Dryad stared.

Mishra stared.

S’neli stared.

Vex stared.

The crisscrossing starebeams intersected for several minutes.

“So.”

“Indeed.”

“Who?”

“D-Demon!”

“So, I was thinking of eating Tree now that he’s asleep.” Vex said, playfully.

“Go ahead, I’ll miss you.” Dryad said, her eyes glinting with mischief. Just because Tree was asleep didn’t mean he’d forgotten to put defenses down beforehand. Sometimes the paranoia of Tree had an understandable reason, at least to her.

“This is Vex. She’s a friend of mine. Sort of. Oh, and I’m Dryad.” Dryad paused a moment from chatting with Vex to drop her name.

“Dryad?”

“Does no one else see the D.E.M.O.N?”

Dryad frowned at the constant panic the half-elf was having over Vex. After a second of thought, she knocked out the alchemist and stuffed her into the Vespar Leaf.

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“Well, that’s one way of solving it.” Vex said, amused.

“How long do you think before they arrive?” Dryad said, brushing her hands against Tree’s new form.

“At least three hours. The longer we stay here though, the easier they will be able to track your Aura.” Vex said, gazing pointedly at the fluctuating amount of Aura that Dryad was gaining.

Dryad pondered.

Tree’s sudden growth was both a blessing and a curse. Dryad knew she could increase her powers as soon as Tree was finished, but it would definitely take far longer than three hours. The amount she was gaining now, would not be enough to handle the Divinities that would arrive.

When a planet like Vespar vanished, the Divines were certain to send something, or someone that was above her current powers.

“I can cut us a path out with the shadow of knowledge I gained when Tree began growing…” Dryad said, pausing as she stared Vex down.

“…there’s a catch, isn’t there?”

“Several.”

“First, it will be random. Second we’ll need to spend a large portion of our combined power. Third, and most tragic, I have much worse luck than Tree.” Dryad said, employing her poker face.

“How…bad…?” Vex asked.

“…Probably not bad enough to end up in lava, in our weakened state?” Dryad said, attempting to look cute.

“Haah.” Vex facepalmed.

“Could I choose to opt out of this?” Mishra said, her eyes begging.

Dryad decided to stuff Mishra in the Vespar Leaf as well, it was better with just three of them.

Well…

Two counting the fact that Tree was sleeping now.

“You know that they will be randomly teleported somewhere right?” Vex said, as she watched Mishra get thrown into Tree’s leaf.

“Not my problem.” Dryad said, her eyes glinting with sadistic glee.

“You wouldn’t be taking revenge on them for accompanying Tree without you right?”

“Who? Me?”

“Haah.”

“Blood.” Dryad said, holding out her palm.

Vex stared at her for a long moment before manipulating a nail into a talon before slashing her wrist open.

Dryad watched the blood boil, then freeze, before starting to manipulate the Dao of Life.

Unlike simple Daos, such as Flame or Water, the Dao of Life was more complex. However, she utilized what Tree had shown her, and thus Dryad pried a crack open in the universe around them.

A spatial crack with irregular edges gradually opened under the pressure of Life and Chaos.

Dryad wiped the sweat off her forehead before it boiled into ice crystals. Reaching out her Aura, she pulled Tree behind her, from afar it would look as if she was equipping an enormous tree to her back as a weapon.

“Ready?” Dryad said, her voice slightly wavering.

“No, can wa-” Vex said, interrupted as Dryad grabbed her hand before pulling them through the void.