Silas and Johnathan arrived in Es’pör, though the journey had taken them two additional days, due to the many stops they had to make for Silas to relieve her nausea. When they arrived, Johnathan went to his Uncle Edward’s house. His Uncle was happy to see him but was a bit wary about allowing a Dryad into his home. Like many humans across Terra, Johnathan’s Uncle was not very trusting of non-humans, especially those who were suspected of being related to elves. However, after Johnathan explained the situation, Uncle Edward agreed to let them stay with him for as long as they needed. Though he made it known that he preferred they find a place of their own before the baby arrived.

Two weeks passed, and Silas and Johnathan were becoming accustomed to their new life. Silas who was almost two months pregnant was beginning to show, as the half-Dryad half-human baby was developing faster than a full-blooded human baby would. Johnathan found that he was enjoying his new life in Es’pör. He had found work as a carpenter and was earning enough money to put a down payment on a cottage in town within the next month. Life was good for the both of them, and Uncle Edward was also enjoying their presence.

***

About a week later an unnatural thunderstorm raged over Es’pör. The wind was howling, ripping trees from the ground, and a lightning strike had caught one of the houses in town on fire. Despite the downpour of rain, the fire roared, and every able-bodied person in the town went out and braved the storm in an attempt to rescue the people who lived in the house. Both Uncle Edward and Johnathan had gone to help, leaving Silas, who by human standards appeared to be five or six months pregnant, alone in the house. She huddled in a corner, covered herself with a blanket, and put her arms around her stomach to protect her child. As the shutters slapped against the house and the thunderclaps drew ever nearer, Silas began whispering to the little one inside her, as if to calm it.

“Shh...shh...don’t worry,” Silas whispered lovingly while rubbing her stomach. “Everything will be okay, Daddy’s going to be back soon, and this storm will end. Don’t worry, I’m here for you.” Silas continued to rub her stomach and hum the tune to a Dryadic ballad. One that was sung to Dryad children when they were scared. The translation of the first few lines to the human language is:

Fear not, don’t cry,

No storm, shall harm;

Those, I embrace,

Within, my arms;

For I am, your keeper,

And guardian;

And I will, protect you,

Until the end.

Silas did not know if the child within her had even felt fearful, or if the song helped them feel more comfortable. Though, after humming to the child, Silas felt less afraid.

***

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Suddenly, screams erupted from the town. Silas, still huddled in the corner could not tell what was happening, but the essence she began to feel terrified her. Then, a bang came from the door of the house, and Johnathan stumbled in. He was soaking wet, but also covered in smoke and what looked like blood splatter.

“Silas, ru...” Johnathan was unable to finish his sentence. Something resembling a thick tree root shot through his chest under his right breast. Then, before Silas could react, another one pierced his chest under his left breast. Then, Silas heard a crunching sound and the two root-like objects ripped Johnathan in two, tossing the bloody halves of his body to either side of the house. Silas let out an ear-piercing scream and watched as the tree roots were pulled back through the door of the house.

Silas sat sobbing in the corner, too in shock to move. She tried her best to not look at the piles of bloody mush that once were her lover. Then, to her horror, another man entered the house. As she looked up at him she saw that the roots which killed Johnathan appeared to be attached to this man’s arms. As Silas continued to look, the roots transformed back into the man’s hands. Silas looked up from the man’s hands towards his face, and upon seeing his face, she let out a whimper and cried.

The man standing before her was her father, Solomon. He was covered in blood but was otherwise dry. He had conjured the storm and set the other house on fire, both were part of his plan to siege Es’pör and bring his daughter back to The Emerald Grove.

“Come, child!” Solomon demanded, stretching his hand out to Silas. One of the very hands that had just finished murdering her lover.

“No! Never!” Silas yelled, trying her best to get further in the corner.

“This is not a discussion!” Solomon growled as he lowered his hand and began walking towards Silas. “You are coming back with me! You belong in The Grove!” Solomon was almost close enough to grab her.

“I...said...no!” Silas yelled, pushing her hand out towards her father. At that moment, strange magic that Solomon had never felt before began emanating from Silas. A wave of magic shot out from her hand exploding the house around them. Silas remained seated and Solomon remained standing, both unaffected by the blast. The thunderstorm continued to pour down upon them, though Solomon remained dry.

“What...what was that?” Solomon said astonished. A hint of pride was in his voice. “What did you do?”

Silas stared at her hand and the damage she had caused. Then she looked back up at him, there was a fiery look in her eye though her breathing was shaky.

“You will not take my child,” Silas said sternly, staring her father down.

“My dear, you must understand, our code...”

“Your code!”

Solomon became angry at his daughter’s denouncement of the Dryadic Code. “No matter how much you may hate being a Dryad, you can never stop being one of us!” He growled.

With considerable effort, Silas stood up. “No, Father,” she said spitefully. “You misunderstand. It is not the Dryadic blood in my veins that I despise. It’s yours!”

Solomon’s face grew red with fury. “Enough! You are coming back with me!” He then reached out to grab Silas’ arm.

Solomon’s attempt was met by a magical shield that burst forth, surrounding Silas’ body. Solomon stumbled and fell onto his back. As he looked up, he saw Silas begin to lift off the ground and hover in the air with the magical shield spinning around her. She then began to speak, in overlapping voices, none of which were her own. Solomon could not determine what language Silas was speaking, and in fact, no one on Terra would have known what she was saying. As the dialect Silas was speaking, had not been heard on Terra for nearly twelve-hundred years.

As the overlapping voices continued to speak through Silas, Solomon noticed that her once dark blue eyes had become like shining jewels of silver, and her hair, once brown, had become bright white and glistened like the moon. She continued to lift higher and higher into the air until she towered nearly twenty feet above him. Then, in a language Solomon understood, the overlapping voices began to speak. But this time, one of the voices could be clearly heard above all the others. The voice was commanding, and when it spoke, the whole of creation trembled.

“I have chosen!” The voice said.

Solomon, almost uncontrollably, dropped to his knees, bowed before Silas’ floating body, and began to cry. “Please...for...forgive me. I knew not what you were.” Solomon continued to bow and cry, struggling to get his words out.

“Ignorance is no excuse.”

“Please...please...just let me live. I’ll leave this place. I won’t bother you anymore. Please forgive me.” Solomon begged pathetically.

Silas lifted her right hand towards Solomon, put her pointer and middle fingers together, and spoke. This time, she spoke in her own voice and calmly, almost peacefully. “You, are beyond forgiveness.”

“No...no...please!” Solomon cried.

A blinding flash of blue light emitted from Silas’ outstretched fingers and engulfed the town of Es’pör.