Dexter

I closed my eyes as I forced myself to take calming breaths. “It's okay. It's fine. She has no reason to kill you. For all you know she finds the act abhorrent. Did I Miss The Fucking Skeleton In The Tree? She Would Give No Hesitation Putting Me Up There If Given A Good Reason! I Need To Get The Fuck Out Of Here! Fuck The Autoclave! That's far from necessary. I just need to think calmly and talk my way out, no reason for panic over something that might not happen. What If That Thing Is Being Eaten By A Fucking Tree? I Need To- SHUT UP!” I forced my eyes open as I looked at the Dryad and let out another subdued sigh. “Confront the situation now, react appropriately. Panic can come when the coming events are more apparent.” I swallowed nervously before daring to speak. “S-so,” I stammered. “I s-suppose you have food covered.”

The dryad nodded as she looked back at the animals. “I feed them, and they feed me. It is a true state of nature. Nothing like what the others tried to teach me. They tried to teach me a compliant subservient version of nature. One where I fool myself into thinking harmony is possible or a permanent state.” She scowled as she stared at the creatures. “They look down upon the people beyond their forests, blaming every wrong on them. In truth, you are simply more efficient at creating and surviving off the chaos of nature. It is what I admire about you as creatures.” She turned back and grinned at me. “You can thrive in a foreign land despite inadequate preparations and little to no knowledge of the lands and forests around you. All that after months of minimal food and water, having barely enough to survive when you make landfall. Just thinking about having to overcome such adversity excites me. To be dropped in a location completely out of my league and fighting to my last breath to survive. I only wish I could travel far enough to experience such a conflict.” She immediately frowned and stared off. “Despite my powers, I cannot stray too far. And anyone that stood a chance of threatening me either died off or grew too weak to harm me. Ever since I've just been stuck here, waiting for something worthwhile to do.”

I tilted my head and stared at her in confusion as she finally finished her monologue. “You don't talk to people often, do you?” I asked hesitantly, previous fears now greatly diminished.

She pursed her lips as she continued to look off and began rubbing the back of her neck. “You might find it difficult to believe, but it is lonesome out here. The animals are far from stimulating and those that are worth speaking to do not often stray into my path. It is comforting to have someone to speak to after so long.”

I turned and looked at the tree line. “What does that say about your defenses?” I asked curiously, fear now replaced by curiosity. “If you're that lonely, why have something like that?”

She shook her head as she turned to me. “It was not meant to cause panic. It was meant for me to track and even cause unease within. Extended over hours the unease makes one slightly more susceptible to suggestions, but your reaction was most unexpected. You were on the very edge of my influenced plants yet had reacted to a severe degree. The only reason I had noticed you were the flames you began producing.” She shook her head as she turned back to me. “In any case, I cannot simply remove my defenses lest I expose myself to those that wish harm on me. It may grow tedious to wait, but it is better than being overrun by potential foes.”

I nodded as I glanced towards the tree line again, searching for other ‘displays' sticking from the bark. I didn't notice any. “In a world like this, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry,” I remarked as I turned to her.

She nodded as she reached out and tugged on my shirt a bit, rubbing the fabric with her thumbs and not meeting my gaze. “I have never felt a material like this.” She remarked, quickly changing the subject. “It is so soft. I'd dare say one could sleep upon it.”

I nodded as I reached up and pinched another section of the shirt. “To you people it probably is. But back home, it's one of the rougher material we make. It's not even entirely cotton.”

She looked up at me quizzically as she continued to rub my shirt. “Cotton?” She asked curiously.

I nodded as I gestured towards the tree line. “It's a plant we grow. We harvest the filaments it makes and then weave them to make the fabrics we wear. You could probably find similar plants scattered about your forest.”

She nodded as she brought the fabric to her nose and sniffed. “I thought I smelled something familiar. Though I do not recognize the other materials within.”

I nodded as I glanced around. “The others I'm not sure about, but I could probably look into it. It's somewhere on my list anyway. Though polyester would probably take a ton of chemical engineering to make.”

She nodded as she finally let go and glanced around. “In any case. You still require a proper exchange for my help. I hear a proper exchange is paramount among you outsiders. Do you have something worth my services?” My face went slack as I realized I still had to think of something to offer. I turned and cupped my chin as I thought back on her words. “She doesn't seem as threatening now. My heart is still running a marathon, but it's manageable. The deer thing was fucking terrifying, but at the same time it's not much different from hunting the animal; she just does it quickly. Food isn't an issue for her, so I need something that she desperately wants, not needs. She also seems to know a bit about the events on earth. I got to admit, having her praise humans like that is pretty damn flattering. It's almost like-” I looked up and blinked as something finally dawned on me. “How does she know about events on earth?”

I turned to her as I dropped my hand again. “How do you know about what humans have done?” I asked curiously. “From the sound of it, you're describing when the pilgrims first landed in America. To any human it's common knowledge, but how did you find out about it?”

She nodded as she walked over to the mound and gestured her hands apart. Another hole opened in the mound and she reached into the opening, pulling out an old leather-bound book. She brought it back and handed it to me. “From this.” She explained. I took the rough leather tome and carefully opened it. A tight-knit array of statements and sentences greeted me along with a small stick, end whittled to a point and burned slightly. “It is the journal of the outsider that had threatened me long ago.” She continued, pointing at the skeleton again. “It was on his person when I tracked him down and ended his fiery campaign against my forest. I must admit I am almost regretting ending him there. Originally, he seemed admirable in his notes, but it was quickly overshadowed by paranoia and panic when he entered this world. He even called the orcs green savages and me a wood witch. It would appear that not everyone has the mental fortitude to make the journey through a Banestorm.” I nodded as I flipped through the book, catching glimpses of these descriptions near the end. Witch storm, demonic forest, forsaken The lines near the back were jumbled and rough, while the earlier pages held neat lines of text that even children could read. Voyage, sunrise, landfall

I let out an intrigue hmm as I closed the book and handed it back to her, glancing at the skeleton with new insight. “I guess that gives me a good timescale for when he was here. Which means you're a lot older than the tree over there.”

The Dryad nodded as she tossed the book towards the mound. Another tentacle-like root shot out from the hole and snatched the book from the air, dragging the journal back in and causing the hole to disappear again. “However old you assume I am, I assure you I am many centuries older. It is the one advantage of my powers. I do not easily die. Though, as a consequence, I am running low on activities to occupy myself. It becomes dreadfully boring out here.” I nodded as I glanced at the animals. “And like she said earlier. The animals aren't much for entertainment. She could probably have them battle each other, but I'd imagine that gets old too. She could always fight them herself, but again that would get old. She would probably one shot each of them anyway, even without her ro-”

I blinked again as an idea dawned on me. I turned to her as a grin began spreading across my face. “I could fight you for it.” I supplied gleefully.

She tilted her head as she stared at me. “You expect to force me to help you?” She asked.

I chuckled and shook my head as I gestured dismissively. “Not like that. I mean as entertainment. One on one sparring in exchange for your help.”

The Dryad crossed her arms and continued to stare at me. “And you expect to be able to entertain me this way?” She asked skeptically. “There are many animals here that could provide a bigger challenge. Why would your conflict be more desirable?”

I continued to grin as I gestured towards the animals. “Well for one, humans aren’t like the average animal. I can offer something they can't.” The dryad stared at me with continued curiosity as I explained. “For one a returning challenge; the animals will eventually become boring and you'll kill them, or they'll die of their own volition. For another, I’m an improving challenge. The animals are basically one-trick ponies while I can adapt to just about any challenge. They might offer a bigger threat now, but this is their maximum potential. Meanwhile, I'm only beginning to delve into mine. Who knows, in a year you might actually have to struggle in a fight with me.”

The dryad hesitated for a moment then grinned and let out an amused huff of air. “Only an outsider can make a threat sound enticing.” She laughed. She then paused to consider the offer for a minute, pursing her lips intriguingly. “Very well. Since you are so set on obtaining this substance, I suppose such an exchange is worth my time. Though I do insist on . . . sampling the goods, as it were. If at least to gauge how much higher you might be able to climb.”

I hesitated for a moment then nodded as I let the straps slip from my shoulder and my backpack fall to the ground. A dull thump echoed around the glade as I reached down and began undoing the strap holding my sword to my waist. I looked around as I let the sheathed blade fall beside my bag. “I'm game if you are. So, where should we do this? The grass is nice, but it's going to get trampled if we do it here.”

The dryad nodded as she gestured at the ground, causing the green blades to recede and reveal the earth below, forming a circle of tamped soil in front of me. In another gesture, the earth hardened and grew dry, a perfect miniature arena for any brawl. “I would not concern myself. Here I can control the plants at will. Anything that is destroyed or damaged can easily be fixed.”

I nodded as I let out a sigh and began stretching. “You won't be disappointed. Well, for this first one you might be. I've only been here a month and I haven't exactly used all that time wisely. At best I've improved my reflexes and learned a few techniques, none of which are for hand to hand combat.”

The dryad gave me a curious look and pointed at the scabbard as I stepped into the circle, removing my glasses and tossing them onto my backpack. “You do not wish to use your weapon?” She asked curiously.

I shook my head as I thought about using the sword on her. The image of it slicing through her arm was both gruesome and unwanted. “I don't want to hurt you. I don't have fine enough control over the sword for that. I probably can't kill you, but I don't want to maim you.”

The dryad let out a huff of air as she stepped into the circle. “You speak as if such a thing is possible. That sword has as good a chance at hurting me as a fly does hurting a bear.”

I shrugged as I cracked my knuckles.“Flies can carry diseases.” I remarked, recalling all the lessons I’d learned on microbes over the years. “The wrong bug in their system can cripple or even kill a bear. Besides, you should think of this as leveling the playing field. No weapons for me, no tentacle roots for you, and no magic for either of us; just you, me, and our fists.” I crouched into a fighting stance as I stared intently at her, mimicking the stances I’d seen wrestlers take before. A grin crept onto my face as I ran through the innumerable outcomes the fight could carry. “What do you say? Is this something worth your time?”

The Dryad let out a short laugh as she adopted her own stance, standing straight and tall and directing her open palm before her like a blade. It reminded me of a martial arts stance I saw in a movie once. “And here I thought it was not possible to make this more interesting. Suit yourself, let us see what you are currently capable of.” I grinned as we had a short standoff, each of us staring intently at each other. Finally, she made the first move and charged forward, closing the gap between us at impossible speeds. I had barely enough time to dodge her arm as it whizzed past my face. Her fingers clipped my cheek as I instinctively brought my fist forward to collide with her torso. I missed entirely as she changed direction and dodged, stepping to my side to strike again. She lifted her leg and brought it slamming into my torso, causing me to tense up and stagger back.

I felt the adrenaline coursing through me as I turned to kick her myself, aiming for her head. I came up short and ended up trying to collide with her torso. She reacted fast enough to catch my limb and halt my blow. She then twisted my leg, hard, causing me to spin in place and face away for her. I retorted by continuing my angular momentum and jumping, bringing my foot up to grab her arm between my legs and throw both of us to the ground. I tried to sit up and pull her into an arm lock, but she reacted faster, twisting herself and spinning me around so that I was face down in the dirt. She quickly continued by turning and sitting on my back, pulling my leg up and causing me to grunt in pain as she pulled at my muscle. I tried to push against her, but soon realized she was much stronger than she looked. I couldn't overcome her hold. So instead, I pushed down on the ground, hard, causing me to straighten onto my knees and then fall back onto her. I heard a muffled grunt as we landed in the dirt again. She began scrambling to get up and I turned to catch her in a bear hug. She evaded my reach and stood, turning to strike my prostrate form. I quickly rolled out of the way and jumped to my own feet as her foot slammed into the dirt behind me, a sharp boom radiating from the point of impact.

I turned and threw my fist forward, intent on hitting her, but she simply turned and let my fist slip by. I drew back and tried again, and again, and again. Each time she managed to dodge my punch. I saw a grin creep across her face as we continued. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to land a blow, anger slowly growing with each failed strike. Finally, I let my rage get the better of me and I dashed forward, swinging wildly. She immediately countered by sidestepping my wild charge, reaching up, and slamming her hand on the back of my neck. She then used some impossible strength to push me down face down into the dirt and pin me there. “I have to admit,” She panted, planting her knee on my back. “Despite these limitations, that was quite entertaining.” I tried to push up but was stopped as she pressed on my back harder, causing pain to radiate from my spine. “I would advise against that. It would mean you require more than this to finally give. Besides, you would find it most difficult to rise from this position.” I felt my arms begin to shake as I tried anyway. I was gaining no ground in lifting myself back up and she merely pushed down harder.

I finally let out a grunting sigh as I relaxed and collapsed into the dirt. “Shit,” I muttered. “I honestly wasn't quite expecting that. I was hoping you there'd be some sort of limit I could outpace or at least match for a while.”

The dryad let out a small laugh as she stood, releasing me from my prone position. I turned over as she offered her hand. I took it and she helped me up with even more surprising strength. “Thus far, nothing natural has managed to do that.” She replied. “However, you were quite entertaining for the time you lasted.” “That's what she said.”

I nodded and held back a grin as I dusted myself off. “So, you’ll help me?” I asked.

She nodded as she gestured at the ground, causing the grass to grow back, erasing all evidence of our scuffle. “You sufficiently entertained me. I think that deserves some type of reward. Come, describe your substance and we can search the forest for it.”

I nodded as I walked over to my pack and lifted it back onto my shoulders, donning my glasses as I did. “It's a white substance, a sap that apparently evolved as an adaptation to ward off herbivores. I read that it specifically discourages deers and other such creatures from eating them. You wouldn't happen to know where to find such a plant, would you?”

Surprisingly, she shook her head. “I may be one with the forest, but without knowing which specific substance you speak of, I can only guide you to plants that fit such a description. In truth, many plants fit that description. It could take a few days to find the one you are looking for. If I had a sample I could guide you directly to it; but since you are looking for it, I assume you do not possess such a thing.”

I picked up my sword and strapped it to my waist as I gave it some thought. “Not exactly, but I might have something that should be good enough.” I reached into my backpack and pulled out the rubber ball I'd packed in there. I gave it a few experimental squeezes as I handed it to her. “It's not exactly the substance I'm looking for, but it's a refined version of it. Maybe it could help you find it?”

She took the ball gingerly and examined the cracked surface. “Intriguing.” She muttered, gently squeezing the object. “It is a natural sap inexplicably mixed with earthen elements. It provides a good deal of yield. Yet returns to its original shape once I release it. Is this substance terribly common in your world?”

I nodded as I gestured around. “Let me put it this way; we make enough rubber to bury an entire forest in it. Hell, we sort of have an issue with having too much rubber. Cause once it's vulcanized it's vulcanized. There's not really a way to undo it as far as I know.”

The dryad nodded as she brought the ball to her nose and took a sniff. “This could work, though it may take some time t-” She suddenly stopped and turned towards the tree line. “Evidently, not that long. It would seem my forest is filled with plants with the sap you are looking for. Come, there is a large patch near the river close by. If you require this much I expect you will need to harvest more than a single plant.”

I nodded as she turned and began striding towards the tree line, squeezing the ball slightly as she went. “At least a pint should do for the moment,” I replied as I followed her. “I don’t have much use for anything more. Besides, I expect a few malformed prototypes before the final product is ready.”

The dryad nodded as we entered the tree line and emerged through the archway, not congruent with the place we’d entered before. “I cannot guarantee a substance at the moment,” she replied. “Any substance requires time to create and extract. However, I can at least find the plant be suited to produce the material you desire.”

I nodded as I continued following her through the forest, her hair dropping the occasional leaf as we went. We walked for several minutes as we left the warmth of her meadow. Her hair gradually returned to the brown I'd first seen her in. Her leafy dress did a similar shift from green to orange. After a few minutes of silent walking, a question came to mind. “I never actually got your name.” I voiced, striding quickly to walk beside her. The dryad kept her eyes focused forward as I continued. “Do dryads even have those? Or are you guys rare enough that names aren’t really a thing?”

The dryad was silent for a minute as she seemed to consider the question. She finally let out a sigh as she glanced at the ball in her hand. “I believe I had a name at one point, but it's been so long since I have spoken to one of my own I do not quite remember. Though I can recall it was related to the tree I inhabited.” The dryad suddenly shook her head and focused on the path before her again. “In any case, I do not wish to be known by their name anymore. Their influence still leaves an ill taste in my mouth.” She glanced at me for a moment before turning to the path once more. “I do not suppose you have a suggestion for such a name?”

I, myself, paused as I looked at her, her hair finally reaching the light brown mat it had once been. A sense of resemblance flared up within me as I remembered a familiar story back home. “That was a pine back there, right?” I asked curiously, glancing back the way we came. “The tree you possess, I mean.”

The dryad nodded as she hopped over a fallen log. “It was the most robust tree in the vicinity when I chose to inhabit it. “She explained. “I believe it was the best choice. Their natural age is already old. My magic allowed me to grow to great heights as well as extend the tree to a life best suited for me.”

I nodded as a soft chuckle escaped my lips before finally presenting the name.“Then I think a suitable name could be Mabel.”

The dryad stopped turned to me quizzically. “I do not possess a Maple tree.” She said, almost indignantly. “Why would I adopt such a name? It’s far from suitable for my standing and in no way accurate to the plant I possess.”

I chuckled again as shook my head and began emphasizing the syllables. “Not Ma-pel, Ma-bel,” I explained. “They sound almost alike, but I can guarantee there’s not Ma-bel tree on the entire planet.”

The dryad gave me a curious look before asking for clarification. “How does this relate to the tree I possess?” She asked curiously.

I grinned as I rubbed the back of my head, recalling the child-like nature of the name suggestion. “It's related to some . . . advanced outsider knowledge. You might not get it, but if you ask the right outsider they might be able to understand.”

The dryad paused as she seemed to consider the name with newfound intrigue. After a moment, she finally sighed and reluctantly nodded. “I suppose that name is as good as any.” She admitted. “It is certainly better than any name my sisters expressed. Very well, Mabel it is.”

I grinned and nodded as I gestured for Mabel to continue towards the plant in question. “Lead the way.” I voiced.

Mabel nodded as she turned and continued leading me through the forest. After another few minutes of walking, she finally pointed towards the distance. “Over there, near the river.”

I looked out, expecting to see a few blooming flowers, but instead, all I saw was another field of dull green, cut by a trail of grey-blue. I turned to her as I pointed out. “Out in the field?” I asked.

Mabel nodded, pointing at a patch near the river bend. “They are not in bloom, but the sap still flows through them.” She explained. “It is not much at the moment, but given time a great deal can be drawn from them.”

I nodded as I turned and strode out of the tree line, followed by Mabel as I scanned the ground for the stalks. I finally spotted a tiny spout sticking just above the grass, green buds inert in the winter air. It was the budding plant of a Milkweed, a familiar plant in my own back yard. I crouched and stroked the plant, then crushed the bud in between my finger, staining my hand with a pale white fluid. I grinned as I stood and drew my fingers apart, causing a thin string of white to bridge my digits. I immediately frowned as I realized how little there was. “Good news; I know what this is and know what plant to look for,” I confirmed, turning to Mabel. A frown was still on my face though as I recalled how tiny the plant was. “Bad news; I know how little sap I can get from this, even with an efficient harvesting system. I'd be spending weeks gathering just a cup of sap, including the impurities it comes with.”

Mabel crouched beside me as she examined the plant. “How do you manage to turn the sap into this?” She asked curiously, holding the rubber ball out slightly. “I can sense another material, but for the bark of me I cannot identify it.”

I wiped my fingers in the grass as I crouched beside her. “It's a heating and pressurizing method that involves sulfur,” I replied. “I'd try and explain it better, but that's about all I know about it right now. Once I get enough sap I could give you a better explanation, but until then I'll have to slowly gather a shit ton of these Milkweeds and get the sap from their stalks.”

Mabel nodded as she stood and continued to stare down at the plant. “If you wish, I could gather the sap for you.” She offered. “My bargain would not be complete if I left you to your own devices like this.”

I turned to look at her quizzically. “You'd really do that?” I asked.

Mabel nodded as she continued to palm the rubber ball. “I can influence the plants to exude the sap on their own.” She explained. “It would take time to complete the task, but I can manage to extract an amount of sap for the moment. I only ask that you visit somewhat often.”

I grinned and nodded as I stood and glanced down at the meager sprout. “I'd really appreciate that,” I replied, looking out over the field of milkweeds. “I want to get the autoclave functioning as soon as possible. It'll probably take a week to find the right balance and make a viable seal for it. I'll try to bring back something interesting when I want a rematch.”

Mabel let out a small laugh as she glanced down at the ball in her hand. “That would be nice. You outsiders always create the most intriguing artifacts.” She then turned and began striding back towards the tree line. “I can have some ready tomorrow. Until then, I advise you to return home. I must be without distractions for this.”

I nodded as I followed her towards the forest. “You just cut down weeks worth of work. I'm okay with having to wait another day. It gives me time to work on a weapon.”

Mabel suddenly stopped and turned to me as she seemed to remember something. “Speaking of weapons, you can keep this one. Consider it a souvenir.” I looked at her, confused until the ground beside me shifted and a root sprouted from the earth, carrying the twisted antler that had broken off earlier. I took it gently and the root receded back into the soil. I examined the antler carefully as I felt a grin creep across my face. The rough bone felt sturdy beneath my grip. I turned to Mabel to voice thanks, but she was already gone, leaving me alone with the antler. I let out a sigh as I looked down at the bony protrusion and noticed the specks of blood still gracing the base. “There's no way Amelia will believe this.”

Amelia stared at me, dumbfounded, as I finished my explanation of the day. “A Dryad?” She asked, astonished. “An honest to goodness Dryad?”

I nodded as I held out the antler again. “She's pretty hardcore,” I replied. “She killed a deer right in front of me, balled it up and everything. The only thing left of it is this antler.”

Amelia stared at the antler as she seemed to try and comprehend the idea. “I thought Dryads were protectors of the forest. Why would she do that to one of her creatures?”

I shrugged as I set the antler on a table. “This one isn't like the others,” I replied. “She's willing to kill the animals merely for extra food. I offered fertilizer, but she replied with the whole deer thing. A bit unnerving if you ask me.”

Amelia let out a sigh as she glanced at the antler. “And she was willing to help you harvest sap from her forest; what would amount to actual blood to her, and all she wanted in return was to fight you?”

I let out a small laugh as I nodded and rubbed my head. “Crazy as it sounds, yea. And I got to admit, I did pretty well against her.”

Amelia paused as she stared at me, unconvinced. “She kicked your ass, didn't she?”

I hesitated for a moment then sighed as I nodded. “Just about everyone here is stronger than us humans,” I replied. “Though I plan to level the field somehow. I'll study up on magic and try to come up with a proper weapon. Maybe some type of summoned blade. If summoning a demon is possible I might be able to do the same with weapons.”

Amelia shrugged as she strode back over to the spellbook. “Either way you still need more time. Luckily you have plenty right now. Especially considering you now have a source for latex sap.”

I nodded as I moved beside her. “There's definitely still a lot to learn, but after my fight with Mabel, there's one thing I know for sure; physical training isn't enough to completely bridge the gap in strength between me and some people. I'm going to have to prioritize learning and applying magic.” I looked down at the meager spellbook as Amelia flipped through it. I sighed as I considered the limited spells it offered. “And going through it one spell at a time won't be good enough. It's great to get a hand on the basics, but the advanced techniques will probably take some actual teachings. I could try and teach myself, but that's usually for when I already have a good understanding of the baser material.”

Amelia nodded as she glanced up at me. “There are a lot of advanced spells the book mentions but doesn't list. There's probably a reason for it. If they can design spells, these might be specifically designed for beginners. Kind of like how one designs simpler equations for beginning mathematics. The only way we'd improve is if we learn those spells and eventually how to design said spells.”

I nodded as I glanced towards the door, recalling the lessons Brokil and Bulak had given us. “We could probably head down to the Institute and see if Garahk can let us into some lessons,” I remarked. “She did say she wanted me to learn at the Institute. Brokil was just an advanced tutor for the rite.”

Amelia nodded as she read from the entry she stopped on. “Brokil might have also been just to catch us up with what some classes have been taught already. It is technically the middle of the school year. Assuming they don’t have the Japanese form of education.”

I nodded as I looked down at the entry, Move Earth. “Either way, now we can jump straight into actual lessons, ones where we cover the background material of spells instead of just the spells themselves.”

Amelia nodded as she glanced up at me.“Sounds like you know what you're doing next, at least until you get the autoclave working and a weapon designed.” I nodded as I walked a short way and grabbed a chair, dragging it next to Amelia and sitting beside her. I glanced one last time at the antler before leaning over to read the entry with her. “Once more unto the breach.”