Tower of the Watchful Eye

Chapter 36

The girl continued to look at me, not sure what I was doing. This meant I was probably making some sort of face at her. I tried to straighten myself out and stepped towards her. "What seems to be the problem?" I asked.

"I'm from the farmlands in Balendar. I wandered too far into the forest and I can't get out," she said quickly as she started towards me. "You're the first person I've seen in here. Please help."

Oh, she is good, Cathy said.

Yeah, look at her inching closer to me.

Notice the brown hair and blue eyes? Cathy said. Playing your type pretty well. Not as good as me, but...

I repressed a laugh and slowly walked towards her. "How have you managed to survive out here?" I asked. "The Nao are bloodsucking parasites that feast on anyone that ventures into their forest."

The girl's face twisted into anger slightly before she looked down to regain her composure.

Cathy laughed. Good idea. Let's see how long before we can make her snap?

"All the more reason to help me," the girl said in a steady tone.

"Agreed," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "The longer we are in here the more likely we are to meet one of the hideously disgusting tree demons."

"I'll have you know they are quite beautiful!" the girl exclaimed.

"You have failed, Nao," I said as I raised my arm and shot a Dispel towards her.

The Dispel hit the girl right in the chest and the forest returned to its dreary, claustrophobic state. The girl transformed into a short dark green humanoid, with leaves growing like hair down her head and back and vines wrapping themselves around her legs and arms. She didn't wear any clothes; her entire body was the same colour, glowing slightly from within, and only showing the basic curves of femininity. So she wasn't exactly naked.

Disappointed? Cathy asked.

A little.

The Nao's black eyes grew thin as she bore her teeth and claws at me. She let out a loud screech as I covered myself in scales and searched her mind. The silly 'girl' left her mind wide open and I prepared to teach her a lesson in Illusion.

To her, the scales taking over my body grew more demon-like, and covered my entire head. Horns grew from the top of my head and my eyes glowed white. She squeaked in fear as I charged her and lifted her into the air by her throat.

"You lack discipline in your craft," I said in a booming voice. I dropped the Illusion spell and my face and voice returned to normal. "A good Illusionist doesn't let personal feeling get in the way of the spell."

"In the name of the Spirit of the Forest, you will drop our sister and return to where you have come from, Kairu," a voice said beside me.

I lowered the Nao to the ground and let go. She ran off in the direction of the voices. Three slightly taller Nao stood with their arms up at me. The little one hid behind the leader of the group,

"I assume Kairu means demon," I started as the scales returned to skin. "I assure you the scales are just a simple spell. I am human."

"I do not care about your spell," the leader said to me. "We can see through the spirits into your soul. You house a demon but...it is unlike anything I have seen."

"Put your hands down and talk to me," I said to them. "I wish you no harm. Give me the chance to explain why I am here."

"What you wish remains to be seen but you have been surprising civilized, Kairu," the leader said. "Speak but know that you cannot trick us like you did our apprentice."