Lukas didn’t know much about this world, but he didn’t need to in order to tell that this tree was… different. More than a little different, and more than a little giant. It felt like a holy site for some eldritch being, something that couldn’t be truly understood without a lifetime of study.

All idle thoughts ceased when a figure walked out from the side of the tree. The lighting made them hard to see, but it became no easier to tell much about them as they got closer. They were incredibly androgenous, with a body that subtly shifted features before one’s very eyes. But oddly enough, it seemed nearly impossible to actually hold onto what those changes were exactly. Lukas knew they were changing, somehow, but could never quite recall why. It was hypnotic in a way. Like his eyes were drawn to them every time he looked away. So hypnotic was it that Lukas never noticed that the grey creature that guided him here had disappeared.

They had a grin on their face that he might normally register as dangerous, predatory even, but no matter how much he realized that, he was just… at ease. Like they were the closest, most trustworthy person he’d ever met. Like the memories of the times both good and bad they’d been through together were just on the edge of his thoughts, but present enough that details didn’t matter.

The shifting figure in question got closer at an odd clip. They were getting closer at an incredibly slow pace, but then seemed to traverse inordinate amounts of space in a single step.

All at once, the space around them changed. They were no longer on the forest floor. They were in the tree, above the clouds, on a stone terrace that acted as a fanciful deck, with all kinds of beautiful, intricate carvings on the floor. A single table with two chairs was the only set of furniture up there, placed, rather obviously, specifically for this introduction. The whole area was lit evenly with a late-dusk light, albeit one without a source.

Though this table and the lord across from him were the only physically present and obvious things around, it felt like there was more sitting on the edge of his mind. He could see familiar silhouettes out of the corner of his eye, of people he trusted, who brought him comfort. Similarly, he could hear music that was… familiar. Nothing he could put a finger on, but it was like a foreign song he’d heard a few times throughout his life. He couldn’t make sense of it, but it was hauntingly beautiful. No band played it that could be seen, however.

The only other things that could be seen, aside from the clouds skirting the edge of the platform, were little bugs like fireflies. They flickered on and off, blinking in a familiar way. Less familiar was the part where after a time, they began to pull light into themselves, making an area around themselves that was darker.

The entity took pleasure in asking questions, from the inane to the incredibly personal. She smiled and nodded along regardless of his answers, as though he were a therapist taking notes. Questions like his middle name, his favorite ice cream, what ice cream even was, how long he plans on staying in the area, and something about… aspects?

The best he could tell through his very rudimentary education while in his egg, Aspects were some expanded kind of elemental system.

These were but a few of the questions asked, yet interspersed randomly between them were questions of a very… different feeling.

It seemed clear that these were the questions that they were really after asking, and the rest were to get his head mixed up between them. How does he feel about gods? Has he murdered before? Has he hunted before? What is the difference between the two? Does he seek power?

What was he willing to do to obtain it?

This one gave Lukas pause, staring at the strange figure. “That’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one…” he said with as much of his signature sass as he could muster. This didn’t turn out to be much when he felt his answer spilling from his lips despite his efforts. “For Aeva, I’d do anything.”

This resulted in an unsettling twitch in the lord’s smile, but otherwise they simply moved on to more inane questions, though now questions about Aeva were mixed in. This continued for an unspecified amount of time. It could have only taken a few minutes, or maybe days. It depended on his mood while thinking about it.

Later, he realized that though his answers were true to his nature, he never even considered bluffing or just not answering. Lukas’s answers flowed from his mouth as soon as he knew them. He also realized the entity’s form seemed to have become less varied over time, now lingering on a few features that he found appealing, like a strange combination of every man he’d ever found attractive.

Eventually, the tone shifted, and Lukas was able to get a few of his own questions out. It seemed as though none of them were truly answered though, always deflected any time they approached subjects that were anything but banal.

Soon the questions became more intense again, the break a short one.

After making offhanded comments about dragons being the second best choice after fae, as well as an interesting tidbit about them being the oldest races on the planet, the Fae Lord made an unsettling comment about studying how he was fused together. Apparently, the two could rarely reproduce together, and it was never so clean as Lukas’ mixture seemed to be.

This brought back to mind the question about power, and what he was willing to do for it.

The Lord eyed him for a long, intense moment as he was unsure what they were thinking. Even their gaze was of such pressure it felt crushing to meet his eyes for too long. She was a beast of unimaginable stature.

“I would love for a chance to study you, but I digress. Your new friends and companions would appreciate it if you woke up now, and they’d be far better at the job of research than I. After all, what else is a school for?” The Lord let out a sigh that was uncomfortably whimsical, given what they’d just said. “Do feel free to say if you’re ever comfortable with more… direct experimentation, though. The limits the school is willing to go to are rather short, and you’d be well compensated. Wealth, resources… information,” the mysterious figure let silence linger after the word, knowing just where his mind was going to go.

“Well. Do reach out if you need anything. I’m sure we could work something out.” The world began to waver like he was drunk.

Then he was awake again.