We return to find Percy arguing with Tinpu. The poor sap. Or well, Tinpu attempting what sounds to me like a one sided argument with a slightly rustling plant that happens to be a friend. I’m too tired and dehydrated to pay attention though. Each of us prepares for bed in our own way, I huddle into a dark corner to change quickly with a modicum of privacy.

Still needing to rehydrate, I search about our single-room treepartment for anything like a wash basin, and one literally grows from the wall. I blink several times and touch the creation incredulously. It feels real. Still, I’ll need to fetch some water and food to make use of it. What in the.

Now the basin is a sink with two faucets. Opening the valve on one reveals crystal-clear water, cool and fresh, with the faintest hints of sweetness as of morning dew upon honeysuckles. I’m almost loathe to use it to clean up, but I wash my hands and face regardless before shoving my head beneath the faucet to drink my fill as it pours down into the open side of my mouth. Pure, clean water. It felt like a waste to wash up in it compared to how blissful drinking it was. Soon. Soon I’ll have magic that nullifies the need to clean up.

Curious about the other faucet, I turn the tap, and it seems like nothing happens for several brief moments. What pours forth in slow motion must be sap, but it’s nearly a paste, I close the valve before the hanging paste can even drop into the basin. I snag a dab on my index fingertip and lift it to my lips. It doesn’t feel like it burns my finger or lips or give any other signs of being inedible or toxic. I flick my tongue upon the sap-paste, and the tip of my tongue is blasted with exquisite indescribable flavor.

Something comes over me, or must have come over me. I find myself blinking rapidly, staring at a clean finger and a clean basin, no sign of the sap-paste anywhere. I also feel satiated. I don’t think I was hallucinating that. There are still two faucets, but I’d hate to be wasteful of what might be the tree’s literal lifeblood that it shed for me just to satisfy my curiosity.

I turn ‘round to call over to Teuila, “Hey Te, come check this out? It’s like a sink grew from the wall and—“

Te asks, “A what did what where now Airhead? You’re pointing at a wall.”

Turning back to face the wall, my jaw drops to hang slack as my brow contorts into a half-squint, half-surprised curiosity expression. Sure enough, there’s nothing there. I pat my belly, and I can feel it slosh slightly, so I’ve definitely rehydrated. The sloshing is a weird thing, since technically food teleports somewhere once it gets beyond my esophagus, but it has always been like that.

Teuila rests the flat of the back of her hand against my forehead, checking my temperature. Quite an odd thing, since I don’t think I can realistically get feverish. I’d have to be hitting a thousand degrees in Fahrenheit before I even mildly show the regular outward signs of fever. At that point, I’d be a danger to everyone and everything around me. I smile at Teuila as I attempt to pull her towards me for a hug.

Teuila evades me though, and asks with concern, “Seriously. Reggie? My Air? You thought you saw something? Are you okay?”

I pout as I explain, “I swear Teuila, feel my belly, it’s sloshy because I just drank the purest most crystalline water that could possibly exist, as if it were filtered through leaves and petals of honeysuckle. Then there was this paste-like sap that blew my mind as it rocked my tastebuds.”

Teuila obliges and sticks a hand up my nightshirt since we’d been preparing to bed down. Her hand on my belly wiggles playfully, feeling the slosh. She still gazes at me with concern however.

Te asks, “Okay, sure, you drank something, but are you sure it wasn’t like, a wineskin of booze or something that we got by mistake instead of water in Victo?” She frowns for a moment, then seems to think better of it and redirects, ”Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Are you coming to bed?”

Teuila turns to walk away as I frown after her. I answer, “Yeah, yeah definitely in a second Te, be right there.”

I turn back towards the wall, thinking about nourishment and cleanliness, and sure enough, a sink sprouts from the wall with two faucets. Excitedly I call out, “Te, Te quick, it came back! It, hey, where are you going, no, stick around so that Te can see I’m not crazy. Fudge. Hellspit.”

Yeah, good going Reggie, you don’t look crazy at all arguing with an empty wall. Hey, lay off with the snark. Although it was kind of funny, heh. Maybe focus on your current situation? Teuila is genuinely concerned for us. We need to be better to not worry her. I breathe deep and blow a long sigh as I exhale.

Teuila just eyes me suspiciously as she taps her foot while standing near the bed with her arms crossed. Dawn, appearing as if from nowhere, whispers at my side, “I saw it Rej. Crazy thing growing out of the wall, and crazy you drinking out of it.”

Yeesh, spooky much Dawn? Also, maybe defend me by telling Teuila that? Ya big meanie. I turn and my nose meets Dawn’s nose. Apparently she had leaned in extremely close to whisper. My heart catches momentarily, then stops beating entirely. It’s excruciating. Despite her lack of vitals with which to send blood anywhere, Dawn blushes deeply enough to heat the scant distance between our faces. I join her in blushing as I edge away, backing away slowly so as not to upset her. Dawn mouths, “Thank you,” as I move away. I nod wordlessly. I know she doesn’t want things like that to develop into romantic or physical affection. Respect boundaries people.

My heart finally starts beating again, strongly enough to remind me I’ve got a migraine behind my right eyeball. My shuddering ragged breath catches several times before I can resume normal breathing after a yawn. Teuila is snorting as she fights back laughter nearby.

I grump, “Come on Te, that was awkward as heck, and Dawn says she saw it too. At least for a split second. Maybe it didn’t notice her looking, because she’s so stealthy. Maybe it pops out of the wall for me due to my externally induced Fae heritage? Gosh that’s a weird concept.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Teuila snorts as she drapes her arms over my shoulders and kisses along my brow. She shakes her head while laughing, “Only you, my complete Airhead. Only you. What’s next, having to go to the bathroom for the first time in our lives and that turning into a grand quest?”

My jaw hangs slack as my index finger curls. I’m at a loss for words, because Teuila was absolutely hilarious just now. But also I most assuredly hope that no such thing ever occurs. I’m perfectly fine being Can’Z’aasian critterkin, not having to deal with any of those nasty biological nonsenses. Teuila smirks and kisses the corner of my mouth before she sashays towards the bed. The way her hips sway as the silken pajamas drape along and cling to her slight curves takes my breath away. My heart arrives at a tha-thump rhythm, and I hear Dawn politely cough from near my shoulder.

Suddenly the temperature in the room rises five degrees. I can’t tell which of the three of us is blushing harder at the moment, since Dawn just reminded Teuila that we’re not in private with just the two of us. Actually, for all I know, Percival is blushing as well. He dismissed his familiar Tinpu at some point during all this silliness.

I have to flex my jaw, cheeks, and lips to unlock my facial muscles. I think a stupid grin was plastered wide across my face, or a shocked expression. I’m not even sure at the moment. I only know that the three of us are now shuffling in place avoiding eye contact with one another.

Deciding to change tack, I query, “Do you guys think it would be worth adopting my dragonoid form before bed, so that I can rest off the effects of using Can’Z’aasian powers? I feel like everything about me is more powerful and resilient in that form. I might not even be able to get gushing nosebleeds. Any possible advantage to be able to learn more per day, or learn more quickly, it’s something I should try, right?”

Teuila’s quizzical expression is almost a half smile as she chews the inside of her left cheek while squinting my way. Dawn offers, “That’s a real thing Rej? You guys talked about it a couple of times now, but I mean, you kinda just got distracted or whatever, and never seemed to care to bring it up and prove it. I’m kinda curious.”

I’m about to instantly engage the transformation spell when I realize a fatal flaw. I’m currently wearing unenchanted human-ish nightclothes. I’d probably tear them asunder by sprouting wings and a tail beneath them. Not that my nudity is ever a problem in any form, being Can’Z’aasian and all. Still, I’d rather not drive Dawn away by seeming indecent.

I could swear Teuila just rode my entire thought train with how much laughter she’s fighting back. I peer at her suspiciously, but she suddenly pretends to whistle as she clasps her hands behind her back, and rocks back and forth on her heels. Yeah, sure Teuila, really inconspicuous My Wings, hah. Still, I know it wasn’t telepathy. More like she just knows me that well, and doesn’t want to admit she was laughing at me. I sigh as I shake my head incredulously. I utterly love and cherish this woman.

To Dawn I plead, “It’s absolutely a thing, but could I just have one second to switch clothes? I don’t want to destroy these with a sudden shapechange. I almost did it while you were asking.”

Dawn shrugs and offers the carry on gesture. I sneak beneath the far side of the bed and change into a mostly complete set of Valkyrie under-armor clothing. Thankfully the size and shapechanging enchantments that seem ubiquitous to Can’Z’aasian magic equipment applies even to their peripheral. I may as well do it while laying down back here. I summon the power from Can’Z’aas and feel my veins bulge as a torrent of mana pours through me, lacerating me from the inside out. It takes eight minutes of intense, bloody pain, but I come out of it on the other side in my draconic form. My odd gemlike scales seem slightly different than I remember them. Flexing my chromatophores and iridophores, I play with speaking in colors like the chameleons taught me. Tears roll down my reptilian face as I recall how Lil blames me for the loss of all of them, and as I recall how many wonderful, peaceful lives were lost to preserve this timeline.

I sniffle and wipe away my tears as I stand to present my form to Dawn, only to find Dawn and Teuila already cuddling in bed, Teuila at least half asleep. I roll my eyes in faux exasperation and loose a single dry chuckle, nearly a snort. Since Dawn doesn’t actually need to sleep, and probably can’t actually sleep, she momentarily frees herself from Teuila’s sleep-grip to take in my new appearance.

Dawn’s eyes alight with wild fascination as she quietly exclaims, “Holy. Shiiid Rej, where’ve you been hiding this? Just, hell pal. You look fierce like that, but still you, and, kinda, um, glp. Safe. Y’know?”

I cock my head towards my right shoulder curiously as I try to parse Dawn’s meaning. Why was she suddenly embarrassed to call me sa— Ah. With how badly she felt unsafe, and how greatly she desired safety, it conjures up powerful emotions, and the word has new context for her. New context involving that night. I blush and we avoid each other’s gazes for a few moments.

Teuila reaches out her arms from a supine position and drags us both into bed by our wrists, catching us by surprise in her somnic activity. Despite being reptilian, I blush as I end snout-to-nose with the two of them while Teuila squeezes us close. My subconscious even directs my chromatophores to produce the appropriate level of red. Dawn and I look anywhere other than at each other at the moment. I can sense her fidget and squirm from how uncomfortable this makes her.

I use the staff to summon the spectral hand, and I have that hand fetch our blankets, pillows, and covers for us, from our position trapped against Teuila’s torso. Dawn mouths another thanks as I drape the cover over us. Teuila releases her grip on us and turns to me in her sleepy, mumbly state. She asks me for something along the lines of fluffy candy beds as she intertwines her limbs with mine, a fair feat with the number of limbs between the two of us.

Hm, fluffy candy bed? Cotton candy? Like the clouds Teuila slept on while suspended high above Leviathan? I guess that could be what she meant. Maybe. I can sense Dawn laying patiently on her back, prepared for another boring night alone with her thoughts. She lightly squeezes my hand, the only nearby limb for her to grip in the event that her senses leave her while we’re asleep. I drift off while feeling a swirl of emotions too hard to parse at the moment.

The nothingness proclaims, “I especially enjoy the part where she hits you with a stick.”

Hm? Oh, am I being -am- again? I don’t remember dying, or even being close to dead in my last few moments of memory. Wait, who hit me? When? There was a man, at the top of a tower, no, a tree, he hit me with something.

The roiling non-universe sounds almost giddy as it queries, “There’s more slapstick at your expense? Oh, linear progression. Honestly, why do you return so frequently? The bargain is inviolate.”

I blink the non-eyelids of my non-self rapidly as I try to understand what’s going on. I’ve been here before? But also in the future? This place, it’s, it’s a void, no, -the- Void. How did I get here? Why were my thoughts so jumbled the last few times I was here? I think I was here with jumbled thoughts several times. Maybe I’m imagining things. But wait, Void said I return frequently. What’s this about an inviolable bargain?

Void, the Ceaseless Schism cuts my question off before I can ask, “That’s enough of that now. Go, rise. You have to catch up so that we can meet for the first time. Now. Awaken!”