Kai blinked slowly, his exhaustion evident. "Are all dryads like you?"

"Dunno. We don't really talk to each other much. Comes from the fact that we are in direct competition with each other. Light, water, nutritious soil, subjects and location are all we care about really."

"Besides, they totally ignore what I want and think they are better than me," replied the Dyrad in a bored voice.

"The whites are alright I guess, pretty self-absorbed and stuck up, but the reds are just psychopaths. If you aren't of any use to them, they will gobble you up and turn you into fertiliser while pruning their leaves and enjoying the sunlight."

Even though Kai resisted the urge to point out the flaws in the dryad's statement, he couldn't resist releasing an exasperated sigh at the narcissistic creature.

The dryad seemingly didn't notice. "So, will you accept my deal?"

"For now." The dryad, through its unique personality, had broken down Kai's suspicions. He didn't sense any hints of deceit and the thought of being able to rest and have someone keep watch at the same time was extremely appealing.

While his ancestral memories were mostly unpleasant, especially for the inexperienced Kai, without undergoing them first hand he could be considered somewhat naive.

The friendly, none pressuring approach of the dryad, which seemed to hold him in high regard and even made the young dragon feel wanted for the first time in his life, had chipped away at his fragile defences.

"Good," chirped the dryad, happiness evident in her voice. "Go into the warren, stick to the left tunnel and you will come to a chamber I have already prepared. I don't know what you would prefer so the bed is dry grass and my soft roots underneath. A bed fit for a king if I do say so myself."

"I have moved all the rabbits to the other side so you shouldn't be tempted to eat them. Also, don't worry about the humans. They look down on us dryads thinking we are all airheads but when we want something we are as crafty as a black wolf in a meadow of sheep."

Kai blinked, his mind barely keeping up with the information and it wasn't just because the dyad seemed to jump subjects constantly. He was now feeling the cold, his limbs feeling stiff and numb.

"Go on now, I need to coax the rabbits up to the surface and they won't do it with a predator about. The humans will never believe the timid creatures would hop around while you are in the burrow having a nap. I won't even need to try hard to convince them you are not here. While words can be doubted, one rarely challenges the legitimacy of their eyes."

"Tracks-" started Kai, only to be interrupted.

"Already taken care of. At least for the last few hundred meters. You also have wings so that is the perfect excuse."

Kai opened his mouth to mention another issue.

"You really need to pay better attention, I already dealt with the rabbit's bodies and the signs of the slaughter you committed," chuckled the dryad giving the Kai the distinction that she wasn't as foolish as she first appeared.

"You owe me for that by the way. Now go, the humans are getting closer and some have weird skills that can see and hear further than they should. If they find out I have lied to them, I'll be scraps of firewood before the sun rises."

The dryad hadn't lied, Kai looked around and all signs of his presence had already been masked. Even the grass that had been torn by his claws had somehow regrown.

"I think will say you flew away after grabbing a rabbit, avoiding my defences and making a fool out of me. I will demand they bring you back because your energy tastes so good and losing a rabbit is a major loss in my ability to cultivate. I could get even offer them some fruits as a reward. I think I could tempt some of them to do it, no matter what you have done. Humans always like having those in their debt and a dryad is a good investment."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I could also send out some rabbits as scouts," mused the dryad but after a slight pause, her voice turned menacing. "Those damned humans. They are meant to be protecting this area and ensuring their 'crops' don't get damaged. I have lost rabbits and got nothing out of it. It would be fine if you stayed, but no~ you had to escape. It was the perfect chance to get a protector and subject."

Kai was confused, the dryad was talking as if he had indeed escaped, the tone becoming more and more irate.

"How could you run away?" suddenly, the dryad stopped talking to itself and shouted at Kai with an angry tone. "You just said you would stay."

"I'm still here," responded Kai, his head tilting at an almost comical angle. "I haven't left since I arrived."

"Oh, that's right, you are still here. Good, now be a good... monster and go into the burrow. You haven't earnt enough trust to be allowed out just yet and after your failed escape attempt, I must be on guard and make sure you don't try anything funny."

"I never left..." hissed Kai, though instead of being irritated or worried, he found himself enjoying the antics of the strange creature. The young dragon had not had any real social interaction and so, was unsure of himself or how to act around others but he found that with the dryad, he didn't need to. He could just sit and watch.

However, he still felt a prickling sensation when she mentioned that he couldn't leave. "And if I want out, I will just burn everything around me."

"Ha!" The dryad then laughed. "Why would you? It would ruin a perfect home. Food, safety and me to talk to and keep company. Plus, I can sense you are lonely so I can grant you the honour of being my first friend and protector. Together we will bathe in the sun and grow strong."

The voices were getting louder and louder, and Kai looked to the forest and then to the hole in the ground. While he couldn't muster much suspicion against the dryad, the thought of being trapped and at her mercy had awakened his instincts.

Unfortunately, they didn't even acknowledge the dryad, giving him nothing to work with and instead focused on the approaching threat.

Kai was exhausted, yet he knew that if he exerted himself, he could keep going. However, that was completely overshadowed by the thought that he could get his wing fixed.

If the dryad had tried to mask her intent by declaring benefits to Kai, he definitely wouldn't have trusted her but seeing as she was thinking of all the benefits he would bring, as well as her obvious dislike for humans, he felt somewhat reassured.

Gathering his energy, ready to release his dragon's breath at the first sign of betrayal, Kai slowly walked to the entrance and, after a moment's hesitation disappear into its depths.

The close walls and darkness were nothing new to Kai and he felt at home instantly. While the outside world was amazing, he still felt extremely vulnerable being above ground.

"Yay~" the dyad's voice in his mind was ecstatic, and for some reason, he imagined the two avatars jumping up and down in joy. "I have a new subject! Those others can rot with their phantom foxes, I have a..."

"What are you?"

Kai thought for a moment, quickly using his ancestral memories for creatures that shared a dragon's characteristics. "A drake."

"A DRAKE," the dryad's voice resonated in his head like a clap of thunder.

"I have a drake... A natural monster," the feminine voice was almost giddy. "Oh mother, how you said a nurturing type like me would never amount to anything. Your snow bear can eat dung. I have a legendary monster."

While drakes were similar to dragons, at least on the surface to those who didn't understand the species, there were many differences. The largest was that drakes were much weaker, only lived a couple of hundred years and their arm's doubled as their wings.

They also lacked the special organs and spiritual energy of a dragon which meant that their wings were appropriately sized to carry their bulk, sometimes more than double the length of their body.

Kai breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that there were still drakes around and that he could masquerade as one for now as he reached the end of the tunnel and turned into a small room. It was exactly as the dryad had said, dry grass covered the floor with soft, almost flesh-like roots barely visible through the gaps.

Kai tentatively stepped onto the nest, before turning around so he would face the only entrance.

"Ok, the humans are getting close. I need to stop talking as if any have eaten my fruit before, they will be able to hear what I am saying to you and my plan will be ruined," said the dryad with a serious tone. "Stay there and don't make any noise."

Though he didn't sense any change, the dryad's voice became quiet, as if it was getting further away. "A drake. I knew I made the right decision when I refused to be relocated. This is the best thing to happen to me since I lured those rabbits here."