The sand sprite tilted her head at Vuvi, blinking her big, golden eyes with a faint shimmer of magic around her lashes.

"What do you mean… my story?" she asked, head tilting like a cat about to knock something off a shelf.

Vuvi groaned in that way only someone who's dealt with entirely too many weirdos could, already rubbing her temples like this conversation had aged her a century.

"Its… It's just how we do things, okay? The sad lady tells us her tragic life story, Pip does his magic thing, the day's magically fixed, and then we're off to go ruin someone else's week. So if you could, y'know…" she made a circular 'wrap it up' motion with her hands… "hurry it up, we have places to be. Wet dreams to fulfil."

The sprite's gaze immediately drifted to Pip. Her expression softened, eyes glittering like sunlit sand dunes, lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. "Ohhh… I'll happily tell you my story," she purred, drifting lazily forward, hips swaying mid-air like she was moving through warm honey, "if… it means I get to see more of his divineness."

Pip gave an excited little "bwoop!" that was somehow both innocent and absolutely filthy, like a toaster just discovering it could feel joy… and orgasms.

The sprite giggled, that soft tinkling laugh making her seem like she should be wearing a halo… which was ironic, because she was very much not wearing anything at all.

"Keep it in your pants, both of you," Vuvi snapped, waving between Pip and the sprite. "She might actually have information that's useful. Let's try using our brains before our crotches for once."

Veena smirked. "You say that like it's not the exact opposite of our usual strategy."

The sprite floated into a lounging position midair, her shimmering naked body positively glowing in the desert sun. She stretched her arms back behind her head, letting Pip get exactly the view she knew he was processing in high-resolution. Her legs crossed at the ankle, toes flexing idly. Pip's head tilted 17 degrees to the left. Beep.

"Well," she began, voice dripping with lazy confidence, "I was born centuries ago in the Zenith Plains, child of the great Sandmother, demi-goddess of the deserts. I was the third youngest, and obviously the prettiest, of her brood. We frolicked together in her dunes for centuries, swimming through golden sands like water, basking in the overflowing magic she poured into the land."

She rolled onto her stomach mid-air, chin propped on her hands, looking directly at Pip as she smirked.

"You should have seen me then… I was… divine."

"Sounds nice," Penelo muttered, already swaying slightly, still half-hungover from the sand sprite's sleep magic.

"It was nice," the sprite continued wistfully, "until a few decades ago. When the Demon Queen's curse began to seep into the world, my mother's magic began to wane. The great dunes lost their shimmer, the skies lost their warmth… and my siblings began to fade."

Lula frowned, wings twitching. "Fade? Like… die?"

The sprite nodded, her smile dimming for the first time. "One by one, they disappeared. We're creatures of pure magic, without it, we simply… cease to be. I was the last. My mother gave me the last of her magic, enough to survive a few decades if I was careful. She told me to leave the sands and find a new source before I, too, faded."

The team went unusually quiet, even Zora lowering slightly in the air.

"I traveled for twenty years," the sprite said, twirling a lock of glowing hair idly between her fingers. "Barely surviving. Sleeping in abandoned oases, drinking from puddles of half-poisoned magic. Until…" Her expression softened again. "I reached these plains."

Her voice took on a reverent tone. "I was on the verge of vanishing entirely when I found him. A young man… alone, tired, broken. He came here to die. The Demon Queen's curse had stolen all joy from him. But when he found me…" She smiled sadly. "He found a reason to live. He worshipped me. Fed me the little magic he had left. He even built a statue of me so others might stop, pay their respects, and give me offerings."

"Aww," Sera muttered, still leaning on her sword. "That's kinda sweet. Depressing as hell, but sweet."

The sprite shrugged. "It kept me alive. But people rarely stop. Most don't even see me, and those who do assume I'm a mirage. So…" She gestured vaguely. "I've had to get creative. A little sleep magic here, a little siphoning there… nothing harmful, just enough to take the edge off my hunger."

Raikya's ears perked up sharply. Her eyes narrowed. "You held me for weeks."

The sprite winced. "…Yes. That was because you were delicious. And you had a huge magic reserve that's just… sitting there, collecting dust. Feeding on you kept me going for months."

Raikya's tail bristled. She went completely still for a heartbeat, then snarled, "You could have asked."

The sprite floated closer, her voice going soft. "And you… should spend a little time looking inside yourself. There's something in you, wolf-girl. Something that's been clawing to get out."

Raikya froze mid-breath, her glare faltering for just a second.

"Alright, therapy hour's over," Vuvi cut in. "Thanks for the sob story, sparkle-butt. Now… what do you know about the imbalance of magic in the world?"

The team leaned forward slightly. Even Pip gave a slow, curious whir.

The sprite floated upside-down, cross-legged, rubbing her chin in thought.

Her brow furrowed.

"…My mother…" she began slowly, "…mentioned something. Long ago. Just before she sent me away. That the balance of magic was… shifting. Like someone was tugging all the threads out of the weave."

The group went very still.

The sprite looked between them, her earlier flirty sparkle replaced by something heavier.

"She told me… that if the balance wasn't restored soon… the veins would dry. All magic would fade."

Pip let out a low, worried whistle, and everyone turned to look at him.

The air hung thick around them. Even Penelo had stopped fidgeting.

Finally, the sprite tilted her head and smirked faintly again. "Buuuut… you didn't come all this way to listen to doom and gloom, did you?"

Pip perked right up with a hopeful beep.

"NO," Vuvi barked. "Storytime's over."

The sprite pouted. Pip slumped slightly.

The sprite met Pip's gaze and smiled again, tilting her head just slightly. "My memory's… a bit fuzzy. Maybe I'd remember a bit more… if I got another peek at his glowing… thing?"

Vuvi groaned into her hands.

And somewhere behind them, Zora muttered, "I still think this would've gone faster if we'd just gotten Sera to spank her."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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