Yen’s mouth froze mid-chew. The dried fruit in her hand slipped and fell to the ground. “I thought he was…” she mumbled to herself.

  “Well, duh, you did say he was an Elder Treant or something, right?” Basil said, continuing to pop dried dates like popcorn. Daena glanced at him with a warm smile.

  “No, Sallix is neither an Elder Treant nor a regular Treant. I can see why Yen was confused at first. Treants are the only kind of plants that speak with the living. The elders of their species eventually learn how to harvest mana from the earth and sun,” Daena replied.

  Haunt crawled next to me. We stared at each other. A few whisps of silk were already strewn from his spinneret.

  I looked back at the Datsyr family. Yen was bobbling between Daena and me, Basil was too busy to react, and Daena was resting her head against her hand.

  “It’s fine Haunt,” I said. I looked back into Daena’s azure eyes. “You’re right, I’m not a Treant. I did not intend to deceive you guys. I was reincarnated as a tree twenty years ago. Right now, I just want to grow stronger for Himavanta, and my friends.” Daena continued staring.

  “Uhh, Mom?” Yen asked.

  “I could tell you had abnormal habits. If you wish to continue masking your purpose, try to look into how Treants act,” Daena smiled.

  “What gave me away?”

  “You’re too lively,” she laughed. The tension in the air dissipated. Not to say there was much to begin with. It’s tough to set a tense atmosphere when it’s consistently being disrupted by Basil’s lips smacking away. “Treants are slow and deliberate with their speech. They take their time with life,” Daena continued.

  “Am I doing it wrong?” I asked. For my whole life in Krailas, an itching doubt was growing in the corner of my mind. Was I doing enough? How do I become a person worthy of defending this place?

  “Wrong?” Daena asked. Her lips pursed at my question. She looked at Yen and Basil. “Who am I to tell you what is right or wrong?” she said, stroking her children’s hair.

  “You see, this is why I don’t go to her for lifting advice. She’s too nice about it. How am I supposed to die underneath the weight with that?” Basil said, batting away Daena’s hand half-heartedly. His head was leaning into her hand.

  “Not Mom’s fault she doesn’t lift!” Yen shouted. “Unlike you, Mom can cast a spell and destroy all your muscles like that!” she said, snapping her fingers.

  “Boring,” Basil muttered.

  Daena looked at the two siblings bickering. Her hands continued playing with their ivory hair. “I remember being pierced with arrows of doubt when I had them. But you have to move forward and continue with your conviction.”

  “But how do you know you’re not going down the wrong path?” I asked.

  Daena’s eyes strayed to the window beside the door behind me. Her eyes curved into crescent moons. “You have the right support system, where mutual nurturing is something you look forward to. Something that’s not a chore to perform.”

  The doorway croaked open. Yen leapt to her feet and ran to the figure standing in the doorway. An elvish man walked him, his face betraying the first tendrils of age snaking through his cheeks and forehead. He grasped Yen in his arms.

  “Dad…” Yen whimpered, “I messed up today.”

  “That’s not yet decided Yeni, what happened?” he asked, his gaunt voice meandering through our ears.

  “I confused a talking tree as an Elder Treant! But he cast spells and everything so I figured it was a safe bet. Mom saw through him instantly!” Yen said.

  “You’re still young. You have much to learn at a mere eighty years of age,” he chuckled. Vila’s already two hundred years old…two hundred and twenty, it’s no surprise elves could live as long.

  He turned to look at us. With a slight bow he said, “A pleasure, I am Lord Fleurwind. But, in this household, you may call me by my birth name, Aktaaf.”

  “Here, sit down and talk with our guests, my shoulders,” Daena said. Her lips brushed against his cheeks. Their touch corroded the wrinkles dotting his face. Her hands pushed a cup of water into Aktaaf’s hands.

  “Thank you, my rose,” he replied, wrapping the scarf he wore around her neck. Daena nuzzled his hands as he finished tying it.

  Basil visibly gagged at their show of affection. It was beautiful.

  “If you don’t mind, how old are you two?” I asked.

  “He’s 904.”

  “She’s 1104, been entwined with her petals for over 800 years now,” Aktaaf smiled.

  “And your shoulders have lifted me into the sun’s light since then,” Daena continued.

  “Curious,” Haunt said. Comparing the two parents, I was certain Aktaaf was Daena’s senior.

  “He works too hard,” she said. Daena’s eyes were glued to her husband. Despite the centuries together, their love was still simmering away.

  “I wish you two peace,” I said. The love I witnessed…is hard to replicate.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Thank you,” they replied.

  “So,” Aktaaf said, sitting down at the table, “What’s your story?”

  **********

  “The fairies’ sanctuary…” Aktaaf said. His hands perused a hand map laid out on the table. Himavanta was stretched out along it in its full glory. Hundreds of rivers and lakes dotted the drawing. At the furthest corner stood an immense tree with roots circling the outskirts of the map. It was labelled ‘Veledub’.

  “What’s going on over there?” Basil yelled. He stood in the kitchen, busily washing the remains of the raptor stew Daena had prepared.

  “Can’t you cast magic to clean it?” I asked.

  “That doesn’t build character!” he yelled back.

  “Honnk mimimimi,” snored Yen. She had collapsed against the chair once the food coma hit. I wish I knew what it tasted like.

  Daena pulled a blanket over Yen as she walked over with a few scrolls in hand. “Your father is busy labelling a safe route for Sallix and Haunt,” she replied. Haunt had betrayed me and was busy weaving silk crochets on Daena’s shoulder. “Here’s the travel logs of my past expeditions,” she said, laying the scrolls beside Aktaaf.

  “I wish I had something to give you,” I said. “If it’s possible, I can try helping with the mushroom harvesting the villagers were doing…I can speak with the mushrooms.”

  “Perhaps tomorrow, you are guests here,” Aktaaf replied. A winding dotted line snaked across the map. X’s and O’s were laid along the path. The line appeared underneath his finger as he trailed across the paper.

  “I hope our home is accommodating. I haven’t seen Basil so up in spirits over new guests in a long time,” Daena murmured.

  “WHAAAAAAT?” shouted Basil.

  I awkwardly shuffled my hollow’s eye between Basil and Yen’s sleeping corpse.

  “Don’t worry, she’s a heavy sleeper,” Daena chuckled.

  Aktaaf’s finger finally connected the path to Veledub. “Some habits are predictable, but not all. The X’s are potential monster encounters, the O’s are places of rest. Basil will know which monsters populate the path,” Aktaaf said.

  “Consume?” Haunt asked.

  “If you can manage it,” Daena smiled.

  Aktaaf furled the map and handed it to one of my branches. “I will have to prepare the necessary supplies for your trip. Please stay for the night, you and Basil can leave tomorrow,” he said.

  “If it’s not too much…thank you so much.”

  “You have a friend you desperately wish to seek. And Basil looks fondly upon you, what’s there to fret over? Besides, it’s never a bad idea to help the friend of a fairy!” Aktaaf laughed.

  “Besides, the supplies we’ve built up should be used for these kinds of circumstances,” Daena added. She flicked her hand as multiple magic circles overlayed on Yen. Her listless body began drifting upstairs on a bridge of blue mana.

  “Basil, come with me, it’s time to figure out how your training has progressed,” Aktaaf said, furling his hand into a fist.

  “You got it,” he replied, chucking the last dish away.

  “While they do their dance, let me show you your sleeping arrangements,” Daena said.

  We walked along outside the house. Dotted around its perimeter were a variety of berry bushes and herbs glowing underneath the moonlight. Behind the house was a large oak tree with a small swing attached.

  “It looks like a lot of amazing memories were made back here,” I replied.

  “And many more to come…I hope you’re not offended by this arrangement. I assume trees do not subsist on feathered bedding,” she said.

  “No, a comfy bed does sound nice though…but this is perfect. Thank you, Daena.”

  My roots that had been bunched together the entire day finally unfurled. The earth was smooth and malleable within the grasp of each tendril. Haunt finally detached from Daena and climbed on top.

  “So how did you manage to get Haunt so perked up?” I asked.

  “I work within the medicine house for half of the day. It’s no surprise he was lured by those scents. These Nighthaunters…they are nature’s balancing force. Whenever one monster population grows beyond the forest’s ability, a Nighthaunter arises to feed on them,” she said, staring at the hammock Haunt was building.

  “He’s a bit different.”

  “Of course! He’s very talkative for a spider. Such an amazing mind behind those eyes,” Daena said.

  “For your food,” Haunt said, lowering a silk bundle to Daena. A small cap was tightly bound at the top. “My venom,” he continued.

  “Oh, you did not have to little one. But I will gladly accept this offer. Your venom is a powerful medicine when diluted and mixed with other herbs…have you entrenched yourself?” she asked.

  The final drilling of roots in the ground had subsided and settled in the new earth. The mana flowing around was at least double the concentration I felt in the old meadow. “It’s wonderful Daena, thank you.”

  “You must have forgot something,” she interjected. Daena pulled a small flask from her hip. She poured a crimson-red fluid into the ground beside me. The intoxicating vapour of hot apple cider rocketed through my body. “I concentrated some of the raptor mana into a brew. You looked very despondent during the dinner Sallix. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll leave you two for the night. Have a—,” she said.

  *CRASH*

  Sounds of glass shattering pierced the air. Basil’s behemoth body slammed through the windowsill and flew into the ground beside us.

  “Good try son! And that was for the gate!” yelled Aktaaf.

  “You cheated with magic!” Basil replied.

  “Go try again Basi,” Daena chuckled. She flicked her wrist as a magic circle rocketed Basil back into the house. The shards of glass grew tiny legs as they marched back into the window frame and sewed themselves into one piece. She turned back and grinned at us. “Have a good night.”

  “If mother was like her,” Haunt mumbled.

  “She’s amazing,” I replied, soaking in the alchemical mix she poured in. The potent liquid was spreading out through my branches. I sense a few new leaves, maybe another branch? “Would you want to stay here?”

  “No, more things to consume.”

  “Ha! We’ll work on that one Haunt.”

  “Moon very tasty tonight.”

  **********

  The next morning in another part of town…

  A figure strolled to the gate of Fleurwind. The same guard Basil had accosted during yesterday’s predicament was still on duty. The haphazardly put gate was already affixed back to its regular position.

  “Going so soon?” the guard asked.

  “Unfortunately,” the figure sighed. Their hand fumbled through a few twines of violet hair that weren’t washed out in the morning bath. Strands of grey hair shimmered along the side of their head, down around the ears. “I did not manage to find inspirations to weave.”

  “A shame. The other day a Treant and Nighthaunter strolled in. Sounds like that’s up your alley.”

  “Maybe, but I still have a tried-and-true method left. There’s a good spot on the western edges, a plant managed to catch my eye many years ago,” they chuckled.

  “Whereabouts?” the guard asked.

  “That’s a secret,” the figure teased.

  “Shame, safe journeys,” he replied, wretching the gate open.

  The figure walked past and into the open forest.

  **********