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."

"Be that as it may, Serna, I would not anger her anymore than she already is." The loremaster slowly backed up a few more steps.

"Fair enough," The Shield Maiden activated her Weapon of Power, "It appears we're at a stand-off, Caliaphy, so what are you going to do now?"

The large fluff ball of a kitten jumped up and over behind the shield maiden swiping her feet out from underneath her. Caliaphy then reached down and carefully picked up Serna by the back of her tunic as though she were a kitten and the kurori was her mom.

"HEY!" Serna hit the ground in a collective heap clearly not expecting this attack. When Caliaphy picked up the Shield Maiden by the scruff of her tunic, Serna protested, "LET ME GO! PUT ME DOWN AND LET ME GO! THIS INSTANT!"

Arlhenwe face palmed by what Caliaphy just did.

The kurori paraded around the court yard excitedly with her latest win. Serna, the Shield Maiden of Deeping Dale in full view of the people of Northaven.

"If you won't put me down!" Serna snarled, "Then I'm going to make you put me down! YAAAAHHH!" The Shield Maiden slipped her shield off of her arms and into her two hands. Then she reared back with her weapon and swatted Caliaphy square on her nose with the business end of her shield. The sound of her attack was that of a resounding "GONG" which echoed throughout Caliaphy's ears.

She dropped the shield maiden trying to discern what was moving and what wasn't moving. Caliaphy's entire large form vibrated from the sound of the gong like Wiley Coyote from Loony Tunes. She tried so hard to stand still and fell over as if she was dizzy from spinning around so fast.

"Gotcha! And now I'm going to finish you, you mean, nasty kurori!" Serna ran to the stables, found some rope, ran back to fairy and proceeded to rope and hog-tie the kurori as though she were a cowgirl roping a calf on an Old West ranch.

When she was done capturing Caliaphy, Serna proudly declared as she put her hands on her hips, "War Scribe used to tell me that no human was no match for no drowling. Well, Caliaphy, I'm here to tell you that no kurori is no match for no human! What do you think about that, loser?"

"GRRRRRRR!" Caliaphy growled angrily with her tail flicking back and forth. Suddenly she stopped and stared into the eyes of the girl. The big anime eyes instilled all the cuteness one could imagine and Serna began to feel giddie and sleepy at the same time.

The Shield Maiden looked away and shook her head, "Nice try, Caliaphy, but you can't cute me into letting you go. So forget it!"

Suddenly Caliaphy vanished right before Serna's eyes and the rope she found to tie the kurori up with fell to the ground in a heap. Instead of teleporting the shield maiden and dunking her into the water trough, the water trough appeared directed above the girl. Turning over without making a sound, the entire contents were dumped onto Serna with a thunderous splash. The kurori reappeared laughing hysterically, "AHAHAHAHAHA! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD BEST ME? HAH! YOU'VE GOT A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONGG WAYS TO GO, SERNA!"

Drenched to the bone and covered in mud and slime, Serna looked at Caliaphy with her cold blue eyes and seethed between her teeth, "Of course you realize this means war!" And with that said, the Shield Maiden stomped off to the bathhouse to get completely clean.