Chapter 165. The drain

After our delightful conversation, we fell into a rhythm. We would walk for about three hours, take a break, then continue. Only really stopping for longer when it became night. This continued for two days.

Dríade didn't need to sleep much, and while I could have just drunk Zeldi's milk and kept going, I was enjoying the adventure. Maybe a little less with how uncomfortable the ground was to sleep on, but oh well. I could have teleported home at night but that would have been rude towards Dríade.

Dríade, however, had opened up a lot after realizing I had no thoughts on taking anything away from her, and this only increased as we journeyed on. I now knew the exact measurements of her tree when she left and how quickly it was growing in comparison to the other Dryads.

"So, in all, the Dryads should all be able to create new bodies in about five days. Add another day or two in case they get a little complicated in their designs, then we should be able to double or even triple our current speed of farming." She excitedly explained. "We will unfortunately be focusing on farming right now, as that's more important than creating combat-ready bodies since Voras and Madu are dealing with anyone spying on us or just being a nuisance."

"That's fine," I spoke up, getting very few words in between her verbal flow.

"But we will be working on them. Hopefully, if my estimates are correct, the girls should all be able to create a second body in about ten days. That will give them enough time to create a pod for securing whichever body they are not using. I'm currently growing a third body that should offer some of the more supportive functions around the farm in the meantime, and it should be done by the time we get home."

"That's fine," I repeated, smiling to myself as I watched the Dryad continue to talk.

She was surprisingly chipper when talking about her Grove and what she had planned for them. A far cry from the grouchy woman she had been around me previously. Maybe we just needed to find the even ground?

"If we do happen to come across some more Dryads, that should speed everything up as well. I know it's a shot in the dark, but if we could somehow obtain a few that have decently established trees, then I could just skip a bunch of steps. Do you think the Deeds will tell you where to find any more?"

"I'm sure if you gave them a good enough reason they would do anything. Would having more Dryads increase how quickly you would move the Ley line?" I asked after some thought. The Deeds themselves weren't around to ask, not that it surprised me. Pretty much anything but my immortally was lost once I left it's boundary. Well except my inventory but I couldn't access the shop.

"Can't say without testing." Dríade groaned. "Everything would be so much easier if they all came to me. Kinda like how new Livestock just walk right into your life all the time."

"Ah yes. Same as you did, right?" I joked, bumping my shoulder into hers.Dríade tried to hide the embarrassment, but I still tinged her cheeks red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? I could have sworn..."

"Regardless! It would just be easier." Dríade interrupted me while trying to hide.

I tried to hide my own smile."How many Dryads would you want?" I asked, changing the topic. I was making good progress with her coming out of her shell, and I didn't want to force her to hide again.

Taking the bait, Dríade was more than happy to explore the change. "I would like to say as many as possible, but it largely depends on how big my personal room can get. No offense to you or your girls, Clovek, but even if the land grows, it is still much safer for us to have our trees hidden away instead of just 'on your farm,' so to speak."

"No offense taken. I've seen what Tarakona can do to trees accidentally, and that's not including her mother, who has cryptically said she would definitely be returning. Unless you need your tree specifically to be outside for any reason, I am all for hiding them away." I replied, getting a smile from the Dryad.

"Well, in that case, I think I could probably fit around one hundred Dryads in my room right now."

This time, I tripped."One hundred?" I questioned, catching myself before I could hit the ground.

"Yes," Dríade responded like it was natural. "I wouldn't want one hundred now, as some of that room will be designated to seedling Dryads, as I'm sure you've noticed the effect having a pregnant mare running around is having on the sisters. We are rather attuned to the scents that carry around the land when we're topside."

I hadn't, at least not yet.

"So there needs to be some space for new growth within my room." Dríade continued. "So... I'd say I could healthily house around thirty if I was to limit each of them to only having two seedlings each. With my own, of course."

I did the math. Thirty Dryads times three was ninety. Add Dríade herself, and you got ninety-one. Was she planning on having around nine children herself?Dríade carried on walking without elaborating further.

"I see," I said with a hum. "I didn't take you for the motherly type."

Dríade rolled her eyes so much that her head joined in the movement. "I'm a survivalist, Clovek. You have helped me survive, so it is only natural I procreate. I'd ask if you were against it, but I could just make a body you deem fit enough anyway. And yes, before you say anything, I am well aware of your insistence that I 'be part of your harem' if I want you to be the father."

She made a motion with her hands as she said the harem part.

"It almost seems like you don't want to be?" I joked, with a bit of curiosity added in.

"I have no need for a man in my life, Clovek. If I truly wanted to, I could designate another Dryad to be the progenitor and have them procreate with the rest of the Grove. That, however, does not mean I should." Dríade sighed before continuing. "Clovek. I want to show that I appreciate all that you have done, and with how you look at Zeldi and Tarakona, there is a part of me that does want that."

I was silent as I let her speak. The Dryad was not quick to open up; I knew that, but this was definitely a change to her tune.

"So I'll work on gaining your head mare's trust and all that crap, but just make sure you're prepared."

"Prepared for what?" I asked, genuinely curious as to what she was saying.

"For my Grove, of course. I may be the first one that will start growing seeds, but the rest will naturally follow. Just like Abelha and her hive, me and my Grove are a package deal." Dríade answered. "I just need a damn good way of telling Zeldi that or I'm shit out of luck. Any ideas?"

Nope. None at all.

Thankfully, I didn't have to answer as Dríade's antenna twitched. The movement forced her to look to our right and off the path we were following.

"Well, I think we've found your drain, and I think you're going to love it." She murmured.

"I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm in there," I said back, following her gaze but seeing nothing beyond more trees.

"Not sarcasm. More annoyance that everything just seems to go your way." Dríade replied.

I took it to be a good thing that she hadn't brought her tentacles up in preparation for a fight.

"That's great and all, but I'm still not seeing this thing that's draining the Ley line," I called back giving the underbrush another look.

Dríade huffed and stepped off the path. She didn't give me much choice other than to follow, though she was kind enough to use her tentacles to hold any wayward branches out of my way.

"The drain, as you say, is because of a fairy spring," Dríade said as she continued to walk. "I can feel it from here. Stupid things are as annoying as they are useful."

"The fairies or the spring?"

"Both. And you were right. Tarakona would have destroyed it the moment she found it." I got back as an answer.

Dríade stopped just as quickly as she had started.

"You don't seem like you want to destroy it," I said, coming up beside her.

Dríade had stopped right in front of what looked like a bird bath. Well, if the birds were smaller, elf-like creatures with wings of various colours that were slightly translucent and were all female, based on their proportions. Leaves covered the important parts though it was loose.

There were about seven of them in different colours, all milling around a small pool that didn't run to anywhere but was also crystal clear.

"There's a superstition that finding one brings you good luck." Dríade hummed before picking one up by its legs.

The fairy fought against the manhandling with a soundless squeal and rapid punches that looked almost comical given her size. None of the others reacted to one of their own getting kidnapped, though they did throw a look in her direction, so they knew something had happened.

"But in reality, they're just dumb creatures that gather together where mana is prolific." Dríade explained.

We watched as the fairy bit into her finger enough that blood began to form. Dríade didn't react and just gave a humph before placing the fairy back down.

"So what do you want to do about it? You need to get rid of it, right?"