, We serve Queen. Easier to serve here if she go no where" Another agrees/"Do what queen want, but she stay here"

"What if I was to tell you that I know of a place where there were many ladies. You could each find your OWN queen, and not have to share?" She offers to the nearest Spearmen.

"But our Queen wear tribal war paint" They gesture to their eyes with circles

"I keep telling you guys it's just too little sleep" The Queen sighs

Zane looks at the chain "It's magiced up.. she can't change her form"

Piper FROWNS, and takes her boys aside for a moment. "Z, do you think it just prevents her from changing? Or could someone else still change her form?"

"Mmm let me think about it." He says as he runs fingers over it