Chapter 182


    "What did you say your name was again?''


    "Aiden," I replied as the curvy dryad leaned up against me and ced a hand on my chest.


    "A lovely name," she said in a sweet voice.


    During our tour with Garth, we''d met quite a few people and had ended up deciding to take a break and get something to eat while speaking some more.


    Shana, the dryad who was currently staring up at me with those beautiful green eyes of hers, was one such person. She was a dryad with skin the color of warm chocte and long brown hair that framed a very attractive face. Zirani hadn''t been joking when she had said dryads were naturally beautiful. In fact, every woman I had seen so far was beautiful.


    Misty who was nearby nced my way and smirked. She found my predicament amusing, and I could tell she wasn''t too worried about anything happening, not that she needed to be. I would never betray any of them and I wouldn''t sleep with anyone else, without their permission of course, or go ahead. It was odd in a way, very odd, that Misty''s problem wasn''t me sleeping with others, just that she was ok with it.


    In a way, it seemed as though Sandra and the others saw sex as a pleasurable act rather than something wholly integral to our rtionship. We all really enjoyed it, but it was love that tied us together, not that I would ever be ok with them sleeping with other men. It was hypocritical, but it just wouldn''t happen, and I was happy to note thedies felt the same.


    Misty was currently in conversation with Venn, a wood spriggan. He looked like a human just with smooth bark-colored skin. He wasnky and like most of the dryads, I had seen so far, had a shade of green eyes.


    I felt Shana''s hand trailing up my torso and I nced down to see her smiling up at me. I couldn''t help but notice the predatory gleam in her eyes. Apparently, the dryads of the court were actually a mix of dryads and nymphs. Shana exined it as a sort of mixing that had urred after the cmity, and that dryads had already had a higher than normal sex drive so mixing with nymphs had ramped that up, alongside making them more powerful.


    That exined why all the dryads look drop-dead gorgeous and gave off a very attractive scent that set my libido off, not to mention that stare they could give you.


    It had happened the first time I had looked into Shana''s eyes. I had been absorbed into them, but before anything could happen she had broken it off and apologized profusely. I hadn''t really been angry and had actually asked her to try it again to see if I could break free from it. It turned out I could, but only if I was prepared for it and my instincts hadn''t considered it a danger, at least not from Shana. Outside interference could also break it, It was simr in a way to Misty''s charm but less intrusive and more like an enming of desire that was already there rather than a sort of mental control.


    Shana exined that if she had hurt me then the gaze would have been broken and that it was only useful for attracting people and calming people down sometimes, though apparently more powerful and elder dryads could do more, and some actually awakened dream aether.


    It was very interesting and I would be lying if I said that I didn''t like her body pressed up against me. She certainly had a very voluptuous body and knew how to work it. At one point she had picked a flower and then ''identally'' dropped it. When she had bent down to pick it up, her ass had been on full view for me. She was only dressed in a loose shirt and skirt made of vines. She had not been wearing any undergarments.


    "Shana, do you mind showing me some of your clothing?" Misty asked. "I''d be really interested in seeing some."


    Shana frowned but then perked up, pping her hands. "I know just the thing that would look good on you."


    She grabbed Misty''s arm and began dragging her away. "And Garth said I wouldn''t need so many clothes."


    "I only said it wasn''t a requirement," Garth replied.


    "Very lively," Imented as I watched the twodies walk off.


    "Most dryads are," Venn said as he turned to me. "She and Misty are probably going to spend quite a bit of time together. Ermm, Aiden I don''t want to offend, but is it true you and princess Zirani are…"


    "Bonded," Garth finished. "I too have been wanting to ask."


    I nodded. "Yes, I and Zirani are bonded. We have been for some time now."


    "The princess is bonded then," Garth murmured. "This will shocking news to the court, though most will be happy she is simply alive.."


    Venn nodded. "They will. Her death caused much grief, though it also sparked a lot of change."


    "How so?" I asked.


    "The green court had been very peaceful and quiet the past few years," Garth said. "Not weak, but more lenient, and forgiving. That was until the princess''s death or supposed death now. The queen began a crusade of sorts. Oldnds were brought back into the court, enemies destroyed, and problems fixed. It was most beneficial for the court, and we are stronger than we have been in a long time with more territory and power."


    "Alot of inner squabbles were also taken care off," Venn said. "The lord anddy who ruled my city were less thanw-abiding and bent many rules. After the crusade as Garth put it, both are now very, very careful as the queen threatened to strip them of their titles. She did so for many lord anddies and I believe she herself said that she would no longer allow just anyone to be lord ordy, or so the I was told."


    It seemed that Zirani was really an important figure and that her death had caused quite the ruckus. I imagined that Zirani would be pleased with that as her death hadn''t just caused sadness. I know if I ever died, I''d want my death to mean something, not that I did n to die. I had a mountain to climb, and I would be leaving death to wait forever behind me.


    We spoke some more until I heard a loud cough, and turned to see Misty walking over with Shana.


    I whistled as I took in her new dress. It was made up of two parts, the lower clothing was a pair of small white shorts with golden carvings matched by a bra above that was made up of multiple pieces of fabric in a design that made it look like numerous vines tying together around her body. Over that was a blue see-through dress with embroidered silver flowers and other designs. It was revealing yet at the same time not.


    "Wow," was the only thing I could say.


    "She has a perfect body type," Shana said. "The pale skin, curves, and looks. Well, she puts me to shame."


    Misty rolled her eyes. "I''m not that pretty."


    "Yes, you are," I said. "But so are you, Shana."


    The dryad blushed and I got a smile from Misty who had frowned at the self-deprecatingment by the dryad.


    "Ok, now I think I''d like something more casual," Misty said. "This is amazing and all, but distracting."


    Shana smiled and tapped a finger against her chin. "Maybe a short skirt and blouse, or tight dress?"


    The two walked away once again, and I couldn''t help but stare at Misty as they did. I definitely had to ask Shana if we could borrow that dress.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever met such a kind vampire," Garth said.


    "Definitely far nicer than the red ribbons," Venn said with a scowl.


    Garth sighed. "You still angry about the fire."


    Venn scowled. "Yes."


    "It was an ident," Garth said, clearly trying to console the spriggan.


    "She got drunk, and then tried to toss me into a bonfire," Venn said. "When I told her to stop, she said kindling wasn''t meant to speak. We didn''t even need the bonfire, who would need such an outdated and barbaric way of producing heat and light."


    "Red ribbons?" I questioned.


    "Vampire group," Garth exined. "They came with the expedition as bodyguards for an alchemist."


    "And they tried to burn you?" I asked.


    Venn nodded. "One of their members did, yes. Luckily. I was saved, though the vampire wasnt nearly punished enough. What use is keeping blood from them when they just drain beasts out in the scar."


    "Calm down," Garth soothed. "We won''t let it happen again, and you knowdy Aeverie will act personally if it does."


    "If she gets told in time," Venn said angrily. "Julian just watched the first time."


    This time Garth did look annoyed. "I dislike him just as much as you do."


    "And me," I added. "I''ve only known him for an hour and he seems like a ss a prick."


    "That''s putting it lightly," Venn replied. "You should have seen what he tried to do when one of the thousand drop sect disciples made ament about thedy Aeverie''s beauty. All he said was that she looked pretty, and Julian tried to kill him."


    Venn shook his head. "I don''t know why she keeps him around."


    It did seem like he was more trouble than he was worth, but then again there was probably a reason I didn''t know. Who knew, maybe Zirani could tell meter.