Pilwy yawned sleepily as the soothing sound of the morning bell rang throughout the lair. She didn't really wanna open her eyes right now... She was still so eepy... But luckily she didn't have to. Her mind was so full of wonderful dreamy suggestions that by the time she finally woke up, she had already gotten dressed, grabbed breakfast, and was working on fixing some of the traps. They were running low on the shrooms, so she'd probably help gather some soon. Another kobold sleepily murmured to her, "...did the chicken thing happen? You were there I think..." Pilwy shrugged. It's entirely possible it did happen and she was just too sleepy to remember. A chicken thing did sound plausible. 

After a nice, comfy meal of milk and shrooms and a nice, comfy post-lunch nap, Pilwy found herself in the magic forest picking more shrooms for the lair. She loved shrooms. They were so tasty and always gave her the best, fluffiest dreams. And when they were ground up, they gave intruders nice fluffy dreams! Intruders were so much easier to deal with when they were dreamy... Especially for the enchantresses... Pilwy wanted to be an enchantress so bad!!! They got to dreamitize the intruders personally and tell them what to do! Pilwy really wanted to practice, but unfortunately Highestpriestess Soporiphia banned them from practicing sleepy magic on each other, so all she could do was practice on the animals and stuff. 

Pilwy suddenly heard rustling in the brush nearby, and saw a scared lambunny hopping away from something. Pilwy loved lambunnies, her grandma created them and they were so cute! She softly tiptoed towards the fluffy creature and started whispering a lullaby. It still looked scared, but the song relaxed it enough for it to let Pilwy get close. "Shhh... Good little lambunny... Listen to the pretty voice... Pretty tail... Watch the pretty tail..." She waved her tail before the creature's eyes, watching it begin to relax. "Pretty claaaaws....Shimmershimmershimmer..." She waved her claws in front of the fluffy creature's eyes, and it nuzzled up to her. Completely relaxed, it loafed in front of her and fell asleep. She squealed in happiness and picked it up, enjoying its warm breathing. She was thinking about what to do with it when a soft, lovely voice started singing to her.

The voice was unfamiliar, but it made her feel fuzzy and sleepy. Very fuzzy and sleepy... Yawning, she put down the lambunny and began heading home. But a soft whisper filled her ears. Come to me~... The whisper felt so nice... Her eyes fluttered closed and she began following the whisper, her arms held out in front of her. Drift along my voice~ Her feet moved by themselves, slapping softly against the forest floor. She began snoring softly, already falling into a deep,  dreamy sleep. Suddenly she impacted with something tall and smooth. Two soft arms embraced her, and the whispers echoed throughout her head. Good little kobold... Listen to my voice... Feel my gentle embrace... Drift away into dreams... Drift away into dreams... Drift away into dreams... Pilwy dreamily repeated the mantra as every bit of awakeness shimmered out of her mind, leaving her fast asleep... And oh so suggestible...

Voices floated around her as she stood there, completely Zonked Out in the pretty whisperer's embrace. "Wow, they fell asleep so fast..." "Perfect, it'll be so much easier with a slave guiding us!" "...Why does their outfit look so soft?" The pretty whisperer smiled at her companions. "I suppose it only makes sense, given they likely serve whatever is creating The Dream Mist. Now, be silent and let me work my magic~" The pretty whisperer knelt down and began gently petting Pilwy's horns and tail. "Shhh... Good little kobold~... Feel my touch entrance you... Feel my voice enthrall you... And let my magic hypnotize you~... There is nothing you love more in the world than obeying me~... Whenever I ask you to do something, you will do so joyfully~... Do you understand, little kobold~?" Pilwy nodded sluggishly, and the pretty whisperer gave her horns another gentle pet. She made an adorable sound, a cross between a snore, a giggle, and a squeak, and the pretty whisperer laughed. "Awww~" 

A much less nice voice interrupted. "Just get on with it, Gwnktren! We don't have all day, get them to lead us into the lair!" The pretty whisperer sighed and continued softly caressing Pilwy as she gave her instructions. "You will lead us through your lair to the source of The Dream Mist~... You will claim we are just prisoners you are escorting, and you will help us avoid all traps~... You will act perfectly natural, as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on~... Do you understand, little kobold~?" Pilwy nodded. "Perfect~... Lead the way, little kobold~..." Pilwy obediently began leading them to the lair, her arms still held out limply in front of her. "...I thought you told her to act natural..." "I did... Perhaps this is what is considered 'natural' in the lair..."

Pilwy obediently escorted the prisoners through the lair without even needing to open her eyes. She already knew the layout, where all the traps were, and where the important room was by heart. The other kobolds hardly paid her attention because she was acting natural, and most of them were asleep while working as well. One of the prisoners spoke up, their voice muffled. "...Gods, this is creepy..." Pilwy didn't agree, she thought it was nice and cozy, but she was too busy escorting the prisoners to argue. As she reached the outside of the important room, the soft voice of Highestpriestess Soporiphia echoed in her mind. "Hm? Who are those, Pilwy?" Pilwy automatically responded, her voice so sleepy. "I'm escorting the prisoners, Highestpriestess...!" 

Highestpriestess Soporiphia walked up to examine the prisoners, and softly tapped Pilwy's forehead as she did. A lovely hum filled her mind, washing away the pretty whispers, and she heard Highestpriestess Soporiphia's voice in her head. <They hypnotized you, Pilwy. They might want to hurt our Dreamqueen. Lead them in, I will get everyone else.> No longer dreamitized, Pilwy's arms went limp. She was worried that the... not-prisoners would hurt them, but Highestpriestess Soporiphia had a plan, so Pilwy would follow the plan. She began to lead the not-prisoners into the important room.

"Oh gods..." "THAT'S what's making the Dream Mist?!" "I suppose that explains the kobolds..." "At least it's something we can try to kill..." The not-prisoners seemed very surprised to see Dreamqueen Somna, which is understandable because she was very big and looked intimidating before you got to know her. She was fast asleep as usual, Pilwy having never even seen her awake, and her wonderful mist emanated from her nose at each breath. Even being in the room made Pilwy feel so nervous and fuzzy, and she felt her mind start to float a bit. She heard the not-prisoners begin to talk loudly, and she heard Highestpriestess Soporiphia's pretty voice telling them to stop... But they didn't listen...

One of the not-prisoners tried to shoot Highestpriestess Soporiphia, but she started speaking in her soft, dreamy voice. "Drop your bow. It's so heavy and hard, so heavy and hard, so heavy in your arms, so hard to hold onto it, drop the bow, drop it onto the soft floor, soft, soft voice makes your eyes heavy, so hard to keep them open, eyes growing so heavy, let them drop closed, drop for me, drop onto the soft floor, drop, drop, drop..." The not-prisoner swayed slightly and dropped their bow, falling fast asleep on the comfy fluffy floor a few seconds later. Another tried to attack but was shimmered and dreamitized by a bunch of the other enchantresses. The two left looked around, and the one that had to be the pretty whisperer knelt down and laid down her weapons. "GWNKTREN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The pretty whisperer sighed. "...We're completely outnumbered and overwhelmed here. If we show them that we mean no harm, perhaps we can bargain with them." The other one scoffed. "I'd rather die than submit to these freaks!" They gave a terrifying warcry and drew their blade, running at the Dreamqueen! They might hurt her! But Pilwy was in their way... So Pilwy jumped onto them!

"GRAGH! GET... OFF!" Pilwy tried her hardest to stay on, and began waving her pretty tail before their eyes. "ShhHHHhhHHhh... WaAaaAAAatch preEEttyyY tAAaaIIIil..." Her pretty voice wasn't as pretty when she was getting bounced and shaken like that, but she would still try! "SleeeeeEEEEEeeeeepyyyyYYYYyyyy...!" The not-prisoner growled angrily. "Shut up! Get off, you little-" Pilwy started rapidly fluttering her claws before their eyes, holding on as tightly as she could with her other hand. "PreeeEETTTTTtttyyYyy claaaAAAAAAWwwwwsss... SHIIIIimmmmeeeerrrRRRSSSSHHiiimmmeerrr..." The not-prisoner was getting a bit slower now! But they stopped running and started trying to throw Pilwy off! Pilwy grabbed on as tight as she could, but the not-prisoner was so strong... Their grip hurt so much... And just as she was about to be thrown away... The Dreamqueen opened her eye.

A single glance into the Dreamqueen's beautiful eye was all it took. Pilwy felt her entire world melting away, everything turning into soft, shimmering mist, swirling deep within the Dreamqueen's eye. She fell deep into it, floating weightlessly in an endless sea of shimmering, cozy mist. All of the best, fluffiest dreams she had ever had all at once wouldn't be nearly as wonderful as this... But something began to form out of the mist... She landed on a soft, fluffy cloud, alongside a few others, and watched as an indescribably beautiful being stepped out of the mist. Dreamqueen Somna. She smiled down at Pilwy, and Pilwy could feel her body melting into dreamy bliss. She knelt as best she could before her wonderful Dreamqueen, and gazed in awe as she began to speak.

"Adventurers. You stand here before me, Dreamqueen Somna, in a space where we can converse safely and calmly. Why did you intrude upon my lair?" The pretty whisperer walked forward and knelt respectfully. "Great Dreamqueen, we wished to find the source of the Dream Mist plaguing our lands. We do not wish to harm you or your subjects." The angry one murmured, "Maybe YOU don't..." and Dreamqueen Somna turned her gaze to them. "I mean no harm to you or your lands. Under my dream, there is peace. Happiness. Satisfaction. Why would you wish to hurt me?" One of the other not-prisoners quietly spoke up. "...My entire city was sent to sleep by your dream mist... I just want to wake them up... Please..." The Dreamqueen looked at them serenely. "Under my dream, they live a perfect life. Why would you wish to force them back into the waking world? If you wish to rejoin them, I will be happy to send you to live with them in their dreams."

The pretty whisperer politely raised her hand. "Lovely Dreamqueen, I... Not everyone wishes to live a perfect life free of conflict... Without challenge, there is no improvement... Some would indeed wish to live a life like this, but not all, and you are forcing it upon them all the same. I do not ask you to stop entirely. I just... I wish to impress upon you how much you have affected us. The outside world is terrified of your mist... Entire countries have been lost to it, and we are frightened of the idea of falling as well. Those under your spell may experience bliss, but it is an effortless and stagnant bliss not all of them wish to share... And those not under your spell are terrified of it, like the deadliest plague. I... I merely ask you to allow us to free those that wish to be freed, and to not spread it over the lands... Let those who want this bliss choose it, and let those who desire a life of challenge and catharsis stay awake... Please, lovely Dreamqueen... Listen to our plea..." The Dreamqueen stared at her in consideration for a while. Pilwy was confused. Why didn't people want to dream all the time? It was WONDERFUL! Although... If she was dreaming all the time, then she couldn't protect the lair as an enchantress... And she really wanted to know she was protecting her friends...

Eventually, the Dreamqueen nodded. "...I thank you for enlightening me on the strife I have inadvertently caused. Perhaps it was tyrannical of me to assume all would want to be under my spell. Very well. I will wake those that wish to be woken, even if I myself cannot understand their desire to." The not-prisoners began to fade, but the pretty whisperer raised her hand again. "I... Perhaps this is too much to ask, but... I wish to assist you. I myself know much of the realm of dreams, and I can assist you in waking those that wish to be woken, and against any threats from the astral plane that would threaten your dreams... If you allow me to..." The Dreamqueen gazed down at her for a while, then smiled kindly. "I sense in you a soul brimming with power, yet also with kindness. You could have hurt my subjects, yet you elected not to, instead giving young Pilwy a blissful dream." Pilwy could hardly hold herself together. The Dreamqueen knew her name!!!!! "Therefore, I permit you to act as one of my enchantresses as you assist me in my endeavors." The new enchantress bowed her head. "Thank you, lovely Dreamqueen." The other not-prisoners faded, leaving on the Dreamqueen, the new enchantress, and Pilwy. The Dreamqueen leaned down, and Pilwy couldn't stop herself from squealing in bliss at the closeness. 

The Dreamqueen looked directly at Pilwy, her eyes shining. "Young Pilwy. Though you were used against me by intruders, I do not hold this against you. And for your actions in defending me, and your attempts to hypnotize the one attacking me, I am impressed. I can sense your greatest desire, and I believe you have earned it. Pilwy," Her eyes glowed, and the light covered Pilwy's form, "From this day forth, you are no mere kobold. You shall be My Enchantress. You shall work alongside the one who hypnotized you in service of my will. Kneel, Enchantress Pilwy." Enchantress Pilwy could hardly feel her own form anymore as she knelt... There was only bliss, and as she felt the power of dreams fill her, the bliss multiplied a thousand times...