Pel jumped out of bed early with an inordinate amount of morning energy. I get to go outside today! Last night’s party was definitely one to remember. Everyone below Level 15 from Root duty was out in force to live it up for the last night before their week of roughing it in The Glade. Pel’s ability to hone in on Presences gradually grew throughout the night. At first it was an absolute overload of information, so many different Presences all around made singling out any one a difficult chore. The more he tried the better he got. Not to mention the accuracy of his new Skill, which he didn’t expect to even be a thing.

His first test subject revealed a Level of 20-40, confusing Pel greatly. Ty had neglected to mention that his readings were going to be off until he got more practice feeling the different Mana densities and equating them to a specific Level. Undeterred by the unexpected, Pel continued flying up to everyone he could see to try out his new Skill. By the end of the evening his accuracy was down to range of eighteen Levels, and several people were already annoyed by his constant attention.

Pel looked around his room, wondering how his stuff was going to find a new home without him on moving day. Luckily, the only thing in the house was his bedding. I’ll just ask Tina where my new house is when I get back. He inspected his only set of clothes before putting them back on, looking for any wear, dirt, or deterioration but it looked like Clover’s magic was still holding up well. I am kinda getting tired of the same clothes every day though, maybe when I get back, I’ll ask her to make me something new.

Pel walked out the door, and launched himself upward toward the amphitheater. The air was still sparsely dotted with motes and full-bodied Fairies flying about, most either still asleep or already up and outside The Mother Tree. I finally get to see where most of the people go during the day! All the ingredients for the food and alcohol people consumed every night had to come from somewhere, and Pel was excited to find out what that somewhere looked like.

He flew straight up, wanting to get there before most of the others so he could keep practicing his new Skill, and arrived at the amphitheater nearly seven minutes later. Only a few handfuls of other Fairies were earlier than he was, so he flew toward the nearest one.

“Good morning, I’m Apple!” Pel quickly announced. “I just got my [Fairy Intrusive] skill and need to practice it, what Level are you?” The ambushed Fairy jumped, startled into the air by Pel arriving suddenly with a torrent of half-yelled words. Pel squinted his eyes in concentration, feeling the Fairy’s Presence weakly brushed against his. It felt light, and brittle like Styrofoam. Guess I ate enough meals on disposable plates to remember that one. Never did like doing dishes. The Level range visible to him was 1-18, so asking was the best way to determine a definite number.

“Darn it! You nearly scared the Essence out of me!” the startled, teal-haired Fairy complained, turning to face Pel. “I’m Ane, Level 7. Wait a minute! You’re younger than I am! How did you get your bonus Racial Skill so fast!”

“I practiced Presence detection with Ty, that’s my Mentor, and he hid a bunch of secrets for me to find!” Pel said. Now that he knew for sure what Ane’s Level was, it showed up correctly in his vision.

“Ooo, what kinds of secrets?” Ane asked intently.

“Mostly just random stuff he imbued with his Mana,” Pel explained, “but then there was a secret box he put a drape over and forced me not to look inside!”

“Ugh, my Mentor has been doing that box trick on me for a week,” Ane complained, “but I always end up peeking! I never get to open the box before she’s there to stop me. It’s driving me crazy! What was in your box?”

“An armor chest piece,” Pel said excitedly. “It had blue trim on it since I’m going to be a healer, I guess. After he showed it to me, he told me I couldn’t use it until Level 10! Now I know it’s there, and I can’t use it!”

“I don’t know if that’s worse than not even knowing what’s in the box,” Ane contemplated.

“Well, thanks for telling me your Level!” Pel said with a wave. “Nice to meet you, I have more people to look at!”

“Alright, try not to scare everyone!” Ane shouted with a wave back.

The next target was a group of three, close enough to have overheard most of Pel’s exchange with Ane. They happily played along, all of them over Level 10 and already more proficient with the Skill than he was. As more and more Fairies arrived, the difficulty of parsing through the various Presences became more difficult, pushing Pel’s ability to focus on specific ones. Having so many pressing up against him almost felt like having multiple intrusive thoughts at the same time. The impressions of the unique Presences all gave him a different feeling, making him think of various descriptions all at the same time so his mind could sort through it all.

Seeing Mat arrive, Pel took a break and went to sit with him. He had looked for Mat at Hugo’s, Berry’s, and half a dozen other bars and restaurants last night but hadn’t been able to find him. Pel hadn’t wanted to show up at his house uninvited to check, but seeing Mat so down made him wish he had changed his mind about that. I don’t know if he needs someone to talk to, or if he just needs to be alone. How does this work? I want to help, but this isn’t something that can just be healed.

“Mornin’, Mat.”

“Mornin’, Apple.”

“Mat, I want you to know that if you ever want to talk or just have someone around, I’ll be there for you,” Pel said hesitantly.

“I know,” Mat said. “I just…need some space from people. Everywhere I go people are giving me their condolences. All their care is starting to become…suffocating,” he clasped his hands between his knees, arms resting on his thighs. “I’m grateful that everyone cares, but I need to work through it on my own before I talk to people about it.”

“Alright,” Pel said, “just wanted to let you know. Anytime.”

“Thanks, Apple.”

Liki arrived and sat beside Mat, sparking off another round of morning greetings. The amphitheater was filling up quickly, every Fairy under Level 15 from each watch shift was arriving. By the time Tina and Gale showed up, landing on the central platform in front of the glowing pool, Pel estimated that over 1200 people were present. Damn, Tina’s Presence is monstrous! How did I never notice it before?

To Pel’s senses, Tina felt sharp and chaotic. Her Presence was like the roaring winds of a tornado grinding down on Pel’s mind. Gale would have been impressive on his own, but next to Tina he was more of a strong wind in a thunderstorm. Even from half-way up the amphitheater seats Pel was well within the range of their Presence; it surrounded everyone in attendance. Tina raised her hands and clapped once loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention. I wonder what Skill she has to make it sound so loud?

“Good morning, everyone,” Tina said, smiling at them all. “I hope you had fun last night, since you won’t be back for a whole week!” Many people grumbled, and Pel heard several complaints about missing the parties. “Yes, yes. I know you’re all sad about missing the birthdays. Once you’re back, we’ll throw an extra-large party, so don’t worry! I’ll be accompanying you to The Branches with Gale here, but once you’re outside you’ll be under his care, so listen to him and follow his orders. This is as much for your safety as it is for your education.”

“We have a full day of learning and drills planned for you,” Gale said, taking over for Tina. “Let’s not waste any time. As you exit The Mother Tree, I want each of you to continue down to the end of the branch before standing still in a line. Don’t stop to gawk, that will just bottleneck the exit. Let’s go!”

With no further ado, Gale took flight and began leading the precession upward. Tina waited on the stage until the last of the group took to the air behind Gale, following them like a sheep dog. Pel’s little group of three fell into the cloud of chatty Fairies somewhere near the front third. Mat looked apathetic to the entire event, while Liki looked like she couldn’t make up her mind between apprehension and excitement. Pel was firmly in ‘camp-excited’, along with the majority of faces he could see around him.

The exit to the upper branches was almost at the very top of the interior of The Mother Tree. Gale led them into a cavernous opening along the wall above the last row of houses. Various glowing plants dimly lit the path they traveled, making several twisting turns before the light began to brighten. The interior of the branch became bathed in a white-pink light so bright that it was difficult not to squint as Pel approached it.

The stream of Fairies in front of him were flying upward through an opening in the top of the branch, and Liki grabbed Mat’s hand before the three of them exited into the blinding light. Gale’s stern voice was continuously calling beside the exit, reminding everyone to continued down toward the end of the branch. Pel was having a hard time adjusting his eyes so he had to crack a single eye open just enough to get the general blobby shape of the tree beneath him to stop from flying off in the wrong direction.

Fuck, it’s so bright outside! I didn’t realize the light inside was so dim until now. Pel could feel the warmth of the morning sun on his skin energizing him in a way he’d never felt before. It was like his Essence swelled up, filling gaps he’d never noticed previously, making him feel more complete. He let out a contented sigh as his eyes quickly adjusted to the light. This must be my Star Touched Celestial Fairy Trait. I’m glad the wording wasn’t literal, requiring distant “stars” to activate. I wonder if everyone in Enna knows the sun is a star?

The tree limb they were traveling down was covered in a dark brown bark, several smaller branches shooting off from its sides in either direction. All around them was a canopy of brilliant purple leaves creating shafts of golden light cascading through the gaps. Pel reached the end of the line where everyone was stopping. All the trainees were looking around excitedly, whispering amongst their individual teams about the experience. Even Mat and Liki were looking around with interest as the exotic otherness of being on the other side of the bark started sinking in.

Pel landed on the bark, noting it’s warmth through the soles of feet. This must be where the wood for our armor comes from; it’s made of bark. The cracks and crevices created loops and whorls, curving lines and gentle patterns that decorated every surface of The Mother Tree. This is either natural, or the work of an insane number of years. He glanced back the way he’d come toward the trunk to see that the patterns on the limb were just an extension of the larger patterns on the trunk that seamlessly flowed outward.

Pel peered over the edge of the limb as he waited for everyone else to line up, trying to get a look at the ground, but the presence of the lower limbs and branches mostly blocked the way down. Looking outward toward where he thought the horizon should be he could only see sky through the gaps in the leaves. He spotted a Protector sitting in the crook of two smaller branches, blending in well with the bark, watching the sky through one of the gaps. Taking a closer look around he spotted several more, some of which were looking at them.

“Listen up, children!” Gale’s voice boomed through the boughs. He waited for everyone to quiet down and look up to him as he hovered up and to the side of the limb everyone was gathered on. “We’ve made it safe enough for you to be out here, but that doesn’t mean accidents can’t happen. There are some rules you need to follow that if broken will get you sent back inside.”

“First, if The Mother Tree alerts to the presence of enemies you are to find the nearest entrance immediately and head back inside,” Gale gestured toward Tina who was hovering near the trunk. She placed her hand against the bark and closed her eyes. A moment later the patterns in the bark began to glow with an aquamarine light reminiscent of the pool of glowing liquid in the amphitheater. The glow from the patterns spread out to illuminate the entire exterior of The Mother Tree, making it impossible to miss, even from a distance.

“These patterns are not just for show,” Gale informed them. “Passively, they create an obfuscation illusion that hides us all from the eyes of many predators. Not just us, but also a large portion of The Glade below appears to be nothing more than an extension of the regular trees of the forest. This illusion, unfortunately, has a short-term effect on those that encounter it, lasting only a few days of continuous exposure. The longer a creature remains with the range of its influence, the less it affects them. There’s also a small radius around The Mother Tree where the illusion isn’t present, meaning that things that get close enough will exit the illusion’s influence.

“Not to worry, however, this is why the Protectors are constantly on watch for threats,” Gale sent several harsh looks toward those Protectors who were watching the group of young Fairies and not their surroundings beyond the leaves. “All of this is to say, that we are immune to the effects of our own Mother Tree. If you encounter a danger while in the edges of The Glade or the surrounding forest, fly toward The Mother Tree to lose your pursuers. It’s practically impossible not to see from any direction, let alone within the range we’re allowing you out, The Mother Tree can be seen by a Fairy from nearly 230 kilometers away as long as you’re above the top of the forest.”

“Second rule! If you hear this sound,” Gale paused, looking toward one of the nearby Protectors who seemed to be acting as guard for their group. The Protector took out two acorns, slightly larger than softballs relative to his size, and smashed them together creating a thunderous, wooden clacking sound that caused everyone lined up on the tree limb to jump, “you are to turn into a mote as fast as possible! Drop whatever you’re doing, turn into a mote, and fly in random direction. This will be our emergency response drill. We will practice this randomly throughout each day until it becomes an instinctual reflex. This will be your greatest Racial defense unless you acquire a shield type Racial Skill. Your actual size as a mote is incredibly small, which makes you very hard to hit. If you had learned this before taking shifts in The Roots, I’m sure the number of casualties you suffered would have been significantly reduced.”

Many people dropped their heads, unable to look Gale in the eye. Pel looked around but couldn’t see any of the Party leaders among the crowd. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Ri in days. I wonder where he’s off to?

“Those of you who don’t turn into a mote fast enough will have to perform menial physical exercises much like you did in The Roots, but this time someone will yell at the whole time,” Gale warned. “That might not sound so bad, but being yelled at all the time will definitely make you sad! The third rule is- “

The Protector banged the acorns together again, interrupting Gale. Mat turned into a mote almost right away, but Pel and Liki both jumped and covered their ears.

“Damnit, Cho! Not now!” Gale shouted at the Protector who quickly hid the acorns behind his back with an awkward, apologetic grin as his face heated up to match his hair. “The third rule, is don’t leave the presence of your assigned group’s Protector. Do not wander off on your own. If you find yourself alone somehow, immediately return to The Mother Tree and report to one of the other Protectors on duty.

“The fourth, and currently final rule, is to not fly higher than the top of The Mother Tree,” Gale concluded. “Various birds of prey like to hide in the light of the sun, and swoop down on us from above. Most of the birds in this area have been here long enough to no longer be affected by the obfuscation illusion. If you see one, or even if you see a fast-moving shadow, turn into a mote and leave the area right away. That being said, the view from the top is the best, follow me.”

Gale gestured upward before rising through the air to weave between the limbs and branches above them. Pel stuck with Mat and Liki as they made their ascent, merging into the cloud of wings and excitement trailing behind Gale. Several Protectors followed along at the edges of the group, escorting them toward the brighter light at the top. The further they flew, the smaller the limbs and branches became until they finally exited through the top canopy and into the unobstructed air.

Being able to see for hundreds of kilometers in every direction really drove home how absurdly enormous The Mother Tree was. Holy shit, I’m looking down on clouds right now! It felt like being on top of the world, the trees of the forest around The Glade looked more like grass from this height. The parts of The Glade that weren’t obscured by the leaves below them was covered in fields of flowers, more like streaks and smears of bright colors from Pel’s current vantage point, as well as the thin, squiggly lines of streams, flowing out of a large lake.

In three directions, the forest of mixed trees stretched out to the horizon while the Eastern direction away from the still rising sun had a definite edge in the distance marking the end, or beginning, of the forest. It’s a good thing The Mother Tree can’t easily be seen, otherwise these bright purple leaves would be a beacon for everything. What fucking birds fly higher than this? The view stole everyone’s breath away, many were like Liki hovering in the air with their mouths partially open. There’s a whole new fucking world out there, thought Pel as his eyes slid around the panoramic view. I just have to be strong enough to survive it.

Pel wasn’t sure, but he thought he could see something black poking up against the sky far to the East; just a tiny point from where he flew now.

“Alright, everyone down!” Gale shouted. “Now you know what it looks like up here, you don’t have to get curious and fly off on your own anymore. Oh, and I’ve thought of a fifth rule. Don’t fly over the lake! There’s some pretty big fish in there who can jump really high. I don’t want to have to explain to Tina that one of you got swallowed up.”

The group traveled back to the branch they emerged from, meeting another group of Protectors and regular looking Fairies waiting for them.

“Fairies Level 10 and up, follow me!” Gale yelled, flying down to a lower limb, followed by two of the waiting support-staff.

“Fairies between Level 5 and 9, follow me!” Cho the Protector shouted, leading the largest group to an adjacent limb a quarter of the way around the trunk. The newest Fairies left behind were a small group, and stayed on the limb they originally came from. Luckily, Pel was still with Mat and Liki when Cho’s group all gathered together on the branch. Cho called for them to all take a seat.

“Ok, we need to see everyone’s Self Help screens so that we can plan the next week of training more efficiently,” Cho said. Four other Fairies, two in armor and two in regular clothing, dispersed themselves evenly through the crowd with scribes and wooden tablets. “If you don’t know how to share your information, just will your screen to share itself with the person who comes around to record your stats.”

It took nearly half an hour for one of the Fairies recording information to reach Pel and his friends, there were hundreds of people between Level 5 and 9 waiting. Pel summoned his Self Help screen, and urged it to be visible to the helper.

Self Help Interface Name: Errapel Class/Race: Lesser Celestial Fairy Level: 5 Free AP: 0 Health: 40 (0.5/hr) [0.6/hr S.T.] AP Used: 10 Stamina: 33/55 (0.65/min) [0.78/min S.T.] Secrets Discovered: 5 Mana: 218 (4.8/min) [5.7/min S.T.] Things Stolen: 0 Attributes Points Added Score Description Charisma 0 6 Influences persuasiveness, likeability, and chance to succeed with certain types of magic. Clarity 4 23 Influences perception, rational thought, Mana, Mana Regeneration, Magic Damage, and ability to resist certain magical mind-altering effects. Dexterity 0 9 Influences physical dexterity and overall agility. Increases flexibility, movement and attack speed, and also increases your physical efficiency and precision. Strength 0 1 Influences physical strength, lifting/carrying capacity, and Physical Damage. Vitality 6 10 Influences overall constitution and endurance, increases Health and Stamina and their respective Regeneration rates. Also increases Poison Resistance. Willpower 0 9 Influences ability to focus, and ignore distractions. Has other effects at high level. Passive Skills Fairy Racial Traits:

Pure Magic - You are a being born of pure Mana given physical form. The only sustenance you require is Mana. You may alter your physical appearance incrementally over time at will. You have an Unlimited Lifespan, but be careful, you can still die.

Ferrous Fear-ous - Ferrous materials burn you, and interfere with your ability to use magic, and magic-like abilities.

Magical Metabolism - Any food or drink consumed is quickly broken down completely, and a portion is directly converted into Mana.

Kleptocurious - You have a strong urge to know things, and to take things. Especially secret things!

Star Touched (Celestial) - While exposed to star light, increase all Regeneration rates by 20%, and all other Racial Skills are 10% stronger.

Fairy Intrusive [Racial]

By focusing on the Presence of a target, you may see their Level. Warning - The target might sense your snooping, reactions will vary!

Active Skills Name Cost Description & Effect Fairy Wings [Racial] 1.3 Stam/min

Summons a pair of Fairy Wings, granting Perfect Flight (omnidirectional control of flight path). Speed of flight is dependent upon your Level, and Dexterity Score.

Flight Speed: 7.1 Meters/sec (7.8 in star light)

Mote [Racial] - - Transforms you into a mote of light, granting Perfect Flight. You can fit through most openings, even really tiny ones! Flight speed is limited to 1/3 that of Fairy Wings. While in mote form, you cannot use or benefit from other Skills. The brightness of your mote form is variable from "tiny ember" to "lantern". Maximum brightness increases with Level. Gentle Touch [Racial]

21 Mana

3.5 Mana/sec

A weak, low-cost healing skill. After a small initial burst of healing, you may continue channeling Mana into the Skill for additional healing over time. You must be in physical contact with the target for this Skill to work.

Initial Healing: 5.8 Health (6.3 in star light)

Channeled Healing: 1.2 Health/sec (1.3 in star light)

My increased regeneration must be why I feel better outside, Pel thought. He hadn't noticed a difference in his flying, and he hadn't needed to cast his healing spell yet, so there wasn't a way for him to compare the before and after bonus of Star Touched.

“Is this right?” the woman recording his information asked, scratching her head with the scribe.

“Is what right?” Pel asked.

“You Willpower score. It’s almost as high as mine, and I’m Level 50,” she clarified. Pel focused on her Presence, the ‘Level 40-58’ resolving itself into a definitive ‘Level 50’ as he watched.

“Yep, that’s right! I’ve been training super hard the last week, I’m actually kinda tired of it,” Pel confirmed. I’m just glad my hands are back to normal.

“Hah, too bad you’re here for the next week then,” the woman laughed. “It’s going to be nothing but training for the next seven days!” Many of the nearby Fairies groaned, and Pel understood how they felt. Despite how much he wanted to get stronger, he really wanted to explore The Glade, too. So much to see, so much to discover!