What Side Didn’t Know Vol.3 – A1, C6: The Far and Wide

Okay.  Clothes, plus spares?  Check.

A few fruits for the trip?  Check.

Dryad Wood spear?  Check.

There isn’t much you need to bring when you can fabricate stuff on the go, is there.

Oh!  A tent of some sort.  I don’t want to be caught in the rain while sleeping…  Hm. Not sure how I’m going to do that though. The plan is to sleep in a tree.  Maybe drape a piece of fabric over the higher branches? I guess that will have to work.

Hammock, check.  I think that’s it.

As I finish my checks and preparations, the two dryadites show up.

“I’m going to be away for a while.  You guys keep an eye on things for me, and keep Mommy Lillia safe.”  I’ve long since stopped treating these two like children. I’m not sure if that is the right thing to do, but our relationship seems to have improved since then.  They come and talk to me more now. I really don’t understand Dryads.

They both nod, then each hand me a very small fruit.  I take them hesitantly.

“Only eat when you need lots of energy.”  Of the two, only one of them ever talks. I’d like to name them, for my own sanity, but whenever I ask they say it’s Gaia’s job.  I feel uncomfortable not saying “I’ll see you in a few days <insert name>,” but I don’t want to make a fuss about it. The other just nods along, or gestures.  I’ve heard that one talk only a few times. In my previous life, such a thing would be a travesty. It would be akin to child abuse to not force your child to talk.  We have plenty of time here. They’ll get around to it when they’re ready. It’s nice to not have so much pressure on your children. I get to enjoy them more.

All said this fruit worries me.  I put it in a small wooden cylinder I was keeping in my bag for odd things I would find along the way.  After closing the cap, and putting it away, I notice the two have disappeared, they’re sneaky like ninjas, those two.  Looking around, I spot them, they’re climbing Lillia. Probably to keep an eye on me for as long as they can.

Well, it’s time.

I let my concentration flow out through my entire body.  Think, flying isn’t hard, but it also isn’t like people in my old life would imagine it to be, with a jetpack, or jet feet.  I push those thoughts out of my head. From experience, they definitely don’t work out well. The balance and control are wrong.  It’s better to think of it like a fish in a wet nylon sock. I don’t know where I came up with that idea, but it works. Imagine myself the fish, I am the fish!  The air around me is the sock, and someone squeezes the sock at the bottom, shooting me out!

As I fly through the air, it parts before me, just like that imaginary sock opening as a foot goes in it.  There is a lot of particle creation and annihilation, as well as energy creation and annihilation going on here.  I find it easier to not actually think about it. Let my mind wander about. Focus on something other than the flying.  Just let my subconscious do the work.

Where to go.  Flying above the trees is amazing~.  Do I go to the Gaia Tree with the library?  Hm, I think Gaia and the bearfolk might not like that, and I’m not looking for a fight.  Melsy’s old den is over there too, but she demolished it when she went back for the few knickknacks she kept.  Her “dragon’s horde,” as it were. A piece of circuit board, some shiny metal (which I still can’t identify), and a seed.  Supposedly, it’s the seed of a Gaia Tree. Does that even make sense?

So, probably not to her old den.  Well, I guess I’ll just keep traveling west.  At these speeds, it would only take 2 or 3 days to travel around the world.  Well, my old world, at least. Having ice walls at the north and south poles, plus a ceiling makes me think that there is for sure something very wrong with this world.  Also, going west means I’ll be chasing the sun. More time to fly.

Melsssssyyyyyyyyy, I’m coming!

Whew, fly, spread my thoughts out, and listen for her thoughts.  If she really wants to hide, I’m sure she can. If there isn’t someone else near her, and she’s blocking her thoughts, I’m sunk.  Otherwise, I just need to get within a few miles.

*    *    *    *

And, day 1 is done.  I cannot believe, for the life of me, that there is nothing but trees and Gaia Trees.  Rarely, rarely, there was a “hill,” along with an accompanying, sleeping dragonfolk.  Where are the lakes? The rivers? Anything creative.  I passed, it must have been, twenty Gaia Trees.  No lakes. No water anywhere.

I take that back.  It rained.  Were there clouds?  No! Literally, some of the ice of the ceiling dripped down.  I inspected it.

I flail while thinking back.  This word is nuts.

I didn’t stay too long though.  I got this tingling on the back of my neck, saying that Gaia was going to skewer me just enough to make it painful but not enough to kill me, if I did anything other than look for a moment.

She makes me really nervous.

No Melsy though.

Sigh.

She can fly much faster than me, so it’s not too surprising.  She has a day lead, plus I’m flying mostly blind.

After exchanging some pleasantries with the local Dryad, I got permission to sleep in their Gaia Tree’s canopy.  I hadn’t thought of that before.

Much to my surprise, they even came up with me and built (grew?) me a little bed with a canopy of its own.  Amazing. Not only were they hospitable, but sociable.  Maybe my opinion of Dryads had been tainted by Lillia’s limited topics of conversation.

Why does everyone else also think they are dolts?

A mystery for the ages.

Tomorrow is another day.  Time to get some shut-eye.

Author’s Note: Thanks for the support! Sorry for being late. Work. 2x 3rd shift shifts. Hard to function.

Editor: DungeonPalmz