Arachne sat in her garden, enjoying the first few waves of sunlight as it crested over her kingdom.

Her roses were in bloom, their smell masking the smell of the bodies hanging from her oak tree.

Soon, that damned demon whore would decorate her tree. The thought gave her peace, her shoulders relaxing as she prepared for her day. There were trade meetings to attend, then she had to make sure that the skirmish along their northern borders didn't result in loss of land. But, before all of that could commence, she awaited a report from her sister's child.

Arachne wasn't sure what to call that pathetic creature, other than an experiment. They were timid, though Arachne imagined it was better than murderous. When her sister had announced her pregnancy all those years ago, she had been suspicious. After all, men were nothing but a tool to Medusa, as she was sure that child would be.

She had been right by all accounts. Her sister had tested the borders of Dark Magic. Her insatiable curiosity had lead her to try and create a Hell Child, by binding a demon to her infant child. The experiment was a failure, the child was wracked by the demon in their head, and it expressed no supernatural abilities. They lived in the shadow of the castle now, doing their mother's bidding.

Quiet footsteps approached behind her, and stopped a great distance away. Arachne waved them forward with a tilt of her hand. Her sister's child approached her slowly, head bowed. They were a frail child, their hair haphazardly cut. They raised their eyes to meet hers. "T-The King w-was given another d-dose. N-not as big this time. M-medusa is worried about b-being caught."

"Oh thank you, Pet. Your Auntie was very worried about him. I appreciate your help."

They gave her a small smile, before turning to leave, back into the shadows of the castle. A little diplomacy was known to go a long ways, especially in family. She had to be completely free from suspicion, and she recognized her sister was going her a great service, taking care of her husband for her.

Eventually she was going to have to pay her back.

Oh well, The Queen thought to herself, as her maids brought her tea. Medusa just wants a Hell Child, and there was a perfectly good specimen just wasting away in her quarters.

Yes, Arachne was going to have a wonderfully busy day.

The air tasted different in the Forest.

It was perfumed, a sweet scent that rested on her tongue. Maka took another deep inhale, the taste of the trees almost overpowering. They hadn't gotten very far into the Forest, nearly a day's walk. Maka held the reigns of the horse in her hand, walking point. On either side of the beast, The Prince and Blake stood. Both had been quiet since passing the first wall of trees, their unease apparent on their faces. The Hell Child walking a few feet behind their party, a white knuckled fist on his bow. Maka took another deep breath, increasing her pace a little. "Soul, do you see anything?"

The Half Demon ran his eyes along the surrounding area, grip almost getting tighter. "Not that I can see, but that doesn't mean much. Some creatures can hide from me."

Maka nodded, and looked back at the Prince. "We just need to get to the Tree, right?"

He nodded. "Do you think you can find it?" Maka didn't answer, the brand against her breast tingling under her shirt. She was sure she could. The Tree in the center was believed to be the source of magic in the Forest, the force that protected the woods from the humans. Runes had been carved into the ancient bark, a spell of protection from each species that called the trees their home. Actually being able to stand in front of the Tree would not be easy, and petitioning it to share its knowledge with the son of the man who slaughtered its inhabitants would be near impossible.

A breeze danced through the leaves, and the men all froze. Maka rolled her eyes, tugging on the reigns. "We can't stop at every shiver that travels down your spine. You aren't welcome here, you won't ever relax. You need to adapt."

Blake scoffed, moving closer to the horse. "Oh aye, so like every other place I've laid my head."

"Blake I think the world is just antagonistic towards you." Her deadpan tone gifted her a laugh from the blue haired orphan, and she felt a small smile grow from her face as well. He shrugged, relaxing his shoulders enough that he looked a little smaller. "I fear if you look ready for a fight, one will find us all the sooner. Try to keep your hearts slow. Blood is easy to track."

"...How do you know so much of the Forest if this is your first time walking into it?" Kid questioned, and Maka shrugged.

"Some of it I just know. Others I learned the hard way. I grew up in a small village near the eastern entrance of the Forest. Close enough that Dwellers would prey on my neighbors. We all had basic knowledge of the ones who leave the trees. There's probably hundreds of creatures here I don't know about as well."

"So your mother fucked a Dweller then?" Blake asked, conversationally, without judgement in his voice. Maka shot him a look anyway, for good measure.

"My mother was the Dweller."

"...And she gave you back?" The Hell Child spoke that time, the smallest twinge of surprise in his voice. Maka would rather keep her story to herself, but these men, unwelcome or not, were her comrades. As a Dweller, she was their lifeline, but she was also their biggest liability, and they should know the danger they were in.

"She did."

"...Dwellers don't give up what is theirs." The Hell Child wasn't going to let her slide away from this, and now the Prince was looking at her critically. He would have basic knowledge of Dwellers himself. They weren't well documented, but some of the bigger magic users, Elves and Fae, had more of their lore spread throughout the kingdom. Those bigger clans had held land in the center of the kingdom, before they had been chased back into the Forest.

"No, they won't." Maka agreed, looking back at him. "The sun is sinking, are we walking through the night?"

"No." The Prince responded. "We have enough blankets to make comfortable mats, we should rest. You especially, Dweller. We need you sharp."

"Over near the willows." Blake spoke up, pointing to the small cropping of the dropping trees. "We can hide in the branches decently well, and our fire won't be as well seen."

"Might choke to death on smoke."

"Preferable to choking to death on blood."

No one could argue against that, and Maka lead her great beast towards the trees. The horse snorted, joining in her peace. The willows were tall, long skinny branches appeared to drop from the sky. They were close together, a thin wall of protection that required some effort to push through. Maka walked in first, fearless of discovery. Blake followed her after, sword drawn in preparation for being attacked. The Prince followed in next, with the Hell Child following in backwards, arrow nocked.

Inside the center of the trees, there was nearly a fifty foot circle of tall grass. Soul groaned, heading to the center so he could stomp down a fire pit. Blake began unloading blankets from the horse's pack. The Prince sat down, pulling a scroll from his pack, laying it flat against his leather pack. He pulled out a quill, and an ink pool. Maka tilted her head, peeking over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Trying my hand at mapmaking." He answered, dipping his quill. "So on our way out, we may have a better chance of returning."

"Or it'll be easier to invade the Forest someday."

"Dweller, we have no desire of invading the Forest. The creatures have settled here, which is ideal for my father's kingdom. And my father wasn't the one who drove them in, that was a lost king in the history books."

Blake snorted, dropping piles of blankets in different areas, making sure to set some a little farther away for Maka. "Your bloodthirsty father won't rest until nothing stands in his way but a dead army he can control."

"My father has no desire for war. He fought his, and he found peace. Why would he throw this kingdom back into chaos?"

"To beat that monster of your brother to it." Soul muttered through clenched teeth. The snarl that grew on the Prince's face was one Maka wouldn't have expected from such a collected person. He regained composure quickly, turning his attention back to his map.

"I wouldn't trust a word your sister told you of court, she would've been sitting at a very different vantage point. Like under my father's table." Kid shot back. The Hell Child very seriously looked like he was ready to embed an arrow in the Prince's throat, and Maka walked over to him, with a handful of twigs.

"Here, a start to firewood." Her voice pulled him from his rage, and he scoffed at her pathetic offering.

"Aye, we'll never grow cold now. Thanks."

"I'm here to make everyone's life better." She grinned at him, dropping the twigs in his palm. He nearly gave her a grin back, shaking his head.

"Go deo buíoch." He nodded, and she smiled.

"What does that mean?"

"Forever thankful."

Maka dreamt of fire, wild and unbidden, consuming all that it touched. When it came to lick at her heels, it didn't burn her. Rather it was cool to the touch, welcoming her into its blaze. Around her, she could hear screaming, deep voices screaming for help, screaming her name.

Come home The flames whispered.

"Maka!" The voices burning called to her. "Maka! Maka!"

Maka sprang from her sleep, arms swinging. Cold hands grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her towards them. She finally opened her eyes, Soul only inches from her face. His tan skin was pale, and he had the sheen of sweat on his face. His pupils were blown wide, and it took her a moment to realize he was nearly screaming at her.

"W-what?"

"Blake is gone! I woke up and he's gone! I can't-I can't go out there alone!"

"He's gone?! H-how?!" Maka pulled herself up, away from her blankets. Kid was already standing, sword drawn. Soul had his bow already, a quiver on his back. "Did something-"

"There aren't footsteps here that I don't know." Soul answered, running a hand across his forehead. "He was on watch. He wouldn't have just left. Not without someone to watch his back."

"Shit." Maka growled, reaching for her own sword. "Let's go. He's can't be too far."

They left the safety of their branches, eyes wide as they looked around. The Forest was dark, trees seemed to tighten around each other to block out the moon. "Soul do you see him?"

"No." The Hell Child's voice was shaking, and Maka turned to look at him again. He has his hood pulled up again, hiding his face from the creatures undoubtedly watching them. "But….I hear something."

"I do as well." The Prince whispered. "It sounds close."

Maka strained her ears, but she couldn't pick up the noises they spoke of. All she could hear were the movement of branches against each other, and the faintest babbling of a stream-

Her eyes shot open, and she swore. "Sirens! It has to be the Sirens!" Soul looked confused, and Kid tilted his head.

"Would sirens come this close to the edge?"

"They would if they knew there was prey here." Maka answered. Sirens were considered the first line of defense for The Forest, they guarded the stream that ran through the woods, the water source for nearly all the creatures. They were shapeshifters, taking on the form or the song of what the prey most desired. That had to be what had taken Blake, without any footsteps leading to them, he would've been drawn away.

They would also be impossible for Maka to find. As a Dweller, she would be immune to their song and their spell. Soul seemed to realize that at the same time she did, his face falling a little. "Fuck, we're gonna have to be bait, aren't we?"

"I can't hear them, you can."

Kid looked distressed as well, sheathing his sword. "So we walk towards the siren song?"

"I don't know how else we'll be able to get Blake back." Maka answered. "And we don't have much time to waste. Sirens do eat people." Kid looked sick, but he closed his eyes, listening. Soul did the same, both of them pointing deeper into the Forest.

"That way."

"Then that's where we go."

Sirens nest together.

Maka was pressed against the back of a large oak tree, her breathing slow as she watched the Sirens gather around each other. They were all beautiful, but their beauty was that of a different world, it frightened her more than it attracted her. Bones littered the shore of the river, various animal and human parts alike. They had gathered around a pond, the water dark as figured moved through it.

A few hundred yards back she had left the Prince and the Hell Child, both bound to a tree. While she had taken a small amount of joy in binding the two of them for a change, she hoped they had been smart enough to stay bound. They had walked with her until the song had become too much for them to bear, eyes going dull. Maka was alone, and she had to save Blake herself.

She couldn't see him in the crowd, though she was fairly certain there were a few other humans who had been pulled into their trap. There was no way she would be able to fight her way through them, their numbers were well into the double digits. Helplessness was weighing heavy on her shoulders. She didn't know how she was to solve this problem.

You're a Dweller, go ask them to give him back. A voice in her head offered, and she nearly snorted. She couldn't just walk up to a group of flesh eaters and ask for her human back.

Could she? She was an outsider, she had no idea the politics of The Forest, but she had to assume there were policies in place. To house so many different creatures peacefully? They had to be open to discussion.

With no other choice coming to mind, Maka moved her sword to her back, making it nearly impossible to draw. She left her hiding place, walking towards the Sirens.

They noticed her quickly, but no one advanced on her. She met many gazes, but no one spoke to her. Finally, one of them called out, and another woman crawled out of the water. Her beauty, strange as it was, surpassed all the others, gold eyes landing on Maka with interest. She tilted her head, sitting herself down on the shore, legs in the water. Her hair was a dark shade of purple, long and wet, dripping onto the shore. She wore no clothes, her body bore no scars. "You're a daughter of these trees."

"Aye."

"You smell like human though."

"I travel with humans."

"Why?" The woman's voice was surprised, and some of her people gave Maka nasty looks, a few whispers of traitor sent her way. Maka didn't look away from the leader, she was the only one she needed to be concerned with.

"The Spider Queen has forced me into guiding a group of them to petition the Tree for knowledge." Maka answered honestly, moving closer. He feet kicked bones out of her way, reminding her that she still hadn't seen Blake. When she reached the pond, she sat at the shore as well, making sure to keep her body out of the water. She had not been invited in, it would be foolish to assume she was welcome to. The leader of the Sirens grinned at her sign of respect, leaning back on her hands. "What creatures blood runs through you, fellow daughter?"

"I'm not sure." Maka answered honestly. "It's believed to be fae."

"What are you called?"

"My human clan is Albarn. My name is Maka."

The siren made a noise in her throat. "I think I've eaten an Albarn before. Not in your lifetime though. My name is Blair, this is my clan. Why have you come here?"

"You took a human from my group. I want him back."

"Oh?" Blair lifted an eyebrow. "Did we now?"

"Aye. He heard a song and walked away from us." Maka responded, eyes looking around now. A few of the Sirens scoffed, gripping their dazed humans tighter. Maka felt for the poor creatures trapped here, she had grown up afraid of the Sirens too, but there was nothing she could do to help them. She wasn't even sure she could leave this encounter with her life. "He's strong, with blue hair, and the eyes of a warrior."

Blair's mouth twitched into a grin. "Ah, him. I was quite taken with his soul. He didn't come when I sang the song of a lover. I could only pull him in with a song a mother would sing to a crying child. A poor broken child."

"Please return him to me." Maka asked, "I don't want him to die here."

"What makes you think he won't? If you manage to convince me to free him, he'll only die farther in these trees, farther away from what made him comfortable."

"He's still alive?"

"He's struggling, but he still breathes. As I said, I'm rather taken with him. Your whole party has an interesting smell to them. Did we catch a Demon's scent earlier?" Blair nearly purred, and Maka felt her guard being lowered. The Siren was stronger than the rest, she had to be. Maka had never felt a Siren's charm work on her before.

"It's a Hell Child's scent. It's him and another human."

Blair made a noise in her throat, dipping her fingers in the water. "Why should I give him back."

"I can't fight all of you. I know this. I would be dead before I crossed the river. I have no magic to threaten you with. I can only ask you to return him, and I will owe you a debt. That is all I have to offer." Several Sirens laughed outright at her offer, but Blair was thinking. Quicker than Maka could've ever imagined, Blair disappeared into the dark water only to appear right before Maka. The Siren pressed her lips to Maka's, then sunk down to her shoulders in the water.

"I will accept this trade, the human for a debt. I like the way your blood flames." Blair took her arm, flipping it so her wrist was bared. Blair kissed her wrist, leaving a pale purple symbol against her skin. It looked like the waves water made when something struck the surface. Maka blinked at it, then back at Blair. "It's merely you signing your contract. I'll come for my debt someday, and you will deliver."

"I agree." Maka tried to keep her voice steady, "Now return my human."

Blair smiled, diving back under the water. The surface went smooth, and a handful of minutes passed. Finally, the surface broke, with Blake gasping for air, looking around wildly. His eyes met Maka's, and he swam towards her. She pulled him out of the water when he got close enough, his breaths heaving. He collapsed against her, soaking them both. "It's okay, I got you back."

"How?!" The whites of his eyes were nearly red. He choked on the water coming out of his mouth, and Maka just shook her head.

"I made a deal with your captor." Maka looked back towards the pond, where Blair was floating. She gave a grin and a wave, and Maka nodded in return. "Come on, let's take leave of this place, before our luck runs out."

She helped Blake to his feet, and he leaned heavily against her. "I'm sorry." He forced out between breaths. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I would be angry if some beautiful woman had tricked you into the water, but to use a mother's voice? That would've gotten me to."

Blake looked at her a moment, and he nodded. "Thank you, Maka."

Soul was a passive aggressive fire starter.

He worked quickly, wanting to get Maka and Blake warm before they got sick, but he was clearly unhappy. He had been nearly seething when he had seen Maka's contract seal on her arm when they had returned to him and Kid. He had made no secret of the fact that it probably had been her dumbest fucking decision since he'd met her so far, and she had been full of nothing but dumb fucking decisions.

Maka was too tired to disagree with him, clearly. Her eyes were half open, a blanket wrapped around her bare body. Her clothes were next to Blake's by the fire, drying slowly. Blake was also wrapped in nothing but a blanket. Kid hadn't said much since they had returned, leaving Soul to lecture this time. The Prince had unwrapped some of their dried meat, cutting some off for the two. Blake kept his mouth shut, not wanting to talk about his experience with the Sirens. It all seemed vaguely dream like, he had walked into the water at that woman's command and he hadn't felt fear a single second until she had released him from her spell.

They hadn't been in The Forest more than a day and he'd already almost died. He felt worthless in a way he hadn't since he was very young. He glanced over at Maka, her eyes closed now as she drifted off mid lecture. The purple mark on her wrist looked like a bruise and Blake worried he had forced her to sacrifice too much for very little return. What good was he when it mattered? Maka slumped over, falling against the Hell Child as he continued to lecture her. He stopped his sentence, then gave a deep sigh. He picked Maka up, taking her over to her mat.

Next to him Kid took a seat, offering him some more dried meat. Blake took it, chomping down hard. "You alright?"

"Feel like a half drowned cat, but other than that I'm great."

"...Maka said you were under the water for a long time."

"I don't know what happened. I remember being here, then I was in the pond. I don't...I fucked up." Blake groaned, taking another bite. Kid clapped his hand against the Star child's shoulder.

"We're humans in The Forest. We're massive liabilities here, basically worthless. We shouldn't feel too badly about that."

"You didn't nearly get eaten by a crazy naked woman."

"Men at the castle have to pay for that."

Blake snorted, his laugh crackling with the fire, and he dropped his blanket enough that he could punch Kid's arm. "You say the strangest things, you know that?"

"I didn't realize I did."

"Then you must not be talking to enough people."

Kid gave him a small smile, standing back up. "Rest well, Star clan. Get your strength back. The sun will rise and the day will be over. You've won today, at least you have that."

"Yeah. Thanks for the food. And the words."

Kid gave him another small smile, heading back to his sleeping mat. Blake wrapped himself tighter in his blanket again, stretching out as much as he dared. He hadn't been expecting kindness from his comrades for such a foolish mistake. The Forest had made them all equal, his actions as low and as important as those of a Prince.

Outside the trees, such failure would've gotten him beaten heavily, a punishment he had come to expect, yet here? He truly couldn't see any of his comrades taking a hand to him maliciously.

He wondered if that was what freedom was, the chance to make mistakes without being broken by them.

She was having trouble making the images make sense.

Wes closed her eyes, pieces of what may be floating in and out of her mind's eye. Since she was young, she had always been able to keep an eye on Soul, even if they weren't together. Her little brother's soul was tied to hers, but he was fuzzy now. It was nearly impossible to keep his timeline in her eyes.

He must've made it to The Forest. That damned pit was blocking her magic with its own. Damned Demon hating trees.

She opened her eyes, gazing around Medusa's workspace. The heady smell was making her feel sick, though most everything was making her sick these days. She wiggled her fingers, trying to see if those damn herbs had worked their way out of her system yet. The fingers twitched, but she couldn't move her hand. Fuck it all to Hell, she couldn't get up.

Medusa would be back soon, to poke and prod at her body. Arachne wouldn't let any real harm come to her, not while her child grew in her womb. Wes tried to pull herself up, and failed once more.

She wanted to know her brother was okay.

She wanted to know if her King was okay.

The door to the tower opened, and Wes groaned, settling into the wood propping her up. Medusa walked up, eyes already looking for her. She grinned when she saw that Wes was awake, and the Hell Child bared her teeth. "Oh darling, how are you feeling today? Your eyes are that lovely silver color again. See anything good?"

"What's in The Forest?" Wes' voice was weak, but she was making herself speak. Medusa gave a small grin, taking a seat in her chair.

"Oh you saw that? How impressive. How did you know he was there?"

"Why did you send him there?"

"I didn't send him anywhere dear. Me and my sister don't share everything."

"Just a dark fucking pit where your heart once lived."

"Oh! Your humor is back. You know, my brother in law used to say how funny you were. I knew he was fucking you long before Arachne opened her blind eye."

"You and half the court." Wes scoffed. Medusa stood from her chair, coming to kneel in front of Wes. She put her hand over the swell of her stomach, and the Hell Child snarled at her. "Do not touch them."

"Oh? Think there's two?"

"I think my child deserves a life where they never see your face."

"And to never know their father's face?" Medusa smiled, a sickly sweet expression on the face of a snake. She patted her stomach again, going back to mix her potions. "I heard our dear King has fallen ill once more. The poor man can only take so much stress. Comes with the crown, I hear. What else could turn hair white? Besides demon blood I suppose."

Wes wouldn't take her bait, she hadn't seen the King's body in his mind's eye. With her personal interest in his timeline, she was sure she would've known. Her power was a mystery even to herself, hard to explain to anyone who didn't understand what having a Hand of Hell inside her head was like.

Her father understood.

Wes exhaled, a sickening dread filling her body. She wasn't sure if she would ever see her family again.

She had nearly cost her family everything when she was younger. She and Soul had been playing in the fields outside of their little village, when the damned King of their entire country had shown up on horseback. He and his men had been on their way to a hunt, when he had almost accidentally trampled Weslin under his horse. She was so sure she was going to die, a clear Hell Child kneeling at his feet. He was going to have her, Soul and their mother hanged.

The King had dismounted that horse, the sun making the white bone of that mask nearly glow as he had knelt in front of her. When he had asked her if she was alright her nerves had caused her to blurt out The knight with the red sword isn't your brother. She knew it was stupid to think that a mask could show emotion, but he had looked surprised, then he had leaned closer.

What makes you think that?

She had been a fool and told him that she saw it. It was her gift, it was what Hell had given her. Hell Children were well known for having traits of true demons, but never so like her and Soul. They were special, her father had told her that long ago, the first time she saw a timeline change.

When she begged him not to kill her, her voice shook. She was only a child, and she was terrified she had just killed her brother. He was hidden, thankfully, in the tall grasses a few feet away. He was smart, he knew that coming to try to save her would only make things worse, even if she could feel him desperate to do so.

Not that she could explain how she knew, the King was smiling at her from behind his mask. Would seem horrible to deny the world a gift like yours. I'm sure the other little one hiding over there has quite a gift too. I'm not going to hurt you.

He didn't, either. He had let her live. More than that, he had offered her a place in his court. He wasn't an idiot, he had explained, and when the universe had offered him an ally who could see snippets of the future he would not turn her away. He wanted her to live in a castle, to have a say in the future of the kingdom she lived in. How could she deny that? Especially when he promised her family would be safe.

She had only been 11 then, and she has spent 12 years in his castle as a confidant, she had a place in the War Room, her advice and guidance was placed above many men who were richer, stronger, and more powerful than she. It didn't matter to the King. Money and power were all but worthless when facing the unknown, and if a poor, backwoods Hell Child could help keep his kingdom from making a mistake, he was going to listen to her. And he had. She had joined politics young, she had grown up knowing lies and corruption, the dramas of court, but she could say with complete conviction that her King was not what was poisoning this country. He was not the one who passed a law killing Hell Children.

That sin stained the damned Spider Queen's soul, and her soul alone.

She tested her hand again, fingers flexing now. She was going to escape this hell, hopefully soon. Medusa was going to start experimenting on her, she could see the shift in the timeline. The more she began to show, the angrier Arachne would become. If…if The King was gone…

There would be nothing keeping her safe. She wasn't in a place where she could depend on a man that may or may not be alive. She was going to be a mother, and she had so save her child.

After all, by Royal law, she carried the blood of an heir inside of her.

Maka dreamt of the fire that loved her again.

The flames engulfed her, cool to the touch. They soothed the worry from her soul and the ache from her muscle. They wanted what would be best for her, they wanted to take her home. She had never had an image for that word, home was a shabby cabin she would likely never see again, home was a handsome father with no coin to his name. Home may not even be there anymore. The flames made her want to believe differently, made her want to believe that she did belong somewhere, to a family, to a place that was soothing. She wanted to wake up one day without swinging her arms, or grasping for tempered steel.

You can have that. You only have to come home.

Her eyes opened slowly, grasping at the last bits of comfort her dream had offered her. Their fire had shrunk to embers, casting the faintest light around their secluded campsite. Their brave Chariot was tied to the trunk of a willow near their entrance, head bowed as he slept. Blake was snoring softly, the Prince slept on his back, facing the blue haired slave. Maka pulled her blanket more tightly around herself, wondering if her clothes were dry yet. She sat up slowly, not wanting to startle anyone from their rest.

When she glanced over at the Hell Child, he was already sitting up. She gave him a look, though she feared it might be in vain with the little light their fire offered. He was looking at her, she could feel his gaze. "Don't you ever sleep?" She whispered into the darkness, standing so she could reach her clothes.

Soul didn't answer her, at least not that she could hear. She pulled her clothes back on, tying her shirt into a knot at her hip. Her hair probably looked wild, and she took the opportunity to release it from its braid, running her fingers through it. When she went to plait it again, she finally heard Soul's deep whisper. "You're terrible at those."

Her snort was louder than she intended, and she flinched. She gathered her blanket and moved to sit closer to the Hell Child, nose in the air. "Like yours would be superior."

"They are. My sister used to make me braid her hair on the back of her head, where she couldn't reach. I got rather good at it."

"Then you can do mine. You've all but volunteered." She moved to sit in front of him, crossing her arms. He was still for a few moments, but he complied. His hands found their way to her hair, and he grumbled.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Oh, but they'll be sure to notice how much nicer your braid is."

"One day I hope to receive an answer from you that isn't drowned in sarcasm."

"Hope leads to disappointments." Her joke tasted bitter on her tongue, and she felt the weight fall back on her shoulders. "I'm afraid I'm going to get you all killed here."

"We're a little afraid of that as well. But I wouldn't put blame on you. We aren't welcome here. We shouldn't be here." His hands worked through her hair, quickly braiding as he went. "...It's a miracle you got Blake back."

"...The Sirens didn't want to fight me either. The creatures in these woods live together. They are comrades in the biggest picture, they only want to live."

"Do you think we're really here for a rune?" His tone was flat, but Maka understood the importance of his words. He didn't trust Kid, or maybe it was just his distrust of Arachne being passed to her second son. Maka wasn't sure herself, it seemed a foolish goal, but she knew nothing of castles and royalty. Maybe collecting things that weren't theirs was how the royals spent their soft lives.

"I don't trust this kingdom." She finally responded. "No one is honest with each other, and we would rather someone else suffer than to just stop the suffering. I don't trust Arachne. I imagine if we return I'll be shown right back into the dungeons."

Soul didn't answer her, his fingers knotting the thin leather strip that tied her hair at the end. She ran her hand along his work, annoyed at how even it felt. "You truly are good at this."

"I'm truly good at most things."

"That was nearly a joke, I'm impressed." She turned back to look at him, only to catch the end of his eye roll.

"Sleep now, Dweller. You're becoming more headache than company."

"Your tender words have moved me." She stood again, blanket over her shoulder. "You should sleep as well. I feel like you hardly do."

He shrugged again, leaning back against a tree. "I won't fight it should it claim me."

"...Rest well, Soul."

"Aye. You as well, Maka."

Their first four days in The Forest went as smoothly as they could've hoped.

They had only lost one bag of supplies to the Tree Nymphs, those nimble bastards had been toying with them ever since they had passed the Siren's Stream. They were small, the size of a young child. They flew from tree branch to branch. Flowers grew along their hair, and they were fast. The Nymphs never fought them, they were much too weak for real combat. They were thieves, stealing whatever they could get their hands on one moment, and flying through tree branches the next.

Kid had the theory that they were the trials of entering, after all, not many could make it past the Sirens, and if a party did, their supplies would slowly be drained by those thieving Nymphs. It was a brilliant strategy, and more proof the Dwellers insisted on working together. Between their first two lines of defense, no one would even have to draw steel against a human.

"So, you think every human before us had only ever made it this far?" Blake questioned, tying his pack back on the horse after chasing down a particularly fast little tree bastard. Kid shrugged, looking around.

"I couldn't tell you for sure, but The Forest is home to thousands at least, yet we've seen no villages or towns. Where could they all live, unless it's deeper within these woods."

"There's a fae city somewhere." Maka spoke from where she was filing their water pouches. "When I was little, the men who fell prey to fae women told us about how they had strings of light, and everything sparkled with multicolored glass. Every home was a castle, and every inhabitant a king within their own right."

"Sounds like heaven." Blake scoffed, turning back to his party. "I heard fae ale would leave a human man drunk for nearly a week."

The Hell Child scoffed, hopping down from the tree he had pulled himself up into, a few squirrels hanging from his bag. "Fae ale would kill a mortal man."

"Oh, like you would know."

"Think I'd know more than you."

"Oi, I've lived all over this Gods forsaken Kingdom. I've had masters of wealth and knowledge and masters of dirt and whips. I'm not a fool, and I know a great many things myself. Though, my knowledge is mostly limited to the human realm." Blake scoffed. "And, I'm probably as good a healer as I could be without magic. Seeing as I staved infection off your foolish wounds."

"Knowledge of the world is more important." Maka agreed with Blake. "I learned more on the road than that skinny woman in my village ever would've been able to teach me."

"You could probably take a lesson or two in how to catch a husband." Blake grinned at her, and Maka's eyes flashed with anger.

"I don't need a husband. Name one thing a man ever did for a woman."

"Life."

"Women give life."

"Sex."

"We're better on our own there as well." Maka scoffed, eyeing the three men in her group. Blake almost looked insulted, the Hell Child rolled his eyes, an action that seemed reserved for her and her alone. Kid looked thoughtful. Jokes flew over the Prince's head more often than not, and he seemed to consider her words more than take offense to them. "Ah boys, I'm almost growing fond of you."

"Mock us later, I'm getting hungry." Blake grumped, gesturing to the Hell Child's game. "We need to make a fire and clean the game."

"Since Soul killed it, he and I will go get the firewood." Maka grinned at Blake. "You can teach the Prince how to clean game. I'd imagine palace hands never get dirty."

Kid didn't answer, just accepted the game from the Hell Child and watched him walk off with the Dweller. Blake sat down, patting the ground next to him. "So, never skinned a beast eh?"

"I have," Kid answered, sitting down next to Blake. "I've been hunting with my father and brother. They showed me how."

"So why let the Dweller pick on you like she does?"

"She could still leave me for dead out here. She doesn't like me, at all."

"Huh. Well, you shouldn't let her have the best of you. You are a Prince."

"Not here. And really, it's more a title than anything else, like Dweller or Hell Child. It has connotations to it, but I won't ever see the throne. In a year or so I'm sure I'll be married off to some lesser princess in an attempt to make alliance with a country that can stand ours."

Blake thought about that for a moment, working to carefully clean off the kill. "So you just get married off?"

"Most likely. I don't really mind, I haven't had much practice with women. Or even much interest. I've mostly kept to myself. My father and I used to speak much more, but he's not been himself lately either, then he got sick, and the entire kingdom is in an uproar about the royal family being unable to keep themselves alive." Kid realized he was rambling, but it had been a very long while since he had someone listen to him, and actually hear him.

Blake nodded, moving into the next squirrel. "Rumors are impossible to slay, but they're also impossible to prove. For every rumor I've heard of the King being mad, I've heard six more that all the servants in the palace are dead souls he's risen to do his bidding. They still fear him."

Kid was silent for a long time, working to clean his kill. It wasn't until he heard the Dweller's distant snort that he looked back over at Blake. "My father hasn't used his power since he took the throne. All of the people in the castle are alive."

Blake blinked at him, a grin splitting his face. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Kid found himself smiling back at Blake once more, surprised by the kinship he felt for him. This man was too good to be a slave, Kid could see that.

He wondered what would become of Blake after their journey. If his mother would be against just turning the man free. Not for the first time, Kid imagined Blake as a knight. The image made sense in his mind, and he wondered if it would be something that the Star Child would be interested in.

He rather hoped he would be. It would be a shame if he never saw Blake again.

It was a small rustling that woke her.

She was sure it would be those damned Nymphs again, stealing something else that didn't belong to them. She pulled herself from her blankets slowly, wanting to catch it before it took off. The fire still burned, giving Maka a decent view of their campsite.

Blake slept sprawled out as far as he could stretch his long limbs, his left fist resting against Kid's face. Maka was positive the Prince would be sporting a bruise with morning's light. Getting punched by Blake, even in his sleep, would not have been gentle.

The rustling tore her attention to where Soul slept, and she froze.

The small creature nestled on his chest was not a nymph. It's skin looked burnt, red and raw as it crouched lower toward Soul's face. It's hands held terrible claws, as sharp as the horns on its head. His claws grabbed Soul's face, tilting his mouth up. The creature crouched lower, and Maka could hear Soul's breathing get ragged. His eyes barely opened, but his body stayed frozen, like he was unable to move. His breathing only grew worse and Maka finally pulled herself from the blankets to get to her feet and the creature turned to look at her.

It's disgusting face twisted into a grin, and it was gone. She was alone again, only her sleeping comrades lay around her. Her hands trembled as she dropped back down to all fours, her adrenaline pounding against her temples.

Was that even real?

She scrambled from her spot, almost tackling the sleeping Hell Child. He gave a surprised grunt, finding her wrists in the struggle and twisting them so he had her pinned. He blinked down at her, sleep leaving his eyes as he registered who she was. "Dweller?! Fucking hells what are you doing?!"

"What was that?!"

"What was what?!" He leaned off her, freeing her from his grasp. She sat up, nearly headbutting the Hell Child as she looked around.

"You looked right at it! It was on top of you! And-you were choking."

"...Dweller. Were you dreaming?"

"No!" She snapped, and he covered her mouth with his hand. She glared at him, tempted to chomp down on his hand. He gave her a look, pulling his hand away. "...There was something on top of you."

"...I don't think there-." His eyes went dark, and he backed away from her a little bit. He tilted his head, looking at her. "What did you see?"

"I don't know...I've never seen anything like it before. But, I swear it was real."

Soul looked at her, hard. His eyes searching hers. Maka met his gaze head on, mouth drawn into a frown. "...Should we move on from here?"

"...I don't….are you well?"

"Aye. I'm okay. Really."

"If we're all okay, might we all consider sleeping again?" Blake's groggy voice broke the silence, and Maka felt a blush dusting her face. "Aye, we're safe."

"Then rest well, you noisy bastards." His decisive tone tapered off as sleep claimed him once more. Kid closed his eyes again as well, their breathing evening out. Maka looked at Soul again, and he nodded.

"Rest well, Maka. It's fine."

"Aye." She nodded. "You...you as well." She crawled back to her blankets, wrapping them around her. She had never seen anything like that before, ever. Her home had been a hunting ground for many creatures, but not all of them. Things were hidden in these trees that she would never see, no matter how long she searched.

Creatures had most likely been watching them from the moment they entered, sending word to each other. But...that thing hadn't attacked Kid, or Blake. It had picked the Hell Child. Demons weren't welcome in The Forest, but they also weren't human. The creature wouldn't go out of their way to start with a Demon, especially a demon that had done no wrong in the first place.

Maka clenched her jaw, trying to slow her breathing. Sleep wouldn't be returning to her tonight. She was much too worried about the fate of her comrades to close her eyes.

Instead, she began compiling a list of a few more things she would beg the Tree to answer for her.

Not as long as the other chapters, sorry! But let me know what you think! Thanks! Leave a review? :D