The bark gave a bit of resistance as Anise worked at pulling it off, but she still remained successful. She could recognize now that it had once been a live tree, but no longer. Perhaps due to the machinery beneath it. She tore off a chunk to see a plate of metal beneath it. She pressed her hand against the cold steel in awe. How could such a piece of machinery be built within a tree without destroying the entire tree? She felt the ticking within it reminding her of the tree that she had been summoned to when she first arrived.

She then saw Peck hand her a dagger and accepted his assistance with a nod and a smile, although he could not see the later. "Thank you, Peck." He seemed much more relaxed now that she hadn't dominated him or killed him and that helped her relax some. Together they worked to peel the bark off the tree.

[quote]"Th' last Lady of Light was swallowed by the Lord of Shadow," he explained conversationally as he worked. "After the Dragon was sealed, Shadow and Light went head-to-head in a colossal battle. Shadow had the Lady of the Pond, the Lord of the Gust and the Lady of the Stone on his side. Light only had the Lord of the Flame and the Lord of the Storm to fight for her and the Lord of the Wood went missing, and they lost. The Lord of Shadow swallowed her whole, and with that power he named himself king and enslaved the dead."[/quote]

Anise frowned at the mention of the Lord of Shadow. She had a feeling that it had been something like that. She felt that somehow, she'd have to come to an accord with the Spirit and knew for a fact that it would not be an easy task. Her first experience with the Lord had been a most unpleasant one, and now she understood why she had such a strong feeling towards his presence. Light and Shadow were opposed and she would have to overcome that in some manner.

Now she knew why the spirits of the dead were still lingering: the Lord of Shadow had control over them. She knew though, that with the power of the Spirit Lantern and her own willpower she had the ability to tear that control away piece by piece. His domination was not complete either since Tyaelaem's ghost had helped her and now she was going to help him.

"I will free the dead," she stated determinedly. "None should be forced to remain if they have the desire to move on."

Another piece of bark fell from the tree and this time she found a fissure of white light which sparked a vision of flight from the Spirit Lantern. The vision took her breath away for a moment as she anticipated the real feeling of flight again. After she caught her breath, she slid the blade of the dagger Peck handed her into the small fissure as much as she could and pried at it to test if this were a panel or door of some sort that could be removed.