Nocthrya

The mud squished beneath his bare feet as Nocthrya walked across the bare forest. Aenon-Friend had been gone for quite a while now, and it was quite lonely without him. But luckily he had Talia-Friend for company, and she was a lot of fun. Their escapades into the Treant-infested forest while hiding from grandma were an exhilarating adventure on their own.

They didn't really have to worry about any danger since Nocthrya's little army had grown to around fifty by now. And using his minions he had started to push back against the Corrupted ones. Not only that, but the purified Treants had also started to fulfil their true purpose: the restoration and maintenance of the forest.

Like attentive gardeners, the Treants had been carefully curating life within the desolated landscape, restoring it to its former glory. By now, Nocthrya's influence had not only grown beyond his misty domain, but using his wood soldier army, he had managed to take back much of the forest down south. Where earlier, it was him that was cornered in a small pocket of land, now it was the Corrupted that were surrounded. The dungeon node was their last bastion that they protected with all their lives. But as Nocthrya kept chipping at their power, it wasn't a question of if, but when he would manage to eradicate them all.

It was this tiny circle of about five kilometers—a little over three miles—that Talia-Friend and Nocthrya liked to adventure in. They would sneak out when the old human was asleep and explore the dangerous land. Why? Nocthrya didn't know. It was Talia-Friend's idea, and he just went with it.

"Look what I found Noct," Talia-Friend said cheerfully. She had found some shiny little baubble in some random crevasse.

Nocthrya's avatar walked over to her, the necklace of odd-shaped rocks jingling around his neck. Talia-Friend liked to add these rare finds onto the chain wrapped around his neck. It blended with his oddly shaped and colorful clothes—more of Talia-Friend's creations. They looked whimsical but were sturdier than they looked.

Nocthrya tilted his head at the little treasure. "What is it?"

"Can you feel the soothing wind from it?" she replied, caressing it with love. "I can add it to your protection locket."

Nocthrya nodded sagely. He could feel the wind mana coalescing around the unassuming stone. He didn't know how Talia-Friend always managed to find such oddities. It was almost like she had a knack for locating them. Unfortunately, it came along with trouble.

Roaaaar.

A loud growl pierced the air, making Nocthrya stumble back in alarm. His senses were limited outside the area where his Treants tended, but even so he didn't expect to be caught unawares like that.

The adult Treant that was waiting patiently by the sidelines jumped into action as the Corrupted quadruped charged at Talia-Friend. Nocthrya immediately got in between the incoming threat and his friend. But he didn't need to. Snake-like vines erupted from ground towards the angered creature. It tried dodging to the left but was instantly teleported into the trap anyway. The creature thrashed unsuccessfully as the shackles tightened. Within seconds it was entirely enveloped.

Nocthrya took a sigh of relief. This thrill was exactly why he liked going on these expeditions with Talia-Friend. That brief moment of danger was addictive. He turned towards Talia-Friend only to find her admiring her latest find. She had barely flinched at the danger.

"Wonder what I can do with it?" she quipped, completely oblivious to the world while under the shade of the Treant.

Nocthrya shook his head in defeat. Aenon-Friend had succeeded a little too well in making sure the girl didn't fear the world. It was as if the girl had forgotten the notion of danger. Not that she was in any, but it was never a bad thing to be cautious. Maybe that was the motivation for her recent adventurous streak.

"That was risky Talia-Friend," Nocthrya tried to mimic Velastra-Friend's tone. She had used it often during their brief fights together.

"Aenon is doing his best to protect us Noct," Talia-Friend responded a little too seriously. "We need to do our part too. And I know just the thing he needs."

"What is that?" Nocthrya asked curiously.

"When strength fails, it is a good piece of armor that protects adventurers," Talia-Friend said in a sad tone. Nocthrya could see that she was quoting someone else. Which was proven true by her next words. "My father used to say that."

"Is that why you have been searching for these things?" Nocthrya asked. His eyes wide in realization.

Talia-Friend nodded her head excitedly. "He is super strong. But super dumb too. He will need something powerful to protect him."

Nocthrya agreed with the assessment. After seeing Aenon-Friend's injuries after the Monarch-Bug fight, he knew better than most how reckless Aenon-Friend was. He knew firsthand how severe those injuries were as it had taken everything he had to heal his friend.

"You are right," he nodded. "So, where to next?"

"That way," Talia-Friend said enthusiastically before climbing onto the Treant.

The giant followed the command without question, lumbering slowly towards their next destination. The creature wasn't the fastest, but very few things could get through its defense, making it an excellent mount.

Nocthrya too joined Talia-Friend atop the Treant, laughing and giggling without care. She had a very wild imagination and liked to talk a lot. Something that Nocthrya enjoyed very much.

"Oh, there it is," Talia-Friend exclaimed. "That stone by the dead tree."

Before Nocthrya could say anything, she jumped off the Treant—soft vines breaking her fall—and ran forward. Nocthrya climbed down slowly, observing the surroundings as he did.

They were at the southernmost tip of the dead zone around the Treant dungeon. They had never come this far out before, but the entire area looked identical to everywhere else: devoid of any life. It saddened him to see a once vibrant forest in this state. But it didn't really matter anyway. He would cleanse this area too, one tree at a time.

Nocthrya whistled a soft tune—he tried that is, the skill eluding him like a ray of sunlight that was outside the reach of his branches. But as he approached Talia-Friend, he froze. Something was off. Talia-Friend was standing very still, her shoulders shaking violently.

"Look what we have here?" a human male voice grabbed his attention. "What are you doing here little girl? And what is this green-skinned creature? And how the hell are you controlling that Treant?"

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Nocthrya rushed over, protectively shielding Talia-Friend behind him. He mentally ordered the Treant to attack.

"Oh, none of that," the human waved some fancy stick that immobilized them. Nocthrya could feel the gravity magic weighing down on him.

"What's going on?" another human, a female this time, asked from somewhere to their left. "Who the hell are these kids?"

"No idea," the bad-human responded. "But they are somehow controlling that Treant over there. It's taking everything I have just to pin that guy in place. I can't even Identify the green haired creature."

"Hmm, you are right. It is an anomaly for sure. Something worth reporting back to the Lady."

"What do we do with these brats?"

"The System won't let us kill the girl. So, let's just take her with us. The other kid doesn't look human. Kill it along with the Treant. We still need to explore this dungeon and find out any clues about that mysterious dome of mist."

"What about the loot? I am sure there is some very high level magic involved that is controlling that beast. Just imagine what we can do with something like that."

"You know out orders. Report everything and surrender any unique items we come across."

"Yeah, but who is gonna know. We can just bury that thing here and retrieve it later."

Nocthrya felt cold dread at the casual cruelty the two bad-humans were discussing. A few more of them gathered around their helpless forms. But none showed any remorse or intention to protect them. He desperately tried calling out his other Treants. It would take a while for them to get here. He just had to stall till then.

"You will regret this," he announced boldly. "My friend will not forgive you."

That got him a few shocked looks.

"It talks?" the bad-woman said with an evil grin. "Maybe we take this one with us too."

They completely ignored his threat, instead discussing how to make a hasty retreat. Nocthrya wasn't worried about himself, this was just an avatar after all. But if Talia-Friend was taken…

Someone threw a powder all over Talia-Friend and Nocthrya. It made her fall asleep, but had absolutely no effect on him.

"Strange. The sleeping herbs aren't working on him," the bad-man frowned.

Nocthrya racked his brain in desperation. He had to protect Talia-Friend. Plant based concoctions wouldn't work on him, but there was always a way to subdue anyone. He tried calling the Treants again, but they wouldn't get here in time.

In a last-ditch effort, he commanded his avatar to blow up. His body started to swell in a grotesque fashion, alarming the humans who retreated in a panic. But unlike a normal explosion, his form didn't cause damage. Instead, thick vines erupted and enveloped Talia-Friend's unconscious form. His body had turned into an unbreakable cocoon.

"What the…," the bad-woman cursed. "Someone start cutting this up. We need to leave in case they managed to call for backup."

Nocthrya didn't like using this form, as he couldn't use his avatar after that. It was a life saving Spell that put his allies in a healing sphere at the cost of him losing mobility. It was good for one thing: isolating the injured from more harm, and healing them in the process. But unfortunately, it had a timer.

The party of bad-humans started hacking away at the vines, desperate to reach their target. But Nocthrya's shield held. For now.

"Maybe we just blow it up?" someone spoke from outside.

Another major drawback of this form was the loss of sight. Nocthrya could still sense their souls since that is how he normally perceived the world around him.

"The System will not like an offensive action against a juvenile. Even if it doesn't cause any damage."

"Ugh. I hate whoever designed this System. What's the big deal with a few slight burns on a brat. It is her own fault for wandering out on her own."

The attacks continued as Nocthrya channeled all the healing magic to ensure his vines stayed strong. The Treants were ten minutes out, but he didn't think he would last till then. He even tried reaching out to Aenon-Friend, but it was taking all his concentration to fend off the attacks. He regretted not contacting him sooner.

Just as he about to lose consciousness, a peculiar sound reached him, along with a familiar soul.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The light tapping of a walking stick punctuated the air as Granny-Ashvein trotted towards them at a leisurely pace.

"My, my. Five adults against two children and a Treant," her gravelly voice said coolly. "Not very chivalrous, are you?"

"Who is this hag?"

"And no respect for your elders, either. Tch tch tch."

Nocthrya didn't know what to feel. On the one hand, he felt relieved that someone he trusted was here. But on the other hand, he didn't know how this would help. But the tone in her voice confused him. He didn't detect any trace of fear from Granny-Ashvein.

"Granny-Ashvein—," Nocthrya tried to warn her mentally.

"Its alright child," she cut him off. "You can rest now."

Nocthrya sensed three of the bad-humans running at the frail old woman. Yet, she didn't budge an inch. Instead, she raised her stick higher than normal and stuck it hard on the ground.

And then there were two bad-humans left. The other three were just blood stains on the forest floor.

Nocthrya didn't even understand what happened. A confusion the survivors shared.

"What the hell?"

"Who is she?"

Nocthrya thought he knew how terrifying an Aura could be. How unsettling its effect were. But as he lost consciousness, he felt something he hadn't thought was possible. An Aura descended on the clearing that far exceeded any he had experienced in his short life span. And it pulverized the remaining two bad-humans into paste.

Nocthrya's consciousness catapulted back to his true body. Usually, he was content being a tree. But it was moments like these where he felt the desperation of an immobile entity. He mobilized all the Treants he could towards Talia-Friend and waited.

Each second was pure agony. Each passing soul jolting him into alertness.

It took almost thirty minutes for a response from his Treants that they had rescued the two humans. He felt so relieved that he didn't even notice the plurality in that statement. It was only after another six hours that he felt the souls entering Reality's Edge.

The Treants were back, with two unconscious bodies hidden in their branches. Talia-Friend was nestled next to Granny-Ashvein. His relief immediately turned to worry as he directed the Treant towards a healing pool.

There was nothing he could do with Talia-Friend as she was merely sleeping. But the unconscious form of Granny-Ashvein made him fret. The Treant placed the fragile body in the water and retreated. Talia-Friend was placed on the side, safe and sound.

He immediately got to work, trying to repair any injuries Granny-Ashvein may have suffered. But before he could begin, she woke up and climbed out of the pool.

"Are you okay?" he asked her mentally.

"I am okay, child," she replied weakly before collapsing next to Talia-Friend. She studied Talia-Friend before breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Grann—"

"What were the two of you doing out there?" she asked sternly.

Despite knowing she was injured and weakened, Nocthrya felt pure terror. He quietly explained their secret expeditions into the forest around the Treant dungeon. She listened without a word, but the silence was scarier than the chastisement that was about to come.

"What will I do with this girl?" she finally asked. Her voice sounded sad, not angry. "And you. How can you so carelessly wander the forest after all you have seen?"

Nocthrya's leaves drooped in shame. "We just wanted to help Aenon-Friend with the war," he said timidly.

Granny-Ashvein was quiet after that. Her thoughts and feelings were hidden from Nocthrya. He always assumed it was because she was old, but for the time Nocthrya felt like there was more to the old human.

"War is nothing but a way for old greedy fools to entice the brash young ones into throwing away their lives for nothing," she finally said morosely. Her voice sounded ancient; her tone filled with unbridled pain.

A peaceful silence descended on the meadow as a cool breeze made the grass sway. Granny-Ashvein also lay down, exhausted.

"Granny-Ashvein," Nocthrya said cautiously. "If you lie down in the pool, I can heal you."

She didn't even open her eyes as she responded with a gentle smile. "There is no cure for old age, boy. Just let me get some rest."

Nocthrya let the two sleeping humans be, scolding himself intensely for putting them in danger. He immediately recalled all the Treants to set up a perimeter around Reality's Edge. He didn't know what other dangers lay out there, but he wouldn't let anything encroach upon Aenon-Friend's land.

He now understood why Aenon-Friend was fighting; and why he was so reckless in his actions. The world was a dangerous place. And he was trying to carve a little piece of paradise amid the hell of reality.

He understood why Aenon-Friend named this place Reality's Edge. Since that was the only place, they could ever be safe.

Nocthrya reached out to the dormant Treants with his roots. He activated the runic circle Borin-Dwarf had made to boost the cleansing process. But he didn't simply activate it. Everyone—including Talia-Friend—were doing their part to help Aenon-Friend.

It was time for him to do his.

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