Wraithwood Botanist

B2 - Chapter 45 - Nethralis

I’m sure everyone’s heard of a legendary location. El Dorado... Atlantis... the Fountain of Youth. They exist in every world and get passed down from generation to generation.

Well, when I rode Emael up the Callasan Mountain and entered that illusionary barrier, I found one of such locations. It was a mythical forest that I would struggle to put into words.

It appeared to be the size of a football field, but the space was magical. White trees with pink leaves spread out like aspens and small rivers spread through them as if it were a zen garden filled with perfectly clipped bonsais. In the center was a large walkway with stones that had been cut and stacked together like tiles, but there were drawings in them, as if someone had cut millions of pieces of rock and stacked them together in beautiful patterns.

I wasn’t sure where to look. Part of me was drawn by the almost supernatural order to the path, but the other part was looking at the areas lining the walkway. There were patches of various fruits and vegetables and herbs and flowers, each five squared feet with perfect precision, separated by white stone walls.

This has to be a garden, I thought.

It is, Emael answered after reading my thoughts.

Who’s garden?

Emael looked up. Theirs.

I looked up into the trees and caught the sight of wings flying past as creatures moved between the branches and leaves. They did an excellent job at hiding, and I was certain that some blended with active camouflage, but I caught a glimpse of a human head on a tiny body flying past a section of leaves.

Who are they?

Drokai. I’m sure you will have another name for them.

They look like fairies, I thought—

—and I was right. Mostly.

At the end of the path was a thick wall of bushes split in the middle, like a fifty-foot hedge maze. Before we reached it, a group of creatures met us.

A few were, in fact, fairies or pixies by definition. They looked just like me or Aiden, but they were around a foot tall, putting them at the size of a doll. If one were sitting on my shoulder, their head would be in a perfect spot to lean in and whisper to me.

But not all of our greeters were fairies. Some were vaguely human and smaller, the size of chicken hatchlings, and they had green skin and faces that looked like they were human faces, half-sculpted before refining details. Another set was gold, the size of large dragonflies without notable human features but flying and controlling themselves as an intelligent species.

All of them had the makin’s for cute beings, but all of them were hostile and chilling, radiating pressure that greatly outstripped my own.

What have you done? a male fairy asked Emael, back straight in his green and silver armor.

I’m here to see Nethralis, she said dismissively.

He sneered and looked at me with a chilling stare that made me feel cold and helpless and alone. Kline’s fur bristled, and he stood a strong front. We both knew the situation was bad.

You know who this is, don’t you? he said as he looked at me.

I do.

You mean to tell me that you know who this is, and yet you break our laws and bring her here?

She is Brindle’s student.

I know. He told us.

A cold electricity crackled around my skin, making me shiver.

Emael narrowed her eyes at the tenseness.

Then that should be enough.

It is not. Our reliance upon Brindle ended long ago.

You’re not relying, Mira. You’re utilizing. The elixir.

I pulled off my backpack and retrieved my last soul elixir—the first one he made. When the man saw it, he flew to it cautiously.

"You can open it," I said.

He did with both, and when he smelled what was sealed within, he looked at me with aggressive eyes. Where did you find this?

I made it.

No. Not this trash. The flower!

Don’t say a word. Emael ordered, releasing soul pressure that made him sneer.

You would seriously use this as a bargaining chip? We can save it. We can—

It is not for sale. If Brindle did not entrust it to you, neither will I.

But you will entrust it to her?

I didn’t entrust it to her. I doubt Brindle did, either. Now take us to Nethralis.

His nose scrunched in as he looked at the elixir. For this trash... he tapped the glass jar and released it in my hands. Unbelievable.

Nethralis paused thoughtfully. "I find that very hard to believe. You can still see, can’t you?"

She didn’t have a core three months ago. I saw her the day she arrived.

"I see... so she just survived this forest alone, created two cores, and achieved this level of purity?"

I will not repeat myself.

"Then tell me how."

Ask her.

Nethralis turned to me. "How?"

"Yakana..." I said earnestly. "He helped me build my cores... Elana, my alchemist patron helped me to create cleansing elixirs. Brindle... helped me with soul magic."

"You have two patrons?"

"Yes."

"And one’s an alchemist?"

"Yes."

"And they want resources and to sell goods?"

"Yes."

Nethralis gripped the rim of her cup with a reverse grip. "Tell me, student of Brindle. Do you know what’s happening outside these walls?"

My lips trembled, and I looked away. "Thorvel says there’s an army out there."

Nethralis paused. "Thorvel told you that?"

"Yeah. Wants to kill me to end it."

"And he didn’t?"

"We have a deal."

"What’s the deal?"

I leaned my elbow against the table and my forehead in my palm. "Yakana wants me to become a guardian. Brindle requires me to be a guardian for their patronage. Thorvel wants me to prove I can be a guardian. I have three weeks to prove that—or he’ll kill me."

Nethralis pondered my words. "How can you prove it?"

I grabbed my tea cup by reflex and shrugged. "I don’t know... I reached out to Brindle yesterday. Hopefully he’ll have an answer."

"And if he doesn’t?"

I pondered that question on my many hours of travel to the city of fairies, and I only came up with one potential answer.

"Brindle asked me to rid the river of lignan bugs. As a reward, he gave me access to a sacred location. If... I don’t have any choice... I’ll go there."

Nethralis frowned. "What’s it called?"

I thought about whether to tell her. The location wasn’t recorded and Lithco told me not to share it with others, but at the same time, this location wasn’t marked, either. Time was short, and trust was desperate, so I decided to tell her.

"Lake Nyralith."

Her eyes widened, and then her lips curved into a twisted smile. Emael also stood and turned to me.

"What?" I asked.

"He must either trust your skills without distinction..." Nethralis’s eyes narrowed. "Or he wants you dead."

My stomach dropped.

Brindle does not deceive, Emael said.

Nephalis pondered it and then nodded. "Suppose that’s true."

So?

The fairy tapped her finger against the rim of the cup she was sitting on. Then she looked at me. "You’ve somehow earned the trust of Brindle, Yakana, and Emael. And since you have a deal with Thorvel, you must’ve earned his trust to a degree, too... So I’ll trust you. But... I will not protect you. If Thorvel chooses to kill you, I will not aid you in that war."

I looked down at the cup in my hands. Somehow, it was still warm.

"That said, I will help you meet his challenge."

I looked up hopefully.

"If... we can trust one another." Nethralis pointed at the cup. "Because if you want to go to Lake Nyralith... you’ll need to drink that."