I set off to the northwest, flying well above the treetops. The forest looked so different from the air during the day.

Ah, no doubt about it, there are definitely more humans in the forest right now, and these ones seem different than the usual hunters. Well, it’d be troublesome to stick around and chance running into them, and I don’t have any particular reason to hunt them, currently. It really would be good to let things settle for a bit.

As I left the forest, the landscape gradually changed much like it did when I went due north. I descended upon the foothills and decided to go by land for a bit, as I would be better able to track things by scent that way.

Ah! This is so boring! There’s nothing new in this direction! I’ve already seen these things and eaten them!

I plopped down and sat at the base of a large oak, and leaned against its trunk.

Ugh, this trip is going to be useless, isn’t it? What was the point, in the end?

I’d never experienced self-doubt before, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is so useless! Why did I even leave? I could have just holed up in my cave for a while. I’m not going to find anything of worth out here… I'll probably just run into more of those ridiculously strong beasts further up in the mountains and have no choice but to turn back.

In my despondent and apathetic state, I fell asleep, still leaning up against the tree which felt oddly warm.

I awoke feeling rather peaceful, and oddly comfortable. I didn’t even want to open my eyes, I just wanted to stay like I was for a while.

A hand gently stroked the top of my head.

Immediately alert, I rolled to my feet and leapt away, taking a defensive stance and forcing my senses to full alert.

My actions only resulted in a giggle from the humanoid being who I now stared at.

It was clearly a female, based on the very well developed secondary sexual human characteristics. She looked much like a normal human, except her skin was a vibrant shade of green, and she appeared to be wearing formfitting tree bark as clothing. She did not seem afraid of me, and the look in her eyes was more like… amusement?

Ah, I don’t know! Human types are all so weird.

However, she didn’t seem to be a threat. That, and, well…

She smelled strongly of grass and trees and flowers, and I could not detect even the faintest hint of flesh in her scent.

If I had to guess, I’d identify her as a dryad.

Ah, James’ memories can be useful at times, I suppose.

Dryads are spirit creatures that are tied to trees in some way. They are guardians of nature with a high affinity with plants. Although the details were a bit fuzzy beyond that.

What did she want?

She smiled at me, and for some reason, it put a part of me at ease. “Don’t worry, little beast. I can sense your origin, even if your nature is a bit… unusual.”

I froze. Why did I understand her so clearly? Did my language skills suddenly progress after eating those humans? Was that all I needed to do to learn the language?

She laughed again. “Don’t worry so much. As a nature spirit, I can freely communicate with you, or any being that arises from the natural world. I’ll even be able to understand you, even if you cannot speak the languages of the humanoids.”

Okay, that’s… convenient? Ugh, fucking James, his memories are suddenly coming at me with unnecessary information like plot lines, tropes, flags, and expected story routes. Were I more like him, I’d be delighted by this encounter, which would undoubtedly provide me with exposition on the nature of this world.

As if.

Although I hadn’t practiced actually speaking, I managed to croak out a few words. My tongue felt clumsy and too thick as I formed my question. “You… What… Want?”

Her face split into a ridiculously dopey grin. The look in her eyes made me a bit uncomfortable.

“You are just soooo cuuuuuuute! Oh, I can’t even stand it! How did you become so adorable, little chimera?”

I instinctively backed away, putting another yard or so between us.

She put an overly exaggerated frown on her face, which seemed rather false, according to James’ memories. She was most certainly enjoying herself. “Aww! Don’t run away!”

It was irritating. Half my instincts had me on edge, while half of them insisted that there was no danger.

She exaggerated her frown even more and threw her arms across her chest, pushing up the lumps of flesh on her chest. Pouting? Yes, that’s what it was. “I was just so lonely, and you came and lay here in my lap and fell asleep so innocently… I’m sorry, dear chimera. If you hate me so much I’ll… I’ll…” She began to emit an over-exaggerated fake sobbing with choked hiccups.

I took a moment to properly study her.

She had a great deal of magic aura. More than me, for certain. But she smelled so strongly of wood and earth and leaves, I was certain that she was not actually flesh and blood. Probably made of plant tissue and magic. And no matter what, I would never eat a plant. I’ll never end up like that compost slime. I could maybe tolerate using them sparingly as herbs or spices to flavor meat, for the sake of the flavor that resided in James’ memories, but anything else is strictly forbidden. Certainly, eating her would be no different from eating a high level plant. Ugh.

“What want?” I croaked once more.

Her face brightened with that dopey grin once more, and her false distress was immediately forgotten.

“I’m just so boooooored. I’ve lived here for like four centuries now, ever since my last tree in an elven hunting preserve was felled by a lightning strike. I thought that this area would become super popular after just a few decades, after all, it’s clearly an ideal place to train low ranked hunters. But nobody ever comes out this way. You’re the first being I could actually meaningfully communicate with in centuries. Sure, you’re clearly a chimera, but you seem smart enough to be able to hold a conversation once you’ve adapted to it. My only company for a very long time has been stupid forest animals who can think of nothing other than their day to day survival! Do you know how hard it is to hold a conversation with a gods damned squirrel?! Ugghh!”

I recoiled a bit as she spewed forth words at a rate which I could barely follow.

Then she straightened up, seeming very serious all of a sudden, except with an alarmingly excited expression on her face.

Ugh, my stomach hurts just thinking about what she might try. Humanoids are weird generally, but this dryad put them all to shame.

“So, it’s decided, then! You’re going to keep me company!”

What?!

I edged away from the dryad.

“Aw, don’t be like that. Just entertain me for a bit. Because, you know, if I didn’t have anything to entertain me, my roots just might seek out the blood of the one who refused me, you know?” She laughed at that and waved her hand as if dismissing the idea. “I kid! I kid! Please forgive my lack of manners here; I have been without company for too long.”

I stared at her. Surely, there must be some point to these antics?

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll quit the foreplay and tell you what I actually want. I’ll give you a cutting from my tree that I would like you to plant somewhere closer to one of the kingdoms. I tire of waiting for them to show up here. Once it’s been planted, I’ll be able to transfer to it, or something sort of like that. In exchange, I’ll help you find something that I’m sure you would love to eat. And maybe I can help you to understand your… unique gifts a bit better.”

“You help first. I plant after.” The words came slow, and the cadence of my speech was a bit off-kilter, but I was getting a bit better at speaking.

She pretended to think on it for a moment before agreeing. “Very well, I suppose that will have to suffice,” she said. However, the excitement in her voice gave away that she probably would have leapt even at an offer with less favorable terms.

Not that I particularly cared, so long as she properly guided me to the location of suitable prey.

“You can call me Dendra. What shall I call you, adorable little chimera?”