"Elves, huh?" He continued to survey the area for any conclusive indication that these were in fact elves, as the response from the dragon-ling seemed to imply that both of them have heard of elves, yet have not actually seen any. With that, he decided they should move in a bit closer in hopes to gain a better ear on the place. From where they were, many sounds and few conversations could be heard, but for Garsot all of it jumbled together without any distinct message he could decipher. Without making a sound, he leapt off the branch and silently brought them right to the edge of the clearing.<br/><br/>"Halt," a strong voice was heard coming from underneath the tree the pair had made it to. A group stood around the base of the tree, armed with an assortment of bows, spears, and swords. The bows and spears were readily aimed at the two strangers, and the swords in hands ready to thrash about if a ground battle took place. "What business do you have spying on us," one of the group asked in a demanding voice.<br/><br/>"I am not spying," Garsot exclaimed as to not tempt any sort of attack, though this was somewhat of a lie as he was in fact spying on them.<br/><br/>"Then what you call it?" The same demanding voice propelled from tall, daunting figure as he held a bow firmly in his grasp yet with an ease that suggested he was used to feel of holding the draw on a bow. The others held their weapons in the same manner, giving rise to belief that these were a people familiar with battle.<br/><br/>The undead simian did not want this situation to turn to a violent one, "What I mean to say is, I was just observing your village to know whether or not it would be a safe place to rest." He did his best to rotate back the shoulder that was carrying Alleo, hoping they did not notice her, ready to safeguard her from any attack that could possibly be launched, continuing to plead his case, "I mean you no harm."<br/><br/>The dark eyes gleamed with suspicion from the one who had been questioning Garsot. A word made of its own tongue came out and the group that surrounded the tree all backed up in unison, giving a space of a few feet between them. Without breaking the gaze, the man called up again, "You will come down, slowly, and we will examine you thoroughly. Try anything suspicious and we will not hesitate to strike you down, agreed?"<br/><br/>"Agreed?"<br/><br/>"And that goes for that small draconian you are attempting to hide on your shoulder."<br/><br/>Garsot let out a heavy sigh as his attempt to keep her concealed had failed. He had made his way to the ground after slowly descending the branches of the tree, keeping motionless, save for his head that was turning about to get a view of all that encircled them.<br/><br/>"You both shall come with us and will be presented to our mage. She will know whether or not your intentions are pure but take heed, if it is revealed that you have some ill will towards this encampment, your lives will be taken. For now, we will procure your belongings and you will be bound, for our safety, of course." Keeping the bow steadily aimed on his target, he spoke again in his language and a couple that had been brandishing swords moved closer and removed Garsot's items. They attempted to remove the armor and mask but found that it would not come of. Confused, one of them shot a look towards the one that had been commanding the situation thus far. "Why will your armor and mask not come off?"<br/><br/>"It is bound to my flesh," Garsot explained, "the magic within it prevents it from being taken off."<br/><br/>Satisfied with the answer, the man motioned for the others to bind him, "Very well, you will now follow me."<br/><br/>With his hands secured behind him and Alleo perched on his shoulder, Garsot did exactly that and followed his captures into the village. They made their way to a hut that lay on side of the village opposite to where the two had been observing, surrounded by a wall of wood and stone, adorned with various runes, skulls, and parchments. Once inside, they were positioned in front an alter that stood at the center of a small, dark room. Behind the alter was a doorway made of vine, with gems of differing colors inserted into holes in the vines. These gems glowed brilliantly though there was very little light once the door to the hut was sealed.<br/><br/>The one that had been commanding the initial meeting went behind the vines and spoke quietly, as if talking to someone. He reappeared with another buy his side, a female of equal height, dark green hair that almost touched the ground, and eyes as black as ebony that somehow pierced through the darkness. She looked upon the two trespassers and moved to the alter. It began to glow as she approached it, runes that covered the stone alter shimmered as if they were coming to life at her presence. When she placed both hands onto the flat surface, balls of light sprung up and danced around the room before splashing against the walls, illuminating runes that had carved into the wood. This provided a clear visual for the entire room. It showed to be much bigger once the light had shown the rest of it, almost all of the warriors that surrounded the tree where seated against the walls, holding witness to what was taking place and to provide a quick hand in case the intruders were not to be trusted.<br/><br/>Amazed by the dazzling display of lights and magic before him, Garsot could not help but be a bit overwhelmed by the newly discovered presence of the surrounding guards. He had sworn that only a couple had entered the hut with them, the rest staying outside. He could not understand how they managed to get into the room unnoticed, and without so much as a single sound. These were truly impressive folk who could have much to show him. Though at the moment, their trial was ready to begin.<br/><br/>The woman who stood at the alter began to speak in the same language the other had spoken earlier. As she spoke, the runes on the alter resonated with her voice, as if reacting to every syllable she uttered. As this happened, a dark blue smoke rose from the surface of the alter and poured out towards the captives, surrounding them both. The smoke had no scent and gave the two no feeling of risking suffocation or even so much as a cough. It was as if it was not even there. Once the smoke had completely covered them both, the mage stopped speaking in her tongue and eyed the two, "What is it that brought you here?" Her tone was of the same demeanor as the male that had brought them in; strong and demanding yet calming and alluring.<br/><br/>With a calm and sincere expression, Garsot explained the situation to her, "We were venturing through the forest and happened upon this village. We went into the trees in hopes of getting a better view of the area, no intention of spying or bringing harm. We only wish for knowledge and aid, or at the very least a direction towards those that can provide us such."<br/><br/>After the ape-like man spoke, the mage once again said something in her language, though this time it was a much shorter chant. The smoke that had filled the room turned bright red and began to swirl about the outsiders as her voice seemed to echo out from the smoke itself. This lasted several minutes until it finally died down, dissipating into nothingness, leaving the room clear once again. The mage smiled as she turned towards the head guardsman and announced, "They speak the truth...we can trust them." And with that, Garsot was unbound and allowed to stand freely among them.<br/><br/>"What exactly was that," he requested after reequipping his gear.<br/><br/>"That was a spell I use to identify whether or not someone is being truthful," the mage began to explain, "Had your intentions been anything but pure, it would have filled your body until there was no space left, causing you to burst as it finds a way out."<br/><br/>"Oh..." the undead guardian gave a feint chuckle, "...glad we uh passed the test then." He shot a look of relief at his draconian friend.