by Bruce Sentar
“What do you want with her? She’s probably with her tree.” The man was already turning back, trying to beat the small fire that had started in the kitchen. A dead gremlin lay on the floor in the heart of the flames.
Dar ignored him and stepped around to the back door, where he was met with the green-haired girl. She was sitting serenely, as if the entire town wasn’t going up in flames around her. She lifted a hand, carefully trimming a small cherry tree.
“A dryad,” Sasha whispered. “Spirit born of some dao of nature.” She said it like he’d understand, which really, she should know better than that by now. But then she glanced over, and there was a glint in her eyes. She was messing with him; she found his lack of understanding amusing.
He played along. “I’m going to need a bit more than that.” Dar gave her a cocked brow. “What does ‘born of a dao’ mean?”
Sasha smiled even wider. “Well, Lug, spirits are born when there is a concentration of both a particular dao and mana. They are literally born from the concentration of both, which creates a soul that already has mastery of that particular dao. From there, it forms a body and keeps itself anchored to this world through some object. Most often, they take on a human-looking appearance, though they almost always have extraordinarily bright hair.”
She pointed to the bright green hair of the girl trimming the tree. The girl hadn’t even noticed them yet; she was so focused on the tree.
“They are also obsessed with what they are bound to, and because they start as just a soul without a body, spirits bind to something physical to stabilize themselves in this world.”
Dar nodded, starting to catch up. “So what happens if the fire catches and burns her tree?”
“That would be very bad for her. She will probably do everything she can to defend it, even sacrificing herself. Though, if she is old enough, she might have the sense to move herself to a different tree.”
That seemed like the easiest solution. “Okay, so we need to get her to bind to a different tree,” he decided.
Sasha shook her head. “I don’t think that will be as easy as you think it is. You underestimate their attachment; she’s going to be obsessed with it, reverent almost.”
“Well then, what do you suggest?” he said.
“Think you can carry that tree?”
He chuckled but stopped when he realized she was serious.
Dar sized up the small cherry tree. It was only a little taller than himself, and the trunk was no bigger around than his arms. “If we can get it out of the ground, I could move it. A cart would be better though.”
“What are you two doing? I need some help here!” the tavern owner yelled out the door at them. Behind him, the fire was spreading. Luckily, the raw timber everything was made of burned far slower than pressed plywood.
Still, Dar realized they needed to hurry if they were to save the dryad. The tavern seemed like a lost cause at this point. The entire town was burning down, so even if it was saved temporarily, the fire would spread again from the town.
“Oh, hello! I remember you. Do you want more cherries? I have some that are extra sweet.” The dryad finally looked away from her tree, noticing them once the tavern owner’s yells had broken her focus.
The tavern owner was red-faced at her ignorance of his crisis. “I need you to put out this damn fire!”
She tilted her head like a confused kitten. “I don’t think I’d be much help with the fire. Besides, you told me not to use my dao in the tavern.”
The tavern owner’s face turned beet red. “This is an exception, you little shit! Put out the fire right now, or I’ll cut down your fucking tree.”
The cute, bubbly dryad’s face turned icy in an instant. Somehow, she gave off the sense of an animal with its hackles raised, but her physical appearance hadn’t changed at all. The owner sputtered, backing up.
Dar could feel electricity filling the air like before and whispered to Sasha, “Why does the air always feel so full of static when you or her get angry?”
“You can feel it?” Sasha looked surprised.
“I think tension in the air is just a phrase, but in this case, I’m actually feeling something in the air.” Dar could swear he felt it, but her surprise made him doubt himself a bit.
“That’s mana, the base energy that allows control of the dao. Humans can’t use or feel it.” She said the last bit softly enough that the owner wouldn’t hear.
Oh. So that’s why she was confused. He wasn’t supposed to be able to feel the mana in the air. But he did. So did that mean he’d have access to the dao she kept talking about?
He shook his head, tucking that into the back of his mind for another time.
“Excuse me.” Dar stepped towards the dryad, taking her attention off the tavern owner. Her face softened a bit as she looked at him, but now he knew to be careful in how he approached messing with her tree.
“There’s a fire brewing not only here, but also across the entire town.” Dar paused, letting that sink in as the dryad and tavern owner looked around at the surrounding buildings. “I don’t think the tavern is going to survive; we need to prepare for the worst.”
“What are you saying?” She didn’t seem to understand.
“If the fire spreads, then there’s a risk to your tree.” His words seemed to turn her ire towards him, so he quickly continued on. “I loved your cherries, and I want to make sure your tree survives the fire.”
She suddenly lit up. “My tree makes the best cherries! Here, have another.” She plucked a fresh one and offered it to him with wide eyes full of excitement.
“Thanks,” Dar took the cherry but tried to also continue the conversation. They were running out of time, and her focus had clearly shifted to the cherry she’d just given him.
He popped the cherry in his mouth, taking a split second to savor it. It was just as good as he remembered, but he didn’t have time to enjoy it more. He felt a stirring in his gut again, and with what he’d learned, assumed it had something to do with her being a spirit and the tree being tied to her. There was something extra special about these cherries.
The dryad did a few happy hops and grabbed another cherry for him.
“Please, we need to protect your tree. Maybe move it or—”
The tavern owner started yelling. “She needs to put out the damn fire in my tavern is what she needs to do! If she doesn’t move her ass, I’ll bring some burning wood out here to make it her problem!”
At that moment, fresh sprouts popped up out of the wooden wall behind the tavern owner, wrapping him up in rapidly growing branches. New shoots moved around his mouth, silencing him.
The dryad just sat there, studying him with her head tilted for a moment, before turning and holding another cherry out to Dar.
“She’s pretty strong,” Sasha commented, clearly not concerned for the poor entangled tavern owner.
He took the cherry and leaned down so he was face to face with the dryad. “We need to move your tree—it is in danger. Can you help us save it?”
“But it is fine, see?” She pointed to the tree, and Dar could already see flames licking at the sky over the roof of the tavern.
“But look beyond. See all the flames that are dancing out from the buildings and catching anything flammable that’s close by? Soon that will happen here.” Dar tilted her head up slightly, hoping she’d focus on the fire.
There was a slight frown on her face. “The tree is fine; we could hurt it if we move it.”
“That’s why we want your help.” Dar patted the tree, but her focus had shifted back to picking cherries. He decided to change tactics. “I want to keep eating your delicious cherries, but it might not be safe for me to stay here and do that.”
He could only hope he’d be speaking her language better if he kept the focus on the tree and the cherries she so loved to share.
The dryad bit her lip worriedly, like she was torn.
“Leave the stupid spirit. She’ll burn with my tav
ern, as she should!” The tavern owner had managed to free his mouth from the surrounding growth. She clearly hadn’t meant to leave him to burn, just make him quiet.
“Please, ignore him. We need to move your tree to safety. Trust me,” Dar tried one more time, offering out his hand.
The dryad gave him a slow, thoughtful nod, placing a cherry into his hand, clearly not understanding the gesture. “Okay.”
Sasha stood to the side. “Great, you convinced the dryad not to kill you if you uproot the tree. Now how the hell do you plan to get it out?”
Dar looked at the tree and the hard packed soil underneath it, realizing he had a new problem. “We need to dig it out with the roots intact.”
“Not a problem,” the dryad said, and Dar could feel the earth move underneath him.
Fresh growth started sprouting all around the tree, loosening up the soil in a circle while the tree itself shifted and raised out of the ground slightly.
He’d seen Sasha’s magic with her silk dao, but somehow seeing small plants growing before your eyes had a different impact. He was starting to accept that magic was very real here, and those who could use it were extremely powerful.
“Can I pick it up?” he asked.
The dryad frowned in concentration, and Dar felt more shifting mana around him.
“Now you can,” she said, and Dar ignored the tavern owner as he wrapped his hands around the cherry tree and lifted it out of the loosened soil.
His feet pushed into the soft soil, but the tree moved and slid out of the ground easier than he expected. Below the tree, there was a nicely tucked basket of roots holding a large clod of soil to the tree. There was enough weight at the bottom that the trunk started bending as he pulled it out.
“Careful,” the dryad fretted, running in a circle around Dar.
“We need a cart to bring the tree,” Sasha said. “You might be strong enough to carry that, but it needs to be supported at the base or it is going to snap.”
The dryad panicked even more. “No! Put it down. Now.”
Mana crackled in the air around Dar, and he set the tree back down. “Just getting it out of the ground. I agree. We’ll get it a cart.”
She ran over to the tree and hugged it, looking up and down its truck inspecting it for damage.
“She’s a nutty monster, and no one is going to give up a cart for her tree,” the owner spat, having freed himself and starting to grab things from inside the tavern rather than combat the fire, which was now starting to spread at an alarming rate.
Dar knew the man was right. Everybody was trying to evacuate; carts would be in high demand. He looked around, trying to put his resourcefulness to good use.
Spotting a few of the inside tables, he smiled. He ran in, grabbing a few of the round-topped tables and carrying them out the back door.
“What are you doing?” the tavern owner growled. “Those are mine.”
“They were going to burn anyway.” Dar ignored the man. When the world shit on people, they got angry. It was just a fact of life, Dar wasn’t fazed by the man’s anger. But he also didn’t have time to talk the man down either.
“Hey!” The owner tried to physically get in Dar’s way, but ribbons of silk appeared and blocked the man. He gave them one cautious look before backing away.
“Keep doing what you were doing, Lug.” Sasha pretended to be disinterested.
She had seemed unattached in helping the dryad, but now that Dar had managed to convince her to let him move the tree, Sasha seemed more than willing to help, seeing there was a chance to save the dryad.
Sasha seemed to repeatedly pretend not to care and be aloof, but Dar saw right through her. She was a big softie at heart. The witch had clearly been hurt a few too many times and kept her guard up.
“You know that thing won’t even put out for you, right? She only has eyes for her tree,” the tavern owner said on one of his trips.
Dar gave the man a repulsed look. “That’s not why I’m doing this. She’s more worth saving than you.”
“Monster lover,” he cursed and left them alone.
“Why are you helping her?” Sasha asked as he lined up the tables on their side.
Because I can’t for the life of me seem to not help the underdog. And I don’t care what it costs me. They deserve the help.
“Because she is innocent. I can’t watch while she either burns down or is left for the devils.” Dar stepped back into the tavern to break the legs off a table, coming back out with the large flat top. His enhanced strength was making this work easy. He thanked Lilith for whatever she’d done to his body.
“She’s a spirit though,” Sasha countered, clearly curious. “They aren’t really part of society.”
That didn’t matter to Dar one bit. “So? Should I not help her because she’s different?”
“She won’t return the favor. She’ll stay focused on her tree and her dao path,” Sasha continued to argue, but there was no heat in it.
“And? I’m not helping her to get payment. I am helping her because I damned well want to.”
He laid out the pieces he was going to use. He had what he needed, now he just needed to put it all together. There were likely copper nails in much of the surrounding lumber, but getting them out and back into a cart was going to be difficult.
“She could lash them all together for you,” Sasha commented.
“Could you with your ribbons?” Dar was actually curious. Her magic or dao path seemed to have very defined limits.
But she shook her head. “No, my dao contains softness and elasticity. It would be a very poor tool for lashing a cart together.”
“We need to have a talk when there’s time. How does your dao contain others?”
Sasha sighed. “Yes, later. The intricacy of finding one’s dao is not a conversation we can have at this moment. Just ask her to lash them together for now.”
“Hey—” Dar cut himself off, realizing he didn’t even know the dryad’s name.
She turned away from the tree, regardless. “How is any of that supposed to help?” She looked at the pieces that Dar had assembled in confusion.
“Sorry, I never got your name.” Dar took the time to ask, figuring it would make things easier.
“Oh! I’m Cherry!” The dryad beamed.
Sasha chuckled, watching from the side.
Of course that was her name. It sounded like a stripper’s name to him, but he wasn’t about to start an argument over it. No doubt she’d be reluctant to be called anything else.
“Well, Cherry, they fit together like this,” Dar held up the round tables to make a wheel and axle. “I need you to help tie them together. Can you wrap vines around the two bases?”
“You just want those points touching to be stuck together?” she confirmed.
Dar nodded and felt mana in the air again. New growth came out of the bases for the two tables and began intertwining until it became a single mass of solid roots. It kept spreading, breaking into the shaft and finally the tops, which were now wheels.
It looked ugly as hell, but he gave it a good shake and, even with his enhanced strength, the two tables, now an axle and wheels, were bound tightly. He smiled proudly at the clunky start to a cart.
And her ability here gave him another idea.
“I’m going to change it a bit.” He pulled and broke off the tops of the table. “Can you put a hole in the center of this so it fits on that?”
Cherry nodded, and in quick work he had an actual axle with free moving wheels. Next, they attached the flat top of the table directly to the axle.
“Great,” Dar said, already grabbing Cherry’s tree and carefully laying it on the flatbed.
He realized a handle would be nice, and after Cherry added that, she went a step further and added a netting of roots around the edge of the bed.
They had a cart.
“Great, Lug. Now I won’t feel bad when I feed you oats and pet your flank. Because you better believe neither of us
is going to pull this thing,” Sasha said, stepping further away from the tavern that was now fully on fire.
Time to hoof it. If they stuck around any longer, it was going to be trouble.
As he pulled the cart, Cherry hopped on and sat at the base of her tree. He was about to comment for her to get off, but she was pretty lightweight. With his strength, it didn’t seem to matter. She seemed content as she stroked the trunk, talking to it and explaining why they had to move.
She really was different for all that she looked human.
Sasha stepped up beside him as he pulled the cart. They weren’t alone any longer. Many people were outside their homes trying to gather their things and find some way to haul them.
Dar saw a number of quickly constructed sleds being formed as people tried to save what mattered to them.
The streets were becoming crowded as all the townspeople worked to evacuate. He followed their lead, hoping that they had a destination in mind, but also realizing that he was now going to be trying to start over with a bunch of other refugees.
All he had was the clothes on his back, his low-wage job with Sasha, and a never-ending supply of cherries.
Dar would make it work somehow.
Chapter 5
It was a sad sight as the town gathered as one, the town burning in the near distance. People had gathered their belongings on any flat surface they’d been able to find, using a cord to pull them along as crude sleds.
The town behind them cast an orange glow upon the crowd as they gathered, soot marking all of them as survivors.
He realized he didn’t even know the name of the town.
“This is what the devils cause,” Sasha said, watching the trailing villagers’ approach, dragging what little belongings they could save.
Dar shook his head. In moments, an entire town had become refugees. Was this common? He couldn’t imagine living with that kind of danger all his life.
He remembered what Lilith had said before he’d awoken in this town. He was sent here and destined to fight these devils.