She offered Meyra a hand and the two walked outside. Ren’s mask was pushed out, as if they were pouting. Their head was resting in their hand as they looked out to the village. They leaned against the wall before following behind the two as they walked away from the center of town. 

Stasia guided them towards the tower before taking a sharp left. They stopped in front of a purple flower growing in between a pile of rocks. It glowed in the moonlight, the center a bright gold. Stasia placed a finger into the center, gold dust on her fingers. 

She placed her hand against the barrier, drawing a symbol with the dust. Her hands glowed white, along with her horns as she did so. Stasia’s hair began to float slightly as she mumbled something under her breath. Her body returned to normal as what appeared to be a tear appeared.

“Good luck,” Stasia said as Ren stepped though, but she stopped Meyra. 

“Please avoid barriers when you can,” she whispered before pushing Meyra through. 

She caught her foot on a root and fell to the ground. Meyra looked back and the portal had closed. Ren was nearby taking samples of the plants. She used some cleaning magic to tidy herself before catching up to Ren. 

The forest towered over them, the canopy so full it was impossible to tell the time of day. Plants grew from the bottom to the top, wrapping around the trees and dangling fruit well above the ground. Small plants illuminated the ground periodically, preventing Meyra from continuing to trip. 

Creatures crawled and flew around, with some producing a variety of colors through bioluminescence. It was loud with the sounds of animals, no obvious signs of monsters in sight. Water dropped from a large leaf into a puddle in front of them. Ren placed their container underneath and refilled. 

Ren took samples as they moved, Meyra staying up in the canopy and watching. She kept her distance, unsure of how Ren was feeling. Meyra watched the creatures of the forest react to their presence, with most scampering when she got close to the trees. 

“We're here,” Ren said as they opened the door to a shack. 

Dust had piled up everywhere, so Ren went outside. Meyra cleaned up before lighting a small fire in the oven. She looked in the cabinets to find the basic necessities, also covered in dust. Ren came back with some fresh food and prepared their meal while Meyra put their belongings away. 

After eating, Ren went out to scope the area. Meyra went further out, keeping the main road in view. She reached the lake on their map, watching the waterfall crash into the lake with seemingly no beginning. 

Meyra sat down by the lakeside, observing the surroundings. A creature splashed water onto her wing as it jumped in, making her giggle. Her smile fell when she noticed an odd spot on the other side. 

She flew over, observing a white powder covering the trees. It was quiet with no creatures in sight. Meyra pulled out a small lamp from her bag, illuminating the walkway. In front of her, the trees had collapsed to create a tunnel. 

The ground was covered in a whitish sludge that caused Meyra to gag at the smell. She winced when she heard a crash in front of her. Eyes glowed from the ground and Meyra ran to the front of the tunnel. A creature moaned as it crawled its way out, collapsing near the front.

It had wings of a stingray with no legs with a powdery skin. The creature panted, unable to lift its wings. It rested its head on the ground and laid still. 

Meyra slowly walked towards it and placed her hands just above the creature. She tried internal healing magic with no success, but external did work. The powder became a sludge and slid off the creature. A small pile of sludge had formed when she finished. 

The creature used its wings to prop itself up to lick Meyra’s face. She laughed and pet its head. It flew up into the air, circling around her as she walked back to their home for the night. The creature made a final chirp before it flew away, leaving her before she walked inside. Ren’s door was closed, so Meyra went to bed. 

Meyra awoke to see a flower left on the windowsill. She smiled, poking her hand out and grabbing it before closing the door. Meyra started to prepare their meal as Ren begrudgingly got out of bed. She set the table as they cleaned up, explaining what happened the prior night. 

“That's worrying, let's check before we move on,” Ren said. 

When they checked the tunnel, everything was gone. The trees were in a pile along the side with no sludge anywhere. Off to the side there was some powder on one of the trees that Ren got a sample of. 

They walked for days, resting at their designated locations. Meyra looked for anything out of the ordinary to no avail. There was no sludge or powder nearby where they were. The forest gradually began to fade as they neared the town. 

The ground became rocky, gems poking out of the crevices. The skyline opened, sunlight illuminating the ground. Some creatures came out of the larger rocks, the gems on their backs. 

On their last day, they reached a large hill with buildings scattered all over it. A large castle-like building was in the center with a higher density of smaller buildings around it. The Fae both flew and walked around, with some using creatures to pull carts full of gems. 

The buildings were tall with large open windows. People flew in and out of the upper stories, with some having shops along the windowsill. The Fae steered clear of the two as they closed in on the larger building. 

"Do you have a meeting?" One of the guards outside asked while beckoning them to open their bags. 

The guards cleared their throats when Meyra pulled out the gem Stasia gave her. The large doors at the top of the staircase opened and the guards moved aside. Ren began to pant while they walked up, Meyra went to offer to take their bags but they put their hand up. 

There was a large landing with someone standing inside holding a tray. They bowed their head and moved to the side as the two walked up. 

“Please place your belongings here.” They held out the tray and waited for them to place their bags down. 

“You will be seen shortly, please take a seat,” they said before walking off. 

The two sat at a table set with tea and biscuits. Meyra watched as the Fae flew up to the ceiling, passing through a set of doors that closed behind them. She didn't eat and looked at the ceiling, noticing a dislodged gem. Meyra flew up, gently removing the gem and pulling out a piece of paper. 

It was a child’s sketch of a Fae family. They all had silver-blonde hair and large wings that appeared crystalline. One of the adults had large jewel covered horns and vibrant blue wings. She smiled, placing the sketch back in its original place. 

They began to walk around, looking at the large library covering one of the walls. The other side had an opening with a large winding staircase. One of the ceiling doors opened with a bang as the door hit the wall. The worker checked it before giggling, seeing their expressions. 

“Please follow me,” they said as a ground set of doors opened.