Mason soon met the other nymphs. Thea introduced them all while still straddling him, which really didn't help with the names. They all smiled and gave him a little curtsy or bow, then asked Thea if they might take part in the 'ritual'.

"Of course, sisters," she said pleasantly, slipping off Mason with a sigh as she rose. The other nymphs started removing their similar green dresses, though they all looked younger and slightly more ragged, or more uncivilized, compared to Thea.

Before Mason could really ask questions, a skinny, disheveled blonde was on her knees slurping his manhood like a straw.

"Uh. Nice to meet you, too," he said, eventually using a hand to hold back her long hair. The others dropped and stripped him with military efficiency, inspecting with a kind of animalistic hunger that was at least as much creepy as hot.

"They are unschooled, druid," Thea explained. "They live here in the Grove, and have never seen a man before. They must use you to practice."

"Sure," he said, wincing when he felt teeth. "Practice away. Happy to help."

Mouths descended all over his body. It was kind of hot, and kind of ticklish, but as long as skinny-blonde kept working his manhood, he really didn't mind. Thea was laughing and directing the chaos, telling the nymphs they had to actually please the male to get what they wanted.

Mason took turns kissing and groping Big-Breasted Redhead, Perky-titted Brunette, and a dark-skinned nymph he hadn't yet named, with an ass that looked like it could bounce her ten feet in the air.

They took turns with his cock, next. Once Thea had calmed them down they all stared in rapt attention, then slid Mason between their lips with quickly improving motion.

"Good," Thea grinned, holding the redhead's hair as she swallowed him like a starving animal. It went on for what felt like an hour—the girls sliding their bodies over Mason's, pushing their breasts in his face, kissing his lips and attacking his tongue like wolves chasing meat.

Then without so much as a goodbye or a thanks for the good times, all three turned and fled back into the trees, leaving Mason very confused. And slightly blue-balled.

"Their mistress calls," Thea explained, eyed locked on his erection. He rolled to his feet and bent her over with a little shriek, sinking an hour's worth of teasing frustration deep into her from behind. Thea's ass was even more amazing from behind, her puffy lips so soft and inviting, her tight little holes welcoming him in.

And Thea wasn't human, or fragile. Mason was soon pounding her with increasing freedom, the sound of their flesh slapping filling the grove. She looked back at him and smiled as she moaned, then reached under and massaged his balls as he fucked her. He came hard soon after, blasting with almost no sign he'd done so less than an hour before.

Thea shuddered and kept milking him, squeezing his balls and pushing back against him for every drop.

"My sister will be so jealous," she cooed a little later, laughing as she wiggled her ass against him.

"Tell her to come on by," Mason said as he exhaled, patting Thea's ass affectionately. "Apparently I have nowhere to go. And nothing else to do."

Thea grinned, making a final moan as she squeezed him again.

"That's not true," she said, as if unhappy. "We have many things to teach you, druid. Our mistress has commanded it. I may have...taken some liberties."

Mason chuckled, thanking roboGod again for making something like nymphs in the first place. He ran his fingers down Thea's back, thinking the next time he was behind her he might try a different hole...

"Alright, Teacher," he said, standing with a satisfied stretch. "I'm ready for my first lesson."

* * *

Mason had kind of expected his first lesson to involve more sex. Or at least something sexy. It did not.

"Imagine yourself as this tree," Thea told him, wearing a new, summoned, plant-like dress that showed no cleavage, and even managed to hide most of her curves.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Mason stared in the half-light, half-shadow strangeness of the fey, and sighed. His instinct was to tell her 'that's stupid', and walk away. But since his life was now a collection of ridiculous fantasy-world stupidities, he did admit his instincts weren't always to be trusted. So he did his best.

"I'm a tree," he muttered, "I can't move. I'm not a great conversationalist." He activated Speak with Nature before Thea chastised him and said 'no powers!' like the sexy teacher she now was. So he turned it off and stared until his eyes went fuzzy.

"Now what?" he said, and Thea shook her head.

"You are very impatient for a druid. Keep imagining."

“I’m mostly a ranger,” Mason muttered, because he couldn’t exactly defend himself there.

His impatience was somewhat legendary even before the apocalypse. If he enjoyed a thing he could do it endlessly, but if he thought it was stupid, or wrong, or a waste of time, well...

He stared at the tree.

"If you and your sisters draped yourselves naked all over the tree, it might be easier to imagine," he said. Thea clucked her tongue, but he could see she fought a little smile. He took a deep breath and kept trying.

It would have helped if he had any damn idea what it must be like to live in the fey. Beyond time. What did that even mean? Probably beyond the needs of most living things. Would the trees here need water, nutrients? Did they breathe and let out oxygen like normal plants? Was there even soil here for their roots?

Mason blinked and stared at the little details of a single tree. He followed the lines in its bark, the little whorls and scabby edges, the bits and pieces eaten by animals. He felt his heart slowing as he focused, his mind getting slightly drowsy, and bored. He began to feel strange, though, more still than seemed possible.

How long had he been staring, he wondered? With physical stats like his, how long could he simply sit, unmoving, without worrying about his actual needs? Could an immortal starve? Did he need food and water and air like he had before?

It soon seemed like he'd been staring at this tree for hours. He felt like looking away and finding Thea to ask if it was over, but suddenly that felt like losing. And as impatient as Mason was, as stupid as he thought this was, he hated losing.

Imagine yourself as a tree, he thought. Go fuck yourself. Or fuck me instead. I'll sit here and stare so long you'll think it's some stupid epiphany.

He did his best not to blink, and even started holding his breath just to see how long he could. It went on so long he nearly reached for his wrist just to check his pulse, but held back from that, too. A tree couldn't move, after all. And Mason had 'become the tree'.

He expected the fey affected him physically as well—that his lack of breathing was some universal effect of the 'world'. On the other hand, it had been a long time since he really tested himself in the 'real' world. And he had certainly held his breath for extended periods when trapped in the earth, and in a worm, and in a dragon's mouth...

Some sort of vaguely distinct symbol caught Mason's attention on the tree. He stared and followed the lines until he realized it looked like some kind of...letter, from an alphabet he didn't understand. He blinked, trying at least to understand the full shape. It looked a bit like...well, like a tree.

[Hidden druid class feature found! Runic magic.]

[Druidic rune identified: Arboreal. You have gained a new rune!]

Mason shook his head and turned to find Thea, instead finding Calypsa waiting not far away. She held her spear, her dark hair tied in a ponytail, clothing more like leather armor. She met Mason's eyes, her sharp, model-like face held with her usual indifference.

"Thea was called. If you are finished, you are to follow me."

Mason stood, curious to see where it would show his rune, opening his now usually ignored profile.

Mason Nimitz

Level: 20

Primary Class: Adaptive Hunter (tier 2)

Secondary Class: Feral Druid

Prestige Class: Avatar of Cerebus

Strength: 25

Dexterity: 28

Vitality: 27

Intellect: 14

Will: 24

Presence: 16

Luck: 9

Essences: Essence of the Wolf.

Druidic Blessings: Blessing of Gaia. Blessing of Echtra.

Spells known: Lightning. Inner Fire.

Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison, Baron, Post-Secondary, Bold Strategy, Shepherd of the Great Forest, Wyrd Pioneer, Desert Walker, Protector of Life, Protector of Civilization, Nexus Founder, Traveler to the City of Portals

Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation++(T2), Predator’s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger’s Claws(T2), Endless Quiver+(T2), Trapmaking(T2), Aspect of the Cheetah+, Ranger’s Quarry+(T2), Duality of Strength+(T2), Shapeshifting, Fang Brother, Wyrdwalking, Strength of the Pack, Call/Dismiss Beast, Exploiting Strike(T2)

He grinned as he looked, but the actual list of known runes wasn’t anywhere obvious, and he wondered exactly how the hell he was supposed to use it. Fortunately, he was surrounded by creatures who should be able to tell him. Though he decided he'd much rather ask Thea than Calypsa.

"Come," said the warrior-nymph, turning towards the trees.

"Ask me nicely," Mason said, not moving a step.

Calypsa turned like a hawk on the hunt, eyes narrowing as she stared.

"I'm a guest of your mistress," he said. "And master of the great forest. Gaia used you just to get me here. Isn't that obvious? You're all here to serve me. To teach me. We both know it. So ask me nicely."

Calypsa's slender jaw clenched, and Mason did his best to fight his smile. She lowered her eyes and bowed from the neck.

"Please, follow me, druid. I am to take you to Eabha for another lesson."

Mason walked towards the tall, skinny nymph, very much looking forward to getting her out of that leather armor. Nevermind seeing Eve again...

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he said. "Now go on. Lead the way."