Chapter 76. Dryad’s tree

"The back one." Zeldi answered pointing towards the room on the farm corner that had all of the windows closed. "Tarakona could you take the wall off?"

[Easily.]

"WAIT!" Dríade yelled as Tarakona extended a claw towards the back of the house. "Please be careful."

Voras picked the Dryad off the ground and held her up. Even after all the throwing there was no visible bruising on her body. The only thing that gave away what had happened was her wings. They were folded against her back but even under the silk we could see they were broken.

"I think we can all agree then that your tree is definitely here?" Voras asked.

"Yes." Dríade growled. "My tree is in the house. Well done for figuring it out now please don't break it."

[I would make that promise only if you hadn't come here to kill Clovek. But since you have there will be no guarantees.]

Dríade squealed as Tarakona ripped a section of the wall off revealing the old bathroom. Only this time a small tree had taken over that looked somewhat like an oak and cactus had a baby. It pressed hard against the ceiling acting as more of a support beam with the wall now gone and had spikes as long as my fingers that each gleamed like they were wet protruding from its trunk.

"That's... I was kinda expecting a giant swan plant." I whispered to myself.

Dríade tried to struggle even more but Voras's silk held strong.

Do not let the Centaur consume or touch anything from the tree. It is all poisonous.

I wanted to ask how it knew that but the fruit in amongst the leaves caught my attention. It looked something like a pear except a vibrant yellow.

"So we can all eat it but Zeldi can't?" I spoke my question out loud instead of in my head. It didn't make sense to me as we should all be invulnerable

No. She will have no ill affects but the child in her womb is not a Livestock and thus doesn't have my protection.

Oh.

Zeldi was looking at me with her head tilted to the side adorably.

"No eating anything from the tree for you Zeldi and no getting close to it as well."

"Why? It's a Dryad's tree is it not? I've heard they have some of the most sought-after fruits in the land." My mare asked but she made no motion to get closer.

"Because I've just been informed that it's all poisonous and while we are all immune our child is not." I answered.

Zeldi jumped in surprise and backed up until she bumped into Tarakona both her arms going to her equine belly as if she could protect it that way. My Dragon growled towards Dríade while her tail curved around to block anyone getting to Zeldi with the blade.

[Remind me again why I shouldn't destroy your tree?]

Frost gathered around us all far quicker than it had ever before. I could feel the clothes on my back freezing even with them being resistant from Voras's silk.

Voras herself seemed surprised at the speed of the temperature change and while a few of her own clothes were resistant not all of them were. What wasn't froze then broke as it became too brittle.

Dríade had the worst of it. She wasn't immune to the rapid temperature decline and had a layer of frost gather on her face before she could even register what was happening. The silk binding her lost its elasticity and became a tomb, restricting her breathing for whatever breath she could get.

"I-I d-d-id-nnn-t kn-now ssssh-heee www-aasss-ss p-regn-nannn-t." Came her reply through chattering teeth.

Tarakona growled again only this time she drew in a breath and breathed over the tree.

A solid layer of ice formed over the whole thing and the house before she stopped. It acted as a barrier to stop anything from escaping, or from any accidental touch.

[You come into my mates land. Threaten not only him but my sister mates child, for what reason?]

Voras had left Dríade on the ground and stepped to the side. She still didn't like the cold even though it wouldn't do anything to her.

"She would only have been trying to help you Tarakona." Voras tried to reason. "Just like me she has freed Livestock before."

[You killed my mate without asking me if I needed help. Your ass is here because of that fact and while I don't care about you there are ways you can be helpful. She threatens Zeldi's child! That is not a simple thing so why shouldn't I kill her now?]

I'd made my way around Tarakona's blade to Zeldi. She smiled when she saw me approach and pulled me into a hug.

"Because if she truly wanted to be what you think she is her tree wouldn't be here!" Voras yelled back. "I agree that her tree is dangerous but that's normal for a Dryad. They make their trees as hostile as possible to keep everything away from them. If she actually wanted to kill anyone she would have offered her fruit to them. Even Clovek while he's invincible on his land she tried to understand what was going on first before she did anything."

I physically felt the temperature rise a few degrees as Tarakona somewhat agreed with what was said.

"Look Tarakona. I know you're protective but at least hear her out. She shouldn't even need to bring her tree here in the first place so can we at least figure this all out?" Voras continued.

[Voras you are the last person who should be asking something like that. But I agree. If I find the reason for her tree being here lacking I will destroy it, so Dríade. You get one chance to plead your case.]

I gave Zeldi a kiss before I broke away. I was interested in the answer as well.

Zeldi moved closer to Tarakona, she found a comfortable spot between her front legs where she could see what was happening but also felt safe.

I mean if she stayed away from the tree there wasn't much that could do anything but I wasn't about to force her to do anything she didn't want to, and if that ment staying close to the massive Dragon so be it.

The tree was completely frozen in a way that reminded me of Tilty when she had been made a statue. The ice however was extending by at least ten centimeters as if it was in a prison of ice.

Dríade herself was on the ground shivering and rubbing her shoulders as if she could get any warmth to them. The silk bindings had shattered as they'd become to cold. The Dryad found my gaze as I came back into sight and pleaded with her eyes.

"Not really going to work Dríade. While you haven't done anything outright you haven't given any reason for being here apart from that you're here to kill me. If that's the case I don't see a reason to stop Tarakona."

The Dryad nodded as her lip quivered from the cold. "I-I help Livestock as Voras said but you struck me as odd. No one has ever been nice to Livestock before to my knowledge it just goes against how people are raised here."

That was something I desperately wanted this world to explain to me. I get so much more because the girls want to spend time with me so why is everyone else just an asshole?

"But your tree." I pressed. "Did it need to be here for you to answer that question?"

"No" Dríade relented with a sigh that could be seen in the cold. "I brought my tree here because I got a message that I would be safe here. From something connected to the Deed."

I looked towards Voras to see if she could answer that but even she looked confused. The spider woman caught my eye and shook her head. "Last time I saw Dríade it was just her body, her tree was safe somewhere in a swamp no one could enter. The time before that she had it in my own Deed but grew bored with how patient I was and moved on."

"No one wanted to enter." Dríade corrected. "Turns out if a Dryad Livestock is known to be living there there's ample reason for Interlopers."

"So you came here looking for safety?" I clarified still not seeing the reason why my farm was a safe place.

"I came here because I got a message from the Deed . It told me that if I truly wanted to be safe I should come here. So I did." Dríade answered as her eyes darted to her frozen tree. "I have been mistaken so if it pleases you I will leave."

"How?" Voras came back over and picked Dríade up. The silk was gone but her one-piece was still intact. "How do you plan on leaving with your tree? The Kobolds won't let you leave especially if you have to carry it somehow and the Drow are long gone."

Dríade opened her mouth then closed it. She had no answer.

Hey Deed or whatever you are. Want to clarify why she's here because of you? I thought you could only send messages out as quest rewards?

I have no answer for you. I did nothing to notify this creature and even if I had the option I would have found a more peaceful being. There is enough violence here between the Dragon and Spider.

I did. Well not here at least. Voras had her own quest reward that allowed me to notify unbound Livestock of farms that she is part of as safe havens. This is one and thus I notified Dríade when she felt panicked. I have unfortunately lost that ability now but I had some strength before I was consumed.

So you're the reason she's here then.

Yes.

That is unfortunate.

"What if she stays?" Zeldi came back onto the conversation and I realized I must have missed something important.

All eyes turned to Zeldi as she came forward. "What if she agrees to protect Master instead of killing him and to offer her services to us?"