From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak...

The meadow was alight with the soft glow of fairies, colored a hundred different shades. Aster nodded in satisfaction at the now-sizable swarm moving over the edges of the meadow, slowly growing in strength as more lust-addled fairies were set straight. By morning they might actually have a solid fighting **** against the Giant's demonettes.

She and Bowen sat near the crown of the tallest evergreen surrounding the glade. The old oak would have been better but Aster couldn't stand the sounds coming from inside or the tingling itch that they stirred inside. She tiredly raised her hands and channeled the energy of the glade before releasing it once more into the sky as a fleeting and minuscule aurora. This was the third summons, she didn't think she'd have the strength for another.

Tiredly sliding down the trunk, Aster yawned deeply. Bowen's eyes were bleary and he looked on the verge of nodding off. She'd be worried but he seemed to stick to the bark like glue, must be a treeman thing. She leaned against the tree next to him, doing her best to stay alert and watchful for a return signal or better yet, a Sylph in the flesh. Her eyelids were so heavy...

"Woah, Aster!"

She started, finding herself dangling from Bowen's outstretched arm, "What happened?"

"You fell asleep standing up is what happened. Here." He hauled her up, wrapping his arms around her gently to not hurt her wings and leaning back against the tree. She struggled for a moment, a slew of indignant complaints ready to emerge from her throat, but some deep part of her strangled them before she could speak. She grudgingly settled down, the comforting weight of Bowen's strong arms surrounding her. None of the fey were particularly warm, or at least they shouldn't be, but Aster felt like she was sunning herself on a cool summer day. A **** smile played across her lips as her eyes closed and she snuggled up against Bowen's mossy chest, all worries scattering to the winds.

Aster wasn't sure what it was that woke her but her eyes snapped open sometime in the early morning. The crescent moon was high in the sky and it bathed the treetops in pale light. Far below, the lights of the fairy posse had dwindled somewhat, though a cantankerous few continued to flit about. Bowen breathed deeply against her neck, the loamy scent oddly comforting.Aster was about to nod off again when her gaze slid across a ripple in the stars. Sitting up, she squinted at the distortion, "...hello?"

The ripple shimmered, a faint cloud-like vapor condensing to fill out a thin figure standing on the branch before her. Standing was the wrong word, the sylph's etherial form hovered above and around the branch as though it wore a flowing dress. Aster had never seen a Sylph up close, they were virtually invisible almost all of the time, and the sight was breathtaking. If she squinted, the vaporous form appeared to be a very thin woman with long wispy white hair. It's head barely moved, giving the illusion that the stars shining from behind its head were actually its eyes... they were stars weren't they?

"Um... my name is Aster, I come bearing bad news."

The sylph listened impassively as Aster recounted what she'd learned since waking up the morning before, never making a sound. When Aster finished the sylph seemed to study her, somehow managing to make its eye-stars look inquisitive. Aster was beginning to wonder whether the sylph even understood her when it abruptly rose from its perch and dissipated into the night air, leaving her confused and mildly irritated in the gathering dawn.

Aster realized that throughout the entire conversation she hadn't moved from Bowen's embrace and it wasn't hard to nestle in for a few more minutes of shut eye before the dawn broke.

"So you were able to talk with one?"Aster and Bowen were gliding down from the tree, heading for the gathering at the base of the old Oak. She'd recalled the events of the night to Bowen but the whole ordeal was so bizarre that she wasn't entirely sure she hadn't dreamt it. She wasn't going to tell anyone that of course: the others might actually behave themselves if they believed that the elements were united in dealing with the threat.

"Yeah. She didn't say much but I think I got the point across."

As they approached she saw with some relief that the gathered treemen were entirely separate from the fairy swarm, though there were members on both sides who didn't look particularly happy about it. She saw the tiny fairies they'd rounded up yesterday patrolling the border, giving mean looks to any fey that would dare step out of line. Aster had to admit they were doing a much better job than she ever would have expected, in the future she made a mental note to show them more respect.

Hopefully the gathered fey were more collected than yesterday and they could get this whole counterforce ready to **** the giant's shack. As the two of them swept down to the clearing between the sides, Aster realized with some alarm that the gathered fey were waiting for someone to address them and that that someone had to be her. She alighted next to Bowen and the leader of her tiny task ****, a yellow fairy named Buttercup. Bowen gave her a thumbs up and stood tall next to her, looking proud to be there. Aster cleared her throat nervously and raised her voice to address the surrounding masses.