"Why do you want to know that?" (Patreon)

I asked.

"I am a master in using the Voice of the Forest," Dr. Cesawonki smiled. "Surely you can figure it out."

"You're going to press them into your service?" I surmised. "That's so Unseelie!" I definitely didn't like the idea of someone like Owter Cesawonki having the most elite fighting force in Faerie at his beck and call.

"Surely you have dealt with me enough to understand my methods by now," he insinuated. "They will be serving you, by the way. Having General Bonsai and the Shrub Knights at your command would be an unparalleled asset in your bid to solidify your reign over the fragmented realms of Faerie. Since you are the technical Emperor now, the Shrubs are your sworn servants by right. They may not know it yet, but I intend to inform them and remind them of their duty."

"This benefits you in some way," I muttered.

"Of course," he replied with a shrug and a smile.

"I only interacted with them once during my banishment," I confessed. "They were going to punish me for my alleged treachery, but decided I wasn't worthy of their attention. They went off to pursue other enemies, whoever that may be. I have no clue where they could be now. They might have been devoured by wraith-rabbits for all I know."

"Wraith-rabbits?" Dr. Cesawonki repeated with some surprise (or was it dread?) "Where do you come up with this stuff? ... No matter. I shall investigate on my own. In the meantime, I wish you luck in your endeavor to shut down the lowfolk magick school and put Edessa in her place. If you require my services, have your Ixies contact me and schedule a meeting over scry orb. I trust you still have the pair that you stole from me. It might be useful to give me one of them now. My enchanted mug was destroyed when the courthouse exploded. I could easily make another, but now that both of our banishments are lifted, there's hardly a need for them."

"I will contact you if I need you," I stated, not sure if I still had the orbs. It wouldn't do to give this unscrupulous elf a private link to contact me, at any rate. Now that I was no longer a prisoner, I could reach him using the scry tower. "Don't hold your breath, because you probably won't hear from me."

With that, Owter shrugged, turned, and sauntered away.

I suppressed a shudder. Every time I talked to that guy I felt like I needed a bath. Or maybe I actually did? When was the last time I took a moment to soak in the tub?

No! I was getting distracted! Right now it was time to seek out Burnside and Rebecca, to see if I could enlist their aid before confronting Edessa. I needed to get going on my journey. I had barely glimpsed them during my previous all-too-brief visit to the North Woods. I wondered how much they might have changed during our time apart.

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