Reina reacted far too slow even if she was first to see danger coming. Thick vines bound her arms and legs, lifting her into the branches where she came face to face with the alraune herself. She saw her terrified reflection in the pair of eyes that were like gemstones. Because the alraune was hanging upside down, her beautiful orange and yellow hair, like autumn frozen in time, had draped around them.

All that beauty went out the window as the alraune's chest and abdomen split down the center, revealing an open maw with rows of sharp fangs. Reina stared into the jaws of a monster. A flowery scent filled her nostrils and made her lightheaded.

"Let her go!" Neeks cried, swooping in to sever the vines with her talons and catching Reina before she hit the ground.

They flew down to the forest floor and put some distance between themselves and the alraune. Thane, Aura, and Kaska broke free from their restraints and put their backs together in a defensive formation, drawing their weapons to protect each other from the onslaught of vines.

"Feisty little snacks. The more you resist, the tastier you become when filled with adrenaline," the alraune taunted from above.

Reina's heart beat so loud it could jump out of her chest at any moment. Her feet might as well be frozen to the ground. She was not prepared for this. The most she had ever fought were ants crawling up the side of her house.

"Keep your eyes peeled. As long as she doesn't catch us with those vines, we should be fine," Thane said.

"We can't stay in one spot forever, or we're just sitting ducks. We should inch towards an escape and return another day!" Aura declared.

Escape? Reina thought to herself. The fear of death was suddenly stamped away. If they left, she might lose the opportunity to encounter another alraune ever again. 

"We're not running!" she yelled so loud her echo returned to her with surprise. The others turned to her appalled at the sudden exclamation and gawked. "You all drank my elixirs. You're also capable hunters. Use it to your advantage!"

It clicked in their minds at once. Reina couldn't blame them. Instincts took over first. Even she had forgotten the elixir she had drunk and could have easily freed herself without Neeks' help.

"What do we do instead?" Kaska asked, his eyes remained trained on the canopy for any sudden movements.

"When she tries to grab us, we'll grab her instead," she whispered.

The group nodded. They waited until the alraune became impatient and launched her vines at them a second time.

"Now!" Reina yelled.

The Hokkari bannerkin discarded their weapons and gripped the vines instead. Reina and Neeks clutched onto another cluster of tendrils that went for their legs.

"Pull!"

"W-What? How?!" The alraune's vines began to retract but were unable to resist their combined strength.

Reina could feel their foe's hold gradually giving in. Before, she could barely hold a sword short outstretched for too long. Now it seemed as though she could move mountains. The swell of strength from the elixirs coursing her and her allies tore the alraune from the trees. She came crashing to the ground and skidded into a tree, knocking her unconscious.

"We… We did it…" Reina sighed, but was tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Neeks.

"You're amazing! I've never felt so strong in my life. Those potions really worked!" she exclaimed.

Of course, I'm an alchemist, was what Reina wanted to say, but kept her hubris in check knowing full well she had ways to go. She recalled the grand alchemist's urging of humility in times like this. If not, and too much of it got to her head, might end up like what happened with the witches who ignited the first and second Crimson Wars.

While Reina wasn't a witch herself, she practiced their ancient art of alchemy. She must strive to be better.

The hunters slowly crept up to the alraune. Aura confirmed for them that it was unconscious, much to their relief.

"What do we do now? Kill it while it's peacefully snoozing?" Kaska asked.

"No!" Reina shouted. "The deal was that I lend you my help, and the alraune comes with me."

"As much as we want to follow through with the deal… These creatures are far too dangerous. You plan to bring it back with you to Vessyra where it might wreak havoc?" Thane asked, the hand on the hilt of his sword was evidence that his made was made up on the alraune's fate.

"I thought it was strange that only wagons with empty crates and animal bones littered the area. It may be hard to believe, but I don't think she's harmed a single person before," she explained.

The three of them grimaced and appeared almost ashamed of themselves. They had to have known that if it were travelers that brought this attention to them in the first place. No one who encountered an alraune without the help of magic or alchemy could have escaped. That she let them go was a sign that she wasn't particularly violent.

However…

That didn't explain why the alraune looked like it was about to consume Reina whole. She threw a glance to Neeks, the only one who saw it happen, and received a shrug instead.

"I'm fine with whatever, Reina. If you want to bring it back, I'll help ya. If you want to kill it, I'll rip its throat right here," she said.

In the end, the Hokkari bannerkin left it to Reina. They repaired one of the wagons together and loaded the restrained alraune onto the back, then made the trek back to Vessyra. Horrified gasps and uneasy whispers were what first welcomed them..

A contingent of guards under the direct command of High Priestess Gale stopped them before they entered too far into the city. They wore thick leathers and pelts of once fearsome creatures like manticores or wyverns. One orc had the woven leather scales of a basilisk draped over him with the head hanging on his right shoulder.

"The High Priestesses saw you coming from a mile away. Bringing an alraune into Vessyra's got to be a first for the city," the orc said, leaning the basilisk head too close to Reina for comfort.

"Spare me, Clem. You have that thing on your shoulder because that's the only way you can scare people." Reina's mockery earned a round of laughter from both her companions and the guards behind the orc guard.

Clem's face contorted with anger, but even he couldn't deny when he's been had.

"You may have got special permission from the priestesses and the headmistress of the Witch's Academy to act as you please, but we still have the city's safety to consider. We're posting guards outside your atelier whether you like it or not until we know for sure that thing is tame," he said.

Two wolven beastfolk and an elf detached from Clem's squad to escort Reina back to her atelier, and remained guard outside in case anything were to happen. The bannerkin trio bid Reina and Neeks farewell. They were eager to become regular patrons after witnessing what her alchemy could do first hand.

"What's the plan?" Neeks asked, lugging the alraune to the corner of the room. "If this thing wakes up, and we got nothing to calm her down, then she's as good as dead with those guards outside."

"I'm thinking the only reason it attacked is because yes, it was hungry. As long as I can provide her food, there shouldn't be a problem," Reina said.

The harpy scratched her head in disbelief. "Your great plan is just to feed her? If it turns out the alraune's got a penchant for elf and harpy meat, we're toast!"

Ignoring Neeks' clear lack of trust, Reina proceeded with her plans. She ground magic crystals into fine dust and sprinkled them into the cauldron. The oily, rainbow liquid began to bubble and froth with intensity. Taking care not to abrade the edge of the cauldron with her ladle, she stirred gently and scooped the surface of the alchemical waters into a flask.

"We still have some bastil fruits left over from your pie-making adventures?" Reina asked, carefully bringing the liquid over to the dinner table.

"Oh, yeah. Plenty!" She opened a random cabinet across the room to reveal it stuffed full with the fruit.

"We're going to need a long chat about how you use my house as your personal storage after this…"

Neeks brought forth an armful of bastil fruits and spread them out on the table. Reina then gently dribbled the magic-infused liquid onto each morsel, which seemed to soak through the skin of the fruits. She did this until the flask went empty.

"I don't get it," Neeks said, picking up one of the fruits to inspect. "They don't look any different. What'd you do?"

Reina snatched it from Neeks' hand before she could take a bite. "You'll become terribly sick from eating this. On the other hand, this is practically candy for an alraune or forest nymph."

They filled the basket with fruits just in time as the alraune stirred awake. Neeks put herself in front of Reina and tensed up. The creature before them glanced around its unfamiliar surroundings with curiosity and hesitation.

At her fall height, she stood a head taller than Neeks. A skirt of petals hid a forest of roots and vines where her legs should be.

"Where am I?" she demanded, herself mirroring Neeks' aggressive stance but stiffening upon seeing the alchemy cauldron. "In another witch's tower? Is my life fated to forever be a subject of foul experiments?"

The alraune was scared. Anyone could see that. Even as an elf, without the bestial instincts of a beastfolk like Neeks, Reina sympathized with being thrown into an unfamiliar place. As a native to a forest kingdom like Vessyra, the first time she saw stone and brick gothic spires of Grathir had filled her with awe, wonder, and terror.

Reina stepped away from Neeks' protection. "We're not witches. I'm just an alchemist. The Hokkari bannerkin who were sent to slay you decided against doing so at my behest."

"So I am to owe you my thanks, Alchemist?" She sneered. Roots at her feet crept out of the petals and inched forward.

"I wouldn't do that unless you're looking for a trim, you overgrown hedge." Neeks brandished her claws in a snipping motion.

This was going south quick. If a commotion were to occur in here, the guards outside would surely be alerted. They and Neeks would have no choice but to cut the alraune down to defend themselves.

Without thinking, Reina put herself between them. The tips of her boots brushed against the alraune's roots. She recalled the drooling maw that opened in the creature's chest. One wrong move and she was plant food.

"Don't be reckless!" Neeks cried.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Reina asked, stretching the basket of fruits out to the alraune like offering tribute to a god. "I'm not looking to turn you into an experiment. We could be friends instead, with some mutually beneficial perk."

The alraune's chest opened slightly. A thick and slimy vine emerged to take a hold of the basket. Her chest's maws widened and tossed all the fruits into the gaping chasm before chomping shut. She suddenly lit up and sighed delightfully.

"Mmmm! How scrumptious! I'm surprised you didn't try to poison me— not that poison could affect me anymore than leave a bad taste in my mouth. I would have washed my palette with your flesh otherwise," the alraune remarked, licking her fingers.

"From now on, I can provide you with sustenance and a place to live without fear of being hunted. In exchange, I'd like to collect the secretions that ooze from your body. What do you say?" Reina stuck a hand out and was met by a vine that shook her instead.

"Very well," she said.

Reina and Neeks could finally relax.

Until the vine traveled up her arm. Roots had snuck their way behind unseen and immobilized them in a split second. Another appendage covered their mouths, preventing them from calling for help. The alraune's petal skirt split open and out she emerged like a humanoid on two legs.

"Allow me to introduce myself— I am Perrwyn, an alraune formerly under the services of Eudora Faust. There happens to be a caveat to acquiring my secretions: in order to receive, you must first give." The alraune named Perrwyn compelled the roots at her feet to pull down Reina's pants. Tiny tendrils began to wrap around and tease her penis to coax an erection. Perrwyn knelt down and kissed the tip of her rod.

Reina was powerless to resist.