27 Delwyn
"Isn't the other arm deformed?" Hena said, standing beside Nico while she was examining the treant in front of them. "It's a bit bigger than the other arm."
"I'm still practicing." Nico said, meeting the green gaze of the treant. "This was my first attempt at Life Forging- I'll get better at it eventually."
They were huddling around the campfire along with the treant. The treant was playing along with Champ as Saira then brought out her three summons to add to their party. The fire at the center crackled with their playfulness.
"Root's coming along nicely." Kai said as he dryly punched the treant's leg almost the size of himself. Root has been squatting on the ground- the wooden crates too small for the treant to sit on while the rest of the group sat on crates.
"I didn't agree on calling him that."
Nico met Root's gaze before the treant gave him a nod of disapproval.
"Sorry, I meant her." Nico then muttered to himself. "Do treants even have genders?"
"You're the one who named the dog." Kai said, pointing to Champ who was running around with Saira's summons, barking along with the cavern echoing back his barks. "It's my turn to name miss treant here, and I veto Root. It rhymes with Groot and besides, she seems to like it."
The treant nodded in agreement with Kai.
"Fine." Nico threw up his hands in surrender.
"Are you going to make another one?" Jason said, staring at the treant. "I'm guessing the treants will be a huge boost to our fighting capability."
"Yeah, but not now." Nico gestured to Root. "It took a while making her, and given that tomorrow we're leaving the dungeon and going back to Selsine, there's time for that here- I'm gonna have to create the second treant back in the fairy town. Anyways, look at this."
Nico held out his hand for the others to see, showing off a wooden ring on his index.
"What's that?" Saira said, plopping herself beside Nico to see.
Nico again turned to Root, giving her a nod before touching the treant with the ring. Root then dissipated into green mist- becoming immaterial and she then seeped into the ring like water draining into a small hole. The ring gleamed a green light before the light then faded.
Nico then tapped the ring, causing it to shimmer again with green light. Green mist seeped out of the ring, swirling like a river around Nico before driving itself into the stone ground below like a waterfall. The ground then sprouted out a giant tree just like before, with its trunk a swollen wood sphere. The trunk then cracked and opened to reveal the treant inside, driving herself out with her hands as if she was pushing herself off her throne.
"It's like a Pokeball- but instead of a ball, it's a ring- a Pokering." Kai said, earning a deadpan look from Nico.
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Life Rings [Subskill]
For every treant you craft a wooden ring materializes on your fingers. You can call the treants into the ring, or call out a treant already inside. When treants are damaged enough they are automatically sent into the ring, which provides for them regeneration and a place to rest. You cannot call out damaged treants.
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"Sending her into the ring is almost instantaneous, but sending her out takes up to a minute or two."
Nico then turned to Kai. "It really is just like pokemon."
. . .
"Good evening." Delwyn said to the fairy standing in front of the giant tree, showing the fairy his golden pendant. "I'm here to see Mathis."
Beside him was Morgiana, standing as if she was modeling for a photoshoot with her revealing attire. The fairy nodded to them both before leading them into the tree. They passed through a giant hallway with carved wooden walls and golden orbs, through a set of large double doors, then up winding staircases. The fairy led them into a large dining hall, having a single long table and a number of chairs at the center. The walls were adorned with wooden carvings and banners depicting fairy history, while on the far side of the hall another set of double doors were fixed. The three figures cast long shadows on the ground as they paced themselves through the hall.
They then passed through the double doors on the other side, bringing them into what was a winding maze with corridors and narrow pathways.
"Brings back old memories. I see they still haven't fired the architect." Morgiana said before earning a nudge from Delwyn.
"This way." The fairy guided them through the maze, winding through hallways until they went and paused inside a giant cylindrical room. Inside the room were no floors nor ceiling, but instead two gaping holes that led down the base of the tree and another that led up to the treetops. It was like a huge cylinder carved out from the inside of the tree, leaving the empty space they see now.
"I haven't been to this place before." Delwyn said before turning to the fairy. "Mind my curiosity, but what do we do now?"
Delwyn took a quick look at the bottom of the hole. The hole didn't stop at the base of the tree, but instead extended deeper into the underground until mists obscured the rest of the way down.
"Mind my manners good sir, but you're gold rankers aren't you?" The fairy said, spreading his pixie wings.
"That's how it is." Delwyn sighed, turning to the fairy. "Lead the way then."
The fairy took off first, his wings fluttering as he ascended above.
"Ready?" Delwyn said to Morgiana, holding out both his hands as if he was cradling a bag of air.
Morgiana gave him a playful smile then plopped herself into Delwyn's embrace. "Up we go."
Delwyn conjured his green mote to float beside him. After a brief chant, a burst of air propelled him up under his feet, and then another burst, and then another. It was as if under his feet were jet engines.
Delwyn caught up with the fairy as they ascended the abyss. They rose higher and higher, with Delwyn catching many lights dotting the walls of the chasm. Upon closer look, the lights came from carved-up rooms in the wooden walls with fairies inside. "Those are the lodgings of the flightless fairies." The fairy said, not looking back. "You'll reach the treetop soon enough, where the highest ranked fairies reside."
"So this is where those fairy servants were staying all this time." Morgiana said, wandering her gaze around. "I see nothing's changed even after many decades."
Delwyn blasted a burst of air on her face, tussling her hair.
"Keep a cool head Morgiana." Delwyn said. "We're not here for that."
"I know."
Soon they could see glowing white patches of light above. As they grew closer and closer, they were actually luminescent leaves, pure white in color. They finally reached the top.
With a final burst of air, Delwyn came out of the chasm and into the treetop, stopping his magic and settling onto a giant branch. He settled Morgiana to his side.
What they saw then was an entire town above the giant tree adorned with white beauty, with a tall palace set at the center. The roads were the actual branches of the tree, while the houses and buildings were made of carved wood like magic, with roofs patches of glowing white leaves. Delwyn peeked down below. Up high, no forest floor could be seen below, but instead there was only the faint scenery of the forest canopies and gold lights of the small city of Lelselone below. The town above the treetop was smaller than Lelselone but it was more beautiful than anything down there.
The night wind brushed up against Delwyn's hair, his skin gleaming against the pure white orbs illuminating the noble town.
The fairy then gestured to the palace at the center of the town. It towered above the rest of the buildings, like a wizard tower made of twisted wood.
"Follow me."
