The pair stayed in place for a few minutes, Lukas taking it all in while Calayis recomposed herself as best as she could. It was only when the dryad offered to give Lukas a tour that they moved. Naturally, he had wholeheartedly accepted, wanting to see it all.

Calayis led him through the glade along twisty foot trails, proudly showing off all of her well-kept gardens. In them she grew just about everything; there were fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and even regular flowers that just looked nice. Lukas was also surprised to find a good deal of plants useful for alchemy in the mix. Calayis explained that while they can be used in alchemy, they can also be used for other things such as cooking, something Lukas had some experience experimenting with.

Lukas was also shown the pond and many streams that branched off, going out into the forest or around the glade before returning. In both the streams and the pond, small fish could be seen swimming around in the water; they weren't for food or anything, but just a nice addition to the surroundings.

The cottage was what Lukas was most interested in. He was curious as to why a dryad would even need such a shelter. He quickly found out, though, as he learned that the building was mostly used as storage for harvested crops and was also used for cooking whenever the dryad fancied something to eat. Just outside the cabin, there was a bed and a loom for making tapestries and clothing, such as the dress Calayis wore.

Asking about the bed that was out in the open, Lukas learned that although dryads didn't particularly need to sleep or even eat, they could—and often did—engage in these activities for enjoyment. Calayis explained that as nature spirits like her progressed through the ranks, they were able to do more, shedding the limits of their previous existences. For example, dryads below a certain rank couldn't sleep—instead, they had to retreat into their trees for rest—and nor could they eat, having more in common with their host tree than with a person.

Calayis was at such a high rank that she no longer had to go into her tree for rest, nor did she really need to rest—she only slept when she felt like it. Upon inquiring further about just how powerful she was, Calayis could only shrug. She'd been alone for so long that, as she passed through the ranks, she'd lost track, having no one to compare notes with. She wasn't even sure of the limits of her power, relying solely on instinct.

As for why the bed was outside, Calayis liked looking at the stars.

"Would you like to go up my tree and look out over the forest?" Calayis asked, seeing Lukas look up at the crown far above for the umpteenth time.

"Really? That'd be great!" Lukas said. For a while now, he'd thought about climbing to the top of several taller trees in the forest in hopes of finding any clue as to where he might find civilization. There were several reasons why he didn't do it, though—mainly because climbing to the tops of those massive pines wouldn't have been a small undertaking and none of the trees he spotted were taller than the others by enough of a margin to be helpful. With Calayis' tree, that was different, as he assumed she had a way to get up there and it was one of the largest things he had ever seen.

"How will we get up there, though?"

Calayis just smiled and gestured towards the giant tree's trunk, indicating for Lukas to follow. Once they stood next to the massive tree, Lukas couldn't help but crane his neck and look straight up. While he gazed skyward, Calayis placed a hand on the bark of the tree before grabbing hold of Lukas' hand, startling him out of his revelry.

In an instant, everything went black, and Lukas was filled with many strange sensations and feelings that he couldn't explain. It was wholly unlike the experience of teleporting through the doors to Sera's cave.

Before he had a chance to properly register what was happening, light returned to his world. He was slightly disoriented, forced to hold out his arms to steady himself and blink hard in order to regain control. Thankfully, the disorientation only lasted a moment, and when he came to, he realized he was standing on one of the gigantic branches high in the air.

Looking around with wonder, Lukas couldn't help but feel like he'd been shrunken down.

Sunset had begun, casting everything a golden-orange glow while throwing long shadows down below. All around, more branches stuck out of the bough he stood on, filling the space with massive leaves as large as a two-story house. Before him, through the tangle of leaves, Lukas could make out the seemingly diminutive forest below; beyond it, he could see for hundreds of miles, all merging into an endless sea of forest. There was a small circle around them making up Calayis' territory, transforming the sea of pines into a refuge of maples.

There was no sign of civilization; no roads, smoke, or buildings could be seen in any direction. If Lukas didn't know any better, he would've guessed he was on a primordial forest world. The only problem was that what he saw seemed impossible to him.

Before Lukas could say anything, Calayis tugged on the hand she was still holding, taking him further along the massive bough. "Come on," she smiled sweetly, "let's watch the sunset; it's amazing from up here."

Lukas let himself be dragged along for a few minutes until they reached their destination. Calayis brought him close to the end of the bough, though it was still as wide as a two-way street. There was a large break in the leaves, providing an amazing view of the horizon and the sky, and Lukas could tell that this was one of the dryad's favorite spots.

The two sat and stared off towards the endless expanse of trees, watching as the sun began to dip towards the horizon. Far below, night had all but come, and far to the east, the first stars could be seen.

Lukas gazed out at the forest below and spoke, "I have a few questions that I've been burning to ask."

"Only a few?" Calayis smiled, "I could feel your desire to ask, but you've been holding back."

"Well, it's a lot of questions actually, but I've held off from asking for a number of reasons. You don't mind if I ask a few more than I already have, do you?"

"You've answered all my questions so far," she said, bringing a lock of hair over her shoulder to braid, "It's only fair that I do the same."

"Alright. First of all, how big is this planet? I look out at the horizon, and it just goes on forever; there's no curve or dip of any kind."

Calayis looked at him curiously. "I'm not sure I understand."

"How large is this world? On my home world, you can stand on the beach and see the curvature of the planet, but here, this high up, there's nothing."

"I don't know," the dryad frowned, "I'm not well-traveled or informed about this world. I feel as though I know more about yours than about my own at this point. But this world is bigger than yours, I guess."

"Alright, I guess I have to ask someone else at some point."

"That would be best. I'm afraid you and I are both ignorant about this world, and you'll have to learn more about it from somewhere else."

"Yeah, I kind of figured, considering your situation. But if you don't mind me asking, how old is this tree? How old are you? Your tree is bigger than anything on my planet; it must've taken an extremely long time to grow."

"Not sure," the dryad shrugged, "Time is a bit funny for dryads since we spend a lot of our younger years in our trees. It's even harder to keep track when you have no reason to. Being on my own for so long, I never really noticed the march of time, but if I had to guess, I'm over a few thousand years old—probably older."

Lukas reeled at the confession, his mind blown. Before coming here, the oldest people he'd ever met were his grandparents, who were in their seventies now, but next to him sat a being almost as old as civilization on his planet, and she looked like a teenager.

"That's, uh—"

Calayis giggled lightly, "People live longer here than in your own world, I'm guessing?"

"Most people don't live past a hundred," Lukas said, still gobsmacked.

"Magic helps; with each rank comes more longevity."

"How long exactly? And what are all the ranks?" Lukas asked eagerly. He wanted some of that longevity—immortality if possible—and he'd fight all the way to the top to get it. He also wanted to know what the ranks were; he knew he was copper now, with iron being the next step, but he wanted to know the full path of progression.

"I'm not sure about either," Calayis said, dousing Lukas' hopes, "I'm sorry I can't really answer your questions; it feels like I'm getting more from you than you are from me. I do know a few of the lower ranks, though. Copper is at the bottom—where you are now. Then there's iron, followed by bronze, and then silver but I'm not sure what comes after that. There are a few more, if I remember correctly, but I can't recall what they are."

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"You don't need to feel sorry; I'm not gonna hold it against you," Lukas said kindly, "I knew about copper and iron, but not about the other two. Do you know what the requirements are to reach those higher ranks?"

Calayis shook her head. "No. There are different requirements for nature spirits and humanoids like yourself."

"Damn. Oh, well, I guess I'll learn when I find other people."

Calayis looked at him curiously, her head tilted slightly. "Have you not met people before? I assumed you had, given your belongings and some of the knowledge you possess, but that would explain your knowledge gap."

Lukas scratched the back of his head, not entirely sure he should talk about Sera. Granted, he'd never asked her whether or not he could, but he decided to play it safe.

"I had a lucky encounter that led me to where I am now. I've only been in this world for a little over a month and have been wandering the forest."

The nymph nodded, not pressing. "So I assume you'll be wanting to find other people, then?"

"Yeah, that was one of my other questions. Do you know where I might find a city or village of some kind?"

"Hmm. I can't be certain because I've never seen it myself, but a long time ago I heard other nature spirits talk about a road that led to a city. They'd talk to the merchants that went by and spread gossip all over the forest. It was roughly southwest," she said, pointing off in the distance, "I'm not sure how far, but I'd guess it's a few days' travel—if it's still there."

"It's better than nothing," Lukas sighed.

"You know…" the nymph started nervously, "you're more than welcome to stay the night—or even a few days—to rest. I can fix up those clothes of yours and that cloak, and I can make some food if you haven't eaten in a while."

Lukas wasn't sure how to feel about the offer. On one hand, he wanted to find other people to connect with, but he also wouldn't mind taking a few days to sit down and do some alchemy. He was close to making a breakthrough with his potions and was confident that, given some time, he'd push through. There was also Calayis herself to consider. Lukas liked Calayis—he really did; she was a nice and sweet girl, and he didn't want to leave her alone so soon. He just hoped that nothing weird would happen if he accepted or declined.

Ultimately, Lukas nodded. "I guess I could stay a while, though I wouldn't want to impose."

"No!" the excitable dryad practically yelled before collecting herself. "No, you're fine. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like," she said, trying to maintain equanimity, though Lukas could see she was practically vibrating with excitement and happiness. Beneath his mask, Lukas couldn't help but smirk at Calayis' joy, even if the reason for it was a little sad.

"If you plan on going to a city, you might want to be careful," Calayis said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're an outworlder, and you have unique racial abilities, right?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I already know about all that. I'm not looking forward to what will happen when people find out what I am; I'm not dumb enough to think it won't come out eventually."

"Well, if you ever need a place to run away to and hide away for a while, you'll always be welcome here."

Smiling, Lukas nodded. "I'll take you up on that. I don't doubt that at some point I'll just walk off into the forest to get away from it all, though there might be a flock of girls chasing me at that point."

Calayis snickered, beaming. "I'll help you fend them off if that day comes to pass."

The two continued to talk for a while longer, though it was mostly Calayis asking about Earth again. Before long, the last light of day disappeared below the horizon, replaced by the soothing darkness of night and the stars. Lukas couldn't help but marvel at the night sky. Previously, he'd only been able to see small sections of it through breaks in the trees or in small glades and clearings, but here at the top of the world, he got to see the heavens in all their grandeur.

Eventually, the two fell silent, just staring up at the night sky above. Eventually, Lukas turned to Calayis, her breathtakingly beautiful features highlighted by the silvery light of the moon, and asked, "Do you think it'd be alright if I meditate for a while?"

"Meditate?"

"I like meditating at night; it's cool, calm, and helps settle the mind."

Calayis nodded in understanding before getting up, dusting off her dress. "Of course. I'll leave you here. Once you're finished, just call out—this being my tree, I'll hear you and come fetch you."

With that, the sweet dryad melted into the tree, presumably reappearing somewhere far below on the ground. With a faint smile, Lukas looked out over the night sky, ready to delve into his meditation, when a voice spoke next to him.

"Oh, sorry it took me so long to get back to you," Sera said, the schadenfreude thick in her voice. "I was just super busy with something."

Lukas jumped slightly at Sera's sudden appearance but quickly recovered, throwing a side glance at the goddess sitting next to him. "Fuck you, by the way," he told her telepathically, not wanting Calayis to hear him.

"Rude."

"You hung me out to dry, you ass. What if Calayis had some messed-up plans or attacked me?"

Sera shrugged, evidently not concerned. "It's not like I can do anything anyway. I'm not able to interact with anything or anyone while appearing like this, so I couldn't help even if I wanted to. Besides, I knew she wouldn't hurt you; she's a nature spirit. I'd say she's practically harmless, if she weren't one of the most powerful beings on the planet."

Lukas whirled on the goddess. "She's what now!?" he said, nearly losing himself and shouting the words aloud.

"You should've seen your face!" Sera burst out laughing. "Bug-eyed astonishment! I'm so glad I have a perfect memory as a goddess; I never want to forget that look. I might have to learn how to paint so that I can show it off to other people and hang it on the wall!"

Lukas huffed internally, not amused by Sera's ribbing. "Yes, yes, very funny. Now, is it true, or did you just say that to mess with me?"

"Oh, it's true," she said, recovering from her giggle fit. "She really is one of the most powerful beings on the planet—and certainly the most powerful in the region. You should definitely go to her for protection if things spiral out of control when people realize what you are."

"But how is that possible in a place like this? And what rank is she?"

"Well, she underplayed her age, for one, but not on purpose. Her kind do struggle with time, and when you're not part of a structured society, there's no real need to keep track. If I had to guess, she's roughly twenty thousand years old—probably older. It takes a long time for the magic of the world to shift. That, combined with thousands of years of having nothing to do but cultivate, makes it not surprising that she is where she is now."

"But doesn't the low ambient magic make that harder for her?"

"Not necessarily. The way nature spirits, especially nymphs, progress through ranks is far different from how you do. I won't get into the intricacies of how their system works since it's not pertinent information, but nature spirits only really need large amounts of energy when they're close to breaking through to a new rank. And, seeing as this little nymph of yours has claimed a massive section of forest with trees that are constantly taking in energy to feed her, I think she'll be fine."

"But what rank is she?" Lukas asked again.

Sera shrugged, looking out over the forest with interest. "I don't know."

"What? How don't you know?"

"You remember how I have certain restrictions with the blessings?" — Lukas nodded — "When I watch over you or interact with you directly, my senses and perception are lessened. The girl is obviously above gold rank, though."

"And what are the ranks? You told me about copper and iron, and Calayis only knows the ones up to silver."

"Not telling," she smiled sweetly, booping him lightly on the nose, her finger passing through his mask as though it weren't there.

Lukas scrunched up his nose, which itched after her light poke. He went to scratch it with the back of his hand but found it blocked by his mask. Grunting in annoyance, he lifted the mask slightly before scratching and then putting it back, all while Sera watched with amusement.

"You should bed the dryad, though; it will make her want to protect you even more if things go south. It should be an easy swing, considering how lonely she's been."

"Sera!" Lukas protested, horrified by what she'd said. "I am not sleeping with Calayis! And weren't you the one who warned me that sleeping around was a good way to get myself killed?"

The goddess waved away his concern. "I was talking about the young noble girls with powerful families and backers. The pretty little nymph is unattached, lonely, and already likes you. She'll be a great ally in hard times."

"Ignoring the garbage you just spewed, can humans and dryads even…?"

"Of course. Half-humanoid, half-nature-spirit people aren't unheard of, especially in high magic areas. I bet it's been quite a while since she's had a tumble—if she's even been with anyone."

"I'm not sleeping with Calayis," Lukas said adamantly. He liked the dryad, but not in that way—they'd just met, after all. She was mind-numbingly beautiful, but she was a bit immature, especially considering her age. It felt like he was talking to an excitable teenager during every conversation. Besides, he wasn't one to sleep around, as it was. He hadn't even been with…

Well, it didn't matter. "For one, she seems a little immature."

Sera scoffed. "She's incredibly mature. Nature spirits are childish and free-spirited by nature; hardly any of them become mature through the years. The dryad might seem immature to you, but she's not stupid—she's just excited, and some of that childishness is seeping through."

"I'm still not sleeping with her."

"I'm not sure she's gonna give you a choice."

"What are you talking about? She hasn't done anything so far."

"Not yet. But did you know that nymphs are very communal? They do almost everything together—from sleeping in a group to bathing together. They're all practically connected at the hip. And this nymph has been very alone for a very long time."

"You're kidding," Lukas grimaced.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you wake up one morning to find a nymph cuddling with you in bed," Sera grinned mischievously.

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