The tree at the center of the village appeared colossal to the little fairies. It wasn’t that big, the mountains on the horizon dwarfed it easily, but it was imposing, nonetheless. It was more about its width rather than its height.

Alta followed Icasondra into the tree as they ascended the vine-laden stairs into what could only be called a throne room. Flrynwydl, the voluptuous dryad and the leader of the village awaited there, lavishly sat on her throne with her lime eyes mildly open.

The Moonlight fairy approached the unmoving fae with care, walking rather than flying, and tapped nervously the back of the green hand.

“Flrynwydl, you there?” Icasondra asked and then took a step backward followed by a yelp once the dryad moved.

“Yes, sonny.” She responded slowly. “I was resting, I didn’t expect you to come this soon. You should have rested more.”

“I am more than well!” The fairy boasted, her wings rapidly flapping and her chest raised.

“Let me doubt it, child.” The dryad smirked. “But I won’t oppose your decisions.”

“What were you doing?” Alta, unbothered by their conversation, asked the dryad. “That didn’t look like sleeping, but you weren’t conscious.”

“You are right. Dryads cannot sleep, we are more trees than people.” Flrynwydl stretched her arms, her hair following the same motion yet moving unnaturally, like leaves that seek the sun.

“So, you are always awake?” The Blossomflame fairy added.

“Hmm, not technically.” The dryad separated her long legs from the ground, only now had Alta noticed that they had been lodged into the floor. “But being conscious is tiresome, we just have moments of unconscious to rest. We cannot sleep, yes, but this state is virtually identical to the sleep other species experience. I even have dreams.”

Dreams. Even though Alta had never heard the word before, she intrinsically knew what it meant and how they were, for she had dreamt.

Flrynwydl stood up from her throne, previously hidden roots by her posture dislodging from her body. “This is not the right place to talk. Follow me.”

Wordlessly, the two fairies followed the dryad, and Alta finally noticed why the corridors and the stairs of the tree were this big. The dryad could leave the tree. It was so obvious, yet for some reason, Alta had imagined it couldn’t be possible.

As the elder stepped outside of her home, the fairies of the nameless village stopped whatever they were doing and bowed to her. The dryad evoked gratitude, respect, and loyalty in those fairies.

The strides of Flrynwydl were so big that Alta had to put an oomph to her walk as a single step of the dryad could cover a whole meter. Meanwhile, Icasondra followed the tall fae without any issues, standing around the same height as she levitated in the air. The chimera grunted, keeping her incommodity to herself.

The trio led walked for a long while, losing themselves in the forest called the Evergreen. And whilst the path of the dryad seemed random, her eyes were focused on what was before her, never turning her head and never doubting.

She senses the forest. Alta realized. There’s some magic around her. The chimera couldn’t define or identify what that magic was, but she knew it was there. A hidden force permeating reality.

“We’ve arrived.” Flrynwydl stopped before a different tree from its neighbors.

Instead of having a light-brown bark, the tree had a darker shade, almost black. It was impossibly tall, far more than the tree the dryad called home.

“What’s this?” Alta asked.

“One of the village’s watchtowers,” Icasondra responded and Flrynwydl nodded. “We have guards posted on them to watch for dangers.”

“How?” The chimera frowned her brows. “It would be impossible to detect a hunter through the canopies of the trees, the foliage is too dense.”

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“They don’t look for wild animals.” The dryad explained. “They are more forest rangers than sentinels. They watch for fires produced by lightning storms or smoke columns made by campfires of humans who have entered too deep into the Evergreen.”

They wouldn’t probably need lookouts for hunters with the dryad here, anyways. Alta couldn’t quantify the power of the elder fae, but it was more than enough to act as a deterrent force.

“Why have you brought us here, then?” Alta asked, trying to look at the canopy of the tree but her neck impeded her to do so. “I fear that as a Blossomflame fairy, I’m better at starting fires than putting them out.” The two fae looked at the chimera amused. “I used that expression correctly, or did I not? I fear, was it, right?”

“No, it’s not about that. You used the idiom correctly.” Icasondra affirmed. “It’s only that Blossomflame fairies control fire, so they can put them out as easily as starting them.”

“Oh, I see.” The fiery fairy nodded. “Anyways, it isn’t like I can control my innate abilities.”

“That wasn’t why I brought you here, so you don’t need to worry about that.” The dryad intervened. “As a new member of the village, you need an occupation. I won’t accept freeloaders.” The Moonlight fairy tensed as she heard those words.

“What’s Icasondra’s job?” Alta tilted her head, and the fairy in question tensed even further. “I haven’t seen her work in anything these days. Is she a cook?”

“A cook?” Flrynwydl laughed. “No, but I’m afraid I hadn’t had the opportunity to taste her meals to begin with. No, Icasondra is an... entertainer of sorts. She organizes the festivities of the village. She also explores, but that’s more of a hobby than her actual job.”

“Festivities? What are those?” The dryad frowned her non-existing brows upon hearing the chimera’s question.

“They are special events where people rest and meet together.” Icasondra swiftly responded, mostly by reflex than anything.

“I see.” Alta nodded, understanding the concept of a communal gathering. “So what job are you offering me then?” She switched to Flrynwydl. “I doubt you want me as a simple sentinel.”

“You are right.” The dryad crossed her arms around her overflowing bosom. “I’m aware of your power so I thought about giving you a job as a warden of sorts.”

Alta tensed as she heard the last words of the elder, her visage turning grim and her wings flaring stronger.

“Explain yourself.” The Blossomfairy’s voice had lost its neutrality and gained an aggressive aspect. She didn’t appreciate that word.

Sensing the hostility, Flrynwydl trod with care. “I mean that I want you to overlook the village from outside dangers and protect the fairies.

“Oh, I see.” The darkness inside the chimera’s eyes vanished. “Yes, no problem. I accept.”

The dryad frowned but didn’t elaborate or pursue answers.

“Anyways... Your job as a... guard,” she chose her words carefully, “is to simply defend the village.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to be in the village instead of here?” Alta pointed at the tree with her head.

“Are you implying I cannot protect my own village?” Flrynwydl said with her eyes half-closed, staring directly at the Blossomflame fairy.

“I imply nothing.” She looked back with a lacking expression. “I was making a suggestion and asking a question.”

The dryad sternly fixated on the chimera, yet the shorter creature didn’t bulge nor react to the intimidation.

“I-I think she’s being serious, Flrynwydl,” Icasondra explained to the matron. “She was just asking.”

“Oh.” The hard expression vanished from the dryad’s face, now substituted by a warm and motherly look. “It’s hard to get a read on this chimera, my little children are so expressive and readable that I had forgotten what words could entail.”

Flrynwydl dismissed it as a joke, calming down the Moonlight fairy, but Alta knew better. She revealed that she couldn’t read her, but the truth is, the opposite was also true. The Blossomflame fairy didn’t know what to make out of the fae without irises.

“As I was saying,” Flrynwydl continued with a smile on her face, “I want you on this outpost because there have been sightings of humans in the Evergreen as of late on this sector.”

“But that isn’t bad, no?” Icasondra asked. “I mean... I don’t have the best experience with humans myself, but there was a human yesterday on the market, it isn’t like we don’t interact with them.”

“Yes, child.” The dryad nodded, her foliage-like hair falling with the gesture. “It isn’t bad or strange for some humans to be on the Evergreen, but I have been made aware that the state of affairs on the human kingdoms is rather unstable lately, so I expect them to not be as friendly as they have been on prior visits.”

“So that’s why you want to put Alta on the front line.” The Moonlight fairy recognized.

“Yes,” Flrynwydl admitted. “I expect humans to be violent these coming years, and what better to fight violence with more violence? Without any intention of offending you, Alta.”

“I’m not offended.” The chimera dismissed. “I’m good with violence.” She accepted it as a fact.

“That’s the problem,” Icasondra revealed.

“Why?” The dryad led her hand to her cheek in ponderation, her other arm still holding her bountiful breasts.

“Alta... well...” The fairy lingered on the silence, not sure of what to say. “Let’s say I’m worried about the fate of the humans if the first encounter they have with the fae is her.”

“Oh, that only makes it better,” Flrynwydl responded with an unnatural smile, the corners of her raising beyond the height of her eyes. “That whole race deserves to suffer for even laying a finger on you. Don’t you agree, Alta?”

“Of course.” The chimera wasn’t as vocal with her hatred, if she had any, yet her eyes brimmed with bloodlust.

Icasondra sighed. “I fear this isn’t the best of ideas.”