A short while later, the Salamander leader broke into a run, keeping low and trying not to disturb the natural foliage. A few seconds after he chased Nix into the Wind tunnel, a force had grabbed him and yanked him out of Nix's path. Even though he intended to stay close, he lost sight of Nix and Rhylia; they could be on the other side of the world for all he knew.

The forest he landed in was densely wooded, and travel off-trail was made difficult by the peculiarity of the trees. There were lots of low branches and vines that seemed to exist only to slow down his pa.s.sage.

Gideon had both his blades out, slas.h.i.+ng at the vines that clung to his armor, he was forced to slow a walk to deal with it. "F*ck." The a.s.sa.s.sin had been so busy when he first arrived that the thing that was eating at his thoughts finally came to the forefront. "Nix doesn't even know I'm here."

The vines he cut parted momentarily and then encircled one of his wrists. Dozens of tendrils wrapped up his arms and legs before pulling him into the air; Gideon knew a moment of panic before taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Smart. Struggling in this instance is futile." A voice spoke from within the deepest part of the undergrowth. The vines and branches obstructing Gideon's view fell away. "Why are you in my woods?"

Gideon studied the woman for a moment and felt encouraged, being a female in real life ought to give him an advantage. "I was traveling in a wind tunnel; something pulled me out before I reached my destination."

[Author Reminder: Gideon is a male avatar but is played by a real-life female named Mai]

The woman moved out of the shadow, gracefully making her way through the tangle of vines. Her pale features bore the lightest tint of jade, while her long, dark green hair covered an otherwise bare torso. "Feasting your eyes?"

A laugh escaped the a.s.sa.s.sin's mouth before he could stop it. "You are really barking up the wrong tree here."

The woman moved closer, emerald eyes that brimmed with intelligence studied him. "I am Artemis. Am I not beautiful?"

"Huh?" Gideon tensed when she moved close. She smelled sweet like flowers and cedar. "Maybe... if you are into stuff like that. That's not really my thing."

Artemis placed a hand on the a.s.sa.s.sin's chest, her warm hand caressing. "What isn't your thing?"

"Other women... Not that I'm judging or anything. I'm a woman myself."

"Really?" Artemis slid her hand down until it rested on Gideon's hip. "You feel manly." Her hand moved a few inches and gently squeezed him.

Gideon froze in place for an instant, the only thing going through the a.s.sa.s.sin's head was 'how would Nix handle this?' The a.s.sa.s.sin clenched his teeth in rage and kicked at the green-skinned woman. "You lousy b.i.t.c.h! What kind of person goes around groping others?"

Artemis's face showed surprise and then amus.e.m.e.nt. "You are right; of course, this is not how I should treat an honored guest."

The vines binding Gideon's arms and legs fell away, allowing him to drop to the ground. Immediately he reclaimed the daggers he had dropped before turning back to face his a.s.saulter. "You try that c.r.a.p again, and I will slap the green right out of you."

Artemis's laugh echoed in the dense woods. "I have no excuse for my actions; let us pretend that it never happened."

Gideon nodded, although his eyes remained hostile while he rubbed the red indentations on his wrists. "Fine."

Artemis closed her eyes for a moment, her chin tilted upward slightly while her nose sniffed the air. An instant later, she morphed into a large gray wolf. "Climb on my back and then hang on tight."

A minute later, wolf and rider blurred through the woods, the branches, and vines that should have hampered their progress fell away at their approach before resuming their original position once they pa.s.sed safely through.

The gray wolf ran for several minutes, not stopping until they arrived in a small grove that bordered a peaceful looking pond. "You may dismount now."

Gideon slid to the ground, his dark eyes trying to take in everything. "You are a druid?"

Artemis shook her head. "I am not. Although they would naturally share many of my abilities, it is like comparing a candle to the sun."

Gideon covered his frown with a cough. He hated dealing with arrogant women more than anything. "Do you know where my friend is?"

Artemis nodded and took a seat on a moss-covered stone. "Opening a wind tunnel from within Elementia would have required a half dozen Air Nemesis. Why would they do that?"

Gideon shrugged slightly. "They came for my friend; they must think he can help them."

"Is your friend an Air Nemesis?"

"Fire Nemesis, but uncommonly resourceful." Gideon cursed himself for giving that away. "Tell me what's going on here?"

Artemis smiled and patted the stone next to her. "Will you sit with me, Gideon?"

Gideon frowned. "Don't think I'm bluffing about what I said earlier."

She patted the stone next to her until the a.s.sa.s.sin took a seat. "This is a seed world, one of the largest that I've ever heard of. No one knows who owned it originally, a very powerful elemental most likely."

"Why do you say that?"

"You have to be an elemental to enter the city; this is why you were removed from the wind tunnel."

Gideon cursed softly. "I can't help my friend then?"

Artemis shrugged her bare shoulders. "It's been a long time since I was able to converse with someone. There might be a way."