"Benedicta, open up! I know you're in there!" A deep but feminine voice could be heard coming behind the front door. The handle of the door was suddenly twisted open revealing a woman with draconic features covered in red scale and holding a bowl full of salad in one hand. "I haven't seen you at Saladmancer in a week. What's wrong?"

"Sorry Lizzie, I haven't been that hungry," The rabbit girl took the bowl of salad. "I kind of got my human form back." Her normal brown eyes were red from crying."That's great right? Why are you crying?" Benedicta stepped aside so Lizzie could enter the apartment.

"It's complicated it's currently in the form of a semi-aware doll. She can understand me somewhat but she can't talk or anything," she did her best to explain to the other woman."

"Benedicta? Do you remember when we first met? I was the same way," Lizzie reminded her of what had happened before.

Yeah, has it already been a year? Hey, have you had new dreams lately?" Benedicta was suddenly reminded what she was heard before.

"No, just the same ones of a woman growing vegetables in a lab," Lizzie shook her head as she said that.

"I wonder if that's the same one you escaped from? There were certainly a lot of plants growing out of there."

Thorny vines extended northward from the ruined building. At this point it seemed like they were the only thing holding it together. The sun was right overhead casting shadows down onto the building below "Well, that explains the sudden burst of magical activity in the area but what caused all this?" Benedicta had been sent by Beacon to investigate sudden plant growth in the area. She figured it would be best to follow the vines and see where they lead.

The vines grew thicker and thicker until Benedicta reached a clearing that had been roped off, with several trees blocking her path as well. The only way to go was up, so she begun hopping from branch to branch until she reached the top. Once she was there, she notices the trees formed a thick canopy. Lounging on them was a dragon with humanoid features. Benedicta's horn suddenly to glow like crazy at the sight.

"This is pretty impressive! Did you do all of this?" She smiled at the sight. "I'm not sure if you can understand me or not, but it isn't safe here. Someone might come after you here. I know somewhere you can stay." Benedicta made a gesture for the other woman to come over to her. The only response she got was a loud roar which nearly knocked Benedicta off of the canopy. Her shadow suddenly slipped from underneath her and there was a woman holding her up.

"You should let me handle this dear, I have much more experience with this sort of matter." The older woman helped Benedicta back onto the canopy but the girl hesitated as her feet touched the pool of darkness underneath the woman. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Who are you? And what's with that outfit? Are you a naughty librarian? Get your hands off me!" Benedicta struggled to break free. She could suddenly feel a tendril of shadow bind itself around her mouth filling it with an oily taste. "Children should learn not to mouth off. Especially after being saved from falling." She slid closer to the dragon woman but was seemingly repelled as she did so. "That's a bit odd." She adjusted her glasses a bit and the tome floating alongside her open and started recording data. "That would explain it, your body is full of solar energy. This might be a bit more difficult than I thought."

Meanwhile Benedicta's mouth had filled itself with alligator teeth as she bit through the darkness and severing the tendril. "Who the hell are you and what do you plan to do to her? Answer me!" She glared into the shadow mage's red eyes covered by glasses.

"Kira Nocturne of the Order of Trimegsustus, you don't really know what you've gotten yourself into here. As far as Test Subject: 112213, I plan to take her somewhere she won't pose a threat to anyone. I don't need you interfering so you'll need to go to sleep for a while. Don't worry, this won't kill you." The pool of shadow underneath Kira suddenly oozed over to the rabbit girl. Benedicta did her best to try and outrun it but several tentacles shot forth and entangled her.

"I won't let you get away with this dammit, she's a person not some kind of lab experiment!" She struggled as she was pulled into the inky ooze. Suddenly the dragon's woman eyes opened wide along with her mouth and started to glow.

"She's preparing some kind of solar discharge, it might be best for me to leave. Consider yourself fortunate today." Kira released Benedicta from the ooze onto the canopy and sunk back into it.

"Well, that was close. I'm not sure if you can understand me, but thanks for the save there," Benedicta sounded quite wary from her early struggle. "I was thinking and the number 112213 kind of looks like Lizzie. I know it's not very original, but I think it's a better name. What do you think?" The draconic woman nodded in agreement with her.

"Glad you like it. I'm going to pass out now."