####**'\|Deep Space|\,**

Sanja had to leave, and that was disappointing. The planet was being consumed. It had been a very beautiful place once. Everything was very predictable; there was even some sort of planetary spirit that regulated verdant year after verdant year. Most importantly of all, however, the locals left her gifts of intricately knotted branches, woven into minute trees and crops. They were small things, some better crafted than others, only ever worth small favors. Often she'd just steal crops from neighbors who'd failed to leave her something this month and leave them for those that did. A simple repayment with oh-so-interesting consequences. It was one of those worlds that really inspired a Fairy to spread her wings and flit about in the double moonbeams.

Which was why she felt it really deserved something more than simply running away. Something more interesting than just dissolving into such an ugly morass of... wrongness. All the locals, however, had been too busy fighting the "blight". Their attempts weren't going so well, however, and Sanja liked to think that was in no small part due to her own curses. Serves them right for failing to present offerings. And then they had the nerve to run away and fight! If they'd just stayed, all she would've done was steal their crops. But no, they had to be macho, and so she was forced to foul their weaponry. Curses were so much more draining than simple theft, the wretches!

Whatever was eating the world was also throwing the Path into nervous fits. Every time she felt its familiar resonance, it would shift deeper into the jungle, or behind that waterfall, or somewhere *else*, just out of reach. So there was no *time* to stop for theatrics. She had a Path to catch.

The Path had been lying still in one place for the past half hour or so. Perhaps there was nowhere else for it to go; Sanja did feel like she'd been chasing it for half a continent. Her wings could certainly use a rest. There was a clearing ahead; perhaps-. The clearing was Joraga-made. Wooden dwellings clustered around a larger cabin, as if huddling for warmth. A tribe was inside; Sanja could hear crying and... song? No, it was prayer.

Sanja re-assumed her glamour, covering up her wings with the vision of a beautiful two-piece woven garment as was height of local style. Her face was as perfect as the ugly local faces could be, which almost made it to "plain" in Sanja's estimation. It was still more radiant than anything the dirty, tear-streaked cabin dwellers had to offer. Her bare feet padded softly on the ground as she entered the cabin.

"The Wandering Spirit!" cried out a small child, pointing at Sanja. Apparently she *had* made an impression on these people.

"Hush, little one. Good spirit, forgive the child, he is young and foolish," the Earthmother said.
"Many are," Sanja said. She felt the Path writhe, but its entrance was steady. All eyes were on her. Some had a look of confusion or disbelief. Others had hope.

"What brings you to our gathering, gentle spirit?" asked the Earthmother.

"I've come to like this world, and your people's art. I'd like to offer you a gift: your lives. I know how to escape the Blight."

"A fine gift, but I cannot accept. My place is here," said the Earthmother, who knew the Wandering Spirit's gifts always came with a price.

"I accept!" Doria said. He looked around the room. "We must survive, at any cost!"

Eight more accepted her bargain. She left the cabin quickly, the path twisting and twitching constantly now. But the entrance was always in the same spot. Two trees, one leaning on the other.

"You must follow my steps exactly and closely. If you wander off the Path, you will likely die," she informed her troupe of followers.

Past the trees, the Path took a sharp left, over a muddy brook. The mud was a disturbing shade of brown-red. After the brook, up a short hill, under bowed branches and - no, it shifted - up a short hill, and around a square stone. Her sudden change in direction confused a child (the same who had spoken up earlier), and he went right instead of left. The boy disappeared into the brush. His mother screamed, and reached for the boy. Doria grabbed her arm.

"He's gone! We have to follow the Wandering Spirit!" he shouted.

Sanja paused. The path was about to shift again. It was bunching together behind them, a wave of energy rushing toward their location.

"You must follow closely!" Sanja said. There was no time for more. There was no time for walking, either. She broke out into a run.

Around the rock; into the hollow; climb the wa- no, straight ahead; take the left fork; keep left; straight across the bridge- no, scramble over rocks; duck under branches; brave the vines; and-!

___
####**'\|Much Less Deep Space|\,**

Sanja halted abruptly. The jungle had changed. Where once there were towering trees with lush undergrowth, there now was clear ground, fat trees, and a low overhanging canopy. They'd made it.

"Why are we stopping?" Doria asked.

"We're here," Sanja said.

"The trees - I've never been in this part of the jungle," someone said.

"The jungle feels wrong. It's too fast here."

The mother was still bawling. Sanja was half-surprised she hadn't begged to go back. Not that they could - the Path had retreated from the planet, probably just in time, too.

"I've given you nine lives. Shall you give me nine in return?" Sanja asked.

"There are only eight of us, you-" Doria covered the mother's mouth before she could insult the Wandering Spirit.
"True. You owe me a life then, in addition to your own." Sanja adjusted her glamour to a more Fairy standard. Much less ugly. The Joraga recoiled.

"There's no need to kill us, gentle spirit," Doria protested.

"Kill you? I hadn't thought of that. Ooh, I do like it. Although... hmmm. Very well, you eight shall be my servants. But you still owe me the life of another of my choosing."

"Of course," Doria said. The mother was tensing up again. All the Joraga were. Doria looked meaningfully in Sanja's direction, clearly indicating that this wasn't the time to talk about this.

"Good," Sanja said. "Come along then, we've much traveling to do before we reach the start of our Path!" And she flounced on ahead, the last Joraga following.