Dantes and Jacopo flew to the old tree that they always used to tree-walk themselves to the Viridian Expanse. He coughed a bit as they landed and shifted, but he managed to force it down. The moon was high and full in the sky, and Dantes could feel its light filling him with strength as they moved. The old tree and the area around it had started to sprout new life in the last few months. Tough weeds grew through the concrete, mushrooms spread in moist places where the rain collected, and even the previously bare limbs of the tree itself were sporting leaves.

Dantes started to do his usual mental check of where everything stood. His gardens were being protected, his interests watched over by Jayk and the other lieutenants, he’d already replied to Argenta's most recent message tracking Godfreys old connections, and Wane was working with Felix to examine the old Fishery that he had cleared Serpica out of, to see if they could figure anything out on a magical level. Unfortunately, they weren’t exactly druid experts, and didn’t even know of any within the Academy. Still, he hoped fresh eyes might provide more insights. He'd healed everyone he could for the day with the expectation of more incoming the next day. Vera had asked him to have a private dinner with her when he and Jacopo got back. He was looking forward to that. He hadn’t had a lot of time to talk with her one on one in the last several months.

Dantes and Jacopo braced themselves for that awful feeling of oneness that they had to endure when they tree-walked, and began to press into the tree’s trunk.

It didn’t give.

Dantes looked at his hand, and the tree, then tried again. He focused all the energy bleeding into him from the moonlight into the action.

Once again, it didn’t give.

He tried a third time, trying to force that feeling of wholeness with nature that he would experience when he was within that network of life within the ground. This time, when he put his hand against the tree and pushed, he actually felt it start to give way, so he pushed even harder.

Pain shot up his arm suddenly and he was thrown back, barely avoiding landing on Jacopo by twisting his body at the last moment. He felt the feeling of rot flow through his arm and shoot through him. He wretched violently as he fought to force down the feeling. It took several minutes, but he eventually regained control of himself. He stood and went back to the tree, putting his hand on it not in an attempt to tree-walk, but rather to steady himself.

Serpica had done something. Maybe it was just a side effect of the corruption she’d been spreading, or she had some way to block tree-walking more generally. It didn’t matter the method, what mattered was that he was cut off from the other druids.

He placed his hand on the tree trunk again, this time not trying to push his hand through it, but rather focus on it. He connected that focus to the leaf tattoos on his arm, pushing through a singular thought and broadcasting it as strongly as he could. Jacopo crawled up his arm and placed his hand on the trunk as well. They pushed out a single word with all their focus, hoping to break through the blockage with a message in a way their bodies had been unable to do.

“Help. Serpica’s here”.

They did that for nearly an hour, focusing as much as they could. Trying to push their message through. They felt no response.

Dantes stepped away, feeling oddly exhausted by his effort and took a few deep breaths. He couldn’t rely on them coming, so he’d have to do what he could to beat Serpica himself… Well, himself along with all the resources and allies he could muster.

…

Dantes arrived back at the Vixen after a short flight. He landed on the ceiling and made his way down, letting Jacopo off his shoulder so he could go and get some sleep in his nest. He was getting even more worn down than he had been. Dantes’s own cough and aches had worsened as well. Neither of them acknowledged the other’s weakness.

Dantes walked out onto his small VIP balcony to see Jayk sitting in his booth with a thick cigar in his mouth, a whore on each arm, and a bottle of top shelf booze on the table in front of him.

Dantes smiled and walked toward the stairs, shooting him a wink as they briefly made eye contact.

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Jayk nearly let the cigar fall from his mouth, but managed a slight nod in return. Dantes was just happy to see that he was actually enjoying some of the fruits of his labor. No point in working and making money if you weren’t playing and spending it just as hard.

Dantes went to the bar, the crowd parting for him, raising glasses to him in greeting, or batting eyelashes in his direction.

He waved for Zilly’s attention and she came over to him.

“Is Vera busy? I know she wanted to have dinner, and I’m back earlier than I expected.”

Zilly had an amused smile on her face, the look of a woman that knew something funny was about to happen to your detriment. “She’s busy, but I’m sure she’ll be wanting to see you soon. I’ll have some food sent up to your chambers, and let her know you’re waiting for her.”

Dantes nodded to her with his eyes narrowed, and went back up to his chambers. A quiet dinner while he let his mind work on all of his current problems seemed like the best way he could spend the night. He sat, thanked the young kobold that delivered covered food trays and wine, and leaned back in his chair.

A few minutes later, his aunt arrived. She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Dantes. I was wondering if it would be alright if Alessa joined us for dinner tonight?”

He shrugged, surprised she was even asking. She was one of the few people that could ask him to do just about anything. An extra dinner guest was hardly an imposition.

“Of course. She’s feeling better then? It’s good to hear about someone getting over being sick rather than being sick for a change.”

Vera nodded.

“Oh, she's definitely feeling better.” She gestured just outside the door.

Alessa came in. She seemed to have lost the weight she’d put on before, and was wearing a plain red dress without adornment, which was very unlike her. She was holding something, a cloth bundle of some kind, that was wriggling a bit.

“Oh gods,” he said rubbing his hand across his mouth as his eyes widened.

“Hi Dantes,” said Alessa, wearing an awkward smile that was very unlike her. She pulled some of the cloth away to reveal a baby. He had dark green skin, tusks protruding from his mouth, a tuft of black hair on his head, and when he looked around the room, his eyes shone like gold coins.

Dantes grimaced a bit, removing his hand from his face. “That time in the tavern, after I told you about the singing job here?”

Alessa nodded. “They didn’t have the anti-conception enchantment there. It wasn’t a brothel, and I didn’t think about it.”

“I suppose I didn’t either.”

“His name is-”

“Don’t tell me his name.”

Alessa widened her eyes in shock, and Vera glared daggers at him.

He held up his hands. “Not because I don’t want to know, but I need to name him separately.”

They both looked at him curiously.

“There’s some odd specific benefits to it. Trust me.” He stood up from the table and approached the baby carefully. He ran a hand over his head, and gently touched the bridge of his nose, while the baby regarded him with a serious look.

“Telapo, or Jacatel?” he mused aloud. “I think Jacatel, that way you can go by Jacque if you want.”

The baby had no opinion one way or another, just staring at the strange man whose eyes matched his own.

He smiled at him. “Now, you can tell me your name for him.”

“Daken, it was my father’s name.”

Dantes nodded. “I like it, it’s strong.” he held out his hands. “Can I hold him?”

She held the baby out and Dantes took him gently, supporting his head and rocking him gently.

Alessa looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Dantes would look after the other whores’ children at the brothels his mother worked at for a few copper a piece. You know, the ones born from lapsed enchantments, or doing side work in an alley, or even from their actual husbands. He’s actually quite good with them,” said Vera.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” said Alessa with some regret in her voice.

“Weren’t sure how I’d react?” he asked, still gently rocking Jacque.

She nodded.

“Well, from what you know about me I’m a cutthroat thief and gangster that enjoys whores so I can’t really blame you.” He made a few faces at the baby. “What made you choose to keep him?”

“Well, I don’t work as a whore anymore, even without your backing there are clubs in Uptown that would hire me. I don’t know if I’ll ever marry, and I just decided I wanted to have one.”

He nodded looking down at Jacque. “It’s a good thing your mother’s smart and beautiful, hopefully you’ll take more after her than me.”

He cooed a bit in response, blowing a spit bubble.

“That extra bit of orc should help quite a bit with your height too I’d imagine.”

He looked back at Alessa.

“You’ll be moving into one of my guest rooms here. I’ll get you a girl to help with everything and have Zak assign two men to protect you both. I'll start providing you with a monthly stipend. If you need anything beyond what I provide, just ask and I’ll take care of it.” He handed Jacque back to her gently. “I’d like to spend at least an hour a day with him, hopefully more if possible. You can take other lovers or marry, I don’t own you, but if he ever calls another man father I’ll slit the man’s throat.” he looked at her and smiled. “Fair?”

Vera shook her head. “With terms that generous the other girls are going to try to have your children.”

He shrugged. “I’ve only really had eyes for Sevryn lately, and I don’t get the impression that she’s the motherly type.”

He looked at Alessa again. “So, does that sound fair to you?”

She smiled. “It does.” She looked bewildered for a moment. “I can never quite pin you down Dantes.”

He shrugged. “I’m fairly certain you pinning me down is how this happened.” He gestured to the table. “Let’s sit and have some dinner. I’ll have them send up some more food.” he stepped toward the table and pulled out chairs for each of them. “Oh, and let me wake up Jacopo. Jacques should meet his uncle.”