The kurori fluttered to and fro taunting the shield maiden, "Your man? Hah! You don't strike me as the type to really say that Prince Willow is your man, Serna. Besides, you're always pushing me in front of you towards the ranger instead of being brave enough to say what's on your mind."

"Well I'm saying what's on my mind right now!" The Shield Maiden retorted, "Stay away from MY MAN! And you say I'm having trouble speaking to him? Well, at least I'm not passing out at the very sight of him!" Serna stuck her tongue out at The Fairy.

The loremaster rolled her eyes at the two of them but said nothing.

"Pfff! That's just me, ask Alyson sometime, I like to be DRAMATIC!" Caliaphy stuck her tongue out too, "Well, who ever makes it back up the stairs to the ranger gets him first!"

"Oh no you don't!" The loremaster bonked the kurori over the head.

"Nice one, Arlhenwe, hit her again!" Serna rooted on The Loremaster.

"OW!! HEY NO FAIR TWO AGAINST ONE!"

**BONK!!**

"Yeah! Hit her again!" The Shield Maiden smiled at The Fairy's misfortune, "One more time for good measure!"

"OWW!" The kurori covered her head in protest from the loremaster's strike.

"Enough, you two!" Arlhenwe snapped at both of them, "This is not the time to be arguing on which one of you is a better choice for Prince Willow."

"You're right, Arlhenwe," Serna admitted, "We need to do as Prince Willow said. We need to help the injured."

Caliaphy narrowed her eyes at the shield maiden, "At least I can take it, Serna, what have you got, oh yeah, you need a shield to protect yourself!"

"And to protect you!" Serna retorted, "Who was it who rescued your sorry butt back in that village of undead? Oh yeah! It was me! Me and my shield!"

The Shield Maiden turned towards The Fairy, "But when we're done, you and I are going to see who gets Prince Willow for good, you Kurori punk!"

The kurori sprinkled more fairy dust on Serna and she began to rise up off the ground, "Oh my! I didn't know you could fly! Teeheeheee!"

"Set me down this instant, Caliaphy!" The Shield Maiden demanded, "Set me down so I can kick your butt and claim MY MAN!"

"WOW! You're awfully bossy when things don't go your way, Serna," Caliaphy hummed a little tune before she snapped her fingers letting the shield maiden do a face plant into the dirt, "Okay if you insist."

"GRRRR!" Serna growled as she got to her feet, "I said 'set' me down, you little rat, not 'drop' me down! I'm going to make you pay for that!"

"Teeheehee! You're silly when you're mad, Serna!" The kurori giggled dancing side to side on the ground, "Ooooo, I am so scared!"

Serna promptly dropped her shield and said in a dead calm, "You should be." Without warning, the Shield Maiden charged at the Fairy, placed Caliaphy in a headlock and proceeded to grind her knuckles into the Fairy's head, "Take this noogie you mean, nasty kurori!"

"EEEK!!" The kurori squirmed in the head lock, "I am not a MEAN NASTY KURORI, Serna!"

"Yes you are and I'm going to pound you good!" The Shield Maiden declared as she held The Fairy fast.

Caliaphy shrunk down to the fairy size and flew out of reach, "Ha! You just can't stand competition. Well, silly, the Realm is full of competition. So why don't you just take a number and I'm sure Willow will get back to you sometime."

"Get back here and fight me like a girl!" Serna declared as she stomped her foot.

At this point the loremaster had enough slamming her staff on the ground and rooted Caliaphy in place, "And cheating on your part has nothing to do with it?"

"HEY! SO NOT FAIR!" Caliaphy turned big again.

Serna did not hesitate to take advantage of the situation. The Shield Maiden once again attacked The Fairy and once again placed her in a headlock while grinding her knuckles into Caliaphy's skull, "Eat noogie, you mean, nasty Fairy!"

"OOOFF!" The kurori covered her head to protect herself from Serna's rough play while trying to wiggle herself free of roots that held her down.

"You can protect your head all you like, you mean, nasty rat!" The Shield Maiden released the Kurori's head and suddenly seized her wings, "Because now I'm going to give your wings a purple nurple!" With that said, Serna proceeded to grab and twist Caliaphy's wings as though she were grabbing and twisting a dial on a radio.

"OWWW! OWW! OWW!" Caliaphy squeaked and squirmed having had enough and not wanting to letting Serna get the upper hand.

"You think I'm being MEAN, Serna?" The kurori's form changed into a large version of the multi-colored fluff ball of a kitten. "MEEOORAAAHH! The world does not revolve around you, human! I refuse to give you what you WANT! You can have the ranger, if you CAN convince him you are the ONE for him!"

"Don't worry, I WILL!" Serna shot back without hesitation.

Arlhenwe backed away from Caliaphy now. The stories of how the fae reacting to being cheated by mortals wasn't just hearsay. "Serna, back away slowly. Please..."

"Sure thing!" Serna huffed as she retrieved her shield, "I have my shield now and there's only so much she can do."