Tooth and Claw, Part 12

You meet the dryad leader's eyes directly, showing her a serious look full of concern. "I was looking into a way to free your captured sisters," you answer her. "I saw a chance to get in close to the logging camp while you were holding their attention, so I took the chance to start preparing for a rescue."

Elysandria's eyes widen. She clearly did not expect that answer. "Wait, you're... working to save them? Already? But I... haven't even offered you anything yet..."

"You don't need to," you reply. "Consider it a show of good faith. I do not want any harm come to you, or to those you care for. My purpose here isn't to extort concessions by taking advantage of you in your hour of need. It's to prove to you why there's no need for you and the current Witch Queen to be enemies in the first place."

"Then... what is this 'rescue plan' of yours?" she asks, a cautious hope entering her voice in spite of herself.

"It's still in the early stages," you say. "My first priority was to talk to them. I needed to check on where they're being held. To see what precautions the humans are taking. And to lay the groundwork for what we can do next."

"How were they doing?" Elysandria asks, the ache of worry filling her voice. "How... badly are the humans treating them?"

"They're fine," you assure her. "In fact, I was honestly surprised to see the precautions that Ragath took to ensure that they wouldn't be harmed. I honestly don't think he wishes any of you ill. He's just... desperate. And cornered. And your sisters did try to kill him."

Elysandria lets out a small humph. However, while you can't completely deescalate the entire situation in just one small exchange, you do feel like you've eased the tensions a bit, at least on her part. The simple knowledge that her sisters aren't in danger is enough to noticeably ease her fears. "So..." she says. "How do you plan on freeing them?"

"I'm still working on the specifics," you say, making sure to keep things vague. "Now that I know they're not in danger, I can take my time. Make sure it isn't rushed or risky. That will give us the best chance of success. The most important thing you can do right now is to stall Ragath in the negotiations. Listen to him. Hear out what he needs from you. Give him hope that you might come around, so that the tensions are lowered. If you do, there'll be less chance that anything will get out of hand until we're ready to make our move."

"That... does sound prudent," agrees Elysandria, though a bit grudgingly. "I will do my best, and trust your superior knowledge of such... deception and trickery. But know this: if my sisters are harmed as a result of your plan..."

"I assure you, Elysandria," you say, radiating sincerity. "Your sisters will be fine. I will personally ensure that nothing unpleasant happens to them."

You can see the oak dryad's shoulders slump in poorly-disguised relief. She's trying to put up a strong front... but it's obvious to you just how fearful she was for the safety of her family. And just how much the hope you've given means to her, even if she can't trust you entirely.

"Then... if you need any further assistance from me, do not hesitate to request it," she says. "You know where I will be." And with that she turns and walks away, back to the rest of the forest contingent. You allow your eyes to linger for a moment on the mesmerizing sway of her shapely green ass as she departs, before turning back to your companions.

"How did it go, Tal?" Verika asks. "Did you tell her everything, or...?"

You open your mouth to reply... before hesitating for just a moment, heeding to the cautious impulse that would be paranoia if it weren't so justified. You glance around at the darkening forest, looking left and right. Your eyes search the grass, the trees, every shifting shadow, every squirrel sitting on a branch, every chittering insect. Looking everywhere for some brief glimpse of those piercing golden eyes.

Is Fallhazel listening even now? Probably. At the very least, you can't rule it out. Though if she is... would a being like her even have a problem with your strategy? There's just too much you don't know about this enigmatic druid, and her ultimate goals in this situation.

For now, you decide not to risk it. "I told her all the relevant parts," you reply. "I did ask the two dryads to see if they can't start... mending fences a bit with the humans while they wait. But it'll probably take a while to fully bear fruit."

The corner of Verika's mouth quirks up in the tiniest of smirks. Given how well she knows your usual approach, you're pretty sure she understands your true meaning. It flies entirely over Juri's head, however. "Then what should we do now?" the orc girl asks earnestly, looking up at you. "How can we help all this turn out in her majesty's favor?"

You stroke your chin in a show of contemplation. "Our first priority is to protect the forest," you say, on the assumption that Fallhazel is listening right now. "As the queen's representatives, we need to demonstrate her commitment to her new course for Kovora. If we do that, Fallhazel will see our actions and take them into account."

What you most certainly don't say out loud is that—while that might be enough to remove her as a foe—it still won't bring her onto your side. And while neutrality might be better than enmity, failing to subvert such a powerful force would doubtless leave you at a serious disadvantage when the time comes to take on Melca. You'll need to balance those parts of your plan that you can say openly against the outright ensnaring of the ancient druid.

The orc girl, meanwhile, is nodding rapidly. Her gaze is full of the adorably-urgent seriousness unique to children, and she's clearly taken your words about being the queen's representatives very much to heart.

Verika also speaks up. "Do you think Fallhazel might interfere on her own?" she asks. "Should we take that into account in our plans?"

It's a good question. "I don't think she plans to get involved," you muse. "At least... not until she sees how this all plays out. She does obviously care what happens here. She wouldn't have been watching so closely if she didn't. But... I suspect that she has some other objective that she's pursuing. Something more than just stopping one single logging camp."

Then you look back down at Juri. "Not to mention that, whatever her original goals... I think our arrival here may have re-ordered her priorities. In more ways than one."

Of course, you have your complex web of priorities as well. And as the evening draws to a close, you'll need to determine which of them you intend to focus on tonight.

You could approach one of the faction leaders and talk with them some more, trying to influence their opinion in ways that will further your demonic agenda. Also—using the opening you've created by spreading corruption in the loggers' camp—you might be able to make a play to corrupt Ragath directly.

The corruption in the logging camp will grow either way. But in order to catch Ragath himself—especially at this early stage of its spread—it would probably require some direct assistance from you. Elysandria and Lady Edith, however, are still too well-protected for you to just fuck them outright, without first creating a similar opening in their groups.

Of course... all that only applies to the physical world.

Now that it's night, you have another chance to use your Dreamwalking power. With it, you could probably corrupt any non-heroine over the course of the night. Or—now that you've seen her with your own eyes—you could use your Dreamwalking to move Fallhazel even closer to full corruption. Though a heroine's willpower is not something you expect you can entirely overcome in dreams alone.

Alternatively, you could focus on using this Dreamwalking opportunity to gather information. Sift through a target's memories—whether recent or older—for any buried secrets or hidden plans that might create new openings for you to exploit. Whether that be in manipulating this standoff to Kovora's advantage, or working to claim Fallhazel herself.

Either way, you'll need to decide what to prioritize, and what will best serve your long-term plans.