The Lycan’s Bride

Chapter 5: Dryad Community

Lara’s Point of View

It took me a while to find the spring that lizard jerk was talking about since he did not specify where to find it and I forgot to ask, too. It’s just a few steps away behind the fortress. And it looked like it has been regularly used since there were piles of rocks in some parts of the spring to hold more volume of water and some were even purposively arranged to form a tub.

I looked around to check if the place is secured, and even though I was told that it was just the two of us here, my anxiety kept on telling me that someone might peek while I bathe, so I decided to keep my dress before submerging myself in the water.

I closed my eyes and moaned in pleasure as the cold and fresh water enveloped my body. It soothed not just my body but also my mind. The relaxing feeling made me focus and locate the parts of my body that hurt and need attention. I am glad my foot does not hurt that bad anymore. Maybe in a day or two, I will be able to walk regularly and I can freely roam around and explore not just the fortress but the domain itself.

I am really interested to see the dryads in person. I just knew them from books given to me back in the human realm, and I really want to see it personally how accurate the descriptions were.

After a few minutes, I decided to get out of the water since I don’t feel clean even though I thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed my body. Something is lacking—and that’s soap and shampoo. I’ll ask that lizard later if they have those here in this realm.

I wore one of the dusty clothes since I got nothing to wear then washed the others. And what’s more? I am not wearing anything underneath because my undergarments were all wet. Amazing, just amazing! It’s completely uncomfortable. Every step I make, I feel like the air is blowing my vagigi. The only thing I like about not wearing anything is the freedom it gives to my breásts.

I hung my clothes under direct sunlight for them to dry faster, and then I went back to Cragore’s room to ask him a favor. I made sure to knock because I do not want to see him n***d again—it was mesmerizingly traumatizing.

I shook my head when the scene where I saw his massive thing popped like a flashback in my head. “Seriously?” I whispered to myself.

I almost jolted when the door suddenly opened and Cragore came out with his usual blank-looking face. “What?”

“Can you take me to the dryad community? I really need to get some important things there,” I told him, looking straight into his crimson orbs. “It’s not food,” I added before he starts to think I am dissatisfied with what he brought me. And I don’t even know why I did that. “It’s personal needs.”

“What is it?” he asked and sounded completely uninterested.

“I don’t know how to word it but...bath essentials?” I answered hesitantly.

“I see...” He slowly nodded his head. “Okay, I’ll take you there but on one condition.”

“What is it?” I asked, trying to stop my brow from rising.

“Don’t talk to me unless I start a conversation,” he said while looking at me.

“Deal,” I agreed since I don’t plan on talking to him either. Once I learn how life works here, I will never bother him again.

---

I took a deep breath to calm down. I have been trying to suppress my anger for the last minutes since this lizard in front of me really has no consideration at all. He really does not have any plans on slowing down even though I have begged him for a couple of times already. My foot still hurts so I couldn’t keep up with his pace.

If I only know where the community of the dryads is located, I wouldn’t have asked him in the first place, but since I don’t, I should and must stretch my patience and not get mad at him until we get there.

“Calm down, Lara, calm down,” I reminded myself, taking deep breaths.

I endured the pain and tried my best to catch up to him until he stopped walking. I quickly looked at what is in front of us and I smiled in relief when I finally saw infrastructure. It seems like we have arrived at our destination.

“We’re here,” he said.

I stared at the buildings and noticed that they were unique and way too far from what I imagined. I was thinking of normal house-like wooden buildings but they’re more beautiful and appealing. Actually, the right words to describe them are cute and magical since they resemble colorful mushrooms. There were also treehouses.

And the dryads look exactly how they were described in books. They’re a foot long tall, have skin as brown as the land, and moss green hair and eyes. They’re so adorable. They look completely harmless, well if only I am unaware of what they are capable to do.

Dryads are strongly affiliated with nature. Their ability to control the earth and forest is what made them dangerous, but I guess it was a long, long time ago. Cragore wouldn’t come here if they’re hostile, right? Besides, time changes everything. And probably, the dryads have finally learned to accept their fate and moved on from their obsession with taking the human realm just like what was written in the books I used to read when I was a kid.

Well, it’s certainly good news at some point since there will be no more need for me to do things I am supposed to since the threat to the western gate is gone. And it’s also bad news for me since I no longer have a purpose here. My arrival is useless. With how Cragore is treating me now, it seems like there is really no need for me to be here. And what’s worse is that I cannot go back. There have been no records in our family history of bearers returning after crossing this realm.

“Lord Cragore...” I looked at the dryads when I heard them speak, and saw them bowing to Cragore. “Is this girl your new vessel?” one of them asked. I stared at them and noticed something on their skin. They have lines like what you see on trees.

“Yes,” Cragore answered. “And she’s here to get some supplies. Would you mind assisting her, Rose?” he added.

“No problem,” she replied with a smile before she approached me. “Good day, Lady...”

“Lara,” I told her with a sweet smile.

“Good day, Lady Lara, please follow me and tell me about the things you need,” she said. I looked at her and could not help but to adore her cute pigtailed hair.

“Tell her everything you need. I’ll just wait here,” Cragore said with his usual tone.

I just nodded at him and diverted my attention to Rose. “Let’s go?” I asked her.

She just nodded before she started walking. “So, what do you need, Lady Lara?” she asked while looking around.

“I need a few pairs of clothes, do you have one here?” I asked, looking around since most of them are wearing clothes that are made of leaves and other plants. Some were even decorated with flowers.

“Of course,” she replied with a smile. “We have fellows here that specialize in silk weaving. We can go to them and have your measurements. But it will take them a day or two to create a dress that’s your size. Will that be okay for you, Lady Lara?”

“No problem. I still have a few dresses there from the late vessels,” I replied. “And since the dress is already okay, how about bath essentials?”

“Bath essentials?” she asked, completely clueless.

“Oh, I mean, do you have something I could use to wash my hair and body?” I explained. I forgot that there are some terms unknown to them.

“We do. Let’s check them once we had your measurements,” she replied.

I just nodded and followed her. We went to a bigger mushroom house where the silk weavers live and had my measurements obtained. I was told to return a week after to get my dresses. After that, Rose took me to their marketplace and I almost lost her when she mixed with the crowd. Dryads almost look identical to each other. The only distinct traits they have were their hair, voice, and clothes—thanks to that I can somehow distinguish them and identify Rose.

“This is what we use for our hair and body,” Rose said, showing me a purple flower bud that was almost half of her size. “The extract of this flower produces foam when mixed with water and it smells so good, too,” she added, handing it to me.

The first thing I did after receiving it was to smell it, and she wasn’t lying when she said it smells good. The flower smells sweet and calming with a little fruity side.

“That’s an amora flower. You can actually plant them in your backyard,” she said. “But if you don’t want to, you can just go to the Purple Garden,” she added. “It’s a place south of the fortress; a vast field of amora flowers. The whole field turns purple when all flowers are in full bloom.”

“That place sounds magical,” I told her with a smile. “Can you take me there?”

“No problem with me,” she said, shrugging her shoulder. “But you should ask Lord Cragore for permission first,” she added.

“And why is that? He doesn’t seem to care for me so why should I ask him for permission?” I responded and could not stop rolling my eyes. “If I didn’t beg him to take me here so I could get supplies, he would never take me here and I have to know this place on my own,” I added with an evident trace of irritation in my voice.

“I think you’re having a misunderstanding, Lady Lara,” she said. “Lord Cragore may look and sound cold but he really cares for his vessel, and it’s not something I just made up but something I saw personally with my eyes,” she added and there was this hint of sadness in her face for a second before she smiled at me. I don’t know if I was just imagining things or what.

“Well, he probably had a change of heart,” I replied. “There’s no way for him to care for me, especially when there’s no more need for me to be here anymore,” I added.

“Please don’t say that, Lady Lara,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re just getting to know each other. Once you spend more days here and know him better, you’ll probably change your impression of him,” she added and smiled.

“I don’t think so,” I objected. “I don’t have any value for him anymore since there’s no need for him to have a vessel when it’s already peaceful here,” I added. “In short, I am nothing but a useless person before his eyes.”

“That’s not true,” she differed. She looked into my eyes and smiled. “Your arrival is just as important as the late vessels’ arrival. You may not serve the same purpose as they did, but I know, you’re bound to help him in some other way,” she explained. “I believe that everything that happens in our life is moved by fate, not by coincidence, so please don’t devalue yourself, Lady Lara. Instead, why don’t you focus on finding the purpose why you were sent here?”

I looked away and stared in the direction where we left the cold lizard. After listening to Rose, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking—do I really have a purpose or I was just thrown here because I was born with his mark and I am destined to be here with or without use?