(Update) You have spoken to the Great Owl Wise who has told you to speak to the spirit of Tik-Tak’s mother and find the reason for her anger. Should you solve it, Wise believes the spirit will be purified.

(Update) You have spoken to the spirit of Tik-Tak’s mother who seems to be the cause of the corruption of the forest. After speaking with her, she has requested that you bring her pelt back to her. If you do this, she will teach you how to purify the corrupted woods.

You have (6) Days to complete this quest.

This quest is optional. It can be skipped.>

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Guin gave a determined smile and nodded, “This I will do!”

Tik-Tak excitedly bounced around and nuzzled the flames. “Thank you, Momma!” he cried, as a faint smiled drew across the mouth of the fox spirit.

“Wait for me, Lady Spirit Fox” Guin told her. “I will find those unters, your pelt, and ive them all a piece of my mind while I’m at it!” Kneeling next to Tik-Tak, she pat him on the head. “I’ll have to go to town, so you stay here with your mother, Tik-Tak.”

“Yiii,” Tik-Tak squeezed out, though his disappointment was obvious. “Be careful Fuin! Don’t let the hunters get to you!”

“You too! Stay hidden!” Guin waved at the little fox and his miserable looking mother who couldn’t seem to believe that she had just promised such a thing to a human.

Putting up her [Spirit Armor] and entering her fox form, she began a second great culling of the corrupted beasts. By the time she had gotten beyond the Border, she had leveled all of her skills, and gained several stat points.

It took her nearly an hour to reach Bade. It was getting late, and she needed to log off soon, but she at least wanted to see about finding the hunters before she went to bed. She would have all day tomorrow to see about the rest of it. Liorax appeared on her shoulder with a yawn as he was no longer needed as a buff. Night was falling in-game now too.

Not knowing where the hunters were to be found, Guin started asking people who were around tow. Many of the seemed to ignore her, others told her that she should go home like a good little girl. Those who were rude ended up being pounced on or tripped but Liorax - who apparently had nothing better to do, and as they were unable to see him, he got away with everything. Though she wondered briefly why he seemed to have some power over the che realm, she was truely too amused to care.

As she was thinking of her options and laughing at the cat’s antics, a familiar voice called up from behind her.

“Guin?” she turned to see Pastor Jormund, walking steadily towards her with his hands behind his back and a gentle smile across his face. “What are you doing out here so late?”

Bowing to him, Guin lied: “My mother wanted me to talk to the hunters about getting a pelt, but I can’t seem to find them…” Giving a pouting face, she added, “I’ve been at this for hours!” Screw the game. If she was going to be judged by the NPCs for being a child, she was going to use it to her advantage, too. Liorax floated around her, grinning quite wide as she spoke her childish words. She had to try very hard to keep a straight face.

The pastor gave her a rather strange, amused look. “Is that so?” he said. Then, his eyes seemed to glimmer as he asked, “...Guin, did you go into the woods earlier?”

“Eh?” she tilted her head. Did he see me?

“...Nevermind,” he said, shaking his head. Though his expression hadn’t changed, he seemed to think for a moment. Pointing a finger at her, in a stern voice, he offered, “How about this: I will take you to the Hunter’s Guild if you tell me about why you really want to go see them.”

“W-What do you mean?” Guin gave an awkward chuckle as he gave her an all-knowing smile. Annoyed, she sighed. “Is that the only way I’m going to get any help in this won as a child?” she asked no one, rolling her eyes.

“Probably,” he told her, crossing his arms and putting on a face as if he was a child himself who knew that he had won. “Well then, out with it.”

“Would you really believe me if I told you the truth?” she asked, skeptically. “It’s quite the tall tale…”

To her mild surprise, he shrugged. “Most tales worth telling are,” the pastor said. “Just look at the Book of the Lady. It’s filled with quite the most wonderful adventures.”

“...Is that supposed to be a suggestion?” she asked him dubiously.

“Should I have been more subtle?” he laughed with mischief in his eyes. “At the end of the day, I am still a pastor, you know.”

“Hmm.” Guin felt herself smiling, finding him far more endearing than she thought she would have. Though she had been weary of him when they first met, he had certainly grown on her. They more she thought about it as they walked, she realized why. “Why don’t you treat me as much of a child as everyone else?”

He gave her a blank look. “Don’t I?”

“Uhn. You do, but not to the same degree as everyone else.

“Well…,” he started, then frowned at her. “Speaking of treating you like a child, let’s not distract from our deal, miss.”

Guin snorted. “Find. I’ll tell you…”

And so she did.