Chương 30: Chapter 28 — Fairies are Friends, Not Food.

By the time they reached the city wall, the group had a rough grasp of the song. It wasn't perfect, not even close, but it was recognizable. Dewey, in particular, was putting his whole heart into it, even if he confidently pronounced one section as "eleminow" every single time. Chelsea decided not to correct him yet. Without something to write it down, this was about as good as it was going to get.

The trees ahead rose higher and thicker as they approached, forming what looked less like a constructed wall and more like a living barrier. If Chelsea hadn't known better, she would have thought they were just walking into a dense forest. The trunks were massive, their bark dark and knotted, roots twisting along the ground like something alive. Edgar didn't slow as he stepped forward. As he approached the first tree, the world shifted.

It wasn't sudden, not like a door opening, but more like reality bending to make space for him. The trunks curved, the branches pulled back, and the dense wall of wood reshaped itself into a passage. It looked wrong in a way Chelsea couldn't fully explain, like the forest itself was making room rather than being moved aside. Adriane, Bea, and Dewey followed without hesitation. Chelsea lingered for half a second, staring at the place where solid wood had just… moved.

Then she quickly decided that being the only one left outside was a terrible plan and hurried after them. The moment she crossed the threshold, the sensation deepened. The path wasn't straight. It curved and bulged like the inside of a bubble, the wood arching overhead and around them in a smooth, organic tunnel. The light filtered through in strange patterns, shifting as the trees subtly adjusted their positions. Chelsea glanced back over her shoulder. The opening was gone.

In its place stood nothing but thick, unbroken trunks, packed tightly together like they had never moved at all.

"Quickly," Adriane said, stepping close and pulling a cloak up over Chelsea's head. She adjusted it to cover her horns as best she could.

"Put this on." Chelsea obeyed, instinctively tucking her wings in tighter against her back. The fabric draped over her, helping hide the more obvious parts of what she was.

"If there's one thing the fae dislike," Adriane continued quietly, "it's demons." Chelsea leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to match.

"Then why are we going to a fairy city?" After another minute, the dim tunnel of living wood gave way to light. It did not open all at once. The brightness grew ahead of them, filtering through thinner layers of leaves, until the path widened and the last of the enclosing branches pulled aside. They stepped through, and the city revealed itself. Chelsea stopped without meaning to. The forest had not been cleared to make this place. It had been convinced.

The same colossal trees that formed the outer wall continued inward, rising higher than anything she had ever seen, their trunks thick enough to swallow entire buildings. Instead of cutting them down, the city had been built into them, around them, through them. Stone and wood coexisted in a way that felt less like construction and more like growth. Terraces spiraled up the trunks in elegant curves, each level carved from pale stone that clung to the bark as if it had always belonged there.

Bridges arched between trees at impossible heights, thin and graceful, connecting towers that seemed to bloom from the living wood. Entire structures were suspended between branches, their foundations rooted in nothing but careful balance and something undeniably magical. Above it all, the canopy stretched inward, the outer wall of trees bending toward a shared center far overhead. The branches intertwined into a vast, natural dome, filtering sunlight into soft gold and green. It was bright, but never harsh.

The light moved gently, shifting with the leaves, painting everything below in a constant, living pattern. Water ran through the city in narrow channels, spilling from one level to the next in controlled cascades. Gardens were everywhere. Not placed, but woven into the architecture itself. Flowers grew along railings, vines climbed the sides of towers, and entire balconies overflowed with color. Nothing looked abandoned or overgrown. Every inch felt intentional, maintained, alive. And it wasn't quiet.

The city breathed. Voices carried through the air, light and melodic, blending with the sound of water and the faint rustle of leaves far above. Movement filled every level, figures crossing bridges, descending spirals, disappearing into doorways carved directly into the trees. Chelsea barely noticed any of that. Her attention locked onto the first fairy she saw.

The woman that was normal height moved along one of the lower terraces with an easy, unhurried grace, her dress flowing in deep green with accents that matched the bark and leaves around her. But it was her wings that caught Chelsea completely. They were not solid. Not quite. A thin, translucent membrane stretched outward, but within it, something shimmered. It looked like fine dust at first, like glitter caught in sunlight, but it moved.

It shifted in slow, mesmerizing patterns, colors sliding and blending like oil on water. Every step she took sent subtle ripples through them, light catching and scattering in ways that made it impossible to look away. Chelsea leaned forward without realizing it. She needed to touch them.

"I was afraid this would happen," Adriane said quietly. The words snapped Chelsea out of it. She blinked and found the entire group turned toward her, watching.

"What?" she asked, still half-distracted, trying not to look back at the wings.

"Your eyes," Bea said, already grinning.

"They did the thing."

"The thing?" Chelsea asked.

"When you see something you want to eat," Bea continued, tapping near her own eye, "the center gets really small, then really big. It's creepy." Chelsea frowned.

"That's called pupil dilation. Cats do it when they see prey. It's probably just…" She paused, then glanced back at the fairy again before forcing her gaze away.

"Okay, maybe don't let me stare at anyone too long." Adriane stepped a little closer, her voice dropping.

"Can we trust you not to take a bite out of anyone here?" Chelsea hesitated for half a second, then nodded.

"Yes. But just to be safe, I should probably eat something now." She was already moving as she spoke.

"I have a system." Before anyone could respond, she tied off the front of her cloak and ducked her head inside, sealing herself into her own little fabric bubble. From the outside, it looked ridiculous. From the inside, it was private enough. She pulled out a heart and started eating quickly.

"Just give me a second," her muffled voice came from inside the cloak.

"I'm being responsible." Bea snorted.

"Responsible."

"Will probably need your rag, Adriane," Chelsea added between hurried bites.

"You mean you're actually going to wipe your mouth this time?" Bea asked. Less than half a minute later, Chelsea reemerged, pushing her head back through the cloak. Adriane already had the rag ready. Chelsea took it, wiped her face thoroughly, and gave a small, satisfied nod.

"Good," she said.

"Keep your head down," Edgar added from beside her.

"Your eyes give you away just as much as your horns."

"Got it," she replied, adjusting the cloak slightly. She took one more look at the city, trying to take it all in without staring too hard at anyone in particular.

"Uh," she said, lowering her voice again.

"Why are we here, exactly?" It felt like a fair question. She stood out here in a way that made her skin itch, even with the cloak. A demon in a city full of fairies did not seem like a good idea. Adriane answered without hesitation.

"They have a long-distance teleportation array. We pay the fee, and it takes us straight to Junstruce." Chelsea nodded slowly, eyes flicking back up to the layered terraces, the living towers, the impossible bridges overhead.

"Okay," she said.

"Worth it." Bea bounced on the balls of her feet, barely containing herself.

"I'm so excited I finally get to use one of the long distance ones," she said, her grin stretching wide enough to show teeth.

"They're usually a luxury, but Adriane has some dire need to get you to Jun…"

"Bea," Adriane cut in sharply. The effect was immediate. Bea's expression snapped flat, the manic energy draining from her eyes as if someone had flipped a switch. She pressed her lips together and mimed locking them, though her fingers kept twitching at her sides, excitement leaking out in small, restless movements.

"I suggest we sell the weapons we obtained yesterday," Edgar said, stepping smoothly into the silence.

"It will make the transport cheaper." Adriane gave a small nod.

"Right. Lead the way." They fell in behind him, weaving through the layered streets and terraces. The deeper they moved into the city, the more Chelsea became aware of the subtle attention around them. It was not the same kind of fear or hostility she had felt elsewhere. It was quieter. Curious. Observant. People noticed Edgar. It took her a moment to realize that was where the focus was.

Heads turned slightly as he passed, conversations dipped for a heartbeat, and more than a few eyes lingered on the mask and cloak. It was not outright suspicion, but it was not casual either. There was recognition there, or at least awareness. She leaned slightly toward Dewey as they walked, keeping her voice low.

"Is he… famous here or something?" Dewey didn't answer, just gave the faintest shake of his head, which told her aboslutely nothing but she just nodded along.

"Here we are," Edgar said at last, stopping before a storefront built into the base of one of the great trees.

"The general store will take most of them." They stepped inside, and the shift in atmosphere was immediate. The space was open and bright, the interior shaped from polished wood that still held the natural curves of the tree it had come from. Shelves curved along the walls in gentle arcs, filled with neatly arranged goods that looked far more refined than anything they had been carrying. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A voice chimed out, light and melodic.

"Hello and welcome to my general store. What brings you in today?" Chelsea's nose wrinkled slightly beneath her hood. The tone was too sweet, too practiced. It felt like a performance rather than a greeting, and it set her on edge in a way she couldn't quite explain. Chelsea caught a glimpse of the shopkeeper. She too, like all of the other fairies was normal height. Maybe slightly taller than Bea.

"Selling some weapons and wares we acquired from a pack of bandits," Edgar replied. He moved forward and began laying the items out across the counter in an orderly line, leaving out the few things they had decided to keep. The shopkeeper approached, her expression bright and welcoming until she actually looked at what had been placed in front of her. She picked up a dagger between two fingers, turning it slightly.

The moment her gaze caught the wear on the blade, she made a small sound of distaste and dropped it back onto the counter.

"My, these are some…" she paused, searching for a polite word, "well loved pieces you have here." Chelsea shifted where she stood, keeping her face hidden beneath the cloak.

"Do you have any books?" she asked quietly. She felt Adriane's attention snap toward her immediately. The shopkeeper's expression softened in an entirely different way as she looked at Chelsea.

"Aww, are you trying to learn to read? Good for you, sweetheart." Her voice dipped into something almost patronizingly gentle.

"Unfortunately, I do not carry books here, but there is a bookstore a few blocks over. They could point you in the right direction." Chelsea didn't respond. The tone made her skin crawl in a way she couldn't justify out loud. The shopkeeper leaned slightly toward Adriane, lowering her voice just enough to pretend it was private.

"Is she okay? Just shy?" Adriane didn't hesitate. Her voice softened, carrying just enough weight to make the story feel real.

"She was recently in a fire that took the life of an adventurer. I brought her to my sister, who is a healer. She was missing nearly all of her skin. There was only so much that could be done." The reaction was immediate. The shopkeeper's hand flew to her mouth, eyes widening in horror.

"Oh, you poor thing," she breathed.

"We're trying to get her to her family in Junstruce," Adriane added. The woman's entire demeanor shifted.

"Please, let me donate," she said quickly.

"I'll purchase these from you for… how does two gold sound?" Chelsea blinked. That sounded like nothing. After everything they had just laid out, it felt almost insulting.

"Oh, you're too kind," Adriane replied smoothly, not missing a beat.

"Please, it's the least I could do," the woman insisted, already reaching for the coins and pressing them into Adriane's hand.

"Thank you. We really do appreciate it," Adriane said, gathering the coins and giving a polite nod before turning to leave. They stepped back out into the open air of the city, the brightness and movement rushing in around them again. Bea didn't wait more than two steps before she burst out laughing.

"Chelsea has officially made more money for our family than all of your questing with the guild, Dewey!" Chelsea stopped mid-step, turning to look at her.

"Wait. What?" She looked at Dewey.

"How much have you made?" He scratched the back of his head, thinking it over.

"I don't know," he admitted, then nodded once.

"But not two gold." Chelsea stared at him, then looked back at Adriane, then at the coins in her hand as if they might suddenly explain themselves.

"Hold on," she said, raising a hand.

"How is money broken down in this world? Is there a smaller currency than gold?" Bea laughed again and pulled Chelsea into a loose side hug, clearly enjoying her confusion.

"Of course there is." She held up a finger, ticking them off one by one.

"You start with bits, then copper pieces, then silver coins, and then you get to gold." Chelsea looked down at the coins again, then back up at the others, her expression slowly shifting.

"Oh," she said. That… explained a lot. It also explains how much trouble the Wixx family has been in with this debt.

"How much are each of them worth?" Chelsea asked. The question came out casual, but her stomach was already sinking. Numbers had always meant something to her, and now they were starting to take shape in a way she wasn't sure she liked. Fifty gold had sounded modest before. Now it felt like it might be something else entirely. Adriane answered without hesitation.

"Ten bits make one copper. Fifty copper makes a silver, and one hundred silver makes a gold. There is platinum as well, but it is not widely used. Too easy to fake, and when you are dealing with that kind of value, most people prefer gold anyway." Chelsea nodded slowly, working through the conversions in her head.

"Got it. For reference, if I wanted to purchase my spear. The Uncommon, unbroken version." Adriane thought for a moment.

"Maybe thirty silver?"

"Okay," Chelsea said, already moving on.

"And a single apple?"

"Depends on the season," Adriane replied.

"But usually somewhere between five bits and two copper." Chelsea reached down and patted the pouch at her belt, her mind moving quickly now. She ran the numbers once, then again, just to be sure she hadn't made a mistake. When she spoke, there was a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"My spear is worth about a thousand apples… average." They all stopped walking. For a second, no one said anything. Then they looked at her. Then at each other.

"Is she right?" Bea asked quietly, like she was afraid of the answer. Adriane didn't look away from Chelsea.

"Something tells me she is."

"She's right," Dewey added with a firm nod.

"I can feel it." Chelsea blinked at them.

"It's just math." They started walking again, but the mood had shifted slightly.

"Chelsea," Bea said after a moment, her tone flat, "I hate you sometimes." Chelsea glanced over at her.

"Why?" she asked, already smiling because she knew it wasn't real anger.

"You make light of things that are not simple," Bea replied, frustration creeping into her voice.

"You say things that make no sense and then they turn out to be right. We just have to accept it because we cannot follow how you got there. You are a child and you make me feel stupid." Chelsea glanced around and realized Bea was not alone in that. Edgar's mask gave a faint nod, and even Adriane looked thoughtful rather than dismissive. That surprised her more than anything. She looked up at Dewey. He just smiled down at her like none of it bothered him.

"I'm s…"

"I do not want you to be sorry," Bea cut her off with a sharp exhale.

"That is not what I meant." She dragged a hand down her face, trying to put the feeling into words.

"You are adorable, brilliant, and terrifying. You tear through people like it means nothing, and you have some strange ability that Adriane is obsessed with. The rest of us are trying to survive long enough to get to the next job so we can live a slightly better life. Dewey and I are not even finished with our Wixx training, and she finished yours in a single go." Chelsea went quiet. She hadn't meant to do that. She hadn't meant to make them feel small just by being… herself.

There was only one part of that she felt safe responding to.

"You think I'm adorable?" she asked. Bea stared at her.

"Really?" Chelsea turned her head toward Dewey, even though her eyes were still hidden beneath the hood.

"Bea thinks I'm adorable," she announced. Dewey let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying himself. They turned a corner, and Edgar slowed as they approached a smaller building tucked between two larger structures. It looked older than the rest, though still carefully maintained. A flower box sat beneath the front window, overflowing with color, and a pair of simple chairs rested on either side of the door. It felt more like a quiet bed and breakfast than anything tied to the kind of magic they were here for.

"I would know that mask anywhere," an older voice called from the doorway. Edgar stepped forward without hesitation.

"Clem," he said in greeting as he entered. The rest followed him inside. Chelsea found herself staring at the man behind the voice. He looked ancient. Not just old, but worn in a way that suggested he had been around long enough to see things most people never would. His hair was thin and pale, his face lined deeply, and his posture slightly bent. And yet his wings were just as vibrant as every other fairy she had seen, shimmering with that same shifting light.

"Edgar, how have you been?" the man asked, his tone carrying an easy familiarity.

"Surprised you have not gone feral yet." Edgar lifted a gloved hand and tapped lightly against his mask.

"Not anytime soon." He turned slightly, gesturing back toward the group.

"Let me introduce you to my family. First is my beautiful wife, Beatrix." The introductions moved quickly after that. Names were exchanged, small nods given, the usual rhythm of people who did not linger on formalities longer than necessary. When Edgar reached her, his tone softened just a fraction.

"This little one is Chelsea," he said.

"She is a sweet girl we are trying to get to Junstruce." Chelsea shifted slightly under the cloak, suddenly very aware of how much attention she might be drawing in a place like this.

"Well," the old man said, his eyes settling on Chelsea with a knowing sort of interest, "we don't get many demonfolk out this way." Chelsea hesitated, then slowly tilted her head up just enough for one eye to peek out from beneath her hood.

"How did you know?" she asked. Clem didn't hesitate.

"Your breath," he said simply.

"It carries the scent of human blood. Not faint either." He gestured lightly toward her head.

"And the shape under that hood is wrong. Too rigid to be hair. Same problem at your back. Fairies don't hide things like that, and they certainly don't smell like what you've been eating." Chelsea swallowed and shifted slightly.

"I have a tail," she admitted quietly.

"It's tucked into the front of my armor." Clem gave a small nod, like that confirmed something rather than surprised him.

"Makes sense. I was wondering." Chelsea dipped her head in a small, polite bow.

"You're not going to report me?" she asked. He let out a dry chuckle.

"If I reported every unusual thing that walked through that door, I would never have time to run a business. You're not causing trouble. That's good enough for me." She relaxed just a little.

"Thank you," she said.

"We've come to use the array to Junstruce," Edgar said, steering things back on track.

"Is it still operational?"

"It is," Clem replied.

"Though it doesn't see much use these days. Most people don't like paying for it." He rubbed at his chin as he thought.

"It can take you there, but it will cost a fair bit. I'll also need to check if I have enough location cards for a group your size. Give me a moment." He shuffled off into the adjoining room, the sound of papers being moved and drawers opening echoing back out to them.

"You know," his voice called from the other room, "I was there when that old gali you call a husband first came to life." Bea lit up instantly.

"I'd love to hear that story!" There was a rustle of parchment before Clem continued.

"A group of adventurers came through, wanted to use the array. Problem was, they didn't have the coin to cover the cost. So they started emptying their bags onto my counter. Trinkets, scraps, anything they thought might be worth something." He stepped back into view as he spoke, still sorting through a stack of cards.

"I suppose a wandering fae spirit took an interest in the pile. When those fools turned back around, there he was. Standing upright, staring at them like he'd always been there."

"They claimed to own me," Edgar added, his tone as flat as ever. Clem snorted.

"They did. Thought they'd stumbled onto a prize. I told them I'd take the spirit as payment and sent them on their way before they could argue."

"From there," Edgar continued, "he raised me." Clem gave a small shrug.

"Did what I could." Chelsea looked between them, trying to piece it together.

"What does going feral mean?" she asked. Edgar answered after a brief pause.

"If my focal item is destroyed, the spirit holding me together is released. Without a form, a gali loses structure. Instinct takes over." He tilted his head slightly.

"Feral ones tend to be… bitey."

"That's one way to put it," Clem muttered.

"Oh, you did a great job," Bea said suddenly, wrapping herself around Edgar's arm and pressing against him with no regard for anyone else in the room.

"He turned out wonderfully." Chelsea blinked, then looked at Clem, then back at Bea, who seemed entirely unbothered by the situation. There was no hesitation, no embarrassment. Just… Bea being Bea. Clem cleared his throat pointedly and held out a small stack of cards.

"These will get you to the fairy district of Junstruce," he said, shifting the focus back where it belonged.

"Replacing them will cost about four and a half gold each." Adriane glanced down at Chelsea without saying a word.

"Twenty-two gold, fifty silver," Chelsea replied automatically. Clem clapped his hands together once, delighted.

"That was quick. Keep her around and you'll end up rich, Miss Adriane." Adriane smiled faintly and began counting out the coins, stacking them neatly before passing them over. While she did, Chelsea turned one of the cards over in her hands. It was similar to the one Edgar had given her before at the castle, but more intricate. A circle sat at the center, surrounded by a triangle etched into the surface. At each point of the triangle was a smaller circle, each one filled with fine, almost unreadable markings.

The whole thing hummed faintly with contained energy.

"Thank you, Clem," Adriane said once the exchange was complete. She stepped onto the pedestal without hesitation. There was a brief shimmer, and then she was gone. Dewey followed immediately after, disappearing just as cleanly.

"I have a feeling this will be the last time we see each other," Clem said quietly, his eyes settling on Edgar. Edgar extended his hand, the gesture formal and measured, but Clem ignored it entirely. The old man stepped forward and pulled him into a firm embrace instead, one hand pressing against Edgar's back as if grounding him in place for just a moment longer.

"For everything you are," Clem said quietly, "you still turned out better than I expected." Edgar returned the gesture, his movements slower, more deliberate.

"Thank you for everything, old man." There was no more to say after that. Bea broke the moment in the only way she knew how.

"Alright, enough of that," she said, already stepping onto the pedestal. In a flash, she was gone. Chelsea lingered for a second, watching the two of them. Something about the exchange felt important, like she had just witnessed a piece of Edgar she didn't fully understand yet. She didn't interrupt it. After giving them a few more seconds, she stepped forward onto the pedestal, clutching the card lightly in her hand. Then the world shifted as Junstruce pulled her towards it.