[center][h2][color=lime]The Emerald Empire[/color][/h2]
 
Lake Sem[/center]
 
Enzar fled west along with the recovering Ruzan, carrying the tale that had already traveled all across the Empire’s holdings thanks to Yaval’s offshoots. Opinion on Enzar himself was mixed, as was what people were calling him. A treekins title,( the Keen, the Swift, the Serpent, etc. ) was a vital part of their identity, and a naming convention that predated their adoption of actual names. When the children of the Trees was young and fighting for their kind’s very survival, titles were ideas rather than words, a mental picture of what a treekin had done/could do that awarded them a degree of individuality among their mass produced peers. As time had passed, all those who survived or where later planted gained names in the adopted human tradition, yet the acquisition of a title the closest their kind had to a rite of adulthood. Names changed however, Enzar forsaking of his own in the face of  the destroyer was a prominent example. Appropriates its loss was, for he was now lord of none but the dead, it had left a notable gap that had been filed by many new ones as he was discussed. The coward, the traitor, the forsaker, the messenger, the herald, the spared, the lone swordsman, the sane, the mad, the possessed. Some even called him the brave for his lone charge, though as with Xuna it was just as used to mean foolhardy. For the time being he went simply by Enzar, his state of bing influx till he found a new purpose.
 
Enzar and Ruzan passed through the town of Emway as the border forest fire, the smoke and light of which could be seen throughout the southern province, died down. The former border Forest becoming subsequently known as the wall of ash. The two finally arrived in the Dreaming grove that was located in between lake Sem and Fenreforst on the day Merken Froze solid. 
 
The next day he, Ruzan the keen, Letiana The Swift and Parabella the Intuitive sat in the foothills overlooking Lake Sem, having traveled along with others through a pass in Sems low hills. Letiana was composer of the wind dancers art, who had grown up in the same grove as Enzar, the two had fond memories of each other from that time, but had not met in person in years. While Enzar had, through courageous deeds and displays of wisdom, become an elected official, Letiana had spent her time free from service traveling distant lands much Xuna and Yarvost had, only to return one day to teach her new style of combat to those willing to listen. Parabella meanwhile was an enchanter from the Fridgit bay Grove, a child of autumn who had traveled to Cher to learn from the now deceased Lestarn The Magnificent and while there had gotten to know Enzar after she had asked to inspect his blade due to her interest in foreign artifacts. She had survived thanks to being on healing duty within the forest itself rather than on the front lines and had arrived along with a group of survivors earlier today. 
 
From their perch on the hill they could see what remained of the Grove between Sem and Merken floating down into the lake, the Trees having ordered their own near blasphemous uprooting or felling in order to try and escape. A few Dryads stood on the trunks of the great trees with long oars or barge polles in hand, paddling and steering the trees across the lake to the river that would take them down towards the sea. 
 
Across from them, on the opposite shore of the lake, where the 3 wide, deep, rivers that fed Lake Sem and beyond the misty marshes they flowed through to reach the lake from their source up in the distant Frozen cliffs. The cliffs themselves were hidden by mist and clouds, the day seeming to be one that threatened rain. Through the marsh ran a single long narrow road. Built atop an artificial half meter tall embankment of gravel and stone the ancient road was seldom used. Most of the Empires trade was done via sea rather than over land and when the border forest still lived access for human traders to Vitium had rendered the journey not unprofitable and dangerous. The when sending troops and supplies to the border forces the Dreaming Forest had preferred to take either a boat ride up-river from lake Sem or to traverse the natural woods round behind lake Sem up to Fenreforst. As a result the road was poorly maintained, overgrown and crawling with dangers large and small.
 
The four where not alone, blow them at the water's edge a number of Living ship where docked, providing with a conduit for the Dreaming, something the survivors was glad to have returned to after their lonely flight. Between the 4 on the hill and the ship a number of Letiana’s student practiced their art, watched by the crews of the ships and other assembled warriors. The sight was a strange merging of ballet performance, Country dance and material training, the lightly dressed dancers wielded greatswords and warhammers single handedly as they gracefully pared against one another, their movements looking like they where all insync with an unheard song. They claimed to dance to the song the wind played that none but they could hear. It was this that gave the group their almost cult like status among the Dreaming Forest. Through the Dreaming the others could feel the belief and certainty behind their words, yet those who did not join the dance could not share whatever it was they experienced.
 
The three survivors had been telling Letiana about their personal perspectives of the battle. Once they had finished she told them:
 
“Some of them want me to face her you know. That my speed and grace could succeed where Nyranda’s blunt strength failed”
 
A heavy silence followed this declaration until Ruzan spoke up with a forced chipper
 
“There's also the plan to do the opposite right? To Ignore her, attack her followers till she stands alone.”
 
“That’s what these raids are for after all” Parabella added. Indeed, that is what they were assembled for, waiting to board the small ships to carry them upstream to the marshes. Other expeditions had already moved out before Nerjeb gad even frozen, Dryads stalking through the marshes during the subsequent night to prepare traps and ambushes along the long thin road leading west to Emway. Despite having both held power in the border forest Ruzan and Enzar where now naught but regular soldiers in the line of duty rather than leaders of the expedition, overall command had been placed by vote in the hands of a Dryad from the north Fenreforst grove called Sunrost the Eagle and a south Fenreforst Dryad called Masilta the Red, who had retained her position after the congregation of various forces in her home grove.
 
“They will slow her, but they won’t stop her. In the end, someone will have to face Andromache”
 
“How about we talk about something else” Ruzan tired “did you hear about the massive hydra up north? 4 times as big as normal, and made of rotting flesh.”  
 
“Selzona The Cold thinks it was done with some new kind of golem magic we’ve never seen before.” Parabella Interjected informatively
 
“Or those mysterious black and red sailed pirate ships raiding up near Freishann and Olira?”
 
“More enemies”
 
“Um. Well, there was that ghost ship that people saw on the Sea of lights” “Ghost ship. Now your just making stuff up to distract us” “I’m telling you, the there humans said they could see right through it like it was made of glass or something“ ”humans, of course it was only humans that saw it” ”Sailed right up to one of these lights in the sea at night, shrouded in mist, then sailed into a dead end cove near the frozen cliffs and just vanished”
 
Eyes were rolled at Ruzan’s tall tale, but it had lifted the mood. Parabella Jump on the silence that followed to told her own story. “Have you hear the story about the woman and the mysterious staff up north? Right before dawn this woman shows up in front of Norfort leaving a trail of verdant life in her wake. She’s carrying this massive 3 meter long staff, that she says she had to hand over to them as, in her own words, ‘The right thing to do” ”that is suspicious” ”as is the staff, when Selzona studied it she found it covered in strange unknown blood colored symbols. When questioned the woman told them she had been compelled to go find it, then compelled to bring it to the fort” “like I said. suspicious.”  “but also really interesting, we didn’t know that was possible till now. If Selzona can figure out how it was done, or find who did it, then the possibilities are mesmerizing.” “think that and the hydra are connected?” “Se;zona does, she’s already sent out patrols to go hunt for whoever is responsible”
 
“You really like Selzona huh” “it’s a coincidence, a lot of weird stuff just happens to be going on up there. Though I have to admit she was my second choice after. Um.”
 
And thus they were all brought back to the present by the reminder of the dead ent mage. They were saved from another silence by the arrival of a small group of human carpenters escorting a large amount of timber, who where who they had all been waiting on to arrive “We best be going” Ruzan said, pushing himself to his feet and sprinting down to join the dancers and crew. Parabella rushed after him, but Enzen and Letiana where slower. 
 
“I don’t want you to face that monster alone” “I appreciate the sentiment, but we already know you don’t stand a chance. You were too slow and will just get in the way of the dance” “then in what little time we have I will need to learn match your speed”
 
She turned to him, surprised, then smiled. “It is not speed you need to learn, only how to listen” “I’m all ears” “hmm. No. Not yet. But your ears will have to do for now. I’ll do what i can for you as we travel, but for now we best be off before we cause delays”
 
[hr]
 
[center][@Serpentine88][@Commodore][@Oraculum][@Sigma][/center]
 
While Yaval’s network had carried the situation to all the places their mind touched, the living shis carried it furthur. The Emerald Empire was not so arrogant that it did not see it needed help. While Vitium had done an excellent job at alienating everyone, even its supposed religious allies, the Dreaming forest had spread its roots far and wide since it sprouted onto the world stage. On the south end of the bay that Andromache wanted to capture part off was the northern tip of the Empire of Lynn-Naraksh, ruled by the armor clad Broodlords. The primordial blooded humans in many ways shared more in common with the Dreaming forest than they did with the humans both empires ruled over and the two groups had found forming positive relations rather easy. The buffer Kingdom of Shenra also helped in that matter, preventing border friction between the two empires. A small party of Dryads and small monstrous ents made the short trip across the bay of lights and then began the hard ride through the foothills of the Frozen cliffs, towards the seat of the Lynn-Naraksh Emperor. 
 
In the south ships set out form the moon shaped island of Gweldgale, a colony of the empire, heading for the singular city open to outsiders: Huángjin Di. There they hoped to glean information from reports of the empires failed attempts at assassinating the empress. While the trade city was known for its mercenaries the trip back home would be far to long for any hired to be useful, information and guidance where all they could hope for from the ancient nation.
 
Ships from the tiny island of Fostern set out for Freishann to make good on their defensive alliance, only to run straight into messages summoning them to discuss the junk pirates plaguing the region. The ship bearing Tenzin the Discerning docked sailed up the river linking the Freishann capital to a southern bay 2 days after the invasion began, docking there at noon among a number of currently civilian Emerald vessels of autumn. As the ships traded stories through the dreaming the diplomat and his small entourage entered the city proper.
 
Finally a few ships from the evergreen isles themselves sailed up the coast to to cold and brutal land of Tarkima. There they intended to seek out their recently acquired allies, Clan Brakor, in order to hire the services of some of their warriors to bolster their own military. They carried with them gifts and the promise that greater rewards, glory and plunder could be won in the defence of Emerald land. 
 
Across the Vitium plains strode 2 final messengers, these sent not by Yaval’s will but by their own. They seek to bring others to the side of the forest, people who will not find out who they truly serve till it is much too late.
 
[hr]
 
As the small fleet sailed up the west most Sem river, born by sail and living oars, Enzar tried to learn. He had expected sparring sessions, but instead Letiana had spent the trip talking. They sat near the stern of the ship, while behind them varios Dryads, small ents and the occasional human, clad in thick outfits to protect them from the biting insects that plagued the marshes in springtime, milled about impatiently among the supplies the ship was carrying. Ruzan and Parabella sat gossiping with a few of the others. Enzar tried to ignore their chatter and focus on what Letiana was saying. But she was not making it easy.
 
“You have to learn to listen” “ I am listening” “but you listen like a human listents, with an imitation of ears when we have none of the things in your head that make them work without mana. We were made in their image, but we are still closer to our progenitors than we ever will be to the Dreamless animals.” “That kind of superiority talk isn't polite when they are around” “Stop thinking like a politician please, and Listen. It’s not about what is better, it’s about not trying to be something other than what we are. When I was traveling the world the last place I stopped was at Yaval’s island. I climbed to the top of of their branches, ate their fruit and. Don’t look at me like that, it is was an honor, even if it tasted just as bland as all the rest. When I was up there i meditated, and then I asked to see the world as they see it” “and what did you see?” “everything. Or that  is what it felt like anyway. Their entire being, the island, the sea around it, the life that lived there and then far flung places across the empire. I shouldn’t have been able to process it all, and yet I could.” “the fact that our parents see the world as a blurry haze probably helped” “true, but that is because they can take in so much, and their minds are vast, deep and” “slow” “stop being curt with me if you want my help” “I apologies, I am just frustrated. How can I learn to fight like you by sitting here.” “because first you must see the world like I do, hear the world, like I do. Like how our progenitors do. To not use these faximalies of eyes and ears we have been given by the Trees, but to instead know the world as they do, as our primordial creator wanted us to.” “you can’t claim to know... No. I said i would listen. Go on” “you must see not with your senses, but with your mind. To experience everything around you rather than what is just in front of you. To feel the rhythm of life, how it ebbs and flows, to listen to the music of reality. To know your part, to be in the right place at the right time in tune with the beat. “I” “open your mind for me. Open your mind to the truth and I will show you the world”
 
Enzar reached out through the Dreaming, and Letiana drew him in, closer to her mind than he should ever have gon. Into an abyss of sensation. Most would have recoiled. Fled. Blocked the ordeal from their minds. Most did. Enzar did not. It was strange, terrifying, overwhelming, he felt like he was spiraling down a pit of insanity for an eternity before he finally saw the light at the end. 
 
“Tell me. What do you feel”
 
“Way to many fucking bugs.”
 
At that Letiana busts out laughing, breaking the tension and serenity of his moment of revelation. It was a welcome break however. “Ah ha ha, oh I’m so sorry. Normally I do this somewhere much more scenic” “there wasn’t time.” “True, but none the less, you feel it now, don’t you. The music” “yes” 
 
And he would never be able to stop. 
 
“Then you are ready to learn how to dance”