Oh the indignity

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 119532

Red hated the idea that a tree worlds away would have to be taken care of for all her life, lest she suddenly bloat back up into a useless balloon full of juice and seeds, but it was far preferable to her current existence.

"And how long would it take for it to take effect?" asked Runid.

"Until its classification as a young tree, rather than a sapling," explained the wizard. "Which generally takes about a year for this particular species. The process up until that point is gradual, however, so she should achieve some mobility about four months after the seed takes root - she'll just still be very large."

So long still to wait! But Red was flush with hope. She'd already waited over a year - she could hold on for one more if she could be assured of release by the end.

"She'll be constantly excreting juice," the wizard went on to explain, "so you'll have to develop some system for collecting it. And as she loses the fluids that sustain her, she will begin to have to eat and drink again. But all that shall be your problem - for now, let's bring forth a seedling." Runid shook the wizard's hand, and the wizard got to work extracting a seed - which he did by making Red vomit. Well, she hadn't tasted much dignity of late anyhow. He then departed to Runid's gardens and got to planting.

While he was gone, Runid turned to her and said, as her servant cleaned the red vomitus off her unclothed body, "Well, how to go about this, eh? It seems I'll be responsible for your continued wellbeing forever, so long as the tree grows in my garden - which I will do, of course, as I am a generous man, and it's only fair anyhow." Red knew he wasn't, really, and felt the veiled threat behind the words. "And I'd very much like you to stay the full year so I can get all the juice I can. So here, I think, is how things shall go:

  1. to remove any temptation to leave - which only seems kindest - I shall have you restrained in place for the full year, with a basin beneath you to collect the juice you release. Don't worry, you'll still be tended to for the duration."
  2. as you gain the ability to move about, I'll assign you more servants and accommodate your needs. In fact these servants will be with you every hour of every day, to catch all the juice you let out. But you must always remain on my property."
  3. I'll collect the juice however I must for as long as you wish to remain here. I will not keep you here longer than you desire to stay. But I'd love to convince you to take some servants with you to keep collecting juice to bring back to me."
  4. I shall replenish your lost juices with the finest of wines and make sure you want for nothing all year!"

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