Slinwey leaves Fairyland

Aug 2, 2023

Let’s fire up some scenes with Slinwey. The four-armed chitin-covered woman faces the guard dogs with unflinching resolve. “This corruption is getting out of hand.” Slinwey garbles through her mandibled-mouth. She stares down the three guard dogs with her unblinking compound eyes. “You used to be guard dogs. What happened to you?”

Slinwey stretches a hand towards the dogs. The ‘guard dogs’ bark furiously and growl maliciously. “Weren’t we friends once?” Slinwey asks, “Can you let me past?” The dogs foam at the mouth and break out into a sprint, heading straight towards Slinwey. They aren’t as she remembered them. The sentinels had once been kind canines. Now they had arachnid bodies, eight pincer-like legs spreading from their abdomen. Their transparent bodies reveal the vestigial skeleton of their life as guard dogs. Slinwey knows the corruption has caused many physical changes to the world and its inhabitants, including herself, but she has retained her mind, memories, and personality. She had hoped that the guard dogs would remember her. They won’t hesitate to chew her arms off, but she can’t hurt her friends.

Slinwey folds the space around her. The guard dog leaps for her throat but finds itself 3 feet to the left of its intended target. Slinwey herself moves about 10 feet in a single step. The guard dogs silence their growls, clamping their mandibles shut and curling their 8 legs close to the ground. “A Dreamlord?” The thought emit from the guard dogs, “No. It’s only minor manipulation. This could only be…” Slinwey turns around to face the sentinels. “Slinwey? Is that you?” One of the guard dogs asks. Slinwey sighs in relief. “Thank goodness. You dogs had me worried.” Slinwey says, “I thought your minds had been corrupted.”

“Our minds? Corrupted? There is nothing that can corrupt the mind!” The guard dogs proclaim confidently. Slinwey bows her head. “If only that were true.” She says, “The Shepherd has gone rogue, leaving his post to usurp power and authority over the land.” The guard dogs are shocked. Aside from these three sentinels, the Shepherd is one of the main protectors of Fairyland. Aside from Slinwey, the Shepherd is one of the few individuals that can manipulate reality. The Shepherd’s ability is so great that most everyone in Fairyland believes he is a Dreamlord.

“So is that why you’re here?” The guard dogs ask, “You’re running away?” It’s their job to stop anyone from leaving Fairyland. While the Shepherd prevents visitors from escaping, the guard dogs block natives from leaving. Slinwey has gotten past them a few times but always returned to Fairyland. She’s on good terms with them, so she can get away with breaking the rules every once in a while. “I need to leave, but I’m not running away. I’ll be back like before.” Slinwey says.

“No. Don’t come back. You always wanted to explore other worlds.” The guard dogs say, “Now’s your chance. Fairyland is dying. There is nothing left for you here.” Slinwey is shocked. She had only once convinced the guard dogs to willingly let her out. Even then, she was not allowed out very far, and she was only let out to lure a visitor to Fairyland. Now they are letting her out permanently. In fact, they are encouraging her to leave. It’s against their nature. “That’s crazy talk.” Slinwey says, “Maybe your minds have been corrupted after all.”