Exton

Wow.

This place reminds me of documentaries I've seen on the Amazon jungle. It's not overly hot or humid, but the vegetation is plentiful, green and somehow pulpy, with a texture not unlike flesh.

Ick.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find man-eating plants here, maybe elf-eating plants, too. Or headhunters, zombies - wait, though, we have those back home…. Wonder what happened to the guy who used to come to the Tavern and order a finger in his drink? Did he finally fall apart or what?

You know, I'm not sure this is the place to be thinking about things like that….

Inari comes up from behind and nudges me and I practically jump out of my skin. Did I mention that I hate camping out?

"Excuse me, Jack," she says. "Were you perhaps thinking about zombies just now?"

I turn to look at her. "Okay, that's just not fair," I complain. "Uber-warrior and mind-reader, too? Is there anything you can't do, lady?"

"Well, I can't read minds," she says. "But - take a look over there - just past that stump."

I look - and it's the zombie from the tavern, leaned back against a tree, sipping a drink with a finger in it.

I turn a little green and gulp. "Okay… why is he here? Did you invite him?"

"No, you did." I must look really confused now, which is par for the course…. "The Unformed Plane is a place of wild energies, Jack - energies that are tapped by anyone who enters. See those mists?" I nod carefully, keeping a eye on the zombie guy. "Those are a visible manifestation of the energies here. They can create anything you can think of - and frequently do. That doesn't have to be a bad thing - if you happen to need a particular plant, for instance, just think of it, and a minute later, it'll be there. The problem is, it works for bad things, too. Monsters from myth or legend, so-called 'fairy tales' " - she actually smiles at that - "even things that have never really existed, like from a favorite book. They can all take form from your thoughts, and they're real enough to kill you. They don't last long - a few hours at most - but long enough. You have to guard your thoughts while you're here, or you won't have to wait for Morgan's people to kill you. Your own thoughts will do the job for her."

I look at her pleadingly. "Can I go home now?"

Before she can answer, there's a helluva racket and the other guys from the Tavern arrive - Raina, Erik, Keon, Nick, Gareth, Ob and the little demifae guy that Morgan swatted. (The only demifae I know by name is Padraic, and he's quite sensibly not here.)

So why am I? Anyone???