Alex blinked and saw that he was again in a different place. He was now in-front of what appeared to be a massive organic tree-house. The wood itself seems to have moved and organized itself to be habitable for a person. The first floor had no door, but branches stretched out as stairs leading to a second floor. Wooden-chairs, tables and shelves were seemlessly attached and visible from outside. The open entrance was large enough for a large man to enter perhaps up to seven feet high and three wide.

"Well might as well go in." Alex.

He stepped inside the tree house and noticed even the floor was seemless wood. The space inside was easily large enough for five king-sized beds.

"Bad boy, coming in a girl without permission." Vita.

"Huh?!" Alex.

Vita's voice was behind him.

"OH! I'm sorry. Wait, what are you talking about?" Alex was flustered by her innuendo, he turned to speak to her.

She wasn't there.

"Um. IS this another game?" Alex was going to be upset if this was another round of mockery.

"....*sigh*... No. I'm here." Vita emerged from the floor as if it were made of water.

Alex was a little slack-jawed, that was a useful ability. She stood up and was just as he remembered, scantly clad.

"Hi, sorry I wanted to surprise you. Te.he." Vita giggled.

"Wow will I be able to do that?" Alex.

Vita looked at him like he was crazy.

"No. I'm a dryad. MY tree is my actual body, this is just a faux, sort of like a god's avatar." Vita.

"Oh.... Okay." Alex didn't know what to say, appearently he was speaking to a pretty tree, could there be anything weirder?

"Ah Poo don't be like that. This body is what I usually use for everything." Vita winked at him playfully.

"Okay....Um... So? ...How are you today Miss Vita?" Alex smiled.

She was obviously messing with him, lots of girls do that and mean nothing by it, they usually even have boyfriends.

"Very good thank-you. I trust your friend recovered?" Vita.

"Yes. Stronger and grumpier than ever." Alex smiled.

"Good, I trust you have more time on your hands this time? For an actual lesson and perhaps even a chat? I'd like to know more about humans." Vita.

"Actually, yes, but we are almost outside the tunnels, so I'm hoping things will be better." Alex.

Alex saw Vita's smile wither slightly, which worried him.

"I'm afraid not. Alex right? You will need more power faster." Vita.

"....Oh. Is it much more dangerous?" Alex.

"It will be a bit more dangerous. Get stronger though, many difficulties await you." Vita.

"How can we go home, anyways? Sarah says her guide mentioned she knew who took us to the cave." Alex.

"Don't worry, survive long enough and you will get home. I guarantee, eventually. I can't tell you more. Sorry." Vita seemed to figit slightly.

"Thank-you Miss Vita, I'm sure my friends will be glad to hear that." Alex.

"You're...welcome." Vita's smile looked a little fake to Alex, but he ignored it, maybe she thought he might not surivive outside.

"So? What's next?" Alex.

"YES! As I was saying sit down please!" Vita seemed to come to life, excited.

"Okay.." Alex sat down on a chair she beckoned to, she sat down to another right infront of his.

"Yes I'd like to know more about humans. I've asked many people some things, but usually they get annoyed after a few questions." Vita.

"Oh? like what?" Alex.

"Do humans really eat animal meat? A few I asked said yes others said no." Vita.

"??....Yes? Most of us eat meat almost everyday. I think a few are vegitarians and v..Vegans? I can't remember the word, but they don't eat meat." Alex.

"Ohhhh.. Do you truly live in cities of stone? Like the dwarves and the drow?" Vita.

"Well we sometimes live in wooden buildings too, but yes many buildings people use today are partially stone, I think." Alex.

-'What was it again? Sheetrock? That's made of rocks right? The name says it.' Alex thought.

"My sister said that many races use trees, but I couldn't believe it. You wouldn't kill dryads would you?" Vita seemed concerned.

"Well. Not if I knew it was one. I...I don't know if there are any dryads in my country." Alex uncomfortably admitted.

"Oh it's easy to tell! The dryad will give a warning, also we will defend ourselves." Vita smiled.

"I think we would have heard about something like that. And no I personally wouldn't hurt someone, unless they threaten me or someone else first." Alex.

"Good. I can feel you mean it, A-L-E-X." Vita smiled at him prettily, and it actually caused him to feel embarrased, the way she spoke was weird.

-'It's weird a tree is that pretty..... She kinna seems a little naive, though. I wonder how old she is?.' Alex thought.

"Do you feel offended? That people kill trees everyday?" Alex.

"Hmm? Your turn? He-he. No I don't. Some of my sisters and friends do though. I think it's like asking a human if they are offended if someone kills a monkey to eat." Vita.

"Roger. Now I know." Alex smiled.

They chatted for a while more and Alex answered a few more of Vita's questions.

"Sorry, but I really should get back to my friends. I'll be glad to answer more of your questions another time." Alex.

"Okay. Thank-you again Alex, you're more fun and nicer than many people." Vita smiled.

"No problem. So? What's next?" Alex.

"Here." Vita.

Vita took out another symbol. It was a series of sideway V's within a circle, forming what looked like a take right direction-sign.

"This one is the bolt. It will allow you to form an orb of healing. It will heal your allies if it collides unto them and is very harmful to anything animated with death energy." Vita

"Thanks!" Alex smiled, finally something that could be considered an attack.

"Same as always take power from the image." Vita.

Alex focus on the image and pulled. Power rushed to him and he opened his eyes.

Everyone except Eian was back.

*****

Eian was currently buried up to his neck in stone, cursing.

"GET ME OUT!" Eian.

"HAHAHA! No. I don't think so boy." Ul.

Eian had told the mangey goat-fucker that he was an asshole for making him choose body twice. The dwarf had laughed and buried him in the stone he stood on.

"SCREW YOU!" Eian

"That'll teach ye to mouth off yer better's boy. Disipline. Hahaha me pops used to do this all the time. Relax." Ul.

".................." Eian glared at his guide.

"Oh relax. I warned ye te eat plenty. Besides it's far more useful to be where you are right now that follow spirit first." Ul.

Eian's face couldn't get anymore red. He tried calming himself.

-'Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Innnn.. Outtt.' Eian thought.

"Oh? So you can calm yourself. Good I think you'll learn plenty here for a while. Bye." Ul walked away from Eian.

"WAIT!!!! WAIT!!!" Eian.

Ul walked into his workshop and soon Eian began hearing metal banging. Eian kept shouting for what must have been five minutes before he stopped dead tired and almost completely hoarse. He tried shaping the earth around him, but it resisted all his attempts. An hour passed. Another.

-'Asshole' Eian thought.

*****

"So? I guess this is always normal for him?" Jessica.

"Looks like." Sarah.

"Yeah he's was there a while last time too." Alex.

"Well at least you won't have to carry him this time Alex." Jessica.

"Yeah he was heavy before, now he must weight a ton, especially with all that armor." Alex.

"Alex peek outside and keep watch if anything is coming, Jessica and I will watch the other direction." Sarah.

"Roger." Alex.

"But... I want to see what's outside too." Jessica.

"Fine take a quick peek and come back." Sarah.

"Yes Thanks!" Jessica.

Alex went and looked outside. It was broad-daylight, almost blinded his eyes. He had been underground too long. Once his eyes adjusted he saw what favored ruins of a what seemed to be an ancient medeavial castle or fortress town surrounded them. Several stone buildings looked to be in a uncared for state and several wooden building were broken and rotting. Vegitation had overtake the place. Trees sprouted haphazardly and the grass was pretty tall. He saw a few figures in the distance which might be a few undead, but they were standing still, not taking notice of them.

".....Oh.... my.... goodness.....We're hopelessly lost... aren't we?" Jessica whispered, and put her hands on her mouth.

"Yeah, definately not in Kansas, Jess." Alex stared at the two suns.

******

Eian lost track of time. He had let his mind wander for a while, thinking of life back home. It wasn't perfect, but he realized he wouldn't trade it for the world. Hopefully they would emerge and find themself in some ancient cursed Aztec ruin or something. His mom was probably freaking out crazy by now, he worried about her the most. She'd go crazy without him.

-'Wait I don't think Native indians had metal did they? Are we in Europe? Asia?' Eian thought to himself.

A door opening snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ah.... I hoped ye'd have calmed down." Ul smiled aggravatingly.

".............." Eian just stared at him.

There was no point in aggravating the one with all the cards at the moment. As soon as he got strong enough, he would give him a royal kick in the balls though.

"Good. Good." Ul tapped the sole of his left foot on the ground lightly.

"AHH!" Eian emerged from the ground so quickly it gave him a minor heart-attack.

"Here. Your spirit will take a while to become strong enough to do anything more useful for now." Ul.

Ul handed Eian a piece of rock.

"Compress it to become something harder and off ye go. Try to be more patient next time boy. Slow and Steady don't forget." Ul.

Eian focused on the stone and willed it to shrink into something tougher. It shrank slowly and was soon a third as large as it was before. He blinked and went back.