Aella watched the hydra play on the slides she had constructed throughout the city. The townspeople who came to live here would probably think it was weird, but the children would love it. She tried to tell Ruth that she would be back later, not to worry if they couldn"t find her, but the hydra didn"t pay any attention to her. There was a whole city of fun for them to explore."Where are we going?" asked Precious with a yawn.
"I think we might go visit the world tree and ask it if it"s the one behind all of the new people coming to the realm. I can"t really tell it not to bring new creatures, but if they have civilizations, I need to know so I don"t cause harm like I apparently did with the tentacle people," she said.
"Tentacle people?" asked Precious with a look of incredulity.
"Hey, that is way easier to remember then celiwhatever," defended Aella.
"I agree, but I don"t imagine they will appreciate the new name you"ve given them," said Precious.
Aella sighed. He was right. If she was going to be in charge of protecting the various people of the realm, she needed to know how to refer to all of them.
"Cecaelia, better?" she said, turning away from her new trade town and teleporting to just beside the world tree.
Precious perked up his ears and quickly looked around, as if hoping to see the behemoth around, but Aella was relieved to see Stella and her pet were not in sight.
"Welcome, child of the realm," said a deep musical voice.
Aella looked up to see a face appear on the side of the tree trunk before her. The tree itself had grown so large, it felt as if she were standing next to a wall, or cliff, rather than a tree.
"h.e.l.lo, World Tree," said Aella, feeling clumsy and uncomfortable talking to a tree. "I came to ask about the new creatures I have been seeing around the realm. Are you bringing them from other realms?"
The tree chuckled, which was very unsettling, because it reminded her of the groaning of wood before it broke.
"I started bringing in creatures and birthing them, the moment the magical storms abated. I believe you were preoccupied inside a volcano at the time, to have noticed until now."
"Are the Cecaelia the only sentient race, and why the giant creatures in the waters?" asked Aella, trying to think if there was anything she could do, if the world tree and her didn"t get along.
"No, the Cecaelia are not the only sentient race I have added to this realm. The fairies needed more blood to prevent inbreeding, so I added more of them. There"s also a sprinkling of other intelligent beings that I"ve added to unpopulated areas," explained the tree patiently. "As for the giant creatures in the waters, they were not nearly as large when I brought them over. When I saw how the magic of this realm was reacting to them, I stopped bringing over any other creatures from that realm. I don"t think the Cecaelia people will grow when exposed to excessive amounts of magic, but it may be worth noting as a possibility in the future."
"I need to know about the various sentient races, so I don"t cause them any harm, trying to help other races," said Aella.
"That will be interesting, since some of the races are aggressive to others. It"s a pity you killed the last furred snake. I would have liked to have more of them, but I can"t find them anywhere."
"Wait, what?" asked Aella, trying to remember a furred snake she had apparently killed. "Did I kill it personally, or did it die from the storms?"
"No, most of the creatures that died from the storms I have already replaced or brought more of them over. The furred snake you killed before I was brought to this realm by the World Tree Guardian."
Aella blinked a couple of times before she realized the world tree meant Stella.
"I honestly don"t remember killing a furred snake," said Aella with a shake to her head.
"Yet, you have it"s fur on your bed?" said the tree, giving her a smile. "If you would bring its fur to me, I might be able to birth new ones.
"That wasn"t a snake!" cried Aella, suddenly realizing what the tree was talking about. "That thing had legs and claws!"
"Yes, it had grown some to try and survive longer, but the original race did not have them. That race is very rare and no other world tree in all the realms has ever seen one. I am very excited to try and bring some back."
"What"s so special about them?" asked Aella, thinking about having to give up her fur. It was very soft and she would miss it, but she didn"t sleep anymore.
"They are very wise, but also very deadly. Most races hunt them because of the threat they pose, despite their attempts to hide. If you ever get a chance to talk to one, it can often answer any questions you might have, and could help you with just about any problem you have. I know Bob would absolutely love one as a friend."
Aella paused. If she could get rid of her debt to Bob by giving up her fur, she would in a heartbeat, but would it backfire on her?
"How deadly are they?"
"They are known to be the deadliest thing in all the realms. Since we don"t have any living to know for sure, the consensus is that it has the most potent venom of any other living thing."
"Then why bring it back?" asked Aella incredulously.
"Just because something is deadly, doesn"t mean it can"t be useful. Look at your Firion."
Aella nodded thoughtfully. The tree had a point.
"I"ll bring you the fur, and you can try and do whatever you want with it, but I want to know of all the sentient races," said Aella.
"Alright," said the tree, forming a bud in front of Aella. "Eat this fruit and you will be granted the knowledge of all of the sentient races on this realm, as well as any I plan to bring to it. That way you can also debate with me over which ones not to add."
Aella winced as she took the sticky ma.s.s off the tree. Glancing over at Precious who wrinkled his nose at the grape sized fruit, Aella popped it into her mouth and began to chew. It didn"t really have a flavor, more of just a texture. She found it very difficult to chew, which was hard to believe considering some of the things she had eaten in her past.
"As the realm guardian, you need to have a say in how to protect the realm," said the tree.
"I"m the King of the Realm, not the guardian," corrected Aella after swallowing the strange fruit.
"It"s the same thing, really," said the tree, giving Aella the feeling it was shrugging at her. "You should probably wait to visit with the sentient races until after the full moon. I"ve spoken to the realm about your potent pheromones, but the realm didn"t seem interested in removing them. We may have to figure out a way to tone them down, or you need to have a child to calm your body."
"Why does everyone want me to have a kid?!" cried Aella, throwing up her hands. "I hate kids! I wouldn"t babysit Joseph"s except he"s a G.o.d and practically throws them at me!"
"Joseph"s mother can"t handle the kids for long periods of time, and most of the others who could watch them, need breaks. I must admit I was surprised when Joseph chose you as one of the new people to join the rotation, but it makes sense now that I"ve had a chance to meet you."
"But why?!" asked Aella. "I don"t have any experience with kids! And if they so much as get a scratch, I"m sure Stella will skin me alive!"
"Wait, Joseph has a mother!?" exclaimed Precious.
"Stella might skin you alive, but because of your past, you make a good subst.i.tute mother for the kids. They are used to killers in a mother"s position."
Aella stared at the face in the tree trunk as it watched her. Stella was a mother… and a terrifying killer. Aella wasn"t opposed to killing people, as long as there was a good reason. With that logic, she could suddenly understand why Joseph chose her as a good babysitter. c.r.a.p! Those kids were going to be terrifying when they were grown! Heaven forbid whoever they chose as mates not be approved by Stella.
"Aella, how can a G.o.d have a mother?" asked Precious, batting at her face to get her attention.
"Oh, Joseph hasn"t always been a G.o.d," chuckled the tree. "He was born a normal human."
"You can understand me?" asked Precious, snapping his head towards the tree.
"You can understand him?" asked Aella, snapping her head up as well.
"I am the world tree…"
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