Though Nick could admit to still being overwheld by the omnipresence of magic in this new life, he wasn't so foolish as to forget what it ant.
In his old world, non-human sapients had beco almost entirely extinct. A few old families sported so magical blood, to be sure, but nothing that would distinguish them from the run-of-the-mill caster, no matter what they might say. Contracts with extraplanar entities were still possible, though they required imnse preparation and talent to pull off without losing your soul, and they often still resulted in terrible consequences.
This ant he wasn't exactly an expert in interacting with non-humans, but that was nothing a bit of good old-fashioned experinting could fix.
Of course, he didn't imdiately jump to summoning demons. That sounded like a quick way of seeing if he'd be lucky enough to have a third life, and he didn't feel like abandoning his new family yet.
But the town of Floria held everything he could ask for. Wandering adventurers from all over the country ca by to try their hand at the Green Ocean's hidden treasures, and though they didn't often have ti to entertain a local kid, even just observing how they behaved was enough to give him an idea of what to expect. Then there were the few non-human residents, like Elia and her family, who were exuberant beyond anything he knew, or even old Ogden, the local alchemist, who claid to be half kobold.
Admittedly, Nick's mom had told him it was more likely that he had been the unfortunate result of a potion experint gone wrong that coated him in reptilian scales rather than the spawn of a human and a kobold, two species that weren't known to be able to reproduce together without magical aid. But he was weird enough to be helpful anyway.
None of that prepared him to face an actual fae.
Old Nick's grandfather had been extrely clear that he was to avoid giving anything away to the immortal beings, from his na to his word. "Avoid them entirely if possible, and if not, do not offend them and treat them as politely as you would royalty" had been his words, and he'd stick to them in this new world too, unless he saw significant proof that they weren't the sa type of being.
Which I doubt since fae are known to travel between worlds. I'm sure so are nastier and so kinder, but it's better not to risk it.
"I have to say, I expected another foolish Druid trying to steal control over the forest. Not a kid barely old enough to have a class."
The dryad's voice was so llifluous that it almost sounded fake. The smile she directed his way prevented any possible resentnt from forming. She stepped closer, extending a hand as if to reach for his.
"Never heard of stranger danger?" Nick casually replied, stepping back and looking just above the fae's shoulder. He wouldn't make the mistake of not responding, but inviting a discussion with a being he couldn't understand felt like a foolish decision.
Luckily, rather than take offense, the dryad chuckled. Her leafy mane rustled with the movent, perfectly framing her face.
Sensing that Elia was overcoming her initial surprise and was about to speak, Nick grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. A stern look was enough to shut her up for the mont.
"Yes, you mortals and your tendency to lose sight of your young can have so consequences." She replied. "That still doesn't explain why you felt you had the right to take control of my territory, little human."
Nick felt the weight of the dryad's words settle around him like a noose tightening. Her tone was light, almost playful, but there was an underlying edge to it that he couldn't afford to ignore. She was testing him, toying with him, and one wrong word could see him bound in so fae contract, or worse.
I don't know what's worse than that, but I'm sure she'll find sothing. Immortal beings have to be good at avoiding boredom.
He kept his expression calm, careful not to show any signs of unease. He had to think quickly and choose his words even more carefully.
"I didn't claim anything," Nick replied smoothly, keeping his gaze respectfully averted from her piercing eyes. "Just montarily used what I had at hand to survive. The wolf threatened us, and I protected myself and my friend."
Stolen story; please report.
The dryad raised an eyebrow, her smile widening. "Using, you say? How interesting. And yet, this land belongs to . The roots you used are mine, as are the trees that grow from them. So, what you call 'using' feels more like taking what's not yours. Don't you agree?"
Nick knew where she was trying to lead him. Admitting that he'd taken sothing without permission would be akin to confessing a debt. Once he owed her sothing, the dryad could demand repaynt in ways far beyond his ability to satisfy. That was how fae worked in his old world’s legends, and it looked like they were the sa here—using honeyed words and twisted logic to ensnare those foolish enough to make mistakes in their presence.
He wasn't about to fall into that trap. Nick had trained for years by reading through terms of service and innurable subscriptions to save money. Few could match a gacorporation when it ca to greed.
"That would be the case if this were your land," Nick said carefully, "but this part of the forest isn't just yours. The outer reaches of the Green Ocean have long been under joint control with the kingdom of Illumia. The kingdom protects the roads, the towns, and the people who live along its borders. The laws of reality acknowledge this, and since there's been no claim to this land by the forest's residents in all this ti, it stands to reason that those who protect it also have the right to use it. I acted within those rights."
The dryad's smile faltered for just a mont, her eyes narrowing as she regarded him with renewed interest. Clearly, she hadn't expected such a well-reasoned response from a child. But instead of anger, her amusent deepened, and her form seed to shift subtly. Her features beca less human, more otherworldly, as though she were dropping so of the pretense of civility. Her eyes glowed brighter, and her leafy hair seed to rustle with a breeze that wasn't there.
"Clever little mortal," she purred, slowly stepping closer. The air around them thickened, and mana pressed down upon them like a heavy blanket. Elia stiffened beside Nick, instinctively forming claws, but Nick subtly shook his head, warning her to stay calm. This wasn't a fight they could win with brute strength. Just the mana the fae was expelling to intimidate them was enough to eclipse his entire pool, and he wasn't about to reach for the leyline below his feet now that he knew there was a guardian. That would end any remaining civility, which was their most potent protection.
"You dance well with your words. But you forget… my roots stretch deep. This land is mine in ways your kingdom could never understand. The trees, the earth, the air—they all answer to . And you used them without my blessing."
Her smile grew sharper and more predatory, and Nick could feel the pressure in the air increasing. Mana swirled around the dryad like a storm, thick with power and nace. The trees groaned and twisted without her uttering a single word, showing a mastery he had never been capable of. She wasn't just toying with them anymore; she was sizing them up, testing how far she could push before he broke.
Nick kept his face calm, even as his heart pounded like a drum. He hadn't been this tense since that ti in Nepal with the crazy monks trying to achieve enlightennt by dropping a mountain on their head—and that of every nearby settlent.
"And yet, you didn't stop ," he pointed out. "If this land was solely yours, if your control was so absolute, you could have intervened at any ti, but you didn't. Which ans you recognized, at least in so small part, the right of use that cos with the kingdom's protection. If you're suggesting I've been rude, then I apologize, but I acted within the bounds of that right."
The dryad tilted her head, her smile fading into sothing more serious. "Apology, hmm? That is an interesting word. But apologies do not erase debts. And your actions, little human, have created one."
Nick tensed. This was it—the mont she'd try to bind him. He couldn't allow that to happen, not even through a seemingly harmless promise. He was about to respond when Elia, who had been silent up until now, suddenly stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "We didn't co here to take anything from you," Elia growled, her eyes locking onto the dryad's. "We were just trying to survive. If that's a cri, then maybe the rules need to change."
Nick winced internally, but the dryad only laughed, the sound echoing eerily through the clearing. "Oh, little fox, you have fire in you. But fire burns bright and quickly in your kind. Best not to speak of things beyond your understanding." The dryad's gaze returned to Nick, her expression calculating. "Very well, mortal. I won't press this… debt further. You've argued well enough to avoid it, for now. But rember, your kingdom's laws do not so easily apply to this forest. The next ti you take what’s not yours without permission, I may not be so forgiving."
With that, she turned, her form dissolving into the tree's bark as if she had never been there. The pressure in the air lifted, and Nick released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"And so I told her off! And let
tell you, that damn plant lady certainly wasn't expecting it! She ran away imdiately after I showed my claws!"
Long beyond any care about the image he was portraying, Nick groaned in his hands, shrinking in his seat as if that would protect him from the consequences of what had happened.
To be sure, he was glad they had avoided dying to a rabid beast and even more so that his first encounter with a fae ended in just a scare, but he would have really appreciated it if Elia could have kept her mouth shut for half a second after their return to civilization.
If he were honest, Nick would admit that they couldn't avoid telling the truth. The whole ss might have seed almost too fast to believe while he was living through it, but apparently, it had taken them well over two hours to reappear after they first left, and that was enough ti for the priests supervising the children to realize they were missing and call upon the vicar.
Erging from the forest unhard had been enough to stem the worst of it—luckily, no one had sent for his mother yet—but they couldn't avoid explaining their disappearance.
He would have done so without a problem, despite how tired he was feeling after all that happened, but Elia had jumped into it before he could gather the words, and interrupting her would have just shown he thought he needed to hide sothing.
Vicar Alexander had allowed the foxgirl to complete her tale with a carefully neutral expression that slowly started to shift into stony disapproval. Still, to his credit, he didn't raise his voice.
"I have lived here for thirty years. For eighteen, I've been the vicar. Never have I seen a dryad erge from the deeper woods, especially not to confront two kids." His voice was closer to a hiss than Nick felt comfortable with. "In all your fantastical explanation, neither of you rembered to tell
why the dryad appeared."
Elia blinked, likely surprised that the older man was so mad about what she thought to be a fun adventure. "Oh, that's because Nick used her roots!"
Oh heavens. Why oh why can't she keep her mouth shut for once?! Aren't foxes supposed to be sneaky?
Nick resisted the urge to gulp when the vicar's frigid stare turned to him. Yeah, he wasn't wiggling out of this one.
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