"So, you really can help, Griza?"
 
 
"Of course, dear Nillyna. After all, breeding animals is my specialty."
 
 
Nillyna sat in an armchair staring into the massive crystal ball housed in an elegant golden tripod about the size of a globe. These enchanted objects were used by spellcasters for long range communication, able to contact anyone as long as a matching crystal ball was nearby, and at the moment had Nillyna been using it to contact anyone who could help her fix her lack of game for Lily. It hadn't been easy, to say the least.
 
 
Most people who specialize in livestock usually raise domestic animals, creatures that don't live for anything other than to be eaten eventually, and if Nillyna chose that option she would most likely have to lead the unsuspecting animals to Lily (with a harness, or something) and then leave them to be devoured, all the while the poor creature would not even have the sense to fight back. Nillyna suspected such a thing would be unappealing to Lily. No, Lily would most likely prefer to catch her prey, not have it fed to her.
 
 
But finding someone who could breed 'wild' game was difficult.
 
 
Though there is a select group who would no doubt have been up to the task but up until now Nillyna was hoping she would not need to turn to them, but had had no success with the local breeding businesses. Not that she had anything against the party in question, she was actually a very loyal connoisseur of theirs, having done business for years, but the problem wasn't their business ethics it was the distance. The trip was taxing, especially since she had only been there yesterday, plus, she wasn't comfortable leaving Lily alone for so long, at least now that they were 'somewhat' together.
 
 
But Lily was going to need food, and since feeding her domestic animals (as if she herself was a pet) wasn't a savory option then Nillyna had no choice.
 
 
So the image of the Tetra, Griza, was projected over the surface of Nillyna's crystal ball.
 
 
Her specialty was breeding any form of animals, be they livestock for farming communities, household pets, or wild game for people who lend their land to hunters.
 
 
"Deer, rabbits, even some wild pigs. I have a wide assortment of animals that can be reintroduced to a suitable environment," said Griza.
 
 
"And they will be wild?" Asked Nillyna, "I won't need to feed them, or anything?"
 
 
"As long as you have a sustainable ecosystem for them to thrive on they will thrive without your intervention," replied Griza, winking. "I guarantee it."
 
 
Nillyna smiled, but had one more dilema to verify. "How long?"
 
 
"If you stop by our Meadow tomorrow and seal the deal with me I can have the animal's airship lifted to your lofty estate in no less than five days, " explained Griza.
 
 
Nillyna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was precisely why she didn't want to turn to the Tetra for this. Small purchases like her potion ingredients take at least a day in a half, what with the Meadow of the Tetra's magical security and all, but large orders like she was putting together now need more time to prepare. Not to mention requiring a physical mode of transportation to its destination, seeing as how using magic to teleport so much good's was unwise.
 
 
But this was Nillyna's only option, she just hoped Lily didn't mind the wait.
 
 
"Very well, Griza," said Nillyna, standing up from her chair. "I'll stop by the Meadow tomorrow to seal our arrangement."
 
 
"Pleasure doing business with you." Griza's vision faded as the connection ended.
 
 
Nillyna sighed again, summoning her pipe to her hand, lighting it with a click of her fingers and taking a puff of its calming contents for the first time in days. Her stress at the less than satisfactory transaction ebbed a little the herbal blend did its thing but the lingering guilt for not being able to procure what Lily needed right then and there weighed heavily upon her. Walking over to a nearby table she peered at the unfurled Soul Contract as it sat upon the smooth, mahogany surface, a slight breeze from a nearby, open windows ruffling the transparent parchment.
 
 
Ever since she laid eyes on Lily's signature at the bottom Nillyna hadn't been able to get the plant girl off her mind. The recent tour she took Lily on around her estate had been such an enjoyable experience of her life, despite its simplicity, and even now her heart thudded like a drum in her chest at the mere memory. So this was what it felt like to be in love.
 
 
Never before had Nillyna been so happy, all of her accomplishments and academic success falling utterly short in the shadows of emotion Lily stirred up in her. She had been so blind. All the years spent in solitude, yet all this emotional delight could have come into her life long ago if only she had spent less time pursuing her own agenda instead of putting herself out.
 
 
Though, if she thought about it, who could measure up to Lily physically?
 
 
Her personality was unique, but (and Nillyna was sorry to admit) there were no doubt others with matching personalities, but physically, Lily was one of a kind. Multiple limbs that could caress a lot of your being, a drop dead attractive womanly body, a secondary mouth that was (when it wasn't making a meal out of you) somewhat cute, could Nillyna even fall for anything other than that? Thinking about it, probably not, cause Nillyna had actually known people like Lily before and had felt no attraction.
 
 
Not that Nillyna didn't appreciate Lily's personality as much as her body.
 
 
But back to the subject of Lily's nurishment needs, Nillyna only hoped she would be understanding of the delay. Gathering up the soul contract in her hands and taking another puff from her pipe Nillyna slid the transparent document into a frame and hung it up on a wall. It was one of her most prized possessions now and not only was she going to take care of it she was going to give it the respect it deserves.
 
 
But now Nillyna needed to inform Lily of how long she would have to wait for her supply of live prey to arrive, so with a final puff of her pipe, she walked out into the dying day outside her house, the stars twinkling into the sky above her one by one.
 
 
Belus clung to the woodcarving ax so hard his palms began to bleed. Ever since he and his fellow merchants had decided to take Gloomy Pass to their next destination things had only escalated from bad to worse. They had discovered the first night that they were not alone here, which wasn't usually the case when they traveled through this misty forest.
 
 
A scream in the dead of night, the discovery of a bloody bed role, it proved that something was out there among the trees and fog.
 
 
From then on the caravan had been picked off one by one, and now Belus found himself alone, having been separated from the rest of the group after the last attack had sent everyone into a panic. He trekked through the thick gloom, hoping to stumble upon his missing traveling companions, resisting the urge to call out to them for fear of drawing the attention of whatever was prowling out there. All he could do was pray he found the rest of the caravan before whatever was out there found him.
 
 
Suddenly Belus's foot caught on something and he stumbled to the ground, his ax clattering to the ground next to him.
 
Looking to see what had tripped him up Belus was barely able to suppress a scream of terror as he crawled away, grabbing his fallen ax and holding it to his chest as gazed at what lay before him. The body of the Tetra Slith was on the ground, the dismal sunlight that could penetrate the mist illuminated his mangled corpse. He had gone missing several nights ago, one of the many who had vanished so far, and his current state didn't bode to the fate of the other victims.
 
 
Two of his legs were missing, pools of blood gathering near the stumps, but nowhere near the size of the massive puddle that had flowed from his mutilated torso. Not a single shred of flesh was left, only a limp sheet of scaly skin remained wrapped around the shattered rib cage, everything single organ it may have housed removed. Belus could only sit on the ground, petrified as he stared into Slith's dead eyes, which still seemed to contain a bit of pain and fear, signifying that his end had been anything but swift.
 
 
SNAP!
 
 
The loud snap of a twig reverberated around Belus, bringing his focus to the surrounding area shrouded in fog.
 
 
SNAP!
 
 
Another stick snapped in the complete opposite direction, Belus springing to his feet and brandishing his ax.
 
 
"Wh-who's there?" He mumbled.
 
 
SNAP!
 
 
Belus turned towards the direction of the latest noise and this time he caught a glimpse of something. Two yellow spots shown from within the shadow of a massive form shrouded in the surrounding fog, blinking once, revealing themselves to be eyes, before whatever it was slipped back into the cover of the fog and vanished from sight. Belus trembled as he began backing away from where he had seen the thing.
 
 
"Growl!"
 
 
Belus gasped in fear and alarm at the sound of low, yet vicious growling coming from his left, turning and swinging his ax. He hit only air, and what was worse, something sprang from the mist while his arm was outstretched and snatched the ax from his grip before retreating back into the mist. Belus could only stand there, disarmed, frozen in fear as a loud snapping noise echoed from around him, no doubt the fate of his ax.
 
 
Unable to hold it back any longer, Belus made a mad dash into the trees, his heart pounding quickly with all the adrenalin being forced through his body.
 
 
 RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE!
 
 
Something shifted within the underbrush to Belus's left and when he turned to look, what he saw almost made him stumble in fear. Those same yellow eyes were leering at him through the fog, easily keeping pace with him. Then they vanished.
 
 
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE!
 
 
Belus turned to his right, seeing the same eyes before they vanished again.
 
 
Then Belus tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.
 
 
ROAR!
 
 
Belus flipped over on his back as a massive roar sounded above him, but only had time to stare in fear as a massive dark form pounced from the fog, yellow eyes glowing from within its depths.
 
 
For the next few minutes all Belus knew was fang's, claw's, and pain.
 
 
Lily was really engrossed in the book Nillyna had provided for her.
 
 
Not only was it more structured than any other books she had had the rare opportunity to read whenever she came across one, it had a storyline she could appreciate and follow. The creature that was ravishing the people in the story really intrigued her, its method of hunting unique.
 
 
First it whipped its prey (said prey being the unfortunate traveling merchants) into a panicked frenzy, then began to pick them off one by one. It was a method of hunting Lily had never considered before. Lily was an opportunist, she would wait for prey to come within reach, but the thought of using ambush and fear to draw her prey interested her greatly.
 
 
Maybe, once she had live prey to feed on once more, she could instigate this tactic herself.
 
 
knock knock
 
 
Lily not only heard but felt something knocking on her leafy opening from above. She looked up from her book, cocking her head in confusion, wondering how someone could have gotten close enough to her main body without her vines alerting her through sensing their movement. Inserting one of her leaves into the book to mark her place Lily ascended up the entrance of her sanctuary towards the surface. Emerging from her aperture, Lily came face to face with a hovering Nillyna, her wings flapping gently as they kept her aloft.
 
 
"Nillyna?" Lily exclaimed, stretching. "Why are you... hovering over me?"
 
 
Nillyna smiled. "Didn't wanna startle you. You once told me your thorny vines extended the farthest."
 
 
"Well, what do you want?" Asked Lily, not aggressively, but eager to return to reading.
 
 
Nillyna actually looked a little ashamed.
 
 
"I apologize, Lily," she began, fiddling with her talisman. "But I am afraid it's going to take a couple days for your prey to arrive."
 
 
'Days?' Lily didn't like the idea of having to wait so long to have some live meat.
 
 
"Why so long?" She asked, already dreading how hungry she would be after days of waiting. "You said you could provide anything I could need."
 
 
"And I am!" Said Nillyna almost desperately. "I just didn't think I would have to go so far to get wild prey for you."
 
 
Lily looked confused again. "Wild prey?"
 
 
Nillyna nodded. "It's been most challenging to find someone who raises wild livestock."
 
 
Lily didn't know that last word, but figured it had something to do with food. "What is there other than wild prey?"
 
 
Nillyna actually had an embarrassed look about her. Maybe she was ashamed of how pampered she was compared to her partner.
 
 
"In the civilized world we have domestic animals." At Lily's further confusion Nillyna explained further. "Animals whom we have tamed through feeding and wellbeing care. We basically raised them to not see us as potential predators, even though we intend to eat them.
 
 
"The only livestock vendor who doesn't raise them like that is... pretty far from here. I will have to meet up with her tomorrow to make arrangements, after that it's all a matter of how long it takes for the animals to arrive."
 
 
Lily actually balked. "Why would anyone do that?"
 
 
"To make food easier to come by?" Was Nillyna's answer.
 
 
Lily could not grasp the concept of why anyone would do such a thing. Catching challenging prey was the most rewarding part of feeding for Lily, so why would anyone deny themselves the satisfaction of taking down live morsels? Nillyna seemed to catch the look of revolution on Lily's face and smiled.
 
 
"I figured that prey that would not even have the sense to fight back wouldn't be appealing to you," she explained. "Which is why it's going to take so long for your sustenance to arrive."
 
 
Lily was brought out of her revolution to the thought of not having to snag prey in her vines and back to the current dilemma of how long she was going to have to wait for food. But she couldn't help a spark of gratitude from plussing in her breast when she realized that Nillyna had taken an obviously more difficult method of getting her what she wanted when simpler avenues were available.
 
 
"I... guess it can't be helped," she found herself saying.
 
 
Nillyna looked surprised. "You... aren't too mad?"
 
 
"Why would I be? You apparently have done your best. How could I ask for anything more?" Lily grabbed her own arm as she frowned. "Although… I definitely don't like the idea of having to wait so long."
 
 
Obviously, neither did Nillyna. "Well...we only have to wait for the wild game. In the meantime, I could feed you domestic livestock I can buy from closer vendors."
 
 
Lily didn't like the idea of having to feed on animals that won't even recognize the danger, but between that and starving what choice was there?
 
 
"I... think I can live with that," she said.
 
 
Nillyna smiled at Lily's acceptance. "It won't be for long, I promise."
 
 
Lily just smiled at the hovering Nillyna, stretching as she suddenly yawned.
 
 
"Ready to go to sleep?" Nillyna asked, smiling wider at how cute Lily looked while sleepy.
 
 
"Yeah," Lily responded.
 
 
"Well, I won't disturb you for any longer." Nillyna lifted herself higher and settled in a nearby tree.
 
 
Lily looked up at her questioningly. "What are you doing up there? Aren't you going to return to your house to get some sleep yourself?"
 
 
"I will soon," said Nillyna, "But the moons will be rising soon so I think I will just sit here and watch them for a while."
 
 
Nillyna had not had a chance to look at the moons of Aquasa ever since she found herself lost in her despair at Lily's rejection, but with her heart now mended with her and Lily's agreement she found herself looking forward to one of her favorite recreational hobbies. Lily's eyes widened at the mention of the moon's. She herself hadn't seen them in so long, not since finding herself trapped in Nillyna's cellar.
 
 
"You... like looking at the moons?" Lily asked, unable to keep a slight giddiness from her voice. She herself had wondered what her relationship with Lily would be like, her rudimentary knowledge on the subject at least allowing her to be aware that two intimate partners should share more than just that, and other than eating, Lily really didn't have many hobbies to speak of, so she wasn't sure what her and Nillyna could share together. Hearing Nillyna liked to look at the moons was the first thing Lily found she had in common with the Lepidopteran girl.
 
 
Plus, she found herself desiring Nillyna's company closer to her...much closer.
 
 
"Well, why not come back down here and sit with me? I like watching the moons too." Lily once again constructed a makeshift chair out of her vines.
 
 
Nillyna looked down at her with slight surprise. She had flown up into this tree so she could still be close to Lily while not appearing overly clingy, plus, she doubted moon gazing was anything Lily would be interested in. Apparently, she had assumed wrong.
 
 
Smiling, Nillyna glided back to the ground and sat upon Lily's offered vines.
 
 
"Thank you," she said.
 
 
Lily didn't reply, instead she surprised Nillyna once again by extruding more of herself out of her plant body on that extensive stem she had in place of leg's, slinking over and positioning herself behind Nillyna. She wrapped her arms around Nillyna's neck, gently positioning them over her chest, then rested her head on Nillyna's shoulder. Nillyna could only stare at Lily with a look of shock, sitting in Lily's embrace.
 
 
She wasn't sure why the plant girl suddenly prompted this bold move and was about to question, but stopped herself when she peered into Lily's only visible eye as she smiled at her from over her shoulder. A sense of happiness and belonging washed over Nillyna at the close proximity of the one she loves and it didn't matter why she suddenly instigated this contact, all that mattered was Lily and this moment. Smiling, Nillyna wrapped her arms around Lily's, leaning her cheek to hers as they both beheld two silver celestial bodies as they appeared in the sky, crescent giants that bathed the gentle scene between Nillyna and Lily below in pale light.
 
 
Eventually, after hours of enjoying each other's company in the beautiful night, Nillyna and Lily had to get some sleep.
 
 
"Will I see you in the morning?" Lily asked, yawning as she began to recede into herself.
 
 
"I will stop by to check on you before I leave," said Nillyna, also yawning. "I have to finalize the deal with Griza or your prey will take even longer to get here."
 
 
Lily, to her surprise, found herself sad to hear that. Despite having lived alone in her meadow for uncounted amount of years she was coming to accept she was growing to like Nillyna's company, and the thought of her going away tomorrow didn't make her happy. If anything, it only made Lily desire Nillyna's company more.
 
 
'How is this happening to me?' Lily thought to herself, unable to comprehend what the great attraction to Nillyna was about, especially given the fact that she had devoured many people like her (even Nillyna). 'Am I growing soft?"
 
 
Once again Lily's predator pride reared its head and she wasn't able to repress a witty remark to satisfy it.
 
 
"Well, be sure to make it snappy." Nillyna stuck her face up smugly. "I can't sustain myself on that liquid of yours forever."
 
 
Nillyna could not help but smile. She could still see through Lily's mask clear as day.
 
 
"I will be sure to hurry, make no mistake," she said, walking slightly closer to Lily. "And Lily?"
 
 
Lily looked down at Nillyna's inquiry, but suddenly found a petite Lepidopteran hand placed to the back of her head, which gently brought her down where her lips met Nillyna's. Her eyes widened, for once again there was no lust or desire in this kiss. Just pure affection and care.
 
 
Before the kiss lasted a second Nillyna separated from Lily, looking into her eyes with a kind smile.
 
 
"Goodnight." Nillyna turned around and started walking to her house, her gaze fixated on the two moons traveling the night sky.
 
 
Lily could only watch her retreating figure, her lips tingling from her first ever goodnight kiss. It wasn't until the moons had crested the sky before she regained enough mental stability to retreat back into her plant body for the night, but the tingling sensation that was building in her chest never lessened.
 
 
The next morning found Nillyna waking with a sense of fulfillment she hadn't known in what felt like forever. Ever since Lily had rejected her affection and slapped her hard enough to floor her Nillyna hadn't been to aware of her surroundings all that much, the most coherent she had been was her visit to Sylvia at the Meadow of the Tetra, anything other than that was accomplished through pure bodily impulses, driven by her goal of that moment, whether that was caring for the restrained Lily or trying to find her a new place to root down, but now that Lily was fully on board with her Nillyna felt whole again. Rising from her bed had never been so easy now that she really had someone to rise for.
 
 
Stifling a yawn, Nillyna sat up in her bed and stretched her four arms. As her lower left hand brushed the empty space next to her upon the lavish, four-poster bed Nillyna could not help but contemplate on the one fact she didn't like about her current relationship. Lily, for all intents and purposes, was a plant when boiled down to the simplistics, and therefore, she needs to be planted in soil.
 
 
Which means Nillyna could never take her to bed and actually sleep with her. Nillyna desired that, she wanted to wake up with that gorgeous face lying next to her every morning, but it just wasn't plausible. Not only was Nillyna doubtful that Lily would enjoy being inside her house (she didn't appreciate the cellar at all) she was fairly certain that Lily would not even be able to fit in her, what with how big she was when uprooted.
 
 
But that was a small conundrum that didn't even need to be addressed, it was more than enough for Nillyna just to have Lily close in any way possible.
 
 
"Plus, maybe I can spend the night with her in her sanctuary sometime," contemplated Nillyna out loud," It was so cozy in there."
 
 
Growl
 
 
The sudden trembling from her lower stomach made Nillyna realize that she was quite famished. She hadn't eaten properly since her depression spell, and now that the dark clouds that had encompassed her thoughts had cleared her body was reminding her that it was in desperate need of nourishment. And she wasn't the only one.
 
 
Her own hunger reminded Nillyna that there was still a lack of meaty morsels for her girlfriend to ensnare with her vines, and, unlike Nillyna, Lily has most likely not had a proper meal in who knows how long, especially considering the fact that Nillyna technically was supposed to be her next decent meal. Yes, Nillyna was certain Lily was famished, and, per the agreement, it was her duty to provide for the plant girl.
 
 
And she had already made the necessary arrangements, all that was left now was to travel back to the Meadow of the Tetra and finalize the deal with the vendor.
 
 
So after a hurried breakfast Nillyna molded her wings into travel appropriate clothes, retrieved her trusted talisman cane, (she had best take it this time and not be sloppy like last time) and hiked out to where Lily had been planted to explain to her that she was going to be gone for an extended period of time in order to acquire the prey she will need sustain herself. Lily once again tried to hide behind a mask of bravado, but Nillyna was getting good at seeing through it, she even thought it was kinda cute.
 
 
Nillyna set out for the Meadow of the Tetra around midmorning, fully confident this situation would be entirely resolved soon.
 
 
Maybe she should have extended the security of her domicile before she left, but after so long without incident, Nillyna believed that the skyward nature of her home was enough to deter anything anyone might be tempted to attempt. After all, it takes a great deal of magic to teleport yourself to this floating landscape, well beyond the means of the average spellcaster. Such arcane mastery was scarce among the populous of Aquasa, and Nillyna was well aware that she was one of those privileged few.
 
 
But few wasn't the same as the only one.
 
 
There was another with the capacity to teleport up here, same as Nillyna…
 
 
...A certain individual with a hateful grudge against Nillyna.
 
 
Linda was a Lepidopteran on a mission.
 
 
For years the seed of resentment over the one whom she blames for her ostracization from the arcane arts had festered in her soul until it weaved through her psyche like a mental ivy vine. Years of bitterness and spite towards the one who outed her underhanded attempt at stealing work not her own, resulting in her expulsion from arcane study and being branded as a novice. Years of jealousy at a lavish and luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by the one responsible for her struggles, battling and straining with the most tedious, undignifying tasks known to the world just to keep herself alive.
 
 
And if it wasn't for the fact that, despite how it ended, Linda did, at one point, attend a most prestigious magical learning university, and therefore was intelligent, and was aware, all things considered, retribution against Nillyna would most likely result in either a humiliating defeat or a gruesome death, she would have retaliated long ago. The gap in their talent back at magic school was small, but substantial, and with how many years have gone by Linda was certain Nillyna's talents could only have progressed, while she was pretty much the same as she was back then. If it wasn't for these facts Linda would have attempted revenge, but kept herself in check for her own self preservation.
 
 
Until she spotted Nillyna at the Meadow of the Tetra.
 
 
The image of Nillyna throwing the book at her was forever ingrained within Linda's mind and her poise and arrogance back then was quite palpable, so to see her walking around with none of her renowned smugness, instead possessing a look of utter soul crushing misery jutted out at Linda like a beacon. She followed her, eventually finding her entering a Tetra's tent who specialized in potion ingredients, entering the establishment herself and threatening the proprietor from the shadows while she observed.
 
 
Sylvia assumed Nillyna was having relationship problems, and even if that was the case, (which Linda highly doubted) Linda could feel that this was finally her chance at the retribution she so craved. Nillyna was no doubt vulnerable in this state and like a lion sensing when a gazelle is injured and weak Linda went on the hunt. Now was her chance to get her hands on something that would finally drag her out of this funk and into the lap of luxury where she belonged and put Nillyna in her place to boot.
 
 
All she needed to do was bide her time until she could strike.
 
 
And that time was now.
 
 
Linda stood in the shadow of Nillyna's levitating estate and smirked at herself once she sensed a teleportation spell carrying someone off into the distance, in the direction of the Meadow of the Tetra.
 
 
'Perfect!' Linda thought to herself.
 
 
That particular journey would take Nillyna half a day at the least, more than enough time for Linda to pillage her home and steal her latest magical prodigy, whatever that was. Linda was certain that in her current state Nillyna did not have the capacity to be as cautious as she was when she found Linda out so long ago, so whatever was up there was going to be easy pickings, she assumed. All that was left to do now was find it.
 
 
"HISSS!"
 
 
'Nnnngh!'
 
 
Linda mentally grunted in pain as her contingency plan acted up again. She was no fool. On the off chance Nillyna found her out again she had a backup plan.
 
 
Even Nillyna would be no match for what Linda had in store.
 
 
"HISSS!"
 
 
But first the thing needed to be sated.
 
 
Looking towards the heavens, to the magic providing blue sun, Linda absorbed magical energy through her crimson eyes and channeled it towards a ruby pommel sticking out of the robes her wings were currently morphed into. The painful sensation died down as the thing at her side fell silent. It was tedious to carry the thing, but as of now, it was Linda's only trump card against Nillyna's and her magical prowess. Though when the sun went down that was when anything advantageous about the thing would become double edged, but Linda had a plan for that too.
 
 
Channeling more sunlight into her eyes to fuel her spell Linda vanished in a teleport, a sizable pouch at her belt jingling from the multiple metallic objects it contained.
 
 
Linda reappeared in front of the lavish entrance to the overbearing mansion that Nillyna housed herself in when she was up here, the multistory building casting her in its shadow.
 
 
Linda frowned at the sight, tilting her head up in order to take in as much of it as possible, a bitter taste forming on her tongue. She knew that Nillyna's house was grandiose, but was still put off by the structure. After all, if circumstances had been different this would have been hers.
 
 
Linda pushed those thoughts aside, there would be time for that later. Now she needed to get what she came for, and if and when she succeeds she would have all this and more.
 
 
Lifting up her upper right hand Linda scanned the area with magic to judge the security of this place, and her earlier assumptions came true. There was practically nothing in this place that was meant to thwart intruders, either Nillyna didn't see the need, or was off her game due to her emotional turmoil, but whatever the case, Linda was free to rummage through this place to her heart's content.
 
 
Not wasting any time Linda threw the massive doors open and trotted inside like she owned the place.
 
 
Inside was just as extravagant as the outside and the sight almost made Linda choke on bile. But she kept her facilities in check and began to sift through Nillyna's belongings. She really didn't grasp the concept of how vile her behavior was.
 
 
She found the typical things one might find in the home of an exceedingly wealthy individual, like expensive jewelry, fancy trinkets, and the like, but that wasn't what Linda was after. No, this wasn't about monetary gain, this was about so much more. She would claim Nillyna's current project whatever it may be) and claim it for herself.
 
 
And she had no doubt that it would be extravagant enough to set her up for life.
 
 
Usually whenever Nillyna completed one of her projects the finished product took the world by storm, almost guaranteed. It was Linda's festering desire to claim the next one as her own. And another fact that made Linda all the more confident that there was something to gain from all this was the lack of activity from Nillyna as of last.
 
 
It had been many years since Linda's rival delivered anything to the world, and that was highly unusual of her. Nillyna had been most successful regarding her crafts and usually only took two years at the most to produce something, so for her to go quiet for so long was most unusual. Linda could only assume that whatever it was it must be Nillyna's best work yet.
 
 
And it would belong to Linda, if it was the last thing she did.
 
 
And even if it was incomplete, Linda was competent and she could finish what Nillyna started.
 
 
Searching the houses recreational areas, such as the bedrooms, kitchens, or living rooms didn't yield any results, but Linda wasn't expecting to find anything there, she just searched them to be thorough. After all, research notes could be left anywhere. The real promise came when Linda searched the study.
 
 
It was equipped with several stories of bookshelves, all packed with books, and a small alchemic workstation, but what had transfixed was the tall standing cabinet at the far end of the room. It was a standard wooden cabinet, about seven feet tall, but what was unique was the massive silver ring encompassing its frame. It was large and elegant, with a sizable red gem set where the ring met the crease in the doors.
 
 
 Linda knew a binding magical lock when she saw one, and judging by the size of this one, it was potent indeed. If there was ever a place to hide something of immense value that would be it. Growing a malicious smile, Linda approached the cabinet, fully intent on plundering its contents.
 
 
Locks like this require certain inputs of magic to open, but Linda was sure she could deduce the combination. Laying her hand that bore her ruby talisman ring on the smooth surface of the gem, Linda brought forth her magic, fueled by the talisman due to the shaded environment of the study.
 
 
'HISSS!"
 
 
Only for the reluctant companion at her hip to act up again.
 
 
"Damnit!" Linda muttered to herself.
 
 
Using magic caused the thing to act up, and cut off from a ready supply from the sun Linda would soot find it reacting to her talisman and if anything happened to her magic vessel she would be defenseless against Nillyna if she was found out. That cane of that pompous, pearlescent Lepidopteran was almost as notorious as she was, famed for being able to store an above average store of magic outside of the sunlight. It was one of the main reasons Linda had dared buy this dangerous thing she now carried, but it would do her no good if she was magic-less if the worst were to come to pass.
 
 
'No worries, I just need to distance myself from it until I get this cabinet unlocked." Linda reached under her robes, and with the sound of straps being unbuckled, pulled a dark black sword shrouded in a shimmering nimbus from the depths of her clothes, a ruby shining in the pommel.
 
 
'HISSS!'
 
 
Acting before things got worse Linda carried the sword over to the table with the alchemy equipment and set it down, backing away to increase her distance. She stumbled over something and fell onto her butt.
 
 
"Ow!" She mumbled, rubbing her abdomen while she sought out what tripped her up. Lying next to her heel was a small travel back, having been left on the floor.
 
 
"Getting sloppy are we, little miss perfect?" Linda picked up the bag and scowled at it, but slightly amused that the ever boastful Nillyna would leave this lying on the floor, rather than putting it in its proper place like she did everything else.
 
 
Feeling like snooping (Nillyna would still be at the Meadow of the Tetra for hours) Linda rummaged the contents of the back.
 
 
"What a grotesque looking time," she said, pulling out the sole item the bag contained.
 
 
The book was moldy, dog eared, and faded, something that would not usually be caught dead in the possession of someone like Nillyna. Not unless it was important somehow.
 
 
"What do you have to tell me?" Unable to help herself, Linda opened the aged book and rummaged through it.
 
 
It appeared to be a standard potions book, albeit a hand written one, and there did not appear to be anything extravagant to be found within…
 
 
Until Linda came upon one peculiar potion.
 
 
"A... a potion of eternal youth…?" Linda could not believe what she was reading.
 
 
A potion designed to halt the aging process and keep the taker in the prime of their lives for all eternity. This was it. This was definitely it.
 
 
This had to be what Nillyna had been working on for the last few years, and Linda was loath to admit, it was the ultimate achievement. To stay young forever, how could anyone not want that?
 
 
Linda looked up from the book to the bound cabinet. She deduced that, contained inside, was the ingredients forementioned in this book. Ingredients for something that could do the impossible.
 
 
"It's mine," she grumbled hysterically to herself, picking herself up off the floor and making her way to the front of the cabinet.
 
 
But before she could attempt to breach it's no doubt potent defenses her deductive mind put more pieces into place. If eternal youth was Nillyna's goal, why was she wasting her time buying rudimentary ingredients, like she saw her do while slinking in the shadows of Sylvia's tent. None of the ingredients she bought that day were mentioned in the ingredients for the potion, so why?
 
 
Once again pieces fell into place.
 
 
The book mentioned that the final, most important ingredient was the fruit of a special plant, the…Immortalitus plant? Linda had never heard of such a plant before, but with her studies being somewhat lacking she wasn't surprised, but back to her assumptions, Linda was soon seeing a pattern. A plant from which the sole most important ingredient for an unbelievable potion, ingredients for a potion designed to keep plants healthy, regardless of conditions?
 
 
"She has it!" Linda looked up to a window that provided a view of the lush land that made up Nillyna's estate. "The Immortalitus plant, that bitch Nillyna has it here."
 
 
It all made sense. Why stop at just making yourself young forever when you could also produce the means yourself and sell it off. Rich tycoons everywhere would pay handsomely for something like this, all Nillyna would have to do was name a price.
 
 
"No!"
 
 
All this made Linda's anger intensify to levels they never have before. This whole scenario was going to make Nillyna richer than ever, and it made her blood boil just thinking about it, but the riches wasn't what ticked her off the most. All that would belong to Linda if she could claim all this for herself like she originally planned, but now a new fact became apparent that she could not live with.
 
 
What if Nillyna was already immortal?
 
 
Living in the same world as that dream killer was hard enough, knowing that she might be able to walk Pangaea for all eternity, never aging, was unacceptable.
 
 
This wasn't about stealing prestigious accomplishments anymore, it was preventing the unthinkable. That sword, it was no longer the backup plan, it was the plan. The world wasn't big enough for both Nillyna and Linda anymore…
 
 
... especially if both were immortal.