It was like running through a timepse of medieval farmnds and forest paintings. Each gallop of the Ridire brought the group to a new vignette of a farm, vilge, or deep forest. Each one in some stage of fall, lit by twilight or full moon and candlelight. It was beautiful, and for once Temate was gd for his brain's annoying habit of picking through things at a gnce. It allowed him to enjoy the passing scenery. Toni was…

  “So. Much. Things. Brain hurt.” Toni groaned and leaned over, pressing her head into the back of the Ridire and closing her eyes. “Tell me when we get there, my eyes hurt with all this overload.”

  They rode for what Temate estimated was maybe 15 minutes. Not long, but in that time they must have passed through a hundred different towns and vilges. Now they stood in a courtyard, the space was paved with rge circur rocks set into the ground. In the center of the courtyard stood a towering tree, spiraling up with glimmering leaves of gold, orange, red and everything in between. No one leaf was the same as another, and several branches, cast in moonlight, were either barren or had translucent silvery leaves.

  That was another thing about the courtyard, the light here was broken. Though, broken was a bad descriptor to be honest. The light was an inconsistent mixture of either moonlight or twilight shifting around speckling everything in blues and oranges. The outer courtyard barrier was made of some strange twisting silvered wood. All leading up to a rge manor of white stucco and dark woods built spiraling up an even rger tree with leaves of every color. From there leaves fell and went everywhere.

  Temate didn’t dismount himself. When the Ridire stopped in the courtyard they simply lifted him off their backs and set him next to a humanoid figure. The Ridire then trotted back out the main gate, and back down the hill the whole manor sat upon. Down into a town of homes in a simir style to the manner. Temate turned to the figure and bowed.

  “I am TT, I am here for an au-” the figure bowed back and cut Temate off.

  “Welcome to the manor of the Righ, we are aware of your request. I am Chtis, please allow me to lead you to the Harvest Hall.” Chtis turned and shuffled away. Maybe it was more of a lurch? Either way it was what she had to do because of her body, she looked like a scarecrow had snuck off its post and raided a clothier. A mockery of a maids uniform was stitched directly onto her body; and various white and bck frilly accessories adorned every part of her. The face was no scarecrows though. Instead it gave an uncomfortable feel of familiarity, while also being very eye catching to Temate. The uncanny valley came to mind when he looked at it.

  “Everything here is so pretty! I mean look at the trees! And the walls! And that girl!” Toni slid up next to Temate pointing at Chtis as they followed after her. “Though she also looks strange, y’know? What’s with all the stitching, and the weird glossy look, it’s like she’s trying to imitate a smile from a description of one.”

  Pipuck spoke in a loud whisper up to the two, “The Barr, they’re typically aids in whateva’s important. They’re made from stitched together pnt fibers from ‘arvests, all the inedible bits. They’re a sorta golem and spirit in one, as ye might understand it.” They grinned up at the two humans.

  “You’re being awfully helpful.” Temate muttered to the fairy, his eyes gncing down briefly.

  “Weeeeellll, ye can’t stay here, pces not safe for ‘umans yknow? ‘Nd when they ‘ear ‘ow ye came to be ‘ere I may or may nah be in trouble soooooo…” Pipuck spun both of his hands as if what he was insinuating was obvious.

  “Soooooo what? Ya piece of pixie dust, we don’t know how this pce works, use all your big adult words!” Toni hissed at Pipuck looking up at the fairy who was still resting on the neck of Temate’s poncho.

  “OI PIXIE DUST, why ya little cunt I oughta-” Pipuck fshed in front of Toni gring as they rolled up their sleeves. She gred right back into their eyes. Temate and Chtis stopped to wait, after a long, tense pause Pipuck ughed.

  “I like ya ss, bold, good with your words, love your eyes so pretty!” Pipuck ughed and Toni blushed.

  “Don’t think complimenting me will distract me, I’ve dealt with plenty of guys just like y-”

  “Eh-hem” Chtis cleared her throat ahead of the group. All three turned to look at her. “Tuiteam Righ awaits your presence, you can finish this...” She waved at Toni and Pipuck “lover’s spat ter.”

  “L- wh- I- We JUST met! Why would you even assume I’d be with HIM!” Toni shouted but started walking again, the group moved.

  “First miss ss-” Pipuck started talking but Toni cut him off

  “It’s TONI, my name is TONI.” Pipuck snickered as Temate winced slightly. He should have warned her to use fake names.

  “Right miss Toni I-”

  “JUST Toni, no miss, It feels… weird.” Toni crossed her arms

  “Toni. As I was saying and DON'T…'' Pipuck held up their hand as Toni opened her mouth. “Interrupt me please. First, I’m a Spiras, a form of sprite. Second, we don’t ‘ave genders like you ‘umans do. We are beings made of pure light, we reproduce by casting our essence into the light of a newborn sun of less than a century! So please do not refer to me by your strange mortal words.” Toni looked at them, her eyes slowly widening.

  “Fairies have preferred pronouns? That’s so… weird. I-in a good way I mean, I just didn’t expect it to–”

  “Fairies prefer our names, species, or titles not your mortal quibbles, bloody ‘umans always thinkin in their tongue. Do you know ‘ow many nguages there are in all the realms?!” Pipuck waves their hand at the two aforementioned mortals.

  “Well… Sorry then Pipu” – Toni blinked and bounced excitedly – “wait, can I call you Pip?! It’s so cute and fitting with how small you are!” Toni asked. After a moment Pip blinked, then ughed!

  “Hahaha! Yes! you’re not the first ‘uman to call me that, but I do enjoy it!”

  Almost immediately the two began chatting like old friends catching up. Mostly Toni asked about the various things that caught her eye as they walked, mostly art and residents or guests of the manor. Pipuck in turn asked about humans and new things from their world, they seemed particurly fascinated with video games and movies. Temate smiled, tuning them out as Toni, who clearly cked much knowledge or experience with games, tried describing an RPG. They walked along and Temate just thought about next steps, in a metaphorical sense.

  Pipuck had said they, the group collectively, wouldn’t be allowed to stay here in what Temate had surmised was a fae court. Likely something along the lines of Fall, Autumn, or some non-anglo variant. At first Temat thought that meant they would probably be sent home, they had stumbled in here accidently after all, however... Pipuck also suggested that they, the individual Pipuck, wouldn’t be welcome in the fae nds for coming to their world. That worried Temate, but it was important to know why Pip thought that, so he raised his voice, cutting into the two’s discussion about various skills and abilities.

  “Pip, why wouldn’t you be welcome in the court when they find out how we got here?” Temate asked.

  Pipuck grimaced and looked at him, “I uh… may or may not ’ave not been supposed to, or allowed to, go to your world. It’s sorta off limits ‘cause of some sorta thing that’s bad ‘bout it.

  “What thing?” Toni asked.

  “I dunno, by Last Light I swear I don’t! That’s why I went in the first pce. Curiosity!” Pipuck pointed one finger to the roof and smiled awkwardly.

  “Oh that’s not...” Temate started, fading off into his own thoughts.

  “Don’t do that right now Temate,” Toni said, her voice strained as she stared at him. Temate looked over at her, surprised by the sudden change of energy. He paused when he saw tears pooling in her eyes.

  “Do… what?” Temate asked, both confused and concerned. He looked at her eyes and frowned in worry.

  “T-that thing where you start saying a thing then go off into your own head.” Toni looked Temate in the eyes and took a shaky breath. “I- I’m trying, and I’m h-holding together well but I am f-f-freaking the fuck out. P-please. J-just finish your thoughts o-out loud. Okay?” Toni’s voice was barely audible, cracking as the tears started sliding down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her chest.

  “Ah, you noticed that I’m sorry I…” – Temate grimaced and looked away from her eyes – “Just tell me when I do that, I never mean to, I just kind of do.” Temate looked back at Toni, eye’s apologetic she stared at him.

  “It’s not good news I’m thinking about though, are you absolutely certain you–”

  “I don’t know what’s happening, or what’s going to happen and I’m scared Temate, I’m scared that I’m not gonna see my family or friends again, or finish graduate school or… Or…” she trailed off, looking at the ground and smiling weakly. The tears began to flow freely, a soft whisper of a voice finished. “I’m just scared.”

  For a moment they just stood there. Temate scratched his chin and began to reach out towards Toni to do… something. He didn’t know what, he wasn’t good at this, not this. Give him a fight and he can handle it, give him an angry customer and he can smile and de escate. Give him a stupid scenario and he can improv or rolepy his ass off but– wait a second. Okay, scenario: Scared girl lost far from home afraid she won’t make it home. You py a stranger who stumbles upon her and must cheer her up. Temate nodded, that would work, he took a deep breath and began.

  Toni looked up and blinked as Temate, a towering, imposing figure knelt in front of her His face was suddenly close, in that she didn’t have to crane her neck to look at him, instead she just stared into his eyes. Deep, apologetic eyes, a soft reassuring smile. It was like looking at a different person. A shelter of warmth and kindness, she’d already guessed he was capable of it but to see it come out so suddenly. So much like...

  A big hand came to her head and patted it gently as she sniffed and then she ran. Toni ran right into Temate’s shoulder and grabbed him, hugging him and sobbing into his shoulder. He hummed softly into her ear. Hush, Little Baby; a cssic lulby and one of her father’s favorites. After a moment she stopped crying and suddenly Temate started humming Never Gonna Give You Up! Toni smiled and started ughing, leaning back out of his arms and punching his shoulder. Her face was red and snotty, makeup probably absolutely ruined but Temate didn’t seem to care.

  “My thoughts are not kind or hopeful ones T. They are pragmatic and likely would do more harm than good but I can tell you if you’re sure.” Temate looked at her, the question clear in his eyes while he maintained a reassuring smile. She nodded.

  “I want to know what you think might happen, I don’t like being lost and in the dark, I don’t like being in an unknown pce with unknown people” – Toni put a hand on Temate’s shoulder – “which you still qualify as, sorry big man. I want all the information I can get, information is like knowledge. It’s power, and certainty, especially in the midst of uncertainty.”

  Temate nodded and spoke as he stood, “Before I tell you let me assure you” – a hand pressed back onto Toni’s head and she blushed – “though you seem quite capable with that gun, I will do everything I can for you okay?”

  “Thank you Temate that’s” – Toni smiled as she craned her neck up at him… again – “that helps. Now spill the beans big man, what we got to worry about!” The two began to walk aas they talked again.

  Temate nodded and began, “Based on what Pip just said we probably won’t be going home.”

  “Oooookay? Why not, why wouldn’t they send a couple nobodies home?” Toni gasped at a sudden thought. “Are they gonna execute us? Keep us here as prisoners? Sves? Are we-” a loud smack.

  “The fae don’t keep sves, nor prisoners ya daft ss!” Pipuck shouted in her ear, Toni whirled on him but a big hand caught her shoulder and turned her back forward. Temate gred at Pipuck. Pip just shrugged back.

  “That’s actually good information, and with that information I’m more sure…” Temate leaned over to look Toni in the eye as they walked, climbing a staircase around the base of the tree now. “Pip already said we can’t stay here as it’s not safe for us. It took me a bit but I realized Pip also implied they can’t stay here either because they came to our world. The reason for that? Our world is forbidden.” Temate looked up at Pipuck who was circling above them. “That means there’s other worlds you can go to right?” A bright ugh rained down from the Spiras.

  “Aye! Clever d ye are, many worlds connect to the faends, many with strange magics and monstrosities.” Pipuck agreed happily.

  “The fae don’t keep prisoners or sves, they might execute us but that doesn’t seem likely or the Ridire would have just offed us in the woods.” Temate nodded as he spoke, Toni began absorbing this information. Information she’d missed, likely due to all the shit she was dealing with. Still was honestly. She looked up at Temate and see the cogs in his head turning, thinking slowly.

  “That means they’ll send us somewhere else right? Assuming we don’t offend this Reeg fel- I mean Reeg, some other world and Pip is hoping that by being hopeful he can convince us to convince the Reeg to take them with us instead of whatever punishment awaits Pip.” Toni finished the thought while looking between Pip and Temate. Temate nodded to her.

  “Likely I’ll be executed!” Pip added cheerfully.

  “Why would they kill you just for going to our world Pip?” Temate asked.

  “Because it is poisoned.” A voice rasped down to them. That was Chtis, only now did Toni realize they’d stopped at the foot of two ma-hassive double doors set into the trunk of the tree itself.

  “Aye…” Pipuck agreed, fshing into the neck of Temate’s poncho and hiding. “I didn’t know before I went but after I got there… Aye. I felt it.”

  “Poisoned?” Temate asked Chtis this time.

  Chtis held a hand up and a small tapestry appeared, pying out like a stop motion movie to match and ennunciate her words.

  “Some worlds are off limits simply because magic is low and it’s dangerous” – a spinning world of glimmering lights filled the tapestry, on it a cssic fairy image grasped it’s throat choking – “some because magic is too advanced and it's dangerous.” – the world spun and began to glow brighter. The fairy began to fly before a cssic wizard’s silhouette, pointy hat and all, appeared and trapped it with a bst of magic – “some, very few, are poisonous. They leech magic from their inhabitants and those like the fae who need it to live die.” – the world rotted in the tapestry until the very world began to melt. A bright line began to come in from off the tapestry which shifted to follow the line – “worse yet, those poisonous worlds can leech off our nds if a gate is left open, it starts weak but overtime… Death. We do not open gates to those worlds.” Chtis closed her hand the tapestry tearing itself into shreds of fabric which merged into her arm. She gred at Pipuck.

  “Eh heh, b-but I did close the gate.” Pip whimpered.

  “You got lucky.” Chtis said sharply.

  “So there’s no way to go back to our world? No way to convince the Reeg–”

  “ – Righ” Chtis corrected.

  Toni rolled her eyes and continued “– no way to convince this Righ to let us return? It’s only two of us, I’m sure it’s not that dangerous right?” Toni asked quietly. Chtis shook her head.

  “It is… unlikely, poisoned worlds will draw power into them and can sustain themselves. Tuiteam Righ may not leave his halls just for this, and opening a gate here would be too risky. Righ would not risk the bance of all life here, and in many other worlds openly connected here, just to send two mortals home. However, only Tuiteam Righ can answer that.” Chtis bowed to them and as if awaiting her word the tall, ornate wood doors opened. Without sound or ceremony, into a grand hall.

  The Harvest Hall was enormous. Temate and Toni walked into it side by side, Toni wide eyed and Temate… Eh, Temate. Toni stared around in awe. Two massive banquet tables extended down either side of the center path, adorned with a long orange carpet patterned in the style of yered leaves. A soft blue and gold twisting edge gilded the carpet. Hanging from pots above the tables and off the walls and from nearly every surface not designed to sit or walk on, were pnts. Fruit trees and bushes hung upside down, with always ripe fruits. Thick stems and stalks of carrots, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries and every other fruit or vegetable imaginable, and some not, set randomly into the lower pnters. A long winding stream of water ran through a groove in the floor which extended around the whole hall. The entire thing was carefully carved from one giant tree trunk, beautifully smoothed and varnished.

  Then there were the guests. All manner of strange creatures, from ones they recognized like the Ridire and the Barr, who served as guards and servers respectively, to all manner of new ones. Creatures that were living pnts with arms and legs made from roots, stems and vines. Humanoids with animal heads and features. Translucent beings with long crooked limbs and fingers that seemed to stretch infinitely. Even a massive bear who walked and talked like a person!

  “Ooooh, what kind of fae is that Pip!” Toni asked Pip quietly.

  “That? That’s not a fae, that’s just a normal bear.” Pip whispered back.

  “Bears don’t talk and walk like that though what do you mean?” Toni looked at Pip quizzically.

  Pip shook their head. “Maybe not anymore for you but… Oh the poor things, so magic deprived.” A pause, then Toni reached up to Temate’s chest and whacked Pip on the head.

  “You’re messing with me!”

  “I’m not! I swear! Bears are a magical intelligence, they colte experience and share it through hibernatory periods and grow wiser. When they can’t commune through dreams like that their intelligence slowly degrades to what you lot know as bears.” Pip looked sad as they said that. Toni had to agree.

  “No way! That’s so sad!” Toni looked over at the bear and then, they were at the throne. The Righ sat there, at first she wasn’t sure anyone was in the silver and gold throne, which looked much like silver and gold vines and stems shed together. They glimmered in the half twilight, half moonlight filled hall. Then the leaves shifted and she realized that what looked like a decorative pattern was in fact a creature. A being made of leaves of gold sat on the throne of the Harvest Hall.

  Tuiteam Righ towered over their Hall, even sat upon the throne. That wasn’t all that surprising, the throne was nearly 20 feet tall and nearly half again as wide. Tuiteam Righ filled that space and then some, a shifting mass of leaves. Toni swore she saw beneath them mud and mulch, like a pile which had sat too long and begun to rot. She could find no clear face on the Righ. Instead she imagined she saw faces at the edges of her vision when the light caught the Righ just right. When she turned to inspect those faces though, they were gone.

  Wind began to blow through the Hall, shifting the pnts hanging within, and the many guests stopped feasting. Hands stopped as they reached to grab fruits or vegetables from the pnters. Others stopped as they leaned down to fill cups from the winding stream. The wind blew, the leaves shifted, and Toni understood.

  “TT, to your request I have relented. Three T's and Pipuck, an audience granted” The Righ spoke, a whistling of winds and rustling of fabric and leaves that somehow transted to words in Toni’s mind. Then Temate stiffened, when he stepped forward Toni’s eyes widened, he looked different again. She couldn’t pce her finger on it, she could still tell it was him, some deeper things never changed. It was like what. Like... like watching an actor on stage she realized.

  An actor? Temate? Act? He seems so… sooooo… Quiet! But then he’s not that either, he just feels that way. Toni watched as Temate bowed, he crossed one arm across his chest and brought the other out and level with his torso. One foot slid behind the other and he leaned forward to his waist, she copied his pose and he spoke without raising his head.

  “Thank you Tuiteam Righ, great adjudicator, guide, leader of these hallowed nds. We three seek forgiveness for trespasses upon your nd and w. Each in our own ignorance and incompetence, and seek to offer recompense if we may.” Temate spoke more words at once than Toni had heard from him. She blinked as she stared at the floor, where had those words come from? She had to know and suddenly had a dozen new questions to ask the man when they had a moment.

  They waited for what felt like a full minute before the wind blew again and the Righ’s words reached their minds. “Arise youngling.” the Righ spoke, Toni unbowed when she saw Temate doing the same. “By ignorance and incompetence you cim to tread, and the Ways of Fae Lights into my Court of Harvests have lead?” Toni waited for Temate’s response, but none came. He simply stared ahead, his shoulders clearly tense, yet he tried to project calm assuredness.

  “Hmm, if so talented are you, and she who came too.” the Righ spoke, several leaves floated down before Temate, covering a space in front of him about the same height as the big man. They ignited in fme causing Toni to jump and step back, a small squeak passing unbidden from her lips.

  In pce of the leaves stood an ornately dressed figure. Four arms protruded from a torso wrapped in a long bck tail coat. Beneath the buttoned coat was a dress shirt, half bright orange, the other half soft baby blue. The two lower arms, one made of bones and one made of roots, rested upon a gleaming golden gourd which topped a long silver cane which ccked into the ground. No legs were behind the cane as the Righ seemed to float on a soft stream of firelight and moonlight extending out from the bottom of their torso. One upper arm of pnt stems, burdened by flowering fruits and vegetables, adjusted a luminescent, noble blue and ochre bowtie. The final upper arm was a twisted, gnarled branch with orange and red leaves of varying hues – which were thicker near the Righ’s shoulder – reached up to pce a top hat made of gold and silver straws upon their head. And their head! It hovered an inch above their form, an image of both horror and comfort, a flickering fire shaped like a pumpkin with the grinning face of a human skeleton. Soft moonlight shone from it’s grinning mouth and wide eyes, while both the firelight and moonlight seemed to fill the air around Toni.

  Suddenly she felt no worries, and at the same time all her worry was heightened. It was a strange sensation befitting the strange creature which stood before them. Toni wanted to ask Pip what the Righ was! Tuiteam Righ obviously, but were they some specific type of fae? Were they fully unique all their own? She was buzzing with questions but she knew when to control herself. Pip had said Temate should request the audience, and to her that made him the lead on this interaction. Probably for the best to be honest, none of this was like she had imagined fairies and the fae to be like! It was that which had helped her stay mostly put together until the moment she broke down in Temate’s arms. That thought made her blush and shake her head. Stupid handsome, kind, sexy big man. GAH!

  “And you little Pipuck, you accept this cim the human makes for your misluck?” The Righ’s question crackled like fire into Toni’s mind, stopping her thoughts. The Righ stood before Temate, having leaned slightly onto their cane to smile wickedly and kindly down at the Spiras.

  “I do, Tuiteam Righ, I could find no expnation for the banishment of this realm. I am but young and foolish and thought I acted in wisdom but I did not. I beg your leniency.” Pipucks voice was much lower now, and they floated out of Temate’s poncho, not to bow but to prostrate themselves in the air.

  “The young oft act rash tis true, yet your actions endanger many here, the threat of loss is a grave one too. Have you known loss young Pipuck?” the Righ slowly walked around both Temate and Pip as the Righ spoke. It examined them, Temate and Pip.

  “No, Tuiteam Righ, I ‘ave never experienced loss and know not its sting. Though I ‘ave ‘eard it said there is no greater pain” Pipuck remained prostrated as they spoke.

  “Then I will teach and you will learn. That is the punishment I feel you earn. As for thou.” A small collection of leaves seemed to caress the heads of Temate and Toni. Tuiteam Righ floated between the two.

  “I cannot send ye to whence you came. For I can not risk loss upon my domain. So I shall send ye elsewhere, with blessing and gift to aid travel there.” The Righ grinned and frowned. Toni smiled back at it and Temate asked a question.

  “To where will you send us, if I may ask? In what blessings and gifts shall we bask?”

  There was a long pause, and then the roar of fme, of ughter, as the Righ fell backwards onto one of the big steps before its throne.