The atmosphere outside the cave was peaceful, but under the tranquil exterior, there was a lot of chaos brewing silently.

I did not miss the unusual silence of creatures both on the ground and in the air, or the subtle displacement of foliage that wasn't apparent before. And most of all the glaring footprints in the sands – all obvious indications that something terrible was amiss.

If that wasn't enough, even the carefree dark fae was unusually tense.

She took one look around before fiercely hugging my horn with a tense voice.

[Here is scary. Why not come and live with us?]

[Huh?] I laughed. [Why would you say that? And where do you suggest we live?]

[The Nymph's forest!] She exclaimed. [It's big, there's plenty of food, and it's safe too!]

Hah! What a silly idea!

And of course it was safe – nothing was allowed to leave unkissed.

[Don't say silly things. We're fine here.]

[Okay then.] The dark fae stretched and yawned.

It was odd that she would suggest it when leaving had never crossed my mind before.

Was she seeing something I wasn't?

But as I was thinking, the tiny brat curled up to take a nap.

Nope. That was impossible.

I didn't think our situation was dire enough that I was willing to become a leaf surfing snake, but of course, a freeloading fae like herself would do exactly that when mildly threatened.

The thought was appreciated, but I didn't trust the Nymph enough to move my entire brood.

And so, before leaving, I made sure to check the cave's periphery and no surprise there were circular indents dotting everywhere, remnants of the trail the scorpion creatures had taken on the way to battle. There are also multiple ape footprints – and they looked fresh.

It seemed both creatures were going back and forth.

The cave entrance was sealed on my exit, and with the addition of more purple mucus, even I didn't want to come near it, so I was sure none of the other creatures would.

Still, I added extra foliage to conceal it before taking off in the air, rudely awakening the dark fae and causing her to hang on tightly.

The Nymph's forest was fairly close, and I traced a path through the foliage above the cave, just as I would have if I was moving underground, soaring through the air for a while until I began to see pink leaves.

The dark fae cheered in excitement because she knew she would be home soon, and it was curious how the pink trees increased in density, the further we went in .

Starting from a sparse scattering at the perimeter where they were mixed in with normal green trees, until the pink became so thick there was no green foliage to be seen.

What kind of magic were they using?

As more of their trees grew, the green foliage seemed to die off, as they were gradually replaced by a blanket of pink, like an infestation. I made sure not to touch any of the leaves, or break any branches, to prevent myself from being attacked again.

[Head for the centre!] The dark fae called out as I flew higher over the trees. [That's where the Nymph will be!]

And I did so, heading for the largest looking tree in the centre that had an incredibly dense foliage.

In stark contrast to the forest around my cave, this one was awash with colours and sounds.

I strained hard to listen in, but instead of the noises of creatures, what I got back was winds whispering that gave me the impression of girly laughter.

Yup. I was definitely close.

Suddenly, something glittered through a large gap in the foliage and for a brief flash, I caught a glimpse of myself as I flew overhead on what appeared to be the surface of water.

Ooh, there was a stream.

I didn't notice it before.

I dipped low through the foliage, carefully landing on the tree with the thickest branch, and I soon learnt why I'd missed the stream before.

That was because it was entirely new.

[Woah.] The dark fae exclaimed and we both looked around.

The ground that used to be covered with interlinked roots was now fully submerged with water, the stream covering acres of trees as far as we looked.

Landing in their midst, I spotted tree spirits sitting across branches, whispering to each other with their bodies linked to the trees by their pale pink hair and limbs, before fading into the trees themselves.

Now it was my turn to be shocked.

I searched for the edge of the stream everywhere, leading me to fly over the rippling water, passing many tree spirits as I did. There were several play fighting in the clear stream, others casually lounging on branches, waving at the dark fae and I as we rushed past.

There were several more I was sure I missed, because their peach coloured skin perfectly blended in with the leaves, giving me the impression that there were far more spirits here than before. This was not what I was expecting at all.

What's with all the water? It looked fun but I couldn't let my guard down.

How could the forest have changed so much?

Where was the ground?

[Stop waving at them.] I hissed at the dark fae. [Where do you think the Nymph is?]

[Over there!]

She pointed to a cluster of tree spirits all gathered in one spot.

They all nestled together at the base of a huge tree, whose roots had been raised to form shell-like pods that the spirits rested on to keep their bodies out of the water.

The nymph was among them, dressed in a thin cloth whose draped edges were semi-transparent where the water touched. In her slender arms, she held a long vase with the iridescent hue of a pearl, and from it poured out continuous streams of water.

The spirits crowded all around her in their wet clothes, some bent over in the stream to wet their hair, while the others swam freely, and for a second I thought I was transported into the world of a painting.

Fcvk. I was not expecting to intrude on their girly sleepover.

I started to back away, before I was noticed.

But the dark fae called out to the Nymph, and flew off from my head in an instant before I could blink, her pink figure making a beeline to the centre of the bathing spirits.

The Nymph looked up and smiled, the very picture of elegance. That is, until she saw the state of the dark fae.

Her pouring motion stopped, her pleasant smile turning to one of horror.

She then grabbed the dark fae out of the air, fussing and scowling at her dirty figure as the tiny girl giggled in her palm.

[What happened to her?] The question was posed to me, but I had nothing to say.

Since she was back, it was about time I left, but several eyes cornered me as I flew. The Nymphs, as did the many tree spirits around her, only her face was tranquil while the others wore angry scowls.

The gaps in the trees started to close as branches grew thick enough to cover the mist above, and tendrils began to spring up from the water.

[Leaving already?] The Nymph's smile was slightly strained as she tapped the seat next to her. [You just arrived, don't be in such a hurry.]

I already knew where this was going, and I did not like it, so I obediently took my place on the perch next to the Nymph. It was best not to get her angry.

The dark fae, oblivious to my discomfort, continued to giggle as she was fussed over. I watched the Nymph reach out and stick her arm into the trunk of a tree. It easily passed through like butter, and to my disbelief, a trio of tiny leaf dresses were pulled out.

The dark fae then proceeded to change in her palm like a little doll.

"I want to go home." I sobbed internally. This was too much pressure.

«Deal with it.» Sensei said unsympathetically. «And since you are here anyway, why don't you talk about forming an alliance with her.»

Was an alliance worth my suffering?

I felt like I was intruding, so I tried to slither away, but the Nymph glared at me, her beautiful features slightly marred by the crease in her brows.

[Where do you think you're going?]

Was she going to blame me for the state of the dark fae? It wasn't even my fault!

But then she explained. [You're my precious guest. Don't you see the gift I created for you? You can't leave without experiencing the water.]

The stream was a gift for me? That couldn't be right.

When I looked down, there were several tree spirits in the water staring eagerly at me, no, at my scales and my heart thumped fiercely in my body.

Surely she didn't mean that?

[Don't look so surprised. I got the water like you wanted.] The Nymph said happily. [And also the fish. That's all you need to shed right?]

Damn!

Forget the alliance. I have to save myself and get out of here.

One by one, there were spirits appearing all over the trees, staring down at me with curiosity, like they were expecting me to shed immediately, and when I looked for the silly fae for help.

I found her laying down on a leaf in the water, her legs dangling over the edge, a picture of perfect bliss.