At long last, the pair stumbled into a bustling village. Sam had almost thought the hike would never end. It would have been uncomfortable in any circumstance because of his injured leg, but the fact that he had to have the human supporting him the whole time was downright torturous.

"JB!" Sam turned his head to see a teenage boy running up to them. The boy's companions joined him, looking intrigued at what the man- at what JB had brought back with him.

"Who's that?" A blonde haired girl questioned as she looked Sam up and down suspiciously.

JB only smiled fondly.

"This is a...friend I met in the woods. He got into a bit of a tricky situation. Sam, this is Katherine, Jonah, and Chip." JB gestured to each of them as he said their names. "Katherine, why don't you go let Angela know we'll be bringing someone in. Jonah and Chip, can you help me?"

Angela, for her part, wasn't stupid. She took one look at the iron burns and her eyes widened. She hurriedly thanked the children and sent them on their way before bolting the door and rounding on JB.

"What were you thinking bringing a fairy here?!"

"I know fairies are dangerous, but if I didn't get him, Gary and Hodge would have."

Angela sighed and reluctantly looked over the wound. After she was done she looked at the two of them and skeptically asked,

"I'm sorry, did you say his name was Sam? You're calling a fairy Sam?"

JB shrugged. "It was his idea," he defended. "They never like telling you their real names. Of course it sounds weird when you put it like that."

"Oh really? You're one to talk, Jester Boy," Angela teased. JB groaned, rubbing his hand on his forehead.

"That was once..." he lamented. He looked over at Sam. "My real name's Alonzo, but JB just stuck. I have the three you met earlier to thank for that."

Sam didn't comment on this, testing out his leg. It seemed that Angela's medicine was decent at least. Perhaps she wasn't a completely incompetent alchemist.

"Will you tell me what you want now?"

JB hesitated, a guarded look coming over him. He gave Angela a look and seemed to communicate something with it.

"I'll leave you to it," and then she was gone.

JB sighed, leaning against the wall.

"I know it's unusual and maybe it's a lot to ask but I…" he trailed off, suddenly seeming very interested in the floor. Sam studied his face, searching for answers. JB looked up, and for the first time Sam saw how tired he looked. JB caught his eye and Sam was reminded again of the wildness in the forest. The man seemed hesitant.

"Are you any good at healing?"

"Why not ask the woman who fixed my leg?"

"Angela," JB corrected. "This is a little… out of her field of expertise."

Could he stop beating around the bush and spit it out already? Sam sensed that wasn't going to happen any time soon, so he took an educated guess.

"You're going mad."

JB nodded stiffly, looking away again. That was fairly unsurprising, he was a seer. Many who were gifted with the Sight went mad. There seemed to be some kind of connection.

"Maybe you could take the hallucinations away? Or maybe the Sight? It would make everything a lot less...confusing."

Of course, who could trust an mad seer? When others didn't have the Sight, who could tell what he said was truth that only he could see and what was the trick of an ill mind? It was a far more interesting case than usual, humans had a habit of wishing for shallow and boring desires. JB had resumed talking at some point, and was now babbling on about something. Oh well, it probably wasn't important anyway. Sam cut in before he got too off track.

"I can do you one better. I can cure you."

"And how do I know you won't trick me? Cure something inconsequential?"

"Be specific in your request and I won't be able to," the fairy reminded him with a smirk. JB's jaw worked for a second, seemingly deep in thought. Sam knew from his face he would give in even before he spoke. Finally, he nodded and voiced his wish. Sam noted how careful he was with his wording and felt a flash of amusement.

"We have a deal," Sam intoned, spreading his arms dramatically. The specifics of the deal were now unalterable. Now came the harder part, but Sam had never backed down from a challenge. This was far preferable to being stuck in a trap, at any rate.