It’s a long walk to Fairwood. We didn’t start until just before evening, and we’re still walking hours after the sun has set. Our progress is made even slower given the wooden cart Hatsu is trailing. It’s piled high with vines, but it doesn’t take much imagination to wonder what’s obscured underneath the human-shaped mass of plants.

As we travel, my stomach starts to growl, and I’m reminded the last time I ate was this morning—which was also the last time I fulfilled my Chef role. The meal prep I did with the stew will tie me over the rest of tonight, but what will happen if I’m not able to make anything tomorrow? That could be bad.

“How much longer?” I finally ask, limping along despite my throbbing feet. The shoes in this world have absolutely no arch support.

Jules and Hatsu glance at each other and then at Enrold, but when he doesn’t answer, Jules fills the silence.

“We’re less than an hour out,” she says. “Can’t you see? The lights of the city are just ahead.”

I squint in the direction Jules is gesturing, and realize I can see it. I’d mistaken the lights for stars.

“But they’re so high up,” I say, tipping my head back to take in the wall of flickering lights. Now that I’m looking, I can make out the artificial arrangement of lights in the shapes of buildings and towers, and the murky glows where the lights reflect off their surroundings. “Is it on the side of a mountain?”

Hatsu chuckles, shaking their head. “They don’t call it Fairwood for nothing.”

It isn’t until we approach the city gates that I understand what they mean.

Lights spiral up the trunks of four massive trees, each at least as wide as a house, before coming to a stop perhaps a hundred feet above us. I hadn’t realized how tall the trees were here: apart from the four illuminated trunks in this clearing, the rest of the forest is swallowed by the dark. Above us, between the four trees, is a giant wooden gate facing toward the ground, and even as I watch, it splits open with a metallic groan, hinging down and opening toward us.

“That’s the entrance to the city?” I cry as the gates swing open. I can make out a warm fiery glow flickering beyond them, but nothing else. “How are we supposed to get up there?”

“You either really have never been here before,” Jules says, heading over to one of the glowing trunks. “Or you’re a great actor.” She touches a vine on the tree and it lights up with green magic, zipping up toward the city like a spark of electricity. She heads back over to us and plants her feet wide. “Hold on.”

“Wh—” I lurch to the side as the ground beneath us moves. Dirt and leaves hiss away as we’re lifted into the air, carried aloft by a platform of woven vines. It steadily climbs the four trunks, vines wrapped around each tree pulling us up the trunk like they have a mind of their own. Enrold and Hatsu don’t even blink as we’re soon a dozen, two dozen feet in the air, and my stomach is left back on the ground beneath us. My nerves alight with nervous tingling energy at seeing the forest floor so far away, but even so I’m grinning like mad. This is magic. Real magic. I have to learn how it’s done.

I look up as the platform carries us in through the city gates, and suddenly, Fairwood is all around me.

The city is a forest-sized treehouse. Buildings and platforms bubble out of every tree, connected by bridges built from branches and vines. Not like rickety swinging bridges, though. These are grand things, decorated with wooden statues, glowing with purple lights, so wide they could fit a parade of elephants side by side. I crane my head up, and the bridges and buildings crisscross for several levels above me as well. The way the city exists in three dimensions puts Earth skyscrapers to shame.

Enrold shoves my shoulder, and I stumble forward. “Come on,” he grumbles. “We don’t have all night.”

For a moment I consider making a break for it. Unlike the forest, here there are plenty of streets to run down and buildings to hide in. But a sharp look from Jules tells me she’s expecting exactly this, so with a sigh I reluctantly follow the captain. Hatsu takes up the rear, still trailing the vine-covered cart concealing the noble’s dead body.

There’s a lot of other dryads like Hatsu and Cyros here. Their hair comes in all sorts of different flower varieties, and it’s hard not to stare as we pass. There’s a bunch of bird people too, covered in colorful feathers, with claws for feet and wings sprouting from their lower backs. Echo identifies these as harpies, and sometimes I stop in my tracks to watch them leap off of platforms to go sailing into the depths of the city. Jules doesn’t let me watch for long, though.

Our path takes us up several staircases which spiral around the trunks of the massive trees, and over a dozen swaying bridges, thoroughly disorienting me in the process. I’m realizing now that even if I wanted to sneak away, I’d have no idea where I was going, whereas my guards undoubtedly consider the city home.

Finally, we head into a building creatively labeled City Guard. There isn’t a door, just an opening that takes us into a bustling hall, filled with armored individuals and scroll-toting clerks.

A human woman rushes to meet us when we’ve barely set a foot in the door. “Captain Enrold!”

“Lord Greenhand,” he greets. “We should speak somewhere more privately.”

“Damn your privacy,” she says. She’s a tall human woman with light skin and blond hair pulled into a bun. The ink beneath her fingers immediately gives me the impression that her career choices are less along the adventuring sort and more along the scholarly. Her eyes are red, like she’s been crying. “Is it true? Where’s my sister?”

I give her a Check.

[Talia: Level 28 human scholar of veracity. She is a noble of house Greenhand.]

Doesn’t take much imagination to guess who her sister is.

“Come, somewhere private,” Enrold repeats. “I don’t want to cause a scene.”

“A scene?” Talia’s voice goes up an octave. “My sister was supposed to be under the protection of your soldiers and now she’s been assassinated.”

“We’d first prefer for you to identify the body—” Enrold starts, but Talia is just getting started.

“The Council election was to be next week,” Talia says, stepping up to Enrold and, despite her slim stature, still managing to tower over him. “She paid you to prevent this exact possibility! It was your job to ensure she was appropriately accompanied while traveling outside the city! Do you suppose the loss of such a high-profile client will reflect in your favor when we decide upon the Guard budget next rotation? Perhaps it’s time for a newly appointed captain as well!”

You know, I think I like her.

Enrold has flushed, well, red isn’t right, given his monochrome skin tone, but I guess a darker shade of gray is accurate.

“Please, Lord Greenhand,” he says. “We are doing everything in our power to bring the perpetrator to justice. In fact, we have already apprehended a key suspect.” He glances at me.

Talia looks at me, too, frowning. “This child?”

“Not a child,” I say.

“You can’t seriously think she assassinated my sister?” she continues.

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I puff myself up indignantly. “I could kill someone if I wanted to.”

She looks pointedly at Enrold.

“She was at the crime scene,” he says. “She also knew what was used to kill Lord Kelwa. Further, she’s lied to us about her past, and has no ties to anyone at the establishment.”

“I didn’t lie,” I say, realizing belatedly I probably had. About where I came from, at least.

“She’s our most likely suspect,” he repeats.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Talia snaps.

“Let’s discuss this in the back,” Enrold says with a not-quite-suppressed sigh. This time, he starts moving even as Talia lights him up with more accusations and criticisms. Enrold heads for a set of doorways further into the building, and Jules and Hatsu follow dutifully after. At the back rooms, Enrold gestures for Hatsu to follow him into one opening, while Jules points me to the room nearby.

“...and to add further insult to the tragedy, you’ve dragged a child into this affair,” Talia is saying. “If the real culprit isn’t caught within the week…”

I smile wickedly, quite enjoying listening to Enrold get reamed by the noble. I don’t know if it’s fair criticism or not, but it’s delicious.

“Best wipe that smile off your face,” Jules says as we step into the back room. “It won’t help your case.”

The room is fairly small, a couple chairs pushed up against the wall, and another right in the center of the room, sitting in the middle of a giant spell circle. I stop when I see the markings.

“Uh, what’s that?” I ask as Jules follows me in. She touches something on the wall, and a set of vines unfurl from the ceiling, draping down past the doorway like a set of prison bars. I reach out to poke one, wondering if they’re magically rigid or if they’re just for show, and Jules smacks my hand away.

“That,” she says, gesturing to the intricate circle carved into the floor, “is to make sure you’re up to no funny business. Now, take a seat.”

Hardly mollified, I instead have Echo give it a Check.

[Anti-magic spell circle,] Echo says. [When activated, users within this circle will have diminished access to their mana pool and Attunements.]

Well, I haven’t learned any spells anyway, so it won’t do much to me. Satisfied it’s not going to tie me up or anything, I take a seat, tucking my legs up onto the chair. Jules crouches down to place a hand on the circle, and the carvings light up green.

[Status Effect: Restricted Magic,] Echo says.

I drum my fingers on my knees as Jules apparently decides we’ve had sufficient conversation already, and stands silently at the door. Through the wall, I can hear muffled voices. I hope Talia is tearing Enrold a new one.

A few minutes later, Enrold appears at the door. “Lieutenant Jules,” he says, and she turns her head. “Step out. The Lord would like a word.”

Jules opens her mouth as if to say something, likely thinks better of it, then steps through the vines. The plants part for her and remain open until Talia and Enrold step through in her place. The vines return to their prison-bar pattern once more.

Talia appears more subdued now. Her eyes are puffier, her mouth set. She grabs a chair, spins it around backward, and sits down across from me, folding her arms across the backrest. Enrold remains standing by the door, taking up Jules’ position. I squint and wrinkle my nose at him, but he just looks at me flatly.

“So,” Talia says. “She really is dead. Enrold tells me you know how she died.”

I consider lying, but since I’d already spilled the beans to Enrold, doing so now would probably only dig the hole deeper. “Yeah. Poisoned from orchid sap.”

She looks to Enrold, who nods. “Hatsu confirmed that was the case.”

Talia turns back to me, her look calculating. “They confirmed after you tipped them off, is the part he’s not saying. But if you didn’t kill her, how did you know?”

Telling them about Echo is probably not the right angle. I don’t want to reveal anything that might tip them off that I’m not from around here. I could tell them my suspicions about Cyros and his partner, but he had saved my life, so snitching on him now doesn’t really feel right.

“My affinity is Poison,” I say. “When I found her, I touched the mug she’d drunk out of, and I could tell there were traces of orchid sap on it.” All technically true!

Talia frowns. “Poison? That’s a rare affinity. Especially for a non-dryad. Inherited?”

“No,” I say. “I fell into a patch of carnivorous orchids and got the sap all over me.” Okay so not 100% the truth but it’s more believable than I was trying to level up and had no idea what I was doing.

Talia cracks a smile. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard, and I believe you. Are you satisfied, Captain?”

Enrold folds his arms. “Hardly. Any of that could be fiction. She also claimed to know who poisoned Lord Kelwa. If that’s true, I want to know who, and how she knows.”

Talia shrugs. “Fair enough. I believe you’re telling the truth, for the record, but I’d also like to be sure.” She lifts a hand, pointing a finger at me. “I’m going to cast a spell on you, alright?”

“Um.” I lean back in my chair. “What kind of spell?”

“A truth detector spell,” she says.

I raise my eyebrows. Oh, hell no. “You’re going to read my mind?”

“Not exactly,” Talia says. “I’ll ask you some questions, and the spell will tell me if your intentions are mostly truthful or mostly deceptive. Ready?”

I look between her and Enrold. “I don’t suppose I can say no?”

“Not if you want to get out of this cell tonight,” Talia says.

“We won’t be releasing her regardless,” Enrold objects.

Talia snorts. “Please. We both know you’re desperate for a scapegoat to save public face. But if I find her innocent, and you continue to detain her, then I’ll be forced to be very vocal about my findings.”

Enrold grits his teeth, but says nothing.

“Well?” Talia asks me.

I grip the edge of the chair. If she’s just going to make sure I’m innocent, then I have nothing to hide. Still not wild about some magic doing stuff to my brain, but getting out of Enrold’s clutches sounds like a bigger priority.

“Okay,” I say. “Go ahead.”

A pink light flashes from Talia’s finger, washing over both of us.

[You have been subjected to a low-level Truth spell,] Echo says, though I don’t feel any different.

“Right,” Talia says, staring at me intently. “Did you kill my sister, Kelwa Greenhand?”

“No,” I say. Well that was easy.

“How do you think she died?” she asks.

“Poison.”

“Why?”

“I have a poison affinity. I touched the mug she drank out of and noticed there was poison on it.”

“Do you know who poisoned her?”

I try not to show any reaction to the question. “I don’t know, but I have suspicions.”

“Who do you suspect?” she asks.

Should I sell Cyros out? What if he really is innocent, and this was all just a big coincidence? Well, I can’t really dodge the question now.

“There were two people who checked into the inn the night before,” I say. “They left before we found the dead noble—uh, your sister, sorry. An elf and a dryad. They checked in under the names Tara and Toshi.”

Talia holds my gaze for a moment, then nods. “Is there anyone else you might suspect? The innkeeps?”

“No,” I say quickly. “Iski and Gugora would never! But it’s possible one of the other customers was involved. Everyone there that night were strangers. We should have all their names in the logs.”

Talia gives Enrold a side-eye. “Are you taking notes, Captain?”

He merely glowers at her.

Talia asks me a handful of other questions in the similar vein, though her voice is growing strained and sweat is starting to bead on her brow. I don’t notice the effects of the spell, but apparently it’s a bit of a strain on her. Eventually, she sighs.

“That’s enough.” Talia waves her hand. “You’ve answered all my questions.”

[Spell expired,] Echo reports.

“She answered all my questions truthfully,” Talia says to Enrold. “Will you agree she’s not my sister’s murderer now?”

Enrold grits his teeth. “Perhaps. Such spells are not foolproof.”

Talia stands. “Well until you can convince a mind mage to come work for your unit, this will have to suffice. I trust you’ll be following the leads she provided?”

“Among others,” Enrold says, his glare returning to me. “There were other individuals at the inn that are still under suspicion. The innkeeps, for one.”

“Hey!” I stand up. “I told you already, they didn’t do it!”

“So you believe.” An unkind smile quirks his lips. “That will be determined after further interrogation.”

“That’s harassment!” I snap, anger bubbling up within me. “You’re just mad you’re wrong. You call me a kid, but you’re the one who’s acting like a child.”

Irritation flickers over Enrold’s expression. “We’ll see if you are still willing to speak such words after a night in the Cave.”

“Nonsense,” Talia cuts in before I can ask or wonder about what the Cave is. “She’s coming with me. And we’ll both be departing immediately. If you need anything else, you know where to reach me.”

“She’s still a key suspect,” Enrold objects.

Talia ignores him. “Come on,” she tells me with a jerk of her head.

I don’t need to be told twice. I don’t know what this lady wants with me or why she thinks I’ll be going with her, but it sure beats staying here with Captain Asshole. I jump from my chair and hurry after.

Talia holds the vines open for me, and I shoot a nervous look Enrold’s way, in case he’ll try to stop us. Instead, he just watches me pass, anger burning in his gaze. Yeah, the feeling is mutual.

Talia wordlessly blazes a trail through the building, and I have to jog every few feet to keep pace. When we step back outside into the city of trees, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Look, thanks for your help,” I say, slowing down when Talia begins to head off in some other direction. “But I should be—”

“Oh, no you don’t.” She grabs my elbow and tugs me along without breaking stride. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

“But I have to get back to the inn,” I say.

“In the middle of the night?” She glances at me with a raised eyebrow. “Would you even know how to get back?”

Uh, good point. I could probably follow the trail during the day, but navigating it alone at night without a light was definitely going to result in me getting lost.

“Didn’t think so,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to hold you hostage like that thug of a captain. You can stay the night at my place and head back in the morning. But first, I have a couple more questions to ask you.” She fixes me with a hard look. “Like who you really are, and why you weren’t telling me the whole truth.”