"Wolfcange, you're the greatest blacksmith I know. I was wondering if you could tell me what this U-shaped horseshoe means?" Sheriff Cadimere Warselight asked showing him a sketch of the shape. "It was found etched on a victim's face by a Death Storyteller. This is Sailil, one of my deputies."

"Sheriff Warselight, I heard you took over after your father retired. How've ya been? Your dad?"

"Good. So, what can you tell me, Wolfcange?" she handed him the sketch.

"The U-shape stands for a bend in the river eluding to where the Death Storyteller lives.'

"And the U is also the first letter of the Death Storyteller's name."

"You'd know better than I, Sheriff. You are a..."

"Hey, thanks, Wolfcange," Cadimere quickly said cutting his sentence short.

Sailil pulled Cadimere by her arm. "What just happened back there?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she jerked away.

"He was just about to say something about you, and you stopped him."

"We got enough information from him that's all. We need to move along and catch the next railbus," she pointed seeing one coming toward their direction as they approached. She walked ahead of Sailil, heading for the new mystical railroad bridge spanning between the Death Storyteller realm and Idiosyncrasies.

"My supernatural senses are telling me something isn't right," Sailil thought, running behind Cadimere.

Sailil and Cadimere met up with Teerkedas, Jezromiah and Apatt.

"Doc, I think we better get him help fast," Jezromiah said to Apatt as they flanked Teerkedas and put each arm around them.

"What happened?" Sailil and Cadimere said in unison.

"What's left of my solar power is dying. I thought if I absorbed the vampire needles plaguing the sugarcane I could somehow keep my powers in full use and remain grounded, despite the curse of the sugarcane itself. My power comes from the sources of the universe solar, cosmic, terrestrial but the vampire needles made me like a black hole, and I became a predator of energy," he told them as they laid him down on a pallet at a nearby outdoor infirmary.

"I'm Emith. This is Isargat, Sheatry, Ackriel, Desiline and Anitra-Aquinon. We're Time-Leaf Masters. We can cut your friend some time. It'll create a gap or shift within the timeline of his health issues."

"I was cursed by a warlock with an allergic reaction to sugarcane..."

Sailil interrupted Teerkedas. "And made a boneheaded move and absorbed vampire needles to semi-cure himself."

"Thanks, Sailil. I knew I could count on you to explain the situation," Teerkedas said sardonically with a smile

"Glad I could help, Teerkedas," she said in the same manner.

"Grey birch trees are rare. They are used during Christmas time but are rarely found this time of year. Many Grey birch trees between about 1930 and 1950 were affected and killed by birch dieback disease that's why they are rare. He must take the grey tree in the form of a pill for years to treat the curse. A curse is a chronic disease. And it must be treated as such," Sheatry informed them.

"I'm Dr. Apatt Raddlethorpe. Where can we possibly find this rare tree?" he asked.

"On Earth," Isargat answered.

"How do we get there? We're in a totally separate universe," Jezromiah said with a bewildered across his face.