The Flower

"The Spear does have a sort of sentience, but you don't have to worry about it turning on you. It is just a spear, it's only purpose is to be used," Nagi confirms.

Take and Malphiel turn down the boon for now and say goodbye to Nagi before heading back to the rest area. The flower continues to simply stand, just a bud, unbloomed by the pond. Take stares at it. "Do we... Water it?" she asks, glancing at the pond.

"That would seem like the most obvious answer," Malphiel responds with a shrug.

Take cups her hands in the water and carries some over to the flower before dropping the water on it. Almost immediately it begins to move, the bud opening and as the flower blossoms it reveals a tiny woman inside. She's naked with fiery red hair that falls all the way down her body reaching her feet. A pair of tiny purple butterfly wings spread out from her back. She has tan skin, but with green hues around the edges of her body, particularly around her face, stomach, sides of her legs and arms and just above and below her proportionally small breasts, each of which is dotted with small dark purple nipples. She lies there for a moment before suddenly jumping to her feet and opening a pair of large, pure green eyes with no sclera and tiny pinprick pupils in the center, "Chosen?" she asks in a rapid clipped voice as she looks at Take.

Take nods, staring at the strange fairy. She thinks for a moment about Twyl, the creature in front of her now is clearly also a fairy like her, but there's a number of differences. Regardless at Take's affirmative response the fairy woman hops up, her wings beating fiercely and she lands on Take's shoulder, "I am Maie, I'll be serving as your guide to the Tower!" she says, her words slower now, leisurely. She reaches her hands back to shake out her long mane of hair and lets it fall like a curtain around her body, covering her back and sides, but leaving her front fully exposed. "The tower can be a dangerous and tricky place, but it's design is entirely for your benefit or hindrance and I'm going to help explain the various amenities and pitfalls that await you," she says proudly sitting on Take's shoulder and placing a hand on her cheek partially to keep herself steady and partially to try and give her cheek a friendly pat.

Malphiel stares in confusion at Maie who glances back at her. "You her companion?" she asks and Malphiel nods.

"The last Chosen also had an angel companion by the time she arrived here. What a coincidence," Maie states.

"Would that be Lemiel?" Take asks, "we met her," she adds.

"Could be... I don't think her name was recorded, but I think she had two angels by the end of her journey, so maybe not," Maie shrugs.

"I thought I knew basically everything about the previous chosen, but I've never heard of a Tower Guide before," Malphiel asks and Maie for the first time seems hesitant.

"There's a reason for that. We don't tend to make it very far... Most never even make it off this floor," she admits and she looks scared momentarily. "back in the fey village we draw lots to see who gets this job usually. The person chosen... Says goodbye to all her friends and family before heading here, because historically most don't get to go back," she says and then suddenly seems cheery again, "that being said I do have a slightly higher chance of living than the previous ones, because the choice you normally get on this floor has been removed so the former king couldn't make his usual bet. As long as nothing on this floor kills me, your choices at least won't get me killed," she says and then looks thoughtful, "I guess in a way I owe lord Windgrace for that. It was him blocking off the Depths that removed that choice," she mutters and then tilts her head, "Oh and don't think opening the way to the depths, changes that. As I understand it, there is no path to the Depths this time. I guess since the last Chosen was there, there hasn't been any new threats and so the Chosen isn't needed there," she clarifies. "the only major threats you'll need to worry about on this floor then will be Lord Windgrace, Breaker and... Uh... Nevermind I'm not allowed to talk about the third one yet," she adds.

Take and Malphiel listen to her talk with a sort of bemused look. They understand the part where she was afraid, but everything after that was just sort of confusing. "Well uh... I guess we have a companion now... What's next?" Take asks.

"Are you asking me or the voices?" Maie asks.

"The voices, but if you have an answer..." Take responds and Maie shakes her head.

"Nope, but uh... Give me a second," she says and covers her ears, "okay ready," she says.

(Health: 80%

Mana: 75%

Equipment: Kitsune Mask (shattered), black leather dress (Torn), fishnet bodysuit (torn), Silk chest wrap (Shredded), silk panties (punctured), Thick leather armor (-2, shredded reduced to -0 until repaired), Biker's armor (-1), Kusarigama (-3), Ninjato(-3), 3xKunai, 1xSmokebomb, 3xCaltrops, black catsuit, Thick leather armor (-2), Elysium Bow (-5 or -10 against demonic foes)

Inventory: A smooth pretty stone, A blood red whip, Slutty dress, Animate Golem Spellbook, creepy potion, angelic key, winged key, 2 vials of semen, 2xChallenge gears, Barrier Breaker, God's Favour (Halo), spear of Consumption (-3, 0 consumed), Emergency Beacon, 8XAlchemical Ingredients.

Status Effect:

Spells known: Cloak (Lvl 1, mastered, Mana Cost: 10%)

Force Lance (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 15%)

Fetish: Submission Lvl 1

Oral Lvl 1.

Party: Malphiel

Malphiel Health: 100%

Malphiel Mana: 45%

Malphiel Equipment: Cracked Visor, Chainmail Body Suit (-4), The Horned Helmet, The Crushers (-5).

Malphiel Spells Known: Angelic Rays (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 20%), Heavenly Soothing (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 25%), Retribution (Lvl 1, Unmastered, cost: 100%, unusable, triggers automatically at 0% hp if Malphiel has enough Mana to trigger it).

Malphiel Status Effect: Broken Wings. Combat level lowered to Medium, cannot fly.

Touch of Corruption. Maximum Mana and Health set to half of normal. Loses access to God's Light, God's Judgment and Divine Grace.

Addicted to sex. More easily aroused and more willing to engage in all manner of sexual activity regardless of context.

Fourth Floor Gear Challenge: Visit Two Resource points. 1/2