Gwenice stood across from him in the pool of water. She wasn’t far away, just out of arm’s reach, and she stood perfectly still as she looked at him. The water was up to his waist, and up to mid stomach for her, Leon could feel the mud of the bottom of the small pond between his toes as his weight slowly caused him to sink down into its surface ever so slightly. He glanced at the mighty oak tree that towered over the small pond, and then down at the woman who was seated beneath it, or in it, it was hard to tell.

Moina was the tree.

Apparently the dryads had more in common with a familiar than he had thought, their physical bodies, much like his own were simply magical constructions, whereas the rest of them were actually just these trees, granted they were trees that apparently had human-level intelligence and the ability to form magical bodies, but they were in essence still trees.

Slowly Gwenice raised her hands out of the water and held up a small seed, no bigger than the size of her thumb with a green shoot coming out of it and held it aloft to him. This was her, she was literally this seed. He grabbed it gently, brushing one thumb over the soft leaf that grew off of the shoot, and watched as she shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around her upper body as though she needed to ward off the cold.

“I give myself,” she whispered softly to him, a hum of conversation went up around them and he was again aware of the Dryads surrounding the small pond of pure blue water. Apparently, it was not too often that one would give literally everything to there bond mate. He looked over at Moina who sat forward in her seat as though she was watching a show of particular interest.

“For that seed to grow you will need to plant it in a place that has plenty of magic, and she will never be able to go far from it.” she spoke solemnly, “A tree can with care be uprooted and transplanted, but it can only withstand this trama a few times, so for now perhaps you should leave her here in the pool,” she said softly.

“All it needs to grow is Magic?” he asked, looking at the small seed in his hands, “How quickly will it grow?”

“It will grow as quickly as she wishes, as it is it is already over 100 years old, she has been consolidating the mana and using it for her base, so that when it does get planted it can flourish, if she wishes it can stay that size for as long as she wants it to, simply by consolidating more.” she smiled at him, “When a dryad is born they are born like any other child, but they are born with a seed in their hand, these bodies might simply be magical constructs but they are our own, just like any other creature’s.”

“I see,” he said, and before anyone could stop him he pulled out a knife from under his robes, cutting a deep gouge across his chest. He gritted his teeth eyes blazing and ignored the frantic cries and shouts of Lira, Krya, and Fluffy. He simply stared into Gwenice’s eyes, watching them go wide in horror as he bled into the pool. He closed his eyes, knowing full well that what he was about to do next was going to hurt like hell.

With two fingers he spread the wound open, and with quick but careful movement he shoved the seed inside. The pain was so intense that he almost blacked out, his vision wavering as he fell to his knees, the water splashing and turning a hazy pink around him. He was about to fall when he was caught and held up, looking he saw himself staring into the startled eyes of a frightened Gwenice, her dear ears on a swivel, flicking back and forth in agitation. “What are you doing?!” she screamed at him, her fear morphing into a mixture of fear and anger. He could hear the sound of people splashing through the water towards the two of them.

“Giving you my heart,” he smiled back, his voice deep and confident. His red eyes flew wide as did her own when the small seed soaked in his blood sprung to life, tendrils shooting out to wrap around his heart. The feeling was not at all unpleasant, almost like a tender caress, the pain came from a burning somewhere in his soul as he felt some connection he had never even known he had severed. He fell forward no longer able to hold himself up, and with Gwenice to in shock of what was happening to hold him in place. The water felt cool, relaxing like he was wrapped in a warmth that would keep him safe. He briefly wondered if he should simply stay here, forever.

The thought was dashed to pieces when he thought of Lira alone in the world, no family to call her own. And of Krya once again retreating into her shell, hiding behind her mask, of Fluffy, losing her mate, and now of Gwenice, who had willingly given him everything. No, sleeping in these waters was something he could do later, he had work to do now. With a roar of pure will and determination, he rose out of the water, like some warrior baptized in the river he arose, living for those he loved. When his vision cleared the entire forest was silent, not a soul moved, Lira was staring at his hand, slowly she looked down at her own.

The symbol of their bond was there, but it had changed, instead of the head of a flaming lion that branded the two of them the form of a lion made of thorns and wood, filled with fire from the inside stood proud and strong, as though it cared not that it burned away its own body, so long as it could do what needed to be done.

“What are you?” Moina asked, looking at him with a mixture of horror and admiration.

“Me?” he asked, catching the smile that appeared on the headmistress’s face and knowing she knew what he was about to say. “I am simply myself, Leon.”